A (fledgling) Wizard in Ajteire [OPEN]

Rory starts researching spells and wizardcraft as a new resident in Ajteire. Who will she meet along the way? (Please come meet/annoy/befriend Rory!)

In the heart of Ninraih's jungles, the Fae created the city of Ajteire, protected from the undead by the magic of fireflies and a pact with the Kerasoka. The complex network of trees, vines, and plants helps to keep unwanted visitors out. Read more...
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Roridula Lunatus
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"Where's the library?"
Level
01
23 / 23 HP
21 / 21 MP
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Race: Fae
Class: Wizard and Bard
Posts: 35
Joined: November 4th, 2019, 4:17 am
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A (fledgling) Wizard in Ajteire [OPEN]

Post by Roridula Lunatus »

Rory yawned, sitting up and stretching - and nearly falling out of the hammock. It wobbled beneath her as she clutched the sides. Hopping to the wood platform that served as a floor, she pulled on her clothing and collected her bag. She grunted as she lifted the bag from the floor; her heavy thick book seemed to weigh a ton. She had finished it last night, although not before falling asleep on the book, drooling slightly on the table top. One of the servers had woken her up and ushered her out of The Preamble, and she’d stumbled along to the nearest inn.

That reminded her, she’d need to settle up before she left. The innkeeper had taken one look at her and guided her to the nearest bed. She’d almost fallen back asleep before she’d got her clothes off. Ajteire was too, well, sticky to sleep in anything more than your smallclothes, Rory thought. Her hometown wasn’t a desert, but it was nearer to Ninraih station and the highlands, and decidedly less humid.

Heading down to the inn’s front desk, Rory grimaced slightly as she felt the telltale tickle of sweat start on her lower back. Her shirt stuck a bit, and she yanked it down as she faced the innkeeper. “Now then, young-” he paused, squinting at her, “one, for your bed I give you the option of assisting the staff or you can pay in copper or goods.” He folded his hands atop the counter.

“Copper?” Rory pulled out a coin purse from her bag. “How many?” She started working open the string.

“Let’s say five copper,” the innkeeper replied with a slight frown. “Are you sure you’d not rather contribute labor?”

“No,” replied Rory blithely, before remembering her parents’ lectures. “Um, no thank you, I’m afraid I have other matters that require my time today.” There. A nice vague excuse. Mom in particular had harped on about how Ajteire was very communal and even outsiders were expected to “pitch in”. Rory didn’t see the point in it - her research was much more interesting than washing dishes or making beds. Besides, wasn’t that what coin was for?

After asking about a library (across the city, of course), Rory left the inn. The swinging bridges between clusters of buildings were kind of amusing to travel - once you got over the feeling of your stomach wanting to plummet to the ground, she decided. Checking with a few people along the way, she made it to the library. Her wings practically vibrated in excitement, their raspberry tips and veins becoming a blur. BOOKS!
Last edited by Roridula Lunatus on November 10th, 2019, 5:15 am, edited 1 time in total.
Word count: 447
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Roridula Lunatus
Character
"Where's the library?"
Level
01
23 / 23 HP
21 / 21 MP
0p / 0g / 0s / 50c
Race: Fae
Class: Wizard and Bard
Posts: 35
Joined: November 4th, 2019, 4:17 am
Has thanked: 1 time

Re: A (fledgling) Wizard in Ajteire

Post by Roridula Lunatus »

Opening the door, Rory saw a statue of Veditova to the left. She went over to the statue, bowed, and dropped a few coppers in the collection box. There could be no more perfect temple to the enlightening Veditova, Rory thought, than a library. She turned and approached the front desk, a large wooden structure carved delicately with many leafy details.

“I’ve recently moved to town. How may I obtain library privileges?” Rory asked of the tall, dark-skinned Kerasoka woman behind the desk.

“As with many of the services in town - help out,” the librarian responded. Her voice was rich, dark, and carried a hint of laughter. “I could use some help with shelving, or-”

“I’d love to!” Rory exclaimed, then blushed as she realized she’d cut the woman off. “Er, I mean, I’d be happy to help in whatever library tasks you have,” she said in a quieter tone.

