Sonneillon
Shaman
DEAD
"You will pay for what you've done..."
Posts: 142
Profession: Student of the Elder Arts
Affinity: Dark
OoC Alias: Ryu
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Post by Sonneillon on Jul 28, 2014 13:52:44 GMT -6
Ilia.
An expanse of frozen wilderness, foreboding and forbidding. The mountains are jagged and unforgiving, and the forests are chilled and wild. Its land is hard and tainted by the frost, and its game are lean and tough. It is a land of the strong and those who survive. It is not a home for the weak.
Why, then, was a seventeen-year-old boy, who looked as if he was made of bone and skin, be wandering around the Ilian countryside? Alone?
Sonneillon Gressil was not strong. In fact, he was far from it. Yes, he showed aptitude for the Elder arts. Yes, he had remarkable skill. Yes, he was a quick study. But those weren't enough to ensure his survival; in fact, they would barely make a dent in the mountain of experience needed to be self-sufficient in the Ilian wilds.
So why was he walking down a faded path, alone, with naught but his cloak and Flux? Why wander into such a place without the necessary provisions and precautions?
Perhaps it was arrogance, or sheer curiosity. Perhaps it was the call of nature, the mystique of the wild. Or maybe it was suicide.
No matter the cause, the effect was clear. Sonneillon was far from a town, far from civilization, and cold. His brisk pace kept the cold at bay, but he couldn't walk forever. Something had to happen, and soon, or he would be food for the stronger beasts.
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Synkkis Kyyneltya
Shaman
"Strange... I had no brace for the aberrant nature of this power."
Posts: 170
Profession: Mercenary Tactician
Affinity: Dark
Profile: Synkkis
OoC Alias: Cyril/Lucien/Landrik/Freya
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Post by Synkkis Kyyneltya on Jul 28, 2014 18:06:41 GMT -6
The mountain-passes of Southwestern Ilia were peculiar as they were the meeting point of two great mountain chains. One led straight to Remi to the West and the other led down to Tarras to the Southwest. At the meeting point some of Elibe's most relentless mountains dwell here. The whole continent was stitched with these mountains, borders etched into the earth by the Old Gods.
In this particular mountain pass it was prime territory for Elk and Mountain Goats, but since the terrain was so unstable due to the melting and freezing ice during the seasons, the cliff-sides where a lot of the creatures grazed were difficult to navigate for hunters and as such not many people lived nearby. It used to be populated with a ruined village on the dominant bluff that overlooked the treacherous pass. There was only one way up and it was near the southern part of the pass.
Trudging through the deep snow that accumulated at the bottom of the steep mountainsides, the purple-cloaked shaman spotted the faint path that led up to the dead village. At the bottom, he looked up realizing it'd be quite the hike. May as well take a short rest here. Dropping his canvas bag that had a bedroll strapped to it, he took the time to break out a small pouch full of hard biscuits and drank from the canteen he had that was stuffed inside the bag to prevent the water from freezing. The cool water was refreshing, but he knew he'd want to cook the game he had once he reached the village since he planned on staying overnight there. The wind that blew the snow from the peaks was calming, yet kept his senses in the moment.
With that, he easily noticed a dark figure march its way towards him. With how he dressed the native could mistake him for being another Ilian, but then he saw how he was not faring well against the cold. Strange for a foreigner to be here. Knowing the boy wouldn't recognize him until he was decently close, he waited patiently for him to come closer. Once he was of greeting distance, the Shaman just smiled, only tufts of his white hair peeking out from under the hood and an honest grin to welcome the cold traveler.
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Sonneillon
Shaman
DEAD
"You will pay for what you've done..."
Posts: 142
Profession: Student of the Elder Arts
Affinity: Dark
OoC Alias: Ryu
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Post by Sonneillon on Jul 29, 2014 9:57:47 GMT -6
The cold was bitter and biting as Neil continued his relentless pace, striding down the path towards who knew what. He no longer had any idea where he was or where he had come from. At least his extremities were still warm, tucked away within the folds of his heavy cloak.
Suddenly, he sensed something. It was a flicker of something that drew his attention, but then was gone within the instant, leaving him motionless on the path. What had just happened? What was that feeling? In the middle of his musing, the boy saw a... something. It looked like a person, but its garb was strange and rustic, with bones and skulls hanging like ornaments. It looked like a man, but dressed like some sort of ancient mystic. Maybe he'd caught a glimpse out of the corner of his eye, and that's what caught his attention.
