Return of the Mac - 09/08/2022 - A Kavel Perspective

At The Gilded Mirror By a Craps Table

I was walking around the casino of The Gilded Mirror looking for comrade Sparks. My kenku friend appeared to be rather fond of gambling. I didn’t actually know this, until Mendal mentioned that when they met, he accompanied Sparks to pay off a debt Sparks had gained.

Sparks told me earlier in the day to come join him at The Gilded Mirror since, as he put it, “I’m on a hot streak!” I decided to go, so I could support him. But also, so as to monitor his behaviour.

From one of the Craps tables I heard a familiar voice cheering and the surrounding spectators joined along. I believe this was the aforementioned ‘hot streak’ in progress. As I got nearer to the table, Old Fashioned in hand, I saw a familiar half-drow woman, who normally I see with twin swords in hand, but this day she held a fancy cocktail between her fingers.

“Zola! Comrade, how are you? Are you watching Sparks? Is he on a ‘hot streak’? I asked. Zola seemed to be doing well. I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect ever since coming back from the Sunset Spines and the encounter with the Oracle lady. I was curious if seeing An’Ankrim was good for her. But, before I could ask, my favourite kenku adventurer had wrapped his arms around my waist to greet me. I hugged the little man back as best I could with the height discrepancy.

Last time I saw comrade Sparks was at the battle at For Ettin. It was a very sad time.He fought very well. He reminded me of how I kicked a dragon in the head so hard it’s jaw broke and the force of impact sent it tumbling off the wall. “It was disgusting,” he said. It was not disgusting; it was awesome.
Not long after that moment though, comrade Silvia was disintegrated. I believe Sparks took Silvia’s trident to Sorrel. It was a very sad day. For that reason, it was good to see comrade Sparks happy right here.

“Come on Kavel! We’re winning tonight! Have you played Craps before?” My winning comrade asked.

“I have not. Does it involve strength?”

“Hmmm. Strength of character… maybe? Maybe not?”

I suggested he show me what to do, and I’d have a go.

I threw the pair of dice at the other end of the table and I rolled a one and a two. This won me 30gp. This is close to the highest amount you can win fighting in one of the pits! I believe I am good at this game.

Comrade Derthaad arrived, ale in hand. I saw my magical dragonborn friend last week, as we helped comrade Gerhard finally rescue his friend Henri, but also comrade Orianna.

Derthaad would not gamble. I told him how I easily won 30gp without doing much. But, he insisted on not gambling.


Return of the Mac

Sparks called for a round of drinks. Time went by and Sparks, Zola, Derthaad and I were the last people at the Craps table.

The croupier was stacking chips and gold when Mac, Sparks’s raven familiar, appeared. Mac descended from the rafters and landed on Sparks’ head. Mac pecked at Sparks’ head a little. Then the stacks of gold on the table caught his eyes. Mac flew down onto the table, and looked up at Sparks.

“Don’t you dare! Don’t you dare embarrass me in front of my friends! Move!” Sparks said pointedly at Mac.

Mac took his time, but moved to the side of the table, so Sparks could throw the pair of dice. A three and a six. I think it was a six he threw? It was difficult to tell, because Mac picked up the die in his beak and flew up to the rafters squawking. Mac then flew around and dropped the die away from the table. The airborne dice thief then landed once more on our craps table, right next to the neat stack of gold the croupier had made. Whilst looking at Sparks in the eyes, Mac flew his body into the gold stack and toppled it over, making a mess.

“You little…!” Sparks began, sort of biting his tongue, “you’re messing with my hot streak!”

Mac seemed to have gained the reaction he wanted from Sparks, as he proudly and cheerfully hopped around the table in a circle - this was not how I normally observed familiars and their owners behave. I’m pretty sure Steve, Derthaad’s gecko doesn’t behave like this.

It seemed Mac’s mini celebration was cut short. What caused this? I do not know. Mac suddenly screeched, and fell over.

“Is that normal?” Derthaad asked.

“I wanted it to happen… but I don’t think I caused it,” Sparks replied.

Mac got back onto his legs and shook his head from side to side, and then hopped onto Sparks shoulder.

Sparks said it seemed like Mac was on the backfoot.

“Can’t you speak to your familiar, comrade?” I asked.

“I can,” Sparks went on to reply, “but he usually says mean things to me. He tells me I’m a shit warlock and will never amount to anything.”

