Closed The Master of Bones (Vick)

[Annalisa Marin]

55th of Winter, 513 AV

The scratch of parchment filled Anna's ears as she found herself sitting before Amaryllis once more, and even though silver ringed her finger the Embalmer was obviously the one who was far more powerful here. The Nuit had yet to acknowledge her question, simply scratching away at her seemingly endless supply of parchment. The sorceress was resisting the urge to reach across the desk and throttle the Embalmer, remaindering herself of the long term gains. As well as that nice little dagger Amaryllis kept within the folds of her peacock robes.

After another couple of chimes she finally finished whatever oh so very important work had held her attention. The Nuit set it aside and finally gave Anna at least half of her attention, picking up another document and inspecting it for a moment. The Sorceress gritted her teeth, grey eyes narrowing dangerously as she dared the Nuit to continue to ignore her. The Embalmer seemed not to notice, further irritating Anna as she knew the Nuit knew she could do whatever the petch she wanted to keep her former Apprentice in suspense.

"Legacy." The Nuit finally said, her quill already in motion.

"I'm sorry, what?" Anna replied, her tone confused and indeed the Embalmer's little no explanation answers of frustrating cryptic nonsense tended to irritate her further.

The Nuit had the nerve, the petching nerve, to look at Anna with a slightly exasperated look. If anything Anna was the grieved party here, just because the Nuit had all the time in the world to contemplate matters did not mean Anna was the same. She had inquired chimes earlier as to a magic that apparently used the bones of the deceased in its craft. She had witnessed it used in the Gug Andjak and naturally curiosity had taken hold.

"The craft you are curious about. It was once known as Legacy, though it has taken on the name Malediction as well." She clarified, already setting back to work on her parchment.

"If it truly holds interest to you, seek out the Legacy Imaginarium of Artifacts in the Gug Andjak and its Master, Vick." She said, her tone indicating that this was a clear dismissal for Annalisa to do just that and leave the Nuit to her parchment.

A place and a name, well it was certainly better than what she had possessed mere moments ago which had been a fat lot of nothing. Though, she was certainly a bit leery of going anywhere Amaryllis suggested as last time she had sent her into the arms of Roknus Maelstrom, the Mad Master of Reimancy. Still, she was no longer a mere Apprentice but a full Wizard as the ring around her right ring finger proved. It conferred on her a measure of respect, the sigil of a burning scroll stamped upon its surface.

The Sorceress finally just sighed and stood, departing the office as bidden and going to make certain she had a change of clothes ready. If she was going to appear before a Master it would be best to look her best, to appear confident and powerful. Appearances were rather important after all as were first impressions.

_________________________________________________________________

No more than two bells later Anna found herself outside of the door to the lab of this so called Master Vick. Part of her was rather nervous, but it was quickly crushed with the knowledge that she could bend the elements themselves to her whim and command. Whatever magic this Malediction could work was nothing compared to that kind off power. The ability to rend the world itself with just a thought.

The dark haired woman had tried her hardest to appear immaculate before coming here, dressed as she was in her fine black silk robes trimmed in purple with a purple sash slung over one shoulder. Leather sandals adorned her feet and her silver wizard ring was displayed openly upon her hand. Her long black hair was done up in a high ponytail, and she herself looked well fed and lacking the starvation of most pulsers. All and all she looked the very picture of a powerful sorceress.

After a deep breath to steel herself the tall woman would rap at the door, figuring it best to observe some manner of protocol in this situation. A Wizard she might be now, but Master's possessed a good deal more political pull. If she received an invitation to enter the tall woman would slowly open the door and enter.

"Master Vick? I am Wizard Annalisa Marin, I was hoping to possibly make a few inquires regarding the magic known as Legacy." Anna said, figuring it best to state her business right off the bat this time rather than risk a duel like with Maelstrom.

[Vick]

It would be work but Vick was ready to start the project which would take a lot of his skill. A few animals were laid on the table which were snakes that was already skinned and just layers of bones.

