RP:Something Borrowed
This is a Mage's Guild RP.
Summary: On foot of written correspondence with the Mage's Guild, Dezerae travels to Xalious to apply for Guild admission. Due to her particular predicament, she is unable to utilize magic of her own, but during the interview, Provost Odhranos proposes a slightly unorthodox experiment to see if there is potential for Dezerae to regain her power in the future.
Hi,
I have an interest in the Mage's Guild. I've a sort of magical incapacity but want to try to re-tap into it. Please seek me out.
- Dezerae
Dezerae,
It would be a pleasure. Would it be convenient for you to travel to our Tower in Xalious? I can arrange an interview if you have interest in joining the Guild.
Magical incapacity may prove inconvenient for you, but if I can come to understand your situation a bit better, we can see what options the Guild might be able to take in assisting with your reacquisition of your magic.
All the best,
-Odhranos Kerrigan, Provost Esoterica
Odhranos,
Yes, of course. I can pass by whenever is easiest.
Mage Tower
Dezerae was naturally a wanderer. But today, she had an intent on the destination, the determined and focused expression supporting the appearance. Soft steps finally take her to the front of the tower and the feline took a moment to take the establishment in, knowing full well that walking in would mean - well, she was not sure what it would mean but it would mean something. She’d taken the first step to rectifying her “issue”. After a soft exhale, she presses her hand against the door and peeks in, then slips her slender form between the crack before it closed. She paused again, now taking in the internal decor of the building, head cocking to the side as she absorbed the aesthetically mystical room. This was definitely a place for mages. Finally, after reveling in her surrounding, she continues to move forward, pulling her robe closer to her form. “Hello?”
Odhranos, rather curiously for the mage, was not in his office. Relishing the opportunity to leave the stuffy little room and the endless bothersome visitors that graced it, Odhranos finds the contrasting spaciousness of the entrance hall to be positively cavernous. A welcome difference, to be sure. Folding one leg over the other as he flipped through the sheaf of papers he had brought with him to keep him occupied, Odhranos find himself squinting despite the bright light filtering in through the windows that encircled the hall. “Bother. I need to get my eyes checked again.” he mutters under his breath, just as Dezerae’s quiet inquiry echoes out around the hall. Odhranos gaze darts up from his material and he examines the robed feline quizzically. “Dezerae, perchance?” Odhranos gets up from his seat and tucks the papers under one arm, stepping across the hall with crisp strides, stopping before Dezerae before leaning into a deep bow. “Odhranos Kerrigan, we were in contact via the letters. I hope your journey here today was pleasant?”
Dezerae nodded when her name was announced, her tense demeanor dissolving slightly with the hope of a familiar person. Once he introduced himself, she nodded again. “Ah, yes. Wonderful to make your acquaintance-” she would begin to say until he bowed. She was not familiar with the gesture, and was at a loss of how to respond. She’d not curtsy because that just felt odd. Instead, she’d wait for him to come upright once more before offering another smile, “Wonderful to meet you. My journey was well, thankfully. And thank you again for meeting with me. I’m hoping I’m not catching you at an inconvenient time.” Instinctively, she’d hold out her hand as her greeting, though he wasn’t obliged to take it. She didn’t curtsy, after all.
Odhranos shakes his head as he smiles. “Not at all. In fact, it is a welcome diversion from my usual duties. It is always nice to see a new face around the tower, you do end up rather familiar with one another after a while. Variance is always appreciated.” Odhranos gestures behind him towards the spiralling staircase. “Would you like to follow me? We can sort out the details of your application in my office, then head outside for a practical testing of your capabilities, if that’d be alright?”
Dezerae offered a soft “Mmhm” in response. After a beat, she felt that it was rude to not verbally agree despite taking steps toward the stairwell, “Yes, sounds great to me. Please lead the way.”
Odhranos nods, then leads the way up the stairs. The glass steps seem to chime musically underfoot, with a gentle spring designed to appear magical and playful to visitors to the tower, but simply set the height-fearing terramancer on edge every time the step bounced underfoot. Two turns of the staircase and the ascended past the roof of the entrance hall and into the more subdued atmosphere of the office floors of the tower. Now enclosed and wood-panelled corridors curved off out of view, one of which Odhranos took seemingly at random. After passing countless identical wood-panel doors, Odhranos pauses before the one that bears his name on it's small brass plaque. "Home sweet home." He chuckles lightly as he unlocks the door with a gesture and holds it open for Dezerae. "After you."
