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The Monolith

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Foxy_Zane

Foxy_Zane

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Oh very good story, I see hints of characters from certain books I've read come into mind here... Very much so. the coven - Did you get the idea from one of Angie Sage's books, perhaps? And hekate - Michael Scott's first book in the series has details of Hekate. regardless of whether or not you took these characters, I am very much just curious as to whether or not you did. :P Nice story by the way, very well written and nicely detailed.

01-Jul-2010 12:24:59

Dantalian

Dantalian

Posts: 3,434 Adamant Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
Gandalf: Sorry, I've never read anything by either author. However, I probably share sources with them. A Coven is traditionally a group of thirteen witches (as thirteen is the average number of full moons in a year, it had/has special significance to certain pagan practices.)
As for Hekate, the name originally belonged to a Greek goddess associated with magic. As stated in the story, it's not Hekate's real name, she uses it to prevent people from recognizing her name.
Zirk: Glad you liked Ciris' first appearance. As for adding, I normally add once a week on Tuesday (well, Tuesday night,) if for some reason I miss an add, it should be posted later that week. "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."

01-Jul-2010 21:20:51

chrombor
Jun Member 2017

chrombor

Posts: 4,061 Adamant Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
Yeah, I'm back, read all the adds on everything... Yes I'm still here, not angry at you. I've just been busy, tired.
If you log on now I'll talk to you.

02-Jul-2010 18:11:50 - Last edited on 02-Jul-2010 18:12:52 by chrombor

Orcris

Orcris

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Interesting. A follower of Bandos working with Guthixians, very odd. I wonder if Skad will take part in anymore of this adventure or if he is already done here. Guess we will see.
It is also interesting as to what the to 'monolith guards' were talking about. Seems almost as if they are saying as a christian might say "It is God's will they do this". Hmm.
~Orcris~
~Honor is a fool's prize. Glory is of no use to the dead.~ Darth Revan
~Est Sularis Oth Mithas~ Sturm Brightblade
~Courage is the magic that turns dreams into reality~ Richter Abend
~What doesn't kill us only makes us stronger* Friedrich Nietzsche
~Who I am is not important, my message is~ Darth Revan
~Amor omnia vincit~ Virgil

04-Jul-2010 19:13:08

Dantalian

Dantalian

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“Why is there a passageway through a place like this?” asked Jen.
“Because the mountains are too high to cross,” replied Usha.
“But why build a city here in the first place?” asked Jen, “It seems inconvenient.”
“The Prantiqeth value the four elements of alchemy; those play an important part in their culture and history,” said Monica, “As such, they would desire that a city meant as their capital would only be reached via a road that passed through a territory representing each element.”
“And what element is this territory representing, earth?” asked Jen.
“While a cavern would normally be thought as representing earth, these caverns probably represent fire, seeing as they contain a large amount of magma,” replied Monica.
“But wouldn’t the desert represent fire better?” questioned Jen.
“The world doesn’t contain any lands that could purely be ascribed to one element,” commented Usha, *There will be overlap, and I think in this case, the desert represented wind.”
“Probably,” agreed Aion, “Wind is generally formed over the ocean, and since a desert has few obstacles to slow it down, the wind blowing through the desert was quite strong."
“And the jungle was earth,” Jen suggested, “Does that mean the ocean represented water?”
“It’s possible,” replied Aion, “But, judging how the ocean is immense, it probably wasn’t considered part of this land by the Prantiqeth. As such we probably have another land representing water in front of us.”
“So what do you think it will be?” asked Jen.
“A swamp maybe,” replied Usha, “Or maybe a large lake…”
“No,* said Aion, “It’s a land covered in snow, through which the legendary river, the Cocy*us flows.”
“How do you know?* asked Usha.
“I…” Aion paused, holding his head, “I’m not sure…”
Sliske raised an eyebrow at this response, but remained silent. However, his reaction did not go unnoticed.
“What are you keeping from us, Sliske?” asked Jen. "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."

