Chapter 20: Coming Dawn

[Dave B.]

When Kurra describes the functions of the wand and looks pointedly at him, Shorak just chuckles. "Ah, well. I can't say I'm not disappointed. I was kind of hoping it was a wand of secrets. I've heard of them, but have never gotten my greedy hands one."

"Good morning, Streko" Shorak responds to the halfling with just a bit of confusion.

Shorak smiles broadly when Kurra suggests counting the monetary treasure. "I'd be happy to help with that. But, I should probably get to some fishing first. Let me know when you want to go through the shiny and pretties."

[Jeff]

Joe, the wand quiets one's own spells, it doesn't silence enemies.

---

"Tonight, Adamant," Kurra says, "or if the rain stops, we'll discuss your, err, drawing project, aye?"

When Belarin takes the candlestick wand, she says, "Sending isn't teleportation. It may work even across the wilds of Xen'drik."

"Well," Sem says, interrupting. "Indeed, the Sending spell is the magic most utilized—and expanded, improved, and refined—by House Sivis and its Speaking Stones. But I've heard it can falter in Xen'drik, depending on where you are. But I've been told that if you're in a place that seems 'natural' enough, it should function just fine. If you're in some kind of manifest zone or other clearly altered environment, it may not work so well. But the point is taken, Kurra. Belarin, you might be able to use that wand to communicate with Huru from time to time. If we have allies out here, let's use them."

.

Kurra says, "There you go. Anyway, I'll take a look at that hammer today as well." The artificer climbs to her feet. "Come on, then," she says to Shorak, "Let's do the coins now and get that arduous task over with." She grins, then leads him down into the hold where the chest has been placed. She prepares to start the count.

---

The Wand of Whispers has been added to Belarin's inventory. Let me know, Ken, if/when he is spending the time to attune it.

Attachments:

[Dave B.]

Shorak follows Kurra down to the chest and quickly unlocks it for them to begin counting. "I like to separate the types and make 10 or 20 coin stacks. Makes it easier to count them once they have all been sorted out. Gems, jewelry and such we can lay out on a cloth or tarp to evaluate and appraise, once we're finished with the coins." With that, Shorak starts scooping out single handfuls of coins to start sorting and counting.

As they are slowly emptying the chest, Shorak speaks up again. "Once the chest is properly empty, I think I'll take a look inside and in the lid. Just in case there are any secret compartments or even a false bottom or the like."

[Brian]

Melethos watches the others shift through the chest's contents. The wand does seem best suited for Belarin. The warlock often has a way with words. He finds the Dust of Drying more interesting. Not only can you easily carry drinking water (though with Streko and Adamant they have little need of that), you could create water bombs to throw at enemies. People sometimes forget how heavy water is. Having a large amount suddenly appear and slam into you could be very useful. The tiefling thinks Shorak would be an ideal user. With his stealth and steady aim, he could be devastating with those water bombs.

Those items hold no interest for Melethos. He might have taken an interest in a good shield, or possibly a better sword, but the items in the chest seem better suited to his friends.

Turning, he faces the river. The mountains are more visible, though still some distance away. He's come to enjoy being on the water and will miss the Dragonfly and her crew. Then a thought strikes him and he makes a note to talk with Kal.

After they finish with the Eye, provided they survive, how are they going to return home?

[Ken]

"Let me know if anything dangerous or life-threatening pops up," Belarin says to Melethos. "You know - the usual. I'll study this." Holding the wand, the warlock heads below with his new acquisition.

He quietly enters his cabin. No surprise - Histra is already sound asleep, exhausted by her hours of effort in creating the skeleton. Making as little noise as possible, he takes a cross-legged position on the floor. He looks at the Aundairian ring of protection he wears - a gift that seems to be part of someone else's lifetime. So much has changed in Belarin's life since that day.

He begins concentrating on the odd candle-wand. With his arcane senses, he studies its aura and means of operation, striving to seek some sort of bond with the implement.

________________________________________

Belarin attunes to the wand of whispers.

[Jeff]

Kurra sits with Shorak in the hold, and the two take their time to get the count right. The dwarf seems to enjoy the straightforward task. She doesn't make small talk, but she keeps back any awkward silence by commenting on the condition and purity of the coins. They're varied, but many appear quite old, and are in good shape. All are Khorvairian in origin, but most of them date back to the days of the Kingdom of Galifar, before the Last War fractured it into the Five Nations. The final count is no accident, and it seems more like the number is more symbolic than anything else: there are exactly 500 each of copper crowns, silver sovereign, gold galifars, and platinum dragons. 

