Walking past the guards, and leaving Bjorn behind, Parthipan finds himself in the base room of Radagast's tower. All of his personal possesions are lying in one neat corner, though the tower has enough small rooms that another can be claimed up the stairwell.
Currently, there are two other Lorekeepers here, discussing some aspect of their own magic with Radagast.
One of dressed identically to you, though he carries no staff, just a long dagger belted to his waist. The other, you're not actually positive is a Lorekeeper -- she's wearing a dress that looks more suited to a court or a ball than a Lorekeeper's normal mode of dress -- going by Radagast, yourself, and this other fellow for some idea of 'normal', at any rate.
The man looks up when you enter, and nods at you subtly, before turning back to his conversation with Radagast.
Ginrai walks up to the three to check on what they're talking about.
They appear to be discussing the application of magic, though what specifically they are discussing is beyond you; it's about light and stone, and doesn't really resonate with what you know. "Ah, Devin, Astryd," Radagast says, breaking off, "this is Lorekeepers Parthipan. He's a student of the lore of wind."
Astryd inclines her head. "I'm a student of Lightmaster Rowic," she says, bowing.
"The late Earthmaster Huron was my teacher," Devin says, putting one hand over his heart and bowing low.
Bowing in return, Ginari says, "Pleased to meet the both of you."
Turning to Radagast, he asks, "What is being planned for tomorrow?"
"Well, we were discussing that, actually," Radagast says. "Astryd is going to help me with the illusion, as planned. Devin here will see to if that any damage done to the walls of the keep is quickly undone. The students of the path of water will see that the moat is deadly, and the students of the path of fire will see that the foretrench is flooded with fire. You will be left to your own devices until we have a better grasp of our foes. If you can direct bolts of lightning at large groups of foe from a distance, that might be helpful ... unless you have a better idea?"
Ginrai shakes his head. "Not at this point. Is there anything you need me to do now?"
Radagast considers this for a while, but shakes his head. "Not yet," he decides. "Rest, and save your strength."
"Okay." Before Ginrai goes to pick up his possessions and find a room, he asks, "If I do come up with anything later tonight, will you be free in your room?"
Radagast nods, rubbing at his temples. "Not much rest for me," he says, sighing. "Wardmaster Mattias is ... well. With luck, we'll see him in a few days."
"Okay. Goodnight to the three of you." With that Ginrai takes his stuff and heads off to find a room.
You find an unclaimed room shortly. It's shaped like a square, one of the corners rounded a bit to account for the shape of the tower. There's a bed, a window (with actual glass) that looks out over the courtyard, and beyond that, the Dreadmarch and the battleground, and there's a large trunk you can drop your personal possesions in.
There's also a single high-backed and padded chair in front of a desk full of writing impliments and paper.
Ginrai looks through the spell books, searching for anything on a lightning spell.
His intentions are to read up for a while and then go to Radagast's room for a private conversation with the Loremaster.
There's quite a lot on lightning in the books. They explain how ligtning is a shared property of Air and Earth, among other things. That's kind of neat, but realistically, the spellbooks give you directions for how to assemble all kinds of lightning spells. You could make a self-directed being of lightning that ran around and smacked things, or you could make a chain of lightning that would leap from person to person, but never actually touch the ground until it ran out of energy.
You could also just call down a nice big lightning bolt, or throw the smaller one you've used before. No matter what you choose, you're going to need to decide what you want it to do, and then research the proper way to make the spell work the way you want it to, though. After an hour of poking through the tomes, your head starts to hurt, and you think that maybe Radagast isn't talking to Devin and Astryd anymore.
Ginrai starts to consider which of the spells he wants to research more on.
But first he decides to take a break and check if Radagast is free.
Radagast is currently alone in his study, puffing at his pipe and staring at a small crystal in consternation. He doesn't seem to notice you when you enter.
Ginrai walks towards Radagast to see what he's doing, not wanting to disturb him in case it's something important.
<Brian> Okay. You're in Radagast's study, still littered with dozens of curious and presumably magic items. As far as you can tell, he's just smoking, and eyeing the crystal in front of him. He might be meditating ... but you think if it were important, he'd probably lock his door.
Ginrai coughs politely, hoping to get his attention
<Brian> Radagast blinks, and then looks up. "Mmm," he hums, tapping his pipe into an ashtray. "Can't sleep?"
<Ginrai> "Not yet. There were a few things I wanted to talk with you about."
<Brian> "Something's on your mind?" he asks.
<Ginrai> "Before coming to the tower I had performed the 'seeing the wind' spell to check on the Dreadmarch. During that I noticed there were large poles in the ground every twenty or so meters. Any reason for those?"
