(Vol 2) Chapter 3: Puff Goes a Dragon

When she touched base with Bast after the prayers and dedications and such, he was just relaxing on the deck, tuning his lute up for eventual play. The deck looked fairly good, despite all the bloodshed the night before. The crew had worked diligently… under excellent buffs, true, but diligently nonetheless.

“Bast,” she sent after a brief warning, “Did you get much identifying done?”

“The axes. I know better than to drain myself of all self-defense mechanisms just to glean mystical knowledge. Some Potion of Smoked Sausage Aura doesn’t do me much good if I’m fried by my inability to fight back in a crisis. Then I’m the smoked sausage.”

“Hey, what’s he saying?” Dart asked, peering at the mirror portal, to her face, and back again. “Your mind stuff with Followers, I can’t hear!”

“Wh-what? Uh… smoked sausage… he’s a smoked sausage. Anyway-”

“Ha! A sausage! Bast, you witty bitch.” He shook his little reptilian head.

Ignoring Dart, Sammy sent, “I’ll do the tattoo thing… that was an amulet… that hopefully becomes one again. And then some other thing.”

“We kept the head as well as the helm. When you pull the head out, it’s on the head. When you put it in, it’s on the helmet. That’s magic for you. Anyway, it’s a strange magic, which is why I wanted someone without a combustible body to do the identifying.”

“No, that’s perfectly logical. Sure.”

“The helm is magical too… but I believe it bundles with the damaged armor. There are still other things, but after this, we might as well see about the armor.”

“Sound’s good!”

Bast went down to the hold to see about the head — understandably, it was stowed away. He took it out of a sack and placed it on a crate top, then put a mirror nearby. At that point, he backed up a quite long distance away and called, “Ready when you are!”

Sammy stared for a moment at the skull helm of the former pirate captain. An ugly thing if ever there was one. She felt like they had better just sell the armor. Orswyth, if given sufficient time, would probably get its worth or more with his unique skills for such things.

Finally, she targeted the magical rune on the forehead and cast Identify.

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Amulet of Greater Mitigation

(Divine — Protection, Transmutation; Enchantment) Upon speaking the command word (Encrypted Runic: Seddek Sae Kaldok), this amulet transmutes into a rune upon the forehead and bestows a golden aura. The next 7 minor, major, or mortal wounds are reduced a grade, unless the last reduction ‘use’ is a minor wound (i.e. it must be major or mortal).

This effect lasts for 1 hour or until expended. The rune does not and cannot be removed until 24 hours from the activation time, at which point it returns to amulet form and may be used again. Effective Caster Level of effect: 10.

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“Score! This is pretty sick!” Sammy exclaimed.

“Sick as fuck!” Dart agreed. “Sicker than a sports-ball fan on a championship game work day.”

In a puff of prismatic smoke, Dart was in a mock bed with a blanket around him and an icepack on his head. Into a phone at his ear, he continued in a nasally, fake sick voice, “Sorry, boss — achoo! — I can’t come into work today…” Then the blanket slipped to reveal a foam finger around his hand that read, ‘Go Anycity Dragons!’

Sammy turned her head slightly to watch the display, smirking. “Yeah, something like that.”

“Wait, who is there with you?!” Bast had seemingly teleported to pick up the mirror and squint at it curiously.

Dart scurried out of the bed to zip over the short distance and stick his reptilian head close, swallowing up the mirror portal’s perspective, which made Bast yelp and almost drop the mirror as he held it back away.

Spitting out a thermometer, Dart declared fancily, “Dartagnan Baptiste El Le Dubois Oui Oui Confrere… The Third… Esquire. At your service. Applause is acceptable.”

As Bast stared in amazement, Sammy facepalmed and muttered, “You can just call him Dart, Bast. He’s my Servitor spirit.”

Recovering from his shock, Bast nodded slowly, then finally grinned, nodding his head in acknowledgment. “Ah. Well then, Sir Dart, I am pleased to make your acquaintance. Lord Sebastion, but these days especially, just Bast is fine.”

Dart scratched at a chin with a claw, in thought, as he floated slightly away. “Sir Dart? Yes, I think I like that…”

“Bringing dragons back to the world, Your Majesty? What a world you’re trying to make.”

“A particular type of dragon,” Sammy answered. “Faerie. I find it desirable as well as beneficial to be synergistic with Redberry.”

“Probably wisdom, I suppose.” At Sammy and Dart’s synchronized stink eye from his word choice, Bast held up his hands with a chuckle. “Sorry, sorry… old habits die hard, you know. At any rate, the world of belief has a mind of its own. The doors you open may lead to all sorts of chaotic and unpredictable results.”

“If it's a choice between that or the endless gray of the Dominion, I know which I prefer. You should talk to Tashome about the ‘colors’ of the world.”

“I’ve spoken with him a little bit. An interesting character… and much more dangerous than I first thought. He has that certain aura.”

“Mm, well, that might be a bit more recent, but that’s his issue to discuss. Moving on… shall we assemble the armor?”

“Naturally. But tell me about the rune — when can we extract it?”

Sammy summarized the effects, confirming they could do nothing but wait on the rune to turn back into the amulet later that night. As Bast dumped the head back in the sack and took the helmet over to the rest of the armor, Sammy asked about the axes.

The double-headed axe was called Freykeich and was much as expected: a powerful artifact with a battery of bonuses. He started listing things off, but then realized that the combination of them both having Identify and having a strong mental connection meant he could just shoot her the info quickly as a form.

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Freykeich, Shieldbreaker

(Arcane — Various, Physical Enhancement; Enchantment) This double-bladed axe has a number of separate enhancements and also provides +1 Effective Combat Levels when wielded, stacking with any other source. It has 1 level of Improved Penetration.

