3. Magic Diary: Maria

Magic Diary: Maria

  • G

    _It's been a while, dear Diary. You which hold so many secrets and important moments of my life and those I call loved ones. Many things have happened since I last dared to fill these pages with my handwriting, most of them with a happy ending, but some not, specially one thing that I'll remember forever. Shallyah's death. It still pains me that I wasn't there to aid her in her final battle when she needed me the most.
    I couldn't even tell her a proper goodbye.
    But now, now I can somehow make up for it. The Gargossans are here in the land, and they are up to no good, surely. I've heard that a group saw Shallyah in the temple in Mintas, where she fell. I need to go there and talk to her myself. I need at least to say goodbye.. and sorry.

    I'll do that tomorrow, now I feel my body needs some rest. So does my mind._

  • G

    The next line on the dairy is written with a not-so-good letter, in fact if it wasn't because the diary can only be written by María, one would doubt it was her doing.

    It's exhausting, but I'm almost ther*

    The last word is not finished, and a stain of ink follow the last "R", as if the the quill would've stayed there for long.

    She fell asleep.

  • G

    _It was late, and I didn't feel like walking all the way back to Peltarch from Norwick, so I decided to stick by the fire, see if anyone joined for a chat. Ashena, Allestor and Robyn where there, so I joined them quietly. The knights didn't take long to leave, and so Robyn and I remained.

    I don't know how it happened. Nor if it would happen again… but I was itching for something to distract me with, and she was itching to speak...and we ended up in the Grapevine's inn, next to the fire.

    She told me a story, her life's quest, I dare say. It was very intriguing and very interesting.. and since it's her life's quest, is yet to be concluded.
    I can't tell for sure, but I have this thought that she will be facing some one unexpected, things will be rough for her, and so I tried to give her a good advice.

    She isn't as rowdy as I thought. She was fairly pleasant actualy. I hope she does well... and should she die in her next duel... well... I'll see to her story to be sung by bards._

  • G

    _We defeated Loke. He was a powerful enemy, but he found himself outmatched because of numbers… perhaps. Able to stop the time and able to cast a contengency powerful enough to heal himself full and port everyone to a designated spot.
    I tried to catch up on his movements while he was casting the time stop, to follow up what he was saying, and it felt so close, I could nearly follow up.. but it slipped.
    I would've kept trying forever and ever, but there was this situation, and I couldn't just waste my time like that. (Hah, did you see diary? What a pun with time there...damn paladins and their punnery...)
    As everytime I face a dangerous and potentially mass destructive opponent, my brain goes far ahead of me, I can still reproduce in my mind all of the things my brain thought while I was just starting to wave hands to conjure the first spell:

    Loke, powerful lich, spellpower. -> taken down before pulls out spells -> Mass haste everyone.
    He is protected -> Greater Dispel, if fail, Greater Spell Breach.
    Sirion spell absorbed -> Cast Greater Spell Breach regardless of Greater Dispel working or not.
    People can't hurt it -> Fire, Electric, Fire, Electric, alternate for good meassure.
    If resist to elements -> Sunburst and magic missile
    Possibility of contingency-> Don't use all spells, save one card under sleeve.
    Could go invisible-> See invisibility ready. On self if needed, on Shallyah if better.

    I had him. By the time I casted Sunburst I had him. Nearly dead, but the contingency activated and we appeared in that other place and full healed. It could've been discouraging, for I had wasted most of the spells, but it was all part of the things I had planned for. He was low on spells too, for what I could see, we had been wasting him slowly, but we were not over with yet. Counter spell a few spells, haste specific individuals.
    I only had one last card to play, and I did it. Tenser's.
    When I engaged him on melee, Molyivel glowed strongly, and I could then feel how the sword sliced through Loke's body, it was almost dead. People were now all together trying to stabb their swords on Loke, but he was actualy hard to hurt. Eventualy, Tymora smiled on me when I closed my eyes and swung the sword fiercely towards him, cutting through him, the final blow.

    Only after the battle I could feel the enormous ammount of pain and how exhausted I was. I went through all of my spellpower in a very short period of time, certainly draining, certinaly worth it.

    When Loke was defeated, his spell ceased to have effect, and we appeared again in Peltarch. Such a desolated place. So much death and destruction around to be seen. Saddens me to the deep of my heart.

    And then.. the Celestial. He again showed up, he again was so familiar to me and at the same time I couldn't tell who he was...
    "Could you give me a hint?"
    "Any."

