Initiate Sorcery (Ebramsom de Lylles)

[Aviator]

5th Brightening of Cryxatum, Summer of Era XIV (pf)


The elf would arrive at his own pace, returning to the Tower of the West as directed the previous brightening. Taking the given directions, he would find himself going through the doorway and into a medium sized room without windows or light. Proceeding a few steps into the room, Ebramsom would find that a source of light from a corner would start to glow a green color. Though dim at first, the light grew steadily until the student could see that the room contained a large rug to cover the stony, cold floor. The rug was plain- no designs or patterns, no trim or edging. It was a dark red-brown color and the ends were frayed from eras of use.

The room, though empty, seemed warm enough for the elf to be comfortable. From what he could tell with the help of the almost eerie green light, there was absolutely nothing else in the room. But his instructions were to meet here and he had to assume he would not be led astray by the Mistress of the Tower.

[Ebramsom de Lylles]

The youth had entered the tower to begin his lessons early in the brightening. Ebramsom had been raised on the farms and ranches south of the peaceful city of Natura. He was more then familar with the habbit of rising early, and usually did so. The quiet life on the farms may have been sheltered but had also taught him a few facts about reality.

Ebram followed the green light wondering as to it origins. He entered the room and looked around for some time sure that his teacher would arrive when they were ready. Until then he was content to look at the room around him, wondering at its design.

[Aviator]

After several moments of solitude, the doors opened behind Ebramsom and the room brightened. The light not only came from the hallway, but also from the sconces which held the candles seemingly spontaneously bursting into flame. The candles lined the walls of the stone room and the light cast a comfortable glow throughout the now cozy chamber.

From the doorway came Mistress Serven. Her silk purple gown hung loosely off her shoulders and around her waist. The light from behind her shone through the excess folds of the fabric and Ebramsom could tell her build was that of a young woman with a toned physique. Her body seemed to flow easily into the room and the doors shut quickly but gently behind her. She moved to a large cushion placed on the floor, opposite another identical seat, and folder her legs over each other as she sat. Lifting her arm, she motioned for her new student to sit across from her before she asked him, "Why is it that you seek to learn sorcery?" The question was simple, sure, but she wanted the deepest truth she could obtain from the young student.

[Ebramsom de Lylles]

The young de Lylles bowed to his instructor before following her lead and taking a seat on the cushion across from her. Folding his feet under him he sat down and waited for her to begin.

He thought for a moment as to the best way to answer her, and then spoke. "My life has been chaotic and very little of it has been under my control. I wish to gain control over something in my life. Sorcery isn't the solution to the problems in my life, but I feel that as I learned to control the energy that is the sorcer of sorcery I will be able to learn how better to control the chaos of my life."

[Aviator]

A life of chaos? The mistress was deeply concerned by Ebramsom's choice of words in his reply. Though some could argue that chaos was the order of the planet, others could argue that every moment in time was a specifically articulated event the gods ensured would happen at precisely the right moment. Chaos raised a flag in Mistress Serven's mind because sorcery itself, in her opinion, was not chaotic at all.

"What sort of chaos do you speak of?" she asked the elf in a concerned tone to accurately demonstrate her feelings. "Please be as honest as possible as I need to know you well in order to be your Master. I also need to protect you from any harm that may come if you are at risk. This chaos you speak of worries me, Ebramsom." Her voice was soft but she demanded an honest response nonetheless.

[Ebramsom de Lylles]

"It started with the murder of my mother." Ebram said. "Since then I have been moved across the empire, and haven't been able to find a home and stability. He paused and thought.

"I am also young, and trying to find myself. The cures of youth is upon me. I am trying to figure out who I am and have thought about several paths before coming to this one."

[Aviator]

The mistress contemplated his response. The elf seemed distantly troubled yet eager to press on with his life by collecting what he currently had and setting forth down a chosen path. Those Mistress Serven was glad he had decided to pursue sorcery, she could only wonder about what this chaos could mean to both her student and his learning. With a few moments pause to think further on the subject, she came to the only conclusion she could.

