Episode IV - A New Hope

[at]

"Well I don't know. Looks like there isn't much holding it all together, you'd have to build a whole cavern over the thing to protect it." Astwick speculates. "I'll take one to Riin and see if there is anything she can do with it"

"Though I suppose with being away you don't know what has happened here of late. An archmage we think, though no-one has seen him, calling themselves the Dream Lord. Moving up from the south with a whole lot of trouble, he hasn't reached the wastes yet but we've been seeing signs of divination and other forms of magic stretching out this way." He shrugs, "I think I might stay here, but the family is upping sticks and moving out. They've found a new spot that might work and are sending out search parties - perhaps you would be interested as your grandmother isn't among them."



The tower is a stone building used mainly by apprentice wizards who have travelled here to learn and for the creation of minor magical items. It's actually a rather squat thing but none the less one of the taller buildings in the community and thick walls contain the noise of craft and the occasional explosion.

Riin is one such crafter. Not a family member she trained here and returned to work in the craftrooms. She is skilled in transmutation magic and while not the most powerful spellcaster she is notably skilled at altering magical items - for instance transmuting a magical longsword into a hammer or boots of speed into a cape of speed.

Astwick is an elemental mage and has spent years of his life seeking to refine a very narrow window of magic, though he is not without other skills. He uses runestaves and other magical items to expand on his spell selection while focussing his own natural talent and study into mastering specific spells.
His greatest feat to date that Ka'lion is aware of is a great pillar of fire capable of melting sand to glass and boiling away rock and steel, so hot that even creates of fire burn within it. However the destructive nature of his magic makes him something of an outsider around the community and he spends much of his time futher afield scrying for shifts in the elemental balances of the pale wastes, metamagic storms and the like - probably how he found the forest.

[sageaqua]

"Astwick, I think there may a be a way to save the forest. Hardening spells. They are third level and permenent and make anything harder to break. That doesn't make it immune to damage but it would make it less fragile. Then a gentle rain to deal with the dust.

I'd like to hire you to do me a favor. Go to the tower and register me as a part time student - in shapeshifter studies at the tower. Bring back Riin and a few additional students with harding spells. Tell the students I can pay them a few 100 gold pieces each to help me save a para natural treasure and I need their help. The harding spells may also work on the building to make it safe enough to enter.

And your a glass maker if I remember correctly? Could you create a glass dome over the stone forest or perhaps a high glass wall around it from the dust?" asks Ka’lion, “ It should keep unknown dangers from getting out and protect the place from peoples greed.

George or Shamious do you have any suggestions?”

[at]

"hmm, I know Riin can harden objects but not on this scale. Your lack of attention in your studies is showing I think but i'll ask her. I would suspect in the shorter term at least the only way to protect the place would be to manipulate the weather until a more permanent solution could be found."


(he's not a glass maker - his signature fire spell is just so powerful that it turns sand to glass... well, a crater of molten glass anyway)
As for hardening, it's a 6th level spell beyond the capabilities of what few students are here. Ka'lions grandmother could manage it, though it would take months to harden the whole forest.

[sageaqua]

"I guess I'll need you to contact grandma then. I think hardening the whole forest is what we need to do or this place just wont last and that would be a tragedy. My lack of attention was never my problem. I just love the outdoors. And it is this kind of rare treasure I hope to see. The type of treasures that are best shared with others. I think this place has the paternal to become a legendary park and alberedum. If we can save it from calliapes." said Ka’lion, “It’s rare to find something so delicate that should be a hidden education for all of us. We should be able to find petrified birds, flowers, plaints, trees of all kinds, snakes, small and large animals hidden within it. A stone to flesh spell can restore them to life and one of the things that might be found with in it are petrified people and just maybe they can translate the library. But I think we will still need Riin help. Grandma can’t do everything. We need to help her when we can.
Do you ever watch grandma’s Ice forest spell being cast. She casts it every night so the wildlife has fresh water to drink. I love watching her cast that spell. It’s beautiful. Iceberg she cast as will during droughts. The Skulls can fill in for her while she preserves this place. It’s just to rare to let it die. She may be mad at me but she would never forgive me if I didn’t ask her to help us save this place and you know it.”

