Investigation 6

Fizzbang awaken late, as is his custom. After helping himself to as much breakfast as Rod will give him, Fizzbang sets off on the town. Rumors of an assassins guild....now that had his interest. This was his city dammit, and he wasn’t about to let a group of masked nutjobs run around menacing people!

But he’d go see Eyani first; she mentioned she had something for him and he’d need every edge he could get. 

Tharin, you don't see any signs of the Clocktower Gang. Or any gang... or any clock towers... Your mind is too caught up with the recent events and your impending hunger.

Fizzbang, as you shovel eggs, sausage, potatoes, and whatever Rod calls 'breakfast gravy' into your mouth he regales you with tales of how he came to Ibben and opened up the Crossroads Inn. It's all very flamboyant and exaggerated, but nothing new. He gets this way when he's had a good night; you've heard his origin tales many times before.

Eyani is just opening her shop when you arrive, and she greets you with a smile and a mock curtsy "Sir, 'tis nice to see you this morn! How fares your pony and your guards?" she laughs.

Kynortas wakes just before the sun rises as is his custom. He goes somewhere quiet and trains until the sweat drips from him. He returns to the inn after the sun rises to find that Tharin has gone and he sees Fizzbang shoveling food into his mouth while being regaled by Rod. Kynortas waves and asks Rod for some food in a few minutes. He goes upstairs to bathe. As he cleans himself he thinks on the ring that he received from the Duke and decides that he will wear it. He dons his gear, puts on the ring, and then heads downstairs for a filling breakfast.

Fizzbang conjures an illusory hat and tips it to the shopkeep with exaggerated aplomb. "Good day my lady! I fear my guards are feeling a bit...flat this morning." Fizzbang banishes the hat as quickly as it came. "Last night you mentioned you had something for me. Arcane and immeasurably powerful I hope? That's the only type of gift that could possibly suffice!"

Fizzbang takes a quick glance around the shop. Dropping the theatrics, he whispers, "You haven't seen any more of Jalud and his thugs have you? I can't always be around to keep them in line after all."

Kynortas receives his breakfast as asked, and as an added bonus gets the rest of the stories that Fizzbang was listening to without Roderick missing a beat!

In Eyani's shop: She laughs at your showmanship and her face sobers at the mention of Jalud. "No... not really. You gave them quite a scare yesterday. I haven't seen hide nor hair of him or his cronies, actually," she lifts a single eyebrow and looks about her empty shop. "Nervous?" She chides. "Anyway, I have a dusty old tome you might like! I found it in the back when I tripp-cleaned up a bit!" She lightens up again and hands you a black leather bound book that's about the size of your chest. She heaves it from the table in front of you and it makes your entire form sag a bit with its heft. "Little light reading," she laughs. "I scanned it. Seems to be someone's old wizarding notes! There's some history and not just a few spells in there! Enjoy it for 100 gold! Normally it'd be MUCH more expensive, but seeing as you're becoming a bit of a local hero... I figured I'd help you out! Just remember who aided you!" She winks.

The large book is leather as black as the night sky. It a large 'C' etched in the front, the deeper section of the letter a somehow flatter black than the rest of the skin. Large ridges line the spine and two bands of thick, brown leather run crossways around it, a small, dull metal latch on each binding the spellbook shut. The back is plain, save for a small scratched word in the bottom right corner that is difficult to make out as it has faded with age. The page edges are yellowed with time and wear, some appear to be torn or frayed, several of them dog-eared to mark them.

Eyani smiles at you and turns her head quizzically, waiting to see if you'd buy it.

Fizzbang balked, 100 gold! Goblins balls, he barely used to make that in a year! Still...the adventuring life had proven to be fairly lucrative, and he didn’t have many other expenses.

”Fair enough Eyani, I think your price is still a tad high, but you and I both know have no stomach for haggling. If you find more books like this, let me know. I’ll gladly take them off your hands!”

"Yay! Let me know what you find in it and if you like it! I'll certainly keep my eyes open for you! Thank you for your business, sir," she tacks the last sentence on with mocked formality.

