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The Bhaalspawn Journals - Roleplaying Multiplayer Game

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  • ChildofBhaal599ChildofBhaal599 Member Posts: 1,781
    btw @heindrich could we get that title screen updated sometime? really bothers me that people might stumble upon the thread for the first time and continue to be greeted by that extremely out of date information!
  • LiberelliLiberelli Member Posts: 170
    Nice to see a second set of eyes, or hands, to tell the tale more objectively. Andre does tend to embellish certain aspects of the story now and then, considering he sees himself as the most important member on the team. He's pretty magnificent like that :)

    I often forget that people still read this, and find just as much pleasure in the writing itself, so I tend to throw in alot of subtle hints and jokes reffering to events in game, and I can see how Andre's "truth" could easily be confused with actual truth from an outside viewpoint. Maybe having Maeglin's side of things will give us a more grounded tale overall.

    Also, Lilarcor isnt evil, dont say such things, he's just misunderstood... loves a good massacre... like Kang.
    :P
    ChildofBhaal599Heindrich
  • HeindrichHeindrich Member, Moderator Posts: 2,959

    btw @heindrich could we get that title screen updated sometime? really bothers me that people might stumble upon the thread for the first time and continue to be greeted by that extremely out of date information!

    @ChildofBhaal599‌

    Ah good point, I certainly can update the OP. However, I don't have any recent game saves, and I can't remember everybody's current levels. If you send it to me, or just upload it here, I will update things accordingly.
    ChildofBhaal599
  • ChildofBhaal599ChildofBhaal599 Member Posts: 1,781
    edited October 2014
    @heindrich made a manual save out of the quicksave before the tanari
  • HeindrichHeindrich Member, Moderator Posts: 2,959
    @ChildofBhaal599‌
    I've made a few updates, a few more things to do, like Valygar. I've got to go for now, will finish it later this evening.
    FrondChildofBhaal599
  • LiberelliLiberelli Member Posts: 170
    edited October 2014

    Sight for Sore Eyes:

    - Considering it's parting words, and our own intrusion of this place, it struck me as odd that it ignored us as it did. Fear of retribution from this lumbering behemoth was not completely unwarranted, given our intentions, but the construct's design no doubt specified complete obedience from whomever did the assembly, rather than it's true master. A fortunate oversight on their part, for us at least.
    - As the majority of the party chased after the golem, Viconia and I halted our pursuit in the next room. While the others seemed adamant about chasing down their new pet, this room held some of the most advanced magics we had seen in this vessel thus far, which spoke volumes already. In the center, there floated an orb, as dark and as deep as the Abyss itself, encircled by symbols, glowing rich with energy. Surrounding this obsidian sphere were four runes of unknown origins, yet they bore resemblances to several distant languages, both ancient and contemporary. Viconia pointed out some theories regarding the nature of this room, and we discussed the possibility of it being some form of navigational station, a helm of sorts.
    - Just as I was beginning to deviate from my former affirmation that Viconia was not worth the time of day, Kang and the others came stumbling back from the other passage, claiming to have defeated some beholder in the next room over. My attempts at relaying our theories and findings over to the rest of the group was swiftly thwarted by more blatant disregard for the safety of all by our resident rebel, Kang. Before I was able to warn people of the potential danger of activating this device without adequate research, Kang felt the need to ignore my superior judgement and start touching runes and flicking switches. He claimed to know what he was doing, just as with the construct, but time and time again, I wonder how this group has made it this far with such a disgrace for a wizard in it's midst.
    - My attempts at staying calm were growing ever more strenuous with Kang being... well, Kang. I expressed my loathing, as usual, but again, it fell upon deaf ears. Maeglin and Donathal explained to us that they found a sturdy door in the next room, so we set our differences aside and continued onward. Upon reaching the door, and the cadaverous Eye Tyrant, I noticed by several telltale markings, that this was no simple Beholder, but that it was in fact an Elder Orb. Naturally my concerns and surprise were largely ignored, but had this construct not been present, I fear Viconia and I would be the only ones left to carry on. As per usual, these ignorant fools are utterly oblivious to the danger to which they were exposed. Even Kang, supposedly 'in the know' of such things, seemed to simply write it off as him being so exceptionally skilled that such creatures cannot harm him. The gall of some people... I hope the next beholder-kin we come across knew this one personally, so he might take offense to such presumptuous remarks. But then again, it is said their kind dislike their elders, so Kang might end up being rewarded for his hubris.
    HeindrichJuliusBorisovChildofBhaal599Frond
  • ChildofBhaal599ChildofBhaal599 Member Posts: 1,781
    Planar Sphere: entrance to Lavok fight

    Now seems as good a time as any for writing. Don and I will be sitting here for a good many hours, but Don will be busy praying and I decided to occupy myself. I can't exactly talk to dead bodies, but I will get to that in a bit.

    After a rather... rude and demoralizing talk with Viconia in the inn, we set off to enter the sphere. I took advantage of my boots to run ahead and find a nice shadowy corner where I might be able to pull Andre aside for a moment to talk. It really isn't that I want Kang dead, and I hope Andre also understands that. We have grown up together, and even as he constantly pushes me away I've tried my hardest to befriend him. He just isn't willing to look past my own problems and see more as more than a thief, but it is a difficult habit for me to stop after being raised on it. I've been working on it during my time here, but sometimes I can't help myself I suppose.

    He, on the other hand, put us and others in danger on multiple occasions. Back in Valygar's house he forced a confrontation with the guards and cowls both. The way Andre came down yesterday bleeding from what looked like magic missiles didn't help my worries, among many earlier situations I will not get into. When I tell Andre to prepare himself, I am merely thinking of the rest of the group beyond Kang. I don't, however, want to explain to Imoen what happened if he loses it. She is a mutual friend between us, despite her taking part in my activities, and I want our reunion to be a happy one. I am almost certain Kang may even think of her as more, although I haven't seen her share the notion.

    Anyway, we entered the sphere and began to look around. We found a golem in one room and a sort of map in the other, but then the sphere began to rumble and upon returning to the main room we found Kang with the 3rd door open. While I was upset at his carelessness, it seemed it was inevitable as there was nothing else to be found in these rooms. The map, however, was now different, and depicted a hellish place where it once showed Athkatla.

    Seeing as our option was outside or through the door Kang opened, we went to the next room and met some knights. I do not quite recall where they are from after all the combat we've seen since, but they've been stuck here a while before us and warned us of the cannibal halflings that lie ahead. Upon meeting these halflings, I myself was cast into a maze away from the battle, but I managed to return in time to save my stunned friends. When they were feeling better, I had to ask what happened to Valygar, but I was informed he was distinegrated in the battle. I didn't know him for long and we were still in immediate danger, so there was no time for mourning, though I wish another of my group didn't need to die so soon.

    Beyond the halflings lay a golem assembly room, something Kang was very interested in. While he studied the machine and talked to himself about his plans to have a golem servant, I made sure to take and tuck away the instruction manual for the thing. After killing more halflings and some fire elementals in the furnace room, I recommended the group take a moment to rest, as many of us were severely injured, especially Andre, whom was just unpetrified. During this time, I stayed up a while reading this manual, committing it to memory. I couldn't allow Kang to have it, so I hope to take it for myself until we no longer need it before deactivating it.

    Of course, when we found the head in the next room and we had all the pieces, Kang snatched it and ran off before I could even talk some sense into him that he hadn't even found the manual. Despite it all, in a few minutes I heard stomping in the other room and slowly approached to take a look. The golem was alive, and although it was not hostile, it was not under Kang's control, as it declared there were enemies in the area and ran off into the next room. Seeing where he went wrong with the assembly I pointed it out to him and showed him the manual before tossing it into a nearby furnace to keep it's secrets away from him. Of course he was furious about me stopping his plans, but luckily rather than getting aggressive at me he quickly chased the golem and screamed for it to obey him before he stepped on a trap! While I allowed Don to revive him, I made a few adjustments and sprinted after the golem myself, where I found it fighting an elder orb. Kang would soon follow and help us finish it off, but with the golem now taking my commands I ordered it to shut down and end Kang's plans. If Kang turns on us as I've been worrying, then I am glad he won't have a golem to sick on us, although ensuring that only made him angry at me of course.

    In the other room we found Viconia and Andre trying to solve a puzzle, and Andre saying very Andre things of course. He is a lady's man I guess, so it isn't unusual to hear such a conversation coming from him, and nobody knows of last night's thing between Viconia and I anyway, so I let it pass. Of course when Kang joined us he threw away caution and just started guessing at the puzzle. Surprisingly, he got it right, but I would rather have not seem him take that risk. A new door opened in the room, but we agreed to go through the door by the elder orb first.

