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We're Here, Melitene
Posted: Sun Mar 01, 2020 5:30 am
by Taelian
78th of Frost, Year 119
Before long, he could see it within view; it was overlooking Grimholdt and the ocean atop a seaside cliff, standing stalwartly before waves that crashed against the rocks below, with the sound of chattering and moving mechanical objects sounded from behind the courtyard walls. Stepping towards the main entrance of the building, he noted the strangeness of the tropical plants that proceeded the gothic structure and its cold, steel-like gates, with the unique brass-colored states decorating the path further betraying the aesthetic 'cohesion' Eloise had told him briefly about.
"Taelian!"
A voice. The voice of the woman he'd only just recalled, looking at him from the parapets with a dainty pair of golden binoculars, with ridiculous monocles at their end. She blinked from the parapets quickly, appearing before him wearing a silk green dress, lined with fancy puffed fabrics. A V-line leading down her chest revealed the edges of her breasts, but not quite, and jewelry dangled from her neck.
"I am so pleased to see you, my dear," the woman said, leaning forward to lay her lips gently upon the Siltori's cheeks, kissing him twice before receding back. He would've eyed her strangely two years ago, but it was a Daravinic thing, and he knew that was where she was from. "I trust you were safe amidst your journey from Kalzasi?"
"Did you conspire to have me brought here?" he immediately asked. Taelian's body language was... tense, but not outright enraged; he was mixed on how to feel in regards to the woman's presence. She had been nothing but kind to him, and she had saved his life in the past. He owed a lot to her, the woman who gave him Transposition and taught him how to use it well. But with a similar, proceeding stroke, she had taken Riven from him - indirectly. She knew of Taelian's love for the man, and how tumultuous their relationship might have been. How he worried of Talon taking his lover from him.
And then, she did the work for him, pulling Taelian away at the zenith of an endangered affair.
He could not deny his anger. Far from it. He accepted it, and made it her job to answer for his rage. If that was even what it was. Sorrow was, more likely, closer to the truth.
"Ah... how did you know?" she replied. At least she did not deny it.
"Unimportant. I suppose my knowing proves to you that you were right to place trust in your expectations of me; I am no fool of a man. But you should have simply given me time. I could've convinced Riven to come to Atinaw with me, instead, and it would've been far better for all of us involved. Instead... I traveled all these miles lonely, with a shameful caravan, and now I am bound to the Black Remedy which essentially followed me here. Are you sure it was a wise choice?"
"Yes," she said in reply. "Because you wouldn't have wanted to leave the Remedy - and that is the truth. Though you may believe that you wish to, you are unable to surrender your ideological attachments. And if anything, that is good; the Covenant is not an organization of thoughtless power-mongers. We seek the ends to our ideology, individual and collective. And your penchant towards Elainian liberation will do well to motivate you within these halls."
Re: We're Here, Melitene
Posted: Thu May 21, 2020 1:33 pm
by Taelian
He never understood how Eloise worked -- or this, any of it. There was so much in the way of mages globally; all manner of fear and suspicion, and he failed to understand how an explicitly conspiratorial group of sycophantic mages could accomplish any ends rather than further belaboring their people with doubt. And of course, ending their ambitions at the bladed end of a guillotine.
But he supposed that was why he was here. The mystique of the Covenant did compel him to join it, and he knew before long that he would be made a full Member. Eloise had her eye on him for some time -- she believed in his potential. In many ways, he was her ambition of recent times, though again he did not quite understand why. He was a powerful warrior, but he was not a politician of any skill. He was not a skilled liar or operative like the Remedy wished him to be, and as a Famished he doubted he could be considered talented. The emotional volatility that came with his predicament was difficult to ignore.
Though lately, he had gotten better at controlling it. And the strange curves in his psyche had mostly become flat, perhaps -- terrifyingly -- closer to the Famished at home. The ones who felt nothing. Lately, he'd been like them... but with a little more than nothing. Extreme emotions never came, only small ones did. Often, those emotions were ones where he missed Riven, or longed for his return. Often they followed his frequent dreams, where he was always wrapped in Riven's arms by the end. He had never felt such a deep and consequential emptiness as he did now. Perhaps that was why he felt more hollowed than before.
He frowned. Again, Taelian's thoughts distracted him, and they reminded him of his bitterness towards Eloise and the Remedy. Those two figments were the only things he could turn to, and in some way they had both betrayed him. One more than the other. At least the Remedy was only doing what they were made to do; they were following Aldrin's orders, for their own countrymen at home.
The two stepped into the halls of the building, entering through the grand foyer. There were multiple hallways westward leading from the initial entrance, with a simple open dining area encompassing the east wing. The foyer had two large stairwells leading to a higher floor, and behind them appeared to be the entrances to the World Magic workshops that Lethiril had previously spoken of. Leth. Taelian forgot that he would not be coming to Grimholdt for some time.
