Chương 28: Ch28 - Unrelentless boredom
Pulling out the ring I bought earlier, I thought off everything I had collected and decided to go for an illithid focus, if the ring was good enough then I could focus the exam onto something else. I already have [illithid ally] that worked to ally the mindflayers against Gortash and Orin.
Putting that aside, I erased the ritual circle with fire and prepared a new one. A regular circle, split down the middle with wavy lines stretching to either side meant to represent a brain. I threw the ring in, followed by the 27 intellect devourer corpses, 5 mindflayer corpses, 8 mind flayer tadpoles, a slither of flesh from the elder brain and a vial of blood from it as well. I also have no use for the random humanoid bodies so I threw their brains in and left their bodies aside.
With everything settled, I knew exactly who to aim the ritual to. In deep speech I begun to chant to Ilsinsine, to bestow this ring illithid capabilities of some kind would be ideal. If I free Orpheus, then I can use him to cause a Githyanki civil war, keeping an invading force busy is perfect for me. I won't need a mind flayer form as I'll get him to do it instead.
The ritual took a minute as expected, but once again provided amazing results. Instead of darkness, the materials joined together by flesh and blood writhing over to the ring beneath it. It started condensing in on itself pulsing grossly and leaking blood and puss as it did so. Finally, a ring shape was formed, a few more adjustments and a beige-pink ring with grooves patterning it was formed.
[50% bonus to dark magic used]
[Ring of incomprehensible thinking -
A ritual infused ring. A congealed mix of the upper echelon and the lowest of the illithids were combined to form an illithid nightmare ring.
8 Illithid tadpoles - You may cease or speed up the ceremorphosis of another.
27 intellect devourers - Grants the wearer unimpeded dominance over the intellect develourers.
5 Mind flayers - 10% damage boost against mind flayers.
Sliver of the Netherbrain's flesh - Resistance to psychic damage granted to wielder.
Blood of the Netherbrain - Illithids will see you as one of them no matter what.
Ring features - The mash of brains that created this gives advantage to intelligence and wisdom saving throws. Due time the sheer amount of knowledge stored in this, grants 23INT. Due to the illithid nature, you may now harvest knowledge and nutrition through devouring brains. As the ring is quasi-sentient, it refuses to leave the wearer unwillingly.]
With experience with powerful items now, I walk up and analyse the ring further with [Detect magic], [Legend lore] and all my passive eyesights. After about receiving lots of information, I concluded that it is exactly what it says it is. I tested detect thoughts on it due to the quasi-sentience, it was completely empty, instinctive to motive only. Perfect, all I need now is some enchanted clothing, I could use Orin's corpse for that.
****
Morning came and we finally moved onto the Road to Baldur's gate, at long fucking last. I turned into my ghost form so I didn't have to walk, I know I said I enjoy walks and I wouldn't fly unless necessary, but an 80mile path is pushing it.
"Are we there yet soldiers?" Karlach moaned.
"Nearly, I can smell the army at their gates" Durge responded. He's gotten a lot more normal since I first got [Moral Booster] and I appreciate the progress he's made, despite his weird comments.
Hours passed and I spent my time talking with all the survivors, or just thinking of rituals and the materials it would need. It was just getting boring now, sure the sunlight and greenery was nice but there was something slightly cosy about the Shadowlands. And I was reminded of it when day finally turned to dusk.
We set up camp in some odd ruins, just off the path to Baldur's Gate, we had to clear off some kobold bandits from it first. As the good person I was, I took liberty to take the corpses and dissect them overnight, they were a new race after all. The ruins had lots of knowledge to be found on kobold from their worship of the lesser deity Kurtulmak to the aggression they direct to the gnomes.
A wealth of knowledge wasted on a subpar species. I think I'd rather spend my time staring at the walls than look at another kobold. So I did, it looked like it was built as a monastery in 11th century england, weird resemblance, but neat.
I was restless throughout the night, I wanted to run and experience Baldur's Gate but I wanted to experience it with the party. So I travelled off south, coming across yet another thick forest. Just outside it I saw a large fort, with 'Friendly arm inn' written on a plank of wood to the side. Lights still on and joyous noises told me that they were still active, so I flew down in front of the door guards.
"Hold it, the Friendly arm inn is a peaceful area. We must ask you what class you are." A large man in steel gear stopped me.
"Class? Like sorcerer or something?" I asked him.
"Exactly that." He firmly responded, his partner nodded silently.
"A bit of a mixture I guess, mainly wizard, but mix in rogue and fighter as well." My skills were a bit too varied for anything specific really.
"Then we must ask you to remove all weapons on your person and tie one thumb to your waistband." His face showed no change in appearance throughout this, he seemed almost tired of asking.
"Right, peaceful area and that." I passed him my crossbow and I tied one thumb to my waistband. Just as I did, they patted me down, checked my pockets and made sure my thumb was secure.
"Anything suspicious on your end?" The man patting down my left-side asked.
"No, just a really deep looking pocket. But not a bag of holding." He checked the pocket holding my corrupting staff, but since he couldn't touch it I was safe.
"In you go."
Shrugging my shoulders I walked inside, pushing the door open with my left-hand. Inside, the great raucous noise got louder, fire-fists, aaracocra and various different species gather. Walking to the bar I asked the man, "What's on tap?"
The small gnome man looked up at me, wiping his pint-glasses and his pitchers, "Amnam liquor, Ladydagger, Snowfire and Wyvernblood. If none of them take your fancy, there's water. We also sell what we find in the forest, but they're all in a different room."
"I'll have some Ladydagger and can I see the room?" I push a gold coin over and he pours out some purple liquid, it looks like a cider I think. He puts the gold in the counter and signals over a half-orc to cover the bar.
Leading into the other room, an entire shop was set up here, with glass panels and alarm wards. Bags of holding, enchanted weapons and a lot of giant spider materials.
"I'll have 6 spiders and a bag of holding, how much is that?"
"1200 gold"
"Shit that's steep" Ignoring my grumblings, he happily accepts my gold and passes me what I want. I put the corpses in my bag and hang the bag of holding from my hip. I pick my drink back up and take a sip, it was nice.
I sat back down at the bar, just for some wizards to come up to me. "Hey brooo, where's your grimoire? What's that, couldn't afford it?" The bucktooth gnomish wizard was trying to bully me? Of all people, me?
"Look, you don't want this. If you do, meet me in the woods in five." His smile grew with malicious joy.
"Fine then, see you out there." He marched out and I saw him and his friends untuck their thumbs out the door.
"You already makin' enemies?" Bentley, the innkeeper I bought from, asked me.
"If you can even call them that" I used [Summon hag] to call on a Nighthag. She appeared in the same form as last time, a middle-aged woman in glasses.
"Go take care of the wizards outside, and bring anything useful from them." Everyone saw me cast a conjuration spell with no hand movements, a very dangerous thing to be wary of. Nelly ignored them all and marched outside, no one could see it, but everyone could hear the violence coming from outside. The screaming for mercy and the zapping of spells harmonised for everyone. Not even half a minute later, Nelly brought back a large sack of gold and a few scrolls.
"Can I sell these?" I pass over the chilling touch, firebolt and dominate person scrolls to Bentley.
He eyes me up and down for another minute before saying, "Sure mate, 576 for the three of 'em."
I took my gold from him and decided now was a good time to leave, I got my crossbow back and flew off back to the ruins. I'll search the forest another day maybe, Kagha's knowledge on shadow druids said that it was an important place after all.
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