Chapter Text
The eerie quiet of the Underdark was palpable as the four of us approached the looming tower before us. We were all still catching our breath from defending against the arcane turrets that lined the staircase leading to the door.
“A Wizard’s tower is his sanctum, a private place for research and respite. But as this wizard’s not home… I say we take a peek.” Gale winked at me as he spoke, a mischievous and excited grin plastered on his face. He was pulled by his own innate curiosity about the inner secrets of this mage’s tower.
I turned to Astarion and Karlach, who looked a bit curious themselves.
“Do you think there’s anything more than dusty old books in there? Gold, perhaps?” Astarion asked, turning towards Gale.
“Ah, hard to say. I am certain there is knowledge to be found, however, and that is by far the more valuable of the two.” Gale said with a grin. Astarion rolled his eyes.
“Careful soldier, we don’t know what else is beyond that door.” Karlach said, drawing her greataxe and gesturing toward the tower’s heavy wooden entryway.
I looked toward the door, taking a deep breath and hearing the shuffle of my companions as they braced themselves.
Heaving my body weight forward, I pushed on the door. It didn’t budge, not an inch. I fiddled with the door handle before realizing the damned thing was locked. I clicked my tongue in frustration.
“Astarioooon.” I said with a whine. “... Can you pick this lock, please?”
He scoffed as he pushed me aside and whipped a lockpicking set from his pocket. His fingers moved quickly and precisely as he crouched to focus on the locking mechanism of the door. A series of rattles and clicks came from the door’s handle before Astarion stood straight, a look of pure satisfaction on his face.
“Easy as that. What would you do without me, darling?” He said proudly, waving the lockpicking tools in the air as if they were a magic wand.
“I would be repeatedly failing at picking the door lock myself.” I responded matter-of-factly. My dry humour earned a soft exhale of a laugh coming from Gale’s direction.
Once again, I braced myself as I heaved my bodyweight into the door, grateful that it budged and proceeded to swing open as the four of us piled into the tower through the arched doorway.
Everything happened so quickly, as all three of my companions shouted, diving behind piled up barrels and crates that were littered throughout the mostly empty room.
I didn’t see what it was that they were hiding from, until it was too late.
I felt a warm sensation grow on my skin, hovering right over my ribcage as I stepped in the entryway. I looked down at my torso to see what was happening and was horrified to see a bright blue beam of light aimed right at me. I followed the beam to see it emanating from another Arcane turret in the corner of the room, armed to defend the tower from intruders. By the time I noticed the turret pointed right at me, a glowing missile had already been fired and was hurtling in my direction.
The missile struck me on my left side, the heat of the spell stung my skin and the force of the blast felt like it had definitely broken some ribs. I fell backwards, unable to hold my stance after the blow I had taken. I could feel my armor soaking with blood from my injuries as I writhed on the stone floor, trying to catch my breath and steady myself. I felt stupid for not expecting more defenses within the tower, and even more so for failing to notice the danger that my companions had been able to avoid.
“Tav!” I heard Gale exclaim. He was behind the cover of some crates so that the turret couldn’t sense him, but he must have seen everything.
I didn’t have the strength to respond or call out to him, all of my energy was focused on my injuries. I had to stabilize myself, both my mind and body so that I could avoid the turret’s next missile. It would keep targeting whoever and whatever was within its sights, and I was a sitting duck.
As I tried to calm my swirling mind and push away the growing intensity of the pain, I felt a familiar sensation. The same heat I had felt moments ago began to grow, now pulsing on my chest, nearer to my heart. The turret’s aim was primed for a killing blow. I winced as I attempted to move my mody, but exclaimed in agony, falling backwards once more and negating any progress I had achieved to escape the turret’s offenses. I had no time left. I closed my eyes, dropping my head back onto the cold floor of the tower.
“Gods damn it.” I whispered under my breath, clutching my left side. What a ridiculous way to die.
“Atrox Aura!” A familiar male voice boomed, the words echoing as they bounced off the bricked walls. In that brief moment I felt the heat that was growing on my chest disappear.
I opened my eyes and saw Gale, bracing himself as he stood over me. He looked head on towards the Arcane Turret, it’s beam re-focusing on him as the most threatening target within sight. It looked like it aimed right for the mark on his chest.
Gale’s shadow was cast over me as a bright purple light expelled from his fingertips, its shape jagged and buzzing with electricity. It shot from him at a shocking speed and with a formidable force, striking the turret without difficulty.
A resounding “WHRRRRRrrrrrr” noise echoed throughout the room as the arcane turret shut down and it’s power was lost. Once again we were surrounded by the eerie quiet of the Underdark.
I could hear the rapid pitter patter of boots on stone cut through the silence as my companions all rushed towards me, assessing my condition.
“I thought all elves had darkvision, how did you not see that turret?!” Astarion said, frustration lacing his every word as he knelt beside me.
“Bloody hells, soldier, You really took a beating!” Karlach said, as she made her way towards me. I was in a sorry state, to be sure.
I could just barely make out Gale’s furrowed brow in the dim light of the arcane tower as he dug through his pack frantically, taking quick glances at me as he rifled through his many trinkets.
“Ah! Here! Back away Astarion!” Gale held onto a bottle in his hand tightly as he rather aggressively ordered the vampire away from my frail frame.
Gale took Astarion’s place and knelt beside me, placing one hand behind my head in an attempt to lift it from the ground ever so slightly.
I moaned softly as he forced me to extend my neck and raise it, inhaling sharply as I felt pain reverberate through the left side of my body. I felt my heart rate spike as the crippling sensation ripped through me.
“Easy, now. This should help.” Gale said softly as he pressed a cool glass bottle to my lips and tipped it upwards.
The pain caused my vision to grow hazy, but from the taste of the minty liquid as it coated my mouth I could tell it was a healing potion. One of the stronger ones. I eagerly sipped on it as Gale continued to hold it to my mouth, quickly able to feel its effects as I was able to raise my head higher from the ground without any resounding pain.
