RP:Salvaging Reality

Part of the Agitation Arc

Summary: After quite a storm of runaway magic, Linn decides it would be a good idea to jump right into the crater left in the town square and search it for something of interest. While he was interrupted by the Mage's Guild for their investigation, he was let off the hook surprisingly quickly, and took that opportunity to grab a sizable quantity of mana crystals that had formed. Josleen then got him to leave so that they could debrief on just what had happened, where gripes about the guild's incompetence flared back up. Overall the suspicion seemed to be slipping from the guild as a whole, though it remained for particular individuals within it. After mention of a lich Linn decides to go see Ralph about the ordeal while Josleen goes off to handle her own business.

Xalious Village

In the aftermath of everything Linn could only give a passing nod at the ‘elf’s departure. All things considered it probably wouldn’t have gone this way if it wasn’t for that damn tiger. He could only agree with everything Josleen said, except the immediate debriefing. The enchanter knew he had just made a concentration of energy large enough to collapse reality for a bit, there had to be –something- left behind of interest. He walked over to the still-glowing crater as if to inspect the damage, taking a careful look at the grasses that had turned into a prismatic mess of colors rather than the green they should be. His eyes turned to the crater; it was maybe three, four feet deep and about ten feet across; most of it only a repercussion of concentrated magic. He looked into it with lips pursed for a second in thought before he jumped right in to inspect what was left behind, boots clanking against the glassed bottom of the pit that possessed a little bit of the gaudy rainbow effects similar to the grass around it and the mass of crystal he had thrown a bit of to cause this development. He inspected the walls and bottom of the crater carefully, looking for something.

Josleen's lips part to invite Linn to go debrief over a stiff drink (mead for Jos >.>), but the spellblade is off again. She follows him to the edge of the crater and crouches daintily, knees pressed together to watch him go about his curious business. Despite all their collaborative work, there are in truth few things the bard knows for certain about Linn. Among those few things is the fact that when it comes to magic, it's best to just let him do his thing. After several minutes, she calls, "What are you looking for?"

Linn circled around the inside walls of the pit swiftly, his gaze never leaving the glassy material. “Something that it might have left behind” was his only response as he continued walking through the radiating energy that dimmed and pushed away from Josleen, though the enchanter’s focus was too transfixed to notice the effect around her. He stopped as eyes went wide on a small, lime green cubic growth coming from the wall. Very few things managed to inspire in him the greed that was brought on by the prospect of wealth or great value, but this was one of those things. With a quick, almost paranoid glance around the crater and above it searching for any mage’s guild members he began to pull at the loose energy left over from the explosion, channeling the glow into a stream that lead straight to the object of interest, causing it to steadily grow. The mage’s guild members would no doubt arrive soon to interrupt and focus their ire on him, but he was willing to cut it close for the material that to him, held near-infinite worth.

"It?" Josleen cants her head to the side. "You mean... that... that thing in the sky? The one trying to come through the portal?" Hole is a more accurate word, but to the bard it looked like a portal. Josleen shudders and stands. She holds herself. Suddenly, she wishes a certain wolf was here, though it isn't that Linn has in any way failed. He protected her. Hildegarde would be proud. But the lycan is Josleen's chosen emotional lean-to. That nightmare creature in the sky has her fumbling for a little mental and spiritual support. For now, Linn will have to do. "Do you know what that thing was? Will it come back?" Linn's more preoccupied with the lime emerald growth. "What do you have there?" Mage's guild members, not the three they've been chasing, come to survey the damage and square. They ask Linn and Josleen for their impressions on what transpired. Was it the work of that preklek? Josleen says she doesn't believe so, but defers to Linn's magical judgment.

