Mysterious Chaos (Reaver/Rayage)

[Rayage]

oocSorry for holding this up. Threw me for a loop (Good job!). Had a time figuring out things. Not the best at writing combat. We will see how this goes down.

Ray thought the beggar a fool for not taking up his highly manipulative offer, but he had made his choice, and so he will remain with the rest of the street trash. Yes, just garbage to be overlooked cowering in the shadows of buildings if the weather turns sour, as if the cold beings would shelter them. He had offered him salvation, but he did not have the courage to take up change. He did not have the power to see that Ray was trying to help him. The living were indeed fools, especially the arrogant ones who thought they were better off without his aid. Though little more thought was put into the subject as he climbed down the well. He was surprised how easily he made it, and how clear everything was, even in the dark. What an amazing body! Ray could not get over the fact that he felt one hundred times better than before.

A part of him just wanted to screw his curiosity and just live out this body. He wondered how long it would last… Though the other part of him urged him on he needed to find who done this, or at least how. The nuit did not want to risk going back to his former, weak self, and that was motivation enough. He did not want to lose this ‘high’ that he felt, this energy that he had, never to experience since he was living, but it was somehow better. He was better than he remembered any human to be. He couldn’t remember a time when seeing in the dark was this easy, or climbing down a well… well that was surprisingly simple too. He was… not alive. He knew that much, but was he still a nuit? His thoughts went back to those poems which he had read… crafting nuit equal to alvina. Was this what being an Alvina felt like? He didn’t care to answer that question he only knew that it felt exhilarating.

Reaching the bottom of the well the nuit looked around. His eyesight was keen, sharp, better than it had been in ages, better than he could ever remember it being. The darkness held little veil over him, the shadows unable to obscure his vision like his former self. He was alone, well… except for that dead body, and then, like the activation of some glyph sealing off a magical power, memories came pouring back to him. The nuit almost doubled over, confused and disoriented by the sudden surge of knowledge which flooded his mind.

…

The nuit grinned in sheer confidence, he had made it this far. Looking up he could faintly see the light shining down from the top of the well. He was going to escape the Black Hole. There was only a little bit left to go before he was free, but was freedom what he really wanted? Looking back down the corridor which he had just left he could see torch-light. He did not have much time at all. Glancing back at the portal above him, his ticket to freedom, he looked again at the advancing light in time to see three men round the corner. Cursing silently to himself, he wasn’t fast enough. He couldn’t climb the well before the men were upon him, and they were armed with ranged weapons. Their arrows would surely get him despite his inhuman speed, that, and he wasn’t sure just how fast he would have to climb.

The grin was wiped from his face as he made a few last second decisions. He wasn’t going to climb the well. At least for now, and he couldn’t make it up in time before the people reached him. He would have to make a stand here, and it would be for his freedom. Cursing again, his eyes fell upon the men. No matter… this body, it was like none other he had before. He could surely win this fight against the men. Or so he hoped. His confidence was slowly fading as he took into account that he had hardly any combat experience. He had relied on hypnotism and his silver tongue and Miza to keep him out of trouble so far; he doubted that any of that would work in this situation where he was escaping. Sometimes he had the worst luck.

Ray had to keep up appearances. He wasn’t going to show them that they actually threatened him. No. They did not deserve such reverence. Taking a step towards them, they ran closer to him calling to the others that he was here. In response Ray summoned up his own courage, and began to prepare a spell. He knew that from their distance he had a bit yet to prepare, for the shadows obscured their vision more so than they did Rays. He had a bit of time before they would be able to fire their bolts with any confidence. He noted their weapons. Simple things.

Taking another, unhesitant step forward, moving with a grace unknown to mere humans, he concentrated on what he wanted to do. That emotion, he felt it, the emotion of doubt building up inside him. It boiled and bubbled up, the nuit consciously summoning it, consciously experiencing it, consciously reacting to it. Ray held that emotion inside him, meditating on it, whispering softly to himself things that would evoke doubt in him as to experience it more and more. He chanted softly to himself in the ancient language, the almost dead Nadar-canoch, and as he chanted he concentrated. His words fueling the emotional build up, and his mind only working to freeze that feeling in time. To get what he wanted, he needed to extract and understand the very essence of that concept, that emotion of doubt.

By now, the men were in range, and Ray took another step forward, projecting his voice down the halls, he hammed the emotion into every word, ”You will not win this fight.” he said fueling his actions, his words, his very presence with djed, the power of the backbone fueling the spell, brought thought to reality as he projected it down the hall. Three waves of djed fueled by emotion hit the men confronting Ray, and one of them staggered. ”You will die if you oppose me any further.” he said, taking another step, hoping that his false front of confidence, sheer and utter confidence, would trick them. Ray had hoped to drop their moral, and maybe kill just one. Perhaps then they would leave him alone. He could see that they were already nervous about this, but something, perhaps it is called faith, drove them to service. Or maybe it was fear? Perhaps they did not fear him as much as they feared the person to which they answered to. Maybe that is why, after the warning that Ray gave them, they did not stand down or turn around. Instead he saw them loading their crossbows.

