"I suppose that's true," she admits, "but ... Kalsgard!" She shakes her head. "I thought I was going far enough afield traveling all the way to Riddleport. It will be quite cold there, won't it? All my winter clothing is in storage in Korvosa; I never expected to be away so long."
"That's a good point. Is Brinewall cold? Is this a good spot to get warmer clothing, or should we wait? Some of us ardn't exactly built to shop off the rack at some of the more flea-bitten villages of the world."
Sandru pauses for a moment, and scratches his beard. "Hmm... That's a good point, actually. We should only have another few days or so to Brinewall. You might not need winter clothing in Brinewall, but since we'll be continuing on to Kalsgard, we'll need to stock up on cold-weather gear eventually. I need to make sure the caravan is supplied for a trip past Brinewall anyway."
He turns to Corinna. "I'm not experienced with route north of here. The route to Brinewall should be simple enough, but I'll need your geographical expertise to get us from there to Kalsgard."
Corinna's brow furrows. "I wish I had some of the maps I saw in Korvosa here with me," she frets. "I never expected to have to remember them well enough to chart a journey to the frozen North."
Melon (still not run-off with Gilfroy) adds, "Relax, you'll find that Karlsgard requires only a journey to the frigid North." There's a grin on her face as she adds to Gilfroy: "Come! Maybe we make you a man tonight!"
"Perhaps there are maps to be found in this city.", offers Malan. "[/b]We can add that to our list as we prepare for the cold climate."[/b]
"Okay, Fezzy," Melon tells the gnome as they make their way to their first den of dubious merit. "Don't trust any man - or woman - that offers to buy you a drink. That's the quickest way to get shanghaied around here." While walking she takes a frown, "
Shanghaied? Why would I use that word? Pressganged."
"I won't even pretend I don't know what you mean by that, but I'll just ignore the implications it makes, for your own safety."
Later, however, Gilfroy nods at Melon's sage advice, though with the demeanor that says, "What kind of fool do you take me for?".
He buys his own drinks, hoping to spot one of the smaller folk to chat with.
"Perhaps there are maps to be found in this city.", offers Malan. "[/b]We can add that to our list as we prepare for the cold climate."[/b]
"Maps will definitely be a priority to acquire today," Sandru says. "I'll return to the caravan and let the others know what we're up to. Then I'll head back into the city to purchase supplies."
Tevyn watches everyone go their own way and shrugs, picking a random road to walk down and taking in the sights, while keeping a constant hand near his coin and pack.
"Mr., er, Tevyn," Corinna calls after the half-elf as he begins to walk away, "if you've no particular destination in mind, would you object greatly in walking with me up toward the Cyphergate?" She unnecessarily points out the towering landmark arching over the harbor to the south. "I'd love to see it while we're here, but I'm a bit nervous about wandering the streets alone." She turns toward the elf. "What about you, Mr. Malan?" she asks. "Any interest in ancient Thassilon?"
Tevyn slows at Corinna's call. "Oh? Sorry, I thought you were heading off with someone...else. Of course, I'll be happy to walk with you. The Cyphergate might be interesting to see."
