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Tellerin gives a sidelong glance at Kefilwe "I've heard that clergymen of Abadar undergo very rigorous training that enables them to judge over trade... including of magical goods. Since you seem to be a priest of considerable rank," he gives the man a deferential bow of the head " would you be capable of determining the properties of magic items such as this coin here? If so, we would greatly appreciate your help."
"As with all trades with the Abadaran Church, we'd be happy to make a tithe in exchange for the service"
"No? That's a shame. Do you know of any person with those skills who operates at these hours of the day nearby? We could use their aid."
The party discusses the odd coin, but to no avail. No one seems to have heard about a coin or the reason it may be buried with Arkath. Tellerin turns to Kekilwe, imploring help from the cleric.
"Unfortunately, I too have no knowledge of such a thing and am as clueless as you are. However, should you all promise to return this coin to me within a reasonable amount of time as well as pay the fees I have already mentioned, I do not see why you shouldn't be allowed to borrow the coin. I stress though, that it must be returned to be reinterred with the remains of the stonemason."
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Dolvin pays his 5 coins and promises to bring back the magical coin once they learn of its powers.
-Posted with Wayfinder
The team gathers and trudges back across town through the quickly ending night and the pouring rain. Back at the Grand Lodge though, it seems that in the hours before dawn everyone else is asleep. A helpful acolyte leads you all to a bunkroom for you to get some sleep while waiting for someone of some knowledge or authority to wake and take visitors.
The next morning.. mid morning if the slant of the sun through the windows is any good judge.. a knocking wakes you from your slumbers. Janira bounces in through the door, almost hell sent in her chipper and sunshine bright perkiness. "So. I hear that not only did you find a secret room at the Wisp, but you followed the lead on to find another mystery! Tell me about it!! What have you found?!"
Cupper flits out of Tellerin's still-groggy body and runs circles around Janira to distract her until the gnome is ready to answer.
When Tellerin clears his throat, Cupper jumps back towards the gnome and settles onto a perch atop his head.
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"g'morning Janira" Tellerin rubs sleep out of his eyes.
"I don't think the story about what we found is ready to be told yet. Too many things we don't-" his words are interrupted by a yawn "-don't understand yet."
"I will say that it seems an old Pathfinder was keeping secrets from the rest of the Society, hiding her notes and findings. We're on her trail to find out where she hid them." He blink blearily and stifles another yawn. "We'll find them though. Looks forward to it!" He gives her an impish grin.
"Oh, we did find something interesting along the way. A magic item, but not one I was able to make heads or tails of. Would you be able to help us identify it?" He looks around the room until he spots the coin and then passes it to Janira.
Janira laughs and allows herself to be distracted by the playful fox while the team rubs the sleep from their eyes and gets their neurons firing once more. "Late nights always seem to make for the most interesting reports!" she exclaims as everyone begins to gather around. She listens to the tale, and as she accepts the coin, she begins to reply.
"A Pathfinder concealing their notes! This is near blasphemy, and absolutely contradicts our very code!" she exclaims. "This could be very big.. and it is right that you keep this one close until you figure out all of the details. Let me see this for a moment.." as she takes the coin in hand, a wide grin splits her animated Halfling face.
"This is a Pathfinders Coin. They are not very common, but they are extremely useful for passing messages. They resemble normal coins to help hide their purpose! I could tell you the purpose, but its always best to experience new things for yourselves!!" She looks over the party, then waves Tellerin front and center while pointing to the wayfinder hanging from his belt. "Tellerin my dear.. hold out your wayfinder for me please. And then place the coin on top. Keep your hand steady now.. we have one chance at this!"
Tellerin takes the coin and dutifully places it atop his voluntold wayfinder. To the amazement of the young adventurers, the old coin rises into the air a few inches before a disembodied voice emanates from the coin itself.
"The path and chamber are complete, hidden behind the nameplate of the requested aspirant and guarded by the word you requested. Fimbrik will add more."
Janira grins at the looks of shock and amazement that the group wears. "That is the purpose and use of a Pathfinder coin. It can be used to record messages to be passed on to other Pathfinders. Anyone with a Wayfinder and the knowledge of what they hold can access the message, but it only sounds once. It is recorded and then when played, the recording of the original Pathfinders voice is deleted."
Moving through the bright sunny morning, you eventually reach a cottage in the Wise Quarter, on the grounds of the Arcanimirium. A brick step leads to Fimbrik’s front entrance, which is locked with a rusty simple lock. Numerous stacks of newspapers—roughly 2 years’ worth of monthly copies—are piled around the door and crammed into a thin slot at its base. Each rounded corner of the building has a large window.
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Tellerin gave effusive thanks to Janira, and agreed to visiting Fimbrik next. He also took out his journal and wrote the verbal message down word for word, along with some notes.
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"Looks like it Hskoro. Lets take a look around inside. Maybe we can either find where he is or find the word that the architect used to protect the way into Eylysia's passage." He goes to the door and knocks vigorously a few times.
Tellerin glances around the house to make sure there aren't too many people around. He says "Wait just a moment" and scoots around the building, looking through each of the windows.
