Vorgen fucked around with this message at 18:11 on Oct 31, 2013

So, back from the frozen northlands, back in the calm, cozy Elfsong Tavern with friends and comrades, I actually feel happy.



I haven't remembered feeling this way since, well, since Candlekeep. I'm surrounded by friends, nobody is trying to kill me, and I have enough gold to buy a small town. I sit down, buy a few rounds of ale, and count it up. Imoen, of course, helps me. In the end, it adds up to 10,563.

Wow. That calls for a celebration! I get drunk and start to tell everybody the stories of what we did in Icewind Dale. They are pretty impressed. The crowd gasps and cheers at the appropriate moments. But I think I get too drunk.



D'm barkeepmonks, 'lways keepin' a good giiirrrrl dow'.



Wiat, am I a gir' or a boy rignnow? I ... I gots ta' chechs. Where? Oh yesh, unda' da robe. No, Imoen, I dunneeeddss help... I'm FINE.

Yah, k, slee's dgod. sleef.

sleeph.

sleeeeeee....

After the night is done and the headache goes away, I remember something. I was supposed to give a dagger to a dwarf in Ulgoth's Beard. But I lost it when those cultists ambushed me. The least I could do would be to tell the poor dwarf it's gone. It would only be polite.

So I put a team together for the trip back.



Straight to the point, I respect that. Let's go.



Ah, old friends made new again. A pairing that cannot be beaten.



Oh goody good good! Let's go.



I could ask for little else.



Hooray! I knew you were just joking! Always joking, you are. "Such a joker," I keep saying, and there you are, joking as usual. Let's get going now.

Kagain just about falls over when I show him the Ice Slasher +5. It is the first time I've seen anything but grump on the dwarf's face. His eyes go wide, his beard quivers, and I think there's a little sliver of drool on the left side of his mouth. I let go of the axe quickly, and he holds it reverently in both hands.

When he finishes suiting up with items like Durlag's Crown, the Girdle of Defense, and the Shield of the Falling Stars, he looks the beast.



Indira has quite a selection of longswords that she can use.



She ends up choosing the set of swords called Life and Death.



It seems to be a whimsical choice, but the swords are solid weapons.



She chooses a mix of arcane and melee equipment. A set of mage's bracers, but the Bluestone Necklace of Dexterity. On her right hand a Ring of Protection +3, but on her left the Ring of Wizardry. I advise her to NOT take on any Boots of Speed, so that Kagain can be the first into battle and she can aid. She agrees.



Jet'Laya prepares mostly for combat. She takes up her mace, Contrition, and another Shield of the falling Stars. With the Wyvern Helm, a Girdle of Defense, and Boots of Speed she is ready to support the front lines with Kagain.



I dress Viconia in gold. Elven Chainmail, the Helm of Glory, and the Heart of the Dragon medium shield turn her into some sort of dark angel. She is also pointedly NOT wearing Boots of Speed, so that she can hang back and be second to the fight.



Alora loves the new Thieves' Hood that I brought back from Icewind Dale. She also doesn't want to be mind-controlled like what was always happening to Regis, so she also puts on the Greenstone Amulet. She has a lot of other thiefly equipment that she puts on too. I also give her the Wand of Fear, which she can use if she ever gets into a tight spot.



Then we are off to Ulgoth's Beard to chase down that dagger! But we've just barely begun when the squabbles start.



Just leave me alone, Viconia. I didn't ask for your opinion.

You confirm my suspicions with your weakness. Attempting to ignore a problem is no way of solving it.

Hmph. And YOU confirm MY suspicions with your words. Admitting you're a problem is the first step towards change.

Hah! Well done, child. You may yet rise above the level of iblith.

The journey to Ulgoth's Beard still takes a whole day.



We are ambushed by bandits on the way. Kagain shows them what's what with his insane axe.

When we get to Ulgoth's Beard, Elminster is still there. But he doesn't seem too interested in talking to me.



I'm sure he's busy thinking of important world-altering matters. We go into the Inn and finally fess up to losing the dagger.



