Campaign, Ike!
Metal is definitely what I meant, way to go, old man!
Artifacts-wise, I find myself in desperate need of something that could cause a large explosion. Flames are all fine and good, but sometimes you just need to get a wall out of the way. Preferably something non-volatile, a bit of magical C4 if you will. Healing potions as well, and some of those Mystifying Mirages sound pretty good to have around as well.
And maybe something to help communicate with him at a distance - I have an associate that'd doubtlessly be able to ask better questions than I could about the basic nature of these bondformer creatures, y'see.
Also a healer would be cool to have along, if anyone's willing to volunteer.
1. Does he have more detailed information on Nether Pass, perhaps a layout or structural specifications for whatever undead citadels we may find there?
2. Furthermore, what kind of things does the Sovereignty field that we should be careful of, and how can we best mess them up and/or avoid them?
3. What information is available about the Blood Vultures?
4. What exactly is the deal with this First King that we've found the sword, armor and throne-armor of?
5. What are the exact enchantments on my armor and how can I best use them? What functions of the sword might Irine be unaware of, yet are attested in literature?
6. What do they know about void magic (that black stuff that gets everywhere and is hard to get out, that was void, right?)?
7. Have they heard about bond-formers at all, and is anything like this severing person (a shapeshifting, human-sized intelligent centipede at last sighting) known to exist around where we're going?
8. What's the context behind beastmen and half-elves around here, just so we can blend in with local racial sentiments better?
9. There's probably more I want to know, but that's all I can think of off the top of my head. I'll likely have followup questions.
Hmmm... If you're looking for a non-volatile explosive, then he could provide you an easy to use alchemical concoction. You simply need to mix Sparkwater with Om-wood imbued with Uling essence. On their own the materials are flammable but no more than alcohol or a bit of dry wood respectively. They should be fine as long as you keep them away from direct sunlight or powerful Life or Chaos magic. However, when mixed, the two become quite unstable and will explode if burnt or otherwise disturbed too much. From the description he gives you, it's capable of packing as much punch as your average stick of TNT. It is normally used in mines, since it can be easily handled by people with no magical or alchemical knowledge.
The military most commonly makes use of alchemical explosives in its flying machines and those use a similar but much more potent mixture combined by a special machine, since it requires precise analogies and tends to degrade after at most a day. Though he doesn't have the machine that creates the explosive projectiles, he does know how to create the mixture and could give you the necessary materials if you are willing to try your hand at alchemy. From what you understand the mixture makes a much larger explosion and leaves behind a corrosive fire that eats through most non-magical materials.
If you need an explosive that might work against something with magical protection, then you're probably better off just using a fire mage. Or maybe detonating a Fire Power-stone. He knows of the existence of certain Chaos/Fire hybrid weapons in use by the military but he doesn't know how to construct them nor does he have any just lying around. Even if he did, you'd most likely need a Fire mage to operate one and supply it with power.
If you really want to destroy something, then he is capable of providing you with a Flow Annihilator by converting the Hex you have provided him with, using the power of the Temple and Dark alchemy. It's a Dark magic construct that functions much like a Hex, but is much more potent. You simply pour a vial into the glass sphere containing the dark energy and run away. When the sphere is moved too much, breaks or simply if enough time passes, it will explode. And when it explodes, it creates a gigantic cloud of void magic, its energies of destruction not only damaging magic but also eating anything it touches, damaging the very fabric of the world. Nothing but the strongest magic could survive it. The only thing that could even stand a chance of containing the explosion is specially prepared Creation magic, a type of magic that is even rarer than Void magic. It corrupts an area for a long time after it has been used like some sort of magical dirty bomb, there are places in the South still touched by the influence of such forbidden weapons. They say it even destroys the souls of living things before they have a chance to reach the afterlife. For that and for many other reasons it is considered Forbidden magic, its use will most likely make everyone hate you. If you choose to take this, you should be very careful about who knows you have this or that you used it. The only reason he is willing to give this to you is that he understands that in such desperate times it might be necessary to use such forbidden magics in order to save others and fight against similar use of forbidden magic by the Sovereignty. So... magical war-crimes then.
