Ch14 - Reunion and plans

Ch14 - Reunion

Stood outside the barrier, I stand still and just breathe. It's been about a month and a half since I've last seen them, I feel like I'll have so much to catch up on. Just as I'm stuck in thought I hear, "Who are you? Identify yourselves!" I look down to see a human man in Harper gear pointing a spear at me.

We're friends of the adventuring party that are staying here, if you would let them know that Charles is here, I would certainly appreciate it. There's no need to be hostile, despite how much Nelly is twitching in desperation. Maybe a green hag would be better if I'm going to be dealing with people a lot.

The guard called for them to be brought, he seemed intent on looking into my eyes, most likely trying to see signs of the parasite. Though his useless observations were cut short by a group of voices, ""Charles!""

I was quickly swarmed by the group, most of them poking my body to see if I'm solid or using an illusion. "Guys come on cut it out, look I'm full solid and corporeal" I pinch my skin as I'm laughing.

"Yes yes yes yes, it's all well and good that you're back, but how are you here? and solid?" Astarion chimed in.

"Well I'm here due to me meeting a diviner on my escape, she told me where you would be and I knew I had to be physical before then. Not to say I can't switch back" I turn my arm ghostly before reverting it.

"As for how, I met a hag called Ethel. I figured she's the only master of magic I could find on short notice, I stole her research and found nothing. I stayed by her side for nearly a month before she produced something I could use, 'The elixir of beauty' it was supposed to turn the drinker into a handsome/pretty ghost but worked differently on me."

We spent the next hour or so catching up, I introduced Nelly who gave short sharp responses and came across as quite brash to all but me. Towards the end, as I expected, Jaheira pulled me aside.

Jaheira is an elven woman of fair hair and an incredibly long history. I know of her, she was actually acquainted with Faldorn in the fight against the iron throne. Not to mention the many bards tales I learnt through Alfira's memories.

"I do not know you, these good people vouch for you. And so I trust you, so if you do not mind, would you like share a drink with me?" She pushes a pre-poured glass of wine towards me, my time with Ethel taught me potions to a fabulous extent and I immediately recognised this.

"A potion of truth compulsion? I hope you know that I'm highly immune to stuff like this." With a constitution of 23 (Amulet of greater health), most potions and poisons won't affect my physical body. Not to say that the hag resistances wouldn't immediately nullify it.

"Well it didn't hurt to try, but I still want to know what your intentions are." She set aside her own glass and looked me in the eyes.

"Why don't I just tell you then? I'm not that complicated of a person, there's depth in there, but not in my intentions. I robbed Raphael the Devil a while back and until now I was too sure if I could even last for a moment against him, so I hid. Now that I have my power, I want to help my party finish what we started together.

"Fine, I'll take your word on it. What about that lady you are with?"

"Honestly, she's a conjuration. I found a scroll in the hag's hut for 'summon guide', so I learned it. Now she kind of just helps me." I give her a soft smile.

"That's certainly… new for me, which goes to show despite my age." She laughs at the self-deprecating joke.

"Look, I've been stuck near a hag in a swamp for a month. To me, I can hardly tell the difference in age anymore, you look just as young as Astarion." I try to lighten her mood somewhat.

****

Night starts and I dismiss my hag, she was a bad choice, I figured since she was supposedly rarer that she would be better in any condition. Obviously not.

The camp gets to relish my cooking once again, whereas Halsin and Karlach experience it for the first time. In the past month I've been using the stockpile of food I stole from Raphael to practice my cooking for the redcaps.

It's a beautiful view out tonight, lakeside campsites are a great idea. We should do it more often really. However, good things can't last forever, I have new volunteers in these woods that are more than happy to be on my dissection table.

My target for the next 2 and a half months is the undead. I will take a psychology exam next, followed by illithids then undead. I still have to make sure Durge is doing okay, looks like someone else took the role of tying him up for me whilst I was gone. Illithids is an obvious one, I may have illithid ally, but any other bonus to be used against them is massive. Undead is easy, liches, undead and mummy's exist everywhere, you literally can't escape them.

Aside from the dissection table, I need to do experiments and find new stuff out myself if I want to cross over to level 5 in my knowledge. Psychology is a weird area to do an experiment in at a time like this, but I suppose a study on moral and power could be interesting. But I think I want to tailor my experiment to mental disabilities to be able to help those like Durge, or even focus on CBT.

Stress is the mother of mental illness, so I don't think I'm stuck for choice in participants. I'll plan it out tonight, start it within the next week and finish by the next cooldown [29 days]. Then I can start experimenting with some mind flayers, best part is they have no human rights! No ethical questions for me!

-

The night passes quickly, I eliminate and study some cursed plants. And I decided to do a study on the relationship between stress and cognitive functions. An easy one with a direct hypothesis, it will take a week at most to do.

In the morning I decide to travel around last light, there next to Dammon's forge do I see an odd ox. I cast detect magic on it to see it has shapeshifted to the form of an ox.

"A shapeshifter in a refugee camp? I can't help but be curious now" I walk over to the ox and say.

"Maybe if you keep your curiosity in check, this place will stay a camp and not some ruins." It responds back to me.

"I'm not too bothered by your threats or the fact that an ooze is intelligent enough for a conversation like this. What kind of ooze are you? After all I feel like we should have a kinship of sorts really" I check for people around me before revealing my face as the aberration form before covering it again.

"Ah I see now, maybe it would be best if we formed an alliance of sorts. I am a shifting jelly, one of the best at what I do. Now what manner of being are you?" The shifting jelly responded in a strange British accent.

"I'm a complex mixture, ghost, hag or aberration. But I would be more than happy to add ooze into my repertoire, I just have to learn about your kind first." I shift my face as I say the difference species, and I don't lie, a sentient ooze is great for learning about the species as a whole.

My morning is spent there, conversing happily with the shifting jelly. A few hours with it gave me a brief insight into oozes, I'd estimate it at level 1 knowledge.

"Hey Charles wanna come find Moonrise with us? I think we'll find it this time." Wyll shouted over to me, "Of course, I'll be there in a minute" I turn to the ooze, "it's been lovely talking to you, I'll see you later if you don't mind?"

"Of course take your time, I wouldn't be able to get into the city without your lot." He waved his hoof at me suggesting I go along now.

Under the moon-lantern Gale carries, we pass through lashing shadows and twisting vines to come upon a grand tollhouse. Walking through it, whispers of gold and debt rung out like an echo in a cave. Even I felt relief when we exited to a view of moonrise towers in all its glory.

We strode forwards confident in our wit and skill, until we failed to anticipate something. A flaming illusion of Mizora appeared before us, pausing for a moment before talking.

"Hello Wyll, you got some new friends now?" She glances over to me, I give a polite smile. "I have a job for you, Zariel's asset has been taken captive within these towers, I task you in the retrieval of them."

Before Wyll could give a solemn agreement, I butted in, "We can all help with that right?" She nods, "then can we ask for something in return?"

"My word, Wyll you have quite sly friends! I'm almost proud. What do you want out of it?" She spat out.

"Wyll's pact to be anulled" A gasp could be heard from Wyll, it's like he couldn't even imagine going against an authority figure.

"Hmm, very well by the power of clause C section A, Wyll's pact and therefore powers as a warlock will be anulled should Zariel's asset be saved. I wish you all luck." And with that she vanished into hellflame.