Kalsis' Potion of Strength, Part III
by Robert Adam Morrison
Kardan's adventuring party continues to become awed at the effects of the magical strength potion.


Send Comments & Story Ideas to alphac@orc.ca
WARNING: Adult and erotic content.

Kalsis' Potion of Strength, Part III

	The scantly-clad sorceress sat at the middle of the large, ebony table.
Her long black hair hung over her shoulders. She was deep in concentration;
her heavily lashed eyes fluttered with the trance. She moved her lips slowly
and slightly, chanting a mantra under her breath. Her hands were cupped into
each other.
	Her name was Caltha, and she was the magical agent of the Emperor. She
was a servant of evil, but not glad to be. When she began her magical training,
she had become enticed by an evil wizard who promised her the power of the
universe. Her weak heart was captured by the evil one and she became
controlled by the evil of the universe.
	Caltha's meditation session was nearly over, and she started to move her
arms about. Her eyes fluttered open and she slowly gained awareness of her
surroundings once again. She moved her hands into the air in front of her and
made a swirling motion.
	Purple strands began to follow Caltha's fingertips as she continued to
gesture in a pattern of some kind. The strands bonded to one another, and
became a sphere. Caltha ceased her gesturing, and allowed the sphere to
densify and become solid. The sphere became a violet-glassed orb, hovering in
mid-air in front of Caltha. She moved forward, and peered into it.
	A white, blurred image formed in the sphere. It swirled and started
to focus. The white was joined by two pinkish ovals. Caltha turned her left
hand slightly, and the image became even more focused. Laying on a bed in a
small room were two figures: a man and a woman. The man was muscular and
handsome. The woman was beautiful and even more muscular. Both figures were
naked and staring at the ceiling of the room.
	Caltha blushed slightly. She gestured some more with her hands, and
sound poured out of the orb.
	'How much sleep did we actually get?' asked the man.
	'Not much.' yawned the woman. 'But, what a time we had, Kardan!'
	Kardan smiled and reached over to the woman, but she batted his hand
away.
	'No.' she said. 'Not if we're ever to get up!'
	'You're right, Neme.' The man arose, and walked over to a pile of
clothes and armour. He started to put on the clothing.
	'Neme,' Kardan asked, 'do you ever wonder what else the potion had
done to you?'
	'Not really. I mean, if you're asking about how much love-making we've
been doing, I only have one answer: I've always been really horny, and
you've finally just opened up...'
	'No, I mean, can you do anything else?'
	'Not that I can think of. I couldn't drink that bitch Cordina under
the table! She must have been some experienced vet to do that! How was she,
anyway?'
	'Not nearly as good as you. She rushed it.'
	'A woman rushing it?' Neme was taken aback. 'Huh! Who'd have thunk it?'
	Caltha blushed further with all the talk of love-making. But she kept
attentive, with the talk of change and potions.
	'Change of subject,' said Neme, 'with all the silver we got from the
gnolls, the side-wagers that we profited from, and the copper from the
goblins...'
	Caltha's heart raced. The mention of goblins even furthered her
suspicions.
	'We have enough to get a writ to hire ourselves out as mercenaries!'
	'We'll have to leave Yarkan and travel to the capital to get that
paperwork.' replied Kardan.
	Caltha chuckled. She had them! She had them! These were the
adventurers that the Emperor seeked. Caltha had managed to retrace their
whereabouts.
	Caltha ran out of her laboratory and cast a spell of teleportation.

	The Emperor sipped the grey soup from his spoon. His wrinkled grey
face was ripped with age, making for a disgusting picture. His black
robes were plain and slightly worn. He flinched as he swallowed the soup,
unable to contain his displeasure.
	'Retched brew!' he cried out with a unseeming strength. 'Why am I
continually served it?'
	The Emperor was sitting in his large ebony wood chair in his dining
hall of the Imperial Palace. He sat alone, with only the suits of armour
to keep him company. A small bowl containing the awful gruel lay before
him.
	Suddenly there was a small 'poof', and a cloud of purple smoke
appeared. Within the cloud materialized a female figure: it was Caltha.
	'Your eminence!' she proclaimed. 'I have located the four!'
	'Oh?' queried the Emperor. 'Are you sure?'
	'I am certain, your magnificence! They are in the trade city of
Yarkan. The girl Neme has imbibed the potion: it is painfully obvious.
They are planning to become mercenaries.'
	'Excellent work, Caltha. We must move at once. That fool Kalsis'
potion could have effects unthought of! Caltha, go to Yarkan, and order
my forces there to attack the adventurers. They are to be captured.
Under no circumstances should the girl Neme be killed!'
	'That may be difficult, your greatness. She has transformed and
gained inhuman strength.'
	'No matter. My crack soldiers will know what to do! Go at once!'
	'Your eminence.' Caltha bowed as the teleported away.