He only has two of those Malcador's Mesmerizing Mirages just lying around, he'd need time to make more. One's been been given to Nikolai. You get the second one.
He says he'll give you and your group a good number of general purpose healing potions that will slow/stop bleeding, accelerate healing and combat some poisons or other harmful substances and effects. He also gives you a couple of more potent regrowth potions that can regrow limbs if applied quick enough and a couple of powerful cleansing potions that should work against most non-magical and many magical poisons or other magical influences.
He says he will give the Water Mages he'll send with you a Water artifact that allows for long range voice communication. (Like a magical telephone?) It can also send shapes that are recreated on the other side, although that requires more power and may wear out the Mage conducting the ritual. (So more like a video call then.) He says its reception depends on the existence of nearby Flows of Water Magic and both parties need to be conducting the communication ritual at the same time in order for a line of communication to be established. (So, maybe more like an IM call after all.) To that end, he will set a time in the morning, midday, evening, early in the night and late in the night when one of his mages will be ready to receive their messages. He probably won't be the one answering you, he has other things to do, especially now that he'll have to organize the Temple into an organization that can actually get shit done instead of just a bunch of people dicking around and meditating all day (that's basically what he said, but using fancier words). But if you really need to speak with him, then he's sure the mage manning the Water phone can contact him.
He says he'll have no trouble getting a healer with you. Most Water Mages can conduct some basic healing rituals. And right now there are a
lot of people volunteering in response to the Headwater's call for
adventure action, even a few Masters have asked to be allowed to be part of it. So he's certain whoever he sends with you will have some experience. Still, there are many that are not entirely comfortable with you and your group of merry adventures from another universe, so he wants to try to make sure he sends people who won't panic and/or stab you in the back.
1. Let's say he gives you an old archeological account about the area that contains some information and some rough sketches of the insides of the fortresses. It's the sort of thing where you ask for info and I give it to you or it is revealed when it's appropriate. Mostly because I can't write several pages worth of maps and/or accounts of exploration and/or gruesome death in a single post.
The Sovereignty has expert mounted archers, usually mercenaries or slavers recruited from the bands roaming the plains.
Their melee units tend to be lightly armed and armoured swordsmen, however they are not to be underestimated as they make up for their disadvantage in equipment with sheer numbers.
Some of the more successful slavers might carry a vile magical artifact they call a 'Dancing Stick', so named due to its ability to cause pain and spasms to those it is used to prod. Thankfully armor or even thick clothing is enough to stop it.
They supplement their troops with various offensive alchemical concoctions, most often poisons and less frequently explosives, which are further enhanced by a simple Wind Magic object, a glass vial that acts much like a grenade, exploding when it breaks. When the vial is empty, its blast alone is enough to injure and disorient a man but when a material is poured into it, it will be turned into a gas cloud when it explodes, allowing it to quickly spread poison or create an explosive cloud out of an inflammable substance. Though powerful and versatile, such weapons have the downside that you are carrying something that will explode when it breaks on you. Suffice to say, those that carry them need above average bravery and/or stupidity to do so. The most vile will fill their vials with Chaotic alchemical mixes that will transform those it hits into violent monsters that attack anything around them.
Their most frequently used large magical weapon is the Lightning Cannon, an enchanted object that spews lightning bolts. Though quite powerful, it is also quite inaccurate at long range if not supported by other (quite expensive) secondary enchantments. When they are used as artillery, they tend to be mounted on large batteries that unleash a rain of bolts at the same time in order to increase their chances of hitting something. It's usually better to disable whoever is using it instead of destroying the gun or at least destroy it from a distance, because it tends to become quite unstable when damaged. Earth (and Water to a lesser extent) armours should have better resistance to it than other types of armour. He doesn't know how your armor will fare against it but he assumed it will be fine.
