1. Journals

9. Living Legend

November 9, 2025

5th Lharvion, 998 YK

  • A Rare Stephcap! Steph gets the improvement for recapping last session!
  • She refers to Ban as "Dad" during the recap
  • Yashira is in her own personal hell (and her player is absent today)
  • They're at a cave entrance in the Valley of the Hero. Above it, written in archaic Goblin, are the words "Courage. Action. Caution. Boldness"
  • Nerys ponders whether this is a group trial or "every man, woman, and non-binary person for themselves"
  • They discuss it for a bit. The Tale of Mur'taal involved him doing them alone, but getting stuck until he had help from Miishka.
  • Ruckus comments that they could still get stuck, together
  • Nerys grabs Ruckus hand and shouts "Let's go!"
  • Ruckus goes along with it
  • Yashira is hugging herself and jumping at shadows
  • Nerys takes Yashira's hand too, which is comical as they're now holding the hands of a very short person and a reasonably taller person
  • They enter the cavern, and see a large open space lit from above by an unseen light source, and the depths shrouded by magical shadows. 
  • There is a platform in the middle, and a natural bridge leading to it. The bridge is clearly unsafe, with spike traps and swinging pendulum blades.
  • Someone mentions that Damien can teleport across, but that only gets him across and Nerys says that doesn't sound very brave. Damien says it's brave! He could end up anywhere
  • Nerys asks if anyone has a torch? Damien does, he's always prepared (and Packs Efficiently)
  • Nerys asks if it's okay if they lose one?
  • Damien scoffs, do they think he doesn't have spares? He is always prepared
  • Nerys drops one of the torches off the cliff and Damien kicks off. "You dropped it down the hole!? I thought you were just worried about losing it"
  • Charlie really wants to drop off the cliff, but he knows he'll die. They actually humour this for a bit, maybe it's the brave thing to do?
  • Ban thinks it'd be the stupid thing, not the brave thing. Ruckus says this place operates on fairytale logic
  • Nerys thinks for a bit, and asks who is the strongest? Damien says his muscles are just for show
  • Charlie holds up a noodle arm
  • Yashira is also more...lean
  • It may be Nerys
  • Ruckus isn't strong himself, but his exosuit is
  • Nerys asks if Ruckus trusts them. Ruckus says "define trust"
  • "Do you trust me to hold a rope that's holding you"
  • "Do not lower me into the darkness"
  • 2nd session this week where my players are fascinated by a hole
  • Ruckus concedes, he'll let them tie him to a rope and lower him into the hole
  • Nerys says not to worry, this is a story! It would be anticlimactic for him to just die
  • "Not if I'm a side character"
  • Nerys doesn't think he's a side character!
  • Ban says you need to believe you're the main character!
  • Charlie points out that the other goblins here thought Ruckus was the main character!
  • Damien comments "yeah but they were racists"
  • Nerys ties a loop in their rope so Ruckus can put his foot through it
  • They briefly discuss the possibility of Ruckus dying horribly, then they lower him into the hole
  • Ruckus gets more and more panicked as he gets closer to the darkness, and then he "respawns", screaming, as he appears back with the others
  • Nerys sees that Ruckus returned without the rope, and then drops the rope into the hole. Damien has an aneuryism
  • The rope doesn't "respawn"
  • Nerys says "well, we've all learned a valuable lesson"
  • They kinda wanna jump in
  • "But look, it shows we can't just die! It would be anticlimactic. Doesn't that make you feel safe?"
  • Hmm
  • Charlie says it would be comedic timing for them to say that and then fall to their death
  • Good point
  • Damien can teleport, but that only gets him across. Again.
  • Nerys asks if Charlie can make another ice bridge? Charlie is sweating his tits off, he doesn't think so
  • "Also, it doesn't seem in the spirit of the challenge to circumvent it"
  • Damien agrees, the cave said "Courage. Action. Boldness"
  • Charlie says fine, he'll go first, and then just fucking runs.
  • Somehow, he gets to the middle (safe) point without getting hurt, though a spike did snag his coat
  • Damien is applauding him, as is Ban
  • Okay, that seems to be the solution. He's nervous inside, but putting on a brave face.