<Brian> "Those are traps for the Dreadmarch," he says, nodding. "Magical...." He trails off, snorting. "Magic. Hah. I can barely manage any of this world's magic. It's explosives, with trip-wires set into the ground. Any charge will set them off, scattering a large number of the Dreadmarch forces before the battle begins."
<Ginrai> "I take it no one from this world realizes that?"
<Ginrai> "Anyway, do you think that would be enough to at least take out tonight's general?"
<Brian> "What small magical affinity I possess seems worlds beyond their ability," he says, shaking his head. "I can speak with birds and insects. None of them can do that, and they realize I also have some faculty with building things ... siege weaponry, mostly. Mm. A gift from my creator."
<Brian> He frowns at that. "I doubt the general will lead his charge. But I expect it will thin their ranks, and greatly damage their morale."
<Ginrai> "Do you remember anything about your creator?"
<Brian> "Quite a bit," he says, nodding. "We conversed at length after he created me."
<Ginrai> "Oh? Which world was he from and is he still around?"
<Brian> "World," he muses. "That's a tricky question. He called his home 'Earth', but he told me this world was 'Earth', too. He said that it just meant 'Home', the world he was from ... so I suppose that this world is, at least a part of the world he came from."
<Ginrai> "Actually, I meant whether or not he was from the world me and my friends were from."
<Brian> Radagast kind of shrugs at that, and sets the pipe on a table. "I imagine he was," Radagast said slowly. "What he told me, was that there is a central world, and it's surrounded by the dreams of others ... but there are worlds beyond that. Those worlds just happen to be out of reach."
<Ginrai> "Ah. What was his name and is he still around?"
<Brian> "His name was Alan, which he told me meant 'power'. He called himself a friend of wolves." Radagast frowned. "I think ... he vanished about a year after I agreed to help him. He left this world entirely. I'm afraid I haven't seen him since." He pauses. "Well, he did leave me with something...."
<Brian> Radagast rises from his chair, and rumages through a drawer for a moment, coming up with what looks like it would be a small statuette, but was broken. All he has is the bottom half, which looks like robes, feet, and the bottom of a staff, all connected to a roughly circular base.
<Ginrai> "What is that?"
<Brian> "He said he wanted to leave a message behind," Radagast explains, studying the remnants. "According to him, these are fragments of dreams, which can become reality. There are ... I believe ... three pieces to it. If all of them are found and assembled, it leads the way to something." Radagast frowned. "I think he said it was his home ... but not the home he came from."
<Brian> He shakes his head. "It doesn't make much sense. I imagine it's a key, but to what ... I can only imagine."
<Brian> He offers the statue to you. "Here," he says. "If you can find this, and the others, then perhaps you can find him, and see what he's up to."
Ginrai accepts the statue. "Thank you."
<Brian> It puffs into nothingness as soon as you touch it. "I hope that means it went to your world ahead of you," Radagast murmurs, slightly unsettled. "At any rate, I've some other news for you."
<Ginrai> "What is it?"
<Brian> "I've identified one of the other people from your world," he says. "The priestess of Liena."
<Ginrai> "Was she the person who had to take Mirallia's place in the ceremony?
<Brian> "Yes."
<Ginrai> "Crap. Does anyone else know?"
<Brian> "No. Only you and your companions would benefit from this knowledge." He frowns. "The odd thing is ... she seems, in my estimation, quite sincere about defending Stormwall Keep."
<Ginrai> "Best not to raise anyone's suspicions early on. Who were her companions on her way here?
<Brian> "I'm not certain," Radagast says slowly. "The captain of the guard under Lammermore may be another ... I'll have to look at him more closely. The rest, I don't know where they are, yet."
<Brian> "Not cheerful news, I suppose," Radagast sighs. "Regardless. Tomorrow is going to be a busy day, so we should get our rest."
<Ginrai> "True. A few more things before I leave, though. One, I believe tomorrow's general will be some large, troll-like creature. At least that's what I assume from what I saw."
<Brian> "An ogre?" Radagast asks. "
<Ginrai> "I believe so."
<Brian> "Hmm. Entirely possible. They may have suspicions ... with their greater numbers, they shouldn't need to worry about subtlety, or complex tactics ... but they appear to be much smarter this time around. I'm quite concerned about that human that you said was working with them."
<Ginrai> "He was the one who was talking to the Ogre."
<Brian> Radagast shakes his head. "Most likely, he's in charge, then. He's assigning a general for the first day, which means he's settling in for a long siege. Until the Jotun arrive, we should be safe ... but I don't know what they're planning. I don't like it, though."
<Ginrai> "Jotun?"
