RP:Revelations of the Dead
This is a Necromancer's Guild RP.
Synopsis: While trying to commune with the dead, Raevyn gets a piece of Celaeno's past.
Date: Dec. 12th, 2017
Graveyard
Like the rest of the graveyard this area exactly resembles the others, with the acceptation of long thorned vines which wrap around various caskets displayed on the ground, some of them open, some of them closed. As you glance about you see one ancient casket which is beautifully crafted, and slightly opened. You wonder if the once wealthy, but now poor corpse is at rest or serving as a slave some where. The only way to go is to the west.
It was eerily quiet in the graveyard this evening, hardly a person or creature shambling about in this section of Vailkrin’s vast place of resting- Which could be seen as a good thing, depending on how you view the sorts that come and go from this often disturbed ground. Raevyn sat upon the cool earth inside a circle of sigils composed of a powder that was more than likely some sort of salt; Spattered spots of crimson laced throughout. The source of the reddened drops could be seen resting not too far away, a rabbit, its throat opened by the dagger situated in the girl’s hands. She had her eyes closed and she was whispering to herself, rocking back and forth to a mixture of incantation and pleading. “C’mon already. Can’t be this damned hard.” The words spoken came from the newly transformed undead guardian that stood off a few feet to her left, resting against a tilted tombstone. Unlike his first naked impression, he was now fully garbed in a custom set of armor that included a black scale mail duster sat atop a black and silver breastplate. His hands were concealed by black spiked gauntlets, and his legs wore grey cotton pants with a set of black greaves and spiked knee guards. The boots he wore were simple, black and mostly for comfort. “Shh. I need to concentrate.” she replied, before repeating over and over the incantation she had been learning.
Celaeno hadn't dared to try any actual rituals yet, still reading over her book, searching for something to dip her toe in that proverbial black water. Soul stones seemed promising...but all that was merely thinking at that point as she walked through the graveyard. Nerves played a part, and the silence permeating the dead's resting place had a calming familiarity about it. Walking through the leaning gravestones and vine-covered coffins helped her to breath easier until a thread of chatter broke her trance. Her first instinct made her tap the tips of her fingers together in succession, a small ball of fire sparking to life in her palm. "Hello?" she called out, then bit her lip, hard enough it bled. Not the brightest idea calling out to a noise when alone in the dark.
Baelok was the first of the pair to hear the voice in the darkness, a sadistic sort of glee pulling at the corners of his jaw. He rises and quietly wanders toward the source of sound, leaving the girl to commune with the spirits all by her lonesome. While he may have been a more honorable and noble man in his former life, in this one, he was a twisted son of a bitch. He would assume that this voice belonged to some hapless girl, someone that did not know any better than to be exploring this unholy land of the dead. Someone that he could easily kill to show them the error of their ways. He stalked, quietly, his hand lifted to find the hilt of the large two handed blade carried across his back; And as soon as he saw the flame bearing woman, he grinned. “My my. What have we here?” he called out then in a gruff tone. He was sure that would at least startle her, but he wanted to see fear. And so, that blade was drawn, the tip dropped upon the earth with a loud and metallic thud. It could be heard scraping along the the ground as he finally stepped forth and into the glow of the light. He would be barely visible, the first thing probably noticed was that bald, corpse-like face. Baelok stared menacingly at the newcomer- he didn’t realize who she was.
Celaeno 's ears perked at the footsteps, the metal blade scraping against stones in the ground, and the hairs on the young mage's neck standing on end. It was the voice that clued her in, despite the change in tone from the bawdy version of it she'd heard before. She sighed and her lip curled. Silver tapped against silver as her fingers move in a rush across her gauntlets. Despite recognition dawning, she stayed wary Raevyn's guardian. After all, his vow was toward the budding necromancer, not any of her little friends. She swept around toward the direction of the voice, the taunting noises, and thanks to the elven heritage she detested deep down, she'd have a more or less accurate estimate of where he stalked at that moment. She moved her finger in a circle, pointing toward his general direction. The ball snuffed out, leaving only the glowing runes of her gauntlet. A wall of fire would spring up in more or less a circle around Baelok, attempting to trap the walking corpse inside it. "I might ask the same, Sir Parellius. Trying to find a grave to crawl back into or a freshly deceased bedfellow?"
