Fortune's Favor (IC)

[JetThomasBoat]

Kath fought the urge to pull his hand back, trying his best to ignore the pain. Something worth trapping is worth his time to grab.

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Concentration check: (1d20+2)[10]

[Kelvin360]

Result:

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You just barely manage to push past the pain and snatch the book off the shelf. It appears to be a very old tome, the cover painted gold and embroidered with faded rubies. In the center is an arcane symbol, encircled by more rubies and gold crests. The inside is nearly incomprehensible, what with it being magic and all. It's likely only a mage could decipher this.

Fortunately, it doesn't explode or anything.

[AquilaRift]

Elias bows to the mayor and the ghost. "I am glad to have been of service." To Orin: "Did you find anything useful?"

[MLucas]

Orin ponders the question. "I'm not entirely sure - there's a section of wall over there " - he gestures to the corner of the basement - "With some strange markings on them and some equipment and money hidden behind."
He stares at the body for a moment. "And those chains have some odd markings. I dont expect that the Lady installed them herself - perhaps we can track down who did?"
He looks around at the others and frowns then heads back up the stairs, calling back "Has anyone seen Kath? I've had enough of this depressing place."

[AquilaRift]

"I haven't seen him. I think he's upstairs," Elias replies, then kneels to examine the chains binding the corpse.

OOC

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Not sure what skills would be relevant here, if any. Spot: (1d20+1)[7] Search: (1d20+2)[17]

[Kelvin360]

Elias, too, notices the markings, but can't quite make them out.

Meanwhile, the Mayor nods and leaves, and Denara floats serenely over to her corpse.

"I thank you for this justice, your help as it has been. Know that your deeds will not be forgotten in a land far from this one." She closes her eyes, and her transparent form fades entirely.

...And then pops back right away. Far from looking at peace, now she looks bewildered.

[AquilaRift]

"Is something wrong?"

[Kelvin360]

"I...oh." A dawning look of comprehension, then, like one who's just realized that their mother was sending hitmen after them, for example. Mixed horror and understanding. "I...despite this, I seem to be bound to the mortal realm. Bound to you. You've released me from one debt - a debt of vengeance, of justice. But now there is another debt it seems I must pay.

I cannot pass on until I have helped you as you have helped me."

[AquilaRift]

Elias blinks owlishly. "I suppose no one knows Kelemvor's mind... but I'm sure my colleagues would be as grateful as I am for your help. We'll be certain to call on you if any of us is in need." He bows, then goes to examine the section of wall that Orin indicated earlier.

OOC

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Spot: (1d20+1)[3]
Search: (1d20+2)[9]

EDIT: Ouch.

[Kelvin360]

"As you wish, then." She casually floats (like it's no big deal) up through the ceiling.

Result:

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Despite the light in the room, you can't even find the section of wall that Orin mentioned. However, if at first you don't succeed...take 20!

[Malak'ai]

Blinking as the spirit rises up through the ceiling of the dungeon Santino slowly follows up the the stairs until he see's Elias searching the wall, "Need some help?" he asks before starting his own search.

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Search check: (1d20+7)[25]

[AquilaRift]

OOC

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Taking 20, then. That gives me a Search result of 22.
The extra time will probably allow Orin to find Kath before Elias finishes examining the wall.

[Malak'ai]

OOC:

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Or I finally pull my head out of the sack and actually do what I made this character to do .

[JetThomasBoat]

Kath tucked the book under one arm then headed back down the stairs, looking for the others. He shook the hand burned by the frost trap, trying to get feeling back in it as he looked for the others. "Hey, I found a magic book upstairs, guys. There was an ice trap on it. What do you guys think?" he called as he headed back toward the others.

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Sorry for taking so long to post. There's been a death in the family, so I've spent a lot of time with my mother and my aunts and uncle and the other fifty or so relatives we crammed into the hospital outside of my grandmother's room.

[Kelvin360]

Both Elias and Santino now easily find the loose stones in the corner. It appears that four of the stones have been purposefully made loose so as to be removed. There is a section of some kind of symbol on each, the stones having before been set in symbol-first. Behind them is a small crevice apparently used for a sort of miniature vault. There is a bag of gold and a pile of leather and straps inside.

OOC:

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You have my sincerest condolences. I understand your absence, and no harm done.

