It's been two months...I doubt it. Anybody want to take over GMing? I haven't been here very long, so I'm not sure about the flavor of the game or where it is/could be headed or I'd do it.
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In the meantime, let's play a game! The name of the game is Train-of-Thought (it'll be difficult to win/lose on here, but it should be fun anyway!) How to Play: someone writes a word or single-unit phrase (e.g. "marshmallow" or "palm tree"); the next person to post writes a word having to do with the previous word (e.g. "s'more" or "coconut"). If you say something that proves unrelated, or if you say a word that was said before (even if it was part of a phrase) you're out. Also: if someone uses a homonym, you can use a word that applies to any definition of that spelling. I'll start: Precipice
I'm still here too!
Z&F: Zabela bows in gratitude, "That'd be lovely!" she says, happy to be able to return to her usual self. She turns to Fenn, "Shall we?" Before he answers, she grabs his arm and heads out the door.
Z&F: "Is there any chance we might speak with one of them?" She asks as politely as she can over her impatience with this man who obviously knows what they want but for some reason refuses to help them.
F&Z: Zabela looks at Fenn knowingly and then looks back at the man, "You'll have to excuse my companion, he's more accustomed to people with hardier constitutions. He'll keep his peace for now, I promise." She returns her gaze to Fenn with a pleading look.
F&Z: "I'd like to highlight the point Fenn made about the rarity of this kind of magic. Are you sure there's no one you know or know of who has been known to make portals of this kind, or at least has the necessary power to do so?"
F&Z: "What about where it leads, who made it, why it was made? And if you can't answer these questions, we'd appreciate it if you could point us to someone who could." Zabela's retort was quick, but calm and sweet.
Fenn & Zabela: Zabela makes sure to stay within earshot of her half-elven partner
Fenn & Zabela: "Well if there really isn't any other authority on the matter...there aren't any other people in here right now, so perhaps it's safe enough. Fenn, could you watch the door for us? Don't keep anyone out, just let us know so we can stop short if need be." Once he has, Zabela slips the shard of portal glass out from her pack, and displays it for the guildsman.
Zabela, missing the subtle quip regarding their appearance, asks, "I was trained near my home in the Kyonin forest...I don't suppose that qualifies me for your particular guild here, eh?"
Zabela nods at the plan, and takes the scroll when its handed to her. At the end, she replies, "Sounds like some good time-management. I'll get started on the information-gathering. Let me know if and when we get the rest of that loot sold, and how much of it goes to me will you? I don't want to go shopping without knowing what my budget is, you understand." After any replies or resolved objections, Zabela exits the office. Before anything else, she racks her brain for anything she might have learned about the area's magic or nature. She then proceeds to the wizard's guild to ask around about Bishop's Gate--or just any dwarven ruins--and the treasures within, or Jesir.
Zabela listens to her comrades' questions before chiming in, "I really don't think it's any of our business what they all decide on regarding their leader, but if Haloma is the rightful leader of the clan, she has every right to seek support; regardless of whether it may prove fruitful." After Father Mahan's comment she agrees, "Yes any other details you have for us would be greatly appreciated. Or is the plan simply to follow them on their trip? A kind of help-any-way-we-can type mission?"
Zabela was hoping to avoid it, but she steps up. "Have you enjoyed your tantrum, Fenn? I'm sure you're very upset, but pitching a fit is no way to earn respect from anyone, least of all me. I'll not have you wait for me anywhere, because you're not leaving." She continues to Dugan in the same firm, but calm voice like that of an old, but strong governess; "And as for you, Lockbreaker is it? What a name to make! And what are you 50? 60? Don't make me laugh child, I've walked Gozreh's domain since long before you were born, and will continue long after you commit your corpse to it!" Her voice came to an inflection at the end, a fire blazing behind her deep emerald eyes. Once her considerable calm returns, she says, "Now, if the two of you boys are done bickering, there's something more important happening here than your egos or your purses. Who is this Haloma, and what does she need from us?"
I'm not sure if I got it all, but I think I did. If so, I'm at 835.
Zabela is positively giddy. This is the most "real-world" experience she's had in decades. It's just like the books I read, she thinks, angry arguments between dwarves, shady under-handed law-keeping, leveraging assets for power. She finds herself incapable of suppressing a very quiet squeal accompanied by a beaming smile.