“That’s so mean,” Zola said sympathetically.

“Thank you Zola, I feel seen,” said comrade Sparks, feeling seen.

I decided to try and lend my help, so I tried to speak to Mac in raven, using what others call the ‘Speak with Animals’ spell. But, to me it’s just talking with animals:

“Mac, do you want a drink, perhaps?”

Mac stuttered, “help, help, help!” Mac flew to the entrance door, “hurry! Hurry!”

We followed, opened the door, and Mac flew out round the corner of The Gilded Mirror.


Stressed Out Familiar

Round the side was the double door entrance to the cellar. Mac landed there, vibrated heavily and started to quiver. We were all a little alarmed at what we saw. Sparks had a secondary reason to be alarmed, as he froze a bit:

“I think my patron is contacting me? This never normally happens. I just called on a fiend one day to help during a wizarding exam. I still failed, but ended up with a warlock patron… and Mac.”

“Is your patron like Silvia’s patron? Like a giant dragon?” I asked, having little experience with patrons.

“I’ve never seen my patron. I was just trying to cheat in a wizard exam.” My comrade’s response stunned me a little, for two reasons; firstly never having seen his patron, and secondly the cheating. He continued:

“Suddenly I could see everyone else’s exam papers like I was an invisible bird overlooking the other students as they wrote- this is when I first met Mac. I was, in fact, looking through Mac’s eyes while he was invisible!”

I remembered that Silvia said her patronage of Kurtz the dragon had something to do with her village being slaughtered and herself being on the brink of death. There appears to be very different ways in which one acquires a magical patron.

“Mac’s distress is hurting me! And not just in the usual emotional sense!” Sparks said, in distress.

Sparks went to pick Mac up from on top of the cellar doors. As he did, Derthaad voiced an observation about Mac’s vibration, “I think Mac’s vibrating like maybe he’s a tuning fork for the spell Planar Sh…!”

And with that we were gone.


Stone Tower in a Sea of Fire

We appeared to be in a stone courtyard within a stronghold with two walls and a separate tower to the north. The place looked a little abandoned. There was light coming from behind the outer wall and shadow in the sky. I am not a magic-user, but it was clear we were no longer on the material plane.

Mac stopped vibrating in Sparks’ hands. Mac seemed begrudgingly appreciative that we had gotten that to stop.

Looking up at the wall surrounding the courtyard, we were overlooked by a swarm of Macs, and seriously, it seemed like all these ravens were Mac.

Sparks shouted in distress. It appears he was suffering more psychic pain. As he screamed, we could see a thin, silver chain between all the Macs connecting to Sparks. Mac ‘prime’ squawked in terror.

Out of nowhere, an extremely large ten foot raven grabbed two Macs on the northeastern wall and crushed them. More anguish from comrade Sparks and Mac prime. Mac went to join his brethren in solidarity.

Whatever was happening in whatever plane we were in; it was on.


Please Don’t Tell The Society For the Prevention of Cruelty to Birds

The king of all ravens, this Corvinus Corvax flew down to Sparks and tried to swipe at him with its talons. Sparks ducked out of the way. I was relieved to see my comrade avoid harm. None of us avoided the psychic damage the giant raven inflicted on us though, as it passed us by landing on a southwestern tower.
I loath psychic attacks! I used the technique my Metal Bro instructors taught me, and I focused the pain into a Stonehand Fighting Technique, special psychic riposte, and; psychically headbutted a rebuttal back to Corvinus Corvax! The giant raven was not expecting some of its own medicine.

My main magic man, comrade Derthaad buffed up my fellow comrades and himself with what looked like a very powerful Aid spell. If you don’t have the conditioning like me, that spell is amazing.

The giant raven was some distance away now, and high up. If I could get my hands onit, I could wrestle it to the ground and keep it pinned while Zola could liberally shank it with the twins; Pollux and Castor. This was a good plan. Now how to implement it?

I quickened my breath - battlerage on! I dashed over to the tower where the giant raven was, and ran up the steps to join it. If only I had finished my eight week plan of 1,000 super heavy squats already. I’m sure once I achieve this; I’ll be able to jump on to towers like the one I just ran up. Until then, running will have to do in the absence of flight/powerful jumping.

