Author: Dennis

Previously, the heroes spent their time in the laboratory that they got assigned at the Circle of Magi coming up with a ritual that would help them trap and anchor Epidemius to the mortal plane so that they could defeat him once and for all. Headmistress of the Circle of Abjuration, Esmeralda d’Ortega came to help them draw up the ward they would need.

Eighth Day, Second Ride, Autumn Twilight, 1262

Neamhan was one of the last ones that needed to be added to the ward, and for that the heroes needed to find out what magic she resonated with. She claimed to find it difficult to perform her magic in the depths of a dungeon and needed to be under an open sky. Despite it being past eighth bell, and well past curfew, the heroes decided to head out into the city to find a suitable place for Neamhan to find her resonance.

As the heroes ascended the winding staircase Quentin remained behind a moment, lost in thought, mumbling to himself that he could not believe that “it” had worked, whatever “it” was. Astrid, who had stayed behind, caught his attention and said “If you ever want to discuss this”, indicating to the hand he had cut in the ritual to find his resonance, “I am here for you.” In return, Quentin said “If you ever want to discuss this”, and indicated to his belly, referring to her motherhood, “I am here for you.” Astrid was silent for a moment and said; “A royal bloodline ended with me, but perhaps one might start with you,” and the two went up the stairs together.

Once outside, the heroes found that the storm had died down. It had grown even colder, but the sky was clear and there was a still crispness in the air. Luca suggested that the herb garden in front of the Circle might do, and Quentin suggested the park at Blackheath. In the end, a gently wooded spot along the river, in the shadow of the Bastion of Clarity was chosen, and Esmeralda conjured up a portal that instantly took them there. Neamhan took her time in a clearing and made connections with all manner of nature around her; conjuring a bright light, illuminating the surroundings, allowing plants to grow and flourish, only to summon a storm that brought lightning down on the clearling. When the violence of the storm was over the ground below their feet was scorched by lightning, showing the same symbol that had appeared for Quentin, only upside down; instead of three blades in the shapeof an upright triangle, the triangle was pointing downward. The drum was registering many different symbols, but it appeared that the green lyrium crystal, corresponding with the school of transmutation, was the one that resonated with Neamhans’ magic.

Having drawn the attention of the crownsguard patrolling the ramparts, with shouts coming from atop the Bastion of Clarity, Esmeralda conjured up another portal which took the heroes back to the lobby of the Circle of Magi, and they returned back to the laboratory. Emrys played the lute, Astrid laid down on one of the beds, while Luca and Esmeralda continued to work on the design of the ward. No matter what Luca tried, he was not able to get any of the lyrium crystals they had in their possession to resonate with the magic he cast. For Quentin it was equally difficult to get a crystal to respond to him.

Esmeralda identified which part of the circle represented the subject, which represented the anchor, and which represented the death of the subject. She had identified several other elements which were important to what the heroes wanted to achieve, but she had more work to do. At the mention of death being part of the ward, Neamhan retrieved the piece of inscribed bark she had retrieved from the Newport library and showed it to Esmeralda, thinking it might be important. She had learned that the magic which radiated from the bark had been necromantic, and thus it peaked her interest. Esmeralda decided to identify the nature of the bark and found that it held a the secret of transfering life between the caster and a connected subject. Neamhan would have to spend some time learning how to establish that connection before she could make use of it.

The heroes wondered whether “death” or the “anchor” might be related to the monstrosity they had spotted coming out of Blackheath. Cardinal Roark suggested that the Raven Queen’s bane was an anchoring of sorts, preventing the subject of the bane from moving to its afterlife. Quentin had a feeling this might be the case with the undead monstrosity, and so the heroes suggested to investigate Blackheath.

First, they made a trip to the Careless Wanderer, arriving there after tenth bell, so that they could get a quick bite to eat before heading out. Each excursion after the curfew was enforced was a drain on their resources, but at least they had ways to get around unseen by crownsguard or custodians.

The park at Blackheath was dark and desolate. Tall trees that had stood for generations were a pleasant break from urban life. In the centre of Blackheath the heroes found a cemetary in front of a small place of worship. A mausoleum leading into an underground crypt was also part of the cemetary. Necrophages could be heard skittering and stalking around the headstones in the cemetary, but Quentin was steadfast and strode ahead, unafraid. The necrophages kept at a distance until the undead monstrosity appeared from the mausoleum doorway, shovel in hand and ready to engage.

