67th of Ash, 120 AS
Space had been prepared in advance for the work Lyra was about to do. Along the wall, she had begun collecting a fair number of pedestals. One was used for mixing and infusions, such as when she created her ichor. The one beside it was a bit wider with a more rectangular top. This one she utilized for crafting her specific tools, and the pictographs on its surface connected two intricate circles that would carry the chilling power of a soul totem to whatever was placed in the other circle. The one next to it was something Lyra had fashioned after seeing Talon's own workshop. A dragonshard work station, or a gem work station. It was smaller in scope than Talon's, but the pictographs on its surface were intricate and detailed and siphoned off excess power to be collected in glyphs at the base. It was an applied Thallium's cage, smaller and more compact, but effective just the same. The fourth pedestal was new. She had it delivered some time ago along with the rest but had only recently drug it into place in her lab. This one was for the working of flesh, and creating artifacts. The works Lyra would create would not be grand gestures of power and skill like what a runeforger like Talon would create. Instead, each piece would be simple and unique, focused on drawing out some latent property inside of the artifact. Because of this, she did not require a lot of space, just enough that she could lay out the parts while she worked.
Each of the pedestals was a worked stone that came up to Lyra's waist. They were little more than white stone blocks, their surface etched with glyphs painted in black. Each glyph was unique. Some spiraled around the pedestal, while others were like straight lines that linked to a circle on the floor. Lyra, being who and what she was, had added a few flourishes to the designs. Shapes that were not directly tied to the glyphs, but rather indicated in part what each pedestal was for. It was an idea she had gotten from Edelma's work. The old elf was convinced that the middle-aged woman must be versed in the scripts, for the way she had so elegantly tied her scripts to the artistic design on the dress was not just fascinating it was masterful. Lyra intended to have a discussion, at length, with the woman to discover just what she was hiding.
In any case, each pedestal was uniquely designed. The one she used to craft her basic tools of necromancy was covered in spirals that reached up like thorny vines to the top of the pedistal. These lines connected with the intricate circle there, at the center of which was Lyra's own symbol of the no-eyed serpent. Between and among the bines there were glyphs for warding, of enhancement, that faded into the larger design but looked like stylized bones and skulls. It was perhaps a bit on the nose, but Lyra liked it. The 2nd pedestal she used for her soul totem work was simplistic. Straight lines and boxes, with the only circles being the top which was linked by three bands of power that intertwined like a braid. The glyphs on this one ended well before the floor, and the designs simply looped back and rejoined the central pictograph. This one was simply meant to contain and deliver the power of her soul totem to the item in the other circle. It did not require much in the way of glyphs and functioned well enough for the time being.
The gem pedestal was the most intricate of all. Across its surface was a complex and intertwining pattern of lines, circles, and braiding that the eye could not focus on one point too long. Thallium's Cage was meant to capture, suppress, and redirect errant power to another location. It was a safety precaution in this case. As Lyra worked with some dragonshads, or other more volatile gems, she needed the glyphs in place so that, in the event of a previous error, she would not damage her entire lab. The wards on this pedestal were connected to a larger circle in the floor which leads to the large stone slab at the center of her lab. Glyphs here linked around the entire slab, their purpose fairly obvious. Excess power here would instead be sent to the slab which, being larger and affixed with gems itself, could capture and hold that power for later use.
Finally was the newest pedestal. This one sat somewhere between the first and second pedestal in complexity. This one had a series of glyphs carved into its surface that wrapped around the top of the pedestal and made a larger circle on its top. The center, however, was not directly connected to the outer glyphs. It was not etched either. Instead, it was painted on. Three intertwining circles with a closed eye at the center. Pictographs traced through each of the circles, linking together and forming the concepts of waking, remembering, and drawing out potential. This pedestal was unique in that the pictographs could not be permanently etched into its surface. The central rune, the circle of remembering, had to be remade periodically as it had to be painted on using ichor. Lyra, thankfully, already had a solution for this. Similar to the blood ink Lyra took a portion of the infused black paint Jacun had made for her and used some of her own infused ichor, combining them through a similar process as the ink. She then used a brush to paint the pictograph at the center, letting it sink into the stone, at which point the circle was ready for use. It was a simple process for the most part, but she would need to remake or touch up this pictograph periodically. An unavoidable consequence of this particular art. Over this pedestal, like the gem pedestal, there was a small set of shelves that held her tools for the art. For Remembered Artefacts, these consisted mostly of different versions of hooks, needles, and small hammers and chisels. There were also several bottles and vials of various substances to make the materials more workable.
