The short walk to the temple of Selûne is uneventful. The temple doors, ornately crafted and nearly 10' tall, are ajar. Within you find the aftermath of an attack: two priests, with their maces still in hand but with arrows protruding from their torsos, lie upon the ground. Between them is a dead shadow mastiff. On the altar, the symbol of Selûne--a pair of eyes encircled by seven stars--has been defaced by what appears to be thick smears of ink.
Also lying upon the ground is a slain shadow monk, her black garb so fire-damaged that portions of her burned flesh can be seen through her robes. This explains the faint burnt smell you discerned when you entered the temple.
In distress and kneeling next to the dead shadow monk is a priest of Selûne. A slash wound is visible on the priest's left arm, but the injury doesn't prevent her from standing. "Friends of the Moonmaiden, I pray. Let us be wary...there were others..."
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
As she realizes the temple has already been attacked, Luna hovers inside, quickly surveying the aftermath of the battle, gritting her teeth at the sight of the fallen selûnites and the defiled altar. "Yes, the servants of Shar could still be here." She says to the others, alert to threats inside the temple as she looks to the shadows for the minions of Shar. Luna also uses her Witch Sight to make sure the priest is not a disguised servant of Shar.
Grim picks up the following fallen shadow monk weapons, offering them to the others but secreting them away on his belt or in a boot or tucked away somewhere else. (Shortsword (+1); 1 vial of serpent venom (injury); 8 throwing knives)
Inside the temple, the warrior remains alert and wary of any threats. He doesn't even bother looting this body - he doesn't want to miss another opportunity to bring down a foe!
(Alert: Always on the lookout for danger, you gain the following benefits: You can't be surprised while you are conscious; Other creatures don’t gain advantage on attack rolls against you as a result of being unseen by you.)
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Katar’s jaw tightens as he takes in the bleak wreckage of the Temple of Selûne. His eyes cold and hard, glinting as golden shards of glass, reflecting harsh imagery of death, blood and smoke. Perhaps if he left sooner, or if he hadn’t stopped on the way… but he’s not the type to dwell on the could’ve’s or would’ve’s, and he doesn’t beat himself up for meaningless things. What has been will be again, and what has been done will be done again. He’s lived long enough to know that.
Katar stops at the pair of fallen priests inside the gate, he reaches carefully with his gloved fingers to close their eyes, whispering a soft prayer to send their souls away. A tiny drop of blood sticks onto the finely-fitted silk of the glove, which he prestidigitation away without thought as he stands back up.
They are greeted by a priestess standing up beside the stained body of the shadow monk. Behind her the Moonmaiden’s alter defaced by carelessly drawn on dark paint. He looks around and asks the priestess quietly, “Are there any others in here?”
“Remain outside and keep watch. Tell me if you spot anything”, Zephyryn telepathically sends to Tempest as he walks into the temple.
On entering, he sees the felled priests and hears the warning from the injured priest.
”This sacrilege cannot go unpunished”, he says defiantly. “Do not worry, we will root out any others that remain in the temple”.
With that, he walks around the room, lighting up all corners with the light of the Sun Blade. Searching for any unfriendly shadows and making sure the room is clear before looking to any internal doors.
The temple seems to be free from any further threat or damage, and the priest shows no indication of being anything but who she claims to be.
The priest--a portly half-elf with short blond hair--introduces herself as Aranthe Corasani. As she draws near to Luna, she nods her head and says, "Yes, you are the one."
Looking then toward Grim, Zephyryn, and Katar, the priest adds, "And these three as well."
Addressing all four of you, Aranthe declares, "Long has it been since such a clear vision has fallen upon me. Summoned by Selune; the Silver Lady has need of you."
Zephyryn returns from his quick recce of the room in time to hear of the vision of the priest.
"You are the second one to speak of visions", he says looking at Luna to indicate the first. "I am not sure the purpose your Silver Lady has for me. I am not a follower of hers, although she deserves my respect and attention", he says.
"But I abhor the darkness and stand against it and evil doers wherever I find them. I shall listen to your words of the vision and the purpose you have divined for my presence here amongst these other noble warriors".
