Aelina's song, soft as it was, rung out clearly in the night sky.  She felt the magic swell up inside her, take root in the song she sung, and then sail forth.  When it reached its destination, it exploded into tiny winking motes of light, such as a hooded lantern with hundred of tiny pinprick holes in the hood, often used to lull small children to sleep.

The two bowmen staggered for a step, then dropped to one knee, before laying down their bows and curling up on the beach.  If was impossible to see at this distance what the guard captain was doing, but his voice range out.  "Get up you lazy fools!  They're getting away!  You down there -- don't try to swim out to them -- you think you're going to catch up while they're rowing?  Bloody shoot them!"

Aelina could see just at the edge of her darkvision -- the two guardsman on shore thrust their spears into the sand, and drew longbows, aimed and loosed.

ROLL: Guard 3 rolled 13 using 2d20+1 with disadvantage (dark) ((12,15)).
ROLL: Guard 4 rolled 6 using 2d20+1 with disadvantage (dark) ((5, 12)).

Both arrows splashed into the water a fair distance away from either boat.

Ayrron looked on as the spell took effect and smiled. "I wonder if i could make something that had a simular effect....maybe certain frequencies -" He stopped talking and shook his head, frowning. "Focus Ayrron, Focus!"

Vailin was relieved to see Aelina using a non-damaging method of thwarting their pursuit.  Even though the guards were shooting at them he honestly couldn't fault them in their duty.  He continued his brisk rowing pace, hoping to get them out of bowshot range before someone was forced to make a permanent decision.

OLL: Guard 3 rolled 8 using 2d20+1 with disadvantage (dark) ((7,8)).
ROLL: Guard 4 rolled 7 using 2d20+1 with disadvantage (dark) ((6, natural 20)).

Two more arrows winged out from the darkness of the shore as Valik and Vailin pulled on their oars with powerful strokes.  Both arrows splashed harmlessly into the water, and then the little boats were out beyond any hope of eyesight -- even Aelina's darkvision could no longer make out the distant shore.

Thunder rolled to the east of them, back towards Solace.  Goldmoon looked up to the sky, and gasped.  "The stars," she breathed, her voice one of someone who does not understand what they are seeing.

OOC: Perception vs DC:10 to see what she sees.  Advantage if you have proficiency in survival.

Ayrrton stood up and smiled as they got out of eyeshot of the men. "Couldn't hit the ass of a tarrasque if it sat on them." she said, slapping Valik on the shoulder.

He hear the woman gasp, and frowned, then looked to the sky.  All color drained from his face as he realized what he was looking at. "Oh.....not good, not good at all!"

He looked at Valik. "Get us to shore.....now." He looked at teh other boat. "Vailin...follow us, and quick." He pointed up.

"....there are stars missing from the sky"

"What -- back the way we came?!" Goldmoon said in alarm.  "Surely they will be waiting for us?!"

The kender shook his head. "No....forward. Maybe tehre is an island ahead, if not, we put ashore on the otehr side a way."

He looked at the elf. "...you see what i do?" He asked

Vailin did not respond to Ayrron's 'suggestions' though he did envision giving the kender another shove.  He kept rowing strongly away from shore.  They needed to break sight range as well as bow range before they could consider changing course.  He spared a glance at Valik but kept his boat moving at a swift steady pace.

At the kender warning, the half elf looked to what he was describing, while also looking for some sort of shore they could use.

Today: Secret Roll: Aelina rolled 16 using 1d20+3 with rolls of 13.  perception.

Thunder cracked and then rolled to the east, and storm clouds began obscuring the sky (and the missing constellations).  Fat raindrops began to fall, promising a torrential downpour to come.

OOC: You guys are out on Crystalmir Lake.  It's a very large lake to the west of Solace.  The road runs alongside the the lakeshore north and south.  To the west of the lake are the Sentinel Peak mountains.  You would all know there are caves you could shelter in for the night.  The road north leads up and through the Sentinel Peak mountains, then down towards Haven and Qualinesti.  The road south leads to Gateway, then to you could divert west towards Haven, or continue south to New Ports.

Valik glanced up at the stars, seeing that they were pin-pricks of light just as they always had been. Whatever it was Goldmoon had seen, it surely could not have been so urgent as arrows being loosed at them. "Rusting blades! I'm rowing as quickly as the water and oars allow. If you w-" Valik paused the rowing long enough to spare a glance back at the kender, then up to the sky again, "What do you mean, 'the stars are gone'? They're right there." Valik jerked his chin up toward the sky, having no idea why in the world Arryon could not see what was right in front of his face.

Valik glanced at Vailin as he continued to pull the oars. He kept his voice low, knowing it would carry in the stillness and quiet of the night, "The rain will slow them, give us more time time. We'll take shelter in the caves, and wait out the storm. They have no hope of catching up to us on foot. Haven is the seat of Seekers' power, and must be avoided. The elves of Qualinost would likely turn us away, if not kill us outright for stepping foot into their woods. We can decide once we've reached the shelter of the caves."


