Deez I'dek - the story

[dzidek1983]

Deez was sitting in the Candlekeep library with notthing special to do. Magic lights illuminated the hall covered with books and scripts. Out of boredom he pulled one after another and started to read. There were books about wildlife, magic even some cooking recipies. He turned the pages with little interest, forgetting what he read just a page before in couple of seconds. His thoughts were in different places. Mostly by the campfire where he met an elven woman that he couldn't forget.

Fading away in his memories he suddenly noticed one book that was rather strange compared to it's neighbours. A large tome covered in dust and spidersilk. He decided to look at it. When he took it out of the shelf the rest of the books on it collapsed. It allarmed the librarian, he went into the hall and noticed Deez with an - excuse me - face expression. Once he noticed what book Deez had in his hands you could swear he noted it in his mind and quickly run off to report this to someone higher in rank. The cover of the book was black with red runes on it, the pages yellow with several brown stains that looked like dry blood. He eagerly started to turn the pages and read the text in it. One of the pages contained this text written with red ink:

Sammaster soon met and befriended Algashon Nathaire, in or around the city of Baldur's Gate. Algashon was a mage and dedicated priest of Bane. For the next few years the two mages travelled far and wide together, and Algashon slowly turned Sammaster more bitter, resentful and evil.
By 875 DR Algashon had convinced Sammaster to attack his former lover, Alustriel. Although wounded by Sammaster's initial assault, Alustriel survived and summoned two more Chosen, Khelben Arunsun and Laeral Silverhand to help her. In the ensuing battle, Sammaster was stripped of his Chosen powers and would have been killed if not for Algashon. The battle destroyed what was left of Sammaster's sanity and from that point on, fully embraced evil.
He soon began translating ancient prophecies and distributing his findings. Most notably his translations from the ancient text Maglas’s Chronicle of Years to Come. The validity of these translations is highly speculated, and it is suspected that they were just a means for him to promote his new ideals. From his research he quickly became convinced that 'dead dragons' would one day rule over Toril. He named this belief the Scaly Way.

Deez wanted to read more but in the same time the librarian came back informing him he has to do some maintainance in the library building and Deez has to leave. The book had to stay with the librarian.

After several hours Deez returned to the library just to find the book no longer on the shelf. The librarian when asked about it just makes a neutral pose telling Deez to bugger off in a polite fashion. The next days Deez spend thinking about the glimps of a story he managed to read. He thought about those two men meeting around Baldurs Gate, then he realized there is a destroyed temple of Bane in the woods near FAI and one of those men was a priest of Bane. Maybe there he can discover some clues and maybe find something pushing this story forward.

He packed his backpack and left Candlekeep heading south.

[Aelcar]

He carefully closed one of the various books in front of him, satisfied with the results of his research. In his dark, warded quarters, somewhere deep within the heart of the City of Weavings, he smiled one of his strange, cruel smiles, almost out of place on mortal lips. His smile widened as he turned around towards his pale, red eyed servant: "Bring this back to Vashtrae at the School of Necromancy, with my regards...Be quick about it. Do NOT bother anyone in the city. You know you are not allowed to...You can feed on the kobolds in Varalla's, once you are done." he spoke with a deep, steady voice. Calm and unhurried...a jaluk used to give orders. A jaluk used to see his orders followed without question. As the blood drinker disappeared quickly, book in hand, he stood and walked away from his reading desk, moving across the room with an otherworldly grace, almost supernatural... a shadow on a wall as the candlelight dances, flickers. He approached a tactical table, split in two, with one side representing a map of the Sword Coast, and the other of the Underdark around Sshamath in a radius. After observing the very detailed maps with a pensive, crimson-eyed stare, a gloved hand caressing his ebony chin, he distractedly placed a black lanceboard rook somewhere in the Wood of Sharp Teeth, where some strange ruins on a small hilltop clearance were displayed. Despite the gaps in his data, he was almost sure now. No, completely sure. It had to be there. Muttering a few quick, sharp words Valshar the Black, The Necromancer, The One Who Lived, The Phantom Wizard, Revered Eye of the 7th Circle, grabbed his alchemical silver staff and headed out of a hidden door at a fast, confident pace.

