Open Mental Break

[Endir Vuras]

Stories and desires, they all passed between the trio, though Endir kept his tongue guarded and eyes trained forward with a determined expression. He stood at Nivel's side, wary of the larger folk that trampled about the place, indifferent to the little clay people that shared their city. "Looking to go into Knighthood, eh?" He asked Ferrin with a lofted brow. He didn't sound sceptical nor condescending, in fact there was a pleasant lilt to his tone. "You and I will have to train together some day soon." He bowed his head and flashed a bold grin.

The hazardous twisting of the passages eventually settled as the stone walls broadened to accommodate the lurching crowds. Hand resting loosely over the semi-circle pommel of his sword, he shot concerned glances downward to Nivel, often checking on her wellbeing. Citizens and peddlers were seen lugging hand-held carts around with them, loose iron spokes rattling as they turned over the flagstone. Some carts were filled with produce, fruits and vegetables harvested from green pastures or grown in small gardens. Others boasted assorted wares, clothing from other cities, rich doublets slashed through to display strips of violet or scarlet or jade beneath, rumpled lace sleeves hanging ostentatiously from padded shoulders. Performers took advantage of any charity they could find, jugglers and tumblers dove and weaved between each other, swapping tasks in flourishing leaps that earned the applause of children stopping to watch. Guardsmen patrolled, breasts gleaming with the Windoak and halberds propped upright on armoured shoulders.

Nivel's world of course was plagued by distortions of the mind, and it was just so here, even among the crowd. A murk rolled over the dusty flagstone, a quilt of perpetual mist that roiled around her middle and blanketed the feet of all those about her, wisps rising until suffocation. The cheery faces of the juggler and tumbler were warped, wide smiles displayed toothless gums and wide eyeless sockets were soon wrought with flame. Tongues of fire danced in the dead eyes of the performers, bloodless lips wrenched in mirthless smiles that conveyed the callous amusement only a killer could experience. They moved slower and slower, as if time itself had been broken by their malevolence. Wherever they moved, their heads followed Nivel, throughout their dives and rolls, fire-eyes were forever trained on the Pycon.

"Nivel?" Endir couldn't see what she could and nor could Ferrin, both blissfully unaware of the living nightmare she fought.

[Ferrin Al'Mandrikan]

It was odd, when he had had seen his parents down farther back in the hallways. They took a few twists and turns. He sighed as he spoke of his father. "Yes, actually... My father was a Knight himself. I'm trying to follow in his steps. But training is quite more difficult then I had imagined. Especially with my friend, who is also my trainer. Ferrin inhaled deeply as the turned to walk out one of the doors that led out to the busy city if Sylrias. It was quiet at first, but now with all of the people things returned to there loudness as people chattered about walking through the city. Ignoring others around them, that aren't part of their 'party'.

Ferrin didn't really like talking about his parents after he had had fled the city of Kenash. Things looked better for him though. He was glad of the.people that he had had ran into. Even though all of his encounters with the people he met were... Strange in some sort of way. He was still glad that he had met some people at least. He wanted to ask Nivel, assuming that was her name, why she ever had wanted to become a mage Knight? But he figured it would get her to activate another act of "Overgiving" if that was it. So he put it aside for later, maybe when things are more calm.

While the trio trudged on throughout the city, merchants pulling wagons were chanting and yelling the items that were being sold. And boasting of their prices. Claiming for them to be the lowest. Ferrin isn't to good with bargaining. His father would usually do that for the family. When they were at certain "stops" to have the ability to sell their farmed produce. But things began to look different in the city now... Perhaps a bit to different? Fog started rolling into the city. It was strange. The ground also felt squishy to Ferrin, "But isn't the ground made out of stone and other earthen materials?" Ferrin asked himself.

Ferrin was glad that the trio had finally escaped the horro of the "Overgiving" process. He wasn't sure what was supposed to happen next. He didn't really read up on magic. He only read things that was only available in there little bookshelf.

"Nivel? Right?/What exactly are the affects of the "Overgiving" thing? Can this process affect others to....".Ferrin asked simply. The city seemed fine to Ferrin. He wasn't sure if that was the right question to ask, but he wanted to know what happens. Ferrin felt awkward in a way, talking to two people, one a Knight and one either a squire or a Knight. And if Ferrin might've said the wrong thing he didn't want to be punished because of it.

He was just curious.

OOCSorry, forgot about the posting order.