"What ever did you do with that heavy coffer?" the dwarf asks Shorak at one point. "The one that only opens in the dark. You already divvied out its scrolls. But the thing itself; feel free to leave it with me. Could keep some of this in there."

Kurra helps Shorak divide them so that 60% (or 300 from each type) are set aside for Captain Brack and his crew. Thus 200 of each are your party's. The total value in gold is 2,222.

"Stories from a number of ancient cultures," Kurra says, looking down on the shining coins, "claim that the greed of a dragon who sits upon it for too long lives on in the treasure itself, and those who partake of it." She gives the halfdrow a look of warning, then cracks a smile. "In Mror, and Lhazaar, we can't be bothered with such tales. Life's too short, and dragons live too long. What do the Vulkoori say about dragons and dragon treasure?"

Shorak disappointingly finds no hidden compartments in the chest, but marvels at its overall condition. It should be weathered and rusted, the wood should be warped. It isn't. Magic infuses it with some protection. 

Meanwhile, Belarin settles into his cabin and finds the Wand of Whispers to quiet his mind even as he bonds with it. Every one of his spells has a verbal component. It would be weird but sometimes helpful to use the wand to replace it. He's rarely cast a spell without a rhyme! But he can imagine its uses. If this wand were in his grasp, he could Misty Step with barely a thought; not even a flick of his wrist. How strange!

---

Will the coins go into Streko's handy haversack or Sem's bag of holding? 

[Dave B.]

"Dragons?" Shorak muses. "Not that I remember. At least nothing that more than the legends most of us has heard here and there."

"The chest? Didn't you take it? I offered it to you shortly after we figured out what it was and took the scrolls from it." He looks around the hold. "Perhaps you stowed it down here?"

If you continue down a few more posts past the linked one, you'll see that Shorak asked Kurra if she wanted it and she said she just might, but I don't see anywhere that Shorak did anything with it or if Kurra took it. I figure between the two of them the chest probably ended up in the hold somewhere.

[Joe]

Sem can hold onto the gold for now. We can revisit this when we begin over overland trek.

[Jeff]

May 9, 2021 21:41:24 GMT -4 Dave B. said:

"The chest? Didn't you take it? I offered it to you shortly after we figured out what it was and took the scrolls from it." He looks around the hold. "Perhaps you stowed it down here?"

Kurra mockingly slaps her head. "Right. It's been a long . . . Shadows. Thanks."

Meanwhile, all that remains is the assorted jewelry and gemstones: necklaces, bracelets, anklets, rings, and loose stones, all of which seems to be worth some 1,500 gp or so, give or take a few hundred depending on the buyer. 

After this, Kurra returns to the main deck to get the fishing net underway, allowing anyone who volunteers to help her.

Then rain doesn't let up, but it never intensifies, just remaining drizzly. The crow's nest is nearly useless today. Too hazy, too foggy to see far this day. Which certainly has all spare eyes watching for the Cogship. Associating all mist with that mysterious ship seems unfair, but the thing has appeared too many times on this voyage and almost always with that veil of fog.

---

I had thought that the jewelry/gems went into Streko's haversack earlier, but I can't find that; only the spell components and reagents did, I think. So shall these go into the Bag of Holding as well?

Who will help with fishing over the course of the next few days? Volunteers are welcome, but no more than 2 or 3 of you (else Kurra feels crowded in). If you do volunteer, give me two Wisdom (Survival) checks to represent how effective you are over a period of time, as before.

[Brian]

The day wears on and Melethos continues to keep watch. Occasionally, he will help Kurra catch fish. Unlike his previous efforts with a line and hook, he does better this time.

When he isn't busy on the ship's deck, he will rest in his cabin, taking time to inspect and clean his armor and weapons. He mislikes this part of the day the most: sitting around and waiting for something to happen. Then he smiles. He'd said that once to Lorjad and gotten a poke in the ribs with a wooden practice pole.

"Those are the times you're most likely to live, you damned fool!" he'd said. "Pray to the gods your days are filled with nothing!"

"I suppose he was right," Melethos says softly, as he starts to sharpen his sword. "Then again, he was about most everything."


