Re: Book One: Chapter Three: "Barriers Breached"

[Malazek]

Draxus has maybe 2700 men here ... and only about 600 are fully trained. The rest of his men must be elsewhere (based on what the HG said earlier, each of the LGs should command roughly 37,500 men).

"Nay, Laird, no' tha' wall, tha' river. Gi' me yuir best three thousan' swimmers an' I'll flank tha' flankers - long enough tae breech tha' wall an' rejoin tha' city forces. I'll lay odds tha' city's under attack e'en now, and we cannae hold tae a defensive position! Get tha' staff tae safety, but NOW is tha' time tae attack!"

"3000 Swimmers?! You and your crazy ideas! I love it."

Turning to a group of younger soldiers he says, You ten .. run to each of the other Lord-Generals, and ask them to send me around 300 of their best swimmers. Pronto." The yound soldiers run off to fulfill their duty.
...

A few minutes later, Mordax has 3135 "swimmers" at his disposal.

“Your squad, to me!” he shouts to the group of guards closest to him. He moves to flank the dwarves and remove their leader from the fight. An empty vessel the Primus wants and a vessel she will have.

OCC: Verity will challenge a formidible looking Dwarf fighter (Perception 11). Then he will maneuver behind the Dwarves with a double move avoiding AoOs. He will run (move 10x2) if full cover is available. He will end his move with a charge on a Terramancer or Bolter if possible.
Hit; 10+2Str+2Lvl+3Swd+1Chrg= 18
Dmg; 6+2Str+5Chrg= 13

OOC: I'm a little confused by the double run followed by a charge; that's too many actions (especially since nobody has AP left). But it sounds like you only intend to run if you can get FULL cover ON THE WAY to the Dwarves (which you can't). So, I'm going to respond as if you moved around the the side of the Dwarves, and then tried to Charge the most formidable one that you can reach without invoking OAs.

The Guards and Soldiers in the street engage the swarm of Dwarves, but fail to follow Verity's flanking route. Nonetheless, Zephyr gallops in a wide arch, and the charges full steam into a robed Dwarf. Despite Zephyr's speed and power, the Earthmage parries Verity's attack with his staff.

In response, the Terramancer summons of an earthly shell to coat his skin, and then conjures forth a stone hand from the cobblestone at your feet. The hand grabs and crushes Verity and his steed, and throws them toward the alley (29 vs. Fortitude, 18 Damage to Verity, Zephyr Slides 3 squares back). Verity get an OA on the RB before being thrown, and can choose to dismount (and stay adjacent to the RB) or stay mounted (and slide along with Zephyr).

From either position, several Dwarves are able set upon Verity. A couple hammerers charge up; one misses, the other hits (8 Damage).

Straegis takes note of the names of the dwarves that were at the library before making some crude drawings from the few books and blueprints that he finds useful. The drawings are rough but he tries to make enough notes to get at least some use out of them later. His main focus is the city walls and gates, the rivers, the surrounding topography and a few quick sketches of the sewer and drainage systems.
History 15, Perception 8

Tucking the sketches into his existing roll of maps, Straegis feels he has obtained some useful information here; now, his allies will have some idea of the landscape (above or below) as they combat the Dwarves.

Straegis next heads for the books about Talthanin, he grabs the books a dozen or so at a time and begins thumbing thru them looking for information about Davin’s family and specifics about what actually happened there and why. He takes notes of the things he finds to be sure he can accurately tell his friend later.
History 18, Perception: 22

After a thorough search, Straegis finds plenty of references to House Thaeraes; the ruling family of Talthanin! Jotting down a few notes and titles, he concentrates on figuring out what happened to the city ... but comes up empty handed (other than several first- and second-hand accounts that "Talthanin is missing" ... the earliest of which was written 1887 years ago).

Straegis decides that since there are so few books that mention his father he will look them up next. He grabs the books that mention his fathers name and sits down to browse through them to see if there is anything that he doesn’t already know.
History 20, Perception 10

Unfortunately, Straegis already knows quite a bit about his own royal family; he finds nothing he didn't already know. He does, however, find several flattering evaluations of his father's tactical might, as well as a single reference to himself as "The Prodigal Son."

Straegis hopes to find some useful information about the dwarves, perhaps historical accounts of battles and sieges, most specifically any accounts dealing with rockbenders and how they are used in a fight. He makes as many notes as possible, about as many things as he feels are relevant. He is careful to search the texts for any of the names that the librarian mentioned.
History 30, Perception 21

Most of the historical accounts refer back to the Great War (between the Dwarves and Elves). It was during the GW that Rockbenders first began to focus more on offense and less on defense. The trend was likely a reaction to the Bolters being consistently out shot by superior Elven archers. The Rockbenders were also used again and again in the ongoing battles between Dwarves and Goblins; the RBs helped takeaway the advantage the Hexers and Warcasters used to give the Goblin armies.

