of unicorns and dragons

[cellio]

May 15 (Sunday)

This morning Kyle told us he had a strange dream. In it he saw the unicorn, and it was leading him down a path in the woods. Liandra and Mairead were very interested in his description, and eventually persuaded him to try to find that path. We all followed along as Kyle twisted and turned and took us through parts of Oakhame Liandra had never seen before. Eventually we came to a shimmering pool.

Liandra drank some of the water and said it was very fresh, fresher than she thought water could be. So Turok and I took sips as well, and I was surprised by the taste of it. I can't put it into words. Then Liandra dipped her healing challace into the pool and then drank from the challace, and I watched her eyes grow wide as she just sat there. It never occurred to me that she could be hurt; it seemed completely out of character for this place.

After not too long she spoke and said that she had gained new insights into healing magic. The rest of us were not affected in this way.

I suggested that we try to cleanse the pearl that had been in Garrett's possession. We refilled the challace and put the pearl in, but this time the water, not the pearl, was affected. We saw the extra-worldly irradescence fade quickly from the water in the challace, defeated by the disease.

When we felt that we had learned all we could about this pool, we walked back to the main part of Oakhame. I doubt we'll ever find that pool again, but I'm pleased to have been there.

Yesterday after we returned I helped Liandra enhance her headband of wisdom. Today, in return, she helped me craft a belt of health -- that is, I crafted and she cast the spells. Turok also asked us to make him a strength-enhancing belt. I am finding the crafting of magic both easier and harder -- easier because I have figured out how to expedite, though I don't think this will always work, and harder because I am trying more and more tiring items. Mind, the biggest challenge thus far has been the enhancement to my mirror, but it is fitting that my own items draw the most from me.

The crystal ball is odd that way, actually -- it is surely something that would have been very strenuous, but for the pearls from the lake of Optalis. The magic seemed to flow readily from them into the crystal, in a way I haven't seen before or since.

Speaking of the crystal ball, I contacted Tobin today. He is well if overworked; he is in a hospital at the front, and he says most of the injuries are from the monsters and not the other armies. Everyone at the front knows who the real enemies are.

I told Tobin that we plan to go to Cardior tomorrow now that we have recovered Weeping Wounds, and I asked if he would be willing to magically mend the glass that once held the dagger safe from accidental contact. (Currently the dagger is held between the pieces of glass with cloth and rope, and all of that is stuffed into the glove.) He quickly agreed, but then asked me what I planned to do with the dagger.

I told him that he knows the ritual that we must do, and that I intend to do my best to free Agondre of his disease. Tobin objected that this would make me sick, but I reminded him that Agondre gave me powers for a reason and if it is within my capacity to heal him, I must do so. He seemed to understand when I put it that way, though it was pretty clear he'd rather someone else do it.

I can't pretend I'm not scared, of course. I see what the disease is doing to Turok; he is even weaker today, and Liandra says that while she can magically restore him, it is only a temporary fix. Turok told her to wait until tomorrow, when he will need to be at his strongest to fight off the creatures that would keep us from Agondre. That's noble of him, and expedient because the magic consumes gems, but I can see how he aches.

May 16 (Monday)

We are in the sanctum, making our final preparations. Let it not be said that the last thing I ever wrote was about fear and pain. Come what may, we will heal Agondre.

May 17 (Tuesday)

[indecipherable scrawl]

Urk. No, not ready yet.

May 19 (Thursday)

I'm feeling well enough to write now. Finally.

When we went into Agondre's chamber the first thing I saw was how he writhed in agony. The pool was spitting out lots of foul fiends. There was a lot of fighting, but I'm too worn out to recall it all. I think I did some effective things; I know others did. I'm told that Turok died and was revived with my pearl, leaving only the damaged one we recovered from Garrett. Poor Turok.

When Liandra had completed much of her ritual she summoned me and I flew to the center of the pool. I was a troll at the time, though a weakened one as I recall. I looked Agondre in the eye, holding Sunrise in one hand, and when I pulled out Weeping Wounds with the other I could see him recoil. I said I was here to help him and Liandra said soothing things, and he allowed us to proceed.

