On the Marvels of Ironpeak: Chapter 10 Part 2

So much has happened today, it is hard for me to find the right words for it. After concluding our tour visiting various stores, we made for the Everforge, the legendary heart of Diobri. This forge is rumored to provide additional boons to items crafted here, though I wasn't able to conclude if this is factually true or just hearsay. Either way, the construction of the forge looks even more impressive from up close.
 
The forge is without question the most amazing place I've ever visited. It spans 5 floors, with about half of them dedicated to metalsmithing of all kinds. The Smith's Guild resides here, and so do the Merchant's Guild and the recently established Arcane Lorekeepers. Getting entry was relatively easy, it seems the building attracts a lot of onlookers.
But I was not here look, I was here to craft! I've had already sketched out a new suitable wand for Orin. His current one is flawless for music, but looking at the difficult times ahead on the road, getting our bard an upgrade for magical combat and support seems like a great investment of our resources. After some bureaucratic obstacles, Kniv and were able to join the Smith's guild and we were allowed access to the crafting spots at the forge.
 
They use a very particular method here, where the craftsmen use a small device called a Resonance ear, to detect even the slightest impurities of the metal they are shaping and to guide the resonance of the final object. I knew that the resonance of a weapon or tool is crucial for it's magical potency, but this... it's like using a whole new sense to work with. A seasoned smith showed me how to use the device. I got the opportunity to apply this newfound knowledge immediately afterwards, when I was able to put my plan into practice and with Kniv's help I crafted Orin's new staff. I'm very happy with the result, and so it seems was he. He briefly tested it, and the result sounded marvelous! I made him smile, probably the first heartfelt smile since the attack. I hope the staff will prove it's use in battle as well, but I'm not particularly anxious to be back fighting foes anytime soon.
 
In the meantime Bean was on a fully different trace. Her cat and companion Shadow (who will certainly not be amused that I failed to mention him up to this point in this book) went off and found a way into the restricted area one floor above ours. There, he found the section of the forge where the most advanced projects are undertaken. The items there are engraved with magical runes in a manual and long-wielding process. According to Bean, this runework isn't domestic to Ironpeak. It originally was imported to these lands from the deserts of Runica by the Stoneheart Clan. About 100 years ago, they were very powerful but destroyed themselves in an internal fight about an artifact called the Spire of Bones. Through this artifact, supposedly one can use their ancestors as a magical weapon? Initially, this left us both clueless and very interested.
 
Later in the afternoon we learned many more details about it. As we still head some time before paying Lyria Moonshadow a visit. We went to the library of the college located close to the forge to seek knowledge about Zeph's condition and the Spire. There are some leads, but much of the information we seek is restricted.
 
Lyria is one of the creepier encounters I've yet had to make on our journey. Unfortunately, she also couldn't help us immediately with Zeph's condition. What she could tell us however was the fact that Zeph seems to be (half)-dead, and stuck between the planes? There is an old Magi spell that, when botched, could cause this effect. She thinks a resurrection spell could possibly help, but it's also very risky, and we'd have to attempt it tomorrow at the latest. She gave the theory that Orin's old companions were captured and used for some ritual, and their souls were captured by Avorath, the necromancer mentioned in the letter to Zephyras and his... what is it really? Companion? Friend? Mentor? lets say acquaintance for now. Avorath is after the spire, whose location she knows but refused to reveal to us. There, a powerful wizard can multiply his necromatic powers by a huge factor, and could potentially even raise an army of undead! How dangerous is this Avorath really? Zeph's amnesia once again removes all chance for an easy answer.
 
What Lyria also told us that Avorath was recently seen in the city's mausoleum. We will go there tomorrow in order to investigate this mystery further. In exchange, we'll have the opportunity to try the resurrection ritual on Zephyras. I'm not sure if this is the right choice, but Zeph seems convinced and it's not my choice to make either way. Tomorrow will once again prove very eventful, I'm sure.