Looking for the names "Ivar, Mjolfnir, and Tarn," Straegis finds only one: Mjolfnir of the Wise Stone. The Earthmages of the Wise Stone are said to keep the OLD traditions of the Rockbenders, dealing in primal Elemental energies instead of Elemental entities (like the new-age Rockbenders do).

After scanning the dwarven text, Straegis remembers the items that were picked up after the fight in the street. He decides to hold off looking up eladrin lore and go upstairs to locate Alex and see if they can look up these items and find out if there is any significance to them or perhaps if they can use there own magics against them now.

OOC: Good idea.

[Malazek]

"3000 Swimmers?! You and your crazy ideas! I love it."

Turning to a group of younger soldiers he says, You ten .. run to each of the other Lord-Generals, and ask them to send me around 300 of their best swimmers. Pronto." The yound soldiers run off to fulfill their duty.
...

A few minutes later, Mordax has 3135 "swimmers" at his disposal.

After stripping his new-found armor, Mordax chooses 30 promising recruits on the fly. Designating them as "Leads" he then picks the 3 most promising (aggressive) soldiers and puts them in charge. Screaming "Across tha' river boys, an' tha' last hunderd' clean tha' donkey shite" he leads his small contingent across the river and into the countryside, looking for enemies to slaughter. Along the way, he cries "Look fer' an entrance tae tha' city, boys, an cry oot if ye' find it!"

[Malazek]

After stripping his new-found armor, Mordax chooses 30 promising recruits on the fly. Designating them as "Leads" he then picks the 3 most promising (aggressive) soldiers and puts them in charge. Screaming "Across tha' river boys, an' tha' last hunderd' clean tha' donkey shite" he leads his small contingent across the river and into the countryside, looking for enemies to slaughter. Along the way, he cries "Look fer' an entrance tae tha' city, boys, an cry oot if ye' find it!"

It takes nearly an hour, but Mordax has no trouble swimming across the river. The men following him, however, do not all fair as well (some did, but not all). Looking back at the river, Mordax sees the bodies of hundreds floating downstream.

After a quick head count, you realizes that only 1665 made it across; the other 1470 either drowned, or wisely turned back (sadly, there were more of the former than the latter). The men who did make it are obviously shaken, though they are too tired to be panicked.

OOC: This required some complex calculations using the Swimming, Endurance, and Suffocation rules. Basically, I assumed they could all make the first and last quarters of the river by taking 10, but the middle half was choppy and full of undertows (requiring 300 Athletics checks at DC 20, each). Those who sank (missed it by 5 or more) had to make 1 Swimming roll before missing 3 Suffocation rolls. Those who missed three suffocation rolls before making a Swimming roll DIED ... this eventually added up to 1470, but I generously decided that 45% of them turned back instead.

Once on the move, Mordax realizes how lucky they were not to get shot while in the water; wandering through the woods, the half-naked Imperial soldiers stumble into a regiment of Dwarves! The numbers are similiar, but the Dwarves are obviously better armored. Bth sides are equally surprised, but quickly reach for their weapons!

Mordax ... Initiative and actions, please!

[Malazek]

Davin: HP 46/46; AC 18 Fort 17 Ref 19 Will 18; Healing Surges=8/8 Action Points=0
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Hound: HP 54/54; AC 18 Fort 16 Ref 16 Will 15; Healing Surges=8/8

"Interesting arrows there, Reed!"
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Round 2
Minor - Light arrows
Move- Designate short, squat tube as my Hunter's Quarry
Standard - Twin Strike mound

Twin Strike 1=14, Twin Strike 2=22
TS1 Damage=5, TS2 Damage=8
Hunter's Quarry Damage=5
Fire Damage=2, Fire Damage=9


Arrow Count=30/30, Wrapped=32/40

-Swift

[Malazek]

"Interesting arrows there, Reed!"

"Thank you, sir."

Firing two more arrows, Davin again sends two flaming prectiles down the barrel of the engine; though effective, the stunt does not produce the same devastation as last time (now that their weakness has been exploited, they are making every effort to stop it from working again).

Reed pulls two more special arrows, these with bulbous ceramic warheads; when his arrows hit, the tips explode, spreading corrosive acid on the metal skin of the dome (which is finally revealed, now that the the fire has burned away most of the thatched grass-like facade).

Unable to advance, the Dome fires one more time (missing again) ... but then, the rear panel opens up and two Dwarves pour out. One of them levels a crossbow at Reed, and looses a bolt; his aim proves true, as the stout bolt buries itself in Reed's shoulder.

[Malazek]

Straegis looks for the princess on his way upstairs, he tries to fill her in on some of the details he has found. He locates Alex and tells him his idea about looking up the items that were taken from the dwarves after the fight. Straegis hopes Alex can help them narrow down the number of books they need to search for the information. He says to Alex (and the princess if she is there) “Assuming the other items are mostly understood by us or fairly straightforward, these are the things I suggest we concentrate our efforts on for now.”

• The Terramancer's Cloak. A reddish brown cloak with Dwarven runes running the length of the trim, and another adorning the Sardonyx clasp. The cloak radiates a magical aura, but identifying it will require further study.
  
