Solo Break the Dam

Sometimes you just need to leave the city and let loose.

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Considered one of the most mysterious cities in Mizahar, Alvadas is called The City of Illusions. It is the home of Ionu and the notorious Inverted. This city sits on one of the main crossroads through The Region of Kalea.

Break the Dam

Postby Roland Eir on November 1st, 2017, 6:40 am

36th of Fall, 517

This is far enough. The Gaping Maw was ten minutes back. Probably. Roland still wasn't clear just how far the illusions of the city extended, and here outside the wall he wouldn't be surprised if the great stone visage itself changed positions. A puff of steam blew from his lips in the cool air. The days were getting colder here. The walk through the city--longer than he'd expected, but that was Alvadas for you--and then the quick hike off the road had warmed up his rested muscles. Spreading his legs and leaning to one side, Roland began a quick series of stretches.

Alvadas. The wall rose over him only a few meters away. He'd been inside those walls for more than a month now. The city and its citizens continued to confound him. To his foreign eyes the city was steeped in magic: illusion was the lifeblood of the city, pouring down every street and into every home and business. Only that morning he'd been awoken by his pillow pulling out from under his head and floating away. To an Alvad dealing with that kind of thing was as natural as breathing. Which was fine; by now even Roland was more fascinated than terrified by the daily strangeness.

Shaking off the stretches, Roland put Alvadas on his right side and began to run. His shoes pressed into the soft soil and pushed him on at a pleasant pace. Not too fast, just a light jog to start.

Now, it wasn't the magic that bothered him about Alvadas. It was the lack of it. Illusion was fine, harmless tricks put on by their god to bring variety and joy to their lives. But Reimancy? Morphing? No, that was going too far. Gods forbid a man practice a few harmless feats of power. (Roland's arms began to pump a little harder, picking up the pace as he stepped around a tree in his path.) They were dangerous. Roland knew that. But he'd been hoping he could find someone to learn from here. It was part of the reason he had come to Alvadas in the first place. He'd been wrong. There were no open practitioners of magic within the city. Which was of course why he wasn't in the city right now.

Power bubbled in Roland's core. It flowed and twisted down through his torso to his legs. It pulled at his muscles and bones. Then it ricocheted back up into his arms, his head, his core again. Roland struggled to contain it in ways he'd never managed before: to isolate this power in one point and keep it there. The earth gave way under his feet, sending up little sprays of soil behind as his toes dug into the dirt. Limit the flow. Shape it. Briefly his eyes clamped shut. In his mind he saw a rushing river sending its cargo tumbling to his limbs. One by one, he imagined the rapids slowing to a stream, a trickle, and then shutting off completely.

His mouth curled into a tight grin of satisfaction as he felt the energy quiet and focus itself. It still roiled and kicked at its barriers, but the energy was forced, squeezed, and funneled down to his legs. Flicking open his eyes, Roland saw the oncoming tree with just enough time to throw himself to the side. The surge of energy threatened to undo his work, but the dam stayed stable. A laugh escaped his mouth. The tree shrank behind him. He'd experienced highs in his life, but nothing would ever approach this feeling!
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Roland Eir
The Reluctant Thief
 
Posts: 130
Words: 125891
Joined roleplay: April 30th, 2013, 5:43 am
Race: Human
Character sheet
Medals: 2
Featured Thread (1) Alvadas Seasonal Challenge (1)

Break the Dam

Postby Roland Eir on November 4th, 2017, 3:27 am

How far could I go? The question snaked its way into his thoughts out of no where. It had only been thirty seconds but the clearing he'd started from was now far behind. So how far could he go? At this pace, he could hit a corner any minute now, he was sure of it. A corner in the wall and then around he would turn back. But if he went faster? He imagined himself flying around the whole perimeter of the wall. A smile grew on his face. The dam holding back the flow of djed weakened and his legs dug even deeper into the earth below his feet.

Reveling in the power he felt, he leaped into the air. The jump carried him almost 20 feet forward. On impact he stumbled. At a regular speed catching himself would have been easy. Flush with djed it was easier. He tripped and somersaulted on the ground, but using his momentum he pushed off the ground with all his body and returned to his feet. Adrenaline clogged his mind and he howled with exhilaration. Break the dam! It would be amazing! If this was what he could do while limiting himself, he couldn't even imagine what would happen if he let loose!

But a small voice at the back of his head reminded him: he could die. His book was clear. He could die. He would die. Break the dam. A pit formed in his stomach as he faltered, his running slowing back down. His focus wavered and the djed did too, coiling back into his core. No, not yet.

Roland had no concept of how long he'd been running, and no idea how far back the road lay. Gritting his teeth, he turned on his heels. Digging back into his soul he pulled on that thread of energy, slowly tying it back into the muscles of his body. Bit by bit the stream of energy re-solidified. Suddenly very careful about the strain he put on himself, he started the trek back.

The forest seemed much denser now, and he found himself dodging around and under tree branches he didn't remember seeing the last time. His feet were tangled up in undergrowth. He kicked through ferns and creepers, and hopped over roots. Was I blind before? he wondered, following his own trail back. The green light that filtered through the trees dimmed as clouds rolled over the sun, but it was easy to see where he had come from. The soil was torn up and branches were twisted out of his path. At one point he jumped over a log whose bark was crushed by a boot-print.

It was amazing. And unsettling.

