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Underfoot (Armorend)

Started by Whim, June 04, 2017, 08:07:38 PM

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Whim

The boy gave Kartuun a reassuring smile and helped him up. This was quite a mystery. Odd for someone to leave their kid behind for protection, of all things. "Do they got you looking after the house? Or you just live here now?" A look of fascination crept over his face "Maybe they've some kind of clue behind, yeah? Even if they didn't mean to.

"Oh! Um, I thought I'd have my wand and the gold Dugan took by now," Ewan looked sheepish. "Do you think Sylgmag would let me stay on? Since I am working for him and all?" Images of Sylmag's accommodations were already worming themselves into his imagination... what if he were stuck in some old cupboard? And it would be filled with onions of course. Onions and rats. Or he'd have to sleep on a bale of hay in the stables and they'd be filthy and he'd need to clean them. Well, it probably wouldn't be so horrible.
Awesome avatar by Eckhart_von_Musel

Guilds:
Wyrdwood Academy of Arcane Science

Events:
The Midnight Harvest
Into the Mouth of Qokagax

Characters:
Ewan ap Rhys - once a great sorcerer, now a small boy
Anwen ferch Rhys - scholar of blood magic
Duke Blackthorn - Duke of Dawn and Dusk, Warden of Weal and Woe, and all-around evil faerie
"Kaliam" - magically conjoined apprentice wizards
Maergath - Magister of Soulshaping, necromancer, angry and hateful wizard
Narlis Thordane - Hero for hire, proud and unrepentant scumlord
Niamh Wayrest - trader in forbidden lore, purveyor of curiosities
OLIVER THE BARBARIAN - a very reluctant hero and monster-slayer
Sage Whitechalk - heir to the Whitechalk Family
Saoirse Nettlefield - Headmistress of Wyrdwood, conniving academic

Armorend

Kartuun perked up, then thought for a moment. "I've been trying to keep the house clean, but I didn't really go looking..." There was a new sort of interest in Kartuun's eyes. "You think they actually left something saying where they were going? I mean... I dunno why they would, unless they wanted me to search for them."

However, he remembered Ewan's other question. "Oh! Yeah he might. But I was just askin' in case you wanted to stay at my house instead? I've got room plus I doubt Sylmag will care if you're living there." Kartuun felt kind of bad about this boy's situation, having had his book stolen and being told to work for free; the least he could do was offer him somewhere comfy to stay.

Whim

"Maybe! Was thinking they've got grownup, um, wizard friends who might know why they left. Ewan's face lit up at Kartuun's offer. It had been a long time since he'd slept in a proper bed. "And really?! You wouldn't mind?"

The boys started toward the main road; Kartuun's house was just across the way. An imposing figure stepped from a nearby alley, blocking their path; Ewan yelped in fright. It was just the innkeeper. "Sure that's a good idea, Karuun? Don't want ya getting robbed, or losing out of my new worker!"

"I'm going to come back." Ewan gave Sylmag a sour look, glancing briefly from Kartuun in hopes the boy might vouch for him. He didn't want to piss off Sylmag, of course, but being treated like some streetrat was annoying. "Already told you I'm not a real thief and Dugan made me do it."
Awesome avatar by Eckhart_von_Musel

Guilds:
Wyrdwood Academy of Arcane Science

Events:
The Midnight Harvest
Into the Mouth of Qokagax

Characters:
Ewan ap Rhys - once a great sorcerer, now a small boy
Anwen ferch Rhys - scholar of blood magic
Duke Blackthorn - Duke of Dawn and Dusk, Warden of Weal and Woe, and all-around evil faerie
"Kaliam" - magically conjoined apprentice wizards
Maergath - Magister of Soulshaping, necromancer, angry and hateful wizard
Narlis Thordane - Hero for hire, proud and unrepentant scumlord
Niamh Wayrest - trader in forbidden lore, purveyor of curiosities
OLIVER THE BARBARIAN - a very reluctant hero and monster-slayer
Sage Whitechalk - heir to the Whitechalk Family
Saoirse Nettlefield - Headmistress of Wyrdwood, conniving academic

Armorend

Kartuun looked at Sylmag and then to Ewan. "I think we'll be okay, Sylmag. I trust Ewan." He gave his young companion a gentle smile.

