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"Well Hadrianna of the Lady of Graves, Kul-Amon does not know if my Lord Nethys looks very much like a sickle, but the All-Seeing Eye can be whatever it chooses to be. Such is the power it wields" he answers straight-faced with a slight air of confusion. "But Kul-Amon would very much like to see you on Oathsday at the Wounded Wisp. Kul-Amon will be there after the prayers of the morning and will wait there for you" he continues, finishing with a low bow in the Osiriani fashion, with perhaps a ghost of a smile on his lips. "Till then, Kul-Amon wishes you a good day."
Definitely not mated. Kul-Amon still has it.
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At Kul-Amon's speech, Jikan stares blankly at Kul-Amon for a few seconds as he heads on out the gate. Jikan then looks at Hadrianna, gives her big shrug as to indicate he's not sure what to think, and head outs.
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Once aware of the coin, Jikan uses Detect Magic to determine its properties.
He facepalms. "I guess we're going to the lodge to borrow a Wayfinder huh? Need to have one to get this thing to work."
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Well done, you two. With obtaining this coin and...a date.
Kara's expression towards Kul-Amon shows she considers the latter to be much more surprising.
I hesitate to go running to Dreng so early into our first challenge as Pathfinders. I think he sent us on this chase to test our mettle, and I'd rather we show him that we can solve this mystery without his help. Perhaps we could ask Janira for a Wayfinder? She seemed friendly enough, and certainly interested in matters such as this.
With Jikan's expert knowledge of magic, the coin's properties are easily identified! As for finding a wayfinder...
Both approaches-- Klo's earnest question about wayfinders at the lodge, and Kara's musing on Janira-- are equally sound, and the Pathfinders debate a moment over which to pursue, before the notion of a potential wedding reception to be arranged is brought up. Back to the Wisp!
Janira smiles at you when you return, and arches a brow when you present the coin. "Now where'd you get that! Oohh, you're on a mission, aren't you! Well, you don't have to tell me the details," she says with a sly wink. "Let's just see what we have here..."
Pulling out her own golden wayfinder, Janira places the Pathfinder's coin atop it in the proscribed fashion. The coin slowly rises about an inch off the wayfinder and starts to spin-- slow at first, but faster and faster.
A deep male voice intones: "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."
The coin then falls silent, dropping back on top the wayfinder with a metallic clink. Janira looks bright-eyed. "Well that sounds serious! Best of luck deciphering all that. If you run into trouble and need a spot of healing, look me up, I'll be here all night."
As you reach the Wise Quarter and the famous Arcanamirium, the constant drizzle of rain begins to let up... to a thick mist. Fog is fairly common in the coastal city of Absalom, and this is a classic Aroden's-soup of it. Foster's notes declare only that Fimbrik resided on the Arcanamirium campus... and it's a big campus.
You wind up collaring a lone student hurrying along in the chill, damp night to get exact directions to Fimbrik's home. The woman, huddled in her scholar's robes, quirks a brow at your query, then shrugs and directs you to the house in question.
The directions are accurate enough: a five minute walk through the cold mist leads you to a large, well-appointed two-story stone home on the campus. There's a decorative post off the path topped with an eerily glowing blue light and a hanging nameplate that displays Fimbrik Rimbottle. You're in the right place!
The large windows of the home are lit with that same blue glow, with curtains drawn in some of them. However, several windows are able to be peered through, via gaps in the curtains, should you have the notion. The front doorstep has a pile of papers atop it, dry despite the evening's rain because of a sheltering stoop.
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Klo gives the woman a frown, ”Why is our questions strange to you?”
Klo ignores the papers, not realizing any possible usefulness, and moves around the left side of the house, peering into windows. Not thinking it strange, he knocks on the gnome’s window, waving to get the little man’s attention.
”Hey! We’re pathfinders. We have questions!”
The woman shrugs at Klo's blunt question. "Well, as far as I know, Fimbrik hasn't been seen in ages... you know your business, though," she says, before hurrying off to somewhere warm.
***
Klo's tap-tap-tapping on the window, and his called words, fail to get any response from the gnome he can see within.
They are! The primary resident being a fellow gnome and all.
Klo has no idea.
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The rogue goes up and thumps on the door. "Fimbrik! We have a couple of questions for ya. Open up and talk to us."
Korum waits a minute to see if the door is answered.
