Rinkaiel

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Graybeard
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Re: Rinkaiel

Post by Graybeard »

[OOC:
AdamZero wrote:(ooc: I thought it was just Nera, Marcus, and and Jamie, ah well, I can adapt.)
Just assume the almost-encounter is at the moment when everyone is dispersing to wherever they go to. (Speaking of which, where is Lucas going?) It's ships passing in the night, so it can be sculpted however is necessary. /OOC...]

A short, skinny man was waiting at the laboratory as Layla, Faye and Joe walked up. "Welcome to my laboratory," he said. "My name is Dasuke Kinabalu. It is an unexpected pleasure to meet a Farrelite with magical talent. I hope that we can be of service to you." He bowed deeply.

Layla couldn't return the gesture because of the backpack with Zachary in it, but she dipped her head, extended a hand, introduced herself with a smile, hoping that she hadn't committed some incomprehensible breach of etiquette. Kinabalu didn't seem to mind, anyway. "Let me show you our teaching laboratory," he said. "Please follow me." He turned and went into the building.

I'm disappointed -- I was expecting a little more eye of newt, incense, smoke and mirrors, that kind of thing, Layla thought as she entered the first room. Actually, most everything she saw here had also been in Plato's lab in Kugelheim. The only real difference was that Kinabalu had about five of everything that Plato had had one of -- the instrument she'd used to see the troll trace, the box for concentrating mana for her first spell, and so on. Apparently at least some of the teaching here was going to be done in a small class, rather than individually. "How many students do you have here?" she asked.

"As yet, you are our first," Kinabalu replied. "But there will be more. You have probably heard that Rinkaiel is going to have a warp gate. We wish to train some of the locals in the basics of thaumaturgy so they can help with the operation of the gate. You are our, how do you say, guinea pig for the teaching yet to be done."

Something about that phrase didn't sit well with Layla, but she put it aside and followed the strange little man deeper into the laboratory.
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Sareth
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Re: Rinkaiel

Post by Sareth »

I didn't actually get any of my weapons out, but I certainly did a fast check for access. This place had all the makings of a classic ambush. There were excellent vantage points and sight lines everywhere for snipers, assassins, and used cart salesmen.

Once that had been completed, I looked around. "Well, they said the tallest ship. That's got to be it there." I pointed at a three master floating placidly beside the wharf.
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AdamZero
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Re: Rinkaiel

Post by AdamZero »

I nodded, leaning on my staff, having drawn it out before setting out toward the docks. I was testing every other plank ahead of us, there was always the chance... though I might be the only person who would conceivably believe someone would be viscous enough trap a dock... I would if... ah, but there my fantasies of having a lair to sit back and call my own resurface.

"Heheh, vortex pit..." I laughed.

I shook off the thought as several individuals starting walking toward us. Not simply in the same direction, but definitely toward US.
"Now he's gone too far. NOONE ATTACKS AMERICA'S FOOD COURTS!" -Deadpool.
"Don't be so naive. I've got ulterior motives. MANY. Two, maybe three. Probably Four. I am one BIG ulterior motive." The Great Teacher, Onizuka Eikichi.
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Graybeard
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Re: Rinkaiel

Post by Graybeard »

The three men converged on Marcus and Jamie (and Nera), and one spoke in an odd, liquid accent. "Welcome to Rinkaiel, and thank you for returning our lifeboat. You are Jamie? Master Gryffyd wishes to speak to you. Please come with us." Seeing Marcus stirring, he held up a hand (with webbing of skin between its fingers) and continued, "Not you, sir, only Jamie. Please stay here with your child, for your safety. You are all under our protection as long as you are on the docks. Leaving them might be unwise."

---------

"When do I start?" Layla asked the Tsuirakuan. She was still slightly disappointed at what she was seeing; even the advanced lab didn't seem to have anything in it that she hadn't seen at a lifemage's office in Kiyoka, although shimmering curtains of light along one wall hinted that there might be things concealed there that weren't so pedestrian.

