Roshek - The Great Census of 1305

[Chasmfiend#1]

1 hour ago, Sorana said:

"I can't go back home."

Amara set down pinnate and stretched her back.

"I wish I could, but I can't."

"It would be nice to rest for a few days."

She smiled at him for a moment, brushed her hair out of her face.

"Could I join you? Maybe travel a bit together afterwards? It would be nice to not be alone at least for a while."

Mutig joined them and she looked at him for a moment and then laughed suddenly.

"The three, or four it is now, of us. Just imagine what impression those around us have to have. We're like completely different colours all thrown in the same pot. And it's great!"

More earnestly she added.

"I like you. Both of you."

@Steel Inquisitive

@Chasmfiend#1

Mutig shrugged.

 "I will need to make my way back to Brat. But I can spare a couple days before leaving." He looked at them both, "Your free to come along, if you wish. I can can think of several people there who could use a master healer, as well as a master hunter."

@Sorana @Steel Inquisitive @Vargo Seldon

[Vargo Seldon]

Algorath shuffled up the line, until the diminutive teller was in front of him.  In a bored soprano, she said, "Name, place of birth, and abilities."  Algorath said his name, but he had to think a while on the place of birth.  "Well, I might as well tell you of both of them.  The first one is in Fen's Quarter, the town.  And the second one is in the Taliin Forests, under an oak tree."  The teller looked a bit confused, but wrote them both down anyway, and waited for the third part.  "Special abilities...  I'm an extremely developed Apex, almost a monster."  The woman handed him his sack of gold, and he joined the others outside.  He came to the group just in time to hear Amara talk of traveling together.  "My pack can provide protection.  We don't have anywhere we need to be, so we can join you.  That is, if you'll have us.  We are also extremely good at hunting."

@Sorana @Chasmfiend#1 @Steel Inquisitive

[+Sorana]

"I'm not a master healer. I'm just a girl who learned her trade from her mither and catched the wrong man's eye."

She looked at Jürgen.

"I wouldn't mind going with them, as long as I can help someone and improve my skills I am content for now. What do you think?

@Chasmfiend#1

@Steel Inquisitive

@Vargo Seldon

 

Edited March 26, 2019 by Sorana

[Vargo Seldon]

Algorath shrugged, "It hardly matters to me who goes, especially if I myself might not be able to."

@Sorana @Chasmfiend#1 @Steel Inquisitive

 

[MacThorstenson]

20 hours ago, ZincAboutIt said:

Liezl nodded, looking the man over with a slightly more critical eye. "If you've got the same eighteen carats as anyone else at the census, that's a good two months if you're just renting the stable." She tapped her mouth with one finger, thinking.

"Being on the canal has its perks, I'll tell you that, but it's a blighted nightmare other times. If you can seal up the back wall of my cellar nice and dry, you can bunk that horse and wagon as long as you like. I'll even feed the beast. Can't tell you how many times I've come down and been ankle-deep in filthy water after a heavy rain, and I'd be laughed out of the Academy courtyard if I went up asking, or at least charged an arm and a half. Can you do it?"

Thorstein thought for a moment, then slowly nodded. "I should be able too. A lot will depend on the specifics, but I will take a crack at it. If you will give me a moment, I need to grab a few things." With that he walked outside, but instead of going to his wagon, he walked into the Dark Alley on the side of the Tavern. 

"Psst... Wanna Cookie?" A hunched over man hobbled out of the shadows with what appeared to by metal spikes through his eyes, "I got lots o' cookies! All the flavors." He said in a hoarse whisper.

Thorstein grinned. "Doctor Pandrin it's a pleasure to see you back on the streets. If you have them, could I have two white chocolate chip cookies? Those are the ones that increase mental speed, right?"

The Doctor looked up "Thorstein! Long time no see! Yeah, the white chocolate chips are the ones you want." He looked into his bag, "Here you go, and for you, no charge." With that, he melted back into the shadows.

Thorstein started eating the cookies as he ran to his wagon, grabbing his satchel. That had his scrolls, crystals, scales, bugs, and writing utensils. And his lantern. All shrunken down to fit inside. Then he grabbed a waterskin. This one never had a leak, and it should work.