The ring of fire would indeed find its mark, leaving the undead guardian apparently trapped and unable to advance. It would take a moment before he too would clue in to whom he was just about to murder. “Oh hell. It’s you again. I thought I could smell that stink. Neither. Here to watch the girl while she plays with some friends. Or tries. Nobody really likes her much.” There was a shrug and he sheathed his blade, those milky whites still staring the half-elven woman down. “C’mon. I’ll show ya where she’s at.” Before he could turn however, he was reminded of the girl’s little elemental parlor trick. “Could you?” he asked, motioning to the flame blocking his path.
Celaeno rolls her eyes. "You're one to talk. Though your wardrobe improved, at least." She snapped, dispelling the circle and leaving the area in darkness once more, then reached into a side pocket of her backpack and pulled out some cured meat wrapped in parchment paper. Not as tough as the jerky, but just as salty. "Here, a peace offering if you're hungry." She followed him back toward Raevyn, tucking her hands in her sleeves and keeping her mouth shut for the time being as she observed the ritual at a distance. The sigils in particular were studied, as much as she could see of them. For the moment, the rabbit stayed ignored to save her stomach. Corpses dug from graves were one thing, but fresh game animals had always made her a bit queasy.
The undead man smirked only as he could. “ I do clean up well, don’t I?” When the cured meat was offered, he wasted no time in snatching the stuff up, a good tug of his teeth snapping a piece from the main body of preserved flesh. Much more fresh than the stuff she gave him last time. “Thanks, but if you’re trying to get in my pants, it’s not going to work. You’re still a pathetic meat bag.” He did not look in her direction as he said this, but that permanent grin twitched to maybe give some indication that he was proud of himself for that remark. Nearing Raevyn, the duo could most likely hear her chanting; A pause soon after with an exhausted sigh. “What am I doing wrong? Why won’t you communicate with me, spirits?” Suddenly, to the girl’s surprise, a voice came calling out. “Rrrraaaaevyyyyn.... We heeeeear yoooou…. We juuuust dooon’t liiiike yoooou… Shhuuut uuuup and goooo awaaaaay.” This of course would have the girl finally open her eyes and spot both Celaeno and the jerk beside her. “I swear to the gods above, Baelok.I am going to cut off your hands and slap you with them.” she growled. Celaeno was offered a bit of an apologetic look, a smile, and a bit of a wave. “Hi…”
Celaeno did actually laugh at that remark, plenty mocking and not a sound heard often. "That's probably your best quip yet." She mimed wiping tears from her eyes as they approached and she waited for the results of Raevyn's ritual. Baelok's parody of the spirits earned him a wrinkling of her nose, but Raevyn's remark summoned a grin. "If I replicate the knife that was used on mine, then we can definitely arrange that. Cleaner too considering his state." She squatted just outside of Raevyn's circle, resting her elbows on her knees. "What sorts of spirits? Do you have anyone in mind you're calling out to? Is your mind open enough? That is...I've never done it before myself, but I think those things are supposed to help."
“Ain’t much of a mind to open, if ya ask me.” Baelok stated firmly, resuming his relaxation upon that leaning tombstone. This would definitely go ignored as Celaeno was a bit more pleasant to talk to. Raevyn felt a bit guilt about the hand joke she made, but was thankful when her friend didn’t seem to insulted by it. “I’m not sure. Anything that can hear me, I guess.” she replied, flipping open her provided study material. The tasks in the headquarters, they ask of us to commune with the spirits, to have them lend their power to ours. I just don’t seem to be having much luck. I am certain I’ve done this right.”
Celaeno leans her elbows on her knees an her chin in her palms, a bit more of a leisurely pose than she tended towards, but it seemed comfortable for the moment. "Hmm...I do remember seeing that on the list. The soul stone task appealed to me more, but I've only just begun to research that." Her eyebrows go up as an idea comes to mind. "You know better how this ritual should work...perhaps all it needs is a bit of amplification? Either I can add a little enchantment to boost it or we could combine our energies? What do you think?"
