Sky (Ryan)

Hope and Death I am Sky. This is a formal record of the unnatural or uncommon events that happened to me, and all took place in the span of 3 days around the area of Kythrim. All events are in chronological order and are recorded to the best of my memory. Encounter with death “Hi, death, this might be the last time we speak.” “I died 4 times, so 13” Death nods I pull 13 stones, 7 clear, a white, a grey, and two blacks. “Well, that's it, 8 weight” Death shuffles the stones around, arranging them first by color, then separating one of the black stones, then lining up the three colored in the order left to right: black, grey, and white. Lastly, a clear was separated from the mass and placed in front of the 3 colored stones. “Are those the three courts?” I say as I gesture to the three colored stones Nods “Is that me?” pointing to the one clear stone at the front of the 3. Nods “Should I choose a court?” Nods “Well then, I chose the Court of Light.” Death moves my clear stone in front of the white stone and then clears the stones. I never permanently died. No divine intervention. Nothing. Extra Context The evening before, Death came to me. I had had a bad day where I was forced to leave my body as I had magical transport issues, and it truly screwed up my soul. After drawing one black stone, Death placed Death’s hand on my shoulder. Could that be remorse, caring, or even emotion? From Death? Encounter with Hope (Court of Light member) We found her in a white robe a white mask (A white mask of diamonds encrusted with red rubies around the edges near the ears, around the eyes like those of a bird, and floral decoration around the edges). She had glowing loops around her hands and a loop in the place of a crown. She held up three fingers. “Do you know me?” We ask, “Are you a member of the court of light?” She responded, “Yes, and you have met me before, today.” A party member asked, “Oh, you were the one we saw in chains. Look, there are even these rings here” She said, “You have met my sister as well, referring to the Drow Matriarch. (Court of Light member unknown)” I said “Hi.” She responded, “Hi, I know you. You are interesting. I want to learn more about you. Have you considered enlightenment? (refers to it as a river, as far as I can remember) You are our (Court of Light) counterpart. (Synonyms: equivalent or opposite)” She held up three fingers again. I said, “It is best if we make a list of the possibilities and find which is the most likely, to be smart and careful.” Our powerful historian was able to figure out that her opposite is Dispare (Court of Darkness member). I said, “Are you Hope?” Hope responded, “You do know me. People need me; some people lose sight of me, but people who have a lot of me are strong.” “It is time to go.” She said as she gestured to exit and disappeared. Encounter with The Lady in White We followed the lady in white through three encounters with townsfolk, all of whom tried to take a moment of our time and tell us how thankful and hopeful they were for the future. In the final encounter, we are given presents from people in the inn, “Thank you for clearing out the mines! Take this grappling hook as a token of our gratitude.” “Here is a hammer as well, take it!” At the end of these three encounters with people, the lady points us down a tunnel. Then points a circle around us (Interpreted as all that we have just seen), then once again points us forward. I ask, “You want to take all that we have gathered here on this way?” Points again Following the tunnel, we return to a figure we had encountered the day before, an intangible figure with chains around its hands; at the ends of the chains were small weights, and it was only able to screech. Around them is a bunch of flying shrapnel that targets anyone that it can. As soon as we start, my party member casts a sorcery to slow time. Walking forward, I place the gifts I was still holding, from the townsfolk, at the feet of the figure. Stepping back, I prepare for the time to return to normal. When it does, I defend the shrapnel that flies at me until suddenly it stops. It still attacks my party members, but I am not attacked. Seeing the party member who cast the time slow, I run forward, keeping them safe until the shrapnel stops attacking them as well. We step forward to the figure. I say, “These are gifts from people who are hopeful for the future; I give them to you. It looks like you need hope.” I send a mana to Hope, and it goes. I drop into unconsciousness from overexerting myself. My party member, whom I kept safe, reawakened me. We are now the only ones still alive at the party; everyone else has been killed. My party member starts an orical to the Tree of Life. I do not join in to ask questions to the being. I try to hold the figure's hands and touch the chains, and both times my hands pass through them. I ask, “Who is holding you?” An ear-piercing long shriek pierces the air. One that feels of Despair. “Is everything lost? Is there no Hope left? Have you lost everything that matters?” The shrapnel all attack at once, and I don’t resist. Read my party member’s story for what the original revealed. Encounter with Hope and Death After recovering and returning to the inn, I am eating lunch and noting down what had just happened with the undead figure in chains. The world begins to fade to black as behind me two figures, Death on my left and a Court of Light member I asume to be Hope, wearing the same mask (A white mask of diamonds encrusted with red rubies around the edges near the ears, around the eyes like those of a bird, and floral decoration around the edges) and white cloak, though with a lack of loops around the hands and around the head. Death and Hope place each one's hand on my shoulders, Death’s right on my left, and Hope’s left on my right. This section is to the best of my memory and may not be perfectly accurate. Death speaks first, describing a scene that appears before me: “There were a thousand fragments of souls bound together” Hope Speaks next, continuing from what death said, “and thousands of souls bound together in Kythrim. (Uses the Belmorn pronunciation)” Hope continues, “Spring is coming soon, but people need to be prepared for it.” Death adds on, “Before spring can come, you need to let go of winter.” Together they say, “You need to break the cycle to free the people.” The world returns from black. Encounter with Undead Figure in Chains Again As we are leaving the city to go to the underground ruins under Kythrim, we find the figure again with the shrapnel flying in spirals around them. They don’t initially attack anyone. As we walk past, the figure points at me and makes shrill crying noises, calling me forward. I step forward and say, “I hope you can find Hope, and I know how terrible it is to lose things. I have also lost things, but I learned how to live on. I hope you can find a way.” The figure shrieks loudly, and the shrapnel begins attacking. Most of us escape alive. Notes and knowledge of Sky Flyer (Former Belmorn squad captain) By Ryan Menger