On their second expedition into the Cloakwood, Aegon and his Troupe assaulted the spider’s den. They wiped out the entourage of the creature within, but it cost them the lives of Breagar and Imoen. Aegon now stands before the pathetic and lonely creature responsible as she begs him for the mercy of a clean death.

24 Eleasias 1368

Time for some vengeance.

The creature looks at me with pleading eyes. She wants to die, she said as much. Perhaps her death will clear the wood of its ettercap infestation.

I choose to take her out the way she killed me in my vision. Magic Missiles strike her and she screams out in pain. Then she starts uttering words and moving her hands as she makes her connection to the Weave once more. She’s chosen not to die after all!

An arrow strikes her neck and she lets out a weak gasp before her head shrinks into her body. Kivan lowers his bow as the creature dies. No more will it suffer, and no more will others suffer for it.

Small spiders still crawl all over the webs. Many have already moved to the dead spiders and ettercaps that litter the ground. And now they are clustering around the corpse of this unfortunate creature. The place reeks of death, and their children are feeding upon it.

Before I march out of this accursed place, I spot something lying at the feet of the corpse. A wand, a wand that it could not reach thanks to its deformities. It is a Wand of Frost, one that freezes rather than burns.

I collect the Wand and we leave the spiders behind. It has been a rough day, but both Kieria and Dynaheir say they have learned much from this expedition.

Gameplay Note
Her Death, Wand and Breath Weapon Saving Throws are reduced by 1. Her THAC0 is reduced by 1. She gets 15 Skill Points which all go in to Find Traps. She gains 2 additional Hit Points and 1 point of Lore.

Gameplay Note
Her Wand, Polymorph, and Spells Saving Throws are reduced by 1. She gains access to Level 2 Spells and can cast 4 per day. She also gains 6 Hit Points and 4 points of Lore.

We go east, back toward civilisation, toward a temple. Ettercaps chase us, but we evade them long enough that they give up the chase.

It will take us over a day, but we decide to go to the Temple of Lathander. We can get help in Beregost before we return once more.

25 Eleasias 1368

At the temple Kelddath gives his usual welcoming speech when we walk through the door.

Kelddath Ormlyr: Welcome! The travelling adventurer is never turned away from a house of Lathander, as we strive to aid all who make a difference in the realms. If you are battle-worn, we can extend a number of necromantic restorations, whatever you need. A small donation is all the compensation that we require.

Kivan: Fair is your temple and full of hope, priest.

Kelddath Ormlyr: And have you forsaken hope, my son?

Kivan: I have hope, but it lies beyond this plane, Kelddath Ormlyr.

Kelddath Ormlyr: Gaze upon the sun as it rises, elf. It is born anew every morn – here and everywhere in this world… on this plane. Rejoice, for you are blessed by its rays.

We ask the priest to bring back Imoen and Breagar, but we don’t have enough gold to donate for his blessings. We need to go into town and sell something if we are to bring them back.

At the Thunderhammer Smithy, we find that Taerom is happy to accept a Band of the Forest in exchange for enough gold to bring the pair back.

We make the exchange and return to the temple. Kelddath gladly accepts our donation and calls upon the power of Lathander. As divine energies flow into the temple I’m more anxious than usual. What if it doesn’t work this time? What if I lose Imoen as well?

I find myself holding my breath as the room goes cold. The candles flicker for a moment and light leaves the temple as Kelddath finishes his ritual. The pair have been returned to our plane. I sigh in relief. I’m glad to see Imoen alive. She’s the closest thing to family I have left.

The first thing she does after regaining consciousness is to practise her language skills again. She’s always been eager to learn.

Imoen: Breagar… erm, bak aurdrukar… erm… auraurn, bak aun?

Breagar: What kind of stupid question is that?

Imoen is clearly taken aback by Breagar snapping at her like this.

Imoen: I just tried to ask if you want beer or water at the next tavern.

Breagar: Beer naturally.

Imoen starts fidgeting with a coin in her hand.

Imoen: Sure, but…

Breagar: Then don’t ask.

Imoen: But I just wanted to show what I’ve learned.

Breagar: Girl, this is one of the most important lessons. Bakahmos gund, gundgelm.

Her brow furrows as she tries to translate the sentence.

Imoen: If you are not… erm…

Breagar: If you have nothing to say, shut your mouth.

Imoen: Oh. Fine.

Breagar: I’m not getting my hopes up though…

I suggest that they stay here and practise dwarfish while they recover. Breagar isn’t happy about that prospect.

Breagar: We have a giant to kill, Aegon!

Aegon: What do I care about that giant?

Breagar: You said you wanted to kill the giant together! This is how you keep your word?

I realise why he is being difficult. He still feels that he owes me for accusing me after he lost his hand.

Aegon: I release you from your oath. You can go wherever you want.

Breagar pauses for a moment, as if in reflection. I’m almost expecting him to swear again when…

Breagar: I thank you, Aegon. Wish me luck on my journey.

I wish him luck and let them be, with Imoen pestering Breagar about his language. The dwarf seems annoyed and angry, but I feel like deep down he likes her company.

Kelddath mentions that many people have travelled north to the Friendly Arm of late.

