Give a man a dangerous magical item, and he'll blow himself up by sundown. Teach a man to identify magic items, and he'll at least know what killed him.
-Basen Koh, unprompted
"Reid?! What the hell! Where did you come from? Where did you get that axe?" Samuel rushed up to him, heedless of the dangers of the swamp.
"Hey, guys. So, it's kind of a wild story," Reid said. He could hardly believe what had just happened, but he still held the glowing axe Samuel was so excited about and could feel his new mark against his chest.
Fortunately, they'd only been apart for a few hours, so it wasn't too much to tell in brief, despite the unbelievability of the tale. When Reid finished, Orin and Wes looked at him with wide eyes, and Samuel just shook his head.
"You didn't take the sword? You could have given it to me!"
Reid laughed. "Sorry, Sam. I wasn't thinking."
Samuel sighed. "I guess I can forgive you. I did think you were dead. Kind of makes me wish I'd fallen in, too, though. Ahh well. I'm glad you're okay."
"Did you identify anything yet?" Orin asked, excited.
"No, but we should probably get out of here first. It's getting dark, and our parents will probably send out search parties if we're not back soon."
"Oh shit," Wes said, looking at the sky. "I'm going to be in so much trouble."
They made their way back to the village, making much better time on the way back. While Reid had been lost, his friends had found two more magic items, bringing the above ground haul to four. Gathering seven total items was unheard of. Reid had no idea how he'd bring up the mark to everyone. It wasn't just that he knew there was more down there, but he'd never heard of an item that unlocked potential and bound itself to the holder. He didn't want people trying to climb down into buildings in the center to get to Vessiem. If what he guessed the snake had said was right, they'd probably not pass his assessment. He didn't want his friends and neighbors turning into spider food.
When they got back, they checked in with their families. Reid didn't tell his parents what they found, and he hid the mark under his shirt. Before telling anyone else about their haul, he wanted to know what they had. The group met in the village square and then returned to Samuel's house since his parents weren't back from their day out yet. They spilled the six unidentified items out onto Samuel's bed.
"What first?" Reid asked.
"Go in order?" Wes suggested. "Cup first. I want to save that axe for last anyway."
Reid nodded and picked up the goblet. It was made from a dull grey metal and had some decorative design on the outside. It took him a minute to figure out how to use his ability to mark it. It required clear thought and intention. Once it clicked into place, a small symbol that matched the shape of his pendant appeared on the bottom of the cup. Just like his status, he could read the description before him.
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Lesser Magic Goblet of Ice
* 1 Star Dishware
* Unbindable
* Cold Aspect
* Keeps drinks cold
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"That's it?" Orin asked after he read out the description.
"That's it. Just a cup that keeps drinks cold. Again, Orin. It's a great find. Easy to sell, or you can use it and always have frosty beverages."
Orin rubbed his chin and nodded appreciatively. "I'd have to hide it from my parents."
Reid didn't want to give him any advice that would get him in trouble, so he just shook his head and moved on. The little white rock was next.
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Lesser Magic Stone of Darksight
* 1 Star Utility Item
* Unbound
* Binding this item grants the ability to see in the dark
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"You've got to be kidding me," Reid said. "I was swinging this dumb rock around like crazy, trying to see what I was doing. Ah, well. I don't know how to bind things anyway."
"Didn't you bind the mark?" Wes asked.
"Yeah, but it kind of bound itself to me. I don't think I initiated that."
Wes nodded like that made perfect sense, so they moved on. There was the gauntlet, axe, and then the two items they found on the surface without Reid. He examined the two new items. One was a large white crystal, bigger than a fist, and the other was a short chain made from thick iron links.
He grabbed the chain first. It was lighter than he expected, but that was a pretty common trait of magic items. It was about two feet long when he uncoiled it.
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Lesser Magic Chain of Binding
* 2 Star Tool
* Unbound
* Touching the chain to two items can create a temporary tether between them
* When bound, expending general fortitude will greatly increase the strength and duration of the tether
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"Oh, wow," Samuel said. "That's the kind of find that people will pay big money for. Too bad the chain isn't a little longer."
Reid nodded. It was a practical tool that would sell well. They hadn't talked about how to divide up their spoils yet, but he guessed the others were thinking about what selling it could do for them and their families.
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Reid set it aside and grabbed the large crystal. He could tell that it was doing something just by holding it. It was a sensation he'd never felt before. He set it down, and the feeling faded.
"Does anyone else feel...different when they pick that up?"
They each grabbed it, shaking heads and shrugging.
"Feels like a rock to me, Reid."
He picked it back up and allowed the feeling to return. It felt beneficial and protective, somehow. He wondered if his active connection to magic was letting him sense the effect.
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Hessianite Ward Stone
* 3 Star Spellstore
* Unbound
* Binding grants the ability to cast the spell [Magic Ward]
* Passively reduces the effect of hostile magic on the holder
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He didn't immediately share what the item was with the others. He just stared at it. Three stars weren't found very often. Three stars that let the person bound to them cast a spell were worth their weight in gold. He read the description to his friends.
Samuel let out a long whistle, and Wes and Orin stared with awe.
"What does Magic Ward do?" Wes asked.
"I'm not sure," Reid said. The words caught his attention, and he could feel something extra about them. "I think I might be able to identify what the spell does eventually, but it doesn't seem like I can now. I get a vague impression, and that plus the passive effect makes me think it blocks other spells."
None of them really knew anything about magic, so they were all just guessing. After another minute of speculation, they moved on. The last two were Reid's finds, and they were curious about both.
