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Ember's Tale 96: The Hunt for the Nether Scroll


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#1 Guest_Cel_*

Posted 02 April 2008 - 09:13 PM

Chapter 96: The Hunt for the Nether Scroll


It was perfect.

Edwin's great breakthrough came in Trademeet, when he recognized the crest on a noble's cloak pin as one described in a report about Nevaziah, the last known keeper of the Nether scroll (an incredible stroke of luck, even more so because he and his impeccable mind were there to seize the opportunity). The noble, a reasonably tolerable cretin named Skarmaen Alibakkar, was extremely receptive to compliments about his suit of elven chainmail (crudely, and obviously, reworked to fit around his very un-elven belly), his ornate cloak pin, and, most insincerely of all, about how he must be a beacon of style and elegance among his peers.

He was also extremely receptive to wine.

It took Edwin less than fifteen minutes to get Alibakkar to tell him all about how the cloak pin bore his family crest, how his family was older than Trademeet, and, indeed, how his family had founded Trademeet, and in another five minutes, Edwin managed to confirm that he was a descendant of the wizard Nevaziah. To Edwin's amusement, the noble was actually embarrassed about being related to someone who was obviously far better than himself (but inferior to Edwin Odesseiron, of course); the name of the wizard was now nothing but an unpleasant reminder of the disgrace he'd caused the family.

According to Alibakkar, Nevaziah the wizard went insane and had himself buried alive.

Along with all his work.

In Athkatla.

It had been hard to mask the excitement Edwin felt at that moment, but he managed to stay calm (Calm, Edwin!) as Alibakkar spoke of how Nevaziah had humiliated the family further by haunting the family tomb. Utterly disgusting, it was; yes, Edwin most certainly agreed. Edwin also wondered what had been done about the problem. What, nothing? The family had decided to move and just let the ghost rot? Yes, it was a solution, but wouldn't Alibakkar feel better knowing that Nevaziah was completely gone? He would? Edwin would be happy to help with that. Yes, Edwin was a good friend.

And so, Edwin returned to Athkatla knowing exactly which tomb to visit, and how to enter it. It was perfect, utterly perfect!

Or it would be, if only the others would understand the urgency and importance of this task.

Yoshimo agreed to come along easily enough, but the rest of the group... Edwin could understand, he supposed, that Ember would rather spend her time searching for employment than 'paw through a tomb in search for a scroll that probably rotted a long time ago' (after all, she wasn't even remotely capable of appreciating the importance of the Nether Scroll), and he couldn't say he minded that the Rasheman brute and the insufferable halfling also refused, but Edwin Odesseiron was no fool, and would not take no for an answer from the party cleric. The pompous oaf of a Helmite did, after all, have his uses when it came to dealing with the undead, and Edwin should not have had to point out to him that he would be at least marginally useful if he came along to the tomb rather than following Ember and the halfling around on their job hunt, which they were just as capable of doing on their own (even if they were dragging the giant imbecile around with them). As it was, the cleric didn't relent until Edwin said some drivel about how it was his duty to assist with this task that had been assigned them, and even then he agreed only very begrudgingly. Incomprehending fools, all of them!

Imoen would have understood.

(She screams! She screams!)

With a shudder, Edwin shut his eyes and forced the words of that damned gypsy from his head. Random blatherings from a fraud, that's all they were!

(But what if they weren't?)

No. No more thoughts!

He'd show them. He'd find her, and rescue her. He'd claim the Nether Scroll, and once he'd harnessed the power contained within it, he would be unstoppable. He'd be invincible! He'd make the Cowled Wizards bow before him; he'd tear their prison apart and burn it to the ground for their daring to hold Imoen in it! Oh yes, he'd have his glory and his revenge, and maybe even Imoen's gratitude (would she realize, at last, what a fool she'd been to turn him down?)...

"Is this it?"

Yoshimo's voice jolted Edwin out of his reverie. "What?!" he all but shouted.

"This," Yoshimo said, pointing at one of the tombs in front of them; while Edwin had been... preoccupied with more important matters, they had evidently reached the oldest part of the main Athkatla graveyard. The tomb in question was worn by time and crowded by newer constructions, but it was still easily identifiable as their goal; there was, after all, a shortage of Mulhorandi-style pyramidal tombs in Athkatla.

Edwin gave Yoshimo a withering glare. "What do you think?"

Behind them, the cleric sighed. "I think you should do what you must, wizard, that we may dispense with this matter as quickly as possible."

"(I don't care what you think,)" Edwin grumbled, and set about casting the spell that would unlock the wards on the tomb entrance.

---

The inner chamber of Nevaziah's section of the tomb lay deep underground, at the end of a twisting and turning corridor that was populated by several shadows; Edwin left their disposal to the Helmite. While the Kara-Turan checked the path for traps, Edwin busied himself with examining the decor of the tomb. Nevaziah appeared to have been overly fond of pottery; the place was littered with urns, jars and bowls from a number of cultures, including a Thayvian jar with a glazed spiral design that had gone out of fashion several hundred years ago. It might have some value as an antique, Edwin mused, then remembered his situation and decided it was better (yes, much better) to dismiss it as a piece of tacky garbage.

"Well, here we are," Yoshimo said. "The inner chamber."

Other than a few more urns, the chamber was empty. There was not as much as a coffin, much less the vaunted ghost and his work.

How could this be?!

"This is a pointless undertaking, wizard, even for you," the cleric complained. "There is nought to be found here but shadows!"

"Perhaps not," Yoshimo said, kneeling in the corner. He pushed something, and a section of the wall slid open with the loud, grating sound of stone against stone, whirling up a cloud of dust. Excitedly, Edwin peered through the dust and into a second chamber. It was larger than the room they stood in, but at first glance, all he could see was more of the incessant jars and urns. Then, he saw the shelves, full of dust-covered scrolls. "This is it!" he cried, exultant.

Something stirred in the chamber.

A tall, gangly figure shambled towards them. Its skin, which looked like old parchment, didn't quite cover its skeleton, and its body was draped in tattered, mouldy rags that looked as if they might have once been green and gold silk, but not even Edwin could tell for sure anymore. Dust and fragments of rotten silk fell away from the creature with every movement.

It was a lich.

"Helm preserve us," the cleric whispered.

"Haaaaaa... it... it cannot be!" the lich rasped. "Have... the cowled ones... come for me...? Have I been... found out... after so long?"

Yoshimo stepped forward. "We are no Cowled Wizards, if that is what you are concerned about," he said carefully.

"You... you are not of the Cowled Ones? That is... that is good. They... found me out... my pupils and I... practicing the arts... without their permission. We... we fled... so long ago... How... long now? I... I cannot remember. Have you... come to... destroy me?"

"We mean you no harm, my good lich," the Kara-Turan said. Edwin rolled his eyes.

"Lich? Lich? Is... is this what I am? No... no... was I dying?" the lich muttered, sounding bewildered. "I was dying, so long ago... I used the... magic to save myself. Just as... as I have used it... to save my pupils... How... how long have my pupils... and I... been below? Do the... wizards still... hunt me? Is the... name of... Nevaziah still spoken in the world above?"

Edwin had to restrain himself from shouting with glee at the lich's mention of his name.

"No," Yoshimo said, "I don't think they remember you any longer."

