Completed To Impress the Dead III: The Apprentice Judgement

The day of judgement arrives; either to stay or be expelled, only one option can be taken.

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An undead citadel created before the cataclysm, Sahova is devoted to all kinds of magical research. The living may visit the island, if they are willing to obey its rules. [Lore]

To Impress the Dead III: The Apprentice Judgement

Postby Aedifalse on April 7th, 2015, 9:40 pm

Previous episode here.

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515-SPRING-80

It was the day that decided if his product was up to scratch, and Aedi gulped in nervousness as he waited. He was one of the few crowded about a clearing in the room, watching the Judgement occurring for the other wannabes while he waited for his turn. The judges were on raised steps cowled in darkness, and it was impossible for him to be able to try to recognize any of the faces.

"Timothy Randall Relius of Syliras," A scratchy, monotonous voice came from one of the hooded judges, and a red-haired boy stood up and let himself into the center of the clearing.

"A human..." Came the murmuring from the crowd, and Aedi could swear he saw a semblance of a smirk coming from the judges' table.

"What do you wish to show Sahova, Mister Relius?" The same tired voice recited, as if reading from a script.

"Uh... p-projection!" The boy stammered. One of the other judges threw an object forward, and it bounced and clanged as it rolled and made its way to the boy's feet. It was a metallic gear of some sort.

"Lift this," Came the simple command.

The boy stared at the gears as his face turned red with concentration, and it began to wobble. There was more wobbling as it showed more signs of activity, and as it rose there was a sudden crack. As if from some strange invisible force, the gear crumpled as it seemed to be smashed downwards on the ground, the concrete floor cracking slightly as fault lines appeared.

"But I- I don't understand!" The boy wailed as he shook his head in disbelief. He continued to stare at the gear as he tried to make it levitate, but to no avail.

The crowd snickered as the murmurings became louder.

Privy to all of this, Aedi had watched with a growing feeling of dread. So far, none of the candidates had passed Judgement, and it was likely that this one would not pass as well. To make things worst, the ones that he had watched so far were all displays of personal magic, and from the list that he was given, he would be the first on the day to demonstrate world magic.

Biting his lip nervously, he looked around for any comforting glances, but could only find the stony expressions of the living dead as he sneered at the failure of the living whom they despised so much. Aedi could only glance around wildly as he sought any comforting images as he waited for his own turn. The time ticked by.
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Last edited by Aedifalse on April 8th, 2015, 12:06 am, edited 2 times in total.
PSA: To those concerned about the intervention on my CS, do not be alarmed. I am innocent of all of the accusations, since Aedifex is my first and only account. I am in the midst of clearing my name, but I believe that Justice and Truth will reign in the end. Do be patient with me as I clear up the misunderstanding.

Reminder: Aedi is Fluent in Isurian but Basic in Common. This means that any conversation he makes in Common is likely to be broken, disjointed and otherwise weird. It is entirely intentional and not a typo/spelling/grammatical error. If it helps for your visualization, this video would be an excellent approximation of how he speaks Common.
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To Impress the Dead III: The Apprentice Judgement

Postby Keene Ward on April 7th, 2015, 10:31 pm

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Disappointing.

Such was the prevalent thought in Keene's mind as he watched the season's final judgment. Atziri had suggested that there may, perhaps, be individuals of interest in the display. While she had not accompanied him, Keene had thought it prudent to sit in and discern what he could from those wishing to join the ranks of the sleepless the nuit. He had imagined - or perhaps "hoped" was a better word - there there would be those of varying skill, some more impressive than others, but that there would be those to impress him he had thought a given. He was wrong.

While there had been a few schools of magic Keene had not been familiar with, he had found the majority of those participating to be lacking in such a way that it was almost painful to watch. If they were the future of magic outside the walls of the citadel, Keene found the arcane's lifespan to be surely coming to a close. Having arrived as the judgment had begun, Keene had found a place in the room where he could easily observe the trials from a corner in the hall. It was convenient in that while he was more or less nondescript in location, he was able to not only see the spells themselves, but the expressions of the faces that cast them. He had chosen the spot with the intention of learning, but what had begun with with potential for revelation quickly soured into a parade of incompetence.

Personal magic was something that Keene was quite good at. The people who sought to display their "skills" were not. In fairness, several who had gone before had performed adequately, but their questionable control over their reimantic elements and lack of any subsidiary skills had left them lacking in the eyes of the judges, and no one stepped forward to ask claim to them. Faces fell, frustrations were verbalized, and a particularly unstable morpher ended up losing an arm to overgiving and a swift, unseen blade lopping the appendage off. The blood had been quickly cleaned in time for the next unfortunate soul to be called forward, and Keene's attentions focused themselves on the nervous looking redhead. In a single glance, Keene knew the outcome of the boy's judgment.

