Help in the Conflict with Irenicus
Havarian was waiting for us. He gave us the idea to free the inmates of Spellhold against Irenicus. From what I saw of Spellhold so far, I had to agree with him. Their talents combined with our own could push Irenicus far enough to flee if not fully defeat him. Imoen and I cautiously went around the hallway of the lab in which Irenicus stole our souls. Finding the stairway to the Spellhold holding cells, we then found the jailer. He had no love for Irenicus, either. I was able to convince him to unlock the cell doors. Finally gathering all the inmates into one room, I directed the conversation to Irenicus; their replies were chilling despite what I had already learned about him. Spells were being cast; I am not sure, but I think it was Tiax who teleported us all into the presence of Irenicus and death for most of us.
Irenicus was not amused; he called the inmates of Spellhold his test subjects. Irenicus then called me mad for releasing them. I still called it hope vice madness. I started my time stop spell. In my concentration, I did not see what Imoen did. My spell was completed first, although I heard the same spell being cast by one of the freed inmates. I knocked down magic resistance on Irenicus, cast time stop again, and then breached his magic. I then went behind him to strike at him a few times with my staff of the magi. I got caught by the other time stop spell, and did not see what was happening until it put us all back into the same timeframe. As I heard Irenicus was still attempting to cast what might be a high level spell, I used one of my rings of the ram on him to cause his spell to fail; which was the outcome. I tried a wilting spell that did adversely affect him. His death spell got though and the previously summoned help ceased to exist. My memory was flawless, though, and a skeletal warrior appeared against him quicker than he might have wished. Irenicus started another spell I could not understand, so I once again caused his spell to fail and started another spell of my own. He turned around and hit me with an acid arrow spell that ruined my own spell and ensured the same for at least the next 3 rounds so that my magic would fizzle if I tried to cast another spell. By the end of that 3 round period, the combined magical power against him was enough to get Irenicus to reconsider his fight at Spellhold. As you might guess, it was not surprising that he sounded frustrated as he wished that this were my tomb. Having called upon his assassins to end our lives, he vanished.
My truesight spell was on its way after Imoen said that she would remain invisible and after the assassins entered the lab, she would remain in the doorway effectively blocking any escape. Sadly, only Imoen and I were left; none of the inmates were alive to celebrate their freedom. I smiled one might say evilly, although to get right down to the truth, these assassins were the ones after our blood. Imoen and I were overjoyed by our continued health after a battle with Irenicus - the mage that had us imprisoned in his dungeon less than five months ago. We were not going to let these rogues serve Irenicus or any other ever again. They would all go down in defeat - including Yoshimo. That is exactly what happened. Using my spell and staff to lure them next to me, I heard them curse me to their dying breath with the exception of Yoshimo. He was silent as he appeared against me, his countenance grim as I suspect he realized his fate far better than the rest of those against us having seen my power rise exponentially. Along with only his own aid with a bow, he had seen me go "toe to claw" with a Shadow Dragon. Our destruction of that particular foe yielded him the Shadow Dragon armor forged with my own funds that protects him so well and that he now wears. I bowed to Yoshimo with my eyes not leaving his. As he approached me, I told him I would take his heart to the temple; in death, his soul will be released from the geas of Irenicus. He hesitated, then bowed his head hiding his eyes from me. His head rose once again and Yoshimo then continued his advance upon me. Not one of them asked for mercy and I am not sure that I would have given it to any of them. Unlike Irenicus, the consequences of their actions were not delayed. As far as I am concerned, there is not room on this world for both Irenicus and I. It is not at this time possible to face Irenicus. However, he may have just lost his best chance to kill the spark that might spell his doom. If I continue to compound my power, it will soon match or exceed his own power. I must, as well, seek to become more cunning in my spell casting. Irenicus caught me flat-footed at one point. Without the help I got in confronting him, it might well have proved deadly for both Imoen and I.