	Kardan and Neme descended the stairs to the common room of the
tavern. They were both fully clothed and armoured. Kardan was wearing
his half-plate armour, and had his sword and dagger at his sides. Neme
wore a refitted jacket of leather, and had a small sword slung at her
side.
	The common room was nearly empty, with only a few regulars in
attendance. One figure did seem out of place: Raddi, an elf wizardress
and companion of Kardan and Neme. She sat at one table, nibbling at a
plate of scrambled eggs. She was skimming the pages of an old and
tattered book that was written in some strange iconical language.
	Kardan and Neme each took a seat at Raddi's table and ordered a
large breakfast. Raddi smiled and greeted them.
	'So, even the charm of the warrior Cordina could not sever a
pairing such as the two of you.' she stated.
	The pair blushed, and were flustered for a response.
	'We...,' started Neme. Kardan reached over to her hand and
grasped it in his own.
	'We are in love.' he declared. The pair stared into each other's
eyes.
	'So where is Hemral?' asked Neme. 'He knows that we were planning
to move out in a day or two.'
	'He...' Raddi looked down and sighed, 'he has decided not to
continue to travel with us. He says that your permissiveness has caused
him much discomfort.'
	'What!' Kardan shouted out. He got up and clenched his fists.
	'Relax, Kardan!' said Neme.

	'He has broken our party bonds!' Kardan said through clenched
teeth. 'This is great misfortune.'
	'He has his share of the treasure,' continued Raddi, 'and wants
no part of the 'ill-founded' booty of last night. At least, that's what
he said.'
	Kardan slammed his fist hard down onto the table-top.
	'One member short.' he exclaimed. 'Hemral was a great stave-master
and his spells helped us through some tight situations. What are we to
do now?'
	'Well, we could go to the capital,' said Neme, 'and try to recruit
another priest, and maybe an extra warrior.'
	'Or, we could follow-up on a lead.' said the elf.
	'Huh?' queried Kardan.
	Raddi reached into the interior, hidden pockets of her robes and
pulled out a small, three-inch glass vial that once contained a blue
potion. It was the very vial that Neme drunk out of that caused her
amazing transformation.
	'Hey!' exclaimed Neme. 'I recognize that. That's my favourite
piece of glasswork on this plane.'
	'So it's the vial that once contained the potion,' snorted Kardan,
'what's so important about it?'
	'Well, I was inspecting it last night. Now, as you know, some
writing can only be read by moonlight. However, a little known style

