Val sits quietly and gives the Lady a long look as the other's explain what happened in the mines. She glances over relieved that Eli only pulls out one of the scales. She'd like to show Xemme too, and is afraid Lady Devy will claim the scale to keep.
The baroness regards the scale coolly, then turns her ice-blue eyes on you. "If word spread among the common folk that there was any chance that Aeteperax somehow survived his destruction at the hands of Tula Belhaim more than a thousand years ago, there would be panic. Mothers use the dragon's name to frighten disobedient children. Not only have I been told that old Aeteprax's skeleton could long be seen in the swamp where he was killed, but there has been no breath of dragon activity here for fifty generations. There will be no talk of dragons, is that clear? None."
"Now, to other business. I believe you were promised a reward." She sets down a small velvet bag before her and pours out a dozen beautiful amethysts. "As promised. You did well, and deserve the reward." She slides the gems over to you.
"The price of competence is, as I'm certain you're aware, more work. I have a job for you. This began with the collapse of Hunclay's tower and his death. The day after Hunclay perished, I sent word via raven to his only living relative, a cousin in Yanmass. Just this morning, her reply arrived—she doesn’t seem all that distraught at his death, and has no interest in coming to Belhaim to claim his estate and belongings."
"Instead, she has requested that I auction off all of Hunclay’s property and possessions so that the proceeds can be sent to her. This leaves me with the daunting task of cataloguing the contents of Hunclay’s manor home. And -that- means entering the place and exploring its interior, an enterprise that could entail considerable danger."
"Hunclay was something of a foul-tempered recluse, and word around town is that his manor was warded by magical traps and guarded by monsters. The fate of the kobold who burned to death on the manor’s front porch has only added to locals’ fears. Thus, I need to turn to you, our most experienced adventurers, to solve this problem."
"If you will enter Hunclay's manor and identify any unusual or magical items there while simultaneously deactivating traps and dealing with any monstrous guardians, I would be very grateful. You won’t be allowed to loot what you find in the manor, but I will pay you a flat fee of five thousand gold coins. And of course if any items strike your fancy, you can bid on them at the auction."
"Will you do it?"
"We'll do it. I'm interested to see what is in the tower." She looks excited to get in the tower and see what there is to find.
"Good," says the baroness. "Miss Greenbow, only catalogue, not 'case'. I hope I need say nothing further on the matter?"
"You may take your payment and go. I'm sure you've many matters to attend to and I'd like you to begin your exploration within the next forty-eight hours. Messages have already been sent to likely buyers for the auction."
So, a short while later you are walking back into town with twelve valuable gemstones burning holes in your pockets. Whaddya do?
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"Right. Catalogue. I got it... just some habits die harder than others."
"Shall we rest for the night and head into the tower in the morning? I did think of somethings I want to pick up... What shall we do with this gold medalion?"
Eli takes her 3 gems and heads off to find some of her previous acquaintances in hopes of acquiring some fine lockpicking tools.
Liam is barely holding back his enthusiasm at this opportunity, and canvasses about Belhaim looking to purchase an empty (blank) journal and scrivener's kit (call it 12gp total?) so he is prepared to dutifully catalogue findings in the tower.
Val goes in search of better armor. "I seem to end up at the front lines, and I need better protection."
She's trying to find an Agile Breastplate or Chainmail. Something that protects better than her leather armor. She'll also look for a Masterwork Heavy Mace.
There are two smiths in Belhaim, Big Bull Baccus and Chance Smithy. There isn't a weapons shop or a magic shop, but the smiths may have what you need.
"Women with coin, yeah," says Big Bull, a large half-orc.
"What are you looking for? I'm no armorer, but I can do some things."
Liam is savvy enough to know wands have charges, he finds a quiet time in his room at the inn, brings a light close, sits down and casts detect magic while examining the wand carefully, looking for indications to figure out how many charges are remaining.
Thorny, got any shopping to do?
