Falling into the Madness

[Savis Maren]

77th of Autumn, 518

"Sil?"

Savis Maren called out for the mannequin, her eyes set on its wooden stand and finding it to be empty. How odd, she thought to herself, curious to know exactly how the tiny automaton could've possibly shifted from its place without her permission. Did she simply forget to put it back in its spot? Or worse yet, did she fail to use the kill-switch 'Roza'? What might happen if she did? Savis Maren searched and searched within her apartment, her gaze falling to the ground. Djed welled within the Nuit's eyes, a foreign and very much disturbing panic following it. The automaton, Sil, was the tool Savis Maren thought she performed the weakest Animation magic on in her time in Lhavit. The mannequin itself wasn't fully functional either, with its non-existent shoulder joints that made its movements clumsy.

The Nuit, however, didn't care about any of that as the djed flooded her gaze, silver eyes ablaze with the coursing djed. She sought to synchronize with the mannequin's familiar aura, but the Sight only rose the billowing smoke of the other animations she'd made in her time in Lhavit. One by one, Savis Maren linked to the Voice Box, stored in a drawer at her desk. Then, she shifted her attention to Wheels, who stood inert, propped against a wall and kept in place by her satchel set against it in turn. Such auras were laden with the swell of artificial souls, but the Nuit need not linger on them for longer than necessary. She knew her tools rather well and instead sought after the missing Sil, who was nowhere to be found.

How could he wander off? I suppose with the lack of instructions, the budding intelligence within Sil might force him to follow his previous instructions? Madeira brought him back to me unharmed during our encounter... she mused, attempting to breach into her memories for additional instructions she might have provided the tiny automaton. Furrowed eyebrows betrayed the rare nuances of emotion, often left to rot within the Nuit's repertoire unused, but this... this was a truly unsettling thing for the undead sorceress. She thought back, allowing the Sight to dissipate from her silver eyes as she reflected. She set into her chair as the vestiges of memory welled within her and the world whittled away as a consequence.

Deep within the heart of the Bharani Library, Savis Maren mused on the workings of the Ancient Tongue, referencing a translation guide that featured Nader-canoch, Common and Arumenic. She summoned Sil with the use of his name, commanding the automaton to retrieve for her additional tomes to segue into her next sphere of interest. Did such a command confuse the automaton? Sil proved over and over again a degree of incompetence, an inability to process information to the degree she wished of it. However, Savis, in spite of Sil's numerous flaws and lacking cognitive functions, was her mistake to have.

Where are you, you bumbling fool? she thought to herself, pursing her lips as she rose from her chair. Savis Maren pushed that chair back into the space beneath her desk, pulling her satchel up and looping it around her shoulders. The Nuit did not bring Wheels or the arm with her, reasoning that one lost automaton was enough for today. Savis threw one of her scarves over her shoulder, tying it about her neck before pushing through the front door of her apartment and making her way towards the Bharani Library. Savis Maren did her utmost to offset the feelings of panic that welled within her, to no avail. Her gait was slow, eyes turned down. She opted for her hooded coat, throwing that hood over her head as her silver eyes cast along the floor in a futile effort to find her 'precious' automaton.

WC: 645

[Savis Maren]

77th of Autumn, 518

The slow step of the Nuit rendered the trip to Bharani Library longer than most, but there was the great distraction, the offset of panic that threw itself into her thoughts as she tried to rationalize everything. She dove back into memory as she wove through the city, to the moment she purchased the tool from Lucis with the intent of re-familiarizing herself with the processes that entailed the discipline of Animation. The Nuit knew the ramifications of using herself as the Source, of bestowing emotion and understanding into an object. Of course, as she grew more and more into the understanding of Animatio, she ignored those telltale warnings, believing herself capable of sifting through the emotional attachments that made Sil so difficult to come to terms with.

Savis Maren let a 'hmph' escape her lips as, at last, she reached the summit of Tenten and climbed through the streets on that peak until she reached the Bharani Library. The Nuit didn't waste time, the memories of the past whittling to nothingness as she made her way to the lovely, ornate desk where a ghastly woman sat. Her gaze was cool as it looked over the Nuit, familiar faces and presences on both side. However, Savis Maren very rarely spoke to the woman and as such, didn't know her name when she approached. However, Savis was all business and no smiles as she looked over the hideous, pale woman in front of her.

