Guard of Deception
| Type | Shield |
|---|---|
| Discovered By | Orado |
| Discovery Date | 2013-09-22 |
| Discovery Location | Larmebsi, Far East |
| Abilities | Prestige +5 |
| Current Owner | Orado |
Discovery
Orado, Man at Arms to Imperial Magistrate Lendin Bendix of Arcaea, was returning from his latest repair and delivery of Emperor Velax de Vere's Sacred Scythe of Daemonslaying (which Orado was also responsible for finding) in Talex. He'd enjoyed his time as the Emperor and Imperial Magistrate's go-to adventurer for items and repairs, but he had a few scores to settle now; it was time to head back into the crypts and wildlands to challenge ancient warriors and fearsome beasts that had so gleefully separated great men from their treasures. Perhaps he'd stumble upon another item of power to sell for a recommendation and a little gold?
He'd started in Talex, but found few problems with the creatures among the locals. Instead, he moved along to Larmebsi... and found more monsters than he'd ever hoped to see in one place. After a few forays into the wilds, the grizzled adventurer finally found what he was looking for on the shore: A beast, twice the size of the tallest man, preying upon a sloppy mess that only indicated an elk from the shattered antlers at one end. The monster's disorganized teeth play with the meat like silk in the hands of a dancer. No... the effect was being produced by its tongue... Orado had no more time for observation; the smaller monsters had picked up his scent and started bleating to the Alpha for help. The fight was on.
Orado was no stranger to the rushing, swarming "tactics" of monsters anymore. He cut the fast ones down quickly and retreated to a small cliff, throwing rocks down at the bigger ones to make them angrily scramble onto the rocks and fall back upon the smaller beasts, killing them instantly. The behemoth, luckily, was slow... despite their cries for help, the lesser monsters' strategic capabilities ended at the alert. By the time Orado was in any real danger from the Alpha, he'd dispatched or wounded the others.
As the Alpha lunged at Orado on the cliff, the adventurer lept onto its back and sunk his sword into its spine. With a sickening shriek, the beast began to thrash recklessly, throwing Orado into tides. Sword still lodged in its back, the Alpha spun around and flopped onto its back, trying to remove what it must have thought was a parasite. The impact pushed the hilt the rest of the way through the spine, finally silencing the creature.
As Orado returned to his prize to reclaim his sword, he remembered to check out the creature's tongue... Perhaps he'd claim fame and nobility from slaying some legendary creature? As he carefully guided his hands between the discordant teeth, he felt the tongue... loosen? Orado pulled, and thus the Guard of Deception was found.
Initial Sale
Remembering his mistakes from his past attempted sale of ancient relics, Orado decided to post a public message. He hoped word of mouth and his clever tear-able reminders would help sell the item quickly. It may just be his ticket to nobility!
The Message
Posted in the inns, taverns, and bars of Remton: The adventurer Orado, Man at Arms to Imperial Magistrate Lendin Bendix, has a newly found item of wonder and power for sale:
The Guard of Deception: A stout shield that seems to shimmer as it moves, confusing even the most skilled swordsman. The mercurial bulwark exudes an air of prestige (+5) that would impress even the greatest of nobles.
The asking price for this beautiful item is negotiable, but shall start at 125 gold. Please contact Orado if interested.
You find that the bottom few centimeters have been cut into vertical shreds, easily torn off. Written above, it says: "Take one!" Each one reads:
Please spread the word! An ancient, enigmatic item for sale!
The back features instructions to contact the innkeeper at the Gazing Eye Inn, asking for Orado.
