[Tarsin's Boarding House]A Party For Dinner[Main]

by **Clyde Sullins** on December 23rd, 2017, 8:39 pm

OOC: Please read :

4 Winter 517(Mid-Sunset)

Clyde sat in a chair facing away from the balcony, waiting for people to arrive. It was still somewhat early, he didn't expect people to begin showing up for a bell or so, likely trickling in over the next few bells after that. Behind him the sun was beginning to set, not quite down enough to start giving the sky odd colors and such, but far enough down that it could be called setting.

It was a nice enough table, a rectangular shape with five chairs on each side, five facing out to the balcony and canal, five facing inward into the building.

Off to the side a female harpist was setting up, occasionally plucking and making a sound as she prepared. Two male servers from the Malt House came in and out, preparing the room and food. The first course was a vegetable dish, salad and other greens and plants with a heavy focus on the namesake plant of the Lily pad farms. There was also a choice between Green or Wild Mint Tea, or pure water taken from Lake Ravok.

The men silently set up in preparation of the first course and the nights event, heading out of the room intermittently to make ready for other courses, waiting until someone was seated to bring out their food and choice of drink.

Clyde waited, sipping at some Mint Tea and munching on greens, watching for people to enter as an intimidating first gaze. He wore his nicer clothing, dark velvet with silk robes, and as always Cha gripped in his hand.

Sitting at the center of the table was a pair of items, almost like a centerpiece, a Glyphed Earthen Cube, and a set of Glyphed Djed Shackles, the key in one of Clyde's pocket.

The cube was anti-magic in one form, any magic cast on it would go around it and be unable to touch it as if it didn't exist, while the other was anti-magic in that someone wearing them wouldn't be able to use personal magic.

Both were the works of a master Glypher, recognizable to any Glypher at a glance as complex works of the particular magic, though perhaps not in their specific capacity to any but another similarly skilled Glypher due to said complexity.

by **Elias Caldera** on December 24th, 2017, 9:39 pm

Tarsin’s.

He hated coming back to this place. Too many bitter memories, too many old wounds yet to heal, and worst of all, too many damn Tarsins.

It must have been the same for many others as well, he imagined. Every wretch and lost soul wandering their way into Rhysol’s hallowed city would eventually wash up here sooner or later, either desperate for shelter or simply too ignorant to go seek it elsewhere. Being the most ‘welcoming’ boarding house in Ravok made it the most popular with those who weren’t so popular themselves. Naturally, it had become a hotbed of foreign invaders and unscrupulous tourists, which in turn made Tarsin’s the focus of almost every eye in the Ebonstryfe and Black Sun at one point or another. If you were looking for someone, you started here, on these very doorsteps. That was just way it had always been.

A truth that shamed the soldier to no end as he turned to smile at his companion that night.

Somehow, from beneath all the soot and sweat she was usually so fond of cloaking herself in as she toiled away before the flames of her forge, Alija had somehow managed to emerge an image of stunning elegance in preparation for tonight’s events. Though too humble to ever admit it herself, she was a sight to behold when she wanted to be, a fact that had a habit of catching him off guard whenever she decided to remind the world there was a true woman behind that hammer she wielded. He on the other hand, had tried his very best to outfit himself in what he considered some new finery for the dinner, and in the end had only barely managed to convince himself he didn’t look the fool for his final choice of formal ware. Truth be told, it wouldn't have mattered what he wore. Anything to escape the confines of his armor these days, he reminded himself.

Too many patrols and missions away from home, too much time spent with the need for steel and leather to separate him from death’s sudden embrace. Tonight was meant to be a reprieve, something simple and lax for once, and it was both for Elias and his cousin’s sake. He’d been the one to convince her to join him in Ravok, promising her a better life in Rhysol’s holy sanctuary upon the lake, yet still he had yet to show her the wonders her new home could offer other than a benign sense of safety. Even the petching home he had assured her would be waiting for her and Kial upon their arrival was still incomplete in its renovations. ‘Soon’ he muttered like each time before, ‘it will be done soon, I promise.’ The same bullshyke lie, hurriedly blurted out of guilt like a personal greeting between them now. It was the reason for his shame when he looked at her. The fact that his own blood was forced to stay here, at Tarsin’s of all places.

