"Tales of a Mad Mage"
By: themadone

Part 9: Manic

Staggering through the magical blue portal, Higgson swore he could still smell the stench of that rotting corpse. It wouldn’t leave his senses, and he could almost taste as if it coated his tongue with a thin film of its foulness.

The portal flashed behind him, and a large furry hand slapped Higgson upon his back and shoulder, making it ache terribly. He rubbed it carefully checking for broken bones as he glanced up at Norch, the mage’s minotaur servant and his smiling visage.

“You get use to it human. The first time I went through a Voltari portal I nearly lost my lunch. Now…I swear it makes me hungry.”

Shaking his head vaguely, Higgson decided not to try and explain the magical travel was not what was bothering him at the moment. He hid his true thoughts by changing the subject suddenly with an idea he had been playing with since his encounter with the witch and her Mistress.

“I saw only a little of you in action Norch. I have heard since I was a child a Minotaur Bodyguard’s fighting prowess is legendary. I would welcome a time to test my sword against your trident when you have the time. I am a little rusty and I could use the practice.”

The minotaur’s surprised look was lit blue-white as the portal flashed again revealing the Blue Mage in deep conversation with his Raven familiar.

“No, no, no, no… She said only at High Sun would the door be revealed. Not noon. ‘High Sun’ is a place. The High Sun Tower was the name of the lost tower of the Unnamed Mage.”

The familiar’s first response was to squawk argumentatively, “You don’t know that! She could be miss-directing you on purpose! You can’t trust that…that…whatever she is!”

“She’s a lady, highborn of an era long past. She’s also a mage of great power and wisdom. If I can’t trust someone of those credentials, then who can I trust?”

Without batting an eye, the Raven quickly replied, “Me. Norch. Even Higgson has at least one trustworthy bone in his body, I would bet, compared to that thing!”

After his tirade, the Raven flicked his feathers at the Mage’s face and took off from the Mage’s shoulder and flew into the darkness of the large underground chamber. A snapping sound and a familiar bellow of a hungry Hydra sounded from a nearby black-curtained brass-barred cage.

“Thrice-damned, bird-brained, black-feathered buffoon of a familiar! You have no idea…”

At that moment the Blue Mage seemed to notice the staring minotaur and fellow human.

“Ah…Yes. Well.” Stroking his bushy white beard and grinding the base of his mage staff into an old rug of faded wool, the mage calmed himself visibly.

“Norch, would you be so kind as to show Sir Higgson to one of the guest quarters, and point out the areas for him to avoid please? I would hate for him to plummet to his death or get burned alive in a Hell-Fire trap…” With his glance already vague and distant; the mage waved his hand subtly to encourage the two to move on so he could think more without distraction.

The minotaur smiled gently and replied with deep respect, “Yes master.”

Higgson would not be discouraged however. This was the first time he had a chance to bring up what happened in the Fenne, and find out what the Mage intended for him.

“Sir Mage?”

The minotaur, dismissed and already moving away, looked back a little alarmed and furrowed his brow at the fallen paladin.

“I mean no disrespect, but what are your intentions toward me? Am I a hostage now?”

Looking a little surprised, and a lot angry, the mage only stared at Higgson.

The silence grew uncomfortably.

Finally as Higgson was about to speak again the Mage finally replied, ice in his voice.

“You are my temporary guest, Sir Higgson. I assure you, I have no…intentions toward you…despite what you may have heard of my kind.”

Confused, Higgson started to reply, “Thank you Sir, but…”

“HOWEVER. I can also assure you, your services to me and mine are complete. You may leave any time you wish from here with your life. Norch, show him out the secondary gate if he wishes to leave immediately.” The blue mage was already walking away, past the Hydra cage and into the further darkness of the tower’s basement, his mage staff making a loud clacking sound on the cobbles as he walked.

Higgson knew he was putting his life into this crazy mage’s hands again, but he felt he had no choice. The gentle feeling of a small hand on his non-injured shoulder allowed his courage to grow suddenly. “STOP!”