"You'll never see its like anywhere else," she falls in step with him. "It's one of the most prominent examples of Thassilonian architecture remaining in Varisia today, along with the Irespan in Magnimar and the fortress upon whose ruins Kaer Maga is built." She blushes a little. "I've never seen them either," she admits, "but I've read about them and seen artists' renditions. They say the Cyphergate is a perfect semicircle, and some theorize that it is, in fact, a ring buried in the earth, that it continues until the circle is complete beneath the ground. No one knows how the Thassilonians built it, and it's covered with runes which no one has yet been able to translate, despite the greatest minds in Varisia working on them for decades. There's a mage's guild here called the Cypherlodge whose whole purpose is to study it. I'd love to have a look in their library," she adds, almost to herself. "Of course, it would be fascinating to take a sabbatical and just do some pure research, without the need to tutor students and grade papers, but, well, it does pay the bills. One has to have an independent means of support to join a guild ... or get a grant from some wealthy patron to fund one's project. Not that there's any shortage of people eager to uncover the secrets of Thassilon and willing to pay for the chance, but I don't know any of them. At any rate, I'd as soon not live in Riddleport, obviously. If I were to get that position in Magnimar, I could earn my living at the Stone of the Seers and have the opportunity during my time off to to a little amateur study of the Irespan, although I'd be lying if I said it interested me as much as the Cyphergate. They're both marvels of engineering, but only the Cyphergate has the mystery of the runes just begging to be unlocked." She catches herself and blushes again. "I'm sorry; I'm running on again, aren't I? Mr. Belwas and I had a system where he'd hold up three fingers to get me to stop."
"Yes. I am. My mentor did not know much of ancient Thassilon so this will be a chance for me to increase my knowledge."
Corinna appears relieved to have both men accompany her and stays between the two, using their formidable presence as a shield against any untrustworthy passersby. "Well, then, I suppose my lecture isn't entirely wasted," she laughs up at the elf. "Do you suppose we could get right up to the Gate where it rises out of the ground on this side of the harbor? Can you imagine actually touching something so ancient?"
"I am sure it is no more aged than some of the Twilight Elders." Malan jests. "Though I hope it is no worse preserved."
"Mr. Fezziwig could have made quite a filthy jest from my remark about ... long-lived Calistrian elves or some such, couldn't he?" Corinna realizes, blushing deeply. "I'm glad he and Melon weren't with us to hear it." She glances around to be absolutely sure that the woman with the habit of popping into so many conversations unbidden really has gone bar-hopping, gnome in tow.
"Your tendency to run toward lecture," Tevyn says, "isn't a bothersome quality for me. I've never known anyone who knew as much about magic and the ancients as you so it's quite interesting. Before today, I'd rarely even heard Thassilon mentioned. I knew it had something to do with the Troubles but that's about all."
Thinking about something so old, he shakes his head. "I'm not sure I'd have the courage to touch something like that. Aren't the runes supposed to be dangerous?"
"Could this whole town have sprung up at its very feet if the Cyphergate were dangerous?" Corinna replies. "Look," she points up, "there's even a gull sitting on top there. No one knows what the runes mean. They're not arcane in nature -- or if they are, their aura is masked beyond the greatest living wizards' ability to detect it. They're not any recognizable letters in any known language, either. There are many scholars who have mastered ancient Thassilonian (including... well... me), and while the runes bear some resemblance to the Thassilonian alphabet, they don't exactly correspond. That glyph there," she points at one of the lower runes over the harbor, illuminated in the sun, "it's almost the symbol for the long A sound, but then instead of crossing the third stroke, they jot above the fourth column. It's fascinating ... and maddening, like just hearing the sound of voices but not being able to make out any of the conversation. The Cyphermages spend their lives trying to make sense of it, standing on the shoulders of researchers gone before, but they have nothing but unproveable theories. As I say, I'd love to see their library. I suppose every novice mage with a degree in the arcane to her name nurtures the secret hope that she'll spy the clue countless of her betters have missed," she smiles a bit sheepishly. "A Cyphermage came and gave a lecture at the Academae once. Wasn't well-attended sadly -- many of the wizards there are focussed on more practical use of magic than on the pure research side of it -- but that's where I first heard about the Cyphergate. Made a point of looking it up in the library the next day. It's really all I know about Riddleport."
"Long A with jot. Got it. Now I know something more than a did only minutes before. Thank you for the new experience."
Corinna gives the elf a sidelong glance, unsure if he's joking with her or not. "It's ... surreal," she comments, glancing around at the rundown taverns and raucous sailors that fill the streets. "All these people living their lives here and not appreciating the priceless wonder that they see every day. I'd wager most of them couldn't tell you a thing about Thassilon. I'm sure it's no different in Magnimar, though. To them, it's just always been there, a part of their vista. Like the Old Light back in Sandpoint. How many of us pay the slightest attention to it, though it's undoubtedly as old as the Cyphergate ... if less conducive to research?"