He had to get her out of here, regardless of the airs she may have put on for his sake, but work upon the old manor’s restoration was going slowly, and there was often little he could do to amend that. Things there were… complicated to say the least, and the least he said about it the better.

With an inward sigh, the mage pushed aside all distractions and reminded himself why he was here. Not to brood and agonize, but to unwind and socialize. It may have been a den of mages waiting up there for him, but even mages could set aside their constant scheming and madness every once in a while to enjoy a night out, right?

...Right?

“You feel that?” Elias asked, tapping a finger to his nose before taking a quick gander skywards. “Our host, I think. On the balcony above.” The magic was intense and unbridled, and no doubt his cousin had picked up upon it already without trying, her natural skill in the art of auristics stronger even than his. “Best not keep him waiting, I suppose. Shall we?” He said, offering a hand to his Zeltivan companion before the two would make their way up to the party.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Sullins.”

The doors had opened, revealing the quaint spectacle prepared upon the inn’s piazzo, and to his surprise, Commander Clyde Sullins of the Ebonstryfe sitting in the middle of it all. He thought the aura a familiar one, but he hadn’t quite placed it until he laid eyes on the lanky mage it belonged to. Honestly, he shouldn’t have been surprised. Sullins was a prominent enough name among the arcane inclined of Ravok, to find him here, amidst a celebration of magic itself was no shock once he stopped to think about it.

“Its been a while, sir.” The man was no stranger to him, nor was he a friend however, and as such military instinct took hold and the Stryfer saluted his superior. As he did so, blue eyes fluttered over to the items sitting upon the table for a brief moment, his curiosity piqued by the odd assortment of objects to say the least. “The expedition north was a trying one. I’m glad to see you made it back in one piece.” Like a fire stoked by a flame, his suspicions began to flare. If he was the one to set up this little shin dig, he must have some ulterior motive. What is he hoping to accomplish? Is he trying to- no... stop. Remember, unwind and socialize. The plots and the conspiracies will still be there, waiting for you in the morning. Tonight, lets try something new for a change.

Clearing his throat and his thoughts, Elias gestured to his company with an apologetic smile. "Forgive me, allow me to introduce my cousin, Alija Piper. A more talented master of metal you will not find in this city or any other, I assure you."

ReceiptNew Clothes [-10 GM]

by **Alija** on December 25th, 2017, 12:00 am

The dress hung loosely off her body, flowing around her as she walked. To protect against the slight bad weather, a fur-lined cape, cut off above her elbows, covered her shoulders, but it was the sort of thing she would discard as soon as they arrived to reveal her bare shoulders and well-worked arms. It was finery and could only be matched with finery. Gold hung at her wrist - she only knew the fine bracelet as Pulren's gift - and decorated her finger - the blue stone that topped the golden ring wasn't the most interesting part of it. There was magic clinging to her, and not just in what she did, but in what she wore: it was magecrafted; not her own work, but finely done. She wasn't certain why she had worn it.

Other than the clothing she had bought, there was little else elegant about her. Her hair fell across her back in the same waves it always did, her face was unblemished other than the lightest touches of make-up. In her simple mind, she was barely beautiful, simply a woman who had money to show.

She clung close to her cousin's side. Dressed in his own finery, that was less elegant and more militant in its nature, he was impressive - and if she hadn't known him, she would have been terrified.

But she knew him, and let herself be reassured by the might in the man beside her.

As he spoke what she already knew, she wrapped her arm around his, taking his invitation of a hand further. The electric in the air was palpable - even without focusing her auristics, it wasn't hard for her to pick up this basic aura meaning. Their host had power and far more magic than she had expected to find in a place that wasn't Sahova.

---

She let Elias speak as the man was revealed to them. The magic was far stronger here and he wasn't the only source. There was a staff in his hand, one she so distinctly remembered. A staff full of magic.

As her cousin greeted the man, she let her attention wander, searching the room for anything that might be a trap or deceive them.

The waiters were busy with their work, and exhibited no signs of magic. Neither did the harpist, who still wasn't quite ready but made beautiful music anyway. The entire place was covered in greenery of the edible source. Alija let her eyes relax and the colours of auras swiftly come to mind, inhaling deeply as she tried to sense anything that might cling to the food and drink offered. If there was poison, there was no scent to them, not to the aura at the very least.