"That's one o' yer issues. We've been over this before..." Sylmag said, the slightest tone of exasperation in his voice. "But, fine. I trust your judgment." He looked to Ewan. "Don't be giving him any trouble, y'hear?" Sylmag said his good-byes and good-nights to the two boys and headed toward his own residence.

Kartuun grinned. "Let's go!" The younger led the older to his house. It was a modest, two-story abode, not unattainable for well-to-do individuals or families, but nowhere near as nice as some of the residences within Arca. Inside, the house was dark, and quiet, having the feeling of an abandoned building; to fix the former trait, Kartuun clapped, and a wreath of round, translucent balls suspended from the ceiling lit up, along with one in each of two adjacent corners of the room, causing the room to have a welcoming but not over-bearing glow.

A hearth was present in the room, but there was no fire crackling away over tinder, and three chairs sat in front of the hearth, two on the left and one more to the right, but all looking fairly lonely in spite of being together.

Kartuun turned to Ewan. "Well, this is only the living room, but... Whaddya think?" He closed the door behind the two of them after asking.

Whim

Ewan was expecting furniture overturned for games, liquor cabinets broken into, or at least some signs of unsupervised fun. That an 11-year-old kept it so tidy on faith his parents might return was horrendously sad. The boy mustered a smile, "You've kept it awful nice. I like the lights." The hearth was cold and clean. There was a little table set with silverware, for three, which had accumulated some dust. Even with Kartuun by his side it felt so quiet and empty Ewan was compelled to tip-toe. He peered through the corridors adjoining the sitting room until spying what looked like a library. Headless of whether or not Kartuun protested, the little sorcerer darted toward the study.

"Whoa!" The dwelling was no doubt modest on account of the sheer volume of arcane lore packed into this room. The walls were lined with books. Two desks, facing one another, sat in the middle of the room. And looming over all of it was a massive, stuffed, four-armed troll in silent vigil. "So is this where they do all their magic and stuff? What sort of magic do they do anyway? Like enchantment and shaping and stuff?"

Perhaps there might be some useful scroll or tome within...
Awesome avatar by Eckhart_von_Musel

Guilds:
Wyrdwood Academy of Arcane Science

Events:
The Midnight Harvest
Into the Mouth of Qokagax

Characters:
Ewan ap Rhys - once a great sorcerer, now a small boy
Anwen ferch Rhys - scholar of blood magic
Duke Blackthorn - Duke of Dawn and Dusk, Warden of Weal and Woe, and all-around evil faerie
"Kaliam" - magically conjoined apprentice wizards
Maergath - Magister of Soulshaping, necromancer, angry and hateful wizard
Narlis Thordane - Hero for hire, proud and unrepentant scumlord
Niamh Wayrest - trader in forbidden lore, purveyor of curiosities
OLIVER THE BARBARIAN - a very reluctant hero and monster-slayer
Sage Whitechalk - heir to the Whitechalk Family
Saoirse Nettlefield - Headmistress of Wyrdwood, conniving academic

Armorend

Kartuun watched with baited breath as the other observed his fastidiousness; he was happy to have someone different appreciate his work, in keeping the place neat and tidy, for the most part. "Thanks. The lights were something my parents enchanted. They did them for every room in the house, actually." He looked-on while following alongside Ewan, curious to see what he was looking for as he wandered into the study.

"Yeah, this is where they did their magic." He responded, seeing Ewan's face light up at the collection his parents had accrued throughout the years. "They did a lotta stuff with enchanting, yeah, and teel... What's it? Tele... Telekinesis. Really good at it, too. They held court with some really famous people in Arca. Well, famous in stuff like politics... But they've helped out lots of others, too. Some of these books are gifts from people they helped out. They even wrote some, themselves.

The libraries crammed full of arcane knowledge contained a myriad of texts on the arcane, on hundreds of distinct topics ranging from how to make an object dance, to having it become a sentient tiger. As Ewan took it all in, Kartuun spoke up again. "Are ya... Looking for anything? I know where a lot of stuff is in here."

Whim

Ewan stood slackjawed, eyes bouncing up and down the shelves. Most of the titles were things like Ageless Enchanting: Elimination of Corrosion and Temporal Flux and entirely vexing. There was a book on how to animate plants. That sounded handy! He had his fingers about the spine when Kartuun interrupted, color rushing to his cheeks, "Sorry. I was just looking. I thought I might copy some, I mean, if that's okay.

