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I've been reading several campaign journals detailing various adventure paths, and I've noticed that this happens quite often. The low level characters will have some great historical plot hooks built into them and have dreams and aspirations of their own, but once they get thrown into the thick of the action they rarely have time to pursue these goals.
I have the same feeling. In RotRL and CotCT, it feels like there are tons of great character background hooks in adventures 1-3, but much fewer in adventures 4-6.
Maybe it's the nature of higher level adventures, the enemies we face are so otherworldly or live in such remote locations of the world, that it's hard to figure out how to link the PC's backgrounds to them?
("My great-great-great-great....-great-great grandfather was killed by you, Karzoug. Now, at long last, I will avenge him!")
;)
Uktar 14th, 1375
Elven intuition
For six more days, we traveled through the jungle. We had returned to the Phanaton village to get Tavey, Urol and Chochanika back. They were now traveling with us, but we had to leave the Phanaton guides behind: Raguhl was now our only guide. Despite a slow start on the first day, due to the torrential rains that had fallen throughout the day, we’d made good progress toward the lizardman village.
“Bah, Raguhl, you’re taking too safe a route,” grumbled Ulfgar. “We haven’t run into anything worth fighting since we left that strange snake’s temple. My axe is itching for a good battle!”
“We must respect this jungle and its inhabitants,” replied the scaly barbarian without looking back. “Especially now, we are close to entering the territory of my tribe. We must show that we come in peace. If there is yet hope for peace…”
“Well, it might be a sign of peace if we cleaned up their jungle a little bit. You saw ‘em yourself, Raguhl, those tracks of nasty beasts. Giant snakes, dinosaurs, even those that looked like they were left by trolls.”
“Not trolls, but rather an unknown sort of demons,” said Sparkie. “Although I must admit that the shape of demons’ feet aren’t described in great detail in the various tomes I’ve…” he stopped abruptly and gestured for the rest of us to be quiet. We all stopped and looked at the elf. He was standing still, gazing into the distance.
“Do you sense something, Sparkillo?” I asked him after a few moments.
“I do,” he whispered back. “There is something out there… Watching us…”
None of us had noticed anything out of the ordinary.
“I’ll hang back and see if I can spot it,” whispered back Tyria.
We continued ahead, leaving the halfling, who’d turned invisible, behind us. After a few minutes, though, she caught up with us: she hadn’t seen anything. “Could it be some people from your tribe who’re tracking us, Raguhl?” she asked.
“It might be. They are skilled hunters, able to hide well in the forest. I’ve not gained such skill while I lived in Sasserine, though, I’m afraid.”
Uktar 15th, 1375
Another Penkus
The following day, the ground started getting more humid, and we soon found ourselves in a swamp. Some time later, we reached the edge of a great lake and started going around it. According to the Phanatons, Raguhl’s tribe now lived on the eastern shore of that lake.
We were expecting an ambush from a group of lizardmen, but all of a sudden, instead, a huge dinosaur came crashing through the undergrowth, heading straight for us. It looked somewhat like Penkus had when he was alive, and I thought initially that it was another tyrannosaurus rex, but Urol immediately corrected my thought.
“By Sylvanus’s beard,” he squealed, “it’s an allosaurus!”
Sparkie was the first to react, and he shot a Lightning Bolt at the advancing dinosaur. The beast roared in rage and charged even faster toward the mage, trampling most of the group in the process. Lagaan and I were able to jump out of the way, but the others were bashed around unceremoniously.
Raguhl chopped at the dinosaur with his shining greatsword, and cut open a deep wound in the monster’s flank. I also stabbed it with my trident, but it was the little Tyria who finished it off. Singing joyfully, she jumped on the creature’s back and plunged her rapier deep into its spine, cutting it in two with a mighty blow.
Thrashing wildly, the monster roared in agony, and it finally toppled to the side and came crashing down… on top of Tavey and Urol! The two unfortunates were crushed and pinned under the weight of the enormous beast. The warriors rushed to lift the carcass, while Urol, who was still conscious, tried to heal himself with magic. Lagaan looked at the tiny limp form of Tavey.
“What should I do?” he said in an anxious voice. “I’ve got some magical oil, I could lubricate him to get him out faster…”
“Sure, I bet it wouldn’t be the first time you lubricated the unfortunate little boy,” I said as I moved next to him. But before I could cast a healing prayer on the child, Lagaan decided to give him a healing potion to drink.
Eventually, we got both of our little companions from underneath the allosaurus, healed our wounds, and continued on our way.
Since it was around lunch time, we decided to take a break there. None of us felt like sampling allosaurus meat, so we finished the food I’d summoned the previous day. We all had to listen to Ulfgar grumbling about not having had time to attack the dinosaur. Indeed, we’d killed the beast in record time: it didn’t even get a chance to swallow anyone. Trouble was getting stronger and stronger. Being on this island was really making us tougher. The constant need for survival was pushing us past our limits, allowing us to grow in power.
Surprise! You’re dead!
Some time later, we continued our journey and soon arrived near a circle of standing stones in the marsh.
“Ah!” said Raguhl. “We must be getting closer. My people use these stone circles as places of worship. They are holy places for their faith.”
“Why do you say ‘their faith’? Don’t you share it?” asked Tyria.
“No. I’ve lived among the humans for so long that I’ve adopted one of their religions. I follow the mighty Gwynharwyf, the Whirling Fury, Slayer of Demons.”
As we moved to investigate the standing stones, though, a group of lizardmen emerged from the nearby waters: it was an ambush!
While about ten of them were roughly man-sized, the other six were enormous, at least as large as ogres, and their bodies were misshapen, with unsightly stumps and too long limbs. They were likely the mutants that the Phanatons had spoken of. They all wielded primitive weapons such as clubs, and the man-sized ones also carried javelins and bows.
Raguhl started trying to speak peacefully with them, but the rest of us immediately realized that these monsters had already decided to attack us. Lagaan shot an arrow at the closest one, and I called upon the power of Umberlee and unleashed a terrible Ice Storm against the group of enemies to our left. They were still standing in the water, and three of the smaller ones, as well as two of the larger ones, were frozen in place and died immediately. Two others survived: they seemed more resilient and I realized that they were likely the leaders of the group.
One of them blessed the remaining warriors, who shot arrows which bounced off of Raguhl and Ulfgar’s armors. Meanwhile, the four remaining large mutants approached with a lumbering gait. Ulfgar pointed at the largest and said in an eager voice: “That one’s mine!”
Just behind me, I heard Tyria chant the words of a Haste spell. Sparkillo, who’d been hesitating, unsure whether we should attack Raguhl’s people, finally came to his senses and unleashed a deadly Fireball on the group of enemies to the right. One of the smaller lizardmen and two of the big ones perished, incinerated by the mighty spell. One of those had been the one Ulfgar had pointed at.
“Sparkie!!” roared the red-faced dwarf in frustration. “I said that one was mine!!!”
I then heard some noise to my right and saw a lizardman warrior emerge from the bushes. It had meant to creep up on Tyria and me and attack us as part of the ambush, but I saw dismay in his eyes: already, more than half of his group was dead, in the very first seconds of their supposed “surprise” attack.
Tyria and I both turned to face him, and with an insolent grin, the halfling said: “Surprise!!!”
I heard the sounds of battle behind me, Ulfgar roaring in a charge, and Lagaan firing arrows at our enemies. I lifted my trident and stabbed the lizardman close to me. The teeth of my weapon penetrated deep inside the scaly being, drawing blood. I smiled as I fantasized about doing the same thing to Raguhl. Sensing that it had no chance of winning, the reptile turned tail and ran back into the swamp, but only made it a few paces before he was shot to death by Tyria’s flaming arrows.
I then turned and hurried to Ulfgar’s side, but the battle was already almost over. There were lizardmen corpses all around us. To our left, a few of the corpses were frozen in the expanse of marsh where my ice storm had raged. To our right, a few more floated in the bubbling water where Sparkillo’s fireball had exploded.
Raguhl had run ahead of us, and was now facing one of the shamans in the frozen part of the swamp. He was talking with the creature in their guttural language. Meanwhile, all other lizardmen had fled, but one of the other shamans had summoned a fiendish dire ape in the center of the stone circle before leaving. The creature attacked Lagaan, but the nimble thief avoided all of its attacks easily. The creature was then shot by Tyria’s arrows and Chochanika’s ball of lightning. Tavey circled behind it to attack it in stealth, but Ulfgar simply charged it, and killed it with a mighty swing of his axe.
We stood triumphantly among the dead lizardmen. Raguhl’s tribe counted a dozen fewer warriors now. I must say I was disappointed by how poorly the scaly beasts fared in battle: we bested them quite easily, even the big mutated ones. I felt they might not be much more powerful than the diminutive Phanatons.
Sessrek
I cast a Tongues spell on myself as Raguhl came back toward the rest of us, with the shaman prisoner. That lizardman was much smaller than Raguhl, and somehow I understood that it was quite old. It was also covered in a thin sheet of frost, for it had been one of those I’d hit with my ice storm.
“This is Sessrek,” said Raguhl, “one of the shamans of my tribe. He is wise and understands that there is nothing to gain by attacking us. Please, treat him with respect. He was only following the orders of his wicked king.”
Raguhl then turned back toward the shaman, and the two talked for some time, as the old one stabilized the few warriors who’d survived our attacks. We learned that Raguhl’s family had died soon after he’d been found by Larissa Vanderboren. The circumstances of their deaths had been mysterious, as though someone had poisoned them. The chief of the tribe had died not long before, and they’d been among his closest successors. Someone had clearly wanted to get rid of them.
The following chief had been quite corrupted, but his reign had been short-lived, as within a few years, the evil corruption of Fogmire had surrounded the village, and many of the lizardmen, including this chief and his elite guards, had perished at the hands of demons. Then a new chief had emerged: one who called himself Kusmash.
Raguhl’s eyes went wide at this.
“Kusmash? But he was my friend… My dear friend when we were growing up! He is now the chief of the tribe? He is the one who leads it down this path of darkness?”
“Yes,” replied the old shaman somberly. “Our tribe is cursed now, young Raguhl. Evil is in our blood. You see how it changed the bodies of some of us,” he added, pointing to the corpses of the mutated lizardmen. “We call these Children of the Fog. They are young, and were born after the evil fog appeared in our previous village. While these were corrupted in body, many are also corrupted in their souls. So it is with your friend Kusmash. He thirsts for blood now, and holds absolute power over our tribe. All those who’ve dared defy him have died. He is all-powerful. We must obey his every word… there is no alternative.”
Raguhl frowned and shook his head slightly. “No, wise Sessrek. There is hope. My companions and I are powerful. Together, we will vanquish my old friend if he still refuses to listen to reason. Today, our people will be free once again!”
“But Raguhl, you don’t understand! He wields a power of darkness. He is our strongest warrior, and he can also use magic more powerful than any of us shamans! The magic of the Abyss itself is at his command! Do not defy him, do not die in vain!”
“I will do what I must,” replied Raguhl resolutely.
“But he has the power of Evil behind him…”
“So do I,” said the barbarian, looking straight at me.
“The others will have warned him by now. Those who fled this ambush.”
“How did you know we were coming? You seemed well prepared.”
“Our scouts had been following you for two days,” replied the old reptile. “We knew a group of soft-skins led by one of our kind was coming our way. We had orders to capture you alive, and to kill the soft-skins.”
“You say this Kusmash is tainted by evil, but what is it that he wants, exactly?” I asked.
The two lizardmen turned toward me in surprise. They hadn’t realized that I understood what was being said all along.
“He wants only destruction,” said the shaman after a moment. “He is pure evil.”
We then gave permission to Sessrek to heal the four unconscious lizardmen who’d survived the battle. Raguhl gave them a rousing speech about joining him in his fight for their freedom from the demonic corruption of Kusmash. He was actually quite convincing, for once, and everyone seemed inspired by his words.
The challenge
We followed Sessrek, and after a few hundred yards, reached the lizardman village. It was a primitive clutter of mud and stone dwellings, from which poured forth about a hundred lizardmen of various sizes, from children to more of the massive ogre-sized mutants. All eyed us warily, with some of the adults clutching the little ones protectively.
One of the lizardmen in particular eyed Raguhl as if he recognized him. Raguhl waved at him excitedly.
“What’s up Raguhl, is that your cousin?” asked Lagaan with a smirk.
“Yes! Yes, he is! He’s actually my cousin!”
Raguhl addressed the crowd, introducing himself and the rest of Trouble, and saying that he had come back after a long absence to set them free. His tribesmen looked back warily, but they didn’t attack. Soon enough, the crowd parted and a few tougher-looking reptiles came to face us. I recognized a few of them as some who’d fled the earlier battle.
Their leader was an imposing figure dressed in black scale armor. He carried a turtle-shell shield and a large axe. He was about the same size as Raguhl: apart for the mutants, they were among the largest of their tribe.
Sparkie cast a Comprehend Languages spell on the rest of our companions, so we could all follow what happened.
Raguhl approached this tough-looking lizardman. “Kusmash, my old friend… “
Kusmash looked at him with a puzzled expression. “Should I remember you? Who are you?”
“Raguhl.”
The other laughed mockingly. “Raguhl? Heh. We all thought you were long dead. Well, I guess I can arrange that now.”
“Why? What happened to you?...”
“Heh… I became powerful. Something that you’ll never know. I heard that your group dealt with the advance scouting party that was waiting for you. But coming here, in the heart of the village, and letting yourself be surrounded. That was really stupid of you.”
“No,” replied Raguhl. “It’s what was needed.”
“Oh yes, I’ll enjoy eating your flesh. And I’m so thankful as well that you had the good manner of bringing some softies with you. I can already taste the warmth of their flesh.”
“You will not taste it.”
I looked around me and saw that we were indeed surrounded. Lagaan and Sparkie were whispering to each other: was the rogue asking the wizard to cast a fireball in the midst of the crowd? The elf shook his head: as usual, he dared not take a bold action that would hurt his conscience.
Sessrek, the old shaman, put himself between the two large warriors. “Kusmash, Raguhl has come here this day to face you in a duel, as per the tradition of our people. You must show him respect!”
With a snarl, Kusmash struck the older reptile, who fell to the ground from the impact. Raguhl let out a powerful roar, and the spikes on his back rose in anger.
“What gives you the right to strike down one of our holy men??” he asked his former friend.
“They answer to ME now!!” replied Kusmash, his voice also rising in anger.
“You are unworthy of leading them.”
Again, Kusmash laughed harshly despite Raguhl’s fury, and the threatening looks that Lagaan and Ulfgar were shooting in his direction. “Who are you to say, you haven’t been in this tribe for ages, and now you’ve only just come back?” he asked.
“Indeed, and I have a clear sight of what you’ve done. There is a great evil that threatens our tribe, and that already killed so many of us. And you have become contaminated by it. You are corrupted… inside.”
“Who are you to tell me of corruption?” Kusmash gestured to several mutants who towered over the other lizardmen. “THAT’s corruption! And with it comes power. This corruption is a form of power. But you, you’re not even worthy of being corrupted, heh heh heh…” He sniffed the air. “Your very smell. Pitiful… You’ve been tainted by the humans. I should put you out of your misery.”
“Humans… Yes, I’ve lived among humans. I’ve seen many races: elves, dwarves,” said Raguhl, pointing to Sparkie and Ulfgar, “the world is big, Kusmash, very big. There is much to be learned, and to be seen. There is much beyond this island. Open your eyes. You can’t stay here and wage war against the whole world. I’ve heard you turned against the Phanatons, who used to be our friends? Why?? It serves no purpose!!! They can still be our friends, the humans can be our friends too!”
Kusmash smirked. “And give away the pleasure of eating their flesh?” And he laughed uproariously.
“You’re mad,” observed Raguhl.
“I am powerful…”
“I’m very sad to see that my friend is in this state now. I used to love you, like a brother.”
Sessrek stood up once again, and he looked at Raguhl with a glitter of hope in his eyes. “Raguhl, you were a mere child the last time I saw you, but since then you’ve grown into a mighty warrior. Do you challenge Kusmash for leadership of the tribe?”
Kusmash erupted in a mocking laughter, but Raguhl’s eyes narrowed. He looked around at each of us, and finally growled: “I do. I challenge you to a duel, Kusmash, for the leadership of our tribe”.
“So be it, I’ll enjoy it! But there’s a price. If I defeat you, then I will also get to feast on the flesh of your friends.”
Despite the threatening statement, it was Lagaan’s turn to laugh. The young man was clearly not scared of the intimidating reptile.
“No,” said Raguhl. “This is not their battle, and their fates shouldn’t depend on its outcome. The duel will be between you and me, and will determine the leadership of this tribe. If you defeat me, you can continue your reign of terror. But if I win… It ends today.”
Kusmash sneered: “Well then, what’s in it for me? Why would I agree to this duel?”
“To show that you’re not a coward.”
Kusmash glowered at Raguhl for a few moments. Finally, he said: “Let’s fight.”
The duel
We all gathered in a circle around the two warriors; the members of Trouble mingled with the various Lizardfolk of the village. Raguhl and Kusmash faced each other, at opposite ends of the circle. In the center, old Sessrek explained the ancient rules of the contest. No outside magic could affect the participants. Most of the Lizardfolk there cheered for Kusmash, though I noticed that many of them only chanted his name half-heartedly. He was clearly an unpopular ruler, despite his strength.
A few of my companions cheered for Raguhl, especially Tyria, who cheated and used her bardic magic to increase his combat skill. I could’ve also tried to give him Umberlee’s blessing, but honestly, I had no motivation to cheat. I didn’t much care whether Raguhl lived or died. I just wanted to be rid of him. If he lost, we would be rid of him for good, and if he won, he would become the lizard-king, and would rule over this pathetic little muddy part of the island, and hopefully wouldn’t show his face much in Farshore now that he was among his people once again. So I decided to just hang back and enjoy the show.
Sessrek stepped back to the edge of the crowd and lifted his fist for all to see: he clutched a coconut.
“Once this fruit hits the ground, the duel will start!” he announced.
Both warriors faced each other. Raguhl gripped his shining greatsword, while Kusmash held his turtle-shell shield, and his battle axe, which was, for some reason, dripping with blood.
Sessrek threw the coconut in the air, it arched, but only very slowly came down. I guessed that Sparkie, that buffoon, had cast a silent Feather Fall spell on it. Some of the lizardmen started growling in outrage, but eventually, the mage cancelled the spell, and the coconut fell to the ground abruptly, catching both fighters by surprise.
Kusmash was the first to react, and he charged Raguhl with a savage cry, pouncing on him with a vicious flurry of blows. Raguhl sustained a heavy wound, but was able to parry the rest of the onslaught. We were all very surprised by Kusmash’s moves: it seemed very, very unlikely that a lizardman would be able to move like that. In fact, those moves were oddly reminiscent of the Bar-Lgura we’d fought recently. This seemed to confirm suspicions that had been in my mind: Kusmash was not a corrupted lizardman, and was in fact not a lizardman at all, but rather, a foul shape-shifter of some sort.
Raguhl roared in rage, and activated the magic of his crown in protection. His first attacks were all blocked by Kusmash’s shield. Kusmash grabbed his axe in his shield hand and tried to touch Raguhl with his right hand, which glowed with an eerie black light. He missed with it, but managed to bite Raguhl and to block our companion’s subsequent attacks.
The fight was definitely not going well for Raguhl. I found myself wishing I’d had time to bet money against him, so I would’ve gained even more from his death.
Kusmash, already grinning in victory, stepped back and called to the crowd: “And now, you will all witness the cowardice of Raguhl!”
He cast a Fear spell at his opponent, but this time, Raguhl’s aim was true, and he slashed Kusmash with his sword. The spell failed, and Kusmash screamed in pain: he had not expected to feel the sting of the holy blade. So the couatl had spoken truly: the blade really was enchanted to harm the wicked…
Raguhl and Kusmash exchanged more powerful blows, each inflicting nasty wounds to the other. Kusmash hit Raguhl with his glowing black hand, but the barbarian resisted its magical attack. With a ferocious growl, he plunged his greatsword into his enemy’s belly, and twisted it. The blow would’ve killed a normal lizardman, but as we guessed… Kusmash was anything but. He roared and tried to bite Raguhl, who pulled back his blade, and stabbed Kusmash again.
Both enormous gladiators were by then bleeding from many wounds. It was hard to tell who had the advantage at that point. Kusmash was varying his tactics between deadly weapon attacks and magic, while Raguhl relied on pure strength and fury, as a true barbarian.
Then, Kusmash showed he had another ace up his sleeve. He stepped back and banged his shield with his axe. Two dark-skinned ghouls appeared before him out of the thin air. Interesting! Raguhl blinked in surprise for an instant, and then had to fend off the undead monsters’ attacks. They clawed uselessly at him, and they couldn’t penetrate his magical armor, nor his hard scales. With a snarl, he chopped one in two, then the other. Both perished in mere moments.
He turned to face Kusmash… but his foe had now disappeared. Raguhl looked left and right… He couldn’t sense his opponent, and howled in frustration.
“This is hardly what I’d call a fair fight!” shouted Sparkillo in outrage.
“He’s behind you, Raguhl! Finish him!” yelled Ulfgar.
Heeding Ulfgar’s words, the raging lizardman turned around, and just at that time, was bitten by his enemy, who had just reappeared. Kusmash also clawed him. Raguhl shivered as though a deadly energy was threatening to overcome him, shook himself, and resisted it. Then, with a deafening roar, he brought up his silvery blade in a wide arc and chopped off Kusmash’s head!
For a few moments, the headless body remained standing, with blood spurting from the stump of its neck. It writhed in agony, twisting and turning, and it changed size and shape madly. It took the shape of a human, then that of a dwarf, swelled to the bulk of a giant, and eventually took the appearance of a red-scaled demon before it fell to the ground and lay unmoving.
Panting, Raguhl stood over the body of his vanquished foe.
He was victorious!
He raised his great blade high above his head and roared in victory. The rest of Trouble cheered with him, and some of the lizardmen too. I noticed that some of those who’d been closest to Kusmash stared with bewildered eyes at their fallen master. Clearly, they feared that a similar fate awaited them. They disappeared in the crowd and we later discovered that they’d left the village.
The glory of the Lizard-King
“My people… My tribe…” panted Raguhl. “You lived in this demon’s shadow for too long! No more! You are free now! Let us put the age of darkness behind us, and let us roar in defiance at the demons who would seek to control our island! We will not be victims of their trickery any longer! We will not wage war upon our allies, the Phanatons and the Humans! And we will reclaim the lands that were once ours!”
The lizardmen cheered again. Sessrek approached the wounded Raguhl and healed him of some of his worst wounds. Then, he turned to the crowd.
“The duel has been fought according to the rules of our people. The one here stands victorious. Raguhl is now the chief of our tribe!!!”
Much rejoicing then ensued, but I felt no urge to participate in the festivities, nor even to congratulate Raguhl on his new title. No, between his legendary evil-slaying sword and having become the ruler of part of the island, I found that fortune was definitely smiling upon this particular reptile a little too much.
Lagaan, Sparkie and I examined the remains of the demon. His axe radiated magic, and Sparkie found it to be a wounding axe: a potent weapon, but that none of us would’ve found particularly useful. Still, it would fetch a high price in Sasserine. We also found an amulet of health that, after some discussion, the others gave to Raguhl.
There was a great feast that night in the village of the lizardmen. The members of Trouble were well received by the reptiles, as allies of their new king. We were served fruit, fish and other less identifiable culinary items that most of us prudently turned down. The lizardmen even brewed their own beer, if one could call it that. Ulfgar and Tyria seemed to like it, but I almost threw up with the very first swig I took of the disgusting substance. I discreetly spat it all back into the earthen mug, which I emptied behind me – I did not wish to upset my carnivorous hosts.
Urol, Sparkie and Tyria chatted merrily with the lizardmen, but some of us stayed more by ourselves, still not trusting these creatures. Many of the reptiles came to talk to Raguhl, who had a lot of catching up to do: he asked many questions about the history of the tribe since he’d left it, some fifteen years before.
As chief, he was indeed very well treated by the rest of the tribe. Ulfgar looked at it with a quizzical look on his face. “Why are those small lizardmen caressing him like that?”
“It is part of the honors that the chief is entitled to,” replied Urol. “Those are females.”
“Huh?” asked the dwarf. “Females? But how come they don’t have boo…”
“They’re reptiles,” interrupted Urol with a quick look in my direction.
“Oh, right, reptiles,” said Ulfgar with a nod. “Well, good for him. I bet he hasn’t seen a female member of his species in a really long time.”
Uktar 16th, 1375
Return to Tanaroa
The accommodations in the lizardman village were quite crude: they lived in disgusting huts or caves filled with mud and leaves. The whole place smelled faintly of decay. It was truly quite unpleasant, and I was quite eager to leave it. I barely slept that night, as I did not dare lie down in the dirt, and I thought that perhaps those foul beasts would slit my throat during the night. After all, they now obeyed Raguhl… But thanks to my ring of sustenance, I handled the lack of sleep easily.
The following morning, as I was finishing my morning prayers, I heard some of my companions talking in a nearby cave. Raguhl had come to check up on us, and had found Tyria, Lagaan and Tavey.
“All hail the king!” said Lagaan in an amused voice.
“Good morning, my friends,” replied the deep voice of Raguhl. “I hope you slept well this night?”
“Yes, it was very fine, your majesty,” replied Tyria.
“Oh… None of that, please. I did nothing worthy of such a title. I merely avenged the death of an old friend.”
“Kusmash? He used to be your friend?” asked Tyria.
“Yes. We grew up together. It seems that he died some years ago, and that this demon took his place.”
“Yes,” said Lagaan. “Sparkie examined the body after the fight, and he called it a Murezhi demon. They are quite powerful shape-shifters, and of course, terribly evil. It was quite a feat for you to defeat one by yourself, Raguhl!”
The lizardman grunted. “I am glad I was able to. Tyria’s song of courage urged me to fight with everything that I had. And now, my people are free. Of course, I offer you the hospitality of the village for as long as you’d like to stay.”
“Thanks,” replied Lagaan, “but we’d better start heading back toward Farshore. The pirates are going to arrive there within just a few weeks, and we need to make sure the defenses are adequate. Sparkie will teleport us back to Tanaroa so we can take the Sea Wyvern back to Farshore.”
“And will you join us there later, Raguhl?” asked Tavey.
“Yes, little one. I will join you to defend Farshore. And I will bring a force of my people to help defend it, too. I hope this battle will serve to forge a strong bond between us and the humans. I only wish that Lavinia were the one leading them… “
Some time later, after Raguhl had left, we all gathered in a cave to decide how to return to human civilization (if the primitive village of Tanaroa could be called that…). We had two choices: a long, arduous trek through the jungle, all together, would take at least five days, but this time, we’d have no guides at all. The way south would be relatively easy, but still, we might get lost and delayed. Another option was teleportation. Though we were still wary of the unpredictable magic, Sparkie seemed quite confident. He could bring three people at a time back to town, and he could teleport twice a day.
“The chances that we’ll appear in a terribly dangerous location and instantly perish are really quite small,” he assured us.
“Famous last words…” said Lagaan with a smirk.
After much discussion, I managed to convince Sparkie to bring me first to Tanaroa. The following day, he’d bring Tavey, Urol and Chochanika back to Farshore. Finally, the third day, he’d bring Ulfgar, Tyria and Lagaan to Tanaroa, and together, the five remaining members of Trouble would bring the Sea Wyvern back to Farshore.
Before leaving, I visited Sessrek, who’d offered the previous night to sell me a wand of healing at a good price, since I was a companion of his new leader. Then, I gathered my things, and stood before Sparkie, grasping his hand. He spoke the words of the teleportation spell, and we instantly appeared in the middle of Tanaroa. It was the first time I’d ever traveled by teleportation. What a fantastic way to save time!
A few natives gaped at us with incredulous eyes. Using a Tongues spell, I explained to them that I would be staying for a few days, and would later be joined by my companions. Sparkie then disappeared back toward the lizardman village.
I spent the rest of the day among the villagers of Tanaroa. It was quite odd to be among all of those dark-skinned people, who looked at me curiously: they probably found my appearance quite strange as well.
A palpable atmosphere of worry still hung over the village, and I saw that yet again, they were preparing for a great ceremony. I learned that they’d failed to appease the god of the twin volcanoes with every ceremony they’d performed so far, but that they were planning the biggest yet two nights from then. By speaking with Chieftain J’Kal and the Zombie Master, I learned that they were at a loss: something of great value had been stolen from their god, and he was quite irate. If they failed to retrieve this item, he would likely kill them all. They begged me to help them, and I reassured them that I would attend the grand ceremony and try to evaluate if Trouble was in a position to help resolve the conflict.
Uktar 17th, 1375
Quality time
It felt wonderful to be back aboard the Sea Wyvern once again, even if she was docked. I got a great night’s rest in my comfortable cabin. It was sheer bliss to be sleeping in a real bed, to feel the softness of silk against my skin after spending so many days in the humid, dirty jungle. I slept late that morning, and lazily remained in bed until late in the morning, since I had no obligations that day.
Later on, I left the village and wandered around. I found a small river that led me to a beautiful waterfall, and there, I shed my clothes and washed myself. I removed the little beads the Phanatons had placed in my hair, and I spent some time brushing it back to a more presentable appearance, as I sat on a flat stone in the middle of the gentle river. The air was perfectly warm, yet not stifling. I was surrounded by the quiet sound of flowing water, the singing of birds, and the soft swaying of the tropical trees. It was the first time I’d had the chance to spend some time by myself in a very long time. Oh, how great it felt to be alone, without having to suffer the dreary conversations of my dull-witted companions, not to mention their terrible stench…
Uktar 18th, 1375
A wizard in danger
I spent the following day mingling with the natives. I observed them; I wanted to understand how they lived; how they thought. Using my magic, I was able to comprehend their bizarre dialect. The tension was even greater that day, for it was the day of the big ceremony. I was also pleased to note that workers were bringing tar from the tar pits, and preparing to ship it to Farshore.
By noon, I started wondering why my companions hadn’t joined me yet. Sparkillo should’ve teleported here in the morning. I retreated to the stillness of my cabin aboard the ship, and cast a Sending spell to enquire as to the wizard’s whereabouts. His reply carried a taint of fear with it:
“Currently over the Central Plateau. Fought two Skinwalkers. Ten are coming. Currently in Rope Trick in the sky. In deep trouble. Famous last words…”
Hmm… So that silly elf had gotten himself in trouble thanks to his flawed mastery over his own magic. How typical… Those fools always got themselves in the worst trouble when I wasn’t around to keep them in line.
The Central Plateau was a very dangerous place, from what the Phanatons had told us. There lived some wicked demons, among which were the Skinwalkers… Brissa Santos had ventured there a few weeks ago, and had barely escaped with her life. I found myself worried about Sparkillo. If he died, it would be a serious loss to our group. We’d come to rely on his elven magic. I wondered if he was alone, or if the others were with him. What would I do if my companions all perished due to a magical glitch?
Would it really be so terrible?
Probably not…
But the timing was bad: I still needed them by my side to ensure the safety of Farshore. After we’d obtained our victory, then yes, my companions might become expendable. With Farshore safe once again, my place as priestess of the community would be guaranteed, and I wouldn’t have to worry about their pesky consciences.
I considered this for a moment, and finally shrugged, truly unconcerned with Sparkie’s plight. It was beyond my control, anyway.
I focused on something that was within my control, which was, to make myself as beautiful as I could, for that night, I might catch a glimpse of a god. If the words of the Zombie Master were to be believed, the divine bat-like creature that lived within the twin volcanoes of the island might indeed be a true herald of their bat-god, Zotzilaha. While most of the Olman gods had fallen into oblivion since the collapse of the empire, the fact that Zotzilaha still had followers must’ve kept him alive and imbued with his divine powers.
Finally, I stood before my mirror and admired the gorgeous reflection before me: my glamered chainshirt had taken the appearance of a magnificent dark blue ballroom gown, and my lustrous black hair shone in the light of my trident. With a satisfied smile, I left my cabin, and ventured into the village of Tanaroa. But despite all my preparations, the savages were oblivious to my elegance: they thought only of the ceremony that was starting. It was already dark, and I could already hear the frantic beating of drums.
The wrath of Zotzilaha
Once I reached the center of the village, I saw that a great bonfire was already burning. The whole village was gathering there. Already, some of the natives were dancing around the fire. Their skins were colored with paint of various shades, and further in the shadows, others played an entrancing rhythm of drums and wind instruments.
The Zombie Master, who was dressed all in black, in a costume made to resemble a huge bat, approached the bonfire and chanted some strange words at it, words that I did not understand even with my magic. Perhaps they were gibberish? He threw several small man-shaped wooden idols into the flames.
The chanting, drumming and dancing continued. I was almost hypnotized by the scene, as shadows danced before my vision, blurred by the intense heat the bonfire was emitting. The flames reached higher and higher, until they caught a large wooden idol that had been built at the top of the pyre: it was in the shape of a monstrous creature, half man and half bat. Over the roar of the inferno, the voice of the Zombie Master rose in a great song, ominous and filled with madness.
He was summoning the spirit of Zotzilaha!
Suddenly, the bat idol caught fire, and it immediately burst to life. It moved, and lifted its wings. Screams erupted all around me, but the music continued, as though it were all part of the ceremony’s rhythm. But I felt that something was definitely off. The burning effigy spewed flames, and from them flew out several bat-like shapes made entirely of fire.
The flaming god stood before us all, and he spoke in the tongue of the Olman. His anger was palpable, and even I felt my heart clench with dread.
“ZOTZILAHA HEARS YOUR SNIVELING PRAYERS! TO APPEASE THE GREAT BAT, RETURN WHAT WAS STOLEN… OR BURN!!!”
My sight blurred, and my mind reeled. A vision suddenly appeared in my head: the golden idol we’d found in Tomoachan! It belonged to Zotzilaha! This was the item that had been stolen from him! And we’d had it in our possession all along… in my cabin in the Sea Wyvern, which had been docked there for weeks.
But I had no time to savor the irony of it all, because I found myself in pandemonium. The primitive villagers had finally realized how truly angry their mad god was, and they were now running for their lives: the effigy of the bat-god had burst into flames consuming itself into nothingness, but the fire bats had remained behind, and were flying into the crowd, burning the terrified worshippers. Panic reigned, and nobody, not even the Zombie Master, seemed able to contain it.
Figuring that now was a good time to show them what I was capable of, I started by protecting myself from fire with a simple prayer. I knew that an ice storm could’ve destroyed the fiery creatures, but the human casualties would’ve been too high. No, I needed to do this cleanly to gain their trust. I rushed toward a man who was being attacked by one of the flying monsters. Just as the unfortunate fellow fell to the floor, his body reduced to a smoldering husk, I stabbed the flaming creature with my magical trident.
With a shriek, it turned toward me, and tried to bite me, but I blocked it with my shield, which I’d been thoughtful enough to carry with me. We traded blows for some time, but I was immune to its most dangerous attack: its flames. However, it was able to regenerate the wounds I inflicted with my weapon, so it survived many of my attacks. I eventually slew it, but another attacked me. That one managed to bite my shoulder painfully. I couldn’t easily pierce it with my trident at that angle, and I could feel it drain my blood thirstily. Vermin! With a snarl, I summoned the dark power of Umberlee, and unleashed it on the flaming bat. The thing was engulfed in darkness, and its flames were extinguished. It fell to the floor, lifeless.
“Regenerate that!” I sneered.
I quickly healed myself and looked around. The Zombie Master, the chieftain and a few of the bravest warriors had managed to kill the other five bats. The villagers were safe once again, at least for this night. But it was now clear that their time was running out. Their only chance was for me to return the golden idol to their god. But it had become so very precious to me…I could sense its power… I wasn’t sure at all that I wished to be parted with it…
The voice of Umberlee
Once the worst of the panic was finished, I spoke with the Chieftain and the Zombie Master about what had happened. The Zombie Master told me that he had also had a vision, of the golden idol in a shrine of fangs. This was the place where the idol must be brought back, in a holy shrine in the twin volcanoes of the island. He knew where to bring the idol, and I knew where the idol was. I did not reveal this to the natives, but I asked them if, hypothetically speaking, my group were to return the idol, they would help in the defense of Farshore. Since their very lives depended on it, they agreed heartily.
For my own part, I revealed nothing more that night… Weighing the various alternatives, I left the chaos behind me and retired to the calmness of the Sea Wyvern to meditate. But I was too restless and could not sleep, so I went for a long walk along the moonlit beach.
In the deepest hours of the night, as I wandered alone on the dark sand, with the glow of my magical trident illuminating the flowing waves, Umberlee spoke to me. She must’ve sensed the inner conflict raging within me: to part with the precious item or not?
From the monotonous crashing of the waves came a whisper; the sea itself spoke to me.
“The statue was
Stolen by one
So that you could
Bring it back…
It is my will
So that you can
Get the fang…
Go there, so is
Your destiny…”
The words rang in my ears for a few seconds, as an echo inside my very mind. I must say it was the first time the communion with my divinity had felt so… direct.
I thought of these words and kept on walking, barefoot in the sand. I eventually came upon a large shell, washed up on the shore. It lay on the beach, but was filled with sea water. As I approached it, by the light of my trident, I caught a glimpse of my own reflection within the still water. Yet the eyes that looked back at me were not my own. Ageless… from beyond time…
“What is this fang that I am supposed to get from Zotzilaha? Is it more precious that the golden idol?” I asked of my reflection.
“A minor artifact of a major demon lord,” she replied with my own voice. “One of the Dahlver-Nar”
I looked away as I pondered this. What was a Dahlver-Nar?
Deep within my heart, I knew I would get no more answers that night. I returned to the Sea Wyvern and found sleep at last.
Uktar 19th, 1375
Encounter with the Skinwalkers
The following morning, I was woken up by the sounds of heavy boots walking on the deck of my ship. I quickly got dressed and found that my companions had returned: Sparkie, Tyria, Lagaan and Ulfgar. I noticed that the wizard’s robe was somewhat more in tatters than the last time I’d seen him, and he was glowering at Ulfgar.
“If you interfere with my complex arcane weaving again in the future, there’s no telling what will happen, you oaf!” protested the wizard.
The dwarf shrugged. “Relax. I was just trying to get a bit of excitement. You and Raguhl had all the fun lately. I haven’t been in a decent battle in weeks! Everything just dies too damn fast nowadays.”
“Hi, Belessa!” said Tyria cheerfully.
“Good morning to you,” I replied. I looked at Sparkie. “So I see that my prayers of resurrection will not be needed quite yet, will they, Sparkie?”
The elf smiled grimly. “They will not, oh raven-haired priestess. But know that I, Sparkillo Rashi, wielder of eldritch magicks beyond compare, escaped my latest tribulations by only the narrowest of margins, and that you stand today in my presence only by the sheerest of good fortunes.”
“That means he screwed up one of his spells yesterday,” said Lagaan helpfully.
“Truly, the winds of the weave blew in an inexplicable direction yesterday, and they brought me to an ill-fated location. I found myself in the most dangerous place on this whole island: the infamous central plateau. Ancient stone buildings surrounded me. The calm waters of a lake sloshed nearby. But I knew I was not alone: two vile fiends approached me, and their tongue was a foul one, a mixture of Abyssal and ancient Olman. Their intention was clear: they meant to slay me.
But I was quick to react! I turned invisible and summoned two majestic lions from the heavens, and as the great beasts attacked the interlopers, I called down a deadly volley of scorching rays upon them. They were grievously wounded, but alas, their weapons were coated with the vilest of poisons, as were the fangs of the beast-skins that fought from their backs. Within moments, the two magnificent lions lay dead, and nothing stood between me and the villains’ blades.
Of course, I slew these men, and many of the others who soon joined them, but eventually, I found myself surrounded by a horde of these uncouth brutes, too many for even I, the mighty Sparkillo, and I had to retreat by magic. I flew over the waters of the lake, and eluded pursuit. I then summoned an extra-dimensional space were I rested, before returning to fetch the rest of our group at the lizardman village, yesterday.”
I smiled when the elf finally finished his tirade. “That sounds quite heroic, Sparkie. It’s strange, because I had the impression that you were quite beside yourself with fear yesterday when we talked.”
Lagaan chuckled. “Yeah. He was riddled with arrows when he came back to us. I think those Skinwalkers almost managed to kill him. Raguhl’s friends had to use quite a lot of magic to heal all his wounds.”
“They were only the marks of the epic struggle I had just escaped!” protested Sparkie.
“Meh,” growled Ulfgar. “I bet you didn’t even kill a single one of them before you fled like a sissy.”
I then told my companions about the ceremony that had taken place the previous night, and my subsequent divine visions: we were meant to bring the golden idol of Tomoachan back to the shrine in the twin volcanoes. I saw a sparkle of greed appear in the eyes of the others when I mentioned the artifact of a demon lord; thankfully, Raguhl wasn’t with us anymore, so we didn’t have to suffer a tirade about the moral consequences of obtaining such a powerful item.
Having agreed to show the idol to the people of Tanaroa, I arranged for the most important villagers to be gathered near the Sea Wyvern around noon. Then, once I was sure they were all there and that we had their attention, I came down from the ship, majestically bearing the golden idol in my arms.
A surprised gasp came from the crowd as they beheld the sacred item, but the voice of the Zombie Master soon rang above it. “The idol of Zotzilaha!” he cried, his wrinkled face twisted in anger. ”The white-skinned strangers are the ones who stole it!”
“Silence, you old fool!” I hissed in their tongue. “We are not the ones who stole it, but we found it in a dangerously guarded place, and returned it here so that we may give it back to Zotzilaha, and soothe his divine anger!”
“Yes, oh Zombie Master, be at ease,” said Chieftain J’Kal. “Priestess Belessa saw the fiery rage of Zotzilaha last night, and she must’ve tasked her group with bringing back the idol. They’ve managed to perform this feat within a single night, and now thanks to them, Tanaroa will be saved!”
“Yes,” I replied. “We, the members of Trouble, can bring back Zotzilaha’s idol. But before we do, we need to be sure that the people of Tanaroa will show gratitude for this selfless act. Will you send warriors to help Farshore defend itself from the attack of bloodthirsty pirates that will come in a few weeks?”
“If you soothe Zotzilaha’s anger, we will,” replied J’Kal.
“Do I have your word?” I said, raising the statuette high above my head.
“I swear it by the spirits of my ancestors,” she replied.
Uktar 22nd, 1375
Into the volcano
A three-day trip past the great wall and through the jungle brought us to the foot of Nextepeua, the northern volcano. Two villagers from Tanaroa guided us there; unfortunately for Ulfgar, the journey was quite uneventful, except for a strange shrieking spider which attacked us within the very first hour of traveling. We killed it easily.
We climbed the side of the volcano, and eventually reached a large cave mouth decorated with carvings that depicted bats. In the walls, we could see niches that could contain offerings. The villagers said that they usually came here once a year to give gifts to their god. But they had never ventured into the darkness: only the Zombie Masters were allowed inside. Their voices quavering with fear, they warned us that Zotzilaha himself lived at the heart of the volcano. I felt there was a measure of truth to their words. The creature that had appeared at the ceremony had radiated a huge amount of power; it was quite possibly one of the aspects of the Olman god.
My four companions and I entered the darkness, and found ourselves in a long tunnel that slowly climbed up. As we rose, the heat got more and more intense. Eventually, all my companions asked me to protect them from the heat by magic. After I did so, I warned them about the power of Zotzilaha’s aspect: this was not a creature that we wanted to see angered by Ulfgar or Lagaan’s obnoxious stupidity.
The climb was long and arduous, and would’ve been sheer torture if we hadn’t been protected from the heat by Umberlee. Every now and then, a powerful tremor shook the tunnel, and threw us to the ground. It was quite impressive to be ascending within the active volcano, and as I clutched the beautiful golden statue, I worried about what would happen if we did end up angering Zotzilaha. How would we know it wouldn’t destroy us after we gave it back to him? As I stared at the shimmering idol, I began having second thoughts about parting with it. After all, it was mine. I didn’t want to give it up…
But then I shook myself out of that reverie. I had to do it. It was Umberlee’s will.
Eventually, after more than an hour of climbing, the passage widened into a stone chamber whose walls and floor were lined with fissures. To our left, a great opening in the wall led to the core of the volcano: from beyond it came a hellish red light and a searing heat that was most unpleasant, even with our magical protection. The walls were lined with niches within which lay various offerings that the Zombie Masters must’ve left over the ages. Through the heat’s haze, we saw an eight-foot-tall stone carving of a bat-like humanoid in the far wall of the cave. Its mighty wings were raised above its head, and its claws formed a niche within which the golden idol would fit perfectly.
My four companions, Sparkie, Tyria, Lagaan and Ulfgar, all turned toward me as they waited for me to put the golden statue back in its place. For a moment, I hesitated, and then finally, I walked toward the carving and deposited the idol.
A stronger heat wave came from the opening to our left, and a great winged shape flew in from there. I recognized the spirit of Zotzilaha, and with it came the seven bats of fire I’d fought the previous night: they lived once again! The god-thing snarled at us, and a tangible aura of chaos and violence surrounded it. Its burning eyes locked on the statue, and it sighed in relief. With a flurry of its wings, the fire bats disappeared.
It approached us, and in a deep baritone voice, it spoke to us in halting Common: “Zotzilaha… thanks you… for returning… his treasure. Know, mortals, that Zotzilaha… rewards… those who serve him. You… may… each… choose something of value… from this vault. If you have questions about the price… you need but ask me. But choose quickly, for you must leave this place before your mortal presence drives me angry.”
It then moved the great carving of its likeness, and beyond, we saw a dark recess, more like a small room, within which lay a fantastic treasure. We all stared at it greedily: we each had to choose one item from it, but there were so many to choose from! I knew we must choose wisely, and not fall to the temptation of attacking the grateful god in hopes of stealing all of its treasure; and I fervently prayed that my foolish companions would resist the urge as well…
The aspect of Zotzilaha started describing the magical powers of the various items. After a few moments, my eyes came to rest upon a great fang that lay within the treasure. This must be the artifact that Umberlee had told me about!
“What about this fang, what does it do?” I asked.
The bat-god frowned at it, clearly puzzled. “Hmm… Should not be here… Not mine… It matters not, doesn’t count as one of your gifts. Take it away.”
I could barely believe my good fortune as I slipped the huge fang into my satchel: I would bring back this artifact in the name of Umberlee AND get to pick another one of the great treasures here for myself!
(OOC: The characters rise to level 10!)
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Yep...
He missed his teleport check with Urol/Tavey/Chochanika and appeared on the central plateau, then missed it again and appeared with them in the middle of the jungle.
They slept for that night, the following day, he teleported them to Farshore, then he messed up AGAIN and appeared on the Central Plateau (3 misses in 4 attempts... ouch).
Yes, it's good that the DM gave us the Fang for free, however, Raguhl didn't get a free item from this lot <sniff>... Ah well, at least he got the greatsword from the Couatl's stash the game before.
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Here’s an updated version of some of the characters at level 10.
Belessa Darkwave (NE Female Human Cleric, Level 10) – Worships Umberlee
Str: 14 Dex: 8 Con: 12 Int: 14 Wis: 20 Cha: 14; AC: 17, HP: 76
Height: 5’11”. Weight: 150 lbs, Age: 29, Date of birth: Eleasias 5, 1346
Long black hair, brown eyes, stunningly beautiful, wears a glamered armor that most often looks like either a chainmail bikini or an elegant black gown, wields a trident and a large shield.
Feats: Combat Casting, Negotiator, Iron Will, Silent Spell, Quicken Spell.
Skills: Bluff 8, Concentration 13, Diplomacy 22, Heal 7, Knowledge: History 4, Knowledge: Religion 10, Profession: Sailor 14, Sense Motive 16, Spellcraft 7, Spot 10, Swim 2.
Domains: Ocean, Storm (from the Forgotten Realms campaign settings)
Languages: Common, Chondathan, Orc, Abyssal
Main gear: Darkwood Trident +1, Glamered Chain Shirt +1, Periapt of Wisdom +2, Ring of Sustenance, Necklace of Prayer Beads (Bless, Healing), Large Shield +1, Boots of Levitation, Rod of Lesser Silent Casting, Luckstone.
= = = =
Raguhl (CG Male Lizardfolk Barbarian, Level 9) – Worships Gwynharwyf
Str: 20 Dex: 14 Con: 18 Int: 10 Wis: 14 Cha: 8; AC: 22, HP: 128
Height: 6’10”. Weight: 420, Age: 25, Date of birth: Ches 29, 1350
Has gray and green scales, amber eyes and sharp spikes protruding from his back, wears a chain shirt and wields a shimmering greatsword.
Feats: Track, Improved Grapple, Power Attack, Dodge.
Skills: Climb 10, Hide 2, Intimidate 9, Jump 8, Knowledge: Nature 3, Perform: Drums 2, Profession: Sailor 4, Spot 12, Survival 11, Swim 12, Tumble 8.
Languages: Common, Draconic
Main gear: Holy Greatsword +1, Chain Shirt +2, Ring of Fire Resistance (10), Cloak of Resistance +1, Ring of Protection +1, Gargoyle Crown, Amulet of Health +2.
= = = =
Sparkillo “Don’t call me Sparky” Rashi (NN Male Elf Universalist Wizard, Level 10) – Worships himself
Str: 8 Dex: 16 Con: 14 Int: 22 Wis: 10 Cha: 8; AC: 17, HP: 52
Height: 5’10”. Weight: 145 lbs, Age: 101, Date of birth: unknown
Blond hair, blue eyes.
Feats: Scribe Scroll, Silent Spell, Still Spell, Knack For Magic, Brew Potion, Craft Magic Arms & Armor, Spell Penetration, Quicken Spell.
Skills: Concentration 15, Decipher Script 8, Knowledge: Arcana 19, Knowledge: Religion 9, Knowledge: Planar 19, Knowledge: Dungeoneering 19, Knowledge: Architecture 7, Profession: Sailor 3, Search 10, Sense Motive 3, Spellcraft 17, Spot 10, Swim 3, Tumble 4.
Languages: Common, Elven, Draconic, Chultan, Dwarven, Abyssal, Celestial, Olman.
Main gear: Pearl of Power (L2), Bracers of Armor +2, Ring of Protection +1, Headband of Intellect +2, Manta Ray Cloak, Dusty Rose Ioun Stone (+1 AC), Tlacaelel (Cursed Axe of Thanatos), Pearl of Power (L4).
= = = =
Tyria Bramblefoot (CN Female Halfling Bard, Level 10) – Worships Brandobaris
Str: 10 Dex: 18 Con: 12 Int: 14 Wis: 10 Cha: 16; AC: 21, HP: 61
Height: 3’1”. Weight: 32 lbs, Age: 31, Date of birth: Marpenoth 17th, 1344
Light brown hair, brown eyes.
Feats: Precise Shot, Point Blank Shot, Rapid Shot, Weapon Focus: Longbow.
Skills: Appraise 5, Balance 7, Bluff 9, Climb 3, Concentration 7, Diplomacy 7, Disable Device 4, Escape Artist 10, Gather Information 7, Hide 14, Knowledge: Local 4, Knowledge: History 5, Listen 10, Open Lock 4, Perform: Song 16, Profession: Sailor 3, Search 6, Sense Motive 3, Sleight of Hand 6, Spellcraft 7, Swim 4, Tumble 8, Use Magic Device 6.
Languages: Common, Halfling, Chultan, Olman, Dwarven, Celestial, Abyssal.
Main gear: Boots of Elvenkind, Ring of Mind Shielding, Gauntlets of Archery, Pearl of Power (L1), Flaming Longbow +1, Rapier +1, Studded Leather Armor +2, Amulet of Natural Armor +1, Carpet of Flying.
