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A Certainty of Cold
Posted: Thu Mar 07, 2024 2:47 am
by Rickter
A Certainty of Cold
Frost 1st, 123rd Year, A.o.S.
Though his ventures to the North had been somewhat fruitful, they still only raised more questions than answers for the lupine demigod. Lykos was in a bit of a predicament because of what little he learned, only because the added pieces of the puzzle didn't quite seem to match yet. There were elements to it that remained missing and, truthfully, what he did find brought little clarity to his situation overall.
His 'immediate' pack which he'd left behind in the North seemed plausible, and, while he'd thought he'd found home once again... therein lingered the issue that nothing stirred in the place he needed it to most. Frankly, nothing about Kalzasi nor his northern pack evoked anything from him. No emotions save for the frustration of seeking answers, only to find that they may never exist there to begin with.
His cursed lack of memory only made it worse, since he had nothing to really convince him otherwise either. Yet, the fact this Telion he'd met with a few times provided him something of substantial value, the lupine draegir found him to at least be a little closer back to his original self. If only through her as a proxy. Still, the box of lorestones had only further fed into his spiraling curiosity, and having spent the majority of his attention on the Cold Room, he'd dedicated himself to finishing the project entirely now.
Athalia had been cleansed of the Void, and Telion would've undoubtedly wanted these recorded memories returned. So, as Lykos sat centered in the middle of the room, the glyph beneath his rump continued to radiate a cold so familiar only to him; one that not even the North could imitate. As he'd looked up from the marble-sized lorestone he held, Lykos had finished yet another vivid memory told through the eyes of this stranger. What he saw only continued to perplex him, in yet another spiral of troubled confusion, because of the fact he witnessed another life.
A life that certainly involved him, or at least someone who looked like him, when those who knew this version no longer remembered him to begin with. But alas, there were more pieces of an ever-expanding puzzle, and frankly, the demigod grew a bit tired of torturing himself in such a manner. Thus, as he tilted the lid of the box open, he watched as both the original and the newer pictograph flared to life, with the insertion of the lorestone he'd just observed with weary eyes. It had been of this... Rickter as he was called, and the time he had spent playing with the two young boys.
They had outgrown the newborn stage but were still infants, as the eerily similar version of Lykos lifted and moved their legs a few times. It was evident this man was happily content at that moment, but Lykos, felt as though he were watching a stranger providing care for their children. But enough of that... He pulled himself out of that mental rabbit hole, determined to hone his attention back into the immediate moment in time. Something was afoot.
The Cold Room had literally bathed in his aether since before Ash began, and every well had done an excellent job of absorbing it, and redirecting the energies throughout the room across the glyph's network. All his theories and principles had slowly come together, and in the process, he'd gained rather invaluable insight into who he currently was. As Lykos observed the glowering walls around him, the sheen of frost that had accumulated in the room glimmered with his Divine Presence. And now... as the celestials shifted their turn into the new season...
Frostlyth shards started to condense and grow from the center of each glyph, gradually spreading across the walls as the room itself brightened. For however long the endless Winter lingered prior, Frost had marked the true return of the season entirely. And it was thanks to that Lykos felt more than just the turn of time, though brief, he felt a rather powerful shift within him also. Things were beginning to change now, and there were forces at work he couldn't comprehend... yet. Well now... Isn't this interesting.
He couldn't help but muse to himself as he picked up the memory box, still rather baffled by the application of Traversion that had been used to it. Telion did have a lot of memories stored within, enough to be overwhelming evidence of Lykos' prior life. But for now, he wanted to focus on his current one. Thus, he took the box with him to walk toward the door, and proceeded to give it a few knocks to signal the sentinels outside. Lykos kept ready to cross the threshold in stride, as the sentinels were keen to shut the door behind him.
It would be later that morning, that the reports would've reached the Vigil himself. And should he have wanted to come himself, then Lykos made sure to plan for that as well, but he certainly wanted to accommodate the other two who made the completion of this project possible for him. And so, when Hilana and Athalia were called to meet with him in from of the Cold Chamber, Lykos would be found waiting patiently there after a refreshing nap.
Re: A Certainty of Cold
Posted: Thu Mar 07, 2024 10:21 pm
by Hilana Chenzira
The two sisters did not venture into that walk-in freezer without appropriate attire. While Athalia was Arche to flame, and Hilana could easily ask the elements to assist with keeping her shapely posterior warm, neither of them had any desire to risk the work that had been so carefully curated over the last few seasons. As a result, they had brought cloaks to Lykos to implant wards on, and the garments themselves contained the heat for the Vastii that wouldn't chance any impact on the carefully-managed pictographs that represented so much work. Doing anything to disrupt Lykos' work would be unforgivable at this point, especially considering all of the resources that had gone into its creation.
