A Brief Intermezzo

Having returned to Halarahh, I really needed to do some study. The others went off to look for some lich or other off east while I hit the books. I sent Paazbul along, invisibly, just to keep an eye on them.

Some time later, Paazbul reported back to me that they had found an unusual amulet, so I started looking for any references to it. What I found was a little disturbing. An amulet matching the description was reported to have been in the possession of the Dimensionalists Guild some time ago. I went there to check, but it seemed that the amulet had not been in their possession for some time.

However, much to my surprise, a group of Abjurai came to the Guild to arrest me! I tried to explain that I had never been a Necromancer, but they seemed to believe that I had something to do with the missing fugitive Sharani. Since I was indeed in Halarahh with a group that was looking for her, I could not deny the charge. More disturbingly, they were charging me with murder and piracy as well.

I spent much of my time in the underground prison complex coming up with my defense. While I was there I continued to get messages via Paazbul - apparently the party had been foolish enough to give the amulet up to an Illithid. I sent them a message asking for their assistance, but it turns out that I didn't need to.

Sharani has friends, apparently. There was a guard in the prison complex who helped me to escape, on the promise that if I really was a friend of Sharani I would contact him later.

Needless to say I had no intention of doing any such thing until I was able to rendezvous with the rest of my companions. They were some days' travel away, so I made use of all of my magic in order to get to their location as quickly as possible by land and by air.

I did keep up my surveillance of their progress through Paazbul's eyes, and I can't say that I was impressed. They seemed to be attempting to infiltrate a vampire's stronghold under the mistaken impression that she was a lich. After their prisoner gambit failed because they had no idea where the prison was, they got into a fight with some very powerful vampire spawn.

Fortunately I was able to reach their location just as they worked out how to kill the undead. Unfortunately, the genasi Joan had been killed. That was rather unfortunate, as I was coming to like her. Alas, as Ilyich and Caine were alone in the stronghold with an army looking for them, I suggested that we might turn invisible and try to come up with a plan to rescue Buff. Turning all four of us invisible is beyond my present capabilities, but I'm sure that now I'm on the scene we can come up with a sensible, well thought out plan.