Radagast nods, glancing about the execution/imprisonment chamber. "Certainly," he says agreeably. "What would you like to discuss, Lord Bloom?"
"Just some things, I'm curious about your weaponry." ~I hope you don't mind me using one of my skills for a private conversation, I don't want this to get out any further than it needs to and risk panic or ill notice. I have the ability to see magical auras and analyze such things...I am wondering if this could help~
Dracos concentrated on the memory of watching Elric, the careful examination of the man and his auras, the magic around him, passing this to Radagast.
Dracos
Radagast shrugs his shoulders, shivering uncomfortably. "I ... let us discuss this away from the cold of the dungeon," he suggests. "I think my quarters are more appropriate for such a discussion."
Eske glances around the room, nods at Radagast, and then opens a portal back to Radagast's study, stepping through and motioning for you to follow.
Interesting, Radagast's surface thoughts read back to you. This could help. I will need to create a device such that we can espy Elric from afar. With your powers, we should be able to find out what his power is anchored to, and then destroy it. Or deal with it appropriately, at any rate.
Radagast steps through the portal next.
Dracos follows through the portal.
Dracos
Once you step through, Eske drops the portal, and says, "I need to walk for a bit. My head hurts." Radagast nods at him, and Eske heads out of the room.
What do you think of as far as plans go? Radagast asks.
~Plans in regards to what in specific? I could walk around looking for elric's anchor but I have no clue what I'd be looking for.~
Dracos
"And if we could see him, we could see where the anchor went," Radagast says, once Eske is clearly out of earshot. He rubs his chin. "Looking around randomly probably won't hurt ... but I honestly wouldn't expect much in the way of results, and in all honesty, such a task isn't really appropriate for a man of your status." He frowns. "Unless you want people to think you odd," he adds.
"I know. I'm aware of the issue. Such movements would draw attention that'd be read poorly. What were you saying earlier about being able to do stuff if I can see him?"
Dracos
"I will try to assemble something which will let us scry on him," Radagast says. "But this is obviously difficult or I would have done it before. I need -- somehow -- one of Elric's personal possessions, or ... say ... a lock of his hair." He looks speculative. "Of course, as freely as he left corpses across the field, this still may not work."
"What about using Parthipan's abilities? I could read his spying on Elric right to you as he does it. Help me understand what you need to see and I can turn my mind to coming up with plans to do so."
Dracos
Radagast raises an eyebrow and considers this. "If you could see through his eyes as he spied on Elric, that could work," he says. "We certainly lose nothing by trying."
"There are always other opportunities too, depending on how much you need. If we have glass and can build a telescope, we could also scout him out that way once parthipan notes where he is. Anyhow...should we try this now? It can be obscured currently under talking with you."
Dracos
"We'd need Parthipan, first," Radagast points out. "I don't know where he is."
Dracos briefly checks if Bjorn's dropped his mindboard or not, if not writing ~Hey Bjorn, do you know where parthipan is?~
Dracos
You send ... but Bjorn's closed the connection, and you can't see him at the moment, so nothing happens. Radagast looks at you expectantly.
"Well then...when you get him, send a messanger to ask for my help? Unless you think he can be found quickly."
Dracos
"I'll have someone look for him," Radagast decides. "Wait a moment."
With that, he goes to ask one of the guards to send for Parthipan. The guard then scurries off.
Dracos waits.
Dracos
After a few minutes, the guard returns, Parthipan in tow.
"So what's going on?"
"Here's the plan, Parth. You can spy Elric. Radagast can find what anchors Elric here if he can spy on Elric. I can transfer your visions of spying to Radagast. Understand?"
Dracos
"Fine with me. I'll try not to get detected by him since he'll easily be able to send me back to my body."
~I'll be right behind ye. Now, let's get a move on, I don't know how long it'll be before I have to head back to the storm riders.~
Dracos
~Gotcha.~
Ginrai prepares himself for casting the 'Seeing the Wind' spell.
