The rest of her journey to Bywater was uneventful. Isa did stop occasionally to listen for sounds of danger in the trees, but she neither heard nor saw anything. The sun was still high in the sky when Isa spied the Temple of Fazar. No reason not to go straight there. She’d eaten the last of the bread on her way here, and no doubt she could get a late dinner at Lund’s.
As she had before, Isa went to the side and knocked. Someone answered almost immediately. Well, answered is perhaps not the right word. The door opened to reveal a figure standing there. Obviously they had opened the door, but they didn’t say anything. After a moment Isa said, “I’ve come to read a book. I’m Isa Chamberlin. Ealda -- that is the high priestess knows me.”
Still the figure remained silent.
“Perhaps I could talk to, um Agar, I think his name is. He answers the door sometimes. I’ve been here before, honest.”
The figure stepped away from the door, and Isa took that as an invitation to enter. Perhaps this person - the hood covered their face - had taken a vow of silence, or perhaps Isa had come at just the wrong time - during prayers or something.
“I was reading - and want to continue reading - Tinero’s Treatise. It’s….” Isa stopped talking as the figure moved down the hall. What else to do but follow?
They passed a few people in the wide hall, and several more as the silent figure ascended a set of stairs. Isa thought they were heading to the library so she remained as silent as her escort. And soon enough they were at the library door. Isa decided to assume that her request had been heard and understood, so she walked to the closest desk and sat down. The figure nodded and held up one hand in a “stop” gesture. Isa nodded and leaned her staff against the desk.
A few minutes later a different person walked over with the book in hand. In the lamplight Isa could see the blue cloth, and she let out a breath she didn’t know she’d been holding. What had she thought? That Ealda would hide the book away? Demand another quest completed before Isa could read again?
Then the book was in front of her, and the woman said, “Do you require anything else?”
Isa scanned the desk quickly and shook her head. “No, but I am going to make notes.” She reached into her bag and pulled out her notebook. Then she opened the book.
When she’d come before, she’d read through the night and gotten about half way through Tinero’s musings on magic. She carefully flipped to about the middle of the book and scanned the pages for anything familiar. It felt like a lifetime had passed since she’d been here, but it had only been a few days, a few adventure-filled days.
As she scanned the page, the word “workbook” caught her eye. Did Tinero mean his notebook? She had to wonder about his numbers. Had he been super smart or really charming? She jumped to the top of the page and began reading.
….says sleet storm is the next spell. To understand, I guess. This is all about conjuration - conjure a web, conjure a storm, conjure a gate. Conjure Gerry a way back home.
And I am happy to be done with web, I’ll tell you that! Boy, did that get messy! I got webs all over everything - my clothes, my workbook, the chair. But the little prestidigitation spell that Vern taught me was a life saver. A little whoop-de-doop and it’s all clean.
Hmmm, in that context it seems that Tinero was talking about a notepad, not his notebook. Of course Isa used hers for everything, so maybe he really did mean his notebook. Or maybe his spellbook! What happens to a wizard’s spellbook when they die? She’d have to ask Joth. Find a nice way to ask. It might sound weird to say “When you die, what happens to all of your cool stuff?”
Isa kind of remembered reading this part - all about Tinero practicing the spell to make a storm. But not just any storm - an ice storm. One that would make a foggy, icy mess and put out flames, to boot. When she’d read it before, she’d been tired and hungry, and less experienced in the ways of combat. Reading about the spell now, Isa thought about how a spell like that could have helped with the muggers they met in Hanchen or the bandits near Traveler’s Rest.
“I bet wizards have a ton of spells like this,” Isa muttered. With the right planning, a wizard could win a battle before it began. Something else for her to discuss with Joth. She continued reading, eager to learn about other wizarding spells.
Tinero mentioned his workbook a few more times, but it was always in passing and in relation to magical study or practice. Isa’s attention began to flag again as Tinero dove deep into the mechanics of hand gestures and if you could use the hand that holds the spell component to complete the casting.
Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
Spell components! That was something that Isa hadn’t considered before, but it maybe made sense? You’re creating something from nothing and having a little piece of reality to focus on, that probably made it easier.
