Sapphire:Sessions:20140719

Rory, Chalker, and Striker have entered some kind of laboratory, which Rory's extra sense tells him is located north of Gateway. Peering through a door into another room, Chalker sees a man seated at a desk, quill in hand. The man is so intent on the document he's writing, he doesn't look up as Chalker pushes the door open, crosses the room, and sets himself behind and to the right of the desk. As Chalker draws his sword, though, the man glances over his shoulder and his mouth gapes in a horrified expression.

Chalker says, "Hi! What's your name?" "Simon." Simon appears to be in his late 30s, with sandy brown hair and a pale complexion. Chalker: "I'm new here; excuse me if I ask some questions." Simon replies to Chalker's questions that he is an apprentice mage who works in this tower; here he receives "accelerated learning" in magic. The halfling's corpse is being autopsied as an investigation into its body structure. Simon's master's name is Hall Winfer; he is not a necromancer. Simon has questions of his own: "Do you intend to invade the tower? How did you enter?" "Through the gate. How many mages are there?"

As Simon hesitates before answering, Chalker checks his aura. Simon is a level 3 mage, has 'touched unsavory things,' is inclined a little toward the dark, and is opportunistic. Simon states that the master, his employer, and at least two other mages are in the tower. "When I don't appear for supper, someone will come looking for me." He is surprised that Chalker hopped over the stone surrounding the gate instead of walking on it (which would have triggered something); "You must have done this before."

Chalker: "Rory, I have a mage here. Should I kill him?" Rory: "Not really."

Chalker catches Simon making a slight gesture which he recognizes as a Create Light spell, though no light appears that he can see. "I know that spell you did. You've warned somebody. When they get here, I'll have to cut you. You understand the rules." Simon: "It would make it difficult for you to establish a relationship with my employer. I have obligations to him. I could act as an intermediary between the two of you."

Chalker: "Rory, we may have to leave soon." Rory: "I'm already thinking about that. Don't kill the mages; you know how Ricardo feels about that." Chalker notices that Simon recognizes the name 'Ricardo.'

Chalker gathers up the papers that Simon was working on, sheathes his sword, and leaves just as the other door to Simon's room opens. Chalker dashes through the gate and Rory shuts it down.

Chalker finds Trace and gives him the papers. They contain reports on spell effects, daily activity summaries, and the like.

Rory marks the tower's location on his map. It is on the southern side of the mountains about 60 miles from Gateway.

Trace: We need to patrol around the manor. We don't know who's outside the illusion. The orcs might have regrouped and come back. Chalker: Tomorrow morning we can do a perimeter check. Do you know how to deactivate a gate from the other side? Trace: No. I don't think we're using the gates as they were designed. We're using the crystals as an override. Chalker: We need a control panel. Trace: Like a remote control? I don't know if it exists. If Danilon had used crystals, there would have been a set of them here. Malcolm has been looking at the crystals, but he doesn't know what they are.

After supper, Chalker summons Malcolm. "Is Danilon's ring in the house? The ring he used to travel?" "When he left and did not return, he was carrying all of his magic implements." "Did he take his personal journals?" "He took two swords and a backpack containing magical supplies." Rory: "Did he have any crystals?" Malcolm: "He had some. He probably took them with him. He left on horseback through the gate." Chalker: "Were there crystals in the gate when he left?" Malcolm: "After he left, there were no longer any crystals." Trace: "If we knew the arrangement of the crystals, I could find out where Danilon is." Malcolm: "Once he left... the crystals were absorbed into the gate." Chalker: "I want to understand Danilon better. Where are his journals?" Malcolm: "They are hidden from me."

Malcolm asks to see Trace's crystals. Trace obliges, adding, "I've been trying to figure out the Venettian numbering or color coding system." With Trace's permission, Malcolm picks up each crystal and holds it for five seconds, which causes each crystal to sparkle. He indicates, "Those five crystals were in the gate when Danilon departed." Trace: "What positions were the crystals in?" Malcolm points and says, "That one was in the upper right corner. In all, twelve crystals were used." Before Malcolm fades away, he states, "I will assist you with anything that would help the master come back." Chalker and Rory conclude that there must have been a way to bring the crystals through the gate.

That night, Chalker sees his first two circles. He motions to Jax, who says, "It's almost over, Chalker." "Where's Aliana?" "It would not be wise to tell you. She is safe." Jax adds that Aliana has been traveling, but he doesn't know why. Chalker: "She can't be that pissed at me, can she?" Jax: "I have to put the book back every morning." Chalker: "Well, I have bigger fish to fry me."

Rory sees Cor but doesn't venture to speak with him. Trace sleeps and sees Cor, Roo, Jax, and Mensep, then Aao, Aup, and Asseraah.

