Entry tags:
Search for traps and treasure
There is a library.
It is actually an excellent example of one: it has books on history and philosophy and astronomy and science and languages and even a little modest section for storybooks, tucked in a corner against the wall. These books are all easy to pick up off the shelves and read, like ordinary libraries.
The books on magic, on the other hand, are behind locked and spelled glass, with their position signatures scrambled and constantly shifting so they can't be teleported away, each one built to set off a silent alarm that'll alert the owner if touched, and to turn completely blank if opened without permission. And then burst into flames if someone tries to force it to show what it's hiding or tampered with in the wrong sort of way.
Just another day in Kystle. Stealing peeks from books in a mage's library is not recommended for the casual reader.
It is actually an excellent example of one: it has books on history and philosophy and astronomy and science and languages and even a little modest section for storybooks, tucked in a corner against the wall. These books are all easy to pick up off the shelves and read, like ordinary libraries.
The books on magic, on the other hand, are behind locked and spelled glass, with their position signatures scrambled and constantly shifting so they can't be teleported away, each one built to set off a silent alarm that'll alert the owner if touched, and to turn completely blank if opened without permission. And then burst into flames if someone tries to force it to show what it's hiding or tampered with in the wrong sort of way.
Just another day in Kystle. Stealing peeks from books in a mage's library is not recommended for the casual reader.

no subject
"These are really good!" Tierval says enthusiastically.
no subject
no subject
no subject
"So," observes Lady Larivias, "I happened to notice that all of the estate's defenses look to be completely untouched." Tea sip.
no subject
Tierval snorts slightly.
no subject
"Do you have tips for making this a more difficult house?"
no subject
"It took two," Serin corrects, but he looks slightly pleased.
"You could've kept us out if you'd had an air displacement alarm, but those are a total beast to cast and a huge pain to fine-tune so they don't go off when you breathe in your sleep but still catch teleporters okay," says Tierval. "And you have to turn them on and off every day or put up with them yelling at you for walking through your own house, because if they do an identity check he can just spoof it and if they have enough leeway to let you walk around he can just mimic the right air movement patterns. You might actually be better off just being happy that most people who want to break into your house aren't Serin."
"The situation may not be quite that hopeless," says Serin, amused.
no subject
no subject
Orion, meanwhile, eats cookies and drinks tea and listens. It's hard to tell whether he's following along. Actually, it's a little hard to remember he's even there, with both of his brothers going on like that.
no subject
(When Orion runs out of cookies she fetches more. Looks like she hasn't forgotten him, even with his brothers going on like that.)
Eventually, when they are out of suggestions, she looks over her notes and nods. "Thank you, this will be very helpful."
no subject
no subject
"Time to talk to your parents?"
no subject
"Do you want us to teleport you there, since you don't know where it is?" offers Tierval.
no subject
"If you wouldn't mind."
no subject
Then they all neatly vanish, Lady Larivias included, and appear on the wide porch of a charming little house tucked into a small grassy valley. It's all very picturesque.
Tierval opens the door. (If Lady Larivias is paying very close attention indeed, she will notice Serin tagging her with a 24-hour guest pass in their extremely impressive security system. If she is paying even closer attention, she will notice Tierval deliberately triggering a very specific alarm as he steps inside.)
"Come in," Orion invites. "Our parents will be awake in a minute."
It's much darker here than it was in her house, and when Orion looks up at her his eyes shine a brilliant silver, like tiny blazing moons.
no subject
But she does notice the eyes. No bloodline she knows of, even the third, could account for shining silver eyes. If it's not a cosmetic choice added by magic, that answers a few questions, and raises a lot more. If it's true. If.
"Thank you." Inside she goes. She considers the triplets, and does not violate their consent by checking to see if they're either halfbloods or not. Even if she dearly wants to and has her suspicions. "Interesting cosmetic choice for your eyes. You have good taste."
no subject
"Mother's coming," observes Serin.
no subject
"Good morning, boys," she says. "Hello, stranger."
"Hello, Mother," the triplets chorus.
"This is Lady Teheli Larivias," Serin adds.
"We broke into her library," Tierval says contritely.
"But we're sorry and we promised not to do it again," says Orion.
Their mother becomes progressively more amused over the course of this explanation. She looks at Lady Larivias for comment.
no subject
no subject
"They were really good cookies!" says Orion.
"Her daughter is cool and I wanna be her friend," says Tierval.
"Well, far be it from me to stand in your way," she says. "Assuming Lady Larivias has no objections...?"
no subject
no subject
"Yes, Mother," Tierval and Orion respond in unison.
Serin's mind seems to have wandered; he just says, "Mm."
no subject
no subject
Tierval and Orion both look very contrite. Serin continues to be off in his own little world.
no subject
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)