State of Ruin

[Miro]

18th day of Summer, 512 AV

Miro had been appointed by the Lord of Council in Zeltiva as a State Reimancer. A much needed position, all things considered. The Djed storm had done a lot of damage to the city, and stone as it was, to have a Reimancer make repairs made sense. There was an immense amount of damage to the landscape and buildings, but this would not be too much an issue. The master Reimancer was seasoned enough to perform quite the amount of repairing at once, and would have all season to finish his work.

So far he had only surveyed the city and made note of the worst of the damages. He had a list of the things that needed it most, but would start with the residences. The wizard had stored his robe in favor of his proper attire, but felt so uneasy in without them. Instead of donning his sling, instead he hid his blackened arm under sleeve and his hand in pocket. It looked strange to constantly have an arm casually at rest, but less so than to display the limb.

All in all, despite some uneasiness, his attire did give him some pride. He looked to be a respectable man, despite his undead nature. It was well hidden, all but a few tells that remained. His eyes never did quite look natural, nor did his claws, but such things could only show he was not Human. It took a trained eye to see through such things. So far none had seen past the guise he donned however. By day he wore a fine gray shirt and red vest, black leather breeches, and even real shoes. That was the worst though, he hated to cover his feet.

However the one thing that truly did give him the comfort he so desperately desired was his staff, Ionu's Light. It remained his constantly ally, even when his Familiar wouldn't. But at least the Irylid was content to remain silent while the Reimancer did his work. As usual the creature rested in his sealed form on his master's wrist, content to just observe. Though still mostly unknown within the city, some people had taken notice recently. A few had even struck up conversations and had him do some minor repairs. Truly it was odd to be thanked and praised for magic use. In Alvadas a hint of fear could always be detected, even when the crowds cheered you on.

Today he had started early, before even the sun had come up. The undead headed toward the west end of the city, a residential area that was hit hard by the storm. Many of the people he had found had taken to relying on their neighbors for various things. While an admirable show of cooperation, it was a hardship he was hired to fix. After nigh a bell of casual walking he came to the area where he wished to start. It was worse than he remembered, with even the landscape in need of serious attention. He would need to come back later for such trivialities though.

Much of what he would do for now were superficial repairs. Necessary work, but only on the surface. The idea would be to work without raising attention, and as well to get the basic repairs done to each home in need. On some later day he could come back through and fix damages done to the internals of their homes, and then finally the landscape itself. But his priorities were very clear to him. First basic repairs, then detailed, and then finally the finishing touches on landscape. Residential locations, then business, then city locals. But he would refuse to taint historical locations with his magic.

Finally Miro had found himself at the start of his work and prepared himself for the day. With something like this, something where work was to be divided up over a season, and consisted of casting; something like that took discipline and careful focus. A job where you wanted to always do more coupled with a magic that told you to do more, it was a bad combination. He wondered if he wasn't getting paid enough for this, but then he remembered, he most certainly was. Though it was always hard to draw the line of what was too much. At the very least there were some notable physical signs that gave hint.

The key to this measurement would be in his Familiar's observation. He spoke to the creature via their telepathic bond to request the assistance needed. "Ender, I am quite sorry to bother you, but I need your help. My job can not be completed in a day, and it puts us at high risk for overgiving. I would like you to watch me for certain physical signs that indicate I have used too much Djed. Dilated or bloodshot eyes, tremors in my body or casting, as well as other things that seem off. I may not act myself, antisocial, erratic, even hallucinate." It was in many cases very subtle until things had gone too far.

Ender was not nearly as accustomed to magic as to identify overgiving, so this talk was all strange to him. As well he was not as accustomed to his master as he would hope, though nearly all he did was observe the wizard. "Quite frankly, to me, you always seem overgiven. You are unable to emulate normality and initiate social interaction with any proficiency, and your actions when nobody is near frighten me. Your mind is overtaken by grandiose plans and dark desires I can not begin to understand. However can understand what I am to watch for, and I shall tell you am I to notice anything."

The way the Familiar responded was more irksome than it knew, but Miro responded with some tact. Such was his method in Zeltiva, to hide behind his facade and manipulate the world around him. "Thank you Ender, it is very much appreciated. I will be working from now on, so I will not bother you any further." The Reimancer had his concerns washed away with that and readied himself to cast. He planted his feet firmly, took a deep breath in, then exhaled sharply. His Djed surged through his body with excitement, but his mind was sharp and focused.

