The sun recently arose over the eastern ridge, illuminating all and also just one, a wanderer of faith, dressed in a light bluish-gray, no stranger to the unbeaten path. He stood upon a ridge overlooking a valley and, far off to the distance, signs of civilization by way of smoke plumes from concentrated chimney fires, slightly darkened the horizon from an over-night use in this barely warm turning of spring.
And then, riding laterally upon the same ridge, a patrolling group of mounted men—Hellriders by name, though that would be unknown in this moment by the foreign-born priest—who waylay the wanderer who has paused in his approach to Triel to admire the far view.
"We order you to turn back by the way you came...." they command the one, the unarmed cleric who has done now wrong nor posed any threat. If another was present, they would see the confused look upon his face as he is so directly accosted.
Knowing that the direction forward, being the direction toward the observed installation of civilization is the Calling he cannot deny, the priest replies to the mounted men: "By what means, shall one of neutral intentions, enter these lands freely that you soldiers do oversee? I offer you my name and person, that is I, Arthayer Zorastryl, Magistrati and Magefriend, faithful to the High One, Azuth, Lord of Spells. I have arrived here out of a curiosity, and a calling...something learned and now something sought...though there is not direct line from there, to here...so to speak.
I entreat you to grant me passage onward...and I give promise to abide by the laws which govern these lands about us, as we now stand."
DM Mimic wrote: ↑Sat Mar 30, 2024 3:30 am
The Hellriders allow Arthayer to pass.
The monk-priest makes a gesture with his hands in appreciation of the Hellriders parting their line of defense to allow him passage onward. Without looking back, Arthayer wanders off through the rolling hills in the direction of the beaten path that lays before him, towards the village.
Yet...the Faithful does not take a straight line toward the outer defensive walls of Triel that loom in the distance. Instead, he wanders about within the forest and the stony hills, observing the geography—as best is his ability to notice a thing, or not—on the western area of the lands surrounding Triel. He makes his way idly about, in a peaceful manner, as if the aimlessness may eventually lead him to....
Over the last few days, the Azuthan priest in a puffy-shaped hat of foreign style, present within the village of Triel, has been rumored to wander the surrounding western hills and summits in a metered, practiced motion of careful observation or attention to...the stonework. It is even said that he, at times, embraced such rocky outcroppings, or at least, was as it appeared, to be listening to the boulders and stacked upon high.
Easily seen as odd work, and added that the man was of foreign origin, such behavior would cause concern, or at least, wariness to the why of it all, for if not madness be the cause and thus the answer, then what be it? But such rumored actions were balanced by the general calm and open demeanor shown by Arthayer when he traversed the village and interacted with the people.
The reoccurring activity of the Azuthan Hierophant wandering the wilds near Triel—traversing hilly heights and overcoming outcroppings that would hold him physically nearer the heavens—was broken by a sensing of the failing of magical forces from a direction closing southward. He descended to an open plain, scanning the wide before him.
And so he paused, cautious but armed with some understanding of what he may be experiencing—and by whom—facing that feeling surging in the sky, and reached out hand, that he may detect what a Faithful of the Lord of Spells such as himself, would gauge from this field passing near.
Expanding his reach through The Power, Arthayer discerns that what crosses the land is no mere spellcraft creating a field of Antimagic, and through such magic vested in him by the High One, what he senses is likely a supernatural ability of divine origin, that does not waver or wane, as existing in a perpetuity.
Yet...it radiates as does a spell-crafted Antimagic Field would, and with a deep understanding of Arcane spellcraft himself, Arthayer surmises that it must too be effected by a Disjunction...if one would be willing to take the risk, knowing not what the result could unleash.
From Arthayer's position in the fields between Soubar and Triel, he cannot witness the source, but does approach the edge of this extreme radius of magic cancelling force.
With all the knowledge gained from his spell-based investigations, and in combination with the information acquired stating urgency and yet questionability over what Castus’s goals are with bringing an anti magic field to a magical dead zone—the latter gained from associations of the Mystrans of Baldurs Gate—Arthayer deems it necessary to act, to counter what is preventing his Patron’s Domains from free existence.
And thus Arthayer calms himself for prayer, offering well practiced words to the High One, asking that he is granted the Power for as many Ninth Tier Disjoins that his wisdom shall allow him to carry in mind, and in spirit.
Arthayer does take caution, beforehand, by awaiting that the antimagic field has passed away from Triel and into as least civilized intermediary lands as possible, before he makes his move. For he admits to himself, the unknown result of the act is one thing, while the potential outcome, either success or failure, is an equally unknown unknown.
Close enough to the “edge” of The Field that Arthayer deems sufficient range, he calls upon the Power, verbally activating the Disjoin, or multiple castings, that he may muster.
The first Disjunction achieves an effect, dispelling a 40-foot radius portion of the antimagic field. It does not dispel the enitre field. Arthayer follows his curiosity, entering into the antimagic field but within the area that was disjoined, to discern that the "bubble" he created in the antimagic field does not travel with the Field as is expands or re-positions moving northward, but his "bubble" remains stationary. Within this bubble within the antimagic field, Arthayer is able to cast spells as normal, though any magical effect produced from within this gap is once again suppressed as soon as it reenters an area within the active antimagic field.
And thus the bubble persists until it is no longer contained by the antimagic field. With this research done, Arthayer would conclude in quiet the limits to what his own Faith can affect. For some time, Arthayer pulls at his fine beard, with thought to to ascribe formulae to this magical, no, divine, process.
///thanks to DM Mimic for fielding this action! And who's responses are weaved into this more narrative structured text.
The Azuthan priest in a puffy-shaped hat of foreign style, when not present within the village of Triel, continues his regular forays of wander-ment into the surrounding western hills.
Of late, the faithful priest makes a particular pause before a pyramidal shape he has discovered in his of all-intents-and-purposes-an-intentional wandering.
He gives it a reverential stare...and who can say how long he awaits a moment, before returning upon his path....
The Hierophant Magistrati paused from a vantage point high within the Trielta Hills during his of all-intents-and-purposes-an-intentional wandering—and searching...—for The Tor where the God Talks.
Below...the stench of death from slowly rotting flesh and the clank of loosely hanging armor upon animated bones did fill this valley of many with the Hills.
