God of the Empty Sky

After a long and dangerous journey, Savros and the remnants of the Feywilds expedition made it to the Serene Principality of Okina, where they pleaded for asylum...

In Okina 

The Okinan Grey Guard allowed the expedition to camp near their border tower for the night and shared some extra rations with them. After the group swore not to attack any dryads or engage in any espionage, they were sent on their way to the city of Okina, City of Eyes. The countryside was safe and prosperous, and the group made it into the city with little difficulty. 
In Okina, they made their way to the Winesper Market, the great market square in the center of Okina that houses the Dusk Travelers. The group asked around for the Krivika family, and were able to meet up with a distant relative of Jacob's: a woman by the name of Iana Krivika, an accountant for the Dusk Travelers. Jacob was able to prove his connection and introduce himself as a member of the Kidon part of the family. Iana gave the group some baked goods and invited them to her parents for family dinner after work. After a little looking around, the day was over and the expedition headed with Jacob to the Krivika household.  
The Krivikas, as longtime members of the Dusk Travelers, turned out to be rather wealthy. The majority of the expedition was housed in the guest house, while Jacob and the squad was given guest rooms in the main house. The extended family was thrilled to see the Kidon branch dropping by, and doted on Jacob as a relative that never visited enough. Jacob also learned something rather disturbing for him: that the Okinan branch was not only devoutly Ishkibite, but considered the Kidon branch to be their eyes and ears in Kidon that were gathering information and spreading the good word of Ishkibal. Jacob had never noticed any signs of heresy in his family and had grown up extremely defensive about his fey-heritage - he had been rather performatively Orthodox growing up. Not only that, he found out he had direct Half-Dryad heritage. The squad again supported him, and he actually came to accept this part of his family during his time in Okina.
It took a week for the Krivikas to arrange for the expedition to leave for Kidon with a Dusk Traveler caravan. Much of the expedition hid in the guest house, scared of this strange city and in dire need of time to sleep. The squad, meanwhile, spent time with Jacob's family, saw sights around the city, and even attended Ishkibite temple sermons. Jacob confided in Savros that the supportive and neutral dryads he had seen during his journey had shaken his belief in their demonic nature, and jointly agreed that Kobolds were probably evil. The only disruption to the tranquility of Okina was the Nightmare infesting Savros' mind and dreams. After a week of rest and relaxation, they were ready to depart. 
The Dusk Travelers were much more seasoned and prepared than the original expedition, and had connections to villages across the Borderlands so they didn't have to camp in the open. After three weeks of careful travel, they made it to Kidon with no problems.

Recovery Year

After returning to Kidon, the expedition broke apart. Arstam paid everyone what he could, but lacked the funds he'd originally been promised. Even worse, Arstam now knew that the family connections that had sent him on this journey were probably part of whatever sinister group that had nearly killed him and he dared not send letters back asking for money or informing them of his location. Rather than return to Adava, Arstam began working in Kidon for low-wage work and spiralled into depression. Savros had priestess Vizura provide Arstam with work and lodging, but he seemed inconsolable. The rest of the expedition all agreed to unite again to rescue their medic (Abet) from Palava when they had the funds. 
The next year, Savros was too traumatized to go back into expedition work. He had a Nightmare tormenting him and no one in the group was overflowing with emotional stability. He spent a year working in the temple under Priestess Vizura as a shrinekeeper of Ancestor Narana. Things moved in Savros' family during this time: his older brother announced he and his wife were having a child, and Rinn broke up with her long-term boyfriend and started dating a Selkie merchant by the name of Nema and had started traveling. After a year, though, Savros finally worked up the courage and resources to go make right a wrong that was weighing on him. 
Savros had his own pilgrimage to undertake: to head to the town of Ozara, the home of Marva, the fallen animal handler. Marva had been killed because Savros opened fire on the non-hostile Feywild stags, and he felt he had a duty to apologize and offer help to her wife, Fira. Fira was heartbroken and in the process of losing everything: with the animals gone and no widow's compensation from Arstam, their business would likely have to close. Savros brought her back to Kidon and offered her work at the temple as well. Fira forgave Savros and seemed mostly in grieving, but seemed to avoid making eye contact with him even back at the temple. 
Now that he was moving again, Savros had momentum to leap back into things. He used the Profane Contact to contact the Lunar Gods about what he had seen in Nefka. 

Back to Business

First, Savros contacted the Demon Empress of Prisms, Jade Atharzen. Jade was imperious and initially not very responsive, but seemed intrigued by Savros' information. After the talks with Jade ground to a standstill, the gang contacted Ishkibal, the Heretic King and God of the Empty Sky. Ishkibal traded information more freely with them: he explained that, though he did not know specifics about the Architects returning, he did know about recent threats to the world that had risen against them, which he considered the Evil parts of the Demon Gods. He showed Savros visions of monsters destroying villages in the West and reef-cities disappearing in the tropics. Savros gave him all the memories he could and told him the rest - as the actual events in the negotiations in Nefka were strangely magically inaccessible to Ishkibal. 
Ishkibal speculated that the group Savros had encountered was tied to other instances of Imposter Architects and groups that seemed to either be inaccessible to viewing by the Lunar Gods or actively able to generate false readings. This group was likely a part of this greater world-threatening Greater Demonic threat, and Ishkibal and Savros agreed it needed to be dealt with. Ishkibal stated he would help Savros any way he could if Savros would fight this group, and that he was considering making a pact with Jacob. That night, Jacob made a Paladin's Oath to Ishkibal and was transformed. It was time to get back in business.

