I Read What?!

So last time, we checked in on the villains, where the religious fanatics seem to have gotten the upper hand. I wouldn't count our awkwardly named villain co-protagonist out though!



We're back at Castle Trinity. We're told that the meeting chamber is quite different from "the ornate hall of the Edificant Library". That makes me wonder if at least one of our villains might have been there at one point to make that comparison. They elaborate:

Its ceiling was low and its door squat, barred, and heavily guarded. A single triangular table dominated the room, with three chairs on each side, one group for the wizards, one for the fighters, and one for the clerics.

Druzil the imp is mischievous, telling Aballister to scan the room, then breaking off the mental connection between them. Again, we're introduced to another way that this is not a normal wizard and familiar dynamic as Druzil is clearly in control of their telepathic bond and has used telepathy for more decades than Aballister had been alive.

Apparently, he'd seen what he wanted anyway: Barjin is in the meeting hall and quite busy.

It's interesting that Druzil serves a wizard rather than a priest. Priests generally don't have familiars, but familiars usually aren't servants of a goddess.

Anyway, this bit is interesting:

It was risky business, Druzil knew, but if the chaos curse was to be in the priest’s hands, Druzil needed to know more about him.

I mean, dude, you gave Aballister the info for the curse to begin with. Why would you not have researched the other people in the evil gang? But it IS interesting that Druzil apparently hadn't planned for Barjin to be in charge.

So Druzil does some spying. He is able to enter by mentally influencing Barjin's guard and telling him there's someone already in the room. The guard uses a special word to enter and investigage, and Druzil's able to use the same word. When the guard finds no one inside, he leaves.

So now Druzil gets to look around. He lucks out: Barjin keeps a journal. The journal goes back two years and informs Druzil, and us, that Barjin had once commanded an army and served a powerful master.

The interesting thing though is that Barjin wasn't a cleric, at least back then. He had served as a wizard. And he's intentionally mysterious about his master - careful not to write down any details about the being, including a name.

Salvatore does a bit of handholding here, having Druzil specifically snicker at the "striking parallels" between Barjin's ascent and the chaos curse's transformation into a goddess's direct agent.

Though maybe the handholding is intentional, as I don't really follow. Basically, it sounds like Barjin the wizard became a priest when his master somehow became godlike, and the army went all religious. Eventually though an order of paladins organized an army and brought Barjin's master down.

I guess maybe the idea is that the chaos curse is a mundane wizard-type object that's now more powerful because of its new religious signficance?

Anyway, Barjin did legitimately class change from the sound of it, as we're told his cleric powers had diminished since his "god" had been dispatched. (There are interesting implications here that a cleric can get powers from demi-gods or other, not-quite divine beings. It'd be interesting to explore that further. Can someone get powers if they worship Drizzt?)

Interestingly, there's no point in the journal that relates Barjin's meeting with Talona's avatar. The obvious implication is that it didn't happen, though I suppose it's possible that he just didn't write it down. Druzil clearly believes the former, admiring Barjin's opportunism - using the fanaticism of the leaders of Castle Trinity to quickly ascend the priestly hierarchy.

He actually seems to think little of Talona, which raises some more interesting questions about why and how he's able to use cleric magic. Druzil, as a servant creature of Talona, seems more amused than offended. So maybe that's Talona's position as well.

He investigates other things: Barjin's nifty clothes:

Barjin’s new vestments, a conical cap and expensive purple robes embroidered in red with the new insignia of the triumvirate, hung beside the bed. An offspring of Talona’s symbol, the three teardrops inside a triangle’s points, the insignia sported a trident, its three prongs tipped by teardrop-shaped bottles, much like the one carrying the chaos curse. Barjin had designed it personally, and only Ragnor had offered any resistance.

