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Post by Flint on Mar 20, 2018 7:40:40 GMT 1
He almost offered his help when Mahrak drained himself in water, but it looked as if he got it under control. Better not to mix magics, who knows what might spring from it. That he didn't saw the dangers left Flint speechless for a moment. “I haven't meet anyone before this. Ever.” he reminded the redhead. “Just the magic, mixed with what was left of their former users... Waterhills might have been someone once, as well as the Moaning Creatures – they can eat things. Kill them, absorb them, change them... water, but plants and earth and stone, wind and fire, too.” Hard to explain, since he lacked words for most things and never got around to really study it. If it was dangerous, he'd avoided it, if not it was either to be used or ignored and everything had to be constantly watched for changes. Now he even eyed the cave walls again, as if they might literally jump at him.
“It's dangerous. You get magic and than you have to use it to keep control, but if you use it to much, it becomes part of you, starts to change you until there's less of you than magic and finally, everything that once defined you is gone and what's left is just another part of the landscape.” Not so much a healthy caution but this nightmare he'd lived kept him from trusting magic. “I'm glad you have it, thought – nothing better than this to counter mine.” Unless asked to, he wouldn't demonstrate it, only use it if need given.
OOC: italic words are things, that only exist on his homeplace. He'll explain further, if asked
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Post by Mahrak on Mar 22, 2018 22:10:46 GMT 1
Mahrak stared and blinked as the people around him kept acting weird. Keleero looked even stiffer than before, the half-cat was acting all strange, he had no idea what Jaseio was thinking and whatever Flint was talking about made no sense at all to him. " Waterhills? Moaning Creatures? What under the two moons are those? What have they to do with magic?" Frowning, Mahrak did his best to piece together what Flint had been saying. "Eat you up? Magic can't eat you!" But Flint sounded so sure of himself... "Can it? And what do you mean 'counter yours'? You have magic too?" He knew he had to sound like an overly distracted kitten trying to figure the world out, but it was pretty much how he felt so he assumed it was a fitting way to present himself in this moment. Behind him, Longsleep gave a deep sigh and shifted into a more comfortable position. The elves around him were talking a lot, but elves tended to do that when they met so he wasn't bothered. |
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Post by Keleero on Mar 22, 2018 22:22:30 GMT 1
Letting Mahrak ask all the questions of Flint he himself wished answers for - because it sounded like Flint had seen even darker magic than Keleero himself had suffered through - Keleero paid more outward attention to the half-cat. She was grabbing at the strange ornament around her neck for whatever reason. Keleero doubted it was a weapon: what kind of weapon could be kept around one's own throat? But it was an odd gesture. Was it a cherished keep-sake? Or was it hurting her?
"Do you wish for assistance with that...necklace of yours?" He made sure to keep the question as neutral as possible. It wouldn't do to make her think he wished for her to give her jewelry away.
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Post by SL2657F on Mar 23, 2018 22:37:19 GMT 1
SL2657F was caught by surprise when Keleero spoke to her, having not expected it. This caused her to jump slightly before she shook her head. "<I... I do not think anyone here can do anything about it... It is... attached to my neck and... it will kill me to remove it.>" She didn't go into further detail and waited quietly while her words were translated, letting Keleero look more closely should he choose to do so.
She was trying to pick up the conversation, but having no real understanding of Elvish, it wasn't easy. However, with someone able to translate, for which she was extremely grateful, she was beginning to pick out words that she recognized. Magic was one she was figuring out. As well as how to address oneself and the person you're talking to (I, you, me). She did seem to slowly be relaxing again, even as the discussion was still directed towards magic. Logically speaking, if she was being monitored, the simple fact she's trying to communicate in Elvish, periodically quietly repeating words to try and get the sounds right, she would have already been executed. Unless she was being used to spy? But how? Maybe, just maybe, it was the truth. She wasn't anywhere near the Empire... She was safe. She was free. Except for the cursed collar around her neck!
