Journal #54: Basics to Necromancy, why is this even a book.

Our trip to Gildomar was a two-day journey, we rode knowing that at least that we'd be going to the one sold clue to finding Teras Galewin, Licia's Father. Using a phantasmal steed, I had conjured the trip was far faster than the eight days.
 
However, that changed as we had to pass some guard towers. Nothing too out of the ordinary, save for the fact I had to dismiss the phantasmal steed before they could see the arcane horse. An annoyance sure, but things like that are required if we want to be quiet and not arrested. Arcane magic is strictly prohibited in the country of Gildomar. Not that that is much of a problem for somebody who lived without arcane magic most of their lives.
 
The dwarven guard meets us as we approached the gate and where confused. The two Aasimars, the 'purple' elf, the other two elves, the plant man and the Vampire. Which Lukas was promptly pulled into the Scepters demiplane. That's an adventuring group for you, then the guards started paying attention to me. Being reminded of that odd feeling, as they looked at me. Still never calling me drow or dark elf. They whispered, badly I might add, about him being the same as Duergar just for an elf. What happened to the drow here? A continental-wide genocide like in the Kingdom of Galasthin Elves?
 
Unsure what to do with our odd group, given that we need to go to the capital, the guards thought it best we were given a guide. From within the walls that barred our path, they called a dwarf by the name of Burdyr Donderiall. An older dwarf with a greying mohawk with the thick eyebrows. With a long braided bread that extended below his chest. This dwarf was well built, a war pick lay at his hip a shield at his back. He had a gruff attitude and had very quick opinions of us, unsurprisingly. With the addition of the dwarf, my phantasmal steed was no longer an option. We rented a cart to travel the remaining distance to the capitol. Which luckily for us only add some extra time for us as we were not that far
 
Burdyr was quickly confused by our party. The speaking star cat, the lack of breathing from Licia, my existence. I can see he has never really left his country. Yet, at least this would be helpful to have a guide for once instead of stumbling around in a new country for once. Turns out our trip into Gildomar was simple. As when we stopped at the first Inn, The Golden Chains, Burdyr had pointed it out. Nialnir had bought two casts of Ale, and I wondered if we traded one alcoholic for another. As Pin had chosen to stay in Ironfall, not returning with us. Asking some questions and getting a decently hot meal, the Prince was surprisingly easy to find. Locking himself away for an experience that further help his country. Getting to him was another question. As he would only expect apprentices in the Mechina, most do not survive the trails.
 
Soon The Lost Ones found themselves in front of the large building known as The Mechina, no research, no nothing. In a moment of clarity, I suggested doing some research, anything about what lays ahead. That was never going to happen, so we walked in. Attempting to do this as quickly as possible. No such luck on that part, two days we spent there. So much for being quick. Lucky for us, Arcane spell were in full use. As we were given full permission by the Prince. After Licia explained what we were doing here.
 
Ashlyn would have HATED this place. So many doors in this dwarven building. I doubt it would be standing if Ashlyn was here. The first of these odd puzzles where a room of eight doors locking a puzzle, which with secret chests. Most were a random gem, a magical rod, or other things, save for the one that attempted to steal my soul. That one had a Soul Gem, one that had already been used. I had a moment where I thought to simply pass the soul on to The Boneyard. Pocketing instead, I thought I would ask this Prince about it. Before doing something drastic with this Soul Gem.
 
Another large room, golems this time of sand and obsidian, stood guard. Two of each, and I drew Silver picking one the Obsidian Golem as my target. Spells were damn near impossible to land on the hulking figures. Having to think outside of the box to defeat that beast. While my friends started to take care of the rest, Talinde included now. A binding spell did the trick it for my opponent. Holding it in place, I shattered the Obsidian Golem. After the fight was over, I had to pick the shards of obsidian from my body, like thorns stuck in you after jumping into a rose bush. I was completely unaware that they explode when they are destroyed. Another chest is hidden inside this room, which contained dragons, blood, hides, and a few other things. The amount of dragon paraphernalia was concerning.
 
As we passed into the next room, which I could only assume to be some Alchemical Lab for the Prince with a liquid pool in the middle. Potion racks to our left as we entered, The Table to our right contained other alcoholic substances and dust. Directly in the center was in the pool, around the rim dwarven runes inscribed the following 'The depths show nothing but what is given, and do nothing but what is spoken.'
 
To the left of the pool was contraption which looked like some sort of potion mixer. To the back left was a table of metals, Nialnir took a piece of adamantine from the table. While I held on to Mythril for my own purposes. While the last table to the right was a table of reactions, reaction starters, like thunderstones or flints and steels.
 
The door which was on the other side had a riddle of sorts. Each in different languages. Undercommon: "My face may be stone, but my heart is [blank]. I do not drink, I do not breathe: my heart is all I seek."
 
Aquan: "Power distilled must be first considered. Waters turned to rush clear once life takes root."
Terran: "That which is cold must first meet that which provokes."
Ignan: "That which provokes must first meet molten power.
Auran: "That which changes mind must first be tempered by that which is cold."

Planar tongues? Undercommon does not make any sense as to why it would be here. While we explored, a halfling appeared out of thin air.
 