After climbing atop the tower and preparing your spell, everything is in readiness.
Phil finds that when you leave your body, he can still follow your path, and see through your eyes. He can do this more easily if Parthipan relaxes and tries to let him into his mind ... though, that's a bit unnerving.
From the top of the tower, you fly down at an angle, barely clearing the wall, and then gliding across the field, towards the enemy camp.
Parthipan spots Elric from a distance. Enough to hide behind a tent and listen in. Assuming that tents will shield the spell from his vision.
A spot is found shortly where Parthipan and (through the spell, now that Phil is maintaining the link), Phil can spy on Elric.
Elric is pacing back and forth, muttering to himself. You can't make out what he is from here, and peeking closer could attract his attention unneccesarily.
As Phil peers through Parthipan's eyes, however, the aura around Elric flares to life, huge and imposing against the camp behind him. He's wreathed with black halos, which all ring his body, clouds of loops around them surrounding the entire area with coils of dark, pure energy.
Strands of it (thick ones, too) lead off in many directions. Three of them are in the sky, too distant to be traced to a source the further you try to look. Another leads behind him somewhat, across the ice, and somewhat west. The other two which come to light immediately go down, to something beneath the ice ... and that which heads towards the keep.
Dracos focuses on comitting it all to memory, getting as much as possible for Radagast to work with, remaining quiet.
Dracos
Elric continues his pacing, Parthipan momentarily pulling back behind the flap of a curtain as Elric glances in that direction.
Once the moment is past, Parthipan continues peeking out, able to percieve (as can Phil) the cord leading towards the keep with greater clarity. After a few minutes, it will be possible to follow the cord back to the keep, and to leave Elric's field of vision ... but more time needs to be invested in watching the cord where it joins Elric's aura, first.
~Just a little longer.~
Dracos concentrated, focusing only on the strand going to the keep and it's connection to elric.
Dracos
Both Parthipan and Phil are momentarily blinded by a surge of some energy from Elric, and discern nothing new immediately.
Dracos, realizing he's not seeing with his own eyes, resists blinking and risking weakening the connection, waiting for a clear vision of Elric again.
~Be careful, we might have to pull back. Make sure you're behind cover.~
Dracos
Parthipan slides behind cover again, the wind threatening to blow him over the tent and into Elric ... and then the wind shifts, coming from Elric and towards the two spying on him.
Phil is able to observe the cord leading away well enough to follow it back to the keep, now. Elric's voice now carries, as well: "...see. Father can't help, but we'll win anyway." He swears sharply at that, and then stalks away.
~Follow the cord. Let's go.~ Dracos shares the image of where the cord is going, urging Parthipan to follow it in.
Dracos
Ginrai quietly turns and starts following the directions Dracos gives him.
Since both Phil and Parthipan are sharing the image, it's easy to follow the cord back to the keep, and out of Elric's sight.
At the keep, you encounter a problem, though, as the wind doesn't go underground, and the cord does. It passes over the walls, sliding across it as Elric moves -- incidentally passing through the hundred or so archers on watch without them noticing.
After that it descends to the center of the court-yard, vanishing into the ground at the point where the giant pedastal sits.
Ginrai looks around to see if there's any opening he can go through and still be able to follow the cord.
~That should be enough. Radagast can take it from here and investigate the pedastal.~
"We know where to look.
Dracos turned to Radagast, pulling gently away from Parthipan's mind. "I'll share what we learned." Dracos focused, sharing the entirety of the images with Radagast, including where the cord lead.
Dracos
"Beneath the keep?" Radagast asks oddly. "The.... Directly beneath the pedestal is where the crystal lies. It must be near that, then."
Deciding that nothing more can be done, Ginrai heads back into his body.
"Indeed. I may be able to help now go check that, but I probably should be getting back to the stormrider camp. Is that enough for you to track it down, Radagast?"
Dracos
"We'll still need your help so as to make certain as to where the cord is heading to."
