[Note, more information on this topic regarding Nemesis, Nemesis wraiths, and demons in general, plus more, can be found on the Library of Ivory website https://library.cityofivory.org/]
Amawar, Kovaks, Omri, Pawldo, Diamond and David sat around deciphering documents into the night until at last the translation party came to an end and everything finally seemed clear... or at least, the words were there.
Kos Map:
Monk’s Keep 3 documents: old parchment
Deep Roots
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Vial Moonwater
Spoon Bluebell
Pinch Dryad Marrow
Vox Lentitudo
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One Vial Sunwater
Two Spoon Foxglove
One Pinch Bluebell
Songbird
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One Vial Starnectar
One Pinch VWde bones
Two Pinch Dryad Marrow
Extreme Whiskey
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One Vial Starnectar
One Pinch Rind Powder
One Pinch newt skin
Animal Insight
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Vial Starnectar
Spoon Oapowder
Pinch Bugbear Tears
Fast Antidote
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Two vial sunwater
one spoon Foxglove
one Pinch Bugbear tears
Heal Limb
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One spoon Starnectar
Two pinch volebones
One pinch bellberry
Rescue Statue
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Two Vial Sunwater
One spoon starnectar
One pinch newt skin
Create Statue
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One vial moonwater
One pinch rind powder
one pinch newt skin
Raise Dead
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Two Vial Moonwater
Two Pinch Cinnamon
One Pinch Dryad Marrow
Toughness
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One Vial Moonwater
One spoon Oapowder
One pinch newt skin
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She rose, bright dawn
Searing, blinding
Striking crystal spears
Into our eyes
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Torin,
The headmaster at the Healers’ Guild is calling for all the acolytes to join an excursion for advancing our herbology skills in the wilderness. I am told this may have us away from Kos for a couple weeks at least. Remember to keep journaling your research, it is always good to write things down. I will look forward to learning what you have discovered on my return.
Yours,
Myria
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Helena,
I have reached my destination and the prospects here look good. I imagine I will stay for about a month as long as business holds, then return as soon as a caravan or garrison moves in a favorable direction. Please hug the children for me.
Your loving,
Casta
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Miranees,
Remember to keep the fire going when the weather turns, and make sure you finish the animal shelter before then too. If you find you need help, ask Gramlin and tell them I will thank them appropriately for their kindness on my return. Be well. Be responsible.
Uncle Tenn
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Garrin,
I miss you so much, I think about you all the time. Not a moment goes by that I don’t yearn for your touch, to see your smile, to feel your hand in mine. I dream of nothing but you. I count the moments until I am in your arms again. Sing for me, I will be there soon.
Your ever loving Sammain
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(a coupon good for a Power Elixir at the Crown and Apple Tavern)
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January the thirteenth, nine-hundred and forty-first year:
The people in the House of Healing seem very anxious about something, talking nervously, rushing around more. I don’t know why everyone’s on edge, life has been completely boring since my access to the Mages’ Guild was cut off.
June the tenth, nine-hundred and forty-first year
We have been on the run for a month now, often the first people bringing the news of Kos’ fall to the next village. I can’t believe this is all my fault, poor Myria has to live the life of a refugee and she deserves so much better than that. We are going to have to somehow continue our learning with no guild or school to teach us.
February the nineteenth, nine-hundred and forty-third year
I can’t believe it’s been so long since I wrote anything here. I must have gotten distracted trying to survive. Nemesis is everywhere, wrecking towns, razing farms, sending his abysmal Wraiths on killing sprees, stealing magic, hunting by day or night. You can tell where he has been because there’s death everywhere. Myria and I are trying to stay ahead of the terror.
May the tenth, nine-hundred and forty-fourth year
I finally found a soft enough spot to tap into a leyline and communicate with faeriekind. They don’t like Nemesis either, but so far he has left them mostly alone, bent more on dominating the Realms for some reason. Anyway some of them are willing to teach me more magic, usually in kind for some small gift or service, and so I will learn what I can. I hope they know some way to deal with the demon.
November the sixth, nine-hundred and forty-fifth year
Again, I forgot to write for so long! I misplaced my journal, Myria and I had to relocate again, I had to find a new faerie connection, and now finally we have some stability. I am thinking of returning to Monk’s Keep when I can. I think we might need the Source, or other secrets locked away by the Magepriests, to deal with Nemesis.
January the seventeenth, nine-hundred and forty-sixth year
I have been trying to sort out the nature of the Dark Wraiths, with help from my sprite friends, and any Realms mystics I come across. The Wraiths seem to be material when fighting us, but astral otherwise. I am told that Nemesis sometimes appears without them, sometimes they appear without him, sometimes he sends them two and two to different places at once to hunt a target, or just to rampage, it is hard to tell. They are more powerful than anything we mortals can set against them.
