(Flashback) Student Counsel

[Kuvarakh]

Kuvarakh regained his composure, but the professor's words continued to goad responses from him.

"So if I was to pull a sword and strike you down for no reason but to extend my own life by a few years, I should not be held to have done wrong? Is that truly your view? Or does the fact that you're a wondrous Nuit, where I'm just a mortal suddenly make it a crime? What about you? Weren't you a grubby, unworthy mortal once yourself? What made you deserve to get ten times the life span the rest of us get? You make it sound like it's the willingness to kill without remorse that earns you this grace.

"What rot! Your self-glorifications are as shallow as your reasoning. If I had let my daughter wander the streets of Sunberth after the 24th bell, I would blame myself for her death. But we are talking about the University grounds in broad daylight! I had not heard that Sahova had claimed the campus as their personal snack bar. Tell me, please, do I owe it to one of your emaciated associates to dye my hair red before slaying myself for his convenience? Am I to be allowed my next name day, or did he stub his toe and needs my body now? I wouldn't something so insignificant as my mere life to interfere with his all-important whim!" The disdain in his voice abraded like sandpaper.

"And then you fall back on the scapegoat mentality of excusing yourself on the basis of our OWN moral flaws. 'Since we kill ourselves with loathsome abandon, we MAY NOT DENY you YOUR right to kill us to suit your agendas, as well? That, my wise old friend, is a CHILD'S logic! 'No fair Mom, Jimmy did it, so why can't I?" He paced the room, mimicking a wailing child throwing a tantrum.

"It is hardly fair to compare the deaths brought on by war or crime or passion to the justification of some kind of systematic farming of humans like cattle! Are you saying that even if I COULD make it possible for Nuit bodies to stay fresh forever, You would still kill humans? That's despicable! That reduces us to nothing more than wardrobe! Excuse me if I find that rather belittling."

A grim smirk crossed his face. "It IS ironic, though, how you speak of me blaming 'a nameless Nuit'. You ought to get your facts straight, sir. I met him, face to face, and he tried to pretend to be my daughter. Not the behavior of one who believes in some high moral ground for the justified terminating of lesser beings. Furthermore, if my aim was vengeance, as you seem to suggest, my work would be toward something to DESTROY them, not aid them!"

"But I WILL confess, that you are correct when you cite my intent to kill THAT Nuit, if I ever find him, unlikely as that is. I make no apology for that. But every indication is that a rival Nuit performed that service already. So are you going to go lecture him on his misguided dispatch of one of Mizahar's finest fiends? Or did he, as you say, have a reason? Well, it's sure to have been a gloriously altruistic and benevolent cause, whatever it was." his voice was sing-song with sarcasm.

He paused as he righted the table. "Well it's still functional, but there's a scratch. Perhaps we ought to go kill someone so we can take their table, what do you think?" He took a long breath and sighed heavily, "So what exactly did you bring me down here for, anyway?"

[Kuvarakh]

He regretted much of his rancor. He felt purged of his anger now. He knew it would return, and he knew that this was at least part of the flaw that this Professor believed to be inherent in emotions in general. He could not deny the aspects of it that were legitimate. There was no way he could focus on the smooth, consistent acceleration of a djed stream while bristling with rage. But it was frustrating that this person had most likely lost touch with the same empowering drive that this kind of emotional spike bestowed upon him when it WAS harnessed.

The incident in the experimental class that had created the "buzz" that had been stirred was a direct result of his focused anger and violent acceleration. He had subconsciously linked his control of the spinning djed ring to a whirlpool, the concept generated by his knowledge of her death at sea. It was not intentionally generated imagery, but he had found it to serve him well. In the class, his djed stream had expanded to touch the ceiling and had swelled beyond the bounds of the ring doorway itself.

His partner had recoiled in apprehension, and his fear had been well founded as it turned out. The "classified" result had been that a portion of both their personal djed had been pulled into the stream and, when released, had enabled an odd hold over each other. For Kuvarakh, he had been able to inflict a hypnotic like influence effortlessly, whereas his partner had gained the bulk of Kuvarakh's amassed mental training, focus and actual memorized data.

