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<blockquote data-quote="Pacio49" data-source="post: 2532901" data-attributes="member: 28472"><p><strong>The Heart of the Mountain</strong></p><p></p><p>Merradh the ghostly Paladin (corporeal, but something weird happening with his energy) made sure the party was aboard the boat and then navigated them out onto the Sunless Sea. As they went, they noticed a large column of rock connecting the cavern's ceiling to the sea just ahead. With crystal outcroppings twinkling faintly with an unearthly glow, they saw as they approached that embedded within the pillar of stone was a shape that looked like a Great Wyrm rising up in flight, wings extended up into the ceiling. At different points throughout there were tunnels and paths entering the stone and circling it, ledges that glowed with inner crystal light, strange flickering shadows, and an overall feeling of power that grew as they approached.</p><p></p><p>Also as they approached, they saw that the water itself was turning silvery, looking like molten quicksilver, and all of the spellcasters felt the physical presence of power emanating from all around them. Merradh cautioned them all, "Don't touch the water here. It is the raw power of the earth which leaches into the sea around this island, condensing into the liquid known as earthblood. Only the most powerful of spellcasters have a hope of taming its power, and what does not control magic is in turn controlled by it. Don't touch the water."</p><p></p><p>They made it to the small landing amid the Sunless Sea, and Merradh led them into a cavern that led upward into the crystal-lined caves. The party came out into a large room high up in the pillar in which was set the fabled gem, the Heart of the Mountain. About the size of a small pumpkin, it was a clear crystal that pulsed with power and glowed with a light of its own. A multitude of facets sparkled brightly, and it rested upon a stalactite of crystal. Merradh stepped forward into the chamber and bade the party halt.</p><p></p><p>"Now the price must be paid. The Heart of the Mountain will indeed accompany you, who are of good intent. However, do not be fooled. The dragon Excelsior's Heart Gem is not a light burden. Whomever touches the gem is bound to the gem until the Heart passes to another. Once it is taken, whoever has taken it must bear the gem, and serve the gem, until the burden is passed on."</p><p></p><p>The party began to discuss options, and told Merradh that they intended to use the gem to power Karral's Tower. Merradh smiled and nodded, and said "Then whoever takes the Gem will be bound to the Tower itself for so long as the gem is used."</p><p></p><p>The party decided to rest up and discuss the matter, to take action the next morning. They returned to one of the lower ledges and slept. In the morning, they looked for Merradh, but the paladin was gone.</p><p></p><p>"Well," said Marcus, "It's clear that I need to be the one to take the gem, since being bound to a Tower isn't that bad for a mage."</p><p></p><p>"No," said Yovaire. "I think that you're going to be needed for something else if Mysta's visions to Tiriel were correct."</p><p></p><p>"Well it's certainly not you," said Arien. "You've got the Sword of the Last Hope. You can't be tied down to a Tower."</p><p></p><p>"Why is Merradh missing?" asked Tybok.</p><p></p><p>Narya looked around, then came to a leap of intuition. "Because he's dead."</p><p></p><p>"Whaddya mean he's dead? He can't die. Not unless..." said Tybok.</p><p></p><p>"...unless someone has already taken the gem." Narya finished. The whole party turned as one and looked at Valar.</p><p></p><p>"What? Why is everyone looking at me?" he asked.</p><p></p><p>"Valar, did you take the Heart of the Mountain?" Arien asked crossly.</p><p></p><p>"I didn't take it," he said. For a moment, the party was puzzled, until he said, "I just... wanted to see what a gem like that weighed. I picked it up, but I put it right back down again!"</p><p></p><p>So Valar had unwittingly chosen to bear the gem. (I rolled three will saves for Valar, since his character has an established history of being unable to stop sticky fingers from going for gemstones; the first two succeeded, but the last one failed with a 1. Since Valar's player has moved away now, this ties up that aspect of things nicely.) The party tried to decide how in heck to get out of Pain Mountain, and were trying to figure out a way to use the Rings in order to teleport back to their Tower and *not* leave Fluffy behind. Yovaire said suddenly, "I can get us back. I can get us all back."</p><p></p><p>"How?" asked Marcus suspiciously.</p><p></p><p>Yovaire shrugged. "The sword, I... I guess. It can teleport us all."</p><p></p><p>After some discussion, they decided to go through with it, and found themselves in a well-lit dwarven-built room, amid a cloud of fine white powder, with a squadron of Dwarven Defenders levelling crossbows at them and demanding to know how outsiders had found the location of the Hall of the High King, where no non-dwarves have ever set foot previously. The party was placed under arrest, went willingly, and their items subjected to investigation. All except Valar, who curiously refused to put down the Heart of the Mountain, and used some kind of a mental persuasion magic to make the guards leave him alone and forget the gem was there.