Tav, Nyx and Astarion PoVs. Starting with Tav.

Tav and Astarion stood in silence for a moment longer. They swerved around, weapons ready when the sound of incoming footsteps reverberated through the town square. Tav's heart fluttered when the outlines became clearer, and their other companions emerged from the darkness. She managed to keep herself from running towards them, but threw her arms around Gale's neck the moment he came into hugging distance.

Gale huffed in surprise, "Well, that's quite the greeting."

Wyll asked exasperated, "By the Hells! What happened?"

Tav released Gale. He and Karlach stared openly while Lae'zel assessed the battle scene with keen interest.

Gale blinked at Tav, and he provided, "Wyll and I felt the magic all the way from the graveyard. We came to help, but looks like you managed by yourself," he chuckled making a swooping motion at the carnage. His eyebrows knit and he asked, "Although, there was something different to it and I don't think it was the drider's." He stroked his beard regarding the corpse.

Tav elaborated on what happened and before the others could recover from the news a tiny voice cried out.

They shared a confused glance with one another and Astarion moved to inspect the Moonlantern the drider had dropped. The tiny voice sung again:

"Oh woe, oh fret, oh sorrowed plea, 

Release me now or I'll cease to be! 

This lantern shines its hollow light, 

But only when I ache and fight!"

Astarion almost gasped picking up the lantern and squinted at the light, "A pixie! An honest to goodness pixie!"

He handed the lantern to Tav, and she could make out the fluttering of wings inside. Tav remarked, "They power these using pixies? That's so cruel." She asked the pixie inside, "What is your name?"

"My name, you ask, in triplets sung, 

Dolly, Dolly, Dolly—young! 

Now free me from this prison tight, 

And save me from eternal night!"

Tav quickly opened the lantern without hesitation and some of the other’s protests died in the back of their throats. The pixie zipped out of the cage and twirled around Tav's head raining streaks of bright glitter.

"Oh! So swift, so kind, so free of greed, 

You ask for nothing, yet do the deed! 

No bargain struck, no price to pay, 

You set me free without delay!"

Astarion groused at Tav crossing his arms, "You might have wanted to do that before releasing it."

Tav ignored him and smiled up at the pixie wearing what looked like a night gown. Dolly flitted right up to Tav's nose and asked:

"In all my years, I scarce have met 

A soul so pure, without regret. 

You did me well, a friend indeed, 

Now tell me, what is it you need?"

Tav asked earnestly and answered rhyming in kind, "We need protection from the blight on this land. The curse we seek to lift with our merry band. Would you mind lending a helping hand?"

"Such kindness, rare, deserves a gift, 

Through cursed lands your path I'll lift. 

No strings, no trick, my word is true, 

For your mercy, I'll see you through!"

Dolly summoned a bell and shook it vigorously squirming with delight. The bell itself was half the size of the pixie and she instructed,

"Take this bell, it holds the key, 

Ring it once and call for me. 

Speak the words both soft and clear, 

And through the curse, you'll disappear!"

Tav did as the pixie asked, and the oppressive weight of the curse lifted like a soggy, worn coat. A sigh of relief escaped them collectively. Dolly giggled a delighted high pitch note and Tav added quickly, "What of our friend? She helped to set you free as much as me."

"The one with the blight?

She is not in need of my light,

but if more protection sought,

let her carry the bell I've brought."

Tav inclined her head, stowed the bell, and thanked her wholeheartedly. Dolly twirled around her head again, then left with a parting rhyme,

"Protection from the shadows' sting, 

What more could you desire, oh king? 

You're welcome, yes! Your path is set, 

A debt repaid, now don't forget!"

The pixie departed in a rain of glitter.

Tav and the others took a moment to simply enjoy not having the curse cling to them so tightly. Its presence was notable yet, but it didn't feel so close to her person anymore. A quick survey revealed the toll house to their right and Tav recalled the mason's guild to their left. She wanted to investigate it, since several snippets of reports they've collected suggested it was once the stronghold for the Selunite resistance. Her companions were worn, even Gale, Karlach, Wyll and Lae'zel looked to have been in battle prior to meeting up again. The sky was darkening too.

