Chapter #1227
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+ THE ADVENTURERS +
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+ Epic VI +
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+ Many of the locations, non-player characters, spells, and other +
+ terms used in these stories are the property of Wizards of the Coast +
+ which has in no way endorsed or authorized their use. Any such +
+ property contained within these stories are not representative of +
+ Wizards of the Coast in any fashion. +
+ The player characters depicted in these stories are copyright +
+ 1991-2026 by Thomas A. Miller. Any resemblance to any persons +
+ or characters either real or fictional is utterly coincidental. +
+ Copying and/or distribution of these stories is permissible under +
+ the sole condition that no money is made in the process. In that +
+ case, I hope you enjoy them! +
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+ Belphanior 18th/18th/18th level elven fighter/wizard/thief +
+ Neera 12th level female human wizard (sage/savant) +
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+ Date: 6/1/587 C.Y. (Common Year) +
+ Time: early morning +
+ Place: the Brass Hills, within the Bright Lands +
+ Climate: hot and dry +
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+ "I will tell you the secret of my success. It is this: in every +
+ game I play, I have alternative tactics. If one does not work, +
+ I use another. I continue until I have won." +
+ - Obadiah Stane, from _Iron Man_ issue #200, 1985 +
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MCCXXVII. Belphanior
After a long period of near-constant activity, ranging from building
efforts to political efforts to battles against foes, the wizards of the
Bright Alliance have had some rare free time as the month of Wealsun
begins...and like the others, Belphanior has been busy.
Belphanior: (stands back, looking over his new home)
The tower was octagonal, measuring fifty feet in diameter between any
given pair of opposite outer walls, and rose a full hundred feet above
the surrounding rock shelf. It was built from dark red stone and its
exterior features were simple and uniform: there were four windows on
each of the seven floors except the first. The second floor had these
in four of the eight sides; the third floor had them in the other four
sides, and then the windows' locations alternated all the way up to the
top floor. All of the windows were identical: high and narrow, enough
to let light and air in but too small for anything halfling-sized or
larger to move through. Above the seventh and top floor was a five-foot
ledge around the rooftop. Five feet thick and interlaced with veins of
iron ore, the building's outer walls were unusually sturdy. Like all of
the wizards' homes, this one benefitted from potent magical protections
on the entire structure - not just the seven floors above ground level
but also the two levels below the surface.
The various floors were laid out according to their purpose, although
the design of the elf's tower had a more military influence than any of
the other Bright Alliance wizards. The first six floors had twelve-foot
ceilings (this was more to accommodate Ys, due to his great height, than
for the sake of luxury) while the topmost floor was slightly higher; all
floors had foot-thick horizontal slabs of stone between them. The ground
level consisted of a handful of large, empty rooms whose exact use would
be determined later; its only significant feature aside from the large,
heavily-warded entry door was a wide stone stairway leading upward. On
that next floor were four simple but well-appointed guest chambers, plus
the square stairway that began in the center of this level and continued
all the way up though the rest of the tower. Aside from affording access
to all of the other floors, this stairway also served as a load-bearing
support system within the overall structure of the larger tower. Above
the guest area, the third floor had a meeting chamber, kitchen, and ample
storage space for food and drink. The fourth was split into four suites
for the warriors (Otto, Paige, Razor Charlie, and Ys) with a large common
training area wrapping around the stairway in in its center. The fifth
floor was similarly divided into four curved suites for the four wizards
(Hope, Skektek, Arusha, and Judhon) with a small but quite well-equipped
laboratory/ workroom in the middle, wrapping around the central stairway.
The sixth floor, like the four below it, was basically partitioned into
four identical living suites - two for Irina and Poulos, two for future
team members - with a functional shared area between it all, constructed
around the central stairway. On this level, that was a modest temple of
Istus, to keep both Irina and her goddess happy and on Belphanior's side.
The elf knew that a number of his recent successes had come about due to
the direct or indirect assistance of Irina's deity, and thus he felt it
important for the Lady of Fate to have a presence here in his tower. As
for the significance of any single floor over any other...there was none,
because floors and height had no relation to status here. Belphanior had
made that clear to every member of his team, and it also hadn't escaped
anyone's notice that all of the different suites, across all the floors,
were the same size and shape; everyone had been treated fairly, and if it
hadn't been obvious, the elf would have pointed it out for clarification.
The seventh and highest floor was the living quarters of Belphanior and
Neera, and this level alone had a door in the stairway to afford a measure
of privacy and protection (although all of the other suites had their own
doors, just individually as opposed to in the common central stairway).