It is as I feared. Listen to me, we haven't much time. The ones who stole the dagger from you are the same that released the demon that killed me granda. Me granda was killed by a tanar'ri, a nabassu to be precise. The one who stole it from you is a member of a cult that worships this beast as a god. Many centuries ago, when we granda adventured with Durlag, they fell foul of the tanar'ri, which had been released onto our plane by the cult. Durlag and me granda defeated the tanar'ri, though granda was mortally wounded, and they entrapped the demon's essence in a dagger. Me da later found a way to destroy the dagger and the beast within, but tragedy befell Durlag before he could send the dagger to me clan.

Ye must find the cult. Ye must retrieve the dagger that I might destroy the beast. If the cult manages to free the demon then it must be killed before it visits destruction upon our land. Go and get the dagger. Quickly!

Uhh, okay? But where did these crazy cultists get to?

I go outside and ask Elminster, but he doesn't say anything.



I kinda go take a look around the area, wondering what to do, when a guy catches my eye. He looks a little bit familiar.



I send Kagain after him.



Hold your tongue, cur. I do not answer to one such as you.

Ungodly ones! This place is not for you. Leave immediately.

If you have a brain you'll realize that you are the one who should be leaving. Move aside or die!

You! The usefulness of your party is exhausted. Our god will suffer no intrusions.

Then we're ambushed!



Everybody gets ready to rumble.



Kagain turns the lippy guard into a fine mist.



Alora gets targeted by a couple of archers shooting from the barn door. She decides to scare them away.



Nevertheless she is seriously injured, and begins to panic. Viconia, taking her role as dark angel to heart, slays another guard with a Flame Blade.



But Jet'Laya is able to heal the little halfling, and the battle continues.



Indira takes out the last cult guard with a flourish.



Then, as if to show off her versatility, she immediately launches all 3 of her magic missiles at the last remaining archer!



Aww, 3 magic missiles! So cute! I decide to help her out.



Indira rushes in to melee to try to finish the last archer off, but the archer runs into the building and disappears.



We all follow her. It isn't pretty.



After that, we prepare to enter the cultists' lair. I'm pretty sure there will be bad things to fight here, so we buff up.



Then I cast Invisibility Sphere on the whole party, so we can get the drop on them.



There are a bunch of mooks just standing around. This is going to be easy.



We all break our invisibility by attacking! Then the wizard addresses us.



Thanks for the compliment. Shall we kill you now or would you rather beg for a time?

Not predisposed towards conversation, are you? Very well. Have it as you will.

Then he bursts into a ton of magical defenses. Another wizard beside him does as well.



Hrm.

I cast Dispel Magic.



Welp. There went all of his fancy spellcasting! I send Kagain after the wizard, and Indira after his Cult Enforcer buddy.



Then Viconia is backstabbed by an assassin!



Jet'Laya casts Hold Person on the two guards next to her.



Kagain kills the cult wizard, but seems to have become Confused in the process. The wizard's enforcer apprentice unloads a minor sequencer full of magic missiles on Indira.



Kagain thankfully doesn't attack any of us, but the Cult Enforcer doesn't make that any easier. He casts Confusion on all of us, and I lose contact with most of my party.



I have really got to do something about this. I cast Chaos Shield, then Dispel Magic.



It clears up everyone except Viconia and Kagain. Then I Magic Missile the cult enforcer to death.



He was almost gone already. Indira had taken out all of his Mirror Images and had him bleeding.

Then Indira turns around and casts a spell I haven't seen in a very long time. She casts Spook on one of the assassins, sending him running.



That leaves us with one assassin and two guards to deal with. Alora decides that is too many, and Horrifies two of them.



Indira chunks the one assassin that wasn't scared.



I guess he should have been. Jet'Laya and Indira come to help me with the guard that is engaging me in melee. We kill him good.



And, well, that's it. Viconia comes to her senses and begins healing the party.



On the corpses we find some potions and a Wand of Paralyzation.

After we clean everything up, we rest, regroup, and re-cast all our protective spells. No telling what is in this horrible cult basement.



Well, there's a horrible cult! I could have guessed that part.



Why would you do this? The beast you mean to raise is not to be trusted!

Pray tell how you would know this? Have you prepared the rituals, spoken the incantations? I have, and the assurances of Aec'Letec were the fruits of my labors! Certainly the denizens of the lower planes are prone to falsehoods, but only when dealing with the weak and stupid! We shall be strong and fitting allies for this new master! Here I break that dagger, and here the new lord comes!

