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Vincent's Laboratory Notes and Footnotes (Updated December 30, 2007)
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<blockquote data-quote="Altalazar" data-source="post: 3504032" data-attributes="member: 939"><p>Thanks - I'm glad someone gets something out of this. We have evolved into an evil group of do-gooders. And now, another chapter or two. </p><p></p><p></p><p>Notes – Chapter Ninety-Nine – Families, Xorn, and diplomacy</p><p></p><p>During the course of the night, many conversations drifted over our fire. I was busy telling my new friends about the last vampire we met when I caught the end of a conversation between Willow and the Marshall.</p><p>“What’s your family name, Willow?” </p><p>“What do you mean, I’m just Willow,” she replied. “What’s a family name?” she asked, looking rather puzzled. </p><p>I cut in, “this is our family, Marshall,” and I held my arms out in love and affection for my walking dead, soul-sucking spirits, blood hulk monstrosity, and tentacled horrors. “And my name is Vincent.” </p><p>By that point, the fire had run low and it was time to prepare for further crypt exploration. I had some kobold jerky for a quick breakfast and then we set out down the corridor where we last saw the dog-faced demons of evil. </p><p>Around the bend, we found a hot room that smelled strongly of sulfur. A bridge led across a pit of tar. As soon as we set foot on the bridge, two creatures appeared. They were round, with many eyes, arms, and mouths, such that it looked like they could roll or walk and face in any direction. They were xorn. </p><p>“Hail friends,” the Marshall said to them, as friendly as ever. “We wish to palaver, not fight.”</p><p>“Don’t take what is ours,” they replied, “you must leave this place.” </p><p>“We only wish to explore, friend,” the Marshall soothed. “Is there anything you need?” </p><p>“Don’t take what is ours,” they said again, not quite explaining what it is they were referring to. “We have all that which we need to make us happy.” </p><p>“Ok then, friend, we will depart in peace.”</p><p>“Do you promise not to come take what is ours?”</p><p>“I cannot speak for everyone,” said the Marshall, “but I speak for myself when I say that we will leave.” </p><p>“But what about the others?” they asked.</p><p>“They have free will, and I’m sure they will freely will to not come back and take what is yours were it not for my promise.” </p><p>Their multi-eyes looked at him uncertainly. There was much confusion in those eyes. There was enough confusion to make these xorn seem like umber hulks. Then they finally sighed and said, “go then, there are other tunnels than these.” </p><p>We departed and took the other branch in the passage, finding our way around again to the west until we found a door. </p><p></p><p>Notes – Chapter One Hundred – A new friend with a hundred-twenty thousand gold piece smile</p><p></p><p>The door was, of course, temporarily locked. After Balor opened it, we found a room that looked more like an arrangement of art than a threat. In one corner, on a platform, was a large statue of a lovely man with a friendly smile, reminiscent of the dwarf we met at White Plume Mountain. A symbol of Erythnul was etched into his palm. The statue itself was well worn, but intact. </p><p>Balor approached the statue. </p><p>“Don’t hit it,” shouted the Marshall.</p><p>“Ok, but if this thing tries to hit me, you are in for a smashing, and I’ll never believe you again,” replied Balor.</p><p>In the other corner was a very decayed body guarded by a large creature made of stone, wood, and metal. When I finally laid eyes on it up close, it was clear what it was. A shield guardian! Very valuable! And very likely that the amulet of its control lay on the corpse of its former owner. Just before Balor attacked our treasure, the Marshall shouted to him to stop and find the amulet. The guardian already had begun to react, and thumped its foot, causing the statue to fall over on Balor and the Marshall. </p><p>A voice was then heard from underneath the statue that sounded like the Marshall saying, “Hey, it wasn’t the statue that attacked you.” </p><p>Then Balor vanished from sight, only to reappear moments later with a shiny new amulet around his neck. </p><p>“Kneel!” he shouted at the construct, and so it knelt down before him. </p><p></p><p>Notes – Chapter One Hundred One – Lothander introduces us to Elizar</p><p></p><p>Searching the body, we also found a note, preserved after a hundred years. It gave directions to find this place. It also had warnings of possible traps and guards. It was addressed to Lothander (the corpse) and was regarding the whereabouts of Elizar, his master. We needed to know more. </p><p>We rested again, and I prepared my enchantment to speak to Lothander’s corpse. I hoped he would enjoy having some conversation after so long. As the enchantment completed, I asked my first question of Lothander.