Pandora's lament

[Vyris]

*tear stained parchment and blotched ink*
The pain these last two weeks has been incredible....my... legs are twisted and horrible... I'm certain I'll never gain acceptance.. like this.

I think this change was triggered by drawing on my infernal blood for power.... I am truely damned.. there is no hope for me.

[mixafix]

yep..that usually does it, certainly !

[Vyris]

I've known hunger before. but not like this. A mountain of coin is as kindling to a fire if there is nobody that will sell you food. If it had not been for a large brute Brutus and a kindly man named Seteece I would have starved to death by now. Krandor seems to be a haven for me. The inkeeper is willing to rent me rooms, against the barkeeps wishes, but as long as I stay to the shadows and don't overstay my welcome I should be alright. There is also a house in Hlint where an old gnome lives, his thin skin must not hold his heat well, for he keeps a fire all day and night. there is a place behind his house where the stovepipe leaves his house that is warm and dry, I stay there often.

*written on the same page, but much later*
I have been out with a varied group of adventurers, I kept to the shadows and hid or wore my concealing dress when in plain sight, I am sure if any noticed my strange legs they would have questioned me about them... perhaps if I can gain some trust... Brutus and Seteece seem to be good places to start....

[Vyris]

I have made aqauintance with a woman named Lalaith and a man named Talon. The former shares my strange tattoo, and seems forelorn, she saw me as I am, demon legs and horns and seemed lost enough in her own misery to barely take note. Talan was more interested in my lineage than in my looks... comforting but also disquieting. I get the feeling if given a chance Talan would like to study me further... professional curiosity maybe. He mentioned a certain intrest in lineage.

I bought a ring that should help me be more persuasive and personable from Talan... it was a steep price to pay, but I hope it will help with peoples reaction to my disfigurement.

[Vyris]

Much has happened since I last had a desire to sit with a quill and write in this journal. There are so many pages here that are empty.

I have come to grips with my heritage... even embraced it in some ways. It feels good to just let go once in a while, and consequences be damned. I no longer try to hide the extent of my taint from anyone... well, thats not entirely true Pandora... at least be honest in your hournal. There is Weston, he's such a kind man, and I rather think he feels protective, him I've never shown or told, or allowed to see, I think it would be a shock to him... once he doesn't need right now. He's still adjusting.

Ozymandius helped me very much with accepting my heritage. He is attractive in ways that most men are not... but then again, I suppose to be honest, he's not a man at all.

I've seen a little of Brutus lately as well, such a kind, gentle brute of a man, I do adore him so... never a dull time with Brutus around.

*later*

Oooh these headaches drive me mad... and the pain in my fingers just makes them worse.

[Vyris]

Time has come for me to expand my horizons to encompass my burgeoning desire to reserch the manner in which undead are created, I now have a better grasp of the forces that create such creatures, and the counter measures nescessary to ensure my own safety while I observe them. Towards this end I have secreted the required supplies for a temporary camp within the Hlint crypts, I feel a slight pang of loss at leaving my concealment within the Sielwood forest... perhaps it is the last bit of insulation from society I feel stripping away, I'll never be accepted, I know that... but perhaps one day I'll at least be respected.

[Vyris]

Field trial notes :

Myself - Fireball

Niv - Negetive energy ray

Result : A hot burning bolt with explosive, but chaotic tendancies. Must be further tested under controlled conditions.
anticipated/desired result : A negetive burst fireball, possible cold damage or group energy drain.

Myself - Fireball
Niv - Scintillating sphere

Result : A flame laced ball of electrical energy with subdued effect. The magical flame seems to prevent the electricity from attaining enough heat to be properly conducted, or it increased the resistance in the air by super-heating it and drained the charge greatly before impact. The electrcity also seems to contain the fireball blast, reducing damage radius.
Anticipated/desired result : Had hoped the blast of the fireball would expand the electrical eneries to the edges and lend a wider area of effect, centralized fire damage and peripheral electrical damage.


