Peacehammer (part 3)
Mr Zoat
Dedicated ragequitter
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17th Vorhexen 2512
Late Morning
The elf I strongly suspect to be Loremaster Teclis looks directly at me, and I awkwardly wave my right hand. I haven't tested myself against High Magic users, but based on the records of the Dwarfs I think I'm out of Deadlock range up here. So even if the ring counts as a magic artefact they can't easily drop me in the ocean.
The Tempest would still be unpleasant, but I could probably hide under water.
The other two… Uh, would they be Archmages or Loremasters? Not all high end High Elf wizards work for the White Tower of Hoeth, and I neither know how to tell them apart or whether they'd be offended by me getting it wrong-.
They're High Elves. Of course they'll be offended if I get it wrong. It's a coin toss as to whether they'll be offended by me getting it right.
I fly closer as probably-Teclis's companions notice where he's looking. There's a.. certain amount of arcane glowing happening as a result, and a group of nearby archers put arrow to string. Their bodyguards -who bear the muscular builds and huge swords of the Swordmasters of Hoeth- also stand at alert, though without a specific order from their masters they don't ready their weapons.
I could create a filament to a telephone construct on the ship, but I don't imagine that would go better than flying closer. If they don't want me to, I'm pretty sure they can just loose an arrow or a fireball at me. Though…
"Ahoy there!"
A construct megaphone shouldn't be too alarming. I'm sure that there's a better design for a sound projector, but I haven't experimented with that sort of thing. There isn't.. much point, usually.
A gesture from Teclis and arrows are returned to quivers, then the wizards walk away from the skiffs and over to an open area of the decks around the starboard bolt thrower battery. That… Seems like an invitation. Alright then. I transition to the deck just ahead of them and nod politely.
"Lady and gentlemen. What brings you to my home?"
"Strange tales of a human sorcerer who glowed with orange light and planned to take control of all magic in the world."
I make my face completely deadpan.
"Never heard of him."
Teclis smiles very slightly, and I-. It's not just that he's short. He's gaunt, stick thin. I thought that his staff made him healthy but from the look of it that's not the case. I guess it just deals with the symptoms rather than the root cause.
"Several months ago my spies in Altdorf brought word of a man seeking to build a waystone network which would channel the winds of magic on a global scale, such as the waystones on Ulthuan have since the Great War Against Chaos."
"Several mon-?" I close my eyes, sighing. "Are you telling me that your spies reported that to you faster than the courier I paid to directly inform you?"
"I have received no word by courier, so it would appear so. Did you ask for a receipt?"
"That's it. I'm not bothering with couriers any more. I'm just going to have a locked box in my room with 'highly secret do not steal' written on it. Everyone will know in an afternoon."
He smiles politely, while his colleagues remain stoney-faced.
"It's true, then? A global network?"
"It should be possible, shouldn't it? I wrote to you because after the slann you are the person I thought would be best placed to actually plan the thing out. And when I visited, they… Weren't helpful."
"They usually don't appreciate surprise visitors."
"I just stood there for half an hour. The Mage-Priest didn't even react. Still, the skinks were able to help me get a few bags of potatoes so it wasn't a complete waste of time."
I think he's frowning, but the hat covers a lot of his forehead. "What are 'potatoes'?"
"A plant related to Deadly Nightshade which produces edible tubers. They're extremely nutritious, as long as you don't eat the green parts. I want to help my people become healthier than they are, and improving their diet is part of that."
He appears to decide to ignore my digression.
"And the Nehekharans were your third choice, as their tombs are aligned to points of geomantic significance, their deathless state makes them resistant to corruption and since their lands are dead the effects of any harm would be moderated. Where would you have gone if they were unwilling to aid you?"
"Albion. It turns out that their Ogham Stones are a waystone network, but they… Don't have a feature like Ulthuan's inland sea to focus the overflow, so the island is just a mess. Between the druids and the Light College we might be able to work something out, but you're a far better choice."
"Where does your scheme place the overflow for a network covering the entire world?"
"Since… There's a portal over each pole, I was hoping that they could each be each other's overflow."
"That..?" He shakes his head. "No." Behind him, the male archmage shudders slightly while the female rolls her eyes. "You would essentially be blowing more wind into a hurricane. Such a thing might be bearable in the south, but in the north it would spread the Realm of Chaos even further."
"Okay, so that-. Not a good idea. But in the generality, is it..? Would it be useful?"
