Darlingverse

The Darlingverse is a mini-campaign setting inside an established character (Darling) where due to the fragmented nature of his mind, many different voices have emerged to greater prominence than the regular background voice most people have.

Darlingverse nav.. (e)
Primary Darlingverse Areas Buffs	Voices 1 Kael: The Steadfast Protector Lyra: The Calculating Analyst Borin: The Rock of Resolve Pip: The Curious Explorer	Voices 2 Zee: The Silent Watcher Flicker: The Chaotic Creator Roric: The Swift Observer Elara: The Arcane Seeker	Voices 3 Lysander: The Defiant Melancholy Grut: The Raw Force Skree: The Cacophonous Voice Jinx: The Wild Card

Please Note

• The Voices are only vaguely aware of Darling as his own entity. They live in this world that has a lot of names associated with the name "Darling" and have their tasks to keep the world safe and working but they only have vague concepts of what has created the world, themselves and what will happen in the future.
• Elara gifted the 2 wizard levels to Darling, she was that crippled voice.

Welcome

The Voices of the Darlingverse

Welcome, Voices. You are not people, but essences — the core mechanisms of a single, vast world known only as "Darling". You represent the twelve most critical ways Darling copes, learns, fights, and loves. Your reality is the Darlingverse, a sprawling, impossible geography stitched together by memories, dreams, and sheer force of will. You each preside over a domain and thrive in your own homestead (a library, a workshop, a high perch, a ballroom or the like) and collectively, you ensure the sanity and stability of this inner world. Your duty is to protect the Denizens — the fleeting, vital fragments of lesser voices that populate your world — from the constant threat of Aberrations.

Aberrations are not simple monsters; they are the physical and psychic manifestations of Darling's deepest trauma, rage, and fear. They appear as rough, stitched-together brutes, whispering clouds of despair, and skittering swarms of anxiety. Worse still are the Structural Aberrations — the Corruptions and Breaches — where reality itself begins to tear apart, threatening to erase your domains and ultimately silence "Darling" forever. When a Breach opens, it is a catastrophic call to action, demanding the unique skills of a Bard's defiance, a Fighter's loyalty, or a Rogue's cunning.

Today, a critical threat has emerged at the very heart of the Darlingverse, demanding that all twelve Voices work in concert. A growing Corruption is rapidly draining the life from the Denizens, threatening to cascade into total mental collapse. You must leave the safety of your separate domains, combine your unique strengths, and venture into the chaos to retrieve a Core Memory — the one anchor that can stabilize the mind. Failure is not an option, for if Darling falls silent, you, the Voices, will be silenced and forgotten with them.

Darling's Voices

These are the twelve aspects of Darling's consciousness, each representing a coping mechanism or a core function of the personality:

• Kael: The Steadfast Protector
• Lyra: The Calculating Analyst
• Borin: The Rock of Resolve
• Pip: The Curious Explorer
• Zee: The Silent Watcher
• Flicker: The Chaotic Creator
• Roric: The Swift Observer
• Elara: The Arcane Seeker
• Lysander: The Defiant Melancholy
• Grut: The Raw Force
• Skree: The Cacophonous Voice
• Jinx: The Wild Card

List

Name: Kael

• Race: Human
• Family Profession: Dockworker (loading/unloading ships at the piers)
• Interest: Collecting discarded maritime curiosities (barnacle-covered rope, unusual shells, broken ship's instruments).

Name: Lyra

• Race: Half-Elf
• Family Profession: Scribe's Assistant (copying documents for the city's legal courts)
• Interest: Intricate knot-tying and deciphering ancient languages.

Name: Pip

• Race: Halfling
• Family Profession: Baker (known for their savory meat pies)
• Interest: Learning new, unusual recipes and secretly adding extra spices to his family's pies.

Name: Borin

• Race: Shield Dwarf
• Family Profession: Apprentice Mason (working on new city fortifications)
• Interest: Sketching architectural designs and trying to identify different types of stone.

Name: Zee

• Race: Tiefling
• Family Profession: Orphan/Street Urchin (scavenging for food and coin)
• Interest: Observing people from hidden spots and mimicking their mannerisms and accents.

Name: Flicker

• Race: Forest Gnome
• Family Profession: Toymaker (specializing in clockwork automatons)
• Interest: Tinkering with small gears and springs, trying to fix broken mechanisms.

Name: Roric

• Race: Dragonborn (Brass)
• Family Profession: Courier/Message Runner (delivering urgent messages across the city)
• Interest: Exploring hidden alleyways and rooftop paths, mapping the fastest routes.

Name: Elara

• Race: Wood Elf
• Family Profession: Herbalist (gathering ingredients from the nearby forests for remedies)
• Interest: Identifying wild plants and mushrooms, believing each has a hidden purpose.

Name: Lysander

• Race: Human
• Family Profession: Noble - House Margaster (a prominent shipping and trade family)
• Interest: Reading tales of grand adventures and historical battles, fantasizing about leading expeditions.

Name: Grut

• Race: Half-Orc
• Family Profession: Bouncer at a rough tavern (keeping the peace... or starting fights)
• Interest: Physical contests of strength and wrestling, wanting to prove himself the strongest.

Name: Skree

• Race: Kenku
• Family Profession: Bookbinder's Assistant (mimicking sounds of the bindery)
• Interest: Collecting shiny trinkets and attempting to replicate complex sounds and music.

Name: Jinx

• Race: Tabaxi
• Family Profession: Street Performer (acrobatics and illusionary tricks)
• Interest: Dazzling audiences with quick sleight of hand and practicing new acrobatic flips.