In the morning, Chalker, Trace, Rory, and Striker check the grounds around the manor. The orc campsite has been dismantled.

Chalker and Trace go to the dwarven office. Trace has Rory pull one crystal from the gate, then replace it. The middle right socket flared briefly when the gate shut off and again when it came back on. Trace asks Chalker for a crystal and plugs it in; all twelve slots light up. Trying different crystals, Trace finds that three of them produce the lighting-up effect. The equivalent slot on the manor side of the gate is activated. It's primed for a spell, and Trace says, "I need to figure out which spell they used."

Chalker asks Rory about his maps. "Can you say where gates are?" "I think so. I'm trying to figure out where the gate that was dug up came from and where it should be. The gate from the warehouse should be set up by now." However, when tested, that gate doesn't activate. The gate that they buried in sand is still blocked.

Chalker uses his penetrating vision to peer into the grounds of the manor. He finds no hidden or buried rooms.

In the early hours of the 28th, Chalker sees all three circles. He chooses Roo, who says that she is pleased with the way events have been unfolding during the Godwalk. "In the next three days there will be important decisions made, and the day after that is also very important. I am always present to help those who need and ask. These personal meetings will be infrequent after the Godwalk, as you will have no need for physical protection from the other First Chosen. Those arrayed around each of you are due to events you do not yet have the vision to see." Chalker: "Protect me from the guy in the mirror."

Trace, who didn't sleep, thinks about asking Cor a question but doesn't want to bother him. He feels a flash of pride from Cor.

Chalker takes the "borrowed" notes back from Trace, scrawls "Thanks" on the top sheet, and throws them back through the gate.

On the 29th, Rory sees Cor, Solash, Jax, and Santash, then Aaoo and Aup, then Yasseph.

Chalker sees the first two of his three circles. Aaoo steps forward and asks, "Have you reconsidered?" "No. It's been nice having these conversations with you, but soon we will have no more." "That could change if you want it to." "I have learned a lot." "You could embrace the pain, open up new powers and vistas." Chalker says firmly, "Thank you, and goodbye." "You may yet become enlightened," murmurs Aaoo as she vanishes.

Trace speaks to Erathaoe, who tells him, "You have procured a powerful tool. It's important to understand how to use it. The Venettians had some very good herbalists." Trace: "Since they lived underground, how did they grow food?" Erathaoe: "They fashioned the world to their needs, generally showing proper reverence for the ground. I will be glad when the discussions are over and things calm down. The last Godwalk was a lot quieter than this one."

Rory establishes a new baseline for his gate calculations after locating 66 good ones.

Trace puts together a scarecrow, then studies Gate spells. He works to synthesize a spell that combines Control Gate and Apport. He reminds Rory that he needs to find the crystal combination for the manor gate.

After opening the gate to the bait room, Trace first sends through a Wizard Eye, then Apports his scarecrow. Nothing in the room appears to have changed. He moves the Eye under a dresser, then sends the scarecrow over to the bed under which is the weathervane. A number of small jewels cascade out of the vane and bounce on the floor; one of the jewels flashes. Thirty seconds later a man levitates down, faces the gate, and casts Sense Foes. Trace moves the scarecrow toward the mage, who raises a wand and casts a lightning bolt which strikes the scarecrow and sets it on fire. Chalker, peeking through the gate, fires his bow and strikes the mage in the chest; the arrow doesn't pierce his body armor. The mage dodges the scarecrow, but flames from the latter catch the mage's robes on fire. Chalker fires a metal-tipped arrow; this time he pierces the mage's armor, and he uses his telekinetic power to push the arrow in a little further. Trace warns the others that the mage has formed a ball of lightning in one hand. Chalker pulls one of crystals, shutting down the gate (and also breaking his link to his arrow). Trace sees the mage hurl the lightning, which leaves a large scorch mark where the gate would have been; in fact, bounceback from the lightning strikes the mage, but it causes no damage to him. The mage's mouth is moving. Trace moves the Eye into the folds of the mage's clothing.

Chalker reopens the gate and the mage steps back. Chalker quickly pokes his head out just long enough to reacquire a link to his arrow. Trace, through his Wizard Eye, looks up through a hole in the ceiling; he sees flickering firelight, and another Wizard Eye looking downward. He hides his own Wizard Eye in the mage's clothing. Chalker shoves the arrow further into the mage's body, and the mage doubles over in pain.

When Chalker peeks through the gate again, the mage is no longer in the room, but there is a splash of blood on the floor. His arrow, which had pierced clear through the mage's body, is embedded in the far wall, the shaft shattered and the arrowhead bloodied and bent. Just before Chalker draws back his head and shuts down the gate, he sees a number of bats flying down through the hole in the ceiling.

