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[Songbird]

Immediately, Ivor lets out a deep sigh and bears a weary smile. Despite the threat he has been unharmed in this battle.

He twirls each crossbow in his hands like a gunslinger before stowing them in his holsters. "Where were you? Having a picnic?" Reaching into his pack, the rogue pulls out potions, tossing light healing brews to Sarm and Quintus as well as offering one to whoever else needs it. "Anyone hurt in your fights?" He gives particular attention to Leeta as he steps over to Klaus, Kaff and the dual wielder whilst bearing his healer's kit. "Thanks for sticking with us." Ivor inspects and attempts to medicate his friends, including the frozen Klaus who may be a diffcult case.

Heal: Rolling a 20-sided dice, 3 time(s):  4 13 17
Klaus: 4 + 4.5 = 8.5
Kaff: 13 + 4.5 = 17.5
Dual Wielder: 17 + 4.5 = 21.5

"Klaus, sir... About what I did... I'll see to it that you recover post haste," Ivor sighs as the burns his friend has sustained may require extended attention from him. He looks up to the dual wielder, saying "And you, your name? Sorry about the drink, was a little strong."

 

[ThLunarian]

Leeta has a few cuts and scratches, but nothing that requires serious attention. Elric's group is all in great shape, probably thanks to the fact that they had a Cleric with them.

After Sarm releases the Hold Person spell on Klaus, something seems wrong with him. He does have burn marks (which can only be healed with negative energy, as he's still a zombie), but he's acting like you might expect a normal zombie to act - mindless, groaning, and unresponsive to words. No one else is acting like this; it's just him.

The fellow with the daggers looks at Ivor and blinks. "Yes, I was just fighting you, wasn't I?" he says groggily. "I sort of remember, but it's like a dream I just woke up from. I don't blame you for that firebomb - it was a life-or-death sort of thing. My name's Tommen."

 

[Songbird]

Ivor is more than a little concerned at whatever noises Klaus makes in response to his apologies and inquiries. He rubs his chin, wondering what could be wrong.

((Did you mean the zombie-ness is starting to revert with everyone except for Klaus? Will everyone affected need a special curative or are things steadily going back to normal?))

 

[KittenMaster]

((Yikes, the game went a bit too fast (not that it's a bad thing, just screwed me up a bit), obviously I wouldn't intend to keep Hold Person up for this long. I'll be back with an RP post)).

 

[ThLunarian]

Ivor is more than a little concerned at whatever noises Klaus makes in response to his apologies and inquiries. He rubs his chin, wondering what could be wrong.

((Did you mean the zombie-ness is starting to revert with everyone except for Klaus? Will everyone affected need a special curative or are things steadily going back to normal?))

((Nope. Nobody is reverting and they're all still zombies, but Klaus is the only one acting weird))

 

[KittenMaster]

Sarm responds to Leeta on Davos' & Kempok's fate, "I personally hold no grudge against them. If this town wishes to send men, that is for them to handle."

Sarm makes an easing gesture towards Klaus, and in reaction, the man's muscles should relax and regain his freedom. His eyes narrow at the different state the man is in, hesitating just yet to actually heal his burns... He quickly guesses why Klaus is different from everyone else. He speaks to the one known as Tommen, "This man you were fighting with... Was he already slain before being put under her influence...? If so..." He stops, as if knowing that the implications are obvious enough.

 

[Songbird]

((Was that private? If so, I'll retcon.))

"You mean..? Oh, Klaus..."

Ivor stands at attention.

"This is something I never thought of. What options are open to us now, both for him and the people here? At least now we can proudly say to the populace that they are free of Clementine's control, but there's still work to be done. The Hand, this is a relic I presume? There are more for us to find - Could one cleanse the Hand's effect?"

His excitement may be seen as nerves or worry, but the dwarf is spirited by the success here and is enjoying the opportunity to puzzle over something.

 

[ThLunarian]

Tommen shrugs. "I...I don't know. You'll forgive me if I'm not so great at answering questions right now. All I really want is to get back home." He politely nods toward Sarm and Ivor, and then begins moving toward the front door to leave, as some of the citizens and miscellaneous guards have already done.

