Fizzwick has some water from his flask and makes liberal use of Prestidigitation to dust off his brown jacket and top hat as he follows Tsendur the long way to the inn.  He smiles at Lia and Gimdrak as they introduce themselves.  "Nice to meet-ya!  I'm Fizzwick Wobblewomp, finest wizard of all of the Wobblewomps, traveling entertainer at your service.  Don't normally do this kind of thing, but Tsendur's a friend, you see.  I recon any minute now I'll come to my senses and pass out over what just happened!  I'm glad that's over, now I can go back to my usual travels and my little show.  Heck, now that we pulled him out of there I wonder if ol' Tsendur will finally let me peak in that spell book of his!  He's no Wobblewomp, but he's a damn fine wizard I do admit!  Hehe."

"Ah, by the way, Tsendur, who's 'she', that stole your, ah, 'clasp'?  What's the Clasp exactly, anyhow?"

Fizzwick isn't shy about taking his friend up on dinner.  "I'll have what he's having!" he says with regard to the roasted hare and the rest.  Fizzwick is quite interested as Tsendur mentions the fire elemental in the hearth and eventually goes to take a look.

(When Casting Prestidigitation  Fizzwick feels a deep emptiness in his chest and takes 1 psychic damage.)

"The finest wizard of all the Wobblewomps?  Remind me again how many Wobblewomps there are?"  Tsendur muses.  "I don't mind showing you my spell book, but not here."  Fizzwick Persuasion to find out more about the clasp and the woman. 9 vs DC 16

"Ahh, here's the ale." Tsendur smiles, and fills the glasses of his friends, and then his own.  "To life, and to new friends. Without friends, what is life? Cheers!"

Gimdrak lifts his glass in cheers and smiles. Then he says, "I see you avoided answering Fizzwick's question about the girl." Then, he chuckles, and continues, "That's ok. We can get into it in the morning. For now, we celebrate our victory over darkness!"

"Umm err..." Tsendur stammers, "Avoid the question?"  and looks wide eyed at Gimdrak.  persuasion 3 vs DC 16

Lia listens to the conversation, finding it usually gets her more information by being silent than poking with questions of her own.  She enjoys the food though, and sips her rum between drinks of the ale provided.  She is tense to start the meal, still coming down from the excitement of the battle and fire, but seems to relax as the meal progresses.

(ooc: Thanks for being cool with it in the past, but I've got some "life" stuff going on today.  I should be able to post more of Tsendur's story in 12-18 hours.)

(ooc: StevenDeeds, you're good man! :) Thanks!)

"I wouldn't say I'm avoiding the question, merely waiting for a more opportune time to explain things.  You see, the truth is, it's rather embarrassing. Fizzwick, you've always had my trust, and Lia and Gimdrak, you have earned it." Tsendur pauses for a sip of his ale.  "The clasp was given to me to protect, but I failed in that duty.  Curiosity got the better of me and I opened the Drendari’s deedbox.  My spell not olny broke the magic locking the box, but  the cloak that protected The Clasp of Vergren was broken as well.  I do not know who the elven woman was, but what she and the scorch zombies did to me..." Tsendurs eyes tear up, and the jovial expression he has had fades into sadness.

Changing the subject, Tsendur says, "So, you want to see my spell book?"

Cantrips (at will): filch, fire bolt, mage hand, prestidigitation
1st level (4 slots): detect magic, mage armor, magic missile, multiply missile
2nd level (3 slots): aegis, metamagic mimicry
3rd level (3 slots): counterspell, fireball, penumbral trap
4th level (3 slots): lightning shield, scrying feedback
5th level (1 slot): legend lore

Tsendur's character sheet

"Did this elven woman say anything to help us know what she wanted the thing for, or where she might have gone with it?"  Lia asks. She does not seem all that interested in the spellbook.

"To understand what the woman may want with the clasp, I think we need to better understand it's power.  Recently I took a trip to Bridged City and talked with a scholar named Savila Nebega.  He may be able to provide more information."

Tsendur has just about finished his food and drink.  "Have you felt any unusual sensations when using your magic?"

(ooc: It seems we have Fizzwick, Lia, and Gimdrak in the party.  For the next chapter you might want another party member.  If you have someone you would like to invite, let me know.)

"No not really,."  Lia says in response to the question about the magic.  "Well, one time, during the fight, I had a spike of pain, but was not sure if it was due to the fact I was in a burning house, fighting zombies, or something else." She looks thoughtful as she considers it Further.  Then, with a shake of her head, she asks, "So you thinkw e should travel to talk to this guy then, and find out more about the item itself?"

Fizzwick pulls off his tophat and scratches his head.  "Yeeeaaah, I kind of forgot in all of the excitement and just hoped it was wards against magic other than your own in your tower, but it stung a bit to cast during the fire."

Tsendur's eyes get wide. "I hoping it was just me, but if you are feeling it as well, then the legend is true.  Mesos' Bane has been released.  It effects all magic within a 100 mile of the Clasp of Vergren. " Tsendur stops for a moment to think.  The corners of his mouth drop noticeable even though they are particularly obscured by is orcish tusks. "The area affected by this magical surge expands by 100miles per day that the Clasp of Vergren is outside of the reliquary. This effect will blanket the continent of Ghelspad in a matter of weeks."

"The Bridged City is 33 miles to the north west, and passage is not easy." Tsendur gets up from the table.  "I need rest.  I'll pay the bill, and get you rooms here at the inn. Then, I am off to sleep.  Thank you all again." Tsendur heads  to the front desk, and leaves his spell book on the table.

There are other patrons at the bar:

Male Orc Aristocrat

Male Halfling Aristocrat

Female Orc Peasant

Male Human Craftsman

Male Orc Peasant

Fizzwick's eyes go wide as a wizard leaves his spellbook behind in a public place.  "Ah, Tsendur!......."  As the orc wizard departs Fizzwick looks at him with concern and says to the others "we'd better hold onto this until the morning when he is feeling more like himself."  With concern the tiny wizard stows the spellbook in his own pack.

OOC DM, I put a question about the spell book in our group PM, thanks.

"This does, indeed, sound serious. Time will be of the essence," Gimdrak observed aloud. "But, I think we could all do with some rest."

( I didn't make it clear, but Tsendur didn't show you all the pages in his spell book)

"I think I am off to get a bath."  Lia says as the wizard departs.  She gives the others a nod and gets up, heading up to her room, or to get a room bif she doesn't have one as of yet.

Though this all Aldwin ate in near silence, just absorbing the information.  As he chewed his final bite, he set the fork down.  "This is all very interesting, and I mean that in a I aint got the foggiest of what any of this means beyond people are getting hurt.  I had planned on finding a place to open my own little clinic but by the sounds of this, the most help I could do would be to help prevent this."

Gimdrak nods in acknowledgment of what Aldwin says, and responds, "I agree. This isn't good and needs to be stopped. It was good meeting you all. Until the morning." Gimdrak gets up out of his seat, walks over to the person that manages the rooms to get his room assignment and then heads up to bed.