Nothing Good Inn

Morgan is at a table as she is enjoying the slow time of the day at this pub and its cheaper drinks. In front of her is a nice looking leather bound book.

The door opens quickly, almost hitting the wall as a half-oruch walks in looking haggard and ill-rested. His clothes are sand-stained, and he is still trailing it a bit though he must have walked half the city to reach here. He looks around the room hopefully and it is clear that he doesn't find what he's looking for. Disappointment nearing despair settles on his face grimly and he stalks to the bar, wearily waving a hand at the barkeep for a drink.

Morgan looks up to the half orc looking upset but will not intervene as she learned a long time ago not to bother orcs when they are upset. She returns to her book flipping a page "oh forgot I had that spell." mumbled to herself.

Morgan looks up to the half orc looking upset but will not intervene as she learned a long time ago not to bother orcs when they are upset. She returns to her book flipping a page "oh forgot I had that spell." mumbled to herself.

GAME: Razen rolls perception: (17)+5: 22

Likewise the half-orc seems satisfied to stand at the bar and drink down the full measure of his mug rather than interact with other people. However with the drink gone he takes another look around the room. He hears the woman reading her book mutter to herself and perks up a bit, ordering another drink before sidling up to her table. "Hail... can I join you?"

Morgan looks up and nods "please do I was just looking over my spells I have."

Razen sits down at the table. "So you're a spell-caster?"

Morgan nods as she moves her spell book to show something that Razen has no idea whats on it most likely "I am a mage of the universal school, but I am not that strong yet of a caster." Razen glances at the book with curiosity but it's clear that he has no idea what is there. Nor does he show any sign of knowing what she means by 'universal school'. "What does that mean?"

Morgan takes a moment to ponder how to answer this right "Well each spell we have even the arcane and divine fall under a school and we have eight of them, most wizards focus on one of the schools but exclude another, but except for the universal school we study it all."

For her effort Morgan receives a nod from him, and then with embarrassment he smiles. "I forgot my manners... I am Razen Diharth." He starts to offer her a hand and then tucks his fingers back. "You... should not take my hand. I fear I might be cursed."

Morgan quarks a head "cursed how?" asked as she says a strange word to make her eyes glow blue to detect any magic that might be on him.

Razen swallows and pulls out an odd looking coin. It is square, seemingly made of copper, and bears a toothy grin on its face. It is also clearly magical. "I found this in my pack with two others when I was paid for a job I did earlier today." He pales visibly just looking at the coin. He stares at it as though it might grow actual teeth and bite him. "I know it was not there before."

Morgan keeps looking at it as if she is studying it "Give me a few minutes please." she keeps looking at it "I am item enchanter myself and I love studying magic items. I even made two myself." you might notice a elven silvery looking headband and a very nice cloak laying next to her on the chair.

The young half-orc only looks more uncomfortable, struggling with himself to not move from his seat. "Really? Are you... doing magic?"

The bar is quiet enough, Razen leaning away from the self-named but unintroduced mage whom he'd queried about the coin sitting innauctiously but uncomfortably in his hand. She seems to be staring at it intently, and the more intent her stare the more uncomfortable he seems.

The door opens to admit some of the day's fog, and also a wee gobber. She's dressed in leather armour, her lower half protected by a pleated leather skirt. Her bare feet make little click-clack noises on the floor, her black, sharp nails leaving the occasional indent or scratch on the weathered floor. The handle of a two-handed sword sticks out prominently over her right shoulder.

"Two ales and curry.", she shouts to the barkeep, as she settles herself into one of the narrow booths at the front.

Morgan says "you can place the coin on the table."

Razen looks even more uncomfortable, not wanting to put it down lest the server think it a tip. He glances around to see if there is one nearby and notes Murder at the bar. "Murder!" Razen calls her name and waves his free hand about. "Murder! It is good to see you! Join us!" It is clear that he is a little more pleased to see her than is strictly normal.

Murder pauses in her seat, her sword half pulled from the sheath on her back. One of her eyebrows raises and she slowly approaches the bar, settling her large sword back into its place. "Er. Who are you, again?", the Gobber asks Razen curiously as she settles into a stool near Morgan and the half-orc. "Are you buying people drinks?", the little woman asks, her expression hopeful. She squints and peers at the coin that Morgan is staring intently at. "What do you have there?"

