Cold as Death (Open, Moderator please)

[Rak Ssss'vin]

Time Stamp: 1st of Immanis, Season of Winter, Era 1 of the Celestial Mandate, Era XV PF

Death...

It was what this saurid breathed, as a Dark One, one of the extreme few to escape from Xetian control, he was charged with the various duties to procur the full fledged title of a Dark One. Adept Necromancy, as well as other things. The winter came, and continued on as the dark one stayed within the warmth of his room at Toherro's Dark Teachings and Prayers. Kneeling down upon the foot of his bed, and holding his dark scaled head down towards the ground, he began to pray to Rak, the Planetar of Power.

"Rak, Grant me the power I so desperately seek to save my family from Xetian control, and to become the greatest Dark One that our race has seen. Give me the strength I need to become the one for us, the Dark One that extinguishes all other races lower than us, all races of lightborn status. Give me the power to see my wishes through, and the power to become one with you upon my death..."

After his prayer, he closed his eyes, and began to silently meditate, for a few moments, and then lifted himself up, and walked out of his stone cold room into the hallway. It was time to explore the place he had come to call home, and perhaps see if the Masters had any tasks for him so he could climb to higher ranks within Toherro...

[Amber Brightwing]

As he passed by the library, the door was opened rather abruptly and a small Fae flew though the open doorway. Barely visible see-through silvery tendrils came from her small frame, wrapping themselves around the door handle and pulling the door close again before retreating and enveloping themselves around the Faerie again. How magic could make one’s life so much easier. She could barely remember how she had managed to do without it’s convenience. Just no longer having to wait for people to open doors for her made a huge difference already.

Caught up in her thoughts, Amber took a quick turn into the hallway, almost flying into the Rak. She halted just about a metre away from him, hovering backwards again as she noticed him. She was about to fly past him when something she was told in schola came to her mind and she stayed in place instead. “You’re a Saurid right? I thought your kind was unable to use magic? Or are there exceptions?” She’d have greeted him more properly if he were higher in rank. Not that she was unfriendly.

[Rak Ssss'vin]

"I am a breed known asssss a dark one... sssssss, we are not like our raptorian counterpartssssss, but we have affinitiessssss to necromancsssssy, which allow usssss to utilizssssse the ssssssphere, but only that sssssphere..." he said briefly, looking down towards the fae. He didn't know her rank, so sad to say he might be reprimanded for not greeting a higher ranked cult member properly, but he was used to such reprimandations. He had been in the possession of the Xet after all. As for being unable to use magic, he himself had not felt the effects of the fracture of the Aethergem, so was still unable to use any magic save for necromancy...

[Amber Brightwing]

If she’d worn her official garments he’d have noticed she was a third level cultist, a Journeyman in her craft. She only wore that on occasions though, most of the time wearing her regular clothing. Otherwise she’d have to swap every time she wanted to go out and returned. Not that she minded the lack of greeting all that much. In many ways she still considered her to be a student.

“A Dark One?” She pondered about it. It sounded familiar enough, so she’d probably seen something about it back in schola. She couldn’t remember what though. Without considering much whether he liked to talk about these things or not she continued to try and satisfy her curiosity. “Odd that you can only use Necromancy though. For most races with certain special affinities it’s only that they find it easier to learn that specific sphere. Do you have any other special traits. Like acidic blood or something.” She was thinking too much about Dracons perhaps. Aside from being scaly and having a Necromantic affinity they probably didn’t have much in common though.

[Rak Ssss'vin]

"I am a dark one, ssssss not a dracon...sssss and about only being able to usssssse one sssssssphere of arcana, sssss I heard the aethergem fractured, ssssso upon entering thisssss country, i believe i can now usssse any of them, sssss, but ssssstill have an affinity to necromancsssssy..." he said, his voice much more unrefined than others if his race, as he almost wanted to use hand signing as well to speak with Amber, generally a way his race talked, but he tended not to use while in aelyria, and while not speaking his normal tongue.

