That Really Sucked

Well, this is a first for me, it me Theren and I was killed by the Merchant, but he decided bring me back to write this journal entry for reasons you learn below. It turned out that he's some kind of a fallen God, who had the brilliant idea of that this needed to be done.

After pawing through my gear, he found and read Lirael’s journal that I had been adding my thoughts to. On a whim decided that he rather liked what he had read. Since the journal was now incomplete with me being dead and unable to add in the next entry for this saga, he decided to bring me back to life temporarily to write the last entry.

He found what was going on in Crannog interesting and the journal enlightening. For some reason he thought it was important that the party have a complete record of where they’d been. So, I have been ordered by the one who killed me to write about the party’s encounter with him and describe how Bluebelle and I died after the fact. 

Both as a warning to others foolish enough to enter his dungeon and that attacking him would be foolish. It's better to negotiate with him, otherwise they will just join the legions of souls already surrounding him. Plus he wanted to keep his word and provide the party with valuable clues about how to survive the Witching Hour and stop Moonscar from freeing the Horned King.

This getting to write your own last journal entry is not usually how things happen. Usually it’s someone else spreading tales about how you died so heroically. In this case I don’t think it was so heroic, it rather sucked.

Also, Varrin, Donkey and Verdehile, don’t feel bad about getting out of the dungeon when you did - it was the only smart thing we did after entering the dungeon. After Bluebelle and I both died, it was far beyond your ability to do anything about it or bring us back. I’m just glad you were all able to get out alive.

Well, I need to get to writing about what happened. My time here is limited. The Merchant is over there tapping his fingers and saying I'm too long winded.

We continued following the crab who led us to this strange red-headed guy. Who asked if we were there to trade with him. Varrin cast Detect Magic and said he was almost blinded by the response to his spell and it overpowered it so much that he had no idea of what kind of magic it was. Though he did not seem like a threat at the time – little did we know.

My New Patron

While the others were rushing to talk with the merchant in front of us, I stepped aside and decided to contact Oona, they probably thought I was relieving myself and would be back in a moment.

Earlier in the hush of her secluded sanctuary, while everyone else slept, she extended a tantalizing proposition for me to become one of her Eldritch Knights, a role that resonated within my soul. The thought of forsaking the gloom and doom of the Shadowfell, and the capriciousness of the Raven Queen was an idea that had been fermenting in me for decades. The opportunity to permanently live a different life in the vibrant realms I had visited ignited a spark of desire deep within me.

As my Patron, she promised to imbue my martial prowess with arcane might, severing all ties to the Raven Queen and granting me the opportunity to reclaim my elven heritage. The prospect of shedding my current Dhampir nature, a constant reminder of past missteps, was enticing, and in the end the deciding factor was – I am an Elf and wanted to be one again.

Using the sending stone that Oona had given me, I contacted her. Time seemed to hold its breath as I uttered my acceptance, and I suddenly appeared beside her. She looked at me with a knowing smile and we formalized our pact. With a surge of magic, she welcomed me into her Court - her newest Eldritch Knight. A choice freely made, vibrant with possibility and promise, though I’m sure rife with courtly intrigues and duties to come.

Though she suggested that it might be wise to lose the Bucelarii moniker, so coming up with a different last name is something that will need to be done.

Though I wonder what her first duties for me will be?

I was returned to the dungeon and it seemed that no time had passed between us getting to the Merchant and me accepting Oona as my Patron. The others were just starting to seriously dicker and trade with him.

The Merchant

When I rejoined the party, they didn’t really notice much of anything. I still looked like me, but I was back to being an Elf, what a relief. They were all busy attempting to talk to The Merchant and making trades for goods to help us with the perils to come. 

Verdehile got an Aarokocra mask and was able to transform into one…I’m not sure what it is with Aarokocra seeming to be a part of the party, but the Gods must want one with us. He bought it with gold he had on him. The prices seemed too good to be true.

Donkey put on a Goblin one and seemed to be enjoying the differences tremendously and bought it. Playing some transformation games with Varrin.

I got in on the action and looked at four different swords which were quite powerful, but I wasn’t willing to simply trade for the favor The Merchant was looking for - for someone to accept the quest to free him from this dungeon. He wouldn’t give us his name and I felt suspicious of him and his motives. Finally, after haggling a bit, I traded my Sun Greatsword and 9 Lives Stealer for a Vorpal Longsword, something that becomes very important in a few moments.

The Merchant noticed the glow of Oona’s magic on me and discussed that is the name she uses now and Varrin looked at me. I told him yes, we shared the same Patron now. As we were starting to talk with him to find out more about Oona.