A variant of the Lightning Cannon is actually capable of creating a barrier of wind and electricity. The barrier is capable of flowing through things coming from inside it, allowing those inside to shoot outside without fear of reprisal. The easiest way around it (assuming you can't just walk through it or use overwhelming force) is usually to dig under it or use Water magic to divert its Flow and thus create an opening or even disable the shield. Alternatively, a very skilled (or magically enhanced) ranged combatant could find a gap in the barrier and shoot at the barrier generator through it while being mindful of how the Chaotic flow will alter the trajectory of their shot.
Some of the more successful Slaver bands are known to deploy Boom Blasters, Chaotic Wind artifacts that produce a horrible noise. They are useful for ambushes and for subduing people without a fight, but not much else. The military itself rarely uses them for anything beyond torture due to their very short range. Accounts say that many Warriors of Chaos are immune to their effects and some even claim to enjoy them, sending out their Warbands on raids against slavers to get them the 'biggest boombox so that their partyz are the bestest'.
One of the most famous war machines employed by the Sovereignty are the Gliders, incredibly fast and maneuverable flying vehicles carrying a pilot gifted with astonishing reflexes and precision. In large scale conflicts those winged machines are usually employed as bombers against ground targets or larger air targets, throwing explosives or other harmful magical substances on their targets. The most successful pilots are armed with magical artifacts they can use to defend themselves, usually Lightning Guns. During combat they usually make their attack runs and then run away to resupply. If they run out of supplies those without any other weapons may try to use bows, throw heavy objects or launch suicide attacks by trying to slice soldiers with their wings or blades, but that is a very wasteful tactic. Though cheaper than the armoured balloons employed by the Kingdom, they are certainly not cheap and good pilots are hard to come by. If they have to resort to such measures, it's probably in a very long, desperate and devastating fight.
When not in large scale combat, they are usually used for scouting or to transport raiders or commandos (to raid or perform special missions respectively). Those Gliders meant for transport use are usually much wider, making them bigger targets and less maneuverable but also capable of flying much higher and able to use much fainter Wind Flows to stay afloat.
Without a constant Flow of Wind Magic they cannot maintain their performance for long. Some are equipped with Power Stones and can keep flying for a while, however most tend to slow down significantly and even fall in areas with weak Flow. If the Wind magic in the area is weak enough or if the pilot is not skilled enough, this usually results in the death of the pilot and/or the destruction of the fragile Glider.
The Sovereignty also employs larger flying vessels, though they are usually used for support, not for combat, since they are quite expensive and can easily come crashing down if their wings or rotofloaters are damaged. At best they are used for hit and run attacks, using bombs, Lightning Cannons, Storm Cannons (artifacts capable of advanced Wind control, most notably wind blasts), on-board mages or other weapons to cause as much damage as they can before running away. Still, their speed and carrying capacity makes them perfect for all sorts of things, like carrying supplies, reinforcements, messages, keeping track of people, etc.
A big problem with the magic items of the Sovereignty is that there is no shortage of daredevils willing to use Chaos magic to modify and enhance their Artifacts. That means that equipment that at a glance might appear standard could actually reveal itself to be modified with a fatal flaw or an unexpected feature. Due to their nature those artifacts are hard to predict, but it is usual for them to have a weakness, usually related to the ritual used to create them.
When facing a Chaos sorcerer, your best bet is to have an Order mage around to deal with them or find a way to take advantage of the fact that they are easily distracted. When facing a Chaos Warrior you're better off staying on the defensive and looking for an opening, since they tend to be too enthusiastic in their motions, leaving themselves open to counterattack, however the best choice by far is not engaging them in melee combat at all.
Most users of Chaos energies tend to have a certain element they focus on (some use blood, others use food, others use pleasure, and so on). If you are able to identify said element, then you might be able to deny it from them or at least know a bit more about what to expect from them.
