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Faith of the Heart [Talon]
Posted: Thu Jan 26, 2023 2:13 pm
by Destyn
Faith of the Heart25 Frost, 122
When Sivan stepped inside and left Destyn to his own devices, albeit surrounded by Sivan's spirit companions who dutifully tended the garden, the Fae youth returned to the little mound of dirt he'd made when he planted the seed from Ecith. He knelt before it and his knees, bare beneath the tattered edges of his well-worn breeches, were cooled by the grass, which groaned plaintively under his weight.
"Sorry." He wrinkled his nose, but he didn't feel particularly guilty. Grass was used to being trod upon, but some blades could be total drama queens about being mushed. With his perfunctory apology out of the way, Destyn peered at the mound under which the glowing green seed he'd found (or perhaps it had found him, as it landed directly on his head out of ostensibly nowhere) rested.
He pondered the strange vision he'd had shortly after planting it. The most striking thing he'd seen was that great, brown eye gaping at him, but there were so many details to ponder. The brightly coloured buggies... the putrid mount through which they dug. Even the way his vision swept around, as if in flight, was worthy of consideration, Destyn reckoned.
By and by it occurred to him he hadn't posed his prayers to his saviour yet. He used to do it every single day, but he wasn't as regimented anymore. He didn't know whether the benighted prince was even still alive to hear them, which saddened him deeply. But, in the absence of information, his prayers had turned toward the wellbeing of their intended recipient. He'd never asked for anything for himself. Before Talon's disappearance he might have inserted the odd hope for Torin or Sivan's sake, but since he'd been gone he was always praying for the salvation of his saviour. After all, prayers should give strength to gods, shouldn't they?
Being in Kalzasi, homeland of Talon, he hoped one of his errant benedictions might somehow pass whatever barrier lay between himself and the demigod. He shut his eyes.
"Dear Talon Shinsei, I hope that You are well and, you know, still existent. I am really sorry that Industry ruined Your special day. Industry is a cruel god who has, you know, also not been nice to me, so I, uhh... emphasise with you?" He wasn't certain he'd said that right, but he just shrugged. He wasn't sure if Talon could even hear him. If he could, he could always ask for clarity if he wanted.
"Anyway, I am in Kalzasi where you are, I think, missed the most. But sometimes I am also in South Ecith. I have an Amulet of Wandering, so I can dwell both continents, which is nice. I like my friends here, but the jungles feel more of home to me. I would like, again, to thank you for saving my life. It has taken a while, but I am starting to feel that, maybe, there is meaning again to existing, even in the absence of, you know, my clan. Um. Amen." He shrugged and opened his eyes, sighing as he leaned forward to pat down on the mound of soil that housed his special seed.
Re: Faith of the Heart [Talon]
Posted: Thu Jan 26, 2023 3:09 pm
by Talon
The words came to him like a quiet balm that soothed a growing sense of hopelessness that had been gnawing at him. Diminished as he was without the full scope of his soul and divinity, he could not always hear the prayers that were sent his direction if they were not within a certain distance. This one, he heard. He heard it because it was spoken with sincerity from a soul that was sending kindness to him. Kindness he very much needed.
“What is it, love?” Aoren ran a hand over the length of one of his wings, stirring him from his thoughts. It brought a smile to his face.
“I think…I think I need to pay a visit to someone.” He looked to his partner who quirked a brow.
“Where to?” Aoren slipped his hand into his. Talon extended his senses into the Slipspace and aligned the spatial pathways. He opened a soft portal, zeroing in on the individual whom had called out to him.
“Home.” Stepping forward, the two of them walked through the portal. As soon as he set foot upon the soil of Kalzasi, it sent an ache through him. Home. It had been such a long time since he had physically been in the place that he loved so much in this life. Filled with people he cared about, people he wanted to see happy and safe. So much had been stolen from him over the past two years it was hard to believe that not so long ago the biggest worry on his plate had been shamblers from the Warrens. The portal closed quietly behind him.
He listened as Destyn finished his prayer. It warmed him. Quietly he came to crouch beside the Fae.
“You know…” He broke the silence once the Fae had finished his prayer. “...home can be a hard place to find when you are lost.”
He smiled at Destyn.
“Thank you for helping me find my way here.” Aoren remained a few paces away, quietly observing and giving the two of them a semblance of privacy.
