While the magi appear to be in deep discussion their grogs remain wary and watchful. They see Brag holding his hands apart and two cerulean bolts of lightning come from the cloudless sky into his hands but their is no sound of thunder, where he holds them like staves. He drives each into the ground, and between them a few of the grogs can see a hilly landscape blanketed in snow. Brag's two companions enter, and he follows them in.
As Bartholomeus agitation reaches its crescendo, someone tugs on his sleeve. "They're gone, magus."
The portal is still open, and anyone peering into it can see the trio making their way up a snow covered hill.
OOC: I'm clearly an idiot who needs to get used to playing this character. I should have asked what my Second Sight showed when I looked at the three visitors. Oh well, at least I can ask what I see when I look at them through the portal.
When viewing the figures through the portal, he sees with his second sight exactly what his normal sight sees. The portal appears to be an opening into at least a regio, if not one of the supernatural realms.
"Clearly the fellow wanted access inside our Aegis so he could enter this regio. I had no idea one existed right here. I have enough skill in Intellego magic to find my way in and out of regiones where I know of their existence - I shall follow him, for he did not forbid us to follow or warn against it." declares Tacitus.
He yells to his scout "Fetch your pack and let's follow before the portal closes!" and to his watchmen "Get some preserved food, NOW!"
He hurriedly grabs his crossbow and his as-yet-unpacked travelling pack full of sleeping furs and clothes. With his colossal strength, he shrugs the pack on easily and holds the crossbow in one hand.
As an aside, he says "He said not to tarry too long in the magic realm - was he referring to a magic aura, or to Twilight? I must find an answer. His followers gave no name as this might give power over them, and could not enter our aegis without invitation - I suspect Faeries, but they could be magical creatures or demons. There is but one way to find out."
As his followers arrive, he grabs some food to stuff into the pack, and if no-one stands in the way he steps into the portal with his scout.
[OOC: let me upload the scout's stats tonight as suddenly this grog becomes relevant.]
Seeing the portal, Bartholomeus is aghast but completely unable to decide what to do. He certainly doesn't feel safe going through the portal after Brag.
Calpurnia is stunned and appalled that a guest dared to open a gateway to a Regio within the bounds of an Aegis!. "This invader has put us all at risk. I plan to shoot him if I see him again."
"Tacitus, this may fail at sundown, or sooner. You'll be trapped."
"I want a guard watching that gateway from this point forward. If this is still here in the morning, it will be here at least a month. I propose that we explore this, together, on the morrow."
Thyra tries to speak in a calm voice. "I suggest we NOT revoke the invitation. So far Brag traded information for access to a regio. It was implied that the invitation would remain in effect. I am the first person to wish to have little contact with the Order." She nods to Bartholomeus. "But I do not think Brag is of the Order and it is contact with the Order that I fear. That being said, what should be done about this gate?"
Tactitus will cast what is obviously an Intellego Vim spell, looking to see if the portal looks about to close.
"If this portal looks about to close soon, I favour exploring NOW and then using magics to discern the return journey."
OOC: with a 40+aura on the roll for a level 20 spell, do I need to roll?
What can I tell from Piercing the Magical Veil - it should tell me what is needed to open a regio boundary from the outside, so I'd like to know what this regio entrance's opening conditions are.
(In the future, roll if in doubt.)
The spell goes off, and it seems as if this is a created regio boundary, there doesn't seem to be any other signs of how to cross into the next level of the regio or crossing conditions, except for what can be physically seen before you. Indeed, those with Second Soght should have been able to perceive such a regio boundary before.
"Well that was unexpected," Galan mutters under his breath when he sees the gate. Then he rushes over to it and quickly casts a spell to try and summon Brag back to them.
"It's got to be to a high level of a regio or even the Magic Realm itself," he ultimately declares. "Otherwise I would have noticed it earlier with my second sight. That speaks of a high-powered person or creature opening it. Brag is clearly not all that he appears. If it's an opening to the Magic Realm, he may not even be human."
