Hardcore Heroes: Episode 45

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== Synopsis ==
The party successfully teleports to Bon' Theris, where Van-Healsing receives a royal messenger's request to bless the unborn granddaughter of Queen Vuularia Wikk in exchange for funds to build a temple. Van agrees to bless the child but declines the temple offer, setting off with Malakai for Wikkthronrarenta. Their journey is interrupted by a hobgoblin ambush, but they prevail and continue. In Wikkthronrarenta, Van performs a blessing ritual for the Crown Prince’s daughter, Christina, impressing the royal family and forming an alliance. Meanwhile, Malakai, delayed by another urgent matter, explores magical knowledge and aids Van. Van recruits three skilled warriors for their quest to free souls in the Shadow Plane and prepares for their mission, gathering resources and forming plans for entry into the Shadow Realm, while Malakai seeks information on the elusive Wizard Airship.
==Recap==
===10th January, 1511===
The party teleport back to Bon' Theris safely in the morning.
A messenger from the Drekis Royal Family arrives in the estate. The messenger delivers a message to Van-Healsing. The Queen's son, the Crown Prince Jonathan Wikk, will soon give the queen a granddaughter. The queen wishes her new granddaughter to be blessed by the Goddess Chis. In exchange, they will give Van the funds (1,000,000 Copper) to build a temple in Chis's honor in the Drekissin capital of Wikkthronrarenta.
Van declines the offer to build a temple but will come and bless the child. Malakai comes along on the carriage ride. Malakai commiserates, saying they tried for so long to see the Queen of Eridon, Queen Kiara Sanguine, but now the Queen of Drekis, Queen Vuularia Wikk, is asking to see them. Van borrows some fancy wizard chalk from Malakai. Malakai buys some silver to create a teleportation circle in Wikkthronrarenta.
2 retainer knights escort the carriage along with a guard sitting next to the carriage driver and 4 guards inside the carriage with Van and Malakai.
Halfway down the road during the day the carriage comes to a halt as it is ambushed by 10 hobgoblins. The guards & knights go to fight the hobgoblins. Malakai casts "Monster Summoning III" and makes an Orog (an elite Orc) appear, and have them attack the hobgoblins. Van casts Dictate on the hobgoblins to get them to surrender, and 4 melee surrender. The melee hobgoblin that didn't surrender gets decapitated by the guards. Malakai fireballs the unoccupied hobgoblin archers as the Orog takes care of the other group of archers.
Van heals an injured knight, then the carriage travels onwards.
===13th January, 1511===
While in the carriage Malakai gets the message from Joris using the "Sending" Spell.
:"Hey, I could use your help. There's a dangerous magical item here that needs to be contained."
Malakai responds "Busy at the moment. Will try to stop by in the next couple of days. How's your wife? Tell her I said hi."
As the carriage gets close to Wikkthronrarenta, the 3-mile high Wikk Lamdo Mountain comes into clear view. Malakai is told hiking companies take groups up a trail to the top every few days. The first settlers during a time of bad weather sort refugees in a cave in the mountain. The old word for "safe place" was Wikk. The Royal Family then named themselves after the mountain, and then the offshoots of the Royal Families as well as the Principality Seats.
The carriage pulls into the city. Malakai gets out of the carriage. He gives Van a ring that will let Malakai track his location, even if he isn't wearing it.
Malakai goes to a magic shop run by an elderly halfling named Hibbleton, aged 140 years. After some banter, Malakai buys a new spell, Astral Projection for 500 gold and letting Hibbleton look at one of his spellbooks. Malakai realized the spell will take 4 days to learn. Malakai casts sending, saying "I've been delayed. I'll be there in three days' time. Don't touch it. Wait."
:"Oh My God! They already touched it!" replies Joris.
Malakai gets an inn room and starts learning the spell for the next few days.
Meanwhile, Van-Healsing is taken to the Castle. It is smaller than Queen Kiara Sanguine's Castle in Eridon, but the architecture is more Gothic and has more interesting stonework, more heavily defended with the gothic flourishes.
Van is escorted to a comfortable waiting space, then to a comfortable bedchamber he is to stay in. That afternoon Van meets with Prince Jonathan Wikk. Prince Jonathan asks about Van's faith and his connection to Chis. Prince Jonathan Wikk is worried about his new daughter being ugly, which is why he asked Van to come here for this blessing. He then takes Van to meet his pregnant wife who is in bed and due to give birth in the next few days.