"It does seem so easy to take for granted that which has been there all along. And that is a shame. A shame and a lie." Malan rubs the stone, feeling the power within the aged stone.
Tevyn listens carefully to Corinna's explanation as he studies the runes. "I confess, I'm more interested in the history than the magic. The Old Light always interested me but given its more recent history, I've kept clear. Of course, I've also been so caught up in my studies of the creatures living in the area around Sandpoint that I've neglected to pay more attention to unmoving things that are simply there."
He looks mildly embarrassed, standing beside such learned individuals and behaving as though he can contribute to the conversation.
"I'm the other way around," she laughs. "I obviously have no problem delivering a lecture on ancient Thassilonian architecture, but I couldn't begin to tell you what kinds of animal and plant life one might expect to find along the road between Sandpoint and Korvosa, a road I've traveled regularly for a decade. Always been in a carriage, with my nose stuck in a book. You gentlemen are far more valuable outside an academic setting than I."
"Raucous as ever, ey? The Caiden bunch don't really know about a quiet drink," Melon tells Gilfroy as they take stock of the Publican house, the "temple" to Caiden Caylean. "Though I wager a good half here is like us - just looking for a good time."
Tevyn shrugs, "We all have our strengths and weaknesses. I've spent most of my life traveling alone through the swampmire or the forests surrounding Sandpoint. It's proving to be more interesting than I'd have guessed to travel with others who have different things to bring to the experience."
Corinna, Tevyn, and Malan spend the next while observing the Cyphergate. They're not the only ones there. Other obvious out-of-towners (tourist types, almost) pass by to look at it, usually only sticking around for a short period. There are also a couple of scholarly looking individuals (possibly wizards) observing and studying it. They are already there when your group arrives and are still there after you depart. They say nothing to you (unless you speak to them first).
Meanwhile, Melon and Gilfroy find a few places to drink and be merry at. They do tend to be raucous places, but luckily, not too violent or dangerous. While the majority of patrons are certainly human, there is a wide variety of races, from dwarves to elves, a few half-elves and half-orcs, halflings, and a some gnomes too. They even think they see a goblin at one point. Gilfroy can certainly find other small folk to talk to. And as Melon warned, there are those who offer to buy them free drinks, although possibly to Melon's surprise, Gilfroy is the recipient of more of those than she is.
Eventually, everyone makes their ways back to the caravan (although Melon and Gilfroy probably much later than the others). Over the day, Sandru has purchased new supplies and restocked old ones. The caravan now has new heavy blankets to help keep people warm while sleeping on cold nights. There are enough for everyone, plus a few extra.
Ameiko smiles as Corinna, Tevyn, and Malan return. "I hear you're staying with us," she says to Corinna. "I'm glad."
Corinna, Tevyn, and Malan spend the next while observing the Cyphergate. They're not the only ones there. Other obvious out-of-towners (tourist types, almost) pass by to look at it, usually only sticking around for a short period. There are also a couple of scholarly looking individuals (possibly wizards) observing and studying it. They are already there when your group arrives and are still there after you depart. They say nothing to you (unless you speak to them first).
"Do you suppose they're Cyphermages?" Corinna whispers nervously to the men. "Do you think they'd mind if I interrupted them?" She pushes her hair, a little wild from the wind off the harbor, behind her ears and smooths down her robes, then, on second thought, casts a quick prestidigitation to remove any road dust from her hems. With a wish-me-luck glance at Tevy and Malan, she takes a few steps toward the conferring scholars and clears her throat politely. "Excuse me," she says deferentially. "My name is Corinna Valdemar, on staff at the Academae in Korvosa. Might you gentlemen be affiliated with the Cypherlodge?"
