February 24th, 2024
Bellum, Ignis 29th, 1194
Tharivol visits us in the morning and is interested in what we were doing on two specific dates. The first is Ignis 11th, our first night back from the Plane Out of Time. On this day the prophecy paths on the calendar began to diverge. The second is Ignis 26th, our first day back in Ironwald Downs. On this day the calendar suddenly went silent.
We get a message delivered about our meeting with Judge of the Eye Balefrost tomorrow. Another message is delivered about our meeting concerning speaking with the dead tonight at the Temple of Enchantment (Adira).
Later in the evening, we make our way to the Temple of Enchantment. Coyle, a Holder of the Blue Key, meets with us, looks over our questions, and will deliver them to the caster. We are then ushered to a nice waiting room with many other priests. The churches of Avarra, Barnabas, Breen, Madri, Nissa, and Sarama are all represented. Sigmund and Graynor engage in light conversation with the others while we wait. Later on Coyle returns and takes us to a different small waiting room and we are informed of the results of the questioning; not all of our questions could be answered.
- Both replied no to our divine spark questions.
- Neither know anything about the vessel/obelisk that they fell out of.
- The illithid worships an unknown entity; the dragon worships Sarama.
- The illithid is from the plane/planet Prismeus; the dragon didn’t give a legitimate answer.
- The illithid works for an elder brain; the dragon said Thundercaller, which is likely himself.
- The illithid died in battle at a place called the Hallow Vale; the dragon didn’t give a legitimate answer.
- The illithid and dragon didn’t know or wouldn’t talk about Kaajh’Kaalbh.
We are then given a chance to inspect Lukas’s gear; a priest of Barnabas and Sarama are also present. The gear includes the Thunderstrike Duo, a +2 pistol, elemental bullets, and a +2 dex belt. There is nothing else interesting about the gear. As we leave, the priest of Sarama (Cleric of the Eye Moonriser) asks which piece of gear interests Ralzer the most–to which he replies the Thunderstrike Duo.
Iustitia, Ignis 30th, 1194
Our meeting with the Judge of the Eye is today. Balefrost knows a bit about Stormrift’s work in fighting Kaajh’Kaalbh and says that the best way to fight him is to keep him from arriving. The mindstone dagger would have been strong enough to grab his attention, but something else could still be generating interest for him; maybe the mythic spark? He assures us that Ziggs is still working for Kaajh’Kaalbh and that removing the heralds may prevent him from arriving. He looks through Ty’s book and asks about the group that besieged the monastery; the pages have been slowly going blank for about a month now. We mention how we may investigate the star god cult in the western marshes of Halbrook and Balefrost says that he may be able to provide transportation.
After our meeting, we discuss our next course of action. We decide to visit the Hallowed Cliff monastery, since it’s not too far and we may find information on mythic power; it’ll be 8.5 days of travel.
Mors, Lux 1st, 1194
During travel, we finally identify Tolm’s staff–it only functions for followers of Kaajh’Kaalbh.
Forte, Lux 5th, 1194
Graynor had a strange dream, similar to the one when he wasn’t able to wake up when we were on the Plane Out of Time.
Vita, Lux 9th, 1194
We arrive at the Hallowed Cliff monastery at about noon; it’s been almost 7 months since Ty was last here. There’s about half as many people around as when she was here last. Ty’s family is still alive, so she has a reunion.
We ask around about the night of the attack. The assailants did not spend much time here, but they did kill everyone they came across. They were dressed as mercenaries, but were clearly much more regimented than that. They took several older books with them.
We visit the library and find that among the stolen books are subjects on the founding cities, the outer planes, the nobility of Ironwald Downs, Vallyn, and Halbrook, and many old books on arcana. Ty checks the remaining books in those sections, but none have Architect writing.
We get a book on Blackstone’s research into mythic power. One way to gain mythic power is to become a mortal herald. Unlike a deity’s true heralds—ancient and powerful extraplanar beings (such as pit fiends and solars) who live only to serve—a mortal herald has the free will and basic nature necessary to inspire others to act, for good or for ill, with that deity’s will in mind. If someone manages to gain a deity’s attention and proves their worth to said deity, that deity may visit them—appearing in person or in her dreams, teleporting her to its domain, and so on. The deity may then make them an offer to become a mortal herald. For a non-mythic person, this is a moment of ascension; for one already mythic, this could be at the end of a trial that grants another tier. This offer is not made lightly or with subterfuge. Deities watch carefully before choosing a mortal herald, for investing such power also means creating a new liability if the mortal is not up to the challenges ahead.
The benefits of being a mortal herald vary from deity to deity, and are personal: a gift of a powerful relic, recognition from worshipers that you are a direct conduit to the deity, access to some of the deity’s ability, and so on. However, there are drawbacks to being a mortal herald as well: the god’s ever-watchful eye is on you, as you hold a portion of its presence; foes of that deity can also recognize you as a direct conduit; and your soul is undeniably your deity’s in the afterlife. The trials capable of garnering a deity’s attention are both harrowing and personal to that deity. Accomplishing such a trial usually puts one in the good graces of that deity while also earning them the enmity of those who oppose that god or goddess. Not every trial necessarily results in the subject becoming a mortal herald, as the deities show gratitude in a number of cryptic and mysterious ways.
We visit the headmaster, who is unaware of the writing in Ty’s book and cannot see it. In private he confides that a surviving guard was able to see a tattoo of a dagger dripping blood on one of the assailants; this is a symbol of Uunas.