[Jaedah's Mirror] Here we go again...(Bladewyn)

Heartbreaker · May 8, 2008, 03:56 AM

OOC: Continued from the original Jaedah's Mirror thread, here

And yes, there she was.

Bladewyn was a pro at visiting the Mirror, having already experienced it once. So it wasn’t surprising when the bright flash of light enveloped her as it had before. This time though, she was taken to an entirely new location…not into the heart of the city itself but to a castle….a very large castle….and not one that she recognized. It seemed to be set by the sea…overlooking it in fact. As well, the time was shifted….sunset…not night. Strange…but as she had learned from her first visit…things were seldom as they seemed within the Mirror.

She could have expected to see the same person that guided through her experience the last time but it wasn’t to be. There were -other- plans in place for this time…and the voice behind her was the first clue.

“ Beautiful, isn’t it? The view. Makes one want to stay here and just savor the experience….no crowds…no people…no noise save nature…”

If she turned to see who was speaking to her, her gaze would fall upon a young man, about her age it seemed. Dark hair…unlike the sea of blonds that seemed to infest the city. His expression was a bit serious but it broke as he turned and looked at her.

“Rowan. And you are?”

Bladewyn · May 8, 2008, 02:55 PM

Bladewyn allowed herself to pass through the Mirror's magical entrance with little surprise or fear. She had been through this once before, and so she knew what to expect.

At least, that was what she thought.

Instead of coming back to the ancient streets of long ago, she found herself in a strange castle. It didn't seem to be the castle she had visited before, either. This one was overlooking the sea, and there was no Queen Aislynne to be seen. Her young guide from before was also absent, and for a moment Bladewyn thought that she had done something wrong.

The voice from behind Bladewyn startled her, and she turned quickly to see who was speaking. There was dark-haired young man standing there. Bladewyn had never seen him before, but at this point she had decided to forego all expectations and just let herself be carried away.

"I'm Bladewyn," she said after a moment, lowering her hood. There was no need to protect against the frigid winter air when there was none to be had in the tower of a forgotten time. "Where are we?"

Heartbreaker · May 15, 2008, 03:49 AM

Rowan smiled and let her question hang for just a moment.

“ Of course I know who you are, Bladewyn. I certain little girl let me in on your adventures the last time you were here.”

Gazing about again, he considered the simple question….which didn’t have a simple answer.

“ We are in a place that is very special…but I can’t tell you –where-…not yet.”

Offering her his arm, he cast a quick look her direction.

“ A repeat visit is unprecedented. I admit to being curious as to why you are here. Perhaps you could enlighten me a bit?”

If anyone else had said it, it would have seemed….flippant. But she could tell by looking in his eyes that he was truly interested in why she had come back to the mirror.

Bladewyn · May 15, 2008, 04:03 AM

Bladewyn smiled gently. Ah, yes, the little girl... She was glad she didn't need to brief Rowan on her latest visit. The era that had passed between then and now made her a little bit hazy on the details, and she wasn't yet quite sure that she understood exactly what had happened.

She hadn't expected to find out exactly where they were yet anyway, so she wasn't disappointed that he eluded the question for the moment. To his inquiry, she slowly approached him and laid one slender hand on his arm, allowing him to lead her where he would.

"To tell you the truth, I'm not quite sure. I came to the Mirror on a whim, and it had been so long since I last visited that I figured it was just time again to come." She shrugged, wondering if there really was a more concrete reason for her visit.

"I'm planning on staying in Jaedaxia for a while, so I guess I should know as much about the city as I can. And there are just some things I can't learn in books. My last visit taught me that." Bladewyn met his gaze, searching his eyes for a reaction. "I suppose that I'm here for another history lesson, if you can give me one... And anything else the Mirror has in store." An era ago, she wouldn't have believed that a giant stone obelisk could have any intention, but after seeing the Wall of Weeping come to life and call to her, it was hard to be skeptical of anything.

Heartbreaker · May 21, 2008, 03:18 AM

Grinning a bit, Rowan listened to her talk. It was true…some found all they needed in one visit to the Mirror…and some felt the pull over and over. Neither situation was right…it was all up to the individual. Besides, there were subtle nuances to the Mirror that even those familiar with the Mirror didn’t yet understand…like Rowan.

