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Post by Madame Damara on Apr 28, 2015 5:28:30 GMT
It was called Heaven's Gate, but many knew it by its more common name - The Celestial Eye. Built into a mountainside along the northern edge of the Eveleigh Empire, the observatory was a magnificent spectacle of both science and magic. Columns made of marble supported the foundation, which bloomed practically right off the rocky face of the mountain. The staircase that lead from sea level all the way to the summit were carved directly from the earth by expert masons, including the handrail and banisters. It was said by many that the staircase sported almost a million steps, since nobody had yet had the patience to actually count how many there were. The building itself was a marvel of gold and dark, nighttime blue with stars and moon patterns decorating the dome at the top which also housed the great telescope which observed the stars and planets and enhanced the divining power of those who studied the noble profession of divination here at the very heart of the craft.
Inside was as remarkably designed as the outside. Within, the Doric columns continued as a theme, circling the great foyer area and giving it a very Greek sense of style. The ceiling of the main room was decorating with a working copper model of the solar system with intricately designed gears and wires which were all 100% accurate. Controls which could reverse or speed the flow of time as depicted by the model stood at the ready in the center of the lobby's floor. Beside these, a small plaque stood which read "Time Machine, donated by the Brass Duke. 'May you look upon it and appreciate its beauty.' "
The student classes and labs were all located on the second floor, divided into twelve individual classrooms where each field of the future's study was dissected and studied. Housing for future diviners was all outside of the main building proper, in various smaller buildings cut into the mountainside. The Third Floor, However, would be where she waited...
There, the observation room was located. They were to meet here and move off into one of the side rooms which were ONLY accessible through this room and down a long tunnel into the heart of the mountain. Here, Tzigane Damara stood with Kizzy at her side, listening to the hurried voices of her top students as they moved from delicate instrument to delicate instrument, dutifully recording everything they could learn from the vast skies of their world. Tzigane smiled softly to herself, well rested after having returned from her trip to Namorn only a day prior. The air vessel that she had taken was docked on the other side of the hill, where it could settle safely without distracting from the beauty of the Celestial Eye.
"The planets should align in about a month, Madame Damara. Should I instruct one of the students to begin preparations for the celestial festival?" one student seated at the control panel for the telescope asked. The other was too busy inputting data and peering through the eyepiece.
"Yes, that would be lovely..." Tzigane answered, though she did not stop staring forward into nothing from her vantage point near the open bottom edge of the window that permitted the telescope to move. "I would very much like to see the festival be a time of celebration and joy. It will be another 10,000 years before we see an alignment like this again, after all."
"Yes, Madame Damara!" the student returned before closing her eyes and focusing a message to one of the students on the second floor. Tzigane would simply smile in her sweet, serene sort of way, and continue to look out the window despite her lack of vision.
"Kizzy, my dear... Lord Rail is once again late. The poor man simply must do something about his perpetual tardiness before it gets the better of him..." she mused as she petted the undead troll's head affectionately. Kizzy merely hissed in return.
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Post by Lord Rail on May 4, 2015 20:23:22 GMT
"Need I quote the Brass Duke on this matter?" came a silky voice from the shadows, a creamy white hand pushing off the wall in a nearby corner as the Necromancer stepped out from the darkness, scythe in tow and with heavy shoulders. Commonly the man seemed to glide across smooth floors, while today the man skulked as any mortal, his head hung low and a melancholy expression painted on his face.
Though she couldn't see it, Madame Tzigane Damara would undoubtedly feel his presence, and the heavy weight pressing down on him from all the week's recent events. The man strode over to the Oracle and bowed his head low, his nose almost touching the floor. He gave a weak smile to the undead troll and knelt down before him, and ruffled the creature's sparse hairs sprouting from the top of its decaying skull.
"I still feel he took that from somewhere...'a wizard is never late, nor is he early', indeed. I may be tardy, but at least I show up. Granted, the man has been more prompt than even myself of late, but he is not burdened by the investigation at hand.
