>[!noted|no-title accent] ># [[Absence]] >## [[Session 1]] >  >[!player|absence torn] Recap >I thought I’d be far too busy but there’s some downtime tonight, so I suppose I’ll try this… Journal thing you were trying to convince me to do, Cerelia. It might be the most efficient way to get you information on what happened when I see you again, or perhaps since they knew about the lack of accessible communication, they have a method of doing so. Eagles can fly that distance, but I’m not sure if they’re able to be trained to do something as complex as taking letters across an entire ocean to a different island. In fact, I know they’re not, because I would have heard of it. Perhaps it’s the lingering effect of Lyvinthyon’s Barrier that’s causing it. > >  > >Anyway, the trip was going… as well as it could have. I kept everything under wraps for the most part, but I got friendly with the crew so I could get in on the happenings on the ship, perhaps I could have gotten lucky. Your donation got me far though and I really do appreciate it. I just wish I could be writing that I made it safely to New Dawnhold like planned. > >  > >There was a sickness spreading on the ship, mild food poisoning. They simply couldn’t keep enough food fresh for long enough so they had planned the fishing and it went well, apart from the fact no one seemed to notice the fish's blood and meat being filled with ink. Similar to squid ink, but not quite because I know for a fact that stuff can not poison you like this, not from how little people ate anyway. > >  > >The chef quite frankly is a little moronic. Apparently the crew was scared enough of him because he said that this ship doesn’t move until he figures out who poisoned his fish, despite being told there was a storm approaching. They’d rather die than face his anger? I know from experience that people get stupid when they’re angry, which sure could be cause for concern but if there’s a storm coming? > >  > >Oh well. I got checked out and was one of the 7 or so people that weren’t sick, which were all shoved into the dining hall. There was a gnome man hiding and looking between the barrels, a drow man sitting with a frown next to a drow woman who was asleep on the table, then in came a Firbolg and… Diletta (I’m not quite sure what she is). > >  > >We were asked to investigate and see if we could figure out the poisoning issue by the first mate, but naturally we decided to exchange our introductions first. Izre is the firbolg’s name, he’s got a pleasant charm to him. He’s kind, and judging by Diletta and a few others' reactions, Funny too. Diletta… I’m still trying to figure out what she is. She’s died and been reborn, but is that it? If I get past that though, she also seems pleasant, easy to inspire and put in awe if anything. Not a bad trait. > >  > >We found a monkey running around the shadows, holding a golden lamp of some kind. Honestly, it was so intelligent I thought it was someone disguised as or even forced into a monkey, but it seems not. He drew pictures! They were quite good, I fear how outclassed I’d be if he were humanoid. Finneas is his name, and he foretold us about a storm and some tentacles that were coming and killing the fish (and infecting them with ink too I figured) which lead to us trying to ask for more info from the small group in the dining hall, but the drow man tried to laugh us off for following a monkey. He reminds me of Antella, Rich enough to be snobby like they’re better than everyone else, but not a true rich who is quiet, reserved and respectful. > >  > >Well, we tried to inform the first mate, but the tentacles were already here attacking the ship. Despite me being able to hold the ropes pretty well with one arm, things just went poorly. I was dashing in and out of consciousness but I saw the boat being torn apart. I truly do not know how we survived but I woke up first on a beach, thankfully somewhere on Elysêe. I saw Diletta lying there and I truly did not know how to check if she was alive. I found myself questioning if she’d have a pulse, or breathe, or anything. I went for the pulse but I debated a bit long and she woke up and told me not to bother, and that she only breathes “sometimes”? > >  > >I’m not sure, but Izre wasn’t far off. He woke up and immediately opened his scrapbook to paste in one of his famous “Izreoids” that he invented. Something from a camera, I’d vaguely heard of those, but never seen one. Diletta mentioned a red gem in the shape of an apple that was missing of hers and she looked worried, which caused me to check on my things and sure enough, the sketchbook was gone. I was thrown into a panic frenzy too, looking for this thing, as well as Diletta’s and Izre’s amber stone and cheese grater. > >  > >We ran into the drow woman, who later introduced herself as Mei, as she was trying to lift up some of the wreckage which revealed the drow man lying dead. I wasn’t sure how to feel but if anything I felt for Mei for a while, but she didn’t seem very distraught so I thought she didn’t like him either. Later on we fought some orcs for our stuff back, which thankfully we got most of, including Vindarr’s (the tiefling first mate and Finneas’ “owner”) blueish roundish keystone. But we never found Mei’s engagement ring. I fell again though, I need to get this damn cast off soon before I keep falling behind. > >  > >Mei really confuses me, she throws everything I know for a loop. She’s kind all things considered, too kind maybe. She’s naive too, but she works for a company, a necromancy sisterhood company thing that Diletta seems to know a lot about. She logs everything she does in a journal, including the Drow man, Elden’s, death and burial. I took her to do another look for her ring. We were unsuccessful, and she sat and had a panic attack for 15 minutes, looking more worried than sad. I tried my best to comfort her but I just sort of sat there, which was used against me to catch me off guard when she suddenly stands up asking if it's been 15 minutes. She told me that she is sad about Elden’s death, but she already used up her daily 15 minutes of “Me Time” earlier, which I guess is what she was marking in the journal. I wasn’t going to tell anyone? I even told her that but I guess I wasn’t convincing enough, or she really is that naive. Has she never heard of lying? Somehow though, She did get 10 more minutes of crying time in, but even then she deducted it from tomorrow's time, giving her only 5 minutes… truly strange, but I’m curious to learn more about how other companies work. > >  > >Even beyond that, she was worried she’s missing her wedding in a New Dawnhold… to someone she’s met once but never talked to. She “hoped” he was nice. I wish I could tell her how that’s an awful idea, warn her of love and how bad it is, but I don’t know if I would’ve gotten through to her. She is nice though, and I’m just naturally interested in her. I hope she sticks around with us for a while. > >  > >So yeah, we are far from New Dawnhold, I think we figured out we are actually quite the opposite at the other end of Elysêe. I’m honestly not too fussed personally though, I didn’t expect to find much at New Dawnhold considering it’s already built up, so starting my search for this device at the other end of Elysêe is a good thing in my eyes. Everyone else is naturally worried though, I’m sure they’d all like to have actually arrived at New Dawnhold. I’m sure I’ll need help figuring out what to do next and navigating this place so I’m more than happy to go with them to New Dawnhold. They seem like a nice group, I felt… I think happy around them, and they’re useful. > >  > >Honestly… I hope that the boat crashing makes news and everyone’s presumed dead. Maybe then he won’t come after me… although I think he’d dive to the bottom of the ocean to tear me out and get me back up again so… maybe I should keep running. I’ll just remember to be careful at New Dawnhold, I have no idea how long it will take us to get there, maybe he’ll make it before us. > >  > >This was nice. It's not the same as talking to you, but considering I can’t do that and didn’t hear a word of your response on the sending stone, this is the next best thing.