There was a cube on the table. But as she attempted to study it, she found herself unable to. Every other aura was heightened to obscure that one, or direct her attention away. Even as she struggled, she couldn't focus. Her attention kept shifting and despite her best intentions, she could end up slipping and using her magic on their host.

She had already learnt her lesson with that one. Alija was careful to keep her gaze away from him.

Elias coughed and her turned her attention back to normal sight, pulling herself a little closer to her cousin as she smiled politely towards the host. There were flatteries following an introduction, and the woman blushed shyly, tilting her head away. Despite the elegance of her outfit, she had none of the confidence to complete it.

"He..." Alija shook her head, trying to shift the compliment, "He's only exaggerating. Although I believe we've already met?" She let Sullins guide the conversation, wishing she could remember his first name rather than simply recalling how Elias had greeted him.

Quickly, she nodded to the staff. "I remember Cha, do I not?" Anyway... thank you for the- for having us."

There had been no invitation. She had almost forgotten about the strange background to this event. No matter how it went, she just had to be careful.

spoiler :

by **Clyde Sullins** on December 27th, 2017, 1:07 am

While Clyde munched away on his sampling of the first course he examined the view before him. He was pretty sure the next one was a fish dish, but for now only the first course was out and only for himself as it wasn't clear how many would end up coming and when. The servers were waiting to take any newcomers drink orders and bring out their food and drink, though they still moved about preparing different things and leaving the room to make sure the other courses were on track and ready when needed.

He could have cloaked his aura or Cha's, or done something else in preparation, but this was a dinner and assaulting someone auristically seemed likely to not be the actions of a good host... He'd save that for later, if needed.

Instead he continued to slowly chew, pondering what type of fish might be in the next dish, when he noticed his salad was gone. He'd not noticed he'd finished, and had gone to get another bit before he'd realized. He took another sip of tea and stroked his hand down the edge of Cha. As he did he felt a slight buzz upon the air, humming up Cha's flesh. Soon after he noticed the approach of two people not the servers.

More by instinct than direct intent he loosed a pair of tendrils of aura sight, sending them to latch onto the peripheries of the auras approaching. He saw their aura at about the same time as their physical form, connecting the mundane sight to what he could see magically. Unlike other lesser aurists his Aura touch was subtle, and none but another master Aurist was likely to notice. However he almost needn't have bothered, as both Aura's and faces were familiar as mages Clyde had met before.

He didn't recall either ones name, but recalled their faces and when he'd met them. He wasn't surprised by the respectful tone and words of the one male, though his eyes were more focused on the female with him. He broke his gaze from her eyes and back to the man as it became clear he was the one speaking and introducing them. He did however roll his eyes, returning his gaze for a moment to the woman as the man saluted him. He didn't bother to salute back, seeing as he wasn't on duty nor in uniform and was seated at a table eating. He assumed the man was in the Ebonstyfe as well, and by the salute lower ranking, though couldn't recall if he'd been when they'd last met.

“It has. Though neither of us is on duty, so there is no need for such formalities.”

He was interested to hear that the woman he'd met on Sahova was related to this man, also a magic user. And to hear her name, which he'd forgotten. Alija. For a moment Clyde's mind returned to his own cousin who he'd not seen in a long time, who he'd also first met on Sahova.

“Yes, you were the Reimancer... If you can call it that... Who went on the expedition to form the NRO. I think there was some discussion of you possibly becoming my apprentice, and when I left the beginnings of the outpost to go to Sahova I never saw you again... Until now. I suppose that didn't work out then. And what have you been doing since?”

Clyde's words to the man were spoken as more of an offhand comment, akin to someone reporting the contents of a sack filled with different colored marbles, and with about as much interest and emotion.

As he finished his comment he once more met the woman's eyes, gesturing at the chairs across from him and facing the balcony. It was about then he noticed the woman was wearing a dress, far different from the apparel he'd last seen her in.

Clyde was more interested in her face and eyes, the information such could give in talking, than in what dress she wore. He still noted it with some off side of his mind, but with a rather narrow bit of his attention.

“Come, sit. Tell the servers your drink choice, and they'll bring out your first course.”

“And yes, we have already met, when that thing fell from the sky. On Sahova. You were the Aurist, half decent if I recall. Some promise there, though still needing some work. How did you end up in Ravok?”

