Move 298: Moving Treasure
Grell Nest--Midday, Day 28 (Marpenoth 13)Olaf and Renn used healing prayers to finish healing everyone. Olaf cast another spell and declared the treasure to be free from evil influences. Arachne put on the little ring to hold onto until it was checked for magic, and Olaf ended up with the newly found magical shield.
Olaf moved off to make observation of his church's holy day, and Arachne followed him to see what it was all about. Azrun spent some time studying another of the gems. Everyone else began the task of moving the piles of coins back into the cavern where the main grell fight had taken place before opening the cottage for storage. It took quite some time to get everything moved again.
"I'd like to hold on to one of the grell spears, we can stow the other if no one else is going to use it." Blacky said.
Aloysius did what he could to help move things back and forth from the cabin. "What is our next endeavor?" he asked Jana during the chores. "Are we to go to where Carmeneren said the lizard-creatures live, or elsewhere?"
After all the moving was done, Aloysius went over and asked for the two gems that Azrun had not, as yet, read. Once he had those, he sat down and cast a spell on them, looking at them closely.
Echo said quietly, "I don't know if we're ready for the lizard-creatures yet. I'm not against going there eventually," she clarified, "especially since Carmeneren said they might have magic to help when we get to the city. But I think we need to get stronger first in case they are dragons. I think Carmeneren said we should clear out the other lairs on the map first."
Aloyusius smiled at Echo and nodded his agreement. "Indeed she did. Who has her map now? Did she not say something about 'ropers' and 'quaggoths' nearby? Aren't the latter creatures those we encountered previously? The whitish, befurred beasts?"
Blacky looked a little white himself at the mention of the white furred creatures. "Maybe I'd better put my armor back on."
"I think so," Echo replied. "Carmeneren and Olaf both told us that. I wonder how far the next caverns are."
"I agree with Echo," Jana said. "Everything Carmeneren's told us has turned out to be correct so far, so I think we ought to do as she said."
"Um..." Arachne said diffidently. "I could make this go a lot more quickly... I have a sort of pocket that we could pile the stuff into. It's a sort of temporary bag of holding? I create it here, where the stuff is, and we push everything in -- or a lot of it, anyway. It's a big pocket. I walk to the cavern and the pocket comes with me. I end the pocket and everything appears again. Or I could end the pocket when I'm inside the cottage and we don't have to move the loot again at all. All right?"
With a look of concern, Echo said, "It might be dangerous for you to go inside the cottage with the pocket. I remember something about getting dimensional spaces to close to each other can cause big problems. I don't know if it's the same with the pocket you make, but it's bad with magical dimensional spaces, I think. Is that right, Aloysius?"
"Um, Stargazer is not sure that that would be wise," said Aloysius. "Certain arcane theorists, Tenser, Ra'al, and Otiluke amongst them, have posited that employing one extra-dimensional space within another extra-dimensional space is perilous. It seems there is some likelihood that such a phenomena violates Serten's Doctrine of Relative Location. In that event, a time-space breech may occur and . . . . .well . . . ". Aloysius shrugged.
"Then we wouldn't have to worry about rescuing anyone anymore," he concluded. "Whilst thy 'pocket' may, or may not be, similar 'enow to traditional arcane extra-dimensional spaces, I'd rather not run the risk. 'Twould seem more prudent to simply chance . . . .sore muscles . . .instead."
Aloysius stood there, looking goofy.
"I am well aware of --" Arachne began, then stopped. "All right," she corrected herself. "I have some slight acquaintance with the theories of Tenser et alia. Master Thaumaturgist Gerhardt did attempt to impress upon us that the title of his lecture series, 'Introduction to Trans-Spatial Dimensional Analysis' was not chosen frivolously. Anyway, those theories you refer to are severely limited in application by their authors' failure to understand much less apply even the most basic principles of psionic engineering. In order to even begin to appreciate the complexities of psionic and thaumaturgic interaction you have first to have a thorough grounding in the quasi-discrete particulated calculus of orthonormal wave-forms, which was first applied to these interactions by Horticulo the Toothless. Fortunately, his apprentices were most excellent at transcribing his mumblings into something approaching lucidity. A number of his dialogues have been collected and --"
Arachne shook her head. "But I digress," she said, sounding a little irritated with herself. "The reason I digress is because I had no intention of bringing about any such quantum thaumapsionic field interactions." She shrugged. "I was _planning_ not to go into the cottage with my pocket until it had fully enlarged itself and was no longer generating any kind of arcane mass-space compressive field. I agree that putting the cottage inside my pocket while the cottage is small _might_ generate hyperspatial anomalies of a highly chaotic nature (using the strict definition of 'chaotic' discussed by Master Uragel in –"Oh dear!" Arachne sank down onto the ground and clasped her knees. "You are making me feel so _nostalgic_!"
