Mostly buying and selling.
Niobe, before everyone turns in for the night, goes and finds the people who control the Rods of Security and asks how long until one is free for use. She also shows off her new celestial raven to everyone.
Niobe is informed that without urgent issues right now they are going to save them in case something else comes up and that the party is going to spend the weeks doing things now, unless they want to use their own rod when it is available.
Niobe is not bothered by this, and so goes to find out if the treasure has been divvied up yet, so that she can decide what she’s gonna try to buy.
Day 220. Because this will all happen after they finally get a good night sleep
Derek returns after freshening up, and finding out that his shield and spectacles aren’t ready yet. He did wash the cloak, thoroughly examining it in the process. He keeps it with him, but is not planning to wear it until he determines whether he can afford that ring of regeneration.
Brak sits down with Derek and his abacus and divides up the treasure, tossing in the stuff he’s gonna swap out.
Clifford adds three items to the pile, and then says, “I’m also carrying a wand of dominate person and a deck of illusions. Maybe I should clean this thing out more often….”
Brak- “If we haven’t used those yet, we’re likely not going to. I also have this spool of endless rope I’ve never used, but the minute you throw away rope, you have to tie something up.”
Eli writes, or someone. Then looks in Leroy’s direction
Brak glances at this. “He’d probably like it.”
Niobe walks in, finds an empty chair, and sits down heavily. “I checked with the people who are in charge of the rods of security, and since we’re out of emergencies they won’t let us use them. Also, this is my celestial raven, Vestnik. He’ll be accompanying us from now on.”
Vestnik has alighted on one of Niobe’s wings.
Clifford immediately jumps up and goes to sniff Vestnik.
Vestnik looks at Clifford and squalks once, fairly intelligently.
Clifford bounces up and down excitedly. “Vestnik! Vestnik! You should learn to talk, I heard ravens can talk! You should say ‘Give me a biscuit!’” He goes into doggy-want-to-play stance with his butt in the air and his head near the ground. His tail swipes the ceiling.
Tinyra smiles and waves to the bird, “hello Vestnik,” looks to Niobe, “what does Vestnik mean?”
Niobe- “It means herald, as in a king’s messenger. It’s from a language spoken in the rural areas of the country I’m from. Sorry, Clifford, he can’t talk, although he can understand you. Vestnik, you can play with Clifford.”
Vestnik squalks and hops over Clifford and scratches his butt with his feet, and then flies in circles.
Clifford jumps up and down, chasing Vestnik’s circles. He only knocks one or two of the others over in the process.
Niobe- “Brak, I have something I want to talk to you about, since you seem to know the most about messing with time and space and stuff.”
Brak looks up from his accounting. “Yes?”
Niobe summons the Hammer of Thunderbolts from her right glove, and places it head first on the ground. “I don’t have much use for this, but I know groups of people who could really use it, and I want to get it back to them. I have some knowledge of time and space magic from the fountain, but I don’t have the education or background to do the research.”
Brak looks at her for a moment. “What planet and time are they?”
Niobe- “My home planet, which is the one we have been on and off of, and my home time. They’re the group I left right after I was killed and reincarnated, when I met Eli and set out on this journey. They’re in a country that has been conquered by giants, which are not creatures we’re fighting. I want to send this to help them.”
Brak- “Ahh, yes, I can see the utility. The first step would be to get back to your time. Once we’re there it will be a simple matter of scrying them, and then a Teleport Object spell to deliver it. Or we can deliver it in person, if that works better. At least, theoretically, it should work like that. The baatezu are in the details, of course.”
Niobe- “But you’ll help me with it?”
Brak- “Of course.”
Niobe smiles, something she has never favored Leroy with (eat your heart out, Leroy!), and stores the Hammer back in her glove. Then she watches Vestnik play chew toy for Clifford and waits for the equipment to get divvied. Eventually she gets restless and wanders off the find the wizards and clerics and other magic item creators and describes the Paladin Warstaff she envisions, and to price out upgrading Fjolhaefur and her shield…which also needs a name.
Niobe, to herself, as she walks around the Hall. “Zamok? Varnarmadur?”
Brak spends a few minutes not helping Derek, and considers that they’ll need to find or design something to ensure they return to precisely the time they intend to, or even close. He jots down some notes in the margins of one of his spellbooks for later reference, during conversation with Talon. But first…upgrades!
