Hooked on Books discussion
D&D Adventures
>
D&D: Rogue Readers
message 101:
by
Deanna
(new)
May 19, 2025 04:34PM
I'm fine with A.
reply
|
flag
Quest 2B CompleteChecked us in.
I'm sorryyyI thought I checked us in đ„Č
No problem. Sometimes I think GR loses posts because I'll swear I posted something but it's not there later when I look for it.
Mod
In a dream, Shar appears before the party cloaked in void-silk, her eyes like twin eclipses.
"Youâve learned Sharael's truth. But the seal cannot hold foreverânot as it is. If you wish to mend it, you must place her soul and story where Mystraâs light touches the weave. A reckoning lies ahead."
She gestures toward an altar buried in the deepest thread of the WeaveâMystraâs Spindleâand vanishes.
But something else stirs. Sharael's soul flickers in your hands, and the artifact containing it pulses. Cyric, god of madness and betrayal, was once entangled in this same seal. If you fail, or falter, or hesitate too long⊠he may rise.
Your Task: Seal the Veil
To repair the veil and stop Cyric from awakening, the party must gather seven distinct keys, scattered across stories and symbols. These keys will unlock the Weave Gate at Mystraâs Spindle and stabilize the boundary between realms.
đ Reading Tasks: The Seven Keys
Each book you read must contain or symbolize one of the following keys (you need one book per key; 7 books total). The books can be read by any party member:
The Key of Reflection
đ Read a book with a mirror, doppelgĂ€nger, or split personality character
The Key of Sacrifice
đ„ Read a book where a character sacrifices something importantâpower, love, life, or freedom
The Key of Laughter
đ Read a book that made you laugh out loud or includes comic relief during dark moments
The Key of Memory
đ§ Read a book that centers on memory, amnesia, or recollection of a forgotten past
The Key of Fire
đ„ Read a book with literal or metaphorical fireâdestruction, passion, rebirth, or war
The Key of the Lost Name
âïž Read a book with a character who hides or loses their name or identity
The Key of the Divine Thread
âš Read a book with a god, goddess, or divine magic
Once all seven books are read, youâll be ready to place the artifact on Mystraâs altarâand face the final confrontation:
Will you restore the veil, or will Cyric break through?
My next book works for the last one, and I'll see what I can find after.
Mod
Congratulations! You have all levelled up a class level. You are now level 4.
Donna wrote: "đ Quest 2C: The Fractured VeilIn a dream, Shar appears before the party cloaked in void-silk, her eyes like twin eclipses.
"Youâve learned Sharael's truth. But the seal cannot hold foreverânot as ..."
ooh, my current book works for Key of Memory
Mod
Donna wrote: "I'm sending you some help ;)"Awesome, thanks!
Hello! I'm new to the team and taking a moment to get acclimated.Since it's a team effort, do you guys have a preference for what type of character I am? I'm open to either one and just want to round out the team.
shifter wizard or rogue dwarf?
Trisha wrote: "Hello! I'm new to the team and taking a moment to get acclimated.Since it's a team effort, do you guys have a preference for what type of character I am? I'm open to either one and just want to r..."
I dont have a preference..
I'm fine with you being whatever catches your fancy
hmmm. . .I think I'll go Rogue Dwarf then!Deanna, if you want me to be the other one, just let me know! I can definitely change!
Trisha wrote: "hmmm. . .I think I'll go Rogue Dwarf then!Deanna, if you want me to be the other one, just let me know! I can definitely change!"
Nope. Rogue dwarf is fine.
YAY! Okay, I'm a Rogue Dwarf.Also, I completed my first book. I just wanted to make sure - it doesn't look like I need to post a completion post in our thread, right? Just want to make sure!
Nope, u don't have to post a completion post..Just updating it in the ss should be fine
Mod
Hi everyone, checking in! Glad to be part of the team! Looks like I'm gonna be a Shifter Wizard, sounds good to me. I'll read through the rules and the thread and then I'll get to it!
I posted a question in the Q&A thread to see if I needed to go back to the beginning and read two books to "pick" my race and class (I'm assuming not since they're already established, but I just wanted to be sure). If not, I'm currently reading a book that would work for the Key of Laughter
Alaina wrote: "I posted a question in the Q&A thread to see if I needed to go back to the beginning and read two books to "pick" my race and class (I'm assuming not since they're already established, but I just w..."oop! keep me posted on what the mod says because I just jumped right in! I'll have to circle back and do those 2 books if they are needed!