“There’s enough to keep you busy,” the woman said, her bright teeth flashing in a smile as she spoke. “Could you shelve this basketful, and I’ll watch? I want to make sure you’re clear on what to do.” She handed Rory a rectangular basket full of books. There didn’t seem to be any order to them at all.

Rory set the basket on a nearby bench and unloaded it. Looking at the books, she sorted them into piles based on their numbers, put each pile in order, and put the books back into the basket, carefully maintaining the order she’d made. Idols above, the basket was heavy! Her wings flapped to try to take some of the effort. Rory searched the shelves until she found the first numbers she needed.

The librarian followed behind her, silent except to point out a section that Rory was having trouble finding. Rory slid the last book on the shelf; she’d been around the entire library, and it was much larger than she’d first thought! Once she was let loose on the collection, she was going to plunder it like a beggar in a bank vault. Finding all the shelves had been a bit of a challenge, but the librarian had helped her out a bit.

“Is that satisfactory?” Rory asked, turning to face the woman while still holding the basket. Her hands were a little sweaty on the handle; though from work or apprehension, she wouldn’t say.
Word count: 407
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Re: A (fledgling) Wizard in Ajteire [OPEN]

Post by NPC »

After accepting Rory's dare at The Preamble, Xalusae excused himself to get a good night's rest for the night so that he could be up early and ready to beat her in a race to the library. He had hoped to try out one of the hammocks that Ajteire kept for visitors, but as it turned out, they didn't have any in his size or at least any that could carry his weight. The nice Fae of the city said they would consider making a few for Ue'drahc though, so it was an idea to look forward to in the future.

In any case, he slept soundly in a sleeping bag under a tree. The weather was tame and the atmosphere was cozy with all the protective fireflies flitting about. Thanks to his thick skin and draconic bloodlines, Xalusae hardly ever realized he was snoozing away outside.

Hours after the rise of the sun, Xalusae dashed into the library spotting Rory and rushed over to the tiny Fae. He was panting, as if he had tried so very hard to get to the building before her, but unfortunately, he had lost. Not without good cause though.

"Well, hello there, Little Miss. Looks like you won our little bet and now I'll have to buy you lunch! But listen, I have a good excuse," Xal said wagging his finger for a moment. He then gestured and waved his clawed hands, making a big circle to demonstrate the size of an object bigger than his head. "Did you know they serve scrambled lizard eggs this big?! SO GOOD!"

As the excitement in his voice rose, a librarian poked her head from around the corner, placed a slender finger over her lips, and whispered, "Shhhhhhhhh!"

Xalusae shrunk down sheepishly (still not getting to her height) and grinned at Rory. "Anyway," he began his voice much quieter. "Have you found Primarily Primals yet or any other interesting books on fundamentals? You know, one day, I hope the rest of Khy'eras is more accepting to magic so that we might find great reads in all of the cities."
Word count: 353
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Roridula Lunatus
Character
"Where's the library?"
Level
01
23 / 23 HP
21 / 21 MP
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Race: Fae
Class: Wizard and Bard
Posts: 35
Joined: November 4th, 2019, 4:17 am
Has thanked: 1 time

Re: A (fledgling) Wizard in Ajteire [OPEN]

Post by Roridula Lunatus »

“Well, you certainly know your way around a library,” the librarian said with a small smile. “If you can shelve a basket or two of books a day, then you may borrow any five books you like at a time.”

‘Five?! Five was like, a night’s reading!’ Rory thought. ‘But, still better than nothing.’

“Thank you,” Rory said with a strained smile. “May I explore the collection?” The librarian nodded and Rory set off. Once she was fairly sure she was out of sight of the front desk, Rory switched to flying. It was faster, but she was a little out of practice and frankly, hungry. She bobbled above the shelves, dragging her toes occasionally as she tried to keep herself aloft.

At the 140s Rory stopped flapping her wings and plummeted to the floor. She landed in a heap; she’d only tried to slow her fall at the last second as it became apparent that she was much heavier than she had been as a child and far less able to decelerate. Picking herself up enough to sit, she looked at the closest shelf, reading the spines. Ah! Primarily Primals! That was the book Xal had mentioned last night.