Uktar 25th, 1375
Return to Farshore
Three days have passed since we stood before the aspect of Zotzilaha and received its gifts. Lagaan took a ring that can render him invisible, Sparkillo a pearl that can store the energy of a powerful spell, and Ulfgar took a powerful amulet that hardens his skin like an armor. Tyria chose a carpet of flying, and I decided to take a stone of good luck – as a priestess, I know that the gods, and fate itself, determine the outcome of things more often than our own abilities or actions.
Earlier today, we returned to Tanaroa, where the natives were delighted to hear that we’d brought back the idol to the sacred shrine. They had already noticed that the volcanoes’ activity had died down during our return. We made sure that Chieftain J’Kal was doing everything she could to muster a force of warriors to help the defense of Farshore. Even better yet, she was coordinating efforts with the leaders of the other villages, so they would send troops as well.
We then brought the Sea Wyvern back to Farshore, making sure to dock it out of the way of any incoming attack. It felt wonderful to be back among the fair-skinned folk who speak Common, and to be within the comfort of Manthalay’s beautiful manor. He was pleased to see that we had returned safe and sound, and even more so when we told him of our many victories. But truly, he was happiest once he and I were alone in his chambers – we kissed passionately, for we had been apart way too long!
The building of defenses around the town had progressed well. Several towers had been built, and ballistae were placed in strategic places. The militia had trained every day under captain Kabbania’s command, and Ulfgar told everyone that he’d help with the training as well from now on.
The Last Coconut inn was filled with workers who came there for a strong drink after a hard day’s work. We had a strategy meeting there that evening, with Manthalay, Lavinia, the Jade Ravens and some of the militia officers. We told them the tales of our recent adventures, and that forces of Olmans, Phanatons and Lizardmen would soon join our ranks. We discussed the planning of the town’s defense yet again. But it seems that there is little more we can do – we’re already about as ready as we can be. Now, all that we’ve left to do is wait for reinforcements, and wait for the Crimson Pirate to show up in our waters. Umberlee will take care of the rest.
Uktar 28th, 1375
Preparing for battle
Over the past few days, Lagaan and Ulfgar have helped my lover to make the final preparations for the upcoming raid. Meanwhile, Sparkie’s been trying to scry on our enemies with his magical mirror, but he’s had no luck lately. He is still trying every day. Lagaan also asked him to enchant some of his equipment, so the mage’s been quite busy.
Tyria’s also making herself useful with her newest toy. The childlike halfling spends most of her days gleefully riding her flying carpet around the town, and we’ve asked her to start patrolling the area nearby, to supplement the fast fishing boats that Manthalay’s already assigned to stand watch at the entrance of the harbor.
In the mean time, I’ve provided what I’m best at: spiritual support. I’ve sacrificed a number of animals, placing them in blessed cages and dropping them into the waters of the bay. Moretta, who worked quite hard during my absence, as she was the only priestess in town, also helped me with the ceremonies. We’ve started trying to get people more involved with them as well, but they’re still hesitant to abandon their old faith. They’ve grown more accustomed to Penkus, though. I’m making sure that he’s kept close to the docks now, when he’s not being used to help carry heavy things for the construction of the town’s defenses.
I’ve prayed to Umberlee for guidance, for many questions lay heavy upon my mind: “Have we built adequate defenses for Farshore?”, “What will we face once the Crimson Fleet attacks us?”, “What powers does the demonic fang have?”
But I’ve not received any clear answer. Only once did she respond to my prayers in this most cryptic fashion:
“The wayward son comes dressed anew.
In his wake, the tide of dread under the red flag of doom;
Red too will flow the blood.
A grand ceremony to the queen of the sea!
Fight and die will those who wish to preserve hope.
Fight and die will those who pillage for the abyss’s sake.
Fight and die will those whose flesh is now without soul.
Fight and die will the cold-blood slavers who’ve come to reap more flesh.
Fight and die will the immortal ones whose dance brings destruction.
Fight and die will he who’s driven by lust, pride, greed, envy and wrath.”
I guessed that the defenders of Farshore, the pirates, and the Yuan-Ti slavers were mentioned in there, as well as Vanthus himself. But it seemed there were other mysterious foes that we would face on that fateful day. Only one thing seemed certain: the sea would run red with blood, and Umberlee would be pleased…
The Feast of the Moon, “Uktar 31st”, 1375
Remembering the dead… for we may soon join them
The mood was growing increasingly grim in Farshore. It had now been almost six weeks since the attack from the rabble of Rat’s End, and everyone felt that the fateful day of the Crimson Pirates’ attack was drawing closer and closer.
On the last night before the last month of the year, Nightal, was the Feast of the Moon. As high priestess of Farshore, I had a leading role in this ceremony, and before a crowd of worshippers from the various faith that were still venerated in this town, I performed the sacred rites of that holy night. Holding hands and chanting well past sundown, we remembered, and honored the dead; those whom we had held dear, and who were now departed, to live in the realms of the gods.
One by one, all of those gathered spoke briefly of a loved one they had lost, and what they meant to them. My own thoughts went to my son, who’d been viciously slain only moments after being born. But it was of Stalman Klim, my old mentor, and lover, of which I spoke. I missed him so very much. He was the one who took me from the life of misery I’d been born in. I owed him everything I now had.
I only revealed that he was a powerful priest of Umberlee, and that he had been slain by a wicked dragon. I did not mention that he was once one of the Slave Lords, and ruled over the Sea of the Fallen Stars with an iron fist. How I wish he were here now; how I wished that all nine of the Slave Lords were here with us. With their might, we could easily repel the upcoming attack, and crush the Crimson Pirates utterly…
Nightal 1st, 1375
Earlier this day, Sparkie was finally able to scry on the Crimson Pirates. They were still sailing the high seas, but we guessed that soon, they would come within sight of the Isle of Dread. Six ships now sailed together. Sparkie guessed that at least one hundred and fifty pirates sailed aboard, altogether; that was about one vicious pirate for every able-bodied inhabitant of Farshore. He only saw one Yuan-Ti, and the rest of our foes looked human, but somehow, I thought there was something more menacing in store for us, based on what I’d heard in my prayers.
Every night since my return had been filled with torrid passion in Manthalay’s bedroom. We had been away from each other for several weeks, and now, with the anxiety of the upcoming attack, we never knew whether a given night was going to be the last one we got to spend with one another.
Nightal 6th, 1375
They’re here!!
The last few days before the raid passed by in a blur. Everyone’s nerves were on edge, and although we greatly feared what was to come, we found ourselves looking forward to it; if we were to die, then let us die and let this be over with.
Sixty human warriors from the seven native villages had joined our ranks, as well as fifty of the small but brave Phanaton hunters, Umberlee bless them. I’d used Sending spells to keep in contact with the various faction leaders, to know when to expect these reinforcements. The last that was scheduled to join us was that foul brute, Raguhl: his warriors still hadn’t arrived when the attack came.
The light of the dying sun turned the sky blood-red as the scouting ships returned to the harbor: the Crimson Pirates were within sight of the bay! A bell started ringing wildly, as the whole town shook itself out of its torpor and prepared for the great battle. My companions and I gathered our battle gear and regrouped near the Last Coconut inn. Together, we climbed up the slope that led to the cliffs north of town. There, we were joined by the ranks of the Phanatons, who would glide from above on the attackers. We also had two ballistae and a watch tower up there for defense. From that vantage point, we saw the Olman scouts we’d dispatched to stand watch in the jungle make their way back toward the docks, where the attack would take place.
We also saw the six enemy ships approaching the harbor. Sparkie recognized some of them from his scrying and gave us their names as he pointed to each in turn. First came the Brine Harlot, then the Stygian Shark, The Hag and the Sea Witch’s Curse. Then came a ship whose name he didn’t know, and last came the Kraken. It was quite impressive to see these six magnificent vessels enter the battle. I wished I could’ve been at the helm of the Sea Wyvern to face them in honorable battle, but one against six definitely didn’t feel like fair odds.
Already, the catapults on the ships were shooting at our defenses, and our own war machines were shooting at them as well. We discussed strategies for a few moments. Lagaan and Ulfgar decided that the best tactic would be to teleport aboard one of the ships to slay its crew, and then teleport back to safety.
“Wait – you’re talking about that teleport spell that Sparkie always messes up?” asked Tyria, raising an eyebrow.
“Now, now, the probability of this happening again is quite…” started Sparkie.
“Don’t worry, Tyria, I’m sure Sparkie’s going to concentrate harder this time and get us on right target,” said Lagaan, interrupting the mage. “Besides, you can see where you’re going now, can’t you, Sparkie?”
“Evidently,” replied the wizard.
The halfling shrugged. “Whatever. I don’t care what you guys do. I’ll ride on my flying carpet and shoot arrows at them!”
And so it was that the three men – grinning stupidly at the thought of the upcoming carnage, started holding hands to prepare for the teleportation. We’d agreed to attack the third ship, so the first two would be cut off from reinforcements for some time. While I cast a Shield of Faith and a Freedom of Movement spell on myself, Lagaan held out his hand. Tyria cast a Haste spell on all of us, and then flew off by herself. I took Lagaan’s hand; we disappeared…
Battle aboard the Hag
… and reappeared on the rear deck of the Hag, among a crowd of pirates. They reacted with blinding speed to what should’ve been our unexpected arrival: several of them attacked us before we could do anything. There were about twenty-five of those villainous rats on board.
Sparkie let fly a Fireball on the middle of the ship, which blasted four of the men to smithereens. Ten more were in the blast, but they somehow completely evaded the inferno and came out unscathed. A few of the pirates were close enough to engage us in melee. Ulfgar dealt a few nasty blows to another dwarf, who was soon slain by Lagaan. Another one of the thugs jumped on Sparkillo and managed to wrestle with the frail mage, to prevent him from casting spells.
Calling upon the power of Umberlee, I unleashed an Ice Storm on the middle deck of the ship, where the fireball had just hit. I heard the screams of pain and confusion from the pirates as they were caught in the whirling blizzard. The pirates close to us were all trying to wrestle with us. One woman grappled Ulfgar, but Lagaan evaded his attacker. A third woman climbed up from the middle deck and tried to jump on me. I skewered the skinny b!%%+ with my trident. She screamed in pain as I drove my weapon deep within her belly; the knife she’d been carrying clenched between her teeth fell to the ground.
But those pirates were made of stern stuff: she kept on fighting despite the terrible wound I’d inflicted. She tried to grapple me, but she soon found out that it was futile: my Freedom of Movement protected me from that. By the grace of Umberlee, Sparkie was able to concentrate despite being held by a pirate, and he shot the man with two rays of fire at point blank range. The woman who’d been wrestling with Ulfgar (no small feat!) screamed in agony as she was slain by Lagaan’s rapier. Moving his blades as fast as lightning, the young rogue spun around and stabbed another woman.
Two of the victims of my ice storm, both covered in frost, had managed to climb up the stairs. Roaring a dwarven battle-cry, Ulfgar swung his axe in a mighty arc and slew four, yes, four of our enemies in the blink of an eye! This included the thug who’d been wrestling with Sparkillo, so the mage was now free.
Another one of the frozen pirates climbed up the stairs and tried to push Ulfgar into the sea, but that proved quite useless. You have to get up pretty early in the morning to succeed at something like that.
The wounded woman in front of me kept trying to break my concentration as I tried to call down another Ice Storm. I barely made it, thank Umberlee, and this time, my spell finished off six of the scum on the middle deck.
We then became aware that the Sea Witch’s Curse, the fourth ship, had caught up to the Hag, aboard which we fought. Its crew unleashed a deadly volley of arrows, not caring whether they hit friend or foe. One of the pirates close to us took an arrow in the throat and went down. My assailant and I were both grazed by one arrow each, and so were Sparkie and Lagaan. We heard a few metallic sounds coming from Ulfgar: his shield and heavy armor easily protected him from the projectiles. With a harsh laugh, he beheaded the pirate who’d tried to push him overboard.
By that time, four pirates remained alive at the prow of the Hag, and they decided to jump into the sea rather than face us. The only other survivor, the woman I’d skewered, also jumped off. I whispered a quick prayer to my goddess in hopes that a shark would catch scent of the copious amount of blood that was flowing from her wounds.
We saw a trap door open in the middle of the central deck, but since my storm was still raging, it was closed immediately. So there were still more men aboard… A quick look around showed us that smoke was coming out of the two ballistae we’d placed on the cliffs. How had they gotten destroyed so quickly? By magic?
As I healed one of Sparkie’s wounds, he steered the Hag on a collision course with the Sea Witch’s Curse.
“We have to get out of here,” shouted Lagaan over the noise of the battle,” they’re preparing to fire another volley.”
“Bring us on board that other ship there,” roared Ulfgar. “We’ll show those archers what we’re made of!”
“Are you sure?” asked the elf. “It seems that the attackers have reached the shore already.”
“No, let’s go on the ship! Come on, no time to lose!”
Battle aboard the Sea Witch’s Curse
And so it was that we quickly teleported on board the Sea Witch’s Curse. Again, we appeared on the stern, among a crowd of pirates. And once again, they reacted extremely fast. Lagaan, who’d turned invisible just before teleporting, stabbed a man in front of him, who seemed to be a mage of some sort. And then they were upon us. One woman slashed Lagaan with a cutlass, another tried to wrestle with him, but failed. A man tried to stab Sparkillo, but the blow was deflected by the elf’s magical defenses. A woman shot a crossbow bolt at me, but I parried it with my shield.
One of the pirates rushed behind me to get to Sparkie. I stabbed him on the side of the chest and he screamed, but still stood. He jumped on Sparkie at managed to grapple him – again.
Suddenly, everything around us went silent. We all looked around in confusion for a moment, and then understood that what I’d feared had happened: they had a cleric on board who’d cast a Silence spell around us. I spotted the smug b&~&& standing at the prow. Her skin was jet-black and her hair milky white. Dark elf scum! I was instantly reminded of Edralve, that dirty whore, and how she’d been Stalman’s greatest rival among the Nine.
I returned the favor, casting a silent version of the Silence spell with my magical rod. I grinned as soon as I saw the look of fury on the black b+&$#’s face. She hadn’t expected that!
The mage turned to face us, but the silence spell was hindering his ability to use magic. That ability was further hindered by Ulfgar’s axe, which imbedded itself deeply within the man’s chest. The unfortunate spellcaster silently coughed blood, his eyes glazed over, and he fell to the floor, dead. Ulfgar then turned his fury toward another pirate, and almost killed her as well.
Lagaan slit the throat of the man that had grappled Sparkie, and then stabbed another woman, who was trying to wrestle with him, leaving her badly wounded. Meanwhile, two of the thugs tried to wrestle with me as well. Looks of idiotic incomprehension clouded their faces when they realized that I magically escaped their grasp instantly.
More and more pirates were climbing the stairs to the stern. We were surrounded by a sea of enemies. Since neither Sparkie nor I had been able to blast the central deck with our powerful magic, we had a huge number of foes to contend with. What’s more, the dark elf had reached the central deck, so even if I dispelled the silence around us, she could cast another. No, we had to leave.
Concentrating on my magic, I cast a silent Dispel Magic around us. It removed some of our beneficial magic, but it was a necessary evil. The silence also vanished, and I quickly grabbed Sparkie’s shoulder.
“Get us out of here,” I yelled, “NOW!”
The wizard obeyed me, and cast his spell. We all disappeared from the melee aboard the Sea Witch’s Curse…
Farshore in flames - again
… and reappeared in the midst of the pandemonium that was now raging on the northern docks of Farshore. There was a grand melee there, with the invading pirates fighting the defenders, be they white-skinned men, dark-skinned natives or little Phanatons. A few of the buildings were already on fire, or damaged from the catapult stones that had been fired from the two leading ships.
Yet the greatest danger came in a truly hideous form: several enormous, misshapen creatures were attacking the villagers, and the buildings themselves, threatening to reduce them to rubble with their mighty fists. Those shambling horrors each consisted of many pirate body parts stitched together into a mockery of life: flesh golems!
Looking around us, we saw that every now and then, a gigantic fireball was being cast from the Stygian Shark, causing much death and destruction. One of those hit Tyria, who was flying back toward the town on her carpet. The halfling was badly burned, but she survived.
She soon came above our heads and shouted: “It’s the Yuan-Ti! They’ve got some kind of wand that shoots those fireballs!”
Golems. A wand of fireballs. This was much more than a simple pirate assault. Farshore seemed doomed. Even if we somehow managed to defeat the invaders, it was clear that the death toll among our allies would be tremendous.
I wondered where Penkus, Moretta, Manthalay and the Jade Ravens were. Were they faring better than us? I very much doubted it.
The defenders of the village were trying to attack the golems, but their weapons had little effect on them, and when they approached too close, the monsters smashed them to pulp. Sparkillo cast a Bull’s Strength spell on Ulfgar, and the dwarf charged the closest golem. Two Olman spearmen came to help him. Lagaan and Tyria shot arrows at some other golems: we could see five of those monstrosities in total. Their arrows caused only minor wounds, but Tyria’s flaming arrows slowed the creatures; so did the magical frost enchanting Ulfgar’s axe.
Tyria cast another Haste spell on us and on a few of the defenders, while Lagaan and Ulfgar kept on fighting. Sparkie tried a few spells, such as Magic Missile, which was useless against the monsters, and Lightning Bolt, which made them stronger. By then, I had summoned two magnificent jet-black wolves of enormous size. I sent them to fight two of the other golems, which were threatening to destroy buildings. I turned to Sparkie and hissed: “Stop wasting your spells on those creatures!”
I heard a cry of agony just behind me, and turned to see one of the militiamen fall to the ground, slain by a pirate, who then eyed me with a lustful grin.
“Hello, puppet!” he rasped.
With a snarl, I leapt toward him with my trident held high and, bolstered by Tyria’s haste spell, I stabbed him over and over again. Surprise and pain suddenly twisted his features, as my weapon penetrated his chest mercilessly. Then, his body riddled with bloody holes, he fell to the ground with a groan.
Soon after that, I heard the sound of a building collapsing further inside the town: one of the golems had destroyed it. It was soon followed by a chorus of roars and battle-cries in a foreign tongue, and we saw a group of warriors charging down the slope of the hill north of town: it was the lizardmen! They had finally arrived to help defend Farshore. For once, I felt relieved to see Raguhl…
Around me, the fight was still as chaotic as ever. Sparkie killed a pirate with a Scorching Ray spell. Lagaan used his ring and disappeared from sight. Ulfgar managed to slay one of the golems, and went to help one of my wolves against another. Tyria was still flying above us, singing one of her battle-songs at the top of her lungs and shooting arrows at the golem which my other wolf was fighting.
Another golem fell to Ulfgar’s axe, and he rushed to help my second wolf. I sent my first wolf deeper inside the town, to attack the golem that had destroyed a building a few moments before. By then, Ulfgar had sustained many wounds, but I did not dare approach to cure him: the golem’s furious onslaught might’ve caught me as well.
The ground close to us shook as it was hit by a catapult stone with a deafening crash. Two villagers were slain in this horrible way. I noticed a red flare shoot up in the sky not far from us, behind a house. I could hear sounds of heavy fighting coming from there, and strangely enough, I heard Lagaan laughing from over there.
None of the pirate ships had docked, instead, the invaders had come ashore by longboats. The golems were all wet, and we guessed they’d just been dropped overboard and had walked along the sea bottom. Another one of the longboats approached the closest dock, with twelve pirates in it. Sparkillo shot a Fireball at them, which half of them evaded. As they struggled to get on shore, Tyria flew over and shot four of those who’d been wounded by the fireball, killing them.
Another catapult stone flew in our direction, and this time, it was heading straight for me. I jumped out of its way at the last moment, but still, it painfully smashed my left hip, sending me rolling to the ground. With a disgusting groan, a third golem fell to Ulfgar’s axe.
Dazed with pain, I got to my knees. More than half a dozen pirates were running in our direction from the shore. I gestured for my second wolf to attack them. A moment later, we saw one of the gigantic fireballs cast from the Stygian Shark heading straight for us. Ulfgar, Sparkie and I were caught in the inferno. Even little flying Tyria was caught in the large blast. The searing heat was unbearable, but I somehow survived it, even though my Endure Elements spell had been destroyed when I’d been forced to dispel the magical silence aboard the Sea Witch’s Curse. The various defenders who’d been close to us, however, did not: their charred bodies fell to the floor all around us.
The dwarf, the elf and I retreated further inside the town: staying on the shore now that it was being bombarded so heavily was suicidal. We ran into another flesh golem that Ulfgar slew after taking another nasty wound. We continued deeper inside and found the last golem, whose body was riddled with arrows from our two archers. Tyria was flying straight above it, and Lagaan had climbed the wall of a nearby building with his magical slippers. The golem was trying to make that house collapse when Ulfgar charged him. Soon enough, the vile creature was cut to stinking pirate pieces by the fighter’s axe.
We were in bad shape: all of us had suffered serious wounds. “Give me some time to heal your wounds, we can’t go on like this!” I told them. Ulfgar, Sparkillo and Lagaan gathered around me, and I took the time to heal their wounds with one of my magical wands. I also drank two of my healing potions – I now had only one left. I could’ve used my own magic, but I wanted to keep some spells. I had a feeling that what we’d fought so far, as dangerous as it was, was merely the appetizer before the main course.
Tyria had healed herself and was observing the town from her vantage point. While I was healing everyone, we could hear the advance of the lizardmen, with Raguhl’s mighty roars louder than any other.
“What do you see, Tyria?” asked Lagaan while I chanted the activation word of my wand over and over.
“Raguhl’s tribe is fighting ferociously,” shouted back the halfling. “They’re pushing the pirates back. We’ve slain all of the golems. I think this part of town is ours now. The northern ballista—our ballista—is functioning again: it’s shooting at the ships right now. But to the south, things aren’t going so well. I see several other red flares, I think they mark spots that should be bombarded. And that damned Stygian Shark… They keep shooting those huge fireballs everywhere. They’ve done a lot of damage. I think we need to focus on them now, take them out! There seems to be only a skeleton crew left on board.”
“But how?” I asked. “Sparkillo used all of his teleport spells already, and if we go by boat, flight, or water walking, we’ll get shot by many of those fireballs before we even make it there!”
I looked at my companions, who were covered with blood and soot.
“What do we do??” I asked them urgently. Every moment that we waited, more civilians died.
Lagaan, Ulfgar and Sparkie looked back at me in silence. They had no idea what to do either.
Farshore’s future was looking very bleak indeed…
|
Heh, these posts were just what I needed today (being stuck at work unfortunately).
“I will do what I must,” replied Raguhl resolutely.
“But he has the power of Evil behind him…”
“So do I,” said the barbarian, looking straight at me.
I just couldn't stop smiling after I read this. Still am. :D So it seems that some of your characters are actually getting to fulfill their personal goals after all - that's nice. I get this vibe from Raguhl and Belessa that "this island isn't big enough for the both of us." Funny (or perhaps fortuitous) that you play both characters. So does this mean that you are basically retiring Raguhl, or will he still join the group in the final adventures?
Nightal 6th, 1375 (continued)
Prayers of the Sun Priest
Suddenly, a group of warriors approached us, and we turned to face them. Although among them were some people I truly hate, on that day, they were our allies. Raguhl led the group of lizardmen warriors; some of them were wounded, but it was clear that they had given the pirates hell: their eyes were alight with bloodlust.
“Friends, I am happy to see you are all still alive!” growled the huge lizardman. “We have pushed the pirates away from this part of the village, and I see you were able to handle those disgusting monsters that were attacking the structures. Good, good. But there is still much to do.”
“The greatest threat at this time seems to be that ship yonder, the Stygian Shark,” said Sparkie. “A mage of some skill threatens our shore with mighty fireballs from aboard that vessel.”
“And we’re not sure how to get to it without using up most of my remaining magic,” I added.
“Perhaps I can help,” said an old but vigorous man’s voice.
From behind Raguhl came an old man, who at first seemed frail, for his hair was gray and he was leaning on a stout staff. But as he approached, we saw that he was of sturdy build, and that from beneath his humble gray robes shone the metal of some kind of armor. His eyes were of a clear, vibrant blue, and within them, we could see wisdom, and strength of character.
But my attention was immediately drawn to the heavy metal medallion he wore around his neck: the sun-symbol of Lathander! I froze and my heart started beating faster. I knew who this man was before he even introduced himself.
“I am father Noltus Innersol,” he said. “And I believe I can help you. I’ve recently met Raguhl in his village, and he’s told me all about his companions, you who call yourselves… ‘Trouble’.” He briefly looked at each of us. “Indeed, the fiends aboard that ship are the greatest danger at this time; you must stop them. By the holy light of Lathander, I will enable you to reach it: you will tread the water and ignore the fire… You, Raguhl the valorous… You, Ulfgar the bold… You, Lagaan the swift… And you, Sparkillo the sagacious.”
As he turned to each of my companions, he blessed them one after the other, and the golden light of Lathander surrounded them for a moment, out of the darkness of the night, which had fallen during the battle. I recognized those spells: Water Walking and Resist Energy. I could’ve done so myself, but it would’ve left me badly weakened. How truly stupid of him to waste his energy like this in my presence… I wondered how that old fool could be so careless.
“Now go, friends,” said the old man, “and may the eternal sun shine upon thee!”
“Thank you, father,” replied Raguhl.
But a little voice came from above: “Hey, this is bogus!” said Tyria. “What about me? Sure, I can fly, but what if I get hit by a fireball too? Don’t you care about me??”
“I care about you, little one,” I said with a smile. She came down toward me, and I protected her from fire with one of my own prayers. I then turned toward the priest: “I suppose that I am to provide for my own protection, then, father?” Indeed, he had not blessed me. “Or do you think Tyria and I are just weak women who are useless in battle?”
The man’s blue gaze met mine, and I saw that it was hard as steel. “Not so, Belessa Darkwave… I have heard much about you. While your companions face the Yuan-Ti, you and I shall remain here, and pray… And talk. We have much to discuss, you and I.”
So the bastard knew… Of course… That insufferable Raguhl must’ve told him everything…
This would be interesting… Did this old fool actually seek his own death? How ironic would it be for me to kill a second priest of Lathander during the second raid on Farshore…
“Very well,” I replied. “We shall… pray, while the warriors fight.”
The others looked at us for a moment, but time was of the essence, and soon they were rushing toward the shore. Lagaan had already turned invisible, and he was giggling merrily in anticipation of the upcoming slaughter.
I was left alone with Father Innersol. We walked side by side, looking for some wounded people who needed our attention. But this was a mere charade, for we did not have to look far. The old man just wanted to be alone with me. Now that I’d had time to watch him more closely, I was certain that he was quite strong of body, and didn’t need to lean on that staff of his. He carried a sword at his belt, and there was a sense of great power around him. His features were calm, but I could feel that he seethed with a great anger.
We started tending to a few of the wounded. I was surprised, and a little amused, when he addressed me in Abyssal, the holy language used in rituals to Umberlee. Seemingly, he didn’t want any of our patients to understand our discussion.
“Don’t be surprised that I speak the foul language of my greatest foes,” he said. “I’ve been fighting demons my whole life, and in bringing the light of Lathander, the Morning Lord, to this island, little did I know at first that I would have to face my mortal enemies here… In numbers that greatly surpass those that I’d fought in the previous years of my adventuring life.” He gestured with his arm to show the whole island. “This place is tainted with the foulness of the Abyss.”
“Yes, I’m well aware of that,” I replied. “Surely Raguhl must’ve told you that we’ve faced demons as well. Why, he got his current position by killing one of them… We’re doing what we can to fight them.”
We stared at each other for a few long moments, as if in a contest of will. We were two agents of powerful, opposed forces, standing next to each other. My every instinct longed for this man’s death. Black prayers of torment rushed within my mind, and I wanted to make him feel pain, terrible pain, just as Father Catherly had felt just before he died. And I sensed that he had similar thoughts about me. This man hated me…
He was the first to break the silence: “I look into your eyes and I feel I could drown into those pools of blackness. I am no fool, priestess of Umberlee. Lathander has spoken to me, and I have learned of your foul deeds. I know what lies within your sinful heart maybe better than even you know yourself.”
I sneered, but the old man sternly continued lecturing me.
“I know what you did to my brother. Know that, after this battle, I will perform the ritual of resurrection to bring him back to life. But fear not, he will come with me, to the main land, on the Isle of Dread, and will not seek retribution against you. Right now, you and I have much to do, and we have no time to spend fighting amongst ourselves. I despise the B#+~+ -Queen… Your foul goddess… Yet, she’s but a lesser evil. I have seen the stars and I have seen the light and I have seen the whole truth of what lies beyond. I know that you, as unthinkable as it may sound, are to play a major part in freeing this island from the most evil demon that plagues it. You, and the rest of ‘Trouble’. This is why I won’t oppose you, and why I will even aid you. But know that I am not to be trifled with. Be careful… In the mean time, while your friends are at this very moment facing the spellcaster aboard his ship, I know that there will be more difficult fights ahead. Keep your energy for the challenges that are to come. I will take care of the wounded. We wouldn’t want them to die, would we? And yet, we wouldn’t want you to feel ashamed of saving a ‘barbaric’ Olman, like this one.”
He kneeled next to a dark-skinned warrior, who was sitting with his back to a heap of rubble. The man had been stabbed several times, and was breathing raggedly. Carefully, he healed him with his magic.
My heart was beating even faster now. Rage and outrage were swelling within me. I felt like shouting at the man, and stabbing him. But I could feel the power that radiated from him. He’d spoken of resurrecting Father Catherly. Such a miracle was beyond my capacity, for I’d made sure the priest’s body was burned and that only ashes remained. I felt that Father Innersol’s power was likely as great as that of the High Priestess of Umberlee in Sasserine.
Yet this man also feared and envied me… For my destiny was greater than his. His lofty visions had shown him that I would be gloriously triumphant over the demonic influence of this island.
A sense of great elation mingled with my seething rage: the man’s words confirmed what I’d felt so far only by intuition, and that Umberlee had mysteriously hinted at: I was a chosen, destined for great things. And I would one day have power greater than this fool had now. Far, far greater.
I took a deep breath to calm myself down. The knowledge that time was on my side soothed my emotions. I was able to escape the tension that I’d felt because all of the deaths that I’d witnessed, all those warriors and civilians who’d died so far in the battle, and who were still dying. I’d feared for my own death, but I was now confident: Umberlee would not let me die. Even this zealot had heard it from his own god.
My voice was quite steady when I replied to the old priest.
“Now that your lecture is over, allow me to retort. Know that I am devoted body and soul to the survival of this community, so do not assume that you stand on higher moral ground than me just because your pretty little holy books say so. And as for your precious Father Catherly, he was given ample warning. I came to him with hopes of collaboration, and the most noble of intentions, and he turned me away with nothing but insults and curses toward my religion. I warned him that I was not to be crossed, but he chose to laugh it off. All I can say is that he got what he deserved.”
The man’s eyes fixed me intensely, but he did not interrupt me. I guess it was his time to listen to a lecture.
“For the way you’ve just insulted my goddess, you deserve to die. But you are in luck, for indeed, on this day, we cannot afford to fight each other. But should we meet another time, I might decide to make you pay for these insults. Know that the members of Trouble are also not to be trifled with!”
Massacre aboard the Stygian Shark
My words would’ve held more weight if that imbecile Lagaan hadn’t chosen that very moment to come running back like a frightened little boy.
“Back already?” I snarled. “Are all the Yuan-Ti dead?”
Lagaan blinked at me stupidly for a few moments. “The Yuan-Ti? Err…” We both looked at his rapier and his shortsword, which were dripping with vile greenish blood. “Yes… they are… I stabbed their mage a few times with my blades… Almost got him, too! But then… the voices told me to come back here.”
“The voices? What voices?”
“The… voices… Hmm, I guess they must’ve hit me with some kind of mind-control spell.”
I rolled my eyes, and we left Father Innersol to tend to the wounded and hastened for the docks. Thankfully, from there, we saw that the battle aboard the Stygian Shark was over: the rest of our group had won. All of the Yuan-Ti crew were either dead or had fled. The sails were burning from a fireball that Sparkillo had cast, and as we watched, Raguhl slew the flesh golem that had been guarding the deck.
I later learned more details about that fight: three Yuan-Ti warriors had protected the mage, which had been bombarding the shore with his wand of fireballs. The flesh golem was also defending it. Thanks to their resistance to fire, the companions had avoided most of the attacks as they ran toward the ship. The mage had protected himself with mirror images, which Tyria had shot and destroyed. Invisible and using his slippers of spider climbing, Lagaan had climbed on board to assassinate the spellcaster. The creature had barely survived and had shot Lagaan with some firebolts, which the rogue had of course absorbed by magic. The spellcaster’s surprise didn’t last long, though, for he was then slain by one of Tyria’s arrows.
Another Yuan-Ti managed to bring him back to consciousness with a potion of healing, while Lagaan dodged the attacks of the flesh golem, which almost broke the mast in two. It was then that the foolish young man was mind-controlled by one of the Yuan-Ti warriors into running back to shore.
Raguhl then climbed on board and attacked the Yuan-Ti warrior that had given a potion to its master. The two reptiles faced each other in mortal combat. It was then that Sparkillo had cast his Fireball, which failed to harm anyone: the Yuan-Ti were all resistant to magic, and Raguhl was almost impervious to fire thanks to his magical protections.
The Yuan-Ti spellcaster had surrounded himself with mirror images once again, but was shot down again by another volley of Tyria’s deadly arrows. Raguhl roared in rage, chopped off the head of his assailant, and started battling the flesh golem. Tyria killed one of the other Yuan-Ti warriors, and when the last one fled by diving in the water, she chased him from above on her flying carpet and finally slew him, although she was hit by two arrows being fired from the Sea Witch’s Curse. Poor, slow Ulfgar didn’t get to land a single blow: he climbed on board just in time to see Raguhl finish off the golem.
The Dance of Ruin
At that point, things were looking pretty good: the pirates had taken heavy casualties from our work on the Hag, the deaths of the flesh golems, the new crew that was using the northern ballista, and the concerted efforts of our troops. But while Lagaan and I were watching the end of the Stygian Shark’s battle unfold, a chorus of terrible, unearthly shrieks echoed over the sounds of battle all over Farshore. We turned toward the center of the village: it seemed that something horrible had appeared there.
“What new devilry is this?” I asked, as Lagaan and I started running toward the noise.
We ran through the chaos-filled streets. We passed various buildings, many of which were badly damaged, or burning. Corpses of pirates, villagers, Olman warriors, lizardmen and Phanatons littered the streets. All civilians had fled the scene by now, but even the militiamen that we’d trained fled the place that the shrieks were coming from: clearly, something truly terrible awaited us there.
Indeed…
We rounded a corner carefully, and saw that two dozen hideous creatures were engaged in rampant carnage near the archives building, where my companions had slain Slipknot Pete during the previous raid. They were about the same size as trolls, thin and wiry, with the heads and wings of horrible vultures. I’d seen such demons in ancient tomes before… they were quite common in the Abyss. Who had summoned them?
Lagaan and I knew we couldn’t take them on by ourselves, so we had to watch from our hiding place as the horde of demons slew a number of villagers and started destroying some of the buildings. Thankfully, we soon noticed that their numbers were smaller than we’d first thought: there were “only” four in fact, but they were surrounded by Mirror Images. However, those four performed a summoning ritual, and two more of the monstrosities soon appeared.
“You’re in big trouble if they see you, Belessa,” said Lagaan from behind me with an amused voice.
“What do you…” I began, turning to face him. There was nobody there. Of course, the rogue had turned invisible again!
It’s not easy being a priestess of Umberlee. The zealots of the so-called “good” religions hate me and oppose me at every step. So you’d think that their bitter enemies, demons, would be well-inclined towards me? Not so… I’m sure these demons would’ve loved to devour me just as much as they did those villagers.
Moments later, I heard the voices of my companions coming loudly from behind me. I gestured for them to be quiet, and they approached in silence, and looked around the corner with me. Upon seeing the demons, Sparkie’s face twisted into an anguished grimace.
“It is as I feared: those are Vrock demons, and they’re about to start their dance of ruin! We, and dozens of innocents, will all perish if they complete it, for it will unleash a terribly destructive force. Quickly, we must attack them!”
“Yes, they already summoned two more demons, but they might summon even more still,” I said.
“OK, but who summoned the initial ones in the first place, huh?” asked Ulfgar.
I shrugged, and added with a grin: “I don’t know, it’s the classic question of the Vrock and the egg: which one came first?”
The dwarf nodded grimly. “Well, it looks like we’re stuck between a Vrock and a hard place. Let’s do this.”
“But be wary, my friends,” said Sparkie with his hand raised in a warning gesture. “These fiends are even more dangerous than the dreaded Bar-Lgura.”
My companions had drunk a few potions of healing on the way from the Stygian Shark, and I healed a few more of their wounds with my wand, but we had little time to spare: soon enough, three of the Vrocks started their dance of ruin.
“We must strike now, or never!” said Sparkie, and we all came out of cover and got ready for this deadly battle. I threw my wand of healing to the ground: I had completely depleted it; thankfully, I’d bought another one at Raguhl’s village!
Six mortals against six Vrock demons; things were about to turn very ugly…
Just before the fight started, Tyria cast Haste on all of us. Raguhl was the first to charge, and he attacked the closest demon, which was butchering the corpse of a villager. With his greatsword glowing a painfully bright shade of white, Raguhl opened a bleeding wound in the creature’s flank. Ulfgar soon followed him, but his weapon didn’t deal nearly as much damage: those creatures seemed very resilient against most weapons but holy ones.
Lagaan then fired three arrows at one of the dancing demons, and destroyed three of its mirror images.
With a snarl, the Vrock that the two warriors had charged emitted a foul cloud of spores that engulfed our two companions. Their bodies became covered with the vile substance that started to grow and grow on their skins, transforming into some sort of demonic vine that was drinking their life essence. It really seemed quite painful, but they kept on fighting nonetheless.
Raguhl sustained terrible wounds from this Vrock. Another one of the creatures, which was nearby, let out a deafening shriek. My ears rang from hearing it, but the two warriors, who were closest to it, were completely stunned by the noise and stood there writhing in pain. The last Vrock that wasn’t dancing flew toward the rest of us who were hanging back. Sparkillo cast a Magic Missile spell at one of the demons, but failed to pierce its magic resistance.
Having no desire to be hit by the stunning scream or the cloud of spores, I retreated to the shadows. It was easy to escape notice, for it was dark, and the screams of terrified villagers surrounded us. I watched anxiously as some of the enormous shapes of these bird-demons stood among my confused and wounded companions, while the three others kept on dancing their dance of ruin. Things were looking grim. We needed some reinforcements to distract our enemies, so I started summoning a creature of the night to aid us.
Lagaan was furiously shooting arrows at the demon Raguhl and Ulfgar had wounded, but most of his arrows only hit mirror images. The flying demon landed on the low roof of a nearby house, and let out another shriek that stunned the rest of my group: Lagaan, Sparkie and Tyria. For a few moments, I was the only fully conscious mortal there. I watched as Ulfgar and Raguhl were almost torn to shreds by the other two demons. Finally, I finished my summoning, and a Yeth Hound answered my call; it appeared behind the flying demon and attacked it, but even a beast such as this couldn’t do much harm to a true demon…
Fearing that the dance of ruin was about to complete, I cast a Silence spell on the dancers, and manage to interrupt their ritual! Then, the two demons that had been attacking Ulfgar and Raguhl disappeared. Apparently, they’d been summoned only for a short amount of time, and that time had run out. So we now faced “only” four enemies.
Raguhl picked up his weapon and limped toward me. He was bleeding from countless wounds, and the demonic vines were growing quickly over his body. A little voice inside my head whispered that now was the perfect time to finally put an end to the lizardman’s life, but I chose to ignore it and to listen to reason instead: my survival depended on each and every one of my companions. So I cast a healing prayer on the barbarian.
Tyria shot some arrows at the dancers. Her arrows couldn’t actually harm the demons, but she was trying to get rid of the mirror images so that the two warriors, and Lagaan, with his evil outsider-slaying bow, could harm our real foes instead of mere illusions. Sparkie also fired a Lightning Bolt that shocked one demon.
Raguhl drank a healing potion and approached the three dancers, who’d moved closer to us, to an area outside the zone of silence, and had started the dance of ruin anew. Ulfgar rushed one of the dancers and cleaved his way through all the illusions, finally harming the real demon.
Meanwhile, Lagaan shot four arrows from his deadly bow at the Vrock that was perched on the roof of a house, and greatly wounded it. Bleeding but furious, the demon jumped on him with a howl and clawed him mercilessly, but the rogue survived.
Another Vrock released spores over Ulfgar and Raguhl, and the demons interrupted their dance to attack our warriors. Both were slightly wounded. Sparkie moved into position and unleashed another Lightning Bolt on two of the demons, but they both resisted it. The elf cursed in his native tongue.
Seeing that the warriors were in danger, I took a risk and moved closer to heal Ulfgar. Raguhl roared with rage, and I saw the black energy of his metal crown activate: he was now protected by a magical force. He slashed his opponent, dealing nasty wounds. Ulfgar also fought bravely. Then, we heard a terrible scream from behind us: Lagaan had managed to slay one of the fiends with a mortal arrow through the eye! Quick as lightning, the young man turned around and fired three more arrows at another demon.
The three remaining demons eyed Raguhl, Ulfgar and me with hateful eyes. “We take one each!” they screeched in Abyssal. One of the monsters came after me, and slashed me painfully with its claws and talons. The pain was unbearable, and I almost collapsed from the pain.
As much as I love my glamered chain shirt for the myriad of illusionary costumes it allows my imagination to create, it seems that it’s become too flimsy an armor to protect me from the terrible fiends we’ve been fighting lately. I’m afraid I will have to start wearing something substantially more protective if I want to remain alive and fulfill the destiny the gods have in store for me.
Raguhl, whose back spikes were erect in rage, barely acknowledged the pain of the attacks of his opponents, but I saw that Ulfgar was also grievously wounded by his foe, despite his tremendous armor. Another Lightning Bolt from our wizard wounded two of the demons, Raguhl’s and Ulfgar’s.
Knowing that I stood no chance against the primal fury of these spawn of the Abyss, I fled around a dark corner. Another terrible shriek came from behind me: Raguhl had slain his opponent, and he attacked mine, to prevent it from running after me. But the battle was soon over: Ulfgar killed another one of the demons, and Lagaan shot the last one through the throat!
A deathly silence fell around us. It was scarcely believable. We’d slain them all!
It was time to heal ourselves, but even though we were victorious, Raguhl and Ulfgar were still being eaten alive by the deadly demonic vines.
“I believe that the blessing of a god should stop this unholy growth,” suggested Sparkie.
Using the necklace of prayer beads I’d found in the ruins of Tomoachan, I called for the blessing of the forgotten Olman god. It worked: the vines withered to dust, and ceased to devour our companions.
Vanthus… at last!
We started healing ourselves. Sparkillo, Tyria and I were all almost out of magic. I used my wand of healing to close the worst of our wounds, but we had little time to spare, for we all noticed a dark shape flying in the night sky, illuminated in red by the fires raging throughout the town, despite the bucket brigades’ best efforts. The thing was clearly demonic in appearance, and was flying toward the Meravanchi and Vanderboren estates.
This was where our treasure was stored, and where most likely my beloved Manthalay was making his last stand – both were in danger!
“Quick, we must hurry to protect Lavinia!” said Raguhl.
Oh yeah, and that stupid little b*@+! too.
We ran toward the noble estates, passing more pockets of resistance. Now that the deadly fireballs of the Yuan-Ti had ceased firing, the defenders of Farshore seemed to be doing well in containing the vicious pirates who’d stopped receiving reinforcements from the four remaining ships. Although the battle was far from over, it seemed that that the worst part of it was behind us.
Or was it…?
We finally reached the two noble estates. At the Vanderboren manor, we could see Lavinia and the Jade Ravens standing near the door. Although the four adventurers were trying to defend their mistress, they seemed in pitiful shape: they were all badly wounded and barely able to stand.
Before them stood what had once been a man; what had once been Lavinia’s brother. Vanthus Vanderboren wasn’t human anymore, though. His entire silhouette now had a distinctly demonic appearance: the ashen color of his skin, his glowing eyes, his horns, his draconic wings and his barbed tail. So the tales had been true: he had really ventured into the Abyss and come back as something different.
As we arrived, we saw that the corpses of several guards lay around Vanthus. Yet it seemed he had not slain them; judging from their wounds, they had killed each other, as if driven to madness. But we had no time to investigate further, because Vanthus was calling out to Lavinia. With a sneer, he asked her to join him.
“Come with me, my dear, and we will leave this place. That’s the way it’s meant to be. Come with me. Come, my sister…”
“Don’t call me that!” shrieked Lavinia. “My brother died the same night my parents did! You’re a mockery standing before me now, you’re nothing but filth wearing his skin, like some monstrous parasite! I’ll never join you!”
Vanthus’s face contorted with rage. “I said: COME WITH ME!”
Lavinia’s eyes turned blank. “Come… with… you…” She started moving toward him, clearly possessed. Vanthus grabbed hold of her, opened his great wings, and started flying away from all of us, holding his precious sister captive.
“No! Lavinia!!!” shouted Raguhl. The lizardman rushed ahead, jumped, and managed to grab hold of Lavinia’s legs. The added weight of the enormous reptile was too much for Vanthus, and he had to let go of his sister: she and Raguhl fell to the ground.
“Damn you, Raguhl!” snarled Vanthus. He turned toward the rest of us. “And damn you all, miserable vermin. Except you, my friend,” he said to Sparkie, “… friend…” A look of confusion passed over his face as he struggled with the lingering impression of the charm spell that Sparkie had cast on him long ago, on Parrot Island in Sasserine. “No, I have no friend but myself. I’ll kill you all before I’m done! But for now, maggots, escort my sister to the docks. I command you!”
It profoundly pains me to say that, except for Ulfgar, we all fell prey to his spell, and like lambs we obeyed him, surrounding Lavinia and walking toward the docks. The dwarf looked around him in disbelief, but had the presence of mind to act as though he were charmed to: he fooled Vanthus into thinking the spell had worked on everyone.
It was a strange thing, for our minds were now fragmented. We still hated Vanthus and wanted to see him dead, yet we were compelled to escort Lavinia to the docks as our highest priority.
As we walked, Vanthus started flying above us. Ulfgar approached me and whispered: “Belessa, can you make me walk on air, I can’t harm him much from down here?”
I looked up at the traitorous brother. “Yes, come closer…” and I cast my Air Walk spell on Ulfgar as we walked.
Behind us came the Jade Ravens. They tried to intervene, but they were in a sorry shape, and their spellcasters had already used all of their magic. One by one, Vanthus cut them down easily, laughing all the while. A smile crept on my own face as that stupid sow, Liamae, fell to the ground in a bloody mess, squealing pitifully.
Once he was done with the other group, Vanthus looked around at Trouble: his bloodlust clearly hadn’t been sated yet. His eyes fell on Tyria, who was hovering near us on her flying carpet.
“Come to me, little one,” he rasped.
But as I said, our minds were fragmented: we had to obey his initial command to walk to the docks, but nothing else. Tyria flew in wide circles around us, avoiding the slower-flying Vanthus.
“I said: come here, little bug!” he shouted angrily. But Tyria kept eluding him.
We finally reached the docks, and he used another magical command on Tyria. This time, she failed to resist him, and obediently approached him; the fiend proceeded to stab her several times with his longsword and his scythe, almost slaying the little halfling.
“OK, that does it!” growled Ulfgar, and with a war-cry, he rushed Vanthus, treading the air as if it were solid ground. His mighty axe lodged itself into the villain’s back.
Vanthus gave a cry and turned to face his assailant, forgetting all about Tyria, who fled away, as she bled profusely and stained her carpet with red. “You seem eager to die, runt!” he snarled at Ulfgar. “So be it!”
Ulfgar and Vanthus exchanged blows as we finished walking all the way to the docks. Tyria, who’d already reached the destination, fired a few arrows at Vanthus as well.
And then, finally, the spell broke: we were free to act normally once again!
Raguhl looked around quickly and saw that Vanthus and Ulfgar were hovering close to a low building. He dashed in that direction and started climbing the wall. As Ulfgar and Vanthus kept fighting, each wounding the other, Lagaan and Sparkie tried to help them with arrows and spells, but they all missed or were resisted.
From the corner of my eye, I saw that Lavinia was still walking toward the end of the pier. It seemed that the spell she was under wasn’t quite finished yet. I feared that, once she reached that destination, Vanthus would swoop down to catch her, and escape. So I ran after her to save her. I grabbed a fistful of her hair and pulled back.
She cried out in pain: “Let me go, Belessa! I have to obey him!”
“You’re not going anywhere, Lavinia,” I replied, grabbing her arm with my other hand.
“I said let – me – go!!!” she protested, struggling to escape my grasp.
We started wrestling with each other, and I’m sure the men of the group would’ve greatly enjoyed our little catfight if the situation hadn’t been so dire. The little b&*!$ kneed me in the stomach and bit my hand, but I tore off one of her sleeves and scratched her cheek with my nails, leaving four bloody marks.
Meanwhile, the men were doing something more productive. Raguhl jumped from the roof of the building and grabbed hold of Vanthus, bringing him crashing down to the ground. Just as Lavinia and I were now wrestling with each other, rolling on the ground, Raguhl and Vanthus were doing the same. Lagaan shot some arrows as the two wrestlers, hitting Vanthus twice, causing great wounds due to his new nature as an evil outsider, and grazing Raguhl with one arrow. Ulfgar rushed back down and also hacked at Vanthus with his axe.
Vanthus sensed that he was doomed; his eyes glowed red as he used another one of his demonic powers, and he commanded Raguhl to let him go. He then reached into his pocket and took out a black pearl!
“If I am to die, then you will ALL die too!” he shouted with mad glee. And he then dropped the pearl to the ground.
Only, it fell very, very slowly… Just like the coconut in the lizardman village.
Sparkillo had cast a Feather Fall spell on it!
Raguhl quickly grabbed hold of the pearl before it hit the ground, and took it away from Vanthus’s reach. “Noooo!!!!” roared the demonic man, as he attacked the lizardman.
But his cry soon turned to a gurgle, because Ulfgar had buried his axe deep within his abdomen. With a grunt, the dwarf twisted the weapon and pulled it free, opening a great wound in Vanthus’s stomach and spilling out his entrails.
Vanthus fell to the ground. He was dead.
We all stood frozen in shock: we could scarcely believe that the villain was finally defeated!
Then something slapped me painfully on the cheek.
“Let me go, b@+!$!!!!” shrieked Lavinia.
Stunned and knowing what pain she must be feeling at the death of her brother, no matter how vile he had become, I released my grip on her and she ran to her brother’s corpse. She knelt next to him and began sobbing uncontrollably. Raguhl and Sparkie approached her. The lizardman handed the pearl to the elf, and then he knelt down next to his two childhood friends, the dead man and the crying woman, and he put his massive arms around Lavinia to comfort her.
I joined Sparkie, Lagaan and Ulfgar. We congratulated the dwarf on the mighty blow that had slain our hated enemy. Looking around, we saw that three of the pirate ships were turning and fleeing the bay. The other three, the Brine Harlot, The Stygian Shark, and the Hag, were still floating in our waters, but lacked the necessary crew to escape.
We were victorious! We had repelled the Crimson Pirate invasion!
Some of the surviving pirates tried to flee by longboats, they were slain. No quarter was given to the perpetrators of such a horrible attack.
I looked around me, at the destruction of Farshore, and the many corpses littering the shore. Their blood stained the sands, soon to be washed away by the sea. Yes, Umberlee must be pleased. Today had been a great day.
I looked back at Lavinia, who was still crying. It pleased me to see that the pampered little darling finally knew what pain felt like. I unclenched my fist and saw that I was still holding a handful of her auburn hair.
