"Hmm... House Daxos comes from a long line of sorcerers," the man says nonchalantly. "You look like one of them. Not the temperament. You lack ferocity and borderline sociopathy. I can make something for you for a price. The sorcerers from House Daxos usually carried one with them when they are of age. Let's say, 150 copper. I will need a jar of your blood. One liter, no more, no less. Do we have an accord?"
"A rod that channels power," the man hums. "I have heard of it. You will not find one here, but perhaps you can help with the creation of one. I have with me the location of an ancient battleground near Mantagard where the involved parties formed an agreement that eventually led to the extinction of both parties. It is a haunted place. If you can recover some remnants of the agreement -- a writing instrument, the tablet it was carved on, the remains of someone who signed the agreement -- I can use the essence to enchant a rod of such ability."
Cob listens carefully and can't find anything unpleasant about the requirements.
"We have fairly time sensitive business to deal with but once that is done and if we're near this battleground, I would happily look for these relics," Cob says. "Where's the battleground?"
Drexon frowns, "As my friend mentioned, we have time sensitive business to deal with. How long would this take? Also, would you accept this crystal in part payment?", he says, showing them his old arcane focus.
"I would also stipulate the blood I give will be consumed in the creation of the item, and you will keep none aside. Are you agreeable?".
"Questions, questions, questions," the man says. He stands up from his seat and for the first time, you can see that he has a slight slouch to his form due to his abnormal height. You guess that he is probably a head taller than Eremoz, the tallest among you. "The Bloodwell Vial will be quick and easy to make. All I need is your blood. One liter for the creation of such an uncommon item, and of course all of which will be consumed. It will increase your capability to cast a spell and limitedly draw in ambient magic for you to absorb when you later need it. This crystal is acceptable to cover parts of the cost."
"The other, however, will depend on how fast you can gather the required ingredients," he adds. "There is a ruin of a mansion about a day's travel west from Mantagard. It is quite remote and the tales from anyone visiting it is gruesome and spine-chilling. Disturbed spirits roam the place, guarding and fighting each other daily."
"Now, a question of my own," he says, looking mainly at Cob sternly. The calm air around him shifts into a deep concern and restrained frustration. "One of you is carrying an item with an incredibly powerful magical aura. I wish to know how you can be blatantly obvious and unsafe in handling it. Many people with a trained sense in detecting magical presence will undoubtedly know about it."
He puts the coins and arcane focus into a compartment under the table holding up the large crystal ball. He pulls out a golden needle from one of his pockets and motions for Drexon to move closer. A glass jar floats from behind him, settling on the table.
"Do I have your consent?" He asks, holding the golden needle aloof. "We will draw half now and the other half after half an hour to ensure you do not go into a shock."
<He's a touch dramatic. He'd be good on the circuit. But I don't know what he's talking about. There's that knife to find the hobgoblin villages. This ring just keeps me warm. I've a book with a little magic but it's not that powerful yet. I still have that leaf from the tree. What was it? A sabitah. Maybe he means that?>
He decides to ignore the question. The man might just be fishing; counting on anyone who comes in here having magic and then marking them for some companion just to rob them later.
Cob shrugs but doesn't break eye contact.
"A liter of blood sounds like a lot. Have you done this before?"
"Hmm... silence," the man says to Cob. "Your people are rarely silent. Always bragging, playing tricks. No matter. Whatever it is, you are carrying with you a fragment of a cosmic force. Keep it safe and never let it out of your sight. It is young still, but when it matures, whoever possesses it may use it to cast one of the seven forbidden rituals."
He remains silent for a long moment, eyes staring at Cob's bag for a while before shaking his head and turning to Drexon again. "I have created six Bloodwell Vials for various sorcerers," he replies. "Two of them fell into madness as soon as they used it for the first time. Half a liter is sufficient, but the other half a liter of blood will ensure you will not face the same... unfortunate fate."
“He does sound rather dramatic, that is true. It sounds like he could mean the leaf”, Drexon thinks back to Cob.
Before he confirms he his willing to allow blood to be drawn, he spends a few moments considering. In the end it comes down to one thing, his heritage. If those of House Daxos carried one, maybe it would bring him closer and aid his memory.
”I accept, you have my consent”, he says formerly.