((Sarm, give me a Heal check to inspect Klaus's body and try to find out the answer to your question))

Elric rises and addresses Ivor, "Yes, this is one of the ten Relics. And yes, there is another one that would be able to reverse the effects that it's had on this town's people. I even know where it is. Half a day's travel west of here, over the Lightbridge on the other side of the Great River, is a small seminary, devoted to Pelor, God of the Sun. The Rod of Pelor is housed there.

"Unfortunately," he continues, "The clerics and paladins there are incredibly protective of it, and it's unlikely that they would ever allow it to leave their Seminary." He looks at Sarm and shrugs. "I realize you're a Cleric of Pelor, and perhaps that might give you some limited influence, but don't expect it to make a huge difference with them. I've never dealt with these people directly, but I've heard stories from my associates - they can be quite prickly."

 

[KittenMaster]

Heal: 1D20+7 => [ 12 ] +7 = 19

Sarm begins checking Klaus' vital signs, while saying, "It is up to Pelor to decide whether the relic's use suits his desires. His guiding light is above man's status, but if it is not what he wishes, then there is little I may do."

 

[Mike M]

((Wow... well I can't argue with that, lol. I had an Intelligent Zombie template ready to give you and everything. Well done!))

((I was all set to have him constantly applying his disguise kit to pass for normal and everything.  Totally expected to fail hardcore on that.

Kaff could *really* get a lot of use out of the +4 INT headband, but he's already rocking the +4 DEX gloves and the +2 CHA cloak, so I won't begrudge anyone who wants it more, or wants to do some horse trading over it.))

Kaff nods in greeting as the rest of the assault party joins them in the mansion, smiling broadly at Arianna and company.  His expression doesn't change when he meets Lysa's gaze, but whatever sparkle there may have been in his eyes dies out.  He's somewhat disappointed to learn that Davos and Kempok have made good on their flight from custody... It doesn't quite remove an arrow he had in mind from his quiver of tricks, but it certainly might take the fletching off it.

Idly poking the malevolent gauntlet with the tip of his rapier from a safe distance, he inquires, "Elric, can this not simply be destroyed?  Dropped into some marine abyss beyond the reach of gods and their creation alike?  Seems like so long as it is accessible by anyone, all this is the inevitable result at some point..."

 

[ThLunarian]

Apart from the burn marks, which are all fresh enough for you to determine that they're from the firebomb that Ivor made and were not enough to be fatal even to a living person, you don't see any marks that would indicate he had been killed, or physically harmed in any capacity.

(editing in a reply to Kaff)

"Well," Elric begins, "First off, these relics are entirely indestructible, save for the Gods themselves. Each houses a piece of its corresponding god's soul, and thus is impervious to the machinations of man or nature.

"As for disposing of it where it will never be found... that's a more difficult question, which could be much better explained by someone higher up the totem pole than me, but I'll do my best. These artifacts were left here, on this plane, for some specific purpose. Thousands of years ago, the Wormwood Initiates were formed by divine sanction to preserve the artifacts, and make sure they were available for whatever task they were designed for.

"What is that task? I don't know. Like I said, I'm not very high up on the totem pole, and most of the people above me have recently been eliminated by the Arm of Vecna. I do know that something interesting is supposed to happen when all ten of the artifacts are combined, but that's about the extent of my knowledge. If you want to know more, I can direct you to the current leader of our people, and you can try to get more information from him. You ought to be warned, though, that he's a little... well... eccentric."

 

[KittenMaster]

"Klaus does not seem to have been killed and become undead much like a normal minion. Whatever ails him, it will ail him as a living being." he explains. "I am afraid that he may be lost and beyond my current healing abilities..."

 

[DeadPhoenix]

Quintus walks over next to Sarm, "Well if we cannot get this 'Rod of Pelor' perhaps with our combine skills we can figure out a cure for our selves, I for one am certainly not going to leave ALL our hopes on these relics from these so called gods."

He then proceeds over to Clementine body and takes the Headband of Intelligence +4 because hes the god damn wizard- err... it could be useful in his research.

And speaking of research, he meets with Leeta next, "Him not surprised your 'friends' left, glad to see you stuck around though, means I get to study this curse... Shall we meet somewhere later to talk? Anything you can tell me about the curse, without activating it of course, would be helpful."

