18 Ch18 - First ritual

Ch18

The morning came I was itching to leave this dome, but I didn't have a moonlantern or a pixie bell. However, a thought crosses my mind, pixies aren't that powerful so them giving blessings is like Guex giving me a blessing. As I have the hag abilities can I give myself a moonshield?

I go to visit Gale, he's just sat there reading a biography on Mystra. "You don't happen to have the broken moonlantern from Nere right?" He looks over to me and says, "Ah of course, just a moment." He reaches into his bag and pulls out the broken lantern. "Use it well my friend." I thank the wizard and take it to the beach, I want to test out a theory of mine. If pixie dust has effects, I want to see if a grounded up green hag's wart will work in a ritual with the broken moonlantern, after all it still has traces of pixie in it.

I transform into a green hag, a nature specialised hag with a tendency for lush swamps and illusions. Cutting off a wart stung a bit but I threw it down into the lantern, I transformed back and drew a ritual circe on the ground. With the base of it being a usual circle, I emphasised light coming away from it and drew a leaf. Copying what Ethel did whenever she used one of my nails or hair, I chanted in Sylvan.

"Great Cegilune, may you oversee this ritual with cauldron stirrer in hand and rejoice as I honour you with success!" Cegilune being the god of hags and the moon is perfect for this, as I used hag material and there's a permanent night here.

The lantern became swathed in sickly yellow and green veins, slowly covering it in essence. The binding took 10 minutes and I watched in fascination with each passing second, it was completely new to me, I felt like I was on my DS again as a child.

Finally the glowing stopped, but what remained was a gnarled black lantern frame housing the same rancid green colour as a flame now. It rest atop a withered and cold blackened arm which gripped tightly to the head of the lantern.

[Scholar system recognises achievement: first ritual- reward multi exam. If enough relevant knowledge is displayed in an exam, you may receive levels in other topics mentioned.]

[Hags Light -

Ethel taught you well, the green light beckons nature and charms it. The light cannot be snuffed by any mundane or magical means. (Including the shadows)]

"All this time I just had to create a new ritual to unlock so much more potential in my exams? There's so much more to cover when it comes to illithids then, they created at least 5 over species by accident. If I could get levels in the elder Obleck that the strange ox told me of, I could gain ooze advantage." I sigh, it was out of my power, if I didn't know then I simply didn't know. I bend over the pick up the Hag's Light, but as I do I hear wild cackling in my ear. I pick up the light and spin around to see I'm somewhere else entirely.

(Hades - Pluton)

A brown stained window in front of me reveals a large grey expanse with willow, olive trees and poplars. I could almost hear the trees crying, must I must be imagining it.

"So here you are, the false hag!" I turn to see a giant, warted beast of a woman stood leaning over me.

(Strong foundations will not work against someone too strong)

[Automatic wart counter: 62 - Cegilune]

"Shit" I mumble.

"Shit indeed you vile cur! I ought to send you back to yer mother's cunt fer what you've done!" She pointed a rancid finger in my face.

"I'm sorry Cegilune, at most I thought you wouldn't mind a new hag. After all not only have I become one, but I assisted in the pregnancy of one." If I had the correct biology to, my trousers would be violently brown right now.

"Sorry won't cut it for me, dearie" She spat out the last word the venom lacing her tongue. "You are no true hag! You merely wished to empower yourself without thinking didn't you?"

I can't lie, she got me there, "You're not wrong, I did it for the power. I want to kill the new upstart god using the power of the hags, the netherbrain is not an easy foe, but if I play my cards right then I'll have it beaten."

Cegilune paused for a moment, "I tell you what sunshine, if you make a deal with me, I'll let you off the hook. You have to kill the brain and in return, I'll make sure the hags help you. I'm not bothered about any answer unless it's yes, what do you say?" She grinned, I know any lesser gods related to magic would be first on the absolute hit list, after all they would ostracise their own if they had arcane feats.

"What if instead of the hag's assistance, you just give me your blessing? Could we do that?" I might be pushing it, but I know she's desperate for the brain to die.

"You greedy little shit! You want to be a false hag with a blessing?! Fine! Have it your way, begone!"

(Last Light Inn)

I found myself bent over on the coast gripping the lantern, straightening up I sighed. I've met four gods in the space of 3 months, I really don't like this pattern.

[Cegilune's blessing - permanent

"You better appreciate it you entitled shit bag!"

Rituals take 1 minute to cast.

Hag spells are 20% more effective

Potions brewed are 50% more effective

Immune to poison and acid]

I certainly do appreciate it, it's a really good blessing. I just realised something, I could've just went to Isobel for her blessing if I wanted to go into the woods.