By The Love of Evening Glory (A 5th Edition D&D Quest)

From the moment of your rebirth, to now, you've had questions. So many questions.

How can you make objects move and live at your command? How can you see how two or more people interact via love lines? And how do you know they're love lines? And how are you supposed to do this?

For a while, you were able to set these questions aside. Killing imps and getting back to your tribe were far more important than introspection. But now that you have time, you need to know.

It is this reason why you find yourself kneeling inside the igloo of Gelathaelle and Zelatora Unahark. For what you're intending, it feels more right than using your living place. A place of love, to speak with a Goddess of Love. In front of you, your Beacon floats at your whim. Until recently, it was just a lantern you carried with you. But as you gaze into the ever-burning flame inside, you can feel a connection. A warmth. A pulling on and a calling out. And if you really focus on the flame, you swear you can see a heart beating inside the flame.

Of course, you don't know any of her rituals or prayers. So you choose the most straightforward path. "Evening Glory, I want to speak with you."

And I with you…

Then, as you consider that this was way too easy, everything around you is consumed by twilight and ice. But in front of you, visions start to play out.

It's only fair that I tell you who I am. Witness, my Chosen.

The first thing you see is Evening Glory, but not as you first saw her. Here, her hands have no holes in them. They're whole, and hold a pair of books. Her hair is black, and her skin has a more lively peach shade to it. A pair of glasses adorn her face, as she continues to read. But then, the book falls through her hands. The Goddess tries to pick it up, but the hands phase through.

I was once a Goddess of information. But Gods require faith to survive, and I had very few left. If I could not find a way to sustain myself, I would die.

The scene shifts again, this time with a sun offering its hand to Evening Glory. But with a sneer, Evening Glory turned towards a cemetary.

My preference of independence could not accept Pelor's offer of being part of his court. Instead, I looked in undeath to save me. As you can tell, it worked. But in my studies, I noticed something lacking…

You see events unfold. Skeletons and zombies routing armies. Living corpses looking over ancient tomes, looking bored out of their minds. Wrapped bodies standing guard over large triangular shaped buildings as sand and hot winds whipped around them.

Can you see what is lacking, Nukilik?

It's pretty obvious, considering your last interaction with Evening Glory. "Love."

You're right, though admittedly they lack a lot more than just that. But love was the big one.

The scene changes, and you see an elderly couple holding each other, as water rushes around them. You see Evening Glory, now in her current form, touching them. You see them slowly transform into dessicated and thin undead. But even though their new forms could be seen as horrifying, you instead look into their faces.

They're looking into each other. There is still love in their eyes. One of them tenderly caresses the other's rotted cheek. Water continues to rise around them, but they no longer fear drowning.

The addition of love into the equation makes both a stronger bond. In love, undeath is given a purpose. In undeath, love is made eternal. And so, I became the Goddess of love, desire, and undeath. And I desire these above all else.

This is who I am, Nukilik. I am the Deathless Beauty. The Eternal Lover. True love, of all kinds, must not be allowed to pass unto death. And I cannot just stand by as a rare love be allowed to die just because some ancient proclamation of yore says so. Yet I cannot directly interfere, nor may any of my priests.

You raise an eyebrow at this. "The Prohibited Union affects the gods?"

Mostly because the Gods involved. And if an official representative tries to interfere, it could have… ramifications. Very bad ramifications.

Right, you could understand that. "But wait, would me interfering still affect you?"

Not necessarily. You see, I have taken a different path with you. You cannot cast any divine spells, which for most Gods is a requirement to represent them. In fact, I've ensured that you can only cast arcane spells, and that your spells are granted by our Pact. Though I may have… overdone the process a bit. Or a lot.

You look at the floating Beacon, confused a bit. "So, the fact that I can make objects do my will…?"

You will probably be, with enough time, be one of the best object animators in the world. At the expense of being able to cast any other spell. Ever. But, the arcane magic from our Pact seems to have gone into your Beacon and your body, which may be better in the long run. I hope.

