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Ember's Tale 46: It's a Kind of Magic


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#1 Guest_Cel_*

Posted 05 October 2006 - 07:22 PM

Chapter 46: It's a Kind of Magic


Ember closed her eyes. The misty air was cool against her skin; as she focused her attention, she could feel the individual droplets touch her face. Around her, the activities of animals were betrayed by rustling leaves and twigs.

A week had passed since Jaheira had become her mentor. Most of Ember's time since then had been devoted to learning to understand nature; they had spent three days cleansing the defiled grove, and Ember was now able to recognize the signs of distress as well as the signs of health. They had traveled south after that, inspecting troubled areas in the forest as they went. Many of the spots were former bandit camp sites, but they also stopped in Mutamin's garden of statues, where they made sure there were no wayward basilisks still terrorizing the area. There had been very few skirmishes of any kind, which suited Ember just fine.

Ember's companions had taken the change of pace in stride. Kivan and Minsc had always shared their knowledge of woodlands with Ember and Imoen, and now they preoccupied themselves with telling Ember as much as they could about plants, animals, terrain, seasons, and nature in general, thus augmenting the lessons she received from Jaheira. Their emphasis was on the woods they were traveling through, and every new thing Ember saw was thoroughly explained. Alora skipped along behind Ember and the rangers, absorbing little nuggets of information about pretty birds and flowers and all the really great trees; sometimes, Boo rode on her shoulder instead of Minsc's.

In the evenings, Minsc shared what he knew about the Forest Lady with Ember. Through the giant's disjointed tale with roots in a culture alien to Ember, she learned at least as much about her newfound patron as she had learned through her studies in Candlekeep, and the ranger's knowledge filled some of the gaps Jaheira could not help her with.

She breathed slowly in, then out. Her new leather armor creaked, almost imperceptibly, with every breath.

Edwin seemed the most out of place of the group, and consistently kept as far away from Jaheira as he could. He had been less than happy when Imoen had demanded he give his enchanted wooden staff to Ember, and barely an hour passed where he did not complain about something pertaining to forests and traveling in them. Imoen walked with him most of the time, though, and when she wasn't goodnaturedly teasing him about something, the two mages held lively discussions about magic and spellcraft. It made Ember happy to watch them; nobody at Candlekeep had had the patience to answer the myriad of questions Imoen had about anything magical, not even Tethtoril or Gorion, and everyone had kept telling her that her mind wasn't ready for the challenges of magery. You'd show them now, Immy, Ember had thought fondly as she'd listened to the two mages discuss the merits and disadvantages of conjured arrow spells the previous evening.

The drops that wet her skin were gradually becoming larger. It would be a rainy day.

Ember settled into her meditative thought patterns, and stretched out with her senses. She had practiced this every morning and evening the past week; with Jaheira in the evening and by herself in the morning. It was an exercise similar to the ones she'd used to learn to fully listen to her senses, only far more profound. It would be in a meditative state, communing with life around her, that she would be able to pray for spells.

Spells were different from cantrips; they required more focus and control than the simple invocations and prayers that could inspire a wounded tree to grow faster or cause a fire to yield no smoke, and were far too complex to memorize accurately through any measure but meditative prayer. To begin with, the Lady would only grant her a single full spell, Jaheira had told Ember, but she would be blessed with access to more spells as she gained the understanding needed to wield such power. She had sat with Jaheira as the older druid prayed in the evenings, but she wouldn't fully understand the process until she had accomplished it herself.

A bird burst into song under the shelter of a large-leafed bush.

According to Jaheira, Silvanus preferred prayers offered in the evening, under moonlight if possible, but Mielikki's followers could pray for spells either at sunrise or at sunset. It'd been a simple choice for Ember; she'd always loved being awake at dawn.

Ember listened, letting herself understand what she heard without thinking. The rustling leaves, the pattering of tiny feet, the crunching sound as one small animal caught and ate another, her own heartbeat; it all blended together in a quiet harmony as the sun rose unseen behind low, grey clouds.

With an almost painful clarity, she saw herself as a part of life. She felt how energy flowed through the forest around her, and through her. She could almost see how she could use that energy.

My Lady of the Forest, show me what I can do.

Something shifted in her mind, and she understood. By drawing upon nature itself, she could heal, coax plants into reckless growth, arm herself, or strengthen and protect someone. Other possibilities would come later; for now, she could ask to hold one of those spells in her mind.

She knew exactly which spell she wanted to ask for first.

---

The morning drizzle had turned into a veritable downpour by the time they broke camp, and everyone wrapped their cloaks tightly around themselves as they walked. Some of the paths had turned to mud; Jaheira questioned Ember about her prayers while Kivan and Minsc scouted ahead in search of the least muddy path.

"Healing? An excellent choice," Jaheira said. "Its casting is straightforward, and you are likely to succeed on your first attempt. Entangling plants or summoning a shillelagh require more complex invocations."

"Couldn't she have asked for this infernal rain to stop instead?" Edwin muttered, pulling the hood of his robe lower down over his face. Jaheira shot the wizard an annoyed glare. Edwin glared back.

"It'll be all right, Eddie," Alora chirped. "We'll be in Gullykin tonight, and there'll be warm houses and warm drinks and the most wonderful food in the world!" The halfling skipped through a row of puddles.

"Do not try to cast your spell yet," Jaheira told Ember. "We may have use of it, and you would learn more from healing a genuine injury."

"But otherwise, I can still practice casting by healing someone who isn't wounded, right?" Ember asked.

"That is correct," Jaheira said. "The result of a healing spell improves if you have an understanding of the being you are healing, and of the nature of the injury. They become more efficient if you prepare, for instance by straightening broken limbs and aligning torn flesh, and if you focus your attention on an injured body part rather than the whole."

"What you mean is that she shouldn't forget how to treat wounds the nonmagical way, even when she's throwing spells around," Imoen said.

"Exactly. She should even further her knowledge in that field, if she wishes to be a skilled healer."

"I'll remember that," Ember said.

"She knows some of that stuff already," Imoen said. Ember looked warily at her friend, but thankfully Imoen didn't seem to want to elaborate; Ember wasn't sure she wanted to let Jaheira know that she already could heal after a fashion.

"That is g-good to hear," Khalid said.

---

The chance for Ember to test her new healing spell came soon enough. In the late afternoon, they spotted three gnolls near the foot of a hill. Minsc immediately charged at them; a minute or so later, Minsc's arm was injured, and the gnolls were dead. Kivan helped Minsc take off his ankheg plate mail while Alora held Boo, and Ember and Jaheira quickly inspected the damaged arm.

"It has been badly twisted," Jaheira proclaimed, "but there are no breaks. Are you ready to try your spell, child?"

Ember nodded solemnly, and reached for Minsc's arm. Her first instinct was to reach within to wherever it was her gift came from, but she caught herself before she triggered it. Her voice dropped almost to a whisper as she uttered words she hadn't realized she knew, and she slowly moved her hands in the required patterns, trying to focus her attention on the injured limb. As she spoke the final word and reached towards Minsc's arm, the spell triggered. Her gestures had gathered energy from their surroundings and into herself; now, the energy flowed through her like cool, soothing water, then leapt into Minsc's arm in a flash of blue. The bruises on the ranger's arm faded immediately.

"Minsc is ready to kick butts for justice again!" Minsc cried happily.

"Excellent work," Jaheira said, examining Minsc's arm. "It appears to be sound. Your casting was hesitant, but it is to be expected from a novice. You should request the same spell again tomorrow."

"I've planned on doing that," Ember said, feeling slightly elated. That felt wonderful! And not at all like my gift, even though they do the same thing. With the spell, the healing energy had come willingly, merely using her as a conduit; by comparison, her gift was more like forcefully drawing power from a source in herself. I should try to look into that; maybe I'll be able to understand the gift better.

"Could we continue onwards now?" Edwin asked irritably.

"We will continue when we are ready, wizard," Jaheira replied.