    Thank you, Wog. What you did will never be forgotten._

  • G

    _I've been overly busy to write anything in here. Many things have happened and now i find myself deep in a lot of unsolved issues.. and also running for the senate. Why? Yes well.. politics have never interested me a shit. And honestly, they still don't.
    However, there's something more important to me than what Im interested in, and that's the wellbeing of those I live here with. Not only my friends, but also the people, the citizens. I've suffered a lot in the past years, important losses and fears… and i've grown to learn how tough and undesirable things can be for others.
    I want to help, and this may be the best way for me to do so.

    I need rest now. Good night._

  • G

    _My unexpected trip to the fire plane happened to take longer than I'd have liked. 1 year and 3 months is too much of a time. Well… that's what I told everyone, when in fact it happens I accidentaly got myself stuck in there and couldn't find the way out. It was a rough time.
    Now I'm back, and apparentely many things have happened. Like.. the puppeter was taken care of, we're close to be in war with lizard folk, and a lot of other things that I had no time to listen to propertly! I wanted to spend a couple days relaxing and enjoying my friends company insntead of getting my mind swarmed with bad things so fast.

    Tomorrow I'll get to that._

  • G

    _I've been lately spending a considerable ammount of time with the members of the Divine Shield. I did never think I would get along with them this well. I found myself laughing and joking the other day in the commons with them, about totaly silly stuff with no reason or purpose. It was delightful actualy. Is good to distract the mind from time to time.

    There's so many things that need careful planning. The puppeter, the Lich, the situation with Jiyyd, even the aberration from the sewers. That needs to be dealt with, for real. All this require lot of planning, specialy the first one, and it's best to not get ones mind overwhelmed.

    My sister has located the lich lair, apparently, but I'll have to wait for her to be back to know the exact place. Hold on, my son, your mother will get you back in no time. As I promised._

  • G

    _The time to assault the Lich is close. Is for that reason I asked Shallyah and Vic to help me gather spellcrystals in the underdark. Sirion joined us.
    We actualy didn't find many spellscrystals, there was a large number of skindancers, but not many eaters, a shame. We went through without much effort to be honest.
    Sirion still is learning his way with spells and what to be used in each situation, I think he lacks proper experience to improve this. Will come with time.
    On the way out, we spotted the first sign of real danger, a beholder. It fled as soon as it noticed we were going to go for him. Naturaly.
    I remember I commented that "beholders" was the worst thing we could fight down there. How wrong I was.

    After we killed a few displacer beasts, we encountered one of the most dangerous, if not the most dangerous, creature in the underdark. A drider spellcaster. It started casting as soon as it spotted us, I could recognize the hand gestures even before it started chanting.
    Time stop, obvious counter meassure? Damage spell to interrupt the next casting after the timestop's gone. Flame Arrow, empowered.
    It looked like the arrows were frozen in mid air for an eternity, but then they hit as the Drider was trying to cast the next time stop, and broke it's concentration. No doubt it'll try to recast, spellmantle, whatever it casts next won't hit. Then it casted a premonition, very powerful defensive spell. That was it's mistake, should've attacked right away.
    I considered hasting myself, but quickly disregarded that option. Shallyah ran towards the drider, as it casted a spell on her, luckily she's smart and had used a crystal with spellmantle on it.
    I casted a greater dispel, and as soon as it hit started preparing to cast a lesser breach, in case it would put up another premonition spell, which practicaly negates shallyahs axe. If I had been hasted, my breach spell would've hit it too son, before it could've casted another premonition, I timed it perfectly well.
    Shallyah cut it in half anyways, timing her blow at the moment she saw the protections were down.
    We dashed out of the place, it was a very dangerous situation if there were more of those.

    I've learnt from this experience. I think I'm ready to face the lich once and for all.
    Get ready, bastard, your days are over._

  • G

    _It was the time to fight Fendon. Two groups, a solid plan. I was sure that Ashena's team would be successfull. Why? Because her motivation was the purest and biggest of all. She would not give up no matter what.

    We encountered ourselves much resistance, strong undead, vampires even, and all just while we were waiting for Allestor's. It all was going good though, we were pretty organized and we counted with the alchemist's golems help. It was a while until I heard Allestor's message. Our time to move… through the purple door.

    I wasnt sure what to expect there. Only was sure that it'd be no easy. We charged in the room, there was profaned minotaurs, vampires, many traps, and even a remnant knight or something. I wasn't sure if that'd be the whole of it, but it was getting really bad for the group, with heavy injures amongst us all, so I went a bit all out. Smoked the crap out of them I did, and used the sunburst scwroll Celia kindly offered me. It came handy.
    After that, we searched all of the rooms, one by one, and we had to face other things.. like mummy lords and death wrights..., luckily just one by one, and we could deal with them easily.

