Revisiting Spindrift: Preparation

[Jim Roberts]

[Feb 2 AM – Backstage at the Godcarvers]

Contrary to the dire (if tongue in cheek) predictions from Grandma Rayga
the previous night, the next morning Finfin did not in fact need any
heroic medical attention from Abbot Kenobi. That was not to say that
he’d emerged from his evening completely unscathed, however. As the
bohemian backstage crowd began their usual morning’s lounging together
performing whatever prayer, meditation, or study needed for the numerous
spellcasters, more than a few could notice the elf wincing slightly as
he relaxed back into what should have been a comfortable collection of
both pillows and people.

The blonde Pussycat Mel took one look at the captain’s mild distress,
and then stared hard at her band’s lead singer. Josie was curled up
nearby, looking far more contented than she’d been for many a morning.
Similes about cats and cream seemed *quite* appropriate, and it did not
take long for the connections to click into place in Mel’s imagination,
fueled by long experience.

“Josie!” the drummer admonished. “You should be more careful with your
playmates.”

Far from looking offended at the criticism, the Pussycats’ lead singer
merely smiled. “So I get a little overexcited at times,” the redhead
answered dismissively. “You’ve known longer than me how distracting he
can be.”

Josie was not the only person decidedly showing any lack of offense.
Mithi was positively giggling. “Oi fink they wuz *both* mighty
distracted,” the young mage suggested. “Oi know Oi sure wuz.”

“It is as Mithi says,” Finfin confirmed. “I did indeed have other things
on my mind at the moment in question, and had not noticed until later.
If a few scratches afterwards are the price I must endure, I will do so
quite happily.”

Both those who had been there as well as those who could readily imagine
what the elf meant all shared a chuckle at the observation. Josie did
have a bit of a reputation as a wildcat. Not one to ever viciously want
to harm a partner, but perhaps more than a little… uninhibited at times,
and not always aware that she might be scratching as well as fiercely
hugging.

“It’s just as well we’re all beginning with a new slate of prayers,” Mel
pointed out, and gently began to chant, her deft hands leaving a faint
trail of red sparks barely visible in the morning light. At the end of
the chant, she gave Finfin a quick kiss… and the scratches on his back
immediately felt better.

Not long after this minor bit of Drama, the two wizards as well as Josie
perked up as they heard a familiar voice whisper in their ears.
“Morning, you three,” Tramma’s soft voice called to them, her bardic
magics carrying her voice from the other side of the Plains. “I hope I’m
not catching you at an awkward time?”

Mithi laughed, drawing curious looks from those not part of this
magically enhanced whispered conversation with someone not present. “If
ya’d called jest a bit earlier,” she whispered back, “we mighta been too
busy ta ‘ear ya.”

“I hope that means everything I *think* it does!” Tramma’s whispered
voice returned, positively crackling with glee.

“It probably does,” Josie allowed. Tramma might not be able to see the
Pussycat’s contented smile, but the bard could certainly hear it in the
redheaded singer’s voice.

“I’ll want stories!” Tramma whispered back excitedly. “But I wanted to
call early enough to hopefully still catch Fin before he began preparing
today’s spells.” After a momentary pause, she continued, “I *am* in
time, aren’t I?”

“You are,” Finfin whispered back.

“Oh, good!” the bard’s whispered voice returned. “Would you be willing
to come out and pick me up this morning? I think we’ve covered as much
as we can here, and Erik will be heading over to the Grove to hitch a
ride back with Gil in a bit.”

Finfin and Mithi exchanged first glances, and then nods. “I can do
that,” the elf replied. “Would you prefer to be picked up from the
Holymolders, or from Gil’s Grove?”

“Actually,” Tramma’s whispered voice suggested, “can you do Fort
Resolute? That’ll give me time to chat with Erik on our way back to
Gil’s Grove.”

Finfin nodded, even though Tramma would not be able to see the gesture.
What was unsaid was that it would also keep him out of Gil’s way.
Matters between Finfin and this particular Ex were… cordial, if not
exactly welcoming, and minimizing contact might indeed be prudent. “It
would also let me bring back a palette of supplies from Fort Resolute a
day early,” the elf added. “It will be off schedule, but it will save us
needing to shop for them tomorrow in Seaholm.”

“Yup,” Tramma agreed. “And about that… can I come along with you and
Mithi to Spindrift *today* as well as our Big Trip tomorrow? I know you
two lovely wizards want to spellshop for our showdown with King Kobold
in a couple days, and I can help you guys find stuff in Spindrift better
than Seaholm.”

