SPQT -- The Demonologist

Last two SPQT sessions. Corrections will be attended to. Our notes were woefully inadequate, and our memories spotty after so much time.

May 8 - Decimus and Alfredus both woke up pale and weak in the limbs. According to my spells, they have contracted some sort of disease, though not one with which I am familiar, possibly as a result of inhaling that foul miasma breathed forth by the zombies. I have put them to bed and cast spells on them.

I have contacted the Church, and a team of librarians is on its way. Meanwhile, Cato has loaned us servants for the purpose of clearing out the rubble and corpses.

May 11- The librarians arrived today, and they are very pleased indeed. I explained my desire to see promptly to the hound archon's mission, and Robyn, Alfredus, and Decimus express themselves eager to tackle it.

May 12- We were peacefully proceeding through the woods when the ground erupted before us and a huge creature emerged, of a sort with which I am unfamiliar but am informed is called a bulette. It panicked our horses, and no wonder. By everyone's combined efforts we killed it - well, I can't say that I did very much directly, but then that's not my job - and Decimus then harvested various bits which will be useful to him. Bulette steak is a little gamy for my taste.

May 13 - Vircorum again, and more legalities, as well as what Gaius insists on calling the "fencing" of some of the treasure from the barrow.

May 15 - Alfredus and Gaius went off together this afternoon, and came home fit to burst with the information that Alfredus is driving a chariot for the Blues in tomorrow's non-professional races. Greta went on a little about how dangerous it was (what exactly does she think Alfredus ever does that is safe?), but she seems reconciled since I promised to be on hand with a "rescue" spell primed and ready.

May 16 - A day at the races. For the most part I was rather lost, but I placed a bet on Alfredus to win, place, or show. It's almost a shame he can't come back next week, because the crowd loved him. Early in the race, he was spilled from the chariot, but he ran after it, caught up, jumped back in, and went on to win. This should make him a local hero for some time. I gave my winnings in alms and we all returned home happy as can be.

The legal matters are almost entirely wrapped up, and then we can finally go about fulfilling my word to the archon.

May 22 - We have located the cave complex described by the archon. Alfredus and Harald are foraging. Robyn volunteered to scout underground, and we are waiting for him. He should not be gone over 70 minutes, plus travel time to and fro, and Decimus went with him to render him invisible and capable of flight. Gaius is trying to make a case for coming into the dungeons with us and Olaf is telling him stories of the hideous things that demons can accomplish on the persons of little boys who disturb them in their lairs. I fear we will have to take him. Without Tamara, our ability to advance quietly through locked doors, and possibly negotiate traps, is greatly diminished, and Gaius's talents in that direction truly are useful.

I fear his employment with us may not be having quite the uplifting effect I had intended.

May 23 Alfredus having stubbornly insisted on eating some berries that Decimus assured him were no good, we were one short in the party this morning. Since this sort of stomach upset is not technically a disease, I could not cure him. A potentially valuable area of spell research, I think.

Between potions and spells, the rest of us were all able to go invisibly into the caves, Robyn leading with Gaius behind him to deal with traps and locks. Robyn had discovered a magic circle and disturbed it the night before, but there was no sign that this had been discovered. The place is a maze, tunnels continually going up and down, so that you circle around and find yourself coming into a room you thought was above you.

All things considered, thanks to Decimus, we got off lightly. We encountered a guard of minor demons led by an ogre. Decimus distracted them with a lightning bolt and drew off the ogre for him and Robyn to deal with while I searched for evil forces. When I detected them converging on us, I called "Circle!," our signal for everyone to get within 10 feet of me so I could cast a magic circle against evil. Decimus didn't quite make it before the evil wizard and his demonic minions were upon us, and I was concerned for him, since the ogre had already done him some damage. Chain lightning is a very nasty spell! However, Decimus ran into my circle, faced the wizard, and polymorphed him into a goldfish. To everyone's surprise - not least Decimus's, for we knew this wizard was considerably more powerful than he and that this was a long shot - the spell succeeded. The demons, demoralized, cast stinking clouds to cover their escape, but these were easily dispelled, and since they were escaping down a narrow stair, Decimus's lightning wand again proved its efficiency. The demons were reduced to untidy puddles of goo, but there was no sign of the wizard.

Unwilling to forego the magic he undoubtedly carried, Decimus got down on his hands and knees and groped all over the floor. I'm afraid we made fun of him, but he did indeed find the goldfish flopping about invisibly. I advised him to go ahead and smother the poor thing to end its suffering, healed everyone, and proceeded to search the rest of the complex.

We feared there might be more demons at large, but either we had already dealt with the lot, or his death freed the rest to return to their ghastly home, for we encountered no further opposition, apart from the occasional trap. In addition to the usual magical and monetary paraphernalia and a couple of books in which I think my Uncle and the Church will be greatly interested, we discovered correspondence between this man and his mentor, for whom he was collecting the scattered works of Sulannon. I think, and Robyn and Gaius seem inclined to agree, that our job can only be considered half-finished while this mentor is at large, but we must return to Vercorum, regroup, and report in before we undertake any additional missions on our own recognizance.

I also would like to find a better way of dealing with such people. It's all very well to march into someone's lair and pick a fight, out here in the wilderness; but it serves the purposes of neither Orus nor civilization for its agents to behave in ways that could be construed as mere housebreaking and manslaughter, regardless of where they are. Yet standing on the doorstep and challenging him to come out and debate me was clearly not what was called for!

The wizard was a devotee of Baalzebul, and had a chapel dedicated to him. I don't think it will do the fiend much good now! Gaius takes an unseemly delight in what he calls "vandalism for God," and I'm not sure that my explanation of the difference between desecrating an evil shrine and defacing legitimate property stuck with him. Fortunately, no true artwork was involved.

Later - oh, dear! Decimus was poking in one of the books, and set off a Sepia Snake Sigil. He's stiff as a board, and my Dispel Magic didn't work.

May 24 - It took every Dispel Magic at my disposal, but Decimus is mobile again. The Sunshine Boys are collecting the stores to be distributed as alms back in Vercorum. I would not feel right about taking any profit from fulfilling this duty, so Decimus is taking the magic and Robyn is taking the money. He put before the rest of us a plan to finance the making of a new magic item, a bracelet containing a Shield spell, with which to safeguard Gaius, and we agreed that this was a proper use of the money. If I'm going to continue to take him into these dangerous situations, it's only a matter of time before he gets seriously hurt, and I would never forgive myself.involved.