Neera: (jokingly) With all of those rooms assigned, let's hope we don't
suffer any casualties...we'd have to rearrange everything.
Belphanior: (thinking back to the dozen or so individuals who used to
adventure and fight with him but are now dead or missing, he frowns)
I don't intend to lose any more team members. That's one reason we're
here, and allied with the others...it's a force multiplier. Our power,
our influence, our money - everything has basically been multiplied by
nine now. (he pauses, considering something) And it could be more, if
we ever get Tenser or anyone else...but for now, I think nine wizards
is sufficient.
Their quarters was basically a gigantic suite with multiple rooms and
luxuries, including equipment for the elf to practice and hone his non-
spellcasting abilities and a large tub for soaking his sore muscles after
hours of work on combat or climbing training. He felt that these skills
were just as important to maintain as his magical ones; all of these were
a part of his daily routine. At this floor's center, separated from the
quarters by a thick wall and single door, the stairway continued to the
roof, although there was another door up there, guarded by magic cast on
both itself and the tower's roof. Overall, it wasn't that the tower had
no weak points - nothing was completely impregnable if enough magic was
brought to bear - but rather that it had no _weaker_ points; every part
of the structure was basically as well-built, sturdy, and secure as every
other part. This included the two levels beneath the ground floor: the
basement and sub-basement, both of which were still rough and unfinished
since Belphanior hadn't decided quite what he wanted down there. Details
such as these could be hashed out later, when the needs were fully known
and planned out.
Overall, Belphanior's tower was massive - tall and thick, larger than
any of the other wizards' homes because it had to house more henchpeople
and accommodate their needs. Whether viewed from a distance or up close,
it looked quite formidable (which had of course been the elf's intention,
as he desired that effect as much as simple functionality).
CROSS-SECTION OF BELPHANIOR'S TOWER
50'
|--------|
________
| | seventh floor (Belphanior & Neera)
| | sixth floor (Irina, Poulos quarters, temple)
| | fifth floor (wizards' quarters, laboratory)
| | fourth floor (warriors' quarters, training)
| | third floor (meeting room, kitchen, food)
| | second floor (guest quarters)
____| |____ ground floor (entry, empty rooms)
Belphanior: (nods, a thin smile on his face)
Neera: Most impressive...even for a great adventurer and wizard. Even
with all the magical resources at your disposal, building this tower
so quickly was a colossal feat.
Belphanior: I once raised an entire castle in a very short time. (he
smiles, remembering Helgate and the fact that he never did share the
secret of how that castle got there) At any rate, these days we have
all kinds of advantages.
Neera: That's true; both of us benefit from multiple powerful items that
increase our abilities.
There was no doubt about that. As he'd done with monetary treasure
over the years, the elf had similarly leveraged his early magical-item
gains, using the great things he found to find more great things. Some
of those wins had come during his days with the old adventuring group...
others had been achieved along with his team of Otto and the rest...and
the last few had been as a member of the Bright Alliance. The result of
all of this was a wealth of magical weapons, protections, and other items
that would be the envy of the best-equipped hero or villain in all the
land. Defensively, he always wore the powerful bracers of protection
that he'd taken from Rary's hoard, along with the ring of Zaeon (which
expanded the limits of his natural potential, among other things making
it possible for him to truly qualify as an archmage) and the earring of
iron will (which conferred the same protections as the potent Mind Blank
spell). Further, he was never without his crystal eye, a gift from
the deep gnomes that bestowed numerous vision- and detection- related
benefits. Offensively, Belphanior carried a single primary weapon: the
dark sword Blackrazor, which consumed the souls of those slain by its
edge. More than one mighty foe had been dealt with permanently thanks
to this sword. Aside from these defenses and the black blade, the elf
tended to carry a magical dagger as a backup weapon...plus his cube of
force, periapt against poison, the small ruby skull that greatly boosted
his spellcasting abilities, the tiny hourglass that could temporarily
stop time in the nearby vicinity, and the small black stone figurine of
a three-headed dog. That last item could be transformed into an actual
three-headed hound, which was massive and powerful but also completely
uncontrollable; this was somewhat of a last-ditch weapon which he only
utilized when other options hadn't worked out.
Like all of the Bright Alliance, Belphanior typically cast certain
protective magic on himself before battle - the difference being that
his preparations were also geared toward possible physical combat and
the related needs. Toward this end, he commonly used spells such as
Haste, Stoneskin, and Protection from Normal Missiles (because one never
knew, and even a common arrow could be lethal depending on where it hit).