”It is a shame.” he said shaking his head, ”I thought we could have settled this more peacefully” he said, preparing another spell a simpler one this time. One that wasn’t so much focused on emotion, but useful nonetheless.

Clenching his fists closed the nuit took another calm step forward. His muscled tensed as he was preparing his first move, his mind quickly trying to come up with a battle plan. Yes, this would work. It had to. Focusing again, his eyes were fixed on the man who staggered upon feeling his hypnotic influence. Indeed, this was the man he was to target, the weakest willed of the group, the easiest to kill. Crossbows loaded, the nuit watched as they took aim hoping to strike him down from afar. The uttering of the phrase in his mind lasted, increasing in intensity as he silently chanted, and then he unleashed his spell, connecting the chant with Djed and sending it forward with the sheer power of his will. The message he said was quite simple: Right. Shoot Right..

Upon releasing the message into the weak willed one’s mind the nuit juked right, his feet pressing off the ground as he pretended to shoot in that direction. Arrows shot, and the nuit, prepared, reversed his direction and went left instead. It was a simple trick, but effective nonetheless. However, two of the three bolts missed, one hit him in the right arm. He was unable, even with his inhuman speed, to dodge all the arrows. That and he only planted the thought into one person’s mind, but nearly all three of the men fell for it. Nearly.

Cursing out loud in the ancient tongue a swear that he doubted they would understand a bolt bit into his right arm, but he couldn’t let that slow him down. No, it was a life or death situation, and he always knows what to say to the goddess of death: not today, not today.

Racing forward the nuit charged the men, who at the sight of the immortals speed, knew that they did not have time to reload their crossbows, drew their swords. There was evident fear and hesitation in their eyes. They were probably wondering what he was, and that… well, that is a good question. Ray was wondering that himself, but he did not have time to ponder. Upon the men now, one brave one stepped forward to head Ray off. Swinging his sword at the nuit, Ray jumped back, but not in time before he felt the bite of the mans blade on his right side. Could he win? Doubt started to creep into his mind again as he felt ichor leak from the wound. Jumping at him the nuit barely avoided the second swing, the blade tearing cloth, but luckily not skin, and it was that miss, that mistake which cost the man his life. Undead hands reached, grabbing the sword arm with such strength that the man was forced to release the blade. The other hand grabbed the man by the neck, and together in one motion slammed the man against the stone wall. Again and again the sound of the body hitting the wall echoed throughout the corridor. Inhuman strength trying to make paste out of the human in his grasp, the neck broke and the throat caved before any significant progress could be made. Red splotches marring the wall where the skull cracked against it. The other two watched on, but one got brave and charged the nuit.

Throwing the body at the one who charged bought the nuit enough time to retrieve the sword which the man dropped. Unsure on the specifics and art of swordplay the nuit could only guess how to use the weapon, but it couldn’t be that complicated right?

ooc2If I overstepped my abilities please tell me! I always worry about that.

…

The memories started to fade, the exact details a haze, but Rayage knew one thing, he survived that fight and made it out of the Black Hole. A confidence built in him, or perhaps it was arrogance, he had escaped this place once, what is saying that he wouldn’t be able to do this again? The men had put up a fight, and for that he had to respect them for it. Though he wondered just how long that body had been there, for he had quite the gap in time. Paying it little more thought Ray decided it best to retrace his steps, going down the hall which he remembered fighting in. A red stain greeted him, his handiwork, also a sign that he was going in the right direction.

[Verilian]