"Yes, certainly, if it could be made to work. Though given the locations that would have to serve as nodes in the network… How good at killing orcs are you?"
I shrug. "Remember how the Dwarfs used to have problems with orcs and goblins?"
Ah, Skarsnik. My first special character kill.
"Used-?"
"Yes. I got a lot of grudges settled doing that. Oh, which… Reminds me. Do you still want the original Phoenix Crown back? Because I'm going to settle the grudges concerning the attacks by Malekith's followers that were the original casus belli, so all that's left will be Caledor the Second's insults and the Shaving, and… Those could probably be settled in a few hours, if your king were willing."
"May we return for a moment to your claim that there are now no orcs in the World's Edge Mountains?"
"I doubt that I got all of them, but it turns out that there's a chemical formula which is highly injurious to orcoid algae. Plus, they're physically distinct, so it's easy enough for me to locate them." I shrug. "I know that the waystones will need to be defended, so I've been working at clearing certain areas where I'd like to start."
"Yes, that is true. I am glad that you have some concept of the scale of the undertaking."
"But… Are you onboard? Does this plan sound plausible?"
"It may prove possible for me to turn your outline into a workable scheme, yes."
"Great! Let me know what areas you need cleared first, and I'll get right on that. I can't personally garrison every area, but I can build fortifications like you wouldn't believe."
"It will be some time before we can mark sites. We would need to survey… The entire world before we can do that."
I nod. "Right, but you've got a general idea of the places likely to be important, right? For the main hub waystones?"
"Yes, but-."
"No time spent killing greenskins and beastmen is wasted, I just want to be a little more efficient. I'm not going to write a grudge in the book if it turns out you were a little off."
"I see. We can certainly provide you with the approximate areas which we are likely to need to clear."
"And I can escort your survey teams there and keep them safe while I clear the area." I look at the other Archmages and the Swordmasters. "I assume that's what they're here for?"
"No. They're here for the other matter. Prince Sharvan relayed your request for information on Ulthuanian birth rates, as well as the fact that several elf women you attended to are now pregnant. We are here to escort written copies of birth rates from several cities, and to see what you can learn from them."
That must have caused some teeth-clenching. But it's certainly nice to have someone who's prepared to work with me like this.
I smile.
"Then by all means, show me the data."
Late Morning
The elf I strongly suspect to be Loremaster Teclis looks directly at me, and I awkwardly wave my right hand. I haven't tested myself against High Magic users, but based on the records of the Dwarfs I think I'm out of Deadlock range up here. So even if the ring counts as a magic artefact they can't easily drop me in the ocean.
The Tempest would still be unpleasant, but I could probably hide under water.
The other two… Uh, would they be Archmages or Loremasters? Not all high end High Elf wizards work for the White Tower of Hoeth, and I neither know how to tell them apart or whether they'd be offended by me getting it wrong-.
They're High Elves. Of course they'll be offended if I get it wrong. It's a coin toss as to whether they'll be offended by me getting it right.
I fly closer as probably-Teclis's companions notice where he's looking. There's a.. certain amount of arcane glowing happening as a result, and a group of nearby archers put arrow to string. Their bodyguards -who bear the muscular builds and huge swords of the Swordmasters of Hoeth- also stand at alert, though without a specific order from their masters they don't ready their weapons.
I could create a filament to a telephone construct on the ship, but I don't imagine that would go better than flying closer. If they don't want me to, I'm pretty sure they can just loose an arrow or a fireball at me. Though…
"Ahoy there!"
A construct megaphone shouldn't be too alarming. I'm sure that there's a better design for a sound projector, but I haven't experimented with that sort of thing. There isn't.. much point, usually.
A gesture from Teclis and arrows are returned to quivers, then the wizards walk away from the skiffs and over to an open area of the decks around the starboard bolt thrower battery. That… Seems like an invitation. Alright then. I transition to the deck just ahead of them and nod politely.
"Lady and gentlemen. What brings you to my home?"
"Strange tales of a human sorcerer who glowed with orange light and planned to take control of all magic in the world."
I make my face completely deadpan.
"Never heard of him."
Teclis smiles very slightly, and I-. It's not just that he's short. He's gaunt, stick thin. I thought that his staff made him healthy but from the look of it that's not the case. I guess it just deals with the symptoms rather than the root cause.
"Several months ago my spies in Altdorf brought word of a man seeking to build a waystone network which would channel the winds of magic on a global scale, such as the waystones on Ulthuan have since the Great War Against Chaos."
