[Brightshadows] Mistress of Secrets

[Mizushin Junzo]

TS: 3rd Cycle of Ponutis, Era II of the Celestine Mandate, Era XIV Post-Fractum

The halls of Brightshadows were paved with the history of magic and arcana. If one could journey through time to see what things had been wrought in this place, undoubtedly they would witness the many students taught and the stories that grew from those once-neophyte practitioners of the arts of magecraft. Some grew to become masters, others failed to pursue their abilities to their fullest extent. Others simply grew bored with the calling or could not handle its pressures. A few perhaps died in the pursuit of that power.

Such was the way of magic, which was one of the Empire's greatest feats. Harnessed to the building of great things, it once allowed a fleet of airships to soar and the creation of great artifacts. Those days were past now, but the spark of magic still was alive, if but changed since then. And as before, Brightshadows was once again one of the eminent academies of that august, if at times enigmatic, power.

Today would begin the tutelage of one new student into arcana, a young noblewoman named Thalia Timandre. Her instructions were to proceed to this very room, where she would presumably be initiated into arcana and the mystic arts.

The room was made of polished stone and sparsely decorated with the various insignia of the academy, worked in steel and other hardy material. There were a few books to be seen, but such things were locked away on the far side of the room. Torches were set into the walls, but were not lit, considering it was morning. The sunlight trickled in through glass windows, which had drapes that were kept rolled up in case that was needed.

There also seemed to be some parts of the room which were partitioned away, with some signs telling people to keep away from them. Various inscriptions were on the ground in those areas. For now, there was no one in the place, and the student could only hear the faint sounds of others in the hallways and nearby rooms.

[Thalia Timandre]

This is it. Thalia’s eyes shimmered, her lips parted in marvel and awe as she stood in a place where only few— very few— people on Telath will ever have the honour to step onto. She had dreamed of this moment, dreamed of standing in a corridor so exclusive and forbidden, an enigmatic hallway most people on Aelyria will never, ever see.

She needed not the mystic senses of the fae to know that magic permeated this place. It was, after all, one of the best mage schools in all of the Empire. She drew her hood over her head, placed her hands in the sleeves of her purple initiate robe, and silently walked in the direction the registrar had instructed her to go to, heading for a room where she would be presumably initiated into arcana and the mystic arts.

Thalia always had the weird notion that her mind was always desperate for nourishment. She knew well that one’s inclination toward academic learning was no indication of an individual’s arcane aptitude, but she felt that magic will adequately feed her ravenous mind.

As a young woman of Daltinian noble birth, she was not taught how to wield a weapon. She was taught how to walk gracefully, how to eat with refinement, how to greet, and how to curtsy. She was introduced to the art of polite conversation, fashion, and good manners. Along these trainings on courtesy, she was also taught to loathe swords, weapon-fighting, or any martial art. It was not the role of a lady, so said her governesses, to concern herself with matters pertaining warfare and combat.

Her books, however, had saved her partially from this way of thinking. Thanks to the literatures about strong and powerful women with their Diana-inspired visions, for although Thalia abhorred swords, she no longer believed that weapon-fighting must be exclusive only to men.

Those were the same literatures that lured her towards arcane arts. Mages were often portrayed in books as smarter than swordfighters, and she felt that she wanted to act out such a role. Who, between a mage and a swordsman, is most likely to be feared anyway? History books were fat with tales of powerful mages – what they can do, and the destruction they left behind. She wondered what magic has to offer her, and what it will demand from her.

Thalia moved towards the door with quiet, shuffling steps, and entered the room where the master – or the mistress – probably waited for her arrival.

[Aesha]

The was only one elementalist capable of teaching initiates at Brightshadows. Though the academy focused mainly on the study of sorcery it also got a good amount of students interested in the elements, and Teriah Silco was probably the most worked teacher of the five masters that inhabited the school, despite also being one of the oldest.

She was already seated in the room waiting for her new student. Teriah was always there first, not matter how early her student was. Rumour said it was uncanny. Rumour also said she was the strictest teacher at the academy. Most of the sorcery students felt sorry for the students of elementalism. Teriah's overall appearence was white. Her hair was white, and tied up neatly into a twist on the back of her head that diguised its overall length. She wore a simple white robe. Her skin was pale. Her eyes were completely white. Very few people knew whether Teriah had gone blind from old age or some accident in her past, but blind she was.

It did not hinder her ability to teach arcana however.

Despite her impairment, Teriah looked up and at Thalia as she entered the room. Her face was wrinkled, and looked severe, though some of the wrinkles looked in about the right place to be laughter lines. She greeted her new student with a curt not.

"Thalia Timandre I assume. I am Teriah Silco, your teacher..." She paused to give the room in general a wry look, ... which I am sure you already know. Now that the introductions are over, why did you want to study elementalism? And, what do you know of the unbinding process? So many people come here ignorant of it."

[Thalia Timandre]

The first thing that Thalia had noticed about this woman’s appearance was her colour. Her clothing, her skin, her hair, even her irises were white. She tried to hide her astonishment upon seeing the mistress’ completely white eyes.

Was she blind? She was sure that the mistress looked up and at her when she entered the room, but she did look blind. Although it seemed to her that she was sightless, Thalia sank in a deep bow to show reverence. After all, there was no telling how she was able to choose robes the exact pale colour of her eyes and hair, and after all, she was one of the respected five masters who taught at the Academy.

“Yes, Mistress. I am Thalia Timandre, the new apprentice,” she bowed again. The introductions were quick and meager, but that was precisely how the young noble maiden wanted it, eager to feed her ravenous mind with new knowledge.

She rose and cleared her throat, “My sea-elven retainer, a scholar by his own right, had often wondered why I chose elementalism. Why indeed? Were it my desire to hold sheer power alone, I could have taken up sorcery, but power was not all that I crave. While most people drawn towards the eldritch learning thought magick only as a power to wield and master, I do not. What end does having sheer power alone serve anyway? Mayhap they have their reasons, but to me, learning elementalism is not all about mastering the arcane forces of nature. It is truly ourselves that we master.”

“It is my weaknesses that I endeavour to conquer,” Thalia looked straight into her eyes, even though she was dubious of her teacher’s sight. “Have I the resolve of earth to withstand my fiercest trials? Have I the might of fast-shifting waters to adapt swiftly to change? The finest blade has to pass through fire; will I be tempered by it or will it destroy me?”

“This, I desire to learn in the course of my training that I may serve my family better, and do honour to our name,” she looked at Mistress Teriah’s expression to see if her answers were sufficient.

She decided to answer her second question right away. Of course, she knew what Unbinding was. Thalia had perused many books in the Academy’s small library on her first day. “The process of unbinding. Most people are Bound. They cannot perceive and interact with Arcana because of an arcane constraint, rendering them incapable of attaining Clara, a state of mind in which a mage becomes aware of the unseen essences. Without the capacity to sense Arcana, spellcasting is impossible.”

“There shines one ray of hope though for those who are Bound, yet yearn to learn the Art,” she added. “For mages of Adept level and above have in their possession the power to reach out to a person’s mind and unknot the arcane threads and mental binds that render spellcasting impossible.”

“The process itself takes several minutes. A successful Unbinding oft entails the newly unbound losing her consciousness, and experience visions or dreams,” Thalia said finally, somewhat confident of her answers. She searched the mistress' face again to see if her answers sufficed.