== Fireday, Arodus 1, 4708; Runeforge; evening ==
Having prepared for combat with the evil that lay in wait we opened the door and quick marched down the narrow hallway to another laboratory. Lanterns hung from the ceiling, bathing the room in a soft golden light. Sprawled on two tables were the forms of bodies, human simulacra crudely stitched together from the parts of different people. An array of sparkling surgical equipment waited nearby on two other tables.
A lank individual in flowing red robes lurked in the far corner. He had a pale and waxy complexion, and was clutching a staff in one hand, with his overly long black fingernails clicking in a most disturbing way as his fingers twitched and spasmed.
He croaked out, “Kill them!” in a voice as dry as dust, and it was then we noticed the other two creatures in the room.
Massive skeletal looking beings with open chest cavities. Peeking out from the rib-cage of each was a wispy spirit of some kind, although I could not tell if they were controlling their hosts or merely captives within. Devourers. I had read about these things before, and was grateful for the defensive spells we had cast against evil.
Sabin wasted no time and used his Dimensional Door tactic to pop himself, Nolin, Avia and I next to the thin one. This caught him by surprise, but we too were surprised by a force wall he had in place to isolate his corner of the room from the fighting. The three fighters fit into the corner, but I did not, and found myself on the wrong side of the wall, staring into the beady black eyes of a devourer.
Thank Pharasma for the Protection from Evil spell that kept the creature from touching me! Unfortunately Sedgewick was standing behind me when Sabin moved us into the room, and he was out of the area warded by Kane’s Magic Circle Against Evil. The other devourer gleefully stepped up and began to pummel him.
I tried a Dismissal spell, but it had no affect on the beast. On the other side of the force wall things were going better. Nolin, Avia and Sabin had been relentlessly bashing away at old skin and bones, who with a cry of anguish vanished.
Sabin called out, “The bastard used Dimension Door to escape!”
But on the other side of the force wall we had two unscathed devourers to contend with, but no fighters! I used Stone Shape to scoop out an access way around the wall of force, through which Nolin and Avia leapt and charged the enemy.
Within moments one of the creatures had fallen, but its companion stepped in and drained Nolin of a massive amount of health. Kane and I channeled energy to keep the fighters going, and Avia stepped up to help finish off the monster.
Meanwhile Sabin had used a scroll of Locate Creature to try and find the lich (we were fairly sure that is what we were dealing with), but as he slowly turned about, the spell indicated the lich was everywhere… and nowhere.
Rigel, Kane and Trask sped out back to the entry rooms, hoping to catch the lich there, while the rest of us searched for secret doors.
Sabin found a trap door right beneath our feet, and I used a Stone Shape spell recalled from the one I had cast earlier (I feature of the cloak I was wearing) and removed a large portion of the door.
A fetid light and the smell of decay and death wafted up from below.
Avia, Nolin, Sabin and I jumped down into the crypt below. I landed poorly and fell to the floor, while the others rolled up and charged the lich, who was standing at the far side.
Suddenly invisible hands lifted me up onto my feet — Rigel! She was invisible and had gracefully flitted past the rest of us and plunged down to scout out the area for traps.
As it turned out, the entire room was a trap.
Between me and the lich (and the fighters) were three sarcophagi, each decorated with relief carvings of dancing skeletons and corpses. As our heavy hitters were hitting the lich heavily, it cackled and out from the hands of these relief carvings sprang a ghostly white light, which sapped us of our health while rejuvenating our foe!
Kane was still above us, but he leaned over the trap door and channeled energy into the room, healing us. This allowed me to cast a Dimensional Anchor on our opponent, while Sabin used a Touch of Idiocy on the lich to greatly reduce its threat.
Task had dropped down into the fray and tried lightening on it, but this seemed to have no affect.
And then the white light sprang forth again, draining those of us in the crypt. Nolin began to slash at the coffin nearest him, using his adamantine great sword, severing the limbs from the carved figures.
Avia then struck a mighty series of blows that reduced the lich to dust.
We then began to frantically search the chamber for the evil creature’s phylactery: for a lich stores its soul in this object, and unless it too is destroyed the lich can defeat death yet again and take form over time.
We pushed the top off the sarcophagus nearest to where the lich fell and found a great deal of Thassilonian, which identified the lich as Kazaven, and indicated that it was in fact Kazaven’s phylactery. Nolin, Avia and Sabin made quick work of destroying it, while Rigel managed to disarm the negative energy trap.
