Pizazz's Ravenloft and Beyond

Meepo looks up to Mordekai. "Meepo touch book. Meepo maybe loose Meepo magic..."

"Do you have any tattoos? That's what he said, isn't it? He suddenly started to get covered in tattoos and his magic went wrong."

"Meepo no know." Meepo says, twitching as he half-starts to look under his tunic once again. "Meepo need check..."

Meepo examines his bronze scales. He flips his hand about that he'd held the book with. He checks his feet and legs....but sees no sign of any tattoo.  Perhaps it was a one time thing.

The group returns to the Whole Mote Inn and gets a good 'nights' sleep. It had been a long day and your muscles and minds were exhausted. The next morning you wake up with a few tight muscles, but a feeling of having rested very well. In his room, Meepo wakes up with a strange dream echoing in his mind. 

The dream was vivid as anything he remembers from his actual life. He felt the sweltering sun beating down as he took shelter in the shadow of a tumbledown tower. In the distance, a vast army is on the march across mud-churned farm fields. The need to hide from that force overwhelmed him, and he quickly retreated inside the tower.

Inside the tower’s half-ruined walls, he discovered a boar spear that was driven shaft-down into the ground, and whose head was adorned with three crowns. One limb of the spear’s crossguard bore a narrow silver circlet. On the other hung a crown of adamantine, shaped to be worn over a helm. Around the spearhead was a golden crown adorned with emeralds. He felt the need to seize one of them—and then the dream ended.

He carefully examines his body, but sees no sign of a tattoo forming.

The group meets down in the dining hall for a breakfast of strange fruits and pickled things. A sweet and savory mixture that is strange but pleasant. Etain wanders in, a little later than usual. He looks tired, and is full of yawns, passing them generously around the table. "Hey, so, our friend Salrius let me know he acquired some of the stuff you wanted last night. Apparently he works pretty fast..." 

After breakfast you walk to the market ward and find Salrius in his office.  He looks up briefly as you enter. "Oh, good morning.  Excellent."   Without much more preamble he walks over to a chest on the ground, and opens it. He pulls out a few items and places them on the table. 

The first item is a wicked looking battleaxe with a pick on its reverse side. The axe appears to be made of a grey metal, with a green shine to it. The leather handle is woven with thick but soft covering. The shaft has runes carved along it.  

"Most of the items I'm confident you'll buy, or already had available on commission, so I have them in hand. This wont' always be the case. Sometimes I'll just be describing items, and their prices to you, to make sure there's a match before money and goods change hand.  For today, you can go away with these things right away for the fee. This is an axe, magical of course...its real use it so slay giants. It will hurt them worse than normal. Also, not sure how useful this is, but the axe glows green if there are any giants within 400 feet. I mean, they're giants, you'd probably already know. Anyway, it's 7700."  (Giant Slayer Battleaxe) 

Next he places a lute on the table, "Magical lute, this is supposed to help bards in a variety of ways. This one will make bard spells more potent, makes them more inspiring, and helps them with performance. 8000."  (Increases inspiration die by 1 bracket (so 1d6 -> 1d8), +1 to spell saves and attacks, +1 to performance checks.)

He places a quiver on the table, "This was sitting around. Quiver for the large man. 1100."  (Quiver of Ehlonna) 

He next places a small ring on the table. "I wasn't able to find a sunblade in such short order, perhaps in a few days, more likely a couple weeks. But, in the meantime, I did come across this, you may want it.  Quite popular with the folks. You affix it around the hilt of your sword. Spend a short rest with it, and attune to it, or...if you're already attuned to the blade, then this piggybacks on that and not require further attunement. It allows you to henceforth summon the blade into your hand with but a thought.  Wherever on the planes it may be...bap, right into your hand. 4000."  (Bonus Action to summon the attuned blade to your hand.) 

He looks a bit uncomfortable, "Finally....for the little man. I do have a replacement for your staff of frost. A necromancers item. I...haven't dealt with this seller before and he conveniently found me yesterday, wondering if I might have a buyer for a necromancers wand."  He glances around a bit nervously, "This was unusual in itself, I don't usually deal with people who aren't referred to me. But...well, just listen. He said he would trade it for any item of equal value. I suggested 16,000 staff of frost, and he said he's accept an even trade. You'll both have to pay my trade fee of 500 gold, but otherwise no additional cost. I don't have it here, but I can arrange the exchange if you're interested. He said, and I quote, 'any necromancer would kill for such an item'.  I did not identify it, he would not let Slinky touch it, but he said it protects the bearer from physical attacks, has charges to cast most necromancy spells, and could summon undead daily, though was vague on how that worked." 

