Ch20 - Finishing up

I traveled a few more paths, for example, I wanted to see what the path the Baldur's Gate looked like. Unfortunately, a group of githyanki tried to ambush me. Fortunately however, it now means I have some githyanki to experiment and learn from.

**

An hour passed of my torment, I've fully understood their racial psionic abilities, worship of Vlaakith and how they aren't actually that much better than the mind flayers. As it turns out the gith wants to rule the universe with an iron hand too, to them the illithid is just a competitor. Which is a little bit weird when I consider that the gith and illithid could switch places right now and there would be little to no differences.

That's a problem for future Charles, for now I'll carry on backpacking. My next journey will be the north-east of the shadowlands, where I plan to find Oliver and that necromancy guy. It might be a long walk back up there but I'd be a crap nomad if I didn't like walking. Speaking of which, I refuse to float, unless it makes an entire situation way easier, I'll walk.

Bheur and I actually had a nice conversation on the way up there about Cegilune.

"What is she like?" For once I heard no trace of malice, that's how I can tell hags worship her.

"Exactly as you'd imagine God of hags, evil and the moon to be. Rude and evil, but willing to make deals."

"Fascinating, I can smell the blessings on you, it must have been a good deal for that." She upturned her nose and breathed heavily in.

"Well I promised to kill a god I guess, not a higher god. The netherbrain actually made it so Jubilex isn't the weakest god anymore."

Arriving at some ruins, I realise I must have made a wrong turn somewhere, "ah gotta turn back then." As I turn to leave, shadow cursed plant monsters show themselves to me and more importantly the hag light.

Suddenly I see them cease any kind of hostility and just walk up to me, "Is that what it meant by charming nature?" They all stayed stood staring at me, I wanted to test my control. "You, move 30ft from me" One of them moves away and one they pass the barrier nothing happens, "A permanent charm on plant monsters?" A minute passes by and it starts charging at me, but renders itself harmless when it enters the light.

"I can't see a great use of them that I can't do myself, but they offer insight to plant monsters" I command most of them to jump off the cliff, the rest I kill personally and dissect then and there.

-

Finally, I reach a cabin in the woods with ominous giggling coming from within. I cast see-invisibility on myself and enter. Immediately I see a boy, maybe 6-7 crouched down poking a cursed bug.

"What you got there?" I say to him.

"Ah someone new! Let's play come on!" I knew there was literally no persuading him yet so I accepted.

"Sure then, why not? Shall I seek?" I motion for the hag to wait in the doorway of the house when Oliver runs off.

I see him run behind a wheelbarrow and tap him on the shoulder, "Hey that's no fair! Let's do it again but my mummy and daddy help me!" He scampered off again but this time, great shadows leapt from the sides of the house. Ethel used her position to catch 'mummy' off guard, and I eliminated the dog first and cast vicious mockery over and over again on 'daddy'.

We re-enter the house to see Oliver kicking the walls angrily, "You cheated! I don't want to play anymore, go away!" Happily, I walked away. I'm not good with kids, nor do I want any, let Halsin deal with them, he's a fatherly figure.

Next, I head on over to the emo necromancer, he introduces himself trying to be cool and mysterious, but I couldn't be bothered to to listen and the Madeline's ledger at him. 'He who was' who I'm calling Harry, begun to embody Madeline, a woman who sold her clientele out to dark justiciars.

"I'm sure you know that you took it too far, dark justiciars are always going to do something evil. You knew that, I know that."

"I just didn't mean for that to happen! I thought they would hurt them, not kill them!"

"Atone for what you've done, it should be obvious how" I point out into the shadows lashing out at the borders of my light. Wordlessly, she drags herself in Harry's body to the edge before stepping forwards to both of their deaths.

I walk over and poke a hole through her skull, enough damage to make sure he won't be reanimated. Now then, aside from the gauntlet of Shar, which I'm tempted to ignore and leave to the party, there's nothing left for me to do here. I headed back to last light in, dismissing bheur.

****

The next 27 days were not well spent, I awoke Art with the lute, then Halsin wanted to rejoin Oliver and Thaniel, to remove the shadow curse. But it was linked to Ketheric, so he was the next goal. I knew I couldn't enter the catacombs to meet Balthazar as Raphael will be watching. So I waited until the party returned with news of Yurgir, the fiend Raphael wants them to kill.

It was only today that they came back with news of freeing Yurgir from his contract, something I may or may not have guided them to do. Astarion looked truly angry at this, so naturally I took him to the side and asked him about it.

"Astarion are you okay? You seemed pretty shaken up about Yurgir."

"Yes, I'm fine… look it's just that Raphael was supposed to help me with this thing, but now that the lumbering red oaf is free I'm stuck!"

"It's alright, it's alright, now tell me, what was the ever so kind and generous devil going to help you with?" I felt like I had to point out the obvious, despite my sympathy.

"You know of Cazador, my vampiric master right? Well he burnt some writing into my back, Gale tried to help but didn't understand it, so unless you know infernal, you can't help!" A scowl covered his face, frustrated at hisself and the rest of the party.

"I know a very large set of languages, internal is one I'm fluent in, no worries" I felt like I had to brag for a moment, infernal isn't too common on the material plane, unless you're a tiefling, which last light inn is the majority of.

"Oh- Ah by all means then, I suppose." He awkwardly caught himself and turned away from me before unbuttoning his shirt. Draping it down, I could see the words on his back translate themselves in my head.

"Oh, it says 'to swear', but there's a cut off here that makes me think it's part of a much larger piece." Reading it felt easy, like english really.

"To swear? Is it part of a fealty ritual of some kind? I suppose thanks are in order…thank you, and sorry for going off the rails with you, I've had a lot on my mind." He turned to face me buttoning up the shirt as he speaks with genuine emotion.

"Look no problem, we're friends by this point, if I can help you out I will. Including, but not limited to translations and taking away your conditions." I pat my hag bag as I say it.

The night ended with how it always does the past month, talking to a strange ox and learning random trades. But something special was due today, something I can't wait for.

[Exam cooldown: 20min 24s]

I just couldn't wait, the undead exam is a very wide reaching topic and with my new multi-level thing, I'm sure to unlock at least something.