A demon summoning? Syvishtar, we should flee! Leave these wretches to their doom!

Babe, you have NO idea how many demons I've killed already. This is going to be a walk in the park.

Then Tracea Carol bursts with a respectable flowering of magical energy, and a sickly green demon appears in the center of the summoning circle.



Tracea Carol casts Sunfire, injuring Alora a little bit. But I pull my little statue off my belt, and summon my own demon.



It's a demon-on-demon rumble! One night only, in the Ulgoth's Beard stadium!



On the right we have Aec'Letec, freshly released from his prison in a woman's dagger. The creater of ghouls, the flayer of flesh, the Once Defeated (probably)!

On the left we have Tanari, servant of mages, slave of the arcane, summoned through a little dumb-looking statue. Which of the Bitches Down Below will win tonight? Place your bets, chillins, cuz it ain't gonna last long!

I tell everybody to get into the corner and watch.

Aec'Letec goes for Vampiric Touch!



But Tanari resists.

Tracea Carol is being an unruly spectator, walking around with lots of magic and generally making a fuss. I tell Kagain, my bouncer for the evening, to take care of her. He briefly switches to the Battleaxe of Dispelling Fire, and with one swipe removes all of Tracea's defenses.



Back in the arena, Aec'Letec lands a critical hit on Tanari!



Tanari gets 2 levels drained. Oh no!

Tracea Carol still won't be quiet. She triggers a contingency of Stoneskin and more Mirror Images. Kagain has to put her down.

In the arena, it is not looking good for Tanari. He also lands a critical hit!



But his claws don't even do any damage to Aec'Letec's tough hide! How will this idol bunny succeed if he can't injure his opponent?!

Aec'Letec doesn't give him time to think of a plan. He hits ol' Tanari with the 1-2 punch of Vampiric Touch and Level Drain.



The old idol boy can't take it, and dies. A pity.

I try to cast a spell to get the situation under control, but Aec'Letec stuns me and level drains me before I can even do anything.



Kagain and Indira rush to my aid, slicing deep furrows into the demon. He screams in pain, but just as it looks like he will die, he turns into some kind of blue cloud.



So did we win? Or...

I'm stunned, unable to give any orders, so Indira and Viconia both start executing the remaining cultists, even though they haven't attacked us at all. Bloodthirsty much?



They are off on the far side of the room, killing the last of the cultists, when Aec'Letec rematerializes near me! Thankfully I am released from his Hold at about the same time.



But I feel really, really weak. I can't seem to remember half of the spells I prepared this morning. Less than half. I don't even remember...

Blade Shower! Let's go with that! Or, ok, running away is a good idea too.

Jet'Laya rushes forward as Alora and I rush back. Aec'Letec casts Silence at her.



It fails. She stands to cast a spell.



He drains her, and she loses it.

I realize that I still remember some spells, even though I won't be able to cast them again. One of those is Corporeal Instability. I throw it at the demon, just as it teleports to Alora.



IT WORKS! IT FREAKIN' WORKS!! The all-powerful demon Aec'Letec melts into a puddle of goo.



I yell out excitedly for Viconia and Jet'Laya to use Spiritual Hammer. They both cast it simultaneously.



Indira kills the last cult guard as Viconia and Jet'Laya prepare to end the life of the puddle of goo that was once Aec'Letec.



The first hammers smash into the demon goo, and I laugh again. I try to add some chaos blades into the mix, but they don't do anything.



Kagain tries to add his throwing hammer as well, but it bounces off harmlessly.



Only magic damage can hurt a puddle of goo created by Corporeal Instability. If only I remembered some Magic Missiles...

Indira remembers.



She is the one to slay the abomination. The demon seems to lose touch with reality and fall through the floor, leaving nothing but a pair of gloves.

I pick them up and look at them.



I have no idea what these are. For the first time in a long time, I simply cannot understand how the magic thingies work on this... thingie.

The corpse of Tracea has a letter on it. It reads,



Hmm. So a messenger is coming here? I wonder if I'll find him when I leave this place. That means we must restore ourselves now, no waiting. Jet'Laya is the other drained party member. She's at level 6.