Aloysius clapped his hands together repeatedly. "That was wonderful, Arachne! I had no knowledge of psionoarcanous fields. It would please me immensely if you could tell me what you know of them at some point."
By now, he was beginning to gesture energetically. "I would assume that the tensors involved must be chrono-equivalent, as space and time are essentially the same thing? That had ne'er occurred to me before. Why, the consequences are fascinating . . . . "
He looked around to see if anyone else shared his enthusiasm.
Arachne glanced up at the wizard quizzically. "It's all theoretical," she allowed. "Because the main practical lesson I've gotten about them is that, unless you are right in the middle of Thay or some other large space that the world might be better off without, you never, never, _ever_ improvise with psionoarcanous (or thaumopsionic) fields. Of course, people do sometimes try setting up _controlled_ experiments with them, but I've never had the week per square inch to spare that's required to make sure that you're familiar enough with the area to keep the experiment under control."
The gnome hugged her knees. "And space and time being essentially the same thing? Whose wild speculations have you been -- um -- giving your respectful attention to? Are you not aware of the unswerving vector of time? The others, yes, may be accelerated in any of five or six orthonormalities, but time's arrow..." She shrugged. "Chrono-equivalence is a myth," she sighed. "Not that I don't have plenty of errors I wouldn't mind rectifying if I could."
"A myth?" asked Aloysius. "Stargazer thinks not, but would love to discuss it with you sometime when we have, well, more time."
Azrun handed over one fo the gems to Alosyius, "You can check that one out. I've finished with the second one. It had read magic, detect magic, magic missile,
stinking cloud, web, dispel magic, and lightning bolt on it. When we get time, I'm going to try to learn the stinking cloud, dispel magic, and the lightning bolt spells."Aloysius took the gem and nodded. "Many thanks, Azrun. If you would like assistance with that, Stargazer knows all but the lightningbolt spell. I'm confident they will give you no trouble."
Aloysius took the last gem, cast read magic on it, and took a closer look.
Azrun sat and listened to the two go on about theories and such. After a while, he look as if his head was hurting as he rubbed his temples. He blinked his eyes and then returned to his journal.
Echo silently went back to moving treasure the old-fashioned way when Aloysius and Arachne began debating arcane theories.
Azrun handed over one fo the gems to Alosyius, "You can check that one out. I've finished with the second one. It had read magic, detect magic, magic missile, stinking cloud, web, dispel magic, and lightning bolt on it. When we get time, I'm going to try to learn the stinking cloud, dispel magic, and the lightning bolt spells."
The treasure was moved into the cottage and needed supplies were taken out. Discussion turned to what overall course of action to pursue next. Aloysius cast a spell on one of the gems and studied it for a few minutes. Blacky expressed a strong desire to check out the pool to see if it was fit for bathing.
Arachne kept the ring from the grell on her finger. She kept the two potions from the grell collection in her purse, remarking as she put the water breathing one there also, "We might use this sooner rather than later." She looked up at the rest. "I think I agree with Blacky, that hazarding a bath would be a good idea. I'd think that the rest of you might feel the same way about me, since I've just been almost bathing in grell guts..."
Aloysius finished looking at the gems.
"Methinks these served as the grell's spellbook," he opined. "This gem has a few low power spells, in addition to the spell that slows movement, and dispels magic. There are a few more spells that I could not get to, but I'd wager that the spell that created the black tentacles will be on the gem as well."
He handed the gems back to Azrun. "Another day I'll read over the remaining formulae. Did someone say something about a bath?"
Echo replenished her stock of food and water from the cottage. She checked her spell components to make sure she didn't need anything that had been stored. "How much oil are we taking out?" she asked Jana.
