[Quest] Archi-Mage-ic (Closed)

by **Kuvarakh** on January 24th, 2014, 7:52 pm

Kuvarakh's eyes grew wide and he took a few unconscious steps back, nearly stumbling from the onslaught of awareness. He nodded vigorously as Aceren stated his semi-question of whether Kuvarakh could feel his presence around him. He was at first slightly disappointed that it was only Aceren that he felt this connection with. But then he realized it would only mean additional entities would join as he grew in...what...'stability'?

'Power' seemed somehow wrong. He did not want to dominate this union. He knew that as the "mage" he would be sort of the key figure, like the conductor of an orchestra. But Aceren, and the others as they joined, would not be slaves, but partners. He would have to earn their trust. And though he was not to blame for whatever transgressions past interlopers had committed, he knew well how corrupt humans could be. He could hardly blame "the others" for their defensive nature. And really, it was not just humans.

He'd met Dhani, fought Zith, had confrontations with angry Akalaks and others. It seemed that all peoples, certainly including Nuits, had the capacity for self-serving, manipulative villainy. He grimaced at the thought of what such a structure would degrade to in the city of Ravok. He had spent a few years there and was glad to leave when he did.

Kuvarakh felt a bit embarrassed when Aceren suggested his character to be more altruistic then others, but he nodded, "I suppose it is natural for mortals to feel the press of time. To feel they must "pack in" as much celebration as they can in their time. For me, this arrangement is ideal. I often find the evening hours boring, as I meditate, awaiting my boss' arrival to open the shop again. She needs her sleep. Much of my meditation is spent purging myself of the sense of tedium, the sense that there is no purpose left. That I dare not make friends, but hate the isolation. I very strongly feel that this is what drives so many Nuits into the anti-social state they embrace."

He turned back to Aceren, "So, I am correct in my understanding that I may still go about my life outside The Manor? I suspect I will return many a night to allow the overall estate to grow used to me. To see that I intend a commitment, not a...treasure hunt. I do not yet know if I will seek training first, to avoid bringing others with me at first. Or go ahead and bring them, to ensure that initial repairs are performed properly while I learn from experts on the job."

He grimaced again, "I must admit, my main concern is that if the estate should "act up", these builders may panic and run. I hope this concern does not offend you. I suppose if I keep their repairs confined to your domain alone, the mansion itself, this should not be a problem."

Kuvarakh was awed by the scope of sentience this entity possessed. The way he saw it, he would attend the shop by day, the estate by night. there would be interludes where he would be absent, but he would strive to give Aceren warning in advance. That reminded him of another detail, "I'm curious, do you prefer to be called "Aceren"? If I may be so personal, were you ever alive in the flesh like a human? Was "Aceren" your name? I only ask because you refer to the other extensions of the estate in such a way that suggests they are not...well..."part"...of you. I guess I'm just curious if you all have the same origins. The same memories. Am I striving to "unite" something that was once a single mind, or uniting separate minds to a single harmony?"

by **Tapestry** on February 20th, 2014, 7:08 pm

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Aceren shook his head lightly,

"I took my name from a Silencer who was at this party...I am sure he is long since dead. Somehow, there was a time when people were more accustomed to speaking to someone with a name like Aceren rather than Towers Manor or any other title I had for myself. My friend, Andres, he was obsessed with this art...animated several buildings in Alvadas and on this property. There is not uniting to be done, no more than I would try to unite to humans into one. You will get to know us in your own time...our quirks and personalities. If you bring builders, I will behave...but it is not what I can say of my bretheren in the rest of the property. For now, I advise only yourself in some of these areas."

Guests are, of course, welcome. Please give me some word in advance that I might prepare suitable accommodations for them." He chuckled, holding his hands out around him, "You see, although I'm in a bit of disrepair, there was a time where the parties Andres had were the talk of all Alvadas. At the very least, I know how to entertain guests."

Idly, he scratched his chin, surprisingly human for him to do, and smiled. "Perhaps you could also teach me a bit of your skills. I am capable of learning, you know. Andres taught me some magic, himself...although I haven't had much use for Animation and the other arts in my solitude. Perhaps...we can get to know each other better, I do want to know what's happening in the world outside. It's why I called you and the others in." He paused, cocked his head sideways and then shrugged, "But I've led the rest of them out, now. No sense in letting them wander when I've found what I needed."