Unlocking the clasp, and watching your sack of 100 gold go with a pang of loss, the tome creaks open like an old dungeon door. The smell of musty pages and... is that black powder? fill your nostrils. The book is written in an old dialect of draconic, as most arcane spells are. The handwriting is incredibly thin, extraordinarily neat, and angled slightly to the right. Just glancing through you notice it is indeed an ancient spell book, but has histories smattered throughout some of the pages. It would take you some time to go through it, but it was definitely well worth the purchase!

DM note: for every short rest you spend with this spell book you can glean some more information from it. As of right now you don't have the capacity to gain any spells to your own repertoire just reading through it in Eyani's shop. Make a note in your post during a rest if you would like to read the book and I will tell you what you get out of it based on an arcana roll. This is to signify your ability to read someone else's notes on spells, as it is not your own style there is a chance you may not inherit what it has to offer on the first try.

Back in Roderick's tavern Kynortas has had enough food and more than enough stories. Seems the small man is filled to the brim with tales and anecdotes... Tharin wanders back in at some point and manages to procure food, stealthily avoiding Roderick's intense story-telling aura. Aracynth has not been seen back at the table in some time, and Fizzbang is still away when the two are finished with their meals.
"--So, I looks at the goblin and I says, 'Hey, if you want to eat here ya gotta pay!' And he says 'Oh yea? Make me!' So I did! I shoved the table into him and pinned him against the wall with it and snatched his coin purse right off his belt! 'Take that ya filthy sneak!' I yelled at him, but he grinned with these ugly, yellow teeth and said, 'Them's counterfeit, ya old git!' Which they were, so I couldn't take 'em obviously. But just then Marcy comes rushing over and smacks him with a ladle! 'If you're so damned hungry then pay up! We've got no problem with your kind, but it's your attitude we dislike, you little-' ... Well, I won't tell ya what she said. But boy do I love that woman... So he gets all sheepish and struggles one arm down his trousers, he was still pinned, ya see, got a lot of strength left in these old hands, I do! So he reaches in and gives us 22 gold pieces! 'That's better,' Marcy says. She leaves it right there on the table, slaps my wrists to let him go, and drops half a pot of soup right on the table for him! 'We told you we'd feed you for coin... we don't lie here.' He smiled all embarrassed and started drinking the soup, all the while thanking Marcy and looking at her as if she was some kinda menacing dragon! Hahahahahahaha!" Roderick drones on and on...

Tharin places his hand on Rod's shoulder. 

"Thank you for the anecdotes, and for the company. Your food and hospitality are as unending as the rumors say. But we must now get to business, as Kynortas and I have much to discuss."

After Roderick makes his way from the table, Tharin turns to Kynortas with a shrug.

"It seems like you've heard enough tales of alehouse roughery for one week. How about tales of justice? I aim to use my reward to return to Ptolemos and alert my commander of the evil deeds afoot there. I could use a companion or three along the way. I'm sure your skills would be of much use in the Lion district. And with your experience with that spear, the dark feeds will certainly come to light. What do you say?"

Rod looks at the elf "Ah, yes! Secret hero talk! Got it, got it! If you need any drinks to make the chat lighter just holler!" He smiles broadly and winks, moving around to other business about his Inn, though it is mostly empty.

Aracynth woke late the next morning, and was at this time the only one left in the room. The toll from the road was considerable, it seemed. The Dragonborn went about sorting and organizing his belongs, looking curiously over the ring he'd received from the Duke the night before. He set the ring aside and sat to perform his daily prayers to Bahamut. Her gifts were truly a wondrous blessing but it seemed that the magic they allowed him was ill suited to aiding their current investigations. As he neared the end of his prayers, he invoked a short homage to divine anything more that he could of magical ring.

Arcana : 10

After his prayers Aracynth rose, gathered his equipment, and after a moment of thought put the ring on before heading downstairs. He joined Kynortas and Tharin just as Rod was stepping away from the table, presumably to see to his other customers, and helped himself to a light course from the remainder of the food on the table. He just caught the tail end of Tharin suggesting a new course of action for the group of them. 

