Redhaven is a large town (verging on a small city) on the Southern Trade Road, connected to Crosston far to the east, and on the way to Albion and Silver Citadel in the west.  It has particularly stout walls, as the town was founded by former soldiers mustered out of the king's army some two hundred years ago.  Even now the city tends to attract a lot of veterans of border skirmishes and fort posting.  Quite a few adventurers travel through Redhaven, due to the excellent smithies and availability of those with martial skill (for those who wish to gain or improve theirs).  Other than the high population of ex-soldiers, the down has a good selection of businesses for its diverse transient population, and is fairly peaceable, as its Watch is quite skilled at their jobs.  It contains several temples to preach to these needed masses, and includes a good-sized temple of Pelor, as well as a gymnasium/exhibition arena to Kord.

Walking the streets of Redhaven, you see the buildings are designed with defense in mind, with stone where feasible, bricks or sturdy wood when not, most coated with a red wash of iron powder and something like lime to protect against fire, rot, or chipping.

Guild Street not only has the large Adventurer's Guild, but also ones for many trades: Tailor, Leatherworker, Cobbler, Fletcher, Woodworker and Joiner, Moneychanger, Smith, Trader, Gravecrawler (morticians), Jeweler, Messenger, Hostlery, Locksmith, Healer, Brotherhood of Alchemy, and others.  While individual businesses are located in the Market district for some (smiths, leatherworkers, cobblers, tailors, etc.) those with more specific businesses (moneychangers, Gravecrawlers) have their business right in their guildhall, just like the Adventurer's Guild.

As befits a town on a large trade road, there are also many inns and taverns for those passing through - Heart's Haven, The Full Cup, The Empress' Law, The Staggering Titan Alehouse, The Wild Angel, The Golden Barrel Inn, The Laughing Harpy, The Cloak and Dagger, The Bloody Axe, and others.

The town offers a good place for a traveler to shake the dust from his shoes, from stables and inns, to bathhouses and eating establishments, a fine selection of guilds and taverns, and reasonably honest Watchmen and women patrolling the streets.

Dellas takes his sister's hand and leads her away from the others without really knowing where he would find Master Ironheart. After some time (and with his sister's help) they finally arrived. To him it looks (and smells) like a typical smithy, several tools, the anvil and who he presumed to be the smith. He stands on a nearby box and waved with his arms to attract the smith's attention. "May  I presume that you are master Ironheart? This lovely woman hiding behind her armor is Aberlyne, my sister. I am Dellas, wizard and adventurer." he raises one hand and bowed down. "My sister and I are in need of your truly skilled assistance. we've heard of you and your trade.. nay art it is. Truly for someone of your craftsmanship our task must be easy and probably not even a challenge. Yet we implore you to help us in our plight ans  and melt these two maces and refit them for our size. Of course you shall keep any leftover silver and pride yourself that you'll have  been of utmost  importance for us and those we aid with your magnificent weapons."

Ironheart Smithy - Redhaven Market Square

It is not hard to find Ironheart Smithy - in a town founded by soldiers, they value their weapons as much as their comfort, and the smithies hold pride-of-place in the Market Square.  The smith himself is a tall human man, heavily muscled, wearing the dark, stained leathers of his profession, with a scorched leather apron over all.  Sulfur and heat perfume the air of his shop as Dellas gains his attention, and the smith quenches a half-finished blade before turning it over to one of the four apprentices in the shop to keep going.

Master Ironheart is no dwarf, but he wears a beard like one, braided and tied off in true dwarven fashion, remarkably neat despite the sheen of sweat on his skin from his labor.  He listens to Dellas' request and holds out his hands for the maces in question.  Aberlayne hands them over, and Ironheart weighs them in his hands, then on a scale, turns them this way and that, and grunts something incomprehensible before speaking up in a gruff voice.

"Seems a sacrilege to destroy such workmanship, though I know why you need something better suited.  Are you needing the maces, the silver, or both?  Because if you're needing a silver mace for yourselves, I can trade you straight across for something I already have.  If you're just needing the maces, I have those as well, and would give you some coin back.  These that you've brought me are too fine to melt," he says, gazing at the weapons appreciatively.

The House of Sun's Favor - Shrine Street

Though it is late, and dark, it is the oddly the best time to speak with a priest of Pelor, as the rites of the sun god must be performed while His face shows in the sky.  Now that the sun has set, Pelor's faithful have the time to speak to those who wish their council.

Volsh and Farian find themselves there, bowls of fire on either side of the great door, highlighting the stone carvings of images from Pelor's teachings.  Inside, the church has a high-vaulted ceiling and many skylights that must turn the place into a blaze of light during the day.  Farian's holy symbol gets him immediate attention from the acolytes who are quietly discerning which parishioners are simply here to pray and contemplate from those needing aid.

"Brother, Father Valla will be pleased to see you and your companion," the acolyte says, bowing her head to Farian and beckoning them to come with her.  They are led past those speaking with other priests, back into the private sanctuary.  Father Valla is an older man of near sixty years, wearing the gold-embroidered robes of a High Priest, a golden holy symbol hanging around his neck.  Though now thin, with a bald pate and neat white beard, a few scars attest that Father Valla's service to Pelor had not always been peaceful.

