Runelords 12.4 - Necromantic Artifacts

As Luna and Eamon put up Foxglove in a room in the Rusty Dragon and had his assurances that he was fine for a while, Virgil and Khyrralien dropped off the exceedingly heavy runewell at Quint’s house. Virgil very bluntly explained that the small remaining liquid was exceedingly important, that he needed to know how to most effectively use it, and that Quint had to figure out how to do that while they went to the Sheriff’s office to drop off their grisly collection of body parts. With Quint’s grouchy shouts that he ‘wasn’t some sort of two-bit undergraduate student to do his research for him’, they made their way to the police station, meeting the other two on the way. The three iron ravens, deeply surprised to see them alive again, were sent to sit outside Foxglove's window and screech if he so much as made motions to leave his room.
With their services noted and the dead left for identification and proper process, the four split up; Luna went off to be by herself, where she believed she wouldn’t be intruded upon. When she was alone in a quiet corner, she took out the strange, partial book she had come upon in the basement of the Misgivings. Its back cover was made of thick hide that appeared burned, though the pristine pages suggested that the leather had been scorched before the book had been bound; the pages themselves also had a thick, waxy quality, as though those too had been made from skin. Placing it down neatly in front of her, she spoke quietly and addressed the book, “I apologize for our earlier introductions. That...was a stressful time.”
Yes, she heard the voice reply in her head, I could tell it was a trying event. Don’t mention it.
Luna nodded, “Al-alright.” She hesitated, then said, “My name is Luna Estaban. What’s your name...or title? I’m sorry, I’ve never met an intelligent book before.”
I’m Zara, it replied. The book’s voice was indeed that of a calm, well-spoken lady. Pleased to meet you.
“Likewise,” she replied. She flipped a few of the pages, noting that it was in some sort of bizarre script that she didn’t recognize. “...Can anyone hear you? Or just me, for some reason?”
Oh, I’ve always had a special connection to those who have my creations. Or, the creations I instruct others to make, that is. As she spoke, the page flipped about of its own accord, landing on a page that showed a detailed diagram of the amulet she wore on her neck. 
Fishing it out from under her shirt, she looked at the gold, seven-pointed star. “Yes, you mentioned it,” she said, flipping it around in her hand. “I found it, in a ruin not long ago, in the possession of someone. Who knows where they found it though.” 
Zara said politely, Yes, I believe I mentioned that I would assist you with that… As Luna looked between the diagram and the pendant, certain words became highlighted in red as Zara red aloud. The same runes were highlighted on the pendant itself, as she explained the functions of the medallion. She outlined its ability to cast False Life, to bolster resistances, and to greatly enhance the longevity of an undead body. However, the best part, if I may… Luna heard these words as suddenly the medallion became scorching hot. The shock of it caused her to fumble it, and it swung on its chain back towards her chest, where it burned into her sternum where it fell. When she went to grab at it, she found that it had become embedded in her skin; the burning quickly subsided, and it sat fixed to her chest through her shirt. She felt it with a dull sort of panic, resisting the instinctive urge to pull it out. Now that it’s properly activated, Zara explained, highlighting a series of spikes on the amulet diagram that were now evidently burrowed painlessly into Luna’s skin, it will function as a sort of poor lady’s phylactery. Should your body become heavily damaged, your soul will still remain tethered to the amulet. Rather than quit this world entirely, you will be rendered...what’s the word, unconscious.
“Until someone else restores my body…” Luna finished for her absently, still fingering the gold pendant gingerly. 
Precisely. When Luna didn’t reply right away, Zara prompted, Now, what do you say when someone does you a favour…?
“Oh!” This snapped Luna out of her trance, “Thank you! I’m sorry, that...caught me very off-guard. I didn’t mean to be rude. Thank you.”
You’re welcome, Zara said graciously. Though, if you could do me a favour in turn, that would be greatly appreciated.
Luna frowned slightly, having expected this from the outset. “What would you like?”
As I’m sure you’ve noticed, I’m missing quite a lot of myself, Zara explained. If you could see about finding my missing pages, I would be very grateful.
“Oh!” Luna brightened at the innocuousness of the request. “Sure. Do you know where they might be?”
I haven’t any idea at all, she said with a hint of sadness.
Luna looked thoughtful, “Hmm. Well, do you know what they might be about?” 
I haven’t any idea of that either. They could be nearly anything. You see… the book flipped to its first page. Words highlighted as she read aloud, Chapter: Necromantic Spells of the First Circle. Flipping immediately to a spot further in, she read, Chapter: Necromantic Spells of the Second Circle. Closing, she said, I contain rather complete information regarding Necromancy, but I know I am missing many pages.