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Pacio49, post: 2532901, member: 28472"] [b]The Heart of the Mountain[/b] Merradh the ghostly Paladin (corporeal, but something weird happening with his energy) made sure the party was aboard the boat and then navigated them out onto the Sunless Sea. As they went, they noticed a large column of rock connecting the cavern's ceiling to the sea just ahead. With crystal outcroppings twinkling faintly with an unearthly glow, they saw as they approached that embedded within the pillar of stone was a shape that looked like a Great Wyrm rising up in flight, wings extended up into the ceiling. At different points throughout there were tunnels and paths entering the stone and circling it, ledges that glowed with inner crystal light, strange flickering shadows, and an overall feeling of power that grew as they approached. Also as they approached, they saw that the water itself was turning silvery, looking like molten quicksilver, and all of the spellcasters felt the physical presence of power emanating from all around them. Merradh cautioned them all, "Don't touch the water here. It is the raw power of the earth which leaches into the sea around this island, condensing into the liquid known as earthblood. Only the most powerful of spellcasters have a hope of taming its power, and what does not control magic is in turn controlled by it. Don't touch the water." They made it to the small landing amid the Sunless Sea, and Merradh led them into a cavern that led upward into the crystal-lined caves. The party came out into a large room high up in the pillar in which was set the fabled gem, the Heart of the Mountain. About the size of a small pumpkin, it was a clear crystal that pulsed with power and glowed with a light of its own. A multitude of facets sparkled brightly, and it rested upon a stalactite of crystal. Merradh stepped forward into the chamber and bade the party halt. "Now the price must be paid. The Heart of the Mountain will indeed accompany you, who are of good intent. However, do not be fooled. The dragon Excelsior's Heart Gem is not a light burden. Whomever touches the gem is bound to the gem until the Heart passes to another. Once it is taken, whoever has taken it must bear the gem, and serve the gem, until the burden is passed on." The party began to discuss options, and told Merradh that they intended to use the gem to power Karral's Tower. Merradh smiled and nodded, and said "Then whoever takes the Gem will be bound to the Tower itself for so long as the gem is used." The party decided to rest up and discuss the matter, to take action the next morning. They returned to one of the lower ledges and slept. In the morning, they looked for Merradh, but the paladin was gone. "Well," said Marcus, "It's clear that I need to be the one to take the gem, since being bound to a Tower isn't that bad for a mage." "No," said Yovaire. "I think that you're going to be needed for something else if Mysta's visions to Tiriel were correct." "Well it's certainly not you," said Arien. "You've got the Sword of the Last Hope. You can't be tied down to a Tower." "Why is Merradh missing?" asked Tybok. Narya looked around, then came to a leap of intuition. "Because he's dead." "Whaddya mean he's dead? He can't die. Not unless..." said Tybok. "...unless someone has already taken the gem." Narya finished. The whole party turned as one and looked at Valar. "What? Why is everyone looking at me?" he asked. "Valar, did you take the Heart of the Mountain?" Arien asked crossly. "I didn't take it," he said. For a moment, the party was puzzled, until he said, "I just... wanted to see what a gem like that weighed. I picked it up, but I put it right back down again!" So Valar had unwittingly chosen to bear the gem. (I rolled three will saves for Valar, since his character has an established history of being unable to stop sticky fingers from going for gemstones; the first two succeeded, but the last one failed with a 1. Since Valar's player has moved away now, this ties up that aspect of things nicely.) The party tried to decide how in heck to get out of Pain Mountain, and were trying to figure out a way to use the Rings in order to teleport back to their Tower and *not* leave Fluffy behind. Yovaire said suddenly, "I can get us back. I can get us all back." "How?" asked Marcus suspiciously. Yovaire shrugged. "The sword, I... I guess. It can teleport us all." After some discussion, they decided to go through with it, and found themselves in a well-lit dwarven-built room, amid a cloud of fine white powder, with a squadron of Dwarven Defenders levelling crossbows at them and demanding to know how outsiders had found the location of the Hall of the High King, where no non-dwarves have ever set foot previously. The party was placed under arrest, went willingly, and their items subjected to investigation. All except Valar, who curiously refused to put down the Heart of the Mountain, and used some kind of a mental persuasion magic to make the guards leave him alone and forget the gem was there. [/QUOTE]
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