Session 4.5: Special session with Voola

I spoke with Voola's PC last weekend and we worked on fitting her into the game as well as what some of his (the PC's) expectations were and what were him and what were on me. We're playing with Voola's class - she may turn druid or dual class druid/cleric - and fleshed out some of her story more. One thing I offered was to do a one-on-one session with him of "What happened when Voola left the party." He missed two session in a row so was behind on XP so this gave us a chance for him to make some of that up as well as give him some control of what is happening to Voola.

The Plot*

After being touched by the full-blooded orc Voola felt a wave of heat wash over herself. She took off along the road to Thunderbliss. Mentally, she could still think through but it felt as though her body was outside of her control. She fought the compulsion and after traveling for about a half hour managed to regain control of her senses and pull her horse up to a more reasonable pace - although she was unable to stop her northward journey completely.

Within an hour Voola arrived at a tall, black spire of a tree. Once she was in sight of it the compulsion lessened and a feeling of peace and healing emanated from the tree to her. She could still feel the compulsion but was able to ignore it. She approached the tree and read the warnings written there as well as touching the heart sigil. If she sees the person who wrote the warning she will recognize them on sight. The magic tied to the tree feels earthy to her - and obviously has the flavor or orcish doing. She recognizes the beating heart in the bag as powerful warning magic and knows better than to touch it.

Voola cautiously moves away from the tree. As she gets farther the feeling of peacefulness recedes and she can feel the tug telling her she needs to go to it. Trying to turn back is physically painful. She moves slightly further down the road and hears a noise in the trees.

Stopping, Voola investigates the noise. Unfortunately, it's difficult for nearly seven feet of orc to move stealthily and she makes quite a bit of noise. As she tries to sneak along the brushline she comes across a pair of boots that have snuck up on her. They are attached to a large man that is at least half elf. The man does not speak to Voola. 

Sigil on Voola

   

 

Sigil on the Elf

Voola attempted to speak to the man but he doesn't respond until he notices the sigil on her arm. His hands go to touch a sigil on his cloak - it is not the same. "You serve her?" Voola denies serving anyone. "You wear her sign." Voola tells him that someone put that sign on her. The man immediately attacks, pulling two hand axes and slashing across Voola who take quite a bit of damage. Voola defends herself, whacking him with her quarterstaff and knocking his senses loose. He ends up on the ground and Voola goes after him, hoping to tie him up and ask questions. He kicks out at her and escapes off into the woods on his horse, heading perpendicular to the road.

Voola spies a clearing slightly off the road and decides that as it seems like it is not a good idea to continue forward, and she cannot physically make herself go back, she will wait for the party to catch up. As she's settling her horse in she spies a rabbit who she begins to speak with. She asks the rabbit if he's ever seen a sign like the one on her arm and how to get it off. The rabbit recommends grooming it off like the rabbit would do to his fur.

Voola's investigation of the rune reveals a deep red color slightly raised on the skin that looks like blood but does not budge when she pokes it with a twig. The sigil feels warm on her skin, and even when she casts healing on herself and feels the cold wash of the magic, the sigil continues to feel warm. And make her skin crawl. She tries covering it with mud which does nothing and finally wraps a piece of her blanket over it to hide it from prying eyes.

She offers some oats to the now two rabbits who offer to watch out for her while she sleeps. The exhaustion of the hard ride, the fight, and the magic catch up to her and she falls asleep.

*I'm copying this verbatim from what I write up for the players so if there's weird tone changes that's why.

DM Notes

I'm REALLY glad I did this session with Voola. Having the PC for Voola added some to the story and gave her some agency back. We've had a lot of discussion of how Voola specifically, as an orc, fits in the world. She has a special relationship with this world's magic that the others don't. Making that balance out is difficult and we're still finding it. I think the druid/cleric dual class will be helpful. We may end up making our own class entirely for her.

I'm also really glad I talked to the PC. His biggest concerns were things I could easily fix. I also offered him a "way out" in that another mutual friend of ours is starting a game so he could play but maybe a more serious game. He chose to stay with us which I was very happy about. 

I am entertained that Voola and the rest of the party had such different experiences with the tree. Voola is going to have some choice words for Chantrix I think when they all get back together. Voola is being pulled towards a sorceress in the North. If something specific happens in Thunderbliss the compulsion could be broken.

I had a TON of fun playing the rabbits. They are helpful in their own way. When Voola asked about removing the sigil I thought "What would a rabbit do" and the look on the PC's face when I suggested Voola groom it off was priceless. And she very kindly thanked the rabbit who was very proud of himself. I love my rabbits.

Next game will pick up now just after the tree (which Voola slept through her friends being attacked, and the rabbits didn't think to wake her up) and they will have a long rest in the woods before moving on to Thunderbliss, arriving about an hour before sundown the next day. I hope I get to play Thunderbliss after sundown.

There is something very wrong in Thunderbliss.