In the Shadow of Mother’s Wings

With the council dismissing the group, they waited at the stairs of the palace, discussing things amongst each other. Meicoril announced that she’d be travelling with her brothers at sea and said her goodbyes. After a while, a councilmember, Xarron Whirlwind came out and asked whether he could speak to Alruna. Alruna followed him into some mix of a working chamber and a grove. Whilst she was there, it seemed as if Sina left the building. Except for the strong yellow accents and yellow eyes. He spoke to Tara, telling her it was time for her date. (The price for safe Banishment during 33: Hunter and Prey.)

At that point, Sador and Arthur left they decided to go to the temple of Torm, having been informed that there was some information waiting for them.

Xarron didn’t waste too much time getting to the point, he was reasonably certain that Alruna was the daughter of a/the Phoenix and tried to get Alruna to admit as much. The happenings at the temple of Mystra were wat put him on her trail (30: A Soap As Old As Time.) That said, there was a problem, phoenixes are infertile. Unfortunately Alruna herself wasn’t entirely clear on what happened, so they summoned her father to further illuminate what happened.

When …. arrived Alruna made use of the interrogation to learn more about her mother herself, since her father had always remained silent of the subject.

Turns out that her mother and father loved each other a lot, but her mother was unable to conceive children, something both really wanted. So they turned to someone who was able to grant wishes and asked for a wish. The wish was granted and Alruna’s mother soon became pregnant with her. However, when she gave birth she quickly fell into unrest, ultimately falling prey to her wanderlust and leaving them in honeykeep. The rest, as they say, is history.

Now they had a lead, finally, the Dorei Laton. Unfortunately, from the Infinite Chasm that lied demons were rising in large numbers, so it stood to reason that the Dorei Laton would soon be besieged. And it wasn’t known where Aym and Kerkad were, though presumably still in search of the Phoenix.

In the meanwhile Sador and Arthur walked towards the temple of Torm. It had turned out that the girl that he saved during the Fires of Liberation as those events would later be known was an old lover of his, Griselda Bridestar. Fortunately, his timely intervention ensured that she managed to survive. When they arrived at the temple they were greeted by Reyna Tornwood, who had auspicious tidings. Anoxis, the demon Sador had been tasked in bringing back to Hell had been signaled, leading a gaggle of demons. He was spotted close to the Infinite Chasm that lies next to the Dorei Laton.

When returning to the agreed place though, they got bad news, the fires had greatly affected the Valyrian Manor, heavily damaging it, though there were no casualties. Furthermore, the Valyrians had lost their seat to the council in the light of the murder of the Listrids. With no place to go to, Arthur asked whether he could count on place to sleep for the night.

Once there, Barald took Sador aside, and told him that, regrettable as the fate of the young Valyrian was, this may be the perfect occasion for the traditionally distrusted house Helvegen to rise to prominence. A political union between Helvegens marriageable son and Griselda Bridestar, combined with a bid of the Bridestars to replace the Valyrians on the council (as closest relatives to the wronged Listrids) might be opportune.

In the entertainment district the King took Tara to the Golden Goose, and from there reality shifted slightly, when entering what should have been a guest room upstairs left them entering a gazebo, floating over the city. In a majestic display, the city  was in a darkened sky, with the fires that were still burning in the city serving as little candles in the dark.

There was  only one set of tableware at the table, and the King made certain Tara had some food and alcoholic drinks. With Tara clearly expected to take the lead in the conversation she started off with some inquiries. First and foremost: saving everyone is easy. She just has to sacrifice another she cares for to take her place. If she does, everyone driven insane by her performance would be healed. Simple enough, isn’t it?

After tormenting Tara with some more visions, and trying to prove how her truthseeker persona is but a hypocrite persona  he clarified his own position in the universe. He told Tara a flatly heretical truth: the Gods are merely powerful mortals, ascended from and anchored by the beliefs of their followers. He himself is timeless, older than the universe and the Prime Material plane is the most interesting thing to happen in ages, and Tara, after her tribute to him, was the perfect lens through which to corrupt this world, which for him would constitute a source of nourishment.

That these truths were things that Tara couldn’t be honest about to others, lest she’d be taken as more insane (or dangerous) than she already was was probably a nice side benefit.

Luckily, all bad things come to an end, and as such, Tara was finally released on the roof of the Golden Goose.

After catching up with the others to see where they’d meet (tomorrow morning, Golden Goose,) she went to see Sina, starting a rather rocky conversation. After that, she went to the temple of Mystra, and to push away the worries of the day, she started to experiment with the better Weave Crystal in the Staff of Swarming Insects.