Luna agreed, “Yeah...it could be anything from an introduction, to chapters on other schools, to nearly anything.”
Precisely, she agreed. In the interim, you are more than welcome to my knowledge.
“Thank you,” Luna said, flipping through some pages again. “...I don’t suppose you could teach me the language you’re written in? I can’t say I recognize it at all, and it would make reading easier. I feel bad making you read aloud.”
Alas, she replied. I can’t explain the words any more than you could describe the shape of your memories to someone.
“That’s alright,” she said absently, “I’m sure I can work something out…” She flipped through another few pages before asking, “If this isn’t too rude...are you a person who became a book, or a book who became a person?”
Zara simply replied, I am how I always was.
Luna nodded, then changed topics, “Well! I will certainly keep a look out for your missing pages.” She rolled her eyes, “If we’re looking for other runewells still, I’m sure we’ll find more hidden, lost places.”
Ah yes, you were interested in my runewell… Zara said, flipping to a diagram of the seven-sided cauldron they had collected. What was your interest in it?
“Well, the man who was yelling about it, who you heard I’m sure...wait, can you hear people other than me?”
Not very well, she admitted. I can sense the environment around me, somewhat, but it isn’t very clear.
“Hmm. Well, he is looking for runewells, because, well, honestly because he’s a devil, and we happened into a lost ruin that contained another runewell, a well of wrath. Or, wait, what was wrath, wrath was...evocation. We found an evocation well, much larger, and he fell in it, which actually altered his affinity. He has a personal problem with wrath and didn’t want to stay that way, so he’s looking for other ones. He’s probably not going to be happy with this one either, so we’re probably going to be looking for more.”
Zara himmed at the information, I have never heard of that property before… As she said that, new words added themselves to the text description beneath the runewell’s picture.
Luna quirked her head, “Really? You didn’t know that?”
The book seemed as impressed as Luna, Apparently not.
“It seems strange that it had never happened before...but maybe it has and wasn’t documented? Who knows?”
Indeed. But a lost ruin with an evocation well. What an interesting find, she remarked keenly. I would hear more of that. So it was that Luna told the book of what they had discovered over the last month: Alaznist’s compound, and Karzoug’s shrine under Thistletop. Zara noted this all with interest.
Luna finished back where she started, “So now he’s trying to realign himself again with this well, but since he can’t jump into it, he’s waiting for Mr. Quint to tell him the best way to activate it.”
I would be very interested in watching this process, if possible, Zara mentioned.
Luna shrugged, “Well, we can go to Mr. Quint’s. Maybe they aren’t done yet.” With that, she picked up the book and walked towards his cottage. 
When she knocked on the door, she could hear Quint’s muffled shout of ‘make yourself useful!’ before the door was opened by Virgil. She greeted him and walked towards the back, where the wizard had set up a somewhat rudimentary alchemical kit and was analysing the well. “Good evening, Mr. Quint. How are you?”
“I’d be better without certain annoyances,” he said, still focused on the liquid, “but by some small miracle, he’s managed to keep his mouth shut for twenty minutes.”
“Twenty minutes?” she said, looking towards Virgil. “That’s impressive for you.” He rolled his eyes, but kept his tongue. 
She placed the book down nearby, before having a thought. She squinted slightly and concentrated, directing her thoughts towards the book. Can you hear me telepathically?
Yes, when you direct your thoughts towards me, she replied, just as easily as if Luna had spoken aloud.
That’s convenient, she thought as she turned her attentions to Quint. 
Using a tiny dropper, he took a minuscule drop of the liquid from the well and placed it on a glass dish suspended on clamps above the table. He used Detect Magic, and made some notes, commenting, “It only seems to register as magical while in the well itself. Taken out, it appears to lose that property and become inert.”
“Hmm,” Luna said, “Well, if that’s the case, then Virgil should just put his finger in it. That’s the only way it’s going to come in contact with his body while still in the pool.”
“Hmm, yes, I suppose one miscreant’s finger isn’t going to ruin it too badly…” he muttered. “Well, I think we…”
“Wait,” Luna cut him off, holding up her hand. Taking the glass dish, she removed it from the clamp and held it up: a tiny, clean hole had formed in the bottom. The liquid, supposedly inert, had eaten through the dish. Turning their attentions to the wood table beneath it, they watched and commented excitedly as the tiny drop seemed to multiply, spreading out along the tabletop in a greenish stain far larger than a drop of that size could have covered. It seemed to eat through the very top layer of the table before changing colour to match the wood, and then evaporating. When it was finished, Luna turned to Virgil, “Well! Want to get your finger eaten off?”