After I had emptied the bottle, I could sit completely upright, catching my breath as I felt the cooling menthol-ic sensation travel from my throat downwards, spreading throughout my body. It was a cooling, ticklish sensation that traveled to every tip of every limb.
I pressed my hand to my forehead as I sat on the floor, feeling both utterly stupid and ridiculously grateful.
I could see the purple-clothed figure of Gale stand from his kneeling position beside me, his polished boots reflecting what little light was found within the walls of the tower.
I looked up at my companions, all peering down at me with concern on their faces.
Gale’s hand was extended toward me in an offer to help me get on my feet again.
I took a deep breath as I grasped his hand tightly and he was able to pull me up from my sitting position. I could feel the warm wet blood stain on my leather armor as I moved, but was glad I didn’t feel any more blood coming from the injury.
“You alright now, soldier? Feeling steady on your feet?” Karlach asked as she looked me up and down with concern in her eyes.
I managed to crack a smile.
“I am, now.” I said, still a little exasperated from all that had happened in such a short amount of time.
I looked to Gale who had one hand held on the center of my back to keep me balanced, while the other still firmly gripped my own.
“Thank you.” I said earnestly, looking into the dark brown of his eyes. They looked black in the dim light, and I could almost swear they were glossy with water.
Gale briskly let go of the hand he had such a tight grasp on, as if he had forgotten he was holding it after he had already helped me up.
“Of course, I… What was I to do but help?” He said, seeming a little shaken himself. He gave me a smile that seemed a little forced at first, but it softened as he looked at me as if it became genuine after a moment.
“I’m sure there will be ample opportunity for you to return the favor, wizards aren’t exactly known for their constitution.” Gale commented in an attempt to lighten the mood.
As I let out a soft chuckle in response, my gaze couldn’t help but move down to where the wispy mark streaked across his broad chest. I knew it had something to do with his need for magic. I had been hoping it wasn’t too great an ailment to threaten his life, but combined with the tadpole… everything was so unpredictable. The truth of his own fragility unsettled me, despite me laughing at his joke. I worried for him as much as it appeared he worried for me.
I felt a brush against my back as Gale removed his hand, hesitating for a moment as he observed my stance to ensure I had caught my balance.I felt leagues better than I had, the potion really worked wonders.I cleared my throat, sensing an awkward silence amongst the four of us as everyone worried for my well being.
“Well, we’ve got some mushrooms to find haven’t we? For Omeluum?” I said, keeping my tone of voice chipper and optimistic. My bright voice was a stark contrast from our dusty and dilapidated surroundings. From the cracks and holes in the wall and the gaps in the floor it was evident that the tower had been abandoned for some time now.
Gale exhaled and averted his attention to our surroundings. The Arcane turret in the corner was still smoking after being destroyed by Gale’s spell. There was not much on this level of the tower apart from the crates and barrels littered around. The only other thing was in the center of the room - there stood a large glass tube that resembled an elevator. A familiar symbol was etched onto the floor in its center.
“Mystra.” Gale said, peering at the etching. He instinctively brought a hand up to his right ear, touching his earring.
“Blurg had said the owner of the tower was a cleric of Mystra, right? Lenore was her name?” I wasn’t sure if I was remembering right, but the nods from the rest of the group indicated they recalled something similar.
Gale walked into the elevator, placing his feet square in the center of the eight-pointed star representing his goddess. He looked up to the ceiling, then down to the floor, tapping his foot on a button labeled “Down”. A click echoed in the otherwise silent room, but nothing happened.
“No power...” He said.
“Guys! I think I may have found a way down to another floor.” Karlach called from the other side of the room. She had managed to push open another massive door that led to a balcony on the tower’s left side.
Gale, Astarion and I shuffled over to her to see the balcony’s railing collapsed, and in its place grew massive shelves of colorful mushrooms. The growths scaled the entire left side of the tower, the species varying. I couldn’t identify what kind they were exactly, but I bet Halsin would have been able to if he had come along. I wondered if they normally grew as large as they were.
I climbed onto the mushroom, arching my neck over the edge to see how far the drop was to the one that grew on the lower floor. It was a good few feet until I would hit the next shelf of fungus and I wasn’t certain I’d be able to stick the landing.
“Hmm, we are still pretty high up…” I said hesitantly.
“Say goodbye to your ankles if you jump down from this height. Unless you can manage to wild shape into a cat…?” Astarion asked, raising an eyebrow as he surveyed the drop.
I twisted my face in frustration, knowing I hadn’t mastered Wild Shape-ing just yet. I was able to cast some spells now thanks to Halsin’s guidance, but changing my form proved much more of a challenge. My dejected expression gave Astarion his answer.
“Ah, I know just the thing. Gather ‘round everyone, this should only take a moment.” Gale waved over myself and the rest of the group closer to him as he positioned his feet firmly on the ground.
The three of us surrounded him as he closed his eyes and held his palms out in front of him.
“Pluma ruinam!” The words rolled off of Gale’s tongue as if he had spoken them a thousand times, but their meaning was lost on me.
A pale grey light flashed above his hands, and in that very moment I no longer felt the weight of my armor on my back. It felt as if I was floating on a cloud, despite my feet being very much on the ground.
“That should do it. Follow my lead!” Gale said, walking past us toward the edge of the mushroom that grew out from the shattered balcony.
I looked on as the wizard leaned over the edge and surveyed the distance of the fall. Without so much as a second glance, Gale heaved his body over the edge in a very confident jump.
I gasped audibly as his body slipped from view. “Gale!” I shouted, instinctively reaching out towards where he had fallen.
I raced toward the edge where he had jumped and peered over in horror. Had he broken any bones? “Wizards aren’t known for their constitution…” his words echoed in my head. Was he daft?!
