Look What I Found Under a Rock

SirNitram · Post by **SirNitram** » 2006-02-10 01:56pm

Rogue 9 wrote:Wait, unbeatable SR means that effects that don't allow SR still take effect, right?

Yes. It just means the SR is ridiculously high.

Imperial Overlord · Post by **Imperial Overlord** » 2006-02-13 02:06am

Laerasis stood at the threshold of Nalifan's workroom. "My lord," she said.

The arch-mage looked up. He was sitting cross legged, surrounded by arcs of glyphs and sigils inscribed in a variety of different kinds of florescent chalk. "Yes?" he said.

"My lord," she said, "can I speak candidly with you?"

"Always," he replied.

"Thank you." She stepped into the room and closed the door and gathered her resolve. "My lord, I think I have served you and yours faithfully for nearly three years now."

"That is true," said Nalifan, letting his retainer go at her own pace.

"I am grateful for being rescued from the kuo-toa slave pits and for your subsequent generosity and I believe I have given good service."

"Excellent service."

"Thank you, my lord. You have always been an excellent patron, far better than a mere warrior with no status and no allies should she return to her house could reasonably expect."

"You wish to know if now is the time to abandon a lost cause. We have been repeatedly defeated, escaping only by the narrowest of threads. Whatever loyalty you feel does not compell you to follow the rest of us into the furnace."

She looked down. "Yes, my lord."

"What do you think of me, Laerasis?"

"My lord?"

"Your honest opinion."

"You are unnaturally generous. Strong, intelligent. A good ally, a good leader. You are not so soft that one would survive betraying you. I would go to your bed if you wished it, even though I have no taste for male flesh."

"My ego does not permit my bed to be such a joyless place."

She smiled. "It would be a worthwhile investment in your goodwill."

"No, because you already have it. You may leave with my blessing if you wish to."

The room was still for a long moment. "My lord, I do not wish too, but your enemies seem to be beyond even your reach."

He nodded. "So it might appear. They are not. I know how they may be undone and so shall they be. You may leave with my blessing Laerasis. And you may return after all of this is done and still find your place with me."

"My lord?"

"I arrange my household as I see fit and it pleases me to have you in it and running most of it. It is in my power to forgive you for a lack of faith in my triumph over powerful enemies and I do so."

"What about the example to others?"

"It pleases to demonstrate that what I will and what I desire are more important considerations than arbitrary rules and principles. I have lived my life that way, why should I change now at the height of my power?"

"As you wish. Thank you." The arch-mage nodded. She turned to leave and paused at the doorway. "My lord?"

"Yes?"

"I have decided not to leave."

He smiled very broadly. "That pleases me greatly."

"Me as well. If only you were a woman . . ." she said teasingly.

"Hmmm. Well, if a shape changing spell can make me a beholder I don't see why it can't make me female. I'll have to keep those possibilities in mind."

"If you do," she said, "you know where to find me."

The Nomad · Post by **The Nomad** » 2006-02-13 06:31am

So at least we've got the lesbian sex !

Though... it sounds a bit weird

Albeit not much by SDnet's standards

Post by **LadyTevar** » 2006-02-13 12:24pm

Hehehehe. Shapeshift spells are a Dragon's best friend. Why else would there be so many Sorcerers around? Ancient dragons were horny little buggers.

Modern dragons aren't much better, they're just more discrete about it

The Nomad · Post by **The Nomad** » 2006-02-13 01:53pm

Mhh a bit of harmless speculation about this scene...
Just in case my mind-reading divination spell is accurate, I'll put spoiler brackets :

[POTENTIAL SPOILER] You aren't trying to create a potential rivality/jealousy situation for the next installment of Nalifan's adventures, which will involve the former concubine mentionned a couple of pages ago ? Are you ?[/POTENTIAL SPOILER]

Epic divination spell, of course

Imperial Overlord · Post by **Imperial Overlord** » 2006-02-13 08:15pm

The answer to the spoilerized question is: wait and see. I will say that there will be more pain and suffering in the fourth installment than the previous ones.

Rogue 9 · Post by **Rogue 9** » 2006-02-14 12:46am

Fourth? Is there one before "Since When Does Trouble Knock," or am I missing something else?

Imperial Overlord · Post by **Imperial Overlord** » 2006-02-14 12:51am

Sorry, meant third.

Umbras · Post by **Umbras** » 2006-02-14 02:37am

*Cringes* oh shit!

Imperial Overlord · Post by **Imperial Overlord** » 2006-02-14 03:07am

Umbras wrote:*Cringes* oh shit!

