In reply to Lyriel Vesper (msg # 892):

Maeve learns from the soldiers that the Sultanate does not appear to planning to involved, beyond potentially blowing the blockades to smithereens if the attempt to smooth things out via envoys proves unsuccessful. The army's stance is generally apathetic, though the navy is sabre rattling with indignation.

[Private to Boreas Highwind: "I have some suspicions, but nothing definitive. May I... identify it? I'll have to touch your eye to do it, but I won't have to remove it. Is it sensitive to touch, like an actual eye would be?"]

Baldwin takes a few minutes to chat quietly with Boreas, then turns to address Lyriel's question.

"Rachel and Oliver are still out performing a series of errands for me. I had hoped they would have returned by now, but you of all people shoulder understand how these things can go. Don't worry, they should not be in any danger."

To Zuriel, he replies, "I'd imagine OSA is being secretive for the same reason we are: most people wouldn't believe us, and some would do us ill. That's not to say they're above the board, of course, but I don't see secrecy as incriminating in and of itself. The world's a terrible place filled with terrible people. Filled with wonderful people, too, but when something's as important as all this, you don't want to risk the notice of the former."

Boreas listens as Baldwin explains.

[Private to Baldwin: You may identify it.  It doesn't hurt to touch it, though I can see through it.]

Lyriel nods. Well, we have some time to kill while Keef copies the scrolls to his spellbook. I do think it's a wise idea to actually have them permanently copied. Maybe they'll return in the meantime? she observes hopefully.

In reply to Lyriel Vesper (msg # 895):

(Autofollow)

"It'll take me four days to copy the spells into my book -- if I don't make any mistakes, but with Longshanks and Chubbs I don't think I will. And then I'd have to actually prepare them. I thought we needed to leave sooner than that?"

Zuriel frowns. "That still doesn't explain Simon's atrocities, which Ptolemy at least knew something of." The frown turns into a scowl. "It just feels like there's something going on with the OSA that we're missing. Perhaps we ought to discreetly ask my aunt?"

He falls silent for a few moments. "On another note Baldwin, were you able to make much progress with the book written in Sylvan, and the map of Fey'driel? If we plan on heading there, the map at least would likely prove useful. And then I'm academically interested in the other books as well."

In reply to Keef (msg # 896):

Baldwin chants arcane words of power and touches Boreas's emerald eye.

[Casting: Identify]

After a moment, he continues his whispered conversation with Boreas.

[Private to Boreas Highwind: "Oh my yes. I've... yes. Hmm. What you have here is complicated. You're not the only one who can see through this eye, and there are others like it. Linked to Fey'driel, as you said, but more directly, it's linked to one of the realm's Dreambound. One of the oldest, it seems, who goes by a thoroughly unpronounceable name. And you inherited it, you said?"]

Lyriel turns to Keef. Well, we have seven days. Six now, I suppose. So if you started scribing now, you could prepare them on the morning of the fifth day, leaving us an extra day to recover is something goes awry, buying replacement scrolls if need be. That still leaves us more room for mistakes than if we had plane shifted. Off the top of my head, a problem with the plane shift method is that we'd have to spend a while getting our bearing on the lake. We wouldn't know which direction we had deviated. I think this method is safer. Even if your spell *does* go awry, Keef, Lyriel's tone indicates that she has full confidence in the young mage to execute the spell properly, We'd have an extra day for you to re-prepare and try again. Versus if we just used the scrolls, then we'd be out of luck.

She looks around at the PARTY. Unless I'm overlooking something, she adds.

Seeing Baldwin examining Boreas' eye gem she adds, Oh, do you think that gem could be used as a focus to Fey'driel for shifting, Baldwin?
This message was last edited by the player at 15:10, Fri 23 May 2014.

In reply to DM (msg # 898):

"It was a fascinating read, yes, though parts of it droned on longer than strictly necessary. It outlined the history of the various kingdoms and powers that shaped the plane, though written by the victors, I should think, so I take their claims with a grain of salt. I've no idea how current the maps are, but the basic landforms are likely accurate."

Baldwin shrugs.

