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Message: <blockquote data-quote="(contact)" data-source="post: 445436" data-attributes="member: 41">Chapter 44-- Witness to History44—Witness to HistoryThe group takes a path down into the Scar described to them by the priest of Corellon Larethian.  They find themselves within a huge canyon, and after traveling for hours without seeing the sun, they come upon the very tip of the Scar—and a strange sight.A pair of huge, golden doors are set into the cavern wall, each door fifteen feet tall and seven feet wide.  The lintels are covered in a hieroglyphic script that seems to relate to natural phenomena, but is no known language.  Standing directly to either side of the doors is a pair of huge celestial figures—androgynous elves that glow with a thin olive-hued radiance and are so perfect of feature that the party cannot bear to look directly at them; the celestials block the golden doors with a pair of crossed wooden spears, tipped with glowing blades that scatter sparks in all directions.  Kneeling before the heavenly guardians is a frail elven woman, dressed in the sky-blue and gold robes of a high-speaker. Ahl-Ithevia sits in a submissive pose, although whether from true humility or from exhaustion, no one can say for sure.The group silently takes in this scene, and after a few moments, it becomes obvious that the elven trio are engaged in a debate.  Thelbar and Kyreel speak enough high-elvish to gather the gist of the argument:  These celestials are primal creations, the first-made beings of the Elven father-god Corellon Larethian, and they have been charged to guard these doors and permit no entry until the moon falls from the sky, and the sun ceases to shine.  Opposing them is Ahl-Ithevia, high speaker to Corellon Larethian, who wishes to gain entry.For three full days the argument continues, point and counterpoint, as the high speaker argues the minutia of her faith’s dogma with the two eternals.  Kyreel and Thelbar stand transfixed, neither daring to speak, or even leave, lest they loose the thread of a titanic debate.  In the end, Ahl-Ithevia carries the argument, and forces the celestials to concede her point.  When her final argument sinks home, the celestials vanish as if they had never been, and the aged high speaker collapses, exhausted.Thelbar and Kyreel are also fatigued from their vigil, and for a while, no one speaks.  When food and water have been passed out, Ahl-Ithevia addresses the group.  She explains that she has come to this place after encountering an anomaly in her long years of service to her god—for the first time, of late, she has come to doubt his Word.  Her doubts have led her to this place, and she is sure that answers await her within.  She believes that Elminster and Khelben Blackstaff entered this place, bypassing the guardians, but would not herself dare such a bold transgression.  She began an argument with the celestials that was already days old when the party arrived, and managed to convince them that their highest and most true duty to their God was to leave their sworn post.  But now she is exhausted, and can continue no further.“Well, hell lady,” Taran says, with an uncharacteristic touch of gentleness in his voice.  “We’ll go in there for you.  You stay here and rest.  If it’s safe, we’ll fetch ya.”The party prepares themselves for conflict, and passes the gates—they swing open soundlessly in response to a single touch.  Indy looks wistfully at the runic script, and takes rubbings of the hieroglyphs for later study.  The area beyond the golden doors is no mortal realm.  Rather, it is a misty and dim demi-plane, a perfect replica of the Great Scar in miniature—the cliff walls no more than hundreds of feet high.  Moving forward, the group follows the Scar to the point where the golden doors stood in their world, and discover a decrepit and ruined tower, looking for all the world like the fang of an epic creature, thrust into the ground, its tip broken and jagged.</blockquote>

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