Chapter I: And So It Begins

Woah, that does sound like a tidy sum. Eldoran does his best not to react, though, and instead glances at Zazi. It could just mean that it'll be a long and very difficult journey. "We'll have to discuss it with the rest of our group, of course."

Zazi

Whoa. Zazi glances at Eldoran the same time he glances at her. That's... Well, Zazi certainly wouldn't mind taking the job. A hefty paycheck and passage? She has to wonder what the catch is, but she has to say, for their first job offer, it's nothing to sneeze at.

"Most of the group is waiting outside, but we are still missing someone. If we decide to take the job after meeting up with him, we'll return."

Tarathel

The news he gave him brought a smile to his face. "You've alleviated my fears quite effectively. All I need now is the opportunity to thank you. I have the feeling that, after we conclude our dealings, I won't quite be in easy reach of a summons for a while, but nevertheless I am in your debt."

~Temple of the Seldarine

Maeglin smiles and shakes his head. "You needn't worry, brother. I am sure any debts you believe to exist will be fulfilled with service to the Seldarine. Just keep the Temple in mind in the future."

Tarathel

Tarathel rose from his seat and bowed deeply. "I shall, without question."

Barring any other events, he intended to make his polite goodbyes, then rejoin his companions.

Eldoran nods and turns towards the door. "Let's see if Tarathel is back and discuss this with our companions," he says. "We'll be back soon, Mr. Milo."

~Trades Ward, Outside the Curiosity Shop

After a few minutes of idle chatter, Tarathel shows up, having completed his trip.

Zazi

When Tarathel arrives, Zazi raises a hand in greeting and offers a friendly smile. "Hey, welcome back. How'd it go?"

Tarathel

Smiling, the elf lifts his hand to return the greetings. "Very well, in fact. My duties, such as they are, are discharged, and I received advice in turn on our mission. Did you meet with Milo, as we had discussed, then?"

Eldoran greeted Tarathel with a nod and the others as well. "Well, Mr. Milo has a job for us. He's asked us to find a statue called the Golden Auroch, which he believes can be found in the city of Maraketh in Mala Na'Un. He said it's the idol of a deity." He glances at Tarathel curiously, wondering if the cleric would know more than he was able to recall himself about the subject. He hasn't, himself, made much of a study of religion, though he's well-versed in secular subjects. "He said our payment for the safe recovery of this item would be 1500 gold pieces, each."

Zazi

"As far as travel costs go, Milo also said he'd pay our fare." Zazi shrugs, turning her hands palm-up and splaying her fingers. "Even with Mala Na'Un being overseas, all things considered, I think it's a pretty good deal."

Tarathel

"The Golden Auroch?" the elf says, quirking an eyebrow. "I've heard of it, mostly in the context of its misuse dooming an entire civilization when its powers were misused. He certainly thinks bold, if nothing else, to think we can find this."

Tarathel considered for a moment if he had any moral or ethical objection to this mission, and decided that he could not be sure. "Milo was recommended to me as a man who keeps his word, at least."

Eldoran looked around. "Well, I suppose we might not be able to find it, but if our travel expenses are paid, there's no harm in looking, right?"

Ski


Ski stands up from where she was sitting, " so we are going after a cursed cow for the man in the witches hut?"

Zazi

"If it sounds good to everyone, yeah." Zazi nods. She looks over to the rest of the group. "Personally, I'm for it, especially if we've got a temple backing Milo up as reliable."

Tarathel

"I am not certain how wise it is for us to bring an artifact of any significant power to a merchant," Tarathel said. "But that decision will be better made once we see the item, determine if it has any power, and have a chance to better judge our situation. Whatever happens, I think it is worth our time to find the Golden Auroch, at the very least."

Eldoran chuckles ruefully, thinking of the necklace. "To be honest, I think he probably has quite a few objects of power already. Do you think this Aurochs would be dangerous if it were to fall into, you know, the 'wrong hands'?"

Tarathel

"I did mention 'misuse destroyed an entire civilization', didn't I? It's a gift from the gods. Or one specifically."

He winces. Good point. "Right, but we don't really know what it is about it that destroyed the civilization, do we?" He chews his lip. "Maybe we should learn more about this thing before we go looking for it. For one thing, knowing that it's somewhere inside an entire kingdom isn't all that helpful."

He thinks for a second about who might be of help.

[Wow, Knowledge: Local = 24]

Eldoran has no trouble coming up with a fairly large mix of sages that would likely have the information you need. However, most of them are fuck-all expensive. One name comes to mind, though. Benjamin Malendik, a scholar and curator of a private library in one of the residential areas bordering the temple district. He is an expert in his field, but his... unusual appearance has made him a somewhat unpopular consultant.

Thanks to his phenomenal success, Eldoran is aware that Malendik is a sharakim, a race of humanoids strikingly similar in appearance to orcs. However, the sharakim are about as far from orcs as possible in personality and mental acuity. They do not take well to those who assume they are orcs.

He is also aware that Malendik's rate for basic consultation is approximately 25 gold pieces, and an additional 100 gold pieces for every day spent in research if he cannot come up with the answer during the consultation.

The best sage Eldoran is otherwise aware of is Archimedes Broad, a semi-retired adventurer and keeper of a massive private library. He would be all-but-guaranteed to know everything you could want to know about the Golden Auroch, but his consultation fee is 500 gold and an additional 200 for every additional day spent in research.

He thinks for a bit, then sighs. "I do know a couple of people who might be able to help us. Benjamin Malendik isn't that expensive, only 25 gold pieces for a consultation. However, the one I'd go to and be sure of all the answers we would need would be Archimedes Broad. Based on his reputation, he'd definitely be able to help us." He pauses, looking awkward. "Does anyone have 500 gold pieces they don't need?"

Zazi

Zazi can't help it; she makes a face, one that's a mix between amused and appalled. She shakes her head and holds up her hands. "Sorry, I blew my last fifty platinum on a bad poker match."

Sarcasm probably isn't warranted, but she just can't help it.

Tarathel

"At those prices, we'll need to take on a job just to get the money to take on the job," Tarathel said, shaking his head. "I'm amazed he is shooting so high to start with, but at this point, I have no objections to simply going to find it and appraising it ourselves."

His own face mirrors Zazi, but he chuckles at Tarathel's words. "That's...what I was thinking. I wonder if he just sends everyone after this, regardless of whether they're ready to take on a job of that magnitude, just in case they succeed."

He hesitates, then shrugs. "I say we go anyway. If we get to the area and can't find out anything, then our travel expenses are paid. We can simply come back."

Zazi

When Eldoran drops the echo of her expression and chuckles, she breaks into a grin. "I'm all for going after it. That makes three votes..." Zazi turns her head to look at the rest of their party. "What do you guys think?"