arwink
Clockwork Golem
Spoiler Warning for my Players: The next two updates are things that ahppened out of session, and involves various campaign information that your characters don't yet know. Although it's being included for the sake of completeness, I leave it up to you to make the decision as to whether you want to read it. I trust you enough to spereate in character and out of character knowledge without difficultly, but there are...surprises...in here that you may prefer to find out the old fashioned way - in game. If so, stop reading now and come back in two updates time 
Roughly 13th of September
Halgo's asleep, resting in the small room he's renting above Gladys Halroth's Millinery store. Everyone else has been searching for the dragons treasure and doing the churches bidding, but Halgo has spent his weeks studying. His casting has improved in leaps and bounds, and he's mastered spells of of the second order for the first time. These few days since he finished studying with Etrius, the local hedge wizard, he's spent in his room scribing scroll after scroll in preperation for future adventures. It's a grueling process in many ways, far more complex than any layperson would think the act of writing could be. Every scroll has been invested with the tiniest sliver of Halgo's life essence to seal its power. Every night he's been falling into his bed, and every morning the sun calls him back to the desk to start the process again. Tonight he decided enough was enough, sleep would get the priority.
Which is why he's less than pleased to be shocked awake by a loud Whump, a sound that's frighteningly simlar to a spellbook being slapped onto a table. For a moment struggles against consciousness, his sleepy mind musing on how long it's been since he last heard that sound. Spellbooks and tables were one of his mentor, Milo's, favorite tricks when his apprentice snoozed in the old gnomes study.
Then it occurs to him that he's not actually heard the sound since he was last asleep in the old gnomes study, and that's many miles away.
Halgo opens his eyes by the barest of slits, trying to keep his breathing even. He can see the room perfectly, the mahogany study-desk and patchwork curtains perfectly visible in the light. This doesn't bode well for someone who expects to see his room in the black and white monochrome of darkvision.
Whatever's arrived, it's brought its own light source.
With exaggerated care, Halgo opens his eyes and looks around the room. The light is being shed by a small puff of flame, dancing merrily near the ceiling. Leaning against the far wall is a chalk-skinned man in dark robes, taller than the average human but with a golden sheen to his eyes when they catch the light. He seems relaxed, unconcerned with the possibility of attack or the awkwardness of the situation. For a moment it seems as though he's about to speak, but he doesn't. Instead he stares, seeming to study Halgo with a detached sense of curiosity.
"Ancestors," Halgo thinks, his mind suddenly leaping into action. He searches his memory for a spell to cast, instinct leading him to color spray, but he's still sluggish and slow to recall spells after a days scribing. Secondary options are considered - the crossbow stored under the bead, the club resting against the far wall, Milo's wand of shocking grasps in a pocket of the pack at the foot of the bed. None can be reached in time.
Still the pale man smiles, as though waiting for Halgo to make the first move.
"Wait," Halgo thinks, "There's no need to wake me. If he meant harm, I'd be dead in my sleep."
He sits up slowly in bed, reaching deliberately over his shoulders for a pair of spectacles that are placed on his nose with exaggerated precision. It takes a few moments of adjusting to get the exact position right, but once it is Halgo looks to the stranger with a raised eyebrow.
"Good evening. How can I help you?"
The man shakes his head, a faintly disturbing motion that seems alien and insect-like. His golden eyes blink, once, before he starts speaking.
"Ah. Our appologise", he says. His voice is deep and smooth, as though it's been dipped in warm mud. "We weren't expecting...well...one of your folk."
A slight grin crosses his face, the slightest curling of pale lips that could almost be regarded as pleasant.
"You *are* Halgo, aren't you? We haven't found myself in the wrong room?"
"Aye. Halgo Torke," Halgo says. "Though I'm surprised you've heard of me. Or at least, surprised you've heard of me without hearing what I am."
Halgo stands, stretches and pours himself a glass of water from a jug on the nightstand. Even as he moves, he's calculating the distance from the bed to the window, planning escapes should they prove necessary.
"Can I offer you a drink, Mister .... ?"
"Kelpreth," the strange says. "Just Kelpreth. Our people don't believe in titles or honorifics, we simply are who we are. And we think something a little stronger would be pleasant, given the hour"
Kelpreth leans forwards with a look on intense concentration on his face. He touches the jug of water, and the hairs rise up on the back of Halgo's neck as he pours. He grits his teeth, sure the strangers just cast some spell but not sure what. There is the vaguest hint of a flinch in his reaction.
"Your people?" Halgo asks, trying to cover his nervousness. "And who might they be? I don't recognise your race."