Van begins preparing for the ritual. Using the chalk, he inscribes the symbol of Chis in the floor inside a magic circle. He then spreads rose petals around the edge of the circle. The ritual circle is simple but immaculate. Prince Jonathan says money is no issue for this blessing. Van asks for the blood of a rare beast, and Prince Jonathan gets him some Silver Dragon Blood, from a Silver Dragon who lives close to town. Van then works the Dragon Blood into the Magic Circle.
Van then prays in old common:
:Heavy is the head that wears the crown, harrowing is the crucible destined for this soul.
: But in setbacks lies knowledge, in suffering lies growth.
: May Chis bless and watch over this child so wisdom, strength, grace, and temperance can coalesce into something truly beautiful.
As the blessing ends, there is a flicker of candles that are lit around. A wind appears out of nowhere, blowing down and out. It gives everyone around a sense of calm. Eventually, the candles flutter and flicker out. The wind stops. Then a moment later the candles spark again as if they had never gone out.
Prince Jonathan and his Wife thank Van. Van leaves the room, as some Doctors and a Cleric of Martha comes into the room for the actual delivery itself.
===14th January, 1511===
There is a knock on Van's door, announcing that Prince Jonathan's Daughter has been born. Her name is Christina Wikk.
===15th January, 1511===
Van attends a series of feasts to celebrate Christina's birth. Van over dinner declines payment over the temple but explains his holy quest, a mission of the faith, to free the souls of people who are trapped inside the Gorgon in the Shadow Plane. Prince Jonathan gives Van 500,000 Copper towards the cause. Prince Jonathan's Sister offers to find 3 warriors to help Van on his quest.
===16th January, 1511===
Van has a new Symbol of Chis made at a Metal Smith out of Silver.
Back at the Palace, Van gifts Christina his old Symbol of Chis, with the old Symbol having survived though all of Van's quests and journeys over the years. Prince Jonathan and his wife are extremely happy with the gift. Prince Jonathan carefully takes the gift and gives Van a heartfelt thank-you. Prince Jonathan gets a chain made for the holy symbol and has it hung at the end of the baby's crib until Christina is old enough to decide if she will wear it herself or not.
Over dinner that night, Van is all Charisma over dinner, making the whole Royal Family like him.
That night once of the Princess, the youngest daughter of the Queen, Princess Lissandra (29 years old) visits Van in is bedchamber. She recites a famous romantic elven poem about a forbidden love between an Elven Noble and a Half-Elf from another area, and even if nothing can come of them, they still come together because of mutual attraction. We fade to black on the scene and Van steps forward towards Lasandra.
:Out of Character: The Princess becomes pregnant with Van's child
===17th January, 1511===
At night, Malakai learns his spell and begins his crossover in Gnomes, Tomes & Catacombs: Episode 16.
===20th January, 1511===
Malakai returns from his crossover in Gnomes, Tomes & Catacombs: Episode 16.
Malakai meets with Van in a normal-sized tavern run by Forest Gnomes (only 1 foot tall). The Forest Gnomes generations ago were captured by a mad wizard. After they were set free they were given one of the mad wizard's properties, which happened to be this tavern. They remade the tavern so they can get around thanks to hidden ladders and such. A Forest Gnome tells Van that they can meld into the wood as well, but they use hatches to get around the tavern. Van says he can melt into stone. The Forest Gnome asks Van if he can turn into a tree. Van takes the Forest Gnome outside and then turns into a Greater Tree. The Gnome phases in and out of Van and climbs around.
The Tavern serves Marple Syrup Ale. Over drinks, Van admits he slept with one of the Princesses to Malakai. The Forest Gnomes ask Van to turn into a Tree again, and he promises to turn into a Tree tomorrow.
Van and Malakai talk about their plans. They no longer have to go to Outlast for fighters because of the 3 warriors the eldest Crown Princess provided, so they just need a way into the Shadow Realm. Malakai suggests going to the Wizard Airship to research how to get to the Shadow Realm. However, Malakai has yet to discover how to get to the airship, which is required in order to be allowed to access it.
Van returns to the Palace and talks Malakai into staying at a Tavern. When Van returns to his room, there is a gift of a scarf. Van is told that the 3 warriors are here.
Van goes into a parlour to meet them.