He decides to add a bit more, "I have to say, I can't vouch for this person, or the item, or anything about this deal. This one is a "do at your own risk" sorta deal.  Anyhow. That would leave us at 21,300 in purchase. The book, and mace will make up 15,000, which leaves a cash need of 6,300 if you decide to take everything." 

Before the very tired group returned to the inn, Lionel insisted on another visit to the Market and purchasing the winter clothes. He still hoped to convince others to check out that lovely mountains visible from not-yet-their-property - the only solid lead the group had.

"I see nothing wrong with you, Meepo. Mordekai is just being too impressionable here. Have to admit, the story is quite spooky. But you never opened the book, right? We can put it in the box, ass a couple of rocks, and throw to the sea." He took a big bite of the morning sandwich, chewed, and subtly added. "Speaking of the sea - are we going to the mountains or not?"

Salrius's offer did not impress Lionel. "Thank you, but even "meanwhile" this is something unnecessary. I admit, there were cases when one particular sword was stolen from me and not once, even. But with that was not a random weapon. I'll keep the gold until you can find the sword I asked you about."

     "No..." Ketch says instinctively in response to talk about the necromancer's wand.  "It's too... coincidental?  All of it, lately.  So many people seem to have a sudden interest in you, Meepo.  The one who got folded, then in the bar, one or two just walking down the streets even stared too much.  And now this?  Suddenly some unknown necromancer is feeding Salrius here the perfect item for you?"

     Ketch pauses to try to read Meepo's reaction, but also looks around to the rest of the crew to see if their instincts are warning them as much as his own is him.

Meeepo is feeling just a bit better by the time they get back to the tavern that previous night.  With no tattoos showing up, and nothing else bad seeming to happen to him, he is feeling that he might have just dodged the magic missile.

After the vivid dream though, he is now quite certain he has not managed to fully evade the book’s curse.

”Meepo had vision.”  He tells the group the next morning, prior to going to the market.  He describes it in full, especially the three crowns he saw in the vision.  “Meepo want to find out more about crowns, and if anyone knows about them.”  He is quite intense this morning, not ready to give up, but knowing he cannot waste time in this.  His magic is all that makes him of use to his friends, and he will not risk losing it, as that will mean losing those he has made his friends.

At the merchant’s place...

Meepo frowns.  “Meepo trade if Meepo allowed to identify item first.”  Meepo says with a glance to his friends.  “Meepo not trade unless item as powerful as say, and no unless Meepo can know how item works, and what do.”

“Meepo think still need to check in on necromancer wand. “  Meepo says to the others. “Meepo think better know if someone trying to trick or find us. “

Regarding the dream:

Ketch Arcana check to see if the crowns of other parts of dream sound familiar: 8

     Ketch shares any and all info he may have regarding the dream.  He further suggests that it is possible the touch combined with the continued carrying of the tome could be having a negative influence.  "I suggest we find a safe place to store this tome, fare away from you, until we learn more about it.  I suspect like with most powerful magics that attunement is what brings the most powerful effect, but even proximity can on occasion be hazardous.."

     "Sigil has everything, so they say.  So it should have libraries and books we can use for research.  Wizards to consult.  And we could always pay a visit to the previously affected by the book, see what they can reveal to us about the dreams."

Regarding the magic items:

     "It is your call, of course, Meepo.  But please do consider the coincidence involved...  It could be a trap.  Or a set up.  And you already have one item you are regretting getting involved with..." Ketch says with concern.

     "Giants, huh?  I've no particular grudge against them," Ketch says, trying to appear not particularly interested but his eyes slide over to Lionel and his constant talk of the mountains. "Then again, ya never know where you may be traveling next..."

((The 7700 for the Giant Slayer Axe, does that price in the +1 Battle-axe I have now in trade?  

(Will never post within an hour of the first edition of your post! :)   Added Lione's rejection of the calling band. If it was meant for him, of course. It's personal refusal - should Ketch need it, it's all his.)

Mordekai momentarily glances open-mouthed at Lionel's accusations of being impressionable, simply for trying to allay Meepo's worries. He gets over it without feeling the need to raise the issue, and within a few minutes is more amused by it than anything else. 

(Since we're heading to the market to visit Salrius, Mordekai will back up Lionel's insistence on the winter clothes, having been without them last time, and not enjoyed it.)

