The Coming of Winter

(The Provinces: Lirisa 361)

I got news of this Conversation from the Sorrow Recon team and as it has not been put on the Taverns News I thought I should pass it on.

We saw Venerable Adept Jalerid Haesean, a Human Warrior Mage. He has crystal blue eyes, short curly amber hair that is unkempt, and pale skin. He is venerable for a Human. He has a long thick mustache on his upper lip and a thick shaggy beard. He is holding a silvery white wand in his right hand.

He is wearing a sturdy backpack, a large sack, some black leather boots, a bag-sleeved blue leine, some matte black ring mail forged with irregularly spaced silver links, some white woolen trousers, a long black hooded cloak, a silvered chain balaclava, a pearl white backsheath, some silvered mail gauntlets and a pearl white wand belt.

The silvery wand that Jalerid holds shimmers like none other you have ever seen before.

Axenar said, "I could perhaps attempt to tingle it from your hands, though I doubt that would work.. I am very bad at that"

Rayfe said, "You should see one of the clerics we have employed in the city about it"

Jalerid said, "It could be that, I s’pose. Old cheat what sold it to me is gonna get a nice fire shard in the bottom."

Ice Crystals rain down and then the large tree is suddenly encased in a glittering sheet of ice!

Jalerid said, "Some old guy. Don’t know his name."

Jalerid exclaimed, "Goosh gosh. Look at that tree!"

Jalerid said, "Maybe it does just need a bit more fiddling with the pattern."

Jalerid held a silvery white wand in both hands and closed his eyes in concentration.

Rayfe said, "I don’t… before it just knocked ya down" and nodded to Jalerid "Now ice crystals are raining down"

Jalerid said, "Then I tinkered with it. Then I could hit the tree."

Jalerid said, "Just needs a bit more tinkering to hit a mobile target, I’ll bet."

Axenar asked, "Did you change the spell pattern, or just how much mana was in it?"

Jalerid said, "Well… I may have moved a line or two a little bit."

I said, "Wow… How ya do that?"

Rayfe asked, "If ya move the lines, does it change the nature of the spell?"

Jalerid said, "Oh, pish posh. I’ve been doing this for years."

Jalerid said, "Ready? Gonna try this again now."

A steady stream of icy crystals flies from the tip of the wand, landing all around and growing into larger patches of ice.

Jalerid waved his wand around wildly, saying, "Oh dear."

The stream of icy crystals turns into a river, turning the entire area into a sheet of ice.

Jalerid put his hand over the tip of the wand. The wand blew up in Jalerid’s hand, showering everything with icy crystals. A pained expression crossed his face.

An icy wind blew past us, coating everything in a thin layer of ice. A dark bank of clouds rolled in overhead, heavy with the promise of snow.

Rayfe exclaimed, "You charged it too much!"

Our breath turned frosty as the temperature dropped rapidly. I glanced up at the sky. It’s a blizzard!

Jalerid grinned sheepishly, "Sorry?" Jalerid stared at the sky perplexedly. "I didn’t even get to keep the wand."

Axenar asked, "yeah, do ya have a spring wand?"

Jalerid said, "I just borrow… er… bought the one."

Axenar raised his eyebrow at the mage, "What ya mean borrowed???"

Jalerid blanched.

Rayfe asked, "You mean the old man doesn’t know you took it?"

Jalerid blushed a bright red color.

Habiba said, "errm that old man is going to be mad"

Jalerid said, "Only if he finds out."

Jalerid said, "Of course, with this, he just might."

Jalerid said, "He just… umm… was being selfish with it."

Axenar said, "well, im sure he’s getting the cold weather right about now"

I asked, "Are you an apprentice?"

Jalerid said, "Bah. Not a bit. I’ve been doing this since I was younger than yourself."

I asked, "Im 54, how old are you?" and peered quizzically at him.

Jalerid said, "I’ve 70 grand years."

Rayfe asked, "Um. You never asked him what the wand did?"

Jalerid said, "That one was just a bit of an ice patch, I thought."

Rayfe said, "You changed the lines in it too"

Jalerid said, "And moved that third line of power a bit too much to the left."

I asked, "do your explode wands much?"

Jalerid said, "Well… not much, I wouldn’t say."

Jalerid said, "Perhaps he has a nice zephyr wand around somewhere."

Jalerid said, "I think I should go to the library and do a bit of research perhaps."

I told him, "try not to cause a typhoon while youre there"

Jalerid said, "I’ll… I’ll try not to."

Habiba said, "traders arnt going to be happy with this weather"

Jalerid waved at us.

I added, "bards and moonies are going to SCREAM." "in fact, lemme start that off."

Jalerid said, "Or something."

Habiba reached her shaking hands out toward Jalerid, face twisted in an odd grin.

Jalerid blushed a bright red color.

Rayfe laughed at Jalerid.

Venerable Adept Jalerid went west.