Sapphire:Sessions:20140607
Trace cannot sleep this night, so he walks the perimeter of the illusion. He notes that the vines he had pulled away show some tropism toward the stone markers. He gathers a half-bushel of vines and takes them to a lab inside the manor where he begins testing their properties.
A short time later Malcolm enters the lab, asks Trace what his question was, then grants permission to look inside the one secret room that Malcolm thinks is most relevant, but not before noon.
Mensep and Roo hover in the background as Chalker addresses Cor. "Why are you here?" "I'm curious. I have been on the sidelines in regard to the current discussion; I am re-evaluating my position." "But you know so much." "Yes..." "Are there any out-timers involved?" "A few; you seem to run across them quite often. They keep upsetting Dar; he is very protective of our dominions. Oh, and thank you for your assistance; the blacksmith will live."
Due to the problems he's had with the identification and password, Trace asks to go back to the bedroom where Chalker found the knife. He examines the room and its furnishings carefully, building up an impression of the knife's previous owner. Later, when he tries once again to divine the knife's password, he succeeds.
Three distinct groups of First Chosen occupy Chalker's dreamscape: Mensep, Roo, Cor, and Jax, the nearest; Asseraah, Aaoo, and Ooaup; Yasseph, Solash, and Santash. He chooses to focus on Ooaup (Aup), goddess of envy, and at this the first and third groups become defensive. Aup appears as a beautiful woman with long black hair. She addresses Chalker without preface. "You really should be the prince of the kingdom. You have all the skills." "Have I upset you?" "Only in that you don't realize what you could have, and that you thwart those that could help you." "Your talents help me immensely. Maybe I am not serving you to the best of my ability. I will get what's mine and what's theirs. Getting what I deserve -- there's too many variables." "Well said. You may yet be a diplomat. But standing in the way of what is decided puts you in danger." "Am I looking at your true face, or what I want to see?" "Do you want to see? You are seeing one of my true essences, but not the totality. With a thought from you I would stand in my physical manifestation." "I'm not stupid." "I would be personally glad to help you attain what you want and deserve." "Who has been selected to help me attain my goals?" Aup smiles and says evasively, "The others -- there is a dance. If you ever change your mind and wish to become a Chosen One, you would make a good avatar."
At breakfast, Chalker relates that he sensed ten of the First Chosen. He talked to Envy, but doesn't recommend it. "'Getting what I deserve' isn't a positive thing."
Trace tells Chalker that he has figured out the knife. It was made specifically for a non-mage's use. Trace writes down the three-syllable password and gives it to Chalker.
That morning's random gate exploration turns up a couple of well-preserved alchemy labs, one of which has a communications panel. Chalker directs Trace to these labs; Trace collects a good deal of equipment, books (written in Venettian), and even herbs and takes them back to his lab in the manor. In one of the labs Chalker finds a log book with a list of people's names, like a sign-in sheet. Stamped on the cover of the log book and carved into the side of a table are the words THE ZARCON.
That evening, Rory points out, "We need to take tomorrow off from gate exploration. We're getting into a pattern, and that mage might anticipate us." The last random gate of the day leads to a room on the coast of the Troubled Lands. Though the room contains nothing of interest, per Rory's suggestion they remain there for a good half-hour "to give the mage an impression." Rory says, "We should return here a couple more times, maybe set a trap."
Trace enters the secret room. Subjects covered by the many books include history (the Venettian Empire and its collapse), primers for several colleges of magic, and a thin volume titled Theory of Time and Dimensions. Trace calls Malcolm and specifically requests to read this book (since the guardian had granted him entrance to the room but had not explicitly said he could touch the books). Malcolm pulls the book off the shelf and lays it on a table, then gives Trace express permission to read any of the books, but not to copy or remove them. Trace eagerly peruses the book, finding basic Time and Gate spells, a theory of time and dimension travel, and a discussion of the "outer realities" (e.g. astral plane) and the connections among them. He replaces the book on the shelf and goes to bed, and sleeps well this night.
Chalker senses the first (Mensep, Roo, Cor, and Jax) and second (Asseraah, Aaoo, and Ooaup) 'circles' from the night before. He addresses Roo, who notes, "Envy does have an agenda." Chalker queries, "Am I seeing your true face?" "No; this is one to which I think you would be most amenable. I have always felt a good connection to you. You are a good agent of Fate." "For me to see your true face might be either transcendent or induce madness." "Yesterday, when you called for Aup, who did you see? Did you understand the significance?" "Yes, I understand. And I have seen more of Aaoo than I want." "You are beginning to have the start of wisdom." "You are making me less uncomfortable. Mensep and Cor make me more nervous. I can't put Jax in perspective; what he tells me is totally true, but he knows I don't understand enough. I think if I asked Cor the right question, he would tell me the truth. And then slap me." "Those who become avatars see more of our true essence, our true beings." Roo fades away.
