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Dantalian

Dantalian

Posts: 3,434 Adamant Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
Orcris stalked back into the camp, bearing the night’s dinner, a freshly killed stag. He was mildly surprised to find the campsite quiet, and for a moment wondered if something had happened, or if he had been out later than he had thought, allowing time for the girls to fall asleep. However, it wasn’t long before he noticed the girls; Taika was sitting close to their campfire; the flames at times were only a couple centimeters from her face. Yet, the mage did*’t seem to notice; her eyes were glossed over, and her expression blank. Rose on the other hand was sitting further off, but still within the campfire’s glow. In her hands were a deck of cards, from which she would pull a card, stare at it in disgust for a moment, then replace it into the deck and shuffle, repeating the process after she had finished shuffling.

“I’ve never had more morbid of a company,” said Orcris, laying down the stag and beginning to skin it, “You’d think we were marching to our death.” Orcris had meant this as a joke, but the look that Taika gave him suggested that indeed, they were marching to their death. “Alright,” said Orcris, more nervous than he was willing to admit, “I’ll bite, what’s going on?”

“We fire mages…” said Taika, “There are few of us left in this world… those that people refer to wizards are mere charlatans, their command of magic is very limited; this is because they try to master all elements at once through magic. In the past, mages selected one element, and trained in that one element, until they had mastered it. Our powers are more powerful, but also more specialized.”

“Your point?” questioned Orcris.

“Orcris, do you know what magic is?” asked Taika, “And I don’t mean a grade school answer like “the power to create things.” I mean do you understand what a mage actually does? How they perform their art?*

*It involves runes right?” asked Orcris, “But I don’t know the details.” "He appears in the Form of a Man with many Countenances; and he hath a Book in his right hand. His Office is to teach all Arts and Sciences unto any; and to declare the Secret Counsel of any one."

13-Jun-2009 09:02:20

Dantalian

Dantalian

Posts: 3,434 Adamant Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
Taika gave him a look that suggested she pitied the half elf, before tossing him a pouch.

“What’s this?” asked Orcris.

“All of the runes I am carrying with me are in that pouch,” replied Taika, “Without runes, a pure mage is helpless, correct? So throwing those away from me is the height of stupidity isn’t it?”

“I suppose,” replied Orcris.

“Most people would agree,” said Taika, “Even most of the so-called “master wizards” in the mage guild. They are fools: they believe that their art can only be performed with tools meant to make it easier, however…”

Taika stood, and made a number of motions with her hands. Immediately, a nearby tree burst into flame.

Orcris nearly fell over in shock. “How?” he questioned.

*I don’t have time to explain the finer details,” replied Taika, sitting down, “But I will give you the basics: our world; that is, reality, is but one of countless possibilities of what reality could be. Magic is, simply put, using one’s will to move what is known as the “Wave of Reality” toward or away from the reality that is desired or undesired. Therefore, a mage must possess two skills, first, she must have enough willpower to alter the course of the “Wave of Reality” and second, she must be able to see *where the possibilities lie”; in other words, she must be able to discern what possibilities are probable, and how to reach those probabilities with the least amount of effort. Get all that?”

“Kind of,” answered Orcris, holding his head, “But that doesn’t explain what you were doing when I made it into the campsite.”

“Idiot,” Taika muttered under her breath. “A possibility that is likely can be discerned by logic, but suppose you had an unlikely possibility you wanted to bring about; the easiest way to do that would be to use a series of steps, but of course, the more steps, and the more difficult the steps, the more power you waste, so you want to find the shortest and easiest path. Does that make sense?”

“Sure,” said Orcris. "He appears in the Form of a Man with many Countenances; and he hath a Book in his right hand. His Office is to teach all Arts and Sciences unto any; and to declare the Secret Counsel of any one."

13-Jun-2009 09:04:36

Dantalian

Dantalian

Posts: 3,434 Adamant Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
“Okay, now imagine you are standing on a forest path, where many different paths converge,” said Taika, “You know most of those paths lead to a city you are trying to reach, but unfortunately you don’t know which is the best path to use, what would you do?”

“That’s easy, climb a tree to get a good look around,” replied Orcris.

*Exactly!” exclaimed Taika, “Now suppose you, knowing how to climb trees, are on another forest path. There is only one path ahead of you, but you have heard rumors of hostile armies ahead. What could you do to check if the path ahead is safe?”

“Wait a minute!” said Orcris, “If the analogy you are making still holds, aren’t you describing divination?”

“Guess you’re not as dumb as you look,” answered Taika.

“Then, you foresaw something that is discouraging?” asked Orcris.

“No,* said Taika. Orcris began to speak, but Taika motioned for him to stop. “I did*’t see ANYTHING; that is the problem; it is as if, climbing the tree, I encountered a thick wall of smoke, which obscured my view. This is even more disturbing, for such things do not happen on accident.” Taika paused before explaining, “The only times that a fire mage’s divination fails, is when someone or something directly blocks her view. In other words, someone or something, knows we are coming, is aware at the very least of some of the abilities I possess, and is powerful enough to prevent me from discovering what it is, and what it plans.” "He appears in the Form of a Man with many Countenances; and he hath a Book in his right hand. His Office is to teach all Arts and Sciences unto any; and to declare the Secret Counsel of any one."

13-Jun-2009 09:06:42

Dantalian

Dantalian

Posts: 3,434 Adamant Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
“I figured that,” said Rose.