The Reimancer grinned cockily as he twirled his staff around his hand . He surveyed the building before him and estimated how much Res it would take to fully repair the building. It had quite a bit of damage, with most of a rear wall taken out and a collapsed roof. Even worse, the residents had removed the debris, which could be used to save Djed. Still, the damage was not bad, and it would only take a moderately small spell to fix. He stopped the spin of his staff when he had reached the end and poised it toward his target. With a force of will he began to flow his Djed through the wooden shaft and out its tip as Res.

The aqua colored liquid poured out in a splayed stream that found its way to the building. Miro could see inside, some mostly bare room, but tried not to let himself get distracted. He continued to stream his flow of Res and guide it into place. He started with the roof of the building, with care that his addition would perfectly match the existing stone. Slowly the mass filled in and moved to a point where it reached the other walls. He again assured his Res placement and then guided the substance to fill in the wall. When finally it was finished, a translucent aqua wall stood before him and distorted his view inside.

By now he had attracted the attention of a person inside. He could see their frame loosely staring out at him from inside, though they did not move. Nor did they look pleased to see him, unsure how to handle what they were witnessing. The wizard could not blame them though. He was some stranger performing magic at the opening of their home. But he pushed such things aside and focused hard on the stone that their home consisted of. Once he had attuned himself with the substance, he flourished his staff and transmuted his Res to matching stone.

Miro walked up the to wall and placed his staff down aside it. He took a few deep breaths and placed hand upon its freshly replaced surface. He closed his eyes and centered all of his concentration on the feel of the cool stone beneath his palm. Inside his body was a circulation of Djed that flowed into his hand and and allowed it to resound through the wall. As he repeated this process of attuning, slowly he began to receive information. The feel of the stone flared with odd vibrations and temperature changes, which at first only brought confusion, but in time formed a symphonic rhythm. A picture formed in his mind's eye.

The Aurist was able to see the area he had replaced, its magical composition and structure, the feel of it. As well he was able to read these of the mundane stone that existed prior, but to a lesser degree. He noted that, while identical in appearance, the stone he created had suffered from a defect. It was not nearly as stable as the existing stone, and would be more apt to weathering and other damages. While he smirked at the thought of how nobody would ever know this, a pounding on the other side of the wall shocked him from his meditative focus. It surprised him so much that he fell backwards onto his rump.

From inside the building an excited laughter could be heard though. Obviously the person he had seen before was pleased with the results. It was just a shame that his skill in Auristics were so meager he could not sense a sentient being only a few inches in front of him. The fright of the thump accompanied with the mental fatigue Auristics use brought sent a shock of pain and confusion through his mind that muddled his senses. His vision distorted, his ears rang and his entire body tingled. It seemed to last an eternity before finally he regained his composure. By the time he did so, he looked up to see a man offer a hand to him.

"Need a hand?" The undead reached his clawed hand up reluctantly, but it was taken without a moment's hesitation. The man helped the wizard to his feet and smiled at him. "So I can thank you for this? I don't know what kind of magic fixes homes, but I am thankful. I had heard the city was in the process of issuing repairs, but I never imagined anything like this. Might I get your name, stranger?" To be greeted like this, with genuine thanks, it was still a shock. No racism, no discrimination, just gratitude. Was he getting a reputation as a decent person?

The wizard shook the mans hand with a slight smirk, afraid to reveal his fangs. "I am Miro, the State Reimancer assigned to repairs. I'll be seeing that the city is patched up this season." The man's face lit up with intrigue and pleasure. "I'm Dan, a pleasure to meet you Miro. I had no idea you magic folks could be so dandy. I'll be certain to spread the word about your deeds." There was an awkward pause between the two before the man spoke again. "I am sorry, I am keeping you from your job. Please, continue as you were." The Reimancer took his staff back into possession and gave a slight nod before he moved onto the next house.

This building was exceptional in its damages. It had lost such a substantial amount of its mass that it had begun to crumble in, and was seemingly abandoned. Either that or the owners, unlike the last house, had left the littered debris without any care. He assumed that this was one of the people who had taken to relying on their neighbors for temporary shelter. Just as well for the excess stone would serve him well here. Again Miro took a stance and poised his staff outward and concentrated on casting. Unlike before, he would not make an effort to measure the amount created. He was sure it would require more than one spell to complete. He decided to create all of his Res now.