Gesturing with a hand Clyde brought the servers back, pointing at the two new people.

“I'll take a second plate, and they'll need some food.”

Pausing for a moment Clyde gave the two time to order, sit, and respond, before pointing at the two objects on the table.

“A couple pieces of my work, from awhile back. I thought they'd be a good talking point.”

by **Elias Caldera** on December 30th, 2017, 6:57 am

The Caldera could feel a familiar twitching in his eye, a trembling in his lip. It took a concentrated effort to settle both with any dignity, though he feared his cousin might have notice the manner in which his grip upon her hand had tensed and tightened in the process. He released his loving hold with a gentle and reassuring pat, just in case.

It begins immediately then. So be it.

To say the sorcerer was accustomed to ridicule at the hands of his brothers and sisters within the Stryfe would be an almost comical understatement. He’d been fighting against his own kind more so than he had the enemy ever since Rhysol’s mercy had seen him returned to the ranks. That said, the manner in which the commander had so indifferently delivered the back of his proverbial hand across the mage’s cheek was something new and altogether unexpected. Oftentimes he’d have to suffer through the screaming and long-winded tirades of his superiors, or on more frequent occasion, a literal hand across his face, if not worse. Sullins was hardly the first, but still, this latest means of assault would require some getting used to none the less. Adapt or die. It applied to more than just the battlefield, which wasn’t to say that for a man like Elias, the day to day in Ravok wasn’t its own kind of battlefield in a way.

With a breath, he pacified his irritation and determined himself to move on. Though, there was something the man had said that had caught his attention more so than his catty slight against his arcane ability. Apprentice? What nonsense was this? Samara Alenta was the only one of any credible rank during the expedition, which meant any ‘talk’ would have been something done with her, or at least in her presence. Stationed at the rear as he had been during the trip north, he had never even had a chance to meet the woman, let alone make a lasting impression. The idea that anyone was determining things like an apprenticeship, and without his knowledge of it, was as upsetting as it was worrisome.

“Assignment.” The Ravokian eventually answered, noting the lack of a salute. Truth be told, his mind was still wracked by the offhanded comment earlier, though his distraction didn’t seem to matter all that much either way. The officer seemed far more interested in Alija than he did any small talk with the reimancer, just another early point of contention between them, or at least it would have been had they not revealed that the two were already acquainted. A fact that had stymied his natural reaction, which given circumstances, was probably for the best. “The outpost is a quaint experiment, but duty called me to more pressing matters elsewhere.” He finished, pulling a chair free and offering Alija a seat if she was so inclined. He would remain standing for the time being however, allowing the two a moment to catch up without his interference. If he felt his kin required rescuing from the conversation, of course he’d gladly intervene, but as Sullins seemed to be more her friend than his, he was willing to not only remain patiently on the sidelines while the two caught up, but even tolerate far more than usual from their strange host than he was accustomed to, for her sake.

Once a he felt a lull in the chat, he’d throw in a query he’d had since the name had come up. “Sahova.” He began, pacing over to the balcony’s edge to peer over the side and out across the cityscape. “Since you two have been there before, perhaps you can enlighten me, because I fear I must be missing something. What is it about island full of walking corpses that acts as such a lure for mages and the like?” He'd seen nuits before, killed a few in fact, and every time the experience had been more grotesque and disconcerting than the last. He couldn't comprehend why anyone would willingly subject themselves to the company of corpses, especially ones so hellbound to such narcissism and self preservation at any cost. It boggled the mind, but Alija wasn't insane, at least that he knew of, so that explanation for why she had gone had been ruled out for the time being, but it still left the question very much unanswered.

“Wine.” He barked at the waiter after a while as he made his way over to where the two strange trinkets lay sitting on the table. “Or ale if you have it.” He turned apologetically to his cousin after that, “Alija, my apologies, but my intentions are to get thoroughly shyke-faced tonight. I hope you don’t mind being the designated ravosala driver, do you?” His jesting smile faltered a bit as one of the service staff leaned in close and whispered something in his ear. By the time the man had pulled away and returned to his station, Elias’s eyes had gone blank and distant, his expression hollow and as empty as one of the dead they'd just been discussing. Slowly, eerily, he turned his attention to their host, a sudden and very dangerous air surrounding him as his lips worked to find the right words.