I call the Vault Keeper and have him fix us up. His fee for Lesser Restoration is surprisingly low.



After we are restored, I take another look at the gloves. Now I understand them!



Whoa. This sounds like a cool item. I wonder what kind of a person would want to use it though? Certainly nobody I've ever met.

We cautiously exit the cult's hideout, but no one is waiting for us. We go back to the Inn and tell Hurgan what happened.



I have misjudged the cult's power. I never believed them capable of freeing the tanar'ri. Ye have destroyed it for now. Eventually it will be able to return to this plane. Rest easy my friends. Ye did all that ye could do. Ye saved the Sword Coast from a demon. Here is your reward. Farewell.

Farewell, Hurgan.

He hands us a hammer and leaves. It is a nice hammer.



It goes in the bag. Then we go back to the Elfsong.



We rest, recuperate, take some time off. I'm quite proud of my team - we didn't die once!

I have been putting off going back to Candlekeep. I know I should probably go there as soon as possible and catch the nefarious evildoers who have been hounding me for literally years, but I keep distracting myself. I kind of dread going back there. There are some of the only peaceful memories I have of my entire life. If I go back, what if I get into a fight? What if I call down lightning and fire and raise up demons to destroy mine enemies, all within my childhood home? That's some kind of violation, right there. I'd be violating my own childhood.

So we're going to try to take out Oversight first. I think I've found where they are located!

You know, if you don't smile enough, your face will start to crack.

Shaddup and show me the money.

We wait until dark, and then go wandering the city streets. We find a short man with a problem.



Hmmm... you look worried. Is there any way I can help you?

Unless you can find a small gnome with an attitude problem the size of Waterdeep, you cannot help me.

Oh right, this guy.

Ahhh. Perhaps we will speak again later. It should not be too hard to find a small one with a big attitude - they all seem to have large personalities.

Yeah, yeah. We keept it in our noses. Move along.

I'm pretty sure he's talking about Tiax. Why don't I just go get him right now?



Your continuing delusion of leadership will serve Tiax well in the long run. Lead on for now, but eventually Tiax rules!

Then we take him back to Belgin. He doesn't suspect a thing.



Tiax demands that you stop slobbering in his face, slave! Stand aside! Tiax will tolerate no impediment to his passage!

'Tiax'? What are you blathering about, boy? Come with me! You're my only chance to get these blasted bounty hunters off my tail!

So, this is the right gnome, then?

I don't know who you are, young woman, but I don't have time for this! The ones hunting me are in this very city, and this boy is my only hope.

The one you're calling 'Tiax' is my former apprentice, and his real name is 'Telliax'. Unless he comes with me and proves that he's still alive, I'm done for! I'll be dragged back to Amn and hung like a common criminal, for a crime I didn't even commit!

Slow down! If you're being unjustly pursued, we'll help you, so please explain what you're talking about.

But... ahh, very well. I will explain myself, but afterwards I beg of you to aid me!

My name is Belgin, known as Belgin the Wanderer, priest of Baervan Wildwanderer. This gnome that you know as 'Tiax' is actually named Telliax. He's the privileged son of an Athkatlan merchant, but his privilege landed him in a bit of trouble.

You may have noted young Telliax's thieving skills? Well, for no other reason than his own boredom, he just happened to try and develop those skills along the Athkatlan docks...

... Which just happened to have upset the Shadow Thieves, one of the most powerful organizations in the city! They demanded he join their organization or die, so his father turned to *me* to help tutor him in the ways of my god and get him out of the city. I had no idea what a trial I was in for.

Bah! This tale is fanciful nonsense! Tiax was born from Cyric himself, unleashed upon this world to bend it to his will and bring fear to the hearts of his enemies! Tiax has no use for merchants and their useless trinkets, nor does he fear any petty thieves! Away with ye, old man, 'lest you join the long list who will pay when Tiax rules all!

Change the name and add a healthy dose of insanity, and the personality apparently remains the same, alas. This little brat was the most obnoxious apprentice I ever tutored! He was arrogant, whiny, and spoiled! None of our traveling accommodations or rations were ever up to his standards. He addressed me as 'commoner' and routinely reminded me of how inferior I was to him due to my lack of wealth.

