RP:Memory Magic

From HollowWiki

Part of the Rise of Larket Arc


Summary: Valen is invited by Percival and Macon to glimpse into Maureen's memories of her skirmish with the Frostmawians and Krice in Xalious. The king and headmaster have one more task for Valen to complete that he is not so sure about...

Larket: Council Room

Macon arrives in the council room outside of his armor, but in possession of the empty Rage Axe. He carries the massive weapon in one hand similar to a walking staff. The room has been cleared of all nonessential staff and the only ones present to greet the king are Percival, the captive Maureen, and a small contingent of guards, two of which remain stationed outside the meeting chamber with orders to permit only Valen to enter. The vampire has been summoned by The Headmaster of The Academy of Magics as the two had agreed upon when the perpetrator of the attack on Frostmawian forces was found and brought in. Maureen is the only one seated, the dark haired, light skinned Lycan woman looking somewhat defeated. Understandable considering that the finger can be pointed at her as the reason behind the hole in the wall of the Throne room of Fort Freedom. The young mage is outside of her academy robes and is instead dressed rather plainly in a loose fitting shirt, and a pair of pants. “Your Highness.” Percival dips his flaxen head in greeting from his spot next to the Werewolf. Every thirty seconds or so the wind mage glances her way sympathetically. The two were peers at the academy and clearly have walked two very different paths since their graduation…



Valen would arrive perhaps in a manner not used to being seen, fully decked out in his own personal armor. Heavy footfalls would be heard as his blackened steel boots hit the ground with an ominous step, long cape behind him billowing as he walked. The armor was perhaps a bit more bulky than he liked, though at the same time it fit him like a glove...and was perhaps the only thing of his home that he had left, and would wear nothing but the best for an audience with the king, as well as such official business. It was time he started to take his duty, his devotion, to a whole knew level. The main thing about this armor, was that it certainly made him look formidable. When he finally arrived in front of the king, a bow would be taken as he would mirror Percival's words. "Your highness." The rage axe most certainly would catch his eye, that thing was massive and he knew he would not be feeling good should that weapon ever come to bear against him. Eyeing the lycan woman, he would take in her scent with a barely noticeable whif. Yep...that was a lycan alright, though he never felt animosity towards their kind, except for one. So it was that he would wait, standing at the ready for the King's words, instruction on just what he was to do, and if it was what he had been told, just what he was looking for.



Macon greets Valen with a nod and, having already explained to Percival what he would like to happen here, allows the headmaster to run the show. Maureen remains defiantly silent while the gifted wind mage addresses Valen on what is about to be done to her. “Valen. This is Maureen… she was the one who orchestrated the attack last week. There are several things we would like to know, most importantly we want to see her motivation behind the attack. Can you look to see her memories of gathering the group and perhaps immediately before that.” If the vampire could do this what he'd find is plain and simple. Pure rage and fury on the part of the Werewolf, unnatural in origin, and stemming from her close interactions with The King. “The skirmish itself is less important to us, but if you are able to tell us about that as well, it may prove useful…”


Valen listens to Percival speak while regarding Maureen, and her defiantness, and at being reminded that this was who had been responsible for the attack upon Krice, a friend, he could only enjoy finally getting to the bottom of things. "I certainly can but I must remind you, this may be a bit unsettling." He knew what pure rage was, had felt it many times in his existance, but seeing the rage upon this female only served to embolden him as he turned to face her squarely. "Do not resist, Lady Maureen. This will only take but a brief...moment." Once more to Percival "I will do as I am able, though that should not be an issue in the slightest." Time...for the show. Valen would now close his eyes, as if concentrating. He would stay like that for a mere few moments before his eyes would open wide. Gone was the blue and the surrounding white, as well as the pupils, as they were now replaced by solid glowing crimson. Like a mist, the color would start to pour down like a mist, as like a waterfall. His mouth would then open slightly and more mist would start to fall from there as well until no more was to exit. This...was perhaps why he was called the 'Crimson' Wing. The mist that was now at his feet, began to travel slowly forward towards Maureen, until it would rise up and envelop her in the magical fog. It would stay still for only a moment, before as if being sucked in like a vaccuum it would start to enter her head through every pore. Ears, Nose, Mouth, even through her eyes though it would cause her no pain, but she would certainly feel it...and then nothing. The Vampire's body would remain standing, eyes closed, as if in a trance but what had transpired in reality was much more arcane. Inside Maureen's head, the layout of her mind (as each mind is different) would start to form as Valen's own form would materialise in a realm of black inside the girls head. All he had to do was see just what awaited him, find out how her mind worked, a relatively easy task, and simply hunt and sift for the correct memory.



