The Keystone
At the Altar of the First, a site of pilgrimage for many that voyage into the Wastes, lie two staircases along the side of the plateau. One leads up and just around the bend of the staircase, light can be seen while the other leads down where no light pierces through, not even magical sources sent in.
If one were to take what is called the Path of Darkness, one would find themselves walking for a couple of hours underneath the sands of the Wastes in a rather unkept stone hallway. At the end is an underground stone courtyard with petrified trees in the corners of the cavern. Massive stone rings extend from the corners of the stone platform and rise about thirty feet high and carved with blocks of runes on both sides.
In the center of the stone courtyard is a three-tiered raised platform and on each of the four sides of the center are stone circular gateways about 10 feet high and wide.
The Wayfinders
Guided to this path by both a revenant that wanders the Wastes warning pilgrims and dreams that Killian Quinn was granted, the Wayfinders found themselves in the interior of the courtyard as Killian darted around like a man possessed shifting runes on each side of the stone rings. As soon as he fitted the last rune into place, the group was blinded by bright blue light and found themselves on the stone courtyard except beyond the petrified trees were pools of stars and the edge of a rock formation. All around them, both above and below, were a sea purple skies and stars. Going to the center of the platform, Killian twisted the center and highest tier so that the markings aligned with the newly appeared runes on each of the circular gateways. At the moment that the platform clicked in, the empty gateways lit with misty blue light as if signaling it were active and the center of the platform was glowing. According to his vision, something small and black and glowing needed to be placed in the center in order to complete what it was that he saw. Nyx, ever the guinea pig for magical effects, flew into the center of the platform and perched in the middle. Once he did, the gateways were filled. One showed a library isle, another showed the deck of the Blue Falcon at night, the other showed the bakery at Astraeus Falls, and the last showed what looked to be Artemis's house in the distance. Putting it together once Tetran stepped onto it and the portals shifted once more, the group realized that the portals that opened were places that whoever stood in the center wanted to be. Realizing this, Killian stepped into the center focused on his mission and finding what secret it was that he had discovered and all four portals seemed to lead to a grassy canyon where a large celestial snake stood at the far end and two guards seemed to stand guarding what looked to be a floating key. After retrieving it and placing it in the center, one portal opened up revealing a pale and relatively unkempt man. He revealed that the place was where gods sent their chosen ones to retrieve the key and ended up dying. It was the gateway to a prison. The Keystone had another purpose... engraving an angelic rune onto the hands of those that visited. Enabling Reylan to transfer the rune onto others via her aíysfaer crystal. The Keystone also helped Valentine discover the location of where his double was located as well as helped Reylan transport the six sided portal box that contained the Waters of Selune which granted werewolves the ability to control their lycanthropy and even cure it with enough servings. The group used it to recover the missing armor that was stolen as well as then travel back to Darkfalls (after recovering the thief) not only to return it but to make sure that the thief got paid in order to make sure he was not entirely killed for not completing his mission as he was hired. In order to get rid of the key, Reylan had used the Keystone to open a portal to her mentor Ellana and discovered that unlike others, Ellana could hear beyond the veil of the portal. Promising to take the key and ensure its safety, the other Chosen then dispelled the portal allowing the others to take a long rest within the Keystone. Deciding to meditate here, Reylan discovered that there was a dark secret that her blade contained.
by Mara Jaena (Canva)
Type
Rock Formation
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