__________________________________________

Melethos: repeat 2D20 + 5#wisdom ( survival ) checks → 21; 16(16 + 5);(11 + 5)

[Ken]

After attuning to the wand, Belarin walks around the ship, making himself useful in any task that doesn't involve standing in the rain and fishing.

When he has a moment free, he holds his pact dagger and extends his thoughts inward. Chattering friends, time for answers, he thinks. What do you know of the Spire of Dreams?

[Joe]

Streko assists Kurra with fishing, often interjecting questions about some of the items she has been attempting to learn more about.
____________________________________________________

Wisdom (Survival) Check → 20
Wisdom (Survival) Check → 28

I somehow messed that entire roll thing up a few times trying to be clever (instead of tired and worried...had to take best friend to ER as he is displaying concussion symptoms again...ugh...)

[Dave B.]

Shorak thanks Kurra after they are done. "This was actually kind of fun. Better than trying not to get killed, definitely." He closes the chest, but doesn't lock it. "You should keep this chest. It appears to have some sort of magic imbued into it to keep it from rotting or water damage."

Seeing that the day makes it useless to keep watch from the crow's nest, Shorak will help with the fishing for most of the day, when there is room. He will also make himself available the following days, as long as there is room for him to do so.

Wisdom (Survival) Checks: 1d20+9=19, 1d20+8=18, changed to 19 due to Reliable Talent.

[Jeff]

Between the assistance of Melethos, Shorak, and Streko, Kurra catches a lot of fish this day. "Enough," she says, "to last us until the end of your part in this trip, I think." She tells Adamant to save his spells of food conjuring, and everyone should just accept the fish. "You might miss is when you've been on land on your own feet for weeks on end."

During the day, Thul stands on watch just like Melethos. He doesn't talk much, as always, but everyone can see him testing out his hand from time to time. No change yet, you would guess.

That evening, Kurra takes Adamant down into the hold. There, Calirataia is waiting. The artificer has prepared a thin sheet of wood. She holds out to him a thick metal wand with a glowing tip. "Draw with this. Sketch away. If you mess up, it's fine. I can erase it. Calira said she'd help once you get the basic drawing down; then I'll transfer the final design to here." She taps his metal chestplate. "For example." She uses the wand to draw a very simple fish with a smiling face onto the wood. It looks like it's burning the lines into the wood, but then the artificer speaks words of artificer and with her hand lifts the design from the wood. She sets it against his chest and the smiling fish is now there. She chuckles, then dissolves it with a shake of her hand. "Only when you're happy with it will we make it permanent. Take your time. Needn't do this today."

Then Adamant sees Kurra and Calirataia walk over to a corner of the hold next to the stacked logs that have always been there, and they begin some project of their own there.

---

Dave, any chance you want to try a real-life sketch you could share with us for what Adamant is after. I don't need perfect artistry, but even a scrawling could help convey it.

[Dave W.]

"Well, I will try, with apologies for the brutality of my artistic skill," Adamant says lightly.

"I discussed this with Calirattaia, I do not feel the need to carry Cyre on my chest. It will always be with me, but I think I can release some of the pain of it."

"I will work something up for you tomorrow. Thank you Kurra."

[Jeff]

Later in the day, when Histra is roused, she first assess her new servant with its bone-sword, and then approaches Melethos. "This warrior can improve. Over the next few days, would you be willing to spar with it? You could, of course, destroy it fast. Such is your skill. But it can learn from your attacks, if you will be show restraint."

Going to move to the next day or so soon. Anything else you wish to do, say so now.

[Brian]

May 11, 2021 16:17:56 GMT -4 Jeff said:

Later in the day, when Histra is roused, she first assess her new servant with its bone-sword, and then approaches Melethos. "This warrior can improve. Over the next few days, would you be willing to spar with it? You could, of course, destroy it fast. Such is your skill. But it can learn from your attacks, if you will be show restraint."

The thrill Melethos feels from actually catching a fish is quickly brought low by Histra's request. He looks askance at the skeleton, then faces Histra.

"If you believe it will help," he tells her. "While I don't necessarily approve of using people like this, I understand the usefulness. Especially given we are about to embark into the jungle. I can see how a few sleepless ones could prove useful guards."

Drawing his weapon, he says, "May as well start now." He approaches the skeleton, then looks back at Histra. "Is there a specific command, or do I just take a swing?"

