The archer had put off going to the promenade, but really it was the one place that was liable to have what they needed. Even Edwin agreed, though he was laying low in the Five Flagon Inn for the time being. Specifically, the adventurer's mart was what he wanted. Xzar was, as had come to be the norm, the distraction while Hexxat walked Damiondred through the rest of the store and surveyed what there was to see. They found quite a few items that they really wanted and, after leaving the store to meet up with Viconia to see what she wanted, looked at each other and nodded. Vampire and bhaalspawn lifted their oily purple-black potions, hooked arms, and drank. Smiling at each other, wearing a layer of properly purchased actor's makeup and wigs courtesy of the Sharran cleric, they stepped in and (very importantly) the chultan removed her freshly dyed cloak, hanging it on a peg by the door where the necromancer could keep an eye on it. It wasn't as if the sun would be much of an issue inside the building, after all.

Between the potions of master thievery, playing off of each other and the bag of holding that Hexxat's coffin was in, they made out fairly well. His ability to charm was more subtle than hers, so he more often played the role of the secondary distraction so that she could blithely stuff things into the sack. Needless to say, all three of them left the store at different times and met up in the graveyard district, just inside of Dragomir's tomb.

"Our main problem now will be trying to disguise some of the more... Obvious and noteworthy things. So let's see what we got. I snagged this ring, this dagger, a scroll case, gem bag, handful of scrolls and this belt. Hexxat?"

The vampire smirked at him before it grew into a full grin, displaying perfectly white teeth. "Oh, you poor boy. So timid, with your skills you could have gotten so much more!"

"I wasn't carrying your bag, and I'm pretty sure it would have looked weird if I had walked out with a set of armor stuffed under my shirt. What did you get?" He stuck his tongue out playfully before blanching as she started to pull things out of the bag.

"A rod of resurrection, a mace, this long bow, a sword, a shield, a robe, and a set of red chain armor. Oh, and these bracers, which I thought you would enjoy."

Damiondred let out a low, appreciative whistle as Hexxat laid everything out, catching the bag of holding as she idly lobbed it at him. "Oh hey, I recognize that sword and shield Those were in the Hall of Wonders in Baldur's Gate. Alright, Viconia, you get the chain, shield, mace aaand the belt. Xzar, the robe is yours naturally. Hexxat, you get the ring, scroll case and gem bag for when we do this again, and I'll take the longsword, dagger, bow, and bracers. Wait, no. You should take the bracers for now. They'll protect you better, until we get some good armor for you."

Xzar squealed quietly in excitement, starting to strip down out of his robes so that he could pull the magical one over the tunic and hose he wore underneath, adjusting it slightly as it shifted and conformed to his size. He smoothed his hands down the front of it, marveling at the fabric. "Vecna - VECNA! - wore these~!"

"Yes, yes, only the best for my Priest." The archer strung the longbow and hefted it, testing the draw and sighing contently while Hexxat frowned at them and strapped the bracers around her wrists.

"Why do you call him your priest?"

"Because I'm a bhaalspawn. Because faith in people has it's own kind of power. Because better he acts as my priest than someone elses. I did sort of steal his loyalty after all, after he was sent to kill me."

The vampire laughed easily, shaking her head as she attached both scroll case and gem bag to her belt. Inspecting the ring for a moment, she finally slid it onto her finger and looked over at where Damiondred was cursing at his lack of arrows. "Do you recruit everyone who is sent to kill you?"

"No, just the one or two I think might turn out to be useful. I've got a few rules I go by, after all, but they're fairly basic. No killing people who you don't have proof deserve it. Try not to kill party members without a good reason. I'm working on theft ones at the moment, but I'm not running a guild so I trust your discretion. If you get caught stealing, I'm going to pretend I don't know you until I can break you out of wherever they send you. Yada yada yada." He waved a hand vaguely, before frowning at the bow. "How are we going to disguise these? Xzar can just throw on a thin wrap-style robe and he'll be fine, but this sword and shield are pretty obvious."

"Abbil, a tabard would cover the chain well, and anything else can be covered with weaponblack."

"Good idea, Viconia. Any ideas for the shield?" They all shared a series of glances, before the archer puffed his cheeks out and studied the very obvious profile of the shield. "... Alright. I think I might have an idea."