Though the memory was still a haze the outcome of the battle, or at least the part that mattered most, was obvious. Rayage had survived, and he had escaped. It was a shame he could remember nothing after that moment, particularly the argument the homeless man had claimed to overhear at the top of the well, or what had happened after that. Unfortunately, those memories were not yet meant to be revealed. Rayage still had much to uncover, though, and as he pressed on he might have wondered at the fact that he made it out of the place at all. The Black Hole was an endless maze of corridors and shallow tepid water, dank and dark though the lack of light did not bother the nuit much. To say it was bright as day would be an overstatement, but it was certainly bright enough for Rayage to see what he needed to see. As he wandered more memories came to him. A turn here, that looked familiar, sparked a memory and told him which way to go. Another turn told him he had come that way, and slowly, with the help of his broken memories, Rayage began to retrace his steps. They were mere flashes though, not full recollections, and it wasn't until he entered a rather nondescript corridor, exactly like all the rest he had entered so far, that he was stopped in his tracks. Another memory took control of him, and once more he found himself reliving the past.. ... Rayage was running at top speed down a dark, wet hallway. He had the element of surprise with him. His captors did not yet know he'd escaped. It was the first time he'd been alone since... since... he couldn't remember that detail. But it was the first time he had been alone. The nuit ran at top speed, which was a rather remarkable speed indeed, down the hallway having no idea which way was the right way yet somehow knowing exactly where he was going. A left here, a right there, skip that turn, turn left at the next. How did he know where he was going? He could hear it, smell it, even see the minuscule bits of light bouncing through the dark hall which grew brighter and brighter (though not so bright that any human would notice) as he drew closer to the exit he knew had to be there. Behind him, though far enough away that they were not yet a concern, Rayage heard the voices of guards shouting in alarm. His escape was discovered, but perhaps he could get out before they caught up with him. Reaver could almost tell how far away they were, how long it would take them to catch up with them. He could hear the splash of their footsteps echoing through the labyrinth and could almost pinpoint their location.. almost. Perhaps a few bells earlier he could have done exactly that, but not anymore.. though he could not remember why. Rayage came to his first obstacle, a dead end at the end of the hall. A normal person would have turned away and sought another path, but Rayage could feel air coming through hidden cracks even he could not see. The dead end was a fake, there was more hallway on the other side. Quickly he began to feel the wall, his keen senses finding the hidden panel easily, and pressing his fingers into the small indentation. The wall slid open, revealing the hallway that triggered the memory he was now reliving. "Where are you going," asked a spectral voice from all around him.. or was it from within him, Rayage could not tell. He knew the voice, recognized it, but he couldn't remember where it came from. "You cannot escape.. you don't have enough time. Or do you have a plan?" ... The memory ended, and Rayage found himself standing alone in the dark once more. There were no spectral voices accompanying him, and try as he might, he could not remember where the voice came from, though he still felt that he recognized it. That recognition did not leave him with a pleasant feeling, either. Rayage did not have time to dwell on the voice or the memory, however, because he heard a new voice now. His senses were not as keen as they were in the flashback, but he could still pick up the sound of a conversation somewhere down the halls. The voices he heard did not sound alarmed, though he could not make out the details of what they were saying, though they were coming from the direction he had come from in the flashback. If he wanted to press on, he would have to go towards the voices.. or he could turn back. But somehow Rayage got the feeling that would be a very bad idea.

[Rayage]

The nuit pressed on through the maze-like structure. Who would have guessed that the bottom of the Black Hole would be so expansive? It seemed so unassuming, well as unassuming as the well can be, to house such a place under it… The belly of the beast that is where he felt he was going… With each step he got closer and closer to the truth, closer and closer to the dark revelation which this dreary and wet place held. With each fragmented memory surfacing adding just a little piece to the entire puzzle, seconds of recognition if that, but just enough to guide his steps; just enough for him to walk with a bit of certainty that he is going in the right direction. Though corridor after corridor, hallway after hallway, a turn here and there… Such complex steps. He knew that it would be a bother for any normal person to have memorized such a route, but he was a nuit, and right now, he was more than a nuit.

In fact this place was complex for a reason. It was a prison after all. Perhaps it was this labyrinth like quality the place had which was responsible for people hardly having a chance of escape. It was smart, and he had to commend the builders of the place. It was indeed formidable. Another step and he found that he was in yet another corridor. The place seemed to call to him, his memories guiding him, and as he went to take another step he found himself having yet another flashback.

Utterly absorbed into it he watched as the memories came flooding back, and another piece of the all too cryptic puzzle came into place. Frozen, both mentally and physically still, he watched, feeling it, seeing it clear as if it was happening right now, living it, almost. He remembered the speed at which he was running, the way he knew how find the way out, his senses were so clear… They were magnificent. Even more so than he remembered on the way down here. The light, he could see the light, he could taste it, feel it. Then there was Reaver. Reaver was there! The hidden wall opening and then the voice, remembering the voice gave him chills.

It talked to him, something talked to him, something from around, but more so within? He couldn’t pinpoint or explain it even to himself. His fragmented memory wouldn’t allow him anymore, and once again he found himself in the ordinary looking corridor. There was no voice now, but he distinctively remembered something talking to him. His memory even led him to believe that his abilities were once much more than what they are now. From his memory his senses and power were much sharper, but what he has now he can’t complain about. Was the presence of the voice a part of this mystery? Had it somehow been granting him this power, and if so how? Was it residing within hi…

His thoughts were interrupted as he heard a new voice. Shaking off the unpleasant feeling of the memory he strained his ears to hear the words, but yet he couldn’t make out any. The voice had a way of echoing throughout the corridor, and even in his heightened state of being he couldn’t make out the words very clearly. His senses were duller than before, was it wearing off? Such a thought struck a bit of fear in the nuit as he looked down at his feet and at the moist floor under them. If he was going to progress he would have to be more careful than he has been. Not that he wasn’t confident that couldn’t repeat the act of escaping, but he would rather avoid unnecessary encounters as he tried to find the truth hidden within this place. What was going on here? There was still so much that he had left to rediscover. Out of the Seasons of time he was missing he had only relived fragments. Would he ever get his memory back? This, this had to be the key. He was convincing himself. He needed to press on; for it seemed the deeper he went into this facility the more memory would return to him.