The next day, Chalker explores the manor thoroughly, peering into and through the walls and floors. He would like to find the manor's control panel, but he does not set foot in any of the forbidden rooms. Rory works on his gate mapping, trying to make sense out of the system. He feels he needs more data points. Trace performs tests on the vine, learning that its magic-dampening effect is stronger when the plant is fresh. The quartz cube contains powerstones inside of it. The cube was formed using Earth spells rather than being carved from rock. It has a couple of Knowledge spells, and is presently attuned to detect Venettian gates.
The three return to the room (where they want to leave an impression for the pursuing mage to pick up on) at the same time of day as yesterday, for the same amount of time. Nothing is different about the room; there is no indication the mage has located or visited it.
Back in the manor, Chalker discovers what was once a stairway that is now filled in. It seems as though an entire sub-floor that the stairway once led to was moved somewhere else.
That night, Chalker senses the same two 'circles'. He focuses on the Lord of Darkness; with a swirl of his cloak Asseraah steps forward, handsome and square-jawed, with piercing gray eyes. It was not he who set Rinaldo Canana to hunting down Chalker; "he is resourceful on his own. ... Santash has been more successful in her arguments than I want her to be. ... Offer up a prayer of true devotion and I will be there in a heartbeat." "I am a pretty chaotic individual." "What is darkness to one might be to another. (sic)" "I am always at your beck and call. I understand cause and effect, and my place when it comes to the First Chosen." "Those of us who are close to you are representative of where your core devotions lie. If you were to change, it could be beneficial." "To be closer to you than to Yasseph, Solash, and Santash should disturb me, but it doesn't, because we are what we are. I hope you get exactly what you deserve." Asseraah chuckles, "I do not understand Roo's attention to you. She is attracted to Law, not Chaos." "Because I am focused. Our goals sometimes mesh. She has a certain way of looking at things, events, and people." "I certainly see what Mensep sees in you," Asseraah says, departing.
Trace speaks with Mensep, who appears agitated. "Can I get you to deliver a message for me? Tell Dar that anything I'm doing that may cause time slips is not meant as an offense to him! However, I may have cause to do that again." "The reason Dar is 'sensitive' is that there are more beings doing things with time than there have been in two millenia."
For a third time, Rory and Chalker visit their 'impression room,' remaining for only a few minutes.
In the early afternoon, Chalker returns to The Zarcon alchemy lab. He plugs crystals into the comm hub, thinks of the last gate combo he tried that didn't work, and queries, "What is that location?" "Nothing exists in that designated area." "What is this place's designation?" "The Zarcon Laboratory" followed by a string of symbols and numbers. Chalker writes this down and gives it to Rory. "Darla's Guest Bedroom" gains him another string. "How far and in what direction is Darla's Guest Bedroom?" "Information is not included in this ritual." Chalker notes, "We might be able to find out where some of the blocked gates are. More points of reference for Rory."
Rory says that Darla's Guest Bedroom is near Alpina. "It could be forty miles away; it could be directly under it. Remember, we found those tunnels beneath Alpina." Rory obtains the general locations of ten blocked gates which are situated underneath mountains, possibly blocked by cave-ins.
That evening, Rory and Chalker's 61st gate leads to a dark, dank room that stinks of human waste. Their lanterns reveal shackles, chains, swords, and various implements of torture, all broken. The stout wooden door is banded with iron; there is a slot along the bottom where a tray could be pushed under it. Rory determines that this place is in the mountains on the extreme northern border of the Calventine Empire. The corridor outside curves slightly. Chalker hears groans of pain from the left. They move quietly toward the sound. They come to a door held closed with a heavy iron bolt; the moaning is coming from behind the door. Chalker peers through the door. Chained to the back wall are two men, one moaning, the other clearly dead.
Chalker slides back the bolt and opens the door. The prisoner goes silent, cringing. His clothing is in rags. Blood seeps from open cuts. His bare feet are missing several toes. He squints against the dim lantern light. Chalker says quietly, "Do you want me to set you free?" Through parched lips, the man answers, "Yeah..." "Then answer my questions." "Anything..." "What's your name?" "Taylor... Ed Taylor." "Where is this place?" "In the mountains, the northern mountains." "Who are your captors?" "You are... you are a servant of the Death Master." "What is the Death Master's name?" The prisoner's expression goes blank, as though the question doesn't register. "Where are you from?" "Village... of Tyler Meadows."
Chalker pulls the pins out of the shackles and eases Ed Taylor to the floor. He steps outside, pushes the door closed, and tells Rory "We're in the Death Master's dungeon. We need to find someone who's in better shape to tell us what we need to know."
