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The Collected Journals of Artemis Heuw Cannith
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<blockquote data-quote="sniffles" data-source="post: 3123897" data-attributes="member: 30035"><p><strong>The Collected Journals of Artemis Heuw Cannith, excerpt 14</strong></p><p></p><p>"...and told Stark to fetch me some tea, since they would take some work to decipher. I looked over the notes, as I always do after adventuring abroad, and tried to make sense of what I had written. The first was obvious: "Gr-B (FF) xDC". I had saved the lives of the DC so many times, using my powers to keep them from plummeting to their deaths, that creating a Griffon Badge (or some other feather fall effect) for each of them was more a matter of economy than necessity. The next note, "Fl-Ca HU+m >MBH" was equally obvious. I am a man of culture and the big city, and riding a horse all day tests even my endurance: I needed some conveyance -- a flying carpet, perhaps -- that would carry both Hutch and I in comfort and style and could keep up with a magebred horse. The next note had me completely baffled. "Hutch needs an internal shelf that functions as a bag of holding." It made absolutely no sense. Was this even my handwriting? I looked over at Hutch, who stood at the end of the table with practiced nonchalance polishing his front latch with his knuckles. Hutch can't write. Can he?" </p><p></p><p>. -- An excerpt from the Craft Journal of Artemis Heuw Cannith, Volume 6 </p><p></p><p>"The craft of an artificer is one of practiced preparation. Sometimes one under-prepares. Sometimes, one over-prepares. The true test of an artificer comes when one measures the cost of one's preparations against the price of lack of preparation. </p><p>On the other hand, I believe that it is far better to be over-prepared, and waste resources, than to be caught unawares, and left floundering. </p><p></p><p>The Grand Masquerade at the Aundarian Embassy was... quaint. Certainly, I have experienced far grander [ref: PJ-V1-24]. Such is the privilege of one of my stature and upbringing. Then again, I have seen far worse. I must say, though; this is the first time I have ever attended a function of this distinction with the sole aim of killing one of the undead. A vampyre, to be specific. </p><p></p><p>The series of events that lead us to the Masquerade were interesting enough that I will pause a moment in my reflections to describe them. </p><p></p><p>After fighting the vampire and his magically-talented sister at the bridge on the Brelish border, we rested for the night. I see that I already mentioned the little bat problem [ref: PJ-V6-54], so I shall not recount that event. </p><p></p><p>The next morning, we picked up early and headed north, where we were told a ford crossed over the river that separates Breland from Zilargo. Though we were camping at a bridge, my exceptional training in all things crafted and engineered told me that it would be dangerous to take the horses across. Oh, we could probably do it, but we were already down one horse. Losing another would be a serious inconvenience. </p><p></p><p>After crossing over the river, we came back to the bridge and road, but on the Zilargo side this time. We thought that sticking to the road would improve our overall speed. I happened to glance across the bridge to the scene of yesterday's battle, and saw the largest wolf I could have ever imagined. It was easily the size of a strong coach horse. He was surveying the field of battle. When he saw us, however, he howled once into the air -- a mournful cry that evoked images of endless hunts and moonlit nights -- and ran off. The creature was quick, too. </p><p></p><p>We turned, and made our way down the road with all speed. </p><p></p><p>In due time, we came across farmsteads, then communes, then villages. We stopped every once in a while to see if the locals had seen any sign of our fleeing prey, but few could admit to such witness. Mayhap they were too short. </p><p></p><p>We did hear that a buckboard wagon was stolen, however. And then as we approached Trollanport we heard of another strange theft: that of a coffin. We were on the right track, it seemed. </p><p></p><p>Trollanport is a large city, considering it is inhabited mostly by gnomes and other small folk. Some of the buildings looked like they would be downright uncomfortable to venture into. Most, however, were built for a more normal sized occupant. </p><p></p><p>This is where the last of our clues lead. LU was to meet someone by the name of "Krell" here in Trollanport. Where he planned to go from there, though, was anybody's guess. With that little to go on, we set to work. </p><p></p><p>We took as our base of operations a "cozy" little inn by the name of "The Diamond Doorstop". The place had a very closed-in feel about it, but the food was excellent. After a quick lunch, we strategized our search, then split up to go our separate ways. </p><p></p><p>I must admit that HU and I spent a