Less commonly used magic included barriers and shields: various walls,
shells, and globes. The elf balanced these various options in a manner
that only he, of all the Alliance members, could...given his skills in
the fighting and thieving professions in addition to his spellcraft.
Neera normally wore her circlet of protection, cloak of steel, ring of
spell turning, and a brooch that turned away all missiles not magical in
nature. This series of substantial defenses would shield her from harm
in most battle situations, or at least until she could employ her magic.
While not completely helpless in a physical fight - she was quite fit
given her slight frame, carried a dagger, and had been given some lessons
in how to use it - that was her last resort, as she vastly preferred to
fight with spells. All that aside, Neera's most powerful magical items
were likely those not meant for combat: the ancient stone tablet, broken
into two parts, that greatly aided its bearer in understanding and using
both written and spoken languages...the Finger of Boccob, which had vast
powers geared toward sensing the magical auras of other magic items and
understanding their powers...the fabled crown of Zagyg, which bolstered
her spellcasting abilities but could not be worn for too long lest it
drive her insane...another crown, the Crown of Panagaea, whose sole use
lay in enabling its wearer to comprehend the writings found on the old
stone tablets from that lost kingdom.
Better yet, the Finger of Boccob was only one of a number of minor
artifacts that, while not geared toward combat, were each extremely
powerful...and together, allowed the pair to do even more. The Seeking
Scroll could locate people or objects, and then the large, ornate mirror
allowed them to observe whatever was found in this way. The mythical Eye
of Celestian let them travel to faraway places...including those that had
been seen using the mirror. The Finger of Boccob could identify powers
of other magical items, and the Loom of Ages (once repaired) could show
the past history of any being, object, or place. None of these wondrous
items inflicted damage upon foes, or offered protection or resistance to
their attacks - but collectively, they helped with the ancillary work of
finding things or information, getting people from one place to another,
and so forth. In many ways, this grouping of magical items was far more
powerful than any weapon or spell.
Between the two of them, they also possessed a significant number of
rare, lesser-known magic spells - some invented, and others found in the
dusty spellbooks of slain foes. Belphanior had conceived and perfected
only a few unique spells of his own (Smack, Feet of Lead, Mass Haste) but
had obtained many more from other slain wizards such as Klark (Cannon
Fodder, Copycat) and Vybool (Immolation aka Immolate Self, Apeshit)...and
also the non-slain, non-foe, and current ally Kronos (Vinusa's New Lease
on Life, Spirit Binding, Wither, Time Walk).
There were also some other, more obscure new spells that Belphanior
had picked up and all but forgotten about over the years (understandable
given how busy he'd stayed). This group included a collection of fairly
destructive spells from the red tome left to him by Ged (Fire Burst,
Forrest's Fiery Constrictor, Acid Storm, Abi-palzim's Horrid Wilting,
Gunther's Kaleidoscopic Strike) and one from the spellbook of Drusilla
(Magic Volley) and one gained from Kronos (Airboat). Furthermore, there
were more from Klark (Mirror Summons) and Vybool (Subtle Advantage) and
Xusia (Freezing Sphere, Ghoul Glyph, Undead Summoning I-II-III-IV-V,
Protection From Undead, Ghost Ward, Ghost Trap, Plague of Undead). At
some point, Belphanior figured on giving or trading all the necromantic
spells to Kronos, particularly if he could get something out of such an
exchange.
As for Neera, over the last few years she had come up with a handful
of spells designed to overcome specific problems: Bathe, Boltlet of
Lightning (sometimes also known as Lightning Arc), Ball of Fire (which
some called Cone of Flame), Conelet of Frost (occasionally referred to
as Cone of Frost), Fast Magic Missile, Endless Tolerance, Seek and Find.
Belphanior also had a couple of unusual circumstances that he'd brought
about using powerful magic in the past. More than six years ago, in an
effort to deal with various parties seeking revenge on him, the elf had
employed a wish spell to (among other things) cause all of those people
to forget about finding him. While that would not prevent any subsequent
such enmity for new foes, it did have the effect of "zeroing out" all the
ill will of the scant few of Belphanior's enemies who still lived. There
had also been a second wish cast a few months after the first, this one
causing the elf to regain some lost memories incurred during a campaign
against the rulers of the Hold of the Sea Princes. Some of Belphanior's
allies had decided to alter his memory to protect the newly-installed
prince of that region (an effort that had ultimately proven futile since
the entire Hold had been taken over during the wars and the Prince slain)
but eventually the elf had begun to sense the deception. Once he deduced
that _something_ had happened to him, he took steps to unravel the whole
thing and get his full memory back. While he bore no bad feelings toward
Alindyar and Parekh - he had actually agreed beforehand to the alternation
of his memory, for the good of all - he did not intend to ever again allow
something like this to happen to him.