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Post by Flint on Mar 24, 2018 8:48:08 GMT 1
As it was difficult for him to follow a conversation with more than two people present, his focus ended up on Mahrak, simply because he asked the most questions. That the redhead didn't believed magic to “eat” things as he had phrased it irritated him. Maybe he said it wrong? He'd never had the need to explain these strange happenings, everyone back in his place would've known what he was talking about. And how should he describe something, that escaped his own grasp of understanding? “That's what I was taught.” By now, Flint wasn't so sure of it anymore – he hadn't changed in all the years, hadn't he? The redhead didn't seemed changed too, albeit he used his magic with way less restraint than the young one himself. Even with someone asking about it, he skipped that part, as well as the point with the two moons, that his world never had for certain.
Instead, he settled on the one way to share, that he'd used on rare occasions with Sapling when they came across new changes – he send a picture, a short scene, to everyone in the room. It showed a Waterhill, as he had experienced it. For their sake, he focused on this only, not wanting to disturb them with everything else. Just this strip of landscape in the everlasting twilight, a dried-out, long overgrown river bed, in some distance a hill looming beside it. Normal, apart from the dark, the flickering lights in the distance, the underlying shifting and a feeling of thread. Then there was a speck of something living, unrecognisable but animal nonetheless, darting across the river bed. It didn't make it. Within seconds, the hill that still looked like a hill, with an earthy texture, plants growing over it and everything that defined a hill, was moving, fast, shaped like a big wave just that there was nothing behind it to support such movement, drops falling from it, plants sucked in, swirling in a mass of water like pulsing organs. The whole thing clashed over the animal, trapping it, absorbing it, leaving a field of wet destruction as it retreated back to its former place.
Flint let them have a moment to comprehend it. “Waterhill – but if you got a better word...?” It looked like a hill, behaved like a wave, felt like both and neither at the same time and it was magic, thinking and hunting, even concealing itself. These traits hat to come from somewhere, someone who was long gone but had mixed into the landscape enough to influence it. For better or worse, he couldn't tell. Life was like that in his home. Never what it seemed, always changing, infused with magic and parts of anything around it. Not that it would end with a indistinguishable mix of everything, you could still make out individual beings, but the former borders didn't apply anymore.
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Post by Mahrak on Jun 4, 2018 20:45:34 GMT 1
Mahrak frowned at Flint, trying to read the stranger. What was he- The sending hit him like an avalanche. Not that Flint was forceful in his sharing, but what he was showing was pure madness. Breath caught in his throat Mahrak tried to bring order to his thoughts as the vision faded, followed by Flint's matter of fact repetition of the word. "What by all the High Ones was that?!" was all Mahrak could think to say. "The ground eats things where you come from? How? Why?!" He was so shocked by these news - because sendings could not lie - that he almost missed the SL2657F 's translated explanation of what her necklace truly was. "Kill you??? Why in the world-? Who put that on you?" In utter shock, Mahrak's stare switched from Flint to the half-cat. This was just insane! Where in the world had that magical stone in the other cavern taken him? Longsleep, somewhat bothered by his bond's outburst, gave a grumble and boffed Mahrak with his head to calm him down. He got a reflexive pat in reply. |
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Post by Keleero on Jun 4, 2018 20:58:14 GMT 1
Keleero fought to not let his eyes widen more than they were already when Flint shared what a Waterhill was. He had seen what his elders had discovered at the roots of Steepside Mountain and it had been horrific enough; rock moving as water, elves screaming about their minds being on fire. This...this seems like an everyday image for Flint, like something he had seen several times in his life, or at least something similar to other things he'd often seen. "Stars preserve us," Keleero gasped before he got himself under control. Wherever Flint had come from it had to be far away. Very far. Hopefully. To distract from the fact that he knew far too little of the world outside his birth mountain, Keleero focused instead on the half-cat's bisarr revelation. "If it can kill you, surely we must remove it," he said though he couldn't put full conviction into his words. The necklace looked to be metal of some kind, beyond Keleero's capabilities. But maybe Sefu... " How does it kill?" |
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Post by SL2657F on Jun 6, 2018 1:34:13 GMT 1
