DagnyPriyaDjinnAndSpellcraftSB: Dagny/Priya: Djinn and Spellcraft"I have made arrangements to have a wider range of what we can sense in order to detect Doors more quickly. Finalizing this requires a journey the roof." Priya followed Ostegos, who had become much more familiar with the Castle than she. "I find it somewhat ironic that my experience with the guard in Lemuria might now become crucially useful to Priya." Ostegos says, heading toward the staircase. "Although leading groups of guards is a far cry from running or leading an army, of course." "Father may well insist that I have my own guard in addition to the troops the Queen sends. Hopefully there will be time for you all to get aquainted so the work is collaborative. I may make requests... I can think of a few you would get along well with and they would not resist an idea, or an order because it comes from a drylander male..." Her gaze was sharp, but introspective as she considered possibilities. Dagny keeps pace with the others, noting the way, but otherwise has nothing to add to the conversation between Priya and Ostegos. Ostegos nods. "Having troops that work well with men would be especially useful if having to work in concert with the Amberites. The troops in Rebma accepted Dagny." he gives a nod to Dagny "well enough. Prince Castor might be tougher to accept." "That reminds me," Dagny interjects, "when I was in Rebma and heading towards the battle with the Omphalos, I was stopped by guards who made reference to me being 'the right gender,' which I did not understand. I take it I'm missing something?" "Prince Castor is known in Rebma, though I do not know how much traction the familiarity will grant him." Priya mused out loud, "As for what you might be missing... Rebma's views toward men mirror Amber's traditional views toward women, especially those held by King Oberon." The direct route does not take long, in the end, for Dagny, Priya and Ostegos to reach the fourth floor and from there to a guarded staircase to the roof. The solitary warden looks at Priya and Ostegos skeptically. His less-than-accepting mien softens when he looks over at Dagny. "You are Princess Dagny, are you not?" he asks. "Indeed," Dagny replies. "Though how you knew that, I've no idea." She raises her eyebrows, apparently waiting for him to continue. "I remember you from your first day here." The guard says. "You were in the company of Bhangbadea." The guard pauses a beat. "Her Majesty told us that you might come in the company of the Rebman emissary and her bodyguard." the soldier says. "while they might not normally be allowed on the roof, your presence would allow it." he says. "So I was. And, very well then, we shall continue." Dagny looks at the guard with a trace of amusement, as if wondering to herself how she would ever be expected to stop Priya, on the roof or anywhere else, from doing anything she wished to do. Next to Dagny, Priya listened attentively. There had not been guards here last time, and she dearly hoped this would not get long and tedious. As much as she would use the opportunity to find out how far her relationship with the Djinn went, she'd rather not have to test it. And so with the guard parting way, Dagny and Priya can ascend the short flight and step out on the roof, Ostegos right behind them. A cold March wind cuts across the three of them as the view of the relatively low sun gives a shadowed view of the city and the forest below the mountain. Five gloves at each of the points lay dormant, quiescent. To Dagny's senses, the djinn are on the edges of visibility, swirling and swarming around the castle like unseen guardians. Priya, already attuned, can see them. They are more like waves of force, sheets of color, entities in flowing forms of force and arcane energy. "You have come" one of them intones, loud enough that Dagny can definitely hear that. Ostegos too, since he looks alert in the direction of the sound. "You still wish this investiture, Rebman sorceress?" "I do." Priya answered quietly. "What. On Earth. Is that?" Dagny asks flatly, hackles clearly up. "The Djinn are the castle guardians." Priya explained, "I am afraid I not asked very much about them, though they may answer if you have questions." She stepped forward to meet the entities, taking a deep breath and settling herself to wait for what came next. "We will speak. This one is of the line of our creators." the sheet of energy, or Djinn as Priya names it, says aloud. "We are the manifested arcane protectors of Castle Amber, created, bound and set to that charge." the sheet of energy pulses with brightness and darkness in alteration as it speaks. "We ensure that there is no improper use of sorcery within or against the Castle." "Ask your questions, as the Rebman sorceress opens herself to prepare to receive our bargain." the Djinn continues to Dagny. "Investiture?" Dagny asks Priya. "And what bargain, exactly?" Priya had already settled, eyes