We walked into a madhouse. Marcus, Montgomery, and a female dwarf I hadn’t met before were all being run ragged at the front desk. The dwarf was doing paperwork, stamping and collating things while Marcus and Montgomery were running packages back to storage shelves. We waited our turn in line, and the dwarf gave us a terse greeting. “Name’s Julia. What’cha got?”

“Meeting with the guildmaster. Djarleen and her apprentice.”

She flipped through a book for a few seconds, before glaring at her. “Says here yer supposed to be a kobold. I ain’t seen whatever race you are, but ye sure as hell ain’t no kobold.” By this point, Marcus and Montgomery were sucking in deep breaths at the unexpected break.

“I assure you, I am Djarleen and this is my apprentice. We just happened to have evolved.”

“Sure ya are. Don’t make me call security.”

“Marcus, want to set your little assistant here straight?”

“WHO YOU CALLIN’ LITTLE? SECURITY!!!” The dwarf screeched as Marcus looked up and smiled.

“Djarleen! Why are you making Julia’s life even more difficult? And Julia, cancel the security call. This is Djarleen, we’ve just been too busy to update the rolls.”

“I don’t care who she be, she insulted me and now gets to leave.”

“Lemme guess, you were trained by Montgomery over there.” I interjected. “He built you up as a gatekeeper to the system, with all the power of your petty little kingdom. Now, the question is, are you going to perpetuate that type, or are you going to be the bigger person?”

“Ye be wantin’ a thrashin’, don’t’cha boyo?” She said in a dangerous tone, as Marcus was sitting back trying not to laugh.

“Well, you can try. Though I doubt the guildmaster would like a brawl in the main area. Besides, though I’ve only fought one dwarf in my life, he didn’t really measure up.”

“*Snort* BWAHAHAHAHA!” Marcus couldn’t hold it in anymore and earned himself a glare from Julia.

“Now, the guildmaster is already going to be mad because I had to disappear for a week with no notice, and when he asks why we are late today I am pointing him straight at you. Are we clear to go up or do you wish to delay us more?” I asked, having lost all patience.

She stared at me for another few seconds before speaking, “Get outta here. What’s yer name so that I can just pass you through next time.”

“Angus MacG.” I said, turning and walking away as fast as I could when she started pondering where she had heard that name before. When we made it up to the guildmaster’s office, we entered and were slightly shocked to see that even he was disheveled.

“Huh? Who?” He seemed a bit lost.

“Angus finally made it back guildmaster. We’re here to finish up that issue with the staff.”

“Oh. Great. Wonderful, something simple I can cross off my list. Here, the list of offered items.” He said, sliding something out of a stack of papers, knocking half of them to the floor. With a muttered curse, and incredible control of wind magic, he got the stack to rise back up in a swirl and restack itself.

Looking over the list, I handed a second copy to Djarleen to get her opinion as well.

Offering

Description

Greater permanent resistance

Grants +25% resistance to all elements, including shadow and light. Stacks with individual elemental resist potions

Potion of blurred strikes

When fighting in low light conditions, your form blurs. Increases your own dodge chance, and decreases your opponent’s ability to dodge and parry your own strikes.

Quicksilver essence potion

Increases your own attack speed by 15% permanently.

“Damn, they went all out with this, didn’t they?” I muttered after reading the list. The permanent resistance was tempting, but I ultimately ruled it out. I would probably be able to find equipment to do the same thing in the future. The other two, well. If I was still going to be guaranteed to be fighting underground that blurred strikes potion would be incredible, but with the move above ground I didn’t think it would be quite as useful as a guaranteed attack boost.

“Djarleen, I’m thinking the quicksilver potion, what about you?”

“Agreed. Even if they aren’t permanent, we can make resistance potions fairly easily.”

“Right, ok then guildmaster.” I said, sliding back the papers. “I think I’ll take the quicksilver essence potion. Please thank the others for their offerings, though.”

“Sure, sure. Here’s your potion.” He said, pulling it out of a bag and handing it to me.

“Before I forget about it, is the guild still offering to buy up shadow infused materials?” I asked, trying to seem innocent.

“Yes, why do. . .you. Of course, it was you. You’re the one who set this whole blasted event in motion, so of course you have materials infused with shadow. I don’t suppose you could let me see whatever divine artifact you used to evolve, would you?”