Hskoro obviously favors the unsubtle approach, but Tellerin stays his hand.. for now. He knocks on the door, and after a few moments of receiving no responses, he goes about the house, peering into the windows.
He moves to his right to the first window, which appears to look into a study. After a few moments, a blue haired gnome in nobles clothes walks into the room and begins to peruse the books. Looking over his shoulder, the gnome notices Tellerin and waves to him before returning his attention to the bookshelf.
The gnome waves "hi" but does not otherwise respond.
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He crosses his arms in frustration.
Not a very hospitable fellow, is he?
Tellerin comes back to the front door, gives it another wave of knocking and then says "From the window, I saw a gnome inside. Seemed like it might be Fimbrik, or a friend of his, but when I tried to ask them to open the door he seemed to just ignore me."
"What do you think? Do we let ourselves in and make apologies later? We REALLY need to talk to Fimbrik if we're going to have any chance of following Eylysia's trail." Tellerin is visible frustrated.
The door splinters under Hskoros heavy blows with his warhammer, and comes half off the hinges, but doesn't break completely away. The party receives no response from within.
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Tellerin winces at the 'knocking' but upon not hearing any complaints from inside, he says "Or very engrossed in his reading. Either way, count me in as confused. You don't think there is some kind of silence magic in the house that's blocked the sound from the door?"
Something strange for sure. And maybe a good story to learn? Or are we going to owe an angry gnome a new door in a few minutes...
"Lets see if we can't find that gnome inside and sort things out." Tellerin pushes the remains of the door and heads on in.
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Dolvin watches in wonder at his two companions. He glances a Celaphe to see if she thinks they should do something to stop them but decides he would love to see how it all plays out. He does cast detect magic after Tellerin suggests that there may be an aura of some sort preventing sound.
-Posted with Wayfinder
Hskoro finishes knocking in the door, granting a much better view of the large living room that comprises the main 2/3rds of the home. A large sofa sits awkwardly near the entrance, facing toward the center of the room. Sets of chairs and tables are arranged throughout, and statues of grandiose gnomes occupy the corners of the room. At the far back of the room, a flight of stairs lead up while a second flight leads down.
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Just in case a city guard comes by Calephe leans against a wall and tries to look like she doesn't know the Nagaji and the Gnome as they break down the door and peer into the windows.
Once the door has been splintered, she moves forward and takes a peek. "No one has been here in a really long time. Are you sure you saw someone at the window? Tellerin you are right this is very strange." She kicks the papers on the stoop. "I think there is some magic going on."
As Hskoro moves into the room, several small "pops" echo through the room. Suddenly, three small beetles the size of housecats appear from thin air and attack!
Calephe
Tellerin
Dolvin
Beetles
Two of the beetles appear next to Hskoro, and immediately try to bite at him, while the third rushes around the back of the sofa towards the door.
"Bold May Post"
Calephe
Beetles
~Red
~Green
~Blue
Hskoro
Dolvin
Tellerin
Calephe strikes out at the oversized bug charging for her, but her first swing gets fouled by the remnants of the door. Her Kukri on the other hand, knocks a large piece of the bugs carapace off!
The bugs continue their assault!! With no better success than before!!!
"Bold May Post"
Calephe
Beetles
~Red- 3 dmg
~Green
~Blue
Hskoro
Dolvin
Tellerin
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Dolvin pats Calephe on the back "slash that creature in half" He exclaims giving her a bit of luck.
-Posted with Wayfinder
Tellerin fries the red tinged beetle, then Dolvin grants Calephe a bit of luck to aid her in the fight. She steps forward, slashing her scimitar across the Green beetle, ending it as well! Hskoro lashes out with his hammer, but instead of squishing a bug, he knocks a hole in the floor!
The remaining beetle bites at Hskoro again, and just barely finds a chink in the lizard mans armor!
"Bold May Post"
Calephe
Beetles
~Blue
Hskoro- 3 dmg
Dolvin
Tellerin
In return for the little bite dealt by the beetle, Hskoro turns and slams his warhammer down on its back, crushing it into a pile of goo!
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"Are they all dead?" Dolvin asks stepping into the room. On close inspection it seems as though the bugs are gone. He casts detect magic for good measure
"I am exhausted," he proclaims plopping down on the couch. "now what have we here?" He leans forward and looks at the book laying on the table.
-Posted with Wayfinder
Dolvin and Hskoro look about the room, relieved after having dispatched the bugs. Dolvin picks up a random book, but finds it written in Gnomish gibberish. Nothing more pops out at the group of friends as they try to decide their next move between the doors facing them.
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Tellerin enters the room that he saw the gnome in earlier and inspects it.
After a careful search he says "I swear he was in here when I looked through the window! Hskoro, you went straight in afterward, so you should have seen him if he left the room. Hmm" Tellerin taps his foot. "It looks like there isn't any other option than to assume it was an illusion, but wow. Fimbrik must be a really powerful illusionist. That gnome was able to wave back at me when I waved at him!"
"All the mail that was piling up outside makes sense now. Fimbrik must not have been back here in a loooooong time. That doesn't mean there aren't notes somewhere about the tomb."
"Lets try the door this way" He points to the northeast, then takes a look at the door in case there are any further obvious traps. He uses detect magic to try to find magical traps as well.