Zabela is more than a little afraid of the beggars. Poverty is met with a considerable amount of dignity among elves, this was simply heart-breaking and frightening all at once. Coming up to the building and seeing the dwarves, her fear was mixed with excitement and anticipation. "We have an appointment, gentlemen. I say we keep it. Even if we have to wait our turn. Unless of course, Master Spellwhisper knows another way in?" She looks at the halfling expectantly.
Zabela slowly sips her beer, trying not to let the bitterness affect the look on her face. She agrees to follow with the group to Dugan's office who will not be sneaking.
To Bringor, Zabela answers, "I'm fairly observant, and I can be quiet when the occasion calls for it. Shall I accompany you?"
"I didn't hear anything either. And I really am very interested."
Zabela Detects Magic on the flask, the ring, and the scroll, and her suspicions are confirmed, "Just the scroll, Fenn. The other two are mundane."
Zabela follows Fenn as she did before, only she asks around at the tavern and the market about the caravan.
Zabela whispers back, "Whoever that is in there, they must be very important! I'd like to meet them, but I'd be afraid to waste their time."
I couldn't tell, you're doing great!
Still drowsy, Zabela opens one eye just enough to see what's happening, a single dark sliver on her fair face. Seeing the ponies and bells, she sits up slowly, blinking. Realizing it wasn't a dream, she leaps out of her bedroll and excitedly approaches the odd caravan, if at a moderate pace.
On their way back, even Zabela's elven patience was tried in trying to help Fenn pronounce the elvish words which would grant him access to the magic in her spellbook. But he tried so earnestly that her irritation, however mild, soon dissipated. Upon hearing Fenn's idea about the mirror, Zabela's eyebrows leapt and she answered excitedly, "No! That sounds like a perfect plan! I'd like to come with you on the other two errands as well! I'm not one for dealing with merchants..."
Zabela leaves.
"Well done, friend! Now we know it's the glass that's magic...but what does that mean for us, I wonder?"
"Inspired!" Zabela says excitedly. She almost shouts Prestidigitation in elvish, and a one foot square of the floor in front of her becomes immaculately clean. A bit calmer, she says Detect Magic once more in elvish to see if there's one square foot of mundane floor where there wasn't before.
Zabela's brow furrows, "Well that doesn't help us at all. The ground and the mirrors are both emanating magic, which means they could both be required, or one could be imbuing the other with the spell's magic. There's just no way to tell without the caster."
Zabela's eyebrows rise at Fenn, "Well look at you! You really have been studying your wizardry! Let's see..." She casts Detect Magic before and after putting the mirror shard on the ground. Zabela blushes at Jeseare's proposal, "Oh I'm afraid it has the opposite effect for me, but thank you all the same!"
Zabela brings a piece of the mirror into the wine cellar, " Here's something odd...When I pick up the mirror, it's no longer a portal; if we're worried about it being dangerous, perhaps we should simply move it elsewhere? Maybe it's the room that's magic, and the mirror's just the conduit."
"Ugh! That's frustrating," Bela says with a slight hint of what someone who's never been angry might call anger, she looks up from her work to address Fenn, "It's not all here, some of it must've been destroyed. What do you want to do?"
Zabela claps excitedly when the rock falls hard off the pedestal and the shards of the mirror are all exposed. "This is the spell combo that won me the Adept Competition at the Academy!" Zabela proceeds to use both hands and a great deal of concentration to use Mage Hand and Mending to attempt to fuse the pieces of the mirror two shards at a time.
"In order for anything to be done with the mirror, it must first be repaired." She looks directly at the large rock in the middle, "Didn't I see someone try to move this earlier?"
"Right," Zabela answers Fenn. She then hands over her book to him, "You should have this, it'll at least give you a good starting point in your studies."
"We need to collect these potions, they may come in handy. And I've got myself a new spellbook!" She holds it up proudly. She removes her book from her pack and holds them both looking at them both longingly for a moment. She places the new book in her pack, and gingerly places her first one in the place of the new one. She pauses a moment before analyzing the potions available.
Zabela attempts to identify the vines, the bird, and the manner of magic being used for the mirror portal before perusing the books for their information.
"Careful Fenn," Zabela says softly, a hand on his back, "there's powerful magic coming from there."
Zabela had silently inspected the light in the opening in the wall with a Detect Magic. And, when asked, Zabela nodded to Fenn and notched an arrow with which to cover him.
Zabela attempts to free herself from the vine's grasp as she fires another arrow.
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