"Several mon-?" I close my eyes, sighing. "Are you telling me that your spies reported that to you faster than the courier I paid to directly inform you?"
"I have received no word by courier, so it would appear so. Did you ask for a receipt?"
"That's it. I'm not bothering with couriers any more. I'm just going to have a locked box in my room with 'highly secret do not steal' written on it. Everyone will know in an afternoon."
He smiles politely, while his colleagues remain stoney-faced.
"It's true, then? A global network?"
"It should be possible, shouldn't it? I wrote to you because after the slann you are the person I thought would be best placed to actually plan the thing out. And when I visited, they… Weren't helpful."
"They usually don't appreciate surprise visitors."
"I just stood there for half an hour. The Mage-Priest didn't even react. Still, the skinks were able to help me get a few bags of potatoes so it wasn't a complete waste of time."
I think he's frowning, but the hat covers a lot of his forehead. "What are 'potatoes'?"
"A plant related to Deadly Nightshade which produces edible tubers. They're extremely nutritious, as long as you don't eat the green parts. I want to help my people become healthier than they are, and improving their diet is part of that."
He appears to decide to ignore my digression.
"And the Nehekharans were your third choice, as their tombs are aligned to points of geomantic significance, their deathless state makes them resistant to corruption and since their lands are dead the effects of any harm would be moderated. Where would you have gone if they were unwilling to aid you?"
"Albion. It turns out that their Ogham Stones are a waystone network, but they… Don't have a feature like Ulthuan's inland sea to focus the overflow, so the island is just a mess. Between the druids and the Light College we might be able to work something out, but you're a far better choice."
"Where does your scheme place the overflow for a network covering the entire world?"
"Since… There's a portal over each pole, I was hoping that they could each be each other's overflow."
"That..?" He shakes his head. "No." Behind him, the male archmage shudders slightly while the female rolls her eyes. "You would essentially be blowing more wind into a hurricane. Such a thing might be bearable in the south, but in the north it would spread the Realm of Chaos even further."
"Okay, so that-. Not a good idea. But in the generality, is it..? Would it be useful?"
"Yes, certainly, if it could be made to work. Though given the locations that would have to serve as nodes in the network… How good at killing orcs are you?"
I shrug. "Remember how the Dwarfs used to have problems with orcs and goblins?"
Ah, Skarsnik. My first special character kill.
"Used-?"
"Yes. I got a lot of grudges settled doing that. Oh, which… Reminds me. Do you still want the original Phoenix Crown back? Because I'm going to settle the grudges concerning the attacks by Malekith's followers that were the original casus belli, so all that's left will be Caledor the Second's insults and the Shaving, and… Those could probably be settled in a few hours, if your king were willing."
"May we return for a moment to your claim that there are now no orcs in the World's Edge Mountains?"
"I doubt that I got all of them, but it turns out that there's a chemical formula which is highly injurious to orcoid algae. Plus, they're physically distinct, so it's easy enough for me to locate them." I shrug. "I know that the waystones will need to be defended, so I've been working at clearing certain areas where I'd like to start."
"Yes, that is true. I am glad that you have some concept of the scale of the undertaking."
"But… Are you onboard? Does this plan sound plausible?"
"It may prove possible for me to turn your outline into a workable scheme, yes."
"Great! Let me know what areas you need cleared first, and I'll get right on that. I can't personally garrison every area, but I can build fortifications like you wouldn't believe."
"It will be some time before we can mark sites. We would need to survey… The entire world before we can do that."
I nod. "Right, but you've got a general idea of the places likely to be important, right? For the main hub waystones?"
"Yes, but-."
"No time spent killing greenskins and beastmen is wasted, I just want to be a little more efficient. I'm not going to write a grudge in the book if it turns out you were a little off."
"I see. We can certainly provide you with the approximate areas which we are likely to need to clear."
"And I can escort your survey teams there and keep them safe while I clear the area." I look at the other Archmages and the Swordmasters. "I assume that's what they're here for?"
"No. They're here for the other matter. Prince Sharvan relayed your request for information on Ulthuanian birth rates, as well as the fact that several elf women you attended to are now pregnant. We are here to escort written copies of birth rates from several cities, and to see what you can learn from them."
That must have caused some teeth-clenching. But it's certainly nice to have someone who's prepared to work with me like this.
I smile.
"Then by all means, show me the data."
Last edited:
Typical Knife-ears.