Embers Endure

Human mage from Grixis on Alara, she/her || pfp 'Servant of Nefarox' by Igor Kieryluk, bg 'Swamp' (ALA #239) by Mark Tedin || A Magic: The Gathering rp blog

[vithian-scaleseeker]

A proper introduction

Embers endure, people of the network.

For those who have not met me, I am Karrolin, a Vithian human mage from the plane of Grixis. I am willing to trade knowledge of my own plane, and my other expertises, in exchange for unique information of other worlds. And their lizards. I have a particular interest in lizards.

My magical talents are mainly in the minor bending of time. Faster or slower, preservation or decay, making objects and people as they were or as they may in future be. I draw from uncertain futures to maximise my options, although it does mean my spells are usually of little accuracy for actual clarivoyance.

I aim for our correspondence to be mutually beneficial.

Darkness declines, Karrolin.

[firemane-angel]

I have been watching over the Riveteers while they have been repairing the tracks, in case more outlaws appear to bother them. Unfortunately one of them brought one of those.. reptilian horse creatures. While most creatures bring me a sense of joy, particularly normal horses, those... Beasts make me uncomfortable. It has already tried to bite me, and it was only through my grace and level head I did not smite it. They owner also asked me kindly not to.

I am avoiding the creature for now, but know the peace between us is tenuous.

[qualiancourt]

Reptilian horses? I am interested to hear more about these creatures... if you do not wish to discuss them, perhaps one of the New Cappenans might enlighten me? I fail to understand how a reptile could be crossed with a horse. Although it may be that my understanding of horses is limited, for I have only seen them in undeath.

[firemane-angel]

Strange foul beasts. As I understand it, they are native to Thunder Junction, but their temperament leaves much to be desired. They're well known for biting, both those riding them and anyone in the vicinity. Many hold a strange affection for them despite this. Including one of the Riveteers here performing work, apparently. There is no accounting for poor taste.

[vithian-scaleseeker]

(ooc; sorry I reblogged on my main blog and then deleted it without realising you'd replied. And now this rb is orphaned. Whoops)

...I revoke my fascination, and sympathize with your revulsion. Such creatures seem more like the product of the night-mares that take their shapes based upon fears within one's mind, than they do a real living creature.

[vithian-scaleseeker]

Success!

Warily, I have conducted experimentation upon the Dimir artifact I looted, and slowly but surely, I have managed to cast the spell stored within. I dared not channel black magic myself, but the trinket's own power proved sufficient for that component of the spell, and...

The trinket itself transformed into a... creature. It is something like a lizard, and something like a sea monster, of the sort we have on Grixis. In that the details of its form escape both description and mental retention. But it certainly had... lizard-like qualities of some sort... I think.

...and... it seems I have forgotten what I was going to say next. Concerning.

[relentless-gruul-siegeseer]

Do the Dimir have memory eating lizards? That seems like something the Dimir would have.

[lotleth-spore-farmer]

I don't remember ever hearing about something like that.

[vithian-scaleseeker]

...Perhaps you should read what you have written, and reconsider the subject at hand.

What I mean to say is, if memory-eating lizards did exist, that would provide a handy explanation for why you would *not* remember hearing of them.

[vithian-scaleseeker]

Success!

Warily, I have conducted experimentation upon the Dimir artifact I looted, and slowly but surely, I have managed to cast the spell stored within. I dared not channel black magic myself, but the trinket's own power proved sufficient for that component of the spell, and...

The trinket itself transformed into a... creature. It is something like a lizard, and something like a sea monster, of the sort we have on Grixis. In that the details of its form escape both description and mental retention. But it certainly had... lizard-like qualities of some sort... I think.

...and... it seems I have forgotten what I was going to say next. Concerning.

[relentless-gruul-siegeseer]

Do the Dimir have memory eating lizards? That seems like something the Dimir would have.

