Hardcore Heroes: Episode 48

__NOTOC__
== Synopsis ==
Malakai, in pursuit of the wizard Falstaff's staff, embarks on a series of adventurous tasks. Starting from a Sandashar inn, Malakai battles a water elemental while trying to identify the Crown of Domination, which he eventually succeeds in. He then infiltrates King Ra'mar Sha'zaaren's castle under the guise of a carpenter, steals a crucial book, and learns its language with a tutor's help. His discoveries lead him to new allies and enemies, including an Elven ambassador and being pursued by the king's forces. Malakai uncovers hints about Falstaff's tomb and travels across various terrains, confronting dangers like bugbears, and finally locates a hidden door near Crusty Lake, marking a significant step in his quest before returning to his mansion.
==Recap==
===27th May, 1511===
Malakai is in Akuba on the trail of a staff owned by the wizard Falstaff.
Malakai wakes this day in a Sandashar Inn and asks the innkeeper to not to be disturbed.
Malakai spends 8 hours to clear the room for his identify spell. As he goes to cast the "Identify" spell itself on the Crown of Domination, but something goes wrong. Malakai missed some dripping water. A water elemental forms and attacks Malakai.
Malakai casts Magic Missile of the being as it covers him and starts to constrict Malakai below the waist. Malakai turns into a bird to fly away, but is caught by the elemental on his way out the window, and is submerged in water.
The Water Elemental crushes Malakai, knocking off a stoneskin charge. Malakai turns into a Pike fish, swims out and lands in the far corner of the room on top of the bed. The elemental moves after Malakai as the fish. Malakai then leaps out again and turns back into himself and casts Magic Missile, finally destroying the elemental. 
Malakai gets the innkeeper to clean up the mess and goes downstairs for a drink and considers the next step in the plan. Malakai decides to head to the Wizard Airship to get a new spell, so memorises his inn room so it is safe to teleport to.
===28th May, 1511===
Malakai teleports to the Wizard Airship and goes to the library. He finds the spell he wants is a level above what he can learn. He finds the way to make a Protection Scroll from a book, Pentagrams & Protections & other prestidigitations.
===1st June, 1511===
Malakai teleports back to his inn room in Sandashar. He then spends a week making the Protection Scroll.
===8th June, 1511===
Malakai cleans the room again for a new identify spell. Puts down a magic circle under a table where the Crown is laid and uses the Protection Scroll to identify the Crown of Domination.
# Crown Dominates person using a key and can command. 
# Key is any object attuned to the process.
# Crown must be able to fit onto something to be used.
# Creatures will remember what they did afterwards and know they were commanded.
Malakai doesn't get any properties that the Philosophers' Stone did to upgrade the crown.
Malakai goes to spy on the outside of the Castle while outside of the castle. He sees VIPs enter the Keep, and perhaps some of them have magical items. The new chancellor is a Wizard. He sees merchants come in and out. Malakai comes up with a plan.
===14th June, 1511===
Malakai spends some days collecting Eridonian Vases and goes to the Castle to sell them to the new King. He is asked if he knows the Queen of Eridon, Queen Kiara Sanguine. Malakai says he never directly met her. The knight is disappointed, since the new King of Akuba, King Ra'mar Sha'zaaren, is trying to reform the government into a pure central monarchy.
Malakai leaves then comes up with a new plan. He continues to spy on the castle to see who goes inside and outside.
===19th June, 1511===
Malakai makes a note on everyone who goes in and out of the keep. Every day he sees a group of carpenters, a cleric of Tempos, and the Harbourmaster each evening. Malakai decides to follow one of the carpenters invisibility.
Malakai finds the young carpenter lives alone on the west end of the town.
===20th June, 1511===
Malakai follows the young carpenter and sees he meets with the other carpenters at a tavern before heading to the castle. Malakai thinks the young carpenter isn't a good choice.
Malakai follows the Master Carpenter, Akbar, home. That night Malakai turns into an imp and casts geas on Akbar, and tells him to hire someone the next day. Malakai turns into a spider and leaves.
===21st June, 1511===
Malakai, as himself, goes up to Akbar and asks for a job. Akbar accepts him, despite the protests of the other workers in Akuban. The other workers warm up to Malakai while they are at the tavern.
Some hours into the day, after the sun rises over the city walls, they head to the Palace. Their job today is to keep working on new furniture for King Ra'mar Sha'zaaren's bedroom, who didn't like the late King Haraziem's tastes.
Malakai uses a knock spell to open a desk draw and steals a book. 
Later in the day, Malakai is fired from the carpentry job due to incompetence and is kicked out of the Palace. Malakai returns to his inn and finds the book is written in Akuban. Malakai leaves town to find a way to translate the book.
