#obsidiinium

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The Silver Dragonborn Paladin, Zythraulthillan “Silverscales” Woodwarden. The exasperated moral compass to their travelling companion.

They didn’t have all those scars when the adventure started.

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Worbs and their henchman, autocorrect

writing fics be like

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Solo RPGing: I have no idea what’s going to happen next! 😀

Also solo RPGing: I have no idea what’s going to happen next 😭

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face practice. pls don't cry, Humility, it's gonna be okay

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Y'all seemed to like the art. so here. is more.

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Humility: sitting safely above the chaos she caused, watching, laughing

Zythraul: frontlines. Punching things. throwing the occasional glare at their tiefling

If things get violent, where is your character?

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What if, when writing dialogue for drunk people I just turn off my autocorrect and word suggestions and how it lands is how it stays

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It’s better if I’m just shouting into the void, actually

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I’ll take contemplative tieflings for $1mil, thanks Larry

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Humility “be grateful you were blessed with my horn in your eyeball you ungrateful fuck-“

Zythraul “I’m so sorry about her”

i think in a modern era world w dnd races there would be discourse about crowdsurfing and being in the pit as tiefling

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Can I afford therapy? No

Can I afford to sit here and have my OCs talk out their problems while drink and embracing by a fireplace?

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Chapter 5: One Endless Darkness.

Part 5

—-

“Bring the other.” Says the half-elf, and from a tree above a Giant Wolf Spider drops down. Lilli feels unable to resist or turnaround to see but she gets the sense that the spider has grabbed a now unmoving Zythraul and is carrying them along. They walk further into the graveyard, from the way the two figures came from. It’s just a short walk before they come to another mausoleum, who’s name Lilli can’t make out. The giant spider nudges Lilli forwards as it carries Zythraul inside. The hooded figure steps behind a statue of some long dead noble and Lilli hears a creak and a thunk.

“Come here.” Lilli shakes her head but does what she is told. The half-elf goes to put a blindfold on her. Lilli realises she doesn’t need to do what he says, and takes a step backwards.

“No. I don’t think I will.” She turns, intending to escape, but comes face to face with the giant spider. Zythraul is blindfolded, gagged and bound in webbing on the spider’s back. The spider hisses and lunges at Lilli. It’s fangs connect with one of her arms and lilli feels an illness start pumping up her arm. She steps backwards instinctively and the half-elf takes this opportunity to fling the blindfold around lilli’s eyes, and then another one in her mouth. Fromm behind, she hears Zythraul start protesting loudly behind their own gag. She can feel herself being pushed down a steep set of stairs and through the gaps in her blindfold sees only darkenss. They are led down and through a winding trail that she does her best to keep track of. They arrive and stop, in what sounds like a room, with sounds of speech echoing throughout. Lilli feels herself pushed into a position before feeling something cold and metal wrap around her wrists and feet, her blindfold removed. the half elf is in front of her, sneering. Glancing around quickly Lilli can see Zythraul in a similar predicament, similarly chained up to the wall. their jaws still bound shut with webbing, but still managing a rumbling snarl as the hooded figure finishes chaining them up.

In the middle of the room - those mysterious catacombs under the graveyard Lilli had heard rumours of - was a single chair, facing away from them with another writhing humanoid chained up to it. The hooded figure walks away from Zythraul and in front of the other seated figure.

“Your trial begins. Become one of us or become empty; forfeit yourself to our lord.” The figure in the chair tries to writhe itself free but to no avail. The hooded figure points it’s staff at a wall and a portal opens in front of the chair. A small swarm of crawling monstrosities rushes out of the portal and straight at the bound figure. They crawl up and all over him. One melts into goo and slides into the figure’s nose, his mouth, eyes and ears. The figure screams through it’s gag and starts to convulse. The rest of the swarm pour off him and return though the portal. He stops convulsing. The hooded man motions to the half-elf who steps forwards to untie them. As he is untied he slumps forwards, before standing, unnaturally still.

The hooded one says something in undercommon. Lilli hears him say “All hail, What Lurks Below.” The prisoner does not respond. the hooded figure tries once more; no response. The hooded figure scoffs.

“A failure. Toss him to the streets like the others.” The half elf nods and points the giant spider at him, who binds him in webbing and carries him away. The hooded figure turns to Zythraul.

“You look strong. You will make an excellent follower of our lord.” He taps Zythraul on the head; they stop struggling. Zythraul allows the figure to unbind them and be guided to the chair, where they are re-bound. Lilli struggles furiously against her bonds, to no avail. She manages to wiggle her hand into her pocket, looking something - anything - of use. It lands on the arcane focus. Her fist wraps around the focus as she screams under her gag, trying to get Zyth’s attention and aching to help. A coil of darkness erupts from her pocket as the hooded figure re-opens the portal; more of those small crawling things appear once more. They swarm towards Zythraul. The darkenss that erupted from Lilli’s pocket forms into the shape of a humanoid being; they appear as a tiefling but with midnight skin the same colour as the obsidian focus, floating just in front of Lilli. The hooded figure does not notice. Lilli manages to spit out her gag and shout “HELP US!” The being nods and turns. Every living being in the room feels a voice in their head utter a single command.