The giant raven was in front of me, as Sparks casted the Fly spell on both Zola and Derthaad whilst using his Eagle Whistle on himself to fly… I didn’t mind missing out on the Aid spell. Missing out on the Fly spell perturbed me a bit…

My kenku comrade un-holstered his magical fingers and fired Eldritch Blasts at the giant raven. On impact, the giant raven was knocked off its feet and fell on its side further along the tower - away from me! Damn it! I had just ran up the tower to get face to face with the giant raven! My comrades’ eldritch magic packs quite the repelling punch.

Comrade Zola downed a potion and then hastened forward in flight, like she was lightning towards the downed Corvinus Corvax. It occurred to me - the potion was that performance enhancer spell, Hasten! She proceeded to slash down with her twin swords imbued with radiant energy into the prone giant raven. I’ve seen her attack before - this was over. Except it wasn’t:

“It’s immune to radiant magic!” She yelled.


But Nothing is Immune to… Grappling

Corvinus got up and ripped into some nearby Macs. Sparks screamed out, and then Corvinus Corvax flew town towards Sparks and Derthaad, whilst avoiding Zola’s twin sword strikes.

“Kavel! Need a lift?!” My sorcerer friend yelled in my direction.

“Yes. Desperately!” I replied, as comrade Derthaad summoned Ulhar, the large, blue, gemstone dragon above me. I reached up, and Ulhar grabbed my arms and flew me down to the courtyard to Corvinus Corvax.

As I landed on the floor, Ulhar took advantage of Corvinus looking my way, and swiped its claws twice into Corvinus’s body, and followed up with a necrotic breath attack. Corvinus dropped to the floor, convulsing in agony.

Ulhar had done it. Or rather Ulhar had done something…

Corvinus’s body began to elongate. The legs thickened, the wings took on a golden edge, and the form became more humanoid. An angelic figure stood before us now, covered in plate. Corvinus Seraphus!

Derthaad flew away to safety to the Northeastern tower. Good. I preferred when my magical allies were not in melee range. I’m sure they do too.

I patted Ulhar my gratitude for escorting me back down to the courtyard, as Corvinus, version-two stared at me.

“Who are you?” I asked, as I lunged in, ducked a horizontal swipe from the angel man’s staff, and wrapped my left arm over his right in an overhook, and under-hooked his left arm with my right. I pivoted my right hip into and below the angel man’s,forcing his body to swivel with the force of my arms, as I powered him to the floor with a hip throw. Corvinus Seraphus was quite a bit taller than me, but good technique can make up the difference. Also - immense athletic strength will help.
I landed with a knee on his belly. Perfect pinning predicament to launch strikes from. I went to punch him in the face, but his blasted wings came up to shield him.

Comrade Sparks provided aerial support, bombarding Corvinus Seraphus with Eldritch Blasts, wings be damned! Even a swarm of Macs helped, pecking away at the angel man.

Zola flew into range, “so you are a celestial, I see,” she said as a matter of fact before casting her Spirit Shroud spell where these three beautiful women appear behind her empowering her sword strikes with magic. A tactically sound choice given her usual smite enhancements weren’t doing the trick. While I had the angel man pinned down, Zola reigned down repeated sword slashes opening up several wounds on the angel man and shredding his golden edged wings. The Spirit Shroud and the three translucent women were an interesting spell. What made it particularly interesting for me was seeing the three spiritual women now joined by a spiritual Ophanim the Vain!

At the end of Zola’s flourish, we locked eyes:

“Don’t tell Velania, please?” Zola asked as a favour.

“... I will tell Velania,” I responded with judgement.


Fighting Dirty is Annoyingly Effective

Corvinus Seraphus was a little frustrated with being held down by me whilst my allies were pummeling him. A puff of smoke appeared around him - he was using the Misty Step spell! But, from the northeastern tower, I heard comrade Derthaad say the vocal component to Counterspell spell and despite the puff of smoke, the angel man remained in my grip, unmoved. I switched position and changed my knee-on-belly so I was facing the angel man’s legs. I was, to be honest, showing off how easy I found it to transition between pins despite the size difference - I am so skilled at Dwarven MMA, and so immensely strong.

Corvinus Seraphus took his frustration and channelled it into magical chains. From where we were, the chains reached out to comrade Derthaad far away and above us on the northeastern tower and bludgeoned him painfully. I was pleased my comrade had the foresight to cast Aid on himself. Ouch, I said in my head sympathetically to my comrade. I should have reserved sympathy for myself though, as the angel man took advantage of my switched mount position, and managed to take his metal staff and smash me clean where I wished I was wearing a cup. “Dirty!” I screamed in agony. He really got me good! Tears poured down my stone-coloured face. Fortunately, Kavel is well conditioned everywhere, so no permanent damage. But my balls and little Kavel needed care. I struggled to maintain my mount position, as I took my right hand off of Corvinus to cup my privates.