• The Dead-Eyed Hammer's Belt. This stout leather girdle has a golden buckle, and iron rings punctuate it's length. It radiates a magical aura, but identifying it will require further study.
  
• The Patch-Eyed Bolter's Eye-Patch. This simple-looking black-leather eye-patch has a silver-threaded rune on the inside; the patch radiates a POWERFUL magical aura, but identifying it will require further study.

Straegis then says to Alex "Have you looked up any of the things you found in the *terramancers spell*book?"

O.O.C.: (*)Editted for clarity. LOL, maybe swift was drunk when he posted the other one!

[Malazek]

Straegis...

Straegis finds the Princess one isle over, reading a book about magestic animals. She puts it down, and follows Straegis to the second floor.

[Malazek]

Verity: HP 25/51; AC 23 Fort 17 Ref 17 Will 19; Healing Surges 11/11; Lay on Hands 0/2; Action Points 0; Initiative 21
Verity lashes out at the Terramancer as the giant stone fist slams him back. Finding himself alone against many and his head ringing from the blows, he moves out of harms way, challenging a hammerer in the thick of the fray. “Soldiers! Guards! If you would save your city, then here! The fight is here!”
AoO: 23 hit, 8 dmg
Move: Shift away from dwarves
Minor: Divine Challenge a hammerer 5 squares away who’s taken damage
Move: 8 to an intersection where he can look for more patrols
Diplomacy: 31 to call more troops to the fight

[Malazek]

Davin: HP 46/46; AC 18 Fort 17 Ref 19 Will 18; Healing Surges=8/8 Action Points=0
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hound: HP 54/54; AC 18 Fort 16 Ref 16 Will 15; Healing Surges=8/8

"Focus fire on the one to the right - Cyl, eiras! (Hound, attack!)"

O.O.C. - I want to target the Bolter who I Disrupted (Bolter A). I guessed right, please edit if it is left.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Round 2
Immediate Interrupt - Disruptive Shot Bolter A
Free Action - Order Hound to attack Bolter A

Round 3
Minor - Designate Bolter A as my Hunter's Quarry
Move - Backward 5
Standard - Twin Strike Bolter A
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Round 2
Minor - Slaver at the prospect of biting more Dwarves
Move- Run towards Dwarves
Standard - Run towards Dwarves

Round 3
Minor - Growl menacingly at the Dwarves
Move- None
Standard - Bite Bolter A

Nature Check Damage=30
Disruptive Strike=21
DS Damage=12
Twin Strike 1=23, Twin Strike 2=11
Elven Accuracy Reroll=24
TS1 Damage=9, TS2 Damage=6
Hunter's Quarry Damage=3
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bite Attack=20
Bite Damage=8

Arrow Count=27/30, Wrapped=32/40

-Swift

[Malazek]

After stripping his new-found armor, Mordax chooses 30 promising recruits on the fly. Designating them as "Leads" he then picks the 3 most promising (aggressive) soldiers and puts them in charge. Screaming "Across tha' river boys, an' tha' last hunderd' clean tha' donkey shite" he leads his small contingent across the river and into the countryside, looking for enemies to slaughter. Along the way, he cries "Look fer' an entrance tae tha' city, boys, an cry oot if ye' find it!"

It takes nearly an hour, but Mordax has no trouble swimming across the river. The men following him, however, do not all fair as well (some did, but not all). Looking back at the river, Mordax sees the bodies of hundreds floating downstream.

After a quick head count, you realizes that only 1665 made it across; the other 1470 either drowned, or wisely turned back (sadly, there were more of the former than the latter). The men who did make it are obviously shaken, though they are too tired to be panicked.

Paying no heed to those already lost, Mordax quickly has the men form 3 columns, with each "Lead" at the head of one.

OOC: This required some complex calculations using the Swimming, Endurance, and Suffocation rules. Basically, I assumed they could all make the first and last quarters of the river by taking 10, but the middle half was choppy and full of undertows (requiring 300 Athletics checks at DC 20, each). Those who sank (missed it by 5 or more) had to make 1 Swimming roll before missing 3 Suffocation rolls. Those who missed three suffocation rolls before making a Swimming roll DIED ... this eventually added up to 1470, but I generously decided that 45% of them turned back instead.

OOC: Sorry (hehe) and thanks. Sounds good.

Once on the move, Mordax realizes how lucky they were not to get shot while in the water; wandering through the woods, the half-naked Imperial soldiers stumble into a regiment of Dwarves! The numbers are similiar, but the Dwarves are obviously better armored. Bth sides are equally surprised, but quickly reach for their weapons!

Mordax ... Initiative and actions, please!

Without hesitation Mordax splits the columns off; the two flanking columns will spread out to the sides, enveloping the dwarves, while the center, trailing a bit, smashes into the dwarven center.

Roaring above the din Mordax calls "You and you! Split off tae tha' sides an' hit their flanks! Kill anyone in robes an' yae see 'em!"

