2 - Awakening and Alignment

Chapter 2: Awakening and Alignment

Awakening

After the events in Wave Echo Cave and being sent to Silverymoon upon Meadow's grandmother's death, the adventurers will need to learn about the history of their ancestors and the events that took place 500 years ago in order to stop the return of the Umbra Seraph. Within Wave Echo Cave the adventurer's discovered a piece of their past with hints of the future.

• Meadow's Path
• Meadow's Amulet Awakening
• Having had the visions during Wave Echo Cave, Meadow is introduced to past events and the role her grandmother's amulet played.
• With the warning from Nezznar, the group will go to Staska's grandmother, who they will discover is near death after Nezznar attempted to kill her.
• Her grandmother will lead her to Silverymoon where they can learn more about the amulet's past, and why it was created. We need to find or create a temple in this area for Selune, or even just to knowledge and history. I'll see what I can find.
• The scholars will agree to help them for a price (service or fee), they are too busy to listen to every request and far-fetched story. Figure this out.
• The scholars will scour their records and locate that they believe is a reference to a sacred amulet created over 500 years ago to stop a local threat that was starting to spread out of control. The records mention fill in info about the original creation and use of the amulet
• The scholars will believe they know what the amulet is due to it's history in this specific area, they believe it is called the Amulet of Dusk's Embrace, but to be certain a test is required of the holder. If it is what they believe, The Amulet of Dusk's Embrace, it holds great power.
• Meadow will learn that the amulet needs its abilities to be unlocked. I have not worked that part out yet, but it will be a challenge around the ability to be unlocked.
• During the challenge, Meadow will get hints that the amulet's use was twisted for evil, and she will get more flashbacks to it being used to summon evil.Maybe she gets more flashbacks
• Once Meadow unlocks the amulet's first ability, it should trigger a major flashback for Sugarbob, something related to the amulet, allowing them to question the scholars further.
• Once they get back and discuss this with the scholars, who confirm this is the Amulet of Dusk's Embrace, they advise that they had started looking into the other times the amulet was usedand they discovered that that portion of their archives had been broken into and most of the items were stolen. However, there is a local druidic presence that has maintained their own historic archives from their perspectice, the scholars direct them there for more information. I don't know where this will be yet, but it should be a side mission. Additionally, the temple or organization will have other side quests for the adventurer's to learn more.


• Sugarbob's Path
• Sugarbob's Sword Awakening
• Once the adventurer's meet the new person, wherever that may be, they will have more information about the person who forged the amulet, and from there learn references to a great battle at Wave Echo Cave. the adventurer's must complete a mission to get this information. Maybe some other side quests
• From Sugarbobs visions, which happens when the amulets is unlocked, the person is only able to locate references to a great knight of Selune. The person suggests speaking to the folks at the temple of Selune Wherever that may be
• The historians in this area will also require some proof they deserve to be heard. A mission can happen here or some other payment.
• After reviewing Sugarbob's sword, which always begins to grow, along with the amulet itself, very faintly when near Meadow's amulet, and has the marking's of Selune on it's blade, the historians believe they know what has happened to Sugarbob's weapon, but they need to seek proof. This will require a mission to unlock the first level of the sword. The people here can also have side quests.
• Sugarbob begins a quest to unlock the first ability of his sword, guided by visions and clues.
• Initially Sugarbob will not be able to learn about how Shar has twisted the abilities of the sword, it is something he will need to discover through his trials for the sword. When he does learn, we will also learn of Karo's ancestors role in stopping Alaric at the Battle of WAve ECho Cave once they see how Alaric became corrupted.
• During the mission Karo's will also have new visions and flashbacks. When we get back and the people have confirmed what the sword is, we're going to learn of Alaric's past reference the Alaric backstory
• The historians here will note there are vague references to corruption of Shar and that if Sugarbob wants more information he would need to seek out other sources more specific to Shar, such as the Cult of Twilight, who maintain their own records.
• We are going to follow-up on the references to the Harpers, which in turn should lead us to the Whispering Harlequins, to find out more information about Karo's flashbacks and visions.
• Karos' Path
• Karo's Blessing Discovery
• Karo's will need to return to his home area to meet with his old troupe. He will be directed to speak with the council, wherever and with whomever that may be
• They will tell a story of a great member of their organization who was a great wizard and one of the founding members of the newly branched off Whispering Harlequins. They will tell the tales of his heroics and the blessings that would be given to the ancestory that heeded the call of Selune. This will involve a mission to unlock Karo's blessings, and possibly some side missions from this group.
• Karo's will embark on a journey to obtain his first blessing. He will also experience more flashbacks and visions, this time of the battle that took place and the aftermaths.
• upon his return and confirmation that he is the blessed one, the council wil tell Karo's about how his ancestor participated in the creation of both the amulet and the sword of Alaric.
• We will learn that Selune herself blessed the lineage of this mage and that powers bestowed by her flow through Karo's now.
• During this process, through the flashbacks and visions, we will learn that Alaric was never killed, and that a prophecy was started that told of the return of the Umbra Seraph.
• Here we learn more about the involvement of the Cult of Twilight
• Arillious
• Embrace of Darkness
• After partnering with Nezznar he begins to learn bits and pieces of the story and events going on around him.
• He becomes increasingly drawn to the teachings and practices of the Cult of Twilight.
• Arillious learns of the prohpecy, and is able to piece together that his ancestor was once leader of the Cult of Twilight 500 years ago.
• Arillious doesn't understand why Nezznar didn't reveal this about him, and wonders what else he has been keeping from him. He begins to dig deeper into the past, while forging new partnerships and "friends" in the cult.

