Learn to Fly?! [Open]

Auldwin knows his best Ghostly talent is Possession, and he seeks to improve his grasp upon it.

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Not found on any map, Endrykas is a large migrating tent city wherein the horseclans of Cyphrus gather to trade and exchange information. [Lore]

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Learn to Fly?! [Open]

Postby Akilah Windsong on November 1st, 2011, 2:54 am

She felt a little young, listening to his words. Young and inexperienced, not knowing what she had and wishing for what she can't. It was like sitting at her father's feet, listening to his stories of her mother's adventures. Slow, and to the point, he would languidly tell her tales of hunts and mishaps, of rogues and wild chases.

And she, the young child she was, would always get up to the end and pretend to fight with her cousins, an imaginary sword in each hand. He'd look at her then, eyes tired and a weary smile decorating his face. A small ruffle of her hair and sending her off to bed.

Maybe she had to be an adult to understand the look on her father's face, the tone of the ghost's voice. Though she couldn't make out his face clearly and his words were just as muffled, the meaning behind them was clear as day behind them.

And that meaning was something she couldn't really understand. Her face, she knew, must be coloured with her confusion. Her father once told her, You never know how important something is till you've lost it.

The sun, though less bright and cooler, was still above, colouring the sky and earth infinitely around her. Her skin was warm, her heart strong. Just what did she have to fear?

Many things. Nothing. Maybe she would be an adult when she understood fear, not the childish misgiving of an object, but the true fear of losing something. Of having lost something.

"A ghost killed you?" That sounded both humourous and morbid at the same time. "Ghosts can kill people?" Incredulous, she stared at him. Calmer and more defined, he seemed no threat at the moment. Hesitantly, she approached him, turning her head this way and that as she took in his appearance.

This smoke-and-mirrors creature could kill her. He had been solid enough when he carried the bird, but not stable. "Could I touch you?" Was he cold? Hot?

Staring at the ground around her, she stared at the lone tree on the grassy hill. Had he died at this exact spot, making him wait for that one season that the city moved here, or did he die in the city?

All these questions popped up and her face coloured when she realized she had not thought of him at all. Stupid, stupid, no wonder her father always gave her that look when she brought someone home. Remembering her manners, she sheepishly added, "I hope you find him. Her. Though...if a ghost killed you, what can you do to the ghost? It's already dead."
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Learn to Fly?! [Open]

Postby Auldwin on November 1st, 2011, 5:44 pm

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"In life, I was just a man. I worked for my wage, lived simply. Mostly construction and labor." he began, explaining just how dangerous Ghosts were was not easy, when you were one yourself. The last thing Auldwin wanted was a group of Ghost hunters out for his Soulmist simply because he happened to be around. The Soulmist of Ghosts was a powerful thing, he understand. Ghosts could be powerful things, if they wished it. "I never had contempt from anyone. I never fought anyone. I had disagreements like everyone else with friends, co-workers. My wife. But those things always got resolved." he reminisced. Sometimes just talking to Humans made him feel more Human himself. Those conversations brought back some of the feeling of what it was like to be alive again.

"Ghosts can kill people. The one that killed me did so more easily than the most powerful hunter you could imagine. That death couldn't have been resisted, I would have had a better chance being a target for assassination. You see, as I can utilize the birds body, the Ghost took over my body. It was inside of me for days. Toying with me. Finally, I suspect when it tired of me, or chose to move on it had me walk out into the Sea of Grass, where I was torn apart by a group of Glassbeaks." his voice lowered a bit, telling that story was always difficult. While certain memories of life had faded slightly, such as what it was like to feel hungry, or the slick sensation of sweat rolling down your brow, that feeling of getting disemboweled was still quite fresh.

"Touch me? Yes, and no. You would touch my Soulmist, it is all that's left of my existence. The remnants of my physical body, which I will never have again. I've been told the Soulmist is very cold, uncomfortable, like icy water. However..." he felt it necessary to mention, reaching out with a hand and poking Akilah in the shoulder. That certainly felt real. His touch had both weight and force behind it if he wished, but it was only through sheer force of will, not through any movement of mass. Something akin to Projection in the world of magic, he could interact with the world the more he learned to control the mists that made him.