[Malak'ai]

Santino studies the marking on the bricks before carefully arranging them in order on the floor, racking his mind to remember if he has ever seen or heard of anything like it before.

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Untrained Knowledge Arcana check: (1d20+3)[11]

Finally giving up and shaking his head, he turns to Elias just as Kath walks back into the basement and says, "I can't make sense of the symbol Elias... Do you know what it might be or mean?"

Looking back at Kath he glances at the book under his arm, "Magical books aren't my area of specialty, but from past experience, it's either something Chartessa didn't want stolen or idlely looked at if she went to the trouble to surround it with a trap."

[Kelvin360]

Once you have them all in front of you, the design becomes rather obvious.

The symbols, cut into fourths, will form a skull if combined. A slightly glowing, blood red skull.

Which is not creepy like, at all.

[AquilaRift]

Elias examines the pieces of wall, then takes the book from Kath and gives it a closer look.

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Time for the wizard to earn his keep.
Knowledge (arcana) for the broken symbol: (1d20+7)[16]
Knowledge (arcana) for the book cover: (1d20+7)[23]

[Kelvin360]

Result:

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The meanings behind what it looks like aside, you do recall runestones from previous studies. Sometimes magi or dungeon keepers use unassuming stones with runes scribed in the back as sort of locks. When the runes are combined into the correct full picture and put back in their place, they can open doors, lower magic fields, open locks, etc.

The book's title reads "Wer Aunel di Ir De Ir: Wer Gemuth di Cleynvass"

Roughly translated from magical text (or simply draconic if you know it), it means 'The Art of One From One: The Nature of Clones'.

[MLucas]

Orin wanders back down the stairs but suddenly stops. He stares at Kath then back up the stairs, then at Kath again, before shrugging and finishing the walk down. "Hi again. Did you find anything interesting in the library?"

[AquilaRift]

"He did," Elias says, brandishing the book. "This is a treatise on magical duplication of living beings, unless I miss my guess... but I've never been what you'd call fluent in Draconic. As for the stones in the wall, I think they form some kind of runic spell. I don't know what kind of effect it would have if someone completed the pattern, though."

[JetThomasBoat]

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Did I pass you on the stairs? Whoops. :s

Kath turned to Orin. "There were also some books on elven history and some on war between elves and humans. And some others with similar writing to this one up there. After the first, I figured I wouldn't try to grab any more," he said. He shook his hand again, flexed his fingers to restore feeling to them.

[MLucas]

"So it seems clear that she wasn't keen on elves, and is probably a magic user. Should we perhaps see if the mayor has managed to arrest her?"

[AquilaRift]

"The mayor is more formidable than he looks, but... cloning is serious high-echelon magic. We'd best hope that Chartessa was only brushing up on theory. I think I'll join Orin and make sure this matter's resolved before collecting payment." Without further ado, he departs.

[MLucas]

Orin nods in agreement with Elias and follows him out of the basement.

[Kelvin360]

The Mayor's office is actually fairly normal now, though sans a certain old hag. The Mayor himself is writing a letter at his desk, but looks up when the pair enters.

"Ah, hello again. Something I can do for you?"

[AquilaRift]

"Just making sure that the arrest went smoothly. If you've no further need of us, we'll be off to collect our payment." Elias takes a few steps toward the door, then pauses. "Oh, there may be some traps still active in her library -- the archer ran into one of them. Be careful, and farewell!"
After taking his leave -- unless the mayor has new and pertinent information -- Elias will proceed to Defendor Investigations.

[Kelvin360]

"It did, yes...and something tells me that mentioned trap won't be entirely my problem. Farewell." He smiles mysteriously.

---

Defendor Investigations

When this time Elias and Orin enter, the main desk has slightly fewer papers arranged on it, and a few have been moved to make room for several leather pouches. When the door opens, The Messenger glances upwards and files away another missive of some sort.

"Ahh, Messrs Orin and Elias, if I recall correctly." He looks back up again, but with a start, worried. "But Father Murldom and Santino aren't with you? Are they well? I've precious little to go on aside from the situation being resolved."

[AquilaRift]

"They were well when last I saw them," Elias replies. "I think they'll be along to collect their payment shortly. The ghost is still there... but as it turns out, the ghost wasn't the problem."

[Kelvin360]

"Oh? Do tell."