#like aah

because in every other story telling medium death is planned, it comes at the end of an arc, at a convenient time where the story for a character wraps up in a narratively satisfying way, there seldom are open stories, and if they are they were deliberately left open

but not so in ttrpg, not in rqg (ignoring berties death here since its a special case)

because the death is always random, and while its always well done it also always leaves something behind

something that could have been but never was

im thinking about how sasha and zolfs last words were "see you later" and how they never did

im thinking about how grizzop never got to see his kids again, or sit in the cafe with vesseek as he promised

im thinking about how sumutnyel never got their closure with Tesla, how she never got to explain to Sohra and the council why she let him in the garden

im thinking about how one day they were just there and then the next day they werent, not for a narrative reason but because thats just how life is!!

things go wrong, life isn't planable!!

but at the same time you can see that it was their choices, made with free will that got them there, they weren't chess pieces moved around by some writer, they were people who made the best choices

they could in that moment, because they're played by people who dont know the whole story, who had to make the right choice in the right moment or suffer the consequences

sasha made the choice to go to rome, and even tho she wasnt a big fan of the plan, she went to support her friends, because she wanted to help them

grizzop did the same but he also made the choice to take the spear meant for sasha and he knew the risks when he attacked the captain but in his head it was worth it

sumutnyel did not have to helo these strangers into the garden, into their sacred place, she didnt have to jumo through the portal or continue helping them, but they made that choice because they wanted to make up for the guilt they felt