Compulsion

Saphira Mistwalker looks around at her friends and suppresses a yawn. "Well, it took most of the night, but here is the translation."

Saphira Mistwalker gestures to the parchment on the desk.

Translation

Fitheach Eun steps closer to look.

Talia Sunsong: “You work? All night long? Who does that?”

Saphira Mistwalker: “I have to say, whoever wrote that was NOT a dragon, their Draconic was atrocious.”

Fiesty Lotus gets closer and peeks around Druid Fit.

Savage Taurus: “Can't imagine starin' at a book all night long. That can't be healthy for ya.”

Fitheach Eun smiles: " Probably someone trying to be obscure."

Saphira Mistwalker giggles at Talia. "I had plenty of mead."

Talia Sunsong: “Maybe a baby dragon wrote it. They don't know how to spell right yet.”

Saphira Mistwalker: “Hmm.”

Savage Taurus: “Draconic can be written down on paper? Why would ya want ter do that?”

Fitheach Eun taps a phrase, " Now that is interesting..."

Saphira Mistwalker: That reminds me, I need to start teaching Rorn his letters.

Talia Sunsong: “Don't you write Draconic with your clawed feet? The letters look like bird feet, right?”

Savage Taurus: “Like there are symbols and stuff that go along with the sounds of the language and such?”

Saphira Mistwalker: rolls her eyes at Savage. "Non-dragons do Savage, and dragons who are trying to communicate with the two-legs."

Savage Taurus shrugs and rolls his eyes.

Talia Sunsong: "Look at the scroll, Rorn." Talia holds Rorn near the scroll.

Fitheach Eun mutters: " Different runes for different locations..."

Saphira Mistwalker: nods. "That could get confusing really quick. Assuming of course the author was right."

Fiesty Lotus ponders the words " an object key carried by the traveler."

Fitheach Eun: " Any object..."

Rorn barely glances at the scroll. He spots two cats near the fireplace, and he is out of Talia's arms like lightning.

Saphira Mistwalker: I suppose you could literally have a ring of keys.

Fitheach Eun turns to look at her druid sister: " This is exciting news."

Savage Taurus chuckles at his son

Fiesty Lotus: “Yes, it's a bit hard to take in.”

Savage Taurus repeats in a bored voice, "Oh, yea...excitin' "

Fitheach Eun: “Talia, stop Rorn from harassing those cats; they could be someone's familiars.”

Rorn flies up to the Siamese cat, who puffs up like a balloon.

Rorn sneaks up on the cats

Savage Taurus: “They don’t seem too familiar to me.”

Saphira Mistwalker: hisses at Savage. "It took a lot of work to translate that."

Savage Taurus: growls at Saphira, "Don't hiss at me, woman."

Talia Sunsong: "Rorn come here and learn how to read, instead of playing with the cats."

Saphira Mistwalker sighs. "Don't they teach anything about magic in your clan.?"

Fitheach Eun leans on the table; " We must learn how to make a portal."

Fiesty Lotus: "I believe (she gestures with the book she carries everywhere) that me nephew and I have objects of each other, that’s why I kin see him in this book."

Rorn snuffles at the cat. She hisses and swats Rorn on the nose.

Fitheach Eun turns smiling, " Ah, of course; that makes perfect sense."

Saphira Mistwalker: “That would make sense Druid Fiesty, you have a connection already.”

Rorn whimpers and backs off. The cat sits down and washes its face disdainfully.

Saphira Mistwalker: “I wonder if it really true that you can't move a small portal, or if the author was just trying to keep people from walking off with his books?”

Rorn flies back to Talia and lands on her arm. "Oh Rorn, don't mess with cats. They could have magical powers."

Fitheach Eun raises an eyebrow: "The book that brought us here was moved up to the airship and still worked."

Savage Taurus: chuckles, "Yea, you can't trust these 'authors'. They are just tryin' ta control yer mind!"

Fiesty Lotus looks up  wondering. "I  been carting this book all over the place. It still shows me nephew.”

Saphira Mistwalker: “Good point Druid Fit. I suspect he was just protecting his interests.”

Fitheach Eun: "Or perhaps the smaller the linking object, the more portable it is?"

Fiesty Lotus: “So how can we test this idea?”

Saphira Mistwalker: “I'll bet he charged a pretty amount to create a portal and didn't want people to know they didn't need a bunch scattered all over.”

Savage Taurus: "What'd I tell ya! I don't trust no book-scribblers."

Fitheach Eun hums under her breath and looks around the library...

Savage Taurus: “Is there somethin' in there that'll tell me how to change inta somethin' other than a puny hooman? This body don't even have proper claws.”

