NPC S.Heidmarch's page

" Whats in it for you besides the academic knowledge to be gained from legendary artifacts being discovered from a time long past"

She began raising an eyebrow and half glaring at Andrezi...Then she smiled and chuckled.

"Of course you will be paid. Well to. As to your question, I do have another one of those stones... though not exactly the same. Different Ioun stones have different properties. We got lucky that the first stone i tried matched... though with what books i did have I believe this."

She began pushing forward onother one of the cases.

"I believe this stone should be able to be joined with the next shard.... deactivating its curse."

One of the servants came in with a tray bearing several scrolls and laid the tray in front of Mrs Heidmarch. It held wax for sealing and an inkpen and jar.

"These writs will give you access to a line of credit... consider it payment from me for your work so far."

She began signing each then sealing it with her signet ring. As she finished each one the same maid handing you each a scroll, that if taken to the proper moneylender gives you access to withdraw 500 gold to be used as you wish.

"I believe you dont feel the insidious pull of any sort of curse because the ioun stone placed within deactivates it. I think it was pulled torwards you because you held less pride within you than the others... I guess.. that last part is theory and conjecture. This is so exciting. You all will do this yes, follow the clues to the next one and collect it?"

Shiela began almost giddy.

Strangely Ada, you dont feel any urges to dominate the world, or rule the lands... You feel... well like you.

"From all that I've studied of the items, I believe that Ioun stone should well counteract any sort of curse. The Shattered Star was designed by the ancient Xin as some sort of powerful defensive artifact. When the runelords rebelled againt him, it broke into seven parts.... according to legend of course. I only recognize it for what it is because im... well something of an expert on Thassilon, Ive spent my whole life pratically studying it."

She paused and one of the servants rushed in carrying two very old looking bottles of wine.She nodded and the servants began to pour.It was clear this was the very finest wine they had in the mansion.

"This item alone is enough to bring us fame beyond belief... but there can be more to be had. According to the legends ive studied, any wielder of the star can focus on the peice they have... something about the shape of it... and it supposed to guide them to the next peice. Try it Ada.... see if the legends are true."

She began the excitement clear in her voice. She took a deep draught of her wine but watch fervently.

Give me a concentration check miss Ada :)

At the sight of the shard Sheila's jaw opens in shock and her eyes widen.

"No thats... it can't... Oh..."

She began stammering and immediately turning towards the doors and rushing from the room. With the doors still wide open you can see her rush down the hallway torwards the houses very large library.

It is clear that whatever it was you laid on the table... she recognized it. Her quick exit from the room didnt seem filled with fear either quite the opposite that was excitement of the highest order.

She returns in very short order carrying a tray with several small cases on it.

"Sorry for my haste my friends, this is... well if its what i think it is... Well."

She opened one of the cases and pulled out a scarlet and blue Ioun stone carefully and tentively reaching out to the small depression in the sliver of strange metal.

"What you have found my friends, is nothing short of a miracle. Varisa has seen its share of miracles of late-- the discovery of Xin-Shalast and the defeat of the Runelord Karzoug, or even the release of Korvosa from mad Ileosa's rule come to mind. But this... this discovery will soon be remembered as equal to those events mark my words. This I am sure is a powerful Thassilonian artifact, a fragment of horacalum and a portion of the fabled Shattered Star of Xin: to be precise... the Shard of Pride."

The moment the ioun stone came in contact with the shard The woman whom carried it, Natalya sudddenly sat up with a hoarse cry of shock and fear... then abruptly fell back eyes rolling in the back of her head for a moment.

The shard took on a strange orangish yellow glow... and moments later that same glow seemed to emmanate from Ada's chest albeit weaker. The shard flashed again, Ada's chest just a second behind it... then they both flashed at the same time and then grew still.

Azura seamlessly switches to explaining, saying, "As directed, we investigated, found a cursed item, dispatched several goblin hostiles, and recovered the poor afflicted woman so that she could be cured of the curse that the item placed upon her."

[dice=Diplomacy]1d20+12

I see that my usual crappy luck with dice rolls at important moments is in effect.

"A cursed Item you say? How interesting. In the future I would leave your messes on the street..."

She began making a motion torwards the thugs tied up.

"Im Sure Koriah could help clean that up, Trendon be a dear and go fetch her please, I will call upon you on that other matter some other time perhaps."

She began and the nobleman turned bard sighed and nodded, tossing a quick wave to the ones he knew in the room.

"Lets see this cursed item shall we?"

She began pouring herself a glass of the wine as well.

Before anyone else could continue to pratically flew open your employer entering the room, a certain Nobleman half behind her.

"Welcome back friends I hope your business was fruitful?"

She began with a pause her eyes widening in shock at the sight of the two thugs tied and now probably gagged on the floor. Natalya Vancaskerkin stirred as well her hand sliding up to her side where she had kept the shard on her moaning and mumbling in her sleep.

"I uh... what has happened here?"

She began clearly uncomfortable with the thugs tied up in her manor. If she was upset by the wine retreival she hadnt said anything.

The man behind her took a deep breath and leaned against the door frame waiting. He looked very annoyed though it wasnt clear if it were to his wait from Mrs Heidmarch or something else. He gave those he knew a slight nod if they glanced his direction and met his gaze for a moment, but he didnt say anything.

Saersha listened as their employer entered and began speaking to them. Her face seemed slightly disappointed at not getting to meet the twins, but she was still interested in everything that was said, "This Underbridge place sounds...interesting." Her voice dripped with sarcasm as she spoke but otherwise seeming serious. "What information does the woman have anyway? What is it she was involved with?"

"She is a member of a local Sczarni gang. Evidently they stumbled across some old possible Thassilonian ruins and this woman thought i might be interested in that. She was going to provide both the location and some of the uncovered relics there to me and had hinted that they had discovered something big when she disapeared. I had tasked the other team with discovering what happened to her when well half of them became incapacitated one way or another. Since my husband is still away up north at the digsite in Sandpoint I have pulled you three to aid them.

If its a big enough discovery i have every intention in calling in more assets from the lodge if possible to put pressure on the mayor to give us more access to the site. But we need Natalya if she is still alive for that preferably."

She answered Saersha.