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

DM Loki wrote:Sat Feb 16, 2019 11:35 am

What's in a tome: The Lead in

A dusty and a rather unassuming tome sits dormant in the radiant chapter house. on the bottom shelf of an oft-forgotten bookcase. Lingering at the edge of perception as the days roll by the young knight's attention is drawn to a small wooden chess piece sitting next to the book along with a faded title in flaking gold leaf.

The Myths And Wonders of Alchemy Volume VII

The tome is written in the language of the celestials using the blocky runes of the dethek alphabet shared by humans and dwarves rather than the flowing script of the upper planes. The following passage seems to stand out among the rest of the dry tome.

On the philosophers stone and it's many supposed properties it is hard to tell what is fiction and what is fact. From fanciful tales of defying the rules of Mystra's ban to allowing the bearer to work magic without spell components. A few things can be confirmed about the stone. Firstly it's bearer is conferred with the knowledge of master alchemists allowing the most uneducated to practice alchemy with the skill of a master, and a true master to exceed the boundaries of the art.

Several sources hint that Oghma gifted this stone to a mortal supplicant along with a curse of crippling madness that drove him to create mad wonders furthering the bounds of the craft.

Other sources say Oghma stole the stone from its creator along with the secrets to its creation in an effort guard the hoarded knowledge of the alchemical craft and the secret to eternal life.

Deep down I know the stone must have existed though in my two hundred years of research into the history of Alchemy I've yet to find the truth.

- Torgan goldrift 9th circle Runesage of Rift

The signs were all there. His Lady, the Red Knight, had left her symbol next to this book, lead him to this passage, for a reason. For months the young Knight had been pondering and praying over a way to aid the city and his sworn Lords in the fight against the devil threat. This object, this Philosopher's stone seemed to somehow be the answer. Legend had it that the stone could turn lead to gold, iron to silver, and many other unfathomable things in alchemy.

Taking the old book from the case and gingerly placing it in his bags, Aaron sent out word to several of his closest confidants and friends within the Order and out. The stone needed to be found. His Lady had placed a fervor in his heart to seek out this artifact, even if he would have to hunt down a myth or legend.

Each call that was sent out was answered. Sir Arkalis, Lady Cain, Squire Krueger, Commander Di'Corvi, and Miss Vee. Within a few days everyone had assembled at the Radiant Heart Chapter House. The young knight inquired if any in the group understood the Celestial language, offering the book to those who could read over a passage. Then read aloud the passage that had caught his attention for those who did not have an understanding:

On the philosophers stone and it's many supposed properties it is hard to tell what is fiction and what is fact. From fanciful tales of defying the rules of Mystra's ban to allowing the bearer to work magic without spell components. A few things can be confirmed about the stone. Firstly it's bearer is conferred with the knowledge of master alchemists allowing the most uneducated to practise alchemy with the skill of a master, and a true master to exceed the boundaries of the art.

Several sources hint that Oghma gifted this stone to a mortal supplicant along with a curse of crippling madness that drove him to create mad wonders furthering the bounds of the craft.

Other sources say Oghma stole the ring from its creator along with the secrets to its creation in an effort guard the hoarded knowledge of the alchemical craft and the secret to eternal life.

Deep down I know the stone must have existed though in my two hundred years of research into the history of Alchemy i've yet to find the truth.

- Torgan goldrift 9th circle Runesage of Rift

The group had various reactions to the passage regarding the fabled Philosopher's Stone. Some were eager, some willing to look in to it further, while some doubted and found the notion silly to pursue.

The Author was vague, even wavered in his own writings of not only the possibility of the Stone, but any benefits the Stone might even offer. For Aaron, the path was clear. HIs Lady had lead him to the passage in this book. He would show his faith when given a sign.

Some in the group had knowledge of the author, having read his works in their training. Torgan is a long lived Dwarven wizard and alchemist that still made rounds for lectures and book signings. Though his whereabouts were currently unknown.

Wren considered reaching out to Kraak Helzak to attempt to locate other writings by Torgan. Vee suggested searching Candlekeep. Sir Arkalis offered Ragefast.

With Ragefast being the closest tot he Radiant Heart Chapter House, the group made its way in to the city. Speaking with the venerated mage, the group was informed that Torgan was on a lecture tour and had been in the surrounding area recently. With two possible locations, Nashkel or Greenest, the group made for the most likely place, at the time, Nashkel.

