Blaze blinks in surprise to find her gold is gone, but she makes no move to undo her deal. She turns to Lili and Thorn and holds out the card to scan with magics to see what she had just bought.
Given that there are numerous magical items now in their possession, she will cast her spell to detect them and study their auras to find out their purpose, starting with Blaze's and then Andrei's. She then will do her own and then the evil object. Finally, she will study the others.
As she comes to Aukan, there is a slight look of curiosity. His behavior baffles her. He was like someone not fully developed mentally to her. In part, she adores loving people like him, but on a deadly mission, he is literally the last person she wants around. She hopes that Ethos comes to collect him. That doesn't stop her from making sure he hasn't been handed a doomsday device cleverly disguised as a clockwork toy.
The playing card is a one time use magical item, placing it upon an object or individual and saying free in any language should free it.
The tankard, works as the holy symbol of Cayden Cailel, it can produce ale 3/day with a prayer to Cayden. If you have divine spellcasting and a worshiper of Cayden you can use your create water spell to fill the tankard with ale.
The black lace gloves are magical that allow you to gather webs between your hands. Allowing you to do spider climb for several rounds, create a web, or throw a web wad.
You don't know what the white flower does.
The scepter acts as a fiery +1 light mace. You don't know the other functions.
Black Stone with Lava Lines - no clue.
Thorn informs Andrei on the cloak.
"The cloak has strong aura of both law and evil so best be careful with it."
As Lilianne tries to identify the items, Thorn uses Guidane on her as a form of aid.
"Very Generous of him..." Thorn remarks even as he looks again to see if the man is indeed Cayden himself!?!?!
The last two hours seem normal without any problems, about noon you arrive at the goblin camp. Looking around you see the rubble that was once the ramshackle camp of the goblins. Getting around the camp you get to the vault and enter... With Bahir's sword the vault would open, though trying it with the mithril dagger does not work.
He nods to Lilianne, and happily says, "Why thank you... so Inspiring Anthem. Ah good! A bit piping and thin but inspiring still!" Then he picks the Clockwork Songbird up and holds it in his off hand ready to follow.
"Oh where did the merchant go?" He simply says and then shrugs his shoulders happy to keep the mechanism.
Pharos nods to Thorn and Andrei... then she picks up the rock and holds it tight in the crook of her arm.
Nima continues to swish and scrutinize the scepter.
The weight of the tankard grew exponentially, as the lowly caydenite holds a true relic of his faith. Andrei reaches out to hold his love tight in this moment. "My Câllîe! By dă Godş! Ăye..meăn, God! Â ţrue holy ârţîfâcţ! Poșșîbly held by Dâ Drunken Hero hîmşelf!!" Happy tears stream unbidden down Andrei's face. "Oh my!"
"Please, be careful with that Nima. We still don't know what it does. The same goes for you Pharos..."
There is a look of worry on her face as she is reminded of Aukan and his fascination to grab and play with everything. No-one outside of their group seems to be cautious or made for military work. She feels like she is babysitting them all and that is not her job. She is utterly distracted by the forming of tears that stream down Andrei's face. She blinks a couple times and gets a brilliant smile on her face as he snags her. What the others will see is a look of sympathy in the stone-cold spy's face as she holds her love.
"What has come over him?" she thinks as she runs her hands through his hair. Quickly, and thankfully, she hears they are tears of joy as he bursts out in happiness. She chuckles and pulls back to give him a kiss on the lips in brief to celebrate with him. [i]"Are you sure? I was curious in my own mind if it was 'the Drunken Hero' when we saw him and he started handing out such things, but...maybe? What an honor..."[/b]
She is sort of speechless to think that a god would care about them and in particular Andrei so much to bless him with a gift. She eyes it, pulling to his side so they can see it together.
"What does it...do?"
"You explaîned moșț of îț'ș ăbîlîțîeș ălreădy, buț ăye'd șure lîke țo reșeârch [b]"dîș relîc on my own", Andrei said, staring intently at the vessel. "Dă mug ăcțș ăș ă holy şymbol țo focuș Câyden'ş gîftș, îț căn fîll up wîth ăle ţhree ţîmeş ă dăy for de fâîthful ănd ăny creățe wățer orîșîon cășț on îț becomeş âlcohol. Â powerful gîfţ țo be șure!"