He also determines, perhaps sarcastically, that Barjin intends to spread word of his gods when he uncovers a bedroll, tent, and stuffed backpack under the bed. He also detects a sudden attempt at telepathic communication - from Barjin's magical mace. The "Screaming Maiden". It sounds pretty swanky:

Its obsidian head was that of a pretty young girl, strangely innocuous and appealing, but Druzil saw through the grotesque facade. He knew it was not a weapon crafted on the Prime Material Plane, but one that had been forged in the Abyss, or in the Nine Hells, or in Tarterus, or in one of the other lower planes. It was sentient, obviously, and hungry. More than anything else, Druzil could feel its hunger, its bloodlust. He watched in joyful amazement as the mace enhanced that point, its obsidian head twisting into a leering visage, a fanged maw opening wide.

Druzil is quite delighted as Barjin must be formidable if he's capable of using this weapon, rather than resorting to the poisoned daggers that's normal for Talona's clerics.

That actually makes me double take. IIRC, this book was published during second edition AD&D. At that time, clerics could only use blunted weapons. But the 2nd edition D&D wiki does indicate that different cleric orders might have different weapons.

More rule breaking though! Barjin appears to be multi-classing here! He has a sorcerer's brazier! Tsk, tsk. Second Edition humans couldn't multi-class! That's a Third Edition thing!

I'm being tongue-in-cheek here. I don't actually expect the writers of tie-in novels to have to jump through hoops to follow table top rules. The story is more important. (Besides, I always thought Third Edition's multi-class system made more sense anyway.)

Druzil definitely seems to like Barjin better than Aballister, contemplating what life would be like if Barjin had called him instead of Aballister.

There are other cool things in Barjin's pack. Let's vicariously loot!

The thick backpack held other wondrous items. Druzil found a deep, gem-encrusted bowl of beaten platinum, no doubt worth a king’s fortune. Druzil placed it carefully on the floor and reached back into the pack, as exuberant as a hungry orc shoving its arm down a rat hole.

He pulled out a solid, heavy object, fist-sized and wrapped in black cloth. Whatever was inside clearly emanated magical energies, and Druzil took care to lift only one corner of the cloth to peek in. He beheld a huge black sapphire, recognized it as a necromancer’s stone, and quickly rewrapped it in the shielding cloth. If exposed, such a stone could send out a call to the dead, summoning ghosts or ghouls, or any other netherworld monsters that lurked in the area.

Of similar magical properties was the small ceramic flask that Druzil inspected next. He unstoppered it and sniffed, sneezing as some ashes came into his ample nose.

“Ashes?” the imp whispered curiously, peering in. Under the black cloth, the necromancer’s stone pulsed, and Druzil understood. “Long dead spirit,” he muttered, quickly closing the flask.

The Adventurer in me wants to steal his shit.

Druzil puts everything back and considers how Barjin is a "diversified priest-wizard, dabbling in sorcery, necromancy, and who could guess what else."

He checks in with Aballister - the meeting's still in full swing. Then he turns invisible and goes to sleep on Barjin's bed. That seems like a bad idea, but okay.

--

We switch to Aballister and the meeting. He and Barjin are clashing already as Aballister comments on the cost of making additional smoking devices. They're apparently limited to the one bottle.

Barjin scolds Aballister for referring to the "Most Fatal Horror" as an elixir, claiming that it may once have been a magic potion, but now it's something more.

Aballister is annoyed, wanting to call out Barjin's hypocrisy, but realizing it would just backfire on him. He uses Barjin's term, but reasserts that just making the potion has depleted their resources.

Ragnor, the Ogrillon, is impatient with all of this, but Barjin calms him with an implied threat. Aballister notes this dynamic, musing about Barjin's general power and abilities. His spell repertoire, we're told, goes beyond what is normally expected of clerics. He also remembers the interrogation of a prisoner recently, where Ragnor's torture had gotten nowhere, while Barjin had gotten the man to spill all through fake friendliness.

Aballister thinks again about how Barjin is not a true disciple of Talona, but also reminding himself that regardless of Barjin's sincerity, his actions are furthering Talona's cause.

This is a very interesting set up, and part of why I refer to Aballister as a villain protagonist as opposed to an antagonist. Eventually, I know, he'll be set against Cadderly. But right now, I feel like I'm reading a rise of a villain plot. Aballister, at this point, is our central character for the Castle Trinity events and he's set against more powerful adversaries.