[dzidek1983]

Wind blowed hard and fast when Deez was leaving Candlekeep. The Lion's Way as always seemed quiet and peacefull. Well it is not. The wizard quickly get to knew this when three bandits attacked him from the shadows near the bridge covering a pit. They are more irritating the dangerous really. Deez never knew what are they thinking attacking several wizards traveling in and out of the Keep using iron swords and arrows. Sometimes he told himself that it would be better to just give them some gold so they can go and eat something or hire them as the outskirt guards. As always Deez met also some Hill Giants that wanted to play - throw the boulder - game. He had no time for such free time activities, so quickly said goodbye to the giants with a boulder made from fire thrown at them. In a matter of fact he won that game also.

After arrival in the forest behind the Friedly Arms Inn he was welcomed by some orc scouts and riders. He decided to make a quick talk with them and send them away but they did not listen. Couple moments later they were listening to the forest worms eating their green flesh roasted on some magical fire. Deez left the worms to do their job in peace. Feeling a little slowed down he decided to hide form eyesight and continue his travels more discrete. It turned out to be a good idea. He found the ruins rather quickly on a hilltop above the orc cave. He found there an imp, one of the servants. It's strange as the temple is destroyed and abbandoned and still he stays there and follows his tasks. His master had to be very brutal to earn such commitment. It turned out Deez could help the imp by gathering some strange ingredients for his master. Altough it was a boring chore Deez decided to help the creature to earn his trust in his own purpose. Long story short, Deez found one of the needed items south of Nashkel (he looked in the Lion's Way but it seems the hill giants there tend to travel big distances just to relieve their needs) and the other two were acquired in the Cloakwood forest. The imp gladly took the stuff he needed. Deez refused the gold given to him by the imp. Instead he wanted to talk about this place with the imp. The creature happy with the fact he finally gathered what he needed - and knowing he would never manage do it alone - shared a lot of information about the place with Deez. In conclusion the wizard managed to open a hidden door that allowed to enter a room below the ground. The corridor leading deeper was filled with rocks and earth so recovering that hallway would be a task for months. Urged by the creepy atmosphere of the place he packed all the things that he could find there, fired up an invisibility spell and ventured back home.

[Aelcar]

Anger flared through him. A white-hot rage, coming in fits sharp as daggers, and quick as stabs. He clenched his gloved fists, as his head was turning slowly, scanning the ruins back and forth through his penetrating blood-red eyes. He was so angry he could barely control the power within him, as the vegetation under his soft black boots started to wither and die, a door almost off its hinges blew to pieces, and an orc hiding behind a tree and trying to nock an arrow on his hornbow just fell dead, his heart magically stopped. The spirit of the dead he questioned did not lie, of course, but how could this be? How could this Darthiir whelp have beaten him? How did he know? Questions without importance. The mission had failed, and the reasons were manifold: that Ranger hunting him had been a nuisance (Laisren, perhaps? He was too angry to remember meaningless names...), proving to be, in hindsight, a loss of time he couldnt afford. On top of that, he could travel only when the thrice-damned Curse was out of what the kivvil call sky, and he had to be careful to avoid any contact with local denizens on top of that...surely a task vastly within the possibilities of the Phantom Wizard, but time consuming nonetheless... And now, as a result, it was gone. GONE!! A wild boar, attracted by the commotion, decided to charge the black clad humanoid-shaped figure in front of it. Wrong cycle to try and do something like that, its instincts should have screamed otherwise. Without even turning his head, a disintegrating ray shot from one of the mage's fingers, seemingly nothing more than an irritated, dismissive gesture, yet sufficient to erase the ferocious beast from the face of Faerun.
He took a deep breath, pondering the situation. Despite the annoyance, not all was lost...the spirits, after a bit of convincing, had been fairly clear on the identity of the intruder: even in death, they didnt like a good aligned being to walk their mausoleum. Bwael.The opening phase hadnt been satisfactory...Time to vanish in the shadows, and plan a suitable endgame to play...

[dzidek1983]

Deez came back to Candlekeep and entered his quarters. He sat down on his bed and emptied his backpack on the floor. A large pile of scrolls, books, vials hit the floor. Dust covering them created a thick fog. After a little coughing and choking Deez managed to clear the air with quick moves of his hand. The loot was not impressive. Actually it looked like garbage. Some vials broke when they hit the floor and released a foul stench. Thank gods i didn't drink that - thought Deez. He started to search his trophies for anything usefull. Vials were put on a shelf for later testing. Some scrolls were so old they crumbled and vanished when the wizard took them in his hands. Several books contained alchemical recipies and various creatures anatomy. Some low level spell scrolls - not very usefull - he gave to friendly acolytes for their use.