By the end, I was feeling the sore temptation to wring his scrawny neck myself, though thank Baervan it never came to that. As we traveled with a caravan, we were ambushed by bandits. I escaped, Telliax didn't, so I naturally assumed they killed him.

Tiax, stopped by mere bandits? BAH! What stupidity! Tiax thinks you've been driven mad, old ma...

...

Tiax... is having a hard time remembering...

Bandits? Cyric? Tiax... remembers the black altar...

Apparently something is seeping through that thick head of his. I don't know what happened after the bandits attacked, but as you might suspect I wasn't too keen on taking them on single-handedly, even if I was more fond of the lad. I'm a man of humble means, so I moved on with my life. Unfortunately, Telliax's father didn't move on with his.

Knowing his son's rather... grating personality, he's dispatched bounty hunters to capture me for Telliax's murder! They wish to bring me back to Amn for a sham trial, no doubt, after which they'll hang me! I did nothing wrong, yet I doubt anything I could say would ever be believed! I've been forced to run from this group,and they've been nipping at my heels for months now! Please, you must help me!

I totally understand how terrible it is to be hounded by bounty hunters for months on end.

A very interesting story. Of course we'll help you.

Baervan bless your souls! All you must do is find the bounty hunters. Baervan has revealed to me, through the blessing of a spell of divination, that they're staying at the Blade and Stars tavern. Please, I beg of you, don't harm them! Simply show them Tiax so that they'll leave me be once and for all! Come back, and I will pay you 1,000 gold for your kind deed. Thank you! Bless you! I'll be at the Helm and Cloak when you've managed to convince them.

Well, that sounds easy enough. The Blade and Stars is in the southeast corner of the city.



We enter and look around, but there doesn't seem to be any mercenary types about. We go up to the second floor, and are greeted by a friendly face.



This one will be good sport. Let me have his ears.

Uhh, Viconia, you know its hard to fit in if you keep saying things like that?

Hail, Karris! My name is Syvishtar, recently of Candlekeep. I believe we may have an issue to discuss.

An issue? Very well, then. Speak your mind.

We've sought you out on the behalf of a gnome named Belgin, who are you pursuing unjustly. He committed no crime, and we can prove it.

So, you know why we're here, then. My apologies, but our duty is clear. Belgin was given charge of an apprentice, and was responsible for his safety. There is no proof, as of yet, that he murdered his charge, but nonetheless the untimely disappearance of Telliax warrants enough suspicion that Belgin must be brought back to Athkatla for questioning.

Telliax's father was very clear on the matter. We are not to harm Belgin, but neither can we allow him to walk away untouched from what appears to be cold-blooded murder.

Belgin never harmed Telliax. In fact, no one did. He's perfectly fine physically, if a bit insane.

I am sorry, but I'll require something more substantial than your word. If Telliax is indeed still alive, bring him to me. He's been described in careful detail by his father. Until then, we have nothing to talk about.

Insane? Who would DARE to mock Tiax to his very face!? Surely ye must long to have your limbs yanked from their sockets to taunt fate so! Cyric demands payment for all insults directed against his champion, and Tiax *will* collect!

It can't be! By the gods, you mean to say *this* is our employer's son, Telliax? What's happened to him? The description matches, though he appears a bit more... unkempt than I would have imagined for a rich merchant's son.

Alas, he seems to have suffered some sort of unknown trauma. When we discovered him, he was babbling about conquering the world in the name of Cyric.

Cyric!? Conquering the world!? Something must have changed him greatly indeed! Nevertheless, it's a mystery that can be solved another time. For now, our hunt has been in vain, for our target is innocent. We shall return to Amn and report on this to Telliax's father. I doubt he will be pleased. Farewell, friends. You may tell Belgin he is safe.

You will find him there. Farewell.

Then they immediately leave. We also walk outside. Then Tiax screams.



Ow. Tiax... Cyric! PRAISE BE TO CYRIC!

I told you to shut up, gnome.

Syvishtar, if you do not stop this annoyance, I will do so... permanently.

Tiax, are you alright? What happened?

A blessing! A blessing from the Black Sun! TIAX, chosen champion of Cyric and future ruler of all things, has been informed of the next step towards his rule of all!