"You must improve your Transposition," the Umpire said. "I already have an appointment for you in one of the domestic courts. You will not be a primary adviser of the local Lord, however, like the Thespians are. Rather, a courtier involved in the games and schemes of the Lord's audiences. Your goal will be to make him recognize you; to have him seek to make you his right-hand and his ear, and to monopolize his trust. The Lord I refer to is one Adelguth Iulide, ruler of Loregard. As the Kingdom's second largest city, shortly behind Alfsos, this is rather a position of privilege. It should show my trust in you, that I do not surrender it to another more veteran to these halls."
He furrowed his brow. A position in court... in Loregard? As a courtier, rather than an adviser; someone with limited power of course. That made sense to him as an entry position, though he did not understand several things. He had been given this task without ever asking for it. He had been brought all the way to Grimholdt, only to be sent out to act as an informant in a city he'd briefly passed through prior. At least it was nicer than Grimholdt; he had been no fan of the Slodi realm.
"I'm not certain I'm ready," he replied.
"You will become ready before you go, Taelian. Our lessons must begin now."
Re: We're Here, Melitene
Posted: Thu May 21, 2020 5:01 pm
by Taelian
The first day did not begin with a lesson, though. He was introduced to his quarters - that left him with two now in Atinaw, he noted. And Taelian was likely to buy a home before long, particularly if Riven did in fact come south. Though whether in Grimholdt or Loregard, now, he had to decide...
It reminded him. He needed to improve upon his Transposition so that he could more flawlessly move between both. The Ebon Knight lowered his gaze to the smooth, stone floor beneath his feet, and began to remove his boots. His complexion shifted to become somewhat irritable; there had been so many developments of late that he far from favored. He decided that now was as good a time as any to practice, and the Warden began to craft a node within the air before his vanity. The node began to coalesce with surrounding clusters of aether, dramatically reducing the strain upon Taelian as it soaked surrounding energy to build and maintain its stream. From the anchor, node and stream formed a Window, one he used to view the courtyard; it expanded to nearly encompass the size of his mirror, and the Siltori lowered himself onto the seat of his vanity to longingly stare.
This was the Lychgate. The boundaries of it shifted and spun, sparking like cinders as the circle twisted. It was a bright color, a neon blue; the construct lit up his Enkindled eyes and then the whole of his complexion. Taelian frowned.
The mage peered through the window, out towards the courtyard he was gleaning into. He began to channel his aether, biding more to coalesce with the node he had constructed. As it formed, he realized that something was... grating him. The stream connected to the first node began to flicker and dissipate, before the first node he had constructed violently collapsed, forcing the window shut. His anchor appeared to repel the connection made with the first created node, snapping back its attention and directing it towards the newly constructed one. The stream formed. He was uncertain whether it was normal for only one node and stream to be tethered to his anchor at a given time, but it appeared to be some restriction that infringed on him.
Regardless, he focused back to what Eloise had done earlier: she appeared to momentarily exist in both places simultaneously, before her starting location lost her and she teleported to the secondary point. She appeared to project herself into the node, almost, before collapsing the first and finalizing her... pseudo-materialization onto the final point. It was confusing, but he felt that it could be done. Taelian did in fact teleport towards the node, drawing onto it through his stream and tying it to his anchor. He instantly appeared at the location of said node in the courtyard square, but somehow gathered that he still remained in the prior location. The proceeding feeling could not easily be described; it was like he... collapsed into himself, the node closing and correcting whatever malformed anomaly he had created. Still - it was straining. Every moment torn between two... almost 'realities' had been jarring, and far from worth the time saved by the leap. Though he was still an amateur.
"Well done, Taelian," Eloise called. She was present in the courtyard, seated upon one of the benches with a petite cup of tea clutched between her fingers. She was observing, regal as she was; almost comically so. "Now... from the top. Again. I felt unnecessary feedback and diffusion of aether. And your initial node was dangerously close to collapsing as you formed the second. We'll need that refined."
The Ebon Knight rolled his eyes. "This your only hobby, Eloise?"
Re: We're Here, Melitene
Posted: Sun May 24, 2020 12:09 pm
by Patrick
Name: Taelian
Knowledge:
- Transposition: Blink
- Transposition: The Lychgate
- Transposition: The Boundaries of the Lychgate
- Politics: Clan Loregard
- Politics: The Court of Loregard
- Spycraft: Infiltrating a Court
Points: 5
Magic: These points can be used for Transposition.
Injuries: Nothing to report!
Loot: Nothing lost, nothing gained!
Comment: I'm a fan... I'm downright a fan of Eloise; and I don't know why just yet. Maybe it's how she's portrayed in this thread? She feels uncanny yet tactfully aware of the situation, it really feeds into the intrigue between their relationship. And poor Tae, having to feel so alone without Riven around? I definitely feel like I missed a bit last season.
Welp, that's everything I'm sure! If you have any questions, or feel that something actually was missed; please do pm me so we can talk!
