Silver Insanity

There's nothing you've ever encountered before like this - but it there are definite similarities to some things you've read about.

First, this sort of effect could be caused by the destruction of a particularly powerful second age artifact (or possibly something crafted by a deity). Though to achieve this duration, they'd have to have smashed at least a half-dozen such items by now.

Second, it could be indicative of a planar portal to some particularly volatile region. While a portal generally keeps the environments on each side separated... if somebody were to, say, open a portal into Tycho's throne room, you might get an effect such as this. Of course, you'd also get demonic hordes sweeping out over the city, which doesn't seem to be the case here - but Tycho's insane; perhaps he's pausing for a nice cup of tea before unleashing his wrath.

Or third, it could be somebody playing around with Wish (or presumably Miracle) and trying to achieve results far beyond the normal parameters of even those mighty spells.

The house itself is a fairly ordinary looking two story wooden house. There's a single front door on the right hand side, with a pair of boarded over windows to its left. The second story features three more windows that have suffered the same treatment. One more such sealed aperture is set into the peaked roof above. Aside from the windows, however, the place is in good repair - and, miraculously, graffitti free.

Your familiar responds with a mental grin. "Way ahead of you, boss. Three doors; one in front, one in back, and the third one on the back side of the roof. No wards left on any of them; any magic there might once have been about the house itself has been stripped away by this point. There might still be mundane locks or traps, though, and there could be subterranean exits I can't detect."

Kiaskurro whips his scarf back and pats Komitus' shoulderplate, positioning himself to get on top. He remarks in Draconic as he mounts, "Sealed window on the roof. Let's come in from above."

He also sends a mental order to his familiar, "Stay outside and keep watch. This won't go unnoticed for long."

Kiaskurro briefly sets ups dancing lights in front of the door, an experiment to determine the effect the area is having on his casting ability. If all goes well, he then shields himself and his cohort with a Mind Blanks, a possible safeguard against the dangerous magical forces at work within the house and to stop anyone from scrying on his entrance.

Casting such a simple spell, even under these conditions, is trivial. Maintaining it is only slightly trickier; now that you have some idea of what you're dealing with, you can be certain of at least a few minutes of functioning.

Mind blanks securely in place, then, Komitus heads for the roof - slightly clumsily; it's clear that your companion is not quite so adept at adjusting spells on the fly.

Halfway there, however, the energies around you abruptly fade.

Kiaskurro lets out a sharp hiss of surprise and hangs tightly onto Komitus' neck, bringing all his concentration together in trying to weave a featherfall enchantment.

Failing that, he attempts to activate the wings on his back.

There's no background pressure anymore, and you don't fall more than a few feet before Komitus has its air walk spell back in effect. Whatever was going on, it has stopped quite abruptly.

Kiaskurro adjusts his beret, "Let us get to that roof quickly. If I am to decorate the cobblestones, I would rather do it with pastels and not internal organs."

Chapter IV continues here.

With naught but the slight breeze of displaced air, Stewart teleports himself to the roof of the house near the door. He spares Kiaskurro only a moment's glance, apparently deciding something before returning the majority of his attention to the house. The tilt of his ears betrays that he is still paying attention, however.

Stewart moves around the rooftop cautiously and with some familiarity, attempting to discern any activity within the house. He moves with some grace, but little practiced stealth.

On the rooftop, Kiaskurro examines the boarded up window from atop his companion's shoulder. In Draconic, he asks Komitus to pry apart the window and gain them entrance. Not discounting the possibility for mundane traps, he keeps himself prepared to call upon a Protection from Elements.

Having heard nothing from inside the house, Stewart will walk over near (not next to) Kiaskurro and ask quietly "Do you know what's going on in there?"