They had repurposed the tomb to serve as a sort of base of operations for them for the time being, leaving the two ghouls and flesh golem to guard it. Hammocks were easy to smuggle in, and the most difficult thing to do down there was to cook meals. Still, the door locked from the inside and they happened to have really the only key. It was dry, structurally sound, and easy to defend. Hexxat expanded the bhaalspawn's knowledge by teaching him how to set down several types of traps, sighing as he finished the last of them.

"This place was my prison for so long, but now it is a safe place to stay that is almost impossible to breach. I had hoped to be away from this place and enjoying the sun. I used to love sunlight, but this is my world now."

"It... Sounds pretty lonely, honestly. Help me push this sarcophagus?" The archer gestured to the closest one, and between the two of them had an easy enough time sliding it across the stoen floor and against the wall, turned so that it could act as cover if need be. "I prefer the night myself, honestly. Ever since Baldur's Gate I feel like it gives me a better chance of getting away if we get attacked again. I also like how the cover of darkness means that I don't have to sneak through sewers, and can stick to back alleys and rooftops."

"Many who sneak often prefer the dark, this is true, but a human lacks the ability to pierce the darkness with their sight."

"I was wondering about that. How do you see the world? Is it a type of infravision, like Viconia, or is it something else?" Damiondred dusted his hands off and reached up to run a finger along his familiar's head and wing where it was coiled about his neck like a scarf.

"Something else." She smiled, stepping up to tuck a hand against his chest and tilt her head to the side, eyes closing. "I can hear your heart. I can smell your warmth. I can see the blood as it pumps through your body, the current of your life. I could perhaps not see the latter in magical darkness, but my senses cannot be fooled by illusions otherwise. If someone is invisible, I will still hear their life beat through their body and taste their passing in the air."

"Wonderful. If you can tell all that you can probably also tell how uncomfortable this is making me."

The vampire laughed easily, nodding and stepping away. "It is fun to see, though the beat of your heart seems more in line with anger than lust."

"Because it is." The bhaalspawn smiled slightly, apologetically as he brushed at his shirt where she had removed her hand. "It's got everything to do with Irenicus and what I remember of what he was doing to me, and nothing to do with you. You're pretty, I'll give you that, but..."

"Ahh yes. The drow." Red eyes set in a warm tanned face crinkled slightly at the corners. "She is beautiful."

"And planes of existence out of my reach. Any advice? Things have gotten... Well, awkward between us, ever since we freed you."

"Ever since Dragomir charmed you, you mean. I could hear it, faintly, from where I was down the hall." She shifted to lean a hip against the sarcophagus, folding her arms and looking thoughtful. "It is not as if you lack natural charm, or unnatural charm, but that is not what you want. The best advice I can give you is to talk to her. Speak honestly. You might win her heart that way."

"I'd settle for not-awkward silences, honestly."

"I'm not the best at making things, but... Well, this should help. You slide it over this part here, and the wood covers the front like this, then these straps here buckle together and it stays on." Damiondred sheepishly offered out the bits of wood and leather that had been a collaborative effort between himself and Xzar.

"Thank you, Abbil." Accepting the contraption, Viconia started to strap it into place and hefted the shield a few times to make sure it wasn't too unwieldy. The archer stood there awkwardly for a moment, before clearing his throat.

"Look, Viconia, I... I want to be honest. I'm not... I don't hold you to anything. That wasn't how I... I didn't... Wow I am... Really bad at this." He chuckled slightly, helplessly as he looked down and raked a hand back through his hair. The drow watched him, amused, one eyebrow raised. "I was charmed. Aaand I was stupid. It was my own fool fault that I got charmed in the first place. You've been a stalwart shield arm, powerful cleric and one of my fondest memories of our travels together was you taking Tazok's knees out. What I'm trying to say is I don't..."

"When you look at me, you look past my appearance and see what it is that I can do. You use this knowledge as a puzzle piece, Abbil, and fit it into your schemes to the best of your ability. Twice now, when I have needed help the most you have appeared before me. Once, as a naive, almost helpless man-child and once more as an incarnation of wrath. Yet, for all of your learned, practiced courage you stutter and pause like a fool." Viconia shook her head, hefting the shield once more. "If I told you, right now, that I would leave forever because your oafish fawning disgusted me, what would you do?"

