The Haunted Farm (Dungeon, 2)

[Azuloth]

The Haunted Barn

The barn itself was a large square building with slanted roofs and a dirt floor. The structure looked like it was about to collapse at any moment. The iron nails that held the building together were all rusted to near oblivion. The floor was littered with boards that had rotted out of their positions and fell to the ground. Several areas were just too covered in debris to go into, leaving about seventy percent of the floor traversable. In the center of the room was a structure that clearly didn't belong. Two large rings were situated in the middle of the room, one surrounding the other, forming from the angle that they approached, an X, with the bands touching the floor. In the center was what appeared to be a diamond. Upon attempts to touch the object, one would find that they could not reach within the rings.

[Deleted]

Rithaleya pushes and prods at the structure and the gaps in it with an arrow. "What is this?" She tries pushing on the rings, and if all else fails, shooting an arrow through them. Magic isn't really her thing. "There's nothing else in here but junk..."

[Fyrra Na'Limndra]

"What are you doing? Do you know what that is? Are you trying to kill us?"

"Do you... know what it is Kalimbra?"

"What? No. It's clearly magical. Look at it. I'm not an artificer but that thing looks magical."

Merrake shrugs and shakes her head, then heads towards the barn entrance and keep a lookout for more Salamanders. She'd keep her bow at the ready just in case one wandered too close. Her eyes scanned the field back and forth, she had an arrow already knocked. So far her aim hadn't entirely failed her.

Fyrra walked up to the object and looked it over. It didn't seem to be doing anything in particular, yet just in case she closed her eyes and focused on it. In her mind she visualized the object as she was settling down on the floor in front of it. And she got nothing. She had no idea what she was doing.

"I'm not sure what it does though. I don't know anything about detecting magic or anything like that. Just how to use my particular talents."

[Azuloth]

Rithaleya's attempts to push on the rings were met with the object not moving at all. In fact the more she pushed, the more she pushed herself backwards. The object was either incredibly heavy, or enchanted so it would not move. Shooting through the rings to hit the diamond would find that the rings did indeed move, they intercepted each projectile, destroying it utterly with the speed and sheer force it could command just by rotating its rings on its axis in self defense. It gave up no secrets.

[Deleted]

"Just testing. How else are we supposed to figure out what it is?" She didn't flinch when the rings struck the arrow away, that was one of the less strange parts of the scene, in her opinion. She pulled out some fallen boards, and tried to wedge them under the rings so it couldn't move, then and pick up a third to push through it... but she stopped before pushing it forward. "I guess it can't be that simple. If I shove a whole board though them, there's going to be a few splinters. Maybe it's waiting for someone to grab it with wind magic, or something. Otherwise, it might take a catapult to get through."

[Fyrra Na'Limndra]

Merrake continued to stand guard. Her bow was ready, even if it was shoddy. She would be happy to get her hands on a weapon like Jorkahn's, or even Rithaleya's. They had been on the run and down and out for so long that she hadn't realized how long she had.the bow until now. Months. Months of using a sub-par weapon. She shook her head in disgust.

"I can't harness wind... Let me think."

Fyrra rubbed her chin, then her cheeks. She couldn't perform wind magic, but she could perform fire. A wisp of flame would get blocked by the rings easily. But a cone of flame would have the force necessary and the range to perhaps make it through the rings to dislodge the diamond in the center. Gemstones were magical in nature, but that was all she knew. Perhaps the device was merely a protective vessel for the stone.

"Ok, stand back. I'm going to try something."

---

Fire Breath
-Fyrra can breathe flames in a 4 meter cone from her mouth. Enemies hit with the flames have a 20% chance of catching on fire.
-Fire Damage: 40
-On Fire Damage: 25 per turn
-Mp Cost: 35

*Fire I, Thaumaturgy I*

Actions:
-Using fire breath on the device to push the diamond out of position.

[Azuloth]

The Barn

The rings would not move at all from the boards. Getting under the device appeared impossible as well. As Fyrra stepped up and breathed flame at the device the rings began to defend themselves, attempting to block the flames. Then there was a loud noise, like like a giant scissor clipping through a set of armor. The rings peeled and warped like the skin of an orange, one twisted piece hitting Fyrra alongside the head.

Two sparkling piece of diamonds were embedded in the wall behind the destroyed device. Out from the point where the diamond had been came a wisp of silver smoke, and a bounty of riches.

