The Daughter of House Carthas
Elathra was in the depth of her studies, as her final ritual for the archmage ascension was to occur soon. The graduation from a battle mage into an archmage is a rare feat even amongst the Asur. It has been a life-long goal of Elathra. Her mother had once told her and her sister that their family had a gift rarely seen among high elves, said to rival the heirs of anerion himself. A truly blessed gift that has earned her both influence and envy. She never met the heirs of anerion, but she has no interest in doing so. That was the desire of her sister she reflects, but since her sister's banishment… it is an interest that will go unfulfilled. She was brought about from these reflective thoughts on her sister and her upcoming ritual by a sudden onset of pressure within her head that been occurring increasingly frequently since the winter equinox of the previous year.Â
Elathra was within the gardens of Azyr within Hoeth, the main city of Saphery. She reflects that even amongst the high elves citadels, Hoeth is truly majestic. She started visiting these gardens as it tends to ease the pressure pains that come and go, but she has noticed gradual increases in severity over the last year. At first, she thought it was the stresses of her ascension ritual, but she fears something else may be amiss. She consulted a priestess of Isha, but she was informed that there was no demonic aura or taint within her mind. In fact, the priestess described the feeling when she established a telepathic connection to Elathra that whatever is happening leaves residue of its power… something powerful, ancient, and fearfully alien to that of any elf. Something like this has never happened before, and the priestess is unsure of what to do regarding this issue. The priestess has communicated that if the effects of the connection worsen or if something else pertinent happens, then she is to seek the counsel of the high priestesses of Isha.
Pushing aside her pain, Elathra takes a tonic of strength which was another gift from the priestess. The tonic in addition to her environment makes the pain more bearable. That is at least this aspect that affects her most often, for Elathra did not discuss with the priestess her other issues… She most recently has been experiencing visions as well, these take place within her dreams. At times, these dreams are tranquil and fill Elathra with feelings of serenity and calm… others have been vivid horrors, blurred visions of blood, fire and darkness. These nightmares are more frequent than the dreams, and leave Elathra with feelings of loss, sadness, and rage. Figures she sees in these dreams and nightmares remind her of the hand drawn images of demons within the books of the great libraries. However, she also notes seeing other creatures working on great cities on a scale never seen that even exceed the majesty of her kind. Such mixed feelings come from these visions, that she is thankful they aren't as prominent as her headaches.
Given some time to meditate and wait for the tonic to really set in, Elathra rededicates herself to her studies. For she only has a few my days until her ascension ritual. The ritual is a complex exam, first testing her knowledge of the magic arts, physical aptitude, and leadership abilities. If she passes all three phases of the exam, then she will be granted the rank of archmage and potentially assigned a war host. Or she will continue to focus on her studies, the latter being her preference. The only reason she wants the title of archmage is that it grants her the necessary funding to conduct research within the city of Avelorn on the magical forest there.
For her mage specialization, she chose to focus on life magic. This specialization will carry out to her test as an archmage, but as an archmage she will still be tested on the other winds of magic as well as high magic. This phase of her exam is not concerning, nor is the leadership phase. During the leadership phase, she simply must be able to command a small force of asur within a war game scenario and accomplish a task with acceptable results. For the war games, she has elected to use her personal bodyguard of house Carthas composing of her spear and armored archer units instead of the uniform Saphery guard’s militia being volunteered to all participants who take the exam. There are no issues with this substitution, as it encourages participants to bring troops that have experienced their leadership already. It is the last exam that may be Elathra' undoing. The physical phase tests one's ability to fight and overcome adversity should one's bodyguard prove inefficient or become overwhelmed. This phase can take many forms, it can be a dual with a loremaster or a noble, combat against multiple silverin guard, or combat against a crucible. The crucible is a rare case in which the council of archmages along with the current loremaster select a foe specialized for the participant. This is rare, as the last crucible exam was done for the current high loremaster Teclis, one of the twin heirs of Aenarion. She wasn't worried about being assigned the last subset of the physical phase as last she heard the high loremaster was travelling from the continent of Lustria to the southlands and wasn’t planning on stopping by in Ulthwan, at least officially.
After a couple days, her time came to begin the ascension ritual alongside two other combat mages. It began with the tests of her magical arts. Elathra methodically and efficiently demonstrated battle spells of "Earth Blood", "Life Bloom", "Awakening of the Wood" and "Regrowth". While her peers demonstrated battle arts from that of Metal and High magics. At the end of their exam, the gathered council of archmages granted each of them the 1st seal of approval.