Footsteps more carefully placed than before he tried to avoid any bigger pools of water which would make a noise when trotted in. He had to be more alert, stealthier, though the people talking ahead might have answers which he is looking for. So, his mind made up he made his way down the corridor, following the voices of the conversation. He was moving slower, more calculated, straining his every sense as he moved closer and closer to the noise. He was attempting to use his heightened hearing to eavesdrop on the conversation from a safer and more secure distance than a normal person would be able to. If they had information he wanted to hear it. If they were idly chatting, then he wanted to hear it. These were to be the first people he had run into since coming back down. He would try stay out of sight, for he if reveled himself then they would most likely stop talking.

With that in mind he creeped his way through the halls, mind now focused on the task at hand, almost super aware of his surroundings. He couldnt turn back. No, not now, not ever. He has to piece this together, for his own sake. He would not accept living with questions which he could have found answers for. That is cowardice, and unacceptable. As a world mage, as a wizard, he had to know.

[Verilian]

The voices revealed nothing of value to the Nuit, unless he was interested in the diminishing quality of food coming down from the cafeterias. What might have been more interesting was the change of scenery. As he rounded a corner he suddenly found himself no longer in the dank, dreary corridors of the well, but on a marble floor in a hallway lit with candles and torches. The hallway had several doors branching off, and other hallways, and further down there was a stairwell. None of those came from where he heard the voices, however. Following the sound, Rayage found things becoming more and more familiar. He could see through a window in one of the doors and realized he was now in the prison itself, though it was more beautifully constructed than any prison he might have imagined. Some of the cells, if that was what they could be called, were fully furnished with luxurious beds and all manner of comfort. Others were bare empty rooms. Somewhere he could hear the sounds of pain, a woman screaming out for help that would never come. From another direction he could make out the panting sounds of lovemaking. But ahead of him still were the voices. "I don't know why they keep us here. He aint comin back." "Oh, shove it. This is easiest guard duty we ever had. Who'd have thought they'd be payin us to watch an empty cell." When Rayage finally peeked around the corner he would see two guards sitting at a small table chatting and eating their meal. Behind them was another cell, this one with bars, though the cell itself was made of the same white marble as the rest of the prison. What was most interesting of all, though, was that he remembered it... ... Rayage was back in his lab. Reaver had just left to retrieve.. something. Some needle and thread. Oh yes! That was it. Reaver was not there, he had just left. Rayage was alone, but he felt it. Something.. Finally, when he could not take it any longer, he asked aloud who was there. He did not have to wait long for a response. Right in front of him a ghost materialized, the ghost of the woman they had been operating on. It was the ghost of the man whose body had been found in Reaver's home. It only took a few moments for him to materialize fully, and when he was done, Rayage could be certain it was him. Though he was clothed in attire befitting of a Ravokian noble, the face was the exact same. "Not bad, Rayage. Not bad. The two of you figured out the first riddle. You're in the game now." The ghost walked.. or floated, rather, over to the body of the woman, running a hand slowly down her cheek, affectionately, almost. "My sister. It's a shame she passed on, instead of staying behind. She would have been interested in your progress." The man turned back around, fading somewhat to his more natural, semi-transparent state. Materializing was hard for a ghost, and they rarely maintained it for long. "I hope you don't mind the intrusion, my master has never been one for social niceties. He plays his games, and doesn't care for anyone else's rules. Are you interested in the game, Rayage? You solved the first riddle, so you must be. The Black Hole. But there is a lot more to the riddle, isn't there? What if I told you that you could work with the greatest alchemist alive, and that he needs your help to finish a game he has been playing with the gods themselves?"

[Rayage]

As Rayage made his way through the dark corridors following the noise he frowned. This conversation was hardly worth listening to. It was just a couple of people trying to pass time and complaining while doing it. Though soon the dreary place turned infinitely more elaborate and decorate. Turning the corner it was like he had stepped into a place entirely, and that indeed is what happened. He soon realized that this place was the prison and he marveled at the glory of it all. It was much unlike any dark cell he would imagine. Almost as if this place were to keep people of a higher sort, people that those with power hoped to manipulate. This richness could be why people hardly escape this prison. After all who would want to escape from paradise? He smiled, it was clever, but are looks just a deception? He had no memories to trust what he seen or any assumptions he could draw. This place could be dangerous for him, and he had to treat it as such.