Cob, as you look around the room a little more, you see a floor-to-ceiling bookshelf. The topics on the shelf are varied. Most of them concern arcane magic, but there is a smattering of druidic treaties, divine codexes, and historical records of the Third Age. Three books catch your interest. The first is titled The Realm of Delight: Tales from Pancarona and seems to be written in Sylvan. The second is the answer to your question and is titled The Forbidden Rituals. The last is titled The Star Weird. It has a picture on the cover that resembles a creature with many tendrils and eyes.
Drexon, as soon as you consent, you feel a prickle on your finger. You see a drop of your blood on the man's golden needle, but you didn't see he had moved. The man plays with the drop of blood before scrutinizing you for a moment. You get the feeling that he is looking for something in you. He shakes his head and motions for you to sit down.
"You may want to sit down for this," he says. A moment later, you feel a movement from the finger that has been pricked. Blood begins to flow out of the finger into the jar that the man has prepared. You begin to feel a bit faint as the jar fills. The flow cuts off when it reaches half point, giving you a bit of a breather.
"Drink and recover before we continue the process," he says, giving you a cup of the same red liquid he had been drinking.
Drexon does as advised and sits down, watching the stream of his blood flow across the distance between himself and the jar. He starts to become light headed and almost feints as the strength is leached out of him.
He sniffs at the liquid presented to him, and then takes a sip. If it doesn't cause him to retch, he will drink some more.
Looking at Cob, he thinks, "I hope this is worth it. I don't think I am going to be much use for a day or two".
You find that it tastes similar to a blood wine with more emphasis on the former. You strangely find it refreshing. It doesn't stop the lassitude in your body but stops the dizziness.
"The item we are creating will enhance your magical ability," the man explains. "Your blood will act as a catalyst. The magic in your blood is weak still, but return in a couple of months or years and we can upgrade it."
He pinches the red crystal ball and fractals of red crystalline shards come out to rest on the man's hand. With a bit of a flourish of his wrist, the shards submerge into the jar.
The man looks at Cob and the books, staring at them for a long while before saying, "Twenty-five coppers a piece."
"Magic in the blood, the one that sorcerer carries, is tricky," the man explains. "The older you get, the more powerful it becomes, but also the thinner it ends up being. It is different than a wizard and their brain, a druid and their environment, a cleric and their faith, or a warlock and their pact. For a sorcerer, there is no manual to become more powerful. You will have to experiment and look inward. Age plays a significant role, but the experience in using your magic even more so."
"Thank you for the insight, hm...I don't think I got your name or the name of your store. I will certainly return to you when I feel I have have outgrown this current vial though. Speaking of which, let's get this over with", Drexon says to the unnamed person.
He then takes a deep breath in and prepares for the discomfort of losing the next batch of blood.
"I am Arthorius Rhodius Maximillian the Seventh," he says. "Owner of the Hereticus Extraplannar Xanadu."
At Drexon's consent, Arthorius nods and once again pinches the red crystal ball. With a wave of both hands, a flow of blood comes out of Drexon's arm while another flow of red viscous liquid comes out from the red crystal ball. The two merge into one before joining with the blood and the shards in the jar. The content of the jar bubbles for a few moments before crystallizing and crumbling inward. After a few minutes, the entire jar has transformed into a translucent octagonal bipyramid crystal filled with swirling crimson dust.
"One Bloodwell Vial," Arthor says, levitating the crystal to Drexon's hand without touching it. He pushes another teacup filled with the same red liquid from before to Drexon. "Drink. It will help with the dizzy spell."
"Hmm... House Daxos comes from a long line of sorcerers," the man says nonchalantly. "You look like one of them. Not the temperament. You lack ferocity and borderline sociopathy. I can make something for you for a price. The sorcerers from House Daxos usually carried one with them when they are of age. Let's say, 150 copper. I will need a jar of your blood. One liter, no more, no less. Do we have an accord?"
"A rod that channels power," the man hums. "I have heard of it. You will not find one here, but perhaps you can help with the creation of one. I have with me the location of an ancient battleground near Mantagard where the involved parties formed an agreement that eventually led to the extinction of both parties. It is a haunted place. If you can recover some remnants of the agreement -- a writing instrument, the tablet it was carved on, the remains of someone who signed the agreement -- I can use the essence to enchant a rod of such ability."
Cob listens carefully and can't find anything unpleasant about the requirements.