Halting, the mage turned slowly. His features were hidden by the concealing shadows; nonetheless his eyes were a-blaze with eldritch blue light.

“Sir! I only…want…”

The mage’s voice was nearly a hiss: “Spit. It. Out.”

The invisible hand squeezed lightly.

“I want to accompany you, on your journey of course. I feel…obligated to help, since you spared me my life.”

Higgson was sweating more than when he was in the Darkfenne at the height of summer, and felt like his head was about to explode. He suddenly considered it may be about to if he wasn’t careful.

The mage approached again, and the eerie light left his eyes.

“You wish to accompany me? On my…Quest?”

A bushy white eyebrow was raised in disbelief. A glimmer of a hidden smile on his lined face allowed Higgson to let out the breath he was holding.

“Yes sir! It would be an honor.”

Cackling wildly, the mage turned suddenly on his heels and laughed continuously back into the shadows.

Higgson and Norch glanced at each other in amazement and curiosity.

They then looked back to the spot where the mage walked away. Fresh laughter erupted again from some distance in the dark basement.

“…’would be an honor’...That is so rich!”

After a few minutes when silence came again, Norch finally spoke, and uncertainty dripped in his voice.

“Welcome…to the family? I guess?”

Higgson felt the gentle hand again. It squeezed his shoulder in encouragement and disappeared.

“Yeah. I guess so.”

Again...apologies for basic editing and rules mistakes. I'm doing this at work and away from my source matierials:

Invisible Caltrops Trap
Enchantment/Trap
Casting Cost:3/2
School: Force1 or War 1
Range: 0-1
Target: 1 Target Square unooccupied by an enemy creature or Mage.

This trap activates as soon as a non-flying creature enters the sqaure it is in.

Target creature takes 1 Point of Direct Damage, and is now Slow (or it loses the Fast ability)
until it heals at least 1 point of damage.

Card Quote: "Invisible magical Caltrops? That's just not fair!"

___________________________________________________

Witch Wire Trap
Enchantment/Trap
Casting Cost:3/4
School: Force1 or War 1
Range: 0-1
Target: 1 Target Square unooccupied by an enemy creature or Mage.

This trap activates as soon as a flying creature enters the square it is in.

Target flying creature takes 3 dice of direct  Damage, and is considered grounded
until the end of its next turn.

Card Quote: "I may be an Angel... but hitting an invisible wire at 50mph is a one
hell'uva bitch!"

_____________________________________________________

Stinging Nettles Trap
Enchantment/Trap
Casting Cost:3/2
School: Nature1 or War 1
Range: 0-1
Target: 1 Target Square unooccupied by an enemy creature or Mage.

This trap activates as soon as a creature enters the sqaure it is in.

Target creature has all its attack dice reduced by 2 Dice (regarless of type)
for 2 turns. If the target is wearing armor the reduction is by only 1 attack Dice
and lasts only until the end of its next turn.

Card Quote: "Those nettles don't just hurt, they ITCH!"

______________________________________________________

Blinding-Flash Trap
Enchantment/Trap
Casting Cost:3/2
School: War 1 (Novice)
Range: 0-1
Target: 1 Target Square unooccupied by an enemy creature or Mage.

This trap activates as soon as a creature enters the square it is in.

Target creature must roll a d12
1-2 = Creature Blinded for 3 full turns
3-6 = Creature Blinded for 2 full turns
7-12 = Creature Blinded until the end of its next turn.

A blind creature cannot attack or defend unless attacked directly first.
If a blind creature moves, it moves in a random direction (roll d12)
1-3: it moves in the direction it intended to move.
4-6: it moves to the right of the direction it intended.
7-9: it moves to the left of the direction it intended.
10-12: it moves the opposite direction it inteneded.

Card Quote: "Blinded...By the light!"

Part 6: Consumed

“You’re lost!”

Higgson glanced at the Raven on his shoulder in irritation and kept his frustrations to himself.

“For a pet bird without a name, you seem to think highly of yourself and your opinions.”