The trio enjoyed the access to the Citadel that was conditional on behaviour and secrecy, and screwing up was going to get her access revoked in no short order. Athalia had been in her room working on some needlework while Hilana was out in the desert retrieving plants for some project or another. Who knew, perhaps she was foraging for a meal. But whatever it was, she had returned with a full set of saddlebags, and when she heard that Lykos wanted to see them, Hilana had prepared some snacks in case he was hungry when he woke up from his nap, and grabbed her cloak before meeting Lia on the way down.
"Did you have a good nap? Is the cold room making good progress?" Hilana beamed at the Rathari, offering him a little pouch filled with crispy, crunchy roasted chickpeas. They were still warm, and the multiple spices that coated them, what with the sumac, smoked paprika, garlic, salt, and pepper, were readily apparent the moment he opened the pouch. Lia only smiled at the offering - while Lykos' appetite had never gotten quite as ravenous as it had early on (though they now understood more about why), it wasn't uncommon for Hilana to constantly shove food at him. She liked to cook, he liked to eat. Win-win-win, all the way around.
Re: A Certainty of Cold
Posted: Tue Mar 12, 2024 7:59 pm
by Pharaoh
Shortly after Hilana's question was posed, the door opened once more- as if of its own volition, revealing the pale, unveiled visage of Sentinel Phocion. He donned his typical uniform and, despite the severity of the chill, he seemed little fazed by the cold. One might surmise that perhaps the same wards that kept the Vigilia cool despite wearing black in the desert might also work in the opposing direction as well.
Phocion regarded his surroundings, taking note of the changes since his last visit. Lykos' experiments were not under his direct supervision, nor were regular check-ins part of his daily or even weekly routine, so it had been a few weeks since he'd last paid a visit to this corner of his citadel.
"I hope I'm not interrupting." He said, with a glance to the sisters Chenzira, though he didn't hesitate to proceed with his own agenda in spite of that assertion. Phocion's agenda was, after all, the priority of this facility entire.
"I am told progress has been made, Lykos. Brief me." He began to stalk along the walls of the room, as if giving himself a tour, though Lykos was certainly expected to serve as the docent of his own icy museum. He paused next to Hilana and sniffed the air for a moment.
"Hm." He pursed his lips, glanced down to her little pouch of roasted chickpeas and drew one forth with his Craft of Kinetics. He parted his lips to allow it to float into his mouth, before biting down with a muted crunch behind closed lips. After swallowing, he gestured to Lykos.
"Well, then? Impress me." He clasped his gloved hands together as he turned his full attention toward the demi-deity.
Re: A Certainty of Cold
Posted: Sat Mar 16, 2024 1:03 am
by Rickter
The reliance on his sense of hearing and smell were usually the tools he used to pick up on others, having quickly learned what credible distances he could perceive with just those two faculties alone. It certainly did not take long at all to sniff out the aroma of an herbaceous meal coming his way, one met with the footsteps of his packmates as the two ladies soon came down the corridor to the cold chamber. Lykos could only beam at their arrival when he noticed that the Vastiana sisters had brought not just a platter of roasted chickpeas, but a couple of cloaks that he needed to prepare for them prior to entering the chamber.
"Ah! Good, you're finally here!" The lupine draegir enthused with his vivid blue eyes upon Athalia first and then Hilana. Upon the inquiry from the younger sister, he could only nod with almost a jubilant grin across his lips. "Yes, actually, it's quite odd how brief bouts of sleep can still rejuvenate even immortals." He could only muse with a brief chuckle before he reached for one of the peas, curious to sample the flavors that Lana had cooked into them before turning his attention to the cloaks.
"As of this morning, the cold room has officially reached completion." He confirmed with a brief lick of his fingertips, savoring the tangy flavor of salt that rested on them. He didn't anticipate the kick of spice that followed after, and thus wound up panting a couple of times to alleviate the slight burn off his tongue. "Suppose I'd better get started then." He soon quipped with a gesture for the cloaks, eager to cast the ward upon them, so that they could see the result of all the hard work that came together. After all none of this wouldn't have been possible without the Vastiana sisters, and certainly not without the additional arrival of another who came to see the final product of his experiment.