"Balthaizar sent word," he said eventually, making little to no eye contact with the blind woman as he rose to his feet to observe her students hard at work. Tzigane was much like Zaestria--determined, and quite good at her job. In even the worst instances, the former Arch Mage could calm even the most violent storm, with naught but kind words with a strict undertone. He imagined the Oracle was very much like her--and like her masters.
"How is Namorn this time of year?" he asked off-handed, before shaking his head. The woman was too smart to be redirected.
"I am at your service. Balthaizar said it was urgent, but like you know was mum on the details. He emphasized you would 'elaborate on the whole thing'."
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Post by Madame Damara on May 12, 2015 4:53:15 GMT
"And elaborate I shall, Lord Rail..." Tzigane said sweetly as she slowly turned to face the Necromancer. She held that serene look upon her face even now, much like a mother welcoming a child home after a long day. Her smile could break hearts, if only because they knew the tragedies she'd witnessed and bore behind those upturned lips. Blind though she was, hers was a terrible curse and one that she was forced to endure every day. It was a wonder that she surrounded herself so in spite of it. Oh to smile when one can see the deaths of every soul in the room!
And still, she held her gentle nature. She strode forward slowly and lifted a hand to rest delicate fingers upon the man's shoulder. It took her a few tries, but when they touched it was as light as a butterfly's landing. "And I don't know how Namorn is... I have never seen it," she said jokingly, open and ready to make light of the little things that made life so unbearable for most. With a light chuckle, she gestured for the man to stand, even with Kizzy staring him down hard with those soulless, glowing red eyes and that perpetual hiss of a breath of his.
"Let us take this conversation to a more comfortable location, Lord Rail... My students are diligently attending to the study of divination and I would not interrupt them..." she explained as she wrapped a hand gently around his arm, specifically the skeletal arm which so many feared. It had long been speculated that she had no fear of that limb for several reasons. The most common theory was that she was blind and could have no idea what was going on. The more popular theory, however, was that she had seen so much death in her lifetime that such a simple thing was nothing to her any more. Whatever the case, she held onto the man lightly and began walking to the ornately designed door which lead deeper into the heart of the mountain with her little undead friend acting as their guide.
"I do hope you forgive me for dragging you away from your investigation into what exactly happened to our mutual friend..." she said softly, speaking hardly above a whisper as she listened for the pitter-patter of Kizzy's feet just in front of them. "I'm afraid there is much to discuss and a great deal of it requires very special consideration. I have asked you here since I believe you alone are uniquely qualified to answer a great deal of these questions..."
They moved through very dark hallways, with sconces on the walls which lit themselves as they passed. It felt like they had walked hundreds of feet through the very heart of the mountain before the undead troll came to a stop at a door that appeared very much like all the rest. In fact, it did not even have a label or any ornamentation to indicate that it was in any way special, unlike the door far down the hall and concealed just within the shadows which was ancient, rusted, and chained with iron bindings that were themselves wrapped in hundreds of hand-written wards against evil. "Just this way, if you would..." Tzigane whispered softly as she guided the man into the room.
Inside was a much more comfortable place. Thousands of small candles surrounded the space and gave a pleasant aroma as well as a light haze. In the center of the room was a short table and two large cushions very much like the ones the diviner had enjoyed with Balthaizar in Namorn. On the table was a small tea set which was prepared for a gathering of two. High above, the ceiling was domed and lined with dots of light in the shapes of the constellations, backlit by the sun high above the mountain top.
Tzigane gestured for Rail to take a seat before allowing Kizzy to guide her to the other. "This is my personal divining room. It sits directly under the north star and is where I am most able to communicate with the gods..." she explained as she nestled into place, looking just as fragile as she always did. "We can speak openly here, as the door is enchanted to block any sound..." she added.
She gestured before her to the tea set. "Might I tempt you with some Jasmine Dragonleaf during our conversation, Lord Rail?" she asked sweetly. She was intentionally waiting for him to press forward, rather than overwhelm him with questions right off the bat. It was only polite. Kizzy immediately set forward though, ready to serve the tea and cookies without a worry about propriety.