Ameiko smiles as Corinna, Tevyn, and Malan return. "I hear you're staying with us," she says to Corinna. "I'm glad."
"Yes, well," Corinna replies awkwardly, "it seems the person I'm looking for might be in Kalsgard. Or a person who might know where he might be is on his way to Kalsgard." She sighs. "It's all frustratingly theoretical."
"Do you suppose they're Cyphermages?" Corinna whispers nervously to the men. "Do you think they'd mind if I interrupted them?" She pushes her hair, a little wild from the wind off the harbor, behind her ears and smooths down her robes, then, on second thought, casts a quick prestidigitation to remove any road dust from her hems. With a wish-me-luck glance at Tevy and Malan, she takes a few steps toward the conferring scholars and clears her throat politely. "Excuse me," she says deferentially. "My name is Corinna Valdemar, on staff at the Academae in Korvosa. Might you gentlemen be affiliated with the Cypherlodge?"
One of them, slightly startled, turns to Corinna. He's a fairly young half-elf with dark hair and ink smudges on his fingers. "Oh, uh, yes," he stammers. "Well, working with their blessing actually, but I'm not actually a member. Maybe one day, but um...yes, uh, can I help you?"
Ameiko smiles as Corinna, Tevyn, and Malan return. "I hear you're staying with us," she says to Corinna. "I'm glad.""Yes, well," Corinna replies awkwardly, "it seems the person I'm looking for might be in Kalsgard. Or a person who might know where he might be is on his way to Kalsgard." She sighs. "It's all frustratingly theoretical."
Ameiko gives her a sympathetic smile. "I'm sure you'll find him eventually."
"Do you suppose they're Cyphermages?" Corinna whispers nervously to the men. "Do you think they'd mind if I interrupted them?" She pushes her hair, a little wild from the wind off the harbor, behind her ears and smooths down her robes, then, on second thought, casts a quick prestidigitation to remove any road dust from her hems. With a wish-me-luck glance at Tevy and Malan, she takes a few steps toward the conferring scholars and clears her throat politely. "Excuse me," she says deferentially. "My name is Corinna Valdemar, on staff at the Academae in Korvosa. Might you gentlemen be affiliated with the Cypherlodge?"One of them, slightly startled, turns to Corinna. He's a fairly young half-elf with dark hair and ink smudges on his fingers. "Oh, uh, yes," he stammers. "Well, working with their blessing actually, but I'm not actually a member. Maybe one day, but um...yes, uh, can I help you?"
"I don't mean to interrupt you," she says apologetically. "My friends and I were just discussing the Cyphergate and its mysteries. If it's not proprietary research, might I ask what you and your colleague have been tasked with at the moment? I work in the classroom, you know, so a research position sounds very interesting in comparison to going over the same introductory coursework term after term."
"I don't mean to interrupt you," she says apologetically. "My friends and I were just discussing the Cyphergate and its mysteries. If it's not proprietary research, might I ask what you and your colleague have been tasked with at the moment? I work in the classroom, you know, so a research position sounds very interesting in comparison to going over the same introductory coursework term after term."
"Translation work," he replies eagerly. "Well, sort of. We're familiarizing ourselves with the original runes. Most of the time, when you work on translations, you have to work with copies, which might contain errors, so it's good to get out and look at the originals from time to time. If you're interested in whether we've discovered anything, well...not yet, unfortunately. Not anything that anybody else hasn't already discovered at any rate. I thought I'd made a big discovery a couple weeks ago, but...er...yeah, you don't want to hear about that. Suffice it to say, I was wrong." He frowns and looks embarrassed.