"...Hello?"
Cautiously moving forward towards the man, for it seemed to be a man, the boy readied himself, whispering the ancient words to himself, preparing to cast if danger arose.
"I'm Sonneillon. Do you know where we are?"
It must have been a strange scene for any other observers, this meeting. The young one, ill at ease and under-prepared, wandering upon a snowy Ilian juncture and meeting the mystic. Pure chance had brought them together; it might be the boy's salvation. The environment took no notice of the encounter, its power and majesty blinding it to the meaningless actions of the humans below. They would be gone, but the mountain would remain.
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Synkkis Kyyneltya
Shaman
"Strange... I had no brace for the aberrant nature of this power."
Posts: 170
Profession: Mercenary Tactician
Affinity: Dark
Profile: Synkkis
OoC Alias: Cyril/Lucien/Landrik/Freya
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Post by Synkkis Kyyneltya on Jul 30, 2014 22:30:24 GMT -6
A tiny twitch in the Shaman's head snapped into his conscious as he heard a casting language he never used, but was familiar with. It was an older language that most people only knew so they could reliably cast older anima magic, but it seemed to be warped in a fashion he felt was similar to his own somehow. Either way, he could tell the boy practically had his hand on the grip of his sword, so to speak. He pulled another biscuit to his mouth and ate it silently. In a sense of good faith, the Ilian reached out his hand of the small off-white drawstring pouch that had more of the small squares of hardtack inside.
"By my own means of protecting myself, I never mix in my given name once I start an incantation. The shadows being able to put a name on the soul they get to feast on can only make one more popular." he stated, rising from his seat. He pulled the drawstring on the bag and tossed it to the traveler. "Synkkis Kyyneltya. We are near the town of Vuoristosolan. The pass is named after it." he spoke plainly, but interested in how he would react.
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Sonneillon
Shaman
DEAD
"You will pay for what you've done..."
Posts: 142
Profession: Student of the Elder Arts
Affinity: Dark
OoC Alias: Ryu
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Post by Sonneillon on Jul 31, 2014 14:40:41 GMT -6
"Shadows?!"
His focus completely gone, Neil's expression turned to disbelief and shock, and he completely missed the bag, his hands flailing as the pouch smacked him in the face with surprising force. What was in it, rocks? No, wait. Some sort of food. Taking one, he bit it, only to find that it was indeed hard as a rock. Maybe he'd be better served masticating on it for a bit before he tried to chomp again. Teeth were of no use if they weren't in one's mouth.
"How... How did you know I speak to the shadows? Who are you, anyway? I haven't seen anyone for hours, and suddenly you appear, dressed like... Some sort of mystic or shaman, I guess, and tell me I speak to shadows. Are you... Real? Am I having delusions?"
Looking at the man, the dumbfounded expression on his face slowly morphed into confusion and suspicion. This man knew too much about him! How could he have figured it out? The boy's eyes flickered left and right, looking for weapons. None. But who knows, he might have a giant axe concealed under his cloak, or a knife in that skull hanging off of his shoulder.
He opened his mouth to speak, but found that he had no words to say. He was cold, bewildered, and frightened by this new apparition and its knowledge. The one bright part to this dark gloom was that the biscuit did taste pretty good, once it had had time to soften a bit. Yum.
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Synkkis Kyyneltya
Shaman
"Strange... I had no brace for the aberrant nature of this power."
Posts: 170
Profession: Mercenary Tactician
Affinity: Dark
Profile: Synkkis
OoC Alias: Cyril/Lucien/Landrik/Freya
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Post by Synkkis Kyyneltya on Aug 2, 2014 17:11:25 GMT -6
"You do not have mountain sickness. However, it may be helpful if you take a rest." he said, ignoring the other boy's questions and observations. He'd allow the young mage to calm his thoughts a little on his own. Standing up on the rock he took as a seat, he squatted down and sat cross-legged. He hung his arms forward resting on his knees.
Licking his gums from the hardtack meal he just had, he took a better look at the foreigner. "Eat as much as you like as long as you leave some for me. They'll fill you up in time if you let them sit." He finished cleaning his teeth with one of his fingernails and sighed. "I've already told you who I am. I wasn't absolutely sure you did speak with the void, but I had the feeling. You just confirmed it for me. My dress helps me connect with Ilia, somehow. I feel closer to it than any man who sleeps on wooden or cut-stone floors." Now it was time to ask Sonneillon a question. "Not many people come through here for obvious reasons. What are you searching for in the great white north?" he asked with a bit of ire. He wondered why someone would come through here so unprepared and possibly face death.
