It takes a couple days to make absolutely certain, but by the time you're done, every last shadowy vestige has been purged from the forest. As you head back to civilization, you hear the sound of birds beginning to return. Light has been restored to the area, and your inscription will keep the site warded against the forces of darkness.
There still remains the question of what to do with the lantern. Each time you shine your light, it lashes out mentally. While it's unable to affect you, the frequent attacks are gradually increasing in intensity. Whatever intelligence is inside the lantern is extremely angry, and keeping it locked up in isolation certainly isn't helping its mood improve.
Things that could lash out from inside a private demiplane were... rather impressively rare, actually, and Iris gave a rather worryingly bright smile as she looked down at the lantern. "I wasn't kidding about the 'lost forever' thing." she told it. She tended to be direct about matters like this - the dawn didn't ask the night to retreat, after all. "Perhaps you don't know how bags like this one work? It's quite simple, really. I throw in something sufficiently sharp and it ruptures, stranding you outside the dimensions. Even your portal of shadows would stop functioning - that's how completely cut off you'd be. If you're not smart enough to know when to behave, then honestly, I should probably just do that on general principles." Its disapproval didn't mean much to her - people cursed the gods all the time, and you learned to take it in stride pretty quickly. She would be herself, no matter what else occurred. "It really is your choice, though. Cooperate and settle down, or bring ruin upon yourself, knowing the end result in advance. What's it going to be?"
Threatening an entity with complete and total permanent annihilation is truly a big deal, and your tone makes it clear that you're completely serious. The lantern may be opposed to everything you stand for, but it would prefer to NOT be destroyed, so it stops lashing out. It's not like it was affecting you, anyway, so there's no point for it to continue wasting its energy.
Back at the inn, the staff and patrons are very pleased to hear that you've taken care of the issue. "Heard birds chirpin' this morning, I did. And the woods don't look quite so creepy-lookin'. What'd you do? I know you're just passin' through, but if you're ever in the area, you can stay here fer free."
After leaving the inn, it takes about a day to catch up with your traveling companions. They set a quick pace, but there's not much that's faster than you. As it turns out, you catch up not too far from the city. "Welcome back, Miss Iris. Did anything interesting happen?"
"Oh, a few things." she answered cheerfully. Sorathel was nowhere in sight, of course, having been dismissed so as to not attract undue attention. "The problem was resolved, and that's all that really matters." she glanced towards the city they were heading towards. "I don't believe I've been this way before... is there anything I should expect on our arrival?" she inquired.
"Well, if you're interested in sharing, we'd be happy to catalogue your story in the Library." They're quite proud to answer your question as you approach the walls of Almas. "If you've never been here before, you're in for a treat. Andoran is unlike any other country: we're all equal here. Everyone has a voice (and, therefore, an opinion) and enjoys being heard. As long as you don't get high-and-mighty if someone disagrees with you, you'll be fine. Oh, and the Fair's happening right now, so the city'll be a bit more crowded than usual."
"A fair, huh?" Iris said, brightening a bit - almost literally. That meant another opportunity to sing, and some positive attention from mortals was just what she needed after that mess with the lantern. "I'm good with crowds. I don't suppose there's a group from the Pathfinder Society anywhere in town? I actually have a bit of business with them, and I'd like to take care of that sooner than later. As for my story..." she smiled a bit wider. "Well, come listen to me later and you can hear all about it."
"You'll be wanting Venture-Captain Brackett, then, in the East Hill District. They've got a pretty nice Lodge over there; library's almost as big as our own! It's easy to find once you get to the District: building used to be a cathedral, so just follow the bells."
"...Is it still in service at all?" Iris asked, a bit more hesitant than usual. Passing a small shrine was one thing, but going into an actual church dedicated to anyone else was a little harder to do. It wasn't very easy to describe it to mortals, but it was sort of like a King waltzing into someone else's castle. You could, but you were going to get a whole lot of attention, and couldn't be surprised if they used force to throw you out.
Well, even if it was in service, she could just arrange a meeting elsewhere instead. It wasn't like something as simple as a mortal building would stop her. She'd just have to adjust her plans a little.