"...you'll see I can touch you easily enough. So yes, Ghosts are dangerous. As to what I can do to a Ghost...I don't know. Mastering my Soulmist will allow me to interact with it physically, exact some revenge...'physically' so to speak. Mostly I just want to know why. Why me. Why then. That's no matter for now though. I'll do whatever it takes. But finding the Ghost, is going to be difficult. But...I have found that your people know of a skill. The ultimate skill for gaining information and finding someone, or something. It's called 'Webbing'". he finished his thought on that note. Auldwin knew the Drykas had a monopoly on that mystic skill, the idea of using Djed as conduits of information over miles, infinitely so with enough skill.
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Learn to Fly?! [Open]

Postby Akilah Windsong on November 2nd, 2011, 4:14 am

She listened to his story, unnerved by his words. He seemed ordinary, boring in fact, during his life, yet he became a target. Unaware and unable to do anything until the ghost decided to kill him.

It was that easy for the ghost to take him, that easy for his life to flare out. Shivering slightly, she stared at her hands for a moment. A ghost could reside in her and she would be powerless in its grasp. "How scary," she murmured.

A little frightened, she bit her lip and shook it off. She would have to read up on these ghosts when she got home. Never would she be caught unawares like he was.

A sympathetic noise escaped her lips at the end of the tale. His voice dropped--it must be hard to talk about your death, harder still to remember and wonder and answer the questions on your own.

"Could you tell that you were possessed?" Her question, she knew, was not easy or kind. It would be better if she didn't speak at all, but she was her mother's daughter and feelings and questions were better expressed than repressed.

Fingers pressed into her skin like freezing rain, ice-cold on her skin. She shuddered, the contrast in temperatures shocking. There was still force behind that push, a firm hand on her shoulder, but the cold was more solid than the force behind it and she was only too glad when he moved it away.

If a ghost were to possess her, she would know. No one could forget that kind of cold, bone-numbing and paralyzing. To have it all over her body, she'd be surprised if she could move after having such a heavy thing on her.

"Good luck," she replied, her shoulder slowly growing warm once more. She rubbed one hand on it, her warmth seeping through the thin cloth. "Though if he..she?....killed you without a warning, I wonder if it will ever tell you the reason."

"Webbing, that's true. I think it should be able to sense ghosts like you if it can sense every one else in Cyprus." Around her, she knew, a network lay. A fine web, she closed her eyes and imagined it, the glowing threads that intricately scarred the land. As she wasn't going to become an Ankal, she hadn't learned much of its technique, just the bare basics that any Drykas should know. "You'd have to ask the Sapphire clan if they could help, they know more of the Web than anyone else."
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Learn to Fly?! [Open]

Postby Auldwin on November 2nd, 2011, 1:49 pm

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"Yes, and no." he explained at first. The idea behind Possession was a bit ambiguous, especially if one had never experienced it before. Just as all things there were gaps in levels of skill from one Ghost to the next. A Ghost with no experience in Possession could have trouble Possessing even a child, while an experienced Ghost could Possess nearly anyone at will, regardless of their intellect or mental strength. "At times I felt it, other times I did not. The process itself is...exhausting, mentally and physically. It's like being violently ill, and not remembering it."

Memories while Possessed were a tricky thing, they didn't always hang around for very long, and when they did they weren't always clear. However, the Ghost that Possessed Auldwin had a stronger, more fearsome ability, "At times the Ghost would lay dorment inside of me, just lingering. It was there, although you nor I would be able to tell. When it brought me out into the Sea of Grass it allowed me to feel those last few moments." That was the fact that really got Auldwin's Soulmist agitated. When Possessing a creature a Ghost feels no pain, Auldwin knew this now. Thus, when damage happened to his Human body, the Ghost would have no reprocussions itself. Just the knowledge that it's hosts life was shutting down.

"Whoever it was haunted me for several days before I died. If it simply wanted me dead it could have done so at any time. I never made any enemies, and I come from an unremarkable family. It's possible I was simply a target, but the thought of something else drives me insane." his words were met with valuable information. The Sapphire Clan, now he had a starting point. The problem was having some valuable in trade. Auldwin didn't believe anyone would so easily utilize their magic for his own selfish reasons. Not without gaining something in return.

