Session 130: The Counsel of Celestia

General Summary

8th Sydenstar 836PD   After their night’s rest in Deastock, Arthur and the Unbroken prepare to head back to Ank’Harel, but before they go Taryon hands Arthur a missive that was delivered several weeks ago.   It is a very timely letter sent by an old tutor of Arthur’s from the Soltryce Academy, Professor Tymal Rathbourne, that compliments Arthur on his progress in Chronomancy and invites him to be his successor at the Academy when he retires. A spell scroll of Dark Star is enclosed as a gift to add to Arthur’s list of dunamancy spells.   However, despite the initial boost to Arthur’s mood with the letter, the room soon turns tense as Raphael recognises the handwriting of the letter to match his own? He worryingly deduces that it’s his Clone progenitor, Karkematth, who has written the letter and has come across one of the Archmages’ public personas.   Raph intensely questions Arthur on the Professor and what he knows or remembers, but Arthur has difficulty trying to recall the Professor’s face, presumably as he was under a ‘pass without face’ spell that helped him to go unnoticed.   The Winter Knight’s paranoia peaks with the sudden revelation that Karkematth has been expanding his legacy through other means, and that one of his fellow party members was an unknowing pupil of the evil Archmage. Fortunately, the rest of the party help to alleviate the tension and pull Raph back from his spiralling suspicions, in time for Taryon to transport them back through the teleportation circle to Ank’Harel.   The group reconvene with Simeon, Sabali and Zeni, and Arthur plane shifts them all to Celestia. They arrive in a golden hallway, and are met by a Bronze Dragonborn Guard who welcomes them. He escorts them through the blinding lights into the Council Chamber, where several of the Prime Deities or their Exarchs have assembled with their respective chosen as well.   Queen Mab sits in representation of the Raven Queen, the Bronze Dragonborn assumes its Greatwyrm statue to reveal himself as Nirathram, the Bronze Shackle, Kord’s Chosen and representative. The Platinum Dragon, Bahamut, is represented by a silver Dragonborn, Master Peacebuild.   The Moonweaver, Sehanine, chairs the Council as her Chosen, Simeon, was the one to call for this meeting. Simeon and the Unbroken provide an update on their mission in Marquet and the captured Key to the Kord Shackle.   Nirathram confirms that the Amulet Key is tied to his essence and that he is compelled to be summoned when called by it. The party ask if the burden of the Shackle could be transferred from Nirathram to them, but the Knowing Mentor, Ioun, informs that mortals forms could not hold the power of a Shackle. Any warding bond between Nirathram and the Unbroken would also be unfeasible due to the imbalance in power as well.   The Gods can’t be certain of Latara’s exact plans, especially as she is one so apt at misdirection, but they agree with the Unbroken’s assumption that Nirathram will be summoned to be attacked by the gathering forces that are planned with the upcoming Cult deal in the Grey Valley.   Arthur asks Ioun if there could be a way to bind the party to Nirathram so that they could be summoned with them when the Key is used, instead of sharing the Shackle? The matriarchal Mentor, believes that there could be some way to replicate the process, but this knowledge and certain components would have to be found as this process hasn’t been used since the original Key was created.   Raphael challenges the Gods if they could do more, arguing that they should do more as the Unbroken have been defending these Shackles on their behalf. His patron, Queen Mab steps forward, the Winter Knight expecting her cold rebuke, but instead the Raven Queen herself is briefly channelled through her daughter.   The Matron’s distant yet empathetic tone enlightens Raph that the strands of fate grow too tangled for even her follow. Even the Gods have their limits, although they can still influence, this is not yet the time for them to directly intervene.   Sensing a bigger picture is yet to be seen, the plain speaking Moradin, the All-Hammer, helps to centre on what is known and what is the work ahead. He confirms there are 4 Lock-Breakers, the Hag, Vermin-wrangler is dead. The Rakshasa, Usvash, is down but not out, as they are recovering in the Lower Planes, so another team must be set up to permanently destroy him.   Latara is humanoid and tricksy, and the main Lock-Breaker, Azeyeroth, is unknown. In terms of the Shackles, the Platinum Dragon’s Shackle is confirmed to be a physical location in Vasselheim, and is guarded by the Scalebearers of the Platinum Sanctuary.   Ioun warns that if the Kord Shackle is destroyed, then the Avatar of Tharizdun will be able to grow and evolve into a fuller Aspect of the mad God. The Platinum Shackle will be the last thing that keeps total Oblivion at bay, but makes it even more of a target.   Orlando notes that if repairing the Shackles will take too long, and if we continue to run out of Shackles, could there be a way to instead create a new Shackle? An 8th, mortal, Shackle?   The Gods are initially stunned by idea, but soon grasp the potential for a Mortal Shackle, as mortal hands would act as ‘matter’ to the Divine and the Oblivion’s ‘anti-matter’. The Council and the Unbroken continue to explore what would a new Shackle exactly entail…