• Hello, Guest. Welcome to Telath, a Play by Post fan forum made by and for the community of Aelyria!
    Stop by the General/Welcome forum and say hello. Returning player? Pick up where you left off or start afresh and get to posting! New player? Check out our new player guides to get started!

[Fire Isles] Procul Videre (Bahamut)

Timestamp
Spring Era XIV
Location
Dollwoods, Aslan's Forge, Secyclion Coast, and Fire Isles
As they began to look for shelter, Xeres could easily feel he had used quite a bit of vis during the day, and would definitely need to recharge with a good sleep. They finally managed to find a copse of trees that was tightly knit together, and would probably make for a good camp area. It was about seven trees, whos branches were interweaved amongst each other, and were in a semicircular formations as they grew. Xeres could tell they were much older than the other deadwood trees he had seen there, and towards the tip and top of them, he could see some leaves billowing in the wind, though they were all brown and yellow hued colors.

The earth elemental would kneel down beside the copse, and look towards Xeres, and said, "This looks like a good spot..." It was true that he did make a ton of noise when walking, and the very ground shook beneath each of his steps, but it was also a good warning for anything that might want to mess with Xeres, even wildlife to stay as far away as possible. In the distance as Xeres could see the moons starting their ascent over the mountain tops, and the suns on the opposite side descending down til the last of their light was wisped away, The moonlight began to light up the very copse that was in front of them, and they could hear howling in the distance. It seemed there might be wolves on that mountainside...
 
Wolves were the least of Xeres' worries. Though he prepared a campfire nonetheless. Without his wagon, he resorted to more spartan comforts with his bedroll, furs, and cloak for warmth.

The dark elf was unsure if the Earth Elemental needed sleep but he offered to take the first watch in case the spirit wanted to 'rest' in whatever fashion suited him. Water was easy enough to fetch so that Xeres could top off his skins and stay hydrated. As they moved higher in elevation, it would start getting harder to retain food and moisture. So Xeres forced down some soup, bread, and cheese before he retired for the night.

If they were still alive in the morning, then it was time to head higher and higher. While they traversed the mountainside, Xeres asked the Earth Elemental if he was capable of Scrying or sensing items and objects buried deep underground.
 
As Xeres fell asleep he awoke the next morning to the suns' brightness upon his face. It seemed the moons had set and the suns had risen, and Xeres could feel as though he had gotten a decent nights sleep despite being out in the wilderness with no true shelter. The earth elemental looked down towards him, and said, "Good morning" in his bellowing voice. "Let me know when you're ready to proceed..." Once Xeres was ready, they would set out. At this point, they hadn't even gotten onto Aslan's Forge yet, it was still a mountain and a half away. Making their way through the deadwood surrounding the first mountain, it would take a few brightening's walk, and the elemental would already answer his question that yes, he could scry for objects hidden within the ground.

After a few more brightenings, they had reached the bottom of the other side of the mountain, and began to climb the next one that was before Aslan's forge. It was strangely uneventful, and Xeres' use of elementalism assisted them in overcoming most obstacles like cliffs, and rivers. Finally after another cycle, they had reached the bottom of the valley in between the second mountain and Aslan's forge. High up the mountainside, Xeres could see streams of red drifting down the sides of the mountains, slowly and the glowing of red coming from the caldera way up above them.

Making their way up the side of Aslan's forge, the Elemental would start to scry for whatever it was Xeres wished for him to scry for, while they were journeying...
 
They journeyed for several more brightenings, rising into sheer heights and back down to the valley floors between peaks. When there was adequate shelter, Xeres paused to make camp and Augmented the Earth Elemental's form as often as they could when he had spare Vis at the end of their trek each darkening.

Their days were spent in conversation, first about Scrying and other abilities that the Earth Elemental might possess. It came from a place of genuine curiosity and the Adept's inherent hunger for knowledge. In exchange, Xeres talked about the Western Realms, the state of Arcana following the Eclipse of Chaos, and other current events that the Elemental might find interesting. Depending on the topics of interest that they chose, Xeres could also recite the events of previous wars along with the conflict with the Xet and the Succession Wars.