To the center he strides, holding the men back just a bit. "Hold, men, hold . . . NOW!" he cries, sprinting at the dwarven center.

Mordax tries to find the commander of the dwarven contingent, if possible, and will wade through the crowd with trident flashing crimson until he reaches any such victim of his ire.

Initiative 1d20=19

Charge 1d20=9+10+1= 20 1d8=2+6= 8 dmg

If unable to reach the dwarves in a single round, just run until I do.

OOC: hmm, invisible castle won't let me roll more than 50, so . . . multiply 50 rolls for 1665 mebbe?

1d20=7, 1d8=6, 1d20=13, 1d8=3, 1d20=1, 1d8=4, 1d20=15, 1d8=5, 1d20=3, 1d8=1, 1d20=15, 1d8=4, 1d20=3, 1d8=3, 1d20=15, 1d8=7, 1d20=18, 1d8=7, 1d20=20, 1d8=3, 1d20=13, 1d8=1, 1d20=5, 1d8=1, 1d20=13, 1d8=4, 1d20=6, 1d8=8, 1d20=10, 1d8=2, 1d20=16, 1d8=3, 1d20=1, 1d8=4, 1d20=18, 1d8=5, 1d20=5, 1d8=5, 1d20=14, 1d8=2, 1d20=11, 1d8=7, 1d20=2, 1d8=4, 1d20=12, 1d8=8, 1d20=20, 1d8=7, 1d20=13, 1d8=8, 1d20=11, 1d8=3, 1d20=1, 1d8=5, 1d20=18, 1d8=2, 1d20=8, 1d8=8, 1d20=8, 1d8=7, 1d20=7, 1d8=2, 1d20=13, 1d8=8, 1d20=10, 1d8=3, 1d20=14, 1d8=7, 1d20=16, 1d8=5, 1d20=4, 1d8=3, 1d20=1, 1d8=1, 1d20=7, 1d8=1, 1d20=12, 1d8=4, 1d20=5, 1d8=8, 1d20=6, 1d8=1, 1d20=2, 1d8=2, 1d20=18, 1d8=5, 1d20=3, 1d8=3, 1d20=10, 1d8=6, 1d20=5, 1d8=5, 1d20=15, 1d8=1, 1d20=19, 1d8=7, 1d20=17, 1d8=8, 1d20=13, 1d8=8

DM EDIT: Actually, I'll stick with the law of averages; there's no reason hundreds of soldiers should suffer because of your bad rolling :p

[Malazek]

Davin ...

Davin successfully shoots the Bolter before he manages to shoot Reed, but his bolt hit true nonetheless.

Round 3
Immediately, Davin sinks two more arrows into the same Bolter and kills him.
Reed shoots twice, but only hits the other Bolter with one ordinary arrow.
The Bolter shoots at Reed, but misses.
Hound bites the other Bolter.
Your go ...



Mordax ...

Wading into the sea of Dwarves, Mordax goes right for the leader (who fortunately is the "lead from front" sort of guy). Mordax's trident strikes true.

But the Dwarf returns the favor, bringing his axe down hard on Mordax's shoulder. Enboldened as he is, Mordax shrugs off the wound like it was nothing.

OOC: His attack roll wasn't high enough to cause damage (that is, he missed) but I thought an adrenaline-charged Mordax was a way more dramatically-appropriate description than a Dwarf with bad aim.

Meanwhile, the bare-chested soldiers clash with the heavily armored Dwarves; both sides suffer serious injuries, but the tide of battle is undoubtedly in the Dwarves favor (OOC: 1275 soldiers suffered a total of 8861 damage (6.95/hit); 583 Dwarfs suffered a total of 4256 damage (7.3/hit). Nobody died, but 77% of your force was wounded, and only 39% of them were).

[Malazek]

"Ok. I haven't looked at the terramancers book yet. But I thought perhaps that this place would have more; or be more easily searchable. I had a few dead ends down in the basement but the librarian wouldn't allow me down there. I presume you wouldn't have any sway with her princess?"

As Straegis suggests we begin looking at the terramancers items, Alex steers the group into a corner and takes it all out.

----------------
Take 10 on my Arcana for 22 to identify it all, and I'll check over the book.


DM EDIT: What dead-ends did you run into? Alex found information on the Wise-stone and on Sandbenders; he found one student's commentary on dueling Rockbenders, and another author's analysis on the strengths and weaknesses of comparative elementalists; and then he also found a book that listed the six cities of the Watertribes and promised to contain even more information on Elemental culture.

I'm trying to provide you with leads to follow, but I'm still not quite sure what Alex is looking for. You mentioned a good book or passage, so I typed out a passage and put the book in Alex's hand. You tried to look up more on Sand- and Iron- benders, but rolled a 5 on your search (okay, maybe those were dead-ends). You mentioned tactics and provided your own results, but then I added an additional analytical opinion. He looked for books about the location of waterbending tribes, so I put one in his hands and provided the sidebar hoping one of the entries would pique your interest.

