Satisfied with her research, Rhayna finds a room to get some rest. She is just looking for a desk where she can record on her Journal all of her findings in Gravenhollow. When everything has been recorded, and she feels that she has rested enough, she will join the others for the next part of their journey.

I'm the map, I'm the map, I'm the map, I'm the map, I'm the MAP!

 I'll put a copy on the campaign page as well, for easier reference.

With the group having completed their research, they assemble again in the foyer of the library. Evidently Derendil is aware that the group are preparing to depart, and has come to bid them farewell. Huorn, the initial galeb duhr guide is also present, as is Veldyskar the basilisk who first greeted them. Vizeran waits there patiently, although he is clearly eager to complete the ritual as soon as possible, and to commence the search. What are thy intentions, then? he asks. I have agreed to accompany thee for a time, so choose well for which of the objectives thou most needs my help.

You now have one more option of transport, which is allowing Kleve the death slaad to plane-shift everyone. Vizeran says that Kleve will need to first travel from the current location to the Astral Plane, wait until his ability recharges, and then return to the Material Plane at the destination location. So this method is not as instantaneous as the teleport helm, but is more reliable and can therefore potentially save time in unnecessary travel if the destination is missed (as well as irritating distractions like getting caught between a mind flayer colony and a demon lord). Kleve's Plane Shift may be preferable for locations that haven't previously been visited, as familiarity with the destination is not a factor. However, the Helm may be preferable for familiar locations, as the risk of mishap is relatively low and the travel is instantaneous. Having two options also provides a quick means of escape if the location is in any way inhospitable.

Pax considers, “We should drop Vizeran off at his tower and pursue the purple worm near his tower after. So, that leaves either the maze or the beholder first. I suggest we pursue the maze first. It seems the best chance to find the most things at once. I suggest we attempt to teleport. It’s instant and if we fail we can plane shift and try again more slowly. Seems to make the most logical sense to me. Anyone else have any other thoughts?”

"Sounds good." Sekkar did not have preferences who to hunt first, each future enemy was quite dangerous.

Kaylyn considers for a moment their options.

"If Vizeran is willing to aid us in one of these ventures the most difficult that we could use his help with would be entering the labyrinth and getting the heart of a goristro and the angel wings.  That or entering Menzoberranzan to collect the grimoires.  But he says he has no contacts there and is banished so that may not be the best option."  She thinks again.

"What I propose is this. Vizeran accompany and aid us in entering the labyrinth.  Kleve the death slaad can plane-shift everyone there.  It is the most unknown and the greatest risk.  While Kleve scouts the location to get us safely there we use Rhayna's spell scroll to request aid from her god.  If we get the feathers that way then one less thing to do in the labyrinth. The thirteen timmasks can hopefully be found in the labyrinth or the wormwrithings. We then travel to his tower when done in the labyrinth. Kleve can get us there quickly.  Once at the tower we are closer to both Menzoberranzan and the Wormwrithings to collect the other items as needed.  We will be familiar with his tower location and can teleport there as needed with minimal risk to ourselves."

She looks around at the others for counterarguments.

"Is this workable Vizeran, will you aid us in the Labyrinth?"

Pax nods, “Yup. Pretty much what I suggested, though perhaps explained a touch better. And removing the teleport attempt and just going the plane shift way, which seems fine. Very well. Rhayna, Kirin, does this plan work for you? “

Rhayna exists her room when she is done recording all of her findings into her Journal. She hasn't changed much, besides that the Cleric looks refreshed now, and satisfied that she was able to find everything that she needed to find. After Kaylyn goes over her suggest course of action. "Works for me! I am ready when everyone is ready. Perhaps if we are able to find a large enough patch of mushroom, once we are in the Labirinth, I might be able to locate the timmasks faster."

Vizeran agrees to the proposed plan, and the group depart the library of Gravenhollow, wistfully hoping they have used their time there wisely. Derendil follows them as far as the front door, and is the last face that can be seen as the large heavy doors close, his arm raised in a final farewell, but his countenance happy and content. The two huge statues flanking the doors look down expressionless at the group, their silence matched by the surrounding cavern...

Well then, says Vizeran, breaking the silence, what is our destination?

You can nominate a location within the Labyrinth, and Kleve will attempt to plane-shift there.

(Sorry peeps, but I have a rather busy weekend on, so might not be very active online.)

Oh, another thing... Almost forgot...