"I have never attempted Scrying", the Adept admitted sheepishly. "How do you 'see' using or through an element?" The practical applications seemed endless. But Xeres was not sure how he could extend his vision or other senses using elemental magic.

"We are looking for a ruby ...about this size", Xeres continued and gestured in front of him to approximate the blood ruby based on his visions. "It could be anywhere along the volcano. And I would prefer that we did not blindly search every crack and crevice." If they did, well, that might take many lifetimes.

If the Earth Elemental shared the secrets of Earth Scrying, then Xeres would attempt to Amplify and test the weave once they made camp later that evening. Attuning himself to the earth, rock, and stone of Aslan's Forge, Xeres reached out with his mind as if tracing his hands over features and objects in the darkness. Could he sense the minerals, gemstones, and treasures beneath and within the volcano? Perhaps between his fumbling attempts and the Earth Elemental's experience, they might be able to 'ping' or triangulate the mysterious red gem.
 
As Xeres queried the earth elemental about scrying the elemental nodded, and then said, "It's a strange sensation, but if you attune to an element, a particular one like earth that I am able to attune to, you can actually sense and see everything about that element. There are other magics that allow one to sense like an area around a person, or far away, but this is actually sensing what is trapped within that element. For example, I can sense different types of rocks and minerals that are trapped within the element of earth under our feet, and by attuning to the elemental area beneath our feet, I'll immediately get feedback upon what all is within that element. Scrying can be tricky, but I think you should try it for yourself and see what all you could see... As for a ruby, we'd have to find a mining lode, or a rock lode that had that particular gemstone within it, I'm sure the enchanted wood will help guide the way when we're closer..."

As Xeres amplified, he could feel the greater power rising up from within him, and a heightened ability to cast spells. Reaching out his mind and attuning himself to Aslan's forge, he'd only be able to get a small sampling of the mountain as it was still a bit of distance away, it seemed probably the closer he was to himself, the more he could view of that particular element. But what he did get feed back of, was that there were several layers of dirt, all different hues of brown, yellow and gray beneath the surface layer, as if there was layers of ash in the dirt from previous massive eruptions from the volcano. While he did not sense any gemstones, he did get feedback of a bunch of rocks and minerals, some of which he might not have known existed before now...
 
Elemental Scrying proved a little more difficult than the Earth Elemental suggested.

Xeres expected as much though he really had no frame of reference. His mind could not make the connection between 'seeing' and using Elementalism. To the Adept, his sphere was about creation and destruction. The elements were the building blocks of creation, the foundation of Telath's physical reality. Without earth, they would have no continents, mountains, castles, and walls. Air was in everything that they breathed and lifted the wings of creatures of the skies; fire formed the stars and the suns and offered blessed warmth to every living thing; and water, the most precious of elements, made the lakes and streams before falling to the ocean and rising to the clouds as rain to start their journey anew.

The Elementalist considered these thoughts as he pushed outward and touched the spaces beneath, around, and within Aslan's Forge. At first, he felt foolish for trying to see with his eyes closed. But with the surge in power from his Ritual of Amplification, Xeres realized that his senses, too, had broadened their reach. His camp, the Earth Elemental's presence, and even the gravity beneath him dissipated as his mind was transported by the Elemental Scrying spell.

Visions, colors, scents, and sounds filled his mind. He felt the loaming earth, rich with volcanic dust and organic material near the top. Further below, Xeres found layers upon layers of sediment of varying densities and colors, some coarse, others smooth to his touch. Interspersing the stories that the earth told of Aslan Forge's eruptions, slumber, and violent fits of rage were ... denser substances. Xeres couldn't identify them but he relayed this information to the Earth Elemental, including the approximate location so that, perhaps, the spirit could assist him identify the unusual rocks and minerals.
 
As Xeres relayed the information to the earth elemental, the massive hulking creature would not. "On top you're probably feeling volcanic ash from a recent eruption, and further below it more than likely basalt and pumice, both volcanic rocks that form after lava flows down the mountains side. Interspersed is probably some clay and other various types of dirt that are native to the area..." he bellowed, and then reached out towards the elements himself, and then looked down towards Xeres and said, "Yeah, that's about right... You see, scrying is less really about seeing and more just knowing. It's close something a mystic might accomplish, but mysticism can't know what those rocks look like deep inside. The plane of thought only tracks magic and sentient beings, whilst elemental scrying can be used to see what's trapped within a particular element, and what it's composed of..."