Searching the Kazaven’s remains we found the following:
[1194] Staff of Hungry Shadows: a scorched and twisted piece of wood with a smoke filled crystal sphere at one end. This staff had 39 charges, and could be used to cast the following:
1 charge: Ray of Enfeeblement
1 charge: Darkness
1 charge: Vampiric Touch
2 charges: Enervation
2 charges: Summon Shadow
3 charges: Call Devourer
[1195] +5 bracers of armor (Trask)
[1196] +4 headband of intellect (Sedgewick)
[1197] +2 ring of protection
[1198] small figurine of Kazaven — radiating residual magic of a contingency spell
The sarcophagus nearest the trap door acted as a small library, containing several full sets of spell books.
[1199] sets of spell books
From the next sarcophagus:
14,000 gp worth of coins, gems, and other valuables
[1200] ever smoking bottle
[1201] golem bane scarab: detect golems within 60′ and removes DR (Rigel)
[1202] Kazaven’s spell book
From the room above we found that the surgical instruments had been fashioned from jewelry, and were quite valuable. From the adjoining room we found a set of optical lenses, plus a vast library, including volumes on Thassilonian magic:
[1203] precious tools ~1,500gp
[1204] 10 lenses ~1,000gp
[1205] library ~15,000gp
We gathered up our findings and returned to the study of Greed.
I find it ironic that the hall where we feel most secure and comfortable is the one dedicated to Karzoug, our nemesis.
It was still early in the day, and so we poured over the books on ancient magic and uncovered a spell and rune pair for each of the seven sins.
Envy (Belimarius):
——————
Covetous Aura – bard 5, sorcerer/wizard 5
school: abjuration
components: V, S
casting time: 1 standard action
range: personal
effect: 25-ft.-radius emanation centered on you
duration: 1 round/level or until discharged
Anytime a harmless (so noted by a spell’s saving throw description)
spell of 3rd level or lower is cast within a covetous aura’s area of
effect, you may choose to immediately gain the benefit of that spell
as if it had also targeted you. The intended target still gains the
effect of the spell. You gain the benefits of this duplicated spell
only if the caster is in range of the covetous aura. You are considered
the caster of the additional spell effect. If the effect allows for
multiple targets other than yourself, you cannot use the stolen spell
effect to target other creatures — a covetous aura only aids you.
Once you choose to gain the benefit of another spell, the covetous aura
immediately ends. Rumors hold that this unusual spell was invented
thousands of years ago by Runelord Belimarius, who was constantly
jealous of other spellcasters’ abilities.
Rune of Resistance
Aura: faint abjuration
CL: 5th
Slot: rune
Price: 45,000 gp
Weight: –
Description:
This rune grants the bearer resistance 10 to two energy types chosen
at the time that the rune is inscribed.
Construction Requirements:
Inscribe Rune, resist energy
Cost: 22,500 gp
Gluttony (Zutha):
—————–
Deathwine – cleric 2, sorcerer/wizard 3
school: necromancy
components: V, S
casting time: 1 minute
range: 1 potion touched/level
duration: 1 hour/level
This spell allows you to turn a potion into a temporary pool of
necromantic energy. Only a potion created using a conjuration
(healing) spell can be affected by this spell. An affected potion
turns dark red and reveals a necromantic aura if detect magic is
cast on it while it remains under this spell’s effects.
When you drink a potion affected by this spell, you do not gain the
potion’s normal effect. Instead, the first necromancy spell you cast
within the next minute is cast at a higher caster level. The bonus to
caster level is equal to the spell level of the spell used to create
the potion that deathwine affects. For example, a 5th-level wizard who
drinks deathwine made from a potion of cure serious wounds would cast
his next necromancy spell as an 8th-level caster, as cure serious
wounds is a 3rd-level spell.
In addition, any undead creature (or other creature healed by negative
energy) that drinks a potion affected by deathwine is healed of 1d8
points of damage. Any potion not imbibed before this spell’s duration
expires is destroyed at the end of the deathwine’s duration.
Rune of Obedience
Aura: strong necromancy
CL 9th
Slot: rune
Price: 135,000 gp
Weight: –
Description
Designed as a foolproof means of ensuring absolute loyalty, even
from those ordinarily immune to compulsion and mind-affecting magic,
this rune is infused with a single specific prohibition when first
inscribed. This prohibition must be stated in 10 words or fewer and
the bearer must agree to it of his own free will. From then on, if
the bearer breaks this prohibition, he is afflicted with searing pain,
taking a -4 penalty on attack rolls, skill checks, and ability checks
for as long as he is in violation of the prohibition and for 5 minutes
thereafter. This rune affects any creature who agrees to bear it.