My racing heart was soothed to see a very content looking image of Gale as he was gracefully floating downwards toward the lower level of the tower.
“Surely you didn’t think I was that incompetent, did you? Come now, make haste if you all want to get to the bottom in one piece!” Gale called upwards as he glided down the side of the tower.
I exhaled sharply, in relief that he was okay and in exasperation that he so nonchalantly pulled such a prank on us.
Astarion clicked his tongue, looking annoyed. “Tch. And you all say I’m dramatic.” he snarked.
“Oh, please. You are dramatic. Do you even hear half of the things you say, Astarion?” Karlach snapped, approaching the edge of the balcony and readying herself to jump.
“Says little miss I literally combust to defeat my enemies?” Astarion raised an eyebrow at Karlach.
Karlach half smiled at Astarion’s snarky response, utterly unbothered as she stared right at him and vaulted off the balcony, floating out of view.
“You can’t let them beat you to the bottom, Astarion!” I said, getting a running start as I bolted towards the balcony and leapt over the edge.
I could practically hear Astarion roll his eyes and begrudgingly hop over after me as I drifted ahead of him. I looked ahead to see Gale touch the ground first, wobbling only a little before catching his balance and regaining his land-legs.
The glide down was exhilarating. My body felt lighter than air, like the heavens themselves cradled me to ensure I made a safe landing. I wondered if Aasimar felt this way as they flew through the clouds- I felt like wings could sprout from my back any moment.
Gale looked upwards from the ground as the three of us floated to the bottom. He politely held out an arm for Karlach as she neared the bottom level, and she graciously held onto it as she stuck the landing.
“Thank you, Magic-man.” Karlach nodded towards Gale as she dusted herself off.
He nodded at her with a polite grin, before turning towards me as I hovered near the ground. He extended a hand towards me with a smile so charming it could have brought a Mindflayer to its knees. I felt my heart flutter as he looked at me, feeling even lighter than I had before. As I felt my toes touch the ground, I graciously took hold of his outstretched hand in order to keep balanced. He held onto my hand with a firm grip, keeping me steady as a ship’s anchor as I touched down.
I grinned as Gale tipped his head towards me courteously.
“Thank you, Magic-man.” I teased, winking at him and letting go of his grip as I steadied myself. He chuckled softly, looking back up to see Astarion impatiently floating down with his arms crossed.
“Don’t even think about it, Gale. While I can’t turn into a bat- I can stick a landing.” Astarion snapped. Gale’s hand twitched as if he was about to hold it out to Astarion- but kept it at his side.
Astarion touched the ground with the grace of a stag, effortlessly adjusting to the shift in his footing. He looked utterly unamused by the three of us watching him, all of us expecting and maybe hoping just a little that he would have tripped during his landing.
“Well? Let's go find these mushrooms for our tentacled friend.” Astarion waved his hand with a hint of impatience in his tone.
Suddenly, the echo of a battle cry erupted from nearby, followed by a crash and the sound of splintering wood.
“I found a door! Or… it was a door.” Karlach called from around a corner.
Gale, Astarion and I whipped our heads around towards her to see an entryway to what seemed like the basem*nt of the wizard tower. Shattered pieces of an old wooden door littered the ground.
“... Nice job, Karlach.” I said, impressed by her strength. Kalrach balanced her Greataxe over her shoulder, puffing her chest out proudly.
The four of us cautiously stood outside the open doorway, peering inside, trying to discern whether any more traps were waiting for us on this level.
Gale’s eyes lit up as his gaze caught on something obviously piquing his interest. He shuffled past us, beelining towards a desk littered with books in the far corner.
“Gale!” I whispered, calling out to him as he threw caution to the wind and strode inside. He didn’t pay any mind to me, eagerly snatching the open book from the desk and scanning it.
“Well… seems safe enough.” Karlach shrugged, passing through the door frame and looking all around as she walked through the dusty, damp basem*nt. No traps this time it seemed.
Astarion and I followed suit, looking over the desks and worktables that lined the edges of the room. There were papers all around, most filled with writing that was unintelligible now, the white parchment aged and yellow and the ink faded to time. There were a few crystals and herbs on one table that I put into my satchel, I was pretty certain I would be able to brew something with them down the line.
“It appears our resident wizard was quite the literary type.” Gale called from the corner of the room, his eyes still glued to the leatherbound book in his hands.
“Oh? What have you got?” I asked, walking over to him.
“It appears as if it’s an original. A script for a play.” Gale said, tilting the book towards me so that I might be able to read it better myself. The room was dark, but there was enough glow from the fluorescent fungi outside that I could make out the majority of the page.
“THE ROADS TO DARKNESS: An epic tragedy about power, corruption, and loneliness”” The script appeared unfinished, but the vocabulary was advanced. Obviously written by a well-educated individual.
“Do you think one of you could stop reading fairy tales and tell me what in the HELLS this is?” Astarion said, gesturing towards the center of the room. There stood a glass tube with a strange looking furnace taking up the center of it.
Gale turned his attention from the book, tucking it in his pack.
“Hmm… looks to me like a generator. If my suspicions are correct, getting this running should fix the broken elevator.” he said, rubbing his beard.
“Huh. Not like any infernal machinery I’ve ever seen.” Karlach said, looking the generator up and down.
I curiously approached the machine, carefully opening the small iron door on the front. It looked like any fuel was meant to go in there, but it was far too small a space for a log to set a fire. It had to be powered in another way.
Upon opening the door, a sensation washed over me. It was a draining sensation, making me feel a little tired, but only for a moment. My mouth became dry and cotton-y as I peered inside the small compartment. I reached inside and pulled out a handful of small, wilted blue petals, their edges singed and black.
“Hmm. I don’t recognize the species.” I said, poking at the petals in my hand, trying to discern their origin.
“There might be some out in the back garden. Lenore would have had to have a renewable energy source to stay down here for long.” Kalrach pointed a thumb behind her toward the door she destroyed.