Trisha wrote: "Alaina wrote: "I posted a question in the Q&A thread to see if I needed to go back to the beginning and read two books to "pick" my race and class (I'm assuming not since they're already establishe..."Looks like we just jump right in to the current task, so you're good!
I got really lucky and my 3 most recent books worked for 3 different tasks, so I think I've claimed the last task and will have my book done today! yay!
As courageous explorers, we knew we had to do all we could to repair the veil! Tasked with gathering the keys, we hated to split up but knew we were strong enough to handle each of our tasks. We chose our course and left to gather the keys. Char, as our elf ranger, decided to dare The Key of Memory. With her sharp eye and even sharper mind, Char had to help a postal worker, in a small town, remember his past. Char had to show compassion and patience but also wits as they helped investigate what was going on in the town.
Trisha, as our rogue dwarf, went after The Key of Reflection, Key of Sacrifice, Key of Fire, and Key of Lost Name. First, Trisha went after The Key of Lost Name. There she found a young group of travelers that had lost their past and memory. But they also awoke as part animals and were no longer fully human, adding to their need to name themselves and find who they were. As they traveled and found themselves, Trisha found the key.
Next was the Key of Reflection. This tasked Trisha with having to outwit a wily man who had beguiled and fooled others. As they worked to untangle his lies, Trisha discovered the key gladly left before the final showdown.
Trisha went after the Key of Sacrifice next and had to be party to a flight in space, a lovely relationship, and then the horrible letting go and knowing you must sacrifice in order to survive. Trisha cried and hugged everyone goodbye after accepting the key and moved on.
Finally, the Key Of Fire. This took Trisha to a small college town where a mystery still surrounded a long ago fire that killed 2. The town still held the memory of the fire and it burned bright and dangerous. Trisha worked with the mother, Beckett, and together they searched for the answers of what happened in the long ago fire and found the key in the midst of the ashes.
Alaina, our Shifter Wizard, dared The Key of Laughter. You can get lost in the Laughter and it took extra strength to not fall to its madness. Alaina traveled to Night Vale and had to dare the wonders and terrors there. Luckily, there was little shifting required by definitely some magic. Not everyone makes it out of Night Vale alive but Alaina made it back to us with the Key and sanity!
Deanna, our Shifter Monk, went for The Key of Divine Thread. Our monk knew they needed to be the one to face the gods. Deanna had to face a dungeon and fight their way through it. As the gods played with the competitors and the outcome, Deanna outwitted them and made it out with the key!
Once we had all 7 keys, we gathered back together. Shifting the keys around, they stuck and with shaking hands and held breaths, we put them on Mystra's altar in the hopes we would be able to face the final confrontation fully prepared with our new knowledge and experience through acquiring all the keys.
okay, I'm off to go camping. I had no idea if we needed to do a write up or not so I did one really quickly! lolwe're checked in!
Mod
You arrive at the altar, a radiant spindle of woven light and shadow suspended in a void between worlds. The artifact in your hands pulses with Sharaelâs flickering soul, and the seven keys hum in unison.
Suddenly, the presence of Cyric, the Mad God of Betrayal, looms from the darkness. His voice is a whisper and a roar:
âYou hold the fate of the realms... but can you bear the cost of salvation?â
The Choice: Seal the Veil or Let Cyric Rise
Seal the Veil â To restore the veil and banish Cyricâs shadow, you must perform a ritual weaving together the Seven Keys, binding Sharaelâs soul with Mystraâs light.
Final Reading Tasks (Ritual Preparation):
Read a book with a ritual or ceremony involving binding or weaving
Read a book where a character faces a moment of ultimate sacrifice
Read a book with a character overcoming madness or betrayal
Read a book with a powerful symbol of light or hope
Read a book with a divine intervention or miracle
If all are completed, the veil is sealed, Cyricâs power is quelled, and Sharaelâs soul is finally at peace. Your party is hailed as heroes who saved the realms from chaos.
Let Cyric Rise â To embrace the chaos and power Cyric offers, you must shatter the ritual, letting darkness flood through the veil.
Final Reading Tasks (Embracing Madness):
Read a book with a villain or antihero who embraces chaos
Read a book with destruction or revolution
Read a book where betrayal or madness changes everything
Read a book with dark magic or cursed power
Read a book with a character who accepts a grim fate or dark gift
Completing these means Cyric ascends, realms tremble, and your party is forever marked by the shadow of madness and betrayal.
Awesome write-up, Trisha!What path are we thinking? I'm down for either one
Sealing the veil it is! I'm currently reading a book that would work for a character overcoming betrayal. Added to the spreadsheet
Char, I finished a book that will work for either of the last 2 tasks, so I'll wait to let you pick one before I take the last one (if no one gets to it first!)
