Myrn grinned at the table as she finally got back from her trip to the local guild shop. She eyed each member at the table. Each of them were in various states of wetness from being out in the rain that had been pouring down when they came out of the Dungeon approximately the same amount of time later as they had spent inside. She had her cloak about her and looked to be lightly burdened. That was not what Marvin and Andy had been wanting to see.
She gave them each a dry look that she then passed to Davian and then slowly to Ivan. They waited, all of them leaning on the table with the first drinks of the night in hand, and already feeling impatient with the hunger gnawing at their bellies.
“Well?” Marvin asked.
Myrn threw a single measly coin purse onto the table from within her cloak.
Davian gaped at the little bag. Marvin's face melted into distraught outrage. Andy grimaced down at the little bag and back up the fine wine in his mug. Ivan however felt the tingling twinges of hidden amusement with his Taps Upon the Web perception ability. Myrn shifted, and then drew out the heavy cord tied to her belt that held the large dangling sack of coins she had been carefully hiding within her long cloak and behind her legs.
Marvin, Andy, and Davian all gasped as she hefted the bag by its extended draw strings and laid it upon the table. Drinks clattered and the table shook as it jangled joyously open to reveal full silver coins that sparkled in the lamplight.
Myrn stuck out her tongue at Ivan as the other three broke into cheers. The room around them had noticed the commotion naturally and having knowledge of where they had been they all looked on with rapt attention, civilian and amateur adventurer alike. Myrn took up two of the silver coins from the large bag and smiled at Meeda who was watching them closely from the bar.
Meeda saw the coins and his shoulders slumped for a moment before he looked up with a big smile, first looking about the fully packed common room for a count. Already some were cheering as they got the idea Myrn was supposing, but Meeda took his count, thought a moment and then held up two fingers toward Myrn.
“Two drinks! All around!” Myrn shouted.
She was nearly drowned out by the roar of cheers. Men and women stood and clapped, and some others started into song. Ivan watched and shook his head as the people celebrated. Davian watched where he sat beside Ivan, his face carrying an amused expression as he picked out rowdy tunes and other reactions of the common patronage.
Myrn crashed into Ivan's lap after a serving maid quickly took up the coins and headed for the bar. Ivan caught her, but grunted. Myrn was no wilting violet of a girl. She was a solid and combat ready woman. Myrn smiled back at him, winking, and jerking her chin in a gesture that could only mean one thing. Ivan found himself blushing, but smiled with it as Myrn rested an arm over his shoulders as she leaned back.
“How'd I do boys?” She asked with the imposed demur tones of a much older lady one might meet at a shady tavern.
Ivan looked up at her curiously from under her arm and she winked at him. Ivan couldn't help, but grin at her.
“Myrn, this is incredible. I don't think I've ever seen this much money!” Davian exclaimed, his voice robbed of carrying by the continued cheers of the happy common room.
Marvin was checking coins with a practiced eye, but seemed satisfied. Andy had the little bag and was blinking at the freshly cut gold bits he was pulling from inside. He took out eight of them to compare and nodded with an impressed and satisfied expression of his own at the completed coin. It was a mix of Istania, Zon, and Theadus branded bits, but it appeared as though they were all authentic.
“There's gold in the little bag. Maybe twenty five bits.” Andy said dumbly.
“How did you get so much?” Marvin asked.
“Well...” Myrn began, waiting for a moment with a hand raised until a passing serving maid put a large steel flagon into her hand.
She smiled at it and took a drink, dragging out the drama of her reveal with a pride they all shared now that they had their bounty laid out before them.
“It appears it's been some time since anyone of note felt comfortable going into the Dungeon. It wasn't just for kicks that we got cheers going in. The Dungeon is building up magic and everyone knows it. Manifestations have been appearing everywhere and causing problems. So...I got a little extra out of the guild associated with my family by promising we would do more if we could buy some better equipment, and dragged every coin I could out of the Enchanters Union because they were already practically jumping over each other to buy what we looted. I almost started an auction right there.” She said, pausing to take another big drink.