    Inside we met Lavok the Necromancer, whom engaged us for stopping his return to our realm. He managed to stun me in the battle, before he sent forth what I believe to be a horrid wilting (I am not a mage and couldn't care, if Kang were up maybe I would ask him). In any case, it was powerful and managed to take out Kang, Viconia, and Andre all at once! I was able to recover quickly, of course, and while my blades cut, Don's flail broke bones, and left Lavok in a near death state where he told us that "the force was gone" and explained that he wasn't himself. Whether this is true or not, I do not think he poses any threat in his current state, so when he offered to tell me how to return to our realm in return for getting to die outside, I accepted. I've asked Don to revive Vic and Andre first, as I would rather spend the second praying session with agreeable company, and explain to them the situation before we do so for Kang. After everyone is back up we will have to leave the sphere into the demonic realm it is currently within to get a demon's heart. The demon's heart will power the machine and hopefully allow us to return home.
    JuliusBorisovBelgarathMTHLiberelliFrond
  • LiberelliLiberelli Member Posts: 170
    edited October 2014

    The Heart of the Matter:

    - Having put aside my ever present disbelief, I followed Maeglin and the others past the heavy portcullis. Beyond the threshold, we found our mark, the notorious necromancer, Lavok, perched atop a metal staircase, surrounded by a large number of glass incubators, similar to the cloning vats in Irenicus' lair. With several centuries of residence in this contraption, one would not expect to retain a full grasp on one's sanity, but this man seemed exceedingly hostile considering - or perhaps due to - the inherent lack of visitors a home such as this would garner. A torrent of insults and threats flowed from the frothing theurgist as he blamed us for denying him his glorious return. Before we could even attempt to reason with him, Lavok readied himself and within seconds, he uttered but a few words, enveloping us with a dense and cumbersome shroud.
    - Once I had regained my senses, the battle had been won as it seemed only Maeglin and Donathal had escaped the cloud's effects. A fortunate turn, if I dare say so, for should both the Dwarf and the Drow fall at the same time, we would be given to expect only a temple's aid. And since our stocky shield bearer is already carrying a body, that would mean Maeglin would have to carry... four bodies, all by himself. I, of course, would be the only one left alive by the time we would reach said temple. Kang would no doubt claim some stake at being the best when clearly he is not, resulting in his untimely, yet very welcome death, and Maeglin will have succumbed to the weight of all the bodies, and his flatfooted nature would surely lead to a blade or an arrow finding it's way toward his general direction. Of course the end result would stay the same regardless, giving way to my inevitable rise to fame and leaving the rest of them to fade away into obscurity. Well, some of them at least.
    - Anyway, after receiving some much required restoration from Don's devout prayers, we learned from Maeglin that the necromancer had been possessed by some malignant force, rendering him literally beside himself for the past few centuries. Who or what this mysterious power was, Maeglin had not been able to discern, for according to him, the broken mage could no longer muster the strength to string together even two relatively coherent words, let alone explain himself and his actions. All he was able to gather was that in order to return to the prime material plane, we would require the heart of a demon.
    - Perhaps, in some way, shape or form, I imagine Maeglin's heart might fall into such a category, foregoing any pedantic discrepancies regarding points of origin, lineages and other such obscure and irrelevant details. At any rate, since this quest of ours largely revolves around Maeglin and his lineage, for better or worse, we could not in good conscience consider this option... aloud.



    Den Of Evil:

    - Whether we could call ourselves lucky or not, remained something of a quandary, for as per Lavok's indication, we inadvertently found ourselves on one of the lower planes, possibly an Abyssal layer, home to all manner of unsavory beasties. I was at odds of whether we were to curse Shar for casting us down into the darkest and most foul reaches of the Abyss, or if we should be singing praise to Tymora for providing us with the means to secure our escape. Regardless of our viewpoints on the matter, we had but one direction available to us, so there was little for it.
    - Sending ill-tempered summons back from whence they were whisked away is one thing, but bringing the battle to them on their own plane of existence, is quite another entirely. They would no doubt be stronger than any unholy creatures that have crossed our paths in the past, so we opted for an extended period of recovery, to give ourselves the best chance at success.
    - Once we felt up to the task, we all agreed that Donathal would be the first one to set foot outside the sphere, given his natural fortitude, followed closely by Maeglin, our most proficient scout - although that is not saying much. After having received word that the passage was safe, the rest of us vacated the safety of the vessel and joined our advance party in search of demons to slay.
    - We were but several minutes on the scene, and I had already made several lighthearted jokes about these things to lighten the mood, before we were ambushed by a most fearsome demon, and his minions. In the common tongue, it shouted a guttural threat, proclaiming our deaths were imminent. Since I'm the joker around here, I did not appreciate it's foul sense of humor, and neither did anyone else.
    - We believed ourselves prepared, after all, were self-proclaimed demon slayers, having had plenty of hands-on experience in ridding the mortal world of evil creatures. Sadly, delusions are the base for many misfortunes, and so it was here, on the most divergent of outer planes, that we were confronted with our own bitter reality. For all our vaunted powers, this demon cast down our hopes and put us back in our place, holding sway over our hearts by way of it's gaze. Any mortal it looked upon either found themselves torn asunder, or paralyzed and made to watch as it unleashed it's mental powers on the rest of us, while all the while it kept calling forth lesser demons to do it's bidding.
    - Viconia seemed to attract more of it's attention than anyone else, and while it might have seemed fortunate for everyone but her, I could not just let her be assaulted in such a manner, so I tried my best to protect her. Unfortunately it was to no avail, for even her own spells, devised to shelter one from harm, seemed pointless before this immense beast as it pierced and ignored all barriers, cutting down the Drow with it's sharp, long claws. While Maeglin kept running around trying to do away with its ever increasing amount of minions, Kang and I kept pestering it from afar, while Donathal stood fast and battered away at it's feet with his enchanted flail, the only weapon that seemed to faze it.

    Post edited by Liberelli on
    ChildofBhaal599JuliusBorisovFrond
  • LiberelliLiberelli Member Posts: 170
    edited November 2014

    What's in a Name:

    - Once the foul fiend fell, nearby shrieks could be heard, as if the death of the beast - if it truly is dead - signified a call to arms for others of it's kind. Quite shaken from the ordeal, we required a few minutes to collect ourselves and formulate a plan to avoid any other encounters with these demons. That was the idea at least. Heart in hand, we saw no further reason to linger in this demon infested hellhole, but just as we moved to exit the caverns, we were stopped in our tracks by an elder, more evolved type of demon.
    - This fell creature sounded more intelligent, more devious, and by all accounts, more deadly than what we've seen of this realm's inhabitants so far. Like our previous encounter, this thing had a whole contingent of lesser demons in tow, but of a far more vicious variety than the miniscule imps and quasits the other beast conjured forth. They appeared as ghoulish creatures, but their appearance was all they had in common with the undead. Their speed was unmatched, as well as their propensity for paralytic spell casting.
    - When the demon uttered its name, the sound of it was almost torture on its own. A fiendish name, etched into our minds. It brought no power, as they often claim, but only pain and suffering. I shall forever remember it, but I shall not deign to write it down, hopefully ensuring the safety of anyone reading this. The beast vanished, in the end. We struck the final blow, and cut out it's heart just like the last one, but these fiends are almost immortal in their home, it would not be inconceivable that these creatures could revive and grow a new heart and body in time. A process that, from all that I've read, should take more than a few years at least, hopefully.
    - After the battle was done, we were tasked with restoring our drow friend once again, since she had taken the full force of this elder demon head on. While certain distasteful members of our team had the audacity to acclaim their affinity to Viconia to some form of kinship between demons and drow, I remained civilised and simply attributed their obsession to tactfulness, their resolve to do away with our only competent healer before turning on the rest of us.
    - A quick survey of our state at the time would tell any man with a lick of sense that we were at our wit's end, beaten and broken, all but yours truly, of course. Once we had gathered ourselves and patched up the biggest wounds, we decided we should make for the sphere as soon as physically possible. Just as we ended that train of thought and turned around to head for our vessel, another enormous demon swooped down from the air and smashed into the ground with unequaled rage. I was never one for leisurely jogs, or exercise in general, but there's nothing like being chased down by a hulking, twelve foot, bat winged beast to get you into the running mood.
    HeindrichFrondBelgarathMTH
  • LiberelliLiberelli Member Posts: 170
    edited November 2014

    Cloak of Deception:

    - Having averted our abyssal adversaries by returning to the relative safety of the sphere, we hastily made our way to the beating heart of the vessel. As Lavok instructed, we were to remove the inert core and replace it with the - also still beating - demonic heart. The decrepit Corthala forebearer failed to mention the room in question was home to several guardian golems, granting no leave for invasive ventures into their territory. Considering my expertise with these constructs, I was, of course, instrumental in disposing of the hulking behemoths, leaving Kang green with envy - he has been giving me strange looks lately, as though he actually believes himself superior to me, and I thought I was the funny one.
    - With the horrifyingly evil looking engine now making a reassuring, yet still disgusting moaning sound, and mechanisms all around the room springing into action, our morale rose to new heights as our way back home became ever more apparent before us. Viconia had made a deal with Lavok before we stepped into the realm of chaos, ensuring his life for as long as he remained under the effects of her spell. This was agreed upon so that the fallen necromancer could, in exchange for the previous information, cast one last glimpse upon his homeland, before passing on his soul to the embrace of the Gods. Donathal, not easily coerced, but so easily manipulated, was persuaded to carry the body of Lavok, as well as his lost descendant, so that we might finally vacate this dismal dwelling and return to the mortal world.
    - Before having re-engaged the twisted machinations that drove this amazing device, Tolgerias himself, figurehead of the menacing mantled mages, stopped us in our tracks and demanded restitution. Any attempts at dialogue were wasted on this imperious rabble-rouser, even attempts at turning in the original instigator failed instantly. Considering their troubled history so far, I had assumed they might be appeased by handing over Kang alive, but it seemed as though their interests differed. Of course, we would never have turned him over... he is one of us, after all.
    - Tempers rose quickly and as Tolgerias and his cronies conjured up their cantrips, we did what we did best, and disposed of their use for cowls in general. My increased exposure to Kang's magical ineptitude and overall misuse of arcane spellcasting has granted me with many insights regarding spell protections and removals, so once again, I made this fight a veritable portion of confectionary produce.

    (btw, it's quite refreshing being the hero for once... i mean, not that any of this is inaccurate... of course)
    Post edited by Liberelli on
    BelgarathMTH
  • ChildofBhaal599ChildofBhaal599 Member Posts: 1,781
    edited December 2014
    almost forgot to do this before DAI. i've been very focused on getting ahead in class work to give myself free time for the game and almost forgot to make an entry.

    lavok to copper coronet:

    After some explaining Kang stayed his hand and spared lavok for the information he had provided us. Before leaving Viconia also made the suggestion to use Drow torture magic that would keep him alive. Seeing as I myself have been putting my evil bhaalspawn powers to good use, I allowed her to cast her spell so that he could survive until our return.