Mod
Now that you've sealed the veil and saved Sharaelâs soul, the Circle of Greater Powers summons your party. These ancient deities maintain the equilibrium between creation and destruction, light and dark, fate and freedom.
But the ritual you completed disrupted that balance. Cyricâs influence is quelledâfor nowâbut ripples echo across realms.
You must now stand trial before the Circle and choose your path forward. Each member may choose their own path. You do not have to follow the same one.
âš Path 1: Redemption through Light
Atone for tampering with divine forces. Help the Circle repair what was fractured, at great personal cost. You may be forgiven... or forever marked.
đ Reading Tasks
Read a book with a prison or imprisonment
Read a book with a paladin, cleric, or divine spellcaster
Read a book where someone seeks or finds redemption
Read a book that ends in peace or reconciliation
đŻïž Path 2: Bargain in Shadows
Agree to become the tether keeping the seal strong. Sharaelâs soul will rest, but your own will forever be linked to the seal. This offers power, but opens your mind to the madness within.
đ Reading Tasks
Read a book with the word SHADOW in the text
Read a book with a split/mirrored identity character
Read a book where someone makes a dangerous deal
Read a book with all the letters of HOST in the title or series
đ„ Path 3: Break the Balance
Refuse the godsâ oversight. Declare your intent to forge a new orderâone where mortal will rewrites the weave. But to do so, you must break the seals of balance and invite change.
đ Reading Tasks
Read a book with a broken seal, chain, or barrier
Read a book with a character who defies authority
Read a book with a god, demigod, or fallen celestial
Read a book with all the letters of CHAOS in the title
Mod
Donna wrote: "Remember, this is a personal choice, not a team choice. Each member must choose their path individually. They can be different. Choose wisely. Everyone will do all the tasks of the path chosen; the..."Ohhhh, well then this should be interesting! I think I'm going to stick to Path 3, I like that one best
Donna wrote: "Everyone will do all the tasks of the path chosen; they just might not be the same path.."Does this mean we each have to do the 4 different tasks for this route? or we each do one?
We each do all 4 tasks of our chosen route.
Quest #1
A prized 'sack of flour' has been stolen from you, but you've tracked it down to a highly secure bank. The bank will not give it back to you. Do you
Plan a heist
Step 1: Gather your heist materials
Step 2: Security - security guards & alarms
Step 3: Execute your plan
A well executed heist starts with a well-reasoned plan. Our first stop was The Order of Architects to obtain a "blueprint" from Kash, who owes us a favor for rescuing his niece last year. A couple of nights observing the schedule of the guards, and we hash out the plan details over dinner at our favorite pub. We then split up to gather our final supplies. Jane, our dwarfish rogue, picks up the poison and tools. Char, our elf ranger, procures the horses; while Deanna, our shifter monk, discreetly buys several pairs of handcuffs at different stores.
Finally, we're ready to act. With Night Broken, we move into position keeping an eye of the "tower clock" to wait for the changing of the guard. An hour after the shift change, we secure the horses into position and begin. Char coats the tips of her crossbow bolts with just enough poison to make the guards woozy and executes four rapid shots startling the guards. Before they can respond to the attack, Deanna sprints over and delivers a quick right hook to the side of the their temple, knocking them unconscious. Jane goes to work unlocking the building and disabling the alarm with her tools while Char uses her elf magic to create an "illusion" so that anyone passing by will think that the guards are still at their posts.
With the building open, Deanna finishes handcuffing the guards, and she and Char drag their unconscious forms inside while Jane tackles the lock to the room with the flour. Once the flour is acquired, we slip out of the building, mount the horses, and ride off toward a nearby town. Just as the light of A New Dawn peaks over the horizon, our destination comes into site. We head towards the town inn for a celebratory breakfast and a few hours sleep.
Quest 1A
Congrats on getting the flour. However, the bank knew how precious the flour was that they had in their possession. Before it was stolen, the bank hired a Drow elf bounty hunter working for Bregan Dâaerthe through Jarlaxle. They had him put a Hunterâs mark on the bag of flour. This mark activated when you left the bank with the flour and the bounty hunter was able to track you. Will you return the flour? Are you going to fight the bounty hunter?
Fight the bounty hunter
Quest #2
After a night in a tavern, each member of the party wakes up in the body of another member with no memory of what happened. One party member's body is gone, however, their mind instead inside a sentient item... a bag of beans.
Are these magic beans? Maybe, maybe not; plant them and find out. Worst case scenario, you could eat them. Do you eat the beans? If they are magic beans, how do you use them? Can you get everyone back in their bodies?