mostly fruitless afternoon in our queries. No one at the local Cannith chapter house knew anything of a "Krell", nor had any ideas on how to find a powerful artifact. I asked around a few other places, but to little effect. </p><p></p><p>Fortunately, the others were a bit more successful. </p><p></p><p>"Krell", it turns out, is none other than the Lady Ambassador Krell of Aundair. Evidently LU has some excellent connections. This is not to surprising, however, considering his background. GR had located the stolen coffin and cart, left abandoned in a rather seedy part of town. Our prey had gone to ground someplace in the city. With no other leads, we had to follow the only clue we had. </p><p></p><p>Fortunately, the Aundarian Embassy was hosting a gala Masquerade that very night. Under the cover of such merry-making, we would be able to approach the Lady Ambassador and speak to her. Better, we may be able to wait, and see if LU made an appearance. We had to run out and get costumes, of course. I chose a pant and doublet affair of dark blue silk with a gold sash. Very rakish. I chose it more for it's re-usability (the whole ensemble cost about three hundred gold), but it had the added benefit of matching HU. A silvered mask with sparkling blue arcane symbols completed the set. </p><p></p><p>HU complimented me on my impeccable style. </p><p></p><p>We almost had issue when CA and GR realized that they would have to leave their armor and weapons at the inn. Not even "courtly" weapons were to be allowed at the function. They protested, but eventually relented. I set a few preparations in place, but could have done far better. </p><p></p><p>I was prepared to lead the DC into the party. I am the only one in the party trained in such things, after all. DA, however, had other ideas. </p><p></p><p>She argued that she had been born in Zilargo, and would therefore have a natural advantage. Also, she can be rather well spoken when she needs to be, and would be able to talk her way past any problems that cropped up. Lastly, she claimed that she was no stranger to the homes and estates of the very rich. I did not ask her to elaborate on this last point, and she did not volunteer any new information. </p><p></p><p>I was not convinced that she should take the lead until DA mentioned that she would be using her magic to get us into the party. Now, I am a man of considerable skills, but I, above all others, know the power of magic. I consented, assuming that she would use her spells to convince the guards that we should pass without invitation, or that she would charm them into allowing her passage. But no. A mass invisibility spell, a silencing illusion to mask the sounds of the less agile members of our party, and we were in. A crude illusion of fireworks up near the ceiling distracted the party-goers long enough for us to re-appear, and we were in. </p><p></p><p>Cheap parlor tricks. </p><p>But we were inside, so perhaps the results speak for themselves. </p><p></p><p>The party itself was not as sophisticated as I would have expected of an ambassadorial function. The band was too loud, the lights too low for a masquerade, and the wait staff was mediocre. There was one serving woman, though, who seemed keenly interested in me and how my night was going. She was constantly hanging around. I know what she wanted, but I had work to do. </p><p></p><p>We spent the next hour alternatively splitting up to look for our prey, and roving around in a very conspicuous looking pack. I was the only one of the DC who knew how to move in these circles. DA wasn't doing bad, though. </p><p></p><p>We located the Lady Ambassador in short order. Our initial plan was to sit back and watch her, to see who she was interacting with. She was the hostess of this party, however, so we learned very little from that. At one point, however, she spoke to a man who looked very much like an Aundarian wizard. I watched as he cast a Divination spell. He spoke his reply to Lady Krell, who seemed quite surprised at his foretelling. For the rest of the night, she would be agitated and quite distracted. DA chose that moment to make contact. </p><p></p><p>So that we didn't lose the chance completely, I volunteered to fetch Lady Krell to DA, who was going under the nom de guerre of Lidia r'Kane. Droll. The Lady Krell was pliable enough under my well-mannered charms, and I brought her to "Lidia". </p><p></p><p>DA got nowhere. Lady Krell refused to speak of anything "business" related, and seemed quite distracted by her earlier Divination. She kept watching the dance floor. IN a span of time that would have been considered rude had she been dealing with one of her peers -- or even one of her assistants -- the Lady Krell dismissed DA and wandered away. She didn't even grant us the respect of pretending to have some place to go. DA didn't seem to notice this slight, and I thought it best not to point it out to her. </p><p></p><p>We held a quick conference amongst the DC, and decided to split up so that we could watch events