  • He runs the rest of the gauntlet, and made it most of the way but got clipped by one of the pendulums right at the end. He made it across, but not without injury
  • Damien claps and says "who's next?"
  • Nerys wants to try something. They get their book out, and begin reading their favourite story: The Sleeping Prince.
  • This somehow almost works? They make it most of the way to the middle, and then the spikes trigger when they're in the middle of a trap, and impales them in multiple places. They fall forward into safety
  • Charlie calls back if they're okay!?
  • Damien yells that they might be dead!
  • Nerys manages to weakly give a thumbs up
  • Ban goes next, to try and make sure Nerys doesn't bleed to death
  • Damien gives him Freedom of Movement first, to speed him across
  • Ban believes so strongly that he'll be okay that it seems inconceivable that he can fail. He gets impaled on the first set of spikes.
  • Damien rushes to pull him out of danger. Oh god.
  • Ruckus laments that Ban has become swish cheese
  • "There are worse ways to go"
  • Damien gets his first aid kit (he packs efficiently!) and quickly triages Ban's wounds so he's not going to imminently bleed to death
  • Nerys, however, is lying in a growing pool of their own blood
  • Ban makes some healing soup, but only makes enough for himself or Nerys
  • Damien remembers he can teleport, and teleports to Nerys to bandage them
  • Nerys is no longer in danger of bleeding to death
  • Nerys says thank you, Damien is pretty great
  • "I know"
  • Say less, King
  • Nerys mentally commits to writing a story about Damien
  • Damien pushes himself, channeling his mark to teleport both himself and Nerys. It works, he manages to teleport them both, but his dragonmark is burning hot at the other side. Charlie uses his very cold hands (he has poor circulation) to cool it down. Damien's mark is on his chest, so it's very homoerotic
  • Nerys writes everything down
  • We joke about romance novels. "A Song of Ice and Lightning Rails". If anyone can run a train on someone, it'd be Damien d'Orien
  • Charlie's dad would hate that
  • Not cos it's gay, but because Damien is Aundairian (and a House Member)
  • Nerys suggests that Damien should also heal Charlie
  • "Why? Charlie's fine?"
  • Nah, Charlie got hit by an axe
  • Damien gets some ointment out of his bag, and the homoeroticism continues
  • Nerys is blushing as they write this all down
  • Ban, Ruckus, and Yashira still need to cross
  • Ruckus asks if the others think they should wait a bit until whatever is going on over there is done?
  • That wouldn't be very courageous
  • Ruckus takes off his backpack and puts it on Ban, and then deploys the exosuit.
  • Ban doesn't know how to use the suit! Ruckus gives a quick tutorial.
  • His logic is that Ban is the healer, and the exosuit is armoured
  • Ban'll take that, he didn't have a great experience trying to cross the first time.
  • He sprints across and this time makes it to the middle safely. He then takes another step forward and gets hit by the first pendulum, cutting him and damaging the exosuit. It's not working anymore when he tries to do what Ruckus showed him
  • He climbs out, and gathers his courage to try again.
  • This time, he gets his frying pan out to protect him (and give him courage)
  • He makes it almost all the way, but the final pendulum is going to hit him! He instinctively brings the Frying Pan up to protect himself, and it gets dented as he is launched onto the platform
  • He is devastated, this is like losing a family member
  • Ban yells back that he's sorry to Ruckus, as Ruckus' suit is now in the danger zone
  • Ruckus yells back that he's fine, he can figure this out!
  • Yashira puts her hand on Ruckus shoulder, and then parkours across the bridge. She has to slide under the last pendulum. It's so cool.
  • Nerys yells back at Ruckus. "You have to believe! Believe you are the main character!"
  • Ruckus gathers his courage, he really doesn't want to do this. He sprints, and makes it most of the way but gets a spike through his foot.
  • "Damien! Heal him with your gay hands!"
  • "What?"
  • Damien teleports over to Ruckus.
  • "Yes! Hold his small body in your big strong arms!"
  • "What!?"
  • Damien treats the injury, but Ruckus is confused. Vibes are off.