 Personal notes:
Testing theory was skewed by the chaos of combat, Spellguard may have facilities for testing such theory. Cost of testing is well in excess of projected project costs.

I would like to find someone who I might learn some of the more complex necromantic rituals from, I believe the synergy between the necromantic and summoning spheres holds keys to unknown reward. There is also risk involved, I must read further on the dangers of summonings and learn the propper protections before proceeding further. I will study the ghouls in the Hlint crypts further, aside from the lesser dark soul, they appear to be the strongest.


None have discovered my sheltered camp here in the Hlint crypts, this is well, for I'd hate to have to begin moving it to keep it from being looted.

[Vyris]

An event filled day. I had intended to innitiate some field reseach of the undeads in the broken forest, but my foray ended with unanticipated results.

I made my way from the Hlint crypts to the broken wood. I believe I have learned much from assessing the ghouls here in Hlint, and wished to continue my studies observing the tortured shades in the forest. While there I encountered a man named Cole Norseman, who informed me of strange doings in Fort Hope. We went to investigate and found the inn utterly destroyed, blood and carnage from bloor to ceiling. After completing out investigateion we discovered the merchants were still in business, whether this is due to a resiliant nature on the part of the local merchants... or perhaps them buying favor I do not know, and they were very close lipped about the affair.
I warned a druidic looking couple of the events and they as well promised to pass along the information to traveller. Later I met a man named Armon and after talking invited Cole and I to the mountains.

Our trip to the mountains was most successfull, gaining us many coins and a dire tiger pelt. I was able to effectively emply a variety of evocations and incantations to aid in our journey.

[Vyris]

I'm encountering problems attempting to broaden my range of available spells, the other mages I encounter seem to be either jealously guarding thier knowledge in a most self serving manner, or apathetic about any overtures I make on the subject. My poor familiar Scherezhade was buffeted by a gust of wind from one mage I'd asked her to relay a message to, and another mage told me later he'd considered whether she would make a propper alchemical componant. *sigh* No wonder the mages of the world seem to have such a foul reputation if these are the ambassadors we have.

I think I will go back and redouble my efforts to glean secrets from the dead, at least I know how to wrest thier secrets from them.

[Vyris]

I've been gone nearly a week from the Sielwood... it is good to be home again. In an effort to gain new spells that may be of use to me I have been from one end of Mistone to another, Rilara and Roldem as well, most of my week was spent in Tibum.

I recieved word on the location of some rare fungus that is either required in the scribing of spells from memory to scroll, or have some other arcane use. The location of these mushrooms led me to a swampy area populated by a fierce band of frog men, they seemed to be a warrior race, and as I crept ivisibly among them I heard thier croaking, barking speech and could naught but wonder what it is that they spoke of. The lowlands were miserable, filled with swirling swarms of biting insects whe found me despite my invisibility and mercilessly ate at my flesh, biting and stinging wherever there was exposed flesh. It was slow and miserable work, but eventually I managed to accumulate a goodly supply of the spotted caps and decided to begin my journey back to Mistone. After much time trudging back through the putrid swamps I arrived back in Tibum, only to discover I had a bare thirty coins in my coin purse and, much to my chagrin, Tibum has no bank. These outskirt towns are such a bother! And yet they make claim to be a civilized outpost, BAH!

At that point I began to assess my options, and judging by the fearfull way the local peasants spoke of the dangers outside thier gates I proceeded with much caution, summoning Scherezhade to my side, and a planar ally, a celestial dog. With my two companions in tow I made my way back to the nearby forests, planning to attempt to rid the woods of some of the cultists that dwelled there... but as I busily searched for an advantagous angle from which to launch my magics a pair of great shambling mounds erupted from a nearby deadfall and felled both my beloved familiar and my summoned hound in no time at all. I quickly cast a spell of invisibility and began to retreat back to Tibum when I realized that one of the shuffling monstrosities was following my track in the forest deadfall and was nearly apon me! I broke into a run, and the noise of my passage only seemed to spur it on, no longer following my steps but my hasty passage.