He knows that General Alu Gale is leading the attack, at least on this part of the Kingdom, and he has set the temple of Chizra as his next target, judging by the information you helped uncover, though he isn't sure how he intends to do that without leaving his flanks open to attacks from the Resistence. Gale is young and eager to prove himself. The Headwater doesn't know much about him other than rumors. He made his name with quick and merciless strikes against a particularly powerful Warband that threatened the Sovereignty a couple of years ago and he seems to be continuing with the same tactics, using quick strikes and sabotage to overwhelm his foes. He doesn't know what enchantments his General Armour has, but he would guess it would be something quick and devastating. There is little chance you'd see him though, assuming you don't walk straight into his headquarters, wherever those are.
3. Blood Vultures are creatures closely related to Death magic and Chaos magic to a lesser extent. They are most frequently seen flying around battlefields, arenas, slaughterhouses and other places where they can find easy access to the dead and their meat. Some mages try to get Blood Vultures as pets with varying degrees of success. While very intelligent for an animal (especially when it comes to food and defending their nest) and capable of cooperating with each other, it all depends on the temperament, the personality of the bird, some being much more cooperative than others. Trying to keep them captive almost never works, they somehow always manage to escape. That might be why you might see crude drawings of them in prison cells, a message from one prisoner to the next that this cell can't hold them forever. Others say that the drawing is actually a sign of the Thieves Guild who frequently use the birds as messengers due to their ability to get anywhere, though the Headwater himself doesn't believe the Thieves Guild actually exists anywhere except in stories. While many may be tempted to kill them in order to get rid of their annoyance, they are vengeful birds and quick to spread rumors. One who acts against one bird may soon find himself the target of an entire flock. The best thing to do if you're plagued by Blood Vultures is to turn to an Order priest and have him Ward your house or turn to a hunter or mercenary and have him hunt them all down. They are especially protective of their mates and nests, which makes sense since once they choose a mate they are bound for life.
4. A long time ago the First King led a group of adventurers and freedom fighters against the tyranny of the Necromancer-Emperor, defeated him and established the Kingdom in its place with him as its First King. The First King was a brave, charismatic young man and a wise and powerful mage, a master tactician and great philanthropist. He was the hero of the people, freeing them from slavery and defending them from the evil minions of the Necromancer-Emperor. Or so the stories say. After all, winners write the history books. Who's to say that in a few hundred years there won't be a book stating how you bravely arrested the vile Griman and forced him to confess his crimes, his shame being so great that he took his own life? He says Irine's sword likely knows more about him than all the books in their library combined, seeing as it accompanied him in most of his journey. Strangely, there's little mention about how the Sword actually came to be in his possession, most merely stating that it was granted to him by the Gods to mark him as their chosen to liberate their people.
5. Well, he doesn't have an instruction manual for the Armour or anything like that, but he knows that it is actually forged from a rare material called Adamantine. It is found in very small quantities and only deep beneath the mountains or in some cases in meteor craters. It is very resistant to all sorts of influences, making turning it into something actually useful extremely difficult. That is why most of the time it treads that thin line between 'extremely valuable' and 'utterly worthless' as few beyond Kings and Grandmaster Mages (and sometimes not even those) have the time and resources necessary to acquire a sizable chunk of Adamantine and turn it into something useful. Furthermore, even if you do manage to turn it into a useful shape, it's actually completely useless for enchanting due to its resistance to magic. That means that while it is perfectly capable of guarding someone from most physical and magical attacks, it needs extra attachments or hidden compartments in order to support wards against other kinds of attack. And since Adamantine is actually quite elastic, a powerful strike might be able to break those enchantments. The First King's armour on the other hand has its enchantments weaved directly into it through an unknown process (some say the gods did it), making it 'super OP, plz nerf' as D would say. Other than that, he only knows stories. It is said that it can protect the wearer from almost all harm, its enchantments protecting the places its metal does not. It is said it can stop all poisons, making every breath you take as clean as mountain air. It is said it can be used to fly as free as a bird. It is said it can project shields that can defend entire armies and blades that can cut through anything short of Adamantine itself. It is said that it can make the wearer invisible or have him change appearance. It is said that it can be used to move from one spot to another before a man can blink. It is even said that the First King once used it to stay underwater for hours, waiting to ambush on of the Necromancer-Emperor's generals. But he doesn't know how much of this is true, how much of this is exaggeration and how much of this is people conflating the power of the Armour with the power of the Sword. And as good as it is, it is not impervious to damage. As mentioned previously, it is quite susceptible to powerful blunt strikes and a particularly quick or powerful attack might also be capable of bypassing or overwhelming the enchantments guarding its weakpoints. And, of course, no matter how strong it is, it probably can't protect you from having a tunnel collapse on you or jumping into the liquid fire of Stodir, at least not for a large length of time.