  • Ruckus crawls over to his exosuit and pulls it into the safe zone
  • He then gets Simon out and tries to fix whatever got broken
  • He knows this machine inside and out, he quickly identifies the issue and fixes it, and then puts the suit on
  • Time to try and cross the last bit
  • Despite the vibes being off, Ruckus is able to make it to the other side, just barely avoiding the pendulums
  • He gets to the other side, retracts the suit and collapses on the floor. "I thought I was gonna die"
  • All gathered on the platform, it's time for Trial of Courage Part 2!
  • Uuugggghhh
  • They can see light coming from the other side of the cavern, opposite where they started. That's probably where they need to go, but they see no way of getting there
  • There is still magical darkness below them, but now they can hear running water between them and the light
  • Nerys suggests they jump in the hole
  • "Why is your first suggestion always to jump in the hole!?"
  • They explain their reasoning! It's a Trial of Courage! It's a leap in the dark
  • They're scared, but that's courage! Doing it scared
  • Nerys says they're adventurers! This is what they do! At least, that's what they've read in the Books, and Books would never lie (she's very honest)
  • Charlie is incredulous. He knows of misinformation in books
  • Damien says he'll try first, but if he goes back to the start he swears...
  • Damien and Nerys jump at the same time
  • They fall into water, and get carried away. The others just hear them disappear, screaming but gradually getting quieter and further away
  • Ruckus says "oh gods we killed them"
  • Charlie says no, if they died they would've heard something
  • Maybe they're still falling?
  • Charlie sighs and jumps in
  • He falls into the water. It's luke-warm, which isn't what he was hoping for
  • Yashira shrugs. She hates this and wants to get it over with. She jumps in
  • Ban does too
  • That leaves Ruckus all by himself. He's just watched every one of his friends jump, so he may as well
  • They all get carried away to somewhere else
  • The river carries them outside, and ends at a path in a field of thick grass. They're all wet, but it's warm enough out here to not feel cold
  • Damien looks around and asks where they are?
  • Charlie is too warm
  • Ruckus asks if this is the afterlife?
  • No, Dolurrh is way bleaker than this
  • Nerys suggests maybe they were saved by the gods?
  • Ruckus doesn't believe in gods
  • Damien says that the Sovereigns have their uses
  • Nerys thinks that doesn't make him a very good believer
  • Guess they're just damp
  • They follow the path, not seeing any other way to go. As they walk, Nerys asks if that was one of the trials? Did they succeed?
  • Charlie says he hopes so, after all that shit.
  • Ruckus asks how many trials were in the story? Nerys says 3
  • Ah fuck
  • At least they won't be physical?
  • Ruckus says he didn't think the trial of Courage would be either, but his foot and Ban's entire body says otherwise
  • The trials of Wisdom and Honour should be more theoretical, Nerys assumes
  • Charlie is skeptical. "hmm...goblins"
  • Nerys looks around for the Kech Shaarat but can't see them. "heheh, no fascists here"
  • Hopefully they aren't waiting for them at the end, that would be embarassing
  • They come to a fork in the road, with a sign that says "Wisdom. Perserverence. Reliance."
  • Down one path, is a dark and spooky forest. Down the other, a beautiful field full of flowers.
  • Damien sighs in resignation. Spooky path it is.
  • Ruckus doesn't trust that rainbow
  • Ban doesn't want to go down the spooky path! What if it's a trick?
  • Ruckus says the easy path wouldn't make for a good story, and this is the land of fairytale
  • Damien tells a story of witches from his homeland, with sweet smelling cake houses. The sweet path is always a trap.
  • Ban wonders how long it would take him to make a house out of cake
  • Nerys wants a small cake house for their birthday
  • Ban says sure, for a birthday! Just a small house
  • Nerys is so excited for their birthday now!
  • Charlie asks what the weather is like in the Mror Holds?
  • "Depends if you're underground"
  • thanks Nerys
  • "On the surface, lots of snow and wind"
  • "Not ideal conditions for a house made of gingerbread"
  • Nerys says one of their friends lived near one of the volcanoes! That gets pretty hot. They talk about the hot springs there!
  • Ban thinks that sounds great
  • Still not ideal conditions for a gingerbread house
  • Charlie prefers it cold
  • They take the scary path, which Ban does begrudgingly
  • Nerys thinks whichever path they take is the one they're meant to take!
  • It feels like they walk for hours, and they begin to get hungry. Almost in response to this, the trees grow fruit for them! Ban loves this!