The first warrior, Kel Lucila is a woman in her late 60s in plate mail and has lots of scars on her face, her hair is salt & pepper grey with long streaks of blanched what hair. The second warrior, Kel Belle, is a woman who is 21 years old, also in plate mail shield & sword. The third warrior, Frank, is a man in this 30s with a sword, shied, and spell components & spellbook but no armor.
Van asks for blunted weapons and tests their abilities.
Kel Lucila hits Van easily. Van concedes right away, seeing her obvious skill. Kel Belle manages to get a hit in. Van acknowledges her ability. Frank casts
 
at Van, stunning Van, then hits Van with his sword. Van acknowledges his ability but warns the creature he is after is resistant to magic. Frank, the Arcane Fighter, says he wishes to research the various worlds.
Van accepts all 3 into the group and will travel with Van back to Bon' Theris when he leaves Wikkthronrarenta.
*Kel Lucila's Backstory: A veteran of many fights. Is looking for a good way to die, has no family left, doesn't want to die in a pointless war, and this mission to save souls seems a worthy one. 7th Level
*Kel Belle's Backstory: A prodigy looking to prove herself on the hardest mission possible. 6th level
*Frank's Backstory: Seeking to research and understand the various worlds and planes. 3 Fighter/3 Mage.
Van writes a letter to the 2 clerics of Felumbra in Wikkthronrarenta, asking if there is a spell to capture souls as they leave the body, in case anyone dies in the Shadow Plane, so he can release then when back in the Prime Material Plane. Van also asks Malakai if he can make something that can store a soul.
Meanwhile, Malakai returns to the magic shop run by the elderly halfling, Hibbleton. He asks about the Wizard Airship, but Hibbleton insists you need to find it on your own to prove your worth.
Malakai heads to the library to try to find out about the Wizard Airship and thinks the best way to find out is to look up the history of famous mages. The librarian says those books keep getting stolen by people wanting to find their crypts and steal from them, so they are restricted. Malakai doesn't press the matter and politely leaves.
===21st January, 1511===
Malakai goes find Van to ask to get permission to read the book from the Royal Family when they meet up again in the Forest Gnome Tavern.
Van uses a basin while in the tavern to cast "Reflecting Pool" to try to find the Wizard Airship. He manages to get an image of it flying north-west along with a mountain range. The party figure it must be the Draken Ridge. Van approximates it is going 60 miles an hour. Malakai visited the Draken Ridge in the Shadow Realm since that was where the Portal to the Shadow Plane was. Malakai doesn't have teleport memorized today.
Van then heads outside, as promised, to show all the Gnomes his tree transformation. All the forest gnomes love it.
That evening Van asks about getting access to the library restricted section to find the wizard airship in order to find a way into the Shadow Realm. The Royal Family accept his request and give him a writ.
===22nd January, 1511===
Malakai and Van go to the library. Malakai gets access to the book "The Greatest Wizards in Arcadia", which he had previously vandalized in Stromheim by adding an entry on himself in Episode 31 in Stromheim. He finds new information on Mohamda & her Staff of the Magi. Mohamda's crypt was said to have been possibly been moved to somewhere in the Red Desert.
Looking for information on the airship comes up with Hain the Transmuter, who created the Airship centuries ago, at the cost of his own life and 2 other wizards of note. Hain was aged 75 at the time. The 3 wizards are 3 of the Wraiths who guard the wizard airship to this day.
Van casts "Reflecting Pool" again, but it fails today.
===23rd January, 1511===
Van casts "Reflecting Pool" again and it works. The Wizard Airship is flying East over Dwarf County. To intercept they work out Malakai needs to teleport to the far east of it and fly upwards.
Malakai casts polymorph self, Van casts Rapport on Malakai, then Malakai teleports away.
He appears on the deck of a merchant ship at Weatherlight. Malakai turns into a giant eagle and flies West to intercept the Wizard Airship. With Van's help, Malakai spots the Airship.
As Malakai flies towards the airship, 4 gryphons jump off and fly towards the transformed giant eagle Malakai.
Meanwhile, that night in Wikkthronrarenta, Van lets the Royal Family know he will be returning to Bon' Theris tomorrow. The Queen's Youngest Daughter visits Van again that night.
===26th January, 1511===
Van and his warriors arrive back in Bon' Theris. The warriors are given rooms in the mansion.
==Experience==
No Experience Given
Category:Hardcore Heroes Episodes