[02.12]

It had been several, long feeling, days since the wedding of the Human Mage-Lord to her now Orc Warchief husband, and Tarvek considered it a good thing in having had free time to fully complete their temporary home within the city. The former smithy was now a solid two-story bunker shrine-smithy now, though reinforcing the walls, replacing windows, and adding a wind turbine to the roof had reduced living and working space somewhat. Janet and Mayuko didn't mind it though, especially now they had electrical power and functioning indoor plumbing. Tarvek was quite glad of such indulgences, as well as a coffee machine, in his day-to-day schedule as well.

Those few days had bought them time free…or relatively free at least…of 'guests' and interest from the populace as local politics and other such gossip dominated local minds. Some arrived to watch him pray, train in the yard, or work the smithy there, when outside, but they'd been largely left be and he'd made use of that time to train Mayuko as best he could. All while spending several hours each day working on the house and studying the readings from the sensors he'd installed on the roof alongside the wind turbine. There was plenty of wind here, as well as magic on those winds surprisingly enough; - sufficient for needs, just as purchase of local ingredients filled some alchemical needs as well. At least enough for Janet to safely follow his instructional notes.

'Plenty today, of both wind and arcane flows with a storm' he mused walking up to the, admittedly crude some would argue, tracking instruments in the style of weather barometer crossed with a mechanical clock. Outside it was easy to see that storm, with rain pelting off the windows and the sounds of howling winds through the streets sounding faintly through those parts open just a crack for fresh air. The hearth with its blazing fire was unaffected thankfully, showing he'd managed to get that done right in relation to controlled airflow and entry through it. Janet was within the alchemy lab, with Mayuko with her, hopefully learning something as Tarvek dealt with the local elf archmage who'd returned once more as emissary of his fellow local mages.

Who was, politely, studying the room, or perhaps the electrical systems or the readings Tarvek was looking at as the mage filled a glass with mead he'd been offered "A honey wine, curious"

"Mead from a human realm from my home planes, one still has a small stock and feel the urge this eve, with the poor weather" Tarvek answered, holding a bottle in hand "No demands or overly demanding requests this day one hopes?"

"No, this would be a friendly visit Sir Tav" the elf in his glamour answered "Nor to speak of such alcoholic beverages neither, though we could summon a dwarf I know for such discussions"

"Another time perhaps" Tarvek said turning back to the local Archmage, Krasus, motioning for the wizard to take a seat as Tarvek moved to do the same opposite him over the small side table between couches "Though it is good to hear agreements remain in effect"

"They do, and this is perhaps more…a polite query than any demand for answers" the elf answered with a nod, free hand touching a leather document pouch-pack at his side "There has been some troublesome news this day, and I have been made to suspect this bad weather as you called it….is part of that concern"

Tarvek hummed in thought after a swig of the golden liquid, frowning then at the elf "Perhaps the high energy, of the arcane kind, within storm is abnormal. One has noticed it, but…we hath not been upon this plane long enough to judge if this normal"

"No, this would not be normal to our understanding, not beyond controlled actions of a mage, and this is more…uncontrolled, shall we say?" the elf paused, considering something as he sipped his drink before speaking again "Or, perhaps, we could speak of it being the results of something in the seas we aren't quite understanding of. A sailor, with a mage of some talent, came upon some concerning sights east and north of this city"

"Guessin' tis related to our status as Outsiders, aye?" Tarvek guessed with a grumbling sigh, the other male giving a polite nod as Tarvek shrugged "Aye, then show what is in yon pouch ye carry"

"Indeed, in such matters it is best to consult fellows of knowledge on these concerns, and, having discussed with my peers, an outside…advisor may yield some help in identifying a concern" the elf mage replied with a polite, perhaps friendly, smile as he placed the rectangular document folder on the table, opening it up to reveal some surprisingly well drawn sketches being pull out "These drawings were made by said mage, which we understand to be the source of this storm…and others"

Tower in a storm or fogbank was how Tarvek could describe it, though some placed beside it were several magical imbued rocks "Along with some wreckage recovered"

"An artist and a scavenger? An odd combination in a sailor-mage" Tarvek murmured, for…well, it was curious how powerful such spell would be at the epicentre of such an arcane rite to imbue rocks so as he took one up in hand and scanned it. Well scanned it, and looked it with his own eyes as he turned one of the pieces over between his fingers "It must have been very intense judging from the, ah, energy within"

"She said yes, it was a disturbingly powerful storm, and she is quite the artist when she sets her mind to such a task" the elf answered with a smile "But her concerns drove her to raise questions over this strange tower in a storm on an island…well, where there should yet be no such tower. Or storm"

He paused gesturing forward with his glass of mead to the stone Tarvek held, and the ones on the picture sketches upon the table "That feel as some matters we hath discussed before feel to my senses as a mage of some experience"

Tarvek hummed in thought, placing down the stone, spreading out the sketches and looking them over "Aye, one can see why. This is about the dragon-elf-mage, aye?"

"Perhaps" the native archmage held out his hands in a sign of helplessness or confusion "Or is there another option unconsidered"

The sketches were of a tower in a storm. The stones imbued with faintly familiar energies, or at least end results impacting within a similar range to…

"Tis the similarity to one's dimensional anchor. At least superficially or in the effort" he answered a few moments with a frown. That would be very concerning for his own efforts if it was, in fact, what he suspected it might be. Something he'd have to put forward as he paused, concerning what he could actually reveal under his oaths "If one is correct in a guess….it is a Strategic, or Global, version of such a Dimensional Anchor"

He considered, then gave a nod "Mine own folk utilise such defences, in concept at least as the designs are likely radically different, for our own planes. They are akin to raising a wall around a settlement in terms of most basic of conceptual terms, with what it stands wall against dependent upon the workings of the mages and engineers involved"

The elven archmage used his free hand to touch his chin, clearly in thought "To bar invaders as the orcs came before, yes?"

"Aye, and being of other planes than the material not native. Some might be forced out, such as daemons or those of the divine summons. In theory such as oneself and my females might be ejected, though such spellcraft is very rare as we are merely from a different material plane rather than a truly different plane of existence" Tarvek gave an unhappy grunt "It would, likely, seal such portals as one seeks to exit"

"The Scourge, what impact upon such?"

Tarvek gave an awkward shrug "That…one cannot say for sure, for that would require many months, perhaps years, of study of scholars or magi of this plane, and such beings. In theory if they draw strength external of this plane, then they will be weakened. If they drawn power from this plane, then, no, they would not. Thy next question is likely of time travelling dragons, yes?"

The elven man gave a sad chuckle "Yes, perhaps it was"

"If it is based upon one's own anchors….then, likely is the least of answers. Yes, is probably the most obvious, for such is a major reason to build such a thing. Heh, such madness" Tarvek sat back into his couch, taking a swig and thinking…speculating "Storms are a side-effect perhaps? Our defences are rarely opposed in their construction after all. Time…temporal effects are beyond one's own knowledge. Merely that one's Mage-Lord calls it nonsense, or in such words - Timey-Wimey Bullshit in complaint of effects. When Cause and Effect breaks down, then mortal minds struggle with the paradoxical illogic"

Gods, Tarvek had read of the Dragon Breaks in studies, and they still make any sense to him now….

'It may make portals be more apparent in the short-term though if these storms are a side-effect' he considered then, and began to think through the matter. He needed more information, for if that was the situation then the clock was tick-tick-ticking for how long they had to find a portal and leave this plane…