unfold. We paid particular attention to the dance floor, which the Lady Ambassador seemed particularly interested in. </p><p></p><p>We didn't have long to wait. </p><p></p><p>An argument on the dance floor drew our attention. By the time the argument became apparent over the din of the party, though, LU had shown his hand. He stood there, the black artifact sword raised high overhead. Opposite him stood a human woman of indeterminate age -- she was resplendent in her blue dragon masquerade ball, but what she looked like beneath her mask and costume was anyone's guess. The fight was on. </p><p></p><p>Perhaps more to the point, the "flight" was on. The power exuding from the black sword was amazing and terrifying. It moaned with evil power. All who beheld it were terrified. Naturally, my long years of training and conditioning -- not to mention my steadfast composure -- allowed me to overcome this terror and act rationally. Few other at the party were so lucky. They swarmed towards the exits with no regard for who or what they trampled. The exodus was an exercise in unadulterated chaos. </p><p></p><p>It would have been interesting to watch, if there weren't other things going on. </p><p>Expecting a fight, I used some of my more potent items and abilities [ref: CJ-V4-30, CJ-V1-9, CJ-V3,98]. I needn't have bothered. </p><p></p><p>Two unarmed men came to the rescue of the woman opposing LU. They were skilled brawlers, both of them. It didn't matter, though. In short order, LU and the sword killed them both. One died screaming in horrified agony. Something much worse than a mere flesh wound had killed him. Perhaps the sword had stolen his soul? Regardless, it would make a study of the sword that much more interesting. </p><p></p><p>LU's red haired sister appeared. She argued with LU, all the while assisting him with her magic. The woman in the blue dragon costume started using some magic of her own, for both defense and offense. The Aundarian guards, mysteriously, were firing crossbows into the crowd. </p><p></p><p>XL came up behind LU and broke a chair over his back. I have to say, that did nothing but draw his attention. CA was moving up to do the same, but stopped when he saw the effect XL's chair had. Luckily, DA appeared just at that moment to hand CA the knife she had secreted in to the party. CA seemed happy to be armed, but not so thrilled at his only available weapon. To his credit, he leapt into the fray, fighting a vampire that was wielding an artifact-level sword, all the while carrying nothing himself but a common fighting knife. </p><p>IR was there in the fight, too. Where had she come from? Beside her stood a tall, gaunt looking elf in armor wielding a long spear. IR must have known what was going on, or she asked someone while I wasn't looking, because she leapt straight into the fight with LU. </p><p>My attention was on LU's sister. I knew that if we could stop her, our chances of capturing LU would be greatly improved. She had already managed to get off a spell that sped up the both of them. She was engaged in a battle of magic with the dragon lady. A battle that I was happy to jump into. </p><p></p><p>I started off, as is becoming my favorite, with my oak wand, the one tipped with the storm opal [ref: CJ-V6-23]. I have been burning through that one rather quickly, and will soon need to make another. It's electrical discharge struck true, naturally, leaving a trace line of energy between the two of us that would aid my future attacks. </p><p></p><p>She made eye contact with me, and I saw her eyes widen in fear -- possibly surprise. Good. She knew who it was that stood against her, and it caused her concern. She shouted to LU to run, and cast her next spell: she turned invisible. </p><p></p><p>At that very moment, the upper windows of the ball room exploded inward. Thousands upon thousands of bats swarmed into the room and began diving at the crowd. The already unbearable noise and confusion intensified dramatically as the panic of each partygoer intensified tremendously. </p><p></p><p>I kept my cool. </p><p></p><p>LU had been fighting with CA, IR, and XL. CA had been hit hard, and wasn't looking good at all. With his sister's warning, though, LU turned and fled, taking one last slash at my friends. CA staggered again, but persevered. LU fled, his magically enhanced speed serving him well. The DC gave chase, fighting against the fleeing mob that LU seemed to flit through so easily. </p><p></p><p>His sister tried to keep up, but she simply wasn't as quick as he. She was invisible, but the line of energy that connected the two of us was still there, so I threw another charge of electricity at her, and then another for good measure. HU applauded my efforts. I wasn't sure where she had gotten off to, but a moment later, the fleeing crowd pushed it's way through the door and revealed her body; trampled, burned, and quite dead. </p><p>LU, meanwhile, had escaped. </p><p></p><p>The DC gathered in the tumbled remains of the once fine masquerade ballroom and