The Awakening Order: How The Golem's Canvas Was Forged

1. Elara (#8): Was perhaps the very first to gain some coherence. She immediately began to establish the fundamental arcane laws and inherent structure of the chaotic, nascent internal world, preventing its immediate collapse.
2. Flicker (#6): Following Elara's initial arcane framework, Flicker started to instinctively build the initial conceptual mechanisms, pathways, and connections, helping to define the nascent physical space within Darling's mind.
3. Lyra (#2): As soon as there was any form of coherence, Lyra's innate need for order kicked in. She began to impose structure on fragmented thoughts and sensory data, trying to catalogue the overwhelming chaos.
4. Kael (#1): With basic coherence established, Kael's protective instincts surged. He began fortifying boundaries, establishing zones of perceived safety, and pushing back against the encroaching formlessness with sheer resolve.
5. Borin (#4): Working alongside Kael, Borin focused on more precise structural integrity. He started building conceptual "walls" and solidifying the very ground beneath them, ensuring stability and defense.
6. Grut (#10): As chaotic energies began to coalesce into nascent threats, Grut's primal strength manifested. He provided raw, aggressive power to directly push back against these initial incursions of psychic aberrations.
7. Roric (#7): Complementing Grut's strength, Roric established pathways for swift action and efficient movement, creating channels for response and pursuit against emerging dangers.
8. Zee (#5): With more defined areas and emerging threats, Zee's instincts for observation and stealth became vital. She began to scout the chaotic fringes, observing anomalies and discerning patterns of danger and hidden paths.
9. Skree (#11): Working alongside Zee, Skree started collecting and mirroring the myriad sensory inputs and internal whispers. He attempted to define the unseen threats and chaotic echoes through sound and precise replication.
10. Pip (#3): As the foundational elements were set, Pip's vibrant energy burst forth. He spontaneously infused chaotic whimsy and sensory delights, creating pockets of vibrant, distracting energy that counteracted the oppressive gloom.
11. Jinx (#12): Building on Pip's emotional spark, Jinx brought a sense of spectacle and misdirection. She used flair and playful chaos to divert nascent internal threats or create temporary, dazzling illusions of safety.
12. Lysander (#9): He was arguably the last to fully manifest, awakening with a powerful drive for purpose, ambition, and a desire to elevate their collective existence beyond mere survival, striving for glory even in this purgatory.

Darling's Inner Personalities (later ideas)

These are the twelve aspects of Darling's consciousness, each representing a coping mechanism or a core function of the personality:

• Kael: The Steadfast Protector
  • Role: Guardian of the watery realms, provider of stability and loyalty.
  • Home: The Estuary Shack.
  • Race/Class: Human Fighter/Tank.
• Lyra: The Calculating Analyst
  • Role: Seeks order, knowledge, and structure, protecting the logical boundaries of the mind.
  • Home: Kurator's Hall.
  • Race/Class: High Elf Wizard/Controller.
• Borin: The Rock of Resolve
  • Role: Embodies stubbornness and resilience, providing brute defensive strength.
  • Home: Stone of Unyielding Will.
  • Race/Class: Goliath Barbarian/Brute.
• Pip: The Curious Explorer
  • Role: Drives investigation and flexible thinking, always pushing boundaries to understand the unknown.
  • Home: Pip's Hideaway.
  • Race/Class: Halfling Rogue/Scout.
• Zee: The Silent Watcher
  • Role: Represents caution and anonymity, observing threats without being observed.
  • Home: Zee's Hideout.
  • Race/Class: Half-Elf Rogue/Infiltrator.
• Flicker: The Chaotic Creator
  • Role: Represents boundless energy and mechanical aptitude, constantly inventing and distracting.
  • Home: The Workshop.
  • Race/Class: Gnome Artificer/Utility.
• Roric: The Swift Observer
  • Role: Embodies solitude and rapid assessment, providing a high-level view and swift intervention.
  • Home: Roric's Spire Perch.
  • Race/Class: Aarakocra Monk/Striker.
• Elara: The Arcane Seeker
  • Role: Keeper of memory and intellectual control, seeking knowledge and stability through arcane means.
  • Home: Elara's Ethereal Study.
  • Race/Class: Tiefling Wizard/Scholar.
• Lysander: The Defiant Melancholy
  • Role: Embodies graceful endurance and lost dignity, protecting the memory of past opulence.
  • Home: Lysander's Phantom Ballroom.
  • Race/Class: Half-Elf Bard/Buffer.
• Grut: The Raw Force
  • Role: Represents primal anger and survival instinct, dealing with threats through brute strength and dominance.
  • Home: Grut's Pit Throneroom.
  • Race/Class: Half-Orc Barbarian/Warrior.
• Skree: The Cacophonous Voice
  • Role: Embodies loud self-expression and noise, filling the silence and ensuring communication.
  • Home: Skree's Echoing Aviary.
  • Race/Class: Kenku Sorcerer/Loudspeaker.
• Jinx: The Wild Card
  • Role: Drives misdirection, chaos, and performance, protecting the mind through calculated unpredictability.
  • Home: The Starry Stage.
  • Race/Class: Changeling Rogue/Performer.

Darling's Inner Personalities: Interpersonal Dynamics

1. Kael (Human Dockworker)
   • Closer To: Borin (shared practicality, physical resilience), Grut (mutual respect for toughness).
   • Antagonistic Towards: Pip (too chaotic and frivolous), Jinx (too flashy and distracting), Lysander (prioritizes grandiosity over practicality).
2. Lyra (Half-Elf Scribe)
   • Closer To: Elara (shared intellect, love of order), Flicker (respect for logical construction), Borin (appreciation for structure and meticulousness).
   • Antagonistic Towards: Pip (dislikes his chaos and impulsiveness), Grut (sees him as crude and unrefined), Jinx (finds her distracting and superficial).
3. Pip (Halfling Baker)
   • Closer To: Jinx (shared love of performance and mischief), Skree (appreciates his unique sounds and humor), Flicker (finds his unconventional tinkering fascinating).
   • Antagonistic Towards: Lyra (too rigid and serious), Borin (finds his strictness stifling), Grut (too loud and blunt).
4. Borin (Shield Dwarf Mason)
   • Closer To: Kael (shared groundedness and physical endurance), Lyra (respects her order and attention to detail), Flicker (admires his engineering, though sometimes finds it too whimsical).
   • Antagonistic Towards: Pip (finds him chaotic and unserious), Jinx (too flamboyant and unreliable), Zee (distrusts her shadowy, unpredictable nature).
5. Zee (Tiefling Urchin)
   • Closer To: Skree (shared observational skills and stealth), Roric (values his agility and quick movement for escape or opportunity).
   • Antagonistic Towards: Lysander (finds his noble pretensions naive and dangerous), Grut (too loud and unsubtle, a liability for stealth), Elara (sees her intellectual detachment as weakness).
6. Flicker (Forest Gnome Toymaker)
   • Closer To: Elara (shared core function in Darling's mind, respect for arcane knowledge), Lyra (appreciates her organizational logic for complex systems), Borin (values his understanding of structural integrity).
   • Antagonistic Towards: Grut (his brute force is anathema to delicate mechanisms), Kael (too focused on mundane practicality, lacks curiosity), Lysander (too focused on abstract glory, not the mechanics of how things work).
7. Roric (Brass Dragonborn Courier)
   • Closer To: Grut (shared physicality and directness), Zee (respects her agility and ability to navigate difficult spaces).
   • Antagonistic Towards: Lyra (finds her over-analysis slow), Elara (prefers action over theoretical contemplation), Pip (finds his antics distracting and inefficient).
8. Elara (High Elf Scholar)
   • Closer To: Lyra (intellectual kinship, shared pursuit of knowledge and order), Flicker (collaborative spirit in understanding Darling's magic-tech core), Lysander (shared interest in grand ideas and higher concepts).
   • Antagonistic Towards: Grut (dislikes his anti-intellectualism and brutishness), Roric (finds him too impulsive and unthinking), Pip (sees his chaotic humor as irrelevant to serious matters).
9. Lysander (Human Noble - House Margaster)
   • Closer To: Jinx (shared love for performance and drama), Elara (appreciates her wisdom and the "grandeur" of magic), Skree (finds Skree's mimicry amusing and potentially useful for strategy).
   • Antagonistic Towards: Zee (distrusts her suspicious, unrefined nature), Grut (finds him crude and lacking decorum), Kael (disregards his mundane practicality for lack of ambition).
10. Grut (Half-Orc Bouncer)
    • Closer To: Roric (shared physical prowess and directness), Kael (mutual understanding of hardship and toughness).
    • Antagonistic Towards: Lyra (too academic and "weak"), Elara (finds magic less respectable than strength), Lysander (sees him as pompous and ineffective), Pip (finds his antics annoying).
11. Skree (Kenku Bookbinder's Assistant)
    • Closer To: Zee (shared methods of observation and quiet movement), Pip (finds his unusual sounds and humor engaging), Jinx (intrigued by her performance and sound manipulation).
    • Antagonistic Towards: Grut (his loud, unsubtle nature is jarring), Borin (finds his rigidity and inability to understand mimicry frustrating).
12. Jinx (Tabaxi Street Performer)
    • Closer To: Pip (shared love of chaos, humor, and sensory experience), Lysander (finds his flair for drama appealing), Skree (fascinated by his sound and mimicry abilities).
    • Antagonistic Towards: Kael (too serious and grounded), Lyra (too rigid and unappreciative of art), Borin (finds him unimaginative and boring).