Vick had worked with snakes in the past. He made a snake charm once and is use to snakes bodies. He thought to himself as he picked up his tools for the project.

It was a simple sharp pick that he used to carve the bones that he worked with. This would be a rather simple job but Vick had to imprint the idea along the spine as he had the skill and resolve to mold the item for his bidding.

Vick has wrote along small bones before. He knew how to turn small bones into three dimensional circle with using the bone itself as the binding. It was something he learn over time and since then it has pushed his skills further in the island due to he could work with almost anything as long as he had time and the passion.

Each bone of the spine would hold a letter. Within that letter he would turn the bone into the circle with just using a few lines around the bone. It would be slow work but he had all the time in the world after all since he was already dead.

He had made items and objects in the past with great skill but this one would be even better in this eyes. The tool working slowly and careful with an eye of detail as each bone was molded upon his whims as he carved each letter into the bones and making the lines to form the bone itself into a circle.

Vick was working without stop until his door was pushed open and a new figure came into the room. The child's eyes looked upon the new figure. It was a female but nothing stood out besides her height and black hair. Her voice reaching his ears as she made a request of him but he did not speak to her besides waving to a seat in front of her desk and just went back to work.

If she spoke more he still would not speak back as he went back to his work. His mind clearing out the fact he had a guest as he just looked upon his work. He was almost done all in all as he placed the tool down upon the table before taking a thin bronze wire and slowly made the bones into a necklace using the wire as the base.

The spines were the main part to go over the neck but a large skull of the snake was to be at the chest. The head itself however just held one symbol which was a circle with the letter V made. Once he was done he cut his finger and placed his own life along the bones giving them a new reason for life as he pushed the necklace to the side as he then just put his finger inside a lit candle sealing the wound with fire as Vick did not even think about it.

For his work was done. A simple necklace which if one looked upon would read that each bone had a letter and the right space for a blank bone to make it more readable. If one would look upon it they would see it read “The user shall see the world as if they were a snake. The eyes shall be almost a snake as they see the heat around them. Anyone looking upon the bones shall be enthralled for wanting to wear it yet the creator of this item shall be immune to the call.” With a V and a circle as the head which was his imprint and sigil which he had marked his items of creation.

At last he looked upon his guest as he made them wait for a few bells. Time being just a side thought to him.
“How can I help you wizard?”

The child said as he looked at her with unblinking eyes. Vick was once more using the body of a child. Black hair pushed back in a ponytail. Dull green eyes with dark circles under them. Black lifeless lips and even his outfit was just pain and dull looking. A brown tunic that washed his pale skin out which had holes inside it but nonetheless he was the one she was seeking.

[Annalisa Marin]

Anna's eyes glanced over the rather plain and small lab, rather surprised that this was the lab of a Sahovan master of all people but opting to reserve judgment. The only other person in the room, a young looking child simply responded to her entrance by waving a hand to a seat at his desk. He appeared to be working on something... though she couldn't make out exactly what it was from the doorway. So far no fireballs had been sent her way, so this visit was much better than her stroll to the Element's Sanctum by leagues already.

The tall woman quietly made her way to the desk indicated, pulling out a chair and keeping to herself as she simply observed the child. His rather dead looking complexion marked him as being a Nuit, so it was likely he was the Master Vick she sought. Odd that he would choose the body of a child, though Anna supposed it was rather like her when she was choosing a particular outfit. Everyone had their preferences, as creepy as that was to think of.

He dressed rather commonly for a Sahovan Master, though Anna supposed one with his political influence and sway hardly needed to dress sharply to make their presence known. Amaryllis was so very different though, always dressing in vibrant ostentatious robes and trying to look as lifelike as possible. She was so very vain and arrogant, rather like Anna herself so theirs was truly an arrangement fated by Lhex.

