Vlad seems surprised at the mention of the staffs true origin. "A witch? I think I would have remembered if she said she was a witch. Of course now that you mention it, it does make more sense. I guess she never told me she was a druid. I assumed so given that no one lives this far in the woods." He answered Deva's question with an unamused shake of the head, "No... It was nothing like that. I believe I've told this story before. There was a bad mana storm and an elven woman came to my house for shelter as she couldn't get to her cabin in time. She spent the night here, waiting for the mana storm to pass. When she left the next morning, she gave me the staff as thanks. I guess I assumed she was a druid since her cabin was deep inside the woods."

As Vlad reacts like so, Devarus shoots a look to the maid if she happened to be in the room and tries to gauge her reaction again. If not to Vlad's reaction, then at least to the story. Although he doubted he'd find anything worth noting, simply dismissing things was not an option. Was he again being paranoid again? Maybe... But still!

Insight: 6.

"Still, to give something so powerful, or so I am being led to believe, is quite unusual. If there wasn't at least some affection built up over that stormy night, then... I don't know what to think." He admits with a shrug. "Perhaps I've been reading one too many romance novels." Devarus chuckles a bit. "Still, and you would forgive this old man's memory for slipping a bit, but I must say that's curious you've chosen to have your manor built so far lout of the way. And in so dangerous a place, or so I have heard. Just how many of those armor creatures you have guarding this place as to feel secure in so dreadful a location?"

"Well, if you would like I could appraise it for you." Elsara offers. "I have the ability to discern magical properties over the span of a few minutes."

Vlad seems to be getting annoyed at the line of questioning Deva is hitting him with. He says, "Witches are very chaotic beings. Now stop asking strange questions." He turns to Elsara, ignoring questions about his living in the woods and his animated armors and says, "If you wish to appraise the staff, you may. It may be useful to know what exactly the staff does as so far, it has just been hanging on my wall."

"With your permission, then, Lord Vladimir." Elsara offers to takes the staff to put it on the table and begin appraising via a ritual. It will take her a few minutes as she looks over her notes in the metallic tome she has brought with her, so she attempts to keep it quiet so the others can continue their conversations.

Devarus gave a faint nod in appearance of accepting the Vlad's wishes. For now. Although, it would also appear in just slight smile before he turned to look towards the staff that the half-drow wasn't completely done for the night. Now that the old man had a bit more than himself to worry about, or so he figured once the whole business of courtship got brought up, some of the old, protective fire had rekindled itself.

Valwaryn, ashamed for all the earlier commontion remains silent but curious about what Elsara will discover of the staff. 

Elsara spends 100 GP worth of materials to cast the spell to identify the staff.

Unlike most magic items that provide benefits and effects when attuned, this magic item grows in power along with its user. It can only be attuned by a select few though who can and can't attune to it can't be known without trying. Elsara herself can't attune to this staff. The magic is similar to the magic in Runt's Axe though it is not the ancient Faerz magic.

You can roll Arcana to know more details on how it does it.

What are you doing now? Are you doing anything else or are we skipping ahead after tea time?

(Sorry, last week was without computer. Catching up now. Identify doesn't consume the ritual component, just requires the monetary value to cast.)

Magic Item Identification: 16

((I did not know it didn't consume the component. Giving Elsara 100 GP back))

Even though Affectus Uti is no longer in widespread use and study, remnants of the school are still present in modern every day use of magic. As mentioned previously, many spells of the enchantment school are less potent and devastating forms of what used to be Affectus Uti spells. Some Necromancy spells such as Vampiric Touch and Soul Cage are some of the most primitive forms of Affectus Uti that have still stayed in use. Relevant to magic items, the ability of a magic item to be attuned to is also a form of Affectus Uti though a weak one. This item however seems to have taken that a step further. It synchs its internal magic to the soul of the user directly instead of just connecting to the aura of the user like other items. This allows the item to grow in power as the user does so. It is also why only a select few can use this item. Their soul needs to be compatible with the magic of the item. This does not cause any harm to the user. Clearly whoever made this item was very knowledgeable  in the art of enchanting.