Derek continues to focus on the accounting, taking the items that others want to sell. He adds the Pipes Of Pain to the pile of things to get rid of.
Derek “I wonder if it would be best to get rid of the Deck here….”
Brak- “There are certainly worse places. At least Talon would have the sense to put it on a shelf and leave it alone.”
Derek also pulls out the Rod of Lordly Might that they picked up back in Dungeonland and sets it aside to be sold, since he’s tired of carrying it.
Brak- “Niobe might want that, we should ask before getting rid of it.”
“ Very well.” Derek moves the Rod into the “keep” equipment pile.
“I swear I never thought I would be in the position of selling artifacts - multiple! - because I have no use for them.” he complains..
Brak- “I couldn’t agree more.”
After the accounting is done, Brak heads out to talk to Talon.
Brak is guided to a room where Talon sits behind a desk reading a book and taking notes of his own. Talon looks up, “hello, please have a seat.” Points to a small table with a few chairs around it. Talon gets up, leaving his book and notes on the desk and joins Brak, “how can I help you?”
Brak does so. “I have several topics, but the most curious is a question Niobe posed to me some hours ago. We picked up a Hammer of Thunderbolts in our travels, and she has some friends who could use it, as they are engaged in a war against some giants on her homeworld and time. What she asked of me is simply to assist in getting the Hammer to her friends, which is easy enough, once we’re in the correct era…down to the correct week or so. I know that time travel by magic or psionics is nearly impossible at best, but I understand that you have been working on such problems. Once I have done some preparation to help Leroy with his interminable personal problems, I would ask for your assistance in landing us back in Niobe and Eli’s native time.”
Talon, “Time travel is a pain. I have spent a lot of time on this problem. In fact I have been working on it since I saw you all return from now. We can get the hammer to whoever she wants to get it to. The thing is, you are all going to arrive back in your own time, about ten years after you originally left. The hammer is small enough that I can more easily pinpoint where it will go. The rest of you, even if I were to send you one at a time, will show up at different times. There are things that happen in your future, my past that require you to go at once and arrive when I already saw it happen. Part of that is because of Leroy’s interminable personal problems.”
Brak- “Why am I not surprised? Are you able to send us each to one of our times, for example, all of us to, say, ten years after Leroy’s time, or does the nature of your magic require that we individually return to our original times?”
Talon, “You will all go to your original times. Sort of. You are all from the same time line, except for Clifford and Tinyra. That is party of why you must travel together. You will have to make a stop to drop Tinyra off at her own time, then you will continue to your own time. Unfortunately it will be approximately 10 years from when you left.
Brak- “Makes no difference to me, but I can’t speak for the others.”
Talon, “I don’t mean to be callous, but it doesn’t matter what they say. This is how it is going to happen.”
Brak shrugs. “What about Clifford?”
Talon, “Clifford is the only one that will have much of a choice. He can stay with Tinyra, or stay with the rest of the party.”
Brak- “I’ll give everyone the outline next time we’re all together. About some of the items we’ve picked up…like the Rod of Seven Parts, a Deck of Many Things, the Talisman of the Sphere, the Cowl of Kyuss, Kyuss’ mace. I’m sure there are items I’m forgetting, but we have no use for most of them…or rather there are others who could use them more than we could.
Talon, “Keep the Rod as part of your reward for doing this. Take the Talisman with you when you return to the past. Give it to me when you get to your timeline. The Deck of Many Things is yours, your group found it. The Cowl and Mace of Kyuss are in the same state as the Eye and Hand of Vecna. Should be able to do the same thing to them that Niobe did to the Eye.”
Brak is impressed- “Well. Remind me not to arm-wrestle her anytime soon. I think we’ll go back to Alhaster long enough to talk to Manzorian about the items he loaned us. Leroy has caused us nothing but headaches with the Deck of Many Things, and we would like you to find a box to store it in and forget about.”
Talon takes out a note and writes something on it, “take that to my accountants. They will give you a note worth 2 million gp for the Deck of Many Things. The note is only good in the hall, and they will break up the note however you want it broken up. Take the Deck with you when you return to the past and give it to me along with the Talisman. As for the Rod of Seven Parts I will handle Manzorian, You keep it. As for destroying the Cowl and Mace, You could do it just as easily as Niobe could. They are not being held together by much anymore. The magic that created them was tied to the god that created it. Killing Vecna’s Avatar weakened that link to non-existent. Kyuss is actually dead, not just his avatar. So there is nothing supporting those items anymore.”