of writing used by human and elf wizards known as star-writing.
	'Star-writing is writing that is etched onto objects that can only
be read by the light of stars. The vial I hold has some star-writing,
more specifically writing that can only be read by the Western Star.
I held it up, and by chance the light of the Western Star shone through.'
	'What was written?' asked Kardan, who was getting interested.
	'It read:
	"This contains the potion of strength and fortitude. The imbiber
will gain great physical strength and muscularity on a permanent basis.
This potion was created with great skill by the wondrous magician and
alchemist, Kalsis of Ekkeden Hills."'
	'Why do these 'great-magicians' have huge egos?' asked Neme with
contempt.
	'It comes with the territory:' said Kardan, 'either you talk big
or your competition gains up and deals with you.'
	'Well,' said Raddi, 'with the independents it goes that way. The
council of wizards in the Elven Woods doesn't deal in that kind of
business.'
	'Can we get to this magician?' asked Neme. 'I mean, just so we
can inform him about his potion.'
	'You aren't considering...' stuttered Kardan.
	'No way am I changing back!' exclaimed Neme. 'I just want to
know why he created such a potion, and to see if he can create other
great items of power.'
	'Hey, there's a little left.' said Kardan, pointing to the vial.
	Indeed, Kardan spoke true, as there was a small, slick trail of
light blue liquid on the sides of the vial. There was also a small pool
of the elixir on the bottom of the vial.
	Raddi's eyes opened wide. Before anyone could react she smiled
and thrust the vial up to her open mouth. Raddi used her long and thin
tongue to lap up the remaining drops of the potion.
	Neme and Kardan sat stunned. Their eyes were bugged out.
	'Ra-a-ad-d-i...' stuttered Kardan in a squeaky voice.
	Raddi felt a pleasurable sensation coarse through her body. She
smiled and held herself. There was a slight stretching noise as Raddi's
body started to stir. She thrust off her cloak and hood, and threw off
her robes, leaving Raddi in her undershirt and shorts.
	Her arms and legs started to expand slightly. Raddi's originally
small and slim elven frame began to gain muscle. Her forearms expanded,
and her bi and triceps billowed out. Her abdomen became hard and slightly
ridged with stomach muscles. Raddi's quad muscles grew, and her calf
muscles grew out. Her entire muscle structure became defined and cut.
	At the end of her transformation, Raddi was no where near Neme's
level of muscularity and strength, but was noticeably more muscular than
the average human woman. The few eyes in the bar turned to stare at her,
but Raddi did not care. She flexed and played with her new muscles.
	'Raddi,' asked Karden, 'are you okay?'
	'Never better.' Raddi put plainly. 'I feel great! This new
strength is always what I've wanted.'
	'Huh?' asked Neme.
	'Ever since I was a small Elfling, I wanted to be a member of the
exclusive warrior-wizards. They are a band of elven and human wizards
who are equally adept with magic and fighting. I trained and studied
and practiced all my youth to be a member.
	'When I had reached the age of adulthood, I was the best at the
wizard arts in my classes. However, despite all my efforts, I could not
gain the strength and health necessary to become qualified to join the
warrior-wizards. I managed to gain an apprenticeship with my master,
Norkono, but I have always hated the fact that because of my frailty I
was never able to join the warrior-wizards.'
	'And now you have the strength.' stated Neme. Raddi beamed.
	'Um, shouldn't you get some clothes on?' asked Kardan.
	Raddi blushed, and gathered up her robes and put them back on.
	'So,' Kardan tried to regain his composure, 'continuing with the
earlier point, how are we to track down this Kalsis?'
	'Well,' Raddi started, 'I was at the library this morning, and
managed to locate a book which contained a brief passage on Kalsis.
Apparently the Ekkeden Hills are southeast of the Elven Woods. If we
traveled east to the Elven Woods, I imagine we could get a tracker
skilled enough to find Kalsis' domain.'
	'We now have enough money to do it.' Neme stated. 'What do you
say, Kardan?'
	Kardan clenched his fist and brought it up.
	'Let's do it!'
	'THERE THEY ARE!' came a man's enormous bellow. 'GET THEM!'
	The doors to the tavern crashed open, and a small troop of
soldiers ran through. They wore dark iron armour sculpted with the
faces of monsters. The iron armour covered all areas of their bodies.
The soldiers wore iron helmets that covered all but their faces. The
soldiers carried broad swords of steel.
	The leading soldier who bellowed the order was at the head of
the unit. He had a cloak of red that reached his knees. Kardan knew
that this meant he was a Captain.
	'Imperial soldiers.' Kardan swore. 'Raddi! Neme! Escape!'
	The adventurers gathered up their things, and started to back 
away. The Captain pointed to them.
	'Two scorpions to foe. Strike!' He shouted out.
	Immediately, six soldiers rushed forward, and split up into
three groups of two. Each group charged against each adventurer.
	Kardan pulled out his broad sword and prepared for the melee.
Neme unsheathed her short sword, and, surprisingly, Raddi took out a
long and slim blade from the folds of her robes.
	Kardan stabbed forward with his blade, but it ran across the
iron plate armour of the soldier. The soldier came back with a sword
slash. Kardan ducked low, letting the swing fly over. The other soldier
ran forward with a sword strike, but Kardan side-stepped the blade.
Kardan immediately made an overhead strike with his blade. The edge
of the blade sunk into the back of the soldier's neck, sending a small
spurt of blood into the air. The soldier collapsed.
	Neme let one of the soldiers approach, and immediately reached
out and grabbed him. She started to bearhug him. He groaned with pain,
and his armour began to rent and tear around Neme's enormous arms.
Neme let the muscles of her arms flex with the effort, causing the
other soldier to hesitate. Neme let the soldier go, and he fell to the
ground, unconscious.
	Raddi darted forward with her elven blade. The sword sliced
through the iron armour of the soldier like paper, and the soldier
grunted with great pain, and fell to the ground. Before the other
soldier could react, Raddi darted forward again. Her blade sliced
through the soldier's armour, and he too collapsed onto the ground.
	'Raddi' yelled Kardan as he sparred with a soldier, 'I
appreciate your fighting skill and your testing of your new strength,
but we need your magic to escape!'
	'Oops.' Raddi muttered. 'Sorry, got caught up in the melee.'
	Raddi wove her hands into a pattern in the air and began to
chant arcane words. She thrust both hands forward, and an incredible,
invisible force energy pushed through the entrance. The captain was
thrown back, and the walls of the inn near the doorway showed signs
of strain. Raddi had created an invisible force wall.
	The adventurers turned around and headed for the kitchen. The
two remaining soldiers gave chase. Raddi and Neme ran through the
kitchen door, while Kardan turned around and faced the two soldiers.
He entered into a rotating and circular pattern with his sword.
	The soldiers started their attack, thrusting their blades forward.
Their thrusts were cut short, as Kardan's swirling pattern parrying the
blades aside. The broadsword of spinning doom cut into the necks of
both soldiers, and they plunged to the ground, screaming in death.
Kardan turned and followed Neme and Raddi.
	The adventurers charged through the kitchen and ran into the
storeroom. They ran past barrels, crates and sacks, and got to the end
of the room. There was a large set of double-doors, locked and barred.
	Neme checked the lock, but shook her head.
	'I can't open this! It's rusted.' Neme said.
	'Snap it open.' Kardan shouted.
	'Huh?'
	'Use your hands!'
	Neme look at the lock, and began to psych herself up. She 
grasped the lock, and began to try to tear it apart. Her arms ballooned
out as she strained. Her triceps flexed to a great point. Her arms were
fully tensed. Finally, with a great straining noise, the lock split
apart, two pieces flying into the air. Neme let out a great breath, and
slumped from exhaustion.
	Kardan and Raddi rushed forward. Raddi comforted Neme, while Kardan
lifted the bar from the door. He threw it across the room. Neme shook
Raddi away.
	'I'm okay.' Neme said. 'The effort was just too much.'
	Kardan opened the doors, and the adventurers continued their escape.
They ran to the stables. Raddi cast a spell, and pointed to three horses.
The three adventurers saddled the horses and began to mount them.
	'Why did you cast a spell?' asked Kardan.
	'It was a spell of calming.' said Raddi. 'The horses wouldn't have
accepted us as riders, elsewise.'