Kael

• Race: Human
• Family Profession: Dockworker (loading/unloading ships at the piers)
• Interest: Collecting discarded maritime curiosities (barnacle-covered rope, unusual shells, broken ship's instruments).
• Capture Story: Papa, disguised as a desperate merchant, lured Kael onto a "salvage mission" aboard a derelict ship docked at the docks. Kael's eagerness to find unique treasures led him willingly into Papa's trap.
• Internal Homestead: A perpetually dim, creaking wooden shack built on stilts over a calm, dark inner sea. It's filled with ghostly echoes of lapping water and contains shelves overflowing with strange, half-rotted relics from shipwrerecks. A single, perpetually burning lantern provides the only light.
• Personality Development: Kael's pragmatism and adaptability have sharpened. He's become the voice of caution and meticulous planning in "combat," always assessing risks and seeking the most strategically advantageous position. He often views Darling's external actions through the lens of "what's the safest port in a storm."
• Gained Levels: Fighter (Battle Master) 2 – Maneuvers: Lunging Attack, Precision Attack (for careful, effective strikes), Second Wind (for resilience).
• Harvested Part: Strong Legs (for traversing uneven cargo and slippery docks).

Lyra

• Race: Half-Elf
• Family Profession: Scribe's Assistant (aiding in transcribing books and official documents)
• Interest: Intricate knot-tying and deciphering ancient languages.
• Capture Story: Lyra was abducted while working late in a dusty archives building, alone save for the flickering candlelight. Papa, cloaked and silent, simply grabbed her as she reached for a scroll, her muffled cries unheard.
• Internal Homestead: A vast, silent library with endless shelves of unreadable, shimmering scrolls. The air smells of old parchment and dust. Lyra's "homestead" is a small, neat desk tucked away in a quiet corner, surrounded by meticulously organized, glowing quills and ethereal inkwells.
• Personality Development: Lyra has become the internal archivist, obsessed with cataloging Darling's memories and experiences. She meticulously tries to find patterns, understand the "language" of their shared existence, and cross-reference information. She is pedantic and highly logical, often the voice of reason concerning facts.
• Gained Levels: Wizard (School of Divination) 2 – Portent (foreseeing outcomes based on collected data), Proficiency in Investigation (for uncovering secrets and details).
• Harvested Part: Hippocampus and Fine Motor Cortex (for memory-making, organization, and delicate transcription work).

Pip

• Race: Halfling
• Family Profession: Baker (known for their savory meat pies)
• Interest: Learning new, unusual recipes and secretly adding extra spices to his family's pies.
• Capture Story: Papa infiltrated the bakery disguised as a new delivery boy, carrying a sack seemingly full of exotic spices. He offered Pip a taste of a "magical sugarplum," which was actually a powerful sedative.
• Internal Homestead: A cozy, perpetually warm kitchen with a giant, brick oven that emits a soft, comforting glow. The air is always filled with the phantom scent of baking bread and sweet pastries. There are overflowing baskets of impossible, glittering fruits and dough that kneads itself.
• Personality Development: Pip embodies Darling's more whimsical and chaotic impulses, always seeking new sensory experiences or injecting dark humor into grim situations. He's the one who often suggests impulsive, pleasure-seeking actions, sometimes with disastrous results. He's surprisingly resilient and often sees the morbid humor in dark situations.
• Gained Levels: Bard (College of Lore) 2 – Cutting Words (for sharp, witty, and often unsettling commentary), Proficiency in Persuasion (for charming others or for making a convincing, albeit odd, point).
• Harvested Part: Sweet Tooth/Taste Buds (for discerning subtle flavors and unique sensory input).

Borin

• Race: Shield Dwarf
• Family Profession: Apprentice Mason (working on new city fortifications)
• Interest: Sketching architectural designs and trying to identify different types of stone.
• Capture Story: While inspecting a crumbling section of city wall at dusk, Borin was struck from behind by a heavy, precise blow. Papa had observed his meticulous nature and needed a mind capable of structural integrity.
• Internal Homestead: A subterranean workshop carved directly into raw, shimmering rock. It's filled with spectral chisels that float, tapping out rhythmic patterns, and blueprints that glow on invisible drafting tables. There's a faint, metallic tang in the air.
• Personality Development: Borin is the voice of practicality, logic, and stubborn resolve. He grounds Darling, often arguing for methodical approaches, physical endurance, and structural soundness. He's highly critical of any "flimsy" plans or ideas.
• Gained Levels: Fighter (Battle Master) 2 – Maneuvers: Trip Attack, Disarming Attack (for precise, debilitating strikes), Second Wind (for resilience and holding strong).
• Harvested Part: Strong Skeleton/Bones (for structural support and endurance).

