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Completed Play-by-Post: In Search of the Sorcerer

nikolokolus

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May 8, 2013
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Koren nods solemnly and his face is unmistakably relieved. "What I can tell you is that I . . . or rather the Koren you know, hid The Book of Eibon even from myself, lest I be tempted to drink too deeply of its wisdom." He pauses and nervously licks his lips a bit. "My future recollections are hazy, but I think I was worried about one of my apprentices getting his hands on it too?" He shakes his head, "No matter, I did what I must. I created three flawless forgeries and secreted them, along with the true copy, into the possession of unwitting couriers -- friends from long ago, before I had settled into my dotage."

He frowns and a look of heaviness falls across his face, "I'm afraid I will do, (or did?) something rather unsavory." He steels his features and continues, "I laid a terrible geas on my old friends; Doomed them to forget they had ever known me or of the book they possessed. To make up for it, I blessed them with a sort of immortality. A longevity tied to my own life-force; that for as long as my body held breath their lives would be unnaturally extended. Upon my death each servant, would be freed from the geas and the Book in their care would be nothing more than a curious tome of esoteric knowledge beyond their ken. All save Djivan, my most trusted companion from all those years ago." His face takes on a wistful, almost bemused look, "It was a dirty trick that I played on him. He received an additional burden." He points his finger at Rhenmyr, "I know it was wrong, but your master I tasked with returning to my tower in the hopes he'd be able to, umm . . . "wake me up" . . . so to speak. Why he sent you is beyond me."

He finishes tracing some arcane pattern in air in front of the wall and pushes against it lightly, the rock groans and grates as it slides inward, revealing a spherical passage in the polished Obsidian. He then turns and finishes talking to you. "I wish I could remember better. It's probably the shock and trauma the other me suffered?" He pauses briefly, "The last thing I can dredge up from the memories of myself from the other when, is a sense of surprise and betrayal and my insufferable apprentice Abazion's, sneering right before he pointed that blasted wand at me. I know he kills me somehow, but I really need to get back and find out what he knows about my secrets. That Djivan subverted my geas or perhaps couldn't respond to it is equally troublesome. If Abazion finally grew some balls and struck me down, then I suspect he thinks he knows where I hid The Book. If we can find my other servants in time, perhaps we can thwart my duplicitous apprentice yet? If you fail to revivify me, find Al-Dirziddi the Cowled. He sailed east from Odessos. Tychon The Bald, a grim Kimmerian, went west on horseback, Aphrodisias the Fair, as lovely an Illyrian woman as you will ever find went north, and of course Djivan the Wayfarer went South."

Siveon Márcan can feel Koren's grip on his body slipping slightly, roll another saving throw at +4
 
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Siveon

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Shadorwun: Hong Kong
Márcan takes control for only a minute, "Pardon me, I'll make this quick. I'll help ye out so much as I get a reward and an apology. Oh, and you four, I can hear every word you're sayin' you damn idgits. Let's just get this over with so I can get chased by guards again. Alroight, I'm done."

Márcan relinquishes his control.
 
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"So, does this Abazion have anything to do with the missing dead I wonder? That is the reason why I came to this tower and spoke with Master Ghul in the first place."
 

Grimgravy

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Codex 2016 - The Age of Grimoire
"Good, Márcan's on board with dramatic flair. And now we know he likes being chased by burly men! Terribly surprising. Master Ghul, we have acquired some items recently that we could use your help with. Perhaps you could identify them. This mirror that seems to reflect illusion's true nature and vials of purple stuff I found in your tower. And from a rather unpleasant Hyperborean sorcerer who melted himself rather than be questioned, we recovered this key and box we can't open."
 

nikolokolus

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May 8, 2013
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Koren/Márcan raises his eyebrows looking somewhat surprised, "Oh? Well let's see what you've got." He takes the mirror, turns it over a couple of times and smiles, "Ah, my old mirror. I was always very proud of this thing. Anything you hold it up to and view through the reflection will reveal any false images -- illusions and that sort of thing. Take care with it though, it's rather fragile." He takes the vials of purple fluid, "These are alchemical mixtures, "Atlantean Fire" if I remember correctly. They'll explode if exposed to the air, but you can open the stopper under water and they'll "burn" for hours."

Lastly he takes the sorcerer's box and turns it over a few times, he then takes the mirror and holds it up to the clasp and looks at its reflection, "Ah see here. It's been glyphed and warded. A secret rune of darkness and of fire. There's likely a passphrase to disable them and the lock is quite ingenious. Without the key, you'll need to find a wizard who can dispel strong magic if you want to open it." He rubs his chin thoughtfully for a second before continuing, "You say it belonged to a Hyperborean sorcerer who melted himself?" He frowns deeply, "That's unfortunate. It sounds like you had a run-in with a Commorian Assassin -- I know their guild holds the secret of a such a spell and they teach it to all of their journeyman as a last resort of avoiding interrogation in the event of capture. How exactly did you run afoul of such a man and where?"
 

