Handing over spells

The Emerald Locket item from the published adventure “The Emerald Locket” in Dungeon Vault magazine #22, gave me the opportunity to provide a source for high-level magic-user spells. The mage character in the campaign is now 11th level and more powerful than any friendly NPC mage in the realm. It is no longer possible for him to buy spell knowledge and he cannot expect to find many high level spells in dungeon treasure piles. In the published adventure the emerald locket held the ghost of a mage and an unexplained "ethereal codex" of spells. I decided that the emerald locket was a magic jar for the mage who would try to possess anyone touching the locket. But also that the locket was tied to a codex of forbidden and powerful spells held on the ethereal plan. The catch is that to read the codex a mage would have to read it on the ethereal plane.

This is one of the things I have to consider when stocking a high level adventure. The mage character is always looking for more spells but the fighters want more magic weapons. The two do not feel equal. Giving an additional +1 or ability on a weapon is not as necessary as new spells. It would not be fun if the mage gains the ability to cast 6th-level spells but finds he doesn't have any in his spell book.

In the game, it did not go as planned. The Mage thought that to free the codex he needed to destroy the locket. This was not the case, the codex became unanchored on the ethereal plane and floated off to oblivion.

Session 110: The Ethereal Codex

Lakima (human magic-user), Eathwund (human fighter), Alrix (couatl sorcerer), Aldus (human cavalier), Fenris the Filch (human thief NPC), Domago (human cleric NPC).

The company stands before a set of stone steps in tunnels beneath Dolmvay. The steps lead up to a chamber lit with flickering firelight. A pair of corpses lie on the steps and the area is covered in veils of cobwebs.

Fenris cautiously advances up the stone steps and immediately notices suspicious vertical cracks at regular intervals in the stone walls. He looks over the steps and spots a step that appears to sit up a little. Sliding a metal wedge into the step he disables the trap. He calls back to the rest of the company to let them know that it is safe. Fenris then checks over the two skeletons. One holds a fine-looking longsword. Nearby a shield lies on a stone step. Both items are handed to Lakima and placed in the bag of holding.

The entire company reaches the top of the steps and enters a square chamber. Magical flames burn in a pair of empty stone braziers flanking a pair of metal doors. Strange writing in gold metal marks the doors. To the left and right are a pair of smaller doors. Fenris walks up to the gold doors and reaches out a hand to check them.

“Wait!”, Lakima yells. He and Alrix are able to read the writings which are draconic and promises that intruders will be incinerated. Eathwund uses the power of his sword and says that he can see magic flowing throw the double doors. At this moment, Eathwund spots movement and turns to see the ghostly form of a young man stepping through a metal door on his right. The man regards the group of adventurers and then lays his eyes on Eathwund.

“Wizards! Free us!” Eathwund hears but none of his companions seems to notice. Eathwund tells his companions that he can see a ghost.

Lakima suggests they open the small door on the right. Fenris tries but says the door is stuck. Eathwund solidly hits the door with his shoulder but it does not budge. He uses the power of the sword again and increases his strength. When he slams against the door a second time it gives way and slides inward scraping against the floor. Inside they find a small chamber with three stone sarcophagi – two upright and one lying on the floor. There is also a stone table with parchment and scrolls lying on it.

“I can see the ghost”, Fenris says. All of the companions can now see the ghostly young man. Eathwund looks at the ghost and notices its form change to that of a ghostly rotted corpse with bones visible.

“I don’t like the looks of the ghost now,” Eathwund says.

Lakima steps through the ghost and walks over to the stone table. He picks up one of the sheets of parchment and finds that it is damaged but readable. The script is in old common. While the others wait, Lakima reads through the parchments and scrolls.

“If you promise to free us, I will tell you the password to the door,” the ghost says to Eathwund.

“I will free you,” Eathwund promises.

The ghost tells Eathwund the password and begs him to free his mother and him.

Lakima tells everyone that the parchments tell of a magic user named Maria Rutter who was part of a guild in Dolmvay called the Covenant. She was their archivist and one of her duties was to protect a tome of forbidden magic called the ethereal codex. She was attacked by an evil wizard who desired the forbidden magic. During their duel, her manor was burned to the ground killing her three children. Maria fought off her attacker but died soon after.