The four of us nodded in agreement as we headed back towards the rear of the building. As I walked around and inspected the flowers, I felt the familiar draining sensation again. I suddenly felt tired, but it wasn’t going away this time. It was like the complete opposite of when I had floated down the building, my armor felt heavy and I felt… weak. I looked around, confused and a little panicked. Where was this feeling coming from?
“Are you alright? You’re looking rather- Oh.” Gale approached me from behind, concerned, then looking disapprovingly at a small tree in the garden beside me.
“That flower isn’t agreeing with you, is it? Doesn’t sit well with me either.” Gale said, gesturing toward the glowing blue flowerbud that was sprouting from the tree. A swirling aura danced around its petals, illuminating our surroundings. For a flower, it certainly had an ominous presence.
“What is it? I feel… weak.” I said, examining my hands and arms for any sign of injury. I didn’t look any different.
“A Sussur flower. It drains magic.” Gale said, raising a hand to show me. For a split second I saw a spark of fire at his fingertips, before the flame was snuffed out and the blue swirling around the flower glowed brighter.
My eyes widened in panic. “Drains magic!? Get away from it, Gale!” I exclaimed, planting myself between him and the flower. I placed a hand firmly on his chest and pushed to get him to step backwards. Why he had even approached the thing, I was unsure.
“No no, not to worry. It’s only temporary. Only while we are within a certain distance of it will it absorb our spells.” Gale explained, politely removing my hand from him.
“However, considering how our backs are much more prone to stabbing without such arcane defenses, I prefer to keep a safe distance.” He went on.
I looked back toward the flower. The petals… they were shaped just like the ones I had pulled out of the furnace.
“Karlach, could you cover me?” I turned toward the tiefling. She smiled, nodding and drawing her axe from her back.
“You got it, Soldier.” She said without a question.
I went over to the flower, feeling it absorb the little magic I was able to cast. It was frightening to think that it was so easily able to take from me something I had worked so hard to obtain. Trusting in the fact it was only temporary, I plucked the blossom from the tree, holding it gingerly in my hands.
“Don’t bring it with us!” Gale exclaimed. “I’m no more than a sitting duck without magic!”
I laughed at his remark. “Just trust me. We won’t be keeping it for long.” I assured him.
I continued to carry it carefully back into the basem*nt of the tower, Karlach keeping an eye and an ear out for any signs of an ambush. Luckily there hadn’t been anything. I softly placed the bloom within the small compartment of the generator in the center of the room. It fit perfectly. Upon closing the small iron door, a flash of blue flame ignited from inside. One by one, each of the sconces on the wall and the chandelier on the ceiling erupted in the same blue light. A soft hum of power reverberated throughout the walls of the building.
“Huh. May it giveth what it taketh away” Gale said, looking around the now gleaming tower in awe of the flower’s capability.
“Ugh, you sound like Withers.” Astarion commented with a groan.
Karlach laughed. “Well… that certainly brings a new meaning to “Flower power”, eh?”
With the furnace’s consumption of the flower, I felt the magic within me restore itself. It was like getting a lungful of fresh mountain air after being stuffed into a sewer.
“And we’re back to normal.” Gale said with satisfaction, snapping his fingers and producing a small flame above his hand.
“Way to go, Soldier!” Karlach said with pride. She gave me a congratulatory smack in the center of my back.
“Agh!” I exclaimed, feeling the heat of her palm singe me. She had only touched me for a moment but I could still feel the unnatural intensity of her body through my light armor.
“Ah! I’m sorry!” She said, recoiling at the realization she had caused me injury. The pain had already subsided, there was no real harm done.
I laughed, causing Astarion and Gale to chuckle alongside me. It was endearing how much Karlach cared, and entertaining how easily she forgot the threat of her own temperature.
“I’m alright, K. Let’s go explore this place!” I said, newly energized and eager to learn more about what lie in the tower. Hopefully there was more than just the mushrooms we were told about.
I hopped into action, sprinting up the rickety wooden staircase in the back of the room, seeing the familiar tubular elevator at the top. The group piled in the center and I excitedly pressed the “Ascend” button with my foot.
There was a quick flash of pale blue light before we found ourselves on the upper floor. There was a distinct scent of soil and a dusty musk. Looking around, I could see there were gardening beds in the corners of the room with various fungus species sprouting from them. You could tell they hadn’t been tended to in a while from the overgrowth that was present. Some of the larger mushrooms had begun to release spores that floated through the air of the whole level, contributing to the distinct scent I picked up on.
“These look to be the right species…” I said, inspecting the garden beds and their faded labels. I could still just barely make out the names “Tongue of Madness” and “Timmask”. I cut some samples of the mushrooms with a dagger, tucking some into my pack to bring to Omeluum.
“Another play, though this one looks like it has seen better days…” Gale said, blowing the dust off of the cover of a book that was practically falling apart in his hands. The fabric of the cover was tattered and worn, the spine only held together by scraps of remaining twine. Opening it up, the pages were illegible and covered in fungal spores, ink spills, tears and age. Flipping through the brittle pages, Gale paused on one page that had a measly two sentences that were still readable. They were circled, and appeared as if the letters were traced over in ink several times in order to prevent fading.
“How can I trust? How will I ever know? How can I show myself, my darkest me?”
I noticed Gale staring at the words on the page, his expression vacant as if his consciousness was on another plane.
“You okay there, Gale?” I asked in a soft tone, trying not to startle him.
“Hmm?” He looked up at me a little confused as if he had just woken up from a nap. “Ah. Yes. Fine.”
He closed the book, placing it back on the shelf amongst the gardening tools where he had found it. I was suspicious of him, something was definitely plaguing his thoughts.
“Oh! Here is a book about those flowers outside!” Karlach called, waving Gale and I over.
“And not a single gold piece. Disappointing.” Astarion said, scanning the room.
