Headband of Ponderous Recollection

“I was spending time in Absalom, collecting information as requested, and I saw a person enter the Starstone Cathedral. He used a headband of aerial agility to fly over the pit.”

“I have my wings. I do not need a headband to fly,” I replied impatiently.

“A headband of aerial agility is an offshoot of the headband of vast intelligence,” Aolm stated next to me. I looked at him and he continued, “a headband of vast intelligence improves your intelligence and it grants additional knowledge to the wearer too.”

“The vast intelligence headband sounds good; but, do I really need the intelligence boost? Are there other offshoots available?”

“I can research it,” Aolm said and walked away smiling.

Later that night, as I was getting ready for bed, Aolm came in. “I found something perfect.” He said excitedly, “The headband of ponderous recollection. It will give you a bonus in knowledge of the planes plus reveal abilities and weaknesses of creatures you see within the cathedral.”

“Sounds perfect.  When can we begin work on it?” I asked equally excited.

“I already have,” He grinned. “I gathered the raw materials and did the research,” He stated climbing into bed with me and whispered softly in my ear, “Tomorrow we can begin infusing it with energy.”

Everything was normal until the fourth day when the headband, as I poured energy into it, began vibrating in my hands and making a low thrumming sound. Aolm picked up his panpipes and started playing along with the sound as I tried to stop it magically.  After a few hours, the thrumming stopped; but, my magic created a red, scaly sheen upon the leather.

Blessed Book

As I began to make my daily allotment of extracts I remembered the mornings we made the blessed formula book.

The morning after we had successfully taken the ship, the elf came up to me. “You are our captain now. We voted last night. I noticed that you are an alchemist as well as a gunslinger. Where is your formula book?”

“I don’t know,” I answered honestly. “I could not find it on the previous ship and I am not willing to go back for it. I can start from scratch.”

“I know the process, from my master, of making a magical spellbook that holds ten times the spells of a normal spellbook. I do not yet have the magical power to create such a book but together I think we can.”

“What spells are required?”

“Secret page.”

“Can you cast it?”

“No, can’t you?”

“No, I am an alchemist, we do not get access to that spell.”

The male looked abashed, “I spent all night making the book that was to be spelled too.”

“Why don’t we start the process? It will take us a few days at least to imbue the book with the magic, and by then we might reach a settlement that has a wizard to cast the spell for us.”

“I like the way you think,” he grinned.

He handed me the book and I started pouring in power like I do with my daily extracts. The book started levitating, just slightly, above my hands. “Is it supposed to be doing that?”

“No,” The elf said, “it never did that for my master at least.”

“Perhaps we should stop for the day then and continue tomorrow?”

“Right,” The elf said taking the book and walking away.

The next day, I again imbued the book with energy and again it levitated. The third day it did the same thing.

On the fourth day, Lagorutphen came to me distraught. We had seen land on the horizon that morning but when he handed me the book I could tell that something was wrong with it. The pages had developed an off color of rot.

“You have healing magic right?” I asked

“Yes, but the spells do not work on the inanimate.”

“Would you at least try?” I implored. All this work we had done so far. It could not be for naught.

Lagorutphen put his hand on top of the book and began summoning up his magic while I tried to figure out what else we could do. The book jumped and started levitating again, “I think I fixed it.”

The color of the pages did not change and they were brittle. I tried to hand the book back to Lagorutphen but he did not want to touch it again.

The next day I took my blessed book to a local wizardess, at the settlement we found along the coast. She put the spell onto my book but advised me, “The book seems extremely fragile; perhaps you should start the process over and create another, more durable book.”

This book has been with me ever since and has never given me any cause for concern since.

Glyphbane Gloves

 

Alright I made a little fib, I cannot help it. It is so obvious that there will be at least one Glyph of Warding during the test that mentioning it does not give away any secrets in my mind.

 

My glyphbane gloves glowed as I approached the door. Of course it was trapped. I studied the door and saw a glyph on the doorknob and faintly glowing, nearly invisible lines extending from it around the doorframe. I placed my handy haversack on the floor and pulled out an infusion of Read Magic. Taking a sip I looked closer at the doorknob. A blast glyph dealing sonic damage.

I pulled out the masterworked thieves tools and quickly disabled the magical trap and the lock on the door. Touching the doorknob with my gloves I thought how good it would be if it would in the future only be triggered by evil characters. The doorknob glowed brightly then the threads extended back to the doorframe.

