[The Midnight Gem] Whispers of the Void

Farris is dissatisfied with his progress and pushes himself too far.

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[The Midnight Gem] Whispers of the Void

Postby Farris on August 3rd, 2018, 4:54 pm

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89th of Summer, 518

Deep within the basement of the Midnight Gem, Farris was at war with himself. There was an 'otherness' about his surroundings that he couldn't put his mind to, but more so, there was a pressure that welled within his chest and thrust him into disarray. Xypher proved himself to be insightful, intelligent and a foil to Farris in every way. But, in that same vein, Xypher was also a nightmare to deal with. The Reimancer constantly had a war going on in his mind. The Familiar had its own thoughts and ambitions that stretched beyond Farris' imagination. However, such ambitions, while ordinarily, the sort that Farris might indulge were suicide in the city of Sunberth. Already the Voider took too many risks with his practice, one of which happened to pay off tremendously. The young man was grateful for Kelski's intervention in his life, giving him both a home for practice and a friend to confide in. The comfort he felt within the Gem brought him back to the place as often as he could afford. The Familiar, in turn, correlated the place to the practice and encouraged such visits. With the pair holding a measure of peace between one another the mage began to pull at the reservoir of djed that sheltered his soul.

As Farris sought to manipulate his djed, Xypher was hidden away in the wizards rucksack. Both wizard and Familiar felt the familiar shiver of pleasure that coursed through the mage's spine. The sensation caused Xypher to unravel his sealed form and emerge from the bag. The Familiar cast its stone gaze about the basement in search of the 'otherness' his mage seemed to sense. Xypher knew no such thing, but it was brought up when the Void mage entered and so, he chose to indulge their curiosity. Xypher lacked patience and was quickly engrossed in prodding the walls of the Gem, which caused the structure to breathe again, as if suppressing ticklish laughter. Xypher, quite astonished and fearful of what might transpire if he pressed further, shied away from the wall.

Is this place alive? he spoke into Farris' mind. The wizard ignored his familiar's question, thinking it preposterous that a structure he'd been in a dozen times (at least) suddenly began to breathe and act as living creatures might. No, instead the mage focused on what he was doing. The djed welled at the tips of his fingers as he clasped his hands together. Slowly, he willed the djed at his palms to coalesce while the wizard very slowly and carefully separated his palms. In the center of the gap between hands, rips and tears began to form. The openings made no sound as they formed, but instead they gathered together and widened. Twenty ticks passed in silence as the mage fed djed into the portal, widening it further until it was barely able to fit (if he were to place it) in the center of his hands. Eight inches wide and circular in shape, the portal to the Other Side was maintained by the djed the mage continued to feed into it.

It was then that Farris decided to study the gateway more closely. It seemed that the new gesture he'd adopted was a success. He found the portals easier to form and they took somewhat less time to do so. The Other Side was becoming more and more accessible to Farris and he reveled in the fact that there was some measure of progress to his understanding of the arcane.

Only some, the Familiar cautioned him with disdain. It seemed to forget about the shifting of the walls and instead looked at the gateway along with Farris. The portal pulsed with the rate of Farris' breathing and he took care to keep his manipulations steady as he sought to magnify both size and the strength of the gateway.

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Last edited by Farris on August 3rd, 2018, 6:15 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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[The Midnight Gem] Whispers of the Void

Postby Farris on August 3rd, 2018, 6:13 pm

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The concept of having his Voids pull at the world around it wasn't new to Farris, but making himself accustomed to enacting it was rather difficult. Already much of his focus poured into attempting to expand the size of the rift. From his first voids that lasted mere ticks to acquiring the understanding to open them longer, he felt the amount of progress he'd made was reasonable. The Void mage watched his portal as it pulsed with life, and he willed its pulse to turn to breath. Farris fed the portal more djed, to the point that Xypher began to turn his head with intrigue. The Void did not resonate with Xypher as it did Farris. With Reimancy, Xypher saw power in the manipulation of elements. Auristics, he saw the potential to understand the world in a way that few might appreciate. Voiding? It created portals to nothingness and did little to excite the Familiar's mind. After all, the Fyrdenese wasn't new to the desolation it demonstrated.

