Reuniting the Band

Kragen smiles as Erbert stumbles over his words, remembering the Gnomes wandering characteristics.

"Master Erbert, it has been too long! It is good we find you well. How have your travels been?"

Hearing him reference the Tower. "We would be appreciative of any support you can provide with this Tower. We have recent intel that it continues to be a point of nefarious intent on Faerun. By Tyr, i would have it purged if we could find a means past the wall of force."

Starker:”Erbert, I am Starker. When I last examined the Wall of Force shortly after you abandoned the troop that now calls itself The Company I found an unusual interlocking of the 17th and 23rd harmonics. I conjectured that may have had something to do with the barrier’s duration and resistence to being dispelled. Also, I fear that Kellistor is attempting to immanentize the eschaton by opening a doorway to a multiversal probabilitiphage. 

“And this is my new familiar, Cyrus XVIII. Don’t mind the horns.”

<Cyrus leers, bows, but seems very uncomfortable in Erbert’s presence.>

Erbert looks with a hard gaze at Cyrus, trying to see why the creature (imp?) seems uncomfortable..

He listens to the explanation about the Wall of Force with interest, tapping his chin and musing at the mention of harmonics.  "Very interesting, perhaps it is a wall of force that is different than a normal casting, perhaps altered with some other school of magic, or some expertise that I'm not aware of.  I've been interested in breaching it as well, I'm curious to know more about the tower that lies beyond.  But perhaps we are making it too complicated.  Perhaps a ... simpler... route of entry is right in front of us.  Magic .. will .. of course .. be necessary."  Erbert pauses for effect, with many hand gestures.  

"I was just consulting my spell book, there is a spell that I know called dimension door, and it would allow me and one other traveller to magically transport to the other side of that wall of force.  Then we would have to find out the source of the spell and get it to stop / disrupt the magic so that everyone else could come through."  He's pacing back and forth as he describes this, really getting into the explanation in much more detail than the average adventurer would want to know.  

"Another option, would be to polymorph myself into a giant badger and dig below the ground, below the wall of force and come up on the other side.  Again the same problem of having to find the source and shut it off."  He pauses, considering, tapping his chin.  "Badger.  No, it wouldn't work. Could it?"  He pauses and looks at all of you with an intensity in his eyes.  "We could build a giant badger, made out of wood, and maybe whoever is inside would let down the force wall and bring it inside?"

"Master Erbert, there was a river of body of water near the Tower, what is its proximity? I have the ability to control water, in a sense. If i were near enough, i could rdirect the flow or cause a flooding effect which may erode the area under the wall of force? Thoughts?"

Then turns to Starker "mage Starker, you have that wonderful golem that comes in handy in tight situations. A clay or stone golem could burow under smiliar to a badger?"

Starker:”Neither of those constructs have the ability to tunnel through the earth, unfortunately.

”I would be surprised if dimension door or misty step or aught of that ilk worked as we were able to trap Menlor, a puissant spellcaster, in a quotidian wall of force. However, canonically, it is said that “Nothing can physically pass through the wall.” Given the nature of Dimension Door, it is an intriguing notion. I suggest we send someone whose skille most complement Erbert’s with Erbert. I doubt that is me.”

Erbert nods and smiles at Starker, listening and considering.  “So, who should go with me?  To find whoever is doing this, and deal with them?  If I recall, there were a couple of others with you, where is that Hoid and Gneuman fella?  Hmmmm.”  He considers the other question posed.  “As to water, or anything else eroding away, I imaging the wall of force would just slam down further until it hits the ground.  Going underground and coming up on the other side is one way… but don’t end up in the wall of force!  Risky.  The dimension door seems the truest way inside, to me.  But I’d like to hear if you have any other ideas.  This has been vexing me for a number of days…”

Starker:”Did you notice any changes in the Tower or the Wall of Force in the past month or so?  We killed a colleague/dupe of Kellistor’s and destroyed several artifacts. I was hoping those actions might have some repercushions on this plane.”

Xymox: “Curious… I, too, can step through space when it suits me.”
“Which means we are not limited to one breach—but two.”   The Bard looks at Starker and Ebert questioningly. "How confident are you mages, that a dimensional door would provide success for entry of this accursed tower?"

"I don't think my measly Misty step would get through the wall of force. I believe we tried this once before without luck."

/Ooc Steve has mentioned a couple of times that in this world it is a no go.

Starker:”Let me check my notes on walls of force and what I remember about dimension door’s teleportation effect. I can see how Colleague Erbert’s suggestion might work.”

arcana roll = 14

"Hmmm..."  Erbert starts squinting and contorting his face into all sorts of positions as he contemplates the magic necessary.  "I tend to agree with you.  Misty step wouldn't carry you far enough.  It doesn't have the umph that is necessary to get past that wall.  But dimension door, that's another matter.  Let me consult my notes again.  What we need here is a good wizard that understands magic...."  He stops and starts guffawing to himself, slapping his knee.  "Well, like ole Gilo Greentag started to figure out, I AM a damn good wizard!  Hah!  And better than ole Sapos could ever THINK to be.  He couldn't conjure his way out of a wet paper bag, that one."  