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Sonneillon
Shaman
DEAD
"You will pay for what you've done..."
Posts: 142
Profession: Student of the Elder Arts
Affinity: Dark
OoC Alias: Ryu
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Post by Sonneillon on Aug 2, 2014 20:47:43 GMT -6
"I'm not searching. I'm just..."
The pupil was at a loss for words.
"I don't want to be weak. I'm not going to give into my own frailty and inability to cast. So I decided to come here to Ilia. I'd survive or die. I just didn't anticipate how hard it would be to survive."
Sonneillon seemed upset. Uncomfortable, anxious, and unhappy. This man, who he knew nothing about, happened to appear in his moment of need and somehow knew that he was studying Elder magic. He was an enigma, and he seemed to be in tune with the environment. Neil didn't much care for that sort of thing. Sure, he communicated with the symbols and was able to see the beautiful figures, but... That wasn't like he was some sort of tree-hugging mountain man like this guy seemed to be.
"Look, Mr. Kyyneltya. I just want to become stronger. I want to be able to draw upon my power without blacking out and spewing garbage from my mouth. All I want is to be competent and show my mentor that I've got promise. That I'm more than a street urchin he feels indebted to care for. That's it. If you can help me, I'd appreciate it. I don't know much about mountains or magic, but I can do little things to help you. It's not a lot, but... If you can help me, I'll do whatever I can."
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Synkkis Kyyneltya
Shaman
"Strange... I had no brace for the aberrant nature of this power."
Posts: 170
Profession: Mercenary Tactician
Affinity: Dark
Profile: Synkkis
OoC Alias: Cyril/Lucien/Landrik/Freya
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Post by Synkkis Kyyneltya on Aug 4, 2014 18:46:36 GMT -6
The Ilian sighed. It was not one of contempt or sadness, but one to clear his thoughts. He stood up once more with an honest smile on his face. He remembered when he was out on his own in Sacae learning magic and stumbling all over himself. He also remembered that it was only for a short time, but he had Selibas who looked after him when they worked together. Maybe this was just the natural progression of things for him to now look after someone weaker than he and build him up to be strong. Was this the will of the Old Gods?
"I understand. I was just like you two - three years ago. Without the aide of another I found myself almost dead with my hands tied more than once. Some harsh lessons await you, but one must learn to crawl before they can walk." He pulled his pack up and over his shoulders, ready to move up the trail towards Vuoristosolan. "Come join me while I walk to the top of the bluff. We can build shelter there and I will teach you what you need to be taught. You will be strong if you have the dedication." he mentioned, ready to ascend the faint and steep path.
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Sonneillon
Shaman
DEAD
"You will pay for what you've done..."
Posts: 142
Profession: Student of the Elder Arts
Affinity: Dark
OoC Alias: Ryu
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Post by Sonneillon on Aug 4, 2014 19:58:40 GMT -6
"Mmm."
Neil didn't need to say much. There was not much to be said. Instead, he collected himself, standing up purposefully, and handed the bag of food back to Synkkis after taking one more for the road. He had a feeling that this wasn't going to be an easy endeavor. But he had dedication... And if this man had power like Verrine, he would learn much from his words. Cracking his knuckles, he moved over to the man, standing ready to follow up the path.
Where was the path? He could barely make out what appeared to be an outline... But it shifted and seemed to move all over. Hopefully, this guy knew where he was going and what he was doing, or Neil'd end up a popsicle instead of a shaman.
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Synkkis Kyyneltya
Shaman
"Strange... I had no brace for the aberrant nature of this power."
Posts: 170
Profession: Mercenary Tactician
Affinity: Dark
Profile: Synkkis
OoC Alias: Cyril/Lucien/Landrik/Freya
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Post by Synkkis Kyyneltya on Aug 6, 2014 0:35:06 GMT -6
The path was not exactly hard to travel as it was to see where it was going before it changed direction again up the side of the mountain. Snowdrifts blocked some of the path that the shaman could spot - deep in thought. These were cleared as they moved on and he didn't ask Sonneillon to help him as he shoveled what he needed to out of the way with his bare hands.