"And it sounds like they're pretty good at magic. Maybe they're doing some sort of secret project? Guess we should look at their letters first!" The boy slid the tome back into the shelf and approached a desk near the window. It was mostly free of clutter, save a dry inkwell, a dog-eared ledger, and a letterbox. The ledger held mostly sums. Gosh this was going to be boring! But Kartuun did deserve the help. Ewan was in the process of squinting at the figures when the book snapped shut, leaving tiny scratches on his fingers. "Ow! What the-"

Perplexed but undeterred the boy grabbed the front and back covers, prying them apart. And once more it snapped itself shut. "Stupid book! Hey can you tell it I'm a friend?" Before Kartuun could so much as respond Ewan opened it up, again, holding his elbow on the spine. The ledger hissed and whimpered pathetically. Meanwhile, the enormous stuffed troll began to stretch, as if waking from a long nap...
Awesome avatar by Eckhart_von_Musel

Guilds:
Wyrdwood Academy of Arcane Science

Events:
The Midnight Harvest
Into the Mouth of Qokagax

Characters:
Ewan ap Rhys - once a great sorcerer, now a small boy
Anwen ferch Rhys - scholar of blood magic
Duke Blackthorn - Duke of Dawn and Dusk, Warden of Weal and Woe, and all-around evil faerie
"Kaliam" - magically conjoined apprentice wizards
Maergath - Magister of Soulshaping, necromancer, angry and hateful wizard
Narlis Thordane - Hero for hire, proud and unrepentant scumlord
Niamh Wayrest - trader in forbidden lore, purveyor of curiosities
OLIVER THE BARBARIAN - a very reluctant hero and monster-slayer
Sage Whitechalk - heir to the Whitechalk Family
Saoirse Nettlefield - Headmistress of Wyrdwood, conniving academic

Armorend

"Oh, you can copy stuff. Especially if it helps you find a way back to normal..." Kartuun reassured Ewan, standing near him,watching as he fingered the spines of the various books while reading their titles. At Ewan's compliment, Kartuun concurred, but at his suggestion of what his parents were up to, simply shrugged.

He followed Ewan when he went to check the ledger, only remembering just as the book snapped shut to warn Ewan of its enchantment. "S-sorry, I forgot it did that. Uh." Kartuun paused for just a moment, than slowly moved the book out from underneath Ewan so that he wouldn't fall over from inevitably holding down on nothing once the book had moved. He then pet the book, and it stopped moving as much. "Hmm. I think it's grumpy... I haven't had any reason to open it so it hasn't been fed since before my parents left. Can you get out some lined paper for it?"

While the two boys focused on calming the book, the large, looming figure behind them became even more animated. It stretched its arms and its 'spine', which really just meant its back (for it lacked an actual spine internally), and gazed down at the intruder beside Kartuun menacingly, becoming aware of its surroundings and what was going on. There was a loud thud, as the fake creature slammed one of its hands down, alerting the two boys of its presence, before making an attempt to grab Ewan. "Ewan!" Kartuun cried, immediately worried for his friend.

Whim

"So does the book get longer as he eats? Ewan cracked a smile as the ledger began munching on the paper scraps, stroking the cover as if it were an animal. It seems to quiver in response. Once sated it obediently splayed itself out over the desk, and the two boys crowded around. "Well it says here they've been getting lots of money in from Arc-" He spun around as the mounted troll came to life, narrowly escaping its fist as the desk splintered. Before Ewan could run, the creature managed to get hold of his vest, lifting the boy into the air. "Hey! Stop! Lemme go!"

"TRESPASSER! THIEF!" it bellowed. Its breath, at the very least, was not rancid. "BE STILL I HAVE CAUGHT YOU!"