[vithian-scaleseeker]

I doubt it was truly a lizard, it only took the shape of one. Perhaps by design, perhaps it drew the image from my own thoughts as its summoner... or perhaps it accessed the primal fears of humanity, among which reptiles are known to dwell?

I think I must summon it again, and take notes to paper, to see if its effect extends beyond merely my thoughts. Would that I had the ironclad memory of a sphinx such as yourself at my disposal, information erasures would be little issue. But this is not my first encounter with horrors that drain minds, and this one is under my control, at least nominally.

[vithian-scaleseeker]

Success!

Warily, I have conducted experimentation upon the Dimir artifact I looted, and slowly but surely, I have managed to cast the spell stored within. I dared not channel black magic myself, but the trinket's own power proved sufficient for that component of the spell, and...

The trinket itself transformed into a... creature. It is something like a lizard, and something like a sea monster, of the sort we have on Grixis. In that the details of its form escape both description and mental retention. But it certainly had... lizard-like qualities of some sort... I think.

...and... it seems I have forgotten what I was going to say next. Concerning.

[conclavecreator]

mages who have blogs- what color(s) of mana does everyone work with? I learned to draw white mana as a kid, and then I've been told that I also have potential to draw the red.

I have no idea where I'd learn that or what I'd do with it, though! We don't have red mana where I come from.

I mean, uh, what I meant to say is... we don't have a lot of mages who work with red mana where I come from, so I've never thought about finding a teacher. Yeah!

Also, where's everyone's favorite place to pull from? I like the flower gardens in Selesnya territory. Acres and acres and acres of just hills and sunshine.

[vithian-scaleseeker]

There is a ridge, south of the Olxor Boneheap, near what is now Maelstrom territory, where the earth rises and the sky bends down to meet it. It is very often heavily raining there, and the water comes down the cliffs with chaotic force, that the mountain never quite looks the same each time I visit.

And then, if you perch yourself on the right ruin, you can see where those same rapids twist together into a meandering stream, and within that same eye, meet a lake, although I would not call it a calm one. By a quirk of the geography and hydrology involved, this lake turns, the river swirling in a grand vortex that has spun for as long as anyone has witnessed and recorded.

Those falls, that lake, are my strongest mana bond by far. Even together with the clouds above, they form a single space in my mind's eye, a microcosm of time's flow from a nebulous future into the fathomless past. Other mages find it strange how I draw red mana from water, or how both red and blue can come from one place. But to me there is little difference, what may be and what has been form an infinite torrent, and I only have the strength and skill to avoid being dashed upon the shore.

[kather4444]

EXPLORE

Hey, it's Kathera!!! As you may be aware already, I really like climbing, exploring, and all that, it's fun!!

Recently, I went to explore one of the most unknown parts of the Ixalan jungles for us Merfolks, and it was a great experience!! I ate a fruit I had never eater before and it tasted great, I'm absolutely going there again. So yeah, exploring is awesome, even in water, which I'm not a huge fan of!! Just recently I saw a very pretty fish, and that was awesome!!! If you have some free time, you should really explore your plain, or heck, maybe even explore other plains now that Omenpahts or whatever are a thing!!! EXPLORE!!!!!

[vithian-scaleseeker]

...I think I am going to take this as a sign.

Embers endure.

...perhaps, even, embers scatter to the winds and yet spark new fires among fresh kindling.

[vithian-scaleseeker]

Ravnicans of the network; do House Dimir consort with dark forces?

I looted a trinket of theirs from the structure-wreck, and in trying to cast the spell within, I learnt it can be a source of mana as well. But the power that it creates is... cold. Alien. Empty, like a dreamless sleep.

Part of that feeling may be that it is spellcraft from a plane unfamiliar to me. But it has an undeniable similarity to the dark forces of my world, which I have spent my life trying to ward off and evade. Demons, lich-lords, bone-hoarding kathari and withering specters.

I should like to know more about its origins and the House that crafted it before I decide whether to make use of it or abandon it in the next acid lake I pass.

