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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Lazybones" data-source="post: 202424" data-attributes="member: 143">MoH: Actually, Benzan's Arcane Schooling feat (from the FRCS) allows him to treat wizard as though it was a favored class for him.  In earlier books I established his origin as Unther, and mentioned that his mother had... um... "taken up" with a wizard for a while during her flight from...  Well, I haven't really developed that part yet, but we'll get to it!  <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />I've tried to show the conflict between Cal's high intelligence and low(er) wisdom at a few places, such as his difficulties in coming to grips with being killed and raised from the dead, and the internal conflict over his two vocational paths.  As we've all been deluged with Star Wars over the past few months, maybe I'm guilty of "yoda-fying" him. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f600.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":D" title="Big grin    :D"  data-smilie="8"data-shortname=":D" />I do appreciate the comments from those who have taken the time to examine the characters and their stats carefully.  I'm trying to keep the story "honest" within the D&D milieu.As for what's going to happen... well, other than to say that I've already set the plot for the rest of Book IV, you'll have to read to find out:  * * * * * Book IV, Part 24Benzan stood warily near where Dana and Delem were tending to Lok, an arrow fitted to his bow.  Although they had just defeated the orc and ogre forces defending the canyon encampment, he felt uneasy, as though there was a danger lurking just at the edges of his senses, a vague undercurrent of dread that sent a chill down his spine.  It was a feeling he’d felt a few times before, and each time his premonitions had been accurate.  The battlefield was quiet, for the moment.  If there were more orcs or ogres about, they’d apparently elected not to approach these obviously dangerous combatants. After winning surprise and overcoming the half-dozen orcs warding the watchtower along the canyon’s south end, they had moved quickly down the narrow trail that ran down into the canyon proper.  The footing had been treacherous, with mud from the recent storms covering seemingly everything in sight, but they were determined to strike quickly while the bulk of their magical enhancements were still in effect.  They were well within the radius of rusted machinery and crude buildings that marked the mine encampment when the first hue and cry rose up from an orc sentry, launching the quick and violent battle that had just concluded with another victory for the companions.  Lok had gone down, crushed under the sheer power of the armored ogre leader, but as Delem and Dana poured healing energy into him he seemed all right.  They had all taken something of a beating, but none of them were so naïve to think that they had reached the end of their course here.  “Here,” Cal said, approaching Benzan with his wand of healing in hand.  “You’re hurt.”  Benzan had already drunk a healing potion that had taken the sting off of his injury, but he let Cal add his own power to restore him more closely to full strength.  “I haven’t seen any prisoners,” Benzan said.  “Save those.”  He indicated the hanging bodies over the mine entrances, a gruesome sight even from this distance.  “They’re probably kept in the mines below,” Cal said.  “We’ll find them and…”“By the gods!”They all turned at Dana’s cry, and followed her gaze to the top of the cliffs to the north.  There, perched at the edge of the cliff, they could all see a sight that froze the blood in their veins.  It looked at least superficially like an ogre, if an ogre could be twenty feet tall, with a bull-shaped head capped with a pair of long, dangerous horns.  Its body seemed all muscle and bone, the former bulging as though the creature’s skin could barely contain the tensile power in its limbs.  Its face was bestial and yet its eyes, twin embers set deep within its skull, flared with a warped intelligence that was evident even more than a hundred yards away.  When those eyes swept over the companions, each felt as though a sliver of their soul was being stripped away and their inner being laid bare for the monstrosity to view.  It lifted its head and roared, an alien sound that sent a dagger of fear through the hearts of even the most stalwart among them.  “What… what is that…” Jerral breathed.“It’s a demon!” Benzan spat, the words torn from him as he stared up at the thing.  “Run…” someone said. But a moment later the demon took the initiative, vanishing in a sudden rush of air……and rematerializing an instant later, near the base of the cliff, just a stone’s throw from where they were standing.Benzan was the first to react, drawing and firing even before conscious thought.  The shot struck the creature high in the chest, but the arrow, even backed by the considerable power of Benzan’s longbow, simply glanced off of the creature’s thick hide without effect.  For a moment they could only stare at the demon, its presence even more imposing now that it was closer to them.  A heartbeat later, though, Cal’s voice cut through their indecision and fear, sounding a clear, simple command.“ALL RIGHT, LET’S KILL THAT THING!” the gnome cried.</blockquote>

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