"That doesn't show sound very funny at all. Why is it called a "comic" apocalypse? "
"That doesn't show sound very funny at all. Why is it called a "comic" apocalypse? "
~Pardon me. It is difficult to speak clearly between mouthfuls. I meant 'coming'. A 'coming apocalypse'.~
"Yeah, even I got that part and it all sounds really f+#%ing bad. Raknian had his own small-scale version planned for the Free City after the Games. My question is: What do we do about it? Knowing s~&& is only half the battle. My friends and I have been lucky enough to keep stumbling into the fools aligned with this prophecy but we're punching blind out there. If we coordinated our efforts we could get a lot more done."
Manzorian swallows. He looks down at his plate—save for bones, it is bare. He scowls and claps his hands. "Knowing s+&@ is half the battle. Your mistake is in thinking we are already there, that the s+!@ is fully clarified and established. But what s*~@ do we know? What do I know? This is frustrating to an archmage. I am certainly not a diviner, but I am accustomed to knowing things."
There is a knock at the door. A large pie enters, floating in midair—along with a floating napkin and fork. It smells like some sort of berry. It alights down on the table as the bone platter is carried off by the same invisible force.
"I apologize for my appetite, by the way, but extended planar travel does strange things to your systems. You do not—" He starts eating the pie with gusto. ~—want to see what planar travel pangs are like. Picture a hangover, then combine it with goblins using your head as a spearholder.~
He wipes his mouth with a napkin, then continues eating. ~As I was saying, there is much we don't know. We know the Age of Worms is coming, whether the Circle of Eight will acknowledge it or not. Prophecies have begun to come true. This 'Ebon Triad' is involved somehow in trying to make those prophecies come true. And then there is Kyuss.~ He swallows and sighs. "Who is Kyuss? That is the crux of this matter. In some way he is key to it all, I'm sure. Tell me, what do you know of him?"
"Wormy dead god?" Rodrigo hazards.
"Has spawn that are worm-filled zombie/skeleton things that turn people into more worm-filled zombie/skeleton things..." Eben helpfully adds.
"Has knowledge of how to create a gargantuan worm-monster the size of a city stadium with the ability to create even more worm-filled zombie/skeleton hybrids, along with other conventional undead..." Carina taps her foot on the floor.
"Also has a scroll that has an intelligence of its own and knows just about everything pertaining to him, that we claimed."
Manzorian raises an eyebrow only at the last note. "Really? A scroll? Please do elaborate. Do you have it here?"
Carina nods before taking off her haversack and pulling out the Apostolic Scroll. "It was in the possession of one of Raknian's lackeys, and appears to have been integral to the worm-monster's creation."
"Of course. An Apostolic Scroll." Manzorian holds out a hand. "May I?"
"Ah, well, I've been researching in Agath's library. Kyuss, apparently, is a demigod of undeath, whose worship goes back to when the Old Faith was New. He is a servant of Nerull and his holy symbol is a human skull erupting in green worms. I can't find out much more - his faith is so old, and so obscure. No idea where he is or where he came from," Astraden tells the mage.
Carina holds out the scroll for Manzorian to take. "Sure, but I'll warn you now--it likes to speak right in your ear. And it sounds quite creepy."
"So....are you going to actually tell us something? Or just keep asking to touch our stuff?" Rodrigo asks the archmage. "I respect your power and importance and such, but we came a long way to meet you, and have been waiting a long time. If you don't know anything I guess that's okay, but we should probably go find someone who does. We're kind on a "save the multiverse" timeline here."
Eben looks over at Rodrigo, over at Manzorian, and takes a subtle but very long-legged step to the right, putting an extra foot and a half or so of space between himself and the lippy aasimar.
Manzorian holds up the scroll for a moment.
After that moment, he lowers the scroll, eyes narrowed. He hands it back to Carina. "A tool of frank deception. I would destroy it, were it myself, but I suppose there might be use for such things. Unfortunately, it either does not know or will not tell the real secrets. I would guess the former—I am quite skilled at managing sentient objects. It does not know who Kyuss was before he became a god. And that's where our knowledge is most..."
He pauses as Rodrigo begins speaking. His expression, already sour, turns positively hawkish as the summoner goes on. His words are rimed with frost when he speaks. "I understand that it is difficult for one of your importance to withstand the twenty seconds required for a conversation to reach its climax. As it happens, however, I need to know how much you all know before I begin to tell you what I know. I am not some free service. I do not simply dispense what you want when you want it. I want things in return. This meeting does not merely exist for your benefit, aasimar.