"I see, in time I will ask them. I'm...not quite ready yet." The readiness he spoke of was both involving the strength of his Soulmist, and his capacity to mentally prepare for finding out the truth. What if he gained all the answers he sought, would he be satisfied? Would it instead crush what was left of his Soul and leave him twisted and insane, like some of the phantoms that existed solely for the purpose of offending the living population? "Auldwin." he said finally, "That's what I was known as in life. Don't spread it around too much. Not everyone is so accepting of the dead."
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Learn to Fly?! [Open]

Postby Akilah Windsong on November 7th, 2011, 3:37 am

She bit her lip as she listened to his tale. The anonymity in it scared her, the possibility that it could happen anytime, anywhere, to anyone. When she returned home, she would research these Ghosts. They might not all be destructive, they might not all be manipulative, but it only took one to take a life.

It only took one for to end up like this ghost in front of her, confused and lost. Filled with rage, consumed by revenge, always wondering why.

She would never let herself end up like that. Never.

Owlishly, she blinked at his words. Not ready? She would have disappeared by now, back into the city and hunting anyone dressed in the dark blues that marked the Sapphire clan. Then again, he might have to fight the ghost. Considering how he was practicing with the crow, he needed it.

Speaking of which, she glanced down to the crow, which remained immobile on the ground. Not even a wing beat, its chest barely rising and sinking. A ghost possession lasted longer than she thought, or he could be using some of that black stuff that made his body to keep it down.

"Ah," she realized it was his name he was giving her. Auldwin. It was strange to think that faint figure in front of her was a person. The name gave him more weight. His form seemed more human-like, solid now. Having seen it emerge from the crow like tornado of black, she didn't doubt it can take on other forms. Maybe he could change shape, into cubes and trees and other people.

"I'm Akilah." She gave a faint grin. "Don't spread it around too much--not all ghosts are as nice as you."
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Learn to Fly?! [Open]

Postby Auldwin on November 7th, 2011, 5:44 pm

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"Fair enough." he responded. The crow wasn't doing all that much, but that was from the exhaustion of extended Possession, as well as potentially the stun of having it's body attacked by the canine. The bird seemed to still live at the very least, but Auldwin could remember the paralyzing feeling of being Possessed. The only positive thing that flooded into his mind about being a Ghost is that he would never himself have to personally experience such a feeling again.

There didn't seem to be too much to fret from on the Human side of things at the moment. Although he was understanding more and more how to find Ghosts, he hadn't seen any besides himself in the Endrykas area. It was possible that five years after his death the Ghost that killed him could have moved on, either having fulfilled it's purpose somewhere along the line, or went to some other place in the world. It was also possible that the Ghost was such a master at Possession or Materialization that it was moving around the Endrykas population without Auldwin even realizing it. Without anyone realizing it. That was the more scary result for everyone else, but for Auldwin that meant the focus of his revenge was at least still present.

"Often th--..." Auldwin paused a moment, losing his concentration upon his Materialized form, which finally dispersed back into the translucent mist he had been previously. "Materializing is difficult, I'm still getting the hang of it. I feel closer to the world when I do it, but it's like flexing a muscle. You can only do it for so long before you need to take a rest." he mentioned, at the very least feeling like it was necessary to explain why he just recently became more incorporeal. "As I was saying, often they are influenced by the reasons for their death, as well as who they were in life. I've kept my mind well enough, so far."

Looking down, Auldwin could see the bird begin to flutter about on the ground, causing him to bend his intangible form down and pick it up with his two ethereal hands. Projecting his Soulmist through his mist form was the easiest of Projections to do, and his Soulmist had enough force behind it to hold the bird steady. The creature's head swiveled around here and there as it looked to figure out exactly what was going on, "It's alright, this bird. I'll try not to let any harm come to it. I don't intentionally harm anything I Possess, there is no need."
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Learn to Fly?! [Open]

Postby Akilah Windsong on November 8th, 2011, 3:43 pm

She gasped when he suddenly disappeared. Or not quite disappeared--it was a little hazy where his body once was, like trying to look through oily water. No indications of the change were held in his voice so whatever happened didn't harm him.

