Kurik crouches on the floor next to the strange spherical item. The floor creaks, the boards bending under his weight.  He begins closely looking at it, without touching it.  The item looks like a 6-inch-diameter gyroscope featuring two scorched rings inlaid with runes and a dense chunk of coal at its core. Based on the arcane ruins and the way it is built, Kurik figures that the device was designed to control the weather. In draconic symbols it has been so named "Summer Star". 

Before Badger can get to the object Mal will move to the hallway and check out the door to the south, speaking to Kurik, "I would advise not touching that till Badger gets here," as she looks around the damaged room, "and definitely do NOT let Badger pick it up."

Perception: 11

Kurik says, "wait don't come in here.  Seems I've put to much stress in these boards.  Much more and they may snap.  That and this thing clearly fried this body.  Let's mage hand it out.  From what I could gather, it's called a summer star and is does something weather related...  pretty sure the ashes are of the man we came to find."

Badger is itching to take a look, but is willing to forgo charging in and take Kurik's suggestion to mage-hand it out. However he can't see into the room to navigate his mage-hand. But then again... simple isn't really Badger's way. Drawing out his crystal ball, Badger attempts to scry on Kurik, hoping he isn't so much like his father that he would fight against Badger's own spell, and calling out his intentions to encourage Kurik not to so resist. Then with this image of Kurik and the room, Badger conjures the mage-hand and attempts to move it into the view of the scrying spell, and pick up the strange object and carry it outside. He'll also try to get a look at the body and see he can determine a cause of death.

(Should be able to do all that without expending a spell slot)

Mal stops when Kurik says to not come in. (She can ignore him and go down the hall into the other rooms if you like, let me know.)

From the deck, Badger ruffles around inside his pack and withdraws a crystal ball.  He mutters some words and closes his eyes. Then he summons a hand in front if him, and the ghostly thing floats away down the porch and through the window. Watching it through his minds eye, he works it over to the item. First though he takes a closer look at the body. Cause of death....incineration by a very hot flame would be his guess. A flash of heat and fire, given the place is scorched but didn't burn down. Likely magical!  His magical hand picks up the round device and floats it (whever he wants). 

Soon you've got the device outside. 

Kurik will poke around the body to see if there are any important clues.  Maybe some form of identification, books or notes on him, anything of the like.

Kurik pokes about the body and book once the strange item is ferried from the room by the mystical hand. 

Nothing remains of the charred book except ashes and a badly burned spine, upon which Kurik can discern the letters ETHER. It’s obvious that these letters were part of a much longer title. Meanwhile, enough of the charred skeleton remains to suggest that it belongs to a male human. Little remains of his clothing, but sifting through the charred bones and ashes you find an amulet, still golden undamaged. The amulet’s pendant and chain are made of gold, and the pendant bears the symbol of two hands cupping the sun, and upon touching it, Kurik feels the familiar thrum of magic. (after you identify it you'll find its an amulet of health). 

 Kari heard Kurik saying to stay out, so she is just waiting around. She keeps an ear out for any more of those laughing sounds.

Perception 10

With the strange artifact outside, Badger can take a good look at it without the clutter in the room, or having to enter the rickety house. Hearing that the body was incinerated, Badger knows he needs to take care. He looks around for a safe place to experiment, and decides on the outhouse. Badger places the object on the toilet seat, then attempts the following spells (in that order):

1) Detect Magic. A nice simple spell to see what kind of spells or auras are on the object.

2) Legend Lore. Perhaps some background information on the item, its origin, and what occurred here.

3) Identify. The final and most dangerous, requiring a touch, but hopefully giving specific detail on the purpose and function of the object.

Badger floats the Summer Star all the way out, through the chest high snow to the outhouse that Kari managed to clear enough to get the door open, and places it next to the dark hole that leads into the latrine.  He casts his first spell.  He detects a weak, residual aura of transmutation magic surrounding the object. Next he casts his legend lore spell. Knowledge seeps into his brain. 

The Summer Star was created by Macreadus, follower of Lathander, using arcane knowledge from the ancient empire of Netheril, with the goal of ending the cycle of constant winter in the northern region known as Icewind Dale.

Finally, Badger begins casting the identify spell that will let him know the exact state of this strange artifact. As he touches it, its core glows with a golden radiance as bright as a candle flame. As soon as he withdraws his finger the light fades.  The identify spell tells Badger that the object is meant to control the weather, specifically to alter the weather and counter the effects of the Icemaidens enchantments that lock the north in winter. It requires attunement to activate. 

 Kari watches the strange object carried out and to the outhouse, and Badger seems to be taking his time with it. Curious, she finally walks over to get a better look. Leaning slightly to see it over the bundled up gnome, she waits until he is taking his hands off and seems to be done before asking What does that do?

Badger looks up at Kari and explains: It is designed to control weather. Supposedly powerful enough to end the magical winter. This could be it! This could be powerful enough to neutralise Mal's ring! Then with a note of trepidation he murmurs: I wonder why it didn't work for Macreadus... Perhaps he wasn't strong enough. He looks at it silently for a few long moments before making his decision. Well, this is what we came all this way for. If not now, then when? It should be safe enough while I attune to it, but then... you'd better stand back.

