onward to Covanion

[cellio]

September 25 (Wednesday)

Liandra turned into a wolf this morning during breakfast. I wonder what has happened in the last couple months, that this no longer surprises me.

We've cleared out all the slime and everyone has come back to town. I've told the story dozens of times. It's nice to have things almost back to normal, though we still don't know what's really going on down there.

Nithelin has decided to accompany us to Covanion. He really wants to go home to Lescap, wherever that is. Covanion is a better bet for finding a path than Shepford is. (And I really don't want him staying here. He's dangerous and he doesn't realize it.)

Today Tobin had an existensial crisis. He realized that he was made, not born in the usual sense, and an accident (to add insult to injury), and that his "people" were ordinary rats a few months ago. I tried to sooth him, but I don't know if it helped. I mean, even if he was an ordinary rat before, he is now a thinking being, right? Still, I've been careful not to tell that part of the story too much; life is hard enough here for the rat-kin as it is. I did tell Brion, though, so he can look out for Tobin.

Tomorrow morning we're leaving for Covanion. Tonight is a big party with what's left of Jehan's good booze. He was shocked at how much is gone now. He also noticed the absence of his hams, due to Prolix' experiments. He said something about a "swarm of locusts" in Nithelin's hearing, which was a mistake, but fortunately I was able to distract the gnome before he could do much damage.

September 26 (Thursday)

Around mid-day today we were attacked by wolves. We chased most away and killed the rest, only to discover that some were in the early stages of slime. This is not good. I told Hrolf not to eat anything without carefully inspecting it first, or bringing it to me. We burned the wolf bodies, but I don't know if that really helps.

Prolix and Nithelin spent all day huddled in one of the wagons. I guess they're teaching each other spells or talking theory or something. I overheard Nithelin trying to explain his cube-world theory in simple (for him) words and decided that Prolix could handle that all by himself.

September 28 (Saturday)

Still in forests. No more slime wolves for two days; looks like it's safe now. I'm comfortable letting Hrolf hunt with the zapping hand again. Tonight he brought back a large rabbit.

Hrolf is giving me some flying lessons in the evenings. It's not at all like walking, despite what he says. This is hard!

October 2 (Monday)

Prolix and Nihelin seem to be using illusionary visual aids now. I don't want to know what that thing was supposed to be.

I managed to fly fairly steadily tonight, though Hrolf says I still fly like something that's meant to stay on land. Well yes, but he's supposed to be helping me! Oh well. He said he'll start to teach me about turns soon, and maybe eventually I'll work my way up to dives. I've also continued to practice with the puppets, and Hrolf says I'm not as bad at that.

October 5 (Thursday)

We arrived in Covanion around lunch time. Colm's family has a nice estate here, and they are letting us stay here. They even gave a cottage to Nithelin for a lab! Colm thinks that's a better idea than sending him out into an unaware Covanion, which sounds right to me. Prolix is making sure that Nithelin's cottage gets a large, attention-getting sign worthy of Nithelin's skill. I fear the results.

Colm told us that he no longer needs our services. Well, not quite, but that he can't afford us, and he thinks we attract danger. He wants to do something safe, like beekeeping (he says even giant, marauding, dire bees would be safer than hanging out with us). He's not mad, just tired; in fact, he's being awfully nice to us. He said he'll see what strings he can pull for us here for employment, and we're welcome to stay here while we're in town, and he's found the last six weeks or so educational.

settling in

[cellio]

October 6 (Friday)

Turok found several good taverns last night. I'm going to join him tonight as he explores further. The city is large and aside from Colm I don't know anyone, and Turok seems to have a way with settling into strange places and meeting people. Prolix has already gone off with a gaggle of wizards.

I asked Colm about sellers of magic and he directed me to a few small shops. I didn't find anything that really called to me, but the fellow who owns one of them -- a kindly older fellow named Anton -- told me that he is looking for an object that provides small-scale movement of objects. I magically picked up a small stone from his counter, made it do slow laps around his head and the shop, and asked if that's what he meant. It is, so I told him I know where to get one and we agreed on a price. I promised to return with it on Monday.

I also stopped by the temple and met the priest of Pelor, an earnest young fellow named Blake. I told him that Brion in Shepford had referred me to him; he had no idea who Brion was, but he was friendly anyway -- especially once he realized that I didn't want anything from him, but just wanted to visit and find out when regular people like me attend and so on. Things have been pretty quiet lately, he said. It would be nice if that continues for a while.

