Light of Illumis: Episode 01

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== Synopsis ==
Within the city of Highcastle, four clerics of different faiths, Hellen, Bertholdt, Kerberos, and Cornelius, come into possession of a Philosopher's Stone, an object of tremendous magical power. The four clerics resolve to use the Stone in a ritual within the Pyramid of Heatstroke, believing they can transform the sun's rays into a destructive force that would eradicate the undead everywhere. After drawing the attention of local thugs and fighting them off, the party proceeds toward the dwarven territory in the north. 
As the party readies to rest for the night, the party is sought out by Minnie, a spellcaster who seeks temporary usage of the Stone to unlock the power of a wand in her possession, offering gold and manpower for the party's quest. Minnie submits herself to the magical investigation of the party, where they find Minnie is an ambitious spellcaster capable of instantaneous, emotionless violence, seeing she killed the previous owner of the wand. Minnie and the party peacefully part ways, though the party decides to distrust Minnie and reject her offer without notice.
==Recap==
===A Sunburnt Cleric and Her Three Companions===
The War for Arcadia has just ended, with the rest of Arcadia left to pick up the pieces. In the city of Highcastle, filth and crime infest the streets, where might makes right. Despite all that has happened, society endures, and the streets are filled with the hustle and bustle of commerce. A man named Grimes enters a crowded and dingy tavern, handing off a lead and silver lined box to a red haired, sunburnt woman, Mother Hellen, a cleric of Illumis, and then leaves. Hellen, who hails from the Longborn Kingdom, seeks the destruction of the undead. Seated at the table are her companions: Kerberos, a cleric of Felumbra, a handsome, aging dwarf who seeks to have people be honest with themselves; Bertholdt, a cleric of Tempos from Stromheim who feels the undead are not within Tempos's plans for the world, and he seeks to rid Arcadia of the undead and restore his homeland to its former glory; and Cornelius, a cleric of Malkis and advocate of mankind, who believes the swarming undead dampen the possibilities for chaotic growth.
The party examines the Philosophers' Stone, but it appears as a completely ordinary stone, like one that could be picked off the ground right outside. Kerberos, sceptical, asks to examine the stone through Detect Magic. Bertholdt attempts to mask the spell with a prayer, but the incantations largely cause the tavern to nervously quiet down. Kerberos eyes glow with a violent tint, and as he opens the box, the Stone nearly blinds him with its sheer magical power. Hellen's excited prayer attracts the attention of some laypeople within the bar, wanting to know the contents of the box. Hellen lies to the laypeople, saying the box contains nothing but an ordinary stone. The people walk off, annoyed. 
Hellen reports that her contact, Grimes, a faithful servant to Kel William Marshal, a warrior of great repute, had faithfully delivered a Philosopher's Stone. Hellen reveals her plan to the party, saying she wishes to use the Philosopher's Stone, a chipped stone from the Staff of the World, an object of unimaginable magical energy, to perform a ritual to turn the Sun's rays into a destructive force that will indiscriminately destroy the undead. Hellen says her plan is to perform such a ritual within the Pyramid in Heatstroke, the holiest of sites, where the gods first stepped foot on the World long ago. Hellen calls out that she believes she and her companions are truly the chosen ones, who will bring about the destruction of the undead. Bertholdt casts on himself, not liking how much attention has been attracted by Hellen's excited utterances. The party toasts to their quest. 
During their meal, Kerberos warns that traveling through Fortune would be very dangerous, explaining that Count Vicious, an immortal necromancer living under the guise of a man, controls Fortune and the surrounding areas. The party also discusses acquiring a mirror for their ritual. The party weighs the pros and cons of sailing, traveling through the dwarven lands of the North, and walking through the Thistle Forest and Golden Sea of Eridon.
=== What's In The Box? ===
The party decides to set out into the city and head north. As they do, the group draws immediate attention from denizens of the city, among which are armed brigands, who demand the party hands over whatever is in the box they carry. Despite the party's efforts to make the box seem unimportant and deescelate the building conflict, the bandits ultimately draw their weapons, believing they run the city of Highcastle.
Combat Start: Hellen, Bertholdt, Kerberos, Cornelius, and Barney, vs. Highcastle Thugs
Round 1
* Thug 1 attacks Hellen, interrupting her spell, dealing 4 damage.
* Thug 2 attacks Bertholdt, missing.
* Thug 3 strikes Cornelius, dealing 2 damage.
* Thug 4 comes up behind Barney, Kerberos's faithful mule, causing Barney to bray and kick, but missing Thug 4.
* Thug 4 attempts to coax Barney away, critically failing his Animal Handling Check.
* Bertholdt attacks Thug 2, missing.
* Cornelius attacks Thug 3, dealing 4 damage, sending the Thug reeling.
* Kerberos casts Hold Person, affecting three Thugs, holding two of them.
* Hellen backs up towards the party.
Round 2
* Hellen casts Light at the Thug Leader, blinding them.