</p><p>“Who is Elizar?”</p><p>“He is my master. I am here to rescue him. It was his statue in the room of my death.” </p><p>Then I asked, “Who would pay for the information to rescue him?”</p><p>“He paid for me to rescue him, he is my master.”</p><p>“Who was holding Elizar?”</p><p>“The Paladins of Hieroneous. Tyrants who use their religion to control the masses!”</p><p>“Yes, we know of their evil,” I said, “Why were they holding Elizar?”</p><p>“Because they couldn’t kill him!” he said, and then his corpse once again was at rest. At least until dinner time. </p><p>My palaver over, we returned to the hall of the xorn. </p><p></p><p>Notes – Chapter One Hundred Two – The Marshall is nearly dead tarred </p><p></p><p>Balor scouted ahead, walking along the ceiling while vanished from sight. We saw no hint of the xorn as he went on ahead. Several minutes later, we heard a “thump” as Balor fell to the floor ahead. Apparently his slippers no longer worked further on down the corridor. In fact, no magic at all worked there. The hallway ended in a large iron door. After he returned to tell us this, the Marshall set out to follow in his footsteps, only on the bridge, not the ceiling. Then came trouble. </p><p>As he reached the middle of the bridge, a trapdoor opened and the Marshall found himself immersed in tar hot enough to melt rock. His screams echoed down the halls as all of the flesh came off his body. We rushed forward to help him out, pulling at least his barely-fleshed bones from the tar before he expired. Then the xorns arrived. </p><p>Willow healed the Marshall, as did I. Balor and the mute bard held off the xorn, finally smashing them into the ground from whence they came after a terrible struggle. Most of my minions were kept out of the fight by the narrowness of the hall and the bridge over the tar. Willow’s summoned elemental of fire is what finally tipped the fight in our favor. </p><p>The fight won, Willow sent her flaming friend to search the tar and retrieve the bodies of the xorn. We found gems within them (and I added two more corpses to my stockpile) and the elemental also found a fireproof eternal wand in the tar that can be used to heal constructs. I wonder how it got there. </p><p>That just left the door. </p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>Notes – Chapter One Hundred Three – Elizar </p><p></p><p>After much work, we finally got the iron door open, revealing a small triangular room. There were many books lining the shelves of that room. There was also a man standing in its center who looked remarkably like the statue we had seen earlier. </p><p>“Elizar, my friend!” said the Marshall as he strode into the room and shook the man’s hand warmly. </p><p>I looked at him carefully, and was able to discern his true, warm nature. He was a vampire! </p><p>“We’re here to rescue you!” I said sincerely. “Together we can fight against those vile hound demons!” </p><p>“What can he contribute,” Willow asked skeptically. </p><p>“I can turn into a wolf!” he said, and then he did. </p><p>Willow was unimpressed. “I can do that, too, show us something more. Can you do a bat?” </p><p>“Yes, I can,” he said, and then he did. A few bats, wolves, and floating clouds of gas later, Willow was feeling less skeptical. Then he turned all of us invisible with one wave of his hand. </p><p>“Ok sold,” she said. </p><p>“Everything in this room you may have,” he said, “except for this one book of mine,” which he cradled protectively in his arms. </p><p>I looked at it closely. “I have one of those as well, perhaps we can compare notes,” I said. </p><p>“That we can,” he said, “But now I ask you to help me punish those who imprisoned me. Be on your guard. They are sure to be aware of my release. Oh, and might you have some books I might read?” </p><p>I looked around and noticed that all of the books in this room looked well worn, read dozens of times each. Such torture! </p><p>“We can bring you home,” said the Marshall. “There we have hundreds of volumes! We even are working on a tunnel system so you need not fear the sunlight.” </p><p>Elizar smiled at that, showing his lovely fangs. We then joined arms with the vampire and marched merrily out of the door. We went down the hall, over the bridge, and then rounded the corner just in time to see that two hounds and a paladin hound had appeared in our path. I sensed great evil from them all, particularly the paladin. It was almost palpable, like