"Not really. One time use items don't really do it for me. Especially when they are expensive. Though if we run into some horrible monster that would be vulnerable to them I might end up kicking myself later."
Carina glares at Allustan, tears in her eyes.
"Identifying magic items doesn't take priority over saving a life." She growls before hugging herself & stalking off after she downs her cup of tea.
The effects of Alastor's handshake are beginning to wear off, accelerated by Astraden's channeling.
She cloisters herself in a quiet spot, poring over her formula book.
Robin watches Carina uncertainly, and sips his tea. "This is a good brew..." He nods to Allustan, awkwardly. He stands up and goes to follow Farrukh.
"Yeah, but where else should we unload the armor? Osgood's liable to gossip, and I don't know if the General Store would buy Seeker's stuff. I suspect we could also use some potions, or some better armor."
Astraden tells Farrukh and Robin where she left the armor, then heads to the house of Rindi's parents to pay her respects. She didn't die in Greyhawk, and it wasn't recent, but all the same they deserve to know. Her story is brief and fake (the same she told her new companions), but she will still try to soften the blow.
Cuetzpalli actually waits outside Allustan's house. He's suspicious of arcane spell casters and he doesn't want to leave Spiny alone if he doesn't have to. Once they get near Diamond Lake he breaks off and heads to the old Land farmstead with Alastor's remains. He buries him and says what he knows of the appropriate rites from St. Cuthbert's church. Then he heads back into town to report the deed done to Wierus. "Master, I found the boy's remains and buried them at his family's old home. His curse is lifted, and he can rest in peace now."
Cuetzpalli travels to the Land farmstead alone.
A copse of immense deklo trees shades a small, quiet clearing just where Alastor said it would be. Crumbling walls and a seemingly abandoned farmhouse stand vigil atop a small bluff overlooking the clearing, the sad ruins of what must once have been Alastor's home.
Five grave markers stand in the clearing, each with a different name: Anders, Bemissa, Coldaran, Gertia, and Alastor.
Open pits yawn from before all five headstones. Piles of fresh dirt and a pair of abandoned shovels suggest that the excavation took place recently, certainly within the week.
"I better check with my friend. Can you hold onto these for now?"
Astraden returns to Allustan's house and waits outside for the main group. She tells Cuetzpalli about the offer. "Do you think it's worth it? It's going to be hard to get rid of that armor, with those marks."
After tea, Allustan hands the items back. "The chainmail has a light protective enchantment on it. The pearl is a pearl of power—it pulls the memory of a spell cast earlier back into your mind. The sword has a spell similar to the armor on it to make it strike faster and truer."
"Confer my apologies to the tiefling," he says quietly. "I'm not at my best right now. Recently received some bad news about an old friend of mine."
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Carina closes her formula book after she finishes scribing her new formula.
"There. This should stimulate the higher brain functions responsible for recognition & memory, making it easier for people to discern the properties of enchanted equipment." She whispers to no one in particular.
"...it'll make it easier to identify magic stuff." She continues to empty air.
A little joke. Erip would have liked it.
She sniffs and leaves her quiet spot, looking for the party again.
Carina crosses paths with Cuetzpalli, her tail swaying slowly about.
Her ears perk up when the Olman speaks of what he saw at the Land home. "The rest of his family were dug up? Who'd do that?" She asks, her eyes narrowing.
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When the time comes to divide the loot, Carina is more than happy to take whatever the party thinks would be appropriate for her.
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Carina goes with Cuetzpalli to relay the news of the excavation of the Land family graves.
** spoiler omitted **
After a long, draining discussion with Rindi's parents, Astraden heads back to Venelle's shop. "Okay, my friend isn't interested in the arrows. I'd like to trade in my credit for a masterwork chain shirt, though, if you have one."
"And can I get some change too? Just twenty silvers or so." She thanks the shopkeep and rolls the armor up, putting it in the top of her bulging backpack. From Venelle's, she heads down to the Feral Dog, buying an afternoon ale and a big stale trencher with cheese and metallic-tasting chicken, and then to the General Store, where she buys a flint and steel. She continues to keep a low profile, ducking behind houses a few times when guards walk by.