Journal entry 26
Spellhold Destroyed
Overall, a better victory than one might expect in a battle with one such as Irenicus - being free to fight another day. Imoen and I went around the floor, hoping to find further clues to what Irenicus is up to, but ran into Havarian around the second corner. He offered to help us off the Island; I agreed, while remaining cautious due to his well deserved reputation for fast getaways leaving a mess for us to clean up. True to his word, we teleported to an area just outside Spellhold where he advised us to gather supplies as needed then look for him in the Tavern after which he teleported away himself. We entered Spellhold once again as I just mentioned that we wanted to see if there were any clues as to what Irenicus is doing. Sadly, we did find a few notes which only spoke about his success with Imoen and drawing me to Spellhold. A few other odds and ends were found as well as a key I take it we could have used to access a device to take us directly to the Underdark, the only clue we have, although a very good one. "Our friends in the dark", a phrase Irenicus used talking to his sister Bodhi which was almost the same breath he used to call me a "nothing". I would say that I am nothing he should have messed with. He will pay dearly for his operations against Imoen and I, or I shall become another one of his dead victims.
I asked Imoen to precede me out of Spellhold and wait for me a short while. I did not leave it until I saw that the bodies of the inmates were cremated - along with the rest of the institution. That Spellhold burned to the ground was my doing. I then tossed the key to the Underdark into the inferno that was Spellhold and left for the town of Brynnlaw with Imoen by my side.
Journal entry 27
Voyage from Brynnlaw
With everything I thought we needed, Imoen and I entered the Tavern seeking Havarian. It turns out that his ship was sunk possibly by the pirate King of the Island. At this point, I thought about searching for the key I just lost maybe forever to the teleportation device that would lead to the Underdark that may no longer be working or would be next to impossible to get to in a short span of time - thanks to my burning Spellhold to the ground. I felt a fool for not holding on to that option. Well, it seems that Havarian had a plan that could work with our help. Havarian had the ear of the crew for the pirate King's vessel. What we did was to "requisition" the horn that will allow us to leave the harbor from the King's wife. We then met Havarian at the vessel. A mild skirmish ensued prior to our cast off and leave of Brynnlaw. During the voyage, a ship that was not even riding the water caught up to our vessel. A sword that Havarian gave me for our help at Brynnlaw was the searched for object of the crew that boarded our vessel. Havarian made sure to implicate us. Hostilities continued a very short while until Shark Fiends scuttled both vessels. Havarian teleported to safety, while we were either to drown in the ocean or become food for the Shark Fiends.
Journal entry 28
City of the Shark Fiends
By spell or being near to drowning, I had been unconscious. Regaining my awareness, I thankfully saw Imoen next to me and both of us in breathable air, but under the ocean, nonetheless. This, then, was the City of the Shark Fiends. Their true name escapes me. I will have to refresh my memory when I get back to my books. What I came to know of as a Priestess cast a spell to enable us to understand their language. We had been spared death due to a prophecy that could have meant us. Writing this in the Underdark, I see that they had interpreted the prophecy incorrectly. Instead of saving their City, Imoen and I were agents of its downfall - their Shark Father Deity was attempting to warn them about us. A bit ironic; if they had understood the prophecy, they would not have spared Imoen and I and Journal entry 26 would have been my last. The Priestess wanted us to talk to a rebel Prince who she said was the leader of a group that could better perpetuate their species since the current king was insane. How this came about was explained, but it is no longer important - the whole City lies dead due to Imoen and I. They seemed to think of all surfacers as nothing but meat for their table. Were it not for this prophecy the Priestess spoke of, Imoen and I would have already been consumed. I took action against them all as an unswerving threat to all sentient beings above water. We were in a whole City of beings that thought of us as "nothing". It did get better. A bit of fun was had from my quest to get the key required to visit the rebel Prince. A pair of Imps had set up a game to see if we could give each well known "Surfacer" the item that was indeed theirs among 5 of them. Based upon the clues that each one gave me, I solved the puzzle of the Imps after which they let out a shade creature but protected us from it. The shade had been protecting a chest that had some magical items in it; a cloak among one other item, I think. I put them in my bag of holding and will examine them later.
