AGELESS CAMPAIGN, Episode II, Part VI.

[Silver Moon]

"I think I've forgotten what it felt like to be relaxed," she said lightly.

He smiles and says, "And you can stay relaxed. We'll soon be safe. Another ten minutes and we will be at "Terre de la Reine Marie", the English translation being "Land of Queen Mary". How much do you know of the time that my ancestor Mary Stuart, also known as Mary Queen of Scots, lived here in France and served briefly as her Queen?"

 

[orchid blossom]

He smiles and says, "And you can stay relaxed. We'll soon be safe. Another ten minutes and we will be at "Terre de la Reine Marie", the English translation being "Land of Queen Mary". How much do you know of the time that my ancestor Mary Stuart, also known as Mary Queen of Scots, lived here in France and served briefly as her Queen?"

"Very little. Only that she married the Dauphin, but he died only about six months later and she returned to Scotland."

 

[Silver Moon]

"Very little. Only that she married the Dauphin, but he died only about six months later and she returned to Scotland."

"Actually, their marriage was a little bit longer than that, and she served seventeen months as the Queen of France after her husband became King Francis II. During her French reign Elizabeth became the Queen of England, although many felt that Mary's claim was stronger.

That was when much of the very the worst fighting over Clerical Magic and Wizard Magic took place. From the time of Mary's engagement to the French prince at age five she lived here in France and embraced Wizard magics whereas Elizabeth was a staunch supporter of Clerical Magics. Mary's interest in wizardry was no small thing, she was very well versed in it, which is what led to her eventual execution for treason.

While she served as the French Queen she conducted extensive research on magic. Paris is one of the two-dozen-or-so places on the globe where the strongest ley-lines for Wizard Magic and Earth Magic intersect, providing the greatest base of operation. But Mary discovered something even more interesting in a location twenty miles east of the city, along the Wizard Magic ley-line. It is a a spot where Earth Magics came up from the earth's core, essentially a magical well, and at that exact spot the intensity of the the overlap of magical energies dwarf that of Paris.

So she used her influence as Queen to purchase the 4,800 acres of land surrounding the well. It was mostly farmlands so nobody was particularly concerned. It has remained in the hands of the Stuart family since that time. Mary's son King James IV of Scotland, who became King James I of England, brought peace by embracing Clerical magic and had little interest in the French property, nor did most of the descendants. I, however, have a strong interest and am the current landholder here."

 

[orchid blossom]

"So no one knows about this well? How could it be that well-kept a secret?

How did the land fall to you, instead of your father? And where did your interest in this land come from?"

 

[Silver Moon]

"So no one knows about this well? How could it be that well-kept a secret?

"We have kept it secret. Nobody have ventured onto the land since Mary purchased it other than tenant farmers and others of our employ. The main thing that keeps it secret is Paris itself, as that is where the lines intersect, so nobody thinks to look along just a single line."

"How did the land fall to you, instead of your father? And where did your interest in this land come from?"

He replies, "You misunderstand. I do not own the land, I hold it for the Stuart Family. While King Frances allowed his wife Mary to take ownership he had great concerns about any future pro-clerical magic Scotsmen or Englishman having a foothold so close to Paris. So the deed has many provisions, the main ones being that until Scotland, or England while it rules Scotland, freely embrace and support wizard magics the land cannot be sold or any soldiers quartered on it. Otherwise King James I would have done so.

I became the Landholder after my aunt Baronese, my father's sister, passed the job onto me. Two of the three managers that were under her employ still run things in my absence. Until now my British spy associates used one of the mock-farmhouses as their French base, but now that my cover has been blown I will be discharged from the clandestine services and they have to find somewhere else."

 

[orchid blossom]

Until now my British spy associates used one of the mock-farmhouses as their French base, but now that my cover has been blown I will be discharged from the clandestine services and they have to find somewhere else."

"And are you sorry? To be discharged from the service, I mean."

 

[Silver Moon]

"And are you sorry? To be discharged from the service, I mean."

He smiles and says, "Yes and no. The work was fun and interesting, but did not really fit my personality. I am not worried about my employment prospects. As you know, I have had excellent training in the field of archaeology. I am also now acquainted with the ruler of Egypt, who will have need of archaeologists, and all of the ones who visited there in the past century also stole from her land so I doubt she will allow any of them back."

They are now flying over primarily farmlands and he lowers the elevation of the dirigible to a mere 100 feet above the ground. Callum removes a metal object from his inside coat pocket. It is around an inch thick, three inches tall and ten inches wide. The front side has colored gems attached while the back has a quartet of buttons. He punches in a sequence of buttons and them places the object on the front window of the dirigible, casting a minor spell that glues the object in place. A series of colored lights then radiate from the object, some longer and some shorter.

Turning to Abby he says, "We are approaching the Stuart lands. I'm just letting them know that it is me here, otherwise we risk them shooting the dirigible out of the sky."

 

[orchid blossom]

Turning to Abby he says, "We are approaching the Stuart lands. I'm just letting them know that it is me here, otherwise we risk them shooting the dirigible out of the sky."

"Oh sure, tell me I'm safe then tell me I could be shot out of the sky," she laughed.

"Is there anything I should know about how I need to behave here?"

 

[Silver Moon]

"Is there anything I should know about how I need to behave here?"

He says, "Not really, my managers have already heard about you. Just be yourself, and if anybody else questions an American being here in a pro-magic place just tell them you're from New Orleans."

Around two miles ahead is a small two-story rectangular stone castle. From there a colored light signal comprised of a short blue light followed by a pair of long green lights blinks out. Callum says, "Good, they received my message." He pushes a new sequence of buttons and a different light signal blinks out. He tells Abby "I'm letting them know where I plan to land and for them to send the carriage. We'll go from there back into Paris."

 

[orchid blossom]

He pushes a new sequence of buttons and a different light signal blinks out. He tells Abby "I'm letting them know where I plan to land and for them to send the carriage. We'll go from there back into Paris."

Abby chuckled. "Yes, New Orleans is barely part of America. As for your managers, I'm not sure I'm comfortable with my sudden fame.

"Since I'm only lightly acquainted with Paris, I'll just have to trust you to take me somewhere nice."

OOC: FYI - I'll be on a Scouting overnight until tomorrow afternoon.

OOC: Have fun! I hope it's not outside!