In her mind’s eye, Isa saw Mery brush her jacket lapel and then act like she was talking with Lund. Magic, of course, but was it bard-only magic? Isa stared off into space for a moment. Could she learn magic? There are some useful spells out there. Can you be a sword fighting, spell casting badass?
Before Isa could get too excited, she imagined holding her sword in one hand and a ball of cotton in the other and trying to pronounce some crazy spell, all while some bandit or mage threw daggers at her. Hmm, a sword wizard might be a quick way to die. Like trying to tapdance across a tightrope.
With a smile Isa resumed her reading, and the next words jumped out at her: Next time I’m there, I’ll get my workbook from hiding and check my notes. Anymore it’s too risky to carry it around. I won’t name names here - because I could be wrong (but I don’t think I am - not anymore. Not after this morning.)
Tinero had an enemy? He thought he did anyway, and even more interesting, he had a place where he stored his workbook for safekeeping. His workbook where maybe he said more about his magical experiments, the failures and the successes. She was assuming - on hope alone - that Tinero had had successes.
If only Isa could find the workbook. If it still existed after 20 years - or more. She chewed on her lip, lost in thought. Then she raised her hand, and the woman who’d brought her Tinero’s book returned. “Can you tell me,” Isa whispered, “do you have Gerry Tinero’s papers? His workbooks, notes, letters?”
“I can check.” A troubled look passed the woman’s face as she hurried away.
While she waited, Isa tried to skim the next few pages for more workbook mentions. What she would give to have “find and replace” for Tinero’s Treatise. She didn’t find anything about the workbook. There was a tantalizing mention of a cottage. That must be where he hid the workbook, but it could be anywhere. Sure, he lived and worked here at the temple, but he also mentioned practicing with his friend Vern, and for all Isa knew, Tinero was talking about Vern’s house when he said cottage.
Isa’s thoughts were interrupted by a presence at her elbow. Ealda stood silently looking down at Isa. “Um, hi?” Isa tried to smile, but she felt waves of disapproval shimmering off the high priestess.
“You’ve returned.” Ealda gestured at Tinero’s book. “And you are reading that again.”
“Yes,” Isa said softly so as not to disturb the others in the library. “Is that alright? I didn’t think--”
“That is obvious. Come with me.” With that Ealda walked toward the exit.
Spoiler: Isa's Character Sheet
Name: Isa Chamberlin
Race: Human
Height & Weight: 5ft 6inches / 120 lbs
Class: Fighter Level: 4
Alignment: Good
Background: Stranger in a Strange Land
Hit Points: 26 AC: 15
Current Hit Points: 26
Combat: +5 to Hit
Weapons: Scimitar +1 (left hand) 1d6 +4 (slashing) / Quarterstaff (right hand) 1d6 +2 (bludgeoning)
STR
11
0
DEX
16
+3
CON
11
0
INT
13
+1
WIS
13
+1
CHA
12
+1
Saving Throws: Str and Con +2
5
Acrobatics* (Dex)
1
Medicine (Wis)
1
Animal Handling (Wis)
1
Nature (Int)
1
Arcana (Int)
3
Perception* (Wis)
0
Athletics (Str)
1
Performance (Cha)
1
Deception (Cha)
1
Persuasion (Cha)
3
History* (Int)
1
Religion (Int)
3
Insight* (Wis)
3
Sleight of Hand (Dex)
1
Intimidation (Cha)
3
Stealth (Dex)
1
Investigation (Int)
1
Survival (Wis)
Special Attack: Two weapon fighting. When you engage in two-weapon fighting, you can add your ability modifier to the damage of the second attack.
Class Features:
Second Wind - On your turn, you can use a Bonus Action to regain hit points equal to 5 + your fighter level. Short or Long Rest before you can use it again.
Action Surge - On your turn, you can take one additional action on top of your regular action and a possible Bonus Action. You must finish a short or Long Rest before using it again.
Martial Archetype: Surgical Fighter
3rd level - Clinical Eye: Spend 1 combat turn studying your enemy and learn one of the following: if the enemy is equal to or stronger than you in strength, dexterity, or constitution. Can spend up to 3 turns to discern all 3. Can be used outside of combat as a free action - spend 1 minute to learn all three.