Erbert goes over and thumbs through his book on the table, looking over the horizon, then comes back to the assembled group.  "Well, here's what I think about it...." _____________

Arcana check : 28

The wizards confer.  The rest of you feel as if some unnatural combination is in the process of being formed.  Two maladroit souls of prodigious prestidigitational potency finding one another in the multiverse and forming a bond seems…illadvised.

Dimension Door *should* allow passage through the Wall of Force as it is a teleportation, not physical travel.  It does not require visualization of the target location as Misty Step does, so passing through the wall of the tower is possible.

”Surely it cannot be that easy.  Someone would have succeeded in entering the tower by now if so….,” both wizards mutter in near synchrony.  Cyrus XVIII winces slightly as this is spoken.

Starker:”If Colleague Erbert were to teach me Dimension Door then six of us could simultaneously manifest in Kellistor’s Tower. I think the time my education would take worth it in ordervthat we have two more allied actors on stage when the curtain, so to speak, rises.  What say you, Erbert?”

Erbert says “That sounds… agreeable.  The more the merrier.  If you can cast it.  Come.. have a seat.”  He ushers Starker over to his desk, pushing in the chair for him.  He then brings out his spell book, an arcane grimoire with flowing script, sturdy cover and pages, and many notes taken to the side.  He scrolls through until the dimension door is found.  He points out the appropriate spell to Starker, inviting him to have a look an copy the information to his spell book.  

(all of the following assumes noone protests the 16 hours)

Starker:  “This will take 8 hours to transcribe and then I will need to spend a similar period of time to reset my tranche of spells.  You might rest yourselves or perhaps re-acquaint yourselves with our colleague.”

Starker recalls the Tiny Chest, decants the spellwriting stuff, and starts to transcribe the spell, occassionally asking Erbert to help with the unfamiliar conjuration tensor transformations. When he finishes, he re-cants the materials and re-sends the chest to its safe space.

Then he takes a long rest. 

Quote from StarkerDND >>

(all of the following assumes noone protests the 16 hours)

Starker:  “This will take 8 hours to transcribe and then I will need to spend a similar period of time to reset my tranche of spells.  You might rest yourselves or perhaps re-acquaint yourselves with our colleague.”

Starker recalls the Tiny Chest, decants the spellwriting stuff, and starts to transcribe the spell, occassionally asking Erbert to help with the unfamiliar conjuration tensor transformations. When he finishes, he re-cants the materials and re-sends the chest to its safe space.

Then he takes a long rest. 

 Xymox will use the given time to prepare his version of DD.

Trolkarl will retrieve Starker’s backup spellbook from his pack. Will you need to duplicate the entry here as well?.  

Then spend the downtime catching up with Erbert.

Between our time on a space jammer ship and today, Gnumann retired to settle off in the Feylands, Hoid parted ways with the company… but I think he is still on this plane.  Ummm the bard  Xymox and mage Starker both are fitting in well. Chadwick seems more mature, well at least occasionally. He has fallen for a lady from Waterdeep, but she hasn’t sent him to retirement yet. Kragen has brought the justice of Tyr everywhere we have been including Illandil’s tomb. 

He will then honestly share the details of the time in the tomb 

Concluding with a mention of concern that one of the parties the Company has managed to make mortal enemies since returning from Illandil’s tomb is now scrying upon us. We have also recently had invisible stalkers set upon us.  But we are unsure if the scrying party and the assassins are directly linked. 

Starker:”Thank you for the suggestion, Friend Trokarl.  I fear The Company would not thank me for an additional half-day’s wait. While it is true that it would take less time to transcribe my own version than it takes to translate from Colleague Erbert’s elegant encoding, I think I can hold off. 

“But perhaps I should take this opportunity to relieve you of this weighty burden and store the backup in the Chest.  I thank you sincerely for your troubles and look forward to a time when I can perform some service for you. I owe you.”

(as you’ve occassionally seen before, when Starker says those last three words he does so solemnly, almost as a priest ending mass or a judge meting out a sentence.”

Starker will store backup spellbook in the Secret Chest before sending it back to the ethereal plane. 

Starker sets to work on transcribing the Dimension Door into his spellbook and copy.  The rest of The Company catches up with Erbert as he is free from translating notations for Starker.

A new yurt is deployed from the wagons.  Cots are arranged inside for The Company to use.  The guards are quiet around you.  They listen attentively to Erbert and carry out his requests efficiently.  You don’t see any of the usual lackadaisical attitudes of typical guards here.  These are aware of their surroundings and proactive to needs.

The night comes and Selûne is full.  The Tears are brilliant sparkles in her wake.  A meal of beans, bread, salted pork and boiled potatoes is dinner.  This is enjoyed fireside in the clear night air.  Occasional cries or screams are heard in the distance towards the ruins.   And…laughter?  These are the audible occurrences around the ruins described by Erbert.  It is unsettling.

While The Company is eating Starker says: “Just before we sat down I got that same unpeaceful, uneasy feeling we’ve been experiencing occassionally.”