Ok, this may be a long update, so get comfortable. Also the choices for this one revolve around everyone's favourite RPG past-time shopping....
Chapter 3: A Temple of Lies and Truth and the Canvas City
As you slip into your tunic and trousers you run through your options...
You don't really feel inclined to be running favours for a thieves guild, while you have nothing against them it just strikes you as too much trouble for such an uncertain reward. Besides, who is to say they would keep their word even if you did them a favour; better to go your own way.
And for the same reason the Government was completely out, you want the stone and it would be a complete shame for it to wind up in the Imperial treasury, its secrets lost on accountants and petty bureaucrats.
Pulling your hair back and up into a practical bun you wedge you hat down over your head...
You briefly consider hiring some mercenaries, after all every good mage knows the value of keeping warm bodies between you and the enemy but you quickly dismiss it. The more honest outfits would refuse to break the law while the less scrupulous may turn on you below the city, a knife in the dark is all it would take...
You put your hand on your hip and survey the room, gathering your notes and books in your pack you buckle on your knife... hmmm... you may need to pick up another weapon, a small part of you seems to think a whip would be a good idea, you will have to consider going shopping tomorrow...
What you are certain you will need is magical support, a well placed fireball can solve all sorts of problems, while more subtle magics can avoid conflict in the first place. You consider enlisting a Warlock for just a moment. There are no better combat mages in the Empire after all and yet you hesitate. The Warlocks are not known for their loyalty and if they were to turn on you well you are not certain that you could best one in a magical duel.
You rack your mind for other options... and it hits you, The Children of the Callieach, a minor circle to be sure and nowhere near as powerful as the Warlocks but also far less dangerous. As an added bonus their love for history and knowledge may just override their fear of Imperial law and the minions of the Dark. You resolve to go to their offices this very morning, and once you set your mind to something there is no stopping you...
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"What, in the name of Wyrd, do you mean I can not enter!" you demand
You are standing in the street outside the Circle's offices in the middle of a rather heated exchange with the six foot tall door guard. You could not overpower him even if you tried...
"Just as I said my lady, I am afraid you can't enter." responds the doorman with a dismissive air.
Calming yourself, you inquire; "What would be required to grant me entrance to the most noble circle of the Children of the Callieach?"
The doorman considers your request for a moment; "a formal invitation from a member of the Circle I am afraid, barring that I can think of no way for you to gain entry..." the doorman gives you one of the most smug grins you have ever had to endure.
You look at the ground and mumble; "I have money..."
Now that gets his interest for a moment before he dismisses it, as a servant of the Circle he is paid well and to cross a mage, let alone a circle of them would be suicide.
As you are about to give up a window on the second story opens and a male voice calls down into the street; "Jabber, what in the hells is all the noise about down there?"
The guard, whom you surmise must be named Jabber responds to the voice; "Just some con-artist that wants entry to the circle, don't worry sir I will rough her up something good as-"
You don't let him finish that sentence, if you can't go through this idiot you shall go above him; "I am no con-artist sir, I am a scholar and a fellow traveller seeking an audience with the Circle to propose a mutually beneficial partnership."
"Well you have my interest girl. Jabber let her through."
The guard shifts uncomfortably, he really does not want to let you in but an order is an order.
"Doctor Miosguinn's office is on the second floor, third door on the left..." he states in a clear if strained tone.
"Marvelous," you respond, "thank you for all of your help..." as you walk past the man you brush his leg and cast a minor cantrip, a small suggestion... that he has a poisonous spider in his armour.
As he screams you enter the building...
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The man that sits across from you; Miosguinn, fellow of The Children's Muirthemne branch is in his early forties and does not look anything like a mage, in fact he looks like a librarian but you know better than anyone that looks can be deceiving.
It seems you will not be able to meet with the Circle today, many of its members are out of the city but Miosguinn himself is quite interested in your proposal. It seems that the Smiths of Muirthemne are a topic near and dear to his heart and he agrees to accompany you with his apprentice Isolde. You assume that the bookish girl popping in and out of the room and giving you dirty glances must be her. She could not be more than sixteen and normally you would protest, the ruins are no place for a child but Miosguinn assures you that she is a more than capable of taking care of herself. You shrug, not your problem if the kid dies in the dark, you have warned them and that is as much responsibility as you will take in the matter.