The stranger smiles and raises an eyebrow. The smell of warmed honey mead rises from the water jug, filling the air with a faintly cloying scent.
"We're human," Kelpreth explains, "We've just freed ourselves from certain...planar complications. We're now more of a clan than a race. We think we're known as the Ki'rath in this world. We are an acquaintance of your Mentor, the Sage Padbottom. He thought you might have use of our services, sooner or later. We were finally in a position to track you down."
He gestures for Halgo to pour the mead, slowly sips his cup one one is handed to him.
"Ahh, perfectt. One of the few pleasures we miss from this world. Something always goes wrong with the taste when we try it elsewhere. We spent cycles trying to remember where it came from."
He waves his hands, motioning for Halgo to drink, then pulls a small pendent from a pack at his side. He holds it forward, and Halgo can make out some form of silvery metal bearing ornate runes.
"For you," Kelpreth says. "You make examine it magically before touching it, of course."
Halgo nods his thanks, quickly muttering the cantrip to detect magic. A quick study of the pendent reveals minor magic, of the divination school. Halgo also recognizes the rune, vaguely, from his studies. He can recall Milo mentioning the Ki'Rath, a group of extraplanar merchants , but few details beyond that.
"I would have thought Milo would have mentioned my race," Halgo offers, then smiles at the memory of his mentor. "Perhaps not. It might have been his idea of a joke to let you find out for yourself."
"Milo didn't actually tell us that much," Kelpreth admits. "Your name came up during a transaction, and he explained you were once his student. We've always had a great deal of respect for Milo's students. Several of them have gone on to great things, and have become very reliable customers."
Halgo nods, barely listening. Components are pulled from his pouch as surruptitously as possible, followed by a quick chant uder his breath. A protection from evil springs into existence around the dwarf, sparkling motes of light suddenly circling him.
"If he's planar, this'll fix him," Halgo thinks. He holds his hand forward to accept the amulet, keeping it just short of the edge of the protection barrier. Kelpreth simply smiles, and the look of concentration washes over his face again. The amulet rises up, floating from the strangers pale hand to Halgo's.
"It's our calling card," Kelpreth explains. "Through it, we can contact you and, more importantly, you can contact us. Simply hold the pendent and concentrate, and someone shall answer. Perhaps not me, but someone will come, sooner or later. We are procurers of the arcane, the eldritch and the unknown, trading with beings across a thousand planes. You'll find none better. Be it rare component, rare creatures or unknown magics, there is nothing we cannot find."
There's a slight pause, another insect-like crick of the neck. Halgo isn't sure why, but he gets the feeling that Kelpreth is embarrassed.
"Which is partially why we are here. You see...We're looking for a memory. Specifically, the memory of learning a spell, and we were wondering if you'd care to trade one of yours?"
"My selection of spells is limited ..." Halgo admits, then pauses to let Kelpreth's request sink in. "What do you mean, my 'memoy of learning a spell'? It sounds like you want to copy one of my memories and give it to someone else ... you can do that?"
Kelpreths grin is wide, perhaps not as calming as he would hope.
"Well, technically, we can't copy the learning of the spell. We need to remove it. Permanently. The parts of your mind that comprehend and shape the magic are simply transferred into a storage-device, and given over to another client."
Kelpreth pulls a slim wand from his belt, waves it once through the air in demonstration.
"But it is possible, yes, if one knows the proper spells. It does have some drawbacks, of course. It's rare that anyone has ever managed to relearn a spell once it's stripped from them. A great sacrifice, we know, so we are prepared to offer what we consider more than adequate compensation."
Halgo watches the slim, pale hand dip into the hand again. When it emerges, it carries a stone the size of a fist that glows with light. Small motes of energy dance around it in an erratic orbit, and the still functioning detect magic shows a sudden surge in power. Halgo takes a moment to focus his attention on the stone, and instantly the radiance from his spell flares to the point of blinding.Halgo squints, instinctively throwing a hand in front of his eyes.
"We offer you this," Kelpreth says simply.
"And what is that?"
Kelpreth closes his fist over the stone, dimming the radiance a little.
"It's a wisp of god-essence," he says, and Halgo supresses a shudder at how casually he says it.
"A goddess actually. A lady of magic, now doomed by her own hand. I'm not sure of the details, but she's no longer in a position to miss it, we assure you. If you ever find the time to visit the Astral, we could probably even organize a short trip to her corporeal remains. There's been some scavenging for the god-flesh, but it's still relatively whole"
He opens his hand again, and holds the stone at eye level. The shimmering silver radiance flares to illuminate the entire room like a flash of lightening.