    We exited the sphere into the strange plane we had seen on the map. Our goal was clear: kill a demon and take it's heart, and it didn't take long to find one. The beast charge us, or should I say it charged Vic. Despite all our protections, it managed to great injured her, and to a lesser extent most of the rest of the party, but despite it's keen senses I managed to swiftly jump and put a sword in it's back. After taking a moment to cut it's heart and heal the party, we were engaged by yet another, more powerful than the last. To our surprise Viconia was the primary target again, and we had to deplete most of our spells in order to take the beast down. Now having only the time to bring Viconia to her feet, we were engaged by a 3rd demon and knew immediately we must retreat from the sphere. We had the heart and there was no more reason to stay there anyway. Luckily, we lost the beast with everyone still alive, and took a rest in the first room after the painful experience.

    With everyone energized and healed, we headed for the engine to power it with the heart. However, things didn't go well when the cowls, with Tolgarias, blocked our way. After an exchange of words that, unfortunately, didn't go as diplomatically as I had hoped, the cowls engaged us in battle and we slew them. Of course I had feared that the removal of the chance for cowled help would trouble Kang, yet he seemed rather accepting of it. I was... surprised... but it was good that I wouldn't have to put him down there. We may have hope of getting him to see our options.

    After passing an elemental room and killing the golems guarding the engine, we managed to power it with the heart and the sphere returned us home. Returning back to Lavok we dragged him to the exit, where he would die outside, under the stars. It was something I didn't have to do, but I hope Kang can see something in my kindness for my enemy. I doubt our main enemy, Irenicus, will get this treatment, but sometimes it is good to give even them a final wish.

    Sadly the happy moment of returning home would be quickly ruined for me by Viconia, who didn't take long after the danger had passed to insult me for no reason. Of course I retaliated and she walked off. I had expected her to wait at the bottom of the building, but after joining Kang down there he said she had gone somewhere without him. I was sensing vampires tonight and actually worried for her a bit despite having just argued, but luckily she was in the inn, seemingly shaken by something. Perhaps she had a run in with them, but what matters is she is alive, and maybe she will calm down eventually.

    Before heading to bed, however, I had to have a talk with Kang. I had to evaluate his thoughts on his current situation, and I was going to have to convince him to see what needs to be done. Of course I was talking to Kang, though, and his recommendation was that we start a hunt for the cowls and interrogate the location of Imoen from them. Seeing as this would only get us into trouble with the law, I attempted to talk him down, but he seemed pretty determined to take that path. I could only ensure him that if he takes that path, I, and more than likely the others, would not be there fighting the wizards with him. He said he would think about my own suggestions, and we departed for some much needed rest.
    Post edited by ChildofBhaal599 on
    HeindrichLiberelliBelgarathMTH
  • LiberelliLiberelli Member Posts: 170

    In the absence of Time:

    - Finally returned to the realm of the living, our brave band of vagabonds got spread out as Viconia and Maeglin started arguing about more trivial matters before she stormed off. I was somewhat enthralled still, on my way out, by the markings on the wall of the exit so I didn't catch the particulars of their discussion. Once outside, Maeglin urged us to make way to the Coronet and find Viconia again. It seemed like a very dark and gloomy night, so I welcomed the thought of getting indoors as soon as we were able.
    - With everyone back together, and most of our recent detours now out of the way, I strongly recommended that we started searching more actively for our lost companion, for who knew how long she would remain unharmed, if she even still was at the time. Kang was all to eager to agree, but of course he had no plan of how to go about it, whereas Maeglin seemed more focused, suggesting we enlist the help of the local thieves guild. While their connections might run deep, ensuring a wealth of information, we cannot be certain they themselves would not be inclined to set us up for a bit of coin.
    - Our dwarven friend on the other hand had no clue, as per usual, attempting to sway our minds with promises of wealth beyond wealth. We seemed to be in unison when we refuted this idea, for while our reasons differed, we all agreed that we were running out of time to run about cleaning up marauding bands of brigands for whatever size of allowance. We had more important matters to attend to.
    - Other than the thieves however, we had little options left to us. The only lead remaining was talk of strange magics and unsettling disturbances in and around Trademeet. Finding our enemy there would be highly unlikely, but it was the only concrete direction we were given, so we would be remiss to dismiss this and ignore the chance.
    - I'm unsure how long we will last beyond this point, as growing unrest within our group has been somewhat unsettling. With our coinciding interests, one would assume that conflicts would be easily avoided, but with such savages, it should come as no surprise that a consensus would remain but a dream. Regardless, as the one truly sane person left in our party, I shall endeavour to keep us on track and find that girl we so desperately need to save. I cannot for the life of me remember her name for some reason, I will have to look back in my notes. Perhaps I should cut back on the lotus, 'tis worse than a whole keg of Shadowdark, and not just because of the taste.
    HeindrichBelgarathMTH
  • LiberelliLiberelli Member Posts: 170
    edited December 2014
    Just a heads up: The title is not misspelled :)

    Discernd Distress:

    - We arrived at Trademeet this morning, usually a relatively quiet hamlet focused mainly on serving as the mercantile connection between many noteworthy settlements along the vast stretch of coast bordering the Sea of Swords, all the way from Waterdeep to Saradush. We had some reservations concerning our trip here at first but none could deny that we were grasping at straws at this point.
    - Our reception was anything but warm or welcome, we were greeted with glacial glances and close to lethal looks by all whom we met in town. Most people just simply ran at the sight of us, which, in Kang's case I can certainly relate, but still. One would think seeing a seasoned group of combattants dispose of a troupe of rabid beasts would put a troubled villager at ease, but most commoners are of a less litterate stock, unable or unwilling to see me for the great saviour that I clearly am. The guard at the gate questioned us to ascertain the purpose of our visit, after which he directed us to the mayor's estate in the hope that we might save these people from this troubled fate.
    - When we learned in more detail the troubles that beset this town, we naturally offered to resolve this issue, having an innate propensity to alleviate the sorrows of others, regardless of our own accumulated stress levels. I objected, at first. Maeglin was ranting about his usual delusions of being the hero and saving the town from the clutches of evil, while I tried my best to remind him of Imoen... or was it the other way around? Well... no, I have no delusions, for unlike Maeglin, I am allready a great hero, so obviously that sounds utterly preposterous.
    - Mayor Coprith, an eloquent and well-educated man, bade us to take a druid with us that was taken prisoner some time after the attacks started. The wildling was seen skulking around the circumference of the city in a most suspicious manner. Cernd was his name, apparently sent by his order to investigate the wretched woodlands in this area himself. His plea for a chance to prove his innocence and goodwill were not ignored and we could not in good conscience discount his superior knowledge in these matters, so we invited him along just to be safe.
    HeindrichBelgarathMTH
  • LiberelliLiberelli Member Posts: 170
    edited December 2014

    A Measure of Pleasure:

    - On our way out of the city, we stopped by some of the local merchants around the outskirts to stock up on much needed supplies, yet none were too accommodating. Apparently, some Calishite Dao genies had taken advantage of the present situation in the riled up woodlands to monopolise all trade going in or out of Trademeet. This served as an ultimatum, of sorts. The Dao were hunting a rogue Rakshasa, for reasons they kept to themselves, and had placed an embargo upon this trade centre to force the townspeople into doing their dirty work for them. Needless to say, this town was not home to many a brave adventurer and none were too eager to lay their life on the line hunting evil shapeshifters. The Dao were not in any hurry, so whether anyone came forth to take up the hunt or not, they still revelled in the discomfort they had brought to this otherwise peaceful place.
    - A simple manhunt, even if the creature in question is nigh immortal, is not something I would peg as a particularly exciting endeavour. At the same time, all these peddlers and their trinkets held no sway over my good conscience either. However biased I might be though, in the end, this boils down to the restriction of freedom, justice, and a very cosy little pleasure tent just on the edge of town that had the most luscious ladies, looking to allure us fine upstanding gentlemen with, or without, their arousing attires.
    - Nothing screams hero as saving innocent ladies in desperate need of rescuing, so naturally we needed no more reason to meet out great justice upon the would be tyrants that were taking over the woodlands and turning them upon these fair people. We agreed to hunt down the Dao's quarry, given that the creature was last seen heading into the wildlands, and we were heading that way already, we presumed this prey would be dealt with in record time.
    - Our indentured druid friend was a most peculiar one. Most druids tend to be somewhat minimalist, but this man took that to a whole new level. Aside from wearing but simple rags and carrying what looked like a crooked tree branch, he also barely raised a finger while we were out there, tackling trolls and spiders all day long. I say, I never bore any love for people of the naturist's persuasion, but I am ready to club this one over the head if he doesn't step up anytime soon.
    Post edited by Liberelli on
    BelgarathMTH
  • LiberelliLiberelli Member Posts: 170
    edited December 2014

    Crying Wolf:

    - Cernd ended up revealing his true colours by the time we got back from the forest, for he turned out to be part of the dubious caste of druids that focused on transforming into only the advanced shape of a werewolf. I did not deign to ask but from his composed demeanour I would not suspect he was a Malar worshipper, which no doubt made our lives considerably easier. We found out about his bestial ways just before we came across the source of the darkness that befell these woods, a cabal of shadow druids.
    - As the packs of trolls and tenacious scores of fungi didn't pose much in the way of resistance, Cernd had been mostly passive, letting us handle the tedium of pest control on our own. Once we finally came across our mark, set by the callous Dao genies, and it proved a most trying battle, Cernd decided to step up and provided some much needed assistance. Since I was never in much danger, given my own extensive combat experience, I had an exceptional view of the shapeshifter on shapeshifter action. For one with such a cool composure, our druid friend evolved from simple bystander to full-fledged brawler as he began wailing on the wily Rakshasa and his shifty company. By the end of it, the room was littered with body parts, which, in fact, saved us the trouble of cutting off our target's head.
    - None of us wished to utter any comment on this worrisome development, since he seemed to remain his amiable self after turning back to his natural form, but we all shared sidelong glances to both Cernd and each other, silently agreeing that he was no immediate danger, but was still to be surveyed just in case. That and he was instrumental in the defeat of our quarry, so I suppose nobody was eager to push him aside based solely on his convictions.
    - In the end, this was a good thing for as it turned out, the shadow druid camp causing trouble in the region, was led by one we had encountered quite some time ago back in the cloakwood area. Back then she seemed very reasonable for one condemning almost all civilised peoples across the globe, but when we attempted to reason with her this time around, she would have none of it. Faldorn, now apparently leader of her group, challenged us to waylay her claim on these woods or she would continue to wreak havoc on the Trademeet community. Cernd, in turn, spoke up and accepted her challenge in a more real sense and they ended up duelling in some dank pit of an arena. Luckily, the werewolf enthusiast proved to be an order of magnitude above the shadow druid's skill and he ended her dark reign over these lands with a most terrifying calm.
    - I for one would not hate to see this ambiguous naturist leave at any given time, for frankly, the ease and detachment with which the man handles slaughter and dismemberment creeps me out like nobody's business.
    HeindrichBelgarathMTH
  • ChildofBhaal599ChildofBhaal599 Member Posts: 1,781
    edited December 2014
    been busy. update time...

    copper coronet

    We gathered around this morning after our first good rest for a time. I haven't even bothered to figure out how much time passed in that accursed sphere, or if any time passed at all. Still, it feels good awakening on a bed rather than the cold floor, even if it is the coronet's beds.