Though, it made more sense now that ghosts were hard to find. As she watched, it grew harder to make out the faint outline of his form. And this was while she knew he was there. Had she not known of his existence, she wouldn't have even paid attention to the faint shape that stood in front of her. Now invisible, she could only tell he was there through his words.

"Could you materialize as something else? Like a shape or some other person?" Maybe a more experienced ghost could do that, since this one still had difficulty keeping his own form, let alone someone else's.

Kept my mind so far...

"What happens when you lose your mind?"

She heard the soft beats of the bird's wings drumming the earth. Looking down, she saw the crow wake once more, a little stunned but slowly regaining movement. Before she could bend down to help it, it hovered in the air, moving away from her.

Odd. Its wings were still and it seemed even more conf--oh. Auldwin must be moving it.

She moved closer to the floating crow, feeling a slight chill as she did so. Ah, so even without touching him it was cold. Inspecting it, it seemed more startled than hurt and she sighed in relief.

Those odd movements it had made earlier were not due to a broken wing but due to this ghost. Not quite sure where to look when addressing him, she settled on a spot a little higher than the bird. "Well, if it does get hurt, please tell me. I can take it back to Endrykas then."

It was a little odd speaking to thin air. Feeling a little embarrassed and self-conscious, she continued, "Have you possessed anything else before?" Realizing she was the only one asking questions, she hastily added, "If there's anything you want to know, I can try to help you. Not about possession, I don't know anything about that, but other things."

A little red, she stood there awkwardly.
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Learn to Fly?! [Open]

Postby Auldwin on November 9th, 2011, 5:39 am

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Could he appear as something else? Auldwin couldn't even consider it. The very thought of Materializing as himself was exhausting, but it was difficult to get that across to a typical living person, "No. At least I cannot. Simply appearing as myself is unbelievably difficult. It's like trying to shape a puddle of water. You need to concentrate on everything that you are. Your height, your weight, your skin tone, your hair, your eye color, your scars...all the parts that made you up. And you need to do it all at once, then you need to hold it steady, like trying to edge a sword that constantly wants to dull."

That was the price for losing ones body. In order to obtain a competent corporeal form took time, in Auldwin's case, years. Until then he was simply a specter compared to a typical Human. An after image that could be easily dismissed if not for his meddling nature to involve himself with the worldly things of the material world. "To even imagine trying to do something like that for a body that I haven't spent my entire life looking at...I can't even imagine. But the mind, that's where the power lies. My mind is what is left of my previous existence, and it is what powers this mist that now makes me up. But...you understand this existence, it's terrible. All those feelings I once had are gone, all those things I once had are gone. Sometimes all I feel is the regret, the longing to become what I once was. When I feel that, I lose sight of the things I'm trying to accomplish." the Ghost couldn't help but sigh, although his sigh was more like a soft breeze simply resounding through the area, as he had no lungs with which to expel air.

"I've Possessed many things. Fish, horses..." he intentionally left out 'people'. That would most likely cause a bit too much worry for the young girl, at it wasn't how he wished her to view him. Having allies that were living and breathing was a valuable tool for a Ghost, and if he could make one now, he was willing to forgo some of his honesty in order to make it happen. "I'm just learning about your culture mostly. I find myself constantly wandering within the area of the Endrykas, and one day I wish to provide a...service I suppose. I need to gain income, strange as that sounds for one who is dead. There's a possibility that those I once loved are still alive though, and I can think of a few ways that coins will benefit my endeavors, so I cannot so easily just disregard them."
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Learn to Fly?! [Open]

Postby Akilah Windsong on November 10th, 2011, 4:02 pm

How well did she know herself? She never really thought about it before, the colour of her eyes, the length of her hair, the shape of her body. Never mapped out each dip and change of hue on the canvass of Akilah.

And yet, he did it. Auldwin probably even knew what shade he turned in the shade and in the sun, each crinkle in his clothes.