"As a matter of fact, your benefit is rather the farthest thing from our priorities list right now. The world is in utter peril, and confident as you all are that you are the chosen heroes meant to save it, 'chosen' heroes are as sea turtle eggs where prophecies like this are concerned. You've already learned that the hard way. Cease focusing solely upon your role and pay some consideration to mine—if you die, anything you know dies with you, and the next batch of heroes is left blind."
The archmage sighs. "Now, assuming there are to be no more outbursts, what questions do you have? I do know some things about what you have faced, and I know some things about Kyuss. If you wish to be informed, tell me what you want to know."
"Any idea how we can better fight some of these things? Specifically me. I don't have any of the fancy magic tricks you and the others have. I wish I had magic sometimes." Farrukh gives an exaggerated longing sigh.
Carina gives Farrukh a dirty look before turning back to Manzorian. "Well, you mentioned there are predictions relating to the Age of Worms that have come true already. What predictions are those? And more importantly, what can we do to stop them?"
Manzorian rolls his eyes. "Try using your imagination for a change. You may not have our 'fancy magic tricks', but you can continue fighting all day long without running out of spells."
"Well uh, first what do you mean by 'frank deception?' I suspected the scroll would try to mislead us, but do you have any idea how it'll do that?" Astraden watches the scroll about as warily as she was earlier watching for spell traps. "Does it follow any rules?"
"And with regards to Kyuss, what are his servitors? Where are they? And where should we go next, to keep unraveling the prophecy? I feel like we got a little sidetracked saving folks from the wind dungeon," she admits.
Manzorian rolls his eyes. "Try using your imagination for a change. You may not have our 'fancy magic tricks', but you can continue fighting all day long without running out of spells."
Farrukh looks at the man incredulously.
"All day!?! My arms get tired after about an hour!"
"Well uh, first what do you mean by 'frank deception?' I suspected the scroll would try to mislead us, but do you have any idea how it'll do that?" Astraden watches the scroll about as warily as she was earlier watching for spell traps. "Does it follow any rules?"
"And with regards to Kyuss, what are his servitors? Where are they? And where should we go next, to keep unraveling the prophecy? I feel like we got a little sidetracked saving folks from the wind dungeon," she admits.
"It happens to the best of us." Manzorian clears his throat. "By 'frank deception', I mean that these scrolls appear to be incapable of falsehood. They are, however, quite capable of manipulation, and may seek to misdirect you in the future. It is a 'half-truth' situation.
"As for the servants of Kyuss..." Manzorian takes a bite of the pie. ~Some I am still investigating. He is largely served by the undead, but there are some types of aberrations that pay him homage. Not all undead serve him, either—some, such as Vecna's lot, are likely relatively uninterested in him personally, though the Age of Worms might be attractive to them.~
~The Ebon Triad seem to be involved, at least on some level, with a great deal of all this—their fingers have been dipped in most of the prophecies that have of late come true. Their involvement merits further investigation. I believe that they may themselves be little more the agents for a larger power—perhaps Kyuss himself. Certainly, their goal of unifying Hextor, Vecna and Erythnul into one overgod seems ludicrous. But the prophecies might imply otherwise.~ He frowns.
Carina gives Farrukh a dirty look before turning back to Manzorian. "Well, you mentioned there are predictions relating to the Age of Worms that have come true already. What predictions are those? And more importantly, what can we do to stop them?"
"There are a number. In one prophecy, it predicts the 'ruin by fire of a city built in a bowl in the spire's shadows'. Just last year, to the south, the city of Cauldron—built in the caldera of a dormant volcano only a few days away from Kyuss's one-time home—was nearly destroyed by a volcanic eruption."
Manzorian goes back to the pie. ~Other prophecies speak of the recrudescence of the worm-eaten dead, the recovery of potent artifacts from ancient tombs, the destructive manifestation of an immense demonic tree in a distant city across the sea, the arrival of a 'Fane of Scales' amid a storm of wind and fire, and the cleansing of an evil taint from a city besieged in the past by giants. In addition to some others.~
He leans forward. "These events have all come to pass, and quite recently. There are two others that might catch your interest. The first mentions the reunification of a 'triparite spirit'—presumably some reference to this 'Overgod' the Ebon Triad wishes to raise. This prophecy has not yet come true.
