Ch33 - Godly rituals

The fight in the circus was easy, no innocents died and we only gained from it. Aside from Karlach who seems quite disheartened by the death of Dribbles, we all made sure to check up on her, Ao knows she needs it. The difficult part of the day was finding a place to stay, refugees took up most of Riverton and we couldn't find a normal inn. So instead, we set up camp by the coast under the bridge.

"Hey Shadowheart, remember that camp night where we were sharing stuff about ourselves and you mentioned night orchids?" I was rifling through my bag for the staff of flowers.

"Uh yes, why do you ask?" She asked back, curious and oddly excited. I pulled out the staff, much to her disappointment.

"Well this is a staff of flowers and I'm guessing here but…" I pause and channel it to create a single night orchid atop it, "Yep it looks like it works, and that's for you." I pluck it off and pass it to her.

"Oh! Thank you, I didn't think anyone was listening properly. I know I didn't listen well enough to Gale after all. But thank you, really, it means a lot." She took the flower gently from me and placed it on a nightstand in her tent.

With Shadowheart's flower given, I walk over to Halsin, "Completely random question, if you could pick an item of your gear for 'something' what would it be?"

"What? Erm… boots I guess" He answered awkwardly.

"Fair enough pass them over then, I'll do something to them that I think you will like." I hold out my hands waiting, he looks a bit weirded out but trusts me enough to take them out of his tent and passes them to me.

I walk over to the further side of the camp, I needed the room for the circle really. Everyone gathers around again, like nightly entertainment really, and sits or stands in silence. I get my use out of the staff of flowers before I throw it aside, I might need those flowers later on for something. Using telekinesis, I created a ritual circle with oak leaves forming it instead of a flat line. I cast in the fur boots and the staff of flowers. Chanting in common, I beseeched Silvanus on behalf of Halsin.

"Great Oak father of the wild forests, I seek your power, grant the boots of Halsin your blessing. With your divine might, Halsin will spread word of your teachings and follow it carefully for as long as he wears these boots." With a vibrant green light, the outline of the circle glowed. The patterned leaves in the sand became real, spreading and forming a great sturdy dome over the items within. Grand purple, red, green and blue lights shot out from within, beaming outwards through the small gaps. A minute later, the lights stopped and the leaves retracted to where they once were with no trace to be seen.

A silence passed as everyone stared at the boots, leaves and vines seemed imprinted onto them and yet were ever shifting from type and even lifecycle. "Halsin…" I barely whispered out.

"..Uh yeah?" He was in the same shock as me.

"I think Silvanus just blessed your shoes." I look over at him and he is immediately on his hands and knees praying and thanking Silvanus. Shadowheart looked slightly put down, knowing Shar would never give her favours without some extreme sacrifice.

I walk to the boots and closely examine them, thick large boots, with shifting natural patterns dancing upon it.

[Halsin's boots -

Ritual infused blessed boots. A normal pair of fur boots, now powered by the blessing of Silvanus himself. Due to the nature of the blessing, the boots will violently attack any wearer who is not Halsin.

Staff of flowers - Every long rest the wearer may pick a flower or small plant. When walking on healthy soil, every 100 steps that flower/plant rises from where they once stepped.

Blessing of the Oak Father - Freedom of movement, +5 wild shape charges, vine attacks from the boots, poison immunity.

Features of the boots: Due to a nature god's blessing, plants will naturally not even want to fight you. Standing on plants or flowers will not damage them in anyway, instead it will act as a small healing boost for them.]

"Shit yeh this is blessed." I carefully picked up the boots and placed them in front of the praying Halsin. I think I might call off the next ritual for the next few minutes whilst I wrap my head around this.

The fact it was blessed proves that the gods can see my rituals but don't have the motivation to bless them as Silvanus did for Halsin. Does that mean that if I want it blessed I should find and appease a god? I'll think on it.

I went to get myself some coffee and sit down by the fire, with Jaheira and Astarion joining me. "Halsin was approved by the oak-father, that doesn't happen often, and I should know." Jaheira chimed up.

"You know I was wondering if you could do one of them for me?" Astarion whispered, clearly attracted to the power of the blessing.

"You'd need a specific god that you've worshipped or appeased first. Religious druids are basically clerics of the woods after all. I think if you stole something amazing, I could manage god of thieves for you." I explained to him, disappointing him with my inability to grant godly blessings on a whim.

Gathering myself once again, I set off to the same area. Halsin has left with his boots, leaving only an imprint of his knees in the sand. My telekinesis clears the sand and I set up the ritual circle with bubbles lining the circle instead of a flat line. I'm doing this because it seemed to work for Halsin. I throw my corrupting staff in the centre along with the staff of adornment and the veteran's cane. Chanting in Sylvan I beseech Cegilune, just as I begin chanting I hear, "No, get stuffed!" from a raspy voice and I was silenced.

That clearly shows where I stand with her then at least, so now I have to wait out the effect of silence and redo the circle to a different god.

****

An hour passed by, in that time I ground up the grave bane and drained the ghost blossoms. And I also played with my telekinesis to make sand castles. Finally though, the effects of silence waned and I could make noise once again. Sighing, I made a new circle, this time with a flat circle but a carving in the sand of a book sat at the top of it. I clear my throat and chanted in common to Mystra, spending a minute doing that to no avail. Though the items infused, there was no big spectacle as with Halsin's.