The seasoned warrior was familiar with death - but his familiarity was with violent deaths. The chaotic positioning and contortion of bodies devastated by vicious blows; the stench of blood and bowels spilled all over; the carrion-eaters covering fields of battle for the feast. Thus, he shows no emotion at the death in the temple - this was a minor event by his reckoning. Still, the deaths of innocents was a crime to be punished. And he was the bringer of order and justice.
"Tell us of your visions and the omens they foretell. There is much left to do this night if we are to keep the city from descending into the figurative darkness that the literal darkness precedes."
"Abhorring the darkness is part of the path of the wise,"responds the priest to Zephyryn.
Then looking to Grim, Aranthe says, "Much to do indeed. Let me explain.Shar has taken Selûne as prisoner. The moon goddess must be alive, as the rest of her clergy and I still have access to the magic she grants them."
"You can bear witness to this fact, yes?" asks the priest of Luna. "Your magic has lost none of its potency."
Aranthe pauses for a few seconds as she takes a seat upon a nearby bench. She then continues. "The sister goddesses of the moon and darkness have always been at odds. They once famously battled above Waterdeep. Shar has finally tipped the balance in her favor. Our great fear is that the people of Faerun will turn to Shar’s worship, which means turning to evil deeds. What has happened in this temple tonight is evidence of such."
After another thoughtful pause, the priest adds, "And why is it that you four are in this place tonight? Why do I speak of my vision? The answer is simple: you are the ones--the only ones--with sufficient strength to free the Lady of Silver from her prison."
The clear blue eyes of the white-haired half-elven maiden goes wide as the priest explains the Moonmaiden is held captive by her nefarious sister. She simply nods, confirming she can still feel the divine strength on Selûne flow with every breath. She knew something was terribly wrong, but this. She had seen a lot of adventures all over the Realms but she couldn't remember ever facing such a challenge, with the fate of Faerûn in the balance. This was a quest in which failure would spell certain doom for all that she held dear. She looks to the three others, hoping for the same conviction and determination she felt coursing through her now. "We will do it, we will free the Moonmaiden out of her dark prison, we only need to know where to find her." She says, with a look of fierce determination.
A warm smile crosses Aranthe's face. "To free Selûne, you must cross into the Astral Plane and travel to Shar’s stronghold, the Towers of Night, atop the highest mountain on the plane. Fighting Shar in her stronghold would be ill-advised. There is, however, something I can provide..."
The priest rises from her bench, and with a few softly spoken words and a movement of her left hand, she removes a small section of the stone floor. She then reaches into the dark space in the floor and withdraws a net, the likes of which you have never seen. Its strands are some sort of thin, midnight blue filament, and where these filaments intersect with one another are tiny bits of gleaming light.
"The Net of Stars," she explains. "Cast it upon Shar if a struggle occurs. The starlight will blaze brilliantly, and she will be constrained. Shar will not die, but her essence will be disrupted long enough for you to free Selûne. Only once can you attempt this, however. Only once."
She holds forth the powerful artifact for you to receive it and says, "But Shar has other weaknesses too: her lust for powerful secrets...her desire to glutton herself on others' painful and irreversible losses...her voracious appetite for darkness...Maybe with one of these, a deal can be struck."
Katar listens quietly about Aranthe's vision. It sounds familiar enough, the battle between the Lady of Silver and Lady of Loss has been going on for eons, and what happened tonight can be nothing but Shar's another attack, another attempt at plunging the world into her eternal darkness. When Aranthe speaks of the Battle of Waterdeep, he says softly, "Yes, I remember that." He smiles then, as if he's confident the history will repeat itself again, "But the followers of Selûne did free her at the end."
He reaches with his silk-gloved hand to receive the starry artifact very naturally, taking in the fractured pieces of light captured within the magical strands. "That all sounds like terrible deals to make, Priestess Aranthe, but I'll keep it in mind. About traveling to the Astral Plane, I don't suppose you have a way?" He hands the Net of Stars to Luna, assuming she would like to admire it.
