The Shadowfell - Plane of Shadows
The party plus Korrin take a seat at the table and within moments the far corner of the room grows darker as shadows flow from the walls and coalesce into a slim, black and purple humanoid figure of shadow with a large pair of black wings.
Gavin OOC: a bit on the nose don’t you think?
She materializes a book in her hand and sets in on the table, along with her staff. She takes a seat at the head of the table.
???: “First time in the Shadowfell?”
Gregor: “Actually, you know, I’ve been a planning a trip for a while just haven't been able to make it yet.”
???: “Yes… well I’m sure you have many questions for me.”
Gregor: “No we asked him all the questions. Let’s just skip to the answers.”
The figure pauses, the opens her book and starts searching within it.
Gavin: “I have a question. Do you know him?” (meaning Gregor)
???: “Do I know him? No, but I do know of him.”
Khadgar: “What do you know of him?”
???: “I know the deity from where he got his powers.”
Khadgar: “You knew or currently know the deity?”
???: She pauses and considers her answer. “I know the deity.”
Khadgar: to Gregor, “You never killed any god!”
Moana: “You’re a fraud!”
Gregor: “Uhm, I’m pretty sure I did.”
???: “Yes… it seems many people have taken an interest in him and the people he once was associated with.”
Gregor: “Well I’m glad they are taking notice.”
???: “Do you have any other questions for me”
Gavin: “Yeah, I have a question. And I mean this is the most respectful way possible: Why are we here?”
???: “I figured we’d get to this quickly. You...”
Khadgar: “Wait! What’s your name?”
Thyrena: “You may address me as Thyrena.”
Gavin does not recognize this name. Either it is a fake name, a new person, or someone who has lived in the shadows very very well.
Party OOC: “So not the Raven Queen. Or a servant of the Raven Queen, or it is her under a false name. Got it.”
Khadgar: “Cool. Uh, could you take of the mask though?”
Gregor: “Yeah it’s hard to read people if we can’t see their face. “ gesturing to her mask
Thyrena: shifts uncomfortably… “but… this is my face...”
Gregor: “... it’s a lovely face… this is my face.”
The party identifies that this is not a creature of flesh and blood but made of Shadow.
Gavin: “Ok but really, why are we here?”
Thyrena: “You are here because the Lady of Shadows has summoned you here. I believe you are all familiar with the witch Zelena.”
Moana responds sarcastically, Khadgar responds politely, and Varis responds broodingly.
Gavin: “Actually I’m not.”
Thyrena: “Then I assume you are familiar with this organization.” and she turns the book around to reveal the symbol the party took from Zelena.
All respond with the affirmative and Korrin sinks even lower in her chair.
Gavin: “Would you say you are familiar with Zelena, Korrin?”
Thyrena: “You are here because the Raven Queen has… requested your aid.”
Khadgar: “Why us? Why request our help.”
Gavin: “The gods don’t generally directly interfere with mortals.”
Gregor: “Generally.”
Thyrena: “That is true. The Old Laws prevent such direct interference.”
Khadgar: “Runaan seems pretty powerful. Why not just send him?”
Thyrena: “Runaan is powerful, yes, but the Raven Queen believes the 5 of you together along with the allies you have in the mortal realm are the ones to put a stop to forces already in motion.”
She places the book on the table and slides it to the party. It is in a complicated script perhaps loosely related to primordial. It is the same language as the one from the imposter Zelena’s spell book and the leather bound tome recovered from the Ruins of Kaleth.
Everyone is pulling out their scrolls from the ruins:
Gregor: 1 abyssal, undercommon, celestial
Gavin: 2 ancient elven scrolls, 1 undercommon scroll.
Khadgar: 1 Shadow Script scroll, 1 old common, 1 Sylvan
Varis: 1 old elvish (Southern Elves Dialect)
Thyrena: “If you wish to survive, you must know who your enemy is.”
With a wave of her hand it translates into common. In the title, the tome lists out the Shadow Chronicles. It is an account of a story Gavin knows. He knows of the fall of Selara, a very old tale. This seems to predate that and reveals an ancient darkness cataclysm. An ancient deity rose in the north and started an organization that delved in shadow and evil. They conjured a great cataclysm that spread a great darkness over the land until it was stopped at Selara. But soon, even Selara fell and the world fell into darkness and decay.
The organization behind this called themselves the Shadow Web. (queue jokes: World Wide Shadow Web; the Dark Web) They created the symbol to merge the symbol of Shadow with that to represent a Spider. Something stopped this and brought an end to it. No one has any documented reason why. The world recovered slowly after much upheaval. The Shadow Web went into hiding. No one knew where they went and most don’t even know they existed.
The Raven Queen has many adversaries that have tried to seize control of the ShadowFell or fight against her, but this organization, whoever they are, and whoever they serve, she has a particular disgust for. She will see the demise of this organization, if it is the last thing she does.
This is something different than being called to be a champion of the Raven Queen. There is a collection of deities and beings working against this threat, but she is the most prominent and it is most personal for her, as the goddess of Shadows and Shadow Magic. The Raven Queen has never held heroes called to this particular mission as true “Champions of the Raven Queen” it is more of a plea for help. She only gets to this point if something is looking truly dire. Her true champions may not even know this is going on. Why she has chosen the party is not detailed in the history.
