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<blockquote data-quote="Lazybones" data-source="post: 7053481" data-attributes="member: 143"><p>Chapter 7</p><p></p><p>The giant stepped back to let the others pass. Bredan was the last, and once he was through the door the big man fell in behind him. The young smith had never felt small before, but this fellow’s hands looked big enough to enfold Bredan’s skull like it was a child’s ball. His neck itched with the thought, and he wished he was carrying the sword rather than the shovel. The giant wasn’t carrying any obvious weapons, but Bredan imagined that it wouldn’t take much effort for him to snap bones with those huge mitts.</p><p></p><p>He had to make an effort of will to turn his attention to the room ahead. They walked through a short hall and passed a few other doors before they entered a small study. They had to be deep in the heart of the hill now, and despite Glori’s earlier reassurance Bredan still felt a bit of awe at the effort that had gone into the construction of this place. That thought that magic might have been involved made his skin tingle.</p><p></p><p>Other than the lack of windows the room was otherwise ordinary, comfortably designed with wooden panels covering the walls and more thick carpets spread out over the plain stone floor. In addition to another two doors there was a narrow hallway that led out of the room at an angle that kept him from seeing very far in that direction. A pair of bright lamps filled the room with light. There were more shelves that contained further books and knickknacks, but here the latter tended more to the uncommon and strange. Bredan found himself staring at a glass jar that contained an entire creature immersed in a dark liquid. The thing looked like some odd combination of a housecat and a miniature person.</p><p></p><p>He was so immersed in the weird thing that he was the last to notice when the wizard came in. She was an elf, which made her age difficult to guess at first glance. Her hair was flowing silver that came to her shoulders. She was dressed in a long robe of pale silk that whisked over the stone floor with each step she took. Her manner was brisk but not unfriendly, and she shook their hands when she introduced herself to each of them in turn.</p><p></p><p>“Telene Starfinder,” she said when she came to Bredan.</p><p></p><p>“Bredan Karras.” Her hand was as small in his as Glori’s had been in Quellan’s earlier, but she squeezed firmly and lifted her eyes to meet his. “You are the smith?” she asked, still holding his hand.</p><p></p><p>“Um… yes?” Bredan said.</p><p></p><p>“Interesting,” she said. Her lips twisted slightly before she released him and gestured them toward the slender chairs that ringed the room. Bredan looked at his dubiously, but when Quellen was able to settle into one without it shattering he took his seat.</p><p></p><p>“Thank you, Mog,” the wizard said. Bredan realized he’d forgotten the giant attendant, who bent low and exited through another door without a word.</p><p></p><p>“Would you like anything?” Starfinder asked as she crossed to the last chair, a plushly-padded seat next to a desk that was conspicuously clear of the clutter that occupied the rest of the room. “Tea, perhaps?”</p><p></p><p>“I think we’d like to get to the business at hand,” Kosk said. Bredan looked over and saw that while the dwarf had gone over to his chair he hadn’t sat down. He looked sort of like the way that his uncle did when they were about to start sparring. He’d folded his arms across his chest but he hadn’t relaxed; he looked to Bredan like the tensile energy stored in a coiled spring.</p><p></p><p>Bredan’s throat suddenly felt dry. “Um… if I could maybe have a glass of water?” he asked.</p><p></p><p>“Certainly,” Starfinder said. But instead of getting back up or summoning her giant she merely crooked a hand, as if gesturing someone closer. Bredan looked at the others and was about to get up to serve himself—though he didn’t see where the beverages were located—when a tray drifted into the room.</p><p></p><p>Here was magic, and no denying it—the tray was floating across the room unsupported, at about the level it would be if a man was holding it. It held a pitcher of water and several glass cups. Bredan shot a look over at Glori, but his friend was just grinning in appreciation.</p><p></p><p>“Cool, an <em>unseen servant</em>,” she said. “Majerion knew that spell.”</p><p></p><p>Bredan tried to appear unconcerned as the tray drifted to a stop in front of him. He hesitated again, unsure if he was supposed to pour a glass for himself, but then the pitcher lifted into the air and filled one of the cups. He waited a moment longer then finally took the glass. The water was cool and he gulped it all down before putting the glass back on the tray. “Thanks,” he said, relieved when the tray drifted back across the room. Quellan and Glori accepted water, but Kosk merely watched stone-faced until the tray had disappeared back to where it had come from.