Puffs of breath could be seen wafting in to the frigid air as a group of armored and hooded individuals made their way in to the Northern Lights Inn. The winter chill was still strong in the mountainous southern region. Brushing off snow and the chill, the group made themselves comfortable with a warm meal. After some conversation and food, a serving girl entered the room to take the dishes away. The woman was questioned about the target of their search and soon the group realized the dwarf had indeed come through the town to lecture. But, true to his dwarven nature, he stayed largely at the Belching Dragon Tavern.

Having finished their meal, the group packed up and made for the other side of town. The Belching Dragon was a very different environment. While warm, the tavern did not have the style or nor the same type of customer as the Inn. The group encountered a much more rowdy set of patrons. A group of dwarves were drinking to excess, while others sat at tables and discussed business quietly, eyeing the other occupants.

Trying to speak with the drunken dwarves proved of little help. But, the barmaid was able to inform them that Torgan had been through, but had left for Greenest a week earlier. With little more to do in town, they left for Greenest.

A teleportation spell cut the travel time to the hamlet of Greenest. And the group was just in time for a chance meeting. Some of the group had a drink too many at the tavern and took a moment at the town's fire pit to recover, just as the necromancer Morgan Blackrose and Victoria Lightheart entered the town. After some questioning, Morgan gave herself up. Once secured, Sir Arkalis escorted her to Baldur's Gate to be detained by the Flaming Fist.

The others soon found Torgan near the town center. The dwarf was hesitant to give any information to Aaron, afraid the stone would be used improperly. But, after a few tense diplomatic moments, the alchemist was swayed to help the group, under the condition they pass a test. Find the Great Library of Deneir. A place that is said to move about. The Keeper of the Library would need to be convinced to give up further information to the group. It would be there they would discover if the Stone existed or if they were simply chasing a myth.

The puzzle was becoming no less easy to assemble. The young knight's search for a way to help the war efforts had just been given another seemingly impossible mission. Find, what many others considered, a mythical library, to meet with the Keeper, so they could discover if the Stone itself was mythical. Some in the group were reaching a point where the suspension of disbelief was becoming difficult. But, the Tactician of the Red Knight would see it through, even if his journey ended in nothing more then fable.

Aaron sat on the edge of his bed in the Radiant Heart Chapter House pondering. A smile slowly creeped onto his face. Perhaps the answers to finding the library were simpler then he was making them. A book and a chess piece started this entire chase. The book, perhaps the library fortress of Candlekeep would have one knowledgeable of this library. Perhaps even a priest of the god Deneir dwells there that might be able to help.

The chess piece. The Knight gently made his way down to the floor, sitting on his knees. A hand moved under his collar and produced a platinum chain, a red colored knight chess piece with diamonds in the eye sockets hung from the chain. Cupping his hands around the holy symbol, he paused a moment to clear his mind, before uddering a prayer to his Lady for guidance.

His words began meek and mild, repeating the actions the group had taken thus far in the quest the Red knight had started him on. Strength and determination built as the story thus far was retold, as he reached the current point in his progression he pleaded for guidance for her faithful in the pursuit of the stone, of an artifact to push back the tide of devils threatening the north. The man communed with his Goddess for a way to find the location of this library, to find the way forward through the darkness of myths and fables.

DM Loki wrote: His Vision began to dim as the room slowly grew black, consciousness being pulled out a soft comforting glow emanating from the chess piece in that last moment before sensation and reality faded utterly to blackness. Drifting in that void for what could have been an eternity or simply several heartbeats before BLAM an intense spray of colour and sensation rushed back to him the whole of the sword coast like a small sand table cast beneath him in perfectly to scale as a single red chess piece stood over the area of Baldur's gate. To the North a fanged snarling face sat perched over Dragonspear. Far to the south Nashkel and a single golden coin. As his vision panned back more of the board became clear the fortress library of Candlekeep burning with next to It a Candle marked in the center with a stylized eye. Something else too a dagger, jagged and dripping some that felt instinctualy vile to him, profane sat planted within the City of Baldur's gate.

Slowly his vision began to blur once more that loss of sensation drifting this time into darkness a faint shimmer or glint of something small and bright buried deep in the Forrest of Wyrms.

Suddenly He was Aaron once more, looking at his cot the room cool crisp even as the heat of late spring was starting to set in. His body fully awake once more as the chess piece cooled once again.