Baldur's Gate : The Sword Coast Chronicles : NWN2 Persistent World

((WORK IN PROGRESS))

It is a strange sensation, waking up in a room with no idea how you arrived there. Not that this hasn't happened before after a night of revelry and too much wine, but it is made much more stranger when two strangers are in the room with you, staring at you as you lie on the bed wondering what the hell is going on. It is made stranger still when these two strangers wear the skins of two people you once called friends, and even sound and act like them. Needless to say I was scared out of my mind, but they wouldn't leave. I had to leap through the window like some cat burglar to get away, and still they followed. Fortunately I was able to slip past their clumsy grasp and flee into the Sharp Teeth. I will have to find out what is going on, but I can lose them there while I wrap my head around the situation.


My mother didn't raise a fool, and good thing too. I suspected they would follow me into the wood, and I was right. I ambushed them with magic and steel, and chased them off. I knew it would only be matter of time before they returned, however, so I had to throw them of the trail.


I was right, they came back, and with help. And count two points for me, they brought a tracker, right again. Luckily none of them had nearly the same quality eyes they would have had if they were the elves they were trying to replace, as I was able to sneak around them and follow them for a while easily. But only long enough to see that they fell for my trap, then it was time to move on.


The beach on the coast south of Candlekeep has a nice little hiding spot that I used for a while. But there was too much activity to stay. I had to chase several people away from the beach, none of which would admit to being sent to find me, but I knew better.


I saw Terri, well, the fake Terri today. Couldn't have been the real one, she was treating with devils and demons. But then there was some quarrel and I got to watch s the two sides slew one another. Evil fighting evil, doing my work for me. But of course I had to chase the fake Terri and her minions away afterwards. I don't remember much of that for some reason.


Roaringshore... The beach was compromised, so I had to come to Roaringshore... I hate it here, I used to have friends here, but they are all gone now. I feel so lonely.

I am not sure what I should do. Whe I find these demon-spawn who kidnapped my friends in a large enough group, I am beaten back. But when I get them in small groups and I am able to kill one, it seems the other somehow now, and raise the dead, as I always see them again a short time later.

Not all is lost, I have managed to make some new friends. Although I admit, in my moment of weakness, I took solace in the arms of a woman that was not the one I had been attempting to court. I told her I wasn't ready, but I have been so damned lonely I couldn't manage to excuse myself from her company. She is a nice girl though, I hope the dopplegangers don't get to her as well.

I think I am ready to give up. Evry time I see soem foul demon-spawn wearing the faces of my friends I am driven to simultaneously to furious anger and a deeping depression, knowing there is nothing I can do to save my real friends. I even captured the Chiara-double today. I slew her, was forced to defeat a group of adventurers that could not see she was an evil clone, and then dragged ger away to raise and interogate her. But, it didn't work. I beat her, threatened her... and at every turn she insisted that somehow I was the monster. Imust admit, even knowing that she was a foul demon spawn, the illusion was so complete I couldn't finish her off a second time. I am weak. I am tired. I am wholly defeated. And, I have made a decision. If she will spare my friends, I will give Beshaba what she seeks...my soul. I can see no other way. I sent the Chiara-spawn back to her masters, to tell them of my offer.

I should write letters, to be delivered to my friends once they are free and I am gone.Maybe they will find it in thier hearts to forgive me for allowing thier capture and imprisonment, maybe not. Either way, I will need to prepare for my own sacrifice, I suppose.

*After this Liam begins using the ropes available in the abandoned house on the coast south of Candlekeep to fashion a makeshift gallows from the girders. Once finished, he begins to sit and write a series of letters. Afterwards, he simply sits in the dark, staring into nothingness, a hollow and broken shell of a man, waiting for the inevitable return of the Chiara-clone messenger to spell out his eventual doom.*

I have run into the Chiara spawn one last time... I slew it, and was forced to incapacitate the people with it (they were undoubtedly fooled into thinking she was a normal elf, but maybe not entirely evil)... After slaying it, I dragged it to the old lighthouse, and bound it, and raised it to force it to answer questions.

It was...noncompliant... Despite my attentions to try to force the matter. That is why I decided to give myself up. I sent the spawn away with a deal for her mistress, my life, for the freedom of my friends. And now, I wait.

*Liam spends the next few days in the lighthouse, moving some crates so he could reach the rafters, and using some of the old rope to form a noose.*

((After the last encounter with several PCs, Liam now lies dead in a warded and silenced cell in Candlekeep, his body awaiting the administrations of some of the scholars in preparation for transport to the temple of Tymora.))