 

[Songbird]

"Just be damned careful, wizard. Push too hard and the unthinkable will happen. Instead, we should concentrate on removing this mark."

He realises his error. "It isn't even up to me or you."

 

[Mike M]

((Awwwww, Kaff could have wrecked some serious shit with that headband. Oh well, I guess it makes more sense on a wizard than a dex bonus item would.))

Kaff continues his prodding of the artifact with his sword. "Pity, that would have simplified things considerably."

Lost in thought, he ponders aloud, "We are at quite the crossroads. Secure the rod, pursue the monocle, seek the de facto head of our order, or find a way to lift the mark... Tell me, Elric, do you suppose the rod might lift Leeta's curse as well? A means to interrogate the cultists without the risk of... Spontaneous combustion would be a worthwhile acquisition. It also might pare down our myriad options to something more manageable if my hunch is correct..."

 

[ThLunarian]

Leeta nods. "I'll do what I can. I don't know anything about magic, I just know that if I give away anything I'm not supposed to, I die."

((Quintus and/or Sarm, you can either give me Arcana or Knowledge Religion and take a few hours studying what exactly was done to her, and the results of the roll will determine what you can find out about it))

Elric says, "I'm sure the Rod would be able to help this poor girl. One of its properties is the ability to cure any disease and lift any curse. However, I have my doubts that you'll be able to find another way to reverse the effects of the curse. The magic of a god is a formidable thing that can usually only be accomplished through the magic of another god. You're welcome to try, but I wouldn't have the first clue of how.

"I also may be able to make your choice a bit easier. The headquarters of the Wormwood Initiates is in a small wooded area called the Wormwoods, and it's not that far off the path leading to Pelor's Seminary. So you could at least kill two birds with one stone by heading in that direction. I'm afraid my capacity to guide you has run its course, though; I can give you what little information I have, but you'll probably do better deciding how to use it on your own."

 

[DeadPhoenix]

((with us leveling up now, i figure i should ask... what effects the head band have on my skills? not sure if i should include it or not and i was also thinking of getting spell mastery but the number of spells that i can affect it with is based on my int bonus, which is of course +2 now with the hand band... should i just level up everything related to int as if I didn't have it?))

((EDIT: Well since my arcana check is the same either way I'll go ahead and roll that now))

Arcana: 1D20+17 => [ 5 ] +17 = 22
and just because, here is my hp roll: 1D4+2 => [ 2 ] +2 = 4

((EDIT AGAIN: I found the answer I was looking for to my above question so... never mind!))

 

[Mike M]

((That reminds me, rolled a 7 for HP, character sheet has been updated with skills and such.))

 

[KittenMaster]

The cleric starts to heal himself of his own burn wounds, having ignored them long enough, and starts to do the same for Klaus with negative energy, and responds to Quintis concerning the gods, "Do not worry. I have confidence it is what Pelor wants, as he has sent me to these lands to perform these tasks. However; I can see how our taking the rod from the temple can make it open to be stolen by evil men."

((Who who isn't taking a potion? I am not, since I'll be casting Cure Moderate Wounds on myself, and I need to cast an Inflict Light Wounds on Klaus, which leaves two healing spells left to pass between three.))

Hit die roll: 1D8 => [ 1 ] = 1 Baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa-

 

[ThLunarian]

((22 Arcana check is pretty good.))

Quintus takes Leeta to a quiet place and sits her down, then begins examining her. He asks her test questions and uses his magical senses to monitor what exactly is happening, and how the curse reacts; when Detect Magic isn't giving him what he needs, he goes one step further and uses Arcane Sight for more information. He consults some reference material in the local library, and after a few hours of investigation, he comes up with an answer.

This spell was custom-designed for a specific purpose. Nothing like it exists in the known literature, which means that someone very skilled in the magical arts crafted it from scratch. It's an evil, 6th level spell from the Necromancy school, and it indeed qualifies as a curse, and a fairly powerful one. It works basically like you've assumed; if it detects the bearer revealing any information that the Cult feels only it should know about, it triggers dark magic to simultaneously burn and rot the insides of its victim.

Dispel Magic won't work on it; Remove Curse is what's needed, and whoever casts it would have to make a Caster Level Check, DC 20, in order to successfully remove it (a Caster Level check is a d20 + your caster level, which in this case would be 5).