The bird cawed in his ear and eyed him sideways, “Familiar! I am not a ‘Pet.’”

“Sure…you keep telling yourself that. Here! See that rotting log! She went that way.”

“How do you know Nespa went that way? Are you just making stuff up?”

Smirking and standing up from a kneeling position, he pointed at the log.

“Less than a week ago, that log was nearly intact. It has since rotten to the point of falling apart. That isn’t natural, hence Nespa.”

“It’s a LOG. How can you tell one from any of the other million or so out here? I’m a bird and even I can’t tell most trees apart unless I crapped on one in particular recently.”

“You either learn the signs in the Darkfenne, or you die in the Darkfenne. That’s the Fringer’s first rule. I recognize this particular log from before from its distinctive straightness, as most trees are warped and twisted by the dark energies here. Also, this tree was uprooted by a rutting Hydra and used as a back-scratching stick…see some of its molting scales are still caught in the bark near the tree’s remaining branches?”

“Ok, I guess I can buy that. You’re smarter than you look Paladin.”

“Stop calling me that.”

“Whatever you say…Pink-skin.”

Realizing the bird was just trying to anger him for some strange reason, he looked back at the immaculately clean Blue Wizard, seemingly lost in thought. Higgson thought it odd how clean the Mage managed to stay until he realized the crafty old mage had a cleanliness spell on the robe.

“Sir? The path leads this way.”

“Hmm? Good. Good. Lead on Sir…Higgson was it?”

“No…yes Sir, but not…never mind.” Higgson grimaced and continued, “We should be getting close too, and I see signs of fresh slime. Her home can’t be too far then, even if it never stops moving.”
Norch spoke then, hesitation marked his voice as he looked around at his companions, “What? Her home moves? Slime? Will I need to fight her house?”

Higgson glanced at the Wizard, “You’ve never told him?”

The Wizard smirked; “I wanted it to be a surprise, as Norch is rarely surprised by much.” He looked back at the Minotaur then, “It’s more of a cottage really, not a house. Also, you shouldn’t have to fight it, unless you stand still in front of it and not move for an hour or so.”
____________________

The grey-black flesh of the giant snail seemed barely to hold the large cracked shell, itself the color of rancid green pus, on its back. Slimed leaked from the snail carcass itself and the cracks in the shell, sometimes gushing out in thin streamers as the creature heaved to move its bulk another few inches through the swamp. Its size was big enough to equal a Hydra, and the cottage itself perched like a tick on its back, pieces of the cottage sticking into the cracks in its shell as if to help pry those parts open more and force out more slime. Moving, always moving...never ending.

Nespa had always said she liked to keep on the move to avoid any enemies she might have and to confuse those seeking her out. If they could find her, they were worth dealing with; otherwise she didn’t want to be bothered with nosy people looking to sell their souls for power, or idiot village girls seeking charms and potions to help them woo their latest puppy-love.

The sight of the witch’s cottage had rendered the Minotaur speechless. Then he proceeded to throw up at the smell. He’d heard that the constitution of Minotaurs was legendary, but he’d heard they also had a heightened sense of smell the poor fellow.

Higgson nodded in understanding. The first time he had witnessed the monstrosity that was Nespa’s home he had not only thrown up his meager lunch, but had passed out as well. His fellow bandits made fun of him for a while after that, but when he learned that most of them had done similarly too, he had felt better managing what passed for the group’s initiation ceremony. He had earned his status of second-in-command of the Fringer group soon after that.

The moving cottage was merely a ramshackle assemblage of wood and mud, that looked like it was both standing still and falling apart at once. Magic had a hand in its making of course. Nothing natural built that place. Even though he was used to it by now, he still felt his gorge rise at the eternally rotting giant snail that was the home’s locomotion through the Darkfenne.

Higgson glanced back at the frowning Wizard with his black-feathered Familiar perched on his right shoulder. “Sir? Remember to stay away from the fresh slime. It will rot your clothing off your body in minutes, and if it touches your skin…well let’s just say you don’t want it touching your skin.