Oh ye blasphemers, let all who do not now bend knee to Tiax repent, for Tiax is well on his way to domination of all things! We must make haste to the Helm and Cloak, for Tiax's destiny awaits him!

Why the Helm and Cloak? Does this have something to do with Belgin?

The heathen Belgin must DIE! So Cyric has commanded, and so Tiax shall obey that his day of ascension will grow ever closer!

So, we go to all the time and trouble to save him, and now you want us to kill him? You have to be kidding me.

Tiax has no time for your naysaying and indecisiveness! Tiax has no time for slaves who think; all that need be done is to listen and OBEY! Onward to the Helm and Cloak, where Tiax's destiny awaits!

That's on the exact opposite side of town. When we get there, Belgin is waiting nervously.

We me with Karris and cleared your name. You are safe.

I appreciate what you have done here. I can go back to my life, and for that I am grateful.

How DARE you defy the will of Cyric?!

I am glad we could help you.

Then Belgin leaves the room. Tiax is not pleased.



Then Tiax leaves the party in a huff.



Oh well. No big loss. I'll just have to move his name to the Chapter of the Deserters.

Vorgen fucked around with this message at 03:08 on Nov 4, 2013

We go back to pick up Alora again, and go to test my theory.

This whole block of houses is supposed to be where Oversight is hiding.



And before, I wasn't able to find anything but normal families here. I went into what I thought was every door, checked every building. But there's one building that doesn't really belong. You don't even really notice it until you take a closer look. The entire building is cut off from the rest of the city and faces the wall. Why would anybody even build something like that?



This has got to be where Section is. I tell everyone to prepare for a fight.



Then we go in.

But no one attacks us when we enter.



Strange. There's a butler. I go speak to him.



Let me see this message. Ah yes you may enter. Sir Jones is on the third floor with his advisors.

Looks like this place is called Oversight. I can see it on the guard tags.



They have a piano!



Curious, we go upstairs as we are told. There are even more guards here.



I feel like I'm not going to like getting out of here.

There is another staircase on the far wall. We take it too.



This place has a hell of a lot of personnel.



We move into the next room, but someone seems to notice us, finally.



Our security has become lax of late. We will have to cancel the head of security for this. It appears that this is the band of misfits that had destroyed Section, my lord.

This is them? How, how is this possible? No one knows of this place but a selected few.

My lord, they are here, and how they got here is not the issue right now. We really need to get the guards up here to deal with them.

Ah yes, of course. Guards, send these vagabonds into the black at once!

This is my time to exit the scene. I will see to the security of the gold in the dungeon, Sir Jones.

What? You will stay and defend!

Sorry my lord, I can't hear you. Good bye.

I'll deal with you later. As for you, guards, kill the intruder!

We all begin to cast spells, all save Alora and Kagain. And Sir Jones, who attacks Viconia first. He hits like a large, wheeled conveyance!



I want to block the door with an Earth Elemental. I succeed, I think, but the Weave also paralyzes me.



So I can do nothing but watch as Sir Jones cuts down Viconia.



A pillar of fire comes down and strikes several of us. Some priest got lucky. At the same time, Alora panics several of our enemies with her Wand of Fear.



But she is almost killed in the next moment, and begins to run in panic herself. The remaining fighters prepare for a protracted battle. Indira goes wraith.



But that doesn't prevent her from being Flamestruck a moment later.



I am still frozen and unable to move when an Oversight War Wizard kills Alora with a Flame Arrow.



Jet'Laya falls next. She didn't have a chance.



Indira and Kagain are the only two left, but then Kagain is Held by a priest and Indira is Webbed by a mage.



An over-eager wizard throws a Fireball into the room, and that is too much for Indira to bear.



She falls. Kagain and I are still Held. The entire assembled guardianship of Oversight tries to kill a Held, Webbed Kagain, but they can't seem to scratch him.



The dwarf is impervious!

The over-eager mage throws another Fireball. It only hurts his own men.



For what seems like a good, solid minute, a crowd of two-handed sword-wielding guards tries to find an opening in Kagain's armor. For what seems like a good, solid minute, they fail. Then I am released from the hold the Weave had on me.



Death, heed my call. Take these fools, my offering to you.



I join the over-eager wizard enemy in bathing the room in fire.



I invite my little friends to help.