“They tell me… there’s no alcohol here.”

An accusation, not a question.

by **Alija** on January 21st, 2018, 10:17 pm

Clyde's interests lay with her - she could tell. It didn't even take auristics to for Alija to notice how his gaze stayed with her, shifting only slightly when Elias spoke. She wasn't used to this sort of attention. Not from a stranger, especially. And a powerful mage, at that. It didn't take much to put Alija on edge, and this definitely did so. Where she tried to relax, she couldn't, aware that people here were watching her and judging every movement. She was here to represent herself. And that meant making the best impression she could.

She took the seat that was offered to her and tried to keep her face steady.

She failed. The nervousness rippled through her shaky hands as she took the salad presented to her by a server, through the way she avoided that gaze, his eyes as bright as a summer's day, through the awkward way at which she bit her lip, picking the dry skin until she could almost taste blood.

He had called her half-decent. Needing work. Alija wished she could refute that claim but her skill was still in practice and it was true. At least she could answer the second part without feeling inadequate. "Sahova was not a place for me. Too much dead, not enough living." She needed the living. Both certain individuals, that needed her as well, but also just the strangers who had heartbeats. "I learnt enough to be happy with coming back."

She had learnt nothing. But she couldn't have stayed a moment longer. "Cousin, Sahova is full of magic. That's enough to lure any mage, surely? But, from seeing us here - not enough to make them stay?"

Clyde attempted to bring the conversation around to the objects on the table, the shackles and the cube. His statement was interrupted by Elias, who was suddenly accusing him. Of a lack of alcohol, of all things. Her hand shot out to rest on his, sensing the sudden air of ferocity that had hit him. She hadn't realised how close her cousin was to the drink. Reared on a choice between kelp beer and tea, she herself had mostly had the latter. But this reaction - she wasn't certain she liked it.

"We'll both have some tea. Whatever you have," she said quickly to the server, trying to steer Elias' focus away from that, "Um, the things there. The cube - what is it? What can it do? I tried - forgive me if it was rude - to look but my auristics isn't good enough." The cube was the most interesting thing, for two reasons. The first was the strange way its aura seemed to deflect, or not exist. The second was the simplicity. What use could someone have with a cube? At least the shackles made sense - she assumed they were imbued with some sort of magic that made them better at what they were for, but they were shackles all the same.

"Good iron. Welding's not bad either." She tentatively reached out towards the shackles, judging them deeply. She could do a much better job, she just knew it. Not that she had made shackles before, really. Even with this being good craftsmanship, she felt like she had to find some flaws. "It'll rust too easily, though."

As if she really knew what she was talking about. Still, it was closer to her knowledge than strange magical cubes. And it made her feel more comfortable, talking about metal. Until Clyde had something to say about that cube, of course.

by **Andral Mydrafi** on January 26th, 2018, 9:57 am

Q

Right place, wrong time.

Q

Oookay Andral.

You just got to go in there, make a good first impression, and try and make friends.
This is a mage dinner. And most mages tend to hold a high position in society.
This meant that, if Andral played his cards right, he could potentially make some very powerful friends.
Let's look at the kinds of people he could expect: People with a prominent status in society. People who had plenty of experience in the magical field, experience Andral could use. People who were constantly being going for journeys and adventures, quests to find treasure and the like.
People who had alot of knowledge for the kind of life Andral needed to live.
Being rich, famous and adventerous, instead of a introverted poor nobody, who had little to no experience in anything aside from his herbalism and his magic.

Ugghhh.
Why was he doing this again?
I mean, why was Andral Mydrafi, the most recluse among recluses, decide to enter a dinner full of very powerful, and possibly highly important individuals?
Speaking to normal people was risky enough, but when that person is capable of blasting you to shreds or turning you into ants or something, the risk becomes slightly more....suicidal.

Okay okay, he's just overthinking this.
Andral took a deep breath.
Its probably not as bad as he thinks.
After all, the dinner is being held by the Commander of the Stryfe and all that. He wouldn't let any fights break out at his dinner

Besides! How angry could people get at a dinner?