“Sorry, it was consumed in the event. I can tell you that it was a mana stone with 15 trillion mana infused in it.”

“I’m sorry, I must have been hearing something crazy. Did you say FIFTEEN TRILLION MANA?!”

“Yep, you heard that right. I had to channel mana for three days to make it.”

“Ok, I have an important meeting, and it’s going to be quite volatile. Why don’t you two come with me, and we can discuss your stuff after.” He said, grabbing a small stack of papers and ushering us out of his office. We went down one flight of stairs, and entered a conference room where you could feel the tension. Master Faraldo was seated between a drow and a luminow, who were busy staring daggers at each other.

“And here’s the guildmaster. With that, I’ll be leavin’ ya in his capable hands.” Master Faraldo said while standing up.

“Master Faraldo.” I quickly said, “Would you be able to meet with me for an important matter later on today?”

“Can’t say that I recognize ya, laddie.”

“After we had so much fun with those pyrophoria potions?” I asked innocently.

“Play your games later, fool. I have limited time.” The light elf said.

“I just might have some time, come find me.” Faraldo said, glaring at the elf. “I’ll be waitin’ patiently, something a few of us could work on.” When he heard that, the elf looked like he was sucking on a lemon but Faraldo had already walked out the door and shut it rather forcefully.

“As amusing as it is to see my counterpart lose some face, I must admit to being rushed myself.” The drow said. “As such, here is our issue Guildmaster Willow. We have heard through reputable sources that the Herald of the Coming Night’s blades have been found. We will pay 100 platinum for any useful information about them.” The whole time he was sitting there, the light elf was fuming.

“We have also heard that the Forerunner of the Impending Dawn’s ring has been found. We offer 200 platinum for information.” He gave a smug filled look at his counterpart, obviously for offering more money.

“Great. I’ll pass that down along the line. Hope something turns up.” Guildmaster Willow said, ushering the two out the door. Once they were gone, he turned to me. “Ok, you always have something interesting. Lay out everything you are willing to part with on the table there and go find Master Faraldo. I’ll want his help anyway, and you can ask him whatever you needed to in the meantime.”

Before I could head towards the door Faraldo had exited from, the dwarf himself entered. “Heh, figured you’d get rid of them idiots in record time guildmaster.” He said chuckling. “So, what can I be doin’ for ya, Angus?”

“Well, I need to get in touch with the Stonefist clan. I have two things of great importance to them.”

“Well, I do know a few Stonefists. You’lll have to give me more than that, to get ‘m interested. Unless it be incredibly rare ingredients, you’re lookin’ at fifty platinum, minimum.”

“Damn.” I muttered, not wanting to show my hand. I couldn’t show the body, as Master Faraldo wouldn’t have any way of verifying what I had. Wait, maybe I could use it. “How about this. Tell them I know of Grumblespark’s whereabouts. Along with his notes. That should get them more than interested.”

I didn’t notice that the dwarf had frozen, as I was busy unloading items from my inventory. “Angus.” He said with a flat tone. “I sincerely hope you aren’t lying, and that you had no hand in their disappearance. Dwarves have gone to war over less.”

“I had nothing to do with their disappearance, that was due to a necromancer I dispatched. I wish to facilitate the return of his body, and allow those of his clan to learn from his notes.”

“What are ya askin’ in return?”

“Training in return for training. We have hidden techniques of the Stonefist clan, and so we can learn blacksmithing. The rest of our craftsmen are stuck in the steel stage of technology though. They’ll need whatever help the Stonefists can bring. It doesn’t have to be exactly on the level of what the blacksmiths will be learning, but should at the least be whatever mithril analogues are for the other professions.”

“Hmmm, I think they could work with that. And of the body?”

“Gratitude? I am a High Priest of Thanatos, and this is a body that I could return to its proper rest. But if they need more for the training, tell them we were rather rude with a refusal to accept the aid of the Mountain Crusher clan.”

“Oh, now, I’m not sure if ye be knowin’ this, boyo, but there be an art to bein’ rude in dwarven culture. Just how did you phrase yer refusal?”

“Well, we told them to go fornicate themselves with a large metal cactus.”

