Ironworks Gaming Forum - Solo Warrior 27: Promises, promises

Missy Hissy looked up at the sun high in the Gael Serran sky. It had been there when she left Brimloch Roon for the seed, and as she returned, it was back again. A heavy weariness fell over her as she trudged toward the Wizard’s Guild and Sebastio, to complete his quest and to move onward. The door to the guild swung wide open as she entered, paused a moment, and slammed solidly once she was past.

“Ah, she who assists an aged sorcerer… have you returned with the seed of life, the promise of a thousand generations, the—“
“Cut it short, Sebastio,” she snarled. “I don’t have time for your prattle. I spoke with the living tree himself, and I’ve retrieved his last seed. It’s on loan to you, and I need to bring it back when you’re done.”

“Bring it back?” asked Sebastio. “Why, I hardly think that it—“

“Bring it back,” interrupted Missy, fixing him with a purposeful glare. “There are no other options that you want to talk about.”

Sebastio eyed her curiously. Few spoke to the guildmaster like this. Rumors abounded that he could transform people into something else, and useful as they were, he did nothing to discredit them. This one was nothing like the rest of the town. “As you wish,” he said finally. “I will do what I can, but I make no promises. Magic is a wondrous and amazing art… huh?“

He looked around, but could see no trace of her. Missy Hissy had disappeared.

Leaving the dust of Brimloch Roon behind her, Missy started swimming off to the northeast, past where she’d hunted down the miserable leprechaun. There was a channel of water there that she hadn’t had the time to investigate, and it sounded like where Oakenmir had talked about the Shrine of Anephas. Dispatching sharks and crabs, razor gills and barracudas, she made her way through the sea, onto the land, and into the water again.

As she emerged, she saw an expanse of desert in front of her. No grass, save an occasional clump, and little other vegetation. It was amazing, then, that the group of walking salads was surviving out there, and perhaps their dehydration helped save her. Powerful though her magic was, and powerful the Gezurite mind tricks seemed to be, when several of the lilies attacked her at the same time, she was in serious trouble.

After dispatching them and quaffing a great healing potion, she plodded onwards. The very sand seemed to suck the energy out of her, and the sun poured down its incessant rays.

Up ahead, she saw a strange beast. Half lion, half human, it stalked the desert like a chocolate cat with an attitude problem. And like any cat, it didn’t seem to think it had a problem.

It asked three questions of her, and while the first question was simple, the second – about who the savior of the land was – threw her for a loop. She answered incorrectly, and the Sphinx reared back to attack her.

“Don’t I get a lifeline?” she mumbled as she drew sword and dagger from their sheaths and sent the steel flying. Several minutes later, the Sphinx was no more, and neither were the handful of sea scoundrels who had interrupted her during the battle.

As she walked forward, she saw a huge stone construction, a giant testimony to times gone past. This must be the Shrine of Anephas that Oakenmir had mentioned, and that Sebastio had asked her to find a way to open. She looked around for a key, but found nothing; only a glistening ward hung in the entryway, its wizened features mocking her efforts to pass.

She realized that it looked a little like the lich’s staff of death, and upon bringing the staff out from her backpack, felt it growing warm. As she approached the ward, the staff grew warmer until it finally leapt out of her hands, smashing the ward as it did so. The resulting release of magical energy exploded, sending Missy flying backwards onto the sand with an ignoble *thump*.

Brushing the sand from her armor, she got back up and headed into the shrine.