Touch of Fate 273 A Heroic Inheritance

Torthan nodded, "It is something of a blanket term used for items that have been recovered from ruins dating back to the 2nd or early 3rd ages. Before you get your hopes up however, you should know that the vast majority of our Artifact collection is composed of salvaged bits and pieces. While they hold a fair amount of academic value, I doubt they'd be of interest to you."

[Still might be worth looking into, but I suppose I should start with the basics.]

"Can you take me to where the gemstones are located? I think I'd like to begin with an item of monetary value."

The minister smiled softly. "Very well. Caretaker, please take us to the Gem Storage."

The puppet bowed politely and began leading the way down one of the tunnels. It moved with a strange grace that might have been appealing if it didn't seem quite so unnatural. Although it had probably been made to resemble a humanoid creature, its creator evidently wasn't able to completely mimic the motions of an organic being.

The group continued in this manner for another few minutes, demonstrating just how vast the vault was. As they walked, Mike could tell that the building design and even materials used in the walls changed periodically, giving the whole complex a slightly haphazard feeling. Occasionally, he could even see bits of stonework that were reminiscent of concrete.

[Despite not being verified, it's pretty obvious that this place was built on some kind of ruins. Considering that the Spire is not too far away, it's not really a stretch to believe that they may even be High Elven.]

After a few minutes of walking, the tunnel split into two passages, and the Caretaker led them to the right without any hesitation. This one quickly ended in a solid stone door with some kind of symbol carved into. Evidently, it wasn't any kind of written language, since his Communication Magic didn't translate it.

The puppet stepped in front of the door and held still. After a few moments, a seam appeared in the stone slab, and the two sides gradually slid apart without a sound. The chamber beyond filled with a sudden burst of light as the magical illumination devices within it activated.

The room was large and lined with stone shelves vertibably covered with a wide variety of crystalline objects. While the majority of them were more mundane gemstones like emeralds, rubys, diamonds and the like, several sections seemed devoted to more exotic items. There were glowing gems, gems that seemed to absorb light, gems that looked like they were slowly expanding and contracting like some kind of living thing, and even gems that had to be kept inside of a mesh cage lest they float away.

Despite all that, it was the center of the room that stole his attention though. There, a mix of large basins filled with red, orange, and yellow mana cores of varying sizes occupied most of the space. Between them were a few pedestals that bore a handful of green ones. The centerpiece of the display, however, was an indigo core nearly a meter in diameter, resting on an elaborate dais. Mike could tell at a glance that it held more latent power than all the other cores he had in the room combined. Just seeing it made him want to try crafting something out of it.

[What could I do with something like that? Or rather, what couldn't I make out of that?]

"I see the Heart of Fironis has caught your attention." Torthan commented with some obvious amusement. "That's to be expected, of course, since it's the most valuable item in this room by far. Supposedly, it was pulled from the corpse of the Titan Fironis in the chaos following the close of the Second Age. Whether or not there is any truth to those rumors, it nevertheless remains one of the largest and most powerful mana cores ever discovered."

Mike nodded absently before using Appraise to confirm the man's words.

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High Grade Mana Core

Magical Material (Tier 4, Rank 3)

A High-Grade Mana Core.

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[...I should have known.]

Sera whispered in his ear again. "Whatever you're thinking, don't do it. That is definitely something that could be classified as a national treasure, so it would be best to look elsewhere."

"I'm not that dumb." He shot back, feeling a little annoyed that he couldn't even satisfy his curiosity anymore without being accused of something.

Scanning the room for a few moments, he decided to avoid picking up anything that he didn't fully understand, and therefore settled on a fist size ruby that had been carved into the shape of a draconic claw clutching an orb.

"I would like my first item to be that one, but I want to donate it to the country and have the proceeds be used to help those affected most by the invasions."

Torthan nodded. "Of course, I'll see to it." He turned to a second Caretaker that had been passively standing in one corner of the room, practically looking like furniture. "Our guest has selected his first item. Please bring it to the Entrance Hall."

The puppet bowed and carefully moved to the indicated shelf and removed the gem before disappearing back into the corridor.

"Now, where would you like to go next?"

After a moment of thought, Mike replied "I'd like to see the weapons."

"Very well."

As they left the room, he took one last glance back at the powerful mana core. He decided that he would definitely need to find one for himself at some point.

The next trip didn't take quite as long, and within a few minutes they were standing in front of another stone barrier, which slid open in much the same way as the first.

This chamber was filled with a variety of weapons racks and display cases, carrying all manner of lethal implements. Mike saw everything from massive battle axes to wickedly curved daggers, and everything in between. Taking a few minutes to scan the room with Appraise, he eventually settled on an item that fit what he was looking for.

"I'll take that one over there, and if you don't mind, I'd like to hold on to it."

Torthan blinked. "That one? Are you sure you want a...Nevermind, that is perfectly acceptable."

With a few quick commands, he had another of the stationary Caretakers go and retrieve the item in question and bring it back to him. It was a slender length of some kind of off-white material, seemingly polished marble, but with the flexibility of wood. With the exception of a simple grip at its midpoint, virtually every inch of it was covered with tiny, but immensely complicated, scrollwork.

Mike took the weapon in his hands, carefully inspecting it for a few moments before passing it over to Sera. "Here you go. This is for you."

"Eh?" She murmured while absently accepting the elaborately carved bowstave. After a few seconds she began to bluster. "Wwwait! This is too much! It's supposed to be your reward!."

He chuckled at her flustered face. "I'm aware, but I've been thinking for awhile now that we need to upgrade your equipment. When I saw that bow, I knew it was the perfect time to do so."

