Spell Storing Ring

At Soradin's reminder, Anse and the others immediately realized the gravity of the situation and hurried off to buy adventuring supplies.

Whether Soradin's shout had done the trick or Anse's high Charisma had helped, even shops that had been out of stock sold them a few items at a slight markup.

Waterproof backpacks, tents, blankets, waterproof clothing, lanterns, matches, medical kits, grappling hooks, emergency rations, spices, compasses... There was a whole lot of stuff.

Anse bought three regular Healing Potions at the potion shop for 390 Gold Coins. The price was nearly three times higher than it had been at its lowest, which was outrageous, but they had to buy them.

As for Hill Giant Strength Potions, they couldn't find any. They simply weren't available.

Most Alchemists were Mages. Without them, the markets for potions, scrolls, and magic items were on the verge of collapse.

They were lucky to find anything at all. Many Adventurers had been turned away empty-handed.

The open-air market might have been cheaper, but it would have taken too much time, and there was a greater chance of getting ripped off.

"Backpack, two Gold Coins; blanket, six Silver Coins; lantern, eight Silver Coins; medical kit, five Gold Coins..." Brat went through the supplies on the list and realized the thirty or forty Gold Coins in the group's account wouldn't be enough.

"Everything's going up. Food costs several times what it used to, and with the potions, the party's still short a few hundred Gold Coins." He gave a helpless smile.

Anse patted him on the shoulder and teased, "Then work hard."

As far as he was concerned, these were all essential supplies they would inevitably need on the road. Once everything was packed, it filled three backpacks, and since all three of them were Professionals, the weight wasn't too much to bear.

He still had over a thousand Gold Coins. Holding the heavy money pouch, he decided he'd be better off spending it to boost their combat strength.

"Come on, this way."

He went to the Magic Curios Shop beside the potion shop. It was a large establishment, and it must have been quite prosperous once, though it was quiet now.

The shop's owner was a female Mage wearing a pointed witch's hat. Her face was covered in wrinkles, and she looked a little unsettling, reminding Anse of the old witch in a fairy tale.

He focused his mind on the old Mage. The Dice spun for a moment, but he couldn't learn anything about her.

Anse was puzzled, but he kept his expression neutral.

"What can I get for you, charming young man?" The old Mage tapped the brim of her hat with her wand, revealing eyes like black obsidian. Her voice was as soft as a cat's, with not the slightest trace of age.

"Uh, I haven't decided. Is there anything I could use?" Anse answered honestly. All he had was a staff; he was short on everything else.

The old Mage leaned against the counter, elbow propped up, and twirled her dainty wand in one hand. Her elegant posture made it easy to overlook her face.

"The Weave has changed, and some magic items are losing their magical properties, especially those with spell effects. You... understand?"

"I do." Anse lifted the staff in his hand.

The old Mage looked him up and down, then waved her hand. Several items appeared on the counter: a cloak, a pair of shoes, a ring, and an amulet.

"This is a Protection Cloak, a Manta Cloak, Spider-step Shoes, a Spell Storing Ring, and an Amulet of Health... You don't even have a decent robe. I'd say staying alive should be your priority."

She briefly explained what each item could do, then sat back down and watched Anse with interest.

"How much for the Spell Storing Ring?" Anse focused on the ring. It was the only rare-quality magic item among them.

The ring could store multiple spells, with a combined spell level of five. In other words, it could hold five first-level spells or one fifth-level spell.

With the Weave in disarray, spells stored in the ring were more likely to fail when cast than spells cast normally. But Anse used Mana Casting, so he didn't have that problem.

The ring had already lost much of its value to others. That was probably why the old Mage had put it out for sale.

"Someone once offered me eight thousand Gold Coins for it. I turned them down." The old Mage pinched the ring between her withered fingers, her expression distant. "Now... I'll let you have it for two thousand."

Anse's expression stiffened. He had about twelve hundred Gold Coins on him, nowhere near enough. He turned to Brat and Finn, who silently shook their heads.

So everyone was broke. He felt helpless.

