Colonel Tanya, of a Night Watch that does not exist, has been in the Pump House for some time. For the first few hours she just stared at the water as it flowed, and then she began drawing on the walls, and the floor, and cursing the lack of access to the ceiling. Finally, after touching a wand in her right hand to the red scribbles and loops and sigils, she stands back and looks around her. There is Danielle - Tanya was concentrating too hard to pay attention to who was in the room, beyond asking them not to move their own magic around for a while.
The walls glow briefly, and then sputter out. Tanya mutters something that sounds like swearing in a foreign language. Then she moves to Thari. "Damnit. There's a leak I can't see."

Danielle peers at all of this unable to make heads or tails of whhat the mage was trying to accomplish, nothing left but to ask "What are you trying to do. Have you an approximate idea of where the leak is or how large?"

The pump continues to move, slowly.

"If I knew where it was, I'd get it. But there's something unaccounted for, and it's bigger here than anywhere else. This is like the effect of the fountain - something leaks and I can't put my finger on it. But it's like it's all over, not anywhere in particular." Tanya looks around, gives Gavin a nod as well.

\

Gavin had been busy with the fact that Amethyst was now a dragon. He'd stopped in to check on the water pump. He looks around for a moment, "This is not math." He says plainly. "Please tell me there's no more beet juice?"

"This is related to mathematics," Tanya says, "But mostly it's about energy. The magical part of physics. Would you like something to fight instead?"

Gavin shrugs, "Personnally? I would but that would disrupt what you are doing? How goes your study?"

Danielle says, "pose nods "Oh you're not talking about water. You're talking about..." She concentrates on the pattern or whatever passes for power now in this upsidedown inside out existence they inhabit"

Danielle nods "Oh you're not talking about water. You're talking about..." She concentrates on the pattern or whatever passes for power now in this upsidedown inside out existence they inhabit

The answer from Garin is a sigh. "I'm pretty sure there's something big here which is... you know when you've got oil on water, and the water helps the oil to float away? Like I'm trying to draw in oil colours but there's water in the way. But I'm serious about the fighting. My own personal ability to put down damage probably needs testing."

Danielle rolls with advantage 1 at difficulty 15, using occult, pattern meditation.
The result is a success.

To Danielle, the Pattern, or its equivalent feeling, rises around her. The mere magic that Tanya has drawn, with all its subtlety and power, is just a discoloured patch of emotion, a long way off.

\

"If it is needed. It would be foolish to stand in the way of progress cause I don't care for either magic or math." The Knight says. He crosses his arms.

Tanya is short, stocky, and armed with a sword that looks like a museum piece. She limps when she walks. She gives Gavin an upward glance, cocking her head a little to make it easier. "Do you know how much you can bench-press? Do you know what a bench-press is?"

Danielle frowns "i'm getting the same sense for what it's worth. It's apples and ornges, oil and water. you're magic doesn't seem to fit tight anymore than mine does. Whatever this "not pattern is. it's far more pervasive

At that word, Tanya seems to come to a full halt, stopping to stare at Danielle. "Wait, you're allowed to TELL me about that?"

Dirk walks over quietly and sighs softly.

\

Gavin points to the anvil over in the distance. "I can bench that. Though to say I've found my max, I cannot."

"Hey, sweet-cheeks," Tanya says absently.

Dirk smiles "Hello na'am."

The anvil gets a smirk. "Now iron, iron's an interesting metal," Tanya says, musing.

Dirk looks at Gavin and the anvil with a tiny growl.

Danielle shrugs "When and if we find them don't tell the elders on on me, alright. We can't figure this shit out if we don't work together

\

"Iron sharpens Iron." Gavin says as he stands next to Tanya. Then he looks back at Dirk. "Did I do something to offend? Is this your anvil?"

Tanya nods to Danielle. "Some time, let me know what's up and I'll... lat's get drunk together." Then she goes over to look at the anvil, and around the area. She tries to push it over. She completely can't.

Dirk says "No and no. I am just irritated that I have just one hand right now. I am a sailor not a blacksmith."

Tanya snorts, amused. "If you two can come here and have a push of war, and if you're about equal or we can make you so, I can test this. I've corrupted Dirk but not Gavin."

Gavin looks at Tanya, "Corrupt?"

"When at least one man and any number of other people bump uglies, some magic gets interchanged. Wands are... look, this is not the time for a basic biology lesson. Corrupted. Magically. He enjoyed it. Leave it at that." Tanya's expression is smug.

Dirk stays quiet at the sudden turn of the conversation. He does walks over to the avil.

\

"Ah.. Indeed. I've been busy being corrputed by another." Gavin says as he moves up to the anvil. He looks at Dirk giving the man a moment get set then himself prepared. "Tell us when to start."

Danielle looks at Dirk "We're all struggling here. Tanya and I feel like we're fighting with one hand too. our magic isn't work. gavin feels out of place because he can't do magic. gavin is frustrated because he can't help wit magic growling won't help.

Dirk is ready to get ready to push the anvil.

Danielle looks at tanya 'the..energy seems to follow the flow of the fight from what i've seen before let's see if it holds

"Corruption's good. The two of you, try to push against each other, and what I'll be doing is tipping this just a bit." Tanya limps over to her staff. "Danielle, can you watch and see when what I'm using goes easier, when it's harder? Don't tell me until afterwards." She walks back, still limping, staff in her right hand. "Right, ready to go? Play push when you're ready."