The little wizard shrieked, squirming and kicking. With some luck he managed to slip free of vest, and vault over Jacon's desk. The troll pursued, carefully edging around the taller boy in a protective stance. "Kartuun! Make 'im stop!" Now the troll was blocking the doorway. Ewan scanned the room frantically in search of a hiding place, and made a dive toward the second desk. A stuffed troll shouldn't be that strong, right?
Awesome avatar by Eckhart_von_Musel

Guilds:
Wyrdwood Academy of Arcane Science

Events:
The Midnight Harvest
Into the Mouth of Qokagax

Characters:
Ewan ap Rhys - once a great sorcerer, now a small boy
Anwen ferch Rhys - scholar of blood magic
Duke Blackthorn - Duke of Dawn and Dusk, Warden of Weal and Woe, and all-around evil faerie
"Kaliam" - magically conjoined apprentice wizards
Maergath - Magister of Soulshaping, necromancer, angry and hateful wizard
Narlis Thordane - Hero for hire, proud and unrepentant scumlord
Niamh Wayrest - trader in forbidden lore, purveyor of curiosities
OLIVER THE BARBARIAN - a very reluctant hero and monster-slayer
Sage Whitechalk - heir to the Whitechalk Family
Saoirse Nettlefield - Headmistress of Wyrdwood, conniving academic

Armorend

"Hmm. Yeah, I dunn--" Kartuun's statement was cut off when the troll attacked. "Ahhh!" He watched the guardian of the library as it grabbed hold of Ewan, making a motion as if to go one way and then hesitating, utterly unsure of what to do. He internally breathed a sigh of relief when Ewan slipped free and watched the troll attempt to dog Ewan down, and had his temporary trance broken when Ewan called out to him. "Ah... Er-Uh... I... Troll, down! Stop attacking him!"

He yelled to the mighty, faux beast, but the creature merely replied with his own yell. "TRESPASSER IN THE MASTER AND MISTRESS' CHAMBER!" Kartuun was legitimately stumped, trying to recall how the thing had been pacified when his mom and dad had awoken it before.

"A... A book! It was a book, Ewan! It makes the thing go back to sleep! When my mom and dad enchanted it they used one of the titles to bind it! We have to get that book!" The creature, being modeled after the real thing but not being real itself, loomed menacingly in the doorway still, waiting for Ewan to make a move. Unlike a real creature, it didn't breathe, adding an eerie silence to the air after Kartuun made his statement.

Whim

"What's it called?!" Ewan shouted from underneath the desk as the golem awkwardly knelt to snatch him. The boy scampered out from the other-side, narrowly escaping its mottled claw. Being small did have its advantages. But where to go now? His eyes darted around the library in bewilderment. There was no way he'd be able to any books like this!

The troll-golem tried to stand up, bumping its head and overturning the desk. The beast let out a fearsome roar, and then began to twitch and spasm. Violet smoke erupted from several of its orifices, and it let forth an unearthly groan. And with that the golem spun around and trained its gaze on Kartuun. "INTRUDERLOPER! BEGONE FROM MASTRESS' DOMAIN!" it slurred and lurched toward its creators' child; not in a loving way.

"What's it doing? Did we break- look out!" Ewan shrieked. His first instinct was to reach for his wand, but he didn't have it. Ugh! He settled for hurling a paper-weight instead.
Awesome avatar by Eckhart_von_Musel

Guilds:
Wyrdwood Academy of Arcane Science

Events:
The Midnight Harvest
Into the Mouth of Qokagax

Characters:
Ewan ap Rhys - once a great sorcerer, now a small boy
Anwen ferch Rhys - scholar of blood magic
Duke Blackthorn - Duke of Dawn and Dusk, Warden of Weal and Woe, and all-around evil faerie
"Kaliam" - magically conjoined apprentice wizards
Maergath - Magister of Soulshaping, necromancer, angry and hateful wizard
Narlis Thordane - Hero for hire, proud and unrepentant scumlord
Niamh Wayrest - trader in forbidden lore, purveyor of curiosities
OLIVER THE BARBARIAN - a very reluctant hero and monster-slayer
Sage Whitechalk - heir to the Whitechalk Family
Saoirse Nettlefield - Headmistress of Wyrdwood, conniving academic

Armorend

"Uhhhh... I-it's.. Wait! No!" Attempting to tell Ewan the book ended up failing as he ended up being charged at by the thing created to protect him indirectly, through the protection of the library.

"Finniss, get 'im!" He grabbed one end of the ragged mantle and yanked it from his shoulders, tossing it up above the troll, having it transform into the more knightly appearance above the troll and coming down on top of it. Being some degree of sentient, however, it reached arms up to brace for the impact of the figure, causing the THUD!of metal as two of the monster's hands collided with armor, and also utterly ignoring Ewan's projectile.