Construction Requirements
Inscribe Rune, symbol of pain
Cost: 67,500 gp
Greed (Karzoug):
—————-
Blood Money – sorcerer/wizard 1
school: transmutation
components: V, S
casting time: 1 swift action
range: 0 ft.
duration: instantaneous
You cast blood money just before casting another spell. As part of
this spell’s casting, you must cut one of your hands, releasing a
stream of blood that causes you to take 1d6 points of damage. When
you cast another spell in that same round, your blood transforms into
one material component of your choice required by that second spell.
Even valuable components worth more than 1 gp can be created, but
creating such material components requires an additional cost of
1 point of Strength damage, plus a further point of damage for every
full 500 gp of the component’s value (so a component worth 500-999 gp
costs a total of 2 points, 1,000-1,500 costs 3, etc.). You cannot
create magic items with blood money.
For example, a sorcerer with the spell stoneskin prepared could cast
blood money to create the 250 gp worth of diamond dust required by
that spell, taking 1d6 points of damage and 1 point of Strength damage
in the process.
Material components created by blood money transform back into blood at
the end of the round if they have not been used as a material component.
Spellcasters who do not have blood cannot cast blood money, and those
who are immune to Strength damage (such as undead spellcasters) cannot
use blood money to create valuable material components.
Rune of Contingency
Aura: moderate transmutation
CL: 7th
Slot: rune
Price: 147,000 gp
Weight: –
Description
Once per day, the bearer of this rune can gain the effects of the
spells feather fall and water breathing. In addition, if he is
reduced to 0 or fewer hit points and is not killed, he turns into
a cloud of vapor as per the spell gaseous form for 5 rounds. He
remains conscious during this time, but after 5 rounds returns to
his normal form and is unconscious and dying.
Construction Requirements
Inscribe Rune, feather fall, gaseous form, water breathing
Cost: 73,500 gp
Lust (Sorshen):
—————
Unconscious Agenda – bard 6, sorcerer/wizard 6
descriptors: language-dependent, mind-affecting
school: enchantment (compulsion)
components: V
casting time: 10 minutes
range: close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
target: one humanoid
duration: one week/level or until discharged (D)
save: will/negates
spell resistance: yes
This spell plants a subconscious directive in the target’s mind that
forces him to act as you dictate when specific circumstances arise.
The target humanoid can be either conscious or unconscious, but must
understand your language. Upon casting this spell, you must state a
course of action you wish the target to take. This course of action
must be described in 20 words or fewer. You must then state the
condition under which you wish the target to take this action, also
describing it in 20 or fewer words. Actions or conditions more
elaborate than 20 words cause the spell to fail. Unconscious agenda
cannot compel a target to kill himself, though it can compel him to
perform exceedingly dangerous acts, face impossible odds, or undertake
almost any other course of activity. You cannot issue new commands to
the target after the spell is cast.
If the target fails his save against this spell, he is not compelled
to act in any way until the specified trigger circumstances are
encountered. He also has no knowledge of the details of the spell
affecting him, and has no memory of the last 10 minutes (although he
might come to notice the missing time or the presence of the caster).
He can function as he wishes until the events you detailed as the
condition take place. Upon experiencing the prerequisite condition,
the target is forced to perform the course of action you described
as per the spell dominate person. (If the compelled action is against
the victim’s nature, he immediately gains a new saving throw at a
+5 bonus against the spell to end its effects.) For the next hour,
the target acts as you dictated, doing all he can to fulfill your
command. If, at the end of the hour, the target still has not
completed your command, the target is released from the enchantment
and the spell ends. Once the course of action is completed, the
spell ends. The target has full memory of acts performed during this
hour.
It’s difficult to detect an unconscious agenda before the spell is
triggered. Casting detect magic on one affected by it only reveals an
aura of enchantment if the caster of detect magic has a higher caster
level then the caster of unconscious agenda. Even if the spell is
detected, it can only be removed by break enchantment, limited wish,
remove curse, miracle, or wish. Dispel magic does not affect
unconscious agenda.
Rune of the Mistress
Aura: moderate enchantment
CL: 9th
Slot: rune
Price: 108,000 gp
Weight: –
Description
Three times per day, the bearer of this rune can cause a creature
she touches to take a -4 penalty on all Will saves made against
spells of the enchantment school for the next 24 hours.