“Just so we be on the same page, what ye call a cactus. It be a desert plant covered in thorns, ya?”

“Yes indeed.” I said with a smile.

“HA! Oh, that’s a new one by me, but it fits tha bill. Well done lad, well done indeed. I’ll be gettin’ in touch with the Stonefists, can ya meet back here in two days?”

“Sure.”

“If you two are quite done, I have some questions for Angus.” The guildmaster said, obviously reaching the end of his patience.

“Sorry guildmaster.” We said in unison.

“It’s fine. Now, what is this seed from, I can’t seem to identify it.”

“Damn. I was hoping you would be able to grow it, or at least someone here could. It started out as a crystal flower, but it went to seed after three days in a high concentration of shadow mana.”

“Truly?”

“Yep. Normally I would be all for giving it a try, but when it comes to plants. . . you’ve heard of people with green thumbs, yes?” I asked and everyone nodded. “Well, I have what I like to call a black thumb. I’m far more likely to kill it in a record number of days than keep it living.”

“I’m very glad you brought it here as soon as you could then. We have several arrays that can be adapted to filling the growing area with concentrated mana, and I’m sure our wood elves would love a chance to grow a new type of plant. Unfortunately this is the only bit you have that would interest the guild. I suggest you take the rest back with you and try and talk to the emissary from the adventurers guild. Either them or the merchants guild. That’ll net you the best profit.”

“Thanks, guildmaster. I can tell your people that the original crystal flower grew out of granite, so you might want to try planting the seed in some of this shadow infused stone.”

“Wait, where did you get that stone? This wasn’t just done over a three day period.”

“That’s right, you actually haven’t heard the full story. In the dungeon I was in, I found a dried up well. At the very back of it, through some caves, was a sahuagin throne room that had a ley line running through it. When the mana well that was the source of the line got sealed, the line dried up leaving this stone.”

“Fascinating. Can I have you leave all of it? We might be able to find some potions it can be used in.”

“Well, since I don’t have the time to be experimenting, how about this. Whatever you make from the seed and the stone, I get first rights to at a 75% discount?”

“Forty percent.”

“Sixty. I’m taking a fairly large risk with a rare ingredient here.”

“Very well, sixty it is. If you pass on the potion, then you only get 40% of the profit.”

“Done.” I said, happy with the results. I double checked my inventory, but decided not to show the golem cores. It would take an enchanter working with a blacksmith to make use of them, and I didn’t want the guild to know everything I had. “So, there are two things we need to sort out while I’m here, if you don’t mind?” I asked.

“Putting it like that sounds slightly ominous.” He said with a smile.

“Well, nobody in upper management that I’ve ever met has liked talking about giving more money to the underlings, so maybe?” I said with a grin. “But seriously, what about my money from the potions I’ve created?”

Pulling some papers out of somewhere, probably a storage ring or something, he started rifling through them for a second, mumbling to himself. “Ok, here we are! Looks like you’ve earned about 70 gold per week, so we owe you about 4 platinum. The front desk will pay you up whenever you stop by if you just ask them. Now, what was the other part?”

“Oh, well I need some poisons and venoms and was wondering if the guild sold them.”

“Sure. Just leave a list at the desk, and if you want they will take it out of what’s owed to you.”

“Thanks, that makes it much easier.” I said, grabbing a blank sheet of paper that had fallen out of his stack and jotting down what I needed. “So I can just pick this up in a few days?”

“Unless you are asking for unique items, yes. It might take longer depending.”

As we were turning to leave, the guildmaster spoke up, “Oh, and Angus, one more thing before you go?” When I turned back, he pointed to my finger. “I won’t be saying anything, but you might not want to wear that ring around the guild. I mean, they are offering a rather substantial reward for information on it. Can you tell us how you obtained it, and whatever the drow fellow was looking for as well?”

So I spent the next forty-five minutes regaling the guildmaster of the exploits in the Bone Citadel. He was shocked that I could actually converse with the ghost of Ramirez, and that the resurrected drow was able to fight off her commands for as long as she did. I think he knew I was leaving certain details out, as I glossed over seeing portions of the resurrection ritual, but we were both okay with that. Once I had finished, he thanked me for the story and let us return to the new city.