Post by Andre on Jul 20, 2011 9:42:36 GMT -5
The Tower of High Sorcery in Wayreth had been, for centuries, the last outpost of magic upon the continent of Ansalon. Here the mages had been driven, when the Kingpriest ordered them from the other Towers. Here they had come, leaving the Tower in Istar, now under the waters of the Blood Sea, leaving the accursed and blackened Tower in Palanthas.
The Tower in Wayreth was an imposing structure, an unnerving sight. The outer walls formed an equilateral triangle. A small tower stood at each angle of the perfect geometric shape. In the center stood the two main towers, slanted slightly, twisting just a little, enough to make the viewer blink and say to himself - aren't those crooked?
The walls were built of black stone. Polished to a high gloss, it shone brilliantly in the sunlight and, in the night, reflected the light of two moons and mirrored the darkness of the third. Runes were carved upon the surface of the stone, runes of power and strength, shielding and warding; runes that bound the stones to each other; runes that bound the stones to the ground. The tops of the walls were smooth. There were no bat- tlements for soldiers to man. There was no need.
Far from any centers of civilization, the Tower at Wayreth was surrounded by its magic wood. None could enter who did not belong, none came to it without invitation. And so the mages protected their last bastion of strength, guarding it well from the outside world.
Yet, the Tower was not lifeless. Ambitious apprentice magic- users came from all over the world to take the rigorous - and sometimes fatal - Test. Wizards of high standing arrived daily,
continuing their studies, meeting, discussing, conducting dan- gerous and delicate experiments. To these, the Tower was open day and night. They could come and go as they chose - Black Robes, Red Robes, White Robes.
Though far apart in philosophies - in their ways of viewing and of living with the world - all the Robes met in peace in the Tower. Arguments were tolerated only as they served to advance the Art. Fighting of any sort was prohibited - the penalty was swift, terrible death.
The Art. It was the one thing that united them all. It was their first loyalty - no matter who they were, whom they served, what color robes they wore. The young magic-users who faced death calmly when they agreed to take the Test understood this. The ancient wizards who came here to breathe their last and be entombed within the familiar walls understood this. The Art - Magic. It was parent, lover, spouse, child. It was soil, fire, air, water. It was life. It was death. It was beyond death.
Serinda was familiar with all of this - she just wasn't sure she agreed with the Tower's doctrine or way of handling magic. Still she'd teleported them - herself, the insufferable troll wizard Tadhg, and Rin - without a word, without nothing more than a thought - to the courtyard of the Tower... not sure if the dragonarmies had penetrated even here she had hesitated to make them appear within the Tower at first... but there was no obvious threat she could see.
" Your aim is off " growled the troll looking down at Serinda " Did you think we'd been overwhelmed just yet ? Give us some credit ! " If nothing else the troll wasn't stupid - he'd instinctively understood Serinda's actions.. that didn't make him any more likable.. with a withering glance directed his way, without a single word by way of reply, she gestured again.. and abruptly they were inside.
They were in a vast chamber carved of obsidian. It was so wide that its perimeter was lost in shadow, so high that its ceil- ing was obscured in shadow. No pillars supported it, no lights lit it. Yet light there was, though none could name its source.
It was a pale light, white - not yellow. Cold and cheerless, it gave no warmth
Three stone chairs were in front of them, occupied - no chairs had been provided for Rin, Serinda or Tadhg.. the center chair was occupied by an old man looking down at them in dismay wearing white robes
(nope, not purple robes despite the pic below, white robes )
The stone chair to his right was occupied by a man with a smooth, cold, impassive face and lively dark eyes , in red robes
(and no despite the pic he's not tossing a fireball at you )
The stone chair to his left was occupied by a woman, still beautiful though her hair was gradually making the transition from black to gray ... like her hair, her robes were black.. she looked DISTINCTLY unfriendly , as if ready to rise up and attempt to strike down Rin or Serinda any moment
Without bothering to introduce the three mages Tadhg began to recount every detail of the events that had taken place once he'd appeared within Rin, Serinda and the other's midst.. he left nothing out, recounting everything word for word whether it made him look bad or not - though he looked PISSED when he recounted being tripped to land face down in the snow. " And it's going to take FOREVER for this to heal ! " Tadhg roared pointing at the blotches on his face where Zane had barfed acid on him - he then pointed another warty green gigantic finger at the burn marks on his chest where Udyr had tossed his flaming sphere.
" I think you mean it will take the normal amount of time to heal , as it does with us ordinary human folk " replied the white robed man in the center chair mildly. " Thank you for your assistance Tadhg."