Throwable, Returning (Slow, Obvious): The weapon may be thrown effectively but is easily defended against (+2 to enemy’s defense comparison) and has a max to-hit comparison of 5. A successful hit uses full comparison for wounding purposes.

It will return unerringly over the next turn, which can be ‘steered’ (subject to normal momentum and speed) for another attack for free, possibly catching a foe unaware.

Shieldbreaker: Normal or non-artifact (named) grade magic shields are cut through effortlessly by this weapon, likely split and destroyed if caught head-on. Magical bonuses (only) will mitigate as normal but the shield will take damage and eventually offer no protection. Direct blocks are impossible for non-artifacts.

For purposes of damage to shield artifacts, this weapon is at +3 Effective Levels for the attack.

Great Durability: This weapon cannot be damaged except by magic or other artifacts. Its Effective Level for resistance is 8.

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She nodded thoughtfully, and also wished she had a berserker on tap, but moved on to the next. The bone axe.

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Disarming Bone Axe

(Arcane — Skill Enhancement, Physical Enhancement; Enchantment, ECL 6) This axe gives access to the [Disarm] Special Skill and +1 to any contest utilizing it (+2 if [Disarm] is already known). This includes all ‘hooking’ techniques. It has 1 level of Improved Penetration.

Durability grade is the same as high-quality enchanted steel.

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“I guess this explains his fighting style and moves during the battle quite a bit…”

“By the frown on your face,” Bast offered, “I’m guessing you’re doubting who can make use of these things.”

“Right… Knights are specialized to spears, polearms, swords, so on, even if they can use other stuff. This is more of a weapon for Brutes.”

“You haven’t had the system change the word to Warrior? Brute is so… brutish. Regardless, ah, Tashome? He is no knight.”

“He seemed like more of a swashbuckler… I mean he literally has — had — a buckler. But I suppose it isn’t a terrible option.”

“I’ll use them!” Dart called heroically, and in a giant poof of smoke, appeared as a glittering, shirtless Conan look-alike holding two oversized double axes up high. “Ha ha!” Then he threw the axes into the void and began flexing his muscles.

“Uhh, wow… that’s a thought, but you still wouldn’t be specialized… possibly not even proficient. There are higher levels than you or me among our party.”

“Eh, what’s the difference, you pick it up and swing it around!”

“You’re just making my case for me, Dart. Hell, you’d probably forget them somewhere and lose them forever…”

‘Conan’ made an angular pouty face at her, then poofed back into dragon form. “You should give me a teensy more credit, you know.”

Bast cleared his throat. “Shall we?” He gestured to the aggregate collection of bone pieces that made up the armor, with the helmet atop it.

Sammy targeted the whole thing with her wizardly brain and then cast Identify.

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Magical Bone Armor

(Arcane — Physical Enhancement; Enchantment) This suit of armor is of the highest grade of reinforced enchanted armor (Physical Armor 3, +1 Impaling) and provides an additional +1 Magical Armor against any attack, which cannot be bypassed.

This armor is ablative due to the material and breaks more easily/extremely under penetrative stress.

Status: Damaged. Front torso (Significant; complete physical bypass @ -1 accuracy); Neck (Minor; complete physical bypass by cutting or impaling @ -2 accuracy).

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She immediately shared it with Bast, who shrugged. “Not very impressive for all the looks,” he said.

“Which is the opposite of our Goddess, am I right, Bast?” Dart offered, waggling scaly brows. “Eh? Eh?”

Bast did an appreciative point at Dart, whilst grinning impishly. “Oh, you’re a pinnacle of truth on that point, my dear friend.”

“Don’t encourage him, Dart!” Sammy admonished, though she didn’t get her hopes up. What would be the point?

Such amusements and exasperation were interrupted by a sudden urgent mental communication from Azure. “Your Majesty, there is a development. I must leave immediately!”

Samantha hurriedly flashed to mirrors in her high priestess’s room and saw her packing things in a great, frantic rush, her clothes not at all the kind for travel, being some sort of blue evening dress. “I’m here. What’s happened?”

As she continued packing, Azure sent, “A servant girl went missing since perhaps last night. A note was found claiming she’d gotten tired of the life here and fled back to her parent's farm. I investigated and heard from another girl that she never lived with her parents, and hated her verbally abusive grandmother.

“I asked them to check down the road toward the city and they found a torn section of skirt, muddied. Likely done so she could move easier in the muddy terrain…”

Sammy wasn’t certain what that was supposed to mean… “So she fled toward the city? Knows someone there? What is the-”

“No, Goddess, she is going to report to Lord Andemen, likely for a reward! Keeping secrets here proved impossible… gossip is scarce, information from the city, eavesdropping- It doesn’t matter. She figured me out. She didn’t take a liking to me, either, and I think she might’ve gotten sensitive about Yadmin’s change of interest…”

Oh. Jealousy. Right.

“Azure, where can you go? You just need to hide a while long-”

“Soldiers! Raise arms! Soldiers!” Came a call resounding through the house that made the breath of woman and goddess alike catch.

“That’s not good,” Dart replied darkly, eyes narrowed.

Azure rushed out of the open door of her room and to the overhanging balcony top, looking down at the anxious milling about of servants. “Who?! Who is it?!” Azure cried down at the man rousing everyone to action.

He looked up and replied, “Some lord! With a whole pack o’ fighting men, and he’s calling for you! Laina. Laina… and ‘Azure’. Nestor is talking at him right now.”

The sheer terror that Sammy felt from Azure at this information was indescribable. Like a wild animal that had been caged and thought itself set free only to find it had been a cruel joke all along…

The master’s chains were closing in to put her back where she ‘belonged’. Where she was doomed to suffer.

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