Zilo and his band set out on the Bonesaw once again making a heading for a land that colloquially referred to as the Storm State from the stark difference in lands there. According to rumors around Deneval there are sections of the land where a desert can be found adjacent to a swamp, but the land doesn't adjust for the differences.
Because of this Cruxis and May spent plenty of time on the voyage praying to their respective gods to lend them the spell Endure Elements.
Everyone in the crew however eventually noticed that Zilo's messages to Aria for her lesson seemed... very odd to say the least, and seemed to get weirder with each day they journeyed.
"Wrestle with a wolf, 6 hours."
"Paint the bar counter pink then remove the paint, 4 hours."
"Shout that you are a man to the nearest person, 10 seconds."
"Shake hands with a gnome that has a brown flat top hairstyle, 30 minutes."
It wasn't easy to ignore the tasks since Zilo spoke them aloud. Then toward the end of the time limit, Aria chimed in on the shell and reported that she did the task.
Eventually the group landed in the new country, anchored the ship, and unloaded the cart for Presto and Vivace to pull. In the back of the cart, while May drove, Maldrek looked to Zilo.
"Zilo, What the hell is the point to asking Aria to do these things, also, there better not be a speck of pink on the bar."
"Well I could tell you, as a wizard you might get it actually. Tell me, Maldrek, how do I do magic? From your point of view."
Maldrek is taken by surprise, and takes a moment to think it over before answering.
"Well like me, you seem to be able to manipulate the arcane arts, but you don't define it. It's almost like you just know it is there, and can affect it by instinct with your movements and words."
"In the most basic sense you are correct. Bards can manipulate the power of magic words and music, and you are also right that I don't define it."
"So like how a Sorcerer does it?"
"No, Sorcerers have the arcane magical power inside them and can release it. And while I may have some powers in my body, they come from my shadow plane blood. They aren't where I pull my spells from. I cast spells like you, only I need no definition for my spells."
"But then how do you hold it together without a spellbook? Magic can only be expressed via a formula."
Zilo looks down at his violin in his lap and pauses. Then he snaps his fingers and retrieves one of the SSI scrolls.
"It isn't easy to understand unless you go through it, or everyone would be a bard, but suffice it to say that my perspective on how the world works isn't the same as a normal person."
Zilo holds up the scroll and faces it away from Maldrek.
"Lets say that this scroll is the world, and the message on it is magic. Most people look at magic from your point of view, not seeing it even though they know it is there."
Zilo then turns the scroll so Maldrek can reads the words.
"People like you use ink to write out the words, and receive the message, and therefore you can use the magic, but only that which you have written to see."
Zilo then raises the scroll and continues speaking. Maldrek followed his words, entranced.
"Working like this you can define and receive the message, or magic. Like the common folk I know the message is there, but unlike them..."
Zilo motions for Maldrek to look at the paper Zilo raised. The paper is set against the light of the sun, and the words on the other side can be seen through the paper.
"I know how look at it to still get the message."
Zilo rolls up the scroll and puts it away. Maldrek thinks over Zilo's words and finally after a few minutes turns back to Zilo.
"What does this have to do with Aria's tasks? They seem random."
Zilo leans back and smiles, "That's cause they are, I think of them right before I tell them to her."
Maldrek looks a little worried and responds, "Why though?! How will this give her your Bardic Perception?"
Zilo smiles warmly, "It just will. As long as she does what I tell her every day, and she doesn't stop, one day she will understand it, and then a day after that, she will see it."
Maldrek sighs, just unable to to put together Zilo's explanation.
"Don't be frustrated buddy. Like I told Aria, it took me years to get to that point."
"But how do I do magic though?"
Zilo and Maldrek both turn to see Cruxis, also listening in to the two's conversation. Zilo and Maldrek turn to each other, and just before Zilo can answer, Maldrek holds up a hand.
Maldrek says, "Well using Zilo's scroll analogy, if I write the message, and he looks at it from a different angle, I suppose you don't use the scroll for the message at all. Someone speaks it to you."
Maldrek points to Cruxis' holy symbol, "They tell you the message."
Cruxis thumbs the symbol and smiles, but as the group finishes up their talk May, in the front, stops the cart.
They came to a fork in the road, with a stolen sign post hole.
"Bloody thieves, who steals a sign?" grumbles Alaroc.
Zilo leaps off the cart and says, "Can't be helped, we'll have to split up then."
Maldrek directs Alaroc and Twenty-Four toward Zilo and says, "Alaroc, you and Zilo go that way, Zilo, Message back if you find the next check point, I'll do the same"
Zilo and Alaroc make it just over the trail's ridge, before Alaroc's flask gets the better of him and he slides off his mount. The moment that he does Twenty-Four reverts back to his portable form and Zilo falls. Zilo pats Alaroc on the back, trying to rouse him.
"Come on sir knight, we need your horse to make the best time."
Alaroc is like a rock.
Zilo steps back as he unhooks the razor from his scorpion whip, then turns ready to wake Alaroc, Drow style. Suddenly Zilo could swear that he saw something move under Alaroc's helm.
Zilo slowly moves over to the downed warrior, recalling that Zilo hasn't ever once seen under the helm. Just as he is about to remove it however.
"Move."
Zilo jumps and turns to see a figure draped entirely in a jet black cloak. His face is hidden behind a scarf, but his voice denotes a world weary man who has seen more than his fair share of horrors and troubles. Zilo then realizes that he and Alaroc stand directly in the man's path on the trail.
Zilo steps out of the man's way and drags Alaroc a bit as well. The man glides along, the cloak obscuring his steps. Zilo's train of thought was wholly derailed, as he quickly grabs onto Alaroc's ankle and drags him along, thankfully he no longer wore his full-plate and keeping pace with the new friend was totally possible.
"Care for some company on the trail friend?"
"No."
"Well I do, so get use to it. Just let me know if I get on your nerves."
"Presently."
"I'm Zilo Realms, 'The Master of Strings of Swords and Sorcery Inc. You Pay'em We Slay'em. You got a name?"
"Go."
"Well that won't do, what would I call you? Go? Stupid name, I'm going to call you Bob."
"Leave."
"Can't do, I gotta get to the capital, and It is in this direction... It is in this direction, isn't it Bob?"
"Yep."
"Thanks friend, I better let my friends know, one sec." Zilo messages Maldrek and lets them know to come back to the other trail. Zilo then proceeded to talk the cloaked figure's ear off until they reached a small town. They make this journey Zilo dragging Alaroc's body in toe.
"This isn't the Capital, so I'd best wait for my company, it was nice meeting you Bob."
Wordless Bob leaves the bard's company and heads toward the pathway to the Capital. After a short time Zilo's friends come along as well, and they leave the grasslands to finally cross a desert right next to the town. Apparently the town acted as an outpost for those about to travel the desert.
Travel through the desert went rather quietly, with the spells that May and Cruxis' preparing helping greatly. Over the days of travel Zilo continued to send ridiculous tasks to Aria, and she continued to do them.
Over the course of travel the desert became a frozen tundra, which the group shifted clothing for, before finally they come to the Capital of the Storm State.
The city looked to be magically suspended over a giant bottomless hole in the ground with the only way in or out being a giant light bridge set with guards at the edge of the tundra and far ahead at the city entrance. The group looked to the giant majestic castle at the center of the suspended metropolis, knowing that it was their job to kill every noble in that place.
No comments:
Post a Comment