Lurching onward, the eerie, wailing creature continues toward the party members and draws to a stop when it's approximately 30' distant. The tongues spell remains in effect, and Luna again interprets the words of the shadowy being: TRAPPED SO LONG; SMOTHERED AND CHOKED; STRANGLED BY MOONLIGHT.
The creature then lifts one of its long, thin arms and points in the direction the party has been traveling. TRAPPED, it repeats. STRANGLED BY MOONLIGHT.
“I'm glad to hear.” Katar says. He glances at her hand resting on his arm and then to her eyes, those clear blue eyes seem to be filled with warmth and determination, endless like the Astral Sea before them. The corner of his mouth gently lifts, not minding having the moment linger. “I wouldn’t expect the Moonmaiden to have chosen anyone less.”
As the shadowy creature stops before them, repeating the same incomprehensible phrases, Katar notices the charms of moon and darkness hanging from its chains. He could only surmise from Luna’s translation that the creature has been bound in some way. But by whom? It might’ve been Selûne, but it might as well have been her twin. With the creature stopping, he gathers it's trying to communicate something to them, with however limited vocabulary it has. “You were following us, why? Who has trapped you?” Katar asks.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
The clear blue eyes of the white-haired half-elven maiden linger on the red-haired elf, looking back into his deep citrine eyes, a bit longer than intended, before she turns away, perhaps a slight blush on her cheeks. "Thank you Katar..." She says quietly. "...I'm trying to be the servant she wanted me to be, we'll see where that will lead me." She says, briefly looking up at the red-haired elf again with a warm smile.
Floating in the astral sea at the position Grim had suggested, her long white hair and her thin white garments floating with her, Luna takes care to translate to her companions and then translate what Katar says. "I am Luna. We may be able to help you but we need to know who you are, who trapped you and why?"She continues in the strange language, smiling gently at the being.
Persuasion: 31 Insight to determine truth and intentions: 19
"Yes brave Zephyryn, I agree, but things might have changed since they were so trapped, let's listen to what they say." Luna responds to the blue-skinned paladin.
Grimaldus also studies the totems and chains, recalling the technomancer manuals, chaplaincy rituals, and celestial language lessons from the academy to try and determine causes and counters. Arcana: 10
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Luna too studies the totems and chains, hoping to see their purpose and if they were put there by the Moonmaiden. Perception: 10 Detect Magic, Arcana: 20
The creature's unblinking eyes land upon Katar as it attempts to answer the cleric's questions. Placing its hand upon its chest, it says, "Not following. Proclaiming. Proclaiming Shar's pain."
Then, tapping upon its chest with both hands, the shadowy creature says to Luna, "Not trapped. SHE is trapped."
The creature then emits another long, wailing howl and points to some unknown point in the distance, the Towers of Night perhaps.
There's nothing about the creature's behavior that is threatening, and its explanations seem to be straightforward and honest. Furthermore, despite its dark, shadowy (and altogether bizarre) appearance, the creature doesn't alert Zephyryn of the presence of anything evil, fiendish, or undead.
Studying the silvery chains that hang from the creature, and the various charms that hang from those chains, you're able to conclude that this creature is a symbolic picture of the struggle between Shar and Selûne. For it is a creature of shadow and darkness that has been restricted by chains of moonlight. The charms show indications of both goddesses as well, for some of them depict phases of the moon, and others are made entirely of darkness.
Each of you is reminded that the Astral Plane houses the very real and sometimes dangerous manifestations of individuals' fears, pains, anger, and so forth. This creature seems to fit into this category.
"Where are you going now, and why? Who is trapped?" The white-haired half-elven maiden asks with a persistent but friendly tone, floating slightly closer to the manisfestation, her long white hair and her thin white garments floating with her, motioning to her companions that they are in no immediate danger.
Luna interprets to her companions and then watches as the manifestation continues to lurch it's way towards the Towers of Night. "Gentlemen we should perhaps visit the Towers of Night with an open mind about what is really happening, but I must remind you to be wary, few uses trickery an deception quite as the Dark Lady."She says with a grim tone, ready to proceed to Shar's abode.
“And what of this one?”, Zephyryn asks pointing at the creature.