Gavin rolls with advantage 0 at difficulty 18, using athletics.
The result is a success.

Dirk rolls with advantage -1 at difficulty 18, using no talents or gifts.
The result is a failure.

Filinia flips a coin. The result is: Tails

Danielle rolls with advantage 1 at difficulty 15, using occult, magic sense.
The result is a success.

Dirk rolls with advantage 0 at difficulty 18, using no talents or gifts and spending will.
The result is a success.

\

Gavin leans into the anvil and feels him at first succeeding and then it stops. "Are you still doing this fair Dirk?"

Dirk keeps pushing. "Doing the best I can." He growls and pushes harder.

While the men struggle and shove, Colonel Tanya sets her staff on the floor not far behind Dirk, and leans it towards the anvil. Then she leaves it jammed there, against her foot, and frees up her right hand by letting go of it. To Gavin, that feels like someone just started helping Dirk, and then eased off a bit - but it means it's very difficult to win the shoving match, despite everything. Tanya has made it approximately equal. Then she pulls her wand from a holster, tiptoes away from the staff - which stays where it is as long as she points her wand at it - and goes up towards the anvil.
What Danielle see is that the Colonel has set up a force that she is controlling with her wand, and her right hand. Then as she stands by the altar, Tanya's left hand lights up, in the magical realm, and Dirk gets the benefit of that, which Danielle can clearly see. She can also see what is being bled away and how, given the sheer amoung that Tanya is putting out - some of the magic in the room is vanishing downwards, towards the Pattern.
What Dirk feels is like a shove to his muscles, a sudden surge of strength.

Dirk pushes as hard as he can.

As Dirk pushes, Tanya switches to helping Gavin. Blood splashes from her left hand onto the altar, and now it is Gavin who feels the help in his muscles, the sudden ability to push a little harder.

Danielle blinks, opens her mouth and closes it remember tonya's admonition to wait to the closing of the experiment, yet her eyes follow something unseen a downward motion

\

Gavin feels the strength coursing through him and he leans into it even more pressing back. "So you can affect us. Can you affect the anvil directly? Can you transmute it?"

"No grain," Tanya says. "It's cast. But..." She steps back, and gives a smile and then hold sout her left hand, spraying blood on both of the struggling men. "Best not..." Abruptly she stops helping either. Her wand drops back into its holster, and her right hand grips her left. The staff she was supporting clatters to the ground and Dirk is suddenly without help, although the altar just about stays still. Just about. It is clear that Gavin would eventually win, for the anvil and the wooden base it is on grind slightly across the floor towards Dirk. To Danielle's sight Tanya looks unbalanced now, struggling to contain what is in her. "I could have shot it. But I'd lose my left hand."

Dirk says "stop pushing Gman so I can stop."

\

Gavin stops pushing and steps away quickly. He was pacing a bit as he seemes a bit worked up from the work out.

Tanya says glumly. "I need to remember I'm not artillery. But that... what do you think, Danielle?" She looks like she is clinging to the question to avoid looking at the blood dripping between her clenched fingers.

Danielle blinks "Are you alright. Pushing to hard? "she queries "Sometimes we have to dare...the pat. power whatever it is is is siphoning off magic which make no sense why would a different form of energy altogether?"

"Oh, because it needs to power itself," Tanya says. "All of... well, where I was from the Pattern was the end of the Grand Wand - the universe. But here it's different. Only it probably still needs something, and takes what's lying around. And ow." Foreign-language swearing happens.

Dirk sighs and rubs his missing hand's location. "I want my little girl. "

\

"The unicorn? Wasn't it powered by the unicorn?" Gavin asks as he retutns to join them.

"The what?" Tanya gives Gavin a look. "That was dead. Oh. Except maybe for you?"

Danielle blinks as she considers both tanya and gavin's words "I always thought of the pattern as a power source not a conduit but that makes sense but if its now cannabalizing power wherever it can, what powered it before, if not the unicorn as gavin says. i get the distinct sense this realm doesn't operate in normal parameters even for itself

Dirk looks like he's lost.

Tanya gives Dirk a glance, and says, "Come look after me. Bandage." She's not moving, but she is giving the man something important to do.

Dirk moves and starts to look after Tanya. He starts to stare at the place Arden is supposed to be.

\

GAvin shrugs, "I thought the unicorn was the source of the patterns power. I may be wrong." He gestures around, "I only half understand this at best." Gavin shrugs. "But that's my thoughts on the matter. I'm going to go see if I can check on Amethyst."

The ex-Colonel nods to Gavin. "Get some walking d..." and then stops trying to give advice. "Thank you." Her expression is pained, held in.

Dirk smiles "Tell Amy I said hello."

Danielle hms "Conjecture experimentation. it's all of value even if you're incorrect. don't be afraid to share your thoughts sir gavin. i am no less casting about in the dark til i run against something


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Little seems to have happened in the Pump Room of late, but it seems there's a blood-stained altar in there, in the shape of an anvil. It's got a human handprint in it, embedded in the metal, about the right size to be Gavin's.
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