Zee

• Race: Tiefling
• Family Profession: Orphan/Street Urchin (scavenging for food and coin)
• Interest: Observing people from hidden spots and mimicking their mannerisms and accents.
• Capture Story: Papa, knowing Zee's haunts in the grimy alleyways, set a simple snare: a dropped purse overflowing with copper coins. As Zee reached for it, a magically silenced net dropped, trapping her instantly and silently.
• Internal Homestead: A labyrinthine network of shadowed alleyways and rooftops, constantly shifting and reconfiguring. It's filled with the distant sounds of Waterdeep's bustling streets, just out of reach. Zee's "homestead" is a cleverly hidden nest of tattered blankets and stolen trinkets within a forgotten chimney.
• Personality Development: Zee is the embodiment of Darling's cunning, stealth, and street smarts. She's suspicious of everyone, always looking for an angle, and prefers to work from the shadows. She's the voice that pushes for quick thinking, opportunistic maneuvers, and deception.
• Gained Levels: Rogue (Thief) 2 – Fast Hands (for quick item interaction and exploiting opportunities), Proficiency in Stealth (for remaining unseen and unheard).
• Harvested Part: Sharp Eyes (for observation and spotting weaknesses).

Flicker

• Race: Forest Gnome
• Family Profession: Toymaker
• Interest: Tinkering with small gears and springs, trying to fix broken mechanisms.
• Capture Story: Papa offered a bizarre, broken clockwork spider to Flicker, promising it could be fixed if he just came to his workshop. Flicker's insatiable curiosity for peculiar contraptions sealed his fate.
• Internal Homestead: A chaotic, whirring workshop filled with half-assembled clockwork beasts, gears spinning endlessly in mid-air, and a shower of perpetual, shimmering sparks. The air buzzes with unseen magical energies. Flicker's "homestead" is atop a pile of oversized, softly glowing cogs.
• Personality Development: Flicker represents Darling's inventive, often impulsive, and slightly mad genius. He's the primary problem-solver, but his solutions are often unconventional and unpredictable, driven by pure curiosity and a love for complex mechanics. He's the true "core" of Darling's artificer inclinations.
• Gained Levels: Artificer (Artillerist) 2 – Artificer Infusions (for minor magical tinkering and creating temporary effects), Proficiency in Tinkerer's Tools (for understanding and manipulating mechanisms).
• Harvested Part: Flicker's Brain (specifically the frontal lobe and associated neural pathways for complex reasoning, problem-solving, and spatial awareness), subtly enhanced by Papa's arcane infusions.

Roric

• Race: Dragonborn (Brass)
• Family Profession: Small Courier Business (he was one of their errand bots)
• Interest: Exploring hidden alleyways and rooftop paths, mapping the fastest routes.
• Capture Story: Roric was ambushed on a solitary delivery route in the Dock Ward. Papa, disguised as a desperate client with an urgent package, led Roric into a narrow, dead-end alley where he was quickly subdued.
• Internal Homestead: A dizzying, constantly shifting cityscape of rooftops, bridges, and interconnected high-up walkways. Wind whispers through unseen gaps, and the distant sounds of the city below are carried on ethereal gusts. Roric's "homestead" is a precarious perch atop the highest, most unstable looking spire.
• Personality Development: Roric embodies Darling's drive, speed, and restless energy. He's the one pushing for direct, often aggressive, action and physical prowess, often impatient with deliberation. He's highly competitive and values efficiency and getting to the point.
• Gained Levels: Monk (Way of the Open Hand) 2 – Ki (for bursts of speed and defensive maneuvers), Patient Defense (for quick reactions and evasion).
• Harvested Part: Strong Lungs (for sustained running and exertion).

Elara

• Race: High Elf
• Family Profession: Arcane Scholar (researching ancient magic in a private library)
• Interest: Unraveling complex magical theories and identifying rare arcane residues.
• Capture Story: Papa gained access to the restricted section of the library where Elara studied, posing as a visiting archivist. He slipped a magical paralysis potion into her tea while discussing a particularly obscure tome.
• Internal Homestead: An ethereal, silent study filled with glowing, floating books and shimmering, arcane symbols that write themselves on invisible walls. The air hums with latent magical energy. Elara's "homestead" is a single, comfortable armchair bathed in the soft glow of a perpetually open, unfathomable spellbook.
• Personality Development: Elara is the voice of intellectual curiosity and detached, magical analysis. She seeks to understand the why of everything, including Darling's existence and the nature of Barovia, through logic and arcane theory. She was the internal voice that helped Darling gain Wizard levels. Her memory of her own name and past became fragmented due to the trauma of being "brought to the surface" and interacting directly with Darling's consciousness, but she is slowly recalling more. She serves as the internal "tech expert" for magical matters.
• Gained Levels: Wizard (School of Abjuration) 2 – Arcane Ward (for defense and protection), Proficiency in Arcana (for deep magical knowledge and identification).
• Harvested Part: Prefrontal Cortex (for logic, planning, and abstract thought) and her Acute Hearing (for perceiving subtle magical vibrations and resonances).

Lysander

• Race: Human
• Family Profession: Noble - House Margaster
• Interest: Reading tales of grand adventures and historical battles, fantasizing about leading expeditions.
• Capture Story: Papa, using a subtle glamour, infiltrated a House Margaster garden party. He approached young Lysander, feigning interest in a rare, exotic bird, and then used a silent charm to lead the daydreaming boy away into a waiting carriage.
• Internal Homestead: A grand, but slightly dilapidated ballroom, always illuminated by the faint, shimmering light of unseen chandeliers. Imaginary guests waltz to unheard music, and grand but faded tapestries depict epic battles. Lysander's "homestead" is a raised, velvet-draped dais, like a throne, overlooking the phantom festivities.
• Personality Development: Lysander is the voice of aspiration, grandiosity, and a yearning for importance. He pushes Darling towards bold, dramatic actions, often disregarding practicality for theatricality. He has a strong sense of self-importance, a flair for the dramatic, and often interprets Darling's actions as part of a grander, heroic narrative.
• Gained Levels: Paladin (Oath of Devotion) 2 – Divine Sense (for detecting evil/celestials, possibly stemming from Papa's uncanny aura or the nature of his experiments), Lay on Hands (for self-preservation and the yearning to protect/heal).
• Harvested Part: Heart (the seat of his strong will, spirit, and grand aspirations).

