Episode 23: Yuna and the Silver Lady

The party continued deeper into the Temple of the Moon, solving another test, this one involving a mathematical analysis of lunar cycles and magic. Deep understanding of the astronomical significance of the room was beyond them, but Yuna and Ara were able to decipher a pattern in the numbers. Applying the pattern to the carvings of the lunar phases on the floor, the party triggered some sort of reaction, thrusting them deep into a mystical darkness. The ground beneath their feet fell away, and they were adrift for a time in an infinite sea of black, the air growing painfully frigid in their lungs, their voices echoing around them in all directions.

A mournful cry pierced the darkness. As it grew in intensity a powerful, heavy despair weighed upon the party briefly, though all were able to shake off the effect save for Magnus, who became paralyzed with sadness.

After a time, they found themselves once more on solid ground, though still in utter darkness, and before long were set upon by monstrous, malevolent shadows, striking out from the dark and pulling the very strength from their bodies. As they fought, the mourning wail rose up again on the frigid air growing into a shrieking, deafening scream piercing the very minds of Yuna and her friends. Yuna, Ara and Keen fell immediately, overwhelmed by the force of the psychic onslaught. As a shimmering semi-corporeal figure emerged from the darkness, Levani was able to revive Keen and Yuna, who immediately channeled her divine grace to heal the rest of the party.

Shaken but renewed they engaged the creature, and though its fearsome countenance struck at their core, they dispatched the pitiful creature. As it dissipated, the supernatural coldness and darkness gave way to a large, empty chamber bathed in pale moonlight descending from murkey darkness above.

The chamber contained five stone pillars; into each was carved a portion of a different story of Yi-na-Hotep.

The party risked a long rest to recover from their encounter. While they slept, two visions were visited upon those keeping watch: one a grey-skinned, broken-mouthed goliath dressed as a circus ringleader calling for people to visit the Spectacular Spectacular, and one a blue-skinned tiefling assassin with broken horns. Both visions disappeared as suddenly as they appeared. In the morning, the party recognized each as a figure from Keen’s past, though how they had manifested was unclear.

Rested and restored, the party turned their attention to the great stone pillars. They soon realized that the story was broken up into segments; reading the words aloud in draconic caused the carvings to glow, but only when read in the correct sequence.

The sequence discovered, Yuna read the story aloud, and as she reached the end the chamber once more fell away into darkness, though this time a shaft of moonlight, so bright as to be nearly solid, filled their vision, and the party found themselves standing on a shining, shimmering image of the moon in the night sky.

A vision of an Ancient Silver Dragon, impossibly vast, descended from the night sky, filling the party’s awareness; Yi-na-Hotep herself, the Silver Lady. Mighty though she was, Yuna could see she was weakened and sick, reflecting the damage done to the actual Moon above Telisar, cracked and broken by the great explosion that still hung in the sky.

Yi-na-Hotep thanked the party for returning the statuette to the temple, and driving out the evil spirits that had been allowed in as a result of its theft. As a reward for this service, Yi-na-Hotep offered Yuna a boon, but Yuna instead attempted to heal the stricken dragon, far, far beyond her powers though it was. Yi-na-Hotep, delighted, granted Yuna a guide; a teacher, to help her learn to control her divinity and cure her of the spell sickness that continued to plague her.

With that, Yi-na-Hotep passed from the Material Plane, and the party found themselves back at the temple entrance, which now appeared as naturally-forming rock formations; all trace of the divine was gone. Keen took again the platinum statuette, and the group left the temple.

They were greeted by the dozens of dogs they had encountered earlier. But to their surprise the dogs each transformed into the imposing humanoid figures of dragonborn – the first dragonborn anyone had encountered in Telisar in centuries.

One man introduced himself as Maloc-na-Tombek, and he and the entire tribe bowed before Yuna, naming her Yu-na-Hotep. The crowd parted then, making way for a huge dog, fluffy white fur brilliant in the sunlight, as it shouldered its way through and bounded up to Yuna. Here, said Maloc, was the guide promised to her by the Silver Lady, in her final act before leaving the material plane forever.

Player Character Arcs Completed: 1

Puppy Companion Rating: Fluffy

Gods Met: 1

Nightmares Manifested: 2

RP Rating: Awesome!