From Hogwarts to Strixhaven.

Chapter 537 The Eternal Body and the Drow

The worship of Ambori, the Water Queen, is very powerful in Baldur's Gate. This is not only because she is a sea goddess, but also because of the capricious nature of this shrewish goddess.

As one of the raging gods, Ambori never knew what it meant to cease hostilities. Stirring up the waves of the sea, capsizing passing ships, and watching sailors drown helplessly were merely pastimes for her.

To ensure safe navigation, sailors and merchant ship owners had to offer sacrifices to Ambori with fear in their hearts, or allow Ambori's wave priests to sail for free, hoping that the sea goddess would be lenient in consideration of her apostles.

As one of the most prosperous ports in Sword Coast, Baldur's Gate's Grey Harbor boasts the unusually large Temple of Ambori, situated on a rocky islet near the port and connected to the city by a stone bridge.

The gathering place of Ambori's followers was not called a temple or church, but rather the Palace of the Water Queen. As followers of Ambori, her wave priests could collect large offerings from those who feared the sea with almost no effort.

This is why the temple in Ambori was called a palace. The priests of the Waves used all the gold and silver they acquired to build the temple and constantly added new decorations to it—over time it became as spacious and luxurious as a palace, and naturally it became a palace.

The priestesses who move about in the Water Queen's palace are mostly dressed in shimmering scale robes that reflect a halo like shimmering waves. Large pearls and delicate seashells adorn their clothes, creating a unique exotic aesthetic.

Although these wave priestesses appear to be gentle and charming beauties, they are actually as capricious as the gods they worship, running rampant in the lower city. Due to the special nature of their faith, many people dare not speak out against them.

Now that a servant of the Water Queen, Queen Ambrosio, has been killed at sea, the entire palace of the Water Queen is enraged. They have not only held a grand ceremony to mourn their fallen companion, but have also offered an exorbitant bounty for the steel behemoth hidden beneath the surface of Grey Harbor.

“That steel behemoth that killed the Water Queen priestess couldn’t have stayed underwater forever. It must have needed enough dry space to repair its internal parts,” Ivy said after listening to Jasira’s description. The phrase “underwater steel behemoth” reminded him of the Nautilus or submarines. “Whatever the truth about this underwater steel behemoth is, it sounds like something that Bane’s follower, Gotash, would like. After all, his steel guardians are all over the place.”

After a moment's thought, Ivy made arrangements for his followers: "We can do the two things at the same time: track down the Hag's gathering through the Sawa fishmen and hunt down the steel behemoth that killed the Water Queen Priestess. The long, winding coastline of Grey Harbor is not only dotted with numerous docks, but also with even more warehouses. If we want to hide anything that can go underwater, digging and expanding beneath these warehouses is the most feasible method."

“You will continue to lead this matter, Jahira. Don’t forget to involve the Guild and the Zantarin Society; you can treat it as a commission from them. Also, you can call upon anyone other than Will and his squad, as long as you believe their skills and abilities are helpful in investigating the Hag and the Iron Behemoth.”

"You're very supportive of me, Lord Doom?" Jahira joked. "I thought I wouldn't have to give orders anymore. Those little devils at home are enough to keep me busy."

"I heard from Shadowheart that she found the arcane diagrams for the Eternal Body Ritual in your basement?" Ivy raised an eyebrow, took a piece of paper from her desk drawer, and unfolded it. "If you need it, I can help you complete it. In my opinion, the Eternal Body Ritual is a method of using arcane magic to absorb the essence of nature, which should probably rejuvenate you, right? Maybe it will even make your lifespan inextricably linked to this land, so that as long as the essence of nature doesn't perish, your lifespan will never end? If an old woman can't handle young people, then let a young old woman deal with them. What do you think?"

“Sigh—” Jasila sighed with a wry smile, “Using spanking as a threat will never stop the kids from rummaging through my things, and it seems it won’t stop you youngsters either.”