Elsara looks up from her work, waiting for an appropriate moment to bring the subject back to the staff. "It appears, Lord Vladimir, that this item is endowed with Faerz enchantments; an ancient way of enchanting items and collects its power by being bonded to an individual appropriate to its creation. In this case, I assume one attuned with the old faiths may be able to use it, like Mr. Val." She doesn't take the staff, opting to keep it where it is on the table for now. "Effectively the staff would bond itself so that when the soul of the user grows, so will the item. I suppose that could be in personal strength, or overcoming and gaining revelations in life."

She then looks to where the staff came from. "Oh, should I pop it back there, Lord Vladimir?"

Vlad seems a bit confused. Since "Faerz" is not an actual word but rather, a word given to the strange magical energies Elsara saw underground, Vlad is unfamiliar with it. He also seems to not understand arcane magics all that much. He says, "I must confess, I am not quite sure about what you are saying but you may place the staff back where it was." All the explanation seems to have gone over his head.

The rest of tea time and the rest of the night passes uneventfully. It is now morning.

Elsara will be up bright and early, a natural boon of her elven heritage, which will let her spend some time looking through her metallic tome. After last night, she goes to check on Runt early, wanting to ensure that the social awkwardness wasn't getting her down. After that, she will want to collaborate with the party. "So we've had a nice evening stayover, but we should really try and speak with Lord Victor and why he doesn't want to head home yet. It is why we're here, after all, though I will admit it is quite fancy here."

(I think Val had something to say as well, but that's probably been long forgotten by him by this point. lol.)

Devarus hardly slept a wink. Even in rest, the paranoia hadn't fully left his mind, as Valwyrn, if perhaps unintentionally so, kept in kindled in a way. That, and he could never figure out how to broach the whole Runt and the lord situation during tea time without running the risk of pressing buttons. Again.

But find rest he did eventually, if only just enough to wake up groggy the next day. At the impromptu morning meeting, the half-drow fought down in vain against a yawn, but nodded ultimately in agreement to Elsara. "Fancy and... Peculiar location." He grimaced. "I just don't understand why anyone would wish to live so dreadfully out of the way. I've heard stories of the more noble class and magic practitioners being often eccentric, but... this all is a bit much, wouldn't you say? And considering his reaction to your explanation the eve before, he is certainly no mage of any sort. Just apparently a charming lad." Devarus said, though frowned at that last bit.

"Well " says Val " If he want to stay we can only say to his family his location and that he is fine and will return when he sees fit. Perhaps " he lowers a little bit his voice " his motives to stay are more related to the heart than to the logic if you know what I mean " 

Despite his words he asks Elsara with signals to give him some parchment in which he writes

"I couldn't learn anything yesterday before I was discovered. The walls has ears and eyes. Literally. The rats obey his commands" 

After the rest had read it he burns the parchment.

"Ooh, maybe it's the staff's ability." Elsara mentions. "It is highly attuned to nature, after all, so could potentially have such capabilities."

Devarus quirks a brow at Val. Although after a few seconds it is like a light bulb goes off in his head. He blushes furiously and started to sputter as Val wrote down his message. "I-I know my Mother's people are known for their hospitality. But surely, uh... I mean... after that whole courting business, I hadn't thought that he'd.... O-or perhaps its a one sided, uh.... Oh my.... " He eventually gets out looking all kinds of flustered. "If this is an actual love triangle over the horizon between the Lords and Ms. Ruu, things are gonna get messy, I would think. Not that--"

Devarus trails off on that last point, finally reading the message. Almost within seconds, his expression hardens again. He tries to surreptitiously look around for any rats while pretending to be in deep thought.

Perception: 8. (19 not 20)

Depending on if he finds any or not, he'd either gently elbow Elsara and whisper to her to maybe mind her wording, or breath a sigh of relief and just broach the topic of if the rest thought he then knew maybe some enchanting magic. For, obviously, totally no reason that had to do with the whole courtship business.

(I'm assuming you guys are discussing this in one of your rooms.)

Deva looking around, notices that there is indeed a rat close to a writing desk in the room. It's under the desk and not in clear view but it's definitely there. It's sniffing the air but otherwise not making much movement. There's probably a rat hole nearby.

"well" replies the druid to Devarus " Anyway if we doesn't want to return just yet we have two options. We stay and provide escort to him once he decide to return or we go back and tell his family what we have learned. We can always ask him his reasons to stay...  what do you want to do my friends?"