    Kang seems more agreeable now after having settled our business with the cowls and having our talk last night. We decided to continue gathering money for the thieves, no matter if he liked it or not. Luckily, rumors have been circulating about trouble in trademeet, a trade town to the east. Whatever troubles they are, I am sure they would be willing to pay well for our party to come and solve their problems. We are to set out immediately, and hopefully we should soon be ready to save Imoen and perhaps put an end to Irenicus. If we must kill cowls to get to her, we can't leave him in an undefended prison to escape after all.


    trademeet

    We arrived in trademeet where we were greeted by the sight of nature at the gates attacking the guards! Of course we made sure to help deal with the animals that were now on the loose within the town, and we were directed to the government building when we made our offer to help. There we spoke to High Merchant Logan Coprith about the sudden agressiveness of the local wildlife, and of a druid they captured. He wasn't entirely sure what to think of this druid and his responsibility for the recent attacks, but locked him up anyway moreso as a defense against the townsfolk who would want to kill him.

    The druid's name was Cernd, and he asked for our help against the local druid grove which has taken new leadership. Supposedly it is they who direct the wildlife to attack this town, and he showed up to check on the situation and help stop the attacks. Logan gave us authority to do what we must, so we took Cernd with us to help him complete his mission. Of course the townspeople glared at us as he traveled with our group, but no one dare make a move against a well armed group at his side.

    Before leaving town, we also checked into the reports of djinni destroying the local economy. The djinni informed us of their intent to find a Rakshasa in the area. While we are doing business here we could potentially find this Rakshasa as well, so we decided to keep an eye out for it. Andre seems pretty determined to solve the problem after he wandered off for a trip to the pleasure tent, which was shut down due to the bad economy. I guess that is Andre for you, but I admit that he also hasn't entirely acted himself recently. I guess he is tired of this life of danger, but it seems like there is something more to him not wanting to help quite as eagerly as the Andre I met long ago. He seems more self centered, but I guess it has been a long time living this life and perhaps he can only take so much "do this, do that" before he begins to question it at least a bit. Nevertheless, he could just walk away from this unlike myself. I need to be ready for my destiny. I know there are more bhaalspawn out there that will fight for our birthright, and when you have people like Sarevok competing with me I must ensure that I take my place on Bhaal's throne. If I let one of my evil siblings take it, chaos will follow.


    druid grove

    We set out with Cernd until we met a druid named Pauden. Luckily Cernd was able to clear up the matter, and we were allowed passage and some more information on what has been happening. It turns out Faldorn (it seems it was the same Faldorn from near Baldur's Gate) has taken over the grove. So long as she is leader she will make attacks on trademeet, but it turns out Cernd could challenge her leadership and she will be honor bound to accept. We set out toward the grove, facing many trolls and other nasty beasts along the way, as well as a few druids who were not so friendly. We also found a building that housed the rakshasa we were to search for. It put up a good fight along with some friends, and by the end there was almost nowhere left to stand that had not been hit by their cloudkill spells. Poor Don decided to cover our escape into this small corner and we had to resurrect him after the battle was done.

    A little further we found the grove itself. Inside Faldorn was surrounded by the druids she commanded, but when Cernd challenged her she did the honorable thing and fought him head to head. The battle was long and brutal, but in the end Cernd succeeded and the druids had to accept the outcome. Cernd thanked us for helping him and will be leading the grove forward from these events, and now trademeet should be able to live in peace with them as they once did.

    Back in town now, we were congratulated on ending the attacks as well as sending the djinni packing with the rakshasa now dead. A ceromony was held for us in which we were named the heroes of tradesmeet, and we were rewarded well for our service. We were also stopped by two noble families of the town, the Lurraxols and the Alibakkars, both claiming to be the true founding family. Seeing as we were missing some gold toward our goal still, we decided we would help solve this mystery. We were sent to the graveyard in search of the mantle of waukeen, which would supposedly be a clear sign of who the founding family was. After finding it, however, it seemed that both of them descended from the founders. Logan confirmed this and asked that I bring the mantle to him, instead, to hopefully put an end to this madness. Seeing as this was the logical choice, I decided to bring it to him despite Andre's resistance. I was not interested in getting caught in this feud, and there are more ways to raise the money for Imoen. Of course, we ended up just short of what we would need to pay the thieves, but Don did have an offer we had been putting on hold for a while. Tomorrow we would set out to the east to help a lord Firkraag with monster problems. A lord's pay should be good, and perhaps we will get some more items to sell and we should be able to return to Athkatla and hopefully have Imoen within the week.


    skinner and Windspear Hills

    On our way out of town this morning we took a stop at the fountain to have a look at the statues put up in our honor. Of course mine was the sexiest of them all, and was properly labeled as the "hero of trademeet", while the others were labeled as "followers of Maeglin." While there we were confronted with one last job before we leave. A woman had asked that we speak to her son, whose lady friend, Raissa, and him had been taken by a skinless man along with Rejeik, the murderer who escaped back at the bridge district. While he managed to escape, Raissa is still with them. Kang was very focused as we set out to find them, likely thinking of Imoen as he tried desperately to save this girl he had never before met. When we found them and she had been turned into a skin dancer, he was quick to have me rushing to the temple to find the restoration scroll that would save her. This turned out happier than it initially seemed, with the girl safe and they immediately went off with plans to marry. I think it was good that we took some extra time to do this before leaving, even at the cost of more gold for the scroll. It seems like it really helped Kang's attitude to save her, and I take back any comments before on his mental state. I think he still has it in him to be a good person. Now if only I could ever be his friend.

    If anything, I need to question Andre. Kang and I had been talking about his sword, and the way it has made him more agressive as well as less inclined to help the weak that need us. Honestly, I don't doubt it, and I had been too focused on Kang to truly see what had been happening to my friend. He was all too quick to agree about Kang, and constantly at the slightest mistake was eager to put him down. I actually don't know what to do for him. I am still leader, and he is a single member of this group, and I will not allow him to do anything drastic that he has put forward. Hopefully we will find a weapon of greater power, and maybe we will see how much that weapon that messed with his mind when we try to replace it. Will it be as easy as getting rid of the sword to return him to his old self? Just how far has it corrupted him? I wonder if it may be too late that I have noticed this. For the sake of Andre, I sincerely hope that we can get him past this. He was once the most agreeable member of this group to me, but now he may be more violent than Kang.

    Anyway, after arrived at our destination and were ambushed by what looked like your average every day monsters. The kind of stuff we had been killing up north back when this began. Strangely they had been talking like people and called us monsters. They attacked and of course we defended, but after killing them we watched as the bodies turned into that of paladins from the Order of the Radiant Heart. We were confronted by a Gerren Windspear who had been watching our battle. To him it appeared as though a bunch of monsters had been fighting, and now that whatever magic had caused this has ended he saw the truth. Gerren is a good man, though, and offered us safety in his home from the Radiant Heart, as they would surely learn of this and retaliate for the death of their paladins. Luckily he has friends in the order and can talk to them on our behalf, as our new target is Firkraag himself. It turns out he was behind this, as he had also ruined Gerren's reputation and taken his lands. What he wants from me I do not know, but he has made an enemy of me. After we are sure we can move without facing more paladins in our way, we will search the hills for him and get our pay by force it seems. Sometimes you just need to salvage a bad situation, else we would be back to searching for yet more jobs for such a small portion of gold left to get the help we need.


    i apologize for falling behind again and writing so much at once, and in little detail from what I could have. I was busy with finals, Dragon Age Inquisition, and so much more. I decided to take this time to write it before I am off to go somewhere too. Meeting family for the holidays and all. Therefore I really needed to rush this a bit so I could get going, and I already couldn't remember all the details to begin with. I'll try to stay more up to date with most everything out of the way for now.
    Post edited by ChildofBhaal599 on
    JuliusBorisovLiberelliBelgarathMTHHeindrich
  • LiberelliLiberelli Member Posts: 170
    edited December 2014
    Nice to get a timeline, cuz i got a bit lost with what happened in trademeet tbh :)


    Raiders of the Lost Cloak:

    - I had hoped to strike a deal with the Calishite creeps for this vile demonic ticker I still had in my pack. If anyone would value otherworldly goods, however revolting, I imagined these genies would be my safest bet to rid myself of the incessant beating. Before I had the chance to so much as think it, Maeglin had sped off with those infernal slippers of his, and had already ousted them from the town, leaving me with only simpletons and sycophants, unaware of the value. I imagine I could... somehow recuperate my losses from Maeglin's pockets however, so at least not all is lost. With our druid "friend" now in charge of the wayward instigators and the severed Rakshasa head placed safely into the hands of the oppressive Dao, we had returned back to town as heroes and were lauded by one and all for restoring the peace in this decrepit cesspool.
    - While we were more than willing to accept the praise and the coin for our efforts, the provided reward was sorely lacking, in the end. The money itself was acceptable, however minute, but the mayor had commissioned some fool to sculpt our likenesses to adorn the fountain in the town square. I'm always a fan of fine artwork, but I feel the sculptor should have aspired to be a pig farmer instead, since he already seemed to have an affinity with shovelling out this steaming pile of crap. Maeglin's statue was the only one that seemed to have been given the time of day, and in the end, it still only looked like Maeglin, which isn't saying much. Never before have I been so insulted. It was almost as bad as that one time with Rose from the Five Flagons, but that's another story entirely.
    - Maeglin found himself approached by all manner of dubious characters, of course, more fools looking for a stooge to solve their problems for them. Since he's used to the part, and he does it so well, he agreed to run their errands like a good lackey. Meanwhile, I had a few drinks in celebration of our good deeds and someone must have spiked my drink or something for I suddenly found myself in some dank, stinking pit, where Maeglin was apparently looking for some inane treasure. This fool is always dragging us into the most unsavoury places for trinkets and baubles. Sometimes I wonder if my services would not be better served in a nice clean tavern somewhere, but I cannot turn my back on them now. I am committed to save Imoen still, I have to right my wrongs. Perhaps if I had turned my back on them when I first witnessed their foster father's death, she might not have been captured, but I suppose that is what they call wishful thinking.
    - At any rate, Maeglin, Mister goody-goody himself, took his treasure to the mayor, apparently saving the day again from something or other. I'm not sure if I'm paying less and less attention or if they are keeping things from me deliberately, but I seem to be left out of the loop more and more these days. I should hope for their sakes it is the former, or I might be inclined to cut them down to size myself.
    ChildofBhaal599JuliusBorisov
  • ChildofBhaal599ChildofBhaal599 Member Posts: 1,781
    @liberelli i took some liberties on the skinner quest because I already wrote out some stuff and would've needed to change to make the switch to that sound decent. so i sort of acted like we rested there because your own stuff is really open about times so I had an opening to do that. other than that I think i got down the way things happened.
  • LiberelliLiberelli Member Posts: 170

    Skin Deep Beauty:

    - As befitting his regular routine, Maeglin could not stand to ignore the plight of every simpleton begging for assistance, so once again, he ended up being roped into saving a young maiden from some sinister plot. As much as I was getting fed up with this depressing town, rescuing fair maidens is what I am famous for back home, as such I could not refute his urge to set out and find this girl.
    - We found her captors on the outskirts of town, as the lady's paramour had indicated, and much to our surprise, they turned out to be the shady criminals that had escaped our grasp back in Athkatla. Seeing as they were still wanted for the vicious slaughter of several vagabonds in the big city, we saw this as an opportunity to bring these villains to justice.
    - Our intentions were just but it seemed our goal was not so easily obtained, for these 'skinwalkers' were devious characters, almost on par with those despicable doppelgangers. There were two of them, holding the poor girl hostage while trying to play a heinous trick on our poor dimwitted leader. They had transformed the young maiden into one of their own and urged Maeglin to strike down Rejiek, the bridge district skinner. Luckily, I was able to reveal to Maeglin the truth of the matter and stave off any unwanted tragedies. It would be quite unfortunate for our well earned reputation if we were to start murdering innocent civilians... again.
    - After securing adequate scrolls to restore the young maiden to her proper form, we brought her home and were again lauded by these commoners for our just actions. I am vexed and perplexed that I once held these actions in such high esteem and find myself being more appalled by these weaklings as time passes. True justice is measured by one's actions, surely, and by extension, inaction is unjust. So can these peasants speak freely of injustice when all they do is wail about their problems? It is a source of much musing to me as of late, something I shall have to ponder on in our travels.
    - Once all our affairs were sorted, we set out to the Windspear Hills, as we had apparently been contracted by some lord or another back in the city to help his hold halt an incursion of marauding ogres. Another demeaning dash toward degrading ourselves for a bit of coin. Seems like Maeglin should be the joker of our group instead of me, since he keeps dancing to the fiddle of all that approach him. Regardless, I'm sure there will be some merit in this endeavour, if not for glory, at least the pay will be good, perhaps good enough to stop meandering about in the wilderness and get back on track with the search for Kang's woman. Whether or not she's still alive doesn't seem to matter too much anymore, as much as I'd love to settle my debt, I'd settle for seeing Kang's face at the sight of her corpse at this point.
    HeindrichChildofBhaal599JuliusBorisov
  • LiberelliLiberelli Member Posts: 170

    Losing Face, Gaining Grace:

    - Drawing near to the outskirts of our contractor's holdfast, we were stopped by a group of the monsters we were hired to slay, so we wasted no time in doing our job. For mindless brutes they seemed exceptionally eloquent, yet somewhat deluded, as they seemed to think we were the monsters in this tussle. We struck them down and they changed to humanoid form as they hit the ground. Most of us seemed rightly confused for no skinwalkers nor doppels would deliberately change to a menacing form if they were to play some dirty trick on us.
    - As if called upon, a man claiming to be the former lord of these parts, now ousted by the very one who had enlisted us for this job, crawled out of a nearby bush and expressed his own confusion on the matter. Garren Windspear was his name and he seemed to have witnessed an entirely different battle than what actually took place. It seemed we had been tricked by this Firkraag menace to slay a contingent of Radiant Heart paladins on their quest to end our contractor. I can't place it but one of the knights looked familiar to me somehow, perhaps he was stationed at Baldur's Gate at some time in the past. Garren invited us to his home before their immaculate friends came across the scene and held us responsible.
    - Apparently he had some connections with the order, so hopefully we won't need to expect retaliation, however foolish such actions would be, for I suspect they would simply fall as their brothers did. Regardless, Garren explained the situation in greater detail and revealed that this Firkraag had taken most of his land and subjugated or removed most of the locals completely. Why this man would hire us, no doubt aware that we would hunt him down once we knew the truth, seems like quite the conundrum, but as a man surrounded by madmen and lunatics, I have long since given up on understanding such illogical actions and learned to simply go with it.
    - Before Garren was able to explain fully, some gnomish character barged in and spoke of shaded figures drawing closer to the cabin. We repelled the abysmal excuse of an attack since they were but lowly orcs, only to find that it was a distraction and their true objective was to abduct Garren's daughter. Once more we were to play the part of the heroes as Garren pleaded us to find her and bring her home. The life of an adventurer can be so taxing sometimes, but damsels will always be in distress no matter where you go. We can't very well not save them.
    - Back out in the wilderness, negotiating the craggy rock formations in the area revealed a grove of lovely dryads. They were most standoffish for such enticing creatures, but I suppose that came from the recent troubles in the area. By will of Tymora, these dryads were related to the ones that were captured and enslaved by Irenicus back in Athkatla. We handed over the seeds entrusted to us by the three commiserable captives and the matron of their group was quite beholden by our actions. Sadly not beholden enough to bestow upon us some tangible reward, I hate to leave such lovely ladies without being given a chance to work my magic.
    HeindrichChildofBhaal599JuliusBorisov
  • ChildofBhaal599ChildofBhaal599 Member Posts: 1,781
    edited January 2015
    windspear hills

    We were awoken this morning by a gnome working with the windspears. He came to bring us warning of incoming danger, but he was too late. Garren's daughter was taken by Firkraag's servents while some of them engaged my party. Garren himself was soon to arrive after the fight was over, but he is a very sensible man who put aside his grief and refused to blame us for her capture. He informed us that no knights would come after us. We set out now to put an end to Firkraag's game and rescue garren's child, for it is the least we can do for the courtesy and understanding he has given us.

    On our way to this ruin that is apparantly Firkraag's home we ran into a grove of dryads. It turns out they are related to the dryads I met some time ago, in Irenicus' dungeon, when he kidnapped my group and I. We were given their acorns to bring to this place, and finally it seems our journey has taken us here and I could fulfill this long overdue promise. I am kind of sorry that I had long forgotten about them, seeing as I have my own situation to deal with, but at least luck brought us here and we cared enough to at least hold onto them this long.

    In the ruins we've faced hobgoblins, orcs, and a variety of monsters. We've also faced another party that I had recruited our help in finding ancient scrolls. Turns out, however, they were just looters that wanted some weapons found here. They put up a great fight, and we were already quite hurt from our battles with the djinni guardians to the tomb that held the weapons. With our divine magic gone and our party in not the best shape we decided to barricade ourselves within the tomb for rest and meditation. Luckily I don't need to meditate or memorize spells so I could take this time to write, but I will get some rest now just to stay energized. Viconia can warn us if we are in trouble, but we have the door well barred from our side and I don't think Firkraag's men ever come to this corner of this place. Speaking of which, what kind of lord resides in a place like this? This seems like any other dungeon I've found myself in. I was rather expecting a palace in the hills.


    can't hide the truth from a thief

    I awoke before the rest, seeing as though we didn't truly need this break to sleep so much as to ready our magic. I was rather anxious to go out and scout, but of course it was best I leave the door secured while the others were still busy. So what does one do when they are locked in a room while their company are still out for some hours? Well one thing to do is write in my journal some more, but I did that already, so I decided I would read something. Well... Andre's journal to be exact. I don't usually agree with Kang, and I was even with Andre before in thinking he was going crazy, but at this point I am thoroughly convinced I had it all backwards. It seemed I could never truly find out what was going on in his brain, but if you want to know what somebody is thinking then a journal is where you can find it if they have one. Of course Andre is also a somewhat decent thief himself and might have been able to notice something strange, so I decided to get out some cleaner gloves that I don't use rather than my blood and dirt stained ones I usually wear, and handled it with care to hopefully not leave behind evidence.

