The Wizard's Challenge

Shalech, in his frustration, doesn't find anything else of value; beyond the glowing rod and beautiful boots.

 "Lets get going, before that bear comes looking for more food."  Then with some inspiration, Shalech takes out another ration and dumps it all over the bed.  "Leave that door open on our way out."  Shalech grabs the boots and yanks the glowing rod out of the wall, and walks out to Croak.

"hello there, I assume you're Kendrick" 

(As Shalech begins to leave, he suddenly remembers the other door in the room.)

"Oh, hello." Kendrick says.  "Do you need a piece commissioned?". He doesn't look up from his work.

Quote from RobertHReaper >>

(As Shalech begins to leave, he suddenly remembers the other door in the room.)

"Blasted note rattled my brain..."  Shalech turns around and goes to inspect the other door.  He looks at it intensely to see or sense any magical traps.

Investigate door: 5  With arcana for magical sources: 19

”we actually need you check some jewelry for us, we have reason to believe it may be forgery” Urselles replies

Shalech, the door appears to be normal, yet quality, wood; with no magical aura.

Kendrick looks up; "Forgeries?  Never dealt with them before, but I'm sure I can tell real from fake." You hand over the jewelry and after a moment he looks at you in confusion.  "I made these." He looks from Normand to Klandar, and then back to you.  He points at the piece; "Right here, you can see my maker's mark.  How did you come upon these?"

Shalech stands beside the door, back against the wall, and attempts to open the door.

As the door opens, you find more light coming from this room as well; though from the entire ceiling.  The room has three comfy looking chairs, a desk, and a shelf covered in books and scrolls.  The far side of the room has yet another door.

Looking at the others, Shalech says "Walking into a wizard's home uninvited.  Makes me wary.  Can anyone detect magic?"

Croak keeps a keen eye on the bear, aware that his companions have found some clues. He stands in the doorway to the first secret room as the party moves into the second. Croak looks at the rations Shalech placed on the bed and grabs them, tossing them toward the entrance for the bear, shaking his head.

"Where's all that light coming from?"

((I will be out of town and will not post again until Sunday evening.  Shalech will follow the group.))

Theodore cast Detect Magic. As he looks around the room, he sees and senses the glowing rod and the nice boots.  As he looks into the next room, he clearly senses the magical aura of the glowing ceiling, but nothing from the doorway or floor.  The bookshelf, on the other hand does radiate an aura; as well as something in the next room.  He informs the group of all of this.

"We, we found them in the haunted house, we where there at around sunset, and apparently there was a robbery around midnight, the weird thing is that, from what we gathered those jewels have been there for a decent time and apparently these are the jewels from THAT robbery" Urselles sounds confused as she tries to put the pieces together 

"So you are saying that the real jewelry has been hidden away for some time; then what was stolen last night?" Normand asks.

“That’s the thing, it doesn’t make any sense”

Klandar thanks Kendrick and leads the group outside and south.  "I was thinking, that maybe what was stolen was the fakes; that they may have already been switched." He scratches somewhere deep under his apron as he talks, bits of ash powder falls to the ground in the process.  "So if John is the man; he'd have the fakes." You march past the tavern and cross the bridge.  "So, knowing Nine Finger John..." He stops and before you is a large old boat, stained black; with the name "Pinky" carved in its side.

Nathan looks at the first secret room, he does not enter the second. "Wait a second Shalech, I don't think we are completely done here!"

He looks at the rod and the magical boots:

Arcana: 18

He also looks at the parchment, trying to determine when it could have been written - maybe there is a date on it, or based on whether it is yellow or not, etc.

Investigation 15

It is hard for Nathan to determine how long the note has been there, but the yellowing and slight curving of the parchment hints that it has been at least a month; likely more.

It takes most of your focus to determine the age; especially as the light of the room follows Shalech as he and Theodore moves into the second room.  This takes the time away from focusing on the magical objects.

Theodore focuses more on the bookshelf, after a moment he informs the group that of all the books and scrolls on the shelf; three have necromantic auras, and one has an aura of enchantment.

Shalech carefully opens the door to the third room; and thanks to the glowing rod, the room now has light.  A long shelf takes up the entire wall to the right.  Upon it are a wand, several sheets of scroll paper, two gems, and a decent supply of ink.  There is an empty workbench with a quarterstaff leaned against it, on the far wall.  And a door can be seen to the left.