"I agree with Calpurnia that this needs to be guarded," he adds. But I also agree with Thyra that we should be careful about how we respond to this. Brag has given us information about the plague that may or may not be true. But if it is true, then it's of incredible value. If he does know something about the cause of the plague - I'm not saying he does, just that he might - then we should try and get as much information about it from him as we can. The plague is the reason for our self-imposed exile here. The sooner we get answers about the plague, the sooner we can return to our previous lives."
[hr][/hr]
OOC: Can spells work through a regio boundary? If so, I'm going to cast Move Men LIke Chess Pieces on the visitor to try and teleport him back to us. (I find it hard to believe he could have walked more than 50 paces in the time it took us to notice him.)
I have my doubts of this working, but I figured I'd try. It might also potentially give some information as to whether this was a boundary to a regio or to the Magic Realm if it doesn't work.
He's beyond 50 paces by the time you contemplate casting the spell. The magi were notified by the grogs, who had to be away from Brag so they couldn't easily be overheard, right? Further, there was time investigating by Galan, a round, perhaps two with Second Sight. Then there was more discussion about what to do about the portal. At a 3 mph walking speed, that's 26.4 feet per round, or 8.8 paces per round, so in just under a minute, they would be outside the range of the spell. I think it's safe to say that at least a minute has passed with all of the discussion after the portal and the initial delay related to being away from Brag. Note, I'm not counting Tacitus waiting upon a scout to arrive with food as part of the delay, as that will take significantly more time than 1 minute.
Whether spells work across a regio boundary is generally the nature of said boundary. All of the magi here have sufficient magic theory and experience to know that spells do work across boundaries, if the magus is capable of crossing the boundary and the regio allows spells to cross boundaries. Some regios are closed to magi cast from outside. (OOC: I think this is from Covenants, pretty sure I'm not making it up.)
I realize now that I had the range of the spell incorrect. The 50 pace limit is how far Galan can move the target. The range is actually Voice range. It might not make a difference, as Voice Range might be approximately 50 paces anyway. But I thought I'd put it out there to see whether he was still in Voice range. (Shouting, of course.)
"Damn," Galan says when he sees how far Brag has gone." I've got to learn that spell at sight range." Then he casts another spell that he does know at sight range, one that, if successful, will put Brag to sleep.
The figure you mark as Brag stops the moment the spell is cast, and in return, a blue bolt of lightning streaks back towards you. Instead of passing through the gate it breaks apart in coruscating filaments of light obscuring any vision beyond the gate, and the two lightning bolts outlining the portal begin drawing closer together. There is time for someone attempt to cross and follow, but with the gate closing, they'd know they are going to be stranded, and perhaps at Brag's mercy.
(Just going to say that you might as well have revoked his invitation, may not seem like much, but a sleep spell is as much of an attack as a Pilum of Fire.)
He may view it as he likes. But to me it was a compromise spell. It does no lasting harm and would tell me if he was human or something with magic resistance.
And really, he should have no way of knowing whether it was an Intellego spell, or a spell meant to harm him. All he ought to know is that a spell was cast on him. Now, he might take that in and of itself as a hostile act. But then Galan takes him coming into the covenant and opening a gate as a hostile act too.
Returning from an aside to stow gear before meeting (more) strangers Agnarr heads for the tower, however as he sights the remains of the lightning-ruckus he mutters a collection of swearing phrases softy and forcefully - brows knotted and face angered. An armour of ice envelops him.
(Assuming he sees a lightning portal begin closing and Galan amid step), he then yells toward the departing Magus "permit us scry a connection to find thee?"
Agnarr is rushing forward to hear the reply but not stepping through.
Tactitus yanks a hair out and passes it to Calpurnia. He then throws himself through the portal with a yell of "Rego Imaginem!", attempting some kind of illusion to defend himself. He throws a Once on the other side, he immediately starts looking for cover and then runs for it.
[roll.coyotecode.net/lookup.php?rollid=177496 - roll of 3, so he successfully casts Wizard's sidestep as the best defence he has. Let me know if he spots any, and if he survives long enough to cast more spells - I'm planning on sight of the aura to determine what sort of aura we're in, and eyes of the treacherous terrain so he doesn't fall into any hidden crevasses in the snowy landscape]