Speaking of mages, Aerie has been chatting with me fairly often about her amputated wings, etc. She's getting annoying, definitely. But, I like how she's a cleric/mage multiclass, so I'm willing to put up with it. She's just a naive little girl, which is weird seeing how she's had so much traumatic experience in her life. Like I said, I'm tolerating it and I'm not saying anything to truly upset her. So far, it seems like she's liking it, which I'm actually not too excited about.
And as far as other possible romances, I spotted Jaheira by the docks outside the Harper stronghold, while I was looking for Isaea's drunk associate Barg. No warm reunion between us, even though she's been on her own for almost two weeks or so...she's just rushing me to enter the building and talk to her colleagues. Nope, Jaheira, that's going to have to wait. I really, really don't see the point in it. Even if it's just to get you back into the group...welp, I've moved on. I don't think I can really fit in a fighter/druid right now.
Next move is heading straight to Gaelan Bayle. I pay him the money in return for access to Aran Linvail. Oh, I see where this is going. It's not going to be a straight gold-for-information exchange...I was probably naive myself to even entertain that notion. But I head to the docks, move unhindered through the lower level of the guild, and find Aran eventually. He's got some task for me...I'm clearly just a chess piece in the guild war that's rocking Athkatla right now. I agree, feeling slightly exasperated. I'm not going to argue, I know how these things go. This seems easy enough, anyhow...I watch Mook die that night, and return to Aran with the news. Okay, next task tonight: find out the name of the vampire guild contact, and from there figure out the guild's location. Head to the Five Flagons Inn and violently wrangle out the information I need...leave four bodies in my wake: the two traitors, Grecen, and a strange witness bystander named Ercias. He may have been completely innocent, but he said some weird things that I didn't like.
I now have the info that Aran wants: the location of the vampire guild's headquarters. But I'm tired of the runaround. Idaen the Bhaalspawn isn't about to be running menial tasks like a thug...there have to be more solutions to this Imoen problem. I know several days ago someone approached me about meeting a mysterious "mistress" in the graveyard at night, who could offer me another option. I'm planning on seeing if this offer is still on the table. But by the time I emerge from the Five Flagons, dawn has broken...instead of returning to Aran, I spend the daylight at an inn and head to the graveyard at night. But there's nothing, just darkness and rain, and someone buried alive in a grave. Yikes...I tell the guy I really don't have time for this, but end up agreeing to try to look for someone wearing bright red...ugh, whatever.
I head down to the catacombs to the blue doors, but there's no one there. And no way to get in. A sense of danger so overwhelming that Yoshimo can barely bring himself to try to pick the lock. Damn! Offer's off the table, I guess. Next move, I return to Aran...of course he has another task for me, this one infinitely more dangerous: destroy an entire vampire hive and its vampire queen. Gimme a break, guy. I accuse him of stalling, but he doesn't blink an eye. Pfft, whatever. Before I leave his guildhall, I find Renal Bloodscalp, to see if there's any way he can help (don't know what I'm envisioning here). Of course, he's no help either. I rebuff him so quickly that it's borderline insulting. What do I care? He's not the real guildmaster. Yoshimo and Korgan don't like how the situation plays out, but they're going to have to do what they're told.I'm not going to start killing vampires on Aran's request, when I have no guarantee that I'm going to get any of the help or information I need. I can still possibly get the help of some other major power factions in the city: the city temples and, yes, the Harpers. But this stupid guild war can wait. As far as I know, a gruesome killer and evil mage fled to the Umar Hills several day ago. I've been lax in my duties to Imnesvale...I need to get THAT figured out. So I've decided I'm leaving Athkatla. Imoen will have to tough it out a little longer, but I have faith that she can handle whatever the Cowled Wizards can dish out for now.
That all being said, I realize I rarely write about the weapons and equipment that my characters use. So, at the beginning of chapter three, here's how the equipment's looking:
Idaen, the PC, is going sword and shield style. Is this the best? I don't know, I'm not a powergamer. I initially envisioned him as using a shield, and as soon as I had as many proficiency points in that as I had in two weapon style, I started using a shield. Most of my time spent on the Sword Coast, I was dual-wielding, I'll admit. Anyways, he's using the Wyvern's Tail and a large shield +2. He's also got full plate mail +1, the Gauntlets of Ogre Power, the Helm of Charm Protection, and the Amulet of Power. Rounds out to a nice -7 AC with 89hp. Oh yeah, and his racial enemies are elementals...hasn't come in super-handy yet, although he was destroying those fire elementals in the sphere.
Korgan is also going sword and shield. He's got a battle axe +2, the Shield of the Lost +2, full plate mail, and a cloak of protection +1, the Helmet of Defense...and the Girdle of Piercing. -4 AC and a nice 118hp.
And next is Minsc. I'll admit, he's growing on me. I hadn't liked him since he tried to kill me in Nashkel, but I guess that's just his style. I guess due to Irenicus's experiments, I had no memory of traveling with him after Sarevok's death, so I parted ways with him as soon as he freed himself. In the end, he doesn't seem that bad. He's dual-wielding a mace +1 and a normal mace (I know, horrible, horrible). He's wearing full plate mail, the Helm of Balduran, the Ring of Earth Control, and a ring of protection +2 that we just picked up from Linvail. -5 AC and 83hp.
Okay, and Yoshimo: switches between a short bow +2 and his own Katana +1. Wears The Night's Gift +5, the Boots of Stealth, and the Ring of Danger Sense.
Nalia: a short bow +1, a knave's robe, bracers of defense AC 7, and most importantly for her, the Amulet of Metaspell Influence.
Aerie: a sling +2 and a small shield +2. She also has the Ring of Acuity, bracers of defense AC 6, a traveller's robe, and yes, the Helm of Infravision. I know she doesn't need it, but it's the only other magic helmet, and I'd rather have her wearing this one than some non-magical one.
So that's it, here's the party:
Idaen, lvl 9 cleric/lvl 9 ranger
Korgan, lvl 10 berserker
Minsc, lvl 8 ranger
Yoshimo, lvl 13 bounty hunter
Nalia, lvl 4 thief>lvl 11 mage
Aerie, lvl 9 cleric/lvl 10 mage
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