Grimgravy

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Codex 2016 - The Age of Grimoire
"He killed the ferryman, Zelkor, outside of town. Something to do with smuggling comatose beggars out of town. The beggars have been going missing for some time. One of the Hyperborean's men mentioned a 'Fane.' We have also run afoul of the Seekers. What you could tell us of them and their equipment, Master Ghul?" Rhenmyr shows the ornate Linothorax, cloak, and white powder retrieved from the head Seeker.
 

nikolokolus

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Koren wrinkles his nose a bit and furrows his brow, "I . . . that almost rings a bell . . . but I confess I don't exactly know why." His gaze kind of goes unfocused and his eyes dart back and forth. "Yes. There was something about people going missing in Odessos wasn't there? But I . . . I don't really know if my apprentice was behind this or not." His face blanches "What could Abazion want with hundreds of bodies? . . . " His voice sort of trails off.
 
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Grimgravy

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Codex 2016 - The Age of Grimoire
"Oh joy, shambling corpses may be in our future. Perhaps some may be burly, eh Márcan?"
 
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ERYFKRAD

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Strap Yourselves In Serpent in the Staglands Shadorwun: Hong Kong Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire Steve gets a Kidney but I don't even get a tag. Pathfinder: Wrath I'm very into cock and ball torture I helped put crap in Monomyth
"Would the priesthood of Mitra be of aid here? One of our comrades was a paladin in their order, before he fell. He was looking for a... a Pelagia? Does that name sound familiar?"
 

nikolokolus

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Koren turns to Borric and Ker at the mention of Mitra. "Well, the Mitraic faithful would certainly have an interest in the poor and if beggars went missing I can certainly see why they might be tied into this business. As for a particular Pelagia I can't say I've ever heard the name before. There is a certain priest -- a Father Inniros if memory serves? -- in Odessos who might know more."
 

Grimgravy

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Codex 2016 - The Age of Grimoire
"Father Inniros seemed concerned about the missing beggars, but couldn't (or wouldn't) provide information as to who was taking them or where."
 

nikolokolus

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Koren frowns. "I must admit it's been years since I spoke with him, but I find it hard to believe that a man so ebulient, jovial and full of vim would ever turn his back on people in need, particularly a paladin of the faith. Out of curiosity, how fares that rotund mountain of flesh?" He mutters in a lower voice, somewhat bemusedly, "How a priest of a god devoted to the needy could ever let himself become so corupulent always amazed me -- bad example and all that."

it's worth noting that the Father Inniros you met was an older stooped gentlemen, with wisps of white hair and a gaunt small frame.
 
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ERYFKRAD

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Strap Yourselves In Serpent in the Staglands Shadorwun: Hong Kong Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire Steve gets a Kidney but I don't even get a tag. Pathfinder: Wrath I'm very into cock and ball torture I helped put crap in Monomyth
"Age perhaps has had its way with the Priest, he was no mountain of flesh as we saw him."
 

Grimgravy

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Codex 2016 - The Age of Grimoire
"We were treated well enough. There was just the lack of anything to shed light on the mystery."
 

nikolokolus

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Koren raises an eyebrow, "Age had his way with him? Well that's a true shock; Inniros was one of the biggest men I've ever met and had enormous appetites. Nearly six and a half feet tall and probably 25 stone (350 pounds), but I suppose stranger things have happened." He takes a long thoughtful pause, "Out of curiosity what year is it? -- By Common reckoning that is." For the record the year is 713 A.E. (After Erlik's Uprising)
 

nikolokolus

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Koren's face takes on a strained look and he grimaces, "Fellows, time grows short. My hold on your friend is slackening. Pass through this portal, it will deposit you in a vale known as The Dolmens. I safeguarded a cache of a certain substance there -- pure dragon's blood -- secured there long before I ever took on an apprentice, so I doubt Abazion knows about it." His voice grows faint and he staggers toward the plinth and the bier. "A philtre can be concocted that will "do the trick" as they say in the twentieth." He reaches the plinth and falls to his knees, "Please, if you value peace, your friends and your families you'll help me. If your needs are baser then know that I can enrich you beyond your wildest dreams if you aid me."

With that Marcán topples forward on the plinth. A few moments later you hear an audible groan as he pushes himself up and turns to face you all.

(Siveon you are now back in the driver's seat).
 
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Siveon

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Shadorwun: Hong Kong
"Kick a man down when he can't respond? That's a new low for ye, Rhennie." Marcán shakes his head slowly. He then points at Cormac, eyebrows comically raised, "Don't think I didn't hear your little comment, either, Cormac." He brushes the dust from his armor and cloak, while mumbling something about a footnote. "So, who else wants to follow more magic blindly?"

Can Marcán do a lore check on those names? Specifically Al-Dirzzidi, Tychon or even Abazion?
 
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nikolokolus

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Yes, you can make a lore check for each name independently. If you succeed on a roll make a follow-up roll to see if you somehow know something deeply esoteric or unusual about each subject.
 

Grimgravy

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Codex 2016 - The Age of Grimoire
"All in jest, friend bard." Rhenmyr replies with a laugh then sobers. "I'm not keen on blindly following magic, but there may not be another way out of here. Oh, and Master Ghul, if you can hear, it has been 713 years since the uprising."

Did Djivan ever mention any of the other apprentices? And how does Ghul's description of Djivan compare to my experience with him?
 

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