Raevyn set the book down between her legs with a smile and a nod, “Mm, the soul stone one does seem really neat, but I wasn’t quite sure how to go about that exactly. I’m still trying to learn how the whole soul transfer thing works.” There is a gentle click from behind the women as they conversed, the soft glow of flame illuminating Baelok’s face as he lit a rather large cigar. He seemed fairly disinterested in what they were talking about, and was more than likely bored. Still, he was there on her time, and for now, kept his mouth shut. Key word: for now. A look of hope springs upon the necromancer's face as Celaeno makes her suggestion- She would try anything at this point. “That is a very good idea! Not something I would have thought of. So, how would we go about this, then?”
Celaeno was content being ignored by the guardian, far too enamored with the challenge of making this ritual work as she studied the sigils that made up Raevyn's circle. Perhaps there was some crossover with her study of runes and she could puzzle out their meaning specifically. Adding a circle of her own making, in a different language entirely, made her a bit uneasy since she didn't know the full extent of her friend's magic, or the potency with which the other spell would draw from her own. She wears on her bottom lip as she thinks. "Perhaps better to attempt performing it together, combining our power, as it were. First, walk me through what you did to get to this point, so I have a better idea what we're doing."
Raevyn was showing a bit of excitement on her pale face, those blackened lips wide and grinning. “Okay! Well. I chose this graveyard, because, obviously if one were to find spirits, this would be the place to do it, right?” The Minor Book was opened to the chapter on summonings and rituals, a few pages flipped before she settled on the one that better detailed her own experiment. “So, for the most part, I’ve chose this method here. The circle is to act as protection from darker spirits that try to enter. The sigils around-” she points to the different intricate symbols; Many seem to be common or familiar to any devout practitioner of the arcane. “These are supposed to help draw the spirits to us, and give them energy to manifest, as well as allow them to communicate.” The slain rabbit was motioned to next, “The bunny… is.. an offering of life.. to appeal to the dead as I understand.” The book once more becoming focus, had another page or two flipped and she pointed so some sort of incantations and verses as she says, “Repeating this phrasing, ‘Vuul Th’ahn Kiveo Al’Morti’ is supposed to call out to the dead, I think. The actual invitation to join us.” There is a pause as she thinks about if she might be forgetting anything, but for the most part, she felt that was all there was to it. Or at least how she understood things. “And that’s as far as I got! With… no results, obviously.”
Celaeno 's lips purse as she nodded along, the gears in her mind working themselves into a tizzy. Perhaps steam might rise from her ears, but no that was only her breath coming out through her nose in the chill air. She frowned a bit at the rabbit, but steeled her nerves, leaving the reason for the funny expression unspoken as she stepped over Raevyn's carefully drawn symbols and sat cross legged across from her friend. She rolled the incantation over her tongue a few times, "Vuul Th'ahn Kiveo Al'Morti. Not so hard as some I've tried that twisted my tongue something awful. How...fresh is the kill? I imagine a newer sacrifice works best. There are probably mice around if we have to resort to that, but we should probably use the life you already sacrificed before resorting to laying down another one." She held out both her forearms, what little of them showed under her gauntlets. "So, we can maintain at least one physical contact point to make this easier so the energies can mingle. Traditionally it's locking hands, but, somewhere under the elbow will have to do for my part." Her attempt at graveyard humor seemed fitting for the setting. "So, we can both chant in unison, and see who responds. That seems like it should help strengthen the call."