'They tell me... there's no alcohol here'

Andral creaked the door open slowly.
He saw two men, one had many marks of battle scarred accross his face and wore a clothes that looked militaristic, while the other had a more clean, oddly regal look to him.
With his staff in hand and his blue eyes and the way he carried himself, Andral felt like he was a person of some importance.

While he had no social tact, even Andral could feel the slight tension in the air between the two men.

'We'll both have some tea, whatever you have'

Andral heard a woman's voice try to break the tension.
This snapped him back to reality and he realised two things.
First, everyone in the room was dressed fancily, while he simply cleaned up his old travelling clothes to try and fit in.
Seems that wouldn't work...

Second, there were only three people in the room, aside from the servants and the musicians.

That meant that his plan to slink into the corner and chat up some normal people (as normal as mages can get anyway) would not work.

Andral stood at the doorway, looking kind of dumb as the door swung open slowly. Andral was paralysed with a mixture of nervousness and doubt.

He debated whether or not they had spotted him and whether he could back away now and come back later when there are more people....

Q

by **Maya Lark** on January 29th, 2018, 8:24 pm

Maya looked at the new dress as she arrived home. There were still a few bells to go before the dinner would start. Rushing upstairs, the girl's mother followed behind her to help get make up and hair prepped as well. She was never on time for much except when it came to going to the temple. Popping her neck, the raven haired woman hung the dress up to make sure that no wrinkles appeared. Changing out of her clothes and grabbing her robe, the girl sat down and cleaned off her face in order to put on the make up. Jira grabbed her brush and began working on the girl's hair. It took a bells time to finish all the prep work. Taking a deep breath, she stood up and put the dress on next. Picking her hair up, the lark felt the elder tie her within the mass of materials.

“There hurry up and put your shoes on. The last thing you need to be is late,” Jira stated with a sneer and walked out.

The woman grabbed her heels and sat down working on putting them on. She grabbed her necklace and put it on letting the gemstone sit between her collar bones. Standing up, the girl hurried down the stairs and asked the time. Cursing under her breath, it was of course past time for everyone to be arriving. The girl shared a ravosala with her brother going to the boarding house. Popping her neck, she took a deep breath and thanked Xander for helping her out of the boat and walked inside of the building. The young Lark paused to make sure everything was in order before walking upstairs feeling the difference in the air. There was a strange magical charge to it, meaning her destination was not far inside. A male's gruff voice complaining about no alcohol made the girl roll her eyes. A second more feminine voice seemed to be the voice of reason. A third figure stood outside of the door seemingly paralyzed in fear. Clearing her voice, the girl waited till he acknowledged her presence behind him.

“Will you enter or stand out here looking suspicious?” Maya asked in an even tone.

Once the nervous male made his decision to either move back out of her way or step through the door, she would go through as well. Maya was glad to see there was not a large crowd but at the same token that meant her rather late appearance would be noticed. Cursing inside her head, the girl put on a soft smile and glided across the room. In true Lark fashion, the woman seemed to pour confidence out of every pore on her body.

“What can I get you to drink miss?” a young male waiter asked.

“A sweet tea please,” Maya stated and turned to the table, “I do hope I am not late to the party.”

by **Clyde Sullins** on January 30th, 2018, 1:16 am

While Clyde's comments might be heard by Elias as insulting or rude, Clyde truly meant them as he said them. Flippant, offhand marks with as little meaning as a few drops of water in the bottom of a Ravasola. Statements of facts as he saw them, not something meant to draw one into an argument.

Elias' comment on the outpost drew a quirk of Clyde's brow. He knew of quite a few experiments, had been a part of many, but building an outpost... That wasn't by any means something he'd call an experiment. An endeavor, a mission, something akin to that, but not an experiment.

“Yes, well as I said I was called away as well, ended up on Sahova after the outpost had its feet under it so to speak.”

He didn't bother to comment when he refused to take a seat, perhaps feeling standing gave him a position of power. As if such mattered when dealing with mages...

The Aurist on the other hand seemed nervous. After a few moments Clyde put two and two together and realized that his clear interest in her might be playing a part in that and so looked back to Elias to take the focus off of her.

At least physically. Auristically he could still see her just fine, the woman within one of the awareness tendrils of his aura sight. Of course she couldn't likely sense that unless she'd grown quite a bit in skill since they'd last met, so he wasn't too worried.