The smoke took the shape of a person roughly, it spoke in a ragged voice.

"Thank you for freeing me from my prison. My riches are yours. I have no use for them."

The spirit then would dissipate, not lingering in this plane any longer than necessary.

---

Dungeon Complete.
Both players receive: +5 Stat points

Loot (to split):
5,000¤

Diamond ×2 (Unknown properties.)

Silken Vest
-Dr: 20
-Dip: +6
-Cha: +6
*Silk, Light, Chest, Sides, Back.*

Silver Diadem
-Dr: 20
-Enchantment Slot
*Silver, Head, Medium*

Silver Chains
-Dr: 20
-Enchantment slot.
*Silver, Feet, Light*

Magespike
-Dmg: 45
-Reduces mp costs by 10%
*Dagger, Piercing*

Firebrand
-Dmg: 50
-Fire Dmg: 35
-Stat reqs: 15 Str, 12 agi, 12 k.

*Sword, piercing, slashing*

Icebreak
-Dmg: 50
-Cold dmg: 35
-Stat reqs: 15 str, 12 agi, 12 k.

*Axe, chopping, slashing*

Shock Bow
-Dmg: 50
-Lightning dmg: 35
-Stat reqs: 15 str, 12 agi, 12 k.

*Bow, piercing*

Hydro Bow
-Dmg: 50
-Water dmg: 35
-Stat reqs: 15 str, 12 agi, 12 k.

*Bow, piercing*

Emerald quiver
-0/150 Arrows
-Unknown effect

Opal Quiver
-0/150 Arrows
-Unknown effect

Salamander Scale Hauberk
-Dr: 40
-Fire resist: 30
*Scale, Medium, chest, back, sides, abdomen, shoulders*

Salamander Scale Helm
-Dr: 35
-Fire resist: 20
*Scale, medium, head, face.*

Salamander Scale Boots
-Dr: 35
-Fire resist: 20
*Scale, medium, Feet, Lower Legs*

Knowledge upgrade tome ×1
-Upgrade any knowledge you already possess provided it isn't already maxed.
-High Cruic

[Deleted]

Rithaleya is quite surprised as she jumps away, fending off the bursting rings with her board in hand, but shrugs and casts it aside in the aftermath. "Who knew the ghost of the farm just wanted to be set on fire? What a haul..." Digging through the big pile of loot, she handed the tome to Fyrra, first. "I think this is below my reading level."

She eagerly took the armour aside, but after a moment of looking at the weapons, she said resignedly, "...This is too much. You need to take some of these." She tried to give Merrake the Hydro Bow and Opal Quiver, taking the Shock Bow and Emerald Quiver for herself. Then she picked up the sword, axe, and dagger, before looking blankly at the silver, gems, and jewelry. "Are you going to take those?" She hadn't tried on anything else that could be worn.

[Fyrra Na'Limndra]

"This tome doesn't seem to be in my language, and it seems this isn't an equal split. Why don't we redistribute the items fairly and evenly?"

Fyrra said, suddenly becoming even prettier despite the headwound, as Merrake armed herself with the new Opal quiver and hydro bow. She knocked an arrow and aimed it at Rithaleya's head. Her charge may be willing to talk it out, but she did not tolerate thieves or those that attempt to screw over her. She was at her heart a mercenary. It wasn't a fair cut.

The kalimbra was holding the side of her head from when the device split open and hit her.

"I'd rather not this budding friendship turn to violence."

---

Mp: 265/350

-all dolled up: +10 to dip and cha thresholds.

Rolling to convince rithaleya to share the loot equally:
Cha: 29 dip: 19 neg I: all dolled up: 20 = 73
FhA35vEZ

[Deleted]

RZggkmVE

Rithaleya tried to lean out of the way of the arrow being aimed at her. "Geez, who taught you how to negotiate? My sisters?"

She glanced down at the loot she hadn't picked up, which looked to be worth more than everything she'd ever so much as laid hands on in her entire life, then at the items she'd just taken. "We haven't even had this junk appraised."

[Fyrra Na'Limndra]

"Oh! Oh dear! Merrake! Put the weapon down."

"But!"

"Poor girl has no idea what she's holding or what any of it is worth."

"....."

"You don't either do you?"

"....No."

Merrake lowered her weapon.