"Not enough money?" The old Mage had already guessed as much. She'd been watching him for a while. "Do me a favor, and I'll give them to you for free."

Anse immediately shook his head. "I'm just a rookie Professional. My abilities are limited, so I'm afraid I can't help you."

"Caution is an essential virtue for a spellcaster." The old Mage nodded approvingly, then pushed the Protection Cloak and Spell Storing Ring toward him. "These, plus a thousand Gold Coins. Bring someone out of Sea Tower District for me."

"Me?!" Anse pointed at himself, looking astonished.

"Yes," the old Mage said with an easy nod.

"Do you know the city's crawling with Underdark Creatures? Even the Upper City has fallen. I'd be walking to my death!" Anse's eyes widened as if he'd just heard a joke from the Hells.

"Relax." The old Mage gently swayed her wand. "Castle District, Manorborn District, Bromridge District, Sea Tower District, and parts of Temple District are still in the hands of the Sentinels. They won't fall anytime soon.

"You can take a boat from the Rivington docks. It's not particularly dangerous."

"Uh, you've certainly thought this through, but my abilities are limited. Find someone else." Anse refused outright. He didn't want to risk his life.

A boat downriver from Rivington could indeed take them straight to Sea Tower District, west of Gray Harbor. But what if the Gray Dwarves had blockaded the waterways? What if they were surrounded as soon as they landed in Sea Tower District? What if the boat went out of control and crashed into Giant Pit?

"That's all right." The old Mage smiled faintly, not pressing him. She placed a piece of parchment on the cloak. "You can have these anyway. They're worthless to me.

"Come back whenever you've saved up enough or changed your mind."

Anse froze, surprised he was getting such a good deal.

He picked up the parchment and unfolded it. It was an unsigned Magic Contract outlining the job. The client's name was Dorothea Zeitkin, written in elegant script.

After a brief hesitation, he transferred a hundred Platinum Coins into an empty money pouch and placed it on the counter. "This is all I can offer for now. Thank you for your generosity and trust. I'll accept."

"Good luck." The old Mage brushed a strand of white hair from her forehead with her wand. Her eyes glimmered, and she kept them fixed on Anse, without even glancing at the pouch of Platinum Coins.

Anse gathered up the items, nodded in farewell, and turned to leave.

Brat hurried after Anse and asked quietly, "Do you think there's something wrong with them?"

"Back to the inn." Anse didn't know Appraisal, but he had a more precise way to check.

The three of them returned to their room with their arms full of bags and packages. They piled everything on the floor and gathered around Anse.

"Those two magic items must be worth at least three thousand Gold Coins. She's not even worried we'll run off with them. It's strange." Brat didn't feel reassured.

"Yeah." Finn agreed.

Anse closed his eyes and brought up his Character Sheet to check the two magic items. There were no curses or magic marks. Everything looked normal.

"It's probably not that complicated." He opened his eyes and picked up the parchment, lost in thought. "Maybe she's just doing us a favor."

"What good would that do? We're leaving anyway." Brat waved a hand and sat down on the floor to sort the supplies and backpacks.

Seeing this, Finn stepped forward to help.

"True." Anse decided to stop thinking about it and turned his attention to the two magic items.

The Spell Storing Ring was a dark gold band, nearly a centimeter wide, covered in rings of blue magical runes. It was clearly no ordinary item.

He put it on the index finger of his left hand. It was a little too large, but it wouldn't slip off.

The Protection Cloak looked unremarkable from a distance. Only when he picked it up did he see that it wasn't pure black, but raven-black, with a purplish-blue metallic sheen in the light.

The cloak was an uncommon magic item. When worn, it gave +1 to Armor Class and Saving Throws, slightly improving his protection and resistance. It was simple and practical.

The Saving Throws bonus was especially useful against most attacks, and it worked particularly well against Enchantment and Psionic Spells.

Anse put on the cloak and pulled up the hood. Other people could no longer make out his face, giving him a more mysterious air. He felt a little more at ease, too.