[Nivel]

The conversation was lost on Nivel as her mind relapsed back into a sea of horrors that the pycon had to wade through. As the fog cascaded past her, the ground began to slowly sway and fluctuate like gentle waves as she tried to move forward. It took all of her concentration just to put one leg in front of the other and as a result she moved as thought she was in a time warp. The performers flame filled smiles haunted her as she struggled to get to her destination, and she couldn’t help but shiver in crushing fear as she looked deep into their empty sockets.
“Not real…Not real…Not real” Nivel recited over and over in exhaustion.

Nivel forcefully jerked her face way from their menacing gaze and when she looked back the monsters had reverted back to regular tall folk performing their daring stunts for the bewildered crowds underneath. She let out a sigh of relief and pushed herself forward, doing her best to focus on her internal calm and determination. The invisible fog still made movement difficult but Nivel kept driving forward through it towards her goal. It seemed silly to think that this journey was just to get a cup of tea but the thought of sliding her body into the steamy water was a major motivation for her and helped keep her tortured mind on track.

“Oh! uh…the effects yes” She almost didn’t hear the questions being directed at her, but their concern still came through the haze. She tried to act normal but her mind was being pulled in some many directions it was hard to think.
“Well..” Nivel knew the answer but the words were hard for her to form and she stayed silent for a moment as she tired to put the pieces together.
“Some of the affects are specific to the school of magic, I mostly use Auristics to see and read auras. It’s a type of magic that rarely causes over giving because it doesn’t use as much Djed. I don’t know exactly…” Nivel stopped again as she spotted a translucent tendrils grow out of thin air in front of her. They twisted and grew into what looked like a plant complete with roots that intersected into an organic tapestry.
“What happened…but I expect it was the type of magic I just learned that is causing this problem.” Nivel stopped to swat way the minor hallucination before she continued to explain.
“Reimancy is a mostly dangerous magic that allows you to create and control the elements of nature. It’s usually the one that kills most mages if they aren’t careful but their are far worse magics out there that..most people know nothing about.”

Nivel felt she had answered Ferrin’s question and continued walking. She stopped in her tacks when it finally dawned on her that she hadn’t answered the most important one.
“And no, over giving is not contagious, the magics I’ve described are called personal magics because they draw from the users own essence. You over give when you’ve used up too much of yourself and need to recover.”
As Nivel explained to the two, her mind was slowly pulled to shore and breathing became easier.

The crowds of people only increase as they went on however and Nivel had to clumsily tumble out of the way of people as they rushed to different attractions and venders that littered the Bazaar. Unexpected salvation came as Nivel caught the sight of Syna’s light reflected of the glass windows of the Stormhold Salves. It wasn’t the destination she was looking for but it was far better than the Bean in her humble opinion.
“Oh we need to go there” Nivel suddenly exclaimed, as she pointed to the shop with and assortment of tiny bottles and verdant herbs hanging upside down to dry in the window display. It was one if the few places in the castle city that even had windows so it stuck out like a beakon.

Credit for Boxcode goes to Estrellir Konrath

[Endir Vuras]

Endir's attention was divided between listening to Nivel's explanation on Overgiving and the direction they travelled. Whoops came from behind when the juggler and tumbler ended their performance with a double-leap and the coloured balls went flying into the thick crowd of children. The squire soon found himself shoulder-to-shoulder with the folks of the Bazaar, the large indoor market perfumed with the sweat of hundreds. Endir's roaming gaze soaked up all that could be taken in. It was a dazzling display. The closest of the stalls could hardly be seen beneath the towers of ceramic bowls, each one fringed by flowery gilt with the inside decorated by spots or streaks or dashes of vibrant paint. The vendor was a handsome woman, dark raven hair with wings of silver at her temples and green eyes to make the strongest of men buckle at the knees. The next was lined with books, new and old. Yellow pages were bordered by thick leather, one even boasting a sinuous brass latch. The seller looked bored, idly thumbing a deep obsidian-hued tome with fat fingers, its front imbued with an ivory skull and hollow eye sockets glimmering scarlet with hatred.