Everyone bathes in the orange glow.



Then, when all my meteors are spent, Kagain breaks free.



Each hit, Kagain sprays a red mist into the air. The room is thick with it.

I reach through the Weave for my favorite spell. It has other plans.



Kagain and I are rooted to the spot. But that just means I can cast it again!



The Weave will not deter me! I will have my spell!



YESSSSS!!!!!!!!!



BURN WITH ME!



When the flames of that one last Fireball subside, Kagain is the only one left.

While Kagain struggles with the vines entangling him which are obviously the work of one of the evil mages and not me at all, I begin cleaning up our allies' mess and looting the bodies of the fallen.

Each elite guard here is packing Full Plate Mail, a Heavy Crossbow +1, 20 Bolts +2, and 3 Elixirs of Health. Where does Oversight get the funds?

On one of the bodies, we find the Screaming Maiden.



I think this is the weapon that killed Viconia. With it is also a Dwarven Large Shield +2.



On another corpse is a Helm of Protection, the Saber of Artemis, the Holy Avenger - Draz, and a Shield +3.









By the time I'm done looting, Kagain is free. We survey our handiwork.



Not bad, not bad at all.

Then we move to the next room and loot it too.



All of the chests are locked, but that doesn't seem to be a problem for Kagain.



In the first chest is a thousand gold and a couple of pieces of jewelry. In the second are cursed scrolls of petrification and stupidity. I leave them on the floor. In the third is a Wand of Sleep.



In the next chest are scrolls of Protection from Missiles, Agannazar's Scorcher, Fireball, Chill Touch, Horror, Color Spray, Slow, Haste, Ghost Armor, and Clairvoyance. Clairvoyance is the only spell I don't know yet.



In the final chest is another Wand of Sleep, and a Wand of Polymorph. Aha! Squirrels for everyone! Squirrels OF everyone!



The room on the way out has some locked areas as well, but again Kagain simply unlocks them.



The Wardrobe has a Full Plate Mail in it.



The nightstand has 350 gold, an Excellent Bastard Sword, and some magical splint mail, which turns out to be generic +1.



The armoire has 1500 gold, some masterwork arrows, and a few potions.



And the chest of drawers has some gems in it.



Then we go downstairs. Kagain charges in with the complete confidence of a god. I try to give him some help.



I successfully call in an elemental to help him.



I also introduce a little Chaos into the whole thing.



And then, a Glyph of Wild Magic, for spice.



I try to cast a spell to do something about the mage with the Globe of Invulnerability on him, but I can't seem to get through.



I notice that the Glyph of Wild Magic has slowed everyone in the area, including Kagain. I cast Haste on him.



The Oversight War Wizard is still a thorn in my side. I don't know what level of Invulnerability he has, so I just throw some random magic at him. It gets through!



I control him like a summoned creature. I see that he knows the spell Cloudkill. I make him cast it.



But he damages himself, and I lose control of him. I know that Kagain has 120% resistance to cold as well as fire, so I let loose a Cone of Cold in his general direction.



Then I go down the stairs and give Kagain Paithan's Lucky Streak. When I climb back up the stairs, I feel the hot breath of the war wizard on my back. He's following me! I try to throw some chaos daggers at him, while he casts a point-blank Fireball at everyone!



And then I see something that is COMPELTELY unfair. The wizard heals himself!



How can a wizard cast divine spells?!

We get into staff-on-sword fighting there for a bit, but then I see his bubble drop. So I magic missile him immediately!



And as he tries to heal himself, I do it again!



He falls. Kagain takes out the Held guards at the bottom of the stairs, and then we are once again alone.



At least I think so, but Kagain says he can hear fighting from the next room. He goes in, and sees my elemental holding the line against a horde of enemies!



He rushes in to help. Only 3 are left when the elemental returns to his home plane.



And soon, there are none at all.



The War Wizard was using a Staff Spear.



We find another 650 gold in a chest that Kagain rips open.



The other chest in the room nets us 155 gold and a wand of lightning.



And we find another Lawgiver bastard sword in the main hall.



Before we go down to the next level, I give Kagain and Potion of Magic Protection. I don't want anything to happen to him!



This time we're met halfway up the stairs by sword-toting maniacs. Kagain gets to work and I summon an air elemental to help.