Just past the game of the Imps was a "Spectator" Beholder that was the guardian of the dark Elf's chest. The chest contained the tooth which was the key I needed to unlock the area where the Shark Fiend Prince resided. Using the power of my mind to speak with the Beholder, it was not required to battle it; I actually set it free from the dull job it had 40 years early. It left and I was free to return to the job at hand. After I spoke with the Prince, hostilities were involved. Their bolts do paralyze so there was some risk, although we did well. Going back, a few of the followers of the Prince were taken out. We then made our way back to the insane King. That battle was won, as well. At this point, the rest of the Shark Fiend City was at odds with Imoen and I. Each battle ended with their defeat. We got a Cloak of Mirroring and a Rod of Lordly Might not to mention the magical rope we could use in the Palace of the rebel Prince that led to the Underdark and closer to Irenicus and Bodhi.
Journal entry 29
The Underdark
From the Elven camp outside the Underdark exit, I now make my Journal entry regarding our stay in the Underdark. As Imoen and I were getting used to the low light of the Underdark, we first met up with a solitary Koa-Toa, which was short work for us despite the danger it represented with its bolts that paralyze. Koa-Toa is the proper name in which I used "Shark Fiend" in substitution previously. What really became a challenge were three portals: one from the plane of fire, one from the plane of earth, and one from the plane of air. As we approached each portal, a series of elementals sought to destroy us. At first there seemed to be no end to their number as we fought our first battle at the air portal, but eventually like the air portal, each portal stopped gating in their respective elemental beings. This was a good thing as I didn't know how much more Imoen and I could take on. After the portal skirmishes, we spotted a Gnome encampment. They were merchants. I got a few things from them including further news about Irenicus and Bodhi. From here, they have gone to a Drow City in the area. While this news was frustrating to me at the time, in the end, it did not matter. We were not going to catch up to them. We found a Gnomish village; it looked like a great sunken vessel. From the condition, it amazed me that it did not disintegrate into metal flakes before my eyes. Once we promised to speak to the Mayor, the guardian Gnomes let us pass into the village. It seems that the Gnomes dug too deep in a certain area. A "creature from nightmares" has appeared and the Mayor has sent most of the village inhabitants away from the area. The Mayor knew of a Silver Dragon who would aid us, but we had to help them get rid of their nightmare creature first. Um...underground; too deep...what do you think - maybe a Demon? Which is what turned up. After successfully fighting the creature and using a scroll to seal up the site, we got a light gem from the Gnome Mayor so we could visit the Silver Dragon. We continued on into the Gnomish village, and rested in their Inn. When I approached a merchant, he related to me that his Son had gone missing. On our way to the village, we had encountered a group of Drow, who are also known as Dark Elves, and some Spore Fungi. As well, I spotted a structure that was a prison. Returning to the structure, one of the prisoners was the Gnome's Son, who was grateful for his release and returned to his Father. The other prisoners were hostile and were each killed in self-defense. At least they were no longer the Drow's prisoners; I wished it could have turned out better. One was a Lich though, and I enjoyed that battle. Going back to the Gnomish village to see what the merchant had to sell, he was so grateful that he gave me a magic item that turned out to be a powerfully enchanted Mace. Leaving the village, we did not at first seek the Silver Dragon. In our explorations of the Underdark, I noted three distinct paths that were areas the Matron Mother also told us about later when she wanted us to capture a spell component she needed to summon a Prince of Demons; but I get ahead of myself. We sought out each of these three possible exits slaughtering everything that was hostile to us in our path to find a way out of the Underdark. We actually did find the way that the Silver Dragon took us to, but could not advance out of the Underdark at that time since the Silver Dragon had the key to the temple she guarded and was our escape route to the surface, as well. I collected all three of the required components for the Matron Mother's spell (she only needed one of them). At that point, I found the stairs leading to both the Dragon's Lair and the Gate of the Drow City. Upon setting foot on the stairs, we were forced to do battle with more Drow. After this battle, we explored the left road which, indeed, led to the Dragon's lair. The Gnome Mayor gave us good directions; I don't want to think what would have happened to us if we had stumbled upon the Drow gate before our meeting with the Silver Dragon.