Andrei closes his eyes and says a prayer of thanks over the mug, and it instantly fills up with ale. The caydenite takes a sip and humming pleased. "Mmmmm. Țry șome, dârlîng."
"Yeah, I know," she replies on the fact she explained most of the abilities she knows. "I wasn't sure...if being an artifact from Cayden, if there was something I missed that perhaps you would have insight on...so amazing..." she says with a smile.
As the mug fills up, she can't help but give this ale a drink. After all, how many times would you be able to claim such a feat? She likewise humms after drinking it and returns it to Andrei.
"Wow! So your statement about drinking a tavern clean of ale as a group can now be accomplished by that one tankard and your connection to Cayden Cailean! Amazing!" He states in astonishment but leaves plenty of room for the couple as he looks at it 10 feet away.
They smile at Lilianne.
Thorn shudders.
This one maybe an avatar of a better tempered god but he had to stay cautious who knows when his family might actually decide to plead their case to the other evil gods!!! He was glad that he didn't accept any item from the strange peddler. Better to be safe then sorry.
Once at the goblin camp, Thorn searches through the place using his abilities to Detect Auras and magic.
"Goblin camp seems clear of any auras." he informs the rest.
Aukan, Baahir, Thorn, Pharos, Nima, and Sasha went to the vault. If the rest of you go with them please let us know. Otherwise Andrei, Lilianne, Blaze, and Aramyros head back to camp.
"Thorn thanks for checking out the area for us! Too bad you couldn't find anything magical." He goes among the debris of the goblin camp, as most of it has been scorched and pulls out any large pieces of wood that could still be used in fortifications. Then he collects a few leather pieces that are mostly useable. It only takes 10 or 20 minutes.
She helps Aukan collect the salvageable items. Sometimes invading his personal bubble but he doesn't mind it.
Nima and Phraos follow Baahir over to the vault and the three of them rest waiting for the salvaging to be done.
Pharos holds the orb and watches it.
Nima still is working on how to activate the scepter but also not having any fire she has no success until she produces her own fire and then after a wave the fire in her hand gets bigger. With some intention and another wave the fire goes back to normal. Then it gets hotter. She continues to play with the fire.
Andrei follows the others into the vault, hoping his healing services will not be needed.
With Baahir's sword as they key the vault opens before you.
Speaking with Blaze on the way back to camp, she asks, "I'm worried about our additional civilians at the camp. Maybe I'm alone in this, but I feel they risk too much. Hell...Aukan we found face down in a dungeon because of it. I'd rather none of them be here, particularly with them possibly endangering this mission. Should we work to get Ethos to take them all back with him and send us some soldiers to man this camp while we are on missions?"
Blaze did what she could to help Lilianne to identify the items they had received and blinked in surprised to see the Caydenite so moved by the gift of his tankard. Had they really been given gifts from a god? Well, except for me. I paid for mine. She thought ruefully to herself.
She decided to proceed on to the vault as planned to ask her questions. And spoke with Lili on the way. "He is very strong in battle," She asserted of Aukan "and I think he cares much that others think of him well. Mebbe we could speak to him and ask that he follow your orders. You are mostly leading us now anyway, we could make it official." She smiled in her lopsided way and shrugged. She understood her friend's worry, but Aukan was on mission here even before they were sent to find him. It seemed... rude to suggest he be should leave.
She smirks at the thought of team-leading a group like this. While those in the original party were considered for their expertise in making a group, these others weren't.
"I don't know...I guess. Ironically, he probably outranks us or something."
It wouldn't be her surprise with the various instructors and people in command over her. They all were kind of foolish in their own way. She gives a little shrug and smile to Blaze, showing she submits to her will.
"Hey Aukan, let me talk to you for a second."
She will pull him aside, as clearly his feelings are important to him. In private, she will speak to him.