[Dark weapon of the war caster -

A ritual-infused quarterstaff. A dark staff made of even darker components, recently improved by a talented ritual caster.

Corrupting staff - All spells cast have the same homing property as magic missile. Grants advantage against plants. The staff cannot be affected by rot or natural effects. The wielder now has the medium toughness effect. Command undead cantrip granted to the current wielder. Any summoned or animated being under your command has the 'bone ward' regardless of species classification. Due to being formed out of literal darkness, spells and attacks phase through it, unless it is intentional to block. Grants immunity to 'weapon dropped' and no other being can even touch it. All 'dark' or 'evil' magics are now 50% more effective.

Veteran's cane - can shift seamlessly between a cane that acts as a spellcaster and a sword.

Staff of adornment - Whatever small item you have float above your cane, will transform into the pommel for your sword.

Features of the weapon: The 4 dark lines that appear on it will all face the north-east-south-west points. Melee attacks will deal necrosis, slashing and ignores armour]

"Jesus I forgot how good my old staff was." I look over to the staff and I see it's now a spruce wood cane with 4 straight vanta black lines marking it. I have no idea which one is facing north though.

Picking it up, it has a good amount of weight behind it and won't break under pressure either. Mentally, I willed it to turn it to a sword, immediately it shifted into a dark steel longsword. The pommel was made out of the spruce wood from the cane, altogether a nice upgrade for me. Smiling, it shifted into the cane again.

Now I just need something for the pommel, I may be inclined to put an hag eye there but I can't imagine that would be nice to grab. But I'll think of it later, hopefully my next exam could provide something cool, whenever the next one is. But for now, I want my cloak.

[Exam cooldown: 25 days]

"Oh" I inadvertently said aloud, I didn't realise it would react to my thoughts. Shaking it from my mind, I once again made a new circle, lining it with images of beautiful women and men alike. In the centre was a heart, but then I threw in Balthazar's cloak, 3 face-painting kits, three doppelgängers and the 0.7th of an aasimar feather. Clearing my throat for a final time, I called to Sune, god of beauty and love.

"Sune I call upon you to assist me, I have the forms of many, I have the grand powers of the fey and none of the warts. I have the forms for beauty, yet no clothing for it. I beseech thee to guide me in this."

For the second time tonight, the ritual circle glowed. This time it was a bright pink, the people I drew clambered out of the sand whipping their hair back majestically. Adjusting themselves for a moment, they immediately ran towards the items and shone as a bright purple light. Before I could adjust my eyes to see the results, I heard a soft, elegant voice in my mind.

'You, the form taker. I enjoy your tale, you find love in the most barren of places and find beauty in your true form. For that I appreciate you, take forth and make love to the world as you see fit.'

I didn't know what to say, Sune of all gods was the one to answer my call, not even the two gods I was blessed by answered… positively at least. There was only one thing I could say, "Thank you" a truly sincere form of gratitude that I know she appreciates. As an additional bonus, I now know which god to gift some ritual items to at the stormshore tabernackle.

Finally, I take a look at the cloak, what was once an old drab cloak is now a long black cloak with beautiful gold decal going from the hood down to the base.

[The Cloak of Beauty -

A blessed ritual infused item. A standard ritual which was overshadowed by the god of beauty Sune. Appreciating the actions of the creator, she granted the cloak her blessing.

3 face painting kits - Can customise the colours of the cloak at will.

3 Doppelgängers - Can alter the cloak at will to change outfits, limited to clothing, not armour.

0.7 Aasimar feather (willing) - Emits holy light within 30m (toggle on), can blind undead and fiends within the light.

Sune's blessing - The cloak can allow you to shift humanoid races, becoming the most beautiful form of said race. Animals and people attracted to your gender will find it difficult to attack anything near you. Advantage on charms. The cloak burns anyone aside the wearer for 1d4dmg upon contact.

Features of the cloak - +4 AC, +2CHA, permanent hygiene of wearer, the cloak is immune to anything that can stain it (acid, poison, mud, dust). Followers of Sune will acknowledge the blessing on the cloak. [Immutable form] is applied when worn.]

"Jesus it just gets better doesn't it?" I delicately pick up the cloak and adorn it, without my control I feel my cheekbones adjust, my eyes move and my nose clicks. Not just my face, but I feel inflated almost, my muscles expand and I gain tufts of chest hair, whereas all my other body hair disappears.

"Oh that's certainly something" I look down at my body and flex my muscles, my forearms look like they could crush skulls and the vascularity shows a decent amount of veins clearly. Even my voice changed to a deeper form, a voice that carries authority and charisma. I create a mirror in the pillar of the bridge and begin cycling through my forms.

As a ghost I'm basically the same but ethereal, not only that but the cloak flows as if there's wind.

As a vampire, I become lithe and agile looking, muscles thin and I look more pretty than handsome.

In my [Aberration Form] I am the same, evidently I was either the most attractive of one of a kind.

The rest were similar, the only ones of note were the hag forms. Not a single one of them changed, I can only guess it's due to the curse placed upon them, or it's because no part of them is attractive.

I finish off for the night by shifting the cloak into a large jumper and soft fabric shorts. I grab Gale's book on abjuration and carry on from where I left off, pretending as if I understood any of it.

(The comprehension boost is only that, a boost. He won't understand complex magic knowledge through a book, as much as I want him to.)