In the meantime, Kartuun backed off, not watching when Finniss brought himself down in front of the troll whose extremities still rested on the armored figure. Instead, he tried to get himself back on track, turning towards Ewan. "I-It was called... Uhh... Temporal Anomalies and You? I think? It's been a while!"

Whim

The troll-golem locked arms with Finniss. The taxidermied beast had size, but Kartuun's protector had strength. The troll snapped its yellowed teeth, grazing Finniss' head. The knight rushed forward in response, sending the troll crashing into a book-case. Torn pages and splintered wood were everywhere.

Ewan just stood there watching. He'd wished he had his wand back. Or that hurling a paperweight actually did something. "Um, right! The book!" the boy darted around the room, trying to find where the T's were. He found it! Temporal Anomalies and You. The book was enormous - almost half Ewan's size - and on a high shelf. The boy's arms were buckling as he yanked it from the shelf. "H-help!" it fell atop him.
Awesome avatar by Eckhart_von_Musel

Guilds:
Wyrdwood Academy of Arcane Science

Events:
The Midnight Harvest
Into the Mouth of Qokagax

Characters:
Ewan ap Rhys - once a great sorcerer, now a small boy
Anwen ferch Rhys - scholar of blood magic
Duke Blackthorn - Duke of Dawn and Dusk, Warden of Weal and Woe, and all-around evil faerie
"Kaliam" - magically conjoined apprentice wizards
Maergath - Magister of Soulshaping, necromancer, angry and hateful wizard
Narlis Thordane - Hero for hire, proud and unrepentant scumlord
Niamh Wayrest - trader in forbidden lore, purveyor of curiosities
OLIVER THE BARBARIAN - a very reluctant hero and monster-slayer
Sage Whitechalk - heir to the Whitechalk Family
Saoirse Nettlefield - Headmistress of Wyrdwood, conniving academic

Armorend

Kartuun's vision darted from the fight taking place, which was quite enthralling to watch, seeing his companion truly in action, to Ewan, suddenly very concerned for his friend's well-being as he needed Kartuun's help now. So he focused on Ewan, running over as fast as he could, seeing how the huge book rested on the boy.

"Ewan! It's okay, we got this!" He grabbed part of the book and heaved, grunting. It was large but also wide, a leather-bound tome lined with a number of pages at least in the very early thousands. "Ngh... C'moon!" It shifted slightly. He pulled harder to one side, helping to get Ewan's arms free so that he could help push it off as well. Further and further the massive text moved until it finally, entirely thudded onto the floor next to Ewan. Kartuun stepped over and made sure he was opening the book from the right side, which he was.

He pulled open the book, lifting the weighty cover from the top page, and was struck by what he found: Cyan text, glowing and flickering like a flame devoid of embers or heat. It was from his parents; it had to be. As he held open the book, his eyes glowed, and he felt a pleasant, comforting warmth, which intensified as he began to read, utterly startled when his parent's voices seemed to be speaking at him, as if they were in front of him. He kept reading regardless, though.

"Kartuun..." The unison of his parents' voices began. "This enchantment is more than a message. Even as we speak, it awakens your powers, whether you are ready, or in need. We can only trust you will use them wisely, that we have taught you well. Enchant the world to improve it, not to harm it. Though no matter what, we will always love you."

As Kartuun listened intently, he barely noticed that the voices were able to be heard by more than just him, and that there was a more powerful blue glow flowing into his eyes and hands, which dissipated as the words faded from the page at the end of the message. Tears dripped from Kartuun's eyes, running down to the sides of his nose and falling into the book, staining the page. It had been so long since he had heard their voices...

Whim

Ewan lost interest in the golem battle as the book started talking. It seemed it wasn't a fail-safe but a hidden message. It was a little too fuzzy for his tastes. Then again Kartuun was a kid. "Looks like you're going to be a mage after all!" he punched the boy playfully in the shoulder, growing quiet once the tears came.

Across the room there came a thundrous roar as the troll hurtled Finniss backwards into a bookshelf. The troll-golem was on fire now. It was a pretty nimbus of blue and purple, really, but for the fur and stuffing sloughing off. Beneath was a hideous skeleton of bronze and wire. The elemental energies inside were becoming unbound. With an inhuman roar it leapt at Finniss, with renewed vigor, leaving scorch marks on the rug.

