Fulgaday, 11 Tamihr, Year of Folivor the Restful Sloth, 489 years AWA
Royal Palace, Candibaru, Andovarra
Rothlan gathered the empty sack back into his bag of holding, then paused thoughtfully. "I hope you don't mind my asking, but I'm quite curious about your experience with the combat simulation. The circlets seemed to respond remarkably well to your group."
"It's clear those circlets would be pretty useful for the military," said Perx with characteristic directness. "Can you say a little about how they work?"
Rothlan's face took on a slightly closed look, but he answered with careful precision. "I can tell you that the circlets make use of a local wildshard effect, the Thought-Weave Lattice.” He then glanced at Sondil and added, "And that we never would have gotten as far as we have without Sondil's help."
Perx glanced at the young man with sharpened interest. "Are you a mage?"
Sondil shook his head with quiet certainty. "I am not, although I have had a bit of tutoring in arcana." He then glanced at Rothlan as though seeking permission to say more, but the older man shook his head slightly.
Wenthe stepped forward, her natural tendency to share information bubbling over. "The simulation learned from us, and then gave us foes based on our deepest fears.
Those people running the trial said the circlets weren't supposed to respond to our thoughts the way they did, and they suggested that some external force was amplifying the wildshards' natural properties."
Rothlan's eyebrows rose with genuine surprise. "I did hear briefly about that, but the circlets shouldn't have done that."
Neric's eyes lit up with the storyteller's love of mystery, and he gestured dramatically as he spoke. "Oh, the stories I heard before our Trial! Ancient runes that shifted like living things, shadow-doubles that knew every secret move—it was like something out of the darkest bardic tales! And I also heard about people feeling real pain during the simulation, and even the wildshards in the circlets turning an odd color. In that case, those helpers of yours put it down to 'enhanced realism'. Well I say enhanced realism, my foot! That's nothing but stage dressing for something far more sinister! I'm telling you, man, something's not right with that simulation.”
“Jenna said she experienced real pain, too," Cali added after Neric had finished.
Wenthe's whiskers twitched as she leaned forward eagerly. "And I caught a glimpse of my circlet's reflection in a mirror—it was flashing this unnatural purple light instead of the normal blue glow. Made my fur stand on end, it did."
Cali's expression grew thoughtful, her luminous hair seeming to dim slightly as she gathered her words with deliberate care. "There was something more after our simulation ended. A flicker of purple light appeared in the wildshards within the Trial chamber." She paused, her celestial heritage seeming to resonate with the memory. "The light pulsed in what I can only describe as... if there existed an ancient language of illumination, that's what it felt like. Something deep within my Celestial nature responded to those patterns instinctively."
She clasped her hands together, her voice taking on an almost reverent quality. "Then the purple glow traced runic symbols in the air before fading. They resonated through my very being—I felt simultaneous waves of warning and affirmation, as if the divine were speaking through light itself. For just a moment, the wildshard fragments became like vessels containing this mysterious purple essence." Her eyes met each of theirs in turn. "But when I focused on it directly, the energy intensified briefly before subsiding, almost as if it possessed some form of consciousness and knew it was being observed."
Kere shifted uncomfortably, her practical nature struggling with the mystical implications. "I'm not certain if this detail matters, but all the creatures we faced were undead. Cali proved remarkably effective against them." She glanced at the Half-Celestial with genuine appreciation.
Rothlan's scholarly composure cracked slightly as he absorbed each account, his forehead creasing with mounting concern. "I wish I could provide you with answers, but what you're describing falls completely outside the parameters of anything I designed these circlets to accomplish. It's beyond anything we've documented in our trials." He ran a hand through his hair, looking suddenly older. "I almost regret recommending you for Sondil's escort mission—your experiences could prove invaluable in helping us understand how to properly harness the Thought-Weave's potential."
Jori's expression hardened, his ranger instincts picking up on something that had bothered him earlier. "Some of your researchers were eyeing us like we were precious gems they wanted to study when we emerged from that simulation." His tone carried the blunt edge of someone who didn't appreciate being treated as a specimen.
Rothlan chuckled, though it sounded slightly strained. "My research team is undeniably curious and eager to exploit any opportunity for advancing their understanding." He straightened, his academic excitement overriding his concerns. "It would be tremendously helpful if several of you could provide detailed written accounts of everything you remember before departing tomorrow morning. Focus on specific observations rather than interpretations—though you're welcome to include those as well, just clearly separate them from the factual details."
Perx's analytical mind immediately engaged with the request. "You want empirical data rather than theoretical speculation. Logical approach." He crossed his arms, already mentally organizing his observations. "How detailed are we talking? Every sensory input, timing sequences, environmental variables?"
This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.
"Exactly that level of detail," Rothlan confirmed with obvious relief at finding someone who understood his methodology. "You can give the reports to Sondil in the morning, and he'll ensure they reach me. My team will analyze these records during your absence. Perhaps when you return, those willing could participate in more structured interviews with my research staff about your experiences."
Neric bounced slightly on his toes, his storyteller's instincts activated. "Oh, I can definitely provide a dramatic and thoroughly detailed account! Every shadow, every chill, every moment of terror—" He caught himself and grinned sheepishly. "I mean, a factual and precise report, naturally."
Wenthe's tail swished with enthusiasm. "Count me in! This is fascinating stuff, and if it helps figure out what went wrong—or maybe what went right—I'm all for it."
Monoffa tilted her head with childlike curiosity. "Will writing it down help me remember it better? Sometimes important things slip away if I don't write them down immediately."
Cali nodded serenely. "I believe documenting these experiences serves a greater purpose. If there's divine significance to what occurred, preserving the details faithfully would honor that. And I’ll tell Jenna, once she returns.”