"Ebramsom, you understand that this path you have decided upon will change your life," she let the statement linger in the thickening air, allowing the elf to truly confront the reality of what he was soon to follow through with. "I can help in any way possible, but only if you allow me. Anything happening in your private life I can mentor with, but my main purpose, as you well know, is to impart to you the skills and knowledge required to become an initiate sorcerer. I will do no less if you are willing." The speech was meant for the young elf to simply think further on what he was about to start before giving the final word. If his mind would change, now would be the time. Otherwise, it was time to press onwards.

Mistress Serven continued, "Ebramsom de Lylles, are you prepared to begin your journey?" The question simple and straightforward. All that remained was for the elf to give his consent.

[Ebramsom de Lylles]

Ebram nodded his head "I understand." He said looking at his teacher. "You are my teacher in the art of sorcery, and I am ready to start."

[Minerva]

The clarity of Ebramsom’s words now were a respite in face of what they had been before. Mistress Serven did not smile, though her manner was soft as she nodded, content within her own mind now to move on, and to induct her young ward into his new life as a mage.

“Clear your mind, Embramson de Lylles. Push away all the chaos, all the emotion, and try to leave nothing behind. This will be your first step.”

The first of many, in fact, though what she had asked him was difficult to do. It was a matter of discipline- discipline of the mind- and for many of her students it had taken some time to get used to. Trial and error was often the key to success, and arcana was no different, as Ebramsom would soon find.

“When you are prepared, so will you be Unbound.”

He only had to say the word, and she would touch his hand, and the Unbinding process begin.

OOC: Feel free to go wild with any visions/dreams your PC has. (:

[Ebramsom de Lylles]

"I am ready."

As he said that the youth mind opened like a fireworks display. In his minds eye it looked like he could see across the empire, its mountians rising before him, and the cities their different styles and sizes projecting the image of power and magesty, as well as uniqness and diversity.

Then he saw the face of a mad man, and with out knowing why he knew it was julos the mad. The face twisted the air around him with both his power and his madness. He watched as it crept out of Alleria Prime and across the length and breath of the empire. The image of the empire seethed and twisted, until at Midpoint it began to focus again and consentrate as the image spread outward.

He saw again in his minds eye another person. This time a woman. Her image was close to his, and reminded him of himself and his own family. He watched as the two contended. One for protection of the empire and the other for dominance of the empire. The images were filled with blood, and Ebram found himself standing on the feild of battle holding a sword and looking around.

He found himself in Narim also fighting against orcs to try and drive them out, and Paxia against more invading orcs. The nightmares of the past era's came upon the de Lylles. Which included that of his own. Finding his mothers laying face down in the stream, and even as he once again ran over to her his eyes teared, he felt the blood on his hands.

Then the vision calmed. He felt the rushing of the river as he was once again by himself. Naked and now clean. He looked at his hands, searching for the blood, but it was gone. He stepped from the river to find a woman wearing a crown waiting for him. She cloacked him in a white robe, and smiled down at him.

It was then that Ebramsom eyes fluttered open, confused, but strangle optimistic.

[Minerva]

“The visions can be terrifying things. Terrifying and confusing. I can only pray that yours did not mark you too harshly.” Ebramsom could hear his teacher speak, softly, with an undertone of concern, as he came to from his visions, the Unbinding which had set his mind free. His reaction had not been as bad as some she had seen, and for that she was grateful, and relieved. There were, however, other repercussions of the dreams, and these Mistress Serven knew of all too well. Pushing such thoughts from her mind, however, the lady spoke again. No doubt her young ward was eager now to learn, and she would not deny him that; not while he worked well.

“If you feel strong enough and ready, we shall continue on.”

There was a lot to explain, and several spells to Impart which she wished to see him practice with in truth, but they had the time, and Mistress Serven certainly had the patience.

“You are an initiate sorcerer now, Ebramsom de Lylles, but there is still much you need to know. I will not let you go from this place unprepared.” She spoke, firmly and yet with that soft tone still there; the woman clearly cared about her student’s wellbeing, for better or for worse, it seemed.

“Already you have had a taste of Meditation, but now shall you try it again. Clear your mind of all extraneous thoughts, focus solely on magic, and nothing else. When you do this, and if you succeed, so will you have obtained clara, a state of being which will allow you to see the magical energies around you, and within.” There was a small pause there, and then, [/color=paleturquoise]“We shall come to that later, however. First, I want you to try and achieve clara. For initiates this process is trying; do not fret if you find it hard or timely, Ebramsom. For a fledgling spellcaster like yourself, it could take the better part of ten minutes.”[/color]

And that if he succeeded first time, which, whilst possible, was not predominantly all that likely.