"I... I have been forgotten? The name of... Nevaziah... Keeper of Wisdom... has been lost to the sands of time? It... it is as if I have been... in a dream... My... my duty... is long gone. I... I am dead, am I not? And... and all my pupils... as well. Oh... how long has it been? Hiding... hiding... in fear... for centuries!" A cackling sound that was probably supposed to be laughter escaped the lich's mouth. "Thank you... for opening my eyes. The Keepers never came... to collect the wisdom... my pupils and I... have saved. They... they are long dead."

Edwin's patience ran out.

"Enough of this prattle!" he cried. "I wish the Nether Scroll, you senile lich! Give it to me at once!"

Someone - the cleric - put a hand on Edwin's arm; he shrugged it off.

"The... Nether Scroll? I... I have this... most sacred scroll..." Nevaziah said, glancing towards one of the shelves. "It is... most dangerous wisdom. Others must be... protected from it... lest they be destroyed. I... I have used its power... sparingly... but... perhaps not sparingly enough. What... what makes you think... wizard... that you are strong enough for it? It... it must be destroyed... with the other knowledge..."

Destroyed?!

"No! NO!! I will not allow you to destroy such an invaluable artifact!" Edwin shouted. "You are a fool, lich! And I will have the scroll if I must destroy you, first!!"

The lich snarled (not that he really had any lips fit to snarl with). "It is... it is you who... are the fool... wizard! I... I am the Keeper of Wisdom... and I say... you shall not have it!! This place will be your tomb!"

"Excellent work," the Helmite growled behind Edwin as the lich began summoning an orb of fire.

---

"The halfling was right about you, wizard," the cleric said as they stood outside the tomb, gasping for breath. Puffs of white smoke drifted out of the entrance; the scrolls within were still burning. "You have nothing but disdain for the safety of your companions!"

"I told you the tomb was haunted, didn't I?" Edwin said distractedly, cradling the few salvaged scrolls in his arms. Yoshimo had shown a quite admirable presence of mind when he darted behind the lich to grab the documents moments before the lich's spells set the entire tomb - himself included - ablaze. (Really, what kind of Keeper of Wisdom would rather set his work on fire than pass it on to a worthier being?)

"Haunted, aye," the cleric said with a harsh laugh. "You sent us against a lich!"

"A lich? Barely," Edwin scoffed. "He was weak, untrained, and insane. (Give me a few centuries, and I'd do vastly better!)"

"He nearly burned us all alive!"

"Details, details," Edwin muttered, and returned his attention to the precious burden he carried in his hands. It was true that a lich (even an unskilled one) was a bit more than he'd expected to find, and it was true that they'd been dangerously close to incineration, but none of that mattered now.

The sigil on one of the salvaged scrolls didn't lie.

The Nether Scroll was finally his!

#2 Guest_Theodur_*

Posted 03 April 2008 - 01:25 PM

Chapter 96: The Hunt for the Nether Scroll


Oh… doh! :roll:

It took Edwin less than fifteen minutes to get Alibakkar to tell him all about how the cloak pin bore his family crest, how his family was older than Trademeet, and, indeed, how his family had founded Trademeet, and in another five minutes, Edwin managed to confirm that he was a descendant of the wizard Nevaziah. To Edwin's amusement, the noble was actually embarrassed about being related to someone who was obviously far better than himself (but inferior to Edwin Odesseiron, of course); the name of the wizard was now nothing but an unpleasant reminder of the disgrace he'd caused the family.


Ah yes, wizards in Amn… not exactly appreciated, probably just having one amongst your ancestors could be a dent in a reputation.

They have similar attitudes towards elves though – wonder why he wears the chainmail. Maybe he’s boasting about prying it from the corpse of an elf he’s killed.

It had been hard to mask the excitement Edwin felt at that moment, but he managed to stay calm (Calm, Edwin!) as Alibakkar spoke of how Nevaziah had humiliated the family further by haunting the family tomb. Utterly disgusting, it was; yes, Edwin most certainly agreed. Edwin also wondered what had been done about the problem. What, nothing? The family had decided to move and just let the ghost rot? Yes, it was a solution, but wouldn't Alibakkar feel better knowing that Nevaziah was completely gone? He would? Edwin would be happy to help with that. Yes, Edwin was a good friend.


Idiots such as Alibakkar certainly deserve to be exploited like that. :P

Yoshimo agreed to come along easily enough, but the rest of the group... Edwin could understand, he supposed, that Ember would rather spend her time searching for employment than 'paw through a tomb in search for a scroll that probably rotted a long time ago' (after all, she wasn't even remotely capable of appreciating the importance of the Nether Scroll), and he couldn't say he minded that the Rasheman brute and the insufferable halfling also refused, but Edwin Odesseiron was no fool, and would not take no for an answer from the party cleric. The pompous oaf of a Helmite did, after all, have his uses when it came to dealing with the undead, and Edwin should not have had to point out to him that he would be at least marginally useful if he came along to the tomb rather than following Ember and the halfling around on their job hunt, which they were just as capable of doing on their own (even if they were dragging the giant imbecile around with them). As it was, the cleric didn't relent until Edwin said some drivel about how it was his duty to assist with this task that had been assigned them, and even then he agreed only very begrudgingly. Incomprehending fools, all of them!


Surely smiting undeads that haunt tombs of innocent and long suffering nobles would be a task fitting a prospective knight of the Order, no?

He'd show them. He'd find her, and rescue her. He'd claim the Nether Scroll, and once he'd harnessed the power contained within it, he would be unstoppable. He'd be invincible! He'd make the Cowled Wizards bow before him; he'd tear their prison apart and burn it to the ground for their daring to hold Imoen in it! Oh yes, he'd have his glory and his revenge, and maybe even Imoen's gratitude (would she realize, at last, what a fool she'd been to turn him down?)...


Awwww…

"This," Yoshimo said, pointing at one of the tombs in front of them; while Edwin had been... preoccupied with more important matters, they had evidently reached the oldest part of the main Athkatla graveyard. The tomb in question was worn by time and crowded by newer constructions, but it was still easily identifiable as their goal; there was, after all, a shortage of Mulhorandi-style pyramidal tombs in Athkatla.


Oh you mean Egyp-… *slaps self* I mean, it’s obviously something completely original from the highly creative FR designers!

"Perhaps not," Yoshimo said, kneeling in the corner. He pushed something, and a section of the wall slid open with the loud, grating sound of stone against stone, whirling up a cloud of dust. Excitedly, Edwin peered through the dust and into a second chamber. It was larger than the room they stood in, but at first glance, all he could see was more of the incessant jars and urns. Then, he saw the shelves, full of dust-covered scrolls. "This is it!" he cried, exultant.


Something stirred in the chamber.


Perhaps with a little less shouting it would have kept sleeping. :P

"Lich? Lich? Is... is this what I am? No... no... was I dying?" the lich muttered, sounding bewildered. "I was dying, so long ago... I used the... magic to save myself. Just as... as I have used it... to save my pupils... How... how long have my pupils... and I... been below? Do the... wizards still... hunt me? Is the... name of... Nevaziah still spoken in the world above?"


Yep, we know all about you and your rubber ducky!