closed, and did not break concentration to reply. She stood comfortably, balanced, but not tense, head slightly bowed. She still held the staff in one hand, but the other was turned out and open. Waiting. The Djinn do not answer Dagny's question to Priya. Ostegos holds up a hand, palm outward, as if seeking to still Dagny's questions. From the outside, to Dagny, what she sees is one of these blankets of force briefly surround Priya, as if she were a babe in swaddling clothes. A low pitched sound, like a tuning fork, resonates in the ears of all three people on the roof. A minute later, the force withdraws. In Priya's palm is a ring. Plain and unadorned, it is made out of polished yellow-brown amber. "The Investiture is Done" comes the voice of the Djinn again. "By wearing the conduit, you and the Spirit Guard will be tied to the network, scion of the Rebman Pattern." Dagny shoots Ostegos a glowering look, but remains silent, waiting for Priya to speak. Ostegos returns Dagny's glower with a calm expression. "If the ring is removed, will the connection break as if I had left Amber? Or may I simply put it back on and resume? And is Rebma still close enough to Amber's sphere to allow travel there without breaking the connection?" Priya examined the ring closely, wanting to know as much as possible before plugging in, she took a step back, angling her body more toward Dagny and Ostegos than she had been, including them in the discussion now that the more.. personal matter was done. "Rebma is...different now." the Djinn replies. "More isolated. Removal of the ring will halt the flow of the information you requested, nothing more. Replacement of the ring would return the flow within two to three minutes. A complete and final break from the investiture would require spellcraft to destroy the ring." "Could I wear the ring. Or, say Dagny." Ostegos says aloud. "The ring is meant for attunement to Priya and her artifacts alone! The Djinn intones. "You would gain no benefit. Do either of you wish Investiture? I sense that the Lemurian warrior may not be suited, but that the daughter of the Pattern has the capability to do so." "She may wish to know how this goes before deciding." Priya commented, and slid the ring onto her finger. There is a soft brief hum from the Djinn. Priya can feel the lines of power connect, and in the background of her mind, the first inklings of information being sent to her intermediaries. "Would somebody please explain to me what just happened, and exactly what Ostegos is volunteering me for? What is an Investiture?" "The Rebman sorceress" The Djinn says. "has agreed to become connected to the information network that we provide on arcane matters in and around the Castle. This is a capability built in by our summoners and creators, the family of Queen Clarissa. As such, the Rebman sorceress will act as a node for the receipt of arcane information and provide analysis of the raw data in return. The process of creating a link to the network is Investiture." "I wasn't volunteering you" Ostegos interrupts, looking at Dagny. "I was just trying to ask what would happen if you had to take Priya's ring, if it would work. You're a sorceress too, right? You have shape-changing magic, at the very least." "It's not magic. It's just something that I can do," Dagny replies to that last. "Don't ask me how. A sorceress, I am definitely not." "My apologies" Ostegos says to Dagny. "I misunderstood." "So noted" comes the voice of one of the Djinn, further away on the roof. "Our assessment of your arcane talent appears to be inaccurate. Error checking subroutines will be conducted." Dagny shrugs. "Your assessment may not necessarily be inaccurate," she says to the Djinn. "I can do a few minor tricks, but that doesn't mean I'm a full-fledged sorceress. I certainly couldn't do what I've seen Priya do, for example." [Dagny] turns back to Priya. "So let me see if I have this straight...what these Dijinn are saying are, that they are the equivalent of a magic alarm system for Castle Amber, and when something happens you are notified, analyze the disturbance and tell them what it is? If so, that's very interesting, but what is the benefit to you?" Priya draws her attention back to the here and now. "They are somewhat more complicated than that. They are providing us with... a much wider field of perception than we have on our own. With the greater awareness, we will be able to pinpoint opening Doors at a much greater range and respond quickly. I wish to capture the Doors, shatter them as I did the one in Rebma, and secure pieces to use as keys to opening gateways to their point of origin for our troops to pass through." "My next step is to provide means of bringing others with me to the Door's location so that the troops can be subdued before they gain ground. If you like, I can add you to that list and provide a connection so that you can be notified and brought to the ...event." Priya