I chuckled quietly.
Nightal 13th, 1375
The Aftermath
It took a week for the community of Farshore to recover from the worst of the raid. Although many people had died, and some wounds would never truly heal, we had won a great victory that day, and things could’ve been much, much worse.
All of the important people in the village were still alive. I was most relieved to hear that my beloved Manthalay had survived unscathed, as well as my dear little Moretta. I was also glad that Urol and Brissa were still with us. All of the Jade Ravens had suffered terrible wounds from Vanthus’s poisoned blades, but sadly, none of them had been mortal. Indeed, I was bitterly disappointed to learn that I wasn’t rid of Liamae yet.
All in all, two hundred and nine villagers were still alive in Farshore. Moretta and I worked tirelessly during the entire week, tending to the wounded at the infirmary. Father Innersol, for all his talk of goodness and compassion, only stayed for a brief while before departing with his freshly resurrected Father Catherly. Good riddance, I say! Those self-righteous louts are always the first to raise an accusing finger at me and bore me to death with their sermons, yet when the time comes to actually do some work, they let the women take care of it. And they dare to accuse us of being wicked. It’s infuriating!
All of those wounded people that we tended to owe their lives to Umberlee, not to Lathander. I will make sure that they don’t forget it.
Although my days were spent tending the filthy wounded villagers, I had a few hours to spend every night with my beloved Manthalay. As leader of this surviving community, he had a key role in inspiring the villagers to recover quickly and efficiently from the battle. He also ensured that the various forces that had helped in the defense were diplomatically thanked. Their losses had also been considerable, especially the barbaric and poorly-equipped Olmans. Clearly, those savages would benefit greatly from what civilization could bring them, first of all some decent weapons.
Although he had to show a strong and friendly face during the day, at night, I asked him to confide in me, so he could release his emotional tension. In private, he cursed the Vanderborens for all the trouble they’d brought to Farshore. I smiled at this and replied that if they hadn’t brought Trouble, we would never have met. It made him chuckle.
During the battle, Leftie, the only survivor of the first pirate raid, had managed to flee. Of all of the pirates of this raid, only one had been captured: all others had been slain mercilessly. I thought he might be a good candidate for interrogation, but whether this was done by Manthalay, or any of my companions, I knew not, for I was too busy with my own duties.
Looting the bodies of the Yuan-Ti aboard the Stygian Shark, as well as Vanthus, gave us several powerful magical items. Lavinia allowed us to keep Vanthus’s items, saying that although they belonged to her family, they disgusted her. Of course, my greedy friends didn’t ask twice, and took them all. We also each got a share of a thousand gold pieces from the loot that was gathered from the pirates and the three captured ships.
As the three ships were searched, it became clear that Vanthus had sailed aboard the Brine Harlot. Within his cabin, my companions found some papers mentioning that, before joining the rest of the fleet, the Brine Harlot had stopped in a cave in the northern part of the Isle of Dread. Apparently, they had picked up the black pearl there, from some creatures called “The Lords of Dread”. How ominous.
Over the following days, I thought about this, and decided to contact the only living person I knew who’d already fetched such a pearl: Captain Harliss Javell, whom we’d met in Kraken’s Cove. Through Sending spells, I learned the following from her: there was indeed a cove on the northern reaches of the island that was guarded by a dangerous Dragon Turtle. But it seemed that the creature considered the Crimson Pirates its allies. On her previous trip, Captain Javell hadn’t been bothered by the creature, who had let her ship pass since she was there on business for the Crimson Pirates. She also said that she got the pearl from stinking lizardmen wearing rags. Were these wretched creatures the Lords of Dread?
The Forgiven
Finally, one week after the raid, once most patients were fully healed, Moretta and I took the time to sit on the docks and enjoy the sight a beautiful sunset. The mighty shape of Penkus stood not far from us, on the shore, its bones tainted in red by the light.
My young acolyte had done well in the battle: she had directed Penkus and therefore protected many villagers from a horrible death. My mighty war-beast had devoured many a ruffian during the raid; I’d made sure to use the darkest magic of Umberlee to heal its broken bones after the fight, for in truth, it was more precious to my heart than any of those oafish villagers.
I had a single regret about the battle: we had failed to relay Penkus-the-man’s dying words to Vanthus before we had killed him. I wondered how those two men, Penkus and Vanthus, were faring in the afterlife. Was Penkus finally able to get his revenge for the way Vanthus had betrayed him under Parrot Island?
My conversation with Moretta was interrupted by the arrival of another member of Trouble; namely, Raguhl. His shamans had healed his wounds; he was now wearing decorations made of animal bones and feathers, and he still wore the iron crown of the gargoyle chief on his head. He truly looked like a very primitive king now.
Raguhl nodded to the young woman. “Good evening, Moretta. I need to have a word with Belessa. Could you please excuse us?”
Knowing the tension between us, Moretta looked at me questioningly, but I nodded, and she left us. Penkus was still close by…
Raguhl sat down next to me at the end of the wooden pier. “We just finished burying Vanthus,” he said simply.
Silence followed for a few moments. Then, the lizardman continued. “His tomb is at the very edge of the graveyard. It’s identified only by a simple wooden marker, decorated with the Vanderboren family crest. Lavinia showed him respect right until the end, despite all he did to her… To all of us. But he’s gone now… Thankfully.”
I nodded. “I see that Lavinia did not even bother inviting me…” Although I despised the spoiled noblewoman, I was insulted to have been excluded from that event.
The massive lizardman sighed.
“I know… It’s unfortunate that the two of you can’t get along. But Belessa, I came to see you today because I would like to have peace between us. We’ve gone through so many perils together. We’ve saved each other’s lives so many times. We need each other. For I know there are yet more perils that lie in store for us, in the future. We can’t afford to keep looking over our shoulder, not trusting each other.”
“You believe we have a destiny?”
“Yes, I do.”
I smirked. “You’ve been talking to Father Innersol, haven’t you?”
The barbarian seemed slightly surprised that I’d guessed so easily. “Well… Yes. He spoke about our destinies. Yours, mine, and others in Trouble. Our destinies are intertwined; we will rise together, or we will die together.”
I looked at the gently sloshing waves of the harbor. “I agree,” I said finally. “We gain nothing by being at each other’s throats. Yet I cannot forget the way you attacked me on the night of the elections.”
Raguhl nodded. “I ask you not to forget, but to forgive. I am sorry I hurt you that night. I wasn’t thinking clearly. Let’s not kid ourselves, there are definitely things that we hate about each other; but we have to work together. If Father Innersol can forgive you for killing his friend, I can surely forgive you as well. He resurrected Father Catherly, who was, as you can imagine, very angry at you, and wanted revenge. But Father Innersol, in his great wisdom, convinced him to abandon these dark thoughts. They left Farshore and will not seek retribution. They have forgiven you. Just as I have forgiven you.”
We stared at each other for a long time. I felt a profound anger rise within me at the audacity of the brute: who was he to forgive me!? He was the one who had brutally attacked me! I should be the one deciding whether or not to forgive HIM!!! But I did not show those emotions. Finally, in a steady voice, I said: “Thank you, Raguhl. Thank you for forgiving me. I too would like us to be friends.”
The lizardman visibly brightened. “I’m glad to hear that! Let’s put the past behind us and focus on the future. You can help rebuild Farshore, and in a few days, I will return with the rest of my troops to my village and do what I can to unmake the works of Kusmash. I am sure our paths will cross again, but now, I will be looking forward to it rather than dreading it.”
“And I will also be looking forward to it, Chieftain of the lizard-men,” I replied with what must’ve looked like a warm smile.
Raguhl took my hand in his and shook it gently. “Until then, be well, my friend!” he said. Then, he got to his feet and left.
I watched his scaly back as he walked away, his thick tail swinging left and right behind him. How easily I had fooled him, with those words of friendship. I found it risible that the crude beast could ever think that I would debase myself into considering him a friend. But it had been simple to lie to him, and now, I wouldn’t have to worry about him anymore, at least not for a long while.
Smiling to myself, I rose as well and walked up to Penkus. Gently caressing one of the massive bones of his legs, I murmured: “Why would I need friends anyway, when I’ve got you, my love?”
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I actually have very little to comment on, other that to say I'm still enjoying this immensely. I think a lot of what defines Belessa really shone through in this last installment. Evil. Evil. Evil. :D
I'm especially liking the story with the priests of Lathander, although I hope that this wasn't just the DMs way of closing down loose end. I was surprised that they didn't stick around afterward to try and help the wounded.
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I actually have very little to comment on, other that to say I'm still enjoying this immensely. I think a lot of what defines Belessa really shone through in this last installment. Evil. Evil. Evil. :D
I'm especially liking the story with the priests of Lathander, although I hope that this wasn't just the DMs way of closing down loose end. I was surprised that they didn't stick around afterward to try and help the wounded.
I'm glad you liked it!! Thanks for writing even if only to let me know that someone's reading this. :) It really makes the whole process much more worthwhile for me.
I was worried at some points during the raid, when we saw that one of the enemies had a wand of Enlarged Fireballs (which seemed really overkill, IMHO), and when we began the attack on the Vrocks. At the end of round 1 of that fight, it really looked like we were heading for a TPK.
I'm very happy we survived the raid and did a good job overall in defending the town. My only regret is that we didn't have more interaction with Vanthus. We got charmed the nanosecond his "introduction cutscene" ended. This felt somewhat anticlimatic to me. Then, when we escaped his spell, the fight was pretty straightforward. The fact that he tried to use a Black Pearl was nice, but I wish there could've been more verbal interaction with him before we killed him. Also, I wish I'd had time to tell him Penkus's message. But Belessa was so useless in that fight that it didn't feel right. Actually, ideally, I would've liked for Penkus-the-dinosaur to kill him, but he remained behind the scenes in the entire raid.
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You're practically caught up with my diaries now, I think it would be perfectly safe for you to read whatever you'd like in my retelling of our group's exploits.
It's fun seeing how differently these two battles unfolded, and I must say that I was surprised to see Belessa fail her saving throw! Still, everything turned out well in the end, and the good guys (plus Belessa) eventually prevailed. :D
Indeed, last night I started reading your log again. I'm at the beginning of Here There Be Monsters now. Your descriptions are very good, and I like the interaction between Tristan and Hop-Toy. It adds an entire dimension to the log.
I was disappointed also that Belessa missed her save. She's failed every Will Save that I can remember... And she's a cleric with 20 wisdom and Iron Will! It's frustrating...
Nightal 16th, 1375
Thoughts of profit
Three more days passed, and the town of Farshore recovered yet a little bit more from the Crimson Pirate raid. My companions of Trouble had recovered quickly from the raid, but for others, the emotional, if not physical, wounds were still painful. Lavinia had been brooding since the raid; so had Brissa - she had missed her chance of killing Vanthus herself. She regretted it, and had done the next best thing: she’d gone to piss on his grave.
Now that the most basic repairs had been performed on the buildings of Farshore, our work crews turned their attention to the three Crimson Pirate ships we’d captured. Manthalay and I spent a lot of time at the harbor, directing the workers. All three ships had been heavily damaged during the fight, by the ballistae as well as by Sparkie’s fireballs. There were a lot of repairs to do.
But Manthalay grinned as he looked at the three mighty vessels docked close to one another.
“This is wonderful,” he said, rubbing his hands together. “Now that we’ve repelled the pirate attack, we’ll be able to send more ships laden with goods to Sasserine! Finally, everything the Vanderborens and I have worked for will come to fruition. We’ll make great profits, and the ships will bring us more settlers from Sasserine! Yes, soon this small community will thrive. We have some good times ahead of us, my love.”
I smiled at him and he gently squeezed my hand.
“I’m so happy I can share this with you,” he continued. His eyes were warm, but he didn’t kiss me. Not in front of his men. “Which is why it pains me to even contemplate being separated from you, but we’ll need someone to lead these ships back to the Chult Peninsula. We’ve got four great ships here if we count the Sea Wyvern, but only one great captain. Would you be up for another of your bold sea travels, my fair captain?”
I frowned slightly at his offer. “You mean… Sail all the way back to Sasserine? Already?”
“Yes, I’ve been thinking a lot about your discovery: this magical current created by the ancient Olman wizards. It would tremendously hasten the journey! We could greatly increase our profit margin by utilizing it to our advantage.”
I didn’t share his enthusiasm, and showed it with a pout. “What, you want me to make another trip back to Sasserine, already? But we just got here… I love sailing, but I’m not sure I have it in me to make another such long journey so soon.”
“But my dear, didn’t you say you wanted to go back to Sasserine to buy some new weapons and armor? You’ve found many treasures in your adventures, surely you’re eager to spend some of that money?”
“Well, yes,” I admitted. “But Sparkillo can use his magic to teleport us over great distances now. We can journey to Sasserine in but a day.”
“Yes, but he can only bring a few people at a time, can’t he? Imagine how long it would take for him to bring all of these goods over to Sasserine. It would take even longer than by ship. Besides, Lagaan’s told me how unreliable that sort of magic is. Sparkillo almost died by miscasting it once.”
I chuckled humorlessly. “Oh, so you’re listening to Lagaan now?”
He looked at me seriously, sensing that my mood was rapidly growing darker. He caressed my cheek with his hand. “My sweet mermaid… You know that I value no-one’s opinion more than yours. But the thief is as canny as he is greedy: when it comes to getting input about how to make a profit, I’m always interested in what he has to say.”
His face came close to mine, as if he meant to kiss me. But instead, he whispered into my ear: “You’re the best, Belessa. I can’t trust anyone else to lead this expedition. I need you to do this for me.”
He’s good… He knew that vanity was my weakness… But still, I didn’t want to give up so easily.
“I need to think about it,” I said sullenly, crossing my arms over my chest.
Later that same day, when we were together in his manor, he took out some nautical charts and started calculating the best itinerary to use the magical current. I was soon drawn into it, for navigation is truly one of my passions. The more I got into it, the more I felt like I could do it… It would be hard work, but it was true that the profits would be tremendous for the community. Manthalay assured me that he’d be able to negotiate a bonus of several thousand gold pieces for me and for the other members of Trouble with Lavinia.
Our initial trip from Sasserine to Farshore took us 85 days in total. Using the magical current, we’d be able to make it to Sasserine in only 20 days, with good winds. Coming back would take longer, as we wouldn’t be able to use the current, but still, knowing what I know now, I could probably make it in 50 days only.
Nightal 17th, 1375
Perseverance pays off
The following morning, I slept late and was woken up by Manthalay, who brought me breakfast in bed on a silver platter – rare occurrence indeed.
I sat up against my pillow and rubbed my eyes groggily. “Somebody’s trying to get on my good side…” I mumbled with a grin.
He bowed to me. “As Mayor, it’s my duty to see to the needs of the community. I will not rest until I’ve secured the services of the best captain that’s ever sailed these seas.”
I chuckled and shook my head. I looked into his eyes. I knew he wouldn’t relent until I agreed.
“All right, I’ll talk about it with the others! But only so you stop pestering me!”
“Most excellent!” he said with a delighted smile as I started eating breakfast.
Later that morning, I gathered the others at the Last Coconut, and presented them Manthalay’s plans. All of them were planning on returning to Sasserine, if only to spend some of their hard-earned money on new powerful magical items. In most cases, Sparkillo would be the one enchanting these new weapons and armors; it was much easier for him to do that kind of work in Sasserine, where he had access to the resources of the Witch Wardens.
However, Raguhl wasn’t up for another long naval trip. He needed to be among his people. That suited me fine, and I didn’t argue with him. We started discussing how to combine Sparkillo’s teleport spells with the actual travel by ship.
For the rest of the day, Manthalay started organizing the packing of the various goods we’d send to Sasserine. He wanted to cram as much as he could into the four ships, to maximize profits. But there was a lot to do: he estimated it would be another ten days before we’d be ready to set sail.
Moretta’s promotion
Later that day, I visited our new church. It wasn’t much: just a modest wooden shack that stood near the burned ruins of the former temple of Lathander. I had planned on carving a much better temple to Umberlee from the rocks of the southern cliffs, but I knew we’d need a skilled architect to direct the workers: we didn’t want the whole thing to crumble. We’d need to find such a person in Sasserine.
Moretta was working there, tending to the last few wounded and sick victims of the raid. She bowed her head as I entered and greeted her.
“Good day, Belessa,” she said. She eyed me for a moment, and must’ve seen something in my eyes. “Is there anything interesting going on?”
“There is… I’ve just decided that I will lead the expedition that will return to Sasserine. We’ll bring some goods from the island to sell over there, and return within a few months.”
“I see,” she replied. “Will you need me on board?” she asked humbly.
“I will manage alone,” I said, and I grabbed her shoulders gently. “You’ve done very well, so far, my dear Moretta, and I want you to stay here and watch over Farshore for me, and for Umberlee. I will leave Penkus in your care, once again. I will rest better knowing there is someone I can trust keeping an eye on things here. And your skills as a healer have grown greatly during our travels.”
She blushed at the compliment.
“I would ask one favor of you, my friend,” I asked her.
“Anything, Belessa!”
“I would like you to perform a ceremonial blessing on the deck of the Sea Wyvern, to ask Umberlee to watch over us in the upcoming trip.”
“But…” she stammered. She had never performed such a sacred ceremony yet. I was doing her a great honor. “Who will we … I mean… A lot of blood needs to be shed… will we use one of the villagers? Or an Olman, perhaps?”
I smiled reassuringly. “No, silly girl. We can’t go around using the villagers for our blessings. How would that reflect on our faith? No, we need every able-bodied worker we have here.”
“But who, then?” she asked.
I smiled confidently. “Oh, I think I have just the right person in mind…”
Freedom
“So is this all you have to tell me?” I asked the groveling man before me.
The cell stank of filth and body odor. The wretch had been kept here since the raid. He was the only Crimson Pirate who’d been captured alive. During his captivity, he’d already been questioned by Tolin and Ulfgar, who stood protectively at my side (as if I needed them!). The man’s body still bore many marks of the harsh treatment he had received.
“Yes, I’ve told you all I know!” sobbed the man pitifully. “I was just a lowly pirate trying to make a living. I only obeyed orders. I’m sorry we attacked your village! Please, I swear I won’t cause any trouble anymore if you let me go. Please!”
“Beh!” snorted Ulfgar. “You haven’t told us anything we didn’t know already, you piece of troll dung! You’re a Crimson Pirate from Scuttlecove and you worked for Vanthus! Big deal, we already knew that!”
“B-b-but… I also told you about that secret cave Vanthus visited on our way here… On the northern cliffs of the island. Surely that information is worth something to you!”
Ulfgar kicked him in the face with his heavy boot, sending the man sprawling to the ground. “I’ll decide what’s worth something to me, scum!” he growled. “We already knew about that, and about that Dragon-Turtle, too!” The grim dwarf turned to me and added: “Let’s just kill this wretch.”
I placed a hand on his shoulder. “No, friend. This man has helped us as best he could. He’s told us the truth. For this, he deserves to be set free.”
The man turned to face me with wide, hopeful eyes. Ulfgar looked at me with a bewildered expression for a moment, then noticed how sinister my smile looked. “Oh, right,” he said with a wink.
“Oh, thank you, kind mistress!” said the man, oblivious to what I truly had in mind for him. “Thank you so much! I swear I won’t cause any trouble!”
I smile at him and presented my boot. He hesitated a moment, and then kissed it obediently. He was sobbing, longing for the freedom he thought was within his grasp.
He was in for a nasty surprise.
“Bring him to the Sea Wyvern two hours after sundown,” I told Tolin and Ulfgar.
The blessing
The night sky was filled with shining stars, and the deck of my ship was lit by several torches. Moretta and I wore our ceremonial robes. She was muttering some of the prayers of the ceremony under her breath – she’d spend most of the afternoon refreshing her memory on this most holy ritual.
A few villagers, who’d been converted to the faith, stood with us on deck. Stragdar the dwarf was also there. Eventually, Ulfgar and two militiamen brought the captive on board. Funny enough, I never bothered to learn his name.
He was shackled, but was hopeful about being brought on board a ship. “So where are you taking me, then?” he asked cheerfully. Not the sharpest knife in the drawer, that one.
Speaking of knives, his expression soon darkened… when his eyes fell on the gleaming ceremonial dagger that Moretta held in her hands.
“What the… No! No!! You lied!! You said you were going to set me free, you lying bit-“
He was interrupted by Ulfgar’s fist punching his gut. The dwarf promptly gagged the protesting pirate. Moretta then proceeded with the ceremony. She did it well, remembering all of the prayers, and properly calling upon Umberlee to bless my beautiful ship.
At the climax of the ceremony, she gestured for the militiamen to bring the fellow to his knees. She grabbed him by his hair, exposing his throat. The man’s wild cries were muffled by the gag, and his eyes were wide with terror. The militiamen were struggling to keep him still.
Moretta raised the dagger high in the air, and brought it down into the man’s jugular. She cut it open, and a great amount of blood spilled all over her dress, and unto the deck. The man struggled wildly for a moment, almost escaping the guards’ grasp, but finally he went limp, and they let him fall to the deck.
My young acolyte was staring at her blood-stained hand holding the dagger. Then, she turned to me to see if she’d done it correctly.
“May this man’s soul drown for all eternity in our mistress’s watery embrace,” I said. The girl had been so shaken by the exhilarating experience that she’d forgotten to speak the final prayer. I gestured to the two guards, and they threw the man’s corpse overboard.
Without a word, Moretta ran to the other side of the ship, leaned over, and promptly threw up. A few of the villagers looked at each other uncertainly: they had also been deeply moved by the holy ceremony.
I walked over to Moretta’s side. She was wiping her mouth with her sleeve.
“I’m sorry, Belessa. I’m sorry I messed it up at the end.”
I put my arm around her shoulders and kissed her hair gently. “You did great, little sister. The first one’s always the hardest. You’ll learn to love it, in time. I’m sure of it!”
She looked up at me, her dark eyes gleaming in the torchlight. “Thank you, Belessa. Thank you so much… for everything!”
Nightal 18th, 1375
The rulers of Sasserine
We continued the preparations for the trip. I spent most of my days with Manthalay, organizing the merchandise and making sure the ships would be properly repaired and ready for the arduous journey. Lavinia also took part in the preparations, since she would travel with the expedition. She and I kept our conversations purely about business, and avoided each other as much as possible.
Manthalay was in a better mood than I’d ever seen him. Things were finally coming together for him: all the investment of time and money that he’d done in the last several years to get the community of Farshore started, forsaking the life of luxury in Sasserine to come to live in this land of stinking savages… Once we secured the supply line to the main land, his fortune and fame would be assured.
Unfortunately for my lover, although he was a noble, he was only a member of a minor house. The Meravanchis, for all their wealth, are not among the seven ruling families of Sasserine. Worse, he wasn’t even at the head of the Meravanchis: that honor went to his older brother Zebula, Avner’s father.
Clearly, Zebula was a depraved hedonist with little patience or talent for business. Manthalay had bitterly lived in his shadow for his entire life, despite serving in Sasserine’s military, and having great talent as a leader, a diplomat and an entrepreneur. Among all of his relatives, he was the only one who did not partake in orgies and other depraved vices. He was focused on reinforcing the position of the family: his dream was to see the Meravanchis elevated to the rank of major nobles.
Sadly, with Zebula at its head, the family had little chance of getting there within the current century. This greatly frustrated Manthalay, and when he learned that the Vanderborens were looking for business partners to fund a risky expedition to a remote island, he volunteered to take care of it. Indeed, the rest of his family had been very interested by the heroic and intriguing aspect of the proposal, but none of them would’ve had the courage or the skills needed to follow through.
So he exiled himself and lived here for three long years, completely cut off from civilization. I admired his resolve; his years in the military had really given him a great discipline. I don’t think I would’ve been able to maintain such a discipline myself, but then again, I was trained by pirates, not soldiers. He dedicated his entire life to his family’s success, never getting married nor having children. His lot sure had improved since I’d arrived in Farshore…
That evening, Manthalay gave me some instructions, since I would be the liaison to the rest of his family, and the Dawn Council, back in Sasserine. I was pleased (though not surprised) that he’d chosen me for this over Avner. In fact, his inept nephew wasn’t even meant to be part of the expedition…
I was surprised with how well informed Manthalay was of current events in Sasserine: he then explained to me that he got his news by magic from an old army friend of his, Neldrak Lorchester, the patriarch of one of the major houses. A powerful man indeed! I remembered meeting Neldrak before, at the Dawn Council. He’d always seemed like a reasonable and capable man… I had no difficulty imagining him being a good friend of my dear Manthalay. They were cut from the same cloth.
We discussed the current positions of the various noble families in Sasserine. Six of them were quite powerful and well established: the Lorchesters (with their fortune in the lumber industry), the Taskerhills (rivals of the Lorchesters), the Arabanis (led by an eccentric woman and rulers of the Merchant district), the Lidus (which were the oldest family, ruled by a doddering old fool whose days among the council were surely numbered), the Dracktus (whose leader had asked Lagaan to retrieve a thousand gold pieces from Scorin) and the Knowlerns (a family of elves).
The seventh major family was the Islarans, but it was in a sorry state. Keltar Islaran, the harbormaster, had been assassinated earlier in the year (most likely by agents of Heldrath Kellani, Rowyn’s scheming mother). His two eldest and boldest children had disappeared under mysterious circumstances (most likely having secretly met the same tragic fate as their father). That left three empty-headed daughters, who were only trying to get married to young noblemen from other families, and a pathetic weakling of a son, whom rumor said was afraid of water… quite a disgrace for a family in charge of the Azure District and the city’s harbor.
I smiled to myself as I considered this joke of a nobleman: surely, such a wimp would be easily manipulated by a strong woman inclined to marry him. But I shook my head with a grin: I didn’t think I could bear living with such a despicable wretch. I was much better off with my strong Manthalay. Indeed, with the prestige of having been in charge of bringing four ships laden with goods from the Isle of Dread to Sasserine, and establishing a trade route, Manthalay’s position would be greatly strengthened within his own family and in the Dawn Council. And it would also increase the Meravanchi family’s standing. Perhaps they would even be named to replace the Islarans as the seventh major noble family of Sasserine.
I found myself fantasizing about being married to Manthalay… his depraved brother Zebula having conveniently resigned or having been otherwise dealt with… we would rule over the Azure district… even more so for I would be the high priestess of the church of Umberlee… of course, that would mean getting rid of this foul hag, Edvanda Balak… oh, that would be something I would truly enjoy…
Honestly, we couldn’t see who could stand in the way of the Meravanchis as far as rulership of the Azure District was concerned. Each major family was already in charge of, and limited to, ruling one of the other six districts. That left only the other minor nobles. Sparkillo’s parents, the Rashi, weren’t ambitious enough to make a bid. The Vanderborens were almost extinct, being down to one lone female member, who was far too busy in Farshore at the present. Likewise, the Kellanis were all but destroyed: Rowyn was dead, and her mother’s health was apparently declining rapidly. Excellent… That left the Toregsons, who were rivals of the Lorchesters. Yes, lord Lorchester would benefit from seeing the Meravanchis in charge of the Azure district instead of the Toregsons. I was sure that Manthalay’s old friend would help us. I would need to meet with him once I got to Sasserine.
Nightal 19th, 1375
A rapid journey
The following day, Sparkillo approached us with a plan: he would bring some of us to Sasserine right away and start working on our new magical equipment, while the rest of us navigated with the ships. After discussing it for some time, we agreed, and the elf brought Ulfgar, Raguhl and I back to Sasserine.
This time, Sparkillo’s mastery of the arcane was accurate, and we appeared right on target, on the island of Ruja halfway to Sasserine, and then at the Rashi estate in Sasserine itself. After having contemplated returning to town only after an arduous trip, it felt quite strange to be there right away. I could scarcely believe I was back in the bustling, beautiful, exotic city. It felt both wonderful and confusing to be back among so many people.
Sparkillo introduced us to his family, who seemed quite bland and contemplative compared to their loud and arrogant son. I could see that he didn’t really fit in well with the rest of them. And then we went shopping. We had planned to stay only for one day, so we quickly headed to the merchant district. We visited several armories, looking for specific items. Ulfgar and Raguhl wanted to buy new bows. When they gave their specifications to the various weapon merchants, the men’s eyes bulged in shock at how strong the two men wanted their bows. They tried a few sample weapons, and finally gave instructions to make some bows so difficult to bend that most men wouldn’t even be able to use them.
For my own part, I was looking to buy a new armor. I finally decided to buy from the best armory of the Merchant District: the Metal-Skinned Dwarf. The master armorer took my measurements, and helped me to choose the best metal to make my armor with. I’m quite excited, as it will truly be an armor as beautiful as it will be protective: it will be of a dark bluish alloy, very resistant to blows. I described to him some wave and shark motifs that I wanted to be engraved into the armor. He assured me it would be taken care of by one of his best dwarven artisans. Finally, I arranged for Sparkillo to pick up the armor once it would be ready, since I’d be sailing at that time. Then, the elven wizard would enchant my armor to make it even more potent.
The High Priestess’s warning
Once that was taken care of, I went to visit the temple of Umberlee. I met a few acolytes, who were all very surprised to see me. I learned that the High Priestess was very ill; her health was declining and beyond the skill of any of the other priests to improve.
Knowing that my arch-rival Edvanda stood to succeed the High Priestess, I wondered if truly everything had been done to help our mistress. Although I would very much like to hold her position of power one day, I truly love the High Priestess, as she has been a kind and supportive to me during a very difficult time in my life. Only Stalman himself has had a greater positive influence on my life.
But alas, when I entered the High Priestess’s chambers, I saw that she truly was at death’s door. She looked small and shriveled as she lay, covered by layers of thick blankets, her breathing irregular and shallow. A man sat by her bedside, and he looked up as I entered. He was a middle-aged man with long, greasy black hair and skin almost as pale as the sick woman’s. His name was brother Kallam, and he was the High Priestess’s nephew. He was wise and powerful, although not as much as the High Priestess… and probably not as powerful as I had become over my recent adventures. Indeed, I knew that my peers would be quite surprised, and many of them quite scared, at how powerful I had become since I had left Sasserine.
“Sister Belessa…” whispered the man, “What a pleasure to see you again… We did not expect…” He walked to the side to let me pass and avoided my gaze. I knew he desired me in secret, but had never worked up the courage to approach me. The man lived as a recluse within the temple, and had perhaps never felt the touch of a woman in his entire life. Pathetic… Yet, the man had his uses. I had something in mind for him…
“Good day, brother Kallam, I would have a word with the High Priestess, if I could.”
“Of course…”
I sat down next to the High Priestess. Her eyes were glassy, her hair unkempt. I felt that she would soon pass into the afterlife.
“High Priestess…” I whispered. “It is I, Belessa… I have returned…”
For a moment, there was no reaction. Finally, she slowly turned her head to look at me. “Belessa…” she wheezed. “My beautiful child. Back so soon? You should…” She coughed painfully.
“Please, High Priestess, don’t exert yourself.” I straightened the blankets over her. “I’ve done Umberlee’s bidding over the deepest seas, and on that distant, terrible island yonder. She’s gifted me with new insights, new powers. Perhaps there is something I can do to help you… I cannot bear to see you like this…”
“All that could be done… has already been done…” she wheezed. “I am beyond the help of any of the holy servants of this temple, now. The Queen of the Deeps beckons… I shall be joined with her soon…” She paused for a few moments, and eventually, I thought she’d fallen asleep. But she spoke again. “Belessa… My northern jewel… I bless the day you came to our temple… You were distraught, and doubted yourself… But my child, you’ve redeemed yourself many times over since then…”
I smiled and bowed my head in thanks. The old crone smiled.
“You are powerful… I can sense it… Very powerful… And soon I will be gone… Someone will need to take my place…”
“Have you named your successor, holy mother?”
“The church must be strong… It must not be divided… Torn by conflict… A great shadow is rising… in the west… our brightest jewel will be needed to shine in the darkness… restore hope… to … this world… You are… that jewel… Belessa… you are… you… have a great… destiny… do not… waste time… fighting… here…”
I listened, enraptured. “Do you wish for your sister’s son to take over after you’ve gone?”
But judging by brother Kallam’s somber expression, he already knew he was not the chosen one.
“No… He will not… Nor will Zanda… That old… Crazy… Hag…” continued the High Priestess with a wry grin. I was relieved to see she shared my hatred of the insane half-elf crone who’d almost killed Ulfgar, Sparkie and Lagaan in the past. “The one will be… Edvanda…”
A sharp intake of breath betrayed my reaction at hearing my rival’s name being mentioned. What the hell?!
“Belessa… I know… How you feel… Be wise… Be patient… Always… Always remember… you are meant… for greater things… if you are not swallowed by darkness… Remember… We need… you…”
She closed her eyes and was silent. For an instant, I was worried that perhaps she’d already passed on, but I soon noticed that she was still breathing. Brother Kallam calmly cleared his throat behind me. “Please, sister Belessa, the High Priestess needs to rest now.”
I nodded and we both left the room. We stood together in the dark hallway, and we talked in hushed voices. He brought me up to speed about the recent happenings in the temple. Indeed, that b~@$% Edvanda had placed herself in an advantageous position to replace the High Priestess. She had the powerful Mother Zanda backing her claim, and she’d managed for the few courageous brothers and sister who’d openly opposed her to suffer unfortunate “accidents” (some of which included being accidentally eaten by giant sharks).
I knew there were still people around who hated her, though, and would surely back me up, at least secretly if not openly, were I to oppose her. I was very strong now, much stronger than when I’d left for the Isle of Dread, but from what brother Kallam told me, so was she. Hmm, clearly, she was also favored by Umberlee. Perhaps the Queen of the Deeps meant for her and I to fight, to provide her with an interesting battle, and the one who’d slay the other would prove to our goddess, without the shadow of a doubt, that we were fit to lead this temple.
But then I remembered the High Priestess’s words. She had advised me to control my bloodthirsty urges. She knew Edvanda and I hated each other. And I knew that if the choice had been hers entirely, she would’ve chosen me over Edvanda. But she seemed to know more… Had Umberlee spoken to her as well about my destiny? If that was the case… Indeed, I would rather follow the will of our goddess herself, as grand as it likely was, rather than waste my time bickering here for the rulership of a single temple.
So yes, I would bide my time. I would shed my tears when the High Priestess died, and I would let that fat cow Edvanda take her place. I would swallow my pride… for now…
But there was one more thing to do before I left.
“Brother Kallam,” I said, moving closer to the shy hermit, speaking in my most seductive voice. “I have a favor to ask you. I hope you can help me,” I added with a smile.
He swallowed, and was visibly shaking from being so close to me. “Y-Yes, sister?”
I took out a small talisman from my satchel: I’d stolen it from the foul Kopru Druid that had taken residence in the Sea Wyvern’s wreck. “This is a potentially powerful, but only half-finished periapt of wisdom. Could you please complete it for me?” I batted my eyelashes, sealing the deal.
The poor man could not refuse. He promised to have it ready by the time I returned in Sasserine.
I spent the evening with Ulfgar at the Bent Goblin inn in the Merchant District. Raguhl had chosen to spend the evening somewhere else – I had no idea where he’d gone, but I was glad I didn’t have to suffer my “friend’s” company. Sparkillo had likewise chosen to spend the night at his family’s estate.
The evening was quite enjoyable, as we spent the whole night drinking and listening to a local bard – although Tyria is a competent singer, it felt like a relief to listen to a deeper voice for a change. Ulfgar played some drinking games with some of the locals, beating them every time, of course. None could match the stout dwarf’s tolerance for alcohol. I drank my fair share, but of course, I wasn’t stupid enough to try to compete with him.
When the hour grew late, I dragged my half-conscious companion back to his room.
“Th’k’ye, B’lessa…” he muttered drunkenly. “Y’re always there f’me… Good girl… Dunno why Lagaan’s always pickin’ on ye… I like ye… If yer legs weren’t so damn long and skinny… we might have fun together one day…”
I chuckled softly. “What if I grew a beard, would that make me more attractive?”
“Huh?... S’a bloody legend… spread by igrant… norant… by stupid humans… dwarven women don’t have beards…”
Smiling, I helped him climb up on his bed, wished him good night, closed the door behind me, and headed for my own room.
Nightal 20th, 1375
The following day, Sparkillo brought us all back to Farshore by magic. He also informed us that he’d brought the Shadow Pearl to the Witch Wardens. The wizards there would help him to identify the terrible device’s true nature.
Nightal 26th, 1375
The following week passed by swiftly. I worked every day with Manthalay, Lavinia and Lagaan to prepare the ships and the merchandise that would be loaded within. But now that I faced a long trip, I also took the time to enjoy the simple pleasures of the island: fresh food, the beautiful scenery, and of course the company of my lover.
Nightal 27th, 1375
The departure
Then came the day when we finally left Farshore. My ship, the mighty Sea Wyvern, led the convoy. My crew was much smaller than it had been on the way here, but we felt we’d be able to manage. Of my five companions, only Tyria and Ulfgar sailed with me. We also had Stragdar, the dwarven ballista operator, Tyria’s brother Johan, and Brissa Santos. The rest of the crew were all sailors from Farshore.
Lavinia was on board the Brine Harlot (fittingly, as it had been her late brother’s ship): thankfully, on this trip as well, I wouldn’t have to endure her presence. Jack, the captain who had piloted the Blue Nixie on the way from Sasserine, was now in charge of the Brine Harlot. Lagaan had chosen to stay on that boat as well, to be with his beloved Liamae. Tavey, Zan and Kaskus were also on board that ship.
Raguhl had left Farshore a few days before, to return to his tribe for the time being. Tolin had remained in Farshore, as he was the new militia captain. Sparkillo had returned to Sasserine via teleportation, accompanied by his new wife. I imagined his parents were in for a nasty surprise once they discovered that their pampered little darling was now married to a dark-skinned savage.
The Stygian Shark and the Hag had been well repaired and formed the rest of our convoy. All four ships were manned only by a light crew, as we’d only had Farshore’s limited population to get sailors from, but we thought we’d be able to manage, Umberlee willing. I just prayed for us not to run into more hydras, giant oozes or terrible storms.
Hammer 1st, 1376
The new year
The entire crew celebrated the new year together on the deck of the ship. I wish we could’ve spent it in Sasserine, but the timing hadn’t been right… We spent the evening as festively as we could, but still, I found myself missing the atmosphere of elation that had permeated the ship during our initial trip. Now, with this reduced crew, things were much more subdued.
I spent most of the evening talking to Brissa, who had quickly become my closest friend on board. I’m so happy that we’ve been able to save this wonderful woman from the clutches of the mutations that had almost killed her in Kraken’s Cove, and that she survived the monsters of the Island of Dread, and the following pirate attacks. She and I have a lot in common, and I’m pleased to see that, now that Vanthus is dead, she’s starting to enjoy life once again, despite the fact that she lost an eye earlier in our adventures.
Although I enjoy Moretta for the moral support she gives me, and her admiration for me, she can be a bit dull at times. I have much more interesting conversations with Brissa. She has also started painting again, and I find is fascinating to be in the presence of such a talented artist.
Hammer 7th, 1376
One with the sea
After ten days of sailing, things are going very well. Just as we had calculated, we reached the magical sea currents created by the Olman mages eons ago. I’ve been successful in navigating them and leading the entire convoy on this speedy journey toward Sasserine.
More than ever, I feel in tune with the sea, and with my mistress Umberlee. The waves, the wind all speak to me as if we were one. I feel my goddess’s power resonate within every fiber of my being when I pray to her in the darkest hours of the night.
I sense that she is pleased with me…
I now wield power greater than ever before. I believe I am finally as strong as Stalman Klim, at the height of his power. And I feel that as I continue on the path of my destiny… I will even surpass my old mentor.
Oh, how proud of me he would have been! I have come a long way since he rescued me from the slums of Westgate ten years ago…
Yet I am not complacent enough to rely only on my divine powers. Ulfgar, Tyria, Brissa and I have been training daily on the deck of the ship, testing our skills with weapons, honing our reflexes. Though I am quite skilled in combat, there is much I can learn from Ulfgar’s extensive training as a warrior, and by studying Tyria’s dexterous movements.
In return, Ulfgar and I have been spending many hours at the helm together, during which I started teaching him the Abyssal tongue. He finds it fascinating; especially, of course, the curses, which he mastered quite fast. But I also ensure that in the process, he learns many prayers to Umberlee in that holiest of languages…
Every once in a while, I contact Manthalay, Moretta or Sparkillo by magic, to be aware of what is going on in Farshore and Sasserine, and to keep them informed of the progress of our trip.
Hammer 17th, 1376
The Grim Jester
Today, the exercise was a bit more thorough than usual: our lookout spotted a pirate ship on the horizon. The bold fools approached us with plunder on their mind. They bore no flag of allegiance to the Crimson Pirates or the Rundeen. What they hoped to achieve against four vessels like ours, Umberlee only knows, but that proved to be the last mistake of their careers.
The battle was quick, and even without the support of Sparkillo’s destructive magic, we defeated the ruffians easily. After fighting the horrors that had come with the Crimson Pirates, mere mortals seemed like no challenge at all.
As the sun set over the horizon, I sacrificed the prisoners in a glorious ceremony to Umberlee. We assigned a few sailors from each of the four ships to navigate aboard the captured vessel. Although it has suffered damage in the fight, it is still sea-worthy, and will be a perfect addition to Farshore’s rapidly growing fleet. So it was that the Grim Jester joined our convoy, and we offloaded some goods from our fully packed cabins unto it.
Hammer 20th, 1376
Progress has been slow for the past few days. So far to the south, winter brings neither cold weather nor snow as it does where I come from, but rather, it brings a period of torrential rains. We are now deep in the rain season; the winds are fickle, the visibility is poor, and the sea is difficult to navigate. To make matters worse, the Grim Jester has proven to be in worse shape than we initially thought, and has slowed us down. The Stygian Shark’s crew also seems to be spread too thin, and we often have to slow down to allow them to keep up with us. All in all, I estimate that we’ll be about five days late compared to the initial schedule. But I remain calm: we’ve faced much greater challenges on the way over from Sasserine.
Hammer 22nd, 1376
We’re home!
This day saw my triumphant return to Sasserine, leading five mighty warships, all of which showed signs of battle. I stood proudly at the helm of the Sea Wyvern as we approached the high cliffs that marked the entrance to Sasserine. On their summit stood the ruins of an ancient bridge of great size. Sea hawks, which nested in the cliffs, flew overhead as if to greet us. We entered the harbor, and I felt my heart swell with excitement as I took in the sights of the docks and markets, the bright colors and the many signs of activity. Apart from the one day we returned here by magic last month, we’ve been away from the big city for over seven months.
“We’re home!” said Brissa in a relieved voice.
For some reason, I felt home too.
I led the ships to the docks of the Amedio Trading Concern. We went down to shore and were greeted by Vico Bevenin, the owner of the import/export firm, and his workers. Lavinia and Tyria did most of the talking, and started negotiating fees and directing workers to make sure the merchandise got safely, securely and efficiently loaded off the ships. A patrol of city officials also came to investigate: our fleet consisted entirely of former pirate ships, and although they flew the colors of Sasserine, and those of the Vanderboren and Meravanchi families, they were obviously not typical merchant caravels. But our affairs were in order, and the quill-pushers didn’t cause us any problems.
Leaving the mercantile details in the hands of Lavinia and Tyria, I gathered my belongings and left the docks in the company of Ulfgar, Lagaan, Tavey and Brissa. We went looking for an inn. Brissa headed to the Azure District, where she came from, but since the rest of us were quite wealthy now, we decided not to spare any expenses, and headed straight for the Noble District. I knew it quite well, and led our little group to the Pearl and Parrot inn, a much nicer place in fact than the Bent Goblin where we’d stayed at last time.
It felt quite strange to be back in the hustle and bustle of the big city. I made sure I kept a close watch on my purse as we walked the crowded streets. A riot of odors assailed us from the people, and the shops. There were some wonderful ones, but also some very foul ones, and I remembered how much I’d come to rely on perfume and scented candles when I lived here before.
The staff of the Pearl and Parrot inn looked up their noses at my companions, who seemed quite ragged and dirty, but when they saw that we paid in solid gold, their attitude greatly improved. We knew that Tyria would be staying with her parents, and we guessed that Sparkillo was staying with his. We asked Tavey to go to the Rashi estate and give word that we’d arrived. Meanwhile, Lagaan told us that he wanted to go see his mother. He left the inn, no doubt heading back to the reeking slums of Shadowshore.
I also knew that Lavinia had invited her beloved darlings, the Jade Ravens, to stay at her manor. The arrogant strumpet had, of course, not extended the invitation to us. How unfair… Time after time, we’d shown her that we were more capable than the Jade Ravens, and yet she kept treating us like we were second-class compared to them. What an ingrate… But no matter. I much preferred staying at the Pearl and Parrot than being anywhere near her.
Sparkillo joined Ulfgar and I during dinner. It had been several weeks since I’d seen my elven companion, and strangely enough, I found I’d missed him. He looked happy and well fed. He was wearing some brand new, clean clothes rather than the ragged robes he’d worn during his travels. He looked better than he had in months: clearly, his mommy had been taking good care of him. He was back to wearing his cheap jewels and tiara, although now, I noticed several real and expensive jewels that hadn’t been there when I’d met the mage for the first time, almost a year before.
We told him the tale of our trip back to Sasserine, which didn’t sound very grand compared to our epic journey from a few months before. He informed us that he’d already enchanted Ulfgar’s bow and my armor. Lagaan joined us a bit later, and the four of us discussed our plans for the coming weeks. We’d be staying a while in the big city, giving time for Lavinia to plan for the re-supplying and repair of our ships, and for Sparkillo to finish enchanting our items. It was much more convenient for him to work at the Witch Wardens’ lab than at Professor Aldwattle’s inadequate facilities in Farshore.
Hammer 23rd , 1376
My old foe
This morning, I went to Sparkillo’s shop to get my new magical armor. It is wonderful: the dwarven smiths have done a great job. The dark blue armor fits me perfectly, it’s well-balanced and beautifully decorated, just like I asked. A simple Detect Magic spell showed me that Sparkillo had also enchanted the suit of armor with powerful protective magic.
My next stop was at the High Market in the Noble District. I went to see a renowned jeweler and placed an order for a magnificent jewel made of onyx, shaped in the form of the twin waves: Umberlee’s holy symbol. I specified for the symbol to be adorned with flawless sapphires, and wrote down on a piece of parchment the words of an anathema I wanted to be engraved at the back, to lend even more potency to the item. Now that I am a powerful priestess, I deserve a holy symbol worthy of my station.
Then I went to the temple of Umberlee in the Azure District. Things haven’t changed much over the past few weeks. The High Priestess still lives, and the whole place is very quiet, as if everyone were holding their breath until our mistress passes into the afterlife. I met with brother Kallam, but he hasn’t finished the work my periapt yet.
I had the misfortune of running into Edvanda while I was there. An imperious frown twisted her pig-like face when she saw me: clearly, she didn’t appreciate the surprise. We exchanged mostly polite pleasantries on the surface, but a strong tension hung in the air as we appraised each other. We had both grown in power since the last time we’d met. I could tell that she was dismayed at how powerful I’d become. But I had to admit that she, too, seemed blessed by our mighty goddess. Though I longed to face her in duel and to spill her blood, I wasn’t totally confident that I would’ve won a fight against her.
I remembered the words of warning of the High Priestess, and forced myself to remain calm and civil. I did not mention the Ogre-Mage that she’d ordered to spy on me. I am very curious about the whole thing, but I want to keep her guessing. I don’t want to reveal too much about what I know or what I’ve done. But surely, she must suspect by now that her ally has been slain.
The debriefing
I spent the afternoon at the Dawn Council. I met with Kallia Nylos, my replacement as the liaison between the church of Umberlee and the council. The gorgeous redhead seemed genuinely happy to see me: I left things in perfect order before leaving my post, and I’ve kept her informed of the situation during my travels via magic. Thanks to this, she’s been able to report news of the distant colony to the council in a timely manner, greatly increasing her status and reputation as a reliable contact.
She led me to a council chamber, where I appeared before a group of officials, which included two of the council’s highest members, Lady Anwyn Arabani and old Worrin Lidu. I debriefed them about what I’d seen in Fort Greenrock, the status of the colony of Farshore, and the Crimson Pirate raids. I also mentioned what I had learned from that ogre mage, the Blue Duke: apparently, Lord Dracktus had arranged for Fort Greenrock to get destroyed…
I was pleased to see that I’d gotten there before Lavinia. Normally, we should’ve gone together, but I wanted to make sure that the Dawn Council heard my version of the facts first, unedited and unbiased by her irrelevant opinion. After all, I’d been at the center of the action the entire time, whereas she had been only an idle bystander.
I learned that Sparkie had already appeared before the council and had told them our tale, but I could see from the look on the bureaucrats’ faces that my report made much more sense than his. After a few hours, the council members thanked me for the information, and for the heroic bravery I’d shown in defense of the colony of Farshore. Oh, and my companions, too.
After we left the chamber, Kallia led me to her office, where we talked for a while. I could tell that she was thrilled to be with me: clearly, I must be a living legend to her. Despite her position of prestige at the council, she is only a lesser acolyte among the church, roughly of the same rank as Moretta, and to her, my daring adventures must be only the stuff of legends and day-dreams.
She brought me up to speed about the latest happenings in Sasserine. As it turns out, the Islarans have already lost their seat on the council. The new, interim, ruler of the Azure District is a man named Mr. Waterridge. He isn’t of noble blood, but it looks like his money bought him some sort of semi-noble status with the Dawn Council. Kallia confirmed my suspicions that I, myself, am quite close to receiving a similar honorific nomination for my good deeds. My heart swelled with pride: soon, I will be a noblewoman! Me! Aaaahhh… If my stupid sisters could see me now… They would literally die of jealousy.
The Waterridge situation complicates things somehow. This man will have to be dealt with in order to restore the power vacuum necessary for the Meravanchis to seize control of the Azure District. I remember meeting this Mr. Waterridge on a few occasions while I was working at the Dawn Council. He is a fat merchant who’s always wearing way too much perfume. I will have to get more information about this inconveniently successful man, in order to best determine how to get rid of him without being too obvious…
There is also a new drug in town called Oblivion’s Embrace. Normally, that sort of things wouldn’t be worth mentioning, as drugs are only frowned upon, rather than banned in Sasserine, but it seems that this one has very drastic effects on its addicts. Some of them go completely berserk and kill people. Apparently, this drug’s use is rapidly spreading throughout the city, and officials are starting to worry about it so much that they are considering passing a law banning the use of all drugs in Sasserine.
We also talked about the current situation at our church. I was pleased to hear that Kallia shared my hatred for Edvanda. Once again, I heard that my rival had brutally eliminated all those who openly opposed her bid to become the next High Priestess. Kallia told me she would much rather see me in the role of High Priestess, and looked genuinely disappointed when I told her I wouldn’t oppose Edvanda. I wish I could’ve said otherwise… But again, I had to control my instincts.
I really like Kallia. She’s intelligent, professional and charming, the perfect person to replace me at the Dawn Council. We immediately got along – I guess we feel we’re both cut from the same cloth. Of course, we are also both ambitious women. I’m sure that our friendship is only conditional to my relinquishing of my former title. Should I ever return from the Isle of Dread and want my old position back… we would immediately become bitter rivals.
I also wanted to introduce her to Brissa, so we made plans to meet later that night.
An evening with friends
Later, I passed by the docks closest to the Vanderboren estate, and found the person I was looking for: Amella was overseeing some repairs to the Blue Nixie. We were thrilled to see each other again, and exchanged warm hugs. She’s been in town for about two weeks: her trip took longer than mine, as she didn’t known how to navigate the magical Olman currents. Nevertheless, it went well, and she’s already looking forward to sailing with me again, on our return to the Isle of Dread.