“But information holds value as well, Astarion. You’d do well to remember that.” Gale said, waving the book on Sussur flowers at him before tucking it into his bag.
“Gods, this is dull. Can we go to the next floor, now?” Astarion said, feigning a yawn.
“Pile in, everyone!” I said, heading into the elevator again. I tapped the “ascend” button with my foot again, and we flashed into the upper floor.
“What a curious mechanism. Its like the machine casts “Dimension Door” on us all.” Gale said, looking down at his body as it still held a residual glow of the light that the elevator cast.
I looked around the new surroundings. I could tell it was the same level we had walked in on. The dormant Arcane Turret sat in the corner and a pool of my blood was still on the ground by the door. My stomach curdled at the sight of it.
“Let’s go higher.” I said, not wanting to explain any further.
Everyone nodded in silence as I pressed the button again.
“Ooh. Watch your step, gang.” Karlach said as she looked around the new floor. She was right to warn us, a good third of the floor had been wiped away, nothing but stone rubble in its wake.
“Dibs on the chest!” Astarion called, nimbly dashing ahead and cracking open a trunk that sat at the food of the bed in the corner. This must have been the bedroom.
I heard the jingle of coins as Astarion quickly stuffed something in his backpack. He pulled out a book from the chest, looking at it with general disinterest.
“Tired of reading yet, Gale?” Astarion asked, holding up the book so that Gale could see it.
“Most certainly not!” He said, going over to grab the book from the vampire. Gale eagerly cracked the book’s spine and started thumbing through the pages. From the way he buried his nose in it, the text must have been in much better shape than the other tomes we had come across. His eyes widened as he quickly snapped the book shut, turning towards me.
“Well. This isn’t exactly a scholarly publication…” Gale said, looking a little embarrassed.
I tilted my head in confusion, holding out my hand so that I could see the book for myself. I looked at the leather cover and could barely make out a dainty etching reading “L. De Hurst Diary”. It looked like it was once foiled in gold but had since been worn away. I rifled through the pages, looking for the most recent entry. It was dated 10 years ago.
“2 Alturiak, 1481 DR
Who would have thought, three years ago, that I would start a diary - not a research journal, but a real diary. I guess when every soul is more like to kill you than converse with you, talking to a book starts making sense. And who would have thought, three years ago, that I would be called back to Baldur's Gate to confer with the other clerics of Mystra, right at the apex of my studies: I have all the pieces, but I have barely started my treatise. No matter. I will take my ring with me, to show them a glimpse of the possibilities. I will leave you, my dear book, here, together with the rest of my research, waiting to be finished. I should be back before next Ches.”
“Well, Gale… If it makes you feel any better I don’t think she is coming back…” I said in an attempt to make him feel like he hadn’t just read a strange woman’s diary.
“No… I don’t think she is either…” Karlach piped up, tapping a nail on the desk in the corner. She was reading a note that had been left out.
“Dearest Yrre,
I don't know if you're coming back, if you'll even read this message, but if you do come back, could you wait for me? I'll only be gone a few tendays, but the thought of coming back to this empty tower, with nothing but Bernard to fill these halls... I don't know how much longer I can take this. I miss you. I miss you so much.
I can't shake the thought of how different things might have been if only I'd been less stubborn. Working on your lightning inventions, my magic. Eating together. Laughing at your stupid puns. Waking up next to you. Despite everything, I still love you.
So please, if you read this, can you wait? I'll be back. I won't be long.
Forever yours,
Lenore
[A few sentences are penned below, in a different hand.]
I waited. I waited until Tarsahk. I'll always wait for you, but you didn't come.”
I felt my heart ache as I read the note, feeling Gale’s presence behind me as he read over my shoulder. As I read, I was distracted by the shine of metal glinting in the corner of my eye. I leaned over the desk to grab it, bringing it into the light. Between my fingers I pinched a silver ring with a turquoise gem in its center. It pulsed with arcane energy, and as I examined it I saw a small engraving on the inside of the band. “Y + L”. I pursed my lips, trying to hold in the emotion that the half-written story elicited.
“A protective enchantment. Electric shock resistance.” Gale said, looking on at me as I examined the jewelry. I jumped at the sound of his voice, forgetting he was standing so close to me.
“Well, anything protective should probably go to you, Mr. Not-known-for-my-constitution.” I said in a playful tone. I grabbed his hand and placed the ring in his palm, looking at him half expecting a snarky retort.
He raised an eyebrow, keeping eye contact with me as he took the ring and slid it onto his pointer finger.
“While a bit offended, I appreciate the thought.” He said with a half smile.
I grinned with satisfaction as he looked at the ring on his finger. I was glad I was able to give him a bit more defense while taking his ego down a peg. His wizard hubris still needed some taming.
Wrrrrr - clank. Whrrrrr clank clank.
“What in the hells is that?” Astarion asked, tucking his white locks behind his pointed ear as if to listen closer.
I did the same, tilting my ear to the air.
Click click click click CLANK. Whrrrrr
“Hmm. Sounds like machinery. Maybe the elevator is broken?” I said, stepping inside the glass tube again and looking it up and down. I didn’t see anything that looked damaged…
Gale hurriedly glossed over the bookshelves that lined the walls of Lenore’s old bedroom, poking through the piles of titles that now littered the ground after some of the shelves had collapsed over time. His eyes would light up as he would see a subject of interest, snatch the book by its binding and tuck it in his pack. He did so several times.
“Githyanki Tir’su! Oh, Lae’zel will surely want to see this!” He exclaimed giddily, holding up an elaborate stone and glass disc about 12 inches in diameter. It looked quite old. He gingerly tucked it in his bag, wrapping it in his purple velvety camp clothes to keep it from getting damaged.
“Gale, what if I told you I hadn’t read a book since secondary school?” Karlach looked at him, smiling in anticipation of his reaction.
Gale’s mouth was agape as he stared at her in disbelief.
