Tests and Trials (Manzanita Judging)

[scout989]

Luthiel Faradar Elven Rogue1

Luthiel's jaw drops when he hears what Malen has to say. "But... but... I've never seen anything like that before! I mean, we had a few wizards in my hometown, and they never did anything like that! I don't know, even if he is just- hah, I say just- an experienced magician, that doesn't make what he did any less impressive. I'm pretty sure I don't want to tangle with the Master, no matter what He is!"

 

[Dungannon]

Devlin Magruder, human rogue 3

Devlin stays quiet during the entire trip back to the campsite. Only once they are back around their own fire does he speak again. "Charlatan or not, 'the Master' is clearly in charge of a rather large pack of intelligent wolves. It seems we have three choices. We can go back and try to eradicate the wolves, as they are apparently the 'evil presence' the sorcerer wants removed. We can do as the Master asked and eliminate the sorcerer and his apprentice, the loggers we can worry about after that. Or we can walk away from the whole thing right now, emptyhanded, and risk having both the sorcerer and the Master after us. Now Malan, what were your impressions when you went and inspected the tower roof when we first arrived? Think carefully, and don't worry if we have to go take a second look at it. At this point, anything may provide important guidance."

 

[Enkhidu]

"I'm about a half a whisker away from walking away from this whole thing and burning down the whole wood,"Malen grumbles under his breath.

Then he continues more loudly, "Well, come on over with me and take a look at it, and I'll show you why I think that the boy and his master are a bunch of blasted liars. See these marks on the stone? They were made by a wire scrub brush or something - some fool went and cleaned the tower top to make it look like it it just happened. No different than the show the wolves' keeper put on back there. If I had another detection spell I'd..." Malen stop himself, dips his hand into one of his larger pockets, and pulls out his rat. "Varti! Wake up!" he says, shaking the rodent gently until it bobs its head and twitches its whiskers. "Remind me to work on a way to make a detection spell permanent." Then he lets the rat slide back into its pocket.

"Anyway, where was I again?"

 

[scout989]

Luthiel Faradar Elven Rogue1

"You were explaining more about the perfidy of those two... unmentionable persons that inhabit the tower," growls Luthiel- and it is strange to hear an elf growl. "I hope you were about to get to the part where we bust in there and put some serious fear into them before 'taking care of business.'"
It is also odd to hear Luthiel use euphemisms. He obviously believes it makes him sound tougher to talk like this.

 

[Enkhidu]

Malen gives Luthiel the eye. "Do I need to go get a stick for you to fetch? You're not growing any fur, are you?" He turns away and throws his hands up. "'Don't go out to the surface' they said, 'there all crazy up there' they said, but did I believe them? No!'he mumbles.

He turns back to Luthiel. "Oh well. It's not your fault you're moon mad, tree-hugger."

"Jasper, you're a mage, right? Well get over here and help check for auras - I want to find out exactly how powerful this ward is and what sort of magic it is, and I'm not prepared for that right now."

 

[scout989]

Luthiel Faradar Elven Rogue1

Luthiel grasps the hilt of his sword when he hears the insults the dwarf has thrown at him. However, before he draws, he realizes what a bad idea it would be. Instead, he stares at Malen intensely, rage burning in his eyes, as the thrice-damned wizard goes about his business.

 

[Dungannon]

Devlin Magruder, human rogue 3

Devlin turns and addresses Malen in his own tongue, [sblock]"Take it easy on the elf, Malen. He's still relatively new to the world at large. Not too unlike yourself. If we're going to come out of this with anything to show for it, we need to work together."[/sblock]
Turning back to the rest of the party, "Let's just all hang back at camp and rest up. I have a feeling tomorrow's going to be an eventful day."

 

[Enkhidu]

Malen replies to Dungannon using the same language.

[sblock]"Bah! The tree-hugger has been off since he started hopping around the bonfire and baying at the moon. The last thing I need is him going mad in the middle of the night with a taste for dwarf-flesh. I'd hate to have to kill him. He's the most tolerable elf I've ever met, and I kind of like the poor crazy fellow."[/sblock]

Malen jerks a thumb back at Luthiel as he talks, finally switching back to the Common tongue. "If that wizard is really deep in experiments, wouldn't it be better to deal with him now, when he's spent?

 

[scout989]

Luthiel Faradar Elven Rogue1

Luthiel glowers at Devlin and Malen as they talk about him, though he has no idea what they're saying. He vents his feelings a bit in Sylvan, confident that the others won't understand it:

Spoiler

"Why that rank amateur conjurer, does he think that the fact that he has not bathed since his mother stopped making really qualify him to pass judgement on me ? Bah, perhaps he just needs his mother to get into the bath with him- urgh! I can't believe I just thought that! Great, now I'm going to have nightmares...

He continues in this vein while they have their private talk. When they are done, he says coldly "Let's just do it. The sooner I'm out of such boorish company, the better."

 

[Dungannon]

Devlin Magruder, human rogue 3

"Okay, it looks like we are in agreement that we need to have a 'discussion' with the sorcerer and his apprentice, at the least. You're right Malen, doing it now when he's most likely low on magical resources is probably our best bet," Devlin looks back at the tower, a thoughtful look on his face. "I don't suppose anyone has rope and a grappling hook so we can get someone up to the hole in the roof?"