Linn’s hand pointed repeatedly to where the vortex of chaotic magic was before it exploded. “The…” A loss for how to explain it. “What it got sucked into” was all he could say to describe the magical black hole that he had made as he continued his channeling. Another brief glance thrown around outside the pit found the mages while the ambient magic around the crater had dimmed from being sucked into the crystal. He wasn’t going to let them have this. He frowned before stopping to break the growth from the wall and hurriedly shoving it in his pack out of the mages’ view, managing to have grown it to about the size of his fist by the time he had to cut his work off. At who was responsible? The preklek and his damn tiger definitely were, but that’d just send them on some stupid wild goose chase. He was as well, at least for the explosion. Might as well pin this on who is causing all of these issues in the first place. “It’s whoever’s been making these damned storms, they very nearly did something bigger but it all collapsed under its own weight.” He stamped his boot on the floor of the crater. “We’re lucky this is all that’s happened.” One of the mages decided to point out how irresponsible the enchanter was standing in the middle of the fallout from unstable chaotic magic to be met with a stern, judgemental stare. “That’s because I’m willing to get my hands dirty to make sure this doesn’t happen again.” He began to walk around and begin analyzing the crater as if to prove the point, trying to keep from staring at more of the different crystalline growths that occasionally marked the walls and floor.

Xalious Tree

Josleen, distrustful of the Guild these days, refuses to answer any more of the mages' questions. Linn's snarky retort also discourages them from engaging him further. Though one of them does say, "We aren't unwilling to investigate. We are unwilling to investigate with you, and perhaps it is because you accuse our entire institution as a suspect in these calamities." They move on to other villagers who spectated from hidden shelters. Josleen waits for Linn to finish his investgation. Once he's out of the pit, she leads him towards The Xalious Tree. "What did you find?" she whispers.

Linn just shrugged with a sarcastically coy look at the idea of accusing the guild. No one is ever beneath suspicion. As the guild members turned to question everyone else he looked almost incredulous. Seriously? They’d give up on him that easily? He wouldn’t try to grow the remaining crystals he saw but he definitely made sure to break the bigger ones from the walls before putting them in his pack as well, making sure not to draw their attention. Once he was satisfied with the haul he climbed back out to meet with Josleen, nodding with her to get going. To the question of what he found he sighed, embarrassed that his scavenging had little to do with the actual investigation itself. “That explosion was intense enough for the magic to begin precipitating into a physical form. The result…” Another glance thrown around to ensure no one was watching before he reached in to pull one of the smaller fragments that he had grabbed from the crater, it was a deep light blue, hexagonal, and perfectly clear. In his hand the image cast through it wavered of its own accord. “is what some people call mana crystals, one of the most valuable materials I’ve ever run across as far as enchanting goes.”

The mage's lack of interest in what Linn is doing suggests to Josleen a total cluelessness on their part. Her suspicions stew in her mind as Linn goes about the final sweep for crystal collection. The puzzle gets more complex, but she believes she is beginning to understand the complexity. When Linn shares his enthusiasm for the mana crystals, Josleen smiles half-heartedly. "Glad you found them. What can you do with them?" She asks out of politeness more than anything else. Magic isn't her forte, and she's distracted with other issues. After Linn has explained what he can do with the crystals, she shifts topic inelegantly. "Listen... those mages... They weren't even asking the right questions. Not to us, or to the villagers. They know less than we do about what's going on. All they seem to know if that we're somehow skeptical of the Guild. That suggests to me that not everyone in the Guild is in on this. Which makes sense. It's hard to buy that many consciences. Those mages back there? They don't even understand the nature of the events. Their questions and actions prove as much. I think you and I know the most, after the perpetrators of course."

Linn honestly wasn’t privy to just about everything they could do. He only had one sample that he had made to function as a shield and much more, but that was it. The best way he could sum up the possibilities was “Probably anything.” As the topic switched back to the mages he could only release a single incredulous laugh. “They are completely daft or willfully trying to cover this up. I couldn’t have been any more suspicious standing in the crater like that. And they just let me go? How?” He furrowed his brows and scratched his forehead in disbelief. “I don’t even know it was possible for that little information to get around to them. The townsfolk probably know more of what’s happening than they do as a whole.” Releasing a pent up sigh he continued. “I don’t even think incompetence can cause their attention to be directed like that. What the hell is going through their heads?” He furrowed his brow again in frustration. “I’m going to stay my nights out of town. There has to be something else going on other than stupidity.”

