Silver Insanity

Now that you actually have some idea of what you're looking for, the changes are obvious. The chromatikin district looks more prosperous. There are actual guard patrols - not many, true, but the ones that are in here include chromatikin in watch uniforms.

Graffitti is rather more common than it was the last time you were in Targrove; with the combination of more anger and less opportunity to vent anger through violence, it seems some individuals have turned to vandalism instead. You also note a few houses (clearly marked by larger quantities of angry graffitti from all and sundry) where one of the watch's special forces team has taken up residence, so as to be able to respond more quickly to any serious problems.

There's also a new tavern with an angrily lettered sign declaring "Chromatikin Only!", but a surreptitious glance through the open doorway reveals that it isn't as prosperous as the old broken tower tavern you're more familiar with.

Before you can check in on that fine old establishment, however, your progress is interrupted by a slightly nervous mental message from your familiar.
"Um, Boss? There's something... odd... going on a couple houses down. I can't see any details - all the windows are boarded over - but there's an awful lot of magical energy now, where there wasn't any before. It's like somebody cast a disjunction in reverse or something."

Kiaskurro's eyes light up with curiousity as he sends a message back in response, "Continue to observe. I am coming." He glances up briefly to where Komitus is following him invisibly before turning around, making his way back home.

As he nears, he makes use of the anonymous traveling kobold disguise.

When you finally round the last corner to your home street, you can see that it's deserted. And you can feel why; there's an almost tangible pressure of magical energy that even someone completely mundane could sense. And without some practice at dealing with such energies, they'd quickly get a headache and find themselves heading elsewhere.

Above you, Komitus flickers and drops a startled few feet, even as your own illusion spell wavers under the magical pressure. Komitus quickly rejoins you on the ground, its invisibility and even its normal illusion dissolving in the next wave of power.

"Maintaining even a single active spell in this environment will significantly impede my available reaction time. As such, following inconspicously is no longer a viable option," Komitus says, with obvious annoyance.

Kiaskurro nods distractedly at Komitus' comment, the intense magical energy and its effect on his illusory disguise taking up most of his attention. He carefully approaches the boarded up house, observing it from the outside and attempting to discern more about the magical pressure based on his knowledge of spellcraft and arcana.

As Kiaskurro gets closer, he sends a message to his familiar, "Fly up and scout the building from all angles. Search for alternative entrances and exits."

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."