The overload of the senses was dulled some as they turned towards Stormhold Salves. Taking the lead, Endir opened the door for the pair and tumbled in after them, flared nostrils pulling in the myriad scents. There was lavender amid thyme and hazlethicket blended with leatherleaf, it made his head swim. Between the phials of medicinal ointment, alchemical additives and food supplements were small finger-sized bundles of herbs, each labelled and bound by twine. Cauldrons had their small display dais' at the far end of the shop, two-inch thick rounded bowls, cast iron visible among the more exotically forged.
"What was it you needed, Madam Nivel?" He asked with a quirked brow, finally speaking up after a long silence, the intensity of his gaze redirected to her, lips thinned patiently.

He had heard the mention of tea at some point, though wasn't sure that tea would help the effect of Overgiving. But who was he to judge or assume, he knew next to nothing about the magical schools, in fact, this whole charade was his first true experience. Thrilling. Adjusting his stance, he eased a palm from the hilt of his sword after earning a rather sharp glare from Sahfri the Eypharian storeowner.

Nivel quickly became the focus of her own warped mind again, the residual corruption of Overgiving still churning hazardously within her mind. To Nivel, darkness swarmed at the edges of her sight, like a thin silken veil, the streaming light from outside dulled. The objects about the room stirred, rattling incessantly as if caught in an earthquake, trembling where shelves didn't. They mutated. Thin, hair-prickled legs sprouted from phials and herbs and cauldrons, and the object itself changed thereafter. Spiders, large and small depending on the size of the object they once were, scuttled across the floors in a roiling sea of hairy carapaces, moving legs, clicking pincers and dead black eyes. The terror was for Nivel and Nivel alone, Endir stood a silent guardian, unable to defend her from her imagination, eyes glinting with mild interest. Maybe he'd take up Alchemy one day?

[Ferrin Al'Mandrikan]

The trio walked along through the busy streets of the City of Peace. It looked as if the performers were done, finishing with cool and fun moves. They had lost their coloured balls in the thicket of the young kids. The performer who had the balls tumbled over and fell upon a few children humbly apologizing to them. While some other children might be laughing at the performers' mistake. Those kids who laughed assumed that it was part of the performance. Other then that, things kept going as if nothing was going on, and none else seemed to have noticed of Nivels Overgiving, and or the effects of it.

Ferrin was interested of this Overgiving, but he didn't enjoy the sever-like consequences. If you give into it you would most likely die. The three walked along in silence now, as they walked to some antique store that Ferrin hasn't been to before. Or it was more of a things you can want kind of store. The mage Knight, the squire, and the hunter, entered the store. Herbs and plants filled most of the store.

Ferrin didn't pay much attention to the interior. It was a nice simple store filled with a lot of random things, some things people might need. And other things that were just there to grab ones attention. Ferrin wasn't much into herbology, though it was an interest that he had had for awhile. His sister was taught by his mother. Ferrin was surprised of how quickly she had learned of herbalism and all of that sorts.

Nivel and her thoughts seemed to be drifting deep. Ferrin wondered what he can do to help calm her. Talking about the Overgiving thing seemed to be stressing Nivel. Maybe he should have had asked her about something else to drive away from this response.

To make sure it won't happen again. But her strees seemed to be getting the best of her. Spiders now formed from the miscellaneous objects being sold from the store. Depending on the size, big or small, the spiders could be. Ferrin didn't like spiders, there isn't much he can do. He can't fend off Nivels imagination. Trying to act calm Ferrin said,
"I can pay for your things Nivel..." Ferrin said as he attempted to kick a seemingly empty spot where a spider was. What are we looking for?" Ferrin asked with a smile. His teeth gleamed from the sunlight through the window and his black curly hair, yet sweaty swayed as Ferrin turned to face Nivel. Hoping that Ferrins looks can turn away Nivels deep thoughts. But Ferrin is surely willing to buy the items that Nivel needs.

[Nivel]

Salvation didn’t come as soon as she slipped under the doors of The herb store. All the bottles and plants that filled the store had turned into the most horrifying spiders she had ever seen, their dagger sized fangs dripped with venom and they wasted no time in scurrying at Nivel in droves. They cascaded from the walls and every corner of the store and as much as the pycon was fully aware they weren’t real her senses betrayed her and she ran to the counter to escape the clutches of the relentless arachnids. She swiftly jumped and flipped over the spiders like training hurdles before she reached the tall obstruction she needed to climb. She quickly looked up to see the glistening mandibles of spiders falling down from the top of the counter, ready to pounce on her. Nivel skillfully shifted her arm into a dense sphere and forcefully shot it up into the imaginary creature.