That's where we differ, isn't it? the mage thought. The Familiar closed its eyes for a moment, ceasing its prodding at the walls that met with him stiff rebuking by the Midnight Gem. Xypher stumbled from a last push, rolling twice before catching itself on the ground. The Gem was most certainly alive, and Xypher would most certainly rub it in his face that he'd been right, but it wasn't the time to do so. The Void that Farris controlled was only so due to focus and severing that focus while Farris did his utmost to expand upon his knowledge wasn't in the Kirt's best interest. Despite Xypher's constant taunts, insults and intervention in Farris' day-to-day life, there was concern within him for the well-being of the wizard. At the very least, to an extent.

Xypher chose not to answer him and the wizard wasn't surprised by it in the slightest. Rather than wait for an answer Farris had better things to occupy himself with. The Void in his grasp was stable, draining djed at a rate he was comfortable with for a time longer. But, he didn't want to be comfortable. The study of djed was paved by discomfort, stepping into the throes of the unknown and bending it to one's will. He closed his eyes as his left hand stretched out its digits. His right closed abruptly before he very slowly began to unfurl the fist.

With the opening of his hand, the portal began to absorb more of the Void mage's djed. It waxed in size as Farris closed his eyes to venture forth unimpeded by his senses. It was the Familiar who'd see the portal expand. It grew an inch, then a second before it stretched roughly to the size of Farris' forearm. A being like Xypher might easily fit into the portal if there was ever cause to do so. Farris' right hand opened entirely, his eyes opening as he felt the connection between his djed and the opened portal stabilize. He licked his lips, a grin materializing upon his expression. An overwhelming confidence surged within the Void mage, his eyes wide and his pulse beating furiously in his chest. Likewise, the portal seemed to pulse wildly. The normally calm features that Farris exhibited were twisted up in an eagerness he'd never experienced before. Aster tutored Farris with a mind to temper his ambitions. There was time for everything, his father taught him and the lesson applied especially so to the advancement of djed. With Xypher's influence, he'd broken free of the trepidation. There was no advancement if there was fear of the result, after all.

The lesson was shown as Farris manipulated a portal easily the size of his head. His hands took to the familiar motions of his earlier practice. Parallel to one another, his palms kept their distance from one another as Farris' arms moved. In his younger days as a Void mage, he'd manipulated a tiny portal in between his hands. Now, he sought for grander pastures and instead created portals several feet away. The majesty of the Void was more clear to the mage as he looked through the wider portal. A numbness accompanied the pleasure that shot through his senses as he stared, in awe, of what his practice brought him to see. In the distance, in another dimension, Farris saw a mechanical object. It seemed unaffected by the environment within, an environment Farris knew he couldn't survive. As if sensing his presence, the creature charged towards the portal.

Fear flickered within Farris' mind as he observed it growing closer. He sought to unravel the portal before him, his lips pursed as he severed his link to the djed he'd siphoned into the portal's creation. It dissipated in moments, just as a mechanical arm began to stretch towards the rift.

What happened? I missed it! Tell me, boy! the Familiar screamed into Farris' thoughts. Xypher was occupying himself by swatting at the walls of the Gem with Farris' journal and turned far too late to see what Farris had.

It was... brilliant... was all he could muster as exhaustion overwhelmed his senses.

I need... to rest... he managed before falling onto the floor. Xypher shifted his prodding from the Gem to Farris, but quickly realized that the man was simply tired. Rather than wake him up, the Familiar climbed the stairs towards the ground level of the Midnight Gem, leaving the wizard to recover alone.