"Aw, don't be so impatient, Eddie!" Alora said. "I'm sure Minsc is happy that his arm won't hurt, and we're really really close now! Aren't we, Khalid?"

"You are c-correct, little one," Khalid said with a smile. "W-we are less than an hour away."

"Provided we actually start moving instead of waiting for her to decide that we are ready to do so," Edwin said. "(Wretched druids and their wretched disregard for climate! Nothing like this would ever happen in Thay!)"

"Calm down, Edwin, we'll move on now," Ember said. "Happy?"

"(No.)"

---

A half hour later, the group caught sight of the village for the first time. A simple fence made from long, slender birch trunks encircled a cluster of small, odd-looking houses; as far as they could tell, there was only one building of regular size in the entire village.

"Their houses are m-mostly underground," Khalid said. "We only see the t-top level. That is the winery," he continued, indicating the larger building.

"They had a problem with kobolds recently," Jaheira said. "As it turned out, one of the villagers was in cohorts with an ogre mage. They had built a tunnel between his house and the Firewine catacombs; the kobolds infested the village through the tunnel. We backtracked the creatures and found they were merely part of a larger kobold infestation; almost half of them had gone to Nashkel."

"Where we took care of them," Imoen said.

"Yes. The ogre mage and the half-ogre cleric in Nashkel had worked together, convincing the kobolds to move here in search of a reborn kobold deity. We believe they assembled near Darkhold, but have not been able to prove Zhentarim involvement," Jaheira said.

"The Iron Throne wishes to implicate the Zhentarim," Kivan said. "We have seen many signs."

"I see. How convenient for them to have a readily available scapegoat," Jaheira said.

Alora ran ahead of them to the village gate, where she leapt into the arms of a finely dressed halfling. "Uncle Gandolar!" she squealed.

"Alora!" the halfling exclaimed. He hugged her tightly and turned to face the rest of the group. "Welcome back, Khalid and Jaheira, and well met, travelers! Gandolar Luckyfoot, at your disposal. To what does our little village owe the pleasure of your visit?"

"We wished to see if the kobolds had returned, and we'd like to stay here while I instruct Ember," Jaheira said, indicating Ember with a hand.

"And Eddie's tired of walking and we're all tired and wet and hungry because it was such a long walk through the woods!" Alora added, speaking at a breakneck pace.

Gandolar laughed. "Hungry and wet? That will not do! Come, you shall join me around the hearth, and I shall bid you a proper welcome to Gullykin! Oh, this will be splendid!" he said, and beckoned them to follow.

Ember and Imoen shared amused glances and followed the rest of their friends into the halfling village.

#2 Guest_arabellaesque_*

Posted 05 October 2006 - 07:59 PM

Ember's companions had taken the change of pace in stride. Kivan and Minsc had always shared their knowledge of woodlands with Ember and Imoen, and now they preoccupied themselves with telling Ember as much as they could about plants, animals, terrain, seasons, and nature in general, thus augmenting the lessons she received from Jaheira. Their emphasis was on the woods they were traveling through, and every new thing Ember saw was thoroughly explained. Alora skipped along behind Ember and the rangers, absorbing little nuggets of information about pretty birds and flowers and all the really great trees; sometimes, Boo rode on her shoulder instead of Minsc's.


Awww :)

"Healing? An excellent choice," Jaheira said. "Its casting is straightforward, and you are likely to succeed on your first attempt. Entangling plants or summoning a shillelagh require more complex invocations."


And a handy choice too :D Can never go wrong with a bit of healing at hand, even if you already have an inate version :D

"Couldn't she have asked for this infernal rain to stop instead?" Edwin muttered, pulling the hood of his robe lower down over his face. Jaheira shot the wizard an annoyed glare. Edwin glared back.


:? :)

"It'll be all right, Eddie," Alora chirped. "We'll be in Gullykin tonight, and there'll be warm houses and warm drinks and the most wonderful food in the world!" The halfling skipped through a row of puddles.


*squees at Alora*

"Minsc is ready to kick butts for justice again!" Minsc cried happily.


Woot!

"The Iron Throne wishes to implicate the Zhentarim," Kivan said. "We have seen many signs."


"I see. How convenient for them to have a readily available scapegoat," Jaheira said.


It is, isn't it? The Zhentarim are dreadfully put out by it all, though -- probably because by being blamed, they've realised there's a plan they're missing out on :D

Alora ran ahead of them to the village gate, where she leapt into the arms of a finely dressed halfling. "Uncle Gandolar!" she squealed.


Woot! Halflings reunited!

Ember and Imoen shared amused glances and followed the rest of their friends into the halfling village.


Awww, I can't wait to see all the halflings together!

#3 Guest_Futurist_*

Posted 05 October 2006 - 08:46 PM

A week had passed since Jaheira had become her mentor. Most of Ember's time since then had been devoted to learning to understand nature; they had spent three days cleansing the defiled grove, and Ember was now able to recognize the signs of distress as well as the signs of health. They had traveled south after that, inspecting troubled areas in the forest as they went. Many of the spots were former bandit camp sites, but they also stopped in Mutamin's garden of statues, where they made sure there were no wayward basilisks still terrorizing the area. There had been very few skirmishes of any kind, which suited Ember just fine.


Seems like she has taken to her new calling.

Ember listened, letting herself understand what she heard without thinking. The rustling leaves, the pattering of tiny feet, the crunching sound as one small animal caught and ate another, her own heartbeat; it all blended together in a quiet harmony as the sun rose unseen behind low, grey clouds.

With an almost painful clarity, she saw herself as a part of life. She felt how energy flowed through the forest around her, and through her. She could almost see how she could use that energy.


Nice descriptions here.

Ember nodded solemnly, and reached for Minsc's arm. Her first instinct was to reach within to wherever it was her gift came from, but she caught herself before she triggered it. Her voice dropped almost to a whisper as she uttered words she hadn't realized she knew, and she slowly moved her hands in the required patterns, trying to focus her attention on the injured limb. As she spoke the final word and reached towards Minsc's arm, the spell triggered. Her gestures had gathered energy from their surroundings and into herself; now, the energy flowed through her like cool, soothing water, then leapt into Minsc's arm in a flash of blue. The bruises on the ranger's arm faded immediately.


Neat!

"I've planned on doing that," Ember said, feeling slightly elated. That felt wonderful! And not at all like my gift, even though they do the same thing. With the spell, the healing energy had come willingly, merely using her as a conduit; by comparison, her gift was more like forcefully drawing power from a source in herself. I should try to look into that; maybe I'll be able to understand the gift better.


Bhaal: *mutters* Children don`t respect their parents today... *mutters*

"Yes. The ogre mage and the half-ogre cleric in Nashkel had worked together, convincing the kobolds to move here in search of a reborn kobold deity. We believe they assembled near Darkhold, but have not been able to prove Zhentarim involvement," Jaheira said.


Connecting them... smart!

Gandolar laughed. "Hungry and wet? That will not do! Come, you shall join me around the hearth, and I shall bid you a proper welcome to Gullykin! Oh, this will be splendid!" he said, and beckoned them to follow.

Ember and Imoen shared amused glances and followed the rest of their friends into the halfling village.


Better hosts are hard to come by.

#4 Guest_Cel_*

Posted 06 October 2006 - 06:48 AM


Ember's companions had taken the change of pace in stride. Kivan and Minsc had always shared their knowledge of woodlands with Ember and Imoen, and now they preoccupied themselves with telling Ember as much as they could about plants, animals, terrain, seasons, and nature in general, thus augmenting the lessons she received from Jaheira. Their emphasis was on the woods they were traveling through, and every new thing Ember saw was thoroughly explained. Alora skipped along behind Ember and the rangers, absorbing little nuggets of information about pretty birds and flowers and all the really great trees; sometimes, Boo rode on her shoulder instead of Minsc's.


