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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Dinkeldog" data-source="post: 335274" data-attributes="member: 195">Jaag's Journal:It became clear that the reward for all our efforts was now in our hands, or should I say, in my hands, for it was I, Jaag, "The Mighty," that held the black sword we captured from the bugbear chieftain!  Yes, it was my sword now!  And any who might try to steal it while it is in my care will meet a foul end!  It is a fine blade, but not of any dwarven craftsmanship that I could tell.  Perhaps a less choosy warrior might find it useful though. Kellan was off to talk to his superiors, while Nikolai said something about talking to his god or something as he went off to bed.  Sometimes, I think he just talks to himself in his sleep and then says weird stuff the next day, but so far he doesn't seem too, you know, crazy. Meanwhile, Jorie was busy haggling for a drink at the bar, which isn't easy to do when you're a badger.  But Rodrigo was mentioning something about knowing somebody who buys such things as the black sword I now possessed.  "Why not?," I thought.  "Hey, Rod.  Let's go talk to your friend and see what kind of price we can get?"  A smile crossed his face as I finished my ale, and a few minutes later we were in the seedy backroom of a different bar.Rodrigo's connection had a buyer in mind right away, and if they can pay a price as high as 38,000gp for a single blade...well then!  Ordinarily, I'm patient with the others in the party and let them decide things, but I had been taught to be a good dealmaker by Hastur ever since I was a wee lad.  If the gold is good, then there will be no reason to wake the others so late at night, and with this much money, no reason to be disappointed over the trouble we've been through to get it.  Finally, my skills as a seller of weapons can be appreciated.Sure, we had agreed with the lady that she would return our rod of restoration if we gave her the black blade, but we didn't promise, did we?  Only Kellan is foolish enough to make promises, and if he did promise I don't remember.  Rodrigo said himself that we can make a more powerful magic item than the magic rod that was taken from us with our 38,000 gp, so it only made sense that we would make the smarter deal. Going once?!  Going twice?!  Sold!  Not a bad deal at all if I do say so myself!Before the end of the night, ironically enough, I spoke with Rodrigo of crafting something magical to strengthen my mind, so as not to become mind-controlled by evil spirits and such like Stirling Dale in the future.  Afterwards, being late, I imbued some of my own good spirits and had a few more ales before heading off to bed.Sometime the next day, I awoke to hear Rodrigo and Nikolai arguing about something.  I came down and gave 3 gp to one of the bedchangers to run across the street and fetch me a mug of their best ale from the tavern.   But Nikolai kept yelling the whole time about the sword or something.   Rodrigo just stood there and pointed at me like I knew something.  I finally opened my eyes all the way.  I just stared back at Nik and said, "We sold it for a good price.  Here.  Here's your share."  And I handed him a large pouch filled with coins and gems.  He wasn't amused.  All I could do this early in the morning (and without my morning ale I should add) was stare back dumbly and respond, "what?!"Nik just fumed off and went to talk to his god again.  It didn't take long before I heard a story about some guy that threw a bag of coins and gems into the crowd in the morning marketplace.  I felt my own pouch of loot for a moment.  Oh well.  Maybe Nikolai is more crazy than I thought.The bedchanger walked in with my first ale of the day at last.  Ahhh! Now, where were we?Journal of Nikolai Davros, Twenty-Seventh entry I must confess to some concern over the actions, dare I say even the soul, of Rodrigo.  At some point, his recklessness will catch up with him, and if he is lucky, it will not be at a point where his loner streak leaves him vulnerable.But I get ahead of myself.We returned from the Valley with the Bugbear chieftain's blade.  I presumed it to be evil despite Kellan's detection attempt - it is possible to mask such things.  Rodrigo wanted to sell the thing, but Jorie and I convinced him to hold off until I could cast Commune the next day.So during the night he and Jaag sold it anyway.I was furious.  It turned out Jaag was influenced by the blade's magic, but Rodrigo had no such excuse.  I did the Commune anyway, and it revealed that the blade was evil, and that it would be best to recover it and either destroy it or give it to the Lady of the Lake.The buyer of the blade was a man of poor repute named Black Jack Shellac.  He was on the road to Hommlet with a 6- hour lead by the time we learned his name the next day. I called an Invisible Stalker and tasked it with the job of recovering the sword.  This it did, with little effort.  It brought it back to me, and I wrapped it in my poncho so as to not come into direct contact with it, and Jorie and I took it immediately to the Lady.  There was no longer any thought in my mind of bargaining for a better deal; this thing needed to be disposed of in the best way possible.Rodrigo gave me my share of the sale price, some 9,000gp in small diamonds and other gems.  I went to the town market, and threw them with all my might into the crowd, and returned to my meditations.  Clearly I must have atoning to do.</blockquote>

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