a prayer to darvellan

A map-covered cavern.
This location is flooded with shallow, crystal clear water. Maps of several different shapes and sizes plaster the wall of this cavern, ranging from land maps to tidal maps, aether maps to planar maps, even a few whose purpose and nature are indecipherable. Smaller pieces of parchment have been attached to some of the maps, each bearing markings or unknown languages upon them. Pushed against the northern wall, a wood table bears piles of maps as well as navigational equipment and blank parchment waiting to join the maps on the walls. A patch of reishi mushroom thrives here. A mist filled with twinkling constellations rotates here, casting shadows with its turning.
You see exits leading north, west, northwest, and through a mist full of stars.

---> conveniently, this is the scent that Darvellan said the stars smell like!

The invigorating fragrance of zesty citrus fills your nostrils, accompanied with a fresh salty seabreeze that swirls around you and uplifts your spirits.

You have emoted: Cheliyi pauses, clutching a veiled idol of the Empyreal Goddess close to her chest.

Leaning forward, you gently press a kiss to a veiled idol of the Empyreal Goddess's brow.

You have emoted: Cheliyi places the idol in her belt, murmuring a soft, "As above," under her breath.

You think to yourself: A silly question. My Lady, I miss You. But... I still want answers.

You think to yourself: Wisdom is such a strange thing...

As you enter the star-filled mist, the mist explodes silently around you as the stars go shooting out in all directions, growing ever larger in size.

The Fulcrux of Darvellan.
Enormous stars twinkle all about, each one slowly rotating in the mist, suspended in mid-air. There appears to be no ground here, just a thickening of the mist that seems to render it more solid and opaque. Thrumming sounds echo from all around as lances of power shoot between various stars, forming patterns and pictures that glimmer for a moment in the mind's eye before fading away. Twinkling somberly amidst the other stars, an amber-hued star causes thoughts of remembrance to subtly surface. A statue of Darvellan stands here, memorialising His noble spirit. A six-spoked ship's helm floats here in the mist, slowly turning on its axis. An archway rises up here, marking the path out of the mist of stars. You notice a variety of WARES for sale here.
You see a single exit leading through an archway.

You bow respectfully to the master shrine of Darvellan.

You glance askance at a statue of Darvellan.

---> look statue

He is a radiant immortal and is surrounded by a cloud of ethereal stars, each seemingly set in an orbit about Him. Drawn back into a shoulder-length ponytail from its widow's peak source, silky hair as dark as ebony offsets slightly the tanned, worn complexion of His face. With only the faintest hint of cragginess, His otherwise handsome face is somewhat marred by the jagged, white scar running across His right eye, starting from the temple and working its way to the base of His nose. Immediately surrounding the searing scar, grey flesh creeps around both the scar and the unseeing eye, creating a ghastly effect. While lithe and slender, toned muscles also grace His frame, seemingly dancing beneath His swarthy skin with each movement made.
Grown out just long enough to be prickly without being annoying or abrasive to the touch, this black-as-night beard graces the Navigator's face, running along His cheeks and chin, but no lower than just below His jawbone. Seemingly lighter than the rest of the stubble, though barely so, a strip runs beneath His nose, joining on either side of the mouth.
He is wearing:
a pair of nearly knee-high, faded leather boots
a cloud of stars suspended in starlight
a starlit pearl pin
a pair of cuffed breeches
a faded, satin poet shirt
a jet-black tricorne covered with glowing lines of power sits jauntily atop his head.

A wry smile spreads across your face.

You think to yourself: Still better than that statues in the Lord Forbidden's realm.

You have emoted: Cheliyi seems to think of something suddenly unpleasant, shaking out her frills with a grimace.

Echoed by rippling waters, you say, "Mister Lord Navigators? Hope do not mind if offer a prayer..."

You hum softly, your frills vibrating with song.

You have emoted: Cheliyi kneels quietly in the mist, slowly gathering her words in silence.

You think to yourself: The First of Their creche...

A sudden breeze pulls at you briefly as it whips across the terrace.

The sun reaches the zenith of the firmament, pausing in his quest to allow the land to bask in his shining golden rays.

Kneeling humbly, you press your palms together before you and close your eyes momentarily as you pray devoutly to Darvellan, the Navigator, "Dear Lord Navigator, I hope You have been well. It is me, Cheliyi Lunarose, a follower of the Empyreals. Have not heard from You in a whiles, but am guessing it is because I am just -real- bad at wakings, yes! Um. I... have a questions, about something that near and dear. If never want to answer, I understand. It used to make my Lady Lantra... very sad. But I am in my days, trying to find Wisdom, Wisdom that is lost, and stories that should be told. And so was wondering, if had any stories of Your Lost Sibling? The... one that was Lost, with the death of Many during the first fights of the Soulless. Or even stories of my Lady? I know am asking a lot. I... (The prayer falters for a long moment, with a quiet, shaky inhale.) I miss my Lady a lot. Am sorry to put that on Yous. And Your mist feels familiar, like Hers. So. Also thank You for letting me talks, and maybe listening. And for the answer about star scents, all those years agos. Muchly love, though I am not Yours.".

You offer up The Sacred Pyres' Opalescent Brazier of Lofty Supremacy to Darvellan, the Navigator.

You have emoted: Cheliyi exhales quietly, wiping away the wetness beneath her spectacles.

You stare implacably about yourself.
You stare implacably at an amber-hued star of remembrance.

---> look star

Standing out from the other mist-suspended stars both in colour and size, this slightly smaller star spins slowly as it casts its somber rays about. Somberly subdued in colour and brightness, one may stare straight into it with no fear of ocular harm. Slowly churning in on itself, the heart of this star occasionally provides glimpses of things, people, and memories gone and lost to the Navigator's Order, a sensation which is borderline bittersweet.
It is strangely weightless.
It has the following aliases: star.

You think to yourself: ... a lot of sad stars, lately. First Lord Dawn. Now this. Before, my Lady...

A sudden breeze pulls at you briefly as it whips across the terrace.

You think to yourself: Agh. I am not helpings by being so mopey. I wish I could pay better attentions to my Fortitudes. But, will never waver in Devotion, no.

You think to yourself: Maybe... if am Lucky, She will find Her way home with His stars just like She did before.

You think to yourself: Maybe...

You let loose a long breath from your lungs, exhaling slowly.

You have emoted: Cheliyi looks to an amber-hued star of remembrance with longing, running her thumb along Immaculate Prayer Beads of the Empyreal Goddess.

A sudden breeze pulls at you briefly as it whips across the terrace.

Continuing the hunt for his dark mate, Father Sun presses forward in his journey, lowering himself in the sky yet still casting even, full light upon the land.

A brilliant spectacle unfolds in the sky as the clouds dance across the firmament.

You blink.
The ghost of a smile passes fleetingly across your lips.
You bow respectfully to the master shrine of Darvellan.

As you enter the archway onto the path through the twinkling mist, the stars contract at dizzying speeds until each star is just a tiny little twinkle suspended in the mist.