4.0 A new beginning

[at]

Clearing a space on the table Barbatos places his own map down and looks towards Zem and Harknail, "Harknail, I will list the locations from the book, can you point to where you remember them to be?"[rand=289410614458153327120268343150110158525702404931366132468096431463]

[harknail]

"I be not good with maps," confessed Harknail. He didn't recognize most of the names mentioned, but he did recognize one: Morningfall summit. "I was just there, helped kill evil Dragonborn. Just spirits there now." He also recognized Karse. "We be there now, just outside. The main city was on the other side of the ridge. There be just trees there now."

[(George) 3.5./ ZEM ( 4.0)]

"What im wondering is if the author is saying Sarnath over and over and keeps returning to it, then it may not be a place but an object of power itself. like a temple or statue of some kind. say your them you have go into the city of gear right but you only need to do that once, be it you are working on all this power to blow up everything. why then would you need to keep going back to a town or city? you would know people would catch on drawing eyes to yourself and your work so why do it at all? over the years i found people name places after specific things not always places. what would be great is someone who has been to or heard of Sarnath that is not already dead and has no reason to lie if anyone knows a person like that we should go and talk to them. more likely is another way that could work is, Does the book say anything about how far they had to walk back to the location or what the author saw along the way or what Sarnath is near mts, rivers etc.? we can try and pinpoint geography of where it could possibly be around or in but that is like trying to find a legionary sword in bottom of the sea. looks up don't ask long story.

[at]

Barbatos looks towards his verbose employer and then back to the book, flicking through the pages. Placing the book down open on the table he points to a passage, "he talks about pilgrims here, it may have been a holy site or perhaps the location of a major temple".

Flicking forward through the book to an earlier point, "and here a war between Sarnath and some place or someone called Bokrug, and a mention of how trade from the west suffered for it"

"He also speaks of merchant ships moored, in a lake rather than a the sea or a river." Looking towards the map, "he does not give the a name for the lake nor the river but it does rule out a significant area of land".[rand=9706179637851197603651766684677598507170741848069689109035570356]

[harknail]

Harknail repeats, "I be forged near Sarnath. It were small city, still much larger than Moonhaven."

OOC: Reminder, small as it is, Moonhaven is the biggest settlement in the area. The major metropolises are on the other continent or ruins from the distant past. Human settlements in this area are few and far between and small. So far Harknail has seen 2 other settlements, an Elven village in the Ridge Woods and a human settlement further inland that he just came from (they make the beer for the region). There is also a shifter settlement in the Ridge Woods. Most of the area is wilderness with scattered ruins of past empires.

[at]

"Does Sarnath still stand?"[rand=49599798181079372067484349221844207296835086554528992522649424821]

[harknail]

"I know not," answered Harknail. "Methinks not since nothing be left of Karse."

[at]

"Perhaps we should travel there, we might be able to place more landmarks from the book"

And even if there was nothing there they were at least getting paid. Searching for an old ruin was safer than waiting for their new employer to find a cult or tomb to poke.[rand=1392224666796252301892779749271833561033124145983428155840940339557]

[(George) 3.5./ ZEM ( 4.0)]

Lol, o the tails he has of crazy tomes, think Indiana Jones . ya he has a few good ones.

I agree we may be able to find more clues that way but it is time for sleep. thank you for letting use the books. Hear is your what i owe you for today , hands the proper amount of coins to the book owner. If we may stay the night i would be grateful, we do need to be way early though form what i gather is will be a long walk. Thank you all for your hard work." if there is no objections to them staying he heads off to where he can get some good sleep.

[harknail]

Curuvar the Brazen answers, "Sorry, but I don't have room for more. You can find lodging at Moonhaven Inn, they always have plenty of room. Harknail can show you the way, but it's hard to miss the biggest building in Moonhaven."

He continues, "Since it sounds like you'll be recreating the exploration of the author of that book, I could sell you that book for 50 GP. I'll even count today's payment as part of that price."

For comparison, 50 GP is the price of an empty spellbook or ritual book. Or a small ritual book containing a single level 1 ritual.

[(George) 3.5./ ZEM ( 4.0)]

I must save my money so that i can pay these two, they are welcome to the offer if they so wish to buy the book. if they wish to use the money i pay them to obtain it that is up to them. What they do with their money is up to them. If they don't wish for the book I ask that we may have the chance to copy the text onto parchment so we know what to look for along the way. It is late im going to head to the inn if we may return here and copy the text after we got some sleep. for now I think it is best we had to the inn. starts to pack up his things and after he does so heads for the door, and opens it. He looks out into the night.

[at]

Barbatos considers his meagre possessions, "would you consider a rock imbued with magic from Morningfall summit as security for a loan of the book?"

(does Barbatos have any of the records of succession or other documents found at Morningfall)[rand=7503418933696988801662697292018374138028388716949018447022037184]

[harknail]

Yes, Barbatos has both the fake and real patents of nobility. The group also found (and could have brought with them):

Multiple tomes about the nature of magic, two of which contain a single ritual each (secret chest and sending).

Several books about dragonborn ancestry written in Draconic.

You also found the ancient ritual Mindshape Warwing Drake, from the Dragonborn empire. Though you don't know where Bejik was getting his warwing drakes. They were believed to be extinct.

[(George) 3.5./ ZEM ( 4.0)]

lots of trade value . ill point out that dragonborn ancestry written in Draconic would be the best trade. the others that you have we can use.

Not saying i don't trust him but handing over the ability to get an army of drakes in his hands or being to fake title of nobility are not good things to allow someone to get their hands on, yet i have no clue you have these. just my input on what is safest and best trade value

[harknail]

Indeed! I don't think you're going to have any problem getting this book from the tiefling. It's just a matter of making the offer.

[at]

The tiefling seemed uninterested in the offer of magic so Barbatos looked back into his pack, pulling on of the books of ancestry he had recovered from earlier adventures, "perhaps this would be a more suitable trade?"[rand=39762398998202775658001656890555892231125222729457115692826805573]

[(George) 3.5./ ZEM ( 4.0)]

As they are talking zem peaks his head out so he can look out in the dark night. he looks in all the directions he can.

perception roll of +12 : [dice=20]
total: 19+12: 31. ( I SEE U Goblin NINJAS! )[rand=9338609576225281907084979815408605488851945847273694386093178764]

[harknail]

As Curuvar the Brazen looks though the books being offered in trade, Zem peaks outside and spies a goblin.

Actually the goblin wasn't hard to spot, she was wearing bright colors and carrying a large sack filled with something. The other townsfolk seem to be mostly just ignoring the goblin.

OOC: You did indeed find the Goblin Ninja, she's just not in sneak mode at the moment...

[(George) 3.5./ ZEM ( 4.0)]

" Um guys not to worry you all, and i kinda think its nothing but there is a goblin in bright colors out there just standing around. Can't say i very fond of them nor do i trust them but i can't tell what this one is up 2. Goblins normally hid not stand out for they like to ambush. So far she looks harmless, but with goblins you never know what they will do til they do it. Any ideas? you know what nm its not important nor my issue at this time. I trust the guards will arrest her if she tries anything. i would like it if you hurry up so i can get some sleep, and yes interrupting u takes longer i know, so ill stop, please carry on."

[at]

Barbatos peers over at the news and then goes back to bargaining, he has no intention of trading away the magical books but the mundane texts are of relatively little interest to him. Still, best to no give this away in the negotiation.