Baldur's Gate : The Sword Coast Chronicles : NWN2 Persistent World

In the middle of the open plaza, in broad daylight, near the place from which the Mirari did last teleport with Aetius amongst them—the last time he was seen—a sphere of energy appears and a figure attempts to push against the bubble...





...only to be repelled, and fall upon the ground...





...then the energy blinks out of existence, and like an apparition, the figure slowly fades from view, until just the empty square remains.

A lone Mirari stands in the open plaza in the East District. Before her, a sphere of energy forms, swirling silently in the night.





It exists for only a few seconds, just long enough to realize it is not a dream or a phantasm...

...but it's location is peculiarly near the spot of a recent teleport...

Nemna: ...
Looking down on the spot, but disturbance is over and nothing more shows there.
Whatever magic has happened here, it might be too unstable to detect with simple means.

Captain Mealir happens by and notices Nemna in a moment of study. They talk a bit, on Aetius and captain's recent findings, some fortunate, some worrysome. Later left Nemna chuckling to herself for quite a while afterwards.

A day earlier,
Nemna and Amaer met Merek Asher in Baldur's Gate and it might be possible to locate Aetius with help from spirits! So much was learned between enjoying the butterflies and talk of (night)dancing and lyrics.
A guest from afar? Some warrior from Kara-Tur approached Nemna and Amaer with a problem, but it was a tough one even for Mirari. Truly, people are being searched for different purposes on the Sword Coast... Let's hope Aetius was easier to find than the one Sho was looking for.
A warm wellcome? Nemna made Mirari worried with her absence... Actualy, only Amaer was (or even was present) Well, it's not her fault they don't see her return if they are not around, yes? *secretly delights in Amaer's greeting*
Have to stop by a stronghold or two and greet some knights.

A break in the fabric of the material plane occurs...



Nemna, of the Mirari, hears a barely audible voice upon the wind...




A phantasmal lantern barely appears in the plaza.






The voice of Aetius comes from the ether to seek Nemna's help...he speaks of being "trapped in-between of place of shadow, and the light"...a cryptic description.




The voice begins to fade...there is a rumbling in the air...then a blast of shadow floods the plaza.




Nemna attempts to dispel the darkness...something is illuminated upon the ground.




The infamous Enchanted Lantern of the Mirari appears on the ground below where the voice of Aetius was heard coming from between the Planes....






And the mystery takes one step closer to a...

Mealir gives a letter to one of the patrons of the Blade and Stars Inn, and a few gold coins to deliver a letter to the Mirari. It reads:

Greetings Mirari folks,

A festival to celebrate the spring will be organized the 31 Ches. , in the eastern farmlands. Your street magic shows would certainly be a great addition to the festival, where I hope other noteworthy mages will show up.

If you want to organize something more important and need me send a word to Mealir Ostirel in the harbour. Any idea to celebrate this occasion as well as can be is welcomed !

Mealir Ostirel, capitain of the Whistling Wanderess

//Sunday 31 March 4pm EDT / 20h GMT

Nemna and Amaer met at the plaza at the usual time. Nemna told of the apparition last time, but despite their efforts there was no return appearance from Aetius or his spectre.



Without more assistance from their allies, the Mirari arcanists did not believe they had the power to save their missing leader from his unwilling planar jaunt.

Amaer was wandering by the plaza one night, using his all-too non-magical lantern...

As he crossed the square, an eerie gust of wind rustled the bushes and he stopped, looking around nervously.

He noticed a tiny mote of shadowy mist, materialising in the corner of his eye. As he swung his lantern round to illuminate it, the mist seemed to grow in size...



A faint voice, that he immediately recognised as that of the missing Aetius, spoke: "Amaer...Amaer...."

Shocked, the half-elf responded quietly "er... Is that you, Aetius?"

The mist responded, in an oddly pitched fashion "I can see your light!"

Amaer exclaimed "Is... that a good thing? Or not? I can put it out?"

The mist did not respond, instead contorting and twisting to force out a small object, which dropped to the ground and bounced off the cobbles with a light metallic clink.



It appeared to be Aetius' beloved Netherese coin, but as Amaer reached to pick it up, he realised it had been sheared in two, along the rim. Very unusual indeed.

When Nemna and Mari arrived later, he explained the whole thing.

Now the Mirari had another piece of the puzzle, but still no means as to how to assemble it...

A voice cries out from a small formed pocket of shadow-mist, that appears in the open square in the East District...it calls to Amaer.




An object falls from the pocket of shadow-mist, and lands upon the cobblestones of the open square. The voice, and pocket mist, then fades away...


Later, Nemna arrives...and Amaer and Nemna discuss what has occurred:

On this day, the known Mirari, Aetius Cento, pauses in his street performance...and glances toward the Tower that seems to be humming...with activity.

In the East District of Baldur's Gate, the known arcanist Aetius Cento of the Mirari has attracted some additional attention from the common folk and onlookers to his recent street performances.

A particular act has the arcanist deftly flipping two Netherese coins—one with a solid white side and one with a solid black side—over the knuckles of both hands, simultaneously, while telling the tale of the split between realities: one of the prime white...and one of the shadowy black.

The climax of the act is what has so many talking: the Mirari takes the black-sided Netherese coin and flips it into the air, then chanting a select group of words of power, focuses upon the coin as it falls back towards the cobblestones.

In an instant, the coin bursts with energy, and a shadowy-cloud envelops the Mirari, erasing him from the square in a mysterious way...seconds later, the Mirari appears again in the open plaza where he is so often performing his street magic...but this time, he reappears with a humanoid-shadow-form in tow, to the fright of many observing the show.

Aetius waits for the initial fear effect to reach a high point, then blows air from his lips upon the shadow with great exaggeration, and the thing disappates....to great applause by those who've been temporarily frozen in place.

The Mirari arcanist then goes on to complete the act and the tale by describing the realm that exists parallel to the known Baldurs Gate, but this realm made of shadow and without color.

Many in the crowd dismiss the Mirari's claims as another great illusion or trick of the mind, known to be used often in the general performances of the Mirari.

But others stand idle and wonder, if indeed, this Mirari has traveled—and does continue to travel—to this plane of shadow...

Since most of the Mirari troupe has disapperared, Nikos Berenicus is still wandering the streets of Baldurs Gate. If he isnt reminescing the days, when the Mirari performed on these very streets, he can been seen trading with the merchants in the city. Always on the look out for artists of every aspect, or who knows... even an old Mirari

The show must go on!

Be it in the light or the shadow...only those of true wonder and skill shall find it.

/// 21:00 GMT as the forum clock reads.

The I and he, became a We. A connection of trust, the we became us. And when the rhythm hits the cobblestone streets, there will be one who might dance along with it.