Game-Summaries:8/10/2019 Recollections

Payne, D. J. ; Astral Intervention: A Singular Case Study

Abstract

The House of Fire needs a leader and we have decided to venture into unprecedented waters of assisted healing to help The Highest, Liandrin, to recover from her comatose state. Using our experience with The Ligatures and Astral interaction, we apply this method of projection to fulfill specific parameters to "free" the patient from her mental imprisonment. Freeing Highest from this imprisonment was far beyond our ability to physically or magically overpower, and we used more surgically precise methods to coax The Shade/Nimor into releasing his control over this specific memory of Liandrin's we were all trapped in.

Introduction

The Battle of Toldoth had the House of Fire call all Magisters to their aid and this battle is when we lost The Red when he chanced Deamons back into The Abyss, followed by Highest, Liandrin. Just before the House of Fire could elect a new Headmaster and Color Guard, Liandrin's body was recovered. She was in the midsts of a psychotic break, but was able to be coaxed into a safer comatose state with the House of Lightning's aide. Since then, she has remained in this comatose state for nearly a year as Weavers keep her physically stable and the House of Fire continues with it's duties. Suspecting an Abyssal actor, having the highest available training on psychic matters, and being available for a possibly fruitless effort, 5 Magisters made it their business to attempt to free Liandrin of her psychic prison. Thus began the first documented and outlined example of Astral Intervention.

Literature Review

Documented examples of Astral Intervention could not be found in The Conventicle's exhaustive records, and the Seal's archives were only just made available for research, so exhaustive research was impossible. The two Weavers (Dereth & Kaylorr), two experienced Astral assistants (Zanna & Rezik), and a novice Astral assistant (Avant) were briefed by First Weaver Wisakedjak on the differences between Astral Projection to the Astral Plane with The Ligatures and Astral Intervention in a patient's mind. Without the ability to "collectively retreat", we risked remaining trapped in The Highest's mind. Thus concludes the literature review of previous and related procedures.

Methods

First Weaver Wisakedjak assembled all participating around him, minds toward him, while he eased us into an Astral state for intervention. Initially, we approached the Palace of Lord Aethel of the ancient kingdom of Aethelfirth (220-ish years BEFORE The Great Awakening) feeling drained of magical ability and most of us near death and joined a petitioning line. Zanna snuck around and found some kitchen knives while we all realized that conversation was more of a script of what people would be talking about and not what they were talking about: our first indication that this was a memory, and who's. Every attempt to "alter the script" (as we began referring to it) resulted in psychic damage as the memory RESPONDED to our attempt to change it. Zanna snuck past the petitioners, located Liandrin as an enslaved concubine to Lord Aethel. Zanna also noticed The Seal in the petition line to make a request of Lord Aethel. Following Liandrin into the harem rooms, Zanna learned Liandrin had been reliving this exact memory hundreds of times. Effortfully tattooing herself notes from one "reset" to another. Among her magic tattoos was "Do not let Aethel hear Vangochaea's spell", "The Bard is real", and other notes. During the procedure, Dereth beseeched his goddess, Viviene, for guidance and learned Liandrin is aware of her imprisonment, Abyssal actors remain involved, and an ideal prognosis is "unclear". Liandrin went back to Lord Aethel's audience chamber and Zanna fetched us. Zanna recounted her discoveries and Dereth used a knife to carve notes into his arm. Observing the memory in the audience chamber, we noticed all memory freeze when Vangochaea, The Seal began a spell, using Aethelfirth's artifact, to unlock "Ring Magic". Only Lord Aethel seemed to be looking, but presented as someone being "looked through". Before Vangochaea could get halfway through the spell, Dereth attempted to alter what was being heard to no avail, and Liandrin slit her own throat. Upon approach to the Palace of Lord Aethel of the ancient kingdom of Aethelfirth, Dereth remembered the previous encounter with the help of his scared arm notes. Without altering much of the memory, Zanna approached Liandrin and explained the situation, citing notes on Liandrin's own body. Rezik approached the memory of Vangochaea and convinced her of the reality of the situation. With a new plan, we watched events unfold. The memory Vangochaea recited a different spell, but the memory played out as Liandrin remembered, and the "observer" seemed tricked, releasing all of us from the Astral Imprisonment.

Conclusions

Highest Liandrin lived an objectionably horribly traumatic upbringing during a time over 500 years before the Magistery. During this time, Magic Wielders were far more powerful than we now know. Vangochaea's spell, in conjunction with the "once in a millennia" powered artifact, allowed Ring Magic to be utilized. Above the artifact, upon completion, produced the first Magistery ring. When all Astral Interventionists and the Patient were conscious, on the Prime Material, Liandrin revealed that The Red, Danivus and she fought The Shade and, apparently, lost. This is the same Shade that took possession of Gimble and has become the dream & plane traveling Nimor. While the outlined case study is not a procedural guide for Astral Intervention, it may provide a basis for further interventions for any suffering Planar Trauma Shock Disorder (PTSD).

Author: Payne, D. J.