Lakima suggests they move to the other small metal door. Eathwund says the password the ghost told him out loud as he walks past the double doors.

“What did you say?” Aldus asks and looks at Eathwund quizzically.

Eathwund tells him about the password. Then he tries forcing the second door. It does not budge. Aldus then tries and the door shakes but again does not move. Domago gives it a try as well with the same results.

“Stand back,” Fenris says, then takes a run at the door and leaps striking it with his foot. The door is shoved open by the force of his leap enough to provide an entrance.

Inside they find another small stone-walled chamber. Against the wall on their right is a stone table covered in scrolls and parchment. A few damaged and unreadable sheets of parchment lying on the floor. To the left, the wall of the chamber has collapsed and a tunnel leads off into the darkness. While Lakima busies himself reading the parchment and scrolls, Fenris slips through the crank in the wall and explores the tunnel beyond. Domago directs light into the tunnel using his coin that has continual light cast upon it.

A short time later Fenris returns. He tells everyone that the tunnel leads into some tunnels they explored earlier near where they found the shaft to the Underdark. Lakima finishes reading the scrolls and tells everyone that they describe an Emerald Locket that holds the ethereal codex. A spellbook containing many powerful spells that had been outlawed in Valnwall. The mages of the Covenant sought to retain the knowledge of the spells even if they were not allowed to learn them so they had them gathered in one spellbook.

The entire group returns to the double doors. Eathwund walks right up to the doors and says the password he was given again. He then fearlessly reaches out and grabs a metal handle and pulls one door open. Beyond they see a set of steps leading down into another chamber lit by an eerie green light. The company, led by Fenris, descends into the green-lit chamber. Magical torches light the chamber. At the far end to their right, they see a raised platform. On a stone table, they see an object projecting a blazing green light. Because of how bright the light is they are unable to make out the object. Piles of bones and rusted swords lie on the floor between them and the stone table. Wooden benches face the table. The entire layout is reminiscent of a church.

The company spreads out and Lakima tells Fenris to grab the glowing object on the table. Domago, Aldus, and Eathwund take up positions behind Fenris. The thief moves as quietly as he can toward the raised platform on which lies the stone table.

When Fenris just starts to step past the piles of bones, the bone pile erupts and five skeletons leap to their feet to attack. The skeletons appear to be crudely held together and each has four arms with four hands each holding a rusty longsword. Two of them fall upon Fenris and hack and slash the poor thief into a bloody mess. Fenris falls unconscious to the stone floor. Aldus and Eathwund leap into the attack trying to draw the skeletons to them but one skeleton runs at Lakima. Alrix directs his sword of dancing at one of the skeletons and stays on the stairs preparing his battle ax. He is all out of melee spells.

“They are not undead!” Domago shouts. Lakima looks at the approaching skeleton and notes the green glow keeping it together. The skeletons appear to be some sort of magical construct.

One skeletal gets past Aldus and Eathwund and slashes Lakima cutting the mage twice. Domago and Alrix both move to block the skeleton from Lakima. Lakima seems unconcerned and strikes the skeleton with his staff of striking. Eathwund and Aldus both find themselves fighting two skeletons and dodging and parrying blows from eight swords each.

“Blow the Horn!” Aldus shouts at Domago.

“Save Fenris!” Lakima shouts at Domago.

Domago continues to fight off one of the skeletons and moves to reach Fenris. Stepping away from the combat he heals Fenris and then pulls out and blows the silver horn of Valhalla. Seven Einherjar appear out of nowhere and launch themselves at the skeletons. Fenris regains consciousness and crawls to the stairs from the chamber.

One by one the einherjar are dispelled by the skeletons. But they buy the group time. Eathwund and Aldus both smash a pair of skeletons putting them down and Alrix destroys the last one with his ax.

“Domago, quickly use the Staff,” Lakima urges, “The emerald locket is sure to have more defenses.”

Domago uses up many charges of his staff of healing as he moves about healing members of the group. Eathwund spots the ghost of the young man descend the stairs and walk into the chamber. The man watches them all expectantly.

