Day 18.2: Know Thyself

Continuing to a crossroads, we turn left into another one of Gregor’s hellscapes. In the new room, we come across 3 statues: 1) Young Gregor, horrified with twisted symbols marking the statue 2-3) Actually a split statue – despair and dread tearing itself apart. Him moves in and finds…Mutu. Kinda. An alter ego – a rude Nega Mutu alter ego at that. Two more figures appear – a Nega Kiren and a Nega Diana. If my mind wasn’t already warped, this might have disturbed me. As it was, it was somewhat insulting – these figures of how Gregor saw us. His underestimation of us would be his downfall.

Knowing ourselves – this weird little family I found – we immediately go after Nega Diana. Somewhat odd watching Diana and Him attack herself, I mean her alternate, I mean…never mind. Piling on, the group focuses Nega Diana down until dead, dealing damage to the other shades simultaneously. But someone was missing. Surely Charles has an evil twin too (there is a dark streak in him). Sure enough, a 4^th figure emerges, Nega Charles. True to Mutu’s core, Nega Mutu misses his first attacks horribly as does most of Nega Kiren. The party quickly regroups and using arc lightning by Mutu and Kiren, we are able to keep the shades off guard and ineffective. 

Our Charles had the forethought to rest and remove his stupefy, Nega Charles, maybe not the brightest squwishy in the dreamscape, his stupefy remaining and making him useless (Not that I’m complaining). Working in tandem, the party takes down Nega Mutu first (he really isn’t agile) and shortly after, Nega Charles, leaving Nega Kiren to last. I’m not sure if I am flattered about this or not, however there was something cathartic about making the killing blow on that dark, twisted version of me. Not sure I want to dwell on that particular thought – especially here.

Searching after the battle reveals a gold filagree gauntlet [Gauntlet of Dawnglow] I think Mutu raised a new aperture at the sight of it, however the party (and Mutu) felt it would be more useful to Charles. 

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Returning to the crossroads, we this time turn right through a short corridor to 3 more statues – Echos of childhood fears. Mutu moved in to examine the 1^st one – and tripped the trap. Invisible walls surrounded the three statues keeping Mutu in and us out. Great. More twisted puzzles. Not a problem (I hope).

Mutu examines the first statue (1) 4-year-old Gregor hiding under a blanket holding a block with gears and a knob. A moon carved on one side and a sun on the other. Weird writing none of us could decipher marked the statue. Fortunately for us, we have a pretentious…I mean well educated scholar amongst us. Oh Geist… After a round of linguistic athletics and numerous limericks (nothing is a straight line with him, web-weaving I usually enjoy, except time is a precious commodity here) Geist calls it Latin and translates Timor Tenebrarun as Fear of the Dark. How do you battle the dark? Easy change to the sun and turn on a light. Charles pulls out his ever-burning torch and the wall shimmers and weakens.

After a bit of back and forth for some reason (check 2, no 3, no wait, go back to 2) Mutu examines statue number (2) 5-year-old Gregor quivers on a small bed with teddy bear holding a shield. We spy more writing like the first, Timor Monstri and I make an educated guess having grown up near the shadow realm – Fear of Monsters – surprising Geist (I think I should be insulted). Mutu evokes his Aura of Courage around the statue and the wall shimmers and weakens again.

Moving to statue (3) 6-year-old Gregor with arms extended, distress carved into the lines of his face and pinched brow. The words Timor Derelicictious inscribed. I don’t need a translator for this one. The desperation radiating off the material resonates deep within me. I mumbled the meaning – Fear of Abandonment. The others guess differently, but Geist confirms my translation. How to help this desperate, lonely child? A hug. Mutu balks at first, but when we explain the child is in need, he gets down on one knee and hugs the statue “There, there”. The invisible walls dissipate.

I will never forgive the atrocities Gregor has committed and he WILL answer for his crimes, but I begin to understand how Xonthran used the twisted fears and betrayals against Gregor.

Searching the area, we find a silver necklace with a small teddy bear holding a shield, etched with ancient runes and symbols. [Aegis of Gardianul Inimii ](More of that weird Latin stuff) or Heartbound Guardian and an inscription: “May he guard you from the night when I cannot, lubesc Mama”

Seeming to be protection based, the party gives it to Mutu – our staunch protector.

I sneak forward and dread fills the room ahead of us. Using the hag stone, I can see threads of tangled gossamer swirling in clumps ahead of us. Small winged things seeming to be the naked desires of Gregor (THERE is a thought I really didn’t need in my head!)

I signal the others and immediately send an arc of lightning into the bunch. There were definitely more than the three I saw as five creatures descend on the party. The buggers hit me and like the mosquitos they resemble, leave a lingering effect on me, which takes some time to shake off (I always hated bugs). Better me than Diana or Charles. The party (dare I call them my family?) rallies to my side. I feel invulnerable after a while, like nothing can hit me, thanks to Charles, and one by one, the creatures die. 

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We rest for the next trial and I wonder what new depravities await us in Gregor’s twisted mind.

Are we there yet?