Construction Requirements
Inscribe Rune, dominate monster
Cost: 54,000 gp
Pride (Xanderghul):
——————-
Raiment of Command – bard 2, sorcerer/wizard 2
school: illusion (glamer)
components V, S
casting time: 1 standard action
range: personal
target: you
duration: 1 hour/level
saving throw: will/negates
You are cloaked in an illusion of authority. Others perceive you to be
a legitimate figure of authority, such as a higher-ranking official, a
religious figure, or a more powerful warrior. This illusion grants you
a +5 bonus on all Diplomacy and Intimidate checks. If you attempt to
disguise yourself as a specific authority figure whom you have met in
person, you gain a +10 competence bonus on the Disguise check and any
Bluff check related to impersonating that authority figure.
In addition, others are uncomfortable acting against you. Creatures with
an Intelligence of 3 or more take a -2 penalty on all opposed checks made
against you, such as Sense Motive checks made to determine if you’re
bluffing, or Perception checks made to notice you when you’re using
Stealth to sneak (a result of their not wanting to question whether you
belong there, and thus giving you the benefit of the doubt).
Rune of the Inscrutable One
Aura: moderate illusion
CL: 6th
Slot: rune
Price: 36,000 gp
Weight: –
Description
The bearer of this rune confuses all attempts to divine information
about him. This functions as a permanent misdirection spell, which
the bearer can change the target of (and thus what he is detected as)
at will.
In addition, whenever the rune’s bearer enters an area affected by a
divination (scrying) effect or anytime a creature casts a divination
(scrying) spell that targets him, the scrying spell’s caster must
make a DC 18 Will save. If this save fails, the rune’s bearer realizes
that he is being scryed upon, knows what spell is in effect, and knows
the name of the spell’s caster.
Construction Requirements
Inscribe Rune, magic aura, misdirection
Cost: 18,000 gp
Sloth (Krune):
————–
Swipe – bard 2, sorcerer/wizard 3
school: conjuration (teleportation)
components: V, S
casting time: 1 standard action
range: close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
target: one held (by another) item
duration: instantaneous
By flicking a finger in the appropriate direction and proclaiming
ownership, you attempt to magically wrest an item from the target’s
grip and summon it to your hand. To claim an object held by an
opponent, you must make a CMB check — this check has a bonus equal
to your caster level + your Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma
modifier (whichever is highest). If you fail this check, the target
retains the item and the spell fails. If you succeed, the item
teleports into one of your free hands or comes to rest at your feet.
Rune of the Lord’s Palanquin
Aura: strong conjuration
CL: 15th
Slot: rune
Price: 135,000 gp
Weight: –
Description
Once per day, the bearer of this rune can summon a floating,
semi-real palanquin. This conveyance has all the special abilities
of a phantom steed and can hold the bearer and up to 150 additional
pounds of weight. Other creatures can ride the palanquin as long as
the total weight is less than 150 pounds. The palanquin can be
dismissed at any time as a free action, but cannot be summoned again
until the next day. The look of the palanquin is decided when the
rune is inscribed, though it usually takes the form of a regal,
comfortable-looking litter that moves without the need for bearers.
Construction Requirements
Inscribe Rune, phantom steed
Cost: 67,500 gp
Wrath (Alaznist):
—————–
Sign Of Wrath – cleric 6, sorcerer/wizard 6
descriptor: force
school: evocation
components: V, S, F (a gem worth 1,000 gp inscribed with the
Thassilonian symbol of wrath)
casting time: 1 standard action
range: personal
effect: 25-ft.-radius burst centered on you
duration: instantaneous
save: reflex/half
spell resistance: yes
A giant, glowing symbol of wrath appears below you, forcibly repulsing
all nearby creatures.
All creatures within the area of effect take 1d6 points of force damage
per caster level (maximum 15d6) and are subjected to a bull rush that
attempts to push them directly away from you. The blast’s bull rush
effect has a CMB bonus equal to your caster level + your Intelligence,
Wisdom, or Charisma modifier (whichever is highest). You are unaffected
by both the spell’s damage and its bull rush effect, and may select up
to one creature per 4 caster levels to also be ignored by the spells
effects.
Rune of Razing
Aura: strong evocation
CL: 13th
Slot: rune
Price: 91,000 gp
Weight: –
Description
This rune grants the bearer the ability to ignore hardness and damage
reduction for 5 rounds per day. Its activation is a free action, and
the rounds need not be used consecutively.
Construction Requirements
Inscribe Rune, mage’s sword
Cost: 45,500 gp
Included in the books was a manual on how to craft these runes, which I immediately began to study. We all thought the effects of the various runes to be quite useful, and I will take the time and effort to learn how to properly create them.
Inscribe Rune [Item Creation]
You can tattoo arcane runes upon your flesh or the flesh of others.