“How?* asked Taika.

“No matter how many times I shuffle, I always draw this,” replied Rose, tossing Taika a card which bore a picture of a night sky at the very center of which was a large moon.

“The moon card,” sighed Taika, “For those who believe these cards can foretell the future it warns of betrayal, trickery, and a hidden enemy… Rose, can you find who is behind the moon?”

“This card,” replied Rose holding up one.

Orcris looked at it; the card depicted a young man with blonde hair and sparkling blue eyes holding a golden cup. A fish seemed to have recently leaped from the cup, surprising the young man.

“I assume that card has a meaning too?” asked Orcris, turning to Taika and finding her slightly pale.

“It can mean a pleasant surprise, especially one of spiritual nature,” replied Taika, “But it can also represent a person, and I know of only one person who could both block my vision and be represented by that card…”

“And that is?” asked Orcris. However, one look into Taika’s eyes told him he already knew the answer. "He appears in the Form of a Man with many Countenances; and he hath a Book in his right hand. His Office is to teach all Arts and Sciences unto any; and to declare the Secret Counsel of any one."

13-Jun-2009 09:08:21

Dantalian

Dantalian

Posts: 3,434 Adamant Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
“I hate this place,” sighed Taiyama, glancing between his two companions to gauge their reactions.

The warlock nodded and grunted something unintelligible, but the lady… her face remained an emotionless mask.

Taiyama had to admit, she was remarkably well composed, even with the odd sights in front of them; a mist covered swamp from which the occasional flicker of green light could be seen. The Zarosian took a deep breath; this swamp reminded him of Mort Myre, but more sinister, more concealed. With Mort Myre, you knew what to expect the moment you set foot inside; the very air reeked with the smell of death and decay, but not here. Here, the air carried the hint of an unknown presence; one that was ancient, powerful, and hidden, one which concealed not only itself, but its intentions, its motives, and its very nature.

What got to Taiyama most was the silence. In every swamp he had been in, the calls of animals, insects (and in Mort Myre, worse things) acted to create what seemed to be an endless eerie symphony. Here, there was not a single sound; not a single insect call, nor the sound of moving water as something slimy and unknown slipped through the murky depths. The silence gave the swamp an unnatural feel, increasing the discomfort of those who dared trespass its hallowed territory.

“Are you sure…” Taiyama began. It was unnecessary for him to ask this question, he had asked at least a dozen times since finding out where the Zarosian intelligence networks claimed the Mists of Time could be found.

“Yes,” sighed the warlock, Ruko. His reply, once curt and impatient had grown quiet since seeing the swamp. “The Mists of Time lie within a fortress, built in the depths of Tenedra Marsh.” "He appears in the Form of a Man with many Countenances; and he hath a Book in his right hand. His Office is to teach all Arts and Sciences unto any; and to declare the Secret Counsel of any one."

24-Jun-2009 18:27:51

Dantalian

Dantalian

Posts: 3,434 Adamant Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
Taiyama took a deep breath, drawing the chilly, damp air deep into his lungs. As he looked on, any resolve he had once had to enter the marsh slipped away. Still, he would rather bend a knee to Zamorak than admit to this.

“Well, let’s head in,” sighed Ruko, doing a far worse job than Taiyama in hiding his fear.

With a nod, Taiyama and the lady followed Ruko into the swamp.


A short while away, Selene stared into the same swamp. “This place, it’s not a normal swamp.”

Coren nodded in reply. “According to legend, this swamp is as old as Guthix himself. Many forms of Fey are said to live in the swamp, and, if the legends are to be believed, they do not take kindly to intruders.*

*What kind of Fey?” asked Selene, noting the unusual silence.

*Many different kinds,” replied Coren, “The most dangerous of which are the sirens.

Selene nodded, she knew of the sirens; fey with bodies of mist, they could take any form, and were said to feed of the memories of travelers. Selene avoided them whenever possible; too many times had she stumbled across travelers who had met them while traveling through misty swamps or sailed their boats too boldly into sea mist. The sight of those travelers chilled Selene to the bone; they walked around as if in a dream, devoid of memories, and as a result, devoid of dreams, of joy, of passion. To Selene such a fate was worse than death. "He appears in the Form of a Man with many Countenances; and he hath a Book in his right hand. His Office is to teach all Arts and Sciences unto any; and to declare the Secret Counsel of any one."

24-Jun-2009 18:28:30

Dantalian

Dantalian

Posts: 3,434 Adamant Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
“And there is a fortress in here?” asked Selene, feeling uneasy, “Who would have built such a thing? The only thing that can successfully build on land claimed by the fey are…” Selene trailed off as she realized the implications of what she said.

Coren. seeming to read her mind, nodded. “Yes, another fey.”

“But what kind of fey would build something like a fortress?” asked Selene.

“A kind that is far worse than a few sirens,” replied Coren.

Selene barely managed to retain her composure. Few fey could boast such a feat as being more dangerous than a siren.

“Come,” said Coren, walking into the swamp, “They know why we are here, and will lead us to the fortress.”

Selene nodded and followed Coren, who was only a few steps behind the mysterious green lights. "He appears in the Form of a Man with many Countenances; and he hath a Book in his right hand. His Office is to teach all Arts and Sciences unto any; and to declare the Secret Counsel of any one."

24-Jun-2009 18:28:47

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