Radagast nods in agreement with Parthipan, adding, "I was able to see, through your eyes, what my own cannot."
Dracos nods. "Then shall we go now, or you can send a message later and I'll come. If you are ready now, let's hurry."
Dracos
Ginrai nods. "I'm ready. The sooner we check this out, the better."
Radagast rubs his temples and shakes his head, mumbling quietly. "More sleep ... ah." Straightening up, he nods. "Let us investigate, then. This is a clue we can ill afford to pass up." He pauses, momentarily, and frowns. "On second thought," he says, "go to the pedastal. I must see if Lord Ekim can attend us on our investigation."
"Lord Ekim? I'm fine with that. We'll meet at the pedastal. Come on parthipan."
Dracos turned, swiftly leading the way to the pedestal. When he arrives, he quickly scopes out the area, looking for the thread he saw earlier.
Dracos
Ginrai follows Phil to the pedestal.
"You know, I'm wondering if it was the crystal we got on our way here. There's a chance that the Archonae didn't give us their crystal on purpose, not because of whatever 'sin' Mirallia committed."
Dracos glances over at parthipan. ~Careful with the tongue, Parthipan. You never know who is listening.~
Dracos
~Ah, true. Sorry about that.~
No one seems to have overheard, and in short order you reach the oddly shaped pedastal in the courtyard. Not long after you arrive there, Ekim and Radagast round the corner of the keep, approaching swiftly. Serril is following behind Ekim, and looks somewhat annoyed.
The courtyard is currently largely deserted, except for a few groups of soldiers inspecting what are apparently 'public access' spears and shields to make sure everything is in good condition.
~So do you see anything, Drac?~
Phil looks at the pedastal for a moment. It takes a bit to be able to discern where the thread is, and only by seeing it earlier would it be possible to find the thing -- this far from Elric, looking for his essence is quite difficult.
But now the thread is visible, even a short distance through the stone around the pedastal. It heads straight down through the courtyard.
~Yes.~
"Greetings, Lord Ekim, Loremaster Radagast, and I don't believe I know your name. Radagast, how do we get to the area below the pedestal?"
Dracos
"Serril Dewer," the lorekeeper says, frowning slightly.
Ekim nods at you courteously. "Indeed," he says in his rumbling, raspy voice. "It is good to see you anew."
"You'll need to follow me below the keep," Radagast says. "This way." Without waiting for a response, he turns around, stoping stock-still when a surge of guardsmen round the corners of the keep, looking back towards the campsites behind the keep fearfully, and heading straight for the weapons in racks at the edges of the courtyard.
"What's going on?" Dracos demands an answer loudly of the guardsmen.
Dracos
Ginrai tenses in case any sort of fight breaks out.
The guardsmen are without a leader at the moment, and quickly stream into formation around Phil, saluting as they recognize one of the important players of the last battle.
"Sir!" one barks, saluting clumsily. "A monster approaches from south of the keep! I've never seen its like before!" His words are nearly tripping over one-another in his rush to get them out.
Ekim frowns, and hefts his axe, nodding at Phil. "We should perhaps look at this, first?" he asks.
Radagast frowns, and shakes his head. "Only one? No time, then -- let's see what this is about."
With that, he motions for Phil to follow him and begins marching briskly around the keep.
~Timing's very suspicious, Phil. There's a chance someone noticed us following the thread afterall.~
"Well then, let's go give this beast a greetings he won't forget soon."
Dracos quickly moves, expecting the guards to follow as he heads swiftly for the southern wall of the keep.
~Of course it is. But we can't ignore it anyway, suspicious timing or not.~
Dracos
~Of course.~ Ginrai sighs and follows the others.
As Parthipan and Phil round the corner of the keep and come out into the area behind it, where everyone is camping, they nearly colide with Bjorn and Nathan.
Phil and Parthipan now move to The Beast (http://pishoque.net/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=38840#38840).