Closed Chaos and Order [Ronas]

[Annalisa Marin]

Anna didn't bother to suppress her smirk as Ronas affirmed that he was unwilling to attempt change as his orders didn't outline authority. Authority, at least the authority of those other than herself and her god, was meant to be undermined and subverted. Petch, once she gained enough support and backing Anna intended very much to betray her Mistress and place her firmly under her own thumb. This... soldier was loyal, too loyal to his orders. Apparently things worked much differently out here than in the Citadel. In the apprentices experience, everyone in the Citadel was defined into two categories; those who played the game and those who were pieces to the players. The political games varied from rivalry to dispute, but the rules were similar no matter the players.

Anna herself was a piece in whatever game Sahova's Chief Embalmer played, she was expendable at the end of the day. Amaryllis was using her to reach her own goals, just as Anna was using her to gain position. It was a working relationship, one that would likely be continued for as long as it was either convenient for the Embalmer or until Anna decided to attempt to subvert the Nuit. Amaryllis knew exactly what her apprentice was, she was hardly stupid either so it was likely she anticipated betrayal at some point from her.

Anna shifted her thoughts away from the Citadel, she spent enough time thinking about that nest of snakes as it was. Instead she listened to Ronas' warning, a smile coming to her face that seemed to possess a sinister edge to it. So they were likely to encounter failed experiments, good, the apprentice figured she could use a workout. Not many creatures, magical or otherwise lasted long with a generous application of lava introduced into their bodies. Res was a flexible substance, she could just as easily flood a creature's lungs with gaseous res, phase change it to liquid, and the transmuted. The apprentice was confident enough that she could at least hinder any hostile creatures here, so long as they didn't catch her off guard.

"Their intrusion hardly concerns me, the fact of the matter is if my experiment takes a turn for the worst case scenario then these failed experiments will be the least of our problems. Once we get to this place, all I want you to do is to stand watch and make sure any disruptions are handled adequately. If I need any assistance from you, I'll be certain to call." Anna said, her tone a little more businesslike and certainly more imperious. She wasn't suggesting or asking.

She followed as bid, her eyes gazing here and there along the blood colored soil of the aptly named Blood Hills. As she walked she noticed the occasional bones strewn about here or there, some looking warped beyond any creature known to her and others look suspiciously humanlike to her eyes. Slaves or unfortunately lesser wizards no doubt, truly the Testing Grounds were rather brutal.

Djed was ready and focused in the event of attack by some strange beast, prepared to generate res at a moments notice. It was unfortunate that she had not placed glyphs on her limbs before going on this little excursion, it would have made her casting much more smooth and fluid. Perhaps when they reached this site Ronas was taking them to she'd have time, along with the needed meditation for this experiment. Best case scenario this wouldn't completely blow up in her face, worst case was not limited to merely there deaths.

"How are Initiates selected, Ronas? How did you come to join the Wardens? Most wizards on Sahova are better off at the Citadel than roaming this Gods forsaken place." She inquired, her tone once again light and warm though slightly more hushed.

Okay, that last bit was a lie. Anna figured she'd probably be a lot safer out here than in the Citadel where every turned corner could harbor new threats or enemies. At least out here the beasts were obvious, in the Citadel that was not the case. The apprentice had gained a very deep seated loathing for any and all hypnotists during her brief time there, to the point where she considered every one of the petching worms worthy of painful death. Maduro and Daren were at the top of that list. Though, she hadn't heard or seen much of the former, it was possible the devoted of Uldr had killed him. If so she intended to thank the undead creatures, just before she brought their petching temple down on their heads. That was the only reason she'd ever willingly set foot in that cursed place again.

[Mirage]

OOCRandom intervention, proceed with your posting order after this post As they walked the ground would tremble, as if something large were stomping hard upon the stones of the Blood Hills. Rubble shifted, trembled and what few sparse plants there were shook as a gust blew past them. This was not wind, however, but was instead highly concentrated wave of pure and wild djed. The energy coursed and flowed over them, causing hair to stand on end and to send shocks through their bodies. Random muscle spasms were common, and any res or djed in use at the time would be sucked away, becoming one with the flow of wild djed as it made its way over the barren terrain. Such was a common occurrence in the blood hills where the numerous experiments warped the very air, filling it with uncontrollable djed. As an Initiate Ronas was used to such things, perhaps not even noticing the even due to its frequency, but the effects could be rather alarming for one not used to the occurrence. In the distance A high pitched wail broke the silence left by the passing gust, though it came from the east and seemed to be a ways off. In the direction of the prairie there came a long, low howl that cut through the wail, silencing it. Ronas might attribute it to the Prairies Warden, Riyanna Sterder, doing her rounds with her own initiates.