</p><p></p><p>“To business, then,” Starfinder said. “Have any of you heard of the Eth’barat?”</p><p></p><p>Bredan looked over at Glori, who seemed to know every story that was out there, but her face was blank. The half-orc likewise showed no recognition, but then the dwarf said, “They were some kind of magic cult in the last days of the Empire. Or so I heard.”</p><p></p><p>“Of a sort,” Starfinder said. “The Eth’barat did arise in the closing days of the Mai’i, when they had passed their zenith but before the signs of decay had become obvious. But their leaders were students of history as well as of magic, so they recognized the pattern before it had become obvious to all. The name means, ‘Keepers of the Flame’ in the Old Speech. They sought to preserve some of the lore that had been accumulated in the seven centuries of the Empire, the secrets of power that had been achieved when they were still in their early years of vitality and scholarship. They began preparing caches where they could secure some of that legacy, hidden sites well-protected by traps and guardians.”</p><p></p><p>“But the Eth’barat could not have anticipated just how swiftly the final collapse would come. They had only just begun their great work when Emperor Tivolus came to the Sapphire Throne. And of course, the story of what came next is well-known. The Eth’barat were swept away on the same flood of history that consumed the Empire.”</p><p></p><p>“What is it you want us to find?” Glori asked. “A horde of magical artifacts? A book of ancient spells?”</p><p></p><p>“A gemstone,” Starfinder said. “A slightly-irregular crystal sphere, roughly the size of two fists pressed together. The Stone of the Eth’barat.”</p><p></p><p>“What’s this stone do?” Kosk asked.</p><p></p><p>“It is an aid to divination magic,” the wizard replied.</p><p></p><p>“What, you mean like a crystal ball?” Glori asked.</p><p></p><p>“Something like that,” Starfinder said. “But more of a guide to the flows of magic within our world, and the worlds beyond.”</p><p></p><p>“Is it dangerous?” Quellan asked.</p><p></p><p>“No more so than any other magic.”</p><p></p><p>“That’s not a no,” Kosk pointed out.</p><p></p><p>“The Stone should be safe enough to handle, but I will provide you with a container that will give you an added layer of security, and make the Stone almost undetectable from scrying or other detection until you return it here.”</p><p></p><p>“That suggests there are other folks out there looking for it,” Kosk said.</p><p></p><p>“I know I am not the only scholar interested in the Eth’barat or their lore,” Starfinder acknowledged. “But while the Stone is useful, it is not really the sort of thing that draws the attention of rulers or the powerful. It is not a weapon, I assure you.”</p><p></p><p>Bredan raised his hand. “Um… could we go back to ‘traps and guardians’? Are you saying the place you’re sending us is still protected by defenses that are centuries old?”</p><p></p><p>“Yes,” the wizard said. “The Eth’barat worked in secret, but they knew that they could not rely solely upon that to protect their caches. So they relied upon magical defenses that would, if necessary, far outlast them.”</p><p></p><p>“And there is one such cache in the Dry Hills?” Quellan asked.</p><p></p><p>“Yes,” Starfinder said.</p><p></p><p>“I guess they weren’t as good at keeping secrets as they thought,” Kosk said. “If you could track it down after all this time.”</p><p></p><p>“I have spent decades tracing the Eth’barat,” the wizard replied. “I have traveled from the ruins of Carpathian to the buried city of Om Malask. I have explored Sesrek Nul, and stood upon the stones of the Way of Wise Kings.”</p><p></p><p>“I thought Sesrek Nul was underwater now,” Quellan said.</p><p></p><p>“It is,” Starfinder said, with a twinkle in her eye.</p><p></p><p>“Back to the Dry Hills,” Kosk said. “I assume you have more specific information for us to go on?”</p><p></p><p>“Indeed.” Starfinder turned to her desk and touched one of the drawers. When her fingertip brushed the handle there was a subtle flash, gone so fast that Bredan thought he might have imagined it. She pulled it open and took out a rolled scroll that she handed to Glori. “This is a map of the area, along with a description of the Stone that should be sufficient for you to recognize it on sight. I would certainly expect it to be hidden, perhaps magically masked or concealed in some manner. There are also some notes on two other Eth’barat sites that were previously explored by other teams of adventurers like yourselves. The defenses seem to be different for each cache, but you may find some clues there on what to watch out for.”