She turned to Halsin and asked, "What of Oliver?"

He closed his eyes for a moment and reached out to the curse using his magic. He sighed and shook his head, "He remains in Town, but I cannot discern where. I would need to commune with the land again. Perhaps with the pixies' blessing I'll be able to locate him more clearly."

Tav chewed her lip, she didn't want to lose time to travel back to Last Light Inn, but she didn't want to camp in the curse again.

Not after Nyx's abduction, even with the pixie's blessing. However, Halsin would likely require proximity to Oliver.

She regarded the outline of the guild once more and set her jaw in determination. She pointed to it and suggested, "From the reports that may be our best bet to camp here."

The others weren't keen, but grumbled in agreement and they set out.

--- --- ---

Nyx was running for her life through her mental landscapes. Her psyche straining in response, but she dared not stop. Trees crashed behind her as the colossus trampled them in pursuit, their essence snuffed with each footfall. Her connection to the curse meant she knew exactly what was chasing her down.

Nightwalker, the name itself terrified her. A shadow-undead born out of pure malevolence and despair. Its sole purpose was annihilation.

Nyx's eyes darted around, frantically searching for a new place to hide. Exhaustion tore at her mind after fighting the drider, she couldn't keep this up. The Nightwalker's seeping aura made her shiver and stumble. She fell.

Graces have mercy.

A war horn bellowed in the distance and the forest heeded the call. Plants and animals alike. Nyx could feel them changing around her, beneath her. She wrestled her body to its knees and scampered behind one of the trees.

The gentle tugging at the power from the pit allowed delicate spindles of magic to flow to into each of them. Plants and animals were fusing together, creating various verdant chimeras of their own, shaped by the chaos magic. Their limbs and branches snapping together.

A great Phantomthorn Shadelynx rose from the leaf litter in front of her. She gaped up at the towering beast. Sleek iridescent fur shimmered with the colours of the forest and the sky. Thorns sprouted from its spine laced with chaotic energy. Its eyes were deep-set endless voids that flashed once, and it sprinted toward the Nightwalker in a burst of twisting plant life. Nyx shambled to her feet and witnessed her mental kingdom rising up against the giant invader.

By the Abyss!

A swirling nebula of interwoven feathers dove at the Nightwalker from above, razor sharp talons aimed at its eyes. The Nebulark Aetherraven's caw echoed across the canopy and birds took to the sky, blotting out the moons overhead. Their mass of fluttering wings roared and churned around the raven as it swooped again trailing dust and stars.

A clamouring chitter made Nyx's blood run cold. Her alarm melted into awe when a grand gleaming spider came into view. Its body was a hybrid of inorganic crystalline growths and organic bioluminescence fungi. The Crystalfang Mycoweaver timed its webbed assault with the other two guardians.

The lynx's serrated thorned vines lashed out at the Nightwalker, grappling its long legs, arms and horns. Pulling them into different directions as the colossus fumbled to maintain its balance. A haunting chorus of whispers escaped the creature when another aerial onslaught gouged deep wounds into the gaunt and skeletal body of the monster, dislodging bones and dislocating limbs. It toppled and sunk onto one leg where the weaver pinned it down after casting a crystal reinforced web over it. Shortly after a network of spiderweb mycelium encased the monster into an inescapable cocoon. Crystals sprouted from the mass and hardened it into an impenetrable shell.

Nyx stared for a long while.

"It is incapacitated but not dead."

Nyx's heart flew out of her mouth, "Abyss take you, shroud!"

It chuckled and Nyx glared at it. She said evenly, "I thought you gone."

Shroud shrugged and replied, "I thought so too, until Mr. Boogie Man over there arrived."

Nyx snorted, "That would be an understatement.", and sighed. They watched the lynx and the raven return to the forest, coming undone in a flurry of flora and fauna, moulding back into the landscape. The weaver remained, settling itself down nearby. Multiple iridescent eyes kept vigil over its prisoner.