I returned to the Pearl and Parrot to freshen up before my night out. I ran into Ulfgar, who told me he and Stragdar had brought skulls, body parts and other trophies taken from the monstrous enemies we’d fought during our adventures to Zelkarune’s Horns, the city’s guild of mercenaries and gladiators. Just as I am dealing with the Dawn Council, I know that Ulfgar wants to increase his reputation with that guild.
Soon after sunset, the others came to see me at the Pearl and Parrot. Kallia was wearing a beautiful green silk gown, adorned with lace. It suited her very well, and she also wore some delicate pieces of silver jewelry. But her confident smile froze a bit when she saw that I was dressed in a magnificent dress of a deep burgundy color with golden highlights, and that the jewels I wore were much more sumptuous than hers. I chuckled inwardly, for I knew it was all merely an illusion I’d created with the magic of my chain shirt.
Brissa wasn’t as well off as either of us, so she wore a simple black dress. And Amella came dressed simply in her captain’s outfit. I was rather surprised, as we’d decided to go to the opera that night, but she simply shrugged and answered that she was not interested.
We dined together at a nearby tavern called the Imp’s Folly. Kallia brought us up to speed on the latest hot gossip in town. For a while, we discussed clothes, but soon, the conversation shifted back to the tales of our journey to the Isle of Dread. I was pleased that Brissa and Amella took part in telling the tale, as it proved to Kallia that I hadn’t merely been bragging. We had been through so much together that the mindless conversations of mundane women failed to capture our attention for very long anymore.
After dinner, Amella wished us fun, and remained at the Imp’s Folly to play cards with some other gamblers. Kallia, Brissa and I went to the Opera House, which was also nearby, to watch a play. I’d only rarely been there, and as always, I was dazzled by the luxurious settings, and the elegance of the people there, all nobles or rich merchants.
The play itself was quite boring. After living some real adventures, I found myself unable to empathize with the situations played out by the actors.
“Wake me up when it’s over,” whispered Brissa in my ear after a while, and we giggled together, only to be shushed by an old man behind us.
I vow that the next time I go out with friends, it will be somewhere more interesting.
Hammer 24th , 1376
Today, around noon, I met Ulfgar, Lagaan, Sparkillo, Tyria and Lavinia in the common room of the Pearl and Parrot. Lavinia and Tyria gave us a report on how things were going on the trading side. All of the supplies had been moved from the holds of our ships to storage facilities belonging to the Vanderboren and Meravanchi families. Lavinia also gave us our payment for the trip: 3500 gold piece each…
After lunch, I went to the harbor with Lavinia. We kept conversation to a professional level, only discussing merchandise, ship repairs and our schedule. Once there, I inspected all of the ships with her, Amella and a few other sailors. We agreed on what repairs and improvements were needed for the various ships. Amella will oversee most of the work; this is good news for me, because it means I can take some time off and relax!
Once that was done, I met with my “Trouble” peers and helped them sell the various treasures we’ve found during our journeys. Then, I went to see Brissa and we spent the evening together at the Empty Grave tavern in the Azure District, where I often used to hang out previously. For some reason, I felt much more in my element there than among the fancy, pretentious people at the opera house.
We talked about many things, among them, the men in our lives. Now that Vanthus is dead and that she’s had time to deal with his horrible betrayal, she feels ready to meet another man. Hopefully, the right man for her, this time. Yet, she’s worried that no man will be attracted to her now that she wears an eyepatch. Poor Brissa… I wasn’t sure what to say to cheer her up. It’s true that most men, shallow they are, will be repulsed by that. All I can do to help her is to keep praying to Umberlee. Perhaps she will choose to bestow a bit more of her infinite power unto me, and I will one day be able to regenerate Brissa’s missing eye.
Brissa also asked me about my relationship with Manthalay. I answered that I love him, but that at the same time, I’m aware that marrying him will elevate me into the ranks of the city’s nobility. We discussed the Meravanchi family’s role in the city. I also mentioned that Manthalay had asked me to go see Neldrak Lorchester. Brissa had heard of the powerful nobleman before: just like me, she’d heard he had a reputation for being canny and scheming.
Hammer 25th , 1376
Zebula’s invitation
I headed to the Champion’s District this morning, but when I reached the Lorchester estate, I was told that the nobleman wasn’t available to see me. I made an appointment for tomorrow. Then, I return to help my companions sell some of the rest of our treasure for a few hours. It’s a mind-bogglingly boring task, visiting many shops and eccentric, wealthy collectors, but it must be done.
In the afternoon, I went to the Meravanchi manor, to meet the people who might become my in-laws one day. The place is actually right next to the Pearl and Parrot. The butler let me into the entrance hall. When I asked for an audience with Lord Meravanchi, the servant looked me up and down in the rudest way, and asked me to wait for a few minutes. I looked around as I waited in the sumptuous hall. The Meravanchi manor was decorated with extravagant luxury. They displayed their wealth in a much more obvious manner than the Vanderborens.
The butler returned some time later and said that I could go up to see his master. I climbed the grand marble staircase and was led down a hallway with a thick red carpet. The walls were lined with marvelous sculptures and vases, as well as beautiful paintings. The servant opened the door to the master bedroom, bowed, and let me in.
The bedroom was the most grandiose room in the manor. The four-poster bed was huge and covered with brightly-colored silken sheets and pillows. Paintings and statues of nude men and women engaged in a variety of carnal acts decorated the room. A thick scent of incense filled the air. A few articles of clothing, some feminine and some masculine, were thrown haphazardly across the floor.
Lord Zebula Meravanchi was lounging on the bed; by his side, a feminine silhouette with curly blonde hair was lying asleep. But the Lord himself was wide awake; he stood, with a seductive smile on his lips. His lean frame was covered only by a thin purple silk bathrobe. He looked less impressive than his brother, physically: he was clearly not a warrior. But there was something hypnotic in his gaze, and in his movements. As he approached me, he looked me up and down just as his servant had done; I immediately felt reduced to the state of an object of desire.
“A good morning to you, beautiful Belessa of the church of Umberlee,” he said in a silken voice. I dimly remembered that it was in fact early in the afternoon.
I bowed before him: “Good day, Lord Meravanchi. I bring word from your brother in Farshore.”
The man walked up to me, smiled, and gently kissed my hand, all the while holding me with his gaze. “And pray tell me, how fares my beloved brother?”
I told him a brief tale of the recent events in Farshore: the two pirate attacks, Manthalay’s victory in the elections, the relations with the local Olman tribes and the plans we had for the trade between the colony and Sasserine. He nodded and asked me a few follow-up questions, but I noticed that he rarely looked into my eyes. Instead, he seemed to be speaking mainly to my chest, and I became very conscious of the copious amount of cleavage my dress was showing.
“And what about my son? I hope he’s enjoyed his stay, so far?”
“He’s alive and in good health,” I replied, omitting the fact that he’d come very close to dying on many occasions, several times by my own hand. “He sends you his kindest regards as well.”
Lord Zebula smirked. “Hmm. A useless fool, that one. A disgrace to the entire family. No talent for sword play, or for diplomacy, and less charm than a troll in rut. But I haven’t given up hope yet. I sincerely trust that you’ve done everything in your power to make him a man,” he said, his eyes darting down to my cleavage again. “As a warrior, I mean. I hear you and your companions are quite capable adventurers, are you not?”
“My lord is well informed,” I replied.
“Oh, but my dear, I’ve known about you for a long time. I do so miss your enchanting presence at the Dawn Council. The admiration of your loveliness was my only solace from the boredom of many a dreary council meeting, before your departure.”
There really was something hypnotic about that man. I don’t know how he did it; it takes a very charming man to truly seduce me. But in Zebula’s presence, I felt weak in the knees, reduced to the state of an object. I couldn’t believe it!
“I understand that you won’t be in town for very long,” he continued. “We are having a costumed party tomorrow evening. It’s quite an exclusive event, for our dearest family friends. I would be most honored if you would join us, my lovely Belessa. I wish to extend the Meravanchis’ famous gratitude to my esteemed brother’s…” he seemed to be struggling to find a non-demeaning word for a moment “… emissary.”
Everyone in Sasserine knows about the legendary orgies of the depraved Meravanchi family. I’ve heard countless rumors about these debaucheries, but have never attended one, of course. Yet secretly, I’ve always fantasized about going. They are the ultimate social experience.
I looked at Lord Meravanchi for a few moments. “I am deeply sorry, but I have to decline your invitation,” said my brain. “I am currently trying to build a stable relationship with your brother, and I do not wish to put it in jeopardy by attending one of your disgusting orgies.”
But unfortunately, my brain couldn’t speak.
“I would be honored to attend, Lord Meravanchi,” said my mouth.
The nobleman looked pleased. “Perfect! As I said, it will be a costumed event, but I will ensure that an outfit is prepared for you by my best people. Please visit Costumes and Fantasies, at the corner of Marsh and Frogwallow in the Merchant District, tomorrow, and they’ll have something for you to wear,” and with this, he scanned me from head to toe again.
The next thing I knew, I was back in the streets. My heart was racing. What had I gotten myself into? Attending one of the orgies of the Meravanchis… I knew how ashamed Manthalay felt about his family’s debauchery, and here I’d gone, promising to take part in them first thing after returning to Sasserine!
I am certain that this Lord Zebula is a loathsome pig. Just by the way he was looking at me… Rumors even claim that he keeps a beautiful nymph prisoner in his dungeons, using the creature to satisfy his vilest needs, in a way that no mortal woman could ever do.
Hammer 26th , 1376
A meeting with Lord Lorchester
This morning, I indeed visited the Costumes and Fantasies boutique. I was impressed with the many splendid and outlandish costumes that were on display. There were several other attractive women shopping there; I found myself wondering if any of them would be at the party as well.
A seamstress took me to a small room where I tried on the outfit so that she could make the necessary adjustments. Just as I’d expected, it was an outrageously skimpy costume… of a bunny…
In the afternoon, I returned to Neldrak Lorchester’s manor, and this time, the gray-haired lord was available to see me. We had met before, at the Dawn Council and at a few parties. He had the same military authority about him as Manthalay did, but he was shorter, and although I knew they were the same age, he looked older.
For what felt like the hundredth time in just a few days, I gave a report of the situation in Farshore. The lord nodded, thanked me for the information, and asked me for several pertinent clarifications. He seemed quite well-informed of the situation already. When I pointed that out, he told me that he’d been keeping in touch with Manthalay via Sending spells. Among other things, Manthalay had mentioned how happy he was to have met me. I was very pleased to hear that my lover had thought to mention that. Like so many men, he is not very demonstrative of his feelings, so it’s difficult for me at times to really gauge how much I mean to him.
But this token of appreciation from Manthalay, and just being in the presence of the serious, keen-minded Neldrak made me feel even worse about the orgy I was about to attend. I felt like these outstanding men were considering me their equal, and here I was, about to let them down.
Neldrak and I then talked about the current political situation in Sasserine. The Lorchesters are in conflict with two other noble houses: the Taskerhills and the Toregsons. They would greatly benefit by having the Meravanchis, with Manthalay at their head, as powerful allies among the Dawn Council, but unfortunately, two obstacles stand in the way. The first is Zebula Meravanchi, whom Neldrak despises with a passion. He considers him a useless degenerate, and his promises to help the Meravanchis are conditional to Manthalay replacing his older brother as head of the house.
The second obstacle is this Mr. Waterridge I already heard about. Now that the Islarans have been taken out of the picture, he’s the man in charge of the Azure District. Again, I was told that has been given the equivalent of a minor noble title by the city. Since then, the wealthy man has bought the Kellani estate and is ruling the Azure District from there.
Then, Neldrak mentioned another problem, which threatens the entire city: Oblivion’s Embrace. He knows the Dawn Council means to deal with it, but he fears their actions will come into play too late. Just as Kallia said, the drug’s popularity is increasing at an alarming rate, and is causing many casualties. Neldrak knows what Trouble is capable of, and he asked me to try to convince my companions to deal with the issue at its source: by finding and eliminating whoever is providing the drug. He added that doing so could only increase my personal, already significant, standing within the Dawn Council. That’s good to know.
A moth to the flame
After this serious discussion, I retired to my room at the Pearl and Parrot. Night had just fallen, and the party at the Meravanchi estate would start soon. For what felt like ages, I sat on my bed and stared at the ridiculous outfit I had laid out next to me. I was trying to decide whether or not to go to the party. If I went, I risked irremediably ruining my relationship with Manthalay. Clearly, the smart thing would have been not to go, and to spend a quiet evening at the inn, by myself.
I am a very powerful woman, skilled in combat and capable of magical feats beyond the reach of most people.
But I am also weak at times…
I was drawn to the lure of excitement and vice that I knew I would find at the Meravanchi estate that night, just as a moth is draw to a flame…
I had no choice really. My heart had already made its decision.
I dressed up in the rabbit outfit, put on a cloak to cover myself, and left my room…
…
…
… I returned several hours later. My body had been pleasured in so many ways, but my soul was wracked with guilt.
The party had been everything I’d been expecting: a disgustingly depraved orgy. I was only one of many beautiful women there. Many of them were younger than me, and I found myself uncharacteristically self-conscious. Just like me, they were all dressed in ridiculous little bunny outfits, while the men, some of whom were athletic and handsome, but some of whom were truly repugnant, were dressed like wolves.
It was a strange thing that we were all masked, because it allowed people to behave as their true depraved selves without fear of repercussion; although I thought I recognized a few of the men as high-ranking officials from the council. That night, I wasn’t a fearless captain, I wasn’t a powerful priestess; I was just a pretty body. And some sick, perverted part of me was thrilled by this.
The evening was spent indulging in various vices, from alcohol to drugs to sex. But I made sure to stay away from the hardest drugs: I noticed that a few of the guests were lying around, staring vacantly into nothing. Could they have been using Oblivion’s Embrace?
I will not describe in detail the carnal acts in which I took part with several men and even a few women, for some of them are so vile that I dare not write them down even in my private diary. I’ve done my fair share of depravities when I was forced to sell my body in Westgate, and later when I worked with the Slave Lords, but even I learned a few new tricks tonight.
Amidst this sea of bodies, most of whom were strangers, I recognized Zebula, and I did my best to avoid him. I did not want to give him the satisfaction of enjoying my flesh. But he had also recognized me despite my costume: I was one of the tallest women there, and he must’ve identified me by my silhouette and my long black hair. Throughout the entire night, we played this game of cat and mouse, or should I say, hare and wolf.
Despite my best efforts to choose other partners, he eventually caught me, and I had no way to escape. I tried to struggle at first, but again, I proved to be my own worst enemy: the sick creature that I am actually wanted this to happen…
We lay against one another after sharing the most intimate of experiences. Zebula’s eyes looked at me from behind the wolf’s mask. His voice dripping with contempt and the smug knowledge of his victory, he whispered to me: “I am so very grateful that my dear brother sent me such a succulent gift from his faraway island. Please give him my best regards upon your return.”
And then, the swine left me to go spend time with another one of his guests. He had gotten what he wanted of me, and now he was already moving on, without a second thought. I had just been another notch on his belt.
Seething with shame, I left soon after and returned to the inn…
I got what I wanted: to participate in one of the Meravanchis’ “feasts”.
I got what I deserved: being treated like a toy, and the knowledge that I’d betrayed my lover’s trust and given his lecherous brother the upper hand.
Why can’t I be the woman I want to be, no matter how hard I try? Why am I so fundamentally flawed?
Hammer 27th , 1376
Self-loathing
I woke up this morning feeling worse than I have in a long time. I felt like the biggest fool in the world. I was used like a stupid young girl. And I’m almost thirty. You’d think I would know better by now!
I avoided speaking to anyone and headed to the temple of Umberlee. There, I went down to the darkest, deepest cave I knew of. The waters of an underwater lake sloshed quietly. I shed my clothes and entered the cold water. I relished the pain, for it was what I deserved. I swam to the bottom of the dark lake and stayed there for several hours, breathing by magic. I let the holy sea water cleanse the filth from my body, and from my soul. It worked to some degree, yet I could not completely forget the sensations of Zebula’s touch, nor could I completely let go of the burden of guilt.
When I eventually emerged from my watery seclusion, I dried myself up with towels and put my clothes back on. I walked back up and joined a few of my brothers and sisters in prayer. I met brother Kallam, and he gave me my periapt of wisdom, which was finally finished. How ironic. Perhaps that is just the item I need: something to make me wiser…
In the afternoon, I headed to the arena in the Champion District. I met Lagaan there, for we both knew that Ulfgar had a fight that day. After watching a few combats, we saw our mighty dwarven companion emerge into the arena floor. We joined the crowd in cheering for him. He then dazzled the onlookers by fighting two owlbears at once. The beasts never had a chance, and soon they were no more.
Some time later, Lagaan and I met Ulfgar as he was talking with a few other members of Zelkarune’s Horns. He introduced us to the guildmaster, a grizzled, scarred ex-gladiator named Zasker Grankus.
“Hey, you should go after him,” Lagaan whispered to me, “since I know how much you like older men.”
I glared at him. He sure hadn’t picked the right day for such a stupid joke.
“Well, at least I like real men. I know you’re more into little boys like young Tavey,” I replied with a sneer.
I spent the evening with Lagaan and Ulfgar at The Catapulter, a tavern in the Champion District. We discussed the threat of the Oblivion’s Embrace. They had both heard about it already, and Ulfgar even suspected master Grankus of taking some. Lagaan also seemed well informed about it: could it be that whatever criminal organization he’s affiliated to also wants to get rid of this new drug?
I explained to them that Trouble could become even more respected in the city if we were responsible for eliminating the threat of the drug. We agreed to try to solve the situation among the three of us. We suspected that Sparkie and Tyria were too busy with their own affairs to be interested. Besides, we were great heroes now; surely there was nothing in Sasserine itself nearly as dangerous as the horrors that we’d vanquished on the Isle of Dread.
So the three of us agreed to start our investigation tomorrow: we’ll try to find out who’s behind this…
Hammer 28th , 1376
The wailing halls of the Scarlet Spire
This morning, Lagaan, Ulfgar and I armed ourselves and went to the arena to discuss with Zasker Grankus. To our surprise, though, we learned that an incident had happened overnight. The arena master had gone berserk, most likely under the influence of Oblivion’s Embrace, and had assaulted some of his employees. As a result, two of the gladiators were dead by his hand. A third had been wounded, but had the presence of mind to run into the dungeon where the various arena beasts were kept caged, and had opened a few cell doors, unleashing the monsters on Zasker.
The grizzled veteran had slain a few of those monsters as well, before being subdued by the rest of his men. They had tied him up in chains, and had brought him to the city’s asylum: the Scarlet Spire on Ancestor Island.
We retraced our steps toward the Noble District, and crossed the small bridge leading to Ancestor Island. The Scarlet Spire is an impressive building run by priests of Savras, demigod of divination, fate and truth. I’ve heard that the founder of the city – a woman named Sasserine – was a priestess of Savras.
Once inside, we were greeted by white-robed men bearing the symbol of Savras: a crystal ball containing many different kinds of eyes. They led us to their master, Father Caldwell. I greeted him, and introduced myself and my companions. The cult of Savras is neither allied with, nor opposed to, the church of Umberlee. They are, however, bitter rivals of the church of Tempus, the god of war. I also heard that the warrior Teraknian, who had been Sasserine’s lover, had been a follower of Tempus. The churches of Tempus and Savras are the two oldest ones in the city.
However, during the period of occupation of the last few decades, the church of Savras has accused the followers of Tempus of betraying them. I do not know the details, but I know that Lord Worrin Lidu is currently trying to bring peace between the two faiths.
I explained to Father Caldwell the reason of our visit. The old man nodded gravely; he seemed tired.
“Indeed, Zasker Grankus succumbed to a madness we believe was induced by the consumption of the drug known as Oblivion’s Embrace. But he is not the first. We are currently holding twelve such victims in our cells. I fear, alas, that things are about to get even worse as the drug spreads more and more into our city.”
“Have you discovered any spells capable of curing this ailment?” I asked.
Father Caldwell shook his head. “Alas, we have not. Even a prayer potent enough to neutralize poison has proven ineffective against this drug. It is quite unsettling. With the help of alchemists from the Witch Wardens, we’ve analyzed the components of the drug. It seems magical in nature and thoroughly alien to our world. We believe it was manufactured on another plane. But which one, I know not. The substance radiates neither good nor evil, but a distinct aura of Chaos...”
“Do the patients die from the drug’s effects, eventually?”
“So far, none have died, though they seem to be falling deeper and deeper into madness as the days go by, even after the effects of the drug should’ve worn off. I’ve never seen such a terrible reaction in drug addicts. We received our first patient two weeks ago. He’s totally incoherent now, and has to be tightly restrained. Strangely, all of the patients we’ve received are male, and quite strong. I’m not sure why. I’ve heard your name before, sister Belessa. Do you believe you might be able to help these poor wretches?”
“I’m not sure, father. But I would like to try.”
“Very well. Let me bring you to our first patient. Since he’s been here the longest, we should try to cure him first.”
“Actually, I was thinking of trying to cure Zasker Grankus first,” I replied.
“Hmm… Some of my men are currently working on ensuring that master Grankus is well secured. We wouldn’t want him attacking you…” He eyed my two companions “… despite the presence of your bodyguards.”
“Well, I’d rather not waste my energies on just any low-life scum, either.”
The old man’s eyes widened slightly; perhaps he was shocked by my brutal honesty. But if I was right, only my most powerful spell had a chance of neutralizing the effect, so I had to make sure I helped the right people first.
“Are there any nobles or influential people in your custody?” I asked.
“Errr… Not really, sister. They are all commoners.” He thought for a moment. “Probably the closest to being ‘influential’ as you say is an artisan from the Noble District.”
That one sounded like less of a loser than the other ones. “Fine, let’s start with that one, then,” I decided.
A touch of madness
Father Caldwell led us through corridors lined with cells, from which came the pitiful sounds of madmen calling out to us for freedom or simply for attention. I ignored the filthy wretches.
“Have any priests from the other religions come to examine these patients, father?” I asked.
“No, sister, you are the first.”
I chuckled humorlessly. How ironic that the supposedly “compassionate” zealots of Lathander and the other gods of light were all of a sudden too busy to dispense some actual healing.
“I’m disappointed to hear that,” I replied. “I would’ve expected this manner to be handled with the highest priority by the Dawn Council.”
“Well, one of their members, Mr. Waterridge, did come here to…” the priest glanced at me, and stopped.
“Yes? One of them came here to do what?”
“Oh, err, well… Just to check up on them… to get an idea of how bad the situation was.”
Something didn’t sound right. I got the feeling that Father Caldwell was hiding something from me. And that damned Mr. Waterridge’s name had come up again! But before I could enquire further, we reached the artisan’s cell.
“Now, before you go in, I must warn you: there is a strange aura of madness that surrounds the patients. It’s magical, and we haven’t been able to neutralize it. It assaults the minds of everyone in the vicinity. Be aware that you might fall under its sway.”
Great. NOW he told me… “An aura of madness?” I asked.
“Yes.”
“An aura that will drive us mad?”
“That’s right.”
“Mad how? What will it make us do?”
“Oh, I don’t know, things like trying to kill the patient, attacking each other, running away in fear, babbling incoherently….”
“I see… So if it’s the case, I should go in alone, and with no weapons. Since if we all go inside armed to the teeth, we might kill each other, or the patient?”
“Yes, I… guess that’s a pretty good idea. I wish I’d thought of that myself.”
I rolled my eyes at the doddering fool’s lack of foresight, and then I handed my weapons to my companions and entered the cell. Just as the priest had said, my mind was immediately assaulted by a vortex of chaotic thoughts which were not my own. I lost control of my actions, and when I regained awareness, I realized that I was punching the hell out of a burly man chained to the wall. From behind the prison door, Lagaan, Ulfgar and Father Caldwell were all yelling at me to stop – they probably had for some time, because judging by the sorry state the man’s face was in and how badly my right fist was hurting, I must’ve landed quite a few solid punches on him.
With my armored gauntlet.
“Sorry!” I called back. “I’m all right now!”
I concentrated on one of my most potent prayers, blocking out the mad thoughts that I could still hear dimly, and lay my healing hands on the man. A discharge of holy energy suffused him, and all of his wounds immediately vanished. But still, he did not regain consciousness. Perhaps, even though his body was healed, his mind was still too badly damaged from the magical drug’s effects. But I felt like my spell had an effect: I didn’t feel an influence of chaos around the man anymore.
Crawling chaos
I returned to the corridor. “Well, I’ve done all that I can, Father. I think I’ve succeeded in curing him. Please keep an eye on him. I’ll return tomorrow to see if it has worked. Now, I’d just like to ask you about Mr. Water…”
I was interrupted by some shouts of panic coming from a nearby corridor, which were soon joined by some disgusting, otherworldly gurgling sounds, clearly not made by the throat of a human being. We quickly rushed in that direction and entered another corridor. One of its cell doors was open, and a priest of Savras was trying to crawl out of the cell. But we soon saw that a hideous… thing… was crawling on top of him. And then it started to devour him.
The creature was disgusting, and reminded me of the Gibbering Mouther that we’d fought in Tomoachan. Yet it was somehow different: its form was even more fluid, melting and reshaping into nightmarish forms. It was a grayish viscous sack with ten eyes and slimy, fanged tentacles. I thought that Sparkillo would’ve likely known what it was; but this time, we didn’t have the knowledgeable wizard with us.
A few of the priests of Savras watched in impotent horror as their comrade got transformed, shrieking horribly, into another one of these horrors. Clearly, Trouble would have to save the day once again!
Lagaan fired a few arrows at the creatures from behind me. The rogue had moved behind me, meaning to use me as a human shield. “Don’t let them eat you too, Belessa,” he said, chuckling.
One of the monsters slithered toward me down the corridor. I spoke the words of one of my most powerful spells: Slay Living. I was loath to touch the creature, but I figured I would be protected from its chaotic influence by my metal gauntlet. Well, as it turned out, my spell had no effect, unraveling due to the creature’s aura of chaos which destroyed spells around it. To add slime to injury, the creature’s instability threatened to turn me into one of those things, as well. Thankfully, I am made of stern stuff indeed, and I resisted the effect.
Seeing that they were so resistant to magic, I stepped behind Ulfgar and let him handle the creatures. He did so, with some help from Lagaan’s arrows. In all, they killed three of the creatures.
Father Caldwell came to join us. He was shaking slightly. “Those beings were Chaos Beasts! What horrors! But they came from that cell…”
We all approached and looked inside. The patient was gone.
“Just as I feared,” said the priest with a grimace. “This was where we were holding the first patient. He must’ve grown so unstable from the chaotic influence of the drug that he turned into one of those things… And then it transformed two of my acolytes!”
The priest spoke a prayer for the souls of the unfortunate men who’d died in such a gruesome way.
We now know that the threat of the Oblivion’s Embrace is worse than we thought. If users of that drug start turning into Chaos Beasts, soon, Sasserine itself will be overrun by these abominations…
Whispers of the Bloated One
My companions and I examined the cell of this first victim. Unlike the artisan, he must not have been chained, because the walls were decorated with insane drawings and writings.
“Was it the drug addict who drew these?” asked Lagaan. The old priest nodded.
The pictures were disturbing. They were quite badly drawn, as if a child had done the work, but they showed a fat man vomiting rivers of foul liquid, and people venerating him. I had to use magic to decipher the words written on the wall.
“he is coming the bloated one’s bile engulfs all… I see the end… chaos is here the whispers the usherers of limbo… chaos is here.”
I translated for the others. Then I turned back toward Father Caldwell, who was watching a few of his other acolytes mopping up the vile goo into buckets. In the neighboring cells, the insane men had grown even more agitated due to the recent battle.
“When Mr. Waterridge came to see the prisoners… What did he do, exactly?” I asked.
The priest looked uncomfortable. “He observed them…”
“That’s it? Did he enter the cells?”
The old man hesitated. Turning on all of my charm, I placed my hand on his shoulder and spoke in a low, concerned, yet seductive voice: “Father, it could be important. Please, share the information with me so we can avoid other such horrible deaths. Any detail you can remember might be useful.”
He nodded. “Yes. Yes, he entered the cells. He visited each patient, and he whispered things to them.” The man seemed uncomfortable revealing this to me. Most likely, he’d been bribed by Waterridge to remain silent.
“He wasn’t affected by the madness around the patients?”
“Well… now that you mention it, no.”
“A bit odd, don’t you think?”
“Err… Yes, indeed.”
I still felt enough energy to heal a second patient. Father Caldwell led me to the second-oldest patient, a sturdy-looking sailor who worked for the Amedio Consortium. This time, I resisted the influence of chaos, and healed the man. Being tougher than the artisan, he regained consciousness. He didn’t make much sense still, but at least I could understand a few words he was muttering: “visions… madness… bloated one… embrace of oblivion… chaos…”
“Can you hear me?” I asked him in a loud voice. He looked around dazedly; his gaze remained unfocused and he didn’t seem to see me. I slapped him a few times. “Hey! I’m here! Can you hear me?”
“Uhhh… Yes… What happened? Where am I?”
“You’re in the Scarlet Spire and I just saved your life. Don’t ever take any Oblivion’s Embrace again, or it will kill you! That’s what got you here in the first place! Understand?”
“… yeah… oohhh… I feel terrible….”
“Well, it’ll pass. You’re actually one of the lucky ones. You can thank me later by making a donation at the church of Umberlee. But tell me: where did you get the drug from? Who sold it to you?”
The man frowned, as if he were making a tremendous effort to focus his thoughts to answer my question. “… Uhhhh… Guy in cloak… Purple cloak… Sold it to me… in an alley…”
“What alley? Where?”
“Behind… Narrow House tavern… in… Shadowshore…”
“Thank you. You might’ve just helped us save Sasserine.”
The man in the purple cloak
My companions and I left the Scarlet Spire and headed for Shadowshore. Since we suspected things might get rough, I was wearing my brand new plate armor. It felt very heavy compared to my chain shirt, but I knew it would protect me much better. Sparkillo had even improved it with the same magic as my glamered chain shirt: I could create an illusion of any kind of clothing. I decided to opt for something that would blend in a little bit better in the local crowd. I changed the armor’s appearance to look more like a suit of black leather armor.
We searched the district for the rest of the day for any signs of the mysterious purple-cloaked man. Ulfgar and I stayed together. I was the one approaching people and asking questions, as I’m definitely more of a people-person than the surly dwarf. Lagaan investigated on his own, under the cover of his ring of invisibility.
Some time during the evening, Ulfgar and I decided to have a drink at the Narrow House. So far, we hadn’t had any luck. Suddenly, we noticed Lagaan standing at the door, gesturing for us to join him. We set down our mugs and hurried outside after him.
“Quick, I saw the guy in a cloak, he left that way! Follow me!” he said.
Ulfgar and I tried to keep up with the young rogue, who was quickly making his way through the crowd, but we were too slow. After a few dozen yards, we had to give up: we had lost sight of him in the dark streets.
He came back a few minutes later. “There you are! I told you guys to follow me!”
“We lost sight of you after you bolted ahead of us. Can’t see a thing past those blasted too-tall humans!” grumbled Ulfgar.
“What happened, Lagaan?” I asked.
“I found the guy who’s selling Oblivion’s Embrace, but he went invisible. Cast your spell to make him appear, Belessa, maybe he’s somewhere near.”
I thought it was pretty doubtful that the man would just happen to pass near us, but I cast an Invisibility Purge spell anyway, just to humor Lagaan. We walked around a bit, looking for any person who might suddenly appear out of the thin air. Indeed, at one point, a dark-cloaked man popped up from nowhere.
Lagaan shot a few arrows at him. The man screamed in pain and shock, and bolted toward a dark alley, where he vanished.
Ulfgar and I started running after him, but Lagaan shouted after us: “Guys! Stop! It’s not him! It was a different guy!”
“Why did you shoot him, then?” asked Ulfgar.
“It was a reflex…” replied Lagaan with a grin. The dwarf and I both chuckled. “Sorry about that! It thought you were someone else!” shouted Lagaan after the fleeing man.
“All right, so what happened, exactly?” I asked.
“Well, I was looking around, invisible, and finally I saw a deal taking place in the alley behind the inn. This guy in a purple cloak was selling a vial of green, syrupy liquid to another man. Oblivion’s Embrace. I followed the seller and was able to get THIS from him.” With a proud smile, Lagaan took out another bottle of green liquid from his pocket. ”Then I came to see you guys, and I dashed out after the purple-cloaked man. I caught him doing another exchange, but this time, he realized he was one potion short. That probably made him suspicious. After he did this second deal, he went invisible, and I lost track of him, obviously. That’s when I came back for you two.”
“Well done, Lagaan,” I said. “Perhaps the Witch Wardens can do a more thorough analysis of the drug with such a large sample.”
Komorius
After that, we decided to change our tactic a bit: we visited several establishments, pretending we wanted to buy some Oblivion’s Embrace. After an hour or so, we found a man willing to sell us a tiny little vial at an outrageous price. But clearly, this man wasn’t getting his supply directly from the source. I managed to convince him to reveal that he was buying it from the owner of a pawn shop, a man named Komorius.
“Oh yeah, I know that guy,” said Lagaan. “Let’s go pay him a visit.”
A few blocks away, we found ourselves in front of a pawn shop that was closed for the night. We could see, however, some lights from the windows in the back.
“I think I can get us in,” said Lagaan. “I know the secret knock…”
He tapped the door a few times, and a few moments later, it was opened by a gaunt, bald elderly man. He squinted at each of us in turn.
“Lagaan, is that you?” asked the man. “I didn’t… what do you want? I haven’t seen you in a while.”
“Yeah, I’ve been away,” replied the young rogue.
“I’ve also heard that you’ve risen in rank recently… Hmm… You look different… Can’t quite put my finger on it… Maybe older… Anyway, you wear your new rank well, lad. Well, come in, come in. I mean, I won’t let someone from the Kalanag wait outside my door.”
The Kalanag?
He looked at me and Ulfgar. “And who are those two? They’re with you?”
“Yep.”
Komorius looked me up and down, and bowed as I entered. “Not every day a nice lady like this one visits old Komorius’s establishment. A good evening to you, miss… ?”
“Belessa,” I said.
The small pawn shop was cluttered with a multitude of random items, many of which looked cheap, filthy or broken. “Please give me two minutes, I just need to take care of something in the back,” mumbled Komorius, and he disappeared behind an old curtain. Lagaan immediately turned invisible and followed him secretly.
Ulfgar and I waited for a few moments. I noticed a fresh blood stain on the floor, and pointed it out to the dwarf, wondering just what sort of business Komorius was conducting at this hour. Actually, Lagaan told me later that the old man had been dealing with the same thief he’d shot with arrows that very night. He was likely the one who’d left the blood stain in the main room.
A few minutes later, Komorius came back, and was surprised to see that Lagaan was missing. The young rogue then reappeared behind him, startling the shopkeeper. “Oh, there you are! Crazy young pup, sneaking up on me like that! You want old Komorius to die of fright, do you?”
“Maybe your eyesight isn’t as good as it used to be, old one,” said Lagaan with a smirk.
The older man grumbled. “And what can I do for you tonight?”
“We would like to buy some Oblivion’s Embrace,” I said bluntly.
“You do?” he asked me with a surprised expression.
“Yes, why? We’ve been away from town for a long time and we want to try the new stuff.”
Komorius looked uncomfortable. “Lagaan, be careful, I mean… Have you had a chat with your peers? The Kalanag clearly stated that their guys shouldn’t be indulging in that drug. That’s an order that came from high up, from what I heard.”
“Don’t worry about me,” replied Lagaan confidently.
“Well… Actually, when I saw you at my door, I thought you were coming to purchase some… valuable information. If you know what I mean.”
“What kind of information?”
“Well, maybe some of your colleagues have been disregarding the orders and have come here to buy something forbidden. I might be convinced to share some names… for the right price.”
I put my hand on his arm and asked in a charming voice: “What kind of price do you have in mind?”
Lagaan chuckled, and the old man swallowed nervously. “Oh, well, if you’re offering so nicely, young miss, I would gladly reveal what I know in exchange for a night in your company.”
“An entire night? Oh, you couldn’t afford that even if you sold us all of Sasserine’s dirtiest secrets. I don’t come cheap, you know.”
“You can spend the night with me instead, if you prefer,” suggested Ulfgar helpfully. We all burst out laughing.
“Well… then if we’re back to talking about money, I want 55 gold,” said Komorius.
I chuckled. “You see, what I just did there, touching your arm, that was 70 gold right there. So tell us what you know.”
More chuckles ensued, but eventually, Lagaan gave him the money. Komorius bit into a few coins to make sure they were made of real gold, nodded with satisfaction, and then gave us three names that Lagaan seemed to recognize. Probably some thieves from his guild. Those men had come to see Komorius in secret to buy some Oblivion’s Embrace.
“Anyway,” said Komorius, “if you guys still want to buy some, I won’t tell anyone.” He winked at us.
“You know what, I’m not so sure I want to buy some anymore,” replied Lagaan.
“We don’t want to get you in trouble,” I told the shopkeeper. “Why don’t you just tell us who sold you the drug, and we’ll deal with them directly.”
“Yeah, but if you do that, I won’t make my cut. That’s how I make a living.”
“Yes, but there are a lot of people who want to stop this specific drug’s trade. I’m sure you would be in a lot of trouble if the authorities learned that you’ve been selling it. Now, don’t worry, we don’t plan on ratting you out, but if you tell us who your contact is, it would really help us to make sure you don’t get accused of anything… due to a misunderstanding.”
The old fence looked at me and Lagaan for a long time. He also looked at Lagaan’s purse; within it, he had surely seen that there were more gold pieces waiting. “All right,” he finally said. “For three hundred gold, I’ll give you my source.”
I discussed it with my companions. We had the three hundred gold, but we didn’t want to spend it in vain. Would Komorius’s contact really be the person we were looking for? While we were hesitating, the lecherous old bastard kept staring at me. In his defense, it’s true that I looked absolutely stunning in that leather outfit.
“Well, if you don’t want to spend the money,” he finally said, “I could spend a bit of quality time with miss Belessa here. I sure hope that 300 gold could buy me more than just a rub on the arm.”
“Yeah… I guess…” I said reluctantly.
“My bed is upstairs…” said the man hopefully.
I really didn’t want to go anywhere near his bed. I approached closer to him and used all of my charm to seduce him without promising to do him any actual favors. He seemed entranced by my beauty, under the charm of every word that was coming out of my mouth. He was sweating.
I almost got him to blurt out the name, but at the last moment, he steeled himself and said: “All right, all right, I’ll tell you for one hundred gold… and a kiss!”
The two men behind me chuckled. “She’s good…” said Ulfgar.
“Way to go, Belessa!” said Lagaan with a wide grin.
I moved even closer to Komorius. We kissed, and I rubbed the front of his trousers with my hand. A few moments later, I pulled away. “Give him his hundred gold, Lagaan,” I said with a dismissive wave of my hand.
“I think I’m in love…” mumbled the old shopkeeper, who was still eyeing me while Lagaan paid him.
Lagaan then turned toward me with his money bag. “Hey, Belessa, I’ve got another hundred gold here. How about a little kiss?”
I smiled back at him sarcastically. “Oh, Lagaan, I couldn’t possibly kiss you. It might affect our friendship!”
“OK, I don’t know the guy’s exact name, so to speak,” said Komorius. But as soon as he saw our outraged expressions, he quickly added: “But I know how he contacts me! He sends a raven with a message during the day, and we meet in the alley behind my shop in the evening! It happens every other day or so. The next time he contacts me, I’ll let you guys know!”
As we got ready to leave, Komorius addressed me again. “Wait, Belessa. I, err… Now that the business transaction is over, I was wondering if perhaps you’d like to err… stay a bit longer.”
“Why would I do that?” I said with a sneer.
“Well, err…” He took out a potion from a box that was resting on a nearby shelf. “This is a potion of Alter Self. If I drank it, I could be anyone you want me to be… So what do you say, darling? Who do you want to sleep with tonight?”
“Well, it would still be you underneath the magic. I don’t think I could do it. It’s just too… creepy.”
“Come on, this potion’s worth 300 gold by itself, and I’m willing to spend it for a night of pleasure with you.”
“Oh, it wouldn’t be a night. I bet that potion only lasts for a few minutes.”
“Does it?”
“Yes,” I replied with a wicked grin. “Although in your case, a few minutes is probably plenty enough.”
My companions chuckled at the man’s frustration.
“Hey, if you give me the potion, I’ll do it,” said Ulfgar to the old shopkeeper. “It can make me look like her.”
Komorius looked at him with a disgusted expression. “What the…?”
“I would look just like her, you wouldn’t see any difference. Oh, what, would you find it creepy because you’d know it was me beneath the magic? Hmm, that’s a bit hypocritical of you, wouldn’t you say?”
“Bah!” said the man. “Come on, Belessa, just a few minutes. That’s not much to ask.”
“I have to refuse, we’re partners now, so it wouldn’t be right.”
“Ah, damn you Lagaan, why did you have to bring this hottie here? You’re lucky to have her around.”
“Yes, Lagaan is lucky to have me as a friend,” I added.
“It comes with a price, though,” said Lagaan, showing an old scar, which incidentally hadn’t been inflicted by me (not for lack of trying, though).
Komorius whistled. “Whew, feisty are we? I like that in a girl. So what do you say Belessa? Just a few minutes?”
“No. Definitely no.”
“Do you have a portrait of yourself you could sell me, then? That way, I could give the potion to one of the scrawny vixens at the Last Ditch Lovers and make her look like you.”
“Well, I know a painter named Brissa Santos, but she’s never painted me.”
“Oh yeah, I know her. She’s a good painter. I haven’t seen her in a long time.”
“She recently came back with us. We took a long trip together.”
“Well, anyway, ask her if she can…”
He was interrupted by a knock on the door. “Hmm, I’m sorry but I’ve got some other business to attend to.”
We finally left the establishment and decided to call it a night: we returned to the Pearl and Parrot.
Hammer 29th , 1376
The invisible spy
This morning, I went to see Brissa. I told her what we’d seen so far in our investigation of the drug. I also warned her to definitely NOT try that drug. She’s a woman of many vices, and would’ve been a likely candidate for that terrible affliction.
Once that was done, I returned to the Scarlet Spire and cured two more victims of Oblivion’s Embrace. A powerful priest of Lathander was also there, and cured some as well. Afterwards, I went to the Dawn Council and to the church of Umberlee, where I warned some of my closest relations about the true dangers of Oblivion’s Embrace: the transformation into beings of chaos!
For the rest of the day, Ulfgar and I investigated about the drug, but learned nothing new. That evening, at the Pearl and Parrot, Lagaan joined us. He looked quite excited.
“Good news, guys!” he said. “Komorius got word today. The man in the purple cloak is going to visit him later tonight. But there’s more. I managed to sneak into the Kellani estate, where Mr. Waterridge lives now. It’s pretty well guarded, but I was invisible. There weren’t many servants around, which I found weird. It looked more like a fortress than a manor.
“I found Waterridge in his study. He was writing some papers with another man. They spoke to each other in a dark tongue I didn’t understand… but I think it was Abyssal. After a while, the masked guy in a purple cloak entered, and talked to them in that language, too. It was the same guy I followed last night. Then Waterridge and the cloaked guy went into a creepy chapel and performed some kind of ritual. They lit up a few braziers; after a while, the flames fused together, and an ugly face appeared inside. It spoke to them in that language again. I don’t know what it said, but it looked like a really nasty entity. I think they did a divination spell of some kind.
“After that was done, the man in the cloak left and went down to a secret place in the dungeons. I followed him, and saw him change appearance into a jolly-looking merchant. He also had a raven with him… so it’s definitely our guy. I followed him all the way to Champion District. He entered a private room in an inn. I don’t know what happened there, because I couldn’t get past the curtain without being seen. After a few minutes, he came out and headed to the Cudgel District. There, he went into an alley and turned invisible. That’s the last I saw of him.”
“Good job, Lagaan!” I said.
“Let’s set up an ambush to catch this guy in the purple cloak, then,” added Ulfgar.
The Usherers of Limbo
A while later, we found ourselves in a dark alley. Komorius was waiting in the open. I was wearing Lagaan’s ring of invisibility, and he was hiding on the roof of a nearby building. Ulfgar was waiting inside a nearby hovel. Eventually, we spotted a raven flying over the alley. A few minutes later, the man in the purple cloak appeared from behind a heap of garbage, and approached Komorius to start the transaction.
But suddenly, we heard the raven’s cries from above: it had spotted Lagaan! The rogue immediately fired a few arrows at the purple-cloaked man, and Ulfgar and I ran in his direction. The man cursed and started casting a spell, but I was faster. I cast an Invisibility Purge spell, and it negated the Invisibility he’d been trying to cast. Just after that, he fell to the floor with another one of Lagaan’s arrows sticking out of his abdomen.
I quickly asked Ulfgar not to finish him off, and I stabilized his wounds. Ulfgar and Komorius searched him. The dwarf took the man’s money and potions.
“Those should be mine,” said Komorius.
“Sorry, buddy. Finders keepers,” replied Ulfgar.
The old man returned to his shop, grumbling bitterly about lost profit.
The purple-cloaked man turned out to be a half-elf with a shaved head. We knew we needed a quiet place to interrogate him. We decided to bring him on board the Sea Wyvern, which was moored close by.
Once we had him securely tied up in the hold of the ship, we brought the man back to consciousness. Obviously, his attitude was very hostile at first, but after a while, I managed to convince him that we’d let him live if he told us who was in charge of the operation.
“They’ll kill me if I reveal anything,” said the half-elf. He was speaking in Abyssal, for he trusted only me, and not my two companions. I winked discreetly at Ulfgar: his lessons in that language would come in handy now.
“We’ll protect you, don’t worry,” I assured him. “Tell us who your master is, and what his plans are.”
“I know who you are, Belessa, and I’m gonna tell you: you should leave town.”
“Why?”
“The people I work with…” the man hesitated. “Well, actually, you have a chance to join us, now that I’ve talked to you. I see that, as a priestess of Umberlee, you could help us. Umberlee can be a friend of our initiative.”
“Tell me more, I’m very interested,” I lied.
“Well, it’s complex… First, you have to be careful because those I work with asked me to contact some special assassins in the Champion District and they’re gonna be jumping you some time soon. They’re not the small stuff, we went for the very best Sasserine has to offer.“
“Congratulations on your new contract, Lagaan,” said Ulfgar, translating what had been said so far.
We chuckled. The man paled as he realized that Ulfgar had understood all that we’d said so far.
“But why did you hire those assassins?” I asked.
“Because you were getting too close.”
“How did you know?”
“The person I work with contacted our goddess to ask for guidance. What she said pointed to Trouble.”
“Which goddess is that?”
The man seemed very reluctant to speak about her. But I convinced him. “She’s the Queen of Chaos,” he finally said.
Her again! We had run into her followers before! They were the strange cult operating in secret in Fort Blackwall. We’d given them the holy scriptures that “Father Feres” had brought on board the Sea Wyvern. Some of those cultists had also imbued him with spell abilities to make him appear to be a cleric. Sparkillo had read in Conrad/Father Feres’s mind that they were purple-robed cultists operating from the sewers below the Sunrise District.
We were finally at odds with that secretive cult. I regretted the fact that we’d given them the powerful scrolls of Oblivion, which must’ve greatly increased their powers, and for what? To get Lagaan resurrected… Had it really been worth it?
It was too late to unmake that error now. But I worried about how that twisted cult could use the scrolls. With them, they were able to open gates into the realms of Chaos, to manipulate raw Chaos, a source of great power and to summon some terrible Slaads.
“My mistress and Umberlee could work together… “ continued the half-elf. “They are both powerful deities. Together, they could usher in a new age that would bring fear in the heart of the heretics.”
“True… But what would I gain from helping your cause in Sasserine?” I asked.
“Power. Great power. Our deity is very generous with her devoted followers. We are the Usherers of Limbo.” I recognized the name from the writing on the cell’s wall in the Scarlet Spire.
“I must say I’m a bit upset that you hired assassins to kill me,” I said, “because I would’ve liked to take part in that business. You might have heard that we already helped your brothers in Fort Blackwall, so this feels like a stab in the back.”
The man seemed uncomfortable. “Actually, that was a decision made by my superior.”
“Well, maybe he’s not thinking clearly. I don’t think the Queen of Chaos would appreciate that kind of incompetence among her followers.”
“If you come alone, I can bring you to our secret hideout to talk with him and clear things out.”
“No, I can’t go without my companions. We are a very tight-knit group. A team of elite adventurers.”
“I can’t bring you all there. Maybe we can contact you by magic later on?”
“Who would contact me? Does Mr. Waterridge have this power?”
The man hesitated again. “I’ll deny it if I get accused of revealing it, but Mr. Waterridge is really a cleric of the Queen of Chaos. He’s the local church leader. He’s in charge of the operation. Our grand patriarch is not in Sasserine, though.”
“Who is he?”
“I can’t tell you. Waterridge would be able to tell you.“
“All right. What about Waterridge? How powerful is he? What kind of guards does he have, are they regular human guards, or does he have chaos creatures serving him?”
“If you agree to come alone, I could bring you to our secret hideout in the sewers. And that’s where he is at night.”
I thought about it for a moment.
“You’re positive that he would be interested in having me join the initiative?”
“We know you’re very powerful, and from what you’ve just told me, you seem very interested.”
“But my friends are interested as well. We’re all in this together.”
“Do you really trust them?”
“Of course! They answer to me!”
Thankfully, Ulfgar kept a straight face.
“I don’t trust Waterridge,” I continued. “He hasn’t given me any reason to do so. I want my bodyguards to be there in case he tries anything funny.”
The man thought about it for some time. “No. I won’t do it.”
“Where is your hideout? If you’re afraid for your life, tell us where it is, and we’ll go there without endangering you.”
“All I can say is that it’s in the sewers under the Cudgel District.”
“How do we get there?”
“Like I said, I can only lead you there alone. Or, if you let me go, I’ll make sure Waterridge contacts you via Sending.”
It seemed we had reached the limit of our prisoner’s helpfulness…
Chicken tonight
“What about that raven?”
“It’s my familiar. I’m a sorcerer.”
“Where is it now?”
“Somewhere… around the city.”
Nice try, buddy…
I approached Lagaan and whispered in his ear to go take a look above decks to see if he could spot a raven spying on us. We waited for a few moments after he’d disappeared, and suddenly, the half-elf’s face contorted in pain and rage.
“What happened??” he asked.
“You shouldn’t have told your familiar to follow us like that… and then lied to me about its proximity. The little birdie knew too much; we had to take care of it.”
“You bastards!!!
“It was pretty bold of you to put your beloved familiar at risk like that. As a sorcerer, you should’ve known better. And I do not like being lied to.”
Lagaan came back down, singing happily. “I feel like chicken tonight! Chicken tonight!”. He was holding the bloody carcass of the raven in one hand. Two arrows were lodged deeply in it.
The half-elf roared at me. “B#+%%!!!!! That was my familiar!!! You killed my familiar!! You’ve been lying to me all along, haven’t you?”
I looked at him with a quizzical expression. Then, I turned to my companions and asked them nonchalantly in the Common tongue: “When was the last time we sacrificed someone to Umberlee aboard this ship? It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”
“Oh yeah, the last one was weeks ago,” said Ulfgar helpfully.
“What?? You said you were going to free me!!! Liars!!”
“Well, for a follower of the Queen of Chaos, you sure seem to expect a lot of loyalty from people around you.”
He cursed me, so I gagged him, and brought him to his feet. I dragged him with me up to the deck, drew my sacrificial dagger, and raised it above my head.
“That’s what I think of your filthy goddess!” I spat.
