<div class="floatright">(https://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/b/bc/Belanor.jpg)</div><strong>Dask</strong><br/><strong>Current Identity:</strong>Mirodas<br/>Changeling Alienist<br/><strong>HP:</strong>51/51 ;<strong>Status:</strong>Under the effects of Extended<em>Greater Mage Armor</em>, Extended<em>Greater Magic Weapon</em>, Extended<em>Resist Energy</em>x5 (Resist 20 vs Acid, Cold, Electricity, Fire, Sonic), Extended<em>Tongues</em>, Extended<em>Water Breathing</em>,<em>Overland Flight</em><br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">Spells Memorized (CL 10, DC 15 + spell level)</div><div class="spoiler_body"><ul class="bbc_list"><li>5th (3/day + 1) - <em>Greater Blink</em>(Spell Compendium)<em>, Telekinesis, Telekinesis</em> + <em>Wall of Stone</em></li><li>4th (4/day + 1) - <em>Charm Monster, Mordenkainen's Black Tentacles, <del>Polymorph</del>, Ray Deflection</em>(Spell Compendium)<em> + <em>Dimension Door</em></em></li><li>3rd (4/day + 1) - <em>Haste, Haste, Shrink Item, Unluck</em>(Spell Compendium) + <em>Stinking Cloud</em></li><li>2nd (5/day + 1) - <em>Invisibility, Mirror Image, Ray of Stupidity</em>(Spell Compendium)<em>, Rope Trick, Web</em> + <em>Glitterdust</em></li><li>1st (6/day + 1) - <em>Nerveskitter</em>(Spell Compendium)<em>, Ray of Clumsiness</em>(Spell Compendium)<em>, Shield, Silent Image, True Strike, True Strike</em> + <em>Grease</em></li><li>0th (4/day + 1) - <em>Launch Item</em>(Spell Compendium)<em>, Mage Hand, Mage Hand, Prestidigitation</em> + <em>Caltrops</em>(Spell Compendium)</li></ul></div></div><hr/><br/>Sasha would find Dask's true voice to be just as feminine as most of the rest of their appearance, as the trial of the mind began, speaking out and answering questions in a thin, slightly whispery voice that nevertheless sounded pleasant to the ear.  Of course, just as with the Changeling's appearance, their voice soon began to distort and shift, cycling from one voice to another with every question answered.  As for the answers to those questions...<br/><br/><hr/><br/>Upon exiting the trial of the mind, Dask felt...  Humiliated was the first word that came to mind, but that didn't quite fit.  