Fantasmical 2023

Shouldn't Have Opened It

Jadani Shalefoot, half-elf of the Stonespeaker Clan, wielder of Duskrazor, certainly didn't expect for things to go this badly.

He could still feel the power sizzling through the air, making his heart beat fast, and setting him on edge. The other patrons of Temur's Stein stared and murmured among themselves. Those standing closest to him either whimpered in fear or moaned in disgust. Hot, stinking blood dripped off Jay's hands and leather doublet.

The serving boy to Jay's left finally vomited. The sound and movement broke the patron's shock, and suddenly the common room of the tavern was a flurry of movement and noise. Two people started screaming. Other patrons gulped the last of their drinks, grabbed bits of untainted food from their table, and snatched up their possessions. Some even threw a few coins on the table before they rushed out the door. Most whispered oaths and prayers to ward off evil spirits, and at least three of the humans spat slurs at Jay as they left. The serving boy wiped his mouth and hurried behind the bar where the tavern owner and barman Tonnas scratched his head and stared at Jadani.

Jay turned his heel on the ruined, smoking flesh that used to be a living human, walked to the bar and picked up a rag to start wiping the blood and worse off of him. "Well, I guess I won't be showing that to anyone else, even if they do claim to be a 'powerful wizard of the Draiman School'." Thonnas had already wiped the shock off his face, returning to the placid expression he wore for his patrons. "Grunnush's eye, that were a sight," Thonnas poured two large glasses of plum brandy and pushed one over to Jay before downing his own. "You know the Watch'r gon' come askin' questions. Whatcha gon' tell 'em?"

Jay sipped the warm liquor. Light by dwarven standards, but the fruit made it good in its own way. Setting the heavy-bottomed glass down, he looked at Thonnas. "The truth." Thonnas raised his eyebrow curiously.

* * *

Jay had been tracking a squad of gnolls through the hill country above Woodburn. It was high summer, the 16th of Sarixui, and while the gnolls preferred the heat, they still occasionally needed something to drink. They chose to slake their thirst with the blood of a farmer's family. Jay had discovered the slaughter and spent the next week catching up to the gnolls, picking them off one by one. Earlier that day he killed their Curse Howler. This threw them into chaos, letting Jay take a rest and go through the Howler's possessions. Most of the items were tainted with the dark magic of the gnoll's god; charms and fetishes to curse and weaken their foes. Jay had always been able to feel the current of magic coursing through things, and as he inspected the items, he threw the tainted ones into his small campfire. He could almost hear the screams as the dark spirits bound to them burned and returned to the Abyss.

At the bottom of the bag, he found something unexpected. A shardlike red gem that practically crackled with power. He could sense its otherworldly nature without even touching it. Jay dumped the shard onto the ground and watched in wonder as several plants around it started growing taller. As the plants grew, a gust of cold wind buffeted his fire, and Jay's hand went to Duskrazor. His eyes darted towards the origin of the wind as he gathered himself to leap into action.

"Calm, half-elf Shalefoot of the Stonespeaker Dwarves. The only harm here is what would come from yourself." The woman's voice seemed to echo around Jay's mind as the rest of the world around him quieted. The crackling fire, the rustle of branches, and even the sounds of night birds all seemed duller and farther away as her voice vibrated through his body. A ten-foot tall humanoid figure parted the branches of the trees, stepping to the edge of the woods. "I have a proposal that can benefit you, if you are wise enough to take it." The giant woman remained in the shadows of the trees. Jay's elfsight could see that her thick, fur-lined leathers were covered with detailed tooling and trinkets. Her face was hidden in a deep hood, but her eyes flashed like those of a wolf lurking beyond the light of a campfire. "Will you hear the Amarth out?"

Jay relaxed, settling against the log he was using as a seat. He laid Duskrazor across his thighs. "Go on, giantess."

"I offer a trade. That red stone for this small case." her hand extended out of the shadowed trees, and opened to reveal a tooled metal cube, 6 inches across. "It will bring you good fortune, as long as it remains closed." Jadani picked up the red shard with the gnoll's bag and approached the giantess. The box rested in the palm of her huge hand. He knew enough that he should not take such a trade with otherworldly beings; they rarely ended well for the mortal. But as he eyed the box, a symbol carved into the surface caught his eye.

"Yes." He said as soon as he recognized it. He dropped the bag into her hand and snatched the metal cube. The giantess stepped backwards, fading into the forest. "Remember, open it, and your fortune will change." The cool air faded leaving Jay with a strange metal case in the warm summer night.

* * *

The case sat open on Jay's table. The smoking, oozing remains of the Draiman wizard leaked onto the floor. Looking back, Jay realized the wizard had used a charm to convince him to reveal the box. The foolish wizard ignored his warning and opened the case. Inside was an obsidian skull of some extraplanar creature. The wizard had tried touching it, but didn't survive the powerful magics that coursed through him when he did.