"I... I have been forgotten? The name of... Nevaziah... Keeper of Wisdom... has been lost to the sands of time? It... it is as if I have been... in a dream... My... my duty... is long gone. I... I am dead, am I not? And... and all my pupils... as well. Oh... how long has it been? Hiding... hiding... in fear... for centuries!" A cackling sound that was probably supposed to be laughter escaped the lich's mouth. "Thank you... for opening my eyes. The Keepers never came... to collect the wisdom... my pupils and I... have saved. They... they are long dead."


*sigh* Is he going to go on forever with this?

Edwin's patience ran out.


So did mine. :lol:

"The... Nether Scroll? I... I have this... most sacred scroll..." Nevaziah said, glancing towards one of the shelves. "It is... most dangerous wisdom. Others must be... protected from it... lest they be destroyed. I... I have used its power... sparingly... but... perhaps not sparingly enough. What... what makes you think... wizard... that you are strong enough for it? It... it must be destroyed... with the other knowledge..."


Well, Edwin will later probably wish he had destroyed it. :lol:

"The halfling was right about you, wizard," the cleric said as they stood outside the tomb, gasping for breath. Puffs of white smoke drifted out of the entrance; the scrolls within were still burning. "You have nothing but disdain for the safety of your companions!"


Shouldn’t you be able to take care of yourself? ;)

"I told you the tomb was haunted, didn't I?" Edwin said distractedly, cradling the few salvaged scrolls in his arms. Yoshimo had shown a quite admirable presence of mind when he darted behind the lich to grab the documents moments before the lich's spells set the entire tomb - himself included - ablaze. (Really, what kind of Keeper of Wisdom would rather set his work on fire than pass it on to a worthier being?)


An Insane Keeper of Wisdom? :lol:

The sigil on one of the salvaged scrolls didn't lie.


The Nether Scroll was finally his!


Ruh roh…

#3 Guest_AlphaMonkey_*

Posted 03 April 2008 - 07:30 PM

(crudely, and obviously, reworked to fit around his very un-elven belly)


Enara: To be fair, though, those things are -really- hard to put on if you're not, you know... an elf.

Imoen: (Enara-variant) "It doesn't help that you're developing a little bit of an ale belly."

Enara: "Am NOT! I have just as many points in Dexterity and Charisma as I did when I was 18!"

Imoen: (Snickers) "Yeah, but you also picked up a few in... 'Constitution.'"

Enara: "It came in the form of increased stamina! Now hush!"

He was also extremely receptive to wine.


Harlequin: "The days before the invention of the strawberry margarita. Those were sad, sad times."

As it was, the cleric didn't relent until Edwin said some drivel about how it was his duty to assist with this task that had been assigned them, and even then he agreed only very begrudgingly. Incomprehending fools, all of them!


That's it. Use his faith as a weapon against him. That's not a low move, you sleazy, underhanded bastard. :P

(But what if they weren't?)


Well, while you're blithering around selfishly looking after your own ends, she's getting her spleen removed. Oh, and that minor inconvenience of soul loss.

there was, after all, a shortage of Mulhorandi-style pyramidal tombs in Athkatla.


Most of the ones that used to be there turned out to be Goa'uld motherships? ;)

"(I don't care what you think,)" Edwin grumbled, and set about casting the spell that would unlock the wards on the tomb entrance.


Then why did you ask? :roll:

"Excellent work," the Helmite growled behind Edwin as the lich began summoning an orb of fire.


Eh. It's not like I actually expected him to do something intelligent.

Raven: "He does seem to have problems with doing non-stupid junk."

"The halfling was right about you, wizard," the cleric said as they stood outside the tomb, gasping for breath. Puffs of white smoke drifted out of the entrance; the scrolls within were still burning. "You have nothing but disdain for the safety of your companions!"


Why is this a surprise, though?

Really, what kind of Keeper of Wisdom would rather set his work on fire than pass it on to a worthier being?


An intelligent one who knew that the knowledge in his possession was too dangerous to pass on to someone else?

...

Nah, that's crazy talk.

The Nether Scroll was finally his!


Good. Now turn yourself into a girl. It's not like you were using that dangly thing between your legs for anything, anyway. :P

#4 Guest_Futurist_*

Posted 03 April 2008 - 08:25 PM

It had been hard to mask the excitement Edwin felt at that moment, but he managed to stay calm (Calm, Edwin!) as Alibakkar spoke of how Nevaziah had humiliated the family further by haunting the family tomb. Utterly disgusting, it was; yes, Edwin most certainly agreed. Edwin also wondered what had been done about the problem. What, nothing? The family had decided to move and just let the ghost rot? Yes, it was a solution, but wouldn't Alibakkar feel better knowing that Nevaziah was completely gone? He would? Edwin would be happy to help with that. Yes, Edwin was a good friend.

And so, Edwin returned to Athkatla knowing exactly which tomb to visit, and how to enter it. It was perfect, utterly perfect!

Or it would be, if only the others would understand the urgency and importance of this task.


No they won`t but when you have turned into a woman they will get enough laughs to forgive you. ;)


He'd show them. He'd find her, and rescue her. He'd claim the Nether Scroll, and once he'd harnessed the power contained within it, he would be unstoppable. He'd be invincible! He'd make the Cowled Wizards bow before him; he'd tear their prison apart and burn it to the ground for their daring to hold Imoen in it! Oh yes, he'd have his glory and his revenge, and maybe even Imoen's gratitude (would she realize, at last, what a fool she'd been to turn him down?)...


I think Imoen will be happy to see you all Eddie...

"Perhaps not," Yoshimo said, kneeling in the corner. He pushed something, and a section of the wall slid open with the loud, grating sound of stone against stone, whirling up a cloud of dust. Excitedly, Edwin peered through the dust and into a second chamber. It was larger than the room they stood in, but at first glance, all he could see was more of the incessant jars and urns. Then, he saw the shelves, full of dust-covered scrolls. "This is it!" he cried, exultant.

Something stirred in the chamber.


The scroll! Huzzah! But the lich....

"I... I have been forgotten? The name of... Nevaziah... Keeper of Wisdom... has been lost to the sands of time? It... it is as if I have been... in a dream... My... my duty... is long gone. I... I am dead, am I not? And... and all my pupils... as well. Oh... how long has it been? Hiding... hiding... in fear... for centuries!" A cackling sound that was probably supposed to be laughter escaped the lich's mouth. "Thank you... for opening my eyes. The Keepers never came... to collect the wisdom... my pupils and I... have saved. They... they are long dead."


It is kind of sad actually. Poor guy.

"Excellent work," the Helmite growled behind Edwin as the lich began summoning an orb of fire.


It is that excellent diplomacy of his!

"Details, details," Edwin muttered, and returned his attention to the precious burden he carried in his hands. It was true that a lich (even an unskilled one) was a bit more than he'd expected to find, and it was true that they'd been dangerously close to incineration, but none of that mattered now.

The sigil on one of the salvaged scrolls didn't lie.

The Nether Scroll was finally his!


Ohohoho... This is going to be fun! Nice chapter!