* Bertholdt strikes Thug 2 who is held, dealing 5 damage and knocking them to the ground.
* Thug 5 attacks Bertholdt, missing.
* Barney, upset by Thug 4, kicks the Thug in the face, dealing 1.
* With the Thugs suffering severe wounds, the Thug Leader calls off his men, abandoning the held Thugs behind.
* Kerberos summons a Ghost Wolf.
Combat End.
The bandits break and flee into the city streets. Kerberos regards one of the held thugs, a 19 year old man. Kerberos holds a mirror up to the man, letting the man look in his own reflection for some time. Kerberos sees the man wields a rapier far too expensive-looking, given the man's dirtied appearance. Kerberos takes the rapier off the man and leaves him, saying Felumbra has judged that the man will not die this day; Bertholdt, the cleric of the god of fate, rolls his eyes at Kerberos's speech, but says nothing. The party sells the rapier for 10 gold. 
The party discusses what type of mirror they will need for the ritual: Bertholdt assures the party that even small mirrors will suffice, believing intent is the critical component; Kerberos counters, saying many high level spells require exquisite spell components of the highest craftsmanship. With much traveling ahead of them, the party decide to work out the details along the way. The party decides to head north to the lands of the dwarves, with Kerberos believing the finest mirrors in the lands can be bought there. As the party leaves through the city gates, they notice two of the bandits from earlier tailing them. Hellen successfully requests the assistance of a helpful guard, and two archers, Anna and Rachel, who delay the bandits from following the party. 
=== Minnie of Highcastle ===
The party comes to a rest station at a crossing along the Tam River. Bertholdt's Blessed Watchfulness activates, alerting him to a large plume of dust rising along the path behind them, indicating a group riding horses is following quickly behind them. The party makes camp. Eventually, the riders arrive, a group of 7, comprised of 5 men, a mercenary wearing scale mail, and a woman. The woman, a wizard, directs her men towards the party. Kerberos recognizes the format of the group, indicating the woman is either a wealthy wizard with a security detail, or a wizard-enforcer working for someone wealthy. The mercenary, Pad, addresses the party, saying her mistress, the wizard Minnie, wishes to speak with the party. Cornelius and Bertholdt decide to meet with Minnie with their shields down.
Minnie bows before the party, revealing in the course of her routine spellcasting a few hours ago, she detected an overwhelming source of magic that could only be a Philosopher's Stone. Minnie says she immediately deployed her men to follow in pursuit of the Party, and she seeks the Stone to discover the command word of a wand in her possession. Minnie professes she means the party no harm, saying she is willing to provide the party with gold and manpower to fund whatever their quest is in exchange for a casting of Identify with the Stone. Minnie tosses Kerberos a bag of 10 gold as a sign of good faith, leaving the party to discuss matters. Cornelius excuses himself to relieve himself, picking up a small rock off the ground that looks like the Stone. 
Hellen suggests Zone of Truth to ascertain Minnie's intentions; Bertholdt adds he has a Read Memory Spell. As the party discusses declining Minnie's offer, given the likelihood she kills herself underestimating the potency of the Stone, Bertholdt asks Hellen whether they will die performing the ritual. Hellen responds frankly, saying she thinks such an outcome is not only possible, but likely, believing that the four of them dying to permanently destroy the undead- five including Barney, is a worthy sacrifice. The party nods in agreement.
Kerberos speaks for the party and returns Minnie's gold, declining Minnie's offer. Minnie replies saying she has a fair bit of understanding of Philosopher's Stone from her studies under her former master, the wizard, Arc Aldric of Shirebrook. Minnie doubles down, making her best offer to persuade the party. Kerberos expresses skepticism, asking why Minnie would spend so much for just a wand when she could just ask her master about the wand; Minnie replies both Aldric and Shirebrook are no more. Cornelius shoots Kerberos a look, indicating they should magically investigate Minnie's true intentions. Hellen gives the party a look, communicating she could cast Zone of Truth. Kerberos suggests to Minnie that she submits to Zone of Truth, and she agrees. The two groups settle down for dinner to rest before casting Zone of Truth. Minnie makes polite conversation: Cornelius remains guarded; Hellen, Bertholdt, and Kerberos speak openly, with Bertholdt hoping to strike a deal with Minnie.
=== Zone of Truth ===
As the sun sets, the two groups prepare for the Zone of Truth. Kerberos asks to see the wand. Minnie agrees, producing a wand made of nickel. Cornelius eyes Minnie, seeing she wears a magical ring, and insists she removes the ring; Minnie complies, nodding in approval, taking a seat to make herself comfortable. Hellen casts Zone of Truth.
Q: Minnie, how confident are you that whatever you intend to do with the Stone will not consume its power totally?
A: Extremely confident. Very high confidence interval.
Q: Let's start with some simple ones: why did you follow us?
A: I seek the Philosopher's Stone that you carry.