“I have dealt with Nespa before young man. You call to her however. She will more likely answer you.”

A quick look of bewilderment crossed Higgson’s face, but he turned and called out.

A truly evil cackle answered his call. Not a simple laugh or guffaw from an evil person or over an evil idea: A cackle that was not only imbued with evil, but dripped with it, as if it was made from evil thoughts itself. It made Higgson’s hair stand on end, and caused a feeling of crawling bugs up and down his spine. Ignoring those unwelcome feelings, he held his chin high, looking at the balcony-landing the witch usually appeared on.

She didn’t disappoint. Her tall slim form was wreathed in black cloth and silk. Head to toe, her appearance was nothing more than a woman in mourning, only her eyes showing through the veils and head-wrappings she had. Her voice, as smooth as silk, poured from her like ice water, “Welcome Higgson. What do you bring me today? Where is your leader…Oh my! Did your fine sensibilities force you to finally get rid of that bothersome toad with the ugly hat?”

“Nespa! I bring news and a visitor! The Arena Mage Sir Vaddic the Blue of Westlock…”
Nespa interrupted him with a hiss of outrage and he could swear her eyes glowed golden in the overcast semi-darkness of the Fenne. Her hands gripped the solid wooden balustrade that protected a casual person from falling from her balcony. He imagined the wood smoked slightly from her grip, and cracked under her strength. At least he thought he had imagined it.

“You bring this…this…”

She spoke a word then that he had never heard before or in such hatred. That one Word of Power cracked an ancient marble stone sticking out of muck of the Fenne nearby.

“Give me one good reason while I shouldn’t wipe the lot of you off of Et-Heria and feed whatever is left to a nearby nest of hungry Gorgons!” Flames appeared in her hands then. Higgson had been taught to recognize a Fireball incantation when he saw it and dived for cover behind another outcropping of ancient cut marble, another forgotten remnant of the ancient and befouled land that had become the Darkfenne.

“You forget yourself again Nespalanata Swee. You are not all-powerful yet. Old…very old, but you are not all-powerful Shadow-Taker. Your use of ‘Et-Heria’ instead of 'Etheria' hasn’t been used since the age before the Demons ruled.”

The blue mage stood defiantly, his staff held and at the ready. A small wisp of mist and sparks of electricity seemed to pop from the staff’s top, a gnarly knot of wood the size of the Norch’s fist.

“You have until I get bored with this conversation Blue Mage-filth, and if I don’t like what I hear…you and I get to see how powerful I really am.”

Smiling broadly Vadicc spoke with confidence as he set his staff back on the ground so he could lean on it again, “Agreed.”

The witch’s golden eyes narrowed. “No tricks! No spells! If you do…”

Vadicc held his free hand up and open, “I swear as a true Mage-Knight of Westlock, that I will treat with you fairly and honestly: no tricks. The Paladin will attest to it.”

Golden and blue eyes turned to Higgson then as he glanced over the large chunk of blue-veined marble he had hid behind.

He felt nauseous, as they looked on him with a growing horror in his gut. He wasn’t going to get between them and argue his status now, so he agreed.

“I att…attest and swear to uphold the agreement as spoken.”

Vadicc turned back up to Nespa.

“Well? The Paladin has spoken.”

“A Fallen Paladin, and I still don’t trust you.”

“As I don’t trust you Nespa, but I need you…for now. That should be enough. You would be able to say that the Blue Wizard owes you a favor, minor though it is. Fallen is a subjective term by the way. A Paladin of any sort is always a Paladin in the end.”

“Minor favor? What hog’s intestines is this? I warned you…”

“Please? Can we retire to your…parlor? This smell is causing my gout to hurt worse for some reason.”

The witch kicked a bundle of sticks and rope that tumbled over the side of the balcony to dangle just outside of the shell’s slime sprays. It turned out to be a series of twisted ropes and wooden branches that made a ladder of sorts. “The minotaur and Familiar stay outside. I wouldn’t be able to get the bird-shit smell out of my carpet or patch the holes in my roof fast enough to keep the rain out. Do keep up however, I would just hate myself for either of you to lose your master under my care.”

