The new tenant

A note has been pinned on the notice board in the common room of the  Citadel:

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I've moved into room 201 as the former owner moved out. He agreed that I could move in and told me it would be a good way to get to know some new faces.

Looking forward to getting acquainted next time I'm around.

- Quyen

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The Muse (Part 6)

Starlight came down upon the world and Waterdeep, only to be greeted by darkness. At night nightmares from Skullport crept through Waterdeep.
 
After stepping through the portal, Quyen had to wait a bit for his eyes to adjust to the darkness. He kept his finger on the trigger of his crossbow and waited. He smelled the dense, grubby air of a city. He thought he would have heard it as well, but he didn't. What he heard didn't belong in a city. The hairs on the back of his neck raised up, and he pressed the trigger of his crossbow. An arrow flew into the darkness and something yelped. Murmering a spell for flying, Quyen started running until he felt the spell take effect. He leaped and flew up, landing on the nearest roof.

In the distance divine wrath burst from the heavens and cracked down onto the streets. Quyen turned his head away to shield his eyes from the light. He cursed, as he preferred them adjusted to the darkness. But then again, at least now he knew where to start looking. And since people didn't cast spells like that for no good reason, Quyen knew he should make hast. And so, he flew.

As he shot over the rooftops, he saw things run in the shadows beneath him. Evil things. The wizard frowned and his hand moved to a bolt with a crystal tip in his pouch. Loading the crossbow, he crossed the last rooftop between him and Calliope, witnessing the battlescene:

A large demon clad in black armour, with glowing red eyes, wielded a large mace and laughed as it lifted the mammoth weapon. After raising it, it slamming the weapon down into the levitated shield that was the only bullwark between Calliope and death. The shield was flung aside by the impact, its levitating spell dying as it clanged onto the cobbles next to Calliope and her weapon.

Once more the demon raised the giant mace, stepping forward and aiming for the kill. Quyen forced his willpower to close the distance between him and the demon. Effectively filling the space between Calliope and the weapon. As the mace came down, a hovering Quyen blocked it with his left arm, straining himself as he struggled against the fury of the demon. He planted his foot on the demon's breastplate, then pulled the crossbow's trigger, firing the bolt into the critters exposed neck. The crystal exploded and lifted the demon off his feet, smashing it into the building behind.

Remembering there was more evil prowling the streets tonight, Quyen held his left arm up and cast a spell that summoned a stom of meteors. As fiery destruction rained down upon the streets of Westbridge, and the demons that crawled through it, Quyen decided to split.

Turning to face Calliope - who was in a bad condition - he scooped her off the street. Holding her in his arms, he ran. Higher and higher, until he was in the air above the city, hidden in the darkness of the night. "City of Splendors my ass, " he thought, and eyeing the battered Calliope, "Me and my big mouth, where to now? "

The Muse (Part 9)

As I woke up, I felt someone next to me. Quyen seemed to be just laying down for a nap himself. No rest for the good of heart. The bed was oddly a creation spell, soft flowers lay under the cloaks that I slept on and placed over me. It was out of place because the rest of the room looked like a small cheap Inn.

"Where... The... Where am I?" My voice cracked from a dry throat and tiredness.

"Safe. How do you feel?" He opened one eye and smiled before waking up and replying.

"Better, this... Whole room isn't real is it?" I kept trying to make sense of the place but it all seemed magical, unreal.

"Real enough. But your instincts are right that it's not a "real" inn room. Careful now, I took care of your wounds, but I am not a priest." He protested as I slowly got up and sat on the edge of the bed. I smiled at him and healed my wounds the rest of the way, white light glowing from them as they healed.

"Last thing I remember... I was running for the door... No, a knight? No, a demon... Yes, a Demon... And you saved me?" I looked down at the dressings that once covered my wounds and smiled. He grinned and scratched the back of his neck being modest. "You've done well. But before all that... THE GNOME!!!" I jumped to my feet and began searching for my journal. He coughed and reminded me that I might want to put clothes on. I obliged and had him turn as I got out my traveling vestments.  He handed me the book after and asked me about the gnome.

