Helix village.

[Spearmint]

Silvine: Art Dealer

May 22nd 1066

The mage calls in on the renowned sculptor and artist. Putting brushes aside she appraises the gilded priestly garb.

"They do look like museum pieces. Not the regular habits and ephod worn in church. From one of the old cults. The curator in Ironguard or Collegiate sages might have more specific knowledge. I suspect by your story that it gives the priest some aura or authority."

She confirms the suspicions you have regarding the items, more ceremonial in usage than regular wear. Wether someone could masquerade as a priest of Set while wearing these is a moot point. Dougal certainly was recognised when he wore or carried the items by the deceased. Holy symbols only work (usually) in the hands of the faithful. Which leads to a question of someone wearing these in the Barrow Mounds or Barrowmaze and gaining influence over the denizens thereof.

A budding necromancer might value these more highly than a curator of relics who wants to just out them on show.

The silver and gold on the shawl and headdress are polished veneers that fit around the heavy leather mould. As to any sale value, it might pique interest at an auction or to a collector somewhere around 500 gold the set.

[OGRE MAGE]

Orgoth

Orgoth goes to the Silver Standard. "Hello. When is the next coach heading to Ironguard? Me and a friend, both proven adventurers would like to hire on as guards in exchange for a ride to Ironguard."

With this timeline being rather important to his immediate plans, Sven follows up on this.

“Hi. I’m the friend. How often do your coaches to Ironguard come and go? How long is the trip? I assume you hire on extra muscle for the more important runs?”

[OGRE MAGE]

You can visit Valeron the elf, cast the Mending spell upon the tapestry. He informs you that Ollis, the chamberlain has enquired regarding it

Sven nearly runs back to check on the work so far.

“Looks amazing so far everyone! Really!”

“Now, can you tell me exactly what Ollis said about it, please?”

[Spearmint]

House of Valeron

The elven bowyer is crafting his latest composite designs, fixing strengthened deer gut and spider silk strings to a burnished ebony hardwood. It twangs with a zest.

"A special order." he says, greeting the mage. In the parlour the weavers delicately sow threads, lifting knots in the tapestry, blending seams and covering flaws unseen to the trained eye.

"Ollis, yes he burdened us with his presence. He was interested in the theme on the tapestry, the enhancements to the look and presentation. Perhaps he thinks it might decorate Krothos' meadhall. He made no suggestion to acquire it but was eager to see the finished article."

You chat with the ranger. He notes you took his advice regarding tie-dye colouring the white laboratory coat and smiles at the studded augments on the shoulder and cuffs.

[OGRE MAGE]

Sven allows himself to relax somewhat after the report on Ollis. “Yes, he suggested that it might be nice enough to serve that purpose. There is something off about that guy. I can’t put my finger on it. Anyone else get that impression?”

“Once this project is complete I want to treat you and everyone who worked on it to a nice feast in the tavern. The reemergence of historical artifacts as beautiful as this must be a highly celebrated moment.”

[Quonundrum]

Silvine: Art Dealer
May 22nd 1066

Moriartus collects the priestly objects from the counter. "Thank you, Miss Silvine. Your expert appraisal is much appreciated." He bows with a tip of his staff and takes his leave.

[Spearmint]

Orgoth

Orgoth goes to the Silver Standard. "Hello. When is the next coach heading to Ironguard? Me and a friend, both proven adventurers would like to hire on as guards in exchange for a ride to Ironguard."

Agrippa, foreman at the Silver Standard can arrange transport. A caravan of trade wagons will leave in a few days, you can be assigned some guard duty in exchange for passage.

If Moriartus and the Mummy group want to join in, it makes sense to travel as one group.

[Cwreando]

Durgo

Durgo goes over to the Bowyer, "Well met. My name is Durgo. I was looking to see if there is a way to add my strength to a bows damage. Perhaps a way to make the draw string and bow stronger to be pulled by someone with a bit more muscle?"

Durgo flexes a bit for show.

Durgo also checks into establishing an agility training location to increase his dexterity and an apothecary of sorts to increase his constitution.

Durgo looks about for a swordman trainer to hone his skills with a sword and to keep in fit form.

Depending on funds recieved for the recent adventure he'll consider going to the smithy to invest in better armor, shield and sword or at a minimum get his sword sharpened and ready for the next adventure.

[Quonundrum]

The Silver Standard Merchant Company
May 22nd 1066

Moriartus meets up with Orgoth at the trade depot and requests round trip travel arrangements to Ironguard for himself, Cadeweed, Durgo, Fydmar, Dougal, Two-Birds, and their cargo of about 144 pounds of amber tree sap for sale. They can also help as guards to defray the cost.

In addition, to the Crooked Yew he would like to ship the three bonsai tanks, three jars, and the length of root Two-Bird's harvested for him, care of Brother Clive. He will also need these shipped back to Helix, for which he will pay in advance.

Depending on Dalin's plans, the dwarf may accompany the second shipment, though not explicitly as a guard.