SL2657F was silent for several moments as she processed the questions and tried to figure out how to describe it. "<The humans put these on us when we are very young. There's a.. a box on the back that is attached. It cannot be taken off. It can be opened, but I don't know how. Inside it has...>" How would she describe the injections? The small little vials of liquid that could either number her into complete obedience or the one that would cause her to die quite violently. "<Inside are two little... cups? The humans can use a device to make it inject one of the cups into our blood. One will make us do what they say, even if it is to kill a child. We can't refuse...>" She trailed off for a moment, her ears drooping, as if she had just admitted to doing just that. She had done things she wasn't proud of. "<The other is a poison... A very deadly, very potent poison.>"
She motioned to the back of her neck as she tilted her head down. The device itself was physically attached to the back of her neck. The leather of the collar flexed and moved, but it was obvious the little silver box wouldn't move no matter what she did. Around the edge of the box, there was a lack of fur, but instead scarring showing that it had been surgically placed there, or perhaps fleshshaped. The little bubbled lights could be seen, the blue one showing it was on and transmitting and the yellow-green one were both lit up with a faint glow. "<Blue means... If they were here... they could activate one of the cups. The row of lights from green to red? It shows my condition... Green is healthy, red is... well, dead.>" She lifted her head again and shrugged. "<It will also trigger if I try to take it off... I've seen someone try... I don't know how the device knew... but it injected the poison as soon as it came loose.>"
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Post by Flint on Jun 6, 2018 19:41:15 GMT 1
Flint could really understand the shocked reactions, he wouldn't wish for anything similar to be nearby either, but there was no way to change where he came from. And since they probably needed a moment to comprehend this, the boy stayed silent, instead listening to what not-pronounceable explained. The part with the devices and cups he didn't understand fully, but to him it seemed as if there wasn't much to do about the matter. “But if no one does anything to it, you're fine?” he asked. Just like back in his world – leave it alone and it won't come back at you.
Speaking of his world he once again turned to Mahrak, speaking softer so not to shock him anymore. “I don't know who those High Ones are, but that's... magic. The one I know. It's not just the ground or some single things, it's everything. Magic infuses every being, every grain, even the air – and it's clever magic. Not bad, but... alive.” Evolved, unrestrained, uncontrolled, mixed in with not-magic-but-equally-dangerous-science.
“If it's any comfort, it's very far away... a different planet. You'd know it right away.” Flint glanced at the walls, kneading his hands. “Or rather, you'd be dead within short time... I can name you three things just for caves alone that are able to. Crawler. Writing Moss. Living Stone. A tower tried to get rid of me just before I ended up here, going all smooth while I climbed it.” But this wasn't about the beings of his home, but magic. “The magic... it changes things. Us, too. Ivy was sure our father turned into an owl – she followed one for ages. And she couldn't have vanished into thin air when she left us...” Surely she was part of the landscape now. “I always thought I'd become a beacon one day” How ironic, that he now was at some magic called beacon.
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Post by Mahrak on Jun 7, 2018 22:24:52 GMT 1
"Poison," Mahrak said, staring at SL2657F. "These humans...put poison into a necklace and made it so you couldn't take it off? So you'd do as they said?" Nausea was starting to catch up to him. He buried his hands in Longsleep's fur, earning a satisfied purr from his bond. "I'm going to make sure to stay faaaar away from humans. You're sure yours can't get to you here?" The translation wasn't exact, he could tell by how many times Jaseio had to stop and think things over, repeat words, but that's the impression he got. Flint's continued tale of his homeworld wasn't exactly stomach calming either. "Oh dear, I think I'm getting a headache from all these new words," Mahrak said, in a somewhat strained but playful tone. Better try to keep things light than make the situation worse by joining in the sad tales. "What is a planet?" he asked Flint. "Is it like a holt? And I'd never thought I'd meet and elf who didn't know who the High Ones were." Then again, he'd never thought he'd meet a grown elf who couldn't send. Life was full of surprised it seemed. Horrible, horrible surprises. "But I'm glad to hear that you're sure we're far away from all that. I will have bad dreams for moons about those things! Back home where I come from, the Far White, there is little magic. We're...generally happy when we find out a new tribe member can do a little bit of what the High Ones once could." |
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Post by Keleero on Jun 7, 2018 22:45:29 GMT 1
