RP:A Pixie and A Mage walk into a bar..

Summary: Irthos and Odhranos strike up a conversation about magic in Kelay Tavern, after which the mage reveals a bit about his troubled past.

Kelay Tavern

Irthos flits around over head, "Oh new people! A small one and a big one. A very big one."

(Varn exits)

Odhranos smiles. "Greetings to you, Pixie" he states formally, as he gathers his robes around himself.

Irthos zips down to hover around Odhranos, "So what brings you to Hollow?"

Odhranos pauses, then his smile returns. "Wandering! I am a traveller from the distant island-state of Oileán, and I have travelled here in hopes of witnessing some of the legends that have travelled over the sea and enchanted me as a small boy"

Irthos said to you, "Are you a mage by chance? I know of an awesome library to learn from. Though it is a very dangerous place. What kind of magics are you good at?""

Odhranos said to Irthos, ""Very astute, I am indeed a mage, though not one of any substantial caliber. I have learned rudimentary defensive and offensive magics, and I am a crack-shot with a fire-bolt, but my ultimate desire is to learn the art of terramancy""

Irthos said to you, "I have a dream of being a Weird Mage. I would create constructs of opposite elements, yet the balance at just the perfect point. But then mastering all the elements would be awesome as well. Did you know there is a Mage's Guild, but I think it is under re-management at the moment.""

Odhranos tugs at his stubble thoughtfully. "Perfectly balanced yet opposite elements working in tandem, that sounds positively intriguing!" His slate-grey eyes twinkle and the mage shows an enthusiasm and energy that has been absent for some time. He laughs good-naturedly; "I have indeed been introduced to the Mage's Guild, a very generous woman by the name of Leone led me there upon the eve of my first day in Hollow". His eyes cast down slightly in embarrassment; "I was in some state then, my clothes were barely holding together and I was scruffy to say the least!"

Irthos shivers at his first attempt at joining the Mage's Guild. "I, uh, had to face the master of Cryomancy. Lucky for me I had some time to prepare for the fight to get in. I had to peppers to break through the ice magic and make me fire magic even hotter." The pixie giggles how he first caught fully caught fire. "I had a fun time discovering how hot my fire could go"

Odhranos laughs heartily, "Peppers! Genius! I would never have thought of that!" He chortles again. "I must really train more if I wish to join the guild" his slate-eyes flash eagerly; "but I do love a challenge" he grins

Irthos shrugs, "I wouldn't advise it for a human. You won't have the effect with them as I did. I am smaller than a human so the peppers burn through me quickly but much more fiercely. In turn my body creates more heat and thus I channel that through my magic and make it burn much more hotter" The pixie moves away quickly and busts into flame, making it grow hotter and even light starts to distort around the mini-mage. "See I have learned a bit much since those days, and I can even melt stone from a distance to create a soft landing for me when I crash into walls."

Odhranos nods, "hmm I understand, very clever, if heat is produced naturally, then it requires less magical energy, which in turn can be used to increase the heat further. Very clever!" The mage seats himself at a nearby table, propping his staff against the aged and scarred wood of the worn chair. A small white-grey flame pops into existance above the pommel of the staff and Odhranos picks this from the end with his hands. "I may not be quite as skilled with amplitide of my flames, but if there's one thing I have learned in my travels, its that fire neednt be awfully hot, if it hits the right place, at a the right... speed!" He grunts and flicks his hand. The ball of flame roars with a squeaky growl as it flies with abnormal velocity through the dusty air of the tavern and catches a brown rat that had been skulking in the shadows of the dim light right in the midriff. The mage smiles upwards at the pixie.

Irthos Smiles and snuffs his flame and soon begins dancing upon the air to a rhythm only he could hear. He sets down on the table his small frame chilled to the point his footsteps sent out frost on the table. As he skipped about he soon covered the entire table as he finished his dance. He smiled and shrugged. I learn this magic at that library I mentioned. I also didn't learn it from a book. I got one lesson from the Master Cryomancer and I have been using her lesson this way."

Odhranos smiles and claps approvingly as the pixie cavorts and jigs. "I haven't seen such lively dancing since the céili's back home" he laughs. Then his gaze grows thoughtful as he notices the growing frost upon the table. When the pixie has finished, the thin layer of ice has coated the table and Odhranos hastily moves his staff before it becomes coated also. He runs a finger through the light dusting of ice crystals and rubs them between long index and thumb. Returning his focus to Irthos, he cocks his head to the side "Correct me if I am wrong, but you have no need for a staff, you use your body as the focusing conduit for your magic?"

Irthos nods, "I have a very strong affinity with magic from being a pixie. Also I'm not like other pixies. My physical nature tends to allow me to a better connection with my magic and so I feel each element as well as conduct them. I am still fascinated in learning my types of magic save for divine or natural. I can't use either of those." He goes up to Odhranos and holds out his hand. "By the way my name is Irthos. Some folks around Hollow call me Firebug or Firestarter."

Odhranos reaches out and takes the pixies hand in his own slender hand. "Its a pleasure Irthos, my name is Odhranos of House-..." the mage stops, and his eyes grow sad. "Of....no house." He finishes rather plainly. He mentally berates himself, for bringing up painful memories and for letting through a crack in his armour. "Apologies, Irthos, my past is troubled and I wish not to burden you with my troubles" he states sadly, his shoulders slumped somewhat.

Irthos ::A concerned look crosses his face, "I do not mind my friend. It looks like a heavy burden, and to not have someone know in a new land might make it that much heavier if not shared. Besides the only clue I have to my past is that my name means Secret in Draconic."

