Githyanki patrols are a menace in the shallows of the Astral seas. They dart out of their haematite wicker towers, mad lymphocytes of a decayed astral deity. In their wedge boats they rip phosphorecent life cords, stranding tourists and foreign-plane-investors alike. The tunnel-visitors say it is an act of futile fury against the decay of their old theocracy, sunk into the fuchsia mirror of the astral immediacy.
Ripped Astral Cord Effect (d6)
- a psychedelic profusion of colour suddenly irrupts into the ocular nerve of the visitor, revealing the rainbow beneath the silver-grey sheen of the astral plane. Effects as ongoing Prismatic Haze (or Colour Haze).
- sudden and persistent nausea as the flat daemon of the astral invades the fourth chakra. Ingesting a piece of sentient aboriginal is said to cure this effect by reputable tunnel-visitor doctors.
- eyes glaze over and turn into mirrored orbs, their useless functions taken over by a strange, snuffly and slightly precognitive sense. Range 60′, advantage on surprise saves.
- the mask of normalcy drops and a changeling’s cartilaginous face gapes in surprise from the former visitor. Gain advantage on perception in the astral realms, lose humanity.
- with a wet rip the astral plane folds itself around the visitor, who returns to their home plane with a pop and probably PTSD.
- the cord continues to run and unravel, the visitor’s high-pitched scream fading into a gaseous exhalation – the visitor wisp. The visitor is now an insubstantial wraith in the astral plane. No, the wraith doesn’t level drain astral creatures. Why would it?
Technique
Ink and felt pen on paper, lots of gradient overlay layers and colour-muckery in photoshop.
Piece commissioned for the OSR by Christopher Mennell (https://www.patreon.com/insearchofgames)