Compared to the other contestants, he'd scored solidly in the middle of the pack, and that wasn't even taking into account the more esoteric and exotic knowledge he'd had that he couldn't properly demonstrate during the trial.  He was a specialist in a very specific field, and this phase of the competition was one where absurdly talented polymaths like Medah Blackfeather and Osama Obsidian could be counted on to have the advantage.<br/><br/>Vulnerable was perhaps a better description for his mood, or he could say that he had been made keenly aware of where his intellectual shortcomings were.  It was useful information, even if it was an uncomfortable experience for him, so he would let the discomfort he'd felt slide.  This time.  Slightly more concerning was the way that the rules for this trial and the next threw off all of his calculations for the competition, however.  So many points and excellencies would be earned by the top scorers in this phase of the competition, and he was sure that the next phase would give opportunities to earn a similarly large amount.  This completely devalued the obstacle course they'd run through; his own clever use of just a single<em>Polymorph</em>spell, or even the Silverfish spending so many spells to secure first place for himself, essentially didn't matter at all when it came to scoring.  On top of that, they'd been allowed the use of magic on the obstacles, yet they couldn't use any here.<br/><br/>Had that first phase of the competition just been for entertainment purposes?  Have a bunch of mages embarrassing themselves getting knocked off of obstacles and into the water for the audience's amusement?  It was irritating to think about, but that seemed the most likely option to him.  Whatever the trial of spirit was, he was sure that it would be something that would amuse the audience in some fashion, as well.<br/><br/><hr/><br/>The view Sasha gained of Dask's heart during the third phase of the competition would be less confusing for her, but likely at least a little more disturbing.  She would witness Dask withstanding repeated hits of fear, lust and despair, again and again, and each time, she would see a little more of the Changeling's heart revealed.  