Butyltina 3, 1000 PC

Post date: Mar 23, 2009 7:26:8 PM

I navigated the daytime bustle of Troll's Bridge for the first time in years today.  I learned the spell to alter my appearance to be able to manage this without the authorities being aware of my intimidating and wanted self.  It also had the unfortunate side-effect of causing all the lowlifes to take their best shots at me in this new guise.  The lowlifes have another wizardess to add to their list of people not to mess with.  I also changed my modus operandi, thus disabling the brutes instead of torching them alive.  They still suffer, but they are live.  They are probably wishing I had just killed them.

That said, I was not in Troll's Bridge to establish a new identity for the locals to fear.  I was there to see The Grotesque, who graciously granted me an audience based partially on my usual activities in the city and my former House's association with past Patriarchs of Zodyu the Grotesque and the extinct House Lesh.  After exchanging civilities, revealing myself as the Masked Witch of The Floating Tower and stating my desires to see Lord Hardun Chicdell slowly, but utterly destroyed, I had a disturbing but enlightening conversation with The Grotesque about the mission of the Church of Zodyu, his plans for The Cathedral, his plans for next year's Founding Festival and his own concerns about the Mayor of Troll's Bridge.

He wishes to be able to control the most powerful undead dwelling in the city, but currently needs two talismans that may allow him to succeed at this.  He told me he generally distains the use of talismans in the control of the undead as they can be lost or stolen, sacrificing the power they grant and usually relinquishing control of the most dangerous monsters to spread their chaos unguided.  He stated that he has no desire to keep Hardun under his command for long, wishing to destroy him himself, so he agreed that we might accomplish this feat together provided he can acquire the necessary talismans.  I implied that I have knowledge of and might be able to borrow these talismans for his use in this quest.  He expressed interest in such an arrangement and stated that he would gladly return them once Hardun was destroyed.  Taking my leave, I teleported back to The Floating Tower.

I know the Heroes of Redemption found one of the talismans that The Grotesque described and I believe Wintersky wears a phylactery that closely matches the description of the other talisman.  I will visit this shaman and see if she will lend them to me when the time is right.  I expect she will not believe that they will be returned to her if she lends them to The Grotesque and, honestly, I will not blame her if she refuses.  Perhaps the chest may be useful in his situation, should the shaman be uncooperative.