“Needless to say we have buyers lined up for our next haul, and there may be an incentive or two mixed up in the main loot bag from that. All in all we've made almost three thousand silver in one night. It won't be the same next time we come out because the high bidders got what they needed—for now—but we'll sell a good deal of what we get next time and make good coin all the same while hiding some extra stock away with Ivan's pretty little cloak to keep for some high rollers in need later.”
Andy and Marvin struck the table, pounding out a drum beat in praise of Myrn. She basked in the praise, welcoming it with a gentle rolling of her large steel mug.
“Yes, yes, your fearless and beautiful leader has done well hasn't she?” She asked with mock bravado obvious in her suddenly dignified and regal accent. She leaned down and kissed Ivan's temple.
“That ugly breastplate thing that nearly tripped you up was most of it. What did that thing weigh? Twenty kilos or something?” Myrn asked, quickly dropping the false accent.
“I would say so. I didn't handle it all that much, but it took me off balance for sure.”
Myrn took another drink, her eyes locked on Ivan, and she didn't seem to have listened.
Ivan shook his head at her, but at the same time slipped his hand up the lip of her shirt just enough to touch her hip and remain unnoticed. Her smile at him grew wider, and she wiggled her eyebrows at him. Ivan waggled his back, and Myrn broke out into giggles that made her legs stir on his lap.
“What are we going to do with all this then?” Marvin asked, speaking only a moment after taking a long drink from his own mug.
Andy was deep in his, but sat up seeing a young woman with a large platter tray filled with food on her shoulder. He started moving mugs and flagons out of the way as she approached. Ivan even shifted Myrn over in his lap to his other knee. She went, smiling, and cooperative, but still clung to him and refused to get up from his lap though their legs barely fit under the table this way.
The food came and plates were passed round. The group celebrated some of Meeda's finest cooking. Freshly caught salmon, the finest veggies, and a dessert Layla had begun making that very morning and served chilled to perfection using some of her own cooking magic.
“Like I said.” Myrn began once the plates of food were handed out.
“We're going to buy equipment. We'll get Ivan some more proper armor, and --if he wants it-- Alchemy gear. Otherwise investing in some proper magic herb seeds and getting them growing in the back garden for Ivan to use will be a good investment. The herbs are cheap enough, but the seeds are what's hard to find. We get that, and get Ivan making some real potions and quick acting remedies. The sooner he's able to heal us over minutes instead of overnight the more comfortable we'll be going further in.”
“Exactly.” Marvin agreed, and offered his mug up in a toast to Myrn.
She clacked flagons with him and smiled down at Ivan, once again under her arm.
Ivan looked up at her, startled a little by her words and his own joyous thoughts in his head. Healing...even though alchemy and potions was still healing. With his Administer Medicine Skill from Hedge Doctor he could use anything he made on his allies like traditional healing spells. There was the preparation and cost of materials, but with Myrn to help grow and provide for his needs there would be little difficulty in that if she helped grow his stock. Actually it might even save him on mana to use his remedies as compared to healing spells if he could grow and propagate his own ingredients with her help.
He hugged Myrn possessively and tried to keep a tight rein on his emotions. He seemed to have been able to hide his reaction from the other men, but Myrn noticed. She set her ale down and turned his face up to her. Then, leaning slightly she kissed him with such heat that Ivan momentarily lost awareness of what was around him or going on in his head. Her weight shifted in his lap and she really came after him, the kiss as heated as any they had shared in the bedroom until Andy and Marvin both cleared their throats several times for a clear and singular purpose.
Myrn drew away, showing no shame at all, but Ivan thought steam might pipe out from his ears due to the heat in his face. Mryn was comfortably covering his body's other reaction, but Ivan was a young man and nascent Incubus or not he was properly embarrassed.
“There's a prize for Isaac I guess.” Marvin laughed.