"Kartuun! Hey! Can ya stop it?" Ewan tugged at his friend to snap him out of reverie.
Awesome avatar by Eckhart_von_Musel

Guilds:
Wyrdwood Academy of Arcane Science

Events:
The Midnight Harvest
Into the Mouth of Qokagax

Characters:
Ewan ap Rhys - once a great sorcerer, now a small boy
Anwen ferch Rhys - scholar of blood magic
Duke Blackthorn - Duke of Dawn and Dusk, Warden of Weal and Woe, and all-around evil faerie
"Kaliam" - magically conjoined apprentice wizards
Maergath - Magister of Soulshaping, necromancer, angry and hateful wizard
Narlis Thordane - Hero for hire, proud and unrepentant scumlord
Niamh Wayrest - trader in forbidden lore, purveyor of curiosities
OLIVER THE BARBARIAN - a very reluctant hero and monster-slayer
Sage Whitechalk - heir to the Whitechalk Family
Saoirse Nettlefield - Headmistress of Wyrdwood, conniving academic

Armorend

Finniss, hearing the roar, did his best to duck out of its way, its hand clawing against his front, the screeching of metal being scraped sounding off across the room.

Kartuun had been sniffling, wiping his eyes, trying to get over the fact that he had heard his parents' voices for the last time for a while. But the loud scraping noise had brought him back to reality. Seeing his best friend in trouble, he immediately began to refocus his thoughts. He had to.

Finniss had dodged out of the way of the troll's charge and had slunk beneath it, and was now no more than a couple seconds later trying to make his way around it to attack it from another angle. His objective was to fight it, bring it down, and he was going to do whatever he could to make it happen.

"Yeah, I think I can." Kartuun looked at his hands ponderously, then up to Finniss and the troll. "But I've... Never done this before. Focusing on a moving target is way harder, too, from what my parents have- Ah! The rug! He raised both hands, a glowing, blue circle forming in each palm. The rug began to glow, as well. Then it began to move, taking off at a rapid pace. It opened up, like a creature preparing to grab its prey, and wrapped around the troll from behind, locking its arms down.

"Perfect! Hold that thing, Finniss!" Finniss grappled the creature, holding it, ensuring that even if it could muster the strength to break out of the rug it wouldn't be able to. Kartuun dashed towards it, avoiding the books on the floor, his heart racing fast. He was finally able to use his magic, what was effectively his birthright...

He at least reached the troll. He aimed at its feet, raising his hands. There was a locking mechanism in the enchantment, a sort of block preventing him from interfering with its 'programming'. It was weird, but it felt familiar. The interaction of magic was taking place in some invisible space, but he could still "feel" it, like interacting with a gate or door. When he pushed on it, though, with some strength, he felt it open. It ended up being surprisingly easy, and his only thought was that it was a family lock meant to prevent non-family members from easily tampering with the creature.

Once the enchantment was 'unlocked', he just... Released it. The wire-mesh abomination slowed to a halt. The enchantment on the rug was banished, too, as Finniss let go of it. The troll had been pacified. Permanently.

Whim

"Whoo! You did it!" Ewan leapt in the air, cheering. If the boy ever was twenty-five it didn't show. He offered Kartuun a tiny smile of consolation, "Um, sorry about your house. Not like you'll get in trouble for it though." Between the shattered and smoking golem, broken desk, and toppled bookshelves the library was a ruin.

Grubby fingers went to work leafing through the massive grimmoire. It was all enchanting equations which were gibberish. Surely it was to make stuff like flying books and enchanted quills. Who needed that when you could make yourself grow four arms and wings and- right, he had stuff to do. Ewan nudged the book toward Kartuun with a grunt. "I think this is for you. Gonna check that other book again. I saw stuff before I got grabbed.

