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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Carnifex" data-source="post: 742658" data-attributes="member: 227">As the party disbanded and true night fell across the landscape, various members went about their own businesses in the late hours of the day. Up in his room, Burl unrolled the contents of the message canister, the hawk - perched on the bedpost - peering around the room with fierce eyes, its glare sending Spike scurrying for cover behind his master. Within was not just one piece of parchment, but in fact three. The first was simple writing parchment, an ink message written in beautifully flowing handwriting across it. As promised, the hawk. Write the prices of the goods we requested on the back of this piece of parchment, reattach it to the hawk, and let her free through the window that she might return with it to us. The other scrolls are arcane; gifts from your patron we believe you may find useful - Tewlcroghen Having scribbled down the prices on the back of the parchment and reattached it to the hawk - which promptly winged its way out through the window - Burl had time to examine the other scrolls. The first was in familiar necromantic formula; a spell as yet beyond his mastery, but not by much, an incantation designed to siphon away the life-force of another to reinforce his own, a spell of vampiric touch. The other scroll was completely different; Burl's read magic revealed its contents to be a spell completely unknown to him, Moonblaze. It was well beyond his capabilities to use as yet.Then it was off to prepare salves with Wyshira. There, in the gloomy lab, they mixed and concocted the ingredients that Burl had purchased. With so little time and but the two of them working on it, by the time they were too tired to continue they had prepared only one of the salves, but it seemed to have worked. The morning would tell, of course, when it had cooled fully, but the early signs were promising.* * *Sebastion, out in the stables, worked diligently away to repair his long-suffering armour from the battering it had taken during the fierce battle with the cult. The methodical manner of carefully and slowly going over his equipment was soothing and absorbing, so much so that the faint movement he saw through the entrance of the stables in the gloom outside was something of a shock. It was Wolf he could see. The man seemed to be simply wandering the grounds, perhaps lost in thought, and before long he had passed from Sebastions view. The mercenary hadn't appeared particularly sleepy, even though as he worked Sebastion himself found weariness descending upon him and eventually he fell asleep in the warmth of the stable. * * *Though sleep came quick and deep to Melisande, it departed with as much haste as it appeared, and in the cold hours before dawn she woke too restless to find it again. After some tossing and turning she sat up and lit a candle. The fire in the bedchamber had burned low; she put another log on and waited for the flames to grow bright again before unwrapping herself from the warm blankets and getting dressed. She considered going down to Lord Ecurius' library but then felt shy in case someone accosted her. The Lord had been displeased with his "hirelings", guests though they were, and might not approve of them snooping about his manor in the night. Instead she lounged on the window seat to listen to the rain. Her mind wandered long on the paths of her journey up to present; when soon the inky blackness reminded her too closely of Shadow she moved over to sit by the hearth instead. Here she turned her mind to more refreshing subjects than Ak'mun'tep's troubling words and demons in the dark. She was pleased with the outcome of her latest spell, for instance. The thaumic wave had been effective against monstrosity, man and dragon-kin that day. Soon she was toying with similar thaumic rays, but less bloody ones. Rather than create an energy burst, she tapped into the bright star that lit her mind's landscape to fuel a kinetic wave this time. Aiming this at a fresh log in the basket by the hearth she felt it catch on the object and hold; slowly, as if teasing a fish from a river on the end of a line, she lifted her hand and tugged gently--and the log followed. Smiling to herself she carried it through the air on a magic string and placed it on the fire. Transmutation, it was true, came easy to her. How she would love to know Ak'mun'tep's spells! But there were other lines of inquiry, ones she had been thinking on as well lately. For Transmutation was but a step away from Illusion, and the two schools shared many of the forms and lines of magic-working. She had always searched since childhood for a way to alter the blueness of her skin at will. The minor, ungracious spell she did have could only change her to one major color, so that if she aimed for average pinkish-tan she ended up with hair, eyes, clothing and even equipment all different shades of "skin" and this looked even more bizarre than blue. Yet here in Naseria where the chief god was blue and his favored priests tattooed to his likeness, her skin was not so much a thing to hide. No, it would be much more helpful to not be seen at all than to be seen another hue than blue. With a spark of mischief in them, her eyes turned to the sleepy blob lying in a puddle by the basin a few feet away. One of Pierre's heads eyed her back but settled in to sleep again, perhaps a little too trusting. Mel thought for a few minutes, chewing her lip. If you could make a path for light to go through instead of bounce off--there was room in astral space even within the solidity of a body... Gingerly she yanked out one eyelash, then hopped up and pulled a wad of the mastic caulking that sealed the window frame and returned to her seat by the fire, fiddling with it in her fingers. She tried twice and failed. Once, Pierre went as shiny as a lamp, and the second time he went fuzzy at the edges. The third time he vanished. Mel leaped up and clapped her hands in delight, which stirred Pierre, though he hadn't any idea what had happened to him. "Pierre, Pierre, you're invisible! I've made you invisible! Pierre? Oh no, you're still there, aren't you? Hop around! Speak to me!" The flapping of amphibious feet, accompanied by caustic and almost verbal cursing in her head, eased her fears. A moment later the water in the basin plopped and stirred seemingly all on its own. Mel made a dispelling gesture and found her toad, sure enough, floating angrily in her washing-water. "Don't be mad at me, you sour old thing. That is going to come in handy for sure." * * * * * *The morning found Wolf in the common room of the guest wing bright and early, looking as if his nights rest had been the most restful of any of them. The combination of fresh bandages and healing brought a new breath of energy to all of them though, wounds recovering well from the previous days exertions and battles. The veteran had the various goods they had acquired the previous day spread on and around the table. "Morning all, he said by way of welcome to each as they entered the room. "I've talked to Ecurius earlier this morning; discussed a few things. He's dealing with the events of yesterday for us, and this lot," he gestured to their acquisitions, "is going to stay in our possession; Ecurius has taken the books and letters we recovered but he's willing to make it available to any of you if you want to look at it, though we wont have much time since I'd prefer to leave before too long. I also presuaded him to once again employ his divinations for our benefit, to find out just what all this stuff does."Here's the list of stuff, as identified by Ecurius and explained by Wolf:Elaborate ivory wand from Cancer: Wand of Mage Armour, 36 charges remaining.Cancer's potion: Potion of Cat's GraceMonk's potion: Cure Moderate WoundsMonk's ornate but non-magical silver bracers - someone can try and appraise these if they want.Monk's magical hand-straps: Ki Straps, which increase the saving throw DC of a monk's stunning attacks by 5 (IIRC - I'm working off memory here and will check stuff when I get home, as I'm currently working off a uni computer).2 potions from the Dragonkin: Cure Light WoundsStrange and exotic Dragonkin mace inlaid with gold and lapis lazuli: Heavy Mace +1Golden Dragonkin Earring: +10 enhancement bonus to Listen checks.Silver Dragonkin Ring: Ring of Protection +1Dragonkin jewellry: Non-magical, can be appraised for value.Kaelos's red gem amulet: Amulet of Dragon's Toughness Grants +12 hit points to the wearer.Normal flintlock pistol recovered from slavers.Yew arrows tipped with lapis lazuli: Arrows +1 of Shock. There are 37 of these.Black Steel Longsword: Wolf identifies this as being of a particular type of metal called Carthagian blacksteel. Particularly fine balance and edge.Brown-Black Powder that radiates magic: Death's Heart powder, made from the heart of a particular type of undead. Empowers any necromantic spell that it is used as an additional spell component for with a bonus to the DC. 10 doses available.Crystalline Javelins: 6 prismatic javelins - magical javelins which when thrown energise into a bolt of a particular type depending on a d6 roll: fire, lightning, cold, acid, sonic, or Force.Scrolls from the desk: Fireball and Summon Monster IIPotions from the desk: Cure Light Wounds and InvisibilityVial of noxious substance: Some sort of poison.Box of gems from Cancer's desk: Can be appraised.Box of gems from Ak'Mun'Tep: Sapphires + lapis lazuli, can be appraised.Box of spices from Ak'Mun'Tep: Magical - Gehennan Spice. When a dose is taken it gives the recipient a bonus of +10 to Spot and Listen checks as it taps straight into their nervous systems and boosts their senses to greatly heightened levels for ten minutes, as well creating a sense of well-being and calm. 10 doses in the box.650 gp's in coin.</blockquote>

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