March the first, nine-hundred and forty-sixth year
I have it! I have it, the truename of our enemy! A sprite gave it to me, for not as high a price as I would have thought, as if it were just another piece of information in our ongoing studies. Myria is skeptical, but then she has always been more wary of ephemeral beings from other planes. I say that knowledge is knowledge no matter where you get it. Now to memorize it because I dare not write it down for fear it will fall into the wrong hands.
August the fifth, nine-hundred and forty-sixth year
I heard that a town over the mountains survived a dark lesson by bowing down to Nemesis’ rule. I also heard that he was not satisfied with just the town and marched on their lord’s stronghold. Marched. Alright so he didn’t have an army but a few Dark Wraiths and a handful of fodder demons and Nemesis himself is enough of an army as it is.
November the sixth, nine-hundred and forty-sixth year
We saw them, nearby, the Demon Prince and his minions. We were hidden and terrified he would find us. I get the feeling he’s hunting me personally, although really he should thank me for letting him into this world. I am the hugest fool in creation.
But I took the chance to watch, to learn. Nemesis talks to his Wraiths, but they do not talk back. They make no sound, but turn on his word like a flight of birds, or hunting wolves – as one, with precision, with intent.
January the twelfth, nine-hundred and forty-seventh year
I really don’t know how I’m going to do the research I need to do to banish Nemesis once and for all. I might need to go back to the Guild. And hope that everything isn’t burned and buried and beyond use. Myria says she will make the trip with me. She has learned much about the healing arts in our travels.
March the fifteenth, nine-hundred and forty-seventh year
During a night of fireside talk at the nearest tavern, I was reminded again of the story of Aerynn. Maybe a Valkyrie is what we need. I’ll have to figure out how to get one of those, maybe Aerynn’s story isn’t just a fairy tale.
Monk’s Keep 3 documents: new papers
If you want to rid yourself of a Demon Prince such as Adversary, I have seen it done before.
When you last performed the ritual, you had rods inscribed with a spell from each circle. At the time there were seven, but as the magics of the Realms have shifted I believe you would only need six rods were you to attempt this now.
These six rods may be secured with questing or artifice, I am not certain which is best or most possible, nor do I anticipate having time to discover this for you.
The rods were held vertically to power three concentric circles of power. I suggest you have one rod on the center circle, two in the middle and three on the outer circle.
Each rod spell must be cast on the rod to power them. Then, someone must stand by each rod, holding it in place, and chanting. The chant need not be the spell itself, but should be words aligned to the intent. Each person must be reciting a chant different from the others.
Your mortal champion must stand in the center ring, armed for battle.
Have no doubt that as you attempt to accomplish this, we servants of our Master will do all in our power to stop you.
The circles and the spells and the chanting will open a path to the astral plane. The champion will enter the astral and fight the demon.
You should set up some method by which the champion is sent to the target, or the target drawn to the champion, else your fighter may end up fighting an unintended enemy.
Now this is important – Before even stepping into the ring, the mortal champion must establish an anchor to the Prime Material Plane.
The mortal and the demon will fight. If the mortal loses, they will return to the ring, dead for all time, and the ritual spells will be broken.
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Magics shift, time changes everything, and lessons of the past sometimes inform and sometimes lead astray. Nevertheless I will mention that I once performed a ritual after years of research. I believe you have my journal pages outlining the same. If you don’t, they are destroyed, or in others’ hands by this point. Be aware that my original ritual made use of the Combine effect, available to attuned mages only in regions that radiate it. My region of course was Kos, but since you destroyed the Source I doubt that resource will be so available. I have only seen its use in a few places. But you are a clever bunch.
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It seems my old study, my hidden spaces with the portal nestled among the many symbols, is where they decided to establish my tomb. Ironic, odd, walking in your own place of eternal rest… when your corpse is not there, and you’ll never know rest.
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Beware the destructive power of the Valkyrie
It is the thing I fear more than the Demon Prince’s ambition
Such a creature obliterates hope
But I shall prepare myself for oblivion and fall to her blade if that is what must be done to secure my vengeance
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Upon your rescue of the sword Vindicator, our task in the Murk was thwarted, our orders dissolved, and our freedom unknown for several months. We knew that freedom could end at any moment. We finally convinced all to duel once again, but with time left unknown, and aware that some among you wish to help us, I thought it best to
he knows
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You have been to Kos before, you have taken many pages from my journals. You know me enough. Speak but a word.
We cannot act directly against him
We cannot speak against him
We cannot resist him
We are compelled to conceal truths
We all agreed to servitude
We value a chance at freedom
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The person who fought in the center ring when your people made an attempt several decades ago failed to anchor themselves. They were lost to you and only recovered with time and risk. I do not know if this is what caused the banishment to last for only twenty years.
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I know Brother Malcolm gave one of you a speaking token. Be aware that this will not impart peace, only speech. Orders will be orders when the time arrives.
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Brother Malcolm may converse with you if you are dead. He has done so recently. But free will is likely to be denied him the next time we meet.
