[Lyceum] Anything I wanted to know (Tabernac/NPC)

[Syllke Skyglow]

45 Summer, 511

Syllke stood before the unassuming edifice, squinting up at its one squat tower, the afternoon sun already beginning its descent in the bright blue sky. It would be a slow ride down the paths of heaven, and an incomplete one at that, for during these days of summer, the fiery celestial orb would merely teasingly dip beneath the horizon for a few short hours. In Avanthal, for a few weeks it was if the sun, jealous of the short time given her to bring some small modicum of warmth to the frozen land, tried to prolong every precious minute. In the middle of the season, she never once set even a toe down into the sea, and danced contented in the sky, daring the moon to try to usurp her brief reign. Syllke wondered how different the seasons and lengths of day would be here, further south. He wondered more how the light that graced Denval would play on the surfaces to be found here, and in the depths of its various substances. For now, though, he was thinking of the rumbling in his stomach and the need for some place to stow his gear, if not actually to rest his head. He could sleep anywhere, literally. His was a mind blessed with the gift of easy slumber, and his body and brain were equipped to deal with the harshest of outdoor environments – at least northern ones. But, he wasn’t here in Denval to take to the hills and live like a wild animal. As much as he craved to explore and know his physical environment, he craved the company of his fellow man in equal measure. He needed a place to live, and a means of maintainning himself. So, the first order of business, now that he was here, was to seek out the one at the Lyceum to which he had been referred, many, many months ago.

The Denvali merchant who had been invited to eat with his family had been a well educated man. He was greatly intrigued by all the various artwork produced by the Skyglow families, and had spent some time admiring Syllke’s carving and sculptures and jewelry. An offhand comment had sparked the young man’s nearly constant dream of leaving Avanthal and going south, to explore the rest of this alluring, amazing world. If you’re ever in Denval, the merchant had said, be sure to stop by the Lyceum. They’re always looking for teachers – might be they could use a man like you, teaching art and Vantha culture to . . . whoever might be interested. Worth looking into anyway, if you’re ever down that way. We are a community that’s anxious to relearn what was kept from us for so very long.

And finally, here he was, standing before the modest institute of learning. Not a grand center of study and scholarship, by the standards of some of the other regions of Mizahar, according to what Syllke had heard. But still, as he looked at its quaint stone construction, he smiled. It seemed quite . . . homey, even though he had never laid eyes on it before. With a spring in his step, he approached the large wooden doors and knocked briskly using a heavy brass knocker.

[Tabarnac]

After a few breaths, the door opened to the Vantha sculptor and a sword-thin redhead stood measuring him with ruthlessly intense eyes. His insides were only sorted out from the outside for a moment before she offered him a warm, if spare, smile. She looked tired around the edges, mostly around the eyes, but she stepped back to let him in. "Welcome to the Lyceum, traveler," she said in perfect Vani, the language of his people. "And Denval. You must be new if I haven't met you yet. My name is Astrid. What can I do for you?" Inside, the large, squarish room that made up the base of the tower was dim and cool as if it kept a seed of winter within to refresh all comers even in the heat of summer. It was a common area, with tables and chairs for study, all looking like they could be rearranged without too much effort to make it a lecture hall or whatever else the academically minded might require. A door opposite the entrance led back into rooms that had been added on to the back of the tower. The Denvali were adept at making the most of limited space and resources, even going so far as to dig into the rock if they had a surfeit of miners or geomancers at any given time, though much of that was focused on the building of the Road to Sultros that would link them to the Suvan Sea, a safer route than around wild Falyndar and burning Eyktol, or the frozen seas of the northerly route.

[Syllke Skyglow]

The heavy door seemed to be perfectly balanced, and the hinges well oiled, for within a moment it swung inward silently and easily. Syllke nodded politely to the young woman who greeted him so solemnly, impressed by her perfect Vani. “Thank you, Astrid.” Already Sylke was wondering what connection this slim reed of a girl might have, if any, with the leader of Denval, Captain Astrid. He thought he would surely find out, sooner or later. Right now, though, he would put his request to her and see if they might have need of his skill here at the place of learning. “I am Syllke, of the Skyglow Hold. And you are correct – I have just this day arrived in your city, from Avanthal.”