The Chained One cocked his staff back as he built his Djed and then thrust it forward to release his Res. The substance burst forth in a stream and crashed down upon the crumbled stone within. He continued to stream the spell while he willed the earth to attract to his Res and pulled it forth into a pile. First he would need to repair the fallen walls, which were spread to different areas of the home, and finish with repairs to the roofing. He guided a portion the debris and his Res into the general area of the largest fallen wall. It took some effort to align the debris inside of the Res and the Res against the existing structure, but came in time. When finally he had his adjustments were made he transmuted his Res to stone.

Again the Reimancer began to flourish his staff and split another mass of liquid Res from his stock. There was some care that needed to be taken with casting too much at once, but he was hardly going to give pauses. Instead he would ease himself through the process and rely on his mastery to carry him. He knew he would not get very far, but a few sites a day and by the time the season passed his job would be well accomplished. It was just a shame that such work was not eternal. There was so much that a Reimancer could do for a city, but so little the Lord of Council would allow. His idea to create a garden park to create food was denied. He could hardly blame them though. Magical agriculture did sound questionable.

Miro again claimed a portion of the stone and guided his spell into position to fix another fallen wall. As he moved his Res, he guided his body and staff with it in synchronized movements. He would not allow improper concentration to waste his precious Djed. He transmuted his Res again and repaired another wall. Now only one wall remained, and the ceilings as well. Since he could not see the roofed areas that needed to be repaired, those would need to be finished from inside. He guided the remains of his Res and stone to accompany him as he walked through the final damaged wall and then aligned his Res. This spell was considerably more difficult and taxing than the others, as his focus was harshly split.

In front of the undead was the Res to repair the wall, above that the ceiling. Behind him he twisted his staff around to fix the ceiling above the first created wall, and the second created wall beside that. To support the attracted stone alone was taxing, but to fine tune his spell on top of it was something else. Despite what he had said about not wishing to waste his Djed, he was still a wizard, and this meant nothing if he could not advance his skills from it. Though the strain of such a spell would cause him to pour sweat, if any moisture still remained within his vessel. Finally, after nearly a chime of fine turning, he was sure he had made the proper adjustments. He thumped hard the tip of his staff against the floor and transmuted the spell to solid stone.

And without the foresight of darkness being scattered across this unfamiliar home, he was now trapped within it. Miro groaned at himself for it, for it was as simple as locating a door. In his survey of the building he had made note of its location, but in his focus on casting had lost himself within the building. He produced a small orb or Res and lit it ablaze to produce some light, though he winced at its heat. It provided just enough light to lead him through a room and out of the building. With only two buildings repaired, he was surprised by how repetitive the work had become already. How he would manage this for a season was beyond him.

So onward the wizard strolled until he hit the next house on his list. This one was worse than either of the ones before, however that was possible. If things continued like this, he would be overgiven before he could finish the next building. But he could not distract himself with such things when there was work to be done. This was a case much like the first building, where the owners thought they were doing somebody a favor by removing the wreckage. This was however becoming quite the annoying occurrence by now. As was casting large spells. Again he reminded himself not to let such things distract him.

Since this was going to be a much more difficult task in terms of casting and aligning the spell, the Reimancer moved inside of the building. Well, within the territory of the building, for he was still very much outside. He pointed his staff and gripped it tightly as he accelerated his Djed along it and out as Res. The substance spouted forth in a plume that moved to form the missing material and continued to stream until the proper amount had been produced. It was enough to cause the wizard to begin panting, despite his status as an undead. A bad habit he hadn't gotten rid of yet entirely. But with the amount created, he could now do the alignment.

Miro used his staff to see that the dimensions of the perfectly measured, and then walked through the mass of gelatinous Res. When on the other side, he assured that his measurements on this side were perfect, and added any necessary Res to the spell to ensure that it was. When he had finished ensuring his work, and was sure it was perfect, he transmuted it to the familiar stone. He admired his work for a moment, as it was truly something to be proud of. But then he heard an unsettling noise. The sound of tension, the stone cracking under its own weight. He could only scowl as he watched his work crumble before him.

The results of the collapse were worse than when he had arrived. The collapse of his Reimancy had in fact taken some more of the existing structure down with it. The Reimancer threw his staff in anger and grasped his at his face. He knew the stone was not as stable, but he did not expect this. It was something he should have expected, or at least thought possible, but did not. Not even for a moment. And now he would have to fix even more of the home. At least now he had some debris to use. The wizard spoke the command word, "Return," and his staff came back to his hand. With it he began to produce the Res necessary to repair lift the rubble and fix the damage.