"Try once to change your mind. Slip a pouch of gold into your pocket to make sure you had what you needed to get where you needed to go, and wish you all the luck in the world if I couldn't convince you to stay." Damiondred almost mournfully lifted his gaze, frowning and letting his hand drop at his side.

"I believe you." The cleric of Shar straightened up, quirking a brow as she looked at him again. "There are seven words that will make anyone fall in love with someone that you should be saying, Abbil. Do you know what they are?"

The bhaalspawn blinked rapidly, hands clasping in front of him so that he could twiddle his thumbs. He looked down at his feed, then up at the ceiling before, finally, his gaze met hers. An almost shy smile curled the corners of his mouth upwards.

"Would you like to go for drinks?"

Viconia threw back her head and laughed.

They went to see a play at the Five Flagons Inn instead. They intended to go alone, but Xzar had a scroll of invisibility and Hexxat could turn into mist. They saw Edwin sitting on one of the chairs further back but dismissed it as coincidence as they arrived after him. They sat down with their food and drinks, and after only a handspan of lines were already exchanging a glance as the archer started to carefully make the gesture for 'very bad'. Viconia snorted, nodding in agreement.

"We are sorry. With our lead actor missing, we... We must cancel the show tonight. And if you know anyone strong of arm and brave of heart tell them... Tell them to come and find Raelis Shai." The woman that had come out onto stage dipped into a low bow among the jeers and boos before heading backstage with the air of one defeated.

"Edwin! Come on. Let's go and extort a free viewing of whatever in the nine hells this was supposed to be by fixing their problem." The archer pushed himself up, waving at the Thavian as the rest of the crowd exited the theater. He didn't have to hear what the conjurer was muttering to himself before waving irritably and slumping somewhat. Damiondred glanced over to where Viconia was shaking her head and adjusting her tabard. "Ready to go and bust more kneecaps?"

"It should prove more amusing than the play itself, Abbil."

He nodded, before glancing over his shoulder. "Come along, you two. Nice try."

"Leeeaderrr...! How did you know?"

"I'm a bhaalspawn, Xzar. The day I can't feel two points of death as they orbit me is the day I end up getting killed by one."

"This brings back memories." The archer grinned slightly as Noirog hovered nearby, the inside of his mouth glowing with a red tinged magelight. The placement let him close his mouth and effectively stop the light, but for the time being he drifted along and kept the beam somewhat in front of the party. "I remember Baldur's Gate's sewers. I miss Baldur's Gate's sewers, if I'm being honest. They were better kept then these ones. Didn't have kobolds or backwards-handed catmen, either."

"The Rakshasa worked out well, though. The Misty Lady will not hunger for some time, and the cloak that now adorns your shoulders helps to hinder our foes."

"Even if it looks beat to shit." The archer grinned at where he knew Xzar to roughly be, adjusting the ragged cloak about his shoulders. "Besides, considering I'm the only one of you that can't be brought back by the rod, being able to turn into a regenerating troll is pretty useful. Or an ooze, though I've little idea how I might even begin to move in that shape. I'll have to practice. Rat form seems useful too."

"And Abbil now has arrows to shoot with his fancy bow."

"-And I have arrows now, yes, a very good point Viconia. I knew something would turn up. It usually does, before I have to spend money on the- There's something strange about this wall."

The party slowed to a halt as the familiar hovered near the wall, shining its mouth-mounted magelight on the section of wall that the archer was now running his hands along. Hexxat stepped up next to him, nodding slowly. "You have a good eye for this. This patch is slightly cleaner than the rest of the wall."

"Try pressing on it?"

The vampire nodded as the bhaalspawn nocked an arrow, stepping over and pressing on the section of wall and watching as a small pannel slid in. The portion immediately to her left silently swung open, and she flashed a grin at the others. "Make me invisible and I will scout to disarm traps as we go?"

"Good idea."

"This is the lay out. These stairs go up into balconies along the wall in the dock district. This is an unfinished staircase. There are mephits in the library here, and two salamanders - one fire, one ice - guarding the bedroom. This man here was unresponsive, but in here - I think it is a crafting room? - there was a man working." Hexxat gestured to the sketch she had scratched out with the tip of her dagger through the handful of dirt that the archer had scattered onto the ground. "We have between us three mages, if we take him out any one of you could probably imitate him."