    Once everything was defeated we looked around and Moonie found the sword in a sarcophagus. I quickly told her to get away from it. I tried to sense the magic of it , but it was ridicously overwhelming.. even for me. The red mist surrounding the sword tried to scape when it noticed me, but I knew what I had to do. With a swift movement I casted the desintegration spell on it. The mist stopped moving, but something didn't feel right at all.
    That's when Lady Daisy appeared...
    To put it short, because I like not this kind of sad stories, she sacrifized her life in order to put Fendon to rest for good.
    She's a true hero.

    And now... all efforts focused on getting my child back._

  • G

    _It seems to have worked. I've regained my true powers, totaly free from the curse, the lich and the witch didn't notice the ward, yet. They will soon, if they haven't already, but the only issue would've been if they noticed while I was still in their lair and not recovered.
    I worry anyways about my son, can't be helped… he's in dangerous hands and I have no guarantee I'll see him again. I trust in the lich's desire for power that he will not harm him, even when he notices the ward.

    Now we have to focus on Fendon, it's going to be a hell of a situation. A large group to organize, strong and deadly crypts and very challenging opponents to defeat. I ask Tymora once more to smile upon me and my friends in these times of need. I'm hoping lady Ashena, who will be leading the group, will ask me to help her coordinate the situation. With her passion, devotion, and the charisma she irradiates and my intellect, I think we might do this right.

    Let us hope._

  • G

    _It's time.

    I'm about to give birth and it's time to put into action the plan I thought of the very first day. I had never talked about this to anyone, nor even writen about it in my diary, because I feared somehow he would find about it. The success of a plan is based on how many back-up plans you have for it, and in this case, I think I did a pretty good job about it.
    I feel a bit bad for not sharing my plan with Lady Ashena, she who has taken so much and so good care of me, but it was a necessary evil, so to speak.
    She firmly believes that Kitty will go look for her and the others when I get kidnapped, and that while I give birth they'll be able to make it into the Lich's lair and fight him to save both, me and the kid.
    That would've been a wonderful plan, but probably would've failed. What are the chances they can make it in time before the Lich possesses the kid? What are the chances they can defeat a Lich spellcaster so strong that he is a great challenge for me into what magic refers? I do not doubt Lady Ashena and the others would've tried their best, they'd probably even die before leaving me and the kid there… but perhaps, it would've been not enough.
    In addition, it's known that the lich can possess nearly anyone he wishes, and that he has eyes and ears everywhere. So it's likely he already knew or realized about our plan, and he could have taken counter-meassures. He's smart, and this is a game about being smart. Always have to be two steps ahead of your opponent, in case he's trying to be one step ahead of you.
    Because of this, I didn't explain this to anyone, but Kitty will really look for noone. Whatever efforts the Lich took to counter-meassure the rescue plan, will be in vain, there will be none. I will give birth, and the child will be taken by the lich. I'm hopping the Lich will then believe he has won. I'm hopping he'll take the kid away to his lair, to make the possesion. If he believes so, he'll put his guard down, just as I've planned.
    As I write this, Kitty is bringing a sealed message to Silea with clear yet coded instructions. She will know what to do, but noone else will even if they read. That's the good thing of knowing someone for a lifetime.
    She'll do her job just fine.
    As for my dear kid... well... I wouldn't be such a careless mother to just let him get taken and possessed. Let's say, the lich will find some resistance when he attempts to possess the child. I knew these weird components would be useful someday, I doubt I'll ever make a ward like this one again.
    If my estimations are accurate, it will take the Lich at least a few weeks to figure out how to break it. And even if he does break it before, well.. I already said, a plan's success is based on the number of back-up plans. So a ward's success is based on the number of back-up wards. In this case just one, I'm not that powerful yet, but it'll buy us time.

    I'll go for you, Lich. I'll bring to your doors the fury of the divine shield and it's allies and the fury of a mother. "Do never mess with a mother" Now I know what this words my dad said truly meant._

  • G

    _He made it into the temple!! He bypassed the wards and even possesed Janick!! I… I don't know what happened to me.. I got frozen in fear. That's something that has never happened to me before... I want to think that it's the curse's doing, and nothing else... I need to think that, I need to believe that.Whether is true or not.

