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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Aethan" data-source="post: 111176" data-attributes="member: 3270">Daeron’s Journals 44 ((take 2))**Notes to follow**My dear Aldar,Quite a frustrating turn of events. I am beginning to think there is no end to the wondrous variety of dangers to find down here, not least from one's companions. I am, however, getting ahead of myself. I shall begin at the beginning.  *You’ll recall that we had agreed to write up a contract with the illithid.  We had a great deal of debate as to exactly how to word this contract, but we were satisfied that the final form we came up with was the best choice. We returned to the illithid with our contract, and they seemed to find the terms acceptable. With signatures affixed on either side, our pact was sealed. The illithids provided us with what Zerai calls a dorje. It looks like a wand, made out of crystal, and he says it will allow us to communicate with the illithid when we are ready to make the assault.After this, we retreated to our encampment and spent some time debating our next move.  It seems that most of us are interested in exploring the sunken elven city, and it has been suggested that we can travel through the Ethereal Plane to get there, as we will then not require the ability to breathe or move through water. We can investigate via the ethereal and then, if we find ought of interest, cast magicks and enter the real world.We decided, however, to postpone this and explore an island which is shown on our map but not marked with any legend.  We assumed it would be a good chance to practice our seamanship close to the main shore. We traveled to the shore, and, as weariness stole on us, we could see the island off through the mists. We encamped, and I tried some fishing, but to no avail. The next day, I cast a spell to seek fish, but there are apparently none in the Sunless Sea.With Heric controlling the weather and Zerai and Xanthius as our guides, we actually seem to be a fairly able ship’s crew.  I’m still not ready to trust our fates on the open ocean, but we made it to the island without incident. After a number of maneuvers to try and find a way to land on the jagged rocks, I used a power from my Robe to create a bridge to the shore. We then folded up our boat and went ashore. On the island, there were ruins of buildings, but very few clues as to whom the inhabitants might have been. When I discovered a trapdoor in one of the foundations, we opened it and descended the stairway it revealed.It quickly became clear that this was not just some farmer’s root cellar. As we entered the first chamber, a magic mouth spell was activated. It cried out “Intruder!” and then spikes started flying at us from the far wall. Naidaushas and I, who were leading the party, dodged into a side corridor…and then something invisible started attacking me! I was buffeted by powerful blows, and I quickly put up the warding protection of my Robe. Although it was difficult to fight the beast, we finally slew it, and then we proceeded, cautiously.Sometime back, Heric created a permanent detect magic on himself. Today, I was very glad he had, for he warned us that the corridor ahead was magickal. After a moment, he announced it was illusion type magick. We paused, and stared at it, and several people thought they saw a pit. I tossed a coin down the corridor, for it still seemed normal to me, and then I saw it drop through the floor. In order to protect us, I used another wall of stone from my Robe to seal it. I confidently walked forward…and ran facefirst into the far end of the corridor, which was spiked and covered with some manner of residue. I believe the residue was poisonous, but I don’t think I got any in my wounds. The spikes didn’t penetrate my stoneskin, in any case. We stepped back, and Zerai used the power of his mind to forcethe door open. As he did so, we saw a study, and, within it, a figure in robes, who began to cast magic at us.Zerai cannily stepped to my side and we teleported next to this mage. I was loathe to attack, but, as she seemed intent on throwing offensive magicks at us, I decided to protect my friends first and administer healing afterwards. I slashed my blade...right through the figure. It was merely an illusion! I called out a warning to my friends and turned my head...and froze, as syllables of magick erupted from the empty air nearby. I was held paralyzed by some manner of spell, and there was nothing to do to aid my companions. Worse, I could not even see how they fared.Realizing how dangerous my position was, I invoked a power of my robe, which responds to my will, rather than my words, and sank into