"Oh, it hasn't been used that way for years. It got too small to hold everyone, so wrshipers switched over to the Golden Cathedral."
Whew.
If it wasn't actively consecrated anymore, she was fine.
"Well, then." she said cheerfully. "The city awaits, and as much as I enjoy the road, I think it's time we head in."
Once you enter, you're greeted with a wide cobblestone avenue lined with statues and gardens. This is sectioned into numerous interconnected marketplaces. In the center, you see the Golden Aerie: headquarters of the famous Eagle Knights. To the west, you see the palace housing the People's Council, while the east is dominated by what appears to be a temple of Aroden. Based on what you were told, that's likely the Pathfinder Lodge.
The city itself is bustling with activity. Almas is home to over 75,000 people, after all, and that's when there ISN'T a fair. Pavilions and merchant booths are everywhere, there's music and games to be had, and everyone seems to be having a wonderful time.
"Ah, I love festivals." Iris said, almost literally sparkling with happiness. This was how things were supposed to be, after all, and she waved farewell to her traveling companions before heading towards the Pathfinder Lodge. She wanted to get her work done first, and after that? Well, it had been quite some time since she'd had the chance to perform in front of a crowd, and she had every intention of indulging in that while she had the chance.
The cathedral bells are ringing cheerfully as you enter. Inside, you see quite a few Pathfinders conducting business, as well as a large library in one of the building's two towers. The other tower appears to hold meteorological apparatus.
Wasting no time at all, Iris simply walked forward and asked the closest person who looked like a permanent worker where the head of the lodge was. She wasn't totally sure she could get an appointment right away, but she wasn't the kind of person who skulked about and dithered when she could march forward, either. She might have to go check out the meteorological tower if they'd let her, too - as a solar deity, she enjoyed such things.
It will take a good bit of time for Venture-Captain Brackett to have an open slot in his schedule. He's quite the busy man, after all. Of course, if you have a good reason for meeting with him, he might be able to make time sooner for you.
"Put simply... I would like to donate what is almost certainly a unique object, and quite magically powerful, to the Pathfinder Society for study and safe storage... and I'd like a letter of introduction so I can deliver it to your headquarters in person. It's a bit dangerous." she explained. "I don't mind too much as long as I can get that before the end of this festival - I'll be leaving afterwards - but if nothing else, your superiors will probably appreciate decisive action when you see opportunities." Dangling a carrot in front of mortals tended to be much easier than slapping them with the stick (and since she tended to go where she wanted, when she wanted, mortals' preferred schedules didn't matter that much to her. It was easier to work within them, but she didn't hesitate to get attention more directly when she felt it was necessary. Few deities did, really.)
"What sort of object is it? We're always willing to accept donations, but if it's dangerous, we'll have to make certain precautions."
"I was a bit busy stuffing it into my bag, but it's a lantern that's displayed powers including the creation of large fields of darkness, unusually frequent generation, and summoning shadow elementals." she paused slightly. "Magical intelligence, too. I had to convince it to behave, so yes, probably on the dangerous side. That's why I wanted to give it to someone with the resources to make definitely sure it won't hurt anyone else. You're welcome to send an escort with me to Absalom, if you'd like to improve security along the way - it'll probably be easier for everyone that way." She didn't really think she needed an escort - other than Sorathel - but having a team of Pathfinders with her would probably make it much easier to get inside their headquarters and ensure the lantern was stored properly.
The aide looked quite a bit more interested once you mentioned that the item was intelligent and penciled in an appointment with Venture Captain Brackett tomorrow afternoon. "We'll definitely take a look at the lantern, and if it's powerful enough to warrant special storage, we'll definitely send it to the Absalom vault."
"Gut feeling says 'yes' on that one. More likely than not, anyway." Iris observed. With that, she nodded to the aide and turned to head back out to the festival. For now, she wanted to find a good place to perform - and perhaps check out the rest of the festivities once she was done.
Although the official performing areas have all been completely booked for the duration of the festival, there's plenty of spots where you could set up. One good thing about Andoran: their heavy emphasis on freedom means you can do quite a lot of things as long as you're not being too disruptive.