The subject of his work appeared to be something similar to snake skeletons, his craving done carefully. He created circles and letters upon the object and Anna's first thought was that he was Glyphing them. However they looked... different in their arrangement and patterns than Glyphing runes, there was no order of a sigils that was recognizable really but it looked similar in her mind. Was this Malediction she was witnessing, the creation of artifacts through the bones of the dead?

As he worked Anna would watch him very carefully, piecing together what it was that he was doing exactly for future reference. She still couldn't shake that eerie parallel to Glyphing she was getting from this, also Anna was beginning to notice a running theme with world magic and circles. Animation, Summoning, and now apparently Malediction used them, was there a connection to be found there? Perhaps, if nothing else it warranted looking into at a later date.

Their purpose and significance still escaped her of course, her knowledge of this art being pretty much limited to guesswork and basing off of her knowledge of other magic. He worked heedless of the time that passed, looking rather like Anna herself when involved deeply in a Glyphing project. Did all wizards just have that ability? To just shut out everything and everyone and work? It was something that seemed common to Sahova at the very least.

After much time it appeared he was finally done with his work and regarded her with that same static intensity that was apparent in the Nuit, addressing her as Wizard. It felt rather good to claim that title as her own, though certainly not as good as it would be to call herself Mistress Marin. A title that certainly she was well within her rights to possess considering her skill, it was just a matter of manipulating the politics.

For her part Anna placed her normal arrogant smirk upon her face, when she spoke her tone carried the smoothness of honey. She did however make certain to refer to him by honorifics and keep a trace of respect in her tone that was due to Sahovan Masters. It was always good for one to be diplomatic when a fellow wizard possessed knowledge useful to one. Soft words could open gates that violence could not after all.

"Firstly, it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance Master Vick. I had been unaware you had been working, had I known I would have returned at a time where you were not." The sorceress started, getting the pleasantries out of the way immediately, segueing into her business her soon after.

"I had inquired to my Mistress, Chief Embalmer Amaryllis, about the magic known as Legacy. I believe that would be Zapatl in the old language yes? In any event, I possess an inherent interest in matters of more craft oriented magic so she suggested I seek you out. Perhaps we might be able to come to some kind of arrangement? I would not presume to dare ask for assistance in understanding this with nothing to offer in return, Master." Anna said, getting it our rather quick with her words articulate and clear spoken.

[Vick]

“I can...understand wanting to know more of this...What is it you wish of me? Yet while you let me know I want you to wear this.”

Vick said as he pushed the necklace towards her. He knew what it would do as his djed came forth from his soul as his vision changed from what he saw into something that blended into colors as he saw the djed of what was around. He saw just how strong her aura was but for once he did not look long at her but more of his necklace.

He knew deep down what this would do. He had made it and his magic just confirmed that as he waited for her as his magic faded away and the world turned to normal.

“This item is just a taste of what I can do. I know we do not know each other so you have no reason to trust me yet just think of it as a small gift to have a tiny taste. If you like the item you may keep the item out of faith for now.”

It was rare for Vick to be in a good mood. One of his items could sell for a lot of miza if he really wish to sell them for this was made from a master. This item could change anything for the wearer and even then she may not know what it would do but he did not fear for herself.

Yet he knew this item would not kill her or change her much. So for now Vick just smiled at his new guest as he waited. For both answers.

[Annalisa Marin]

As Vick answered and requested she wear the item he had just created, red flags immediately rose in her mind that flared very brightly indeed. The sorceress gazed at the snake necklace warily, making no attempt to hide her rather natural hesitation in placing the item around her neck. It was rather like if she had pushed a rather thick scroll his way and told him to read the lines to Trigger it, without him knowing what magic was contained within. She didn't know if this would kill her or worse, the magic surrounding it was mysterious.

He spoke again, his words giving her reason to muse over her decision for the final answer. Vick was right, they didn't know each other yet and Anna had placed herself as the party that desired something from Vick. He was well within his rights to request something like this, besides he was a Master and he outranked her. Logically speaking it probably wouldn't kill her, after all she had the protection and patronage of the Chief Embalmer. Amaryllis was a rather poor enemy to make, and she was at least somewhat protective of her pawns.

