Patron holds back Devil Soldiers, speaking in Infernal, he scouls them for attacking, the mortals present here are not projections, they could have killed them.
The party learn that they need to look for colour pools that present themselves as an inviting colour to the traveller. The Astral Plane is not particularly logical, things are in constant motion and some things reveal themselves in different ways to different travellers. For instance, an outer planes creature like Edward's Patron cannot find the Material Plane portal, but the party can.
The party receive a gift from the patron, a long cone of black, glassy stone. Looking through its length reveals it to be a magical looking glass, allowing them to more easily identify far off features in this plane. The patron asks how they arrived here, and is shocked by the item they have acquired from the iris of an Unknown. He warns them that creatures of that kind have been spotted in the astral plane and beyond, creatures unknown to their world and to the wider cosmos, and pose as an unknowable threat. After the party question the patron, he is dismissive of further probing questions, and assured them his intentions are still to help them. To fix the mess the Dargean Empire left behind. He then vanishes in smoke along with the devilish soldiers.
The party use the farsight looking glass. They see an enormous chain tied between masses of floating land, they also see a cluster of floating rocks with two bright coloured lights, colour pools. They head for the cluster.
Once they arrive they have to navigate through the maze of floating rocks. They find a colour pool, dark crimson, and decide that this is likely not the pool they seek. Continuing through the rocks they notice something is following, clinging and climbing the rocks. They have drifted a slight distance from one another, their astral floating making the usual marching order of walking difficult. Then, they are attacked. A sinewy humanoid with ragged robes, rubbery gray skin, and a mass of tentacles hanging from its face. A quick bout occurs as Edward is caught out in the open. The creature releases some kind of psychic force that causes Amarion to be paralysed, Mornington has to dig deep to shrug off the effects. Crom gets tangled up with the creature as he, Edward and the abhorrent, alien humanoid, are up above the floating rocks of their surroundings.
Crom with an almighty swing manages to cleave the creature in half, dark blueish blood floating suspended in air. They figure that this creature may be one that Edward's Patron warned of, as he first attacked Edward who possesses the Amulet of the Planes. They continue searching, and as they make their way through the rocks, they change from porous grey to slick igneous rocks, then appear closer to red hot lava, yet produce no heat. It continues until a colour pool is found, fiery orange, surrounded by the red rocks. Again, they feel this could be a dangerous portal for them to use, especially as Crom and Amarion are still having to maintain their condition, occasionally suffering physical damage from the ailment.
The farsight looking glass is used again, and they see a giant tornado and another mountain range, this one the rough shape of a downed quadrupedal. They choose the tornado.
Several hours span between each feature they travel to in this plane and this one is no different. Once they arrive they can feel the force of this tornado which seems to stretch impossibly high into the sky. They see a shape flying around in the far distance as they notice a white color pool. They are unsure, could this be safe? A pattern starts to form, they have seen an orange pool molten rocks around, fire? So, could this one be air? Are there portals to the prime elemental planes? They would be interesting, without doubt, but maybe not the most safe places. Ultimately, it is not what they seek.
The looking glass is used. They see a vast lake, almost a sea, with rain above it. They also see sunlight, a beaming beacon in one direction. They choose to go towards the light.
As the light gets ever brighter they notice the flying shape close in, a giant wingspan following them. The party are confronted by a large, teal skinned humanoid with white feathered wings. It has immaculate clothing and wields a flawless sword. It lands, blocking them from the bright light. The creature speaks, introducing itself as a Planetar Angel, he forbids them from entering the yellow colour pool. He interrogates the party on their purity, and they each see visions when the Angel places a hand on their heads, one by one.
- Crom sees a natural forest and a giant spirit bear, with eyes of an eagle. He looks into a pool and sees a reflection of a great bear in his place. When the angel lifts its hand, Crom's skin has returned to normal, he has been healed of his affliction.
- Amarion sees the tide, both the sea and the order. The Tide are sat at a table, pouring over old tomes, that seem to reference the Dargean empire and the elven ways of old. Perhaps they know far more than they have let on to Amarion. Once the visions are over and the angels arm lifts, he too has returned to normal, the affliction lifted.
- Edward next, and an incident unfolds. The Angel detects an evil that lives within Edward, he starts to choke him lifting him high as smoke starts to pour from where the angel touches him. The smoke forms into the shape of his patron, mirroring the angel, Edward suspended between Celestial and Fiend. Mornington tries to attack but Amarion steps in his way. Edward is released and the angel urges him to find a way to part from that terrible force.
- Mornington is last and sees visions of his father, riding by his side when he was a boy. He sees his family, impending responsibility, a desolated home, his home, shrouded in dark shadow. He sees a circlet being lowered onto his head, surrounded by his peers.
A few questions and answers are exchanged between the two parties, the angel shows it's concerns over the invading 'others'. A concern shared between celestials and fiends alike, evidently. He also sheds light that various outer planar races once waged war on the material plane for dominance. This is what lead the Dargean to create the Element Stones, banishing them all to their own planes and keeping them out. The angel believes they are far from being trusted with access to the over heavens, but still imparts advice and gives directions to where they will find more preferable colour pools. They are to cross the raining lake and they will see some familiar signs.
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