Aozaki Aoko Case File [492] (Patreon)

The Ramazith's tower itself boasted formidable defenses. Even from what Aoko had seen, dozens of arcane turrets were positioned all around the exterior.

At the very top of the tower was a mighty arcane cannon, linked to the tower’s elemental pool—its firepower was comparable to Aoko unleashing a Sunburst spell at a target over ten kilometers away.

However, the tower’s defensive magic, especially the divination wards circling the area, were less impressive. Using high-level spells like Greater Scrying and Foresight, Aoko easily evaded the radar-like detection barriers and drew near.

Aoko first approached the topmost outer corridor of Ramazith's tower, peering in through a window to see a mage at work—someone she didn’t recognize.

“Not Lorroakan?” Aoko mused. “Then who is this? The tower’s former master?”

She watched quietly for a while. The mage seemed completely unaware of the intrusion.

He was working with a seductive water nymph assistant—the atmosphere was already charged, and soon things turned steamy, with no concern at all for the roaming elementals and construct guards on that floor.

From snippets of conversation, Aoko deduced that this vigorous man was likely Ramazith Flamesinger himself—the mage who had funded the construction of the tower.

Ramazith was known as a friend of Volothamp, the famous bard, who called him a “Sage Extraordinaire.” But by the time of Baldur’s Gate 3, he had long disappeared. It was hinted that he had been betrayed or imprisoned by Lorroakan, who had allied with General Ketheric Thorm.

After critically observing their intimate session, Aoko determined the master would be occupied for a while. She quietly slipped away from the master’s floor and flew down to the trap-laden library level below.

Aoko had two main objectives tonight: to acquire the artifact staff Markoheshkir, and to raid the Ramazith's tower’s vault for its most valuable tomes.

This didn’t conflict with either her or Mystra’s values—both knew that if they didn’t take these things now, there was a risk Lorroakan would seize them in twenty years anyway.

Though she didn’t know exactly how the legendary mage Ramazith had fallen to someone like Lorroakan, she suspected honey traps or similar schemes were involved.

In the middle of the library level, Aoko could see Markoheshkir and a robe, both protected by force fields on the floor below. They appeared within reach, but the atrium was sealed by a transparent barrier.

Carefully avoiding various trigger traps, Aoko circled the library, eventually finding a magical device labeled “Down” on its base.

She activated it, and with a flash of teleportation magic, she was whisked to a lower level.

“That robe is the prototype for the weave-garment you’re wearing now,” Mystra’s voice suddenly echoed in Aoko’s mind. “Seeing it here brings back memories.”

“Even gods of time and magic get nostalgic?” Aoko asked curiously.

“I was once mortal too,” Mystra replied serenely. “Anyway, you know how to take the staff, right?”

“Of course,” Aoko answered calmly, casting See Invisibility. Two dragon-head levers appeared next to the staff and robe’s force fields.

Inspecting the levers, Aoko confirmed that Ramazith must have had deep ties to dragons, or at least the runes on the levers were written in Draconic.

Following the magical instructions inscribed there, Aoko gathered power in her palm, took a deep breath, and slowly pulled the lever.

With the whirring of ancient machinery, the force field protecting Markoheshkir dissipated.

Without a word, Aoko grasped the staff—taller than herself—relishing its weight and feeling a surge of elation.

“These dragon gods have some creative ideas,” Mystra commented. “At least Kreska’s blessing on this staff is interesting...but I already understand how it works…”

As the goddess spoke, the dragon-headed staff dissolved into swirling golden sand, vanishing from Aoko’s hand.

Her Spellsparkler staff disappeared too, as Mystra absorbed its divine energy, merging it into the soon-to-be-born new staff.

“Any ideas for the new staff’s appearance?” Mystra asked.

Aoko recalled the various staves in her memory, but the one that stuck out most was the one wielded by Red Mage from the world of Magic Sword Goddess.

She would never forget the oppressive presence of Red Mage appearing from the night, his staff’s four metal rings clinking ominously before he was even visible.

“Hmm, it does look stylish,” Mystra remarked, seeing Aoko’s mental image. “But maybe it’s a bit too low-key. Shall we adjust it?”

Red Mage’s staff was a simple silvery-white rod, the head topped with a bell-shaped ring structure, holding four metal rings on either side. A red magical gem was embedded at the tip, storing much of Red Mage’s power.

Aoko conjured the staff as an illusion, tweaking its design: she replaced the red gem with an aquamarine one matching her eyes, smoothed out the angular parts, and softened the lines overall.

She also changed the color from silver-white to a deeper, smoother silver-black—like the classic AMG Mercedes shade.

Once she was satisfied, Mystra guided the golden sand to coalesce into a staff identical to Aoko’s vision.

Aoko gripped it, surprised by its warmth and the immense power she could feel within—by far the mightiest mage weapon she’d wielded, exceeding even the Scarlet Staff she’d acquired in the Land Between.