The Genesis Man

This is my first attempt at ever DMing a PbP campaign, and only about my fourth ever
attempt at DMing, if I recall correctly. I put out a open call for submissions for an open ended solo campaign to be built around a the character, and in the end I chose one of two submissions by Isida Kep'Tukari, an artificer by the name of Roth d'Cannith. Hopefully this will all go well, and this game will last a good long time, and be enjoyed by many, etc, etc, etc... Here we go!

Zor, Nymm 5, 998 YK

Dear Roth,

My sources inform me that you have recently begun an extended period of vacation, the timing of which may prove to be quite fortuitous for the both of us. Accompanying this message is a letter of credit for the tidy sum of two hundred galifars. You are to take this letter of credit to the Humble Scholar, a small bookstore in North Towers, and exchange it for a rather special manual, A Beginner's Guide to Arcane Studies. Trust me when I say that it is within your best interests to complete this task. Once you have the manual, return home and I will contact you again with further instructions. Oh yes, and please make sure that you arrive prepared for the worst. We wouldn't want anything, unpleasant, to befall you.

Signed,
A Friend

You had just finished the dishes from this mornings breakfast when you noticed the mysterious note and the letter of credit that had been slipped under the door of your parents home while your attention was elsewhere. You stepped outside to look around, but found that there was no one there, so you went back into the house and took the note to the living room to read it.

You can't think of anyone who would of likely communicated in this fashion, and you are quite worried at the prospect you are being watched, for what purpose you cannot fathom. They would have to have informants inside House Cannith in order to know you were on vacation from the 1st of Nymm to the 28th of Barrakas. Unforunately, no one you trust is available to show the message to right now. Your mother and father are both working, as is Norn. Pol is probably still in the company of his new lady friend, who you met last night when the three of you went to see a comedy at the Ten Torches Theatre, and your grandfather, Kaine, spends his mornings visiting old friends, particularly those whom he served with during the war. So, you are left alone to deal with this problem.

You feel yourself wishing your brother, Davo, were still here, but he left months ago, on the last evening of Olarune, to do study with other members of the House in Fairhaven, Korth and the Twelve. He was always more confident than you when confronted with the unknown, and he was always ready to give his little brother a helpind hand when you needed it, even if that meant dropping whatever he was doing to come to your rescue.

In any case, it is up to you to decide what to do about the note and the money. You had been spending most of the last four days wondering what you were going to do with yourself, and you're short on funds to be starting any grand projects with your newly aquired expertise. There was no mention of a reward, but you imagine this " Friend " will be willing to cough something up if you do as he, or she, asks.

From your parents home in the Cannith Tower, it will probably take less than an hour to reach North Towers on foot, or about fifteen minutes by skycoach, if you're willing to pay the fare.

Roth sat in the squashy chair in the living room, clutching the letter with what might seem to be unreasoning fear. It's just a letter after all. What could this be about? Is it a joke? A test? A mistake? Some pointless harassment? But why? Who would want to ask this of me? You know why. If this is a joke from Pol, there wouldn't be a mention of money. It can't be from Norn because it's too simple. Davo wouldn't do this just because it would waste time, and your parents and Grampy would feel the same way. No, this is either a member of the House that you don't know, or a rival of the House. And a rival wouldn't send a traceable letter. It's a test, his inner voice pointed out to him.

Oh boy... And it said I should be prepared... Should I wear armor? That falls under the definition of being prepared... Oh no, if I'm going to a book shop I'll end up standing out like a pig in a parlor. Well... a bigger pig than normal at least. Just good scholar's clothes, not too much jewelry, don't need to carry much money, just enough for skycoach fare... Roth mused on, putting the letter in his pocket as he went to change into clean scholar's clothes. A copper bracelet, an anklet, two rings, and his signet ring, belt pouch... mace? No mace, he decided, he was going to look silly enough as it is. But two daggers, one on each hip. He might not be a famous Thunder Guide or other famous explorer, but he had traveled enough in the dubious distrcts in and around Torchlight to know he couldn't show too much wealth as a single traveler and expect it to remain on his person.

