Encounter-a-Day

Eventually, the PCs are likely to run into someone who recognizes the woman they rescued as Merribeth Golde, daughter of a local baron named Friedie Golde. Alternatively, they might run into her double in town.

Merribeth has become the victim of a particularly malevolent fae called a “toar kil’narrin,” or a duplicant. The toar kil’narrins feed on fear and despair and have the ability to copy someone’s appearance and steal their memories. While the person’s memories are in the possession of the toar kil’narrin, the person’s life is linked to it. Thus Merribeth would never actually have died in her coffin, so long as the duplicant survived, until such time that it got bored with and abandoned her.

It’s actually quite common for the toar kil’narrin to bury their prey alive. It suits their abilities and needs very well; it keeps the person safe from harm, important because if the victim died so would the fae, and the predicament they find themselves in combined with the complete lack of memories prove cause exceptionally powerful feelings of fear and despair.

The burial also serves another purpose: it prevents the victim from overwhelming the toar kil’narrin. Being confined in the box severely limits the stimuli they’re subject to. Ever since Merribeth was released, this particular duplicant has been somewhat disoriented by the flood of additional stimuli. It’s hidden this fact, since it doesn’t want to fall under too much scrutiny, but if the PCs face it it will be caught off guard.

As soon as the toar kil’narrin is destroyed, Merribeth’s memories will return to her.