Comrade Derthaad had my back. He drove a Psychic Lance into the still prone Corvinus, and Ulhar slashed with his front claws piercing and tearing Corvinus Seraphus’s flesh from off his body. The angel man’s body twitched. It seemed over for a fraction of a second. But, then the angel man’s remaining body burst out from my pin and rose into the air fifty feet high. The plate armour shattered revealing a skeletal form. The magic staff was now a magic glaive. The wings were featherless, and entirely skeletal. Corvinus, despite losing all his flesh, was much larger now, he was huge. Surely a skeletal form is the last possible transformation? We were now facing an undead Corvinus, Corvinus Necros.


The Grappler’s Dilemma: Big Size Difference = Immune to Grappling

“Leave Kavel’s balls alone!” I shouted up at the flying Corvinus Necros, who had to use magic to escape my powerful hold.
With Corvinus so high up in the air, I found myself yet again in a position where if I had already completed my powerlifting plan towards flight, it would have come in handy right about now. In addition, I had to also face the sad reality that even if I got my hands on Corvinus Necros, despite my immense strength, he was now too large for me to gain leverage on his body, so grappling would be wasteful.

I would have to double my own size to grapple adversary’s three times my body size. Fortunately, I had a summoned gemstone dragon who let me mount him. From dragon-top, I hurled a javelin that pierced into the sinew of Corvinus’s pelvis. It didn’t look quite as painful as what he did to me - no unmentionables on a skeleton - but it was good.

Corvinus had something powerful brewing, but my spell sniping, dragonborn comrade saw to its cessation with another Counterspell.

My naturally flightless birdman friend seemed to be a natural with magical flight, as he flew up high to cut Corvinus off from heading straight for Derthaad and released another volley of Eldritch Blasts that hurt the necrotic monster and repelled him back towards the ground with every landed blast. Corvinus did not reach the ground though, and he resummoned the magical energy that Derthaad had counterspelled, and targeted me and Zola on the courtyard floor. Zola dodged, hastened by her performance enhancer. I, however, did not. Whatever cursed spell hit me, the effect eluded me.

Zola with her hastened speed and flight flew up to Corvinus, backed up by her spiritual aids (and Ophanim) and did what she does best, slice after slice, after slice of sword slashed away at Corvinus’s skeleton structure enhanced with cold magic. Bits of brittle bone came away. Corvinus missed with his bloody great glaive as Zola flew back down to be by my side, and I felt invigorated by her warrior presence.

Corvinus flew down to join us.


Corvinus’s Third Form is Frightful

The horror of a huge skeletal creature caught up to us. It was that, or Corvinus did some magic that made me sweat. I was now a bit reticent of getting within range of the skeletal man. Fortunately, Ulhar had not lost his cool. While Corvinus slashed at Zola with his necrotic enhanced glaive, Ulhar, my would be steed, brought me into melee range of the skeleton man, and breathed necrotic flamme at Corvinus, covering him in painful dark magic.

Undeterred, Corvinus Necros slashed at me repeatedly with his powerful glaive. These were big attacks. I was not glad to be taking them, but I was glad to be taking them in lieu of my comrades taking them. I could also swear these were landing more powerfully on me than they did on Zola, yet they seemed to be landing in a similar fashion - was this a magical curse?

Despite the pain, my right straight and left hook connected to the skeleton man’s jaw. Corvinus responded by bringing the edge of his glaive across my shoulder. I had to reach down deep to force out whatever riding magical effect was contained in the slash, and couldn’t help but feel my paladin ally, who was, shall we say, ‘showing signs of attachment to an unhealthy, previous relationship,’ was nevertheless warding me from harm with but her fighting presence.

A new volley of Eldritch Blasts shot down on Corvinus. If there was one thing that was consistently performing well, it was Sparks’ repelling Eldritch magic.

Unfortunately, it could be said that Corvinus’s glaive was equally proving its worth. Corvinus couldn’t reach Sparks, so he chose to strike me with the glaive again, cutting my breastplate down the middle and slicing me open. I felt the added pain of necrotic force, as blood soaked my split breastplate, and I spat out blood.