Excitement was replaced by guilt as she looked over the rabbit, her heart breaking with what she had to do. Thankfully, she wasn’t the only one that had a hand in its demise. “It is… pretty fresh. I haven’t been there too terribly long. Baelok… snapped its neck for me. I had to do the cutting.” it was easily seen that she was a little disturbed by the act, but what’s done is done. The bit of humour was regarde with a smile, those ebon tresses bobbing with a nod. “Of course.” Raevyn slips her hands under her half-elven friend’s elbows, gently gripping them in her delicate hands. “Oh, how cute. You two gonna start kissin’ next or what? Damned fleshbags and your silly rituals.” The tip of the cigar in the undead’s jaw lit gently and he struggled to draw air- Having no lips made things a bit difficult at times. Raevyn once more ignore the rude guardian and closed her eyes, mental preparation for the incantations she were to speak. She waited for all to quiet down, for complete silence, before she took the lead, “Vuul... Th’ahn... Kiveo.. Al’Morti…”
"Those silly rituals gave you a body," Celaeno shot back, rolling her eyes at Baelok's remark. She closed her eyes, pressing her mouth shut. There was work to be done, chanting to do, and hopefully a friendly spirit or two to speak with. She let Raevyn say it a couple times before joining in, getting a feel for her cadence so she could match it. Soon both their voices harmonized the call, "Vuul...Th'ahn...Kiveo...Al'Morti..." She quieted her mind, honed her concentration, left her energy open, her spirit available for those others to commune with. After three cycles, that's when the tug on her chest came. "...Ki...Kiveo...Al'Morti..." Her eyebrows pinch together as she struggles to keep pace with the sensation. The spell was supposed to call the surrounding spirits of the deceased, wasn't it? Those...inside the circle? The tug on her chest came again, harder this time. The acid-like burn springing up hitches her breathing, makes her stumble over the chant again. "Al...Al'Morti..." The thread of a rough yet feminine voice, faint and drowsy like its owner had only just woken up from a nap spoke into the circle. "Ngh...aye, what is it? Where in all the hells...?"
Raevyn continued her chanting in unison with Celaeno, while the nearby undead sat quietly, watching, waiting for this show to be over. He didn’t really expect much to happen, as he had deemed Raevyn far too much of a twit to make it work. The skips in those words went unnoticed at first by the young necromancer, but as they began to increase in frequency, the girl opened one eye to make sure Celaeno was alright. Her own chanting soon came to a complete halt when she noticed her companion in distress. “Cel-” she started, before the half-elven’s mouth spat out something a bit strange. Raevyn looked her over carefully, a gentle squeeze given to the underside of the woman’s arms as she asked, “Celaeno, are you… okay?”
Celaeno 's body stayed rigid while her eyes flicked between Raevyn, the sigils, the rabbit--her tongue ran over her lips, like someone would look at a fresh hunt rather than a blood sacrifice. She sniffs, her nose wrinkles, and she sneezes. "Grave stink...oh Cela, what'd you get into?" She then blinks, as if she just then noticed Raevyn. The expressions were odd, as if they held shades of the young enchanter's actual facial movements, but were too exaggerated to actually be from her. "Who're you?" Her gaze moved beyond Raevyn for a moment toward the Undead dressed in all his fancy armor and her eyes widened with uncharacteristic envy, specifically at the sword. She whistles. "That's some pretty steel..."
Raevyn’s lips formed a perfect ‘O’ as she stared at the half-elf in disbelief. Either Celaeno was playing a nasty little trick on Raevyn, or something has taken control of her silver-handed friend’s body. It never occurred to her that such a thing could even happen, but yet, here she sat, face to face with an intruder wearing Cela’s skin. “Yeah, well, you’re still ugly.” Baelok commented between puffs of smoke. Yep- He was still an ass. “Pay no mind to him, he is always quiterude. I… am Raevyn. Raevyn McGowan. And the body you seem to speak through, is of my friend Celaeno.” She paused, trying to recall. Did she ever get a last name? There would now be intention to ask about her companion’s past when the time was right.”Who… who are you, may I ask?”
"Oooh, if I had a body." There was some kind of undercurrent in those words to Baelok, an off kilter craving of some kind. The presence inside Cela uses her to huff and wrinkles her nose as she glances around the circle. It brought a small shudder through her shoulders, though the rest of Cela's body stayed perfectly posed. Only the parts from the shoulders up seemed actually possessed. "'Course she didn't say nothin'. You're still callin' her the long way." She scowled across at Raevyn. "You dress plenty spooky...that means you do the magic stuff, right?" Celaeno's fingers wiggle, a surprisingly superstitious gesture to go along with it. "You her new teacher or somethin'?"