Awww :oops:


Alora is starting to hog Imoen's cuteness screen time, I think :cry:


"Healing? An excellent choice," Jaheira said. "Its casting is straightforward, and you are likely to succeed on your first attempt. Entangling plants or summoning a shillelagh require more complex invocations."


And a handy choice too ;) Can never go wrong with a bit of healing at hand, even if you already have an inate version :lol:


Ember: Don't tell Jaheira about that, please.


"Couldn't she have asked for this infernal rain to stop instead?" Edwin muttered, pulling the hood of his robe lower down over his face. Jaheira shot the wizard an annoyed glare. Edwin glared back.


:twisted: :shock:


Jaheira: A red wizard.... at least she isn't traveling with that sleazy elf anymore!

:D


"Minsc is ready to kick butts for justice again!" Minsc cried happily.


Woot!


Edwin: Why ne needed his arm to 'kick butts' I'll never understand. (Perhaps it is best not to ask.)


"The Iron Throne wishes to implicate the Zhentarim," Kivan said. "We have seen many signs."

"I see. How convenient for them to have a readily available scapegoat," Jaheira said.


It is, isn't it? The Zhentarim are dreadfully put out by it all, though -- probably because by being blamed, they've realised there's a plan they're missing out on :)


Heh, that's an excellent point! :lol:


Alora ran ahead of them to the village gate, where she leapt into the arms of a finely dressed halfling. "Uncle Gandolar!" she squealed.


Woot! Halflings reunited!


You know what would be scary? An adventuring party of only halflings!

One of my SoA characters was a halfling cleric of Lathander.


Ember and Imoen shared amused glances and followed the rest of their friends into the halfling village.


Awww, I can't wait to see all the halflings together!


I'll see if I can get them to show up in force ;)

#5 Guest_Cel_*

Posted 06 October 2006 - 06:59 AM


A week had passed since Jaheira had become her mentor. Most of Ember's time since then had been devoted to learning to understand nature; they had spent three days cleansing the defiled grove, and Ember was now able to recognize the signs of distress as well as the signs of health. They had traveled south after that, inspecting troubled areas in the forest as they went. Many of the spots were former bandit camp sites, but they also stopped in Mutamin's garden of statues, where they made sure there were no wayward basilisks still terrorizing the area. There had been very few skirmishes of any kind, which suited Ember just fine.


Seems like she has taken to her new calling.


Working on it, anyway. She's still a bit afraid of using weapons :twisted:


Ember listened, letting herself understand what she heard without thinking. The rustling leaves, the pattering of tiny feet, the crunching sound as one small animal caught and ate another, her own heartbeat; it all blended together in a quiet harmony as the sun rose unseen behind low, grey clouds.

With an almost painful clarity, she saw herself as a part of life. She felt how energy flowed through the forest around her, and through her. She could almost see how she could use that energy.


Nice descriptions here.


Thank you :shock:


"I've planned on doing that," Ember said, feeling slightly elated. That felt wonderful! And not at all like my gift, even though they do the same thing. With the spell, the healing energy had come willingly, merely using her as a conduit; by comparison, her gift was more like forcefully drawing power from a source in herself. I should try to look into that; maybe I'll be able to understand the gift better.


Bhaal: *mutters* Children don`t respect their parents today... *mutters*


Oh, it's hardly as if he's voluntarily given her those abilities.


"Yes. The ogre mage and the half-ogre cleric in Nashkel had worked together, convincing the kobolds to move here in search of a reborn kobold deity. We believe they assembled near Darkhold, but have not been able to prove Zhentarim involvement," Jaheira said.


Connecting them... smart!


Well, I decided a long time ago that the kobolds were connected. I decided three days ago that their leaders were connected, too :oops:


Gandolar laughed. "Hungry and wet? That will not do! Come, you shall join me around the hearth, and I shall bid you a proper welcome to Gullykin! Oh, this will be splendid!" he said, and beckoned them to follow.

Ember and Imoen shared amused glances and followed the rest of their friends into the halfling village.


Better hosts are hard to come by.


Oh yes. Bring on the food!

#6 Guest_Theodur_*

Posted 06 October 2006 - 07:21 AM

Chapter 46: It's a Kind of Magic[/size]


Please don’t let Ember, or Jaheira, to sing that song. :twisted:

Ember's companions had taken the change of pace in stride. Kivan and Minsc had always shared their knowledge of woodlands with Ember and Imoen, and now they preoccupied themselves with telling Ember as much as they could about plants, animals, terrain, seasons, and nature in general, thus augmenting the lessons she received from Jaheira. Their emphasis was on the woods they were traveling through, and every new thing Ember saw was thoroughly explained. Alora skipped along behind Ember and the rangers, absorbing little nuggets of information about pretty birds and flowers and all the really great trees; sometimes, Boo rode on her shoulder instead of Minsc's.


Awwww. Minsc just couldn’t say no to someone as cute as Alora, even if she can be a tricksy little halfling. :shock:

According to Jaheira, Silvanus preferred prayers offered in the evening, under moonlight if possible, but Mielikki's followers could pray for spells either at sunrise or at sunset. It'd been a simple choice for Ember; she'd always loved being awake at dawn.


Yeah, and it doesn’t interfere with other nightly activities, I can just hear Khalid grumbling about that. :oops:

With an almost painful clarity, she saw herself as a part of life. She felt how energy flowed through the forest around her, and through her. She could almost see how she could use that energy.


Nice and druidy, this. Let’s hope that she doesn’t become too fond of Cernd-like nature metaphors. Ah, but with Jaheira as mentor probably not going to happen.

"Couldn't she have asked for this infernal rain to stop instead?" Edwin muttered, pulling the hood of his robe lower down over his face. Jaheira shot the wizard an annoyed glare. Edwin glared back.


Heh. These two got along famously in my BG2 parties, the constant bickering and funny exchanges were simply endearing! :cry:

"Do not try to cast your spell yet," Jaheira told Ember. "We may have use of it, and you would learn more from healing a genuine injury."


I guess we need to beat someone up so that Ember can practice… ah, a shame that Coran is no longer with them.

"What you mean is that she shouldn't forget how to treat wounds the nonmagical way, even when she's throwing spells around," Imoen said.


"Exactly. She should even further her knowledge in that field, if she wishes to be a skilled healer."


Yep, I like when it’s presented this way, far more believable. :lol:

The chance for Ember to test her new healing spell came soon enough. In the late afternoon, they spotted three gnolls near the foot of a hill. Minsc immediately charged at them; a minute or so later, Minsc's arm was injured, and the gnolls were dead. Kivan helped Minsc take off his ankheg plate mail while Alora held Boo, and Ember and Jaheira quickly inspected the damaged arm.


Lucky Minsc, he gets to be the test subject.

"Could we continue onwards now?" Edwin asked irritably.


"We will continue when we are ready, wizard," Jaheira replied.


Somehow I suspect Edwin risks becoming the next test subject to be treated for head injuries. :lol:

"Their houses are m-mostly underground," Khalid said. "We only see the t-top level. That is the winery," he continued, indicating the larger building.


Silly halflings and their equally silly burrows. ;)

"They had a problem with kobolds recently," Jaheira said. "As it turned out, one of the villagers was in cohorts with an ogre mage. They had built a tunnel between his house and the Firewine catacombs; the kobolds infested the village through the tunnel. We backtracked the creatures and found they were merely part of a larger kobold infestation; almost half of them had gone to Nashkel."


Heh, you’d have been in a bit of trouble if they had all stayed behind in Firewine!

"Alora!" the halfling exclaimed. He hugged her tightly and turned to face the rest of the group. "Welcome back, Khalid and Jaheira, and well met, travelers! Gandolar Luckyfoot, at your disposal. To what does our little village owe the pleasure of your visit?"


Seems like Khalid and Jaheira already have hero reputation here. ;)

"And Eddie's tired of walking and we're all tired and wet and hungry because it was such a long walk through the woods!" Alora added, speaking at a breakneck pace.