With the seal in hand, Elathra and her peers rapidly moved towards the battle grounds. There Elathra regrouped with her Carthas cohorts where her handmaiden of command handed her a scroll. The scroll gave her an objective, to proceed to the 2nd hill within the battlegrounds and prepare to hold it. Knowing her objective, she gave her order quickly and concisely, and as one her host began its movements. She moved with two spear units in front, two on the flanks, two archer units in the center and one spear unit in the rear. She had no calvary at her disposal, and once she began moving her forces, she made note of the battle field. Stretched before here were the plains of Saphery, with three great hills breaking up the scenery. She made note that her peers were going to the other hills mirroring her actions. She did not know their objective, nor had she considered the possibility of them working together for an objective. It was possible, but unlikely, as the ascension ritual is usually reserved for independent assessment. Still in knowing this, she dispatched a pair of spearmen to each unit prompting cooperation. By the time her forces reach their hill, her spearmen returned and gave her the response that the other commanders accepted. It was then a single warhorn sounded. She had not recognized it before, and what awaited before them as her forces crested the hill and gained sight over the surrounding plains.
Elathra noticed that her peers brought their own cohorts, men from Chrace and Lothern. The esteemed white lions of chrace compromised the cohorts to her left, and the renowned Lothern Sea Guard to her right. Through a series of complex horns calls, battle drums and flag signals Elathra and her compatriot candidates successfully coordinated their cohorts to match the movements of the opposing Saphery legion. The war games occurred for the duration of the day into night. Upon the sun's set, the cohorts were told to stand down and the archmage candidates were told to report to the appointee council chamber within the tower of Saphery.
Elathra left her cohorts and began to ascend the tower. Her peers walking far ahead of her until she met a familiar face. A loremaster bearing the seal of Saphery, enchanted armor, and a scaffolded great sword that glowed blue. The loremaster bowed and addressed Elathra, "Hello my former pupil. I see your ascension is going well."
Elathra replied, "Yes my mentor the trial is going well. My peers and I are entering the last phase of our exam."
“That would be what exactly?”
“The physical phase, so it can be practically anything.”
Both Elathra and the loremaster walked in silence until the mentor spoke up again, “I see. Well, I wish you the best of luck… Are you well? You seem in pain.”
Elathra focused her mind. Her potion wore off about halfway through the war games exercises and the headaches and pain has resumed. She managed to push through it, but it’s hurting more than ever before. She stopped walking, closed her eyes and focused for a minute. Eventually it became more bearable and then she replied, “Yes Valtyr, I’ve been experiencing progressively worse headaches recently. The priestesses do not know the cause for them. However, I still intend to pass my ascension ritual.”
She declared while beginning to walk with renewed vigor, Valtyr easily keeping apace in silence. They walked up numerous flights until the two of them reached the trial room where her magical arts were tested. The doors were open, and she entered to then stop and gaze within the room. That and recollect her thoughts and focus down the pain. Her head was throbbing at this point. She noticed her two peers were awaiting in the central chamber. A concave of 6 high archmages sat in the thrones of judgement overlooking central chamber. Other archmages, loremasters, and combat mages sat in the audience seats. Valtyr placed his hand on her shoulder and then left to the find an audience seat. Her mind refocused, she joined the other candidates in the central chamber and awaited the last phase.
Elathra and her peers stood while the high archmages presided over the rules of the last phase. Each candidate will be tested by an honor duel with one exception. Elathra was confused at this statement, this meant that one of them did not pass the previous two phases of the ascension ritual. The high council did not clarify on this statement as they called upon Keethla of House Pridus from Chrace forward for her honor duel. She placed her staff down and took up an ax, a fit weapon for one of her heritage but not often used for combat by mages. The high council then called upon one of the three champions of Hoeth, Loremaster Petran. He walked from the audience seats and drawled his great sword from its scabbard, it’s blade radiating blue magic much like his armor. Mage Keethla charged the loremaster Petran, the two dancing and exchanging blows. Keethla was furious in her assault, using her ax and ferocity to try and overwhelm Petran. The loremaster deflected blow upon blow, keeping his cool under Keethla’ vicious assault. This repeated for several minutes until Petran upon an expertly timed deflect into counter struck the ax from the grip of Keethla. This did not faze the combat mage as she instantly charged, and shoulder tackled the champion. Petran instantly adapted as his opponent was too close to use his sword, taking the impact of her shoulder charge and turned the momentum against Keethla to throw her to the ground. Keethla, stunned recovered after a few seconds, but this gave Petran enough time to pick up his sword and hold it to her throat. The two stared at each other, Keethla panting and sweating with her exertion, and Petran gazing back breathing steadily. Petran broke the silence, "Well done combat mage. Your ferocity will serve you well in your endeavors." He turned to the high council, "I, Petran of House Ezekal, Champion of Hoeth recommend Keethla of House Pridus for ascension." Petran then holstered his sword and proceeded to walk back to is seat in the audience.