    I of course could not sit down and read it word for word, as I didn't want anyone awaking with this in my possession. Therefore I decided to skim read it for an idea of his psyche throughout our adventures. It was like a sad retrospective of the friend I once knew and the person he is today. There was a time that I had called him friend without hesitation, and he certainly held me in high regard back in the north around Baldur's Gate. Indeed it was after we got this damn sword that he truly began to change! He began to question my leadership and how much we value him in our group. Did lilarcor put these ideas in his head? Surely I have not exactly been accomodating to his suggestions as of late, seeing as he is starting to care less and less about those who need us or what the right thing is, but his suggestions were taken in account as much as any other when I had thought him sane. I even agreed with him in our conversation on Kang's sanity, and he and I had plotted to put an end to him if he truly lost it. Truly he is being misguided by the sword, as it just seems so sudden. He must've had quite the talk with Lil on that night. Since that day, his thoughts on our actions have seemingly been more hostile and distrusting, as well as having a degrading opinion on the people we help. So far it is just that, but I wonder when he will truly be a hostile threat if we don't remove that sword from him. Even if we do can we ever truly bring back the old Andre that had been my friend and the most agreeable companion in this group? I have to try, but I have my doubts. I had doubts about Kang, though, so what do I know?

    While not really related to his growing insanity, I did discover another interesting detail, one that I may wish to keep from Kang if I don't want to see him slaughtered before I even get the chance to try to redeem Andre. As it turns out, Andre had come to Amn after our journeys north. In his stay here without us, he was captured by Irenicus' people, and tortured for information on us. Basically, it is partially his fault that we were ever taken, and that Imoen is still gone from us. This isn't to say that I still have any negative feelings towards Kang, but he and I are on edge about Andre and I don't want this to tip him over the edge and do anything harsh. He truly cares for Imoen, so if he puts it together that Andre is partly responsible for our predicament he might try to take justice into his own hands just for that. I do not hold it against him myself, but now I just wish that he had stayed with us. He was taken without our group at his side, beaten and tortured for details on us, and his journals only helped. I guess this explains why he was in the dungeon with us, as we never were truly told as we were by Don. At the time I can understand as tensions were high. Imoen even put a knife to his throat and accused him of such things. However, why couldn't he have told us after it all? Now it just seems too late to reveal this secret of his, so it is my secret of his to keep.

    After a short read of his secret thoughts I made sure to slip it back in his pack, just how I remembered it was. I'll admit I've had a fair bit of peaks at Candlekeep's documents and have practice with this already, so I don't think there should be anything left behind to easily spot and make him suspicious. I think they should all be up soon and we can continue. While I wait I'll just rest my eyes and not be suspicious myself. Secretly I just can't wait for the day that we find a weapon of greater power than that demonic sword that is corrupting his mind. We will see then just how much it has corrupted him and if we can truly seperate him from it.


    yep, I've been waiting to do that sort of thing for a while. was just waiting for a proper time for it :)
    Post edited by ChildofBhaal599 on
    LiberelliJuliusBorisov
  • ChildofBhaal599ChildofBhaal599 Member Posts: 1,781
    Firkraag's lair

    Unfortunately, my suspicions of Andre were just ones. We continued our search for Firkraag and deeper in these dungeons we met a group of his servents having an internal fight. They proceeded to kill each other and didn't even notice my party make an entrance. After we proceeded to find a secret room of golems and we enjoyed our peace at the end of our battle with them, Andre suddenly screamed out and began to strike Donathal! Of course Kang had to end it, though he was non lethal about it and sent Andre running around in panic instead.

    Don was surprisingly quite calm about the situation that happened and rather than being upset at Andre's attack on him, he praised him on his swordsmanship instead. Sometimes I wonder what goes on in Don's head to be honest, but I don't think I'll ever be able to understand him. Kang and I just gave each other a look and decided to drop it and pay extra close attention to Andre's actions. Of course we can't give him a second chance if he is going to attack us. This goes much deeper than anything in his journal, though. He didn't seem to truly have any thoughts on actually killing us just yet, though he has been getting worse. Maybe I missed that part? Now I think we don't have much time to put an end to his madness without killing him. It is a shame, but I obviously can't keep somebody with me who may stab me in my sleep, especially now that he has indeed stabbed one of my companions.

    We also met an old friend on this journey. Tazok, one of Sarevok's old comrades, stood between us and Firkraag's inner sanctum. He survived our last encounter, but I think he won't be returning this time. Unfortunately I was stuck in a trap for much of our battle with Sarevok and couldn't make sure he was dead. This time we were more powerful and I was not left out of the battle.

    After we arrived in Firkraag's lair, we learned of his true being. When Don says we are going to work for some lord he met in Amn I wasn't expecting this lord to actually be a dragon. It was our first time standing in front of such a powerful creature. Luckily he was only going to toy with us rather than make this a fight, for I am not quite sure we stand a chance against such a beast at this point of time. As it turns out he has an old grudge with Gorion, and with him dead he though he would settle it with me. I obviously do not like being targeted for something I never did, and I will not allow this to stand. I swore to Firkraag that I would return for him one day, and we can settle this. All he did was laugh and allow us to leave, but before we got Miss Windspear we would have to fight Firkraag's mage. Of course we've fought a fair number of mages and he was just another to fall before us.

    We were all able to return safely to the Windspear house where we were thanked by Garren. He is, of course, worried about what Firkraag might do now considering he is still alive, but for now we are all safe. I guess I shouldn't take too long to challenge Firkraag. I would like to kill him before he does so to Garren.

    Now, with all the money and equipment to sell on this adventure, we can head back to Amn and get the shadow thieves' assistance. We'll stop by tradesmeet to unload our items and then my keep as a rest stop and see if they need me for anything. Our rescue is long overdue. I hope Imoen is ok, and Irenicus held powerless to be ended by my sword.
    LiberelliJuliusBorisov
  • LiberelliLiberelli Member Posts: 170
    edited January 2015
    I really need to pick up the pace with my journal, falling behind somewhat :)

    Of Orcs and Oafs:

    - Having more manners than any other in our group, I, of course, stayed a while longer with the luscious ladies to convey my concern and pledge our worth in relieving the tension... of this area. I had lost sight of my boorish cohorts as they trudged on without me, and without any trace of decency. As I moved in the direction of where this Firkraag's keep was supposed to be, hordes and hordes of orcs and other assorted cretins came crawling out of the undergrowth and like a true hero, I hacked my way through with ease.
    - When finally I relocated my paranoid partners, my complaints of leaving a man behind fell upon deaf ears. Perhaps they never meant for me to find them again, or maybe they - and by they I mean Kang, of course - even herded all those orcs my way, hoping I would be overwhelmed. My ample prowess is no doubt being underestimated once again, and nobody even believed my arguments, or even the presence of orcs in general. Kang was spewing more of his delirious drivel about my so called 'demonic sword'. I tell you, for a wizard, that man is an incredulous imbecile.
    - After finding the keep, which was more of a ruin than anything else, we so much as set one foot inside and already Maeglin's skills as a thief proved more deleterious than the enemy's skill, springing an ambush and drawing in even more beasts before we had barely enough time to stave off the first wave. Luck was on our side however, as only one of the guards actually seemed somewhat of a capable sort, so we were able to quickly dispatch them and work our way further in.
    - When Andre the Magnificent speaks, smart people listen, but when I am the only smart person present, there is only so much I can do. I told them there were orcs everywhere, and lo and behold, we came across a nasty orc ambush, while everyone had their britches on the floor. I can't hardly blame their ignorance, Tymora knows, I should be used to travelling with half-wits by now, yet I couldn't help but feel a bit perturbed by their perpetual pestering while briskly brushing off any and all warnings and advice.
    - Befitting a member of this party, I cloaked myself in invisibility and left them to handle the ambush. After all, there were no orcs, so there was no problem. Some murmurs of disdain could be heard, but I returned the favour and ignored them all. Instead, I moved on and found a chummy troll chef, which seemed remarkably receptive for such a vile creature, right up until Maeglin stuck a blade in his back. That'll teach the troll to reach out and befriend us!



    No Friends Among Friends:

    - Once we had cleared the increasingly filthy corridors of this keep, we were halted by a most comely lass, seeking our aid in recovering ancient texts from deep within the undercroft. Considering Maeglin's penchant for pilfering such putrid places, I've no doubt we'd have gone in anyway, so we readily accepted. The guards seemed intimidating, but ultimately of little worth, especially for what they were guarding.
    - A sword and board, red, not from rust but from some arcane enchantment placed upon it. The age of the items suggested they were quite old and possibly quite valuable. So valuable in fact that the lady who hired us to get them attempted to take us out and keep the profits for herself. This did not sit well with any of us of course, since we do the culling on most occasions, so we had no choice but to take them out.
    - These fights have been getting more intense as time goes on, and I find myself getting drawn into close combat more often considering the nature of these beasts. Wolfweres roamed these halls, like vicious guard dogs patrolling their master's mansion.
    - One fight in particular grew quite ugly as some unexplained events seemed to have turned us against one and other. After engaging some golems, I found myself in a different room altogether, thinking I had been had with some nefarious spell from one of the constructs. As it turned out, it was a spell from our very own pet mage. He must have put a hex on me, for they all claimed I had gone mad and attacked Donathal during the battle. I would never purposefully assault one of our own, and I was, and still am, quite appalled and amazed that anyone would think such a thing.
    - From Kang I expected such things, but having the others now lose faith in the only sane person left of our group, it worries me greatly. If I, of all people, am being ostracised, then it wont take long before Kang's madness drags everyone down the gutter. I'll not let it happen! I'll decent into Limbo before I let that madman besmirch my good name.
    - Hopefully Maeglin doesn't fall for his schemes, but I can see the growing distrust fogging up his judgement already. Now even he is calling for me to lay down my blade. I truly don't understand how these fools can be so thick, I already told them the blade has been silent for weeks. It never spoke again after I told it not to kill at random, and honestly, I've not seen any odd behaviour other than that of Kang and Maeglin. They should buy themselves a mirror and take a long hard look at themselves.
    Post edited by Liberelli on
    ChildofBhaal599HeindrichJuliusBorisov
  • ChildofBhaal599ChildofBhaal599 Member Posts: 1,781
    edited January 2015
    de'arnise keep

    It was a rather uneventful trip back to the keep. We stopped in tradesmeet as I said and shortly continued onward. Upon arriving I was to judge one of the guards of my keep whom was caught stealing from the keep. Upon further questioning he revealed he was stealing in order to help his dying wife recieve aid. We have much more than we need for our own purpose, so I gave him enough to save his wife, but I had to dismiss him from the guard. I couldn't be seen as too soft or more people would be brought before me for stealing. I don't, however, have it in me to kill him for trying to save someone he loves. With this business settled we went straight to bed so we could get back on the road as soon as possible.


    return to athkatla

    Andre continues to act strangely lately. We awoke and ate, but he was nowhere to be seen and we had to search for him. As we passed by a closet on the upper floor he stumbled out and began to blame Kang on putting him in there. The lack of a spider guard tells me otherwise, and Kang went straight to his room as well. Either Lilarcor is to blame or Andre stayed up drinking last night.

