Why are you special?

We head out, and Paul seems flabbergasted, "You call this 'basic equipment?'"

"Yes. I was inspired to figure it out in the dungeon. I just hope…" I look at Wally, "... that you have a backup spellbook somewhere."

Wally shrugs, "My primary spellbook is a Blessed Book that I protect via the Secluded Grimoire spell. I only pull it out to prepare spells, and send it right back when I'm done. I can retrieve it whenever. I keep a couple of field decoys on me with broken spells for just this kind of thing. If he tries to sell my books to any guild mage, there will be… consequences… for him."

No, there won't, his blessing will make an eel look positively sticky if he wants out of something, as he'll win all bluff and sense motive checks… "That's good to know."

Paul picks back up, "No, but… do you understand just how valuable you are?"

Absolutely, "I can spit out suits of full plate, weapons, armors, and many other things with some simple enchantments in seconds, and at will. Getting equivalent items the normal way would take an expert months of work and large quantities of expensive supplies, or risking one's neck and getting lucky in one of the nastier dungeons. What I make isn't entirely real, but that makes it easier to add further enchantments if needed. Yes, I'm aware. I can also make giant diamonds or bags of platinum coins with equal ease. I'm absolutely going to go shopping for the things I can't quickly make, but I'm being hunted, so I do NOT want it bandied about. Better if the guy who got me just now thinks I stay dead, because otherwise he's going to get creative."

That brings Paul short, "OK, I'll bite… who's hunting you?"

If I tell you, you'll turn me in yourself, "It's not safe for me to say her name." In this circumstance, that's actually true.

Paul looks at me funny, but does drop it.

Wally casts his Phantom Steed spell four times… eh, I have pants on under the dress this time… and we ride.  It still feels very nice, but not THAT nice, this time.

A few hours in, we do run across a bonus: A swarm of yellow and red striped flying insects the size of horses, with stingers the size of swords, dripping with venom. A few blasts from Scintillating Sphere clears them all out before they can blink their compound eyes… and the world fades. Yay! XP!

And I’m back in Death’s office.

"So did you enjoy your dirt nap?" Death is developing a sense of humor, now?

I reach for Death’s library as I engage in conversation, "I'm just hoping he doesn't figure out I came back from that. That blessing is insanely good."

Death nods, "Fair… but he's going to know soon enough. Life can't tell him directly, but…"

First off, continue my casting progression, "... but she has some indication I haven't retired into the cycle of souls, I take it?"

Death smiles, "That's correct. If you had, her blessing would return to her. So she knows."

Ah, a drunk, degenerate Efreeti would be able to grant Wishes, and I’m not a genie, so I could grant them to myself… handy, that … but I'm not too far from being able to just cast it, at which point it would be a waste of resources … "So I WILL need to face him again. Pity. Do I want to know what happened to my corpse?"

Death cringes, "You know how most Resurrection spells have a clause about undead?"

Ah, sixth level is a threshold letting me nab more Charisma directly from Monsterkin… same for my power suit… "How they can't be raised or resurrected if the body is shambling around elsewhere? Ugh. Zombie or skeleton? And I'm guessing that puts my old body in your portfolio?"

Death purses his lips, "Zombie, and yes, things that prevent souls from moving on fall in my domain. On the plus side, that means I know where your body is, and who's nearby."

Oh, I’m going to need to leave normal magical trails sometimes to throw people off… the Tattoo Chamber from the Cabalist Vigilante does the job, I just need to get some staves to put in there, "So what's he doing with my walking corpse?"

Death takes a slow, deep breath, "Using Fleshy Facade and… ah… enjoying a beautiful body that will do anything he tells it."

That makes me shudder, and I set down the books for a moment to look Death in the eyes he doesn't have, "I'd have thought he wouldn't have that problem, what with his… ultimate power of luck or whatever it's called."

Death chuckles, "He got on Justice's bad side. I'm not permitted to give you the… oh, thank you brother… OK, so… he has a 'blessing' that affects any woman he approaches in 'that sense' with foreknowledge of consequences. Basically, every woman he successfully beds is blessed with triplets, and every woman he tries to bed is blessed with visions of the childbirth that will result if she goes through with it in painful, graphic detail. So he only gets it on with willing women if they're desperate to have children for one reason or another. He absolutely deserves that punishment, but it's led to him satisfying his urges in unsavory manners."

