The following is the in-character diary entry of Shal Noctis, a character in the live-play TTRPG podcast Spooky Dice Bag. This entry covers the following episodes: 162, “On the prowl for files (and Umbra’s supervising),”
You can listen to the embedded episode below. You can get early access to the Scrolls of Noctis via the podcast’s Patreon.
1498 DR – Day 74,001 – To Strixhaven
Umbra, Randril, and myself traveled back to Strixhaven to obtain some information, while Forte, Deliverance, and Astrid stayed behind in the dimensional house to home in on the corpse of Gletvac, a former foe that they had defeated in a plane known as Merica.
On the way, Umbra asked me about my nature. He’s a strange one, I’ll admit, but I do find him amusing. His curiosity about my undead nature is to be expected, but I found his questions alarming – as though he considered death as some sort of tool to being like me. I don’t understand my own nature, and I’ve been grappling with it for centuries. I just hope I can dissuade him from doing something foolish.
Randril’s experience with his own Goddess, brought up in the course of conversation, struck me as much different from my own. He described an almost… erotic entanglement.
Far, far from my own experience with Selûne.
I have suspicions of gods. How can I not? I serve either some divine purpose, or I am a mistake, and Selûne isn’t forthcoming about either case. I could imagine how a sex drive would render that more complicated, though I am not sure if Randril quite knows what sex is. But he is flesh and flesh feels temptation, his own description of the moment with the “apple” indicated such. In my youth, back when I was alive, I admit to my indiscretions, but I barely remember them now, nor do I derive much feelings from them. Which leads me to Umbra.
I spoke with Umbra about my order, about the Moonmaiden, but thinking back on it now, I’ve had some second thoughts, given Umbra being clearly guided by his libido in most situations. I am not convinced he wouldn’t try to bed a deity and I can already see the inevitable fallout.
In fact, we should probably keep him away from Eris too, if we can help it, based on what Randril has said about her.
The Reluctant Dragonborn
Something that stood out to me in the walk was the apprehension in Randril regarding his monastic background and reticence to engage with me on the teachings of the Hand of Selûne. There is a deep hurt there, and I pity him and his experiences. The abuse of someone so good natured angers me.
I hope that maybe I could share in some of the joy and structure that has kept my mind together despite, well, everything. I was thinking of prayer beads. I’ll set about crafting some when I can. I had plenty of time to craft when I was stuck in the temple. It wouldn’t take long at all.
At the University
Our time at the university was a bit chaotic. Not having experienced much of the place, it was still readily apparent the regime change had a chokehold on the institution. It was deeply uncomfortable.
Randril leaned on his nature as a dragonborn to suggest he worked under one of the dragons who founded the university,.Velomachus Lorehold. Umbra grew a mustache. I continued to look like a corpse. I am amazed we were not questioned more than we were.
Our first goal was to meet up with Jace, our contact on campus. We had a secretary to contend with in the administrative building, but we navigated it well enough. We simply acted as though we were meant to be there and everything turned out fine. We’ll leave it at that.
Enter Chandra
In any case, one instructor, Chandra Nalaar, approached us. We had the situation in hand, but she was sympathetic to our cause and allied with Jace. She accompanied us to Jace’s office, and conveyed the uncomfortable nature of the for-profit nature of Strixhaven’s new administration. We relayed that we had arranged a safe space for students and faculty who balked at the changes, giving them a space to gather as we looked into how to change things on campus.
…
With that, we’re about to move onto a plan we’ve concocted to access the records room. With luck we’ll be in and out.
To be continued in Spooky Dice Bag #163.
Curiosity, learning, with a hint of academy.
Thanks, i wonder if they’re is an inciting incident down the road, oh, the troubles of writing evergreen.