”Neither an Ally nor an enemy, but a distraction still. And one that will attract attention. I am not so naive as to believe we are not expected, so maybe a distraction is to our benefit. But where is the glory in sneaking in?”, he says, almost having a conversation with himself to decide his own opinion.
”Maybe we should break this creatures chains now and see the outcome?”, he suggests finally, igniting his Sun Blade and pointing it from a distance at the chains hanging from the creature.
"It's impossible to know the outcome if we did, if it is even possible, but if it really wanted us to break the chains I would imagine it would have asked us to do that rather than moving on towards the Towers of Night. I would prefer it if we simply followed it there and sought and audience with Shar to find out more about what is really going on." Luna answers the brave blue-skinned paladin with a gentle smile.
The shadowy, wailing creature lurches onward for a few minutes before disappearing altogether. Slowly its corporal form becomes transparent and, like a wisp of black smoke, it floats away into the Astral Sea.
This pattern repeats itself for the next few hours. The creature appears within an audible distance of the party and continues its wailing and proclamations of Shar's pain. Then, after being present for a short while, it disappears, dissipating into the ether through which you are traveling.
The landscape doesn't change for quite a while, but when it does, it is significant. Before you is a floating sea of debris--massive pieces of stone, most of them in block form. It's as if a dozen castles have been exploded and their thousands of pieces now drift silently through space. Moving through the field of rock, which is both above you and below, will not be a problem because everything is drifting along so slowly.
In the distance, you can see that one of the pieces of stone has a statue of two gray-skinned humanoids sitting back to back.
"Be careful, there is no way of telling what could be hiding in this field of boulders." Luna says softly to her companions, using her invisible arcane eye to scout ahead in order to avoid any amushes on their way through the asteroid field.
The clear blue eyes of the white-haired half-elven maiden linger on the red-haired elf, looking back into his deep citrine eyes, a bit longer than intended, before she turns away, perhaps a slight blush on her cheeks. "Thank you Katar..." She says quietly. "...I'm trying to be the servant she wanted me to be, we'll see where that will lead me." She says, briefly looking up at the red-haired elf again with a warm smile.
Katar holds the gaze a few seconds longer after Luna has turned away, a smile in his golden eyes. “Not too far away from me, I hope.”
They travel alongside in the Astral Sea, with the intermittent wailing and proclamation from the chained shadowy manifestation appearing near them. “It must be an important part of her,” After another incomprehensible cry of the creature, Katar says, the corner of his lips lifted, though without mirth, “She’s the Lady of Pain, after all.”
While they are navigating through the floating debris, he tries to better distinguish the two humanoid statues.
Moving through the enormous field of debris, the party is mildly awed but simultaneously cautious. When the stone block with the humanoid statues is approximately 80' distant, Katar is convinced that he saw one of the statues move ever so slightly, just a minor shift in the position of one of its arms.
Regarding the map:
My apologies for its simplicity. I don't have access to my usual map-making resources this evening.
Each character is denoted by his/her proper color.
The two statues are adjacent to one another atop one of the stone blocks (circled in yellow).
The stone blocks have three different colors to help give you an idea of three dimensions. The light-colored blocks are 20' to 30' below the party; the medium or tan-colored blocks are basically on the same level as the party, and the dark blocks are 20' to 30' above the party.
Keep in mind, if movement becomes something we need to track, then your character's INT x 3 = movement speed, regardless of direction (up, down, or otherwise).
Katar stops at he sees the slight movement of the stone statue's arm. Even from a distance, he's sure he's not mistaken. "Careful." He says, nodding towards the two statues. "There's movement there." He looks to the others and suggests, "Shall we go around?"
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Luna nods to Katar and moves slightly closer the red-haired elf, sending her invisible arcane eye closer to the statues to study them descreetly while staying with the others, keeping her distance and moving around the statues, giving them a wide berth. "I'm not familiar with this part of the astral sea, I'm not sure but we should certainly expect any guardians here to be servants of Shar." She responds to Zephyryn.
New perception if needed: 22
(Suggest we move northeast and stay at more than 60 feet from the statues for now.)
