Dar-Kavryn
13-09-2004, 23:19
While assorted nobles, politicians, leaders, and other important people watched, exactly 101 mages worked furiously in a large courtyard. Ten busied themselves with an array of crystals, working a complicated combination of scrying spell and illusion. Sixty stood chanting in a great circle, with an intricate pattern of runes and symbols marked in over a dozen different substances in its center. Thirty were gathered in a cluster between the other two groups, talking rapidly about last minute details. The remaining mage was Kaldor, one of the highest ranking sorcerors in the kingdom, and a specialist in battle magic. He stood near the chanting circle, overseeing their work and guiding the spell they were preparing.
As the chanting rose to a climax, a huge fireball appeared in the air above the courtyard. It glowed more an more brightly, until, when the chant ended, it shone like a second sun in the sky.
Kaldor strode swiftly over to the second group; as they worked, the glowing sphere accelerated toward the coast. The scryers followed the fireball, an image of the view from behind and above it projected upon one wall of the courtyard. A few minutes later, it left the coast of Dar-Kavryn and soared out over the ocean. Finally, it reached a small, uninhabited island near the coastline. The ball of flames dropped onto the island (about one square mile in surface area), and in moments a terrible inferno covered it completely. Waves boiled into steam as they splashed into the conflagration. Several minutes later, the flames died out; only blackened stone remained of the tiny isle.
As servants rushed about carrying refreshments to the exhausted mages, Kaldor approached the king. He was leaning heavily on his wooden staff.
"Well, I certainly don't look forward to doing that again, but at least we know the process works."
King Taryd nodded grimly. "I hope we never need to organize such an effort again, but it is good to know that we can."
OOC: No announcement of the test was made, but no effort was made to hide it. Anyone familiar with magic who was paying attention to the area would know that a spell of mass destruction was cast, and anyone not familiar with magic might still have noticed the effects. Feel free to post a response, but there was not anyone on the island, including another nation's covert operations crew.
As the chanting rose to a climax, a huge fireball appeared in the air above the courtyard. It glowed more an more brightly, until, when the chant ended, it shone like a second sun in the sky.
Kaldor strode swiftly over to the second group; as they worked, the glowing sphere accelerated toward the coast. The scryers followed the fireball, an image of the view from behind and above it projected upon one wall of the courtyard. A few minutes later, it left the coast of Dar-Kavryn and soared out over the ocean. Finally, it reached a small, uninhabited island near the coastline. The ball of flames dropped onto the island (about one square mile in surface area), and in moments a terrible inferno covered it completely. Waves boiled into steam as they splashed into the conflagration. Several minutes later, the flames died out; only blackened stone remained of the tiny isle.
As servants rushed about carrying refreshments to the exhausted mages, Kaldor approached the king. He was leaning heavily on his wooden staff.
"Well, I certainly don't look forward to doing that again, but at least we know the process works."
King Taryd nodded grimly. "I hope we never need to organize such an effort again, but it is good to know that we can."
OOC: No announcement of the test was made, but no effort was made to hide it. Anyone familiar with magic who was paying attention to the area would know that a spell of mass destruction was cast, and anyone not familiar with magic might still have noticed the effects. Feel free to post a response, but there was not anyone on the island, including another nation's covert operations crew.