The tall woman carefully grasped the snake bone necklace, picking it up and appraising it much closer. It was a rather frightening thing to look upon, savage really but alluring in its own way. She swallowed visibly, knowing that it was now or never. Anna lifted it over her head and placed it around her neck.

Pain immediately stabbed at her eyes, causing her to cry out in a long scream of agony. She fell away from her chair as it felt like someone was driving white hot pokers into her eyes, stumbling slightly as she clutched at her eyes. The tall woman fell to her knees, curling up on herself and letting out further cries of pain as her eyes were assaulted by change wrought by the necklace. She could feel her eyes shifting, changing in biology and design rather like a morpher's might but far more uncomfortable.

After a further chime of the torment Anna felt the pain begin to fade to a dull throb, before finally vanishing all together. Moisture had gathered around her eyes, but the Sorceress rubbed them clear and opened her eyelids. What she was looking upon was an entirely different world than she had been so familiar with. It looked so very alien and fantastical and suddenly the pain was forgotten as her expression changed to one of amazement.

Her world of clear colors was now one of a spectrum of heat and blurry figures all around her, she held up her own hand to her face and saw how heat pulsated through her body. She would see the quickly cooling places her hands had gripped the chair, residual body heat. Anna shifted her gaze to where Master Vick was and noticed that his outline was rather blurry and blended in well with the cold stone, his corpse state possessing no heat to speak of. This new world was amazing and unbelievable, a whole new way of looking at the world being granted to her by the necklace.

Though Anna could not see it her grey eyes had changed dramatically, with the grey color now dominating the whole of the orbs. A long black slit crossed down the middle where her pupils had existed, giving her eyes the serpent like appearance of a snake. It granted her an almost otherworldly appearance to match her new outlook, an outlook that was simply fascinating to the young sorceress.

Finally after much gawking Anna slowly got to her feet and recovered her chair, her eyes locating it after much searching. The woman seated herself back down in her place, clearing her throat as she gazed in Vick's direction. That had been a rather embarrassing loss of composure, though considering the change wrought upon her eyes that was probably expected for at least the first time. He had said this was a gift? Anna was rather surprised he was just handing it off to a random wizard... but for the moment she chose to simply focus on other matters.

"I-I, this is amazing. Its like seeing the world in an entirely new light, I can see heat and detect traces of it left behind. I thank you for this generous gift, Master Vick." The sorceress said, still a little in shock as she viewed the world around her.

"In any event... going back to the original subject of my visitation, I was hoping to learn more of exactly how Malediction works. As in the theory behind it for the most part. For instance the circles on this artifact, they seem to resemble rudimentary Glyphs though their don't seem to possess the same layout one would expect in a typical sigil layout. What is their purpose then?" Anna asked, blinking a couple of times as she attempted to get used to seeing the world in varying spectra of colors.

[Vick]

“That can take a lifetime to learn plus a price that extends your lifetime.Since you pretty much just asked me to teach you everything behind the craft...yet you are not the first as of late to ask of me this…”

Vick just said as he picked up another bone. This time it was two small snake skulls with the fangs still attached. He took his quill out and slowly started working on a design on the skulls having them mirror each other.

He did not speak as he worked along his new works of art. Circles upon circles laid along each other. It was simple work for him but he knew the circles were still not perfect in all his years. If one that had skill in art would see that it was uneven in parts while darker in some areas than others. Yet no one could doubt his magical skill as he worked along the bones as he knew what he wanted to do with them.


“Do you have a weapon on you? If so give it up along with some of your hair.”

If she said anything he did not listen to her. He did not have the time or energy to listen to her as he saw a dagger with a crossguard along the hilt of it upon his desk.