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Lurching onward, the eerie, wailing creature continues toward the party members and draws to a stop when it's approximately 30' distant. The tongues spell remains in effect, and Luna again interprets the words of the shadowy being: TRAPPED SO LONG; SMOTHERED AND CHOKED; STRANGLED BY MOONLIGHT.
The creature then lifts one of its long, thin arms and points in the direction the party has been traveling. TRAPPED, it repeats. STRANGLED BY MOONLIGHT.
“I'm glad to hear.” Katar says. He glances at her hand resting on his arm and then to her eyes, those clear blue eyes seem to be filled with warmth and determination, endless like the Astral Sea before them. The corner of his mouth gently lifts, not minding having the moment linger. “I wouldn’t expect the Moonmaiden to have chosen anyone less.”
As the shadowy creature stops before them, repeating the same incomprehensible phrases, Katar notices the charms of moon and darkness hanging from its chains. He could only surmise from Luna’s translation that the creature has been bound in some way. But by whom? It might’ve been Selûne, but it might as well have been her twin. With the creature stopping, he gathers it's trying to communicate something to them, with however limited vocabulary it has. “You were following us, why? Who has trapped you?” Katar asks.
The clear blue eyes of the white-haired half-elven maiden linger on the red-haired elf, looking back into his deep citrine eyes, a bit longer than intended, before she turns away, perhaps a slight blush on her cheeks. "Thank you Katar..." She says quietly. "...I'm trying to be the servant she wanted me to be, we'll see where that will lead me." She says, briefly looking up at the red-haired elf again with a warm smile.
Floating in the astral sea at the position Grim had suggested, her long white hair and her thin white garments floating with her, Luna takes care to translate to her companions and then translate what Katar says. "I am Luna. We may be able to help you but we need to know who you are, who trapped you and why?" She continues in the strange language, smiling gently at the being.
Persuasion: 31
Insight to determine truth and intentions: 19
Zephyryn lands Tempest in position as part of the circle surrounding the long limbed creature.
”If those are chains of moonlight, does that not suggest your goddess was the one who trapped this creature?”, he asks of Luna and Katar.
”I am happy to assist not matter, of course”, he adds.
He then reaches out with his divine senses looking to detect whether this creature was spawned by good or evil
Action: Divine Sense
Special: Death Ward - Zephyryn and Tempest - approx 8 hours
"Yes brave Zephyryn, I agree, but things might have changed since they were so trapped, let's listen to what they say." Luna responds to the blue-skinned paladin.
Grimaldus also studies the totems and chains, recalling the technomancer manuals, chaplaincy rituals, and celestial language lessons from the academy to try and determine causes and counters. Arcana: 10
Love God. Love Others. Any Questions?
Luna too studies the totems and chains, hoping to see their purpose and if they were put there by the Moonmaiden.
Perception: 10 Detect Magic, Arcana: 20
The creature's unblinking eyes land upon Katar as it attempts to answer the cleric's questions. Placing its hand upon its chest, it says, "Not following. Proclaiming. Proclaiming Shar's pain."
Then, tapping upon its chest with both hands, the shadowy creature says to Luna, "Not trapped. SHE is trapped."
The creature then emits another long, wailing howl and points to some unknown point in the distance, the Towers of Night perhaps.
There's nothing about the creature's behavior that is threatening, and its explanations seem to be straightforward and honest. Furthermore, despite its dark, shadowy (and altogether bizarre) appearance, the creature doesn't alert Zephyryn of the presence of anything evil, fiendish, or undead.
Studying the silvery chains that hang from the creature, and the various charms that hang from those chains, you're able to conclude that this creature is a symbolic picture of the struggle between Shar and Selûne. For it is a creature of shadow and darkness that has been restricted by chains of moonlight. The charms show indications of both goddesses as well, for some of them depict phases of the moon, and others are made entirely of darkness.
Each of you is reminded that the Astral Plane houses the very real and sometimes dangerous manifestations of individuals' fears, pains, anger, and so forth. This creature seems to fit into this category.
"Where are you going now, and why? Who is trapped?" The white-haired half-elven maiden asks with a persistent but friendly tone, floating slightly closer to the manisfestation, her long white hair and her thin white garments floating with her, motioning to her companions that they are in no immediate danger.