Trace untangles his Wizard Eye from the mage's clothes and moves it into the night air. The mage's robes, burnt and bloody, lie in a heap next to a campfire, and the injured mage is being tended to by another person. Trace counts a half-dozen armsmen on the ground and a mage levitating about 40' in the air. Seeing an array of fancy tents, Trace realizes the men have been camped here for at least five or six days. Somewhat to his relief, he sees no signs of a gryphon.

Chalker: "We should mark that gate 'dead.'" Trace: "I guess we should have sent something bigger."

Through his Wizard Eye Trace sees the bats fly back up from the hole, but fewer of them than went in. The first mage, now healed, takes a number of things out of a chest, and he and other mage speak to one another over a crystal ball. They cover the hole with a silk cloth, cast a spell on the cloth, and station around it three guards armed with quarterstaves. At midnight the first mage levitates up to swap places with the airborne observer.

Trace, who can't sleep (and is able to pull power from the gate array) watches the camp all night. Chalker and Rory explore a few new gates.

Chalker happens to check his journal; adjacent to Trace's sketch of the magic vine are very detailed notes about the plant, in handwriting he doesn't recognize. He shows this to Trace. The unknown herbalist has written that Trace's vine is a mutation of a known plant. Chalker writes in the journal today's date and the words "thank you." Trace writes "You're welcome." Chalker: "Not you, dummy!"

Not long after midnight on Harvest Time 30, Chalker sees his first two circles. Roo: "Congratulations! Unless you do something exceptionally foolish, you have survived the Godwalk. My avatars will still be moving in the world. We will talk again."

Mensep: "Will you consent to take another message?" Chalker: "No." Mensep: "It could profit you. If you will take three more messages, I will tell you the one you don't know." Chalker: "No more messages until I fulfill my obligations." Mensep: "You have to decide which way you want to jump. The balance didn't tip as much as I feared it would. This increases the probability of a good outcome. It's too soon to tell." Chalker: "So, you won't wipe us out again." Mensep: "Several of us have praised Roo's forethought at having you stay in this manor during the Godwalk. However, it is time for you to become an actor again. Do what you do, Chalker Jackson. Chaos will soon be plentiful." As he utters the latter sentence, Mensep moves his hands, miming a juggler.

Rory sees Cor, Solash, Santash, and Yasseph, the latter in her form of an elven ranger. "I've sensed you a few times," he says to Yasseph. Yasseph: "I commend your archery. You do proud the arrows in your quiver. You have kept them magical by your belief." Rory: "Thank you for the luck we've been having, though it hasn't been all good." Yasseph: "Do you wish a boon?" Rory: "We could use a little luck figuring out the gate system." Yasseph: "Apply your skill, and luck will follow." A coin appears in her outstretched palm, and she drops it bright-side-up into Rory's hand. "Remember that face the next time you need luck. Save it for a time of need. You have many tough choices to make. It's not just luck, it's choice."

Cor observes, "That isn't going to make Asseraah happy. I'm impressed. You learn fast and put things together well." Rory: "How many do you talk to? Are we the only ones?" Cor: "Not just your group. The First Chosen have been busy. You are one of only two groups to get the attention of so many of the First Chosen. Others wished to use the Godwalk to obliterate your group. Thus the physical attention." (Cor clarifies that he's not talking about Rinaldo Canana's group, though they do pay observance to Cor.) Cor: "Thank you for helping the Venettians be remembered as they should be."

Trace notes that Rinaldo did not appear at the campsite, and after several hours their alert level stands down. Trace's attention is drawn by Cor, who seems to be physically present. "You've invented a new spell and are on the cusp of re-inventing an old one. You have come into a group of people that several of the First Chosen are not fond of." Trace: "They take it as though it's normal." Cor: "We don't control you, and we don't protect you from everything. I think we should be no more than 'background noise.'" Trace believes Cor specifically wanted him to see his physical manifestation.

Trace causes his Wizard Eye to 'pop' in order to "freak out" the sentinels. During the day's studies, he successfully synthesizes a spell combining aspects of Control Gate and Apportation.

The segments of Rory's algorithm fall into place; he knows where all the mobile gates originate, and he knows the address of Danilon's manor's gate.

The night of the 30th, Chalker, Rory, and Trace discuss their next move. They possess a tool to find gates. Rory thinks he can find a gate closer to the Calventine Empire (the nearest they've found so far was 250 miles away). They will soon test Trace's new spell. In a couple of days they will leave the manor and resume their travels.

On Change Time 1, they test Rory's theory and verify the crystal combination for the manor's gate. Trace's new spell succeeds as well. Rory tries to open a gate closer to Sapphire, but his cartographical skills aren't cutting the mustard, and the nearest he gets is 200 miles from Sapphire. Chalker suggests getting something to eat, and trying the gates again after dinner.

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