I've been adding a bit more lore to Redyn. He has claustrophobia! As if the poor sweet guy didn't have enough to deal with. Here's a little snippet that hints at it:
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Later that evening, the group gathered downstairs at the Ald-Skar Inn for a quiet dinner. The mood was subdued, no boisterous laughter or raised voices, just the low clink of tankards and the occasional murmur of conversation. Redyn barely spoke. He picked at his food, eyes distant, offering only small nods or brief responses when spoken to.
After a while, he pushed his plate away. “I’m… pretty tired,” he said softly. “I think I’ll head up to bed.”
Julan frowned. “You alright, Red? You've hardly spoken all night. Or touched your food.”
“Yeah. I’m fine.” Redyn gave a weak smile that didn’t reach his eyes. Then he stood, said goodnight, and headed for the stairs.
As soon as he was out of sight, Secunda set her tankard down with a quiet thunk. “He’s lying. He had a huge panic attack in the tomb today.”
The table fell silent. Julan’s brow furrowed. Lyrus instantly looked up, his expression shifting to sharp worry.
“What happened?” asked Julan.
Secunda leaned forward, keeping her voice low. “He went into a side passage alone. The door sealed behind him—some old trap. When I got it open, he was… completely out of it. Curled up on the floor, hyperventilating, eyes glazed over like he wasn’t even there. I had to shake him and use a calm spell just to bring him back.”
Lyrus’ hand tightened around his cup. “Claustrophobia,” he said quietly, almost to himself.
Silver-Star perked up from her spot on the table. “What is that big word?”
“A profound fear of being trapped in small spaces,” Lyrus explained, his gaze drilling into the wooden table.
Secunda continued, "He told me how he was trapped in an Ayleid ruin as a boy. Trolls almost killed him."
"Oh, yeah. He told me about that when we first met," said Julan, frowning. “But I didn’t know it was this bad.”
“And then there was prison,” Secunda added, her voice softening. “Diniya betrayed him, left him to take the fall for murder. He spent two and a half years in a tiny cell… abandoned by the person he trusted most. I had no idea he was carrying all of that. I always thought he was just a nervous people-pleaser. No wonder he’s so anxious all the time.”
The group was quiet for a moment, the weight of Redyn’s hidden pain settling over them like a dark cloud. Lyrus remained silent, his fingers drumming briefly against the table before going still. The thought of Redyn trapped and panicking alone clearly unsettled him deeply.
"Especially," Lyrus added, shaking his head, "since Kogoruhn."
Another wave of tense silence hovered over the group. Silver-Star murmured, "Poor Redyn carries so much."
“He shouldn’t hide it,” Secunda continued. “He should let us go into the tombs instead! I have no problem with that.”
“Zuhni,” said Julan gently, reaching over to squeeze her hand. “You hide your problems too. We all do. It’s easier said than done.”
She sighed. “Yeah… you’re right.”
Lyrus stood abruptly, the chair scraping softly. “I’ll go check on him.” His voice was calm, but there was an urgency beneath it. “Goodnight.”
They all said their goodnights. Lyrus ascended the stairs, his steps a little faster than usual.
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