    Upon our arrival in the city we were greeted by a mysterious woman, offering aid from an unknown organization. For some reason we are to meet in the graveyard at night. This sounds kind of sneaky and I don't know what we will find, but we should see our newly opened option.

    As it turns out our new offer came from the vampires we've seen fighting the shadow thieves. I guess I kind of saw that coming, but we had to make sure, and we did recieve some valuable information at the very least. We met the leader, Bodhi, who showed us the entrance to her lair and gave us a better offer than the thieves. I would not, however, work with vampires. I am sure Andre would not either. Even he seemed too cowardly to stay when he realized they were vampires, and considering what I know of his circumstances I didn't bother keeping him here. After I got all I thought I could hope to, I made my intentions clear to Bodhi. She of course fled, locking the door behind her quickly behind her.

    More happened that night than we could have expected, however. I soon found a man buried alive in a nearby grave, and at this point I offered him my help. Kang was still too worried about getting Imoen, so I allowed him to go get rest and I'll take it upon myself to stay up later to solve this problem. Soon after we began to leave, Viconia and I, now all alone, were ambushed by a handmaiden of Lolth and a Tanari. They somehow paralyzed her, and I was quick to intervene with all my strength to defeat them both. This ambush left her a little shaken, and she didn't speak much as we returned to the task at hand. We also met the ghost of a child on the way out so I promised to find it's toy bear if we have time. For now we had to rush to the bridge district to find those whom buried that man alive, and take care of them before they take more victims. It turned out to be a blackmail scheme where they took victims and buried them alive when their demands were met rather than freeing them. They are all done now, of course, and we went to the copper coronet to get rest of our own. Tomorrow we'll finally be able to pay off the thieves and leave for spellhold.
    Post edited by ChildofBhaal599 on
    JuliusBorisovLiberelliHeindrich
  • ChildofBhaal599ChildofBhaal599 Member Posts: 1,781
    edited February 2015
    Mae'Var guild hall

    This morning we awoke and were confronted by an old face. Yoshimo, another of Irenicus' prisoners that escaped with us before parting ways, interupted us on behalf of the thieves guild, and told us that we took too long and we would need to do some work for them in addition to our payment. Of course this upset Kang and he again brought up his cowled wizard capture plan. Unfortunately, Yoshimo didn't really help me and instead said that, if it would make him feel better, he would assist Kang to show him the plan would fail. I still refused to be a part of this bloodshed, and I stood out, to my surprise with the company of Andre. I would've tried to pull Viconia with me, but I do need the others alive, and I doubt she'll complain. She may not even care for what I have to say after our falling out.

    I sat on a bench and listened to the battle in the distance with only Andre at my side. We did talk eventually, and to my surprise it wasn't as bad as usual. He blamed Kang on casting some spell on him back when he went crazy, but I stood up for Kang, as he stood next to me in the battle and the only spell he cast was fear to get Andre off Don. Still, there was almost something genuine in his confusion as we continued to talk and I realized there must be two sides to him. This Andre that spoke to me was the one I remembered up north, and he can't even remember everything that's happened in this time. What we've had lately is like a different man, lilarcor-Andre, the one who attacked Don and continues to grow more and more hostile. To this Andre I shared my own feelings on his sword further, my worries of what he is becoming. I related it all down to the guard captain back at Nashkel, and warned him of the power over his mind this sword was having just as the captain's did back then. At first he couldn't even remember going to Nashkel. I had to go deeper, make him remember, and I did. At least I did slightly and for a moment before I lost him again. There must be some internal battle going on between these personalities, but just knowing that my friend is still in there gives me hope that we could overcome this evil. Knowing this, I will continue to hold his secrets close to my chest and make it my own quest to stop his growing madness. It would be easier if he only saw what he was becoming, but he is still so oblivious, yet I did get his promise to drop the sword when a suitable replacement came our way. Which Andre that will be up to, however, has yet to be seen. If lilarcor is in control when the time comes, we will first have to subdue him. Hopefully, when we do get rid of that sword, he will regain some sort of control over his actions, and maybe he'll see just what he was turning into then.

    This conversation continued until the rest of our group rejoined us, with nothing gained for their attack on the wizards. With the matter settled, we made our way into Gaelen's house and gave him the fee that he matched to the price of the vampires now. With this paid we went to the guild hall where we talked to Renal Bloodscalp at Yoshimo's own request and got sent to spy on Mae'Var, whose guild house was closer to the docks, to find any evidence that he may have plans to kill Renal. After a series of tasks from him and his lackey, a mage named Edwin whom we met up north briefly, we were sent to kill a traitor. Turns out the traitor had discovered Mae'var's plans to assassinate Renal, but he had no physical proof. It was still a start, so I asked for his dagger for proof we killed him and sent him on his way. Back at the guild hall Edwin revealed his own intention to catch Mae'Var and told us where to get some papers to incriminate him, but when asked to join us we of course refused. We only have room for one power hungry mage, and at least Kang is a much better person when friends are not in danger. After Renal saw the evidence the only thing left for us to do was kill Mae'Var. We were all a little sick of this job but to finally kill the man we could finish it. I know if we were asked to do one more thing Kang would have certainly bailed.

    Renal thanked and paid us, and we proceeded downstairs to see Aran Linvail about our passage to spellhold to rescue Imoen. Unfortunately, we were just now informed that this guild war would create a problem with our contract. It felt like betrayal that they gave us yet more to do when we have already paid, but then our other choice were the vampires they are fighting, so it seems we are stuck with the shadow thieves in this situation. We are being immediately compensated for the inconvenience with a few magical trinkets, which will actually be very helpful and are appreciated, but we wanted to leave tonight, as was promised. Now we must wait until tonight to help protect a shipment with a member named Mook, among other things to even out this war a bit and allow them to proceed with our contract. We are stopped at a different tavern in the gate district at Kang's request, though it would seem he did no research beforehand. This place is worse than the Coronet! I also notice something is up with the back wall... but it is currently too crowded for me to go snooping in there. Back at the docks we found a similar room in an inn holding pirates, so I wonder what other secrets Athkatla's taverns hold.


    OOC: if Maeglin ever has to fight Andre, we need to start it with Maeglin screaming "ANNNNDREEEEEEEEEEE" and reply with "MAEGLIIIIIIIIIIN". Andre is essentially turning into Ocelot from MGS :)
    JuliusBorisovLiberelli
  • LiberelliLiberelli Member Posts: 170
    edited February 2015
    Starting to look more like a history book at this rate, need to write more :)

    Dragons and Dungeons:

    - Staving off spurious accusations and ill-tempered gazes, I felt genuinely alone in the group for the first time in a good long while. Having no proof of my innocence, I was at a disadvantage when arguing with my so called friends about my alleged assault, so I decided to keep to myself and root out the truth behind the matter. No doubt Kang had something to do with it, like he always does. The true travesty is that I have always been the most reliable of us all and now that insipid instigator is turning everyone against me. The last laugh will be mine however, I'll make sure of that.
    - Regardless, Maeglin urged us to focus on Firkraag and his prisoner, so the matter was at least somewhat laid to rest before we moved on. We cleared out the remainder of these narrow tunnels and found another old familiar foe. Tazok, one of Sarevok's lackeys whom we presumed dead after the battle underneath Baldur's Gate, seemed to have found himself in the employ of this Firkraag fellow. The half-ogre abomination seemed giddy that we fell for their 'trap', even though I hadn't seen much deception so far, other than within our own group. Since he was guarding the Windspear girl, we had no choice but to assault the bulky brute, finally sending him to meet his unholy gods.
    - An auspicious chill crept up along my spine the further we progressed through this dank tomb, making me question our current task. Of course we would save the young maiden from the clutches of evil, but this entire dungeon was filled with powerful and ominous creatures. Whatever nefarious plans this Firkraag had in store for us up ahead, it would stand to reason that he held some sway over these unsavoury characters, making him more dangerous than I had first given him credit.
    - Once Tazok and his lackeys were dealt with, the girl directed us to where Firkraag and the key to her cell were. Stepping out into the large courtyard, we were quite surprised to learn that he was no man, but a fully fledged red dragon, a most fierce and fearsome foe indeed. Apparently he had some unfinished business with Maeglin's late foster father, and decided to take it out on him instead, to sate his appetite for vengeance. Lord Maeglin Silvertongue himself of course was able to convince the beast to stay it's claws and leave us with but a measly mageling to deal with. With a foreboding claim to return one day, Maeglin urged us to retreat and at least secure Garren's daughter, before someone struck a nerve and angered the massive monstrosity.
    - Firkraag allowed us to leave with the prisoner only if we defeated his best mage. For some reason however, the man was an even bigger joke than Kang, and he was dead before I reached the top of the stairs. With our damsel in tow, we vacated the desiccated dungeon and returned to Garren for a well deserved bit of rest.
    ChildofBhaal599JuliusBorisovHeindrich
  • LiberelliLiberelli Member Posts: 170
    edited February 2015