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[The Midnight Gem] Whispers of the Void

Postby Farris on August 3rd, 2018, 6:43 pm

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In the time that Farris' mind was overcome with exhaustion, the Familiar too felt a powerful sense of fatigue. His movements were slow and steady, climbing the steps with difficulty but there was a purpose in his journey. Xypher trekked through the place and found the kitchen with relative difficulty. The floor breathed with his steps causing the Familiar to stumble and fall often. The accursed living house/business had it out for Xypher, it seemed! The Kirt beat down on the floor as it stepped, putting its weight solidly into every step despite the futility of the action. Xypher began to regain its confidence as Farris continued to rest. Stamina welled within the Familiar as he wove through rising floors and sought to climb along drawers to reach some fruit that it saw gathered together on the countertop. The Gem, eager to outwit the Familiar's efforts, opened its drawers abruptly.

The Midnight Gem pushed off his path, crashing to the ground with a loud thud. A crack began to form in his stone structure, pain shooting through both him and the unconscious Farris. The pain caused the wizard's mind to snap back to consciousness. However, he didn't move. He sought to reach out to the Familiar telepathically, but Xypher was well out of his reach. Xypher scampered out the door to the Gem, wounded but mobile. Gravel on the streets of Baroque Bay was hurriedly collected and shoveled into Xypher's mouth. The crack on its body slowly began to close as it digestive system converted the rock to djed. Farris felt vitality slowly pool into him, a curious expression set upon his features as he looked around. He struggled to make his way to his feet. Disoriented by over-taxation, he stumbled over towards the staircase just as Xypher made his way back into the Midnight Gem. It ignored the door, which closed behind the Familiar. The house seemed to acknowledge what transpired and ceased interrupting Xypher's efforts as it climbed along the drawers.

When it reached the surface of the kitchen table, Xypher opened its maw and bit into an apple. Holding the apple in its maw, the Familiar made its way back towards the basement to see Farris on all fours climbing the staircase. The Void mage was a mess, barely able to move and certainly incapable of scaling a staircase on his legs alone. Xypher threw the apple at the mage, amused when it bounced off the man's chest and began its roll down the steps. Farris' hand was, fortunately, beside the fruit and he eagerly accepted it into his mouth.

Did you leave to get that for me, Xypher? he asked as he took a bite from the fruit. He did not move from the staircase and instead looked to his Familiar with a measure of intrigue.

Don't misunderstand my intentions, boy... it began, but couldn't finish the thought. Truly, worry had wedged itself into the Familiar and it was hard-pressed to remove the notion from his mind.

Stay here, it advised Farris before making its way back to the table. The Midnight Gem transfigured itself in accordance to what it saw, it seemed, and the gaps between stairs grew shorter, each step shrinking and more of them appearing. Xypher was glad for the ease and laughed in Farris' mind.

I told you this place was alive. I'm hardly ev- The Familiar was out of range to complete its thought and a bitter laughter escaped Farris' lips. As Xypher gathered more fruit, the wizard sought to reach his full stature. He pressed a hand to the wall, which seemed to open up and swallow his hand. Was the Gem offering the both of them assistance? It was strange to think that a building could have feelings, let alone intentions.

And yet... here we are, he thought, using his bound arm to stabilize himself and draw to a rising position. His arm rose within the wall along with his body, the Gem acting as a crutch to draw the wizard to his full height.

You... I'll have to figure out later... For now, gotta find Xypher, he reasoned. The young mage was fascinated by what he'd experienced, and would acknowledge that Xypher was right when he had the strength to do so. He spread both arms out and the stairway shrank to the size of his wingspan. He used his arms to help hoist him up the smaller steps, eventually reaching the top before collapsing to the floor again.

Fuck.