"Not mentioning the gold which is enough to retire on this country, the diamonds alone could buy two counties. Not to mention the gems innate properties. The weapons you have there are probably enchanted to have been locked in an arcane vault with with spirit. Same goes for the armor. If we take this stuff to an ordinary appraiser he will miss it's value and only look at it on the surface. Let's take it to Morith. There's a lovely shop there called a & f ventures owned and operated by one of my kin, she's a sorcerer, she'll know the stocks true worth. Does that sound fair?"

[Deleted]

"It sounds... very biased, but what's it matter to me? You did most of the work, and like you said, the gold is enough to retire on. Let's keep it simple: What are you going to let me leave here with? In the interests of fairness, friendship, and... sure, let's go with non-violence, too." Rithaleya spread her hands wide. If they weren't going to knock her out and take what they wanted, that'd already be a nice change of routine. Normally, she had to rely on hidden caches.

[Fyrra Na'Limndra]

"Hey now.."

Merrake started. Fyrra shushed her, not wanting things to get more awkward.

"Let's call it half and half then. Here, a diamond for you, a diamond for Merrake and I. You can have the tome because we can't read it. Might be a little above your reading level but that's how learning happens! We have already divided the bows and the quivers equally. The scale armor seems to suit you, I will take the jewelry and silks then. Now... that should leave the gold and the stabby weapons."

"So we count the gold. Kalimbra, you could use a better dagger."

"And you a better axe."

"I don't need the axe. The bow and quiver is enough."

"So the sword, and axe are yours then. Does that sound fair?"

[Deleted]

"I have no idea." Rithaleya picked up the dagger she'd found, and tossed it back on the pile. "Dagger, silks, jewelry--all yours. And I guess I'll take the book." She examined the diamond, before tucking it away in a belt pouch. "You really think this is worth 'a county'? What does that mean, you go up to a duke and offer to trade? ...I hope you can keep a secret if we're carrying around something like that. I don't have a bodyguard, but even with one you're in trouble if a hundred bandits find out about it."

Rithaleya helps count out the gold. Taking half of it feels strange to her, but she works to quell the mixture of elation and horror she's feeling. She'd just need to get to a trustworthy banker... and quickly. "Sword and axe... fun." She hoped those would scare off anyone who wanted to fight her for them, even though if she did wield them, only sheer luck would let her hold onto them.

The armour was the last thing she got around to examining. It didn't seem bad to have in a fight, though she wanted to avoid the sort of fights where she'd have to rely on it, generally speaking. "Okay, so... back to my original problem... I can't carry all this. Do you want some of the meat, bones, and scales, and so on, or should I leave something behind?"

[Fyrra Na'Limndra]

"I think you could buy the title with that diamond. Title comes with land. I think you could also pledge your service to a lord and they might reward you with land. If neither of those are attractive I'm sure you could get a pleasant house in a city of your choosing for it."

"I doubt we'll need all those scales. We should leave some of it."

"It is quite a lot. Merrake, why don't you carry the bones? That should ease some of her burden. Any more that needs to be carried?"

"Yeah, I'll carry whatever we need to. I'd like to get out of here before more salamanders come looking for us. I think they're going to be done devouring what's left of their kin soon. Never knew they were cannibals."

"It is kind of horrifying. The idea of eating your own kind."

"Do Skaldi eat salamander?"

"I don't know."

"That'd be weird right? Am I wrong for thinking that?"

"No, not necessarily."

The women bantered back and forth for a moment while items were exchanged and gear was put on. Fyrra felt much better in the new clothes and jewelry. It was out of character for her to be wearing traditional armor anyway. Merrake liked the feel of her new bow. Its string was tight, and she felt like she could get a good distance out of it. Though she didn't know it was enchanted herself. Once their third comrade was no longer over burdened and the weight was shifted about the three of them in an appropriate way, Fyrra would speak again.

"I'm sorry we got off on a bad foot a few minutes ago. I hope you can forgive us."

"I'm sorry too. Let's get these salamander parts to the hunters market, or a pawnbroker, we might be able to make some money off it. Salamander meat is rare in Innorsford. They might pay some good coin."

---

Acquired:

Opal Quiver
Hydro Bow
Magespike
Silver Diadem
Silken Vest
Silver Chains
Diamond
2,500 Ritz.
Carrying for Rith: Bones &/Or Salamander Flesh