"A bath might be a good idea," she agreed.
Azrun nodded, "We can all go check out the pool. Once we know it's safe, the ladies can clean up first. We can wait outside in the tunnel and stand guard." He looked down at his shirt and pants, "I guess I should put on my spare clothes. These are going to need to be washed and sewn. We could keep a seamstress in business just by repairing clothes....well I guess I could. Most of you have metal overcoats to protect you."
Azrun took the stones and put them in a belt pouch, "These are quite handy, you know. They don't take up much space, like a spell book does. I guess you could lose them easily though. That slowing spell and the dispel spell will be what I try to learn next. Those could come in quite handy during a fight."
"Well," Jana sighed, "since it appears everyone wants to, let's go check out that pool."
Echo glanced at Aloysius and Azrun. "I'd like to see some of those spells too, whenever you're finished learning what you want to learn."
Azrun looked to Echo, "There are three of them and three of us, so we can split them up one to each of us. Which one would you like to see, Echo?"
Echo gave Azrun a slight smile. "The ones I want to see are probably the same ones the two of you want to see. I'll be happy to wait until both of you are done."
Echo smiled slightly at Jana's sigh. "If we don't get eaten by something in the pool, I can make repairs to people's clothes after they're washed."
Jana shook her head ruefully. "Well, then I hope we don't get eaten, 'cuz the state my clothes are in, they'd be obscene without my armor on." She smiled, then added more solemnly, "I still wish you'd let me teach you to use a real weapon."
"I probably couldn't even pick up the weapons you use," Echo replied with a laugh. "I might be able to use a short sword or something, but I don't have one
to practice with.""If you'd like a short sword," Arachne offered shyly, "you're welcome to use mine. Um... It's hardly mine. I mean, I ordered it or bought it -- I forget now who helped me acquire it -- because I thought I really ought to carry something more intimidating than my stupid little knife or sling. Not that I can find either of those quickly enough or steel myself to try to use them when there's actually fighting going on. Anyway, the fact is that the short sword weighs too much for me to be able to carry it. I have to run some to keep up with everyone as it is, and I'm wimpy and --" She sighed. "Singing an old song. But the fact is that the sword weighs enough pounds that it makes a serious difference to my keeping up with everyone just carrying it with me. Never mind trying to swing it at an enemy. So I've had it stashed in the cottage here...along with the rest of the martial gear that I got and then figured out that I couldn't carry. The leathery armor stuff wouldn't fit you, but you're welcome to try the sword."
"Thanks, Arachne," Echo replied.
"I've got a crossbow," she told Jana. "It's usually too late for it to be useful by the time I get around to it," she admitted. "If I use Arachne's short sword, do you think you could help me learn that?"
Jana nodded enthusiastically and said, "Yeah, I've never used one of those, but the there are some similar principles involved. I'm sure I can teach you the basics so you'll at least be able to use it to defend yourself if you've gotta. I mean, not that you can't, defend yourself, I mean," Jana said hurriedly. "But if you've gotta fight hand-to-hand, the better your weapon the better off you are, you know?" Jana grinned lopsidedly and said, "If you're feeling up to it after we check out the pool and all, we'll work with it a bit, okay?"
"That's what I need," Arachne sighed. "A knife so good that it doesn't depend on me to be any good at all." She gazed at the cottage a moment then added, "I seem to recall that some arcane artisan developed a magical ... um ... dancing sword: It could fight on it's own after you get it started. That's what I need -- only a knife, instead of a sword ... less bulk. That would be _so_ helpful." She sighed. "There must be a very good thaumaturgical reason why something like that hasn't been made..."
"Okay." Echo sounded less excited about it than Jana, but she smiled agreeably. "Knowing how to use something besides a dagger wouldn't be such a bad idea."
"Hey Jana. When you're done teaching her how to swing a blade, you mind trying to show me how to fight in the dark? Seems like a skill that comes in pretty handy down here." Blacky asked
Jana nodded. "Yeah. 'Cept I think I might teach you a little different from the way I was taught. You're bigger'n me," she adds with a grin, then explains, "I was blindfolded and fought against an armsmaster who wasn't, using weapons he swore were padded but it sure didn't feel like it. Did make me learn in a hurry, though!"
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