[Completed] - Bertram/Dwarven Ruins II - 19 April, 1 VC

[Zhym]

Yeah, I was expecting that someone would cast Sleep on Bromric on the morning of the 26th after recovering spells, then we could decide what to do. Hopefully removing the sword would be enough to end the possession, but even if not, we could discuss what to do without Bromric's possessor hearing (unless the sword can hear on its own). I didn't say anything about that yet, though, because OOC planning seemed too meta: we shouldn't be able to plan anything that Bromric can't hear until Bromric is asleep.

For that matter: did possessed Bromric appear to sleep each night?

[Keehnelf]

This plan is fine: Marullus, make a save vs. spells.

He does appear to sleep at night.

[Marullus]

Save vs Spells (12): [1d20] = 5

[Zhym]

When Bromric falls asleep, Ulf ties him up and uses a crowbar to pull the serrated blade away from Bromric without touching it. As he does, he notices the name "CZDAXYG" written on the blade.

"What do you think?" he asks the others. "I believe Kuzdaxig—huh, it really is hard to pronounce, let's not try it again—is mostly telling the truth but leaving much out. We dwarves can be a haughty and stupid bunch. The ones from the Finger ages ago may indeed have summoned some power from another plane and bound it to that sword. But what kind of power? Demon? It appealed to our greed right away like a demon might. If it is a demon, I'm okay letting it remain a prisoner of the sword. It also didn't give us any detail on how we'd get into this treasure room. I'm pretty sure Bromric doesn't have the keys we'd need. Anyway, I'd like to know more about this Kuzz—uh, sword spirit—before deciding anything."

"Oh, and when Bromric wakes up, we'll need some way to figure out if it's him or the sword."

[Spartakos]

In the morning, Galen will memorize Detect Evil and cast it after Bromric and the sword have been separated.

"I would not have thought dwarves would traffick with demons, but clearly you would know better than I," Galen says to Ulf. "But while treasure is all very well, I'm doubtful as to how much we can trust the word of that...thing. It would be well to have more information, but from where could it be gleaned? Aside from the blade itself?"

[Keehnelf]

Both Bromric and the sword radiate evil, though the sword somewhat less so than Bromric.

[Zhym]

Ulf frowns when Galen tells him the results of his spell. "Now we know. Whatever has control of Bromric is evil," he says, "and isn't exorcised just by putting him to sleep."

"For me, the question is no longer whether to help this evil spirit, wherever it comes from. It is how to separate the spirit from Bromric without killing him. There are priests in the lands to the south who can do such a thing, usually for a large fee, but I doubt anyone in Vaul is capable of such a feat. Perhaps greater separation from the sword might work: take the sword farther away, for long enough, and maybe Bromric could return to himself? But I am just guessing, of course.

"The truth is," he tells Galen, "I don't know much more about the ways of ancient dwarves than you do. I was raised in the city, son of a blacksmith. Never even saw a mine except for field trips. 'Dwarf heritage tours' and such. Pa told stories, of course. Anyway, I don't know the specific ways of ancient dwarves, but I know modern dwarves. Ancient ones can't have been that much different. We might not deal with a demon, but I don't doubt we'd try to bind one to our service."

Ulf points to the Finger. "The answers are probably in there," he says. "Everything seems to pull us that way, doesn't it? Whether we could get to those answers and understand them if we found them, I don't know."

He looks back at Bromric and sighs. "What do we do with him?"

I wonder what would happen if someone cast Protection from Evil on Bromric?

[Spartakos]

Galen frowns as well, and shakes his head. "With the sword now radiating less than Bromric himself, I'm inclined to think that the greater evil--this spirit or demon or whatever--has left the sword and is now fully possessing Bromric; if such is the case, I do not think mere separation from the sword would work. It is worth a try, I suppose."

"As to what to do with Bromric for now...I say we must take him prisoner and hold him, until we can remove this other force from him. I see it thus: something has stolen Bromric's body. One should not let a thief merely walk away with stolen property, be it a body or a purse."