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[The Midnight Gem] Whispers of the Void

Postby Farris on August 3rd, 2018, 7:06 pm

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Xypher gathered up another apple in its maw and a vine of grapes between its forelegs. It stood awkwardly on its hind legs and made a sort of waddle back towards the staircase. Farris managed to scale to the top of the steps but could no longer move thereafter. Fierce thirst flooded his senses, along with a fervent hunger. His muscles ached, his features dimmed with a steep exhaustion that encompassed mind and body alike. He breathed heavily at the top of the stairs, looking to Xypher with some measure of muted intrigue as the Familiar set the apple into Farris' open hands. The first apple was eaten already, furiously consumed by a mage overwhelmed by the need for sustenance. The reserve of his djed was quickly siphoned out of him by his efforts and if he hadn't seen that creature his overwhelming desire to cast further might have unleashed some horror upon the world. Not to mention, also bringing the end of his life.

Farris thought on the nature of the Void as he found his mind returning to life. The fruit seemed to revitalize him somewhat, but it did little to clear the pain that tore through his musculature. The vine of grapes was next to go, his teeth tearing apart grape after grape and savouring the juice that dripped from his lips. He couldn't help but extend a hand to Xypher, who looked to the mage with wide, stone eyes. It was Xypher's continued pestering that drove Farris deeper and deeper into the indulgent pursuits of magic. Such eagerness to cast and learn was teaching the Void mage a great deal, however.

There are merits to your philosophy, Xypher. But at the same time... There's also a great deal of danger, he noted. The study of magic was worth a good measure of short breath, but not his life. Farris shifted his weight so that his feet took him away from the staircase. He rested on the nearby wall and his eyes closed once again. Deep, steady breath pulled from the Void mage's lips as the lull of sleep slowly fell over his thoughts. The Familiar seemed content that his mage was well and decided to further investigate the goings about of the Midnight Gem.

Three bells pass with Farris collapsed on the floor. His mind and body recover from the over-taxation of his djed and when he awakes, he finds his breath short, but otherwise was uninjured.

When Farris awoke he found himself on the floor. He didn't recall passing out in the middle of Kelski's business, but he quickly rose to his feet. A daze accompanied the sudden motion and the mage nearly fell down the stairs. He caught himself on the walls before making his way down the steps. Slowly, he seemed to realize what had transpired and recalled the large portal to the Void he'd created. An insane, mechanical construct haunted his thoughts, a metal arm stretched out with a curved blade... He shook his head as if to physically cast out the thought and made his way down the stairs and into the basement of the Midnight Gem. He pulled at the breadth of his djed and found himself, at the very least, capable. His personal djed obeyed his command and began to gather at his palms. Two hands clasped together before he slowly pulled them apart. In the middle of the gap between hands, the rips and tears of the Void began to form. The tears began in the shape of a spiral, a vortex materializing from the nothingness as Farris admired the pace at which his magic began to mould. He counted in his mind as he willed the djed to stabilize, using the counting as an incantation to further fuel his efforts.

"1... 2... 3..."
"16... 17... 1-"

The rift was completely formed, a circular hole into the Other Side that stretched to the width of one of Farris' hands. He did not seek to pressure himself so quickly, attempting to forgo Xypher's ill formed advice and use caution to temper his attempts at weaving magic.

18 seconds? That's a new record, I think... he thought for the Familiar to hear.

Most likely... You're doing well, Farris. Continue, if you would.

Farris never thought he'd hear Xypher's approval, but he realized that it meant far more to him than he thought it would.

Certainly.

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[The Midnight Gem] Whispers of the Void

Postby Farris on August 3rd, 2018, 7:38 pm

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Both mage and Familiar were of one mind in this regard. The study of the arcane was more important than anything else. Farris was content to let friendships simmer on the horizon as his pursuit of the arcane widened. Certain alliances were, of course, important to the nature of study and thus he was careful to cultivate those as well. To the Void mage, the cultivation of such alliances was just as important, if not more.

This practice would be impossible without my friendship with Kelski, he reasoned as he fueled djed into the portal. The link between him and it was stable and the mage was several feet away from the rift he created. It waxed to the size of his open hand and waned to the dimensions of his closed fist. It breathed as one with Farris' breath, the dark vortex calling to the Void mage's sensibilities and drawing him in. He peered into the depths of the Void and found the mechanical creature of before was nowhere in sight. It was to be expected, as portals to the Other Side never appeared in the same place. At least, as far as he was aware.