Unfortunately, there is another safety mechanism built into the spell, which makes it even more nefarious: If a Remove Curse is attempted on the victim, but it's not successful, then that will ALSO trigger the instant-death mechanism in the spell. So, you would only have one shot to remove it, and if you failed, the victim's life would be forfeit.

 

[KittenMaster]

((Oh darnit, I think I've accidentally been adding my Wis bonus to Knowledge Religion checks this whole time for some reason. Forgive me if that made a knowledge roll too good in the past.))

 

[DeadPhoenix]

Quintus eventually returns to Leeta after his in depth research and reports to her what he has found, "Basically, while me, or even Sarm, could attempt to remove the curse from you right now, I don't think the odds would be in your favor. If nothing else we should attempt to acquire the Rod of Pelor first, I may not have much faith in these gods, but their magic items have proven to be extremely powerful... The ultimate fate of their previous owners none-withstanding." Quintus also shares thins information with Sarm in case he ideas on what to do.

 

[KittenMaster]

Sarm nods in agreement when the information is relayed to him. "Let us hope a way is laid for us to obtain the rod, and I hope even more that I can return it."

 

[Songbird]

As the party begin their activities after the battle, Ivor takes the time to meet with members of the public who had heard or witnessed the assault on the manor. After the fireworks and ensuing battle with Clementine, more and more citizens had joined the crowd that were looking for answers. Striding out of the main gates, he told them that the threat of the dark relic's control over their wills was over - taking care not to bring up how quickly their conditions will be reversed.

 

[Mike M]

 "One last thing, Elric, can you tell us anything of the Monocle that was taken from the library?  Cruzon was most insistent we retrieve it as soon as we could manage, but I shudder to think how much wasted effort we would expend trying to track that down."

Kaff gingerly lifts the gauntlet in gloved hand.  "It would be so much easier if we could entice them to simply bring it to us... And if anything would draw their attention more than one of the holy relics, it'd be two of them in one location..."

 

[ThLunarian]

A crowd has indeed developed outside the manor, and as Ivor explains what happened, someone shouts, "Now what do we do?"

"Yeah, if she's dead but we're all still zombies, what's that mean for us?"

"And who's in charge of the town now?"

The individual voices gradually give way to a general murmur of distress throughout the crowd. A few look to Ivor, hoping that he might have some answers for them, but most seem content to recount their troubles to each other, and have stopped noticing that he's there.


Inside the manor, Elric considers Kaff's words. "The Monocle was never my responsibility so I don't know the exact mechanism behind it, but from what I understand, it's sort of a reverse homing beacon. If you visualize something specific that you want to find, and your mind is properly focused, then the Monocle will point you in the direction of that object.

"Your plan does seem to be sound; the only issue is that we don't know what information is available to the Cult. If they already know where a certain artifact is located, I very much doubt that they would risk bringing the Monocle along to find it. Overall though, it's not a bad idea."

 

[KittenMaster]

Sarm becomes silent through all of this, unable to find the proper answer in his head that would appease the citizens, especially knowing the difficulty of obtaining Pelor's relic.

 

[DeadPhoenix]

With the curse removal plan currently put on hold, Quintus turns his attention to the undead problem, learning everything he can from the gauntlet, without actually putting it on, and from the afflicted towns people.

Arcana: 1D20+17 => [ 7 ] +17 = 24

((Glad I have a ridiculous bonus because I cannot get a good roll on arcana at all now...))

 

[Mike M]

Confident at last that handling the gauntlet short of putting it on won't hurt him, Kaff passes it off to Quintus for study. 

Emerging out from the manse, Kaff rolls his eyes in exasperation at the growing unrest amongst the citizens.  "Gods, this is the problem with the masses and their precious democracy and self-governance, there's simply no clear line of succession.  They suffer one little untimely demise of the executive, and it as though the sky is falling.  At least with a proper monarchy you have a replacement waiting in the wings.  Need to nip this on the bud before it escalates any further..."

((Let me know if any of this requires a roll...))

Clambering up on the nearest wagon, he spreads his arms wide and announces in a booming voice, "Good people of Alydar, hear me!  Ending the necromancer did not end her curse, it is true, but the situation has been stabilized.  Our fair city has suffered a most grievous wound, but our mending starts with restoring order."