She pulled it off the shelf and kept looking. A lot of theoretical texts that looked above her level - for now - and a handful of medium level applied magic books, but not much in the way of introductory level. Still, one was better than none. She grabbed another that looked promising and tucked the two books under her arm.

Heading back toward the front of the library, she saw Xal - just before he looked like he'd almost run her over. She giggled as his enthusiasm got him shushed by the librarian. She put her two books on a nearby table. “I found the Primarily Primals book, but that’s like the only introductory level I found. This one -” she tapped the second book's cover, “looked like it might be okay, but almost everything else was like super high level.” She frowned and sighed.

“There’s more stuff back this way,” she said, pointing back the way she’d come. “I wanna double check the section on ignimancy and make sure I didn’t miss anything. Besides, more spots to sit back there,” she said, sliding her books off the table and starting in the direction she’d pointed.
Word count: 404
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I could be anybody!
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Re: A (fledgling) Wizard in Ajteire [OPEN]

Post by NPC »

Xalusae peered down at the second book - titled "Shaping the Elements" - Rory was holding and then took it gently from her hands to get a better look. At a quick glance through a series of the pages, careful not to tear any with his clawed hands, the text definitely assumed that the reader had knowledge in practicing magic. Eventually, he handed the book back over to Rory and nodded almost approvingly.

"I appears to be good read," he started. "In certain sections I also noticed that the author added spells translated to other languages, but you may not want to try out the Draconic ones. That could go horribly."

Xal smiled a bit smugly, recalling situations where he had met with students studying Draconic and in practicing their pronunciation, had inadvertently ended up insulting another Ue'drahc's or Dragon's mother. Depending on the audience and one's level of forgiveness, it often turned out to be a frantic (and comical) scene.

"I wouldn't fret about not finding too many beginner books," Xal said. "I think even if a person has a background in magic or the source in their blood, it is not bad idea to review and strengthen one's basic understanding. Sometimes simple concepts are the best concepts, and from that, you might naturally unveil talents about yourself you did not expect."

The Ue'drahc turned his head, following the direction of Rory's finger to the dimly light section of books that she wanted to explore. Xalusae nodded and moved to the row of shelves with her, rubbing his nose as they entered. It smelled a bit dusty and dank, as if someone had left moldy fabric out. Halfway through the row of books, a particular tome flew from one shelf right before Xalusae, hit the opposite shelf, and clattered to the floor.

"Whoa," Xal said. Walking over to the book, he picked it up off the floor and, perhaps stupidly, opened it towards the middle of its contents. Immediately as he did so, gray and black smoke spiraled upwards out of text. Xalusae snapped the book closed before he or Rory could breathe in the fumes.

"Hmmm," he said thoughtfully. "That was... interesting. Maybe we should take this to the librarian and inform her that she has a book gone possessed."
Word count: 382
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Roridula Lunatus
Character
"Where's the library?"
Level
01
23 / 23 HP
21 / 21 MP
0p / 0g / 0s / 50c
Race: Fae
Class: Wizard and Bard
Posts: 35
Joined: November 4th, 2019, 4:17 am
Has thanked: 1 time

Re: A (fledgling) Wizard in Ajteire [OPEN]

Post by Roridula Lunatus »

Rory peered at the book in Xal’s hand. Other than a bit of soot around the page edges toward the middle, nothing looked that remarkable about the volume. She couldn’t make out a title - whatever ink had been used to print the cover had half worn off, and Xal’s hand was blocking a good chunk of what might remain. “It doesn’t feel - weird, does it? It’s not hot or anything?”

She paused for a minute, looking around the aisle. Some of the books that had been near it were leaning or pulled slightly off the shelf, but nothing seemed to be damaged. “You’re probably right that we should turn it in. I wonder how you’d do that though? Or what effects the smoke has on people?” She stood on tiptoe to get a better look at the book, but Xal was too tall.