Lastly, even with a 2 on his Diplomacy roll, the librarian still offered to go bring up something from the basement so that Alex could look at it.

PLAYER EDIT: I must be absolutely insane. What about following the leads for Ley Nexuses, and I thought I remembered reading in one of your earlier posts that there were references to books downstairs. Let me check.

DM EDIT: Yes, there are books downstairs, but she said they don't usually let people go down there. Did you want to research more about Ley Nexuses? That would be cool. See below.

[Malazek]

Davin: HP 46/46; AC 18 Fort 17 Ref 19 Will 18; Healing Surges=8/8 Action Points=0
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hound: HP 54/54; AC 18 Fort 16 Ref 16 Will 15; Healing Surges=8/8

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

Round 4
Minor - Designate Bolter B as my Hunter's Quarry
Move - Backward 5
Standard - Twin Strike Bolter B
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Round 4
Minor - Slaver at the prospect of biting more Dwarves
Move- None
Standard - Bite Bolter B

Twin Strike 1=23, Twin Strike 2=20
TS1 Damage=12, TS2 Damage=3
Hunter's Quarry Damage=2
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bite Attack=14
Bite Damage=Miss

O.O.C. - That Bolter hit with a -9 penalty (-7 for me, -2 for range)? Wow - nice shot. Did Hound get an OA from the Bolter firing at Reed while he was adjacent? If so, here is the results.

Bite Attack=12
Bite Damage=Miss

Arrow Count=25/30, Wrapped=32/40

-Swift

[Malazek]

That Bolter hit with a -9 penalty

Yes.

Did Hound get an OA from the Bolter firing at Reed?
Bite Damage=Miss

Yes

Twin Strike 1=23, Twin Strike 2=20
TS1 Damage=12, TS2 Damage=3
Hunter's Quarry Damage=2

The second bolter dies as Reed's arrows follow Davin's.
Reed smiles at Davin, and pulls the bolt from his shoulder.
Hound growls at the steel dome.

[Malazek]

The dead end was generally referring to my failed search roll in ironbenders. Regarding the books in the basement; I don't know the name of anything I want, but...

some other tomes also looked interesting, but were cataloged as in the basement

DM EDIT: there are books in the basement, but they don't usually let people down there. Maybe a better Diplomacy roll, or some gold would help?

...suggested i might like one of these. Perhaps I could ask her for one?
DM EDIT: Yeah, that could work.

And I didnt' get any feedback from this:

WISE STONE, THE.
The Wise Stone is an place of great cultural and academic significance to the Rockbenders of the Bitten Peaks; formed from a single piece of undetermined stone, it is believed that that the Wise Stone radiates powerful magical energies.
See also: Ley Nexuses.

And attempts to assess what he may know about such a Wise Stone already. (Arcana 18). Before searching for Ley Nexuses (Peception 24).

But thats because it got stuck in a quote so you probably didn't see it.
DM EDIT: No, I didn't see it; there seemed to be some kind of formatting error with it. I will address it shortly ...

[Malazek]

Having met with Straegis Alex says "I wanted one book from the basement. It's an old tome, thats probably why they keep it down there, published simply ages ago...I asked the librarian if I could go down there. I haven't yet told her what book I wanted, it's Journal of Elemental magics Volume 63, Issue 9. I was going to ask...but...she seemed rather disgruntled with me. Perhaps you or the princess could get it for me while I take a look at these items."

[Malazek]

WISE STONE, THE.
The Wise Stone is an place of great cultural and academic significance to the Rockbenders of the Bitten Peaks; formed from a single piece of undetermined stone, it is believed that that the Wise Stone radiates powerful magical energies.
See also: Ley Nexuses.

And attempts to assess what he may know about such a Wise Stone already. (Arcana 18). Before searching for Ley Nexuses (Peception 24).

The only time Alex has heard the term "Wise Stone" mentioned is when he met that Earthbender in Rainan's shop. That Dwarf said his name was "Mjolfnir of the Wise Stone."

A quick search locates several books on Ley Nexuses. Alex had previously heard the terms "Nexus Theory" and "Leyurgy" but doesn't know much about them.

According to one of the books ...
Magical energy courses through the world along "rivers" of mana known as Ley Lines. Spells cast in or around these Ley Lines are generally more effective than spells cast in Dead Zones. Where Ley Lines converge, a Nexus is found, and the spells' magnitude is proportionally increased. Sometimes, a Nexus marks the convergence of multiple Ley Lines. These locations are precious and rare, but are often closely guarded (through secrets of force) by those who own them.

According to another book ...
It is unknown whether Elemental Mana forms Ley Lines as ordinary Mana does, but most evidence seems to suggest they do. Some have even speculated that all Elemental Mana travels the same Elemental Ley Lines (ELL) as other Elemental Mana, even though they travel through different Ley Lines than ordinary Mana; while others have suggested that Elemental Mana and ordinary Mana travel the same Ley Lines.

