Those That Watch Over Dreams

Well, that happened.

There is a plane of existence where: magic, wizards, were-creatures, Kings and armies are the norm and reality. 

In the Kingdom of Annovae, there are some paper and coins held in the Queen's study. A bard once stopped for the night and talked with the kitchen staff for many hours. The King, Queen, and princess child stopped by and offered the bard the empty garrison to sleep in.

In the morning, before any had woken, the bard was gone (leaving behind some writing on kitchen note paper). The kind of paper meant for quick notes to merchants. Rough and with irregular edges, the kind often rolled up for delivery. Four copper coins were left on those 'sheaf'. Far more than any true value for paper like that.

The first page had this written:

"How do you approach this kind of tale? Of shocking cost and several travail.

Do you highlight the assembled body of craftsman mage, in a work of skill 'very worth seeing'?

How they had to stop and wait, for an unworldly being."

A castle of royal rank. A work of craftsmanship, created long ago at the hands of royal mage craftsmen. Assembled of large stones formed without chipping or stonework. Seated in a large meadow clearing and bounded by a long sheer faced mountain range and a tall dark forest.

The King and Queen sit at the white marble thrones. A very large object is central in the royal hall. Around the large object are numerous mages and magic storage spheres. Mages have been working for hours on something that resembles a statue covered in white cloth wrapping. The King and Queen are stoic, but this is an important work. The King retaining a calm demeanor to be a comfort to his Queen. 

Magic blending is a fine craft. The mages involved were working to the sequence as planned.

The spells were being added in appropriately timed measure; until there was a problem. Slowly the magic for spells just failed to flow from storage spheres. Discussions mingle: Ether, Ley lines, alignment. Something at the core of magic had stalled.

Out the large window, bursts of sonic booms appear in an approaching pattern. The mages stand still to keep spell alignments.

The source of the sonic booms had left a far away plane of existence and entered with unheard of velocity into this plane. It arrived well outside the planetary atmosphere. Without action it would strike the planet and come out the other side (unharmed and creating an extinction level event). It tried to slow down using telekinetic air damping. That type of ability does not work on this plane. It tried to establish a rift to displace position away from the expected impact site. That ability does not function here without preparation. It used the wings to push against momentum. Each wing stroke creates a wind force blast similar to an artillery shell blast. 

By the time it was at the window, the being was sure the castle would not collapse on impact. The Sprite crashed through the window and smacked the polished floor with only slight tumbles. 

A Sprite is a creature that invokes considerable emotion (mostly fear). Quite a few royal courts have alarm codes to announce the arrival of such a guest.

The Sprite gets upright, looks about, saying "This is my fault"; grabs the leg of nearby mage and complex spells get woven together in under a minute. The Sprite takes to the air, hoping to find the rift that brought her here.

After the Sprite exits the castle, the large object lifts from the floor and accelerates towards the fast moving Sprite. The large form clings to the Sprite as if magnetic. The Sprite kicks, punches, and swears. She will lose the rift. The Sprite pushes away, then accelerates towards the object, and plants a two footed kick. That object veers off in an arc (gravity taking hold). The Sprite leaves this plane of existence. 

That large object falls downward. Glancing a tree top, and in a series of oblique tree branch bounces; the object lands on a forest floor. 

The white cloth wrapping folds back exposing something resembling a statue. 

In the royal hall, some mages predict a good outcome. Sprites have a nature, which promises a good result. The Queen looks sidelong, the mages leave, and the King kneels towards the Queen. Their hands clasp shakily but with sympathy, consoling, and hopeful.