Shroud mused, "They can only contain it. We'll have to defeat it."

"We?", Nyx snapped, "There is no we."

It mirrored her previous sigh, "Look, I am not here to cause trouble. I can't find my way 'back' - wherever that was - but I also can't stand by and let this place go to ruin."

Her eyebrows knit and she demanded, "What are you?"

"I don't know."

"Not good enough."

It threw its hands in the air, "You know, 'pervicacious' doesn't even begin to describe you.", and placed a hand to its chest, "I can't tell you because I don't know, whether that is good enough for you or not."

"Where did you come from?"

"I don't know."

Nyx was getting annoyed and rambled off with agitated gesturing, "The curse? The pit? The tadpole?"

"Not, neither, nor."

Nyx scoffed, "That's a lie."

"I don't think so."

"This is getting us nowhere!", she huffed in frustration. Nyx took a deep steadying breath and groaned, "Fine. Stay. Help. But I'll gut you like the rest if you take so much as one step out of line."

"Wouldn't expect otherwise."

Nyx rolled her eyes and asked plainly, "What should I call you?"

"Shroud will do."

---

Nyx had created a natural lookout point over her domain, similar to the one at Moonhaven. From here she assessed the state of her mental kingdom. The Nightwalker was indeed immobilized, and the weaver was its warden. She swept her eyes over the forest toward the black pit. It too was contained; Nyala had restored the forest flush against its barrier and Shroud patrolled the perimeter for escapees. The black portal pulsed with power from the Spider Queen's domain, but the spread of the tendrils had been hampered by the reclaiming of her kingdom. Demons skittered within the confines of the barrier and any dispatched escapees were simply replaced with new ones, but at a lesser, fix rate.

Nyx's eyes were heavy, but adrenaline and concern would not let her rest yet. Longing tugged at her heart too.

She wanted to return to them, more than anything else. Her gaze drifted back to the latest prisoner.

I cannot be around people I care for. I am not safe, nor in control until the Nightwalker is dealt with.

Scheming blanketed her in even more fatigue.

I miss them.

Memories of her merry band of misfits had flooded her after the drider attack. It felt like a lifetime of memories had poured into her mind all at once. Their journey and their connection. Those memories were the ones that reinforced her mind, helping her to draw on their power and support to create the guardians.

Astarion's anchor was the most prominent, his evening star shone brightly at the horizon. Its pull undeniable, and her heart ached. She wanted to be go to him, to laugh at his antics, share in their meaningful conversation, to 'cuddle'. Their quarrel that last night seemed distant; her anger at him muted in comparison.

He was still surviving all that time. Caught in its cycle, like I am now. His far more pronounced than I could ever imagine.

She had forgotten what surviving does. That all-or-nothing kind she had come to face again. There was little capacity and concern for anything else when one was fighting to stay alive - something more acute than merely the parasites in their heads. Life-or-death scenarios, even perceived ones, tend to blind you to the truth of the matter. Had blinded her the last few days.

I care for him deeply, would even go as far as admitting to falling for him.

He admitted as much to her. The distance he had gained from Cazador had slowly released him from simply surviving day after day. Allowed him to see past some of his own demons. Realization tends to follow, just like it had for her now - and the many years ago after she had been released from her mother's tormenting grip.

I will find them again. I will find you again - a parting promise to the evening star at the horizon.

Her gaze flitted to the moons overhead and she settled down. Some of her attention remained though, partly on the portal, some on the Nightwalker. However, she was able to rest more peacefully than nights before, which had felt like an eternity in-and-of itself.

--- --- ---

The mason's guild held several shadows that required exorcising, although it did seem less effortful than before.

Perhaps there is more to the pixie's blessing.

Astarion wouldn't deem the building safe at all after greeting the shadows on the top floor, not to mention the ancient skeletons at the front door. The note pinned to their bones; a still legible warning to those who would oppose Shar. But Tav insisted they scour the place for 'clues'.

