Upgrade your account to a Community Supporter account and remove most of the site ads.
Rocket your D&D 5E and Level Up: Advanced 5E games into space! Alpha Star Magazine Is Launching... Right Now!

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Nonlethal Force" data-source="post: 3399294" data-attributes="member: 35788">The teleport went smoothly, and it was a testimony to the power of the wizard to be able to teleport all six of the participants in a single maneuver.  The entire party had gone willingly, although they were certainly cautious in regard to the potential for a trap.Once they were inside the building, the wizard opened his arms wide and extended them toward an area with several high backed cushioned chairs.  “Please,” the wizard began, “I’ll not have my guests be uncomfortable.  You are in my care now, and I must apologize for the sincere amount of doubt that must have been cast upon my presence in the last few hours.  Much of that doubt has been unfairly cast upon me by the lack of good decision making processes by my Opheiluka.”The wizard looked towards Ophee with disappointment upon his face and continued to speak.  “Not everyone in the city trusts the wizard’s college.  You know that, I’m sure.  Each of you has some form of magical ability and its application extends in various directions.  You all know that there are circumstances in which magic is welcomed.  But there are far more places in which the use of magic is much less welcomed.  The city guard is one such location where magic is not always trusted.”Rhema smiled politely.  “Yet, Ophee told us that the city guard was familiar with you and your work.”The wizard grimaced, but seemed to smile through it.  “Ah, the proverbial snowball itself.  If you stand atop a mountain and throw an innocent little snowball, there is potential for the snowball to pick up and collect more snow as it rolls down the face of the mountain.  Only one in a million do not get stuck along the way, of course.  But the one that manages to make it the whole way down the mountain collecting snow is a monster by the time it reaches the bottom.  Yet it still remains a simple snowball that has gotten out of control.”The wizard sat down once his guests – Ophee included – had found chairs for themselves and were comfortable.  “So it is with that simple miscalculation.  Opheiluka had a decision to make, and she thought that it would be best to not assume that these guards appreciated what the wizard’s college does for their life.  She believed she had control of the situation and wanted to keep you out of the equation.  In that respect, I will give her credit.  She knows the guards much more than any of you, I presume.  By giving you the impression that she had control of the situation, she minimized the possibility of introducing you all as random variables that could have upset her ability to control the situation.”Semeion smiled as he listened to the wizard.  He was clearly enjoying the multi-layered explanation upon explanation.  He knew that the truth was somewhere in the midst of the stories and it was only a matter of digging deep enough to reach the truth.  “Yet she was already playing damage control, then?  Was that her great mistake?  Once she realized that we were going to be met by the guards she began to perform damage control and assume the worst.  She had, then, already admitted defeat and was simply trying to maintain the absolute essence of her plan.”The wizard’s eyes sparkled as Semeion spoke.  “Now, with that conclusion you would make an astonishing apprentice of mine!”Semeion knew that the comment was rhetorical, but he still had enough bile inside his stomach with regard to what he believed to be the wizard’s summoning of an evil being.  He chose to answer the wizard’s rhetorical statement anyway.  “The offer is uninteresting to me.  I was an apprentice, once.  I find my own way through the power of magic.”The wizard’s expression deflated.  “I feared that too much damage had already been done when Opheiluka came to me and told me of the guards.  That is why I had to arrange for that sham of a test outside.”Charis raised an eyebrow as she listened to the wizard.  “You call the summoning of a being of pure evil a sham?  You call making us fight some sort of conjuration of evil a sham?”The wizard rolled his eyes.  “How long will you all continue to doubt my magic?  What display do I need to give you to make you understand that the spell was a complex illusion?  If that was an actual evil presence, the city guard would be required to come and ask for my incarceration.  Even the guard themselves knew enough to not believe that I would actually summon an evil being!”Charis objected once more.  “That still gives us no reason to trust you.”The wizard interrupted Charis’ speech.  “But of course!  That is why I said at the beginning that I feared that too much damage had already been done for you to truly trust me.  The choices that Opheiluka made were suboptimal and that is obvious now.  I am sure that for the moment all we can do is make a business agreement that is free of the burden of obligation.  I have a need, and you have the ability to fulfill my need.  You have a need, and I have an ability to fulfill your need.  We can simply exchange abilities for each other.  Perhaps through that I might be able to regain the trust that Opheiluka destroyed?”Ischarus focused on the wizard’s face.  “I already asked you outside to state what it is that we can do for you.  You told us then that the time was not right.  Is now an appropriate time?  If it is, then I would like to know what you seek from us so that we may accomplish it and leave with that for which we came.”The wizard clapped his hands together several times and stood.  “Good!  Then it appears you are at least willing to exchange services.  What I need comes from a place few are skilled enough to tread.  But from what I understand through my research, you can obtain it.  I need a root grown in a specific forest in Quehalost.”Rhema coughed in surprise.  “Quehalost?  What makes you think we can go into Quehalost?”The wizard looked down to Rhema as though she were a young child trying to hide the truth.  “My dear Rhema, do not hide the truth from me.  You all do it so well, but you need not hide it from me.  I am sure that Opheiluka has told you that I am a master of knowledge.  I know that your party specializes in travel to Quehalost and returning with people to serve on your father’s villa.  Rest easy, of course.  Your secret is safe with me.  What good would having that knowledge do me if everyone else knew that same knowledge?  Knowledge is power, but only when you have the strength to keep important knowledge to yourself!”The wizard’s eyes gleamed with a bright sparkle, as if the conversation were exciting him.  “I also know that this is no slaving operation that you all run.  You do it to bring peace and freedom to the land of Quehalost.  I also know that your last journey there was quite successful.  It even involved the Assembly of Virtuous Dragons, I do believe.”Rhema dropped her glance to the floor.  She knew that the wizard knew more than she had hoped about them.  There was no use denying it any further.The wizard continued.  “You see, the root that I need grows on the northernmost edge of Quehalost, not far from the area that you all have traveled through before.  If you would be willing to travel into Quehalost for me and retrieve this root, I would be most grateful.  Grateful enough, I should say, to arrange a meeting with a member of the Ephistaemi regarding the information that you so desperately need to know?”Semeion smirked.  “Teleport us across the mountains to the place where the root is found and then bring us back.  The total trip shouldn’t take more than an hour, and we’ll collect pounds of the root you need.”The wizard smiled innocently and shook his head.  “It doesn’t work that way, young mage.  I can surely teleport you across the mountains.  I can even bring you all back when you signal me.  But the area that I have previously found the root is in the grove of a particular druid.”Ischarus and Rhema groaned simultaneously.  “Let me guess,” Ischarus began.  “The place is guarded by a druid who likes to manipulate the natural order of animals?  The druid likes to infuse animals with a higher intelligence, greater strength, or more agile step?”The wizard’s face brightened with appreciation for Ischarus’ understanding.  “Indeed!  You are aware of the place I seek!  The root grows in the private grove of that very druid.  I would teleport you into the place directly, but his grove has protective magic woven through it.  I can get you close, however.”Charis looked to her friends and smiled.  “I know the perfect place.”The party spoke with the wizard for another ten or fifteen minutes about the specifics of the root and how to signal the wizard once their task had been completed.  As they spoke, the task seemed more and more legitimate and the party began to fear a trap less and less.  The wizard promised to arrange for room and board at the wizard’s college for some last minute training and reequipping.  They agreed that the expedition into Quehalost would leave in two day’s time.As the party left, the wizard held out a hand to Ophee.  “My servant, stay with me for a second.”  The wizard closed the door when the party had exited the room.  “You will be going with them to Quehalost.”Ophee’s face paled instantly.  “But, sir!  That land is dangerous, and I am needed in Fingerdale!”The wizard held up a single finger and looked deep into Ophee’s eyes.  “Opheiluka, you have never rebelled against my wishes up to this point, and this is a bad time to begin to travel down that road.  You failed me earlier as you brought the party into Eberdeen.  You nearly spoiled what we have worked hard to find.  This party is one of only a few groups capable of finding the root.  Their trust in me and willingness to find the root for me was nearly ruined.  For that, you must be punished.  There is much you can learn from these four.  If you go with them, it will give you time to learn from them and think about what you almost cost me.  If you argue this point, I will increase your punishment.  Have I made myself clear?”Ophee’s eyes dropped to the floor as though she were being reprimanded by her father.  “Yes, sir.  I will do as you wish, and learn what you ask.”The wizard placed his hand gently under her chin.  He lifted her head softly upward until her eyes met his.  “Tell me why you have reached this conclusion, my Opheiluka.”  The wizard’s voice was soft and delicate, as if flowing with the sweetness of honey and the compassion of her mother.Ophee smiled as their eyes met.  “To serve you better, master.  I live to serve you better.”The wizard bent over the younger woman and kissed her on the forehead.  In his hands, she was nothing of the strong woman that had met the party at the Shrouded Tenor and had come to them with great confidence on the site of the burned out villa.  She was putty in his delicate wizardly hands.  “Good, my dear Opheiluka.  Do not forget that fact.  You serve me well, but you can learn to serve me better.  I am glad you eventually saw it my way.  I can forget the confusion of doubt that momentarily crossed your mind.  I love you too much to desire to have to resort to punishing you.”Ophee blushed hard, but was unable to look away from his eyes.  