This body ain't even got proper claws.

Using the sofa as cover, Rorn starts sneaking back towards the cats.

Savage Taurus: “I sure do miss the rippin' an tearin'.”

Savage Taurus blows flames out of his pipe in frustration.

Savage Taurus: looks around, "I bet all these books would make a nice little bonfire. Could cook up some roast mutton.’

One of the cats silently circles around the back of the sofa. Seeing Rorn's twitching, tail, the cat pounces on it.

Fitheach Eun wanders over to the big table and looks through the books stacked there.

Saphira Mistwalker: “Heh, I doubt the locals would appreciate that Savage. They seem nice enough, so let's not antagonize them.”

Fiesty Lotus shakes her head at Savages attitude

Savage Taurus: "Pfff", shrugs.”

Saphira Mistwalker: “After all, they didn't shoot us on sight, even when I flew down to their tavern to get us all something for dinner.”

Fitheach Eun studies a picture...

Rorn yelps not so much in pain as in surprise. He turns around and tries to pounce on the cat, who deftly jumps out of the way.

Fitheach Eun: " I wonder where this is?"

Saphira Mistwalker: “I for one can do without crossbow bolts. They hurt”.

Savage Taurus chuckles, "Go git that pussycat, son!"

Rorn and the Kitty

Saphira Mistwalker: “Rorn! Leave the poor kitties alone. They bite.”

Rorn looks at Saphira and debates whether to listen or to continue to play with the cats.

Saphira Mistwalker: Rorn!

Saphira Mistwalker: “What did you find Lady Fit?”

Rorn's ears perk up, then he slinks back over to Saph and Talia.

Fitheach Eun: " A picture of a carved stone in front of an entrance"

Fitheach Eun: "The designs looks somewhat familiar..."

Fiesty Lotus looks inquiringly at Druid Fit.

Talia Sunsong: “Why carve a stone?”

Saphira Mistwalker: “Hmm, very pretty. I do believe I have seen spirals like that in my travels.”

Fitheach Eun traces a finger around one of the swirling symbols.

Saphira Mistwalker: “Lady Talia, they last longer than books.”

Savage Taurus looks at the design, "Hmm...would make for a nice tattoo."

Saphira Mistwalker: glares at Savage. "Especially with fire-breathing dragons around."

Talia Sunsong: "Well I suppose a rock does last longer than a paper book." Squints as she thinks. "But if you made the book pages of stone, they would last as long as carved rocks."

Saphira Mistwalker: “But they would be awfully hard to shelve.”

Talia Sunsong: "Hard to turn the pages too."

Fitheach Eun traces another spiral and the book begins to glow

Fiesty Lotus: "Oh dear, here we go agin!"

Savage Taurus: starts to get queasy, "oh not again...."

Talia Sunsong: "I didn't do it this time."

Saphira Mistwalker sighs and steadies herself for the jump.

Savage Taurus: "Ceramics might work...clay tablets? Or glass?""

Saphira Mistwalker: watches the glow build. "Oh dear, I do hope we find a way back.”

Saphira Mistwalker: I have heard of ancient two-legs using clay tablets as books Savage.

Savage Taurus: "Not that I'm tryin' to encourage any type of writin', mind ya."

Fiesty Lotus watches Druid Fit tracing the swirling pattern.

The group is suddenly in another place.

Fitheach Eun: “Look is that a tower? What’s that on that island? Let's cross on the rocks.”

Talia Sunsong: "Look, pretty spirals."

Fitheach Eun: "Look it is like that picture."

Saphira Mistwalker: ‘This looks like that book.”

Spiral Rock

Savage Taurus: “Wonder what they mean.”

Fitheach Eun: “I do not know.”

Talia Sunsong: "Let's run our fingers or a wand over the spirals."

Fitheach Eun: “Nooooo!”

Savage Taurus: "I aint touchin' no writin'”

Fitheach Eun: "We do not know what will happen."

Savage Taurus senses something odd, a sort of prickly feeling, giving him shivers, "You all feel that?"

Fitheach Eun: "Feel what?"

Fiesty Lotus looks at Savage "What?"

Savage Taurus: "That...um..I don’t know.."  He feels a queer sensation wash over his body, making his hairs stand on end, "That!"

Savage  is Compelled

Saphira Mistwalker hisses and shakes her head. "What is that?"

Fiesty Lotus concentrates.

Savage Taurus: senses something pulling him toward the dark, dank, musty opening in the rocks structure and starts to slowly move forward.

