RP:An Immediately Accepted Offer

Summary: It's late in the evening, and the animal sanctuary has been closed for several hours, when there's a knock at the door. Lanara answers the door and comes face to face with a visitor most unexpected, Daath, a drow. The witch is instantly suspicious, as she holds their kind at a great distance, considering the turmoil they created in her past. However, her viewpoint rapidly changes as Daath appears to be sincere, well-spoken, and holds a genuine love for magic. The pair agrees on their passion for educating those that wish to study the arcane arts, and so Daath asks Lana if she would accept a position at the Mage's Guild. The offer is taken, without hesitance.

This is a Mage's Guild RP.

Daath's arrival is preceded by a murder of crows rushing into the area as if awaiting to feast upon the carcass of a soon to be dead animal. Raven back with an almost unnatural sheen to each feather, these winged minions bellow forth a haunting spine-chilling symphony of caws as they herald the magister of necromancy's appearance. And for the first time since he played a critical role in the defeat and exile of his cousins the wood elves from their own homeland, this sacred and ancient forest, does the D'Jiv'Undus heir stalk the forest once more. He simply appears, much to the astonishment of the armed guards who stand sentinel over the entrance, right in front of the door that leads into the sanctuary that one of the lands leading witches works and perhaps lives. Such minor things are of little importance, even the guards who ready arms towards him, for the dark elf is here on business, Mage Guild business. With that in mind that from within the almost living darkness that shrouds him almost lovingly does he raise his cane, fashioned into a snarling basilisk head fashioned from silver with two rare gems for eyes. He raps the door three times in a slow, but clear, manner and waits patiently for an answer at the door. The darkness washes away from him, falling to the earth and dissipating likes the early morning mist and vanishing into nothing once more just as he'd knock for the last time. Revealed now is the drow, standing in the finest of clothes and not looking at all like some foul creature that the guards expected, but rather the young noble charmer he is rumored to be. How he ever got such a rumor going about him he'd never know, but he waits patiently for an answer even as the guards have weapons aimed at him and at the ready.

Lanara is in the rear of the facility, exiting the lion enclosure, with a quill pen and a thick pad in her hand. Shaking her head, she sighs heavily and begins to check off various boxes, before proceeding to the next enclosure. “Hm…” The exotic animal section was at full capacity this month, and the elf had been staying rather late, making sure that all the animals were recovering from their injuries, returned to the wild, or placed for adoption. The sanctuary is mostly still at this time of night, save for the few employees that are tending to the newborns or those in the infirmary. Venin, the caretaker, stands vigilant at the front desk, despite the fact that the building had been close for nearly two hours. She is a haughty dark-skinned woman, and it looks as though it just may kill her if she were to smile. Still, she’s the best employee that Lanara ever hired, so she remains, despite the much needed attitude adjustment. The rapping at the door so late in the evening is unexpected, and something has the hair lifting on the back of Venin’s neck. A sphere sits on the front desk, which allows her to visualize who may lay beyond the door her eyes widening in shock. A drow?! The guards stand at the ready, fully prepared to unleash a hellish torment on the male that brought along the air of macabre and the flock of ravens. Something sinister lurked beneath his flesh, they just knew it, and were they to know him by name, they’d know that his reputation proved he wasn’t one to toy with, in any event. The caretaker runs to get the founder, nearly pulling her from a black wolf’s pen and ushering her to the door to get rid of the intruder. Lanara opens the door without hesitation, not an ounce of fear evident in those dark chocolate hues, as she locks eyes with Daath. The hint of a smile is on her face, though it’s likely forced, “Hello. I’m so sorry, but we’ve closed our doors to the public a few hours ago…” A quick glance towards the ground is given, “Are you here to surrender an animal?”