Then his personality changes he gets serious and you can see his facial features change, like there is a physical change with his mental focus, his eyes do take on a red glow, in a more guttural and low voice he says, "In truth I am here to be your backup, should you need it. Ethos is an old friend and has hired me multiple times to take care of situations. Nothing as stealthy as you. You are well trained more than the others. With my magical knowhow I can figure out how things work without formal training. Likely like yourself. You likely are wondering why am I acting like... a civilian." There he pauses letting the implication set in before he continues. "Because it is tiring to be on edge and focused all the time." He cracks his neck, fingers, and then limbers up some more. "I am a fighter by trade and have learned to take a hit as well as how to give one. Not a finesse tool like yourself but I do when you get stuck between a rock and a hard place. Now the three fire ladies, they were slaves or something. I freed them and brought them back with me. In a few days I will be going back to kill their master and claim the hoard that I found. I would appreciate it if you and the others would join me."
Thorn's elven side picks up the conversation between Aukan and Lilianne. Since it doesn't appear to be one where he turns on them, the half elf lets it slide as he ponders their recent encounters.
Then his thoughts shifts back,
If he was hired to be backup then why was he down in the tower trapped?
Then the scenes turn grim as the other side of him shows its ugly head. He is a slaughter and praised for it. Some he is armored others he is as naked as he is now standing before you.
Pharos walks in and looks at the different items and eventually takes the glaive.
Thorn pauses a while to let his new memories settle down.
Hmmm a tinker yet a bloodthirsty slaughterer. A dangerous person indeed. he thinks.
Yet another who's a ticking time bomb he thinks to himself. Aukan may seem to be on their side but who knows when he loses himself and turns on them unwittingly with his unrestrained methods of messing with unknown trinkets.
While Aukan may seem larger and "scary", Lilianne does not seem affected by it in the least and still stands in a casual position.
"While I appreciate the offer, that is not my mission. I am here at the whim and will of Ethos with specific mission parameters. There is enough to do without making war against...whatever it is you found holding them...but that is not my concern right now and as for me, I will not be joining you. My concern is the survival of my team, the mission I've been given, and, currently, how that relates to you."
"Please, keep in mind that we have been tasked to bring you back from the dungeon, and you are back. Mission complete. If you want to go off into the world or some other realm, that is your choice. Just don't make your decisions affect us if you can. In this land, it seems like everything is cursed. Even these gifts, supposedly from a God I'm suspicious of. Why? Because I care what a curse can do to the people here. That is why I'm careful and on edge...focused all the time. With that same level of care, I wish you would show us that if you are going to be here among us, that you and the three women hopefully show that same level of care and restraint and appreciation for the dangers of tinkering with the unknown at a moment like this."
Thinking the other only to himself, 'Though specifically is your mission the survival of your team or to accomplish your goals?'
He simply nods in agreement to your other statements.
Yes the orb that Pharos has told to you to be evil and lawful. Well that one you didn't identify it either.
She shrugs, "It's not that I don't want to help you out or I'm frustrated with how you've been acting. I'm just trying to keep all of my team alive so that we can accomplish what we came here to do. There are many evils in the world that need to be corrected, and I can't jeopardize this mission to take them all on."
"No," she lies, "I was not frustrated, and I don't want you to have to be 'focused'. Be yourself. Just please, be careful and keep in mind what we as a group are here for, as I said. You are separate but part of us. If you want to join us in our mission to kill the goblins, that's fine, but if you do, your actions need to make me feel safe enough to bring you with us. For example, taking up a dragon-slaying item that is cursed. You know it's cursed, yet you want it. That concerns me. We have no idea what that item will make you do. That's dangerous, sure, but who cares normally. Yet when we are in a region where we know there are dragons and we have an ally who is friends with them. Stuff like that. You need to think about what you are doing in relation to the group," she chuckles. "Because, outside of the group, in some other location in Golarion, I wouldn't give a crap if you took the item. But because you are with us, such an action may endanger us all. I think you get it. I don't want to talk your ear off. Anyways, I'm glad we got you out of there and that you're with us." she volunteers and pats him by reaching up to his shoulder briefly. He can tell such affection is not common for her and is quite awkward. This may also give him insight into just how important Andrei and Blaze are to her.