Vick said at last as he kept working on the work inside the circles. It was not words this time but a picture along the surface of the skulls. It was poison dripping off of the tip of a dagger. He was not really taking his time with it as he knew what he wanted. It was a simple goal to infuse the dagger with snakes poison so it would always be lace with it.

If Anna did give up her hair he would tie it on the crossguard and looping it through the skulls of the snakes on both sides so it would hang on both ends. If she did not he would use normal string but he would rather have the hair from her.

He would wait for the ink to dry before cutting his finger and forcing his djed into the bones to awaken the magic. Afterwards he would give it to Anna.

“Test it on yourself. A simple cut I am sure won’t kill you. Yet if it works that dagger will have some type of poison when you use it. If it does not I will break the magic and re work it until I have what I want from it before I carve into the bones.”

Vick said as he waited for Anna to do anything. Either way the magic was done and it would show just another aspect of his craft.

[Annalisa Marin]

Anna frowned slightly as he mentioned the craft taking much time to learn, though in her opinion he was underestimating her ability in the matters of the arcane. She had done what had taken these Nuit decades and centuries in mere months and years, her power being considerable and her hunger for arcane knowledge nearly equal to that. Of course, that hunger had a purpose, it was all to make herself a more able and powerful servant to her one true and only master. Rhysol, the Defiler himself and he who had placed his blood upon her flesh as a brand to claim her as being his. She needed to improve for him, to become more than the majority of mortals that served him.

Lifetimes? On Sahova she had all the time in the world to research and craft, to reduce that lifetime of learning into the span of months and years as due to one of her prodigal talent. The Sorceress knew that this Zapatl would be no different than Glyphing or Voiding or Reimancy in terms of her ability to learn and absorb the necessary information. Anna knew she had both the talent and the drive; she just needed the knowledge to allow her to do all of this. Again she held a hand to her face, admiring the heat pulsating through her body in this new vision this necklace granted her.

Slitted grey eyes fell upon the Master as he moved; his form slightly concealed and made to look no different than the cold stone or walls due to his corpse like nature. Carefully the tall woman grasped the necklace, part of her not wanting to remove it and whispering in her mind that she should just keep it around her neck. However as great as this world of splashing reds, yellows, and blues was it was also quite blurry all things considered and made for poor actual seeing. So it was that Anna removed it almost reluctantly from her person in order to look upon Vick in a normal light.

She hissed lightly as her eyes stung slightly, closing them though it was far from the stabbing pain of the initial shifting of her eyes. A chime later and the stinging left her eyes as tears leaked from her eyes, which fluttered open to look upon the world as she knew it to be. A sigh escaped her lips as she placed the necklace down carefully and observed the child Nuit as he worked, noting the strange patterns of the circles once more. They were similar to the circles upon her new grizzly accessory, so obviously they were needed in the Malediction process.

She rubbed her eyes, focusing them in on Vick’s work and watching carefully as he drew the circles on the two snake skulls. Anna was unable to discern a pattern to them, as her eyes were untrained to the arts of Malediction however she felt she was getting the idea based on observing it. She didn’t quite understand how or why it worked the way it did, however the end result was obviously something truly powerful if her new necklace was anything to go by.

Anna quirked an eyebrow at the Maledictor’s request for a weapon, the sorceress had her dagger within the folds of her robes as an extra line of defense. Red flags also rose as the request for some of her hair, as she had no idea what the Maledictor was planning to do with the strands or the effect it could have. This was new territory for the young sorceress, unknown in terms of what something could do to affect her negatively or not. As such she was highly wary of simply giving up strands of her hair.

“My hair? Why would you need my hair, Master Vick? Certainly string could suffice just as well. Less of a hassle as well.” The tall woman inquired as she removed her dagger and gave it over to Vick.

The tall woman narrowed her eyes in thought for a chime, staring at the Nuit as though trying to figure out his angle in the odd request. In the end the sorceress let out an irritated sigh, knowing full well that the Nuit was well within his rights to request such a thing. She had come to him seeking knowledge and he was showing her the process again, though not exactly explaining it. In the end she also rather owed him for the necklace, so it was unwise to spit in the face of that generosity. As such the tall woman relented, reaching a hand up to work at her high ponytail.