"Has a mannequin been spotted in the Library?" she asked, her hands limp at her sides as she posed that askance.

"A mannequin?" Silvya Toha asked, her face kept void of the irritation that clearly manifested in her voice. Of course, Savis didn't seek to spill all of her secrets, and when forced into specifying, she leaned forward to breathe the words in confidence. Silvya Toha surely couldn't help the twitch in her as the astringent musk of formaldehyde that the Nuit's preservation efforts bestowed onto her.

"Last season, Ms..."

"Silvya Toha," she answered with some measure of reluctance.

"Ah, perfect. Ms. Toha, then. I felt the need to forge myself anew in my path as an Animator. I reviews the basics of the discipline's principles, utilizing a mannequin created by Edward Lucis. I brought it to life with my magic, but it's become more and more clear that the automaton lacks in certain functions. I wish to recover it as quickly, and discretely as possible to analyze it closely."

She wove a tale of emergency, though the matter was likely far less serious than that. At least, in regards to other people. Savis Maren insisted on the assistance of Silvya Toha, but it seemed the Seeker had other plans for her day. Instead, she merely shook her head, shrugging her shoulders as Savis' bluffing words were ill-received.

"Unfortunately, I cannot help you. Nothing's been found or turned in to this desk. As you know, you're free to wander the grounds in search of your... tool. However, I'll ask you to remain quiet as you do so."

"Certainly," the Nuit spoke, a somewhat scathing tone strewn forth at the receptionist before she stepped away from that counter. Savis' pace was slow and steady as she moved towards the corner of the Library she'd taken to the day prior. She doubted the notion that Sil would just... be there, but she had no choice but to follow every lead she could imagine, lest she lose Sil forever. The Nuit, when she reached that corner saw nothing that immediately aroused her attention. The stone tables were immaculate, and she'd done her part in putting away the book she'd taken. However, Savis, when she looked to the stacks, found the tomes near the ground shifted, their pattern broken and several upside down.

WC: 633

[Savis Maren]

77th of Autumn, 518

Curious, she thought to herself, shifting her weight before falling to her knees to better catch a better glimpse of the tomes. She pulled each upside tome from its place in the shelf, flipping through the pages, but to no avail. Was she reading into things too much? Was the Nuit searching after signs that simply didn't exist? Savis Maren found her fingers carry a twitch along the pages as she hissed quietly in that corner of the library. She turned the tomes in her hand before allowing each one to sift back into their place, right side up, into their place on the shelves.

Where can this blasted thing be? Would someone take him? Would Sil allow himself to be taken? His programming wouldn't be intuitive to other people, or even mages. How long would he stay 'on' independently? Indefinitely? Until the djed powering him dissipates? Do Animations have lifespans? Or does the djed replenish within the Life Principle as it would a mortal soul? she wondered to herself as she rose to her feet. For all she knew of the discipline she treasured most, there were so many other questions that her practice raised. Things that seemed trivial were anything but when the ramifications of not knowing those things were considered after the fact. Slowly, the Nuit moved away from that dark corner of the library and onward to the adjacent section.

When Savis Maren moved to the next section of the stacks, her eyebrows arched. This section was rife with disaster. It looked like a book was torn to shreds, pieces of pages strewn about as if a child or an animal infiltrated the library and began ripping apart books. The Nuit wouldn't dare jump to conclusions, but she felt a rush of exhiliration as she allowed herself to manifest the Sight once again. Djed welled from the depths of Savis' soul, winding forth from the ichor of her spirit and rising along the length of her spine. It rose forth until it encompassed her eyes, silver orbs ablaze.

