From Obscurity to Reality

[Siorey]

₪ Siorey V. ₪

₪ 2nd of Searing, Year 122, A.o.S ₪
Company: Ma'ar Vokun | Thoughts: I must find something | Mood: Intrigued

₪ In the halls of one of many corridors of the Tower of Lore, Siorey found himself sitting within one of the libraries. Laying at his feet and nuzzling his leg was his aidolon, the bipedal creature content but alert nonetheless of everything and everyone around it and its master. Siorey was delving into legends of old and lore of magic, wishing to learn if there were ever any magics that have been lost or have faded from history.

There would be nothing better than to find and discover lost magic. The acclaim it would afford him would be advantageous in his advance within the circle. He needed to scour everything in order to be thorough. He couldn't miss anything and any obscure reference had to be explored. With each book he finished Ma'ar would go to retrieve another at its master's request. So far he wasn't turning up anything of use or value, but he was determined.

After all the books, tomes, scrolls, and records, he found an excerpt that caught his eye.

"No one truly knows when or how this magic came to be, not to mention the original god or divine force responsible for its creation. However, it is clear that this magic is as old as the world itself. Few in number, those who wield this rune of magic have always garnered one name......Chaonites."

It was more than enough to catch the interest of the mage, his sudden perking causing Ma'ar to lift its head up at him. With eyes full of curiosity, he continued to read.

"A singular chaonite has the potential to make nations cower in fear of them and the power at their disposal. Over the many years organizations, time and time again have come to life in order to eradicate them fearing the destructive power they wield. During the Age of Dreams, even having a handful of chaonites on your side could sway the flow of battle in your favor. This power has been given a name, it would go down in the annals of history as the Rune of Entropy."

"Entropy.." he whispered to himself. Ma'ar looked up and began to giggle if you can even call it that. It was clear that this was something that he was looking for. He immediately went on a hunt for more information. ₪

---

"Common Speech"
"Mythrasi Speech"
"Self-Thoughts"

---

[S E T T I N GxxT H E M E]

[Goule]

Over the relative quiet, and the giggling of his Aidolon, Siorey would hear them. Footsteps. Measured in equal part, each step calculated. A stutter every third step, as if someone were in the midst of contemplating the next step as they made it. But it would be clear that they were headed his away. Possibly, maybe; they bounced and echoed in a manner that sounded like they headed for elsewhere while stil coming straight at him.

The man that had created them in the first place would be unassuming. Maybe, possibly; a man dressed finely in Zaichaeri fashion, with the slightest twist of Kalsazern influence. A face weathered by years, but unchaningly handsome. Hair parted carefully that sat atop his head in still the deepest black. Thick, even. Hands remained in pockets as the stuttered step came down on the third step once more. But shortly thereafter — an abrupt stop. A sharp turn, but graceful a movement, to face a shelf and stare at the contents of it.

No, this man would seem remarkable, but in the way a handsome man was. A nice face to observe for a moment before Siorey might find himself wrapped up in his research once more. But it would not just be the man himself that was remarkable, but the shift in atmosphere. A staticky tension, a thickness to the air like one would associate with a storm. The kind of tension you could taste, almost. That settled on your tongue, your body, into your bones and left you with a waiting. It was the man and this atmosphere and the waiting that was remarkable. Not one without the other, though it could be mistaken that it was only one of these things at once. His hand raised to reach for a tome, calm and unaffected by this atmosphere and this waiting, and one could think that this wait had been for this very unremarkable action. Could trail the way he retrieved the book and drew it close to him with that same hand before he walked up to where Siorey sat and uttered a singular question.

“May I sit?”

Three simple words that pinged and bounced and danced and it would be the realization that this was the waiting. And that it would only start up once more. A storm, somewhere not there, brewing and crackling. There were plenty of free places to sit and yet he chose — t h e r e.

Why?