Macon and Percival look on speechless at the mind infiltrating magic put on display. While The King just believes it to look odd on the surface, the headmaster perceives the technique being put into practice fully. Every minute detail is revealed to him through his unique arcane senses, and he appears to have difficulty taking it all in at once. He would certainly need to see this done more than once to understand such complex magic completely, but he nods thoughtfully at some of the aspects he sees and puts on an expression of determination to comprehend it. He is much too focused on understanding to show how impressed he is with the technique, though he certainly is impressed. In Maureen’s mind Valen will find the lycan’s rage, anger against Frostmaw that was impressed upon her, unconsciously, by the king. The fury compelled her to act independently, gathering fellow off-duty Kingsguard for the ambush. It is as simple as that, the one detail that Macon and Percival want to know, is she to blame for the attack or was she under the influence of Macon’s Rage Stone-like effect? The memory of the battle itself is how any involved remember it. Wild, filled with blind fury, which was particularly on display in Gustav, who fell in the fight, and Maureen herself, causing her to shift into her wolf form and kill one of the Frostmawians.



Valen would be more than willing to show off this talent again if asked, and had known that it was perhaps one of his most graceful and unique abilities. As he gathered all of the information necessary, he would soak it up metaphorically like a sponge. It was as he and Percival had feared, and he now understood a few things perhaps a bit better. He knew why Percival now had said no matter what...do not be a Kingsguard...Not only had he wanted Valen as a teacher again, he had been protecting and sheltering him from this type of fate. When he thinks on this later, he would shudder to even try to grasp what he would do with such fury as this. Once all the information was over and done with, nothing more to be gleaned, he felt pity now for this woman. Sadness, that invading her mind had been a necessity, and that she had killed on no fault of her own....perhaps a Lycan -and- Vampires greatest fear, should they wish to keep semblance of themself. The exit, would be much the same as the entrance, though swifter. The Vampire would slowly open his eyes, and would keep his emotion hidden for the time being. How did he tell this to Percival with the King right there? Well...they had asked, so be it. "Your highness...I am both happy and hesitant to say that she was not to blame for the attack, but...well...rather it is due given the peculiar effect that seems to come from being a Kingsguard." He was not about to place -any- blame on Macon, but rather the position due to its close proximity, respect and all that. "The rest fell into place after that." As he would recount everything that he saw.



Macon has been made aware, just prior to this meeting, that Valen had been let onto the suspicions of the residual effects the Rage Stone had on The Furious King and those around him. Percival telling the vampire that secret was passed off by the headmaster as necessary due to Valen’s integral part in investigating the effect; a lie. The Rage Knight and wind mage look at each other when Valen gives his verdict and goes on to recount the memories. The latter waits for the former to speak and Macon growls out, “It is as we feared then…” He had once thought Maureen to be immune to the Rage Stone effect and so this means one of two things, either he was wrong and she was not able to resist it, or the effect is becoming stronger and finally gained enough power to break the woman’s last nerve. The young looking woman is certainly pitiful in this state, if she is conscious at this point she is likely rubbing away some tears with the back of her hand. Percival speaks next, giving one more request, “We would like you to remove those memories if you can… and her recollection of this meeting right now as well…” His words are heavy, as if he is unsure if this is the right thing to do, but it is as the King wishes. To have Maureen restored to her old self and return to The Kingsguard, the woman too skilled at her job to let her go to waste like this…



Valen would look to Percival with a raised eyebrow. "Shatter her memories? You do realize that this of course will be dangerous not only for her, because it requires the utmost precision on my part, but it also requires her complete and utter cooperation. If she fights me mentally, there is a greater chance that it goes wrong...and I could take part of what you asked and part of something completely different. Fortunately, I'm good at what I do." He was not saying no, but he wanted to impress upon the fact that it was a very serious question. "Not only that, but this could -all- happen again. I will do it this once, but I do not do this sort of thing lightly as this does not fix the issue, only enables it." With that, the Vampire would turn to Maureen and say softly "Be brave child....and know that I am terribly sorry. I will replace them with happier ones, ones that will easily help you hopefully fight off this...infection stronger next time..." With that, he would go and perform this again, but keep his word to the Lycan female...Giving her in happiness....just what he had taken in sorrow.