That takes you a moment to respond, as you consider this. One spell, ever? No being able to make filling berries, or shoot fire from your hands? Well, it's still better than being able to cast zero spells and being dead, so you're not going to complain. And being able to animate objects to kill enemies is quite useful.

And as how having a Pact makes me not responsible for your actions, well…. Loopholes.

"Loopholes?"

Loopholes. Pacts are generally made between powerful non-Gods and mortals. It was never considered that a God may make a Pact themselves. So, loopholes. I was a Goddess of Information once upon a time, which people seem to forget. For example, I cannot send you any of my Trueheart Guard to assist you on this quest.

You feel the creaking of metal and the crackling of lightning behind you. You immediately stand and turn around. And to your shock, you find yourself standing before a full set of blue armor, complete with a draconic looking helmet. Said suit of armor is looking at starting down at you, thanks to a good two feet of height difference. You swear you can see electric energy behind it's helmet.

"Hey there! Name's Xuxano. I'm on vacation from the military, and thought I'd travel the Material Planes for a spell. Trade you some fighting tips for a place to stay? I've kinda not got any coins on me."

Right. Loopholes.

--

"Alright, do you feel that love springing up inside you?"

You nod to your instructor/visitor, as you feel a warmth bubble from where your heart once resided. You've been training for the last hour, exploring your new abilities as best you can in a small igloo. "Yeah. I felt it when I fought the imps."

"No surprise. The battlefield can be a place where we truly find ourselves. Though I recommend against finding out that way…" You can tell he's talking from personal experience. "Right, now grab onto it, and cloak yourself with that feeling."

You do as he says, willing yourself to hold onto that warmth. Now that you're not in battle, you can focus more on it. You're not quite sure how to describe it with words. It's not hot like a fire. No, it's more like the feeling of a first crush. When you look at a man or woman and feel something more than just friendship. That blush in your cheeks when you think about them.

There is a slight groan of metal, as you find yourself being looked over by Xuxano giving you a raised thumb. "Good. But it feels like something is missing. Not with you!" He holds up an armored hand. "It feels that there is more to this. Hmm, I need lifelong friends, a married couple, two siblings, and any two people who've had casual sex with each other in the last…. let's say forty-eight hours? Yeah, that'll do."

You just look at Xuxano like he had just lost his damn mind. "That's… that's going to be a bit difficult with everyone getting ready to move out."

"Hmm, pity. Hold up, I've got something!" And with that, he puts one of his arms into his arms, before bringing out some small pegs of flesh. Various love lines flow from them, which should be impossible. "Right. Lover's flesh. Taken with permission, useful for testing. Do that again, but this time, cloak these bits with that feeling."

Trying to get over the fact that this is kinda weird - and you are an heat-draining undead with the ability to see love, so your scale for weirdness is pretty accommodating - you summon more of this feeling, trusting your instructor on this matter. But as you push it over two of the quivering flesh pegs attached by love, it feels different. It's beyond a crush, or a first love. It's settled and hardened into a more concrete love. One that can withstand whatever is thrown against it. The love lines flared, as a reddish sheen covered the two.

One of the fleshy bits speaks out to you. "Oi! Whaddya do?"

A deep rumble emits from the armor, as Xuxano pokes the fleshy bits, then watches if wibble and wobble. The red sheen around the flesh nub flares up, acting a bit like armor. "Testing a theory. Love is indeed a good protection!"

"I could have told you that, ya crazy museum piece!" The flesh nub says, the femenin voice seeming annoyed at it.

You just look at your instructor, who just shrugs at the whole situation "Connects to the actual person, and allows them to talk with me. Now, let's do this a few more times…"

And so, your time with Xuxano continues as you run through your martial power. Testing you on the limits of your new abilities, instructing you on how to best utilize them to fight your enemies and protect your allies. Being able to pull things with your Beacon. Being able to mark yourself and others, then teleporting to the Beacon. There were so many things you didn't know you could do!

