Death's Gate (Frances' Tale).

... It was been a while since i was so close to the Land of Mists, to the Fugue Plane - where dead mortals pay a visit before passing to the Outer Planes of their gods.

There are ways to return from Fugue to the Prime Material, but often there's no desire to go back.

In a good mood i've entered kobold swamps, with a little problems ventured deeper into east.

Fought few of Kobolds, then Lizardmen.

Bad weather distracted me, i didn't notice dispel magic spells that they cast upon me to abolish my arcane defenses ... then two of melee-armed Lizardmen charged me, one after other.

i defeated one but was too wounded to face second.

Dangerously wounded tried to escape, but they run too fast ... and pain from wounds was too great.

My blood flowing i went down, feeling no strength to stand up and continue fleeing.

Lizardman seemed happy with his kill, as i appeared to be dead. He wandered about, distracted - perhaps looking for more of adventurers to slay or flee from.

'Frances, get up ... get up Frances ... ' - i kept repeating to myself, blood flowing from my open wounds & lips.

Trying to not catch Lizard's attention, i put bandages on my wounded leg, almost passing out from pain ... wound seemed stabilized, i managed to drink one 'Cure Serious Wounds' potion, grabbing it from my leather belt.

Pushed myself up, white mist mixing with swamp lights & sights as i fled, pulsing in ears, blood flowing from mouth ... i managed to escape deeper swamps.

Don't know why Lizardman didn't pursue, didn't care to bother or look back.

In Peltarch's Temple of Selűne, in infirmary they took care of me ... good food & rest allowed me to recover & write this in journal.

Thanks to curative powers of potion i drank, there will be no ugly scar - one of infirmary attendants told me smiling.

Potions are expensive, but these save lives ... and are meant to be drank when someone's wounded - otherwise would be only a weight in inventory.

Praising Siamorphe and Kossuth, i'll be leaving infirmary and continue my rest at inn.

-- Frances, an Adventuress of Darkhavens' noble origin.

A Four of Enchantments Planned (Frances' Tale).

i've planned for four items to be enchanted in a future.

1. Black Cloak (Spell Resistance: 16).
2. Archery Gloves (Dexterity +1, Concentration +4, Discipline +4).
3. Archery Belt (Dexterity +1, Concentration +4, Discipline +4).
4. Soldier's Boots of Dodging (+2 Dodge Armor Class, Discipline +3, Weight Reduction: 80% of original weight).

Of these items, only Black Cloak can be enchanted with 8th Arcane Initiation that i already have completed; Remaining three items will have to wait for my 9th Arcane Initiation.

Regarding boots, i need to use Dwarven Flat-Bottomed boots as a component so all of properties can be imparted; i have one pair, perhaps more can be bought if enchantment fails.

It's a lot of gold coin to enchant all of these, a lot of lifeforce spent as well.

-- Frances Darkhaven, an Adventuress & a Witch.

Escorting Caravan (Frances' Tale).

Brief.


After buying spell crystals my funds were quite low.

i've been fighting to gather more coins - and recovered some from hands of Kuo Toa and Kobolds; sold some coal to a crafter Gnarl Horst as well.

Then an opportunity arrived, there was a caravan to be escorted for the House Hemway of Peltarch. We were hired by Lady Hemway with her attendant Alfred - whom curiously she did call every time with different name.

We sought information how to reach our randezvous site, Regal's Fjord, and were advised by a horse seller to use ship; but the trip by water was not so uneventful.

It was a hard fight against pirates, then lot of work by pumps to keep our damaged ship afloat - but we recovered their plunder coins after most of pirates were defeated; it was about 1000 gp for each of us. It was Umberlee-serving pirate casters with spells of bladewall & firestorm that damaged our ship.

At fjord we were approached by Aurilite cultists, who offered us 'Enlightenment' if we undressed from our warm cloaks and felt evil godess of colds' - Auril's - 'kiss on the skin'. i didn't agree, for it was not a way to reach enlightenment - only to get cold & sick instead.

Leeroy - a leader of our caravan - had troubles with a cart wheel, but after it was fixed we could leave.

We rode on the carts pulled by the horses, it was fast and safe until caravan broke.

We had such breaks three times in dangerous areas, we fought wolves, trolls and orcs while Leeroy kept repairing caravan.

Orcs were toughest and most numerous of waves of encountered enemies, our horses were attacked - until Isolde had invisibility spell cast on horses and Leeroy.

After defeating orcs our journey continued, with only two horses remaining alive to pull caravan's wagons.

When we were mostly spent out of spells, our caravan broke again at Peltarch's gates.

We were debriefed, paid and party split.

Now i used up a few of potions, but coin-wise - have over six thousand in my purses.

-- Frances, an Adventuress and an Archer - Witch.




Tip.




Ship.




Pirates.




Fjord.




Wolves.


   

Trolls.


   

Orcs.




Back in Peltarch.




Lady Hemway.

Tapping Artifacts' Powers (Frances' Tale).

i had a vision & insights.

There are nine powerful artifact crystals in a related plane-world, called 'Crystals of Time'.

i've thought i'll offer certain powers, help to build these artifacts' powers with my nine spell crystals of the haste spells.

i've prayed to divine to believe in the powers of 'Crystals of Time', to enhance these.

The 'Crystals of Time', it's said, have abilities to put whole nations to a slumber, to wipe something from nations' memories - including memories of the gods they worship, or to kill whole nations.

It's said that 'Crystals of Time' have lesser - but still significiant - powers as well,

i feel i've gained a little of their abilities & powers, by naming nine of my spell crystals properly, by imbuing them with a time-related haste spells.

Perhaps later i'll be able to proceed with more attunements & affinities that way.

But there's a drawback as well - as i gain abilities from the artifact, it also gains powers over me.

-- Frances Darkhaven, a Witch of a Noble Oscuran origin.

Crystals of Time (Frances' Tale).

Casting - Storing 'Haste' spells in the Crystals.


i've bought a large number of spell crystals for a small fortune - 9 rough for 100 gp each, 11 standard for 300 gp each, 3 perfect for 700 gp each;

It's 6300 gold pieces in total, what i have left is about 1800 gp.

i've stored 'haste' spell in 9 of standard spell crystals - this will have uses as an aspect of greater magic of 'Crystals of Time', i should not use it in combat unless my life is seriously threatened.

Rest of spell crystals i'll use as a reserve;

Compared with scrolls these crystals have both advantages as well as faults.

Scrolls are lighter, and are more worthy for wizards who can use scrolls to learn spells & copy to their spellbooks.

Crystals on the other hand can be imbued with priestly, druidic or bardic spells as well, when i find someone willing to do this favour for me, but are heavier than scrolls.

Anna Blake, a friend who sold me these crystals added a small gift to it - an amulet which increases a number of spells available each day to a wizard or a sorcerer.

-- Frances, a Witch & Adventuress of the Darkhaven Noble Oscuran Family Origin.




'Crystals of Time'.




Empty Spell Crystal Reserves.




Amulet.