06-Jul-2010 08:33:03

Dantalian

Dantalian

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“I’m surprised you noticed,” laughed Sliske, “Unfortunately, it wouldn’t make sense to you if I told you. Usha may be a different story.”
Jen looked at Usha hopefully, but the other girl just shrugged and said, “I have no idea what he’s talking about.”
“Aion is a strange person,” said Monica, “In that he doesn’t have a soul.”
“Well, I knew that, he already told me that he’s a construct,* said Jen.
Monica nodded. “The ancient scriptures say that the Divine formed mortals in its image. Perhaps in imitation, mortals also strived to make things in their own images; some made dolls, but they had no life, and so constructs were made.”
“What does that mean?” asked Jen.
“It is something you must figure out for yourself,” replied Monica, “But about Aion, he is strange for even a construct.”
“I am?” asked Aion, “How so?”
“Do you feel?” asked Monica.
“All constructs have basic emotions, just like lower animals,” replied Aion.
“And do you have desires?” asked Monica.
“Some,” replied Aion.
“Like what?” Monica questioned.
“I want to bring back Mephos,” replied Aion.
“It is normal for a construct to wish to do his master‘s will,” observed Monica, “Do you have any other desires?”
“Um, yes, I want to acquire knowledge, help people, and obtain power,” replied Aion.
“Those desires make you strange. I also heard that you were in a relationship once,” said Monica, “Why did it end?”
“Because I can’t really love,” answered Aion.
“Then why did you want to be in a relationship?* asked Monica.
“I... don’t… know…” replied Aion.
“That is odd,” said Jen. "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."

06-Jul-2010 08:35:24

Dantalian

Dantalian

Posts: 3,434 Adamant Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
“Something without a soul cannot love,” said Monica, “It can show basic affection, and a preference for someone or something’s company, but not love. Likewise, a construct generally has two desires; one, it seeks to do the will of its master. Two, it keeps itself intact, unless doing so would in some way violate the will of its master.
It is unheard of for a non-Pygmalion construct to have desires for the companionship of anyone other than its master, and it is likewise unheard of for one to have its own desires, yet Aion has both. He also simulates emotional reactions, even though he feels nothing.”
“Why is that?” asked Jen.
“I have the ability to see a person’s soul and to see their spirit,” said Monica, “The spirits of animals and constructs, that is, things without souls, are generally different than the spirits of sentient beings with souls. Aion is strange because his spirit is like that of someone with a soul, yet he has none.”
“And that is why he has desires that most constructs don’t?” asked Jen.
“Hold on!” shouted Usha, “Are you insinuating that Mephos used the forbidden art of Skizurgy?”
“Skizurgy?” asked Jen.
“Normally, when a construct is made, it is infused with something called a “Zoi” essentially an artificial spirit, which determines the basic activities and powers of the construct,* said Monica, “Skizurgy involves using the spirit of a living person instead of an artificial spirit. To do this, you would have to use some form of powerful magic to rip a person’s spirit out of him.”
“And this is a forbidden art?” asked Jen.
“Yes,” replied Monica, “Having your spirit ripped out is extremely painful, most people die immediately when it is done. And if you did survive… it’d be like going back to a former self.”
“Meaning?” asked Jen. "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."

06-Jul-2010 08:37:55

Dantalian

Dantalian

Posts: 3,434 Adamant Posts by user Forum Profile RuneMetrics Profile
“Who I am today is different than who I was yesterday, or who I will be tomorrow,” explained Monica. “Every experience I have, every decision I make changes me a little, for better or worse. Most of these changes effect our essences, that is, our spirits. If you rip out someone’s spirit, it would rip out a large number of these changes, although you‘d still be you without your spirit, you‘d also be different. Also, you would lose all your memories if someone ripped out your spirit. Yet, you’d have the same core beliefs, and love the same people.”
“How can you love the same people if you don’t remember them?” asked Jen.
“If you saw someone, say your lover, or a dear friend” answered Monica, “You’d feel that you knew them and were fond of them, but you wouldn’t remember where you had seen them, or what kind of relationship you had with them. Likewise, you wouldn‘t remember your experiences with them, or things about them, not even their name.
Needless to say, this can cause pain worse than most physical torture, that is why Skizurgy is a forbidden art.”
“It does sound terrible,” said Jen. As she said this, she noticed Usha had stopped walking and was staring into space, wide-eyed.
“Usha, what is it?” asked Jen.
“Uh, it’s nothing,” said Usha.
“You figured something out listening to Monica,” Sliske asserted.
“I figured out nothing!” Usha shouted, “And that is the only answer you will get!”
Jen, Aion, and even Sliske backed up involuntarily as Usha shouted. There was something dangerous about her expression, it seemed Usha was showing a darker, dangerous side of herself that none of them had ever seen.
*Oh, sorry,” said Usha, returning to normal as she saw their expressions, “I did*’t mean to shout, but I really don’t know what Sliske was talking about. Let’s continue, shall we?”
“That woman is scary,” Sliske muttered under his breath. Aion and Jen nodded silently in agreement before beginning to follow Usha. "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."

06-Jul-2010 08:40:36

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