Having found the library of Gravenhollow, having encountered yet another demon lord (Grazzt), and having learned from Vizeran DeVir the requirements for banishing the demon lords back to the Abyss... the party have enough experience to advance to Level 11.

Congrats.

"I believe the Gallery of Angels would be an ideal starting point. We can obtain the angel feather then start on the rest," Kirin proposes as a starting point. 

Pax shrugs, “As good a place to start as any…” she speaks with a faint cluelessness, not knowing that the maze was big enough for more than one “place” to be there. (Also….woohooo!!)

(Hurray to level!)

So be it - the labyrinth. Sekkar nodded to Derendil one last time, glanced at the library once more (Derendil here was the only thing he regretted to never see again) and prepared to teleportation.

"Well, we were going to have Rhayna beseech her god for aid from a celestial angel to get us the feathers by using a spell scroll she has.  If that fails then the gallery would be a good place to start."  She turns to Rhayna.  "Are you ready to try that?" 

As soon as Rhayna leaves Gravenhollow, she doesn't realize it, but her obsession starts to creep back, but it is interrupted when Kaylyn asks her if she is ready to use the scroll.

"Ohh yes!! Of course!! The spell.. Oh right, it will take 10 minutes. Please give me some time." She takes the scroll from her backpack. "One thing though. Regardless of what is summoned, I would rather that you guys do the talking..."

She sits on the cavern floor cross legged, take out the Stonespeaker Crystal, and lays it in front of her. She will actually first cast Commune (using a spell slot instead of a ritual). "Dear Selune, I am deeply sorry for requesting your guidance so often, but these are trying times, and we need all the help that we can get. My question is. I am about to summon a celestial. Can you send us a feathered winged Angel? We hope that it will aid us deal with the demonic invasion besieging our world."

(If the answer to the spell above it yes, Rhayna will continue to perform the Planar Ally requesting Selune to send them an Angel.)

As soon as Rhayna exits the library and again comes in contact with the ripples of faerzress surrounding the library, she gets a faint nagging feeling, a soft pressure in her mind, like a familiar voice calling from a far distance. But there isn't time to investigate it further, as the question comes up of whether Rhayna can convince Selune to send an angel.

Casting her first spell, Rhayna feels a gentle touch in her mind that confirms that the boon she seeks will be granted. Eagerly drawing out the precious scroll, Rhayna reads the script with pounding heart. Just as the final words are pronounced, a soft light begins to fill the cavern, which gradually coalesces and forms into a slender humanoid shape. In a moment, a beautiful, feminine creature with long, blue hair, and skin of pearly white stands within the light. Her body seems composed of moonlight and fire. She is surrounded by an aura of moonlight, and it glows brighter in her eyes, her hair and the tips of her fingers, and around her hands float sparkling motes of light, like twinkling stars. Rhayna has heard of such creatures from the clergy of the temple, but never seen one. It is a sliver - an angelic messenger from the Moonmaiden.

The sliver speaks and her voice penetrates the soul like a beam of light refracting through water: I am Asteraoth, servant of the seven Shards who reside always before the face of the Moonmaiden. She has heard thy petition and they have sent me to aid thee, Rhayna Nursk, and thy companions. But know this: although the danger is great indeed, Selune cannot intervene directly to aid thee. For the Underdark is the realm of Shar, her sister and eternal enemy, and should Selune show thee open favor, Shar would, out of spite, turn her strength against thee to thy ruin.

The demon lords grow ever stronger. With each passing day, the ritual ye seek to cast will require more and more power, until it is beyond the reach of mortals. What is sufficient today is tomorrow found wanting. The three feathers ye require must be from three different angels. I can provide ye with one. Seek the Gallery for the remaining two, but beware for they are all condemned and some are vengeful. And with that, a magnificent pair of pure white feathery wings suddenly appears behind the angel, which unfurl and stretch out across the cave. The angel reaches up with one hand and plucks a single feather from one wing, then holds it out to Rhayna's trembling hand. Then the moonlight surrounding the angel begins to dissipate and soon the creature fades from view and the cavern is dark once more.

At first, Rhayna is relieved that her question is answered, then she proceeds to read the spell scroll. She figured that for such a trivial request, the Goddess would just send any Angel to fulfill it, but she is totally not prepared for what slowly appearing in front of her. Since her major study subject was not about Celestials, she has only heard of regarding the angelic beings called Slivers, but she never had an opportunity to study them herself. Though, she knew immediately what she had summoned when she saw the unmistakable blue hair, and moonlight and fire skin. Tears started to stream freely from her eyes, for the Cleric of Selune could not believe that her Goddess would send one of her personal servants upon her request. She is crying so much that the tears are starting to clog her spectacles, but the Cleric is too afraid to move, so she tries her best to look at the most beautiful creature she has ever seen through the foggy and wet lenses.