--

So, as you know, you are a Bleakborn.

You nod your head, currently taking a break from your training. An image of an abandoned village fills the igloo. Everything seems frozen over, and there is no source of light anywhere. You can see moving Bleakborns moving around. But unlike you, they are much slower, and a lot more listless.

Good. Now, Bleakborn are also called Moilian Zombies, from the Demiplane of Moil. Legend has it that Orcus threw it out of the Material Plane as punishment, as a place the sun would never touch. Hence the coldness that comes with being a Bleakborn.

(Wisdom (Religion): 15)

You've heard vaguely of Orcus as a great and terrible evil that sits on his throne and plots great wickedness. "Should I be worried about Orcus?" It's a legitimate question, as you'd rather not find out you're tied to him in any way.

No. The Demon Prince of Undeath has no specific hold over the Bleakborn. They were naturally created due to the fate of The City That Waits. I just borrowed the idea and used it to shape your undead form. Though you will be a bit different. Mostly due to your being intelligent. You can grow, change, and become more than what you were.

You lean back and think about this. You've heard stories of zombies and skeletons from both your tribes and outsiders, and the thing everyone agrees on is that there is almost mind left in them, even if those who raised them had died. There is just the ability to follow absolutely basic commands, and to hunt and kill living things.

Which makes you very different. Even though draining the warmth from creatures feels real good, you don't feel like you need to hug someone until you drain them dry. You can just as simply light a fire and stand in it, solving your problems. But from what you assume, regular Bleakborn can't even consider this simple answer.

The most notable thing about Bleakborn is their ability to drain the heat from those around them. Both with their aura, and with their touch. More powerful Bleakborn can even drain the heat from their enemies long after they've been destroyed, and hold on to it for a bit. There's even tales of long-dormant ones reviving after years once a living being came near them. Though that may be a bit beyond what you can do right now.

Huh. That sounds very useful considering the circumstances.

Oh, and Bleakborn can create other Bleakborn by draining them dry! Normally, it'd just be another mindless Bleakborn. But intelligent undead can usually create other intelligent members of their own kind! Or at least control the undead they make. So don't be afraid to use your enemies as resources.

While you're pretty sure that Evening Glory likes the idea of more undead, you are more concerned with how you'd hide your thralls. You're pretty sure most people would be concerned if you came to a city with a lot of undead frozen zombies behind you. Though admittedly, that's more a problem for later.

--

After an hour of discussion on different types of undead, an image of Evening Glory looks down upon you, a proud look upon her face. You've been discussing all matters of issues over the last few hours, and your mind has been completely expanded. You know what you can do. You know more about your Goddess, and the nature of undeath. But for all that, there is still one thing you need to know. Possibly the most important thing.

Are there any more questions, my Chosen?

"Yeah. All this knowledge is nice. And I'm thankful for it. But how do I save Gelathaelle and Zelatora?"

Ah, that's the question. I've learned that in the affairs of the Material Planes, finding others who are willing to fight beside you is important. And fortunately for you, it seems you have someone already willing to stand alongside you.

The images change, this time to the encampment. You see a rather lithe green-skinned woman packing up her wares into a cart. But you quickly do: Kiyli, one of the Tanuti's best traders. Which is honestly a surprise, because you thought she wouldn't be back from Deadmoose until tomorrow.

(Perception: 6)

And she's not the only one willing to join you. If you asked, more would follow.

You shake your head. "That could put the tribe at risk. They're going to need all the warriors they can use to make it to Luaptnias. Not to mention all the angels and devils running around."

True. And I am not asking you to put the others at risk. But I would ask you to consider this: Who would you want by your side? A random smattering of people you do not know, or those you know will walk into the Abyss with you?

You blink, trying to consider a response to that. But she's right. You'd rather have the Tanuti at your back then anyone else. And it wouldn't be for just you. If Kiyli or Uryun or any of the others asked for volunteers, you could see yourself joining in. So yes, you'll ask who's willing to go. But you'll check with Chief Rasteek to make sure they can be spared.