[(George) 3.5./ ZEM ( 4.0)]

" As much as i would like to help currently im tapped out of my best ways to help. And yes ka'lion if given time i coukd help with solutions. Upeer knowledge of Druids might, higher cleric or casters might have faster ways then you or I. we all still need food i shoukd go cook some stuff for our new arrival here, and more importantly after we rest. I have never meet your grandmother but if given hospitality we will of course wellcome it. As to better gear we would of course see what they have. However if she wishes us not to return or enter i cant walk into ones home univited. For that would be seen as rude. As i once said many days/ weeks back faimly is family. If she truly is still upset at your act perhaps some point she can forgive you how or when is up to her, that u cant change or rush. Our task is to get you home. I still entend to do so.

[sageaqua]

"Askwick can help with that if he wants to. My grandmother might of killed me for killing her familier so the skulls and my family arranged for me to be teleported to Clearwater. But sometimes we need to face the dragon. Grandma has had time to cool down. It will always be sore for her so I'm unlikely to get off the hook without paying for it some how but as you said home is home. Askwick can be our guide. Me I'm just following the stars back. As far as being invited I invited you. So my family will look out for you. They just might be mad at me." said Ka'lion, "As far as the stone forest and library. We are going to need help for us to save them anyways. So lets head home. So Askwick lead the way."

[at]

"Well I can teleport you back to the tower, or you can camp out here for now and I can ask around for you at home. Riin won't be able to get back her herself anyway"


(for what it's worth Riin is a lv8 character so could be taken as an npc if desired once the party starts the new game. Astwick is just here to give the party the chance to skip the journey through the wastes and jump ahead)

[sageaqua]

"Astwisk do you know the spell shirnk item? I don't think you can carry all of us home and the animals without it?" asks Ka'lion

[at]

"Why would I need to shrink your possessions?" asks Astwick, "do you have more luggage, have you lost one of your animals?"


(did the group bring more than one animal out here with them?)

[sageaqua]

Ka'lion has 2 mules incase 1 was killed and a cart full of things he's found, plus the stone books they just recovered. Total weigth of the stuff not counting Ka'lion, Goerge and Samious are carrying has to be close to 500 pounds. That's why he needed the cart. Now they could leave the cart here for the workers to use but 500 pounds of non magical gear + magical gear should be close toto 850 pounds using a strink item spell on the non magical stuff including armor and shields cut the weight of the party to 58 pounds plus the magic stuff - the people and the animals. We can't leave them. They'd never servive and we will need them on the other side to carry everything we are not wearing. .

[at]

Ka'lion explains his predicament to Astwick. "Ah, I see. The weight of your equipment is not a concern, but I cannot transport both you and your animals at the same time. Perhaps I should take them ahead."

[sageaqua]

"Go ahead and take the animals first. Take them to grandma's hospital. They may be having problems do to the dust as a percaution. Thank you." says Ka'lion

[at]

"Alright. You'll want to take off supplies and shelter first I imagine or will you be sleeping under the cart?" He looks the animals over, "load anything you don't need onto your mules and i'll be back in the morning. I'll take your book to Riin as well."

[sageaqua]

"Thank you.", Ka'lion louds up the mules with the stone books, with a note not to open them until they can be repaired saying the pages turn to dust if you do.. He also loads up the bard books He keeps his weapons and most of his magic iems sending the magic stuff from the ship ahead as well. . Astwick would notice the party does not carry much food or water but they do carry waterskins. Ka'lion lets the mules drink and eat oats before they leave. with create water spell. Ka'lion keeps the gold book, the golem book and the lead box of scrolls but doesn't hide it from Astwick if he asks about them.

[at]

Astwick gathers up the two animals and vanishes in a flash of magic leaving Ka'lion, George, and Shamious here to spend the day with the now empty cart.

It is early morning - what plans do the party have?

[sageaqua]

"I want to see it there is some way to fight the dust. Create water. Mist form." cast Ka'lion

[(George) 3.5./ ZEM ( 4.0)]

George will prepare his spells for the day.

[sageaqua]

Ka'lion also perpares his wizard spells for the day

[at]

Spells prepared Ka'lion attempts to clear away some of the dust with create water. It works well enough in his test but water striking branches and other foliage causes the surface to crumble away - he notes that the trees out here are far more fragile than the building and suspects that further from the anchor the effect of being pulled into the material plane was more destructive.

On the positive side the wind has lessened and there is less dust in the air in general, enough to move around the forest in relative safety.

[sageaqua]

"What we need is a mop and a broom. Do you carry any. I should of stole the ones at the bridge. I just didn't think I'd need one. I'll just need to keep a broom, unbralla and a mop with me in the future, I'll need to create cantrips that do that.." says Ka'lion, "Sweeping out the forests may the job of an army of maids but were are the only ones here and as you don't want to go back inside the building and we have a day to kill we might as will chat and clean house."