Ironically his statement about the aurist had been meant as a compliment, something Clyde didn't often do. He compared other mages to his own skills in his greater magics, even for himself with his "lesser" magics he wasn't quite so skilled in. This meant his impression of decent was quite skilled to most mages estimate. He simply had higher standards of being decent, even with himself.

Elias was clearly agitated, moving about swiftly like he was casing the place or looking for escape routes.

Clyde simply nodded at Alijia's statement, true enough. One didn't go to Sahova to enjoy themselves. They went their for magic. To learn, to grow, to expand ones skill. Not to have fun or enjoy the scenery. It was about work, nothing more or less.

When Elias next turned to Clyde however, the mental image of a swarming cloak of angry bees floating about the man, ingrained in his eyes as he tried to intimidate with his glare and voice... Well it almost made Clyde laugh to see the man try to intimidate him... HIM! Not that he'd try it even, but the attempt itself. It might have worked on another, but on Clyde... Well he did his best to stop himself from audibly laughing at the glare and tone, managing to keep all but a small smirk from coming to his lips.

Before he could respond to Elias' statement and challenge, Alija did her best to change the subject.

However about the same time as that several more guests arrived. One waited at the door, almost unnoticed, while the other came up and passed him shortly afterwards while the first man stalled in the doorway.

Clyde was about to explain the items, but thought better of it and decided to wait for the new guests to come in. He sent out another pair of tendril's of aura sight, latching onto both of the new guests and focusing mainly on their auras while he let the other two guests' auras fall into the background. Just enough on them to be aware of them, but without probing further as he instead guided his main focus onto the new two.

He wouldn't see anything much at first, but he'd focus on the peripheries of their aura for a trick he'd learned long ago though only mastered more recently. Djed residue rubbed off of on the edges of the aura, signs of djed usage. A rather subtle thing, not easy to see the traces off if one didn't know how to look. After hundreds of auras though, perhaps many more, Clyde knew just how to do so with a reasonable amount of speed. Of course it was a tricky and deep thing, even for one of his skill, and so not instant even if practiced.

“Come in, both of you, come in if you mean to. No skulking, either leave or enter.”

The server, seeing as the tea mentioned wasn't one of the current course's offerings, instead settled for setting before the woman a green tea sweetened with some added sugar.

Turning to the new woman Clyde met her eyes for a moment, appraising.

“Not late, just getting going. I was just about to explain the items here, a few works of mine from... Oh ages ago. And answer Elias' question here. In fact, the two are linked, believe it or not.”

Turning back to Elias after the new entrants had settled, Clyde gave his same placid tone and answer, entering into his more teacher-ish mode of response. Explaining, drawing out, trying to get his student to figure things out for himself.

“First, your question. Yes, there is no alcohol here, or at least being served to the guests. I would think the reason would be immediately obvious. What, or should I say who is this party for Elias? And what does alcohol do? This party is for mages, magic users. Alcohol loosens people, their inhibitions, and makes them less likely to hold themselves back from doing something.”

“That's bad enough when you are dealing with some drunks who'll get into a scuffle... But with mages? Well the only thing stopping us from doing magic is our inhibitions. Lose those, and we're liable to burn the place down before the end of the night. The last thing I want is a bunch of drunk mages, casting spells at random and burning the place down or something. No, any magic you use will clearly be because you chose to use it, not because of inebriated casting.”

“That is why there is no alcohol being served. That gives you three choices. But I'll get to that later, after I've explained the items. Alija asked about.”

Clyde paused for a moment for effect, before turning to Alija.

“Now, the items. My... Centerpieces so to speak. Both works of Glyphing, creations of mine from awhile back when I was experimenting and trying a few things out. Both work on the same principle, but used in different ways.”

“Now, the cube, well you not being able to sense it with magic, Auristics, has nothing to do with lack of skill. Even I can't do so with magic. It is a creation of mine I like to call stealth Glyphing. Most Glyphs only affect your own magic, or passive, not active magic or the magic of other mages. Not so with this here. It affects most all magic, even you actively using Auristics to try to view it.”

