Kiera's Thoughts: Finale

[marsden_online]

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We made our plans in seclusion, sending messages to the few people we felt should know immediately before departing. We told them only that we were going to make what we hoped would be the final strike against the Drow.

Then we prepared for combat and I called upon the Lady to intervene directly with a Miracle and transport us directly to the Master - wherever he might be and whatever his protections.

The sensation was not unlike yet not like being teleported. We first found ourselves in a small grey pocket dimension, completely enclosed and I admit to being momentarily worried that the Master was backed by a power equal to Her and able to intercept us. But then one wall peeled away and we found ourselves is a huge stone chamber facing a single figure seated on a stone throne.

He greeted us and out of habit I engaged him in conversation, before the urgings of my companions reminded me that we had not come to talk this time and it became clear that he was merely stalling for time while our spells waned. We attacked at full force.

As our blows and most powerful spells landed on the drow a strange thing happened - his body rather than tearing and bleeding became cracked and pale with some light - although it was more of a darkness - showing through from beneath. Within seconds the shell was destroyed and with it the stone hall fell away as well leaving us on a great and featureless plain facing not the Drow but a gigantic black dragon - not the sleeping red dragon Blood but the undead spirit of Obsidian!

We were outmatched - this became clear fairly quickly. My spells repeatedly failed to make it past Obsidian's resistance, Branson and Lythari could barely scratch his hide. He had no trouble striking us as he chose and one breath was nearly enough to do for all of us. But we had committed all to this confrontation and hung on trying to find a way through. Eventually he became tired of the battle or maybe we had hurt him more than we realised - he called on the link between the Master and our tattoos and commanded us to OBEY.

The command tore through all of the spells I had hoped might protect us, going straight for the soul. With great effort I fought it off, by some wonder so did Branson but Lythari just stopped, shifting out of his wildshaped form and standing helplessly. I spared a moment to be grateful that we were not also having to fight our friend as Obsidian returned to the attack.

Lythari recounts that as his soul or self-will was driven from his body he found himself in another place. Here he spoke with the Power of Nature he is dedicated to, my Lady and the ghost of the dead King. They told him several things of great import
- firstly that we could activate our tattoos to get past Obsidians defenses
- secondly that with Obsidians final demise the pocket dimension we were in would collapse
- thirdly that if we had not expended all our tattoos before this collapse was complete our souls would never be free of our bodies and when we finally died we would cease to exist entirely.

Lythari returned to his body and relayed this information - the tide of battle turned. Now we could destry Obsidian, and we did. Fittingly Lythari delivered the final blow - shifted in the form of an earth elemental he struck Obsidian down from above. [Rocks fell, dragon died]

The dimensional collapse was not immediate - Lythari and I had plenty of time to use the last of our tattoos. To forsake the afterlife would be to abandon the Lady and it was clear that this was not how she wished it to be. Branson choose to keep his and to become ultimately mortal.

We rode the collapse, and found ourselves in the Drow city - surrounded by drow nobles and with the body of the Master lying bloody at our feat displaying the wounds we had previously inflicted but not seen. Before they could recover from the shock enough to act I began to speak - telling them who they had truly been serving and telling them that the war was over as long as they chose not to continue it. They would of course have other matters on their minds - I suggested they try ands find a successor to the Master with minimal killing. I also gave any of them the chance to challenge us there and then - none took me up on it.

Before leaving I demanded all the research that existed on creating Runebane - and I trust that the papers we have are the most of it. Only the Artist knows all and we are now free to finish with him.

We returned to Drakehold to relay the news and consider our futures, two of us Runebane no longer.

I did of course travel to the Artist and ... execute is the gentlest word, there was nothing good about it but his creation of us and the continued existence of that knowledge is a direct affront to the Lady and it was only the existence of a greater affront (Obsidian) which had spared him to this point. He resisted of course but actually seemed rather resigned to the outcome.

~~~
What now? Well...

Branson still has the longevity of a Runebane - how long we do not know but likely centuries. He becomes the Eternal Champion of the King and of Drake itself - or close enough to eternal.

Lythari becomes the avatar of his power and works towards bringing the Elves back to Nature and preparing them for the inevitable waking of the dragon Blood.

I travel to the Silver City to atone and rediscover who I am and was, and then accept the title title and responsibilities of the Voice of the Lady - splitting my time between the City and the Mortal world as Her representative to the Council of Churches forming the new Pantheon. Eventually my second death comes - rather more peacefully than the first - and my duties thereafter keep me mostly in the City or on the outer planes.