“I did say to bring everything that could be used, but the Eternal Body Ritual wasn’t among them…” Jashi stretched her neck to look at the scroll on Ivy’s desk, confirming that it was the one she had hidden in her basement. “It’s a ritual that only a few secret druidic societies use… Are you sure you can perform it?”

"On my own, the success rate might not exceed 70%, but with the help of Archdruid Halsin, I believe the success rate will be 100%." ​​As an outstanding graduate of Strathaiven, Ivy is proficient in using four of the five types of magical power. Although she cannot skillfully use the remaining green magical power, she can still create some magical tricks like blooming and sprouting.

Having guided the corrupted spirits of nature alongside Halsin in the Cursed Lands of Shadows, Ivy believed she had gained a deeper understanding of this magical power originating from nature, and perhaps could take it a step further by performing the Eternal Body ritual.

“Never mind…” Jasila’s wrinkles vividly expressed her hesitation and excitement, but she ultimately rejected Ivy’s suggestion. “Every harpist hopes to be a light that dispels darkness. But I’ve lived long enough to witness the extinguishing of many lights, while the shadows stubbornly cling to everyone.”

"Right now, all I want to do is burn myself out and fight to the very last moment."

“Accepting death is a form of surrender.” The drow elf, clad in imposing armor, walked in from outside the door. Every day in Dusk Star City, the aura of the prospective matriarch of the Banri family grew stronger.

“Fighting against death will lead you to your inevitable defeat, Minsara.” Jahira had a thousand reasons to be on good terms with Minsara, but because the other party was a drow, all of those thousand reasons were negated.

“Perhaps.” Minsara, not intending to continue the pointless argument, gestured with her chin toward Ivy. “What else have I missed besides Gotash’s coronation?”

“Ah, we’re discussing the Eternal Body Ritual.” Ivy briefly explained the characteristics of the ritual.

“It is perfectly natural to want to live, but it is also natural to let go when the time comes.” Minsara was not the only one who returned from Star Fortress via the teleportation array; Halsin, who went to restore that land, also did so.

“See? This is in line with the philosophy of the Druids.” Jahira nodded in strong agreement.

More and more people gathered in Ivy's study. Even Yingxin and Xie Nian, who had gone back to their room for a secret conversation, came over. They hadn't taken off their evening gowns yet, so they received a lot of admiring and envious glances.

“I have something to say, Ivy.” Shadowheart seemed surprised to see so many people in Ivy’s study, but she hesitated for a moment before deciding to continue, “About myself, and about the Shrine of Shar at Baldur’s Gate.”

"The followers of Baldur's Gate contacted you?" Ivy frowned, this was unexpected. "At the coronation ceremony in Gotash? You broke through the three layers of blockade of the Sentinels, Flamefist, and Iron Guard?" Ivy had protected Kazardor's palace well with magic, and even after Cambyon Mizora broke through with Zariel's power once, she had not been seen again.

Aside from direct divine intervention, Ivy didn't believe that Shar's followers possessed any sophisticated methods of concealment that would allow them to bypass his perception barrier and remain undetected.

Marauder's Ward is a wizarding spell. Inspired by the Marauder's Map, Ivy can depict the terrain inside the ward like a practical spell, and mark the names and locations of all creatures within the area.

Drawing inspiration from the minimap in video games, Ivy also plans to use three different colors to mark friendly, enemy, and neutral units. Marking friendly units is the easiest to implement, while marking enemy and neutral units is much more difficult and remains only a conceptual feature.

Even so, it was enough to warn Ivy of strangers intruding into his territory.

With the help of the Marauder's Barrier, Ivy was able to determine that the contact between Shadowheart and the Sha's followers could only have occurred during Gotash's coronation ceremony.

To Ivy's question, Yingxin simply shook her head: "It shouldn't be considered a connection... I just saw a familiar face there..."

"Who? Your friend from the monastery?" Ivy guessed.