But just before I struck, Ulfgar intervened: “No, wait! Belessa, let’s give him one last chance to redeem himself. He can give us the location of his master’s lair!”
The man glowered at Ulfgar. He tried to spit at him, but that’s generally not a smart thing to do when one is gagged. He choked on his own spittle for a moment.
“I think he’s past listening to reason, Ulfgar.” I said.
“Oh, I was thinking more like, breaking fingers, tearing off toenails… You know, that tends to make people talk.”
“I don’t think he’s going to reveal anything else to us. At least not while he’s still alive. We can question his corpse in a few minutes, though.”
The man glowered at me, and I smiled at him one last time before cutting his throat. His warm blood spilled down on the deck of the Sea Wyvern. Umberlee was pleased.
“May this man’s soul drown for all eternity in our mistress’s watery embrace.”
I then prepared the ritual of communion, and reached out to his newly departed soul. I managed to wrench it back to our world for a brief amount of time, and I questioned it.
“Where is the entrance to your cult’s secret lair?”
“Below the Crab Pond Ale”.
That was a brewery in the Cudgel District, and Lagaan later told me this was where the man had gone invisible earlier.
“Who is Mr. Waterridge’s master?”
“The Cardinal of Limbo, Father Thergar.”
He was the man who’d resurrected Lagaan.
“Why are you spreading this drug throughout Sasserine?”
”To bring Chaos over all of Faerun.”
“Who are the assassins you’ve hired to kill us?”
“Tulrak and his band.”
I’d heard of that dangerous group before. Tulrak is a half-orc warrior, and he works with a sorceress and a priestess of Velsharoon, demigod of necromancers and liches.
“When and where will they attack?”
”As soon as they can find you.”
“What are Waterridge’s strongest minions?”
“Two Slaads.”
After I was done questioning the corpse, we dumped it into the water and discussed the next step.
We have to make sure the assassins do not catch us at the wrong time or place. We need to be ready for them. And we need to warn our companions. Sparkillo, Tyria, Brissa, Amella… They are all in great danger!
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*signs up for the Belessa Darkwave fan club*
This has been really improving lately. I think it's the more varied intereaction. For some reason I like hearing about Brissa...
Hello hello :)
I like Brissa too! I'm really psyched that we were able to save her from her terrible fate. I felt really bad for all those people who died in Kraken's Cove, I'm glad we were able to save at least one of them. Also, while we were doing There is No Honor, we heard her name mentioned, we knew she was allied with Vanthus. She was surrounded in mystery. I wanted to learn more about that woman. Would we meet her one day? Would we have to fight her? Now it feels every more special to be with her: we saved her life, and she's on our side!
On what level do you feel it has improved? Do you prefer the journal entries where there's more dialog?
Interesting name by the way very indicative of her faith. I don't remember if you went over it already but is that really her family name?
Belessa changed her last name to "Darkwave" when she became a cleric of Umberlee. She's never told her companions the last name she was given at birth (not that anyone ever asked). It was a commoner's name, which she decided to leave in the shadows of oblivion along with the abject misery of her childhood and teenage years.
Hammer 29th, 1376 (continued)
Absent friends
We decided to go warn Tyria first. We headed toward the Merchant District and found that there were still some lights on at her family’s house, despite the late hour. Lagaan approached carefully, just in case some assassins were waiting for us in ambush, but it wasn’t the case. We knocked at the door and were greeted by one of Tyria’s sisters. She informed us that Tyria left town a few days ago on her flying carpet, with the intention of visiting the nearby city of Cauldron. This was good news, since it meant the halfling was out of harm’s way, but it also meant that she wasn’t present to help us in this hour of need. We told the sister to warn Tyria about the threat of assassins once she came back, but I’m not sure the little creature took my warning seriously. Stupid halflings!
Our next stop was the Rashi estate, in the Sunrise District. The two human guards at the gate looked rather sleepy: they seemed like poor sentinels indeed. We asked to speak with Sparkillo, and the guards informed us that he had also left town recently, taking his dark-skinned wife with him. They didn’t know where he was or when he’d be back. I repeated my warning, but the guards didn’t seem to take it seriously, as though they couldn’t imagine anyone bothering to try assassinating the annoying but harmless-looking elf.
I then suggested that we should go warn Brissa, but Lagaan pointed out that assassins are very expensive. It is highly unlikely that Waterridge has paid them enough for them to waste their time killing our friends: they are only after Trouble, after all. So we decided instead to focus on trying to find out more about the assassins themselves. We returned to Shadowshore. Ulfgar and I waited in a dingy tavern for about an hour while Lagaan went to speak with his contacts. He couldn’t bring us with him, as I imagine he visited the secret headquarters of the thieves’ guild.
The whole exercise proved rather futile, as he did not learn anything truly useful: only that Tulrak was a big bad half-orc assassin who also liked to fight in the arena and might be part of Zelkarune’s Horns. Ulfgar didn’t recall seeing the half-orc at the arena, but his mind might’ve been a bit muddied by the few mugs of ale he’d drunk while we were waiting.
Below the Crab Pond Ale
We discussed what to do, and finally agreed to try to locate the secret entrance to the cult’s base in the Cudgel District. Along the way, we were hailed by a patrol of zealous watchmen, but they didn’t give us any trouble. We reached the Crab Pond Ale brewery, and looked around for what might be a secret entrance. Lagaan spotted a closed sewage tunnel near the canal. We managed to open the heavy door and to lift the metal grate that was barring the entrance, and we soon found ourselves in a dark and foul-smelling tunnel. Thankfully, a walkway led further into the shadows, so we didn’t have to walk in the sewer water.
As we got ready to explore this section of the sewers, we heard some noise from up ahead. I concealed the light of my trident with my hand. We were now in total darkness. Whoever was coming up ahead didn’t have any light either. I wondered whether they were creatures who could see in darkness.
My two companions walked forward carefully, and suddenly, I heard a screech and a curse in dwarven. Clearly, something had attacked Ulfgar, and that thing wasn’t human! I heard the sound of Ulfgar fighting the being, as well as a rumbling of water ahead of me. As I uncovered it, the light of my magical weapon showed me that six openings in the walls on either side of the sewer tunnel were now spilling large quantities of water into the main sewage canal. It would be very difficult for me to go through them on the walkway, so I decided to cast an Air Walk spell so I could hover over the central canal.
As I ventured further along the dark and odorous corridor, I saw Lagaan get attacked by a wicked, pale creature with long tentacles for arms. The monster hissed at the thief, revealing rows of sharp teeth that gleamed under the light of my trident. Strangely enough, the creature was sticking to the ceiling with one of its tentacles. With the other, it managed to grapple Lagaan, who stood helpless against the monster. I couldn’t see Ulfgar, but heard that he was fighting two other such monsters further down the tunnel, around a corner.
I hurried to Lagaan’s side and cast a Freedom of Movement spell on him. He drew his rapier and stabbed the creature, whose black blood dripped down to the ground. Then, from around the corner, I heard Ulfgar call out my name:
“Belessa! They’ve got me to! I could use some divine intervention here!”
I started by casting a Freedom of Movement on myself, blocking attacks from the pale creature’s tentacle with my shield. Lagaan moved away, also clinging upside-down to the ceiling with his magical slippers, and he shot an arrow at our attacker.
I rounded the corner into a large room and saw that our dwarven ally was totally grappled by two more of those monstrosities. I approached to help him, but the first creature jumped down to attack me, and viciously slashed me with its tentacles. Concentrating through the pain, I touched Ulfgar and channeled my energy into him, also granting him Freedom of Movement.
Once he was free, the dwarf roared a challenge at his attackers, and killed one of them with his axe. The monster next to me shrieked in pain as a few more of Lagaan’s arrows lodged themselves in its body, but again, it whipped me painfully with a tentacle. I could feel my blood flowing from the wounds I’d suffered and I furiously stabbed the creature with my trident. It squealed from the pain, and was damaged even more by Ulfgar, who’d come to help me, as his other assailant had retreated to the ceiling, out of reach of his axe.
Lagaan pierced my foe with a few more arrows, and it dove in the water to try to escape us. But I’d suffered too much to let it escape: the freak deserved to die! Walking over the stinky water of the sewer, I followed it, and pierced it mercilessly with my trident. Once I was sure it was thoroughly dead, I turned around and let its carcass flow away. I returned to the room just in time to see the last monster being slain by my two companions.
We had all sustained grievous wounds from those terrible monsters. Chokers, they are called, foul-spirited monsters which lurk in the shadows and prey on the unwary. Who could ever feel safe in Sasserine anymore, knowing that such horrors live in its sewers?
It seemed that the creatures were somehow allied with the cult of chaos. The room where we’d fought them contained a boat, obviously used for smuggling, as it could fit into the entrance we’d used on our way in, and navigate straight into the city’s canals. There were also some boxes which contained some merchandise which likely belonged to the cultists, as well as some weapons and equipment that had probably been the property of a group of adventurers. Clearly, those poor fools had perished where we had been victorious. We took their stuff.
I healed our wounds with a combination of my own prayers, and some of my wands. After about five minutes, we were almost as good as new. Among the treasure, we found a magical cloak and a potion. There was also a symbol of Talos, lord of Storms and ruler of the Gods of Fury: Auril, Malar and Umberlee. Although my goddess serves Talos, I was pleased to know that here, one of her priestesses had succeeded where a servant of Talos had failed!
By looking at the corpses of the chokers, we saw signs that they’d been using Oblivion’s Embrace. We also found some levers in the room, which had activated the flow of water in the entrance tunnel. It had now stopped, and everything was quiet once more.
The cult’s hideout
We explored this area of the sewers and found two tunnels that led further into the darkness, away from the Crab Pond Ale area; two storage rooms containing equipment for the maintenance of the sewers; and one door leading up to a room filled with huge cylinders, which we later found out belonged to the shop of a gnome tinker. In his shop, machines were used to automatically clean cloth, and the valves the chokers used were really meant as overflow safeguards for the water reserves. The gnome had no link to the cult or the brewery, and appeared oblivious that his “tools” also served as a trap.
In one of the storage rooms, Lagaan found a secret door that led to a short tunnel. In that tunnel, the unfortunate rogue fell prey to a nasty trap which dumped him into a pit filled with rusty spikes, and fired poisonous darts at him when he tried to climb back. The young man was fuming by the time he came back up. I tried not to chuckle at his misfortune, and healed him from the poison’s numbing effect instead.
Beyond the trapped hallway, we reached a larger storage room which contained many barrels of ale. To our left, a stairway led upstairs, to what was likely the ground floor of the Crab Pond Ale brewery itself. A door also stood in the far wall. Ulfgar, of course, insisted on tasting the contents of some barrels. “Hmm, good stuff!” he said contentedly.
Lagaan then started examining the far door for traps, but suddenly, it opened, and the nimble rogue had to jump out of the way to avoid being crushed by the enormous sharp-fanged creature that jumped out of it! I immediately understood that this was one of the Slaads that the dead sorcerer’s soul had spoken of. I’d become somewhat familiar with them when I’d read the scrolls of chaos that we’d found in Father Feres’s belongings last year. The monster looked like a giant toad-like humanoid with dark red skin. I could vaguely see another such creature lurking in the room beyond, and with it was a fat man dressed in purple robes over a bulky armor: it was Waterridge, that swine!
The first Slaad hopped and landed in the middle of our group, where it croaked sonorously. The sound was nearly deafening, and might’ve stunned lesser mortals, but we all shrugged off the effect. Chanting one of Umberlee’s deadliest prayers, I gathered an orb of blackness around my right fist, and rushed towards Waterridge. I went through the door and entered a small chapel decorated with a huge symbol of the Chaos Queen. I placed my hand on my enemy’s massive shoulder and unleashed the destructive energy into his body.
Nothing.
The man’s eyes met mine and he gave me a disturbing smile; a smile of pure insanity. His madness was now clearly apparent. How could the people of the Dawn Council have missed it for so long? The fools!
The man was somehow immune to my deadliest spell. Either he’d protected himself from death magic before the fight, or… he wasn’t a living creature anymore… Could this be the reason he always wore a ridiculous amount of perfume? Now that I was close to him, the reek of it filled my nostrils. Was this only used to mask the scent of a long-dead corpse?
Waterridge tried to cast a spell on the defensive, but failed. Meanwhile, I heard a terrible cry of agony behind me, and noticed that Lagaan had assassinated the first Slaad from behind with his rapier. I blocked some attacks from the second Slaad with my shield, and then stepped back into the storage room to let Ulfgar approach Waterridge and his bodyguard. The dwarf smashed his axe against Waterridge’s mace, and the fat man dropped the weapon to the ground with a yelp.
The priest of chaos recovered from the shock quickly and cast a Freedom of Movement spell on himself, while Ulfgar blocked attacks from the Slaad. While I debated using my holy symbol to try and control Waterridge, in case he was indeed an undead, I heard sounds of reinforcements coming from the stairway. Three men burst into the basement and attacked me. They were dressed in purple robes and wielded wooden clubs. They struck uselessly: they were weaklings and I barely felt the impact of their blows against my mighty magical armor.
Ignoring those pitiful attacks, I focused my will into another deadly spell, and cast a Freezing Sphere into the chaos chapel. Waterridge and his Slaad were both badly frozen by the burst. Waterridge called out to the Chaos Queen and discharged a Slay Living spell of his own on Ulfgar. Thankfully, the mighty warrior resisted the unholy energy and survived. He struck Waterridge several times with his icy dwarven axe. “Take that, you stinky freak!” he roared.
One of the men around me fell to the ground with a groan, one of Lagaan’s arrows sticking out of his eye socket. Those cretins weren’t dangerous, but annoying like flies, so I grabbed my trident and stabbed one of them, ending his miserable life in a quick but bloody fashion.
I heard Waterridge cast another Slay Living on the brave Ulfgar. Thank Umberlee, though, he survived again! He is truly a heroic warrior. Lagaan closed the door leading to the room so he could get a clear shot at the last cultist. “Don’t move Belessa, or I might hit you!”
He fired two arrows which hit the ruffian squarely in the chest, dropping him; his third arrow almost hit ME, but thankfully bounced off my shield. I’ll assume that it was merely clumsiness on the foolish thief’s part – but for a moment, I thought I read disappointment in his eyes that I hadn’t gotten wounded by his arrow.
Before I could yell at him, though, the door once again opened violently toward us, and Lagaan had to jump out of the way for a second time. A third Slaad then appeared close to us in the storage room, and it attacked me savagely, stepping over the bloody corpses of the cultists in doing so. Its teeth closed over the shoulder plate of my armor, and although they didn’t pierce the enchanted metal, the pressure was extremely painful, and I only managed to pull back after a few moments. Damnation, Waterridge’s bodyguard had summoned one of its peers from the far reaches of Limbo!
I was in deadly peril facing this new monster, but I knew that Ulfgar was in greater danger still. Despite his incredible dwarven constitution, he would eventually fail to resist Waterridge’s unholy prayers. I focused on a new spell and created a zone of Silence in the chaos chapel. A few of Lagaan’s arrows pierced the hide of the hideous outsider that attacked me, and I succeeded in blocking its attacks. My trident pierced its flesh, and to my relief, Ulfgar soon appeared at my side and finished off the monstrosity. That meant he’d slain Waterridge and the other Slaad as well!
I saw that Lagaan rushed into the chaos chapel. Before following him, I realized that the summoned Slaad’s wounds were slowly regenerating. I approached its head and plunged my trident deep inside its throat, slaying it for good.
Then I joined my companions in the dark chapel, where they were locked in combat with the Slaad that had protected Waterridge. It had apparently risen again after being slain by Ulfgar the first time. It bit Lagaan, but was finally put down permanently by the two men’s efforts.
Waterridge’s secret
I cancelled the silence, and healed our wounds. My heart swelled with elation as I gazed at the prone, bloated body of Waterridge, lying on the floor right next to his goddess’s altar. While Ulfgar was busy chopping off the head of one of the Slaads to keep as a trophy, I examined the corpse of the vile cleric. He had changed in death: he still looked somewhat like the Waterridge I’d known, but now he appeared as though he’d been dead for several weeks. His eyes were rolled back inside their sockets, his skin was a sickly shade of gray, and worms were crawling in and out of his mouth.
I believe that he was one of the undead called “corpse creatures”. They are a form of intelligent zombies: someone who got animated in death by a spell so potent that they kept their mind and abilities as they had in life. He was truly a deadly foe, and I am glad we destroyed him. We searched his corpse and robbed him of his magical items. Among them was a scroll of Flame Strike which I decided to keep for myself.
We searched the altar and the room itself, but didn’t find anything very interesting, except the golden symbol of the Chaos Queen engraved into the wall. The thing was only plated in gold, though, and would’ve been impractical to remove. We decided to leave it there.
A door in the chapel led us to Waterridge’s office, as well as a few cells. They were all empty, except one which contained the remains of a Chaos Beast. In the office, we found several bottles of Oblivion’s Embrace. I took a few of them to show them to the authorities, and I also decided to keep one of the bottles for myself, just in case I ever need it to get rid of a particularly annoying person. Like Liamae… Or Lavinia… or… well, let’s just say there are a lot of candidates I could use it on.
We then went through the papers on Waterridge’s desk. After a few minutes, we found a letter that was quite pertinent to the current situation. It was from Father Thergar, who’d recently sent a shipment of drugs to Waterridge. He said that another shipment would arrive in one month. This message indicated that he and his acolyte, brother Korvosan, were currently located at the crypts of Kazug-Val.
We did not know what those crypts were… But I feared that they were linked to the scrolls that we’d given the cult in Blackwall Keep…
Afterwards, we searched the rest of the complex. Upstairs was the Crab Pond Ale brewery, which looked normal enough for a place that had been run by cultists of chaos. We searched their rooms, as well as a room with black feathers in it that must’ve been that of the sorcerer we killed. We also found several thousand pieces of silver that had belonged to the cult. Now, they belong to us…
It was late in the night by then. The two men were getting tired, and I had used many of my spells. They suggested sleeping in the brewery, but I was worried that perhaps the assassins would ambush us there. Finally, they convinced me, and we slept upstairs, with Ulfgar taking the first watch.
Hammer 30th, 1376
Trouble wins again
After sleeping only two hours, thanks to my ring of sustenance, I woke up refreshed, and took Ulfgar’s place standing watch. Slowly, I saw the sun start to rise through a window. Less than an hour after that, a knock came from downstairs. Someone was at the main door!
I roused the two men, and we went downstairs carefully, ready for an attack. Thankfully, though, it was only an innkeeper who’d come to buy two kegs of beer. We gave them to him, he paid us, and went on his way. Ulfgar and Lagaan were thrilled at making such an easy profit, and started discussing about taking ownership of the brewery. In a way, it’s true that it would make a good base of operation for Trouble when we’re in Sasserine, since it’s got that nice underground complex with access to the sewers.
But for the same reason, I fear it would make a terrible base of operations, because the cultists in Blackwall Keep likely know about the secret entrance. They could use it to sneak up on us.
Later in the morning, we went to castle Teraknian, where the Dawn Council presides, and informed the authorities that we’d slain those responsible for the traffic of Oblivion’s End. They were shocked when we told them that Mr. Waterridge had been behind it all, and had been an undead monster who worshipped the Queen of Chaos. As expected, they didn’t fully believe us, but we led a patrol of guards, as well as two magistrates, back to the brewery, where we showed them the evidence.
An emergency meeting of the council was called this afternoon, which Ulfgar, Lagaan and I attended. I stood before the city’s lords and ladies and told them of our investigation and battles. Our efforts were applauded by all, and we were praised for our bravery.
Of course, there remains the matter of Father Thergar, the rest of the cult of chaos and those mysterious ‘crypts of Kazug-Val’. The council assured us that they would assign some experts to try to locate that place.
Neldrak Lorchester came down from his seat to stand by my side, and he faced the entire council.
“Sister Belessa Darkwave of the church of Umberlee has done a great service for Sasserine this day. On many occasions, she has shown great devotion and love for our beloved city, risking her life in its defense. She took part in dismantling the thieves’ guild known as the Lotus Dragons, she informed the Council of the fall of Fort Greenrock, she helped re-open the trade route to the colony of Farshore, and most recently, helped save that colony from annihilation at the hands of the Crimson Fleet. For all of these reasons, I motion for her to be awarded with the position of Scion of Sasserine.”
I was delighted to see that the Council voted in favor of granting me this honorary title. With it, I am now considered a minor Sasserine Noble! My companions and I were also rewarded with a large sum of money, which made the whole deal even sweeter.
But despite this honor, the threat of assassination still loomed over our heads. I spent the evening with my companions at the Pearl and Parrot. I invited Brissa to come sleep with me for safety. She brought all of her things to my room and she will stay here for now, so one of us can keep watch at all times.
Midwinter, 1376
The Midwinter celebration
This morning, we visited the house of Tyria’s family, only to find out that our halfling companion had not yet returned. We asked her father to help us to identify and sell some of the treasure we’d found in this latest adventure. As it turns out, one of Tyria’s sisters – I forget her actual name – has some skill with magic, and identified the items. We sold the rest to her father, and now we’re all several thousand gold pieces richer!
There’s only one piece of treasure that Tyria’s father didn’t think he could sell: Waterridge’s mace. That weapon is imbued with powerful negative energy. It could cause great harm against followers of the so-called “Good” religions. With an impish smirk, Lagaan suggested that I keep it, and I considered it for a moment, but I prefer using a trident, Umberlee’s sacred weapon, and I worry that carrying the unholy weapon would draw undue attention from light-worshipping zealots in my direction.
I did not have to bother going to the Scarlet Spire today, as the Council assigned priests of other religions to go cure the victims of Oblivion’s End. So much the better: I won’t have to waste my most powerful spells healing some stinking low-lives anymore.
I had lunch with Lagaan, Ulfgar and Brissa. We’re trying to remain together in case the assassins decide to ambush us. Once again, the two men talked excitedly about buying the brewery. They learned from the magistrates at Castle Teraknian that they could buy the place for about fifteen thousand gold pieces. They calculated that within seven to ten years, they could regain that money and start making a profit.
They offered me to invest in the business with them, but I declined. We’re going back to Farshore soon, and I don’t know if I’ll even be in Sasserine in seven to ten years. Hell, with your line of work, we might all be long dead in seven to ten years! But they decided to spend the money and officially become the co-owners of the place.
That evening, we were all invited to a party for the Midwinter holiday at Lady Arabani’s manor. We went warily, just in case the assassins decided to attack us that night. I wore my plate armor, transformed into an elegant ball gown, while Lagaan and Ulfgar wore their regular armors (which at least, they had bothered to clean up). I would’ve preferred to attend the event with a man at my side, but alas my dear Manthalay was hundreds of miles away. I briefly considered going with Lagaan, but of course, the thief went with his dumpy girlfriend, the insufferable Liamae. Ulfgar and Brissa were also there.
I mingled with a great many people that night, many of whom congratulated me and my companions for our valiant efforts to save the city. As could be expected, a few of the well-wishers were hopefully young fops who dared to try to seduce me. They all failed miserably; none of them came even remotely close to catching my fancy. They were rebuffed, and Brissa and I had some good laughs at their expense.
Every now and then, I caught a glimpse of Lavinia further in the crowd. She had also come alone to the party. I wonder why it was that she, Brissa and I were all alone that night. Had neither of us been able to find a suitable man for the evening? Was there such a tremendous shortage of eligible bachelors in Sasserine?
Or is it that Lady Vanderboren does not fancy the company of men? I saw her on several occasions chatting with a beautiful young blonde who was perhaps not even twenty summers yet. I thought I recognized her as a member of the Lidu family. Was Lavinia just socializing with a fellow noblewoman, or was there something… juicier going on?
Alturiak 1st, 1376
Lagaan and Ulfgar went to the Crab Pond Ale this morning. They wanted to start cleaning it up. I spent most of the day in prayers at the temple of Umberlee. Last night’s festivities have totally drained me of energy: I need some time by myself…
I joined my companions for dinner at the Pearl and Parrot tonight. We still haven’t been attacked by the assassins, and Lagaan suggested that they are likely not going to come after us. If they meant to attack us, they would’ve done so by now. They probably heard that their employers have been slain by now, so there’s no monetary incentive for them to come after us. I’d also like to think that maybe they realized that confronting us would be very dangerous, but I may never know.
Alturiak 3rd, 1376
Still feeling very glum, I’ve spent two more days at the temple of Umberlee, lost in reflection and prayers.
I’ve tried to look at my life with some kind of perspective. I’ve recently gained a great deal of prestige, and I’ve become very popular in Sasserine. That’s something I’ve strived for since I arrived in the city. And yet, in the past few days, I’ve avoided everyone, and sought solitude. Why? Why do I sabotage myself like this?
Is it because, deep down, I realize how much I hate most people? That I have no desire to engage in boring conversation with them? To pretend to care about their meaningless lives?
No, for the time being, I just wanted to stay within the confines of our dark temple. I limited my contact to my brothers and sisters of the faith. I even managed to sell Waterridge’s unholy mace to one of them.
Feeling especially morose today, I bought several small caged animals at the market, and I had them brought over to the temple. Then, one by one, I fed them to the sacred sharks in the central pool of our church. The mighty beasts swam close to the surface and snapped hungrily at the defenseless critters, crushing them in their merciless jaws.
The spectacle of death cheered me up somewhat, and my thoughts turned back toward Zebula… That foul pervert! Now that Waterridge was dead, he alone stood in the way of my beloved Manthalay’s rulership of the Azure District. I desperately wanted to see the nobleman dead… but how? Slaying him was not a problem for a woman of my power, but making it look like an accident was…
Alturiak 4th, 1376
The second bastard
Today, Lagaan and Ulfgar finally found what they think is the right person to manage their new establishment and to brew their beer: a fat dwarven woman who stinks of beer. I was briefly introduced to the rough midget when I went to pay the men a visit this morning.
While I was there, Lagaan drew me to the side, looking more serious than usual.
“What’s the matter, Lagaan?” I asked.
“Well… “ said the thief hesitantly. “I’d like to ask you a favor, Belessa. I know that you have some sort of link to Umberlee, and that you can ask her for divine guidance…”
“Indeed, I can.”
“Well, I’ve been wondering for a long time… Who my father is… Do you think you could help me?”
I looked at him, and for once, I could relate to how he felt. I’ve never known my father either. A few years ago, once I became wise enough to understand Umberlee’s divinations, I asked my goddess the same question. Unfortunately, in my case, the answer had been disappointing: my father apparently died while I was a child. I will never have the chance to meet him.
Not that it matters. The man was probably just another dirty pirate who enjoyed a few reasonably-priced minutes of pleasure in my mother’s bed.
“Yes, Lagaan. I can help you. We will ask Umberlee together.”
We went to a side room and I gathered a few things to perform the ceremony. I filled a large bowl with clear water, and lit up some incense that I placed on a table, around the bowl. Lagaan and I sat across from each other. I drew my sacrificial dagger with one hand, and took hold of one of Lagaan’s hands with the other.
“I need some of your blood. It won’t hurt much,” I assured him.
The rogue glared back warily, but did not pull away. I cut his finger gently, and poured a trickle of blood into the bowl. Then, I closed my eyes and chanted the oracular prayers. I moved my hands in circles over the blood-tainted water, my voice rising and falling.
Eventually, I opened my eyes and gazed into the liquid. It swirled before my trance-enhanced vision, and words took form within my mind. I spoke those words out loud so that Lagaan could hear them as well:
“Past the ocean of many perils,
On the island, at the heart of the island,
Among danger, at the heart of danger,
Awaits a bastard with knowledge of a bastard’s father,
For he knows about his only friend.”
The young man frowned. “Huh? What does it mean?”
“I think you’re the second bastard,” I replied.
Lagaan thought about this for a few moments. “On the island, huh? Well, that’s weird… It’s really as if I were meant to return to that island.”
“I think we all are…”
Cause and effect
Some time in the afternoon, my companions and I were summoned before the Dawn Council again. There, Lord Lorchester informed us that their cartographers had located the mysterious crypts of Kazug-Val: they stood in the Peaks of Flame, past many miles of jungle to the south of Sasserine, but only about two days’ walk from Fort Blackwall.
Of course! How could I have forgotten? It was even mentioned in my journal! Only two weeks into our epic journey the previous summer, I had written:
"I’m done reading the fascinating scroll that we found in Conrad’s chest. The whole text is written in Abyssal, which thankfully, I understand. It contains a complex map of the various nodes in which portals to Limbo can be opened, throughout all of Faerun. The closest one is relatively near us, deep inside the jungle of the Chult Peninsula, two days’ walk from Fort Blackwall. The scroll describes the rituals necessary to activate those nodes into gates. It also describes ways to manipulate the raw Chaos of the universe to allow one to summon powerful Slaads unto the Prime Material Plane."
When we gave the cultists the Chaos Scrolls in exchange for Lagaan’s resurrection, I had regrets about parting with such powerful scriptures. I worried that we were giving them a powerful weapon that might allow them to threaten the entire world! And as is often the case, I was right.
At that time, losing the scrolls in exchange for Lagaan’s life had seemed like a bad deal. I would’ve rather he remained dead. After all, I thought we could’ve easily replaced him, as sneak thieves are a dime a dozen in Shadowshore.
But over the last months, my opinion of him has changed. And that opinion got reinforced today by the divination. Although the obnoxious young man drives me crazy sometimes with his taunts, I have to admit that he is very brave and skilled to have survived all of the dangers we’ve been through together. And, like me, his destiny seems strangely linked to that island. Are our fates intertwined?
I do not know for sure. But now, I feel that perhaps we did well to bring Lagaan back to life last summer.
We cannot, however, let the cultists use the knowledge they have gained in the scrolls we’ve given them. Already, they’ve almost wiped out Sasserine through Waterridge’s efforts. Who knows what other horrors they can bring forth from Limbo by opening a portal within the crypts of Kazug-Val?
Lord Lorchester informed us that the place was once a shrine of Myrkul, the old god of death. Myrkul died during the times of trouble, nearly twenty years ago, and was replaced by Kelemvor. Perhaps now that his influence has waned, the cultists of the Queen of Chaos have been able to defile this forgotten temple for their own sinister needs?
We swore an oath to the council that we would journey to the crypts and defeat the chaos cultists. I worry that Father Thergar will prove a more dangerous enemy than Waterridge, and he will likely be protected by more minions as well. It seems like a daunting task for just the three of us… But Tyria and Sparkie, those lazy buffoons, are nowhere to be found, and are both ignoring my Sending spells! Blast them!
As I meditate in preparation for tomorrow’s adventure, my thoughts turn back to Korvosan, the handsome cultist who made love to me during my stay at Fort Blackwall. I wonder if I will face him in combat tomorrow…
Alturiak 5th, 1376
Fast as the wind
During a good part of the day today, Lagaan, Ulfgar and I flew at high speed over the thick green jungle of the Chult Peninsula. We had taken the form of translucent clouds, and the magical wind of my Wind Walk spell was pushing us south, toward the Flame Peaks. Our goal was simple: to slay all of the chaos cultists present in the crypts of Kazug-Val!
We will get no monetary reward for this act of heroism. Instead, I know that the Dawn Council will owe us a big favor for taking care of this issue. We might use that to our advantage later on.
Apparently, word of our victory over the cultists in Sasserine has spread like wildfire, and we are known as saviors throughout the city. A gnome alchemist has even approached Ulfgar and asked him to collect some special mushrooms in the crypts of Kazug-Val. I wonder how a lowly commoner has come to hear of this secret location which we ourselves only heard about yesterday…
It’s a miracle that I managed to drag my two drunken out of their brewery this morning. It really took a mission of great importance to force them to leave its confines. When I went to fetch them, they merrily asked me to taste their first, brand new beer. It was dark brown and actually tasted quite good.
“We’re calling it Belessa’s Best!” said Lagaan joyfully.
“Why, thank you, I’m honored.”
“Yes, we decided to call it like that because it’s dark and bitter. You know. Dark, like you. And bitter, like you.”
I rolled my eyes. “You know, you really didn’t have to mention that last part…”
The day was uncomfortably warm, and rainy. I’d protected each of us with an Endure Elements spell. I didn’t want my allies to be sweating and stinking like pigs.
Far below us, every now and then, we caught glimpses of the jungle’s inhabitants in clearings. We saw various kinds of forest beasts. At some point, we also saw some dark-skinned savages cooking an unfortunate explorer. I couldn’t tell for sure due to the distance and the speed at which we were going, but I had the impression that I recognized the tall, skinny shape that was being roasted: the ranger Kanyakumari, who had fought with the rest of us aboard the Blue Nixie in the very first few days of Trouble. Maybe he should’ve stayed with us after all.
After several hours, we reached the Flame Peaks, which are extremely high volcanoes. We went around them, for we knew the crypts of Kazug-Val opened on their southern side. We eventually spotted the landmarks that Lord Lorchester’s cartographers had described, and we floated down to the ground, where we regained our solid form.
The crypts’ guardian
A cavern opening led into the crypts, not far from us, beyond a small patch of jungle. Lagaan went ahead, invisible, to explore. After but a few moments, Ulfgar and I heard the sounds of a massive beast lumbering out of the dark cavern. It had probably smelled Lagaan. We heard the surprised thief say: “Oh, bugger” and we knew he would need our help.
The dwarf and I rushed forward and ran into a degenerate monster. It looked like a gigantic, white-furred gorilla with two heads and eight arms. It bared its fangs in rage, and we saw that its muscular body was covered with sores that oozed a thick green liquid that looked strangely like Oblivion’s Embrace.
Ulfgar and I rushed the beast and stabbed it with our weapons. Lagaan reappeared behind it, having also pierced it with his rapier. With twin roars of rage, the monster flailed left and right with its many appendages. Both of its heads tried to bite me, but I blocked them with my magical shield. Ulfgar and Lagaan were not so fortunate, as they got painfully clawed by the beast, who tore off their armors.
Lagaan couldn’t fight in his dirty way against that monster, because it was able to see all around itself due to its two heads. But that didn’t prevent Ulfgar from chopping them off with his mighty axe, and soon, the terrible animal lay at our feet, slain by the warrior.
I healed my companions; thankfully, I was able to mend the straps of their broken armor with simple spells, and soon they were good as new.
We entered the dark cave that led into the crypts of Kazug-Val. I lit the way with my magical trident. The walls on both sides of us were filled with many small niches which each contained a skull.
Lagaan chuckled at the sight. “How original!” he said.
The ground slowly sloped down, and we walked for a long distance. That meant that the rest of our enemies had likely not heard the battle against the mutated ape. That came as a relief.
The idol of Myrkul
Eventually, we entered a gigantic cavern. Beyond a few ruined buildings was an underground river, and further stood the broken remains of an immense pyramid. More impressive still, the statue of a colossal skeleton bearing a scythe and a stone orb had crashed down from the top of the pyramid, on top of which it had most likely once stood perched. It was certainly an idol of the dead god Myrkul, and it must have been a wondrous and dreadful sight to behold when the temple had still been active.
To our right, more ruined buildings stood, but that whole area was covered by a thick forest of mushrooms.
“Maybe we can find some of the mushrooms that the gnome Blizker asked us to find,” said Ulfgar. “Apparently, they smell like onions. He said he’d give us fifty gold for each one we manage to bring back.”
“We can look for them on our way out,” I replied. “I’d rather focus on the cultists for now.”
Carefully, we approached the pyramid. We saw a large crack in its side, which was illuminated by what seemed like magical light. But as we got closer, the enormous skeleton statue animated and attacked us! The gigantic scythe fell toward Ulfgar. The dwarf ducked out of the way at the last moment, but he had almost gotten killed!
“What the hell is this??” he roared.
“I don’t know!” I replied, “Probably some kind of animated object… But let’s find refuge inside the pyramid!”
We ran for our lives as the scythe continued to strike at us mercilessly. A single hit from the titanic blade would’ve surely cleaved us in two, but by some divine intervention, we made it alive inside the pyramid.
Thergar’s minions
Unfortunately, we did not have time to rest from our near-death encounter, for we saw in the darkness ahead of us several shapes moving in our direction. It seemed that we were in an old shrine of Myrkul, and I felt that it was unhallowed. The four creatures soon came out of the shadows, and they were hideous to behold: ravaged human corpses which each had a fat, glistening purple worm growing inside of their entrails, and writhing all the way up to their mouths, sticking out like a vile tongue. Worse still, we recognized two of them as people we’d met in Blackwall Keep last summer!
These creatures were Mohrgs, a terrible form of undead, and I was sure that they’d been created by Father Thergar. He must’ve grown quite bold indeed to start making such powerful undead from the local populace. Something tells me that a dark fate has likely befallen the community of Blackwall Keep. But of course, it’s only my intuition speaking – I have no proof I can bring before the Dawn Council.
Ulfgar charged the two monsters on the right, and the two on the left rushed Lagaan. We couldn’t retreat, because the animated statue still waited outside. I tried to rebuke the Mohrgs, but even with the ancient unholy aura that still permeated the place, it was very difficult, and I only succeeded in halting a single one on the fourth attempt. I also had to use a Freedom of Movement spell on Lagaan, who got paralyzed by one of the foul things’ slug-like tongues. I kept him alive as the monsters mercilessly bashed him. Eventually, Ulfgar ended up slaying most of the creatures by himself.
Panting, we rested briefly from the ordeal, and I healed everyone’s wounds. Those had been terrible guardians: Father Thergar had defended this place well. We explored the pyramid. The room in which we’d fought still had an old, mostly intact altar to Myrkul. A rope was attached to it, and it led down a crevasse that opened in the center of the shrine. We saw green lights at the bottom, fifty feet below, and guessed that our foes awaited there.
The rest of the level was almost completely destroyed. We found one room with a bedroll and guessed that one armored person had slept there recently. Another room held crates that bore the crest of Lord Dracktus, Sasserine’s shadiest noble. Another one contained only the broken skeleton of a giant in black robes.
It seemed that the next step was to go down. Lagaan turned invisible, and took a gaseous form thanks to our Wind Walk spell, which was still active. He returned a minute later and looked rather worried.
“There’s a huge disgusting fat guy down there,” he said. “There are five robed cultists with him. I wonder if one of them is Father Thergar… But it should be safe for us all to go down: there’s nobody in the cavern directly below the rope.”
The Bloated One
We all resumed our gaseous forms and floated down to the cavern floor below. We hid in the shadows, and indeed, we saw that in the next room, which was illuminated by green lights, sat a monstrously fat creature before which stood several robed and hooded figures.
The enormous thing was hideous, and at first, I wondered what kind of freak it was: it seemed that it had once been human, a man so horribly mutated that he had ballooned to a hundred times his original weight, until he became a bloated, disgusting heap of flabby flesh. But suddenly, I gasped in horror, for I finally recognized the man it had once been: brother Korvosan, who, the previous summer, had still looked like a handsome man in perfect physical condition.
What had happened to him? Had he voluntarily submitted himself to this terrible transformation, or had Father Thergar imposed it on him? My mind reeled as I tried to picture how someone could venerate a power that would so drastically corrupt their very being.
I was also reminded of the drawings of the insane patient at the Scarlet Spire in Sasserine. He had drawn a crude likeness of the now-deformed Brother Korvosan, and had written that “the bloated one” was coming…
Brother Korvosan’s cave was filled with a greenish mist that smelled strongly of Oblivion’s Embrace, and all around him, a deep circle was carved into the ground of the cave, and it was filled with the green liquid. We saw that the substance seemed to ooze out of Korvosan’s very body. That’s how the drug was created! I bet it would’ve been a lot less popular if people had known about that…
After observing the room for a few moments, we decided to attack by surprise. I quietly summoned a powerful air elemental, and we launched our offensive.
Unfortunately, it seemed to go horribly wrong, through no fault of our own.
The arrows that the invisible Lagaan shot at one of the cultists did not strike their intended target… but rather, struck Lagaan himself in the back, almost killing him. My elemental rushed inside the cave to attack other cultists, and vanished before our eyes. Ulfgar charged into the room, but suddenly stopped, howling in pain as scarabs clawed their way out of his eye sockets. Blood flowed down his face and trickled down into his beard, and the dwarf flailed wildly in front of himself with his axe: he was now blind!
I cast a Silence spell into the room to try to prevent the cultists and the Bloated One from casting spells, but it seemed to have no effect. The cultists were in fact mindless zombies, and the Bloated One wasn’t speaking or trying to cast spells, just silently laughing at the scene. Lagaan ran forward and tried to shoot more arrows at the huge monster, but every arrow he fired hit him instead. He was now severely bleeding from the various arrow wounds.
I rushed forward to try and cure Ulfgar’s blindness, but by some mysterious magic, I ran and ran through the green mist permeating the room, only to find myself back where I had started, at the entrance of the cave. I couldn’t even get to my companions to protect them! The whole thing felt like a terrible nightmare. And the reason for that is that… it was. But we only found out later.
Before I could do anything else, I felt a terrible pain inside my head, and just like Ulfgar, I felt some beetles crawl out of my eyes. A shudder comes over me as I recall this terrible feeling, and I prefer not to dwell upon it in greater detail in this journal of mine. Thankfully, I was not blinded as Ulfgar was; but as my vision returned, I saw that the groaning corpses of the cultists were now massing before me, and they tried to claw at my flesh. I defiantly presented the symbol of the twin waves of Umberlee before them, and commanded them to attack the Bloated One. Obediently, they turned against their former master, and strangely, Ulfgar attacked the monster as well as if he were a zombie.
By then, Lagaan had limped back to my side, and I cured all of his wounds with a single, powerful Heal spell. Suddenly, somehow, Ulfgar was at our side as well, but instead of attacking the Bloated One, he sank his axe into Lagaan’s back.
“Damnit, Ulfgar!!!” roared the rogue. “That’s ME!”
And then, it seemed we returned to reality. We were still in the green-haze-filled cavern, but the zombies were gone. Instead, there were five corpses of cultists lying at the base of a howling whirlwind: my air elemental! The being was still there, and it seemed that it had slain the cultists while we stood transfixed at the entrance of the cave, prisoners of a strange nightmare.
The Bloated One also stirred from deep slumber: had it been the one controlling our thoughts the entire time? Thankfully, we soon learned that the wounds we’d suffered, and the spells I’d cast while in the terrible dream had not been real.
While we stood there, wondering what to do, the air elemental turned on the Bloated One and struck him. With a deep rumble, the slug-like being cast a spell and banished the elemental back to its plane.
“What are you waiting for?” shouted Lagaan as he shot arrows at the fat blob of flesh. “Kill it!!”
Ulfgar and I charged the Bloated One, which was much more difficult to hit than one might think. It was probably protected with strong magic. We struck and struck; it tried to cast a spell at Ulfgar, but it got resisted. Finally, with a roar, Ulfgar landed the killing blow, ending the abomination’s life.
Bewildered, we slowly recovered from the chaos-induced nightmare in which we’d almost died. We recognized the corpses of a few of the cultists as men we’d seen before in Blackwall Keep. Scanning the room for magic, I saw that the Bloated One’s body was imbued with potent conjuration magic, which was slowly fading away. Most likely, the hideous being had acted as a conduit to Limbo, allowing the deranged cult to harvest the Oblivion’s Embrace that had oozed from him.
Thergar’s fury
Just after we finished gathering a few magical items we found on our enemies, we felt the ground rumble under the heavy feet of a new threat that was fast approaching from a tunnel that stood at the end of the room. We got ready to face this enemy, and suddenly, a massive earth elemental, roughly the same size as my recently departed air elemental, entered the room!
Lagaan shot two arrows at it, but they failed to do much damage. Ulfgar rushed to the left side of the Bloated One’s “pool” of Oblivion’s Embrace. He stood defiantly before the elemental, intent of protecting Lagaan and me from it. The stony being lumbered toward the dwarf and raised a rocky fist to pummel him into the ground, but when it struck, the blow bounced off of Ulfgar’s magically-enhanced shield, leaving the warrior unharmed.
At the same time, I noticed that a purple-robed figure had entered the room, and was circling the pool toward the right. It was Father Thergar! The old man seemed unarmed and unarmored, and moved with a feral grace that didn’t seem to match his age. I cast a Dispel Magic spell that hit him and his elemental. I felt that I stripped off one of his protective prayers, and to my satisfaction, his elemental guardian also vanished from our world. Thergar was now alone against the three of us!
Lagaan shot arrows at him, but they bounced off the priest’s magical protections. Ulfgar ran around the left side of the pool toward our foe. Father Thergar spoke a terrible prayer to the Queen of Chaos, and his fist was surrounded by black energy, which he unleashed upon Ulfgar. I knew that spell well, for it is my deadliest one: Harm. The dwarf shrieked in pain, and was almost felled by the dark priest.
I cast a Silence spell on the area and moved to heal Ulfgar. Lagaan’s arrows whisked past me, but none of them did much damage to our foe: Thergar’s magic seemed to protect him from the thief’s sneak attacks. Ulfgar struck the priest with his axe.
I was furious to see that Thergar could cast despite the silence: he had likely cast a Spell Immunity on himself before the battle. He cast a Slay Living spell on Ulfgar, and for an instant, I thought the dwarf had finally succumbed to the Chaos Queen’s magic. But no, by Umberlee’s grace, the proud dwarf still stood, and his eyes filled with rage as he struck again at the priest even though he felt death’s embrace drawing near.
I cancelled the silence and rushed to Ulfgar’s side to heal him. As I passed next to Thergar, he struck me with a fist that hit as hard as a mace. It seemed the man had some training as a monk as well. Ulfgar struck Thergar three more times, and now, the vile priest was bleeding badly. Lagaan tried to hit him from behind, but his blades were deflected every time. Focusing his mind, Thergar cast two prayers of healing in quick succession, and most of his wounds closed. Now that I was closer to him, I saw that he was surrounded by crackling magical energy, and was likely protected up to the gills by his goddess’s magic.
Of course, the arrogant cur had the chance to properly protect himself before the battle. I could’ve easily done the same, had I had the luxury of hearing my foes coming from far away, and had I not already expended most of my magic fighting other enemies.
Calling upon my mightiest remaining spell, I cast a Heal spell on Ulfgar that closed most of his wounds. Ulfgar and Thergar were now both restored, and snarled as they faced each other.
“You will all die, scum!” hissed Thergar.
“You’re doomed, Thergar! Surrender! You’ll never kill all three of us!” I replied.
“Silence, b$$*~! You had your chance to join our glorious cause, and now I’ll show you how wrong you were to stick with your weak goddess!”
Unfortunately, before I could give him the sarcastic reply he deserved, the conversation was interrupted by Ulfgar’s axe lodging itself several inches deep inside the old man’s chest. The priest’s eyes bulged in shock, and blood spewed out of his mouth. He fell to the ground, and I hurried to his side, stabilizing his wounds. At first, I thought he could make a useful prisoner, but my companions were still thirsty for blood. They begged me to slay him, telling me that he’d prove impossible to control and unlikely to respond even to torture. Sadly, I found myself agreeing with them. The joy of torturing him was too dangerous to consider. Better to kill him before he regained consciousness.
A little bit disappointed, I drew my sacrificial dagger and slit my enemy’s throat. The wicked old bastard, whom we had to thank at least for bringing Lagaan back to life, was now dead. We found several powerful magical items on his body.
We searched the rest of the caves, but found only the sleeping chamber of the lowly cultists, and the laboratory in which they refined and bottled Oblivion’s Embrace. There as well, we found the scrolls of Chaos. Ha! In the end, we got them back from that hated cult! We were victorious!
Quickly scanning them, I noticed that the writing was somewhat faded compared to its appearance as I’d seen it last summer. Most likely, they had triggered some potent magic from them.
I tried to question Father Thergar’s corpse, but as I expected, his soul resisted. I didn’t want to leave his body behind for some of his fellow cultists to bring back to life, so after we’d stripped him of his valuable items, I summoned a black, fiendish wolf from Hell, and made the creature devour Thergar’s body.
We resumed our gaseous forms and returned upstairs, to the level of the pyramid. We headed back toward the exit, but stopped along the way to examine the mushroom forest. Before we could take a good look, though, the statue of the skeleton animated again, and although we were out of reach of its great scythe, it moved as if to throw its stone orb.
“Quick, run for cover!” I said, disappearing into the entrance tunnel.
For some reason, my two dim-witted companions chose to remain behind, thinking that the gigantic statue’s aim would be bad.
They were wrong. They were very, very wrong.
After the echoes of the deafening crash had faded, I heard their moans from under the ten-foot-diameter ball of stone. Both of them had gotten crushed underneath it. Somehow, they had survived, but with several broken bones each. They were stuck below it and wouldn’t have been able to get out without using, once again, my Wind Walk spell.
A few moments later, they resumed solid form in front of me. They were both in terrible state, and begged me to heal them.
Oh, what would those fools ever do without me!?
Alturiak 5th, 1376 (continued)
Blackwall in ruins
After I healed my companions, the three of us began searching the fungus field for those damned mushrooms the gnome had asked for. What a waste of time it proved to be! Lagaan got sprayed by a cloud of noxious spores in the process, and Ulfgar crashed down into the basement of a ruined house that had gotten completely covered with mold. Thankfully, his ring of feather falling prevented him from getting hurt.
After a few minutes, I found two of the red-capped mushrooms. I picked them up carefully, placed them into a bag, and we left the cave. Too bad if the gnome wanted more than two mushrooms… the little idiot can come and pick them up himself!
We knew we didn’t have enough time left on the Wind Walk spell to return to Sasserine, but we were close enough to Blackwall Keep. We needed a place to rest, and we were curious to see what had happened to the town in our absence.
Complete and utter annihilation.
That’s what had happened to Blackwall Keep in our absence. After flying for a few hours, we stood at the edge of the ruined town. Except for one building, the entire town had been burned to the ground. Here and there, heaps of charred corpses stood in silent testimony of the horrors that had befallen the local population.
Have the clerics of the Queen of Chaos done this?
If so, is it because they had gotten the Scrolls of Chaos?
If it’s the case, we are all somewhat responsible for the deaths of those people…
The destruction didn’t seem very recent. We wondered exactly when and how it had happened.
As we could have expected, the only building that remained mostly intact was the temple of “Lathander”. We weren’t surprised to see that all of Lathander’s symbols had been destroyed either. Clearly, the cult had no further need to put up a charade.
Ulfgar and I found a place to hide, while Lagaan turned invisible and went to explore the temple. He returned after a few minutes and said he’d seen signs of a struggle inside. There was dried blood on the floor, and body parts hanging from chandelier in a gruesome display of sadism. He asked me to cast a Light spell on his weapon, because he wanted to explore the dark stairs beyond the main chapel.
Ulfgar and I waited for a long time in silence. There was definitely an eerie vibe around this entire place. I watched the sun set, and then, as it started getting dark, a cool wind rose from the jungle. At that time, Lagaan finally returned. I noticed that he was bleeding from a wound on his shoulder.
“We need to go,” he said curtly.
“Why, what happened down there?” asked Ulfgar.
“No time to explain, we have to run to the pyramid at the edge of town!”
“Why?”
“Just do it! Trust me!” replied the rogue, as he started running toward the pyramid, whose summit we could see above the tree tops, to the west.
What followed seemed like a sequence out of a nightmare. The wind whispered dark things into our ears as we ran. “Death… death…” The dark trees seemed to gather around us as we ran down the path; their branches tried to trip us. We all got caught by their grip, but were able to force our way out, only taking a few scratches in the process.
We kept running down the dark path toward the pyramid. We seemed to be close to it now, but I felt like we were running in slow motion, just like in a nightmare. The lights on my trident and Lagaan’s rapier lit our way, but just beyond, malicious shadows moved within the trees. The wind kept whispering: “Burn… burn!....”