Holding a hand out to Kuvarakh, he spoke again, his voice echoing in the chamber around him. "A caretaker...or...no, better yet...a friend."
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by **Kuvarakh** on February 22nd, 2014, 9:11 pm

Kuvarakh was enthralled. "I would be happy to impart any knowledge of which I am capable of teaching." his face fell a bit in seriousness. "I wonder, though, whether Alchemy would be of much use to you. It requires the touch of a body's physical essence to make the connection to the djed stream which brings about alterations of materials. It would not be an insurmountable obstacle, I don't think, to procure an alchemy circle to bring in. But for a human it requires a touch of their blood, direct from the vein to the part of the ring called the "keystone". For myself, the ichor we Nuits use in place of blood serves the same purpose."

He sat a moment in contemplation, his expression clearly demonstrating his utter lack of certainty one way or the other. "Then again, it could be that simply contacting the floor of any room would suffice. But I fear you would have no way to shield yourself from the lingering djed radiation of repeated activations. They would have a semi-random mutagenic effect about them, depending on what was changed and how. At the shop, we rinse everything off in a water basin to disperse most of it. As a Nuit, I don't worry to much about the accumulation of such djed residue, as I change bodies every few years."

He looked around, noting subtle changes in the room. "And it seems that you already have some degree of ability in making alterations to your structure. Probably all that you need. But I would certainly be glad to work on it with you if you wish. And of course, any current events I hear of, I will be glad to tell you about. This all over and above making whatever repairs and general companionship I can accomplish."

Kuvarakh was hesitant to make mention of his skill in hypnotism. He realized how much use such a skill could be to the building against the ravages of intruders. To be able to instill sudden fear into a looting burglar would be a great asset. But at the same time, it could be woefully misused. Kuvarakh himself used it as little as possible in day-to-day life. There were numerous stories of insanity that served as cautionary tales of the results of too much indulgence. The thought of inflicting such a malady on this grand old structure was as disheartening as it was frightening.

Then a thought occurred to him. A far-reaching and potentially magnificent idea. 'What if I could re-establish The Order of Transcendence here? It would be a massive undertaking, and the potential would be almost limitless! But the risks...' His expression underwent a series of changes reflecting the anticipations of potential glories and disasters that could accompany such an effort.

He noticed Aceren looking at him intently. He realized he'd obviously displayed the thought of some profound scheme. But like the thought of Hypnotism, he was hesitant to be completely open about it. At least not until he got to know Aceren better. But he had to account for his behavior. Trust was very important in this undertaking, and the last thing he wanted to do was appear to be withholding anything. And it was not out of any malicious or manipulative intent that he did so.

"I'm sorry, I was thinking of various people I have known who might be willing to come here, when I get more settled in, to share the disciplines they have learned. To..."fill in" the blanks where I am lacking. I was thinking we could become like a meeting ground for mages to build and learn, and maybe even combine skills. I would of course await your..."agreement" before imparting the nature of our relationship, since you are as much, or more, a part of it than I. Of course, with mages, there are risks, so I would not want to up and do this without your okay."

He felt good about that explanation. Being the same goal as the original manifesto of The Order had been, he felt that it was a truly honorable substitute for complete openness. In truth, the only detail he had really withheld was the fact that this "meeting ground" HAD been established once before. But ever since the bulk of its membership had departed for the conflict in Syliras, it had dried up. Kuvarakh himself had not had the authority to maintain any of the contractual agreements with the city regarding the holdings leased to the group, so they'd had no facility to conduct further classroom scenarios or experiments. The remaining membership had gone its separate ways.

In the meantime, there was no hurry to resurrect The Order. Both he and Aceren being immortal, there was truly all the time in the world. Kuvarakh smiled, "I would like to go on calling you "Aceren", if you do not mind. I would also be honored to call you "friend". Now, if you would like to show me your immediate repair concerns, I will try to get to them as soon as I can amass the skills to do a competent job." He extended his hand, hoping he and Aceren were about to embark on a long, rich relationship. He was eager now to learn such seemingly mundane skills as carpentry, masonry and painting. This was no common building, and he was determined to be no common resident.

by **Rosela** on June 3rd, 2014, 5:53 pm

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Congratulations! You've Been Awarded:

Kuvarakh :

Notes :

If you have any questions or concerns about what was awarded, don't hesitate to PM me. When you're finished, please remove your grade request from the grading queue.
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