Never Tarnish Nor Grow Dim - 09/05/2023 - Archie’s Extracts
May 12, 2023 15:27:33 GMT
Henri Fitzroy and Forfeit like this
Post by Andy D on May 12, 2023 15:27:33 GMT
On Household Politics
On invitation by Ms. Calla Prim, I arrived at the office of Professor Rhea Qullis to join Calla’s party in retrieving a sample of mithril from the Plane of Minerals, where for some unknown reason, the source of mithril has become unusually malleable.
My dear friend and housemate, Mendal, was apoplectic with disbelief that he was not allowed to join me, or indeed go in my stead. Worse yet for Mendal, Kavel has told Mendal that he has to help Seraphina from the Temple of Selune. Sorrel, Kavel’s bonded sister, would have enlisted him to help Seraphina himself, if not for the fact that Sorrel needs him for another matter in Port Ffirst. Always one to want to help; Kavel went ahead and volunteered Mendal to help Seraphina in his place.
Mendal was already in a quarrelsome state when he learned he had been assigned a mission from the youngest member of the house. He fell off his chair when he learned that I would be in hand’s reach of a metal he’s been eager to work with, and that both adventures would take place at the same time. Furthermore, as he put it, “not my bloody god!” It did no good reminding Mendal that ever since Zola gave him her old adamantine splint armour, he’s been saying, “mithril is like a poor man’s adamantine.”
By Mendal’s reasoning, as the eldest member of the household, he should have tribute paid his way by the junior members of the house. Both Kavel and I were also reminded that we have the finest accommodations in the Dwarven Quarter because of the respect stout folk have for Clan Crafters like Mendal. Kavel and I are reminded of this point whenever Mendal doesn’t get his own way.
On The Dangers of Plane Travel
Do not venture close to the source of white light.
Do not stay long in the Plane of Minerals, your body will eventually, fully crystallise.
It is not known precisely why organic crystallisation takes place, or exactly what factor exacerbates or reduces the effects. But, anywhere between two hours and two days has been noted as the length it takes for an average sized humanoid to become fully crystallised.
The effects of crystallisation, mercifully, are reversible, if one leaves the Plane of Minerals before one's organs cease to function from the crystallisation effect.
One speculates that for those whom fashion is of paramount importance, using the crystallisation effect for a shiny, jewelled-skin look, will be attempted. I would not advise this.
My colleague and friend, Dr. Ruthenia Truelove, a Necromancer Wizard was part of the Minerals party as well. She has two ‘undead thralls’ as she calls them. Animated skeletons that accompany her on adventures. With little flesh to crystallise on a skeleton, the rate of crystallisation on bones was expected to be rapid. Ruthenia took my advice to not test the limits of the Plane of Minerals with both animated skeletons in tow.
On The Plane of Minerals and a Peculiar Vein of Mithril
The terrain is made up almost uniquely of black stone trenches, some carved, some natural; all containing an eclectic abundance of varying minerals.
Above in the perfect clear sky, light emanated many miles away from the location we plane shifted into. Mr. Sterling Pann observed that chunks of the terrain on the horizon rose up, separated into mineral constituents and were pulled into the bright light.
As a party, we decided to head towards a location that appeared to be mined, in order to discover Professor Quillis’ colleague. The aforementioned colleague, we were told, had a protective magical field that blocked the crystallising effects of the plane, which were becoming apparent within our first hour there - several of us in the party could see the appearance of a gem-like shine on patches of our skin. Joints too were feeling like they were scraping together (in my case; more so than usual!).
We eventually found Professor Quillis’s colleague, Sapphire Lumbrite, encapsulated in a thin blue magical dome-like structure that we were able to pass through, and gain protection from the ruinous effects of the plane. Sapphire was accompanied by Brutus, a large Earth Elemental. They were standing beside a tower of the black rock, which had a considerable amount of unique mithril at the base - the mithril, was more than just unusually malleable, it could adapt itself to a shape that a person holding the mithril imagined.