"I read your journal by the way while you recovered. What about the gnome?" He asked.

"The lil bastard tried to have me killed! He's the one that created the device, or one of them at least, it harnesses energy for the channeler that's designed to create a very powerful artifact. It essentially entombs wild magic that would otherwise be uncontrollable. And after he told me he'd go find the device so I could figure out what went wrong, he sent those demons after me!" I related what had happened in the past few days. It wasn't long before he was curious about the device.

"So... The spell is part of a ritual that entombs a device of which three are needed to encase a magical artifact?" He looked at me puzzled.

"All I know is what is in the book. The book just explains that the ritual can be used to divert magical power into a channeler and use that diversion as time to be able to capture magic that is normally uncontrollable. The original creators theorized the created object would be capable of casting a high level spell and sustaining it. To what end, I don't know. Half the book is in a language I don't even know, doubt anyone does. But we're losing time! We need to go! Where are we?" I picked up my bag and opened the door and gasped. The dull red bricks with greyed mortar even looked liked they'd aged naturally. The room really was completely fake. It was as if he'd hid us inside a dimension door and made it look pretty.

"Yeah, about that, I'm really not sure where we are, I was in a bit of a hurry to escape and well, teleportation and dimensional doorways are nice but trying to hide in them while being chased is quite another story. So, let's take a look around..." He closed the door and reopened it and the salty breeze familiar to large bodies of water floated into the room. I cast a fly spell as I walked out and stared. Water as far as the eye could see.

The Muse (Part 8)

Quyen turned the page of the journal log written by Calliope. Above him a small ball of light floated, providing light and warmth for those inside his magical shelter. After not being able to find a quick way back home, Quyen had decided to hide them both somewhere. Somewhere was the right word. Somewhere safe. Somewhere without exits and entrances. He bit down on the stick between his teeth rather than a cigarette, as to not suffocate them both with cigarette smoke. So she thinks me strange, huh? He turned another page and read about the merchant and eventually about the gnome. He wondered about the things she had written down. What did they mean? What did she discover that she had done? He squinted at her. Obsessions are dangerous, girl, he thought. With his right hand palm he touched her forehead and checked the temperature, pushing her black locks out of her face. Warm, but not feverish. He pushed his coat away and checked her bandaged body to see if any of her wounds had reopened again. But they hadn't. Smiling, he placed his coat back over her and leaned back.

The coat slowly moved up and down by her steady breathing. And a melancholic feeling crept over Quyen as he thought back of the past. Damn, you look so much like her. So this is what you meant Ror? Bastard. He closed his eyes and rested while he could. She probably had questions when she woke up.

The Short Cut II

Ror walked down the hallway towards the Makou Gateways, while Quyen followed. Arrived, they stepped into a circular room surrounded by windows. Normally, there would be a perfect mixture of energy and natural sunlight, but tonight only the eerie glow of makou-fueled energy illuminated the Gateway Room. Quyen studied the large gates before turning his attention to Ror. The resonating energy seemed to cast a shadow over the elf that made him look like the rippling surface of a lake, too dark to see into. It scared Quyen. "Not many wish to stay long near these Makou Gates, " said Ror, "it's the energy levels. To be honest, I find it quite soothing to be here. " Quyen grunted, "Yeah whatever, this definitely does not float my boat. Which one do I need? " Ror pointed at a gateway to the right of Quyen. "That one leads directly to Waterdeep, City of Splendors. If I am not mistaken, the destination of Calliope. " Quyen spat a cigarette butt out and lit a new cigarette to keep his nerves under control. "I hate portals, " he said, as the first whisps of smoke rose up toward the dome. "Let's get this over with. "

Ror nodded. He knew Quyen for a long time now, as well as his hatred for portals. In fact, Quyen hated all things wizards did. Casting spells, stepping through portals and relying on magic. It was why Ror liked Quyen so much.

