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[SeriousConcentrate]

Toman inclined his head respectfully to the dwarf as he greeted him. "Toman S Fears. I see you've met my brother Drake." The black knight held an arm over the side and Drake grabbed it, using it to haul himself aboard. "Let's head down and get out of the rain. I imagine you're here to see your daughter?"

"Something like that, yeah," Drake confirmed. "Er... should you tell him, or should I?" he asked, running a hand worriedly through his hair.

"No need. I will." Toman led the three downstairs. "Your daughter's room is that way, although I'd suggest waiting about... five more minutes. After that she'll probably emerge on her own, and certainly in a much better mood than if you went in there right now." Toman cleared his throat. Drake sighed, sounding depressed, and sat down on a nearby barrel to wait, his chin on his palms. The knight took off his helmet for the moment. "It's funny. First Rae's sister shows up to help her along, and then Ria's betrothed Bael follows her here. Next my own brother appears out of the blue, and now here you are. Tali's father."

His lips quirked up for a moment. "So... tell me about yourself, Kald. Dwarven culture is an interest of mine, and Tali didn't say much about her home other than that you ate cats."

[The Fool]

She eased up a bit and revealed her Illumian sigils that circled her head with a dim light. "If I thought she'd have it we wouldn't be talking now and I'd be walking away with a new book." Her curiosity was peaked by this 'Anarose' character, her place seems oddly well guarded. It nagged at her. "Who is Anarose anyways? The portals and the gates seem a bit excessive for an ordinary person." It donned on her that she might be out of her league here, but she decided to wait it out before pulling away her gems.

[Theoboldi]

Something that didn't happen all too often had just happened. Bryce was speechless. He just stared at the woman for a few seconds, then broke into laughter. It lasted for a few seconds before he regained his composure.

"Anarose is powerful. An epic mage. You wouldn't be walking away. You'd be a pile of ashes now if you hadn't met me. Are you seriously saying you just risked your life in the realm of an epic wizard without even knowing if the thing you are searching for is here? Either you are lying, or you are much dumber than you look."

This was it, the final test. Her reaction would determine which one it was, no matter what she'd say.

[The Fool]

"An epic wizard?" She laughed at the notion. She smiled at what she thought was an outright lie. "Why would an epic wizard need all of you to guard her? I'm sure someone like that could easily kill all of you within moments. Who are all you then? Travelers come to worship her or something? I doubt it." She looked among the group with a smile. She didn't think that there was such a wizard among them, but she couldn't be too sure.

[Theoboldi]

A slight smug grin appeared on Bryce's face. Not quite the answer he had expected, but everything went as planned.

"Dumb it is then. But we're not her guards, we rather are.....running some errands for her. Doing stuff she doesn't want to do. But really, you just went through that gate and the portals, are standing in her personal demiplane, and still say she doesn't exist? You really do have no idea where the book is, and you just randomly came across this place and decided it could be here because the place looks important. You probably also have been searching the book for quite some time, considering the fact you are here spontanously and without even informing yourself about this island. Am I right?"

[The Fool]

Bryce's comment questioning her intelligence cut like a knife, just as it did when she was tossed from her cabal's academy. "You ignorant ass! How dare you question my intelligence. If you weren't hiding behind an epic wizard I'd happily cut you down to size." Her grip tightened her gems until a small trickle of blood dripped down her hand. She kept a straight face as if it didn't phase her at all. "The books been lost for so long that it could be anywhere... But is this truly a demi-plane? I thought that the portal was taking me somewhere on the material plane. It's been such a long time since I looked into portal spells I must have missed it."

[Theoboldi]

Her intelligence. Bryce stored this psycholigical weakness in his mind, should he ever need to make her angry again.

"I don't know if Anarose has the book, but I could ask her. She has been alife for quite a while, and might know something about it. Of course, you need to answer a question before I do that. Why do you search for this book? It must be a personal reason, so don't pretend that someone else has sent you."

Bryce eyed the illumian sternly, trying to see if her answer was a lie.

[Skyrunner]

Anarose broke out of her reverie, and glanced around.