Dezerae had an internal thrill of being able to roam through the rest of building, the curiosity of the rest of this “enchanted” establishment getting the best of her. They do say curiosity killed the cat. Several times during they walk she’d fall behind, her attention grasped by decor or furniture. And every time, Odhranos could possibly have heard the hasty pitter patter of her feet as she tried to catch back up and meet his pace once again. Once they reached what could be assumed to be his office, she’d peer into the room before strolling in, being sure to not knock directly into the side table beside the door. Something her clumsy disposition would bring. But now she was technically in an interview and should be the utmost professional. As professional as she possibly could be, anyhow. After glancing at all the literature on the walls, she paused behind the seat before the desk, waiting to be told to sit.
Odhranos couldn't help but smile to himself each time he heard Dezerae lagging behind in curiosity before hurrying to catch up. So often did he pass by things that to any outsider would appear unique and wonderous, but to him was merely something he passed by every day. It was refreshing to witness a renewed perspective on a familiar place. Once they enter the office, Odhranos scooches around to the far side of the desk and plops the sheaf of papers he had carried with him onto the stone tabletop. "Right, please do take a seat. If it's a bit uncomfortable, there are seat cushions in… that… drawer over there." Odhranos pauses mid sentence as he squints at the drawers that line the lower portion of the bookshelves, trying to recall which one contained what. Once comfortable, Odhranos plucks a clipboard from his desk and a quill, dipping the split point into an inkwell of rich blue ink before tapping it delicately against the rim. "No time like the present to begin. May I ask your full name, or the name which you would prefer to have noted on the Guild's registry?"
Dezerae would not bother searching for the cushions and instead sat herself, gingerly. She’d opened her robe mid stride and rested the excess fabric onto her lap. The feline would remain in a loose tunic dress, short enough to barely be considered a dress but long enough that other wouldn’t question otherwise. She crossed her forearms over her waist, resting them against her lap and trying to melt into the seat. Trying too hard to find some semblance of comfort, both physically and mentally. “Ah, well, um. Dezerae is fine. I go by only that.” Already stumbling on the first question.
Odhranos' quill scratches across the paper with a quiet rasp as he inks Dezerae's name at the top in compact cursive. "That's perfect. So, in your letter, you mentioned that you experience a sort of… "magical incapacity", as you put it. Would you mind elaborating on this?" Odhranos pauses to lift his half moon spectacles from the desk, setting them on his nose and peering across at his interviewee. "If it is something that the Guild can help with, then it would be fantastic if you could be as in depth with your prognosis as possible. We have a wide range of practitioners and facilities at our disposal, if something can be done to assist you, then it is in the Guild's interests. Don't feel like it will be held against your application in any way, I wouldn't be that inconsiderate." Odhranos smiles at Dezerae in a manner that he hopes would ease her nerves.
Dezerae runs her fingertips against her hairline, pushing strands from her face that have fallen into her line of vision. “Yes. Well. In the past-” she begins, hands motioning in the air to demonstrate a time long, long ago. “I was more magically inclined. I had the specialty to do it but lost that in exchange for life.” Crimson hues looked down at her dainty digits once again, before her hands ball and unravel in and out of fists. “To live again from my undead existence, I offered that magical trait. I don’t regret it, but I do wish to see if I can tap into something else. I’m hoping that I’ve just lost one part of it, and that something else resides inside.” Gaze finally lifts from her ‘empty’ hands and meets the human’s. “And that’s why I’m here.”