Wizards, as a sub-species (for that is how they seemed), varied in skill, scope, and very nearly every other aspect of life that one might find sentience. The two things a wizard shared with his common ilk were confidence and power. Lacking either, in any way, was as quick a way to end one's career on the island as an axe taken to a neck was to end one's life. As the object was thrown, Keene watched. The magic of "projection" was something he knew of, though until that moment he had not been aware that was what it was called. It was the same magic Lorelei wielded with such apparent ease, and Keene waited for the boy to stop the gear before it hit the ground, displaying both speed and skill as well as an innovation to rise above the simple task given him. Instead, it clattered to the ground like so many pins spilled from a dullard's clumsy fingers. The crowd that was gathered to observe responded with a muted wage of whispers that had little trouble in carrying with it the collective disapproval and contempt of those around the fool of a mage.

What happened next was interesting, and Keene moved forward just slightly in order to get a better view of it. Interference. His eyes scanned the judge's table, finding one of the figures to wear a steady smile. So the test had been not only one of skill and wit, but apparently strength as well. Keene let his eyes pass once more back to the struggling mage, and it was clear the boy had failed. The murmurs of the crowd grew as one of the judges waved the young man away, a dismissal not even worthy of a word. His protests were quickly silenced as Keene stepped forward, res drifting from his fingertips, swirling about his hands as his cold, steady stare met with the redhead's panicked one. With a gulp, he retreated, and Keene's pale blue res drifted back into his skin as easily as it had been emitted. He had grown tired of fools, and as part of the city's guard, Keene acted in the way he saw fit. There as another murmur, though this time the subject was slightly less condescending and more grudgingly appreciative before the panel's spokesman called another name.

For the hundredth time that evening, Keene's eyes scanned the crowd, searching for the face of the next individual that might bring with him a spark of promise. His gaze set itself on a shorter man. While there were nerves about him, he held his posture steady and strong - a much better start than the last. There was his arm, as well, a dark, strange color that reminded Keene of frostbite only it was richer, smoother, and quite healthy. It wasn't difficult to determine the man was a different race from Keene's own, though which one exactly, Keene didn't have the know how to guess. He settled back, leaning ever slightly against the wall, grey-green gaze as penetrating and appraising as those that emanated from the judges. Perhaps the string of worthlessness had finally given rise to something more... useful. Time would tell however, and Keene continued his vigil as the judges requested the man, Aedifex Aghanim, present his artifact. With a raised brow, Keene waited to see what the man might do, his knowledge of world magics lacking enough that he was not aware of anything beyond malediction to create any sort of objects of power. Already, the display was more interesting than those before, and there had yet to even be action taken by the apprentice hopeful.

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To Impress the Dead III: The Apprentice Judgement

Postby Kamilla on April 7th, 2015, 11:09 pm

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Kamilla Circe Gordon


Striding into the large lecture hall that was the venue of the dreaded judgement, something that Kamilla had only completed a few weeks before, the murmurs coming from the room as she entered sending a few shivers of recollection down her spine. She was late, something that was entirely not her fault, but as a new apprentice it was also something that could not be helped, she was subject to the whims of her wizard first and her own desires second. Although the young sorceress certainly didn't enjoy any form of authority, especially when it commanded her so directly and expectantly, Kamilla couldn't deny that she had learned more in her few weeks as an apprentice than all her years of animation combined, though that wasn't much of an accomplishment considering the sparsity of her attempts at the world magic before she'd arrived on The Undead Isle.

As she strode into the crowd, apparently just in time to see a broken looking young human boy with bright red hair leaving the large hall, she was quickly caught up on what he'd attempted and clearly failed. "Projection? Ha!" she overheard one of the many nuit in the crowd say to another as she pushed through the sparse crowd in order to reach it's front, glancing across the empty space between herself and the judges. Even the sight of the hooded figures, sitting high above everyone else as they allowed the imaginary weight of their oppressive opinions to crush the confidence of whoever was stupid or determined enough to step in front of them, caused her to wince in remembrance of the anxiety that had accompanied her own Judgement.

As usual Kamilla stood out amongst the undead of the island, the bright red scarf that she wore as a top wrapped around her chest and neck exposed most of her skin which contrasted that of the nuit in that it quite obviously belonged to the living. Glancing around curiously for whoever was next to participate, her long, wild and dark hair dancing with each turn of her head, her warm brown gaze finally fell on avery nervous looking man who, while lacking in height, was actually quite alive and handsome. Meeting his gaze for a brief moment, Kamilla allowed a small smile to pull at the corners of her red painted lips before the man stepped forth to take his turn, crossing her arms as her eyes followed him, curious to see what he had to offer and whether it would be enough to earn him a place on Sahova.

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To Impress the Dead III: The Apprentice Judgement

Postby Aedifalse on April 8th, 2015, 12:04 am

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The boy quite surely failed the test, but even as he protested a man with tawny brown hair and piercing green eyes came up to intimidate him away. He was also the first non-undead that Aedi found on the island, other than the sailors who were kind enough to bring him to Port Silence.