Components

Goals

QUEST GOALS:

• Grow up and find a profession (Achieved)
• Find an Expedition worth joining (Achieved)
• Survive the Fey Borderlands (Achieved)
• Enter Nefka (Acheived)
• Investigate the Feywild threat (Achieved?)
• Escape Nefka (Acheived)
• Escape the Feywilds (Achieved)
• Make Amends (Achieved)

NEW QUEST GOALS:

• Investigate the Greater Demon Cult
• Get Arstam safely back to Adava so he can pay everyone
• Rescue Abet, the medic, from the Feywilds
• Protect the Fey Borderlands from the forces brewing in Nefka

Relations

Allies

Old Friends and Family in Kidon

Savros' Family:

• Parents, Fyra and Dareo: Fyra and Dareo are well-to-do Kidon cobblers who own a shop in the nicer part of town. The middle-class as we know it doesn't really exist at this point, but its a fairly secure existence compared to the rest of Kidon, with their shop and home secured by the Cobbler's Guild. They are kind but pragmatic people, and sometimes a little blunt and direct.
• Ida: Ida is the oldest sibling of Savros' family. He is a full-time cobbler, is married, and is primed to take over the family business after Fyra and Dareo retire. He is warm, friendly, optimistic, and a little distant. He has lived a life free of violence, and seems to exist in a happy bubble of ignorance for how bad things really are.
• Rinn: Rinn is Savros' older sister. She is constantly torn between staying as a cobbler and leaving Kidon, and has been struggling in her professional life and relationships for it. She is protective of Savros and worried about his struggles - she had a near-death experience during her coming-of-age and knows how quickly things can go badly.

Teva Fisher's-daughter: Teva is one of Savros' childhood best friends and squadmates. She only made it into the artisan district of Kidon through her family's long history in the city and a great deal of luck - otherwise she would be with her parents in the unsanitary dockside district. Teva is quiet and awkward, but perceptive and capable. She sees herself as a hero, and strives to protect as many people as possible from the traumas inflicted on her. This can lead her to act a bit brashly and violently towards those she perceives as evil, but she has a good heart.
Jacob Krivika: Most of Jacob's family lives in the Northern Palisades district - a part of town where Feywild merchants come to trade, city guards are often absent, and the citizens are unprotected from the great stone fortifications of the main city in the event of an attack. The Krivikas have connections to kin in the Feywilds that they trade with, and Jacob's parents used a lucky break from that trade to open a shop in the artisan district. Jacob is a bit of an outsider for this, but has become a bit of a social butterfly despite (or perhaps, because) of this. Jacob is kind, friendly, and gentle, preferring diplomacy to violence. He is not very skilled in the arts of war, but he is a capable outdoorsman and negotiator.
Priestess Vizura: Vizura is an old woman and a veteran of many battles. She enjoys spending her retirement training the children of Kidon, and she is happy to mentor Savros as a student and shrinekeeper. While easygoing and always a fan of humor, she is not lax in her focus or devotion. She channels her love into making her wards the best warriors and crusaders they can be, and spares nothing in inspiring (or perhaps scaring) them. Vizura is very well respected in the Orthodox Ecclesia of Kidon.

The Expedition Members

Arstam of Hasbala: Arstam is a third son of a middling noble family in the town of Hasbala of the Kingdom of Adava. He is a veteran of the Silver Crusade (the war against Kenahai and the Ishkibites of Izekra ) but wanted something more glamorous and important. He prepared everything he could for his expedition into the Feywilds, but this is his first actual venture North. He is confident, friendly, and sometimes charming.
Kara of Arket: Kara is a humanoid Cat from the neighboring Kingdom of Odala - the town of Arket to be exact. Kara is an Orthodox priest, and a zealous one at that - he craves the destruction of demonkind and welcomes fellow Desmians as friends. He has joined the expedition as an observer, scribe, and Confirmer of Deeds; essentially, he records the number of demons slain by whom so that every demon-slayer can be properly confirmed and rewarded.
Torin: Torin is a fine fellow from the lands of the The Platinum Order, and a veteran of the wars against the Seruvians.

Ishkibite Allies

Ishkibal: The god of no-moons, heretics, warriors, and forgiveness himself. The arch-heretic, the nasty ghost that makes you feel bad about war crimes, the one and only Ishkibal! He likes his presentation, but he's also frank and down to business. Savros may be Orthodox, but it helps to have a God on your side!
Iana Krivika: Jacob's distant cousin and accountant for the Okinan Dusk Traveler merchant cartel. She is friendly, non-judgmental, and sees Savros as a kind of adopted brother to Jacob. She is relaxed and aggressively sincere.

Neutrals/Bystanders

Fira of Ozara: Savros hasn't really seen Fira outside of mourning. Savros' actions accidentally killed her wife; Arstam's actions accidentally robbed her of her living. She is close to Priestess Vizura and the Cat Priest Kara, though.

Plot type

Quest

Parent Plot

Entering the Nightmare

Subplots

• My Big Violent Desmian Wedding

Related Characters

• Ishkibal

Related Organizations

• Ishkibism
• Serene Principality of Okina
• The Kidon March

Related Locations

• Kidon
• Okina
• The Fey Borderlands