Toilday, Erastus 1 … still

We searched the body of the dead giant. He had a great club and hide armor, and we noticed that the most prominent tattoo on his body was the rune for “wrath”. The floor is a polished gray and black marble. After some discussion, we decided that while Takkad and Rigel found no particular discomfort or disadvantage in being smaller, this was not true for Sabin, who has become a front-line hitter. So I cast Enlarge Person on him, and it seemed to cancel the effects of the Reduce Person spell he was suffering under. The lack of residual magic (as viewed by a detect magic) suggested strongly that he was not permanently back to regular size.

Rigel inspected the double door and determined they were neither locked nor trapped. We entered the room and began our misadventures.

There were runes on the walls.
The room was glowing.
There was a slowly burning circle of flame beneath a huge (12′ tall) black cauldron.
And there was what appeared to be a massive stone golem at one side of the room.

It’s always something, ain’t it?

But adamantine weapons are made for this sort of thing, and Avia and Nolin were able to land some good blows. That’s not to say we won easily; it had spell-like powers to slow us down. Nevertheless, it fell, we retrieved what arros we could, and trudged on. Or at least, were going to.

That’s when a 10′ tall lumbering humanoid came Out Of The Wall to attack, wounding Rallo with an upchuck of lava, or so it appeared. Before we could do anything else, we lost it as it reentered the wall.

Takkad was convinced that the cauldron was creating, allowing, or somehow influencing this tall creature, so he wanted to call in water to put out the fire beneath the cauldron. We convinced him we should wait to do that on the return trip, to avoid clogging up the traffic through here.

As we entered the next chamber, we were struck by the flow of cold air. The room seems to have contained 2 dozen suits or armor that are mounted on frozn ogre bodies.. One set of armor is radiating magic. We suspected it to be the “leader”.

This was just begging for a fireball, so I launched one to hit maximal soldiers. That took some out, but also worked others up. Fortunately, there were so many soldiers in the room, that between them and us, they weren’t too hard to pick off because there wasn’t a lot of room to move. Lightning and fire became the order of the day, and our fighters cleaned up the stragglers. Since they were undead, Takkad washed them in happy sauce .. oh, okay, positive energy .. and that too caused them to be unhappy.

Our reward for this was a lot of heavy metal. There was some decent armor to be had here, as well as some magic battle axes which had runes enscribed on them. We left all this for retrieval upon return.

As Takkad was putting the fire out on the cauldron, the molten slag monster returned. It seemed to have an attitude, complaining about how Sabin tasted, and then turning Kane to stone at a glance. And then disappeared into the wall again.

We discussed our options. We didn’t want to see Kane all busted up ala Olithar. We decided this might be time for me to use my teleport spell to take Kane to a big city and get him fixed before anything worse happened. Bad news was the slag monster was listening to us from the wall! He cast Dimensional Anchor on me to hold me in place, and then toyed with a bit more of the group. Avia, being annoyed by the constant chatter (and damage) smacked it but good and it died. Satisfyingly.

We returned to the original plan. I was to take Kane (and Rigel) to, we decided, Korvosa, where the thought was my father might be able to revert Kane to fleshy Kane from stony Kane. I honestly didn’t know if he could, but if he couldn’t I was pretty sure he could help.

So I focused on the area I knew best — that is to say, my old room — and one blink later, it worked, like it was supposed to. I was home.

I must admit, when I teleported to my room, I did not consider two things. One, Father, is that you’d repurposed the room and filled it with your old stuff. Thank goodness the magic doesn’t let me materialize inside of other stuff or you might still be hearing muffled shouts and beating from inside your old foot locker.

And the other was that you might have put a lock on that door — that locks from the outside. It makes me want to ask — what all is in that room now that it needs a lock? I realize I can hardly call it “my” room anymore but in one brief glance I took in what looked like an amazing potpourri of mere household stuff.

Fortunately, the one named Rigel — the one you mistakenly called “your girl” later during conversation — is very adept with small mechanical devices, and she was able to assist in exiting the room. (I do hope the lock is reparable; sorry.)

There was something about being home again — the smell of distant baked goods that I never before realized exists throughout the whole house, the sight of a familiar portrait here, that threadbare rug in front of the wash basin that has been there for as long as I can remember and which I know Mother has more than once threatened to replace, the fact that our dog Alaric obviously still remembers me — it was like I’d never left. Except for the small humanoid well-chiseled boat anchor to my left, and the dimunitive young lady to my right.