Norch looked nonplussed at the witch’s comments, but glanced at his Master quickly.

The mage just waved a wrinkled and age-spotted hand at the big nursemaid and said, “If she was going to blast me, she would have done so outside, not wait until I was inside, then blow up her own home in the process.” The minotaur looked only a little relieved at that. The raven just perched on the roof of the cottage near the entrance and shat on it, looking self-satisfied if a raven could look self-satisfied.

Turning, the mage ignored the ladder and just levitated himself to the level of the balcony, stepped onto the slowly swaying cottage, and called back casually, “Come along Sir Higgson! You are to witness this meeting are you not? To make sure I uphold my honorary status as a Knight of Westlock! Besides you really don’t want to miss this show! I guaranteed it!”

The mage’s insane laugh as he entered the cottage left Higgson wondering again what he had gotten himself into. He was a Fallen Paladin. Why would they trust his word? How could they trust his word? How was this…weirdness?...a path worth following? Why...Why…Why was he talking to himself like a madman?

Higgson calmed himself quickly, sighed heavily, and glanced at the worried Minotaur Bodyguard to offer what he could in emotional support. Moving to the dangling rope and stick ladder then, he began climbing quickly, praying to the Goddess most fervently the Familiar would not crap on him while he was climbing.

Who knows…miracles can happen.

Similar to the Raven Familiar...

Gork-lisp the Trap Gremlin (Legendary)

Creature (Fairy)
Casting Cost: 10
School: War 3
Range: 0-0

Gremlin: 6 Health, 1 Armor, 1 Attack Dice (Melee), Familiar, Pest, MANA 1, Regenerate 1, Tough -2, Burnproof, Poison Immunity

Special: Once per round as a Full Action a Trap Gremlin can cast a prepared Trap card in the square he occupies as long as no other cards occupy that square, friendly or otherwise. Trap Gremlin CANNOT activate traps with their MANA, only their controlling Mage can. Decoy Traps placed by Trap Gremlin give one extra Mana back to their owners when revealed. Any active trap placed by Trap Gremlin that does damage gains the Piercing +1 trait.

Card Quote: "My favorite traps are the ones that go BOOM! Hehehehe...Chunky-Salsa Effect!"

I am a fan of cheap low powered attacks.

This represents my idea of a low-powered training spell many mages could learn.


Voltaric Strike
Attack
Quick Spell
Casting Cost:4
School: Mana 1 (Novice)
Range: 0-1
Target: Creature or Conjuration
ATTACK: 1 Die of Damage (Etheral)

Special:
If the single attack die does any real damage to the target (After Armor), roll and determine the secondary effect:
1 = Heal the Target 1 die
2 = No Secondary effect
3-4 = Target Creature is now Sleeping
5-6 = Target Creature Teleports 1 Square of the caster's choice
7-8 = Target Creature must Teleport 1 Square of it's choice
9-10 = Target Creature is considered Slow for its next turn
11 = Target Creature Stunned
12 = Target gains 2 Burn Tokens

If the target takes no damage from this spell for any reason, the mana for the spell is lost, but the spell is immediately placed back into the Mage's spellbook.

Card Quote: "I meant for that to happen! Honest!"

I love the idea of a Warlord caster in Mage Wars, and can't wait till they bring out the expansions.

My idea of an additional spell:  :evil:

Summon Anvil
Attack
Quick Spell
Casting Cost: 5
School: War 1 (Novice)
Range: 0-1
Target: Creature or Conjuration
ATTACK: 3 Dice Damage, Unavoidable, Stun on 6+
Special: A Warlord may avoid paying the casting cost of this spell by removing a
currently equipped item on his wizard from the game. It is considered destroyed.