Don't whine too much. Trizkel getting off lighter than some of the others.

Rogue 9 · Post by **Rogue 9** » 2006-02-14 03:59am

Yeah, like Gaheris, or so the good Overlord informs me. *Grumble*

Imperial Overlord · Post by **Imperial Overlord** » 2006-02-14 04:04am

Rogue 9 wrote:Yeah, like Gaheris, or so the good Overlord informs me. *Grumble*

Paladin self righteousness is irritating enough but when you combine it with whining you make angsty two scimitar wielding drow rangers who are carbon copies of you-know-who seem to be desirable adventuring companions. Man up.

Imperial Overlord · Post by **Imperial Overlord** » 2006-02-14 05:44am

The heat hit Fadina like a hammer as she stepped into the glassblower's workroom. The furnace was kicking out a tremendous amount of heat, even by the standards of one who had spent much of her life in Calimshan. The glass blower was a leather wrapped, blond elf slowly rotating a bottle at the end of his stick. He half turned. "I'll be with you in a minute."

"I'll wait," she replied. Mikos remained outside, watching the street. "I have a comission for you."

"I'm sure you do," he replied. Shadow stepped soundlessly out of shadow. The gloom leapt forward, its dagger outstretched. Fadina had just enough time to scream.

She spoke an initiator instead. Space warped and she vanished, reappearing a score of yards away on the street. Mikos' eyes widened and spun, hands going to his swords. The Dalesman was fast, even by elf standards. Not fast enough.

The gloom lunged at his gut. Mikos leapt back, his swords barely out of their sheaths. The gloom came on, not allowing him to recover and giving him no choice but to continue falling back. He would be dead in moments.

The gloom reared and screamed soundlessly. Kuuni appeared behind the gloom, her blade buried deep in the creatures left calf. The gloom spun to finish the gnome, but she was already beyond its reach, the power of her ring of invisibility already shrouding her again. The gloom turned back to Mikos only to find that he was gone. Trizkel stood in his place.

Trizkel roared. The drow's skin had become thick slate grey hide and barbed tentacles sprouted from his shoulders. His features were distorted, but still recognizable. The drow took a slash from the gloom's enchanted blade along his left arm and seized the gloom's left arm. The assassin slashed again, opening a wound on Trizkel's chest

The drow pulled them close, limiting gloom's stabbing options. It was immensley strong, almost strong enough to break out of Trizkel's hold by brute force. The gloom pulled back its arm to stab again. Pain exploded through its arm. "Miss me?" Kuuni said in its ear.

The svirfneblin had spent most of her life as a drow slave and had picked up more than a little of their nastiness. She twisted the blade that had punched through the bone in the gloom's humerus. The gloom's lips retracted in a soundless snarl exposing sharp teeth. One of Trizkel's tentacles seized the gloom's knife arm by the wrist.

It thrashed and twisted in Trizkel's grip. It almost broke loose. Almost. Kuuni withdrew the black metal dagger and stabbed the gloom in the shoulder. The blade pierced bone and went in to the hilt. "Stabby is my favorite game." She twisted the blade, doing a full rotation. "Stabbing is the fun part. Being stabbed, not so fun."

Fadina uttered words and the gloom's struggles grew more feeble. "Finish it," she said. Kuuni withdrew her blade and stabbed the gloom in the ear. The gloom gave a final shudder and lay still. Trizkel rose from the gloom's body as is dissolved into a puddle of shadow, resuming his normal form.

"So much for the assassin," the psychic warrior said. "You were good bait."

Fadina inclined her head. "If you're an assassin with time constraints, you are easily manipulated."

"Yep," said Kuuni. "Don't worry Triz. We'll take our time with the next one."

-------------------------------------------------------------

Nalifan sat crosslegged surrounded the ingrediants that Fadina had gathered. The drow arch-mage sat crosslegged and stripped to the waist, his silver hair unbound and falling around his shoulders. Cups of fluids and small piles of powders were arranged around him. A small knife lay beside him.

He picked up the blade and sliced up his left wrist. Blood spurted out and he ran the stream over the ingrediants as he poured a portion of his one power into the working. It's touch ignited a volatile powder and in seconds a ring of blue flame surrounded the drow. Sapphire dust and ground lich bones burned as beholder brain fluid and blue dragon blood caught as well.

Power bloomed, twisted, and turned. A tiny portion of that power bled from Nalifan and it linked him to the greater whole. A whole not limited to this room or this demiplane as the gathering power touched the multiverse and resonated with similar power. It touched it and grew, power drawing power, like tied to like. Power bound inextricably to the arch-mage and part of the very nature of the multiverse itself, bound by the laws of similarily and contagion. He touched the fabric of creation. And twisted.

A small change in the grand scheme of things, insignifigant when measures against blazing stars and swirling galaxies. But on a smaller scale, a scale of men and elves and dragons, a very signifigant change. Nalifan began to wrap a bandage around his wrist, victory dancing in his eyes.

Umbras · Post by **Umbras** » 2006-02-14 11:01am

that was a broad Cringe for everyone heh.

Post by **LadyTevar** » 2006-02-14 08:44pm

Just what I needed for a pick-me-up!

Imperial Overlord · Post by **Imperial Overlord** » 2006-02-14 10:17pm

Kaeryn stepped into the workroom. Breana and Kis were scrubbing the floor as Nalifan was making more notes at a small desk. The drow arch-mage was wearing his usual robes and an expression of intense concentration. "Were you successful?" she asked. Anyone with more magic sensitivity than a rock would have felt his working and that most certainly included the dweomer keeper.

"We'll know tomorrow when I try to use the magic, but I think so."

"The gloom is dead."

"The old 'I'm a mage out in the open. Please stab me' trick. And still assassin's fall for it."

"Some old tricks still work," she said. "Fadina's getting the bottles made to the proper specifications."

"You don't approve?"

"No," she replied, "I don't have a problem with them. It's a nasty way to go, but there are no shortage of those. I'm just worried about our enemies' next move."

"Getting another agent willing and capable of attacking us in Union will take time. Time they won't have."

"Fadina will still have enchant those bottles."

"Only with enough magic to make them work once. They are disposable, after all."

She nodded. "Mikos has picked up a map of her demiplane from the Planar Cartographer Society."

"Really?"

"Yes. Ready to talk strategy?"

"Do tomb trappers like magic?" The drow got up and walked towards the door.

"What's that around your wrist?"

"This?" said Nalifan holding up his bandaged wrist. "A little blood letting was required. Nothing too serious."

"Here," she said grasping his wrist and whispering several words. She tugged the bandage away to reveal smooth, dark skin.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome." The adventurers joined their companions in the next room. A large map was spread across the table.

"Nice," said Nalifan.

"It cost enough," said Mikos. "Apparently she likes her privacy."

Trizkel smiled. "Apparently the Planar Cartographers like making maps more." He tapped a series of numbers in the top right corner. "Coordinates in their system. Just outside of the Near Ethereal adjacent to Toril."

"It's essentially a dome. The top looks like the sky on a nice summer day. The base is surrounded by a wall, broken by the only entrance gate. It's keyed, but we know the trigger. A gold key with a sun insignia." He ran his finger inside the circle of the walls. "Garden maze with a nice manse in the center. Perpetual summer, hedges, flowers, fountains, the whole bit. It's got a radius of about one mile."

"Easy to get lost in. Or ambushed," said Kaeryn.

"Yes," said Mikos. "Apparently she has a bunch of death priests with her. There is a path leading directly to the house. Libraries, chapels, laboratories, and dungeons inside."

"Sylvetria," Trizkel breathed.

"So we can expect death priests, constructs, winterwights and our two targets? What else?"

"The Cartographers didn't see anything else," Mikos replied.

Nalifan tapped the center of the map. "Everyone start to come up with a plan. Every nasty trick, cunning strategim, and unorthodox idea you can come up with needs to be exploited to the fullest. We are going to end them and send what's left to Kelemvor's Wall."

Grim nods answered him. "I have a few ideas," said Kaeryn, "regarding testing how well the demilich can handle an anti-magic shell while being subjected to Mystra's might."

Nalifan nodded. "Good, because if my plan fails to take her out, it falls to you to drop the bone rack. Alright, I'm going to get ready to test my creation."

"If you think you are going to invoke high magic without me getting a good look, you need to think again arch-mage," said Kaeryn.

"Who? Me? You must have mistaken me for someone modest. Of course you may witness my triumph. I'll let you know when I'm ready."

---------------------------------------------------------------------

The adventurers lined the walls of the workroom. Nalifan stood in the center, his eyes closed and his arms crossed over his chest. His mouth moved silently, forming unspoken words of power. Cyan runes flared into existence around him as the power continued to build.

Runebound cirlces of light flared into being around him, giving form and structure to the power was flooding in. The circles rotated in opposite directions as they glowed brighter and brighter. A circle of cyan flame burst into being above Nalifan's head as the spell reached its cresendo. "Behold, the Crown of Sorcery."

The mage fire and lights faded away, but the power remained. The drow flexed his fingers and smiled. His whole being was flooded with power and every neuron seemed to be firing faster. Bound power fed his spells, which were stronger than ever and would be stopped by neither anti-magic spells nor dead magic areas. Nalifan laughed.

"Yes, yes, this will do nicely. I am so looking forward to our next meeting with Karesh."

Post by **LadyTevar** » 2006-02-14 10:21pm

Ooooooooooooooooooooooo. SHINY!

Great job, my dear!

Imperial Overlord · Post by **Imperial Overlord** » 2006-02-14 10:28pm

LadyTevar wrote:Ooooooooooooooooooooooo. SHINY!

Great job, my dear!

Thank you, gracious lady.

Post by **LadyTevar** » 2006-02-15 02:06pm

Imperial Overlord wrote:
LadyTevar wrote:Ooooooooooooooooooooooo. SHINY!

Great job, my dear!
Thank you, gracious lady.

You know, of course, that Kaeryn will be asking Nal for a copy of the spell. It's her job to spread new magical techniques to all who practice Mystra's Gifts.

Imperial Overlord · Post by **Imperial Overlord** » 2006-02-15 08:17pm

Check the rules for copying epic spells. It only works for Nalifan.

Post by **LadyTevar** » 2006-02-15 11:41pm

Imperial Overlord wrote:Check the rules for copying epic spells. It only works for Nalifan.

Oh well. She can give the effects of the spell and how *he* did it, so others can try to make their own.

Imperial Overlord · Post by **Imperial Overlord** » 2006-02-16 01:17am

Nalifan retreated across the roof from Trizkel's advance. The Wayfarer's Sojourn had a slightly slanted roof covered with red shingles. "Not bad," said Trizkel, "but you'll run out of ground to give."

"If you've got a better plan I'd love to hear it," quipped the necromancer. "You might have notice I have only one, fairly nice sword against your two very nice swords."

"Only one of them is very nice," said Trizel as he sidestepped and lunged high and low. Nalifan gave ground and stabbed high. Trizkel dodged and circled. "And yours is longer."

"That's too easy," said Nalifan. "I'm not even going to try and touch that."

"You're running out of roof."

"True," said the arch-mage.

"Streets off limits. Phantom lava."

"I remember." Nalifan launched a high thrust and followed up with a mid level slash while leaping to the side. Trizkel fell back a step, moved forward as the wizard recovered from the slash and tapped him gently in the side of the head.

"Good move. With your speed and strength that will work against most, but not all."

"It's not like I was going to win anyway."

"Only if I got sloppy," Trizkel agreed. The drow dropped off the roof and on to their balconey. "Still, its good to go up against someone with almost as much strength and speed. Helps hone my skills."

"You're a very gracious winner."

"No point in competing with you on who can be the better self satisfied winner."

"Ow. My tender ego is wounded. I shall in a dark corner."

"You won't be able to show off if you do that."

"Foiled again," he sighed. "Well, it has been a pleasant break, but back to the workroom I go."

"Another spell?"

"The margin of victory over Karesh is going to be slim. Too slim. He could easily win. So I'm altering the equation."

"Good. Since we can't take our time with him, make sure it hurts."

"It will be a brutal as I can make it. Total destruction."

"Good," said Trizkel slapping him on the back and walking past him into the room."

You really love her, Nalifan thought. Some things drow did not say and that admission of weakness was one of them. Of course, Trizkel had been raised by svirfneblin who shouldn't have possessed those taboos, but he was still bound by them. The truth behind that was a question for another time.

Kaeryn entered the room. "How did the sword practice go?"

"Good," he replied. "I managed to avoid being beaten by Trizkel for a meaningful amount of time before he defeated me."

"That was an impressive display yesterday. When this is over, I would be very interested to see the formula."

The drow smiled. "Fadina has my notes and I understand fairly close connections with Mystra's faithful. I am not inclined to share my spells without pressing reasons."

"Fair enough," she replied. "When this over will you give me an opportunity to convince you to do so?"

"When this is over fair lady, you are welcome to stay at my manse as a guest and speak on any topics that catch your fancy. Including this one."

"I might hold you to that," she replied.

"Good. I think I will find you a very pleasant guest under less demanding circumstances. The formula will be of little use to you. It's actually process for writing the spell formula onto the fabric of the multiverse. Part of my life force is bound into it, it won't work for anyone else."

"I understand that is typical of high magic, but hearing legends about high magic and actually holding a piece of it is another thing."

"I think I hear ambition in your voice priestess. Your own skills outstrip all those priestesses who still live in my home city of Halth Nethan. Your understanding of how magic works is formidable. How much more do you need to learn until you attempt this feat on your own? Not too much, I think."