"She exists now only as pure magical energy. Perfect for powering spells, easing the loss of personal essence that comes with binding magic into mundane objects, or fueling the mind and body. We're not entirely sure how much energy we captured, but it's in there and it should be enough to last some time. If you truly wish, you could even use the energy to summon her back for a short time."
"Interesting," Halgo says, internally trying to quiet the part of his mind that's shuddering in revulsion at the very thought of scavenging essence from a god. "What exactly do you want in return?"
"The memory of learning a spell, as we said," Kelpreth says. "It doesn't particularly matter which one, but it must be of the first order or higher. Minor cantrips will be of no use to the third party."
Halgo considers this for a few moments. There's something wrong here, something he can't quite put his finger on. There's no spell in his repertoire that can't be found easily enough, imitated and cast by a hundred other mages.
"It's an intriguing offer," he says eventually. "Unfortunately, I need all the spells I have now. My selection is limited enough without giving one up - quite possibly permanently."
Halgo places his drink on the table, still untouched, and walks to the window. The shutters are thrown open, letting a sudden gust of fresh air into the small room. He gazes out over the town, watching the lights of other houses in the distance.
"Now, if you were willing to wait a few weeks, I might be able to help. But I expect there are many other sources you could get something as trivial as this. The world is full of fledgling wizards."
"True, there are many," Kelpreth admits, "But few have you're lineage or training. We've had great success with Padbottoms students before, and we were hoping to continue in that tradition."
He sighs and places his cup next to Halgo's.
"Very well, if that's your decision. We must be on our way. The customer will not be pleased if this order isn't fulfilled, and time is becoming increasingly short. It was a pleasure to meet with you, Halgo, Student of Padbottom. If there is ever anything we may do for you, do not hesitate to use the pendent."
Halgo turns, looks into Kelpreths pales eyes once more.
"I'm sorry I could not be of more help," he says. "I trust that you will be able to meet your customer's order. No doubt your resources are ... extensive."
Halgo walks back to his belongings, slipping the pendent into a pouch. "
I will contact you if I have need of your services. I'm sure there will be many things you could acquire for me."
"Many things. Anything, really, if the price is right."
Kelpreth smiles, placing the wisp of god essence and the wand back into his belt pouch. He offers Halgo a slight bow, then slowly fades from sight, seeming to shimmer away into nothingness with the sound of a hundred hornets in the air.
Halgo waits five seconds, counting them off after Kelpreth disappears, before he allows himself a grimace of distaste. When he's sure the Kelpreth is gone, he walks to the table and scoops up the jug and cups before heading to the kitchen.
"Oh well," he thinks. "My things needed a wash anyway."
Roughly 13th of September
Halgo's asleep, resting in the small room he's renting above Gladys Halroth's Millinery store. Everyone else has been searching for the dragons treasure and doing the churches bidding, but Halgo has spent his weeks studying. His casting has improved in leaps and bounds, and he's mastered spells of of the second order for the first time. These few days since he finished studying with Etrius, the local hedge wizard, he's spent in his room scribing scroll after scroll in preperation for future adventures. It's a grueling process in many ways, far more complex than any layperson would think the act of writing could be. Every scroll has been invested with the tiniest sliver of Halgo's life essence to seal its power. Every night he's been falling into his bed, and every morning the sun calls him back to the desk to start the process again. Tonight he decided enough was enough, sleep would get the priority.
Which is why he's less than pleased to be shocked awake by a loud Whump, a sound that's frighteningly simlar to a spellbook being slapped onto a table. For a moment struggles against consciousness, his sleepy mind musing on how long it's been since he last heard that sound. Spellbooks and tables were one of his mentor, Milo's, favorite tricks when his apprentice snoozed in the old gnomes study.
Then it occurs to him that he's not actually heard the sound since he was last asleep in the old gnomes study, and that's many miles away.
Halgo opens his eyes by the barest of slits, trying to keep his breathing even. He can see the room perfectly, the mahogany study-desk and patchwork curtains perfectly visible in the light. This doesn't bode well for someone who expects to see his room in the black and white monochrome of darkvision.
Whatever's arrived, it's brought its own light source.
With exaggerated care, Halgo opens his eyes and looks around the room. The light is being shed by a small puff of flame, dancing merrily near the ceiling. Leaning against the far wall is a chalk-skinned man in dark robes, taller than the average human but with a golden sheen to his eyes when they catch the light. He seems relaxed, unconcerned with the possibility of attack or the awkwardness of the situation. For a moment it seems as though he's about to speak, but he doesn't. Instead he stares, seeming to study Halgo with a detached sense of curiosity.