Virgil balked slightly, obviously stopping and considering the relative merits of this for the first time. It was only for a few seconds though, before he sighed, muttered a farewell to his right pinky finger, deemed to be the least useful of his digits, and stuck it in the green fluid. Quint and Luna watched inquisitively, and Luna made a point of visualizing the process very clearly for Zara’s benefit. He flinched as the liquid began to spread, first up his finger, but quickly covering his hand, arm, and soon his entire body. Every inch covered by the gel felt like it was being eaten by microscopic entities, his skin and nerves dissolved. In a moment, the gel turned translucent, transparent, then disappeared entirely, leaving Virgil unharmed but feeling dry and utterly disturbed. 
“Are you alright?” Luna asked him.
He shuddered, “Yeah...yeah, I’m...uuugh,” he shivered again. “That was...unpleasant.” He started to walk away, “I’m just...going to...lie down or something...I don’t feel right. Ugh.” He turned towards Quint, “I’m sorry for imposing on you, again. Thank you.” With that, Virgil left the building.
“...Huh,” Luna said. “That was interesting, I suppose.”
Yes, Zara commented. Necromancy is often associated with gluttony. That must be why such a small amount of liquid can consume so much.
“I suppose it was, at that,” Quint said, turning his attention back to the artifact, now bone dry.
She moved to inspect it with him, “You can keep this, if you want it. I think they’re done with it now.”
“Hmm. It is interesting. A shame I couldn’t investigate the other one this closely.” He straightened his glasses, “No matter. This one is much more convenient.”
Luna turned her thoughts back to the book, Do you mind if I introduce you? Or would you rather be kept secret?
I don’t mind much either way. I’ve lived through ages where intelligent books were not looked upon favourably, but I trust your own opinion on the current cultural climate.
Alright then. Luna looked to Quint, “We did find one other interesting thing.” She held out the ruined tome, “An intelligent book.”
Quint raised an eyebrow and took the item, looking it over skeptically. After a few moments, he commented, “Well, if I was prone to fancy, I’d say this looks like a necronomicon. But, anyone with a bit of knowledge knows that the concept of the necronomicon is nothing but a legend, believed to have origins in what is today Tinoco…” he went off on a ramble regarding the topic. A few minutes later, he returned to the subject at hand, “But I digress. I can’t say that I recognize the writing in here at all.”
“I didn’t either. Maybe he wrote it in a code or something…”
She, Zara corrected her.
“Oh! I’m sorry! I was referring to your author! But you’re right, it is your text, I apologize.” 
Quint raised an eyebrow, but continued, “Well, based on some of the diagrams I can see, I’d hazard that this dates back to Valparaisan times. ...Awfully quiet, for an intelligent book though…” 
“Oh...I think it’s because she can only talk to the person who is wearing this amulet. Remember the sihedron pendant? There are instructions for it in here…” she flipped back to the page in question. “It’s how we found it earlier, because it can talk to the wearer of the necklace. It was in the basement of the manor, along with the runewell...oh!” she stopped herself suddenly, "I completely forgot! I'm an idiot! Zara?"
Yes? 
"That house, where Vorel failed; his soul, instead of going into the phylactery, was bound to the building instead, and now he's haunting it and possessing his descendants. We have to destroy it. Do you know how we would, and how we would remove his curse from his descendants?"
Hmm... Zara considered. I can't say I deal in failed experiments. I can't reverse something that didn't go how it was planned. Further, I'm more of a specialist in corporeal undead. I can't guess how this would have happened, or how it would be affecting descendants in any way. She paused for a minute before adding, Though it pains me to suggest it, I'd have to say that the house would need to be consecrated by a powerful cleric. Not that I would ever recommend dealing with clerics.
"Alright..." Luna said, pondering. "...Do you think we'd need, like, a super-powerful, chosen-of-the-gods sort of cleric, or just a head cleric of a larger church?"
Zara sounded a touch confused as she replied, I...I think the latter would suffice fine.
"Ok. Then we'll have to go to Medinipur, I suppose. I don't think the Mother here could handle it...oh!" she turned back to Quint, "I'm sorry. That was rude, but it's a bit of an important question."
The man frowned slightly at having missed the important half of the conversation, “Hmn. Would you mind if I borrowed the pendant for a moment?”
“Oh. Uhm...you can’t…” she said slowly. Poking at the symbol that was now stuck to her body, “It...apparently wasn’t fully activated before, and now it’s...stuck.”
He sighed, “Oh well.” He handed the book back to her, “Let me know what discoveries you make from it, then.”
“I will,” she nodded. The pair continued to chat about their recent discoveries for a short while before Luna excused herself so that Quint could have his evening.
Category:Rise of the Runelords