Previously, the heroes repeatedly fought an undead monstrosity which came to collect bodies, and Chakuq helped Dagran to craft a tuning fork singing the song of his people while fueled by mind-altering mushrooms. The resulting tuning fork resonated with Chakuq’s song, but also with a violet lyrium crystal that Dagran had acquired. Luca was introduced to the laboratory at the Circle of Magi that he was promised, and Emrys managed to convince Lord Andew to send Aubrey to live out the winter at his ancestral home, away from the maliciousness of the Beauclair delegation.

Eighth Day, Second Ride, Autumn Twilight, 1262

All of the heroes had gathered in the laboratory at what felt like the bottom of the Circle of Magi’s campus. Emrys had forgotten to pick up a drum from the College of Bards, so the heroes were discussing on how to progress their research into the ritual. Luca was convinced it would require a bespoke warding circle, so he started drawing one. Shortly after he started the heroes heard the door at the top of the winding stairs open and saw the silhouette of a figure walking down, passing by the open archways along the interior wall.

Esmeralda d’Ortega, archmage and headmistress of the Circle of Abjuration, had heard about the heroes being assigned the laboratory and wanted to come and see what they were up to. The heroes had met her on their way from Egremont to Blackbridge, and she had replaced Dr. Arkenward at the head of the Circle of Abjuration when he was appointed the Royal Abjurer. Since then she had followed the exploits of the Heroes of the White Eye closely. When Luca explains their intention, she offered her help and expertise. Any good warding circle consisted of source of magic, how magic is drawn into the ward, and the protective elements that the magic fueled. As Luca spoke, she corrected and expanded the circle using charcoal from the furnace. Soon, she had discarded all formalities, and was on her knees, with charcoal-stained hands and streaks of soot on her face, engrossed in the work.

Luca added to the drawing, and Esmeralda asked more and more questions; Who would be involved? What were their strengths? What was the source of their power? This lead Chakuq to share about the resonance of his people’s song, the tuning fork, and the violet lyrium crystal in Dagran’s possession. Information was collected on each of the heroes;

Esmeralda turned to Emrys, and being familiar with him, quickly concluded what his source of power was; his sorcery, the chaotic magic at the heart of it, and his bloodline connection to the Mohiam.

When she asked Chakuq he carefully explained the song of his people was the source of his strength, that was in touch with nature, and that he relished the hunt. He believed that his resonance with the violet crystal was important, and that some answers may be found in the book he retrieved from the Newport library.

Neamhan claimed that her powers did not come from the gods, something Esmeralda accepted without question. Neamhan, too, was in touch with nature, with the skies, and with storms.

Quentin hesitated, and took a moment to answer. He stayed quiet through suggestions that it was his connection to the Raven Queen, and eventually resolutely said that it was his ancestry, his bloodline. When Neamhan asked Esmeralda whether she was familiar with the Blood of Alban, she said she was not, and she was too engrossed in the ward to ask after it.

Luca finally admitted that his power came from his obedience to his patron.

When the question came to Astrid she did not know how to answer. Neamhan angered her by repeatedly suggesting it was her motherhood that gave her power, but she rejected that and said it was vengeance. Exploring that a little, it was concluded that her strength was fury, channeled through her raptor totem.

Each of them got additions to the drawing on the floor, ley lines that channeled magic into the ward.

There was an ongoing conversation about Chakuq’s newfound resonance with the violet crystal, and whether the others might also resonate with a type of lyrium crystal. There were eight crystals, which corresponded with the different schools of magic, and there were two others; radiant and shadow. An attempt was made to discover the resonance of others, using a drum that was supplied by Olafur, some fine, dry sand, and the tuning fork.

The the tuning fork caused the sand to dance around the skin of the drum. Eventually it settled in a particular pattern, rounded on one side with wave-like lines on the other, that Esmeralda seemed to divine some meaning from. This symbol was added to the ward. Luca used one of his spells on the drum, and again the sand jumbled to reveal a symbol, a bifurcated triangle. This too was added to the ward. Emrys did the same to reveal something which looked somewhat like a trident. Astrid let out a deafening screech, like that of an eagle, which echoed through the tower and left a sunburst pattern on the drum. Quentin, unsure of how to evoke the same response from the sand, cut his palm, dropped blood on the sand and touched his other hand to the talisman and raven feather around his neck. The sand formed in the shape of three overlapping, blade-like leaves.

Neamhan would go last, as she needed to leave the tower in order to find her power.

A few notable things were added to the ward; a place to represent the subject, Epidemius, a space to represent shadow, and a space to represent radiance. It was likely that many things would still be added, altered, and removed from the ward before it was fit for purpose.