===22nd June, 1511===
Malakai flies to Unyaka. He hires a tutor, Chloe, to learn Akuban. It takes 36 days. Malakai gives the alias Jarrot, after his father's name.
===21st July, 1511===
Malakai tries to be romantic with Chloe, but she isn't interested in Malakai.
===28th July, 1511===
Malakai finishes learning Akuban. Malakai reveals he lives in Bon' Theris to Chloe as he is saying his goodbyes.
Malakai starts reading the journal. He reads about the lead up to the Akuban Civil War from Ra'mar Sha'zaaren's point of view. He talks that his plans to deal with King Haraziem are no longer needed since he was assassinated in Mistrya. The other families don't trust Ra'mar Sha'zaaren, so they try to be king instead, which leads to the war. Ra'mar Sha'zaaren is in a strong position in the war and has the numbers to win eventually, and plans to set up an absolute monarchy like Eridon. Part of the Spark'steel Family, who were supporting Sha'zaaren, didn't like the absolute monarchy, so rebelled, but the head of the Spark'steel Family put down the rebellion.
There is no mention of raiding of Falstaff Tomb.
===29th July, 1511===
Malakai projects himself to the Bronze Dragon, Balurion. Balurion has no knowledge of Falstaff's tomb being moved. The Elven Ambassador, Bic, who lives in Sandashar, is 1009 years old. She was there for the burial. She lives at a giant tree in Sandashar. A stunted sequoia tree.
Malakai leaves the projection then flies back to Sandashar. He easily finds the sequoia tree. Malakai greets the Ambassador Bic in Elven. He outlines his mission and the threats to all of Akuba.
Ambassador Bic says there is a Haraziem Archives that may reveal the location of the new tomb. Malakai gives King Ra'mar Sha'zaaren's journal to Ambassador Bic to use as she wishes. Ambassador Bic reads the whole journal.
===30th July, 1511===
Ambassador Bic finishes reading the journal. Malakai is a wanted man, the King's Wizard casts a Read Memory spell on the carpenters, so there are now wanted posters of Malakai around town. 
Ambassador Bic probes Malakai for his intentions. He says he will work to stop the Demons and Shadow Dragon then retire. Ambassador Bic agrees to help Malakai.
Ambassador Bic heads to the archives and brings back a book 710 - 730 of financial records. The Pickmore Dwarves from Keldoram in Eridon charged 100,000,000 copper for the tomb, which is way more than the tomb Malakai saw would cost. Details of the costs explain there were working from Roxsis.
Malakai flies to Aldir to get a ship to Drunsbarr. 600 miles by sea. He then travels inland to Roxsis.
===7th August, 1511===
Malakai arrives in Roxsis. A mostly dwarven town, not part of any of the Kingdoms. It is known for its mining. Home to weapon manufacturers as well as home to some coffee. The town is built along the edge of a canyon. Along the edge of the stairs down to the river below are magical paper lanterns. Over the town looms the magical tower that keeps away dragons somehow.
Malakai visits the town hall and waits to speak with the town council. A Little Jimmy is admitting that he broke one of the magical lanterns. Malakai volunteers to replace the broken wagon.
Malakai addresses the council and talks about his request, saying he was on a quest from Count Roderick Ironhyde. The council agrees to help Malakai find out more about the Dwarves who made the crypt.
Malakai goes with Little Jimmy to buy 2 new lanterns. Malakai puts a continual light stone inside.
===8th August, 1511===
Malakai is told the Dwarves used a portable hole to move their supplies. There was salt on the dwarves when they came back after 6 months of working, which was likely from Crusty Lake across the mountains.
Malakai offers a favour for the council. They ask Malakai to look into their tower to see if it actually repels the dragon and to look into Dave The Enchanter.
===9th August, 1511===
Malakai leaves Roxsis and heads up the Fernokk River towards the mountain. While walking he spots 6 Bugbears drinking from the river. Malakai casts Mirror Image then casts Fireball on them. 5 of the bugbears are killed and one survives the explosion. The Bugbear flees from Malakai. Malakai lets him run away until he is the edge of Magic Missile Range, then kills him.
Malakai gets to the base of the river. Malakai crosses the mountains flying and enters the Knuckles, a barren arid hills on the edge of the Red Desert. Malakai camps in a cave overnight.
===10th August, 1511===
Malakai flies to Crusty Lake. Crusty Lake is an inland salt lake. Malakai starts to search around the east bank of the lake. After an hour Malakai lands and as an Imp he looks around with the Gem of Seeing. It takes Malakai takes 3 days to search the edges of the lake before he finds something.
===13th August, 1511===
Near the end of the southern dried river leading into the lake is a hidden door under a hill of dirt. Malakai makes note of the location and teleports back to Bon' Theris to his mansion.
==Experience==
No Experience Given
Category:Hardcore Heroes Episodes