Stairway from "Heaven"

Note: Any text appearing like this text indicates a place where Zin either used an alternative word as code or otherwise obscured what it says, out of concern for the information being sensitive.

This day has been a lot.

Apparently Duraz made friends last night. He had a gnome posse that he was being weird about and shooing away at breakfast. Between the night prior and breakfast, I tried and failed to get any discussion going about Roscoe’s unexpected title⁠—I didn’t even try with Blackthorne. Interestingly, we did learn from one of Duraz’s friends that because Lepota has a somewhat complicated belief structure surrounding opening yourself to love and cutting off communication in the case of death and separation, magical means of seeing and speaking don’t work, which is why scrying and other spells haven’t been able to reach us and why everyone thought we were fucking dead. If anyone from this group had lost a loved one who was in Lepota’s domain, we also wouldn’t⁠—I also wouldn’t⁠—have been able to bring that person here. They would have been left behind in the whirlpool. I guess this all helps make sense, too, of why they’re all so confused that this gaggle of still-living idiots is walking around.

We were escorted “to the main palace” by Janessa Broadlilly and Ylich Banderbander, riding Ki-Rin that outclassed us in intelligence, wit, and wisdom. (My reflexive Feywild manners seemed to amuse the one giving me a ride, at least.) I’ve seen Ylich before, in the House of Knowledge doing some research. Her symbols tell me she is an emissary between Lepota, Nydra, Oghma, and Taika.

On the way to the palace, it was peculiar to me how often settlements were predominantly divided upon racial lines. I guess the habits we build on Xotera don’t leave us in the journey to the afterlife. While listening to the Ki-Rin telepathically explain something to me about Lepota’s realm, we crested through a mountain pass and found ourselves before a very grand, very perfect palace. It was shimmering, nearly fluorescent, honestly younger me would have been over the moon about it. I also could feel the portal nearby, probably inside the palace. It briefly occurred to me that this was likely the staircase connecting Xotera and Arborea, like the one I know exists in Eolas to the House of Knowledge, but there wasn’t much time to ponder that before we continued onward.

The Ki-Rin separated to go through their own doors, and I heard Lepota welcome me back; clearly she also remembered my accidental wanderings here as a child. Confusingly, she also told me “he” would see me. The only one that made sense was Oghma, but that was unexpected. Once we went through the guest entrance (and were properly awed by the display), we made it to the antechamber and a lovely pink diamond-colored dragonborn woman reiterated that “he” wished to talk to me.

I walked into the next room to see Oghma⁠—well, at least his projection⁠—there. Though he is frustrating as always, it was wonderful to see him and hear him. It hasn’t necessarily been long on this plane, but the silence instead of the normal, nearly-imperceptible thrum of his presence was off-putting. It seems he and Lepota had a disagreement about options to offer, and he had come specifically to offer me three paths in order to offer me free will:

The one best for me

The one best for the group

The one best for Fern’s family

He ended up pissing Lepota off shortly after, and she cut off his projection. I should have hugged him when I had the chance. (Can you hug projections? Probably god ones.) Swiftly after that moment, we were led into the throne room to see Lepota herself.

Countless divine scholars have written descriptions of all of the gods, though perhaps none more thoroughly and in excruciating detail as Lepota. Maybe someday I will try to do justice to the overwhelming physical feeling of being in a god’s presence. That aspect is woefully underrepresented in literature. Lepota herself is everything ever written about her and more. Most scholars agree that she looks different to everyone who beholds her, and I believe that more firmly than ever after seeing three simultaneous, nearly superimposed versions of what she could be when I looked at the goddess. (I wonder what everyone else saw.) She also has surrounded herself with artistic tributes to Osud, giving the space a touch of melancholy despite its beauty and brightness.

I must capture for posterity’s sake the fact that Roscoe and Seksgar seemed to be especially affected by Lepota’s imposing presence, and their speech was… hilarious. Duraz seemed okay, but he still rambled on a lot more than I’m used to, so I am unsure if it was her presence or the fact he was talking about stonework.

Lepota eventually asked why we were here, and I requested the use of her portal. She told me to pick between Oghma’s three paths mentioned earlier and was unwilling to give me more information despite asking. Fern and I channeled Lurra and Oghma on Veldorn, and I consulted with the party as a whole before we decided to take the option best for the party. (Lepota somewhat smugly said that was the option she intended to pick for us anyway, implying that Oghma had wasted his time.) Without further fanfare, we found ourselves atop a mountain, confirming my thoughts earlier⁠—we had been given access to the staircase.

After a long descent, we reached the Prime Material Plane again, and at the mountain’s base saw a conflict at the gate below. It was hard to see from up here, but it seemed to be an internal conflict⁠—at the very least, everyone was dressed similarly. Roscoe deduced some people were being thrown out of the mountain and weren’t happy about it. The fighting quickly turned lethal, and with the loss of life, Fern made a rushed decision to get into the fray and stop the conflict, with everyone hot on her heels. I hung back. I was deeply uncomfortable with inserting ourselves into the conflict this way, and I refused to fell anyone. Keenor and I tried to restrain and intimidate, but the fates were not with us in this.

Confusingly for me, in the midst of the fight, I felt an Eladrin charm take hold on me as one of the people in the fray commanded us all to not meddle in things we didn’t understand. The immediate scuffle soon ended, but a lot of chaotic things happened at once:

Fern was trying to spare the fallen souls from death.

Roscoe tried to loot a body of one of the fallen that were on the good side of the conflict and inserted himself on the shitlist immediately.

The woman in the lead, Irine, told us the five being kicked out were Tajna cultists and showed the marks under their tongues.