Re: Faith of the Heart [Talon]
Posted: Thu Jan 26, 2023 4:28 pm
by Destyn
Faith of the Heart25 Frost, 122
Destyn, focused as he was on the little mound of dirt he’d made, didn’t notice the approaching steps and, when a figure far larger than the keeper of this garden crouched beside him, he let out a startled scream and toppled onto his side stiffly like a fainting goat. Unlike said bovidae, he didn’t freeze that way, however, instead clambering up to a kneel once more, now facing the large figure.
"But it’s really you, though!” He exclaimed, his newfound excitement yielding roughly the same volume of his fearful scream from
moments earlier. He leaned forward to wrap his arms around Talon, to squeeze him adoringly. His cheek was already mushed into a formidable bicep when he realised suddenly that such familiar affection might not be welcome. He withdrew a bit to check in, now recalling that, though Talon was his saviour, he’d held a much more prominent role in the life of the Fae than vice versa. Destyn felt like he knew the prince of his prayers better than he actually did, because he spoke to him so frequently. When he did, he tended to imagine Talon nodding along to his blatherings as many of his friends were wont to do when he waxed prolix and said every little thing that crossed his mind. It was not infrequent that his friends responded to his oratory with silence, so it didn’t feel much different when prayers yielded the same.
"I am, you know, very very happy to see You, your worship!” Breaking their physical contact, he kowtowed with his hands and face on the grass, which annoyed several of the diva blades, causing him to mutter a barely audible apology. Hearing Talon’s appreciation belatedly, he lifted his head and looked up with large, quizzical eyes.
"Wait, but I helped you, though?!”
Re: Faith of the Heart [Talon]
Posted: Thu Jan 26, 2023 9:25 pm
by Talon
He blinked at Destyn when the young man fell over. Reaching up he rubbed at the back of his head giving a small smile of apology. He had not meant to frighten him. When Destyn quickly recovered, however, he felt a little better. That turned into a surprise when he was tightly hugged. He found himself blinking again before he slowly wrapped his arms around Destyn, giving the young Fae a hug. He chuckled as he released Destyn.
“Yes. It is me.” It was a relief to be able to say that. He was himself. He was not beholden to some accursed relic from an equally accursed power. He was not shackled in a black tower counting down the days until he could smash the face in of an old madman. He was himself. Not yet completely but enough that he could enjoy a moment of respite.
“A word of kindness. Wishes of wellness.” He nodded at Destyn’s question. Fighting against the shadowspawn and the mistborn hordes that had amassed in Zaichaer had taken its toll. He was often forced to take the fight away from the depths of the city, leading a swarm of creatures away from the struggling areas. Zaichaer suffered an immense loss in the aftermath of the war with his homeland. If it could even be called a war. The city had been so thoroughly devastated that he doubted it would ever return to the position of prominence it once held. While that cleared the way for his country and several others to live free of its regime’s oppressive shadow, the way it had come about was not what the humble people of the city deserved. Even he could see that. Nobody deserved to be subjected to such terrifying destruction.
“Your words of encouragement helped me.” He would not burden Destyn with the knowledge of what exactly those words had helped him through. Those were dark battles he would have to fight in due time, to deal with the trauma of his experiences. He could feel Aoren’s eyes on him, soft and tender. Just as he felt his husband’s desire to comfort him even though both of them would need years of it to truly heal.
“This is a lovely garden.” He looked around. He could see that it was well tended to. Even in the midst of winter, there was life yet bubbling beneath the surface. Opening his senses to the flow of the aether around them he could feel the dormancy of plants not well suited to the Frost season. Plants that were sleeping. He could also see the flow of life and energy in those plants that were wide awake. That was when his attention was drawn to the large mound not far from where he was crouched. He quirked his head.
“What is this?” Life was brighter in that spot. He could see a collection of energy beneath the earth that was like a beating heart. It was slow and steady but it seemed almost…infantile. A seed waiting to grow.
Re: Faith of the Heart [Talon]
Posted: Fri Jan 27, 2023 3:47 pm
by Destyn
Faith of the Heart25 Frost, 122
Destyn beamed. His eyes even teared up a little at the news that his prayers, such as they were, had been answered.
"I did not know that someone like me could help someone like you, but even if it was only a little bit, I am very very glad. You saved me from Industry. I owe you a greater debt than well wishes could possibly fulfill.” He looked around at the garden as Talon referenced it, only then noticing another figure had accompanied his saviour.