“Secondary school!? That was long before paper combusted at your touch!” He exclaimed, waving his hands in frustration.
Karlach laughed heartily at his dramatic reaction, and I couldn’t help but join her.
“Drama queen.” Astarion mumbled under his breath, just quiet enough that Gale couldn’t hear. His thoughts were too loud- swimming with titles that Karlach never had the pleasure to experience.
“If there are any titles that interest you, I’d happily read them aloud during our meals. You shouldn’t have to be devoid of stories just because you can’t hold a book.” Gale said, his eyes sparkling with excitement at the idea of being able to share his passion for literature with the group.
Astarion groaned, but Karlach paused, pondering his suggestion.
“You know… I might not entirely hate that. You can have the first pick, something action-packed, please.” Karlach said, looking touched by the wizard’s offer.
“You can count on it!’ Gale said, pointing at her and shooting her a wink. He fingered through the books he had in his pack, presumably searching for a title that fit her request.
“Well, we have got one more floor it looks like.” I said, looking up at the cracked ceiling and seeing the eerie glow of the underdark through the gaps.
“Onwards and upwards!” Gale said, closing up his pack and securing it over his shoulders before joining me inside the elevator. Karlach and Astarion piled in too.
I took a deep breath before clicking the “Ascend” button just one more time. A familiar flash of light surrounded us, and then the cool dewy air of the Underdark filled my lungs. A stark contrast from the stuffy, spore-filled dustiness of the tower.
A hazy, mechanical male voice cut through the silence of the Underdark- “New sounds through damp and dark oppression break/ is it the foe, that foul, contemptuous heel?”
The bright flash of light from the elevator subsided, and before us stood a tall, slender construct with a humanoid appearance. Its eyes glowed a bright blue, and its metallic body glinted copper. Its body whrrr-ed and hummed as it moved, replicating the strange mechanical sounds we had heard from the lower floor.
It stood before us expectantly, observing our every move.
“Tav… If I’m not mistaken, that’s the opening stanza from the play we had found on the lower floor…” Gale nudged my ribs and spoke in a hushed tone, keeping one eye on the construct to ensure it didn’t make any sudden movements. I could see the sheen of a polearm mounted to its back, a weapon that we could easily find ourselves on the wrong end of if we weren’t careful.
“...Do you remember what comes next?” I whispered back to Gale, desperately hoping his memory served better than my own. I glanced down to his pack in hopes he may have stowed the book away inside.
“The copy is buried somewhere in here…but…” Gale began in a whisper, but after a short moment to collect his thoughts, he straightened his back and cleared his throat. He strode in front of me to face the construct that loomed over us.
“Ahem. Or art thou friend, a rescue from my lonely wake?” Gale recited eloquently, maintaining his gaze on the construct.
The automaton bowed elegantly, finishing the stanza of the play - “Come out of love for me, not love for blood and steel… Command as you see fit, my lord, my liege.”
I could feel the entire party exhale in relief as there was no aggression in the android’s words.
“Hmm. Don’t get me wrong. I love poetry as much as the next wizard, but using it to command an automaton… seems a bit self indulgent to me.” Gale said as the simulacrum turned its back on the four of us, its legs stiff as it crossed the span of the tower’s roof. Its steps make a click, click, click-ing sound with every step.
“You’re talking about being self indulgent?” Astarion stifled a laugh as he spoke, amused by Gale’s remark.
“Oh, like you’re one to talk. You carry around a mirror when you can’t even see yourself!” Gale retorted back.
“I’m not the one who has to consume magic to carry on like it’s some sort of drug!” Astarion crossed his arms, satisfied with himself and considering the verbal battle won.
I could see that Gale’s ego was bruised. He didn’t have a rebuttal.
“If you both don’t stop arguing, I might have to ask Shadowheart and Wyll to accompany me next time instead. I’m not your babysitter- don’t expect me to mediate your emotions.” I said firmly, crossing my arms and looking at Gale and Astarion with disappointment. Gale directed his eyes downward with a furrowed brow and a pout across his face.
“Wait a moment…” Gale said softly, his grumpy demeanor shifting into one of curiosity, his eyes fixed on the floor of the elevator we had come out of.
“Do you… see this?” He asked aloud, pointing at the elevator’s floor.
“The… “Descent” button?” I said, confused. He was pointing at the space beside the descent button, but there was nothing there.
“Here, everybody get inside the elevator. Let me try something.” Gale said, practically forgetting the entire argument that had just occurred.
Astarion and Karlach both looked towards me, as if I was able to explain Gale’s behavior. I shrugged, and proceeded to step onto the glowing blue symbol of Mystra indicating the elevator. The rest of the gang followed suit.
“Everybody ready? Let’s see what this does…” Gale said, tapping his foot on the ground. A resounding “click” was audible, as if he had pressed a button, but I didn’t see one where his foot touched down. Once again, our surroundings flashed bright light for just a moment and I could tell we were back inside the tower from the dank, dusty air. Stepping out of the elevator, we were on a floor we had definitely not been to before.
“This must be below the basem*nt.” Gale said. “It appears this ring revealed another button on the elevator. This room was only meant for a specific person to access…” He held up his hand, a faint light coming from the green gem on his finger.
I looked around at the new level we had discovered. There was an elaborate desk right by the elevator, an inkwell and a quill sitting on the surface among some open books. There was a worktable with beakers, tubes and other alchemy supplies beside two large bookshelves.
“Ooooh, I spy another chest!” Astarion said in a sing-song voice. He whipped out his lockpicking tools and headed towards the gilded trunk on the other side of the room.
Gale’s attention was caught on something else as he shuffled down some wooden stairs and headed towards a staff that was leaning against one of the bookshelves.
“Could come in handy.” He said, wrapping his fingers around its base. He lifted the staff and felt the balance of its weight in his hands before strapping it to his back.
As he looked up, his eyes caught on something on the shelf. He tugged on a piece of paper that was sticking out between two books, studying it intently.