"Oh, I see," Corinna responds. "Fresh copies, so that speckle of ash from Master So-and-So's pipe or the smudge of ink from Mistress Someone-Else's fingers doesn't get confused as part of the original rune by the next peruser to come along. Copying errors can be very vexing, can't they? I find scrivener's chant to be invaluable in copying test papers and study materials for a class full of students, but it does get tedious to have to keep concentrating on the same text over and over. Tends to give me a headache as well, but I suppose it saves on finger cramps. Forgive my asking a foolish question, but have you tried scrivener's chant? I don't even know if it would work on ancient stone arches."
Ameiko gives her a sympathetic smile. "I'm sure you'll find him eventually."Ameiko smiles as Corinna, Tevyn, and Malan return. "I hear you're staying with us," she says to Corinna. "I'm glad.""Yes, well," Corinna replies awkwardly, "it seems the person I'm looking for might be in Kalsgard. Or a person who might know where he might be is on his way to Kalsgard." She sighs. "It's all frustratingly theoretical."
"You're more sure than I am," Corinna sighs. "It's been so many years, and the world is such a large place. What are the odds of finding one person in it? It was a difficult enough task when I thought my search would be limited to somewhere between Sandpoint and Riddleport, but now I'm headed out of Varisia entirely. At least no one's told me he might be dead yet." She attempts a smile, as if that's the brightest side she can find to look on.
The half-elf nods. "Oh yes, it's an invaluable spell. Saves a lot of time and effort. But unfortunately, it writes in the hand of the caster, so unless you normally have a really steady hand, it's strangely just as capable of making little errors as you are. I mean, not that you, personally, make little errors. I'm not saying that. I just mean, you know, you in general, as in people. Um..." He takes a breath and continues. "The runes on the Cyphergate have a lot of very small subtleties to them and a slight slip of the pen can make it easy to confuse two of them."
"Mmm," Corinna nods. "I see. I must admit I was copying test papers one time and started to get hungry, and when I picked up the completed parchment, I discovered that questions on summoning minor monsters had somehow turned into a grocery list halfway down the page. I'm sorry: Your name was --?" She offers her hand to the half-elf in a belated greeting.
"Oh, right, sorry," the half-elf stammers, taking her hand. "I'm Amil Termon. Nice to meet you...um...?"
"Corinna Valdemar," she repeats with a smile. "Of the Academae. May I ask where you studied? Or were you privately taught?"
Amil goes red as he realizes Corinna already told him her name. "Oh, right, Corinna. You said that, didn't you? Sorry. You're from the Academae? That's really impressive. I was just privately taught. But he's a good teacher. A bit strict at times, but otherwise good. I learned a lot from him, and he really instilled in me an appreciation for knowledge in all its forms. I can show you the specific section we're working on, if you'd like."
-----
The evening at the caravan passes quietly and calmly. Ameiko provides some music as usual, but it's otherwise a subdued evening. A cold rain starts to fall and it sends everyone huddling to bed somewhat early.
By morning, the rain has stopped and the sun begins to dry the land up fairly quickly. It's already a warmer day than yesterday and looks set to warm up some more. Since the overall trend of late has been towards colder weather, today looks to be a nice (if only temporary) relief.
Gilfroy and Melon stumbled back at some point during the night. It is a very cranky gnome who appears at breakfast, and gets up in his wagon afterwards. His typical incompetence with driving in full force, angry mutters about an illusory horse doing a better job pulling the thing drift across the caravan several times.
Gilfroy's stellar driving skills result in several of the other drivers yelling at him over the course of the day. At one point, when Gilfroy's managed to turn Umbral and the wagon perpendicular to the road so that the wagons behind are blocked, Vankor actually climbs down from driving Koya's, hops up beside Gilfroy, and without a word, snatches the reins from the cranky gnome. He soon has Umbral going in the right direction again, so passes the reins back to Gilfroy. He then hops down and returns to Koya's wagon.
Amil goes red as he realizes Corinna already told him her name. "Oh, right, Corinna. You said that, didn't you? Sorry. You're from the Academae? That's really impressive. I was just privately taught. But he's a good teacher. A bit strict at times, but otherwise good. I learned a lot from him, and he really instilled in me an appreciation for knowledge in all its forms. I can show you the specific section we're working on, if you'd like."