"We can start any time," Kinabalu answered. "It would be most helpful, however, if we were able to conduct a, shall we say, entrance exam before the classes start. Would it be possible for you to stay for an hour and do that?"

"Mom?" Layla said, raising an eyebrow at her mother, and getting a nod in return. "We have the time," Faye said. "If you don't mind parting from your son for that long, we'll take the kiddo back to the vineyard and do some more ... negotiating."

Several kisses and baby gurgle-laughs later, Faye, Joe and Zachary were on their way back into the countryside, as Layla settled into a strange-looking chair, wondering if she was doing the right thing.
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Sareth
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Re: Rinkaiel

Post by Sareth »

"Sure, I'm game," I replied. I turned to Marcus. "Now, do be a good boy and wait for me. No hero stuff charging in. And if something happens?" I smiled. "Blow up their boat. That should REALLY hurt them." I turned to follow the greeters.
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AdamZero
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Re: Rinkaiel

Post by AdamZero »

I took hold of Nera, smiling as Jamie openly suggested violence. "Sure, why not? Day's not over if I don't cause some kind of property damage."

Nera gurgled and laughed, possibly at the words of destruction. Little hellraiser she'd be. As she followed the men, I found a spot to sit and wait, watching as everything moved along.

Well, if worse comes to worse, I could prolly sink their boat. I thought it over while Boris snuck his arm under mine to gently tap Nera on her nose, causing her to coo in laughter and reach at the boney digit.
"Now he's gone too far. NOONE ATTACKS AMERICA'S FOOD COURTS!" -Deadpool.
"Don't be so naive. I've got ulterior motives. MANY. Two, maybe three. Probably Four. I am one BIG ulterior motive." The Great Teacher, Onizuka Eikichi.
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Graybeard
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Re: Rinkaiel

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The three men led Jamie to a small but surprisingly handsome building a block inland from the docks. The sign out front said "RINKAIEL SHIPBUILDERS." A moment later, she found herself in an office the likes of which she'd never seen before. For one thing, it was as much swimming pool as office, and the man(?) she was meeting was treading water in the pool, not seated on dry land.

"Welcome to Rinkaiel," he said in the same liquid accent that the men at the dock had used. "My name is Gryffyd, and it is my duty to offer you and your friends the protection of our industry while you are in town -- within limits, of course." He smiled, emphasizing the gills at the sides of his neck.

"Your friend Elke sends her regards."

----------

"What do I do?" Layla asked.

Kinabalu brought over one of the magic-concentrating boxes like what Layla had used in Plato's lab. "We're going to run some simple tests to learn about your affinities to magic. I understand from your man Socrates that you sense magic kinesthetically," he said. "That is handy; it makes the diagnostics particularly easy to do. Put your hands in here, just as you did in your first lesson."

Layla complied, and the man nodded, did something that produced a brief glow on the surface of the box. "What do you feel inside?" he asked.

Layla probed around the box with her hands, becoming puzzled at what she was detecting -- or more accurately, not detecting. "Truthfully, I can't find much of anything in there," she said. "Maybe the air is a little thick in one or two places, but that's all."

The man raised an eyebrow. "Hm. That's interesting. You seem to have very little sensitivity to life-force magic. That's a bit unusual; most beginning mages can sense a beating heart, or a sensation of breathing, or something like that when this test is done."

"A problem?" Layla asked, not sure what answer she was hoping for.

"Not really," the man said. "It's useful to have some life-force skills, for things like Healing spells." (Especially in my line of work, thought Layla -- not to mention what that'll mean for the mother of a small child once Zacky starts walking. Yes, I want to work on that one.) He continued, "We'll do some remedial work so that you can do some very basic life magic, although you'll never be a specialist. Now let me change a setting here." He once again waved a hand over the box, and the testing went on.