"Warden..." Came the murmurs as the man easily displayed an undercurrent of danger with an air of authority. It was the confidence more than the skill that forced a grudging respect from the audience of elitist nuits. It seemed that even the guardsmen here wielded the arcane arts.

The imposing man returned to his vantage point and faded back into the darkness, and Aedi's roving eyes caught the eyes of the second non-undead that he found. Her deep brown eyes bespoke of curiosity, and her curling tresses framed an elegance that even men of another race could appreciate. Her smile made all the difference in boosting his confidence, and he smiled back silently.

Even though he was getting used to being an outsider ever since he left Sultros to live and travel amongst the humans, the gap between 'us' and 'them' never felt so huge when separated by the veneer of death. That was precisely the suffocating air of Sahova.

"Aedifex Aghanim... Pitrius," Came the wheezy announcement after a rather pregnant pause, "of... Sultros."

Upon that announcement, the crowd burst into a frenzy with speculation. Isurs were an extremely rare lot outside of Sultros, and in Sahova they were even rarer than Council Members. Aedi stood up and took a deep breath, calming his body and mind before he put on an air of confidence and strode forward.

"If I could run a few tests on that arm...", "An Isur..", "Hush, don't let Silverheart hear you!", "Damn pulser...", the murmurs within the crowd began even as the prospective magecrafter stood and displayed himself before the judges.

"If we could have silence," The tired voice lingered off into a threat as the speaker exchanged a glance with the resident Warden, and the crowd immediately quietened.

"I am Aedifex Aghanim," He began, "And I come from Sultros to present a gift."

No one ever said a little greasing of the social wheels would hurt.

Taking his precious handcrafted dagger out of the pouch that he had been carefully holding, he placed it upon a raised podium that stood in front of the stages but before the raised stands of the judges. No one stood up and take a closer look, but he knew that they had the prowess to examine all they could from that distance.

"This object is made from the grace of Sahova," He recited, having firmly rehearsed his speech many times prior to display a veil of confidence, "Steel, iron, wood and magical materials from theGug Andjak."

His rising speech afforded him a little more surety and he raised his voice slightly in a dramatic flair.

"The Sahovan Punch Dagger," He declared, having added the island's name to ingratiate his offering to its inhabitants, "Easy to hide, add much power. Best upgrade for it is speed; I used one magecraft step."

He began ticking off from his fingers as he continued his speech, and the uninterrupted talking so far had helped to slowly accumulate confidence in his voice despite the evident lack of fluency in Common.

"However, this knife has some good strategy. Firstly, this weapon made for hunting human; since you can hide no one use to hunt animal. So, this magic knife can kill other human and human-type people faster."

Aedi gestured as he spoke to emphasize his point, and he continued to project his voice throughout the hall as he found his figurative footing.

"Secondly, clothes sometime block weapon if lucky. While knife cannot stab steel, this knife will stab clothes no problem."

The Isur glanced at the judges, trying to see if the target of the rumors were one of the cowled figures.

"The third," He smirked outwardly, but inwardly he was praying that his gamble would work, "is that as maker, I need to protect myself from my own weapon."

He continued the following statement in Isurian, "Therefore, this weapon would be rather unwilling to harm children of Izurdin."

For those who happened to be fluent in both Isurian and Common, it would be rather disorienting to hear the broken sentences and limited vocabulary of one language, while hearing flowing fluency in the other.

Perhaps if the rumored Master Isur were here he would gain a point of familiarity with him. In any case, he shrouded this point with a plausible story on protecting himself as a maker as well.

Spreading his palms as he gestured to the weapon and then to the judges, he curved his lips slightly as he inclined his head in a show of respect, "That is all, great Judges, Aedifex Aghanim will patiently await your response."

With the use of a story he hoped to make his project seem more interesting as compared to the flair of power that personal wizards could display. Furthermore, by using different type of effects upon the magecrafted object, he hoped to display the versatility of his proficiency despite the MC step limitation due to the lack of readily available materials to non-residents like himself, as well as the potential of his creativity and innovation in the exploration of optional reagents.

Give me the strength and luck to see me through, dearest father Izurdin!
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PSA: To those concerned about the intervention on my CS, do not be alarmed. I am innocent of all of the accusations, since Aedifex is my first and only account. I am in the midst of clearing my name, but I believe that Justice and Truth will reign in the end. Do be patient with me as I clear up the misunderstanding.

Reminder: Aedi is Fluent in Isurian but Basic in Common. This means that any conversation he makes in Common is likely to be broken, disjointed and otherwise weird. It is entirely intentional and not a typo/spelling/grammatical error. If it helps for your visualization, this video would be an excellent approximation of how he speaks Common.
Aedifalse
Account changed to "Aedifex"
 
Posts: 84
Words: 71650
Joined roleplay: March 22nd, 2015, 12:57 pm
Location: Zeltiva/Sahova
Race: Isur
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