#5 Guest_Cel_*

Posted 04 April 2008 - 12:30 AM

Chapter 96: The Hunt for the Nether Scroll


Oh… doh! :lol:


:)

It took Edwin less than fifteen minutes to get Alibakkar to tell him all about how the cloak pin bore his family crest, how his family was older than Trademeet, and, indeed, how his family had founded Trademeet, and in another five minutes, Edwin managed to confirm that he was a descendant of the wizard Nevaziah. To Edwin's amusement, the noble was actually embarrassed about being related to someone who was obviously far better than himself (but inferior to Edwin Odesseiron, of course); the name of the wizard was now nothing but an unpleasant reminder of the disgrace he'd caused the family.


Ah yes, wizards in Amn… not exactly appreciated, probably just having one amongst your ancestors could be a dent in a reputation.


Especially one who was one of the first to get entangled with the Cowled Wizards in the first place...

They have similar attitudes towards elves though – wonder why he wears the chainmail. Maybe he’s boasting about prying it from the corpse of an elf he’s killed.


That, or it's a heirloom from someone who pried it off a dead elf. Either way, I figure my Trademeet is a place where people take what they like from whatever culture without worrying too much about prevalent Amnian attitudes.

Surely smiting undeads that haunt tombs of innocent and long suffering nobles would be a task fitting a prospective knight of the Order, no?


True, but he doesn't trust Edwin, and Edwin's first presentation was that of getting a piece of loot.

He'd show them. He'd find her, and rescue her. He'd claim the Nether Scroll, and once he'd harnessed the power contained within it, he would be unstoppable. He'd be invincible! He'd make the Cowled Wizards bow before him; he'd tear their prison apart and burn it to the ground for their daring to hold Imoen in it! Oh yes, he'd have his glory and his revenge, and maybe even Imoen's gratitude (would she realize, at last, what a fool she'd been to turn him down?)...


Awwww…


(Not that Edwin cares either way, of course. No, she can sit there and be sorry! (Yes, that's it. No second chances!))

"This," Yoshimo said, pointing at one of the tombs in front of them; while Edwin had been... preoccupied with more important matters, they had evidently reached the oldest part of the main Athkatla graveyard. The tomb in question was worn by time and crowded by newer constructions, but it was still easily identifiable as their goal; there was, after all, a shortage of Mulhorandi-style pyramidal tombs in Athkatla.


Oh you mean Egyp-… *slaps self* I mean, it’s obviously something completely original from the highly creative FR designers!


:)

Something stirred in the chamber.


Perhaps with a little less shouting it would have kept sleeping. :lol:


Now we'll never know!

"Lich? Lich? Is... is this what I am? No... no... was I dying?" the lich muttered, sounding bewildered. "I was dying, so long ago... I used the... magic to save myself. Just as... as I have used it... to save my pupils... How... how long have my pupils... and I... been below? Do the... wizards still... hunt me? Is the... name of... Nevaziah still spoken in the world above?"


Yep, we know all about you and your rubber ducky!


:)

"I... I have been forgotten? The name of... Nevaziah... Keeper of Wisdom... has been lost to the sands of time? It... it is as if I have been... in a dream... My... my duty... is long gone. I... I am dead, am I not? And... and all my pupils... as well. Oh... how long has it been? Hiding... hiding... in fear... for centuries!" A cackling sound that was probably supposed to be laughter escaped the lich's mouth. "Thank you... for opening my eyes. The Keepers never came... to collect the wisdom... my pupils and I... have saved. They... they are long dead."


*sigh* Is he going to go on forever with this?


Maybe.

Edwin's patience ran out.


So did mine. :lol:


I noticed. Excellent timing!

"The... Nether Scroll? I... I have this... most sacred scroll..." Nevaziah said, glancing towards one of the shelves. "It is... most dangerous wisdom. Others must be... protected from it... lest they be destroyed. I... I have used its power... sparingly... but... perhaps not sparingly enough. What... what makes you think... wizard... that you are strong enough for it? It... it must be destroyed... with the other knowledge..."


Well, Edwin will later probably wish he had destroyed it. :)


By then, he already will have :D

"The halfling was right about you, wizard," the cleric said as they stood outside the tomb, gasping for breath. Puffs of white smoke drifted out of the entrance; the scrolls within were still burning. "You have nothing but disdain for the safety of your companions!"


Shouldn’t you be able to take care of yourself? :)


Anomen: That's beside the point!

"I told you the tomb was haunted, didn't I?" Edwin said distractedly, cradling the few salvaged scrolls in his arms. Yoshimo had shown a quite admirable presence of mind when he darted behind the lich to grab the documents moments before the lich's spells set the entire tomb - himself included - ablaze. (Really, what kind of Keeper of Wisdom would rather set his work on fire than pass it on to a worthier being?)


An Insane Keeper of Wisdom? ;)


Yeah. You got a problem with that? :shock:

#6 Guest_Cel_*

Posted 04 April 2008 - 12:34 AM

He was also extremely receptive to wine.


Harlequin: "The days before the invention of the strawberry margarita. Those were sad, sad times."


If it's any consolation, I think Alibakkar would like strawberry margaritas.

As it was, the cleric didn't relent until Edwin said some drivel about how it was his duty to assist with this task that had been assigned them, and even then he agreed only very begrudgingly. Incomprehending fools, all of them!


That's it. Use his faith as a weapon against him. That's not a low move, you sleazy, underhanded bastard. :lol:


Edwin: *looks smug*

(But what if they weren't?)


Well, while you're blithering around selfishly looking after your own ends, she's getting her spleen removed. Oh, and that minor inconvenience of soul loss.


Note that he is contemplating how the Nether Scroll will make him powerful enough to rescue her in an instant.

there was, after all, a shortage of Mulhorandi-style pyramidal tombs in Athkatla.


Most of the ones that used to be there turned out to be Goa'uld motherships? :)


Ah, that must be it!

"(I don't care what you think,)" Edwin grumbled, and set about casting the spell that would unlock the wards on the tomb entrance.


Then why did you ask? :)


Technically, he asked Yoshimo (and it was a rhetorical question, at that! :) *Edwin wanders off to sulk*

"The halfling was right about you, wizard," the cleric said as they stood outside the tomb, gasping for breath. Puffs of white smoke drifted out of the entrance; the scrolls within were still burning. "You have nothing but disdain for the safety of your companions!"


Why is this a surprise, though?


I don't think it is...

Really, what kind of Keeper of Wisdom would rather set his work on fire than pass it on to a worthier being?


An intelligent one who knew that the knowledge in his possession was too dangerous to pass on to someone else?

...

Nah, that's crazy talk.


:shock:

The Nether Scroll was finally his!


Good. Now turn yourself into a girl. It's not like you were using that dangly thing between your legs for anything, anyway. :lol:


Oh, now that's a low blow :lol:

#7 Guest_Cel_*

Posted 04 April 2008 - 12:37 AM


It had been hard to mask the excitement Edwin felt at that moment, but he managed to stay calm (Calm, Edwin!) as Alibakkar spoke of how Nevaziah had humiliated the family further by haunting the family tomb. Utterly disgusting, it was; yes, Edwin most certainly agreed. Edwin also wondered what had been done about the problem. What, nothing? The family had decided to move and just let the ghost rot? Yes, it was a solution, but wouldn't Alibakkar feel better knowing that Nevaziah was completely gone? He would? Edwin would be happy to help with that. Yes, Edwin was a good friend.

And so, Edwin returned to Athkatla knowing exactly which tomb to visit, and how to enter it. It was perfect, utterly perfect!