Brak- “Hmmm. Well then. I’m sure we will talk more later, I’m off to discuss this with everyone else…and cash this banknote.”
Talon, “Do you know what you want as your reward yet?”
Brak- “I have honestly not thought about it. It’s been only seven days since we fought Strahd, I have not had a moment to consider it.”
Talon nods, “just ensure that we have time to complete the request. Should be fine, just don’t wait six weeks before giving us your request.”
Brak smirks. “Duly noted. I shall remind everyone else as well.” Brak takes his leave politely and goes to notify everyone else of the 2 million GP Talon will pay for the Deck of Many Things.
—------------
Brak, once he’s back in the treasure counting room, and they have a quorum of the party- “Sooooo Talon is giving us 2 million gold in payment for the deck of many things.”
Derek, immediately. “An entirely fair price. I accept”
Niobe, who his back from talking to people by this point, had opened her mouth to say something, but couldn’t think of anything to say after Derek’s reply.
Brak- “Also, Talon wants us to keep the Rod of Seven Parts, although I don’t want any part of it. We’re supposed to carry the Talisman of the Sphere and the Deck back to our own time- remind me about that later- and give them to the younger Talon when we meet him.”
Derek nods. “I’m willing to keep the Rod of Seven Parts. Flight at will is quite useful. Speaking of rods, Mistress Niobe, would you be interested in the Rod of Lordly Might here? I’d rather not carry it.”
Niobe, who has wings, nods in agreement. “Oh, yes. I can carry it, certainly.” She grabs it to toss into her backpack later.
Brak mentally ticks of the items he and Talon discussed. “Next, Talon asks me to remind you that he has promised us each a reward for killing Kyuss, so please go talk to him when you have time, the sooner the better.”
Brak- “Apparently we can smash the Cowl and mace of Kyuss to flinders whenever we want.”
Clifford bounces. “Can I break one? I want to acid breath it!”
Brak- “Are you sure you don’t want to set one on fire?
Clifford - “That would be nice… I wish my breath was fire, not acid.”
Derek closes the account book, and announces the final share that everyone receives from selling the treasures and stuff. “Total value of the items we sold is 1,630,116 gold. That’s a share of 232873 per person.” He leans back and pinches the bridge of his nose, then pats the cloak that’s been sitting over the arm of his chair this entire time. “That means I can get the equipment that will allow me to wear you without dying, little one.”
Brak- “And then another two million gold, divided by seven.” Brak raise an eyebrow. “Your cloak is sentient?”
Derek shrugs “So another 285,724 gold each from that. And I don’t know about sentient, but it has emotion, at least. It was very disappointed when I took it off last night.”
Niobe, over by the doggo, and who who is more interested in breaking stuff than in numbers- “Clifford, feel free to destroy them both.”
Clifford uses his far hand to pick up both items and put them in a relatively open, stone part of the floor. “This is for tasting so bad, Kyuss!” He spits acid all over them until there is nothing left. He then does a doggy dance of victory around them.
Niobe, satisfied- “Good riddance.”
After a moment’s pause, she says- “I’m off to go have all my equipment upgraded, then, and reading through a bunch of self-help books.”
Brak- “I have quite a bit of meditation to do as well.”
Clifford - “Me too. Wait, that reminds me of what I wanted to ask for as a reward from Talon!” He hops off down the hall to find Talon.
Derek: “An excellent idea.” He goes to see what kind of self-help books the Hall of Shadows Barnes and Noble carries.
—----------
It’s time for a montage! (Montage!)
Niobe pays some people to create her Paladin Warstaff. She drops off Fjolhaefur and Varnarmadur to be upgraded, which will take basically the entire two months the Brak will be meditating. Then she spends seven weeks reading and doing various mental and physical exercises.
Brak goes to do a whole lot of spell research and meditation, which takes eight weeks, plus he also improved himself like everyone else does.
Brak also casts Analyze Dweomer on all the magic items we don’t already know everything about, such as the fountain water that Niobe still has in a flask.