“Bernard…” He said, reading from the paper in front of him.
“... Who?” I asked, going over to take a look at what he was so enthralled by.
“The construct - his name is Bernard. I have his schematics here. It appears as if he is programmed to be quite well-read… he responds to many quotations found in this very tower.” Gale explained, tapping his hand on his pack full of books.
I looked over the diagram over Gale’s shoulder, amazed by the intricacies of Bernard’s mechanics and the arcane blessings that kept him animated. His existence was the perfect example of technology and magic working in harmony.
I traced my finger over a small note on the margin of the schematic, the handwriting differing from the other notes scattered across the page.
“He will be here when the silence stretches on…”
Gale’s eyes turned somber as he read the note, recognizing what it alluded to. He rifled through his pack, pulling out a piece of paper that had been tucked inside the research book on Sussur Flowers. The parchment was stained with tears, obstructing some of the text, but you could barely make out the final words in a poem:
“The silence stretches on - I'm all alone.
Please, can I hold your hands, for just a while?”
“A scholar lost in their research can often find themselves isolated, whether that be their intention or not. A beloved tower can turn into a wretched prison given enough time spent in solitude…” Gale said, his eyes still scanning and re-reading the poem, his hands trembling ever so slightly as he gripped the page.
I gently placed my hand over his to still his shaking. He looked up at me, the fear in his eyes settling, but still present.
“Apologies. I’m afraid I find myself having more and more in common with our missing resident.” Gale said, tucking the paper back inside the Sussur Flower book.
“Well, you’re both loyal servants to Mystra, maybe- but you’re not alone, Gale. Not anymore.” I said, squeezing his hand lightly. The look he gave me in that moment confused me. It was a mix of gratitude and fear, like he had so much more to say but knew it wasn’t the time to say it.
“AGH!” Gale exclaimed, his face contorting suddenly as he winced in pain. He dug his nails into his chest where a purple glow emanated through his robe. His breaths became labored and heavy, and my heart raced as I feared for his life. How many times could he go through this without it doing irreparable damage to him? Would this be the moment his affliction took him for good?
“P-please… I need…” He started, his voice strained.
“Shh, I understand. Don’t move.” I said, recognizing the arcane hunger overwhelming him. This had happened twice before, and I had held on to a few less-than-useful magical items for this very situation.
I dug through my pack to find the amulet that Arabella’s parents had given us. It was a gift of thanks for saving their daughter from Kagha’s vile snake. It contained a fair bit of Weave that Gale would be able to consume- and we hadn’t needed its magic as of yet. It wouldn’t be missed.
Gale still gripped his chest, his eyes closed tight, rocking back and forth slightly attempting to manage the pain. I slipped the golden chain of the amulet over Gale’s neck, his eyes opening as he felt the cool metal graze his skin. Recognizing the weave within the amulet, he took the pendant in his hands and tried to steady himself as he took a deep, shaky breath inwards. I watched as the magic glow the amulet held was gradually but rapidly dimmed, and the amulet itself vanished leaving nothing but a dusting of Weave particulate.
Gale’s eyes widened. The purple glow of his chest dimmed, but remained, illuminating the dark corner we stood in.
“Good gods. It hardly has any effect. Mystra have mercy on us all.” He said softly. Gale’s distraught face turned urgent, as he called out to the group. “Listen, I need to speak to you, to all of you. It would be unconscionable of me to remain silent.”
My heart panged with fear. Had his condition worsened? Was this a final goodbye? I couldn’t bear to imagine going through this without him by our side - we had been through so much already. Astarion and Karlach looked up from their plundering, coming over to Gale as he gathered his thoughts.
“Go on, Gale. You’re among friends.” Karlach assured him, recognizing the worry on his face.
“I might just be about to remedy that. You have to know who I was. You have to know who I really am.” Gale began. “ What I am is a walking shadow of the promise I once held. I’m what one might call a wizard prodigy, who from an early age could not only control the Weave, but compose it, much like a musician or a poet. Such was my skill that it earned me the attention of the mother of magic herself. The Lady of Mysteries. The goddess Mystra. She revealed herself to me and she became my teacher. In time, she became my muse, and later, even my lover.”
I swallowed down the emotions that bubbled inside me to learn that he had a romantic relationship with his goddess, all of the previous sentiments he shared about her coming into a different light. My head swam with the things he had said about her, the image he had conjured and looked at with such reverence. It was more than just the reverence of a devoted disciple, it was that of a smitten schoolboy. I felt my pulse quicken, and I feared that the bewilderment I felt was too plainly evident. Although, looking at my companions, they were just as surprised by his more intimate connection with Mystra herself.
“Bold of you. Few would dare to reduce a goddess to their ‘muse’.” Astarion said to him, crossing his arms and raising an eyebrow. He was hesitant to believe the narrative the wizard was weaving.
“I am, after all, the villain of the tale. But we enjoyed each other’s company- Body, mind and soul. But even so, I desired more. You see, no matter how powerful a wizard we mortals can become, we never scratch more than the surface of the Weave. Mystra keeps us in check. There are boundaries she doesn’t let us cross. Yet - every time I was with her, I stood on the precipice, gazing into the wonders that lay beyond. I sought to cross those boundaries.” Gale continued. Everything he said was spoken with such deliberate intensity, I couldn’t help but trust that every word was truth.
“How exactly did you try to cross those boundaries?” I asked him, fearing the answer just a little. I felt myself also fearing the wistful look in his eyes as he recalled the presence of his goddess. How was I supposed to eclipse his former lover, an all-powerful goddess?
“I tried to convince her. I pouted, I pleaded, I swore my ambition was only to serve her better. But she only smiled and told me to be contented. As inconceivable as it seems to me now, I shared a bed with a goddess, and yet I wasn’t satisfied. So I sought to prove myself worthy to her instead. We come now to the crux of my folly. Shall I share the story behind it, or would you rather head straight to its sordid finale?” Gale asked, shame evident on his face as he turned to me for an answer.