Odhranos' eyebrows quirk up curiously as Dezerae mentions how she lost her magic capability. Though he was interested to inquire how exactly she went about reviving herself from undeath, he felt it somewhat rude to pry without Dezerae offering the information. "Hmm, well it's not unheard of for someone to lose their connection with the aspect of the arcane that they employed previously. Veneficus Azakhaer, for example, has gained and lost several over the course of his lifespan, so it wouldn't be an entirely abnormal occurance. And it's also promising, for your particular situation." Odhranos sits back in his chair and strokes his chin thoughtfully. "Have you any sense of on what level you have lost touch with your magic?" Odhranos mulls his own question over for a moment before shaking his head. "Ahh, I'm sure that's a very obscure question to be asking. It's just, the topic of research I'm currently working on has got to do with coming to understand where magic comes from, so it would be good to hear your insights on how your "disconnect" manifests itself. Not to mention that in furthering my research, it might pave the way to help resolve your predicament. Come to think of it…" Odhranos' purses his lips in thought. "Hmmm… I have a suggestion, an experiment, if you will. It would go a ways towards helping understand your grasp of magic while also helping understand your circumstance a bit better, if you would be up for such a thing."
Dezerae : The attempt to process while simultaneously continue to listen was the reason for the strained expression on the feline’s face. Physically, she was fine, not in pain of any sorts. However, you’d never guess from her expression. Eventually, the human’s words end and mostly likely Dezerae was expected to respond. Still, there was a few beats of silence as the woman tries to gather all the pieces she needed to provide an adequate response. Finally, she inhales, stalling a brief moment before responding on her exhale, “Right. The disconnect. I’d say I just feel detached from the ability. Like…it used to be natural like breathing and now there’s a block. A clot, if you will.” She falls silent again as she listens to his proposal. Whether she is denied or not from the guild, it sounded like a favorable outcome on her end. “That sounds fine with me. I’d love any insight on to how to get this part of myself back.”
Odhranos hums and nods, the way that she describes the disconnect she feels makes intuitive sense. "I have a sense of what you mean. Then, with that information, the next step is to determine at what level this "clot" is, whether it be between yourself and your innate personal magic, or further beyond that, between yourself and magic as a whole. Thus, I propose this experiment." Odhranos reaches down behind his desk, his hand emerging a moment later grasping a thick leather strap, which in turn raises a strange object into view. Hoisting it up onto the desk, Odhranos presents to Dezerae a large spherical golden cage, the smooth curving bars of which are inlaid with dramatic runic script. Most curiously, at the centre of the cage, lies a whirling storm of sand, hissing quietly as it spins within the confines of the cage. "This, is a dear friend of mine. S'erok Lamaar, of the Nameless Desert." Odhranos smiles apologetically at Dezerae, entirely aware of how strange it must sound. "This cage is what serves as his mortal vessel, keeping his soul corporeal in this world. It also serves as the investiture of his magic." Odhranos lays his palm on top of the cage, patting it fondly. "He was an unfortunate victim of my distant predecessors, when the Guild was not quite the prestigious or respectable institute that it is now. This cage was designed as a means of taking the magic power of another soul and repurposing it in such a way that it becomes available to any who possessed the artefact." Odhranos gestures towards Dezerae. "So you can see how it would be relevant to your condition. Despite losing access to your own magic, if you are able to use the magic stored in this artefact, we can determine at least that your aptitude remains. Following along so far?"
Dezerae felt slightly relieved that someone actually understood her feelings in some way or another. The verbal acknowledgment was enough to melt the feline into her seat, calming her sense of urgency slightly. However, when he reaches for an item that is not easily visible, the woman leans back instinctively, on edge all over again. Then the cage appears and she’s just left bewildered. Despite the extensive explanation, the woman was still at a loss. Once he’s settled the air and inquired on whether she was on the same page, the woman raised her attention away from the case and met the male’s gaze. “I can’t say completely. But I think I do understand, a bit.” Realizing a bit belated how forward she was leaned over, she falls back into the chair and watches the gaze from afar. “I’m willing to give it a try, whatever it is. Though it is borrowed magic. Is that viable?”
