Extremely Non-Canon Snippet: Encounters Azel Will Never Run
With careful steps you enter the hall, wary for a trap or ambush that does not come. Against all odds it seemed that the servant of Tiamat, who had all but ordered you to appear for parley, was honouring the implied agreement.
The hall you entered makes a mockery of the descriptor 'cavernous', for the floor that looks like polished black marble seems to stretch away from you towards infinity. There was a vague sense of a wall being somewhere in the distance, but you can not see it and the ceiling is likewise only a inky pool of blackness.
The only thing that gives you a sense of space are the pillars, but their nature makes the whole hall appear only more ominous. The baleful green flames of Wildfyre rise towards the ceiling, casting the hall in an eerie light and making the air itself taste singed on your tongue. It somehow seemed familiar and as you walk on, it hits you why.
As you approach the far end of the room with measured steps, you see more flames in the distance. Five draconic heads rise from a mockery of the Iron Throne, their gemstone eyes shining with an inner light that has nothing to do with the swirling orbs of Wildfyre held in their maws. The outer ones look to the sides, but the central one seems to stare straight at you with unimaginable hatred.
Five figures kneel before the throne, clad in armor made from faded dragon scales and parchment like wings splayed out around the undead half-dragons. Their tattered cloaks bear the same colours as their scales and you wonder if this is the Queen of Dragons mockery of the Kingsguard.
Still you walk on until you are close enough to the throne to speak with it's occupant. It takes far more effort then it should to look upon the seat and it is no magic that makes your eyes shy away.
A mere skeleton sits on the throne, resting in a torrent of Wildfyre. It seems half fused with the jumble of iron, one of the blades making up the throne even piercing it's chest from behind, the tip emerging from a cracked breastbone. Massive finger rings adorn it's hands, looking almost claw-like, while on it's brow a iron circlet can be glimpsed between the churning flames.
When it sees you, it begins to laugh, rising from a mere chuckle to full guffaws that send green embers flying towards you. "It has been far too long Viserys. Why don't you come over here to give your old father a welcome hug?"
AN: Another one of those ideas that needed to be thrown out there since it kept bugging me. The idea is that Tiamat brought back Aerys as her backup champion and dedicated anti-Viserys murder machine. Also, to spite him.
1. Distant ancestor Baelor is a much different thing then fighting Dad.
2. Aerys is much more fun to write dialog for, because he is a giant flaming ham with cheese filling.
3. Was Baelor a Wildfyre powered Lich riding around on a soul eating Doom Throne? I don't think so.
1. Distant ancestor Baelor is a much different thing then fighting Dad.
2. Aerys is much more fun to write dialog for, because he is a giant flaming ham with cheese filling.
3. Was Baelor a Wildfyre powered Lich riding around on a soul eating Doom Throne? I don't think so.
You know, Jaime might well have a Mythic Rank from his Kingslayer title, if he did some adventuring. He is wildly famous for one specific and legendary thing.
And that kids, is why even the strongest Undead absolutly strictly need to have fucking minions around them, otherwise there are far too many horrible things a Cleric can do to them.
And that kids, is why even the strongest Undead absolutly strictly need to have fucking minions around them, otherwise there are far too many horrible things a Cleric can do to them.
The recipient's eyes are blazing orbs of fire. The recipient can cast spells with the fire descriptor as if they were modified by the Silent Spell and Still Spell feats. This does not increase their level or casting time. The recipient cannot use this ability if she is blinded or if her eyes are closed. The recipient's eyes shed light like a candle; this light cannot be concealed unless the recipient closes or covers her eyes. The recipient cannot benefit from darkvision from any source, even a racial trait or class feature.
This elemental augmentation cannot be applied to a creature without eyes.
The recipient's eyes are blazing orbs of fire. The recipient can cast spells with the fire descriptor as if they were modified by the Silent Spell and Still Spell feats. This does not increase their level or casting time. The recipient cannot use this ability if she is blinded or if her eyes are closed. The recipient's eyes shed light like a candle; this light cannot be concealed unless the recipient closes or covers her eyes. The recipient cannot benefit from darkvision from any source, even a racial trait or class feature.
This elemental augmentation cannot be applied to a creature without eyes.
The recipient's eyes are blazing orbs of fire. The recipient can cast spells with the fire descriptor as if they were modified by the Silent Spell and Still Spell feats. This does not increase their level or casting time. The recipient cannot use this ability if she is blinded or if her eyes are closed. The recipient's eyes shed light like a candle; this light cannot be concealed unless the recipient closes or covers her eyes. The recipient cannot benefit from darkvision from any source, even a racial trait or class feature.
This elemental augmentation cannot be applied to a creature without eyes.
That's neat, but not anything Viserys needs. All of his spells are automatically Silent, and he can Still spells as needed, either using a charge from his bracers or just casting the spell with the Still Spell Metamagic.
It's also conspicuous, which is a pretty heavy con, IMO.
It would be a great upgrade for our Scholarium Combat Sorcerers, though.
Adhoc vote count started by Goldfish on Jan 30, 2020 at 6:32 AM, finished with 155 posts and 12 votes.