[Joe]

Streko approaches Kurra sheepishly. "Is there any chance you can look at this armor soon? I find myself thinking about it constantly and, if it is something that I can use, would wish to get comfortable in it before disembarking on our trek through the jungles and mountains. If you don't mind. Thank you."

[Dave B.]

Shorak chuckles at Kurra's comment about the fish. "We can always salt and cure some for our land trek." He suggests. He spends some time cleaning and preparing the caught fish.

Good to move on.

[Dave W.]

Adamant busies himself doing chores and watches for the day. But periodically he can be seen with a stylus and the sheet of wood.

---

Ready to move on. I’ll have a sketch for tomorrow....

[Jeff]

May 11, 2021 18:48:44 GMT -4 Brian said:

May 11, 2021 16:17:56 GMT -4 Jeff said:

Later in the day, when Histra is roused, she first assess her new servant with its bone-sword, and then approaches Melethos. "This warrior can improve. Over the next few days, would you be willing to spar with it? You could, of course, destroy it fast. Such is your skill. But it can learn from your attacks, if you will be show restraint."

The thrill Melethos feels from actually catching a fish is quickly brought low by Histra's request. He looks askance at the skeleton, then faces Histra.

"If you believe it will help," he tells her. "While I don't necessarily approve of using people like this, I understand the usefulness. Especially given we are about to embark into the jungle. I can see how a few sleepless ones could prove useful guards."

Drawing his weapon, he says, "May as well start now." He approaches the skeleton, then looks back at Histra. "Is there a specific command, or do I just take a swing?"

The skeleton immediately steps back, moving into a combat stance. It's jerky and awkward, but it holds the sword up. "You can instruct it to spar with you. It will understand the difference between sparring and killing."

Kurra nods at Streko. "Tomorrow I will identify the armor and that small hammer."

[Ken]

Ready to move on.

[Brian]

May 12, 2021 7:59:40 GMT -4 Jeff said:

The skeleton immediately steps back, moving into a combat stance. It's jerky and awkward, but it holds the sword up. "You can instruct it to spar with you. It will understand the difference between sparring and killing."

Melethos shrugs and turns back to the skeleton. Raising his weapon, he says, "Spar," then makes a basic attack with his blade. He puts no real strength into the swing, not wanting to destroy the undead creature.

__________________________________

Ready to move on. Mel with do some sparing off and on as the day passes.

[Jeff]

The skeleton parries well, but whenever Melethos puts real effort into it, he can get the better of the creature easily. When it takes a swing at him, he can not only block it just as easily, he can simply step back to evade it. Yet after five minutes of this, he finds that is has improved ever so slightly. In fact, some of its attacks look to be in imitation of his own. He's never seen this sort of thing in a mindless undead before.

Kal, whenever he watches the skeleton spar, has seen this before. Not from Histra's creations, but from battlefields of the Last War. While most of Karrnathi's undead were mindless skeletons and zombies, their elite warriors, who commanded them, did exhibit a cunning intelligence. They didn't so much "learn" to fight better as "remember," for those undead soldiers were animated from Karrnath's own fallen. But the undead raised in Karrnath were the work of the Blood of Vol. A faith. A cult. Histra's family seems to be as agnostic as they come, and use the science of magic as their instruments.

That night watches resume, but no dangers present themselves.

Wir, the 4th of Zaranytr 999 YK

The next day is warm again, rainless but humid. The Dragonfly makes good progress and the outflung arm of the Fangs of Argarak grow closer still to the south. But by this time the river runs almost west to east now so you're not so much approaching the mountains as running parallel to them.

In the middle of the day, though the weather is temperate, you can all see a storm in the south, crowing the mountains. It actually draws everyone's attention, for it is a sight to behold: Dark clouds gather across the sky miles and miles away, darkening to an almost black near the peaks of the mountains, and lightning flashes repeatedly. It's hard to tell if this is a natural phenomenon or something else.

After staring at it for a few minutes, Kurra brings forth the dragonscale armor. "Streko, get over here." She places the suit on the ground. "I can tell you about what these scales do, but nothing about where they came from. The scales make this as tough as chainmail, and it will be hard to tear, so it will last much longer. Simply wearing this will mitigate the fear that comes with facing a real dragon and give you magical resistance against all dragon breath. That's no small thing, Streko! And since this was made from a black, acid of any variety will have less of an affect on you. Finally, once each day you should be able to seek the presence of a black dragon within thirty miles, or at least the nearest one. If there is one. You do need to wear the helm, too, for some of this." She grins at this.

