3 Sydenstar (Miresen/Sunday) 845 PD
Making and Creating
After some discussion about Vanya and Rinn’s major apprehension about this (former?) Volstrucker Agent, they head back over to help Victor build the device needed to transmute the gems into the liquid that hopefully should put out the pillar of fire. In his underground testing lab, he hands some papers to Tāmarai to look over. It’s his mathmagic notes, with commentary in a different handwriting, (“Grandpa, don’t try this on your own!”), probably from Vanya. Tāmarai can figure that this device will need power from two different types of spells to project into it, a dunamancy spell and something electric- Magnify Gravity and Witch Bolt should work.
Victor comments the device should channel the magic from those spells into a prism, changing them slightly. He has the device mostly built, but it needs some finishing touches so he grabs Stubby to help him finish it. Victor goes over to pull out a HUGE tool box. It’s so big, and so heavy, that it’s lucky timing that Fisch returns to help him pull it out. The bear is thrilled that they seem to have a plan now. For the building, Rinn also gets grabbed, as his Shocking Grasp can help with spot-welding. (He is less than thrilled at this, but helps.)
Stubby’s help with the building and tinkering help things go absolutely perfectly. (Nat 20, with all bonuses, plus inspiration gives her a 36, which is double the DC!) Perfectly, and quicker than expected! They get it set up, put the purple stone in place, and Tāmarai uses Mage Hand to pull out the Flynn stone, (one of the first times Rinn has seen it, and never has a gemstone given off such an air of malice), and put that in the indicated place as well. Victor fiddles with a few more things, sprinkles some residuum dust over it all.
Now, it’s time for the magic. Tāmarai asks Stubby to help with one of her devices, and sets up a small repeat of Tāmarai singing and playing, using the music to help her focus her spell. (High roll on Performance gives her Advantage!)
As for Rinn… He doesn’t do music, or tinker, or make things. The only skills he has usually aren’t applicable to magic- or are they? He had talked to Subby about how Sleight of Hand was a much more delicate, balanced touch, rather than trying to force something, and keeping that in mind, he starts building the Witch Bolt in his hands, the crackles of electricity dancing and shifting between his fingers as he would move around a card or a coin- and that delicate touch works. (Nat 20 for 29 total on Sleight of Hand to give Advantage!)
While Victor, Stubby and Fisch take cover, Tāmarai and Rinn ready their spells, then blast them towards the entry of the device. The Magnify Gravity condenses the Witch Bolt into a narrower, brighter channel, a much clearer purple than Rinn’s magic usually is. Into the device, and it takes a long moment before anything seems to happen- then it shows up, channeling through Victor’s purple gem, which leeches the color from the bolt of electricity/light. It bounces off the mirror, turning gold, then through the Flynn stone and continues through the second brass tube…
Magical Transmutation and Ghosts
And finally, into the stone crucible set up, a green transparent, mercury like liquid begins to pour, as the Flynn stone reduces, melting away until it finally disappears as the light stops. Tāmarai and Rinn both end their spells, (Rinn had been floating in the air, eyes glowing, sparks of electricity writhing around him. Victor: “Is that normal?” Stubby, busy watching the device work on the gems, hardly glances over: “Yeah, that’s firefly.”). (Also during this time, they both succeed at a high DC a Charisma saving throw, resisting Flynn trying to take over a new body- though only Tāmarai noticed the attempt, Rinn didn’t.) Rinn lands, Tāmarai finishes her song, and they and the others carefully make their way over to the device and crucible. Stubby is curious about what may have happened to Flynn, she pulls out a bit of wire and sends a Message, which at least gives her the feeling that he should be somewhere.
There is about a cup and a half of liquid, mercury-like liquid, brilliant green. Victor examines the purple gem- there is still some of it remaining, and by his calculations there shouldn’t be. They all eye the purple gem, and there is something off about it, and they rapidly come to the conclusion that Flynn is using it to keep a foothold here in this world. Easy to fix- Mage Hand moves the gem to an anvil, and Victor drags out a HUGE hammer, which Fisch takes up. Tāmarai puts Magnify Gravity on the whole thing, and SMASH. The gem seems unaffected for a moment, then they hear ‘tink!’ ‘tink!’ ‘tink!’ and it begins to crack like safety glass. A few more hits with the hammer, and Fisch reduces it to dust. As far as they can tell, Flynn is gone- from just the local area, or their plane of existence, who knows? But he’s gone. Tāmarai gathers up the dust from the purple gem, as she has the feeling it may be useful.
Plans and Dinner
Well, with all of that, it’s time for dinner. Victor hopes someone here can cook. (Tāmarai, Rinn, and then even Fisch point at Stubby.) Fisch goes outside, and returns with a deer that he took down while he was off checking in with relatives and friends. He also mentions that the local wolves (which are apparently Awoken as well) will help look after Victor, if he’s going to stay around? He also checked in with another friend, a moose (Awoken!) named Charlie, who seems to be a druid, and can help the others get to the city (if the restriction on higher spells gets lifted), with Teleport via Plants.
They settle in for the evening. Stubby and Fisch work on the deer carcass, Stubby getting some of it ready to cook that evening. Tāmarai works on cleaning Victor’s cabin. (He also takes her aside to ask if Stubby would like the HUGE, gorgeously built tool box. Tāmarai says yes, but doesn’t Victor need it? Victor’s son Ivan has one as well, or he should still have! And if Victor’s going back to New Vasselheim he can use that one. So they manage to maneuver the whole thing into the Bag of Holding.) Rinn goes over their equipment, sorting through things, taking care of knives and swords, and putting things back away neatly is reassuring. (STILL trying to process the whole Vanya thing!)
While this is going on, a moose pops his head (somewhat) in through the window. This isn’t Charlie, but another one, the leader of the local herd/tribe. (His name in Primordial is ‘He who fords the snow’.) Fisch inquires if he has anyone who can take Victor- fast!- to New Vasselheim. Fords-the-Snow does, and he’ll send this younger, faster moose to them tomorrow morning, at first light.
Over dinner they go over another thing that is probably going to happen with their plans- the vacuum of power that will happen if they manage to de-throne (and remove) the Empress. Who will step into power? Victor wishes they had someone who can see into someone’s souls, to see if they were good or bad. (“The Take had someone like that.” The Sphinx, but they don’t want Osysa around for the Empress to get her hands on!)
After dinner, Victor helps Stubby build a sky-writing device that should put up the de Rollo coat of arms above the city when the rebellion starts.
And as they start to settle in to sleep, before they start figuring out watches, they hear wolves howling- and Fisch and Rinn can understand the Primordial speaking in the howls. The wolves are setting up a watch for them, so the whole group gets a full night’s sleep.
Bright and early the next day, there is a moose there, ready and waiting, as promised! They grab a sleepy Victor and haul him out, Fisch giving him advice on holding on tight- and Victor’s high pitched scream fades away into the distance as the moose speeds off down from the mountains, heading for New Vasselheim.
Now they have the rest of the day to get ready and get back to Old Vasselheim…