Once everyone is feeling well enough to continue, Lakima directs Fenris to the locket on the stone table. Fenris moves up and grabs the locket. He freezes for a moment and then drops the locket to the table and scrambles back.

“There is someone inside the locket!” Fenris says.

Lakima walks up to the table and examines the locket. It is a green gem held by gold wire attached to a chain. He carefully reaches out and touches the gem. Lakima feels transported into a green glowing space. Suddenly, a withered old crone of a woman leaps upon him reaching for his throat. Lakima struggles and then asserts his mind and wins control. He drops the locket on the table.

“It’s a magic jar holding Maria Rutter,” Lakima says, “She tried to possess me but I was too strong for her.”

Eathwund looks at the locket and he can see a ghostly book lying on the stone table. Eathwund tells everyone that there is a ghostly book where they are seeing the locket.

“Smash it Eathwund.” Lakima says.

Eathwund steadies his sword Wormbane above the locket and brings it down with full force on the locket. The gem is shattered into dozens of shards. Everyone hears a woman shriek as the green glow disappears. Then they hear a bell begin to toll.

“Bong, bong, bong.”

“The book! The book is it still there!” Lakima shouts and looks at Eathwund.

Eathwund shakes his head, “No, it is gone.” He looks about the chamber, “And so is the ghost of the boy.”

Lakima curses and then scoops the fragments of the emerald locket into the bag of holding. As the bell continues to toll, he tells everyone that they had better get out of there. The bell is likely warning the mages guild of the locket’s destruction or theft.

The group leaves the chamber just as the tolling of the bell stops. As they exit the tomb of Maria Rutter they are attacked by four troglodytes. Domago again blows the silver horn and eight einherjar hold off the creatures. Aldus and Eathwund both kill a troglodyte and the remaining pair try to run away chased by the berserkers. On the way back to the sea cave they stop and liberate a golden idol of the sea god from a troglodyte altar.

The group leaves the tunnels and descends to the sea cave. They can see that the tide is starting to rise so they quickly leave the beach and return across town to the Black Dragon Inn.

The next day a few messages arrive. Lakima receives an invite to a dinner party at Cadriel Tresallinde’s manor. Alayna insists that they go. The group also receive a contract signed by Earl Uther of Calwell. Lakima takes the document over to a lawyer to get it registered at the town hall. 

Aldus is anxious to get some gold in his pocket and wants to sell the gold idol immediately. Fenris suggests that this is an opportunity to visit the Stone temple – a pawnshop near the Traveler’s Gate. Almost the entire group sets out for the shop. The shopkeeper Amir quickly empties the shop of guests once he is sure that his new visitors are trying to sell “acquired” goods. He agrees with Fenris’ assessment of the idol's worth but tells them he can only give them ¾ of that price as he will have to melt it down. Aldus haggles with Amir long enough to get the price up a little more but Lakima loses patience with the arguing over what he considers small change and makes a deal. After they leave Aldus tells them that he feels that Amir took advantage of them. He tells Fenris to rob the shop at his first convivence. Lakima tells Fenris not to as they do not need any legal issues.

“Too late,” Fenris smiles and shows a cheap gold necklace.

A day later, Lakima returns to the shop asking about a gift for an alchemist and Amir sells him a coin of transmutation that turns other coins into coins of less value. Lakima feels as an alchemist, Alayna should find it interesting.

On new years eve, Lakima, Alayna, Eathwund, Aldus, and Alrix go to the Tresallinde manor for dinner. Alayna has brought a traditional Yule gift for the household. During the meal, they meet several nobles that they met earlier at the Yule ball. It is a pleasant meal marred by the death of Lord Ganther val Hummbridge. Lakima quickly deduces that Jorrun val Thurman’s missing date is the guilty party. The woman he introduced as Irina has gone missing. Nathen Melius, who is at the party, assures everyone that he will take care of reporting the events to the duke and making arrangements. The company returns to the Black Dragon Inn. Lakima tells everyone that they should head back in the direction of Edgerton on the next day but stop at the magical Bridgeway to make the quick trip to Wolford and start looking for the sky raiders that they have been employed to deal with.