there was something solid surrounding them all. </p><p></p><p>Notes – Chapter One Hundred Four – We face the last great test of evil before we depart</p><p></p><p>The vile one spoke. “Please tell me you are not trying to take Elizar out of this place. We were tasked to keep him in his tomb for eternity to atone for his great evil.” </p><p>“How dare you imprison such a wonderful man,” I replied, “does your evil know any bounds at all? Have you no decency?” </p><p>We then threw ourselves into the fight. Again, due to the narrowness of the corridor, I and my friends stayed mostly back while Balor, the Marshall, Willow, and the mute bard fought Elizar’s evil jailors. I sped up my zombies and brought forth flames from all of my friends, including Elizar, but none of them ever got close to the hounds. </p><p>I want to now mention a special hero from this fight. William, one of my new wraith friends, rushed to the fore almost immediately, traveling through the walls. He came out right next to the paladin, and immediately drained from him some of his evil life force. I am saddened to say that the vile creature then turned his canine eyes toward my friend and then cut him down in his prime, slashing him through with four swipes of his unholy holy blade, reducing William the Wraith to dust before my eyes. </p><p>“Noooooooooooooooooo!” I screamed. “I can’t even make wraiths yet!” Poor William will never know the warm, caring hearth of our keep. He will never feel the love of acceptance, long denied him in all of his years of undeath existence. He will never partake in the festival, he will never meet all of my other friends. He will never see the room I had all ready for him upon our return to the keep. I began to cry. </p><p>Soon the combat was over. The three hounds were gone, their corpses decorating the tomb floor. The paladin was preparing to leave like the coward he was when Balor, Willow and the Marshall cut him down with a spectacular show of swordsmanship, leaving him no breath left to utter his traveling magic. </p><p>But he was not quite dead. I stabilized him. Then I called Elizar to my side. “Drain away his life, I have plans for him after his grave is filled.” </p><p>I missed William dearly. And I had not even a corpse to bury or to feast with in his honor. It was a sad day. His brother Richard mourned with me as we slowly departed the tomb, our voices low in remembrance of William’s sacrifice. He is the definition of a true hero. </p><p>I looked down at the paladin’s corpse as BR dragged it behind him. I thought to myself, “he is going to pay.” Yes, he will make a fine ally once Elizar is through with him. Then we’ll send him back to his foul masters. William would be proud.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Altalazar, post: 3504032, member: 939"] Thanks - I'm glad someone gets something out of this. We have evolved into an evil group of do-gooders. And now, another chapter or two. Notes – Chapter Ninety-Nine – Families, Xorn, and diplomacy During the course of the night, many conversations drifted over our fire. I was busy telling my new friends about the last vampire we met when I caught the end of a conversation between Willow and the Marshall. “What’s your family name, Willow?” “What do you mean, I’m just Willow,” she replied. “What’s a family name?” she asked, looking rather puzzled. I cut in, “this is our family, Marshall,” and I held my arms out in love and affection for my walking dead, soul-sucking spirits, blood hulk monstrosity, and tentacled horrors. “And my name is Vincent.” By that point, the fire had run low and it was time to prepare for further crypt exploration. I had some kobold jerky for a quick breakfast and then we set out down the corridor where we last saw the dog-faced demons of evil. Around the bend, we found a hot room that smelled strongly of sulfur. A bridge led across a pit of tar. As soon as we set foot on the bridge, two creatures appeared. They were round, with many eyes, arms, and mouths, such that it looked like they could roll or walk and face in any direction. They were xorn. “Hail friends,” the Marshall said to them, as friendly as ever. “We wish to palaver, not fight.” “Don’t take what is ours,” they replied, “you must leave this place.” “We only wish to explore, friend,” the Marshall soothed. “Is there anything you need?” “Don’t take what is ours,” they said again, not quite explaining what it is they were referring to. “We have all that which we need to make us happy.” “Ok then, friend, we will depart in peace.” “Do you promise not to come take what is ours?” “I cannot speak for everyone,” said the Marshall, “but I speak for myself when I say that we will leave.” “But what