A rude awakening, a difficult escape, a moment of respite...
Summary[]
After a mysterious visit to a place known as the Waylay, Arthur is revived. He, Yorick, and John find an exit to the witch’s tunnels and end up in the forest. Yorick is given a powerful artifact after making a deal with John. Together, all three head towards Castle Kerringford for answers.
Synopsis[]
On the stage of an unknown music club, Vic Tenetta begins to sing “Why Keep on Breaking my Heart” by Nina Simone.
A waiter approaches Arthur and hands him a Blood and Sand. According to him, Arthur is at “The Waylay”, though he is unsure how Arthur got here and suggests Arthur speak to Management. The waiter assures him that this is not the Dark World, but before Arthur can question him further, the waiter apologizes and promises his drink will be here for him when he returns.
With an otherworldly whoosh, Arthur returns to the real world screaming in agony, though he soon loses consciousness.
He re-awakes after some time. John notes he’s getting around better and notes that three days have passed since he was stabbed. Yorick inquires after Arthur’s sleep, and while Arthur assures him that he slept well, he would prefer anywhere but the witch’s bed. Over the past three days, they have attempted to find an exit to the labyrinth to no avail. Frustrated, Arthur wants to return to the windmill, though John is concerned over his stitches. They briefly discuss the possibility that the witch sealed them inside.
As Arthur laments over his tattered shirt, Yorick directs them behind a wall of roots, where the witch keeps clothes from her previous victims. Arthur changes and, during conversation, claims he didn’t dream last night, nor does he recall anything when he was dead. John is surprised, assuming Arthur would remember the Dark World.
Arthur fears that there is nothing for him after death, not even the Dark World, and wonders which is worse. John confirms that he had no control over Arthur’s body, not even his hand, when he was dead – truly trapped.
In a chest, they find the prince’s breastplate and some stately clothes, which Arthur dons. He continues to worry about what happens after he dies, but soon, decides to focus on their immediate next steps.
Yorick promises that he is able to find an exit through the labyrinth. With that in mind, Arthur agrees to try the hallways again. He gathers his belongings in his bag, including Oscar’s letter and the talisman. Yorick confirms that Mother Darkness is alive, but knows nothing else, other than the possibility of Mother Darkness originally resurrecting the witch. They also collect a fabric bag large enough to fit Yorick’s head.
They proceed into the maze. Yorick believes that the statues (the serpent, the fawn, and the headless rider) are the key, though Arthur and John don’t believe so. Arthur laments about the complexity of the maze and hypothesizes that, like the witch removing the stairs, the witch altered the layout of the maze to remove an exit. During this conversation, Yorick confirms that the witch was hidden in her room while they stole the talisman.
Yorick guides Arthur to where he was stabbed. Arthur speaks to John, revealing that John told Arthur about the content of his speech to the witch. Arthur tells John he loves him and he’s proud of him for finding his own way, even while alone. Yorick chimes in to say that John was not alone.
They return to investigating the hallways and find a wooden door in the wall. Arthur wants to leverage it open with the dagger. Yorick suggests that the door may open only for a witch, and as such, they should retrieve a piece of her. For fear of breaking the dagger, Arthur agrees, and they return to the pool where they dumped the witch’s body.
Along the way, Yorick suggests they take her left hand: a hag’s left hand can be a powerful object, after all. Yorick confesses he does not know the exact use, and he does not know why he does not know. Though suspicious, Arthur and John agree to search for it at the bottom of the pool.
Arthur dives into the pool. John narrates what he sees: her body, tangled in black weeds, left hand outstretched. Arthur uses the dagger to remove her hand. When he tries to surface, the black weeds tangle around him, and do so faster than Arthur can free himself. Arthur struggles, and John notices that there is a membrane at the bottom of the pool, similar to what they encountered before. John directs Arthur to cut it. Water rushes through, carrying them with it.
They land outside the witch’s lair in a wooded area, with a dirt road close-by. Arthur agrees to follow their lead to Castle Kerringford, though he chooses to stick to the woods. Yorick approves of this, noting that the witch’s children will have a harder time finding them. John and Arthur are frustrated with this reveal, asking Yorick to give them any life-threatening information.
Briefly, they rest so that John can repair Arthur’s pulled stitches. John notes that the windmill is close by, likely at the top of the hill behind them. He also sees a mark on the breastplate, which Yorick notes as the heraldry of Aravel. The prince’s name was Warin of Aravel, and the title of prince was courtesy only.
Yorick reveals that Warin was expected at the castle before his death: he was invited, though he did not know his host nor the purpose of his visit. Along with seeing the castle through the Glass of Leng, Arthur and John reaffirm their choice to go to the castle. They are about a half a day’s travel by cart.
As they prepare to go, Yorick reveals that John promised him whatever he wanted if Yorick helped during the confrontation with the witch: he wants the witch’s left hand, which Arthur cautiously agrees to. John apologizes for making this promise, but Arthur insists John made the right call.
Yorick also refers to them as the Dies Irae again, which he translates as ‘Day of Wrath’. He does not elaborate. They begin to travel, soon running into Alexander, to Arthur’s delight. Arthur jokes that he is grateful for a silent companion and wonders whether the owl will follow them. John grouses that he does not want to be waylaid by an owl.
The word “waylaid” prompts Arthur to recall his time at the Waylay, and recounts this memory to his companions. Yorick and John do not know anything about the Waylay, though Yorick insists Arthur could not have dreamed in death. Deciding to wait and see if Arthur remembers more, they continue on their journey.
Votes[]
- Chapter 216: Head back to the Windmill [79] / Try again in the Hallways [249]
- Chapter 217: Use the Dagger [157] / Use a piece of the Witch [170]
- Chapter 218: Forest [154] / Road [148]
- Chapter 219: Honour the Deal [268] / Deny the Request [20]
- Chapter 220: No vote.
Trivia[]
- The song Vic Tenetta sings is “Why Keep on Breaking my Heart” by Nina Simone.
- Vic Tenetta is an NPC from the second Invictus Call of Cthulhu campaign.