Grut

• Race: Half-Orc
• Family Profession: Bouncer at a rough tavern (keeping the peace... or starting fights)
• Interest: Physical contests of strength and wrestling, wanting to prove himself the strongest.
• Capture Story: Papa, seeking raw, brute strength, challenged Grut to a rigged arm-wrestling match in the tavern. When Grut inevitably lost, Papa used a fast-acting tranquilizer hidden in the prize ale.
• Internal Homestead: A grimy, perpetually thrumming fighting pit, filled with phantom roars and the echoes of heavy blows. The air smells faintly of stale ale and sweat. Grut's "homestead" is a makeshift 'throne' made of splintered barrels and overturned tables at the edge of the pit.
• Personality Development: Grut is the primal, aggressive force within Darling. He advocates for direct confrontation, intimidation, and brute force to solve problems. He's impulsive and easily enraged, but fiercely loyal once his trust is earned. He often pushes Darling to physically assert himself.
• Gained Levels: Barbarian (Path of the Totem Warrior - Bear) 2 – Rage (for raw power and damage resistance), Reckless Attack (for overwhelming foes).
• Harvested Part: Powerful Muscles (for raw strength).

Skree

• Race: Kenku
• Family Profession: Bookbinder's Assistant (mimicking sounds of the bindery)
• Interest: Collecting shiny trinkets and attempting to replicate complex sounds and music.
• Capture Story: Skree was lured into an abandoned shop by the sound of a chiming music box – a sound Papa had meticulously replicated. Once inside, the door slammed shut, and Skree was swiftly taken.
• Internal Homestead: A vast, silent aviary where the only sounds are the echoes of Skree's own mimicked noises, which bounce eerily off the invisible walls. The floor is covered in a glittering carpet of useless, shiny objects. Skree's "homestead" is a precarious nest woven from strips of glowing, otherworldly paper.
• Personality Development: Skree is the voice of mimicry, observation, and strange, fragmented communication. He often speaks in repeated phrases or sounds, sometimes mimicking other personalities or things Darling has heard. He's curious about new sounds and can be highly manipulative in how he uses them, often revealing hidden information through mimicry.
• Gained Levels: Rogue (Mastermind) 2 – Master of Tactics (using allies effectively through advice and distraction), Proficiency in Insight (for understanding motives and intentions from fragmented cues).
• Harvested Part: Vocal Cords/Larynx (for replication and sound).

Jinx

• Race: Tabaxi
• Family Profession: Street Performer (acrobatics and illusionary tricks)
• Interest: Dazzling audiences with quick sleight of hand and practicing new acrobatic flips.
• Capture Story: Papa, impressed by Jinx's agility, approached them after a street show, offering a chance to perform in a "private, grand spectacle." Jinx, always seeking a new stage, followed willingly into a prepared trap.
• Internal Homestead: A perpetually illuminated, circular stage under a glittering, impossible starry sky. Invisible spotlights track unseen performers, and the air shimmers with the phantom applause of a massive audience. Jinx's "homestead" is a tangle of vibrant, glowing ribbons and hoops suspended above the stage.
• Personality Development: Jinx is the flamboyant, attention-seeking part of Darling. They thrive on performance, misdirection, and drawing focus. Jinx pushes Darling towards theatrical actions, wanting to be seen and admired, often with a mischievous streak. They believe every problem can be solved with a dazzling display.
• Gained Levels: Bard (College of Lore) 2 – Cutting Words (for sharp, distracting remarks or to throw off opponents), Proficiency in Acrobatics (for graceful movement and escaping binds).
• Harvested Part: Agile Joints (for flexible, quick movements).

Darling's Voices Buffs

• Darlingverse/Buffs

Darlingverse Areas and Locations

• Darlingverse/Areas

The One-Off Session: "The Golem's Canvas: A Shattered Memory"

• Who Plays: Your players (whose characters are in Barovia with Darling) will each get to choose and play one of the twelve "voices" (personalities) from within Darling's mind. Darling's own player will also choose one of these voices to embody.
• The Big Revelation: This session is the moment of revelation. The players will discover, through their experience, that Darling is not a normal person, but a conscious construct composed of these twelve unique souls. The initial premise might be a strange dream or Barovian affliction affecting Darling, which then unfolds into the deeper truth.
• The Core Problem: A vital and recently formed part of Darling's memory – a key insight, a piece of crucial knowledge, or a burgeoning emotional connection gained during their time in Barovia – has become unstable. It's manifesting as a psychic "void" or a flickering "glitch" within his mind's Gallery of Shifting Memories.
• The Stakes: If this memory isn't stabilized and restored, Darling risks losing critical abilities, vital strategic information about Barovia, or even his developing personal empathy, leaving him dangerously compromised and vulnerable in the real world.
• The Quest: The players, as the chosen internal voices, must delve into Darling's mind (specifically navigating towards and within the Gallery of Shifting Memories) to identify the source of the instability and work together to restore this crucial fragment of Darling's self.

The Aftermath: A World Rocked to its Core

Following the colossal psychic tremor caused by Darling's battle with Savnok, The Golem's Canvas is reeling. Aberrations are more numerous and bolder, the very fabric of the internal world feels strained, and a pervasive sense of unease hangs in the air. Elara has just returned from her dizzying, memory-scrambled trip "upwards," leaving the other voices bewildered and concerned.

Here's where each voice is as the one-off session begins, and how they experience the very first signs of the escalating memory instability:

The Research Team (Investigating the "Upheaval")

Deep within the Gallery of Shifting Memories, near its shimmering core, a dedicated team of minds pores over fragmented data and unsettling echoes. They're trying to piece together Elara's disjointed account and understand the recent catastrophic events.

   Elara (#8): She's at the center of the research, her mind racing, desperately trying to access deeper layers of the memory banks and decipher the blurred fragments of her ascent and the chilling echoes of "Papa." She's the first to feel it.

       First Sign of Instability: While trying to access a particularly crucial "thread" of recent memory, the data flickers erratically, like a failing light. Then, a section of the shimmering memory-orbs in the Gallery just goes dark, as if wiped clean, leaving a palpable cold spot in the psychic air. Elara's mind screams, "No! It's severing!"

   Lyra (#2): Meticulously cross-referencing visual impressions from the chaotic event with existing memory structures. She's the most attuned to the integrity of the memory bank itself.