“What it does, is what you've puzzled on already. It is untouched by magic so to speak, sort of like... A marble coated in oil, with water going right off of it, around and off. Magic is channeled around it by the Glyphs, keeping it from touching it, and so to your Auristics it seems to not be there. Any magic you try to cast upon it simply goes around and past it. That is what it does. Not in and of itself too useful, but as a means of proving a theory it is of use in future experiments. I'm sure each of you can think of a few ways how such a thing might be useful, if used in another fashion or on another scale. This is simply proof of concept.”

Pausing to let that sink in, Clyde met the eyes of each of the guests in the room before continuing.

“The shackles on the other hand, affect djed in another way. They open a... I think the easiest metaphor to explain it is... A tap. A tap in a bucket, or some such... Yes, I think thats about as close as I can get without getting deep into djed and Glyphing theory and their inter workings.”

“Think of your djed as a bucket. The bucket must be full, and anything that spills over the edge is cast out. This cast out bit is a spell of magic. But what if someone opened a tap in the bottom, and whenever you tried to add some in or force some out the same amount went out the tap? A steady trickle stopping the bucket from overflowing. Thats what these do. They are Djed Shackles. Anti-magic, though in another form from the cube. They stop someone wearing them from being able to use magic.”

Pausing for effect once more, Clyde gave everyone a moment before turning to Elias.

“So Elias, you have three choices. Stay and don't drink, being sober. Leave, and do as you wish. Or stay and drink while wearing these shackles. Once you are wearing them and they are locked on, you can drink as you wish with no risk of you using some magic by accident or burning the place down. I'll send one of the servers to get you something alcoholic. But you'll have to wear them the rest of the night, and I'll not take them off until you leave. I give my word if you choose that route then at the end of the night or when your ready to leave I'll take out the key and unlock them. And if anyone tries to attack you or something, I'll come to your aid if needed.”

“So... Your choice Elias. What'll it be?”

by **Prophet** on February 1st, 2018, 10:05 pm

The man flushed in embarrassment. Amidst the scare of nearly falling out of the Ravosala, his body instinctively created res on his hands. The temporary fear and embarrassment fled in the wake of a growing anger that ignited the res into tongues of flame that illuminated the darkening evening. The poler leapt back and began to spout apologies so extraordinary that one might consider them profane. It gave the man with one white eye a thrill of power at this sight so he leaned in as if to approach the driver.

“Please, m’lord, I beg your mercy!” The average man, unimpressive across the board, held his hands up as if his chubby and calloused palms would reject the living fire that was slowly being pushed towards his body.

“What would my mercy provide?” Snarled the mage. His white eye was emotionless and shadowed but the normal eye of bright blue was spiraled with broken blood vessels from the intense rage that welled inside of him. “How would sparing your life benefit the great Rhysol when turning to ash would ure me of your failed attempt to dump me in the lake?” His tone was as mocking as it was cruel. “What use are you to me or my lady? Surely, your corpse would feed many fish...” The man pushed his hands together and fueled more res from his hands to create a large ball of fire whose heat was started to split and bubble the painted wood on the boat’s railing.

Weeping, the ravosalaman collapsed into a heap on the floor of his own vessel. His sobs made understanding his speech more difficult but the willingness to survive forced the plea to be audible. “I am but a common man. I have no great skills or tales in my life but I’ve faithfully served Ravok and our god, Rhysol.” He looked up as the words began to register in his own mind- the painful realization that his life was not worth saving. This created a calm and his words evened out. “All I have is this piece of wood and the stories of those who ask for a ride.” Tears continued to fall but the garbled and unhinged grief was gone; replaced by a cold acceptance.

The sudden change in his target gave the agent pause. He allowed some of the fire to disperse and flicker into the air harmlessly while leveling his gaze upon the poler. “Tell me something useful or extremely interesting and I may spare your life.”

With a slightly surprised and wholly defeated look, the simple man measured the statement he had just heard and his eyes seemed to fill with a glimmer of hope. “There’s a fancy party tonight at Tarsin’s for any who possess control of magic.” As he repeated the information his comrade had spread a few days ago, his tone grew brighter. “I would take you there, m’lord! No charge! Certainly a man like you would like to see this assembly!”

The flames flared for a moment as if the answer wasn’t sufficient then they were cast into the lake with a steaming and sizzling explosion that shoved the craft sideways against the nearby platform. “No. Take me to the Vitraax. My lady will want to hear of this…party.”

Template Courtesy of Wymez

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