Savis Maren allowed her gaze to bleed through the stacks, intent of winding forth and throughout the stacks. Synchronizing with that aura, she felt information arise in thin, billowing smoke that wove through her consciousness. The Nuit felt the warmth of past hands moving along the stacks, the shifting movement of tomes before she settled lower. Savis Maren's attention moved next to the ruined book on the floor, its pages ripped from its binding. No such warmth or signs of contact were on that tome, and the Nuit allowed the Sight to weave a tighter synergy with the tome as she crouched in front of it. Savis Maren, in truth, did not like this sort of posture, her balance somewhat clumsy and the effort of maintaining the pose not quite worth the knowledge gained from drawing closer. She picked it up quickly, rising to her feet as she opened the tome and began to flip through this one in turn.

Pages upon pages were ripped from the spine, but moreover, the ones that remained were littered with scribbles and texts. Circles were drawn with a tall box situated on top of them. A third circle completed a strange drawing that reminded Savis Maren of a crude representation of Wheels.

Sil? she wondered, curious to figure how the automaton thought to draw such a representation into the book. She flipped onwards, a stick figure drawn in a strange, forward posture. Hair draped its shoulders but Savis Maren saw no such parallels as she had the former. Perhaps it was her? But she couldn't be sure. The Nuit threw the book aside, figuring it useless to her cause as she sought to move forward with her efforts. Too much time was wasted on fruitless efforts and there was a whole library to search through.

Is it even worth it to look for Sil? I could replace him! she exclaimed within the confines of her mind. Savis, despite the rational complaint in her mind, refused to abandon the automaton. More and more, she grew impatient, distressed, and her fingers clenched into fists as she began to, for the first time in her time in Lhavit, lose confidence in her ability to accomplish a task she set forth on.

WC: 723

[Savis Maren]

77th of Autumn, 518

The task, admittedly, was monumental in nature. Searching for an object capable of movement, but discrete enough to not draw a great deal of attention had the Nuit in a massive dilemma. She grew distraught, her silver eyes wide with the distaste of being forced into this situation by nothing more or less than her utter lack of vigilance. Clearly, she'd forgotten to utter the switch word, 'Roza' and was suffering tremendously for it. Never had it occurred to Savis Maren that she felt anything but contempt for the automaton, whose utility was marred by so many flaws. Was there a measure of pride in her first creation that truly belonged to her? Or were the very flaws that defined Sil what made it so precious to her? The Nuit continued to muse on the nature of her attachment, curious to find the ground in front of her marred with black pockmarks that imprinted into the surface. They were paired, but grew fainter with each repetition until they vanished entirely.

Footsteps? she asked herself before allowing her gaze to follow the trajectory. They moved to the next stack, and Savis Maren was inclined to follow. She moved to the next stack, to find an entire shelf emptied of books at the ground level. The books were stacked to form some sort of scalable stairs, leading up into the subsequent shelf, a curious formation that the Nuit could only attribute to an intelligence attempting to move into a vantage point. The shelf the 'staircase' led to was marred with books disheveled and crammed back into their place. Spines protruded from the stacks in multiples, in what looked to lead higher and higher until the displaced books ended at the summit of the stacks.

Was this Sil? What in the world was he doing? Scaling the shelf? Searching out higher ground? The blasted thing's smarter than I gave it credit for, she mused. Eyes narrowed as she looked to the top of the shelf to find that the spines were accompanied by marred books, destroyed by some sort of struggle. Other tomes were strewn throughout the aisle and Savis Maren was compelled to leave the aisle lest she be blamed for this massive struggle that took place in the library without any of the Seekers finding out about it. In fact... this entire scene seemed to be overlooked by the keepers of the Library...

Or perhaps it took place too recently to be noticed? I have no way of figuring out how long it's been, she reasoned aloud before switching gears and refocusing herself on the task at hand. The Nuit stepped back and invoked the Sight, allowing the wellspring of her djed to pour forth once again. The silvery hue of her eyes set ablaze as she sought to look through the shelf and to the expanse of space at the top. Clearing her mind of the dust that settled on that surface, she found little to appease her curiosity aside from the shifting of dust in the shape of footprints similar to what she'd witnessed earlier. Clearly, she was on Sil's trail, if this was the automaton's path at all. She stepped through the aisle, narrowing her eyes in frustration before allowing the Sight to dwindle entirely from her eyes. She grew weary of its use, finding her ability to focus growing less and less as time passed on.