Plant the beans
Step 1 : Plant the beans
Step 2: Find a solution to the body problems listed above.
2 days after the beans were planted near the tavern, we found the The Ghost of Graylock paying us a visit in the tavern. She thanked us for releasing her by planting the beans and gave us a solution to our problem - journey through the Harmony's Way across the Forests of Grandeur and Malice, to her village, and find the The Dark Healer #1, who was one of her Neighbors. The healer would help us with our Transformation. With a Glimmer of Hope in our hearts on such an easy quest to get back our bodies, we embarked on our Beginner Quest, and were switched back to our bodies by Heidi, the The Dark Healer #1.
Quest 2A: âThe Root of the Problemâ
Although your bodies have been restored, something is⊠off. Since returning, your magic sometimes backfires or misfires. Heidi, the Dark Healer, warns you: "The beans were planted in cursed soil. Their roots awakened something ancient and tangled beneath the tavern." She tells you to choose your next move wisely.
Heidi believes the curse may be undone if you travel to the place where the bean magic first originated. You'll need to gather sacred ingredients and perform a ritual at the root's source.
đ„ OPTION 2: Embrace the Magic
Heidi warns you that embracing the bean magic may permanently mark you, but you could learn to control its chaotic effects. A group of Beanbound Witches near the Hollow Stem can train you in the magic.
đ§ OPTION 3: Seek Out the Truth
The Ghost of Graylock may have left some secrets unsaid. Youâve noticed her name has popped up in ancient texts and tavern legends. Time to find out what she really was before she became a ghost.
Seek out the Truth
Quest 2B: The Ghostâs Forgotten Name
As you unravel the truth about the Ghost of Graylock, you uncover that she was once a powerful shadowmancer named Sharael who made a terrible pact to seal away a fractured veil between worlds. When the beans grew, their roots twisted through the last strands of her broken seal.
Now, her memory is returningâand with it, the veil begins to tear. The shadow energies bound beneath the tavern may soon be unleashed unless you act.
You must now choose one of three paths:
đïž OPTION A: Ask Shar for Help (High-risk, high-reward)
The goddess Shar, patron of secrets and loss, once mentored Sharael. If you seek her aid, you may be able to restore the fractured veilâbut Shar demands payment in forgotten truths.
Let the veil tear. Release what lies beneath. Some in the party hear the whispers of power offered through destruction. You may emerge strongerâor utterly changed.
đ OPTION C: Restore the True Name (Balanced path)
You seek to fully restore the ghostâs true name and essence. By learning who Sharael was before her pact, you may be able to rebuild the seal using memory and identity rather than shadow or fire.
Ask Shar for help
Quest 2C: The Fractured Veil
In a dream, Shar appears before the party cloaked in void-silk, her eyes like twin eclipses.
"Youâve learned Sharael's truth. But the seal cannot hold foreverânot as it is. If you wish to mend it, you must place her soul and story where Mystraâs light touches the weave. A reckoning lies ahead."
She gestures toward an altar buried in the deepest thread of the WeaveâMystraâs Spindleâand vanishes.
But something else stirs. Sharael's soul flickers in your hands, and the artifact containing it pulses. Cyric, god of madness and betrayal, was once entangled in this same seal. If you fail, or falter, or hesitate too long⊠he may rise.
Your Task: Seal the Veil
To repair the veil and stop Cyric from awakening, the party must gather seven distinct keys, scattered across stories and symbols. These keys will unlock the Weave Gate at Mystraâs Spindle and stabilize the boundary between realms.
đ Reading Tasks: The Seven Keys
The Key of Reflection
The Key of Sacrifice
The Key of Laughter
The Key of Memory
The Key of Fire
The Key of the Lost Name
The Key of the Divine Thread
Once all seven books are read, youâll be ready to place the artifact on Mystraâs altarâand face the final confrontation:
Will you restore the veil, or will Cyric break through?
As courageous explorers, we knew we had to do all we could to repair the veil! Tasked with gathering the keys, we hated to split up but knew we were strong enough to handle each of our tasks. We chose our course and left to gather the keys.
Char, as our elf ranger, decided to dare The Key of Memory. With her sharp eye and even sharper mind, Char had to help a postal worker, in a small town, remember his past. Char had to show compassion and patience but also wits as they helped investigate what was going on in the town.
