Can't Fight the Moonlight
Rumors of The Moonborn being alive in Ascus has people talking... the disappearances and murders of dark-skinned half-elves is less talked about but far more serious.
Structure
Conflict
Session0098:
After weeks at sea, the Revenge finally brought the Dawnguard back from Shasem to Riverrun. The group heads back to their headquarters where Malica is writing a new song about The Moonborn. Apparently, it's all anyone's talking about these days- the Moonborn, thought to be dead, is on everyone's mind. Some say he's dead, some say he's alive, others say he's not a 'he' anymore. Ryleigh was curious and emphatically explained that the Moonborn died two years ago when she was 18. She explains that the Moonborn was the prince of Vyon, prophesied to bring universal prosperity to his people. Even some people in Ascus thought he'd free them from Tilman's rule. When Urrak mentions that the prince needs a better disguise, Ryleigh gets angry, reiterating that he died, then tells Malica that she's not a believer in the prophecy, so she's not the best person to ask about the legend, but she'll answer any questions she has. After Ryleigh and Seirixori head out to pick up their purchased magic items, Rukiya comes to the guildhall looking for her. She's learned that people who look like the Moonborn have been going missing or being found dead. She tries to explain the legend of the Moonborn to the others, telling them about the first Moonborn, Lucas, Vydea's son. He was the one who created Vyon by revolting against the king of Ascus at the time. When Ry and Seir return, there's a brief discussion before everyone heads to bed. Ry and Rukiya go to Ry's apartment where they discuss Rukiya's information further. Half a dozen missing, a handful more who have turned up dead. As far north as Ashetin in Vyon and as far south as Thista. Nobody knows who is responsible yet. Rukiya's upset about innocents dying because they look like her, but she can't risk looking into it herself. She explains that she's also been tracing rumors of an assassination plot against the Moonstreams in Riverrun, adding a potential piece to the puzzle.
Session0099
The next morning, Ryleigh suggests that the group head to Ascus to look into the disappearances. She and Seir have an argument about it, but after Rukiya asks, Seir agrees. Dawnguard heads south along The Spine of the World. At Landharbor, they hear a man singing about the Moonborn, a song about who Prince Badru was- born early to Queen Nyota as Vydea looked down during a silver-rimmed Muyar Moon, stolen away too soon by the Misty Wilds. Ry and Seir approach the bard to ask him about the Moonborn. He says he's been seen in Ascus, hiding in plain view in Tilman's court. Urrak talks to a mercenary who tells her he's dead and offers nothing else.
Session0100
Taking a break at Isolone Village, another person starts singing about the Moonborn, this time explaining how he was supposed to unite the world under the banner of the Moon and destroy those who stood in his way. Followers of Asten would be outlawed, Asten would become a minor god and only have dominion over sunshine itself. In Kinetas, Urrak attempted another round of investigations, checking in at different taverns looking for information. She heard that the rumors were coming from the south, but not much else. While helping Valris, Seir learned that many Ascus guards are followers of Asten and believe in "power and purity and all that." Ryleigh also asks Seir to shift and run if necessary, but whatever she does, don't let the guards in Ascus take her. Ryleigh checked in with Whispers where she was given a lecture on appropriate energy use. Sutha, the half-orc woman who talked to her explained her theory about the dead being run-of-the-mill hate crimes, not some vast conspiracy. Ryleigh suggested that maybe the Reunifiers had something to do with it. "Sure. They're not offing themselves, but look at this. You've got a list of what, maybe a dozen people across the whole damn south of Omphalos. You've got half of them just missing. They might be visiting grandma. The other half? You got that kid Sefu in Ashetin. Stabbed in his house. The three down in Arolis? A family bludgeoned. Burrafirth? Hanged. There's no consistency in it at all." She sighs and leans forward. "Think like an assassin, even if you can't step like one. Would you want your victims to be found?"
