[LANAI] The Rod of Seven Parts: Into the Crucible

[hafrogman]

Rhys gives the wand a dubious look.

"That's it?"

 

[CanadienneBacon]

The wand is quite long for an instrument of its type. Fully 14 inches in length, the wand is crafted of smooth lusterless black metal. Wyleck, who had already seen the wand back in the Cockatrice before all the abyss broke loose, grunts in recognition. Rowan tosses the wand back and forth a time or two, long enough to realize that the thing isn't nearly as long as the eye would impart. The wand only seems to be over a foot long, when in fact it looks as if someone has affixed a ten inch piece of ebony to the end of a four inch piece of matte black metal.

Rolled a 1 on the Spellcraft. Yowza. The Know (arc) went a little better. I bought new dice last night, sorry.

Rowan has a look at the seam where the ten inch length of ebony is affixed to the four inch bit of metal. While unsure what magical power this "wand" might have, Rowan remembers a book from his master's shelves on the history of House Edain. One of the Old Kings from that now deceased line was said to have a wand of healing that was used after the Battle of Lucmyd to heal both his own Guard and the entire regiment assigned to protect the hamlet of Lucie-by-the-Sky on the eastern sea. This wand bears a remarkable resemblance to the one held by the Old King in an illustration inside one of Rowan's former master's book. History, however, is often overly kind to the great kings of ages past, and certainly Michel Edain would have been no exception. The party passed a statue of him on their way to the citadel grounds just this morning.

 

[CanadienneBacon]

Mazzel looks a touch wounded by Arden's accusation about the unordered state of his home. "Gads, you think the ring's in here?! Wouldn't that be marvelous luck! And here I thought the water beast in the Bathmere ate it." Mazzel looks like he's just about to commence turning over furniture to have a thorough look through his quarters for his long ring when Arden hands the wand over to Rowan. Dazzled by the prospect of magic in their home, the three rock gnomes jig over to stand close to Rowan and exclaim over the item as it's a holy relic of the God of tricks, Stecckirt Broadbarrel himself. "Would ya look at that, Dungeddin! All black, like that. And long, too. That's a big wand, gotta be something of the fantastic in that. Can I hold it?" At this last exclamation from Fognewtin, both Mazzel and Dungedding fall silent in shock. Mazzel thunks Fognewtin on the forehead. "Where's your manners, Fognewtin? They're guests, don't you be askin' to hold their magics!"

 

[Brain]

Arden gets a cunning grin on her face. "Maybe if you let me tidy up a bit in here I can convince my friends to let you touch the magic wand. I can't guarantee anything, of course."

 

[Rhun]

Rowan shrugs, and offers the ebony wand to whoever would examine it next. "Looks very much like something that the Old King Michel Edain once had. I believe that one had the power to heal. Whether or not this is the same item, though, I do not know."

 

[CanadienneBacon]

Mazzel licks his lips in indecision but shakes his head. "Tidy sort, aren't you? Make a good gnomewif. But, no, Arquestan said only to tell you 'ruat', to be careful about followers, and for us to point you on your way." Mazzel smacks his forehead. "Vaati. That's what he is. Been so long since I had to think of that, I'd plumb forgot. Arquestan, that is. He's not human, he's vaati." Mazzel looks confused. "'Course, I don't rightfully know what the devil that is. He looks human enough, but once I heard someone else curse him as vaati and that's how I knows it." The orange-haired gnome shoots a look at Rowan. "Don't know what you want to do now. Arquestan said show you the way but maybe there's other things you're needing to tend to." The gnome rocks back on two heels and twiddles his thumbs in glee. "Offer's good whenever you like. If we're not here in the hidey hole, we're probably somewhere else on the grounds or 'neath the keep, digging. Just come a lookin'."

 

[Rhun]

Rowan shrugs. "I'm not sure what it is we're to do. But I am a wanderer...all that I own I wear, or carry in my pack. And this wand, and your words, have piqued my curiousity. A grand adventure awaits, eh?"


OOC: Does Rowan have any clue what a Vaati might be?
Knowledge: Arcana +5, Knowledge: Dungeoneering +4, Knowledge: Local +5, Knowledge: Nature +5, Knowledge: Other (Untrained) +3

 

[hafrogman]

Rhys cocks his head at the gnomes.

"Show us the way. . . where?"

 

[CanadienneBacon]

The name Arquestan strikes a bell in Rowan. Rowan remembers seeing a street performer by the name of Arquesta. A human lass of maybe 19 with a rich throaty voice and a troupe of performing white rats, Arquesta frequents the Rivermark and can oft be found outside Moss's Agates and Gewgaws, a jeweler's shop inside the labrythine market place down by Nickleby Bar. Other than that, that's all Rowan recalls of the name Arquestan. Rowan has no idea who or what a "vaati" might be at this point, other than what Mazzel was able to provide.

 

[CanadienneBacon]

"Down the rabbit hole, a course!" Mazzel winks at Rhys. "Look, I reckon you're wanting to see the place Arquestan said ter show you, so I can at least show you the way. After that, it's up to you whether you go down. I sure's cain't make you, an' I wouldn't want to. Bout the best I can do is tell you what I knows of the hole that he said ter lead yous to." Mazzel offers the platter of mushrooms around. "Arquestan said there's another piece to that there stick you got, that the piece you got would tell you where the next piece is, and that I'm to show the entrance to the network of caverns where he thinks maybe the next one might be. Now, I can tell you straight up that we don't much go down this particular hole. No sir, not after the first time we went down there and Fognewtin nearly got his leg chewed off by a fishman. There's sinkholes in there, nasty slime and oozes, the mushrooms what as grow down in there ain't no good ter eat, and it smells bad. Mushroom?" Mazzel shoves the platter in front of Rowan.