With their conversation done, she will then will walk off toward the others.
Thorn will walk with the others and looks to see if there's anything that could be used for food as well.
They'll need to head back to camp to digest everything that's happened.
And of course avoid his memories being stirred up and once again knocking him for a loop.
Blaze walked at a respectful distance while Lilianne spoke with Aukan. She listened in, just to be sure her friend was safe, but she did not interfere.
When they arrived and opened the vault, she noticed Pharos eyeing the same Glaive that Nima had been drawn to before. "Take care, like many things here, that weapon is cursed. It might make you turn on your comrades in battle." She cautioned, though she made no move to prevent her taking it.
She approached the book again and steeled herself for the drain she was about to face. "This card cost me quite a bit. I will try and see if I can save it by asking my question, still."
She wrote her question thus, What word will open the magical ward to allow the fire mephit called 'fire in the oven' and named Jasse of Glowing Mount to go free without using the magic card I bought?
Also she wrote, What is the silver spire to the southwest of the underground tower?
"You just said you were frustrated..." he states but let's it go.
"Yes we all know they are cursed. We know what they do as you held them in the vault." Then he stops realizing that was not the point. Then he nods saying, "Ahhh... I see it now. Alia and her dragons... a dragon hunt would be... unfortunate. Ramifications." He stops there as if that word made everything come together.
He follows her back to the group too mellowing out and listening to the bird sing on his shoulder. Walking with the group to the vault.
The book responds, 'I don't know of a Jasse of Glowing Mount. The silver spire to the southwest of the tower dungeon is the magical engine that gives this locale its mild climate. It is also where you can change the climate.'
Pharos grins and still picks up the glaive. Glaive in one hand and the other on her Lava rock.
Nima goes and touches all of the visible items one at a time. Then she returns and picks out the dragon slaying axe.
Sasha does the same touching each of the items to learn what they do and thinks on which she wants, what will best protect or be useful against the dragons...
She shrugs, "It's not that I don't want to help you out or I'm frustrated with how you've been acting. I'm just trying to keep all of my team alive so that we can accomplish what we came here to do. There are many evils in the world that need to be corrected, and I can't jeopardize this mission to take them all on."
Yup same post!
He still took it at face value, rather than applying the nagetive to it as well. Misinterpretations happen all the time! Let alone with just text. He is rather simple... XP
Andrei's caution about handling magical items falls to deaf ears.
"Ladies, these items are property of our Order and very expensive, and very hard-earned. Please don't take stuff off the racks. We are all able to because of our allegiance. Sorry." she pouts and ensures they are putting them back. "What is with these people and this damn ax?" "If you want to, when Ethos comes again, perhaps he can evaluate you to see if you are able to join up." "Doubtful, since he vetted all of us quite thoroughly...even me somehow."
She assumes all of this, of course. However, given the particular key used to open the vault and what was said earlier by him, she believes she is correct. Also on the fact that she doesn't trust them yet.
"If you are feeling vulnerable out here without a weapon, perhaps there are some 'dogslicer' blades the goblins use here in the camp that we can arm you with?"
Pharos does not put it down, as both her and Nima look at Lilianne a bit confused. Nima had just picked up the ax and put it back down and simply said, "What?"
"Like my sister said, what do you mean? Your group was fine with Nima taking one of them before but not now? What Order? We want to be useful in the coming battle and yet you want us to have daggers still? Aukan, what do you say?" Then she translates it in Ignan to her sisters of what Lilianne said first and then her response.
"Why me?! Okay... hmmmm. Well Ethos seemed fine with it before but maybe he was not being aware of it. So just put them back for now and we will have a talk with Ethos." He said trying to soothe any possibly flamed emotions.
Then Pharos nodded after Sasha translated and put the glaive down. Still looking at it.
"Those items are cursed. That axe is cursed to make the bearer seek out dragons to kill. One of our allies is with dragons which may have you kill her. Are you aware of each weapon's property?" Thorn informs them.