From somewhere I can't see, someone casts a spell. A column of fire strikes my elemental!



The stairs are getting crowded, and I fear for my safety. So I Hold the guards in front of me and make myself a nice protective barrier.



Then I cast Slow on the crowd, and everybody gets comical.



Then I start throwing random spells out at the nearest people. The first set of random spells are Despair and Shadow Door.



The three enemies near me disappear and the crowd wails in utter despair. Yes, yes you will all disappear and life has no meaning!

I also spawn in some ogres to help my elemental, which is good, because someone on the other team has spawned in skeletons.



I finally see the priest come up who has been casting all those spells. He tries to cast another and I throw a Blade Shower at him.



He falls.

An ogre mage, berserker, air elemental, and Kagain are the survivors of that fight. They chase the final enemy through the halls.



When he dies, Kagain seems wiser somehow.



Stronger, somehow.



Completely, utterly unstoppable.



In a side room, we find a lock that Kagain can't force open. I'm shocked.



But hey, that's why the Weave made Knock.



Err...



I think I need to lie down for a while.



I clean up the dead bodies we just killed. When I'm done, the dizziness has passed, and I successfully open the lock!



In it is 1,000 gold and a Cloak of Protection +1.

In the Piano room we find more gold and a few potions.



And in the main room we find another chest that Kagain can't open.

When we finish killing everything, I'll resurrect Alora, and she can open that chest. I don't want her dying twice if she can avoid it.

Because there's something else we have to do before leaving here.



We have to do the basement.

I cast Luck on Kagain, and we go down.



We are faced with a very different-looking George when we get down there.



You can thank me by explaining why I have been hunted down like an animal by your group.

It's nothing personal, Syvishtar, we just accepted a contract from an individual named Koveras. Speaking of this contract, we do have to fulfill it, even after you helped me out in removing people in my way. Men, cancel these people immediately!

I take a look at who he's talking to, and start to get a little worried. So many mages...



I'm going to have to act fast.

By the time the Magic Missiles start flying, I've set off a Cloudkill.



The magic missiles are all absorbed by my cloak, but I still get hit several times by guards.



I'm beginning to run out of options, so I make myself Invisible and give my cloak to Kagain.



The Oversight War Wizard does not let up with the magic missiles. It is actually very impressive.



But he, like his stupid stupid friends, also doesn't bother to get out of the Cloudkill. It gets him in the end.



I think about helping Kagain, but he just looks so happy that I decide to let him have his fun.



It isn't long until he's done.



Then we find some skeleton warriors for Kagain to beat on. He is quite happy again.



In this batch of dead, the new things we find are the hammer Morgoth, the Arch Mage Robe Memento Mori, an Elemental Staff of Air, the Robe of the Neutral Archmagi, and Emberwilde's Plate.













We also find another Ring of Archwizardry, another Staff Spear +2, another Amulet of Wyvern Summoning, another Staff Mace +2, another set of Gauntlets of Dexterity, another Ring of Protection +3, another Two-Handed Sword +3, another Cutlass +3 'Sparks', lots of gems, and 600 gold.

We also find a locked door.



But Kagain takes care of that.

He can't get the chest behind it, though. Ok, I think its safe to resurrect Alora.



She costs 1,000 gold. She picks the lock easily, though. Inside we find 9,560 gold, several gems, another 12,500 gold, 10 Arrows of Dispelling, another Rashad's Talon, and another Large Shield +1.

Alora is able to pick the lock on the next level up as well. There's a gem and another 1500 gold inside!



That's 30,000 gold in raw coinage before we sell anything we found in this place.

When we leave Oversight, it is raining.



I turn my face to sky and laugh until tears are running down my face. I'm rich, riiich, riiiiiiiiccchhhhh!!!

At Malt's Weapon Shop, the 41 sets of Full Plate Mail that I got fetch me 51,250 gold. The 34 sets of Plate Mail give me 5,440 gold. And the 34 Heavy Crossbows +1 give me 8,500 gold. When I sell all the gems I have, my total gold comes to be 112,302. Yes! Finally!

We return to the Elfsong, resurrect the rest of the group, and start to party!

Vorgen fucked around with this message at 03:25 on Nov 4, 2013