I fail to see the logic, or the humor, in naming such an agile creature with such an unlikel name as a "shambling mound" It's speed and agility suprised me greatly as it chased me all the way back to the city gates.

I stayed that night in the local inn, and made mention of my plight to the innkeeper there, the next morning there was a man and old woman waiting for me near the bar, they approached and offered me a job... collecing garlic bulbs from the field beyond... having little choice in way of making coin elsewhere I accepted thier proposal and began two days of harvesting garlic outside the city for 1 coin per bulb, I feared to be there a month or longer when Lalaith arrived in Tibum, and graciously provided a ticket for me to return to Karthy, I paid the woman six hundred coins for compensation for her troubles and went about my business.

Now if I could only track down that mage Elimere and deliver this rather pungent box of fungi.


I may write more later after I rest and attempt to decipher some meaning from this necromantic scroll. Animating the dead seems to be a power that escapes my mind for the moment.

[Vyris]

The Sielwood was alive last night as I sat in my camp, sounds stirred in this dark cathedral of trees, and there was a restless energy in the air. I sat for many hours, feeling grounded and seeking peace in the night sounds all around me, and soon I began to drift into a near sleep.
It is while I was dozing that she must have approached, or perhaps she was there before, the Sielwood witch has many talents I've not yet come to understand.
I awoke just barely, and percieved her there but did not stir, he was speaking to me, nearly singing. She spoke of warm, sunny days in the clearing with tall grass and cool water rippling over my toes, a warm breeze playing my skirt about my legs, grass stained heels and knees. There was a gentle, soothing rythm to her speach and I soon found myself drifting again... back to the glade she spoke/sang of and the warm breeze rustling reeds against my knees.

I awoke late this morning, with an aching tingle in my legs and feet, I stirred and stretched, disturbing the wolf mother who sometimes shares my camp from my bedroll. We both stretched languidly and she began to trot off back to the woods.
Just then I gasped and let out a small noise of suprise, for peeking from the bottom of my bedroll were five toes, I wiggled them and they responded, five grass stained digits waving good morning to the sky. I pulled back the covers to reveal my other foot, toes, grass stains, feet.. FEET! I lept from my cot and my legs buckled, I fell and just caught myself, looking up I saw the wolf mother looking back at me from the edge of camp, her mouth turned up in an odd canine smile, and her eyes... her green eyes looking back at me and almost looking amused.
She turned then and trotted off, and I pulled myself upright and massaged my windchapped legs and grass stained feet, for hours I sat there next to the dying embers of my nights small fire and wept a gratefull torrent of tears. I thought of the dream, and the witches song, and was thankfull, for the first time in many, many years I was truely thankfull and I wept without shame.

[Vyris]

My research has enjoyed the fruits of my countless expiriments. Recently I was researching several necromantic incantations in the corner of the library in Spellguard reserved for such tomes and had a flash of insight into the nature of necromantic summoning. Using this newfound understanding I have been able to dispell several different varieties of undead creatures harmlessly and without danger to myself.

I have found as well since my miraculous restoration that I am able to creep much closer to the 'living' dead than before, even muffled my hooves made too much noise. This has enabled me to view the weave of bindings that hold them in this world and glean some insight, the 'natural' undead, those that remain on this plane through force of will, are mound only loosly here, and are easily dispelled, though it seems as a obvious counter to thier weak link to the material, thier bond with the negative plane is much stronger, and it is this power that they use to drain the living.

Fascinating business, perhaps soon I will find referance to greater works. It seem to be that most who follow a necromantic course of study are rather private, and do not willingly share thier knowledge. whether this be for fear of reprisal or some unknowable greed caused by thier long and lonely lives I do not know. I will endeavor to remain grounded here myself, living amonst the vibrant life of the seilwood gives a certain center to me, and helps me clear my head.