The wizard stroked her right cheek with the back of his free hand.  “Now go, Opheiluka.  Go and bond with the four.  Learn from them, and serve them well in Quehalost.”[Sblock=Color-Free Speech Section]The teleport went smoothly, and it was a testimony to the power of the wizard to be able to teleport all six of the participants in a single maneuver. The entire party had gone willingly, although they were certainly cautious in regard to the potential for a trap.Once they were inside the building, the wizard opened his arms wide and extended them toward an area with several high backed cushioned chairs. “Please,” the wizard began, “I’ll not have my guests be uncomfortable. You are in my care now, and I must apologize for the sincere amount of doubt that must have been cast upon my presence in the last few hours. Much of that doubt has been unfairly cast upon me by the lack of good decision making processes by my Opheiluka.”The wizard looked towards Ophee with disappointment upon his face and continued to speak. “Not everyone in the city trusts the wizard’s college. You know that, I’m sure. Each of you has some form of magical ability and its application extends in various directions. You all know that there are circumstances in which magic is welcomed. But there are far more places in which the use of magic is much less welcomed. The city guard is one such location where magic is not always trusted.”Rhema smiled politely. “Yet, Ophee told us that the city guard was familiar with you and your work.”The wizard grimaced, but seemed to smile through it. “Ah, the proverbial snowball itself. If you stand atop a mountain and throw an innocent little snowball, there is potential for the snowball to pick up and collect more snow as it rolls down the face of the mountain. Only one in a million do not get stuck along the way, of course. But the one that manages to make it the whole way down the mountain collecting snow is a monster by the time it reaches the bottom. Yet it still remains a simple snowball that has gotten out of control.”The wizard sat down once his guests – Ophee included – had found chairs for themselves and were comfortable. “So it is with that simple miscalculation. Opheiluka had a decision to make, and she thought that it would be best to not assume that these guards appreciated what the wizard’s college does for their life. She believed she had control of the situation and wanted to keep you out of the equation. In that respect, I will give her credit. She knows the guards much more than any of you, I presume. By giving you the impression that she had control of the situation, she minimized the possibility of introducing you all as random variables that could have upset her ability to control the situation.”Semeion smiled as he listened to the wizard. He was clearly enjoying the multi-layered explanation upon explanation. He knew that the truth was somewhere in the midst of the stories and it was only a matter of digging deep enough to reach the truth. “Yet she was already playing damage control, then? Was that her great mistake? Once she realized that we were going to be met by the guards she began to perform damage control and assume the worst. She had, then, already admitted defeat and was simply trying to maintain the absolute essence of her plan.”The wizard’s eyes sparkled as Semeion spoke. “Now, with that conclusion you would make an astonishing apprentice of mine!”Semeion knew that the comment was rhetorical, but he still had enough bile inside his stomach with regard to what he believed to be the wizard’s summoning of an evil being. He chose to answer the wizard’s rhetorical statement anyway. “The offer is uninteresting to me. I was an apprentice, once. I find my own way through the power of magic.”The wizard’s expression deflated. “I feared that too much damage had already been done when Opheiluka came to me and told me of the guards. That is why I had to arrange for that sham of a test outside.”Charis raised an eyebrow as she listened to the wizard. “You call the summoning of a being of pure evil a sham? You call making us fight some sort of conjuration of evil a sham?”The wizard rolled his eyes. “How long will you all continue to doubt my magic? What display do I need to give you to make you understand that the spell was a complex illusion? If that was an actual evil presence, the city guard would be required to come and ask for my incarceration. Even the guard themselves knew enough to not believe that I would actually summon an evil being!”Charis objected once more. “That still gives us no reason to trust you.”The wizard interrupted Charis’ speech. “But of course! That is why I said at the beginning that I feared that too much damage had already been done for you to truly trust me. The choices that Opheiluka made were suboptimal and that is obvious now. I am sure that for the moment all we can do is make a business agreement that is free of the burden of obligation. I have a need, and you have the ability to fulfill my need. You have a need, and I have an ability to fulfill your need. We can simply exchange abilities for each other. Perhaps through that I might be able to regain the trust that Opheiluka destroyed?”Ischarus focused on the wizard’s face. “I already asked you outside to state what it is that we can do for you. You told us then that the time was not right. Is now an appropriate time? If it is, then I would like to know what you seek from us so that we may accomplish it and leave with that for which we came.”The wizard clapped his hands together several times and stood. “Good! Then it appears you are at least willing to exchange services. What I need comes from a place few