Keethla got up unsteadily, picked up her ax and staff and proceeded to the edge of the central chamber to sit down. Clearly showing her exhaustion from the endeavor. The high council then called upon the next archmage candidate… it felt like an eternity and her heart sank as the high council announced the next candidate to be Rowen of Lothern. Rowen picked up her sword and began her duel with a noble of Saphery. The dual wasn’t as intense, and she managed to hold her own until being battered down by the noble. However, Rowen unexpectedly managed to navigate under the nobles guard for a clean blade to the throat, the noble froze, announced his endorsement for her ascension. It was at the end of this fight, when the high archmages stood and announced that both Rowen and Keethla were endorsed to become official archmages at dawn the following day. The council then dismissed everyone except Elathra, she noticed that herself, the council, a select few swordmasters and the three champions of Hoeth remained in the room. Elathra stood in the center of the room, her sword in it's scabbard her hands white knuckling were staff, all the while attempting to focus on keeping her emotional and physical pain in check. She stood there, her head thobbing all the while until voices shook her out of her stupor. The high archmages came down from the thrones of judgment and the voice of what seeped through into her thoughts bringning her back to the present.
The archmage, "Elathra of House Carthas. Are you well enough to listen or should we do this later?"
Elathra replied quickly, "My apologies high archmage. I am listening."
"Good. You performed within the bounds of excellence for both your magical arts and wartime leadership."
Elathra interrupted, "Then why prevent me from progressing! I… I am the one who enabled cohesion between the cohorts for the war games. I excel in the magical arts! What right do you have to take the opportunity to duel for …" She grew silent as she noticed the three champions rest their hands on their blades. The high archmage took and opportunity speak again.
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"Elathra please understand". She spoke with compassion and understanding, "That you haven't failed yet. The high loremaster is back in Ulthwan… He has chosen your final trial to be a crucible challenge."
Silence passed within the chamber until Elathra spoke in disbelief, "A… crucible challenge. Why?"
A voice spoke up behind her, "Because the order of loremasters is moving from the continent of Lustria to the southlands. There our powers in play that act for the defense of the world."
Elathra turned around to see a ring of loremasters, armor sullied and marked with visible strain. In front of them was the speaker, bearing the crown of Saphery and the Staff of Caledor the dragon tamer was High Loremaster Teclis. He spoke clearly and elegantly, "We sought the help of the children of the old ones and we paid the price for it. For the moment, the great vortex is stable, thanks to the help of the lizardmen. However, this came at a cost…"
Teclis looked solemn, he outreached his free hand behind him and a swordmaster gave him a familiar looking elixir container. Elathra radiated shock as it was hers, Teclis popped the top of the container and smelled it's contents and spoke, "It is as I feared. That's what the skink meant."
Elathra spoke in response, "That was in my study room. Why would you go through my things? If you are concerned if I've been working without putting in effort then you are all sorely mistaken!"
Teclis narrowed his eyes and responded, "This was given to you by a priestess of Isha. This is a very rare elixir, one's formula that formed the base for preventing demonic possession." The room was extremely silent, the champions swords began to unsheathe until Teclis spoke again, "A risk that the priestess of Isha confirmed was not possible. I changed your final exam to be that of the crucible. We will test here and now what is attempting to make a connection with you. If it is what I suspect, then all will be well. If not, then we have the capacity and power with those present to deal with whatever it is."
Elathra exploded in protest, "I will not become possessed by whatever it is that is attempting this connection. Give me my elixir please!" Her pain has been progressively worsening and she is certain that it was presenting itself physically to those observing her.
Teclis responded, "No, relieve her of her weapon and staff." Quickly Elathra drew her sword only to be struck in the head by Valtyr, dazing her while he quickly took her sword and another champion of Hoeth took staff from her grip. She attempted to protest physically only to be bound by white threads of silk she couldn't break. She recognized the spell and Teclis spoke again, "Lower the wards of the tower, and keep a close watch on our candidate."
Elathra struggled hopelessly, all the while the pressure and pain was building up even faster than normal. She thought that staying within Hoeth itself simply made everything easier to tolerate due to her being a place she enjoyed, she neglected to consider the defense wards around ulthwan as a whole. She barely could imagine what it may be like outside of Hoeth itself. Her ears began to ring and her vision began to blur, a strong sense to close her eyes and sleep also began to overcome her. She fell into blackness as she closed her eyes, then the pain reached it's climax and then… it all ceased.
