"I have full faith in your judgment, Aeleth!" smiles the mulatto warrior, placing her strong hand on the elf wizard's shoulder "If you think that studying the Staff will give us a decisive advantage, I say do it! I'll watch over you while you do it... I won't let anyone get close to you".
“You only agree because you're infatuated with him,” Merric mutters.
“No Merric, I don't think so,” Sildar corrects him. "Lola is ready to trust Aeleth's judgment because Aeleth is the one who has the most experience of us in matters of arcane phenomena. Don't forget that it was Gundren who wanted him with us in the beginning, in Neverwinter".
"Then let's do it, let's let Aeleth complete the Attunement" agrees Torrga "But let's at least go back to Iarno's laboratory... Maybe the Redbrands won't come there to disturb us. I don't think they disturbed Iarno often".
"Then, let's also take Iarno's corpse with us," suggests Merric, "so as to hide the traces of our presence as long as possibile".
With a plan agreed upon by all, the party returns to Iarno's laboratory, dragging the corpse inside. Then the two doors of the room are closed and Lola, Torrga, Merric and Sildar stand guard, while Aeleth proceeds to Attunement...
An hour passes - and the plan works! The Redbrands do not come to the evil mage's laboratory and not even cries of alarm are heard. They must not have discovered the party's intrusion yet. The elf wizard, in the meantime, thanks to the magical union created by the Attunement, has discovered the powers of the glass staff: its real name is Staff of Defense. It is made of glass, yet is as strong as oak. It weighs 3 pounds. While holding the staff, the wielder is more difficult to hit (+1 bonus to Armor Class). The staff has 10 charges, which are used to fuel the spells within it. With the staff in hand, the wielder can cast one of the following spells from the staff: Mage Armor (1 charge) or Shield (2 charges). No components are required. The staff regains some (1d6 + 4) expended charges each day at dawn. If you expend the staff's last charge, the staff migh shatter (roll a d20. On a 1, the staff shatters and is destroyed).
After informing the party of what she has discovered, Aeleth proceeds to search the body herself.
With a practiced efficiency honed from years of exploration and experience, he kneels beside Iarno's still form. His sapphire eyes scan the fallen wizard, taking in the fine details of his clothing, pockets, and any exposed skin. He pays close attention to the fingers, searching for hidden rings or amulets, and scrutinizes the boots in case any compartments have been cleverly stitched in.
Aeleth's nimble fingers work with practiced ease, unfastening clasps and zippers, carefully emptying each pocket onto a nearby surface. He examines every item meticulously, searching for hidden messages, coded notes, or anything that might shed light on Iarno's true motives, the Redbrands' operations, or potential allies or threats.
He doesn't shy away from lifting the clothing, checking the folds and linings for concealed pockets or sewn-in messages. His keen eyesight searches for any subtle marks or blemishes on the skin, hoping they might reveal hidden symbols or tattoos that could offer clues to Iarno's past or affiliations.
The tenacious search is followed carefully by the eyes of the party... but unfortunately no new information or clues emerge.
"Perhaps this scoundrel has left some clues in his quarters" comments Merric. "He will have a room that he used as accommodation, nearby... he certainly wasn't sleeping here in the laboratory - there's no bed! And if he was leaving in a hurry, maybe he forgot something around".
Disappointment flickers across Aeleth's face as he finishes his meticulous search, finding nothing more than mundane items. He carefully rearranges Iarno's clothing and returns the items to their respective pockets, a touch of respect lingering in his movements.
Merric's words spark a new hope in his eyes. "Indeed," Aeleth says, straightening up. "He wouldn't have spent all his time in this laboratory. Perhaps his personal quarters hold more secrets."
He glances at his companions, gauging their readiness. "Shall we explore his living space before venturing further into the hideout?"
"It seems like an excellent idea..." agrees Sildar, with a resolute tone "This laboratory has another door, in addition to the one we entered through; I mean the one over there to the east" and points to it. “Let's take a look at what's behind it!”
"Just a moment..." Merric approaches, on tiptoe, quickly and silently, and puts his ear to the door to eavesdrop. "I can't hear anything... it's probably empty" he says after a while and, cautiously, opens... at first just enough to peek, then completely.
"I'd say this is the room we wanted to find!" the halfling grins with satisfaction - and enters.
In fact, as you enter immediately after him, you all notice how tastefully furnished the room is... it's clear that someone important was staying here. It is a bedchamber, with walls covered with drapes of scarlet cloth. The furnishings include a small writing desk with matching chair, a comfortable-looking bed, and a wooden chest at the foot of the bed.
Lola and Torrga look around, eager to start searching the room, but unsure where to.
Maybe Aeleth has the right idea... Where to start looking for any 'secrets' of the evil mage? From the writing desk? Or maybe from the bed? Or rather from the chest?