Session0101
Once in Castin, the group listens to a poet who explains that the Moonborn lives on in each of us, demanding each person take up the fight and do as he would, helping their neighbors and building a better tomorrow. After the poem, Ryleigh heads out to find Whispers again, but first is confronted by the poet. He's also a Whisper and tells her where to find the hideout. Meanwhile, Seir sees some people having a conversation about the Moonborn and asks what he knows. He heard that the Moonborn was a daughter of Vydea doing miracles in Ascus. The next day, when they cross into Ascus, they notice a guard checkpoint at the border where they're looking for "Persons of Interest."
Session0102
Ryleigh meets with another Whispers cell, this time a dragonborn who tells her that the Moonborn was seen in Manavik, but that she left. There's also rumors of a plague in Kenbow and that someone's been seen out there doing miraculous healing. One of the Arolis Whispers, later to be revealed as Gayle, was sent towards Kenbow to look into the rumors. Before Ryleigh can learn more, though, she ends up being called back to the group because they're being harassed by guards.
Session0103
The tension in the group comes to a head when everyone argues about whether they should leave Ascus. Ryleigh explains who Tilman and the Sunguard are and asks them not to tell anyone why they're in Ascus.Then they head towards Kenbow.
Session0104
Ryleigh heads to Whispers to learn more and finds Gayle, the Whisper from Arolis that Mishann had mentioned. Ryleigh offers to let Gayle travel with Dawnguard to Kenbow. Blossom also tells Ry and Gayle that one of her fellow Whispers has reported something about grey cloaks. One person came into town wearing one and asking questions, and he swears he's been seeing others out of the corner of his eye in alleys or across rooftops. The next morning, as Dawnguard plus Gayle start heading out of Aston, they're stopped by a man in a grey cloak who wants to know what Gayle's been asking about. He's persistent and when Ryleigh puts her hands on him, four archers on the rooftops start raining arrows down on the party. Ryleigh subdued the man while the rest of the party chased off the archers, but a Sunguard named Sir Barton stopped the festivities early. After some back and forth, Barton manacled the man and handed him over to the local guard before continuing his trek east- the same direction as Dawnguard was traveling. Ryleigh convinced the guards to turn the man over to her instead, and she spent the time leaving Aston interrogating him. After refusing to answer her, he finally says that death doesn't frighten him, but that the Moonborn would die by his hand or another's. Ry then ties him to a tree in the Fytulk Timberlands and leaves him bleeding for the forest.
Session0105-
Seirixori asked Takara if Asten could be behind the killings. She explains that it isn't such a simple question to answer because mortals do things 'for' the gods all the time, sometimes with their blessing, sometimes without. On the 19th, the group is continuing through the forest when they come across a group of four guards harassing three commoners.
Session0106-
The party tries to chase off the guards, but when they refuse to let the half-elf go, the guards are quickly dispatched, but not fast enough to avoid the wrath of the Fytulk Timberlands.
Rising Action
Session0107
The guards are dragged into the forest, everyone piles into the the cart, and they head to a clearing to lie low for a bit. Alarys asks Urrak to help them find their cart so they can continue on their journey, dangling knowledge of The Moonborn to try to obtain an escort to Vyon. When that doesn't work, convinced by Gayle and Urrak that Ryleigh isn't a threat, Alarys and Taji discuss and decide to reveal their connection to the Moonborn. However, when Alarys's Detect Thoughts is counterspelled, and she can't verify Ryleigh's intent, she acts on faith and fails the save, revealing that she is, in fact, the Moonborn.
Session0108
The party learned more about Alarys, including how Vydea had named her Moonborn and sent her towards Riverrun. In the morning, Sir Barton passed them, now looking for a dragonborn, and Ryleigh lied to him about her whereabouts. By the end of the session, Alarys seemed to be more willing to trust Ryleigh and the others.
Session0109
The party reached Aston where Ryleigh traded in the cart for another horse so the party could travel through the forests instead of the roads. The rest of the party camped on the edge of The Spine of the World, readying to head north.
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