Her long dark hair spilled freely down her head, it length easily stretching past her upper back and possessing a thick quality about it. Anna grasped at a few strand on the side of her head and stretched them out as she tugged lightly at the tapestry of her Djed, plucking at the strands deep within her. This accomplished the tall woman willed the energy to push outwards from her body, specifically in her mouth. Mixed in with the saliva dripping from the roof of her mouth was a purple translucent substance that possessed no taste to Anna.

Once she had a relatively insignificant amount gathered the tall woman opened her mouth slightly, a tiny purple bead escaping her lips and moving outwards. She moved it to the side and angled it properly with the strands she held out, willing the res to flatten out into a tiny disk like form. She split it into two layers, a thick inner one and an outer one and willed the outer one to liquefy while cooling it simultaneously. This done she willed the tiny disk of ice to shear off the strands of her hair, the task barely having registered as an action. To her it was no more stressful than blinking or breathing.

She handed Vick the strands of her hair somewhat reluctantly and watched as he continued his work, tying off the skulls on the cross guard of her dagger with the black hair. She had noted the picture he had drawn on the skulls as well, poison dripping from a dagger’s blade. Was he creating a dagger with the poison of a snake? Was the picture a necessary part of the Malediction process as well? Anna noted it down just in case, figuring that it would be best to note this step rather than write it off as unimportant.

Finally the Master pricked his finger and placed it upon the skulls, much like he had with the necklace he had given her. So from what she could see of the process, it was to place circles upon an item, create a depiction of what one wanted the item to be, and then to finish it with one’s own blood or ichor. It seemed simple enough in theory; however the sorceress assumed that it was in actuality much more difficult to practice.

He then presented her with her new dagger, commanding her to test its new effects on herself of all people and that caused her grey eyes to widen by a fraction. Surely he was joking, he wanted her to test out this dagger on herself and see if it poisoned her own not? Weren’t there slaves he could test that on, rather than a fellow wizard? Still, he appeared very serious in his request so the tall woman stared at the dagger for a good long while before grasping it in her hands.

“You are certain this won’t kill me then I assume? I rather like living, Master Vick, a terrible habit I know but it’s rather one I’d prefer to keep.” The sorceress asked, looking for final confirmation.

The price for power she assumed was her own suffering and that was most certainly the case in this instance. Perhaps the strands of her hair marked her as being its master and thus she was not able to be poisoned by its properties? Or perhaps it meant it would work its magic only against her, and was thus only useful as a tool against her? Just the possibilities were enough to frighten the tall woman, however she recognized that there was only one way to find out what the addition of her hair meant to the thing. That was why Vick had asked for the strands, to give it some extra effect specific to her. Anna prayed to Rhysol that it was protection from the poison.

She lightly pricked her left index finger with the blade, much like she would when preparing to use a summoning circle. This accomplished she drew the blade away and half expected to start shriveling up on the floor, dying from whatever poison released by the blade. However she felt no different, thus her gaze returned to Vick at the tall woman quirked and eyebrow at him.

“I don’t feel anything, was the poison supposed to be fast acting? How will we know if it worked or not?” The tall woman inquired.

[Shai]

However hopeless the situation appears to be There yet always exists the possibility of putting up a stubborn resistance Annalisa : Negotiation 1 Observation 2 Becoming a Test Subject Malediction: AKA Legacy Seeing Through a Snake's Eyes See 'check' for note on items Vick : Auristics 1 Malediction 2 Observation 1 Making a Sphere from Bones See 'check' for note on items Check : If there are any concerns with my grading please feel free to toss me a PM. I am more than happy to explain my reasons or reevaluate them if you feel I've been unfair. Items: Vick please pm the item information to Mirage and he will add them into the grade.