Myrn grinned at him and leaned back into Ivan even more. Ivan sighed and went about trying to eat with one hand around Myrn. Meanwhile she turned her gaze on Marvin.
“Not even. We're going shopping tomorrow. We're going to get everyone set up. Especially Ivan, and you too Davian. I want everyone to have an enchanted trinket that does something handy, each of us are going to carry a Potion of Restoration of Advanced Class or better, and we're going to get those seeds for Ivan so he can have the material supplies needed for instantaneous magical healing.” Myrn shot back.
“Trinkets?” Andy asked.
“Not the little useless things your mother has on her mantle dumby.” Marvin clarified, bumping elbows with the larger man. “You know what she means, you're just hungry.”
Andy frowned.
Ivan paused with his fork held in his mouth to reach into his cloak with his free hand. From it he pulled the talisman he had successfully stolen from the Lizard-man shaman. Ivan waved his hand over it.
“Imspect Itemn.” Ivan chanted around the fork.
The spell knew his intent and triggered regardless of his mouthful of food and fork.
Inspect Object: Item, Inspection Successful
Shadow Tribute Talisman, Lesser Trinket
A tribal trinket used by a clan leader, or speaker of the elements appearing to be the resin hardened skull of an infant lizard-man decorated in vulture feathers. While worn or tied about a weapon any magic used is bolstered by a tiny amount, and offensive spells have a chance to be imbued with a light shadow poison. This trinket can function as a spell casting implement or support trinket.
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Ivan let Davian and Myrn read, and then turned the scroll to face Marvin and Andy so they could read.
“That's a pretty minor example, but it's still useful.” Myrn told them. “The ones I mean to get us will have powerful active magic effects. A Dome of Protection talisman for Andy or you Marvin would be good. A Glyph of Striking for you Davian to help us take down bosses more quickly, and maybe something like it for Ivan.”
“I was thinking of getting a Protection from Arrows talisman myself.” Marvin admitted. “Leave the dome for Andy to use to extend the wall of his shield.”
“That's fair.” Myrn agreed, nodding before taking another big drink of ale.
“You need a Talisman of Unshackled Arcana, Libra of Liberated Magicka, and you'll probably have to make this one, but a Libra Occulta would help increase the strength of our summoned bodies. Ask after the Talisman of Unshackled Arcana. It's a passive Major Talisman, but it will get you closer to what we all need.” Penelope told Ivan, stealing a moment as everyone stopped to eat a little something or have a drink of Meeda's fine ale.
Ivan took a moment to use Infinite Library to look up the Talisman's Penelope had mentioned to him. Each was well suited to their plans like she said, but he didn't want to suggest them aloud unless he had some background knowledge on their effects.
“What about something for me that doesn't focus on damage?” Ivan suggested to Myrn.
Myrn looked at him and nodded briefly before seeming lost in thought.
“You had an idea just now didn't you? I felt you using a little mana there. Is that Scribe's famous Infinite Library I just felt?” Myrn asked.
Ivan nodded. Myrn laid back against him and sighed, relaxing as her eyes sought out something in his.
“What did you have in mind?”
“There's a few options. Unleashed Magic is probably the cheapest, but not as helpful. It would give what healing magic I have a little extra kick, but that's about all. A Talisman of Unshackled Arcana would do even better though to help me on my way, but it will be expensive. But I have enough Hit Points to use a Talisman of Sacrifice or Talisman of Bloody Mercy too.” Ivan answered.
Myrn's face crumpled at the last suggestion. She shook her head, closing her eyes and leaning against Ivan. Her left hand found his own near her hip where he was supporting her seated position on his lap and she squeezed.
“Those are a Paladin's Trinkets Isaac.” Marvin said soberly. “I'm humbled that you would offer to literally take wounds for us, but surely there's a better way to go about healing us quickly.”
Andy listened, clearly lacking some knowledge, but nodded as he put it together.
Ivan hesitated a moment fearing for a moment he might have slipped again, but his friends saw only Isaac, the Rogue Healer, trying his best to earn the full title. Myrn took in a long breath with her cheek still pressed against Ivan's. After a moment she shook her head.