There is a part of me that is mildly pleased to know that even as the changes at home surprised me, I too managed to present myself in a way you had not considered. I had no way of knowing if you’d installed new wards against burglars, and while I was cautiously optimistic that they might still not trigger on me, and that my statuary friend would be even less likely to trigger them, I had far less certainty about my living, breathing companion that you’d had no knowledge of when the wards might have been placed. No matter how small she was now.

So when I cautiously entered the living area, broadcasting an aura of detect magic before me, and found you sitting at the desk in the alcove by the window that looks out over the port, it was entertaining to see how big your eyes could get. When you uttered the words, “I can’t believe I caught you sneaking into the house with your girl, and what is this other thing, some kind of oversized achievement award?” I had to break into uncontrollable laughter and I know it seemed puzzling to you and you didn’t get the joke, but I’m sorry Father, it was just the release of tension and frankly, from my point of view, it really was funny. Despite Rigel’s edginess at the misplaced label.

Dad. Wow. I’ve gotten a year older and I think you’ve gotten shorter.

I wish I’d had more time with you. I have this marvelous journal – well, THIS marvelous journal – that I’d like to have shared with you. I’ve not written you personally as often as I’d wanted, because too often we’re not near an area with enough … civilization … to provide reliable message service.

But of course, you knew that. I mean, you know that. I’m living a life you’ve already led. Maybe not exactly the way you lived it, but you know the constraints, and you know the limitations. You’ve been there.

I wish I could have had more time with you to tell you of my adventures, to have you read my journal, or even to read my journal to you in the hopes of creating the stir in your heart that I felt in mine whenever you would tell me of your tales. But time was not on our side, and I really needed one specific thing: to change my “oversized achievement award” back into the halfling he really is.

I had hoped you might know the spell by heart that would do this. I never really thought to ask you to tell me the true range of your powers before I left, and I don’t know if you’d have told me had I thought to ask. I know now that details like that are not revealed lightly, since the spells a sorceror knows not only defines him but can restrict him. If your opponent knows all your capabilities, then he knows how to put his own spells to best use, and since you can’t always easily discern friend from opponent …

I should not have been surprised that even though I felt great urgency, you felt great curiosity. My rather abridged recitation of how I came into the possession of a stoned halfling no doubt left some confusion in your mind, but it did at least convey the urgency. My companions were still in danger, lacking, now, over a third of their number while on this mission.

When you sent messengers to those whom you knew so that we might quickly find a mage that had either direct knowledge of or a scroll for stone to flesh, I had no idea the machinery it would put in motion. A city the size of Korvosa has many nooks and crannies, and while such a thing is almost certain to be found eventually, it is substantial effort to find it quickly.

And I must admit, I did not realize your contacts extended so deeply into the Council. Every son believes his father to be important and powerful, but when your messenger returned saying Councillor Rasok believed he could help, it was a surprise even to me. I did not know Councillor Rasok to be .. to be as you and I are. In hindsight, though, I suppose if someone has the magical prowess that Rasok does, we should be surprised if he does NOT bear a seat on the Council.

I was a bit wide-eyed, I admit, as we entered the Hall and proceeded to Councillor Rasok’s chambers. As we entered, I remember Rasok’s unusual greeting. “Elros,” he chuckled, “so it seems what is old is new again.”

“Indeed, Wilkas,” you responded. “The tables are turned this time.”

Councillor Rasok took the appearance of someone remembering across many years. “Had you not appeared when you did, leading with that signature fireball of yours, I would not be here today, helping lead this city. I’m still amazed at how many ogres fell at your hand while the others in our party hesitated. And even more amazed at how the rest of the ogres turned and ran after seeing 14 of their companions turned into blackened corpses. Some credit must be given to the healers, of course, for saving me, but a moment longer and only priests would have been able to help me.” His gaze fell upon me. “And so this is your son. Already finding trouble, and already gifting it to his friends. His father’s son, indeed.” But he was smiling. “So you seek a stone to flesh for this, what, a halfling? You are out saving the world with halflings?” He was still amused, but somehow, less smiling. “Is that all you could find willing to join you in this cause?” He glanced at Rigel. “I’m sensing a pattern here. You seem to have an issue with size.”

