D&D 5E Witcher: Mother of Monsters

[Queenie]

As Fergus turns the obsidian pendant over in his callused fingers, there are signs of faint etching along each of the metal beads. Runes of some kind, but they bear no similarity to the Skellige runes of his homeland. There may be significance to the obsidian, a secret meaning, but you'd have to ask a witch, or pellar, or alchemist. Witchers dealt in the tangible. Something about the metal beads, though, doesn't feel quite right. As he traces his thumbnail over the beads, Fergus realizes the beads have been dipped in a veneer of copper metal. (passive Investigation 13) In actuality, once he flakes off some of the copper gilding, they are dimeritium underneath.

Dimeritium, a rare precious mineral anathema to all things magical. The amount present in the necklace could easily be worth a thousand gold coins. A sorceress wearing such a necklace would be unable to cast spells, and would also be protected from the influence of outside magic.

Elora cleared her throat and gave Fergus a pointed look. "I gave you that so you and the group could look it over before we were all together," the sorceress rolled her eyes. "It's made of Obsidian. It's supposed to be used for protection but can also be used for manifesting one's true potential. Which is not necessarily a good thing."

"Does anyone else have speculation about it? We don't want to keep Odvara from something that can help her but of course, we need to keep this from her if it might hurt her. I can, of course, read her cards but that only shows me the very near future."

She pat the girl on the hand reassuringly then looked suspiciously at the necklace. "I do not have a good feeling about it. Something doesn't feel right."

 

[Aramalian]

The smell of fresh food does what the clatter of morning movement couldn't -- rouse Barakor Bloodbarrow from his rough, snoring slumber. The dwarf stands - kicking over the bench he'd been sleeping on - and stretches. His yawn turns into a groan of pain and he holds his head between his heavy hands and squeezes it. "Augh! For pity's sake, what is this old dwarf coming to? Hung over on a bucket of suds drank after a good fight."

He swallows four boiled eggs in rapid succession, then crunches several pickles to death while the rest of his erstwhile companions natter on about elves and such. When Fergus draws out the necklace, though, the dwarf is intrigued. He thumps over to where the witcher sits and stands on his toes to peer over his shoulder at the beaded obsidian jewelry. "What have we here?" he rumbles to himself, but sort of right in Fergus's ear as well. "What sort of runes are those, I wonder?"

---

OOC: http://orokos.com/roll/497120 Natural 20 (23 total) on a Stonecunning roll to evaluate the stone and its runes.

 

[Quickleaf]

Barakor knows well the dimeritium underneath. Though this, judging by its luster, was mined of ingots from Kovir and Poviss – where most dimeritium comes from – it is a mineral found in the mountains of Mahakam as well. An anti-magical mineral. Thus, the strange angular runes cannot be magical, like those inscribed by some gnomish smiths; dimeritium wouldn't take magical runes.

They are not dwarven runes, for dwarven language relies on pictograms. While Barakor doesn't know Elder Speech, it is has distinctive enough lettering to recognize the language of the elves; this is not Elder Speech. Nor is it Nilfgaardian, itself derived from Elder Speech. And Fergus, judging by his clothes and slight accent, would have recognized the runes if they were of Skellige origin.

An ancient dead language perhaps? Or a secret language? Or some mystical lettering, devoid of any magic except for their symbolism, used by the Lodge of Sorceresses?

 

[Aramalian]

Barakor knows well the dimeritium underneath. Though this, judging by its luster, was mined of ingots from Kovir and Poviss – where most dimeritium comes from – it is a mineral found in the mountains of Mahakam as well. An anti-magical mineral. Thus, the strange angular runes cannot be magical, like those inscribed by some gnomish smiths; dimeritium wouldn't take magical runes.

They are not dwarven runes, for dwarven language relies on pictograms. While Barakor doesn't know Elder Speech, it is has distinctive enough lettering to recognize the language of the elves; this is not Elder Speech. Nor is it Nilfgaardian, itself derived from Elder Speech. And Fergus, judging by his clothes and slight accent, would have recognized the runes if they were of Skellige origin.

An ancient dead language perhaps? Or a secret language? Or some mystical lettering, devoid of any magic except for their symbolism, used by the Lodge of Sorceresses?

"It's no language my people speak..." he continues, still leaning over Fergus with pickle-and-egg breath to accompany the tender aroma of a hung-over dwarf who's been on the road for a week or more. He lowers his voice even further, "Can't be magical, neither - not unless someone put 'em there to make ye think she's magical when she's just tha opposite..."

 

[Azurewraith]

"Sorry but why the big fuss over a necklace? I know men, I know beasts and I know the lay of the land but this trinket is beyond me" Tamaran looks genuinely puzzled by the interest in this trinket and what it was or wasn't.

 

[Shayuri]

"Let me see it," Talashia said peremptorily, leaning forward and reaching out a hand with grabby-finger motions.

(OOC - Does she recognize the writing, or the material? No one's mentioned dimeritium IC yet )

 

[Aramalian]

"Let me see it," Talashia said peremptorily, leaning forward and reaching out a hand with grabby-finger motions.

(OOC - Does she recognize the writing, or the material? No one's mentioned dimeritium IC yet )

"Careful, lady - that metal might not agree with your... Personality," Barakor says in a stage whisper.

Sent via EN World mobile app

 

[Shayuri]

Barakor earns himself an angry glare for his trouble.

"My personality will be just fine."

 

[Azurewraith]

Tamaran can't help but stifle a grin at the dwarves telling off.

 

[Quickleaf]

GM: You can make a DC 15 Intelligence (Arcana) check to identify the dimeritium and perhaps a bit of the runes.