He picked up the gauntlet. It was metal and looked like it would do some real damage with a punch.
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Lesser Magic Gauntlet of Striking
* 1 Star Equipment
* Permanently Unbindable
* Passively increases the strength of blows delivered with the gauntlet or weapons held by the gauntlet.
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"That's a nice one star," Samuel said. "What does permanently unbindable mean? Well, besides the obvious. Why would something be unbindable?"
"I'm not sure. It was in a room filled with damaged armor. Maybe it was so soldiers with their potential filled could use more magic items? Just wear it without binding it?" Reid was just guessing. It seemed like a good idea.
Samuel shrugged but broke into a grin a moment later. "Are we calling 'dibs' yet? Because dibs! I definitely want this gauntlet."
"Hey, now!"
"We didn't say anything about that!"
Reid waved them all down from the impending argument. "Let's look at the last item, then tear each other's throats out."
The interest in the axe with the orange glow stopped the argument before it could get off the ground.
Reid hefted the axe. It felt as heavy as it should be, and it didn't feel like it gave him any extra benefits for free. He was trying to figure out the feeling of each item. It was true he could just identify them now, but it felt like he should understand some of the fundamentals of what magic items could do.
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Last Legion Axe
* 3 Star Axe
* Unbound
* [Free Aspect]
* Strikes with this axe deliver extra damage based on the aspect
* Binding this axe allows the wielder to choose a new aspect once per day
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"Wow, I don't understand star ratings at all," Wes said. "It doesn't seem as good as the stone, you know?"
"Seems better to me?" Samuel said.
"That's because you're a meathead," Reid said, ignoring Samuel's offended expression. "But I don't really have any idea either."
"Either way, we have some real treasure here," Samuel said. "How are we dividing it up?"
They all eyed each other, not wanting to be the first to jump in now that the actual discussion was happening.
Reid had found two of the unclaimed items and, really, claimed a third already. He was happy to share his finds.
"Well. What do you three want? I already have this," he tapped on his mark. "I'm not saying I don't want anything else, but I already got my first pick. If you guys want something, you should say so. Sam, you go first. Just say what you want. Your first pick. We'll hear them out and discuss."
"Alright. Tough. I really like the gauntlet, but that axe...Hmm. Alright. I can't use the axe anyway. It's not like any of us know how to bind things. I want the gauntlet."
Reid nodded. "Wes?"
Wes looked at the items carefully, but he knew what he wanted right away. "The ward stone. For sure."
"Okay. And you, Orin. Your first pick?"
Orin was a little red in the face. He glanced at Wes nervously. "The ward stone..."
"Alright. So I think we can resolve this like this. Samuel gets the gauntlet. Agreed?"
Everyone nodded.
"Great. So, between the two of you, what are your second picks? Minus the gauntlet."
They looked over the items carefully. Orin picked his first.
"The Darksight stone."
"The axe," Wes said with a nod.
"Okay. Would either of you give up the stone for your second pick, plus the goblet?"
"No," Wes said right away.
Orin thought about it for a minute but shook his head.
"Your second pick plus the chain?"
Orin looked at the chain and frowned. "I don't think so."
Wes looked interested in the chain. He picked it up.
"Two stars, right?"
"Yep."
It was probably a terrible deal, not for Wes but for the rest of them. Reid wasn't sure of the value of his mark. It was a one star, but could grow, so he assumed it was worth at least as much as the three star axe. Giving Wes the three star axe and the two star chain while Samuel had only picked the one star gauntlet felt unfair. They were coming to a consensus, though. As long as everyone agreed, it was a done deal.
The thought tweaked something in Reid. The feeling was fleeting, and he couldn't pin it down before Wes answered.
"Okay. I'll take that."
"Great. Now we have two items left. Samuel, which do you want? You have the least valuable item, even if it was your first pick, so I think you should choose another."
Wes and Orin both nodded.
"Alright. What's left. Darksight stone and goblet of ice? I like a cold drink as much as the next person, but I'll bank on being able to bind that stone sooner than later. Dark sight, here I come!"
He pulled the stone toward him.
Reid picked up the goblet and looked at Orin. "I'd like to take this, but both of us got our first pick, so if you want to object, let me know."
"It's alright, Reid. I mean, I'd be fighting Wes for this stone if you hadn't found that axe."
"You'd be fighting me too!" Samuel said. "Keep the cup, Reid."
Wes nodded.
Reid grinned at them. It wasn't quite as exciting as his mark, but the goblet represented something. The first item in his inventory. His first item for sale. It took all his willpower not to spiral into thoughts of selling it, but he controlled himself. They needed to seal the deal. He felt the strange resonance inside again.
"Are we all happy with what we each ended up with? No objections?"
No one did.
"Well then, it was a pleasure doing business with you all!"
The fleeting resonance became clear and built into a full body thrum. Just before panic set in, Reid felt something inside him open. The wave of built up energy passed through him and connected with the Merchant's Mark.
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Merchant's Mark hidden growth condition unlocked.
Seal deals between three or more parties.
Growth Conditions
Mark and Identify 50 magic items
* 6/50 Items Identified
Seal deals between three or more parties
* 1/20 Deals completed
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Reid smiled. Part of it was because his friends were all grinning like idiots, looking at their new items. Part of it was because he was excited that he had already discovered another path for growth. Mostly, though, Reid was just reveling in the feeling of closing his first trade deal as a merchant. He couldn't wait to see what was next.