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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Cerebral Paladin" data-source="post: 3746822" data-attributes="member: 3448">I passed on Bonepicker’s report to Sergeant Cilorean, as well as my conclusion that the constructs were servitors of the Orange Mage.  The Sergeant stated that he would approach them and inform them that we remain loyal to Lord Paranswarm.  I asked what we should do if the Orange Mage’s constructs had gone insane, as their master did, or did not believe him, and attacked him anyway.  He said that we should flee, so with his permission I had the entire tribe roused and prepared for flight.  Gratifyingly, the tribe was ready to run within a minute of my passing the command.  I promised that if he fell I would see to it that the tribe safely reached the Shadowline.Sergeant Cilorean and Spring later reported their conversation with the metal spirits.  When Sergeant Cilorean informed them that we served Lord Paranswarm, they switched from the language they had been using--Celestial, from what I can gather--and addressed them in Common.  The puma apologized; it had been trying to persuade the serpent that they should attack and kill us all, assuming that we had to be forces of Shadow.  They were very pleased to learn that there were still others who fought to restore Caldefor, and they offered to bring us the “human charging packets” that they had at the charging station.  A little additional questioning confirmed that they meant a supply of preserved food intended for human servants of the Orange Mage.  However, they refused to show us where the charging station was-- what we did not know we could not reveal, even if captured and tortured.  Sergeant Cilorean agreed that was prudent.  In all, they supplied us with about 500 daily rations worth of food-- enough to put our entire tribe on half-rations.  Sergeant Cilorean and Spring also informed them that the Orange Mage still lived, on the far side of the Shadowline, although they omitted the fact that he is still insane.  His constructs were greatly relieved to hear that and agreed to send several of the worker automata with us.  Without the Orange Mage or one of his skilled apprentices, the automata would inevitably break down, so sending them across to the Orange Mage would allow them to best serve the fight against Shadow.Meanwhile, I had cast detect thoughts to measure the strength of Bonepicker’s mind, because he had seemed intelligent.  His mind was remarkably strong--roughly at the same level as my own.  When Sergeant Cilorean and Spring returned, I asked the sergeant for permission to train Bonepicker as an apprentice.  I would not be able to teach him the skills and arts of diabolism until he has been examined, approved, and licensed as an apprentice diabolist by the SHH and the Holy Church, but I could begin teaching him the general principles of magic that all wizards must know, which would lay an effective foundation for if and when he is approved.  [It didn’t occur to Konrad that between training by a diabolist and watching Konrad’s casting, Bonepicker would surely pick up some of the basics of diabolism without any formal training.]  The Sergeant authorized his training, and I informed Bonepicker that he was now my apprentice.  I directed him to sleep at a place on the outskirts of my personal camp and replaced him in the guard pickets with one of the other youths in the tribe.</blockquote>

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