"Shar's pain. Shar is trapped. Towers of Night," responds the creature.
It then begins lurching forward, apparently heading towards Shar's fortress, wailing and howling as it goes.
Luna interprets to her companions and then watches as the manifestation continues to lurch it's way towards the Towers of Night. "Gentlemen we should perhaps visit the Towers of Night with an open mind about what is really happening, but I must remind you to be wary, few uses trickery an deception quite as the Dark Lady." She says with a grim tone, ready to proceed to Shar's abode.
“And what of this one?”, Zephyryn asks pointing at the creature.
”Neither an Ally nor an enemy, but a distraction still. And one that will attract attention. I am not so naive as to believe we are not expected, so maybe a distraction is to our benefit. But where is the glory in sneaking in?”, he says, almost having a conversation with himself to decide his own opinion.
”Maybe we should break this creatures chains now and see the outcome?”, he suggests finally, igniting his Sun Blade and pointing it from a distance at the chains hanging from the creature.
"It's impossible to know the outcome if we did, if it is even possible, but if it really wanted us to break the chains I would imagine it would have asked us to do that rather than moving on towards the Towers of Night. I would prefer it if we simply followed it there and sought and audience with Shar to find out more about what is really going on." Luna answers the brave blue-skinned paladin with a gentle smile.
The shadowy, wailing creature lurches onward for a few minutes before disappearing altogether. Slowly its corporal form becomes transparent and, like a wisp of black smoke, it floats away into the Astral Sea.
This pattern repeats itself for the next few hours. The creature appears within an audible distance of the party and continues its wailing and proclamations of Shar's pain. Then, after being present for a short while, it disappears, dissipating into the ether through which you are traveling.
The landscape doesn't change for quite a while, but when it does, it is significant. Before you is a floating sea of debris--massive pieces of stone, most of them in block form. It's as if a dozen castles have been exploded and their thousands of pieces now drift silently through space. Moving through the field of rock, which is both above you and below, will not be a problem because everything is drifting along so slowly.
In the distance, you can see that one of the pieces of stone has a statue of two gray-skinned humanoids sitting back to back.
"Be careful, there is no way of telling what could be hiding in this field of boulders." Luna says softly to her companions, using her invisible arcane eye to scout ahead in order to avoid any amushes on their way through the asteroid field.
Perception: 12
Katar holds the gaze a few seconds longer after Luna has turned away, a smile in his golden eyes. “Not too far away from me, I hope.”
They travel alongside in the Astral Sea, with the intermittent wailing and proclamation from the chained shadowy manifestation appearing near them. “It must be an important part of her,” After another incomprehensible cry of the creature, Katar says, the corner of his lips lifted, though without mirth, “She’s the Lady of Pain, after all.”
While they are navigating through the floating debris, he tries to better distinguish the two humanoid statues.
Perception: 24
Moving through the enormous field of debris, the party is mildly awed but simultaneously cautious. When the stone block with the humanoid statues is approximately 80' distant, Katar is convinced that he saw one of the statues move ever so slightly, just a minor shift in the position of one of its arms.
Regarding the map:
Katar stops at he sees the slight movement of the stone statue's arm. Even from a distance, he's sure he's not mistaken. "Careful." He says, nodding towards the two statues. "There's movement there." He looks to the others and suggests, "Shall we go around?"
(OOC: Is our direction travel north on the map?)
Zephyryn looks at the statue of the two grey skinned humanoids curiously.
"Was the movement from those statues?", he asks. "Should we assume everything here is related to Shar and Selûne? Could this be a statue of them?".
"Be alert, Tempest. Your eyes are better than mine, what do you see", he sends telepathically.
Zephyryn Perception: 7
Tempest Perception (advantage as relying on sight): 23
Luna nods to Katar and moves slightly closer the red-haired elf, sending her invisible arcane eye closer to the statues to study them descreetly while staying with the others, keeping her distance and moving around the statues, giving them a wide berth. "I'm not familiar with this part of the astral sea, I'm not sure but we should certainly expect any guardians here to be servants of Shar." She responds to Zephyryn.
New perception if needed: 22
(Suggest we move northeast and stay at more than 60 feet from the statues for now.)