<Brian> "Ice giants," Radagast elaborates. "Huge, monstrous beings that fling boulders across the field, and try to take down the walls. They're resilient, as well. It takes a number of storm-riders, and some coordination to bring one down. Their skin is tough enough that arrows do little against them.
<Brian> "They fear fire, though, so we have our ways of fighting them."
<Ginrai> Ginrai sighs. "Hopefully they won't appear in the upcoming days."
<Brian> "We will hope," Radagast agrees. "Now, to sleep. We must hoard what rest we can."
<Ginrai> "One more question. Were you able to find out anything more about my other-self's past?"
<Ginrai> "Or anyone I might've been associated with?"
<Brian> "Unfortunately, no," he says, shaking his head. "After the siege, you might ask Eske to take you to the collegate, so we could look for your records, however."
Ginrai nods.
<Ginrai> "I guess I'll take a small rest and prepare for tomorrow. Good night."
After returning to your room, you climb into the bed and try and get some sleep....
...you're woken later -- not sure how much later -- by knocking at your door.
Slowly getting up, Ginrai calls out, "Who is it?"
It's Astryd, if you remember her name correctly. You hear her, but she doesn't open the door. "It's time to prepare," she calls through the thick wooden paneling. "Loremaster Radagast has asked us to get ready."
The room is dark, and when you look out the window, you can see that the moon has nearly set.
Realizing that it's almost time for the first night, Ginrai quickly gets ready and heads out.
You also nearly knock Astryd over, since she was standing outside your door waiting for you to say something. Looking at you somewhat crossly, she shakes her head and continues up the stairs to the next Lorekeeper that's still asleep.
"Sorry about that, Astryd." Before she can leave, he asks, "Where are we meeting with him?"
"He's in the courtyard with Lord Kevin," she says, turning back to look at you. "You can either follow me, or just go to one of the towers if you've already recieved your orders."
She frowns, looking at your face (you think). "You wear a pendant?"
"Yes. Anything about that that's strange to you?
"Anyway, since I haven't yet received my orders I'll follow you."
"Just curious," he says, shaking her head. "This way, then."
She leads you up the stairs to the next room, and knocks on the door, repeating her announcement. Whoever's inside makes some annoyed sounds at being woken up, and eventually answers the door, tromping down the stairs to attend some other errand.
This repeats a few times, until she's reached the last door, whereupon she turns around, and marches down the stairs, down more stairs, across a long hallway, and up a steep stairwell. Eventually, you find yourself atop one of the other towers, at the corners of the keep, and looking down across the dreadmarch.
There's a lot of them, and while the moon hasn't set (yet) they're assembling troops into formation just before the battlefield, prepared to march.
There's another three lorekeepers on this tower, two of them working together to draw a large symbol on the flagstone in red chalk, the third carefully winding silver wire around a length of what looks like bone. Radagast is visible in the courtyard, standing next to Bjorn and a few of the other people who are high up in the chain of command.
Ginrai checks if he can see the Ogre from the previous night among the Dreadmarch troops.
"Is there any specific spell you want me to prepare?"
Astryd looks at you oddly, and then says, "Can you summon dancing lights? The rede of twilight? Cloak of shadows?" She doesn't wait for your answer. "An it please you, Lorekeeper, we study different schools, and I'm yet no master. You should keep your own council, or better for your competence, you should be home where it's safe, not out here."
She turns away from you, and glares resolutely at the Dreadmarch.
The lorekeeper who's winding wire around bone just shakes his head, and the other two are still absorbed in making their symbol in red chalk.
Ginrai chooses not to reply to her comment.
"I'm going to the tower closest to the battlefield. Good luck to all of you."
On your way down the stairs, you pass Radagast, but he seems to be in such a hurry he doesn't notice you.
'Oh, of course....'
Ginrai sighs and heads back up to hear what Radagast has to say.
When you reach the tower-top, Radagast is speaking to Astryd about weaving something. You'd guess it's a spell, but its depth is beyond you. It's not about air, it's about light.
The two working on the red symbol finish, nod at one-another, and sit on opposite ends of the central shape, within a circle.
At a glance, it's like a carefully drawn circle of fire, with whorls, loops, and eddies of fire in a careful and specific pattern through the center. The outer perimeter is lined with glyphs and runes, most of which you can't identify. A few strike you as things you could use for your own spells, but only a small handful.
As the two sit down on the stone, their hands are placed in carefully drawn chalk circles. "We're ready?" one of them says.
"Ready," the other agrees. "At the signal."
'Nothing to see here.'
Ginrai heads off to the closest tower so he can start preparing his spells.