Daath places his eerie gaze upon Venin first, studying her and her reaction to his presence for a moment before turning those scarlet orbs of hidden power to the one he has obviously come to see. Magic is such a wonderful thing, but oh so hard to ever fully hide from those skilled in looking for it, and well this woman positively radiates an aura that is not wholly arcane, but more akin to it than a druids. So this is what a witch’s aura looks like? Noted. His voice flows forth with smooth and alluring tones, fine and inviting and rather not what one would ever expect from a drow, especially him. "Lady Lanara, I apologize for the late arrival." He brings his cane to rest in front of him, both hands clasping over the handle as he continues with. "I am Daath D'Jiv'Undus. Magister Templi of Mage's Guild, Former Headmaster of the Necromancer's Guild and Ruler of the Third Noble House of Trist'Oth." He allows his introduction to hang a moment only so he doesn't ramble. He cares little for titles, but surface dwellers seem to care and so he tries to assimilate such customs. Drow greetings tend to end with the murder of one or more people. He continues shortly with. "I come only to discuss matters with you, if you'd allow me some of your time I would greatly appreciate it." The crows stare from the branches of nearby trees, their red beady eyes peering down and watching everything that happens in the immediate area. If Daath has done this on purpose is unknown, he seems to not notice it at all. Like he does the guard's ever so eagerly awaiting the order to end this intruder upon their lady's land. Or so it seems.

Lanara isn’t in the mood for games, though her intuition tells her that this male isn’t here to adopt an animal or to surrender a wounded beast. If it wasn’t related to the sanctuary, then why had he showed up at such a later hour? The moon hangs overhead, filtering its light through the thickness of the trees, outlining the forms of the crows. The witch was being watched from all angles, it seems, though Daath was always being heavily scrutinized. By the guards. Venin, who had her own feral nature and would risk her life for the animals. And most of all, by the brunette who stares into those crimson hues, not the least bit intimidated. Those that knew the elf knew she had a strong dislike for drow, as their kind had destroyed her homeland of Kelvar. Laezila and Gevurah had proven to be enemies, and Thalra was considered a friend, though only as of recent, after having proved her worth time and time again. Lana considers the male as he begins to speak, though as the titles are rattled off of his silver tongue, she fights the urge to roll her eyes. Masking her hatred for pretentious men was a skill she hadn’t yet possessed, and so she clears her throat and glances away, so as not to offend this supposed holder of many positions. “That is quite a mouthful. I’ll just call you Daath. I am Lanara, though you already seem to know my name and my occupation.” She abruptly stops speaking, as though considering if she should toss a few of her well-deserved titles his way. She thinks it best not to give him more ammunition, in case he was here for nefarious purposes. The less he knew about the witch, the better. What matters could he possibly have to discuss? She could care less about the underground, and necromancy was a field that she chose not to align herself with, as she rarely dabbled in dark magic. Though the Mage’s Guild mention does have her tilting her head, and she wonders if perhaps he wishes to form an alliance of sorts, as she leads the Adventurer’s Guild. “I suppose I can spare a few moments… Please, come in. My office is just to the right. Keep your hands to yourself, no matter how much she begs for pets and crackers. You –will- lose a finger.” The witch turns her back to the male and walks past a colorful bird that bounces around a perch, eyeing the newcomer and immediately giving him a catcall. If Daath were to follow her into the office, he’d be directed to a chair, whereas Lana would sit behind her desk and wait for him to begin.