       First Sign of Instability: Lyra feels a distinct "tear" in the fabric of the memory catalog. A perfectly indexed recent event suddenly loses its proper place, slipping from its mental category and beginning to unravel like a loose thread on a scroll. Her organized mind registers it as a grave structural flaw.

   Flicker (#6): Diagnosing the pervasive "errors" running through the internal systems post-upheaval, trying to understand the strain on the Grand Conjunction. He's looking for mechanical or systemic faults.

       First Sign of Instability: One of Flicker's diagnostic readouts, a complex web of light-threads connecting recent events, starts to violently glitch, unraveling into nonsense code. A small, central chronometer that tracks the flow of Darling's current time within the Darlingscape begins to spin erratically, then halts, then jumps forward and backward.

   Skree (#11): Quietly recording every sound and echo from the recent "earthquake," attempting to build a sonic map of the chaos and match it with any shared "Papa basement" fragments they can access.

       First Sign of Instability: A distinct sound-loop of a recent, important conversation Darling had (perhaps with a party member) suddenly distorts, warping into garbled noise and then silence. Simultaneously, a recent visual memory echo he was 'playing' for analysis flickers, losing its clarity and dissolving into blurry static.

The Scouts (Assessing the "New Aberrations")

Out on the fringes, or patrolling the liminal spaces, scouts are gauging the extent of the new influx of aberrations and the stability of the world's shifting terrain.

   Zee (#5): Slipping through the Whispering Labyrinths near the Shadowed Reflection, trying to map out new aberration spawn points and assess the overall threat level.

       First Sign of Instability: Zee's keen senses pick up a sudden, unnatural silence in a normally active mental pathway, followed by a fleeting visual of a recently formed memory-scape (perhaps a part of a town Darling visited) warping and then snapping out of existence as if erased from the world. Her survival instincts scream.

   Roric (#7): Racing along the Mnemonic Veins that extend towards more chaotic areas, ensuring pathways remain open and assessing the quickness of aberration incursions.

       First Sign of Instability: While pushing through a particularly swift section of a memory-path, Roric feels the very ground beneath his spectral feet flicker and briefly dissolve, forcing him to exert immense willpower to simply stay "present." A nearby marker for a "recent location" on his internal map blinks out.

The Defenders (Engaging Ongoing Aberrations)

These personalities are actively pushing back against the increased flow of regular aberrations, which are still plentiful and aggressive after the Savnok incursion. They're likely in the Crucible of Wills or the more threatened parts of the Shadow-Haunted Wilds.

   Grut (#10): Roaring and pushing back a particularly nasty cluster of chaotic thought-forms, his primal strength a bulwark against the encroaching fear.

       First Sign of Instability: In the midst of combat, the aberration Grut is fighting suddenly freezes, pixellates, and then vanishes entirely, as if a chunk of Darling's processing power has been pulled away. His own strength, for a fleeting moment, feels strangely lessened, as if his core resolve has wavered.

   Kael (#1): Holding a vital defensive line, shoring up a crumbling mental barrier against a wave of agitated anxieties.

       First Sign of Instability: A section of the mental "wall" Kael is fortifying suddenly dematerializes, leaving a gaping hole in their defense. He feels a disconcerting jolt of confusion, as if a recent, crucial instruction or plan has been wiped from his very being.

   Borin (#4): Methodically rebuilding and reinforcing structures damaged by the recent psychic earthquake, focused on stability and order.

       First Sign of Instability: A perfectly laid "mental brick" he was about to place simply vanishes from his hand, and the "section" of the world he was repairing briefly shows a completely different, illogical structure before flickering back. He feels a sudden, profound sense of mental instability, like his own foundations are cracking.

The Stabilizers (Coping and Rebuilding)

These personalities are often trying to bring a sense of normalcy or order to the overall chaotic environment, using their unique approaches to soothe the mind or distract from the pervasive unease.

   Pip (#3): In a quieter, but still vibrant, corner of the Shifting Bazaar, attempting to conjure comforting sensory illusions or restore pleasant mental impressions to soothe the frayed nerves of the "citizens."

       First Sign of Instability: A vivid, newly formed sensory illusion (perhaps the taste of a fresh berry tart) he was trying to solidify melts into bitter ash on his psychic tongue, and a beautiful, recently conjured mental flower simply wilts into an ugly, barren husk before his eyes.

   Jinx (#12): Performing a dazzling, distracting aerial display over a panicking group of "citizens" to prevent their fear from spiraling, her movements quick and graceful.

       First Sign of Instability: Mid-somersault, the very air Jinx is manipulating to create an illusion feels thin and insubstantial, making her falter. A specific "audience" of citizens she was distracting blinks out of existence, only to reappear a moment later, utterly confused and disoriented. Her spell of control wavers.

   Lysander (#9): Attempting to rally groups of "citizens" within a more organized (but still shaking) district, giving stirring speeches about enduring strength and inherent nobility, trying to instill courage.

       First Sign of Instability: As Lysander delivers a passionate pronouncement, a specific, crucial word for his speech ("courage" or "resolve") vanishes from his mental vocabulary mid-sentence, causing him to falter and feel a terrifying sense of mental emptiness where it should be. A group of citizens he was addressing briefly transforms into distorted, shadowy figures before returning to normal.

Stabilizing Darling's Mind: Unraveling the Core Memory Glitch

Phase 1: The Initial Skill Challenges (Warm-up & Pacing)

Each team faces a minor, non-combat challenge reflecting the immediate aftermath of the Savnok incursion, designed to be solved using their individual and collective strengths.