Irenicus, foul being that he is, had stolen or had his sister Bodhi steal the Silver Dragon's eggs. This was the dilemma that the silver was in: should she leave her lair, the Drow promised to destroy her eggs. The Drow were going to do that, anyway - unknown to the Dragon. She wanted us to retrieve her eggs from the Drow. To do this, we were to infiltrate the Drow City with the Dragon creating an illusion upon us so that we looked Drow and spoke the Drow language. We agreed to do so, and left her lair as Drow.
The illusion worked well. We performed a few services for the Drow starting with the rescue of the eldest daughter of the Matron Mother from the Mindflayers, also known as Illithids. When we went out to meet our Commander near the Mindflayer City, we were attacked by a group of "surfacers"! I don't know what they were doing there, but they were in the wrong place at the wrong time. After the finish of that battle, we arrived near the Mindflayer City where our Commander was waiting for us.
Imoen got my attention and said "Allow me." Imoen then summoned her Fell Five! She positioned her Skeletal Warriors around the area. Upon being magically set for battle, Imoen and I notified the Commander that we were ready. The device given to the Commander to intercept the Illithids with their hostage worked perfectly. The Mindflayers and their Umberhulk pets appeared a few moments later. It went extremely well. The element of surprise and the placement of the Skeletal Warriors were optimal. The daughter of the Matron Mother seemed headstrong as she left for the Drow City without escort. This also seemed to enrage the Commander, who told us to meet him in the City as he went off in pursuit of Pharie. I hoped at the time that I would have to deal with her and was correct so that I might exploit that trait in recovering the Silver Dragon's eggs.
Getting back to the Drow City proved much easier than leaving it. It will probably take a while for the Underdark inhabitants to populate the area; Imoen and I certainly cleared out the place - at least for a while. Once back in the City we spotted Solafien, our Commander, with an imposing woman at his side. Since the Drow have a Matriarchal system, I thought it best to continue to talk to our Commander rather than risk speaking to the woman which might end up a deadly mistake since we were attempting to remain hidden within the illusion of our Drow image. Having previously apologized to Solafien about the torture he endured, it seemed that his rough words to me were hiding a bit of concern for our safety, although I did have to read between the lines. Our next task was to meet Pharie at the Tavern. Solafien started to object to this, but was warned rather than tortured this time. Leaving after the conversation ended, I saw the son of a woman beat a slave to death. He was then disintegrated by his mother for killing her slave. A Dwarven slave to a being in a tank of water urged me to speak with his master. The being wanted me to bring it the brain of a Drow Priestess, but I called its bluff by warning it that I would spill the beans on it if it even dared to cross me. It backed down. It knew that I was a surfacer, but now it would remain silent on that fact or I would expose its own plot to kill a Drow Priestess. A good offense is sometimes a good defense although, at the time, I was itching to pit my power against an entire Drow City. That could have spelled disaster for our mission. These were the beings that supposedly had given shelter to Irenicus and Bodhi. I did not know if I could keep my rage under control. As I continue my story, you will see that what actually transpired in our mission here actually gave me reason to stay my wrath.