[Amber Brightwing]

If he’d have used hand gestures she’d have probably looked very strange at him, never having seen that way of communication. “Hmm…” She thought about his comments on the Aethergem fracture. She mostly knew about it’s importance from books and such. “I suppose that could make sense.” Another pensive moment before she continued. “But I’m probably holding up for whatever it is that you’re supposed to be doing. Well, nice speaking to you…” Her intonation left the sentence unfinished and looked questioning at him, an unspoken inquiry for his name.

[Rak Ssss'vin]

"Actually, sssss, i am not doing anything for the moment, i've finissssshed ssss my prayersssss, and i wasssss jussssst taking a ssssstroll in the warmth of thisssss placssssse, not that it isssss warm, but it isssss a decsssssent ssss temperature..." he answered in response to her holding him up for what he was doing.

"It ssss wassss decssssent ssssspeaking with you assss well sssss... If you want to sssss know sssss what to ssss call me in the morrow, or any time, ssssss, the name i go by issssss Rak..." he said, again answering a question, though an unspoken one at best. "Perhapsssss you can ssssshow me around thisssss sssss placssssse," he said, his mind trying to find the right words to say in a language he wasn't as familiar with. [b]"I may have been here sssss for an era or two, but i ssssstill don't know where half of the ssss sssstuff in here happensssss to be..."

[Amber Brightwing]

OOCInterested in going to visit Straylor and talk Necromancy?

“Well, nice speaking to you Rak.” She made a curt bow mid-air. “I’m Amber, though you probably knew that already.” Most people living in Vortex would have had heard of the Faerie Thane. Considering the amount of Fae hanging out in the city the links shouldn’t be that hard to make. “I’m afraid that I’m not the best guide for these parts though. I only know the general places such as Master Aribeal’s room or the library.” She pointed to the door that she had emerged from not long ago when mentioning the library. “I never really lived down here myself.” She’d been living in a home above ground since she entered Vortex.

She gave the Saurid a pondering look. He was an Initiate and had been around for a few era’s. He was by no means an expert on Necromancy, but surely he qualified the requested prerequisites from the letter. Whether it was what mister Straylor had in mind was another question, but then he should have been more specific. She’d be coming along as well to keep an eye on the matter, so he should do nicely. “I was wondering, since you’re not busy, you wouldn’t be interested in having a discussion on Necromancy by any chance? I was contacted by the Thane of Trysvale earlier and would like to talk to a Necromancer. I don’t want to make myself known as a practitioner of the Darker Arts while holding a public office however, but I would be coming along with you.”

[Rak Ssss'vin]

Rak stood there for a moment, flexing his long claws, and looking down upon the little Fae, thinking for a moment. A chance to discuss his Necromancy, and learn of a new Thane. Perhaps it was a good opportunity. Flexing his gills a bit, he looked towards Amber, and then said, "Ssssssure, i would not mind sssss talking to thisssss Thane that you sssssspeak of... If you could not sssss do it yourssssself. It ssssshouldn't be a problem... when would you like me to ssssspeak to him?" After he asked that, he stood there patiently, awaiting an answer from the little fae that stood before him...

[Amber Brightwing]

“Oh, I’ll be coming along, so I might say a word or two myself. I just don’t want to announce myself as a Necromancer.” She grinned. “Just having read upon the subject wouldn’t be too odd. The old Duke’s library at the Thanal estate even holds some information on it.” A Thane needed to know her people after all and as it happened, several of them were Necromancers.

“As for when, I can arrange some transport today and then we can leave as soon as tomorrow. Or a little later if that suits you better.” She had been given a means of transportation with the letter she had received, but she had chosen not to use that imbuement and instead keep it as a souvenir.

