Episode 70: Man on the Moon

## Plot

Aya and Enkara at the edge of the Dome attempt to find the others, having Enkarra cast Locate Object but the spell comes up empty, though their tracks seemingly lead up to the dome's surface. Aya concludes that the pair either fought each other or died some other way and are back on the moon. The pair discuss what to do next, and Aya brings up using the spell she got from N'zune to Contact other Plane and ask Fluke, back on the Realm of Celestial Song for some answers about Quinn Tara.

She completes the ritual but something goes horribly wrong when she connects. Aya starts speaking gibberish and when Enkara tries to get her to explain what happened Aya's jumbled answers leave her deeply concerned. With no one to help them, Enkara uses her Staff of the Python to kill Aya and send her back to the Moon, before running through the dome, disintegrating her, but not before the dome makes her revisit a memory.

Enkara remembers her time in her home town with her druidic order, carving gifts from the great tree at the heart of it for their yearly festival. The memory reaffirms her need to save both the sun and the moon before she awakes on the moon, with Selune greeting her and the others. Enkara quickly checks in on Aya, who is understanding of what Enkara had to do but also optimistic that the spell worked for a second and is keen to repeat it. Marshmarrow voices that he missed Aya and proudly tells her about his slaying of a "Bone Dragon", the bone naga.

Sarrek and Kairos continue to smoke some weed they found and ruminate on their death passing through the Dome, realizing what happened before calling over to the others. Enkara goes over to join them and Aya points out their hypocrisy about them smoking moon weed but when she snorts Arcane Flux they get annoyed but the two are too high and ignore her. Enkara informs Sarrek and Kairos on what happened after they went missing and Aya confronts Sarrek with his actions, walking away from the group when they needed him.

The two bicker Sarrek snapping back about Aya's continued delving and tasting of old gods and strange magic, but she argues that she's learned a lot from it. Aya reluctantly admits that they need Sarrek, which he takes a lot of joy in making her say again. Sarrek accepts her argument and agrees not to run off again and the group figures out what to do next: making plans to talk to Ihraman while Aya also mentions the possibility of contacting her patron, Attiq'usu for answers as well. Aya also tells Kairos about the benefits of N'zune's skull and its abilities to take old learning and exchange it for new, if he wanted to change up his fighting abilities.

Aya also brings up the Darkling Mirror located in the skull of N'zune's chamber, which makes Sarrek curious as to why such a travel device is there when Leander approaches with new information about the rumored locations and backstory about the mirrors. Reading through the notes, the group picks up on some strange wording by Leander about a god of knowledge he describes as incredibly handsome and other mentions that seem like self-inserts. The information causes the group to question Leander's identity and whether the Queen mention in the notes refers to Sarrek's queen.

The group turns on Leander and begins to interrogate him to reveal his past, why he was in jail, and what he was up to. Leander is cagey but mentions being in Yre for research having used a Darkling Mirror but when they ask for more details he avoids their questioning, feigning the need to "research" the answers and acts hurt by their attitudes. Aya relents, using subterfuge to soothe Leander's concern, and then uses her ability to read thoughts to delve into the scholar's mind as he lets down his defenses. His surface thoughts reveal that he's thinking about her, but going deeper Aya discovers that he genuinely cares for her, deeper still uncovers an image of a Queen of Night hidden by a veil with a miniature Azi Dahaka on her shoulder.

Leander realizes what's happening and attempts to change his thoughts to throw her off, eventually pushing her out completely and heads back inside the tower. Aya bleeding from her efforts, calls out treachery and points at Leander. Enkara rushes over to try and help Aya as she continues to try and explain what she saw in the scholar's mind and warn them. Sarrek and Karios are unsure, not trusting Aya's ramblings but Enkara demands an explanation from Leander and goes after him. Leander denies the acquisition which sends Enkarra back to Aya for clarification; and recovering her sense rectifies her response and confronts Leander with the fact that he is not telling them everything.

The scholar and Aya continue to bicker and Aya points out that he is only safe on the moon because of their goodwill but Leander calls out to Selune to ask if that is true, and she says that it's not. Selune's sudden involvement in the argument causes the group to become even more suspicious and Aya pulls them together to get to the bottom of this mystery. Sarrek starts to dig into the details surrounding Leander's arrival in Yre but the scholar continues to evade the answers.

Sarrek and Aya contemplate roughing him up or sending him back to the Moon, and inquire with Selune what happens if someone would die on the moon. The Goddess replies that she will keep bringing them back as long she wishes, and Aya questions why she continues to care about Leander as they are her champions and not him. Selune answers that he has decided to help them and thus can say, but threatens that if he becomes a hindrance she would be very disappointed in him.

The group continues to pry and Leander sighs not understanding why they wish to know so much about him after he has shared so much with them and been kind to them all. Kairos then brings up taking him to see Ihraman to see what she knows about the mysterious scholar, and the group agrees as they intended to ask her questions anyway.

Looking back through the notes Leander had provided them about the Darkling Mirrors and their locations, Aya picks up on that one lies in the Visiting chambers of the Queen of Ur which makes her suspicious if she was the mysterious queen that had them made and what involvement she has in the city. With questions mounting about the Queen, Sarrek diverts the conversation back onto Leander's strange comments, and Aya's idea that the mirror's locations are tied to important places worth investigating. The group head into the tower to Deither's forge and peruse his latest creations and get supplied at Mane's in preparation for their trip back to Yre to get answers from Ihraman.

## Smith Items

### Forge Slag

Topaz of Golden Light

A jagged shard of topaz smeared with
golden ichor. When held and activated the cypher conures daylight for 2d6 Rounds. (4 Arcane Flux) [Bought by Aya]

Silverstrike

A jagged silver shared damaged by
flame. When held and activated; the cypher conjures and hurls three arrows (range150/400feet,
1d8 piercing damage) (4 Arcane flux)

Spiral Serpent

A hydra’s tooth engraved with
endless spirals. When held and activated, the cypher pushes all adjacent
creatures 30 feet from you. (4 Arcane Flux)

### Deither’s experiments

Fireblast Gem.

Can be folded into an existing melee
weapon. When you hit with a melee attack you may speak a command word to cause a 15 foot cone to erupt dealing 2d6 fire damage, half on a successful DC15 Dex Save

Radiant Strike Gem

Can be folded into an existing
ranged weapon. When you hit with a ranged attack, a pillar of radiant fire
strikes you target and anyone within 5 feet of them, dealing 2d6 radiant damage, half on a successful wisdom save

Acid Gem

Can be folded into an existing
weapon. When you hit with an attack the target is splashed wit acid and takes 4 damage. At the start of each of your turns, the target takes acid damage again, taking 1 less damage with subsequent turns. Striking the target again, resets the application entirely.