[Spearmint]

House of Valeron:

From the first introduction to the dwelling:

A small detached cottage set at the end of a quiet lane of terraced townhouses, painted in soft blue-egg woad and thatched in intricate bundles. In a courtyard to the rear and side, a gaggle of ducks and geese peck incessantly, announcing your arrival with much noise and clacking. You note a woman in a long green dress which drapes full length over her ankles upon the floor as she walks among them scattering feed.

You knock and a tall, dark haired elf greets you. Introducing yourself in elven, you pass obligations and he invited you in to a workshop room.

Around the walls are several bows. Some made if horn or bone, others of traditional woods. The multiple grains showing several different varieties cut or shaped to long, short or a neo-classical compound design. Quivers overflow with arrows and his worktop bench has numerous fletchings, shafts and feathers bring prepared.

He looks quite the artisan bowyer and fletcher.

Durgo, flush with a few coins from his recent expedition goes in search of upgrading his gear and his own abilities. First stop, a new bow.

Being received by the elf you enter his workshop where a number of artisan bows are hung up for sale and display.

"Quite the ox aren't you.", he says seeing the bulging physique. "Yes most normal bows have a finite pull strength, so irrespective of your capacity to drag a heavier strain, the bow will only loose the arrow with a median force."

He points out a couple of models. "This yew wood. The grain runs in one direction and is tightly packed so I can slim the bow while maintaining its power. But these other woods require a thicker make.

Now these examples are recurve limbs, see the staves curve away from the wielder when unstrung. These store more energy and are faster to use but slightly less accurate. I supply such to various cavalrymen around the Duchy."

You test a few. He shows you better techniques for restringing bows and the dog's and don't's of caring for the equipment. Circling back to your question,

"Yes, I can craft such a bow but securing the right wood is the issue. I have to range far and wide since most of the select Maple or Juniper do not grow in the close reaches of the forest and a lot of the Oak are subject to aging.

If you can bring me a selection of these, I can craft a bow. The wood needs seasoning and I can take your measurements for size and get an idea of balance in your aim."

He talks shop. A common longbow might cost in the region of 66gp or 110gp for a composite model, to augment one to improve damage output might cost fourfold in materials and labour costs.

Durgo ask any relevant questions.

[Quonundrum]

Silvine: Art Dealer
May 22nd 1066

Moriartus returns later that same day following an impromptu decision to memorialize his religious epiphany on the Moor with a suitable tribute to glorify the event. "Good afternoon, Miss Silvine. I would like to commission a sculpted piece, if I may. I envision a bust or statue of myself, sized as to be suitable for display on a shelf or desk. In my extended hand I gaze in thought at a pyramid of the all-seeing eye of Arcantryl."

He pantomimes and poses while he speaks to evoke the artistic impact he desires. "The pyramid itself should be gilded, or edged with enamel, and it should draw the viewer's eye inexorably to its intricate beauty. Worthy of display on a nobleman's mantel. I can offer 200 gold pieces for such a piece and will gladly sit for however many poses are necessary to precisely capture my features."

[gurusql]

The Axe and Anvil

Cadeweed tries the Axe and Anvil and attempts to talk to Karg Barrelgut. He says "Good day kind sir. My name is Cadeweed and I come at the suggestion of Mazzahs the Magnificent. I make my living disabling mechanical traps for groups adventuring in the moors. He suggested that you might be able to make some higher quality tools that the ones that I currently use. An artisan thieves toolkit perhaps. In addition he suggested that you might have some strong magnets that I could purchase. Is this something a dwarf of your high level of skill would be able to help me with?"

[Karaunios]

Dougal

Dougal heads to the Axe and Anvil and greets the owner warmly. "Good deh tae ye, sir! My name's Dougal. I've been daeing some expeditions here in the barraes and I was wondering if there's any chance ye could dae something tae improve this sword and this armor." He shows his studded leather armor and his broadsword.

"Aye, I ken I could buy a better armor, like a chainmail or something of the sort, but I want tae carry something that will allae me tae move withaut being heard, ye ken?

Hae much would it be, and hae long would it take, if ye upgrade both items?

Or mibbe ye have a better idea that ye might recommend?"

[Spearmint]

Silvine: Art dealer and sculptor.

The mage Moriartus returns with a grandiose request. Perhaps he has seen the chalkstone bust of Golgarth currently used as a doorstop in the tavern. He dreams of something more finely crafted than the rustic chiselled features of the Cromm cleric.

Silvine considers, scribbles a few notes and suggestions a few workable options.

"Perspective is the key. The viewer needs to be seeing through the head's eye into and through the pyramid. I can do a standard sculpt, perhaps a half-size head but retaining your recognisable likeness, shaping the eyes focus, frown, brows to give the impression of meditating and thinking on the object in hand.

The hand, open palmed, the objects simple. A d4 tetrahedron or a traditional four sided pyramid upon a square base.

I can make the head a full skull or just a visage, like a mask. Maybe even put in holes in the eyes pupils so a viewer can look through a 1st party POV instead from the third person's perspective.

Materials and time will be the main cost. Any preference to wood, bone, stone, metal?"

