An adventuring party recruited from Osirion teleports into Azir on the 8th of Desnus. Rahadoum's recruiting contact in Osirion wrote ahead to note they were expected. Couple of guys he's known a long time - a wizard, a ranger - and a new guy, sorcerer, probably to replace the cleric they usually travel with. They spend two days in Azir getting oriented and head out to the front. The ranger wears an unusually high quality amulet of Nondetection; the sorcerer wears a headband for intelligence, which is a bit unusual as sorcerers usually don't need it to cast, but some variants do; they are otherwise unremarkable. Chaotic Good, Lawful Neutral, no reading, which could mean neutral or 'hiding it'. They work quickly and effectively, manage resources reasonably well, get recommended to higher-ups for a closer look on that account.
Moondance doesn't move for a moment, but his posture does stiffen.
He lifts his head, looks around as though seeing everyone present for the first time - and then crumples to the floor, sobbing.
"...Um."
Vanyel hesitates for about three seconds, and then kneels and tries to hug Moondance. "Hey. I'm here. I - it's - we're going to fix it, we'll make it all right."
Vanyel is really not sure it's a good idea for Moondance to spend an entire day with him and Starwind in what are clearly very different states, but - it is what it is.
Moondance is still sobbing and shaking and seems almost unaware of Vanyel's presence, but he doesn't try to resist being hugged, and maybe it's helping.
:I, um, think I might be here a while: Vanyel tells Fazil privately. :...Would you mind staying? I know you don't really know him, but - just, this feels pretty overwhelming right now. He's so upset:
:Sure. ...wow. What a - I guess we knew there was a pact but somehow Golarion magic being able to interact with it makes it feel more - real, or something.
:I'm concerned it won't affect Starwind the same way, he's - seemed a lot less distressed about it. He might even be mad at us for breaking it. But I guess we'll see:
He keeps hugging Moondance, who keeps being too upset to communicate at all for the next several candlemarks.
:Presumably he can go swear himself to Her service again if he wants, knowing what all he's signing up for.:
He can keep Vanyel company while Vanyel is keeping Moondance company.
Eventually Moondance calms down enough to ask - in Mindspeech, he's still crying quietly - where Starwind is.
Vanyel looks helplessly over at Fazil. "Starwind is still with Savil. Do you want to see him?"
For some reason this makes Moondance EVEN MORE upset.
:He will not understand. He will be angry that I...: he trails off.
Aaaaaaaaaaah. "Moondance, I do not think he will be angry with you for being really upset about what - about what happened..."
"Something changed, right? We were aiming to - break the pact that the Star-Eyed has with you. We weren't able to do the same thing for him yet, I didn't prepare Break Enchantment today."
:It - I felt–: It's taking him a long time to eke out the words even in Mindspeech. :It felt so - right, necessary - made sense - had to - and, and now...:
- Moondance abruptly pulls away from Vanyel, who's startled enough that he fails to catch onto him.
The only thing that Moondance uses his limited freedom for, though, is to slam his head repeatedly into the stone floor.
Vanyel swears more creatively and grabs for him, with a force-net when Moondance scrambles out of reach of his hands. "Moondance, please stop, I know you're upset, just - don't do that, do a different thing about it–"
"You were betrayed by your god. That's awful. But it says something awful about your god, not you."
Moondance struggles halfheartedly to escape Vanyel's grip, and then gives up and goes back to quietly whimpering.
"Do you want us to bring Starwind over too?" Vanyel says eventually, tentatively.
"Can we at least tell him, er, what's going on? He's probably really worried, I bet he can pick up through the lifebond that you're upset."