[Ronas Dermir]

The woman was certainly confident, that was for sure. Ronas dearly hoped that her confidence was well-placed because out in the Testing Grounds, there were dangers that could (and would) tear flesh from bone, soul from body. It was not a safe place, and while confidence was certainly useful in keeping the mind clear, it could also lead to dangerous hubris. It only took a monster stronger than oneself to teach a valuable lesson in humility. And all the pride in the world would do no good to those already dead. But Ronas said none of this. It was not his place to judge this woman, for good or for ill. If her magical prowess was as good as she claimed, then they would have an easier time with this expedition. If they were not, then they would likely die out here. "I do not know how other initiates were selected," Ronas replied, as he continued to march toward the depression he was leading Annalissa to. "As for myself, I was selected when I failed my Judgment. Master Brent offered an alternative way to serve, and I accepted. I would surmise that many initiates are selected in this manner." Ronas pursed his lips, gray eyes scanning the reddish horizon. "I suppose it is... efficient, after a fashion, so long as there continues to be pulsers who fail the Judgement, of which I presume there are plenty. However I-" The trembling ground caught Ronas' attention and his eyes snapped up. "Do not use your magic!" Ronas called, as he felt the beginnings of the wild Djed surge. As the energy passed over Ronas, he bent down so that the muscle spasms would not cause him to fall over. He closed his eyes, concentrating on the sound of his breathing as he could feel the shocks rock through his being. Fortunately, he had not readied any Djed, so he was mostly unaffected, but as he stood up when the wave passed, he looked over at Annalissa to see how she had been affected by the surge. As he looked over, he heard a wail in the distance, a sort of keening cry that came from the east. Ronas squinted in that direction, trying to judge the distance, but all he could determine was that it was quite a ways off. It was followed almost immediately by a low howl, which cut off the cry. The entire exchange appeared to have come from the Prairie, which Ronas took to mean either Riyanna or one of her apprentices had, perhaps, silenced a beast on her domain. Could that act have been the cause of the Djed wave? Unlikely, Ronas decided. And even if it were the case, there was little that he could do about it now. Ronas regarded the wizard next to him with a level gaze. He knew he could offer to help her, but he had the suspicion she would only treat such an act with disdain. She clearly had her pride as a wizard, so he waited for her to pick herself up before speaking to her. "Be prepared for further such wild Djed waves here," he cautioned. "The experiments that occur on the Blood Hills all-but-guarantee that they will appear periodically." As Ronas picked himself up, he made sure that none of his limbs or faculties were damaged by the wild Djed wave. But it seemed that Equalizer was still safely tucked away, and none of his arms or legs were damaged. Turning to Annalissa, Ronas nodded once. "Come, we are not too far from our destination," he said to her, indicating with his head that they ought to move on. The depression was only about half a mile away, and they needed to make good time before another Djed wave hit. "I hope, however, that whatever experiment you are planning does not take very long. Should another wild Djed wave collide with us, any Djed currently in use will, at best, be consumed by it. At worst, it will be... changed by it. Perhaps not always in a manner that is expected," Ronas added. As they walked further, the red sand beneath their feet crunching and crackling, Ronas thought back to that keening wail. He did not like the sound of it, for some reason. It reminded him too much of some of the beasts he'd met here on the Blood Hills and it usually meant trouble. Riyanna may have removed that particular threat today (or perhaps she did not), but it did not mean the beast did not have friends waiting to avenge it. Gray eyes scanned the horizon with more worry than the face would display. Something was coming, Ronas could feel it in his bones. Years of experience as a fighter, as a mage, was telling him to be alert. But no further sounds came from the Prairie, and the Blood Hills themselves were quiet as a grave, with only the howling of the whipping wind to break the silence.