The earth elemental shifted it's looming body a bit before looking down towards Xeres again, and said, "To find this stone of yours we'll more than likely have to go deep into the mineshafts and lava tubes of the mountains to see if we can find it. It's a mineral, so scrying the surface of the mountain won't do good, you have to go much deeper, where the pressure is higher... I will probably not be able to follow you into the lava tubes unless my form is deposed to a smaller form. You see, they can be big, small, and most aren't more than six or seven feet high..."
 
Xeres drank in the new information, particularly about the symmetry between Mysticism and Elementalism. Mind and Matter. It's no wonder some old treatises on Arcanomechanics called the two spheres 'opposing' or 'opposites' in terms of casting and usage.

"Then we must go deep into the mountain", the Adept agreed. "If you are amenable to a small adjustment, I am happy to grant you a new Form", the mage continued. Then he described what he had in mind, which would simultaneously grant the Titan a new shell that would fit into the tunnels as well as give him added mobility and protection against whatever awaited them in the lava tubes.

"The Kemites believed in dragons and great wyrms during ancient times", the Elementalist said. "The mythical creatures of Air, Fire, and Water are well known. But their ancestors, the greatest of these creatures were born of earth." Using some charcoal, he began to sketch the approximate shape and design on a roll of parchment from his journal. The serpentine shape was remarkably dragon-like but instead of wings the Great Wyrm had a broad neck, shoulders, and powerful body. Its dorsal crests, or spikes, acted as armor as much as added appendages to navigate the tunnels deep beneath the earth.

"Allow me to transform your Essence Shell into that of an Earth Dragon", Xeres asked his companion, "so that you may discover the volcano's secrets with me."
 
The earth elemental nodded, and then his rocky head looked down towards the journal as Xeres began to draw within it. Pausing for a moment after Xeres finished speaking perhaps in a bit of thought, the earth elemental nodded, and then said, "That is acceptable... It would definitely make it easier if I were smaller to navigate the lava tubes, so we can find the gem as such that you're looking for..." Then, if Xeres were to reshape his essence shell, the shell would take the form that Xeres had wanted, that of an Earth Dragon and not be more than four feet tall, but his length would be about ten feet or so long.

Once the essence shell was reshaped, the earth elemental would look towards him and say, "You should get some rest before we head out tomorrow morning... the trek up the mountain will not be an easy one I'm sure, and you need to replenish your vis before tomorrow..."
 
Xeres thanked the elemental and made preparations for his transformation as soon as his Vis recovered.

By the time they departed the following morning, Xeres had spent a considerable amount energy into a spell he called Reshape Elemental. The Great Wyrm Form was how he imagined the first dragons of Zinn'Sunn must have looked like according to the paintings and drawings he saw. Stout but massive and powerful, the Earth Elemental's shell was transformed to accommodate huge legs of stone and earth that could easily support a serpentine body that was over ten feet long.

As promised, Xeres shaped and compressed earth to form shimmering sheets of overlapping scales that might prove sturdier and denser than mere rock. The Adept wanted to mimic the scales of a great lizard that would added an added layer of protection as well as a means for the Earth Elemental to easily move along the narrow passages deep beneath the mountain. For its permission, Xeres would redesign the compartments so that it fitted seamlessly near the base of the Great Wyrm's tail for balance and maneuverability. These would firmly contain the barrels of water, which they could use for Water Armor once they found the lava tubes.

After catching his breath, Xeres had some food and drank deeply from his waterskins before beginning their trek anew.
 
As Xeres wove his spells with ease, the earth elementals shape would transform into that of the Great Worm. The earth elemental looked at him once it was done, and then said, "Good, this will do..." and then once Xeres had loaded the stuff into the compartments he had created near the tail, the earth elemental would begin to move forward along side of Xeres for their trek up Aslan's forge.

The mountain was tall, and they could easily see the glowing red atop of it, as well as streams of red flowing down from the Caldera. Making their way up through the pass that lead up onto a path on the side of Aslan's Forge, they'd continue their trek, and didn't seem to come across many stumbling blocks, a few cliffs to scale, and a few cracks in the side of the mountain that crossed the pathway to get past, but all in all it was a fairly low key trip of the side of the volcano.