"The second prophecy reads: And on the eve of the Age of Worms, a hero of the pit shall use his fame to gift a city to the dead." He finishes off his slice of pie and sets the dish aside. "I believe we can safely make our guesses who that was referring to. I think my hunger is subsiding; if any of you want to polish off the remains, you'd be more than welcome to. I have been a poor host, I fear."
"Well do you know where more of the Ebon Triad are, then? From what I understand these guys killed all the ones they've come across so far."
"There is currently little solid evidence to place the Ebon Triad anywhere in any particularly great numbers. Even if they are more than mere pawns for some greater being's device (and I highly doubt that they are), they should not be our primary concern. Our chief enemy is Kyuss.
"Now, a god is not some mystical force or mass of energy. It has a concrete origin and a concrete homeplane. This demigod must dwell someplace, and I cannot fathom how we should come to know so little of it. We don't even really know what he wants—yes, we can safely assume he wishes to bring about the Age of Worms, but why? And how? Prophecies are coming true, but that doesn't supply a method any more than ripples in the water supply a stone. Where do these worms come from? The worms themselves are not undead, yet they have the power to make horribly deadly undead monsters. The incident in Lambere is proof enough of that."
The archmage takes a deep breath. He turns to Agath, who has thus far remained perfectly mute.
The cleric inclines his head. "Thank you for deigning to include me in this conversation, Manzorian."
"Can it, Agath." There's a strange element of casualness in Manzorian's manner that almost instantly vanishes, replaced once again by the scowl.
Agath sighs. "We know that Kyuss was once mortal—a powerful priest of Nerull who ascended to godhood. He ruled a city named Kuluth-Mar far to the south, and was famed for the creation of undead. A former companion of ours...well, more Manzorian's friend than mine, to be honest. A former companion, a wizard named Bucknard, made an extensive study of Kyuss and his ways. The word you would use was 'obsessed'. Even by archmage standards."
"Where is Bucknard now?" Rodrigo inquires.
"Does Kuluth-Mar still exist? Is that the place near the volcano city Manzorian mentioned? And why would anyone be stupid enough to build inside a volcano in the first place?"
"The volcano was supposed to be extinct It was due to the involvement of the Ebon Triad and others, I believe, that it awoke once more." Manzorian shrugs. "Celeste told me it was some sort of demodand...kerfuffle. Neither here nor there."
"Where is Bucknard now?" Rodrigo inquires.
Manzorian adjusts himself in his chair slightly. "I am afraid...we are not sure. When Bucknard learned of Kuluth-Mar's potential significance, he could barely restrain himself. He was sure that this was the site of Kyuss's divine apotheosis—where he became a god. I cautioned him against going to investigate the ruins. One does not simply teleport into an unknown region without doing some research. But Bucknard wouldn't listen. He left immediately, returning two weeks later with a wild look in his eye.
He wouldn't say much about what he'd found there, and before he moved on he asked me to hold on to some of his notes." Manzorian rubs his eyes. "He promised to return later and tell me more, but that time was short and hhe had to head north to follow a new lead. He vanished without a trace not long thereafter. I...intended to try to track him down, but..." He turns and spits to the side. "Other events conspired to take my attention away. I suspect he is dead now. Or worse. Certainly, he eludes all divinations. And conjurations."
He sighs, sagging in his chair. "But yes, MacTeague. Kuluth-Mar still stands. Unfortunately, Bucknard's notes were sadly sparse. He was getting very paranoid towards the end of his life. Perhaps he was right to be so, in hindsight, but I wish he had trusted me more. The notes confirm that Kuluth-Mar is located in the Amedio Jungle, far to the south, and estimate that Kyuss ruled the city more than two thousand years ago from his fortress in the city's center.
"Bucknard believed that this fortress was the site of Kyuss's ascension to godhood. Kyuss built a ziggurat to serve as the foundation, and Bucknard writes how the ziggurat was a powerful magical focus for the ritual that propelled him to divinity. Much of Kyuss's might has since left the city of Kuluth-Mar, but powerful undead servants and lingering touches of Kyuss's own miasma make the ziggerat a fell and dangerous place. Bucknard visited the ruined city several times, but never penetrated the ziggurat itself. I never found the journal pages that described his earlier visits."
"Well, that's a 'lead,' but I think going to a place that f$~!ed up an archmage is a bit dangerous for the likes of us." Astraden frowns. "Sorry to hear of his presumed death, though, I mean."