Card Quote: "That bastich dropped an anvil on my head! A freakin' anvil! It even
had a demonic named carved into it: Ach'me!"  :whistle:

Part 3: Deluded

The familiar smell of mold and mildew filled Vaddic's nose as he journeyed down into his tower's dark catacombs. He was greeted by the hungry sounds of his caged Dark-Fenne Hydra. The shriek-hiss of one of his most prized possesions put a smile on his face as he nearly-unconciously released a minor spell that activated the creature's cage to provide sustenance for it. Noises even worse and louder started up as the happy Hydra dug into the large bovine that was magically projected into its cage.

Waving his hand at the portal chamber's massive stone door, its rolled aside as he approached, and just as easily rolled back into place after he had passed with barely a vibration or noise to accompany it. He found his companions standing in the blue light of his Voltori Gate readying themsleves in the chamber's storage area, packing supplies and various maps for their journey to the Darkfenne.

The largest carry-pack looked heavy to Vadicc, but his Minotaur picked it up by its straps and hooked it casually over its white-furred shoulder. He then steadied himself by leaning on his massive Trident, its sharp base spike digging another hole in his Great Aunt Emeldar's favorite rug.

Remembering how much he hated his aunt, he let his smile grow bigger as he finally stopped next to his Familiar and scuffed his boots on the rug for good measure.  

"Are we ready then? Do we need any further provisions or supplies?"
Perched on a crate nearby, the raven responded casually, "Yes Master."

Vadicc rasied an eyebrow at that.

"What? No 'I have a bad feeling about this' or 'My job is to warn you when you are sticking your neck too far out' stuff from either of you?"

The Minotaur and Raven looked at each other and back to Vadicc.

Vadicc lost his smile then as he stared at his Bodyguard and Familar. Norch was an unusual version of his species. Born weak and prone to sickness, he was an Albino minotaur with white-yellowish fur and red-tinged eyes that glowed vaguely in the dark. Minotaurs believe that strength of body, will, and spirit are their birthright and obviously live for the thrill of combat to test themselves. Vadicc was amazed Norch hadn't been sacrificed at birth to the Minotaur's "spirits" to prevent similar "weakness" from cropping up again.

Norch was truly different however, as he grew slower than his fellows and was always the weakest physically as a youth, but his mind and strength of purpose burned brighter than any other in his tribe, Vadicc had been told. Painstakingly, over years of training and work, his body finally became his. He became one of the strongest of his tribe, if not the most powerful one, and had yet to be defeated in their ritualized combat circles once he had reached his adulthood and competed. His endurance had been measured and found to be amazing to even Minotaur standards. The downside of course was that he was not as tall as most Minotaurs and was truly an ugly specimen of the species. Vadicc liked him because he had intelligence, youth and energy about him that was more than a common Mintaur bodyguard usually had.

His Familiar on the other hand was a standard raven however, rasied in the Familiar kennels by the Beastmasters of Straywood, he had been born and raised to be a Mage's Familiar. While he looked normal, the raven had a strength all his own. Most Familiars whined and griped on what they wanted or not wanted to do. Vadicc's raven acutally worried about his health and looked out for his well-being most of the time.

Strangely he also wouldn't tell Vadicc his name. All Familiars had a name, either chosen by the Familiar or given by the Beastmaster that raised them. Vadicc had taken one look at the Familiar, felt the Mana flow easily between them, and offered the Beastmaster double the cost for the raven immedately. He hadn't even been shopping for a Familiar. The Beastmaster had consulted the raven for a second, and replied with a grin Vadicc had only seen on a jungle-devil baboon once. A dead jungle-devil baboon.

"The price is fine, but there is a an additional cost."

Wary, Vadicc had eyed the Elf carefully, fully expecting him to ask for his Mage Staff or some other moronic addendum to the staggering sum he had offered.

"We will not tell you his name now. You must earn it from him."

Smirking lightly at what he thought was a bad joke he had replied easily in the affirmative.

Now he sighed heavily and looked on the namless raven Familiar and Albino minotaur, and wondered why he seemed to gather the wierdest companions.

"Time to go."

He waved a hand and linked himself to the great swirling portal, its effect centered in the Voltori artifact Gate against the far wall. The gate's motion increased steadily.