"Would you?" Corinna asks brightly. "I'd be delighted."
Amil smiles and leads Corinna over to the area he was looking at. He begins pointing out various runes and explaining what is known of them (which amounts to lots of possibilities with slight variations between each one).
----
Apart from the incident with Gilfroy's wagon, the day passes calmly and uneventfully. The sun shines brightly and it does indeed warm up quite a bit by mid-afternoon. By evening, the temperature begins to drop again, but during the day, the weather is almost summer-like.
The road follows the Velashu River north. To the west, you can see the Calphiak Mountains rising to tall, pointed peaks. Their presence means that the sun begins to "set" earlier, and the caravan spends a couple hours travelling through twilight before stopping for the evening.
Corinna is legitimately fascinated by the perplexing possibilities of the Cyphergate's runes, so Amil finds her a appreciative audience. With his permission, she makes her own copy of the section of runes he and his colleague are working on and promises to spend some time studying it on her travels and write to him with any suggestions she might come up with.
"I was just telling my friends," she laughs self-deprecatingly, "how every newly-minted mage with a cantrip to her name secretly dreams of spying the clue scholars have missed for generations and unraveling the mystery of some artifact or another. But, really, I suppose every discovery is made by someone. Who ever heard of Rary or Melf or Nystul before their research yielded spells every arcane college teaches? They were just crazy dreamers, too." She smiles. "I suppose you're a divination specialist to be studying runes? Or are you a generalist?"
Corinna looks at the mountain peaks when they become visible with interest. "Have you ever been there?" she asks Sandru. "They say the range is full of Thassilonian artifacts. I'd love to see the Valley of the Stars."
"Artifacts?" Melon's voice pipes up at the prospect of adventure and spelunking. "Can we go have a look? ...maybe after Brinewall?"
"After Brinewall," Corinna retorts firmly, with an anxious look at Sandru, hoping he'll back her up, "we're headed north toward Kalsgard, not back south to play amateur mountain-climbers. Not that it wouldn't be thrilling to be part of an archeological expedition, but it ought to be a real expedition, with scholars properly to catalog the finds, not looters to take them home and hand them around a tavern." She has clearly not forgotten Melon's idea of the proper disposition of the chest of items from the cave in Brinestump.
As the caravan sets up camp, Tevyn makes his way over to Ameiko. "It looks like we're nearing the Calphiak Mountains. I'm glad we're not heading that way. Someone told me once that a lot of the old toys of the Thassilonians can be found over there. It always makes me nervous when fools mess with things they don't understand."
That evening in Koya's wagon. "So it looks like Rajah isn't going to make it after all. Too bad. On the happy side, though, is this trip what you were looking for? Feel good to be on the road again?"
Corinna is legitimately fascinated by the perplexing possibilities of the Cyphergate's runes, so Amil finds her a appreciative audience. With his permission, she makes her own copy of the section of runes he and his colleague are working on and promises to spend some time studying it on her travels and write to him with any suggestions she might come up with.
"I was just telling my friends," she laughs self-deprecatingly, "how every newly-minted mage with a cantrip to her name secretly dreams of spying the clue scholars have missed for generations and unraveling the mystery of some artifact or another. But, really, I suppose every discovery is made by someone. Who ever heard of Rary or Melf or Nystul before their research yielded spells every arcane college teaches? They were just crazy dreamers, too." She smiles. "I suppose you're a divination specialist to be studying runes? Or are you a generalist?"
"A generalist," he replies. "My teacher's a generalist, so I kind of had to follow in his footsteps, although if I'd had the option, I probably would have specialized in divination. I'm certainly far more interested in the knowledge side of magic than in the blowing things up side. Although the occasional explosion can be kind of fun, I guess." He chuckles a little uncertainly.