She accepts the invitation to eat, despite having a few drinks and bar food earlier in the evening. The goose looked especially delicious, and she grabs a wing and starts stripping off the soft flesh with her teeth. "What's up north? Somewhere in the Empire?"
"Perhaps. But I wouldn't say the fortress foiled Bucknard, as you seem to think. He attained what he needed and moved on."
"And a party with more divine magic might fare better," Agath pipes up.
"Precisely." Manzorian's eyes narrow. "And sometimes a little bit of knowledge is worth getting a little bit f%@@ed up over. Quite frankly, we don't have a lot of options, and the clock is ticking. The best path now is to follow in his footsteps." The archmage folds his arms. "You can likely guess what I'm proposing. Journeying to Kuluth-Mar isn't just about learning about Kyuss—it is about learning about Bucknard's fate. He knows or knew more about Kyuss than perhaps anyone. Anyone we can trust, that is.
"Assuming you accept this mission, while your party is at Kuluth-Mar, Celeste, Eligos, Agath and I will enter a session of intense research and investigation on the Ebon Triad, Kyuss, and Bucknard's disappearance. Combining what we know, with any luck, we may be able to at last form a coherent narrative." Manzorian stands. "I understand that you worry that you may not return from such a mission. But sometimes we aren't given perfectly-matched tasks. Sometimes, we are put into a burden that is a great deal heavier than we are equipped to carry."
Manzorian walks around the desk to stand before the party. "Tell me—have any of you ever noticed a strange sort of luck around you?" He waves a hand. "Little quirks of fate running in your favor. Encountering old friends by chance in large crowds. Meeting people early-on, only to later learn they're key to your own fate. Perhaps an arrow flies a bit truer than you thought it would, or you suddenly feel a little bit more experienced fighting blind. Anything like that?"
"Quite a few times, actually." Carina scratches her head and gives Manzorian a puzzled look.
"Now that I think about it, that DOES strike me as being kinda odd... I guess I didn't notice because most of the time I'm too busy fighting for my life."
"Nothing strange, just our normal luck. Do you have enough information about Kuluth-Mar for me to teleport us there accurately? Maybe one of those nifty paintings in the hallway?"
"Well, I pray to Norebo a lot, so I figured he was just helping me out."
"Anyway, do you have any advice for what to do when we inevitably learn that the reason Brucknard didn't come back is because he's the crazy archmage orchestrating the return of Kyuss in the first place?"
"I read a book on 'narrative convenience' at the library earlier and that seems the most likely outcome here."
"Actually, what I'm not getting... why does Kyuss get to do all this? Okay, yes, he's a god. But a demigod. And, honestly, given how hard turning up any information on him is at all, it feels like he's a really minor demigod. So why does he get the whole end of the world, start a new age of apocalyptic horror button? I could get it if it was Nerull or Vecna that suddenly threatened all of existence, but a minor league ascended mortal? Shouldn't every other god- even the evil ones- be able to squash him like a bug?"
"Maybe divinity works differently than we thought. Or perhaps he just wants to buck the trend. Or perhaps there's some kind of weird divine non-interference law that keeps said gods from directly getting involved."
"Kinda makes Iuz look like an un-ambitious chump though." Farrukh muses.
Having spent the last several minutes trying to wrap his head around the mage's sea turtle egg analogy, Tanith finally rejoins the conversation. Sort of.
"Speaking of luck and powerful enemies, do you have something we can use to hide the rod fragment from the team of Hellish barristers that are after it apparently? They've been spying on us for a while and already ambushed us once. If we do head out to Kuluth-Mar I'm sure they'll use the opportunity to attack again."
"Also, do you know who or what 'Dragotha' is? A dragon follower of Kyuss gasped that out right before dying. 'Kyuss take you! Dragotha will...' We never got to hear what the 'will' would be, because that's when Farrukh cut her throat open..."
"I've been wondering about that as well, actually. Not sure if it's Farrukh's prayers, Olidammara's meddling, our bloodlines . . . or just pure, dumb luck. Why, you got a theory about it?" she asks the wizard.
"Why will divine magic help us? Do you have suggestions for what to prepare for? Besides things that eat at your psyche. Which we might want to bring the rod fragment along for, Tanith."
"I wonder, maybe 'Dragotha' is the dragon name for Kyuss?" Astraden posits.