But it's not just the people. You'll need to grow in strength and power. As powerful as you are now, your enemies may be more skilled and experienced. Not to mention that the undead have weaknesses that are known by many. So, as you search, don't be afraid to find new ways to shape and hone your abilities. I would recommend Dula-ark-ti, for such a place. From what I remember, they have a rather large library, and very few scruples. I'm sure you can find yourself some trouble there to get into.

As to where our wayward lovers are, that I am not sure about. There is very little information on this so-called "Prohibited Union" that they keep referring about, other than the actual agreement the Gods have made. And the Outer Planes is being interestingly tight-lipped about the matter. Obviously, it has to do with the one between an Angel and the other being a Devil, but beyond that I am unsure. And I wouldn't know where to look offhand.

Right. She doesn't know where to look. Oh, if only you knew where there was a large library with very few scruples were.

(Wisdom (History): 11)

Well, technically you don't. You have no idea where Dula-ark-ti actually is. And asking Evening Glory would obviously close the loophole she's working hard to keep open. Not too much of a matter, you're pretty sure you've got some maps around that can point you the way.

I don't want to cut this short, but I can sense that someone is rather interested in the area.

You immediately stand, your sharp objects whipping around you in a protective orbit around you. But you don't see anyone in the igloo other than you. Which means they aren't here. Yet.

When you leave Atosennim, contact me again. There is much I wish to show you. Just remember, you have so many people that love you. Never forget that, or them, you understand?

"I understand, Evening Glory." You reply, relaxing just a small bit. The green lines that are connecting to you pulse brightly.

Good. See you soon...

And with that, the visions and images fade away. Twilight gives way to natural light, and ice melts back to snow. You are alone within the Unahark's igloo once more.

No, you aren't alone. You're never alone. And never will be again.

--

It only takes about an hour to pack up the Unahark's stuff. They will be coming back for it eventually, and you want to make sure that everything is safe and sound. Granted, they don't have much in the way of actual things. As part of a nomadic lifestyle, it's generally considered sound advice to not have too much stuff to weight you down.

Mainly, it's just clothes, a few scrolls and books, cooking supplies and bedding. Nothing too special, considering what they are. Makes sense of course, since they were trying to not attract much attention. However, one item catches your attention: A grey, featureless mask.

You remember Zelatora telling you about it. They'd found it while in the city of Greyhawk, and apparently it'd had an interesting ability. Whenever the command word was spoken, it transformed the wearer's face to a particular young woman with a peach complexion and brown eyes. Which was pretty worthless for them, as they could shapeshift already. But you do remember the command word they used. And at the very least, it may help you blend in just a bit.

You hesitate for a moment, before putting it in your bag. While you don't exactly like taking it, you do plan on returning it to them when all is said and done. But until then, you're sure they'll be okay with you using it.


--

Nukilik knows about her abilities, and more about herself. More options open.
You have a place to start heading for: The Library at Dula-ark-ti
Companion Gained (Eventually): Kiyli, level 3 Fighter. 1d3+1 other random Companions of random levels and classes will (eventually) follow you.
Magic Item Gained: Grey Mask - +1 AC. When given the command word, it transforms to an image of the face and neck of it's creator. This lasts until the command word is uttered again, or the mask is taken off.

--

Choose the next event

[] Eye poking children

[] Concerned coutal

Alright, good news! Here is your guaranteed companion, thanks to Fastcharacter.com! Remember, that you guys also get 1d3+1 additional companions. (Not including any you may or may not get from the other two events, plus [Chief Interrupt]) I'm going to go ahead and do the rolls live in a few minutes on their own post.

Also, remember that while she may not have cool undead abilities and Pact powers like you, she has her own hopes and dreams, along with her own fighting style.