Prerequisite: Caster level 3rd
Benefit: You can create runes. Inscribing a rune takes one day for each 1,000 gp in its base price. To inscribe a rune, you must use up raw materials costing half of its base price.
The general description of these runes is intriguing, and I have copied it here for later study:
Sin runes resemble runic tattoos inscribed in the flesh with arcane inks and scar-inducing irritants. Their intricate forms are endless variations on the seven runes of sin magic. Any individual bearing a Sin rune can make use of its abilities even if not a spellcaster or if its powers are from a school ordinarily prohibited to the bearer.
A Sin rune is considered a magic item but does not take up a body slot in the usual sense. Instead, an individual is limited to possessing one rune, regardless of the creature’s or the rune’s actual size. The potent magics essential to these runes’ function is disrupted by the addition of a second rune, preventing either from working. Once a rune is inscribed, it cannot be removed short of a miracle, wish, or a mage’s disjunction cast directly on it (this use of the spell does not have the normal area of effect and can affect only one rune at a time). Even the loss of that body part is not foolproof, for if it is regenerated or otherwise recovered, it returns with the rune still upon it.
A Sin rune’s ability is usually activated by a spoken command word (a standard action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity) or its effects work continually. Some runes have unusual activations, as mentioned in the rune’s specific description.
For me the Rune of Contingency (there is Karzoug again!) and Rune of the Inscrutable One seem most appealing, but the costs for the creation of these runes is quite high. That plus the fact that you can only have one on your body means each of us shall have to consider carefully which one we want.
== Starday, Arodus 2, 4708; Runeforge; morning ==
We had a restful evening, although many of us remained up late reading through the tomes we had recently acquired.
Returning to the central Runeforge chamber we gazed thoughtfully at the pool. We realized that we already possessed the required components for enchanting weapons in the forge, but were still uncertain about the ceremony itself.
Perhaps we need to scan through the books and scrolls we’ve found down here to find the answer — I bet we already have the information for it.
But we were also anxious to search the final wing of Runeforge — Alaznist and Karzoug were bitter enemies, and it might be we can find allies among her followers. Also it did not seem prudent to leave an entire area unexplored while we were distracted with the forge.
We also need to find a way out of this place. Vraxeris had indicated that leaving Runeforge was not as simple as casting a teleport spell, and as of yet we have not found any clues for our own escape.
Avia and Nolin were the first to reach the end of the long corridor, and they waited for the rest of us to arrive. With no fan-fair the corridor ended at the entrance of a massive hall: twenty fathoms wide by twenty five fathoms long, and ten fathoms high!
The ceiling was glowing from a Continual Light spell, but the entire room was empty — except at the very far end. There a dais raised some thirty feet above the floor which extended into the room twenty feet. A giant iron statues of a female archer stood poised at the edge of the platform, staring impassively at us from afar.
Behind the statue, painted in vibrant colors across the far wall was an immense mural of beautiful, armor clad, crimson haired woman wielding a ranseur and riding a dragon. My companions had seen her image before, and Sedgewick softly hissed, “Alaznist!”
As we entered the hall a thunderous metallic clash gonged three times, and the statue swung its bow in our direction and fired bolts of fire, striking Avia and I.
Sabin quickly reacted and transported himself, Nolin, Avia and I behind the statue, where upon Avia slashed at it.
Trask (or so I assumed) created the image of a white dragon, but the statue ignored it, and instead flew forward, leaving a noxious cloud of gas behind, which engulfed us.
Nolin and Sabin took to the air, and I cast Air Walk on Avia so she too could pursue the statue as it fired another set of energy bolts back at those of us on the platform.
The fighters managed to catch up to it several times as it flew about the hall, and finally beat it into an inert mass of metal.
A long broad hallway lead further in to another large chamber. Two circles were set in the center of the floor, each glowing with an aura of conjuration and each with a giant rune of wrath carved in the very center.
The nearest circle is red and the other blue.
We have healed ourselves from the encounter with the statue and are about to step as a group into the red ring.
== Starday, Arodus 2, 4708; Runeforge; morning ==
Nothing happened when we stepped into the red. We are now trying blue.
== Starday, Arodus 2, 4708; Runeforge; morning ==
We have been teleported into a smaller room with two circles (red and blue), and a short, wide hall leading to another chamber from which I can hear movement.
Only four of us teleported in at first, but the others quickly followed. We must remember that the circle will only take four of us at a time.
A voice has called out from a room beyond, and I see Trask preparing a spell.
No time to—