[Rak Ssss'vin]

"Ssssss, I would not mind leaving to meet thisssss Sssssstraylor... isssss there any particular thing i need to know about when sssss ssssspeaking to himsssss? My ssssspeech issssss notssssss asssss refined assssss otherssssss of my kind... ssssssso he'd have to bear with me..." he said, using a small hand signal as almost a demonstration of their saurid language. Although the dark saurid's speech and dialect was quite different form normal raptorians, they certainly weren't as close to charismean as one might have hoped. As a matter of fact, they were farther away from charismean than the regular raptorian speech methods.

Flexing his gills a bit as he breathed in through his nostrils, he then said to her, "I would not mind leaving tomorrow to meet thisssss thane of yoursssss, Sssstraylor, sssss, It'sssss not like Massssster Aribeal hasssss given me any tassssskssss to be performed lately... perhapsssss that'sssss why am i am lacking in rank sssss within our congregations?" The last question was merely meant to be a conversation continuer. As much as Rak hated all life save for those of the Dark Ones, and the dark raptorians, he respected those of greater power as Rak had taught them...

[Amber Brightwing]

OOCThe easiest is probably to make the departure posts here and then start a new thread in Trysvale.

“Particular things…” She rubbed her chin while thinking on it for a moment. “Well, Thanes are generally addressed as ‘your grace’, but I think as long as you stay polite you should do fine.”

She grinned at his words, recognizing the problem. “It seems like they want you to seek out and earn your worthiness on your own down here, which is exactly what I’ve been doing so far. Take some initiative, study hard and you’ll grow to your full potential fast enough.” She had chased a few thousand Orcs out of the Southern Quarter, taken out the Blood Alley Gang and was currently setting up a library which intended to unite Necromancers from around the Empire. None of those things had been tasked to her by Aribeal or Toherro, yet they all helped her on her way up.

“Well then, if you don’t have any further inquiries I’ll go see create us some transportation. I expect you tomorrow morning, three hours before sunrise in the White Night’s Drink. Our means of transportation won’t work in during the day.”

[Rak Ssss'vin]

"It will be my pleasssssure sssss to ssssssee thisssss gracssssse..." said Rak, whom flexed his nostrils a bit taking in some scents, and then looking back towards the little Fae. "I ssssshall be on my sssss way then, and then sssss i'll ssssssee you tomorrow morning ssssss, where you have ssssssaid the meet. The White sssss Night'ssssss Drink..." he finished, repeating the name of the tavern which he had first entered Toherro's dark cult through. He then took his leave of Amber, not saying much more than he had just previously said.

After the day had ended, he returned to his room, did an evening prayer to Rak, and then fell into a deep slumber on his hard bed. Awakening when he was instructed to, as he had gone to sleep quite early to be able to, he stood up, and nude as usual, since saurid rarely wore clothing, made his way up into the White Night's Drink. Once he spotted Amber, he felt the cold hitting him and making him a bit more sluggish than normal. "It isssss assss cold asssss death here..." he hissed to her, and then asked, "Issssss it warmer in Trysssssvale?"

[Amber Brightwing]

The tavern was empty, chairs on the tables, the bar put in order but without bartender. On the corner of the counter, Amber was waiting. Next two here lay the only two objects that weren’t put in their place. A fork and a spoon. Two metal objects that lend themselves well enough to hold a single Imbuement.

“Serale, I’m not sure it’ll be much warmer. It is winter after all.” She had grown accustomed to the colder weather, switching to pants and shoes instead of dresses when the weather grew colder. “Now, about our means of transportation. We’ll be using a spell of my own creation called Shadow Walk. What it does it turning you into a blow of shadow. The advantage of this form is that it allows for very fast movement. It’ll be a bit disorientating at first, but you’ll get used to it fast enough.”

She waited for a moment to see if comments or questions. If not she’d continue. “Just follow me.” The spoon would be activated first, releasing the spell on the Saurid. Immediately after she activated the fork and joined the shadows as well. She left him a short moment to accustom to it before moving to the door and slipping under it, waiting a bit if he didn’t follow immediately.

Continued