That was until the found what looked to be a lava tube directly to the right of the pathway that they were on. It was about four feet in height, and if Xeres was to look into it, he'd see darkness. But then would see something else... a small dot of glowing red was in the distance in the cave. And that dot was getting larger, and it was getting larger fast. It might not have immediately dawned on him, but soon he'd see a great rush of intensely hot lava was heading right out of the tube towards him and the Elemental, threatening to overrun them and block the path that they were using to get up the mountain side...
 
"Get out of the way!", Xeres warned the Earth Elemental in his new Great Wyrm Form.

The dark elf was understandably wary about the lava tubes and did not need any more prompting as soon as he saw the bright, hot glow coming from inside.

His plan was to get away from the lava tubes and wait for the flow of molten earth to pass and abate somewhat. To channel the lava away from their position, Xeres manipulated earthen grooves into the mountainside. He made them deep and wide enough in order to properly divert the lava from the nearby tube. But he would stay a sufficient distance to avoid getting burned or singed by the superheated steam and smoke.
 
As Xeres warned the earth elemental, he backpedaled as quickly as he could, the lava flowing over the pathway between him and Xeres, following the earthen grooves that Xeres was creating in the mountainside. As the red hot liquid flowed down them, Xeres could see it was starting to lessen, as if there had been a bubble inside the mountain of lava, that burst, and was now near emptying entirely. A slow rumble could be heard from the Caldera of Aslan's Forge, and Xeres and the Earth Elemental could feel the ground underneath of them tremble ever so slightly. "We may want to make haste and try to find said blood ruby... I don't think the mountain enjoys us being here..." said the earth elemental as it's draconic head looked towards Xeres.

The lava finally finished flowing from the tub, and the entry way was somewhat clear, with little splotches of glowing red here and there. It was time to head in the lava tube, or continue up the pathway they were previously on. Eitherway, in the lavatube, it would be single file, there wasn't enough room for Xeres and the earth elemental to fit in there side by side...
 
Xeres considered their options.

He did not enjoy the thought of wandering blindly into the lava tubes. Nor the fact that the volcano seemed to dislike visitors. Fortunately, their good timing and efforts prevented disaster. But how many times could they hope to dance around lava? What if there was no room to maneuver around the molten earth? The Adept glanced at the Great Wyrm beside him and used his mind's hands to determine if the Earth Elemental's essence shell had been harmed by the heat.

How many lava tubes were there? How far were they from the caldera? Did their current position grant them some semblance of safety from the lava flow? These were some considerations that Xeres had to determine before making his next move.

"Let's find a section that's not exposed", Xeres suggested. "Perhaps we can Scry the regions below and around us piecemeal."

Better attempt this excavation systematically. No need to risk everything when they could survey the earth with scrying spells a little at a time.
 
"Good idea..." said the earth elemental, and then stepped carefully over the lava remnants of the lava tube to press forward with Xeres. If Xeres started to survey the area around him, he'd see what he had seen before at the base of the mountain, but this time with a bit more basalt and pumice in the mix from lava flows of ages past. The earth elemental would relay to him the same things, and soon enough, they would see what looked like a mineshaft in the distance.

As they made their way up towards the mineshaft, they'd feel the mountain rumbling a bit and the caldera growing a bit redder as more lava seemed to be pouring from it's mouth thousands of feet above them. There were some trees around the area, but most of them were dead like the woods on the last few mountains they saw, stripped of most of their branches as if the flames of the plane of power had drenched the mountain side.

"We could seek shelter in that mineshaft, though whomever would dig and build a mineshaft on this mountain, i'm not so sure. It looks long abandoned..." said the earth elemental as he turned his draconic head to look towards Xeres. The mineshaft could easily fit the two of them side by side...
 
It was imperative that they found shelter immediately, away from the lava, and far out of reach in case the volcano decided to spill any more of its contents. Aslan's Forge was proving to exceed its reputation for hazardousness.