GAME: Morgan rolls knowledge/arcana: (20)+11: 31

Morgan is at a table sitting near the other two people in the room "He has a magic item he knows nothing about, I will let him know soon. Or if I can’t I will let mister Razen to know.... hmmm weak transmutation.... Oh ok from what I can tell is someone is using this coin to trace you with either scrying and it would be hard for you to destroy the coin.

Razen frowns at the coin intently, and looks at Murder. "You do not remember me? Razen. I met you and Svarshan by the temple some time ago." He sighs and twitches his fingers around the coin. "I had been hoping to find him and ask about this twice-blighted thing but I can find him nowhere."

"Throw it away.", the little Gobber suggests immediately after hearing Morgan speak. She looks to Razen and shrugs. "I met you once, maybe? Been a little busy so..." Murder shrugs again. "As for Svarshan, he's got a lot on his mind, it's not a surprise he's hard to find right now. His people are in existential danger. As for that coin, throw it away. Go toss it in the Tornmawr."

Morgan nods "I do not know how its being traced but I would find your friends that also have the coin and deal with it. As that coin might be replaced with something you own and would not notice."

"I worry that if I throw it away someone else might find it." He folds his hand finally and tucks it away into his pocket with some reluctance. "I know that our sith-makar friend has much on his mind, but I know too that demons are of great concern to him and this..." Razen rubs his hand on his leg and looks uncomfortable. "I have a map to a place where this thing came from, and this mark to prove what it is. So I must keep it until I can destroy it."

A old man is making his way into the tavern, walking while leaning heavily into his staff. He is making his way over towards the table the group is sitting at. As he gets closer it becomes quiet clear something is wrong wit his staff, blood drips down from each side of his mouth. He offers a smile, his teeth a row of spiked bone. He stands there, staring at the coin, and then at Razen as the coin is put away. Murder peers at Razen. "Throw it away. If it is being traced, then they know where you are at all times. What if they can make you do things with it? You're in a city, where there are a lot of innocents. Will you be okay with murdering innocents against your will?" The Gobber lets out a huff of breath. "Get rid of it." She eyes the old man as he walks up, and she hops off the stool. "I think this old man is here for you, Razen. I'll leave it to you, then." Murder begins to head for the door.

Razen jumps to his feet away from the terrible man. In some way he is comforted by the fact that Murder can see him. He draws his heavy flail and points his finger at the man. "Be gone! Whatever... fell thing you are you have no place here!"

Morgan looks up to the man as her own inner self is saying she should leave but has to see what this is about. She takes a drink of her wine and makes sure her spellbook in in her haversack.

"hungry, so hungry. You... you I remember you." the old man suddenly thrust forward his face right up and almost touching Razen's face, "Feed me, FEED me! You you helped weaken my seals, my hunger, my consumption, is your responsibility. Feed me, or I will feast on my own." eyes glancing to Morgan, licking his lips hungrily, "She looks tasty." a glance to Murder and another licking of his lips, blood dripping down his chin.

GAME: Morgan rolls Knowledge/Arcana: (1)+11: 12 (EPIC FAIL)

Razen didn't hesitate, lifting his fist and slamming it into the man who'd gotten into his face. "EAT THIS!"

The man recoils back from the punch, and then lunges forward. Reaching for the hand attempting to grab it and bite into Razen's fist.

GAME: Murder rolls Knowledge/Arcana: (12)+6: 18

Morgan slides a bit back and says "stop it vampire." yes she is wrong as its daylight outside but that's what you get when you roll a 1.

As the man looks to Murder, and licks his lips, her eyes narrow. Then they glow a bright red as she grabs a bench and lifts it over her head. "MURDER SMASH!", she shouts, moving in on the creature and bringing the bench downwards quickly.

Razen considers letting the thing have his hand, and when Morgan calls it a vampire he trusts her word. He lets the creature eat his fist and uses his other to pummel it in the face. "SOMEONE GRAB A STAKE!"

The man goes down in a crumpled heap, not putting up much of a fight. "Kill this body, and another will form..." he wheezes out, "I will feed... on whatever I find first...."