Unlike their physical form, the Changeling's heart was not an attractive thing; there were equal measures of greed and misanthropy in the wizard's mind, paranoia and cruelty, ambition and spite.  Yet there was something else there, as well, and not just something as simple and cliche as some tiny bright spot of goodness shining within that darkened heart.  That something was strange and alien, a lingering touch from something that simply didn't belong in this world.  It was dangerous, something most men would consider forbidden, and yet the Changeling had sought it out willingly.<br/><br/>And, judging by what finally broke them, finding it had dealt out its own set of scars to their mind...<br/><br/><hr/><br/>At that moment, Dask firmly believed that this world was not a place that one should ever willingly wish to live.  It was an unstable patchwork, a reality that had been completely torn apart at the seams a long time ago.  It was a cage, a prison, not one meant for its inhabitants, but for<del>t̷̼̊h̸́͜e̶̩͌ ̵͍̾t̷̙͂h̶̠̏ī̴ͅn̵̘̕g̶͔̊ ̷̝̃t̷̺̽h̴̢͛a̷̘͠ẗ̶̘́ ̴̩̃l̵̤͗a̵̗͆ý̵͔ ̸̥͒a̴̝̓ț̴̂ ̸̙̿ț̴̛h̶̜͝é̵̗ ̸̨̒h̴̞͊è̷̼a̴̛̦r̴͔͘t̴̋ͅ ̶̰̈́ǒ̸̫f̴͕̊ ̴̺́ṫ̴͎h̷̺͛ȩ̴̓ ̸͎̒w̵̰̽ó̷̜r̷̠͆l̴͓̕d̶̪̽.̷̓ͅ</del>One set in place by a desperate creator, for what creator would build a prison out of a house of cards, if left with any other choice?  One little push in the wrong place, a shifting of the winds to produce the slightest breeze, and it would all come tumbling down and the prisoner would go free.  So it was with the world; though at the very least, Garthalla's inhabitants were more like ants crawling around on that house of cards, rather than beings with the power to truly affect its stability.  It would take something like the death screams of an entire nation, all wiped out at once, to risk toppling some of those prison walls.<br/><br/>Such cold comfort that was, however.  To be an insignificant speck in the greater scheme of things, a lifetime of trials and tribulations ultimately amounting to nothing, the grandest of achievements eventually disappearing from all memory, as it one day would when the walls of the prison fell.  