"We fled from war straight into the arms of what will end it"

Tavora (often called Tay, or TayTay affectionately) has always been in a rough spot, seen as cursed and othered, both by others and herself, with little to no self esteem.

But in escaping from the "Massagi" (Huns but in our native dialect, we now know) and boarding the Lumiere, we found ourselves on more than just another's quest, but on a journey to rediscover the routes of civilization and resurrect a long dormant goddess.

This journey required sacrifice, and Tavora gave everything she had. Whether or not she should have... it's hard to say, but in it she's found a sort of hope, or faith for perhaps the first time.

Stories of the gods are one thing, but to have something draw you to forces nearly incomprehensible, and to witness your leader and friend die and rise again as the very goddess you came there to seek is an experience entirely different. It changes you forever. How could it not?

Now, before she is Tavora, she is the Bearer of the Seed of Sacrifice (everyone has their roles of course, her brother Tavik got a sick bow carved from the branch of a holy tree, and Tavelyn has been instructed to understand "His" role in the world, so that "He" can be stopped. "He" being the Vine Mothers(goddess) former consort, and other god of import.)

Others two, became aspects of the goddess, but our journey'd still only just begun.

We must plant the Seed at the center of the world, and after 2 years of hard and slow travel, swapping between different hands as indentured servants and soldiers, all the while trying our best to spread our newfound faith (except for Tavik), we think we're finally nearing it.

There's still a lot of stuff that happened in that two year journey we haven't decided yet, a lot of it actually happened over the course of one session giving a brief outline. We're going to each make up and add to each others stories of what happened in-between now and when the campaign picks up again this fall.

Also, if anyone was curious, yes this is still the same Tay who's cursed, autistic, aroace, obviously an outcast, and HAD a negative Will modifier, and HAD no idea whether what she said was true or not.

However, The Mask aspect, as it was, was left abandoned as a sacrifice on our journey to the underworld where the goddess was reborn. So was her hair she would braid, and the tunes she would hum. So were her knives. So was everything of value to her save the familiarity of pain.

As I said she's... been through a lot. All by her own choice though, in a sense. She CHOSE to make the hardest sacrifices she could, in part because she believed she deserved it, in part because she hoped to find some sort of salvation. I can only hope, for her sake, she does. She's found a new comfort, at least.

Also, her Will started as a -1, ended up getting bumped to a +0 over the course of the campaign, and after learning the Seed of Sacrifice school of magic (which I didn't have to select that one in-particular but I mean, how could I not??) her will increased to a +2.

She's still Tay. She's still riddled with doubt. But she's more able and willing to push through now, and without the mask, she's finally beginning to understand and, at least a little bit, accept herself in some way.

I love my little trauma mess literally named after the word for "broken" or "shattered". <3

Oh yeah, obviously the idea for the art. Tay's always had a sort of "other self". Evil eye, tucked away darker aspects. I really wanna play with this part of her more, as it hasn't come up as much, and considering one of the elements of the Seed of Sacrifice school of magic is the Sinister Eye (one of the reasons I chose it) it only makes sense.

I decided it should take the form of old Tay, sort of hanging off of her. This isn't literally physically there, it's representative. Perhaps with some sort of spiritual sight, it could be seen, but not to the typical naked eye.

Even then it would be more of a metaphor... although, is there a difference? Between the symbolic and the literal?

Obviously yes, by our modern notions, but in this time and place, for these peoples? No. There is power in both. There is truth in both. That much I suppose at least is true, even if vastly different kinds.

The main difference, is that we impose the power and truth to the symbols, rather than having the nature of things imposed on us.

At least that's how I see it rn. Anyways, enough rambling. Hope you liked hearing about what me and my Table Top RPG group have been up to, and I'll see ya around ^.^

(actually maybe a lot since I have more related arts to share)