"We have fairly time sensitive business to deal with but once that is done and if we're near this battleground, I would happily look for these relics," Cob says. "Where's the battleground?"
Drexon frowns, "As my friend mentioned, we have time sensitive business to deal with. How long would this take? Also, would you accept this crystal in part payment?", he says, showing them his old arcane focus.
"I would also stipulate the blood I give will be consumed in the creation of the item, and you will keep none aside. Are you agreeable?".
"Questions, questions, questions," the man says. He stands up from his seat and for the first time, you can see that he has a slight slouch to his form due to his abnormal height. You guess that he is probably a head taller than Eremoz, the tallest among you. "The Bloodwell Vial will be quick and easy to make. All I need is your blood. One liter for the creation of such an uncommon item, and of course all of which will be consumed. It will increase your capability to cast a spell and limitedly draw in ambient magic for you to absorb when you later need it. This crystal is acceptable to cover parts of the cost."
"The other, however, will depend on how fast you can gather the required ingredients," he adds. "There is a ruin of a mansion about a day's travel west from Mantagard. It is quite remote and the tales from anyone visiting it is gruesome and spine-chilling. Disturbed spirits roam the place, guarding and fighting each other daily."
"Now, a question of my own," he says, looking mainly at Cob sternly. The calm air around him shifts into a deep concern and restrained frustration. "One of you is carrying an item with an incredibly powerful magical aura. I wish to know how you can be blatantly obvious and unsafe in handling it. Many people with a trained sense in detecting magical presence will undoubtedly know about it."
Drexon nods seriously, “I accept”. He passes across the coinage and awaits instructions.
He then thinks to Cob, “What could he mean?”.
He puts the coins and arcane focus into a compartment under the table holding up the large crystal ball. He pulls out a golden needle from one of his pockets and motions for Drexon to move closer. A glass jar floats from behind him, settling on the table.
"Do I have your consent?" He asks, holding the golden needle aloof. "We will draw half now and the other half after half an hour to ensure you do not go into a shock."
Cob looks at the man but thinks to Drexon.
<He's a touch dramatic. He'd be good on the circuit. But I don't know what he's talking about. There's that knife to find the hobgoblin villages. This ring just keeps me warm. I've a book with a little magic but it's not that powerful yet. I still have that leaf from the tree. What was it? A sabitah. Maybe he means that?>
He decides to ignore the question. The man might just be fishing; counting on anyone who comes in here having magic and then marking them for some companion just to rob them later.
Cob shrugs but doesn't break eye contact.
"A liter of blood sounds like a lot. Have you done this before?"
"Hmm... silence," the man says to Cob. "Your people are rarely silent. Always bragging, playing tricks. No matter. Whatever it is, you are carrying with you a fragment of a cosmic force. Keep it safe and never let it out of your sight. It is young still, but when it matures, whoever possesses it may use it to cast one of the seven forbidden rituals."
He remains silent for a long moment, eyes staring at Cob's bag for a while before shaking his head and turning to Drexon again. "I have created six Bloodwell Vials for various sorcerers," he replies. "Two of them fell into madness as soon as they used it for the first time. Half a liter is sufficient, but the other half a liter of blood will ensure you will not face the same... unfortunate fate."
Cob watches the eyes going to his small pack and instinctively holds the straps a little tighter.
"It's been a long couple of days," Cob says. "And I'm a long way from home. Catch me after a good nap and I'll tell you all about it."
He looks around the room a little as there's more talk of blood.
"You have anything in here about what these seven forbidden rituals are?"
“He does sound rather dramatic, that is true. It sounds like he could mean the leaf”, Drexon thinks back to Cob.
Before he confirms he his willing to allow blood to be drawn, he spends a few moments considering. In the end it comes down to one thing, his heritage. If those of House Daxos carried one, maybe it would bring him closer and aid his memory.
”I accept, you have my consent”, he says formerly.
Cob, as you look around the room a little more, you see a floor-to-ceiling bookshelf. The topics on the shelf are varied. Most of them concern arcane magic, but there is a smattering of druidic treaties, divine codexes, and historical records of the Third Age. Three books catch your interest. The first is titled The Realm of Delight: Tales from Pancarona and seems to be written in Sylvan. The second is the answer to your question and is titled The Forbidden Rituals. The last is titled The Star Weird. It has a picture on the cover that resembles a creature with many tendrils and eyes.