Alignment

• The Prophecy
• The adventurer's have now all learned a piece of their shared history, giving them something to align to and with, but they haven't found a purpose yet.
• They will need to learn more about this so-called prophecy, which at this juncture will be only the first part:
  "In the veiled twilight's embrace, a knight's gleaming soul dims 'neath whispers dark, Selune's champion swayed by Shar's cunning art. From the depths where shadows dwell, a gathering force hears darkness swell, shaping Anchors 'neath twilight's spell, to breach the realms where sorrows swell. Across the realms, four beacons stand, channels for eternal twilight's hand. In unseen places, the Anchors lie, crafted by the Cult 'neath Shar's sly eye. Twilight's veil they seek to spread, 'fore Alaric's army shall darkness wed.
  
  Amidst the silent embrace of the New Moon's shadow, when the celestial dancer veils her radiant face on the eve of the Winter Solstice, the anchor stirs in the heart of the North. Where the spine of the world meets the weeping ice, a tear forms not of sorrow but of the earth’s embrace. Beneath the towering sentinel of the north, where glaciers once kissed the sky, the anchor of twilight rests, shrouded in twilight’s veil. Seek the frozen cascade that mirrors the All-Father's grief, for there the shadows gather at the foot of the great tear."
• The first paragraph gives a little hint that Alaric is coming back and that the Cult of Twilight has hidden devices that are going to spread evil.
• The second paragraph gives hints as to the general whereabouts of the first Twilight Anchor.
• Shared Purpose
• Now that the adventurer's have a shared purpose, it is time to get them on the path to the first Twilight Anchor.
• If they need more help decoding the first paragraph than we'll have a set of adventures for that process.
• If they need more help decoding the second paragraph than we'll have a set of adventures for that process.
• Foreshadowing
At this point the North Twilight Anchor has already been in operation for about 8 months and has begun to extend twilight in the Northern area by about 25%. Twilight starts earlier in the morning and longer into the evening. This information has begun to spread out of the north southward.
• As the adventurer's travel around they will begin to hear whispers and rumors of how the light in the north is changing, it's staying lighter longer and getting lighter sooner.
• They will also begin to hear weird stories of weird creatures appearing in the far north over the last few weeks, prompting some folks to leave for the south.
• They could also hear more cautionary tales and warnings of travelling north, and a higher-than-average presence of the Cult of Twilight up north.
• Hints about the Spine of the World might help connect to the prophecy.