Josleen shrugs at Linn's incredulousness. "There were enough eye witnesses reporting on your innocence just now. Kang will get the worst of it. Besides, it isn't up to them to arrest you. That would be the purview of the Xalious Arcane-Guard, who are also managed by the Guild, though who knows how that works." She shrugs again, but this time also shakes her head in tiny annoyed movements. Her lips purse. "Yet another one of the many things we do not know. How ARE our own alleged security forces selected and managed? Mystery!" She utters the final word snarkily. Great job, Linn. You got her going. "This is what has me so worked up, Linn. Are you unsatisfied with the comportment of this village's de facto governing body? Write to your representative. Oh wait! You can't! Neither you nor I have a representative! They do what they want and we are at their mercy with no say in how we are governed or protected. And do you find their crisis response lacking? That's because they don't have one. I can guarantee you that. Why would they? They're a guild, not a legislative body!" She throws her hands up in exasperation. "And don't underestimate the stupidity of mages! As the wife of a mage, let me assure you that they are remarkably brilliant at shoving their heads up their own arses. Anything outside their discipline of choice may as well be orcish! Bet you those mages don't study magic crystals, hence the complete obliviousness to your pursuits." Her criticism is of course colored by her own dissatisfaction in her marriage.

Linn just shrugged in return. “I expected at least a bit more questions, or someone else to see what I was doing there. Welp, I at least got something off of it.” Then the rant began, causing him to raise his brows as he just watched her go. Smile, nod, and wait for it to finish. Then say something. As she mentioned being the wife of a mage he flinched. That guy was a mage? He breathed a sigh of disappointment before finally speaking up. “It’s a system that’s too rigid for what it claims to do. Something is going to crack at this rate, I’ve seen it happen quite a few times before.” He sent a look skyward. “These events are going to give the impetus for one to open up. But right now I want to make sure that there’s something to have politics over in the end.” His expression became very concerned as he finished the statement and looked back to Josleen. “If you ever need something specific, whether it’s to handle a situation we expect or find a need for it, I can try to make something to help out. Could be anything.” He paused with a sideways look. “It just gives me something else to think about, you know, something not involving everything we know getting blown apart. Might come in handy sometime as well.” His gaze went down slightly, looking right at the necklace she wore, engraved with the Xalious tree. “I haven’t seen you wearing that before, and I can tell it’s not quite what it looks like. What does it do?” He might have seen its effects, but he was so distracted that he never got to pay attention to them all that much.

Josleen sighs as Linn continues to toe the apolitical party line (lack of line?). So be it. His offer to craft something for her has her favoring him with a smile. "If I think of something I need, I'll take you up on that. Thank you." At the mention of her amulet, she lifts it for Linn to take and have a closer look. "You're right. It is charmed, by Frostmaw shamans. The stones are flourite, said to absorb magic. Steward Hildegarde had it made for me. The intention is to protect me from magical attacks."

Linn smiled with a nod, “Will be fun to see what ideas you come up with.” Looking at the amulet he brought up his free hand as if to feel the amulet, fingers recoiling slightly as they touched it before settling on it. The analyzing look came to his face as he examined the craftsmanship, his interest showing that he was impressed with the work. “It certainly does that job well, I can feel it pulling at my own magic. Something a little less physically rooted would unravel with a bit of time around it.” Releasing his hand he was satisfied with what he was able to tell from it. “The shamans did a good job. Very stable, you shouldn’t have to worry about it doing anything weird.” His head tilted to the side a little bit as he put his pack down to rummage through the various other semiprecious stones and leather wrapped objects inside. Soon enough he pulled out a fairly large chunk of rough fluorite before holding it to look at it next to the amulet. “Knew there was something weird about this kind of stone. Well, something new for me to have fun with in the future.” He mused as he put it back in the pack along with the mana crystal.

Josleen grins impishly at Linn's declaration that the amulet works. "Good. I haven't had a chance to test it yet." She was unconscious when the amulet protected her during the explosion. Poor pendant, getting no credit for its hard work! As Linn pulls out a chunk of flourite, Josleen cants her head to the side and says, "Linn, the shamans in Frostmaw are very knowledgeable of precious magical stones. Have you visited The Royal Academy of Aramoth? They may share what they know with you. Their catalog of magical gemstones is breathtaking."

Linn released a halfhearted chuckle. “Well hopefully those circumstances aren’t too dire. It should work well though.” It was a hopeful, optimistic statement, in spite of the potential situations where it’s use would become noticeable. As Josleen spoke of the academy his brows raised curiously. “I haven’t yet. I’ll have to visit next time I’m up in Frostmaw, would love to see what their view is on all the stuff I carry around.” He gave a self-conscious laugh. The stuff in question was literally some food, water, and a bunch of gems. Well, time to return the topic to getting something done. Pointing to the sky he swirled his finger around. “You found any new possible leads yet on all of this craziness?”