</p><p></p><p>Glori opened the outer scroll. Putting the page of notes carefully aside, she examined the map. The men leaned over to take a look.</p><p></p><p>Bredan had seen maps before, but this one entranced him. It was exceptionally detailed, with clever drawings of hills and forests that made him feel almost as though he was looking down on an actual landscape from above. The map showed Crosspath and the surrounding trade roads, but most of it covered a span that included not only the Dry Hills but the barren lands beyond that extended all the way to the Silent Woods and the lands controlled by the elves.</p><p></p><p>Glori, in her practical way, had focused on the marker that presumably indicated their destination. “I think I recognize this region. That’s the area that they call the Godstones, isn’t it?”</p><p></p><p>“Yes,” Starfinder said. “The shrine of the Eth’barat is built into one of the bluffs. It’s rather off the beaten path, far from the ruins frequented by treasure hunters and the like.”</p><p></p><p>“That means there might be more natural hazards present,” Quellan pointed out.</p><p></p><p>“I understand the danger, that is why I have not made the journey myself, and why I am willing to pay what I am offering.”</p><p></p><p>“Speaking of, um, payment,” Bredan ventured. “That’s an equal four-way split?”</p><p></p><p>“I leave that up to you, of course,” Starfinder said.</p><p></p><p>“We are here to repay a debt owed to you by Abbess Laurine,” Quellan said.</p><p></p><p>Glori perked up at that. “Oh, so you’re not claiming a share?”</p><p></p><p>“Any share owed to us goes to the monastery,” Kosk quickly interjected. “But looking from this,” he said, indicating the map, “It’s at least a few days out, and that much back. We could probably use an advance to purchase supplies.”</p><p></p><p>“A not unreasonable request,” Starfinder said. She reached into another drawer of the desk, one that Bredan noticed didn’t spark at her touch, and took out a small leather purse that she handed over to Glori. The bard jingled it in her hand and grinned. “You guys trust me to be banker?”</p><p></p><p>Kosk frowned, but Quellan said, “Of course.”</p><p></p><p>“There are fifty gold pieces in that purse. The rest will be paid upon return, as stipulated in the offer,” Starfinder said.</p><p></p><p>“Half if we make it there but don’t find anything, right?” Glori asked.</p><p></p><p>“Of course,” Starfinder repeated. The way she said it, and the way she looked at each of them in turn, it didn’t sound that stupid to Bredan after all.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Lazybones, post: 7053481, member: 143"] Chapter 7 The giant stepped back to let the others pass. Bredan was the last, and once he was through the door the big man fell in behind him. The young smith had never felt small before, but this fellow’s hands looked big enough to enfold Bredan’s skull like it was a child’s ball. His neck itched with the thought, and he wished he was carrying the sword rather than the shovel. The giant wasn’t carrying any obvious weapons, but Bredan imagined that it wouldn’t take much effort for him to snap bones with those huge mitts. He had to make an effort of will to turn his attention to the room ahead. They walked through a short hall and passed a few other doors before they entered a small study. They had to be deep in the heart of the hill now, and despite Glori’s earlier reassurance Bredan still felt a bit of awe at the effort that had gone into the construction of this place. That thought that magic might have been involved made his skin tingle. Other than the lack of windows the room was otherwise ordinary, comfortably designed with wooden panels covering the walls and more thick carpets spread out over the plain stone floor. In addition to another two doors there was a narrow hallway that led out of the room at an angle that kept him from seeing very far in that direction. A pair of bright lamps filled the room with light. There were more shelves that contained further books and knickknacks, but here the latter tended more to the uncommon and strange. Bredan found himself staring at a glass jar that contained an entire creature immersed in a dark liquid. The thing looked like some odd combination of a housecat and a miniature person. He was so immersed in the weird thing that he was the last to notice when the wizard came in. She was an elf, which made her age difficult to guess at first glance. Her hair was flowing silver that came to her shoulders. She was dressed in a long robe of