1. The Research Team (Elara, Lyra, Flicker, Skree):
   • Challenge: The recent psychic tremor has caused a data cascade within a section of the Gallery of Shifting Memories, overwhelming the system with corrupted or misfiled fragments. To stabilize the memory, they must perform a "System Diagnostics & Data Purge."
   • Skill Checks: Group Intelligence (Investigation) to isolate corrupted data, Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) or Intelligence (Arcana) to precisely purge specific fragments without damaging others, or Wisdom (Insight) to discern genuine emotional echoes from chaotic noise.
   • Success: They clear a path to the memory's core and learn that the instability isn't just random static, but a targeted corruption.
2. The Scouts (Zee, Roric):
   • Challenge: The upheaval has caused large sections of the Whispering Labyrinths to become treacherous and unstable, with new, minor psychic traps and hidden pathways emerging. They must "Map the New Instabilities."
   • Skill Checks: Group Dexterity (Stealth) to avoid newly formed pitfalls, Wisdom (Perception) to spot concealed dangers, or Strength (Athletics) to quickly bypass collapsing sections.
   • Success: They successfully chart a safe course and discover that the instability isn't just about terrain, but seems to be siphoning ambient psychic energy, creating localized "dead zones."
3. The Defenders (Grut, Kael, Borin):
   • Challenge: The surge of aberrations has caused a "Breach in the Outer Walls" of Darling's more structured mental defenses. They need to temporarily seal the breach to prevent further incursions.
   • Skill Checks: Group Strength (Athletics) to physically push back invading thoughts, Constitution (Athletics) to hold a collapsing line, or Wisdom (Survival) to quickly identify vulnerable points.
   • Success: They hold the line and notice that the aberrations, while numerous, seem unnaturally drawn to specific, "vibrant" thought-forms, almost as if guided by an unseen force.
4. The Stabilizers (Pip, Jinx, Lysander):
   • Challenge: Large groups of "citizens" (thoughts and emotions) have fallen into a state of "Mass Panic & Disorientation" due to the tremor, threatening to overwhelm Darling's basic emotional regulation. They must soothe and redirect the panic.
   • Skill Checks: Group Charisma (Performance) to create a compelling distraction, Charisma (Persuasion) to calm and redirect the masses, or Wisdom (Insight) to understand the source of the panic.
   • Success: They restore a semblance of order and notice that the core of the citizens' distress isn't just general fear, but a deep-seated feeling of betrayal or loss associated with a recent, significant event.

Phase 2: Clues to Stabilize the Memory

Each team's skill challenge success leads them to a unique piece of the puzzle regarding the unstable memory. These clues should feel like discoveries they make during their task, connecting to the "memory glitch" mentioned previously (a key insight, knowledge, or empathy).

1. Clue from The Research Team (Elara, Lyra, Flicker, Skree):
   • Discovery: After purging the data cascade, they uncover a "Distorted Emotional Signature" directly linked to the unstable memory. It's not a memory of an event, but an echo of a feeling – a profound sense of disappointment and unresolved conflict that seems to be actively rejecting its place in Darling's mind. Lyra identifies it as a specific, recent interaction Darling had with a trusted ally regarding an unmet expectation or a promise perceived as broken.
   • Insight: The memory isn't just broken, it's actively resisting integration. The problem isn't a technical fault, but an emotional one.
2. Clue from The Scouts (Zee, Roric):
   • Discovery: As they map the instability, they find that the "dead zones" where psychic energy is siphoned are always connected to the unstable memory's "echo". They observe subtle, fleeting visual projections around these zones: a distorted, fleeting image of a frustrated face (Darling's own or someone close to him), framed by symbols of unfulfilled promises or misunderstood intentions.
   • Insight: The instability is related to unmet expectations or a failure of commitment, manifesting as Darling's will to hold onto this memory being drained.
3. Clue from The Defenders (Grut, Kael, Borin):
   • Discovery: After sealing the breach, they find that the aberrations, rather than attacking indiscriminately, are gorging on the "integrity" of recent commitments or promises within Darling's mind. They leave behind lingering psychic residue that feels like a heavy weight of regret or self-recrimination. The source of their increased number seems to be feeding directly from Darling's internal sense of duty left unfulfilled.
   • Insight: The external pressure of the aberrations is being exacerbated by Darling's internal guilt or sense of personal failure connected to the unstable memory.
4. Clue from The Stabilizers (Pip, Jinx, Lysander):
   • Discovery: After calming the panicked citizens, they learn through shared fears and distorted emotional whispers that the citizens' distress is deeply tied to a specific "broken bond" or a "lost trust" that Darling experienced recently. It's not just a memory, but a perceived severing of a connection that has triggered a wave of internal sorrow. Lysander feels a surprising resonance with a familiar sense of thwarted aspirations or promises made in vain.
   • Insight: The memory's instability stems from Darling's internal perception of losing faith or trust in himself or another, tied to a significant commitment.

Phase 3: Piecing Together the Mystery

After their initial challenges, the teams would compare notes. The convergence of clues should point them toward a singular conclusion:

• The unstable memory isn't just corrupted data; it's a memory of a recently made commitment or promise (perhaps to a specific ally, or to himself regarding a key goal) that Darling perceives as having been broken or unfulfilled.
• This perceived failure is causing deep-seated regret, disappointment, or a feeling of lost trust within Darling's subconscious.
• This emotional turmoil is what's making the memory actively resist integration, siphoning Darling's will, feeding the aberrations, and creating internal chaos.
• Their collective goal becomes clear: They need to enter the heart of the unstable memory within the Gallery of Shifting Memories and reconcile this broken promise or address the perceived failure to stabilize it. This might involve confronting a manifestation of Darling's guilt, a distorted echo of the broken promise, or even a symbolic act of renewal.

A Cancerous Secret: Savnok's Budding Stronghold

Your idea for Savnok's remnants infecting Darling's subconscious is a compelling upgrade to the core problem. Here's how that new central conflict could work, building on your suggestions:

• The Incursion's Source: Instead of a simple memory glitch, the chaotic energy from Savnok's defeat has indeed infected Darling's subconscious. Given Savnok's nature (secrets, mind shielding), this infection isn't a chaotic sprawl; it's a new, unnaturally formed chamber or a "budding stronghold" that has grown like a parasitic tumor within Darling's mind.

• Location: This chamber has manifested as a new, unsettling door in one of the walls of the Gallery of Shifting Memories (which still makes sense as the primary memory hub and Elara/Lyra's domain). This door leads down a winding, circular staircase into a space that feels deeply alien to the rest of the Darlingscape.

• The Chamber's Nature: This "chamber" is a small, fortified homestead, like a cancerous growth, but it's shielded from Darling's "regular" internal darkness (the Abyssal Cradle). It feels separate, quiet, and unsettlingly ordered in its parasitic nature. This is a subtle reflection of Savnok's mastery of secrets and his ability to establish hidden places.

• The "Boss Fight": The chamber is occupied by a weakened, fragmented shade of Savnok's vestige – a "vestige of a vestige." This spectral opponent, though far from its full power, is still a formidable challenge for the 4-5 voices. It retains Savnok's cunning and mind-bending abilities, but it's fighting for its very existence, drawing power from the psychic drain it exerts on Darling. This can absolutely serve as a "small boss fight," allowing the players to feel a real threat without risking a TPK. The "shades" could use illusions, psychic attacks, or force the voices to confront hidden fears/secrets.

