Port Lorrel- Puppet Masters

[Graybeard]

Khoo was feeling enough better after that healing touch that his reaction to Udo's idea wasn't just the "AAAARRGGHH" that it was originally going to be. (Admittedly, that was as much because of the nausea as because of the idea, but still.)

"One small problem," he said, raising his hand. "My thesis project is a glider, not an airship or any other powered craft." (Although this conversation was giving him an interesting idea.) "It won't make altitude under its own power, and from where it is launched, it can only go down, unless there's a thermal or something like that for it to ride. My Wind Sprite spell doesn't have enough power for that."

He started to add "fortunately" to that last sentence, but changed his mind.

[Alberich]

"But didn't you tell us you could levitate up into the sky to spy around at the elf temple?" asked Udo. "And if that's so - if you can levitate - couldn't your wind sprite, that's strong enough to blow the whole ship along, blow you and Drusia over to the shore? Or maybe you could use it as the 'wind beneath your wings' for your project? 'cause if we just go sailing into the harbor with the enemy taking over the city and their spies all around, that's not going to give us much in the way of surprise.

"Or, you know, I can create gliding wings with my staff. If your wind sprite could keep me and Drusia up in the air - we could glide on in to shore, and make it happen! Let's do it right now! One rune on the ship, one rune on the shore, teleports back and forth - zoop, zoop, zoop, boom!"

Udo absolutely lived for that kind of adventure. Or at least he did before it started, when his mouth was casting him for some daring exploit, and afterwards, when his memory was "fixing it in post."

[Browncoat]

Angrist was only half paying attention to the conversation. He had grabbed some of the wax and mixed in a few dyes he'd pinched. With a bit of work, they were the color of his flesh. A little more work and he had false ears which he promptly put on. He looked like a regular human.
But now the question of getting the casters up high for the gliding was drawing his attention. With most of his inhibitors being used on the magic stones, his magic was dangerously unguarded. He thought of an unorthodox way to provide the initial height.

Angrist cut into the conversation with a wave of his hand. He mimed grabbing Udo and then throwing him up.

"...Could you actually do that?" It was understandable that the others were dubious. After all, Angrist had never let them see what he could do with his magic.

Angrist grabbed Udo (since he was the largest) and dragged him out onto the deck. He paused for a second and let his old magic surge. Udo went sailing into the sky and was nearly hit by a bolt of lightning. After several seconds, Angrist caught him when he came back down. They went back in.

[OOC: Thought I'd have a little fun at Udo's expense. I know that the Ensigerum in Errant Story only really demonstrated time/speed magic, but it makes sense to also develop strength enhancing magic. Besides, Angrist wasn't trained by the standard Ensigerum.]

[Jack Rothwell]

OOC Sorry, swamped atm. I'll try to get something in tomorrow or over the weekend./OOC

[Alberich]

Udo was a little dazed from Sensei's latest training method. Of course Sensei must know what he was doing, but his tutelage might prove fiendishly unorthodox. Still, with great suffering would come great power! Yes, to learn the Master's secrets, he'd...he'd...he'd buy a trampoline if he had to and go out in every thunderstorm! Maybe there was a thunder-and-lighting-fist form at the end of this.

Or maybe this was Sensei's nonverbal way of saying he endorsed Udo's plan - that a flying Udo was the solution to everything! Udo's stomach was having second thoughts about the whole idea, but he wasn't going to admit that in front of the ladies. And they had to get to land somehow and he very much feared that his was the only plan running.

Or maybe Sensei was doing both, combining his endorsement with a strange training method in a mystic portmanteau...he would have to watch his words around the Master if this was how he communicated.

"So," said Udo, "Let's get to it!"

[OOC: Great! I'm ready to move it forward anytime.]

[OOC2: Udo's there to have fun with - feel free!]

[Jack Rothwell]

Captain Moriarty had moved to the prow of The Curious Narwhal and was staring into the distance. He cracked a dazzling smile despite the rain which had soaked him to the skin.

The storm chose that moment to drop a bolt of lightning squarely on the top of the ship mast. The man in the crow's nest uttered a distinctly girly shriek and scrambled frantically to escape his high perch.

"I don't suppose you gentlemen know any magic to divert lightning?" He called to the two travellers on his deck. "Looks like it's going to be a rough night."

OOC Assuming the ship doesn't get blown to pieces, the group'll be arriving the following morning. Of course, Moriarty won't mind making a quick diversion from the Port if someone (maybe a pretty someone?) asks him nicely.../OOC

[Alberich]

[OOC: To move things along in the absence of objections. Anyone who does object, just tell me what really happens & I can edit. If no one wants to do anything else I can take it through to morning.]
[OOC2: Edited on account of Drusia's next post.]

Mr. Sauvage, the mate, had some convincing reasons not to make for port just now - the approach wasn't safe in the absence of control that was not available to them. They weren't in the worst of it yet but it was coming, and the mate proposed running a different way 'til this storm had had time to pass. It was time for the adventurers to leave. Udo presented some very pretty, very clinky arguments as to why they should come a little closer to the shore before turning for fairer seas, and why when they did reach port, they shouldn't tell how their passengers had departed or which way they'd gone.

It was the work of several minutes with a red-hot poker for Drusia to inscribe her rune on the ship's deck.