He was curious though…and as it was often said…curiosity often had a way of getting on into trouble.

“Tell me Bladewyn…what is it about the past that fascinates you so?”

It was a simple question…but one that would tell him more about her then perhaps anything else he could ask. Often…the simplest things were like that.

Bladewyn · May 21, 2008, 03:35 AM

Bladewyn watched the young man's lips curve into a smile. These mirror-people certainly wanted to know a lot about the bystanders that got sucked into their world.

"It's... fascinating. I can't imagine why people try so hard to look into the future when there's so much to learn from the past. Everything we know today is built on something that happened before. I love looking into the past to see what building blocks make up the things I know and feel and do today. Like Jaedaxia, for example..."

She looked out the window of the castle's high room, gazing into the sunset. Were they still in Jaedaxia? She wasn't sure, but the golden-purple sky reminded her of the view from her own bedroom in the strange and lovely city.

"I love Jaedaxia and I want to know all I can about it. It's so infused with history and stories of people who lived there long ago, and things that happened before my time, before I came. If I don't understand those things, how can I ever hope to understand the Jaedaxia that I live in now?"

Heartbreaker · May 29, 2008, 03:50 AM

Of course they were curious…the Mirror –itself- was curious. What would make a person enter an unknown domain was an intriguing question….and unlike her previous visit, Rowan had something different to show her. A chapter from his own past, at least in theory…

Waving his hand in front of them, the scene changed once again. A dark, damp world appeared before them, complete with passages and torches. Taking her hand gently he led her down the hallway, speaking softly.

“ Jaedaxia is a city of mystery…more so then most others. Secrets hidden away that no one knows about. We are below the city…Jaedaxia underneath….and most never even knew that a war was waged down here…Three groups…all fighting for their own reasons. The mages and the vampires were the main combatants….but the Borthanists had caverns down here as well and put their noses into the fray. A bad move on their part for the other two were vastly superior in terms of power. A very bloody mess was left down here.”

Shouting greeted them from a not so far off passageway, giving her only a precious few moments to reply.

Bladewyn · May 29, 2008, 03:59 AM

Bladewyn watched the scene change calmly, but not without a tinge of surprise. It had been some time since her last visit, after all, and she had been convinced (if even for a moment) that she was really standing in a castle. She had forgotten the ability of the mirror-dwellers to transport her from place to place with a flick of the wrist.

She was sad to see the high castle room with its beautiful sunset disappear, especially when it was replaced by a dank tunnel. With a skip in her heart she knew where she had been transported to even before Rowan said it. She had traveled to Jaedaxia Underneath twice before, and though neither experience had been particularly... fun... she had certainly learned what sorts of adventures lay beneath the ancient city.

She still didn't have a good grasp of the entire story, though. Most of the tale of the Underground had been told to her in bits and pieces by just one person or another, and she was trying to fit all the parts together in her memory. Perhaps she would get the chance to see the entire thing unfold for her now... though she wasn't quite sure that she wanted that.

"Who won?" she was able to ask before a shout interrupted her. On pure instinct Bladewyn's left hand went to her dagger, but with a blush she returned her arm to her side. Based on past experience, she was almost sure that there was no need to raise arms against these dream-like images conjured by the mirror folk. Still... she was glad that she kept herself constantly prepared.

Heartbreaker · June 2, 2008, 01:55 AM

Rowan actually hadn’t known that she had been in Jaedaxia Underneath before…but it was obvious by the look on her face. The flash of recognition was obvious. However, her question led him to believe that she didn’t know much about the shadows of Jaedaxia’s underworld…literally.

“ Is there ever a winner? Even in conventional war? All sides suffered losses and I’m not sure that anyone will ever know the true extent of the damage done. Jaedaxia is a complicated place…more complicated then anyone can imagine. More mysterious then anyone can imagine as well. There are so many forces at play here that it sometimes even boggles -my- mind as to how everything manages to exist as well as it does.”

Grinning a bit, he turned to her and flushed just a bit.