Elathra opened her eyes, she looked around and saw it was black as midnight with bright specs all around her… They were stars she realized… she continued to gaze around her and then looked to her hands to see that the spell that held her was gone, in fact she was simply floating as if she was a celestial from the books she read in her studies. She looked behind her and gazed upon something that made her pause. She… she was gazing at the world. She saw the northern and southern poles, she could see the rips in reality that chaos and the winds of magic seeped through into their world. She recogized the continent where the lost elven colonies resided, now called the Old World by men and dawi. She turned he gaze eastward to see mountains that hide lands far beyond, she then turned her gaze back to the west and gazed upon Ulthwan. Looking upon her homeland from the stars couldn't begin to describe the feelings she felt, the countless maps that cartographers drew couldn’t do her homeland justice. She then gazed north again and found herself staring at the coldness of the druchii homeland. Normally an asur would feel rage or hatred towards their northern folk, but she was only felt with sadness. Elathra turned her gaze to the south and gazed upon the continent of lustria. A place where the high loremaster was moving from she recalled.
As her gaze passed over the homeland of the lizardmen, she noticed a faint light. She focused on the light, in doing so she drew her celestial body closer to the world and the continent she gazed upon. She found herself staring at a city, a golden city of tremendous size, little figures moving around it's streets performing a variety of tasks. She even recognized some of the casts the lizardmen are divided into. She was admiring the architecture when something pulled her to the top of the greatest pyramid. She was pulled straight through the walls of the structure into a chamber radiating with power into a chamber where the hold was released. She gazed about the chamber, noticing a figure within a throne. As she floated closer to investigate, she noticed the throne actually was floating, she gazed at the figure, but is was hard to discern details with the power radiating light from behind it…
She froze in fear as she realized that this thing was a mummy essentially. It… it didn’t move, it just floated there. She attempted to float out of the chamber, but was pulled back in. Maybe she was missing something, she turned back towards the center of the chamber only to be face to face with the mummy. If she had any breath in her, it would have been sucked out of fear, for it's eyes glowed with power and it… it spoke. She couldn’t understand it, at least not at first. For it spoke in a tongue that was ancient. For hours it spoke to her and she listened. If she was in person, she could cast a spell for translation. She tried to talk herself but she learned how to communicate in this form. Eventually she found another method of communication between them came through feelings and memories. After what seemed like a couple hours of this she found out how to use her voice in this form. She asked who or what this creature was… she didn’t get anything, only the fading glow of his eyes for a minute, then a bright spiritual form of what she recognized as a Slann emerged from the corpse. It floated above it's body, the eyes blazing with an intensity she couldn’t gaze at.
The Slann spoke in common for the first time, "I am the firstborn. Lord of the first city. I am the relic priest, Lord Kroak."
She was afraid to reply, the energy radiating from the slann was beginning to hurt. She grew up the courage to reply, "I… I am a high elven combat mage of House Carthas. Why am I here?"
The spiritual slann moved closer and decreased it's radiance and it became more bearable to gaze upon it. The slann replied, "You among many others are to become my vessels. You will channel my power to retake the world from chaos. You are the first, the greatest of my chosen."
"But an asur? I thought there is a specific lizardmen caste that fullfills that role."
She felt a feeling of satisfaction from the slann as it responded, "You are enlightened. It is true that the skinks are often chosen as our vessels. Either those of the priest class or oracle castes. However, as you’ve felt, my power exceeds the ability of any skink to bear. A younger slann informed me to look elsewhere, and your spirit is able to resonate with mine. Hence why you are able to converse with me as if we were in the same area."
It took her a minute to grasp what he was saying, but Elathra was still baffled. She has never heard of any asur being capable of soul linking to any other living creature other than the link between asur and dragons and other noble beasts. She has read in the tomes of saphery that maybe a demon or… well other malevolent creatures can make this connection… still she was excited nevertheless for what this means.
He interpreted her response with a feeling of satisfaction, it's eyes dimmed until a faint glow remained then the creature burned brightly like the sun, she closed her eyes in fear of blindness… Then she opened them to find all three champions of Hoeth, Petran, Valtyr and Yvrak holding their swords at her with shocked expressions on their faces. She could see in the reflection of Valtyr's armor that her eyes had a radiant glow now. A single voice echoed throughout the chamber, "Bear witness my fellow asur, the Lord of Izta has chosen his first avatar. Rejoice for the archmage candidate has passed her crucible trial. Have her set to leave Ulthwan at first light with her house militia, and pray my dear asur that she fulfills her role", Teclis stated with a solemn leaving the chamber with his swordmaster guards in tow.
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