A Dark Tunnel

Saphira Mistwalker hisses again as she notices no hair when her head shook. "That darn portal shaved off my hair. "

Fiesty Lotus: "Well, we oughta go with him."

Saphira Mistwalker: “I suppose we should.”

Savage Taurus crawls over the rocks and peers into the long tunnel, "I...I can't see anything...it’s too dark..." but he continues anyway, compelled by a feeling he can’t explain.

Talia Sunsong: "Are there creepy crawling things inside?"

Fiesty Lotus: "It be a dark place."

Talia Sunsong: "I don't want spiders or lizards crawling on me."

Saphira Mistwalker: “We can always just eat them.”

Savage Taurus finds he has to bend over and nearly crawl to get into the hole, "It’s so cramped in here..."

Talia Sunsong: "Ick! I eat cakes and drink cream."

Saphira Mistwalker: “This is an awfully tight passage.”

Talia Sunsong reluctantly goes into the passage last.

Rorn flies down the passage as if this is a game.

Savage Taurus: crawls into the dark tunnel, unable to see where he is going, forcing him to rely on his other senses, limited as they are, grumbles, "wish I had my dragon sight, would be able to see better in here..."

Rorn easily fits in the small area. He lands next to his father. Savage Taurus slowly crawls forward, inch by inch, the stale moldy air, filling his nostrils, touching the rock walls and dirt floor with his fingertips.

Savage Taurus: It seems to go on forever, the light behind them fading as he delves deeper and deeper, until the passage seems to expand to either side of him, the sounds echoing differently in this new space.

The End of the Tunnel

Savage Taurus: "I..I think I've reached the end..." he calls back to the companions following him

Saphira Mistwalker: “What do you see?”

Talia Sunsong: "Good because I don't want to go any farther."

Savage Taurus: "Nothing...no light in here...but...I feel.." he reaches forward and feels the top of a smooth concave surface, a bowl. As his eyes adjust, he can see in the darkness, an eerie sort of glow.

Fitheach Eun stumbles into a more open space near Savage.

At first Savage thinks it’s just spots in his eyes, ghosts on the back of his irises, but then it comes into focus and he can see it looks like a string of beads

String of beads

Saphira Mistwalker: “Savage? What did you find?”

This oddly glowing object calls to Savage, and he reaches out to grab it.

Savage Taurus: "Um...it feels like beads...a string of beads...I think it’s a necklace, I guess..."

Fitheach Eun sees a faint glow in front of Savage but the darkness is overwhelming.

Saphira Mistwalker” Hmm, can you pick it up? Can we take it outside where we can see it?”

Fiesty Lotus: “I kin see it, sorta.”

Talia Sunsong: "Are they valuable. Can we sell the beads for cream?"

Savage Taurus opens the loop and slides it over his head and lets its rest around his neck, which makes it glow even brighter for a split second, and a rush of energy courses through him.

Saphira Mistwalker sighs and shakes her head.

Fitheach Eun: “Yes, something is glowing.”

Savage Taurus: "Whoa!"

Savage Taurus: "Ok, turn around and go back. Let’s get out of this place."

Fitheach Eun sees a glow surrounding Savage and calls out: “Savage, are you all right?"

Fiesty Lotus: "Oh my, it just lit up! It’s gotta be magic."

Savage Taurus: "I'm fine...let’s just go"

Saphira Mistwalker: “Is that good, or bad?”

Talia Sunsong covers her eyes at the sudden blast of light.

Talia Sunsong retreats quickly from the dark passage, brushing cobwebs and spiders off her hair.

Fitheach Eun follows the faint light from the entrance back outside

Savage Taurus: turns around and follows them, making his way out of the ancient man-made tunnel, quicker now, that the daylight guides them.

Fiesty Lotus inspects the beads in the light of day.

Saphira Mistwalker: grins. "Nice necklace Savage."

Savage Taurus blinks his eyes in the blinding sun.

Talia Sunsong: "Pretty shiny! I want one."

Savage Taurus: grins, "Yea, I think it goes well with my specs."

The necklace

Fitheach Eun wonders about the faint glow still surrounding Savage.

Savage Taurus: "Heh, good job ,son."

Savage Taurus: "I'm sure it’s magic, though I have no idea what it’s for."

Fiesty Lotus: “So, you knew that  necklace was in there? That's odd."

Savage Taurus: "Yea, I just sorta sensed it."

Saphira Mistwalker: “Is that what you felt Savage? The necklace called to you?”

Savage Taurus: "It did."

Saphira Mistwalker: Interesting. I wonder what it does?

There is a squeak. Rorn flies back out of the passage, a rat in his jaws.