"Oh, hello! I am Destynrael Dromlach’darach de Clann na Feithidí Uisce." He informed Aoren, before looking back to Talon.
"It is lovely, is it not? It is kept by Sivan Sunrunner and his spirits." He followed the larger man's gaze to the little mound of earth he'd made with his soil-covered hands. "I am glad you have asked! That is a special seed that I found in South Ecith. I travelled there on a ship called The Duck, which is also alive and, like me, has known loss. The captain of The Duck invited me to help, so I went. But I have this amulet, so I can come back and visit my friends sometimes. I brought the seed to this garden because Sivan is very special to me and also loves to tend plants, so it was meant to be a gift. But I planted it before and then I had a weird vision. There were colourful buggies crawling through a pile of manure and there was a great big eye looking at me and and and I think I am s'posed to do something to help the little seed grow, but I do not know what. I guess I need to find some manure." He wrinkled his nose, not seeming to relish the notion. "Do you have any advise, Your Worship?"
Re: Faith of the Heart [Talon]
Posted: Tue Jan 31, 2023 6:29 pm
by Talon
“Your kindness is payment enough, Destyn.” He did not want to dismiss Destyn sincerity in the belief that he owed something to him. He also did not want the Fae to believe he had something to prove to him. That Destyn was alive, thriving, and continuing to spread his goodwill was enough in his eyes. It was more than many people did and these simple acts were things the world needed more of. When the Fae greeted Aoren, his husband bowed his head.
“I am Aoren.” With that, the Kathar remained a figure in the background, giving the two of them privacy to talk.
“Sivan? I know Sivan. At least, we have met in passing.” He recalled their first meeting and the near blinding that the young half-elf had nearly suffered after looking at his aura. It was that encounter that had taught Talon that he needed to guard his aura very closely when walking among mortals. Kalzasi was a city of mages and many of them could have potentially suffered worse if they were careless. He recalled when Mathias had looked directly at his aura beyond just a surface glance.
“This sounds like a special seed indeed!” He mused as he listened to Destyn explain the origins of the ball of budding life in the ground. He considered what the Fae had listed off as part of the vision. Needing manure was not surprising but if Destyn had received a vision of some sort, it was likely a specific kind of manure. The presence of those prismatic bugs and the giant eye were likely a clue.
“I am not much of a gardener. I do know of someone who might be able to help.” He thought on some of the experts and masters that he had known throughout the years. One name stuck out to him.
“If you seek out the Circle of Spells at the Tower of Lore, ask for the Savant Nezendae Anzandi of the White Robes. She is a renowned alchemist and an elemental sorceress with extensive experience in nature and exotic wilds.” If there was any group in the Northlands that would know how to tend to a magical seedling, it would be the White Robes of the Circle who frequently used magical herbs in their alchemical practices. He was glad that he could recommend that group of mages specifically to Destyn. The White Robes were renowned for their charity and compassionate approach toward the use of magic, if Destyn sought them, they would likely be rather excited and deeply interested in helping him cultivate the seed.
“While I cannot offer much expertise in the tending of this seed, I can perhaps offer something else.” The absence of sunlight and its likely necessity was not lost on him. So he reached inside of himself and gathered into his palm a sliver of the wellspring of Light that existed within him. He channeled it through his Rune of Elements, pooling the Light in his palm. The result saw a swirling pool of liquid sunlight that soon morphed into a crystal of softly glowing golden light.
“Here. The seedling will need plenty of sunlight. This will help.” He offered it to Destyn.
Re: Faith of the Heart [Talon]
Posted: Tue Jan 31, 2023 9:37 pm
by Destyn
Faith of the Heart25 Frost, 122
Destyn smiled broadly to Aoren at his introduction.
"Hullo, Aoren! It is nice to meet you. I am-... Oh, I already told you this, nevermind...” He sharply shifted his attention to Talon.
"You know Sivan? That is good that you are not a stranger, because this is his property." The concept of 'property' was something that it had taken him a while to digest, but he thought he had a pretty solid handle on the notion at this point.
He was pleased at the affirmation of his saviour over the obvious importance of his little charge from South Ecith. He knitted his brow, consciously marking the instructions and names offered.
"Savant Nezendae Anzandi of the White Robes at The Circle of Spells at the Tower of Lore." He repeated, thoughtfully. That was a lot of prepositions, which were not his strongest suit in Common. Hopefully if they were scholars they would not be too critical of his less than perfect diction in his second tongue.