The elf had one other, extremely unusual magical item whose use - and
indeed, its very presence - had to be governed to the satisfaction of all
members of the Bright Alliance. The dull grey sphere, roughly a foot
across and resembling a stone, was a vastly potent source of anti-magic;
when not kept in its unique box of thick aura-blocking metal, this item
would passively negate all magic in the nearby area. Over the years,
Belphanior had used the sphere to great effect - including leveraging it
to help defeat and slay Rary the Traitor, and using a smaller piece to
gain an advantage over Eclavdra - but keeping the sphere anywhere near
the Bright Alliance's fortress posed a major problem. The other wizards
didn't possess a set of alternate, non-spellcasting skills like he did,
and being anywhere near the sphere (even if it was sealed away) meant
that they were all one box-opening away from being suddenly and totally
rendered powerless. It was not a risk any of them were willing to take,
and so Belphanior had agreed to store the sphere in an alternate location,
far from the great fortress and the consortium of magi.
That didn't prevent him from finding a way to use the sphere - or more
specifically a very small piece of it - as a potential weapon, though.
The same pendant he'd brought into play during the battle with Eclavdra,
which contained a tiny bead cut from the anti-magic sphere held within a
simple metal case, opened via a secret mechanism. This allowed the elf
to have a magic-dispelling effect with a very small radius, for his own
use when outmatched by a magic-using (or magical) foe. This item didn't
violate the conditions laid out by the other members of the Alliance, and
Belphanior kept the miniature version in his home, available for select
missions in which an ace in the hole could come in handy.
Aside from all of these equipment and spell options, Belphanior hadn't
changed much in the last two decades. He was still unusually tall and
strong for an elf; his lean, muscled frame held no fat. His light brown
hair was shoulder-length, and fine like that of any elf. Neither of his
eyes could be considered normal at this point. The right eye was magical
crystal, having replaced the original that the elf himself had gouged out
long ago to make room for a demonic artifact; the left eye glowed with a
dim red color and had a magical intimidation effect upon those who beheld
it. While his team had gotten used to that latter, due to being in the
constant company of the elf, it was still somewhat disconcerting even for
them.
While his personality and behavior were still centered around certain
basic tenets - giving most people a chance to leave or surrender before
unleashing some terrible attack, tending to analyze the facts and make
conclusions himself rather than waiting for slower minds to do it, and
holding deep grudges against those he felt had wronged him - Belphanior's
general perspective and outlook had shifted and changed over the years.
At this point in his life, after decades of adventuring and the related
(and often rather unusual) life experiences, the abundant recklessness
of Belphanior's youth was gone - replaced by calculating, almost ruthless
efficiency. Years ago, he had come to the conclusion that amassing as
much treasure and magic as possible and keeping it all to himself - the
way many other people and rulers did, was not the best long-term use of
those resources. He had decided that it was better to equip and empower
others (whether by coin or by magic) and keep them allied with his own
goals and desires. In addition to all that, the elf had suffered through
the loss of more than one home, and that drove him to find or make one
that would be more permanent.
All of those ideas would never have made it far if not for the elf's
habit of aggressively using each win to fuel the next one. Each great
treasure hoard was leveraged to help find another...each pile of coins
was used to generate even more coins. His initial finds - while teamed
with the initial adventuring party of Mongo, Peldor, Ged, Peyote, Rillen,
and others - had numbered in the dozens, and had enabled him to gather
his own party of henchpeople and strike out on his own. This group, its
membership shifting and changing over the years, had been with him for a
second series of hoards that were larger than the first: the Lost Isle
of Panagaea, the riches of Al-Arakara, the vast wealth held within the
Fortress of the Nine and had been split with some others, the treasures
found in Xusia's old lair and the dozens of hidden teleportation gateway
dungeons across the world, the plunder from Skava-Ra which had also been
divided up with others who helped, and the magical storeroom and library
of the unique purple dragon Mesoloth. And even in the last year or so,
while teamed with the Bright Alliance, Belphanior had seen a number of
additional treasure troves unearthed...those of Rary, the beholder known
as Father Eye, the cursed monarch Shattados, the long-dead yellow dragon
Witherhusk, and most recently the hidden citadel of Chargrim. This last
bunch also had to be shared among all the wizards, but it didn't matter:
even a ninth of each of those hoards would have set anyone up for life...
and the group had acquired them all. Belphanior now had far more coinage
and magical items than he could ever possibly use by himself...and the
total assets of the entire Bright Alliance were staggering.