[X] Continue with scouting. If possible, attempt to discern how often members of the Golden Company leave the camp via translocation magic, especially Plane Shift; when, how, and where they are going? Is there a portal or other device being used to accomplish this, or are mages casting spells each time? [X] Leila Level Up -[X] Class: +1 Archivist -[X] Skills (7 points): +1 Concentration, +1 Knowledge (Arcana), +1 Knowledge (Religion), +1 Knowledge (The Planes), +3 Spellcraft -[X] New Spells: --[X] 4th Level: Heart of the Earth, Sound Lance
There is something odd afoot in Trader Town, the realization is built up layer upon layer as you inquire after the comings and goings of those among the Golden Company whom you are most concerned with, the sorcerers, priests and demons. The common soldiers are restlessly boasting, yet more than happy to sup upon the profits of providing protection to caravans moving to the not quite besieged city, but the others...
"My lord is indisposed for the week," proclaims one servant.
"Away on the king's business," a concubine replies with a sigh that you suspect is as deceptive as the smile she had greeted Tyene's questions with. The flesh-smith she shares a tent with has a certain love of youth and beauty, though he was quick to abandon his lover once either wilted. The fact that she was in Tyene's words 'still wearing mask and mummer's garb' was proof enough that he would be returning soon, though of itself that did not tell you much. A single spell of the Fifth Circle could carry one a thousand leagues and most mages who could cast it once could cast it twice.
It was Dany who provided the most important piece of the puzzle, slipping in among the fatherless children who accompany any sellsword company after a while. She discovered that 'Lady Lemore' had a certain fondness for them, having once rescued an unfortunate urchin from a priest's sacrificial dagger when the servant of Tiamat had sought out the nearest victim for her master's ceremonies. There had been a trial and at the end of it a sentencing. The priest's head had fallen by Blackfyre's own blade and the priests commanded in no uncertain terms to seek out their victims only among the enemy and not those under the protection of the Golden Company's banners. But that is not what caught your sister's eye.
"She's not allowing any of the children or dependents to leave for Trader Town anymore, says it's not safe." Dany pauses for a moment. "Servant of Tiamat or no I think she means it, that she cares..." she sighs.
"You feel sorry for her?" Rina only half asks. The name Ashara Dayne had meant very little for her, but from the softening of her gaze you guess she shares something of the sentiment herself.
Dany shakers her head, fireflies buzz away at the glint of silver hair like the courtiers of a disgruntled fairy. "No, it's easy to come up with reasons why it's alright to work with Tiamat, I did it myself after all. Those Jogos Nhai camps didn't burn themselves," she says darkly. "Hells, I could not tell you how many new orphans and widows that made."
"But you think she's telling the truth about there being danger in Trader Town for her children," you muse. Given that the Golden Company is at war with the self-styled Orange Emperor and that he himself is preparing some sort of attack against them, it would make sense for the priests and sorcerers who are not in the camp to be moving first, attempting to steal a march on the general. You briefly consider the haughty but clever Pol Ning, he would not stand much of a chance before the Golden Company's archmages and high priests. Hopefully Lady Xue proves more formidable.
"So who's not in the camp right now?" Ser Richard asks, bringing the conversation back on track. "That should give us some notion of if they mean to strike or just to scout."
"Raerys Aergyreon, his fellow evoker along with our friend the Neferese flesh-smith and necromancer with an appreciation of womanly beauty, " Tyene says with a grimace. "Additionally we are missing three of the high priests, one of the Sixth Circle and two of the Fourth..."
"Those are normal absences," you interject. "The priests travel to the Shadow Realm often, I suspect because leaving the Shadow Fortress to the dead alone to guard might leave them with the impression that it is theirs in full. I think many of the underpriests and acolytes might be there as well." None of you could afford the time to track down the lesser mages for all they would have been easier to find, after all they could not meaningfully flee with magic. "I suspect that the three sorcerers are alone in Trader Town, if it is indeed there that they had gone." You loath being blind and unable to divine where your foes are, warnings given to children and camp followers are scant evidence to form plans on.
"We could try sneaking into their sanctums while they are absent," Lya points out after a moment. "Those are the three most skilled mages in the whole camp, if anyone has a more complete account of the Company's long term plans it would be they."
"Are you sure it's just intelligence you are after?" Dany asks with a teasing smile.
"Of course," Lya replies primly. "I can loot their laboratories for research after the battle is over."
Wizards:
2 Wizards of the Seventh Circle (Volantine Evokers)
1 Wizard of the Sixth Circle (Necromancer/Flesh-smith)
Priests:
1 Tiamat Clerics of the Sixth Circle
2 Tiamat Clerics of the Fourth Circle
What do you do?
[] Take advantage of the mage's absence to enter their quarters to gather more intelligence
[] Travel to Trader Town, you might be able to remove some of your most dangerous foes while making it seem as though Pol Qo did so
[] Write in
OOC: Hopefully the list is not too jarring I wanted to make it clear who left and who is still here. There are a lot of pieces moving around who have been introduced only recently.
