Elementary

Elementary is a skill book in Book II and Book III.

Effects

 * Grants the skill Lore if the player character has not learned it.
 * Grants 2 points in the skill Lore if the player character has learned it.

Content
Constable Loren bent down to examine the dead man's body. A sword was embedded in his chest, and a small, empty bottle lay near outstretched hand. The second hand was actually encircled around the hilt of the sword, in a manner that suggested suicide.

"He was murdered."

"Are you certain?" The escorting guard looked dubious. "Looks like he stabbed himself to me."

"He didn't stab himself. He was holding onto the sword to keep his assailant from finishing the job." The Inspector picked up the potion bottle, swirled around the few drops of red liquid that were left, and took a sniff. "Besides, the sword missed any vital organs. This was what killed him," he remarked nonchalantly, placing the bottle on a nearby table.

"Excuse me?"

Loren sighed. "It's quite simple. What this guard mistook for a healing draught was clearly laced with poison, judging from the faint scent of Hemlock. Most likely this was done by someone he thought he knew." He gestured at the sword. "We'll need to find out if this was purchased from a local blacksmith, or perhaps a traveling artifact vendor - actually add any wealthy residents that might have private collections to that list."

"Why would we do that? It looks like a normal sword to me? This remark elicited an irritated twitch.

"That, my good friend is why you are a 'normal' soldier. Looking at the shape of the guard and the width of the fuller, you can see that it is of dwarven origin. From that crest on the pommel I would say that it is very, very old: likely from before the colonization of Eastern Thaermore. The way the torchlight reflecting off the blade gives a greenish hue suggests a mithril alloy, and the fact that the blood on it still has yet to congeal tells you that it is enchanted to prevent the healing of wounds. That marks it as being non-Commonwealth approved: it is unlikely the sword belongs to this dead guard. Personally, I would hardly be surprised if this was an act by the Order, given the rarity of this 'normal' blade and the scope of the theft. Anyone with a little common sense could figure it out. Are there any more 'normal' questions?"

This time the reply came through gritted teeth, with the escort's hand on the pommel of his own weapon. "Sorry I asked."

Appearances

 * Eschalon: Book II
 * Eschalon: Book III