"I can transport you there, yes," replies the priestess to Katar. "Atop this temple tower is a ritual space that is open to the sky above. That is where I can cast the plane shift spell. I can be ready in minutes if you sense that you are ready; allow me to dress this wound first."
"Please, take your time." The red-haired cleric says, his voice low and soothing. "I'd prefer we take the night to prepare and plan before we leave; we only have on shot at this after all."
"And we are on our way to visit a scholarly friend." Katar looks at Zephyryn, raising one shapely eyebrow in question. "Perhaps he would have some insights on how to deal with Mistress of the Night?"
“Aye, that is possible. It is worth asking him at least. He may also have knowledge of how things work on the Astral Plane. I have never been personally”, Zephyryn replies.
“Having said that, the longer we tarry, the worse things could become here”.
”This spell of yours to get us to this other plane, will it be able to send Tempest, my Griffon, as well?“, he asks hopefully.
”He would not wish to miss an opportunity to help rescue a god!”.
Luna attentively listens to Aranthe and Katar, realizing the latter was around during the Time of Troubles, which of course was not surprising considering he was an elf. Luna was no stranger to negotiations but she had never imagined bargaining with her most hated enemy for the freedom of her goddess, and she couldn't see what she could conceivably have offer Shar other than her own life for what it was worth. No, negotiations would most likely only take place in order to buy time to use the Net of Stars that she now held in her hands, a weapon of legend to give pause to even a goddess. "Yes, unless we have indications there is great urgency to leave for the Towers of Night I agree with Katar, preparations will be needed in order to succeed in liberating the Moonmaiden from her imprisonment."
Aranthe sees the wisdom in waiting another day and allowing the four of you to do additional research and preparation. She confirms that transporting Tempest to the Astral Plane is possible.
"At sunset tomorrow, let us gather here again, brave heroes. I do not think I exaggerate when I say that much is at stake. Until tomorrow, may the blessings of the Moonmaiden shine upon you."
As you exit the temple, the priest begins the solemn task of addressing the gore and mess caused by Shar's servants.
<> - <> - <> - <> - <> - <> - <>
Twenty minutes later, you are sitting about a large table strewn with books and manuscripts, and Zephyryn's old gnome friend--Podimmerus--is struggling to find the right words; the possibility of a journey through the Astral Sea to Shar's domain has nearly overwhelmed the spry fellow.
"Remarkable! Unheard of!" he exclaims. "Yet...what else can be done? What other answer is there? Zeph, you've seen more than any soul I know, but this one... by the gods! This is..."
His voice trails off while he continues to shake his head in disbelief. He lights his comically-long pipe and begins to send a stream of vanilla-scented smoke toward the ceiling. He is lost in thought for a full minute before he speaks again. "What should you know about such a journey, eh? Well, here's what I can say. Mind you, nearly a century has passed since I last visited the Astral Plane, but I know a few things..."
Podimmerus speaks excitedly and often repeats himself, but in the end, you're able to compile the following notes about the Astral Plane:
The Astral Plane is a great silvery sea, the same above and below, with swirling wisps of white and gray streaking among motes of light.
It is a mostly empty place, but visitors occasionally stumble upon the petrified corpse of a dead god or other chunks of rock drifting forever in the silvery void.
Somewhat commonplace are magical color pools that flicker like radiant, spinning coins. These pools are gateways that lead to other planes. Podimmerus hands Zephyryn a tiny book and says, "Within is a list of where these pools lead. Let's hope you won't need it!"
While there, you will not experience hunger or thirst. Nor will you age.
A traveler in the Astral Plane can move by simply thinking about moving, and reaching one's destination is, oddly enough, mainly a matter of intent. Distance has little meaning. In combat, though, the smarter a creature is, the easier it can control its movement by act of will.
Encountering other creatures, both friendly and hostile, is entirely possible. Most creatures are merely passing through the Astral Sea, hoping to reach some other destination; therefore, they often seek to avoid entanglements with others while on their journey. "Celestials, mortals, fiends, angels...who knows? You might see dozens of them. You might not see anything."
Some speak of a phenomenon known as the psychic wind: a storm of ideas and memories that can muddle a traveler's mind and blow him off course.