Val goes in search of better armor. "I seem to end up at the front lines, and I need better protection."
She's trying to find an Agile Breastplate or Chainmail. Something that protects better than her leather armor. She'll also look for a Masterwork Heavy Mace.
"Well, a mace is not hard to do. I can make a mace, certainly. And a breastplate, I think I can make something like that. Chainmail, now that's...that's some time commitment, there. How much time do you have? I think it might take me a week. Maybe two..."
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"Val, what do you think? Seems like it's lady's choice. Of course, I don't think we have a week to wait to go catalog, but it could be waiting and ready when you are done. "
"Now, Bull, you understand this mace should be your very best work, right? She needs it extremely well balanced - masterwork quality. She will be using it against enemies of our village, here, and so we don't want to skimp. We will pay you, for your troubles, of course."
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Thorny starts to accompany Val and Eli to Big Bull Baccus, thinking there might be a friendly ear to recount a new story, then thinks better of it. "I think I'm going to focus on some magic things, for a change," he uses the word as if it were from a foreign language. "It's not much of a fair fight if I don't figure out how to neutralize the enemy's hexes. Valena shouldn't have to be doing my job as much as she has been."
Thorny plods off to Xemne's Tonics to see what can be had there.
"Val, what do you think? Seems like it's lady's choice. Of course, I don't think we have a week to wait to go catalog, but it could be waiting and ready when you are done. "
"Now, Bull, you understand this mace should be your very best work, right? She needs it extremely well balanced - masterwork quality. She will be using it against enemies of our village, here, and so we don't want to skimp. We will pay you, for your troubles, of course."
"Hmmm," says Bull, almost to himself. "Well, If shift the weight distribution downwards by cutting out the flanges and maybe use a lead weight in the haft..." [b] He waves you away. [b]"Come back in a few days and I'll have what you want. Bring gold!"
Thorny starts to accompany Val and Eli to Big Bull Baccus, thinking there might be a friendly ear to recount a new story, then thinks better of it. "I think I'm going to focus on some magic things, for a change," he uses the word as if it were from a foreign language. "It's not much of a fair fight if I don't figure out how to neutralize the enemy's hexes. Valena shouldn't have to be doing my job as much as she has been."
Thorny plods off to Xemne's Tonics to see what can be had there.
"Hi! Come on in!" says Xemne from the back room. "I'll be right out!"
A middle-aged woman with smoked goggles pushed up onto her head comes out, wiping her hands on a stained rag. "Ah! One of Belhaim's heroes! What can I do for you?"
"I'll wait for the Chainmail to be done. I want to be able to move in my armor. I'll bring a deposit for the armor when I bring the gold for the morningstar." Val is very excited to be getting a new weapon and armor.
"Thanks Eli for you help with the negotiations."
"Never need to ask me, I'm always ready for a good meal." Liam holds up the journal, "And definitely ready to check out that tower!"
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"Hi! Come on in!" says Xemne from the back room. "I'll be right out!"
A middle-aged woman with smoked goggles pushed up onto her head comes out, wiping her hands on a stained rag. "Ah! One of Belhaim's heroes! What can I do for you?"
Potions of...
...2 x Resistance - 25 x 2 = 50GP
...Enlarge Person - 50GP
...Remove Fear - 50GP
...Magic Weapon - 50GP
...Remove Sickness - 50GP
...Remove Paralysis - 300GP
Any arguments or problems with availability?
"Oh my, that is quite a list!" says Xemne. "What are you planning to do with all that? Well, listen to me. It's none of my business, I'm sure. There isn't much call for such things in little Belhaim, though I can brew them, of course. I do have a potion of remove sickness and a potion of enlarge person from that apple-picking plan of Emarthine Willoway's that never quite came together. I can work on the others if you give me a few days."
"Ooh! What about healing potions? Or a potion of bull's strength? Those I have."