With the shake of her head, Raevyn dispels the spirit’s assumption. “No. hardly. We are… friends. We study from the same teachers. We are equals.” Baelok finally clues in that maybe the girls had actually pulled something off, one arm used to push his weight up to an erected stance. The cigar is pulled from his jaw and ashed, his distance still maintained as he watched Celaeno extra closely. Any funny business and he was going to show her that weapon of his in a heartbeat. “Calling who the long way? Didn’t say nothing? I am confused.” Raevyn spoke, brow coming to pull together as she tried to put the pieces together. “Who exactly do I speak with, spirit? Do you know why you are here?” That corpse-like gaze bounced between Celaeno’s eyes, trying to get a better read on the sort of person she was speaking with. It was a little frightening, and yet so very, very exciting; Her heart was thumping hard against the inner wall of her chest.
Celaeno 's nose twitched, a bit like that rabbit that lay with its throat cut on the ground beside them. Gears of a different kind spun, with Cela's seeming more fine tuned, these seemed more blunt and chunky. "Would sayin' somethin' be for her own good or breakin' a promise?" the question seemed more for herself than anyone, but eventually she lets out a defeated breath as she leveled a determined gaze at Raevyn. "She likes you, yeah? Trust even? You're not tryin' to take anymore body parts? Well...why would you, that was...alright. I get the feeling touching's important. Just, keep touching her, but open the top of her...frumpy dress thing a bit. You follow me, aye?" The possessor tilted Cela's head and neck out of the way to give the necromancer a better reach to the string holding the slit by her collarbone shut tight. If Raevyn did dare to untie it, she would see writing across Celaeno's sternum. They were scars cut and branded like sigils in a messier hand than those scrawled across Baelock, a different combination that twisted into a circle surrounding the centerpiece: a clearly outlined symbol Raevyn might recognize as the same used for trapping souls in something...or perhaps in this case, someone.
Raevyn looked positively spooked in this moment, the way that this entity spoke, the things it said- Something did not sit right at all. From the things that she could recall Celaeno saying, the pieces she would leak here and there, Raevyn was beginning to get an idea of whom this might be. “I would like to think so, yes…” she replied at first, soon moving in assure the spirit that she thought the same of Celaeno. “What? More body parts? No. I would never harm her… Ever.” Worry settled in as the spirit continued, the young woman soon reaching out to do as he instructed. One hand remained upon her elbow, while the other began to pull at the string protecting flesh from the elements. “Sorry..” she apologized, as if her friend could hear her. “I like where this is going.” Baelok chimed in, earning an unseen eye roll. When the hidden scars had been revealed, Raevyn allowed one of her fingers to trace over the untidy sigils, finally coming to rest upon that focal point that was immediately recognized. She looked from sternum and back to meet the woman’s gaze, her words a little more forceful than they had been before. “What is this? Why is this here? I desire an explanation, spirit.”
"Papa did it. They're his marks, I know it. No idea what it means, but I'm pretty sure it's what's keeping me in here. One second I'm...trying to find somewhere else, then snap! Stuck. He probably talked her into letting him do it, she listened to him too much." She gritted her teeth, wincing a second. "She's comin' back up soon, I think. Tastes like bad bile. Blech." The spirit shook Celaeno's head, almost violently so strands broke from the young woman's tight braid. "Her scalp itches. Knowin' Papa, he'd try to bring me back when he found out I died and drag her along behind him. I only get flashes of outside now, little bits. I don't like them, I should've been there..." Her eyes start to get shiny and water as tears well in them, despite the possessor's expression being neutral, hard, angry. "You're not twisted, right? She can't tell, I know she thinks she does but she's not good at reading people. I try to help, I try, but I can't do a lot."
Whatever assumptions Raevyn held onto before, were now let go as the spirit spoke of this papa and being imprisoned; Something she assumed was against the spirit’s will. “I don’t understand. Papa? Your papa? Celaeno’s papa? Are you… oh by the gods, are you siblings?” Something about the spirit’s story had Raevyn’s emotions surging, something akin to sadness tugging at her heart, and soon her own eyes started to gloss over as she tried to follow along. “What happened? How did you die? Should have been where?” As the anger in Celaeno’s puppeteer began to surface, Raevyn recoiled slightly. The question posed had thrown her off of her guard. Raevyn wasn’t twisted. Not in her mind. She knew that there was something deep down, something skulking below the surface- And that was something she feared. But she, herself, was not twisted. “No… I am not. I implore you to believe me. I care about Celaeno. I have no interest in harming her, or seeing anything happen to her whatsoever. She… is my friend.” Raevyn nodded in affirmation, finally making one more attempt to ask, “What is your name, spirit?”