took stock of our situation. CA looked terrible, but reported that he had managed to follow LU all the way outside. The vampire had changed form once again, and took flight over the canal. The mage ambassador who had started the fight with LU had gotten away, also. Mostly because none of us had thought to try to stop her. We searched LU's sister, but found no indication of where they had planned to go next. I pulled off the wands she had used against us earlier. </p><p></p><p>At that moment, Ambassador Krell returned, and asked us what we had been up to. We explained what we knew of the situation, and she shared what she knew. She and LU had a long history together. She didn't think it odd at all when he approached her and asked for quick passage to Karrnath. She was surprised, however, to learn that LU was a vampire. Thankfully, she didn't hold us there long. </p><p></p><p>I asked IR how she had found us and what she was doing here. Her only answer was a cryptic, "The elders sent me." I had a better view of her armored elven companion and suddenly didn't want to know more. He was undead. Or perhaps Undying. I really don't know the difference. </p><p></p><p>Ambassador Krell told us the name of the airship that LU was headed towards, and told us that it left tonight. We had to hurry! Unfortunately, we weren't prepared for another voyage. Most of us had to leave our armor and weapons behind (not to mention our other gear) for the masquerade ball. I told the DC to go to the docking tower, stall LU and the ship, for I would go back to the inn and retrieve our gear. </p><p></p><p>I told HU to watch over the DC, and tried to comfort him by telling him I would be back soon. Without another word, I kicked up into the air using a flight spell I had prepared earlier, and raced off towards our inn. In my mind's eye, I could see HU racing along the boulevards with the DC. </p><p></p><p>Getting our gear was a trivial thing. I scooped most of it into GR's magic haversack. When it could carry no more, I bundled everything together as best I could and took flight once again. The Lyrandar docking tower was easy to spot -- it is the tallest structure in all of Trollanport. I was quite concerned that the flight enchantment would fade before I reached my destination, but I needn't have worried. The magic faded just as I was passing over the nearest dock, and I touched down gracefully, breaking immediately into a dead run across the tower. I could see the DC just coming up out of the stairwell moving rapidly towards the dock opposite me. I caught up with them. </p><p></p><p>Our timing could not have been closer. As we approached, a half dozen gnome dockhands were throwing off mooring lines so that the "Cloud's Destiny" could take flight. It was a beautiful ship, brightly painted, but visually dominated by the fiery ring that surrounded it at mid-ship -- its bound elemental. </p><p></p><p>We shouted for the ship to hold, but they were paying no attention. Our charge forward was impeded suddenly by the dockhands springing to attack. It was an ambush! </p><p>CA has never been one to stand down in a fight. He counter-charged one of the gnomes, and sent him flying over the edge of the dock. He paused only long enough to grab his double-scimitar from me. GR grabbed his backpack and pulled from it his crossbow. Bolts started flying towards the gnomes. XL, IR, and IR's companion launched into the fight as we tried to push our way past to the ship. </p><p></p><p>I deployed my wands, doing what damage I could. IR summoned up a monstrous zombie, which waded immediately into the fray. She then noticed what had somehow, mysteriously, inexplicably evaded my attention. "The gnomes," she shouted, "are are being magically compelled to attack us!" </p><p></p><p>Before she finished the sentence, I knew what she was going to say. Of course! All the signs were there. I had noticed the small, tell-tale signs immediately, of course. It was just that I was distracted by the monumental effort it had taken for me to fly all the way here. It was dark out. My arms were tired. They were very short people. </p><p></p><p>No matter, I had prepared for this eventuality, also. The last of the magic I had stored in my cane had been meant for LU and his sister. I had never had the chance to use it, though. Turning it's power, now, on the rough area of the gnome combatants, I released the energy and dispelled all of the magic present. IR's zombie disappeared. </p><p></p><p>At that very moment, the "Cloud's Destiny" started pulling away from the dock. XL and I ran side-by-side to the end of the dock, skirting confused gnomes. XL, who had earlier been willing to face a sword-wielding vampire armed with nothing but a chair, skidded to a halt at the very end of the pier, suddenly afraid to make the jump. My will is made of much stronger stuff, though, and I threw everything I had into a leap towards the rapidly moving ship. </p><p>In retrospect, I probably would have done better had I had my eyes open...." </p><p></p><p>. -- An