The fae lad's eyes went saucer wide as his saviour drew forth light from thin air and converted that energy into matter like he was making a snowball. He cautiously extended his hand, poking it first to make sure it wasn't scalding hot, before actually collecting it and bringing it up to his gaze for a closer inspection.
"That was, you know, amazing, Your Worship! " He started at it unblinking for nearly a full minute, before posing the question that had come to him immediately upon receipt of the gift.
"But where do I put it, though? Usually the sun is in the sky, but I am not as magical as you so I cannot lodge it in mid-air. I guess I could hang it from a stick? Or... You know what? I will ask Sivan. This is his garden and, you know, it is not your problem. Thank youuuu..." He bowed very low- kow-towed, really.
Re: Faith of the Heart [Talon]
Posted: Sat Feb 11, 2023 2:18 am
by Talon
He could not help the chuckle that escaped him when Destyn poked the crystal offered. It was warm to the touch. The light it emitted was like a drop of morning sunlight that had been captured directly from the light of dawn itself. He inclined his head at the compliment. After having spent so much time around people who wielded magic as easily as breathing, he often forgot that the vast majority of people saw only small manifestations of it. His family provided much in the way of manifestations in that regard, the dragonshard trade was alive and well. He suspected that it would be even more important with the events of the eclipse making the aether gems the single most reliable source of magic for many across the north.
“If you remember nothing else, simply go to the Circle and ask for Nezendae. They will guide you to her.” On the question of what to do with the crystal he was about to offer advice when Destyn provided his own solution. Sivan, being the owner of the home and garden, was likely the best person to consult. Still, it would not hurt for him to offer what he could.
“What you decide to do with the crystal is up to you. The light that shines from it will be as sunlight. It will nurture in the same way.” He inclined his head toward the darkness that was in the skies.
“It will also protect against the creatures that spawn from the shadows. No such creatures can stand within my light. They will be reduced to ash.” There was always more to be done but if this one gift could also help to keep Destyn and Sivan safe, he was happy to give it. So many had suffered already during the course of this eclipse. There was much that would need to be done about it but he could not, for the life of him, think on how to start tackling all of it. Life was…so different than what it had been a year ago. It was hard to grasp it all sometimes.
“If you like, I could teach you a method of channeling the power of the crystal so that the whole garden could benefit from it.” He could already see a Scrivening array in his head. Combined with a few augmentations from Alchemy, and he could very easily create a schema that would greatly assist in the growth of plantlife as well as boosting the protections offered by the sun crystal.
Re: Faith of the Heart [Talon]
Posted: Wed Feb 15, 2023 10:05 am
by Destyn
Faith of the Heart25 Frost, 122
Destyn nodded profusely.
"But I will remember, though!” He promised, poking his index finger to his temple and tapping a few times to indicate his memorisation. He may have been a bit scatterbrained when he was unfocused. Indeed, he may have typically been unfocused as a general rule, but when he put his mind to things Destyn could be quite exacting.
"Ahh... This is then, you know, very useful! The elders of Clann na Feithidí Uisce explained to me when I was young," Which he still was, "That plants grow larger and stronger in places with concentrated sunlight, like um... Places where summer days are longer the same plants that grow down here get much bigger. But then, you know, those places also have longer nights in winter, so perhaps the plants grow, also, faster this way?" He paused his musings, as his eyes wandered from the grass up to Talon and then Aoren.
"But this I shall discuss with Savant Nezendae Anzandi in the White Robes of The Circle of Spells in the Tower of Lore..." He paused and knitted his brow, realising he'd mucked up the prepositions. "...of the White Robes at the Circle of Spells at the Tower of Lore." He amended, firmly.
His eyes widened in a show of awe at the breadth of his saviour's abilities as they were relayed to him
"That is very good, because those things are, you know, scary and, umm... Off-putting.” He wasn't sure if that was the word he'd been fumbling for, but in the interest of brevity he uttered it in hopes his sentiments would find their way across the gap into Talon's understanding.
"Oh! Yes! Gratitude, Your Worship. Please demonstrate for me?”
Re: Faith of the Heart [Talon]
Posted: Wed Mar 08, 2023 11:01 am
by Talon
He smiled as Destyn spoke the words as though committing them to memory. Nodding he touched a hand to the ground near the seed that had been planted. Opening his senses to the flow of aether, he tapped into the powers of both Semblance and Elementalism. He began tracing his finger in patterns around the seed, forming a runic circle as he did. The earth and soil abided by his will, shifting and moving in order to create the pattern that he saw in his head.