Did nobody else hear t̷h̸e̴ ̷v̸o̵i̶c̸e̷s̸ ̸t̸h̷a̵t̸ ̸w̴h̵i̸s̵p̴e̸r̸e̴d̵ ̴t̶h̶i̷s̴ ̷u̷n̸a̷l̶t̴e̵r̷a̵b̶l̸e̸ ̴t̶r̴u̵t̶h̵?̸ ̷ ̶W̷a̵s̷ ̸i̴t̸ ̵s̴i̶m̶p̵l̴y̴ ̸t̶o̷o̷ ̴m̶u̸c̸h̶ ̶t̵o̵ ̴c̸o̶m̷p̸r̶e̵h̷e̸n̸d̶,̵ ̷o̵r̵ ̶w̶a̴s̷ ̴i̶t̶ ̶s̴o̷ ̸t̵e̴r̷r̶i̸b̴l̴e̴ ̵t̴h̸a̵t̵ ̵t̶h̷e̵y̸ ̴t̸u̵r̴n̷e̴d̴ ̶a̴w̷a̷y̴ ̷f̷r̷o̶m̷ ̴i̵t̸ ̶w̵i̶l̶l̸i̴n̶g̴l̵y̶?̶ ̸ ̶W̴e̸r̴e̶ ̸t̴h̵e̶y̵ ̷t̸o̷o̸ ̵a̶f̷r̶a̷i̵d̵ ̵t̴o̴ ̵t̷a̸k̸e̸ ̴t̵h̵e̷ ̷n̴e̵x̷t̵ ̸s̵t̴e̷p̷?̴ ̴ ̸S̷o̷ ̶f̴r̵i̷g̴h̸t̸e̶n̸e̷d̶ ̶o̷f̸ ̷t̵h̴e̸ ̷o̵n̶l̶y̷ ̸s̶a̴n̶e̶ ̵t̵h̴i̷n̸g̶ ̷o̸n̸e̶ ̴c̵o̶u̴l̸d̸ ̵d̶o̵ ̶t̴h̴a̴t̸ ̶t̵h̵e̸y̴ ̶w̶i̸l̸l̷i̶n̸g̵l̴y̸ ̸e̵m̷b̷r̵a̶c̷e̷d̴ ̷m̴a̸d̵n̸e̷s̷s̸,̵ ̷i̸n̴s̷t̷e̷a̵d̴?̷<br/><br/>T̶h̴e̴ ̵D̴e̶e̸p̴ ̵E̷t̴h̸e̴r̸e̶a̶l̶ ̸w̵a̵s̸ ̶t̵h̵e̵ ̷o̵n̶l̷y̸ ̶a̷n̸s̶w̷e̸r̴.̶ ̴ ̶T̵h̸o̵s̶e̴ ̴l̷i̸t̶t̶l̶e̴-̸e̶x̴p̴l̵o̶r̸e̴d̷ ̸F̷̘̿a̴̽ͅr̴̢̎ ̶̳́R̶̮͆e̸͉͠ä̷̪l̸̬̋m̸̼͛s̷̡̿,̵͎̈ ̸̱͑f̴̻͗ã̶͖r̴̻̓ ̶̯͝r̵̟͆ĕ̸͍m̵̯̐ỏ̵ͅv̷̫̋e̸̳̒ḍ̴͐ ̸͉̀f̸̬̍r̵͔͝ǒ̶̺m̸̳̉ ̸̺͆ẗ̸̜́h̶̯͒e̸̼͠ ̴̗́r̸̤̕e̴̙͑s̸͈͐ṫ̷͍ ̷͈͊o̴̺̕f̸̮̾ ̷̖̉r̸̝͝e̸͙͛ȃ̷̜l̷̪͝i̸͎͂t̸̼̏ŷ̷̙,̷̖̈́ ̶̠͋w̵̯̚h̵̒͜e̷̜̔r̸͙͗ḙ̴̀ ̶̦̂t̸͗ͅh̷̜̋e̴̹̿ ̶̹͗l̸̰̍a̷̞̿w̵͔̚s̸̗̾ ̶̯̏ȏ̶̤f̶̺̄ ̴̣͋ṗ̸̦ḣ̵͕y̴̨̔s̵͙̆i̷̘͆c̵̜̚ṡ̴̠ ̴̦̽b̵͓̍ẽ̶͔c̶̢̎ȁ̵͎m̷̜̂e̷̩̊ ̶̟̃s̷̘̀ẗ̴͎́r̸͓͐à̶̠n̴̬̈́ğ̴͉ḙ̸͋ ̴̳̎a̴͖͊ṅ̶̞d̷͚͐ ̵̞̇a̶̝̿l̶͉͠i̷͕̍e̶̲͒ǹ̴͖.̷͎̿ ̴̠͝ ̶͈͒Ŵ̵͕͉̲̣̀̎͒̀̆h̴͔̱͑̓̃̈́̐e̵̲̾͝r̷̡̬̘̠̭͗̕͜͝ę̴̜́͑͆͜ ̴͖̭̯̀́t̴̨͚̰̓̓̓ḯ̴͚͐̓̐̌̾m̷͇͔̹̽͛̓̓e̸̠͊̎͒̅͑ ̸̡̛̿a̸͕͍͕͛n̴̦͙̼̆̉d̶̝̹̝͝ ̸̞͐s̴̞̊͛̋̚͠͠p̶̖͈͠à̸͉̜̖̬̝̈́͊̏̕͠ͅc̶̰̹̮̄̒̆̚ͅè̸̺̻̭͉͚͆́͌ ̴̞̗̝̱̣̼̔ẗ̶̼̞͔́̈́̚͠w̸̧̪̉i̸̗͊̄̓ş̴̖̤͆̃͆͑͝ͅt̷͉͙̥̙͋̀͒è̶̛̗̖̹͗͛̕͝d̵̰̞̼̱͖̀̏͑͝ ̴̨̯̭̖̪̌i̸̢̓͌̎̽ņ̸̺̣̦̒̿͗͋̀͝ ̶̡̘͎̞̹͌͜ù̶̲͎͔̫͉̮̄̅̏̕p̵̹̲̼̱̈́̄͒ͅo̷̝̱̗̪̬̩͘n̴̰͕̆̋́̚ ̶̨͍̳̰͓̀̈͌̿t̷̝͚͎̅̆h̸̳̬͖̥̮͆́̆e̵̡̼̲̠̒̆̀̑̚̚͜m̶̢̟̩̗̙̏͋͠ș̷̛̹̠͒̄̽̀̕ͅȇ̴̥͔̲̈́ḷ̶̡̼̩͎̑v̶̛̼̊͂e̶̛͖̟͊̏͑̚͜s̷͇̮̲̏̉͗̄͝,̶̧̮̜̥̩͗̐͊̕ ̸͉̬̱͈̊̿ͅw̸͇̌͂͝h̷̜͆͂̆è̶̘̲̱͎͇͊̂ͅr̵̻͈̱̲̝̈́͌e̴̢͙̊̌̎͆̕͝ ̷͍̙̻̑̒͊́͌͝e̷̹͖͒̂͐̈́v̵̰̐̚ê̴̘͇̺͛͑̓̋ņ̸̪̠̞̭̦͊̍̊͌́̒ ̴͇̘̱̃͌̈́t̶̞̭̫̻͎̄̓̕h̷͔̙̹̺̑͒ĕ̶̡͈̯̬̰̰̓͠ ̷̧̪̬̆̿̆͑v̴͕̥̳̟̝͔̄̈̃̓e̸̻͔͕̓r̷̮̗̼̾̓̍y̴̛̯̎̌̄͑͘ ̶̧̼̼̠͛̈c̷̡̽̿̆͒͌͋o̴̖͎̱̔̓̓͘ͅñ̸̼̦͕͕̊͐̓̈́c̷̩̭̬̠̰͚̿͛̄̌̐ĕ̶̖̠̖̟͒̈́̐̒͠p̵̡̣͇͛̀t̵̻͒͛̅s̶̡̥̟͍͖̬͗ ̵̥̣̀̏͠ò̸̢̭̩̯̽f̴̧̡̠̆͋̈͂ ̴̨͖̲̘̞̘̑̏̽͌̐̚ẹ̶̱̍̆͊x̵̛̻̼̻͔͋̌̓̓̒ĭ̷͙͍̦̪͒̿̌̒̋š̵̨̛͍̣̙̩͈̂̂̈͝ṯ̷̻͛̅̍̒̾e̴͇̞͍̮͍̱̅̍͝͝͝ņ̵͕̼͐͗c̴̨̮̻̬̺͋̕e̸̘̍͒ ̶̢̙̣̖̯̩͛̔͑ả̴͚̗̗̞̏̂̐̑͠n̴̲͕̰͌d̸͕̗̀͆͠ ̷̳̲͛̂n̵̲̖̰̭̪͉̓̌o̶̺͊͋͗n̴͉̙͒̋̋́̈̚ȩ̵̞̑̇͠ẋ̴̩̋̿í̵̛̛̙͇͛̾ͅś̵̛̺̝͉̪̐͌̈́͝ț̷̼̘̦̖͠e̸͔̠̼̟̎̒́͌̅n̷̦̓̀̉̒̔̀c̶̲̯̼̫̃ȅ̶͈͐ ̶͍̤̹̒̽l̴͓̲̀́̈́o̵͈̾̚̚ͅș̸̣͓̟̺̄̾t̴̢͖̩͈̘̄̔̌̿͜ ̶̛̺͖́a̴̛̬͔͊̑̉͋l̵͈̰͈͈͈̔̆̕ͅl̶̢̡̯̝͍̫̿͂̔͛͋͠ ̶͎̩̤̬̌̓̀̈́m̴̨͕̰̓̉e̸͈̥̐́͠á̸̲̞̗͚̭͛͐͑͛͘n̴͍̜̏́̊͊͆̋͜ḭ̶̩̘̱̾̿n̴͚̦͐g̴̻̣͌̂.