Emerald Spire 01.0 - An Awkward Meeting

It was a bright spring day that saw Marin enter the town of Fort Inevitable, questioned only lightly by the town gate guards. As members of the Adamantine Order, they were dressed as intimidatingly as their station would expect, though despite their armoured attire, adorned with skull motifs and spikes, they were not particularly interested in the traveler and allowed him entry, warning him wearily of the late night curfew and zero tolerance policy for crime.
Establishing a deal with the owners of the local adventurers' tavern, the Red Shield Inn, Marin prepared to ply his trade as an entertainer in exchange for room and board. As he posted a notice of his act on a bulletin board near the door, his eye caught on a particular ad: a local Mr. Royst had work for curious explorers, investigating the Emerald Spire. Shaking his head, he left it for the moment, retiring to his room to prepare for his act. That evening, Marin's feats of prestidigitation and legerdemain made for an enjoyable show, and the patrons of the inn gladly paid the shillings that covered the magician's stay. A few days passed as Marin stayed in the town, learning a bit about its layout and the people who lived there. The thought of Mr. Royst's job opportunity lingered in the back of his mind, until eventually he decided to ask for more information. Making his way to the address on the flier, he found an old two-story stone house; it appeared to be one of the nicest buildings in town, excluding the church and the new, formidable barracks of the Adamantine Order.
Knocking on the door, he was greeted by a young woman, dressed as a house servant. She was cheery and welcoming, letting him in when he mentioned the job notice. Leaving him in the foyer, she left to fetch the house's master. The foyer was crowded with shelves and knick-knacks, suggesting the home of a scholar or adventurer with hoarding tendencies, and the air was thick with the smell of must. A few short minutes later, a gregarious older gentleman, introducing himself as Mr. Royst, entered and shook Marin's hand, leading him towards a study. He gave a long-winded and rambling story about himself, his past as a scholar and explorer, and his passions for archaeology and history. With a few nudges from Marin, he got to his point: there was a local ruin of great significance, thought to date all the way to Valparasian times, called the Emerald Spire. Despite its well-documented location, and numerous rumours surrounding its past form and purpose, there were no records at all concerning its lower levels: according to Royst, there were numerous basements and cellars, possibly spanning all the way into the Underdark. Royst lamented his age, making him too feeble to explore the goblin-infested ruin himself; instead, he must hire strapping young adventurers to explore it for him. Royst offered to pay for maps of any floor beyond the first, as the surface ruins were already documented, as well as for any artifacts of historic or arcane significance. Marin named his price, and asked for a copy of the aforementioned map of the ground floor. The elderly scholar agreed, promising to have Nicolette, his housemaid, make a duplicate and send it to him at the inn the next morning. Shaking on their deal, Marin left to prepare for his evening act.
It was that night when Kormon wandered into Fort Inevitable, his sword, bow and worn leather armour marking him as a man of battle, though by no means a soldier. He entered without any hassle and made his way promptly to the Red Shield for a meal and a room. As he sat in the commons enjoying a drink and Marin's act, a woman approached him. Marin had noticed her hanging about before, particularly in the evenings, approaching people periodically and keeping to herself the rest of the time. She introduced herself to Kormon as Amara, a representative of the Quicksilver Conclave: a guild occupied with the study and proliferation of arcana and wizardry. Though Kormon had no love lost for most wizardry, she explained that she was here at the behest of her guild to investigate the disappearance of two younger members, who had been sent to study the nearby Emerald Spire. She had arrived a few days ago and had learned that they had indeed been seen in Fort Inevitable, but not for weeks; they had never returned from their expedition. She implored the help of Kormon, who appeared to be an adventurer in seeking them out. Amara explained that few would go to the ruins: they were infested with goblins, and there were strange rumours about the place. For example, it was said that strange monsters could appear as if from nowhere, and people were thought to vanish into thin air. This intrigued Kormon, who had a personal stake in magically-disappearing people, and he asked about compensation. Amara, as a representative of the Conclave, offered to reward him for any information as to their whereabouts, the exact amount depending on how reliable the information; he would be paid more if he returned with them than without. Kormon agreed and Amara thanked him before leaving him to his meal.
Bright and early the next morning, Marin went to the commons for his breakfast of porridge and eggs. After about an hour of waiting, Nicolette entered the inn, spotted him and waved as she walked over. Presenting him with a freshly-inked map, she chatted idly about her current job, her past experience as a lumberjack, and gave a few tips about the goblins living in the ruins, as far as she knew. With a pleasant farewell, she left him to his meal. After a few final preparations, Marin set off southwards towards the Echo Woods and the Spire. Kormon was not far behind him.
It did not take long for Kormon to pick up the trail Marin was leaving through the woods. He decided to follow it, seeing as how he was looking for missing people, and owing to Kormon's fast pace, the half-orc eventually caught up to the human. Marin was caught unawares, but greeted Kormon when his attention was caught. The two introduced themselves somewhat awkwardly, until it became clear that both men were heading for the same location and could do with some company and possible assistance with whatever might be lurking in the ruins. At Kormon's questioning, Marin spoke a bit about his past: his upbringing that led him to appreciate trickery and mundane magic, the eloquent façades and misdirections that made a spectacle. Kormon shrugged, possessing a strong distaste for manipulation of any form, but was comforted that Marin claimed to possess fighting skill and seemed to harbour no particular maliciousness. 
The pair made their way through the trackless Echo Woods until they found themselves on the edge of a glade. Barren patches of charred earth dotted the field, and at its center was a mound of rubble made from what looked to be green glass in the shape of a tower's foundation: the Emerald Spire. Their missions had begun.
Category:Emerald Spire