Though as quiet and difficult to detect as ever, Phocion's timely interception to the group led Lykos to turn and face toward the man. The Frost Lord wore a gentle smile when he acknowledged the Vigil's arrival, even so much as bowed with the cloaks held close to his gut. "Sentinel Phocion, sir." Though he wasn't sure if that were the appropriate greeting to provide the Elven man, Lykos felt a bit more comfortable knowing that he at least had the privilege of working with him in the end.
After all, Phocion was another who had earned the respect of Lykos in his time here, and he was also a rather influential figure in just the short time the demigod stayed within the citadel. "Not at all, I was just about to prep these cloaks for Hilana and Athalia. They'll need the extra protection from the cold." With his posture straightened once more the wolf looked thoughtfully to the Vigil, as the corner of his lips tucked into another slight grin a moment after.
"Of course, I'm certain your attire is already equipped to handle such conditions. If it does become an issue though, I'll happily accommodate you with a ward against the frigid temperatures." In expressing this Lykos barely wasted any time in activating his Negation rune, the crest glowing upon his left shoulder before its lights danced across his skin. With a minute spent focusing on the fabric between his hands, the draeger laced his aether into each cloak in his possession, instilling them with a layer of aether only slightly touched with his divination.
It needn't be a strong ward, after all, just something to prevent the near-subzero temperatures from seeping into their clothes. Once the deed was done the wolf then posed the cloaks to each of the sisters, before turning to follow the Vigil into the cold chamber that had awaited their visit. To anyone else it would've been unmistakeable as a cold breeze swiftly wafted out of the door's threshold, but once they crossed through into the confines of the room itself, the boundaries that kept the temperatures contained became vividly clear once Lykos himself felt the kiss of Frost upon his flesh.
"Certainly, Sentinel." He confirmed as he stepped centerfold into the room, directly over the array of the central glyph where frost danced in a spiral from floor to ceiling. All around the ice that had accumulated from this morning had already thickened, as thick protrusions of Frostlyth shards resonated from nearly every corner of the room. Shards that were still only minor in nature but bound to grow with a bit more time, and given that Frost had only arrived today, there was still plenty of time left before they developed into higher grade dragonshards.
"What you see here is the production of Frostlyth shards from the accumulation of divine aether. For the past several months I've bathed the anchor nodes with the energy of Frost, after interconnecting the glyphs so that they would exchange the divine aether through shared passages." He explained with a general gesture of his hands toward the room, with a steady approach to one of the walls where the glyph resonated beneath the frigid shards. "The wards instilled in the glyphs are tied to my own domain of Frost, so they're able to replenish their charge annually with the arrival of Frost each year."
The result of that seemed rather obvious for him to state in that regard, as Lykos deemed Phocion quick to determine what that spelled for the citadel. A recurring number of Frostlyth shards that the Custodes Deorum could harvest each year, using them as they see fit for whatever purposes deemed necessary. "Truthfully, I wasn't sure how successful the attempt would be, but from what I've gathered, the collective energy within this room should provide a somewhat generous amount to harvest by the end of Frost." He explained with another glance at the Vastiana sisters, rather proud of the faith they put in with his handiwork.
Truly, he didn't see himself accomplishing this at all without their aid. And while he could only guess how torturous the cold would've felt for them, somehow basking in the cold chamber only invigorated him even more. Enough to where the patterns of Northern Lights still continued to dance across his skin, while he waited to see what the others had to say in regards to his finished experiment.
Re: A Certainty of Cold
Posted: Sun Mar 17, 2024 10:02 am
by Hilana Chenzira
Both sisters bowed when Phocion arrived, and when he took one of the chickpeas from the pouch, Hilana was completely and utterly tickled. Founders knew she'd regularly offered him both sweet and savoury foods ever since she had met him, and for once, he'd taken one and tried it. And she hadn't even been expecting it! That was a great feeling - it was the little things in life, after all. She could stuff his brothers, she'd not yet gotten Valaera to try anything except her restoratives, but for Phocion to try a spicy roasted chickpea... She patted Lykos' back when the spice hit him. Sometimes, he just wasn't prepared for that, and usually there was a drink on hand to help, but, well... He'd get used to it once he knew it was coming.
The cloaks were handed over and summarily warded, and Lia and Hilana both offered their thanks before slipping them on. They were ready to investigate the freezer now - Lia had been in it more regularly than Hilana, what with her assisting with Scrivening and keeping an eye on it, and Hilana did have two jobs to manage out at the Sacred City. Plus the rest of her shenanigans, such as they were. So to go inside, and see the progress with the growing shards... the younger sister was awed and delighted.