"I can think of no reason not to enjoy some small comfort while we discuss such heavy issues... perhaps even lift some of the burden from those sinking shoulders of yours. Please, Lord Rail... when you are ready, you may speak with me about anything and I will do my best to ease your pain..."
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Post by Lord Rail on May 18, 2015 23:54:15 GMT
Rail passively let his old friend (Kizzy, really) lead him from the grand observatory where the Diviner spent most of her class time, admiring the structural care taken by the original architects and now even her students. The young aspiring mages fawned over their headmistress, doted and loved the woman, and he could easily see why. Though the man had been enamoured with the previous Arch Mage, there was always a special place in his heart for the Ill-fated oracle.
He frowned at that last thought, even as the woman invited him into the most luxurious area (presumably) of the palatial tower. Not unlike the Namoran palace, Tzigane enjoyed the western cultural decor, favoring lush cushions in lieu of the stiff chairs they had in Avalendor. He plopped himself gently into a green and gold gilded pillow and accepted the proffered tea with a respectful nod, and then audibly thanked her for it before taking an immediate sip.
"Certainly you flatter me," he had said when she mentioned he might be the only one qualified to answer her question--or rather, string of.
"Naturally, a man in my position has no choice but to be ready in any situation. Sadly, whether or not this is the case, I am always surprised one way or another...
"I feel I have some inkling to what you would like to know...and as a woman of your talents...I have no doubt you know exactly how qualified I am to answer you.
"What can I offer, my lady?"
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Post by Madame Damara on Jun 2, 2015 21:32:33 GMT
Tzigane lifted the tiny china cup to her lips as she listened to the man. She did so mostly to hide a slight smile at the man's awareness. Of all the grand mages, she felt he was the most watchful and he did not disappoint when he suggested that she might know a great deal more than she let on. Slowly, she held her cup to the side for Kizzy to collect and set upon the table.
"You are most observant, as always, Lord Rail..." she said softly and sweetly. "I feel with the darkness of coming days looming, we must be completely honest with one another if the world is to survive. To this end, I confess your suspicions are true. I do know, and no, I have no intention of telling the others of your greater works..."
She smiled gently, unafraid and calm as always. In fact, her demeanor almost seemed as though she were trying to comfort HIM over herself. "Yours is a heavy burden, to be certain, but a necessary one. All life must end, it is the way of things. Even mine own, which I know is to conclude in the very near future..." she added. Sitting back, she kept her gentle smile as she went on. "Did you know I have been blind since birth, Lord Rail? Not many do, assuming that I must have seen at some point due to the things I CAN see. I have never witnessed the blooming of flowers nor the bright colors of daylight nor the sacred darkness of the restful night. My visions come as waves of words and feelings, but no image. I am told, when one dies, that they are made whole such that the lame can walk and the blind can see. It warms my heart and makes my impending doom more bearable to know that when this happens, it is the face of my dear friend and comrade that I shall be the first thing mine eyes do observe..."
She smiled, then shook her head slightly. "But we are off topic. First, allow me to put an end to your pain. You will not find our friend, Caria. While she has disappeared from this plane of existence, her soul does not linger in some other place waiting to be reaped and guided to paradise. I am sorry, my friend, but the culprit who took Caria from us has also robbed her of existence whole. She has become one with entropy, and exists nowhere. No paradise, yes... but also no pain nor torture, so take solace at least in that..."
She sighed, shaking her head in sadness for the passed Caria and the knowledge that her very soul was gone from all the planes, a fact she had confirmed time and time again on her trip to Namorn and the admittedly speedy return. She bowed her head a moment in mourning before looking back up to Rail, those milky eyes eerily peering towards his.
"This culprit... I have reason to suspect that they are able to hide themselves in the shadow of a greater darkness. I gain my information from the gods, but there is one who has fallen rather silent. I know that the Darkness walks upon our land, but I know not where nor why. Lord Rail... You have seen the Darkness firsthand, have you not? You have witnessed Her terror with your own eyes. Please, anything you can tell me will be of great benefit. Why does she plague our lives now, and in this fashion? What rumors do you know of those who follow her hideous influence?"
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