The Sword is supposed to be all-powerful in its domains, capable of using all sorts of Order, Fire and Light magics, its only limit being the power and skill of its wielder. Beyond that, it is also said to be indestructible and capable of cutting through anything. Not that anyone has actually tried to destroy it, as far as he knows.
6. According to the Headwater, Void magic is the embodiment of destruction, of nothingness, of taking and leaving nothing behind. In a way it's like anti-magic, a magic that exists only to destroy other magic. Much like anti-matter in that way, you'd say. However, unlike anti-matter, it doesn't just vanish in a giant explosion the moment it comes into contact with magic. Rather, the destruction can create feedback that can sustain the Void, making it have similar destructive capabilities but spread over time. Void magic is closely related to Dark magic. One can emerge from the other and the two can merge to create (usually short-lived) magical constructs. Ultimately those tend to dissolve into corruptive energies that twist anything they touch, the effects sometimes lasting for years. Mages that use their abilities incorrectly may accidentally call upon Dark magic and summon Void energies, among the various other bad things that can happen to them.
7. They know about bond-formers, though nothing about what you described. You guess it makes sense, if the traitor wanted to hide it wouldn't go around showing off to everyone, though that would make your job significantly easier. As for bond-formers in general, he says those rare and mysterious creatures usually appear in times of great change, accompanying great heroes or infamous villains and aiding them with their awesome powers. He doesn't know of any actually being active at the time. That is, he doesn't know of any beyond the ones you told him about. He says it makes sense for bond-formers to appear at this time when great changes are happening once more. He only hopes that the one accompanying you will be known by future generations as a hero, rather than a villain.
8. Beastmen have existed as long as man can remember. And as long as man can remember, beastmen have been his enemy. Though peaceful relations or cooperation between the two is not unheard of (beastmen are frequently employed by pirates or mercenaries and sometimes become leaders of pirates and mercenaries themselves, after all), it seems that throughout history the two races are doomed to conflict. Perhaps it is the fact that their way of thinking is too different that's preventing them from integrating into human society, perhaps it is only a cultural thing or mistrust borne out of their bloddy history, perhaps it is a matter of magic or the gods. He doesn't know, nor does he have any strong opinion on the matter. He has heard rumors that the Fire Tower was conducting experiments with beastmen prisoners but he doesn't know if they had any sort of significant revelation on the matter. Chizra is supposed to be neutral on the matter, so if a beastman ever approached the gates and asked for sanctuary, he would be happy to accept them. Unfortunately, none have come, at least none that he knows of. From what he knows, even beastmen themselves don't get along well with each other, constantly warring between different clans and subspecies and only uniting when one of the other races becomes a threat.
