15 Ch15 - Moonrise

Ch15 - Moonrise Tower

I looked around to look at the party, Karlach was just pissef because she has to rescue an asset of Zariel's. Wyll was simply in stunned silence that I found a loophole for him. "Thank you for that, really, I can't be happier but I just can't fully trust it you know?"

"No I understand, you can't trust a cambion after all. But now you have a chance at the very least the fee yourself." We continue moving forwards and just before we're in sight of the guards, I change shape into a goblin. My party notices and understands, goblins are just trusted implicitly when it comes to being minions of evil schemers. The rest of them have their tadpoles.

I take the lead and announce, "I gots you some more of them true soul lot!" I hobble in front, it's just weird being this short. I hope I at least look like an attractive goblin. A guard looks over to them before asking me, "They're true souls alright, but where'd you get them from?"

Another bonus from the hags is a +7 to deception and a +4 to charisma, I can basically say anything I want to these idiots. "Yeh I woz lost in the forest yeah, I had me lamp on me though. And then these lot bumped into me and told me summat like 'take us to moonrise'"

The guard just looked at me for a moment and sighed, clearly exhausted from talking to a goblin. "That checks, go on in." I nod and the group follows behind me. Shart catches up to say, "Deceptive, lady Shar would take a shine to you." Astarion also praised me for my performance, but Gale just wanted to know what spell I used.

We climbed up the stairs and entered into the hall, I told the group I'd go do some recon whilst they went to see Ketheric. I headed straight for the rafters, wooden beams supporting me up on my journey to the absolute. The absolute was meant literally, there's a spot in the walls here that you can actually go to talk with the absolute.

I cancel my goblin form and switch to my backpacker one, there's a fleshy crack in the wall that I just have to reach into. An inch away from it now and I run my hand into it. A damp air lingered inside the fleshy walls and an odd smell wafted in from it.

[Strong foundations activated: Would you like to go to 'The Absolute'?]

Clicking yes, I feel myself be pulled into the wall. A vast cavernous space surrounds me, as I float in the air hovering in front of a bundle of tentacles. "This form is comprehended by your kind, yet you are blessed by our God, I may free myself in your view." A blank, monotone voice echoed out towards me.

"You don't have to worry about comprehending, I know what you are and I've seen far more powerful gods." I have unbridled confidence in the face of the overgrown brain, for obvious reasons.

"Very well" The voice spoke. The tentacles begun writhing violently before bursting outwards, they wrapped around each other many times over to form a thick pink membrane of a brain. Moments passed and a much smaller, much more pink version of Ilsinsine appeared before me.

"An elder brain, yet evolved to a nether brain. Do you mind if I ask you some questions?" I'd only do something like this because of my [Illithid Ally].

"A fair trade of knowledge is required" An understandable thing, elder brains do violently enjoy knowledge.

"I would like to learn more about Ulitherids, Alhoons and the vampiric illithid. In return I shall tell you about three things about hags or aberrations." A pretty good deal, one I hope it will take.

[Scholar's barrier activated: 'Data on three types of illithid' - Accept?]

I click yes and feel the information flood my brain, very little I didn't know but those extra steps are vital. "Thank you, which would you like to know"

"Beholders, nighthags and Morkoth" A good choice for the three in my opinion. I send out a mental probe to the brain and it accepts, I then send in the information it requested.

"You have been of assistance, continue to be our ally" No promises, but I never had the chance to respond when I was thrown out through the wall again.

Fantastic, great meeting with the absolute, will be very useful against the illithids. Now I switch into my ghost form and cast invisible passage, a permanent invisibility that ends when I fail concentration. I float around the towers, planning to loot everything Ketheric has to offer. I slew a mimic and received a spine shudder amulet, I figured that I could just place that on top of my other amulet, but they begun to repel each other.

At least it explains why people don't make amulets to be overpowered or combined. Nevertheless, Gale or Wyll would like it. I floated around the tower further until I reached the peak. There Ketheric Thorm waited, but not for me, I floated over to the chest to steal the ring of exalted marrow before floating over to steal one of his hairs.

I planned to create a simulacrum of his hair to get some necromancy knowledge out of Balthazar. Though if it works or not remains to be seen, worth a shot, if not I can always use it to cast dream.

I met up with the rest of the party and we each filled each other in on what we found, I with ketheric's room, the absolute and his hair. The rest moved together and found a way to free the tieflings and some ironhand gnomes. Speaking of which, I'm absolutely going to find a way to just rip Wulbren Bongle's memories away. Runepowder should not be in the hands of someone mean to Barcus.

From the moment I saw how Wulbren treated Barcus in the game, I knew I had to sort kill him. With my hag spells that will simply be easy.