[Bureau Office] Two of a Kind (Private Z'kron)

[Atl Myrsa]

The offices of the Bureau of the Arcane and home to the Lord Imperial Magus is located along the southern edge of the Imperial Forum. The Bureau is a large three story building that grants the impression of grandeur. Sheathed in white marble the building presented a impressive image to all visitor. The ground floor was dominated by the entrance to the stately building. A large half circler porch extended outward the outer edge of the porch were made of large marble columns that supported a ceiling for the porch. Resting atop the porches roof is a large statue that the causal observer appeared to be little more than abstract art. To the trained eye one could see the bore the symbols of the arcane fields.

The front of the second floor was faced with large windows that appeared to be curtained against the unwanted eyes. Along the third floor was a large stained glass window that recreated the image of Diana’s final battle. From the ground though it was hard to tell all of the details of the finally crafted window. The doors to the Bureau were large oak that considering the building the belonged to were strangle plain.

The entrance to the Bureau was designed to greet visitors. Polished wooden boards covered the floor. On the floor was a soft and large black and red silk carpet that stretched down the middle of the chamber towards the back of the room. Located in the center of the carpet was the crest of the bureau of the Arcane. Either side of the carpet was flanked by a couch made of cherry wood and polished till they gleamed. The couches were also over stuffed and had flora patterns in reds and gold.

At the end of the carpet was a large desk also made of the same polished cherry wood as the couches. The owner of the desk was a young elf female. She was sitting behind the desk filling out paper work seeming to be very bus but as visitor approached the desk she would stand and bow to them. While clearly and elf, she lacked the elven beauty that so marked the race, she wasn’t ugly, but almost plain looking. Her skin a dark grey that was off set by her black hair and light brown eyes.

"Serale Visitor. How may I help you?"

*********

The Offices of the Lord Imperial Magus could be found on the top floor of the Arcane Bureau. The stairs lead to a solid oak door that was rather plain except for a circle in the middle that was divided into seven sections each showing a symbol of a different sphere of arcane. The only other future of the room was a man standing outside of the door. He appeared to be youngish in his twenties and human. The man was dressed in red and black with the crest of the Imperial Magus on his breast. Underneath his surecoat was a set of armor and a blade at his other side. The Guards was the physical defense and the a field against spell casting was the primary arcane defense.

The room beyond was a large and comfortable. The primary feature of the room was a large desk. Made of solid oak there were strange images carved along the sides that from the door were hard to see. The light in the room seemed to mostly be drawn there. The desk itself was clean except for a couple folders that were placed into a pile right next to were the occupant worked.

Behind the desk was a large window that took up the whole of the wall. Images showing the last battle of Diana seemed to dance across the glass. Placed in the center of the large window was a map of the Empire with markings for all of the cities and mountians and major rivers of the Empire.

Two more desks occupied the room. Located next to the door. Situated so that the occupents could look at the main desk these two were also carved from rich oak. One was completely clean and another was covered in folders and papers.

One of the remaining walls was completely covered in book selves. They seemed to be almost groaning from the weight of all of the books. Most were normal sized that one would expect to find any were else. A few were small things, and some were so large children could be squashed by them.

The last wall held a fire place that was currently ablaze giving off light and warmth in the cold winter. Four chairs were positioned around the fire each with a little end table between them. They were richly embroidered with geometric patterns on them. One last table sat next to the fire place with a pot of tea, glasses, and a couple bodels sitting on it.

"Oh course." The young lady said. Picking up her bell she rang. A young page entered the room. "Please inform His Imperial Excellency that the Imperial High Sage is here, and wishes to visit with him."

The young man nodded his head and departed. "Please this will only take a moment." Which it did as the young man returned. "Please follow me sir. His Imperial Excellency has a time over the next candlemark." He bowed his head and motioned for the High Sage to follow him.

Atl was sitting behind his desk smiling as the High Sage came in. He stood to greet his guest and then motioned for him to take a seat. "Please join me." After waiting for him to be seated Atl to his own seat. "It is a pleasure to see you it has been a very long time."

[Z'kron]

"Indeed Master Myrsa. It's been a long time since Mystique and the Sacred Circle. How goes the circle by the way? I've been absent from the empire- quite unwillingly- for awhile, and I've yet to catch on to all the events that have happened."

He smiled, and his blue eyes fixed with Atl's. The druid, if he had ever had dealings with the mineral, would doubtless recognise them as sharing a tone of color and sheen of crysallium; almost as if two orbs of the stuff had seeped into the druid's head and formed into eyes. One hand made a slow gesture through the air, tiny tendrils of plant matter following after it.
Whatever Z'kron was, he was far from a normal elf. In fact, he seemed like a creature who was so closely wed to druidic magic that it had altered his very being; turned from elf into some variety of nature-sprite or plant man. The tone of the druid turned to business.