“I don't like the Sacrifice or Mercy type talisman's on you. Not yet. Unshackled Arcana is expensive, but getting it early would be a good investment if you really want to divert into spell caster role. You're just so good in melee already I thought maybe we should capitalize on it.” Myrn admitted, still not opening her eyes.
When she did, those lovely blue gemstones threatened to swallow Ivan up like a pair of deep coves near the ocean; each seeming to beg him to dive in and go for a swim in their warm sheltering waters.
“Some of the best ways to advance his melee combat Jobs involve earning some form of magic as I've come to learn. I can't say getting that magic going is a bad idea. Especially if it will help you keep us in one piece, Isaac.” Davian put in, smiling in spite of his remaining jealous feelings.
“That's a good way to think of it. Maybe I should try something along those lines too.” Andy grumbled a little. It wasn't like him to be dour and the group noticed.
Andy recoiled from the sudden focused gazes of everyone. Marvin, sitting beside him, eventually bumped elbows with him until he started talking. Andy, always being the first to ask after everyone who seemed the least bit troubled in the group suddenly found himself flanked on all sides by caring gazes.
“Well maybe it's not just that I'm the youngest okay? Marvin knows, but well...when you're the only one in the family born without a single spark...well...you're less important. I have the right parents for it, but no matter what I've tried I can't my latent sparks to show up...if I have them at all at least.” Andy admitted.
“If I could manage at least that, maybe the family would try to marry me off, but no noble is going to agree to marry off his daughter to someone without any sparks or hope of awakening nascent ones.” Andy went on.
He sighed and took a slow drink of ale, his eyes affixed to the table.
“Must make me look petty to let that get me down when you guys have so much more trouble in your lives than I do.” Andy said before anyone could voice words of comfort.
Marvin shook his head and gave Andy a disappointed look. Then he grabbed his mug and raised it in a toast.
“Life sucks. Bad things happen to good people, and the world might never be right. So I say ‘here's to the friends who help us make it through’.”
“To friends!” Mryn shouted at once.
“To friends.” Davian repeated after a moment.
“Friends.” Ivan concurred, making Myrn laugh as he fought his way forward to reach up and touch mugs with Marvin.
Andy stared at them all in surprise, and then began laughing. He took up his mug and clacked it with the rest of the team's. He drank down what must have been a good half of the brew and smiled, saying little more as he tore into his food with a will. Still though, even between bites he was smiling.
“So there. We'll get an 'Oh Shit' Trinket on Andy. A protection trinket for Marvin so he can be out from behind Andy's shield a little longer; A damage trinket for Davian to make sure he's able to play his part against the tanky bastards we're going to face down in the coming weeks, and a magic trinket that should help Ivan grow his magic as fast as he can.” Myrn summarized.
“What about you, oh fearless leader?” Marvin asked.
Myrn stared at Marvin for a long few moments, the ale clearly having made its way into her thoughts already. She nodded, mostly to herself, and then began pulling little things from her belts and armor naming each as she laid them on the table between their plates of food.
“Glyph of Striking, Glyph of True-shot, Talisman of Speed, Talisman of Vitality, Talisman of Poison Resistance, Charm of Greater Luck, and Noble Blessing of the Old Forest.”
Each Glyph was a carved silver rune, the magic imbued both by its shape and the designs of the carving, each being unique pieces she wore attached to a harness like corset she wore with attachment points for her armor, quiver, and various bags and pouches. The Talisman of Speed was a magically enchanted falcon feather worn on her belt; the Talisman of Vitality an enormous bear claw on a leather cord she wore about her neck; The Charm of Greater Luck a silver furred rabbit's foot, and the Noble Blessing of the Old Forest was an old looking wooden plaque on a leather string. The Elvish script upon it, and its very presence seemed to hum with potent energy. The Blessing she wore around her wrist, with the plaque tucked into either her armband while in town, or in her vambrace when wearing her full gear.