Derek buys +5 tomes of Clear Thought, Leadership and Influence, Understanding, and a +5 Manual of Bodily Health and a +3 Manual of Gainful Exercise. This exhausts his share of the treasure and sale of the Deck of Many Things entirely and then some. He trades in his miscellaneous jewelry, a star sapphire, and nine gems of various values, and 46 gp to make up the final cost.
He also sells his +2 headband of intellect, since he really won’t need it anymore, and buys a hat of anonymity instead
He also realizes that he forgot to get a ring of regeneration and, after a quick facepalm, sells his amulet of proof against detection and location, ring of water walking, and ten more gems to pay for it. The cloak is super happy when he puts it on again.
He then spends five weeks reading himself into an all-around superior person. Then he cleans out his pockets and tosses a bunch of the accumulated detritus from their adventures. Papers and such.
--------
Clifford is led to Talon. He finds Talon in much the same state that Brak did. Talon nods to Clifford, “welcome, How can I help you?” Talon stands and walks around his desk to sit and look up at Clifford.
Clifford - “So you know how I grew up in a pocket dimension that was all weird and cool? And how the Ravenloft one was all spooky and things? Can I have a pocket dimension of my own!?!?” He gets progressively more excited as he talks.
Talon, “Describe what you want with the pocket dimension, including how you want to be able to get to and return from it.”
Clifford sits and contemplates. “Well, it should have lots of space to run around in, and water to drink and play in, and food to eat. And nice warm places to sleep! And I want to be able to let others go in. I guess I’d have to be able to keep the entrance with me? Or just will myself to teleport there? Cause I don’t think a stationary entrance would work.”
Talon nods, “Come back in a week. I will have something for you.”
After that week Talon presents Clifford with a small coin on a necklace. “You simply need to think about it and the necklace will take you to your pocket dimension. Anyone touching you will travel there with you. Time in the dimension will pass at the same time as where you are. There is nothing living in the pocket dimension beyond the trees and plants. There is about thirty square miles of space that you can travel around and it will always be warm. There will be a difference between night and day. The dimension will adjust to wherever you are. So if the day is more than a normal day here, it will be the same in your pocket dimension. The time of day in your pocket dimension will be the same as wherever you are.”
Clifford takes the necklace and slips it over his head. “THANK YOU!! I AM SO EXCITED!!!” He disappears for a moment, then reappears. “OMG IT’S AWESOME IN THERE THANK YOU TALON!” He licks Talon before running off to show the others.
Talon blinks a few times then wipes the slober of his face.
-------
Eli approaches Talon and requests that he be turned into a Half-Fey. After a few weeks of working on the spells needed Eli is turned into a Half-Fey and grows dark grey butterfly wings that have chaotic patterns to them.
------
After spending a few days using Bend Reality to reprogram himself, but before spending six weeks researching True Helmsman, Brak figures out what he wants. He goes to visit Talon. After salutations, Brak begins explaining what he’s after.
Brak- “One of my annoyances in life is that I have so many individual items, like this staff of the magi”- which he lays on a table “and this staff of power” -laid on the table - “and this psicrown of the cautious warrior and this runestaff of undead slaying and this staff of frost and this wand of stoneskin.”
Brak- “Could you or your minions figure out how to weld all of the powers of all of these items into one staff? If the psicrown’s powers can’t be put in there, I can live with that. And I am perfectly prepared to fund the research required, as we have just come into quite a bit of money.”
Talon, “That can be done. It doesn’t have to be limited to what powers are in those staves. We will not be able to combine the psionic powers with the mage powers, but give us a list of the spells you want to have in a single staff. There is very little limit to how many spells we can put in the staff. It will just be limited by the amount of charges available and how many charges you can use. You will just have to be careful with the staff. You know how the staff of power can be broken and caused to explode, this staff will probably have a much more dangerous effect if it explodes.”
Brak- “I’ll take the risk. The only spell not already held in these staves and the wand is Disintegrate. Thank you.” He composes the list of spells that are in the staves and wand, plus Disintegrate, and hands it off to some of Talon’s minions. Then he’s off to go meditate about piloting sailing ships.
The following is what the Mages offer Brak:
Brak’s Wizardly Acheron Army Knife- CL 20 or wielders CL whichever is higher.