Kurra taps Streko on the chest, feeling the chainmail beneath his black vestment. "What will you do with the chain? If you leave it with me, I'll give you three hundred galifars. You could probably find a better deal in civilization, but..." She indicates the wild lands around them.

---

Some logistics: On a Medium creature, the black dragon scale armor would be 45 lbs. If Streko puts it on, it will shrink to his size and become 35 lbs. His current chainmail +1 armor gives him a base AC of 17 but doesn't allow his Dex bonus. But the dragon scale, which gives base AC 16, does allow his Dex bonus to AC. So he'll have an AC 18 with it. It requires attunement, but Streko only has 2 items currently attuned, so he's got one free slot.

Black Dragon Scale (requires attunement) (45 lb.): scale male armor +1 (therefore granting a base AC 15 + Dex modifier). While worn, you gain advantage on saving throws against the Frightful Presence and breath weapons of dragons, and you gain resistance to acid. Additionally, you can focus your senses as an action to magically discern the distance and direction to the closest black dragon within 30 miles of you. This special action can’t be used again until the next dawn.

Attachments:

[Darren]

Kal enjoys watching Melethos spar with the skeleton. There's a beauty the way his friend fights, even if he's holding back. During the night, while his watch passes, Kal approaches the skeleton and draws his own Rekkenmark longsword. "Spar," he says to the creation, pushing his cloak out of the way to free up his arms. The leather around Kal's leg creaks as he pushes himself through the forms he watched his brothers perform as a child, the forms he practiced alone in the dark, always fearful that he would be caught by his mother and told to keep his mind on his studies. He whirls around the skeleton, easily parrying a fumbling strike from the creature. Behind the skeleton now, Kal smacks its femur with the flat of his blade, then dances to the side and spins again to stand before the creature. He grins at it, but is met only by the blank eyeless sockets of the undead. His grin turns to a frown, and he raises his blade. "Very good. Return to your guard duties," he commands. He sheathes his own blade and returns to his watch, a dark mood coming over him.

In the morning, Kal watches as Streko dons his new armor. "Olladra will be proud to have such a fine addition to her army," he says happily. "You will strike fear into the hearts of our enemies, Streko. I have no doubt about it."

[Jeff]

Kurra leaves Streko to decide about his new and older armor. She clears her throat to get the attention of everyone, then produces the light hammer. Thul comes over, clearly curious about a magical weapon.

It's a beautiful and elegant weapon, with a handle wrapped in black leather, and the head is carved to resemble the blunted snout of a dragon.

"A giant slayer," Kurra says, hefting it and admiring it. She swings it around as though, just for a moment, she wished she were a warrior-maiden of the Mror Holds and not an artificer whose talents lie in magic above all. "Which is to say, against any enemy, it's stronger, and hits harder. But against giant-kind, it's packs a greater punch. Whoever forged this weapon wove some complex transmutation and evocation matrices; it briefly unbalances the very physiology of a giant's body. So every hit against, say, a mountain giant has a better chance of knocking her over than, say, Belarin. No matter who does the swinging, or the throwing. Isn't that something?" She winks at the warlock.

"Also..." She walks over to Melethos and holds the hammer out to him. "Here. Toss this across the deck, low to the ground, and not overboard. Don't break anything or hurt the ship, just fling it away from you."

---

Giant Slayer (light hammer +1) (3 lb.): 1d4+1 bludgeoning; 2 lb.; Light, thrown (range 20/60) / You gain a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls made with this magic weapon, or +2 when made to attack any giant. When you hit a giant with it, the giant takes an extra 2d6 bludgeoning damage and must succeed on a DC 15 Strength saving throw or fall prone. For the purpose of this weapon, “giant” refers to any creature with the giant type, including ettins and trolls.

Thus, under normal circumstances it does 1d4+1 bludgeoning damage. Against giants, trolls, etc., that's 1d4+2 and 2d6 plus the saving throw. It's 3 lbs., light, thrown (range 20/60).

[Brian]

May 12, 2021 13:50:14 GMT -4 Jeff said:

Kurra leaves Streko to decide about his new and older armor. She clears her throat to get the attention of everyone, then produces the light hammer. Thul comes over, clearly curious about a magical weapon.

It's a beautiful and elegant weapon, with a handle wrapped in black leather, and the head is carved to resemble the blunted snout of a dragon.