This is useful intel… "So you can't tell me what blessings a champion has from your siblings without their permission, but can with? Does Life’s champion have other such?"

Death chuckles, "Life has used him as an enforcer many times over the centuries. We can’t do anything to each other, just our proxies, and so that man is profoundly unhappy."

Ah, the Oath system gives me a second feat this level… do I want to be able to give personal spells to others? It's just two feats and then a spell… eh, not yet… "So theoretically, would I be able to pick up blessings from your siblings?"

Death nods, "Theoretically yes, but before they'll do so you'll need to do them some great service, and they would pick the blessing."

Extra JP, on the other hand, gets me Demagogue Powers from the Living Idol, and as I worship myself, I have a worshiper, which can get me Cabal Master, and let me use Summons to boost my caster level by up to five. With six base caster levels, plus five from Suffer the Flesh, plus one from the Create Magic Tattoo spell, plus one from the Adept Spirit, plus five from Circle Magic gets me up to eighteen which puts 9ths in range… at a caster level of twenty via Wild Arcana or Spell Enhancer (twenty-two with both). So I'll be able to hit the maximums on Magic Vestments for a shield, Greater Magic Weapon for basic enhancement bonuses on weapons, weapon special abilities via Arcane Forge, and so on. Also basically all spells available for buffing, of course. I won't be doing all ninths when in battle, but… this should serve me well. "What kinds of things would you expect your siblings to do that for? Also… what did you mean by preventing souls from moving on?"

Death considers, "My siblings' desires are as individual as they are, but there’s usually not some big favor waiting; I'll ask around. And… well, Animate Dead drags the soul back and imprisons it in a cage of rotting flesh to power the undead abomination by torturing the soul and collecting energy from the pain. Lures them there by mimicking a Resurrection effect… but it's not picky; any soul will do if the one matching the body isn't available. It's a particularly nasty business, necromancy. Some pieces of it aren’t any worse than, say, Evocation, but…" Death shakes his head, “... if someone’s getting into necromancy, they’re generally doing it for the labor or thinking it’ll get them immortality, not realizing the trap they’re getting themselves into.”

And a feat… OK, I will want to grant personal spells to others eventually… Bonded Mind it is - not very useful on it’s own, but handy later.  Well, good thing I haven’t raised any undead legions, then. Eugh, that's nasty. “Well, I’m done, care to check my work?

Death looks it over, “MORE numbers, huh? Also spells, storage, and … circle magic? Ah, more numbers again.”

“Not just numbers; those numbers give me early spell access. So during a lull I’ll have access to spells like Wish, Miracle, Time Stop, Shapechange, Foresight, and so on.”

“Shapechange isn’t a good fit for you… it’ll turn off a number of your constant Monsterkin-based abilities, like your hardness and regeneration - anything based on your physical form.”

“True. So I’ll skip that one. Still, no shortage of useful ninths.”

“That is true enough. Well, I take it you’re ready to go, then?”

“I am indeed. Thank you as always, Death. Be seeing you.”

Death waves, “Be seeing you…” and the office fades while the world comes back into focus.

Wally sends me a mental message, 《Ah… where did that tattoo come from? It just appeared on your palm. You have another, but….》

I check my hands - did it end up on my right or left? Ah, left palm. Huh. Well, that works, 《I figured out a new magic tool. Among other things, it can hold a few items.》

Wally seems confused, 《Yes, but… it just appeared there, you didn’t even concentrate briefly like you normally do for spells.》

Perceptive of him, 《That’s because it kind of did. I just work that way. Best not to think about it too hard.》

I see Paul and Carter looking over the corpses, “Any loot?”

They shake their heads, and Paul responds, “Nope. Might be some if we find the nest - such creatures tend not to strip their victims before they haul them back - but these things aren’t bright enough to carry magical items or anything. So a hunting party like this… nothing.”

Carter smiles, “But we always check, because there’s always the possibility that they’re under someone’s control.”

I nod, “Well, any objections to getting going again?”

Everyone shakes their heads as they mount, and we head off towards civilization.