I remembered the day, just months ago, that Lagorutphen came to me with the suggestion of making the glyphbane gloves. She said, “I have some beautiful dark brown leather and there is a great chance that there will be Glyphs of Warding throughout the Starstone Cathedral.”

I had no idea at the time what Glyphs of Warding were but he explained them to me. “Divine spellcasters can create a glyph, a magical symbol, to guard areas or objects. When a person of a type designated by the glyph tries to enter, pass, open, or even just move the thing the glyph is inscribed upon it sets off either a blast of elemental energy or some harmful spell. The glyph can be designated to a certain alignment, creature type or subtype, or physical characteristics. All Glyphs of Warding also have passwords.

I know you can cast Read Magic and that will help you with the Glyph of Warding, at least in telling you how it is activated and the damage it can cause. Then I guess you could just dispel it…” He trailed off.

“If there is another way then using Dispel Magic I would like to know.” I said encouragingly.

“I just got off the last ship the perfect leather for making you a pair of Glyphbane Gloves.” He said excitedly. “They will allow you to use your thieves tools and disable device training, once you identify the Glyph of Warding with Read Magic, to get passed it.”

“Then let us make the gloves.” I declared.

“I already stitched them together and embroidered them.” He said proudly. I began siphoning my magic and forcing it into the gloves. I felt a surge of my power flood into the gloves, more than I intended.

Lagorutphen breathed in and absorbed some of the magic. “I have never felt anything like that before.” He exclaimed when I stopped siphoning. “I need to go check on this.” He added running off and leaving the gloves half-finished in my hands.

I did not know what the issue was, Aolm and I have had this setback of my using too much magic before. I simply improvised the finishing touches on the gloves as I walked towards Lagorutphens house.

He met me at the door. “I think it was just an influx of too much magic.”

“I think so too.”

“Let me cast Dispel Magic and Find Traps into the gloves and see what happens. I have never made a magic item before.” He said excitedly casting. The gloves glowed and then went back to looking like normal. “Now what?”

“Now we test them.”

“I can make a Glyph of Warding.” He exclaimed. Slamming his door with us outside he quickly cast the spell upon his own door.

The gloves began to glow again, like before. I pulled out my thieves tools and began practicing on the elves door.

Now I faced another door. I turned the handle…

Crossing the Pit

The Test of the Starstone is mysterious; the only publicly known part of the test is that hopefuls must cross the bottomless pit surrounding the Starstone Cathedral without using a bridge. Crossing the pit is a necessary first step, but not sufficient to enter the cathedral and continue the test, and what has worked for one hopeful may fail for another. Hopefuls have leaped across, flown with magic, or used tightropes, and the spectacle of an attempt nearly always draws an enormous, attentive crowd.^{[ Owen K.C. Stephens. (2008). Guide to Absalom, p. 17. Paizo Publishing, LLC. ISBN 978-1-60125-141-1]}

 I am attempting to blog a book, a book of the test of the starstone taken by a gnome gun slinging alchemist. While the blog will have the history of Iara it will not have the secret portions of the test. The secret portions of the test, once I get permission from Paizo and/or Tor to print the book, will come out in the novel. I will be posting weekly, at least, a scene from the history of Iara as she prepares for the test. Now, to begin, I present to you the beginning of the novel, title still TBD.

I was ready. My mithral chain shirt shined as I walked down the Avenue of the Hopeful. My bandoliers crossed my chest as the chain holding my thirty extracts sat low over my hips. My crew followed me in procession, those that did not decide to remain in Strikethru at least. I have been to Absalom multiple times but for today I decided to simply make port and proceed directly to the edge of the bottomless pit surrounding the Cathedral. We had timed it perfectly to arrive at sunset.

A crowd formed, which was expected. I do not want to look back but I have to address the crowd. As the last rays flash into my eyes I turn swiftly and make my speech. “Today I shall fly to the Cathedral and enter upon the Test of the Starstone. When I return across my own bridge, I shall become the True Goddess of Pirates and to all seafarers of Lake Encarthan, Goddess of Firearms and Alchemy, also to be known as the Green Gnome Goddess.” With that declaration I allow myself to fall backwards into the pit. I hear shouts from the onlookers.

My lunar moth wings caught the updraft as I roll back facing forward. I came quickly back up into sight of the crowd which gave an appreciative cheer. I have good maneuverability but I have to concentrate.

I land without incident, gracefully, and without looking back walk straight up to the front door of the Starstone Cathedral.