"I don't know, it sounds feminine. Maybe she's Kyuss's demigoddess-lady-friend?"
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"Anyway, do you have any advice for what to do when we inevitably learn that the reason Brucknard didn't come back is because he's the crazy archmage orchestrating the return of Kyuss in the first place?
"I read a book on 'narrative convenience' at the library earlier and that seems the most likely outcome here."
Manzorian's eyes narrow. He opens his mouth to respond, pauses, closes his mouth, and appears to think a moment.
"...Point. If you should encounter Bucknard, know that he was a potent archmage—not as strong as myself, but still a force to be reckoned with. He had just recently mastered the final echelon of base magics—meaning things like wishes—when he left for the north. Bucknard had a very artistic and scholarly mind, though. He liked to make clever, quaint little items like the everfull purse. Even if he has turned to Kyuss, he will still have that personality. You might be able to engage him that way.
"But I seriously doubt he would ever, ever turn to Kyuss." Manzorian reaches up, rubbing his eyes. "Bucknard...has a history with the Wormgod. None of us ever exactly knew what happened, but forty years ago, a talented, powerful, very headstrong young wizard encountered several fearsome undead filled with strange green worms. The battle was grueling and traumatic, and when it was over, the worms had claimed the life of his adventuring companion." Manzorian swallows. "His sister, Maralee. He took it...very hard. It would be two years before he recovered enough to reenter the field, and when he did, he had a new obsession to drive him. Bucknard wanted more than anything to destroy the cult of Kyuss once and for all. It led him to become one of the most powerful evokers of his generation, but that anger towards Kyuss never left him. Never."
"Actually, what I'm not getting... why does Kyuss get to do all this? Okay, yes, he's a god. But a demigod. And, honestly, given how hard turning up any information on him is at all, it feels like he's a really minor demigod. So why does he get the whole end of the world, start a new age of apocalyptic horror button? I could get it if it was Nerull or Vecna that suddenly threatened all of existence, but a minor league ascended mortal? Shouldn't every other god- even the evil ones- be able to squash him like a bug?"
"Godly intervention is always a difficult matter," Agath says. "That said, these are very high-caliber questions. One possible theory: The Age of Worms isn't something Kyuss creates. It's an incarnation of some primeval force—perhaps undeath itself, or pure, inevitable rot and decay—and Kyuss is not the apocalypse itself, but merely the herald for a fated event no god or mortal can resist. If he succeeds in bringing about the Age of Worms, his power may then grow exponentially, and he may well become the new ultimate deity of such an era. Gods such as Pelor, Nerull and Gruumsh will be forgotten, and Kyuss will rise to his place as the one true god of our multiverse.
"But even if that's true, we don't know if Kyuss is the cause, the effect, or just a being who'll be uniquely benefited by these changes. And I still haven't exactly ruled out the possibility that he's just an opportunist; a petty godling who seeks to take advantage of a new age specially suited to his portfolio. I can't help but worry it's going to turn out he was the pawn of another, even greater evil."
"I've been wondering about that as well, actually. Not sure if it's Farrukh's prayers, Olidammara's meddling, our bloodlines . . . or just pure, dumb luck. Why, you got a theory about it?" she asks the wizard.
"Hmph. Not exactly." The archmage shrugs. "Those are all very valid guesses. I have seen this before, in truth. Some people—and things—seem to be closer-bound to prophecy than others. It may be bloodlines. It may be godly mischief. It may be 'luck'. Or it may be a combination of the lot that simply tends to form around people like you. People with the potential to be tied to fateful events. This potential can come from a variety of sources—important ancestors," he gestures to Carina, "uniquely invested patrons," he gestures to Astraden, "or, well, just the sort of unique charisma you need to get Norebo to notice you. Or a combination.
"If you are indeed among that lot, you may find the edge becoming substantially more pronounced in the days to come. Regardless, it is likely you'll be encountering others bound similarly. Be on your guard—not all fated creatures are friendly."
[talk about the Rod fragment]
"I actually have a suggestion for that. As you pointed out, Kordson, this fragment has put you in even more danger than before. And if the wrong forces were to acquire such an item, the results could be disastrous." Manzorian turns to Farrukh, smiling faintly. "I would be more than happy to take it off your hands. It would be safe in my vault, I assure you.
"In exchange, I could offer you some tremendous rewards. Each of you could pick out an item of your choice from my own stores, personalized by my magic to look however you like. The Rod fragment might have potential, but if you give it to me, I can present an astounding array of magic items that will easily dwarf its meager powers now."