“I could probably get away with getting one more, but my gear is enchanted too so I'll be fine for quite a while.” Myrn explained as she put all the trinkets back into their various places.
Marvin whistled. Andy nodded, watching as Myrn put the items back.
“What about rings?” Davian asked.
Everyone at the table gave him a curious glance of some kind.
“Can't these trinkets be rings as well?” He clarified.
Myrn dragged a plate of food closer to her on the table and nodded.
“Can be, but mostly any kind of ring will have a greater enchantment upon them and unless you're an Artificer you can only wear so many, usually just one or two depending on your tolerance for magic items.” She explained before shoving a heaping speared helping of food into her gob.
Ivan watched Myrn's unladylike behavior with a smile as he ate and listened. He knew all this more or less anyway.
“You mean there's no standard for the amount of magical gear someone can use or wear on their person?” Davian asked.
“No, not really.” Marvin answered plainly, having been used to the Bard's lack of more advanced knowledge while hardly approaching the effects of his curse as Myrn and Ivan did at times.
“It's sort of like sparks, but it's not sparks that make you able to wear more.” Andy said around at least a half mouthful of food.
“Sparks give you magic, but don't determine the amount of magic gear you can wear?” Davian asked, clearly perplexed.
“It's easiest to tell with children usually.” Marvin explained, taking a napkin to dab at his mouth before he spoke.
“A child who can wear enchanted gloves, boots, or use enchanted items at a young age when most other kids can't will likely be able to wear just about whatever they can fit onto themselves by the time they are an adult especially if they go for an Artificer Job. Usually that means they have one or two sparks, but the most extreme examples always have no sparks, like Meathead here.” Marvin explained, smiling at his friend.
Andy gave Marvin a dry sidelong glance as he continued eating.
“He has no sparks, but he can wear just about any number of magic items as long as it doesn't take too much mana. So, as long as they have passive effects, he can tolerate being covered in just about every little trinket, enchanted armor piece, and spell crafted weapon you can imagine.”
Andy frowned at Marvin.
“I still can't use the good stuff so what's the point?” Andy grumbled.
“Glyph's and armor meathead.” Marvin laughed. “Any Glyph we find in the Dungeon not suited to anyone else will go on you somewhere even if we have to just start tying them into your hair!”
“Glyph's just have passive effects then?” Davian asked, obviously curious.
“Yup. Almost always. And they are found in almost every Dungeon too as common loot. They're made by all sorts of Artificers too so they are easy to get a hold of most of the time.” Marvin answered.
“So then Talisman's are the religious equivalent?” Davian asked.
“More or less. They do usually get stronger effects if you have a connection with whatever gave the blessing within the Talisman. Like Myrn's Blessing. That must be a gift from her time away with strange and lovely Elven people if I'm not mistaken.”
Myrn nodded, still chewing on her last bites of food.
“So what's the difference between Major and Minor Talisman's?” Davian asked.
“Essentially that only relates to the amount of magic in the item, but more importantly Major Talisman's can interact with each other to negative and positive effects. Most of the time if the two sources of magic get along they will be fine. Two competing Artificers during a blood feud might work against each other to a minor degree, but nothing like wearing a Major Talisman taken from a Dungeon with one made by the Clergy of some god outside. They are opposed on a completely different level, and wearing them both might even cause things like spontaneous mana drains and hexes upon casting magic.” Myrn explained.
“My mom and dad have a lot of experience with that and have helped a lot of our family friends find combinations that work. Sometimes, like with the opposed Temple of Frogs, and the Temple of Snakes Dungeons, you can wear both if one is affixed to your weapon and the other to your armor, but never upon the same piece. It all depends on the source of the magic.”
“And minor talismans?” Davian asked.
Myrn just shrugged.
“They usually don't react to anything, and just give small bonuses.” Marvin clarified.
“Like Isaac's creepy skull thing there?”