pale silk that whisked over the stone floor with each step she took. Her manner was brisk but not unfriendly, and she shook their hands when she introduced herself to each of them in turn. “Telene Starfinder,” she said when she came to Bredan. “Bredan Karras.” Her hand was as small in his as Glori’s had been in Quellan’s earlier, but she squeezed firmly and lifted her eyes to meet his. “You are the smith?” she asked, still holding his hand. “Um… yes?” Bredan said. “Interesting,” she said. Her lips twisted slightly before she released him and gestured them toward the slender chairs that ringed the room. Bredan looked at his dubiously, but when Quellen was able to settle into one without it shattering he took his seat. “Thank you, Mog,” the wizard said. Bredan realized he’d forgotten the giant attendant, who bent low and exited through another door without a word. “Would you like anything?” Starfinder asked as she crossed to the last chair, a plushly-padded seat next to a desk that was conspicuously clear of the clutter that occupied the rest of the room. “Tea, perhaps?” “I think we’d like to get to the business at hand,” Kosk said. Bredan looked over and saw that while the dwarf had gone over to his chair he hadn’t sat down. He looked sort of like the way that his uncle did when they were about to start sparring. He’d folded his arms across his chest but he hadn’t relaxed; he looked to Bredan like the tensile energy stored in a coiled spring. Bredan’s throat suddenly felt dry. “Um… if I could maybe have a glass of water?” he asked. “Certainly,” Starfinder said. But instead of getting back up or summoning her giant she merely crooked a hand, as if gesturing someone closer. Bredan looked at the others and was about to get up to serve himself—though he didn’t see where the beverages were located—when a tray drifted into the room. Here was magic, and no denying it—the tray was floating across the room unsupported, at about the level it would be if a man was holding it. It held a pitcher of water and several glass cups. Bredan shot a look over at Glori, but his friend was just grinning in appreciation. “Cool, an [i]unseen servant[/i],” she said. “Majerion knew that spell.” Bredan tried to appear unconcerned as the tray drifted to a stop in front of him. He hesitated again, unsure if he was supposed to pour a glass for himself, but then the pitcher lifted into the air and filled one of the cups. He waited a moment longer then finally took the glass. The water was cool and he gulped it all down before putting the glass back on the tray. “Thanks,” he said, relieved when the tray drifted back across the room. Quellan and Glori accepted water, but Kosk merely watched stone-faced until the tray had disappeared back to where it had come from. “To business, then,” Starfinder said. “Have any of you heard of the Eth’barat?” Bredan looked over at Glori, who seemed to know every story that was out there, but her face was blank. The half-orc likewise showed no recognition, but then the dwarf said, “They were some kind of magic cult in the last days of the Empire. Or so I heard.” “Of a sort,” Starfinder said. “The Eth’barat did arise in the closing days of the Mai’i, when they had passed their zenith but before the signs of decay had become obvious. But their leaders were students of history as well as of magic, so they recognized the pattern before it had become obvious to all. The name means, ‘Keepers of the Flame’ in the Old Speech. They sought to preserve some of the lore that had been accumulated in the seven centuries of the Empire, the secrets of power that had been achieved when they were still in their early years of vitality and scholarship. They began preparing caches where they could secure some of that legacy, hidden sites well-protected by traps and guardians.” “But the Eth’barat could not have anticipated just how swiftly the final collapse would come. They had only just begun their great work when Emperor Tivolus came to the Sapphire Throne. And of course, the story of what came next is well-known. The Eth’barat were swept away on the same flood of history that consumed the Empire.” “What is it you want us to find?” Glori asked. “A horde of magical artifacts? A book of ancient spells?” “A gemstone,” Starfinder said. “A slightly-irregular crystal sphere, roughly the size of two fists pressed together. The Stone of the Eth’barat.” “What’s this stone do?” Kosk asked. “It is an aid to divination magic,” the wizard replied. “What, you mean like a crystal ball?” Glori asked. “Something like that,” Starfinder said. “But more of a guide to the flows of magic within our world, and the worlds beyond.” “Is it dangerous?” Quellan asked. “No more so than any other magic.” “That’s not a no,” Kosk