Q: To what end?
A: In order to uncover the command word of my wand.
Q: Any others?
A: My intent in searching you is for the command word for my wand.
Q: What are all the reasons that you know we have the Philosopher's Stone?
A: Only one object in existence that I know of that would shine with so much magic, as to be seen across town when my Detect Magic's spell's radius is only sixty feet. Only one thing I know of shines that brightly- an object of legend.
Q: Do you think identifying the code word of a simple wand is justified use for such an item?
A: I believe I have a different philosophy on the principles of magic than you. What does magic do but serve our purposes and our needs? A Philosopher's Stone is a tool to an end.
Q: Why is this wand so important to you?
A: I don't understand the question.
Q: Why would you go through such trouble to discover the command word for this wand?
A: Its owner died before they could tell me the command word. Without it, the wand is useless, and my magic will not divine its name.
Q: When you say, 'died,' did you kill them?
A: Yes.
Cornelius asks the bodyguard, Q: Do you trust her?
A: I trust her to pay me.
The group goes back to examining Minnie. Q: Why did you kill your old master?
A: I did not kill my old master.
Q: I mean the previous owner of this wand.
Minnie looks to her bodyguard for a moment. She struggles to speak, eventually giving up saying, A: we had a difference in agreement over who should own the wand.
Q: Did you have any part in the dead, previous owner? Perhaps this could be solved with a simple Speak With Dead spell.
A: It has been tried.
Q: And what was the problem?
A: A satisfactory answer could not be reached.
Q: After using this stone, do you intend to give it back to us?
A: I intend to return the Stone to its rightful owner.
Q: Okay, and who is the rightful owner of this Stone?
A: I do not know which of you four is the rightful owner of this Stone, but at this time, that's who it is. I'm sure it belonged to someone before you took it from them, though, who that is, I do not know.
Q: Will you be on your way if we decline to give you access to this?
A: Be on my way?
Q: Will you chase us; will you leave peacefully?
A: I will not attack you in this place.
Q: I see, not in this place, of course, not with the guards present; should we trust you?
A: I would like you to. I think that is a good idea.
Q: That's not an answer to my question.
A: "Should" is subjective.
The Zone of Truth Spell ends. Cornelius, a man of 8 hotness, asks, "do you find me handsome?" Minnie enthusiastically replies yes, saying she finds him very handsome, as a smile comes across her face. The group says they will need to confer, saying they will have an answer for her in the morning.
=== Seizing the Wand ===
Bertholdt, wanting more information, requests to Read Memory of the time Minnie killed the wand's previous owner, knowing it is an invasion of privacy but that he feels it important. Minnie submits herself to Bertholdt's Read Memory. Bertholdt casts his spell.
Bertholdt witnesses Minnie and her guards, recognizing Pad, the bodyguard, but none of the other guards, standing before a stone building. Minnie kills some of the building's defenders with Magic Missile as her guards move up to take the building's barred entrance. Her soldiers attempt to break open the door but are unable. Minnie casts Knock, throwing the door open. Minnie's guards fight through the entryway; as one of her fighters suffers a wound and attempts to retreat, she shoves them forward, yelling the time is now. As the wounded fighter is pushed through the doorway, he is cut down by other defenders. The room appears to be a small throne room in a state of decay. 
Minnie sees a spellcaster, a woman, at the back of the room with two guards. Without hesitation or a word, Minnie casts Fireball at the back of the room, killing the woman, one of the guards, and one of her own fighters. After seeing one of the guards survive the blast, Minnie orders her guards to execute the wounded guard. Minnie loots the charred body of the spellcaster. She eventually finds the wand and and an assortment of books, potions, and scrolls. Bertholdt feels a rush come over Minnie, a feeling of excitement as she finds a spellbook, picking it up with silver tongs and placing it into a bag, which is placed into another bag, which is placed into a box. Minnie goes to pull some hair off the spellcaster, but discards it due it being singed and smelling terrible, instead ordering her guards to cut a hand off the woman and take it with them. The memory fades.
Bertholdt remarks he saw quite the memory. Bertholdt scans his feelings, having felt the same things Minnie did, and he finds Minnie was able to kill the other wizard with no strong emotion, without any type of anger or vengeance in her heart, only a mere recognition, as if to say, "there she is." Bertholdt questions Minnie on her responses during the Zone of Truth, saying it sounded like she had no intention on giving the Stone back after using it; Minnie looks puzzled, saying she is surprised how two people can hear the same thing and derive two completely different meanings. Minnie reassures she is committed to helping the party after using the Stone. The two groups part ways. 
Kerberos and Cornelius express concern that Minnie showed she is capable of quick, emotionless violence, and they question the wisdom of making a deal with a cold-blooded killer. The party discusses whether to accept Minnie's deal, but ultimately decide to proceed onward without informing Minnie they have rejected her offer.
Category:Light of Illumis Episodes
Category:Light of Illumis