"Do you know how to get back? " asked Ror. Quyen, loading an arrow onto a crossbow, looked up from the weapon and said sarcastically, "I click my heels three times, Dorothy? " Ror chuckled, "Looks like you'll be alright then. Nonetheless, I brought a map for you in case... " But Quyen was already stepping through the portal, loaded crossbow in his hand.

The Short Cut

Between the copper fingers of Quyen's arm was a half-eaten apple. He was waiting for the guy in front of him to finish talking to Ror and when the man had finally buggered off, he stepped forward and nudged to his friend.  "Guess who made it in?"   Ror chuckled and nodded, "I read the report."  Quyen rolled his eyes, "Your lady friend was a tough cookie, but she's just your type you know."   Humored, Ror leaned back in his chair and said, "I see.  Well, I guess that's good news.  Did she tell you to keep a close eye on me?"  There was silence across the desk and Quyen spat out an appleseed.  "I see.  She's been worried a lot of late, but trust me I will not do anything stupid before you return."  Quyen tossed the remainder of the apple in the bin, and fetched a pack of smokes from the pocket of his coat.  As he drew a cigarette out and tucked it between his lips, he changed the subject, "You asked me to come.  I'm here, talk."  Ror planted his elbow on the armrest and leaned against his left hand.  "There's a priestess by the name of Calliope who recently left the city for the Port of Thalos.  I believe you met her recently?"   Quyen frowned, "Damn man, you know more than is good for you, you know?" He lit the cigarette with a flame that sparked from his finger.  Ror smirked, "Ah!  It's my job to be well-informed.  Especially within the city walls of Torregiano.  That said, you better hurry to catch up with her.  Or you could take the portal of course."  

Smoking, Quyen raised an eyebrow, "A portal? Where's that?"

The Visitor II

At the tip of Ror's finger a flame danced and lit the cigarette. Ror leaned back into the comfortable chair and whisked the flame out at the same time. Across him, in an equally comfortable chair, sat a man with short, dark hair and blue eyes, dressed in black. His boots and crimon red coat were drying at the grand stone fireplace of the Tripower's formal dining room. The man across Ror warmed himself by the fire as he sucked the cigarette and let the smoke rise. A comfortable moan of content came from the man and he pushed his feet a little closer to the fire. "This is really nice. "

Ror chuckled and nodded, "Better than getting soaked in the rain. No, don't give me that look. Be thankful the guards came to fetch me to begin with. Usually they ignore beggars. " He smirked. "Bastard, " mumbled his soaked friend.

"So, Quyen, " started Ror, "what brings you here? " The man referred to as Quyen chuckled, then replied, "I once promised you to follow you to the end of the world and beyond. I never thought I'd actually live up to that promise one day. "

Ror stayed silent, but nodded, "So this in your homeworld, eh? " asked Quyen. Once again, Ror nodded. "Yes, and still in turmoil, but I will do my best to fix that. Hence why I joined Tripower. " Quyen smiled, "I see. Well then, I better sign up then as well, not? " His smile turned into a smirk. And Ror could not help but smirk with him.

The Muse (Part 7)

*Scrolled in a neat blue script, a Journal log lays open.*

22nd Day of Eleasias:

Finally, it was found, the device of my imprisonment. The young cleric of the Tripower had been so eager to help her. It was the same day I met a strange wizard named Quyen, who oddly enough had been on his way to see Ror. As a healer, I felt the need to help the man in any way I could but our time was short lived as the device in the book would take me very far from this city. Packing my things I left for the City of New Thalos once more, where I hoped he would be able to help me.