̸̬͚̜͔̏̋̀͋̏ ̵̢͉̞̺̮͌͜ ̶̘̱̠̏T̴̠͔̬́͒́ͅȯ̴̩̫͖̣̗͛́ ̷̧̰̭̇͂̚t̸̰̊͆̐͑̕r̷͎̮̗̖͠a̵̭͒̓͐̈́̈́v̶̪͙̯͐̐̓̾̋͝e̸͓̣͙̙̠͊̋l̴̲̬̎̋̇ ̸͓͒̽̃̊t̷̤̝̼͆ͅh̷̰̓̓͜ę̴̟̟̝̠̥̌̆͗r̴̠͇̭̩̥̦̄͒́͝͝e̷͍̐̇̈͝ ̸̪͕̰̹͋͌͗͊̕͠w̸̭̾̍̀o̸̦̗͐̇u̵̡̹̘̞̓͌͆͐l̷͎̪̻̐̏͑̇̓d̸̝̯̞̞̭̪̚ ̴̯̺́b̶̛̮͉̪̝̐́̆͒e̶̪͈͚̅̑͜ ̶͔̩͑͐t̵͕͉̖̺̫͒̀͊͑ǫ̶̬̣͕͈͚̾̒̽̈́̇̀ ̴̧̢̼͚͛͌ȑ̴͈̒͐͗̃͌ḯ̷̲̱̙̟͕͇͌͝s̷̘̱̹̲͎͌̒̉͝k̷̺̊́͊̇ ̴̨̱̱̄d̵̛̠̂̈͠ì̴͓̫͐͛͒̍s̷̬̞͂̑s̷̨͉̹̱͍͚̓̃̄͘͠ō̴͙̗̺̫̭͉̊̈̈̀̀l̴̬̔̂̈́̈ų̸̡͉̦̠̅̀͜t̷̩͇̳̘͋͗̍͝ĭ̷͔͇̤̯o̸̖͖̠̘̠̓̿ͅn̴̢͙̱͉̉̓̓̔̚ ̵̲̯͓̲̭͗̌o̸̡̥͖̗̓̈́͒f̸̨̛̦͈̟̋̂̐͌͠ ̶͉̰̠̦͇̩̃ṭ̷̨̻̺͕̈́̑̿̄͠h̷̡̝̤̭͖̞͛͑̉͝e̴̳͚̫̥͇̞̅́̄͛̕ ̴̭̘͙̲̝̊s̷̱͔͍͗̂̋̐̉̂ͅe̶̛͓͙͒͛̇̅̔͜ľ̴̪̥̈́̀̏͠ḟ̷̫͇͎͆͌̈́̓̒ͅ,̸̢̗͌̇̓̆́͠ ̶̨̼̫̩́̏̍b̸̡̢͎̮̙͎̄̍̈́͑̊̕ű̵̧̢̟̬̙̂̾̉̔̿t̶̢̳̝̖̳̝̉̍̀̉̚͝ ̴̭͋̓̋̄͛̆i̶̬̬͍͒͜͝f̴̡̙̭̏ ̸̨̭̩̗̍͗͋̓̒t̵̫͛̃̈́̅͋͝h̵̘̆̉͘ȩ̵͚̥̈̈́̔͘͘͘ ̷̯̦̭̭͑̊͂͝ȃ̸̤̯̹̰͊̽̀͝l̶̢̛̪̼͒͆̇̍͝t̴͔͓̄̊́͌͝͝é̷̫̗̮͕͜͠r̶͙̆̀̒͝͝ñ̴̗̘̀̍͝a̷̺̲̭̘̫̅͝t̶͇̻̱̫̥͖̋̆̆̀͝i̸͉͔̭͇͌͠v̶͎̬̀͂͝ë̷̻́̐̾̏͠͠ ̶̠̣̉̉̊̑̄͠w̷͈̫̬̅̌̀͂͝͝a̶̧̰̥̟͇͋̅͗͝ś̸̢͉̳̮̙ ̸̧̢̛̛̱͎͙̰̂͂̚͝c̷̡͍̜̜̝̈́̏̒̊̋̋e̷͕̳̺̗̣̼̒̏r̶̻̮̱͍̈̔t̶̙͋͋a̴̳̓̈̏̓̈͝ḭ̶̢̢̟̰̾͝ņ̴̟̜̩͔̦̄͑̽̋ ̴̫̩͂o̸̙͗̀͛b̷̬̥̈́̎̈́̆̃̄ļ̴̹̘̤͉͉̀ḭ̴̺̯̦͈͛̌͋ṿ̷̭̥̎͋̊͗i̴̘͙̜̖͇͓̓o̸̤̗̘͚͚̫̾͗n̶̹̪̏,̵͉̩̣̘̫̞̽͐̈́͛̕ ̸̨͙͔͍̗̜͆̇͌͝t̸̠̽̒h̷̐͘͜e̷̛̻͔ņ̸̝͓̖̄͂.̶̬̭̖̘̌̓̈̃͑͜.̷͕̤̂͐̈̚.̷̜̪̻̀̀<br/><br/>...then...<br/><br/>Color sprang to the cheeks of the Elven face that Dask wore as the magical effect drained out of his mind, the wizard feeling a profound sense of embarrassment at having been robbed of his faculties with an audience watching.  The trial of the spirit, once he'd heard the rules for it explained, had proven to be the trial most obviously set up for the participants to humiliate themselves in front of the crowd.  Step into the three columns, be subjected to all manner of mind-twisting magical effects, let yourself stumble around a bit to entertain the audience...  He'd done his best to prepare himself for the moment when his own will was overwhelmed, but there wasn't really any way to prepare yourself for losing control like that.  Especially not when it had happened so much earlier than he'd been expecting.<br/><br/>Some of that spite that Sasha would have seen within the Changeling's heart welled up within him as he considered his place in the rankings.  He wasn't dead last, but he was on the lower end of things this time around; tied with Medah Blackfeather and Esmeralda Kradania for the spot just above last, in fact.  