“There are those in the world who would have you believe that the Higher Mysteries are a thing to be feared.” He brushed his hand over the grass. The earth moved the dirt and soil out of the way in order to continue forming the runic lines that Talon was building. Using Semblance he followed the natural pattern of aether that drifted across the Aether Flux in his vision. He aligned his pictography with these natural flows in order to heighten the potency of the great sigil that he was working to build.
“They would tell you that magic is a weapon. Places like Zaichaer that profess magic to be an abomination would have us all tremble in the face of the Aetheric Powers.” Talon stepped back. The runic pattern began expanding outward from the central circle surrounding the site of the glowing seed. Talon began adding the transformative elements of alchemic circles to his pattern work. He added elements of Occult Alchemy in order to transform the energy being fed to the seed. He balanced the more unstable aspects of Occult Alchemy by making additions to his pictographs from his knowledge of Runeforging. The stabilizing glyphs used at the forge would undoubtedly serve to hone the energies that would be at play.
“Some of what they teach is true. The Higher Mysteries can be frightening. What I have found though, is that magic is most powerful, most wonderful, and most incredible when you use it to build something.” Talon extended his senses into the ground beneath the seed. He began creating tunnels in an expanding network of runic patterns that he then transfigured into earthen crystal in order to maintain their shape.
“It is easy to destroy. It is a far harder thing to create.” He stepped back, rising to his feet in order to examine his handiwork both with his physical eyes and his aethereal senses. Sprawling across the garden was an array of pictography that incorporated the transformative aspects of alchemy, the empowering and stabilizing elements of runeforging, the amplifying nature of scrivening as well as the direction and reinforcement of elemental magic. Raising a hand, Talon used both Kinetics and Earth magic to cause another shifting in the ground. Silvery crystal began spiraling upwards from the ground around the resting seed. He continued the process of carefully carving pictographs across the surface of the crystal as he formed it, combining both his elemental influence and kinetic sculpting ability. When it was done, a delicate looking altar had formed over the place where the seed was buried, an altar that looked to have a place perfectly suited to hold the sun crystal he had gifted to Destyn.
“Across the garden, I have created an array of sigils with Scrivening. There are elements of Alchemy, Runeforging, Elementalism, Kinetics and Semblance woven into this array.” He turned to Destyn with a smile.
“The altar will encourage the seedling to grow both into and around it and to feed off of the sunlight crystal. That will then spread to the rest of the garden through the pathways I have created and give nourishment to the rest of the life connected to it.” He motioned to the pedestal where it was clear that the crystal could be placed.
“I have used the height of my skill to create it. If you wish to, I can teach you what it all means.” He shrugged a shoulder. “Or you can seek the knowledge on your own and use this array as garden of opportunity to discover.”
Off Topic
Talon has created a sprawling pictographic schema that is visible as a silvery crystal across the surface of the garden and tunneling under the ground. This was created through a combination of his Kinetic Sculpting, Earth Elementalism and guided by Semblance to align with the natural aether leylines in and around the garden. The array has been designed to amplify elemental forces in the garden and to channel elemental energy to nurture, transform, and cultivate the life that grows in the garden. It was designed with aspects of Scrivening, Runeforging and Alchemy in mind, combining pictographic symbols and techniques from all three of those World Magic Schools. The array has been designed to feed off of the natural aetheric leylines that it has been aligned with and is designed to be active only when the sun crystal is in place on the pedestal. The entire array will go dormant without the crystal but will be self-sustaining and active while the crystal is in place.
The Sun Crystal - The crystal has been enchanted with Dawnfire and enhanced with Talon’s dominion over the Light to mimic sunlight while also possessing the powers inherent to his domain of Justice. Shadowspawn and other powers inherently opposed to what could be perceived as in opposition to ideals aligned with Talon's beliefs in Light and Justice will be adversely affected by the light given off by the crystal. As a general rule of thumb, it is a space where the phrase "do no harm and no harm will be done to you" generally applies.
The Altar - A silvery crystal altar with a slot inside of which the Sun Crystal will fit. The pedestal will spread the divine light and warmth of Dawnfire to the rest of the garden. It also serves as the focal point of the pictograph array that has been created and will guide the natural elemental energies to encourage the growth of the seed in such a way as to incorporate the crystal into its natural growth.