Celaeno smirked, full and toothy. "Twin sis. We could've pranked people, done the whole switch thing if she ever..." She gagged, more of that sour bile filling her throat. "More yuck. Pretty sure she's close." She kept one arm touching, skin to skin, but she latched onto Raevyn's arm, tight enough to draw blood if she had nails. Instead the reinforced metal of her prosthesis would bruise. "Carina. Ask...get her to let me out. I shouldn't've left her alone with him. I was gonna go back, but there was ten of 'em. I can't stay here--" The voice cuts off. Celaeno's eyes roll back as she falls back. The leather straps holding her hand in place slip off, leaving the gauntlet holding onto Raevyn for a moment before clattering to the ground with its owner.
Raevyn listened to the revelation with wide eyes- Twins? Celaeno was a twin? This whole night had Raevyn’s mind racing with questions. So many things she wanted to ask. When Celaeno’s hand gripped onto her arm, the neophyte necromancer started to panic. It was here that the fear came to light, and in this, Baelok would react. “No touchin’ the damn merchandise!” he called out, unsheathing his weapon. “Ow.. Ce-Cela…” the girl started, wincing from the pain. When the spirit gave her name and made her request, Raevyn nodded quickly. “Y-yes. Of course. I will, I promise.” Just as Baelok made approach to force those hands to let the girl go, Celaeno went down like a sack of bricks. She could only stare at that still gripping appendage until it fell off, quick then to scurry over and rush to the half-elven woman’s side. Raevyn shook Celaeno by the shoulder and called her by name, “Celaeno! Celaeno!” She had make sure that she hadn’t just died, and so Raevyn places her head against her friend’s chest to listen for a heartbeat.
Celaeno 's heart raced, hard and strong under Raevyn's ear, her breaths came out as panting gasps, her body covered in a fine layer of sweat. She was alive alright, and sounded as if she'd just run a long distance. She groaned, her head thrashing back and forth a moment before she fell to exhaustion. She would not wake until she'd gotten a decent sleep and recovered more of her energy.
While she was quite relieved that Celaeno was still among the living, Raevyn still showed a bit of worry for her friend's current condition. She had never communed with the spirits before. Not like this. She had no idea if there would be permanent damage because of what happened. "Baelok! Help me, please?" The young necromancer made a sharp whistle that caused the sound of hooves to come trotting into the area from not too far away; Tempest, her faithful steed had been waiting patiently for the girl to finish whatever business she had in this unholy ground. Sheathing his weapon, the undead guardian would lean down and pick the half-elf up and hoist her onto his shoulder- He couldn't resist the quick quip: "You two got hot and heavy pretty fast. You know we could make some-" but before he could finish, he would be scolded. "Baelok. Not now! Hurry up and get her onto Tempest, please." A dark chuckle escaped and the undead man did as she asked, soon to help Raevyn up onto the horse as well. He then held out Celaeno's fallen hand once he realized it had been forgotten. "She'll want this." The necromancer asked Baelok, "Can you get on?" To which he would reply, "Nah. Gonna go prowl. I've got.. an itch." A frown, "But.." A shrug. "You'll be fine. it's a busy place. Someone will help you get her down. Now piss off and ride." Raevyn would not hesitate any longer and quickly urged Tempest to take off in a full gallop. She would ride long and hard, not a single break taken until they arrived at the Mage Tower in Xalious. A couple of young men would be summoned to help Raevyn get Cela into the dormitory where the half-elven woman would be laid into a cot and examined just to make sure she was alright. Once Celaeno was given a passing mark, Raevyn pushed her cot next to her friends and sat up to watch over her for the entire night- Although, even a worried necromancer needs her sleep. And so, by the time Cela would awaken, she would find Raevyn in the cot next to hers, with that pallid hand wrapped around the fingers of the silver gauntlet that was re-attached sometime during her slumber.