"If you're hellbent on involving your aunt, I won't stop you. I just doubt you'll find the answers your looking for, and you may be putting her in danger in the process. Tell me, what do you hope to learn from her that you can't learn from the remarkable book I gave you?"

He turns to address Lyriel's recent question.

"As a material focus? It's not metallic, but I do believe it's so closely bound to Fey'driel that you could follow it there in a pinch."
This message was last edited by the player at 15:12, Fri 23 May 2014.

In reply to Baldwin (msg # 900):

(Autofollow)

Keef nods, pulls out his spellbook, and sets a quill on the table. An inkwell soon follows, which Chubbs immediately plops down on top of. Keef's momentary glare is met with the indifference you've come to expect from the toad, and after the boy removes him and sets him down upon the table, his satisfied expression indicates that this is where he'd wanted to sit all along.

Keef then takes hold of Longshanks, setting it against the floor and leaning against it with the staff in his left hand while he works the quill in his right hand. Every so often, the boy stops, squints at the scrolls, and mumbles to the staff. This is generally followed by a faint red pulse, and then the process repeats itself.

(It'll take a day of studying the first scroll before he can attempt to copy it down for real. That second part costs expensive inks that Keef does not have. Since it's Keef, he won't think of that until tomorrow. Just FYI.)
This message was last edited by the GM at 15:18, Fri 23 May 2014.

Zuriel shrugs. "If you think even asking her about the OSA is a bad idea, I'll refrain. The Book is remarkable, yes, but also remarkably finicky. I think it enjoys misinterpreting me. Regardless, we should have time for a couple questions while we wait for Keef to copy. Anybody have suggestions on what to ask?"

In reply to Zuriel Silendril (msg # 902):

(Autofollow)

Keef perks up for a moment.

"Maybe it needs koffee?"

Zuriel sets a fresh chalice of mocha in front of Keef as he works. "Let us know if there's anything you need, Keef."

At one point during the intervening days of Keef's studying, Zuriel sits down with Baldwin.

"So, given that in less than a week we are to have a surreptitious and possibly treasonous audience with one of the continent's most powerful men, I thought it might be a good idea to get your impressions of dear Morachiga. I can imagine that most of what I've heard about the exiled tyrant has been biased, if not outright incorrect."

Mirroring the bard, Zuriel takes a sip of a chilled flute of icewine. "What drives the man? What is he like? I figure of all the people outside of Lo'driel itself, it's likely you're among the few who know Choso best."

In reply to Zuriel Silendril (msg # 905):

"All good questions. The answers are trickier," the bard sighs, finishing yet another chalice of ice wine. "I can tell you what the man was like a hundred years ago, give or take, but that might not be useful now. I used to be more than I now, as well. And less, in many ways."

"I know you believe the man to be pragmatic, but he's always had a bit of an idealist in him, too. He'd have to, to think he could reform Drynn and dismiss the church of Kazul without risking civil war. He's a skilled diplomat, but that doesn't mean he doesn't know how to fight when provoked -- both with swords and with sorcery. He lacks the typical cruelty of a Tyrant, but none of the cunning. And most importantly, at least as of a century ago, Morachiga Choso was not evil."
This message was last edited by the player at 20:52, Mon 26 May 2014.

"I had heard rumors of that. Word in the Flame is that it's some sort of trick, or sorcery concealing his true nature. But that wouldn't be in keeping with his actions in Drynn." Zuriel sighs. "Would that he had succeeded all those years ago. Were he still ruler of Drynn proper, things today would be much different. Likely for the better."

In reply to Zuriel Silendril (msg # 907):

"Doubtless," Baldwin says, nodding. "This Saul figure was not the high priest of Kazul at that time, and his rise to the top was helped along in no small part by the failure of the previous high priest in securing Morachiga's capture all those years ago. Weakness is death in the the church of Kazul, after all. And though the previous high priest was not a good man, Lord Saul has proven to be more ambitious by far -- he is the Tyrant in everything but name, as I'm sure you noticed."

The bard pauses for a moment to refill his chalice.