The Elves have always been a secretive bunch, so he doesn't know too much about the details, but he knows that about a hundred years ago there was some sort of religious civil war between two factions of Elves. Perhaps if the Kingdom had truly known what the war was about, it would had helped (though most likely not). Instead, the Kingdom chose to bide its time in order to attack whichever faction emerged victorious, a terrible mistake in hindsight. It turns out the Elves that won the war was a sect promoting a very Dark and corrupted interpretation of the Elves' worship of Life magic. When they had gathered what they needed, the victorious Elves conducted a ritual that transformed the majority of their kind into something else. They call themselves the Immortal Elves, but those Elves that remain Elves call them the Dark Elves instead. The surviving True Elves fled to the Kingdom and the Smothered Coast, where a slightly less cruel fate was expecting them: in order to survive, they would become slaves. Though the Kingdom supposedly forbids the existence of slaves, in truth there are special provisions in place that make Elves slaves in anything but name. While 'free', they are unable to own land or businesses, hold any position of authority and so on. The most valuable were claimed by the King and the Tower as prisoners for experimentation and interrogation, most of them ended up as cheap laborers and servants, while the most unfortunate ended up in the lowest places of society. As the two races intermingled, the once rare sight of half-elves became more common (a sight that your ears and 'uncommon' appearance make you closely resemble). With their parents unwilling to recognize their bastard sons and daughters, those half-elves usually ended up accompanying their elven parents in the same social class. Most Elves try to retain their cultural identity, trying to maintain their traditions and laws, their worship of nature and forest spirits, though a few half-elves have started slowly being integrated into the Kingdom's society. He believes that in a few more years they will be living amongst them without discrimination or prejudice. (You decide not to burst his bubble by speaking about how these sorts of situations progressed on Earth.) Even before the Dark Elves emerged, relationships between the two nations were not very good, mostly due to the Elves' nature worship conflicting with the Kingdom's expansionist tendencies and their desires for more raw materials. With the emergence of the Dark Elves, these problems have multiplied a hundredfold. Not only did the Kingdom's attack fail horribly, the Dark Elves' coutnerattack claimed a significant chunk of the western part of the Kingdom. To this day the Dark Elves continue trying to expand their influence, constantly attacking their neighbours with no attempts at diplomacy, taking away civilians to consume them as part of their Dark rituals. He is thankful for the fact that the Dark Elves have yet to try to take advantage of the fall of Ineth and the Tower and attack, though he is unsure about why they have done so. Instead, the Dark Elves remain behind their magical walls, hidden in their corrupted forest.
9. Ask away. Though actually getting all this info is not instantaneous, since I'm assuming you're getting more info and asking more questions than I can comfortably write here. You know, mundane stuff like 'you know the name and a thing or two about place X'. So right now the sun has set and it is maybe a couple of hours before to midnight.
Some equipment for our ragtag militia would be good. Spears and shields would probably be ideal because of how effective they are with little training. Or just whatever rusty farm tools they can spare.
We should also ask for some armour for Alan and Zech (might be difficult to find due to Alan's girth and Zech's wings).
Nikolai personally would really like a ranged weapon better than a sling, the more magical or powerful the better. Something point and shoot that works well with tsaring, not something that requires fancy waving movements or anything like that. He would be happy with a mundane crossbow.
Nikolai would also like some bottles of high proof alcohol or other flammables if they have any. Mostly because tsar molotovs combo incredibly well with a certain pyromaniac fox.
We should ask for several large barrels of water, because we're going through a desert and the water mages need it and tsar water enchanted equipment really needs it.
"Well, if you're looking for a weapon, I've got a nice blade I can give you."
"Oh yeah? What's so nice about it?"
"No, no, no. You misunderstood. A singular ice blade. A blade made of ice."
"My previous statement still stands."
"Well, it can reform itself when broken, keep itself magically sharpened... And it looks impressive. Perhaps combined with your magic it could do something more. You did ask me for medium range magical items, something I could be persuaded to give away but could still be useful in your quest."
For protection... Well, they have a couple of those things called Melchior's Mystifying Mirage, a magical item that creates a distorting cloud of fog when supplied with water, and could be persuaded to part with one of them. The fog is altered to act as a cloud of perfectly aligned prisms, distorting light in such a way that it and those within it become mostly invisible. Though the fog doesn't last long and its effective range is not that large, it is quite capable of concealing four people from a distance (maybe more if they have no problem getting a bit too intimate), as long as you have enough water to keep it working.