Yes, poor Eddie, how could we forget that his comfort is our priority!

#7 Guest_Cel_*

Posted 06 October 2006 - 12:00 PM

Chapter 46: It's a Kind of Magic


Please don’t let Ember, or Jaheira, to sing that song. :lol:


Don't worry, my subject lines are almost invariably sillier than my stories :lol:

Alora skipped along behind Ember and the rangers, absorbing little nuggets of information about pretty birds and flowers and all the really great trees; sometimes, Boo rode on her shoulder instead of Minsc's.


Awwww. Minsc just couldn’t say no to someone as cute as Alora, even if she can be a tricksy little halfling. :D


Imoen: She's out-cuteing me!! :cry:

According to Jaheira, Silvanus preferred prayers offered in the evening, under moonlight if possible, but Mielikki's followers could pray for spells either at sunrise or at sunset. It'd been a simple choice for Ember; she'd always loved being awake at dawn.


Yeah, and it doesn’t interfere with other nightly activities, I can just hear Khalid grumbling about that. :)


Only Khalid, Theo? :oops:

(Speaking of which, you were a very cruel author in the Underdark! :shock: )

With an almost painful clarity, she saw herself as a part of life. She felt how energy flowed through the forest around her, and through her. She could almost see how she could use that energy.


Nice and druidy, this.


I've played the class for 6 years (and been fond of nature for over 25), after all ;)

Let’s hope that she doesn’t become too fond of Cernd-like nature metaphors. Ah, but with Jaheira as mentor probably not going to happen.


You know, that possibilty is so far from my mind that I can't even make up a joke metaphor here :)

"Couldn't she have asked for this infernal rain to stop instead?" Edwin muttered, pulling the hood of his robe lower down over his face. Jaheira shot the wizard an annoyed glare. Edwin glared back.


Heh. These two got along famously in my BG2 parties, the constant bickering and funny exchanges were simply endearing! :)


I've noticed Edwin tends to go well with people that'll bicker with him. Whether or not he enjoys it is a different matter entirely :twisted:

"What you mean is that she shouldn't forget how to treat wounds the nonmagical way, even when she's throwing spells around," Imoen said.

"Exactly. She should even further her knowledge in that field, if she wishes to be a skilled healer."


Yep, I like when it’s presented this way, far more believable. :)


Thanks :D

The chance for Ember to test her new healing spell came soon enough. In the late afternoon, they spotted three gnolls near the foot of a hill. Minsc immediately charged at them; a minute or so later, Minsc's arm was injured, and the gnolls were dead. Kivan helped Minsc take off his ankheg plate mail while Alora held Boo, and Ember and Jaheira quickly inspected the damaged arm.


Lucky Minsc, he gets to be the test subject.


I don't think he's too worried. There are backup solutions, after all.

"Could we continue onwards now?" Edwin asked irritably.

"We will continue when we are ready, wizard," Jaheira replied.


Somehow I suspect Edwin risks becoming the next test subject to be treated for head injuries. :(


Nah, I'll just keep him out of her way :D

"They had a problem with kobolds recently," Jaheira said. "As it turned out, one of the villagers was in cohorts with an ogre mage. They had built a tunnel between his house and the Firewine catacombs; the kobolds infested the village through the tunnel. We backtracked the creatures and found they were merely part of a larger kobold infestation; almost half of them had gone to Nashkel."


Heh, you’d have been in a bit of trouble if they had all stayed behind in Firewine!


But Nashkel mines would have been considerably easier ;)

"Alora!" the halfling exclaimed. He hugged her tightly and turned to face the rest of the group. "Welcome back, Khalid and Jaheira, and well met, travelers! Gandolar Luckyfoot, at your disposal. To what does our little village owe the pleasure of your visit?"


Seems like Khalid and Jaheira already have hero reputation here. :D


What do you think they did with those kobolds the found in Firewine? :)

"And Eddie's tired of walking and we're all tired and wet and hungry because it was such a long walk through the woods!" Alora added, speaking at a breakneck pace.


Yes, poor Eddie, how could we forget that his comfort is our priority!


Edwin: Because you are all simians!

#8 Guest_Theodur_*

Posted 06 October 2006 - 12:39 PM


According to Jaheira, Silvanus preferred prayers offered in the evening, under moonlight if possible, but Mielikki's followers could pray for spells either at sunrise or at sunset. It'd been a simple choice for Ember; she'd always loved being awake at dawn.


Yeah, and it doesn’t interfere with other nightly activities, I can just hear Khalid grumbling about that. :lol:


Only Khalid, Theo? :shock:


Hee, fortunately Jaheira doesn't really use up her spells these days, and so she doesn't have to spend each night praying for new ones. :cry:

(Speaking of which, you were a very cruel author in the Underdark! :twisted: )


Err, yeah, it's pretty dreadful, isn't it? It makes me wish I had the time to go back and rewrite all that dreadful emo-boy wangst. :oops:

#9 Guest_Keldan_*

Posted 06 October 2006 - 01:48 PM

Ember closed her eyes. The misty air was cool against her skin; as she focused her attention, she could feel the individual droplets touch her face. Around her, the activities of animals were betrayed by rustling leaves and twigs.


Oooh, nice!

Ember's companions had taken the change of pace in stride. Kivan and Minsc had always shared their knowledge of woodlands with Ember and Imoen, and now they preoccupied themselves with telling Ember as much as they could about plants, animals, terrain, seasons, and nature in general, thus augmenting the lessons she received from Jaheira. Their emphasis was on the woods they were traveling through, and every new thing Ember saw was thoroughly explained. Alora skipped along behind Ember and the rangers, absorbing little nuggets of information about pretty birds and flowers and all the really great trees; sometimes, Boo rode on her shoulder instead of Minsc's.


*dies of cuteness... again*

Edwin seemed the most out of place of the group, and consistently kept as far away from Jaheira as he could. He had been less than happy when Imoen had demanded he give his enchanted wooden staff to Ember, and barely an hour passed where he did not complain about something pertaining to forests and traveling in them. Imoen walked with him most of the time, though, and when she wasn't goodnaturedly teasing him about something, the two mages held lively discussions about magic and spellcraft. It made Ember happy to watch them; nobody at Candlekeep had had the patience to answer the myriad of questions Imoen had about anything magical, not even Tethtoril or Gorion, and everyone had kept telling her that her mind wasn't ready for the challenges of magery. You'd show them now, Immy, Ember had thought fondly as she'd listened to the two mages discuss the merits and disadvantages of conjured arrow spells the previous evening.


*dies of cuteness once more*

A bird burst into song under the shelter of a large-leafed bush.


I like how the little bits of nature observation get interspersed between the flashbacky bits.

According to Jaheira, Silvanus preferred prayers offered in the evening, under moonlight if possible, but Mielikki's followers could pray for spells either at sunrise or at sunset. It'd been a simple choice for Ember; she'd always loved being awake at dawn.


And I'm sure Edwin complains heartily when she wakes him with her milling about getting ready. :shock:

"Healing? An excellent choice," Jaheira said. "Its casting is straightforward, and you are likely to succeed on your first attempt. Entangling plants or summoning a shillelagh require more complex invocations."


Wow, a compliment! :twisted:

"Couldn't she have asked for this infernal rain to stop instead?" Edwin muttered, pulling the hood of his robe lower down over his face. Jaheira shot the wizard an annoyed glare. Edwin glared back.


:oops:

You'd think he'd be used to it by now...

"It'll be all right, Eddie," Alora chirped. "We'll be in Gullykin tonight, and there'll be warm houses and warm drinks and the most wonderful food in the world!" The halfling skipped through a row of puddles.


Yaaaay, Gullykin!

Oh, yeah. *dies of cuteness yet again*

"That is correct," Jaheira said. "The result of a healing spell improves if you have an understanding of the being you are healing, and of the nature of the injury. They become more efficient if you prepare, for instance by straightening broken limbs and aligning torn flesh, and if you focus your attention on an injured body part rather than the whole."