"Since we have some time, do any of you know much about the War of the Damned? There's something that's been nagging at the back of my mind for weeks now. The Cult of the Damned was routed and gutted when its leader fell -- a blackguard named Kyria. I wasn't there for her defeat, myself, but I heard that at least one of her minions escaped."

"I went back through my notes to read the story again, and y'know what the escaped minion's name was?" he asks, taking a sip of ice wine. "A magician of some kind named Darris."

"It could just be a coincidence, but you can't be too sure. That's what Oliver and Rachel are off investigating for me. Pulling records and doing research into those dark days."
This message was last edited by the player at 14:46, Tue 27 May 2014.

"How did you and my uncle become involved in helping him in the first place? I honestly know nothing of that tale, or that my uncle was even an adventurer. To hear my father tell it, he was just an eccentric who became fed up with polite society and fled to the woods."

Zuriel looks out through the frosted window distantly. "What my father leaves unspoken could fill the pages of several volumes, it would seem."

In reply to Zuriel Silendril (msg # 909):

The bard chuckles.

"Your uncle was obsessed with the wildkin, and wanted nothing more than to see them for himself. I encountered him by chance and offered to help, as I was interested in learning their lore myself. One thing led to another, and soon we found ourselves quite caught up in the Cult of the Damned nonsense. Kyria herself nearly cut him in half before we were through, and if not for the love of Ignati, your uncle would surely have perished."

Baldwin gets a far-away look in his eyes.

"After that, I'm ashamed to say, we ran. We sailed across the ocean and tried to forget everything that was happening here. It was only later -- much later, when things had gotten bleak beyond measure -- that we came to our senses and returned to make things right."

"And we couldn't even get that part right. I was there when Veilspire..."

He finishes his ice wine in a huge gulp and refills the chalice.

"But those are tales for another day. I don't want to bore you with sad stories. We have work to do."
This message was last edited by the player at 14:46, Tue 27 May 2014.

Boreas takes in all that Baldwin says.  When the bard finishes, he replies, We can only hope that Choso has not become more like his counterpart over the years.  Now we certainly know a great deal more than we did.  But I believe you're right, Baldwin, we have work to do.

Zuriel nods. "Indeed. On that note, however, I've been attempting to ask the Book of Answers more questions related to this planar instability. It seems though, that it's magic is less potent than it was when I first began using it. It answers more tersely now, no longer in rhyme, and it seems to have more trouble understanding certain terms and phrases whereas before it was fair at understanding my meaning. Baldwin, do you know if the magic is limited, or if overuse can dull the Book's potency?"

Lyriel pokes her head into the common room from her bedroom sitting area. I just Sent to Rachel, she says happily. It sounds like she and Oliver are nearly done with their task. With any luck, we'll get a chance to see them before we must leave.

In reply to Lyriel Vesper (msg # 913):

"I'm not certain," Baldwin says, frowning at Zuriel's question. "The Book of Answers has always answered me in rhyme, and has not worn away through overuse. But as the questions ostensibly come from the divine, it's possible the misalignment is having an effect. I wonder if there are other divine artifacts that are malfunctioning... something to look into."

Maybe that's why Zuriel and I did not receive orders from the Emerald Table? Lyriel hypothesizes from her doorway, still obviously more concerned with whether or not she'd get to see her friend.

In reply to Lyriel Vesper (msg # 915):

"It's possible. I'll see what I can dig up."

In reply to Baldwin (msg # 916):

The P.A.R.T.Y. loafs around and chats with Baldwin while Keef completes his work. It takes a lot a scribbling, a few conversations with Chubbs, and -- on one occasion -- an uncomfortable two-hour window during which Keef does nothing but commune with the Everstaff.

But in the end, the spells are copied faithfully into the mage's spellbook. The P.A.R.T.Y. packs and is soon ready to depart.

[Private to Keef: I'm going to waive the rolls -- Longshank gives you enough of a bonus that you can't fail. Add Scry and Teleport to your spellbook :)]

Ding!  Boreas, Lyriel, Maeve, Keef, and Zuriel have reached Level 10!  Please update your sheets accordingly.

~~ END CHAPTER 09 ~~