Each has virtues and advantages. One might wear better, one easier to sculpt, another easier to carve into a resemblance rather than a generic face.

You can take a couple of downtime days to discuss options and sit for a face casting. The 200gp covers basic materials and time, probably looking at two weeks to completion.

[Spearmint]

The Axe and Anvil Forge

The dwarven smithies receive a steady stream of customers looking to iron out chinks in armour, sharpen edges on blades and churn out the various tools that tradesmen require.

Taking Cadeweed's enquiry, they refer you to a nearby locksmith who can supply you with interchangeable skeleton keys and lock picks, tools of fine carbon steel, chisels, pliers, long nosed and wire-cutters. Additions to a kit include a small sliver of mirrored glass on a stem and scalpels for intricate work, mini-vice and clamps and should all else fail, a double pronged crowbar and sap. A traditional thieves kit adds no proficiency bonus but this will add 10% to lockpicking and removing or disabling mechanical traps.

(You can have 6 lockpicks. Each adds the 10% skill bonus but a failed roll snaps the pick). The cost is 120gp, quadruple a normal toolkit (30gp) but the equipment is artisan and if it opens a safe you could not do otherwise, you are surely only a heist away from recouping the outlay.

Dougal enquires about armour and weapons. Basic chainmail can be bought, takes a couple of days to tailor to size. Augmenting it to 'chink' less might mean making links lighter and not as tight, so raising the armour class to AC6 rather than AC5 but it might help you with surprise situations. Normal chainmail (book price +10% is 83gp) to make a lighter and quieter mail shirt and coif, they quote 140gp and a week of labour.

As to weapons, they have a speciality with the Duchy Broadsword, one of which you already wield. They can craft a two-handed 'claidhaemh-mor' (claymore), a six foot pommel to point greatsword with cross-hilt of forward sloping quillons or they can do a shorter, basket-hilted dueling sabre with complimentary slim blood-gutter foil dagger for dual wielding.

It depends on fighting style preferred, one favours brute force the second offers more finesse. Both custom made. The 3d6 dealing two handed swords yours for 275gp and the 'gentlemen's honour' of duelling blades for 88gp.

The dwarves also point you to a fencing school. A local dandy offers to upgrade skillets with training whereby fighter class characters may by duel wielding a main and off-hand weapon, learn a parry and riposte skill that penalises an opponent's return attacks. (So rather than causing damage, the off-hand attack inflicts the damage as a penalty to the opponents next to hit roll).

[Rex]

Orgoth

Returns to the The Axe and Anvil with his magic ingot.

"Hello, me again. I was wondering if you could make a magic shield from this ingot and if so how long it would take and how much it would cost. Thanks."

[Spearmint]

The Axe and Anvil

Karl Barrelgut receives the half-orc Orgoth, who once again brings the illicit ingot into the forge.

"Smelting it we can do. Casting it to augment a shield, takes a little time. Depends if you want a certain variety.

We can do a traditional wooden round shield bordered and strengthen with iron bands and a central boss, decorated to order" (a typical Saxon/Viking type) "or create a regular kite design favoured by nobles and crusaders. The wave topped heart design or the longer kite that tapers to a point which covers ankle to shoulder while mounted. (a Norman Kite-shield design), "Or as you favour using the spear, we can alloy the ingot with bronze to cover a larger boiled leather shield and create a hoplon style with perhaps a right hand cut-out should you shield wall with colleagues. 'With it or in it but never without it.'" (a Spartan/Greek hoplites variety)

Each decorated with your own crest or design. Something with 'Stonewall' on perhaps?

A Shield +1 normally holds a 2,500gp value but you are providing the ingot which has value and an enchanted trait in itself. Spells and potions tend to work on a 50/50 basis of labour charge to magic material so going with that, the shield would be 1,250gp in labour.

From earlier conversation, after asking about using it in a suit of armour.

Saw another dwarf walking the village in some ancient mail, enhanced in properties. I can craft certain unique qualities into the metals over time. But it takes time. Normal made to measure chain, dwarven chain I can hammer out in a month. You being a bit on the larger size might take an extra week. But you are talking thousands for superior wear. But you are supplying some material compounds, so then that reduces costs. But not time.

I will have to think but I can initially quote around 1500gp."

the DMG lists magic chain around 3500gp

Reviewing costs and the initial value estimated for the ingot, he will craft either a Shield +1 for 625gp or Chainmail +1 for 750gp.

[Rex]

Orgoth

"Thanks, I don't have enough coin yet but am making a trip to secure more. After that we will talk again."

[Spearmint]

Orgoth

If you leave the ingot and a small deposit they can start work and that reduces your waiting days for the item to be produced.

[Quonundrum]

Silvine: Art dealer and sculptor

Moriartus considers the suggestions. "I would like a full skull sculpture. In alabaster. The pyramid in etched brass. At the base should be the words 'The Epiphany'. Preferably in brass filigree." As Silvine is an established artisan in the community and almost certainly won't abscond with the gold, he has no qualms paying the entire fee up front.

-200 gp.