After a man and woman have played the melody of life's great harmony together, they often lie together and have some tender conversations. During those conversations, Ivy heard a man's name from Yingxin, but Yingxin could never remember his face.

“No.” Yingxin denied Ivy’s guess again, frowning as she revealed the identity represented by that face, along with her name: “It’s the Dean… Viconia Deville.”

“Viconia Deville?” Jahira, Minsara, and Minsk, along with the hamster Bubba on his shoulder, asked in unison, the latter two practically screaming.

“That’s an evil name! Don’t repeat it!” Minsk comically covered Little’s ear with the index finger and thumb of one hand, while covering his own ear with the free hand. As for the free ear, he looked pleadingly at his old partner Jashira.

Jahira had no intention of helping to cover Minsk's ears. She asked with great doubt, "Are you sure it's that name? A white-haired drow female elf? She is indeed a follower of Shar, but I thought she had always been in the Shar enclave of Waterdeep... I didn't expect her to come to Baldur's Gate and live under my nose for so many years."

“Viconia Devel.” Minsara’s expression was also strange, a kind of astonishment as if a legend had suddenly come true before her eyes. “Because she openly opposed Lolth in Menzoberranzan, the entire Devel family was destroyed by the Duarten family. Even for me, her story is quite a legend.”

Now, like Viconia, Minsara has become an exile who betrayed Rose, but Minsara has chosen to rely on her own strength to gain a foothold on the ground, while Viconia has chosen to throw herself into the arms of the Lady of Shadows.

“I don’t remember much… but I know it seems that Shar asked Headmistress Viconia to come to Baldur’s Gate.” Shadowheart barely answered Jasira’s question, then looked at Ivy, “Since I can recognize the Headmistress, it means she recognizes me too. Shar’s followers are best at lurking in the shadows, and there might already be the Headmistress’s spies everywhere outside this palace. I think we should take the initiative, Ivy. Let me rescue my parents and settle things with Shar.”

Ivy didn't hesitate much before deciding to take action: "Jashira, Minsk, you were teammates with Viconia before, are you interested in helping me with this?"

"Defeat that evil witch?" Minsk's large head, which had been tilted to one side, straightened up immediately. "The sooner the better! How about now?"

“This is indeed a task that no one else can do.” Jahira, whose burden was already heavy, did not refuse either. “She was once a lonely drow exiled on the surface, but it seems that Shar’s teachings have brought her fate back into entanglement with ours.”

“We have so many of us! Each of us could flatten that monastery with a single kick!” Standing next to Yingxin, Xie Nian put his arm around her shoulder and said confidently, “Don’t worry, I told you Ivy would definitely support you, right?”

Ivy keenly sensed the strange atmosphere between the two beauties, not to mention that after discovering the female dean of Shar, Yingxin did not share it with her immediately, but instead told her companion and rival in love, which was already very strange.

“Even with Gotash’s promise, it would be unwise to start a battle on the streets.” Ivy waved her hand, and a portal shimmering with astral light opened in the study. “Apart from Shadowheart, Evil Thought, Jashira, and Minsk, anyone else who is interested in participating in this battle can wait in the Astral Prism. If support is needed, I will take you directly to the Temple of Shar.”

"Prepare your weapons and equipment. Reassemble here in ten minutes." Ivy surveyed his teammates in the study and gave his orders. "We're about to face a god; we can't be too careful."

"Should we inform Ms. Irene and Ms. Isobel?" Gale asked at the opportune moment. "Surely the followers of Selenne would be quite willing to get involved in these kinds of conflicts?"

“The power of the daughter of Selenne is indeed reliable, but considering the possibility of escalating the conflict, let’s forget about it.” Ivy rejected this tempting offer. “We’re going to rescue people, not to start a war.”

What Ivy didn't say was that Eileen's impulsive nature made it difficult for her to follow orders on the battlefield, as had been proven many times in the previous battles against Katheric.

(End of this chapter)