(Post 1 of 2) Daath flows forth into the establishment after ample time for the ladies to be offered comfortable room ahead of him. His footsteps are silent as the grave, both magically aided and honed instinct from years spent living in the underdark, but he moves to the offered chair and politely waits for the women to seat themselves before he'd join them. The bird's catcall brings a small smirk to his thin lips, a look tossed its way but no attempt to touch the creature out of respect of the witch's warning and request as to not touch anything. He was her guest, and he'd show proper manners. A moment for things to settle, before he'd say. "I do apologize for the late hour, I often lose myself in my work and lose track of time, and I find myself buried in work due to my long departure from the lands." All indeed fact. His return to the guild, which was abruptly left leaderless by all high ranking mages at once, has him swamped with paper work, requests, duties and all manner of things he is happy to have a break from. "Though I appreciate the chance to venture forth to such a place." Truth. He found creatures to be quite remarkable, particularly predatory ones and those possessing higher intelligence than it seems, such as the bird. Returning to the conversation, he adds. "But I am here on both a bit of Mage Guild business as well as my own curiosity. You see, well to be frank we didn't have witches roaming the land when the guild was a prominent force. To boast a fact, we were -the- keepers of magic, and held some of the most powerful and influential people. But that does not matter. I am not here for titles or boasts, so please forgive if I ever made it seem as such." He waits a moment, hoping she believes that, because it’s true. "I know my kind is often viewed in certain light, and we earned that. I am not a holy man, a hero, or someone one would ever consider when thinking of a good person. I am drow. I am a mage who has mastered the dark arts. I have killed, I waged war even in this very forest and won, watching a people be exiled with little care." He was being wholly truthful, not a lie or hint of ego when he says any of this. "None of that makes me feel good. None of that was for power. I was a tool for many years, and then I found my freedom." again a pause, before he says. "Magic, Lady Lanara. I am here because of magic. And because my home is the guild, my place is within the guild and -I- choose to be more than a pawn in a game my people will never win, or a single minded creature vying for power that will fade away in time. I seek not to destroy needlessly, nor waste for naught. I seek only one thing in my life, that I chose to live. To seek to expand my knowledge of magic and see what those mysteries will unravel the deeper I go."

(Post 2 of 2) He pauses again, it’s a lot, but he isn't one to dally or play cat and mouse games with wordplay. He also knew he was already in the dog house as far as truth, so he hopes outright truth in its raw form helps dissolve preexisting notions about his kind. Daath's name isn't one of carnage, evil or savagery. If one speaks of Daath on the surface the always come back to one thing. Magic. "So, if I may be so blunt. I am here to ask you if you'd consider helping the Mage's Guild expand its archaic understanding of Magic, by joining our ranks and helping the very realm understand magic, and your kind of magic, even more. I seek... allies. Peers. Comrades. I dare not say friends, I don't fully understand such a term to be honest. But I do understand respect, especially with one whom understands Magic does not belong to one man. No single Archmage, no sublime master. As I am skilled in darker arts, in necromancy, you could show me wonders with your craft I perhaps never even thought of. And it is because of that, that I am here to humbly request that you help me ensure magic is not stolen and hoarded away again by a single group as we once did. But rather harnessed and flourished in a healthy environment of like minded individuals unified, if only, in one goal. Education, growth and acceptance of magic as a whole." He pauses again, hoping his slightly practiced speech wasn't too much. He did give this the ole college try, and he was working on his people skills every day. He'd end it with. "I believe, with such a unification under such a goal, we can avoid such events that transpired in Larket. I have seen blind persecution before, and I have also seen religion lead to fanatics doing terrible things. I'd seek to use the Guild as a home for all magic users, a haven from such mindsets, so that young minds could grow and magic can flourish in the realm once more."

(Post 1 of 2) Lanara gives Venin a ‘look’ and the woman gets the hint and leaves the room, closing the door behind her, though she manages another scowl at Daath. She wasn’t a people person, by any means, though she was great with the animals. That was all that mattered to the witch and her sanctuary. An apology is not offered to the drow, though Lana’s lush lips do arch into a silken smile at her employee’s antics. Venin was protective. Many a male came around near the midnight hour, for a glimpse of the beautiful Kelvarian elf, or to see that magnificent derriere that she possessed. They all were turned away, of course, as Lana had no time for such ill-mannered fools. This was her place of business, after all. The witch listens intently to Daath’s tale, her dark hues narrowing slightly when he mentions that he was the one that had waged war in Sage Forest, and had killed many tapered eared folks. Why should she place her trust in this man?! She doesn’t interrupt, however, and gives him her undivided attention, finding that he has a way with words, and he seems to be rather sincere in his reasons for being here. It’s no surprise that he sought to meet with Lanara, as she was rather well-known in the realm. Being a professional dancer, the founder of an animal sanctuary, and the leader of the Adventurer’s Guild, had placed her high on the totem pole of importance. Yet, only a select few knew of her magical talents, and those that did, often ran their mouths in circles of like minded individuals. She had played a pivotal role in the resurrection of Valrae, and she was the keeper of the pink rose quartz skull. She had died twice, and returned to the realm, as whole and as beautiful as before she had perished. She had exorcised a demon from her sister, Talyara. There were tales of hexes that had been placed and removed, healing methods that went beyond the realm of explanation.