pointed out. “The Stone should be safe enough to handle, but I will provide you with a container that will give you an added layer of security, and make the Stone almost undetectable from scrying or other detection until you return it here.” “That suggests there are other folks out there looking for it,” Kosk said. “I know I am not the only scholar interested in the Eth’barat or their lore,” Starfinder acknowledged. “But while the Stone is useful, it is not really the sort of thing that draws the attention of rulers or the powerful. It is not a weapon, I assure you.” Bredan raised his hand. “Um… could we go back to ‘traps and guardians’? Are you saying the place you’re sending us is still protected by defenses that are centuries old?” “Yes,” the wizard said. “The Eth’barat worked in secret, but they knew that they could not rely solely upon that to protect their caches. So they relied upon magical defenses that would, if necessary, far outlast them.” “And there is one such cache in the Dry Hills?” Quellan asked. “Yes,” Starfinder said. “I guess they weren’t as good at keeping secrets as they thought,” Kosk said. “If you could track it down after all this time.” “I have spent decades tracing the Eth’barat,” the wizard replied. “I have traveled from the ruins of Carpathian to the buried city of Om Malask. I have explored Sesrek Nul, and stood upon the stones of the Way of Wise Kings.” “I thought Sesrek Nul was underwater now,” Quellan said. “It is,” Starfinder said, with a twinkle in her eye. “Back to the Dry Hills,” Kosk said. “I assume you have more specific information for us to go on?” “Indeed.” Starfinder turned to her desk and touched one of the drawers. When her fingertip brushed the handle there was a subtle flash, gone so fast that Bredan thought he might have imagined it. She pulled it open and took out a rolled scroll that she handed to Glori. “This is a map of the area, along with a description of the Stone that should be sufficient for you to recognize it on sight. I would certainly expect it to be hidden, perhaps magically masked or concealed in some manner. There are also some notes on two other Eth’barat sites that were previously explored by other teams of adventurers like yourselves. The defenses seem to be different for each cache, but you may find some clues there on what to watch out for.” Glori opened the outer scroll. Putting the page of notes carefully aside, she examined the map. The men leaned over to take a look. Bredan had seen maps before, but this one entranced him. It was exceptionally detailed, with clever drawings of hills and forests that made him feel almost as though he was looking down on an actual landscape from above. The map showed Crosspath and the surrounding trade roads, but most of it covered a span that included not only the Dry Hills but the barren lands beyond that extended all the way to the Silent Woods and the lands controlled by the elves. Glori, in her practical way, had focused on the marker that presumably indicated their destination. “I think I recognize this region. That’s the area that they call the Godstones, isn’t it?” “Yes,” Starfinder said. “The shrine of the Eth’barat is built into one of the bluffs. It’s rather off the beaten path, far from the ruins frequented by treasure hunters and the like.” “That means there might be more natural hazards present,” Quellan pointed out. “I understand the danger, that is why I have not made the journey myself, and why I am willing to pay what I am offering.” “Speaking of, um, payment,” Bredan ventured. “That’s an equal four-way split?” “I leave that up to you, of course,” Starfinder said. “We are here to repay a debt owed to you by Abbess Laurine,” Quellan said. Glori perked up at that. “Oh, so you’re not claiming a share?” “Any share owed to us goes to the monastery,” Kosk quickly interjected. “But looking from this,” he said, indicating the map, “It’s at least a few days out, and that much back. We could probably use an advance to purchase supplies.” “A not unreasonable request,” Starfinder said. She reached into another drawer of the desk, one that Bredan noticed didn’t spark at her touch, and took out a small leather purse that she handed over to Glori. The bard jingled it in her hand and grinned. “You guys trust me to be banker?” Kosk frowned, but Quellan said, “Of course.” “There are fifty gold pieces in that purse. The rest will be paid upon return, as stipulated in the offer,” Starfinder said. “Half if we make it there but don’t find anything, right?” Glori asked. “Of course,” Starfinder repeated. The way she said it, and the way she looked at each of them in turn, it didn’t sound that stupid to Bredan after all. [/QUOTE]
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