Or it would be, if only the others would understand the urgency and importance of this task.


No they won`t but when you have turned into a woman they will get enough laughs to forgive you. :)


I have Plans, you know :)


"I... I have been forgotten? The name of... Nevaziah... Keeper of Wisdom... has been lost to the sands of time? It... it is as if I have been... in a dream... My... my duty... is long gone. I... I am dead, am I not? And... and all my pupils... as well. Oh... how long has it been? Hiding... hiding... in fear... for centuries!" A cackling sound that was probably supposed to be laughter escaped the lich's mouth. "Thank you... for opening my eyes. The Keepers never came... to collect the wisdom... my pupils and I... have saved. They... they are long dead."


It is kind of sad actually. Poor guy.


BG is actually littered with this kind of people, if you think about it.


"Excellent work," the Helmite growled behind Edwin as the lich began summoning an orb of fire.


It is that excellent diplomacy of his!


Fight fire with fire, as the saying goes.


The Nether Scroll was finally his!


Ohohoho... This is going to be fun! Nice chapter!


Thanks!

(Warning: the next chapter won't be for another month. I'm off to visit my mother-in-law, and then we're going to spend two weeks in Hawaii :) )

#8 Guest_Fountain_the_D_*

Posted 04 April 2008 - 06:05 PM

Oh this was an absolutely hilarious read and a right pleasure to go through. Even if Edwin was not a regular in my party, I always enjoyed seeing his grumbling.. Though the fact one of my friends compared me to him is a might bit disconcernting.

Still. Edwin. Good. Nether Scroll. Outstanding. Oh whatever shall sh.. he do now. I can't wait!

#9 Guest_Tenfoot_*

Posted 07 April 2008 - 07:18 PM

Apologies for not keeping so up-to-date with the comments, Cel. With that out of the way, allow me to say this chapter rocked. I'm not really that big an Edwin fan, and yet I loved the slightly bombastic style you have for his perspective. I couldn't read it without a big grin on my face. Might've helped I was listening to Warren Zevon's 'Genius' the whole way through and picturing him singing it.

Although I liked the way you didn't just have Edwin being the typical 'evil buffoon' I kind of picture him as, but a shrewd manipulator, in getting the locations out of Alibakkar and getting Anomen to accompany him. And his thinking about rescuing Imoen - I can't quite decide whether to like him for wanting to, or back away nervously from him wanting her to be grateful. :) . So there's this edge underneath the comedy which was very cool to read.

Best bit was the end though: you can just picture him holding it aloft, with a little light shining down and a tinny fanfare. :)

Anyway. Yeah. Awesome stuff. I'd pick out bits, but the comments would just be those little laughing faces. :) .

#10 Guest_The Blue Sorceress_*

Posted 08 April 2008 - 03:40 PM

Chapter 96: The Hunt for the Nether Scroll


Hurray. Time to turn Edwin into a lady. :)

Yes, it was a solution, but wouldn't Alibakkar feel better knowing that Nevaziah was completely gone? He would? Edwin would be happy to help with that. Yes, Edwin was a good friend.


*snort* A good friend indeed.

Imoen would have understood.


Ah... so he has the crush on Imoen does he? Smart wizard.

"Perhaps not," Yoshimo said, kneeling in the corner. He pushed something, and a section of the wall slid open with the loud, grating sound of stone against stone, whirling up a cloud of dust. Excitedly, Edwin peered through the dust and into a second chamber. It was larger than the room they stood in, but at first glance, all he could see was more of the incessant jars and urns. Then, he saw the shelves, full of dust-covered scrolls. "This is it!" he cried, exultant.


This is why you keep a single-classed rogue in the party.

A tall, gangly figure shambled towards them. Its skin, which looked like old parchment, didn't quite cover its skeleton, and its body was draped in tattered, mouldy rags that looked as if they might have once been green and gold silk, but not even Edwin could tell for sure anymore. Dust and fragments of rotten silk fell away from the creature with every movement.


Nice description.

It was a lich.

"Helm preserve us," the cleric whispered.


Oh come now, Anomen, you can handle a lich. They've got turn resistance, but you can hit them until they fall down. His phylactary can't be far either. Just bust that up and you've settled his account.

Yoshimo stepped forward. "We are no Cowled Wizards, if that is what you are concerned about," he said carefully.


Well, Edwin has a cowl, and he is a wizard, but no, he's not a Cowlie.

"Excellent work," the Helmite growled behind Edwin as the lich began summoning an orb of fire.


This is why you let the party members with an above average charisma handle these things, Eddie.

The sigil on one of the salvaged scrolls didn't lie.

The Nether Scroll was finally his!


Oh yeah! It's totally time to turn Edwin into a lady!

Great chapter :)
-Blue

#11 Guest_VigaHrolf_*

Posted 08 April 2008 - 04:09 PM

Chapter 96: The Hunt for the Nether Scroll


Or, The Quest For Edwin's Involuntary But All Too Hilarious Sex Change.

Or, The Wizard Becomes A Lady

Or, The Oxygen Channel Presents: Before They Were Women, Edwin Odesserion

On a personal note, I've actually got to do the thief quests just to get Edwin just to see the ponce end up all girlie. :)

It was perfect.


Bran: "Yup. One he screws the pooch on this one, at least he'll be nice to look at. Still annoying as all get out, but ..." *Chuckles*

Edwin's great breakthrough came in Trademeet, when he recognized the crest on a noble's cloak pin as one described in a report about Nevaziah, the last known keeper of the Nether scroll (an incredible stroke of luck, even more so because he and his impeccable mind were there to seize the opportunity). The noble, a reasonably tolerable cretin named Skarmaen Alibakkar, was extremely receptive to compliments about his suit of elven chainmail (crudely, and obviously, reworked to fit around his very un-elven belly), his ornate cloak pin, and, most insincerely of all, about how he must be a beacon of style and elegance among his peers.


Gee... Edwin must have known exactly how to deal with him. I mean... they're spitting images of each other. :)

He was also extremely receptive to wine.


So are many people. :)

It took Edwin less than fifteen minutes to get Alibakkar to tell him all about how the cloak pin bore his family crest, how his family was older than Trademeet, and, indeed, how his family had founded Trademeet, and in another five minutes, Edwin managed to confirm that he was a descendant of the wizard Nevaziah. To Edwin's amusement, the noble was actually embarrassed about being related to someone who was obviously far better than himself (but inferior to Edwin Odesseiron, of course); the name of the wizard was now nothing but an unpleasant reminder of the disgrace he'd caused the family.


Ahh, that typical Odesserion humility. :shock:

According to Alibakkar, Nevaziah the wizard went insane and had himself buried alive.


Aleria: "Surprisingly common amongst the wizarding profession. Various forms of insanity. Such as an obsession with pink."

Imoen: "Make comments like that, and I'll magic those dragon scales to pink. See how intimidating you look in PINK dragon scale." *sticks out her tongue*

It had been hard to mask the excitement Edwin felt at that moment, but he managed to stay calm (Calm, Edwin!) as Alibakkar spoke of how Nevaziah had humiliated the family further by haunting the family tomb. Utterly disgusting, it was; yes, Edwin most certainly agreed. Edwin also wondered what had been done about the problem. What, nothing? The family had decided to move and just let the ghost rot? Yes, it was a solution, but wouldn't Alibakkar feel better knowing that Nevaziah was completely gone? He would? Edwin would be happy to help with that. Yes, Edwin was a good friend.