“Hey!” Ivan growled around his food, reaching out to snatch the shady item. “I like this thing. I should have inspected it earlier, but I sort of forgot I had it.”
Marvin chuckled.
“Anything else in that cloak we should know about? Any gold maybe?” He asked with a mock suspicious expression on his face.
Ivan shook his head, but made the cloak expand over Myrn and himself. Myrn sagged into the cloak, taking a deep breath through her nose as she chewed her food. Her eyes shone when she laid her head back lazily to look at Ivan. Her body laid against him as closely as she could manage, her free hand gripping his wrist possessively.
“A little decency maybe?” Davian grumbled into his flagon of ale.
Myrn raised an eyebrow at him, but slid softly off of Ivan's lap and into the space in the booth that could probably only fit a child appropriately. Davian flushed as Myrn bullied him a little into the wall while staring him down.
“Happy now?” Myrn growled at him, flagon held up off the table like she was about to bludgeon him with it.
On her other side Ivan put a hand first on her knee and slid it up her thigh and a little along the inside. Myrn made a startled little sound, and looked over at him.
“How about we eat and start up some dancing? Davian it looks like you're not the only one in here with an instrument tonight. You might not make any coin, but there's plenty of young lady adventurers in here tonight. Show them that Dancer Job.” Ivan put forward.
Marvin sat up straight at that, and looked about.
“Yeah.” The Mercenary seconded right away, even rolling his shoulders a little as he did.
“Careful with your wound. Don't go too hard or those stitches won't hold.” Ivan told him with a laugh.
Marvin nodded and elbowed Andy while getting Davian's attention.
“There. There across the way. Party of women about our age. I've seen them around before and know they like to dance. We'll start there, Isaac you've got your partner so get that guy with the lute over there to take to the stage.”
Ivan and Myrn started eating a little faster to finish their meals. Ivan was having a hard time as Myrn's hand seemed to like to wander regardless of her focus on eating. But eventually they finished their meals and stowed away the coin they had earned. A short conversation with Meeda, and a trip over to the table with man plucking away at his new lute gave the man space on stage. Another from the crowd joined with a drum, and yet another still with a flute. All the groups were either young adventurer's or a few youths centered around a more experienced person spared the army of light's attention. As tables were cleared away and some little talk was had Ivan learned that the word around town had been all about them.
“We see you going out and know Adventuring in Dentennek isn't dead. Myrn and others like her built their families and homes around taking on the Old Oak and keeping everyone safe.” One adventurer told Ivan as they moved a heavy table together as to not mark the floor by dragging it.
“We'll be adventurers again. Even if the best of us are in that camp as prisoners we'll show 'em and manage on our own. We'll grow strong and take our people back.” The Adventurer said, only for her more experienced companion to quickly close on her and tell her to mind her tongue where so many could hear it.
But hearing that gave Ivan an idea. And as he spoke with a few more of the young adventurers he began to feel little tugs on his mind that gave him insights about their true feelings. Almost everyone there was hurt, worried, or angry about the recent goings on. He provided little comforts as he could, and spoke with some about arranging healing strategies, many of which weren't very far from his own. Though most were his age or just a little old he gave them what encouragement he could before the players atop the stage called out to everyone.
“Well..umm.. What would you like us to play?” The young man with the lute asked, using one of his Gleeman Job skills to project his voice.
The crowd called out various tunes, Down the Old Avenue, Through the Great Pass, and Raiding the Jungle Temple, all examples of tunes sung by adventurers. Many of the like actually held wisdom as to facing the challenges inside the various dungeons as well as being catchy enough to dance to.
Myrn found him as people began taking their places. She was into her few cups, but not too far gone. She was smiling and grinning the whole while as they broke into dance and cut across the floor. Ivan kept up with her, but she had a tendency to want to lead. Ivan let her at times, and at times took the lead himself to twirl her about or spin her during a turn.
She laughed, and sang along to the words. -And for a little while Ivan let himself think the world was going to be alright. He was with his friends, surrounded by smiling people, and there was hope he could do more.