"Yes Master."

The dual reply had brought him up short, and he glanced back at the smiling minotaur. He looked at the raven too. Can a raven smile? He really felt they were almost plotting something, but brushed that off as he felt the portal steady upon their destination.

Turning suddenly, he tapped out a staccato beat with his staff upon the floor then pointed it dramatically at the portal.

"To the DARKFENNE!"

Blue-light swallowed him.

The minotuar and raven looked at each other.

"Should we stop him?"

The raven replied with weight in his voice, "The question Norch, is CAN we stop him. For now he needs this, so let's go."

Two more flashes of blue-light lit the chamber, reflecting off the distant scales of a happily dozing hydra.

Mage Wars Fan Fiction

Tales of a Mad Mage
By: themadone

Part 1: Deranged

"The Voltori Mage-Rod is not a Myth! I have seen hints of it in the ancient texts. I also think I can remake it, with your help."

The Raven familiar eyed the Wizard carefully tipping his head in various directions, but saw no magical or demonic influence upon the older man.

"You may be certain Vadicc, but that does not mean you are not crazy or just plain power-hungry."

Chuckling, the Wizard dramatically turned away from his black-feathered companion, causing his ornate blue robe to flow outward in a sweeping motion. The Raven tensed as he felt his master suddenly draw in Mana, thrust his crooked finger at a dark corner of the room, and spoke an ancient Voltori word of power.

Lightning flashed and a wiff of smoke erupted from the scorched shadows. Something small and quick scuttled through a crack in the ancient tower wall into unknown darkness.

"Damn..those Darkfenne Roaches get everywhere, and move too fast!"

"You should never have tried to use them in an Arena battle, Master."

"Yes, well...Foresight is a spell I haven't quite learned yet. Besides I thought a swarm of them would prove the perfect distraction in battle."

"At least they are giving you target practice. You were missing more often than not against that Araxian Warlock."

Vadicc replied petulantly, "He had hexed me! What was I supposed to do? How can a Mage be expected to cast lightning straight... which is a difficult enough thing to do in the first place...while his skin is peeling off?"

Grabbing an ancient black-leather book with no writing or ornamentations other than silver corner plates on the cover, Vadicc placed it on the desk next to the Raven's favorite gold-plated perch, and opened it to a book-marked area. The book mark appeared to have been once a strip of fine leather, but was now warn down by the centuries to nothing more than a meaty-looking string.

"See here in my copy of the 'Sayings of a Deranged Ivarium Journey-man' where the author claims to have met the Bog Queen who told him of an ancient device of untold Voltari power!"

"Yes... I have to agree that is exactly what it says. You do realize the book actually has 'Deranged' in the title right?"

Vadicc waved a blue-veined hand in dismissal, "Bah...the book doesn't have a title really. 'Deranged' was titled thus because the author wandered out of the Darkfenne and died the day after he penned the manuscript."

The door to the room shook slightly as someone pounded casually on it, "Master? I heard something..."

Vadicc smiled and spoke casually over his shoulder, "Nothing Norch! Just another Roach sighting."

"Yes Master... If you need me just call."

The Raven cocked his head to the side and eyed the closed door, "Your new Minotaur bodyguard seems to be working well enough."

"Yes, we'll see. I miss Unglish of course, but he was getting old, and I would have had to replace him soon enough. He did once tell me he felt that going out during a Mage War match was better than 'retiring' back to his people. Evidently Minotaurs think dying of old age is a 'bad' death."

"So that's why you threw him against that demon the Warlock summoned in that last battle?'

"No...it was a close match however, and I needed him to hold off that demon so I could finish my final spell. I don't know if he sacrificed himself on purpose in the end, but I doubt he meant to light himself on fire and burn to death."

 A long look of sadness and loss crossed the mage's face for only a moment as he stroked his flowing beard.

"Anyway...I have more proof to offer you about the rod! Shall we?"

The Familiar nodded and blinked away a small tear for the crusty Minotaur, "Of course Master. Please continue..."