Ignoring the heated lovemaking and the cries for help the nuit gave them both the cold shoulder thinking it best to follow his first instinct. He wanted to eavesdrop on the people more, but he wanted words, not grunts or screams, and so he made his way further into the prison, further towards the voices who talked about annoyingly unimportant things. Casual things. Then again, Ray was the fool here hoping to overhear anything which might help him understand his current situation. If he wanted something done he would have to do it himself, not passively listen on a couple of… peeking his head around the corner he saw two guards sitting at a table. They were chatting earnestly. At least they had each other for company. Giving the place a brief look about he saw the cell was indeed empty.

Staggering back, and pressing his back against the wall, the nuit used it to support himself as he braced his head with a hand. He was remembering… remembering something… he remembered the cell which they were guarding, and much more.

…

Reaver had left and Rayage gave in and called out whoever or whatever was watching them. It was his naïve hope that something would happen, something would answer, and answer it did. Something had been watching them the whole time, and it wasn’t just his imagination or paranoia, but immediately the nuit found himself frowning at the spirit who appeared by him. He disliked it how the ghost knew his name yet the nuit did not know his. Somehow this fact both bothered and annoyed him beyond belief. Though the ghost moved onto more interesting things, such as talk of a game, Rayage politely let him go on, saying what he needed or wanted to say to him.

Finished, the nuit took his chance to speak, ”You sound like you are trying to sell this idea to me.” he said, ”but,” he smiled at the ghost, taking in his appearance, ”you have me sold. I’ll play this game.” besides, if he got to work with the ‘greatest’ alchemist alive playing by the masters rules shouldn’t be too hard. He had to size up the competition after all, and perhaps learn a thing or two. He could care less about the gods. His focus was on the alchemy, and the mention of that, or helping another alchemist do something… it enticed him to see what the ‘greatest’ alchemist could ever need his help for. It merited investigation into both the nature of the alchemy itself, and the alchemist behind it all. Yes, he would play this game.

”To the Black Hole then?” he asked, obviously this was where to go next.

…

Straightening up the nuit shook his head. So he agreed to play the game that makes sense. After all the memory did spike his curiosity even further, but he frowned at the thought which crossed his mind. If he wanted to reenter the game he would have to put himself back on the board. He could just escape again, right? The two guards did not seem too special after all. Though looks could be deceiving. He lost the game last time, but that is no reason to start over, to play a new game.

With that he would make his intentions clear, by stepping around the corner and waltzing into the room with the guards. He stared at them. It appears that he has returned seeking answers, but what he found instead were half-truths fogged by a clouded mind and the desire to try his hand at ‘the game’ again. As an alchemist one does not just accept failure. They analyze it, dissect it, learn from it, and try again. ”Please don’t make too much noise.” he requested talking to the guards directly, ”and finish your supper. Im sure you have earned it.” he said as casually as the sky is blue, ”I’ve come to play the game.” he announced, ”After you’ve finished why don’t you go tell your superior that, or perhaps direct me that way?” he asked shrugging, ”I wouldn’t want to bother you.” he lied, smiling. He had to keep up appearances after all. He was going to win this game.

[Verilian]

It was not over yet. As Rayage stepped around the corner, even as he began to speak, he stumbled over his words. What he had planned to say was nice and all, but instead it came out as little more than a few words and garbled noises. Suddenly Rayage was overcome with weakness. His head began to hurt and he felt.... nauseus? It might be a feeling that was hard to place, considering he had not likely felt it in a very long time. Rayage found difficulty standing, and before he fell to his knees he began to violently cough. Ichor.. strange minty ichor, spewed out of his mouth onto the white floor beneath him. Pain wracked his body, pain such that he had not been able to feel since he was living, when his body was still fully capable of feeling such things. The memories returned, and Rayage found himself once more with the spirit. --- "Correct! Let us be on our way then." Rather than lead Rayage out the door, the spirit instead dove right into the Nuit's body. There was likely a short battle for control, but the spirit wasn't really trying to fully possess the Nuit. Instead, he was just making himself at home, almost merging with the Nuit. The spirit did not so much tell Rayage where to go, as Rayage suddenly knew where to go. Granted.. he had already known that they were going to the Black Hole, but he knew where he was going beyond that. Not long after, Rayage found himself wandering marble halls, knowing exactly where he was headed, until he arrived at a simple wooden door. Of course, when concerning alchemists, something that appeared to be simple wood could be so much more. "And here we are. Feel free to go in and look around, the master will be with you shortly." Rayage found that the door opened to a stairway, leading down the side of a wall in a massive open room, hundreds of feet across. The room itself was a large circle, glyphs scrawled all over the walls. There were a few random pockets along the wall which contained small libraries, laboratory areas, and things of the like. The central focus of the room, however, was the alchemy ring itself. Huge, almost the size of the room itself, and one of the most elaborate that Rayage had likely ever laid eyes on. There was nothing in the circle at the moment, and nobody in the room but himself, so Rayage had time to look around if he wanted. The ghost assured him the master would be along soon enough, but he had time to explore. The library was filled mostly with alchemical formula. Some of the books looked old, some were fairly new, and probably contained formulas written by whoever the mysterious master was. The lab was top notch, containing pretty much anything an alchemist could ever want. The glyphing on the walls was all very complex, and if he were to look at the room using Auristics, he would find a powerful shield around the room as well. All in all, it was an alchemy lab the likes of which one might only find in Sahova, or some pre-valterrian ruin. Certainly the "greatest alchemist alive" would find the facility acceptable. Rayage likely would. OOCOkay, so you'll be staying in "Flashback within a Flashback" mode for a while. I need to brush up on my alchemy lore again, so feel free to look around, and maybe take some liberties at describing what you think a huge master alchemist ring might look like.