With Osama Obsidian coming in second place again, it was obvious who the biggest target to beat in the final phase of the competition was going to be, and the fact that they both specialized in darker areas of magic made his lead all the more annoying to the Changeling.  Was this what it was to feel a sense of rivalry with someone?<br/><br/>Dask hoped that he'd be paired up against Obsidian either before or immediately after taking on Blackfeather, so that he'd have the chance to do something vindictive and petty to the man, but if he could at least watch the man lose to one of the other contestants, that would be fine with him as well.  Watching him win the entire competition would be far less pleasant, but it was also far less likely, in his estimation.  The warlock had been spending his time running a guild, dealing with legal and political issues instead of actively adventuring.  It was highly likely that his combat sense had dulled, that he would be prone to making mistakes that the more seasoned combatants he'd be up against would take advantage of.<br/><br/>That just left the matter of returning to the waiting area to recharge and swap out their spells, another little twist in the rules that left the Changeling glad that he wasn't a betting man.  If they'd had to take their current spell selections into the tournament, he still would have bet on the other Changeling to ultimately win the competition, but now that everything was being reset and the other contestants were allowed to prepare exclusively for combat, any one of them could win...<br/><br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">OOC</div><div class="spoiler_body">Thanks to Collector of Stories, Dask passes the test of knowledge on the subjects of Arcana, Dungeoneering, Local, and The Planes, and gains 1 excellency point from Dungeoneering and 2 from The Planes.  His racial bonus to resist Charm effects also allows him to last one extra round on the test of spirit than he otherwise would have.<br/><br/><strong>Knowledge Score:</strong> 4 pts and +3 Excellency<br/><br/><strong>Spirit Score:</strong> 12 rounds (fell for despair)<br/></div></div>