"Ancestors," Halgo thinks, his mind suddenly leaping into action. He searches his memory for a spell to cast, instinct leading him to color spray, but he's still sluggish and slow to recall spells after a days scribing. Secondary options are considered - the crossbow stored under the bead, the club resting against the far wall, Milo's wand of shocking grasps in a pocket of the pack at the foot of the bed. None can be reached in time.
Still the pale man smiles, as though waiting for Halgo to make the first move.
"Wait," Halgo thinks, "There's no need to wake me. If he meant harm, I'd be dead in my sleep."
He sits up slowly in bed, reaching deliberately over his shoulders for a pair of spectacles that are placed on his nose with exaggerated precision. It takes a few moments of adjusting to get the exact position right, but once it is Halgo looks to the stranger with a raised eyebrow.
"Good evening. How can I help you?"
The man shakes his head, a faintly disturbing motion that seems alien and insect-like. His golden eyes blink, once, before he starts speaking.
"Ah. Our appologise", he says. His voice is deep and smooth, as though it's been dipped in warm mud. "We weren't expecting...well...one of your folk."
A slight grin crosses his face, the slightest curling of pale lips that could almost be regarded as pleasant.
"You *are* Halgo, aren't you? We haven't found myself in the wrong room?"
"Aye. Halgo Torke," Halgo says. "Though I'm surprised you've heard of me. Or at least, surprised you've heard of me without hearing what I am."
Halgo stands, stretches and pours himself a glass of water from a jug on the nightstand. Even as he moves, he's calculating the distance from the bed to the window, planning escapes should they prove necessary.
"Can I offer you a drink, Mister .... ?"
"Kelpreth," the strange says. "Just Kelpreth. Our people don't believe in titles or honorifics, we simply are who we are. And we think something a little stronger would be pleasant, given the hour"
Kelpreth leans forwards with a look on intense concentration on his face. He touches the jug of water, and the hairs rise up on the back of Halgo's neck as he pours. He grits his teeth, sure the strangers just cast some spell but not sure what. There is the vaguest hint of a flinch in his reaction.
"Your people?" Halgo asks, trying to cover his nervousness. "And who might they be? I don't recognise your race."
The stranger smiles and raises an eyebrow. The smell of warmed honey mead rises from the water jug, filling the air with a faintly cloying scent.
"We're human," Kelpreth explains, "We've just freed ourselves from certain...planar complications. We're now more of a clan than a race. We think we're known as the Ki'rath in this world. We are an acquaintance of your Mentor, the Sage Padbottom. He thought you might have use of our services, sooner or later. We were finally in a position to track you down."
He gestures for Halgo to pour the mead, slowly sips his cup one one is handed to him.
"Ahh, perfectt. One of the few pleasures we miss from this world. Something always goes wrong with the taste when we try it elsewhere. We spent cycles trying to remember where it came from."
He waves his hands, motioning for Halgo to drink, then pulls a small pendent from a pack at his side. He holds it forward, and Halgo can make out some form of silvery metal bearing ornate runes.
"For you," Kelpreth says. "You make examine it magically before touching it, of course."
Halgo nods his thanks, quickly muttering the cantrip to detect magic. A quick study of the pendent reveals minor magic, of the divination school. Halgo also recognizes the rune, vaguely, from his studies. He can recall Milo mentioning the Ki'Rath, a group of extraplanar merchants , but few details beyond that.
"I would have thought Milo would have mentioned my race," Halgo offers, then smiles at the memory of his mentor. "Perhaps not. It might have been his idea of a joke to let you find out for yourself."
"Milo didn't actually tell us that much," Kelpreth admits. "Your name came up during a transaction, and he explained you were once his student. We've always had a great deal of respect for Milo's students. Several of them have gone on to great things, and have become very reliable customers."
Halgo nods, barely listening. Components are pulled from his pouch as surruptitously as possible, followed by a quick chant uder his breath. A protection from evil springs into existence around the dwarf, sparkling motes of light suddenly circling him.
"If he's planar, this'll fix him," Halgo thinks. He holds his hand forward to accept the amulet, keeping it just short of the edge of the protection barrier. Kelpreth simply smiles, and the look of concentration washes over his face again. The amulet rises up, floating from the strangers pale hand to Halgo's.
"It's our calling card," Kelpreth explains. "Through it, we can contact you and, more importantly, you can contact us. Simply hold the pendent and concentrate, and someone shall answer. Perhaps not me, but someone will come, sooner or later. We are procurers of the arcane, the eldritch and the unknown, trading with beings across a thousand planes. You'll find none better. Be it rare component, rare creatures or unknown magics, there is nothing we cannot find."
There's a slight pause, another insect-like crick of the neck. Halgo isn't sure why, but he gets the feeling that Kelpreth is embarrassed.