"It -would- be a much better place than the crypt. Not that I don't like it, but there's all sorts of tools here, a proper fireplace, couches... Secret entrance and balcony escape access. Could you see yourself staying here, Edwin?" Damiondred looked to the Thavian, who regarded him with quiet contemplation for a long moment.

"... You are considering taking this place for yourself for the time being in an attempt to conform to my standards of comfort, offering creature comforts won by strength of arm and magic as a bribe to ensure my complacency. (As if I would not notice...!)"

"Naturally. The only person I've seen match you spell for spell was Baeloth. I want you content, and just think of all the books in his library there must be. Of course, you could say no and continue paying for a room. I'm not going to force you, but I thought you might appreciate the more fitting accommodations. You're an Odesseiron, after all. Your father is the tharchion of Surthay. The least I can do is make sure you're comfortable during your downtime."

The conjurer eyed the bhaalspawn for several long seconds, only to scoff. "(Well, it is good to know the simian can sometimes pay attention...!) Very well. I accept your bribe."

"Fantastic." Damiondred beamed briefly before looking back at the map. "Any traps along the floor or walls, Hexxat?"

"None that I did not take care of."

"Thank's. Crafting magical items is a finicky process. We want to take him out before the other minions he has, but he's very likely in the most protected part of the building. Xzar, with the robes you're the faster caster, so you're on dispel and counter duty. Edwin? I want you to put as many flame arrows into him as possible. Use Xzar's invisibility breaking as your cue to go. Hexxat? You and I will sneak in. Viconia, when Noirog gives you a signal, get his attention. I'm banking on your magic resistance. At that moment, the two of us will strike. We need to take him down in twelve seconds, otherwise he's going to get a spell off or call for his minions to defend him, and I'd really like us all to have to put in as little effort as possible." He peered at all of them (at least, the ones he could see) before smiling and turning to Hexxat. "Alright. Take to the ceiling and I'll see you in there."

It went rather as planned, which left the archer pleasantly surprised. Hexxat was crouched on the ceiling a few feet above the distracted, muttering wizard while Damiondred carefully and quietly snuck around behind him. A brief confirmation with Noirog that they were in position had the flying snake hissing and nodding at Viconia, who charged in and planted herself in the doorway with a bellow, shield raised and braced as she snarled just behind it. The wizard (Mekrath, his mirrored image said simply. One day, I will teach you how to discern this on your own.) turned, raised his hands to activate his sequencer. It went off, but of the protections that had risen around him only some of them stuck as Xzar popped into view while his spell completed.

Damiondred recognized some of them, before they disappeared. Stoneskin was the first to fall. Protection from Normal Weapons remained, as did a red coloured fire shield. He almost laughed as the vampire dropped down beside him to strike in tandem, both of them ignoring the flames as a barrage of magic missiles left Edwin's hands to slam into the elf and finish him off. As the body slumped to the ground, the party relaxed and sheathed their weapons.

"Well done. Xzar, pick over the body. Viconia, Edwin, head for the library and clear out any lingering mephits. Hexxat and I will go for the salamanders and try to find the troupe's missing lea-"

"My he-" Damiondred's world went grey for a moment, long enough for him to consider his options before colour, movement and sound returned to it. As the new voice continued, he was already reaching out to settle a hand on Viconia's shoulder, shaking his head as he waved at the others to stand down. "-ad clears, filled with stars and liquid fire... and I see before me the new holders of my shackles? The wizard released me, I see, only to pass my reins on to another. So I'm to be your prize, am I? A mockingbird to sing your petty praises?"

"I think I like this one, Xzar. He reminds me of how you get sometimes. Wizard's dead. You must be Haer'Dalis, though. Raelis Shai sent us to free you and bring back a gemstone of some kind. I can see why she was so desperate to get you back, even ignoring how bad your understudy was." The archer smiled easily, stepping forward and offering out his hand. Striped features contemplated it for a moment before he received an answering grin and they clasped hands.

"Honour-bound and honour-branded then, is it? Very well, Raven, you have set me free and for that I thank you. Come hither and fly like swift wings o'er the rising thermals of the new day, and let us find our lost gemstone and return to the side of Miss Raelis. If you would share your tailwind, that is?"

"Of course. I don't see why not."

"So you return and bring our dark Haer'Dalis, his fetters shattered by your hands. Here is the gold I promised... Have you the gem?"