"Why will divine magic help us? Do you have suggestions for what to prepare for? Besides things that eat at your psyche. Which we might want to bring the rod fragment along for, Tanith."
"Kuluth-Mar is a place of death. Wards against negative energy will no doubt prove a fruitful investment."
"Also, do you know who or what 'Dragotha' is? A dragon follower of Kyuss gasped that out right before dying. 'Kyuss take you! Dragotha will...' We never got to hear what the 'will' would be, because that's when Farrukh cut her throat open..."
Agath blinks. He gets up and walks towards one of the shelves, apparently looking for something.
"You refer to Ilthane, I assume." Manzorian's brow furrows deeply. "I have heard the name of Dragotha before. A former consort of Tiamat, struck down and slain for some old affront against the Avaricious. Thousands of years ago." Manzorian runs his fingers through his beard. "But...I could swear I remember something more..."
"You should," Agath says. He pulls down an old scroll of pale vellum. "Old maps used to reference famous dragons to ward folk away from areas they hadn't bothered to explore properly yet. It was all a bunch of non-factual nonsense for the most part, especially with regards to locations, but..."
He unfurls the scroll. "They tell us things about folklore and oral history long since lost."
It takes the party to recognize what Agath is referring to. It's an old black-and-white map of Oerth—one that seems to mark the Hellfurnaces as being part of the Lortmil Mountains.
But up in the corner of the map is a curious etching.
Farrukh looks at the Rod contemplatively.
"Your offer is tempting...but what if we need it later? The Wind Dukes apparently chose us-well, me, but us- for some reason. What if the Rod is somehow a key to defeating Kyuss? If we just leave it here with you we could be completely screwed later."
"And the rod would be safe here? I assume you've got some kind of wizard vault that's impossible to enter because it's flying or invisible or underwater, right?"
Looking over the map, Tanith scratches at his stubble in confusion. "Wait, what's up there? Past the corner of the map?"
"I would love a personalized magic item. If Kyuss is a demi-god, couldn't we just kill him when we find him?"
"I'm kinda torn. On the one hand, I don't want it getting into the hands of actively terrible s!&%heads, and it'll be a pain to fight them off. On the other, it's a lot of power and it's immediately applicable to the Kuluth-Mar situation." Astraden pulls out a dinged-up copper coin. "Flipping for my vote. Crown is leave it here."
"Right. It'd be nice to hang onto it, just in case?"
Manzorian actually laughs. "Flying? Invisible? Believe me, nothing is getting in here like that. Didn't Cymria tell you what happens to someone who tries to teleport or fly in here?"
"Wait, what's up there? Past the corner of the map?"
"Like I said," Agath says, "irrelevant. These maps are not the least bit accurate, and most are horridly outdated. They just put the names of well-known monsters in random unexplored locations."
"Um, not that I remember? What does happen to someone who tries to get in here magically?" Astraden asks.
"Well, they—no, forget it, it's moot now regardless. Just don't do it."
Astraden nudges Rodrigo. "After we leave, try summoning an archon and sending it in; see what happens."
Satisfied that he nailed the underwater portion of Manzorian's secret wizard vault, Tanith changes subjects.
"So what's the best way to get to Kuluth-Mar? Better yet, where is Kuluth-Mar? I assume it'd be too dangerous for you to send us directly there with magic."
"Dangerous for us, if nothing else. Presumably, if he COULD scry there he would have by now, and even if there's no teleport defenses, we have no clue if he'd be dropping us in a pit full of Kyuss Zombies or something."
"Hey, Bucknard teleported in. We at least know that there won't be teleport defenses."
"Actually, your winged friend hit the nail on the head there." Manzorian smiles curtly. "I don't believe the teleportation will be within his own range, but I can provide a pair of scrolls to send you on your way. Teleporting within the sanctum wouldn't be wise, you're right, but..."
He beckons. The archmage walks out of the study into the hallway, leading the group to a particular painting on the wall. "Some of these paintings, I'm told, may have been created by Nolzur himself," he says gravely. "They are imbued with divination magic to aid in teleportation—focusing on one of these paintings acts as a perfect substitute for being there. This one was painted by Bucknard. It depicts the very center of Kuluth-Mar, the inner sanctum, and your ultimate destination:
"The Spire of Long Shadows."