about the others?” they asked. “They have free will, and I’m sure they will freely will to not come back and take what is yours were it not for my promise.” Their multi-eyes looked at him uncertainly. There was much confusion in those eyes. There was enough confusion to make these xorn seem like umber hulks. Then they finally sighed and said, “go then, there are other tunnels than these.” We departed and took the other branch in the passage, finding our way around again to the west until we found a door. Notes – Chapter One Hundred – A new friend with a hundred-twenty thousand gold piece smile The door was, of course, temporarily locked. After Balor opened it, we found a room that looked more like an arrangement of art than a threat. In one corner, on a platform, was a large statue of a lovely man with a friendly smile, reminiscent of the dwarf we met at White Plume Mountain. A symbol of Erythnul was etched into his palm. The statue itself was well worn, but intact. Balor approached the statue. “Don’t hit it,” shouted the Marshall. “Ok, but if this thing tries to hit me, you are in for a smashing, and I’ll never believe you again,” replied Balor. In the other corner was a very decayed body guarded by a large creature made of stone, wood, and metal. When I finally laid eyes on it up close, it was clear what it was. A shield guardian! Very valuable! And very likely that the amulet of its control lay on the corpse of its former owner. Just before Balor attacked our treasure, the Marshall shouted to him to stop and find the amulet. The guardian already had begun to react, and thumped its foot, causing the statue to fall over on Balor and the Marshall. A voice was then heard from underneath the statue that sounded like the Marshall saying, “Hey, it wasn’t the statue that attacked you.” Then Balor vanished from sight, only to reappear moments later with a shiny new amulet around his neck. “Kneel!” he shouted at the construct, and so it knelt down before him. Notes – Chapter One Hundred One – Lothander introduces us to Elizar Searching the body, we also found a note, preserved after a hundred years. It gave directions to find this place. It also had warnings of possible traps and guards. It was addressed to Lothander (the corpse) and was regarding the whereabouts of Elizar, his master. We needed to know more. We rested again, and I prepared my enchantment to speak to Lothander’s corpse. I hoped he would enjoy having some conversation after so long. As the enchantment completed, I asked my first question of Lothander. “Who is Elizar?” “He is my master. I am here to rescue him. It was his statue in the room of my death.” Then I asked, “Who would pay for the information to rescue him?” “He paid for me to rescue him, he is my master.” “Who was holding Elizar?” “The Paladins of Hieroneous. Tyrants who use their religion to control the masses!” “Yes, we know of their evil,” I said, “Why were they holding Elizar?” “Because they couldn’t kill him!” he said, and then his corpse once again was at rest. At least until dinner time. My palaver over, we returned to the hall of the xorn. Notes – Chapter One Hundred Two – The Marshall is nearly dead tarred Balor scouted ahead, walking along the ceiling while vanished from sight. We saw no hint of the xorn as he went on ahead. Several minutes later, we heard a “thump” as Balor fell to the floor ahead. Apparently his slippers no longer worked further on down the corridor. In fact, no magic at all worked there. The hallway ended in a large iron door. After he returned to tell us this, the Marshall set out to follow in his footsteps, only on the bridge, not the ceiling. Then came trouble. As he reached the middle of the bridge, a trapdoor opened and the Marshall found himself immersed in tar hot enough to melt rock. His screams echoed down the halls as all of the flesh came off his body. We rushed forward to help him out, pulling at least his barely-fleshed bones from the tar before he expired. Then the xorns arrived. Willow healed the Marshall, as did I. Balor and the mute bard held off the xorn, finally smashing them into the ground from whence they came after a terrible struggle. Most of my minions were kept out of the fight by the narrowness of the hall and the bridge over the tar. Willow’s summoned elemental of fire is what finally tipped the fight in our favor. The fight won, Willow sent her flaming friend to search the tar and retrieve the bodies of the xorn. We found gems within them (and I added two more corpses to my stockpile) and the elemental also found a fireproof eternal wand in the tar that can be used to heal constructs. I wonder how it got there. That just left the door. Notes – Chapter One Hundred