What Happened at the Feast of the Moon?

Morning comes with dark clouds and a thick snow fall, drawing several shop owners out early to clear the cobblestone streets to each of their establishments. While necessary, the work is far from quiet, with the harsh sound of shovels scrapping the stones and the chatter of those working rising through the street. The group works their way to Driftwood Inn, where Saul’s deeper voice can be heard calling out directions for those bringing in stock for the busy festival day ahead. As the sun slowly rises, many staying at the inn are likely roused by the cacophony from below.
 
Anya, having finished her trance earlier, sat quietly in the darkened room she shared with her drow companion Zane and Tal. The sounds didn’t seem to affect Zane, but she doubted much would as she had been quietly speaking to Tal about the day ahead for the last hour or so. Hearing Neverwinter slowly waking below and nervous about what the day held, the pair decided to get their errands completed before finding Birel for the Feast of the Moon meditation.
 
Gathering her things, she is startled hearing Sikander leave his room uncharacteristically early and heading downstairs. She and Tal leave shortly after, and find Sikander had already left, off on who knew what errand or joy-walk through the city as had become his habit. Grabbing a quick bite from Saul, they head out searching for the craft district and the Seddleniddle’s cart ("Seddleniddle Bits and Fiddles").
 
They wind their way through the streets, Anya's hand on Tal's back to steady her nerves as they go. Arriving in the craft district, they wander by various carts and buildings covered in decorations and wintery ornamentation all through the area before she locates the gnomes. Anya spots Kelsten chatting with a customer, noting a rack of weapons behind the gnome as well as a table with various small items. She spends a few minutes looking through the trinkets before Krestyl comes out, nervously greeting Anya. She asks if any of her other companions were with her, specifically the drow. After assuring her Zane was not present, she introduces Krestyl to Tal. The gnome relaxes immediately and asks to pet him, which Tal happily welcomes, looking for a treat as she does. After chatting and bargaining, Anya trades a few items and purchases a quarterstaff, a pretty multicolored disk, and the statue of a smug halfling (she regards the last item with a wide smile, thinking of Vallic). After a few other purchases, she and Tal drop their things back at their room and head for the fountain in the center of the craft district, where a variety of elves, half elves, and humans gathered preparing for the special Feast meditation to Sehanine Birel was leading. She explained the various prayers to Sehanine to those not as familiar with the Elven goddess while everyone else settled onto the mats setup around the fountain for the prayers and meditation. Anya found one with space for Tal to be next to her and settled down, nervously petting Tal while she waited.
 
Once noon arrived, Birel started leading the group in a prayer. Hearing the others around her, Anya rests her hands on her knees while sitting cross legged, closing her eyes as she lets the nervous breath out, then begins her own breathing exercise leading into her meditation prayer.
 
Breathing in: I am here
Breathing out: I seek clarity
 
Breathing in: I am here
Breathing out: I seek answers
 
Breathing in: I am here
Breathing out: I seek guidance
 
Slows her breathing further, rests her hands open in her lap:
Sehanine, Moonlit Mystery,
Being patient through the unknown has never been my strength. I am prone to question everything about you, even though you have sent visions and brought me back from the void, but I can no longer deny the evidence of your work in and around me.
Help me to listen and watch for opportunities to return, however you mean, and to find peace with the past.
 
Anya continues her meditation, ignoring the light snowfall as she repeats her breath prayer and a variation of the same prayer seeking guidance, understanding, and peace. With each repeated prayer, Anya relaxed and finally found herself in a calm state, not trance, for most of the day. The mediation continued over the next twelve hours until midnight arrived and Birel transitioned to a new prayer.
As the new prayer continues, those who had meditated all day, including Anya, fell into a trance.
 
In this trance-like state, she stood in her incorporeal form and looked around, discovering she could see them all meditating around the fountain, with Tal curled up behind her. The next moment, her view is of all of Neverwinter and the surrounding area, including the coast beyond, bathed in the light of the full moon. The next moment, she turns to gaze at the moon itself, finding it had taken on the familiar glowing face of Sehanine, wearing the same gentle smile that had told her to return.
She felt her essence pulled into the moon, and as she passed through, there was no sound or wind - only still and calm. It was then the visions started:
 
First: The face of dog drifts ahead of her before shifting into a hyena snarling and snapping, then again into the hezrou. The image flickered in quick succession, showing Anya all of the innocents that had died to the creatures, leaving the strong smell and taste of the hezrou lingering as her vision faded to blackness.
 
Second: The dark shifted to a white glow that became the white stag she was now quite familiar with. It bounded forward into a white fog, leaving a feeling of frigid chill in its wake, making Anya feel like she had frozen. Following him, she passed through a village that was frozen, unnaturally so, with a building on left nearly collapsed and a very familiar grassy knoll covered in snow and ice came just becoming visible, then all went to black again.
 
Third: A young woman appeared before her, creating a strong sense of familiarity as she was eerily similar to her mother, Eldith, but taller and with ears curved. Her white hair with a turquoise streak in it falls down her back, staring into the distance with her intense amber eyes. Most notable is the turquoise cloaks she is wearing as she stands atop a large tower in the center of a town that was dilapidated. The tower shifted to a large cloud with red gleaming eyes leering through the smoke.
 
As the third vision lingers, Anya hears the voice of Sehanine, "Dark unnatural tides, Chardansearavitriol and Myrkul, abominations one and the same." A moment later comes a deep whisper, like the wind blowing through the boughs of a tree, "Stand with the moon, child, accept the aid of Relkath."
 
At this, Anya comes out of her trance, falling forward onto her hands and breathing heavily as she does. After moment, realizing is was nearly three in the morning, she panics when she notices Tal was no longer at her side. Looking about, she finds Birel waiting for her. The priestess comes over, helping the Anya to her feet, and closely inspecting the younger elf's face. She nods slightly, then suggests Anya come find her after she has found Tal and rested, certain there were many questions Anya would have after her encounter with the Lady of Dreams.
 
Anya nods slowly, lost for words and still a bit dazed as she works to collect herself. It takes Birel releasing Anya's arms before she finds her voice enough to ask if she saw where Tal had gone. Birel was certain she had seen him walking to the north part of town in the direction of Birel's oaken home about an hour earlier. Thanking her, Anya heads to the other end of Neverwinter, searching and calling out for Tal, until she finally finds him asleep behind the abandoned oak home. She wakes him, hugs him close for a several minutes while she tells him everything she had just seen. He listens, and leans into her arms as he watches the anxiety slowly building within his companion.
 
Once Anya had control again, the pair start back toward the inn, but about fifty feet from the tree Anya spots a small branch of odd wood, about two to three feet long, the ends curled with small thin thread attached to both ends. Sensing it was magical, she picks it up and realizes it is a living bow. As she comes to this conclusion, Sehanine whispers to her again, "Rillifane crafted this for our quest, use it well". Anya remains kneeling in the snow saying a prayer of thanks and acceptance, holding the wood woven bow made of weirwood, a undeserved gift for a very unexpected quest.
 
Her head spinning, not fully understanding all that had transpired or what she had just agreed to, she felt suddenly drained. Tal, sensing her spiraling emotions, comes alongside her and gets her standing and finally moving back toward the tavern. The walk back is silent as Anya's mind bounces around through the different parts of the vision, continuing until she is finally in her room.
 
Settling in for her trance, the part of the vision heaviest on her mind is the very familiar woman with round ears…the one that looks like her own mother. Drifting off, her reverie that night finally ceased reliving her resurrection, and shifted instead to the vision she had of her mother and Raellir, wanting to compare the two women to confirm her suspicions…"Is that you Aeminka…nesa?"