~~~

Kiera Elsienna, Cleric of the Masked Lady (Queen of the Silver City, Mistress of Lore, Guardian of the Dead)

Race: Human
Gender: Female
Height: 5'1"
Eyes: Grey
Hair: Fair with a distinctive jagged silver stripe
Alignment: Neutral
Level: 17

STR 9
DEX 21 (15 +6 Gloves of Dexterity)
CON 12
INT 21 (15 +1 Level +5 Tome of Clear Thought)
WIS 32 (17 +3 Level +5 Tome of Understanding +6 Periapt of Wisdom)
CHA 20 (15 +5 Tome of Leadership and Influence)

Clerical Domains

Knowledge (all Knowledge skill are class skills and +1 caster level for divinations)
Protection (Protective ward +17 1/day)

Feats

Combat Casting
Endurance
Die Hard
Negotiator
Persuasive
Spell Penetration
Greater Spell Penetration (from item)
Craft Wand

Skills

(Only those with ranks or modified by feats/items)
Bluff +10 (+5 CHA +2 feat +3 Circlet)
Concentration +21 (+1 CON +20 ranks)
Diplomacy +31 (+5 CHA +19 Ranks +2 feat +4 synergy +3 Circlet -2 Belt)
Disguise +8 (+5 CHA +3 Circlet)
Gather Information +10 (+5 CHA +2 synergy +3 Circlet)
Heal +25 (+11 WIS +14 ranks)
Intimidate +10 (+5 CHA +2 feat +3 Circlet)
Knowledge: Arcana +10 (+5 INT +5 ranks)
Knowledge: Dungeoneering +6 (+5 INT +1 rank)
Knowledge: Geography +7 (+5 INT +2 ranks)
Knowledge: History +10 (+5 INT +5 ranks)
Knowledge: Local +10 (+5 INT +5 ranks)
Knowledge: Nature +6 (+5 INT +1 rank)
Knowledge: Nobility +10 (+5 INT +5 ranks)
Knowledge: Religion +25 (+5 INT +20 ranks)
Knowledge: The Planes +8 (+5 INT +3 ranks)
Move Silently +10 (+5 DEX, +5 Boots)
Sense Motive +14 (+11 WIS +1 rank)
Spellcraft +13 (+5 INT +6 ranks +2 synergy)

Special note
Jump +11 with Expeditious Retreat tattoo activated

Languages: Common, Celestial, Drow, Elven, Goblin, Orc, Dwarven (from belt) and of course access to the Comprehend Languages and Tongues spells

Runebane Tattoos

At the end of the campaign Kiera has given up the power of her tattoos
Each tattoo can (could) be used 5 times per day (1 per 3 character levels). Most have a duration of 5 minutes (again 1 per 3 character levels) but some have an instant effect.

Heart tattoo (instant)
5d8 healing plus Lesser Restoration on self
If the character is reduced to or below -10 Hp this tattoo will automatically spend a use if any are left and they will be stable on -9 HP (a net of dark energy snares the soul as it departs the body and drags it back)
If there is a use of the tattoo left at the end of the day the character will be fully healed of all wounds and mundane poisons/diseases overnight and most magical poisons and diseases also some curses such as lycanthropy
The basic heart tattoo is a prerequisite for any other runebane tattoo. The catch is you have to have died before it can be applied and the procedure is a failure more often than it is a success.

Head
Detect Magic
Detect Good/Evil/Law/Chaos (pick one on activation, can be activated multiple times to detect multiple alignments)

Right arm
+1d6 lightning damage and +2d6 Holy damage vs evil creatures to all attacks made after it is activated (spells such as spiritual weapon cast before activation do not acquire this extra damage)

Left arm
+4 armor bonus (as per Mage Armor)
Resist Energy 30 (select type of energy on activation, can be activated multiple times to get protection from multiple energy types)
Death Ward

Back
Sanctuary (expires as usual on making an attack) and Entropic Shield

Right leg
True Strike (instant)
Spectral Hand (sticks around for the duration)

Left leg
Expeditious Retreat
Air Walk

Items

"Kiera's Reclaim" +1 silvered light mace (+1 to hit, 1d6 damage)
- 4 to clerical turning level
- forged from a solid silver statue of herself which was being used as a focus by the cult of Vecna led by her twin sister
- counts as a Holy Symbol of the Lady including for spells which require a symbol of a particular value
"Lady's Blessed Protection" +1 Buckler (+2 to AC), Light Fortification, Spell Resistance 15
- functions as a mirror
- Counts as a Holy Symbol of the Lady

Usually worn
Circlet of Persuasion
Periapt of Wisdom +6
Tunic of Free Movement
Cloak of Resistance +5
Brooch of Shielding
Armband of Greater Spell Penetration (slotless item)
Armband of Telepathic Bond (one of a set of 3 the other two worn by Lythari and Branson)(slotless item)
Bracers of Armor +2 (stack with regular armor and spells such as Mage Armor)
Gloves of Dexterity +6
Ring of Sustenance
Ring of Protection +5
Belt of Dwarvenkind
Boots of Elvenkind

Also carried
Portable Hole well stocked with adventuring supplies
A set of +5 Mithral Plate Mail which she never actually wore outside training
Ring of Immunity to Fire
Necklace of Prayer Beads (Healing, Smiting, Karma)
Pearls of Power 1 spell levels 1(x2), 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9
Pearls of Power 2 spells x2
Lesser Rod of Widen Spell
Greater Rod of Quicken Spell
An assortment of wands, potions and scrolls

Non-magical
Sling and Quarterstaff
Assorted expensive spell components for high-level spells
Adventurers Guild Medallion
Kings Service Medallion
Platinum goblet gifted by the Church of the Maker

~~~
Yes the game may have been a little high-powered :)