Moving around, Iris eventually settled on a larger courtyard area, where a considerable crowd would be able to gather without significantly disrupting the other events. She was here to have fun and help others have fun, after all, not to cause trouble for mortals. Once she'd located her stage - a sunny spot near a tree - and began to sing. She'd considered her options for quite some time, and ultimately settled on a song one of her followers had written a long time ago. Quite a lot of their feelings had gone into these songs, after all - and just as importantly, they were songs she felt she could do justice to with a voice that was merely mortal. Even the very heights of what she could right now paled in comparison to the voice she'd once sung with... but she was getting closer to what she'd once been.
It doesn't take long for you to draw a crowd. Your voice is incredible as always, and while it hasn't yet reached its full potential, it's clearly significantly better than the majority of the official performers. One of them (a petite half-elf violinist) eventually begins building off of your melody in a rather good bit of freestyle. It's clearly an invitation for an improvised collaborative performance.
Iris smiled slightly as the violinist came in, but kept singing her song until the very end - and she tilted her head in acknowledgment of the other's performance before moving on to a new song, this one with a slower and more predictable melody that those who wanted to join in on would find rather easier.
(A song's beauty wasn't in its complexity, after all, but in the feelings it conveyed - and since she knew so many, why not pick something more fun for the audience?)
The violinist caught on quickly and began a pretty accompaniment that highlighted your vocal talents. Afterwards, she began a melody of her own that was rather catchy.
After a few more songs, Iris made it clear that she was done for the day - although she did give a brief sermon to the crowd on the values of light and hope, and how there was much they could accomplish if they were only willing to try. Satisfied, she headed off to find a place to rest and relax, ready to greet the next dawn and head on over to that meeting.
You leave with quite a few new fans, the violinist's contact information in case you want to perform together again, and the satisfaction of bringing a bit of light to the festival. Positivity is always appreciated in Andoran, and the fact that your song selections meshed so well with your words meant that anyone talking about your performance can't help but spread your message. Altel and Kitel, your traveling companions, have offered you an available room in the local Wayward Path building if you're interested. It seems nice enough, but the lunar motif that seems to be their sigil may evoke unpleasant memories of certain previous events. Alternately, there are several inns with rooms available, although you'll have to share space with other travelers.
After considering for about half a moment, Iris (politely) declined the room at the Wayward Path. Symbols were important, and she was a goddess of the dawn. Lunar motifs just weren't her thing - and instead she simply made her way around to find a reputable inn and a roommate she could deem trustworthy. Sorathel would be standing guard while she slept, of course - which she'd probably have to explain to her roommate, but she wasn't taking chances as long as she had something as dangerous as the lantern in her bag.
You're given a room with a female halfling named Sage Linala. You remember seeing her perform earlier that day. As she's particularly small for her race, she appreciates the extra security - although she doubts it'll be necessary.
As it turns out, your roommate is correct. The inn is a respectable establishment, and your sleep is uninterrupted. The morning greets you with a light rain, but the sun remains shining, and it should soon pass. You have time for your regular ritual and a quick meal before your appointment with the Pathfinders.
As was her habit, Iris spent some time focusing her magic as the sun rose. Most with such powers did, really, but her teachings were a bit stricter than most in that regard. Dawn was the time of renewal, after all, and after a light breakfast conjured from her staff - her usual source of food, both economical and something that helped her avoid taking from others - she headed off to the Lodge to get things straightened out.
You're ushered into the Venture Captain's office at the appointed time. Brackett is a hawk-nosed human who appears to have some Taldan in his ancestry. "Good morning, Miss ... Iris, was it? I understand you have an interesting item to donate to the Society. Some sort of lantern, is it?"
"Some sort." she agreed dryly, setting her dimensional bag on the table and opening it so Brackett could take a good look at the object inside. "Behave, or you know what will happen." she added, using a stern tone as she looked at it. She wasn't taking any chances, given what it had been doing the last time it had been exposed and in the open. "It was causing quite a lot of trouble where I found it - summoning elementals, large region of darkness, unusually high number of undead rising, that sort of thing. Since I really don't have the facilities for long-term storage of dangerous magical items right now, I thought it would be best to put it into the care of an organization like the Society. It caused enough trouble before that I'm not comfortable handing it off to just anyone, so mostly what I need right now is the Society's acceptance of the donation and some letters I can bring to your headquarters explaining the situation. Once there, I'll be happy to hand it over to the caretakers."
