Tests and Trials Game Thread

5

"Adamantine?  As in, solid adamantine?  Or just reinforcement?  Isn't that stuff meant to be real rare?"

Kroshav

 ((Insight from Kroshav please.))

Lurn feels a vague sense of unease that quickly passes as he focuses on the armor. Mikram drags himself over to it and hits it with his pick, not particularly gently. He looks at the breastplate and rubs the spot he hit to reveal no damage. He then looks disapprovingly at the slightly blunted tip of his pick.

"Ye don't know much about metal do ye? Adamantite is the ore used to make adamantine. Aye'm no master smith but aye heard they mix a bit of adamantite with steel and some of other metals to get something more workable but with nearly the same hardness. Still, this is valuable."

Kroshav insight: 7

Sword seems like she wants to help, but sounds worried about something.

"I don't, no.  I've only ever seen to church matters, like burials...  Well, it does seem like very good armour, but the magic on it could be bad news.  I've encountered a mace once - well, more of an effigy in the form of a mace - that burned when I touched it.  Demonic influence on that wasn't so subtle, we knew ahead of time, but after a couple of mistakes, I'm not going to go putting on anything I don't understand."

 ((The whole conversation between Lurn and Mikram is in another language, yes? Almost had Kroshav comment when Lurn mentioned demonic, but I don't think he hears it.))

((It's all in Dwarven, so hear but don't understand.))

Mikram shrugs.

"It's armor but aye guess the Drow got a thing for demons."

Kroshav feels a warm sense of smug happiness wash from Sword.

((What's the plan now?))

Carefully bundle up the magic stuff, keep them carefully separated to make sure they don't smack together and cause damage, go see the Librarian about the idol that summons a library golem?  Lurn has thoughts about offering to either leave it with her - as it's rightfully part of the library - or, if she'd want, to take it to a temple so they can use it to find the entrance and establish trade to provide her with the materials to maintain or reproduce books in exchange for copies of old books.  There's got to be an order that values preserving knowledge, even when it's not related to their order.

(I also figure we're going to need a few days to rest.  Charlie is severely malnourished, Cladmir still has a couple levels of exhaustion I think?  So we'll need to rest and let them both recover...  Surface is going to be covered in snow, travel back down to civilisation may be implausible, too...)

((Okay, I will address that a bit later today if no one has objections?))

((No objections, also ask Librarian if she's got a pearl kicking about that Joe can borrow.))

The gathers up all of their found goods and head back down to the Librarian's level, passing a number of golems. Most of the golems appear inactive, though a couple do move up and down the stairs.

The mud room turns out to be more of an ordeal to get through now that the golems are gone and the party has to wade through thigh depth mud to the other side. The party find the other side of the tunnel from the mud room blocked but the Librarian moves them aside to let the party pass.

The Librarian meets the party in the hallway before they get to any of the caverns containing books, the large snake women taking in their muddy state with a look of concern.

"Yes?"

Lurn presents her with the golem figurine and the Librarian snort/hisses before saying,

"So that is why my golems have been occasionally disappearing recently? You found a summoner! The entrance room where they were housed was destroyed, I presumed all were lost."

She leans in to look at it and takes in Lurn's offer to provide it to a temple for an exchange of knowledge.

"...I believe that is a reasonable idea. I plan to begin moving the collection out of the caverns and back above once the spiders ceased to be a concern. I would very much like to begin collecting more books for the library and creating reproductions for exchange."

To an inquiry about a pearl she would answer in the negative but offer to look herself to see if she can potentially identify any from something she's read.

((Rolls for that:

• A pen that looks to be made from a solid emerald --> Weak illusion and weak conjuration 18
• A pair of gloves that look like they are made from beetle shells --> Weak/moderate transmutation 9
• A pair of nasty, clawed looking rusty metal gauntlets --> Moderate transmutation 14
• A brooch in the shape of a small shield --> Moderate abjuration 22
• Ornate black breastplate --> Moderate abjuration 6
• A scroll --> Moderate abjuration
• An emerald gem --> Moderate conjuration 23
• A ring with a fish design --> Weak transmutation 21
• A rope, hempen --> Weak transmutation 19
• A lute, in good shape --> Weak illusion 8 ))

((Oh, and Charlie isn't that malnourished, he missed two days of food. He just likes to eat.))

The Librarian says:

• A pen that looks to be made from a solid emerald --> Weak illusion and weak conjuration --> Emerald Pen
• A pair of gloves that look like they are made from beetle shells --> Weak/moderate transmutation ---> I don't know.
• A pair of nasty, clawed looking rusty metal gauntlets --> Moderate transmutation ----> Claws of the Tiger
• A brooch in the shape of a small shield --> Moderate abjuration ---> I don't know.
• Ornate black breastplate --> Moderate abjuration  ---> Adamantine breastplate.
• A scroll --> Moderate abjuration --> This is a scroll of protection from elements.
• An emerald gem --> Moderate conjuration --> This is an elemental gem. Water elemental it appears.
• A ring with a fish design --> Weak transmutation  ---> I don't know.
• A rope, hempen --> Weak transmutation ---> Rope of mending
• A lute, in good shape --> Weak illusion ---> I don't know.

Once Jaq hears that the gem is an elemental gem, he is obviously excited. "Ah, so that is what was looking at me.  The elemental inside the gem was staring back at me."

Looking at the others he says, "That would be an item I'd be interested in carrying.  It could be useful for me if I'm out scouting ahead of the party or away from the rest of you and get myself in a bad place.  If you break that gem, a water elemental will come out to fight for you.  It would be a great distraction to get away from a pickle."

When the librarian states that the one item is a claw of the dragon..."I never heard of that, what does that magic item do?" he asks.

 Lurn's undeniably interested in the armour, but he also had that bad feeling about it...  And how's Cladmir on armour?

"A bit of backup security with that gem seems good for you, I say."

The Librarian looks away from the lute to blink slowly at Jaq,

"Claws of the Dragon?"

She looks back down to the pile of items,

"Oh, you mean the Claws of the Tiger? If recall correctly, they give their wearer some of the attributes of their namesake. Increased strength and speed along with the obvious benefit of having a pair of clawed gauntlets at the cost of using your hands for, well, anything else while wearing them. I personally find that hands are largely not needed."

(( Sorry been quiet for a while but believe it or not spending time visiting families and friends left me even less time to look here! ))

Cladmir, not knowing much about magic items, decided that stay away especially when it was mentioned that it could be potentially dangerous.  He also has few ideas with regards to the conversation of the items although he figured that since he has survived this long without any magic stuff he would probably be fine going without -- sans the magic Warhammer gifted to him of course.  He also has no idea that his keepsake is a magic item that has been protecting him all this time.  

Cladmir is currently equipped with studded leather, which is also the finest armor he had had the opportunity to wear to date based on his role as a skirmisher.  However, since he had received a magic Warhammer from Kroshav, a sturdier armor that would allow him to assist the Dragonborn in the thick of things would certainly not hurt.

((With Cladmir's dex modifier the studded leather provides the same AC benefits as the breastplate.))