[Siorey]

₪ Siorey V. ₪

₪ 2nd of Searing, Year 122, A.o.S ₪
Company: Ma'ar Vokun & Unknown male | Thoughts: Who is this guy | Mood: Intrigued, cautious

₪ Though he noticed the footsteps he couldnt break his concentration now, he was just getting to the good parts. Bits and pieces of old lore and speculations coming together. It wasnt until Ma'ar jolted to its feet that Siorey broke his focus. Now that he pondered it, he could have sworn he was alone in this wing of the study hall. So who could be here? When the man walked into the room, his eyes briefly looked up to see him.

He was handsome if only for an older man. It wasn't his appearance that held Siorey at a pause, but the way the air within the room shifted.....dramatically in fact. It was as if he had been sucked into a maelstrom of power. Ma'ar seemed to be on edge as well, a distinct growl of otherworldly proportions rumbled under the table. Silence within the room was thick, heavy to the point it was deafening. Watching the man, his eyes never averted from each step, each movement of his hand as he searched the shelves.

When he was done, he turned which cause the black robe to turn his eyes from him. He was nervous as the man approached, Ma'ar whispering into his mind. "I shall destroy?" it hissed, but Siorey told it not to act, as the man asked if he could take a seat. Of all the places in this room he could have come to it had to be this one.

Looking up from his book, Siorey nodded as who was he to stop someone from sitting where they chose. ₪

---

"Common Speech"
"Mythrasi Speech"
"Aidolon Speech"
"Self-Thoughts"

---

[S E T T I N GxxT H E M E]

[Goule]

There was only more waiting as a smile stretched out over the man’s face. The same measured stutter step on the third step brought him closer to the table before he pulled the chair opposite Siorey out. Maybe, possibly: Ma’ar Vokun was onto something with its caution. Possibly, maybe. The man set the book down gently on its spine, fingers training over the pages before he allowed it to fall flat. The slap of each end down on the table more disruptive than his steps or his voice. A soft, gentle sound that seemed all too congenial in tone.

“They say that study in the company of others promotes productivity.” A minute observation that could have been made by anyone. But still: there is more waiting. The atmosphere in the room had already shifted once, and it shifted again. Slightly. That crackle of anticipation has turned to the copper tang of rain on the tongue. This was a waiting for the worst, the downpour. The man, however, did not seem to be a harbinger of such. Just a simple man in a room full of books with a harmless enough smile. “May I ask what it is that has you so enraptured?”

There was no rhyme or reason to the manner in which he read. Or even — sat. Relaxed on one hand, but tensed and coiled on the other. Like a predator that knew, if it wanted to, that it could. Could what — perhaps that was the waiting this time. But, all the same, he made these gentle inquiries. “When was last you had a break? Breaks are important for productivity, as well.” The flutter of a page as it was flipped. Smile still in place, just the top row of teeth visible. Neat, straight, white; cared for. Even the way he spoke — measured, cared for in the way it was when someone chose their words wisely.

Experienced could be one word for it.

Hopeful would be another word.

[Siorey]

₪ Siorey V. ₪

₪ 2nd of Searing, Year 122, A.o.S ₪
Company: Ma'ar Vokun & Unknown male | Thoughts: Who is this guy | Mood: Intrigued, cautious

₪ It was clear the man was intent on making small talk with the mage, as he kept up with his questioning. As hard as he tried, Siorey did his best to hide his annoyance as he spoke to answer him. "Its a book on an ancient magic. I find learning about such things fulfilling in my pursuit for knowledge and power." he noted, turning his from the man and returning it to the pages before him.

Now that he thought about it, he didn't think it wise to disclose any more than that as he had no idea who this man was. He didn't seem like an instructor but it could have also been that he was from one of the other towers. When a break was mentioned, Siorey could only scoff. He didn't need a break, he needed to focus, that was the only way he was going to find anything worth noting or researching. A break now would be the opposite of productive for him.

