9.5: Transplant and Teleportation

Excerpt from Teletesten's Log: Airship Day 1

As his stalwart companions stand by, Teletesten directs Bogden to an operating table on the flying ship. Upon him lying down Agoron turns to Bogden and says,

“This is going to hurt… A LOT.”

The amputation is, as expected, a brutal affair. Bogden’s jaw clenches, spittle spraying from between his teeth with each pass of the saw. Bogden’s breath comes in fits and starts, like an animal panting as it chews through a limb to escape a trap. Blood gouts from the arm a second before the tourniquet is applied, and after tying off the ends, Agoron leans in dabbing a clean towel across the sweat on Bogden’s brow, and says,

“We are at the halfway point, stay strong my friend, remember your strength from the giants’ slave pits.”

With a gleeful swipe Teletesten produces a biomechanical arm from a nearby counter, setting it down amongst the saws and scalpels on the tray next to the operating table. The arm, constructed mostly of ironwood with inset gears and rods providing mobility at the joints, is perfectly sized to replace the one it is to replace. He takes a moment to inspect the wound and then draws an iron from a nearby brazier, applying it to the now weeping stump at the end of Bogden’s left arm. The stout halfling’s back arches as the heat is applied, and for the first time since this began he lets loose a series of deep growls that are punctuated by the pops and crackles of burning of flesh. Damaia turns away and covers her ears, shying away from the raw agony in front of her. Norah moves to her side and attempts to comfort her with a hand on her shoulder, but Damaia shrugs her off with a snarl. Teletesten returns the rapidly cooling iron to the brazier and, flipping down a glowing lens from his goggles, begins to analyze his work.

“Yes, yes, this will do quite nicely,” he says with sense of delight dripping from his lips. Miresta face twists into a grimace and her knuckles turn white gripping the hilt of her sword, repulsed by the joy Teletesten seems to be taking in this endeavor.

Agoron turns back to Bogden after procuring a coupling device from a drawer nearby. The gleaming brass cylinder is rimmed on one side with a series of tiny questing talons, and on the other a series of threads embedded in the metal. He hands the coupler to Teletesten, who accepts it with obvious fervor.

“One last taste of pain, my friend and it will all be over,” he says as he begins fitting it over the stump at the end of Bogden’s arm.

As it fits into place, the metal talons greedily take purchase in Bogden’s bicep, and Bogden grunts, his eyes locking with Teletesten’s in a searing gaze. Agoron grips his remaining fleshy hand warmly, redirecting the barbarian’s attention onto him.

Teletesten turns to Norah and says, “Apply your divine energies to the junction of the mechanical and biological.”

With that, Norah channels the healing of Akadi which manifests as small wind slyphs rotate around Bogden’s arm. Without hesitation Bhodi moves in applying the healing from his staff, and a soft yellow light completes the bond.

“The pain is over my friend, now we will tie this ironwood arm to you,” Agoron says as he gestures to the ebon appendage on the tray. After sharing a moment of attention with Teletesten, Agoron picks it up and begins threading it on.

“It will serve you well, better than your own in most cases. But remember well the one who carved it from the hallowed trees of this sacred wood,” Agoron’s eyes briefly flick up to Teletesten’s as he finishes screwing the dark ironwood appendage into place, and after a brief sigh he continues,

“Her enmity has tainted this construct, and it will hinder you as well as help in the days to come. Would that there was more time, but here we are my friend. As when last we bid farewell you are at yet another crossroad, though this time more than just your fate is in the balance.”

With that, Teletesten begins to pass his hands over the newly bonded arm, and glowing arcane symbols blink in and out of view, the brightest are drawn down merging into the prosthesis. As he continues, his brow furrows and his gestures become more frantic, beads of sweat form on his brow, he whips a look to Carric and hisses,

“Apply your eldritch energies to these wooden muscles and sinews before they atrophy!”

Carric’s eyes flash with power as he lends his support to the operation. With the infusion of Carric’s power the arm convulses, and Agoron begins a series of diagnostics, testing the efficacy of the bond. Bogden begins to feel a burning sensation, which turns to pins and needles, and finally he feels the warmth of his friend’s hand gently massaging his own.

“It is done,” says Agoron with a sense of finality…

Excerpt from Teletesten's Log: Airship Day 2

Teletesten begins to pour a glittering green silt, forming a circle onto the ground, as he does this he says,

“This is a compound from a place far beyond your lands, called residuum. Its molecular construction ties it to the forces of time and mass, and if used correctly it can be used to transport you to a point in your proper timeline,” he pauses for a moment, completing a particularly delicate rune.

“Used improperly, it could scatter your atoms to the winds of the astral sea, or lead you to any number of unpleasant, painful demises. But worry not, I am an adept in the use of such a powerful material, you will return home, safe and sound.”

He trails off into muttering to himself and continues pouring the sparkling sands here and there completing another series of arcane symbols, and as he does so Agoron approaches the party.

“Forgive my somewhat morbid incarnation, he is a bit too enamored with the artifice of our arcane studies. His studies have led him on a road that has shriven him from his sense of mortality, and dare I say his humanity, but he has his uses.” With a sidelong glance at Teletesten, Agoron continues.

“You go forth to face an arch mage amongst mages, Mithindril is no small foe, the the mages assisting him are some of the best the towers have to offer. He seeks to power a wall in this realm, a wall that already exists now in this time, and will continue to exist if you fail to stop him where we are about to send you. He has taken four mages from this world with him, they serve as conduits which he will use to drain the mystical power from the Mythal of Evereska.

“I have researched this type of transference, and inherent in the flow of power the mages serving as a conduit will be drained of their arcane abilities, so as you encounter them they may well be weakened by the transfer process”, Agoron pauses deep in thought.

“I have looked into the events that are transpiring, and the point in time where you will be arriving is during an assault on the city of Evereska, I assume Mithindril is using this as a distraction to cover his theft. Bogden, you know me, and I hope that our bond will extend to the people you are with, for trust is of the essence in this situation.”

With this said, Agoron reaches into his trench coat, drawing forth a device of burnished steel with a small blue gem inset above a black button under a transparent cover. He offers the device to the group with these instructions.

“Once you have completed your mission, flip up this cover and press the button to return to your place in the timeline. You should arrive in your time at the same physical location from which you left in the past.”

Looking over to Teletesten he finds that he his twin has completed the arcane diagram on the ground at the center of the grove. Agoron draws Bogden into a bear hug, clapping him mightily on the back.

“Be well my friends, and the best of luck in the coming trial, it will test you greatly, but I am confident you will triumph.”

Teletesten waves the group over, and leads the way to the center, careful to not disturb any of the now pulsing runes. He then takes up a position at the north end of the mystical diagram, while Agoron moves to the south. They begin a low chanting in an unintelligible language, and has it reaches its height there is a bright flash, and the party is now standing on a rocky plateau surrounded by lush greenery.

Immediately to the north you see a group of four figures standing in cardinal positions around a massive moss covered stone. The air is charged with energy, and a crackling field forms a sphere around them, bathing them in pale blue. The spheres each connect to another that floats over the stone with tendrils of power that carry pulses of energy from the mages arrayed below. The mage inside the central sphere turns his head as you arrive, his eyes narrow and he throws out his arms in a gesture that releases two of the mages from their respective spheres.

“Make quick work of these interlopers! They cannot be allowed to thwart what we have started!”