+4/+4 quarterstaff
100 charges to start/Max
grants +4 luck bonus to AC and saves
Expend a charge for double damage on a melee attack
SR 32
Recharge 1 charge a day
Retributive Strike – Releases all charges in a blast that effects a 60-foot-radius. All withing 4 squares of the broken staff take points of damage equal to 16x the number of charges in the staff, those 5 to 8 squares away take 12x the number of charges, remaining distance takes 8x the number of charges. DC 25 Reflex to reduce by half.
Following cost 0 charges: detect magic, enlarge person, hold portal, light, mage armor, mage hand
Following cost 1 charge: continual flame, dispel magic, levitate, ice storm, invisibility, knock, magic missile, heightened fireball 5th, heightened lightning bolt 5th, heightened ray of enfeeblement (5th), pass wall, pyrotechnics, stoneskin, wall of fire, wall of ice, web
Following cost 2 charges: cone of cold, globe of invulnerability, hold monster, plane shift, summon monster IX, telekinesis, wall of force (10’ hemisphere around Brak only)
Following cost 3 charges: Disintegrate
Following cost 0 charges, but use a spell of equal or higher level from wielder: death ward (4th), detect undead (1st), disrupting weapon (5th), searing light (3rd), undeath to death (6th)
Brak- “That is excellent, thank you for your help.”
Mage, “Are there any other spells you would like added before we finallys the creation?”
—--------------
Niobe thinks long and hard for what she wants as her reward, and decides to expand on her plan to ship her compatriots fighting the giants more of the equipment that her current party has acquired but doesn’t use.
---------
Talon cautiously waves Leroy to a seat, then moves to sit across from him at the small table.
Leroy walks over to Talon, an Ale in his hand and takes a seat, taking off his hat and then setting the ale down.
Talon visibly braces himself, “so what is it that you would like?”
Leroy ponders it a second, looks sad then ask Talon “me promises this wont be me usual antics. Me must know Master Talon, is there still a way to save me father’s crew and him from Davey Jones from the locker, without me crew… especially…” Leroy looks behind him and around him to make sure Niobe isnt around “without Mistress Niobe being hurt or killed. Me needs to know if he will honor the deal. Also about the first love portion of the deal.”
Talon shakes his head, “I cannot tell you about your future. It changes things that might have been. You lack the self control to know the future and not change things. You will have to experience this. I am not going to tell you to not save your crew, I do believe it would be a mistake to leave those souls to Davy Jones.”
Leroy hangs his head, then takes a gulp of his ale “Me was afraid you be sayin that.” his tone his somber. “Me has played it out a hundred times in me head, Davy Jones is no fool he will honor a bargain for me father’s souls, but who’s soul will he take for theirs is me guess..” he trails off. Then looks into Talon’s eyes “If me goes there to make the trade, will Mistress Niobe’s soul be in dangered? Or does me need to find a ship that can make it straight to the locker?”
Talon shakes his head again, “that is also telling you the future. You will have to work with those that are willing to travel with you to fix this problem and come up with your own plan. I cannot help with that plan.”
“My apologies Master Talon,” Leroy says. “Me just doesn’t know if Niobe will go and me wouldn’t blame her. Yes, me loves her with all me heart..” but looks down in sadness “But Me also knows she will never love me in return.” He looks up to Talon again “Well then, be it possible you can help me get a cutlass that is just as good as me sword me has now?”
Talon Looks closely at Leroy, “I will do or have created just about anything, and you want a cutlass made to the same parameters as what you have now?”
Leroy looks at Talon “Yes, Master Talon, that be my wish. A bigger Cutlass than this rapier I have, about the same parameters it has, and maybe can do more hurt on me enemies than me is currently able to do. Just all will me ask from you.”
Talon writes a note and hands it to Leroy, “Take that to my mages, they will give you something appropriate.”
Leroy nods at Talon and takes the note “Me thanks Master Talon.” He picks up his and puts it on. He places 50 gp on the desk for Talon “This be for the Ale me be drinkin tonight. Just keep em comin’ as me comes up with a plan for meetin Davy Jones.”
Talon shakes his head, “keep your gold. The ale is on the house.”
Leroy tips head and cap towards Talon and picks the gold up. “My thanks Master Talon.” he picks up his ale, walks to the mages to deliver his paper. Leroy steps are slow as he ponders his next move.