His eyes, shimmering with warm tones of red in the dark brown depths, took in the dimensions, furnishings and construction of the room in which he found himself. Like the exterior of the building, it all seemed very . . . peaceful, somehow. It was as if there was a soothing quality in the air, echoed by the quiet, and some pending sense of industrious pursuit of knowledge. Syllke was very much taken with the surroundings. His gaze came back to the young redheaded woman, and still smiling he said in a quiet voice, “I was directed here to the Lyceum by a Denvali merchant who came to our city many months ago. He said that if I was ever fortunate enough to visit Denval, that I should present myself here – if my stay was to be a prolonged one. He thought that perhaps you’d have some use for my skills, such as they are. Perhaps as a teacher?” Syllke shrugged modestly. “I’ve never been a teacher, not formally. But I have shown many people many things.” He lifted his pack, which was slung over his shoulder, a bit. “I have my tools, for carving, sculpting, drawing. This merchant said the Denvali were anxious to learn more about the rest of Mizahar.”

Pausing, he ducked his head slightly, not from any false modesty but because he wasn’t very adept yet at selling himself to others. “So . . . “ He said, drawing it out as he wondered if he should just be direct. Taking the plunge, as he had nothing to lose, he went on. “Would you be interested in hiring me – as a teacher here at your lovely school?”

[Tabarnac]

The Lyceum was a modest affair by most standards, but an ambitious one for a settlement of seven hundred souls, with their small library and the spirit of education for any and all who were willing to teach or to learn. There were even some small facilities for scientific and magical research. A census would be held in winter to determine how many they were now; there were always people leaving to have adventures, children born, foreigners come for an isolated locale for whatever reason. It seemed more crowded than she could remember, and this made her happy, though there were troubles this season that cast a pall over everything. "Syllke," she repeated, managing to get the particular Vani music to his name. "You are welcome here, and most welcome to teach your skills to our people. I will spread the word that we have a carver come from Avanthal, and I'm sure you will have some students, though perhaps you should meet people in the Stranger's Welcome and elsewhere, try to find some students of your own. That will determine your pay, of course. "If you are going to stay for a while, I might commission an ice sculpture for the square in front of the Captain's Hall, for which you would be paid. In the meantime, I can set you up with housing. Newcomers are given a season without rent in order to get their feet under them, but you should definitely consider it. Oleg's place, the Stranger's Welcome, it's lovely, but costs too much for anything more permanent than a few weeks."

[Syllke Skyglow]

Syllke smiled happily. “A place to stay would be great – any corner you can stick me in would be appreciated. I don’t have much.” He jiggled his pack again, and laughed softly. “My uncles taught me to travel light and fast, though my plan is to plant myself here in Denval for at least a while.” His eyes roved over the hall again and then came back to her face, her features intriguing, though definitely drawn. He thought perhaps one day he would ask her if he could sketch out those lines – lines of power and grace and resolve. A hard face for a woman, but lovely nonetheless.

“And I’ll do that – scout out the places where I might find a student or two. Or maybe sell some things I’ve made. But free housing will sure help - and you spreading the word. Or . . . . your – assistants.” He hesitated, not knowing still if this Astrid was the Astrid. It seemed that she might well be – with her talk of commissioning work for the town. But still, perhaps this young woman was only in charge of such things – by virtue of her role at the Lyceum? Syllke could hardly imagine the leader of the whole settlement hawking a new teacher at the school, and he didn’t want to come across as arrogant, acting as if she would.

Not being one for beating about the bush, he asked bluntly, “Are you Captain Astrid? I mean, not to be nosy, but . . . if you are the leader of Denval, why are you here at the Lyceum?”