Regarding Shar, Podimmerus has only a few things to say. "All stories speak of her pride, her hatred for her moonlight counterpart, and her passionate interest in things hidden and lost; those things kept in the figurative shadows of our hearts and minds; those things we'd suffer death or worse to keep others from knowing. And you can expect she won't be alone in her realm. All manner of shadow creatures call Shar master."
Grim remains stone-still during the conversations. One might assume he is bored by the scholarly discourse, or unable to keep up with the conversations. The truth, as always, was much more complicated than any of these simple assumptions. Grim was a master tactician - a true warrior who studied his enemies, and his environment, for advantages. He absorbed every detail of the discourse but revealed nothing of his own thoughts. He was committed to this quest - this trio of do-gooders obviously needed someone to make the hard decisions and exert massive force on uncomfortable leverage points in order to accomplish their objective.
He also knew that he was the one with the darkest heart, who bore secrets and regrets that perhaps a dark goddess would consider a worthy trade for her bright sister...
"And on you Aranthe."Luna says softly and bows to the priest as she leaves the temple of the Moonmaiden, following along with the blue-skinned Air Genasi to his erudite friend.
Seated at the table the white-haired half-elven maiden would listen attentively to the old gnome and to massive black warrior across from her. She had some knowledge of the Astral sea herself as she had travelled it with the staff granted her by the Moonmaiden to serve her across the planes. Still, this journey would be like no other she had ever set out on. "I should warn you all that there might be things that the Lady of Loss would seek that we should not give her, that the Moonmaiden would not want us to give her, even if the reward would be her freedom. Still, I am prepared to negotiate a deal once we have an audience with Shar herself. I'm also willing to listen to other ideas on how we should proceed, but know that I would not hesitate to lay down my life for my goddess should that choice stand before me." Luna says with firm conviction and determination in her clear blue eyes.
(If okay, Luna will cast Foresight on herself now. Also, who should carry the Net of Stars? Perhaps it should not be Luna as she will likely be better at doing other stuff.)
Zephyryn nods at Podimmerus as he details what he knows.
"Indeed I have seen much and in my experience the only way to proceed is with courage and honour. This is but another test of our resolve and fortitude. Glory awaits us in this Astral Sea, we merely have to reach out and take it", he says with conviction.
"Regardless of the outcome, we should not, can not give in to the demands of the Lady of Loss. Whether it by strength of deed or might of word, I am ready".
He stands and looks to the others.
"You mentioned preparations, what is it you need to do?".
The short walk to the temple of Selûne is uneventful. The temple doors, ornately crafted and nearly 10' tall, are ajar. Within you find the aftermath of an attack: two priests, with their maces still in hand but with arrows protruding from their torsos, lie upon the ground. Between them is a dead shadow mastiff. On the altar, the symbol of Selûne--a pair of eyes encircled by seven stars--has been defaced by what appears to be thick smears of ink.
Also lying upon the ground is a slain shadow monk, her black garb so fire-damaged that portions of her burned flesh can be seen through her robes. This explains the faint burnt smell you discerned when you entered the temple.
In distress and kneeling next to the dead shadow monk is a priest of Selûne. A slash wound is visible on the priest's left arm, but the injury doesn't prevent her from standing. "Friends of the Moonmaiden, I pray. Let us be wary...there were others..."
As she realizes the temple has already been attacked, Luna hovers inside, quickly surveying the aftermath of the battle, gritting her teeth at the sight of the fallen selûnites and the defiled altar. "Yes, the servants of Shar could still be here." She says to the others, alert to threats inside the temple as she looks to the shadows for the minions of Shar. Luna also uses her Witch Sight to make sure the priest is not a disguised servant of Shar.
Perception: 21
Insight: 26
Grim picks up the following fallen shadow monk weapons, offering them to the others but secreting them away on his belt or in a boot or tucked away somewhere else. (Shortsword (+1); 1 vial of serpent venom (injury); 8 throwing knives)
Inside the temple, the warrior remains alert and wary of any threats. He doesn't even bother looting this body - he doesn't want to miss another opportunity to bring down a foe!
