Threads of Discord – Episode 15
The episode commenced with a tense underwater scene. Priscilla, Xamson, and Elise struggled beneath the waves, while their comrades, Vye and Phoenix, stood onshore, confronted by the formidable Cassius. The atmosphere was charged with tension as Cassius, accompanied by a fearful-looking Reggie, emerged from the castle. Unknown to the group, a shapechanger, masquerading as Reggie, had ensnared Cassius with an enchantment.
Violet, quick-thinking as ever, deployed a magical ward to counter Cassius’s attack. The ward not only nullified the attack but also sent Cassius’s sword flying through the air, a testament to the power of the enchantment. Phoenix, seizing the moment, snatched up the sword, poised for action. However, Cassius, drawing on divine power, unleashed a wave of fear upon Phoenix, who, in a defensive reaction, hurled the sword into the churning waters below.
The battle escalated when Phoenix launched a fireball, aiming to sever the enchantment’s hold over Cassius. This act, however, was misinterpreted by Cassius as an aggressive move. Amidst this chaos, Violet cunningly used halfling pipeweed, blowing it into Cassius’s face. This ingenious tactic clouded the enchantment’s influence, allowing Vye to gradually coax Cassius back to reality. Meanwhile, the impersonator observing quietly, retreated into the castle, shutting the doors with an ominous thud.
Simultaneously, our heroes underwater faced their own life-threatening crisis. Priscilla, Elise, and Xamson were flung off the barge into the tumultuous waters. Priscilla, showing remarkable presence of mind, clutched at a chain, gasping for air before diving back into the depths. Xamson, recalling his past encounters with such predicaments, cleverly used his magic mirror to create a makeshift air pocket. Despite his ingenuity, the violent waters made it difficult for him to utilize this lifeline effectively.
Elise, meanwhile, was carried deeper by the currents, her situation growing increasingly dire. In a desperate plea for salvation, she invoked Divine Intervention. Celestia, responding to her call, offered intermittent protection, yet Elise remained perilously close to drowning.
A stroke of brilliance came from Xamson, who remembered the phosphorescent mushrooms gathered earlier by the party. Releasing them into the water, he created a beacon of light, aiding Priscilla in locating him in the murky depths. In a frantic attempt to rescue Xamson, Priscilla inadvertently caused him to lose grip of the mirror, which then disappeared into the watery abyss. However, their efforts were not in vain, as they managed to resurface, albeit far from the barge.
In a remarkable turn of fate, Elise’s fervent prayers guided the mirror back to her through the swirling waters. Seizing the moment, she released her own glowing mushrooms, signaling her location to the others. Vye, quick to act, dispatched the previously summoned purple dragon towards the glimmering lights. Phoenix, demonstrating exceptional skill, threw a loop of rope over the water, ensnaring Priscilla and Xamson in a perfect catch.
With renewed vigour, Priscilla dove back into the depths, rope in hand, and located Elise. The group’s collective effort triumphantly brought Elise back to the safety of dry land. As they caught their breath and regrouped, the adventurers were left to ponder their next steps, particularly how to proceed without Cassius’s sword. Vye, ever resourceful, dismissed the previous monster and summoned an aquatic creature, which, after some time, successfully retrieved the lost swords.
Upon entering the grand chamber of the castle, the group was confronted by an entity impersonating Reggie. This being, upon challenge, revealed its true form—a dowager-like creature named Regina. Regina informed them that they were in “Her Majesty’s house,” a nexus of realities, with a portrait of Seraphina Amberheart ominously overseeing the room. As the group ventured deeper, the doors sealed shut, morphing into a smooth stone wall adorned with a labyrinth sigil. Regina pointed them towards the only door leading further in, hinting at an audience with Seraphina, before vanishing into a mirror.
Phoenix and Priscilla, followed by Xamson, impulsively proceeded through this door into a hallway of mirrors and portraits, only to find themselves separated from the rest. The remaining party members, led by Elise, stepped through a mirror into their own surreal trials.
Priscilla encountered a painting of his ancestor, Priscilla the Unconquered. In a shocking turn, the elder Priscilla scorned his descendant’s recklessness, imprisoning him within the wall of the portrait.
Xamson stumbled into a macabre scene—a funeral with his own body in the casket. His appearance caused panic and aggression among the mourners, turning the funeral into a nightmarish confrontation.
Phoenix’s journey took a dark turn when he was ensnared and confronted by a slaver from his past, a servant of Varkul. The encounter ended ominously as the slaver, revealing his charred visage beneath a torn-away face, rendered Phoenix unconscious.
Cassius’s path led him to Reggie, trapped in an energy cage. Despite Reggie’s pleas and revelations about being trapped by high priest Elgin and his parents, Cassius’s disbelief grew, leading him to abandon Reggie in his prison.
Vye found themselves back in their original village in Evermoore, now cast in wild twilight with an ominous air. Wandering through the village shrouded in ruin and haze, Vye discovered many dead bodies, including their beloved nan. The haunting sound of chanting led Vye to the village centre, where a circle of thirteen cloaked figures surrounded Thalia and Nightshade, the grand witch and her assistant, engaged in a mysterious and foreboding ritual.
The episode culminated with Elise in a mirrored room, witnessing the predicaments of her companions. She was approached by Seraphina, who revealed herself as Olivia Emberheart—Elise’s mother. Olivia/Seraphina presented Elise with a harrowing choice: to rewrite reality, destroying the current world to bring back something lost. This revelation left Elise standing at the precipice of a monumental decision, poised to reshape the very fabric of their reality.
Morningstar Fables 