Jaseio, who'd been focusing on her translating, didn't look too happy with the situation. Before she could say anything, out her hair burst the tiny shape of a turquiose and pale butter yellow burst from her hair. Clearly, the creature had been sleeping there. It tugged on one of Jaseio's locks and screeched: "Lightdark-Highthing go stillquiet-time! Shinefind help! Shinefind do!" The tiny creature took flight and ended up settling down on Keleero's shoulder. "Stillquiet-time!" it crowed again at Jaseio, who seemed to give up and left the room with a quick nod to all there. Where she was heading only she knew, as the Sleeping Chamber here obviously was occupied. Keleero was too startled to interrupt as Shinefind continued to speak: "Hallo hallo, Darksplotch-Highthing," it named Flint, "Spotfur-Highthing," this to SL2657F, "and Wetdance-Highthing!" Apparently it had been awake enough to see Mahrak's magic on display. <"Spotfur-Highthing" have nice things for "Shinefind"?> the preserver said, directed at SL2657F. <"Shinefind" speak good, know many words!> Keleero, finally recovering from his surprise, kept his blank expression and nodded. It might not have been the best solution, but it was a solution. "I too would like to know what a planet is. It's not...one of those magical mishaps, is it?" This said he turned his attention back to SL2657F and said, Shinefind translating fairly competently: "We have healers and shapers here. Someone might be able to assist you in removing that. Not sure if anyone here knows much about poisons though - maybe Juniper?" OOC: Since Jaseio's player hasn't been in a holt in a while, I thought it only fair to leave her character out of this thread until she one day maybe returns. In the meantime, Shinefind shall be our translator. It is okay at translating, though might not be as nuanced as Jaseio. SL2657F, you decide how well Shinefind translates for you, since Shinefind is an NPC anyone can choose to play in their post, if Shinefind is in a thread 
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Post by SL2657F on Jun 8, 2018 0:16:34 GMT 1
OOC: Got it.
SL2657F jumped at the small flittering... bug? Was it a bug? She'd never seen one of these creatures and the fact it just exploded out of Jaseio's head only alarmed her more. "What <is> that <thing!?>" She had managed to mix some of the words she'd learned at least. When it began translating the words around her, she appeared even more confused. The way the thing spoke was... She wasn't sure how to describe it. Rushed? But child-like? Did the thing even breathe between words? Was it adding words in to what was being said? At least it referred to itself as 'Shinefind" so there was that.
The cat-elf was caught completely off guard to the point she forgot to ask what a High One was. She'd heard the term in passing but didn't know just what it was. A god? Shaking her head she brought herself back to the conversation. "I <don't know if it can be removed... even with> magic."
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Post by Flint on Jun 8, 2018 13:09:54 GMT 1
Turned out it was hard to follow the lengthy translations, all the more so because he had to switch his attention between the different people. Able to keep an eye on the landscape for hours, noticing the faintest change, but speaking in a group didn't worked well for him. He spared himself a comment on the talking but – if anyone, he should know best that nature could bring forth the most unbelievable things. But a pained expression crossed his face at Shinefinds reference to him as 'darksplotch'. Sure it talked about the obvious tattoo in his face, which he hadn't got willingly and while the pattern was delicate, it was still something related to a very painful memory. Out of habit he'd touched it, but lowered his hand at once when the others turned back to him.
“A planet... it's what we're on. The whole world.” he started, thinking of a way to explain this. Flint just knew, knowledge passed down for generations. But showing was better than old stories, so he rummaged through his backpack and pulled out some of his collected scraps, altering them with quick hands and placing them amid them. A leather scrap with resin in the center, a glass orb at some distance and a smaller bone marble nearby. He lit the leather with a flick of his hand, hoping that the small fire wouldn't set anyone at edge. “That is the sun” he pointed at the fire, then the glass and the bone. “And that is this world, a planet, and the moon. The planet is round, which means that if you go in one direction in a straight line, you'll one day come back to the point where you started from – but it's to big to see the shape, as if you're a insect climbing a mountain range.” So far the basics. Now it got complicate. The boy spinned the orb. “Planets turn around themselves, that makes day and night, as the point you stand on sometimes faces the sun, sometimes not. The moon moves around the planet, but at a different speed than the planet itself turning around, so you can see it both day and night. And the planet with the moon moves around the sun in a circle, but not always the same distance to it – nearer, it's warmer, summer, further out it's darker and colder, winter.”