excerpt from the Personal Journal of Artemis Heuw Cannith, Volume 6 </p><p></p><p>"Iron Golem, flat grey -- very heavy" </p><p>"Gorgon -- excellent possibility" </p><p>"Blue Dragon -- too... common" </p><p>"Gnome, complete with extended reduce potion -- BORING." </p><p>"Dragonmarked, Mark of Death -- evil?" </p><p>"Peacock, bright blue and gold, wide plumage -- very nice" </p><p>. -- An excerpt from the "The Short List of Possible Costumes" by Artemis Heuw Cannith, Trollanport, YK 998</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="sniffles, post: 3123897, member: 30035"] [b]The Collected Journals of Artemis Heuw Cannith, excerpt 14[/b] "...and told Stark to fetch me some tea, since they would take some work to decipher. I looked over the notes, as I always do after adventuring abroad, and tried to make sense of what I had written. The first was obvious: "Gr-B (FF) xDC". I had saved the lives of the DC so many times, using my powers to keep them from plummeting to their deaths, that creating a Griffon Badge (or some other feather fall effect) for each of them was more a matter of economy than necessity. The next note, "Fl-Ca HU+m >MBH" was equally obvious. I am a man of culture and the big city, and riding a horse all day tests even my endurance: I needed some conveyance -- a flying carpet, perhaps -- that would carry both Hutch and I in comfort and style and could keep up with a magebred horse. The next note had me completely baffled. "Hutch needs an internal shelf that functions as a bag of holding." It made absolutely no sense. Was this even my handwriting? I looked over at Hutch, who stood at the end of the table with practiced nonchalance polishing his front latch with his knuckles. Hutch can't write. Can he?" . -- An excerpt from the Craft Journal of Artemis Heuw Cannith, Volume 6 "The craft of an artificer is one of practiced preparation. Sometimes one under-prepares. Sometimes, one over-prepares. The true test of an artificer comes when one measures the cost of one's preparations against the price of lack of preparation. On the other hand, I believe that it is far better to be over-prepared, and waste resources, than to be caught unawares, and left floundering. The Grand Masquerade at the Aundarian Embassy was... quaint. Certainly, I have experienced far grander [ref: PJ-V1-24]. Such is the privilege of one of my stature and upbringing. Then again, I have seen far worse. I must say, though; this is the first time I have ever attended a function of this distinction with the sole aim of killing one of the undead. A vampyre, to be specific. The series of events that lead us to the Masquerade were interesting enough that I will pause a moment in my reflections to describe them. After fighting the vampire and his magically-talented sister at the bridge on the Brelish border, we rested for the night. I see that I already mentioned the little bat problem [ref: PJ-V6-54], so I shall not recount that event. The next morning, we picked up early and headed north, where we were told a ford crossed over the river that separates Breland from Zilargo. Though we were camping at a bridge, my exceptional training in all things crafted and engineered told me that it would be dangerous to take the horses across. Oh, we could probably do it, but we were already down one horse. Losing another would be a serious inconvenience. After crossing over the river, we came back to the bridge and road, but on the Zilargo side this time. We thought that sticking to the road would improve our overall speed. I happened to glance across the bridge to the scene of yesterday's battle, and saw the largest wolf I could have ever imagined. It was easily the size of a strong coach horse. He was surveying the field of battle. When he saw us, however, he howled once into the air -- a mournful cry that evoked images of endless hunts and moonlit nights -- and ran off. The creature was quick, too. We turned, and made our way down the road with all speed. In due time, we came across farmsteads, then communes, then villages. We stopped every once in a while to see if the locals had seen any sign of our fleeing prey, but few could admit to such witness. Mayhap they were too short. We did hear that a buckboard wagon was stolen, however. And then as we approached Trollanport we heard of another strange theft: that of a coffin. We were on the right track, it seemed. Trollanport is a large city, considering it is inhabited mostly by gnomes and other small folk. Some of the buildings looked like they would be downright uncomfortable to venture into. Most, however, were built for a more normal sized occupant. This is where the last of our clues lead. LU was to meet someone by the name of "Krell" here in Trollanport. Where he planned to go from there, though, was anybody's guess. With that little to go on, we set to work. We took as our base of operations a "cozy" little inn by the name of "The Diamond Doorstop". The place had a very closed-in feel about it, but the food was excellent. After