Odhranos sighs and sits back against the worn wooden chair. "Where to begin... I guess the start is as good as any..". " was born a member of the House Carraig an Rí, which in Old Oileán translates as "Stone of the King". The House serves as the right hand of the royal houses of Oileán, their stewards, lords, diplomats and noblemen". Odhranos pauses, then continues: "My father was a royal diplomat, it was his duty to travel to the far-flung lengths of the Oileán kingdom and form treaties and bonds with the distant lands we bordered. As his son, I was expected to follow in his footsteps and become the next royal diplomat. All was well, my training was almost complete, my father was proud, and we had just been given the task of beginning discussions with the people of Kayvana, a nearby kingdom of warriors, when..." his eyes grow sad "I met her."

Irthos tilts his head in thought as he listens to Odhranos' story. "Shouldn't meeting someone like a girl be a good thing?"

Odhranos laughs amiably. "It should, and it was. Her name was Raeana, and she was the most beautiful woman I had ever set eyes upon." Odhranos' eyes grow unfocused as he casts his memory back. "She was a Kayvanian, with eyes like two emeralds and hair like the richest red fire you've ever seen" he reminisces. "We first met in the court of the Kayvanian king, my father had just commenced discussions with the Kayvanian king and I was left to my own devices. We met in the throne room, she was in the company of a few other young women and we first met" Odhranos' eyes return to the present and he smiles across at the pixie. "Over the next few days, we spent more and more time together, and before long it dawned on me that I was in love with this quiet foreign girl, and before a year had passed, the smitten romantic that I was, I proposed to her. She accepted" he smiles, his hand idly touching the tarnished ring he wore on a chain about his neck.

Irthos was still a bit confused, "Well happy ending then I suppose. but you are sad so something terrible must have happened. And I am sorry that happened. What did happen though, friend?"

Odhranos nods, "You are most correct, my friend. As it turned out, Raeana was more than simply any Kayvanian. She was the King's own, and only, daughter." He laughs sadly, "I should have known to be truthful, she was ever present in the palace and always accompanied by some follower or another. Needless to say, the king found out and was less than pleased: he had planned his daughter to marry a rich Kayvanian prince, to keep the bloodlines strong, and a foreign diplomats son was far from his idea of a perfect suitor." Odhranos runs a slender hand through his long brown hair and continues, "An annulment was forced, neither I nor Raeana wished to be parted, but her father was a ruthless man, as a king of a warrior nation would need to be, and I never saw her again. Discussions were ceased with Oileán and I was brought home in disgrace. I was charged with acting against the wishes of the Oileán Crown, and I was disowned and exiled." Odhranos looks across the table to the pixie. "I had nowhere to go, and I had always heard of the legends of Hollow, how it was a place where anyone could fit in, and so, I sold the clothes off my back for a crossing, leaving my country and my love an ocean away" he concludes, placing his palms flat on the icy table in front of him. He smiles, "so, Secret? I'm very curious as to what that might mean?" He smiles friendly, his eyes still sad but a weight has been lifted from his shoulders.

Irthos smiles warmly, "I hope you find Hollow to be as warm to you as it has me. And Frostmaw is the warmest place I have ever been. Not literally, being as it is the coldest in Hollow due to being so far in the north. But I got the better welcome from there as any place. Also if you wish to seek out the library i studied in you will have to ask my clan leader, Hildegarde. She is the Steward of Frostmaw so far as I know and you have to get her permission to venture into the forbidden zone to get to the Frozen Library." The pixie shrugs once his name was said in common, "I'd like to find out as well. Might be interesting to see what kind of reason lies behind a name like that."

Odhranos returns the warm smile. "I shall make a point of heading that direction on my wanderings then. Any place Irthos recommends must be a fine place indeed!" His smile widens, his face taking on a whole new light as months of sadness slowly fall away. "Hmm, I would too. Perhaps someday, if you would consider it, I might accompany you upon your journey of inquisition. After all, one good turn deserves another" he adds, a distinct fondness for the pixie taking root in the mage's wounded heart

Irthos grins evilly, "Ha ha ha, maybe we could be sparring partners and maybe both re-apply for the Mage's Guild too. Yes I'm quite certain they would never see that coming. " The pixie laughs evilly but he hopes Od knew he was joking.

Odhranos laughs heartily. "Maybe indeed. I wish you luck with re-applying regardless" the mage smiles. "Hmm, Frostmaw, I have heard a lot about that place in recent times. Is it not a place of great turmoil at present?" He inquires, unsure of how accurate his recollection is.

Irthos tilts his head again recollecting, "I think so, unless it has simmered down a bit then things should be fine if the have. Though if you do go to the Forebidden Zone make sure you are well geared and well versed in combat to fight off the Ice Devils. They are a bit of an angry sort. Also Enchantment is a nice place to visit this time of year. Flowers everywhere, in the grass in the trees. Is it all sorts of beautiful. Winter is good as well. Sadly I have been awake all night. I am going to find a nice tree in the woods to sleep in."

Odhranos nods in agreement. "I shall have to acquire some superior equipment then." The mage smiles, "I wish you a good sleep friend, and I eagerly await the crossing of our paths again" he extends his hand to shake that of the pixie as he stands up from the table. "I thank you, Irthos, for listening to my story, and lifting my burden. You have earned my eternal friendship"

Irthos smiles warmly taking grasp of a finger and shaking that. He quickly zips up and gives his new friend a hug then takes off, blasting out the window. "Take care my new friend."