Feldheim – World of The Misplaced Dungeon.

{Timeline: 8 months after the events in MD – Ch. 104}

Garrilau Garrilass studied the images his team had obtained after they trained Skyeye on Neighbour. It made no sense. The brilliant point of light that had appeared over the white planet implied an artificial satellite. And yet all previous divinations had pointed to a primitive planet. A planet betrayed by its gods.

It had taken his team almost two weeks to clear the urgent tasks that Skyeye was tasked with. And he had been lucky that several of Skyeye’s users had been curious of the light that even the ground based telescopes had seen.

Garrilau smiled grimly, he had been allowed to use the focusing magics of Halius the Far Sighted god of Messengers. The diviners were frantic to know what was upsetting their horoscopes.

Garrilau and his team scanned the images they were gaining. And now they were able to make out two silver specks moving around the white planet and between the white planet and its red moon.

When the second satellite started shining they were sure. Somehow someone was working in orbit. They had spaceflight over there.

* * *

The news took Feldheim by storm. The great powers took stock of their abilities and the military budgets were raised. The four great powers met to swear a shaky truce as they faced this new threat, a threat from somewhere out there. No one believed the threat came from the white planet; no they were sure it came from beyond.

The priests of the Sky Gods were petitioned for information. And the gods replied that a new god was working to save the white planet. Further prayers yielded no further information, the priests having had to admit that the new god was not one of the sky gods so their gods had no further information.

The gods of the sun and the moon added nothing new. The god of death didn’t even know that much.

* * *

Then for a few weeks attention shifted to the drow. There were some changes amid rumours of an attempted coup. Several previous prominent drow vanished and the queens and priestesses of the Spider queen were rumoured to be rejoicing.

The spy agencies of the four powers lost contact with their spies and started the familiar task of replacing them.

* * *

Garrilau Garrilass and Skyeye had by now counted a dozen or more huge mirrors circling the white planet, a planet that was darkening slowly as over the course of the year something covered the ice and then the ice itself stared retreating to the poles.

Skyeye continued tracking Neighbour, despite having left a long string of other tasks on hold. The fact that there now were several more silver specks tracking through Neighbour’s system and that they were shuttling large snowballs from the outer system to the inner one. Already some had been dropped on the large outer moon of the white planet and two mirrors had been erected in its orbit.

Garrilau and his team speculated that the new god was trying to turn the huge moon into a new world.

Once again tensions peaked on Feldheim.

* * *

Marillea Seabright came ashore next to the Blue Forrest. She looked back at her mother and reluctantly made her way towards the small group of garlanded rustic looking wood elves who awaited her. The big male who had her eyes and nose smiled and opened his arms. He stepped forward and hugged her warmly heedless of the harm the salt water that covered his daughter did to his clothes.

Marillea slowly relaxed and hugged him back. After introductions, and some argument about the merits of shoes that Marillea only conceded after stepping on a thorn the extended family grouping made its way through the trees.

Later, after the welcome feast and the dancing when they were finally relaxing at home and watching the nightly news on the viewer the usual speculation about Neighbour came up.

Marillea looked at them wide eyed with astonishment. “But... but... why has nobody asked Asdamom of the Deeps? Everyone knows she’s a sea goddess.”

Trancad Sure Eye looked at his daughter, “What do you mean everyone, and what new goddess?”

“But,” Marillea waved at the viewer. “You know the new goddess that is making herself at home on Fragatta... She’s a sea goddess. Or so Asdamom of the Deeps says.”

* * *

Trancad made his way to the home of one of the Blue Forest’s elected representatives. He waited his turn and then rather apologetically said, “Honourable representative, my daughter came ashore recently as per the normal agreements regarding offspring between us and the sea dwellers. She has rather startling news. It would seem that the sea dwellers know rather more about the white planet affair than those of us on the surface.

“According to Marillea the goddess responsible for the sky mirrors...”

“Goddess? The sea dwellers know it’s a goddess and not a god?” interrupted Swiftbolt of Blue Forest.

“Yes. Also that she is a sea goddess,” Trancad hesitated and resumed, “and that the planet is called Fragatta.”

“That’s ridic—” started Swiftbolt before stopping and narrowing his eyes in thought. “I wonder...” he murmured in surprise. Then he looked up, smiled and said. “Thank you for telling me. I will see to petitioning the priests of the sea gods. Now go and enjoy the presence of your daughter.”

* * *

“Why ask me?” said Garrilau Garrilass, “What do I know of gods? Yes the white planet used to be called the blue planet and we suspect it was mostly sea.

“Hum, and the large moon seems to be mostly ice. That’s about all I can say. You must understand that even with Skyeye they are very far away.”

“Thank you Mr Garrilass. That is all I needed to know.”

* * *

“Good evening everyone. Welcome to News at Nine. I have with us the Representative of the South East quarter of the Blue Forest. Welcome Mr Swiftbolt. Can you explain to our watchers how you came to the realisation that the answer to the enigma in our skies lay with the sea gods?”

“Good evening Dolaan, viewers. I really can’t claim much credit. One of my constituents’ daughter was visiting him. She is one of the sea dwellers and she knew.

“I must admit I didn’t expect the roars of mirth with which the sea gods greeted my petition but at least now we all know.

“The white planet’s name is Fragatta and Fragatta’s principal goddess is Mary, Mother of Monsters and she is a sea goddess.”

“So Mr Swiftbolt, does that mean we are safe from invasion?”

“I think so, Fragatta is almost one light year away after all. But quite honestly that is a question for the professionals and the priests.”