A couple of hours after meeting Anomen's father, Meg slipped out of her room at the Coronet to go to the Temple of Ilmater on the roof of the inn: her anger was still boiling in the depth of her soul, stirred by Cor's cruelty and the Slayer was feasting upon it with glee, so she needed the help and the guidance of her God more than ever.
When she went back to the inn, she found Jaheira waiting for her in the common room, arms crossed and a scowl on her elegant Half-Elven features. "Where on Faerun did you go, child?", the druidess snapped, "You know it's not safe for you to wander the streets alone! How many times do I have to tell you?".
"I'm sorry, I was at the Temple of Ilmater on the roof, just a short distance from here". "Well, you could have told me! But I guess it's of no use to argue now. Come, there is something we need to discuss". The Human girl followed her to their table, where their friends were already gathered, "Okay, what is it?", she asked, taking a seat between Anomen and Minsc.
Yoshimo cleared his throat, "A short while ago, Bayle's nephew came here with a proposal from his uncle. He said Bayle's employers want to...", he frowned and turned to Aerie, "What was that expression that he used, again?". "To sweeten the deal", the Avariel answered and the bounty hunter nodded. "Ah, yes, thank you. And just a short while later, we were accosted by a strange woman, who asked for us to meet her mistress at the Graveyard District".
The Painbearer leaned back in her seat and crossed her arms on her chest, arching an eyebrow, "Let me guess: this mysterious mistress of hers has a proposal for us as well?". He nodded, "So she said. But what makes me suspicious about them is their sense of timing: they come to us right when we have the money to pay Bayle...Odd, don't you agree? It seems like they've been spying on us". Edwin snorted, "Of course they've been spying on us! Even a simian with your limited intelligence should be able to see it! (Why am I still travelling with these lesser apes?)", he sighed.
Margaret Dawn massaged her temples, her head aching more and more with each passing second, "Edwin, stop insulting Yoshimo. And I guess it won't hurt to hear this mysterious woman out, right? The sooner, the better", she made to stand, but the Kara-Turan stopped her. "It would be useless to go now, sekai no hikari: she said that her mistress won't be there until after sunset"
She sagged back on the chair, "What? Ilmater have mercy, not Vampires too!", she whined, looking heavenwards. Anomen intervened, "I trust you won't make a deal with those blasphemous creatures, then, my lady?". "No way, no. I'd rather kiss a frog, than work for...For those beasts. And since we do have the money to pay Bayle...". "We still need to have the scale armour made", Jaheira reminded her, "And we should go to the Adventurer's Mart, maybe there is something that could help us in our mission".
Meg grumbled something very unpleasant, but thankfully unintelligible, under her breath, but nodded, "Okay, okay! We'll do that after we have got at least half a day of rest: it's been a long journey and we need it. See you later". As she made her way to her room, the Thayan stopped her. "Say, Meg, speaking of the Graveyard District...Is that where you buried the two...". "Yes, why?".
He shrugged, trying his best to look nonchalant, "Oh, mere curiosity, really. I simply thought that, since we've been away from the city for some time, you may want to go and pray on their graves. And since you can't wander the streets alone, I may come with you to make sure you don't get into trouble (Yes, this should do)".
The young woman looked at him for a moment, surprised, then she smiled and hugged him, "Thank you, Edwin. I would really appreciate both your company and your protection". The Red Wizard cleared his throat uneasily, both embarrassed and happy for that sudden display of affection, "Er...Then take those paws off of me and get going, it's a long walk to the Graveyard".
oxoxoxoxoxo
"Here they are: father is in this one and Dynaheir in this one", she pointed to two recent graves, each of them marked by a wooden cross and covered in flowers. The Thayan sent a silent prayer to Kelemvor, the God of the Dead, for the two fallen companions to find peace: he would never admit it out loud to anyone, but during their travels on the Sword Coast, despite finding them both irritating, he had come to grudgingly respect them.
"You should leave, Edwin. All of you should", the Ilmatari's voice startled him and he turned to look at her. "What in the Nine Hells are you babbling about? (I don't like that look in her eyes. I don't like it at all)".
"All of those who are close to me suffer and lose something", she said, observing the thin blue veins of her left wrist with disturbing intensity, "Sarry, father and Dynaheir lost their lives, Jae lost her husband, Minsc lost his witch, Immy lost her freedom. Kveroslava was right: I bring nothing but misery and death to whomever I meet. I am a curse, Edwin, a scourge, a jinx".
