Ch8 - Withers and Owlbears

Wyll was a pretty cool guy all things considering, he just seemed like a kid in a sweet shop really. I know of his pact so I tried to get as much information on Avernus as possible without him being forces to mention Mizora, it was very fruitful he told us all about how one of his greatest challenges to date was fighting against Mad Maggie's madcaps and being forced to retreat. Mad Maggie being an infamous nighthag, hellbent on peering into the future through tapestries depicting Zariel's fall.

He was a true fountain of knowledge, he made me realise even more that I haven't been talking to my companions enough. Gale has so much arcane knowledge he is willing to share, Lae'zel loves talking about the gith, Shart is quite closed to personal talk but that's fine, Astarion and Durge are in the same boat too.

So that's how I spent my night this time, talking to the companions learning of the Tears of Selune, Waterdeep and Avernus. Aside from that I had nothing to do all night, so I went travelling in the night, may as well do some recon.

I flew over to an abandoned temple, flying directly through the walls I started looting everything. A cool looking spear, I think it gives true strike? And some general jewels, finally I made my way over to the main chamber, where a statue of Jergal the scribe of the dead overlooked me. I collected more jewels and a book Gale and Shadowheart would like called 'The book of dead gods'. Then I flew straight through the statue to see a mervelously crafted sarcophagus.

I used telekinesis to knock on the sarcophagus, I wouldn't just open it, that would be rude.

Weirdly enough I heard a knock back.

So I knocked as well.

We were stuck playing this game for 5 minutes until I heard "I've had my fun" and the sarcophagus flew open revealing a desiccated humanoid floating above it. He had bandage wraps loosely draped over random parts of his body, his eyes onyx black that looked down to me.

"One of the dead… yet not one that I've written of. Who might you be?"

"I'm Charles the Nomad, pleasure to meet you" I go to offer a hand but I remember I'm a ghost again. However, as I go to retract it, the being steps forwards and grips my hand shaking it firmly.

"I go by many names but you may call me Withers. Now why do you enter upon my tomb?" I go through moments of shock before I can think of an answer.

"Ah um, I'm part of an adventuring group and since I can't sleep I got bored and flew over here…" I was almost embarrassed giving this being of great power such a weird reason for going into his tomb.

"Ah fate spins along as it should, now will you answer a question?" He retrieves his hand and offers me a question.

"Of course, ask away" I was still a little bit embarrassed so hopefully we'll move past it.

"What determines the value of a life?" A pause between words tells me this question means a great deal to him.

"I suppose a combination of their actions and how they feel about them, also if they were willingly doing their actions."

"Hmm, interesting. I suppose you really do believe that. I shall take my leave, we shall meet again." And with that he walked to where the door should've been, looked at me, and sighed before teleporting away.

I was stood there in weird silence before I looted the room, I'm absolutely not wasting any of this. An amulet of talk to dead? Pretty useful, and a variety of jewels and potions for some reason.

****

The morning came and I debriefed everyone on what happened last night, no one seemed to feel too strongly about anything. Gale appreciated his book and Shart liked her spear, which was nice to see.

Finally, today is the day we journey on.

We walked forwards, everyone having their own conversations or walking in silence. I was talking to Wyll, and he had a few questions for me, "What did you do in life then Charles? I see you have the clothes of a traveller on."

"Oh yeah, I used to be just a student in a large school of sorts. A bit like a bard college but more varied in subjects."

"You mean a university?"

"Oh… uh yeah that" I felt a bit stupid thinking they don't have those here. "But anyways, due to circumstances I managed to fall into a substantial wealth, so I quit school and started travelling the world. However, when I returned for the winter, the illithids had partially invaded and I sacrificed my knowledge to keep them away." I think this lie might catch up with me one day, but it certainly isn't today.

"That's admirable, travelling the world I do it too, but in my own way."

We continued on until we saw the body of a dead man lying in the grass. Oddly enough, everyone but me in the party started holding their heads as if trying to fight an intrinsic urge. So I did what I do best and I stole the body. Immediately relief flooded everyone, they explained to me that they felt a violent compulsion to take the tadpole within their own bodies.

"Well that's good for me, I now have another lucky volunteer for my research" They all reacted differently to this, Gale gave a thumbs up but mostly everyone else seemed queasy.

And so we journeyed on again, reaching an Owlbear Cave. We veered to the left findin an offering to Seluna.

"We should leave these tainted offerings for the Moonwitch, not something we'd want to carry."

"Really? But they're just here, I get if you're against her, everyone has their own religion after all. But it's basically free potions and an enchanted amulet."

We continued debating over this with the party offering their side each, ultimately though we took the offering.

We carried on forwards up a small path before meeting the owlbear and the cub. "Begone from this place!" The mother shouted to us, a spear tip lodged in her eye and slashes across her body tells a story of recent battle.

"I come in peace, we were just here to see if the cave was occupied or if it could be a camping spot." I gesture to her eye, "actually, we could help with that you know? This lady here is a cleric, she can heal you if you let us take out the spear."

The owlbear paused in thought, "No, you people have done enough damage already, begone from here!" It was worth a try I guess, before we turned back, I wave towards the cub and smile before floating away.