"Oh, look. A cat snuck in with the dwarf . . . "

Her voice was dry.

"Well, maybe I have the book. Come and get it, my dear. Go ahead, and try to walk away with your book . . ."

She met Ikkeeliou's eyes, impassioned but with the strength that could only come from a person holding a perfect hand. She did not make any move to cast a spell.

[Dwarmin]

Kald had an idea what was happening...he liked Toman right off the bat. Not quite 'the son I never had', yet, but he had a Dwarven soul all the same. Right down to business.

"Cats? Well, I don't know what gave her that idea...I've certainly never eaten cat tails fried in elephant fat before, no." Kald said, in a completely sincere and gruff voice-seemingly bluffing but that was how Dwarves sometimes told jokes to non-Dwarves. Toman had probably been the recipient of it many times.

"As for me, I'm proud to say I'm the current Captain of the Guard in Fortress Brighthelms. Born and raised there. Graduated myself to Stoneblade about 100 years ago...didn't look back. Been fighting the good fight ever since-and, hmm. You wanna know about my culture, boy?"

Kald merely ran his leather gloved thumb over the sharp edge of his Great-Axe, with a dour look on his face. Nothing more needed to be said. Toman might have recalled Dwarven "Stoneblades" were similar to Warblades in other races-highly specialized warriors who train constantly in different schools of martial discipline, to achieve fairly fantastic results.

"...troubles all around, though-as your brother can no doubt tell you..."


Kald explained the general situation to Toman, quickly and precisely-and a little bit more...

"...even before the stars changed, our foes were gathering-Orcs, Goblins, Trolls, Ogres, Giants, Druegar, Drow...Numbers like we've never seen since the bad old times. Now-they're waiting, you see? Until the times get worse...and then, I suppose they think they'll sweep in and burn everything to the ground, when they think we're weak. Suits them, I guess.

Well, they have to get through the Dwarves first. They gave me a year to find everyone I could-anyone I could find who would help. It was hard leaving home, harder leaving my soldiers, but I knew my place-right now, it's gathering our kin, friends and allies. In a few months, I'll be on the front line with my men.

Like I told yer brother, though, my daughters the last one on my list. I'm not leaving without her."

[The Fool]

"My cabal tossed me a while back, and I'm looking for leverage to get back in. If I had the book they wouldn't dare keep me out." She walked forward with a cautious look. "So you're Anarose? Do you really have that book?"

[Skyrunner]

"Do I? Or do I not? Maybe I might both have and have not the book."

Anarose looked at her fingernails.

"If you don't make a move in the next six seconds, I'll go first, pawn to e4 and such...

Anarose did not recall if the world outside still played chess.

[SeriousConcentrate]

"It seems like everything's going to hell," Toman sighed. "It sounds like you're here to recruit her for a good cause, but I don't know if she's going to want to leave. And, well..." He thought about how to phrase this for a few moments. "And I'm not quite sure how you and your people would take to her lover, a female elf named Rae. She would want to come along as well. The two have been inseparable for as long as I've known them."

Drake took an arrow out of his quiver and balanced it on the point on the tip of his finger. "Yeah... Rae's pretty protective of your daughter. She slugged me in the stomach when I, uh..." He decided it was in his best interest not to finish that sentence. "Uh, yeah. Protective." Drake put the arrow back and decided to study the ceiling rather than risk looking at Kald.

[The Fool]

"Six se-" she cut herself short and started looking around frantically. It was too late to start casting and she probably couldn't take a blast from an epic wizard's spell. "W-Wait. I'm sorry! Seriously. I didn't even know you were an epic wizard when I walked in." She cowered and covered her head, waiting for some kind of crushing blow.

[Skyrunner]

Anarose looked over Ik.

"Are you adept at spells, girl?"

[The Fool]

Ikkeeliou stopped cowering for a moment and straightened out her robes. She cleared her throat and looked at Anarose with her glaring red eyes. "One in particular. I've prepared a thesis on it, but I haven't shown anyone my work yet. It's Rainbow Beam. Why?"