    I don't feel safe anymore close to others. The lich has proven to be powerful enough to bypass temple wards and posses Janick, so he can easily posses anyone else too, if only for a period of time if they all strong willed.
    This is the reason why I escaped, I had to run from that place, I had to stay away, as far away as I can, from everyone. I've found this great spot in the woods, that few people would reach on their own. I should be safe here.
    I have kitty guarding, and I placed a ward against scrying too upon myself, that should buy time, that should avoid them finding me.

    All what's left for me to do is trust Lady Ashena and the others. And of course, Kitty. Kitty is the key for this plan. Kitty will just make his part wonderful, I know it. And I.. I have to stay strong...

    Tymora, smile on me this time, I beg._

  • G

    _Being trapped in the temple is very uncomfortable, but apparently I have a tendency to do reckless and stupid things at the moment, without giving them a second thought. Like going out from the temple itself… I decided to give it a go, and all looked fine. I was at the south gates with other people... and I'm not sure why or how it happened, but I ended up nearly killing Vick and injuring Sirion.
    In fact... even now... I'm not sure I mind at all...that I hurt them. Everything I do I need a good while of rigurous mental analysis in order to know if it's good or not. It's exhausting. Obisouly there's time I just don't think about it.
    So then.. I'm dangerous for myself and for others and is for that that I've asked that I'm not allowed out of the temple, under no cirucumstances.

    I think I already have a name for the boy. But maybe it isn't such a great idea, as the many ideas I've had lately, so I'll better wait until my mind is clearer._

  • G

    _I've already talked to Lady Ashena and Allestor. I've given them a good load of magical supplies, from potions to spellcrystals that they will certainly need for the incomming battle. We also decided what will be our course of action, at least if things go as expected.
    I'm to have Kitty close at all times, so that when I get kidnapped again, he can stalk me and find out where I'm being brought. Then he'll have to run back to the nearest town to catch someone's attention, preferably Lady Ashena's and get them to follow him. He's most reliable, he has a great scent and a special link with me. So then.. this is our best shot.

    It's certainly risky, since nothing guarantees they'll make it on time, but what I have no doubts about, is that they'll try their best. There's little else I can do now._

  • G

    The wait is not only tiresome but also makes one anxious. There's no way for me to tell when he'll come to take me, or what does he plan to do. Or is there? I thank the Gods for this brilliant intellect I've been given. Thanks to that, and even if I don't feel as sharp as I used to be before the lich caught me captive, I can picture in my mind several if not most scenarios possible that could occur from now on. And from that point, I've developed different strategies to follow, which I'll have to explain to Lady Ashena as soon as I can meet her.
    Time is of essence..but don't worry my son.. one way or the other… you'll be free.

  • G

    _It's been a while…. since I last wrote a page in this Diary. I've not felt strong enough to do so lately, and it felt also like an unnecessary chore. But now... now I'm not sure I'll make it alive out of this situation, and I would like for my soon to be born child to know what is going on, without missing a detail, so he can forge his own destiny based on what he learns from these pages.

    It was already some time that I had faced the lich on his lair and had to retreat from it, wasted and nearly dead, but still having gained information about my enemy. It was at least half a year since I had any words from him and I let my guard down, which was my mistake.
    I was quietly sitting by the Norwick's south gates and I heard a spell being cast, but before I could react, it was already dark in my mind.
    When I woke up, it was in a crypt, on the ground and unable to move, my bones were chilling and i thought it was because of the cold floor... but suddenly I realized... it was because of his presence.

    I will not go into detail of the pain and suffering I had to endure, but I will reveal to you, my son, the reason you are born. The lich's body is weak and old, and in order to gather more power he needs a young and powerful body, which he wants it to be yours. He plans on possesing you, my child, once you are born, in order to achieve this power he seeks.
    Through painful and horrible ritual he managed to inseminate you inside my body, and you are growing strong, draining me and my magic in order to become more powerful. Yes, that's the reason im writing this pages here....
    It may be the case...that when you are born... I will die, and if that was to happen, I want you to know I love you. You are part of me, and I would like to see you become an excelent mage.

    Trust your sister Elva, I adopted her long time ago because she was lonely, please don't ever let her feel lonely again, there's no curse more unbareable than loneliness. She'll guide you through your first years as magician, but then you will eventualy surpass her, you are my son after all,and you should then help her improve.
    Of course, I'm not so careless as to leave you with just a few advices and kind words. You will have enough gold to live forever, a tower in the rawlins and countless books and scrolls to learn from. You will have a sister, and I bet Sis Silea will be aiding you as well...