Gesturing dramatically at Elric, he continues, "The architect of Clementine's downfall and Alydar's deliverance from her reign, Elric, has
graciously and humbly volunteered to serve in the interim in order to organize and execute a fair and orderly election to select a new mayor as soon as possible.  

"In the meantime, a search for a remedy is already underway.  It is a fundamental law of the universe that what arcane powers have wrought may be unwrought by their opposite number.  I urge patience, as the worst of this nightmare is already behind us."

Hopping down from his impromptu stage, Kaff clasps Elric on the shoulder.  "Sorry about that, chap.  I know you probably don't want the job, but that's what makes you the best man for it."

 

[ThLunarian]

((Kaff, I'll allow a Bluff roll for that, since you did stretch the truth a little bit there. I'll edit in the audience reaction when I see your result))

Elric frowns. "I can't say this was part of the job description," he sighs. "Seems that I don't have much of a choice now, though. I'll work on it while you guys are away at the Seminary. If I'm having trouble when you get back, I'd appreciate some help."


Quintus takes some time to study the Hand, and finds that he's very nearly over his head here. He's never encountered anything with so much latent magical power, and considers just giving up more than once, because the workings of this artifact seem beyond his comprehension.

Will Save DC 17 (only Quintus is allowed to try this)

Spoiler

It's a very powerful item, which gives its bearer a hefty bonus to Bluff rolls for the purposes of keeping secrets. It also gives its bearer an at-will ability to turn someone into an intelligent zombie by touching them, and it requires successful Fortitude and Will saves of a DC equal to 16 plus the bearer's Charisma modifier for the target to resist.

Additionally, any zombie created by the hand, or any non-intelligent zombie period, within 100 feet of the wearer automatically submits to the wearer of the Hand, no save allowed. Opposing commanders of the undead (such as through an Animate Dead spell, or an evil cleric who has Rebuked undead under his command) is allowed a Spellcraft or Opposed Rebuking check to keep his undead under control.

The Hand is averse to being studied, and has a magical mechanism in place to resist its secrets being revealed. That was why you had to make a will save in order to see this.

The Hand also has a gradual corrupting effect on its wearer over time, though the exact effects of that can't be determined without observing the corruption taking place.

Finally, the item is cursed, and once it's put on, it becomes pure energy, welding itself to the bearer and stripping away their flesh and muscle, leaving only the bone. It remains that way until the bearer is killed or until the arm is removed.

If you failed the Will Save, you give up in frustration, unable to behold the inner workings of the gauntlet in the face of its divine might.

 

[Mike M]

Bluff check:  1d20 + 16 = 20

((Man, have I ever rolled a bluff check that wasn't only saved by my bonus?))

 

[DeadPhoenix]

Will: 1D20+7 => [ 11 ] +7 = 18

((That was a close one...))

After a whole lot of work and learning nothing, Quintus finds himself staring at the gauntlet, ready to give up. Maybe he just isn't capable enough to figure out just how, maybe these gods are for real and they are just way to far beyond him... Oh hell no! Quintus didn't go though years of schooling at the Emerald Bay Academy to be bested by a magic item supposedly made by a god, he's going to find out what this thing does, even if it kills him... which he is aware is not entirely out of the question.

Fortunately he both discovers the details of this item and is not killed by some curse to stop people from doing just that. Yay! Sadly he is unable to divine how its effects could be reversed, perhaps some additional study could tell him something, but he has done enough researching for today. Now he feels its time to get his drink on... suddenly he is reminded of his days at the Academy and find himself wondering if zombies can get drunk. Anyways, he spends some time in the tavern, enjoying some good ale and maybe some company if anyone wants to talk.

((btw I assumed since we are in town with no immediate goal we can do shopping and such? I hope so since I already bought some items, including some scrolls that will take about 3 days to copy them all into my spell book...))

 

[ThLunarian]

The audience quiets themselves to listen to Kaff's heartening speech, and they appear satisfied with what he's said. Inevitably, their attention is turned toward Elric, who proceeds to get barraged with questions about security, and the upcoming election, and whether he thinks the town will pull through, and the possibility of aid from the Capital. He seems to at least still be on-point, and you have a feeling that at least for now, he'll be alright in this position.