From the stone slab, Lyra carried over one of the rings she had received from Fletcher, a ring from the negation mage. She set it inside the circle of Remembrance, the glyphs glowing slightly as they found something within their influence that they could act on. The ring itself showed no obvious signs that anything had happened, however, through the lenses of the Aura glass Lyra could see its aura pulse slightly and strengthen. Some things which had been muted before suddenly became visible to her due to the power of the circle.
"Magic..." Lyra whispered, looking at the braided bands that indicated the person' had been a mage, "He had been adept, but not very talented..." She was not quite sure how she knew this, but the way the bands were braided seemed to say that his skill had been in the mid to upper apprentice levels. Nothing of great note, but still commendable for the average person.
From the shelf, Lyra took one of her favorite tools, a small hook on the end of a wooden stick that fit comfortably in her palm. The item was cold to the touch, the first sign that it was meant for the necromancer arts. Leaning forward Lyra held the Ring upright between two fingers, using the hook to begin to carve a small pictograph on its outer surface. It was simply three interlocking circles, like the circle of remembering the ring was inside. It had a simple function. Bring out your true nature. With interest, Lyra watched as she completed the pictograph, the ring's aura suddenly spiked. More details suddenly came to life, spurred on by the circle and pictograph to show more and more of itself. Lyra continued this process, creating a small series of these interlocking circles, pulling out more and more details as she went.
"A helper." Lyra whispered, looking at the secrets as they started to be revealed. "Self sacrificing, perhaps a bit too naive... No. No not naive." Lyra's eyes widened as she saw the thin line of gold twine between the braiding of the rune, "He simply wished to protect for the sake of others..." Lyra frowned at the ring, "What a foolish man. This is why you are but bones on my worktable. Would it have been better to have been a bit more selfish, and perhaps you would yet be alive to help those you so longed to protect."
Lyra simply couldn't understand it. Why would one give their life for the sake of others, especially those they did not know personally? People lied, people, stole. None in this world deserved to live, they simply did, and when they did die they all went to ash just the same. Had he sacrificed himself for a greater goal, or for a person of higher import than himself Lyra might have understood in part. She saw the value in some lives over others depending on the situation, but life for a life when there was no net benefit? Ridiculous.
"Well, worry not." Lyra said with a smile, starting the next glyph, "Your sacrifice will not be in vain. Now... now you shall protect me instead."
She knew, in part what she wanted. That power, negation, defied what Lyra thought was possible under normal circumstances, and yet it existed. If she could tap into that power if only a little... Her mind drifted to that man, Talon, who had first shown her negation, how it defied logic. Without thinking Lyra etched the picture of a wing on the ring's surface, unconsciously linking the thought of negation with Talon himself. Blinking at what she had done she shrugged. It worked well enough as the association was strong. They were both Aviale as well, so the links were easy enough to see. She wanted something more though... The wing was meant to call out the inherent power of negation inside of this item, and as she finished it the braided bands of aether seemed to pulse slightly in response. Lyra had 2 more rings of this sort, and three others of another man, a warrior.
Glyphs, she knew, were more powerful when they were layered. Was this concept the same for other concepts as well? For instance, if she created three separate artefacts, but linked them through connectors that did not directly affect the ring's abilities... Would that cause the three rings to share some larger purpose when all were present? Curious, Lyra came to a decision. She etched a snake with no eyes around the length of the ring, winding it around and through the other pictographs. She connected the snake to the first wing she drew, making a winged serpent that had its mouth open, hissing.
"Remember..." Lyra whispered, tugging at the aether. She pulled at the parts of the ring that remembered using a negation, how it functioned. Tasking was what it was called. She wondered if she could do something similar...
Concentration marred her expression as she squinted at the small designs. Along the inside, Lyra drew several circles held by a square, linked by lines. The lines overlapped the serpent's body like they were chaining it in place. She knew what she desired. She wanted protection. Protection from things she couldn't see, couldn't predict. Then her mind she thought of the shadows, of that night. The voice that she should remember, and she shuddered. Something in the ring seemed to respond to that.
The man had helped, pushing back against fear, and pain. She called on that, fixated on it as she etched the last glyph in place. Everything set with a magical 'snap'. Blinking Lyra stepped away, suddenly very tired as she sat on the edge of the slab. Rubbing her forehead Lyra glanced warily at the corners of the room. The cold dread didn't leave her...