When Leroy gives the note to the mages he is given a +6 Keen, Metalline, Collision, Fiery Blast, Slow Burst, Cutlass.
Leroy takes the cutlass, twirls it in his hand a few times, sheathes it, then gives the mages his rapier. “Keep it, me shant be usin it no more.”
The mage he is dealing with raises an eyebrow and just moves to place the old rapier on a shelf.
Leroy begins to turn around, looks to the mage and give him a thank you salute “Me thanks mister mage.” and heads to his chambers to begin his planning.
—------
Niobe walks into Talon’s office, after a day of self-betterment, and sees Leroy on his way out.
Talon looks up from the table he is sitting at and waves for Niobe to take a seat.
Niobe- “Sorry, I’m sure that we’re all taking all your time today.” Niobe takes a seat.
Talon, “I took a lot of your time in helping with this, and killing Vecna. Well killing Vecna’s Avatar. The gods don’t play fair. Then again neither do we.”
Niobe smiles. “Can’t afford to. I’m more than a bit curious about what Leroy asked for. The last time he had a wish he kind of attempted to kidnap me, and Tinyrea showed up instead.”
Talon nods, “it was nothing like that. It ended up just being a request for a weapon when I couldn’t grant what he really wanted. It showed his usual lack of maturity, for the most part.”
Niobe decides not to pry. “I’ll tell you that I don’t have a good idea of what I want just yet. But, I do have a question about sending the Hammer of Thunderbolts to my former compatriots back, er, home. Could we send other items? We have plenty that are very powerful but that we never use. The people back home fighting the giants are on a shoestring, so to speak.”
Talon nods, “We can do that. Do you know where you want to send them? I cannot guarantee the time when they will arrive. Because of the size and the fact that they are not living we should be able to do it within a month of you disappearing. That is the best I can do.”
Niobe nods. “That should be close enough. I’ll have to do some thinking to figure out what day it was and all that, but if that is as close as it gets….that’s far better than nothing. For the items to send, I’ll have to ask everyone else. I have the Rod of Lordly Might, so I’m going to send that as well.”
Talon, “if you think of anything else that might help that you want sent back let me know. We might be able to send a few more things. Let me know when you are ready to send them and it will be done.”
Niobe- “Thanks. It may take a day or so to assemble everything, but I’ll collect it all and write some notes or something.” She pauses, and taps the table in thought for a moment. “Maybe my request will be something you’ve already offered: help getting back to Alhaster to fight the cult of Hextor that runs the place. I’ll think about it and let you know.” She rises to leave.
Talon, “you are very selfless. You’re request to help Alhaster is not needed.” Talon waves towards the door, “I wanted you to see this, and now is a decent time since you bring up Alhaster.”
The door opens and Lashonna comes in and looks to Niobe, “I would like to thank you.”
Niobe detects evil! No evil.
Niobe, a little cautious- “You’ve been resurrected, then?”
Lashonna, “cured as well. As has been explained to me, it was not a simple process.”
Talon, “we had to remove the vampirism from her before we could resurrect her.”
Niobe- “I bet.” Still a touch suspicious, she adds, “You’re welcome. Do you plan to remain here?’
Lashonna, “I plan to work with the Hall to help with their tasks. One of them is to help alleviate the suffering of my home land.”
Niobe- “What do they suffer under?”
Lashonna, “You know how bad followers of Evil Gods can be, the people there suffer from what happened with bringing back the worm god, they suffered from what my organization did for the last fifteen hundred years and they suffer from having a long line of followers of Hextor leading the country.”
Niobe squints. “Once we’ve dealt with Leroy’s personal problems, I’ll ask if you need any help. But one thing at a time for once.”
Talon, “You will have to wait around 100 years before you can help with this problem after you are done helping Leroy, but your help is always wanted here.”
Niobe- “Apparently I have the time. Lashonna, I’m glad to see you’re better, and I will find you later, it seems.” She shakes Lashonna’s hand.
Lashonna returns the shake, “again thank you and I am sorry for the trouble that I caused. I am glad that part of my life is over.”
Niobe- “There is redemption for anyone who wants it. Talon, thank you.”
Talon smiles sadly at Niobe’s comment and offers a nod, “I will grant your wish when you have figured out what you want, if it is within my power to grant.”
Niobe nods and heads back to her self-improvement readings.