	'Let's get going!' exclaimed Neme.
	'To the bridge!' said Kardan.
	The horses and riders charged off to the east, towards the bridge
of Yarkan, full knowing that they would be followed.

TO BE CONTINUED

EXTRA!: The section for roleplayers.

NEME:
AD&D Stats:
Female Human Thief, 5th level
STR: 19 (previously 8)
DEX: 17
CON: 18 (previously 10)
INT: 11
WIS: 8
CHA: 17
HP: 40, AC: 5, THAC0: As 12HD monster
Weapon Proficiencies: Short Sword, Dagger, Quarterstaff.
Nonweapon Proficiencies: Tumbling, Tightrope Walking, Set Snares,
Appraising, Land-Based Riding (Horse), Languages (Common, Halfling).
Thieving Skills: Backstab, Thieves' Cant, Percentages as 5th level
thief.
Psionical/Magical Abilities: None.

FUZION Stats:
INT: 3, WILL: 3, PRE: 6, TECH: 5, REF: 6, DEX: 6, CON: 8, STR: 8,
BODY: 7, MOVE: 6.

Skills: Lockpicking +4, Melee (Short Sword) +4, Melee Evade +4, Ranged
Evade +3, Melee (Dagger) +3, Melee (Staff) +2, Expert: Traps +3,
Surveillance +4, Stealth +3, Expert: Appraisal +3, Language (Halfling) +2,
Horse Riding +2, Acrobatics +3, Athletics +5, Climbing +3, Sleight of
Hand +4, Streetwise +3, Security Systems +3, Seduction +5, Hand to Hand +3.
Talents: Acute Sense (Normal Sight), Beautiful +3, Combat Sense +1.
Complications: Distinctive Features (Muscular Build), Lecherousness (Minor),
Enemies (Hunted by the Empire).
The FUZION Core Rules can be D/L'ed at:
http://www.sabram.com/rtalsoriangames/site/fuzion.html

Equipment: Short Sword, Leather Armour, Clothes, Thieves' Tools, Daggers.