Finally, we reached the pyramid. We clambered up to its summit; by then, the Wind Walk spell had finally expired, and we were all completely exhausted from the many horrors we’d faced that day. Thankfully, the animated branches couldn’t reach us all the way up there, but we sensed the evil things moving, and watching us, in the darkness, at the bottom of the structure. Somehow, they were unable to climb up to reach us. On the pyramid’s flat top was carved a large, complex rune that looked like a maze.
“This is the symbol of Ubtao,” I said to the others.
“Who’s that?” asked Ulfgar.
“He’s one of the primitive gods of this region. He is worshiped as a god of creation, ruler of the jungle and of dinosaurs.”
As darkness grew, we realized that the glyph glowed with a phosphorescent green light; I saw that it radiated abjuration magic.
“I hope it means that we’ll be protected from the madness of the jungle. Can we trust this god Ubtao?” asked Ulfgar.
“I don’t know… I told you all I know about this god. I’m not native to the region, remember?”
“Where’s Sparkie when you need him? I’m sure he could tell us,” said Lagaan.
I glowered at the rogue, but he didn’t notice. Sparkie! Sure, Sparkie knows a lot about magic and various pieces of trivia, but when it comes to religion, I don’t need our precious Sparkie to lord his knowledge over me! Religion is my domain!
We settled down to eat. It wasn’t a very relaxing atmosphere, what with the howling wind and the threatening shadows downstairs, but the others were famished.
“So what happened down there?” asked Ulfgar. “How did you know to come here?”
“It was pretty weird… let me tell you about it…” replied the thief.
The Soul Keeper
Lagaan went down the stairs that led to the dungeon below the temple of “Lathander”. I remembered that it was a real maze down there. Of course, Lagaan had been down there as well, but he’d been in such a pitiful state that he didn’t remember the way to the chapel where he had been resurrected. Strangely, he felt a certain tug that led him down a rough hallway where countless centipedes were crawling. Although disgusting, these vermin proved to be harmless.
Still invisible, but with his presence betrayed by the glowing of his rapier, Lagaan proceeded with caution. On either side of the hallway were statues of winged warriors which at first glance seemed to be angels of Lathander. As he got closer, though, he noticed that they had a fiendish look about them, and were sculpted from black volcanic rock. As he passed between two of the statues, our clumsy friend triggered a trap, and two blades swung down in his direction. He dodged the first, but the second one caused him his shoulder wound (which I had healed, by then).
Lagaan tried to disable the trap, but with no success. While he was wasting his time messing with it, a sinister female voice came from the darkness further down the hallway:
“Who goes there?”
“Ah, crap,” muttered Lagaan.
“Who is it?”
“Me.”
“Come closer, whoever you are.”
“Hmm… No, I don’t think so.”
“Come… Come closer… I feel I know you.”
“I feel it’s not a good idea…” replied Lagaan. But he kept feeling that something was pulling him toward the other end of the corridor. Something was tugging at his consciousness. Lagaan found it most strange.
The female creature breathed loudly. Suddenly, her voice became tainted with elation. “Is it… Is it you, Lagaan?”
“Bingo!” he replied.
“You’ve come back!”
“Have I?”
“Yessss… Come, I won’t hurt you. I’m just intrigued.”
“About…?”
“About you. About what you’ve done with the life that was given to you! You were given a new life, in exchange for the Scrolls.”
“Yup.”
“Yes… come closer…”
And then, Lagaan became aware that many other beings were also present. He couldn’t see them clearly, but they seemed small, bent, wretched. “closer… closer…” their disgusting voices were echoing the words of their mistress.
Darkness surrounded Lagaan. He should’ve felt terrified; yet instead, he felt strangely at ease.
“You don’t need to be afraid, Lagaan,” said the woman. “You’re one of us.”
“He’v one of uf? One of uf? He’v one of uf!” babbled the cursed minions.
“Yes he is, my darlings. His soul resides here.”
Perplexed, Lagaan finally decided to walk further down the hallway. He went down a few uneven steps that formed crude stairs. The cave beyond was very humid; the smell there felt like ancient dust, decay, earth, and rotting flesh that tickled his nose.
“Lagaan…”
He continued down the cylindrical cave. At the end of it, a dark shape sat on a stone throne. It seemed darkest around the throne. But suddenly, the room became lit by a burst of magic. Lagaan realized that, lining the walls, were about twenty of the misshapen figures that the rogue had heard so far: they seemed like a cross between a man and a puddle of goo. They looked at him with bulging eyes that were devoid of intelligence, but filled with insanity. Somehow, they all saw him despite his invisibility.
The figure on the throne looked like a Slaad, but she was thin and her grayish skin was wrinkled. In her eyes gleamed with both cunning and madness. In one claw, she held a glittering crystal. Lagaan immediately understood that it was toward that crystal that he felt a connection.
“Lagaan, I knew you would come back,” rasped the creature. “You came back for this,” she said, showing him the crystal. It reflected the light of Lagaan’s rapier into a multitude of different dazzling colors. “Do you know what it is?”
“Err… No.”
“This, Lagaan… this is your soul! Or at least, a part of it. This is why you came back. Everything was set for you to come back.”
“Actually, I was more looking for a shelter for the night.”
“So you think. So go the ways of Chaos! You don’t plan Chaos, yet it is. It is, and it… dictates your life. You belong to us, Lagaan. I am called… Zanzelis.” The Slaad watched Lagaan for a few moments. “You’ve aged… physically.”
“Yeah,” he replied bitterly. “Kind of annoying…”
“Your soul! Your soul… was so pure originally.” She blew on the crystal, and Lagaan felt something stir within him, as if someone had walked on his grave. “I’ve kept it with love, Lagaan, all this time.”
“I would’ve been better off getting raised by Belessa’s church…” grumbled the rogue.
“I know what you did, Lagaan. You killed the High Priest of Chaos. He was weak if he got killed by just three of you. Things are as they should be, Lagaan. Chaos is like that. Only the fittest survive. And though you don’t know it, I do…” and she caressed the crystal lovingly. “I know you, I know your deepest secrets, Lagaan. You have the stuff it takes to become someone who will further our cause, yes…”
“Fuvther our cauve, huh, huh, fuvther our cauve…” babbled the blob-men.
Lagaan eyed the disgusting creatures as he gripped his weapons, debating whether he should put them out of their misery.
“You don’t want to become one of them, Lagaan,” said Zanzelis.
“Who were they? Villagers from here?”
“Oh no, no no, I brought them with me.”
“From Limbo?”
“It’s more complex than that… We come from a different place, serving a mistress. And the mistress sees the ripples of things to come. And she does not agree with it. What the Queen of Chaos doesn’t agree with, I don’t agree with. You want your soul back? I’ll give it to you in time… in due time… You will further the cause. You already helped in death by providing the Scrolls. Now in life, if you choose it to call it so, you will further our cause even more. You can tell your friends that there is a place where the restless dead won’t be able to disrupt their night’s sleep. Tell them they can go to the old pyramid west of town. They will be safe there. If I were you, I would hurry, because night will fall soon… and with it, the restless souls come back to haunt Blackwall Keep. We’ll meet again, Lagaan! We’ll meet again…”
Everything went dark again.
“We’ll meet again, Lagaan,” babbled the blobs. “Oh, he’v a good one, vat one… Not like uf… No, no, not like uf…”
“See ya later,” said the rogue, and he left the cave and headed toward the surface. Toward us.
Ubtao’s protection
“Do you still feel the pull of the crystal?” I asked him.
“Yes, very clearly. It’s over there, somewhere,” he said, pointing down into the darkness. “Do you know what they did to me, Belessa?”
“I don’t… I didn’t know such a thing was possible. Those damned priests tricked us! Bastards… I’m glad we made them pay, and took back the scrolls!”
The rogue let out a heavy sigh. “I’m in a lot of trouble, right?”
“Yes, I’m afraid so. This isn’t good. They have some influence over you. Maybe they can even spy on you by magic. But it could be worse. At least you didn’t end up in a savage tribe’s cooking pot, like that poor Kanyakumari.”
“So funny that these people eat other humans,” he mused. “Apparently, we taste like pork.”
“How the hell do you know that?” asked Ulfgar.
“Raguhl told me.”
“I wonder what would happen if we cut the link to the crystal,” I told Lagaan.
“Sounds painful,” he replied.
“It might be worth a try, though. Your very soul is at stake!”
“Why won’t people just leave me alone? My soul, my age… what’s next???”
We decided to try and get some sleep on the pyramid. Lagaan took the first watch, and I relieved him two hours later. Nothing disturbed our rest, but it was unnerving to sit on top of the stone structure all night, with the wind whispering threats in my ears: “Come die and burn like us… chaos… destruction by the wind…”
Alturiak 6th, 1376
The gallant knight
My companions and I took a modest breakfast shortly after sunrise the following morning. Once we were almost done, I heard the sound of stone grinding from below. I motioned to my companions, and we looked down discreetly; five people had exited the pyramid by a secret passage, and were entering the jungle. They looked ragged; their clothes were torn and dirty. They looked like survivors from the disaster that had befallen Blackwall Keep.
I called out after them: “Oh, people of Blackwall Keep! Trouble has come to your town, but we can save you!”
The stone door opened up again, and a tall man came out through it. He was wearing a suit of leather armor and a fancy, but travel-worn cloak. At his back was strapped a greatsword. He looked up at the three of us and climbed the steps toward the top of the pyramid.
As he approached, I felt my heart start beating faster. He was incredibly handsome: broad-shouldered, dark-haired and green-eyed, with a strong jaw and commanding presence.
Lagaan turned toward me, expecting that I would say something heroic or smart at this newcomer, but for a moment, I was tongue-tied. The little thief chuckled. As the tall man approached, we noticed that he proudly wore a holy symbol around his neck: that of Illmater, god of the downtrodden, self-flagellation and pity for the weak.
“What a loser…” mumbled Lagaan.
“So other good folk survived a night of terror in this haunted place,” said the man in a deep voice. As he came closer, an aura of calm came over us. All of the fear and worry of the previous day seemed diminished. We felt safe in this man’s presence; clearly, he was a true hero. A paladin.
“What happened here?” I asked, “We saw the destruction of the city, but we didn’t expect to meet any survivors…”
“… the citizens turned into undead…” added Lagaan.
“… we were attacked by the very trees, the wind…” I continued. “Yesterday, we almost perished in this jungle.”
“This is terrible indeed,” replied the man. “The forces of Chaos are strong in this place, and evil has permeated the very air of the area.”
Lagaan gave me a sidelong glance and smirked. Ignoring him, I approached the magnificent paladin and introduced myself: “Pleased to meet you, I am called Belessa, and these are my companions, Lagaan and Ulfgar.”
I held out my hand; he gently took it and kissed it. “It is an honor to meet you, my lady. I am Norrix Kintu, wandering paladin. I see you are also valiant adventurers. You’ve managed to survive the night here, in this place of the old faith. I only arrived a few days ago myself, by boat. Unfortunately, we came near sunset and almost perished from the hateful aberrations that were spawned by the very night itself. My crew was attacked, and it is only by the kindest grace of my god, Illmater, that some of us were able to escape to safety, where we were taken in by former citizens of Blackwall Keep who showed us the way to this hidden place. Thankfully, one of the villagers belonged to the organization known as the Seekers; he had been studying this pyramid for some time and had found this secret entrance. When the nightmares started, when the very Chaos of the Abyss came to this place, he fled here, and a few lucky survivors followed him. I joined them here with the five remaining members of my crew. This is absolutely terrible. Since then, we’ve been trying to repair our damaged ship as best we can, but we lack the tools to do the job properly, and at night, some of the undead damage the vessel even further. To make matters worse, our captain was slain in the initial attack. We don’t even know if we would be able to maneuver the ship, and we dare not escape through the jungle, for at nightfall, the dark horrors would return to swallow us all. But pray tell me, who are you exactly?”
“We are part of a group of adventurers known as ‘Trouble’. I am a priestess of the sea goddess, Ulfgar is a warrior, and Lagaan is a … scout. Are you an adventurer as well?”
“I am a beacon of hope sent by Illmater. I travel the world and help the poor and the defenseless. I right wrongs. I believe it’s my destiny that’s brought me here to help these people. The meaning of my life is to help others.”
“Ah, that’s nice,” I replied politely. “Maybe it’s my destiny as well that’s brought me here. I can help you, my magic allows me to create a magical wind that can have us back in Sasserine within a single day.”
“There are twenty-four of us in total, will you be able to bring everyone back?”
“Well… no, I can bring you and my companions, that’s it.”
“My lady, our ship is almost completely repaired. I can’t leave these people to die here, I have to try to save them all.”
“Ah. Well… In that case, I also have magic that can help to repair the ship faster. And it just so happens that I am the captain of my own ship, although it’s now anchored in Sasserine. I have the skill to navigate your ship back to safety.” I looked at several of the commoners who had joined us at the top of the pyramid. They were a wretched lot, dirty and thin. It seemed they had been living within the shadows of the pyramid for a long time. “And I can also summon food for you all.”
“It tastes like crap, though,” stated Lagaan.
But thankfully, nobody heard his crass remark. When I mentioned the summoned food, the crowd of ragged commoners gathered around me and offered me their praises. A few of them even touched me with their filthy hands! Some women cried, and one of the men exclaimed: “She is a holy servant of Umberlee! Glory to Umberlee!!!”
I quickly glanced at the paladin; surely he would not approve of my goddess. But he was beaming at me. “I am not familiar with this Umberlee, goddess of the sea, but she is surely to be thanked for sending you to us from the heavens themselves, lady Belessa.”
My heart swelled with elation at the handsome hero’s approval. And I was glad that I’d had the forethought of shielding myself with an Undetectable Alignment, as I always do every morning. The strong aura of Umberlee’s magic that emanated from me would’ve likely scared him.
“First, let us return to the ship, and once we’re safely at sea, we shall dine on the sacred sustenance of Umberlee! Gather your belongings, good folks! This day, we shall leave this haunted place!”
Led by the courageous knight, the commoners returned to the shadows of the pyramid for a time.
“Were you serious about sailing with these low-lives?” growled Ulfgar.
“Well… they’ll never reach Sasserine without our help.”
“Yeah, but it will take over three weeks to sail back to Sasserine! With your magic, we can be back by tonight instead, and we can all relax and have a drink! We’ve earned our rest!”
“I need to think about it. Let’s at least repair their ship before we leave.”
Leaving Blackwall
Grumbling, the dwarf and Lagaan came with me. We followed Norrix and the peasants to the ship. It was indeed in a sad state, and the repairs had been done clumsily, for they had no proper tools, but had been forced to use rocks instead of hammers and swords instead of saws. With a few simple spells, I was able to complete the repairs. Of course, the rabble was completely flabbergasted by my display of power. That scored me some good points with the dreamy paladin…
After about an hour of work, we set sail and left Blackwall Keep behind us. The peasants were safe at last, and even though a few women still lamented their deceased husbands, everyone was relieved to be out of harm’s way.
Ulfgar recognized one of the refugees: she was a plump dwarven lass that he’d spent the night with during our visit to Blackwall Keep last year. She had worked as a barmaid and a whore at the tavern.
Lagaan and Ulfgar helped me teach the able-bodied survivors how to handle the ship. We were able to teach them the basics, but they had no hope of navigating all the way up to Sasserine. Clearly, if I didn’t lead them there, they would never make it.
Norrix came to stand by my side while I stood at the helm, and I told him about our latest adventure to rid Sasserine of the menace of the Oblivion’s Embrace, and how we had defeated the cultists who had been responsible for the destruction of Blackwall Keep. Of course, I omitted the part about how we had known all along that they were wicked, and that we were the ones who had armed them with the Chaos Scrolls in the first place.
A few of the passengers also listened to my story, and one of them, the man who belonged to the Seekers’ guild, admitted that he had known for a long time that the men living in the church of Lathander were actually part of an evil cult. He had never bothered to bring it up because he never expected them to be quite SO evil… Norrix reflected wisely that Blackwall Keep had been a community without laws or morals, and that its downfall had been caused by the very chaos that it harbored.
I asked Norrix to tell us about himself, and he spoke of his many travels and heroic deeds all over Faerun. It seemed that he was indeed a veteran adventurer, at least as experienced as the rest of us. I learned that he came from Waterdeep, far to the north.
Later, we took a break to have lunch. Everyone gathered together, and I used my magic to summon food for everyone. Some of them actually cried tears of joy when they tasted the divine food; they had not eaten properly in quite some time. We learned that the attack on Blackwall Keep had happened about two months ago, but the details were vague. The peasants’ tales about that fateful night conflicted with one another, and that made me wonder about their sanity. Perhaps the city had been surrounded by an aura of chaotic nightmare that night, and each one of them had survived the event by going through their own personal ordeal, shaped by the perceptions of their own mind.
There was a storm one night, and a rain of fire fell from the sky. From the forest, the thin air, or a meteor swarm came nightmarish monsters who destroyed the town and killed most of the townsfolk during the night. As the town burned, the twenty or so survivors fled and followed the Seeker to Ubtao’s pyramid, where they had cowered since then, only leaving during the daylight hours to try and find some food in the jungle. They didn’t know why the pyramid was safe, but remained there because they had no choice. Norrix brought them hope when he came, due the holy aura of calm that surrounds him. But of course, I was their real savior!
Norrix had ventured into the temple of Lathander, but had felt great evil within and had decided not to venture into its bowels; he needed to remain alive to watch over the peasants. He saw several ships pass by the charred ruins of the town, but of course, they hastily continued onward without stopping.
Lagaan described to the paladin what he had seen inside: the Slaad and its disgusting minions. He wondered if with Norrix’s help, we might have slain the vile creature (and retrieved the crystal that held his soul). But it was too late now. Lagaan also suggested that perhaps we should come back to Blackwall Keep later with a large group of clerics and try to cleanse that place. Norrix seemed interested, but I was not: what would be the point? The town’s already destroyed… I’d rather focus on keeping Sasserine and Farshore safe.
Thankfully, none of the locals seemed to be aware of the pact we had made with the cultists to get Lagaan resurrected. That would have been awkward to explain…
I could tell that Norrix was impressed and pleased with all that I had done to help the wretched commoners. Strangely, he seemed to appreciate me more for that than for my charm or beauty. I had rarely been so attracted to a man before, there was really something special about him. He was really like a hero out of a story; he was infinitely more desirable than the uncouth Lagaan, the effeminate Sparkillo or even the pompous Tolin. So I tried to seduce him by showing him how much good I could bring to the world through my magic of healing. I noticed that Lagaan tried not to laugh while I pretended to be an innocent priestess of a gentle sea-goddess. At one point, he had to leave, because he couldn’t contain himself any more.
The afternoon went well, and we made some progress. Norrix’s ship was in a sorry state, and was far from being as swift as the Sea Wyvern, but my great skills as a pilot made up for it. At sunset, we cast anchor not far from the shore. While we were preparing for supper, we became aware of strange sounds coming from below deck. Soon, we could all understand the whispers of madness. “Death… death…”
It sounded like we hadn’t escaped the nightmare after all…
Norrix unsheathed his sword to go and face the evil downstairs, but I placed a hand on his arm to stop him.
“Please, Norrix, don’t go first against that terrible evil! Let Ulfgar take care of it!”
“Fine with me,” grunted the sturdy dwarf, but before he could open the door, several black, incorporeal shapes appeared on deck. A wave of panic and insanity emanated from them, as our minds became filled with their crazy babble. Visions of the entire ship catching fire swirled in my mind, but I was able to overcome them. All around me, some of the commoners lost their calm and started screaming as if they were on fire. Only those closest to Norrix benefited from his comforting aura, and remained calm like me.
One of the men jumped overboard, and Lagaan dove after him to prevent him from drowning. I spotted a young boy about to do the same and hurried to catch him. I slapped some sense into him, and then quickly muttered a prayer to soothe his fear by magic.
“Death… death…” babbled the creatures, as they moved from peasant to peasant, bringing madness with their touch.
Norrix had rushed to help an old woman. “Those are allips!” he yelled. “Shades of madness!”
We both took out our holy symbols and tried to affect the creature. I was quicker, and gained control of the monsters. They all turned their gazes toward me in obedience; but only a moment later, they were repelled by Norrix, who had called upon the power of Illmater. With terrible shrieks, the fiends fled the ship and never returned.
All was quiet once more. We were now safe. We had only suffered one casualty: the man who’d jumped overboard had been too far gone for Lagaan to save from drowning. A few of the villagers had been driven close to insanity by the encounter, but Norrix and I healed them.
“It seems our ship had become haunted,” explained Norrix when he was questioned by the commoners. “Its very planks became infused by the evil of Blackwall Keep… But that evil should finally be gone, now.”
The little boy I had saved looked at me with fearful eyes. He had seen that I had the power to command the undead. I approached and glared down at him. “You will be quiet about what you’ve seen, won’t you, little boy?”
He remained mute. I grabbed him by the arm and squeezed painfully.
“Promise you’ll stay quiet, you little brat, or I’ll turn you into one of them!” I hissed.
“Yes… I… I promise!!” he said quickly.
Norrix hadn’t noticed that I had used dark magic to control the monsters. I wanted him to remain in blissful ignorance. I wanted him to believe I was as pure as he was.
We decided to set some watches for the night. The two dwarves retired to a dark corner of the hold to go boom-boom together, but us humans all slept together in crowded quarters. It wasn’t pleasant to be sleeping among the two dozen unwashed low-lives. I of course settled down next to Norrix. I wished we were on the Sea Wyvern. I would’ve taken him with me to my cabin, in the privacy of which we could’ve done what I had been aching for all day…
But since I couldn’t to that, I just slept at his side, with my head against his shoulder. Even as we drifted into sleep, his presence soothed me, and I had surprisingly pleasant dreams despite the difficult last few days.
Alturiak 7th, 1376
Altruism
“All right, Belessa, can we go back to Sasserine with your wind spell now?” asked Ulfgar.
It was morning, and I was getting ready for another day of navigation. “Well… these people will never make it to Sasserine if we don’t stay to help them. They don’t even have enough food to survive.”
“Sucks to be them…” growled the dwarf with a shrug. “We can’t stay on this boat, Belessa. We just can’t. It’s going to take three weeks to get back to Sasserine.”
“Yes, that’s quite long, I know…”
“Well, it wouldn’t be so bad normally, but… we have no beer!” said Ulfgar with a quiver of anguish in his voice.
“But Belessa doesn’t want to leave, Ulfgar,” said Lagaan. “She didn’t get her treat from the paladin yet…”
I just chuckled, and did not reply. Of course, Lagaan had guessed correctly why I was ready to waste three weeks of my life bringing these penniless nobodies back to the city. But I agreed that they didn’t need Ulfgar and Lagaan to stay. I could cast some other Wind Walk spells and send them on their way. We had the rest of the crew draw straws, and the three winners were chosen to return to Sasserine by magical flight with Lagaan, Ulfgar and the dwarven doxy, Landsi.
I watched their cloudy forms disappear above the tree line, with Norrix at my side.
“It was very kind of you to stay with us, Belessa,” he said with a warm smile.
“Nothing could’ve convinced me to leave you stranded behind,” I replied, gazing up into his green eyes.
I’m not used to people appreciating the things I do, no matter how miraculous. Norrix really sees the best in me.
I took his hand in mine, and he smiled shyly.
Alturiak 16th, 1376
A paladin’s kiss
Time seems frozen on this derelict… as we navigate around the coast of the Chult Peninsula with our crew of haggard survivors.
I feel like I’m stuck in a strange bubble within my own life… the past few days have been so quiet… so peaceful… so unlike my usual life…
I feel different… Here, at Norrix’s side. I’ve never met such a selfless man, such a good man… He is a true idealist… And I find I have fallen so completely in love with him. He sees things in me that nobody’s ever seen. He makes me feel like a good person.
I know he must be handled with care… I don’t want him to realize who I truly am… A dark priestess of a bloody goddess… A woman who’s been with more men than she can count… A liar…
The moments that we can truly spend alone together are quite rare. A minute here, a minute there, when none of those lowly peasants are around to gawk at us, for we are their superiors in every way: beautiful, powerful…
We kissed for the first time a few days after leaving Fort Blackwall, and it was wonderful. Afterwards, I found myself craving another kiss… and it came only a few days later. The waiting makes the experience all the more enjoyable. I can hardly wait until our return to Sasserine… When we will finally be alone with each other…
Over the past few days, I’ve told Norrix about the incredible adventures I’ve lived with the rest of Trouble over the past year (omitting a few of the darker details, of course). I also told him about my difficult childhood in Westgate. It felt right telling him that; I knew that he would not judge me harshly for growing up in the slums. That is a truly wonderful thing about him: he respects people for their actions, not for the circumstances of their lives. Ah, if only I had met a man like him earlier in my life…
Several more times, he complimented me for saving the two dozen villagers from the horror of Blackwall Keep. His praises warm my heart so much more than all the honor I’ve been given by the Dawn Council of Sasserine… Who would’ve thought I could care so much about one person?
I’ve been keeping daily contact by magic with Ulfgar, Moretta and Brissa. They are all doing fine. Ulfgar and the others reached Sasserine safely. Lagaan appeared before Dawn Council in my stead and told them of our victory. I just hope he took a bath and wore some decent clothes for the occasion… Apparently, a substantial reward is waiting for me for completing the quest.
I’ve also contacted Manthalay a few times. It felt so… awkward… I feel completely disconnected from him now. I have no qualms about betraying him for another man. If he really loved me, he would be with me, instead of sending me away to do his bidding. The nerve of that man… making me navigate halfway around the world for his business, while he stays comfortably under the palm trees in Farshore… Everything about Manthalay is always about business… power… how boring and cold it all seems compared to Norrix’s passionate idealism! His warm green eyes… And his strong embrace…
Manthalay is a businessman. Norrix is an adventurer, like me. I have so much more in common with him!
He is so pious… so focused on doing good. He’s also difficult to seduce. He’s the first man I’ve ever met who appreciates me for my good deeds rather than for my looks. It’s just unfortunate that the foundation of his trust is his ignorance of Umberlee’s true nature.
Norrix trusts me like everyone should, given all the selfless acts I’ve done. But there is such a stigma associated with Umberlee’s cult that people disregard all the wonderful miracles I perform in her name. Some of them think of me as evil. Norrix talks about Illmater and the other good gods; the clerics of those gods don’t have such problems. Usually I hate people lecturing me about those gods, but even though it’s heresy, I could listen to Norrix talk about anything and just lose myself in the sound of his voice…
Alturiak 25th, 1376
Lagaan’s birthday
What a dreadfully long trip. It feels even longer than our perilous journey to the Isle of Dread. Norrix and I aren’t even waiting to be alone to kiss anymore. We do it openly in front of everyone. Some of them giggle, as they’ve been watching us since the beginning of the trip and wondered when the inevitable would happen. But I know Norrix would never lay a hand on me while we’re surrounded by these damnable peasants. Even if I asked him to.
But now I’m longing for something more than just kissing… I am counting the days before we’ll finally be backing Sasserine. The wait is driving me mad!
Today is Lagaan’s birthday. I had bought him something before we left, but since I’m not in town, I asked Brissa to deliver the present in my place. I bought him a nice little statuette of a grinning woman holding a deck of cards and a pair of dice. At first glance, he will likely think it’s an idol of his patron, Tymora, goddess of luck. But I doubt he’ll be clever enough to notice that it is instead an icon of her sister Beshaba, goddess of bad luck!
Ah, dear Lagaan, it’s so foolish of him to worship only one of the two luck goddesses. I’m sure Beshaba must not be very appreciative of his praises to her hated sister. So I bought Lagaan this lovely little statue to help shield him from ill fate.
And of course, if Liamae were to ever find this sacrilegious statuette in his belongings… it could turn into an interesting scene…
Alturiak 30th, 1376
At long last
We finally returned to Sasserine today!
I docked that rickety old piece of flotsam at the Merchant District docks, and went to the temple of Illmater with Norrix where he led the survivors of Blackwall Keep to make sure they would get the help they need to start a new life in Sasserine. After that, we went straight to the Pearl and Parrot, since it was already late afternoon. I found a letter from the Dawn Council waiting for me there, inviting me to a celebration tomorrow evening. It will be in Trouble’s honor, to thank us again for saving the city!
The greedy innkeeper asked me to pay the three weeks of rent I owed him. Norrix first asked for his own room, but I insisted that we share a room. He blushed, but accepted. We went up and washed ourselves. It felt wonderful to finally take a bath… Then we had dinner downstairs. After a nightly walk around the noble quarter, we returned to our room, and at long last, we got undressed and were able to give in to the passion that had been burning within us for the past three weeks…
I’d never made love to a paladin before.
I was stuck on a leaky boat for three weeks, waiting specifically for this night…
… and it was definitely worth the wait!
Ches 1st, 1376
Dancing with the moonlit knight
Poor Norrix… I sometimes forget that people need to sleep more than I do, since I benefit from my ring of sustenance.
I kept him up very late into the night. I was relentless…
Throughout the night, he seemed surprised on a few occasions at how… experienced I am with this sort of things. I wonder if I started to shatter his illusion that I am an innocent priestess…
The exhausted hero slept late that morning, and I cuddled against him, content to be in his warm embrace.
After he woke up, we took it easy that day. Things felt so wonderful now that we had shared this experience. In the afternoon, I brought him to the finest tailor I know and we got him outfitted for the evening’s celebration.
When the evening came, we made a grand entrance in the manor where the party was taking place. We made a splendid couple, him and I; we drew many jealous stares throughout the evening. I had created the illusion of a magnificent dress for that evening with my glamered chain shirt. I felt like a queen at Norrix’s side.
During the evening, Lagaan, Ulfgar and I were again honored for our heroic actions. The two grinning men then led me to the refreshment table, and showed me that they had obtained the catering contract to provide the beer for the event. Behind the table, several wenches in low-cut gowns were serving pints of dark ale… “Belessa’s Best”!
I noticed that one of them was Landsi, the dwarven whore from Blackwall Keep. Clearly, Ulfgar wasted no time offering her a job at his brewery. A dark-haired, human barmaid offered me a pint.
“I’m very pleased to meet you at last, Belessa,” she said.
I nodded to her. I was used by then to be recognized by the inhabitants of the city I’d saved.
“Lagaan has told me a lot about you,” she continued.
I smirked. “So are the boys hiring only their girlfriends to work at the brewery?” I asked her.
She blinked for a moment, then smiled. “Oh no, my dear. I’m not Lagaan’s girlfriend. I’m his mother!”
I stared at her, dumbstruck for a moment. She was short and rather pretty, and only seemed to be a few years older than me. “You’re… Lagaan’s mother…?”
She smiled again. “Yes, I know… I was very young when I had him.”
“Oh…” I said. I remembered Lagaan telling me that his mother had been a whore. Just like mine. “Well… It’s nice to meet you.”
For a few hours, Norrix and I were approached by many people from Sasserine, wealthy merchants and nobles who wanted us to know about them, and who wanted to be seen in our company. But afterwards, we got the chance to escape these social obligations. After dancing together, we walked in the beautiful gardens, and we kissed under the moonlight…
Ches 2nd, 1376
Hat of mischief
This morning, Norrix and I slept late again… it feels so good to be with each other at last, in the comfort of a real bed. However, our rest was interrupted by a messenger from the Vanderboren estate: Lavinia wanted to see me today.
I went to her manor after lunch and met her there. She was waiting for me with Amella. As always, Lavinia was very cold and businesslike with me: she wanted me to help her with the planning of the upcoming trip back to Farshore: we had to plan what cargo to bring back, the route, round up a crew for every ship, ensure our ships all had gotten repaired and were equipped for the long voyage, organize our supplies and gather more colonists for Farshore. Our target is to leave Sasserine on the 20th will all six ships. Of course, she made no mention of the previous evening. I remembered well the jealous glares she’d given in my direction while I danced with Norrix. How ironic it is that Lavinia is the little goody-goody two-shoes, yet I am the one whom Norrix loves…
After a long afternoon of planning, I returned to the Pearl and Parrot, where I found Sparkie and Ulfgar waiting for me. Norrix was also standing not far from them, and I approached him with a smile. I got closer to give him a kiss, but to my surprise, he turned away at the last moment to pick up his mug of ale, and he took a big drink.
“Let’s go sit down with my companions,” I told him.
I turned around, and immediately felt him pinching my rear end!
“Getting a bit plump down there, aren’t you, dear?” he said mockingly.
Completely caught off guard, I turned around again and gaped at him for a moment, as he beamed at me insolently. And then in dawned on me: that voice… that mischievous twinkle in his eyes… that idiotic, childish grin… I grabbed the front of his tunic and slammed him so hard against the wall that the paintings shook. Several people turned toward us, wondering what was happening.
“Ouch!’ he said.
“This is NOT funny, Lagaan,” I growled.
“He he… do you like my new hat? I just bought it!” he replied. He removed his hat, and as I suspected, that insufferable brat Lagaan returned to his normal appearance.
We joined the others and went to a private room with a closed door. We spent a good part of the evening splitting up the treasure that Lagaan, Ulfgar and I had won during our latest adventure; Sparkillo had identified the magical items we’d found. Some of them were quite potent. Ulfgar found a more powerful belt of strength to replace his old one, which I bought from him. I also took a wand of Hold Person. From the rest of the loot, each of us got several thousand more gold pieces… Excellent!
Once we were done, my handsome Norrix, the real one this time, joined us, and after an hour or so of drinking and swapping tales with the others, we went up to our room.
Ches 3rd, 1376
The truth about Umberlee
Norrix and I had our first fight today. I came back to the inn after another hard day’s planning, eager to spend time with him, but I immediately noticed that he looked grim. When I asked him what was wrong, he looked me straight in the eye and told me that he had learned about the true nature of Umberlee’s cult. I froze. For a moment, I expected him to accuse me of terrible things, perhaps even to attack me as Raguhl had done, but he didn’t.
He said he was disappointed with me, but that he understood why I had chosen that path in life. He knew I had lived my early years in abject conditions, and that I had done what was needed to escape. I finally learned that he had also grown up in similar conditions, and had wanted to rise above them. He got that chance through the cult of Illmater, just as I got mine through Stalman Klim.
“If the roles had been reversed”, he said, “perhaps you would’ve followed the teachings of Illmater, sweet Belessa, and I, those of Umberlee. But this cannot go on. Your church does terrible deeds in the name of the Queen of the Deeps. I feel I better understand you now, Belessa. You are a being of shadow as much as you are a being of light. But you could be so much more… I know there is hope for your redemption!”
Few people have ever questioned my faith and survived unscathed, but I had neither the strength nor the desire to fight Norrix. I was crushed that he had finally realized who I truly am. I could not bear to lose him, and I was terribly afraid that he would leave me: a paladin must surely be forbidden from associating with anyone like me.
Yet at the same time, I cannot renounce my faith. It is what defines me… All of my powers come from my worship of Umberlee… I cannot just let it all go.
He tried to convert me, but such a thing is not possible. Not even by this man I love so much. Feeling accused, I cried, ashamed that my lies had finally been seen through. I cried because I was afraid he would leave me. I asked him what would happen now, between us. Could we make it work? He did not reply, and looked away. It seems we are at an impasse…
No pure-hearted paladin can stand the sight of a crying woman for long, and he comforted me. As much as our religions and morals stood at opposite ends of the spectrum, our bodies still ached for one another, and so we found ourselves making love passionately once more. We did it with more ardor than ever before, because we could not be sure what tomorrow would bring.
Ches 4th, 1376
Dagger through my heart
I left the room in the middle of the night, while Norrix still slumbered. A turmoil of emotions raged within my heart: I needed to be by myself to make some sense of it all. In the darkness before dawn, I walked to the docks of the Merchant District, and sat there alone, wondering what to do. The sacrifice I needed to do for Norrix to approve of me was one I could not do. I could not leave my faith behind. Losing Norrix would give me a terrible wound, but losing my powers, becoming just a meek woman, depending on a man to survive, that would kill me.
As much as I love Norrix, if I have to choose between him and me, I have to choose me.
Once morning came, more and more people started going about their day all over the docks. Eventually, I was joined by Lavinia, Amella and a few other organizers of the trip, who all worked for Lavinia. Brissa was also there: I have decided to make her my personal assistant. This way, Lavinia has to pay her a salary, which is a nice little bonus on top of what she can “acquire” by other means.
We spent another busy day examining each of our ships one by one, noting what repairs or enhancements were needed for the voyage. At lunch, I told Amella and Brissa about what happened last night. They comforted me as best they could; despite what happened between Norrix and me, at least I still had my friends.
I both looked forward to, and dreaded, this evening. I didn’t know what to expect. I was nervous all day. As much as I tried to understand how to solve this dilemma with Norrix, I could not. Neither of us was willing to divert from our faith, and yet his forbade him from being with a woman like me.
When I got back to the inn in the evening, he was not there. I waited for him in our room. It got darker and darker. Still, he didn’t show up. I was starting to worry. What had he decided?
Finally, I heard someone knock at my door. I jumped off the bed and opened it. Norrix stood in the hallway, wearing his leather armor and his traveling cloak. He was dressed for an adventure. Before he opened his mouth, I read in his eyes that he had made his decision: he could not bear to be in my presence any longer.
“Belessa… I’ve thought long and hard about our situation. We cannot be together. Not now. Although the goddess you worship is an enemy of my lord, I love you with all my heart. I love the woman you have the potential to be.”
I stepped back into the room, and he entered. I felt a lump in my throat, I couldn’t speak.
“I wish I could convince you to give up your evil ways, but I can’t. Nor can I stay in your company. My body is frail; I do not have the control over it that I wish I did. I desire you, and the very sight of your beauty confuses my normally calm mind. You have enchanted me, dark priestess.”
“But Norrix, you’ve seen the good I can do! I love you too! We can be together! Who cares what people think? Who cares even what our gods think! We can each worship our own god, but be united in our love!”
“No. I have sworn an oath to defend the downtrodden, and to oppose evil in all its forms. You represent a part of the very evil I must battle. You are the darkness presented in its most beautiful, tempting shape. I do not wish to oppose you by force, Belessa. I cannot. I will not. But I cannot be with you any longer. I would be forsaking my oath as a paladin, and that, I will not do either.”
Tears were flowing down my cheeks.
“I shall venture into the Spire of Long Shadows. I have heard tales of that dreadful place, and there, I will atone for the sin I have committed, in my ignorance, by tasting the pleasures of the flesh with a minion of Umberlee.”
“The Spire of Long Shadows? But Norrix, that’s a dreadful place. Please don’t go… you’ll be killed!”
“My destiny is in Illmater’s hands.”
“I have been to Kraken’s Cove, I have seen the red waters there: they are tainted with the accursed blood that still flows from the Spire. Please, Norrix! This is madness! Don’t throw your life away because of me!”
“It is a paladin’s duty to venture into darkness, and to bring light where it most needs to shine.”
“Come with me to the Isle of Dread! We could use your help! There are demons there, and other terrible beings. We have a need for a paladin like you! And you would have a greater chance of surviving with the rest of us than by yourself. Please, Norrix! Come with us!”
“Do not tempt me, Belessa!!!” he snarled. I recoiled from him, but he looked like he immediately regretted his outburst. “Forgive me. My passion comes out in many forms when I am around you. Before I leave, I wish to give you something. Here, take this.”
He held out a white book, adorned with gold. It was a holy scripture.
“This sacred tome contains many prayers to the gods of light: Illmater, Tyr, Torm, Selune, Lathander, and others. Please, read it. You may find its contents illuminating. I know there is a beautiful part of your soul that’s just waiting to be let out, Belessa. Give it a chance. But it will never be released as long as you pray to the dark goddess of the storms.”
I tossed the book on the bed. I was too confused to even consider the implications of touching this sacrilegious tome. I wracked my brains to try to find some way to make him stay. I reached out, but there was nothing there.
He turned to leave.
“Norrix, don’t go!!” I sobbed, quite unoriginally and uselessly. I was completely distraught at the thought of losing him.
He stepped out the door, and I knew I had lost any chance of making him stay. But I longed for at least one last token of his love. I placed my hand on his arm, and begged him for one last kiss. Slowly, painfully, he turned to face me as I stood with my lips open partway, aching for one last contact with his.
A single tear flowed down his cheek.
“I can’t, Belessa. Take this, and remember me…”
He placed a metallic item in my hand, and left. He was strong until the end and did not give in to temptation.
I placed my forehead against the closed door, and began sobbing harder and harder. My knees buckled and I sank to the floor. I wept in abject misery.
He had left me… In the end, I had been unworthy of him.
I cried for a long time before I even thought of looking at the item he had placed in my hand before leaving.
It was a silver holy symbol of Illmater. He had left me his holy symbol, his most precious possession.
Ches 5th, 1376
Furious goddess
I barely got any sleep; it seems I cried for the entire night. Dawn found me wretchedly lying on the bed, filled with self-loathing. I was evil. I was wicked. I had driven away the most handsome, generous, caring, outstanding man I had ever met because of my very nature, my corrupted soul.
But of course, life was not happy with merely letting me wallow in self-pity. It had to step it up a notch.
I was roused from my reverie by a loud knock at my door. I opened it and saw a large, brutish-looking man in heavy armor on the other side. I vaguely recognized him from the church.
“Sister Belessa?” he said cautiously.
“Yes.”
“I am brother Cato of the church of Umberlee. I have been sent to fetch you. The High Priestess has asked to see you at once.” He stopped and stared at me. I must’ve looked like a complete mess. “Are you all right, sister?”
“No, I am not. But you can’t do anything about it. What about the High Priestess? Is she dying?”
“Well, not more than usual. Her agony seems to be stretching over a period of months. She must be strong indeed to be able to stay at death’s door for so long. I will wait for you downstairs, please, join me once you’re ready to go.”
I took a few minutes to get ready. My night’s misery was shoved into a corner of my consciousness as fear took over. Why was the High Priestess summoning me? Did she know about Norrix? Did she know I had considered, however fleetingly, leaving the faith of Umberlee for the gods of light? Was I to be punished?
I steeled myself to face whatever lay in store for me, and left the inn in the company of brother Cato. He led me to the church, and there, straight to the High Priestess’s chambers. The old crone looked deathly pale, but she still breathed. Edvanda and brother Kallam were also present at her side. She turned her pale eyes toward me as I stepped forward and knelt by the side of her bed, taking her hand in mine.
“Belessa, I have dreamt of our mistress… you must drink… of the sacred water of the sea… “
Deep below the temple of Umberlee, there is a dark cavern where we keep an onyx chalice inscribed with some potent runes of divination. Within that chalice, we keep some sacred sea water that can put its drinker in a state of trance that allows for direct communion with Umberlee. To drink of it is a great honor, reserved to those closest to our mistress. I had never been allowed to drink it until today.
In the past, the High Priestess had kept the only key to that cave, but now, Edvanda was the one bearing it. Although she looked bitter, she did the High Priestess’s bidding, and led me, Cato and Kallam down to the cave. Together, we spoke the prayer of communion, and they all stepped back as I lifted the dark chalice to my lips.
The liquid tasted absolutely foul, and I felt it entering my throat, and it seemed to spread instantly to every part of my body. My mind swirled… my vision blurred… I had trouble keeping my balance…
I fell to the floor, and when I looked up, I saw the other priests near the door. They seemed to be arguing. I heard distant voices, as though I were hearing them from within a deep pool of water. Edvanda was ordering the two men out of the room. They protested, guessing her intentions toward me, but she was mightier than them, and they dared not oppose her.
Edvanda locked the door behind them, and I vaguely saw her turn back toward me. I couldn’t be sure, but I imagined she was grinning as she drew something metallic from her blade… her sacrificial knife…
I lost consciousness as she slowly started walking toward me.
I was now deep underwater… further in the dark water, I could see strangely-shaped abyssal fish and nightmarish aquatic horrors with tentacles gazing at me. Several thick schools of fish merged together and formed a huge face which regarded me with alien, all-powerful eyes.
For the first time, I stood directly before Umberlee herself…
“Belessa, I’ve been troubled lately…” she rumbled. “I’ve been troubled by… TALOS! He thinks he’s so strong… he seeks to wrestle control over storms from me!”
“They belong to you, mistress, he has no right!”
“No, I control the storms of the sea! They are within my domain! Yet he portrays himself as lord of all storms! That is unacceptable!”
“That’s heresy!” I offered sycophantically. I reeled from the direct contact with my goddess: it felt stronger than any I’d ever experienced before. My soul was almost overwhelmed by it.
“I’ll show him… he has taken too much of my attention lately…” continued my mistress. I was relieved, hoping that she hadn’t kept too close an eye on my latest romantic interest. “He says that my priests are weak and good for nothing, but you, Belessa, are powerful. You will become even more powerful if you continue to please me. On your way back to the Isle of Dread, stop by the Kasunval Triangle.”
Images flashed before my eyes. I saw a group of islands. I saw coordinates on a map. Somehow, Umberlee implanted the location of that place directly within my mind.
“Talos sent one of his oldest and most powerful storm elementals there, within my domain! This elder is called Tyzcomir’Kraka. Go kill this elder elemental and prove to Talos that my priestesses are greater than his minions!”
“It will be done, oh Queen of the Deeps!” I replied.
“What is that?” she said. “I feel something in your heart… You WILL do my bidding!!”
And suddenly, I was cast out of the vision, and returned to the real world, as I know it. At the end, she had gotten angry with me, could she have felt something within my heart that she didn’t like? The fish had all converged toward me, with their fangs bared as though to devour me, as I disappeared. What did it mean?
I was still lying on the floor, covered with sweat. But I was still alive…
Edvanda stood next to me. It seems she had not dared to kill me while I was in direct connection with Umberlee. “Are you all right, Belessa?” she purred smugly.
I frowned and tried to gather my thoughts. It had been an ordeal. “Contacts with our goddess are draining, but perhaps you wouldn’t know about that…”
“You shall know that I drank from this water already twice,” she replied arrogantly. “And I know more about my future than you do. Otherwise you wouldn’t oppose me…” and she chuckled coldly.
Then she turned her back on me and headed for the door. She meant it as a sign that she wasn’t even afraid of me.
“Edvanda,” I called out. “Watch out…” I added threateningly.
“Oh, don’t worry about me,” she said as I followed her. “Don’t worry about… me.”
I left the church soon after and walked the crowded streets of Sasserine for some time, trying to clear my thoughts of the hurricane of emotions that raged within my mind. Between losing Norrix, being in direct contact with Umberlee, and worrying that perhaps she suspected that my faith was lacking, I felt completely lost.
In the end, I did the only thing I had control over: I went to join Lavinia and the others, and I helped them continue planning the trip. Perhaps if I work day and night, I will stop feeling the pain.
Ches 8th, 1376
Life after Norrix
Norrix… Umberlee… Goddess… Lover… Redemption… Heresy… Power… Destiny…
The storm of emotion within my heart has kept on raging for the past few days. I’ve been working hard on planning the trip, and I’ve also spent long hours at the temple, praying and sitting at the High Priestess’s bedside. Although Norrix’s departure wounded me deeply, and I was touched at some level by the time I’ve spent with him, seeing him selflessly take care of those people, I cannot risk Umberlee’s wrath. If she senses weakness in my faith, I fear I will be utterly destroyed.
Today, I’ve started working with brother Kallam in his laboratory. He is quite skilled at making magical items, and I wish to learn some of his techniques: if I were able to craft magical items, I could help Sparkillo to outfit Trouble.
I’ve also touched base with the Meravanchis. Although my passion for Manthalay has waned, he is still a valuable ally, and we all stand to gain from strengthening his position. I need to make sure he takes Zebula’s place at the head of the family. I hate Zebula so much that I would do this out of spite, regardless of my feelings for Manthalay.
My task has been made easier in this regard by the fact that Zebula’s been uncharacteristically taciturn lately. He seems to be avoiding everyone, brooding in his quarters. It’s a good time for me to get to know the family better, to see who I can trust, who can give me information, who I can turn against Zebula.
I’ve asked Sparkillo about the elder storm elemental. By researching the Witch Wardens’ library, he told me that these creatures are the very embodiment of anger. The elders are, of course, the strongest of their kind, and of huge size. They are powerful foes in battle, and get healed by electrical or sonic energy. They can produce shocks that can knock out humans easily, but they can only direct them against one foe at a time. But worst of all, their powers of thunder and lightning can severely damage a ship. We will have to find a way to protect the Sea Wyvern from them. However, despite all of this, Sparkillo believes that it is within Trouble’s ability to defeat a storm elemental.
Ches 12th, 1376
Zebula’s prisoner
I’ve spent two evenings with the Meravanchis, and I visit them daily, despite my busy schedule preparing the trip, and spending time at the church. I’ve seduced a young page who has proven to be a perfect source of information on his masters. Apparently, Zebula’s dark mood is due to the recent loss of the nymph he was rumored to be holding captive in the manor’s cellar. I immediately thought about Lagaan, who’s been curious about this nymph ever since he heard about her.
Zebula had kept the nymph prisoner for years, but lately, he hadn’t even been paying attention to her. I could easily imagine that: the decadent noble would grow bored of any female given enough time, no matter how unearthly beautiful she was. But he still viewed her as a precious possession. He was furious at having lost her. He even went to the church of Umberlee to learn through divination who had taken her. Yet I had heard nothing about it. I went to the temple to investigate, and I learned from brother Kallam that, just as I suspected, Zebula had contacted Edvanda about this, but she had refused to help him. Most likely, she knew I was associated to the Meravanchis, and had refused to help him out of spite. I was amused that the boorish cow wasn’t aware of my hatred for Zebula.
That evening, I had dinner with Lagaan and Sparkillo. They were talking about magical items when I joined them. Lagaan wants to improve his items, but even with all the money we’ve made lately, it would be too expensive to enchant them even more. He had considered asking Sparkillo to imbue his rapier with an aura of lightning, but the wizard replied that most demons were resistant to that. He told Lagaan that the best enchantment was beyond his skill: it was to get the weapon blessed with a holy aura, but that could only be done by a powerful priest of the gods of light. I sighed inwardly. If we are to fight demons on the Isle of Dread, it seems I would be more useful to the group if I worshipped a god who opposes demons. I could use the light against their darkness. But of course, Umberlee offers no such boons.
Were I to be as righteous as Norrix… I turned my thoughts to the book he had left me, which described the so-called “Good” faiths. I hadn’t opened the book yet, I had been to busy, and too scared of its sacrilegious content. But I will have plenty of reading time once we start sailing. I will read it then. Besides, it will provide good information; I can better oppose those gods if I have more information about them.
More bitter thoughts came with this. In recent years, I’ve been severely hurt by Umberlee’s whims. She stripped me of my powers after I was resurrected, she forced her zealots in Calimshan to kill my baby, and she almost killed me and my entire crew many times during our journey to the Isle of Dread. She has not been a gentle mistress… Somehow, I am sure that priests of Lathander, Illmater, Tymora and the other “Good” gods don’t get treated this harshly.
I am also growing tired of the tension within the church. It was all well and good while I worked with the Slave Lords, and that Stalman was the uncontested master of the region’s church. But the terrible experience with the church in Calimshan, and the recent struggle with Edvanda and her supporters has left me very bitter… I’ve come to hate many of those who share my own faith. Things shouldn’t be so hectic…
I mentioned to Lagaan the disappearance of Zebula’s nymph. At this, he and Sparkie grinned at each other. This confirmed my suspicion that Lagaan had been behind this event. Clearly, he had boasted about his actions to Sparkillo already. At my request, he now shared his tale with me as well.
While I had still been sailing back to Sasserine in Norrix’s company, Lagaan had ventured into the Meravanchi estate one night, under the cover of his ring of invisibility. He had found a hidden section of the cellars where, just as the urban legend said, a beautiful nymph was being kept prisoner. The unfortunate creature possessed the typical breathtaking beauty of her kind, with graceful limbs, smooth skin, and black hair, but looked pale and ill. She was being kept in a cage, and Lagaan also noticed a strange, organic-looking lamp hanging from the ceiling. When he entered the room, he became visible again. Some experimentation also showed him that his slippers of spider climbing weren’t functioning anymore.