"Brother Farian, welcome and Sun's Favor to you.  What brings you at this late hour?" he says warmly.

If Volsh and Farian wish, they can show Father Valla the blackened half-plate, the obsidian spear, and the golden crown with its black gems, as well as the regalia taken from the king's throne room.  The old priest regards them for a long moment, murmuring prayers under his breath, hands moving in deliberate patterns as they glide over the items, not touching them.

Farian explains how they were brought out of a tomb of the ancient House of the Sun, and the state of the old king they put to rest.

"You have found wonders, both of you.  The regalia...  I recall the House of the Sun from the history books of the church.  The king was also the high priest, and these things were blessed by the church at the beginning of each ruler's reign.  They were considered relics, and they were lost."  He touches the orb, scepter, and cloak reverently.  "You have found a great lost treasure, Brother Farian.  Now," he says more briskly, turning to the king's gear.  "These have the potential for great things, and while they are not, strictly speaking, evil, one must have some caution in using them.  The armor is enchanted to be stronger than it looks, and would even protect against the touch of ghosts, though paradoxically is also draws undead to the wearer.  I expect that is a side effect of its long incarceration into the tomb.  The spear is also enchanted to be more effective, and is unusually keen, though the wounds it causes would be bloody and tend to cause their victims to become crazed and focused on your death.  Together they could make one a trouble magnet of the highest order.

"Now, the crown is a pretty case.  It allows one to call down bolts of lightning, the skyfire we hold in esteem as Pelor's children, though in this case its long time in the tomb has made the call... somewhat darker.  The lightning would come down black, and tend to call forth the dead where it struck.  So while you might smite someone from above, you could find someone below answering the call unwillingly.  I think, given time, this effect could be reverse, though it would take years.  This thing would be better off in a vault, under a pool of holy water," Father Valla says, taking his hands away from the crown.

OOC:  Half-plate...got it.

Volsh listened to the priest with interest, trying to catch every detail of what the man said.  Some of the things he said bore weight, and required consideration, but there was nothing sounded like a curse.  volsh had no issue with his enemies being drawn to him.  That simply made it easier to kill them.  They had faced undead, and he had no fear of them, and it seemed that now he was quite well equipped to handle them.  In truth, his greatest concern was that the weight of the half-plate armor would slow him down.  However, the protection it afforded might prove more effective than his agility.  Even the most deft combatant was hit eventually, and metal was far stronger than leather.

"Father Valla, I am not knowledgeable in the ways of the Sun God, however in my village when the priests provided service they did so free of charge.  The families would offer the priest a meal, and comfort, and sometimes gifts, depending on the nature of the service.  I am not much of a cook, and I have no home, but I have these pearls, that I can offer, if you find them acceptable."  He held forth the blue and pink pearls for Father Valla to take if he wished.

He listens carefully and nods sometimes, at last he speaks up: "If you could trade this for one silver mace and make me a good offer for the second. While holding it earlier I noticed that it is kind of unwieldy, we would be grateful. I wish you and your business best of success. Oh before I forget it, would you be interested in purchasing one or two more of these fine quality weapons? Since you are obviously appreciating their craftsmanship." After he gets his money he turns towards his sister "Abby, I'll seek out our colleague Haazheel and purchase some scrolls. We will meet in the guild, yes?" As he goes to find Haazheel to get some scrolls he drops some coins off at the guild to pay for his stay in advance.
This message was last edited by the player at 22:37, Sat 22 Aug 2015.

Farian greeted the father with his own proper priestly greeting. "I am glad that the regalia has been properly recovered. I wonder, would this gear help me in my travels, or are they more ceremonial in nature? I understand about the crown, and I agree, it would be best cleansed. Although I prefer to defeat the undead, I do not wish to summon them with every blast of dark energy that would be released."

Looking at Volsh, "Also, although I have no quarrels with you taking the spear and the armor, are you sure you wish to be an undead magnet. These monsters can cause great harm to the unwary? You might be protected from their touch, but what about all your allies. I want you to think about this hard before you decide to take the armor and spear. If nothing else, perhaps we can request a transfer. A set of similarly enchanted normal armor and weapon, in exchange for the armament of the King."

Volsh considered Farian's words, but in the end shook his head.  "I do not think that my allies would be endangered.  If we were to encounter the undead, they would attack us regardless of the armor.  With the armor, I would become the focal point of the attack, perhaps making it easier for you to destroy them.  If anything, the weight of the armor poses me greater concern than this.  If given the choice I would prefer stouter armor than my leather, but that would still allow me to use my speed and agility.  Even so, this armor is well crafted, and would turn aside a weapon's strike.  It would be hard to match the quality, of that worn by a king."

In reply to Volsh son of Vor (msg # 8):

"Very well, I will not try to dissuade you further. If you feel this is the best course of action for yourself, so be it. I would then consider something to help fend off the undead's touch. Some are rumored to be able to sap your very strength, some your very health. Others are known to paralyze their victims. If you are planning to be such a target, perhaps some form of ring or amulet should be a priority for your protection. Just some food for though."