[Tabarnac]

"I am Captain Astrid," she admitted, her weary smile transforming as if by magic, her posture becoming somehow more perfect. There was the faintest of glows around her hands, Priskil's gnosis shining through when she was tired and worn thin. Even faint, it set the people in its range at ease, offering peace and hope. But it wouldn't do for the Sword of Denval to show weakness, not to a newcomer who could stay and keep the harbor clear of ice through the winter, teach his skills to her people, better her settlement. "As the leader of Denval, I am more responsible than anyone for continuing my education, the better to lead my people with wisdom." That said, she considered him. "There are rooms here that you could use, or I could let one of the houses in town to you. The accommodations here are a bit more spartan, but would be less expensive when I do start charging you rent." Her smile was generous rather than calculating in that regard; the idea of offering free rent for a season had been her idea, after all. "If you stay here, I might also ask you to take some administrative duties on yourself. We are stretched a bit thin these days, and that way I could offer you some income above and beyond what you earn for your classes. Things have been rather laissez-faire around here and I would like to see that change before our guest professors from Zeltiva arrive, hopefully before Winter. Would you like to be our Registrar?"

[Syllke Skyglow]

Syllke was not as up on the more southern deities as he might have been. So when he felt just that much more comfortable here in the common room of the tower, when he relaxed more visibly and thought once again what a homey place this was, he hadn’t a clue that the faint glow of Astrid’s hands were in some way connected to his ambient feeling of contentment. He only nodded, affably, her words making a lot of sense. It seemed a win-win situation – his needs weren’t elaborate. Any simple digs would do. And having the extra, steady income would be nice. The additional duties of being registrar, whatever in the world that might be, would probably allow him to meet both students and staff – including these Zeltivans – and that was a huge plus in the young man’s opinion. Anything that increased the spectrum of experience for him would be embraced with open arms.

I’m quite honored to meet you, then, Captain.” He said politely. “And I think your offer is more than fair. In fact, you offer far more than you might realize. It would tickle me no end to help you out – and enjoy the opportunities that would give me.” Syllke was grinning. “I’m not exactly the best when it comes to organization, I’ll warn you now. My mind doesn’t want to work that way. But – I can give it a try and you can scold me when I get it wrong.” Apparently, the Vantha artist had not yet built up the important skill of selling himself well.

Syllke stuck out his hand, curious as to whether Astrid’s would be warm and vital or cold and withdrawn. She seemed to be a woman of a wide mix of emotional range, though she kept her face carefully fixed. “I think a room here would suit me just fine. I have simple tastes – at least when it comes to where I sleep.”

[Tabarnac]

The skin of her hand was cool to the touch as she shook his firmly, but her smile, when it came, was warm. "Consider it a challenge, then," she said. "And take notes of things to remind you later." She, of course, had more than one secretary to help her keep the small settlement working properly, though each of them only worked part time. "Come, I'll show you the caretaker's room." She led the way through the back end of the original tower and into the buildings added on into the back. There was a dim set of stairs lit only by a small window and the suddenly more apparent glow of her hands, and when they ascended one flight, she led him into a room, unlocked with a key she took off a key ring. It was of middling size, cave dark toward the back, but with plenty of bright summer sunshine coming from a couple of windows opposite the door. There was utilitarian furniture of all sorts, nothing that gave it any particular personality, but she figured that was up to him. An artist would splash personality all over the place. Instead she led him toward the windows, and it became apparent that some of this room was dug out of the very rock. "The light always shines on this window when the sun is up," she explained, "and between that and the tree outside, nobody can really peek into your business, but you can see out." Out was a little garden, partly for meditation and partly for vegetables and herbs, though it was looking a little overgrown at the moment. "You can raise a bit of food for yourself if you like. If you don't know the first thing about it," he was a Vantha, after all, "you can go up to the Farm and talk to Theo or Seodai, or, really, anyone who has a little garden can give you tips. It's nice not to depend entirely on the market. And winter will be here before we know it." She handed him the key. It might have seemed like too much trust, but then, it was difficult to escape Denval if the Captain didn't want you to do so.

[Tabarnac]

XP Award! Syllke XP Award: Interrogation +2; Observation +2 Additional Notes: Syllke has a place to stay and work. Do remember to PM me for your seasonal XP and income, but in that PM, send me links to your threads where you are teaching and/or helping people find teachers/students. Feel free to PM me if you have any questions or concerns. Keep writing!