Name: Kiyli the Undefeated
Race: Half-Orc
Class & Level: Fighter 3 (Battle Master)
Background: Guild Merchant
Alignment: Neutral Good
Experience: 981 xp


ABILITY SCORES & ABILITIES
(* includes +2 proficiency bonus; ** includes expertise, if any)

Strength 15
+2 ... Strength Ability Checks
+4 ... Strength Saving Throws *
+4 ... Athletics Skill *
225 lbs. ... Maximum Carrying Capacity
450 lbs. ... Max. Push or Drag (Speed -5 ft.)
450 lbs. ... Maximum Lift

Dexterity 15
+2 ... Dexterity Ability Checks
+2 ... Dexterity Saving Throws
+4 ... Acrobatics Skill *
+2 ... Sleight of Hand Skill
+2 ... Stealth Skill


Constitution 15
+2 ... Constitution Ability Checks
+4 ... Constitution Saving Throws *

Intelligence 10
+0 ... Intelligence Ability Checks
+0 ... Intelligence Saving Throws
+0 ... Arcana Skill
+0 ... History Skill
+0 ... Investigation Skill
+0 ... Nature Skill
+0 ... Religion Skill

Wisdom 12
+1 ... Wisdom Ability Checks
+1 ... Wisdom Saving Throws
+1 ... Animal Handling Skill
+3 ... Insight Skill *
+1 ... Medicine Skill
+1 ... Perception Skill
+1 ... Survival Skill

Charisma 8
-1 ... Charisma Ability Checks
-1 ... Charisma Saving Throws
-1 ... Deception Skill
+1 ... Intimidation Skill *
-1 ... Performance Skill
+1 ... Persuasion Skill *

COMBAT [PHB p. 189]

11 ... Passive Perception
+2 ... Initiative Modifier

Armor Class 16 ... Armor worn: Leather armor and shield

30 ft. Speed ... Base distance per move

28 hit points ... 3d10 Hit Dice


Longbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit. Hit: 1d8+2 piercing damage. (Normal range to 150 ft.; disadvantage long range 151 to 600 ft. Must be used two-handed.)


Rapier. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft. Hit: 1d8+2 piercing damage.


Scimitar. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft. Hit: 1d6+2 slashing damage.


Fighting Style: Defense. In armor, gain +1 to AC.


FEATURES, TRAITS, SPECIAL ABILITIES

Proficiencies & Languages
• Proficiency Bonus: +2
• Armor: light armor, medium armor, heavy armor, shields
• Weapons: simple weapons, martial weapons
• Tools: one type of artisan's tools
• Saving Throws: Strength, Constitution
• Skills: Acrobatics, Athletics, Insight, Intimidation, Persuasion
• Languages: Common, Elvish, Orc


Half-Orc Traits [PHB p. 40]

• Age: 23 years old

• Medium Size (5' 9", 196 lbs.)

• Darkvision (60 feet)

• Menacing (Intimidation)

• Relentless Endurance (0 h.p. to 1 h.p.)

• Savage Attacks (extra damage on crit)


Fighter Class Features [PHB p. 70]

• Fighting Style (Defense)

• Second Wind (regain 1d10+3 h.p.)

• Action Surge (extra action in turn once betw. short rests)



Combat Superiority

• four 1d8 Superiority dice per short or long rest

• Maneuver Save DC 12



Maneuvers Known [PHB p. 74]

• Commander's Strike (ally uses your action to attack)

• Precision Attack (add die to attack)

• Evasive Footwork (add die to AC)



Guild Merchant Features [PHB p. 132]

• Guild Membership


EQUIPMENT & TREASURE


Carried Gear: leather armor (AC 11), shield (AC +2), rapier, scimitar, longbow and 20 arrows, smith's tools (anvil, hammers, tongs, etc.), belt pouch, set of common clothes, set of traveler's clothes, merchant's scale, a letter of introduction from your guild


Coins & Gems: 12 gold pieces (gp); 55 silver pieces (sp); 66 copper pieces (cp); 3 gems (worth 10 gp each)