The sphere reverted back to a hand once it had reached the ledge and the length of her arm receded in order to pull Nivel up. Nivel wildly kicked at the spiders next to her as she made her journey up. At the top of the wood counter was not the usual beautiful and kind Eypharian women that ran the shop but an abomination. Her face as almost covered in sharp spiny fangs and piercing obsidian eyes that looked into the core of the pycons very djed. The women’s four arms were covered in scarps and twisted roots covered in oozing puss. Two slimy tongues slithered out of her dark mouth hole and moved about in a hypnotic dance of perversion.

“IWouldlikesomeTolmrootTea!” Nivel blurted out in fright.
“Can you repeat that please” In reality the women had responded in a very soft and polite manner but in Nivel’s nexus she spoke in ghostly growls that tore into her.
Nivel breathed again to calm her growing stress before repeating her request with clarity.
“I just need something to calm me, I know Tolm root can help.” The pycon added.
“Oh, well um Fauxsil is far move relaxing, if that’s what you're looking for” The four armed women suggested softly. She gave a kind smile but all Nivel could focus on was a hand of mossy stone forcefully tearing it’s way through her disgusting jaw.
“Yes I’ll pay for both” Nivel blurted out in urgency. “I have a silver Miza to give you”
“Well..that would do.” The herbalist was taken aback by the out burst but quickly took it in stride. “I don’t normally make tea here but I just finished heating by chamber pot in the back. I’ll will be back in a moment just wait here.” Seeing that her customer was in a hurry she quickly disappeared behind a woven curtain of eccentric colours and patterns.

“Don’t worry friends this tea will greatly help me with my problem” Nivel turned to reassure her comrades. “and don’t worry Ferrin I can cover the cost of some tea.” The pycon put her hand into her stomach and fished around for a few moments before pulling out a single silver Miza from her clay body. “see” She held it up so he could get a better look.

After a few short ticks the women came back with a steaming cup of warm water with a few leaves and a thin root sticking out from the side. Nivel handed over the coin and thanked the women before slipping slowly into the fluid.
Nivel could feel her entire body relax almost instantly and her worries seemed to almost melt completely away.
She turned to Endir “I have one last request squire..would you escorting me back to Storm hold”
Nivel knew she would be in debt to these two brave souls who aided her in her time of great need.
OocI'm going to hand this in but feel free to give your closing posts. Thanks for joining my thread you guys

Credit for Boxcode goes to Estrellir Konrath

[Dove Brown]

Don't forget to edit/delete your grade request. If you have any questions, comments or concerns regarding your grade, please do not hesitate to send me a PM.

 

Nivel

Skills

• Running 3
• Intimidate 1
• Endurance 1
• Acrobatics 2
• Escape Artist 1
• Meditation 1
• Socialisation 1
• Rhetoric 1
• Teaching 1

Lores

• Overgiving: imagination feels real
• Overgiving: attacked by own tails
• Too many different magics at once
• A Mage Knight must keep control
• Fleeing to keep others safe
• Talking myself through hallucinations
• Endir: a squire
• Ferrin: a hunter
• Herbalism: Fauxsil relaxes

Miscellaneous

• Mizas (+/-) | -1 sm
  
• Item Purchased (+/-) | 1 cup Tolmroot tea, 1 cup Fauxsil tea
• -6 Shield points (conduct unbecoming)
  

 

Endir

Skills

• Observation 4
• Running 1
• Land Navigation (urban) 1
• Socialisation 1

Lores

• Nivel: a screaming pycon mage
• Overgiving: a consequence of magic use
• Ferrin: a hunter
• Ferrin: helped with Nivel
• Overgiving: not contagious
• Auristics: a magic of seeing auras
• Reimancy: a magic of the elements
• Tolmroot: a calming tea
• Herbalism: Fauxsil relaxes

Miscellaneous

• +4 Shield points (helping a citizen)

 

Ferrin

Skills

• Running 1
• Socialsation 4
• Interrogation 1
• Persuasion 1
• Observation 2

Lores

• Nivel: a screaming pycon mage
• Overgiving: a consequence of magic use
• Endir: a squire
• Endir: helped with Nivel
• Meetings always seem to occur from mishaps
• The woods: soothing thoughts
• Overgiving: not contagious
• Auristics: a magic of seeing auras
• Reimancy: a magic of the elements
• Tolmroot: a calming tea
• Herbalism: Fauxsil relaxes

Comments:Enjoy your grades