the stone to wait out the spell's grip. I heard shouting, and strange foul voices, and many fireballs erupting. What I did not hear, however, was the scream of the mage who had imprisoned me. Finally, the grip of the spell passed. I took a moment to cast several magicks of magick and enhancement upon myself and then rose back out of the stone. My friends informed me that some manner of fiends had been summoned, and that, while they had been dispatched, the mage had fled. Worse, Silvermane and Zerai were missing. Zerai had, apparently, been struck by some magickal fear and fled using his powers of transportive magick. Silvermane, however, had been struck by a spoell from the invisible mage, and his fate was unknown. After Zerai did not return, we surmised that he must have run out of energy for the day and that he would return the next morning. Baer very reluctantly agreed to cast a spell to find out where Silvermane had gone. Several of the group exchanged glances with me. His dislike of Silvermane was getting out of hand. Little did I know what else would be said in the next day or so. **The next day, Zerai did not return immediately. Concerned, Heric cast a spell of scrying. He saw Zerai in the form of a falcon, flying near the shores of the Sunless Sea. We knew then that he was safely returning. Sadly, his scrying of Silvermane did not paint so rosy a picture. Silvermane is, apparently, in Hell...quite literally. He is under some kind of magick which saps his intelligence, and he is leashed by an insect-headed demon on a throne. Heric explained this to the rest of us...and all chaos broke loose.While this was sinking in for the rest of us, Baer rather haughtily replied that this silent, drooling state was a pleasant change from Silvermane's usual haranging. Xanthius became so furious that he literally drew his bow and shot Baer with a fiery arrow. Nai sprang to Baer's protection and wrestled with Xanthius a moment. Xanthius broke off, caled Baer some rather choice words and announced he had made his decision...that he was leaving at once.And I? I did nothing. I watched Xanthius attack Baer. I folded my arms. I watched Nai attack Xanthius. Still I did not move. Only when Xanthius announced his decision to leave did I do anything.I quietly told him that I envied him.My spirit is not, of late, what it has been, my nephew. I hope you are not ashamed of your Uncle for this. For one moment, I considered going with him. I thought of the sun on the trees, and I knew that not one member of the party could stop me if  I chose to leave.But I stayed. I wished Xanthius farewell. I gave him one of the first treasures I'd found on this quest, and he gave me his hip flask. It is a strong gesture. He gave items of magick to the others. I wonder if they think I feel slighted. I do not. I am honored. Further so because he did not pull away when I embraced him, and he told me that Heric and I were the closest he had to kin. Baer tried to apologize, but Xanthius simply told him to keep well. Zerai appeared as he was getting ready to go, and I know farewells were said al laround, but I could not bear it any longer. I waited until Heric took Xanthius away to Almathia, and then I went and spent a few hours within the stone. I am finding there is a deep quiet in the stone that I am learning to love. ***When Heric returned, he had a strange companion with him - a blue skinned person named Aman-Jafar. Jafar is a bard, and, apprently, the child of a union beteen an aquatic elf and some kind of water genie. I was not in a good mood for introductions, but he seems an affable sort, and actually rather excited about the idea of traveling to Hell. Strange fellow.We then split up to do some research. Jafar, Heric, and I went to the library of Dunwall's Academy of Magicks, while Nai, Baer, and Zerai went to the Temple of Solinaria. Our group learned little, save that the type of fiend we were facing is something called a gelugon, and that they are normally foot-soliders. This one appears to have risen somewhat in their hierarchy. We returned, as did the others, but something bad had transpired.Apparently Zerai's teleportation had misfired, and he had placed the party on an island with a stone obelisk surrounded by kuo-toa. Before Zerai could teleport them al away, Finslayer had gleefully atempted to force Baer to attack them, but he had resisted. Upon his return, however, there was clearly agitation. Finslayer began berating him, and I again did nothing. Baer has, apprently, been promising the blade that they will kill kuo-toa very soon, and the sword has tired of his lies. It was screaming in all of our heads until I managed to get it just to talk to Baer. In Baer's