28th Day of Eleasias - The Merchant Knight:

The city was much as I remembered it a few months ago. A new business had opened up though it seems and karts and workers with a Blue Rose entwined around a sword were nearly everywhere it seemed. Even some of the larger ships in the harbor had the insignia emblazoned across their sails that could be seen from even the markets. It was difficult to find him at first, but I soon realized that it was his insignia that everyone seemed to wear these days. After finding his office I was told by a rather frustrating goblin secretary in bright pink glasses that only visitors with appointments could be seen. He recognized my voice however and upon opening his door and seeing me greeted me as a long lost friend.

He was a powerful man once again, a story he briefly told me but more important was that he had clues to my past. He mentioned the gnome I needed to find. The gnome even he had been searching for and the one that had got us into all that trouble so many years ago. After some debate about sending guards with me to help, I convinced him to let me ride in an airship bound for Waterdeep.

5th Day of Eleint - The Gnome:

I found the little bastard. Right in the middle of the market. He gasped and tried to run as soon as he saw me. The slippery eel nearly tore his own coat off trying to get away. In the end, he yielded. Even though he had was the one who started us down the path of creating the instruments, I didn't harm him. The words he spoke were those of remorse and sadness.  The short balding gnome with bright green hair had something he hoped  to show me. Something I would have to let him leave and then return for. What this item could be I could only guess at, but I let him go to find....
*The words scroll off as if interrupted or the Journal was closed quickly  with the quill still in the pages.*

Quyen looked up from the book and back to the sleeping priestess whom he had tended to all last night. There was something very odd happening, very odd indeed.

The Visitor

Thunder rolled across the landscape as a furious storm hit the port of Torregiano. The rain poured down on the roofs that were illuminated  from time to time. Then thunder struck the jetty. Followed by a backlash  of magical energies twisting their way into this world. For a short moment  a portal existed. Lightning struck again, this time elsewhere, but as  the light made the jetty flash up, a man was standing there. The rain  drenched his cigarette and he grumbled. He picked it from between his  lips with his mechanical arm and tossed it away. He started to walk through  the downpour towards the city. He could see the tower that he had spied  before. The location of which he knew his friend was now living. He dragged his soaked boots through the streets until he eventually stood before the gates of Tripower and looked up, the rain battering his face.

"Rooooooooooooooooor! " he yelled and he knocked on the gate, "Let me in you bastard! "

The Muse (Part 5)

PAIN ripped through her right shoulder, the demons claws scratching her as it lashed out at her. Calliope twirled letting her large katana slice through the air defensively and let it hang behind her shoulder ready to strike. The shield she bore still levitated in front of her and she watched the demon blink in and out of of the shadows. And lunge at her again. Divine wrath burst from the heavens and burned the demon slamming it to the ground mid air. It screeched and dove into the shadowy alley nearby.

Waterdeep had become a nightmarish town at night. I had become the hunted. Fleeing for my life as the shadows themselves came alive to haunt me and claw at my soul. The shield closed in to her and she held the sword and sheathe as she ran waiting for the next challenge to meet her. Were they all chasing her cause she found the gnome? What other possible explanation could there be? My shoulder burned with demon fire. The simplest scratch from these creatures became the hardest of wounds to heal and she tried casting a simple healing spell as she turned the next corner.

White light flashes in the wounds and I felt relief but it was a perfect time to strike. Something large and blunt crashed down between my neck and shoulder blades and sent me sprawling to the ground. The poisoned weapon burned my skin and sent venom I wasn't able to heal coursing through my veins. The large black armor clad glowing red eye'd demon wielded a large mace laughed as he lifted the mammoth weapon. He raised it and the levitated shield rushed into his blow and was flung useless to the road next to my weapon and body. He raised the giant mace again and I heard metal against metal and a strange mechanical whirring noise and the blow that should have ended the night never came.

Struggling to my feet I saw Quyen's leg plant firmly between the demon knights breast plate and knock him backward into the side of a building. He then held up his hand and meteors flew from his hands chasing the knight down the street, exploding as they missed and erupting and causing the demon to howl in pain as they hit. The poison still burned in my veins, it was too much and I fell to the ground but before I blacked out I felt strong arms lift me from the road and begin running...