Gameplay Note
I’ve started sending as many characters as I can to the Friendly Arm Inn, so that I don’t have to keep travelling across the Sword Coast every time someone dies. Some of the modded characters can’t be moved, but there should still be less travelling for a while.

We need help if we are to return to the Cloakwood again. Thankfully, our gnomish artificer friend is still here in the temple, and she’s excited to go on another adventure.

Aura: Whew, I think I’ve been through more adventures in the short time I’ve known you than for the rest of my life, Aegon.

Not that it’s a bad thing, mind you! I’ve learned a lot here that I wouldn’t have otherwise. I’m just saying, you’ve lived a rather blessed life.

Blessed? I guess I must never have told her about my father…

Aegon: It’s good to keep things positive, I suppose.

Aura: I’m not just trying to make things sound better, Aegon. I once thought I knew everything there is to know, until I crossed the sea from Lantan to these lands. Then I realised what I knew was barely anything at all.

It’s funny, how much my perspective changed when I learned just what was out here. When I was leaving, I thought I was going to share my knowledge with a world that was still far behind in knowledge. Now, though, I think I’ve learned far more than I’ve ever taught anyone else.

I guess you can say that you’ve become one of my teachers, Aegon. Just following you has meant as much to me than a decade of endless toil in libraries and academies.

It seems like yesterday I was still an apprentice at the Keep, and now someone thinks me a teacher already.

Aegon: You already know enough for several mortal lifetimes. Where does it eventually end for you?

Aura: I don’t know. Maybe it never does. Knowledge is ever growing, changing, both in the creation of new knowledge and our perception of what we already know. There is no end destination for a seeker of knowledge. There’s only the journey. Even for me.

I’m good at what I do, but I’m not perfect. I’ll know I’ll never be. I can always do better. There’s always something more to strive for, and I’m satisfied with that. It’s what drives me forward. Isn’t that the same for everybody?

When I was born, my parents believed my ability to learn was a talent, a gift from the gods we worship – Gond, Azuth, Oghma… and maybe they’re right, but I never saw it that way. I want to believe everything I’ve gained was because of me, from pushing myself forward.

Aegon: That’s a fair way to look at it, I suppose.

Aura: I’m… I’m sorry, Aegon. I shouldn’t start talking about gods, not now. It’s not that I dislike them or that I don’t appreciate what they’ve done for us mortals, but… it’s not a way of life I want to commit to.

We can talk again another time. Don’t we have anything else to do right now?

We do. She needs better equipment if that knowledge is going to survive. I give her an enchanted scimitar from the Bag of Holding.

She also takes Telbar’s Studded Leather, as it is an improvement on the armour she manufactured herself.

She also takes some Potions of Clarity and a Potion of Persuasiveness to keep on her person. The only other thing left to do now is to rest. We get some nice rooms at Feldepost’s Inn, and rest in comfort. We awake in the very early morning, ready to continue our journey.

26 Eleasias 1368

We leave Feldepost’s and make our way to the south of the town. I notice Kivan lingering behind, his eyes on the sky. I follow his gaze. It’s a clear night, and you can see all the stars and the heavens. Some are leaving a glowing trail across the sky.

Kivan: The stars are falling. A rare and precious sight, yet it fills my soul with sadness and longing.

Aegon: The stars are falling. As we all may fall and die. Does that sadden you, Kivan?

Kivan: Aegon, when I was watching the falling stars, my heart reminded me of Daoine Teague Feer. But I felt naught but sorrow, recalling what once had been my greatest joy.

Those words sound familiar. I’ve heard them before, but I can’t recall where.

Aegon: What is Daoine Teague Feer?

Kivan: Daoine Teague Feer is a celebration of Shilmista, and my people’s love for it. There is a sacred hill we call Daione Dun – the Hill of the Stars. It raises high in the middle of the Forest of Shadows, and its top is so close to the sky that one can almost touch the stars from atop it.

My people gather there sometimes on a starlit night, led by our liege, and we sing to Shilmista. When the song ends, the king showers us with the stardust and gives us his blessing. The world turns a-glitter and the voice of Shilmista whispers to every heart. It feels like standing under the fall of myriads of stars. It is the most beautiful memory I have, and yet I am disquieted by it.

Aegon: It sounds so beautiful, Kivan. As for the sadness I hear in your voice – I have a name for it: nostalgia. You’re homesick, that’s all.

Kivan: I do not miss the place, Aegon. However, I do miss those whose shadows still linger there. My Deheriana, my brothers, my father… You have your own ghosts, though, Aegon, and you have no need to meet with mine. Khila amin – follow me, we should catch up with the rest.

I never noticed that we had fallen behind until Kivan mentioned it. He is already rushing ahead, so I run after him.

Ghosts, he said. He has lost people, more than I have. His whole family by the sounds of things. It’s no wonder he doesn’t miss home. Home isn’t home without family.

As I run after Kivan, the night wind is cold on my skin.

Would I feel at home again if I went back to Candlekeep without Father? Perhaps if Imoen came with me, and it would be nice to see Aaron again. But it wouldn’t be the same.

I catch up to the others who had stopped to wait for us. “Where to?” Kieria asks. I can’t keep this party alive on my own. We need another priest. “Nashkel,” I say, “to find the Stone Priest.”

We turn south, the ghosts of the night and the promise of a new ally urging us onward.