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"Ohh? A weapon? Well, I certainly hope you find one. I'd hate for you to go into battle against this 'linnorm' creature unprepared."
While he considers the exotic sounding name, he eyes the man up and down to check out his armaments and equipment. Perhaps he can tell if it looks like a local crime gang, or perhaps rival faction to the Pathfinders?
Anthony lets out a sigh as he hears footsteps, drawing his wand of mage armor. "Never is simple with these jobs, is it?" He taps himself with it, covering his body in protective magic before offering the same protection to Shukara. Then, he tucks it back into his clothing. Not seeing himself as much of a skulker, he backs further into the room and the protection of his friends, turning around and looking towards the source of the footsteps with a forcibly softened expression and folded arms.
Anthony looks into the darkness, frowning. Then he looks over to the Gem of Brightness. "Hmm..." Then he considers the cursed items currently weighing his friends down and reconsiders. "Does anyone have a spare light source? In my foolishness, I seem to have gone without preparing a magical countermeasure."
Anthony lets out a sigh as he hears the news. "Haunted? And it can't be handled with simple holy magic? That sounds difficult." With a wry smile, the scholar grasps his staff and marches, slowly, towards the bridge. The bottom of the staff taps the floor with each step, swaying back and forth. Anthony's eyes are closed tight as he slowly approaches the obelisk. "Nothing we can't handle, right?" he says, smiling and nodding blindly towards a space about five feet away from the sound of Shukara's voice.
Hey guys, sorry I haven't posted in literally forever. Holidays, work, outright laziness, an awkward period where I was actually afraid to show my face in the thread, and one hell of a two day flu all conspired to keep me away from the keyboard. But I'm back and I should be able to see this through.
Anthony frowns to Khargrom and shows his open palms. "No holy water here. I wasn't expecting a ghost attack, and I was short on gold the last time I hit the shop. But I do have this." He pats his spare wand of curing. "If someone's handy with a wand, they can use this to disrupt their unliving forms, however slightly."
Anthony frowns as he spots the crushed cadaver of the fallen pathfinder. "How... unfortunate." Hoping to distract himself, he looks at the art on the walls. "This one here looks like the River Sphinx. This barge, here, is captained by each of the God-Kings in turn. From here.... Azghaad..." his finger traces along the art, ever so carefully. "...to here, at the Song Pharaoh." Keeping his eyes from the center of the room, he heads through the doorway to examine the pool. "Oh. Another one."
Anthony takes his camel by the reins and leads it closer to the doors. As he does, he looks around at the nearby carvings. "Hmm. The Pharaoh Azghaad. According to these carvings, you can seethe founding of Sothis, thanks to them. And there are depictions of generosity as well." He gestures to a particular carving. "See? The pharaoh is giving water to the people."
Anthony is dressed in his usual garb of loose-fitting cloth trousers and an open vest, with protective bandages wrapped around his wrists and hands."This is going to be a wonderful opportunity. I've been a little behind in my training, and a trip to through the harsh environment will serve as a reminder of why it's important." He smiles and nods to Shukara when he sees her. "And speaking of that, we really should spar some time. Your fighting style is something I haven't seen before in my travels."
Anthony peers around the area, hands curling into fists every now and then. His voice is low, just above a whisper. "We're looking to get their attention. If they're already spooked, they may not come after a group of well-armed individuals." His eyes dart around the place, as if he were certain of them being followed but unsure from where. He continues to speak quietly. "Maybe we should use bait. Does anyone have something fancy to hang from their belt? Preferably on the outside, where they might have a path to wander up and snatch it." Anthony's hands reach into the pockets of his extremely modest clothing, pulling the pockets inside-out. "I don't have much to offer, but I do have a set of eyes to help keep you safe."
Anthony nods along. The man is most certainly out of his element, but he does his best to keep a cool head and clear sight. "Indeed. I'm sure this visit is sudden, and our proposal even more so, but understand that we're here to minimize harm and discord within the city's social structure. Please consider taking our offer."
Anthony stares at Khargrom for a moment in complete disbelief. "Aren't we supposed to be a little more subtle about this kind of thing?" he asks in a tone that's quiet but harsh. The scholar looks around the room to see if anyone else is taking notice. His cheeks look slightly flushed and he adopts a pleading tone. "Don't embarrass us in a place like this, okay?"
Anthony lets out a sigh and uses prestidigitation to clean himself off, offering the same service to his companions. He also takes a moment to reflect on their previous discoveries.
"Is there a way around them, perhaps?" Anthony shrugs, attempting to speak discreetly. "Over a wall, or even though it if we can find some sort of smuggler's tunnel?"
Anthony frowns at the red mist covering his body. It was such a surprisingly gory display, it threw him off balance! But he gets his head back in the game soon enough. Catching sight of the other creature, he rushes over to engage it in melee. Brushing past Shukara, he tumbles along the enemy's side to line up a strike!
Anthony nods towards Ray after he conjures a light source. "Much appreciated, friend." Then, he nods to Shukara. "It's good to travel with well-learned Pathfinders. We should share stories after this little endeavor. Compare teachings. Stances. Maybe learn a thing or two." The martial artist reaches into his robes and draws a oak wood wand, tapping himself on the chest with its glowing tip. An aura of visible magic shimmers on him for half of a second before fading from sight. "For example," he says with a grin, "enhancing your defensive stance with a magical aura. Care to partake?"
Anthony breaks his stoic silence with a sigh. "You know, for someone with the title of 'grandmaster' his dealings seem a little... low." Then he shrugs at Bossk. "Sorry, can't help you there. I never did trust illusion magic. It's not as reliable as people say it is." "Still, a job is a job and we wouldn't do well to disappoint. And yes, let's go after the artifacts first."
"You see, the geode isn't some big, impressive relic. It's really a simple magical item that allows for communication between two interested parties." He shrugs, doing his absolute best to downplay how surprised he is that the Ruby Prince's name was dropped so readily. He's not doing a very good job of that. The wide-eyed glances towards Shukara really give it away. Instead, he tries to downplay the geode's importance by emphasizing the mundanity of its magical function.
A well-toned man with a freshly shaved head looks up from a heavy book in his lap. He is dressed in loose breeches, sandals, and a loose shirt that bear the symbol of an open palm. "Hey." he says, closing the tome with a smile. [/b]"My name is Anthony. Anthony Graves. Student of the faith of Irori."[/b] He opens the book again, fingers idly and blindly flipping through the pages as his gaze focuses on the venture captain. "What's the problem with this 'Torch' person? You say he's a Grandmaster?" He perks up. "Grandmaater of what, exactly? Maybe we can learn something from him." |