"Breaks are for the weak minded, and only those who lack mental fortitude employ breaks so soon into their research." he grumbled in elven tongue. He found it unbelievable that someone who seemed as intelligent as the man was, would suggest such a thing, but then again Siorey was not like other scholars here in the tower, he was different, on another level.

A quick glance at the man, Siorey could see the look in his eye, the look of someone waiting for something, but what could he have been waiting for the half elf to say, or do? ₪

---

"Common Speech"
"Mythrasi Speech"
"Aidolon Speech"
"Self-Thoughts"

---

[S E T T I N GxxT H E M E]

[Goule]

Another flutter of turned pages as the mage spoke. Ancient magic. My, did that put a smile on an old man’s face. Ancient magic implied that it was dead, buried. Nothing more than an artifact of the past. Harmless words on the page. He could guess at what it said. But he would not. Rather — he would wait. This was the fun of this sort of game. This was the waiting. A lure dropped into the water, waiting for the slightest nibble.

“Yes, we can learn so much from those that come before.”

But, see, there was so much that could be done. The man had been around long enough to know one language from another. To parse the meaning of muttered words just enough that he could scoff his amusement. A silent sort of humor that didn’t quite reach to the atmospheric shift he’d forced into the room with his presence. His fingers slid over the page before him, not really reading. No, his focus had gone into someone small, minute. Crafted with care.

Siorey would feel it slowly. Like the spreading of fingers out over his forehead, the start of a headache would move under his skin. Chip away at his focus. Then the spasms would begin. Tremors in one finger that traveled to another. Muscles that jumped against their will until his shoulder ached and tingled with the forced movement of his body as the aether traveling around and within him was sent into disarray. But done carefully; the man had never been one to be careless with these sorts of things.

He looked up at the mage following the start of the hex. Not curious, but expectant. A waiting for something to be said, as if to prove the man right: that it was important to take breaks.

[Siorey]

₪ Siorey V. ₪

₪ 2nd of Searing, Year 122, A.o.S ₪
Company: Ma'ar Vokun & Unknown male | Thoughts: Who is this guy | Mood: Intrigued, cautious

₪ He smirked at the man's comment on learning from those who came before us, which there was truth in his words. He continued to pour over the pages before him but for the life of him, his focus was being tested, finding his head starting to hurt with every word he come to read. The harder he tried to focus on his research the more the headache persisted in proving to become a nuisance.

He then noticed it, no this was no headache, at least not an organic one, his eyes drifting to the man before him. He could see even in that quick glimpse, that it was a look of hunger, of waiting. He seemed intrigued and hellbent on seeing the young mage stop what he was doing. With a sigh, he closed the book and crossed his arms over it as he gazed at the mage. It was hex that was placed on him to get him to stop and to acquire his full attention.

"Well you have my attention, even given this headache you so kindly sent my way. Tell me what could you possibly want with me?" he questioned, looking the man over, and feeling Ma'ar growling within his mind. It was clear the aidolon and its master was of one accord in that this man was someone they had to be careful around. He was curious to know what this man had in store for him. The floor was his and Siorey was already plotting his escape if it was called for. ₪

---

"Common Speech"
"Mythrasi Speech"
"Aidolon Speech"
"Self-Thoughts"

---

[S E T T I N GxxT H E M E]

[Goule]

What could he possibly want? Well — “Everything and nothing.” Simply stated. He drew in a breath, flipped another page as his attention turned back to the words on the page. Words that didn’t matter very much to him, not as much as what Siorey might say or do. What the man knew was that he was a curious sort, this young scholar before him. Why else would he be here, in this library?

“The question is: what do you want?”

Scholarly pursuits could only get someone so much. A limit to the decorum of academics and the passion for learning smothered by paperwork and regiment. Another errant flip, suddenly vexed. But not outwardly; that static crackle of a storm fluttered about the room mostly unnoticed. “The sky is, so to speak, a limit; it is merely a choice if you wish to surpass it or not.” Somewhere there was a lost bit of conversation, but he made his point all the same. The faint smile on his lips spread as he paused, reminisced. The meeting of his last apprentice had been so different.
.
How would this one go?