    Message From the Dark:

    - So, after leaving the Windspear Hills and returning to Maeglin's appropriated manor, I woke yesterday morning, and found myself locked in some cramped closet. A most agitating awakening if ever there was one. I do not recollect relocating to such a diminutive dormitory, so I suspect it must be, in some way, Kang's doing. Who else would stoop to such levels as to lock a man in a wardrobe for no reason but to glean their disregard. One of these days, he'll go too far, and I'll have leave to strike back with furious vengeance.
    - Once Maeglin sorted out his despotic debt to "his people", we continued onward, back into the city, to finally exchange our hard-earned coin for this assumed assistance, if ever we can trust in these thieving thugs. Before we ever made it to the shadow thieves however, we were approached by a most evasive envoy in the employ of this rival guild we had heard so much about. The enshrouded emissary urged us to reconsider the shadow thieves' deal and proceeded to offer us a better one.
    - As of late, my attempts at assurance and advice have been thrown to the wayside, more so than usual, so to no surprise, despite my many objections, Maeglin decided to see what their leader had to say for themselves. This opposing guild that had laid waste to the nightly scene of beauty and wealth that was a great part of the appeal of Athkatla, did not strike me as a most prudent pick of partnership. I highly doubt they have ours, or the city's best interest at heart.
    - To no man's surprise, my concerns were justified as it turned out that the leader we were told to meet turned out to be some salacious vampire shrew, seeking to use our hand in striking at the thieves in exchange for the information we seek. I would have no part in dealing with these creatures, and with demonstrable disdain, I took my leave and implored Maeglin to do the same.
    - I ended up drowning my sorrows on my own back at the Coronet, and I may have gotten carried away again, for I awoke amidst the bags of flour in the back of the kitchen in the wee hours of the morning. Bernard informed me that Maeglin and Viconia stayed out for quite a while longer than Kang and Donathal. They have both grown ever more depraved over time, so I suspect all her talk of whipping and dominance finally got the better of Maeglin and he no doubt had to experience that drow "pleasure" for himself. I shall cast no blame, for I myself once desired her company, though I suspect the desire does not match the reality, and somehow I imagine I'm better off not knowing.
    ChildofBhaal599JuliusBorisov
  • ChildofBhaal599ChildofBhaal599 Member Posts: 1,781
    edited February 2015
    @liberelli I had to hold from smiling and chuckling at Andre's interpretation of why Maeglin and Vic were late :) probably shouldn't have read in class...
    Post edited by ChildofBhaal599 on
  • ChildofBhaal599ChildofBhaal599 Member Posts: 1,781
    edited March 2015
    the guild war

    We awoke in the night to head to the meeting place with Mook, yet it was still early and I was still curious about the secret door in the tavern. I opened it and snuck a look into the room, where I found a lich waiting! Notifying the rest of the party we decided to go take care of this problem. Kang protected us from magic and we went in. The lich, however, was a very powerful mage, yet Kang's own magic rendered this obsolete, and when it summoned a demon to help it worked against itself. Eventually it's protection went down and we were able to finish it off quickly, before holding the demon off until it disappeared.

    With our curiosity sated, we returned to the docks to meet Mook. She told us of a suspicious figure she's seen around the docks that she would like to question with us as backup. When the figure came around it became obvious we were dealing with a vampire, but before we could act it killed Mook and attacked us. A short battle ensued before the vampire fled the scene. Meanwhile, we found Andre cowering behind a corner in the dark, obviously having something to do with his capture by the creatures that brought him here. While I can somewhat understand, I can't outright come out and say it, nor could I use a party member who is going to stand back and cower every battle as we fight these vampires. Instead we had to push on and hope that Andre would pull his weight or someone else pulls his. We should also probably worry about the kind of trouble he might run into running off on his own like that.

    With that matter dealt with we returned to Linvail who presented us with our next task. We were to talk to a contact from Bodhi's guild and get some more information on them and how to get to their hideout. We already know it is behind that blue door, but that way will not be of any use with it barred. The contact would be meeting 2 shadow thief deserters, and we would join in as one. When we arrived they didn't know the difference, and we were able to trick them into revealing the contact's name, which served us well when he arrived. The defectors attack us, and we had to kill them before the contact arrived. When he did we dropped his name and were given all the information we needed before we put an end to him too. With this information we returned to Aran to launch a final assault on Bodhi.

    Our new entry point was a large door found elsewhere in the crypts. To get there we had to make our way through a spider infested area of the crypts. On the inside of the structure they made, we found a Drow leading them all. After dealing with her, we continued fighting our way through her minions to the entrance where we would meet a mage and his golem to open the large door blocking us. Inside we were met by the vampire that killed Mook, and we were led on a chase throughout the facility to catch him. Eventually he fought us in a room of spikes, with a blood pit in the center. Luckily nobody fell during the battle, and we defeated the vampire menace. Upon defeat he and all the others turned into a gaseous cloud and retreated to a nearby coffin. For this Aran gave us stakes, and with these stakes we were able to give them a final death. After planting the stake in this one's coffin, Bodhi appeared out of nowhere and confronted us, trying to side us against the shadow thieves. While I know they aren't the nicest folk, they were also not undead blood suckers and no matter how much Bodhi told me of their own evils I still believe they are the lesser evil. Bodhi then mentioned her alliance with Irenicus, and I'll admit this absolutely infuriated me. That isn't to say I didn't want her dead already, but now I really want her dead! She told me of the power I could have had if the thieves didn't interfere, and made a mention of Imoen. To tell the truth I am not sure what to think of that. I am fairly certain Irenicus only wanted me because I am a bhaalspawn. At this moment Kang and I had heard enough and my group did battle against her. Bodhi was a tough one, but so is Donathal, who continued to block the way to the rest of the group while he wore an amulet that would stop her vampiric draining abilities. After a long battle, in the end she simple fled after having "seen what she wanted to see". Of course Kang and I shortly chased after her, but it was no use and soon she was gone. I may have let out a little bit too much of my bhaal side following this, but then these people are evil and despicable, and the world will be a better place with them dead in such a mutilated form that they cannot return from. Still, now won't be that time, and for now I can think about taking Irenicus' head off and rescuing Imoen from spellhold.

    After striking a mighty blow to Bodhi's guild, we returned to Linvail in hopes that he would keep his word. At the same time, I also made sure to ask him about his involvement some time ago at Irenicus' dungeon. While Bodhi was right about a lot of what she said, it also seems like the Shadow thieves are on our side against Irenicus and Bodhi, and they have an actual interest in seeing me succeed in my own quest. As such, they also kept their word, and we are now on our way to put an end to this mess for all of us. We set sail with Saemon Havarian immediately, and should be at spellhold by the end of the week. It will be a nice chance to take a breather after so long on the road and in dungeons, always fighting. Still, the wait is going to be killing me the entire time I think. I wish I could get to Imoen as soon as possible, but now we are on the right path. I'll try to relax during the voyage, but Imoen and Irenicus will be in the back of my mind the whole way and I'll be ready to end this.
    Post edited by ChildofBhaal599 on
    HeindrichJuliusBorisov
  • LiberelliLiberelli Member Posts: 170

    Auspicious Assurance:

    - As I tried desperately to shake this image of Lord Maeglin and his drow consort, engaged in carnal congress, I noticed the Lord in question speaking to a familiar face on the far side of the inn. As it turned out, it was Yoshimo, a rogue that was captured alongside our party in Irenicus' dungeon, and apparently in the employ of the Shadow Thieves. It would seem that he was there to deliver a message to us on their behalf, saying that their patience was growing thin while waiting for word on our deal. We decided - I say we, but we all know only Maeglin gets to decide our actions, for better or for worse - with all that has happened in the last few days, that it was time to take them up on their offer and finally make way toward our main objective.
    - Yoshimo was instantly ostracised by our ever accommodating mage, who called him out on both his heritage and his intentions. Kang argued that capturing a Cloak and having him divulge crucial information would prove much more time efficient than working with dirty thieves, while Yoshimo claimed it would fail regardless. Seemed to me like Yoshimo was quickly taking Kang's place as the second smartest man in our party.
    - As I rarely take part in futile endeavours, I opted to stay out of this tussle, for unlike Kang, I am not burdened by debilitating delusions of any sort. Donathal was always up for battle, and Viconia, while somewhat less vigorous since last night, seemed to relish the thought of joining in the fray. I shall have to inquire with Maeglin how he makes his lovers so knackered, if she's this tired he had to have done something right.
    - In the end, only Maeglin and I were left while the others set out to prove Kang's incompetence. Once again, I attempted an appeal to Maeglin's better judgement and spoke of the incident at Firkraag's lair. Maeglin brushed aside my suspicions at Kang's involvement and furthermore, he kept referring back to 'how I used to be' and 'before I picked up the blade'. He stressed that if I would not give up my sword soon that I would suffer the consequences. Unsure if it was a threat or genuine concern on his part, I assured him once more, that the blade held no sway over me, and I could lay it down at any given time.
    - We weren't granted much time to reminisce, as the four fumbling wizard wranglers came back without their quarrel quite quickly. With Yoshimo's point made, and Kang's pride severely hurt, I felt the need to ridicule our pet mageling some more on our way to the Shadow Thieves. In a more confidential manner, I also urged Yoshimo to take heed of Kang's wicked ways, and warned him of his increasing instability, lest our newest member stepped on the wrong toes and caught a stray fireball, or the ire of wayward spiders. Yoshimo thanked me for my concern, but stressed that he was no stranger to betrayals and was well equipped to deal with them in due time.
    ChildofBhaal599JuliusBorisov
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