Three – Elizar After much work, we finally got the iron door open, revealing a small triangular room. There were many books lining the shelves of that room. There was also a man standing in its center who looked remarkably like the statue we had seen earlier. “Elizar, my friend!” said the Marshall as he strode into the room and shook the man’s hand warmly. I looked at him carefully, and was able to discern his true, warm nature. He was a vampire! “We’re here to rescue you!” I said sincerely. “Together we can fight against those vile hound demons!” “What can he contribute,” Willow asked skeptically. “I can turn into a wolf!” he said, and then he did. Willow was unimpressed. “I can do that, too, show us something more. Can you do a bat?” “Yes, I can,” he said, and then he did. A few bats, wolves, and floating clouds of gas later, Willow was feeling less skeptical. Then he turned all of us invisible with one wave of his hand. “Ok sold,” she said. “Everything in this room you may have,” he said, “except for this one book of mine,” which he cradled protectively in his arms. I looked at it closely. “I have one of those as well, perhaps we can compare notes,” I said. “That we can,” he said, “But now I ask you to help me punish those who imprisoned me. Be on your guard. They are sure to be aware of my release. Oh, and might you have some books I might read?” I looked around and noticed that all of the books in this room looked well worn, read dozens of times each. Such torture! “We can bring you home,” said the Marshall. “There we have hundreds of volumes! We even are working on a tunnel system so you need not fear the sunlight.” Elizar smiled at that, showing his lovely fangs. We then joined arms with the vampire and marched merrily out of the door. We went down the hall, over the bridge, and then rounded the corner just in time to see that two hounds and a paladin hound had appeared in our path. I sensed great evil from them all, particularly the paladin. It was almost palpable, like there was something solid surrounding them all. Notes – Chapter One Hundred Four – We face the last great test of evil before we depart The vile one spoke. “Please tell me you are not trying to take Elizar out of this place. We were tasked to keep him in his tomb for eternity to atone for his great evil.” “How dare you imprison such a wonderful man,” I replied, “does your evil know any bounds at all? Have you no decency?” We then threw ourselves into the fight. Again, due to the narrowness of the corridor, I and my friends stayed mostly back while Balor, the Marshall, Willow, and the mute bard fought Elizar’s evil jailors. I sped up my zombies and brought forth flames from all of my friends, including Elizar, but none of them ever got close to the hounds. I want to now mention a special hero from this fight. William, one of my new wraith friends, rushed to the fore almost immediately, traveling through the walls. He came out right next to the paladin, and immediately drained from him some of his evil life force. I am saddened to say that the vile creature then turned his canine eyes toward my friend and then cut him down in his prime, slashing him through with four swipes of his unholy holy blade, reducing William the Wraith to dust before my eyes. “Noooooooooooooooooo!” I screamed. “I can’t even make wraiths yet!” Poor William will never know the warm, caring hearth of our keep. He will never feel the love of acceptance, long denied him in all of his years of undeath existence. He will never partake in the festival, he will never meet all of my other friends. He will never see the room I had all ready for him upon our return to the keep. I began to cry. Soon the combat was over. The three hounds were gone, their corpses decorating the tomb floor. The paladin was preparing to leave like the coward he was when Balor, Willow and the Marshall cut him down with a spectacular show of swordsmanship, leaving him no breath left to utter his traveling magic. But he was not quite dead. I stabilized him. Then I called Elizar to my side. “Drain away his life, I have plans for him after his grave is filled.” I missed William dearly. And I had not even a corpse to bury or to feast with in his honor. It was a sad day. His brother Richard mourned with me as we slowly departed the tomb, our voices low in remembrance of William’s sacrifice. He is the definition of a true hero. I looked down at the paladin’s corpse as BR dragged it behind him. I thought to myself, “he is going to pay.” Yes, he will make a fine ally once Elizar is through with him. Then we’ll send him back to his foul masters. William would be proud. [/QUOTE]
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