    But... the most important thing I will be giving to you if I die... are my bonds with my friends. If I was to die, you'll be safe no matter what, and you'll notice how many people cared for your mother, and how many people she cared for... and that shall remind you always, that the only thing in this world that you can't afford yourself to not have...is friends.

    Be strong my child. And avenge your mother were she to die._

  • G

    _Silea came to me, all agitated and conmotioned. The lich had visited her in her dreams, and was trying to intimidate her, to persuade her to go back to those crypts where she was held and tortured for so many years. It made me rage. I couldn't allow the lich to mortify my sister any longer, so I went for him.

    I knew I was ill and weakened, damn the lich for it, but I still could not stand there and wait. I followed Silea into the Lich's lair, which was seen by her in the dreams. There was a large amount of undead down there, too many, even powerful mummy lords in numbers. It was a hell of a fight… but.. by the time I found the lich, I was wasted. And through all of my rage, a glimpse of sanity crossed my mind. Better to leave while I could, for I would serve Silea for nothing if I got killed.

    Yes, I had to flee, to retreat, to run away. I could hear the lich's laughter echoing behind me. Damn him. I'll be back..._

  • G

    _I can't believe this happened… Norwick's overrun by bugbears... many people fell...many people did their best to save others. I tried too, but it wasn't enough, despite all the powerful I believe I am, it wasn't near enough.

    I should've prepared different spells, it was a poor choice of mine. I didn't know what was comming, but regardless... I should've prepared better. I couldn't save Shallyah, I couldn't save Eluriel, despite my best efforts...
    and at the end the only thing I was able to do was to call for retreat at the keep and hide there... At least that saved a few lives.

    But I can't help but feel bad about it. Should I have stayed there? Should I have died there in defense of the town? What would've that changed...

    I need time on my very own._

  • G

    _I followed the bandit. Lucky as I was, Tymora be blessed, it was raining and my not so silently steps were eclipsed by the sound of the raindrops hitting the ground. I couldn't stand it any longer, I had to find her.

    I followed him to the central plains next to jiyyd, and I was too eager to find her, so eager that I forgot to be cautious. Right at the moment I entered the cave the alarm triggered and soon they all knew I was there. Too late to head back.
    I moved always forward , with conviction. I didn't plan on summoning Kitty to aid me, yet he from his plane, was making so much strengh for me to summon him, to help me in this day, the day I had waited for ever since I left candlekeep.
    Kitty and myself walked through the cave, dealing with the bandits that would dare to stand between us…and her. I've never seen Kitty fight in a more fierce way than today. And I never took a step back. Always forward, leaving bodies left and right of me.
    I didn't let any run away. They didn't ask for mercy, and so they didn't deserve any.
    One room after the other, the bandits kept comming, and they all kept dying. I was so angry and so decided to keep going... my spells came out stronger than they ever had. It was reckless, I didn't even stop to evaluate the thread. I just kept pushing, room after room.
    A group of spellcasters? Burnt to ashes. A group of sneakers? Freezed to death. A group of strong warriors in full plates? Electrified.
    Nothing could stop me. Nothing.

    And finaly, only one person between me and Silea. The bandit's head, the one that held her captive all this time. There was only possible outcome for this. He had to die, pay for his crimes, for all these years without Silea.
    We fought. I nearly lost my arm, such a strengh... and such a sword, that pierced even through my shields.
    In the end, none of these mattered. He had to perish, no other choice. So I did it. And he was dead... his last words, he was sorry, and thanked me for freeing him from his curse... that damn lich.

    After so many years, after so much suffering...she was there... It wouldn't be fair for me to express in words the relevance and magnificence of the moment my hands could hold Silea again.
    But it will stick in my mind for a very long...forever.

    The lich is the one that was pulling the strings behind the scene. He was amused at the outcome of the recent events in his subordinates lair. He claimed he will go for us.
    If something is clear for me at this point, is that I will not lose Silea ever again...and that I will destroy the being that took her away from me to begin with. That's my purpose in life right now. And will do whatever it takes to acomplish it.

    The best of this long day? That I finaly could pronounce this words again...
    "See you tomorrow, Sis"._

    A tear drops in María's diary…..........

  • G

    _Powerful Dragon. Black one. That certainly can't be good, but something in me feels happy about it. Perhaps it's the idea of a true challenge. Of true adventure and risk, like I've had in long time… I can't change what I am, I love adventure, I love challenge and to overcome situations against the odds. I usualy push myself to the limit.

    Val and Shallyah are doing research on that dragon, meanwhile, I'm secretly practicing my most powerful spells, based on the knowledge I have from fighting that other black dragon years back.

    We'll take it down. We have to._