Something's wrong with Kaer Ungada's light quartz; can Valteri Tomser fix it?
Score: 284 | 3/23/18 |
13 Strassa 1517
Busily working at Urcan's Forge, Valteri Tomser has two unexpected guests: Sheyloon and Kergnon Hurlgak of the Stalwart Stones. They explain that Magnik Raknar has come to them worried about Kaer Ungada's light quartz, two crystals jutting from the ceiling high above, are having trouble. If those go out, the Kaer would be plunged into night. They want Valteri to help because he can fly, he can see in the Astral, and he's good at making things. In return, Valteri can take the final step and initiate into the First Circle of Weaponsmith.
Valteri heads over to Magnik's Lab to find out how he can help. The stout dwarf Magnik is clearly unhappy to have Valteri in his lab, but he hands over a small crystal covered in brass tubes, his "Magic Dampener". As well, he hands him a magical silver rod which would be used to weld the dampener to the light quartz. The light quartz are pulling magic at an increasing and erratic rate. The object, once attached, will steady the magical flow.
However, Valteri's Craftsman Talen lets him notice that the device is actually set up to amplify the magical flow and takes it back to his forge. Reworking it slightly, he sets the brass tubes in the correct positions. Waiting until the quartz have dimmed closer to night so that he can approach without being blinded, Valteri makes the 5 minute flight and gets to work.
He holds the crystal dampener against the quartz and touches the silver rod to a brass connector. The rod glows and melts slightly, adhering the crystal.
Then four shadow creatures, the size of rats, appeared. With a misshapen core and five legs jutting out at odd angle, they disjointedly approached and attacked. Valteri swung hard with his Windling sword, striking a terrible blow, eradicating one of them. As Valteri fought with them, their claws dug into his skin, slicing the muscle in his arm, and others used magic to bind themselves to him.
Knowing that his only chance was to hurry and finish what he came up there to do, Valteri went back to work on attaching the crystal. More shadowy creatures appeared, some attaching themselves magically to Valteri's Pattern. One of them used some power to siphon life from him while the others continued to claw at his small frame.
One last valiant effort, and Valteri managed to get three of the connections attached and begin work on the last. Just as he was about to finish it, his life energy was once again pulled through the connection into one of the shadow creatures. His vision blurred and faded, and his unconscious form plummeted to the ground below.
He awoke in his forge, where Kergnon had brought him. Apparently two of the creatures followed him down, perhaps the two that had attached themselves to his Pattern. His light frame had landed in the stream with one of the creatures underneath him, crushing it. Kergnon was not far and the commotion of gathering people brought him. He killed the other shadow creature himself.
Riding on Kergnon's shoulder for the remainder of the evening, Valteri first visited the temple area to find a Questor of Garlen for healing. Alorna, an unassuming Elf woman, administered to his wounds with skill and prayer, healing him somewhat. She insisted he return to the temple that night so that she could treat him while he slept. Kergnon and Valteri then left to report what happened both to Magnik and Sheyloon.
Magnik is taken aback by the report of shadowy creatures coming out of nowhere to attack. He asks if a Horror is possibly responsible. He goes on to say that, while the dampener has managed to steady the flow, there does not seem to be enough magical reserves and the quartz will go out soon.
Sheyloon is concerned at the news of the creatures and says she will have someone begin researching them. However, she will head up to the quartz and clear out the nest herself, turning down Valteri's offer to help. His wounds are too severe to let him attempt revenge. However, Valteri was successful, and she asks Kergnon to teach him the final initiation rite of a Weaponsmith, which also serves as the Karma ritual.
Legend Point Awards:
- handling Magnik well: 50
- attaching the dampener, mostly: 100
- Total: 150