[Rayage]

The invasion of the spirit was quite sudden, and its presence felt awkward within him. It sort of shocked him for a moment, stammering backwards as if he lost his balance, he had not expected the being to do that to him. Regaining his composure after a couple seconds, the nuit smiled as he found that he knew where to go. He had heard of the Black Hole, but never been to it, yet… he knew where to go. It was amazing. So the ghost is good for more than just talking endlessly and cryptically about his master and the game they were going to play. Or perhaps this was part of the game? He thought that things were about to get interesting from here on out. With that knowledge in mind the nuit set out for this undertaking, one step in front of the other, confident in where he was going. He was invited after all.

Soon he was greeted by marble halls and then an oddly out of place looking wooden door. Compared to the grandeur of everything else he had seen, this door was nothing special. Or was it? Not curious enough to find out himself using Auristics the nuit thought it an oddity and let it slip from his mind. This was easy enough when he found out what was on the other side of the door.

Greeting him was a staircase. The stairs led down into the lab, and looking over the edge made Rayage pause for a moment. The space the stairs led down to was huge, and it seemed to be one giant alchemy circle. This was impressive indeed. The alchemist wondered how many people it took to work this ring. Truly the one in charge of such a place could be called a ‘great’ alchemist, for this size of ring was unheard of and the likes of it was unseen by Rayage. It brought back a sense of nostalgia to the nuit, the ring reminded him of what they were capable of before the Valterrian, and it only made the alchemist more eager to work this ‘great alchemist’. Surely if this alchemist was allowed such a lab, he either was very great, or he had a great ambition worth funding. The ideal alchemist had both, but not everyone can be great.

He’d never seen such an extensive lab setup for one alchemy circle. The glyphs were numerous and well crafted. The place quite literally radiated with magical energy and power. The experiments that can be done with a such an accelerator of djed… What was this game that he so thoughtlessly signed up for? What was its purpose? To make nuit like Alvina? Or something more, transcendence to a new state of being via alchemy, becoming not a nuit, not an Alivina, but something in between, a new sort of state walking the line of divinity and mortality?

Descending the stairs Rayage looked around, seeing the other attached rooms he wondered where everyone was. This lab couldn’t only be operated by this ‘great alchemist’, could it? The anticipation built within him with each step that he took; with each step downwards a sense of not being able to go back filled him. Change is coming, and it will be either horrible or great. Only time will tell. His steps echoed, ringing in his head, singing songs of worry and suspicion. This place was empty, and it dawned on him the nuit began to get paranoid once more. What was he doing here then?

Reaching the bottom of the stairwell Rayage bent down and inspected the massive circle. Not only was the circle itself huge, but the metal it was made was thick. Doing a quick measurement the bar that made the circle could easily fit two of his arms width wise. The complex glyph arrangement seemed to originate from the circle, like a line on a page, and spread out, like ripples in a pond, splashing against the walls and making their way upwards, perhaps even on the ceiling as well. The alchemist could only imagine what these glyphs did for the circle, but he bet that it would be fantastic. The metal of the circle was constricted by thick coils of D-wire. Some of the lead casing had been worn away, and from inside glittered gold, and the wire was wrapped tightly around the circle, but still gave space for the original metal to breathe. It must have taken quite some time to construct altogether.

Looking up, the nuit spotted one of the two meridian stones, the keystones which divided and ruled the polarity of the circle itself. The stone was huge, and the nuit could easily stand on it and have room to move about. In fact, he wondered how many people he could fit in that one keystone, and the number that came to mind was impressive indeed. The stone had a shiny black polish to it, and the entire circle had a sort of masterful elegance about its creation. Whatever experiments which were performed here demanded the best that was for sure. This lab was looking to be the dream of any alchemist to possess.