a quick lunch, we strategized our search, then split up to go our separate ways. I must admit that HU and I spent a mostly fruitless afternoon in our queries. No one at the local Cannith chapter house knew anything of a "Krell", nor had any ideas on how to find a powerful artifact. I asked around a few other places, but to little effect. Fortunately, the others were a bit more successful. "Krell", it turns out, is none other than the Lady Ambassador Krell of Aundair. Evidently LU has some excellent connections. This is not to surprising, however, considering his background. GR had located the stolen coffin and cart, left abandoned in a rather seedy part of town. Our prey had gone to ground someplace in the city. With no other leads, we had to follow the only clue we had. Fortunately, the Aundarian Embassy was hosting a gala Masquerade that very night. Under the cover of such merry-making, we would be able to approach the Lady Ambassador and speak to her. Better, we may be able to wait, and see if LU made an appearance. We had to run out and get costumes, of course. I chose a pant and doublet affair of dark blue silk with a gold sash. Very rakish. I chose it more for it's re-usability (the whole ensemble cost about three hundred gold), but it had the added benefit of matching HU. A silvered mask with sparkling blue arcane symbols completed the set. HU complimented me on my impeccable style. We almost had issue when CA and GR realized that they would have to leave their armor and weapons at the inn. Not even "courtly" weapons were to be allowed at the function. They protested, but eventually relented. I set a few preparations in place, but could have done far better. I was prepared to lead the DC into the party. I am the only one in the party trained in such things, after all. DA, however, had other ideas. She argued that she had been born in Zilargo, and would therefore have a natural advantage. Also, she can be rather well spoken when she needs to be, and would be able to talk her way past any problems that cropped up. Lastly, she claimed that she was no stranger to the homes and estates of the very rich. I did not ask her to elaborate on this last point, and she did not volunteer any new information. I was not convinced that she should take the lead until DA mentioned that she would be using her magic to get us into the party. Now, I am a man of considerable skills, but I, above all others, know the power of magic. I consented, assuming that she would use her spells to convince the guards that we should pass without invitation, or that she would charm them into allowing her passage. But no. A mass invisibility spell, a silencing illusion to mask the sounds of the less agile members of our party, and we were in. A crude illusion of fireworks up near the ceiling distracted the party-goers long enough for us to re-appear, and we were in. Cheap parlor tricks. But we were inside, so perhaps the results speak for themselves. The party itself was not as sophisticated as I would have expected of an ambassadorial function. The band was too loud, the lights too low for a masquerade, and the wait staff was mediocre. There was one serving woman, though, who seemed keenly interested in me and how my night was going. She was constantly hanging around. I know what she wanted, but I had work to do. We spent the next hour alternatively splitting up to look for our prey, and roving around in a very conspicuous looking pack. I was the only one of the DC who knew how to move in these circles. DA wasn't doing bad, though. We located the Lady Ambassador in short order. Our initial plan was to sit back and watch her, to see who she was interacting with. She was the hostess of this party, however, so we learned very little from that. At one point, however, she spoke to a man who looked very much like an Aundarian wizard. I watched as he cast a Divination spell. He spoke his reply to Lady Krell, who seemed quite surprised at his foretelling. For the rest of the night, she would be agitated and quite distracted. DA chose that moment to make contact. So that we didn't lose the chance completely, I volunteered to fetch Lady Krell to DA, who was going under the nom de guerre of Lidia r'Kane. Droll. The Lady Krell was pliable enough under my well-mannered charms, and I brought her to "Lidia". DA got nowhere. Lady Krell refused to speak of anything "business" related, and seemed quite distracted by her earlier Divination. She kept watching the dance floor. IN a span of time that would have been considered rude had she been dealing with one of her peers -- or even one of her assistants -- the Lady Krell dismissed DA and wandered away. She didn't even grant us the respect of pretending to have some place to go. DA didn't seem to notice this slight, and I thought it best not to point it out to her. We held a quick conference amongst the DC, and decided to split up so that we could watch events unfold. We paid particular attention to the dance floor, which the Lady Ambassador seemed particularly