It would not use up much of his Res to complete the spell, mostly it was to move the stone into place, but this time he would brace it. He was not much for the art of architecture, but knew enough to create a pillar. When finally Miro had finished producing the Res necessary to complete the spell, if he thought the last one had worn him down, this one was worse. To cast such an amount so quickly after the last, he definitely was going to strain himself at this rate. This was only made worse as he attracted the earth and moved it into place. To organize the rubble was nearly impossible, and the stone was heavy.

The Chained One tightened his grip on his staff as he moved about, setting and organizing the pieces of rubble into a mass. It was lucky that most of it had fallen into line or was broken enough for it not to matter. What pieces could not be used for the wall were added to the pillar, and it seemed things were falling back into place. There was a growing metallic taste in his mouth, and he could feel his arm wavering as he held his staff outward. His mind became clouded, but still he pressed on. It was difficult to fine tune his spell, but finally he arranged the mass just right. He ensured the stone's placement and transmuted the Res to match. It was nearly identical to before, however in the center of the room was a broad pillar to support much of the weight.

It was a bit of hard work, but nothing too hard. In fact, Miro felt quite good. He was eager to do another home, for nothing could be as hard as that one. It seemed finally he had hit his stride and he could start to get things done quickly. Instead of this seeming like a chore, it was instead turning out to be quite the fun challenge. The Reimancer found his way to the next house, one only moderately damaged, and with people inside. How he hated people, wished they'd all just let him be. It hardly mattered though, he had his magic. He poised his staff to begin casting with a grin, but was interrupted. Ender had begun to speak to him via their telepathic bond.

"Miro, it is time to stop, you are showing the signs." But the undead did not want to stop, he was enjoying himself. But he certainly did not enjoy the lowly Irylid telling him what to do. "Signs? What signs? I feel great, and I have only just started for today. If I stop now, the work will never get done!" This was not an expected answer, but perhaps the wizard was blind to these symptoms. "Do you not see, you are trembling, and you are seeming overzealous to cast. Before you seemed to show some strain in controlling your spell, and even now you are not seeming yourself. This is exactly what you have told me to warn you of. You must stop."

Of course Ender was right to do so, and to take a firm approach was what anyone would do. But Miro was not most people, but instead a proud wizard. Not only a wizard, but a Chained One, one obsessed with domination. To be told what to do did not sit well with him. "I thought I told you not to bother me earlier. You know nothing of magic, and nothing of my limits. I know myself best, so you should remain quiet. You are ruining my ability to focus." And the Reimancer made a flourish of the staff, as if to cast again. But Ender was smart, he knew just how to leverage the situation in his favor.

The Irylid knew to work these cravings against his master, and this was done by making a threat. To challenge the ability to satisfy a craving was to force the undead to make a choice. "If you do not cease your work for today, I will assume my natural form and spout word of your misdeeds. I will tell the world of the things you do when nobody is watching. I will tell them how you wear lies at all times, and what you are capable of. I will tell them what you are. An undead who would see them ruined for his own gain. Stop or we will be run out of the city." It was a move that would not win him any affection, but might just save his master.

Miro set his staff down at his side and turned his face away from the Familiar. It was always such a pain for him to give into the demands of anyone else. This always made worse when it was his Familiar. Ender was the one being that could not be harmed, for fear of self-inflicted damage. He would concede, but only on the grounds that he get compensation. "Fine, I will do as you ask, but you will do something for me. For the rest of this season's work, you will survey the damage. I am tired of wasting my time doing so." It was an offer the creature was touched to be given, but he would never admit it. "Fine, if that is the only way, then I must. You certainly know how to get your way, don't you?"

[Neologism]

Skills & Lores

Skill	XP
Planning	+1 xp
Auristics	+2 xp
Meditation	+1 xp
Familiary	+2 xp
Observation	+2 xp
Architecture	+1xp
Construction	+1 xp
Negotiation	+1 xp

➢ Dressing For Work
➢ Ender: He Thinks You Are Odd
➢ Riemancy: Blending Stone
➢ Removing Wreckage Does Not Help In Repairing Homes
➢ Zeltiva Appreciates You
➢ Architecture: Creating A Stone Pillar (With Riemancy)
➢ Ender: He Likes To Participate In Your Projects

Comments

Everyone told me you were an amazing writer ... its true. Way to go Miro! Please remember to break up your posts next time, I would've like to give you more points ... If you find any problems or are concerned about anything, please let me know and we can work it out.