The ramifications and instability of this exchange had been immediately hushed, reprimands were handed out liberally and the class had been terminated. Kuvarakh, his partner and his professor had been forced to break into the lab after hours and conduct a "reversal" activation. Everyone involved felt sure that the effects would return to normal in time, as per 'half-life' parameters, but none of the three were willing to wait that long to achieve whatever restoration they could by acting now.

But this was all "academic" now. Or rather, Kuvarakh thought bitterly, it was, quite specifically, NOT "academic". He had displayed an unprecedented power of djed acceleration for such a beginner. It had resulted in a breakthrough development. And now it was being locked behind doors of traditionalism and conservative dogma, as though it never happened. Kuvarakh was instructed in no uncertain terms to accept that it was all his imagination, and a dangerous and heretical imagination at that.

Did this Professor Rayage know about all this? Was he going to stick his neck out to pursue this banned avenue of development? It really wasn't what Kuvarakh was after. He didn't see any application benefiting his own personal mission. But if the professor stuck his head in that noose, it might give Kuvarakh a sort of hold over him. 'Help me with my goals and I'll keep my mouth shut.'

Shame at the underhandedness of it reared its ugly head. Rationalization followed on its heels. 'Isn't this the very sort of emotional obstacle this professor would have me discard in ruthless pursuit of knowledge?' Honor warred with the anticipated satisfaction of giving this professor a taste of his own self-serving medicine. The war was short lived.

"Look, I'm sorry for my outburst, Professor Rayage. I sense in you more of a kindred spirit than I was willing to face within myself. I do not, and will not, deny that my feelings for my daughter are an integral part of what enables me to perform to the level that has created this "stir" you mentioned. It engulfs me and I let it flow through me. If I stifled it, then you would be facing just another student afraid to reach beyond the tired curriculum of tenured old dogs more concerned with politics than advancement of knowledge." The old Nuit made no indication of whether he agreed with Kuvarakh's assessment of the school's lack of eagerness to pursue innovation, so he continued.

"It does not make me rethink my attitude towards Nuit that would kill simply because they can. I would destroy them, for they offer no advancement either. But I am not beyond understanding of "the greater good" or the relationship between eggs and omelets. I say again that I am not an enemy of the Nuit." Again, the professor was silent, his eyes gauging, inviting Kuvarakh to continue.

"You asked me what my most difficult transmutation was. I am assuming that you are of sufficient clearance within the ranks of the faculty that I am not breaking the protocol imposed on me by discussing it." He paused to give the professor the opportunity to contradict the assumption, knowing it would be central to any misconduct trial's evaluation of who had misled whom.

The professor remained silent. Kuvarakh stiffened his facial features, wanting to hide that feeling that he had him where he wanted him. "It was the summer term back in 408. It was in...an experimental class. The intent was to see if greater power and efficiency could be obtained with two activators working in tandem on the same ring." For some reason, he felt hesitant to name names besides his own. No, everyone else involved had already been disciplined, expelled or discharged. He shrugged and began to tell Professor Rayage what had happened.

[Taylani]

XP Award!

Kuvarakh:

XP Award:

• +1 alchemy
• +2 Socialization
• +1 deception
• +2 rhetoric
• +1 brawling

Lore:

• Overgiving not really applicable to Alchemy
• Summoned by a Professor
• Alchemy: A doorway in which common pass to become extraordinary
• Emotions are fickle things

Notes: These are comments.




Rayage:

XP Award:

• +2 socialization
• +3 interrogation
• +2 observation
• +4 rhetoric

Lore:

• Testing a potential student
• Kuvarakh : Thinks outside the box
• Kuvarakh: Motivated by grief

Notes: These are comments.

Comments :

Feel free to PM me any concerns about your grade. Don’t forget to delete/edit grade requests. .

TAYLANI