Just In Case; Check Your Inventory

Corvinus annoyingly pulled a trick from comrade Derthaad’s playback, or even spellbook. Corvinus grinned at me, pointed at Ulhar and Ulhar was gone, as I fell to the ground, fortunately from not too high up. There was some pain as I absorbed the landing, but nothing like the glaive strikes. Corvinus then flew up to try and catch Sparks.

Corvinus was now out of my 100% flightless range. I can admit, even then, I still felt frightened by whatever magic he had cast on me that I just couldn’t shake off. I felt my hand nervously reach for my neck - a movement noticeable as it was the first time I’ve ever done that. While I observed this new action, I did also find my fingers touching a Necklace of Fireballs, with one bead attached. Not bad. I detached the bead and threw it up and slightly to the side of Corvinus - where comrade Sparks wasn’t! - and watched as it exploded in flaming glory. Corvinus got his pesky wings in the way a little, but his bony body was charred. The skeleton man was in immense pain. He lashed out at Sparks with the glaive, comrade Sparks did not take it well. Not only did he bleed heavily from the cut, the magical follow through landed - comrade sparks magically aged. Cursed magic!

The swarm of Macs, with Mac Prime in the centre, came in for the third act cavalry finish, pecking away at Corvinus causing… no significant damage.

“Bloody useless, Mac!” Comrade Sparks said, clutching his wound in agony, and in the moment resolving that if you want something done, you better do it yourself. One last time, a well aimed, massive assault of Eldritch Blasts shot out of my kenku friend’s fingers and repelled the hovering skeletal man down towards Zola and I. Midfall, Corvinus Necros’s wings quivered, and a few feet from the courtyard’s floor, his arms covered his chest, his legs folded up with a horrifying crack and his entire body was pulled into a singularity. A green light then exploded from the centre point. I turned away just in time to dodge the brunt of it. It was a powerful last ‘fuck you’. Fortunately for me, whatever I didn’t dodge, my body, despite its many wounds, absorbed with little concern. Twenty odd Macs died, but fortunately Mac prime was alright. I’m not certain if comrade Sparks would agree that it was fortunate.


Mac the Grateful

The remaining Macs circled Mac prime and flew into him. With every Mac, Mac prime grew bigger. The remaining, enlarged Mac flew around comrades Zola, Derthaad and I. We were not absorbed into the giant Mac. Instead, we were left with a raven tattoo on our necks. I recognised what this was, because I had once had a similar dragon one on my right bicep that gave me a one off casting of Hunter’s Mark. This raven tattoo was a one off casting of the Fly spell. Very nice.

We were each given a Quaal’s feather token too, a medallion object decorated with feathers. My one would allow me to summon a Roc one time. I think my sister Sorrel has one of these too? Nice.

There was a ring of Feather Fall too. No one seemed to want that, so I took it. Might come in handy if I jump too high, when I master heavy-squat-based-flying - it’s going to happen. Believe!

Mac shrunk down to regular size and hopped on Sparks’ shoulder. There seemed to be gratitude there. Sparks said he had been told that his patron was grateful that he held to the pact. It seems Corvinus was an attack against the patron, by attacking the patronned. It turned out that where we were was where Mac goes whenever he dies.

Zola used her paladin magic on me, to help seal up some of my wounds. I thanked her for her magic, and her reliability in combat. I mentioned how even her presence alone felt beneficial in a fight, and was greatly appreciated. She was very tired, entering her ‘come-down’ phase of the performance enhancing Hasten spell. I shared with her my Autumnal Cocktail of Plenty, which I made into a Pumpkin spice flavoured Old Fashioned. I told her that I was in no immediate rush to tell Velania what I saw during combat, but I hoped that my comrade would stay strong.

“I’ll tell her eventually,” Zola said between swigs at the cocktail, “and don’t worry, that wasn’t… that wasn’t really him. It’s like an echo, a memory.”

We were Plane Shifted back to Daring Heights, by the cellar entrance to the Gilded Mirror.

We hadn’t been gone long it seemed. After some air and some time to process what just happened, well we needed a drink. So, we went back inside The Gilded Mirror, and we played some more Craps.


The Next Day

The next day, Kruger handed me a letter with familiar writing. I could not believe it - the letter appeared to be from Silvia! It said she was alive…