Session 07 Report
General Summary
[session 07: 05.03.2024]
22nd of Hammermoon / Deepwinter, 1489, Year of the warrior princess
the moon is waxing
You prepare mentally to hear a lecture about the different disciples of sun worship. Righteous Potentante Mishann explains to you that the righteous god Amaunator should be the only worshiped Faerunian sun god, as he is by far the older of the two - worshiped all the way back in Ancient Netheril. Some believe Lathander to be an aspect of the sun god, in the end still being the same entity as Amaunator himself - but others know him to be a Pretender and an Usurper, a mere spirit attempting to gain entrance to godhood.
The truth is that with the loss of nearly all his followers in Netheril after its fall, Amaunator began the long, arduous, and painful process of dying of neglect. This makes it all the more important for us to support the Righteous god who shall once more claim his eternal, glorious chair upon the heavens. Amaunator is the keeper of the Celestial Bureaucracy, making sure that laws are upheld and followed. And you can see Lathander’s heresy at play here, for now we have no more sun at all, for Lathander has abandoned even his believers.
Amaunator is illustrated in three aspects - as an old man carrying a tome and a scale, a young woman carrying a scale and a scepter, and as a young man (Lathander) carrying a scepter. All illustrations of Lathander as an Aspect of Amaunator have been defiled.
Righteous Potentate Mishann has not seen Annie’s brother, but recognises the gauntlet symbol he carries, and tells you to visit the other temple in Bryn Shander, House of the Triad.
As you head back to Geldenstag’s Rest to spend the night and stay for dinner, you notice that Dannika is back at their table, clearly distraught and disheveled. They give you 12 gold pieces and 5 silver pennies for your trouble finding the chwinga, but asks for your help once more - this time perhaps more discreetly, if possible. It seems that their friend and traveling companion Salvia has not returned from his trek to the House of the Morninglord - where you have learned that he has been pestering the local clergy now each day that they have been in Bryn Shander. He has now been missing since the previous day, and has not slept in his bed - yet Potentate Mishann has mentioned he was seen at the temple just this morning. Dannika implies that Salvia might have gotten in trouble, as he has taken his weapons with him, and since his objective at the Amaunator’s temple has been to gain access to the Sun Stone - also known as one of the Summer Stars - a magical artifact rumoured to have weather-manipulating powers. Dannika fears that Salvia might have tried to steal the artefact himself and then gotten caught by the clergy, which is why they would prefer to keep city officials from finding out where he has gone, even if he is in danger.
You decide to eat dinner at Geldenstag’s now that you’re already here, and head back down to where Myrtle is busy serving her customers. A tiefling bard is playing an instrument in the corner, a lively tune they tap a rhythm to with their tail. You order trout with whatever’s freshest today, Annie with her boiled water-magically turned into hot chocolate, Primrose with pepperwine, as per Myrtle’s recommendation. At the bar sits a familiar figure, still in his guard´s uniform. Rowan looks haggard, with an unshaven jaw and dark circles under his eyes. He clearly has not slept well in quite some time. Vilu and Annie sit down to talk with him. Vilu asks about friends in other towns now that they’re traveling, and Rowan indulges in telling you that he has a sister named Yarrow in Caer Dineval, if you choose to venture there - and since you have just been to Targos, another friend of his keeps the general store there. To Annie, he gives a well-worn map with ink sketches all over, accompanied with rushed, increasingly difficult to read handwriting. Rowan shares that he swears he’s not losing his mind, but he knows he should be looking for something, but what it is keeps slipping his mind until even his own notes are starting to seem only strange and peculiar to him. Viridian gives Rowan one gold piece and tells him to buy a room at Geldenstag’s for the night, forgoing his usual bed at the guard barracks. At first, Rowan is hesitant to accept any help, but eventually accepts and thanks you for all the help and care you’ve given him. However, he does not accept any hugs, as he is still in his guard’s uniform and that might be construed as another strike for Misbehaviour.
As per Dannika’s request, you head out to investigate the Temple of the Morninglord after it’s quieter outside. Vilu sends the first message back to Morven, asking about his musical talents - which he is somewhat surprised about, but does confirm. He might have had something more to say, but the message was cut off.
Back at the temple, Viridian notices singular, heavy footfalls coming from a western alleyway and leading up to a window that has been left slightly ajar - Coco is sent to investigate further, and seems to not trigger any magical wards or traps, and so everyone eventually follows him in through the narrow window. The room is one of the side wings of the building, containing a smaller shrine for Amaunator and not much else - the doors leading to the main chamber of the building are heavy and made of metal, more than likely locked and protected with something other than just locks. You head downstairs, following the faint footsteps in the dusty room.
Primrose nearly stumbles down the stairs, but is quickly saved by the rest of the party - together, you manage to move down in complete silence. As a twilight cleric, Primrose is able to share her eyesight with other members of the party (minus Annie, who already has keen senses in the dark). The hall in the cellar seems like it might have been used for worship but clearly it has been a long time since it has seen any active use - the only clear mark you can see is footsteps coming and going through the dust, mostly focused on the center of the aisle. Viridian notices that one of the steps look familiar, with tail marks dragging behind. As you step closer to follow what are presumably Salvia’s footsteps, a shadow rises from the corner of the room, its eyes glowing in the dark. Vilu casts a spell that renders the creature incapable of movement, instead sending it to a horrendous fit of laughter that runs down your spines. With quick thinking and even faster reflexes, Annie and Viridian manage to send the creature back to whence it came before it gets a chance to recover, but it leaves no physical body behind, instead only a magical residue bristling in the air - it feels as if concentrated magic might have manifested itself into a physical being.
On the throne-like stone chair, you find a note of Noontide Prayer, with half of its contents too smudged to properly read. You continue forward.
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