Hardcore Heroes: Episode 53

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== Synopsis ==
The party returns to Falstaff's Tomb to collect remaining loot and secure the entrance. Over several days, Malakai learns new spells, including Wraithform, and the two wizards, Malakai and Van Healsing, plan a rescue mission for Darf, who is imprisoned in the dungeon beneath Fortune Keep. After discovering Darf's precarious state and that he has been moved to the Ethereal Plane, the wizards use their spells to rescue him. Despite numerous complications involving vampires and a failed attempt to locate Darf, they ultimately bring him back to their estate and manage to remove the charm that had enslaved him. Meanwhile, Malakai negotiates with Count Vicious outside Fortune Keep, agreeing to return a valuable item in exchange for peace, while Van takes precautions against potential threats from vampires.
==Recap==
===14th September, 1511===
The party return to Falstaff's Tomb to retrieve the rest of the loot and to close the doors to the outside. Malakai and Van Healsing go though the spells they can make now with the books. The party make several trips to the tomb over a few days.
Malakai learns the spell from the books over 5 days.
===28th September, 1511===
Malakai asks Van Healsing to reflecting pool on Darf.
Darf is lying down exhausted in a bed full of pillows with vampire fang marks in his neck. He is shackled to the bedpost. Malakai and Van discuss what to do about the situation.
===29th September, 1511===
Van casts Reflecting Pool again and sees Darf again. Van casts and confirms that Darf isn't a vampire. Malakai scries on the location and determines he is in the dungeon under Fortune Keep. The keep is 3 stories high and he is being held 2 floors underground. The gates to Fortune are currently closed.
===30th September, 1511===
Malakai learns 2 spells, & . It takes 11 days. During the time Van scries on the room during this time to try to figure out times of the day when Darf is around. Van discovers 3 female vampire visit Darf once to three times a day at sporadic intervals. During the time Van sees that Darf is enthralled somewhat.
===10th November, 1511===
Malakai & Van teleport to Wikkthronrarenta into the room in the palace that Van had set aside for Malakai to teleport into. Malakai & Van leave Wikkthronrarenta and head into the woods North East of town. They plan to do their spells in the wilderness to avoid detection by Count Vicious or the 3 vampires Van saw in his vision.
After Van casts on Malakai so he can recharge his spell slot, he casts on Darf. Darf appears, lying on the ground in front of them. Summon Person only has limited time before he is sent back, so everyone acts fast. Malakai gives Darf some water. Malakai then casts on a 10-foot length of rope. Van helps the bewildered Darf up the rope into an extra dimensional space at the top of the rope. Van heads into the Rope Trick and finds that Darf has vanished.
Van and Malakai make a pool of water then Van casts Reflecting Pool on Darf, but the spell fails, meaning he isn't in the material plane. Van casts Nap on himself to get the spell again.
Van casts Reflecting Pool again and finds Darf in the Ethereal Plane. Malakai casts to turn himself ethereal and uses his Staff of Light to make a Beacon to call out to Darf. Darf in the reflecting pool was in a very different location to Malakai, a room of some kind. The party determine Darf is back in his cell in the Ethereal Plane. Darf will die of thirst if they don't get him out of the Ethereal Plane after a few days.
The pair head back into Wikkthronrarenta and Van talks with high cleric, Mother Eliza. He trades 2 cure poison scrolls for a 2 ethernalness scrolls. There are no scrolls for ethernalness in stock, so she has to make new ones, which will take 6 days. During the time, Malakai casts to tell Darf they are on the way.
===16th November, 1511===
At the end of the day Van is given the etherealness scroll. Malakai and Van then to an inn in Stromheim. The pair leave the city and use 2 phantom steeds to ride to Fortune.
Once outside Fortune, Malakai turns the party invisible, he turns into a Pegasus and flies Van to the roof of the keep. Malakai then casts into Darf's cell and Van to take him through.
On the ceiling is a woman crawling on the ceiling upside-down, facing Malakai above. In a corner of the room on the wall is another crawling form, her head 180 degrees backwards, moving like a spider. The two vampires call out to Malakai using his name. Van casts from the ethereal scroll right away to escape the vampires.
Van and Malakai appear into the Ethereal Plane and see the weaken Darf in front of them. Daft crawls over to Malakai and the shrunk Van, then Malakai teleports the 3 of them back to their estate in Bon' Theris. Van casts the other ethereal scroll to return them back to the material plane.
Darf is still trapped in the Ethereal Plane. Van casts suspended animation on Darf so he doesn't die from his weak condition.
===25th November, 1511===
Malakai spends some time to learn the spell . After 9 days Malakai learns the spell. The spell requires to use something distasteful to the target to send them back to their home plane. Malakai casts Sending to talk with Joris to learn about Spiders, Tomatoes, Werewolves, Undead. Using the phase blade, Malakai is able to casts on Darf and return him back to the physical plane.
Van carts Darf down to the temple in town. Van tries to dispel the charm on Darf while he is unconscious, but the spell caster is very powerful, so it takes some time to remove, discovering the person who charmed Darf was level 17. On Darf is a magical necklace in a pocket that Van puts inside a lead container he buys from Brudella's shop. Van is worried it is a beacon. Brudella the Evoker leaves Cinder in charge of the shop, and insists that Van hide the beacon someplace outside of her shop. Van also orders some silver cloaks to hide from Vampire scrying.
 
Meanwhile, Malakai, before dawn, casts to project himself outside of Fortune Keep. Malakai calls out in front of the keep. Count Vicious himself meets with Malakai outside the keep. Malakai asks to make peace with the Count, and the Count in return demands his Philosophers' Stone returned. Malakai mentions it has been merged with a Crown of Domination, but Count Vicious claims to be able to remove the stone from the crown. Malakai looks into the Count's eyes and may be charmed, then agrees to send the Crown to him. Malakai teleports back to Stromheim and has a courier take the crown to Fortune.
==Experience==
6000 exp each (not including +10% prime requisite bonus)
*233,070 exp total - Van
*230,678 exp total - Malakai
Category:Hardcore Heroes Episodes