Verdehile interrupted us, by telling the Merchant that he wanted to be able to cast Haste at will. The Merchant looked annoyed and told him you will be able to cast Haste as you please, but it will cost you dearly. Verdehile suddenly loses three points of intelligence and a piece of his soul is taken and for a moment we see images of the dead floating all around the Merchant. He places that piece of Verdehile’s soul in with the others that are in there. Verdehile looks perplexed and I could tell he felt violated and damaged by what the Merchant had done to him. That was where we started to see the other side of the Merchant when he did that to Verdehile.

At that point I began to doubt that the Merchant was simply there for trading and that he was much more powerful than we could imagine. 

Varrin and Bluebelle then talked to The Merchant about our mission to stop the Horned King and Moonscar, but needed the location of the Excalibur that existed on this plane. It seemed that he was derisive of them when they spoke of the Horned King – as if he was below his contempt. Bluebelle offered up another symbiote in trade for the information. He told us that he really wasn’t interested in Bluebelle’s symbiote, but that he would give us the information on the whereabouts of Excalibur in exchange for something from a Kor, Garlean, Goliath, Aasimar or Veroxian that could be gathered with the probe he was holding out to Bluebelle. If you agree to collect the sample, I will tell you where Excalibur can be located.

Bluebelle agrees and a seal appears upon her hand and he gives her the probe. He tells us that Excalibur is in the Brushwag Forest. That we would have to enter the water then pass the trial. 

When he finishes telling us that, suddenly Bluebelle stabs the Merchant with his probe and attempts to give him to an Ultros symbiote, claiming he had somehow not lived up to his part of the bargain. At that point he calls her a dumb bitch – it won’t work. 

I was sort of listening before that all took place but not really. I was more focused checking out my new Vorpal sword, so I didn’t really know what was going on, but I saw Bluebelle’s soul being ripped from her body and heard her screams as she died. We watched dumbfounded as Bluebelle died a gruesome death - her soul ripped from her body and propelled into the plane with all the other dead souls floating around The Merchant.

The symbiote she had attempted to put into the Merchant was on the ground more dead than alive and Verdehile cast a spell to heal it a little and Varrin rushed over to attempt to pick it up, while attempting to calm everyone down. Donkey was trying to get the Goblin mask off his face and Verdehile headed towards Bluebelle because she was already down on the ground dead. He hollered he was going to attempt to bring her back.

The Merchant kicked Verdehile away from Bluebelle’s body, back towards Varrin and Donkey. I was off to one side of him, I had the Vorpal Sword in hand I swung – a critical hit. I sliced off The Merchant’s head. As I did, time suddenly shifted, backed up a few seconds and as I swung again, this time the sword missed completely.

It seems that critical hits and snicker-snacking the heads off gods and demi-gods with a Vorpal weapon doesn't work the same as it does for the rest of us. Oh well, stuff happens.

He looked at me “Fool, that is the second time your party has dared to attack me – a God in my own realm though it be a prison I cannot leave.” I just responded “What did you expect me to do?” He tilted his head, chuckled for a moment and told us, “I advise you all to stop now while you still have your lives. The one called Bluebelle is already forfeit for her afront to me.”

Then Varrin continued talking quickly and said something about Donkey being an innocent and that we needed to stop Moonscar and the Witching Hour. Whatever he said about Donkey piqued the Merchant’s interest because he walked over and stabbed Donkey with the probe in the stomach, while stomping on the symbiote – killing it. 

At that point I couldn’t let Donkey die and offered myself up in his place - I knew that he had a destiny greater than my own and an important part to play still in the Witching Hour. Besides I had screwed up and attempted to kill the Merchant. Donkey had simply been playing with his Goblin mask, and really wasn’t involved in the fight at all. The Merchant looked down at his probe and said so that I could barely hear it “Not so innocent.” He turned to me and said “You have offered yourself up willingly to trade places with the Minotaur – are you sure?” I looked at him and just nodded my head saying “Yes!” 

“Very well” He pulled the probe out of Donkey’s belly and the next thing I knew was pain unlike anything I’ve ever felt in my life as he stabs me in the chest with the probe. I feel my soul being sucked out of my body and suddenly I’m floating in space with thousands of other souls, who are watching what is happening below.

I watched as Varrin pulled an amulet out of his pouch, grabbed onto Donkey and Verdehile, then disappeared. 

The Merchant then laughs loudly and begins rifling through Bluebelle and my body to see what trinkets we have that he can add to his merchandise. Though he stops when he comes across Lirael’s Journal. A chair suddenly appears and he sits down and reads through the journal. He chuckles in places and when he closes the book, he reaches into the Ether I’m floating within and grabs me by the throat and forces me back into my body.

He tells me to write my last journal entry and that he will, as a boon, ensure that the book is returned to the party. They deserve to know what happened to us.

Live a long and eventful life my friends and comrades -- Fare the well and remember Varrin's words of wisdom "We're heroes baby!"