" If that's ALL I'll be returning to my research " snarled Tadhg looking down at Rin " Are you aware of what magical advances you're holding back? Who knows what I could have discovered in the time wasted hunting you down ? You should have presented yourself to the Tower IMMEDIATELY once you realized your gift.. as for YOU " the troll glowers at Serinda.. " THEY'LL deal with you... " The troll stomps angrily away
(though Serinda and Rin can easily get a parting verbal shot in at Tadhg if they choose as he walks away )
The White Robe massages his head as if trying to chase away a headache.. " What ARE we going to do with you Aintak Rinata Velasun ? " he sighs. " Under normal circumstances we would have you Tested IMMEDIATELY ... or at least within the next few weeks or so while we prepared a suitable Test for someone of your abilities - "
" I say we kill him and the White Robe initiate right now " interrupts the black robed woman in icy tones. " You ARE aware of the rope thing aren't you ? This feathered FREAK " the woman points at Rin " Is capable of spontaneously conjuring magical effects without the research a NORMAL wizard would put into it - no wonder the results are uncontrolled ! We need to kill him and every last one of his kind before the world is torn asunder once again - or need I remind you all what happened the LAST time chaos magic was allowed to run amuck? We wouldn't even know about the rope thing at all if our newest Black Robe initiate hadn't told us - BEFORE his untimely death at the hands of their allies " Ladonna glares at Rin and Serinda - it abruptly becomes clear that Sangrias tipped the Black Robes off about Rin's rope monster.
" If we killed everyone who annoyed you the world would soon be empty of life Ladonna.. besides which the prohibition of fellow mages killing each other only applies within the Tower, not outside it ...." the White Robe responds absently, obviously still thinking... Ladonna clenches her fists and looks at Rin and Serinda, menace in her eyes.. the red robe simply sits there, impassively, still watching.
" It does speak well on your behalf that you surrendered willingly Aintak of the kenku" muses the White Robe, .. " And as you say ... there are .. unusual.. circumstances.. right now with the dragonarmies set to conquer the world." The red robe finally acts, nodding once in agreement with Par-Salian's words. The White Robe still seems undecided as he looks at Rin.. then he turns his gaze on Serinda.. the White Robe's look becomes far more stern and disapproving.
" YOU on the other hand young lady are a quite clear-cut case.. let me refresh your memory on the effects of uncontrolled magic - I had assumed that Aurian had educated on this.. evidently he has not.
"Thousands of years ago the very first wielders of magic - sorcerers - were able to manipulate the fabric of reality with but a thought.. born with the gift, they had no need of spellbooks, rituals.. they called upon the gift to battle dragons - no this isn't humanity's first conflict with dragons, nor elves' for that matter ... they succeeded in defeating the dragons.. but the magic then ran out of control, nearly tearing the world asunder. The three sorcerers were whisked away by the gods of magic - Solinari, god of white magic, the white moon you see in the sky at night.. his brother Luinatari, god of the red magic ... and Nuitari , their sister, goddess of black magic.. together the three taught the sorcerers the Art as we know it today.. CONTROLLED magic , magic that does not run amuck, magic that is harder to wield - it needs to be taught, it doesn't come instinctively without training .. but the trade off is , controlling it is far, FAR easier... it was only a matter of time before Aintak's gifts ran amuck. These three sorcerers returned to Krynn and founded the first Tower of High Sorcery ...
" You should have aided Tadhg in his efforts.. apparently there was no need for you to imprison Aintak directly - from what Tadhg says Aintak didn't even put up a fight, which, again, speaks heavily in his favor " The White Robe nods to Rin briefly then continues , turning an unfriendly gaze back on Serinda. " However when Tadhg attempted to render his assailants unconscious .. this tattooed bald man for example - you should have assisted him. Your FIRST action should have been to step to Tadhg's side and your second action should have been to help render anyone who attacked him unconscious... you have no seniority within the Tower young lady, no authority to act on your own in these matters - your duty is to assist Tower authorities on all matters without question, especially a fellow member of the White Robes who outranks you. And somehow I don't think you were ignorant of the fact that Aintak should have been brought here - indeed I find myself wondering why you didn't report him to us in the first place as soon as you made contact with him. EXPLAIN YOURSELF SERINDA OF THE SILVANESTI "
The White Robe puts a heavy emphasis on the words in that last sentence and waits , coldly regarding Serinda.. the Black Robe (whose name is evidently Ladonna) and the Red Robe sit regarding Serinda as well, waiting for her answer.