(Alert: Always on the lookout for danger, you gain the following benefits: You can't be surprised while you are conscious; Other creatures don’t gain advantage on attack rolls against you as a result of being unseen by you.)
Love God. Love Others. Any Questions?
Katar’s jaw tightens as he takes in the bleak wreckage of the Temple of Selûne. His eyes cold and hard, glinting as golden shards of glass, reflecting harsh imagery of death, blood and smoke. Perhaps if he left sooner, or if he hadn’t stopped on the way… but he’s not the type to dwell on the could’ve’s or would’ve’s, and he doesn’t beat himself up for meaningless things. What has been will be again, and what has been done will be done again. He’s lived long enough to know that.
Katar stops at the pair of fallen priests inside the gate, he reaches carefully with his gloved fingers to close their eyes, whispering a soft prayer to send their souls away. A tiny drop of blood sticks onto the finely-fitted silk of the glove, which he prestidigitation away without thought as he stands back up.
They are greeted by a priestess standing up beside the stained body of the shadow monk. Behind her the Moonmaiden’s alter defaced by carelessly drawn on dark paint. He looks around and asks the priestess quietly, “Are there any others in here?”
Perception: 22
“Remain outside and keep watch. Tell me if you spot anything”, Zephyryn telepathically sends to Tempest as he walks into the temple.
On entering, he sees the felled priests and hears the warning from the injured priest.
”This sacrilege cannot go unpunished”, he says defiantly. “Do not worry, we will root out any others that remain in the temple”.
With that, he walks around the room, lighting up all corners with the light of the Sun Blade. Searching for any unfriendly shadows and making sure the room is clear before looking to any internal doors.
The temple seems to be free from any further threat or damage, and the priest shows no indication of being anything but who she claims to be.
The priest--a portly half-elf with short blond hair--introduces herself as Aranthe Corasani. As she draws near to Luna, she nods her head and says, "Yes, you are the one."
Looking then toward Grim, Zephyryn, and Katar, the priest adds, "And these three as well."
Addressing all four of you, Aranthe declares, "Long has it been since such a clear vision has fallen upon me. Summoned by Selune; the Silver Lady has need of you."
Zephyryn returns from his quick recce of the room in time to hear of the vision of the priest.
"You are the second one to speak of visions", he says looking at Luna to indicate the first. "I am not sure the purpose your Silver Lady has for me. I am not a follower of hers, although she deserves my respect and attention", he says.
"But I abhor the darkness and stand against it and evil doers wherever I find them. I shall listen to your words of the vision and the purpose you have divined for my presence here amongst these other noble warriors".
He stands waiting for an explanation.
The seasoned warrior was familiar with death - but his familiarity was with violent deaths. The chaotic positioning and contortion of bodies devastated by vicious blows; the stench of blood and bowels spilled all over; the carrion-eaters covering fields of battle for the feast. Thus, he shows no emotion at the death in the temple - this was a minor event by his reckoning. Still, the deaths of innocents was a crime to be punished. And he was the bringer of order and justice.
"Tell us of your visions and the omens they foretell. There is much left to do this night if we are to keep the city from descending into the figurative darkness that the literal darkness precedes."
Love God. Love Others. Any Questions?
"Abhorring the darkness is part of the path of the wise," responds the priest to Zephyryn.
Then looking to Grim, Aranthe says, "Much to do indeed. Let me explain. Shar has taken Selûne as prisoner. The moon goddess must be alive, as the rest of her clergy and I still have access to the magic she grants them."
"You can bear witness to this fact, yes?" asks the priest of Luna. "Your magic has lost none of its potency."
Aranthe pauses for a few seconds as she takes a seat upon a nearby bench. She then continues. "The sister goddesses of the moon and darkness have always been at odds. They once famously battled above Waterdeep. Shar has finally tipped the balance in her favor. Our great fear is that the people of Faerun will turn to Shar’s worship, which means turning to evil deeds. What has happened in this temple tonight is evidence of such."