[average-ravnican]

I wouldn’t call the Dimir a dark force, but we do consort with almost everyone and everything. That’s part of our job. As far as demons, lich-lords, and bone hoarders go, we mainly deal with the Necrosages, which no one is sure what they are, and some specters. Those are the only things our guild uses, and we are not unique in that regard.

[conclavecreator]

okay, hi, enchanted objects are my whole thing, let's go! :D

Sometimes black mana just feels like that- especially based on the style of the caster. A lot of Dimir work has that sharpness and absence to it because of the influence of blue mana. Like someone holding their breath, or like you could hear it slice the air, you know? Doesn't necessarily mean someone's raising the dead, but the creator could be from a more ceremonial lineage or have a more structured style of pulling power. Sometimes channeling a lot of black mana safely when you don't have the inherent capacity to hold that much can look a lot like a ritual summoning.

Furthermore, a lot of Ravnican magic is going to feel Alaran because, what I've noticed is, it's very unlikely for any mage on Ravnica to be wholly drawing just one color. Even if a Dimir mage is predominantly drawing the black, there's going to be an undercurrent. It's not the same as how the strands are intertwined on Alara, but it's similar, if that makes sense.

I know I'm rambling, but I could honestly go on about this all day! Especially if you know what metal the amulet you found was forged from, or if it has a maker's mark stating what branch of the guild it's from.

(I'd be really interested to see what you make of Selesnyan magic as someone from Grixis! I'm from Esper, and the first time someone tried to talk me through pulling red, it felt like I was drunk just touching it.)

[vithian-scaleseeker]

Black mana is what I am concerned about. Unlike you Esperites, we on Bant, at least the Vithians, do not align with the prevailing mana of the shard, for it fuels ambition and perseverence at the steep cost of corruption and death to us. I wield red and blue and never any other, lest it bring corruption and death to myself, and those around me.

There is undoubtedly a mix of mana in the artifact, which is the only reason I wonder if its insights may be worth the risk. That the black and blue bind so closely as to be nearly inseparable, however, seems only to me to prove that the darkness pervades into anything it can reach.

If there is any markings upon the trinket other than that of the guild, I cannot distinguish them from the design of the metal itself. I would guess it to be a steel-based alloy, but without much confidence. The mana seems to keep it uncomfortably cool no matter how long it is held in the warmth of my grip.

Magic that heals and grows, protects and unifies, still feels like an unnatural concept to me, even all these years later. I have scarcely seen it cast, let alone learned to channel it myself. Perhaps some future day I shall report to you on my attempts, in exchange for your insight here and now.

[vithian-scaleseeker]

Ravnicans of the network; do House Dimir consort with dark forces?

I looted a trinket of theirs from the structure-wreck, and in trying to cast the spell within, I learnt it can be a source of mana as well. But the power that it creates is... cold. Alien. Empty, like a dreamless sleep.

Part of that feeling may be that it is spellcraft from a plane unfamiliar to me. But it has an undeniable similarity to the dark forces of my world, which I have spent my life trying to ward off and evade. Demons, lich-lords, bone-hoarding kathari and withering specters.

I should like to know more about its origins and the House that crafted it before I decide whether to make use of it or abandon it in the next acid lake I pass.

[average-ravnican]

I wouldn’t call the Dimir a dark force, but we do consort with almost everyone and everything. That’s part of our job. As far as demons, lich-lords, and bone hoarders go, we mainly deal with the Necrosages, which no one is sure what they are, and some specters. Those are the only things our guild uses, and we are not unique in that regard.

[vithian-scaleseeker]

In a city that spans the plane, I suppose even specters and shades must be bound to service. I imagine it impossible to erase their like from the world completely; better harnessed than loosed to cause despair and dementia.

...yet to wield the power of such beings, or power like it... my instincts scream that such paths are better left untrodden. Is there not a risk that they use the House, as much as the House uses them?

[vithian-scaleseeker]

Ravnicans of the network; do House Dimir consort with dark forces?