On Doors to Other Planes and Unaccounted Time
Following a demonstration of the mithril’s unique properties from the geologist, Calla demonstrated herself a remarkable mastery of the mithril as the entire vein of mithril before us drifted away from the column, and formed itself into a cube in front of Calla, on her command. If the prowess with the unusually malleable mithril wasn’t surprising enough, a further surprise was discovered where the mithril once was - revealed to us now that the mithril had been removed from the column, was a marble door.
My memory of events is patchy. Not through any known reason such as trauma to the skull, or identifiable magic. Whatever the cause, what exactly lay behind the marble door - though I recall us all venturing through - is a mystery to me.
I do, quite vividly, recall Calla excitedly walking through the door, followed by Sterling. Ruthenia bolted after them when it became apparent that they were enraptured. Soon after Mr. Forfeit and I pursued. The reason why our colleagues, Calla and Sterling, were overwhelmed with an urgency to explore is not clear.
Whether relating to the mystery of my colleague’s exploration urges or not, what was behind the marble door is no longer clear to me. But I remember following Calla and Sterling through another door soon afterwards, which led to a less hospitable plane than the Plane of Minerals.
On the Plane of Porphatys
Porphatys is a sequence of small planets with a limited terrain of caves an black sand stretching out for several hundred feet before reaching a border of greenish-black ocean. When you look up at the sky you notice that the rock you stand on has many cousins far above and around you.
Black snow came down from above with an acidic property that burned holes through our clothing and bodies - we made for cover at once.
Under the protection of a cave that appeared to have been altered by hands (whatever species inhabits this plane must have fearsomely resilient skin!) We put our heads together to determine how we might save ourselves from the dilemma we were in - the door we came through to enter Porphatys closed! We were stranded.
It was I who deduced where we had found ourselves thanks to my extensive reading, but Sterling provided a divine magical means by which we were able to narrow down our options. I put forward that the mithril that Calla had managed to whisk away into an unknown storage device would be key. There was disagreement, and an assumption that Forfeit might have a way back to the Plane of Minerals. It was not the case. However, the curious fellow, Forfeit, claimed that he once did have magnificent power within. He further mentioned that he had recently been bound into the tiefling-shell (his words, only slightly paraphrased) we saw before us. A curious claim, one that could perhaps only be proven if he could demonstrate his prior great power, which it seems he cannot. Outwardly, and also very much vocally, he does give one the impression of being unaccustomed to regular living, as if he has experienced a sudden change in circumstances.
Calla, be it through the hidden mithril, or through her own means, was able to summon the door we entered through to appear before us. But this time, the planeshift-capable door was accompanied by a tall, dark haired, gothically angelic figure, who was more bemused at our fumblings than Forfeit, who had, it seemed, rather enjoyed the rest of us party members, as if we were a curio for his entertainment.
On the Subject of a Mysterious Person and the Welcomed Appearance of Another
The gothic angelic individual who went by the name of, ‘Watcher’ or ‘Traveller’ was mostly only interested in Calla. It did not appear the individual joined us when we passed through Calla’s new door, but I do recall seeing the individual again when members of the party discovered how best to locate the door to the Plane of Minerals. The strange individual was something of a pest. It was only by the appearance of Kavel’s archeologist friend, Gerhard that the strange individual departed properly.
Before passing back through to the Plane of Minerals there was a conversation between Gerhard and Calla, who was quite excited to pass through and summon the plane-shifting doors once our business was concluded. Gerhard cautioned against pursuing the plane-shifting method we had discovered. But it seems Calla is quite intent on investing her time in what she described as something like an unending maze of discovery. Ruthenia was most frustrated with Calla’s enthusiasm for adventure with unknown magic.
When we rejoined Sapphire, the geologist had passed the team awaiting news of us by putting together some schematics for a mithril set of armour that Calla was interested in.
The party was rewarded 100gp each for obtaining a sample of the mithril source for Professor Quillis. A portion of my own and Ruthenia’s reward was spent on wine, with which Ruthenia used to accompany her spoken frustration with the younger wizards of today… Ruthenia, I do not believe, has yet to meet young Mr. McKittens.