[Annalisa Marin]

Anna had been prepared for a number of things to happen, walking into the Blood Hills. Monsters, no matter how horrific Ronas could make them sound, hardly frightened her. She had looked into the milky pupils of the Lord of all Chaos in the world, felt his breath upon her face, been nearly driven mad with the pain his mark had caused her. The current threat of being reduced to a memory bereft husk, or having faced down a fearsome spell crafted by Roknus Maelstrom himself were no doubt far worse than anything she could actually either flee from or slay with a few well placed lightning or lava spells.

She had not been prepared for her muscles to spontaneously begin to spasm and to lose her balance. Any focus she might have held earlier was utterly lost as she fell to the ground, her attempts to regain her balance foiled as her arms refused to function properly. A wave of energy played at her skin, sending her vital energy into a flux of confusing energy movements. Panic was soon to rise in her mind, what the petch was happening?

Panic gave way to heeding Ronas' warning, though using magic was the last thing on her mind at the moment. At the moment her logical mind was over taking the panic and assessing the situation carefully and cautiously, her thoughts focused on dangers that might arise to take advantage of her vulnerable and rather embarrassing state. Eventually the wave of prickling and alien energy passed, allowing Anna to get her bearings and slowly try to stand. A few smaller spasms played with her muscles but they were more annoying than anything else, at least compared to the wave of... whatever that was.

The apprentice heard a wail in the distance as she slowly attempted to right herself, barely resisting the urge to ask Ronas what the petch had just happened. Her gaze followed Ronas', whatever that was she really, really got the feeling that it being in the distance was a good thing. She could handle a lot of things with her powers, however monsters that made sounds like that were things she would much rather go the long way around to avoid.

A Wild Djed Wave? That was what had flowed over her? Anna got the feeling that Ronas was rather used to them based on his explanation. The apprentice disliked being outside of her element, disliked not having answers to questions before the dangers arose. That was part of the reason the whole Daren thing shook her up, she didn't have a solution to the question of how to murder him horribly just yet.

Anna finished checking herself, satisfied she was not damaged she started to follow Ronas once more, her steps much more measured and careful than before. She focused her Djed once more, not calling upon it yet but just making very certain it was ready for use. She noted his warning with a slight flinch, the experiment she had in mind was already likely to change the Djed of her spell. If that was the case, how much more would it be twisted if another of those waves occurred? Anna shuddered to think. However it seemed pertinent to warn Ronas of what was the likely scenario here, keeping secrets was all well and good but she wanted the Voider to be prepared.

"Allow me then to explain my experiment in a little more detain. I possess a certain... power that allows me to lay certain effects upon people and items, usually negative or corruptive effects. I intend to try to mix this power with my Pyromantic abilities to create a much more powerful flame. There is a good chance that this power will instead change the fire to such a degree that it will spiral out of control, if that happens then what occurs next could be anything." Anna said, her tone measured and even.

Anna had always wanted to know the extent of Chaon's power, she wanted to know how much it could augment her flames. Her meeting with Roknus Maelstrom had taught her that innovators were the ones who succeeded, the ones who became masters. Anna had tools in her hands that many in the world lacked, the divine favor of Rhysol. She felt in her heart that his power was the key to creating the ultimate brand of Reimancy, one that's destructive potential was near unlimited. So she was going to mix the two to see what happened.

Needless to say that the dangers here went beyond just her, or even Ronas. This was the power of chaos she was tampering with, for all she knew it could create a perpetually expanding ball of fire that continued to rapidly expand for a week, or generate fire that burned through dirt, rock, even metal. For all she knew nothing could happen. That was what made this so very dangerous, and yet at the same time so very thrilling.

Anna had noted with interest that Ronas had failed his Judgment, somehow considering that he was a Pulsar that didn't surprise her. The living were heavily discriminated against, even when she had first met Amaryllis the Nuit had indicated that the doors of Sahova should have stayed shut. That the Anna had even earned her apprenticeship was in duel parts skill and no doubt the assistance of Amaryllis. The tall woman had asked to become her apprentice after all.

So the Wardens bolstered their ranks through taking in the rejects the Nuits cast aside. Well that would indeed explain the horrible turn out rate that Ronas had mentioned, weakling wizard destroyed by the rejected experiments outside of the Citadel. Anna's own opinion of Ronas lowered by a few degrees, he was no doubt a good warrior but how good a Voider would he prove to be? How useful would he truly be to her? Perhaps useful enough to aid her on the rather dangerous... endeavor she was to undertake? His ability to control the damage here would be his test in her mind.