Upgrade your account to a Community Supporter account and remove most of the site ads.

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="the Jester" data-source="post: 2142251" data-attributes="member: 1210">Time for ReadingA month passes in ten days.  A neat trick, that- the result of spending those ten days in what the Eyebrarian refers to as a Coilite plane.  Obviously, this has something to do with Coila, the implacable, relentless goddess of time.  Whatever, our heroes are just glad they can read some of those books.Their divinations- especially Orbius’ and the Eyebrarian’s- have revealed that they have enough time to pull this off before Zuzuvel returns again, and the Eyebrarian has assured our heroes that if another attack occurs before then he will have sufficient warning to alert and summon them.  He warned them to be ready to spring into action at any moment.  Curiously, the divinations could not reveal when the solar would make his next attack; but they indicated a ‘safe’ period in the immediate future.  Still, solars are dangerous and wily.  Thus, for the month (subjectively) that they spend in the Coilite plane, the group keeps their spells allotted for battle, just in case.  But it proves unnecessary; no attack comes while they read the tomes the Eyebrarian has given them. Inoke reads Techniques of the Master Warrior.  (This gives him a level in any full-BAB class- he chose warmind, iirc.)After a long struggle during which he almost decides to take Why You Should Worship Bleak in order to destroy it, Horbin instead reads the Apocrypha.  (This gives him a cleric level.)Lester reads Techniques for Building a Hardier Self. (+5 inherent bonus to con.)Orbius reads the Arcanist’s Guide to Ultimate Power. (+1 level for any arcane casting class- iirc, loremaster is what he chose.)Sybele reads Psychic Meditations for the Growing Mind. (This raised her psion level by one.)Gerontius reads Strike the Vitals!  (This added +1d6 to his sneak attack and allows him to reroll his sneak attack damage 1/day.)Lillamere reads Hidden Lore of the Elves.  (Gives a level to any elf that reads it.)Jezebel reads How to Meet People & Influence People. (+5 inherent cha bonus.)All of our heroes are pleased with their choice.  All of them grow stronger, more puissant, as they learn techniques and excercises appropriate to their nature.They’ll need it.***10/12/370 O.L.G., 11 a.m, the Library of Boccob, SigilHorbin sighs.  “I can’t fight him.  He’s a solar of Galador.  I need to stop him without fighting him.”“Do you think he’ll listen to reason?” queries Lillamere.  Horbin heaves another sigh.  “I don’t know.  He was consorting with devils!  Surely Galador doesn’t countenance that.  He might even be fallen, or something.  More likely, he’s doing what he thinks is right.  Either way, I have to try.  I can’t fight agents of the Light.”  He contemplates for a moment, then casts a sending to Zuzuvel the solar:  Leave the books alone, do not consort with devils, knowledge is sacred.The angel’s response is not promising. In the name of Galador, stand aside.Dismayed, Horbin mulls this over for a few minutes, debating how to respond.  If the solar truly is an agent of Galador, he is on very dangerous grounds opposing the angel at all.  So he casts another sending to him, hoping for some accomodation.In the name of Dexter, do not force me to step aside.  Meet with me, face to face, peaceably, at least once.This time the response is a less terse but no friendlier.  I am on a mission from God.  Stand aside or face the wrath of Heaven.Horbin struggles with his moral quandry all day.  However, at 5 pm, when he regains his spells, he issues a third sending to the solar: I too am on a mission from God, meet with me once peacefully in the name of Galador the father and Dexter the son.This time Horbin is heartened by Zuzuvel’s response.  Send to me from the shores of Heaven and I will meet you.“I wish I knew how Dexter feels about all this,” declares Horbin. “Why don’t you ask him?” suggests Lillamere, and bemused, Horbin casts commune.Must I rescind my protection from the library? No.Might I be able to verbally dissuade the solar from attacking? Perhaps.Can I say that the library is under the protection of Dexter? Yes.Will the Father protect his Son and his Son’s interestes? From His perspective.Is Law the primary master of this solar? No.Could Dexter intercede on behalf of the library to Galador? No.Is there something other than the books that the solar wants in the Library of Boccob right now? Yes.Can we provide it for him? Yes.Horbin mulls for a time, letting the presence of the divine recede from him.  It’s probably us, he realizes.  He probably wants righteous vengeance on us for destroying his team.  He considers the spells he has prepared and silently thanks Dexter that he is packing a gate. Horbin turns to the others.  “I’m going to Heaven to talk to the solar.  To try to talk sense to the solar.  This is going to be a peaceful mission, no fighting or aggression.  Does anyone want to come with me?”  There is a general chorus of agreement.“Wait, you’re going to Heaven to meet the solar?  Isn’t that his home ground?” Gerontius points out.  “Sounds like a good place for an ambush or a trap.””It’s going to be a peaceful meeting,” Horbin insists.  “He wouldn’t lie to me.”“All right,” Gerontius replies, amused.  “If you say so.”The party heads to a portal to Heaven.Next Time: Can Horbin talk sense to a solar?  Will Gerontius prove right that it’s a trap?  Find out soon!</blockquote>

Verification