"I agree with Meepo's condition to require to Identify the item first. It's all well and good Salrius not being allowed to, but Meepo certainly needs to. But since that's going to require a later meeting, presumably, for the changing of hands, perhaps we should settle up in two separate transactions. The rest of it here and now, then the staff later, once Meepo has had chance to identify and reject the deal?"

Quote from BlueBayou >>

(Will never post within an hour of the first edition of your post! :)   Added Lione's rejection of the calling band. If it was meant for him, of course. It's personal refusal - should Ketch need it, it's all his.)

 ((Would it work with an axe?  With a shield??  But it just summons it from wherever you left it, it doesn't dismiss it to a pocket dimension or anything?  Would be kind of handy to be able to summon them at will...  But leaving them around all willy nilly seems a bit asking for trouble.  So tempted, but will pass, I suppose.  For now at least.))

"Meepo just worried Meepo might lose Meepo's magic." Meepo says as he looks to the ground. "If Meepo have magic wand, that has magic of own, then Meepo no be useless if Meepo lose magic."

Salrius nods, "Yes, I agree, let us settle up this transaction, then...if the wand is interesting, I will arrange the meet so that you may identify it and see if it's to your liking. So....no ring, very well..."  he returns to the ring to the chest.  "Oh, I did not know you had a magical axe to trade.  Hmmm, simple, but still valuable. I can pay you 900 for your magical axe, so that will further work down your side of the deal. 5700 was left, if we do not include the 500 for the wand and staff trade.  So, 900 from that, leaves you at a cash balance of 4800. And with no ring, that leaves you owing only 800 for the trades, assuming the mace of terror and the book are handed over. Do we have an accord?"

(Mace plus 6k share of the loot were for Sunblade, that is not found yet. But sure, if other items are needed. So, should I scratch off both the money and the mace?)

     Ketch does his best to give Meepo a pep talk about how 1) they will never let him lose his powers and 2) even if they did he would still be a valuable member of the team.  But about halfway through it Ketch realizes he may actually be doing more harm than good, not being one with all the prettified words and fancy phrasings and all.  Ketch looks over desperately to Mordekai silently pleading for him to take over...

((And going to PM for clarity...))

(Mordekai is very keen on the lute, and it ticks pretty much every box on his "Magic Item Wish List". He's not really picked up any magical items previously that he could spare to trade to help cover the price though, so I'm aware that eats up more than his fair share of the dragon loot).

Once a deal is reached, (which I assume is when Ketch is giving Meepo the pep talk? We may have multiple timelines/conversations going on at once!) Mordekai will pick up on Ketch's hints, and spend the next ten minutes as they walk from Salrius' place to where they might find winter clothing, going on and on about Meepo's value to the group - his big heart and courage being an inspiration; being the only one who can speak to dragons for us; the importance of his life's work ensuring that list things find the right homes. The brave dragon in such a small package who adds colour and strength and a particular kind of integrity that only comes through an almost-childlike simplicity.

In fact, whilst Mordekai can only hope his speech is uplifting and reassuring to Meepo himself with regards to his magic, the way Mordekai orates somehow captivates the rest of the group as well, and everyone regains their usual 14 temporary hp (not sure whether we've lost them since last time I used the ability actually, but either way, we have them now!)

((Feel free to juggle this particular bit of narrative into wherever it fits best, but I think between Salrius and other areas of the market ward work))

Meepo seems uplifted by Mordekai's words, though still not quite back to his peppy self. He continues looking at his hands, feet, and under his tunic, looking for any signs of the tattoos mentioned before.

"Meepo want know if we go see person with necromancer item before leave town, or if wait until after mountains." He asks the others eventually. Even with his mood somewhat better, he still wishes to know more about this item. "Even if no good, Meepo want know who is wanting to trap Meepo and Meepo friends, so Meepo still want to try to find out more." He explains to the others. "If item true, the Meepo want it, if not true, the Meepo want know who trying to trick Meepo..."

((Personally I don't care if one person overspends if they're getting an item that'll really help them, and thus the party.  I look at it like let's do what is best for the party as a whole...eventually that we we should all get tricked out?))

((Ketch doesn't care the order we do things.  These mountains are still more or less theoretical, the only pressing concern in that direction is if the other yahoos assume dragon is taken care of and go use the portal.  But so long as they don't destroy the portal... Well I don't sweat them.  We took all the stuff worth taking from the first spot and I doubt they're going to go try to take on the wizard?))