All that he asks is that you give him any tomes or items associated with the Smiths that the expedition may recover. A reasonable request all things considered and it was always doubtful that you would find a mage that would work simply for gold. At least he does not want the stone and while you are not keen to surrender any magical item you see no real problem with this and agree.
You thank the doctor for his time and inform him that you will return in two days to collect him and his student...
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You retreat back to the local tavern, you look for Brigit to let her know you will sadly have to decline her invitation but she is nowhere to be found. You muse, maybe she was called away or she already figured it out for herself and decided to do something more productive with her time.
After a quick, and cheap, lunch in the local tavern, you think about how to spend the afternoon. You resolve to return to the tent city, talents from all over the Empire are to be found amongst the tents and you just have to find them.
As you weave amongst the tents you hear a great commotion, someone, or a group of "someones", is smashing up a tent. Turning the corner you come across quite the scene, a slim and graceful woman is standing to one side while the largest, most rotund gentleman you have ever seen proceeds to destroy her tent with a few of his cronies. A crowd of twenty odd bystanders look on.
Inching closer you can just make out their conversation, it seems he wants his money back while she is claiming she did everything that could be reasonably expected of her... hmmm... a physician perhaps?... as the thought crosses your mind the man grabs a chest and hurls it against the ground, it splinters to reveal her tools of the trade... oh, now you know what this is about, she is a whore or perhaps a courtesan down on her luck. The man must be an unsatisfied client, though looking at her you wonder how anyone could be unsatisfied with her... as these ideas roll through your head the situation continues to escalate. It seems that she is done trying to placate the man and is instead changing her strategy.
"Sir, I have offered my services to merchants and kings, wizards and poets, men and women great and small and each of them has left satisfied, if you are not happy with my services then may I suggest that the fault does not lay with me, sir." The sharpness with which she emphasizes sir cuts through the man's rage and he turns to her.
"What you try'in to say!" yells the great blob of a man.
"I am saying sir that perhaps you are lacking, perhaps your candle is a bit too short, your dagger a little blunt, your dog's head a little flea bitten, your dragon without fire, your fang chipped, your ferret lame, your mutton too tough, in short sir perhaps you are lacking!" the young, and perhaps a little foolish, courtesan replies.
The great lummox displays a look of profound confusion, as if the ladies harangue had overwhelmed his senses.
Stopping for a moment the man repeats himself; "What you try'in to say lady." His tone is flat and full of menace.
But she has completely given in to her anger, "I am saying, you waste of human flesh, you maul in man's clothing that you have the thinnest, the smallest, the most misshapen manhood I have ever had the misfortune to encounter and it is due to your minuscule member that you are unable to find satisfaction. And if that is too much for you to comprehend sir, then I will say only this... You have a small cock!"
At that moment the entire scene freezes in absolute silence, you can see it play out, you know exactly what will happen.
The insult registers in the mind of this moron, his fist balls, he will strike her. What he does not notice is the knife that has slipped out of her sleeve. Still you do not like her odds, it is none of your business of course and yet, you resolve in that moment to do something about it. A brilliant orator would talk the man down, a great warrior would beat him down, but you are neither of these things you are a mage and so you scheme. You look over the man, brown stained shirt, brown worn trousers straining against his girth and then you spot it; the most ugly belt buckle you have ever seen, solid bronze with partial gold plating and you have your plan.
Grabbing your spellbook you work quickly; Sort, no; Polish, well that is what got her in trouble; Light, useless; but there it is...
Retrieve Item a fairly useless little spell that requires a crystal clear image of what you want returned to you. Luckily the image of that belt buckle is burnt into you mind. You ready the spell and you cast it.
His fist comes up and his trousers come down, he stops in shock. You pocket the belt buckle.
And as you look you realize that she may have overstated her case a little, not a problem you were prepared for this possibility and you begin projecting an image into the minds of the crowd. Now if they had been moving, it would not work; if they were aware of your presence, it would not work; if there were more people here, it would not work. But in this case you are just able to manage it, they see exactly what the courtesan described and they begin to laugh.
The courtesan is looking around, she knows someone is casting she can feel it, must have some talent you think, you can sense her attempts to find you and her immense gratitude.
She only hesitates for a moment before launching into one of the most spirited deconstructions of a person you have ever witnessed, you almost feel the urge to write it all down, preserve it for posterity but you have to maintain absolute attention to keep up the illusion.
As the crowd turns on the man and his fellows they begin a hasty retreat, shouting curses as they run, you would not be surprised if the guy left the camp after a humiliation like that, you chuckle to yourself, your good deed for the year done.