"Which is partially why we are here. You see...We're looking for a memory. Specifically, the memory of learning a spell, and we were wondering if you'd care to trade one of yours?"
"My selection of spells is limited ..." Halgo admits, then pauses to let Kelpreth's request sink in. "What do you mean, my 'memoy of learning a spell'? It sounds like you want to copy one of my memories and give it to someone else ... you can do that?"
Kelpreths grin is wide, perhaps not as calming as he would hope.
"Well, technically, we can't copy the learning of the spell. We need to remove it. Permanently. The parts of your mind that comprehend and shape the magic are simply transferred into a storage-device, and given over to another client."
Kelpreth pulls a slim wand from his belt, waves it once through the air in demonstration.
"But it is possible, yes, if one knows the proper spells. It does have some drawbacks, of course. It's rare that anyone has ever managed to relearn a spell once it's stripped from them. A great sacrifice, we know, so we are prepared to offer what we consider more than adequate compensation."
Halgo watches the slim, pale hand dip into the hand again. When it emerges, it carries a stone the size of a fist that glows with light. Small motes of energy dance around it in an erratic orbit, and the still functioning detect magic shows a sudden surge in power. Halgo takes a moment to focus his attention on the stone, and instantly the radiance from his spell flares to the point of blinding.Halgo squints, instinctively throwing a hand in front of his eyes.
"We offer you this," Kelpreth says simply.
"And what is that?"
Kelpreth closes his fist over the stone, dimming the radiance a little.
"It's a wisp of god-essence," he says, and Halgo supresses a shudder at how casually he says it.
"A goddess actually. A lady of magic, now doomed by her own hand. I'm not sure of the details, but she's no longer in a position to miss it, we assure you. If you ever find the time to visit the Astral, we could probably even organize a short trip to her corporeal remains. There's been some scavenging for the god-flesh, but it's still relatively whole"
He opens his hand again, and holds the stone at eye level. The shimmering silver radiance flares to illuminate the entire room like a flash of lightening.
"She exists now only as pure magical energy. Perfect for powering spells, easing the loss of personal essence that comes with binding magic into mundane objects, or fueling the mind and body. We're not entirely sure how much energy we captured, but it's in there and it should be enough to last some time. If you truly wish, you could even use the energy to summon her back for a short time."
"Interesting," Halgo says, internally trying to quiet the part of his mind that's shuddering in revulsion at the very thought of scavenging essence from a god. "What exactly do you want in return?"
"The memory of learning a spell, as we said," Kelpreth says. "It doesn't particularly matter which one, but it must be of the first order or higher. Minor cantrips will be of no use to the third party."
Halgo considers this for a few moments. There's something wrong here, something he can't quite put his finger on. There's no spell in his repertoire that can't be found easily enough, imitated and cast by a hundred other mages.
"It's an intriguing offer," he says eventually. "Unfortunately, I need all the spells I have now. My selection is limited enough without giving one up - quite possibly permanently."
Halgo places his drink on the table, still untouched, and walks to the window. The shutters are thrown open, letting a sudden gust of fresh air into the small room. He gazes out over the town, watching the lights of other houses in the distance.
"Now, if you were willing to wait a few weeks, I might be able to help. But I expect there are many other sources you could get something as trivial as this. The world is full of fledgling wizards."
"True, there are many," Kelpreth admits, "But few have you're lineage or training. We've had great success with Padbottoms students before, and we were hoping to continue in that tradition."
He sighs and places his cup next to Halgo's.
"Very well, if that's your decision. We must be on our way. The customer will not be pleased if this order isn't fulfilled, and time is becoming increasingly short. It was a pleasure to meet with you, Halgo, Student of Padbottom. If there is ever anything we may do for you, do not hesitate to use the pendent."
Halgo turns, looks into Kelpreths pales eyes once more.
"I'm sorry I could not be of more help," he says. "I trust that you will be able to meet your customer's order. No doubt your resources are ... extensive."
Halgo walks back to his belongings, slipping the pendent into a pouch. "
I will contact you if I have need of your services. I'm sure there will be many things you could acquire for me."
"Many things. Anything, really, if the price is right."
Kelpreth smiles, placing the wisp of god essence and the wand back into his belt pouch. He offers Halgo a slight bow, then slowly fades from sight, seeming to shimmer away into nothingness with the sound of a hundred hornets in the air.
Halgo waits five seconds, counting them off after Kelpreth disappears, before he allows himself a grimace of distaste. When he's sure the Kelpreth is gone, he walks to the table and scoops up the jug and cups before heading to the kitchen.
"Oh well," he thinks. "My things needed a wash anyway."
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