Regardless of which position proves true, the following sites have been identified as potential Elemental Nexus Points (ENP). Those marked with an asterisk are known to be Multi-Nexus Points for common Mana, as well.
The Wise Stone (Stone)
The Cave Temple (Stone)*
The Seven Hills of Etol (Stone)
The Pyry Mound (Fire)*
The Colussus of Arkhosia (Dragonfire)
The Citadel of Bael Turath (Hellfire)
The Tower of Hydrology (Water)*
The Host Tower of Imil (Ice/Water)
The Tower Under the Waves (Water)
The Femdrell (Air)*
The Pass of Shadows (Air)
The Wyver Oak (Air)*
Other suspected sites are listed in the appendix.

The Appendix in question is a 24 page (small font, 6 columns) list of thousands of Nexus points; nobody could identify them from this list, but about 20% are marked as "potential ENP."

I take a look at these items."

• The Terramancer's Cloak. A reddish brown cloak with Dwarven runes running the length of the trim, and another adorning the Sardonyx clasp. The cloak radiates a magical aura, but identifying it will require further study.
  
• The Dead-Eyed Hammer's Belt. This stout leather girdle has a golden buckle, and iron rings punctuate it's length. It radiates a magical aura, but identifying it will require further study.
  
• The Patch-Eyed Bolter's Eye-Patch. This simple-looking black-leather eye-patch has a silver-threaded rune on the inside; the patch radiates a POWERFUL magical aura, but identifying it will require further study.

Using the books at his disposal, Alex quickly surmises the nature of the first two Dwarven items:

The Terramancer's Cloak.
A reddish brown cloak with Dwarven runes running the length of the trim, and another adorning the Sardonyx clasp. The cloak radiates a magical aura, but identifying it will require further study.
Lvl 9 (4,200 gp)
Item Slot: Neck
Enhancement: +2 Fortitude, Reflex, and Will
Property: If you use your second wind while bloodied, you can expend two healing surges instead of one (gaining hit points from both).

The Dead-Eyed Hammer's Belt.
This stout leather girdle has a golden buckle, and iron rings punctuate it's length. It radiates a magical aura, but identifying it will require further study.
Lvl 6 (1,800 gp)
Item Slot: Waist
Property: When you score a critical hit, gain temporary hit points equal to your Constitution modifier.

The Patch-Eyed Bolter's Eye-Patch is going to require further research (and actual Pecerption, Arcana, AND History rolls!).

I wanted one book from the basement. It's an old tome, thats probably why they keep it down there, published simply ages ago...I asked the librarian if I could go down there. I haven't yet told her what book I wanted, it's Journal of Elemental magics Volume 63, Issue 9. I was going to ask...but...she seemed rather disgruntled with me. Perhaps you or the princess could get it for me."

The princess agrees to go get it, so Straegis can help you study the magic items. She's gone quite a while, but when she returns she has a moldy old portfolio in her hands. It's SO dingy, in fact, that the Princess's hands are soiled just from touching it. With a grimace, she says "Here it is! I hope it helps."

[Malazek]

"Oh brillian- oh my! Allow me Princess!" Alex quickly takes the book from the princess and places it on the desk. The he turns to her.

"Now hold on. Let me clean you up." He uncaps his waterskin, summoning two streams of water in what he hopes is an impressive action, they circle his body on opposite sides before swirling around into globes above his open palms. "Now just hold your hands out..." He then sends the globes to cover the princesses hands, like giant blue baubles, for a moment, cleaning them of the dirt. He summons the water away and offers her a smile.

"Now...what to do with this." He comments at the globe of dirty water swirling around in the air in front of him. He swirls it about the desk, and uses his magic so that the water particles push away the dirt, the globe becomes clear as the dried dirt comes out into a neat pile on the desk. He then commands the water back into his waterskin.

--------------
Prestitigitation.
--------------

"Now...I'm going to look at this book the princess so kindly got for me, perhaps you could search for something to do with this eyepatch. It's powers must be strange indeed...I wonder what it does; perhaps it shows the ley lines of the world to the wearer...probably not. That would be quite a coincidence. In any case we've no idea how to use it yet so you get on with that -come ask me if you don't understand any of the arcane terma- and I'll take a look at this book, and that book we took from the dwarf. It must contain many rituals I hope!"

--------------
Perception +4, Arcana +12, History +12. To search for sources of 'common elemental mana' and theories on elementalist numbers affect power distribution; if at all.
Perception: 7 UGH
Arcana: 32
History: 21
Rolls
--------------

Alex turns the pages of the book with a gloved hand. If he can't find anything he's looking for he sighs rather dissapointedly and asks the princess. "I don't suppose you could search for common elemental mana in here. I've just checked but I don't think I saw anything, but I was sure it would be in here somewhere. Here, you can wear my gloves."

Alex takes off his blue glove and passes it to the princess, it makes a mockery of her stylish outfit, and his slightly long fingers make it ill fitting; but at least it protects from the dirt covering the tome.