I held the two weapons high and said "with the weapon that is your bane I take your affliction onto me". Weeping Wounds throbbed in my hand; it felt like it was trying to resist. And then I felt an overwhelming wave of sickness hit me. I had to struggle to remain vertical and conscious. It felt as if I had been stabbed by that foul dagger in a thousand places at once, though any single wound did not feel as deep as the one Garrett dealt me.

When I had recovered enough composure to speak I moved to raise the weapons again, but Agondre reached out with a claw and grabbed me gently. I could feel but not hear him say "no" as he bowed his head toward me, and I'm told I'm not the only one who could feel his gratitude and concern that I could die if I did that again. I told him I want to do what's best for him, and in his eyes I could see for the first time the red fire of a huge sparkling gem. The message was clear: return with the Dragon's Heart.

Then Agondre set me down next to the pool, I lost the polymorph spell, and I collapsed. The others must have carried me out. I awoke in the emperor's bed, but not that day.

I am feeling somewhat better now; my illness, unlike Turok's, is fading on its own with the help of this bed. Soon I think we will be ready to seek out the Dragon's Heart and put an end to this.

Comments

date

[cellio]

This session took place on April 30. (Sorry I haven't been good about the dates of the previous few sessions.)

OOC notes

[cellio]

I did take notes during the pool-healing fight, but I thought it would be out of character for Larissa to detail that fight. So, a few out-of-character notes about what we fought:

A swarm of magic-sucking flying creatures; Kyle and Turok were saved from being dispelled by their rings of counterspell. (They later got Turok anyway, though.)

Crimson death. I don't have a lot of specific notes here, aside from it wrapping tentacles around Turok.

I noted a "spider thing" and a "scab thing", the latter of which was undamaged by fireballs.

Next pool emission: "slimy undead", "armored snake with legs", "skeletal serpent". The first might have been the Wheep, whose cries and weeping caused people to be shaken.

Behir -- was that the armored snake? It breathed lightning at Viggo, who was being a very effective archer.

There was a bone-naga that exhausted Turok and Kyle. Ouch.

Larissa tried to use telekenesis to fling the naga and behir across the room but failed (save, spell reistance). Dang. Then the naga exhausted Liandra and Larissa (-6 to str and dex). Good thing I was a troll at the time. Liandra was flying but I don't remember if she was also shape-shifted.

The wheep managed to hit Liandra (I forget how) and then Turok. Turok killed the "scab" and Viggo killed the behir. (My notes say "yay archery!".)

The wheep cast cloudkill while Liandra was finishing the ritual, and then it attacked Turok and knocked him down with poison. Viggo raced to him to apply the pearl; because the pearl was weakened it only restored him to 0 HP, not the full restoration of the previous pearl.

Liandra called for Larissa at this point; Larissa did a fly-by attack on the naga on the way after Kyle reported that it was "squishy", and sure enough Sunrise glowed brightly. Didn't kill it, though.

As Larissa joined Liandra the naga blasted us both with a cone of cold. Ouchy. Liandra was hurt badly (Larissa saved). Liandra healed Agondre directly, Kyle killed the naga, and Larissa killed the wheep with magic missiles.

Then the transfer ritual.

Re: OOC notes

[indigodove.livejournal.com]

1. I really enjoyed reading this! Nice stuff :-)

2. Liandra has a "normal" strength of 8, so the -6 was pretty bad for her.

Re: OOC notes

[cellio]

Larissa's normal strength is either 10 or 11. (Can't remember off hand.) Fortunately, a troll's normal strength is 23. :-)

Re: OOC notes

[(Anonymous)]

The spider thing was called a chwidencha, I think. I think the scab thing was a clay golem with a different description.

Re: OOC notes

[ralphmelton.livejournal.com]

This was ralph; sorry to be logged out.

[mrpeck.livejournal.com]

I guess the other characters don't know that they have the additional healing insight as well since none of them actually cast curing spells. Although, a more mature Kyle might take ranger levels and find out some day.

[cellio]

In theory Larissa could find out with a couple more levels of paladin, too.