---------

Meanwhile, Faye, Zachary and Joe were arriving at the vineyard.
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Sareth
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Re: Rinkaiel

Post by Sareth »

Graybeard wrote:"Your friend Elke sends her regards."
The next two minutes I shant repeat. I am told that such language would get me in trouble, given the venue this narration takes place in. Not that I am particularly worried about getting in trouble, but the argument would distract the story. Just understand that I spent the next two minutes describing Elke's sexual preferences, objects of choice and oriffi most blown out by said objects, and several medical diagnoses regarding what she had gotten from said practices.

I personally felt that I had gotten particularly creative with my mentioning of the gas lamp, the jar of axle grease, and the three day old dead cat, but my "hosts" seemed unimpressed. I guess sailors are never impressed by the cussing of a landsman. Giving it up as a lost cause, I turned to business.

"And what," I asked, "have I been asked to do for you by the aforementioned goat-loving bi..." I strangled my desire to try again. "By Miss Elke in exchange for this... kindness?" I ended, lamely.
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4uk4ata
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Re: Rinkaiel

Post by 4uk4ata »

"I hope she gets better soon, then, " I said, and added. "They want'd to buy soon. Can you talk to them instead?"
"No, they will at least need to talk to Sarya, She is the one the Gerdins leave money matters to."
"And she'll be back tomorrow?"
"I'm not really sure, Kalin. I hope she gets better soon, but you know..."
"I see. May Lum'nosita help her recover. Still, can't you at least talk to them to tell them when the Gerdins may be back, how much they can wait, or about business?"
"Maybe later, I will see what I can do. Oh, and please check the fense on the northern side, I think we might need to fix it. It looks like a fox has been going in."
"Of course, Vikor. See you later."

I go to the north side of the place, a good few minutes away. Sharo trots by me, looking glum. I ask him what the problem is, and he grumbles if there was a stinking fox even his old nose can tell. I suggest that it might be something else, but he's still in a foul mood. When we get there, I see the planks have really been dislodged as if something has passed - but it doesn't look like any fox or badger did that. I look at Sharo, and ask him. He says he can't smell anything except for Vikor's old boots. Neither can I. It looks like a human pushed the planks aside. Vikor, most likely. Maybe he tried to fix them instead, and I hadn't noticed it all that time... I frown. I had been here often enough, if there was something wrong with the fence or there had been an animal around, me or Sharo would notice. I start rearranging the planks, grumbling. I won't be sorry to see that man go, always skulking aroung...
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Graybeard
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Re: Rinkaiel

Post by Graybeard »

"I'll pass your best wishes on to Elke," Gryffyd said; it was hard to tell, given his liquid accent, whether he was being ironic, but probably. "As for what we want of you, the answer is nothing in particular, at least not at this time. However, we have heard rumors that you and your colleagues might be interested in chartering a ship."

----------

Layla felt tired. The tests had been unexpectedly taxing, in the same way that her untutored spellcasting had been, back when she gave that bitch Barb what she deserved. As soon as her family and Joe came back, she was going to take a nap.

For now, however, Kinabalu was going over the results with her. The man had a tendency to lecture ... "You should understand, Mrs. Sorensen, that mages tend to be specialists. And just like any other kind of professional specialization, acquiring those specialties takes time and energy and focus, and tends to exclude acquiring more than an average understanding of anything else. Between that and your late start in studying thaumaturgy, the best we'll be able to do is help you cultivate a strength, and then give you enough of the basics of the other thaumatic arts that you can use magic without hurting yourself."

Layla wasn't sure she liked the sound of that. "Call me Layla, please. So what is my 'strength' to be cultivated?"

A hint of a smile played around the man's lips. "Ah, that is a very interesting question..."

---------

"Looks like Vikor is here," Joe said to Faye as the hack pulled up at the vineyard. "He's one of the representatives of the owners. We might be able to at least find out if there's been any progress in getting them to sell."

"We got anything on him?" Faye asked.

"Not really. We did some checking to see if he might be with the Eisenfaust or one of the other outfits. There's nothing obvious, but we can't rule it out either. His wife is --"

He didn't get to finish the thought, however, because there was a half-scream, half-shout from somewhere in the direction of the northern fenceline of the property.
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