Quintus, thoroughly spent by the end of the day, after all the fighting, studying, and shopping ((yes, buy what you want. And don't worry too much about how long it'll take to copy the scrolls; it's something that can be assumed to get done during downtime. Don't feel like you have to delay leaving town in order to finish)), he retires to the bar, which is surprisingly full.

Although most of the patrons are zombies, and you are indeed fairly certain that they CANNOT get drunk, many of them are sloppily imbibing ale, though none seem to be eating. There seems to be a slightly upbeat mood, as many of the groups are celebrating the town's liberation, but the fact that they're still zombies has put sufficient damper on the festivities to prevent rowdiness.

While at the bar, unbidden, Lysa the tiefling finds you and has a seat at your table (or next to you at the bar). She is dressed in practical clothing this time - not her usual work uniform.

"Well done back there," she says. "I suppose I should be taking advantage of how full the bar is, but I'm afraid I simply cannot bring myself to lay with a zombie. Care to share a drink as comrades-in-arms? First round's on me."

((Btw is one of you actually keeping the Hand of Vecna on your person, or is it being left somewhere? This could be important, so figure it out soon))

 

[Mike M]

((Kaff has a hiding spot for certain items, was considering stashing it there before Phoenix stated he was going to investigate it.

Incidentally, what can we buy in town? I've been accumulating cash, but no idea how to spend it. At the very least I'd want to top off my disguise kit uses, maybe upgrade to masterwork on a few items. We've also got that battle axe to sell.))

 

[ThLunarian]

((Kaff has a hiding spot for certain items, was considering stashing it there before Phoenix stated he was going to investigate it.

Incidentally, what can we buy in town? I've been accumulating cash, but no idea how to spend it. At the very least I'd want to top off my disguise kit uses, maybe upgrade to masterwork on a few items. We've also got that battle axe to sell.))

((There's a pretty robust selection of items in town, so if there's something you want, it's probably available. If it's less than 10,000 GP, assume it's definitely available; more than that, run it by me first (that's something to consider for the future, most likely). The more expensive it is, the less likely it'll be there.

Edit: If you're looking for suggestions, you could get a Headband of Intellect +2 for 4,000 GP. Or, a +1 magical enhancement on your rapier would run you 2k. A +2 enhancement would cost 8k, but I don't remember how much money I've given out offhand so I can't recall if you'd be able to afford that or not.

Items can be sold at half of book price. You can find the book price of something online pretty easily, usually, if you don't have the actual book available.

And if Quintus has no objection, we can just assume that Kaff took the Hand after Quintus was done studying it, and is carrying it for the time being))

 

[Mike M]

((Alright, the axe was a masterwork battleaxe, right? Or was it a greataxe? Looks like there's only a 10gp difference either way.

Is there a particular table in any of the source material to look up the additional cost of enhancements, or is there just a formula for figuring it out that I've overlooked in my skimming? I'd hate to just keep asking every time we had downtime...))

((EDIT: And am I blind, or is there not a listing for the upcharge of a masterwork tool/kit over the regular version? Weapons are 300, armor is 150, tools would be what... 75?))

 

[ThLunarian]

((75 sounds fair, if you couldn't find it in the book.

As for the cost of upgrades, just google "dnd (item)" and look for the entry that's titled "SRDItem)". There's a chart there. I'm pretty sure all weapons have the same upgrade costs and all armors have the same cost, but it still has the chart on every page.

So for Rapier, you'd google "dnd rapier", and then a few results down is "SRD:Rapier". That's where you want to look))

 

[Songbird]

((Hi, sorry for being so quiet. I think I've run out of things to do but level up and shop! At level 5 does a rogue get a new feat?

Anyway, Ivor will want to upgrade his weaponry at last to some shortswords so I'll calculate just how much money he has.))

 

[DeadPhoenix]

((Hi, sorry for being so quiet. I think I've run out of things to do but level up and shop! At level 5 does a rogue get a new feat?

Anyway, Ivor will want to upgrade his weaponry at last to some shortswords so I'll calculate just how much money he has.))