Pulling a Brelish blue soft cap over his head, Roth scrawled a quick note to his parents that he was going on an errand, then locked the door behind him and headed out. First to a skycab, then to the Humble Scholar. Why do I keep having this sense of impending doom? he asked himself as he waited in the warm Sharn air.

Zor, Nymm 5, 998 YK

You make your way to the nearest skycoach deck and for the price of two sovereigns, you are soon on your way to the North Towers district. The familiar sensation of rushing air helps ease the uncomfortable heat of the summer sun, and it's nice to get out of the house. The ride doesn't last that long, however, and soon you have put down.

The mysterious letter didn't say when exactly where you could find the Humble Scholar, but with the help of a few passerbys, you manage to discern its location without too much trouble. The shop is locate on the western edge of the district, one level further down.

When you finally arrive, you are greeted by a small shop, well worthy of its name. The Humble Scholar isn't much to look at, with the wooden facade beginning to rot and crack. A sign above the door, painted with the name painted in red letters, is quite faded, having seen better days. On the plus side though, it seems to be about as clean as could be expected. There is a single window, through which you can see the inside is lit with lamplight, and the walls are covered with shelves filled with books. Without further ado, you go inside.

Standing behind the counter, pouring over an open tome, is what seems to be an impossibly tall gnome. He is past his best years, and it seems age is beginning to weigh heavily upon him, with deep lines forming on his forhead and at the corners of his eyes, which look up to peer at you through a pair of delicate looking spectacles. As you draw nearer, you see that he is merely standing up on a chair, thus making him look taller from the other side of the counter.

After glancing down at the open page once more, he closes the book and looks up to greet you. " I think I have been expecting you, " says the gnome. " Was there a particular volume you were looking for? "

"Ah yes, sir, yes indeed. I am seeking A Beginner's Guide to Arcane Studies, and I have a letter of credit to compensate you for the tome. Ah... by the by, who told you to expcet me?" Roth says diffidently, pulling out the letter of credit as he speaks.

Zor, Nymm 5, 998 YK

The gnome steps down from his chair, and picks it up, moving towards the shelf on the far wall. " No one told me to be expecting you, " he says, " I received a letter, and they gave no name. "

Putting the chair down, he climbs back on and stands up to look at the books on one of the shelves. Pointing his finger at one book, and slowly moving towards the right, he stops when he is pointing at two identical books.

" Oh dear, " he exclaims, grabbing both tomes and pulling them out. " It seems I have a second copy of the Guide... The problem is, they aren't the same. One has been enchanted, and the other is just ordinary, and I have no way to figure out which is which. "

He hops down from his perch and walks over to the counter, setting both volumes on top. " If you can somehow tell the difference, I'll be happy to sell the enchanted one to you, " he says. " Otherwise, I'm not sure what we can do. "

"I may be able to figure it out, if you would let me handle them for a moment..." Roth says diffidently. Assuming permission is given, Roth will handle both, turning them over in his hands, checking for faint tell-tale traces of magic in the form of faint shimmers, tiny writing, hints of ground gemstones, and other such things.

OOC: Artificer Knowledge check (I rolled a 10, getting a total of 16), with DM's permission.

Zor, Nymm 5, 998 YK

Examining the two items, you get the sense that the book on the right does in fact have a magical aura. The store owner seems to be able to tell you've been succesful.

" Now, that is quite the skill, young man, " he says, " I guess I will be take that note off of your hands now. You make take that book. "

"Thanks," Roth says, blushing a bit and rubbing the back of his neck with a hand in a nervous gesture. "My pardons sir, I know it's not really my place to ask, but why is the book enchanted?" he asks as he pulls out the letter.

Zor, Nymm 5, 998 YK

Giving you a rather curious look, the gnome replies, " I'm not really sure why the book was enchanted. " You get the sense that he isn't telling you the truth, but you're not sure you will be able to get a better answer if you press. In any case, he takes the letter of credit from you, and pushes the enchanted tome across the counter towards you. " It was nice doing business with you, " he says, then takes the remaining Guide to place it back on the shelf.