"Equinox, I believe you said you had the spell detect magic. Please use it on these items so that Hlarn and Rage can start their work. Kaliar, if you would pitch in, I would appreciate it."
"How is are goodberry supply? While I am out and about I can check around for a good patch of them. And if all else fails I can ask one of the ladies to get some from the keep." says Sian. "Rage if you are planning on replacing the stoneskins I still have mine I don't know if they last forever but if they do then you don't need to worry bout me."
The druid does so, and discovers that the following items are magic:
Next, Hlarn begins the process of casting auguries to determine if the magical items above are safe to identify.
Kailar's cat, meanwhile, jumps up onto the gnome's lap.
Suddenly, they both disappear.
Zanax ignores everything, as he is thoroughly engrossed in the Andre Norton novels.
"Oh, geez. Zanax, try to contact Kailar. Rage, can you try and use Kailar's crystal ball to find him? That is, if he left it behind..."
"Huh?" Zanax says, looking up from the novel Black Trillium. "Oh, I can't contact him unless I can see him. The only ones I can contact at a distance are you, Hlarn, and Equinox. The others haven't let me into their mind, yet."
Zanax goes back to his novel.
"Why not ask him if he's still here?" asks Kal in elvish.
"You think he just turned invisible?"
A moment later, Kailar and the cat reappear.
Furgh watches, with interest and a fair amount of amusement, the interaction between Kailar and his cat.
"Guess we know who's wearin' the breeches now," he says with a chuckle, smiling cheerfully at the cat.
"Can I play with 'em for a bit?" Furgh asks, looking at the strange metal box.
He looks up, grins, and crosses his fingers. "Me and useless things go together like that."
"Yes, you can play with the camera. Just do not use up too much of this film."
Kadlian says to Sian, "I am glad to hear it. There have been no additional kidnappings or no one that we failed to return?"
Concerning the treasure...
Scroll: protection from undead.
"Give this to Sasha."
Figurine: transforms into something when a command word is spoken.
"Rage, can you give us any more information than that?"
Wand: has the word 'doppelganger' engraved on it. When used, it can change things.
"Another wand of polymorphing?"
"Don't s'pose I can have this one?" Furgh asks hopefully.
"Perhaps..."
Furgh takes the wand.
The bag contains ten small, pebble-like objects. If planted, something interesting will happen.
"Equinox, this sounds like something up your alley."
"Plant one!" Furgh prompts eagerly.
Potion: benefits fighters.
"Give this to Taris."
Scroll: protection from all elementals.
"Too late to use this..."
Scroll: Rage cannot understand this.
"Kailar, can you try your hand at this? Or Agulhas?"
Agulhas is out of action for six more days.
Plate mail (D): Rage gets no information about this.
Bracers: protect as well as chain mail and a shield.
"I would like to claim these, although I am sure the mages and Sian feel the same way."
"Jeesh, Boss." Furgh replies, with a chuckle. "Can't ya just wear six tons a metal like all the other dumb fighter types?"
"No offense," he adds to Hlarn with a grin.
Kadlian shakes his head. "I give up too many abilities doing so including my agility. Not worth the trade, yet."
Kadlian takes the bracers.
Zanax looks up from another of Andre Norton's books, The Warlock of Witch World. "Speaking of bracers...has anyone checked to see if Occa's alive and still has mine?"
"I'll take a look in the crystal ball," says the gnome.
Kailar cannot get an image of Occa to form.
"Well, that's strange...how about the rest of his party?" Zanax asks.
"Or they could be protected from scrying. Have you tried to contact Darian psionically? Or is the distance too vast?"
Zanax sighs. "Like I've said before, I can't make contact with those not in visual range, unless I've made contact with their mind before. The last time we met Darian, I had not developed my telepathy ability."
"Sorry, Zanax. I keep thinking that because Darian is psionic that changes how things work. And I also had not realized that you had not spoken to Kailar telepathically. I will try to remember your limitations."
Zanax takes off his plate armor, puts on the wet suit and then puts back on his plate armor.
"Are we ready to begin our other tasks? Agulhas still needs a few days at the least to recover and we need stoneskins repaired. Rage, I believe you mentioned a trip to Sandas to get the required spell components, right? How much money are you going to need? We still have a large number of gems and jewels that could be sold and the money divided."
Hlarn looks up. "Remember that it's better to simply use the gems and jewels as currency, and avoid losing money converting them to gold. If we have money in the party pot, simply switch the gems and jewels for the coin to evenly divide it. Most of our party purchases are large in any case, and the gems can be just as easily used for them."
"Kailar, where did you go?"
"I never got the name of the place. Apparently some place alongside a sea."
"Okay... How about how and why you went?"
The cat meows impatiently.
Meanwhile, Equinox says to Sian, "We have a vast amount of Goodberries, but they are only good for 8 days from the date of casting. By the time this week off is over, the dweomer will have worn off and they will be just regular berries again. I can simply recast the spell on the remaining berries that are still good but I will likely have to find replacement berries.
"I can go with you to find more berries, Sian as I do not have a lot to do this week off. I can cast GoodBerry 6 times, twice per day and produce between 2 and 8 berries each spell. Therefore, I can create 12 to 96 berries per day."
Zanax sets aside his book.