Josleen's smile fades when Linn returns to the subject at hand. It isn't his fault. The topic is naturally a dark one. "Not quite sure. Nothing I haven't already told you. I believe the mages are necromancers trying to revive an ancient drow magic known as The Order of the Shade. They are failing at it terribly, and what we are witnessing is their failure in spectacularly dangerous ways. I think most of the Mage's Guild is innocent, to be honest, but am unsure if one or two authorities within it are pulling strings in secret. Thus, keeping a low profile in the eyes of the Guild is important still. It goes without saying who exactly I am suspicious of." The archmage of the guild is an evil drow-lich necromancer! His sublime masters aren't exactly saints either. Vampires, drow, empusai, more practitioners of the dark arts. The Guild elite leans dark and it's a wonder the village hasn't been more suspicious of them before now. Perhaps Linn, as an outsider, doesn't know all of this, but Josleen seems to assume he does, the same way she assumes he knows the sky is blue and water is wet. "Did I tell you about Ralph? The talking ficus? A friend of mine, an alchemist, says that sincemy original contact with Ralph, the tree has mentioned lemmings and a lich. The lemmings we saw today. As for the lich..." He eyes drift towards the top of the mage's guild tower.

Linn just nods and shrugs, a little disappointed. Was worth a shot. “At this rate that’s pretty much where I stand with the guild. As a whole they aren’t part of this deal, though some of the people are probably involved in the guild.” Unfortunately he hadn’t heard much of who the archmage was, the topic of which causing him to cock a brow, “Who?” As she talked about a talking ficus tree he looked confused for a second before thinking over just what happened to the lemmings. A talking tree wasn’t out of the question at this point. “No, I haven’t heard about this Ralph.” It felt strange referring to a tree by a human name. “Yeah, the lemmings we… Lich?” he cut himself off as his gaze followed hers up to the tower. Things just got serious. Super, duper, serious. (Well they may have already been there considering exploding black holes and interdimensional rips. But come on, Liches now as well?)

Josleen looks furtively left and right, leans way in towards Linn, pulls up on the balls of her feet, and whispers lower than she has ever whispered before. "Archmage Tiphareth. The drow king." King isn't quite the right political title, but more or less, yes, a king. She resumes a sociable personal space and continues the conversation, her voice low but less fearful now. "But he's been ruling for years. I met him once. He...uh... helped me? Helped the town, at my plea. I don't know what would inspire this now, if he even is behind it. I don't know that he is."

Linn cocked a brow at the secrecy until it was mentioned that the lich in question was the archmage of the guild, and also a drow. Breathing a sigh he went over just how that might happen, and it kind of made sense. Liches typically involve a lot of magic and well, age lets them get more. Kind of figures. As she spoke of his interactions with the town and Josleen he just shrugged. “No clue. I wouldn’t see any need to summon in some extradimensional… whatever that was if I already had the power of an archmage.” He furrowed his brows and scratched his forehead. “If a lich is involved that makes things all the more interesting. Going to be tracing a lot of trails to figure out just who is behind all this.” A pause and a sideways glance. “Seems so far their work is making quite a few other things drop information out of the blue, that tree seems to know a lot.” For that, he had no idea how to feel. That kind of topic is just –weird-.

Josleen nods at several of Linn's points. Everything is weird. And frankly, while she must suspect Archmage Tiphareth because he is the obvious local baddie, her gut doesn't quite believe it's him. "The tree has a name, by the way. Ralph. He's been relocated here in Xalious. On the hillside over yonder." She points south east to a specific hill near the park. "If you ever need company," she teases. "I should go. I have a growing list of things to do."

Linn follows her point over to the hill that Ralph has been placed on, "Yeah, Ralph" was his semi-awkward response. Of all the strange things that he took in stride, a talking tree was what threw him off? As she continued he looked back and nodded. "That's fine. I should probably go see him." He motioned with his head over where Josleen had pointed. "Stay safe, hopefully no more craters will be made anytime soon" he finished with a grin before departing.