drsawzall

And now the begin to face danger and uncertain future, I suspect it won't be easy...

Well, things are still in a pickle as regarding the diplomatic front as it would appear someone(s) nose is seriously out of joint. Not only have they discouraged their illegal expansion/island building, but they are hitting their merchants in the wallet... Let's hope their time on the station is calm and peaceful...tho Quokka may have other plans for the boys...

Thank goodness I had lunch before eating/reading this chapter!!!! In the midst of a heat wave here in the Boston Ma area, once it breaks, guess what I'm making!!!!

Course when this is all over, @weinerdog, it is high time to use their magick to get the cafeteria food dispensers to make...

A very powerful chapter to say the least, the reality of what they are facing had been made starkly clear. It appears that there can be no detente with the dark mages. I hold out hope that somehow Jamie and his fellow travelers find a way to neuter/neutralize Porvus and his minions. We've yet to meet the Pertwee and am left wondering there may be some nascent magickal talent among them like Bastyin and the Lachess. This begs the question concerning the Lachess and the Pertwee, would/is it possible that Jamie and our fellow travelers, raise a sizeable force of magickal users?? I realize that Bastyin is an outlier, but where there's one, might others have the ability laying dormant??? if there were enough mages created they could simply do to Porvus et al what was done to Artagon. Rather than kill, entrap them till the span of their lives end. "A dispersion field for electrums," Jamie acknowledged. "It can be tied two ways: to disperse from without, or to disperse from within. This one was tied to disperse from the inside." He shook his head in wonder. "It was culled from Master Thorvil's magick tomes in an instant of need by the lens. The field contained Artagon's primary offensive magicks long enough for him to see the futility of their wielding." Of course another punishment would reduce them to...

A very interesting chapter to say the least, time is drawing close to head out. Hopefully the grades will be posted before they leave... I enjoyed the history bits about the Native American Indians. For anyone interested in knowing a bit more I recommend the following book... https://www.amazon.com/Mans-Rise-Civilization-Cultural-Indians/dp/0140153233

What if the deceased was left as a message, it would be of significant import. It would imply that their progress of their travels, through the wondrous tunnels of the ancients, is somehow being tracked. One way would be by the use of the devices they have learned to ease their journey, could the power required somehow be monitored?

Wouldn't that be more like a wait and see hanger??

Can we say who is who???

Oh boy aren't we all in for...

And us commentators loving the return and byplay!!

A poignant story of survival and redemption, Seeing grace and favor where most would least expect. Leaving one much ponder with plenty of food for thought!

As a confirmed agnostic, this story spoke volumes to me. I am glad the cycle of abuse was broken, that Steven and his mother were able to move on, survive Ian,what a putz, and find a relationship that works. I have to agree with @raven1, wholeheartedly as I hear the same small voice. I thought the following was so well said.... Giorgio felt tears well. “Oh, my love. If you want to know God truly then you must live the life He gave to you. You must be who you are. When you do, you will see and hear God always. In the bird’s song, in children’s laughter and tears and you will know it when I hold you in my arms. God does not live in churches; He lives in us every day.”

Talk about breaking new ground... "I don't think so. If we enter the nether only in our thoughts, how then do the magicks we create there apply themselves to our physical bodies? It seems that could only happen if we are in some way completely exposed to the nether." Garvin scratched at his chin. "Some strange interface takes place, you mean? Perhaps, as if the nether comes to us in these moments?" Snave offered a pleasant chuckle at that. "I fear we play word games with a process we simply don't understand." Jamie laughed, too. "All of magick is thus, Snave. A riddle, in which we understand the words, but not always the true meanings behind them. Most mages perform their magicks daily without much thought to what is actually happening. It seems we know the making of magicks, but perhaps not the processes behind them. Not as well as we have long thought, anyway." I believe they are close to breaking the enigma code of the nether, having the ability to shut down Porvus and gang before the action starts "Even if this idea is true, how does it help us?" Geert asked. Jamie nodded. "When we perform a magick, we see the lock tied in our mind. I suggest that what actually happens is that our mind, via our knack, in some way opens a window into the nether, and what we are observing is our manipulation of forces there. If that is true, then we all have the ability to do this for our own magick. What we need then do is find a way to open such a window to view what other mages are doing when they tie their own locks." One can fervently hope this an all be resolved without, for the lack of better words, bloodshed and the evil ones banished,and their magickal ability neutered...and as @Ivor Slipper stated, they become appendices to history of this quest

From your fingers on the keyboard Cal, to God's ears...thank you!! “I had a good time tonight and I love Aunt Pat. We have created a family there.”

The old adage applies here...There may be snow on the roof but there's fire in the furnace... Love is ageless and sex isn't the province of the young and inexperienced...

A short but thrilling mystery involving a severe beating, a host of suspects and 3 deceased victims. Fast paced, well developed leads and enough mystery to whet anyone's whistle!!

A very nice mystery with a unique twist, like others I was rootin for Bobert, and I may have missed it, but was he left handed? Needless to say, this was very entertaining, kudos SA!!!

All I got is...

Nearly at the halfway point the order of magnitude for our band of intrepid explorers have encountered Porvus, and he proves he's not infallible nor invincible...a worthy opponent to say the least. As @akascrubber noted, a trip to the nether just might be in order... Hoping they take some time for further explorations at the next tower and see if there may be found an advantage. There is a danger in that Porvus knows of the wonder of the ancients, and in that, might be able to follow their journey by monitoring the electrums used to speed their journey through the tunnels... I am confident tho, in the end Porvus just may sit on a shelf somewhere... It was a man's face, and the face of a fox, certainly, thin and somehow sly. He had a head of thick, gray hair, and a black leather eye-patch, adorned with a diamond, tied about his head on a wide leather strap. The eye they could see was a fierce gray; and now it trained upon them, even as a faint trace of surprise registered on those somewhat sinister features.

Reminded of the old song lyrics...Bad boy, bad boy...whatcha gonna do...

Thought you knew all there was to know about Orc's...read on to find out what you may have overlooked!!

Well done SA, a great job creating an interesting take on the Orc's, as others have noted, more of this story would be welcome...

As with the other commenters, our thoughts and prayers are with you. Cherish the good days and hold to dear memories on the other days. If you ever need, you have friends here.

Well then it just may be a...