Editing Wizards Three (section)

==Dragon #188: The Wizards Three==
[[Elminster]] and [[Mordenkainen]] convene in their "cosy spot" to discuss matters since their last meeting. Mordenkainen is in a foul mood, as the [[Circle of Eight]] has perished in battle with [[Vecna]]. Elminster offers him what comfort he could, before the arrival of [[Dalamar]].

The initial meeting between the powerful, power-hungry and arrogant elf and the grieving Oerthian archmage does ''not'' go smoothly. Fortunately, Elminster is there to play peacemaker and soothe ruffled feathers.

After filling Dalamar in on the purpose of these meetings, Mordenkainen speaks first, warning his fellows of a powerful, malevolent [[wizard]] named Daunskul, once Ilighar of Teflamm, who has mastered both shapeshifting and transportation between worlds, and now regularly works his mischief upon Oerth and Toril, and may even be setting his sights on Krynn. He also comments on Daunskul's unique necromancy spells, including one that allows him to create a more powerful version of the common [[skeleton]]. This leads to a discussion on the use of undead guardians, such as a zombie with a powerful bomb crammed into it and deployed in tight confines, a spell that can reanimate two [[Walking Dead]] from the remains of one, and assorted variants of the [[Crawling Claw]], most notably the Flying Fingers.

From there, the discussion moves to a new spell favored by Manshoon and his [[Zhentarim]], and a Krynnish wizardess who has developed an arcane variant of a spell normally used by the clerics of [[Loviatar]]. Dalamar then brings up a strange Krynnish magic weapon, a flail that functions briefly as a powerful magical item but loses potency with each strike, interested to see if the likes can be found on Faerun or Oerth. They then discuss the ring of ESP and the cloak of healing, before Dalamar asks a question about a strange creature encountered by a world-hopping Black Cloak who traveled to [[Undermountain]], which Elminster grimly identifies as a pregnant [[Beholder|Death Kiss]]. They then part ways.

Material:
* Wizard Spells: Blastbones, Double Spell, Whip of Pain, Manshoon's [[Xorn]] Talons.
* Magical Items: Ring of ESP, Cloak of Healing, Fleeting Flail +4
* Monsters: Flying Fingers, Champion Skeleton, Death Kiss Spawn.