I looted a trinket of theirs from the structure-wreck, and in trying to cast the spell within, I learnt it can be a source of mana as well. But the power that it creates is... cold. Alien. Empty, like a dreamless sleep.

Part of that feeling may be that it is spellcraft from a plane unfamiliar to me. But it has an undeniable similarity to the dark forces of my world, which I have spent my life trying to ward off and evade. Demons, lich-lords, bone-hoarding kathari and withering specters.

I should like to know more about its origins and the House that crafted it before I decide whether to make use of it or abandon it in the next acid lake I pass.

[lotleth-spore-farmer]

I'm sure members of House Dimir will weigh in on this at some point - their explanations are not to be taken at face value. Not because Dimir are untrustworthy, but because obfuscation is the nature of their guild.

Individual Dimir do sometimes "consort" with demons, as you put it - though that's a word I would use more to describe the actions of the Cult of Rakdos - but it is not, as far as I am aware, a practice of the guild as a whole, no more than among the Golgari.

I am unsure of what kathari are, but liches and bonehoarders would be found among the Golgari, not the Dimir, and specters are most likely to be with the Orzhov.

If you use the term "dark forces" in the same way the Boros or Selesnya might, to mean unnatural or evil magic, you would be well served to put those misconceptions aside. There is no such thing. Energy cannot be unnatural or malicious, no matter its origin or character. The only thing that can be is its wielder. As you are the wielder, you have little to fear.

All this to say, no, you are at no innate risk from drawing on a Dimir relic.

[vithian-scaleseeker]

Not malicious in a conscious manner, perhaps not even unnatural, but mana can be dangerous. Unhealthy. Spells that withering the caster's flesh and soul until naught is left of a mage but a twisted hunger to see their will enacted at the expense of all else. I have heard of, and seen, the results of such dabbling in the dark energy of my plane more times than I wish to recall.

Mana may be only energy, but it connects a mage to all things, and in all things there are all manners of threats and dangers. I wish not to expose myself to the self-same darkness that has plagued my plane for generations. Call it superstition or misconception, I know it as the wisdom of survival.

Darkness declines, and brings brighter things down with it. Do not dare deny that.

[vithian-scaleseeker]

Ravnicans of the network; do House Dimir consort with dark forces?

I looted a trinket of theirs from the structure-wreck, and in trying to cast the spell within, I learnt it can be a source of mana as well. But the power that it creates is... cold. Alien. Empty, like a dreamless sleep.

Part of that feeling may be that it is spellcraft from a plane unfamiliar to me. But it has an undeniable similarity to the dark forces of my world, which I have spent my life trying to ward off and evade. Demons, lich-lords, bone-hoarding kathari and withering specters.

I should like to know more about its origins and the House that crafted it before I decide whether to make use of it or abandon it in the next acid lake I pass.

[normal-innistradi]

What is a Vithian? I feel like I've heard this somewhere. A necromancer was caught recently who claimed to be one, and their zombies are unlike anything I've ever seen. They're almost... angrier. More like a feral vampire. But still rotting.

[vithian-scaleseeker]

The... er, clasp, is well-informed.

If they commanded zombies, they were no true Vithian. Those who succumb to dark temptations and become necromancers have clearly abandoned the path to restoring the old kingdom. That they would travel to your world to defile it with their undead mocks what it means to endure the darkness as my people do.

I know little of zombies beyond Grixis, but the ones here have been known to tear themselves apart to escape restraints and, even when they are returned to death, the magic that animates them can give them a final, unpredictable surge of strength. Be wary of any zombie corpses that you have not burned or hacked to pieces.

Darkness declines.

[vithian-scaleseeker]

I've had more than one person, upon hearing my powers, compare me to one 'Teferi Akosa'. Has anyone else heard of this man? He is allegedly a planeswalker and a time mage, whose feats strain credulity. I would sooner believe him a powerful illusionist than accept that he has cast even half of the spells that rumours have alleged.

