Chapter 6: Sunkissed

Things were quiet until a few days before the session, when Liz sent an email.

Hi Chris,

First of all, you leveled up last session, so go ahead and do that in advance of this next one.

Second: each character’s Mark of the Sun functions slightly differently, so I’m sending them out separately; the other characters won’t know how yours works unless you tell them, or they see it in action. Here’s how yours works:

Sunkissed{br}

The Sun does not ask permission to shine; its heat warms all hearts, and a kiss given carries the weight of its power. When your lips meet another’s, the Mark blazes. One yields, one holds. One shines. The other burns. For a single breath, the Sun chooses.

Effect: When Cazimir kisses another character on the lips, you and that character make opposed Charisma checks; you roll with advantage. If you win the opposed check, the other character falls under the effects of the Suggestion spell. If the other character succeeds, Cazimir falls under the effects of the Suggestion spell instead.

Let me know if you have questions.

Liz

I did have a question, as it happened. What the fuck was she doing?

Mechanically, it was interesting. Well designed. The Suggestion spell was notoriously powerful, if kind of vaguely-worded; it would let me suggest a simple course of action for the target that — as long as it sounded reasonable — they would pursue. It could be anything from selling us goods at a discount, to letting us into a heavily-guarded castle, to...

Well, in this kind of game, it was all too easy to imagine what I might suggest.

But the opposed roll with advantage — and Cazimir’s high Charisma score — meant the odds were in my favor, but it could still backfire.

And: Fiona, Monica, and Mike presumably all got their own Marks. Three others abilities similar to this one.

What was Liz doing?

I decided that I had to ask Liz about it.

Chris: So uh ... interesting Mark ability?

Liz: Thanks!

I paused, decided to be more direct.

Another pause as I thought about that.

Liz: Also, I wanted to say that I’m sorry about ... how things ... escalated, with the djinni. I was trying to play the character, but what happened ... wasn’t part of my plan.

Part of her plan? It was hard not to feel a little bitter as I read the message, thinking about how she’d taken what should’ve been a moment of triumph of Monica and made it embarrassing.

Chris: What was your plan, then?

As I waited for her to respond, my phone pinged again anyway, different texts coming through.

Monica: Did Liz send you a Mark description?

Chris: Yeah.

I wondered if she’d ask me what my mark’s effects were.

She didn’t.

Monica: Our deal still stands. No cold feet.

Chris: Yeah, yeah. I’ll deliver. Just make sure you will, too.

No way in hell I was backing down. As I was typing that, my phone pinged again ... but when I looked it wasn’t a reply from Liz.

He texted a link to some just-released fantasy novel. I almost laughed with relief at the sheer normalcy of the message; it was the kind of question that had characterized our text exchanges.

The line of communication being open again with Mike felt too new, too fragile to go back to talking about the game. Instead, I threw myself into the exchange about the book, asking questions about it and probing on his answers. We went back and forth about it for a while.

It meant that it wasn’t until the day of the session, as I got in the car to go to Liz’s place, that I realized she’d left me on read.

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“As soon as each of you touch your Mark of the Sun, the golden bauble vanishes.”

Liz had dimmed the lights in the room a little; she spoke evenly. Liz was dressed as the High Priestess, the flowing, orange-red diaphanous desert attire over some kind of bikini.

“But that doesn’t mean the Marks are gone; quite the opposite, in fact. The sensation is like a part of you that you didn’t even know was missing has been suddenly returned; a puzzle piece clicking into place. You feel whole. Powerful, blazing with the fire of the Sun.”

Liz’s eyes flicked from one of us to another. “You also feel indelibly changed. You are Marked, bound to the Sun’s service, a champion of that Doctrine.”

“Praise be,” Fiona said, clasping her hands and speaking in Fleur’s pious tones. She played a good zealot, I had to admit.

And then she shifted her tone, curious. “Are these Marks, like ... actual Marks? On our characters bodies? Like tattoos?”

“I hadn’t been thinking about them that way, but...” Liz hesitated, considering.

“Fleur’s looks like a band of flames down her torso!” Fiona exclaimed.

Monica laughed. “You just want a custom temporary tattoo, like the one I did for Chris last campaign.”

“Guilty. C’mon, Monica,” Fiona pleaded.

“Fine, fine,” she relented. “If people give me interesting tattoo descriptions, I’ll see what I can do for next session.”