Hoping that they understood the principle, he extinguished the flame again, but left the things lying there for reference to questions. “Every star you see is a sun of its own, some of them with different planets. Might as well be that there are also elves on them. But ours... mine, has gone wrong long ago. There was a war and somehow it got the planet of track. The moon got lost. Days and nights got irregular. And it's slowly spiraling away from the sun, making seasons darker and colder – even without the magic it would be terrible.” OOC: Crash course in astronomy XD Feel free to have your elves not believe a word of it |
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Post by Mahrak on Jun 9, 2018 21:57:11 GMT 1
With a child-like smile of wonder, Mahrak watched Shinefind leave Jaseio's hair. He observed with joy how the small creature began to speak, translating for SL2657F. He never thought he'd get the chance to see a preserver up close like this! It was almost enough to make him forget all the horrors Flint had shared with them just a moment before. Mahrak listened with some skepticism to Flint's explanation of what a planet was. It all seemed a late night story to tell to kittens before sleep, and with Flint apparently not having met a lot of people he could possible be easily tricked by the few people he seemed to have lived with. "So...you're telling me you know all these strange things about how the world, and the moons, and the sun works, but you don't know who the High Ones were? The ancestors of all elves?" Shinefind chipping in with its new names for them made Mahrak pause. He noted the flinch as Flint heard the name it had chosen for him - the poor elf was either choosing to be very open with his emotions or very bad at hiding them. Better not ask about the tattoo then. But finding less harmful things to start conversation with was proving difficult. "So...what did you mean with that you thought you'd 'become a beacon'? How would that happen?" The situation with SL2657F's necklace felt too complicated for Mahrak to try to deal with, but he thought he better give a try at helping out somehow. "Must be uncomfortable to wear that all the time. Can't we find some humans and make them take it off you? If using magic is useless, that is." He frowned. "If you think it safe, I could try freezing the poison and that other liquid. Do you think that would help?" He had no idea how the 'cups' were arranged inside the necklace. Maybe freezing the liquid would expand the cups and break them, or maybe it would trigger those hidden needles. He wished he could do as his mentor had been able to and turn the liquid into steam, but he knew he was ages away from that level of magical control, if he'd ever reach it. |
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Post by Keleero on Jun 9, 2018 22:16:42 GMT 1
Keleero was spell-bound by Flint's explanation of what a planet was, to the point where he lost track of Shinefind's translating for SL2657F . "I know this..." he whispered, more to himself than to the other elves in the room. What Flint was describing - the sun, the world circling it, the moons circling the world - he faintly recalled from the wall carvings that once adorned the inside of Steepside Mountain. Not for the first time he cursed that Elyro had ordered all such history destroyed when he came to power. There had been no way to recover all that had been lost. He chose not to comment on Mahrak's criticism of Flint's knowledge. He felt that he'd come to be used to dismissing Mahrak - the elf seemed young and far too quick to voice opinions and suggestions without anything to base them on. Young and foolish. Instead, he commented with: "A world can leave its sun?" The thought was chilling, but it made some sense. Maybe such a terrible fate was what the High Ones were fleeing when they came to this world? "And you are sure you are on a different... planet now, Flint?" He paused, not sure how to phrase what he'd say next. He wanted to impress on Flint that he too had knowledge, lay the groundwork for an alliance, since this one seemed to be a possible resource: a careful thinker, cautious about magic. "Shinefind is a preserver. You have never encountered one? They... came with the High Ones. Like the trolls." Not that he'd ever seen a troll, but the legends of them were many and detailed. He kept part of his attention on SL2657F and whatever her reaction would be to Mahrak's suggestion. OOC: Reminder that Shinefind is an NPC that's up for anyone to play in their posts. You don't have to play Shinefind, but if you want to you absolutely can! |
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