*Laughs uproariously*

And so, Edwin returned to Athkatla knowing exactly which tomb to visit, and how to enter it. It was perfect, utterly perfect!

Or it would be, if only the others would understand the urgency and importance of this task.


Funny how that works. :lol:

Yoshimo agreed to come along easily enough, but the rest of the group... Edwin could understand, he supposed, that Ember would rather spend her time searching for employment than 'paw through a tomb in search for a scroll that probably rotted a long time ago' (after all, she wasn't even remotely capable of appreciating the importance of the Nether Scroll), and he couldn't say he minded that the Rasheman brute and the insufferable halfling also refused, but Edwin Odesseiron was no fool, and would not take no for an answer from the party cleric. The pompous oaf of a Helmite did, after all, have his uses when it came to dealing with the undead, and Edwin should not have had to point out to him that he would be at least marginally useful if he came along to the tomb rather than following Ember and the halfling around on their job hunt, which they were just as capable of doing on their own (even if they were dragging the giant imbecile around with them). As it was, the cleric didn't relent until Edwin said some drivel about how it was his duty to assist with this task that had been assigned them, and even then he agreed only very begrudgingly. Incomprehending fools, all of them!


And while he's still only regular Anomen, at least Anomen was using a little of that 12 Wis.

Imoen would have understood.

(She screams! She screams!)

With a shudder, Edwin shut his eyes and forced the words of that damned gypsy from his head. Random blatherings from a fraud, that's all they were!

(But what if they weren't?)

No. No more thoughts!


Poor bastard cares. And he hates that he does.

He'd show them. He'd find her, and rescue her. He'd claim the Nether Scroll, and once he'd harnessed the power contained within it, he would be unstoppable. He'd be invincible! He'd make the Cowled Wizards bow before him; he'd tear their prison apart and burn it to the ground for their daring to hold Imoen in it! Oh yes, he'd have his glory and his revenge, and maybe even Imoen's gratitude (would she realize, at last, what a fool she'd been to turn him down?)...


I like how delightfully power mad he really is. You capture it, right up to and including all the fantasies of power and respect. Insecure guy, isn't he? :lol:

"This," Yoshimo said, pointing at one of the tombs in front of them; while Edwin had been... preoccupied with more important matters, they had evidently reached the oldest part of the main Athkatla graveyard. The tomb in question was worn by time and crowded by newer constructions, but it was still easily identifiable as their goal; there was, after all, a shortage of Mulhorandi-style pyramidal tombs in Athkatla.


Well, you know, not everyone likes em. Hard to get all the slaves you need. And then there are the plagues of locusts and fire. :lol:

"Well, here we are," Yoshimo said. "The inner chamber."


The Sanctum Sanctorum

"This is a pointless undertaking, wizard, even for you," the cleric complained. "There is nought to be found here but shadows!"


Bran: "Ano, old friend. One should not tempt the universe like that. It has a nasty tendency of surprising you."

"Perhaps not," Yoshimo said, kneeling in the corner. He pushed something, and a section of the wall slid open with the loud, grating sound of stone against stone, whirling up a cloud of dust. Excitedly, Edwin peered through the dust and into a second chamber. It was larger than the room they stood in, but at first glance, all he could see was more of the incessant jars and urns. Then, he saw the shelves, full of dust-covered scrolls. "This is it!" he cried, exultant.


The ancient library. ;)

A tall, gangly figure shambled towards them. Its skin, which looked like old parchment, didn't quite cover its skeleton, and its body was draped in tattered, mouldy rags that looked as if they might have once been green and gold silk, but not even Edwin could tell for sure anymore. Dust and fragments of rotten silk fell away from the creature with every movement.

It was a lich.


Bran: "Told ya."

"Helm preserve us," the cleric whispered.


Not good. Those things are mean ol bastards.

"Haaaaaa... it... it cannot be!" the lich rasped. "Have... the cowled ones... come for me...? Have I been... found out... after so long?"

Yoshimo stepped forward. "We are no Cowled Wizards, if that is what you are concerned about," he said carefully.


The ever diplomatic

"You... you are not of the Cowled Ones? That is... that is good. They... found me out... my pupils and I... practicing the arts... without their permission. We... we fled... so long ago... How... long now? I... I cannot remember. Have you... come to... destroy me?"

"We mean you no harm, my good lich," the Kara-Turan said. Edwin rolled his eyes.

"Lich? Lich? Is... is this what I am? No... no... was I dying?" the lich muttered, sounding bewildered. "I was dying, so long ago... I used the... magic to save myself. Just as... as I have used it... to save my pupils... How... how long have my pupils... and I... been below? Do the... wizards still... hunt me? Is the... name of... Nevaziah still spoken in the world above?"


Been alone a long time... and rather nutso now, I'd say.

Edwin had to restrain himself from shouting with glee at the lich's mention of his name.


Someone keep Edwin away from the sugar.

"I... I have been forgotten? The name of... Nevaziah... Keeper of Wisdom... has been lost to the sands of time? It... it is as if I have been... in a dream... My... my duty... is long gone. I... I am dead, am I not? And... and all my pupils... as well. Oh... how long has it been? Hiding... hiding... in fear... for centuries!" A cackling sound that was probably supposed to be laughter escaped the lich's mouth. "Thank you... for opening my eyes. The Keepers never came... to collect the wisdom... my pupils and I... have saved. They... they are long dead."

Edwin's patience ran out.


And peaceful resolution goes out the window.

"Enough of this prattle!" he cried. "I wish the Nether Scroll, you senile lich! Give it to me at once!"

Someone - the cleric - put a hand on Edwin's arm; he shrugged it off.

"The... Nether Scroll? I... I have this... most sacred scroll..." Nevaziah said, glancing towards one of the shelves. "It is... most dangerous wisdom. Others must be... protected from it... lest they be destroyed. I... I have used its power... sparingly... but... perhaps not sparingly enough. What... what makes you think... wizard... that you are strong enough for it? It... it must be destroyed... with the other knowledge..."

Destroyed?!

"No! NO!! I will not allow you to destroy such an invaluable artifact!" Edwin shouted. "You are a fool, lich! And I will have the scroll if I must destroy you, first!!"


Bran: "I believe the correct term is... dumbass."

The lich snarled (not that he really had any lips fit to snarl with). "It is... it is you who... are the fool... wizard! I... I am the Keeper of Wisdom... and I say... you shall not have it!! This place will be your tomb!"

"Excellent work," the Helmite growled behind Edwin as the lich began summoning an orb of fire.


Bran: "And this, Anomen, is why you can't take Edwin anywhere."

"The halfling was right about you, wizard," the cleric said as they stood outside the tomb, gasping for breath. Puffs of white smoke drifted out of the entrance; the scrolls within were still burning. "You have nothing but disdain for the safety of your companions!"


To be fair, he doesn't have all that much real concern for his own safety. :)

"I told you the tomb was haunted, didn't I?" Edwin said distractedly, cradling the few salvaged scrolls in his arms. Yoshimo had shown a quite admirable presence of mind when he darted behind the lich to grab the documents moments before the lich's spells set the entire tomb - himself included - ablaze. (Really, what kind of Keeper of Wisdom would rather set his work on fire than pass it on to a worthier being?)