(Serinda can make a knowledge arcana check, Rin a bardic knowledge check, to see if they recognize who these 3 mages are and what their position is in the Tower hiearchy ... Rin can roll knowledge arcana too if he likes... use the invisible castle dice roller and post the link and bbc code results below
invisiblecastle.com/roller/ )
The Tower in Wayreth was an imposing structure, an unnerving sight. The outer walls formed an equilateral triangle. A small tower stood at each angle of the perfect geometric shape. In the center stood the two main towers, slanted slightly, twisting just a little, enough to make the viewer blink and say to himself - aren't those crooked?
The walls were built of black stone. Polished to a high gloss, it shone brilliantly in the sunlight and, in the night, reflected the light of two moons and mirrored the darkness of the third. Runes were carved upon the surface of the stone, runes of power and strength, shielding and warding; runes that bound the stones to each other; runes that bound the stones to the ground. The tops of the walls were smooth. There were no bat- tlements for soldiers to man. There was no need.
Far from any centers of civilization, the Tower at Wayreth was surrounded by its magic wood. None could enter who did not belong, none came to it without invitation. And so the mages protected their last bastion of strength, guarding it well from the outside world.
Yet, the Tower was not lifeless. Ambitious apprentice magic- users came from all over the world to take the rigorous - and sometimes fatal - Test. Wizards of high standing arrived daily,
continuing their studies, meeting, discussing, conducting dan- gerous and delicate experiments. To these, the Tower was open day and night. They could come and go as they chose - Black Robes, Red Robes, White Robes.
Though far apart in philosophies - in their ways of viewing and of living with the world - all the Robes met in peace in the Tower. Arguments were tolerated only as they served to advance the Art. Fighting of any sort was prohibited - the penalty was swift, terrible death.
The Art. It was the one thing that united them all. It was their first loyalty - no matter who they were, whom they served, what color robes they wore. The young magic-users who faced death calmly when they agreed to take the Test understood this. The ancient wizards who came here to breathe their last and be entombed within the familiar walls understood this. The Art - Magic. It was parent, lover, spouse, child. It was soil, fire, air, water. It was life. It was death. It was beyond death.
Serinda was familiar with all of this - she just wasn't sure she agreed with the Tower's doctrine or way of handling magic. Still she'd teleported them - herself, the insufferable troll wizard Tadhg, and Rin - without a word, without nothing more than a thought - to the courtyard of the Tower... not sure if the dragonarmies had penetrated even here she had hesitated to make them appear within the Tower at first... but there was no obvious threat she could see.
" Your aim is off " growled the troll looking down at Serinda " Did you think we'd been overwhelmed just yet ? Give us some credit ! " If nothing else the troll wasn't stupid - he'd instinctively understood Serinda's actions.. that didn't make him any more likable.. with a withering glance directed his way, without a single word by way of reply, she gestured again.. and abruptly they were inside.
They were in a vast chamber carved of obsidian. It was so wide that its perimeter was lost in shadow, so high that its ceil- ing was obscured in shadow. No pillars supported it, no lights lit it. Yet light there was, though none could name its source.
It was a pale light, white - not yellow. Cold and cheerless, it gave no warmth
Three stone chairs were in front of them, occupied - no chairs had been provided for Rin, Serinda or Tadhg.. the center chair was occupied by an old man looking down at them in dismay wearing white robes
(nope, not purple robes despite the pic below, white robes )
The stone chair to his right was occupied by a man with a smooth, cold, impassive face and lively dark eyes , in red robes
(and no despite the pic he's not tossing a fireball at you )
The stone chair to his left was occupied by a woman, still beautiful though her hair was gradually making the transition from black to gray ... like her hair, her robes were black.. she looked DISTINCTLY unfriendly , as if ready to rise up and attempt to strike down Rin or Serinda any moment
Without bothering to introduce the three mages Tadhg began to recount every detail of the events that had taken place once he'd appeared within Rin, Serinda and the other's midst.. he left nothing out, recounting everything word for word whether it made him look bad or not - though he looked PISSED when he recounted being tripped to land face down in the snow. " And it's going to take FOREVER for this to heal ! " Tadhg roared pointing at the blotches on his face where Zane had barfed acid on him - he then pointed another warty green gigantic finger at the burn marks on his chest where Udyr had tossed his flaming sphere.
" I think you mean it will take the normal amount of time to heal , as it does with us ordinary human folk " replied the white robed man in the center chair mildly. " Thank you for your assistance Tadhg."