Nevertheless, he was able to cut the tendril holding the lamp to the ceiling. The thing fell to the ground, where it decomposed at great speed. Lagaan later found out, by speaking with Sparkillo, that it had been the preserved central eye of a beholder, which blocked all magic within its range.
Once the eye was truly dead, the nymph recovered her powers. She beckoned Lagaan to come closer, and she took his hand in hers. Suddenly, they both were transported to a dark alley outside the Meravanchi estate.
“Thank you for saving me, kind stranger. What is your name?” asked the woman.
“Lagaan, at your service,” replied the rogue with a bow.
“Dear Lagaan, know that you have the thanks of Phydrea, Princess of the Mist-Shrouded Valley!”
Suddenly, two guards approached them, but Phydrea used her magical beauty to stun them in place. She then kissed Lagaan, turned into a white bird, and flew away. Lagaan watched her disappear in the starry sky, picked the pockets of the guards, and walked away into the night, whistling happily.
During the discussion, I also learned that Lagaan couldn’t feel the link to his soul as strongly anymore. Sparkie said that it probably meant that Zanzelis was now on a different plane.
Ches 16th, 1376
Emragg’s menace
The preparations for the trip are almost finished. We should be ready to leave within four days. I’ve also made some progress with the techniques to create magical items. I’ve purchased some components and high-quality items. I will keep working on this during our trip.
I visited Neldrak Lorchester yesterday, and learned that he had gotten news from Manthalay by magic. Although I did not show it, I was furious to hear this. What the hell? Why isn’t Manthalay discussing things with me first? And why am I not the one taking care of the communication between the two?
I really do not appreciate being relegated to second place like this… Manthalay should be more careful in the way he treats me.
Neldrak told me that three ships had recently reached the Island of Dread. Though he had no proof of it, Manthalay believes these ships to belong to the Rundeen. They had somehow discovered the way to reach the colony… My anger only rose when I heard this. The way from Sasserine to Farshore is not an easy one. It seems suspicious that they had navigated it unscathed… Perhaps they had some information at their disposal. Say, some information like… THE MAPS WITH THE LOCATION OF THE MAGICAL CURRENTS!
The very maps I had asked Neldrak to copy. Is he in league with the Rundeen? Was he betrayed by one of his servants, who made other copies of the maps and sold them to the Rundeen? Manthalay might be trusting Neldrak, but I am growing wary now… He could be using both of us for his own needs.
Of course, commerce with the Rundeen is not entirely a bad thing; but I know their reputation for ruthlessness. I fear they will try to gain monopoly of the trade between the Isle of Dread and the main continent.
However, there was a bright side to Neldrak’s tale: two of the three ships had been destroyed by Emragg, the gigantic dragon turtle who roams the waters north of the island. So some of those creeps paid for their insolence with their lives… good!
In light of this event, though, Manthalay is growing nervous about our own ships. We’ve been lucky so far to avoid the dragon turtle’s wrath, but we might not always be so fortunate. He gave instructions to Neldrak to gather most of his personal treasure into one huge offering to bribe the dragon into granting our ships passage. Neldrak led me to the basement of his manor, where he showed me Manthalay’s private fortune: four large chests filled with gold and jewelry, as well as an eight-foot-tall statue of one of his ancestors. Neldrak said that it all amounted to around twenty thousand gold pieces… A fortune indeed… But it might just be well worth it. If indeed, aided by this treasure, I can convince Emragg to leave along all ships flying the colors of the Meravanchis, Manthalay would effectively become the master of all commerce in and out of Farshore.
This evening, Lavinia invited us all to a dinner at her manor, to celebrate the upcoming trip. Lagaan, Ulfgar and Sparkie were there, as well as Amella, Urol, Liamae and Brissa. I noticed that Zan wasn’t present, and I learned during the evening that he had no intention of returning to the Isle of Dread, despite Lavinia and Liamae’s insistence. He had officially left the Jade Ravens.
I was also surprised that Tyria was still absent. Sparkillo told me that she had returned briefly a few weeks ago, but had left town again.
“I found a note she had left for us one morning. She said: ‘There’s the spring festival coming up in Calimshan in a few weeks, and I want to go enjoy it! Good luck on the Isle of Dread! Maybe I’ll see you some other time! I’m off on my flying carpet now, weeeee!!!’ ”
“Did she really write ‘weeeee!!!’?”
“Yes. Yes, she did.”
During dinner, I informed the others about the presence of Rundeen ships near Farshore. Most people around the table seemed very surprised, and unsure of how to take this: it could be perceived either as good, or bad news. However, I noticed that Lagaan seemed strangely uncomfortable when I mentioned this. Hmm… Could this mean that he already knew about it? Is he linked to the Rundeen? Is he the rat who gave them a copy of our maps?
I also told everyone about the dragon-turtle Emragg, and how I was planning on trying to bribe him with Manthalay’s money.
“That sounds like a good idea,” admitted Lavinia, “and for once, I must say I am thankful for Lord Meravanchi’s generosity in providing the entirety of the bribe.”
“Meh…” grunted Ulfgar. “Why give away this big treasure? Let’s just kill the dragon and the problem will be solved!”
“I’m afraid that would be foolhardy, my friend,” said Urol. “Emragg is a terribly potent foe, one of the Infamous Seven of the Isle of Dread.”
“Well, Infamous Six now…” corrected Lagaan with a grin.
“Oh… Yes, that’s right. But Emragg would surely prove to be a much more dangerous foe than the tyrannosaurus rex, which you defeated in a somewhat… err… roundabout manner?”
“You mean, like cowardly sissies?” growled Ulfgar. “Flying and shooting at it without giving it a chance to fight back?”
“Hey! We were fighting strategically!” countered Sparkie.
“Bah, it was a hollow victory, we killed it like a bunch of elves!”
“I’m afraid such a strategy wouldn’t be viable against Emragg, I mean,” continued Urol. “He could simply dive deeper within the waters, and be out of reach of spells and arrows. Believe me, Emragg is a foe you do not want to face in battle: like regular dragons, he can breathe death upon the area of an entire ship, slaying its crew in moments, it can capsize ships with its gigantic bulk, it’s immune to fire, which seems strange enough, and somewhat counter-intuitive. This magnificent predator is one of the main reasons why the Isle of Dread wasn’t colonized until recently! My friends, you are truly powerful heroes, but please trust me on this, Emragg is too strong a foe even for you.”
Ulfgar grunted, but didn’t reply. Sparkie and Lagaan looked thoughtful, but seemed to agree with the idea of not attacking the dragon-turtle.
“Actually,” continued Urol, “it’s somewhat of a miracle that we haven’t been attacked by it yet. It could’ve destroyed us as we approached or left the Isle of Dread, last year.”
Lavinia blinked at him in shock. “… What? That’s horrible! Urol, why didn’t you mention it before???”
The gnome looked back at her with innocent and clueless eyes. “My apologies, miss Vanderboren, it must’ve escaped my mind at the time.”
“Well, it’s decided, then. We will try to bribe this dreadful creature when we return,” said Lavinia.
“I’m afraid there is another threat to our expedition, though,” I said.
All eyes turned toward me.
“I have been granted a vision by my goddess. There is a terrible storm elemental that roams the waters between the continent and the island. This creature is evil and could destroy any ships that aren’t protected by adventurers like us. Ships, merchandise, and lives could be lost because of this living storm. Therefore, I suggest that we ensure to destroy it during the upcoming trip.”
Ulfgar brightened visibly. He hadn’t liked the idea of avoiding a fight against the dragon. “Great! Yes, let’s kill that elemental! It will give us a break from the monotony of the trip!”
Sparkie looked at me shrewdly. He understood why I had asked him about the powers of storm elementals. “You speak wisely, Belessa. It is our responsibility to destroy this creature.”
“I agree,” said Lavinia. “I would ask you, my friends, to help make this route as safe as possible, as you might not always be around to overcome such terrible challenges.” She hesitated for a moment before saying: “Thank you, Belessa, for bringing this up.” She looked straight into my eyes, and I could tell that her pride was suffering from having to say that.
“Always glad to help,” I replied with a dark smile. Of course, the little nitwit had no idea that I had just manipulated them all into helping me with one of my own personal goals.
Ches 17th, 1376
New colonists
We’re doing the final preparations for the trip. Sparkie has finally finished enchanting all of our items. He gave me my shield today, which is even more protective than before.
Lagaan, Lavinia, Liamae and I recruited many new passengers for our ships. This will give Farshore a much-needed boost of manpower. Most of the soon-to-be colonists are merchants, fishermen, lumberjacks, miners, or even untrained people with nothing to lose, looking for a second chance at life, far away from Sasserine. I’ve hired an architect to help build the temple of Umberlee. I’ve ensured that some of the colonists that we’re bringing are faithful of Umberlee. Sadly, a number of them are worshippers of different gods: many pray to Tymora for safety through this trip; this was clearly the doing of Lagaan and Liamae.
Lagaan also recruited some dirty scumbags from Shadowshore. But I guess that’s inevitable, it’s not as if there were an infinite amount of honest people willing to risk their lives and leave their business in Sasserine behind.
Two clerics of Umberlee will come to help Moretta and me to spread the faith through the community. One of them is brother Cato. He is zealous and brutal, I will definitely find uses for him. The other is Bereleth, an elf. He is a wandering priest who only arrived in Sasserine recently. So far, I don’t have a high opinion of him: he seems sly, and tries too hard to be funny, telling unnecessarily cruel jokes to anyone who’ll listen. Poor little Moretta will need a lot of patience in dealing with that one.
There will be other priests among the passengers, including one of Lathander, one of Tempus (a strong dwarf named Krogzar, who wishes to make a pilgrimage to see the site of the battle against the Crimson Pirates), and three of Tymora.
Of course, when I realized that so many priests of Tymora were hired, I wanted to discuss this with Lagaan. And the rogue surely imagined that it wouldn’t be a pleasant discussion. I turned to Ulfgar to ask him if he’d seen Lagaan. He shrugged. I turned around and saw that behind me was… another Ulfgar, who also shrugged. I rubbed my eyes and sighed heavily. Of course, one of those two Ulfgar’s was in fact Lagaan, disguised with his magical hat.
This is going to be a long trip…
In addition to all those people, the dwarven ballista operator Stragdar will once again journey with us. Ulfgar also hired the remaining members of the Black Shield mercenary company to protect the ships.
Two gnome druids, friends of Kaskus from the Jade Ravens, will also be part of the convoy. Amella glared at them and refused to have them on board her ship, so they will sail in another one. Lagaan seemed surprised at her reaction, and I reminded him that Amella’s husband was slain by gnomes, some years ago.
A few low-ranking members of the Witch Wardens will also be following Sparkie in the expedition, but of course, the self-centered elf is paying them little attention.
Lagaan and Ulfgar are proud of having been put in charge of providing every ship with a substantial quantity of beer for the trip. Lagaan was quick to point out the health benefits of drinking beer while at sea. I’m fine with that: it will surely keep everyone’s morale up.
Ches 19th, 1376
We were scheduled to sail tomorrow, but that damnable Zebula has approached Lavinia at the last moment, and has demanded to add another ship to our convoy! We have to do some re-planning, and our departure will be delayed by several days. I feel like throwing that useless idiot into the shark pool at my temple!
Ches 23rd, 1376
Delayed departure
Finally, we set sail today. Our convoy will consist of seven ships, well-armed, well-repaired and ready for anything. We bring many colonists and much-needed supplies to Farshore.
The ships we took from the pirates have kept their names, as it’s bad luck to rename a ship. They each have their own unique look, and it’s quite obvious that they were pirate ships once, even though they’re all flying our colors now: those of the Vanderboren and Meravanchis next to Sasserine’s flag. But I like it. It reminds me of the good old days up north. And I’m pretty sure it must make that little darling Lavinia cringe.
1- The Sea Wyvern will be leading the convoy, with me at its helm. Among my crew are Ulfgar, Sparkillo, Urol, Brissa, Tavey, Stragdar, Chochanika and a few of the Witch Wardens.
2- On the Blue Nixie will sail Lavinia, Liamae, Lagaan and half of the Black Shield company.
3- The Stygian Shark will have Amella at its helm. Cato and Bereleth, the two priests of Umberlee, will be on it, as well as the rest of the Black Shield company and the rest of the Witch Wardens.
4- On the Brine Harlot will be a priest of Tymora and Krogzar, the priest of Tempus.
5- On the Hag will be another priest of Tymora and the two gnome druids.
6- On the Grim Jester will be the third priest of Tymora (a cheerful young girl named Aurilia – she makes me sick), and the priest of Lathander.
7- The seventh ship is called the Slithering Shimmer, and it’s the one that contains Zebula’s people. It’s the least-organized ship we have. I hope they won’t slow us down too much.
Tarsakh 3rd, 1376
We’ve now been sailing for ten days, and we’ve finally reached the magical current created by the ancient Olmans. We’re taking a much different route than last year, when we hugged the coast of the Chult Peninsula for several weeks before venturing into the open sea. Now, I feel much more at ease as a captain, confident to lead the large convoy straight into the deepest sea.
The weather has been very good lately. We’re making great progress. Umberlee is truly with us…
The trip is also relatively pleasant this time. I don’t have to worry about troublesome elements like Lagaan or Avner. It’s wonderful.
I’ve been spending a lot of time with Chochanika. I want to use some of my free time on this trip to learn the basics of the Olman language.
Tarsakh 10th, 1376
After navigating the magical current for seven more days, we’ve reached the Kasunval Triangle. Even though we’re still about a day’s distance from the center of it, we can see dark, menacing clouds on the horizon. Tomorrow, we will face the minion of Talos…
Since the beginning of the trip, I’ve been spending a few hours every night reading Norrix’s book on the religions of “Good”. What a load of crap. I could write my own book, criticizing this one. Those gods want to turn the human race into sheep, trying to get them to band up into nice little herds, not giving in to their emotions, and not using their power at all.
The life of a priest of those religions seems much too bland for me. I’ll pass.
Tarsakh 11th, 1376
Bird of Ill Omen
Today, I navigated the Sea Wyvern into the storm. We left the other ships safely behind, taking only a skeleton crew on board: Ulfgar, Sparkie, Lagaan, Liamae, Brissa, and myself. No need to endanger any of the colonists or other sailors. We’ll need them later.
The sea got more and more turbulent as we progressed. Finally, as we reached the heart of the storm, I read the potent scroll that had been given to me at the Church of Umberlee, asking my goddess to protect the Sea Wyvern from the elemental. A great wave of disgusting mucus rose up from the sea itself and covered the surface of the Sea Wyvern… it reeked just like a substance secreted by a monster of the deep sea… Really, my goddess has no sense of style… It was really disgusting to see that vile goo all over the ship.
Even worse was the smell… it was quite pungent. It bothered Sparkie and Liamae most of all, and they had to lean over the railing and vomit into the sea. Before continuing on, I protected everyone against lightning with my own magic. Well, everyone except Liamae. She’s supposed to be a priestess now; she can take care of herself. Our eyes met as I passed next to her and did not give her my blessing.
“You’ve got some vomit on your dress,” I pointed out with a sneer. She immediately lowered her eyes in shame, totally humiliated.
We then sailed deeper and deeper into the storm. I was reminded of the terrible storm during which we had gotten shipwrecked on the Isle of Dread… the waves were gigantic, the wind was furious… It took all of my skills to continue further. To make matters worse, from time to time, I had to make a sharp turn to avoid one of the many reefs of the region…
For the tenth time, Sparkillo leaned over the railing and retched… but suddenly, with a voice that shook with fear, he exclaimed: “REEF!!!!”
Thanks to his warning, I was able to swerve to the side at the last moment, and we only scratched the jagged rocks, instead of crashing head-on into them. Still, the impact had been pretty brutal. Brissa looked over the railing and described the damage we had taken: it was extensive.
“I’ll go fix it with my magic!” offered Liamae, eager to find an excuse to retreat below deck.
A bit later on, we passed next to the shattered remains of another ship. I didn’t have time to look at it closely, but Lagaan said he recognized it.
“I don’t remember its exact name,” he said, “but I’ve seen it in Sasserine when I was a kid. It was the ship of the Black Sea Witch.”
I had heard that name before. That woman had been a pirate captain, and a wandering priestess of Umberlee. Had she also received a mission to destroy the storm elemental… and failed?
Suddenly, despite the black clouds, the wind roaring madly in our ears and the waves crashing on the deck of the ship, Lagaan noticed a large black sea gull heading our way. We readied ourselves for battle.
“Don’t attack it yet… Let’s see what it wants,” I said.
“Yeah… Don’t shoot it, it’s bad luck to kill an albatross,” added Brissa.
“Bad luck, bad luck! I want none of that!” said Lagaan. “What do I look like, a follower of Beshaba??”
The big bird landed on the deck of our ship, not far from me, and it soon changed shape, transforming into a haggard man with wild dark hair and beard. He wore tattered black clothes and carried a stout oaken staff. This druid didn’t seem to be affected by the storm at all: unlike the rest of us, his hair stood quite calm despite the gale-force winds. He was most likely under the effect of a Freedom of Movement spell. The aged man grinned at me. He seemed quite mad; he had rotten teeth and bloodshot eyes.
“hehehe… hehehe…” he cackled madly.
“Who are you, old man?” I demanded.
“hehe… don’t you recognize me?? I recognize you, Belessa! I’ve met you once, a long time ago. Huh huh huh huh huh! Yes, don’t you remember?”
“Not in the slightest,” I replied calmly.
He cackled some more. “Of course not.”
“I’ve met a lot of old fools in my travels, you’ll have to refresh my memory. Why have you come aboard my ship, old one?”
“You can call me by my name: Sartain. Yes, Belessa, you don’t remember me? I’d come on that foul island, to meet your master, Klim. It feels like so long ago. I too, at that time, was a follower of the Sea Goddess. Ahhh… I was aboard that ship, the Octopus, when the Black Witch came here, to prove her worth to our goddess. Huh huh huh, to your goddess. And she died. DIED!!! DIED like you’re going to die yourself! Yes, for so long, I too have traveled the seas, doing the bidding of the wicked Sea-B@%#!. Until I finally understood that… she’s nothing… huh huh huh huh… she’s nothing!”
“I concur,” said Lagaan helpfully.
“Talos!!! Talos!!! My eyes are now open to Talos!!!” He exploded into more mad laughter. “It’s still time for you to change your allegiance, Belessa!”
“Why would I change allegiance to a weaker god?” I asked defiantly. “Talos has no business here, he must be quite desperate indeed if he’s bothering to convert weaklings like you.”
The crazy old derelict was laughing uproariously. He turned around to face the rest of my companions. “It’s still time to run, fools! Run or die! You will feel the wrath of the hurricane!” and some lightning crackled all around him.
“No, we will destroy this elemental!” replied Sparkie. “You may not have met me before, but I am the great SPARKILLO, and I’ve slain more dangerous beings than this one that you worship!”
“Mwahahaha!” exclaimed the old druid. “Insanity! INSANITY!”
I was getting bored with this old fart’s ranting. I turned toward Ulfgar and simply said: “Kill him.”
Ulfgar and I attacked the druid with our weapons, as he quickly turned back into a bird and flew away, bleeding from the wounds we had inflicted. Lagaan shot some arrows at him, and Sparkillo finally finished him off with a volley of Magic Missiles. The black bird fell into the rolling waves like a stone.
“We’ve killed that pathetic druid you sent our way!” I shouted at the storm itself. “Are you going to send more lowly servants to do your bidding, Tyzcomir’Kraka? Are you so cowardly that you will not face us in direct combat? Come and face the mighty servant of Umberlee, the mistress of sea and storms, if you dare, weakling!!”
It had some effect. Soon, we realized that the storm was getting deeper, denser. A rumble of thunder approached the ship. The elemental was coming!
Tyzcomir’Kraka
Brissa took the helm as the rest of us got ready for combat. Ulfgar, who was under the effect of an Air Walk spell like I was, charged ahead over the waves. Sparkillo also flew closer, to get a better aim, and shot the incoming elemental with the green ray of a Disintegrate spell; but the creature shrugged off the worst of it. Lagaan’s arrows were lost in the wind.
Quick as the wind, the elemental went around Ulfgar and positioned itself between Sparkie and the rest of us. It blasted Sparkie with lightning (which the mage resisted thanks to my magical protection), and struck him with the force of a gale. Also hovering over the waves, I approached the creature. It struck me, but I cast a powerful prayer and unleashed a Harm spell against it. It shrieked in torment as a great wave of blackness surged up inside its core.
“Feel the wrath of UMBERLEE!!!!” I shouted.
The storm elemental, now truly irate, turned around to focus its attacks on me. Ulfgar struck it with his axe, but it had very little effect. The boat was rocking too much for Lagaan to be able to get a good shot, and his arrows went wide. I saw jets of flame strike the monster from behind: Sparkillo had unleashed his own deadly magic against it.
The elemental blasted me with lightning, but I barely felt it, due to my strong protections. Lightning crackled all over my beautiful plate armor. But then, the storm elemental seemed to get darker, and darker, like a black cloud, and suddenly, it unleashed its destructive energy in one mighty explosion of thunder. My companions were all blasted back; I resisted the damage better than any of them. But the monster still had more energy to attack: it summoned an incredibly powerful surge of lightning, and blasted me with it at point-blank range.
No mortal could possibly be able to survive this deadly attack. So the tiny, twisting balls of lightning that formed the elemental’s eyes widened in surprised when it saw I had survived: some of the magical mucus that had protected the Sea Wyvern had been diverted to me, and had completely protected me from the destructive energy! I had been saved by divine intervention!
Surrounded by lightning, I once again called upon some of Umberlee’s darkest magic, and unleashed another Harm spell on the creature of Talos. It writhed under my deadly touch, and its substance almost completely dissolved… it was almost dead… I raised my trident to finish it off…
And then, a volley of Magic Missiles struck it, and destroyed it! Just as the thing died, a lightning bolt came down from the sky and struck it.
I had been expecting to hear the usual cry of “SPARKILLO!”, but to my surprise and disappointment, I heard a female voice cheering: it was that infuriating Liamae who had killed it!
“How DARE you?? He was MINE to kill!!!” I snarled at her.
But there was no time to suitably punish Liamae for her insolence. Brissa and Sparkie had been knocked out by the monster’s blast of thunder. I hurried to Brissa side, noting with relief that she was still alive, and I healed her back to consciousness. Liamae did the same to Sparkillo, whom Ulfgar had brought back on board.
Then, we healed our wounds. It had been a terrible battle, and we had all been badly wounded. Lightning still crackled all around us. Above our heads, I noticed that the clouds were getting thinner: Talos’s storm was dispersing!
I shook my fist at the retreating clouds and shouted: “That’s what you get for encroaching upon Umberlee’s domain, usurper!”
We then became aware of a ghostly form materializing on the deck of the Sea Wyvern. We immediate understood that it was the restless spirit of the Black Sea Witch.
“Not another fricking ghost…” groaned Lagaan, and he hid behind me.
“Belessa…” wailed the ghost. “For forty years, I served my goddess... only to die in this place. For what sake? The petty quarrels of the gods… Look at what you did: you did the bidding of a goddess who should’ve taken care of her own business.”
The bitter ghost was spewing out more heresy on the deck of my holy ship. What a miserable wretch… Clearly, her faith in Umberlee had been too weak: that was why our goddess had let her die… And that was why she still lingered in this place, rather than sailing on the Sea of the Dead in Umberlee’s domain.
“Who is Umberlee to dictate our lives?” she continued. “And for what? To die?”
“You should not speak such heresy on my ship. Be gone, foul one!” I said, brandishing my holy symbol before her. She shrieked one last time, and was forced to flee.
We continued healing our wounds, and cleaning up the ship in preparation for our return. I went downstairs to help Liamae to finish patching up the damage we had taken when we’d scratched against the reef.
When I was done, Lagaan approached me and cleared his throat. “What was that about? Those things the ghost said…”
“She was bitter because she failed to do Umberlee’s bidding,” I replied. “She failed where I succeeded.”
“You mean, we had to take care of this storm so that your goddess could feel good about herself?” he continued, raising an eyebrow. Sometimes, the little thief can be too clever for his own good.
“Of course not, but Talos has no right to infringe on the sea, it’s the domain of Umberlee. That’s the way things are. The balance of the universe can only be maintained if each god focuses on their own domains. If that structure breaks down, there will be only chaos.”
“Well, Talos is the god of storms.”
“He is a god of storms. But on the sea, it is Umberlee who controls the storms. Talos controls them in the mountains, and over the plains.”
“OK, fine, but how come Umberlee’s not able to take care of herself?”
“She is! Don’t you get it? The elemental just got destroyed! Of course, she can take care of herself! Through me!”
Lagaan looked unimpressed. “Yeah. With the help of…” and he counted the other combatants on his fingers.
“It is true,” I conceded. I turned toward the others. “You have all fought very bravely, my friends. Just as Umberlee is pleased with me, I am pleased with your performance. I am very happy to have you with me.” I looked at Ulfgar, Lagaan and Sparkillo each in turn. I purposefully omitted Liamae. “Now, the trade route between Farshore and Sasserine should be safe…”
“Well, safer,“ said Ulfgar. “Don’t forget that big dragon turtle, eh? Hmm… Are you guys sure you don’t want us to kill it, just to be sure?”
“Yes, we’re sure,” we all replied in unison, sending the dwarf to grumble darkly in a corner.
“So basically, we came here to beat up that storm, mostly,” continued Lagaan with the persistence of an inquisitor.
“Yes, that’s what I said from the beginning, we had to make sure it was safe!” I replied. “Can you imagine defenseless merchant ships, laden with precious goods, getting attacked by this terrible elemental? It would be a disaster! They would never survive! Think of all the innocent lives that would be lost, not to mention the loss in profit!”
“Well, we were all right on the journey here the first time.”
“That’s because we took a completely different route! It was much longer that way! But now that we’re using the Olman current, we have to come through here!”
“Really…”
“Yes, Lagaan, trust me on this. I’m the navigator. I know what I’m talking about. I can even show you the coordinates on the map, if you don’t believe me.”
But the annoying little man didn’t seem convinced. Even though I told the truth, well, mostly the truth, he didn’t look like he believed me.
Well, too bad for him!
Once we had repaired the ship, we started sailing back toward the convoy.
We did a great deed today. I finished a mission that was given to me by Umberlee herself. She must be most pleased with me. She even intervened personally to save me from death. I must indeed be one of her favorite priestesses in the entire world now…
Tarsakh 13th, 1376
Now that the wind has considerably calmed down, it has taken two full days to return to the convoy. Tomorrow, we will resume our travel toward the Isle of Dread.
I feel very serene since the battle. I feel blessed.
Lagaan and Liamae have been avoiding me, for the most part. Liamae must be bitter because I did not acknowledge her contribution to the elemental’s defeat. They must also be very frightened by my display of power: perhaps they thought me a meek healer until recently. But they saw the terrible damage I inflicted upon the minion of Talos. I did far more damage than all of them together. Yes… I could bring Lagaan or Liamae to within an inch of death with a mere touch if I wanted it… They must know it, and fear it…
Thankfully for him, Lagaan is more useful to me alive than dead, despite his annoying ways. And as for Liamae… Well, when I make my move against her, I want there to be less witnesses around…
Tarsakh 19th, 1376
Another few days of traveling along the Olman current. We are quite close to the Isle of Dread now.
I’ve continued to practice my Olman, I’m improving quite quickly in fact. I’m able to have a simple conversation with Chochanika in her native language now. I’ve also spent some time reading a few books about the creation of magical items. I think I would be able to perform some enchantments, if I get the time once we reach Farshore. A cloak of resistance would be a good start…
I’ve also spoken with Manthalay several times via Sending. He’s given me more information about the danger that Emragg represents. Tonight, my companions and I dined aboard the Blue Nixie, and we discussed with Lavinia how to best approach the Isle of Dread. I started by telling them the latest I had learned from my lover: “As you all know, along the north coast of the island, a dragon-turtle of gigantic proportions makes its home. The beast calls itself Emragg, and the locals know him as the glutton. If we are to believe the rumors, it’s a miracle that any of us are sitting here now, as the glutton has supposedly a taste for ships and sailors. Yet apparently, the thing’s vices aren’t limited to swallowing down whole crews. The Crimson Fleet made a deal with the creature, bribing it to leave their ships intact on their visits to Gallivant Cove. More to the point, there’s the matter of the Crimson Fleet’s interest in Gallivant Cove. According to the log we’ve recovered from the Brine Harlot, the pirates have made several visits to the beach on the south shore of the cove, to meet a group called the Lords of Dread. According to these notes, they’ve been purchasing large quantities of what they’re calling Shadow Pearls.”
“I don’t really like the ‘large quantities’ part…” said Lagaan. We exchanged a dark look, then turned toward Sparkie and Ulfgar, who looked equally grim.
“Lord Meravanchi went through the notes more thoroughly after we left Farshore,” I continued, “and it seems that the Crimson Pirates bought a lot of them; for what purpose, their journal did not say…”
We discussed the risk of trying to fight Emragg, and the risk of trying to bribe him. Both seemed dangerous. Once again, we agreed that trying to bribe it was the best plan, but we decided to take a long detour around the region, to first make a stop at Farshore. That way, no matter what happened to us when we faced Emragg, at least the other ships, and the merchandise, would have reached their destination safely. We also decided to pick up Raguhl in Farshore, and then to navigate back, taking only the Sea Wyvern, toward Gallivant Cove. We will try to bribe Emragg, and if we succeed, we will then go directly to meet those so-called ‘Lords of Dread’.
Tonight, after the dinner, I contacted Raguhl by magic, and briefly described our plan to him. I told him to start making his way toward Farshore, to meet us there.
Tarsakh 23rd, 1376
Return to Farshore
We arrived in Farshore today! It took us exactly one month to get from Sasserine to here. What a great improvement compared to our epic journey from last year!
We made our grand entrance in the bay, with our seven ships filled with merchandise and new colonists. It felt good to be back, and we saw to either side of us the ballistae and guard towers that we had constructed to defend the town against the Crimson Pirates. It seemed like a much better defended outpost than the one we found here a year ago. A crowd of villagers gathered at the docks to welcome us. A great atmosphere of elation was in the air.
With the newcomers, the population of Farshore has grown by half, and we also brought much-needed supplies from the main land. The passengers were happy to finally return to solid ground, and although some found the trip to be too long, they were generally happy to have faced none of the dangers they had heard about: these souls are indeed most fortunate compared to Skald, Rory, Faris, Lirith and the others who perished in our ill-fated voyage last summer.
Another large merchant ship was docked nearby. I assume it belongs to the Rundeen…
One of the first people we met when we came off our ship was that dastardly Avner. He was flirting with a young woman who had just arrived in Farshore, offering to show her around, and of course, flaunting his noble title. Lagaan and I took the occasion to tease the foolish noble about the disappearance of his father’s beloved nymph. Lagaan also took Avner’s appearance to confuse the young lass.
Moretta then came to greet me. She looked very happy, but I could also tell that she was hiding something for me. When I probed her about it, she said she preferred to discuss it in private. I wonder what it is? I learned that Penkus was doing well, and that she had placed him the forest for now, so he wouldn’t scare the newcomers.
And finally, Manthalay made his way toward me, and swept me off my feet, before kissing me. I was completely caught off guard: he never used to do this before I left! He was always worried about what the commoners would say. I wonder if perhaps he’s missed me so much during my absence that he threw caution to the wind when he saw me again at last.
He directed his servants to bring my things to his manor, and then gave Lavinia and the members of Trouble a tour of the town. We saw that several new buildings had been constructed, and that more were being built: he had clearly started preparing for our arrival ahead of time. Always a good planner, my dear Manthalay.
The most beautiful of the new houses was a gift from him to our group: the House of Trouble! It was a sturdy and cozy-looking wooden villa, with a large living room and several spacious bedrooms. My lover had spared no expenses in seeing to the comfort of my group. The boys looked pleased as they visited the beautiful house. Lagaan and Ulfgar each picked a room, and Sparkillo also chose one, which he will share with Chochanika. Since I will be staying with Manthalay, I’ve told Brissa she can use my room for now.
We both gain from this: she will be more comfortable there than at the inn, and at the same time, I’ll have someone trustworthy keeping an eye on my unpredictable associates.
I had dinner with Manthalay tonight. Avner was also there, and he had invited his new lady-friend. She will be staying at the manor with us. I wonder how long that’s going to last… Poor girl, if she only knew what she’s getting herself into.
Although I had spoken to Manthalay by magic during my absence, it had always been in short, cryptic messages. It felt good to be back with him again, and to be able to have a real conversation. I told him about my recent adventures (omitting, obviously, my participation in his brother’s orgy, and my encounter with Norrix). I also told him about Lagaan’s hat of disguise and ring of invisibility: I didn’t want him to be easily tricked by the thief’s newest toys.
Manthalay brought me up to speed on the latest news in the region. He has started to really colonize the Olman tribes. At last, we will be able to better utilize the resources produced by these savages. Of course, there are some pockets of resistance, as some of these primitive people are reluctant to embrace modern civilization, but that’s the reason Manthalay asked us to hire the Black Shield Company mercenaries. In some cases, violence will be inevitable to douse the flames of rebellion.
During the meal, we were interrupted several times by some coarse shouts coming from the Vanderboren Manor. Lavinia allowed over a dozen of the newcomers to stay in her manor until their houses are built. Her estate is now overcrowded with dirty commoners.
Manthalay wrinkled his nose in disgust. “What was that silly girl thinking, allowing those louts into her manor? It’s unheard of! Now we’ll be bothered by their uncouth noises day and night!”
“Yes, uncle,” said Avner, “what a silly idea it was!” He then realized that his new girlfriend was pouting. “Oh, but you’re welcome here, of course, my dear. You’re not like them!”
Tarsakh 24th, 1376
Life in Farshore
It felt good to wake up in Manthalay’s bed this morning. I’ve been unfaithful to him during my trip… I’ve doubted his love for me… But now that we’re together again, I can feel that he genuinely loves me. He cares about me. He believes in me. He deserves my loyalty in return.
What I had with Norrix was just a fling. He was a wonderfully charming man, but he was also an idealistic fool who broke my heart. And I was an even bigger fool for letting him get to me like that. I thought we had things in common, but I was just deluding myself. Now that I’ve read his stupid book on the so-called “good” religions, it’s much clearer to me. Manthalay is a much better match for me.
I had a busy day today. I helped Manthalay and his people to organize things for the newcomers to get settled in smoothly in Farshore. Most of all, we want the new miners to start working as early as possible. Most of the miners who had initially been brought to Farshore had died before we arrived, when their mine was invaded by the kobolds and their green dragon masters. Now, we are eager to start exploiting the diamond mine once again!
I saw various things today. The dwarven priest of Tempus prayed on the shore where we had battled the Crimson Pirates. A new sculpture around the town’s well depicted us, the members of Trouble, in our glorious victory over the deadly Vrocks. A second inn had opened while we were gone. It was staffed by Halflings, and I later learned that it was owned by Johan, Tyria’s brother. Their beer was, of course, supplied by Lagaan and Ulfgar’s company.
I had lunch with Manthalay and a few of his advisors, at the manor. While they were talking, I was looking out the window, and saw a group of lizardmen approaching Lavinia’s mansion. Raguhl was at their head. It had been a while since I’d seen him. I’d forgotten how big and feral he looked.
I informed Manthalay of his arrival. My lover looked up from his papers and frowned. “Ah, I’m too busy right now to go greet those primitive beasts. I’ll let Lavinia take care of it. She can bake them a pie or something.” And at that, a few of his sycophants laughed.
Indeed, I saw Lavinia come out of her manor and greet Raguhl: she called out his name merrily, ran toward him, and jumped into his arms. What a warm welcome… She truly cared more about this scaly beast than about any of the rest of us in Trouble. How strange it was… And then, I remembered that they had known each other for many years… they had spent their teenage years together, after all; the two of them, and Vanthus.
In the afternoon, I met Moretta at the town’s temple. I saw that it had been rebuilt during my absence… and that it contained several alcoves to the various faiths of the village, just as it had when Father Catherly had been in charge. Moretta showed me around, but I noticed that she looked very nervous: she knew how much I had hated the previous chapel.
“I see that Umberlee has but a small alcove set for her worship: nothing more than any of the other gods of the community,” I said.
Moretta was trembling slightly, and she hastily explained that she had allowed the temple to be built like this in an effort to please the entire population, and not to alienate them against our faith. My poor, sweet Moretta. She can be so weak… So eager to please others. She is so vulnerable in that way.
A year ago, if we had been in this situation, I might have shouted at her. I might have slapped her for being so weak; I might even have punished her more harshly. But I have changed a lot since then.
“I’m disappointed, but I understand your desire for compromise,” I said. “This temple is only temporary anyway. Eventually, we will build a greater temple than this one within the cliffs.”
She stared at me in disbelief. “You… You’re all right with this?”
I shrugged. “I’m not pleased to see any of these pathetic gods represented in this place, but it the foolish villagers choose to worship them… It will have to do for now. If Umberlee is angry with them, she’ll find a way to make it known.”
“That’s… very wise of you, Belessa,” said Moretta.
I feel much closer to Umberlee now. I am one of her divine agents. She protects me. She speaks to me. I am above the petty concerns of caring about the faith of a small number of commoners. If they dare to tempt fate by living on a coastal village and not paying homage to the Queen of Storms, it’s their problem. I’ll let the other priests worry about trying to convert them.
But there was something else that was making Moretta nervous. Eventually, she worked up the courage to tell me: she and Tolin were in love. She asked me if I’d be willing to lead their wedding ceremony.
“Of course I would,” I replied with a smile. “I think you will make a lovely couple! Congratulations!”
She beamed radiantly and hugged me tight. “Oh, thank you, Belessa, thank you so much! I’ll go tell him the good news right away! He’s going to be so happy!” And she hurried out to find her lover.
Although I’ve had my differences with Tolin, I think Moretta could do a lot worse than him. He’s a handsome man, a capable fighter, and figure of authority in Farshore. Their union will make the town even more solid: the militia captain and the priestess together.
I’m pleased with Moretta; although she is too soft to make a truly great priestess of Umberlee, I do sense that she has grown in power since last year. So she must be doing something right.
I then went to see the other two priests of Umberlee: Cato and Bereleth. I explained to them that in my absence, they would answer to Moretta. They grumbled a bit, but wisely did not argue my decision. Cato will be Moretta’s guardian and enforcer: the strong arm of our church. I put Bereleth in charge of overseeing our temple’s construction: he will work closely with the architect, and ensure that the project moves along at a nice pace.
They both accepted their assignments. Good. I hope I can count on them. Once that was over, I went to the forest and spent some time with my beautiful pet, Penkus. I had missed him as much as I had missed Manthalay and Moretta. Since I don’t trust my two newest acolytes yet, I gave specific instructions for Penkus to obey only Moretta in my absence: I wouldn’t want one of the others to try and take control of my magnificent minion.
I spent the evening at the halflings’ inn, with the rest of Trouble: Ulfgar, Sparkie, Lagaan and Raguhl. Since Tyria has left us for now, we are down to five members. It’s strange, being the only woman in the group now. Although I’ve never been particularly close to the chaotic little halfling, I felt comforted in some way by her presence. I feel more isolated now that I am surrounded by just men.
Raguhl seemed very happy to see us all (yes, even me), and he gladly took back his items, which Sparkie had made sure got enchanted. I looked around at my companions: we definitely looked more heroic than last year. We are all much better equipped now.
Ulfgar and Lagaan told Raguhl the tale of our latest adventures. He was impressed with the way we’d destroyed the chaos cult, and by our battle against the storm elemental. Then, we talked about our next adventure: we decided to leave in two days.
We spent the rest of the evening in idle chatter. I learned that Raguhl’s band of lizardmen will all be staying at the House of Trouble, and that Churtle, the little kobold cook, left Farshore to go live with Raguhl’s tribe. I guess she must feel more at home with her reptilian “cousins” than with us humans.
Tarsakh 25th, 1376
Moretta’s wedding
Today was spent in celebration of Moretta and Tolin’s wedding. In the morning, Brissa, Amella, Chochanika and I prepared everything for the ceremony aboard the Sea Wyvern, and we also helped Moretta to get ready.
The wedding was to take place at mid-day. Shortly before it began, a crowd gathered aboard the ship to take part in the joyful event; among them were my companions of Trouble, the other two priests of Umberlee, and all of the town’s most prominent citizens.
“So, who are we sacrificing today?” asked Lagaan teasingly.
“You, if you don’t keep your dirty mouth shut!” I replied.
Then, the ceremony started. Moretta, wearing a beautiful sea-green silk gown, and Tolin, wearing his polished breastplate, stood together in front of me. Kaskus stood next to Tolin as his witness, while Amella stood at Moretta’s side. I directed the ceremony. They exchanged vows and rings. Finally, they kissed, and everyone cheered for them.
A celebration followed, still on board the Sea Wyvern; Johann was the caterer, and much merriment took place for the rest of the day. It was pleasant to be able to forget our worries for one day…
Tarsakh 26th, 1376
We left toward Gallivant Cove today. We have the five members of Trouble on board, as well as a skeleton crew who’ll navigate the Sea Wyvern while we deal with the Lords of Dread. I brought Brissa with us: she’ll be in charge of the ship while we’re away.
Manthalay has given us a strange musical instrument, a very long wooden horn, which is called a sea-skirl. It seems that in the past, the natives of the island have used instruments like this one to call Emragg up to the surface.
Tarsakh 29th, 1376
The glutton
We reached the waters to the north of the Isle of Dread after three days of sailing. Along the way, we caught glimpses of various dangerous beasts: dinosaurs on the coast, a roc flying above the distant jungle, even a school of angry great white sharks. But none of these predators worried us as much as the great Emragg that we knew we would soon face.
Around noon, we got ready to call him up. Since our bard isn’t with us anymore, I decided I should be the one to sound the great horn. I was pretty confident I could get a better sound out of it than any of the others. And since I knew I would need to succeed at convincing the great beast, I dabbed my skin with some of the magical perfume we found among Rowynn’s belongings last year. According to Sparkie, it will magically enhance my already considerable charm.
It seemed to work: when I went on deck, everyone turned toward me, mesmerized by my magical fragrance. Even Lagaan was silent for once: he was in awe. Several of the sailors looked at me walk by with even more lust than usual in their eyes. Once we were all ready, I approached the railing and took hold of the small tip of sea-skirl, whose other end was placed underwater. I took a deep breath and blew a loud note into the instrument. The resulting sound was surprisingly melodious, and I was able to play a very long note.
“That lass has got some good lungs…” commented Ulfgar.
We waited for a few minutes, and then I sounded another note. We waited a bit more. Eventually, an immense reptilian head broke the surface of the water: the great glutton had heard our call! (and had the decency not to capsize our vessel!)
The great Emragg regarded us with mild surprise and amusement. He did not seem as angry as we had feared he might be: perhaps he had liked the sound of my wind instrument.
“I heard your call, minuscule creatures,” he rumbled in the common tongue. “Know that I am Emragg, lord of the seas around the Isle of Dread.”
“We have heard about you, oh mighty Emragg,” I replied, “for the legend of your strength and greatness is known to the four corners of the sea. You are known as the most powerful, dangerous and fierce of all of the ocean’s denizens. Truly, you are the ruler of the sea. And to show to you our respect, great master, we have humbly brought before you an offering of the finest treasures that our lowly human lands can produce. We are unworthy of them: they should be yours instead. We ask that you please show us mercy, by not attacking our ship or those of our allies when they will pass this way in the future.”
I bowed and showed the great beast Manthalay’s treasure, which we had on display on the deck of the Sea Wyvern.
The great glutton’s mouth twisted in what I believe was a satisfied smile. “Yes… As it should be… Yes…” He floated like a great pasha and he blew a little steam through his great maw. “I can recognize your ship and let you pass through these waters.“
“We also have some allies, who fly the same flag you see here,” I said, pointing up to our flag that was showing the emblem of Sasserine, with Manthalay’s colors. “This is the blazon of Lord Manthalay Meravanchi, who is the ruler of Farshore, and who humbly requests your leniency.”
“Hmm… a ruler, hmm? He bows to me, yes? Hmmm, that’s good!”
Even at a distance, its breath was hot and smelled foul. I blinked under the fetid breeze and thought: “could be worse…”
“I will show leniency,” said the dragon-turtle. “But I expect other tributes, at least within a year… I’m sure you’ll bring them… Hmmm, yes… I like your perfume, by the way… But why? Why do you care about this island, anyway? I thought I would have some peace over here.”
“Well, there are many intriguing things to be found on this island. There was once a powerful human civilization here called the Olman, we seek to discover their secrets.”
“Ooohhh… Ooooh, I see, yes. So you’re not interested in those Shadow Pearls?”
“Yes, in fact, we are.”
“Yes, I know the Crimson Fleet already paid me handsomely to let them pass just for that. Yes, they come here. But you… you smell much better! I like you.”
“Thank you, oh great one.”
“Yes, you can pass. Now, just load the treasure on my back here.”
And then the monster slowly swam closer to our ship and struck its huge shell against it. The shock almost made us lose balance. Once we’d recovered, I gestured to the two warriors, and a few sturdy lads from the crew, to load the treasure on top of the dragon’s shell.
Emragg looked at us one last time with his huge glittering black eyes. “Have a pleasant year…” he said before disappearing below the waves.
I breathed a sigh of relief. That went well! We all looked at each other and cheered quietly: we survived the deadly encounter, and succeeded in the first part of our mission!
We continued on our way toward Gallivant Cove, which we reached late in the afternoon. Olman ruins dotted the cliffs on either side of us as we went deeper and deeper inside the bay. We also saw some shipwrecks against the nearby reefs: they were probably some of Emragg’s victims.
Into the lightless depths
Finally, we saw before us a dark cave opening in a cliff wall. Before it stood a rickety peer decorated with pikes bearing yellowed skulls. They glowed with magical green fire that came out of their eye sockets.
I docked the Sea Wyvern there, and went ashore with the rest of Trouble. Then, Brissa took the helm, and brought the Sea Wyvern further out to sea. We waved good-bye at the crew. Their order was to keep the ship close enough to the docks so that they could see us return, but far enough to avoid any possible attack from the Lords of Dread or any of the local land-based predators.
The dock was truly an old derelict, and we wrinkled our nose at the nasty vapors that came out of the skulls. We then strode toward the cave in a tight group. My companions seem to huddle around me as if to protect me. Or were they just trying to stay close to me to benefit from the pleasant effect of my magical perfume?
I had changed the appearance of my armor to look like a magnificent dark red captain’s outfit adorned with golden thread, over a red metallic chainmail: it made me look like a captain of the Crimson Fleet. Lagaan had also used his hat to take the appearance of a Crimson Pirate.
Inside the cave, sickly gulls were pecking at crustacean carcasses. A rusty grate barred the entrance of a tunnel at the back of the cave. As we approached it, a small, dark-scaled dinosaur loomed out of the shadows and growled at us.
“Hey there, inside the cave!” I called out. “Open up! We’ve come to see the Lords of Dread!”
A moment later, the portcullis opened, and three lizardmen came out. They were smaller than those of Raguhl’s tribes, and wore dirty rags. They were also surrounded by a horrible stench: Ulfgar later told me they were troglodytes. And I remembered that Captain Javell had mentioned them before: “stinking lizardmen wearing rags”.
“Greetings,” I said, “do you speak the common tongue?”
“Of course,” replied their leader. “May Laogzed gnaw you slowly. How come you here? We already gave the one we had last time. It was more than four moons ago. If you want more, you’ll have to come back later.”
“When will the next one be ready?”
“When Laogzed wishes it.”
“Has he told you when that will be?”
“I am no cleric,” replied the troglodyte curtly. I knew the name Laogzed well: it is indeed the greatest god of these foul cave-dwellers.
“And even more will be ready later?”
“Yes, we’ll keep producing them for the glory of Laogzed. The ancient ones produce them.”
“May we see them?”
The troglodyte’s eyes widened in outrage. “Rrrrr??! We are the emissaries! You go no further. We give you pearl when we have them. We don’t: you turn around.”
“Forgive me, I’m new here. I was recently assigned. How does it usually work?”
I approached the foul-smelling reptile and smiles seductively at him. He caught a whiff of my delightful fragrance, and he seemed enthralled by it. Even though we are of different species, I think some of my charm got through to him. After a few more moments, I managed to sweet-talk him into letting us in.
“Is an exception I do for you, good-smelling lady. Never before have I, Zugrid, done it for your peers.”
And so the creatures led us into their cave, where a fourth troglodyte sat on a pile of rank algae, applying some kind of poultice to its skin. The cave stank with the odor of troglodytes. There were more “beds” for these beings, and the dying embers of a fire burned at the center of the cave. Against the walls were a few urns, as well as the corpses of octopi and lizards. To our left was a cart filled with glistening rocks.
“You come with me,” said the leader as he headed toward an exit in the far wall of the cave: it led to a low passage that descended steeply. The other troglodytes remained behind to guard the entrance.
“We thank the Crimson Pirates for the slaves, drugs and shinies they gave us,” continued Zugrid. “Especially the slaves. But it’s true that we’ll need to produce another pearl soon. The high priest has run out of slaves to sacrifice.”
“I hate when that happens,” I replied sympathetically.
We went down the dark tunnel for a long time. The creature seemed to see even farther than Ulfgar in the darkness; the rest of us had to rely on the light that was cast by my trident and Raguhl’s sword.
Ulfgar started sweating more and more as we headed deeper into the bowels of the earth. Raguhl put a comforting hand on his shoulder and muttered some encouraging words, but they seemed to have little effect on the claustrophobic dwarf.
I walked close to Zugrid, despite his terrible stench. Strangely, he was walking very slowly. After a while, I noticed that some of his body was covered in bandages, and that he often scratched himself with his long nails. Was he suffering from some kind of illness?
“Where are we going, Zugrid?” I asked.
“Village of Laograt.”
“How much further is it?”
“Is far. Four miles below the surface,” he replied, at which Ulfgar started breathing even louder in panic. “Then is much deeper to get the pearl from the ancient ones, many, many miles below the island. But only high priest Vagvadu is allowed to go there!”
“How many people live in Laograt?”
“Maybe fifty of us. Follow guidance of the priests.”
After a while, we reached a place where foul-smelling dyes had been applied around cracks in the tunnel. Markings and claw prints here had created a series of crude pictograms. Most of them were faded, but three were still visible. We briefly stopped to observe them.
The first showed a group of spear-bearing reptiles in a maze of descending tunnels.
The second showed a large lizard exulting among ruins, as smaller, lesser troglodytes bowed before it. There was a circle of blackness around the greater lizard’s head.
The third showed a reptilian skull with a smoky mass of spiraling tentacles, which rained black spheres on a smoking island.
I shared a dark look with my companions: we definitely did NOT like what we saw in that last picture.
Zugrid had kept walking and was now a few dozen paces ahead of us. He stopped and called back: “Is still long way down, Crimson ones! Better keep going! You hurry!”
As we walked toward him, I heard Raguhl whisper to Sparkie behind me: “Is that the Isle of Dread we saw?”
“I believe so, yes,” replied the elf.
“But… the painting shows it being attacked by SO MANY pearls! Whatever these monsters are doing down here, we have to stop them!”
For once, I agreed with Raguhl.