Huzzah for realism in magic!

"Excellent work," Jaheira said, examining Minsc's arm. "It appears to be sound. Your casting was hesitant, but it is to be expected from a novice. You should request the same spell again tomorrow."


Well, gosh, Jaheira's being pretty... nice.

"Provided we actually start moving instead of waiting for her to decide that we are ready to do so," Edwin said. "(Wretched druids and their wretched disregard for climate! Nothing like this would ever happen in Thay!)"

"Calm down, Edwin, we'll move on now," Ember said. "Happy?"

"(No.)"


:cry:

I know what'll cheer Eddie up; some magic discussion with Imoen! Immy, go cheer up your teacher! That'll help you regain some of your cuteness that's been usurped by Alora.

"They had a problem with kobolds recently," Jaheira said. "As it turned out, one of the villagers was in cohorts with an ogre mage. They had built a tunnel between his house and the Firewine catacombs; the kobolds infested the village through the tunnel. We backtracked the creatures and found they were merely part of a larger kobold infestation; almost half of them had gone to Nashkel."


Oooh, nice connection!

Alora ran ahead of them to the village gate, where she leapt into the arms of a finely dressed halfling. "Uncle Gandolar!" she squealed.


*sigh* Anyone got another Resurrection scroll? *dies of cuteness again*

Ember and Imoen shared amused glances and followed the rest of their friends into the halfling village.


Huzzah for halflings! :lol:

#10 Guest_BlueNose_*

Posted 06 October 2006 - 06:23 PM

Chapter 46: It's a Kind of Magic


Ember closed her eyes. The misty air was cool against her skin; as she focused her attention, she could feel the individual droplets touch her face. Around her, the activities of animals were betrayed by rustling leaves and twigs.

A week had passed since Jaheira had become her mentor. Most of Ember's time since then had been devoted to learning to understand nature; they had spent three days cleansing the defiled grove, and Ember was now able to recognize the signs of distress as well as the signs of health. They had traveled south after that, inspecting troubled areas in the forest as they went. Many of the spots were former bandit camp sites, but they also stopped in Mutamin's garden of statues, where they made sure there were no wayward basilisks still terrorizing the area. There had been very few skirmishes of any kind, which suited Ember just fine.


It sounds like she's getting something she needs from this, which is good. I just hope she doesn't start to think that she'll always be able to head off into the wilderness to recover her "inner peace".

Ember's companions had taken the change of pace in stride. Kivan and Minsc had always shared their knowledge of woodlands with Ember and Imoen, and now they preoccupied themselves with telling Ember as much as they could about plants, animals, terrain, seasons, and nature in general, thus augmenting the lessons she received from Jaheira. Their emphasis was on the woods they were traveling through, and every new thing Ember saw was thoroughly explained. Alora skipped along behind Ember and the rangers, absorbing little nuggets of information about pretty birds and flowers and all the really great trees; sometimes, Boo rode on her shoulder instead of Minsc's.


Isn't riding on the shoulder of someone who's skipping a little uncomfortable? :twisted:

In the evenings, Minsc shared what he knew about the Forest Lady with Ember. Through the giant's disjointed tale with roots in a culture alien to Ember, she learned at least as much about her newfound patron as she had learned through her studies in Candlekeep, and the ranger's knowledge filled some of the gaps Jaheira could not help her with.


I'm sure Minsc and Kivan are happy to be helping out like this.

Edwin seemed the most out of place of the group, and consistently kept as far away from Jaheira as he could.


You and me both, Edwin.

He had been less than happy when Imoen had demanded he give his enchanted wooden staff to Ember


:shock: What for? Surely it isn't beyond them to cut a quarterstaff for Ember, which she can use until she can get something better. It might even be good practice for her.

The drops that wet her skin were gradually becoming larger. It would be a rainy day.


My druid senses tell me that water is falling from the sky and landing on me. From this I deduce two things; firstly, that it is raining, and secondly, that Imoen has stolen my umbrella again.

According to Jaheira, Silvanus preferred prayers offered in the evening, under moonlight if possible, but Mielikki's followers could pray for spells either at sunrise or at sunset. It'd been a simple choice for Ember; she'd always loved being awake at dawn.


I'm not much of a morning person - which was a problem when I had to be up at dawn to go to work. :oops:

With an almost painful clarity, she saw herself as a part of life. She felt how energy flowed through the forest around her, and through her. She could almost see how she could use that energy.

My Lady of the Forest, show me what I can do.

Something shifted in her mind, and she understood. By drawing upon nature itself, she could heal, coax plants into reckless growth, arm herself, or strengthen and protect someone. Other possibilities would come later; for now, she could ask to hold one of those spells in her mind.

She knew exactly which spell she wanted to ask for first.


Very nice druid moment. I've only played one once, in a game which didn't get very far, but I've always imagined that's the sort of way they connect ot nature and gain their spells.

"Couldn't she have asked for this infernal rain to stop instead?" Edwin muttered, pulling the hood of his robe lower down over his face. Jaheira shot the wizard an annoyed glare. Edwin glared back.


Sorry Edwin, Control Weather is a 7th level spell. Beyond even you for the moment.

"What you mean is that she shouldn't forget how to treat wounds the nonmagical way, even when she's throwing spells around," Imoen said.

"Exactly. She should even further her knowledge in that field, if she wishes to be a skilled healer."

"I'll remember that," Ember said.

"She knows some of that stuff already," Imoen said. Ember looked warily at her friend, but thankfully Imoen didn't seem to want to elaborate; Ember wasn't sure she wanted to let Jaheira know that she already could heal after a fashion.

"That is g-good to hear," Khalid said.


I don't think it'd be a real surprise to Jaheira to hear about this, to be honest.

The chance for Ember to test her new healing spell came soon enough. In the late afternoon, they spotted three gnolls near the foot of a hill. Minsc immediately charged at them; a minute or so later, Minsc's arm was injured, and the gnolls were dead.


It took Minsc a whole minute to kill three gnolls? He must have been having an off day. :cry:

"I've planned on doing that," Ember said, feeling slightly elated. That felt wonderful! And not at all like my gift, even though they do the same thing. With the spell, the healing energy had come willingly, merely using her as a conduit; by comparison, her gift was more like forcefully drawing power from a source in herself. I should try to look into that; maybe I'll be able to understand the gift better.


Interesting how it feels different to her innate abilities.

"Could we continue onwards now?" Edwin asked irritably.

"We will continue when we are ready, wizard," Jaheira replied.


I'm pretty sure Edwin feels there's no reason to hang about in the rain any longer than they have to.

"Provided we actually start moving instead of waiting for her to decide that we are ready to do so," Edwin said. "(Wretched druids and their wretched disregard for climate! Nothing like this would ever happen in Thay!)"

"Calm down, Edwin, we'll move on now," Ember said. "Happy?"

"(No.)"


All right, if you're going to be like that, we're all going to ignore you for the rest of the day. Nyah, Nyah, Nyah.

"Yes. The ogre mage and the half-ogre cleric in Nashkel had worked together, convincing the kobolds to move here in search of a reborn kobold deity. We believe they assembled near Darkhold, but have not been able to prove Zhentarim involvement," Jaheira said.

"The Iron Throne wishes to implicate the Zhentarim," Kivan said. "We have seen many signs."

"I see. How convenient for them to have a readily available scapegoat," Jaheira said.


Translation. Jaheira doesn't believe a word Kivan says, the Harpers are sure it's Zhentarim and she doesn;t trust anyone else's evidence to the contrary.

Alora ran ahead of them to the village gate, where she leapt into the arms of a finely dressed halfling. "Uncle Gandolar!" she squealed.

"Alora!" the halfling exclaimed. He hugged her tightly and turned to face the rest of the group. "Welcome back, Khalid and Jaheira, and well met, travelers! Gandolar Luckyfoot, at your disposal. To what does our little village owe the pleasure of your visit?"