Feeling confident with the movement forward, Synkkis started to hum an Ilian folk tune as he marched through the snow. It helped with the monotonous steps he was taking, even if it sounded corny, hackneyed, or overly sentimental. The tune didn't seem like something to come from such a mysterious and borderline fictitious figure. Every now and then he'd check over his fur-covered shoulder to see how the boy was doing.
At the very least in the Ilian's mind, it didn't take them long until they reached a small overlooking spot. This spot was which they could see the ruined village on the bluff not too far away. "There are quite a few of places just like this one all throughout Ilia. Our people don't have much to live on and often go looking for work in other countries in Elibe to bring home what they need. When one fails to do so too often, it leaves these gravestones upon the land. One can only pray and act in their earnest to bring life and peace back to all of our lands. Before that happens, much more blood needs to be spilled." he ranted a bit, possibly boring the youth. He took a few more steps forward to the abandoned village, talking along the way.
"First thing you need to build up in your bones is your resistance to the presence of magic. Whether an enemy strikes you with magic or your spell goes out of control, one fatal slip and you could lose your soul to those shadows you speak with. They are greedy and need to be fended back like rats. They give you much power for how much you feed them, but you only have so much soul you can give at once. The more resistant you are the easier it is to protect yourself." the Shaman spouted his lesson, approaching one of the ruined houses that still had a roof to it. Entering, he placed his pack down and took off his cloak, using it as a door where the old one had fallen away. He grabbed what few wooden items were that were inside the house and formed a fire pit in the center of the dirt room. With no time wasted, he exited the house, calling on Sonneillon to join him. "After me, come on!" he said almost playfully.
Outside, the Shaman stopped for a moment and turned around, pulling off the wristwarmer gloves he had on both arms. These exposed his tattoos, however that was not what he had in mind. "Resistance is in your head. It gives you thick skin. See?" The snow-haired Ilian stuck both of his arms in a snowdrift, pulling out two snow balls. He handed one to the boy and held onto the other one. "No one likes this. I don't like this. But doing what will make you strong and what will make you a better magician is doing things that you do not want to do. This is also a valuable lesson for surviving as a man." he took the snowball and pulled it apart with his two hands and rubbed the two halves all over his neck, head, and exposed arms. Whatever was left he stuck up his shirt as if he were bathing. He laughed as he dealt with the freezing pain, and then smashed the two halves together as he jumped about dealing with the cold. "Ah! I'm not sure how cold it is here, but no worries. You can deal with it I'm sure." he said with chattering teeth, trying to reassure the boy.
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Sonneillon
Shaman
DEAD
"You will pay for what you've done..."
Posts: 142
Profession: Student of the Elder Arts
Affinity: Dark
OoC Alias: Ryu
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Post by Sonneillon on Aug 6, 2014 19:26:55 GMT -6
Finally, after what seemed like hours, they arrived. The path had been rough for Neil; his breath was slightly haggard and he took time to rest and recuperate as they walked into the center of the village. The shaman's words echoed in his mind... Gravestones. What a chilling concept. An image of a gravestone, dripping with blood, was seared into his memory as he shivered involuntarily.
"First thing you need to build up in your bones is your resistance to the presence of magic...lose your soul to those shadows you speak with. They are greedy and need to be fended back like rats."
What? Rats? Greedy? Soul-stealing? But the spirits he communed with weren't greedy, or vile like rats... they were beautiful. Glimmering, glowing, shimmering... They were warm and inviting, not vicious or cruel.
"..."
Taking the proffered snowball with great confusion and reluctance, the boy stood like a rock, even as his jaw dropped. Was this man insane? They were on the top of an Ilian bluff, in an abandoned place, and he wanted him to put snow down his shirt? This was madness!
"... ... ..."
Shaking his head, the pupil went against his better urges and decided to trust the man. But his stubbornness commanded his actions, and a faint glint came to Neil's eye as he tossed the snowball aside. Then, quickly, before he could lose his courage, he took off his heavy cloak entirely, removing his shirt as well and then diving headfirst into the deepest drift he could find before exploding out of it, writhing and shaking as the cold attacked his nerves. What had he been thinking? Why couldn't he have just tossed the snowball down his shirt and called it good? What would this prove?
"That's... Cccccold. Brr. If this wwwwwwill make me sssstronger, then I supppppose it's wwwwworth it."
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Synkkis Kyyneltya
Shaman
"Strange... I had no brace for the aberrant nature of this power."
