The Green Knight wrote:The to men nodded and without a word, left the room. Lord Void sighed as he watched them go. "So it begins." Finally, pushing aside his worries, Lord Void got down to business. His job was to research the Nugaia spell. Not an easy task since his entire library had gone up in smoke at the Fire Breathing Fortress. Still, Lord Void hadn't kept all of his magic books at the fortress. No, he wasn't that daft. There were other vaults of knowledge in his kingdom and he was certain that among them could be found, the information required.
For you see, if he couldn't find it, then it didn't exist.
Grid: G-7
Location: Approaching Majisto's workshop
Lord Void, a pack slung uncharacteristically over one shoulder, walked briskly up the gravel path that travered the rounded hill on which a peak-roofed, ramshackle building sat. The building had once been occupied by Majisto, Lord Void's personaly wizard aid, before the unfortunate blue-robed wizard had gotten himself incinerated. Now the workshop was empty of persons and was dusty, used only as a glorified shed to hold magical items of all sorts.
Lord Void stopped at the large oaken door, drew out a key from the folds of his black robes and inserted it into the large lock. The key turned and the lock fell away, allowing the door to swing inward. Lord Void stepped in and was proceeding to shut it when and annoyed grunt exploded from the doorway.
"Oh, pardon..." murmured Lord Void, pulling back the door and leaving it open for several seconds. Then he shut it carefully and slid three bolts into place, resecuring the door.
"You can reveal yourself now, Jarvick, no prying eyes will see you here." commented Lord Void to the thin air as he undid he pack and placed it on a laden table.
There was another grunt, and suddenly Jarvick's appeared near the door, rubbing his nose.
"You need to work on your timing, Lord." he muttered, "I can't slip through every doorway quick as a rabbit."
"This has been the first time I've had a walking, talking shadow that has substance and cannot walk through solid objects." commented Lord Void idly, shifting some objects to new locations, "You will have to be forgiving while I adapt."
Jarvick shrugged and glanced warily at the three bolts on the door. "Do you think that will keep everyone out?"
"This place is protected by more than keys and locks, Jarvick, as you should well know. Now, light the fire, and don't worry, no smoke shall betray our presence." ordered Lord Void, now climbing up a thin wooden ladder to access several dusty volumes stowed away on a high shelf.
Jarvick turned to the blacken fireplace and with a flick, lit some logs already in the grate. Lord Void, laboring under a book of epic proportions, retreated down the ladder and slammed the book on to the table, cause dust to rise up like awakened spirits and small, metalic objects to jump. Lord Void pulled up a stool, opened to the first wrinkled page, set his monicle into place, and began to examine the first sentance. It was fifteen minutes before he turned the page.
"Anything I can do to aid?" queried Jarvick, who was finished exploring the derelic workshop.
"Unless you can read the anchiet gobin runes set down by the near-illiterate scribe Gfrdrgn, son of Gfrngge, son of Gfrddfng, son of Gfrsfnndk in 1486, I suggest you pick up that scroll and try your luck with Second Age Elvish." replied Lord Void tartly, now making notes with a quill.
Jarvick picked up the scroll and stared at it for a few minutes before saying, "This isn't Second Age Elvish, this is Olde Gnome of the Eighth Era."
Lord Void peered at Jarvick and said, "Well, what ever it's written it, either translate it or find something else to read."
It was soon discovered that Majisto's library of tomes, scrolls, books, and parchment consisted of almost everyone spoken and written language ever used in Dametreos and beyond, only some of which Jarvick knew. Lord Void was only on the thirty-first page of the goblin book when night fell outside. Lord Void pushed himself away from the table as Jarvivk spitted two thrushes and began to roast them in the ever-burning fire.
"I dispise goblin-speak." snarled Lord Void, taking out his monicle and rubbing his eyes, "Each family has their own tongue, and each successive generation edits and changes words at will. The Grf family is almost near-impossible to translate; the word 'vrynkdf' could be 'pickaxe', 'beer', 'toad' or a very nasty swear word, depending on the context."
"What does this have to do with my brother and the Nugaia spell?" asked Jarvick.
Lord Void stood and streched, saying, "The goblin race is an ancient one, one of the orginal races to inhabit Dametreos. The moutains are their bones, the dirt their blood. They were the first true miners, before even trolls and dwarves. They were also deeply immersed in magic. They knew the raw Mana, and control it at will; they were unhindered by spells and jinxs and the such. If anyone knew a counterspell to the Nugaia, it would be them."
"So did you find anything?" queried Jarvick, rotating the crackling thrushes.
"Nothing." Lord Void's shoulders sagged, "But did we really expect to find anything in the first day?"
Jarvick shook his head sadly, remembering the stone figure of Drock they had left behind at the Dark Dragon's Den. They had planned to take him along, but Jarvick was drained enough to maintain his invisiblity spell, teleporting himself and Lord Void, and to maintain teleharm contact. Drock had remained hidden in a secret chamber Jarvick had created, to be recovered when the counterspell was found or....
"This will be a task that will take all winter, if not longer." said Jarvick.
"True. But it will not be the only thing we will have to do. Before the snows really set in I need to promote some Dragon Masters to obey me and begin rebuilding in my absence. I promised that hermit Gib that the Neverwood will not be harvested from again, but I am afraid I will have to break that promise. The Dragons Masters will need much wood to rebuild and to heat them through the winter months, and the Neverwood is rightfully our domain anyway, at least particially. In the late spring and summer, rebuilding of the Fire Breathing Fortress will commence. However when everything has been settled for the winter, we will devote our days and nights to finding a counterspell for Drock. It is the least we can do to honor him."
Lord Void paused, then said, a glint in his eye, "In addition, I might discover a cure for my lack of magic."