Word Count: 468
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Roland Eir
The Reluctant Thief
 
Posts: 130
Words: 125891
Joined roleplay: April 30th, 2013, 5:43 am
Race: Human
Character sheet
Medals: 2
Featured Thread (1) Alvadas Seasonal Challenge (1)

Break the Dam

Postby Roland Eir on November 4th, 2017, 1:24 pm

Chimes went by. Still there was no sign he was any closer to the road than he'd been before. Roland was beginning to worry. The walls of Alvadas, now on his left, were weathered smooth with age and revealed no clues of distance. The clouds overhead brought a chill wind with them, but his body was warm. The energy boiling inside him saw to that. Puffs of condensation trailed in the air behind him as he ran, hovering like ghosts over his footprints.

Inside, his core began to burn. His legs were preemptively sore. He pumped his arms a little harder, tugging gently at the energy inside to release a little more. It was dangerous to push himself, but he didn't want to be caught out in the forest when the Flux ran out. From experience, he knew that he was in for a miserable time. He couldn't remember a time when he'd used Flux that he hadn't ended up in pain for the rest of the day, at least. But it was hard to resist and he knew, he just knew, that practice would make perfect.

As he tired, his grip on the magic loosened. The focused energy in his legs and core filtered into the rest of his body. He felt the muscles in his fingers, his neck, even his mouth tighten and relax as the magic passed through them. It was the mark of a novice Flux user: with little control, the enhancements would randomly affect extraneous muscle groups.

In this case, however, the extra rush dulled some of the pain in his body. It meant he could go a little longer. And so he plodded along, retracing his footsteps in the dim mid-morning light. Between the leaves he could see the clouds thicken and darken.

The energy in his body was reflected in the skies above. There was a distant rumble as the first drop plopped on his forehead. Shyke. A flash of light followed soon after. Where was that road? His chest was beginning to heave.I could push a little harder. Pull just a little more. What harm could it do? It would get me back to the road quicker. That would be good, right? That would be worth it. He shook off the thoughts, clinging to the little voice that told him no.

Restraint. Restraint would get him home.

As the rain began in earnest, he began to rein in his magic. The extra force to his steps wouldn't help him if the ground was getting wet. Instead, he concentrated on quieting the Flux to a little buzz throughout his body. Just enough to keep him going. He continued in this way for a few chimes more before his limbs started to feel numb.

The road should be here. Somewhere. Ionu be merciful! Let me find your gate! Rainwater mixed with sweat, pouting down his face and back. He reached up a hand mid-stride, slicking his long hair back and out of his eyes. Thunder roared once more, significantly closer, and the air smelled richly of ozone. Lightning struck the ground only a dozen meters ahead of him. Roland threw his hands up in front of his eyes, blinded by the sudden flash. His feet slid to a sudden stop. Chest heaving, muscles burning, he nearly fell to his knees.

But there ahead, where the lightning had flashed, was the road. "I don't believe it... There was no sign of the strike as he neared. No seared earth. Just the road, and the rain, and the gaping maw.

Forcing his legs to carry him just a little bit farther, Roland jogged up the road and under the cover of the great stone teeth. When he first arrived he never would have imagined feeling [i]safe[/i[ within the jaws of the massive stone visage. But now, like it or not, it meant home. The tunnel ran the depth of the wall. He trudged along, rubbing his sore limbs. Echoes of dripping water rang out from the cobblestones below him.

Finally, he stepped out onto the streets of Alvadas. His jaw dropped in disbelief. The sun hung cheerfully in the sky, bathing the city in its warm glow. The people went about their business in cotton skirts and light jackets. One man was even without a shirt entirely. For the most part they ignored the dazed and soaking Roland. They were used to the effects Ionu's tricks could have. Roland was not.

Groaning, he began to walk, ringing out his clothes as he went. Obviously, Ionu's reach extended outside his city. If that was so, did it mean the illusive god of tricks disapproved of his practice? He knew the people disliked magic. It made him uncomfortable indeed to think he might have earned the ire of a god today.

His aching muscles reminded him he had other concerns. Even walking right now was a chore, and he did not look forward to how much longer he still had to go. The Newcomer's Tonic he'd been forced to take had worn of days ago, but he had a decent handle on how things worked now. In his mind, he pictured where he needed to go: home, to a good meal and a warm bed. And with that in mind he picked a street, gritted his teeth, and started walking.

Word Count: 909
User avatar
Roland Eir
The Reluctant Thief
 
Posts: 130
Words: 125891
Joined roleplay: April 30th, 2013, 5:43 am
Race: Human
Character sheet
Medals: 2
Featured Thread (1) Alvadas Seasonal Challenge (1)

Break the Dam

Postby Maro on November 17th, 2017, 3:54 am

Image
Roland


Skills

+Acrobatics +3
+Endurance +2
+Flux +3
+Logic +2
+Meditation +1
+Observation +2
+Running +3







Lores

-Learning how far Alvadas' illusions extend
-Flux: Recognizing and locating the power
-Flux: Giving the power direction and focus
-Not controlling FLux can kill you
-Once tired, Flux affects random muscles
-Restraint is often the more reasonable option
-Pain and sore muscles: The aftermath of Flux

Notes :
Even though it was just a training thread, I found it quite fun.
I like the real struggle Roland has with trying to avoid overgiving due to the power he feels that Flux gives him. And though, it was just a man running through the woods, it was well done. Please make sure to edit your request to 'graded' in the queue. I will always feel new to grading, so if you feel I've missed something or would like lore rephrased, just let me know via PM.
Maro
Player
 
Posts: 176
Words: 179660
Joined roleplay: August 11th, 2014, 1:56 pm
Race: Kelvic
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