Badger will make himself comfortable in the snow before sitting with the object to attune to it.

Kari sees him starting to settle in the snow and grips his upper arm with one hand to stop him. Wait! She seems uneasy as she looks back at the house that's falling apart, and then to the strange object. I don't like this place, with the laughing, and whatever happened to- you say that was Macreadus? Let's go back a little ways first.

Kurik takes a moment to remove the amulet and pocket it.   "Sorry...friend.  I hope you don't mind, such an item may prove helpful in our task as ending the storm seems just as much entwined with us as it was with you.  May your soul find peace," he says.  He then takes a moment to go through the rest of the house looking for anything else of help or interest.

Investigation 12

Badger shrugs and rises, happy to oblige Kari's request if it makes her feel better. He figures Macreadus probably erred by attempting to activate the item indoors, and that the powerful weather-changing magic was probably unable to escape the cabin and caused the man to incinerate himself. If that was the case, perhaps the wooden cabin would also have caught fire, but Badger is a gnome of the Underdark and used to living in stony burrows, and that idea doesn't occur to him. Once they are far enough away for Kari to be satisfied, Badger attempts to attune to the item again.

(For now, Badger will drop the attunement to the Helm of Telepathy in exchange for the Summer Star item)

Kari stands a ways a way as Badger uses his mage hand to carry the device a little further away.  Kurik meanwhile continues poking about inside the cabin.  Kari is nearby. Mal, as cold and still as ice leans with her back against the cabin some distance away.  The icy ring on her finger begins to feel....uneasy?  Its disquiet seeps into Mal's thoughts and she starts to get rather uncomfortable as she watches the gnome begin playing with the artifact. 

Badger finds a good spot in the snow, sits down, and picks up the Summer Star.  Once again, when he touches it, it begins to glow with a golden radiance as bright as a candle flame. He continues gripping it, as he begins the long process of attempting to understand the thing. But...before he gets too far, the light suddenly blossoms, becoming a sphere of incinerating golden radiance.  Badger feels a massive outpouring of heat and light as the thing lets loose its potent energy!   Kari can only shield her eyes in horror, the sliver of shadow in the bright light where the gnome was sitting.  From within the cabin, Kurik suddenly looks around. It's as if the sun is suddenly rising!  Golden light shines through the windows lighting up the dark cabin.

Badger : Con Save please!  84 radiant damage on a fail. Half as much on a save. If it reduces you to zero HP's you are incinerated.  (Oooh, look at the lucky gnome, 2 shy!)

Badger CON save: 9

Badger knew this was coming. He saw it a mile away. If you could see anything anymore that was. He manages to roll away, raising his shoulder, and dive into a pile of snow. The snow melts in a flash but takes much of the power of the blast.  Even as the scorching radiant damage is burning him, Badger knows one thing. This is residual energy from a poorly made item. Powerful. Incredibly powerful. But exhausted for the moment in a flash of powerful expression. 

The light fades. Badgers is left laying on a muck covered ground. For twenty feet around him the snow is gone, the ice locked ground defrosted and turned to brown sludge.  Black streaks and dots sparkle across his vision as he tries to clear his eyes and see. Kari blinks the black dots from her vision as well to see the badly hurt gnome laying on his back in the muck, squirming about in pain.  

Kurik is left in the dark of the cabin once more as the sunlight from outside fades away. 

Mal heart is racing, but it's not for the gnome. It's fear, racing through her blood....sending her to a near panic that is now subsiding.  But...it's not her fear. The ring is afraid. 

(Badger, takes half damage.)

(Maybe as above but without the 'dodging' moves. After all it's not a dex save. Badger is so determined to attune to this unique item that he toughs out the pain.)

Badger's heart is racing, not only from the pain and exertion of the explosion, but from the possibilities that this item holds... if only if worked! Undeterred, Badger again picks up the object and begins examining it to ascertain what might be wrong with it and how it can be fixed. If it begins to glow hard again he will resort to using Mage Hand to pick it up (which seemed to be inert before). If he is struggling to make sense of it, he will return to the cabin and ask Kurik to gather as many of the notes or blueprints he can find, and examine those too.

Investigation: 13 (plus another roll if advantage/disadvantage applies: 12)

 As soon as she can see enough to move, still blinking against residual spots, Kari dashes toward the injured gnome. Badger! She slides onto her knees beside him in the mud, then remembers the little spirit on her shoulder. Don't look, you shouldn't see this. And she uses her left hand to try and block it's view while her right is frantically smacking any residual flames, none too gently, her glaive dropped and forgotten beside her. When she realizes that Badger is in fact alive she stops beating at him and helps him to his feet. Thank the gods your alive! I told you I didn't like this place. What! Your not touching that again, are you?! Here, let me help you walk. She will stay near him, being smotheringly helpful, and when she hears him talk about papers she will remember the ones she found and offer them to Badger for him to take a look at.