Shredding Immortalities in an Instant, Snapping Strings of Fate with a Whisper (Mai)

[Ankou]

Timestamp: Earlyish Spring, Era XIV PF.

OOC: Experience:

http://www.playbypost.com/forums/paxia/...aumaturgy.html 2xp (Initiate)
http://www.playbypost.com/forums/showpo...7&postcount=31 1xp
http://www.playbypost.com/forums/showth...52#post1203452 2xp (Apprentice)
http://www.playbypost.com/forums/port-alyxandrya/57283-making-withdrawel-hazudar-open-all-join.html 1xp
http://www.playbypost.com/forums/port-alyxandrya/58004-lords-delight-open-hazudar.html 2xp
http://www.playbypost.com/forums/enamor...-campsite.html 1xp
http://www.playbypost.com/forums/natura...ing-dance.html 1xp

__________________________________________________ ____________10 xp in total


Ankou looked with some brusqueness at his room: Would all the secrets of the universe be departed to him in some cage of wood and stone? Did that seem right?

It did not, Ankou could not have been the only one aware of how utterly wrong the way things worked around here was. Packaging off untold magical secrets and selling them for pittance as though they were tradeskills or warrior ways. But this was Arcana! The last secret of the age of Angels, Ankou scoffed as he entered.

Who was this Sister Beth, anyway? Some aged Faerie, as he gathered, some old creature who saw fit to blunderingly impart her little tricks. And would they not need three masters to promote him anyway? Where would the others come from? Who would they be?

He entered, sighing, what should have been his moment of triumph was turning quickly to his moment of humiliation.

[Mai]

The room the receptionist had asked him to enter was near the uppermost levels of the Tower of Serenity. The breeze was plentiful and the light from the two suns entered the room through the four open windows, granting the room a bright and clean look. White clouds moved in the azure sky and the day was proving to be a great day for an outdoor picnic. Instead, three highly-respected Mages stood in the room all in a straight line, gazing curiously at Ankou. They were here to measure his skills to see if he was at all fit for Journeyman level Thaumaturgy.

The first of the Mages stood with a kindly smile on her face and a warm gaze in her blue eyes, staring curiously at Ankou. As a petite middle-aged fae she was nothing but warmth and felt kindly toward the student before them. As a priestess of the faith, the fae went by Sister Beth, and introduced herself as such, also recalling when she first achieved the level of Journeyman in Thaumaturgy.

The second mage was bouncing around freely like a child, as most sprites have a tendency to do. "Benicio Tolbin," he introduced himself, "pleasure to be here this Spring brightening!" His snow white hair bounced around his face as he rocked back and forth on the tips of his shoes. He smiled brightly at Ankou, squinting his eyes narrowly as the smile widened.

Lastly, but certainly not in any way the least, was Durin Stoutbeard. His robes were a shiny blue with gold lace trim, and matching blue boots of the most durable material. He grunted a small introduction after saying his name, and eyed Ankou's outfit. Durin shrugged it off as best he could, but did not drop the stare. Stoutbeard was a most unusual dwarf that dwelled on apparel a bit too much for his own sake. Still, he managed a stiff nod of the head, waiting for the pupil to say his own name.

Sister Beth spoke quickly, "You have only just been assigned to us and I understand you did not wait long at all to reach us. It has been a little slow at the Towers lately, you see. Not enough pupils these days..." she drifted on, remembering the times when she was quite frankly too busy for any free time.

The room itself was painted a coat of bright white, and framed pictures of all the mages teaching at the Towers were hung on the walls. Only one narrow, but four-tiered bookshelf adorned one of the walls, though it was packed full with books. The library with a more extensive collection was a few floors down, and there was no purpose in cluttering the classrooms. In the center of the room, opposite the door, and in between the windows, was a blackboard with what looked like Alchemy notes, no doubt Stoutbeard's.

Behind each of the mages stood a small appropriate-sized chair for each to sit on, though they did not. Close to Ankou was also a chair and should he want to sit, he could. In fact, Tolbin pointed gleefully at the chair, suggesting it best he sit.

[Ankou]

Ankou nodded, bowing to each in turn as was his custom. Already the fleeting panloathing, that awesome hatred he felt for every living creature, was beginning to vanish, to fade behind a curtain of absurd falsehoods, his ideal mask, the thing he wore, the thing he longed to get rid of forever.

"Mistress Beth, Ankou." He said, appraising the faerie. A fellow member of the lowest, weakest, and most disgusting race? How utterly appropriate, how monstrously common. Probably ten times his senior, and yet as lovely as the day she grew up. He wanted to strangle her.

"Master Tolbin, Ankou." He said, bowing to the sprite. How he hated their weak and obnoxious race, as though the secrets of the universe were merely the playthings of children? Toys to be manipulated as he pleased? Well, of course they were. Just not by such unmenacing creatures. Magic should be the tool of fear.

"Master Stoutbeard, Ankou." He said, trying not to laugh, this was pathetic. A dwarf trying to learn arcana? Might as well try to teach Hazudar table manners, or abstinence to a cether. Pathetic. Utterly, absolutely pathetic. This one would die first. He would relish the shocking and total violence of the act.

He took his seat, combing his hair back with his hand as a kind of fake nervous tic. "Don't be mistaken, I've been years working my way to this point, years of hard work, heh. May we begin?!"

[Mai]

OOC: Many apologies for the major delay.

The three Mages stood there all looking completely different from each other. They gave each other quick glances, and took to their seats. Master Stoutbeard let out a small sigh and peeked towards his notes on the blackboard wishing he could teach or do something more productive. By no means had he taken a liking to Ankou and so his attention strayed.

"Now, now, what is the rush, dear?" the fae smiled after making a small clicking sound on the top of her mouth. "Before we begin I want to hear some of your background - your experiences with arcana. And perhaps from there we will all be better acquainted with you, Ankou. As of now we know next to nothing about you aside from your name. Records show you've never had any training in Diana, is that correct?" Sister Beth coughed slightly, wondering if the others would have something to say.

Master Tolbin just wiggled in his seat, "I am impatient myself..." The sprite appeared to be hinting at something, but said no more. A child in appearance, and optimistic at all times, Tolbin was also skilled at looking into people's souls, gazing at the unsuspecting Ankou.

[Ankou]

Tolbin could look for Ankou's soul all he pleased, he would not find something that did not exist.

Ankou nervously smiled, the kind of smile a scholar might make at being forced to talk to people, the kind of smile an uncertain creature might make at being forced to choose. Not Ankou's kind of smile, his was deep and sinister.

He railed against what he was forced to become for these fools.

He only felt a growing darkness, a growing hatred, that he could barely contain, his breathing shallowed, his eyes dilated, his visibly blanched from his current existence. He just wanted the power then to begone. And hell and damnation to any how dared stand in his way.

Death.

"No, that's true. I was unbound in Paxia, where I intended to return for my continuing education, if only... the orcs handled that fully enough, I could not return there. I went to Taralon, I trained momentarily under the good hospital woman, who promoted me. Now I'm here, there aren't three masters of Arcana in all of Taralon, you know. I could not keep going there."

Doom.

"Basically I've done nothing truly spectacular in arcana, I've practiced the spells to achievement many times. I felt I was ready for the more exciting levels of spellcasting. Arcana has always been a nature gift to the faerie folk, so I wished... I mean, I hoped... that you'd consider me ready."

Murder.