Odhranos cracks a warm smile. "If you did understand completely, I'd be handing you my job right here and now. It is obscure magic, and I don't even entirely understand it, despite having spent nearly a year researching it. But I understand it enough to know how it functions. There is one small, well, I wouldn't call it a catch, but one small aspect to this borrowed magic that you should be aware of." Odhranos drums his fingertips against the cage while his other index finger gently pulls below his right eye, exposing his iris to the light. It would be apparent to Dezerae that the mage's iris in his right eye is a bright burnished gold, the same colour as the cage, while his left eye was a more mundane grey. "In exchange for sharing the magic…" Odhranos' voice suddenly lowers a number of tones, coming out more gravelly. "...you share your mind also. It's a pleasure to meet you, Scarletfox." Odhranos coughs and rubs his throat. "Ahh, yes. Hmm. Don't mind S'erok's nicknames, it's a habit of his. But yes, part of the condition for accessing the magic is that you share a part of yourself with S'erok. He can hear your thoughts and you, his. Temporarily though, don't worry. Once you release your hold on the magic, your head is all yours once again." Once again S'erok's deeper timbre creeps through over Odhranos' "I promise to be discreet. Xalious knows I've had to deal with sharing a mind with old Gravel-boots over here for long enough to get used to it."
Dezerae took longer than necessary to notice the difference in glint in his eyes but when she does, her eyebrows furrow. Not in distaste, just confusion. The nickname, though, did bring an unsettled expression on her face but she forcibly pushes that feeling away. She was still in an interview after all. Her gaze falls back onto the cage once again, crimson hues set on the contraption or more what was contained within it. “That’s…concerning. But not a huge hurtle, though I’m sure I’m not grasping the full levity of this.” Her attention lifts again, this time more with intent. Her thought process unravels and the gears are practically audible. But to the outside, she just sat in silence, awkwardly in a room with another - or rather two others, who really knew. Finally, she exhales again and leans forward, nodding idly. “What shall I do? And what are the risks, exactly?”
Odhranos allows Dezerae the time she needs to think. Letting someone into your head is not the sort of thing that one takes lightly, so he does not pressure her to come to a decision. When she eventually does response, Odhranos is surprised by how accepting she is of his proposal. "Oh, well in terms of risks, there aren't any in particular. It is more of a case of personal comfort. I have no wish you push you to do anything that you would feel uncomfortable with. In fact, I should be explicit in saying that if you don't wish to involve yourself in this experiment, you are under no obligation to. There are other ways that we could analyze your aptitude, this merely happens to offer a unique opportunity to learn more about your condition. So do take as much time as you need to consider your decision." Odhranos tone is calm and comforting, and his expression one of open honesty. "If you still feel that you'd like to proceed, all you need to do is place your hand on the cage and try to let your senses sink into the cage, as if you were sinking into a pool of water. Don't try to force it, just let the sensation grow naturally."
Dezerae leans against the desk, reducing the distance between herself and the cage. She folds her arms over the surface, propping herself onto them as though it would provide her more leverage against the cage. As though the cage would attack and maybe it would, but she doesn’t really recoil. Instead, she stares at the cage, listening patiently as Odhranos speaks, explain the risks or lack thereof and providing alternatives. But again - curiosity killed the cat, and satisfaction brought it back. She needed to resolve this option if she were going to move forward to another. Once the human’s last words are uttered, dainty fingers land on the cage. Almost automatically. Like a cat with a toy. Fingers graze against the side of the cage and after a few minutes, her nose wrinkles and she lifts her gaze. “Should I…feel something?” Her hands rested on the case while she asks, palm petting the cage idly.
Odhranos is surprised by the eagerness with which Dezerae places her hands on the cage, but he doesn't comment, merely closing his eyes slowly. As the cool metal wicks the heat from her palm, Dezerae will feel a strange presence at the edge of her mind. Almost as if there were some sort of a border, and beyond it, a precipice, with only void beyond it. If she focused on this sensation, she would slowly find her consciousness drawn towards this void, and a pair of voices would slowly become audible on the edge of her senses. As the void expands to fill her perception, the two voices would grow more clear, before two distinct presences could be felt, as if Dezerae were standing in a vast open dark space, with these two individuals spaced alongside her. {"Welcome to my abode. I hope you'll excuse the lack of decor. I haven't had the opportunity to dress the place up."} S'erok's voice echoes around this vast empty mindscape, and the presence would present itself to Dezerae in the form of a vast ghostly dragon, sandy plated scales whispering as the slide over one another. {"I'm impressed, Dezerae, you'd be the first person who has experienced this mental space. Congratulations."} Odhranos' thoughts whisper from the other presence, which resolves itself into a ghostly image of the grey-robed terramancer. {"Right, we'd best get to work then. Dezerae, can you sense that energy? It's sort of… at the centre of the void. It looks for all the world like a sun. Do you see what I mean?" Surely enough, if Dezerae turned her attention to it, she would find the vast orb of glowing power Odhranos referenced, mirroring the small sandstorm that the cage housed, but now much larger and impressive, howling with the vigorous fury of a true storm. "Try reaching out towards it, as you would have done your own magic. When you've done so, I'll meet you back on the other side, outside of this mentalscape, and we can have you try and channel this power."