“Please, tell us everything.” I encouraged him. Gale took a deep breath, preparing himself.
“Very well. Here goes: Once upon a very long time ago, a mighty lord lived in a tower. A flying tower, to be precise. I’ll save his history for another time, but the gist of it is that he sought to usurp the goddess of magic so that he could become a god himself. He almost managed but not quite, and his entire empire - Netheril - came crashing down around him as he turned to stone. The magic that was unleashed that day was phenomenal, roiling like the prime chaos that outdates creation. Even the Weave itself could not withstand the onslaught. It fractured, then shattered, and all magic was lost to the mortal realms- until the day Mystra returned. She restored the Weave, reuniting all its scattered shards. Or so I thought, until in the course of my studies I learned of a book. A Netherese tome in which a piece of the fractured Weave had been sealed beyond her reach. ‘What If…’ I thought ‘What if after all this time, I could return this lost part of herself to the goddess?’.”
“Had you considered a bouquet? A box of chocolates, perhaps?” I asked him playfully, trying to lighten the serious tone of his tale.
He laughed with a sharp exhale through his nose, raising an eyebrow.
“You know me. My gestures can never be grand enough. I was certain that this deed of raw power, draped in romance, would convince Mystra to take me by the hand and welcome me into her hitherto forbidden domains. I was mistaken. I obtained the fabled book and took it into my study. As for what happened next…”
Gale took a knee before me, reaching upwards to offer me his hand.
“Here. Place your hand over my heart. Let me show you.” He said, beckoning me closer. The purple glow on his chest grew in intensity and I could see him wince in response.
After his whole confession, I felt fear in the forefront of my emotions. I knew so little of magic, how was I going to be able to help him in the way he needed - long term? Could he keep this under control on his own? Was he… dangerous? I hesitantly held my hand out towards him, pressing my palm over his heart, my fingertips grazing the wispy lines of the glowing mark that scarred him, reminding him of his failure. As I held my palm against him, I felt the tadpole in my brain quiver, sending shivers down my spine. It was like an itch in my brain. I recognized Gale was the cause- he was letting me witness his memories.
Suddenly, visions filled my brain, experiences recalled through Gale’s eyes. Gale’s chest glowed bright, blinding even. He stifled shouts of pain, taking both of his hands and pressing my palm to his chest firmly, in an attempt to maintain our mental connection. He writhed in agony, but held fast. Being this close to the magic that harbored itself within him, I could sense its malevolence. I tasted the bitter poison that it exuded on my tongue as Gale squirmed beneath its grasp.
In my mind’s eye I could see the book Gale referenced, recalling everything as if it had happened to myself. The tome was bound, then suddenly opened wide. Inside the book there were no pages, only a swirling mass of blackest Weave that pounced at me. It’s teeth, it’s claws, it was unstoppable as it dug through and became a part of me… and gods was it ever hungry…
“How… how are you still alive, Gale?” I asked him, the vision clearing away. He grimaced.
“Thankfully, the moment I absorbed the fragment wasn’t enough to kill me outright. It was only the beginning.” Gale explained. The glowing in his chest subsided, leaving us all standing in a familiar darkness. He stood up from his knelt position, dusting off his robe.
“This… Netherese blight. This orb for lack of a better word, is balled up inside my chest. And it needs to be fed. As long as I absorb traces of the weave from potent enough sources, it remains quiet. Were it ever to fully destabilize, however…” He looked to the ground, shaking his head as if he was struggling to face the reality of it all.
“You would… die?” I asked, desperately hoping that wasn’t the case. Was this really to be his ultimate fate?
“Rather worse, actually. I would erupt.” He said, looking me dead in the eye. My stomach lurched.
“I don’t know the exact magnitude of the eruption, but given my studies of Netherese magic, I’d say even a fragment as small as the one I carry… It’d level a city the size of Waterdeep.” Gale looked at me, shame in his gaze, but his face was as serious as death.
“Gale… I…” I could hardly find words to address his confession. I felt dizzy, nauseous, sad… heartbroken even. “I wish you had told me sooner…” Was all I could mutter.
“I… I know.” Gale nodded, knowingly. “All of this… It must feel like a betrayal. Say the word, and we’ll part ways. I’m nothing but a danger to those around me. A danger to those I truly care about.”
The somber tone of his voice pulled at my heartstrings. Before I could muster a response, Astarion voiced his opinion loud and clear.
“Are you joking?! This Netherese time bomb should be a blip on the horizon by now!” He shouted. Gale shrunk at the rejection, his mouth turned downwards as the words cut him.
“No way. We are all risky in our own ways. We stick together anyway.” Karlach said, shaking her head at Astarion. She looked toward me, searching for my response. Gale and Astarion looked at me expectantly as well.
I nodded toward Karlach in agreement. “We have come this far together, and we’ll continue on together. That’s final.” I said, suppressing the tremble in my voice. I was so afraid. I was afraid of the magic he harbored, I was afraid of dying- potentially at his hand, but most of all… I was afraid of losing him to this scourge he was haunted by. Gale’s somber and shrunken self brightened at my words.
“That is… a great relief. Oh, a great relief indeed!” Gale exclaimed, practically jumping for joy. “You truly are a soul that steels my own. From all my new rallied heart - I thank you - I thank you all! I understand if you stand against me- I’m humbled if you stand with me. Either way, I will do my best not to let you down. I stand at a precipice, but if you do not give up hope, neither shall I. I’ll fight, I’ll resist- as long as I can.” He grinned, waving a fist in the air triumphantly. I was filled with a sense of calm and happiness to see his resolve. He wouldn’t let this get the best of him.
“Now… even I am tired of the sound of my own voice. Let us venture forth.” Gale finished. Next stop, Omeluum at the Myconid Colony.