Khadgar: “So why did you choose us?”
Thyrena: “It was not I, but the Raven Queen who chose you. I know not why.”
Gregor: “So… I’m going to show you something. I don’t mean to offend you. If it is bad, just tell me.” and he pulls out Morthos’ armor pointing at the symbols engraved on it. “Clearly Ralshaza. But what is this about?”
She stands and glides over to inspect the armor. It clearly has the iconography of Ralshaza. Symbols coming off of it are reminiscent of the Shadow Symbol with some attempts at putting in the spider imagery. Kinda poorly done incorporating the spider imagery.
Gregor: “So you didn’t have anything to do with this?”
Thyrena: “No, this was not our doing.” and she looks pointedly at Korrin “but I think she knows.”
Korrin: glances up and looks down. “Yes… it was the Shadow Web.”
Gregor: “and why was a member of the Shadow Web working for the governor of Uxena?”
She shifts uncomfortably as all eyes are on her again.
Gavin: “Well you’re the expert, Shadow Web”
The Shadow Seraph retrieves her book and glides back to the head of the table and sits back down.
Thyrena: “I can answer that for you. We monitor all who dabble in the magic of shadow.” she gives a pointed glance at Varis and Korrin. Not a threat but anyone tied to shadow magic alerts the Raven Queen. “We were monitoring him for some time. Though the governor’s sickness was not the Shadow Webs doing, they took advantage of the situation quite recently actually. They used this opportunity to forge pathways previously unavailable to them.”
Gregor: “The guy who wore this armor seemed angry at me specifically.” explaining to the group: “he wasn’t angry with the others with me.” He hasn’t told them the whole story. “He was using shadow weapons and said you suck and I said no you suck and I killed him with my shield. It has to do with the way I came to power.”
Gavin: “What did he look like?”
Gregor: “uh… burned on this side...”
Gavin: “”Wait. You killed your god, and overthrew your coven or whatever, you burned your village down…”
Gregor: “I didn’t do that.”
Korrin: “You what?!”
Thyrena sits at the head of the table. No emotion on her face.
Gregor: “I burned the temple down. In the ensuing riots the village got burned down.”
Gavin: “So you burn a building down and a guy shows up with burns and is mad at you..”
Gregor: “No no, I was the only one in the temple. My parents were there but I didn’t kill them Ralshaza did. Then I stabbed him in the back. Burned the temple and got out.”
Khadgar: “but you started the fire”
Gregor: “I started a fire.”
Gavin: “Does the Shadow Web have any ties to Ralshaza?”
Thyrena: “No. Ralshaza is… an interesting case. He was not tied to any particular side.”
Gregor: “So my question is, why are both symbols on here?”
Khadgar: “Also is Ralshaza dead?”
Korrin: “It’s not uncommon for those who come from other deities to add markings when they join the Shadow Web.”
Gavin: “So he got hurt in a fire, somewhat related to you. And like our friend here” he says giving Korrin a pointed look, “decided to take it out on the rest of the world.”
Gregor: “This is exactly the kind of thing I am trying to get rid of in the world.”
Gavin: “Seems like we need more gods in the world.”
Khadgar: “You made less!”
Gregor: “I mean… it was a net neutral exchange. I think it was a good one to take out these shadowy characters. … Not shadows! I’m all about Shadow forces.” Points at the armor “I’m not cool with this.”
Khadgar: “But is Ralshaza dead?!”
Thyrena: “Can one truly remove a primal force of change from the world?”
She grabs her staff and places the book on her belt. She waves her hand and the table morphs into a 3d map of Merridorn.
Thyrena: “Forces are already in motion to bring about another cataclysm.” she glances at Korrin. “The witch Zelena and others like her have already begun spinning their web over Merridorn.
Gavin OOC: We’re keeping the web motif going huh?
Thyrena: "Three of you have already stopped one attempt at sealing a crucial point. Others are hidden from our site for the time being. In order to prepare you, we must send you to one of our... allies... in the material plane.”
Gregor: “Good. We’d like to go back. This place is kinda... ”
Gavin: “Shady?”
Gregor: “Underpopulated. I’m kinda a social guy.”
Thyrena: “Very well. Go, and learn what progress they have already made. You already have some of the materials you need to learn more about your enemies. One last thing; there is a prophecy. One you will find when you get to your destination. We believe dark times are ahead, so tread carefully.”
Gavin: “Literal dark times?” referring to being in the realm of Shadow
Thyrena glances around: “For the material plane. Now come, you have a long journey ahead.”
She leads them to the other side of the conference room and opens the door. On the other side is a shoreline. Runaan steps from beside the door and ushers them to follow. They make their way down to a pier with a moored ship and a great ocean before them. They board the ship behind Runaan. The Shadow Seraph stays on the pier. Looking back, there is no building. It is just sand and a great forest. A few other Shadow Elves move about the ship and prepare to launch. As the ship pulls away from the docks, the Shadow Seraph Thyrena takes flight and heads over the forest before disappearing into wisps of shadow.
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