The Stowaway - 22/05/2024 - Archie’s Extracts
May 24, 2024 14:48:24 GMT
Jaezred Vandree and Nic like this
Post by Andy D on May 24, 2024 14:48:24 GMT
The Somethings to Date and Now Something Vast
Something Buried - My information on Something Buried comes second-hand from my good friend, Mendal and what I’ve heard from other adventurers after the Vorsthold defence operation.
Mendal was part of a team of adventurers that encountered Something Buried in a house here in the Dwarven Quarter of Daring Heights. However, the understanding is that Something Buried was encountered on another plane from an entrance opened from a brick sized piece of quartz.
Adventurers that faced Something Buried during the Vorsthold defence call, it is widely suspected, were abandoned by the Kundar Adventurers Guild during a joint operation.
Something Eldritch - Cassandra, avatar of Something Eldritch, is no more. However, in her demise, she sacrificed herself so that Something Eldritch could come forth from another plane, and enter the Material Plane into the Sea of Tears. I do not believe there have been any reports of Something Eldritch since, or the eldritch fear-inducing effects of Something Eldritch’s indefinable magic.
Troublingly protective divine magic does not provide its usual reliable defence against fear causing magic.
Something Lonely - The point of entry into Something Lonely was found in the Witching Court.
Inside the planar dimension of Something Lonely time passes at a slowed rate and the demands of hunger are considerably suspended. More worryingly the isolation within the endlessly white expanse will rapidly bring on a sense of despair. As part of an adventuring group that entered Something Lonely’s domain, we were offered an exit out, seemingly because Something Lonely had enough of us, as we successfully combated our sense of isolated dread when we managed to locate each other after our initial separation.
Something Hungry - My information on Something Hungry comes second-hand from Mendal. Something Buried appears to be contained in Kundar and is either in alliance, or controlled, by malefactors from the Planes of the Abyss who are capable of producing manufactured copies of humanoids for insidious purposes. The Kundar Adventurers Guilds’ motives are under suspicion, as the point of entry for the manufactured humanoids connecting the Planes of Abyss to the Material Plane is situated directly under the KAG headquarters in the sewers below.
I am at present not up to date with any decision the Daring Council may have made concerning Something Buried.
Something Vast - The point of entry for Something Vast was in the Witching Court. Regrettably an attempt to make right a reunion of two romantically entwined sailors separated by magic has led to Something Vast acquiring two avatars for itself - the aforementioned sailors; Mac and Morren. I understand that a Lady in Blue, Novan, is associated with Something Vast to some capacity.
I have experienced the isolation caused by Something Lonely and the incomprehensible fear caused by Something Eldritch. It is the fear of overwhelming insignificance, however, caused by Something Vast that has most wrestled away my usual right-minded and joyful bearing. Queen Nicniven of the Witching Court says this fear of vastness shall pass. I can’t currently see why it would though. Who am I to think I and any shorter life spanned humanoid should deserve a successful outcome to my life-extension research? I have seen archwyrms of enormous size and ancient age. Compared to such creatures I am less than an ant to an elephant. Compared to Something Vast, the archwyrms are the ants.
Fighting the Avatars of Something Vast
As my fellow adventurers and I fought the initially 15 ft in diameter sphere of water that engulfed Mac, and appeared to reveal Morren, the sphere made both individuals disappear almost immediately. The absence of the two humanoids made space for more water and earth from the shore to be sucked into the swirling sphere, which the sphere used to construct tendrils to attack us with. Our attacks kept the sentient-like sphere of water and matter at a reduced size, but our defence failures seemed to allow the sphere to enlarge. At its largest size of 30 ft, the sphere of Something Vast’s might morphed itself a pair of legs out of shipwrecked wood that the great mermaid Reka had hurled damagingly at it.
Amble - I am troubled to learn that my both youngish and elderly gnome friend has found himself under the influence of a powerful curse. I would not advise him to accept Queen NicNiven’s fey offer to undo the curse, and instead advise my friend to find another way to rid himself of it.
Amble is ever the master of the Psychic Lance spell, which he used adeptly against our foe. But, proving he has the talent to creatively tackle problems, his casting of the Faithful Hound spell conjured within the aggressive sphere was very clever indeed, allowing attacks from inside the sphere. One hopes Amble will find a creative solution to his curse dilemma as well.
Archie (myself) - Despite losing my footing and apparently even my mind, I would still say the combination of the spells Bigby’s Hand and my Awakened Spellbook’s Manifested Mind’s casting of the Scorching Rays spell were another raring success. Perhaps I should write a guide about this combination for the Academy for others to imitate?
Safir - It had been a few weeks since I saw Safir at the house I share with Mendal, owned by our friend Kavel. Safir was in a less active state of existence when I first encountered her, which Mendal set right with the divine magic blessed upon him by Moradin.
I was pleased to see Safir full of life and hurling lightning at our foe. Safir has a sad and tragic tale of shipwreck that brought her to Port Ffirst. Safir is quite new to Kantas and working as an adventurer here in the Dawnlands. She appears to be adjusting well though. Of course there has been some confusion in conversation when us more senior adventurers bound around names from previous adventures as if common knowledge to all. Given time, Safir, I suspect, will be the senior adventurer talking about past adventures that a junior colleague has little familiarity about.
Toothy - It has been some time since I have witnessed mastery of the glaive with such powerful strikes. Toothy has maintained both strength and skill impressively and has lost no sense of bravery diving after our foe in a field of battle that did not favour him, but favoured our foe.
Toothy, though quite different to Kavel, nevertheless shares many of my goliath friends' positive traits. There is the aforementioned strength, combat skill and bravery. But curiously they both share an ability to commune with animals as if being able to be understood by animals and understand them back was a natural thing. I had originally confused Brenda the seagull for Toothy’s familiar, however, Brenda was merely a seagull Toothy met before arriving at our rendez-vous point.
Vox - If there was a prize for being the most voguish-ly cool adventurer, Vox would once again have proven why they deserve it. Vox’s summoned tentacles, deadly rapier skills, distance generating eldritch blasts, and all around elegant manner makes for a very striking presence. I much appreciated the assault of repelling eldritch blasts to our foe, which kept a safe distance between our foe and myself.
Research and Spell Mastery Advancements Nevertheless
I cast the Magnificent Mansion spell daily for Mendal and Kavel’s enjoyment, but I no longer dare step into the conjured house myself; the expansive size is too much at present.
Perhaps due to my self-inflicted isolation, I have buried myself in magical study. It is hubris that I continue to learn the Clone spell to extend my speck of life in this vast universe. But, I had already commissioned the glass coffin for my clone, and both Mendal and Kavel insist they would like to see me achieve success with the spell I have long mentioned to them. So, I shall continue my studies.
My studies also include trying to master the Demiplane spell. A demiplane of my own seems to be the perfect location to store my clone - along with a tuning fork attuned to the Material Plane, other magical components, a magical focus, provisions and perhaps a chair, desk and other furnishings. The 30ft space of the demiplane should accommodate all I have listed and more. My demiplane will be both a storage space for my clone(s?) and a private office.