Looking through all this junk took him several hours as he didn't want to miss out on something important. The best conservated books were put on one side for more in-depth reading. One of them was very interesting. The cover seemed familiar, it was very similar to the one Deez found in the library, but the book itself was a lot smaller. It looked like a personal journal you would keep in your backpack to record important events. Deez opened the book slowly and started to read the title page. There was no title there, just a little note in the lower right corner of the page written with the same red ink used in the book found in the library: the property of Sammaster.

Deez made himself something to drink and eat.
It seemed that he was going to be occupied for a longer time.

[Aelcar]

Leaning comfortably, apparently lazily on a soft velvet-covered armchair in his warded, hidden quarters, the Phantom Wizard sipped some more mushroom wine from his ivory chalice, in a slow and pensive fashion. All in his posture exuded calm and peace, almost narcosis, but that could not have been farther from the truth. The tight grip on his drink...the burning light in his nightmarish red eyes...the stiff movements of his head in examining the maps in front of him...small details, signs far from easy to spot...but real, nonetheless. The meeting had gone extremely well, and there were no more capable individuals in the whole Sword Coast to perform this task. Still, he was irritated he had to resort to ask this kind of...service...Thinking about the bargain, his supernatural arm tensed and his gloved skeletal hand gripped tighter, shattering the chalice and spilling drops of wine on the floor. Fortunately, this will be solved soon, he though, as he, without a word, willed one of his undead minions to clean the mess and bring another chalice.

[dzidek1983]

As the time passed Deez was mostly occupied with his normal day activities. The book he found was not a great magical artifact as he desired it to be. Merely a diary of a mad wizard. Maybe to someone interested in necromancy this would be of any value as a guide of some sorts, but to him it was just another book on his shelf. Sometimes he wondered if it is safe to keep it in his room. Maybe the library would be a better place. But then he thought about the librarian hiding the book he found there. If that one was so forbidden to read, what will they do with this one. He then decided to ask for some advice on the matter. The Guide would be the right person to do so. He decided to meet him as soon as possible. Maybe after Hoihe's ritual is completed.

[dzidek1983]

to be continued here....

[dzidek1983]

Deez was walking by the Candlekeep cliffs with the book hidden in the backpack when suddenly some shadowy figures appeared behind his back. The perception of an elf allowed him to notice them and he evaded the first blow, his wards were up before he left he walls of the Keep so the assasins had no chance of reaching him. In a flash he teleported to his quaters...

I must be more carefull... they already know who i am and where to find me... that drow... who is he...?

Weeks passed and Deez could not meet with the Guide. He seemed to gone missing. He asked Hoihe and other seekers about him. No one could help.

With time he felt intigued with the book of Sammaster. Bone dragons, immortality, he started to realize how important this is. He read it, page by page he devoured the knowledge contained there.

Then he came across a small incantation written with a small font. He knew he shouldn't but he was to curious. A dark power throwed him against the wall. He saw black mist surrounding him. It went through his eyes, ears, nose. The book was feeding on his powers.
He fainted.....

Months passed, Deez was lying in the infirmary... his eyes empty, not sleepieng but also not dead...

It was spring time when he was paralyzed by the book... now its almost winter and Deez stands up and walks the Coast again...

[dzidek1983]

After his recovery Deez noticed his Arcanabula has been drained from power, the troll skin on its cover protected it physically but the magic power within has been sucked out.
Day after day he recovered strength but his book still suffered. A whole in his memory. Some spells forgotten.
It was some time after when he decided to venture with a friendly party to explore the Hilltop ruins. He noticed he has more skill in handling necromancy spells when he has thrown a Exterminate spell on the dungeon rodents.

[dzidek1983]

Deez noticed the announcement with the dwarven contest brawl with a huge prize... he has sent his fellow adventurer Jinx to sign up for the contest. The prize money would come in handy inded for his next project.
He started enchanting his spell book to hold more spells, the troll skin book cover can take many hits altough its not very fire resistant as it seems. We will need a new cover from better material. I think i must ask that wizard from the city that has good knowledge about indigirents about an opinnion on the cover.