We continued making our way down into the lightless depths…
Tarsakh 29th, 1376 (continued)
Laogroat
In fact, the tunnel wasn’t going quite so deep under the surface. According to Ulfgar, we were perhaps around two hundred feet below ground. But we crossed a great distance horizontally, seemingly heading south. After a few hours, we finally reached our destination. Zugrid noisily opened a rusty grate, and we stepped into a large cave that contained the village of Laogroat. To call it a village is really an honor it does not truly deserve. Rather, it was a horribly putrescent cluster of a dozen crude huts made of stone and dirt. Those “homes” had their entrances on their roofs, and looked like the lairs of some foul animals – or as was the case, some diseased troglodytes. The cave was vast: we couldn’t see its entirety due to the darkness, but we got a sense of its immensity from the fleeting shadows here and there, and the muted echoes of our voices.
Did I mention the stench? We had thought the flaming skulls on the pier above smelled bad. We had thought that the troglodytes themselves smelled bad. But nothing, really, nothing could’ve prepared us for the nauseating, utterly foul odor that permeated the entire cave. It felt as though every single vile odor in Faerun had somehow made its way into this cave, had been magically locked inside it for years, and had been allowed to fester into something truly abominable.
As we entered the village, nobody came to greet us, nobody came to challenge us or attack us. The place felt deserted. But the odor… The very odor guarded the place like an omnipresent sentinel.
We followed Zugrid further into the village. Soon, we reached the edge of a gaping pit, thirty feet across, which seemed to be the main contributor to the putrid fragrance that surrounded us. At its bottom had been dumped many corpses of tumor-covered troglodytes. Clearly, much of Laogroat’s population had already succumbed to the same disease that seemed to affect Zugrid.
At the edge of the pit were two large cages. Within them, we caught a glimpse of some dark shapes lying in filth. Whether they were asleep, unconscious or dead was unclear at the time, but they were also covered in hideous sores. Only one of them was conscious, and strangely, seemed to have been spared by the plague. The miserable creature was a thin troglodyte: when it saw us, its eyes became alight with hope.
“Strangers!” the creature croaked in the common tongue, as it passed its arm through the bars of the cage and clawed at the air in our direction. “Save me! Me can help you! Me can tell you secrets!”
Ulfgar and Raguhl approached the wretch and started to speak to him, but Zugrid intervened: “Don’t listen to heretic! He being punished!”
“Why are you keeping him in a cage?” growled Raguhl.
“He is heretic! He turned his back on our lord Laogzed. He been denied the blessing of our lord, for sins he has committed!”
“What blessing? You mean this disease?”
“Yes,” replied Zugrid with mad glee. “All of us have been blessed by great Laogzed! Our suffering is sign of our devotion to him!”
“Sounds more like a curse to me,” grunted Raguhl.
“But it’s not!” I said, interrupting my dull-witted companion before he could anger Zugrid. “It’s indeed a blessing, Raguhl, and the citizens of Laogroat are truly blessed by their god.” I gave the barbarian a meaningful look, asking him silently to shut the hell up and let me do the talking. I turned back toward Zugrid. “And tell me, Zugrid, can you bring us to meet Vagvadu, the high priest of this place?”
“Vagvadu not high priest. High priest is Azarutt the All-Dying!”
“The undying?” I asked, puzzled, thinking I had misheard.
“The ALL-dying!”
“So he’s like… dying… totally… a lot?” asked Sparkie, who seemed as puzzled as I was.
“Yes! He suffers more than any of us!” replied Zugrid with zealous fervor.
Finally, another troglodyte appeared at the edge of our lights. It looked at us warily, and addressed Zugrid in draconic. I quickly cast a Tongues spell on myself, and understood that the newcomer was berating Zugrid for bringing us “Crimsons” down into the village, which was apparently forbidden. Zugrid defended his decision, and I joined in, saying that we wanted to take a closer look at the pearl-creating operations. As I did so, I noticed that Lagaan had disappeared; most likely, he had turned invisible. What’s more, I saw Sparkie quietly take cover behind one of the stone huts.
“Is not done!” growled the new troglodyte. “Is forbidden! They infidels! Not allowed in holy place!”
“But they our allies,” countered Zugrid. “Good-smelling lady very powerful and high among Crimsons. She brings many many slaves soon. Us show her that she can get many more pearls!”
“No!” said the other. “Is forbidden! Soft-skins not allowed in Laograt! Is final!”
“It’s quite all right, my good man,” said a third troglodyte who suddenly approached from behind one of the huts. “These individuals seem quite trustworthy to me, and surely our alliance with them would benefit from more transparency of our methods of operation, wouldn’t you say?”
Zugrid and the second troglodyte stared at this troglodyte with a bewildered expression. Speaking in accented draconic, he had used some very complicated words.
“What you say?...” mumbled Zugrid.
“Well, I’m merely saying that it would be the height of bad manners to refuse entrance to these fine folks. After all, they’ve likely traveled a great distance just to meet us, and it seems like common courtesy to offer them the warm, yet somewhat foul-smelling, hospitality of our underground community. What’s more, surely by now they’ve earned the right to get a more in-depth look at the process of Shadow Pearl production, seeing as they’re such valued customers.”
Then, the troglodyte seemed to remember something, and he ostentatiously scratched himself: <scratch> <scratch>.
Sparkillo! It was him! He had transformed into one of the creatures! Did he really think it was going to work?
“Does me know you?...” asked the second troglodyte warily.
“Of course, I’m Skoplak of the eastern hut! I’m married to your second cousin!”
The two real troglodytes seemed quite puzzled by Sparkie’s speech, and by the fact that two of us had mysteriously disappeared, but I managed to divert their attention back towards me and to ask them once again to see their high priest.
“Fine,” the second troglodyte finally agreed. “But female comes alone… Others… Stay here!”
“That sounds like a wonderful idea, old chap,” said Sparkie. “I’ll personally keep a close eye on her, she does look a trifle shifty to me. <scratch> <scratch>”
Another troglodyte had shown up by then and was assigned guard duty over Raguhl and Ulfgar.
I reluctantly agreed to follow Zugrid and the other troglodyte. After all, if I got into a dangerous situation, at least Sparkie would be around to help. He quietly approached me as we ventured deeper into the village.
“Fear not, my dear Belessa: it is I, Sparkillo! I have taken the guise of one of these fiends.”
“No! Really?” I whispered back, feigning shock. “You stink, by the way!”
“I do indeed! The Polymorph spell is a most potent transmutation, which duplicates these beings’ traits such as darkvision and terrible body odor! See, I’m blending right in! <scratch> <scratch>”
“Sure, you are…” I replied, knowing that my sarcasm was wasted on the socially inept wizard.
Heretics
We reached the back of the cave, where a twenty-foot-tall statue of a rearing lizard with a monstrous toad’s head coming out of it stomach towered over a crude stone altar. I found the idol puzzling, as Laogzed is usually not shown with anything coming out of his belly. Clearly, this mad cult was completely perverting the worship of this underground deity. On either side of the primitive shrine stood two huge piles of rotting swamp plants. They probably stank very badly, but due to the pervasive stench in the entire cave, I couldn’t really tell.
Five troglodyte cultists stood near the hideous idol; they hissed and bared their fangs at my approach.
“Soft-skin! Heretic!” they said. “She not allowed in here!”
“She is. She powerful chief of Crimsons!” said Zugrid. “She comes to talk to Azarutt the All-Dying!”
“No, she not allowed!” retorted one of the priests.
“Come now, let’s all be reasonable,” said Sparkie. “This charming lady is an ally of our noble cult, and should be allowed at least a brief meeting with our esteemed leader. <scratch> <scratch>”
The five cultists glared at him.
“Who you be?” asked one of them.
“Who, me? I’m… err… Mokplak, the mushroom-gatherer.”
“Me not remember see you before.”
“I travel a lot in the Underdark and stuff. You might not have seen me in a while. I just came back yesterday. <scratch> <scratch>”
I sighed. “The mushroom-gatherer is right,” I said. “My allies and I have come a long way. We have the power to bring many more slaves for you. But we must make sure you can give us more Shadow Pearls. I wish to speak to Azarutt the All-Dying.”
Reluctantly, the cultists allowed us to enter the hut closest to the shrine. Within it, several particularly wrinkled, decrepit, ugly and tumor-covered old troglodytes were bathing in foul pools of dark liquid. They hissed at us with even more ferocity than the lesser cultists had, and I could see that they were about to attack me. I held up my hands in a gesture of peace, and backed away from the hut.
“All right, all right,” I conceded. “I’m sorry to have disturbed you. I guess I’ll be leaving now. You all have a nice day.”
It was quite clear that the path of diplomacy had lead to a dead end.
“All right, Zugrid,” I said to our guide, “it seems that I’m not welcome here. Thanks for bringing us here. Now please bring me back to my companions and we’ll be on our way.”
We returned to the cages by the stinking pit. Raguhl and Ulfgar were still close by, although the troglodyte that had been assigned to keep an eye on them had ‘mysteriously’ disappeared during our absence. I later learned that his corpse had been dumped into the charnel pit along with the others. The two warriors had been speaking with the heretic in hushed tones, but they grew silent as we approached closer.
“What you doing?” growled Zugrid, whose mood seemed to be getting fouler and fouler. Most likely, the contact with the rest of his people had probably started to make him realize that bringing us down here had not been a good idea. Plus, my perfume had worn off with all this stench. “Me told you not to speak to heretic!”
“We’ve been looking at these cages,” said Raguhl. “Care to explain what some dead lizardmen are doing in there?” He pointed to one of the cages and indeed, the reptilian corpses that lay there, which I’d earlier assumed were troglodytes, indeed looked like the larger and heavier members of Raguhl’s race.
“Us at war with them,” replied Zugrid. “They attack us. Us attack them. Me not remember who started it. But they spoils of war. Is losses on both sides. Us have many enemies on surface. Us bested these in combat. They ours now. Us sacrifice them to our lord.”
Raguhl seemed to be fighting down an urge to skewer the troglodyte with his sword.
“What about that one, that human?” asked Ulfgar. I noticed that indeed, one of the unmoving figures was a dark-skinned human. “He’s still alive. We’d like to take him with us.”
“What??” asked Zugrid, his eyes wide. “What you talking about? This one of OUR slaves! You bring us slaves, you not take away any! And he almost dead now from the blessing! He dies before reaches surface!”
“Belessa, you could cure him, couldn’t you?” asked the dwarf.
“I guess…” I replied with a shrug. The man seemed quite far gone, and I wondered if it was really worth the trouble to anger the troglodytes over such a wretch.
“No, you not touch him! He one of our slaves!” said Zugrid. “Us need slaves! Slaves to sacrifice, slaves to bribe fish-men! Us need many slaves, you go, and get us more slaves!”
“Slaves can be recycled, you know?” I said with an amused smile. “Let me show you: I’ll make this one as good as new, and you can trade him to those fish-men you’re talking about.”
Lagaan, who had turned visible again, opened the door for me: he had picked the lock. Wrinkling my nose in disgust, I entered the putrid cage, and stepped between the foul corpses. I approached the prone man. Now that I was closer, I had a better look at his body. Although it was ravaged by the terrible disease, I could tell that this man had once been a mighty warrior. He was of great size, with a powerful chest covered in tattoos of animals, and huge arms almost as thick as Raguhl’s. Calling upon the healing powers of Umberlee, I placed my hands on his chest and cured him of his disease. Within moments, the tumors were gone, and he looked healthy once more.
“That… powerful magic!” admitted Zugrid as he witnessed the miracle.
I stepped back, unsure of the man’s reaction. He was a primitive Olman, after all. But it seemed I was in no danger of being attacked by a raging savage. Instead, the man behaved like a simpleton. He grinned stupidly and tried to catch imaginary butterflies around him.
“What’s wrong with him?” asked Ulfgar.
“I think his mind is gone… He’s useless…” I replied.
“Can you cure that, too?”
I looked at the man thoughtfully. I was fairly certain that I could cure him, if I used one of my most powerful spells. After all, I had managed to heal the madmen at the Scarlet Spire with that spell. But was this feral barbarian worth expending such powerful magic, now that we were in the heart of our enemies’ lair, and that a fight might be imminent? Was he worth it?
After a moment, I smiled and caressed the rock-hard muscles of his chest with one hand. Surely this man would be of some use…
I channeled the strong divine energy into the man’s body, into his soul, into his mind… For a moment, we were connected as the energy flowed through my body and into his… His eyes gained a focus that they had lacked… He looked down at me in surprise, but now, his gaze was quite sharp, his expression serious.
“What… where am I…?” he grunted in a deep voice, and surprisingly, in the common tongue. He looked flabbergasted to be half-naked, in a stinking cage filled with dead disease-ridden lizardmen, in front of a splendid woman dressed like a captain of the Crimson Pirates. “Who are you?” he asked.
“She not matter,” interrupted Zugrid. “You our slave. Good-smelling woman get out of cage now, and us go back to surface.”
“I don’t think so,” said Ulfgar.
“What you say?” growled Zugrid as he turned to glare at the dwarf.
“We’re not going anywhere,” said Raguhl. “Not without that man.”
“You go too far… Me brings you down to village… Now you anger priests, want to take slave… You betray Zugrid! You pay for this!”
With a roar, our former guide rushed the two warriors, but that proved to be a very bad move on his part. Within moments, there was really very little left of the troglodyte: he had been cut into several pieces by Ulfgar and Raguhl’s blades, and the wall of the nearest stone hut was covered with a huge stain of foul troglodyte blood.
“Well done!” cheered the caged troglodyte. “You free me now! Me shows you way to Shadow Pearls! Me swears!”
“All right,” said Ulfgar. “Lagaan, if you would please do the honors…”
While Lagaan was busy trying to pick the lock, I brought the big Olman out of the cage.
“I am Belessa Darkwave,” I said to him. “We’ve come here to stop the troglodytes’ mad schemes, and we’re rescuing you. Who are you and how did you become their prisoner?”
“I am Jakara, the last warrior of the Tiger Clan. You have my thanks, wise-woman. As for the reason I am here…” His gaze was lost in the distance for a moment. “I don’t quite remember…”
As it turns out, the lock was too difficult for Lagaan to pick, so Ulfgar had to smash it with his axe. But as he was doing that, another troglodyte came toward us from the shadows.
“What going on here? Crimsons still here?” he snarled, and then his eyes widened when he saw Zugrid’s gory remains on the ground, and the fact that we were opening the cages.
Sparkie, who was still in the form of a troglodyte, tried to smooth things over: “Hello there, my good man, everything’s quite fine here. I’ve got it all under control. You may return to your occupations. There is absolutely nothing interesting going on here, certainly no prisoners being freed or otherwise any of your colleagues being… chopped off in two.”
The troglodyte howled in rage: “Attack! To arms! The soft-skins are freeing the prisoners! Kill the unbelievers in name of glorious Laogzed!”
His shouts echoed throughout the cavern, and soon, we heard many more shouts heading our way: the cultists had been roused by his battle-cry.
Sparkillo first tried to play along: “Yes indeed, let’s kill those soft-skin-flesh-thingies!”, but when he saw that the troglodyte was charging him, he turned tail and ran toward the far exit. “Quick, to the eastern tunnel!” he exclaimed in common. The rest of Trouble and the recently freed ‘heretic’ troglodyte followed him quickly. I grabbed one of the Olman barbarian’s huge hands in mine. “Come with me if you want to live!” I said, and we ran after the others.
Death to the soft-skins!
Raguhl was the first to reach the tunnel, and he opened the rusty grid that barred the way. One by one, we passed by him: our goal was to fight the troglodytes within this tunnel, so they wouldn’t be able to swarm us. Ulfgar and Raguhl stood at the entrance to the tunnel, protecting the rest of us. Soon, a group of about ten troglodytes reached the entrance of the tunnel, hissing threats of: “Death to the soft-skins! Death to the heretics!”
Behind us, Sparkie, still in troglodyte form, was flying close to the ceiling, and he released a mighty Fireball into our enemies’ midst. They shrieked in pain from the impact, but they were sturdy foes indeed, and did not perish. A few of them attacked Raguhl and Ulfgar with their long, infected claws, while others stood back and chanted dark prayers. Raguhl was scratched by one enemy, and Ulfgar went rigid for a few moments, likely the victim of a Hold Person spell. Meanwhile, Raguhl roared in rage and killed one of the troglodytes, and injured another. His holy greatsword swung left and right, chopping off limbs from our foul opponents, and casting mad shadows all along the corridor.
More than ever, we were surrounded by a foul stench, for now the troglodytes were enraged and emitted an even viler odor than before. Even our ally, the so-called ‘heretic’, almost made us retch by his mere presence. But at least, he fought on our side. “You are the heretics!” he shouted at his kindred. “You not worthy of Laogzed!!” and with that, he cast a thunderous Sound Burst in their midst.
It’s an interesting spell which is part of many lesser priests’ arsenal, but I had a much more powerful one at my disposal: chanting a prayer to Umberlee, I called down a terrible Ice Storm on our enemies! They almost all perished from the intense cold and deadly hail, and when the winds abated, only two foes remained standing.
One of them cast a Silence spell on us, but was slain soon afterwards, with one of Sparkie’s crossbow bolts and two of Lagaan’s arrows lodging themselves into his chest. At the same time, Raguhl skewered the last troglodyte with his blade.
It had been a surprisingly easy fight: we had expected more enemies to swarm us. We later learned that most villagers were in a state of terminal illness, and had lacked the strength to attack us, and perhaps even, to be aware of our presence. They lay dying in their stinking stone huts, and we left them there to rot.
We examined the corpses of those we had slain, and stripped them of their precious belongings (despite the horrible smell): each wore a pair of magical bracers that might be quite valuable. We noticed that the troglodyte that we had liberated looked somewhat glum as we did this.
“What’s wrong, aren’t you happy to see your captors dead?” asked Ulfgar.
“Me is not. They my people… no matter how corrupted they became… It should not have come to that. Me was hoping us could spare their lives.”
The dwarf shrugged. “Well, they kind of had it coming. So what’s your name? I don’t want to keep calling you ‘heretic’ all the time.”
“Name of me is Irgzid Uzeye. Me true follower of Laogzed. Me remembers the old ways, and respects them. Me has powers of our god. Me not succumb to vile rigidity.”
“Is that how you call that disease?” I asked.
“Yes, is. Me not sure why is here. Maybe they gets corrupted from Shadow Pearls. Maybe they gets manipulated by fish-men, me hates them… Damn fish men, always seeking to trick us… Or maybe they gets corrupted by you, Crimsons. But people of Laogroat turned away from holy path. They spoil image of Laogzed.”
“You mean this two-headed statue? That’s not the real Laogzed, is it?”
“No, is not. They show him like that, but is not his true image. Is abomination!”
“Who are these fish-men you mentioned, Irgzid?” asked Sparkillo.
The troglodyte eyed him warily. “Does me know you? Not remember seeing you before.”
“Me? Why, I’m Skerak, who dwells by the western pond. I’m…” the wizard scratched himself, but as he did so, his spell ended and he regained his normal appearance: that of a scrawny blond elf wearing a pretty dress and a gaudy tiara. “Oh, well, I guess the charade is up, then! I’m Sparkillo, wielder of arcane magic!”
“Hmm… Fish-men are nasty. They dwell deeper in caves. Us not like them, but they the ones that give tribe of me the Shadow Pearls, and tribe of me give them to Crimsons who give us slaves.”
“How many pearls have your tribe given away so far?”
“Me not know. Thought you knew! But is a lot… hundreds!”
I shared a worried glance with my companions. Sparkillo mouthed the word in disbelief: “hundreds”.
“But why was your tribe doing this? What did they gain by it?” I asked Irgzid.
“They say they messengers of Chaos. They want to spread Chaos to world above. And they want slaves to sacrifice to Laogzed.”
Raguhl and Jakara glared at him.
“So you can bring us to the place where Shadow Pearls are made, right?” asked Lagaan.
“Yes, me can. Me does, as me promised. Me not liar. You think is in wrong direction. Is not in that tunnel as you thinks. Is down big hole, near the shrine!”
“All right then,” said Ulfgar. “Let’s clean the rest of this village and be on our way!”
It turned out that there were only two old, tumor-ridden priests left to defend the temple. They died quickly and messily.
“So which one was Azarutt?” I later asked Irgzid.
“Him was in bath when you killed them a minute ago”, said Irgzid after the last of the fighting was done.
“Really?” I asked, surprised. I had expected the high priest to put up more of a fight.
I watched the rest of the group search the shrine. The cultists had been making a foul substance there, a kind of black poultice that several of them had been applying to their rashes. Irgzid explained to us that they had been doing this masochistically, to prolong their suffering, as a gesture of devotion to their mad god. However, Lagaan discovered that one of the ingredients to that poultice was a potent drug called Sannish: it was worth a lot on the black market. We put it in one of our bags.
While the rest of us were looting, Raguhl was sitting quietly on a boulder. He didn’t seem to be feeling well. “We should go,” he finally said.
Irgzid turned to face him. “Me thinks big one eager to leave Laogroat, he is!”
Raguhl replied grimly: “I… hate… this place…This… zoo… This prison… This reality, whatever you want to call it. I can’t stand it any longer. It’s the SMELL… if there is such a thing. I feel… saturated… by it. I can taste your stink. And every time I do, I fear I’ve somehow been infected by it!”
“I will also leave this place, and return to the surface,” said Jakara in his deep voice. He had been standing by himself for now, staying in the shadows. He stepped into the light of our weapons, and his face was a stern mask. “You have my thanks for saving me. And I wish you good luck in whatever quest you are on.”
“Wait,” said Sparkillo. “Why don’t you stay with us? Once we’re done with our quest, we can bring you out of here by magic. It would be a dangerous trip back up to the surface, as the way is guarded.”
“I will take my chances,” replied the savage.
“What if you get captured again?”
“We could bring him back to the Sea Wyvern, he’d be safe with the crew,” suggested Raguhl.
“Yes, but don’t forget there’s still three troglodytes guarding the entrance,” said Lagaan.
“We could escort him and protect him from them,” said Sparkie.
“What, climb all the way back up?” I asked, not looking forward to climbing many miles up, and then down again, just for this man. “He looks like a capable warrior, why doesn’t he come with us?” I looked up into the huge man’s eyes and turned on my charm. “Surely a brave warrior like you wouldn’t turn down the chance to venture on a daring quest against some evil cave-dwelling creatures like the ones who captured you?”
Jakara hesitated, obviously reluctant to refuse my offer now that his honor was at stake: he did not wish to appear like a coward. “I am already on a quest,” he said. “I must finish it.”
“Pray tell, what is that quest? And how come you speak our language?” I asked.
“I learned it. I met a man from your tribe… your people. A holy man named Noltus Innersol.”
Raguhl’s eyes brightened at the mention of the zealot’s name, but I tensed. Was this big warrior an ally of my rival?
“I was part of his group,” continued the barbarian. “Together, we have been fighting the demons of this island.”
“Did he come down here also?” I asked, daring to hope that the old man was dead.
“No,” he replied. “He’s still on the surface. I was scouting the area on my way to the village of a tribe of Lizardfolk, where I was supposed to meet the king of those people in behalf of Noltus.”
“I am that king,” announced Raguhl in his deep voice. “And I too consider Noltus Innersol my friend.”
Jakara frowned. “No, no, I was sent to meet Raguhl I, in his village far to the east of the island.”
“I am Raguhl.”
“You are?”
“Yes.”
Jakara bowed before the lizardman. “I, Jakara, last warrior of the Tiger Clan, am your servant.”
Raguhl looked embarrassed. “Rise, Jakara. You are not my servant. We are friends. The friends of Father Innersol are also my friends.”
“Good. Raguhl, Father Innersol sent me to tell you… That is…” he hesitated uncomfortably. “I am to say this for your ears alone.”
“All right. If you would please excuse us…” said Raguhl, as he brought the big man further away from us.
So that’s how it was. I had a pretty clear idea why Jakara wanted to speak to Raguhl alone: surely Father Innersol had spoken ill of me. Jakara did not trust me. Perhaps he even knew that I had killed Father Catherly. How ironic that now, this barbarian owed his life to ME!
“Damnit, Lagaan!” roared Raguhl, who had noticed that the thief wasn’t visible anymore. “Take off your ring and go stand near the others were I can see you!”
Raguhl and Jakara came back after a few minutes of discussion.
“Jakara is a brave warrior. His story is most interesting,” said Raguhl.
“You have heard of the Skin-Walkers, so Raguhl told me,” said Jakara. “I have fought them before. The last thing I remember before waking up here, I fought a group of them near the central plateau. I killed them all myself! But their master was a wicked witch-doctor, one who can cast hexes, and just as I struck the killing blow on him too, he cursed me, and my mind was caught in a storm of madness! I only very dimly remember what happened next. In my state of weakness, I must’ve been captured by these troglodytes during one of their forays into the outside world, and brought here to die.”
“We are fortunate to have been here in time to save you, friend,” said Raguhl.
I remained silent and watched the two brutes intensely. They had better not forget that I was the one who had done the actual saving!
“On the central plateau lives a demon of great power, who is the mastermind behind the corruption of this entire region,” continued Jakara. “The lesser demons who have invaded our island are here because of him.”
He stopped for a few moments, and I saw a great sadness in his eyes. He said he was the last warrior of the Tiger Clan. Had he lost his entire tribe to the demon’s minions?
“That’s what we assumed,” said Lagaan. “We’ve heard about the Skin Walkers on the central plateau, and we’ve seen a big demon in a magical mirror. Must be the one you’re talking about.”
“I’ve told Jakara that we’ve also pledged to destroy the Skin-Walkers after we complete our current mission,” said Raguhl.
“I’m looking forward to it, actually!” said Ulfgar with a grin, as he sharpened his axe.
“So will you join us in our quest, friend?” asked Sparkie.
“I will go with you for part of the journey,” replied Jakara, “but eventually, I will go my own way. I’ve lived most of my life alone, and I can manage by myself.”
As we prepared to go further down toward the Shadow Pearls, Ulfgar gave his mace to Jakara, and I gave him my crossbow. We wanted him to have at least something to defend himself with.
Irgzid showed us the rickety lift that led down into a shaft, and one by one, the others went down into the darkness. I followed them, using not the lift, but my precious boots of levitation.
Sushi and Pudding
For many long hours, we continued our journey deep below the earth.
“Are we there yet?” asked Sparkie.
“Soon, us there soon,” replied Irgzid.
= = = = = = = = = = = =
With only my trident and Raguhl’s sword as sources of light, the darkness surrounded us and was most oppressive.
“Are we there yet?” asked Raguhl.
“Soon, us there soon,” replied Irgzid.
= = = = = = = = = = = =
According to Ulfgar, we were now five hundred feet below the level of sea. What’s more, we were traveling under the mountains, so there was a considerable weight of stone above us, between us and the sky. All of us were starting to feel quite claustrophobic, but none more so than Ulfgar, who was breathing loudly and nervously inside his metal helm.
“Are we there yet?” asked Lagaan.
“NO!! US NOT THERE YET!!” shouted Irgzid, who had grown tired of my companions’ relentless questions. “Us far from there! Is thirty miles away from Laogroat! Is under central plateau! Is take us at least two days, but is feel much longer if you not stops asking stupid questions!”
“All right, take it easy. Sheesh…” replied Lagaan, rolling his eyes.
= = = = = = = = = = = =
Some time later, we reached a large cave from which an acrid smell was coming.
“Us reach a dangerous place,” warned Irgzid. “Is cave of acid: there poisonous fumes inside, us need to hold breath and go quickly inside. But make careful: is pools of acid inside, not fall in!”
I considered this. I had also noticed that Raguhl seemed to be getting quite ill. He was scratching more and more often at a wound he had received from the denizens of Laogroat.
“I have a better idea,” I said. “Why don’t we stop for a meal first?”
The others looked at me as if I had lost my mind. “What, in this dreary place?” asked Sparkie.
I smiled. “It’s a brand new form of miracle that Umberlee has granted me. I can summon some magical food that should help us face the dangers of the underworld. We could use a break anyway, yes?”
The others mumbled in agreement, and we settled down a bit further away from the poisonous cave. I took a few moments to summon a grand Heroes’ Feast: before us appeared dishes filled wish succulent fish, oysters, shrimps and sushi’s, all accompanied by tasty sauces and delicious drinks (some of which, Ulfgar was pleased to discover, were alcohol).
My companions rejoiced in the grand meal, and our bodies and minds were well restored and sated by its magical properties. Even Raguhl’s itch disappeared, and he regained his healthy appearance. Of course, we asked Irgzid to eat further away from us, as we did not want his foul body odor to spoil our appetite. The reptile grumbled darkly at being shunned like this; and little did the unfortunate wretch know that this was in fact to be his last meal…
While we ate, Raguhl and Jakara talked together in low voices. I was dying to know what they were talking about. Jakara seemed to be doing most of the talking, explaining something complicated to Raguhl. If I didn’t know better, I’d think it was about something magical.
Shortly after we were done eating, we carefully ventured into the large cavern. As I had suspected, our meal’s magical properties protected us from the place’s poisonous fumes. All around us, corrosive water was dripping down from stalactites high above, down into pools of white acid. We cautiously walked between the pools, following Irgzid, who was guiding us to the far side of the cave with his superior darkvision.
Suddenly, a part of the cavern wall seemed to detach itself from the rest, and fell down over Irgzid, not with the thunderous crash of stones, but rather, with a sickeningly gelatinous sound. We lost sight of the troglodyte as he was completely engulfed by a gigantic mass of blackish goo.
“Oh no…” moaned Lagaan. “Not another one of those!”
We were facing a black pudding, yet again. But this one was much, much larger than the one we had fought below the spider-city. Seeing as we had not fared well against its smaller cousin, we were suitably worried about this one.
“Get back, all of you!” shouted Sparkillo as the monstrous ooze slithered toward us. “This foe is beyond any of you!” And with that, he unleashed three rays of fire which burned away whole sections of the monster.
Raguhl, Jakara and Lagaan ran for their lives, knowing that their weapons could do no good against this foe: they only risked separating it into more blobs. Unfortunately, Ulfgar was too slow, and found himself engulfed by the viscous monstrosity. I cast a mighty Freezing Sphere at the monster, while Sparkillo blasted it with more Scorching Rays. Our deadly spells were burning or freezing off large sections of the monster, but it was just so huge! We walked back as we were casting, and the creature relentlessly moved in our direction, eager to devour us as well.
Ulfgar struggled against the titanic ooze for a few moments, but despite his great strength, he was eventually absorbed by it. I knew that he would die if I did not intervene. “Sparkie, wait for my signal!” I shouted, just before casting a Freedom of Movement spell on myself. Then, I rushed the monster, and unleashed another deadly spell against it. The being recoiled in pain from the horrific effect of my Harm spell. I saw that the thing was starting to lose its solidity and turn into liquid form from Umberlee’s deadly magic.
“Now, Sparkie!!!” I shouted.
I heard the elf chant the words of another mighty spell, and rays of fire struck the immense pudding just as it finally moved to engulf me within its bulk. The great thing shook as clouds of smoke emanated from its many burned wounds. Finally, it collapsed against itself and turned into a pool of liquid. It was dead!
I rushed to help Ulfgar. The poor dwarf was red-faced, and his armor was smoking from the contact with the powerful acid the creature secreted. He coughed and gasped for breath.
“Ulfgar! You’re safe now! We killed it!” I said, as I helped him to walk away from the acid.
“My armor…” he gasped. “My armor… I was afraid I was going to lose my beautiful armor!”
“It’s all right, Ulfgar. It’s safe. Your armor doesn’t look too good, but it’s still there.”
“Irgzid didn’t fare so well, though,” said Sparkie, pointing further back into the mass of acid.
We turned back and saw that only a few bones remained from the unfortunate troglodyte. We hadn’t slain the monster in time to save him.
Well, it seems like we’ll be doing the rest of our trip into the dark depths without a guide…
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Oh yeah, and I also wanted to post this:
Here’s an updated version of the characters at level 12.
Belessa Darkwave (NE Female Human Cleric, Level 12) – Worships Umberlee
Str: 16 Dex: 8 Con: 12 Int: 14 Wis: 23 Cha: 14
AC: 27 HP: 88 Fortitude: +10 Reflex: +4 Will: +17
Initiative:-1 Speed: 20’
Melee attacks: +1 trident +13/+8 (1d8+4)
Cleric Domains: Ocean (water breathing 10 rounds/level/day), Storm (electricity resistance 5).
Height: 5’11”. Weight: 150 lbs, Age: 29, Date of birth: Eleasias 5, 1346
Long black hair, brown eyes, stunningly beautiful, wears a glamered armor that most often looks like either a deep blue plate armor adorned with shark motifs, or an elegant black gown. Wields a trident (glowing with a blue flame) and a large shield.
Feats: Combat Casting, Negotiator, Iron Will, Silent Spell, Spell Penetration, Craft Wondrous Items.
Skills: Bluff 8, Concentration 15, Diplomacy 24, Heal 8, Knowledge: History 4, Knowledge: Religion 12, Profession: Sailor 16, Sense Motive 17, Spellcraft 8, Spot 12, Swim -5.
Languages: Common, Chondathan, Orc, Abyssal, Olman.
Main gear: Darkwood Trident +1, Glamered Full Plate +3, Periapt of Wisdom +4, Ring of Sustenance, Necklace of Prayer Beads (Bless, Healing), Large Shield +3, Boots of Levitation, Rod of Lesser Silent Casting, Luckstone, Ring of Protection +2, Belt of Giant Strength +2, Onyx and Sapphire symbol of Umberlee worth 1000gp.
= = = =
Raguhl (CG Male Lizardfolk Barbarian, Level 11) – Worships Gwynharwyf
Str: 20 Dex: 16 Con: 18 Int: 10 Wis: 14 Cha: 8
AC: 25 HP: 159 Fortitude: +12 Reflex: +7 Will: +6
Initiative: +3 Speed: 40’
Melee attacks: +2 holy greatsword +18/+13/+8 (2d6+9/19-20)
Ranged attacks: +1 mighty longbow +15/+10/+5 (1d8+6/x3)
Height: 6’10”. Weight: 420 lbs, Age: 26, Date of birth: Ches 29, 1350
Has gray and green scales, amber eyes and sharp spikes protruding from his back, wears a chain shirt and an iron crown; wields a shimmering greatsword.
Feats: Track, Improved Grapple, Power Attack, Dodge.
Skills: Climb 10, Hide 3, Intimidate 11, Jump 8, Knowledge: Nature 3, Perform: Drums 2, Profession: Sailor 4, Spot 14, Survival 12, Swim 12, Tumble 12.
Languages: Common, Draconic
Main gear: Holy Greatsword +2, Chain Shirt +3, Ring of Fire Resistance (10), Cloak of Resistance +1, Ring of Protection +2, Gargoyle Crown, Amulet of Health +2, Composite Longbow +1 (mighty +5 str), Gloves of Dexterity +2.
= = = =
Sparkillo “Don’t call me Sparky” Rashi (NN Male Elf Universalist Wizard, Level 12) – Worships himself
Str: 8 Dex: 18 Con: 16 Int: 23 Wis: 10 Cha: 8
AC: 19 HP: 66 Fortitude: +7 Reflex: +8 Will: +8
Initiative: +8 Speed: 30’
Height: 5’10”. Weight: 145 lbs, Age: 102, Date of birth: Flamerule 8th, 1273.
Blond hair, blue eyes.
Feats: Scribe Scroll, Silent Spell, Still Spell, Knack For Magic, Brew Potion, Craft Magic Arms & Armor, Spell Penetration, Quicken Spell, Improved Initiative.
Skills: Appraise 7, Concentration 18, Decipher Script 8, Knowledge: Arcana 19, Knowledge: Religion 9, Knowledge: Planar 19, Knowledge: Dungeoneering 19, Knowledge: Architecture 7, Knowledge: Nobility 7, Profession: Sailor 3, Search 12, Sense Motive 3, Spellcraft 21, Spot 12, Swim 3, Tumble 5.
Languages: Common, Elven, Draconic, Chultan, Dwarven, Abyssal, Celestial, Olman.
Main gear: Pearl of Power (L2), Pearl of Power (L4), Bracers of Armor +2, Ring of Protection +2, Headband of Intellect +2, Manta Ray Cloak, Dusty Rose Ioun Stone (+1 AC), Tlacaelel (Cursed Axe of Thanatos), Rapier +1, Amulet of Health +2, Gloves of Dexterity +2.
= = = =
Lagaan (NN Male Human Rogue Level 11/ Swashbuckler Level 1) – Worships Tymora
Str: 12 Dex: 21 Con: 12 Int: 14 Wis: 12 Cha: 10
AC: 26 HP: 77 Fortitude: +7 Reflex: +13 Will: +7
Initiative: +5 Speed: 30’
Melee attacks:
+1 keen edge rapier +15/+10 (1d6+2/15-20)
and
+1 cold iron keen shortsword +15/+10 (1d6+2/17-20)
Ranged attacks: +2 evil outsider bane longbow +15/+15/+10 (1d8+3/x3)
Height: 5’9”, Weight: 175 lbs, Age: 19 (chronologically) / 27 (physically), Date of birth: Alturiak 25, 1357
Black hair, brown eyes.
Feats: Weapon Finesse, Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Rapid Shot, Weapon Focus: Shortbow, Two-Weapon Fighting, Opportunist, Iron Will.
Skills: Appraise 7, Balance 12, Bluff 10, Climb 5, Craft: Bow Making 3, Craft: Beer Brewing 5, Decipher Script 3, Diplomacy 3, Disable Device 13, Escape Artist 19, Forgery 4, Gather Information 8, Heal 2, Hide 19, Jump 4, Knowledge: Local 4, Knowledge: Dungeoneering 3, Knowledge: Religion 3, Knowledge: Nature 3, Open Lock 21, Profession: Sailor 2, Search 12, Sense Motive 8, Sleight of Hand 15, Spellcraft 3, Spot 15, Survival 4, Swim 4, Tumble 15, Use Magic Device 15, Use Rope 12.
Main gear: Rapier +1 (Keen), Mithral Chain Shirt +3, Longbow +2 (Evil Outsider Bane), Cold Iron Shortsword +1 (Keen), Hat of Disguise, Vest of Escape, Slippers of Spider Climbing, Amulet of Natural Armor +2, Ring of Protection +2, Ring of Invisibility, Cloak of Resistance +1, Gloves of Dexterity +2.
= = = =
Ulfgar Dorunn (CN Male Gold Dwarf Fighter Level 11/ Barbarian Level 1) – Atheist
Str: 20 Dex: 12 Con: 20 Int: 14 Wis: 12 Cha: 8
AC: 30 HP: 162 Fortitude: +13 Reflex: +4 Will: +7
Initiative: +5 Speed: 20’
Melee attacks: +1 frost evil outsider bane dwarven waraxe +20/+15/+10 (1d10+8/19-20/x3 plus 1d6 cold)
Ranged attacks: +1 mighty longbow +14/+9/+4 (1d8+6/x3)
Height: 4’2”, Weight: 140 lbs, Age: 56, Date of birth: unknown
Black hair, black beard, brown eyes.
Feats: Bullheaded, Power Attack, Weapon Focus: Dwarven Waraxe, Weapon Specialization: Dwarven Waraxe, Cleave, Great Cleave, Combat Expertise, Greater Weapon Focus: Dwarven Waraxe, Improved Critical: Dwarven Waraxe, Improved Initiative, Iron Will.
Skills: Appraise 3, Balance -1, Climb 6, Craft: Stonemason +3, Heal 3, Hide 0, Intimidate 0, Knowledge: Arcana 3, Knowledge: Dungeoneering 5, Knowledge: Engineering 3, Knowledge: Local 4, Knowledge: Nature 4, Profession: Sailor 3, Search 9, Spot 15, Survival 3, Swim -1.
Main gear: Full Plate Armor +2, Darkwood Shield +2, Dwarven Waraxe +1 (Frost, Evil Outsider Bane), Belt of Ogre Strength +4, Amulet of Natural Armor +3, Composite Longbow +1 (+5 str), Gloves of Dexterity +2, Ring of Feather Fall, Ring of Protection +2.
I haven't finished all the entries yet, but I just want to thank Moonbeam, the author of this journal. It is totally fantastic! And I'm very picky.
I didn't think you could beat JollyDoc's journals but it looks like I thought wrongly. Of course I really enjoy JollyDoc's journals too, but I just wanted to say how great a job you are doing! The characterization is fantastic.
I'd like to know what adventure your DM was using for the whole Oblivion's embrace drug plotline. At first I thought it was from the PCs importing Locoweed!
Also, what was the deal with the Paladin plotline? Was this real or totally made up, and why?
Thanks again and again this is totally fantastic.
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Woohoo! Someone's still reading! :) I was starting to wonder if I was talking to myself here. :)
Thank you very much for the compliments, they're really appreciated. :D
I'd like to know what adventure your DM was using for the whole Oblivion's embrace drug plotline. At first I thought it was from the PCs importing Locoweed!
hehe... well, Lagaan is planning on importing drugs from the Isle of Dread into Sasserine... But he hasn't done it yet. ;)
Our DM invented the Oblivion's Embrace part of the story, I think he based himself loosely on some adventures from dungeon magazine for some locations like the asylum, and the old temple of Myrkul.
Also, what was the deal with the Paladin plotline? Was this real or totally made up, and why?
For a while, my DM and I had discussed about Belessa's future. Basically we could see 3 ways she could develop later in the campaign.
- Remain the way she is (evil and worshipping Umberlee)- Switch to the worship of another evil deity (or demon lord)
- Repent for her sins and become the cleric of a Good deity.
All 3 have their points of interest. The part with the paladin was a way for the DM to give Belessa a reason to start turning away from Umberlee's cult toward a Good religion.
But upon careful consideration, I decided that there wasn't any compelling reason for Belessa to do so. Most people are really mean to her, and by doing so give her absolutely no motivation to turn good and to suddenly care about them. Her friends are all rather shady people: Ulfgar, Brissa, Moretta, Amella, Manthalay... Also, if Norrix had remained around, his continued influence would've helped a lot to turn her away from evil, but he left and basically just gave her a book and said "hopefully I'll run into you in a few years and I hope you'll be Lawful Good by then." Leaving Belessa behind sad, miserable, confused, angry. She basically looked at the book and went: "What the f***?"
Reading the Forgotten Realms list of gods, there wasn't a single Good god that made me go "Oh yes, I could see a good version of Belessa worshipping that one!"
Also, Trouble is such a neutral/opportunist/jaded group, now they tease Belessa about being evil, but if she turned good, she would be excluded in a similar way, for being a goody-goody two shoes. I prefer that she be excluded for being evil, so at least she can talk behind their backs in her journal, and fantasize about killing them.
Now, the other question is, once our group starts going to the Abyss and we come in contact with some other evil powers, some of which might be interested in convincing Belessa to become their priestess... Will she remain faithful to Umberlee? (who, I say this as a player, has not treated Belessa very well so far, so it's not like she's done much to convince her to remain faithful).
Thanks a lot for reading this story, I hope you'll enjoy what's to come! (there should be another post within a week).
hehe... well, Lagaan is planning on importing drugs from the Isle of Dread into Sasserine... But he hasn't done it yet. ;)Our DM invented the Oblivion's Embrace part of the story, I think he based himself loosely on some adventures from dungeon magazine for some locations like the asylum, and the old temple of Myrkul.
You have a really good DM, and you're an excellent roleplayer AND writer! Please continue! Does your DM read these boards? What's his handle? I was wondering if his drug plotline was based on the "Seeds of Sehan" or whatever it's called, the 3 part Nick Logue series in Dungeon.
I'm still reading, and I'd personally love to see Belessa return to her CN ways, not evil but not good either. I can't really see Belessa turning over a new leaf and becoming a good priestess but I think I'd like to see her turn away from evil except when it's the easier solution ;)
I see her as NE or perhaps LE, though I'd like to see her more neutral too. Of course it probably isn't possible with her beliefs and doesn't make for the best reading.
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Like Moonbeam said, I picked ideas, stat blocks and maps here and there.
Let me see if I can remember the details :)
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- Vile Addiction (Seeds of Sehan arc--Dungeon #145): The whole idea of a drug that turns people into something "else".
- Spawn of Sehan (Seeds of Sehan arc--Dungeon #146): The stat blocks for both the advanced chokers in the sewers under the brewery and the mutated girallon + the Bloated One. I just LOVED the picture of the Bloated One. I had to use it.
- Hell's Heart (Dungeon #151): The "nightmarescape" encounter in the Bloated One's cave.
- The Styes (Dungeon #121): The idea of a madman in an asylum (and the picture a cell wall covered in "strange" graffiti). Also, the concept of a "corpse creature" sitting at the Dawn Council. Here again, the picture of the maggot festering corpse looked too cool not to re-use.
- Ruins of Greyhawk: Took most of "Nerul's Gate" level and used it as "Myrkul's Shrine" :)
- Shackled City AP: Used stat blocks of some cleric NPCs as starting points to build Waterridge and Thergar.
That's all I remember, but I wouldn't be surprised if there was more--unconscious--sources. I tend to work like that a lot when I build my own campaigns and adventures.
As for Norrix the paladin, truth be told, I added him somewhat on the fly when the PCs decided to go to Fort Blackwall. The idea of introducing a selfless paladin NPC was one that was floating in the back of my head for a while, if nothing else to see the sparks/roleplay that would ensue with Belessa.
Like Moonbeam said, I picked ideas, stat blocks and maps here and there.
Let me see if I can remember the details :)
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- Vile Addiction (Seeds of Sehan arc--Dungeon #145): The whole idea of a drug that turns people into something "else".
- Spawn of Sehan (Seeds of Sehan arc--Dungeon #146): The stat blocks for both the advanced chokers in the sewers under the brewery and the mutated girallon + the Bloated One. I just LOVED the picture of the Bloated One. I had to use it.
- Hell's Heart (Dungeon #151): The "nightmarescape" encounter in the Bloated One's cave.
- The Styes (Dungeon #121): The idea of a madman in an asylum (and the picture a cell wall covered in "strange" graffiti). Also, the concept of a "corpse creature" sitting at the Dawn Council. Here again, the picture of the maggot festering corpse looked too cool not to re-use.
- Ruins of Greyhawk: Took most of "Nerul's Gate" level and used it as "Myrkul's Shrine" :)
- Shackled City AP: Used stat blocks of some cleric NPCs as starting points to build Waterridge and Thergar.
That's all I remember, but I wouldn't be surprised if there was more--unconscious--sources. I tend to work like that a lot when I build my own campaigns and adventures.
Congrats on pulling that all together, that seems very well done. Especially since you were able to fold it right into the plot via the new minor noble.
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I'm still reading, and I'd personally love to see Belessa return to her CN ways, not evil but not good either. I can't really see Belessa turning over a new leaf and becoming a good priestess but I think I'd like to see her turn away from evil except when it's the easier solution ;)I see her as NE or perhaps LE, though I'd like to see her more neutral too. Of course it probably isn't possible with her beliefs and doesn't make for the best reading.
It's interesting to get this feedback. I almost always play Good-aligned characters, so Belessa's an experiment for me, a journey into the "dark side". It just so happened that it's also the most in-depth first-person log I've ever written, due to the scope of the campaign. :)
If I'm not careful, my natural tendency would be to play Belessa as less and less evil as time goes by. But I'm trying to force myself to role-play her as evil. That's what she's meant to be. It's not easy... I'm trying to imagine what would go on in the mind of an evil person. There are, of course, many different types of people who could be considered evil. I guess the most common type of evil people in a D&D setting is the "insanely evil" type, people who want to destroy others and don't put a lot of thought into the ethical repercussions of their own actions: they just want power.
Belessa, however, is a deeply introspective person, and she analyzes her own behavior a lot (although I purposefully make her a bit clueless on some issues, mostly for comedic reasons). So I need to justify her reasoning in the sense that she realizes that she's evil, and she realizes that, ideally, she should really try harder NOT to be evil. But the circumstances of her life, and the people she keeps running into, keep giving her reason to remain evil. Honestly, if being Good is caring about people, I can't say that so far in the campaign we've met many people that gave her a reason to care about them.
Also, I would think that the journal would be more original and perhaps more interesting to read from the point of view of an evil Belessa than a neutral one, but it seems it's not the case. You guys, just like my natural instinct, would actually prefer to see her turn from her evil ways. As you said, she might not turn completely good, but she could become neutral. I guess that you empathize with some of her decisions, and the circumstances of her life, and get frustrated by seeing that she's got almost all the elements of the puzzle figured out in order to be a decent person, but she keeps making some moral "mistakes". Is that it?
For her to turn away from evil would require the long-term influence of someone of Good alignment, someone Belessa can grow to like. The only person that comes to my mind for this is Raguhl. At the risk of delving further into the realm of schizophrenia, I might try to deepen their relationship in the upcoming adventures, where Belessa learns to respect Raguhl more and gets influenced by him. (That was one of my concepts earlier on, that Raguhl would be the key to Belessa's redemption, but I diverged from that at some point to make things more interesting and to increase Belessa's evil :) ).
But a question I have for you guys is: hypothetically speaking, then, if Belessa became less and less evil as the campaign continued, would you be disappointed after a while, feeling that she's lost her "edge"?
I think it would be interesting to play up the dichotomy of religion vs common sense.
By that I mean to play her more neutral and yet still have her make human sacrifices to Umberlee. This would be an interesting commentary on how even good people can do bad things in the name of religion.
Moonbeam,
One other comment, which may or may not be a compliment...
From your name and the journal entries, I thought you were a woman. I was surprised to see you were a dude when I clicked on your name and saw your profile.
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From your name and the journal entries, I thought you were a woman.
Maybe it might help to have a bit of background.
Moonbeam--the one writing the logs--was the DM in a campaign we played a while back. Among other great characters, that campaign featured a fierce wolf called Moonbeam which was the animal companion of an NPC halfling druid. Thus the name and the avatar...
From your name and the journal entries, I thought you were a woman.Did you think I was hot? :)
...only when you're writing Belessa's journal entries.
Now, if you were playing in Greyhawk instead of FR, a "Crying Game" moment would have been more possible. :)
From your name and the journal entries, I thought you were a woman.Maybe it might help to have a bit of background.
Moonbeam--the one writing the logs--was the DM in a campaign we played a while back. Among other great characters, that campaign featured a fierce wolf called Moonbeam which was the animal companion of an NPC halfling druid. Thus the name and the avatar...
Understood. The avatar is lost on me, I'm running in stealth mode (Firefox with all images from paizo blocked).
Now, if you were playing in Greyhawk instead of FR, a "Crying Game" moment would have been more possible. :)Why is that? :)
As an old school player, I love Greyhawk.
- Vile Addiction (Seeds of Sehan arc--Dungeon #145): The whole idea of a drug that turns people into something "else".
- Spawn of Sehan (Seeds of Sehan arc--Dungeon #146): The stat blocks for both the advanced chokers in the sewers under the brewery and the mutated girallon + the Bloated One. I just LOVED the picture of the Bloated One. I had to use it.
- Hell's Heart (Dungeon #151): The "nightmarescape" encounter in the Bloated One's cave.
- The Styes (Dungeon #121): The idea of a madman in an asylum (and the picture a cell wall covered in "strange" graffiti). Also, the concept of a "corpse creature" sitting at the Dawn Council. Here again, the picture of the maggot festering corpse looked too cool not to re-use.
- Ruins of Greyhawk: Took most of "Nerul's Gate" level and used it as "Myrkul's Shrine" :)
- Shackled City AP: Used stat blocks of some cleric NPCs as starting points to build Waterridge and Thergar.
I have all of these. I don't remember the corpse creature being in The Styes though. Are these an official monster, or made up for the adventure?
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The Seeds of Sehan arc was written by Tom Ganz, Stefan Happ, Stephen S. Greer, B. Matthew Conklin III, and Ashavan Doyon.
In Richard Pett’s The Styes, the character of Mr. Dory (who was the inspiration for Mr. Wateridge) was a Corpse Creature. It’s a template from the Book of Vile Darkness.
All these adventures looked really great. Given infinite time I would certainly enjoy playing them all as written… but like they say: "So many games, so little time!" :)