"A giant slayer," Kurra says, hefting it and admiring it. She swings it around as though, just for a moment, she wished she were a warrior-maiden of the Mror Holds and not an artificer whose talents lie in magic above all. "Which is to say, against any enemy, it's stronger, and hits harder. But against giant-kind, it's packs a greater punch. Whoever forged this weapon wove some complex transmutation and evocation matrices; it briefly unbalances the very physiology of a giant's body. So every hit against, say, a mountain giant has a better chance of knocking her over than, say, Belarin. No matter who does the swinging, or the throwing. Isn't that something?" She winks at the warlock.

"Also..." She walks over to Melethos and holds the hammer out to him. "Here. Toss this across the deck, low to the ground, and not overboard. Don't break anything or hurt the ship, just fling it away from you."

Intrigued, Melethos takes the hammer and throws it, making sure he stays clear of any of the ship's structures and not strong enough to send it sailing over the side.

Then he looks at Kurra expectantly.

[Dave W.]

Before the reveal of the magic armor and weapon, Adamant does tell Kurra, “I have been working on the symbol. I am slow but I should have something for you by dinner.”

Adamant nods with approvl to the notion of his halfling friend wrapped in black dragon armor.

At the description of the hammer he watches attentively.

---

almost done with my darwing. next post...

[Joe]

Streko gladly takes the armor. He removes his old chain and dons the new armor. His love for Olladra seems to grow exponentially as each piece molds to fit him with perfection. "I am not one for bartering, good Kurra. If you believe 300 is a fair price, then I shall accept that with deepest gratitude. For now, I think I shall get to know my new armor, in more ways than one. Thank you, once again."

He walks over to a corner of the ship that is currently unoccupied. He removes the armor and casts a spell over it, asking Olldra's help in getting a history of the magical armor and what he might expect.
___________________________________________________

Streko casts Legend Lore. After which, he will most likely attune to the armor, however he needs to go about doing so.

[Jeff]

The slightly heavier in his hand that Melethos would have expected for a throwing hammer, but he tosses it easily. It clatters to the deck and skids to a stop some thirty feet away. Kurra looks at it, then at him. She places a finger to her chin, frowns, and starts to shrug.

But then the hammer twitches and then slides. Skittering along the deck toward Melethos rapidly. The tiefling instinctively prepares to either dodge or catch it, but Kurra says, "Just leave it!" so he lets his hands drop and stays where he is. At the very last second second it slows down and simply thumps harmlessly against Melethos's boot. Kurra chuckles. "So, if the thrower is wearing metal armor—sufficient metal armor—then there is a magnetic effect, and the hammer will return to him, on a level plane, and only if it was thrown within its normal range." She points to Shorak. "Not like your boomerang, through the air, and not from below, should you throw it downward." Kurra walks over and picks it up. "You can also choose to catch it; it wants to return to your hand. But if you don't...it just slides back to your feet."

When Streko has the suit on, a task that takes five minutes, he really does present a different figure. (He finds that the small horns that protrude from a few places make it impossible for him to wear his Olladran black vestments above the armor. Therefore he will need to pack those away and keep the armor on top. But his black obsidian domino holy symbol is easily moved to the outside as well, and in fact it complements the armor.)

Streko now resembles a true warrior of old, lacking only an obvious weapon. Sem just stares at him for a moment, unsure what to say. Starg walks over and places one massive hand on the halfling's shoulder, careful to avoid pricking his fingers on the "horns" jutting from the shoulder. "It suits you well, Streko. I have never seen a more fearsome halfling."

Kurra accepts the chain mail from Streko, and promises to exchange the gold later.

---

Joe, check your private sub-board. I'll give you the results of Legend Lore there. Note also that there is a material component cost: "incense worth at least 250 gp, which the spell consumes, and four ivory strips worth at least 50 gp each" I will deduct this cost from the assorted spell components you've recently acquired, though.

The hammer (a giant slayer +1) needn't be attuned. The returning effect only works if you're wearing metal-based medium or heavy armor (so Streko's dragon scale won't actually count) or are a warforged, you can use this function. The hammer doesn't return immediately after its thrown, but the following round (taking that entire round to do so, returning by the end of that round). Alternatively, you can use a reaction to force it back to more swiftly, returning the same way.

Who's going to take this? Remember that you don't have to make big decisions; different people can try it out, especially such weapons that don't require attunement.