Then you realize that she is waving you over, you try not to make eye contact but she is not giving up so eventually you walk over, she leads you into what is left of her tent and motions for you to sit in a gorgeous high-backed velvet chair. Snapping her fingers her small lamp springs to life, so she does have a little training you think congratulating yourself on your keen perception.
The two of you spend the better part of an hour in conversation, turns out that business has not been good for her and she has been forced to expand her clientele. Given the events of this afternoon she is inclined to pursue another line of work if only momentarily. She has some skill with magic and she is quick with a knife though looking at her you can tell she is not really strong enough to do real damage with one. What really impressed you was her gift for words, someone this persuasive would be a useful ally so you take a chance and explain your plan.
She seems disinterested, though polite, until you mention the vast riches and power of the Old Empire. The mention of gold and ancient artefacts is enough to get her wholehearted support and she even offers to let you use a house she owns to entertain more discreet clients. The tent, she explains was more of a store front while the "business" occurred in a more easily controlled environment. You are open to the idea and tell her that you will meet her there in two days time with any support you can muster, she gives you a password so that you may gain entry.
As you bid her goodbye she plants a kiss on your cheek, a thanks to her "brave and cunning rescuer", and says her name is Thaïs, whether that is her real name or merely an alias you are not sure.
As you continue to explore the tent city you hear the sounds of a fight and decide to head towards it. After all it worked out well the last time you think to yourself. As you enter one of the larger squares in this city of canvas and rope you come across quite a sight. A single, one-eyed warrior and a mammoth mountain of muscle wielding a greatsword are fighting back to back against a dozen men, six men circle the pair while the rest lay on the ground wounded, unconscious or perhaps dead. You wonder if you should try to help them but ultimately decide it would be better to see what they can do.
The Berserk, since you are sure that, that is what he is leaps out at the closest man. All fury and speed but with a grace and determination lost in civilized men. He is a wolf amongst dogs and the power and mastery of the blade he displays leaves little doubt that the three men he is fighting are doomed. A whirling storm of steel, the northerner hacks off the arm of the first sell sword and delivers a quick kick to the stomach of the second. He traps the blade of the third on the guard of his blade and renders him unconscious with a quick punch to the head.
Meanwhile on the other side of the square the one-eyed warrior battles against the remaining sell-swords. What the giant had in speed and bravery the warrior has is patience and positioning. He is guiding the fight and the sell-swords are dancing to his tune. A quick thrust to the throat drops one, followed by a heavy push with his shield to the other. Turning to the third sell-sword the warrior salutes him and moves to close, the sell-sword surveys his surroundings and seeing that he is the only man on his side still standing he makes a break for it... right past your extended leg. The sell-sword dives head first into the dirt and decides to take a little nap as you strike him across the back of the head.
The two men move back towards the centre of the square the Northerner practically bellows his victory to the stars while the warrior checks the dead and wounded, stabilizing those that he can and granting quick death to those too far gone.
As you approach the two men, the barbarian momentarily tenses up but then dismisses you as a threat while the warrior greets you.
He introduces himself as Gareth and the big fellow as Tyrvard... "Tyrvard of the Thunderous Blows" his companion corrects him. You offer to buy the two men a drink and they readily agree.
The three of you return to the tavern and this time you make note of its name, The Hanged Man. The barman is starting to warm up to you as you always pay up front and cause no trouble, when you wink at him this time he winks back. You get four pints, two for Tyrvard as he claims the ale of the Empire to be akin to water, and settle down in your usual booth.
Over the course of he next half-hour you outline your plan to the two men, Tyrvard agrees as soon as he hears about the danger of the task, seems he values a good fight over everything else. Gareth is a bit more hesitant but agrees when you point out that the men he just fought probably had friends and that it would be better to get out of camp for a while. You give the two men the address of Thaïs' safehouse and the password to get inside and you tell them to meet you there in two days time.
As you leave the tavern the sun is beginning to set on the horizon, as you head back to your tent you see a lone, frail figure moving from tent to tent, out of curiosity you decide to follow him. At first you think the man a thief, but from every tent he enters you hear screams and cries. Perhaps the man is a murderer you think and you resolve to investigate the situation, if there is a murderer in camp he is a danger to everyone, even you.
Following the man to the next tent you creep close to listen but instead of the sounds of struggle you hear a calm if accented voice giving instructions.
"This man has the dead rot, probably from wandering in the ruins of the city." states the calm voice, clearly.