Sighing, she flipped through the books she had, noticing the spells in Draconic that he’d pointed out. “Why not practice the spells in Draconic? There should be a syllabary somewhere. Or is that one of those languages where if you mispronounce something you’ll end up vanishing your hair instead of setting a sample on fire?” She turned to head toward the main aisle and the librarian’s desk.

“I should probably borrow some books on the different magical languages too,” she mused, ambling down the aisle. She let her fingers trail on the spines of the books as she walked. “I’ll have to ask for those. Do you know how many of them are still living languages? It sounds like Draconic is, but what about other ones?” She chattered as she made her way; a smoking book, likely meant to do harm, had unsettled her a bit. Who would use books as a weapon like that, and what could their motivation be?
Word count: 317
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I could be anybody!
Level
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Joined: June 1st, 2019, 3:02 am
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Re: A (fledgling) Wizard in Ajteire [OPEN]

Post by NPC »

Xalusae rubbed his hand across the book covering with Rory's question. "Actually, it feels a bit cold if anything," the Ue'drahc said. He then lifted the text to his nose and gave a light sniff. "Also, it smells like sulfur. Which is very strange. I mean, naturally things that are hot or that favor fire properties... shouldn't be cold."

Turning the book in was probably the best course of action, though he wondered how the librarian would deal with it. Would she put it away for safe keeping or stash it for further investigation? Holding the book out in front of him with two outstretched arms, Xal crept along the aisle, trying not to drop it as Rory attempted to bob up and down to take a peek at the volume.

"Well, the right kind of smoke could blind a person or maybe it's not necessarily smoke, but a dust cloud filled with poisonous spores... type of thing." Xal's brow furrowed slightly at the image. "Probably best we did not inhale anything. No need to experiment, eh?"

As they walked down the aisle to the front desk of the library with the possessed book clutched in Xal's cautious claws, Rory began discussing languages, specifically Draconic and the possibility of learning a different dialect to cast spells in.

"If you practice beginner spells in Draconic that should be fine. Though you might want to do so alone - just in case you catch someone else's hair on fire." Xal gave Rory a wink and a smile. "It is a pretty complicated language filled with harsh syllables and growls. I feel Draconic was made only for those growing up with dragon's blood, though it is not impossible to learn. There are a few other living languages. Well, it does not have a specific name, but certain practiced Druids can speak to animals. It was also said that the Irenohl of Domrhask talked in an earthen language, but the Dwarves did not adapt it and very few people recall what it sounds like. It's basically a lost tongue at this point."

The Ue'drahc let out a sigh over the idea of lost history and civilizations, but his mood seemed to turn to polite and appreciative as he held the book out with a smile to the librarian.

"Ah, hello, Miss. Rory and I were over there in that section," he gestured with a nod of his head towards the aisle of bookshelves, "when this book flew off of the shelf and tried to spew smoke at us. Luckily, we were able to close it in time!"

A brow on the librarian's face raised with question and she took the book from Xalusae. "A tainted book? Who ever heard of such a thing," she said with a snort as if in disbelief that any of her books could possibly be corrupt. With that, she snapped the book open, flipping through the pages and before Xal or Rory could stop the woman, tendrils of smoke were unleashed and swarmed to the librarian's face. The librarian let out a shriek that was cut short by the animated smoke that covered her mouth. In span of twenty seconds or less, she dropped to the floor hidden behind the desk.

"Miss?!" Xal said loudly peering over the desk. But as he leaned forward, the librarian sprung up only her entire body was encased in a black veil of smoke, veins of fire smoldering beneath the shroud, and deadly black horns pointed upward from her skull. She lifted a leg, placing a knee on the desk as if getting ready to spring over the furniture. Solid red eyes peered at Xal and Rory and when she opened her mouth, blackened sharped teeth grinned at the pair, a long forked tongue rolling out across the fangs. Saliva dripped to the desk and once meeting the wood, the liquid sizzled as if acid.

"Uh, that's surely a demon," Xalusae said using a hand to push Rory back behind his now outstretched wings.

"I thought... I told you to... BE QUITE IN THE LIBRARY!" the librarian cackled and then sprung over the desk.
Word count: 691
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