Posts: 170
Profession: Mercenary Tactician
Affinity: Dark
Profile: Synkkis
OoC Alias: Cyril/Lucien/Landrik/Freya
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Post by Synkkis Kyyneltya on Aug 7, 2014 2:09:29 GMT -6
Synkkis laughed heartily, his teeth chattering just as much as the boy. He wasn't a mountain after all. He just lived in them. "Good! C-Cast off the garb of m-m-modern civilization! It will do n-nothing to serve you when dealing w-with the Elder Art-ts! This Elibe w-will transform-m-m you m-more than the aberrations-s of man's wickedness!" he shouted, liking Sonneillon's spirit. "Now! Let's build a fire and get warm. Quickly!" he laughed once more. He hadn't shared any of these moments with anyone else and the eagerness of the boy was almost like looking into a mirror to his former self.
Racing back into the cabin, the Ilian ducked through the cape doorway and pulled two stones from his pocket. "There are m-many ways to start a f-f-fire. Try this." he urged the foreigner on, handing him the two rocks. On closer inspection one was flint and the other steel. They were loosely tied together with a leather string - the string going through holes in both of the rocks.
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Sonneillon
Shaman
DEAD
"You will pay for what you've done..."
Posts: 142
Profession: Student of the Elder Arts
Affinity: Dark
OoC Alias: Ryu
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Post by Sonneillon on Aug 7, 2014 21:07:03 GMT -6
"Yes! Fire!"
Following Synkkis into the home, ducking under the cloth 'door' and into the freezing room, the pupil grabbed the proffered rocks from the shaman and began banging them together at random. He'd used something like this before, although he preferred the strange things called firesticks. Sneaky types liked them. They were some sort of incendiary.
"They aren't wwwworking."
Indeed, the pupil was whacking them together as if his life depended on it, fueled in part by the uncontrollable shaking of his arms and torso. Yet the rocks still stayed stubbornly unyielding, no sparks coming from their surfaces. This was bad, he was freezing, and why wouldn't the DAMN ROCKS LIGHT?!
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Synkkis Kyyneltya
Shaman
"Strange... I had no brace for the aberrant nature of this power."
Posts: 170
Profession: Mercenary Tactician
Affinity: Dark
Profile: Synkkis
OoC Alias: Cyril/Lucien/Landrik/Freya
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Post by Synkkis Kyyneltya on Aug 12, 2014 22:07:08 GMT -6
Impatient from the cold, the Shaman grabbed the two stones from Sonneillon and held them perpendicular from one another. "L-look closely... You've got to strike them, not s-slap them t-t-together." he instructed, showing the boy how he was holding onto them. His hands trembled, but he managed to strike the sparks into the tinder and kindling after a little bit of time. His side of the fire lit, he handed the two stones over to Sonneillon once more. "Hurry and try on your side before the flame engulfs the entire fire." he said a bit seriously, wanting to see if he could tackle such a difficult task quickly.
Synkkis stood up and walked over to his belt that hung from the wall. He pulled out a worn tome that had the dark imprinted lettering "Ältere Kunst" on the front. He let it hang from his hand as he squatted next to the fire, looking at Sonneillon trying to light the fire. "Keep calm. Confidence." he said in a soothing voice. He studied not only the boy's hands, but also looked at his face to see if he could read what was going on in his head.
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Sonneillon
Shaman
DEAD
"You will pay for what you've done..."
Posts: 142
Profession: Student of the Elder Arts
Affinity: Dark
OoC Alias: Ryu
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Post by Sonneillon on Aug 13, 2014 19:08:23 GMT -6
"Okay. I can... Do this."
Neil's eyes narrowed and his brows furrowed sharply. This too was a test. He must not fail.
With his hands quaking uncontrollably, Neil thought fast. It would either work wonders or not, but it was worth a try. Anything was better than failure before his new mentor. Even the strange 'reaction' he sometimes had.
"Aeternis tenebris, circumda tibi nectens tuum sit!"
Letting the dark tendrils slither from his fingertips, the pupil used them to steady his hands as he struck once, twice, thrice with no avail. The fire spread slowly, and Neil quickly panicked and smacked the two stones together once more as a fountain of sparks cascaded onto the dry wood. At first, there was nothing, but suddenly small flames flickered up, and Neil relaxed, collapsing with a sigh onto his hands and knees, the ground slowly wobbling as if he was balancing on a thin log.
"Got it. I got it, I really did. It's burning."
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