"We wished to see if the kobolds had returned, and we'd like to stay here while I instruct Ember," Jaheira said, indicating Ember with a hand.

"And Eddie's tired of walking and we're all tired and wet and hungry because it was such a long walk through the woods!" Alora added, speaking at a breakneck pace.

Gandolar laughed. "Hungry and wet? That will not do! Come, you shall join me around the hearth, and I shall bid you a proper welcome to Gullykin! Oh, this will be splendid!" he said, and beckoned them to follow.

Ember and Imoen shared amused glances and followed the rest of their friends into the halfling village.


Party!!! :lol:

#11 Guest_Cel_*

Posted 06 October 2006 - 07:21 PM

A week had passed since Jaheira had become her mentor. Most of Ember's time since then had been devoted to learning to understand nature; they had spent three days cleansing the defiled grove, and Ember was now able to recognize the signs of distress as well as the signs of health. They had traveled south after that, inspecting troubled areas in the forest as they went. Many of the spots were former bandit camp sites, but they also stopped in Mutamin's garden of statues, where they made sure there were no wayward basilisks still terrorizing the area. There had been very few skirmishes of any kind, which suited Ember just fine.


It sounds like she's getting something she needs from this, which is good. I just hope she doesn't start to think that she'll always be able to head off into the wilderness to recover her "inner peace".


In a word, no. (But it will always help, knowing how to focus herself.)

Alora skipped along behind Ember and the rangers, absorbing little nuggets of information about pretty birds and flowers and all the really great trees; sometimes, Boo rode on her shoulder instead of Minsc's.


Isn't riding on the shoulder of someone who's skipping a little uncomfortable? :shock:


She probably walks then ;)

In the evenings, Minsc shared what he knew about the Forest Lady with Ember. Through the giant's disjointed tale with roots in a culture alien to Ember, she learned at least as much about her newfound patron as she had learned through her studies in Candlekeep, and the ranger's knowledge filled some of the gaps Jaheira could not help her with.


I'm sure Minsc and Kivan are happy to be helping out like this.


Oh, yes.

He had been less than happy when Imoen had demanded he give his enchanted wooden staff to Ember


:oops: What for? Surely it isn't beyond them to cut a quarterstaff for Ember, which she can use until she can get something better. It might even be good practice for her.


Cut down a living branch when there is a perfectly good enchanted staff nearby that is barely being used for anything but a walking stick?

The drops that wet her skin were gradually becoming larger. It would be a rainy day.


My druid senses tell me that water is falling from the sky and landing on me. From this I deduce two things; firstly, that it is raining, and secondly, that Imoen has stolen my umbrella again.


:)

According to Jaheira, Silvanus preferred prayers offered in the evening, under moonlight if possible, but Mielikki's followers could pray for spells either at sunrise or at sunset. It'd been a simple choice for Ember; she'd always loved being awake at dawn.


I'm not much of a morning person - which was a problem when I had to be up at dawn to go to work. :lol:


In a month and a half, there'll be no dawn here for two months.


"She knows some of that stuff already," Imoen said. Ember looked warily at her friend, but thankfully Imoen didn't seem to want to elaborate; Ember wasn't sure she wanted to let Jaheira know that she already could heal after a fashion.

"That is g-good to hear," Khalid said.


I don't think it'd be a real surprise to Jaheira to hear about this, to be honest.


Considering that this Jaheira does not know she is a Bhaalspawn, I think it would be :twisted:

The chance for Ember to test her new healing spell came soon enough. In the late afternoon, they spotted three gnolls near the foot of a hill. Minsc immediately charged at them; a minute or so later, Minsc's arm was injured, and the gnolls were dead.


It took Minsc a whole minute to kill three gnolls? He must have been having an off day. :lol:


I find it more surprising that one of them managed to retaliate slightly ;)

"I've planned on doing that," Ember said, feeling slightly elated. That felt wonderful! And not at all like my gift, even though they do the same thing. With the spell, the healing energy had come willingly, merely using her as a conduit; by comparison, her gift was more like forcefully drawing power from a source in herself. I should try to look into that; maybe I'll be able to understand the gift better.


Interesting how it feels different to her innate abilities.


Her patients won't be able to tell the difference.

"Could we continue onwards now?" Edwin asked irritably.

"We will continue when we are ready, wizard," Jaheira replied.


I'm pretty sure Edwin feels there's no reason to hang about in the rain any longer than they have to.


Edwin: Can you give me a single good reason to be outdoors on a day like this? (Simians. All of them.)

"Yes. The ogre mage and the half-ogre cleric in Nashkel had worked together, convincing the kobolds to move here in search of a reborn kobold deity. We believe they assembled near Darkhold, but have not been able to prove Zhentarim involvement," Jaheira said.

"The Iron Throne wishes to implicate the Zhentarim," Kivan said. "We have seen many signs."

"I see. How convenient for them to have a readily available scapegoat," Jaheira said.


Translation. Jaheira doesn't believe a word Kivan says, the Harpers are sure it's Zhentarim and she doesn;t trust anyone else's evidence to the contrary.


Translation: Jaheira wants concrete proof to either theory before she'll accept it :cry:

#12 Guest_Cel_*

Posted 06 October 2006 - 07:28 PM

Ember closed her eyes. The misty air was cool against her skin; as she focused her attention, she could feel the individual droplets touch her face. Around her, the activities of animals were betrayed by rustling leaves and twigs.


Oooh, nice!


She's going foresty :cry:

Alora skipped along behind Ember and the rangers, absorbing little nuggets of information about pretty birds and flowers and all the really great trees; sometimes, Boo rode on her shoulder instead of Minsc's.


*dies of cuteness... again*


;)

Edwin seemed the most out of place of the group, and consistently kept as far away from Jaheira as he could. He had been less than happy when Imoen had demanded he give his enchanted wooden staff to Ember, and barely an hour passed where he did not complain about something pertaining to forests and traveling in them. Imoen walked with him most of the time, though, and when she wasn't goodnaturedly teasing him about something, the two mages held lively discussions about magic and spellcraft. It made Ember happy to watch them; nobody at Candlekeep had had the patience to answer the myriad of questions Imoen had about anything magical, not even Tethtoril or Gorion, and everyone had kept telling her that her mind wasn't ready for the challenges of magery. You'd show them now, Immy, Ember had thought fondly as she'd listened to the two mages discuss the merits and disadvantages of conjured arrow spells the previous evening.


*dies of cuteness once more*


At least this one wasn't Alora induced :lol:

A bird burst into song under the shelter of a large-leafed bush.


I like how the little bits of nature observation get interspersed between the flashbacky bits.


Thank you; I like it too :)

According to Jaheira, Silvanus preferred prayers offered in the evening, under moonlight if possible, but Mielikki's followers could pray for spells either at sunrise or at sunset. It'd been a simple choice for Ember; she'd always loved being awake at dawn.


And I'm sure Edwin complains heartily when she wakes him with her milling about getting ready. :shock:


Now, why would she wake him? She's quietlike, you know :lol:

"Healing? An excellent choice," Jaheira said. "Its casting is straightforward, and you are likely to succeed on your first attempt. Entangling plants or summoning a shillelagh require more complex invocations."


Wow, a compliment! :twisted:


She calls 'em as she sees 'em.

"Couldn't she have asked for this infernal rain to stop instead?" Edwin muttered, pulling the hood of his robe lower down over his face. Jaheira shot the wizard an annoyed glare. Edwin glared back.


:oops:

You'd think he'd be used to it by now...


Edwin: Never!

"It'll be all right, Eddie," Alora chirped. "We'll be in Gullykin tonight, and there'll be warm houses and warm drinks and the most wonderful food in the world!" The halfling skipped through a row of puddles.


Yaaaay, Gullykin!