I'm pushing my djed to the limits of its capacity. Endangering myself for this foolish toy... But, I need to find it. I've spent far too much time doing this to turn back now, she added with a resolute huff. This was the last stack on her path, however, and she was remiss to find any kind of additional evidence of Sil's presence. The trail, as it were, went cold, and Savis Maren was left as hollow as a corpse could be in the midst of her nightmares. Defeat swelled within her, and she furrowed her brow, throwing up her hands as, at last, she surrendered to fate.

It's gone, she said, repeating it out loud before her fist crashed into the nearest stack. She put force behind the motion, striking the bookcase. Several tomes flew out of it, but the Nuit felt nothing. There was no relief or peace to be had. Instead, she was lost, just as Sil was.

WC: 735

[Savis Maren]

77th of Autumn, 518

Distraught and at a loss for how to proceed forth with her little investigation, Savis Maren left the stacks of Bharani Library and sought after a Seeker in one final, desperate bid for finding the mannequin Animation. She found one such keeper of the library at the very first stack the Nuit visited. The entire space was in disarray, from ruined books to others merely set out of order. The Seeker seemed livid, and looked to Savis Maren with an incredulous gaze.

"What the Hai do you think you're doing? Undead bitch, you're here all the time and this is how you respect the place? Out, out!" the Seeker, a middle-aged woman with an air of superiority about her, shouted. She moved towards Savis, getting up in the Nuit's space which of course prompted her to step back. The motion repeated several times and Savis tripped over her feet. She fell backward, landing on her rump with no shortage of embarrassment. The Seeker seemed nonplussed by the turn of events, but Savis falling seemed to calm her down at the very least. She didn't help the Nuit up, and instead of asking for it, Savis looked to the Seeker with an air of disdain on her expression,

"I caused none of the destruction here," she stated adamantly. The Seeker pursed her lips, not in the slightest bit inclined to believe Savis. However, the two were interrupted by the arrival of a house cat that jumped up to a nearby table before leaping onto the Seeker's shoulder. What a strange habit for a cat, the Nuit mused, though the Nuit's attention was immediately taken by pieces of paper and wood that clung to the cat's claws. Savis' eyes widened, horrified to understand the implications of what those pieces meant.

"Is that yours?" she said, pointing to the cat with ever-widening eyes. She rose to her feet, fists clenched against the floor for a brief moment. The Seeker merely shrugged her shoulders, "What's it to you?"

"Clearly, that cat is the reason behind this wanton destruction. Look at her claws... Paper... and wood?! Did she attack my Sil?" she demanded. The name was spoken quite loudly, and Savis Maren was utterly bemused by what followed. The wooden automaton slid from the underside of the nearest stack, brushing its body of copious amounts of dust before approaching Savis Maren. Claw marks were all over its wooden form, stabbed into its chest, teeth marks on its arms and legs. The wooden doll was missing half of its right foot, as well. Ruined beyond all manner of its former, simplistic beauty, the Sil that resurfaced from that dreadful, dusty shelf was a hollow shell of its former self. As Savis Maren looked over the automaton, she ignored the Seeker and her precious, evil feline companion. Instead, the Nuit picked Sil up, cooing 'Roza' to it to allow the automaton to fall limp in her grasp. She brushed past the Seeker, and made her way to her home, fully intent on repairing the automaton to the best of her abilities, at least.

"What a monster," the Nuit spoke aloud as she passed the Seeker by, scathing in her remark as her cold fingertips trailed along the marked and scarred body of the tool she loved and hated most of all.

WC: 555

[Madeira Dusk]

Grades Awarded!

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Savis Maren

Skills

• Auristics: 3xp
• Investigation: 4xp
• Logic: 3xp
• Observation: 5xp
• Rhetoric: 2xp
• Persuasion: 2xp
• Meditation: 2xp

Lores

• Investigation: retracing steps
• People: Silvya Toha
• Silvya Toha: receptionist at the Bharani Library
• Investigation: looking for witnesses
• Persuasion: asking for assistance
• Investigation: following clues
• Meditation: introspection and a measure of self
• Lore of being wrongly accused

Awards & Retribution


Notes
Notes here.