Using Appraise one more time, he confirmed his gut instinct that it was a suitable weapon for the Oracle.

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Iatromantis's Grasp

Magic Weapon (Tier 4, Rank 2)

This bow was crafted by the Master Artificer Malhart Elsdorga for the Hero Iatromantis, who used it to slay the mortal avatar of Lycalgus, God of Monsters and Carnivorous Beasts. In addition to the powerful enchantments added at the time of its creation, it absorbed a portion of Lycalgus's divine essence, causing it to increase from its previous status of Tier 3, Rank 5. Wielders of the bow are granted an enhancement to their visual acuity, allowing them to see fine details up to three kilometers away. With a command word, the bow can also grant it's wielder the ability to see beyond the normal visual spectrum, allowing them to operate effectively even in limited visibility or complete darkness. It requires no arrows to operate, instead channeling ambient mana to create temporary magical constructs which act as the weapon's primary projectiles. These constructs can be directed in mid-flight, allowing for skilled users to correct their aim or even shoot around barriers. Finally, the bow's wielder is granted a portion of Lycalgus's beastial power, providing a Large increase to Agility and Endurance.

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[Might be a bit much for her at the moment, but I have a feeling that she will be able to use it to great effect in the future.]

"I'm a little surprised that you would pick up something like that for one of your companions." Torthan's secretary commented mildly. "There are only a few relics of the Heroes that aren't monopolized by the churches. Should they learn of it..."

He was leaning forward and carefully examining the weapon, a slightly disturbing grin on his face.

The minister started. "A Hero relic?!"

"Of course, although it seems to have found a new owner now." The secretary replied with a laugh, his plain and uninteresting face splitting in a manner that almost made him seem a bit deranged. The moment passed quickly, though. "Ahem. It's not strange that you would be unaware of it, since I only learned of its existence by reading through the old archives."

"Is it a problem?" Mike asked, hoping that he didn't have to give the bow back now.

The odd man turned towards him with a small smile. "Not to worry, Sir Dragonknight. I doubt anyone besides the five of us are even aware of its existence. Thanks to the defense mechanisms in place, and the strange way they Caretakers tend to sort things when no one is looking, keeping an accurate inventory of the Vault has proven virtually impossible. Besides, once a selection has been made, it cannot be changed. I merely found it interesting that you managed to pick out one of the most potent and valuable items in the room with such ease, although I suppose a legendary figure like yourself would also possess a legendary level of discernment."

"That's enough Barkas." The minister broke in harshly.

"Of course, sir. My apologies."

Clearing his throat to cover up his momentary loss of control, Torthan continued. "As my secretary stated, you've already selected the item in question. We would not be so crass as to deny it to you now. Of course, you can also trust in our discretion on this matter."

Mike glanced back at Sera, who was still carefully looking over the bow with a conflicted expression on her face. He could tell that she desperately wanted to hold onto it, but was unsure if it was wise to do so.

"Thank you for your consideration in this. I greatly appreciate it." He replied. There was a slight inhalation of breath from the Oracle, but no whispered recriminations.

"Think nothing of it. Well, Sir Dragonknight, you still have one choice remaining. Would you like to visit another storage room?"

Mike briefly considered his options. He'd initially planned on looking through the utility items to see if there was anything that might be useful, but for some reason his mind kept going back to the Artifacts they'd discussed earlier. It simply felt like he would be wasting a valuable opportunity if he didn't check them out.

"I'd like to see the Artifacts, please."

"As you wish. Caretaker, lead us to the Artifact Storage Room."

Following the now familiar protocol, the group was taken through another series of tunnels. This time it took much longer for them to arrive, and nearly twenty minutes had passed before they were standing in front of the next stone door.

The chamber within had a similar layout to the Gem Storage Room, with stone shelves covering much of the walls. However, rather than treasure, it seemed to be largely filled with random junk. The shelves were covered with bits of pottery, rusted metal, and strange bits of carved stone. A casual glance told him that the only reason most of this stuff ended up stored in a vault like this, was due to its historical value.

Perhaps sensing his disappointment, Torthan commented placatingly. "While the contents of this chamber are fascinating for some, especially the scholars who frequently petition us for visitations, it probably doesn't contain anything of overt interest to someone of your background. If you've satisfied your curiosity, then may I suggest that we move on?"

"While I appreciate the sentiment, minister, I would like to take a few minutes to look things over. After all, we did have to walk quite a ways to get here."

He shrugged. "As you wish. Please inform me when you are ready to leave."

"If it is all the same, sir," Barkas broke in, "I'd like to take this opportunity to check on the maintenance level. The Caretakers have been indicating that there is a minor error that may need correcting. It's not too far from here, and it shouldn't take more than a few minutes to investigate. Assuming I can't fix the problem quickly, I'll head back and meet you at the Entrance Hall once I've located it."

Torthan gave his secretary a speculative look, but finally nodded. "Alright, but be quick. You should know by now that the Caretakers get agitated when someone spends too much time down there. The last thing we need is for them to start reorganizing again."

"Will do, sir." The other man replied cheerfully before commanding one of the other seemingly omnipresent puppets to lead him down to the maintenance level.

Something about the exchange bothered Mike, so he quickly scanned the departing secretary with Appraise.

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Barkas Finistrade

Age: 35

Race: Human

Class: Lorekeeper

Title: Devoted

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[Nothing that really stands out. Hmm…I guess I'll just keep my eye out to be on the safe side.]

He went back to scanning the collected junk, searching for anything of value.

Chapter end