Oh, yeah. *dies of cuteness yet again*


Sheesh :D

"That is correct," Jaheira said. "The result of a healing spell improves if you have an understanding of the being you are healing, and of the nature of the injury. They become more efficient if you prepare, for instance by straightening broken limbs and aligning torn flesh, and if you focus your attention on an injured body part rather than the whole."


Huzzah for realism in magic!


Yeah, where's the fun in pointing a finger and having roadkill reassemble itself?

"Excellent work," Jaheira said, examining Minsc's arm. "It appears to be sound. Your casting was hesitant, but it is to be expected from a novice. You should request the same spell again tomorrow."


Well, gosh, Jaheira's being pretty... nice.


Well, I wasn't going to have them bicker forever, you know. (There should be some lowlevel bickering in the next chapter, though)

I know what'll cheer Eddie up; some magic discussion with Imoen! Immy, go cheer up your teacher! That'll help you regain some of your cuteness that's been usurped by Alora.


Yeah, I need to write me some Eddie/Imoen quality time :D (Annd I have ideas with regards to that!)

"They had a problem with kobolds recently," Jaheira said. "As it turned out, one of the villagers was in cohorts with an ogre mage. They had built a tunnel between his house and the Firewine catacombs; the kobolds infested the village through the tunnel. We backtracked the creatures and found they were merely part of a larger kobold infestation; almost half of them had gone to Nashkel."


Oooh, nice connection!


*bows* ;)

Alora ran ahead of them to the village gate, where she leapt into the arms of a finely dressed halfling. "Uncle Gandolar!" she squealed.


*sigh* Anyone got another Resurrection scroll? *dies of cuteness again*


*scolds Alora, breaks out halfling cleric of Lathander*

#13 Guest_Radish_*

Posted 06 October 2006 - 09:51 PM

Ember closed her eyes. The misty air was cool against her skin; as she focused her attention, she could feel the individual droplets touch her face. Around her, the activities of animals were betrayed by rustling leaves and twigs.

Sheesh, can't they quiet it down? People are trying to meditate, here.

Alora skipped along behind Ember and the rangers, absorbing little nuggets of information about pretty birds and flowers and all the really great trees; sometimes, Boo rode on her shoulder instead of Minsc's.

Now to make it even cuter, you could have Boo ride on Alora's shoulder while Alora rode on Minscs's :twisted:

Edwin seemed the most out of place of the group, and consistently kept as far away from Jaheira as he could. He had been less than happy when Imoen had demanded he give his enchanted wooden staff to Ember, and barely an hour passed where he did not complain about something pertaining to forests and traveling in them.

Jan: "Well, I'd be pretty grumpy if someone took my stick, too. Sometimes a person and a stick can really bond, you know? Why, just ask Uncle Dendro."

It made Ember happy to watch them; nobody at Candlekeep had had the patience to answer the myriad of questions Imoen had about anything magical, not even Tethtoril or Gorion, and everyone had kept telling her that her mind wasn't ready for the challenges of magery.

Imoen (the Humble): "Sounds better than my old fart of a magic teacher back in Candlekeep. He had all the patience in the world for answering questions; just none of the ones I actually asked. 'Now what does Conjuration magic smell like, you're surely wondering? Well, let's spend the next hour discussing it in high magical theory when I still haven't spent more than two minutes explaining the basics yet.' Senile, buffle-headed old bat..."

With an almost painful clarity, she saw herself as a part of life. She felt how energy flowed through the forest around her, and through her. She could almost see how she could use that energy.

Yoda: "Yes. Feel the Force flow through you...ow!"
Elminster: *thumping Yoda with his staff* "Out! Out! This be Dungeons & Dragons, back to Star Wars d20 with ye!"
Yoda: "Hmph! Only jealous be you of my backwards talking routine. Much better than Old English it is! Better wrinkly old mascot for my franchise am I!"
Elminster: *thump*

With the spell, the healing energy had come willingly, merely using her as a conduit; by comparison, her gift was more like forcefully drawing power from a source in herself.

I dig the contrast between the powers, here. Very appropriate.

#14 Guest_sparrow_*

Posted 07 October 2006 - 01:00 AM

Ember's companions had taken the change of pace in stride. Kivan and Minsc had always shared their knowledge of woodlands with Ember and Imoen, and now they preoccupied themselves with telling Ember as much as they could about plants, animals, terrain, seasons, and nature in general, thus augmenting the lessons she received from Jaheira. Their emphasis was on the woods they were traveling through, and every new thing Ember saw was thoroughly explained. Alora skipped along behind Ember and the rangers, absorbing little nuggets of information about pretty birds and flowers and all the really great trees; sometimes, Boo rode on her shoulder instead of Minsc's.


Sounds like a good break from the usual adventuring activities. And aww, stop being so cute Alora. :oops:

Edwin seemed the most out of place of the group, and consistently kept as far away from Jaheira as he could. He had been less than happy when Imoen had demanded he give his enchanted wooden staff to Ember, and barely an hour passed where he did not complain about something pertaining to forests and traveling in them. Imoen walked with him most of the time, though, and when she wasn't goodnaturedly teasing him about something, the two mages held lively discussions about magic and spellcraft. It made Ember happy to watch them; nobody at Candlekeep had had the patience to answer the myriad of questions Imoen had about anything magical, not even Tethtoril or Gorion, and everyone had kept telling her that her mind wasn't ready for the challenges of magery. You'd show them now, Immy, Ember had thought fondly as she'd listened to the two mages discuss the merits and disadvantages of conjured arrow spells the previous evening.


I can definately imagine all of that, especially Imoen and her stream of questions annoying people.

Spells were different from cantrips; they required more focus and control than the simple invocations and prayers that could inspire a wounded tree to grow faster or cause a fire to yield no smoke, and were far too complex to memorize accurately through any measure but meditative prayer. To begin with, the Lady would only grant her a single full spell, Jaheira had told Ember, but she would be blessed with access to more spells as she gained the understanding needed to wield such power. She had sat with Jaheira as the older druid prayed in the evenings, but she wouldn't fully understand the process until she had accomplished it herself.


I liked all the druid-y details and bits of info you had in this chapter. :shock:

"I've planned on doing that," Ember said, feeling slightly elated. That felt wonderful! And not at all like my gift, even though they do the same thing. With the spell, the healing energy had come willingly, merely using her as a conduit; by comparison, her gift was more like forcefully drawing power from a source in herself. I should try to look into that; maybe I'll be able to understand the gift better.


Nice contrast.

"And Eddie's tired of walking and we're all tired and wet and hungry because it was such a long walk through the woods!" Alora added, speaking at a breakneck pace.


:twisted:

#15 Guest_Cel_*

Posted 07 October 2006 - 08:10 AM

Ember closed her eyes. The misty air was cool against her skin; as she focused her attention, she could feel the individual droplets touch her face. Around her, the activities of animals were betrayed by rustling leaves and twigs.

Sheesh, can't they quiet it down? People are trying to meditate, here.


:shock:

Alora skipped along behind Ember and the rangers, absorbing little nuggets of information about pretty birds and flowers and all the really great trees; sometimes, Boo rode on her shoulder instead of Minsc's.

Now to make it even cuter, you could have Boo ride on Alora's shoulder while Alora rode on Minscs's ;)


I think the world would explode from cuteness if I did that :D

It made Ember happy to watch them; nobody at Candlekeep had had the patience to answer the myriad of questions Imoen had about anything magical, not even Tethtoril or Gorion, and everyone had kept telling her that her mind wasn't ready for the challenges of magery.

Imoen (the Humble): "Sounds better than my old fart of a magic teacher back in Candlekeep. He had all the patience in the world for answering questions; just none of the ones I actually asked. 'Now what does Conjuration magic smell like, you're surely wondering? Well, let's spend the next hour discussing it in high magical theory when I still haven't spent more than two minutes explaining the basics yet.' Senile, buffle-headed old bat..."


