Project Point: Team Longsword

Serandis nods, this woman seemed trusting enough. "Well, thank you for your time. I will like to return to grab some supplies. I am a student of the arcane. I have been training my whole life and I believe I am on the verge of unlocking the secrets I have been studying."

It's not that nothing caught Adaliza's eye here, but they had things to do. Still, was good to get another evidence of Seekers innocence. "Thank you again, Mistress Nyka. We probably have to go. But should we ever need something magical we now know where to search for it."

She looked at others "Shall we go?" They had to walk now all the way back down past the tavern and to the Cannith enclave.

"Yes. Window shopping here will not help us find the culprits."

"I can agree," Serandis agrees that they should leave.

Leaving the Arcane Knight, you head back down the main street and to the Cannith enclave, easily found thanks to the glowing gorgon illusion over the door. Inside, the mid-sized room is neatly stocked with all manner of equipment and magical foci. A half-open sturdy metal door rests on the back wall, behind a counter that is manned by a young human with dark skin and green-glassed goggles shoved up to rest just below the hairline. With a beaming smile, the human waves to you enthusiastically with a metal left  arm. "Hello! I'm Girez d'Cannith, at your service! What can we do for you today?"

From the room beyond the metal door, an irate voice bellows, "THE MARK, BOY! MAKE SURE YOUR MARK IS VISIBLE!"

"Right, sorry!" Girez hurriedly rolls up his right sleeve, revealing a lesser Mark of Making dancing across his bicep. "Anyway, what can I help you four with?"

Adaliza stepped into the enclave still lost in her thoughts about possible traffic of spell components but the spectacle in from of her snapped her back to reality. She returned Girez the smile: "Sorry for the interruption. I am Adaliza and these are Petra, Serandis, and Citron. We are those people hired by the Warlord to deal with blight. Would you have a  minute to answer a couple of questions? We hoped to learn if someone around here was buying a big amount of magic components for necromantic rituals?"

Girez blinks and scratches his head thoughtfully. "Um...large components for necromantic rituals...no, not really." He shakes his head. "We don't really have many components here, we mostly do finished goods. Sorry. You could try the Arcane Knight, that's the major magic shop here in town. Mistress Nyka has lots of components."

"We just came from the Arcane Knight."

"Then you might be out of luck. Sorry." Girez gives you an apologetic smile.

"Not of the necessary. You could still be of use, yes?" Serandis asks the young man, "This is quite the established place of shopping you have here." Her broken accent trying to phrase together the words correctly, not knowing if she was succeeding. 

Girez nods. "We're the main source of mundane items and arcane foci in Teryk," he says proudly. "Why, is there something you need?"

Citron peers at Girez from across the shop trying to figure out if he is being less than truthful....

[Insight: 21]

Citron: You're pretty sure Girez is telling the truth.

"Who is that in the back, the one who wants you to share your Dragonmark with us?" 

"Oh, that's my boss, Drilla," Girez says with a laugh. "They're really big on making sure the Mark is visible, especially when customers are in the building."

Adaliza glanced at the Mark a bit too intently but quickly averted her gaze. "Thank you for your time and sorry for bothering you. Guess it's time to try that compass from the Temple?"

"Indeed." 

Serandis bows her head to Girez d'Cannith and says goodbye, she then walks out of the store. Once outside she pulls out the compass and inspects it. This thing must have religious signifigance if the creature had it in their possesion. But what signifigance was it really? And how could it be used to track down what was the cause of the Blight? Things she wondered to herself as she looked the compass over. 

Religion check: 15

((OOC Finally a good roll for her...lol :P  WOOT!!! :D )) 

(Would probably be an Arcana for workings, but a nat 20 is a nat 20 ;D)

Serandis: Looking at the compass, you see that it is made of onyx, except for the shimmering transparent face, which is shaped of red glass. On the back, the simple teardrop symbol of the Blood of Vol has been engraved. Through the glass, you can see that inside the compass is a floating white arrow with a vivid green tip, both of which show easily against the dark backdrop of the stone. As you watch, the arrow spins back and forth, suddenly snapping to point northeast, in the direction of the fields where the blight first appeared. Based on Riska's explanation of how it worked, you presume that means the source of the intense Mabaran energy lies to the northeast of the town.

As for the religious significance, besides the symbol on the back, you find no other religious markings. However, you do see a line of arcane script that appears to have a divination function on the inside wall of the compass, barely visible through the glass. You'd guess that this kind of tool was used often by Seekers to find the location of unknown Mabaran zones or identify loci of necromantic energy, the same way you're using it now.

The script is certainly not on the level of the Aereni, but it is efficient and well-done. Whoever made this clearly had a lot of practice, so this is probably a fairly common tool, either in the Blood of Vol or in Karrnath.

"Anything?" Aldaliza looked at compass too over Serandis's shoulder. "Northeast, as promised. How do we do it? Just walking straight to that abandoned military outpost?"