Not to condemn such behaviour, for the stories tell he has used his magic for the good of many. Cultivating such a wondrous reputation must serve him well, even if it bends the truth somewhat.

[mirrormist-clique-adventures]

That's the guy with the beard and the cool staff, right? I saw him fight in the planeswalker war on Ravnica. I don't know about all the other stories, but he saved me from getting stabbed by one of the weird blue zombies. Different parts of it started moving at different speeds and it just kind of fell apart into tiny little pieces. It sure didn't feel like a glamer.

[vithian-scaleseeker]

...from what little I know of you, Nettleflower, you do seem like the sort to know your illusions. hmm. impressive indeed, perhaps I have underestimated him. I certainly couldn't pull a time magic stunt like that without considerable preparation.

perhaps more importantly, 'planeswalker war'?! so casually mentioned, it opens my eyes to just how much history exists that I have hardly even known I did not know.

[vithian-scaleseeker]

I've had more than one person, upon hearing my powers, compare me to one 'Teferi Akosa'. Has anyone else heard of this man? He is allegedly a planeswalker and a time mage, whose feats strain credulity. I would sooner believe him a powerful illusionist than accept that he has cast even half of the spells that rumours have alleged.

Not to condemn such behaviour, for the stories tell he has used his magic for the good of many. Cultivating such a wondrous reputation must serve him well, even if it bends the truth somewhat.

[kather4444]

AWEEK

One day, when I was climbing on a tree with some of my friends and playing one of my favoruite games, 'guess the dreadmaw' (it's super fun, but only can play it in Ixalan I think (if there are dreadmaws somewhere else please tell me NOW)), and one of them said that time went super fast sometimes, but I said 'that doesn't make sense, time goes at time speed!' But now, I realised I have been a whole week without saying anything here, and that's not good! SO I WILL SAY SOMETHING HERE! Like that thing I just said! That's a cool thing! Oh, and let me recommend you guys to play 'guess the dreadmaw' next time you guys come into Ixalan, it's super fun! Just make sure to keep a good distance, dreadmaws aren't famous for how respectful with tourists they are.

[vithian-scaleseeker]

What is a 'dreadmaw'? I know of many creatures on my plane, that are dreadful and have maws. And that have dreadful maws. So it's possible we have them here as well. Is it a kind of drake or dragon?

[kather4444]

Uhm... Well, it's very hard to describe if you have never seen one, but... It's like a lizard but really, really big, like super big, way bigger than what you are imagining! And then their arms are super small and kinda cute when they aren't trying to eat you, but their legs are massive! They run CRAZY fast, even with how huge they are! You should come to Ixalan one day, I would love to show you some dreadmaws while I make sure to keep you at a safe distance.

[vithian-scaleseeker]

They sound like magnificent specimens. I should like to have sight of one sometime. Gaining experience with planar travel is rapidly ascending in my list of priorities. And then I may accept your offer. What do you want in return?

[kather4444]

AWEEK

One day, when I was climbing on a tree with some of my friends and playing one of my favoruite games, 'guess the dreadmaw' (it's super fun, but only can play it in Ixalan I think (if there are dreadmaws somewhere else please tell me NOW)), and one of them said that time went super fast sometimes, but I said 'that doesn't make sense, time goes at time speed!' But now, I realised I have been a whole week without saying anything here, and that's not good! SO I WILL SAY SOMETHING HERE! Like that thing I just said! That's a cool thing! Oh, and let me recommend you guys to play 'guess the dreadmaw' next time you guys come into Ixalan, it's super fun! Just make sure to keep a good distance, dreadmaws aren't famous for how respectful with tourists they are.

[vithian-scaleseeker]

What is a 'dreadmaw'? I know of many creatures on my plane, that are dreadful and have maws. And that have dreadful maws. So it's possible we have them here as well. Is it a kind of drake or dragon?

[golgari-sewerposter]

"What's in your OC's pockets / bag?" type of post, but it's a handful of magic the gathering spells.

[vithian-scaleseeker]