Just killing the khan outright would not be an easy task. Remember the heroes that guard our own Prince Sviatoslav. While none of the Pechenegs can match the great Illya Murometz, they will come close. His hand picked guards are the finest the Pechenegs have to offer."

"A worthy challenge," rumbled A'kos.  "Ever the Khan pushes west - if we do not stop him here than my folk will soon suffer his predations...if they don't first succumb to civilization, that is!  Truth told, I would give them that choice of their own will...not have it forced upon them by a conqueror."

"If we were to use this opportunity to have Balthazar take of his body, then we've a short time to give orders in his voice that will permit us useful advantage. And this will have to be carefully done, because once Balthazar has done so the Khan will be able to give counter orders, won't he? Or mightn't his officers hear things that seem against whatever strategy he's already announced or orders he's already given?

"In other words, either way we shall have a very short time to act and if our actions are not profound they shall be easily shrugged off.... Is there any way for us to hear what is being said there? If we had some idea of their plans to begin with it would make it much easier to come up with a counter-plan and give Balthazar a definite idea of what commands the Khan could give that would enable our forces to have the greatest effect."

Miroslav leans forward..."Some of you are relatively new to this area. For those who have lived alongside the Pechenegs, it is known that the death of a khan calls all his subchiefs to the Khan's capital. There they vote on a new Khan. Now I ask...if we kill Kurya, will this end the attack and send all the chiefs back to his capital to vote or will they continue? In the past it has stopped battles but who can say if it will this time?"

"If we hold out for a battle then there will be great loss of life regardless of the outcome. If we kill Kurya outright we have a chance that the Pecheneg will retreat or perhaps just replace him with one of his generals here int eh field until a vote can be taken. That general could then be possessed by Balthazar if need be. Chances are it would be one of the Khan's sons who may be capable but not as wise and battle strong as his father Kurya who is still a relatively young man."

"To be honest, " Balthazar states with some hesitation, "I do not know if the spell will work through Dyanna's Mirror, but if it can, I can sow dissension before the rest of you burst through and finish them all off.  So without any further ado, let me give it a try."

Balthazar hands the gem to Loukas and says, "Protect this well."  He casts invisibility on both Loukas and Jaleh.  Then he casts rope trick in a corner of the room.  Balthazar climbs up the rope, and before disappearing into the extradimensional space he created, he says, "This is for just in case you guys get overrun and some of our foes run back through the Mirror's portal into this chamber.  Now, Loukas go and stand in front of the Mirror, and no one else move for a few minutes.  If nothing happens beyond that time, assume I either can't detect any souls not in this room, or I was unsuccessful making any body jumps.  Either way, try entering alone and stay invisible.  If nothing still happens, I'm probably not having any luck.  Come back through the Mirror, I'll return to my body and end the spell, and we can all go assault them together."  As Loukas does so, Balthazar carefully memorizes everyone's position in the room.

Balthazar climbs into the extra-dimensional space.  He hauls the rope up and piles the coils neatly beside the entrance.  Now none can see him or the rope.  He lies down, as if to rest, and casts magic jar.  His soul leaves his body and enters the gem.

Now, oh great DM, what life forces can he detect?  Just the ones in the room, or also those through the Mirror?
This message was last edited by the player at 14:41, Sun 08 July 2012.

A'kos is troubled.  He likes the strange magi, and wonders if this strange enchantment is too great a chance to play - losing one's life is nobly done...losing one's soul would be a terrible sacrifice indeeds.

His thoughts fly to the Four Winds and his mouth moves silently as he asks them to aid in Balthazar's endeavor.

Heinrich quickly checks his bow, and looking rather confused, asks, "Are we going through the mirror after the Khan now?"

When the Hedonite hands him the gem he takes it carefully and without much of a thought undoes the thick belt around his waste and opens his robes revealing a lean, well-muscled, yet supple body. He dips his hand into the his underclothes and withdraws a small pouch, which he opens and drops the gem into. He does so quite unashamedly and with a grin and a wink replies to the Hedonite, "It will be near the only other jewels that mean anything to me, my friend."