There was little else than stonework and carving tools. And dust. So much dust. He even sneezed at one point.

Wyll made a noise of discovery. He had found a trap door. They stared at it for a moment and Tav chippered, "Last one down is a rotten egg!", and proceeded to clamber down the resulting ladder followed by a shit-eating-grin Karlach.

Ugh, those two's enthusiasm for getting killed never ceases to amaze me.

Unsurprisingly, the basement contained more stonework, and he indulged himself in a dramatic sigh. Inspecting his nails while waiting for the others to continue their search proved to be a more valuable use of his time. The others found a hidden key slot in the Mason's bronze herald affixed to the back wall. Tav produced said key and Astarion shook his head, She has a habit of hoarding useless whatnots. Yet every so often one of these useless whatnots has unlocked a rather delicious secret.

He was happy for her to continue to do so, it kept his pack empty for the proper treasures that came after.

A hidden door slid open, revealing a gloomy hallway, untouched by the ancient war - the result of which had skeletons and machinery riddled throughout the town above. Tav swiftly saw to any intact traps, and they found themselves stepping into a high ceiling room.

I must give it to these masons. There was talent among them.

---- ---- ---

Tav gave the others' astounded expressions a toothy grin. They gaped from the entryway of a huge mess hall of sorts. A heavy, long table stood stately in the middle of the room. One side littered with papers and the other was set with clean, albeit now dusty, cutlery. The two adjacent elevated platforms on either side were wide enough to set up tents and their walls were lined with candelabras, bookcases and what looked to be archaic, but steadfast magical wards. Wards against the shadows.

Shadowheart mused out loud, "A refuge in the dark."

That statement garnered raised eyebrows from Tav and the others, not that Shadowheart noticed. Tav continued into the room and made a point of lighting each of the candelabras, while the others cleared out the space for camp proper.

---

Tav gathered all the notes, letters, journals and other papers scattered on the table. She worked through them, diligently adding them to her growing body of knowledge about the curse, Ketheric Thorm and how the town had fallen to both.

Shadowheart had defaulted back to scowling at the wall-inserts regaling the Moonmaiden. Wyll ensured that the remaining wards held no threat for their party. The fire sputtered under Gale's magical adjustments to have it produce heat, but no smoke for cooking. After clearing out every chests in the vicinity, and being disgusted with more Selunite 'paraphernalia', Astarion had taken to browsing the bookcases. Lae'zel and Karlach sat cleaning their weapons in compatible silence, while Halsin moved to the farthest side of the room to meditate.

Tav smiled after setting her eyes on each of them. Nyx would soon be joining them - Once we've figured out how to help Oliver - and then her crew will be back to normal.

Well, as normal as can be.

She opened her book, intent on reviewing her findings and adding her latest reports to the historical record she had started. Her bardic impressions marred her impartial reporting notes, the former being more recent in memory and training.

Florrick would be amused.

She dipped her pen in the ink well, took a breath and jotted down her thoughts.

15, Elient

As I sit in the light provided by a multitude of candles, a sea of bobbing flames, I am reminded of simpler times. As summer draws nearer to autumn, my thoughts and songs would have been focused around Highharvestide, not the sorrow and mourning of those deceased more than a century ago.

She flipped back in her notes, quickly reading over her catalogue of items she had personally found or observed, which have been furthermore footnoted and expanded with reports collected by the Harpers.

My harmonies want to capture their stories, give their tale and lives new meaning through song, even a cautionary one at that. Our search for Thaniel's 'other half', Oliver, continues as does the search for Ketheric's family crypt and the dark truths that may lie within. Notwithstanding Nyx and the Nightsong.

What is this link between Ketheric and the relic? So many missing pieces of the puzzle remain, but recent events and reports we have found in the last stronghold of the Moonmainden has shed invaluable light on how past actions of one man has shaped present events.