“ Was that -too- vague or just enough vagueness to pique your curiosity more? I’m sorry. I’m just used to speaking to people that have a passing interests in the affairs of this city…not someone who actually cares. It is a different mindset. Most would be happy with what I just told you…but I have a feeling you won’t be.”

In fact, he was very certain that his explanation wouldn’t quench her curiosity at all.

Bladewyn · June 2, 2008, 04:49 PM

Bladewyn returned Rowan's grin. He had it right. Many people, she guessed, came to live in Jaedaxia without any intention to find out about its past and history, but those very things were what Bladewyn loved most about the city. The stories themselves weren't always enjoyable, but learning about them was.

"A bit vague, yes," she replied. "But let me see if I have the story straight... The Borthanists retreated to the Underground after the battle with the Imperial Legions, and the vampires and mages were fighting over the use of arcana?" This was based on her previous visit beneath the Wall, as well as the adventure led by Bertrand Howell into the Underground through a secret tunnel. She'd also done some reading at the library. But again, those were all different perspectives of the same story, so it was hard to fit all of the pieces together.

Heartbreaker · June 3, 2008, 12:51 AM

Rowan smiled, darting down another path to avoid the voices that were coming along the pathway at them. He seemed to be enjoying himself regardless of the fact that there was the possibility of some not very nice people chasing them about.

“ Close. The Vampires were always here, just in the very lower levels.…For a time, they were able to stay apart from each other. Now, I should tell you that there are several ways to get into the Underneath…the mages came into the Underneath to cleans it from the Vampires, not to inhabit. You are right that the Borthanists came underground after skirmishes with the Imperials. What no one realized is that there was more then enough room for everyone. The mages did a pretty good job of running off the existing groups of Vampires and Reverents but then the mages vanished with the whole banning of arcane in the city. I believe the Vampires began coming back after that…slowly…but surely. The Borthanists tend to stay to themselves but these types of temples are littered all over the higher levels.”

Letting her see in the little room, she found a small alter with tapestries depicting dragons and mythical creatures…some that she could recognize and some that she couldn’t.

Bladewyn · June 3, 2008, 12:27 PM

Bladewyn nodded. She had been led into the Underground using just two of its entrances... she wondered how many more there were.

She was surprised to hear that the vampires had always lived in the Underneath. That was the sort of thing she would have liked to ask Joseph if they'd had more time... a pang of regret touched her heart.

Shaking herself free of it, Bladewyn peeked into the room and approached the altar. She observed the tapestries curiously, especially the other strange creatures. "What are these?" she asked, pointing at one such beast.

Heartbreaker · June 3, 2008, 08:09 PM

Rowan smiled as she took an interest in the tapestries. They were beautiful works of art to be sure, made by some of the finest artisans in Jaedaxia. It had taken him a goodly while to figure out what all the creatures represented but after much study and research, he knew the answers.

“ Well this one…looks like a horse but is all black…that is a Shadowrider. Very rare…but rumor is that there are a couple of them over on Trident Isle. Nasty things…deadly. This one here, a Lich. Nasty in their own right. Do you know anything about Liches?"

She most certainly was getting a history lesson…but as well, learning some new things about her adopted home.

Bladewyn · June 3, 2008, 08:49 PM

The Shadowriders certainly did look deadly. Bladewyn eyed them warily, and made a note to avoid any nasty-looking black horses should she ever visit Trident Isle.

Her interest piqued as Rowan mentioned the Liches. "I've heard about them..." She tried to remember what she had been told around the time that the vampires had been in full force around the city. "Aren't they some sort of... super-vampire?" Bladewyn tried to find the matching image on the tapestry to confirm her guess.

Heartbreaker · June 4, 2008, 08:41 PM

Rowan chuckled a bit as she spoke her knowledge of the Liches. Pointing out one on the tapestry, it looked like a withering husk covered in moth-eaten flowing cloaks….strange things they were…or at least appeared to be.

“ Perhaps in a way. They are undead, certainly…but they don’t rely on others to maintain them, at least not in the way that Vampires do. Liches choose to cheat death through necromancy for the most part. Not something I’d really consider as ‘living’…but I suppose it works for their purposes. Anything else you’ve heard?”

True, they weren’t focusing on the history at that moment but knowing the things that shaped and created Jaedaxia’s history was almost as important.