Dezerae was there, all of a sudden. Her question trails off as she ‘awakens’ in the void. Of course, she’s not asleep, in reality still staring at the cage. However, her gaze is dim, lifeless and robotic, as the conversation have move introspectively into her mind. No one would usually find this normal and usually one would perhaps panic. However, the feline did not. Whether it’s her very meticulous mental processing or just the dulled reactions she has from drinking - which won’t be mentioned in this interview - the feline was calm, for the most part. She doesn’t truly respond to S’erok's and Odhranos but does follow their guidance and direction. The redhead wanders forward, glancing back at them both to be sure this is not a mental manifestation on her own, and move in on the orb. She leans over, scrutinizing the ball for a long moment before reaching her slender digits to touch the goal of all this. And again, once grasped, she’d pet it and examine the item. The dynamic and revitalizing energy coming from it was pleasant but again, she most likely still did not understand the levity of this situation. And she mostly likely wouldn’t until it was too late. Time to go back outside. Her other hand fell around the small orb and she attempts to encapsulate its energy between her fingers, trapping it. And with that, she’d outside. She blinks a few times, her gaze reigniting, and the natural light source behind her eyes returning.
Odhranos is intrigued once again by how accepting Dezerae is of this entire situation. Needless to say he is impressed by her adaptability. Once she has reached out and grasped the whirling storm in her hands, Odhranos feels himself slipping back out of the void and he opens his eyes once again. Studying Dezerae's face curiously, he waits for her to rouse herself once again before smiling pleasantly. "You took to that like a fish does to water. I'm quite impressed already. Now let's see if you can impress me further." Odhranos lifted his hands from the cage and indicated for Dezerae to do the same. "Now, try to copy what I do." Odhranos raises his hand, pointing his index and middle finger towards the cage, then in a delicate swipe, he gestures upwards. In response, a swirling spiral of sand emerges from the cage, drawn from the sandstorm core, which the terramancer whisks into the air, before returning it to the cage. "Being a sand dragon, S'erok's innate magic is that of terramancy, as is mine. With your access to his power, you should be able to control the sand as I did." Odhranos presses his hands together and places them under his chin as he watches to see how his interviewee proceeds.
Dezerae would blink a few more times before reacting to the human’s voice. She’d stare as he spoke for some while before performing one final blink. She obviously wasn’t as used to jumping back and forth between mental spaces as he was. The redhead leaned back into the chair, listening as well as continuously trying to ground herself mentally, trying to relieve the mild disassociation she was still feeling. However, his trick, for a lack of a better word, garners her attention. Dezerae shifts around in the chair, trying to focus her willpower on both his gestures and the core before her. “Okay, I can try that,” she responds softly, brushing her hair behind her ears. She inhales and exhales and then mimics the same motion he’d done. Nothing. No sand swirl, not even a shift in the environment. She’s a bit dismayed, raising her gaze to the human, “Not quite sure why it’s not working. I feel…um, the energy. I think.” She motions are hands to demonstrate the rising level of synergy in the body, the feeling rather uncomfortable, before dropping her hands frustrated at her side. The moment of impact between palm and arms of the chair is in sync with the soft pop with the cage and the scattering of sand on the table. The feline paused, looking at the mess she’d made before speaking, rather quietly, “I am so sorry.”