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"I have full faith in your judgment, Aeleth!" smiles the mulatto warrior, placing her strong hand on the elf wizard's shoulder "If you think that studying the Staff will give us a decisive advantage, I say do it! I'll watch over you while you do it... I won't let anyone get close to you".
“You only agree because you're infatuated with him,” Merric mutters.
“No Merric, I don't think so,” Sildar corrects him. "Lola is ready to trust Aeleth's judgment because Aeleth is the one who has the most experience of us in matters of arcane phenomena. Don't forget that it was Gundren who wanted him with us in the beginning, in Neverwinter".
"Then let's do it, let's let Aeleth complete the Attunement" agrees Torrga "But let's at least go back to Iarno's laboratory... Maybe the Redbrands won't come there to disturb us. I don't think they disturbed Iarno often".
"Then, let's also take Iarno's corpse with us," suggests Merric, "so as to hide the traces of our presence as long as possibile".
With a plan agreed upon by all, the party returns to Iarno's laboratory, dragging the corpse inside. Then the two doors of the room are closed and Lola, Torrga, Merric and Sildar stand guard, while Aeleth proceeds to Attunement...
An hour passes - and the plan works! The Redbrands do not come to the evil mage's laboratory and not even cries of alarm are heard. They must not have discovered the party's intrusion yet. The elf wizard, in the meantime, thanks to the magical union created by the Attunement, has discovered the powers of the glass staff: its real name is Staff of Defense. It is made of glass, yet is as strong as oak. It weighs 3 pounds. While holding the staff, the wielder is more difficult to hit (+1 bonus to Armor Class). The staff has 10 charges, which are used to fuel the spells within it. With the staff in hand, the wielder can cast one of the following spells from the staff: Mage Armor (1 charge) or Shield (2 charges). No components are required. The staff regains some (1d6 + 4) expended charges each day at dawn. If you expend the staff's last charge, the staff migh shatter (roll a d20. On a 1, the staff shatters and is destroyed).
A Friend Of Mine:
After informing the party of what she has discovered, Aeleth proceeds to search the body herself.
With a practiced efficiency honed from years of exploration and experience, he kneels beside Iarno's still form. His sapphire eyes scan the fallen wizard, taking in the fine details of his clothing, pockets, and any exposed skin. He pays close attention to the fingers, searching for hidden rings or amulets, and scrutinizes the boots in case any compartments have been cleverly stitched in.
Aeleth's nimble fingers work with practiced ease, unfastening clasps and zippers, carefully emptying each pocket onto a nearby surface. He examines every item meticulously, searching for hidden messages, coded notes, or anything that might shed light on Iarno's true motives, the Redbrands' operations, or potential allies or threats.
He doesn't shy away from lifting the clothing, checking the folds and linings for concealed pockets or sewn-in messages. His keen eyesight searches for any subtle marks or blemishes on the skin, hoping they might reveal hidden symbols or tattoos that could offer clues to Iarno's past or affiliations.
The tenacious search is followed carefully by the eyes of the party... but unfortunately no new information or clues emerge.
"Perhaps this scoundrel has left some clues in his quarters" comments Merric. "He will have a room that he used as accommodation, nearby... he certainly wasn't sleeping here in the laboratory - there's no bed! And if he was leaving in a hurry, maybe he forgot something around".
A Friend Of Mine:
Disappointment flickers across Aeleth's face as he finishes his meticulous search, finding nothing more than mundane items. He carefully rearranges Iarno's clothing and returns the items to their respective pockets, a touch of respect lingering in his movements.
Merric's words spark a new hope in his eyes. "Indeed," Aeleth says, straightening up. "He wouldn't have spent all his time in this laboratory. Perhaps his personal quarters hold more secrets."
He glances at his companions, gauging their readiness. "Shall we explore his living space before venturing further into the hideout?"
"It seems like an excellent idea..." agrees Sildar, with a resolute tone "This laboratory has another door, in addition to the one we entered through; I mean the one over there to the east" and points to it. “Let's take a look at what's behind it!”
"Just a moment..." Merric approaches, on tiptoe, quickly and silently, and puts his ear to the door to eavesdrop. "I can't hear anything... it's probably empty" he says after a while and, cautiously, opens... at first just enough to peek, then completely.
"I'd say this is the room we wanted to find!" the halfling grins with satisfaction - and enters.
In fact, as you enter immediately after him, you all notice how tastefully furnished the room is... it's clear that someone important was staying here. It is a bedchamber, with walls covered with drapes of scarlet cloth. The furnishings include a small writing desk with matching chair, a comfortable-looking bed, and a wooden chest at the foot of the bed.
Lola and Torrga look around, eager to start searching the room, but unsure where to.
Maybe Aeleth has the right idea... Where to start looking for any 'secrets' of the evil mage? From the writing desk? Or maybe from the bed? Or rather from the chest?