Drexon, as soon as you consent, you feel a prickle on your finger. You see a drop of your blood on the man's golden needle, but you didn't see he had moved. The man plays with the drop of blood before scrutinizing you for a moment. You get the feeling that he is looking for something in you. He shakes his head and motions for you to sit down.
"You may want to sit down for this," he says. A moment later, you feel a movement from the finger that has been pricked. Blood begins to flow out of the finger into the jar that the man has prepared. You begin to feel a bit faint as the jar fills. The flow cuts off when it reaches half point, giving you a bit of a breather.
"Drink and recover before we continue the process," he says, giving you a cup of the same red liquid he had been drinking.
Drexon does as advised and sits down, watching the stream of his blood flow across the distance between himself and the jar. He starts to become light headed and almost feints as the strength is leached out of him.
He sniffs at the liquid presented to him, and then takes a sip. If it doesn't cause him to retch, he will drink some more.
Looking at Cob, he thinks, "I hope this is worth it. I don't think I am going to be much use for a day or two".
You find that it tastes similar to a blood wine with more emphasis on the former. You strangely find it refreshing. It doesn't stop the lassitude in your body but stops the dizziness.
"The item we are creating will enhance your magical ability," the man explains. "Your blood will act as a catalyst. The magic in your blood is weak still, but return in a couple of months or years and we can upgrade it."
He pinches the red crystal ball and fractals of red crystalline shards come out to rest on the man's hand. With a bit of a flourish of his wrist, the shards submerge into the jar.
Cob checks carefully on Drexon to make sure he's okay before going over to check the books more closely.
"Do you sell these?" Cob asks, specifically pointing out the three that caught his eye.
He also thinks to Drexon <If you're up to moving we should get back to the others before they think we've disappeared>.
“That is good to know. How is it that I can make the magic in my blood grow stronger?”, Drexon asks the person as he sits and tries to focus.
He thinks back to Cob, “I will be here for a little while yet. I am happy to catch you up at the tailors or if you want to peruse these books”.
The man looks at Cob and the books, staring at them for a long while before saying, "Twenty-five coppers a piece."
"Magic in the blood, the one that sorcerer carries, is tricky," the man explains. "The older you get, the more powerful it becomes, but also the thinner it ends up being. It is different than a wizard and their brain, a druid and their environment, a cleric and their faith, or a warlock and their pact. For a sorcerer, there is no manual to become more powerful. You will have to experiment and look inward. Age plays a significant role, but the experience in using your magic even more so."
"Thank you for the insight, hm...I don't think I got your name or the name of your store. I will certainly return to you when I feel I have have outgrown this current vial though. Speaking of which, let's get this over with", Drexon says to the unnamed person.
He then takes a deep breath in and prepares for the discomfort of losing the next batch of blood.
"I am Arthorius Rhodius Maximillian the Seventh," he says. "Owner of the Hereticus Extraplannar Xanadu."
At Drexon's consent, Arthorius nods and once again pinches the red crystal ball. With a wave of both hands, a flow of blood comes out of Drexon's arm while another flow of red viscous liquid comes out from the red crystal ball. The two merge into one before joining with the blood and the shards in the jar. The content of the jar bubbles for a few moments before crystallizing and crumbling inward. After a few minutes, the entire jar has transformed into a translucent octagonal bipyramid crystal filled with swirling crimson dust.
"One Bloodwell Vial," Arthor says, levitating the crystal to Drexon's hand without touching it. He pushes another teacup filled with the same red liquid from before to Drexon. "Drink. It will help with the dizzy spell."
"Good to meet you", Drexon says as the rest of the blood starts to be drawn. He goes visibly far paler and slouches in his chair, becoming very weak.
When offered the Bloodwell Vial he takes it and holds it to his chest, before looking across to Cob.
"I guess I am done here", he says to his companion.
He starts to stand but finds he can't, and instead sits back down, taking the proffered tea.
"Just give me a minute".
Once he has recovered enough to walk, and if Cob is done, he will thank Arthor and make his way back to the others.
Cob takes the three books from the shelf, passes over the 75 copper pieces and helps Drexon navigate the exit from the shop.
"I'm not sure I liked him," Cob says once they're outside.
He looks around to find the others.