Aenwyn looked at her companions with what she would have called fondness during her mortal life. Now such emotions came slowly to her, as if through a veil, and she began to look on her friends as from an outsider's eye. The glow of the solar behind her warmed her and cast her thoughts to future journeys throughout the planes. In front of her seven people huddled in the darkness of the mortal world.
As soon as she had defeated Amelyssan and accepted her father's divinity, Bhaal's Throne had faded and all involved had found themselves back near Amkethran. Aenwyn knew that she needed to begin her new responsibilities soon, but the quickly fleeing human emotions still had a sense of duty attached to her friends. She would give them gifts to thank them for helping her reach this moment.
Her new insight into the multiverse pierced the layers of reality surrounding the companions; Aenwyn saw their lives connecting to her own life thread and the endless possibilities each could have taken along the journey.
She saw Imoen, the only living former Bhaalspawn in the world, in her time at Spellhold. She saw the girl succumb to Irenicus' tortures and accept the Bhaaltaint. Saw herself and companions arrive to what they thought was a rescue only to fight for their lives against an incarnation of the dead god of murder. And the inevitable death which captured all in its wake.
But she also saw Imoen as the happy girl she once was. Maybe not quite so happy as before escaping Candlekeep's walls, but recovered from her time on the road and living a good life. Much magic was at her command and she would not have to fear anyone ever again.
Aenwyn saw Jaheira turn her back on former friends and fight at her side; she saw the druid fall into Harper captivity in a chance to clear her name. Jaheira laughing with Khalid and sitting alone in the wilderness, looking at the horizon.
The new goddess saw this in each of her companions, the good and evil each could commit or endure. Anomen, giving into his anger and leaving a trail of blood in his berserk fury. Anomen, resisting and following his dreams of knighthood. Viconia betraying her friends to the drow for false security. Aerie invoking ancient magic and gaining the flight she so longed for, only to lose her body and take that of a bird. Valygar accepting his heritage and finding love and a family. Haer'Dalis laughing in the wake of the Ravager, only to be cut down by that he worshipped.
Everything and nothing was possible, had happened. Aenwyn did not have the power to alter their lives, not yet at any rate, but she could see the myriad paths each could take.
And so a gift. She would give them gifts to prevent the worst fates from happening and aim for the better endings. Shouldn't they live happily ever after once her battles were over? Gifts befitting friends of a goddess.
"Imoen." Her voice, like everything else about her, had changed so that now it rang out like a song against the desert air. She floated toward her sister. "You have suffered much through our shared heritage. You still bear many scars, outside and in. You do not deserve such pain. I cannot change the past, but I can erase its damage to you."
Imoen shrieked as light swallowed her body and wracked her with convulsions. Aenwyn had already moved on to Jaheira.
"Nothing need be said other than I am sorry for the pain I caused since we met. But that is over, now." A man stepped out from behind her and embraced Jaheira, murmuring into her hair.
"K-Khalid?" Jaheira stiffened in her husband's embrace, not quite believing her senses and torn between bliss and devastation. "Are you real? You cannot leave me again, I would go mad!"
Aerie almost stepped back from the goddess' approach but managed to hold her ground.
"You, too, have lost much, though that was not my doing. However, I can still reverse the damage." As Aenwyn floated away Aerie gave a gasp of surprise. Two beautiful white wings had appeared on her back.
"Valygar, you and I share the problem of tainted heritage, although I was fortunate in how mine resolved. I can give you the release from family shackles and take away all that made you a Corthala. Your blood is cleansed of all magic."
There was no visible effect to the ranger but he closed his eyes to steady himself as she passed.
"Anomen and Viconia, both servants to the gods throughout your service to me. Yet now I have need to service. Anomen, you shall be my first priest, to spread my faith across the land. Viconia, I would give you that same status, but I have already begun to feel both Lolth and Shar's eyes watching this. As soon as I leave you shall be in danger, and I am not strong enough to fight such old enemies. Instead, I can free you from these fears forever. I can sever your link to the divine and prevent any god's eyes from tracing you. You will finally be free from the Spiderwebs or the all-consuming darkness."
Both priests glowed, Anomen a bright burst of light similar to the halo around Aenwyn, and Viconia a deep shade of purple which quickly vanished and left the air around her heavy and dead.
Aenwyn floated before the final mortal. "I had thought long on what to give you, Haer'Dalis, for what can I give one who takes delight in all things? I think for one who knows the planes so well, you should be given True Insight into the nature of things. I think you will be surprised to learn the little I have seen since my ascension." She leaned down and whispered in his ear. Light flowed from her mouth to him and lingered in his eyes and she finished.
And then she was gone. She had said her goodbyes before shedding her mortality and had nothing else to say. Doubtless she would hear from Anomen as her priest, and if she remembered she would look in to her former friends' lives out of curiosity. But now there were the planes to see.
Valygar was the first to react to her departure. "She…she took the magic from me." Relief flooded his features before a shadow crossed his face. "She took everything, every last drop of magic. I carry nothing in me now."
As he reflected on this he saw Jaheira sobbing into Khalid's shoulder, gripping him as if he would disappear at any moment. Nearby, Aerie flexed her wings and gave a test jump. The wings seemed to be tense, still, and the avariel had trouble getting off the ground.
"She spoke truly, did she?" Haer'Dalis' voice was weak and when Valygar looked, the tiefling was pale and sweating. "There is no entropy, no decay. Before she flew, the raven told me…showed me that the Doomguard has it wrong. But if the multiverse doesn't end…" He stared off into space, trembling slightly.
Anomen and Viconia closed their eyes and reached out for their respective gods. Both reacted similarly.
"I can't feel Helm anymore!" Anomen shouted as Viconia bemoaned her severance from Shar.
"Fool, at least you still have a god to pray to. That bitch took any connection I had. I have nothing now!" She ran off from the group, hurling curses and insults as she disappeared.
To one side, Imoen sat staring wide-eyed at the spectacle before her. Her hair had reverted to its natural brown and all scars had faded from sight. "Who are all you people?" she asked. "And where's Aenwyn?"