Oy, that sounds like some teachers I've had! :twisted:

With an almost painful clarity, she saw herself as a part of life. She felt how energy flowed through the forest around her, and through her. She could almost see how she could use that energy.

Yoda: "Yes. Feel the Force flow through you...ow!"
Elminster: *thumping Yoda with his staff* "Out! Out! This be Dungeons & Dragons, back to Star Wars d20 with ye!"
Yoda: "Hmph! Only jealous be you of my backwards talking routine. Much better than Old English it is! Better wrinkly old mascot for my franchise am I!"
Elminster: *thump*


:oops: :cry: :lol: :lol: ;)

With the spell, the healing energy had come willingly, merely using her as a conduit; by comparison, her gift was more like forcefully drawing power from a source in herself.

I dig the contrast between the powers, here. Very appropriate.


Thanks :)

#16 Guest_Cel_*

Posted 07 October 2006 - 08:17 AM


Ember's companions had taken the change of pace in stride. Kivan and Minsc had always shared their knowledge of woodlands with Ember and Imoen, and now they preoccupied themselves with telling Ember as much as they could about plants, animals, terrain, seasons, and nature in general, thus augmenting the lessons she received from Jaheira. Their emphasis was on the woods they were traveling through, and every new thing Ember saw was thoroughly explained. Alora skipped along behind Ember and the rangers, absorbing little nuggets of information about pretty birds and flowers and all the really great trees; sometimes, Boo rode on her shoulder instead of Minsc's.


Sounds like a good break from the usual adventuring activities. And aww, stop being so cute Alora. :lol:


I don't think she can help it; she's making poor Immy feel inadequate :twisted:
And yeah, they'll be hanging around off the beaten track for a while.

Imoen walked with him most of the time, though, and when she wasn't goodnaturedly teasing him about something, the two mages held lively discussions about magic and spellcraft. It made Ember happy to watch them; nobody at Candlekeep had had the patience to answer the myriad of questions Imoen had about anything magical, not even Tethtoril or Gorion, and everyone had kept telling her that her mind wasn't ready for the challenges of magery. You'd show them now, Immy, Ember had thought fondly as she'd listened to the two mages discuss the merits and disadvantages of conjured arrow spells the previous evening.


I can definately imagine all of that, especially Imoen and her stream of questions annoying people.


I imagine her a bit like a kid who asks the parents all these little questions they've never thought about before. And I also imagine the childishness in her nature made them forget she really IS smart. As for Gorion, he had his own reasons to not encourage her to learn powerful stuff until he was absolutely sure she was ready.

Spells were different from cantrips; they required more focus and control than the simple invocations and prayers that could inspire a wounded tree to grow faster or cause a fire to yield no smoke, and were far too complex to memorize accurately through any measure but meditative prayer. To begin with, the Lady would only grant her a single full spell, Jaheira had told Ember, but she would be blessed with access to more spells as she gained the understanding needed to wield such power. She had sat with Jaheira as the older druid prayed in the evenings, but she wouldn't fully understand the process until she had accomplished it herself.


I liked all the druid-y details and bits of info you had in this chapter. :shock:


Thanks :lol:

"I've planned on doing that," Ember said, feeling slightly elated. That felt wonderful! And not at all like my gift, even though they do the same thing. With the spell, the healing energy had come willingly, merely using her as a conduit; by comparison, her gift was more like forcefully drawing power from a source in herself. I should try to look into that; maybe I'll be able to understand the gift better.


Nice contrast.


Thank you :oops: And yes, she will be looking into that power source in the future :cry:

#17 Guest_AlphaMonkey_*

Posted 08 October 2006 - 04:23 AM

She breathed slowly in, then out. Her new leather armor creaked, almost imperceptibly, with every breath.


Harlequin: "Well, that's not good. They'll hear you coming. You almost never want them to hear you coming."

CN: "Except for the times when you want them to hear you coming, right?"

Harlequin: "Congratulations, Colleen. I think you just managed to make a comment even more inane than the kinds of things I say."

CN: "So you admit that what you say is 'inane?' "

Harlequin: "Wha- hey, no! You just... how did you-" :P

CN: "Heh heh. Not just a hat rack..."

Raven: "High five."

CN: "Yeah!" :wink:

"Couldn't she have asked for this infernal rain to stop instead?" Edwin muttered, pulling the hood of his robe lower down over his face. Jaheira shot the wizard an annoyed glare. Edwin glared back.


Raven: "Not a good idea to stare down the Vix. Even Minsc won't do it."

Castle: "Minsc admits that he is not always the sharpest sword in the armory, but even he knows that it is not wise to upset the medic."

Vixen: (Pats him on the shoulder) "You show great wisdom, my friend."

Harlequin: (From behind Jaheira's back) :lol:

Vixen: "Put your tongue back in your mouth, Imoen. Before you lose it."

Harlequin: :D "How did you-"

Raven: (Snickers)

"Minsc is ready to kick butts for justice again!" Minsc cried happily.


Raven: (Hands Minsc a box of 200 Five-Five-Six millimeter, Full-Metal-Jacketed rounds) "Go get 'em, big guy."

"(No.)"


CN: "I'm sorry. You apparently have me confused with someone who gives a damn." :D

#18 Guest_Cel_*

Posted 08 October 2006 - 07:41 AM

She breathed slowly in, then out. Her new leather armor creaked, almost imperceptibly, with every breath.


Harlequin: "Well, that's not good. They'll hear you coming. You almost never want them to hear you coming."


Ember: It is almost imperceptible. You'd have to be way closer than I'd like to hear it. Besides, what do you expect from a suit that cost 7 gold?

"Couldn't she have asked for this infernal rain to stop instead?" Edwin muttered, pulling the hood of his robe lower down over his face. Jaheira shot the wizard an annoyed glare. Edwin glared back.


Raven: "Not a good idea to stare down the Vix. Even Minsc won't do it."


Edwin: Edwin Odesseiron is not bound by the limitations of others!

"Minsc is ready to kick butts for justice again!" Minsc cried happily.


Raven: (Hands Minsc a box of 200 Five-Five-Six millimeter, Full-Metal-Jacketed rounds) "Go get 'em, big guy."


Minsc: *looks puzzled* But Minsc has no sling...

#19 Guest_Finduilas_*

Posted 09 October 2006 - 03:58 AM

This (and the last chapter) was a very nice, and unexpected, re-introduction of Jaheira and Khalid into the story. It seems particularly ironic that Ember would need instruction from Jaheira given their rather...err...'rocky' first meeting. The image of Minsc telling Ember all about Mielliki is also very sweet--she couldn't find a better or more good-hearted instructor!

I was also very amused by Edwin's continuing grumpiness. Is he just irritated at losing someone he considered a friend to the tree-huggers, (just his perspective, of course) or is it something more?

I'll be interested to see how, after this little detour, you get the narrative back to the main BGI storyline. It's about time for Candlekeep, is it not?

#20 Guest_Cel_*

Posted 09 October 2006 - 03:07 PM

This (and the last chapter) was a very nice, and unexpected, re-introduction of Jaheira and Khalid into the story. It seems particularly ironic that Ember would need instruction from Jaheira given their rather...err...'rocky' first meeting. The image of Minsc telling Ember all about Mielliki is also very sweet--she couldn't find a better or more good-hearted instructor!


Just bear in mind that I am not going to insert Jaheira and Khalid into the party (it is crowded enough as it is, and I can't get them to work in the long run. As cameos, though...)

I was also very amused by Edwin's continuing grumpiness. Is he just irritated at losing someone he considered a friend to the tree-huggers, (just his perspective, of course) or is it something more?


Generally grumpy, and they're back in the godsforsaken woods, and that druid keeps looking at him funny instead of cowering before his greatness, and so on and so forth.

I'll be interested to see how, after this little detour, you get the narrative back to the main BGI storyline. It's about time for Candlekeep, is it not?


I guess that depends on how many sidequests I'll skip when I send them back to the Gate :shock: They're not done in Gullykin, by far.




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