I vote we bind sleeping Bromric and drag him back to Vaul; from there we can try to figure out what to do.
Alas, Protection from Evil only works on the caster...can't cast it on Bromric. We would need a 5th level cleric to cast Protection from Evil 10' radius.

[Zhym]

"My hope is that a sword doesn't imprison a demon for as long as the demon claims if the spirit is so easily transferred from the sword," answers Ulf. "But I agree with you: we should remove his weapons, keep him bound, and return to Vaul."

The MU version for Protection from Evil seems like it can only affect the caster, but the cleric version has a range of "Touch" and says it wards "a creature," so I'd think it could be cast on Bromric.

[hedgeknight]

I thought we were already back in Vaul? No?
If not, I agree to bind Bromric, isolate him from the sword if possible, and head back to Vaul.

"The sword should be destroyed," Krysta says, shaking her head at the turn of events. "It is evil and whatever spirit lies or has laid within, is now possessing our companion. Is he beyond help and hope too, I wonder..."

[Starbeard]

'I agree with Krysta,' says Seadu.

'That the spirit waited in the sword until it could possess Bromric suggests that it cannot survive disembodied. A sword is easily destroyed, and there is always a way to exorcize demons. Even if we have to send Bromric back South to be cleansed, it would be better for him than to remain possessed indefinitely, and quite possibly dangerously.'

The cleric of death looks askance at the others for a moment, sizing them up. 'That is, of course, unless someone can discover some way to encourage the spirit back into the sword. We might bring Bromric close to death, for example, to see if the spirit budges at the thought of losing its host; though I doubt anyone here would be able to stomach such an action.'

[Zhym]

"It can't be as easy as destroying the sword," says Ulf. "The sword might be hard to destroy. Or some of those enchantments on the blade could be to make bad things happen if someone tries to harm the sword. Or maybe breaking the sword would trap the demon on this plane, where it would wreak who knows what havoc, instead of returning the demon to its own plane. If the sword is as old as the demon says, we can't be the first to want to remove its influence from someone, and we surely wouldn't be the first to think of doing so by destroying the sword. If that were the answer, the sword would already have been destroyed. Let's not try anything that drastic yet."

Are any clerics in a position to try to Protection from Evil trick? If no one has it prepared today, we could try it tomorrow in Vaul.

[Spartakos]

The MU version for Protection from Evil seems like it can only affect the caster, but the cleric version has a range of "Touch" and says it wards "a creature," so I'd think it could be cast on Bromric.

Huh. This appears to be the second time my LL book on PDF is different than other people's; mine (on page 24) says it has a range of "Caster". Not sure what's up with that.

[Zhym]

Wacky! What version is yours? Mine (per p. 2 of the PDF) is the Revised Edition (Fourth Release), Sept. 2009, which is available free here:

http://www.goblinoidgames.com/labyrinthlord.html

[Spartakos]

Wacky! What version is yours? Mine (per p. 2 of the PDF) is the Revised Edition (Fourth Release), Sept. 2009

Per pg 2 of my PDF, it is the "Electronic Book Edition, Alternate Cover". *shrug*

[Keehnelf]

Sounds like the original edition version. Sucks that there are relevant errata that make it harder to use

[Marullus]

Bromric snores, drool running off the side of his beard as he lies trussed and bound atop his pony.

[KingOfCowards]

It sounds like Bromric has already been disarmed and bound, but who will carry the sword? I say we wrap it up so that it does not make physical contact with anyone. That might be enough, but who knows?
If any of our clerics know a spell that could help, that would be welcome otherwise we can ask advise from the priest in Vaul.

With Galen's spell still active, Bertram offers up his vial of holy water. ""Can any of the clerics attempt an exorcism? "

[hedgeknight]

Krysta shakes her head. "I am a mere beginner in Pelor's service. Such spells and rites are beyond me...for now. Perhaps in Vaul or elsewhere south, there is one powerful enough to perform the rite."

[Starbeard]

Seadu says, 'I too am but an acolyte. However, I have confidence that the priests in Vaul will be able to do something, and even if they cannot, they would certainly know what could be done, and where to send us.'