Kraia had returned, also being displaced in time like I was in her god's realm. She just rounded the corner as we walked into the Alchemical puzzle room. Burdyr was rather confused as Talinde was release in the golem fight. Now another person popped into existence. The poor dwarf could not understand how we kept producing people out of thin air. Which later, Lukas and Artemis appeared also appear from nothing, so I can understand why he was confused.
 
A potion puzzle was next, which was just mixing a potion with several ingredients in a specific order, with a secondary puzzle involving a shapeshifting pool that we asked to make the key to the door. It works. Simple is sometimes better. The door unlocked with the heart-shaped key, both vertical and narrow hallway of whirling pain. Buzzsaws of differing speed, height, directions jutting out of the wall. Nialnir and Kraia wild shaped into the tiny animal, easily passing by the dangerous hall.
 
As they rounded several corners, they tripped an alarm. Waking the dragon guard in the other room.
 
The buzzsaw filled hallway was stopped with combination metal rods and black tentacles. As well as some clever use of stone shape pressed into spinning blades to stop the buzzsaws that the first plan could not. We quickly made it past the hall into a smaller room, two large double doors lead into the room with the Dragon.
 
There was our first rest. Annoyingly using the arcane spell, rope trick, we pulled ourselves into a pocket dimension. This was an attempt to get our magic back as well as let the Dragon calm down.
 
The Dragon was an absolute abomination of a fight. We sent out the Vampire Lukas, as bait as vampires are rather hard to kill. Nialnir started with black tentacles, which the black Dragon laughed taking flight, sending their very own black tentacles. Yes, that spell is back, Burdyr and Nialnir had been held captive for a large amount of the fight. The others and I took care of the Dragon, in its acid-filled camber. Which while challenging, we have certainly dealt with worse. With the Dragon took care of, and us harvesting some of the Dragon. I took a chunk of dragon bone.
 
More doors, traps, and devil summoning circles lead to a small conversation with Cyne and our Second rest. Another Ropetrick, before we touched this teleportation key.
 
If this journal seems a bit scatterbrained or lacking in the information, it is because I am tired, and this dwarven Prince annoyed me. I would rather not think too much about people like him. His single-minded view and how easy it had been to manipulate the Prince. We did not, but a necromancer had.
 
This is so stupid.
 
And tiring.
 
One day there will not be some vague calamity around the corner, where I do not need to worry about some lich that could appear at any time. Where dealing with politics and having to gingerly walk around a topic about gods and race. One day, sorry, this is starting to get into the realm of tangents.
 
As The Lost Ones touched the teleportation key, we enter the core room of the Mechania. Eight rooms all empty. With one in the middle of that large room. It became clear as we looked through each room that we probably needed to get into the center room. In fact, the core of the Mechania seemed more to be living quarters then a lab. With all the creature comforts, somebody would need to live alone with little interaction with the outside world. We found notes from an arcane caster. While odd, the Prince did give us a pass while inside this build despite the rules of the nation being anti arcane. The arcane caster in question was proclaiming their thanks for the Prince for his understanding of his work. Then I went on about some work with Necromancy. Which lead to some suspicions about who this person was. Which was all but confirmed when we found a book under some carpet. Basics to Necromancy. We looked at each other. This was not a good sign.
 
Finding a key hidden within a study in his desk. As we unlocked the door, to be met with the Prince. How do I describe this nobleman, well definitely not noble for one? Skittish, afraid of his own shadow, closed-minded. Burdyr and I were the only people that could speak Dwarven, which Licia had caste tongues to speak with the dwarf. Despite him clearly knowing and reply to questions asked in common in dwarven. He forced the elves outside as he could not forgive them for what they did. Which apparently happened like a thousand years ago.
 
Being a dark elf, I partly got a pass. Sort of. Again It was like I was treated like a myth, not some bedtime story of creatures lurking in the dark.. I would have gone in aways, the Prince's words be damned. I pulled the soul gem out, asking a question about it. Which leads our assumptions about the Prince being manipulated by a lich to be true.
 
That's not our problem, well it is, but if this Prince is too stupid to see reason than could care less about what happens. As conversation devolved into another fight.
 
You know what I am just going to bullet point this as I am cold and tired and want to go to bed. Talking to the Soul Gem took more out of me than I thought.
 
The Prince and Finding Licia's Father
 
~ The Lich and The Prince constructed an anti scrying disc that was bound to only Licia's Father, Break that we break the problem we had found him.
~The Fight wasn't that difficult. However, Talinde might need to be looked at. Something's off …
~We decided not to help the Prince deal with the Lich.
~The Onyx Shrine is under the control of the Lich, which is WHERE her father is. It's one thing after another.
~Sigrun after watching the Scrying spell needed to warn others about this new information. How this Necromancer has a hold over one of the Dragons Shrines.
~We decided to go to the Jade Shrine, then using that Shrine to sneak into Onyx Shrine as they all are connected. Hopefully, once we're inside, we can scry further as inside the Shrine there was some barrier stop Licia's spell from actually finding her father. Gods, I hope that idiot is worth all this trouble.