FLEE.

The small swarming creatures freeze in place halfway up Zythraul’s body. They leap off through Dragonborn and scarper back towards the portal. The hooded figure startles, turns to see the being floating in front of Lilli and screeches, throwing himself backwards, heading for the portal also.

“Get us out of here!” Lilli shouts again.

WHERE TO?

Lilli looks at Zythraul, still motionless in the chair.

“The temple of Bahamut. Neverwinter. They’ll help us.” The being nods and stretches its arms wide. Lilli is enveloped in darkness and she feels a magic pulse ripple past; teleportation magic. When the darkness fades, Lilli finds herself lying in the aisle of the central cathedral of the Temple of Bahamut. Looking around frantically, she finds Zythraul standing, facing away, looking at the statue of Bahamut. Lilli runs up to them. Their face is blank. There’s no reaction to lilli’s appearance at their side.

“Zythraul? Zyth? zythraul? You there? Hey, not funny. Zee…” Zythraul turns to look at Lilli but doesn’t respond.

Lilli looks around frantically for someone - the being that got them here or one of the temple clergy. the being is nowhere to be seen.

“Uh.. Help? Help! Someone!?” There is a stirring from one of the side rooms, and Focus appears.

“Oh, Lilli, Zythraul. Hey ther-“

“Oh good! Focus, I think there’s something wrong with Zythraul. Help me.” Focus stutters, glancing between the two adventurers.

“Or find someone that can! Go!” The cleric jumps with a start and takes off.

“Zee, please, if you’re in there: talk to me.”

Zythraul goes to speak, but a language Lilli has never heard comes out their mouth. They turn away and go to walk away from lilli.

“No! Zythraul! Please stop!” The dragonborn freezes in place as Lilli commands, infusing her words with magic.

“Lilli, what’s happening? Zythraul?” Holme appears.

“I don’t... I don’t know. We were attacked… Captured… These things swarmed Zee but we got away.. Now its like they don’t even know me..”

Holme looks up at Zythraul. A flash of platinum energy fills her eyes momentarily and she frowns. Glancing at focus, still standing nearby looking concerned, Holme says,

“You saw that too? Zythraul has never harboured a dark energy like that before. Help me, Focus.”

They both move to stand on either side of the dragonborn. Focus places a hand on their shoulder, holme takes one of their hands. The two of them close their eyes and Zythraul is surrounded in platinum light. The Paladin screeches; not in their normal voice but in an abyssal monstrous kind of way. Zythraul falls to their hands and knees and retches violently, throwing something up that Lilli immediately recognises as one of the swarming things from the mausoleum. Before she can react it scarpers down the aisle and towards the door. Focus sees it go and throws a hand out, launching a gout of platinum flame at the thing. It hits but only singes it slightly as it escapes out the front door.

Lilli kneels down next to Zythraul who now lays motionless in the ground. They aren’t moving. Or breathing.

“Uhhh. Holme! Help! They’re not breathing!” she struggles to rolls Zythraul onto their back. Nothing. Lilli’s world goes silent. She can hear Holme shouting in the background. She vaguely sees Focus rush off and Holme kneel down in front of the motionless dragonborn, glowing with radiant energy before rolling back onto her heels in defeat. Holme says nothing to Lilli, but her eyes say it for her. Lilli grabs the arcane focus and screams at it, at the void, at the unfairness of it all, pleading for help again, but.. nothing. No mystical obsidian being appears this time to rescue them.

Lilli remains by Zythraul’s side for an age, sobbing gently into the Dragonborn’s chest. Eventually she is nudged by a sorrowful Holme who takes Lilli’s hand, moving her away from the body of her friend. A group of temple acolytes - including Focus - encircle Zythraul and lift them up, as gently as is possible for the body of the dragonborn. Lilli goes to protest but holme squeezes her hand. They follow the acolytes as they move to a side room of the temple; a simple bed with a window that overlooks the temple garden. A room for mourning and preparing the dead. Zythraul is changed into ceremonial robes of Bahamut and their belonging are taken to be cleaned, repaired and polished. Lilli has a vague recollection of these happenings as she sits and holds the cold and unmoving hand of her closest friend.

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Actually fuck it, here’s a lil fan(?) art of my two characters in their current state. Not the state I have posted up to on here; the state they are in where the soloRPG is currently up to

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Chapter 5: One Endless Darkness

Part 4

---

Lilli and Zythraul both stare at the ground until Athalos speaks again.

“Okay. Here. For some reason, any mention of the name of the diety being worshipped has been stripped from this book but Gods of the Underdark, their cults and their followers says something about foci much like this one, stating that they gave them a direct coonnection to their god. They were everywhere for a while until something happened and the god’s name was struck from known existence; all record of him vanished, and the artefacts dissapeared. Something about… rampant madness and violence.”

“Not my fault. So they went a little mad. I didn’t think madness in the mortal races would result in extreme violence. I just thought it would be funny.” Zotrym mumbles from the chair.

“I’m sorry, what?” Lilli responds, looking directly at Zotrym now, who just grins. Athalos responds.