One who knew what he was keeping. :)

"Haunted, aye," the cleric said with a harsh laugh. "You sent us against a lich!"

"A lich? Barely," Edwin scoffed. "He was weak, untrained, and insane. (Give me a few centuries, and I'd do vastly better!)"


I love that bit right there. He's definitely the type to consider lichdom. :D

"He nearly burned us all alive!"

"Details, details," Edwin muttered, and returned his attention to the precious burden he carried in his hands. It was true that a lich (even an unskilled one) was a bit more than he'd expected to find, and it was true that they'd been dangerously close to incineration, but none of that mattered now.

The sigil on one of the salvaged scrolls didn't lie.

The Nether Scroll was finally his!


So driven, so ambitious, so foolish. I like this Edwin. Wouldn't want to hang out with him or within a 50 mile radius, but I like him.

VH

#12 Guest_Cel_*

Posted 28 April 2008 - 10:39 AM

Oh this was an absolutely hilarious read and a right pleasure to go through. Even if Edwin was not a regular in my party, I always enjoyed seeing his grumbling.. Though the fact one of my friends compared me to him is a might bit disconcernting.


A bit disconcerting? Perhaps, but who am I to speak when the chapters I write from within Edwin's head are the ones I can churn out the fastest...

Still. Edwin. Good. Nether Scroll. Outstanding. Oh whatever shall sh.. he do now. I can't wait!


It may be a while yet. 12 hours of jetlag is serious business ;)

#13 Guest_Cel_*

Posted 28 April 2008 - 10:48 AM

Apologies for not keeping so up-to-date with the comments, Cel. With that out of the way, allow me to say this chapter rocked. I'm not really that big an Edwin fan, and yet I loved the slightly bombastic style you have for his perspective. I couldn't read it without a big grin on my face. Might've helped I was listening to Warren Zevon's 'Genius' the whole way through and picturing him singing it.


Edwin: 'Slightly'?! There is nothing 'slightly' about the greatest wizard in existence! (Hmpf!)

Although I liked the way you didn't just have Edwin being the typical 'evil buffoon' I kind of picture him as, but a shrewd manipulator, in getting the locations out of Alibakkar and getting Anomen to accompany him. And his thinking about rescuing Imoen - I can't quite decide whether to like him for wanting to, or back away nervously from him wanting her to be grateful. :) . So there's this edge underneath the comedy which was very cool to read.


I haven't decided how he'll end up, but rest assured, I do not intend to make him an evil buffoon. Ever.

Best bit was the end though: you can just picture him holding it aloft, with a little light shining down and a tinny fanfare. ;)


Oh, he's definitely feeling it just like that :)

Anyway. Yeah. Awesome stuff. I'd pick out bits, but the comments would just be those little laughing faces. :D .


Thanks!

#14 Guest_Cel_*

Posted 28 April 2008 - 10:58 AM


Yes, it was a solution, but wouldn't Alibakkar feel better knowing that Nevaziah was completely gone? He would? Edwin would be happy to help with that. Yes, Edwin was a good friend.


*snort* A good friend indeed.


Oh, absolutely.


Imoen would have understood.


Ah... so he has the crush on Imoen does he? Smart wizard.


Not smart enough to realize why she doesn't return his feelings, though.


"Perhaps not," Yoshimo said, kneeling in the corner. He pushed something, and a section of the wall slid open with the loud, grating sound of stone against stone, whirling up a cloud of dust. Excitedly, Edwin peered through the dust and into a second chamber. It was larger than the room they stood in, but at first glance, all he could see was more of the incessant jars and urns. Then, he saw the shelves, full of dust-covered scrolls. "This is it!" he cried, exultant.


This is why you keep a single-classed rogue in the party.


His traps are quite useful, too.


A tall, gangly figure shambled towards them. Its skin, which looked like old parchment, didn't quite cover its skeleton, and its body was draped in tattered, mouldy rags that looked as if they might have once been green and gold silk, but not even Edwin could tell for sure anymore. Dust and fragments of rotten silk fell away from the creature with every movement.


Nice description.


Thanks!


It was a lich.

"Helm preserve us," the cleric whispered.


Oh come now, Anomen, you can handle a lich. They've got turn resistance, but you can hit them until they fall down. His phylactary can't be far either. Just bust that up and you've settled his account.


Well, this pretty much IS the wimpiest lich in the game... the others are of the time-stopping, instant-killing variety that he doesn't stand a chance against until Edwin strips their protective spells.


Yoshimo stepped forward. "We are no Cowled Wizards, if that is what you are concerned about," he said carefully.


Well, Edwin has a cowl, and he is a wizard, but no, he's not a Cowlie.


I think he'd be rather offended at the suggestion, to be honest.


"Excellent work," the Helmite growled behind Edwin as the lich began summoning an orb of fire.


This is why you let the party members with an above average charisma handle these things, Eddie.


;)


The sigil on one of the salvaged scrolls didn't lie.

The Nether Scroll was finally his!


Oh yeah! It's totally time to turn Edwin into a lady!


Well, he does have to translate the thing first, of course :D

Great chapter :)
-Blue


Thanks!

#15 Guest_Cel_*

Posted 28 April 2008 - 11:13 AM

Chapter 96: The Hunt for the Nether Scroll


Or, The Quest For Edwin's Involuntary But All Too Hilarious Sex Change.

Or, The Wizard Becomes A Lady

Or, The Oxygen Channel Presents: Before They Were Women, Edwin Odesserion


:)

On a personal note, I've actually got to do the thief quests just to get Edwin just to see the ponce end up all girlie. :)


As good a reason to do them as any, really :P

(And I seem to recall that wanting to see that was my original reason for letting Edwin into any party of mine ;) )


It was perfect.


Bran: "Yup. One he screws the pooch on this one, at least he'll be nice to look at. Still annoying as all get out, but ..." *Chuckles*


Yes, the alternative portrait I've installed for this occasion is quite fetching.


Edwin's great breakthrough came in Trademeet, when he recognized the crest on a noble's cloak pin as one described in a report about Nevaziah, the last known keeper of the Nether scroll (an incredible stroke of luck, even more so because he and his impeccable mind were there to seize the opportunity). The noble, a reasonably tolerable cretin named Skarmaen Alibakkar, was extremely receptive to compliments about his suit of elven chainmail (crudely, and obviously, reworked to fit around his very un-elven belly), his ornate cloak pin, and, most insincerely of all, about how he must be a beacon of style and elegance among his peers.


Gee... Edwin must have known exactly how to deal with him. I mean... they're spitting images of each other. :D


Edwin Odesseiron has no such undignified belly.


It took Edwin less than fifteen minutes to get Alibakkar to tell him all about how the cloak pin bore his family crest, how his family was older than Trademeet, and, indeed, how his family had founded Trademeet, and in another five minutes, Edwin managed to confirm that he was a descendant of the wizard Nevaziah. To Edwin's amusement, the noble was actually embarrassed about being related to someone who was obviously far better than himself (but inferior to Edwin Odesseiron, of course); the name of the wizard was now nothing but an unpleasant reminder of the disgrace he'd caused the family.