Standing up and turning away from the circle, perhaps the nuit could find some hints as to the exact nature of the research done here. He needed more to go on than the cryptic poems that this master so gracefully gave them. Rayage almost felt like this was his only chance to really snoop and get some inside information on the project that he was going to be helping with. He was sure that this ‘alchemist’ would not clue him in fully, and that motivations will be left unnamed. After all, you have to build trust, right? Rayage was not about to play only by this alchemists rules. Besides he or she was not here right now, and there was nothing stopping him from snooping a little. Any information he can get now might help him in the future, but looking at the small pockets of spaces he did not know where to start. The library one could be a good start, but he hardly had time to read any books. Though a quick scan of the place couldn’t hurt.

Picking out a few books that stuck out to Rayage, the nuit the flipped through them looking for hints, clues as to the purpose of this lab and the alchemy ring. Page after page he found alchemical formula scribbled with little to no explanation, all in all this book was just as useful as the poems written to him by this mysterious alchemist. With no key to the formula Rayage could only guess what they meant and produced. He needed to find something more. Putting the book carefully back in its place he continued his search for answers.

[Verilian]

Rayage's search would not turn up anything specific, however, as he continued to look around he noticed that many of the books looked old.. very old, and the handwriting in many of them was different, suggesting they were from different authors. But more than that, other things would look familiar to him, though the familiarity was distant, and reminded him of things long past and possibly forgotten. These books.. many of them were pre-valterian! Some were journals, written in the ancient tongue, or other lost languages. Others he might recognize as Alhean or Suvan style script. While the ancient tongue was largely the same across time, there were still local variations, and depending on his familiarity with such things, he could easily pick them out. Where had all these books come from? Many were in terrible condition, and barely legible except for a few pages, but there were enough books, almost all of them apparently written by alchemists, to be very impressive. Some of them really were pre-valterrian, while others had been written and bought, borrowed, or stolen by Nuit from Sahova and other places. It was an impressive collection, to be sure. Rayage would not have time to look at all of them, of course, and soon enough the door at the top of the stairs opened once more. Through it walked a rather old looking human who, upon seeing Rayage, offered the Nuit a friendly smile. "Ah, I see my former assistant found what I was looking for. You found his body then, I presume?" The old man made his way down the stairs, spry for his age but still with a small amount of difficulty. He did not seem to mind the fact that Ray was perusing the library, nor did he comment on it unless asked directly. Instead, he moved on directly to what was likely Ray's number one question. "My guess would be that you'd like to know what you're doing here? Well, all will be revealed in time, but I will tell you what I can for now. We are in a race, you see. A race with the gods. Rhysol is on my side, for now, which is why this lab in Ravok even exists, but others.. not so much. But you, you are going to help me win that race." The old man walked past Rayage and removed a scroll case from one of the book shelves, carefully removing the parchment contained within. It was old.. very old, in fact, and Rayage would be able to tell as much by looking at it and by the way the man handled it with such care. He took the scroll over to a desk and spread it out for Rayage to see. It was not likely something Ray would understand just by looking at, though it was written in the ancient tongue, and was obviously a formula of some sort.. though not an alchemical one. "A student of mine found this scroll over a decade ago, when I was teaching at the University of Zeltiva. He bought it for only a handful of mizas, knowing it was a steal. Apparently it had been found in some ruin out in the wilderness.. I don't know the details, unfortunately, otherwise I would go and check out the ruins for myself. But needless to say, he knew it was more valuable than it was being sold for. He brought the scroll to me, but there was little I could do with it. I am an alchemist, you see, and this happens to be a formula for animation. Luckily, there were animators among my colleagues, and I brought one of them to look at. ...to make a long story short, we discovered that it was a formula for the Daek-nuit ritual.. but not just any formula, and not one you would find in Sahova or anywhere else, I believe. This scroll, according to my colleague, was an absolute work of art. It was more precise than anything he had ever seen.. well, cutting the story short again, we were eventually led to believe that this formula is in fact either an original, or a copy of an original, of the formula written by Yovinkus Wotch himself." As soon as he said the name the old man turned from the scroll to retrieve another book, which he laid out on the table next to the scroll. The book was in terrible condition, but Rayage would still be able to make out the title. It was a biography on Yovinkus Wotch, written in the ancient tongue. "If you aren't familiar with the name, feel free to look through that book, but to save you time I'll tell you the bit that counts. Yovinkus was the Alhean wizard who revolutionized the Daek-nuit process, steering it away from the highly ritualized and archaic methods of the ancient past, and creating the precise methods that are still used by modern Nuit today, or at least, variations of his original methods." OOCI was going to go on, but I figured I'd let you get in a post first. My next response should be pretty quick, as I already know what I'm going to say next for the most part.

[Rayage]

These books were… they were impressive to say the least. Old knowledge has survived, and this is the first large collection of actual magical knowledge he has seen since the Valterrain. They were handled with care by the wizard and shown an immense amount of respect and perhaps a bit of reverence. Some of the words were lost to him, the dialect unknown or context obscured by the hands of time herself. Bits and pieces of ancient knowledge, ancient power was here and he thought he could almost feel the magic radiating off the surfaces of the pages. Though it was hard to tell if it was the book or the room itself.