 

I wonder now if the tadpoles are linked to the curse, if they are another manifestation of the corruption that began here 125 years ago. Perhaps Ketheric’s allegiance with Shar laid the groundwork for the Absolute’s control. Or perhaps the curse and the tadpoles are simply two sides of the same coin - a sickness spread from Moonrise, infecting everything it touches. It is evident in the ancient war's scars; the death toll on either side litters the town and the surrounding lands.

 

In Grymmforge, the skeletal remains of Ketheric’s Dark Justiciars told a story of their own. They were Shar’s most loyal servants, yet something hunted them down and tore through their ranks with terrifying precision. Something infernal. I cannot help but link this to another infernal we know so well, or as well as we think we do. Raphael's presence at the Inn was, as most of the things he does, not a coincidence - and the Mason, Morfred, wrote of a 'man who was no man. Touched by a devil.' Raphael had been offering answers to prayers even then. Nyx's foresight in warning us from the start had been wise indeed. Morfred's logs continued to mention that Ketheric's Justiciars and their stronghold 'in the temple below' were to be wiped out with Raphael's help in order to have the Harpers gain the advantage in the war. A miracle, given that they had just surrendered to the same forces, who promptly declined such.

 

"How did a devoted follower of Selune become so callous and cruel?" A question I now have the answer for from the same Mason's log. Grief over the loss of his wife, Melodia, was the first proverbial nail - the last nail in the coffin, was the death of his daughter (I have yet to find her name). His faith died with them, and he turned to Shar. Casting the town into darkness and even more death. Only for the Emerald Enclave and the Harpers to stand against him in what seemed like futility, until unbeknownst to them a devil's deal was struck.

 

Jaheira mentioned they drove Ketheric Thorm and his army back. Buried him in his family's Mausoleum, a gesture of respect few others would have considered. However, the curse had bellowed out from the crypt not long after, sweeping Reithwin town into an even greater darkness than the oppressive genocide of Selunites before. The alliance fled, and returned over a century later to find themselves in the same situation.

Now, we too, bear witness to all that has come before as we take refuge in the safety of the same Mason's Guild, surrounded by relics of a past rebellion that mirrors our own struggle. And yet, something in me, perhaps Tymora's luck turning the tide, tells me that we may not share in their fate.

 

The cold, calculated callousness of Shar's followers stand in stark contrast against Shadowheart. She had been distant, seemingly uncaring when we first met. But now? I can see the toll the curse had taken on her too. How she struggles to reconcile the complete disregard for life, that both the Sharran oppression and the war had illustrated, with that of her own oaths as a cleric and healer. Would it lead her down the same path as Lae'zel? Only time will tell.

A loud thud next to her jarred her out of her scripted mulling, along with the glorious smell of Gale's cooking, and an equally brilliant smile from the chef himself. He proceeded to call the others to dinner, and they sat together to eat. Conversing, laughing and joking - a small, and blissful, reprieve in the curse.

These people are my refuge. They are the light that holds back the dark.

---

Astarion's empty plate bothered Gale more than it should have. He shifted next to her and Tav nearly fell off her chair when Gale offered, "You know, I'm sure we could, uh, 'donate' some blood if you're in need."

Wyll, Shadowheart and Karlach chocked on their food. Lae'zel's scowl already illustrated her opinion on the matter, whereas Halsin gave a dry chuckle into his mug.

Astarion tutted, "My dear wizard, I don't find myself in such dire need. Regardless, as long as you have that Netherese bile coursing in your veins, it would be a 'Thank you, but not thanks'.", he finished snidely.

Gale seemed mildly affronted at his blood being compared to bile.

Astarion continued, "I have my own means of 'seeing to my needs'.", he promptly stood gathered up one of the wine bottles and saw himself to his tent.

Gale made a face, "Oof, didn't mean to scare him off."

Wyll quipped around his spoon, "Hmm, came on a bit strong, I'd say."

Tav, Shadowheart and Karlach snickered to Gales' increasing dismay.

Tav added with a wave of her hand, "Eh, I'm sure he'll get over it. Eventually."