  • Damien is suspicious, but Nerys is already eating! Nerys!
  • Nerys feels so refreshed and full of energy!
  • "I feel so refreshed and full of energy!"
  • Nerys says they should probably take some of this fruit
  • Ban already has a backpack full of em
  • "This was actually way better than the nice path would've been. Thank you for dragging me this way!" - Ban
  • They entered a Thelanis zone and ate the food!
  • This occurs to Nerys, and they have a little panic. Uh oh.
  • With this in mind, Ban decides not to eat the fruit. He makes some food for those who don't want to, and it's just as refreshing and energizing
  • His frying pan is still dented :(
  • Ruckus goes "oh wait it broke?"
  • Ruckus can fix it
  • "Why didn't you say anything earlier?"
  • "Cos we were busy :("
  • Ban says it can wait til they're back in Sharn. He needs it to be perfect, what if the field repairs go wrong? He couldn't handle that
  • Nerys asks if the pan is a special material? What makes it so special?
  • Ban got it from his grandpa
  • Aww
  • They walk for hours, or maybe days, and the forest becomes a field of long grass, swaying in the wind. In the distance, they see a pair of goblins sat by the road having a chat. One of them is a bit more animated than the other
  • Damien says they should be cautious. Ruckus gets ready to talk to them, as he's the only one that speaks Goblin
  • The pair of goblins greet them cheerfully in archaic Goblin, though they understand it all the same. The goblins introduce themselves as Boblin the Goblin, and Fairytale Fumbus. They say they are frightened of what may lie ahead, could they travel with the group?
  • The group agrees, of course!
  • The group experience the strangest thing they ever have. They feel the camera pan away, and they observe a travel montage of themselves travelling with Boblin and Fairytale Fumbus. It's a great adventure, with many nights shared by the campfire, stories exchanged. They freak out a little bit about the out of body experience, and give commentary on what they're seeing themselves do.
  • They learn about a wizard named Ezren, Fairytale Fumbus' wife Amiri. Their cousins wedding coming up. Boblin's time as a Dhakaani scout.
  • Yashira fucking hates this. When the camera pans back into the others heads and they regain control of themselves, this does not happen for Yashira. She remains a passive observer of her own story and actions.
  • Damien briefly notices the six godlike beings sat around a table, observing this all with their "character sheets". Fairytale Fumbus tells him not to worry about it! They're chill
  • They reach the end of the path, where there is a free standing adamantine door with a scene carved into it.
  • Nerys asks if the goblins will be accompanying them? They will not
  • Boblin gives a speech about how they're just side characters, this isn't their story. They will have to come to terms with the fact that, like with all stories, their time with these beloved characters is over. And just like in many stories, the reader fixates on side characters with silly names like Boblin the Goblin and Fairytale Fumbus, rather than the ones the author spent time and effort trying to make likeable.
  • And sometimes, author's lean on pop culture references or cameos, like bringing in a character from another story for cheap laughs that maybe break the immersion a little but it's all part of the fun
  • Fairytale Fumbus walks over to Nerys and says "remember, we'll always be with you, right here" and pokes them in the forehead
  • "In your fuckin dreams"
  • Nerys says they'll write them into a story. Fairytale Fumbus says they're made of pure fantasy magic, he doesn't know what that'll do
  • "I'll always remember you, as a character that made me laugh for 5 minutes and then we moved on"
  • Nerys can't take it anymore and just tries to proceed. Ruckus tells them to be careful, they might trip on a plothole!
  • They turn back to Boblin and Fairytale Fumbus, and they're gone. Existing only in their memories
  • Damien says that was so weird, it was like he was 2 people for a bit? What the hell?
  • Nerys says it's a "narrative device" to pass time and the journey without going into detail
  • Charlie says he's just glad to have hands again
  • "You know who also had hands?" - Nerys
  • "uhh, most of us?" - Ban
  • Nerys opens the doors, and instead of a field on the other side, is a hallway. There's a throne at the far end, with a spectral figures walking in circles, spinning a spiked chain. The door opening alerts him, and he coils the chain around his arm and waits for them.
  • They enter.
  • Mur'taal gives them a salute, and greets them. "Saa'atcha, warriors. I am what remains of Mur'taal."