(Post 2 of 2) Lana was a daughter of the Goddess, true, though her magic wasn’t entirely nature based, as she commanded the elements with ease, and her father was an archmage back in Kelvar. The witch was a perfect blend of druidic and arcane, entirely composed of magic running through her veins, and that power was magnified by a blessing that she called upon to enhance her craft. This drow, and the Mage’s Guild, wished to add her experience to their ranks? Leaning forward, she considers the offer, her gaze never once wavering from his scarlet hues, “If I may be frank, Daath… First, we can cut the formalities. Please, just refer to me as Lana…” She pauses, her tone much gentler than it was when she had answered the door. “I’ve done things in my past that I’m none too proud about, either. If you feel remorse, that is repentance enough, in my book. If we do not learn from our mistakes, then there is no point in living, as only when we are learning and growing, are we truly alive. Also… Witches were not to blame for the things that transpired in Larket. We have paid threefold, for crimes that we didn’t even commit. And there are others out there that are still threatened by those that wear the pentacle. It’s so far from what we truly are… We are magic. But we respect our own set of rules! Being a witch is much more than potion making, spell casting, and healing… Our primary purpose is to educate. To inform others of our magic, it’s uses, dangers, and how to wield it towards ourselves and others. We protect, we heal, and we teach. That is the truth of my kind. Sure, a few may drift from that path from time to time, but they are not true witches. They are abominations.” Emotion flashes in her expression, as though Lana knew a few that had turned to the dark arts, “I’ve been thinking about this long and hard… How I can make a different. And how I can stand up for my kind, to make us less feared. We deserve to be respected and admired for our abilities, once more. To reclaim our place in Lithrydel, alongside mages. So… If you have an area where I would best be put to use, then yes. I would love to join the Guild, and to better your cause with what I’m capable of bringing to the table.”

Daath doesn't seem bothered by Venin's scowl and venom, though he'd politely ignore such things even if he did. He was here on business that mattered to him, protecting magic and ensuring it’s taught and protected by capable hands. This woman, whose deeds did in fact reach a select circle of ears that happen to be accessible to him only because of his own power and deeds, is one of the very few he'd actually ask to join his beloved guild as an equal. And on that he says. "I do have an area I'd like you to be. Standing with me, and others, as equals teaching the craft we know. You are not a novice, and I'd not insult you by trying to raise my nose and peer down as your better, when in truth I know nothing of witchcraft. You'd lead how you wished, taught what you'd like. The healing arts is often left to druids and priests, few mages specialize in such art, but to say there is not some out there who could is unacceptable of one sworn to further magic in the land." he was happy to see he made slight head way in breaking through any barriers she may have had previously, even if only the slightest of cracks. He has been truthful and forward in this meeting, and he suspects she has been the same. That is enough for him, so he stays the course and says. "I understand stigmas. I am drow. I am a necromancer. I study the darker arts of magic, but I have never used them for personal gain. My own goals are always pushing my own limits and expanding my knowledge of magic so I can help the next go even further. In truth, my heritage made the dark arts an easier path. I do not shy away from the horrors I work with, but in the same light I am not a drow bound by the spider queen's chaotic web, trapped by my own hubris. Magic set me free from that veil of lies that is my people's existence. I seek greater things, wonders beyond and around, and magic helped me escape my own personal hell, I'd like to see it paid in kind."Again, a pause. Much has been said, and he hopes he has no over stayed at such a late hour. “I am sure you have much to ponder. I have much work to catch up on and many things to set straight. Please, truly think on what I offer, and let me know if it really is what you'd like, and I'll see that you are there to help us build the guild into a guiding light and not a tyrannical force." He rises from his chair, and reaching into his robe procures a rather large pouch that jingles with the clanking of coin. "A gift, either way. For your sanctuary." he'd drop the pouch at the end of her table so that it’s easy to reach but not flopped in front of her. She'd find coins, gems and jewels worth a small fortune. A sample of House D'Jiv'Undus' wealth offered as a peace making gesture of good will. When magic was concerned he did not half ass anything. "Your time is valuable. Your creatures deserving. Their care is obvious, and your guards would have died to protect you, as would your worker. That alone shows me your worth, and only reaffirms that what I've heard is true. Magic is great indeed, but the user must be also strong of mind, body and soul to reach beyond the threshold and into the realms we've walked. Join, or not, I am richer for meeting one of your kind." A bow is offered, a very rare gesture from the drow indeed.