I'll check in on him later. That wasn't merely about the offer for blood.

---

Tav made her rounds before they settled for the night. They were all in high spirits, except for Astarion. She found him sitting atop the tower of stones in the adjacent room at the other end of the revealed corridor, surrounded by bottles.

She prompted looking up at him, "Alcohol makes for poor company."

He harrumphed, made pointed eye contact with her and took another swig of his bottle.

Tav was tired, but she wasn't about to leave him to his brooding, and she fumbled her way onto the tower next to his. At least that made him smirk, even if his amusement only lasted for a heartbeat.

She made herself comfortable, and pointed, "Quite the collection you've got going. More vinegar than wine?"

He almost managed Nyx's flat look and provided, "These I rescued from Last Light Inn's cellar and I intend to find out whether I can actually get drunk on the trapped wine within. So, unless you're interested in joining that endeavour, you can stay. Otherwise, I am not in the mood for talking."

Tav sighed and attempted to get through to him. She offered instead, "Alright then, listen," and she continued before he could protest, "I'm terrified too sometimes, for the others, for you, myself. Especially Gale." He made an unimpressed noise, and she added, "I am terrified for Nyx too."

He snapped annoyed, "What does this have to do with anything?"

She returned her best impression of Nyx's flat look and said, "Our feelings tend to get the better of us, especially when involved with the people we care for, and dare I say, love the most. I recall a famous writer, her name escapes me presently, once noted that 'extremes of feelings are often allied with madness'. We do strange things for love."

He glared at her and replied snidely, "Some people will only 'love you' as much as they can use you. Their care and loyalty end where the benefits stop." He tossed the bottle over his shoulder, and it shattered somewhere below.

Tav nodded and remarked casually, "I doubt that is the case with Nyx, no?"

He sighed gathering another bottle and continued with the same contempt, "I'm not the good guy remember? I'm the selfish one. I take what I want, I do what I want. And I certainly don't do the right thing."

She noticed the slight quiver in his voice at the last statement and replied, "Nyx and I would disagree with that statement. No one expects you to be a hero. Hells, I don't think any of us can claim that title." He gave her a long look and she wrinkled her nose conceding, "Alright, perhaps Wyll can. But you certainly try to do the right thing - even if we had to look hard sometimes to see it.", she grinned at him.

Another pfft escaped him and he stuck his nose in the air, "For all the good it has done."

She frowned at him, and added, "Nyx sees it a lot clearer than the rest of us. Always had. Besides, I have full faith that she'll return, and things will go back to normal."

He barked an incredulous laugh, "Normal. I don't even know what that means. Yet, I've had a chance at something real and wasted it, like so much before. If the gods don't deny me happiness, my efforts and the curse certainly have."

Tav finally caught on, "Nyx won't remained cursed, not if I have anything to do with it. Also, she is anything but hapless. She'll find a way. She simply has a habit of taking her sweet, sweet time. But once her mind is made up, however, I don't think even I can dissuade her. And if my insights aren't sufficient, I'm sure Clive would attest to the same."

He clenched his jaw staring into the bottle, but didn't say anything else.

She yawned another mighty yawn that would've been rewarded with a joke from Karlach. The tension in Astarion's shoulders eased regardless, and Tav took it as a win for tonight. She bid him goodnight, and good drinking, then saw herself to her bedroll.

Phantomthorn Shadelynx, Nebulark Aetherraven and Crystalfang Mycoweaver are my own creations.

Forgotten Realms Nightwalker:

I don't know about you, but I didn't connect all the dots in the first playthrough regarding what exactly happened with Reithwin Town and the curse. I recently spun up another playthrough, and with "new writer's" eyes I've made more connections between the records scattered about in Act I and II. I still had to recruit some Google-Fu to help piece other parts together. Those I will share later. However, I wanted to give something more cohesive, and not piecemeal as presented in the game - so a Tav journal entry seemed most appropriate.

"All extremes of feeling are allied with madness."
Virginia Woolf

Published: 24 Jan 2025