Two somewhat bristly individuals of mixed lineage (they seemed both dwarven and firbolg) were all but dismissed as soon as the fight was over. The woman was fiery, and the male protective. They seemed to be siblings.

I think I helped diffuse the situation, but also when Duraz reverted from animal to himself, they seemed intent on having him meet the master of the inner mountain. Irine said she wished to speak with me, too. They also tentatively offered us a place for the night after seeing the signs of Tajna’s wrath in the birds and storm brewing in the sky. Irine soon left us and assigned a nearby elf, named Quinathas (Quinn), to babysit/escort us. Roscoe wasn’t allowed to come with us (after his looting stunt) but his banishment to the stables was more of a reward, in all honestly.

Iztoz as a place is fascinating. The deep fusion of elven and dwarven elements made for unique architecture, but I will say that for all the fusion, I did see a lot of distinct separation still, too. The deeper we went into the mountain, the more dwarven it became. The magical wards here were strong⁠—I think we passed some meant to screen evil, and further ones flared with Oghma’s symbol when I passed, and with Lurra’s symbol when Fern did. But here Seksgar and Blackthorne were stopped. Quinn said these wards stopped “those under the influence of a being that cannot be trusted.” I tried to advocate for the pair, but it took dropping both of my titles to get Quinn to relent.

We made it near the vault and encountered its two sentries, the dwarf-firbolg pair from earlier outside, Onryn and Azyrn. In front of the whole party, Fern had a very strange, awkward exchange with them where she sidestepped into telling them⁠—and us!⁠—she was their mother. She briefly walked through the story of what happened and why, and it became clear that this is not known in the entire family… Later, Azryn tried to STAB Fern, so there’s some definite unresolved tension and angst.

We entered the inner sanctum, and before us stood a white-haired dwarf with an impressively long beard and hair, dressed entirely in white with a gold chain belt at his waist. He welcomed us, but he specifically greeted Duraz warmly, calling him “brother” and that he is destined for greatness. He had expected both Duraz and Fern to come, mentioned a prophecy, and seemed disappointed that Roscoe had not been allowed in. He showed us glimpses of a future conflict and actions, saying Duraz would be important to all of us and emphasizing that Duraz’s connection to Xotera is stronger than anyone else’s. Specifically, he doubled down and said that the planet itself speaks to Duraz, which seemed to put Duraz in a class of his own, whether he realizes it or not.

Note for players: Zin entirely omits writing, even in code, anything about the two keystones.

After tea and discussion, Hunniiam passed a task on to Duraz and imparted additional wisdom upon us all about how we are destined to be together and admonishing us to not let quests consume us and keep us from love because that would allow darkness to consume us. He specifically told Duraz to make sure I am protected, which continues to be weird. He also beseeched Fern to choose love as she approaches a form in her road soon. We also learned that transport will be arranged for us, and that the two sentries will accompany us as representatives of Cofre. As that interaction wrapped up, we ended up in the dwarven cafeteria area, accompanied by both the inner mountain sentries and Quinn still.

We learned a lot more about the blood magic of Cofre and how important it is to have the direct descendants of Thorgrim and Chendes remain in position guarding its vaults (though this didn’t stop the drunken emissary from also referring to them as inbred!), which has resulted in the strict culture of arranged marriages. The evening was tense, a little awkward, but entertaining, in retrospect. Late in the course of things, I showed Quinn that I was part of the Protectors, and he told me more about Deena. We ended up talking a while longer in the living space of my guest quarters⁠—that elf is obsessed with his way of making arrow heads and hollow shafts⁠—though we were interrupted by Blackthorne, Duraz, and Seksgar using Blackthorne’s mirror to ask me if they should intervene with Tara flirting with a random dwarf. In the seconds of conversation, it got concerning, so Quinn, and I headed that way and before we made it, a brawl was breaking out. Tara ended up in Seksgar’s care, which, honestly, is probably the best place for any of the emotionally fragile among us most of the time. (Note: I saw Blackthorne sneak away⁠—he better not be causing trouble as I write this.)

I have only just recently returned to the room to write, center myself, rest, and prepare for tomorrow. We travel, apparently directly to Cofre, sometime in the morning. I should probably remind everyone to show their friends and more that we are truly on the Prime again and not dead.


Margin notes in Sylvan and a cypher, for Rue:

Didn’t we have a Ki-Rin come to our aid in the Feywild on that… not-great day? I should have asked mine if it knew which of its brethren came, and at whose request.

Oghma told me he was proud of me for being able to transport others with me like this across the planes⁠—apparently this is a thing he hoped for me in 100 years?! Also do you think my god will forever tell me alarming news after the fact only?

Have you read much about Lepota and what happens when a mortal looks at her?

Let’s discuss Oghma’s lesson to me: don’t always be self-sacrificing. Sometimes what’s best for me is best for everyone.

Quinn was carrying what I think was his lover’s quiver, with a symbol of The Protectors on the bottom. I offered to do what I could to help him learn what happened to her, but the fact that someone from this mountain was called away doesn’t bode well for Tantras.

Hunniiam specifically told Duraz, “You hold an important place in this horizon walker’s success.”

You and Hunniiam have a lot of the same opinions⁠—he told Seksgar, “I would tell you that you have a complicated road ahead of you but you don’t seem like a complicated man.”

Hunniiam told me an alarming thing⁠—that the biggest burden is mine⁠—and a confusing thing⁠—that the Trinity thanks me. I have a hazy feeling that maybe something related to this happened but I can’t grasp it. Do you remember anything?