"Aspiring to greater mastery of magic is an ambition that befits a priestess of Mystra," she said while batting her eyes in a coy fashion.

He laughed. She tapped the adamantine bracer set with a star ruby on his left arm. "I want a good look at this as well. And its sapphire twin."

"Spell Breaker and Weave Binder? We'll have to discuss that as well."

"I look forward to decimating your brandy supply, but I also have a thought on a matter of more immediate concern."

"Do go on."

"The soul eating powers of the demilich are perhaps our most serious concern from a defensive standpoint. I've put some thought on it."

"As have I. What have you come up with?"

"I will ask Mystra for her direct protection from the demilich's soul eating powers. Such a request is not without cost, but she will answer."

He nodded. "Good. One more problem solved."

Imperial Overlord · Post by **Imperial Overlord** » 2006-02-16 05:35am

Mikos tested the edge on his dagger with his thumb. Good enough. He sheathed the blade. Not much longer now until they struck. A gold coin bounced of the dining table. The Dalesman looked up. "A crown for your thoughts?"

Mikos snatched up the coin. "We're hitting them soon. And I don't think we're ready. Not for them."

"That was true yesterday. Today Fadina finished." He pulled two bottles out of an extradimensional pocket. He placed them on the table in front of the ranger.

"Those?" asked Mikos. The bottles were violet in colour, with a hint of something dark inside. A right handed spiraling pattern was part of the glass.

"Yes. These are spiralburst bottles. Save them for taking out her true form, a gem encrusted spine."

"That would be the practically invulnerable jewel encrusted spine."

"Yes. These will do the job and thats why you need to save them for her."

"And why I'm the one who will be throwing them."

"Indeed."

"How confident are you that these will do the job?"

"Oh, they'll work alright. Besides we have a backup plan."

"Which is?"

"Kaeryn walks up to it wrapped in an antimagic aura and beats it to death with a divinely augmented weapon. The fall back after that bites goblin buttocks, so try not to fail."

"I'll keep that in mind. Karesh?"

"I will end him."

"If you don't?"

"Use the other bottle. And anything else that is handy."

"Not much of a fall back position."

"Then I had better do the job right."

"Damn straight."

"When do we do it?"

"Tomorrow."

"What about reinforcements or more toys?"

"We burned a lot of cash as is. Those spells cost. We aren't going to be able buy anything heavy enough to make a difference. And if we wait for Trizkel's sword to be finished, they'll have time to take a few more shots at us and our escapes have been too narrow as it is. I do have one more trick to pull though."

"Another arcane angel?"

"No, our priestess will supply that. Fadina and I will be bringing a few different friends to the party."

"You like this too much."

"Killing is one of the best things in life and life is never so sweet when it is hanging by a thread."

Mikos shrugged. The drow was crazy. He hadn't noticed any sweetness when life was hanging by a thread. Pain, tears, and raw screaming terror was more like it. "Your trick?"

"There are advantages to having a grey slaad as your doorkeeper."

"Have it your way. I'll find out tomorrow. How's Triz?"

"Calm."

"I didn't mean the outside."

"He's boiling, but he'll handle his end."

"You're sure?"

"The center of his art is self-control. We both know how good at he is."

Mikos nodded. "It'll do."

Post by **LadyTevar** » 2006-02-16 11:25am

Coy? Coy?! *dies laughing* Good that Nal saw that one as a joke, lord knows Kaeryn meant it that way. She outgrew 'coy' 15 levels ago.

Great story, but look over it again for typos. I'm at work and don't have time to point them all out, but a few sentences have dropped a word in them.

Mikos shrugged. The drow crazy.

I'm assuming this means 'The drow *was/is* crazy."

Rogue 9 · Post by **Rogue 9** » 2006-02-17 09:13pm

Just went through the old Forgotten Realms game in G&C and reconstructed Gaheris' stats as much as possible.

+3 holy longsword, +20/+15/+10, 1d8+5+2d6 holy, 19-20/x2

+2 mighty composite shortbow of frost, +21/+16/+11, 1d6+4+1d6 cold, x3

+2 sap, +19/+14/+9, 1d6+4 nonlethal, x2

AC 31, spell resistance 13, Fort +14, Ref +18, Will +13

+15 gather information

+15 Intimidate

Diplomacy modifier +12

14STR, 18DEX, 13CON, 14INT, 15WIS, 18CHA

Goggles of night

winged boots

ring of feather fall

cloak of charisma +4 and resistance +1

gloves of dexterity +2