"Aye, here it is. Safely delivered." The archer produced the gem, offering it out and stepping back as Raelis gently removed it from his grasp.

"Ah! Mekrath's prize! It shall be our salvation yet. Here be seven hundred gold. Haer'Dalis, tell them what we are about while I prepare for the summoning of the conduit." She turned, gathering an assortment of items off of the table while the others started to head to the stage proper, whispering excitedly among themselves. The striped tiefling looked sheepishly apologetic as he wove his fingers together and canted his head to the side.

"Yes, Miss Raelis. Ah... my ravens, there be a tale between us that is long overdue. Forgive me if I led you to believe that yon gem was just a worthless bauble for the stage."

"Three of us are mages, Haer'Dalis, and one of us is a conjurer. Not only does it fairly radiate an aura of magic, but I trust Edwin's instincts on these matters and assumed it was something unusual and powerful." Damiondred stretched idly as the conjurer lifted his chin.

"It is a planar jewel. (At least -someone- appreciates my talents and knowledge!) It is often used to bridge between planes, forming tunnels to other realms. Perhaps even the abyss, as your heritage might suggest."

The tiefling looked baffled for a moment, only to laugh easily. "Wonderful! Few of you primes could have guessed it's nature. Mekrath did, and I fell into his keeping shortly after."

"What is Raelis summoning?" The archer's eyes followed Raelis as she hurried past, and Haer'Dalis chuckled as he strode forward and clapped the bhaalspawn on the shoulder.

"A conduit, fair raven. One that will take my troupe elsewhere. You are welcome to watch." The hand left Damiondred's shoulder as the tiefling sauntered along, turning to the right once he passed most of the stage props.

"What are we doing, Abbil?" Viconia thumped the lower edge of her shield into the floorboards, frowning. "You have the look of one with a bad idea."

"Would you believe me if I told you that I wanted to watch him and learn how to talk to people?"

"Yes, but that is not all there is to this. He are drawn to him like a moth to a flame." Xzar stepped forward, frowning at where the blade had disappeared. "Is he drawing parallels, perhaps? Likening the charismatic, flexible, strong dual wielding tiefling to another chaismatic, flexible, strong dual wielding individual with otherworldly heritage?"

"Maybe. There's something about him though. Ever since I saw him I've had a feeling, like something that was slightly off clicked into place. It's... Hard to describe. I think... Picture it like a rug, made of a whole bunch of threads. Sometimes, I feel like I can pull some of these threads and line them up with mine, and others I feel like it just happens on its own. Xzar, for example, I think I had to do a lot of pulling to keep you with me. When we went by the harper hall, the first time on our way to your house, I couldn't help but feel like the air was... Weird. Like I'd been there before, but like I was watching you die. It's like... Echoes." The archer rakes a hand back through his hair, frowning as the voices ahead of them rose in a unified chant. "Sometimes I feel like I know how something's going to go. For them, this is going to go badly. We could help them or we could... Not. But I feel like his thread has run next to mine already. Even though I don't think it has. I'm not making much sense, am I."

"(The monkey babbles in circles. Feh!) No, no you are not. What are we to do?" The conjurer folded his arms, scowling as the bhaalspawn turned towards him.

"Probably something very stupid. There's two paths in front of me. One leads to the door and out of the theater, and the feels like it tugs on my arm." The archer shrugged slightly before stepping out past the props in the back, watching as the chanting finished. A ripple formed in the archway they were focused on, before out stepped a man in splint armor.

I take great pride in cutting Edwin off as often as I can, and usually skip through as much of that dialogue as possible. Dami is incredibly more susceptible to the corrupting influence of power. Speaking of, we see hints of the next 'unlisted' power that I gave him in this chapter. It's the budding, started stages of it, but soon enough he'll learn how to control it. And by soon, I mean when Irenicus tears out his soul and gives the bhaalspawn taint more of an ability to flow its way through his system. Xzar is very much acting Dad of Dami at the moment, being literally the second highest wisdom in the group now that Viconia's gotten her stat boost with the new game. Hexxat sits comfortably at a 12, Edwin's got a hilariously exploitable 9, and Dami himself is at an 11. This leaves Xzar at 16 and Viconia at the boosted 18.
Most of the archers confusion about what he's sensing is because he doesn't understand it. He'll learn, in time.
Questions? Comments? Consistency issues?
Leave a message after the tone.
-KD