Rory reports that upstairs there is a man seated at a desk (G1), and another (G2), with his sword nearby, leaning back in a chair. A ring of keys is on top of the desk. Chalker floats a shackle pin into a torch. Rory nocks his heart arrow and aims at G2. At Chalker's signal, Rory steps into view, shouts "Heart!" and shoots; G2 tumbles to the floor, dead. Chalker releases the heated pin down the back of G1's shirt, and as G1 jigs about frantically trying to get rid of the scorching-hot metal, Chalker knocks him out with a blow to the head.
Rory retrieves his arrow and shoves the dead man down the stairs. He goes through the papers in the desk but finds only a letter addressed to a woman. Chalker drags G1 into Ed's cell and shackles him, then gives Ed a sip from a pitcher of weak ale that Rory had sent with him.
Chalker slaps G1 back to consciousness. "Do you want to die? Your friend is already dead. Answer my questions and I'll leave you in this cell. Otherwise I will stab you repeatedly." "You... you must be a Duke's Man. I'm not a torturer, I'm just a guard!" G1 describes a mage named Teron who calls himself Death Master. Within the tower are a number of other guards and an unnamed torturer. Chalker announces, "I'm bringing this Teron to share your cell," and knocks G1 back out. Chalker gives a little more ale to Ed, who rasps, "The Death Master took my daughter... killed my wife." Chalker gives Ed a sword, then goes out and closes the door.
"Rory, we've got time to kill a mage, don't we?" "As long as the Death Master doesn't show up." They check the other cells and find six corpses and fourteen living prisoners, including three women. The one prisoner who is in good enough shape to fight is a man named Gavin, who says as Chalker frees him, "I don't recognize your house." "My house is far away." Gavin had been making a delivery near Greenwald, then his next memory was of waking up in the dungeon. Many people in the area had gone missing over the past several months. "The torturer drains blood... either he or the mage might be a necromancer." Chalker checks Gavin's aura, which is consistent with his claims. Rory finds a bow and some arrows and gives them to Gavin.
Rory brings the keyring, and the three men go upstairs to the ground floor of the tower. They peek into the kitchen; two women are busy preparing a meal, and don't notice them. They continue on to a bunkroom with ten beds where four guards are getting dressed for duty.
Chalker floats a poisoned dagger along the ceiling, then strikes the guard farthest from the door (G6). Rory shoots the next-furthest (G5). Gavin's sword-swipe misses G3, but Striker leaps and rips open G3's shoulder. G4 tries to get behind cover, but Striker takes a chunk out of his leg. A few seconds later all four guards are down. The three lay the guards in bunks and cover them up. Rory notes that there are three unmade beds.
They move purposefully up the stairs to a large circular room which they decide must be the torturer's bedroom. The room is unoccupied and the bed unmade.
At the top of the tower, Chalker takes a quick look; standing in front of a closed door is a guard dressed in leather armor and armed with a sword and a large knife. Chalker murmurs, "Rory, you're up." Chalker charges as Rory shoots; the arrow wound stuns the guard. Chalker swings his sword and nearly decapitates the guard.
Chalker looks through the door, which isn't locked, and there's nothing within his field of view. Chalker opens the door and the three charge in. No one's in the room. To the right, Chalker hears two men talking; to the left are shuffling sounds. In a low voice Rory reminds Chalker, "They took Ed's daughter." Chalker motions Gavin to go left. From behind the door to the right, someone says, "Did you hear that?" "No." After a pause, "Something doesn't feel right." "I don't sense a mage. Don't think the Duke's Men have found us." "We're not ready. Not enough blood essence." "Sergeant Baran, check it out."
As Baran opens the door, Rory fires a special poofball arrow, which breaks open and begins filling the other room with gas. Chalker slashes at Baran, who utters an oath and dodges. Torturer tries to avoid the gas, while the mage waves it away with a gesture. Chalker uses his metal power to throw his new knife, uttering the trigger word; the knife strikes the mage, delivering a deadly jolt of lightning. The mage collapses to the floor.
Chalker strikes Torturer with his sword, stunning him. Baran charges and swings at Rory, who dodges. Striker bites Baran in the left hamstrings. Rory fires an arrow which barely pierces Baran's armor.
Chalker smites Torturer with the flat of his sword. Rory slaps his bow across Baran's face. Gavin fires at the man emerging from the left-hand room, but his shot goes wide. Striker bites Baran's right leg.
Chalker rushes toward Gavin's target. Rory hooks his bowstring around Baran's hand and yanks hard, pulling the sergeant off-balance; due to his leg injuries and loss of blood, Baran is unable to stay on his feet and passes out. Gavin's target drops his sword and spreads his empty hands wide in a gesture of surrender.
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