Once again, the two wizards exchanged glances, and this time Mithi
nodded. “Makes good sense ta me,” the apprentice wizard agreed. “While
Oi’m more familiar wif Seaholm, it ain’t like Oi spent a lotta time
shopping fer spells there. And there’s mebbe another advantage ta
another day in Spindrift, too.” Finfin followed his apprentice’s gaze
over to Moon Priestess Alaelia.

“I think Mithi has an *excellent* suggestion,” he whispered approvingly
over Tramma’s magical communication channel.

“I hope you two are both staring at Alaelia?” Tramma’s whispered voice
questioned. “You are? Good! That’s exactly what I also had in mind.”

“There’s no telling if her dear friend the Sybil of the Moon is
available,” Finfin warned, “as we are not expected until *tomorrow*. But
we can but try.”

“Way ahead of you, there, Fin!” Tramma replied happily. “I already asked
Songbird if she’d be available today on the off chance that we *can*
pull it off. She said for the chance to visit with Alaelia, she’ll start
clearing her schedule just as soon as her office wakes up. Oh, and she
had some very specific suggestions for how I might deliver an IOU to you
two lovely wizards the next chance I can.”

“Which’ll not be tonight,” Josie interjected firmly. “You and I haven’t
had a chance to chat yet, but I want to give our lovebirds a night on
their own tonight before *tomorrow* night in this amazing Stone House
city you keep telling me about.”

“Good plan,” Tramma enthused. “So give me a few hours to ride with Erik
to the Grove, and then a bit of time on the ground with Fort Resolute’s
seneschal to get an out of sequence set of field supplies ready, and you
wizards prep the Teleports and Shrink Items… and see if you can tempt
dear Alaelia into coming along.”

One last time, the wizards traded firm nods, confirming that they were
on the same page. “We will be there,” Finfin confirmed.

The time waiting for Tramma to complete her travels with the Lord of
Fort Resolute from the Holymolder village to Gil’s Grove, and then by
magical transport to Erik’s domain, was hardly wasted. The morning
ritual of meditation, prayer, and spell study needed to be completed,
now with a modified spell load for the two wizards.

After breakfast, Finfin began talking to each and every spellcaster,
hoping to coordinate a list of spells each might be able to prepare to
assist in the eventual “hit & fade” that they would launch in a few
evenings against the Evil High Priest Kobold. Jeyshann’s suggestions
positively staggered the elf. Her Divine Spirit could grant the Cat
Priestess a way to share the benefits of her protective prayers with up
to four other people in addition to herself. The only drawback was that
she would suffer part of whatever befell those she protected – so we was
in turn counting on the rest of the expedition for protection. These
potent prayers, added on top of the usual Blessings that both Abbot
Kenobi and High Priestess Laurelin might be able to add, supplemented by
Finfin’s own deep library of Arcane enhancements, could make *quite* a
difference.

A far greater challenge than casting these various Divine and Arcane
protections was simply keeping track of them, and coming up with a
casting sequence that would not waste more spell duration than was
needed, but still allow each spell to be active during the raid. Here,
Sister Erin and her ever efficient paperwork was able to save the day,
and the clerk helped scribble together an extensive collection of notes,
promising to have a properly indexed “clean copy” available by the time
the elf returned from Spindrift that evening.

And Finfin’s and Mithi’s expedition to Spindrift would not be the only
magical outing that day. Laurelin graciously agreed to take Dwarflord
Balzac on to the dwarven city of Kirgond for the day. The Weaponshops of
Kirgond were rightly famous throughout the region, and there the
Dwarflord could purchase on off the shelf “coachbow”, allowing him to
lob his trademark “candles of blasting” at range into the aggregation of
punishing spells the “Alpha Strike” team were planning on unleashing
onto the Kobold necromancer.

Also coming along on this side trip into Brandon was the Keeryte
commanding officer, Laquendi. The dusky mage might or might not have an
immediate need of a Weaponshop herself, but she was one of their
Teleport capable mages. Helping Laquendi to be able to Teleport to
Kirgond on her own would benefit everyone.

And as a final bit of side business, Finfin passed the Kirgond
travellers some cash and a shopping request of his own. He’d always been
intrigued with a nice quality falchion, and playing bodyguard while
potentially surrounded by a hostile mob of kobolds might be a fine
opportunity to experiment with that fearsome two handed chopper.

So the couple of hours lead time before they were to meet Tramma fairly
flew by. As predicted, Alaelia was delighted with the prospect of
spending the day with a dear old friend back in the Yelti port city.
*Some* of the time might be spent learning a “supervisory” prayer from
her superior in the Bitani faith, the Moon Priestess suggested with a
smile. But perhaps only *part*. And before long, Finfin, Mithi, and
Alaelia were ready to depart, first to pick up Tramma and some supplies
over at Fort Resolute, and then on to Spindrift to do some spell shopping.