Brackett's eyes widen as you reveal the lantern - which reluctantly behaves itself. "Do you have any idea what you've found? That's the Darkening Lantern. Tell me everything."
"...Bit of a simple name, isn't it?" she asked, shrugging. "Maybe I'll give it a nicer one if it keeps behaving. Anyway, it was a fairly straightforward matter. I was heading here to Andoran on other business when I heard some talk about a large patch of unnatural darkness... so I investigated it. Wandered around a bit, put to rest a few of the undead it had summoned-" ...Destroyed a bridge that probably didn't need to have been wrecked, but which she didn't regret because she hadn't known what was going to happen and wasn't taking the chance that a large group of undead might escape... "-and eventually tracked it down below a big tree. No idea who put it there, but I doubt it just showed up on accident, and I couldn't exactly leave it to continue causing trouble... so I turned it off, got it to behave by pointing out what happens when bags like mine get ruptured, and here we are. I can give directions to the region that was affected, if you wanted to send anyone to check it out. How I got it really isn't too important, though, especially since I'm not a member of your Society - what matters is that it's kept in an appropriately safe place from here on out."
The Venture Captain clearly doesn't quite know how to respond to your nonchalance. "So, you simply tracked down the Darkening Lantern, talked it into submission, and brought it here. Okay ... Well ..." He furrows his brow in thought for some time. "Storing it here is beyond our capabilities, I'm afraid. Only place I can think of that might keep it contained is the Vault in Absalom, but it may take some doing. Too bad we don't have a Lodge in Alkenstar; that's probably the best place for it." He jots down a quick note. "I'm going to need to consult with some mages about this one. Might take a few days to sort things out, and it's best if you keep a hold of the Lantern until then. Seeing as it's listening to you, and all." There's a rather awkward silence before Brackett suddenly asks, "Ever thought about joining the Society? I don't think we have anyone with your particular skillset."
Nonchalance was important - it was a deity thing, but they rarely outright told people who much effort they put into any particular endeavor. "That's why I asked for the letter of introduction." she said calmly. "I'm not sure how easy it would be to simply waltz in there if I showed up by myself - but an introduction from a ranking officer, and a note that you felt the Vaults in Absalom would be the most appropriate place to store it, would probably get the job done. As for the society... I enjoy the work you do, but I have matters of my own to attend to. I can certainly keep hold of it until you've figured things out on your end, though. The sooner it's into safe storage, though, the better."
Brackett nodded. "Come back in two days. I should have things sorted out by then."
"That will be fine." Iris said, putting the lantern away and standing up. Assuming there was nothing else, she'd simply give her farewells and head back out to look over the city and see if she could find a first aid station. Festivals could result in a number of injuries, after all, and being on-hand to treat wounds meant people would be able to get back to enjoying things without worry.
While the medics stationed around the festival grounds have things well in hand, they're happy for your help. Serious injuries are rare, but there's a steady stream of patients suffering from various minor ailments. Your help lets the aid workers take occasional breaks so they can spend some extra time enjoying the various entertainments. On the morning of the second day, shortly before it's time to head back to the Pathfinder Lodge, you're approached by a frantic halfling. Something's happened to the violinist you'd performed with earlier.
"Is that so? How... particular." Iris mused. "Tell me everything you know about what's going on here." If she was going to be delayed, she'd probably just have Sorathel hold on to the bag - or maybe go to the meeting in her place - as she helped the people of the town. (Getting the lantern locked away was important, but not urgent - and the Society was getting a valuable donation, so they could wait if need be.)
You don't detect any deception as the halfling tells her story. She was performing a duet with the violinist, and was on a short break. They decided to get their fortunes told at a nearby pavilion. The violinist entered first, there was a *whoosh*, and when the halfling looked inside, she was gone. "Her violin was still there, though. She never goes anywhere without it, so I just know that means something's happened to her! I saw you working with the medics yesterday, so you know how to bring her back if she got disintegrated or something, right?"