At the Keep

[Dom]

Still stricken with grief at the loss of his companions, Lombdas passes through the gate and tells the scribe at the gatehouse that he will be the only one coming back today.

The time is just past noon but you don't feel hungry at all. You take the rest of the day to do as you wish and think about your future as an adventurer. Maybe you should find the old clerk at the bank which you were told could help you understand what is written on the magical scroll you've been carrying.

[Pat]

Lombdas

Deep in thoughts, looking at the fountain nearby, Lombdas recalls the last hours to sort out what went wrong. I had to get that information… It was too important to let it pass. But was it worth four lives? I now, more than ever, must make good with what I've learned. I owe them that. I'll keep this secret within me until the proper events occur.

Varick, Arom, Coylian, Damnagoras, I pray that your Gods receive you well…

Lombdas gets his pack and starts walking towards the bank.

Let's go talk to that clerk…

[Dom]

As he walks towards the bank, Lombdas is still troubled that learning the answer to a question he has asked himself all his life might have cost the lives of his four companions. Yes, Dwarven women do have a beard... but was the cost to know too high? Not only that, but after that night with the dwarf prostitute it still itches a bit.

But enough with doubts and regrets, what is done is done. With a new resolve in his mind, he enters the bank. The huge bodyguard with a battle axe and a crossbow is still standing inside by the door.

The same old clerk at the counter sees you enter with your purse full of your dead comrades' coins and gems. Once more, he explains to you the bank's services. He can change money in any denominations or gems for a 10% fee. He will also keep a person's wealth stored safely at no charge if it is left at least one month, otherwise there is a 10% fee. Deposits can only be made in coins as the banker uses these liquidity for loans. Such a loan can also be obtained for an interest rate based on the amount required. A security deposit in the form of a valuable item might be required for large sums.

What do you want to do? Do you want to talk to him about anything else?

[Pat]

Lombdas

((Very funny! I will use this information at one point...))

Good afternoon mister the bank clerk, I've heard that you could help me decipher a certain magical text. Can you help me?

[Dom]

He takes hold of the scroll and putting tiny gold rimmed spectacles over his eyes he inspects it for a minute.
"Well... hummm... I cannot tell you what it does but I can tell you what it is. It is a spell scroll. It is inscribed with magical writing which you need the Read Magic spell to understand. Every basic wizard worth their robe know about this spell."

He takes a pause, a smirk on his old wrinkled lips and adds "If you want I can teach you the Read Magic spell, this way you'll be able to read what's on this scroll of yours. What do you say? A hundred gold coins seems like a fair enough price, don't you think?"

[Pat]

Lombdas

Looking at the clerk to grasps how low he could negotiate the price, Lombdas takes a deep breath and gently puts his hands on the counter. He then says, very calmly:

Mister the bank clerk, you do have a name don't you? Mister, my name is Lombdas Sparrowvine and I come from long respectful family line. This, you may not care that much or even at all and I understand you for it. Now, The last couple of days were very bad for me and I'm trying to make sense of all of it. I don't have much coins left but I do feel that we can do business together in the near future and I would like to learn this spell. The best offer I have is 50 gold coins and 25 gems. This could be the beginning of a long work relationship. What do you say?

[Dom]

You give a convincing speech to the bank clerk. He smiles and extends his hand to shake yours. "Well met Lombdas Sparrowvine. My name is Maegnus Lebello. When I was young, I studied magic shortly at the Azure Tower in Caladan under the tutelage of the Blue Mages before converting to administration and accounting. Now I'm finishing my days as a clerk in this small bank in the hinterlands of the Known Lands. You're offer of 50 gold coins and 25 gold coins worth in gems is accepted. If you excuse me, I still have work to do and customer to serve. Meet me at my apartment after business hours. I'll teach you the spell and then will give you the time to copy the incantation from my spell book to yours."

At 6 o'clock you meet Maegnus the clerk/wizard in his small and sparsely furnished apartment. He retrieves an old leather-bound tome and opens it on a particular page. The words on the page seem to dance in front of your eyes, constantly moving, shifting and changing. It seems completely undecipherable. Maegnus lets you frown at the text for a minute and then laugh "Hahaha. Got ya didn't I? The Read Magic spell is also needed to be able to read another wizard's spell book. It is special in this sense that without it you cannot copy anything from my grimoire to yours. Thankfully it is also a very simple spell that can easily be taught to a learning student of the arcane. That's why I am surprised you do not know it already. OK now, enough fooling around. Let's get to work."

You spent the rest of the evening and the majority of the night practicing arcane verbiage and gesticulation with the old bank clerk. At around three in the morning you finally manage to cast the spell on your own. Suddenly, the words in his spell book stops their dances and all becomes clear. You star browsing the pages and all is perfectly readable. The clerk violently clasp down the book with your hand still in it. Surprised you let out a small cry of pain and quickly remove your hand. "No, no, no. You've only payed for one of my spells. You can't take a peak at the others." He opens up the book again at the Read Magic spell and tells you "Now get to work transcribing the spell to your own book."

You leave his apartment just after dawn breaks. You are exhausted and go back to the inn.

((You can now add to your character sheet that you know the Read Magic spell (LL p.38). You'll have to study and learn it again in order to cast it on your scroll after 8 hours of rest. The clerk didn't offer you much to eat so took some of your rations. Remove 2/3 rations for both the last day's diner and supper.))

Mechanics:
Lombdas Charisma check 5 (Success)

[Pat]

Lombdas

Lombdas goes back to the Inn and asks for the quietest room so he can rest hopefully up to 8 hours. He's eager to see what's written on the scroll.

[Dom]

You rests till the mid-afternoon. Upon waking up, you open your spell book and start to memorize the Read Magic spell. An hour later, you cast it on the scroll and are finally able to read it. On the parchment is inscribed the spell Summon Familiar! You take the rest of the afternoon and the start of the evening to transcribe it carefully to your spell book. Once you draw the final character in your grimoire, the scroll magically consumes itself to fine ivory dust.

It is about about 8 o'clock when you push the tavern door, hungry like an ogre and sit down at a table to order some food and drinks. The tavern is quite busy tonight, with many familiar new faces that must have arrived just this day. A group of strangers is assembled at a table where they share a game of dice. Warriors shout, a rogue dextrously throw his dice around the table and a man in robes calmly smokes a long pipe while behind his eyes you can see that his brain is ablaze calculating odds and strategies. Many others, locals and travellers, are standing around the table watching and betting on the game as it goes on.

((The spell Summon Familiar is not in the Core LL book. It is in the Advanced Edition Companion p. 78 which introduces AD&D-like options to the basic Labyrinth Lord game. I've put a link to the free version of this book in the System & Houserules thread.

Deduct 2/3 rations for your breakfast and "dinner".

The others are now free to post in the thread. Good luck!))

[Damnagoras]

Rattlehead

And you lost again!! You owe me 1 Sp. You should stop smoking that thing it's gonna ruin you!!