"Very well, lead on", Xeres said to the Great Wyrm. The creature's serpentine form would also double as a means for them to traverse the mountainside and ridges leading to the mineshaft. As a precautionary measure, Xeres channeled earth and rock from his surroundings to form Earth Armor over his body, transforming him into a miniature earth elemental. Then, reshaping the earth beneath him, he attempted to Earth Glide in order to more seamlessly and quickly traverse the terrain by simultaneously manipulating both the earth of his new form as well as the ground beneath his feet.

After seeing the top of the volcano redden, Xeres was largely interested in reaching the mineshaft as soon as possible. He also hoped that his improvised spell might inspire the Earth Elemental to attempt the 'trick' as well in order to increase his own mobility and speed.
 
As Xeres casted his new form, and the spell earth glide to allow him better travel over the earth, The Earth Elemental would do the same. It didn't take them long to reach the mine shaft. And once they did, the earth elemental would look towards Xeres and ask, "Shall we go in then?" If Xeres said yes, then the two of them would enter side by side, and begin traversing through the shaft. It would be quite dark, so the earth elemental would ask of Xeres, "Can you create a bit of light so we can see in here? Any possible way you could do that?"

The darkness enshrouded the mineshaft deeper in, and unless Xeres created a source of light from fire or something, they're vision within the mineshaft would be left to scrying the earthen walls around them to make sure they didn't run into any walls...
 
Darkness swallowed them as the Great Wyrm and the Adept Elementalist reached the strange mineshaft.

Xeres didn't have time to consider the logistics and reasons anyone might build these tunnels. Though he presumed that the dwarven clans nearby might have developed mines along the fiery mountain in search for ores and precious stones. Even with his limited knowledge of minerals and geology, the Adept was able to Scry some 'pockets' which contained exotic formations and deposits, as the Earth Elemental called them. Given time and perhaps a little more preparation, he might return one day to find and harvest those nodes to further his research.

But first they needed to find the blood ruby and survive the dangers of Aslan's Forge.

At the Elemental's urging, Xeres channeled the plentiful heat and fire essence found throughout the bones of the volcano. But he altered the spell in a way that he learned as an initiate. It was called Heatless Flame, which was essentially an inversion of fire essence. He did not want his fire spell igniting any gases that might linger in these mine shafts. But the spheres of Heatless Flame should still provide the illumination they needed. Xeres produced as many orbs as needed with two or three initiate spell's worth of Vis. Unfortunately, the bright light he conjured also ruined his darkvision. So Xeres willed the orbs of magical fire to hover high above them to cast as much light as possible.

Side by side the Elementalist and the Earth Dragon walked, venturing deeper into the Heart of Fire.
 
As they began to venture through the mineshaft, Xeres' spell would take effect, and illuminate their surroundings. There wasn't much to see in the initial mineshaft, and it soon opened up into a larger area that was structured and built in a domelike cavern. Stalagtites and Stalagmites reached from the groun towards the ceiling, and from the ceiling down towards the ground, peppering the room that they had entered. It was easy enough to manuever around them, and neither Xeres nor the Great Wyrm earth elemental should have much of an issue. The cavern was huge, and there was a red glow towards the opposite end of it, where as they approached, Xeres could see it was a lode covered with red glowing crystals. "Looks like we didn't have to scry much for the rubies, I see them there, but aren't you looking for a particular shape of the ruby?" asked the earth elemental his draconic head turning towards Xeres.

Even as he asked the question though, Xeres would suddenly feel movement in the cavern. The thud of something was coming from a tunnel to the left, and a tunnel to the right. It sounded like... hooves?
 
Xeres' throat and mouth was dry by the time they reached the inner caverns. The heat and close quarters seemed to suffocate the wind from his very lungs. But when the sparkle of red gems reached his crimson eyes, Xeres felt relief wash over him. Could these crystals be the objects that his brother desired?

"A heart-shaped gem", the Adept reminded the Great Wyrm beside him. "A ruby the color of blood."

The hunchbacked mage slowly made his way toward the lode covered with red, glowing crystals. With a practiced motion, he reached out through his connection with the rod of enchanted wood that was safely tucked in his pack. If the object did not respond, then Xeres would remove it from its cocoon of Hard Air to make the determination. Did they find what they were looking for?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom