Perhaps that is what we should have done before, he sighs. Though... when I last saw those great heroes of old I was not planning to seek eternal existence. So there was no particular reason to give the items over to me for extended safekeeping. Be aware that whatever you bring back will be both powerful and dangerous, no matter how 'useless' the chosen vessels were before being filled with the Dark Magic from your own items.
He looks towards Bridgette and Zander.
Bridgette... I will need you to stay on the island to help protect our people from the so-called 'Exalted of the Dragon' and his fanatics. I know that he will come here sooner or later to try to take my key to the Greatwyrm's prison... he poses little threat to me, but I know he will not come alone. He will bring dozens, possibly hundreds of fanatics with him and likely several dragons as well. I cannot be everywhere at once to protect both my fortress and the village... Zander, you and your sword will need to stay with these four and aid them however you can... they will need to find a wish to banish the Darkness that has made their lives so difficult. I have some idea where they can find an artifact with that power, but the journey to reach it will be perilous... especially if Firion realizes that they are searching for another item of legendary power.
"As you command, Master," Bridgette says. "But... how exactly do you plan on getting them off the island without that Firion guy realizing they're going somewhere?"
I have my ways, the lich replies, rising slowly to his feet. Zander, if you don't mind, show these four the barracks. I feel the safest option right now would be for them to remain in the fortress until I have prepared a way to divert Firion's attention so that they can go forth on their quest without further harassment from the fanatics.
Duwamilly smiles at Matic: "You really are a kind and worthy soul, my lord! Just for you to know in advance... eager as I am to get rid of my curse, I'm also ready to do everything I can to reciprocate - or to help you against Firion... so feel free to include me in your plans, if you like! I'll do whatever you ask - including telling you new jokes every now and then! (For this last thing you don't need to even ask)".
"Anyway, before we retire to the barraks, my lord..." the ex-Preceptor points to tbe captured spy "This prisoner was a shape-shifting spy sent by Firion to do us harm. We captured him, but we can't get him to cooperate, becsuse of a Geas. Maybe you wish to do something about that? The spy, once freed from that magic, might be of some help against Firion (telling what he knows, at the very least)... The scamp messed with his mind with sorcery... I don't think the spy will feel much grateful to him".
The touch of the undead sends an unpleasant shiver down Yasmina's spine but she has faced quite unpleasant things before and does not flinch. She is intrigued to hear the Lich's theories about her master, glancing over at the djinni who has drifted further into the palace and seems oblivious to what is being said. "So we just need to find a Wish then, as simple as that..."The red-haired Half-Elf says with a weak laugh. "...or is it one wish for each of us?"
A single wish should be sufficient, as its power will be amplified many times over when cast on the Ethereal Plane.
He then addresses Milly.
For now the best thing you can do is rest and prepare yourselves for the next part of your journey. And I can say with confidence that you will face Firion again soon, whether here on the Shaded Isle or somewhere else.
"Just a single one huh, well that is something I guess." The red-haired Half-Elf says with a weak smile. "Did you have any idea where we should start looking for one of those? They can't be easy to find right?"
"Indeed, my lord..." Duwamilly shares the same interest as Yasmina "You said that you have some idea where we can find an artifact with that power, but the journey to reach it will be perilous... Do you want to give us any more spoilers? Or do you prefer to explain better after we've rested?"
Rest now... when you are ready I will give you an enchanted object that will show you the path... but I will need the time to prepare it and build in safeguards in case it should fall into the wrong hands.
Excited that the benevolent unedad lord is not only able to help them free themselves from their respective curses, but is also determined to prevent the awakening of the dragon-goddess-wannabe, Duwamilly feels Garl Glittergold's fun and comforting presence more than ever within herself and is ready to follow Zander to the barracks.
Yasmina would from the unseen servants quickly order up a plate of delicacies, mainly fruit and cheese, accompanied by the best bottle of red wine the Lich can provide her with. She is then ready to follow the greenclad servant of the Lich to the barracks, hoping it was a place more comfortable to sleep than what it sounded like.
The barracks are... barracks. Utilitarian in nature, though you can get extra pillows and blankets from the unseen servants. Meanwhile, Bridgette takes the shapeshifting spy away, presumably to wait for her master to find a spellscroll of remove curse.
(OOC:You may go ahead and take a Long Rest now, and those of you who have enough xp can level up. Feel free to RP a amongst yourselves for a while now that you have some downtime and have actually met the Lord of the Shaded Isle).
"Can someone please explain this plan to me," Delvindra says, once she believes the unseen servants are gone and the group is well and truly alone.
"It sounds like, to free ourselves of the curses, Lord Akkron wants us to wish the power of these items into a single object. Won't that just make it easier for Firion to gather the keys he needs? Instead of finding and defeating all of us, he'll only need to get his hands on a single object...well, that and the one in Lord Akkron's possession. And if he has one item with the power of five, Firion may just be able to take it from him."
Yasmina would definitely order quite a few extra pillows to make her bed quite cosy as she leans back and enjoys the food and drink the unseen servants brought her. "Never mind that, I didn't need a Lich to tell me finding a Wish would be a way to lift the curse. I hope he can help us with directions to find one." The red-haired Half-Elf says, popping a grape into her mouth. "Still, he seemed more civil and polite than I would have expected from someone like him, and he hasn't commanded us around, yet at least." She continues with a shrug, taking a sip of her red wine, pushing her plate of delicacies teasingly towards the asketic Tiefling. "Maybe the Lich just trusts himself with protecting the curses from Firion and his mad cult?" She adds with a shrug, looking over at Lord Akkron's greenclad servant. "What do you think about all of this?"
Meanwhile Lord Amir comes hovering into the barracks, gliding over the the ex-preceptor, looking at her expectantly with a small smile.
Delvindra eyes the food with a hint of longing but politely waves off the Half-Elf's offer. She'd been reluctant to accept the Lich's hospitality but equally disinclined to insult their host. The small amount of bread and water she'd allowed herself should be more than plenty to sustain her, regardless of what her senses might be saying.
Laying his great sword down and taking a seat on one of the open bunks, he asks "I mean no disrespect to any, but I am curious how you all came to have this weighty curse and the whole 'Fate of World' thrust upon you? If you are willing, I would like to hear your story. It may help in providing some protection for you all."
"I'm glad I can be of some service to the lord and you all, but my minor inconvenience (point at his sword), appears to be nothing in comparison."
"Minor inconvenience?" The red-haired Half-Elf says, leaning forward slightly on her bed. "Please tell us about your minor inconvenience then. Show yours and I'll show you mine." She says with a teasing smile.
Duwamilly, however intimately immersed in the refreshing and entertaining communion with her god, cannot help but notice Lord Amir and his gaze...
"Welcome back to us, Lord Amir!" the ex-Preceptor smiles "It's a pleasure to be once again in the company of such a noble and powerful creature, endowed with a good sense of humor to boot. I bet that, finding ourselves hosted by a powerful lich, you might like a joke about the undead, a joke that was just inspired by my Sire..."
And if in fact the Djinni likes...
Three vampires sit in a cave in the black of night, sharing a drink, laughing, and generally having a good time that one would not associate with the undead. The night grew longer, and an observer, should they be careful enough, would learn that vampires can indeed get drunk. Eventually, the three begin to bicker about which of them is the most powerful and deadly.
The youngest suddenly gets up, and flies off into the night. Almost instantly, he returns in a huge flock of bats. His hands are covered in blood. With a cackle, he points down the road. "You see that abandoned coach down there? I slaughtered everyone in it! The driver, a nobleman and his wife, their three sons, and a guardsman! All dead in the blink of an eye!"
The second, older than the first, but younger than the last, scoffs. "Child's play. Watch this." And he disappears with the wind. Even with his heightened senses of him, the younger could not follow his movements of him.
The second vampire reappeared as suddenly as he had vanished, and his taste of his speed knocked the youngest to the ground. His hands, mouth, and collar were caked with gore. He gestures towards a town in the distance. As the vampires watched, a building lit on fire, and fell onto another one. Soon, the entire town was alight, but no movement could be seen from the townsfolk at all.
"A hundred people in that town! All dead! Torn to shreds!"
The youngest was in awe, but the eldest of the three only chuckled amusedly.
"How cute". He says.
The second looks almost indignant. "I'd like to see you do better".
The third lets out a malevolent chuckle: "Very well". He gets up, dusts off his cloak, and puts his spectacles down on a rock.
He disappears with a loud CRACK. The other two vampires' jaws dropped at the impossible speed that the eldest flew at.
Another resounding CRACK filled the air as the eldest vampire returned to the cave. His cloak was in tatters. His clothes were disheveled. But most prominent was the blood. His entire body was covered in blood. Never would the other vampires imagine that so much blood could cling to one person. The eldest lets out a sigh, and plops to the ground. He reaches for his glasses, and cleans them with what remains of his cloak.
The younger vampires look at each other, not sure whether to break the silence.
Finally, the youngest asks: "So...?"
The elder vampire looks up slowly. He murmurs: "You see that massive tree over there? The one with the widest trunk, as thick as a man is tall?"
Baffled, the youngest replied: "...Yes?"
The eldest, sheepishly, continued: "Well... I didn't".
Delvindra looks sympathetically at Cal, half tempted to share his tale with their new companion in private and spare him the pain of reliving the story again, ultimately deciding that it is simply not her story to tell. She would let Cal make his own decisions about what, if anything, he was willing to share and be ready to support him afterwards.
Her gaze passes next to the red-haired Half-Elf. Yasmina had managed, almost unnoticed, to avoid sharing her story. A decision, Delvindra decides, she will support in any way she can manage.
That leaves Duwamilly. It takes the Tiefling less than a heartbeat to decide that the loquacious Preceptor wouldn't hesitate to summarize their tales for Zander out of a well-meaning desire to help...and to drown out any silence that may dare intrude on the proceedings...
Delvindra's tail snakes around her leg, squeezing tightly, a nervous habit that has plagued her less and less as she's grown more comfortable in the presence of her companions.
"Our stories are our own," she answers Zander.
"We don't ask about each other's curses and we only share what we're comfortable telling. I would ask you to respect that."
"As for me, I inherited my ring from my mother. Ever since I put it on, I hear voices...voices that encourage me to give in to my worst desires..."
"...I banished one of our companions," she whispers, hanging her head in shame.
The proud and pompous djinni approves of another joke, but as Milly stops talking he is silent for a moment, not seeming to realize the joke is finished, wondering how many mortals the elder vampire really slew to get that bloody, but then he suddenly breaks out in a roaring laughter. "He crashed into the tree, didn't he?" He says loudly. "The undead are so stupid, running into trees."
Seeming pleased with the joke, Amir floats to lay down on an empty bunk near the ex-preceptor. "What can I grant you as a reward little one?"He says, glancing over at Milly.
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Perhaps that is what we should have done before, he sighs. Though... when I last saw those great heroes of old I was not planning to seek eternal existence. So there was no particular reason to give the items over to me for extended safekeeping. Be aware that whatever you bring back will be both powerful and dangerous, no matter how 'useless' the chosen vessels were before being filled with the Dark Magic from your own items.
He looks towards Bridgette and Zander.
Bridgette... I will need you to stay on the island to help protect our people from the so-called 'Exalted of the Dragon' and his fanatics. I know that he will come here sooner or later to try to take my key to the Greatwyrm's prison... he poses little threat to me, but I know he will not come alone. He will bring dozens, possibly hundreds of fanatics with him and likely several dragons as well. I cannot be everywhere at once to protect both my fortress and the village... Zander, you and your sword will need to stay with these four and aid them however you can... they will need to find a wish to banish the Darkness that has made their lives so difficult. I have some idea where they can find an artifact with that power, but the journey to reach it will be perilous... especially if Firion realizes that they are searching for another item of legendary power.
"As you command, Master," Bridgette says. "But... how exactly do you plan on getting them off the island without that Firion guy realizing they're going somewhere?"
I have my ways, the lich replies, rising slowly to his feet. Zander, if you don't mind, show these four the barracks. I feel the safest option right now would be for them to remain in the fortress until I have prepared a way to divert Firion's attention so that they can go forth on their quest without further harassment from the fanatics.
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Duwamilly smiles at Matic: "You really are a kind and worthy soul, my lord! Just for you to know in advance... eager as I am to get rid of my curse, I'm also ready to do everything I can to reciprocate - or to help you against Firion... so feel free to include me in your plans, if you like! I'll do whatever you ask - including telling you new jokes every now and then! (For this last thing you don't need to even ask)".
"Anyway, before we retire to the barraks, my lord..." the ex-Preceptor points to tbe captured spy "This prisoner was a shape-shifting spy sent by Firion to do us harm. We captured him, but we can't get him to cooperate, becsuse of a Geas. Maybe you wish to do something about that? The spy, once freed from that magic, might be of some help against Firion (telling what he knows, at the very least)... The scamp messed with his mind with sorcery... I don't think the spy will feel much grateful to him".
The touch of the undead sends an unpleasant shiver down Yasmina's spine but she has faced quite unpleasant things before and does not flinch. She is intrigued to hear the Lich's theories about her master, glancing over at the djinni who has drifted further into the palace and seems oblivious to what is being said. "So we just need to find a Wish then, as simple as that..." The red-haired Half-Elf says with a weak laugh. "...or is it one wish for each of us?"