"I'd like the telescope and suit of rubbery skin, if no one minds. They're not magical and they interest me."
Sian is examining some of the other things.
"B-9 do you know what these things are for?" asks Sian of the Robot.
"AFFIRMATIVE!"
"B-9, please explain all of these items to us." says Kadlian.
"THEY ARE ANTIQUES. RELICS OF A LONG DEPARTED AGE. THE BOX WITH 'RICOH' ON IT IS CALLED A 'CAMERA'. IT RECORDS IMAGES UPON A MEDIUM CALLED 'FILM'. THE OTHER ITEM CONTAINS THIS 'FILM'. IT IS INSERTED INTO THE 'CAMERA'."
Kadlian looks intrigued and confused. "But, how do you look at these images on this film if it is in the camera?"
"WHEN THE FILM HAS BEEN EXPOSED IN THE CAMERA IT IS THEN REMOVED AND PROCESSED IN CHEMICALS WHICH MAKE THE IMAGES APPEAR."
"Then it is rather useless to us as it did not come with any chemicals nor would we know how to make the images appear. Maybe we can sell it to Ray Jay or someone else who is interested in these antiques."
"What about some of the other items? What does the rubbery suit do? Is it some sort of armor?"
"NEGATIVE. IT PROTECTS THE WEARER WHILE UNDERWATER."
"If it is not armor, then how does it protect the wearer underwater?"
"IT PROTECTS YOU FROM THE RIGOURS OF THE UNDERWATER ENVIRONMENT."
Hlarn asks, "Does it supply air to breath underwater?"
"NEGATIVE."
"Or does it just protect one from the cold and wet?"
"AFFIRMATIVE."
"Protection from cold, too. Nice bonus...I wonder if it will fit underneath my magic plate armor?"
Kadlian shrugs. "I do not understand, but do not bother trying to explain it to me further."
"Now, what about this rubber horse, the pictures of feet and elbows, the reflecting telescope and the books? Do you know anything about them?"
"THE RUBBER HORSE DOES NOT COMPUTE. THE PICTURES DO NOT COMPUTE. THE TELESCOPE IS AN INSTRUMENT FOR STUDYING THE HEAVENS WITH. THE BOOKS ARE FOR READING."
"Thank you, B-9. Your explanations have been very useful.
"Zanax, you can have the rubber suit, but I think you should leave the telescope in the party treasury. It sounds like a device that we might all wish to use from time to time."
"The telescope can also be used to see other things besides stars..." Zanax hints. "The robot has a very limited imagination." adds Zanax.
Hlarn interupts. "Depends on how powerful it is. We use spyglasses on our fleet at Tarkin. This telescope might be weak enough for such a use, or it might be stronger and not able to focus on anything nearby."
"You mean the Keep? But, you have to be above the tree tops for that, right?"
Zanax shrugs. "Among other things, the Keep. And you do have to have a clear line of sight, as the telescope can't see through objects. However, I was just pointing out the creative uses for the telescope and not just the obvious ones."
"Well, no one has ever accused me of being creative so if you have other ideas, please explain."
Hlarn looks at Zanax. "The time is approaching when I will be able again to train as a cleric. When I do so, Rage can take me to the two pools and I'll then be of strength enough that I can create a temple and attract followers."
"Well, I hope it's near a major body of water. Votishal has shown me glimpses of the future and it is likely that travelling by ship is something we will all be doing. That and facing the drow..."
Hlarn pauses. "Anyway, I was thinking of scoping out the cave of the red dragon on Godsmount. Battlefields are holy ground to Silverbeard, and that place must have been quite the battlefield when Yuri went in to slay the dragon. Anyway, such a place, high on the mountain, would also make a good permanent base camp. If we had the telescope up there, we could probably see anything in the area for miles and miles about, and at night the higher elevation would make the stars shine brightly for optimum night viewing."
"All of that can be accomplished after we take this temple down. We are getting close and I do not wish to delay the finishing of this task any longer."
Hlarn nods. "Of course. It would take a few months to build a new temple to Silverbeard, and frankly I don't have the monies to do so in any case right now. I'm hoping a certain other temple will gladly support my efforts at their expense," Hlarn says smiling.
Kadlian grins. "You may want to inform them as they help, though. They should know, if only to torment them more."
"Now, can you do the augury on the magical items?"
Turning to Equinox, Sian says, "I wouldn't mind the company but I need to kind of move fast and not be seen. You may not know but we are wanted by the keep. And I am going to be going in places that the troops might happen to wander. That is why Zanax lent me his ring. Maybe next time."
"Sian," Equinox calls to him before the other leaves, "are you forgetting that I am an Initiate of the 5th Circle, and capable of shape change to almost any type of natural creature? The chance of me being spotted is probably even less than you. Besides, who better to find berries than a Druid? I would like to join you, even if for no other reason than to get to know you better. I am new in the party and have not had the chance to really meet any one of the other members."
Hlarn is currently auguring away...
Hlarn's augury does not seem to indicate any problems with identifying the items, so Rage gets to work.
It takes her the day to prepare all of the items. Sian and Equinox go out. The druid returns after a few hours with only ten berries fit enough to be enspelled. It is getting late in the season.
Sian returns later on, reporting that all is quiet with his girlfriends.
Rage casts her first identify spell.