interested in. We didn't have long to wait. An argument on the dance floor drew our attention. By the time the argument became apparent over the din of the party, though, LU had shown his hand. He stood there, the black artifact sword raised high overhead. Opposite him stood a human woman of indeterminate age -- she was resplendent in her blue dragon masquerade ball, but what she looked like beneath her mask and costume was anyone's guess. The fight was on. Perhaps more to the point, the "flight" was on. The power exuding from the black sword was amazing and terrifying. It moaned with evil power. All who beheld it were terrified. Naturally, my long years of training and conditioning -- not to mention my steadfast composure -- allowed me to overcome this terror and act rationally. Few other at the party were so lucky. They swarmed towards the exits with no regard for who or what they trampled. The exodus was an exercise in unadulterated chaos. It would have been interesting to watch, if there weren't other things going on. Expecting a fight, I used some of my more potent items and abilities [ref: CJ-V4-30, CJ-V1-9, CJ-V3,98]. I needn't have bothered. Two unarmed men came to the rescue of the woman opposing LU. They were skilled brawlers, both of them. It didn't matter, though. In short order, LU and the sword killed them both. One died screaming in horrified agony. Something much worse than a mere flesh wound had killed him. Perhaps the sword had stolen his soul? Regardless, it would make a study of the sword that much more interesting. LU's red haired sister appeared. She argued with LU, all the while assisting him with her magic. The woman in the blue dragon costume started using some magic of her own, for both defense and offense. The Aundarian guards, mysteriously, were firing crossbows into the crowd. XL came up behind LU and broke a chair over his back. I have to say, that did nothing but draw his attention. CA was moving up to do the same, but stopped when he saw the effect XL's chair had. Luckily, DA appeared just at that moment to hand CA the knife she had secreted in to the party. CA seemed happy to be armed, but not so thrilled at his only available weapon. To his credit, he leapt into the fray, fighting a vampire that was wielding an artifact-level sword, all the while carrying nothing himself but a common fighting knife. IR was there in the fight, too. Where had she come from? Beside her stood a tall, gaunt looking elf in armor wielding a long spear. IR must have known what was going on, or she asked someone while I wasn't looking, because she leapt straight into the fight with LU. My attention was on LU's sister. I knew that if we could stop her, our chances of capturing LU would be greatly improved. She had already managed to get off a spell that sped up the both of them. She was engaged in a battle of magic with the dragon lady. A battle that I was happy to jump into. I started off, as is becoming my favorite, with my oak wand, the one tipped with the storm opal [ref: CJ-V6-23]. I have been burning through that one rather quickly, and will soon need to make another. It's electrical discharge struck true, naturally, leaving a trace line of energy between the two of us that would aid my future attacks. She made eye contact with me, and I saw her eyes widen in fear -- possibly surprise. Good. She knew who it was that stood against her, and it caused her concern. She shouted to LU to run, and cast her next spell: she turned invisible. At that very moment, the upper windows of the ball room exploded inward. Thousands upon thousands of bats swarmed into the room and began diving at the crowd. The already unbearable noise and confusion intensified dramatically as the panic of each partygoer intensified tremendously. I kept my cool. LU had been fighting with CA, IR, and XL. CA had been hit hard, and wasn't looking good at all. With his sister's warning, though, LU turned and fled, taking one last slash at my friends. CA staggered again, but persevered. LU fled, his magically enhanced speed serving him well. The DC gave chase, fighting against the fleeing mob that LU seemed to flit through so easily. His sister tried to keep up, but she simply wasn't as quick as he. She was invisible, but the line of energy that connected the two of us was still there, so I threw another charge of electricity at her, and then another for good measure. HU applauded my efforts. I wasn't sure where she had gotten off to, but a moment later, the fleeing crowd pushed it's way through the door and revealed her body; trampled, burned, and quite dead. LU, meanwhile, had escaped. The DC gathered in the tumbled remains of the once fine masquerade ballroom and took stock of our situation. CA looked terrible, but reported that he had managed to follow LU all the way outside. The vampire had changed form once again, and took flight over the canal. The mage ambassador who had started the fight with LU had gotten away, also. Mostly because none of us had thought to try to stop