Fiona fist-pumped. “God, Fleur’s going to look so hot. I’ll have to get photos of this one. Maybe like ... winding down her side, like this?” Her midriff was largely exposed — Fleur’s skimpy costume left plenty of bare skin on display — and she traced her fingers from just under one breast, down the side of her waist, around to her navel, and then further down, fingers only stopping at the top of her skirt.

I am pretty sure that all of us were staring, Mike and I most intensely. There was a moment of silence before Liz cleared her throat. “Okay, if anyone wants a visible Mark on their character, that’s fine; you all can decide. I’m not making Monica accommodate all your custom tattoo requests, though, that’s up to her.”

Monica shrugged. “I’ll see what I can do.”

“Great.” Liz nodded, clearly trying to get the actual action of the session going. “The trip back through the desert to the Keepers of the Sun encampment is uneventful. Anything anyone does that’s noteworthy on the trip home?”

Monica looked thoughtful. “I think Maye avoids Cazimir. The djinn’s dream ... got to her in a way she didn’t expect.” Absently, she adjusted one of the straps of her top; I tried not to let my gaze wander.

I wondered about her motivation. Maybe she was genuinely preoccupied, or just trying to make sure our characters stayed separate so it was easier for her to get a scene with just Liz, or just roleplaying her character, or ... making some other point. I had no idea.

“Fleur is in high spirits, pleased with everyone,” Fiona declared, decisively. “She has been harboring doubts about her companions, but they’ve helped take a major step towards the Sun’s glorious ascendancy.”

Mike, finally tearing his eyes off Fiona’s torso, was less enthusiastic. “I think Milo keeps his thoughts to himself; he’s got misgivings but doesn’t want to piss off Fleur.”

Fiona giggled. “Wise. He’s in her good graces for now, but one blasphemous word and she’ll be mad at him again.”

I considered for a moment, decided that I could lay some of my own groundwork. “Well, with Maye giving him the cold shoulder and Fleur being all full of unbearable religious fervor, I think Cazimir follows Milo’s example, and the two of them hang out.”

Mike nodded, agreeably. I felt good about that, at least.

“Alright, then. You all arrive back at the Flamekeepers’ encampment. You’re ushered in to see the High Priestess immediately.”

Liz’s tone shifted to one that was impatient, commanding: the High Priestess. “Well? Success?”

Although — I couldn’t help but note — she didn’t reveal the costume. She must dressed to play a different character.

Fiona jumped in, making Fleur’s voice eager, obedient. “Yes, High Priestess.” She gestured at her torso. “We all bear the Sun’s Mark.”

Liz broke into a bright, pleased smile. “I see indeed. The Sun has touched you.” Liz leaned across the table, brushed her fingertips over Fiona’s skin in a gesture that was almost proprietary in how casual it was. “Wonderful. You have done well, my children.”

Fiona’s skin didn’t show when she was blushing — but she shivered at Liz’s touch, visibly.

“Now it is time to tell you what must be done.” Liz’s voice was cool. “There has always been a tenuous balance between the five Doctrines, but with the Moon waning, that balance has tipped. And now, you — the Sun’s chosen champions — must make the most of this moment.”

She steepled her fingers. “You will travel to the crumbling remains of the Night Queen’s former kingdom. You’ll make your way to her court, where she once attempted to ascend herself. See what remains of the ritual she attempted, the tools of power she used.”

Liz paused, waiting for reactions.

I had to admit, it was clever to have us retread that ground from the first campaign ... but it just made me wonder what she had planned. I was starting to feel like Liz’s version of fixing things with this campaign was very different from mine.

I glanced around at the others.

Monica had one eyebrow raised; a little impressed, maybe, or surprised.

Mike looked discomfited — the mention of last campaign, perhaps.

“That is so cool,” Fiona said, clearly speaking out of character. Of all of us, she seemed to be the least bothered by the clear sexual undertones at the table.

“Good. Now, you must set out shortly. You’ll leave two days hence, in secret. There are others, you see, who will hunt you. Agents of the other Doctrines, who — like the Sun — wish to grow their power. And there are those who would unseat the Moon themselves, take her place as a new Doctrine. Even those whose only wish is to stymie the Sun’s brilliance, who would thwart our cause because of how brightly it shines already. Receiving your Marks has set things into motion; you’re pieces on the board, now. They will come for-”

Liz cut off, abruptly, switching to her normal speaking voice. “But the High Priestess stops as you all hear a series of unmistakable sounds from outside the tent. Steel on steel. Fabric tearing. A scream, then shouting — the alarm being raised.”