tilted her head, waiting for Dagny's response. Ostegos walks over to look over the edge of the castle, contemplating and regarding the city. The Djinn are, for the moment, silent. "Of course. I would appreciate that very much," Dagny replies. "Any chance to bust Omphalos heads..." "I will make arrangements. It will most likely be a small talisman, and if you do not wish to be transported, you can simply set it aside and it will leave without you." "But for now, I think we are done here." She looked around at the Djinn. "I need a moment to help internally arrange things..." Priya's attention turned inward, her gaze unfocused for a moment before she looked back up at Dagny. "The Investiture from our perspective is complete." the Djinn says. "Our business is concluded." There is a pause, and a pulse of brightness along the amorphous field of energy, one that is reflected and replicated through all of the fields surrounding the roof of the castle. This allows Priya and Dagny to get a sense that there is a colony of these wards, beings around the entire Castle, a shield of many colors. "Good hunting" comes the voice of the Djinn, as the pulse subsides. And in so doing, the Djinn continue to fade, until they cannot be seen by mortal sight. Internally, things are ready from Priya's perspective. Ykanga and Varuna are handling the flow of data without any problems. The link is solid. Ostegos walks back from the Castle edge. "Good view from the edge. I can see why the Castle was built where it was." "It is," Dagny agrees, admiring the view. "Priya, how is it you came to learn about the Djinn? Do you have similar guardians in Rebma, and you figured that they must be mirrored here as well?" "I was brought here to help Prince Triton. In the course of matters I have twice needed to work with the Djinn, otherwise my magic is limited. Since my goals have always been to help a member of the Family, they have been willing to assist me." Priya looked out at the view as well, her gaze turning toward the sea. It is late afternoon at this point, the sun starting to slowly sink toward the tips of the mountains that make up the mountain range along with Kolvir. Plenty of light, though, casting upon the Eternal City and the sea. The port of Amber is a busy one, and it appears that a number of ships from all directions are approaching or heading away from Amber on nearly every possible point of the compass from northeast to south. The only thing of note is the squadron of ships, for lack of a better word, sailing in strict formation from the southeast, heading toward Amber. The sleek shapes suggest ships of a more martial bearing than simple traders. "Are we related, then?" Dagny asks Priya, curiously, before noticing the ships. "No." Priya shakes her head. "I am unusual, which has prompted several to speculate on that, but there is no known connection between any branch of my family and the House of Amber." Does she see insignia or any flags flying? It's difficult to tell at this distance. There are flags and insignia, but they are hard to resolve. With Dagny's spyglass, she can see the flotilla much better. Mostly military ships, certainly. The sailors are armed with cutlasses. There are a couple of ships in the fleet that don't look so armed, and are somewhat less sleek in design. She doesn't recognize the flags or the colors they are flying. The inhabitants are human, and on most of the ships are dressed in uniforms that definitely strike her as having a martial bearing. They look like something out of Master and Commander. No signs of cannon, but there are things on deck that seem to resemble medieval weapons. "Perhaps we should. Or at the very least, let Prince Gerard or Prince Castor know." Ostegos says, leaning forward. "They sail with purpose, with the port as clear destination. They know where they are going." "I don't recognize the colors, which unfortunately isn't saying much," Dagny says. "They are armed though. Yes, let's notify the rest of the family then head down ourselves." She heads towards the door, with intent of sending the first servant she sees after one of her senior relatives, with news of the flotilla. "I think" Ostegos observes wryly, looking to Priya "that she still thinks you are part of the Royal Family." "Do you think Rebma knows of this mysterious fleet?" he adds, waiting for Priya to follow Dagny, or not. Dagny looks at Ostegos oddly. "No, she does not. When I said 'the rest of the family' I meant 'the rest of the family other than me.' I'll endeavor to speak more precisely next time." She turns from him.
"I will be right behind you. Going to try something with our new arrangement, but time should not be lost, in case we are unable to learn more." Priya nodded to Dagny, pausing for any last discussion before she tapped into the data stream and turned her focus toward the incoming ships. "Certainly. I'll meet you downstairs." With that, Dagny exits the roof. Backlinks |