A single wish should be sufficient, as its power will be amplified many times over when cast on the Ethereal Plane.
He then addresses Milly.
For now the best thing you can do is rest and prepare yourselves for the next part of your journey. And I can say with confidence that you will face Firion again soon, whether here on the Shaded Isle or somewhere else.
Unhappy that the market got rid of individual purchases for one-off subclasses, magic items, and monsters?
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"Just a single one huh, well that is something I guess." The red-haired Half-Elf says with a weak smile. "Did you have any idea where we should start looking for one of those? They can't be easy to find right?"
"Indeed, my lord..." Duwamilly shares the same interest as Yasmina "You said that you have some idea where we can find an artifact with that power, but the journey to reach it will be perilous... Do you want to give us any more spoilers? Or do you prefer to explain better after we've rested?"
Rest now... when you are ready I will give you an enchanted object that will show you the path... but I will need the time to prepare it and build in safeguards in case it should fall into the wrong hands.
Unhappy that the market got rid of individual purchases for one-off subclasses, magic items, and monsters?
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Excited that the benevolent unedad lord is not only able to help them free themselves from their respective curses, but is also determined to prevent the awakening of the dragon-goddess-wannabe, Duwamilly feels Garl Glittergold's fun and comforting presence more than ever within herself and is ready to follow Zander to the barracks.
"If everyone is ready, please follow me this way." he says with the manners of a butler.
D&D since 1984
Yasmina would from the unseen servants quickly order up a plate of delicacies, mainly fruit and cheese, accompanied by the best bottle of red wine the Lich can provide her with. She is then ready to follow the greenclad servant of the Lich to the barracks, hoping it was a place more comfortable to sleep than what it sounded like.
The barracks are... barracks. Utilitarian in nature, though you can get extra pillows and blankets from the unseen servants. Meanwhile, Bridgette takes the shapeshifting spy away, presumably to wait for her master to find a spellscroll of remove curse.
(OOC:You may go ahead and take a Long Rest now, and those of you who have enough xp can level up. Feel free to RP a amongst yourselves for a while now that you have some downtime and have actually met the Lord of the Shaded Isle).
Unhappy that the market got rid of individual purchases for one-off subclasses, magic items, and monsters?
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"Can someone please explain this plan to me," Delvindra says, once she believes the unseen servants are gone and the group is well and truly alone.
"It sounds like, to free ourselves of the curses, Lord Akkron wants us to wish the power of these items into a single object. Won't that just make it easier for Firion to gather the keys he needs? Instead of finding and defeating all of us, he'll only need to get his hands on a single object...well, that and the one in Lord Akkron's possession. And if he has one item with the power of five, Firion may just be able to take it from him."
Yasmina would definitely order quite a few extra pillows to make her bed quite cosy as she leans back and enjoys the food and drink the unseen servants brought her. "Never mind that, I didn't need a Lich to tell me finding a Wish would be a way to lift the curse. I hope he can help us with directions to find one." The red-haired Half-Elf says, popping a grape into her mouth. "Still, he seemed more civil and polite than I would have expected from someone like him, and he hasn't commanded us around, yet at least." She continues with a shrug, taking a sip of her red wine, pushing her plate of delicacies teasingly towards the asketic Tiefling. "Maybe the Lich just trusts himself with protecting the curses from Firion and his mad cult?" She adds with a shrug, looking over at Lord Akkron's greenclad servant. "What do you think about all of this?"
Meanwhile Lord Amir comes hovering into the barracks, gliding over the the ex-preceptor, looking at her expectantly with a small smile.
Delvindra eyes the food with a hint of longing but politely waves off the Half-Elf's offer. She'd been reluctant to accept the Lich's hospitality but equally disinclined to insult their host. The small amount of bread and water she'd allowed herself should be more than plenty to sustain her, regardless of what her senses might be saying.
Laying his great sword down and taking a seat on one of the open bunks, he asks "I mean no disrespect to any, but I am curious how you all came to have this weighty curse and the whole 'Fate of World' thrust upon you? If you are willing, I would like to hear your story. It may help in providing some protection for you all."
"I'm glad I can be of some service to the lord and you all, but my minor inconvenience (point at his sword), appears to be nothing in comparison."
D&D since 1984
"Minor inconvenience?" The red-haired Half-Elf says, leaning forward slightly on her bed. "Please tell us about your minor inconvenience then. Show yours and I'll show you mine." She says with a teasing smile.