Then she looks for Carina, and gives her the armor. "This should protect you better than that old leather. You can always give it to Farrukh, if it's not maneuverable enough." When told about the graves, she quirks an eyebrow. "The bodies were gone, huh? I wonder if Kullen and that wheelbarrow have something to do with this."
While the others see to their tasks, Tanith leaves to get the jewelry appraised.
Carina takes the masterwork chain shirt and leaves to get changed.
When she comes back later, her old leather gear is bundled up and she's wearing her new gear. There are quite a few vials hanging off the front of it.
She hands her leather gear off to be sold.
With regards to Erip's spellbook, she'll give it to whoever wants it because she's carrying too much as it is.
She also decides to sell off her torches from her alchemist kit to make room in her bag.
"Where is this Kullen? We must find the bodies and return them to their rightful places, lest we allow more unquiet spirits to haunt this world!" Cuetzpalli says.
"Kullen is that ugly individual who works for Smenk. I honestly don't know where he lives - kinda tried to avoid him - but his wheel tracks are probably still fresh. They'd probably still be fresh tomorrow, too . . ." Her hair is frizzing, and her clothes have picked up a lot of dust. "I'm really tired. If we're headed back up today, you can find me in Jalek's Flophouse. Otherwise, let's all meet at the wizard's house early tomorrow morning."
She bids goodbye to the Olman and tiefling and goes inside Jalek's flophouse, paying Golot a silver and taking a spot in the middle of the upper floor. Though it's still afternoon, she lays out her bedroll, wraps her arms tightly around her backpack and other possessions, and falls swiftly asleep.
Carina nods at Astraden. "Sounds good. Once we've dealt with Alastor's grave robbers, we can finish exploring the Cairn." She turns and leaves, heading to a shop where she can sell Erip's spellbook.
"Allustan won't need it..." She says to herself.
She enters Diamond Lake's general store and waits for the proprietor to speak with her.
"And can I get some change too? Just twenty silvers or so." She thanks the shopkeep and rolls the armor up, putting it in the top of her bulging backpack. From Venelle's, she heads down to the Feral Dog, buying an afternoon ale and a big stale trencher with cheese and metallic-tasting chicken, and then to the General Store, where she buys a flint and steel. She continues to keep a low profile, ducking behind houses a few times when guards walk by.
Astraden notices Kullen and his gang hanging out at the Feral Dog, though they don't notice her. They look a bit battered, like they just got out of a major scrap.
She notices that the least unpleasant of their number, an inquisitive rogue by the name of Skutch, is missing.
While the others see to their tasks, Tanith leaves to get the jewelry appraised.
Tanith goes to Tidwoad's. The meticulously arranged shop is as close to a bank as one can find in Diamond Lake. The grasping gnome keeps several small vaults in the crawlspace below his worskshop, and he maintains a breathtaking collection of his finest gems in a showroom display case, boasting that his establishment is completely theft proof.
Tidwoad himself is an abnormally small gray-haired gnome with wide fishlike eyes and a long beaklike nose. The massive shield guardian Festus follows closely behind Tidwoad as he approaches Tanith.
"Well, well. If it isn't Smenk's trained pit bull." Tidwoad arches an eyebrow. "Here to drool all over my stock, are you? I thought I made it clear to Smenk his tools aren't welcome in my shop after the last incident."
Tanith shakes his head. ”I don’t know if you heard but those days are behind me. I don’t work for Smenk anymore. I’m an adventurer now!” the huge Kordite says proudly.
”I can’t make up for the s$*% I did in the past but I promise you it won’t happen again”, he explains.
Carina nods at Astraden. "Sounds good. Once we've dealt with Alastor's grave robbers, we can finish exploring the Cairn." She turns and leaves, heading to a shop where she can sell Erip's spellbook.
"Allustan won't need it..." She says to herself.
She enters Diamond Lake's general store and waits for the proprietor to speak with her.