He walked back into the Tavern ready to work. "Ok, so I will need to ask you a few questions about the cellar, and take a look down there, is that alright?" He asked Liezl, "First I will need to know the construction of the house and the celler. Were they both constructed at the same time? What about the cellar itself, any patches over the years, replacement walls. Anything that would have changed the cellar dramatically. Secondly, is it only the back wall that's giving you trouble, or is it all the walls, and finally is there a table down there that I can work?"

Edited March 26, 2019 by MacThorstenson

[+ZincAboutIt]

4 minutes ago, MacThorstenson said:

He walked back into the Tavern ready to work. "Ok, so I will need to ask you a few questions about the cellar, and take a look down there, is that alright?" He asked Liezl, "First I will need to know the construction of the house and the celler. Were they both constructed at the same time? What about the cellar itself, any patches over the years, replacement walls. Anything that would have changed the cellar dramatically. Secondly, is it only the back wall that's giving you trouble, or is it all the walls, and finally is there a table down there that I can work?"

Liezl thought, watching as the man stood there with his arms full. "Well, this place is older than I am by a good stretch, but as far as I know the inn and the cellar were built around the same time. The back wall caved halfway in about eight years ago - never heard Burkhardt swear so loudly. We got someone out to brick it up again but it's leaked worse than ever despite that most of it's new. It's mostly the back wall that's giving me trouble, but the two sides also let in some water on occasion. I'm just waiting till the whole blighted thing crumbles..."

She set down the rag in her hands. "Oh, and a table. Yes, there should be one down there for you. Do you need more light? I've an oil lamp back here somewhere."

-----------------------------------

Aldred's attention caught as the man at the end of the counter reappeared with his arms full of tools and boxes. A sliver of recognition worked its way through his hangover.

That merchant in the square from yesterday, he thought. The Ritualist that wanted a story.

He stood up tentatively, then, when his footing seemed secure enough, he shuffled over to Thorstein.

"Want some help carrying all that?" he said, eager to watch the man work. 

 

[MacThorstenson]

Thorstein looked at the Sayer man struggle to stand up, He's probably hung over.

"Want some help carrying all that?" he asked. Not really, Thostein thought. Aloud he replied, "Yeah, could you please hold my lantern?" He held up a weird looking metal cylinder, about 6 inches wide and 2 inches tall. It had a slot in the top where one could stick a coin. That part spun around.

He started walking down the stairs, and located a table down there where he sat his stuff. He took back his lantern from the Sayer man and set it on the table. He placed his coin in the slot, then muttered "Lunos". The coin started spinning rapidly, giving off light like a full moon would on a clear night. "Perfect", he whispered.

He walked over to the wall that was recently rebuilt, splashing through a few puddles as he did so, and looked at the construction. "It looks pretty new," He muttered, "Could be an issue. At least it's made of the same materials." He paced the length of the room, and the width, taking note of the side lengths. He walked over to his tool box and brought out a tiny bag that expanded to full size after he said a few words under his breath. He then walked around the outside of the room, pouring dirt to form a square, then he found a dry spot, and poured a small circle for the waterskin. Thorstein grabbed a scroll from his box and rolled it across the floor, forming a miniature premade spell. This one would isolate a bug to use in the enchantment. 

Once all his equipment was set up he sat down at the table and started writing the spell. He had internalized a lot of the commands, but for most enchantments it would be better for him to write things out.

[+ZincAboutIt]

Down in the cellar, the light from the man's odd lantern cast a pure whitish glow around the damp room. Aldred moved into a corner to stay out of Thorstein's way, not keen on interrupting a Ritual in progress. He motioned to Lilia as she descended the last few steps, then Liezl, and together they leaned against the wall. Aldred had seen plenty of magic - he'd done plenty of magic, but nothing like this. Despite his headache, Aldred felt himself leaning forward, eager and excited, trying to catch a glimpse at what the man was writing. Lilia watched quietly, wide eyes reflecting the cool lunar glow of the lamp. Liezl twisted the end of her apron, face a bit nervous. Aldred resisted the urge to laugh; she was like a mother goose fussing over her nest.

@kenod

Quote

Whenever you sign back on, all three of us (well four if you count Liezl) are down in the cellar now.

 

[MacThorstenson]

Thorstein looked up at Liezl, the poor girl looked like she thought he was going to blow up her tavern. 

"Would it help if I explained what I was doing?" He asked.  Her nervous nod indicated that it would.