“You — are looking for a lost magic.” He chuckled, then, sucked in a breath before he continued. “A magic considered lost. But nothing is ever lost. Hidden, perhaps, but never lost. How badly must one search for something if all the books consider it lost?” The man chuckled again, shook his head. Then — looked up. Not a sudden movement, but one of a slow lift of his head as if there was some sort of realization that had come with the words before. A dawning light of newfound understanding that couldn’t be placed here nor there, but was present all the same.

He fixed the other with a stare, and Siorey would feel the headache dissipate. Not without reaching a height of pain that lasted far less than a second before it all ebbed away.

“How badly would you say you want this thing you seek?”

[Siorey]

₪ Siorey V. ₪

₪ 2nd of Searing, Year 122, A.o.S ₪
Company: Ma'ar Vokun & Unknown male | Thoughts: Who is this guy | Mood: Intrigued, cautious

₪ As the headache subsided, the eldritch scholar winced as it reached the height of its pain. He spoke in riddles, something that annoyed the mage. Why couldn't he be straightforward? What was the purpose of beating around the bush if there was something to gain from an exchange in knowledge? It seemed like a waste of time.

When he asked what he wanted, Siorey quirked his brow. "What I want is rather simple." though he realized it wasn't a directed question, he remained silent as he continued his observation of the man and brushed through the book he had picked up. Siorey was trying to sift through the riddles as he spoke, but he was finding it difficult to decipher his words or him as a person.

“You — are looking for a lost magic.”“A magic considered lost. But nothing is ever lost. Hidden, perhaps, but never lost. How badly must one search for something if all the books consider it lost?” those words resonated in his head as he pondered the way he researched things. Perhaps it was indeed just hidden well, and if there was a way to recover it he would find out how. His last question caused Siorey to look up at him.

"There would be nothing left standing in the way of me and my goal. I wish for nothing more than to obtain power, unlock the mysteries of this world, and obtain knowledge. I would sunder the world over and over again if it meant I could have a chance at obtaining this magic, I would even give my very soul." his eyes held an unwavering determination in them. He felt very strongly about that fact. ₪

---

"Common Speech"
"Mythrasi Speech"
"Aidolon Speech"
"Self-Thoughts"

---

[S E T T I N GxxT H E M E]

[Goule]

If it sounded like he was speaking in riddles — so be it. The man had meant what he said in that it was a choice. Everything was a choice. To surpass a limitation — not really a limitation; a social construct of what was deemed moral and right — was a choice. A choice that Siorey had to make. The man, though, had never been one to really probe beyond what he had said once it had been said. If the other got it, that was just as well. It seemed, though, that the mage scholar before him might have struggled a touch.

All the same, it didn’t stop the smile that spread over his face as he leaned back in his chair. A sort of satisfaction — no; content? relief? there was no need for relief and this was inevitable in some respects — had come over his expression. Not that far off from a father looking over the promise of a young child to do great things. Determination was important, for what he wished to endeavour. A dogged need to get to the end. The man tipped his head to the side, looked beyond the mage scholar to the emptiness of the hall around them. There would be no more promising individuals arriving in the one, two, three, four seconds that passed them by in silence before the man slammed his book shut to hear the echo of the action move through the hall.

“That is good. That is the determination you will need to seek what you are looking for.” He folded his hands in front of him, at first. A gentle tapping of his fingers along the back of his hands before he looked to Siorey once more. “You will need a few things — that book will not tell you. They seek to…limit those who have access to this magic, but everything that is needed is so easy to come by. But first: prepare for a journey. Only several days, but be ready post haste.”

The man pushed up from the chair, book forgotten as he walked away from the table. It would be the same walk that he had before, measured and controlled. That sliding third step. Not far he would pause from the table, turn around on his heels.

“A great and wonderful change is upon you, Siorey.” The dip of his head in a bow before he turned and was gone.