If such complex enchantments are not to your liking, then there is a simple water armour enchantment. When supplied with water, it coats the wearer's body in a thick suit of armour made out of liquid water. If the user has the necessary magical skill, they can harden the water or even manipulate it to form whatever shape they wish and then harden it to ice. Though even without such skills, it would still be better than no armour and would probably fare quite well against Fire and Wind magic. And the fact that it is magically sustained would mean that it weighs nothing at all.
"How about something that produces light?"
"... You mean a lamp?"
"Well, I was thinking something a bit stronger than a lamp."
"Hmmm. In that case... How about a Signaler? It is a wand that launches a beam of Fire into that erupts into a small explosion. The explosion is persistent and provides light for a good while. It can also expend less energy to merely create a glowing line that fades after a few seconds. The military uses such artifacts to send signals from long distances or to provide light for defense against night ambushes. You could also hurt someone with it if they were standing really close or if you had really good aim, since they are not exactly made for precision. The problem is that they're not very easy to recharge and most only hold one good charge, maybe two or three if you're lucky. You'd need a Fire mage or similar to recharge one and even then they'd have to be quite careful. Charge this thing too fast or break it and it might explode and burn your face off."
As for healing stuff, he could grant you a few general purpose healing potions. They can stop almost all bleeding, stop or delay disease and poisons and speedup the body's natural healing process. While not exactly extraordinary, they are still rare enough outside of the military that they could also be used as a high value trade good when dealing with most people. He has also come to the possession of some Stones of Healing Light from the Beastmen tribes of the north which can apparently store Light energy and then release it in a healing wave, but they tend to be fickle and unreliable and take a long time to recharge.
Ask if they're willing to give a few more of these minor artifacts.
Priority:
-Water armour. Tankity tank, layers with other armour.
-Flaregun wand. Combos well with Irene and probably makes a good bazooka when tsared.
-Ice sword. Join the magic sword club.
-I'm pretty sure we're already being offered healing potions.
Lastly, an empty book and some writing supplies. So I can draw and write about machines and technology in the hopes that someone who cares about it finds it one day and advances this world from medieval fantasy to steampunk magitech. If anyone wants to travel with us to learn about technology they are welcome.
Oh yeah, and anything that can track, disable, or protect against void magic could help our quest.
I have no problem with giving Headwater the pendant and scroll, especially if he gives us more artifacts and supplies.
Well, there is a weapon merchant that's been pestering the Headwater for quite some time now, looking to trade his weapons, the same guy Ike met in the tavern. The Headwater says he could contact him and get him to sell quite cheaply. He'd need to keep a number of weapons to bolster the Temple Guard but all the rest could be given to your militia.
Sure, they can get armour. Light armour would probably be best if Zechariah wants to maintain his ability to glide and Alan his ability to move (since with his STR he'd probably end up unable to move quickly/dodge while wearing anything heavier).
How about a crossbow and some alchemically enhanced bolts? What sort of effect would you prefer? Merely explosive or something less boring?
You get some barrels of booze and water, pending transportation to your carts, there's no shortage of either.
Sure, one water armour for you. And 2 Signallers, 2 full-power uses each along with instructions on how to use them. And a nice ice sword for #MagicSword.
He has an idea about someone who might be interested in this sort of knowledge-gathering thing...
There is an artifact in the Temple that can offer some protection against void magic, but he can't give that to you, no matter how helpful you have been. He could use Dark alchemy to prepare a sort-of Void repellent you could drink, but it wouldn't offer real immunity. Your best bet is using Irine's sword or finding a Light mage who knows some protection spells. That or praying to the gods, if you're a religious man.
You hand over the stuff you looted from the assistant. The Headwater is grateful.