"Ok," He sat back and took a breath. "Essentially what I am doing, Is I am taking the ability of my waterskin to hold water, and transferring it to your cellar." He saw her bewildered face and explained a bit more. "Everything exists on three planes, only two are important for this. The first is this normal realm, and the second is the spiritual realm, where everything exists as a concept. 

I am going to use ritual magic, to take parts of the concept of being a waterskin, and put it on the celler.

The concept of the waterskin, is to keep water in and out. Its waterproof. There is also a lot of other things to being a water skin, like being hold able, and easily refillable, but I don't want those parts.

I just want the part that makes things waterproof. What I will do is isolate that part of the concept, and move it onto the cellar using energy from the bug and the crystals. Then the Cellar will become waterproof. Does that make sense?"

@ZincAboutIt

[+ZincAboutIt]

Liezl looked over at Aldred, who seemed to be following the man better than she could. He nodded at her encouragingly.

"I... I think so," she said. "Your waterskin keeps out water, so it's... soul is going to live... in my cellar?"

She looked at Aldred again, who wiggled his hand back and forth a bit as if to say "sort of." Liezl looked back to Thorstein. 

"Your waterskin," Aldred piped up, neck stretched out as far as it could go while leaning up against the wall, "will it still hold water after the ritual? Or will that piece be here forever?"

@MacThorstenson

[MacThorstenson]

Thorstein thought for a moment.

"No, the soul won't live in your cellar. A piece of the soul of the waterskin will become a part of your cellar. As to my water skin, a variety of things could happen. This part of its soul will stay here however, so unless I replace it with something, It will lose its waterproofing. Most likely it will collapse and fall apart, because I removed a crucial part of its soul, but it could remain intact and just not hold water. There are a variety of things I could do to preserve it, but I don't really care about this waterskin, so I won't try to preserve it."

@ZincAboutIt

Edited March 27, 2019 by MacThorstenson

[+ZincAboutIt]

Aldred nodded, beginning to put together what Thorstein was trying to do. He glanced over at Liezl, who was looking at the Ritualist with a mixture of confusion and gratitude. He grinned at her.

"I told you I'd bring you something nice," he whispered. She rolled her eyes.

Aldred leaned back against the wall, watching the man work. His magic was a silent thing to Aldred, no pulsing, no droning, not even the whisper of a pull. Here in this cellar, Aldred was just... Aldred. The priest, the wanderer. The disappointment. He swatted the thought away like a fly.

"I've never heard of such detailed enchantment," Aldred said, partially to distract himself, partially because it was true. The few Ritual mages he'd met had been twice as haughty and not half as skilled as Thorstein. "How long did you study? Is it true that they keep you in the Academy for a hundred years before you get to practice magic outside the walls?"

@MacThorstenson

[Steel Inquisitive]

6 hours ago, Vargo Seldon said:

Algorath shrugged, "It hardly matters to me who goes, especially if I myself might not be able to."

@Sorana @Chasmfiend#1 @Steel Inquisitive

 

 "I have no objections." Jürgen replied. "I am interested in that Sayer though. Do you think he would let us travel with him? The Sayers are always going into dangerous situations, so I hear, so maybe he'll want extra protection?" Jürgen rambled on.

@Sorana @Chasmfiend#1 @Vargo Seldon

[+Sorana]

2 hours ago, Steel Inquisitive said:

 "I have no objections." Jürgen replied. "I am interested in that Sayer though. Do you think he would let us travel with him? The Sayers are always going into dangerous situations, so I hear, so maybe he'll want extra protection?" Jürgen rambled on.

@Sorana @Chasmfiend#1 @Vargo Seldon

"We could go and ask him?"

Amara was relieved that Jürgen planed to come with them. She wouldn't have felt comfortable alone with Algorath. He had been nice so far, but still he scared her.

@Chasmfiend#1

@Vargo Seldon

@Steel Inquisitive

[Steel Inquisitive]

9 hours ago, Sorana said:

"We could go and ask him?"

Amara was relieved that Jürgen planed to come with them. She wouldn't have felt comfortable alone with Algorath. He had been nice so far, but still he scared her.

@Chasmfiend#1

@Vargo Seldon

@Steel Inquisitive

He nodded. "Back to the tavern then?" Jürgen asked looking at the group.