"Well, maybe we should just go in and introduce ourselves, bein' fellow Pathfinders an all.
Shaya would hate this idea, but she ain't here. So, time fer some fun!
There is no response from the gnome visible through the windows to any amount of calling, but Korum decides to get entrance to the house his way. He spends a few seconds with the door and with a snap-click, the lock opens! The papers are shuffled out of the way, and the door opened.
Beyond is a well-appointed front living room, with a sofa only a few steps inside, the back somewhat akwardly facing the door. Despite the papers built up outside on the stoop, the inside of the home appears well-maintained and free of dust. Grandiose statues of magicians and monsters line the edges of the room, and somewhere, a grandfather clock is ticking. A spiral staircase is on the opposite wall, and numerous paintings hang around the room's periphery. Soft blue light shines from globes set near the ceiling, and three closed doors exit this room .
Aside from the clock, the house seems silent.
As Jikan and Korum make their way into the room, passing through the gap between sofa and door, the edges of the big circular rug begin to glow, as though a reddish light were shining from beneath...!
A second later, scuttling shapes begin to appear, flickering with crimson witchfire.
The beetles flutter forward, their wings sending off flashes and sparks of incendiary light as they mindlessly move to attack the intruders.
Only one is lucky enough to strike, however-- but unfortunately, it's at Jikan, a smaller target.
Fortunately it's a glancing blow.
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Korum whips the ax off his back. "Gah! What are these things? Sum kinda devil-bug? " With that well thought out plan, the half orc begins his assault like an unskilled lumberjack on his third day of work.
for
Wiping some of the guts off of his face, "Wait a minute, now I remember, fire sumthin's ...bugs? Nope. It'll come to me in a minute."
Korum's axe severs one beetle in a spray of bioluminescent guts; Klo's spear drives one into the floor with its legs twitching jerkily.
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In a panic, the half orc slaps and wipes the chunky glowing fluid in an attempt to remove it from his person. He grabs his water skin and squeezes its contents all over himself in an impromptu shower. Mere moments later, he realizes there is no danger from the gore. "I gotta hurry, gotta get it off before it...why ain't' it...it's not...burning...at all. Oh! That's right! Fire-beetle. That's what their called. No actual fire though. Whew, that was a close one. Oh hey Jikan, didja get bit 'er somethin'? You should have that checked out."
"I'm coming!"
Yargul does indeed stride into the room and swing at the beetle, but his fist fails to connect.
The captain shouts out: "It's just glowing lights, Korum. There's nothing too fancy about these fire beetles-- look fancy, and they can fly about, but hit 'em hard and they'll go down. Strike together!"
Her words ring confidently over the room.
The last beetle snaps again at Kul-amon.
Another bite! Fortunately only another grazing one.
Whuuuunnnnch!!!
The scimitar cuts through the bug and into the floor, a bit.
With the insects slain, it's suddenly quiet, save for the faint sound of the ticking clock.
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Kul-Amon grunts in dissatisfaction. "Kul-Amon should have had this. Disappointment rains upon this one like the rains during the flood."
He looks about. "Where should we go? And why hasn't the gnome Fimbrik come to stop us from making a mess in his house? Is this also part of the mysterious Gnome Game?" He scratches at his chin thoughtfully. "This Gnome Game is a puzzle worthy of attention. Once we have found what has happened with Selmius Foster and his Lover Eylysia, we should investigate the Game, or we will lose" he pronounces gravely to noone in particular.
It is sort of odd that the gnome isn't sticking his head through to see the ruckus...
Yargul sticks his head through the door that Korum had been originally headed for. Indeed, this is a study: as from outside, you can see a blue-haired gnome stretching precariously atop a ladder to reach a high book, having made no significant progress towards said book in the time it took you all to come through the front door and fight some beetles.
He makes no acknowledgment of your presence-- even if you address him.
Lo and behold, there is indeed some magic ahead. Illusion magics, she's sure of it, after a dozen seconds or so of concentration.
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Kara shakes her end, dismissing her spell. No, it's an illusion. He must be an arcanist of some skill to keep this up for so long, the soldier says to Jikan. Then, raising her voice: Fimbrik, if you're here show your face! Otherwise we're going to assume we have your blessing. We don't have time for your nonsense.
Shaya
Klo Thunderstep
Korum of the Silver Eyed Wolf
Kul-Amon