She leans in conspiratorially. "Now listen, you didn't hear this from me, but I have it on good authority that both the House of Abadar and the Shrine of Seven Roses have received some magical gifts from time to time. You might be able to buy a good magic weapon or trinket from them. And of course Phedra Delbin is always talking to folks from away about strange devices and whatnot. Who knows what she has over at her shop?"
"A potion of cure light wounds costs fifty gold crowns," she says.
Val heads over to grab lunch. "How was everyone's morning? Eli and I had a good morning ordering better weapons and armor. What did you gents do?"
"I figured out this wand. It's got a few charges left, and I'll be able to use it. I can't wait to see what-all he has in that tower! But those rumors of monsters inside... Don't know if I buy it... How would he feed them, anyways? That's why they are rumors, right? because if he was buying lots of meat or grain or whatever, everyone would be sure, so I don't buy it. It's rumors I'm sure."
Liam sounds more like he is trying to convince himself than any of the party.
Absolutely, lets keep moving this forward!
Val rises and heads to the mansion with the others. "Did you ever thing we'd be the "heroes" of town? Most of the time they barely tolerated me." She chats as they walk along toward their destination.
"Val," Liam starts, looking down embarrassingly as the party makes their way, "It was really looking like I might have had to leave Belhaim. After what I did to Selia, I really was worried I might not have a long term place here. But these last couple days I've been able to focus and prevent the accidental, uh... messes my powers create, and learning how to do them on purpose only, and only when I want. I am SO GLAD we are together on this whole thing."
Balthus Hunclay lived in Belhaim for 7 years, during which time he made no friends and didn’t mingle with his neighbors. He focused his time entirely on astronomical research, so far as anyone knows. Hunclay was always defensive of his property, and no one in Belhaim has entered Hunclay manor, but his few servants—none of whom have been seen since the Witch Tower fell. Now and then, the wizard received deliveries of heavy crates from across the Inner Sea region, but these deliveries were always met at the door by servants.
The party’s charge is to explore Hunclay Manor completely, eliminating its dangers so that clerks can inventory the wizard’s belongings for the upcoming auction. You are to take nothing—Baroness Origena is paying you a wage for their efforts and you’re free to participate in the auction if you wish to purchase items from the estate. You're also supposed to leave Hunclay’s property as undamaged as possible. If you manage to learn anything about any strange objects or magic items found within, you have instructions to leave notes near the objects for the clerks to read once exploration of the manor is complete.
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It is a bright, warm Summer day and you stand on Hunclay's front lawn, looking at the forbidding front door of his manor. The grisly remains of a kobold, the flesh charred badly and limbs contorted by fire, still lie on the doorstep of the manor house.
As the party looks at the manor, Liam sees the charred remains, That's right, the magical fire trap of some kind... best to check if it is still active first. Best case we'll have to try to find another way in, worst case that could end up being one of us.
He motions for the others to stay back and moves to within 15ft of the manor, goes through the motions and whispers the incantation, casting detect magic, concentrating for multiple rounds to find out as much as he can (specifically looking for any hint of a magical trap being active at the door.)
Liam motions for the others, "Looks like whatever spell trap there was does not reset. There is no magic anymore on or around the door," Liam is barely containing his excitement, "unless there is also some non-magic trap, we're good for going in."
Eli finds no traps of any sort...
Eli does see that one of Hunclay's keys should unlock the door, though.
Liam, journal and quill in hand, follows eagerly behind Eli, furiously scribbling notes about how they entered and what they see upon entry.
Eliastra enters the Grand Hall of Hunclay's Manor House.
The floor of this well-appointed entry hall is adorned with two expensive Qadiran rugs and decorated with several overstuffed leather sofas. Two dozen paintings with gilded frames hang on the walls, portraits and landscapes, all of exquisite artistry. To the north sits a large bird cage. Wooden doors open in the east and west walls, and an elaborate spiral staircase of iron both ascends and descends in the southeast corner.