12:19, Today: Valik rolled 4 using 1d20+2.  Perception

The kender remained silent, but just nodded at Valik's words....he was deep in thought as he looked at Goldmoon

...she may have some answers.

The promised storm rolled in quickly, turning from a gentle scattering to a steady drizzle within minutes.  Valik and Vailing continued to row the boats, heading for the western edge of Crystalmir Lake.  By the time they'd reach the half-way point, that steady drizzle had progressed into a torrential downpour.  Water streamed in everyone's faces, thunder shook the sky directly overhead, and lightning flashed between the clouds.  Everyone was drenched and looked rather pitiful by the time Valik found a cave with an opening far enough from the lake to be safe from any floods, yet low enough that they wouldn't have to climb up wet rocks to reach it.

With some difficulty, the five of you dragged the rowboats into the mouth of the cave, where they acted as something of a shield from the wind and rain.

The cave was deep and dark, but had clearly been used many times in the past -- a fire circle was already laid out, with stones marking the border to keep any fire contained.

OOC: What would you like to do?

Aelina wore her cloak when the rain started, trying to shelter the others as she could without causing instability in the boat. When Valik found the cave with its fire circle she chimed in "If we can hide the light from a fire from the entrance of the cave, I can light it. I do not see any firewood in here. If someone has some torches we can use that for a starter to get some heat, but it will not replace logs. I do not have any."

Ayrron was quiet the whole trip in the boat, and even the walk up to the cave, despite him slipping.  the odd glance skyward and to Goldmoon was indications of any other movement. You had never seen a kender (And especially Ayrron) so focused and quiet - perhaps his time away had given him a new focus that most kender did not have, but you believe the night's actions was to blame.

When he got there, he began pacing, mumbling to himself as he paced back and fourth. When Aelina spoke, he looked up, and nodded, reaching into the pack, removed a bundle of torches, then began again to pace.

it was minutes, when he stopped, and looked at Goldmoon. "What do you know? What in the nine hells can blot out stars - constelations from the sky in one night? Two of them."

He looked at her and sat down. He saw the confusion on their faces, and shook his head. Do none of you study....really!" He pointed to the roof of the cave. "Tonight there were two constellations missing, several stars all at once.  The two known as 'the shining warrior' and 'the queen of darkness'."

He looked at the woman. "Finding you, the staff and now this - they are bound to be connected. Now, Goldmoon, tell us what you know."

Valik looked Arryon the same as he would an annoying, drunk friend who felt the need to run their mouth. "She holds a staff, so clearly she's responsible for you not being able to see some stars? I would need to be nine tankards in before that logic started to make any sense. You made fire shoot from a stick earlier. Maybe it's your fault, hmm?"

Damn kender imaginations. "She's the one who brought the stars to your attention in the first place, and she was even more surprised than you. Maybe a few arrows and some time on the water have rattled your wits."

Goldmoon shook her head and sat on one of the stones around the makeshift firepit.  "I... am not a teller of tales." she looked over at Aelina.

"But if your friend here will play, I can sing..."

When Aelina had taken out her lute, the plainswoman began to sing softly, her rich voice filling the cave, the rain outside acting as a screen to keep the performance intimate.  Her voice was melancholic and raw with emotion.

"The grasslands are endless, and summer sings on,
And Goldmoon the princess loves a poor man's son.
Her father the Chieftain, makes long roads between them.
The grasslands are endless, and summer sings on."

The grasslands are waving, thesky's rim is grey.
The Chieftain sends Rinverwind east and away.
To search for strong magic, at the lip of the morning
The grasslands are waving, the sky's rim is grey.

O Riverwind, where have you gone?!
O Riverwind, Autumn comes on.
I sit by the river and look to the sunrise
But the sun rises over the mountains alone."

Goldmoon's voice broke for a moment, but she gathered herself and sang on.

The grasslands are fading, the summer wind dies.
He comes back, the dark of stones in his eyes.
He carries a blue staff, as bright as a glacier.
The grasslands are fading, the summer wind dies.

The grasslands are fragile, as yellow as flame.
Chieftain makes mockery of Riverwind's claim
He orders the people to stone the young warrior
The grasslands are fragile, as yellow as flame.

The grasslands are faded, Autumn is here.
The princess joins her lover, the stones whistle near.
The staff flares with blue light, the girl she does vanish
The grasslands are faded, Autumn is here.

O Riverwind, where have you gone?!
O Riverwind, Winter comes on.
I sit by the river and look to the sunrise
But the sun rises over the mountains alone."

When her song was finished, Goldmoon took the staff in her hands and stared at it as if were the answer to all her prayers -- or the source of all her nightmares.  "My father never wanted Riverwind to return.  I was a goddess among my people, and he was far beneath me.  His family were nearly outcasts -- they refused to accept the divinity of my family's line, and held to some old forgotten gods.  When Riverwind sought my father's blessing to court me, he set him an impossible task: the quest forth and return with proof of his old gods."