Kelski and Kynier I understand. Both of them serve their purposes well enough. But what about... the Familiar trailed off, for Farris clearly wasn't paying attention to him. The mage's efforts were drawn on the portal as he willed his djed into it. He breathed in deeply, the vortex expanding beyond the dimensions of his hand. It welled further and further until it was capable of fitting into it a creature twice Xypher's size. Farris felt elation encompass the forefront of his thoughts, all else but the Void and the djed he funneled into it lost to the maelstrom of djed manipulation. He let out a cry of pleasure as his hands clasped together. He slowly parted his palms, as if he were opening a portal, but pulled his arms back. Farris felt the pull of it from the few feet away he sat. More and more he felt the surge of delight cast upon him and his gray eyes brightened with life. He'd never felt such a rush, even when lightning surged from his fingertips and unleashed itself upon the world beyond him. Unlimited power was what the Void mage felt as the pull increased. Xypher, who sat in front of the mage, began to shift forward. Farris watched, amused, as the Familiar jumped up with fear, clawing at the earth as it slowly was pulled towards the vortex.

Uh, Farris...? it began as the mage's features erupted into a grin. His gray eyes were wide and manic as a hand clutched at his knee. The pressure served to focus the mage as he noticed the Familiar dragging closer and closer to the maw that led to the Other Side. Xypher screamed in his mind before leaping forward, using the extent of its physical strength to crawl into the mage's lap, shielding its advance towards the rift with the mass that was Farris' body.

The Void mage peered into the rift before him, watching the empty plane that was the Other Side with intrigue before he severed the flow of djed and decided to write some notes on his findings. Little by little, Farris felt his mastery of the Void expand, his understanding on how to open portals effectively and keep them open bridged through the repeated usage of the discipline.

[i]Incantations aren't something I've ever really used,
he mused within his thoughts. However he didn't pay attention to Xypher's mutterings. The portal waxed and waned in front of him for several moments longer before it dissipated fully into nothingness.

Farris felt his fingers twitch and his muscles ache with the taxation of djed. His mind felt light and free, his body bearing the brunt of the punishment. Droplets of blood stained Farris' pants at the knee, and the Void mage noticed it moments after. He felt a flare of pain cast upon his right hand as he gripped at his knee. The pain did not relent and it compelled the Void mage to see what happened. Blood oozed from a gash on Farris' palm, in between his ring and index fingers. His entire hand twitched and felt numb to the senses and it was no miracle as to why he didn't feel anything. He looked more closely at the wound and realized that there was a hole in his hand. It was by no means large, but the meaty flesh of his hand was stained with blood between the two digits.

Oh... he thought aloud, his brow furrowed as the pain at last shopt through his body in earnest.

AHHHH, he thought as he ran up the stairs. He stumbled more than once and blood stained the walls of the building as he caught himself over and over. He wrapped his hand in bandages he found within the home, red oozing in the gauze.

Xypher was stunned by the turn of events and followed the mage in silence, his eyes wide as the man covered the wound in white bands. There was nothing either of them could do but try to figure out what happened.

Did I... void a piece of myself? Farris thought to Xypher, fury building inside of him at the thought. Fury at himself, for miscalculating. Fury at Xypher, for his idiotic suggestions. Fury at the world, for leaving him with no one to temper his ambitions.

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[The Midnight Gem] Whispers of the Void

Postby Farris on August 5th, 2018, 3:41 am

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Farris was by no means any kind of doctor. The bandages surrounding his hand left air flow to invite infection into his wound and the pain paired with his exhaustion made it impossible for the man to exit the Midnight Gem. The wizard was left fallen to the floor, his senses entirely consumed with agony. Xypher, on the other hand, was in similar pain with far less taxing exhaustion. The Familiar healed his wounds from earlier with the employ of his unique physiology and had a mind to do the same to the cracks that materialized within his front, right leg. As Xypher exited the Midnight Gem for the second time, Farris was left to stew in his agony, both unable to move and unable to die. Agony seared away his ability to think, as well, the Void mage's callous approach to his pursuit for knowledge ended with a permanent loss of part of his limb. He found his breath drawn in quick, pained gasps, his wound oozing blood into the fabric of his pants and leaving trails along the floor.