After another thoughtful pause, the priest adds, "And why is it that you four are in this place tonight? Why do I speak of my vision? The answer is simple: you are the ones--the only ones--with sufficient strength to free the Lady of Silver from her prison."
The clear blue eyes of the white-haired half-elven maiden goes wide as the priest explains the Moonmaiden is held captive by her nefarious sister. She simply nods, confirming she can still feel the divine strength on Selûne flow with every breath. She knew something was terribly wrong, but this. She had seen a lot of adventures all over the Realms but she couldn't remember ever facing such a challenge, with the fate of Faerûn in the balance. This was a quest in which failure would spell certain doom for all that she held dear. She looks to the three others, hoping for the same conviction and determination she felt coursing through her now. "We will do it, we will free the Moonmaiden out of her dark prison, we only need to know where to find her." She says, with a look of fierce determination.
A warm smile crosses Aranthe's face. "To free Selûne, you must cross into the Astral Plane and travel to Shar’s stronghold, the Towers of Night, atop the highest mountain on the plane. Fighting Shar in her stronghold would be ill-advised. There is, however, something I can provide..."
The priest rises from her bench, and with a few softly spoken words and a movement of her left hand, she removes a small section of the stone floor. She then reaches into the dark space in the floor and withdraws a net, the likes of which you have never seen. Its strands are some sort of thin, midnight blue filament, and where these filaments intersect with one another are tiny bits of gleaming light.
"The Net of Stars," she explains. "Cast it upon Shar if a struggle occurs. The starlight will blaze brilliantly, and she will be constrained. Shar will not die, but her essence will be disrupted long enough for you to free Selûne. Only once can you attempt this, however. Only once."
She holds forth the powerful artifact for you to receive it and says, "But Shar has other weaknesses too: her lust for powerful secrets...her desire to glutton herself on others' painful and irreversible losses...her voracious appetite for darkness...Maybe with one of these, a deal can be struck."
Katar listens quietly about Aranthe's vision. It sounds familiar enough, the battle between the Lady of Silver and Lady of Loss has been going on for eons, and what happened tonight can be nothing but Shar's another attack, another attempt at plunging the world into her eternal darkness. When Aranthe speaks of the Battle of Waterdeep, he says softly, "Yes, I remember that." He smiles then, as if he's confident the history will repeat itself again, "But the followers of Selûne did free her at the end."
He reaches with his silk-gloved hand to receive the starry artifact very naturally, taking in the fractured pieces of light captured within the magical strands. "That all sounds like terrible deals to make, Priestess Aranthe, but I'll keep it in mind. About traveling to the Astral Plane, I don't suppose you have a way?" He hands the Net of Stars to Luna, assuming she would like to admire it.
"I can transport you there, yes," replies the priestess to Katar. "Atop this temple tower is a ritual space that is open to the sky above. That is where I can cast the plane shift spell. I can be ready in minutes if you sense that you are ready; allow me to dress this wound first."
"Please, take your time." The red-haired cleric says, his voice low and soothing. "I'd prefer we take the night to prepare and plan before we leave; we only have on shot at this after all."
"And we are on our way to visit a scholarly friend." Katar looks at Zephyryn, raising one shapely eyebrow in question. "Perhaps he would have some insights on how to deal with Mistress of the Night?"
“Aye, that is possible. It is worth asking him at least. He may also have knowledge of how things work on the Astral Plane. I have never been personally”, Zephyryn replies.
“Having said that, the longer we tarry, the worse things could become here”.
”This spell of yours to get us to this other plane, will it be able to send Tempest, my Griffon, as well?“, he asks hopefully.
”He would not wish to miss an opportunity to help rescue a god!”.
Luna attentively listens to Aranthe and Katar, realizing the latter was around during the Time of Troubles, which of course was not surprising considering he was an elf. Luna was no stranger to negotiations but she had never imagined bargaining with her most hated enemy for the freedom of her goddess, and she couldn't see what she could conceivably have offer Shar other than her own life for what it was worth. No, negotiations would most likely only take place in order to buy time to use the Net of Stars that she now held in her hands, a weapon of legend to give pause to even a goddess. "Yes, unless we have indications there is great urgency to leave for the Towers of Night I agree with Katar, preparations will be needed in order to succeed in liberating the Moonmaiden from her imprisonment."