" If that's ALL I'll be returning to my research " snarled Tadhg looking down at Rin " Are you aware of what magical advances you're holding back? Who knows what I could have discovered in the time wasted hunting you down ? You should have presented yourself to the Tower IMMEDIATELY once you realized your gift.. as for YOU " the troll glowers at Serinda.. " THEY'LL deal with you... " The troll stomps angrily away
(though Serinda and Rin can easily get a parting verbal shot in at Tadhg if they choose as he walks away )
The White Robe massages his head as if trying to chase away a headache.. " What ARE we going to do with you Aintak Rinata Velasun ? " he sighs. " Under normal circumstances we would have you Tested IMMEDIATELY ... or at least within the next few weeks or so while we prepared a suitable Test for someone of your abilities - "
" I say we kill him and the White Robe initiate right now " interrupts the black robed woman in icy tones. " You ARE aware of the rope thing aren't you ? This feathered FREAK " the woman points at Rin " Is capable of spontaneously conjuring magical effects without the research a NORMAL wizard would put into it - no wonder the results are uncontrolled ! We need to kill him and every last one of his kind before the world is torn asunder once again - or need I remind you all what happened the LAST time chaos magic was allowed to run amuck? We wouldn't even know about the rope thing at all if our newest Black Robe initiate hadn't told us - BEFORE his untimely death at the hands of their allies " Ladonna glares at Rin and Serinda - it abruptly becomes clear that Sangrias tipped the Black Robes off about Rin's rope monster.
" If we killed everyone who annoyed you the world would soon be empty of life Ladonna.. besides which the prohibition of fellow mages killing each other only applies within the Tower, not outside it ...." the White Robe responds absently, obviously still thinking... Ladonna clenches her fists and looks at Rin and Serinda, menace in her eyes.. the red robe simply sits there, impassively, still watching.
" It does speak well on your behalf that you surrendered willingly Aintak of the kenku" muses the White Robe, .. " And as you say ... there are .. unusual.. circumstances.. right now with the dragonarmies set to conquer the world." The red robe finally acts, nodding once in agreement with Par-Salian's words. The White Robe still seems undecided as he looks at Rin.. then he turns his gaze on Serinda.. the White Robe's look becomes far more stern and disapproving.
" YOU on the other hand young lady are a quite clear-cut case.. let me refresh your memory on the effects of uncontrolled magic - I had assumed that Aurian had educated on this.. evidently he has not.
"Thousands of years ago the very first wielders of magic - sorcerers - were able to manipulate the fabric of reality with but a thought.. born with the gift, they had no need of spellbooks, rituals.. they called upon the gift to battle dragons - no this isn't humanity's first conflict with dragons, nor elves' for that matter ... they succeeded in defeating the dragons.. but the magic then ran out of control, nearly tearing the world asunder. The three sorcerers were whisked away by the gods of magic - Solinari, god of white magic, the white moon you see in the sky at night.. his brother Luinatari, god of the red magic ... and Nuitari , their sister, goddess of black magic.. together the three taught the sorcerers the Art as we know it today.. CONTROLLED magic , magic that does not run amuck, magic that is harder to wield - it needs to be taught, it doesn't come instinctively without training .. but the trade off is , controlling it is far, FAR easier... it was only a matter of time before Aintak's gifts ran amuck. These three sorcerers returned to Krynn and founded the first Tower of High Sorcery ...
" You should have aided Tadhg in his efforts.. apparently there was no need for you to imprison Aintak directly - from what Tadhg says Aintak didn't even put up a fight, which, again, speaks heavily in his favor " The White Robe nods to Rin briefly then continues , turning an unfriendly gaze back on Serinda. " However when Tadhg attempted to render his assailants unconscious .. this tattooed bald man for example - you should have assisted him. Your FIRST action should have been to step to Tadhg's side and your second action should have been to help render anyone who attacked him unconscious... you have no seniority within the Tower young lady, no authority to act on your own in these matters - your duty is to assist Tower authorities on all matters without question, especially a fellow member of the White Robes who outranks you. And somehow I don't think you were ignorant of the fact that Aintak should have been brought here - indeed I find myself wondering why you didn't report him to us in the first place as soon as you made contact with him. EXPLAIN YOURSELF SERINDA OF THE SILVANESTI "
The White Robe puts a heavy emphasis on the words in that last sentence and waits , coldly regarding Serinda.. the Black Robe (whose name is evidently Ladonna) and the Red Robe sit regarding Serinda as well, waiting for her answer.
(Serinda can make a knowledge arcana check, Rin a bardic knowledge check, to see if they recognize who these 3 mages are and what their position is in the Tower hiearchy ... Rin can roll knowledge arcana too if he likes... use the invisible castle dice roller and post the link and bbc code results below
invisiblecastle.com/roller/ )