“No sir,” I had replied. “I’m with a party of eight. Rigel here, and Takkad too, were shrunk by magic means. We have fighters and wizards, humans and half-orcs, lawful and ” – I had caught a warning glance from my father – “and those who claim allegiance only to the principle that justice is blind and owed to all. And we fight the resurgence of the Rune Lords.”

The silence which fell over the room was almost palpable. Father looked stunned and seemed, for the first time in my life, speechless. Rasok paused, then gestured slightly and an aide shut the door and left the room. “He knows better than to repeat what he hears. Tell me more, Trask, son of Elros. Your plight may be of importance to more than your rigid friend here.”

So it was that I found myself in the inner sanctum of Korsova, talking to a man whom, it was said, could change fortunes, about what we had done and what we were doing. When I was finished, Rasok gave a great sigh. “It never ends. Magnimar to Sandpoint, and beyond.” Now my father and I both were looking at him agape, and he gave a half-smile, saying, “There have been signs, and sadly, your tale does not surprise me. Things are moving more quickly than I expected, though. The Council needs to hear this, but I also fully understand that time stops for no man, and while we unfold this fascinating tale, some hundreds of miles away your companions may be falling. I would quiz you more, Trask, but time grows short. On behalf of the Council, I thank you. If even half of what you told me is true and accurate, the Council has much to consider.” He gestured in some manner at the cabinet next to him and a drawer appeared. Reaching into it, he withdrew two scrolls.

“Do you have money?”

“I do,” I replied. “But I don’t know if I have enough.”

“You do,” Rasok assured me. “Because your information is valuable, and because I owe something of a debt here to your father, I will offer you a discount below cost. These two may be had for 1750 gold each.”

“But … on the open market these would be worth over 2000!” I stammered. “Each!”

Rasok smiled. “Does that mean you don’t want them?”

“No, no,” I stammered. “I do. And here is 3500 gold pieces. But I ask you a favor.”

“Yes?”

“Cast the spell yourself. If you’re powerful enough to create these scrolls, then you are more skilled than I and your invocation of the spell would produce better results.”

Rasok laughed again. “Good show, Trask. You are showing signs of an education, be careful! I am impressed. 3400, then, and not a penny more. I cannot cast the spell myself right now as I no longer have that one in mind, so we must use a scroll to help your friend. But you are still right that I can help with this scroll.” And with that, he picked one up, read it out loud, and .. Kane was standing there.

I glanced at Father and he looked like someone who desperately wanted to ask more questions, but it already been on the order of two hours since I left. In the end, Rasok and my father nodded, and as Kane and Rigel and I touched, I uttered the words that would return me (I hoped) from whence I had come.

I have since pondered on the irony: I had left home seeking knowledge, and today, just a little over a year later, I was the one imparting knowledge to the Korsova Council itself.

With a start, I found myself back with the party. There was much happiness and backslapping, but only for a moment. They brought me up to date — they had heard some growling or barking from behind a particular wall .. a wall that appeared damaged or collapsing. Takkad tried to shore it up with a wall of stone, and that made the noise stop. At first. Then a “puppy” leapt out from the wall. Yes it growled and snarled but it looked like no puppy I’d seen before. We thoroughly beat upon it, and it elected to return from whence it came before causing any of us any damage.

We pondered over how it had managed to appear when we’d just patched the wall. It was Takkad himself who realized something — his repair had not smoothly followed the contour of the rounded corners. It had simply put a “slab” into place. Kane cast comprehend languages and listened at the door. He heard snippets like

“Intruders in hallway”
“…but brought fire!”
“gave us a way out!”
“free to roam the universe”
“came back by the angle”
“leave this cursed plane”

It was unclear from this exchange if they were prisoners or hired guards. But clearly they knew about us, and viewed us as undesirable. Good news (for me) is that they seem to dislike fire. Hopefully it’s because they are vulnerable, and not because they’re trying to trick me into hitting them with a life-force-adding random amount of energy.

We continued looking at doors. We found a set of double doors that had behind it, another set. Upon opening that set, a puppy appeared. We quickly shut the doors, but found that the ‘puppy’ (or a ‘puppy’) had squeezed through.

Hates fire, hates fire, must conjure up fire …