  • They salute back, and Mur'taal nods. He asks if they've traveled far.
  • Nerys says they had some good pickle juice, which confuses Mur'taal.
  • Charlie says they don't need to tell Mur'taal about the pickle juice.
  • Mur'taal explains that he is the final trial. If they wish to take the chains, they will need to prove themselves worthy.
  • Nerys asks if they are the first?
  • Mur'taal confirms they are.
  • Ha, take that, fascists
  • Nerys asks if they will have to fight him? He confirms they will, but it is cusomary for combatants to converse first
  • Nerys asks if he completed his final trial?
  • He confirms that he did, with the help of the duur'kala Miishka. Thus, he was able to return to his people and push back the Taarn (Tairnadal)
  • They ask if he had to fight someone? That memory is not available to him
  • Will they all fight him? That doesn't seem fair?
  • "Oh, it will be more than fair"
  • Oh, they're scared now
  • "Fair dos, thanks Mister Mur'taal"
  • "Do you have any questions?" - Nerys
  • Oh, Mur'taal hadn't thought about that! He asks how the Empire fares?
  • Uhhh
  • Ehh
  • Hmm
  • "It has...changed, there is now a nation called Darguun. Goblins still have their own place"
  • "Still...have their own place? But all of Khrovaire belongs to Dhakaan?"
  • They try to soften the blow, but Charlie tells him the Empire hasn't existed for like 9000 years
  • Mur'taal has to sit down. That's a lot to take in.
  • "But your story is still told! They remember you!"
  • and Charlie talks about how the university he goes to has a whole department dedicated to their history
  • Mur'taal asks if they know what happened?
  • Charlie doesn't
  • Nerys does though! Dyrrn is fucking with their people too!
  • There was an invasion from another plane, the Daelkyr. They corrupted the Empire and lead to its fall, even though they were defeated. Well, not defeated, they were bound.
  • Very well...
  • Mur'taal stands back up and unfurls the chain. "Let's commence with the Trial, so I may be put to rest"
  • Once they're ready, he starts spinning the chain, and then lashes at Charlie. Charlie summons ice to deflect the chain, and Mur'taal gives him a stoic, heroic nod.
  • Damien takes advantage of the situation and teleports within melee range to attack. Mur'taal reacts, spinning the chain from Charlie to crack Damien across the face, knocking him to the ground.
  • Ban steps up. Knee caps it is. Mur'taal doesn't notice and Ban cracks him across the knee. He acknowledges Ban, "Your people were always fearsome"
  • Nerys starts reading a story, attempting to scare Mur'taal with the Devil's Tongue (a creepy flesh story)
  • Mur'taal is totally unfazed, and does an intimidating display with his chain, scaring them all
  • Ruckus steps up, pulling out his grenade launcher, burning multiple tags (the launcher itself, and relationship tags as he yells at them all to duck)
  • He fires the grenade, catching Mur'taal, Damien, and Ban in the blast, burning them all.
  • As Damien stands up and tries to create an opening for Yashira to stab Mur'taal, tying up his attention (and the chain).
  • Getting Mur'taals attention is a dangerous place to be. The chain wraps around Damien's arm, and he is thrown into Nerys.
  • Ow
  • Nerys gets up and reads a story to attempt to inspire the party, to counter Mur'taals intimidation, and it works! Everyone feels so inspired
  • Charlie takes the initiative, pulling the war fan that Yashira made for him out and tries to redirect the chain and control it. He burns the war fan tag for this (sorry Yashira!) as Mur'taal is scary as fuck, dude
  • Somehow, this fuckin works and he manages to put Mur'taal off-balance, but at the cost of the fan
  • Ban jumps in and here and turns that off-balance into "bludgeoned with a frying pan"
  • Mur'taal thinks this makes Ban plenty worthy, good grief. He stands up, bows, and surrenders. He places the chains on the ground, and fades into fairy dust
  • Nerys realises, hey, aren't they taking the goblinoids cultural relics here?
  • Hmm
  • They discuss they can return them after Nigel has studied?
  • They pick up the chains, and the space seems to morph to direct them towards an exit.
  • They open the door, feeling a thrum of magic, and it opens to the wilderness not far from where Tantuul left them