"How long would such a trip take, Tharin?" He asked between a couple of bites. "Can we wait until tomorrow before heading out? There is one more person I would like to interview at the Duke Oglethorn's manor, though I fear we are not likely to learn anything more of use in these parts.." 

"To get to Ptolemos would take about three days on horseback.  There may be some dangers as we pass through the Duskwater, but if we take our time, we should be able to pass through the mountains without incident. We would want to go straight to the Lion district."

Tharin, you would remember that the trip itself would take the better part of a week. Three or so days on horseback, much longer on foot. It passes through the deltas from the Duskwater Swamp and then the road becomes rocky, somewhat dangerous, and begins lowering into a shallow valley between the mountains and the coast. 

"Three DAYS on horseback?" Fizzbang complained. "Might as well tie my ass to a fire elemental and be quick about it! Still...there's something afoot here and we all know it. Tharin, do you really think your commander would spare the resources to help us? As unappealing as a three day ride sounds, getting stabbed in the kidney by an assassin sounds even worse!"

Aracynth, you are unable to gather any more information from the ring than what the note says about it, but it does do that perfectly.

"Our duties to the Duke is finished. His daughter is returned to him, our reward is in our hands. The assassins are either too well-trained for us to handle, or just a rumor. Either way, my calling is to warn of the biggest threat to the kingdom to my superiors that I know of. Fizz, I'm sure there are many spellbooks in the Mage's quarter that you can study. Aracynth, there are temples aplenty within the great city. Kynortas, the training grounds in the Lion's quarter will give you the peerage you deserve. And the aid we provide to the kingdom will surely be met in kind. I promise this to all of you."

Aracynth looked around surprised until he located the small Gnome. He hadn't noticed Fizzbang's arrival amidst the conversation with the others. "We can leave later this afternoon if nothing else comes of my next interview, Tharin." Aracynth said as he finished eating, and rose from the table. "I'm heading to Duke's to speak with his steward once more before we leave. Will any of you join me?"

He rose from the table, leaving a few gold pieces for the meal, and departed toward Duke Oglethorn's keep. Approaching the sentry with a respectful bow, Aracynth took a quick read on the Guard's appearance and demeanor. "Good Morning. Could you please direct me to the Duke's Chamberlain, Jorace?" 

Perception : 4

"I will see to requisitioning horses for our journey. Thank you for listening to my proposal."

Tharin makes his way to the local stable to see about three horses and a pony.

Aracynth: As you head up to the castle, the morning sun rising over the cliff and silhouetting the castle ahead of you, the guards stand from eased to attention noticing your approach. The one you address raises an eyebrow, but answers, "Yeah. Sure. He's in the castle somewhere." He shrugs and opens the gates to let you inside. Once inside, inquiring again, leads you to the main hall, where Jorace is eating alone at a corner table. A meager meal is in front of him and some other servants and guards are snacking in various sections around the room. Royalty is nowhere to be seen and he smiles as you approach. "Ah, young man, it's good to see you again. Now, what was it you wanted to ask me?"

Tharin: The stable on the north side of town is often under close watch by the guard. The stable hand notices you walk up and leaves the stall he is in with a small mare to greet you. "May I help you?" he asks, wiping his hands on a well-used rag. A large, tan man in his mid forties stands before you. Large does not mean tall, he is several fingers shorter than you, but stocky and well built. Obviously someone who works hard every day.

"Ah, Jorace, Thank You for your time." The Dragonborn nodded, as he pulled out a chair to join the chamberlain. "This shouldn't take too long. I was hoping you could recount the events from last week, the morning when Lady Rhea was abducted? I understand you were serving your Lords their breakfast; do you recall any strange persons around the kitchens that morning? Anyone who might have tampered with the Lady's wine?"

He listened intently, weighing the Jorace's voice and composure as he answered, looking to detect any kind of untruth in his words.

Insight : 9