Odhranos leans forward eagerly as Dezerae prepared to mimic his action, fascinated to see if she could elicit the same response from the cage of sand as he had done, through using S'erok's power. However, when Dezerae's gesture prompts no reaction from the cage, Odhranos' expression is slightly crestfallen. "Well, it was rather a lot to expect, I suppose...." He thinks to himself, before he jumps slightly in his seat at the synced slap of Dezerae's hands on the chair and the sudden burst of sand that erupts from the cage. In the moments of silence that follow, Odhranos stares dumbfounded at the cage and the fine dusting of sand that covers his desk, before he breaks into laughter. Warm jubilant chuckles bounce around the office as Odhranos stands from his desk, smiling pleasantly at Dezerae. "You have nothing at all to apologize for! That, was what I would consider, a result! Involuntary magical exertion, as a result of feelings of frustration! It's the most basic form of magic, not controlled at all. But!" Odhranos rounds the desk and with a sweeping gesture of his hand, the sand lifts itself and is vacuumed back up into the cage. "It is progress, and progress is always a source for celebration." Odhranos crouches alongside Dezerae's chair and levels her with a genuine open-hearted smile. "What you have just demonstrated to me is not only an extraordinary ability for adaptation and mental fortitude, but also that with the right training and attunement, you have the capability to cast magic once more. So, I would be honoured if you would accept a place in our Guild."
Dezerae does not join in the terramancer’s joyful behavior at first, still feeling mildly guilty from the mess she’s made. Eyes gaze down her raveling and unravelling fingers, before her attention lifts in time to see the sand being swept away and neatly put back in place. The feline then was able to relax and join in the excited response from the human. Her naturally intense gaze follows him as he wanders to her side of the desk, brows raising as he dropped to eye level. She felt like a child, trying to be leveled with and it was oddly comforting. In essence, the feline was in a amateur state of magic and positive reinforcement would most likely be well received. His comments are absorbed but his final exclamation brings an honest grin to her face. “Oh, that’s great. And I’d be very happy to join.” She exhales, demonstrating the shallow breathing she’d been doing since stepping into this building, and the breath out releases tension and anxiety she’d been storing. “Great news is good. Thank goodness.”
Odhranos beams happily. "I'm glad to hear it. I do apologize if this interview seemed a tense experience. Most of the reasoning behind conducting this interviews is to get a sense of who it is we will be letting into our ranks. It's as much psychological profiling as it is examination of magical ability. But, you made the task a little easier.' Odhranos gestures towards the cage. "S'erok was able to get a sense for your personality through the bond as you used his magic. And if I wasn't convinced already, then his opinion of you from that bond only convinced me further." Odhranos straightens and fixes his robes as he offers Dezerae a handshake. "I'll see to it that all the official paperwork is sorted out with haste, but as of now, Ms Dezerae, welcome to the Mage's Guild." When she accepts the handshake, Odhranos then returns behind his desk, lifting S'erok's cage and placing it into his lap as he tidies up the sheets that cover his desk. "Oh, I should mention, the bonding the S'erok should pass in the next day or so. He has given he his word that he will stay quiet and not bother you, and without frequent contact with the artefact, the bond will expire relatively quickly. So, you needn't worry about having to get used to sharing your head with him. Trust me, I've been sharing a mind with him for two years and I'm still getting used to it." Odhranos taps his cheekbone below his gold eye and winks humourously. "That should be just about everything I believe. If at any time you have anything you wish to discuss or even need any help getting settled, do stop by my office. My door is always open."
Dezerae instinctively stood when he stood, and threw her robe over her shoulders as the man spoke. She shook her head, waving a hand to push away his apology, “Please do not apologize. It was not as bad as I thought it would be and it had a good outcome, so all worth the tension and stress.” She did indulge in the handshake, the second one for the evening, and offered another smile in response to his closing statement. “Thank you. Happy to be a part of it.” She closes up her robe while listening to his disclaimer about the mental possession of her mind. And honestly, she’s thankful for S’erok’s benefit of not being stuck in the madness that is her mind. But she’d keep that comment to herself. Or S’erok would know and it’d be an inside joke. Who knew. “Thank you again for the acceptance and appreciate the support. I’ll make sure to return soon enough.” The strolled toward the door, and offered a much lesser deep bow than he’d done earlier but made sure to mimic the gesture in full. “Have a great now, Sir Odhranos.” And with that, the feline headed out to fiddle with sand on the beach.