Duwamilly, however intimately immersed in the refreshing and entertaining communion with her god, cannot help but notice Lord Amir and his gaze...
"Welcome back to us, Lord Amir!" the ex-Preceptor smiles "It's a pleasure to be once again in the company of such a noble and powerful creature, endowed with a good sense of humor to boot. I bet that, finding ourselves hosted by a powerful lich, you might like a joke about the undead, a joke that was just inspired by my Sire..."
And if in fact the Djinni likes...
Three vampires sit in a cave in the black of night, sharing a drink, laughing, and generally having a good time that one would not associate with the undead. The night grew longer, and an observer, should they be careful enough, would learn that vampires can indeed get drunk. Eventually, the three begin to bicker about which of them is the most powerful and deadly.
The youngest suddenly gets up, and flies off into the night. Almost instantly, he returns in a huge flock of bats. His hands are covered in blood. With a cackle, he points down the road. "You see that abandoned coach down there? I slaughtered everyone in it! The driver, a nobleman and his wife, their three sons, and a guardsman! All dead in the blink of an eye!"
The second, older than the first, but younger than the last, scoffs. "Child's play. Watch this." And he disappears with the wind. Even with his heightened senses of him, the younger could not follow his movements of him.
The second vampire reappeared as suddenly as he had vanished, and his taste of his speed knocked the youngest to the ground. His hands, mouth, and collar were caked with gore. He gestures towards a town in the distance. As the vampires watched, a building lit on fire, and fell onto another one. Soon, the entire town was alight, but no movement could be seen from the townsfolk at all.
"A hundred people in that town! All dead! Torn to shreds!"
The youngest was in awe, but the eldest of the three only chuckled amusedly.
"How cute". He says.
The second looks almost indignant. "I'd like to see you do better".
The third lets out a malevolent chuckle: "Very well". He gets up, dusts off his cloak, and puts his spectacles down on a rock.
He disappears with a loud CRACK. The other two vampires' jaws dropped at the impossible speed that the eldest flew at.
Another resounding CRACK filled the air as the eldest vampire returned to the cave. His cloak was in tatters. His clothes were disheveled. But most prominent was the blood. His entire body was covered in blood. Never would the other vampires imagine that so much blood could cling to one person. The eldest lets out a sigh, and plops to the ground. He reaches for his glasses, and cleans them with what remains of his cloak.
The younger vampires look at each other, not sure whether to break the silence.
Finally, the youngest asks: "So...?"
The elder vampire looks up slowly. He murmurs: "You see that massive tree over there? The one with the widest trunk, as thick as a man is tall?"
Baffled, the youngest replied: "...Yes?"
The eldest, sheepishly, continued: "Well... I didn't".
Delvindra looks sympathetically at Cal, half tempted to share his tale with their new companion in private and spare him the pain of reliving the story again, ultimately deciding that it is simply not her story to tell. She would let Cal make his own decisions about what, if anything, he was willing to share and be ready to support him afterwards.
Her gaze passes next to the red-haired Half-Elf. Yasmina had managed, almost unnoticed, to avoid sharing her story. A decision, Delvindra decides, she will support in any way she can manage.
That leaves Duwamilly. It takes the Tiefling less than a heartbeat to decide that the loquacious Preceptor wouldn't hesitate to summarize their tales for Zander out of a well-meaning desire to help...and to drown out any silence that may dare intrude on the proceedings...
Delvindra's tail snakes around her leg, squeezing tightly, a nervous habit that has plagued her less and less as she's grown more comfortable in the presence of her companions.
"Our stories are our own," she answers Zander.
"We don't ask about each other's curses and we only share what we're comfortable telling. I would ask you to respect that."
"As for me, I inherited my ring from my mother. Ever since I put it on, I hear voices...voices that encourage me to give in to my worst desires..."
"...I banished one of our companions," she whispers, hanging her head in shame.
Cal looks solemnly at the rod, "I can share my story but it is hard for me, I prefer to not talk about it today if that is okay."
The proud and pompous djinni approves of another joke, but as Milly stops talking he is silent for a moment, not seeming to realize the joke is finished, wondering how many mortals the elder vampire really slew to get that bloody, but then he suddenly breaks out in a roaring laughter. "He crashed into the tree, didn't he?" He says loudly. "The undead are so stupid, running into trees."
Seeming pleased with the joke, Amir floats to lay down on an empty bunk near the ex-preceptor. "What can I grant you as a reward little one?" He says, glancing over at Milly.