He did not have time to browse through the all too impressive collection of books before the old man made his appearance. As the guy made his way down the stairs on elder strides Rayage replaced the book which he had been looking at very carefully, trying not to further damage the contents inside, nor the binding that bound the book together. The question had been answered with a swift and silent nod. Rayage indeed found the body, and he was sure that the old man made sure that he would find it. He had remembered its place precisely, as nuits have quite the good memory, and the book found its home without any issue. For now he would turn his attention from the library to the old man, who Ray thought was this alchemist he heard of, the owner of such an impressive lab.

The old man began stating something that the nuit already knew. The ghost had told them that they would be in a race against the gods themselves, and it was also quite obvious that the elder had Rhysols support. Else… the lab wouldn’t exist. A game against the gods was really an interesting prospect, one that he wanted to make sure to succeed in. Rayage was silent even as the other pulled out a scroll. The nuit recognized the language that it was written in, but he could not read it. This was not an alchemical formula, and before Ray could speak his question it was answered by the elder.

Rayage took a moment to take all the information in as it was explained. His mind was reeling with the possibilities. The scroll was a priceless treasure if it was what the old man said it is. This lab was priceless as well. Everything in it seemed too maginificiant to be real, and yet here was something that should have been lost ages ago –a document from a famous Animator-. It was all too much to take in at once, and it even too Ray some time to come to terms with what exactly he had walked into. What exactly did this man need another alchemist for? This was an animation scroll, and Ray knew next to nothing about animation, yet alone being able to decipher an ages old scroll of advanced animation. He felt a mixture of both anxiety and anticipation. The air seemed to get thicker, feel thicker that is, as he absorbed what was going on.

He nodded, being one of the only expressions he seemed to be able to do before giving the old man a confident smile, ”And what does an alchemist do with a daek-nuit ritual?” he asked, but that was not really the question that he wanted to ask. ”More importantly,” Rayage looked at the old tome set before flipping through a couple pages, not really bothering to read anything, ”how can I help you?” he asked. More importantly, why Rayage? Though the nuit had not yet voiced that concern as to why he was chosen, or even Reaver for that matter. Two nuits met with poems about someone making nuit equal to Alvina. Quite a bold claim indeed. He had not forgotten that, and regarded this secretive old man with a bit healthy skepticism.

Closing the book presented to him, ”You said we were in a race. We have no time for me to be reading about who exactly Yovinkus Wotch is. We should proceed immediately, and continue until your all too mortal body needs rest.” Rayage told him, unimpressed with the abilities of the old man thus far. If he could create nuit equal to Alvina, then why is he still in such a ‘pathetic’ state of being?

oocI wrote this post in a rush. Sorry if its bleh. Just wanted to post so you can again

[Verilian]

OOCOkay.. so I'm just going to stop promising to be fast, because clearly I fail at that, lol. "All of this happened while I was working at the University of Zeltiva," the old man continued, ignoring Rayage's quip about his mortal body. "My colleagues began researching the scroll, and discovered that the processes involved were not limited to just making Nuit. Following the logic in the scroll, we realized that it had so much more potential. Turning someone into an undead required specific techniques that unfortunately are beyond my ability to explain, but the point is that those techniques required dead, mortal bodies. Living bodies required different techniques, but even then, there was still the issue of the soul getting in the way." "So I began working on creating a living vessel with no soul to get in the way of things. I realized that I could make a body better than human, better than mortal.. but I would need to get my hands on something better than mortal. Unfortunately the University did not support my work. Fortunately, the Black Sun did. Don't ask me how they found out what I was doing, because I don't know, but I was approached, offered a lab, and brought to Ravok along with my colleagues. The Black Sun provided me with what I needed, and I came closer and closer to success. The body you saw before, that was a failed experiment, but I have since perfected my work. ..sadly, the rest of my colleagues either died off or were killed. The gods did not like what we were doing, and more than once sent assassins into Ravok to take us out. I lost my animator.. which brings me around to my final point. I need a Nuit. Nuit are the only beings who can animate themselves.. Reaver might have been able to decipher this scroll and start the work over again, but he did not work out. You, however.. you were chosen because of your skill in Alchemy, and because you are a Nuit. You can become the Alvina, and continue on long enough so that I can join you." At that point another door to the lab opened, and a pair of Ebonstryfe entered the room, bearing what appeared to be the body of an unconscious man. Even without trying Rayage could sense something different, however. Something powerful about the man. It was the innate sense most mages possessed that allowed them to sense djed, and it was coming from the man. He was set down on the floor, and then the Ebonstryfe retreated to the far corner of the room. "This body is an Alvina, created right here in the lab, in every sense of the way other than it does not possess a soul. It lives and breathes, yet it will live longer than any mortal, is stronger than any Nuit. It is better in every way. I cannot enter it.. so you must."