October 7 (Saturday)

Turok is right; there are some interesting taverns here. He introduced me to some friends, and we had fun singing along with a bard who looked like he would have preferred we go away. I didn't drink much because the stuff Turok recommended -- not beer or wine, and I've forgotten his word for it -- seemed awfully strong. Tasty, though.

This morning I went to a jewelry shop and found a pendant in the shape of a hand. The shopkeeper said it was a good-luck charm, so I bought it. After I got back to Colm's and verified that there is in fact absolutely nothing magical about this "charm", I set to work to instill it with some magic. I think Anton will like my choice of pendant -- small and not attention-grabbing, but pretty.

After all that, Hrolf and I went out on our nightly flight (we've found a good location for this, not far away but not too visible). I flew especially well tonight, and managed some nicely-banked turns and even a little loop. Maybe it's a side effect of spending all day doing related magic. There seemed to be several other owls in the area tonight; I wonder what that means.

October 9 (Monday)

I went back to Anton's shop. He is very pleased with the pendant. I asked if he had any charms against falling -- perhaps something that would cause you to gently drift to the ground if you fall off a cliff or something -- and he said no, but he knows someone who knows how to cast a spell to do that. He said he could arrange a meeting tomorrow. It occurs to me that something like that would be handy in case I really screw up the flying, though Hrolf says I'll eventually learn how to fly at least as well as a baby chick. Gee, thanks.

I saw Prolix today for the first time since we arrived. He was muttering something about extra-dimensional spaces and cube-shaped worlds, or something like that. I gave him money for a wand he promised to make me. He said he's not looking for any devices from me right now; he's spending all his money on writing down spells. He seems to have hooked up with a wizard club called the Collegium. I'm glad he's having fun.

The rest of us -- Liandra, Kyle, Turok, and I -- went to a pub that was new to all of us tonight, the Red Dragon Inn. The food was tasty (though a bit spicy); the beer was so-so. They make a nice dessert that involves fruit, alcohol, and fire.

There was a bard there who told the story of Agon and the Dragon's Heart and the founding of Agondre. Turok hadn't heard the tale before. I had, of course, but I still enjoyed this telling. The bard (named Martin) said he has just come to Covanion from the north, though he didn't name a town.

You know, now that I think about it, you never hear tales of what Agon did with the rest of the dragon, other than that he made the parts into something. I wonder what else? The hide ought to have been able to protect his band of warriors from fire, at the very least.

feathers and flight

[cellio]

October 10 (Tuesday)

I went back to Anton's today and he introduced me to Timothy, a young mage who knows how to make things fall slowly. I told him that I'd like to make some charms for that but lack the spell; he would like to help make the charms (he's never done this before). I proposed that we work together and split the charms (and the cost of materials), and he agreed. He's eager to start, and he said he has nowhere else he particularly needs to be.

October 12 (Thursday)

Timothy and I have spent the last two days figuring out how to combine his magical knowledge (he calls the spell "feather fall", which makes sense) and my talent for making things. We think we know how to do this now.

He's also an interesting person to talk to. He's lived in Covanion all his life, and had been studying under Master Griffeth until about two months ago when the master left on a quest. Timothy said he left to find the Lake of Optalis way up north; its waters cure the blind. Master Griffeth isn't blind and Timothy doesn't know anyone who is, and the master wouldn't tell him what this was about. How odd. So now Timothy is at loose ends, getting by doing magic for hire. (I gather that his master left quite a bit of work for Timothy to do, and a room and arrangements for meals, but that Timothy doesn't find this very exciting.)

Tonight after Timothy left Hrolf and I went out again. There are definitely more owls around.

October 13 (Friday)

Oops. Fortunately, Liandra was just down the hall when I fell off the roof. We tried again later, and that time I grew wings before we started. Timothy was very impressed. He turned himself green and slightly scaly in response, but he can't do wings.

The second time the charm worked. We can now make several of these, I think. Tonight, Timothy and I will go to the Red Dragon to celebrate. I can't believe he's lived here most of his life and he's never had their flaming cherry concoction!

October 15 (Sunday)

I asked Hrolf what the deal is with the owls. Consultants, he said.

October 16 (Monday)

I am sick and tired of making charms. No wonder there aren't more of them out there. Spending time with Timothy has been pleasant, and we each have two of the charms now, but I want to spend a day in the great outdoors while it's still warm. Tomorrow Hrolf and I are going to go for walks (and flights) and just goof off.

October 17 (Tuesday)

The consultants say I'm not angling my feathers right. I didn't even have feathers a month ago! Gah. But with Hrolf to talk to me and another owl to fly along right in front of me to watch, I think I'm getting this. Turns aren't completely awkward any more.

Can owls laugh? I can't explain that noise the others made any other way.