Chapter Seventeen: A Staff
The de'Arnise keep, 9 Hammer, 1370 DR
Nalia stood in her vault, eyes fixed on the staff of pure illithium that lay on the oval table in front of her. Around the staff, were placed twelve gems of rare and precious value, every one of them enchanted with some of her most powerful spells- invisibility, energy protection, spell turning, spell shield, spell trap…
Touching one of the gems, Nalia raised her eyes upwards, and murmured, "Kathryn, hear my prayer! With my magic the medium, your strength may flow within this purest of metals. The magic of the gems shall shine, and the glory of my House shall rise like a new dawn in Amn."
Murmuring quickly, Nalia cast an ancient incantation that she had gleaned from the spell book found in the farmhouse attacked by the wraith, one that made it possible for multiple enchantments placed on a few items to be absorbed into a surface pure enough to retain magic- and illithium was the purest metal available.
A thin beam of light worked its way from gem to gem, forming a delicate latticework of energy. Slowly, beams of multi-coloured light span from the gems, striking the staff, which quivered slightly.
In the corner, Tomas played the harp, the music sweet and careful, the notes thrumming through the air, imbued with the highest power. Around him, pink light appeared, as the power of Kathryn made itself known. The pink light spread to the gems, and in turn to the illithium staff that shook wildly now.
Nalia placed her finger on the surface of the staff, and instantly a flickering blue swan appeared, shifting blue. Another touch of her finger, and a golden harp could be seen, shining brightly. Yet another touch, and there was a bright flash, wherein pink blue and white melded together…
And as the stave was gripped by this shifting spiral of colour, Nalia pulled out scroll after scroll, chanting the words of arcane magic over the staff itself. But instead of casting the spell, Nalia directed the energies into the gleaming staff, incanting key words that would release the spells as she did so.
A golden flash.
Nalia closed her eyes instinctively.
When she opened them again, the gems were gone, and her staff was complete.
The illithium had turned from its bright silver colour, to a gold, and on it Nalia could see hundreds of tiny blue swans in different actions- some flying, some eating, some swimming… the images of the swans moved around the staff.
As well as the swans, Nalia saw an occasional golden harp melt into view, before melting back out again. With her mouth open in awe and reverence, Nalia placed her hand on the staff- and gasped.
She could feel the power!
Spells upon spells were contained within the metal, and she knew that the protections she had added to the weapon had already taken effect. She looked into the corner, and smiled at Tomas, who frowned.
"I can't see you, Nalia."
She grinned, and whispered the command word to dispel the invisibility around her. Tomas jumped, and then took a close look at her staff. He bowed his head. "You truly are a mistress of the Art, my lady… that is an impressive piece of magical equipment you hold…"
Nalia nodded. "And it is symbolic too. It marks the change of the House de'Arnise from warriors to wizards… and it marks my friendship with the Lady Kathryn…"
Tomas smiled, "Yes… but what will the Cowled Wizards say? As I recall, they have rules and regulations about the creation of magical weapons without their authority being given…"
There was a slight whisper in the breeze, and Nalia turned round. Standing, shadow in front of her, was Algerias, cowled and robed. He whispered in his nasal voice, "Yes, there are extremely tight regulations. If my Order found out about her actions this day, she would be taken to Spellhold and incarcerated there."
Another voice boomed. "And if my Order found out about your actions, there would be war between paladins and wizards until Amn was drenched in blood."
Keldorn stepped in, fully armoured. In a rage, Nalia shouted, "By Kathryn and Mystra, will everyone walk in without permission? I gave orders that I was not to be disturbed! Such petty idiocy I would expect from this wizard, but not from you, Keldorn. What would you have done if I had killed you with a backlash of magical energies?"
Algerias sighed. "In this case, lady, it was justified."
The paladin nodded his face sad. "Yes, Nalia… I bring grave tidings."
Nalia frowned. "What?"
The paladin of Torm was silent for a long moment, before he murmured, "Athkatla is under siege, it appears. Goblins and kobolds from the nearby hills have attacked, and all the evils within the sewers have risen to bathe the City of Coin in swathes of blood… we have received calls for aid from the Council today."
Nalia sighed.
Would she ever have a chance to just exist in peace?
"Very well my friends... and Algerias. Ready the guards. It appears that I must act once again, but this time to save Athkatla itself…"