When the angelic being starts to speak, is like she is enveloped by the most lovely angelic voice. When Asteraoth mentions her own name, she tries her hardest for her body not to start shaking uncontrollably. She cannot conceive that the Seven Shards would have known of her. Then, when the sliver summons her wings, it's like her body is jolted by a great thunderbolt, for she also never would have thought that she would be able to witness such thing in her lifetime. Finally, when Rhayna is handed the angelic feather, she receives it with both hands, then she bows low, and thanks Asteraoth for her aid. Then just like when the angelic being arrived, she is gone.

Rhayna takes a moment to collect herself, making sure that the feather is not sullied in any form. She takes a small pouch from her bag, deposits the Celestial feather inside, and closes it, making sure that the object inside is unmarred. She slowly gets up, and walks to Vizeran, and hands him the pouch. "Did you say that we are supposed to acquire feathers from different angels?"

Pax witnesses this exchange, shrouded in shadows. The light from the angelic being beats at her shadows. Strange emotions stir in her as she watches Rhayna receive the gift. Jealousy at the creatures beauty, anger that the goddess would not do more, anger that Shar is surrendering her domain to the demons, questions about the presumed altruistic nature of angels given her expanded openness about good and evil. These thoughts swirl through her mind, but outwardly she just watches the exchange with slight awe. For some reason the final departure leaves her with a more mixed feeling about the Drow. The angels knew what was going on. They knew what they needed, and they were leaving the mortals to stop a horde of demons. With a final hiss she she turns to Vizeran. "Very well. To the maze we go. Someone must do what needs be done." 

Sekkar just shrugged. Semuanya never helped his creations - if you can not help yourself, you are not worthy of attention, and if you can - you don't need it. So, they had to find a couple of different angels. He smelled the air and listened to his feelings memorizing the sensation of angelic presence - if there were some angels in the labyrinth, he would track them down. Hopefully, before time's up.

Vizeran is noticeably uncomfortable in the presence of the angel, and seems relieved when it is gone, muttering: Behold the impotence of the gods. Nonetheless, he receives the pouch from Rhayna and replies to her question with a sigh: I did not. This is new information to me. Three feathers from a single angel should have been sufficient. My information was correct at the time, but... I searched only the archives of the present. Perhaps in my haste to enact the plan, I overlooked the effect of dynamic increase in demonic entrenchment, and should have consulted the future archives also. It may be that other requirements may change. He pauses for a moment to think, then continues: All the more reason not to delay, and to take every opportunity to strengthen our hand where we may. Kleve! We must away!

The drow mage signals for everyone to gather in a circle, and then a telepathic message from the slaad sounds in everyone's mind (even through the telepathy the creature has a gurgly voice) to link hands. There is a moment of awkwardness as no-one seems willing to hold Kleve's hand, but with Vizeran on Kleve's left, Kirin steps into the space on the right. Just moments before Kleve activates his magic, Vizeran says: I take it thou has all travelled to the Astral Plane before, but just in case thou forgets - if thou sees something, don't think about it! And with that cryptic warning sounding in everyone's ears, the world disappears...

Everyone finds themselves adrift in an endless silver sea. Soft gray clouds move slowly in the distance, while strange, slender, dark streaks twist violently through the sky, anchored in ends so distant they can't be perceived, their middle parts revolving angrily like pieces of string rolled between a child’s fingertips. Looking down to see what is supporting them, nothing can be seen but more of the strange pearly sky beneath the feet and all around. Floating throughout the void are patches of color, flickering or spinning in the emptiness, but without a proper frame of reference it is hard to tell if they are small objects just out of arm's reach or giant colossi at an impossible distance. And like a soft breeze blowing past, stray thoughts pass into the mind and out again. These thoughts don't originate from one's own mind, but are unfamiliar, sometimes alien, some pleasant and some loathsome, but they touch only vaguely and briefly and then move on. Vizeran mildly announces: Kleve must now rest, and I shall also. Do what you will but don't wander off. And with that he closes his eyes and simply floats in place, while the slaad curls up into a ball and remains motionless.

You are adrift on the Astral Plane. What do you do?