And that was basically the whole point of everything the elf had been
pushing for, and toward, since the group had defeated Rary and found a
unique opportunity before them. A larger group of powerful wizards, if
united in common cause, possessed vastly more power than just one wizard.
In years past, Belphanior had been concerned when he learned of Parekh's
Cabal but had not been invited to join...and he had become significantly
more concerned when the ally he'd found and cultivated - Kronos - seemed
likely to join that Cabal. Rather than panic, or act rashly, Belphanior
had instead pivoted...watching and waiting patiently until he figured out
a way to get himself into that group after all, by subtly directing and
reshaping it over time. The fact that the new Bright Lands could have a
positive role in the world around itself was an unexpected and unplanned
bonus - one that he was completely fine with. The elf was playing the
long game here, focusing his efforts into something bigger than himself
and his team, something that would hopefully grow and prosper not just
for years but for decades or centuries.
At this point in time - with both Rary and Shattados defeated, the
curse on the land removed, certain other potential foes in the region
slain or driven out, diplomatic relations well underway with various
parties, and the Bright Alliance expanding their reach - Belphanior was
quite pleased with the state of things.
Neera, though human and not possessed of an incredibly long lifespan
like the elf, was nevertheless aging well. Despite being in her late
thirties, she still looked ten years younger...except, perhaps, for the
prominent gray streak in her otherwise jet-black hair. This wasn't a
sign of normal aging, but rather a residual effect of the great effort
and magical power she'd once employed while trying to locate Belphanior
and the others when they were lost in some dark plane. Neera was tall
and slim, and quite attractive with her white (but not pale white) skin.
Her high cheekbones were topped by striking green eyes that conveyed an
unusual intelligence...for indeed, she was a polymath, possessed of vast
knowledge across a number of areas. She was a wizard, and a sage, and
an astrologer, and also somewhat of a historian - and could likely learn
new skills if they struck her fancy. Neera was the type who noticed
details others missed, and made connections between seemingly unrelated
pieces of information. When she explained these things to others, her
sharp wit often made those conversations more than a little entertaining.
Neera was close with Parekh due to having spent some time studying with
her in the past, but these days her full attention and loyalty lay with
Belphanior. It was a strange attraction, as the elf wasn't particularly
handsome or tolerant of others - but he was kind to her, not to mention
protective, and something in her personality appreciated and needed the
elf and the way he saw and dealt with things. She had been pleased to
see the changes in him over the last several years, and wholeheartedly
supported his ideas and efforts in the Bright Lands. She also had her
own dream: to help establish and shape a world-class center of magical
learning and innovation, which could bring to bear the very best minds,
knowledge, and power to do truly great things. Neera fully intended to
use her affiliation with the Bright Alliance - and the vast resources
it possessed - to see her vision fully realized in the months and years
ahead.
Such was the current disposition of Belphanior - perhaps the single
greatest driving force behind what had become the Bright Alliance, his
raw ambition tempered over time by his changing attitudes - and Neera,
the brilliant, multi-talented prodigy and devoted companion to the elf.
They had worked hard, before the Alliance as well as with it, and both
felt confident that the best was yet to come.
next: Bright Alliance member profiles, part three: Dexitheseus
map: http://www.peldor.com/world/atlas/Bright-Desert_1226.png
www: http://www.peldor.com/download.html
homepage: http://www.peldor.com/
email: tmiller@peldor.com
released: 9/18/2026
notes: A word on the provenance of the new/unique spells listed for
Belphanior: the first paragraph covers those listed on the spells page
on the website: Setting --> Magic Spells
...while the second paragraph covers those listed on his character
sheet on the website: Cast --> Main Characters --> Belphanior
I will be working in the near future to get all of this consolidated
into one place - for all characters who've invented or acquired spells
not listed in the official rulebooks. I think the best way will be to
list all of a given wizard's spells on his/her character page and then
put a link to the spells page, which would have _everything_ and thus
effectively be a single master reference for such spells.
As noted last time, these eight episodes (1226-1233) will profile,
in great detail and with all the information in one place, the various
members of the Bright Alliance. And in the future, I'll certainly use
this chunk of episodes for reference when writing the new Bright Lands
accessory. The ones we knew (Alindyar and Lyra, and Belphanior) are
done now...which means we're about to learn all about each of the six
other wizards of the group.
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