The two of them followed behind Phocion and Lykos, observing the budding shards. They were beautiful, and they reminded Hilana how crystals formed and grew, not unlike making a lodestone or building crystals with Elementalism. It was the same thing, really, just a different source. When Lykos glanced back at her, Hilana made a little show of clapping silently for him, with encouragement and admiration. This really was incredible, and considering how rare Frostrylyth shards were in a place like Solunarium, it was an excellent resource.
Athalia had been nodding along with Lykos' explanation as he made them, studying the pictographs and glyphs, seeing each of the components and the way that the aether was moving through them. All was well so far - it had taken some doing, taken some experimentation and theorycrafting, but with trial and error, it had been successful. And it was going to show the fruits of their labours over the last few months. All the same, the women were quiet, not wanting to interrupt or interject with Sentinel Phocion and Lykos' conversation.
Re: A Certainty of Cold
Posted: Thu Jul 18, 2024 12:54 pm
by Pharaoh
"Mm." Phocion phonated quietly, after observing the demonstration and listening to the words imparted. As he stood stock still, as if Lykos' efforts had frozen the sentinel himself, another chickpea slowly rose and hovered, appearing almost bashful as it made its way to his pursed lips, which parted to allow it entry. After a few bites shifted his angular jaw and deepened his dimples, he nodded.
"Very well. It seems you are a hound that has outgrown its kennel." He observed, glancing about the 'Cold Room'. "I am satisfied that it is time to see you work on a larger scale. A patch of barren desert will be assigned to you... Remote and relatively lifeless. I will assign a small complement of sentinels to observe and aid you as you work to change the ecology of that land. I would like to see this done gradually, if possible. I would not see an arid desert turned instantly into a tundra, but rather to observe a slow progression from balmy to temperate to cool to cold. I wonder at the nuance of your abilities and its potential for terraforming. I will work out the details and my secretary will deliver them to you." He nodded archly, and turned to exit, but paused in the doorway.
"Are they really called 'Frostlyth shards' in Common?" He wrinkled his nose and, perhaps it was just the cold, but he seemed to shudder. He didn't wait for an answer, turning sharply and waving a hand over his shoulder.
"Carry on." And with that, he stalked out of the chamber to return to his duties elsewhere in the citadel, an arcane handful of chickpeas pursuing him through the exit.
Re: A Certainty of Cold
Posted: Fri Jul 19, 2024 1:31 am
by Rickter
As he outlined the details of the Cold Room and the mechanics of the pictographs instilled within, the silent encouragement from his fellow packmates only cemented the confidence he found in pridefully achieving the feat the final product had become. Phocion was one who always remained one difficult to impress, and yet, coming from him were words akin to praise that incited excitement within the lupine draegir. The wolf within him experienced the urges that accommodated the battering of a tail even in his Zoan form, but of course, Lykos physically restrained himself from revealing such inclinations for the moment.
The Vigil had more to add beyond admittance with the satisfactory work the wolf had put in. Ecological advancements were on his mind now? It was without question that Lykos could somehow influence the weather, quite easily, if he allowed his moods to manipulate the very throes of his own aether. Such was what led him to being quickly discovered even, once Hilana had brought him down here to Tertium in the first place, and required him to implement crucial wards to subjugate that influence almost entirely; just so that he could control it better with his own volition.
Despite this though, it seemed that Phocion had bigger plans in store for him yet. All the more reason the wolf needed to remain dedicated to the oath he made, as the creation of an oasis out of nothing could've undoubtedly influenced the ecosystem of Atraxia in unprecedented ways. There was no doubt the intention Lykos held with his own powers, and if they could indeed do enough good to create more liveable areas within the desert... then who was he to deny them that opportunity to find new footholds to make liveable for their brethren.
Beyond that, the experiment was to also see just how far the draegir's influence could affect the world in turn. Be it gradual or rapid the change of this ecosystem was more a test of Lykos' own limitations in turn. There was no question about the depth of control the Lord of Frost could exert over his own power, as he clearly demonstrated that by constructing the elaborate designs required to make the Cold Room possible. "You honor me, Vigil." He reconciled with a very humbled bow toward Phocion in turn, a bit surprised but also amused at the afterthought the man had on the name of Frostlyth shards.
This led him to wonder what the Vastian tongue referred to them as, but naturally, he gave a soft smile to allow the Vigil to take his leave and focus on the next set of tasks on his mind. "It shall be done." Though Lykos hadn't idea the length of time necessary to achieve it, he wasn't as intimidated by the idea as he might've felt initially. Gradual changes merely meant incremental shifts throughout time, and honestly, the passage of time was always marked with the change of seasons in turn. It would be an interesting trial for the Lord of Frost all the same, and once it was the Vastiana sisters left in the room with him, he couldn't help but beam proudly toward the pair with joy in his eyes.