Honestly, I think I'd read a book about Aballister even if Cadderly and his ilk weren't involved. He's interesting. He's got a bit of the same downtrodden element as Akar Kessel had in the Crystal Shard, but he's actually clever and competent. He's allowing Barjin to take command at this time, but not necessarily due to cowardice. He's annoyed by Barjin's triumph, but also willing to use it to the benefit of his own goals. I feel like he's being patient and calculating, not weak.

That might change of course, but I'm intrigued.

Unfortunately, Aballister had kind of zoned out, and he's brought back to attention by Barjin reminding him that Ragnor asked about the bottle. Aballister explains that while the curse is effective without it, the ever-smoking bottle allows it to be released continually for months or even years.

Barjin uses this moment to declare that Talona's agent is ready to be used. Aballister is frustrated again, as he'd intended to take command of the meeting and declare that himself. He does manage to assert himself and starts to insist on carrying the bottle. He points out that he was the one who'd met the avatar and discovered the recipe.

And this is interesting:

“For that, we thank you,” remarked the priest in a condescending tone. Aballister started to protest, but sank back in his chair as a magical message was whispered into his ear: Do not fight with me over this, wizard.

Aballister is at a crossroad here. If he gives in, he may never recover his standing. If he fights, he might split the order and be outnumbered. Moreover, the Ogrillon, Ragnor, backs Barjin. Mostly so he doesn't have to carry it himself. Aballister gives in.

He does manage to get back a little of his own. As Barjin starts to explain how his second and third will be carrying the potion:

“No!” Aballister blurted, seeing a way to salvage something from the disaster. All gazes descended upon him, and he saw Ragnor put a hand to his sword hilt. “Your second?” the wizard asked, and it was his turn to feign an incredulous tone. “Your third?” Aballister rose from his chair and held his arms outstretched. “Is this not the direct agent of our goddess?” he preached. “Is this not the beginning of our greatest ambitions? No, only Barjin is fit to carry such a precious artifact. Only Barjin can properly begin the reign of chaos.”

Aballister's thought is that getting Barjin out of the castle might give him a chance to re-establish his own claim as speaker for the brotherhood. Barjin, surprisingly, doesn't argue. He says he'll take it. And go alone.

Hm. This might backfire too. Ragnor protests because he wants battle, but Barjin promises him the opportunity to leave the second assault. It's his counterploy. Going alone means that both Barjin's followers and Ragnor will stay behind as well, preventing Aballister and his wizards from getting power.

Barjin is a slippery fellow. I appreciate that Aballister's moves are not stupid, Barjin's just better at maneuvering and turning things to his advantage. And he can evoke the name of his goddess. One that Aballister follows far more genuinely. But such is the power of a cleric.

Nicely done.

We switch scenes to a sleepy Druzil warding off Aballister's call. Then waking up when he realizes that means the meeting ended. He stays very still as Barjin enters the room. Barjin, we're told, might have sensed him if he were more attentive. But he's got his own schemes in mind:

“You and I,” Barjin said to the weapon, holding it out before him, “will spread the word of their goddess and reap the rewards of chaos. It has been too long since you feasted on the blood of humans, my pet, far too long.” The mace couldn’t audibly reply, of course, but Druzil thought he saw a smile widen on the pretty girl’s sculpted face.

“And you,” Barjin said into the backpack, to the ceramic, ash-filled flask. “Prince Khalif. Could it be the time for you to live again?” Barjin snapped the backpack shut and roared with such sincere and exuberant laughter that Druzil almost joined in.

Druzil reminds himself that he and Barjin were not formally allied and that Barjin would be a dangerous enemy. But since Barjin didn't close the door behind him, he slips out, using the laughter as cover while he utters the password to escape the threshhold.

Finally, we're told that Barjin leaves five days later. He's not disclosing his final location. Aballister and the wizards, we're told, wait patiently as possible, confident their turn will come. Ragnor is less patient. His forces want battle, and Ragnor wants revenge on the elves of Shilmistra Forest.

Everyone though speaks often of the day they'll rise and blacken the region, but now they hold their breath, waiting for the confirmation that conquest has begun.

The chapter ends here.