Trisha, as our rogue dwarf, went after The Key of Reflection, Key of Sacrifice, Key of Fire, and Key of Lost Name. First, Trisha went after The Key of Lost Name. There she found a young group of travelers that had lost their past and memory. But they also awoke as part animals and were no longer fully human, adding to their need to name themselves and find who they were. As they traveled and found themselves, Trisha found the key.
Next was the Key of Reflection. This tasked Trisha with having to outwit a wily man who had beguiled and fooled others. As they worked to untangle his lies, Trisha discovered the key gladly left before the final showdown.
Trisha went after the Key of Sacrifice next and had to be party to a flight in space, a lovely relationship, and then the horrible letting go and knowing you must sacrifice in order to survive. Trisha cried and hugged everyone goodbye after accepting the key and moved on.
Finally, the Key Of Fire. This took Trisha to a small college town where a mystery still surrounded a long ago fire that killed 2. The town still held the memory of the fire and it burned bright and dangerous. Trisha worked with the mother, Beckett, and together they searched for the answers of what happened in the long ago fire and found the key in the midst of the ashes.
Alaina, our Shifter Wizard, dared The Key of Laughter. You can get lost in the Laughter and it took extra strength to not fall to its madness. Alaina traveled to Night Vale and had to dare the wonders and terrors there. Luckily, there was little shifting required by definitely some magic. Not everyone makes it out of Night Vale alive but Alaina made it back to us with the Key and sanity!
Deanna, our Shifter Monk, went for The Key of Divine Thread. Our monk knew they needed to be the one to face the gods. Deanna had to face a dungeon and fight their way through it. As the gods played with the competitors and the outcome, Deanna outwitted them and made it out with the key!
Once we had all 7 keys, we gathered back together. Shifting the keys around, they stuck and with shaking hands and held breaths, we put them on Mystra's altar in the hopes we would be able to face the final confrontation fully prepared with our new knowledge and experience through acquiring all the keys.
Quest 2D Final Confrontation: The Weave Gate at Mystraâs Spindle
You arrive at the altar, a radiant spindle of woven light and shadow suspended in a void between worlds. The artifact in your hands pulses with Sharaelâs flickering soul, and the seven keys hum in unison.
Suddenly, the presence of Cyric, the Mad God of Betrayal, looms from the darkness. His voice is a whisper and a roar:
âYou hold the fate of the realms... but can you bear the cost of salvation?â
The Choice: Seal the Veil or Let Cyric Rise
Seal the Veil â To restore the veil and banish Cyricâs shadow, you must perform a ritual weaving together the Seven Keys, binding Sharaelâs soul with Mystraâs light.
The veil is sealed, Cyricâs power is quelled, and Sharaelâs soul is finally at peace. Your party is hailed as heroes who saved the realms from chaos.
Completing these means Cyric ascends, realms tremble, and your party is forever marked by the shadow of madness and betrayal.
Seal the Veil
Quest 2E: The Balance Fractured
Now that you've sealed the veil and saved Sharaelâs soul, the Circle of Greater Powers summons your party. These ancient deities maintain the equilibrium between creation and destruction, light and dark, fate and freedom.
But the ritual you completed disrupted that balance. Cyricâs influence is quelledâfor nowâbut ripples echo across realms.
You must now stand trial before the Circle and choose your path forward. Each member may choose their own path. You do not have to follow the same one.
âš Path 1: Redemption through Light
Atone for tampering with divine forces. Help the Circle repair what was fractured, at great personal cost. You may be forgiven... or forever marked.
đŻïž Path 2: Bargain in Shadows
Agree to become the tether keeping the seal strong. Sharaelâs soul will rest, but your own will forever be linked to the seal. This offers power, but opens your mind to the madness within.
đ„ Path 3: Break the Balance
Refuse the godsâ oversight. Declare your intent to forge a new orderâone where mortal will rewrites the weave. But to do so, you must break the seals of balance and invite change.
Char (Elf Ranger) -
Deanna (Shifter Monk) - Break the Balance
Trisha (Rogue Dwarf) - Break the Balance
Alaina (Shifter Wizard) - Break the Balance
Hey Trisha, With a Vengeance is up next on my TBR, mind if I use the same reasoning you did on how the book fits for a broken barrier? (I also hope that I'm allowed to do that...)
Trisha wrote: "oh, absolutely! I hope you love it!"Unfortunately I ended up DNFing at around 120 pages. I found it way too dull, and realize I don't care about any of the characters. So I spoiled myself and I'm moving on.
Off to find another book that fits the task!
Hooked on Books
Books mentioned in this topic
With a Vengeance (other topics)Neighbors (other topics)
Heidi (other topics)
Beginner Quest (other topics)
Glimmer of Hope (other topics)
More...