Lanara is speechless, which a feat that only a select few have ever managed to accomplish. She wasn’t one that was easily impressed, and there were only a handful of times that someone caught her truly off guard. This is one of those rare moments, and Daath is one of those unique individuals, as he can almost see her walls coming down, as she reaches out to accept the offering. A well-spoken drow that came bearing gifts, the promise of creating a future where all magic and its wielders would be respected, and seeking this particular witch to help shape the Mage’s Guild. Lana is touched beyond measure, and so as he gives a bow, showering her with the highest of honors, she finds that she’s rising from her chair. “Daath… I do not need to think on this matter any further. I wholeheartedly accept your proposal. I will gladly assist in any way that I can, be it in divination, potion making, spell casting, whatever area has the most use of my talents.” Smiling, she extends a dainty hand, willing to seal their deal with a handshake. He would be the first drow that had earned her respect, in a matter of minutes, and he can see that his reason for being here holds the same amount of importance to the witch. “Thank you for seeking me. You were right to come here, no matter the hour. Thank you for your donation to the sanctuary, the animals will benefit greatly. Please, don’t hesitate to contact me again. I’d like to meet with the rest of your team, of these equals that you’ve spoken of, and I look forward to our future endeavors.”

Daath is glad to see his attempts as trying to better his people skills was a worthwhile pursuit. The magister is indeed one of the most deadly users of dark magic in the land, but magic is his love, his drive and his goal. In it he is free, and with it he can break the bonds of oppression his people are born into and walk his own path. Seeing that his efforts have made headway with the witch, he allows himself an actual smile. He knew he wasn't a good guy. He'd kill without question if need be and a threat to magic surfaced. He'd do terrible things with the foulest magic if he needed to defend himself. But he was not a slave to chaos, to endless murder and plots that climbed nowhere. He didn't need to do any of that, he was actually most happy in a candle lit room with a book about ancient magic he had to try to unravel, or a new theory to discuss. His soul craved to try to master the unmasterable. Tame that which will never be tamed. He was hooked, and he wanted to share that with those who took it -seriously-. It’s why he did not wish to return and claim the old rank of archmage, sole heir to all magic in the land. He'd not be able to reach through to all types, he'd end up hoarding knowledge in an attempt to keep unworthy from his precious secrets of true power, and in that he'd fail magic itself. No, he'd shed pride and ego, as he has done before, and seek equals to help him ensure magic reached out and grew. So, he takes her hand into his and shakes in earnestly. Saying in response. "No, thank you, Lanara. I look forward to working with you."

Lanara bows her head and gives his hand a semi-firm shake, admiration in her eyes. It was rare that her opinions would change on someone, but this male had been nothing but honest about his intentions. He had committed travesties in his past, true, but he wished to move past that to make a better world for all magic users. How could she not be a part of this movement? “Have a good evening, Daath. I look forward to meeting with you and your associates in the near future.” Lowering her hand, she would escort the male out of the sanctuary, smiling as the parrot gives another catcall to the visitor. The ravens remain watching the doors, their beady eyes trained to Daath’s form, as he makes his exit.