Murder stares at the two and shakes her head, the glow in her eyes dimming. "He's not a vampire. He... seems to be sucking in magic or something. He is tainted and draining magic from around him." She reaches out to grab at Razen's fist, trying to push the half-orc away. "Don't kill him. If he stays alive, he might not be able to change bodies... gotta find the guard and get him squirreled away from magical stuff." Still pushing at Razen, she uses a foot to flip the bench over, so that the sitting part is downwards. The Gobber then stands on it, as a way to pin the man down.

The old man flails, lacking the strength to fight back against the bench or Murder's weight, "So... hungry." The man starting to lose what energy he does have pretty fast..." have not eaten in so long..."

"Is he... in someone else's... " He looks sick. "Body??"

Morgan starts to back away as the Wizard might not be strong but has magic to her. "Good thing I did not cast a spell on him." But she is ready to cast a spell if needed.

"I don't know, I am just guessing here.", the Murderous one says. "Get some rope so we can tie him up." She's going to stay put on the bench.

The old man's struggling continues to weaken until he comes to a complete stop. Then his form melts completely away, including the clothing, into a wiggling mound of maggots

Razen pulls away in disgust. "I hope that wasn't." He looks perfectly sick. "Clearly this thing can find me... How can I pass that on to someone else?" He looks at Murder.

Morgan looks down to the magots "Cancel my meal please... yes I will fix the damage we did." She looks to Razen "If you know anyone else with a coin like that tell them what it does. And if you need any arcane help just ask."

"You should throw it somewhere people can't get it." The Goblin frowns at Razen. "If you're going to take on the high horse, why are you still in town? If this thing is looking for you..." She gestures to the area around them... "Why did you come to a place full of squishy people?" She blinks at the sudden arrival of maggots and screeches, climbing up Razen to crouch on one of his shoulders.

"...." Razen's words are cut off by the handful, armful, and then shoulder-full of Murder he found himself with. Her weight doesn't bother him, but he sighs to himself. "I thought that /I/ was cursed. But you're right. I should leave immediately rather than searching for Svarshan in the hope that he might have answers to this question... Perhaps you can ask him to meet me in the desert?"

You say, "When you're ready to come down that is.""

Morgan sits down and starts to wright lines on a paper she rolls it up and hands to to Razen "Burn this and I will know where you are and will make my way to you."

Murder peers at Razen for a moment, settling her behind on his shoulder and smoothing out her leather skirt. "Perhaps you should find Svarshan before you depart. He might help you. You don't necessarily want to go alone, something might happen to you and we'd never know. Where did you get that coin?"

Razen accepts the scroll and nods toward Morgan appreciative of her offer. "We will likely need every hand we can get." It looks a bit odd with Murder on his shoulders, but he seems to have easily accepted his place as her seat. "I got the coin from a temple in the desert. A really odd place." Smoothly he puts the scroll into his pocket. "If we are going to go looking for him, better it sooner than later. Would you care to come with us... Oh I never got your name."

Morgan smiles to Razen "I would love to help and my name is Morgan, and remember to have casters with you when you visit places like that."

"Have you thought about putting the coin back? Did your friends take coins too?" The Goblin thumps Razen's chest with a foot. "Maybe you could toss it into a volcano, or perhaps a pit of lava?"

Razen said, "I didn't take the coin. I found it afterwards." He considers for a moment. "I did not see any coins at all there. I will have to let the others know somehow... After we find Svarshan though. I would like to have something to tell them. Beyond that they should look out for a bloody, crazy man-monster."

The pile of maggots continues to squirm and spread out, wiggling their way through the tavern slowly.

Morgan says as she follows the magots "I have a idea and I will see you all later." she does send a ray of frost to kill some of the magots as she follows them.

... The continued spread of the maggots on the floor only serves to keep Murder firmly seated on the half-orc's shoulder. "You should stomp those things before they get away, and end up in the soup or something.", the Gobber says helpfully to Razen.

Razen dutifully stomps on the maggots, those few not killed by the frost and some more for good measure. Then follows Morgan out the door though in a different direction. Hopefully... To find Svarshan.

-End-