@Sorana @Chasmfiend#1 @Vargo Seldon

[MacThorstenson]

"I've never heard of such detailed enchantment," The Sayer said, "How long did you study? Is it true that they keep you in the Academy for a hundred years before you get to practice magic outside the walls?"

He must be easily impressed then, this enchantment is nothing compared to my other work. Thorstein nodded along and said aloud, "It certainly is complicated. As to the academy, to learn the theory behind ritual magic, and become a full mage, it takes about 100 years of study. But to learn to enchant things, that takes a lot more time. It's a bit like learning the theory behind trading or mercantile work, and becoming a successful merchant. The latter can take years, but the former can take days."

@ZincAboutIt

Edited March 27, 2019 by MacThorstenson

[Chasmfiend#1]

29 minutes ago, Steel Inquisitive said:

He nodded. "Back to the tavern then?" Jürgen asked looking at the group.

@Sorana @Chasmfiend#1 @Vargo Seldon

Mutig nodded, then thought he heard something. A click, scraping? He felt curious, and looked inn the direction he heard it from. Immediately, he knew what it was. He looked at the group.

 "Sounds like a plan, how about you guys go ahead and I'll meet you there. I have something I need to take care of."

 @Sorana, @Steel Inquisitive, @Vargo Seldon

[+ZincAboutIt]

"A hundred years?" Liezl said, incredulous. "But you can't be more than forty."

"Any halfway-decent mage knows how to change their age," Aldred said to her. "I know that much at least, though I'm scraping the bottom of the barrel on my knowledge. Not many ritual mages roving the wilds or hiding in remote villages. Out there, magic is far less... organized."

He turned back to Thorstein, wondering what else the man could do. Probably just about anything. Could he help get Aldred's memories back? Stop them from fading like color on old cloth? A topic for another time, he thought.

@MacThorstenson

[+Sorana]

1 hour ago, Chasmfiend#1 said:

Mutig nodded, then thought he heard something. A click, scraping? He felt curious, and looked inn the direction he heard it from. Immediately, he knew what it was. He looked at the group.

 "Sounds like a plan, how about you guys go ahead and I'll meet you there. I have something I need to take care of."

 @Sorana, @Steel Inquisitive, @Vargo Seldon

"Alright! See you!"

Amara took her pinnate and started to walk back to the tavern.

@Steel Inquisitive

@Vargo Seldon

 

[Chasmfiend#1]

1 hour ago, Sorana said:

"Alright! See you!"

Amara took her pinnate and started to walk back to the tavern.

@Steel Inquisitive

@Vargo Seldon

 

Mutig followed the noise until he was in an ally, near the lower sections of the city. where are you... A thud behind him sent Mutig spinning, ready to land a crippling blow to what had landed. He found himself staring at the face of a familiar spider, one he'd known for along time.

She bounced back out of his reach and climbed, eyeing him cautiously. Finally, she spoke.

 "It was a long swim." Her voice was rough, like rocks being grinded together.

Mutig recognized the phrase, "but you needed the walk."

 She calmed, dropping back down onto the ground, she had grown since they last met. She starred into his eyes with hers.

 "What do you want?" Mutig finally asked, "I know you didn't travel all the way here to talk."

 "I'm here on behalf of the village of brat. " she answered calmly, "they no longer need you to protect them." 

 Mutig looked stunned. "But, what about the border? What are they going to do to stay safe?"

 " The attacks where stopped after an agreement was made, you disappear, we live in peace. " she said it calmly but her eyes said what he thought.

 "This is dangerous." Mutig couldn't believe his ears, one mistake had cost him this?

 "This is the only way, Bärin. You can not return to brat." Finally she looked down, unable to stare in his face anymore. "I am sorry."

 Mutig looked down, feeling a tear form behind his eyes, he looked at her again, "can I visit her grave?"

 They both knew who's grave he was talking about, the guardian that had taken them both in, though she had taken Mutig first. The spider didn't answer, confirming his fears. The spider placed its front legs on his shoulders, bringing them face to face. He could see she also was broken by this turn of events.

 "I am sorry," she whispered, "I will guard brat as best I can, but we both know it was you monster's feared."

 Mutig responded by placing his left paw gently on her head, and would soon outgrow that, making him have to stand on his hind legs.

 "Keep them safe... For her." he forced out of his mouth.

