Bad Juju

Bad Juju

"I wish ye wouldn't do that," said Malusk when Skrie sat down at the table with the fighter and the mage at the First Place Inn.

"Aww, did you miss me, Big Guy?" asked the halfling, grinning at her half-orc friend, reaching for a piece of bacon from the thresher in front of him.

"Ye know what I mean," he shot back. "I cain't protect ye if'n I don' know where you are."

"I know, Mal," Skrie responded, "but we needed the ring back." She looked around the common room then reached in her belt pouch. Pulling out a piece of cloth, she unfolded it to reveal a plain ring with a blue stone. "I'll check it for magic when we get back to the room," she wrapped the item back up and returned it to her bag.

"I still think we should give it to Geordo," said Theren. "after all, he hired us to recover it."

"I wanna know what it is first," replied the halfling. "He lied to us about the girl, so why not about his 'items,' too?"

The mage sat back, not happy but acquiescing.

When they finished breaking their fast, they went upstairs. Skrie began the ritual needed to determine whether the jewelry held magic. To no one's surprise, the ring indeed was magic--of the darkest kind.

"Does anyone have any silk?" asked Theren.

"No," said Skrie and Malusk, in unison.

"We need to shield this somehow," said the mage. "It will influence the wearer, but I can't tell how."

"Lead?" asked Skrie. "Maybe the smith has a lead box we can buy."

"That could work," replied Theren.

Two hours and a tough negotiation later, the evil was contained in a pewter box, undetectable by magic. They felt safe--for the moment.



Next: "The Damned Priestess"