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11.12.22

Two-Parters

by Steel Claw


 
We were in Veradin, and had just seen Kegbreaker.
 
"So, Nord is stuck somewhere -- the ethereal plane maybe?" Theo ventured. We had just spoken to Nord, or a projection of him, and it was broken somehow. "I'm going to have to return to Excellion; I don't know what else to do."
 
I agreed, and took Theo with me to find Varunmund in Veradin's library. Theo explained the situation, and with Varunmund's assurance he decided on the three of us returning to Excellion to work together on Nord's whereabouts.
 


 
Week three came, and we had a name a mission: Velmi's Spell-Binding Circle. Velmi and her husband cleric created the ritual to save their child, who died early and was pulled between two gods.
 
 

More friends, more high places


 
Murg and Milo were in Mishvi, and had encountered an erinyes on the way. They were found by Maenntail, a half-orc operative of Dannerick's who filled them in on the ins-and-outs of the locale.
 
"Administrator Connor is no longer on this plane," Maenntail dropped. As for the Black Hundreds, they have retreated to the eponymous Black Mountains, and they have stayed out of New Goblonia. "No idea why, and no one else knows either."
 


 
They would leave Mishvi to the south for High Acvera, the walled city high over the desert on its crowned plateau.
 
And there, they were treated as kings.
 


 
It took a fateful brunch, one morning, for Murg to speak with Yu-Gin. Then, he recieved the answer to a question that interested us all, earlier and later: Yu-Gin is part deva, and therefore not mortal.
 
"At the competition, I have already decided to make an announcement. Too, I will call for a new election; I will run again, but only if the hands of the people will it."
 

Wrote


 
Once we had returned to Excellion, Theo set us to work hunting down any and all information.
 
Varunmund found the first bit of information: magical displacement. It took us two weeks to add an answer to that information: that Nord was dead, and his soul was adrift across the planes including the sea of souls. It could be also that several deities were vying for domain over Nord. "Soul-splintered," Theo explained.
 
 

A ritual as one


We reunited in Veradin, and collected at the room where we had spoken to Nord so long ago. Even Milo collected an offering, and I stood second-hand to Theo as he prepared the ritual. Murg's underlings scurried back and forth to assist their leader.
 
And so the six-hours began. We each sweat profusely, Murg and Theo the cruxes of the ritual and bearing the most weight. When the magic swelled, the cleric and wizard each faltered -- and we all dreaded the worst. But bless the preparation! All of our work building up to this point held strong, and the sigils held. Winds swelled, lights grew, and the ritual neared completion.
 
Appearing in front of us, in broken armor, dropped the unconscious form of Nord Kegbreaker.
 
Theo and Murg each collapsed. We moved to their sides, collecting the three unconscious ones to put to bed. Milo and I left them, to take to drinking and to wait.
 
When Nord came to, we all discussed his existence: he was searching for M'Crush, and had figured out that the tortle wizard fell all the way to Dispater.
 
 

The artist's call


 
We got word from Dazim that his painting was finished, the cursed vision of the hells that we had ordered him to commission. In the name of the mission, I suppose.
 
The painting revealed Ibrithil, not unlike the black tower we had destroyed there so many months ago. This time a blood moon hung in eclipse up in teh sky, with erinyes locked in combat beneath. The Altar of Gadazh was revealed, in the bowl of mountainous teeth from the range there.
 
"It's magical," Dazim clarified. When we were ready, he could put his hand to paint and bring us to that place, to the altar in Ibrithil.
 
 

One last time


 
We separated for the last time, each returning to their hold to prepare their inventories and armaments. I made passage via High Acvera, traveling with Murg and Milo and being assisted by Yu-Gin's court wizard. I spoke little, and to be honest observed little, while I was there. "Now is not the time," I promised myself.

Continue reading...

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  29. Arcane Mishap
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  51. It Begins Again
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  56. Unfavorably Familiar
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  57. Cloaked in Red
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by 3 Armored Kittens · Prodromos v.1.1 - World Anvil 0.9.15.042 © 2017-2024 [en] | Anvil Time: 14:49, Nov 8 2024