are skilled enough to tread. But from what I understand through my research, you can obtain it. I need a root grown in a specific forest in Quehalost.”Rhema coughed in surprise. “Quehalost? What makes you think we can go into Quehalost?”The wizard looked down to Rhema as though she were a young child trying to hide the truth. “My dear Rhema, do not hide the truth from me. You all do it so well, but you need not hide it from me. I am sure that Opheiluka has told you that I am a master of knowledge. I know that your party specializes in travel to Quehalost and returning with people to serve on your father’s villa. Rest easy, of course. Your secret is safe with me. What good would having that knowledge do me if everyone else knew that same knowledge? Knowledge is power, but only when you have the strength to keep important knowledge to yourself!”The wizard’s eyes gleamed with a bright sparkle, as if the conversation were exciting him. “I also know that this is no slaving operation that you all run. You do it to bring peace and freedom to the land of Quehalost. I also know that your last journey there was quite successful. It even involved the Assembly of Virtuous Dragons, I do believe.”Rhema dropped her glance to the floor. She knew that the wizard knew more than she had hoped about them. There was no use denying it any further.The wizard continued. “You see, the root that I need grows on the northernmost edge of Quehalost, not far from the area that you all have traveled through before. If you would be willing to travel into Quehalost for me and retrieve this root, I would be most grateful. Grateful enough, I should say, to arrange a meeting with a member of the Ephistaemi regarding the information that you so desperately need to know?”Semeion smirked. “Teleport us across the mountains to the place where the root is found and then bring us back. The total trip shouldn’t take more than an hour, and we’ll collect pounds of the root you need.”The wizard smiled innocently and shook his head. “It doesn’t work that way, young mage. I can surely teleport you across the mountains. I can even bring you all back when you signal me. But the area that I have previously found the root is in the grove of a particular druid.”Ischarus and Rhema groaned simultaneously. “Let me guess,” Ischarus began. “The place is guarded by a druid who likes to manipulate the natural order of animals? The druid likes to infuse animals with a higher intelligence, greater strength, or more agile step?”The wizard’s face brightened with appreciation for Ischarus’ understanding. “Indeed! You are aware of the place I seek! The root grows in the private grove of that very druid. I would teleport you into the place directly, but his grove has protective magic woven through it. I can get you close, however.”Charis looked to her friends and smiled. “I know the perfect place.”The party spoke with the wizard for another ten or fifteen minutes about the specifics of the root and how to signal the wizard once their task had been completed. As they spoke, the task seemed more and more legitimate and the party began to fear a trap less and less. The wizard promised to arrange for room and board at the wizard’s college for some last minute training and reequipping. They agreed that the expedition into Quehalost would leave in two day’s time.As the party left, the wizard held out a hand to Ophee. “My servant, stay with me for a second.” The wizard closed the door when the party had exited the room. “You will be going with them to Quehalost.”Ophee’s face paled instantly. “But, sir! That land is dangerous, and I am needed in Fingerdale!”The wizard held up a single finger and looked deep into Ophee’s eyes. “Opheiluka, you have never rebelled against my wishes up to this point, and this is a bad time to begin to travel down that road. You failed me earlier as you brought the party into Eberdeen. You nearly spoiled what we have worked hard to find. This party is one of only a few groups capable of finding the root. Their trust in me and willingness to find the root for me was nearly ruined. For that, you must be punished. There is much you can learn from these four. If you go with them, it will give you time to learn from them and think about what you almost cost me. If you argue this point, I will increase your punishment. Have I made myself clear?”Ophee’s eyes dropped to the floor as though she were being reprimanded by her father. “Yes, sir. I will do as you wish, and learn what you ask.”The wizard placed his hand gently under her chin. He lifted her head softly upward until her eyes met his. “Tell me why you have reached this conclusion, my Opheiluka.” The wizard’s voice was soft and delicate, as if flowing with the sweetness of honey and the compassion of her mother.Ophee smiled as their eyes met. “To serve you better, master. I live to serve you better.”The wizard bent over the younger woman and kissed her on the forehead. In his hands, she was nothing of the strong woman that had met the party at the Shrouded Tenor and had come to them with great confidence on the site of the burned out villa. She was putty in his delicate wizardly hands. “Good, my dear Opheiluka. Do not forget that fact. You serve me well, but you can learn to serve me better. I am glad you eventually saw it my way. I can forget the confusion of doubt that momentarily crossed your mind. I love you too much to desire to have to resort to punishing you.”Ophee blushed hard, but was unable to look away from his eyes. The wizard stroked her right cheek with the back of his free hand. “Now go, Opheiluka. Go and bond with the four. Learn from them, and serve them well in Quehalost.” [/Sblock]</blockquote>

Verification