mutterings, however, Nai heard words suggesting that Baer was offering Finslayer a chance to attack Silvermane after his rescue. Our normally placcid paladin reached hte end of his patience. He struck Baer and spoke out against him furiously. Baer sulked away, and Heric and I, who had briefly talked about the need to talk to the others about Baer, decided that we could wait no longer. ****I will not go into details on the talk that followed, but we reached three conclusions.1. We needed a captain. Although I have never wanted to be such, I am now, at least temporarily, the Captain of the Company of the Morning Star.2. Finslayer needed to be put away for now. The sword was not particularly happy, but I think it understood some of what I was trying to explain to it: that we needed to be able to focus on goals other than killing kuo-toa, and that we would no longer waste its time on lesser foes.3. Baer needed a good talking to, followed by the understanding that he was being given one last chance. Words against our fellow questers could not be tolerated, for they are driving a wedge between us. We have already lost Xanthius. We explained to Baer that, although we did not wish to, if he did not clean up his act, we would be asking him to leave. I felt almost bad for Baer...he was so shocked by this, but he agreed, and he sees more than eager to prove his loyalty, even to the point of volunteering to rescue Silvermane on his own.We then began the most difficult part of the discussion...the decision whether or not to attempt to rescue Silvermane. I am saddened to admit that, give nour current resources, I am not at all certain we can do it. We have voted, and it seems that we shall have to beg Silvermane's forgiveness. We are still considering some options, however, so I pray that we may yet figure out a way it may be done. Heric now seems to believe that he could learn a teleport spell to allow us all to travel together. If he can do this, then we may have a chance. Zerai is more in favor of a small team going in to do this, while Nai is adamant that we should go in force or not at all. *****We must talk on it more, and I have to think strongly as to what path we will choose. Pray for us, nephew. We need whatever aid the gods can spare if we are going to Hell.Your loving Uncle,Daeron* Now, if you read this a week or two ago, you will notice that this entry is not quite the same. It now refers to three game sessions. Session 1 starts at the beginning and goes up to the point where we get the door open and see the illusory sorceress. Session 2 was that fight. Session 3 began with Heric's scrying and ran to the end of the entry. When I wrote the original entry, I wasn't sure what would happen with the sorceress, so I wrote a sort of vague entry. Now, however, the full story can be told. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f609.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=";)" title="Wink    ;)"  data-smilie="2"data-shortname=";)" />** So, this was the battle where NOTHING went right. We almost lost several party members to fireballs the devils were casting right inthe middle of combat (due to their immunity to fire). Naidaushas and I both mised our saving throws and were paralyzed. Baer got hit with an Otto's Irresistable Dance. Silvermane got febleminded and then hit by a purple ray from a Prismatic Spray, so he was planeshifted. Zerai was hit with fear, and he teleported away. When the spell ended, he tried to come back...and rolled a teleport mishap. And Jason decided to end it there. We had no idea where Zerai or Silvermane was. Very bad scene. A low point for the group, on some levels.*** Poor Daeron keeps losing all the people he likes and respects most. At least Heric has stuck with the group through thick and thin. And, yes, Xanthius' player did all this quite willingly and brought in his new character, Aman-Jafar, almost immediately.**** Ah, swords with an ego. I think Baer's player finally understood what we'd been warning him about. And his roleplaying of the whole thing was pretty entertaining. Sort of like Bilbo with the Ring. He loves Finslayer, but he's angry with the sword, too. He reluctantly agreed that Finslayer taking a time-out in the bag of holding was good.***** My heart goes out to Silvermane's player, who would be making character #4 if he made a new character to join us. I guess we need to decide what we're gonna do soon. If Heric can get mass eleport on a scroll or something, then I think we're gonna go for it, with or without Zerai, who doesn't like the idea of going into Hell in force at all.Ah well, that's it for now. More next week, I hope.- Andy</blockquote>

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