Wednesday, November 14, 2018

20 Surpries to find in your own Mental Labyrinth

Powerful psionic abilities or high level spells may allow people to access the “mental labyrinth” or mind maze of different creatures. This is a physical manifestation of their mind on the astral plane; a combination of their thoughts, memories, emotions, fantasies, and powers. Normally; entering your own mental labyrinth feels natural and calm. But something is out of place.

20 Surprises
[1] Covert group of psychic vampires, gambling on the outcomes of the fights between creatures in your mind made of your worst fears.

[2] Repressed memory of alien abduction. Strange creatures from another dimensions marked you and cast strange “spells” on you.

[3] Your secret talent, gathering dust in a corner. It's for an activity, game, or field that you never expected or didn't even know about.

[4] Your secret talent, built into the walls and floor of a room; hidden in plain sight. It's not a secret at all, your talent is everything you're already good at and do but don't appreciate yet, dummy.

[5] Brain bugs. They're like little ants crossed with beetles, and go about inside your mind gathering unused memories and neglected thoughts and making them into nest tunnels, food, and shaping them into wings for their next mating flight. Seems alarming, but 90% of people have them. You catch this parasite by watching someone else be forgetful, in which case you start being forgetful too because of these bugs.

[6] Your next major personality shift, gestating in a larva. People change sometimes, and in the same way your body replaces your entire skeleton multiple times over your life, your mind replaces your entire personality as well- except these shifts are much more dramatic.

[7] The location of an item you have forgotten. It's in a jammed lockbox; drawn on a map. It's so obvious now that you see it in front of you.

[8] Dusty old relic, it's a significant item from your past life. You have no idea what it is; but you know it was either used to kill you or you used it to kill someone else.

[9] Your favorite dog that died when you were a kid. It's formed from memories and puppy love. As long as you venture in your own mental labyrinth, the hound will stay faithfully at your side.

[10] Your muse; a crumbling statue of feminine beauty. In its hands is a half written verse, a half drawn picture, or a harp gently humming a half imagined song. Taking close inspection of the muse will grant you artistic inspiration.

[11] The Dreaming fish. It's a fish you have been dreaming of, off and on again, for your whole life. It's been forming in your mind, somehow, and is as close to alive as a not-real thing can be. It harbors no ill will or loyalty towards you, it simply wishes to swim out into the astral plane. The fish itself appears as a colorful tropical fish with supernatural powers crossed with the first thing you imagine when someone says “Fish”.

[12] The spy for the local lord or head of the thieves guild. Sent in this sneaky magician to comb through the minds of the sleeping common folk; to see if rebellious plots are brewing.

[13] Your spirit animal. It can speak, but only too you, and gives you guidance. Whatever type of animal it is; you possess both its good and bad qualities. Spirit animals can also join you on your quest through your mind, as a magical guide capable of casting spells and making a bit more sense in your randomly shifting brain labyrinth.

[14] Repressed childhood truma. The censors and manifestations in your own mind are towering and dark, while you are weak and scared.

[15] Nostalgia room. Some of your favorite things locked up in glass and gold cages. There is not a speck of dust The room has a new coat of paint on it; you liked the old color better. 1 in 6 chance that any missed attack vs mind entities in this room breaks open a case and the object within turns to dust. You lose your appreciation for that thing. Nothing new comes along to replace it either.

[16] Well of experience. Literal stone well. Can pull up a bucket full of shimmering gold water to see images of lessons you've learned and skills you've mastered. Drinking from the well grants +1 level for 1d4 exploration turn to anyone, but causes memory loss and experience decay of the mindscape's owner

[17] An altar to the God your character is most aligned or devoted to. Next to it, is a little cartoonish version of yourself with angel wings and a halo, who is like your guardian angel to help you follow that god's teachings. Can't fight but can turn undead as well as a Cleric equal to your level. Will only do it if you somehow have undead inside your brain for whatever reason.

[18] Spell, visualized as a swirling mass on the end of an arrow on a cocked bow with a tiny scroll attached. The scroll has a magic word that will release the spell when spoken in the real world. Kind Wizard must have stowed that spell inside your head when you were young, but you don't know what the spell is. Look at the energies and the incantation for the best clues.

[19] Dead bodies of people you've imagined killing- subconscious projections. Your guild master, fat local lord, annoying village drunkard, etc. They're stinking up the place.

[20] A philosophical epiphany that you aren't supposed to have yet. If you grasp it and understand it, 1d4 Erasure Angels will appear within 1d4 days to fight you. If they beat you they'll just wipe the memory away instead of killing you, and they are dangerous foes in combat. The epiphany is supposed to be whispered to your child on your death bed; then they will spread its message and cause a great upheaval that you are not destined to live to see.

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