“Were you not listening? Some diety-”

“Yes… Yes, I heard. Sorry.”

“Does it say what this god’s followers were trying to achieve? Some sort of master plan?” Zythraul asks, looking queriously at Lilli as they do. Athalos shakes his head.

“It doesn’t say, but one would imagine the same as most divine worshippers. More followers equals a more powerful god. Who knows what plans the gods have amongst themselves?” He closes the book.

“Colour me intrigued. I will bring up this portal and focus to my superiors and see if we can’t send someone to investigate it. I would warn you two off getting further into trouble but you adventurers just can’t seem to help yourselves. If you find anything new be sure to stop by and let me know. If I find anything I will return the favour.” Athalos motions towards his door. The two adventurers take their leave, appearing at the gates again as they walk out the door to Athalos’ study.

They walk down the road in silence for a moment before Zythraul says.

“The temple. They will have someone who can disconnect that thing from you. C'mon; the quicker we can get it away from us the better.”

“But we were just getting to know each other!” Whines Zotrym from behind Lilli.

“Actually Zythraul, I dunno…” Zythraul stops and raises their eyebrows at Lilli, who continues.

“If I unattune from it, won’t someone else just want to instead? I’ll be fine. We can keep it out of the wrong hands while we investigate some more.”

“Did you not listen to Athalos? Hallucinations, amnesia, madness? Potentially resulting in extreme violence?” They take a step towards lilli. “I can't let that happen to you. Let's just get rid of it and make it someone else’s problem.” Zythraul turns and starts to walk away.

“Doesn’t your oath have something to say about causing other people harm through your own inaction?” Lilli says, stopping in the middle of the road. Zythraul also stops, sighs, and hangs their head without turning around.

“Oohf. that was a deep cut.” Zotrym remarks. Lilli remains standing in the middle of the road, arms folded.

“If we get rid of this, and someone else uses it to cause harm to others then it will not only still be our problem but also our fault.” She walks up to Zythraul, “I trust in your ability to protect me and I know you’d be eaten up from guilt if we did something that caused more people harm.”

Zythraul turns to Lilli, looking at her softly.

“You never make it easy for me do you?” They sigh. “You’re right; You’re right! You usually are anyway.” Lilli shrugs and winks.

“You get it.”

“Fine, so we continue investigating. Where? Do we go down the portal before the wizards get there? We do have some more spots the feebleminded people were turning up that Galodir suggested.”

‘I might make your life harder but I am certainly not jumping down any mystery portals today. Let's go check out one of these other spots.” Zythraul nods and motions for Lilli to lead the way. They head for another of the marked mentioned in the notes given to them by Galodir.

They make it through Neverwinter, back towards the lower class section. Their notes take them to the entrance of the Neverdeath Graveyard.

“Well this is a bit on the nose isn’t it?” Remarks Lilli as they walk up to the entrance. Walking in, they see a few people walking in solemn contemplation through the graves. Up the hill, a small crowd loiter around a larger mausoleum.

“That must be where Neverember’s going to be buried.” Mutters Lilli. Zythraul nods. They both look around for clues but nothing jumps out. Zythraul closes their eyes and lets their holy senses stray out of them; nothing of note appears. No holy or unholy influences to be had nearby.

“Nothing seems off from here. Shall we go take a look around?” Zythraul opens their eyes and starts to walk inside. Up the path a bit, lilli stops.

“oh, heck yeah!” and she bends down to pick something up. Zythraul turns to see a single platinum coin on the ground. As lilli goes to pick it up however, She can'tt. It dissapears as her hand goes through the illusion.

"Oh what the…” the ground begins to rumble around them. Before either of them have time to react, plant roots erupt from the ground and immediately wind themselves around Lilli, slamming Zythraul to the ground and enveloping the paladin completely.

“Hey! Argh! Hey! Help!” Lilli manages to shout towards the crowd. The crowd feels the rumble and at the sound of Lilli’s voice, look over. Seeing the plants roiling up from the ground is enough to spook them, and they all scatter in various directions. Lilli tried to escape but the roots keep her wound up. She can just see Zythraul’s form writhing under the roots but can’t see their face. A voice booms across the park.

“STOP RESISTING.” Lilli sees the vines encircling Zythraul stop moving. From where the voice came Lilli sees two forms emerge. They walk towards the vines seething across the ground. Lilli finds a spot where the vines loosen and manages to wiggle free of them. She dashes forwards, yelling “release them!” One of the people, a half-elf holding a gnarled wooden staff, cocks their head at Lilli and says “No, I don’t think I will.” There is an angry growl from under the vines where Zythraul is, but they seem unable to free themselves. The other, hooded and holding a slender wooden staff says,

‘You will come with us.” Lilli goes to argue against an obviously terrible idea but instead out of her mouth, she hears,

“Okay. Sure.”

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Okay I updated the table of contents. I’ll probs finish posting chapter 5 today just because it’s great.

This is about where my writing just barely starts to stop sucking.

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I… have not updated this in forever. Do I plan to? Yes. Will I? Who knows.

Am I still writing though? Yes. This lil solo campaign is ticking along nicely.