[Ebramsom de Lylles]

Ebram nodded. "Lets get started."

Ebram sat quietly and closed his eyes. In his minds eye he imagined a blank slate. He sat quietly still and thought of nothing, and did nothing but breathed. Strangle games of hide and seek came in handy here. He quietled his breathing, and just let the blankness wash over him. That was one of the advantages of being a elf. Time was their, but so much broader that ten minutes was small.

He kept his eyes closed, and his breathing constant. In and out, in and out. So he contiuned in that patter as he tryied to feel the world around him, and to reach that state called clara.

[Minerva]

Ebramsom could not tell how much time had passed before a certain sensation trickled into his mind. It was a feeling akin to how pure water would feel, falling in crystal drops to ripple a murky stream. It was clean and it was beautiful, but then this was only the beginning. Even without opening his eyes he could already feel the energies swirling around him, as well as an evident warmth from within. The young elf did not even to ask whether his attempts had been a success; this was undoubtedly clara, and he had obtained it, was ready to move on.

“The state of clara allows you to see the arcane energies around you, Ebramsom. You can see them within all living things, within me, within trees and plants…all have their own inner magic, as do you. This energy is known as ara.” Mistress Serven paused, allowing her student time for the words to sink in, before finishing. “Your own is referred to by a different name, however- vis”

“When ara and vis meet, there is a reaction which takes place, known as an arcalysis. This in turn will allow your mind to ascend to the Astral Place, where you will be able to channel the essence of sorcery, the essence of Force, and go on to create a spell.” Again a pause, allowing the young elf to digest all the information, all the words that he was being made to heed. This was perhaps the hardest stage of learning- the trying to understand- and Mistress Serven would not hold it against her ward if he had any questions to ask now.

“The theory sounds complex, though the practice is not. What I want for you to do now, Ebramsom, is to try and draw the magical energies around you- ara- towards yourself, and to interweave it with your vis. Do not force these energies, however. Try to simply coax them towards yourself with your mind, and you will see.”

[Ebramsom de Lylles]

The green eyes of the youth slowlly opened as he felt the various energies surronding him. "Yes I can feel the difference," he said as he looked at the different energies around him and with in him. "So ara is all the energy around us, but my personal ara is known as vis. So vis is our own energies."

He raised his figures to his chin. "By bringing the ara in contact with my vis it is like opening a gate to the Astral Plan." He said making sure he had understood correctly. "From there I can pull on a new essences that of force."

Ebram waiting to make sure he had followed before turning to his assigment. He viewed the ara as like a dog. He held out a bit of his vis to try and tempt the ara toward the vis like a dog with a bone.

[Minerva]

The process was slow, as all things seemed to be for the fledgling initiate mage. Coaxing ara towards himself was trying, mostly on the patience, though Ebramsom managed. Time was his to spend, and he was not by far as limited and restless as humans tended to be. It took several attempts, but ara did make its union with vis, in the end. There was a reaction, as mistress Serven had said, and then an ascension of the mind. Ebramsom was travelling to another place, so it seemed, though his body remained firmly in one spot.

Through the calm, the swirls of energy and colour, the other mage's voice broke through; the soft, haunting rays of light illuminating thick clouds.

"Where you are now, Ebramsom, is at the meeting point of all planes. The Astral Plane is like a room with many doors- it is simply a matter of picking the right one." A pause, then, as though to allow this little overview of what they would be doing to sink in, and the woman continued, her tone as soft and yet as solemn as before. "As sorcerors we utilise the plane of sorcery, channeling the essence of Force. Place your focus on this, Ebramsom. You must try to find the right plane, draw some of that essence towards yourself, as you did with ara. When you do this, another reaction will take place, a mingling which will leave you with arcanic matter known as mana. Mana is the basis for all spells."

"Try to create mana, Ebramsom, a small amount but enough for you to work with. Mana is not tangible, but it can be melded, and shaped. It is the matter we use to shape our spells."

This was all very basic stuff, perhaps, but it was also very much essential, to all who studied the craft.