"You must know yourself well." It was an admirable trait. She had yet to master it. It scared her a little. To do that, you'd have to look at everything, the good and the bad. See the parts of you that you'd rather not know at all.

She didn't want to face those flaws yet.

"You can't feel anything? Happiness or sadness or rage?" Even physically, he probably couldn't feel anything--not the sun kissing his skin or chill in the breeze as it ruffled his hair. It was a terrible existence, to wander the earth like that. To be in essence alive but to miss all the experiences of the living.

At least she would come back a Drykas or a strider, tied to this land as she was. Even should she travel for years, this land will always call her home, a map that would keep her from getting lost.

She schooled her face to hide the relief she felt at his words. No where in that list was her kin. Though, horses were a bit troubling, but if he didn't harm them and if he didn't take a strider...

A complicated matter, she pushed it aside for the moment. She'd have to examine it at length when she was alone.

"How do you like it here?" By now, she gave up on looking at him, her eyes wandering the countryside. Listening, she gave a small smile at his words. How does a ghost give a service, especially if he doesn't give in to the darker side of his abilities? Amusing images popped up, of invisible message carriers and simple magic tricks. "Good luck with finding something to do."

Family? She looked back to the crow when he said that. Though it was a little easier to talk to the nervous bird than it was to thin air, it wasn't by much. "Your family is still alive? Then you mustn't have died that long ago..." And he was learning about her culture, so he couldn't be a Drykas.

Like any Drykas would possess a horse. "Where are you from?"

Nearby probably. Maybe from one of the four cities in Cyphrus. Not many strangers came from afar to visit their dangerous home.
Last edited by Akilah Windsong on November 14th, 2011, 3:54 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Learn to Fly?! [Open]

Postby Auldwin on November 10th, 2011, 7:42 pm

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"Better than others, not as well as some."he admitted. Having been in Black Rock several times, Auldwin had gotten the chance to meet with the many Ghosts that wandered the island of Dira. There were those that had been a part of the island for decades longer than Auldwin. Who knew, perhaps even centuries. Those experienced Ghosts could not only appear like they did in life, they appeared exactly as if they were alive. It was impossible to tell, without physically touching them, that they weren't actually real. Everything was perfect. The way the shade tinged their skin, the way the wind ruffled their hair, the way they carried the 'weight' of their body. Though a bit strange to think of, it was like art. Creating a beautiful, life like picture.

"Emotions are there. Some of them. I was never a man of science, but there are those that were probably tied to having a physical body. Without the bodies reaction, I can't feel those anymore. Fear and tension are some, I've not much to be afraid of, and I've no body to get tense. Happiness and sadness are possible, but it's difficult to epeirence those fully unless you're willing to dedicate your attention entirely toward them. Not so simple as a Ghost." without a heart, could he love, for instance? He knew he missed his old life, and he missed his family. But the emotions he felt were strangely filtered. Faded almost. Only a few feelings maintained their strength. There was a passion he had at times to complete the things he could not in life, but he couldn't tell if that was an emotion, or simply a natural encumbrance of his state of being.

"Like it? I'm not sure if I like it. It's as good a place as any. The people here move and move and move, and so I suppose I have something in common with them. I like that the Drykas are not afraid of the world. They seem to face it rather than hide from it." by now the bird had awoken most fully, and having concentrated upon his Material form, Auldwin felt too weary to continue with the complicated process of Possession. Perhaps some other time. Instead he released the main bulk of the bird, allowing it's wings to beat until finally it took to the sky and flew away from the strange force that had been restraining it.

"I don't know how long it's been. Time isn't easy to understand as a Ghost. I don't sleep, and I have no working routine like I did in life. I've seen the winter pass...four or five times? Syliras was where I was from, the city to the east. I had a wife there, back then. I'm not sure what's become of the place or her now." the longer he thought about it, the more difficult it became. It was strange that with all of this freedom he now possessed as a Ghost, he still couldn't find it in him to float back to Syliras in order to see what his wife had been up to this entire time. Perhaps he was scared. "But that's...I won't think of that now. I wouldn't want her to see me like this. I've still much to do here in this region. Just like you. You are young yet. Work hard, and don't let yourself pass with regrets."
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