"So, Master Myrsa. The problem of Paxia. We have thousands living in tents, who could easily have fever and die. We have elementalists here who could quite easily build a shelter for them in half a day's work. We have druids who could regrow entire cropfields. Understanding the ridiculous difficult in getting most mages to work together, what are we planning to do about this? If something isn't done to help, there's even odds the citizens will die or revolt."
The druid paused, again weighing his words and tapping his fingers slowly. His countenance was quite unfathomable; as if his transformation into whatever he was had changed his thought processes to something far deeper and implacable.
"And, on a similar theme, do you have any plans on the Jorelite Archmage Necromancer Avanthar who opened to portal into the middle of Paxia? I take it you have been appraised of these situations. Frankly, it's far beyond my capabilities. "

[Atl Myrsa]

Atl blinked and then smiled at the fellow druid. "I am planning on placing a call for magi to join me in Paxia during the summer. The Mage corps is the largest body of magi that works for the Imperial goverment and I have about as much say over what they do as a rock does over stream." Atl said leaning back. "There are a number of magi around the empire who could be of great use, but at this time my control over them extends to the running of the schools and thats about it. I will be pulling aid from various schools such as the one here in Prime, also Mystique. Then also a call for volunters, and if need be workers of a arcane nature."

"As for the Archmage, I will be honest that I haven't had time to address that issue. Most of my information comes from fellow magi, please enlighten me some more."

[Z'kron]

The druid gave an approving nod at the revelation of the plan to move magi into Paxia. The amount of good they could do would be quite massive. But then his thoughts turned to the necromancer, and his bluestone eyes hardened.
"Ah, the sacker of Paxia. His name is Avanthar. He's an archmagus; probably the strongest archmage necromancer I've ever had to deal with. Capable of bending the sphere so he can channel energy with a strong Aeternian flavor, as well as create portals as well as a sorcerer. He's very much a battle necromancer; and seems to be well defended even beyond his magical abilities."
A pause, as the druid collected his thoughts. Green, plantlike hair drifted down over his forehead.
"In terms of motivation. He's a former Jorelite, but was slain by the prophet of Jorel, Rincewin, in this very city a few eras back. Jalat gave him a new body, and he's now that god's devoted servant; and quite possibly acting under his direct instructions. Which adds an extra dimension to the issue; considering that the god of death is unlikely to wish him to die. This is your purview, Imperial Magus- a direct arcanic threat to the empire. What can we do?"

[Atl Myrsa]

Atl leaned back his eyes darkening. Atl was about as found of necromancers as he was of the plague. He wasn't. Atl had had to many times were he had had conflicts with the weilders of that arcane group. He as a druid understood that death wasn't bad, and that through death new life was brought.

"Hunting him and down and stripping him of thoughts powers is critical. Especially if he was critical to the events in Paxia." Atl's saphire eyes had turned as cold as the stones they reminded people of. "Also we can restore much faith in the empire if we can bring him to justics. Espcially among the magi."

He looked at him. "What types of abilities does he have. I know enough of the gods to know that they don't causually raise the dead."

[Z'kron]

The druid gave an obviously humorless chuckle. To be asked to define the limits of an archmage? It seemed to be simpler to deal with what they could not do. Especially this one. But the druid had dealt with Archmage necromancers before this, and had studied them to some extent; and so he did his best to outline the type of threat.
"To extrapolate for the usual abilities of Archmage Necromancers. To raise the dead en masse; although his Jalatine allegiance might limit that. Control over darkness, the ability to draw life from his surroundings, to attack and defend with spirits. To directly attack planlike creature, create plagues, bind souls, create dopplegangers, commune with the gods directly, summon daemons; deal with the essence of cold and travel across the empire at will through portals; build permanent gateways between this world and the aeternian planes. To improvise spells without preparation, create enchantments to protect himself. To be practically unbindable by conventional means. He also has command over orcish shamans, who utilise ritual magic that has never been properly studied, and likely has a cabal of followers he trained himself, as most master necromancers do."
A pause, and then an understatement. "As you see, he may be a bit of a problem"

[Atl Myrsa]

Atl leaned back in his chair. "You don't happen to be on the Good side any gods do you." Atl said only half joking. "You are right he needs to be take down. The question is how." Atl leaned forward and tapped his chin. "Part of the problem is we need someone who has as much power to oppose him. do you know much about Crystallum?"

[Pine]

Wrong account. Ack.

[Z'kron]

"Aye. Studied it rather extensively. It essentially produces vis when arranged in set geometric patterns, modifies itself depending on the user and can accidentally bind with the physical form of some arcanists themselves given intense magic use. It resonates when presented with larger amount of it, and can cause unusual effects. In my case, it allowed me to bend space to teleport without the use of sorcery- though I doubt I can replicate that effect again."
The druid indicated his stoney, rather unblinking, eyes. "Residue of an accidental crystallium binding. Very dangerous; causing a hyperproduction of vis when bound to living organisms. I needed to maintain a perpetual vis drain in order to control it to present total bodily disintegration; until I managed to remedy the problem by divesting myself of most of it."
The druid gave a smile. Given his well known peculiarities, those around him grew used to being suprised as he unravelled new facets of his nature.
"One other thing. I noted you had set up a mages council, for regulation of magic in the empire. Considering that this also affects my area of operation- that is, education in general, would it be possible to have an advisory seat of some sort so I can keep apprised of proceedings as they develop?"

[Atl Myrsa]

Atl nodded his head. "I would appreciate a write up on some of your research. I haven't had the chance to research myself but had two seperate researchers looked into the stuff, and their results were interesting, other then neither had it bind to them."

"Oh course you can sit in on the mettings. It would be nice to have someone else voice who understand how things work on an Imperial Level. Many of the council haven't ever worked for the goverment in any level and so I fear I will have to hash out many misconceptions."