Alex smiles at the princess, so eager to help as they crowd around the little wooden desk with the cloak neatly folded up and the eyepatch sitting on top, an imaginary eye underneath glaring in triumph as it thwarts the efforts of the magically apt companions in their attempt to decipher its powers. Before he catches her staring however he quickly picks up the terramancers book and begins to check through it.


------------
Arcana: 15

[Malazek]

Verity lashes out at the Terramancer as the giant stone fist slams him back. Finding himself alone against many and his head ringing from the blows, he moves out of harms way, challenging a hammerer in the thick of the fray. “Soldiers! Guards! If you would save your city, then here! The fight is here!”

Verity cautiously moves away from his assailants, calling for more guards. But the same Dwarves join the challenged one, as the three of them charge pellmell at Verity!

All three ... Move = Move 5; Standard = Charge 5 and Attack

All three Miss! Furthermore, they invoke attacks from the soldiers they pass trying to reach him (three hits from 6 OAs)!

Fortunately, the nearby Bolters concentrate their fire on the tide of soldiers crashing into their brethren. Also fortunate, Verity is now out of the Rockbender's range; so the terramancer blasts away at the Imperial troops, instead.

Hearing Verity's cry for aid, more soldiers run towards the clash, eager to defend their city.

[Malazek]

Verity: HP 37/51; AC 25 Fort 19 Ref 19 Will 21; Healing Surges 10/11; Lay on Hands 0/2; Action Points 0; Initiative 21

With the words,”Queen protect me” Verity steels himself against further injury. Then he tries to lure the 3 dwarves further from their ilk and past more guards. He dares a fourth to strike him.
Standard: Second wind
Move: 8 trying to avoid AoOs while leading the dwarves into them. Ends move with cover from the bolters.
Minor: Divine Challenge a Hammerer who stands past the guards / soldiers
Free: “Ware the bolter cowards, shield yourselves! Death to the traitorous Dwarves!” Loudly to call more patrols to the battle. Diplomacy: 20

[Malazek]

Davin: HP 46/46; AC 18 Fort 17 Ref 19 Will 18; Healing Surges=8/8 Action Points=0
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hound: HP 54/54; AC 18 Fort 16 Ref 16 Will 15; Healing Surges=8/8

"Good job, Reed. Let's check this thing out - keep an eye out for trouble, I'm going to take a look inside."

I approach the war machine, and, with Reed keeping watch, go into the open hatch, inspecting the Dwarven invention.

Perception check=29
Intelligence check (or applicable skill)=20


Arrow Count=25/30, Wrapped=32/40

-Swift

[Malazek]

With the words,”Queen protect me” Verity steels himself against further injury. Then he tries to lure the 3 dwarves further from their ilk and past more guards. He dares a fourth to strike him.

Standard: Second wind
Move: 8 .. avoid AoOs .. Ends move with cover
Minor: Divine Challenge a Hammerer who stands past the guards / soldiers
Free: “Ware the bolter cowards, shield yourselves! Death to the traitorous Dwarves!” Loudly to call more patrols to the battle. Diplomacy: 20

Dwarves and Imperials are fighting all around Verity, so finding a clear path is a tough proposition; but he manages to spur Zephyr through an opening in the crowd* and toward a canopied store front, where he can find cover.

*As he starts his exit, the three Dwarves he was already in melee with him take advantage of his flight, swinging their hammers at him; two make contact (13 and 8 damage; They were adjacent when you started your move [because they charged you last time], so shifting would be the only way to avoid OAs from them. I assume you knew this, and meant you wanted to avoid OAs from everyone ELSE during your movement.)

No longer surrounded, Verity challenges a new opponent. The new dwarf is surrounded by soldiers and guards, so he cannot make it to Verity without getting struck by atleast seven Imperials. So, he ignores the challenge, and continues to fight the soldier in front of him.

When the radiant light of the Queen punishes him for ignoring Verity, the soldiers around him turn from their existing foes and concentrate their attacks on the seared enemy ... dropping him immediately.

One of the town guards shouts over his shoulder to Verity:
"Thanks friend! How do you fare? Well or wounded?"

The other three Dwarves seem to have given up on the knight (that is, they didn't take the bait) and rejoined the main conflict; where the Dwarves seem to be winning. Looking over the crowd, Verity realizes that atleast 3/4th of the soldiers have been knocked prone; the same holds true of the guards.

The Bolters continue to ignore Verity, shooting bolts in the uncovered victims; choosing standing victims over prone ones, but still only those who lack cover.

Finally free of the mob, the Earthbender turns his attention to Verity; but he is out of range, being on the otherside of skirmish (also taking cover under a canopied store front). Since his spells won't reach, he hurls a throwing axe at the mounted hero. Verity deflects the attack with his shield.

A row of Imperial archers have arrived, and have formed a line across the street. They ready their bows, and prepare to shoot in sync (that is, they ran out of actions getting here; but should be able to shoot next round).