The Red Wizard grabbed her roughly by the shoulders and shook her, "And what do you expect us to do, then? To let you face Irenicus alone and get yourself killed, while we stay safely at some inn? Is this what you think of us? Of me? (I swear to Kossuth, if she says yes, I'll really turn her into a frog!)". She hesitated, "Of course not! But I...I just...". "You just what?".
"I just want to keep all of you safe!", the young woman shouted, her voice cracking, "This is my curse, I should bear it alone...It's simply not fair to involve you all in this mess". "Foolish girl", he suddenly hugged her, "I don't know about the others, but I am a Red Wizard and I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself! (I am the best, after all) Do you think I need to be protected by a youngling, whose breath still smells of milk?".
Margaret Dawn smiled and hugged him back, "What does me drinking milk have to do with our discussion? You know full well why I don't drink alcohol. And Edwin?". "Yes?". "Thank you". "Bah, no need to thank me. Now, if you are quite finished with this foolish nonsense, there is a certain matter I'd like to discuss with you".
The Painbearer took a step back to look him in the eye and tilted her head to the side, her curiosity piqued, "What is it?". "Well, I have just recalled something about this District: there are conjurers and diviners who speak in hushed tones of a very powerful artefact that was lost in the ancient times (But not so lost for a clever wizard like myself, obviously)
I read something about it and heard some rumours. Many have looked for it without success and spoken its name in frustration: the Nether Scroll. I had a very...Intense conversation with a diviner who swore it was somewhere in Athkatla, buried among the bodies of nobles. If I...If we could find it, it would be great. We should look for it into the lower tombs, I think".
Meg frowned, "You want to stick your nose into the tombs of the Athkatlan nobility? Really?". He nodded, "The Nether Scroll is incredibly powerful, Meg. It could help us in our fight against Irenicus (And I really, really, really want it!)", he added, looking hopefully at her.
The young woman thought about it for a while, toying with her Ring, then she sighed, "All right, let's look for this Nether Scroll, then. And let's hope we won't get in trouble because of it". The Red Wizard smiled reassuringly, "Don't worry, Meg, it will be an easy task". "Thanks to the cursed blood that runs in my veins, there is nothing easy for me", she grumbled, following him to the nearest entrance to the catacombs.
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The catacombs under the Graveyard District consisted of a huge labyrinth of tunnels, home to an impressive number of Giant Spiders, as Meg and Edwin found out pretty quickly. "I hope these were the last ones", she said, cleaning her face from the stinking greenish ichors, "So, which tunnel should we take now, left or right?". "Left", he answered, "I can feel some residual magical power coming from there".
They took the left corridor and discovered that some undead also called the tunnels home: two Mummies and four Ghasts attacked them as soon as they turned the corner. "Edwin...", the young woman called in a syrupy voice, while taking down a Ghast. "Er...Yes?". "You'd better pray to Kossuth that therereally is the Nether Scroll somewhere around here, because, if all of this trouble is for nothing, there will be Hell to pay".
The Thayan snickered, while shooting an arrow of acid at a Mummy, "Meg, I think you should know that nobody in their right mind would ever get scared, if threatened by a Painbearer of Ilmater (Especially one as soft-hearted as her)". She stuck her tongue out at him, pretending to be offended, "Cheeky". He nodded with a smirk, "Of course. It's one of my countless qualities".
After defeating the last undead, the pair finally managed to reach a small chamber, where a lone figure stood in front of a broken sarcophagus: it was a tall and bony Lich, his yellowish skin was parched and stretched on his bones, only a few strands of straw-like white hair remained on his skull and he was dressed in purple and blue rags that must have once been a luxurious mage robe.
"Sweet Ilmater", the Painbearer breathed, stunned and the Lich turned towards her, squinting to see her more clearly. "Who...Who are you?", he asked in a raspy and trembling voice, "Are you...My students?". "No, sir, we are not your students and we apologize for disturbing you. May I ask who you are?", she said, her heart clenching in pity for the poor creature's state.