A second and third voice try to protest but the first cuts them off; "I am not of the Empire and I am not here to enforce their laws, your friend has the dead rot, I can cure it for three silver."
Again the other two voices chime in, the first respond again; "I do not negotiate my prices."
After much grumbling about money-grubbing foreigners the second voice agrees to pay and the third voice lets out a small cry while this man, clearly a physician, gets to work.
Twenty minutes later his work is done, the first voice collects his pay and slips out of the tent so quietly that he actually surprises you as he turns the corner and walks right into you. What follows is a long string of mutual apologies and introductions. The name he gives you is One Serpent Green Talon, definitely the name of a Journeyman...
The Journeymen where an order of healers founded by the disgraced Heron Guard of the Old Empire. When Alric reforged the empire the Journeymen once more took up the mantle of the Heron Guard. And yet here is this man with a Journeyman's name and a clearly northern accent, an intriguing mystery and if there is one thing you love more than magic it is a mystery.
You offer to buy the man a drink, he declines, you offer again, again he declines, you propose tea instead and with a chuckle he accepts. Returning to the Hanged Man for the third time today the barman greets you with an amused smirk which quickly turns to a wide grin when you order a pot of tea and some biscuits. Taking up your usual position in the corner you explain the details of your plan to this pseudo-Journeyman. He is remarkably open to the idea as he has nowhere to go and has had no luck contacting the man he came to see. You give him the address and password to the safehouse and tell him to meet you in two days.
After Serpent (there is no way you are saying that mouthful of a name each time you address him) leaves you switch back over to ale and enjoy a few hours rest and relaxation after a very long day.
You return to your tent exhausted but satisfied, you have made a lot of progress and two days from now you will depart. Tomorrow you will focus on gathering supplies for the expedition given you still have almost all of your funds.
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With the morning comes a new set of choices, there are a few things you can do today, you have to shop for general goods in the morning; food, water, rope, lanterns, tents and a dozen other things will be needed to succeed at your task but there are a few other things that also need attending to.
After paying for the basics you figure you could afford to go shopping at the following locations this afternoon, the question is what sort of items would be of the most use (pick any five items from the list):
The Cleaver's Weapons Shop, you need something better than a knife; a staff, a sword, an axe, hell part of you still wants a whip for some reason and this would be the place to find it.
1) A staff/polearm: it will give you range, though you have no real skill with it, still have to learn sometime
2) A sword: the adventurer's best friend. Perhaps Gareth can teach you a few moves?
3) An Axe: it would be useful as more than a weapon, it would let you break down doors and chop big pieces of wood into little pieces of wood... truly magical
4) A Mace: what could be better for fighting the undead?
5) THE Whip: It is glorious and you don't know why but it just feels right
Old Ren's Armour Shop, you probably are not strong enough for full plate armour (not that you could afford it even if you were) but some leather armour or mail would come in handy when travelling through the ruins.
NOTE: armour does not impact spellcasting in myth, Balor wore full plate armour so you don't have to worry about that, heavy stuff may slow you down however:
6) Padded Armour: not the best but it does not limit your movement
7)Leather Armour: the happy medium
8)Mail Armour: there are monsters down there I want the best I can buy
The Wizen One's magical bazaar, you don't trust the old crone but her items are usually good:
9)Energon Cubes: think of them as little magical batteries for when you need more power
10) Scroll of Firebolt: An arrow of pure fire, it is no fireball but it is a start (cast at full potency as a scroll or memorize and get better with practice)
11) Scroll of Projection: a fake image, the better you concentrate the better it will be (same as #10)
12) 3 Mandrake Roots: used in healing magics, 3 for the price of 1
13) 5 Gleaming Wands: they force invisible enemies into the light, your little magical glowstick
14)Second-rate Tarnkappe: it is like a cloak of invisibility but for it to work you can not move and it only has three charges
Ori Three-fingers, this shop is run by a rude little dwarf. He hates small talk but his prices are fair:
15) 5 "Dwarven" Cocktails: thrown portable explosives, sure you have no experience with them but how hard could it be...
16)1 Satchel Charge: explosives, could be useful, just don't blow your hands off, place and then set off with a fire arrow or fire spell.
Blind Bob's Odds and Ends; who knows what you will find at Blind Bob's (he sure doesn't):
?) want an item that I did not list well feel free to suggest one, get enough support and you may just get it...
As always, if you have any questions just feel free to ask...