Renato hoped the Drow would grasp the veiled warning in his words. The Mind Ripper meant a reward of 500 gold coins and 4,000 experience points. He could not afford to lose it.
Although he had also accepted the quest to escort Tristana, Renato knew perfectly well which mattered more: 4,000 points or 1,000.
If the female Drow wanted trouble, he would not mind sending her to the Abyss to "enjoy herself" in Lolth's divine realm.
He took the compass he had bought in Brekka Town out of his Bag of Holding. Its needle spun wildly, unable to point in any direction.
"Don't waste your time, lad." Balin piled up loose stones to reinforce the camp's perimeter. "Compasses don't work in the Underdark. There are mineral veins everywhere down here. Follow that needle and you'll just go in circles."
"Renato, you really are new to the Underdark." Tristana stepped closer, curiosity in her voice. "But we're so far from the surface. How did you get here?"
The female Drow seemed to have temporarily lost interest in the artifact and shifted her attention to him.
Renato was not sure whether she was putting on an act. Still, even if Tristana had designs on the artifact, she probably would not be able to get her hands on it.
Not long ago, he had obtained Balin's permission to touch the Mind Ripper. It was an artifact, after all, and Renato wanted to see what description the [Adventurer's Guide] would display.
Yet no matter how hard Renato tried, his fingers could not touch the torch's surface. An invisible force field kept him out, as though a transparent barrier surrounded the artifact.
Balin, however, could use it normally and felt no force field at all. According to the old Dwarf, holding the artifact felt no