((Nope. At level 5 you just get sneak attack 3d6. Feats are every 3 levels(stating at 3), so you will be getting next level up http://www.d20srd.org/srd/classes/rogue.htm))

 

[KittenMaster]

The Cleric is sit upward in his seat, not entirely relaxed. He lifts a hand to welcome Lysa over to a seat, regardless of what others might think, but he does not answer her question on drinks. "Forgive me if I don't bring myself to celebrate. It has been difficult not to be concerned about what may happen if I fail."

 

[Mike M]

((Wait, I found the prices on the masterwork items I wanted.  Don't know how I missed them in the table.  Character sheet updated.))

Kaff secrets the malevolent gauntlet into his backpack as he slips out from the mansion into the streets of Alydar.  It is growing increasingly apparent with each encounter he has that he will require an upgrade to his equipment if he is going to make the full use of his talents and training, so he heads to the market district.

He purchases some replacement components for his disguise kit, some higher quality tools for his more... Extracurricular activities.  At the local smithy, he salivates over a rapier of clear quality that is just barely out of his price range.  Instead, he settles for a lesser model that is still an obvious improvement over what he salvaged from the assault on the town that seemed so very long ago.

On a lark, he purchases a trinket that the vendor swears will expand his mind.  It's a splurge, but there's a very real possibility he won't live long enough to enjoy what money he has.

Once he returns to his quarters, Kaff secrets away the dire artifact as best he is able.  It is far from an ideal hiding spot, and he has no doubt it will do little to deter anyone able to perceive it's presence, but there is precious little alternative at this point.  Perhaps the clerics at the seminary will be able to offer long term protection, but in the meantime he is loathe to leave it unattended...

((Kaff's ready to go, barring any other plot elements *coughshouldhavekilledLysacough*  arising.))

 

[DeadPhoenix]

Quintus is all for a free drink and says as much. "Don't worry about my friend here, these religious types tend to be kind of a downer... Hey Lysa, you know that woman who was with the cultist prisoners? Don't suppose you can keep an eye on her, if the cultist ever realize we are working on a way to remove the curse, they may try to finish her off before she can say anything and we could really use that information. We are going to be heading out soon and unfortunately bringing her along could risk us handing her over to them, but I figure you know your way out of a tight spot and I wouldn't be surprise if you knew where to go if she needed to 'disappear' for awhile. Obviously I don't expect you to do this for free, though..." he lifts his mug, "Now is probably not the best time for me to be discussing your payment."

((Also, on the topic of the the gauntlet, could I cast some spells to trap it in case anyone tries to steal or use it? I was thinking a lesser geas for anyone who touches it and an explosive rune for anyone who actually tries to wear it(I'm actually imagining the gauntlet filled with paper, and anyone who takes one out and read its... yeah). I'll have to get those as scrolls(and possibly copy them into my book, though I'm running low on cash). Not to mention geas is a targeted spell, and to make it a trap would require some extra work and maybe cash/xp. So yeah, lotta rambling going on here so gonna stop for now.))

 

[KittenMaster]

Sarm overhears the comment, but doesn't say anything about it, just drumming his fingers on the table before him and staring towards an empty spot on the wall. He can't help but feel wrong about needing to possess the relic of his own god, even if it is for a greater good. There is so much that can go wrong, especially considering how much precaution that must be taken for the other relics they have on their persons, he will feel that he had failed and disgraced Pelor if something where to happen to his relic.

 

[ThLunarian]

Lysa is a bit surprised to see Sarm there in the bar with Quintus, having not noticed him at first, but graciously takes the seat he's offered her. She orders ales for Quintus and herself, and a somewhat more expensive glass of wine for Sarm. "If you don't want to drink to celebrate," she says to Sarm, "At least have one to relax. If nothing else, elven wine will make it easier for you to sleep tonight. Or don't; it's there if you want it."

She takes a large swig of her drink and says, "I was worried you all would turn me away, on account of the... incident the other day. I wanted to apologize about that; I knew from the start that the barbarian and the druid were bad news, but I was blinded by the sheer amount of coin I was being offered. I promise you it will not happen again."