• The Real Challenge (Post-Fight): You've hinted at the "real challenge" coming after Savnok's shade is defeated and "leaking some sort of life essence." This is where the choice will truly impact the players and Darling.

The Real Challenge: A Costly Eradication

• The True Conflict: Once Savnok's weakened shade is defeated and begins to leak its noxious, secret-infused essence, the true test begins. The players, as the voices, will realize that simply defeating this fragment isn't enough; the "budding homestead" remains, a parasitic growth of foreign influence within Darling's mind.

• The Cost of Eradication: The path to fully eradicating Savnok's lingering presence will become clear, perhaps through a combination of observations and the shade's dying whispers: to eliminate this cancerous growth, they must draw upon and sever the very connection that granted Darling those supernatural gifts he acquired from the original deal with Savnok.

1. The Voices' Perspective: From the perspective of the voices, this parasitic stronghold is an unmitigated threat to their world. They will likely push for its complete eradication, seeing it as a necessary cleansing to restore stability. They won't fully grasp the external consequence of Darling losing abilities, only that this "cancer" must go.
2. Darling's Player's Dilemma: This is where the core conflict for Darling's player comes in. They will be faced with the direct consequence: eradicate the internal threat, but at the cost of valuable abilities Darling has come to rely on in Barovia. This creates a powerful internal moral and tactical choice for the player, making them truly weigh the benefits of a "clean" mind against external power.

Summoning "Overmind" Darling

• The Summoning Attempt: Given the voices' perception of Darling as a god-like, distant entity, having one of them attempt to summon him is a great way to heighten the stakes and bring that external context into the internal world. As the true nature of the choice becomes apparent, and perhaps with the voices disagreeing on the best course of action, one voice (likely the NPC'd voice you choose, perhaps Elara with her understanding of core systems, or Lysander with his grand aspirations) decides the situation is dire enough to warrant a direct appeal.

• The Name and Manifestation: Calling Darling "Overmind" or "Over-Voice" or "Over-Soul" perfectly fits their perception of him as an overarching, almost divine presence. This attempt to contact him would likely manifest as a brief, intense psychic resonance within the Darlingscape, a fleeting sense of a vast, external consciousness momentarily touching their world. Darling wouldn't appear fully, but perhaps his "presence" would descend, and the players (as the voices) might feel a subtle, external pressure or influence representing his true thoughts on the matter.

The Silent Repository

Description: A section, likely bordering or directly within the Gallery of Shifting Memories (Lyra's domain) or near the Grand Conjunction (Flicker/Elara's logical core), that simply wasn't there before, and then was. It appeared as a perfectly smooth, unblemished wall of unnatural obsidian or cold, polished steel, utterly devoid of Lyra's meticulous labels or Flicker's whirring mechanisms. It radiated an almost imperceptible, bone-deep stillness or coldness, and thoughts seemed to simply glance off its surface, unable to penetrate.

Impact Pre-Battle: The voices would have found it profoundly unsettling. Lyra might have tried repeatedly to categorize it, finding it utterly impenetrable. Flicker might have attempted to interface with it, detecting no logical entry points or internal workings, finding it completely alien to Darling's other systems. Zee might have tried to scout around it, finding that her movements felt oddly muffled and unobserved near it. It was simply a "dead zone" of thought, a silent anomaly that just existed without interacting, until the direct confrontation. The gifts Darling received (like heightened awareness of secrets, subtle mental protections) were accessed through this silent conduit, like a perfectly shielded antenna.

The Silent Repository We'll proceed with "The Silent Repository" as the manifestation of Savnok's gifts within Darling's mind before the recent battle. This means:

• Initial Location: It appeared as a section of unnatural obsidian or cold, polished steel within the Gallery of Shifting Memories (Lyra's domain) or near the Grand Conjunction (Flicker/Elara's logical core).
• Nature of the Repository: It was perfectly smooth, utterly silent, and impenetrable to the voices' efforts to understand or interact with it, acting as a "dead zone" of thought.
• Purpose: The gifts Darling received were channeled through this passive conduit.
• Result of the Battle: The battle with Savnok fractured this repository, causing the "new door and circular staircase" to appear, leading down to the "budding homestead" – the active, cancerous manifestation of the vestige's remnant.

Your Campaign So Far: A Quick Recap

• Darling's True Nature: We established that Darling is a conscious construct, an amalgamation of twelve distinct souls. This will be a major lore reveal for your players, potentially even during the one-shot session.

• The Twelve Voices: We've detailed all twelve individual personalities within Darling, giving each a:

1. • Backstory as a child before their capture.
   • Brief, blurred memory of their capture by Papa and the horrors of his basement.
   • Defined role and relationships (closer to/antagonistic towards others) within Darling's internal world.
   • "Grown-up" persona within the Darlingscape (a purgatory/afterlife to them), which explains their class levels.

• The Darlingscape (The Golem's Canvas): This is the sprawling, sentient internal world of Darling's mind, a "purgatory" that the voices are constantly trying to keep stable. We've defined key areas within it, such as:

1. • The Gallery of Shifting Memories (Lyra's domain)
   • The Shifting Bazaar (Pip/Jinx's domain)
   • The Crucible of Wills (Lysander/Grut/Roric's domain)
   • The Whispering Echo Chamber (Skree/Zee's domain)
   • The Grand Conjunction (Flicker/Elara's domain)
   • The dangerous Shadow-Haunted Wilds (source of aberrations).

• Internal Inhabitants: Beyond the 12 core voices, the Darlingscape is populated by thousands of "citizens" representing Darling's thoughts, memories, opinions, and complex thought processes. These can be harmed by aberrations.

• The Voices' Awakening Order: We established the order in which the twelve personalities "awakened" within Darling's mind and what each initially contributed to building and stabilizing The Golem's Canvas.

• The One-Off Session Hook:

1. • It takes place after Darling's intense psychic battle with Savnok (which caused a huge upheaval in the Darlingscape).
   • Elara was briefly pulled into Darling's conscious mind and returned with scrambled memories but sparked Darling's Wizard levels.
   • The core problem for the session is a vital, recently formed memory (a key insight, knowledge, or empathy) in the Gallery of Shifting Memories that has become unstable, creating a psychic "void" or "glitch."
   • The voices (played by your group, including Darling's player) must go into Darling's mind to stabilize this memory, as its loss threatens Darling's abilities and empathy in the real world.
   • We also laid out the initial skill challenges for the four teams of voices (Research, Scouts, Defenders, Stabilizers) and the converging clues they'd find to unravel the mystery of the unstable memory.