4 April 2024

This is a D&D character I’ve made but never really gotten to play; she was the focus of the June 6 post for last year. This is exploring what would happen if one of the two personalities died or disappeared.

Tarynn woke up in her family’s house. She didn’t have the presence of mind to wonder about that; something was missing, like a giant hole carved into her soul.

Her other half was missing.

The version of her that had lived in the back of her head since she was a child; the version of her the rest of her party had taken to calling “tari” to distinguish between them. The confident, bold version that could do all the things Tarynn herself couldn’t.

She was gone.

Tears started rolling down Tarynn’s cheeks. Then, at the edges of her awareness, she felt a whisper of someone. Without even noticing she was still in her pajamas, she dashed after the feeling. Servants called after her, but she ignored them all, until the feeling led her out to the gardens, to the special place she and Tari would ren to whenever they wanted to be alone.

Of course, Tari wasn’t there.

Confused, wrung out, Tarynn turned to leave. Then she heard a distinct voice from the back of her mind, “Farewell, little Tarynn.”

Tarynn’s eyes went wide, and she sank to the ground and wept.

6 June 2023

There’s this one concept for a D&D character that’s been knocking around my head for years, but I’ve never really gotten a chance to play her. She’s a cleric with a split personality; one, graves domain, that is shy and timid but also incredibly kind, and the other that is the death domain and can best be described as…uninhibited. I got tired of waiting to move somewhere I could find a group (my internet here sucks, so I don’t consider that a viable option), so I tried writing a scene. Don’t particularly plan on continuing at the moment, but I may change my mind and develop the arc and story later.

The alcove Tarynn found herself in wasn’t especially comfortable. For some reason, she’d figured that since it was in the temple of the Eternal Rose, it would have some comforts, but she had no such luck. Probably from all the pushback about the corruption that had run rampant a decode or so ago.

She poked her head out to look around, but at the sight of her lady-in-waiting, Anya, just around the corner, she pulled back into the alcove. She’d tried too hard and come too far to just get dragged back home now. Not for the first time, Tarynn wished her other self were out right now; for all the problems she caused, the other one was a lot more bold, and would never just let herself get carted off. She probably wouldn’t have resorted to hiding in uncomfortable alcoves, either.

“You’re sure she went in here?” Anya said, with clear concern in her voice. “I know things have calmed down recently, but given her… connection to the Undying Princess, this isn’t the safest place for her to be…”

“She’s here, alright.” Tarynn recognized the voice as Joseph’s, her official bodyguard. “Storms have mercy, that might be why she’s here; she assumed we wouldn’t think to look here.”

Tarynn blushed. Joseph was absolutely correct. Obviously, that hadn’t worked out so well, but she hadn’t gotten caught yet, so it was all good, right?

The pair chatted for a little longer, and Tarynn began to sweat. If these two were here, where was Robin? Officially Tarynn’s maid, and unofficial her scariest, most capable bodyguard, Robin was the one Tarynn worried about most; even her other self had trouble dealing with her.

Soon enough, the two voices moved away, and after several moments of silence Tarynn poked her head out again. When she didn’t see anyone, she stepped out of the alcove and heaved a sigh of relief.

That lasted until a voice behind her said, “Running away from home, m’lady?”

Tarynn let out a squeak and spun around, shoulders drawing together.” There stood a tall-ish tiefling, maybe a head and a half taller than her own 5’3”, with a mane of shaggy brown hair around his curled horns. A pendant of the Rose’s symbol hung free on his chest, and Tarynn took a step back.

He raised his hands above his head, an easy smile on his lips. “Easy there; I mean no harm. Just curious, I suppose. You’re the one they’re looking for, am I right? So, why are you hiding?”

Tarynn’s thought began tumbling over themselves, churning her brain to such a mess she had trouble sorting one from another. She opened her mouth to try to answer, then turned bright red when nothing came out.