"I...I am Nevaziah. I fled to this place...Fled with my students...Before the Cowled ones could...Take us...Prisoners", Nevaziah wheezed and when he swayed, she instinctively helped him to sit down, while Edwin scowled. "Bah! Trust her to help even one of those", the Red Wizard muttered under his breath, shaking his head in amazement, "She's hopeless".
The Lich smiled at the young priestess, completely oblivious to his surroundings, "You...Are kind, young lady. So you are not...Hunters of the Cowled ones? You are not here...To destroy me?". Margaret Dawn shook her head vehemently, "Sweet Ilmater, no! We have no intention to harm you, sir, no matter if you are a Lich".
"Lich?", the creature blinked, uncertain, "Lich? Is this...What I am? No, I...I was dying? I...I died long ago. Are they still...Hunting me...On the surface?". "No, sir, they're not. It must have passed a lot of time, I doubt they even remember about you". "So I...Am I free? After all this time...Hiding...Fearing their arrival...I am free", he smiled happily, "Thank you, kind lady".
"You're welcome, sir. Now, may I ask you a question? You see, my friend and I are looking for a...". The Thayan intervened, "Bah! Enough wasting time! We are here to get the Nether Scroll, Lich, so you'd better give it to me, before I take it from the charred remains of your corpse! (I have a Fireball ready and I'm not afraid to cast it!)".
The Ilmatari stood abruptly and turned, planting her hands on her hips and giving him such a Jaheira-like stern look that Edwin cringed. "Behave, Edwin! This poor Lich has been civil to us so far, so we should at least return him the courtesy!", she scolded him. "But...". "Two words: dishes, always".
He crossed his arms on his chest, frowning, "Suit yourself, then. But I won't leave without my Nether Scroll!", he stated. "Okay, let me see what I can do about it", Meg turned to Nevaziah, who was meanwhile humming distractedly to himself, "Sir? Do you know where we could find the Nether Scroll?".
The Lich raised his head, "The Nether Scroll? Yes...I...I have it here. Why?". "Could you give it to us, please? It's very important for my friend there", the young woman pointed to the still scowling Thayan. "I...I was entrusted...To keep it safe...", Nevaziah hesitated, "But...It has been so long...I am...So tired...", he added, with a sad sigh.
"Do you want to be freed from undeath?", she asked softly, remembering Rielev and how desperately he had begged for death. "Yes, I...Want to rest...To die at last. Can you...Help me, kind...Lady?". "I can and I will. Have rest, Nevaziah", the Painbearer closed her eyes and called upon the power of Ilmater to remove the magic of undeath from the Lich, aided in this by his own will to leave the world of the living for good.
A white light surrounded the creature and when it faded, all that was left of Nevaziah was a pile of bones, his ruined robe and a tightly wrapped scroll. "Ilmater, grant him peace at last", she murmured, then she picked up the scroll and handed it to Edwin, "Is this the artefact you were looking for?".
The Red Wizard eagerly unrolled it and smiled, "Yes. YES! It's the Nether Scroll! Both the just and the wicked will fear the unrivalled power of Edwin Odesseiron and his Nether Scroll! Nobody will ever dare to cross me anymore! Everyone will have to look at me in awe and kneel before me! (Well, except for Mother, Sekhmet and my teacher of course. And Meg, I guess. Yes, she can skip the kneeling part too)", he added generously, nodding to himself.
Margaret Dawn shook her head with a fond smile, "Look, I know you're excited about your prize, but could you please wait to make plans for world domination until we reach the Coronet? I need a hot bath and at least a full pint of honeyed milk after this". "Sure, lead the way, Meg".
"And wrap the scroll up: I don't want you to bang your head into every single wall from here to the Slums, just because you have your nose stuck into that thing". He pouted, but did as he was told, "Fine, fine! (Odd, Mother always said that too. It nearly feels like I've never left home)".
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Author note: you may think that Meg and Edwin got off easily in their dealing with Nevaziah, since they didn't have to fight him to the death. But when you meet him in-game, Nevaziah seems just a nice, if a bit confused, old man and doesn't seem intent on wiping the floor with your party. He only attacks after Edwin opens that big mouth of his and threatens to kill the Lich to get the Nether Scroll, so really, if the game allowed you to just shut Eddie up, there would be no need for a fight.
And if you're wondering who Sekhmet is, well, a future chapter will reveal it: stay tuned and you'll find out!