Taggin, the handsome dark-skinned proprietor of the General Store, smiles widely. "Miss Viera!" He bows. "It has been criminally long since you've last visited my little shop."
He looks over the spellbook eagerly. Carina sees his eyes glance over Erip's name, pause, then continue as if it wasn't there.
When he's done, he looks at Carina and grasps her hand sadly. "I can give you a pound and thirty for this, Carina. I'll be right back."
He returns and pays Carina the eighty gold. The spellbook goes in the back of the shop. "I have a patron in mind. Halfling. Bright lad. He'll put it to good use."
Tanith shakes his head. ”I don’t know if you heard but those days are behind me. I don’t work for Smenk anymore. I’m an adventurer now!” the huge Kordite says proudly.
”I can’t make up for the s~%* I did in the past but I promise you it won’t happen again”, he explains.
Tidwoad wags a finger. "All in the breeding, dog. All in the breeding."
The shield guardian slowly nods.
"Anyways, if you aren't here to make trouble, what are you hear to yap about?"
Tanith retrieves the two rings and shows them to the gnome. ”Some friends and I have been delving one of the cairns. We fished these up. They look expensive”, he explains.
”What do you figure they’re worth?”
Carina is quite surprised by the amount of gold Taggin gives her.
"Oh... thank you, sir!" She pockets the gold, a small smile brightening her face.
"See, I meant to stop in sooner, but I got a bit sidetracked." She starts digging into her bag again. "Anyway, I need to lighten my backpack a bit, and perhaps... get a new one?" She pauses, taking out a bundle of ten torches. "Do you happen to have a better backpack in stock? One that would make carrying my stuff easier on my back?"
Tanith retrieves the two rings and shows them to the gnome. ”Some friends and I have been delving one of the cairns. We fished these up. They look expensive”, he explains.
”What do you figure they’re worth?”
Tidwoad picks up the silver ring and weighs it. "Hm. Cheap iron, but the silver coating's a nice tough. I'll tell you what—I'll have to raise the rent on the lodgers a bit to make up the difference, but if you are split from Smenk...twenty-two gold. Including my 5% exchange rate, naturally."
Carina is quite surprised by the amount of gold Taggin gives her.
"Oh... thank you, sir!" She pockets the gold, a small smile brightening her face.
"Not at all, Miss Viera!"
"See, I meant to stop in sooner, but I got a bit sidetracked." She starts digging into her bag again. "Anyway, I need to lighten my backpack a bit, and perhaps... get a new one?" She pauses, taking out a bundle of ten torches. "Do you happen to have a better backpack in stock? One that would make carrying my stuff easier on my back?"
Taggin beams. His voice drops to a conspiratorial whisper. "For Kullen and his crew? I'll have to special order it, it will take a week, and the shovels will cost extra. For the lovely Miss Viera..."
He reaches beneath the counter and pulls out a worn but serviceable green backpack with numerous pockets, hooks, and padded bands. "I've little use for this old thing, and everyone in town knows I can't bear to let a pretty lady leave my store disappointed. It's my weakness, I'll admit, and I'm sure it'll bankrupt me within the year. A pound and five for it?"
Carina smiles. "Sounds good, sir!" She takes out the required amount of money for the backpack and leaves it on the counter.
She makes the exchange, replacing her old backpack with her new green one.
"Thank you very much, sir. Have a nice day!" She says, her tail *swishing* jauntily as she exits the shop.
Tanith considers the offer.
"What about this one?" he asks presenting the golden Seeker ring.
Tanith considers the offer.
"What about this one?" he asks presenting the golden Seeker ring.
Tidwoad glances at it and instantly goes pale. He snatches the ring up and stares at it. Hand trembling, he grabs Tanith's big wrist.
"Where did you get this?"
Tanith looks at the little man like he’s crazy. ”I told you, one of the cairns. Is it valuable?”
Tanith looks at the little man like he’s crazy. ”I told you, one of the cairns. Is it valuable?”
Tidwoad looks torn. "Well...I'll give you eighty gold for it."
Tidwoad is spooked now, and easier to read. He's seriously undervaluing this product.