Has it been bells... chimes? I can't... do anything... he found himself able to think. It seemed, in its efforts to hunt down stones suitable for consumption Xypher left its bondmate behind and instead, the first person to find Farris was a young man that Farris might have recognized if he wasn't delirious from blood loss. The Kelvic Ebon lowered to his knees and raised Farris' arm by the wrist. The Void mage attempted to lash out but his body was far too fatigued to resist anything Ebon might do to him. He braced himself for the bold embrace of death but instead found the bandages he'd haphazardly placed become unraveled by a being who clearly knew what they were doing. Rather than replace the awkwardly made bandages, Ebon first cupped Farris' hand in both of his. A strange blue light emanated from his hands and the Reimancer was at a loss for what was going on. The sensation that overcame the mage was odd to say the least, but it wasn't an unpleasant one. In the time between his collapse and Ebon's intervention infection already began to set in.

The flesh surrounding the hole in Farris' hand was swollen with the signs of it and the Healer pursed his lips. Ebon muttered softly, "What've you done to yourself, you fool..." but it was apparent that Farris couldn't hear him. His eyes were closed and his breathing began to slow. Ebon used the time to move away from the mage and produce a kit. Farris gasped aloud as blood oozed from the gash with the prick of needles that pierced through his flesh. The wound was forced shut and Farris' fatigue made it impossible for him to lash out or resist the treatment as one might usually do if pain compelled them towards violence. Chimes passed with relative silence (save for the groans of pain interspersed with relief from Farris) as the Healer switched between the employ of medicine, gnosis and the combination of the two to slowly, steadily treat the hole that Farris created. Once the act was done, Ebon lightly clasped at Farris' shoulder, "I don't know what you're doing... but you're Kelski's friend and I worry for you, Farris," the young Kelvic assured him before standing and walking away. Farris was struck by the intervention and what the Kelvic said in tandem. He wasn't sure what to do or think and remained on the ground, unable to leave the Midnight Gem.

Xypher, at last satisfied with his efforts and relieved that the cracks in his foreleg were treated by his gluttony, made to return to the Gem. When he and Farris were within range of telepathic contact, he immediately noticed the Reimancer wasn't screaming obscenities in his mind. Curious to see what might have happened, he kicked the door closed behind him before padding over to the Reimancer. Blood stained the man's clothes and trickled down his forearm. It welled between his fingers and dried against his skin. Xypher was astonished by the revelation but decided to take it for face value.

What bloody miracle came and saved you, hm? the Familiar asked with laughter in its voice. While it spoke tough, it was clearly relieved that the Reimancer was in better health than he'd last seen him in.

A Healer... Probably Kelski's... he trailed off and surrendered to the call of the void, letting unconsciousness consume his mind and carry him to vitality again.

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[The Midnight Gem] Whispers of the Void

Postby Regime on August 13th, 2018, 3:54 am

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Halt!


I am Regime, the overlord of Sunberth!

I've been looking over your thread, and I have noticed some irregularities that need to be resolved. These need to be edited, taken care of, or removed, otherwise this thread will be Null and void.

  • Key issues: Anything involving Architectrix.

    The Gem is far too young for anything you did to have happened.

    The Midnight Gem is a new Architectrix structure in the city of Sunberth. Its level of sentience is derived from its Archi Mages level of ability. Kelski is a novice, meaning the building would not have the ability to move. It is only just barely awakening and becoming self-aware. Farris did not even use any proper form of detailed Auristics to understand a basic property about the building.

PM me when you have fixed the issues and I will remove this intervention.
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