"He was gone for many weeks.  When he returned, he was feverish and deranged, speaking of a sunken city at the edge of the world, and death on black wings.  He collapsed at the edge of our camp.  Even in his state, he held tight on the staff and would not release it.  I nursed him back to health.  When he was well, he presented the staff to my father as proof of the old gods.  He said a blue woman had given him the staff, cured his wounds with it, and bade him carry it out of the sunken city."

"My father commanded the staff to do something.  Anything which would prove Riverwind's claim.  Nothing happened.  Incensed, believing that Riverwind was making a fool of him, My father ruled the young warrior an outcast, and ordered he be stoned to death.  I... I could not let this happen.  As they began to throw stones, I ran out to Riverwind his staff in my hand.  As I reached him, a rock struck my temple.  I fell.  There was a blinding flash of blue light, and when I came to, I was in the forest, being chased by goblins!"

Ayrron ignored Valik's claims, but instead focused on the woman with an even glare.  The gaze softened to one of pity and sorrow as she sang and spoke of her tale, and he sat there listening.

Ayrron was not one to believe the old gods - his beliefs were in what he made. Peolle claimed what he did was a mockery of magic, but it proved that even a man (or in this case, a kender) could do the impossible.

But what this woman spoke of gave him thought. Goldmoon's lover went out for proof of the gods, and came back, and even if it didn't work for goldmoon's father, it may have for Goldmoon.

He scratched his neck. "You said you come from an ancient divine line - how so?"

Vailin remained close to the cave's edge, though still within earshot.  The cave was the most logical place for the Seekers to look for them and he wasn't convinced they'd abandon the hunt, even for bad weather.  They wanted the staff and they would come for it.  The question was, did they have any right to it.  If Goldmoon's story was true then they likely had no rightful claim.

He caught Vailik's eye.  "The storm is unlikely to discourage them. If we remain we will need to be on the move before first light.  I'll take first watch."

Goldmoon shrugged.  "It has always been the way among my people," she said.  "For generations, our tribe has accepted its leaders as gods and goddesses.  While my father lives, he is the embodiment of Tso'hanoa'i, the god of the sun.  When his mortal shell passes on, that divine radiance will pass to me, and I will become the embodiment of Ton'enil'i, the goddess of the rain.  So it has always been, and so we have always believed."

"Riverwind -- he saw me differently, as no one else had.  Not as a goddess-to-be, but as a woman."

Ayrron sat down and sighed, taking out some tools and metal, and absently tinkering. "People sometimes can't see the truth of a person, only what is expected of them." The kender smiled, holding his hands out wide. I'm a good example of that....My race is known to be less morale and light of finger with belongings."

He shrugged. "...and while that is mostly true, there are kneder who are beyond that. My aunt was a healer, using herbs and liquids. She lived a simple life and never took from anyone - in fact she would heal a poor person just so they could live. She once went hungry for days after giving the last of her food to some orphans." He began tinkering again.

"Now....i'm not saying i've taken things that don't belong to me, because i have. But i have a code - never take from someone who is in need.....the poor or the workers. The most i have taken is food, morsels at best."

He fell silent as he worked. "it wasn't always the way, but since i met Master Grannak, he taught me that making something is far more enriching than taking it."

He held up his hand, a small crystal cube with what looked like metal and a green liquid. He smiled as he tapped it, a soft green light coming from it. "I feel for you, but if that staff has a link to the old gods, then the fact it moved you means you too may have some divine blood, and it chose you." He sighed.

"....i think you may be what we've been looking for."

"I had intended to take the staff to Haven," Goldmoon said.  "To seek the council of the wise men there.  Now, I am not sure what to do with it."

After the unlikely duo's song, Aelina started a small fire with the torches provided and magic. It wasn't much but it did cut some of the humidity off the atmosphere. Ayrron animated the discussion and she smiled when he told Goldmoon about the kindly old gnome that had trained him. She had some lessons from him too, but her talent proved to be elsewhere.

"I have learned how to determine the magical properties of an object, if you will allow me, we could know now what Riverwind found"

With her permission, ritual cast identify on the staff
This message was last edited by the player at 09:02, Fri 05 May 2023.

Ayrron looked at Goldmoon and nodded. "I can't speak for the otehrs, but whatever you do, i will help how i can."

She looked at Aelina and nodded. "If you can, it may help, but be careful - it sounded like the staff was a bit unpredictable."

The spell was one of the more difficult ones a new mage was taught at the Tower.  As Aelina examined the staff, she hummed a tune, feeling how the magic within the staff resonated, felt how the music wrapped itself around the staff, how it vibrated in harmony -- and how and where it clashed discordantly.  The process was lengthy, and intense, and in the end, she wasn't sure whether her answers reassured her, or gave her more cause for concern.
This message was last edited by the GM at 16:53, Fri 05 May 2023.