[Malazek]

"Good job, Reed. Let's check this thing out - keep an eye out for trouble, I'm going to take a look inside."
I approach the war machine, and, with Reed keeping watch, go into the open hatch, inspecting the Dwarven invention.
Perception check=29
Intelligence check (or applicable skill)=20

Peering into the opening at the back of the dome, Davin finds a wooden frame with steel plates bolted over it's round exterior. The open bottom is crossed by four large beams; two in each direction (like a tic tac toe board). The beams running side-to-side support four massive wagon wheels (two on each beam) and are connected to the harnesses of three strong mules.*

*All of whom are bloodied.

On the far end (the front), the other beams support two rows of steel tracks which move the retractable cannon in and out of position. A wire box rests at the back of the cannon, and a steel grid (for standing on) fills in the empty spaces on either side of the cannon.

The small slit window above the cannon can been closed with a steel blast shield which simply slides over it. Actually, there are a dozen little peek holes running the permiter of the dome; but the others are still closed, and set closer to the ground (around Dwarf headheight).

At the back, those same beams house two large steel wire baskets. Each basket contains a bedroll, a sack full of rations, and a barrel of Dwarven ale.

[Malazek]

OOC: Argg! I posted a huge response to this yesterday, and now it's gone! I don't know what happened to it, but I'm dissapointed that it vanished. I mean, it took me over an hour to type out! Oh well, maybe thie new version will be more succinct

He then sends the globes to cover the princesses hands ... cleaning them of the dirt.

"Thank you, Alex! So very much."

"Now, I'm going to look at this book ...
... princess ... search for something to do with this eyepatch" ...
Perception: 7 UGH
Arcana: 32
History: 21

The Princess examines the eye patch briefly, and then heads off towards the books.

Alex finds no reference to "common elemental mana" but realizes the other book used the terms "common mana" and "elemental mana" to refer to two different things.

This book seems to use the term "Awen" to refer to elemental mana, and "Numen" to refer to common mana. Alex is familiar with the term Awen; it is an archaic word that Imilite bards use when terms like "water wise" and "bended blood" don't fit.

Reading further, Alex discovers an interesting passage: Along some Lines of Ley, Awen and Numen run together, just as water from different tributaries will mingle when spilt into the greater river, but in many smaller rivers one might find only Numen or only Awen. This seems to imply that they are different states of the same Ley, manifesting according to their circumstances.

'Transconvergent Theory' suggests that Ley coming from the elemental Chaos to the ordered material of the world becomes Awen, but Ley leaving the ordered world becomes Numen as it returns to the elemental Chaos. This theory has been challenged (some would say debunked) by the Great Sage of Etol.

Debunked?! How dissappointing; another red herring. Maybe.

At this point, the Princess returns empty handed. She examines the Eye-patch again, "I am not used to studying symbols of this sort, and I forgot what it looked like."

"I don't suppose you could search for common elemental mana in here."

Wearing Alex's gloves, the Princess flips through the book with a countenace that shifts between confusion and boredom. About half way through the tome, she stops and asks "Couldn't we just put on the Eye-patch on to find out what it does?"

Of course, Alex knows that such a thing would be unwise and foolish, but before he can answer he notices this on the page before him ...

'Limbonic Theory' usually assumes that the elemental Chaos is infinite and eternal, but certian heretics of late have begun to suggest that there is a finite and limitted amount of elemental material in the universe. Most notable is Ignead Blas, who takes this a step further suggesting that elemental material can be transmutated; fire becoming air or earth, for example; water becoming fire or air, for another. Though radical, this theory is tenuously supported by the efforts of successful alchemists, especially those of the 'Ronbelsletscan' school of thought.

Such a thought is indeed terrifying, suggesting that the entire world could someday be transformed into fire, bringing about a type of Apocalypse that would be infinitely more destructive than even the 'Ragnorok' of the northern Ice Pirates. But, this author would like to point out that a wordl transformed would be equally devastating, whether the Cataclysm took the form of fire, or of earth or water or air.

When he looks up, he sees that the Princess is WEARING the eye patch. "How do I look? Like a pirate? Arrr." Then, suddenly, her uncovered eye widens and her skin goes pale. She trembles and backs away slowly, raising her arm to point toward a row of book across the room. Finally, she sighs and her color returns. Ripping the patch from her face, she slumps down into the chair next to Alex.

She glares up at Alex with pain in her eyes. She appears tired and worn out, and somehow older than she did a moment ago.

[Malazek]

Verity: HP 16/51; AC 25 Fort 19 Ref 19 Will 21; Healing Surges 10/11; Lay on Hands 0/2; Action Points 0; Initiative 21

"Quite injured, thanks" Verity answers the guardsman. The blood he spits punctuates the comment."Treacherous Dwarves, your judgment is upon you! Fight for the empire, men, fight for your lives!" He tramples a battered, bloody Dwarf at the outskirts of the fight and moves back under the canopy (avoiding AoOs, 15 to hit vs Reflex, 12 dmg and knocked prone).

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