Journal entry 30
Having found the Tavern, Imoen and I walked around for a bit, finally spotting Pharie and Solafien. She gave us a few days off to enjoy ourselves in the Tavern after which we were to meet her near the City entrance as we had met Solafien before. Solafien objected and there seemed quite an enmity between the two. Upon being dismissed, we first found the "beast" cage where, if one dared, you could fight captured creatures and be paid for the sight. I, myself, volunteered. I fought everything they had from an Umberhulk to a Beholder which, by now, I was quite experienced with. I actually took them all on and was ready for more. We found a four on one battle going on directly across the way. The Drow actually beat all four other Drow. This one was the one to challenge - which I did. I first made sure that sword of his would not bother me. Then I reduced him close to death, where upon he yielded the battle. His Priestess appeared and challenged me herself, since I had bested her greatest warrior. I showed her a thing or two about magic before she fell in defeat. Next, the mages of the City took notice of me, and I accepted all of their challenges one by one. There are 3 secrets of magic that I will not reveal here. I used them all in defeating every one of the Drow challengers. As the last challenger available went down in defeat, I wondered how much more I could take of these battles, but was relieved to hear that there were no other challengers. We found the Inn and rested. I saw what seemed to be a few merchants near the exit to the City and left the Tavern, Imoen in tow. I did find a few magical items to add to my bag of holding for potential use later. Doing a bit of exploration we then went behind the Tavern to find some slave pens. I made a note here to come back at a later date. I felt that if I get in good standing with the Matron Mother, I might be able to somehow release these slaves; send them back to the surface. It was a dream I knew not if it were possible to complete successfully. Imoen was dancing around a bit, so I asked her what was on her mind. She approached me and whispered into my ear that she thought that she had heard what sounded like someone being tortured close by the City entrance. I nodded and told her not to do anything, but follow me and have her magic ready in case we - or I more likely - blew our cover. Wandering around a bit, we did find a Jinn in some kind of container being tortured. I almost went berserk, but was able to calm myself. I took it upon myself to send this Jinn back to its plane. Calling on my magic, I proceeded to release the Jinn by hurting it faster than the Drow could heal it - after which they would hurt it some more. The Jinn expired and left for its plane of origin and one of the Handmaidens of the Spider Queen Deity took me to task for destroying the Jinn. I was able to appease her with some gold. Thankfully, that was the end of the matter. We went back to the Tavern and I restored my sequencers, after which we rested once more before reporting to Pharie at the entrance to the City. Once again, we approached Solafien to inquire what our next task was, but he told me to ask Pharie what her plans were. She told us that we were to assist her in an attack upon a smuggler Beholder and indicated where to meet her to do so. Solafien wondered out loud Was Pharie to join us in this task? They were still at it as they teleported to the area. Getting started on the walk to the same area, we came to a T intersection when a woman (a surfacer) ran by us telling us to get out of her way. Her panic was well founded in this Drow City and the Drow hunting her asked us which way did the surface woman go. I responded with a lie, silently wishing the woman a speedy death if she could not get away from the Drow. At the indicated site, both Pharie and Solafien were in view, awaiting our arrival. I summoned my Fell Five and asked Pharie if she had any further instructions. A few remarks were made for the most part the ongoing clash between Pharie and Solafien. We did not have long to wait. As the Beholder appeared, I started to cast a spell, but my own body betrayed me and so the spell fizzled. Thankfully, the Fell Five gave the beholder something to do and it fell to my Five and a few magic spells sent against it. Pharie told us not to touch the Beholder body, which sparked more friction between our Mistress and Commander. Pharie told us to meet her in the Tavern within three days. We rested for a while then reported to Pharie. We were to kill a party of Gnomes next to "teach them their place". It was apparent that the task did not agree with Solafien. Leaving the City, we met up with our Commander. I told him we could take care of this job ourselves should he wish to go back to the City. He agreed and Imoen and I alone waited for the Gnomes to arrive. Of course, I was sympathetic with the Gnomes, so that when they arrived, I spoke of my task and that I did not wish to complete it. I asked for, and got the helm of the Gnome Leader. This was what Pharie wanted as proof of the deed. The Gnomes went to advise their leaders of the bowing and scraping that needed done to appease the Drow. This upset me and stoked my fury against the Drow that again could have caused a breach in my mission for the Silver Dragon. By the time I had reached the City entrance, I almost threw down the Gnomish helm as if a gauntlet against the Drow. Reason prevailed as I thought of the success of our mission to rescue the Silver Dragon's eggs. I reminded myself that it would be a tragedy for the Drow they might always remember. They would suffer more alive than being dead, after all. They will regret the day they conspired with Irenicus and his unknown but safe to say evil plan. I would, by the time I left for good, make certain as I left with the eggs to make them aware of who it was who beat them and why they suffer; at least one Drow house will suffer, that is.