[Drusia]

"You... shouldn't go off alone." Tamina said. "It would be dangerous with everyone looking for you." A blush was rising to her cheeks,

"I wasn't planning to," I reassure her. "Just explaining that I can't act as a troop delivery device. Now, if I had a few weeks to prepare, I could probably whip something up. But, as noted, we don't have that kind of time." It wouldn't take that much to canabalize a couple of broken gates - either Elven or Tsuirakuian - and cobble something I could use for a multi-person gate. Other than time, of course - time to get to the broken gates, dismantle them, move the parts where we need them, and reassemble in what may already be hostile territory. Back during the war, I had a sort of transportable gate platform - it only worked in conjunction with my spells, so there was never a risk of it falling into enemy hands, and for that same reason the tech never really caught on. If I'd paid more attention at the time, I might have kept a copy of the blueprints, but alas, tech wasn't my forte.

"Drusia, how 'bout if you prep one of your runes on this ship, then Khoo flies you over to the shore, and you lay down another rune there? Then you can teleport the rest of us one at a time between your runes, zoop, zoop, zoop, and boom! We're on land."

I blink in surprise. "Actually, yes, that would work," I agree. "Although, it will take me a few minutes to inscribe the arrival rune. And tools... something that can leave a mark that won't blow away on whatever the surface there is." A sturdy stick would work for dirt, but for stone I'd need chalk or paint.

The others argue a bit about how to get me to shore. Technically I could gate myself there and set up, but Tamina has already made it clear she doesn't want me gatehead* alone. Besides, I'm going to have to gate with people - Udo is assuming one at a time, but with a rune down I can probably manage more than one, depending on the distance. If we're close enough, I might be able to bring the whole group in one go - that would put me out of commission right afterwards, but would probably tire me out less in the long run. Particularly since I'd have a rune at both ends, which is very helpful for large troop movements.

It was the work of moments for Drusia to inscribe her rune on the ship's deck.

It is the work of several minutes to inscribe the rune into the deck. To save my energy - and because water washes away chalk - I use a hot poker and scorch the rune into the wood. It will go faster on land where I don't have to keep having the Evocation mages reheat my writing tool. Also, I imagine the captain is none too pleased at the (techncially minor, if a bit unslightly) damage to his deck.

There. Done. Any Tsuirakians would likely find the symbols somewhat reminicent of those used in their system, albeit far simpler. That's the thing about transposition magic - it's all about the landing. Gating blind is insanely dangerous, which is why I always either gate to something I can see or in a fashion where I know basically where I'm going to end up. It's also why I tend to angle myself up - I'd rather fall a few feet than have my legs merge with the landing zone. The runes act as a guidance system - they take the worry of landing off of me and let me concentrate on moving as much mass as possible.

"Ready," I tell everyone. Now, I believe, it's up to Waiter-kun.

-- Drusia

OOC: * Gatehead - soldiers who secure a bridge are the bridgehead. Soldiers who secure a landing surface for aircrafts are the airhead. Soldiers who capture a beach are the beachhead. Thus soldiers who secure a gate rune are the gatehead. Can also be used as a verb, as seen above.

[Alberich]

[OOC: To make the story read better I'm deleting part of the earlier message, putting it into this one, and editing to fit Drusia's revelations.]

A sailor skilled in knots lashed Udo to his staff. Udo gripped it tightly and Drusia gripped Udo. Angrist, ever helpful, seized them with the amazing strength he'd shown minutes before and flung them both high into the air. Udo spread the gliding wings, and whhhhhssssshhhhhh!!!! - Khoo's wind sprite caught them up and launched them on their journey.

Mind you, it couldn't be said that Tsuirakuan mages had perfected the art of precision flying. They could manage levitation for only short times - swooping, diving, and banking by magic alone were arts unknown to them. The ride that followed for Udo and Drusia was one they'd never forget, however much they tried. It had the thrills of paragliding in a williwaw, of a sky-high roller-coaster ride without the roller coaster. Khoo kept an eye on them with Mr. Sauvage's spyglass, and directed his sprite to keep them going the right way -- broadly speaking. The ride was short though it didn't seem so. Thrown around by winds magical and non, shrouded in falling rain, they yet had an awe-inspiring view from above of the sea in storm. Drusia may have had the nerve to appreciate it. Udo...well, he didn't lose his lunch, but only because he hadn't had any.

Wisely avoiding a test of Udo's landing skills, Drusia took them both to the ground with a teleport, by which time both were soaked to the skin. It was easy for her to find a sheltered spot for her second rune, and by teleporting between the runes she brought them all and their possessions to land, leaving the ship free to run for safer waters 'til the weather would spare her hulls and cargo. Whatever the captain might think, Mr. Sauvage thought the remnants of the burned elf rune gave the ship a little extra character, and a story to tell to passengers and new crew. At least until it was holystoned away.

For the adventurers on land, there would be no trek into town tonight - this was a time to find a sheltered spot, dry off, and rest from their exertions. Udo's firemaking skills could help with any clothes-drying that was necessary, and his basic shamelessness would help him to cope with any nudity that might be involved. No doubt he could make it into town the next morning to find the Eisenfaust. In the meantime, if anyone looked cheerful enough for a round of the "Buy Tsuirakushiti" game, or if any elves in the vicinity looked stiff and in need of a comradely shoulder rub, well, Udo was there. (Of course, Tamina was also there, with far better ways of passing time and relieving pain, but Udo didn't think of that.)

[Jack Rothwell]

OOC I'm not entirely sure what's going on here. Is everyone on land now? Bear in mind the Port was still half a day away by ship, if the ship was travelling near the coast the nearest land to feasibly get to by glider/teleport would be miles out from the city./OOC