Kere hesitated, then nodded slowly. "If it might help prevent others from experiencing what we went through, then yes, I'll contribute."
Rothlan's relief was palpable. "Excellent. Now, meals are served in the main dining room at 18 bells for dinner and at 6 bells in the morning for breakfast.” He shouldered his bag of holding with the efficient movements of someone accustomed to managing multiple research projects simultaneously. "I'll arrange for the palace chamberlain to meet you after dinner to show you to your guest quarters. Your reports tomorrow morning will be invaluable."
As if summoned by this words, the dinner bell's rich tones echoed through the corridors, calling them to their first meal as guests of the Royal Palace.
"Perfect timing," Rothlan noted with satisfaction. "Shall we proceed directly to dinner?"
"Thank you for everything," Cali said, speaking for the group with her characteristic grace. "Both for the rewards and for listening to our concerns about the trial."
Rothlan nodded, though his expression remained thoughtful. "Thank you for bringing these anomalies to my attention. I have much to discuss with my research team." With that, he departed, leaving the group standing with their new treasures and lingering questions about the mysterious forces they'd encountered.
The main dining hall was a marvel of carved stone and polished wood, with tapestries depicting Andovarra's eleven provinces hanging between tall windows. Palace servants moved with practiced grace, serving delicate appetizers that immediately caught the party's attention—opego bera rolls that made Neric beam with recognition, and golden scallop fritters that drew curious examination from Wenthe's twitching whiskers.
"Don't let the idea put you off," Neric said enthusiastically as others hesitated over the small rodent pastries. “Opego bera is quite tender, and tastes like dark meat chicken."
The meal continued with rich tupakana stew and glazed sea bass, but it was the arrival of the Avadyl cheese soufflé that truly made Neric glow with pride. "That's my family's cheese," he announced. "The Hamson dairy has been supplying the royal kitchens for three generations."
Over dessert, Kere and Monoffa shared a porpra berry parfait, unable to decide if it tasted more like raspberries or blackberries. Monoffa caught Kere up on everything she'd been able to learn about herself from Wenthe, concluding, "I think the flowers must have been dancing pink around me!"
As the evening wound down over yaifwi custard tarts and spiced fruit wine, a dignified woman in palace livery approached their table. "I am Chamberlain Isreth," she said with practiced courtesy. "Master Rothlan asked me to see you to your quarters for the evening."
Kere immediately stood up and told the woman, “We’ve got a task we need to work on in here for Rothlan, Chamberlain, but I am happy to go with you and collect the room keys for my group, as well as relay any instructions for us that you may have.” She then followed her through the palace to the section for guest quarters.
While Kere went with the chamberlain, the rest of the group remained in the dining room as servants cleared around them, spreading out with borrowed paper and ink to document their trial experiences.
Perx immediately began sketching precise diagrams with timestamps, including meticulous notes about what was going on at that moment.
Neric flourished his quill dramatically as he described “a shadow-being that writhed with malevolent purpose" that only Cali seemed able to damage and “a skeletal bard with a bone flute that sent shivers down the spine.”
Cali wrote in careful, measured script about the purple light patterns, occasionally pausing to stare thoughtfully at the ceiling as she searched for the right words to capture divine resonance. She also wrote about the odd wildshard fragments that appeared when Kere healed her and her ability to recognize when to make the final push.
Jori made a list of tactical observations:
- Undead moved predictably
- Flanking effective
- Cali’s channeling was the most effective crowd control
- Opportunities for using elevated positions and chokepoints at doorways existed, but needed to surround Cali for protection“
His ranger training showed in every economical line.
Jenna, after she returned from her errand, created her own list:
- Flanking and stealth effective throughout
- Acrobatics effective for moving past the undead knight
- Kere (druid) and I (Jenna, rogue) were unusually in sync guarding the open spot that allowed access to Cali (cleric). We could exchange glances and know to step in to guard while the other was fighting.
Wenthe wrote about how skeletons she’d thrown a bomb at appeared dodging in a mirror only seconds before the skeletons she’d been fighting made the exact same move. She also mentioned how the circlets had caused pain in her head and how the circlet had pulsed purple instead of blue. She wrote how the mirror had shown a scene from her past that wasn’t in any record. She wrote how her personal fear monster was a 93% match to her personal phobic triggers. Below that, she drew a line and wrote Interpretations. Below that, she wrote a list:
- Skeletons—anticipated our moves
- Circlet—did head pain cause a glitch making the circlet appear, or did the glitch cause head pain that interfered with my ability to process the simulation environment?
- Mirrors and personal fear monster—reading our minds.
Kere came back about this time and created an ordered list of all of the undead from all three waves of combat, including each person’s personal fear-based monster in the third round. She also described the room from each wave of combat as best as she could remember. As she worked on each room description, she’d ask, “Does anyone remember what else was in that room?” She then drew a map of the party’s formation around Cali and noted proudly how little damage the undead were able to do against their cleric once the party surrounded her.
Monoffa started strong with detailed observations but kept getting sidetracked. "The shifty-me changed based on whatever I was thinking—oh, but did you notice how water appeared beneath the feet of an enemy when I thought about casting my shocking spell? And the way Cali's hair brightened when—wait, what was I writing about? Oh right, the shifty-me…”
Perx kept writing for quite some time, making more of his timestamped diagrams. Kere collected everyone’s notes and handed out room keys to Monoffa, Jenna, Jori, and Perx. She then said in encouraging tones to Monoffa, “Today would be a good day for you to write about in your journal. An awful lot has happened that’s worth remembering. I’m really glad that Wenthe was able to tell you more about yourself, but we have to get up early in the morning. If you’re going to get everything into your journal before you sleep, you should get started pretty soon.”
Monoffa nodded in agreement, and the two headed to their quarters.