They stepped back from each other, neither wanting to leave, but knowing they had to. The spider went down, into the lower sections of the city, she would leave at night, so as to not be noticed. He turned, walking in a daze, heading for the tavern.

@Sorana

@Steel Inquisitive

@Vargo Seldon

[Steel Inquisitive]

Jürgen strode in the direction of the tavern. As he pushed through the crowd he overheard two woman talking in hushed tones. "Have you heard," one woman was saying too another, "Jethos has gone missing! Gone without sign!"

"Poor Telda," the other replied. "First both her children, and now her husband." Jürgen frowned. He had been hearing rumors of disappearances since he got here. Disturbed, he hurried his pace.

@Sorana @Chasmfiend#1 @Vargo Seldon @ZincAboutIt

[+Sorana]

1 hour ago, Steel Inquisitive said:

Jürgen strode in the direction of the tavern. As he pushed through the crowd he overheard two woman talking in hushed tones. "Have you heard," one woman was saying too another, "Jethos has gone missing! Gone without sign!"

"Poor Telda," the other replied. "First both her children, and now her husband." Jürgen frowned. He had been hearing rumors of disappearances since he got here. Disturbed, he hurried his pace.

@Sorana @Chasmfiend#1 @Vargo Seldon @ZincAboutIt

"Jürgen wait."

Amara hasted after him and touched his arm.

"Shouldn't we ask and see if we can help them?"

@Chasmfiend#1

@Steel Inquisitive

@Vargo Seldon

[MacThorstenson]

7 hours ago, ZincAboutIt said:

"A hundred years?" Liezl said, incredulous. "But you can't be more than forty."

"Any halfway-decent mage knows how to change their age," Aldred said to her. "I know that much at least, though I'm scraping the bottom of the barrel on my knowledge. Not many ritual mages roving the wilds or hiding in remote villages. Out there, magic is far less... organized."

He turned back to Thorstein, wondering what else the man could do. Probably just about anything. Could he help get Aldred's memories back? Stop them from fading like color on old cloth? A topic for another time, he thought.

@MacThorstenson

"Appearances aren't everything," Thorstein said, "But most full mages know how to change their age. There aren't many who can live that long after 200 though. Human minds weren't designed to work that long, accumulate that many memories, or see that many people pass on." With that he moved back over to his work table and finished writing up the spell. He had about 12 pages covered with arcane symbols. Then he unrolled about 6 or 7 scrolls. and laid them out in patterns. he used his bag of dust to draw specific lines connecting different points on the pages to different points on the circle, when it was done the floor was covered in a maze of lines and pages.

Finally, he walked over to his tool box, and pulled out a mini set of scales and weights. With a word they expanded to full size.

He checked a calculation on the papers, and then meted out a few crystals and a little crystal dust to match the mass on the paper, he gathered it in a dustpan, and dumped it all into the circle in the center of the room. 

Stepping back, he glanced over the web of dirt, crystals, jars, and papers one last time. Then he whispered "Byrja" and the crystals began to glow with an otherworldly light. The light grew brighter for a few seconds, then at the peak of its brightness, the light disappeared along with the crystals.

If one was watching carefully, they would have noticed that a bug went missing in the jar, but beyond that the only other change was the waterskin, which collapsed into dust.

After giving a satisfied nod, Thorstein pulled another scroll from his pocket, and a little bag of crystal dust. He set them on the ground, and then after a similar, but smaller, glow all the dirt vanished and appeared back in his bag. He silently proceed to pack up his bag until nothing remained, except his coin lantern and the people in the basement.

"There we go, it's done." He said.

[Vargo Seldon]

Algorath also picked up the sounds, but discounted them as another disapearence.  When Amara spoke up, however, he had to respond.  "I've noticed at least two disappearances since arriving.  I found evidence that both of them were either killed or mortally wounded on the spot, without making a sound or disturbing the scene in any way."  He paused for effect, "Whatever is taking these people, it's dangerous.  I don't think even I or Mutig could take it alone.  I need my pack."

@Sorana

@Steel Inquisitive

@Chasmfiend#1

[+Sorana]

"But still..."

Amara hesitated.

"Let's at least ask after a description? So that we can recognize them?"

@Vargo Seldon

@Steel Inquisitive

@Chasmfiend#1