It takes a minute or two to make it to the nearest tower. This one has a trio of archers, and a single other lorekeeper. His eyes look heavily lidded, as though he was about to fall asleep; it takes you a moment to recognize him as Devin.
Ginrai prepares his spell:
A lightning bolt chain, uncontrolled and sticky with the area of effect doubled and the range quadrupled.
Limitions will be: Focus of my Staff (-1/2), Getures (-1/2), Incantations (-1/2), Only under Specific Starsign (-1), and Extra Time (-3/2).
Devin finally speaks, and says, "Wait until Radagast's traps have done their work before you begin."
Otherwise, your spell is ready. With the stars in alignment, you can rain chain lightning on your foes.
Ginrai nods while looking out to see if he can spot the night's general.
Nothing yet ... but they also haven't taken to the field.
There's a stir in the courtyard behind you; when you glance over, you see Lammermore transform into an Archon ... and then remember the illusion that Radagast mentioned.
Turning back to the field, the last light of the moon vanishes, and the Dreadmarch begins to advance across the field.
"It's time."
Ginrai waits to see the results of Radagast's traps, checking for the general every now and then.
Okay. What you see is this. First, the primary moat (the one filled with metal spikes) catches fire, leaving only a thin bridge of land directly before the door clear. Lammermore and his men head towards that clear spot from the keep.
On the field, the Dreadmarch begins to charge as once.
The first of them to reach one of Radagast's posts trips -- you're not sure over what, since you can't see quite that far. You see a bright explosion, a small circle with a large cone of flame, the wide end pointed into the advancing guard.
When the smoke clears, a swatch of destruction about 90 degrees wide, and 50 meters back has been cut through their charge ... but there's enough Dreadmarch to keep on coming, and they do, ruthlessly and relentlessly charging into the traps.
At this point, the Dreadmarch is about 200 meters off, entering the last handful of Radagast's explosive traps.
Ginrai continues to watch, patiently waiting for the moment when the night's general will be within view.
To the archers he says, "If any of you spot an ogre, please inform me of it right away. It will most likely be tonight's general."
"I see a buncha ogres," the archer grumbles.
The charge is mainly orcs, but there are a handful of ogres in the mix, too.
'So much for being in focus....'
Ginrai checks how far the Dreadmarch is from Lammermore's group and how they're currently positioned (have the split up yet or not).
Lammermore's group is in a tightly clustered formation. The dreadmarch begins to spread out as soon as the archers begin firing.
Ginrai looks for the largest cluster of Dreadmarch soldiers that are nearing Lammermore's group and casts his spell on the middle of that.
<Ginrai> roll 3d6 for a nice surprise
<Chibi-Suu> them bones was tossed for Ginrai ... : {13}
A charge of electricity flies from your fingertips, and strikes the ground a little to the side of where you were aiming. Coils of electricity writhe in a 32 meter diameter, crawling up the bodies of the Dreadmarch soldiers like electrified serpents, sending out crackling, actinicly sparking spawn to leap from soldier to soldier.
A lot of them fall. You're dizzy and breathless when the work is done, but there's a lot less moving dreadmarch in an area about fifty meters across.
You've lost count of how many were killed ... which is kind of a scary thought. Even scarier is the fact that they keep coming.
Ginrai checks what's taking place on the battlefield.
It looks like some big armored ogre with a sling is pissed at you for wrecking its army.
"Good news and bad news, guys. First, the good news: my attack did a great deal of damage and I've found tonight's general.
"The bad news is that he seems rather angry and aiming a sling towards this tower."
Turning around, Ginrai starts to run towards the exit. "I suggest we get the hell out of here."
Devin grunts. "This tower needs to be protected," he says. "Can you do nothing to protect the tower?"
The archers start unloading towards the dreadmarch general. They seem to be echoing the action of about fifty other archers, though, and the arrows all tink off its armor harmlessly.
Ginrai turns back. "Actually, I can," he replies and casts Force Wall.
The air in front of you and around the top of the tower weaves itself into a solid screen, just in time for you to see the orc whirl his sling, and hurl it at you as hard as he can.
He probably would have hit you, but the projectile is reflected harmlessly off of the force wall you've set up. Your own archers hesitate, then return, firing over the shield at the Dreadmarch.
The ogre is shortly enveloped in a whirling melee with Sir Breke, Bjorn, and Sir Lammermore. When it's over, the ogre dies, and the moon rises, turning the remaining Dreadmarch on the field into dust. After that, the defenders all retreat into the keep.
Ginrai sighs in relief. 'That went rather well.'
He heads off looking for Bjorn.
Servants are confused at first, but after a while, direct you to Lord Kevin's office.
This thread now merges with Successful Mission (http://pishoque.net/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=34810#34810).