Ahh, that typical Odesserion humility. :P


Well, considering he is the pinnacle of all wizardhood, he really should be announcing this fact to the world more often, as the world at large is too imbecilic to notice the obvious signs...


According to Alibakkar, Nevaziah the wizard went insane and had himself buried alive.


Aleria: "Surprisingly common amongst the wizarding profession. Various forms of insanity. Such as an obsession with pink."


Oh, she has one of those Imoens, I take it?

Imoen: "Make comments like that, and I'll magic those dragon scales to pink. See how intimidating you look in PINK dragon scale." *sticks out her tongue*


Indeed she does :D

(I suggest Doomplate, I think it was)


It had been hard to mask the excitement Edwin felt at that moment, but he managed to stay calm (Calm, Edwin!) as Alibakkar spoke of how Nevaziah had humiliated the family further by haunting the family tomb. Utterly disgusting, it was; yes, Edwin most certainly agreed. Edwin also wondered what had been done about the problem. What, nothing? The family had decided to move and just let the ghost rot? Yes, it was a solution, but wouldn't Alibakkar feel better knowing that Nevaziah was completely gone? He would? Edwin would be happy to help with that. Yes, Edwin was a good friend.


*Laughs uproariously*


*bows*


And so, Edwin returned to Athkatla knowing exactly which tomb to visit, and how to enter it. It was perfect, utterly perfect!

Or it would be, if only the others would understand the urgency and importance of this task.


Funny how that works. :D


Edwin's almost gotten used to the lack of insight in those around him.

Almost.


Yoshimo agreed to come along easily enough, but the rest of the group... Edwin could understand, he supposed, that Ember would rather spend her time searching for employment than 'paw through a tomb in search for a scroll that probably rotted a long time ago' (after all, she wasn't even remotely capable of appreciating the importance of the Nether Scroll), and he couldn't say he minded that the Rasheman brute and the insufferable halfling also refused, but Edwin Odesseiron was no fool, and would not take no for an answer from the party cleric. The pompous oaf of a Helmite did, after all, have his uses when it came to dealing with the undead, and Edwin should not have had to point out to him that he would be at least marginally useful if he came along to the tomb rather than following Ember and the halfling around on their job hunt, which they were just as capable of doing on their own (even if they were dragging the giant imbecile around with them). As it was, the cleric didn't relent until Edwin said some drivel about how it was his duty to assist with this task that had been assigned them, and even then he agreed only very begrudgingly. Incomprehending fools, all of them!


And while he's still only regular Anomen, at least Anomen was using a little of that 12 Wis.


I try to up his wisdom more gradually than just having Torm descend from high and hand it to him on a platter.


Imoen would have understood.

(She screams! She screams!)

With a shudder, Edwin shut his eyes and forced the words of that damned gypsy from his head. Random blatherings from a fraud, that's all they were!

(But what if they weren't?)

No. No more thoughts!


Poor bastard cares. And he hates that he does.


In a nutshell.


He'd show them. He'd find her, and rescue her. He'd claim the Nether Scroll, and once he'd harnessed the power contained within it, he would be unstoppable. He'd be invincible! He'd make the Cowled Wizards bow before him; he'd tear their prison apart and burn it to the ground for their daring to hold Imoen in it! Oh yes, he'd have his glory and his revenge, and maybe even Imoen's gratitude (would she realize, at last, what a fool she'd been to turn him down?)...


I like how delightfully power mad he really is. You capture it, right up to and including all the fantasies of power and respect. Insecure guy, isn't he? :D


He'll fireball you if you ever tell him that to his face, of course.


"This is a pointless undertaking, wizard, even for you," the cleric complained. "There is nought to be found here but shadows!"


Bran: "Ano, old friend. One should not tempt the universe like that. It has a nasty tendency of surprising you."


Oh come on, you know that if someone was going to do a famous last line like that, it'd be him :)


"Helm preserve us," the cleric whispered.


Not good. Those things are mean ol bastards.


Yep.


"Haaaaaa... it... it cannot be!" the lich rasped. "Have... the cowled ones... come for me...? Have I been... found out... after so long?"

Yoshimo stepped forward. "We are no Cowled Wizards, if that is what you are concerned about," he said carefully.


The ever diplomatic


I've decided that my Yoshimo is a very smooth talker, almost no matter how sticky the situation is :)


"Lich? Lich? Is... is this what I am? No... no... was I dying?" the lich muttered, sounding bewildered. "I was dying, so long ago... I used the... magic to save myself. Just as... as I have used it... to save my pupils... How... how long have my pupils... and I... been below? Do the... wizards still... hunt me? Is the... name of... Nevaziah still spoken in the world above?"


Been alone a long time... and rather nutso now, I'd say.


At least he hasn't painted the chamber pink, eh?


Edwin had to restrain himself from shouting with glee at the lich's mention of his name.


Someone keep Edwin away from the sugar.


Gods, yes.


Edwin's patience ran out.


And peaceful resolution goes out the window.


I don't think that ever was an option, with him in the mini-party (partlet?) :)


"No! NO!! I will not allow you to destroy such an invaluable artifact!" Edwin shouted. "You are a fool, lich! And I will have the scroll if I must destroy you, first!!"


Bran: "I believe the correct term is... dumbass."


His average wis is definitely showing.


The lich snarled (not that he really had any lips fit to snarl with). "It is... it is you who... are the fool... wizard! I... I am the Keeper of Wisdom... and I say... you shall not have it!! This place will be your tomb!"

"Excellent work," the Helmite growled behind Edwin as the lich began summoning an orb of fire.


Bran: "And this, Anomen, is why you can't take Edwin anywhere."


Anomen: Truly, I shall bear this in mind for the future!


"The halfling was right about you, wizard," the cleric said as they stood outside the tomb, gasping for breath. Puffs of white smoke drifted out of the entrance; the scrolls within were still burning. "You have nothing but disdain for the safety of your companions!"


To be fair, he doesn't have all that much real concern for his own safety. :D


Why should he, when there's a cleric there to heal him?


"I told you the tomb was haunted, didn't I?" Edwin said distractedly, cradling the few salvaged scrolls in his arms. Yoshimo had shown a quite admirable presence of mind when he darted behind the lich to grab the documents moments before the lich's spells set the entire tomb - himself included - ablaze. (Really, what kind of Keeper of Wisdom would rather set his work on fire than pass it on to a worthier being?)


One who knew what he was keeping. :D


And who, if he'd been smarter, would have destroyed it in the first place before embarking upon lichdom to guard it :D


"Haunted, aye," the cleric said with a harsh laugh. "You sent us against a lich!"

"A lich? Barely," Edwin scoffed. "He was weak, untrained, and insane. (Give me a few centuries, and I'd do vastly better!)"


I love that bit right there. He's definitely the type to consider lichdom. :D


'Being dead' is just a minor setback compared to the power gain (he does, of course, aspire to the powers of lichdom while remaining alive) ;)


The Nether Scroll was finally his!


So driven, so ambitious, so foolish. I like this Edwin. Wouldn't want to hang out with him or within a 50 mile radius, but I like him.


He is too busy ogling his new scroll to care about your opinion, but you knew that already :D (I, on the other hand, appreciate it ;) )




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