Saphira Mistwalker grins. "Well, at least Rorn got some dinner."

Rorn looks proud.

Savage Taurus: "Hmmm...that reminds me...lets's eat!"

Saphira's Translation of the Portal Text

Using a portal requires knowledge of the rune or sigil the creator attuned for a particular destination. Without this knowledge, the traveler cannot activate the portal. The traveler is well-advised to know which rune or sigil will connect the portal to which destination. The traveler must magically impress the desired rune or sigil on the portal to activate the connection to the destination. This may take the form of a spell which produces an image of the rune or sigil, or an object key carried by the traveler. There will be a limited time, determined by the creator, to pass through the portal before it terminates the connection. It behooves the traveler to insure they have a way to return.

A most important aspect of portal travel is to understand portals are one-way constructs. To return to the origin, you must have a matching portal attuned to the origin or a portal attuned to multiple destinations, one of which is the desired return. It is possible therefore, to create a portal which will accept multiple destinations. The creator magically attunes runes or sigils to the portal for each destination. The creator must have an item from the destination to attune the portal. There is no guarantee the creator used the same rune or sigil on both ends of a multiple destination portal to represent a location, although it is common to do so.

Portals are typically constructed as doors or gateways. This defines a fixed area through which the traveler will pass. This form of portal has the advantage of being relatively immovable and more difficult to destroy. Be aware that actually moving a portal too far from the place where it was originally attuned will cause it to quit functioning. Returning it to its proper location will restore the connection. Destroying the structure of portal will render all destinations attuned to it inaccessible.

It is possible to construct a portal in a small object, for example, a book or scroll. In this instance, the rune or sigil is imprinted by the creator in the fabric of the object. As before, a destination is associated with the particular rune or sigil. The traveler activates the portal by tracing their finger over the pattern of the rune or sigil on the object. The transfer generated by this form of portal will be a spherical area defined in size by the creator. Any living creature within that area and any objects they wear or carry will travel through the portal. The portal itself, and any items not carried by the traveler, will remain at the origin. Destroying the rune or sigil on the object will render that particular destination inaccessible and a new rune or sigil will have to be created on the object.

An understanding of Air and Earth magic is required for the construction of a portal. For this purpose, Air is the element of travel and facilitates the connection between origin and destination. The element of Earth grounds the portal to the origin and destination.

Saphira's Work

Saphira's friends settle near one of the library's fireplaces, awaiting Saphira's translation. Saphira takes the scroll written in Iokharic and blank parchment, pen and ink to a large table and tries to arrange a comfortable place to work.

Saphira sighs. "I am going to be working for a while, and I am already hungry and thirsty."

Saphira talks to the librarian and learns there is a tavern at the harbor below. Saphira flies down to the harbor. When she enters the tavern, all present grow quiet, watching her. They seem more amazed than fearful. Saphira walks over to the alewife at the bar.

Saphira smiles, "I am called Saphira Mistwalker. I am an ambassador from the Shadow Dragon clan. My four companions and I are doing research at your library and could use food and drink for the night and morning, and perhaps some bedding for sleep."

The alewife smiles hesitantly in return. "My name is Glynnis, owner of the Misty Tavern. If your intentions are peaceful and you have the means to pay, I am sure we can serve your needs."

Saphira nods and looks at the meat cooking over the fire and the barrels behind the bar. She draws gold coins from her belt pouch. "Lady Glynnis, would three gold suffice to purchase that turkey on the fire, the side of beef, a barrel of your best mead, some bread and cheese, use of plates and mugs, and use of pillows and blankets for the evening? Oh, and a bottle of cream?"

Glynnis gasps, because the offered coins are worth far more than the requested meal and bedding. "My Lady Saphira, I would be pleased to provide everything for you and your companions. But night is approaching, and it is quite a climb to the library from here."

 

Bargaining at the Tavern

Saphira laughs gently. "That should be no problem. If you can gather these things together, perhaps in a couple of bundles, I can fly them back to the library."

Glynnis takes the proffered coins and motions to her assistants. "Prepare the lady's request, quickly".

Saphira lands outside the library with her bundles, to the amazement of the guard. With his assistance, everything is brought into the library.

After making sure her companions have pillows and blankets, and food and drink, Saphira settles in at the table with a mug of mead and reads through the scroll several times. She shakes her head and mutters at the dialect. "This may be written in Draconic, but no dragon wrote this."

Translating is hard work.

After working into the early morning hours, Saphira finishes the translation. She compares the Common on her parchment with the Iokharic on the scroll, and nods in satisfaction.