Aranthe sees the wisdom in waiting another day and allowing the four of you to do additional research and preparation. She confirms that transporting Tempest to the Astral Plane is possible.
"At sunset tomorrow, let us gather here again, brave heroes. I do not think I exaggerate when I say that much is at stake. Until tomorrow, may the blessings of the Moonmaiden shine upon you."
As you exit the temple, the priest begins the solemn task of addressing the gore and mess caused by Shar's servants.
<> - <> - <> - <> - <> - <> - <>
Twenty minutes later, you are sitting about a large table strewn with books and manuscripts, and Zephyryn's old gnome friend--Podimmerus--is struggling to find the right words; the possibility of a journey through the Astral Sea to Shar's domain has nearly overwhelmed the spry fellow.
"Remarkable! Unheard of!" he exclaims. "Yet...what else can be done? What other answer is there? Zeph, you've seen more than any soul I know, but this one... by the gods! This is..."
His voice trails off while he continues to shake his head in disbelief. He lights his comically-long pipe and begins to send a stream of vanilla-scented smoke toward the ceiling. He is lost in thought for a full minute before he speaks again. "What should you know about such a journey, eh? Well, here's what I can say. Mind you, nearly a century has passed since I last visited the Astral Plane, but I know a few things..."
Podimmerus speaks excitedly and often repeats himself, but in the end, you're able to compile the following notes about the Astral Plane:
Regarding Shar, Podimmerus has only a few things to say. "All stories speak of her pride, her hatred for her moonlight counterpart, and her passionate interest in things hidden and lost; those things kept in the figurative shadows of our hearts and minds; those things we'd suffer death or worse to keep others from knowing. And you can expect she won't be alone in her realm. All manner of shadow creatures call Shar master."
Grim remains stone-still during the conversations. One might assume he is bored by the scholarly discourse, or unable to keep up with the conversations. The truth, as always, was much more complicated than any of these simple assumptions. Grim was a master tactician - a true warrior who studied his enemies, and his environment, for advantages. He absorbed every detail of the discourse but revealed nothing of his own thoughts. He was committed to this quest - this trio of do-gooders obviously needed someone to make the hard decisions and exert massive force on uncomfortable leverage points in order to accomplish their objective.
He also knew that he was the one with the darkest heart, who bore secrets and regrets that perhaps a dark goddess would consider a worthy trade for her bright sister...
Love God. Love Others. Any Questions?
"And on you Aranthe." Luna says softly and bows to the priest as she leaves the temple of the Moonmaiden, following along with the blue-skinned Air Genasi to his erudite friend.
Seated at the table the white-haired half-elven maiden would listen attentively to the old gnome and to massive black warrior across from her. She had some knowledge of the Astral sea herself as she had travelled it with the staff granted her by the Moonmaiden to serve her across the planes. Still, this journey would be like no other she had ever set out on. "I should warn you all that there might be things that the Lady of Loss would seek that we should not give her, that the Moonmaiden would not want us to give her, even if the reward would be her freedom. Still, I am prepared to negotiate a deal once we have an audience with Shar herself. I'm also willing to listen to other ideas on how we should proceed, but know that I would not hesitate to lay down my life for my goddess should that choice stand before me." Luna says with firm conviction and determination in her clear blue eyes.
(If okay, Luna will cast Foresight on herself now. Also, who should carry the Net of Stars? Perhaps it should not be Luna as she will likely be better at doing other stuff.)
Zephyryn nods at Podimmerus as he details what he knows.
"Indeed I have seen much and in my experience the only way to proceed is with courage and honour. This is but another test of our resolve and fortitude. Glory awaits us in this Astral Sea, we merely have to reach out and take it", he says with conviction.
"Regardless of the outcome, we should not, can not give in to the demands of the Lady of Loss. Whether it by strength of deed or might of word, I am ready".
He stands and looks to the others.
"You mentioned preparations, what is it you need to do?".