[Official NPC]

Ardiccioni and Faust's attempt to steal the treasure was a colossal failure thanks to the efforts of the expeditioners in what will quickly become known (and glorified) as the Battle for Dionica. When reinforcements arrive at the camp, sent by the High Priestess to help defend and study the temple now that it is confirmed as having extreme religious importance, Nikandros' party returns to Alexandria to hand in their findings and split the rewards, including Nero Seaglade, who is welcomed along for his help in defeating Faust's Gang.

Fay is thrilled to have so many religious artifacts placed before her and promises the party first look should they wish to study any of their findings. Oblivious to the wealth piled high in Jericho's carts (the 'Varian was never able to find an opportunity to make off with it for himself), Nikandros immediately takes out his notebook and begins to sketch once more, mumbling his plans to return to Dionica just as soon as he is done with the trinkets he brought with him.

Meanwhile, what is left of the treasure is divided amongst the expeditioners. "With my blessings as payment for your help," says Fay, though she has kept an overly large portion behind as having "religious value".



Congratulations, expeditioners! You have discovered a quantity of religious artifacts thought lost and assisted the Voice in recovering some of their former glory. In the years to come, as the priests study these artifacts and the murals left behind in the temple, Elysians will find a return to some of the old ways long forgotten. Thanks to your efforts, the Voice might even regain its standing with Xanth herself and become Her true Voice once more.

On a more personal level, you have discovered enough treasure to keep everyone happy for a while to come, and Xanth has noticed your work on her behalf.

Gold, gems and xanthium coins to the OOC value of ζ500
+15 fame from the Voice of Xanth
50KP Karma
One epic item of your choice
One rare item of your choice
And a trophy:

Items are customisable. Epic items can include enchanted, cursed or legendary artifacts as well as the top-end luxuries (eg. bejewelled xanthium weapons, electrifying armour, hand-scribed books, a flying ring, etc). Rare items include decorated weapons, steel plate armour, healing potions for major injuries, ancient tomes, etc. Enchanted/cursed items require admin approval.

Don't forget to add your rewards to your inventory!

[Maaike]

For her rare item, Maaike would like to have discovered elbow-length fingerless black lace gloves studded with sharp black beads to maximise the damage from her punches. On each knuckle is a larger, hollow stud filled with a tiny amount of liquid (she chooses naga venom) that injects on impact (so she can paralyse bounties with a couple of hits). It's a wonder, really, that the lace hasn't fallen apart after all those centuries in a collection bowl.

For her epic item, Maaike would like to have discovered this, a double-buckled wide leather belt. At first, she thought it would just be fashionable because surely it would restrict her breathing when she ran, but she will later discover that she is faster while wearing it. (Enchantment: Grants +1 upgrade in Speed. Activated only when running (not walking). Effects last for 10 minutes before restriction in breathing becomes a problem.)

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btw, if you want help thinking of a reward, I have some ideas and links I can share, or I could give a list to choose from instead if the options are too open?

[Lazuli]

Epic item: Lazuli discovers from the ruins a fully hand-scribed, illuminated book of maps that seems to contain not only places in Elysia that have been discovered, but places and hidden areas that are not on official maps. The pages of the book, though yellowed, are surprisingly legible, and the colors are still quite vivid. A special ink must have been used. The pages also fold out in interesting ways, as though layered in tiers. The lower corner of the book's back cover is decorated with a strange symbol comprised of 3 "C"s.

Rare item: An amulet with a clear stone. Lazuli thinks it will make a great light source and plans to have it enchanted later.

[Kiel]

Epic: Kiel would like to have discovered a katana like this one. The eyes of the dragon on the hilt are tiny rubies and the blade is edged with diamonds so it can cut through (almost) anything.

Rare: Set of 5 containers of carsic acid because he's tired of being kumo bait.

[Nero]

While everyone was gushing about the boons they'd gotten from "all that hard work" (Nero scoffs at this), Nero was found scowling at the corner, waiting for everyone to be finished because he wasn't sure he'd want to leave the place with them, much like a sociopath. Almost. A rather angry sociopath. He wouldn't have been ill-advised to talk to them had they known where his father was but just as he expected (although he was not about to talk about his hope), Yohanides Namara was fast becoming a random name in some vague history.

He did, however, get something out of "all that hard work" even if he'd much prefer it to have been a pointer to where his father is...or even was. Part of the rubbish -- or the discarded items -- that the crowd had left behind was a rather fine piece of leather pack made to hold, what do you know, more rubbish than Nero could be bothered to count. It was...old, there was a smell in it that Nero didn't quite like, as if a thousand weevils had made a colony in it before an exile worthy of the margins in a history book had taken place, but Nero knew his fabric and knew that a few days of airing and perhaps some personal cleaning on his part would do it well. The quality of the leather told him he could polish it, get rid of all the dust that clung to it like babes to a mother. Later, he would discover that the sack is actually sewn out of naga leather and could carry about a fraction more than his old, worn sack could. As a purveyor of the arts of sack-packing, Nero understood that this was a pretty rare item to behold.

On his way out of the field, two strangers caught him by the chest and explained to him how glum he looked; Nero was actually frowning at their faces. They seemed quite happy to ignore his sourness, though, and even tossed him a small burlap sack with bottles clinking within it. “Consider finding a bed-warmer to celebrate!” the bearded one even said and they laughed as they left him to stare at their backs. Nero would snarl within his nose as he stretched the sack open and slipped out a tiny vial, nothing bigger than his hand, and wrinkled his face at the pink liquid that was contained within it. It was a love potion, he found, and he snorted through his nose as he stuffed the vials within his naga sack and shouldered the entire thing as he walked.

Later, in a bar with a population of two people, him and the barkeep, he would find himself reading the faded inscription wrapped around it in thinning paper: For purposes of truth-seeking. Nero did not need an academic to tell him that what he had been given was a set of three truth potions, mistaken to be love potions for their color and, perhaps, for the fact that they could bend anyone's will to theirs, not unlike "bed-warmers"; that was something else he'd read on the other side of the vial.

When the barkeep came back with his ale, the potions would be gone, happily sitting deep within his naga sack. He had never been one for potions, but a couple of severely honest people wouldn't hurt his quest for his father, either.

And just when he thought he was better off selling an epic collection to some desperate drunkard in the streets...