her. We searched LU's sister, but found no indication of where they had planned to go next. I pulled off the wands she had used against us earlier. At that moment, Ambassador Krell returned, and asked us what we had been up to. We explained what we knew of the situation, and she shared what she knew. She and LU had a long history together. She didn't think it odd at all when he approached her and asked for quick passage to Karrnath. She was surprised, however, to learn that LU was a vampire. Thankfully, she didn't hold us there long. I asked IR how she had found us and what she was doing here. Her only answer was a cryptic, "The elders sent me." I had a better view of her armored elven companion and suddenly didn't want to know more. He was undead. Or perhaps Undying. I really don't know the difference. Ambassador Krell told us the name of the airship that LU was headed towards, and told us that it left tonight. We had to hurry! Unfortunately, we weren't prepared for another voyage. Most of us had to leave our armor and weapons behind (not to mention our other gear) for the masquerade ball. I told the DC to go to the docking tower, stall LU and the ship, for I would go back to the inn and retrieve our gear. I told HU to watch over the DC, and tried to comfort him by telling him I would be back soon. Without another word, I kicked up into the air using a flight spell I had prepared earlier, and raced off towards our inn. In my mind's eye, I could see HU racing along the boulevards with the DC. Getting our gear was a trivial thing. I scooped most of it into GR's magic haversack. When it could carry no more, I bundled everything together as best I could and took flight once again. The Lyrandar docking tower was easy to spot -- it is the tallest structure in all of Trollanport. I was quite concerned that the flight enchantment would fade before I reached my destination, but I needn't have worried. The magic faded just as I was passing over the nearest dock, and I touched down gracefully, breaking immediately into a dead run across the tower. I could see the DC just coming up out of the stairwell moving rapidly towards the dock opposite me. I caught up with them. Our timing could not have been closer. As we approached, a half dozen gnome dockhands were throwing off mooring lines so that the "Cloud's Destiny" could take flight. It was a beautiful ship, brightly painted, but visually dominated by the fiery ring that surrounded it at mid-ship -- its bound elemental. We shouted for the ship to hold, but they were paying no attention. Our charge forward was impeded suddenly by the dockhands springing to attack. It was an ambush! CA has never been one to stand down in a fight. He counter-charged one of the gnomes, and sent him flying over the edge of the dock. He paused only long enough to grab his double-scimitar from me. GR grabbed his backpack and pulled from it his crossbow. Bolts started flying towards the gnomes. XL, IR, and IR's companion launched into the fight as we tried to push our way past to the ship. I deployed my wands, doing what damage I could. IR summoned up a monstrous zombie, which waded immediately into the fray. She then noticed what had somehow, mysteriously, inexplicably evaded my attention. "The gnomes," she shouted, "are are being magically compelled to attack us!" Before she finished the sentence, I knew what she was going to say. Of course! All the signs were there. I had noticed the small, tell-tale signs immediately, of course. It was just that I was distracted by the monumental effort it had taken for me to fly all the way here. It was dark out. My arms were tired. They were very short people. No matter, I had prepared for this eventuality, also. The last of the magic I had stored in my cane had been meant for LU and his sister. I had never had the chance to use it, though. Turning it's power, now, on the rough area of the gnome combatants, I released the energy and dispelled all of the magic present. IR's zombie disappeared. At that very moment, the "Cloud's Destiny" started pulling away from the dock. XL and I ran side-by-side to the end of the dock, skirting confused gnomes. XL, who had earlier been willing to face a sword-wielding vampire armed with nothing but a chair, skidded to a halt at the very end of the pier, suddenly afraid to make the jump. My will is made of much stronger stuff, though, and I threw everything I had into a leap towards the rapidly moving ship. In retrospect, I probably would have done better had I had my eyes open...." . -- An excerpt from the Personal Journal of Artemis Heuw Cannith, Volume 6 "Iron Golem, flat grey -- very heavy" "Gorgon -- excellent possibility" "Blue Dragon -- too... common" "Gnome, complete with extended reduce potion -- BORING." "Dragonmarked, Mark of Death -- evil?" "Peacock, bright blue and gold, wide plumage -- very nice" . -- An excerpt from the "The Short List of Possible Costumes" by Artemis Heuw Cannith, Trollanport, YK 998 [/QUOTE]
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