Loukas has his Gisli at hand so that he could invoke the Invisibility it grant upon himself, but when Balthazar cast the spell on him he accepts it. Perhaps it is better to have an Invisibility in reserve? Yes. Quite.

When the wizard disappears Loukas takes a deep breathe and says in a low voice, "Let's go have some fun, Jaleh," as he steps through the mirror into the Khan's yurt.
This message was last edited by the player at 23:33, Tue 17 July 2012.

"That was odd," remarks A'kos.

"The Four Winds guide thee, luv," he says to Jaleh, then he too makes ready to jump through the portal should it be necessary...

Both Jaleh and Loukas vanish from sight as the Hedonite also climbs his rope to nowhere. Through the mirror, whatever strange rite performed by the shaman continues on.

Dobrynya looks visibly nervous. Clearly he is not used to using such magic to resolve battles and such.

"Dyanna, if aught goes awry can I get through the mirror to assist?"

"Most certainly! As far as I can tell there is no limit to how many can go through. Mind you, once the door is open, they can come through to us as well."

She furrows her brow for a moment and says, "I will have to discuss this idea with Balthazar after this ordeal. Perhaps there is a way to make it so only those who hold a certain amulet or key could pass?" her last words trail off as if she was speaking outloud to herself.

Once through the mirror Loukas stands, carefully. He's moving silently regardless of his invisibility and doing so minimally. He moves carefully to a likely position (he doesn't want to bump Jaleh) and waits.

Time for my first body jump.  I'll start with someone next to the chanting shaman, remembering his position from my visual scan.
This message was last edited by the player at 15:28, Fri 20 July 2012.

Both Loukas and Jaleh move through the mirror without any problems. For a brief moment, one of the shamans look up as if he sensed something but went back to his chanting.

Balthazar makes his first jump or maybe not. Nothing seems to change in the room.

Since we are on RPOL with all its fancy mechanisms, I'll stick to private text since you wouldn't know what Balthazar is doing.

Without any warning, a burly Pecheneg with a shaved head draws a curved sword from his scabbard and chops into the neck of the chanting shaman. He then follows with a backhanded cut dropping the shaman in a heap of blood an gore to the floor of the yurt.

All present jump back and half the guards surround the khan while the other half make short work of the shaved headed assassin. Several of the other shaman's begin casting spells.

Coming somewhat late to the party, Oleg arrives with an unfamiliar face accompanying him. As usual Oleg is armed with his sword length seax wearing a mail shirt and an iron cap. He looks to Miroslav and says...My apologies for being late, I had a few things to do to settle the Heart of Oak into port."

He nods his head toward the newcomer and says..."This is Falki. I have crewed with him on may occasions. I suggest he take over as pilot on the Heart of Oak if you still intend for me to captain the vessel."

Miroslav readies himself to go through the portal if need be as he nods to Oleg and the newcomer..."A bad time for introductions but well met Falki. I trust Oleg's judgement in this matter."

His eyes rest on Falki's spear and he says..."I trust you know how to use that?"

In reply to Nestor (msg # 52):

Since I'm invisible I'll describe my actions in PM until I'm visible.

A'kos is bristling, then an idea comes to him and he smiles.  Reaching into his pack he pulls out a small figurine and mutters an inaudible word.  Suddenly the figurine dissolves into black smoke and is replaced by a massive and fiery maned lion.

"Hoy, Leo," he grins, running his hand through the animal's mane.  Leo stares forward into the mirror with...interest.

"Now I am ready!"

Dyanna stands near the side of the mirror. She nods a brief greeting and flashes an attractive smile at the newcomer before her attention is directed back through the glass of the mirror. It is clear she has no intention on going through the portal unless it is absolutely necessary.

As the shaved headed assassin dies, his last dying words are "Cthulhu wagh'nagl fhtagn..."
This message was last edited by the player at 03:22, Sun 22 July 2012.

Heinrich whispers quietly to Dyanna, "Will my arrows go through the mirror?"

Replying in a quiet voice Dyanna says,
"Once the portal is activated it acts just like any door. So Yes, you can shoot an arrow through it."