S07 - Faith and Secrets

Date(s): 20–21 Mistfall 983

Location(s): On Talereth: Aboard the Starlight; Brackenfall, Sanctum of the Vigilant Flame, Caer Myndraelin, and Caramendra on Durashan

---

Overview

The crew continues to trace the legacy of the Dreamer, haunted by visions as they travel toward the Sanctum of the Vigilant Flame. There, Rynerm confronts the Radiant Mandate leadership in a tense exchange that ends with his dramatic escape. The party follows scattered clues eastward, discovering the ruined elven keep of Caer Myndraelin and meeting its last living heir. New evidence points them toward the hidden truth buried on Myrren, and the pattern left in the stars.

Key Events

• Visions and Dreams
  • While journeying from Virella's Song to Brackenfall, the entire crew appears to be contacted by the Dreamer:
    • Tsukihana has a dream about the loss of her brother Hiko.
    • Rynerm has a dream about the Mandate's judgment, or perhaps his own.
    • Donny recalls a dream about his childhood rescue on Virella.
    • Prim experiences a vision of a strange library.
    • Finn's nightly diagnostic reveals an implanted message about sapient constructs and the nature of trust.
  • Many of the visions feature spiral imagery, a mysterious entity, and pointed questions:
    • “You reached for him. Will you reach for me?”
    • “Will you follow their path? Or chart your own?”
    • “The thread [Marris] started didn’t vanish... Where will you tie it next?”
    • “Some helped me to become. Others chose to forget me. Which kind are you?”
    • “You walk among them, and they do not fear you. Why?”

• More Info from Professor Quen
  • Prim and Professor Aelira Quen exchange further messages via Sending. Key details include:
    • The sealed site on Myrren predates the Veilwatch Concord.
    • Quen suspects the Concord's archives have been purged. She believes even the Council is unaware.
    • She doesn't know what the Dreamer is, only that it is waking. And that Vaarn cannot contain it.
    • Regarding Serelion Thalen, Quen shares:
      • Born c. -200 CR
      • Arcanist; creator of a Dispel Magic variant
      • Probable member of the Stewards of the Echo Archive
      • Resided at Caer Myndraelin, Durashan
• The Sanctum of the Vigilant Flame
  • The party travels south of Brackenfall so that Rynerm can meet with Mandate officials. Donny remains behind to guard the Starlight.
  • Rynerm is denied entry to the Sanctum's secure wing with Finn and instead enters alone, surrendering his weapons. Meanwhile, Tsuki causes a distraction by entering the cathedral, triggering alarm. “Fetch the guard captain; a demon just walked in.”
  • Prim and Finn prepare the horses for a fast exit. Rynerm enters the Lantern Room for his audience.
• Lantern Room Discussion
  • The chamber contains a single hanging lantern said to dim in the presence of lies. It flickers as Rynerm enters.
  • Present are: Faith Warden Varnus, Brother Halvyn Solmere, and Sister Kireth Dawnveil.
  • Sister Kireth Dawnveil is the most sympathetic. She admits to authorizing the prior Myrren mission based on visions and Concord activity. She is surprised and angry when Solmere admits to ordering Rynerm’s memory tampering. Privately, she remarks on the Aasimar heritage she shares with Rynerm, telling him: “We bear the same light, though its refraction differs.” Unfortunately, Rynerm misinterprets the reference, as he is unaware of his true heritage.
  • Brother Halvyn Solmere justifies the memory editing: “You returned speaking in fragments. Symbols, not scripture. We preserved what was true.” He implies the goal was to protect the site until Sire Tonn Harfax returns.
  • Faith Warden Varnus bristles at Rynerm’s tone: “Were Harfax here, this wouldn’t be an inquiry — it would be a trial!” When Rynerm refuses to submit, Varnus declares him lost and demands his cloak.
  • Instead, Rynerm uses Avae’s Whisperpin Token to cast Mislead and escape. The party flees on horseback, aided by Longstrider.
• Quick Exit from Brackenfall
  • Back at the docks, Donny reports that the Mercantile Guild attempted to quarantine the Starlight. He told their Goliath enforcer to get lost, and the party departs before reinforcements arrive.
• Caer Myndraelin and Caramendra
  • The party travels east across Durashan and sets the ship down by night.
  • Unable to locate the ruins in darkness, they explore Caramendra by day and meet Lyren, who tends a garden near Caer Myndraelin.
• Ancient Clues
  • Lyren shares family records of Serelion Thalen and Ariandi, including:
    • Marriage and death certificates
    • Fragments of spellwork, including Thalen’s Subtle Reversal, a lesser-known Dispel Magic variant
    • Star charts and journals with field notes and arcane glyphs
    • A folded parchment note in Serelion’s hand:

      If the seal has faded and the truth has begun to echo, then perhaps you’ll understand the four anchors I left unstated -- the meanings scattered through the margins.

      I could not name them plainly. But each entry I marked with its own shape:

      where it began, what we built, what we feared, and what remained after we turned away.

      The surface itself bears the strain. Once stable, it now shifts and warps beneath the weight of our choices.
      But the stars have not changed.
      I aligned the truth to them.

      Decipher the pattern, and one trained to read the heavens will see where our legacy lies.

Clues & Discoveries

• Quen confirms the sealed site on Myrren is older than the Veilwatch Concord.
• The Mandate plans to return - most likely to cleanse the site if possible.
• Serelion’s final writings and charts hold the key to finding the site's location amid Myrren's ever-changing landscapes.

Final Notes

• With the puzzle solved and ancient star charts in hand, the party needs someone to update the location based on current star positions.
• The attempted quarantine by the Mercantile Guild seems too convenient. The crew suspects the Concord is actually behind the effort as a way to potentially ground them.