After another gulp, she continues. "But listen... there's something I wanted to tell you. And holy-man, you'll want to hear this too. Keep your eyes on that alleged "art dealer" you've been running with lately. He's not who he says he is. When I was tasked with hunting you lot down, I made sure and did my homework on each of you. The two of you, the ranger, and that funny little fellow Ivor checked out just fine, but according to all the records, "Kaff Reyneel" didn't exist before two months ago. He just showed up in town one day, out of thin air. He's not on any of the ledgers, he's never paid a single tax in his life - anywhere -, and the museum he claims to have transferred here from doesn't even exist.

"I did a little more digging with the help of a friend of mine who specializes in scrying spells, and I managed to find out that he came here from Ruby Keep, but whatever that fellow was up to, he hid it very well, because I couldn't find out anything else. Not a name, not any friends or relatives, nothing."

"I'm not saying the man's out to kill you necessarily. But I am saying to watch your backs around him, at least until you find out what he's really up to."

She sticks around for another drink or two, but after that she excuses herself politely and leaves the table.

 

[KittenMaster]

((I don't know if being a Cleric imposes any limitations on what he can drink, so I'm now sure how I want to RP this.))

 

[ThLunarian]

((I don't know if being a Cleric imposes any limitations on what he can drink, so I'm now sure how I want to RP this.))

((It's totally up to you. The god descriptions in the books are pretty vague, so you can impose limits on yourself, or go nuts, or whatever you like. It really comes down to what Sarm himself would do.

If you're just looking for an outside opinion to base it off of, then I'm pretty sure Pelor is neutral on the lawful/chaotic scale, so although alcohol is probably somewhat chaotic, Pelor should be okay with it.))

 

[KittenMaster]

((Gotcha. Alignments make it a lot easier to make up excuses.))

Although there are no limitations on what he can drink, Sarm shakes his head to the offer, "I much prefer the drinks of my homeland. I am more accustomed to the fruit that grows there, and thusly used in their mixes. I think it will not be a true celebration for me until I am back home."

He does say, "You are right, however. I am beside myself. I am here to show the light of Pelor's sun to this land, and I suspect that may not be possible if his healing power is withheld from those that need it by man's hand." After a slight pause, he explains, "I came here to meet up with the others, but it is clear that my timing is poor. I should excuse myself as to not dampen the mood further than I already have."

 

[ThLunarian]

((Uh somehow I missed almost everything you said in your last reply Quintus. I'm sorry about that, must have been early morning zombie-itis on my part))

"Sure I can keep an eye out for the girl," says Lysa breezily, "And don't worry about payment; we'll just call this compensation for me trying to kill you all the other day."

((As for setting up magical traps, you would need special feats for that, like Craft Magic Trap or Craft Contingent Spell. So it might be possible eventually, but not right now. Also, you would already be aware that mixing your own brand of magic with that of a god's may have unpredictable results, but further study as you grow stronger may help you account for those variances.))

 

[DeadPhoenix]

Quintus thanks Lysa, though he'd probably feel safer about it if he was paying her... he can't deny she owes them one for that whole ambush thing.

 

[ThLunarian]

The next morning, everyone is ready to go, and you all set off due west. Within the hour, you come to the Lightbridge, a huge, stone structure which stretches over the Great River. The bridge is designed like an arch, and though it looks over a hundred a years old, it is incredibly robust architecture, and looks like it could survive another thousand. Below, the Great River flows hungrily, and it's a good eighth of a mile before you reach the other side.

On the other side of the river, the west side of the continent has a rather different landscape than the east. Whereas you were traveling mostly through wide-open plains on your previous excursions, with occasional trees and a sparsely-populated wood here and there, now you've in a very heavily wooded area. There are trees everywhere, and it's difficult to see very far into the distance.

That doesn't mean it's devoid of people; the road is still fairly busy, and you still come upon various trading posts, roadside taverns, and even a few clusters of small houses during your trek. The further you go, in fact, the friendlier people seem to act on the road, throwing smiles and "Hello"s your way as you pass.

Elric's directions to both the Seminary and to his organization's headquarters were very precise, and so far you've been able to follow them easily. Soon, you come to Ziyal's Trading Post, and then the next path after that to branch off northward is supposed to lead to the Wormwoods. You manage to find that path, though it is somewhat hidden and a bit overgrown (just as you were told it would be).

The Seminary is supposed to be another two to three hours further west. You have the option of making a pitstop to try and find the Headquarters, or just pressing forward to the Seminary.