"And you don't suppose your parents got an extra wands? Wooden ones? Since, um, Dugan's got mine and all..."
Awesome avatar by Eckhart_von_Musel

Guilds:
Wyrdwood Academy of Arcane Science

Events:
The Midnight Harvest
Into the Mouth of Qokagax

Characters:
Ewan ap Rhys - once a great sorcerer, now a small boy
Anwen ferch Rhys - scholar of blood magic
Duke Blackthorn - Duke of Dawn and Dusk, Warden of Weal and Woe, and all-around evil faerie
"Kaliam" - magically conjoined apprentice wizards
Maergath - Magister of Soulshaping, necromancer, angry and hateful wizard
Narlis Thordane - Hero for hire, proud and unrepentant scumlord
Niamh Wayrest - trader in forbidden lore, purveyor of curiosities
OLIVER THE BARBARIAN - a very reluctant hero and monster-slayer
Sage Whitechalk - heir to the Whitechalk Family
Saoirse Nettlefield - Headmistress of Wyrdwood, conniving academic

Armorend

Kartuun peered at the massive tome that Ewan nudged toward him. It was his now, wasn't it? The notion of being able to access even one of the texts contained within his parents' library was genuinely difficult for the young male to comprehend, to the point that he almost forgot to respond to Ewan.

"Oh, uh... Wands... Uhm..." He thought for a bit. Kartuun only saw his parents use wands for hard enchantments. Everything else could be done just with hands and maybe some basic focusing instrument like a crystal or orb. "My parents might've taken them with them. If there is one, it's... In here..." Kartuun spoke hesitantly. Going through this mess didn't sound like a thrilling event, by any means. "... Or in my parents' room? And don't worry, there's no security in there." He said, grinning.

"Though you did say wood. Couldn't we just carve one?" Suddenly the solution seemed obvious. Kartuun looked to the other boy in a sudden moment of lucidity.

Whim

"Oh gosh that'd be great! Its gotta be made out of apple because that channels animus the best. And it needs a triskele like this one. Oh! And an ouroboros carving too. Let me show you!" he bounced with excitement, pointing out various markings inked into his forearms and shins. Red crept over his face as reality set in. "Um, sorry. You don't have to make it if you don't want to. I guess you've never done it before, huh? You definitely seem different since the thing happened.

"And I'll check these letters out for clues." Ewan trotted back to the desk and snatched the letter-box and toothy ledger. It fluttered expectantly, as if ready to give another snap. The boy clapped it shut with a scowl. With luck he wouldn't need to worry about Dugan at all. And skipping out early on Sylmag'a grunt work was great consolation...

They migrated from the ruined library up a flight of stairs and down a corridor. A carved oak door blocked their path. "So you sneak in here to jump on the bed?" the little sorcerer flashed a grin, waiting for Kartuun to nudge the door. Of course he wasn't actually sneaking into a childhood friends parents bedroom. Still, it seemed to warrant some reverence.
Awesome avatar by Eckhart_von_Musel

Guilds:
Wyrdwood Academy of Arcane Science

Events:
The Midnight Harvest
Into the Mouth of Qokagax

Characters:
Ewan ap Rhys - once a great sorcerer, now a small boy
Anwen ferch Rhys - scholar of blood magic
Duke Blackthorn - Duke of Dawn and Dusk, Warden of Weal and Woe, and all-around evil faerie
"Kaliam" - magically conjoined apprentice wizards
Maergath - Magister of Soulshaping, necromancer, angry and hateful wizard
Narlis Thordane - Hero for hire, proud and unrepentant scumlord
Niamh Wayrest - trader in forbidden lore, purveyor of curiosities
OLIVER THE BARBARIAN - a very reluctant hero and monster-slayer
Sage Whitechalk - heir to the Whitechalk Family
Saoirse Nettlefield - Headmistress of Wyrdwood, conniving academic

Armorend

"Heh... Yeah, when I was younger." Kartuun felt the words sting his heart. One hand clutched an edge of the blanket tighter as he pushed the door open to reveal his parents' room.

The interior of the room looked as if it had been lived in recently, but it was impeccably clean. A wash basin and brush sat on a smooth, chestnut-colored dresser, sat as if they were part of a routine rather than stored away when not in use. The bed possessed a canopy with one of the sides drawn back, ready for someone to make their way into it and subsequently a peaceful slumber.

The room itself held that peaceful quality to it, that eerie sort of peace that only seems to occur indoors when even the creatures outside seem to be at a loss for words. Kartuun said nothing as he walked in, allowing Ewan in as well. The floor did not even creak as they entered, further contributing to the apparent solemn nature of this area of the house. Once inside Kartuun began to look around in an attempt to find something Ewan could use.

While the silence was a bit unnerving, and also simultaneously aiming to be left unbroken by both boys, Kartuun bit the bullet and decided to speak up for the sake of the search. "Move stuff if you have to, but be careful."

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