"On to the next project then?" He mused toward them with a soft chuckle, before nodding toward the door so they could exit the freezing space they stood within. "But truly, from the bottom of my heart, I don't think I could've done this without you two." Once more the wolf could only bow his head, as low as his shoulders would allow, to demonstrate the sincerest gratitude he held for the two ladies before him. "Thank you."
Re: A Certainty of Cold
Posted: Tue Jul 30, 2024 5:21 pm
by Hilana Chenzira
Hilana was quite pleased indeed with Sentinel Phocion’s comments. He was not one prone to being effusive, so this was rather high praise indeed. It may not have seemed like it, but it was. Higher still was his sampling of her roasted spiced chickpeas. She had been passing food and drinks to him for near as long as she had known him, and aside from accepting restoratives for aether replenishment, she’d never seen him take anything. So she was just tickled that he presently was. Perhaps she’d be able to make more now that she had found a flavour profile that he liked…
“Gratias, Vigil,” Hilana offered a small bow, and Athalia inclined her head and shoulders to him as well. This new project would be a challenge, but a fun one. In some ways it might be complementary to Hilana’s dreams of building more oases throughout the Atraxian Expanse, when she got the appropriate permissions from the Vigilia Argenti… but she would get those in time as she progressed with other tasks and responsibilities. Prove herself there and here… and they could do something for the people and wildlife of her homeland. “They are called frostrylyth dragonshards,” she affirmed, smiling at the expression on his face. He could take the pouch of chickpeas with him if he so desired; they would keep.
“You are too kind. It takes a team, after all. Onto the next project,” Athalia affirmed with Lykos, smiling from him to her sister. “This one should be fun… and we have Hilana’s near-encyclopaedic knowledge of the ecology to draw on here, plus your knowledge of the Season and the fact you personify it… all of us are Elementalists, and I know Hilana intends to acquire summoning… but we can make this work.” She offered the much taller man a hug, and would squeeze him if he accepted it, and Hilana would hug both of them.
They would let him usher them out, and then they could get out of their cloaks and see where they were off too next. They had plenty to do, and there were never enough hours in the day…
Re: A Certainty of Cold
Posted: Tue Jul 30, 2024 6:05 pm
by Rickter
There was a sudden moment of clarity, when the Vigil took his leave of the room and name had been clarified. Frostrylyth. Normally, Lykos was one to consider his thoughts and translations on words carefully, but it seemed, as though somewhere within the addled confines of his memory... something, somewhere, led him to confusion when he finally realized what led to Phocion's inquiry on the name.
Hang on... Have I... Have I been naming them wrong... this entire time?!? Revelation hit him hard and he felt it sink deep within his mind, and suddenly, all sense and idea of etiquette he believed to possess within himself had gone out the window... or in this case the door, since that was the only structure that could open. For a very brief, very incremental moment, he felt his entire world crash down simply because of this realization. He. Called. Them. Frostlyth.
Yet he had no idea when or where this stemmed from, what led him to decidedly just name them these, when instead their proper name was something much more sophisticated. Had he sounded like such an uncultured fool this entire time? And nobody allowed him the chance to catch it before he realized such a foolhardy term?! The warmth of an embrace pulled him out of those thoughts though, when he realized that Athalia had closed the gap between them, and offered a reaffirming hug after such a positive reception on the completion of their project.
And now, with the knowledge and abilities that his packmates had, Lykos had a new project to work on regarding the Atraxian Expanse itself. He held no doubts or reservations about it either, because he believed without a shadow of doubt in the company present. They'd continue to steer him on the right path for sure, of that he felt certain, and thus they left the cold room ready to plan the start of their would-be next project.
But seriously. Frostlyth shards? What the hell? He could only ponder before it became an after thought.
Re: A Certainty of Cold
Posted: Wed Jul 31, 2024 9:53 am
by Talisman
Review
Name: Lykos
XP: 15 Points, no magic
Injuries/Ailments: None
Loot: Moving up in some esteem, at least.
Name: Hilana
XP: 15 Points, no magic
Injuries/Ailments: None
Loot: Prince Phocion ate chickpeas!!
Name: Pharaoh
Mod XP: 2 Posts x 2 XP = 4 Mod XP
Notes: Frostylyth, Frostrylyth... tomato, tomahto... it's a second language, cut yourself some slack! This caps a very interesting project that was absolutely fascinating to read and follow. Congratulations on a job well done!
