Etuna
The moonlight casts no shadow where the Penumbra walks.A mysterious deity who manifests itself on Althena and operate through certain individuals, its "chosen". The goal of Etuna appears to be the safekeeping of Althena by way of nudging certain well placed individuals to do the right thing for the island. Appearing before these individuals as a thin shadowy humanoid while time slows around them, Etuna communicates with its chosen. It seems to prefer a hands-off approach. For Hootalin, who was visited by Etuna on occasion on Althena, the deity became more and more direct as threats to the island increased and Hootalin neared Etuna's place of power with the party. On its command, Hootalin finished off the ailing leader of the Darklight — the cult that was formed around Etuna, whose corruption was intolerable to Etuna. Hootalin convinced the god that her party needed a reward to stay motivated in helping the island. When Gok overreached Etuna's generosity by laying claim to a prizeless diamond in Etuna's place of power, Etuna activated its guardian: an animated colussus housing the soul of Trinax of the Mountain. After trying to escape, Hootalin gave in on the god's final demand — to destroy the ring of power that had corrupted the Darklight's leader, Keyi. Etuna was appeased, and Hootalin and the party's future actions would save the island.
Etuna's Origins
When the party reunited with Hootalin in Neematona, the owlin has had had some time to fortify her position on Althena and mend her relation with Etuna. Away from Etuna’s immediate presence allowed her to speak freely.
Etuna, she told the party, felt young. Not young in spirit, but in age—newly divine, perhaps only a few centuries old at most. More than that, something the god had said on Althena had unsettled her: it claimed to serve something. A god in service to a higher force. That phrasing had wormed its way into Hootalin’s thoughts and never quite left.
She now believes the Life in the Mist tome, discovered in the vault beneath the temple, was placed there under Etuna’s protection. Not for safekeeping, but for timing. The right time. Perhaps when the party entered the vault and took the book, that moment arrived.
And now, with the tome destroyed, and Ruffstrom—the only one who ever read it—dead, she wondered aloud if that wasn’t a tragedy at all.
Etuna, she told the party, felt young. Not young in spirit, but in age—newly divine, perhaps only a few centuries old at most. More than that, something the god had said on Althena had unsettled her: it claimed to serve something. A god in service to a higher force. That phrasing had wormed its way into Hootalin’s thoughts and never quite left.
She now believes the Life in the Mist tome, discovered in the vault beneath the temple, was placed there under Etuna’s protection. Not for safekeeping, but for timing. The right time. Perhaps when the party entered the vault and took the book, that moment arrived.
And now, with the tome destroyed, and Ruffstrom—the only one who ever read it—dead, she wondered aloud if that wasn’t a tragedy at all.
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