Being a God Sucks
The man was lean and rather small in stature. His hair was shiny black, his features a perpetual snide smirk. To his credit he was wearing black, which made Sarevok think about Winski, causing a pang of regret and missing. Otherwise there was not much resemblance.
- "Well hello there, spawn of my old foe. Do you know who I am?" the man spoke to Peri, his voice matching the attitude of his expression. It was slightly nasal, smug and oddly refined.
- "Judging by the phrasing, you must be Cyric," Peri answered. "I don't believe I'm saying this, but Sarevok looked more like a god in that porcupine-armor of his than you do."
- "Oh, and what should a god look like then?" Cyric retorted. "Some grisly avatar, like the Slayer? I have better taste than that. Tsk. You'd think that sire of yours would have had the decency of spreading his spawn a little more intelligently. But then, the fool always favored quantity over quality, I guess."
Sarade snorted and tossed her magnitude of braids.
- "I wouldn't brag too much if I were you, Cyric," she smirked. "I see that you have recovered from your little bout of madness. Do you know what he did, Peri? Created a tome aimed to make anyone reading the book to think that Cyric is the most important being in the multiverse. And as if he didn't think that already, he up and read the book himself, going mad and diminishing his power in the meantime significantly. I think that redefines narcissism pretty nicely. Edwin is an amateur compared to this guy."
Peri snorted and grinned, but Cyric didn't seem the least bit amused.
- "Enough of your taunts, whore of Azuth! Were it not for the circumstances I'd snuff your insignificant life right now!"
He regained his calm and continued.
- "Let's dispose of these... friends of yours. This is a private matter."
Peri's party was teleported away and she stood alone facing one of the mightiest gods of the Realms, the god of murder, strife, deceit and illusions. Cyric's devotees were insane and fanatic, and the god himself seemed to be a rather self-possessed fellow.
- "Being the reigning god of murder, I have an interest in what you plan to do with the powers of your dead sire, Peri. There are not many players left in this game, and it is all very possible that you shall emerge as the winner of the prize."
- "Would you believe me if I said that I intend to take the power, but turn it into the force of righteousness and come down on you and your ilk like a light of blinding vengeance?" Peri asked.
- "I suppose I must give you a little more credit than that," Cyric acknowledged. "However, I do not know what you intend. I am not willing to share my powers, you should know that much."
- "Well. You are a powerful little godling, aren't you. Why don't you just kill me, or haven't done so already?" Peri asked.
- "Oh, if it only was so easy," Cyric said in that smug tone of his. "Alas, Ao himself has denied any of us taking action in this matter. I rather am interested in hearing what you think."
- "I think that your divine bickerings are vastly overrated, and the job is all yours if you are so keen to keep it," Peri said. "I really don't give a damn: I want to keep continuing the Life and marveling at the absurdity, once this stupid prophecy gives me the opportunity to do so."
- "Hmmm. Can one so powerful in divine essence truly display such lack of vision, or do you intend to deceive me?" Cyric pondered. "No matter... now I can't attack you here, but you created these little rooms to test yourself, didn't you? Surely Ao can't protest if I... aid you a little. Let's see how you fare against a few of my favored!"
And then the god was gone. The party was teleported back, but there was no-one else to be seen.
- "Keldy. True Sight," Peri said right away. The favored of gods were extremely powerful mortals given great powers from their divine patrons. That annoying old archwizard Elminster whom Edwin was particularly bitter to was a favored of Mystra.
As Peri had anticipated the favored of Cyric turned out to be assassins, trying to backstab them from the safety of invisibility. They were not that hard to kill with their cover blown, however, and as the mages had their stone skins and mirror images on, the strikes didn't even hurt them.
- "Gotta hand it to you, Keldy," Peri said after the short battle, "that ability of yours has been a lifesaver to our party. Not that Sarade couldn't call it from Azuth, but now she can call other powerful spells instead."
Keldorn nodded, then frowned.
- "These assassins... they are Cyric's own favored, aren't they? Dedicated to him, and he casually let them be slaughtered here?"
-"Yep. Cyric is an asshole. Not that I doubted it, but our little chat confirmed as much," Peri nodded.
- "What did he want of you, sister?" Sarevok asked.
- "Was worried of potential competition."
- "So are you going to seize the power?" Edwin asked.
- "No, I think being a god sucks," Peri said.
Sarevok was nodding approvingly. So far Gorion's fears didn't seem to come true.
