Welcome to Gaia! ::

Taro's Jobs: Game Moderator, RP Manager, Enforcer. (and a little bit of everything, all rolled into one!)

On Team Beta with Blayk to collect Mandrake clippings. It was...a disgusting job, but required. I'm glad to not have pursued Botany.

Team Melancholy came in last... Though, I don't really feel surprised. Afterall, we don't exactly work well together as a team. Still, I got this handsome runner up prize!

Stage One Examination
Your Username: Taro Rae
Your Empyrean's Name: Grave

~Please have your Empyrean answer the following questions~

1. Have you borrowed at least 9 References from the Library? Which Subjects?
Magical Theory, Rhetoric, Animal Care, Art, Literature.

2. Which form of Magic have you selected to study?
Grimoire

3. Have you learned at least three Spells from the Stage One Lists? Which?
Strength
Moons,
Swords
Diamonds

4. Have you obtained one of the following: Abberation, Cicus Pet, Golem, Hybrid, Monster? Which?
Haulite and Malachite Abberations, Cirrus Golem, Socrates Cicus Gargoyle.

5. Have you bought/crafted/obtained one of the following: technoequip, item, alchemical potion, medicinal remedy, Caster Gun/Caster shells? Which?
Castor Gun, Sunspots, Aeroboots, Turboboots.

6. Which Apprenticeship/Career do you hold? If Apprenticeship, do you plan on upgrading to Career or switching Apprenticeships?
Librarian's Assistant. I will take it as Career in Stage Two.

7. Have you attended at least 1 Special Event since your last Transcendance? Which?
Mandrake Harvest, Haunted Houses Event, Metatron Council,

8. Have you maintained/forged a relationship with another Empyrean? Do they reside with you in your Housing Commission?
Ubel, Torrid, Mathiaz. Not yet, they're still zeroes.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I had submitted my application for Transcendance with the Caelestis, and was excited and thrilled when I was summoned to the Metatrons.

It would be the first time I set eyes on my Metatron, Mephistopheles, and I was nervous to be honest. I felt the frailty and shortcomings of my Zero state more accutely than at any other time in my life. But when I stepped through that vaulted door from the Antechamber into the Caelestis proper my worries melted away and I was left filled with wonder.

The hum and energy in that room was indescribable. It was like the tingling of all the many times I had practiced my Mudras and Chakras, but so much stronger it was overpowering. There were swirling lights of colour filling the ceiling of that domed room, and there were a multitude of voices, speaking and singing, too many to pick out the words, all around me and suffusing the air. I felt saturated by that magic; I could feel my skin pulsing with it, felt it strong within my core like a rhythm or music I innately knew...

And then the dark swirling smoke-like wisps that had been clinging to the edges of the ceiling came together above me, fell down before me and took shape. Aa... How to describe the glory that was Mephistopheles...?

He was immeasurably tall, though a distinct form of head and shoulders was the only features I could possibly ascribe to him. The edges of his being wisped and curled out from him, like the smoke of incense, sucking at the light around him, frigidly cold and absorbing, like ice and shadow. There was no fear for me when I beheld him. The low murmuring of consciousness in him was like the wind in the leaves of the trees, the sparks of twinkling brightness within his endless depth like the stars of distant space. I felt as though I stood upon the chasm of knowledge itself, that if I were to just tip forward a little I might know everything, and be one with the Universe... I felt myself falling, saw that darkness reach out to surround me. Felt the kiss of that wisdom and my breath left me...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I woke up in my room - my new room, in the Housing Districts. My belongings, all those that were still of use to me now that I am no longer a Student had been painstakingly moved and rearranged in my new abode just as I had once had them set up in the White District. I pulled myself from bed awkwardly. My balance was a little skewed, and I found a silken soft tail of silver and black had sprouted from my behind. Upon inspection in the glass I saw the stud of silver on my brow, the pointed tips to my ears, the markings to my face, the changes to my hair. I am taller, more elegant now than I was. It will take some getting used to, but I can see the shadow of what is to come, I can glimpse the Empyrean I will someday be. In the endless brilliance of Mephistopheles I have taken away something, I know. I can feel it in my core, an increase in understanding, in power. A responsibility and a devotion to my City that has been confirmed by staring into the face of the source of my life and power. I was embraced by my Metatron. I am a One.

Melonia got us to pose and make some pretty eye candy.

Dear Journal,

Well, the time has simply slipped away into the abyssal past. I've thrown myself even firmly into my work, and have decided to take the apprenticeship as a job. I am now the official Library Assistant. I could probably find any book in the library with my eyes closed, but let's not let me brag.

In my time between cleaning up the Library, signing in and out books and helping students, I've had plenty of time to read and study on my own. There are so many interesting topics I could read forever and never get my fill. Truly, I think I've spent more time in the Library than in my Housing Commission. There were a couple times there where Requiem forced me to go home. I can't count the number of times I'd fallen asleep in the armchairs before the hearth.

But in the slew of information there have been a few things in particular that have really caught my attention. Magical Theory, Physical Education, Rhetoric, Art, and Literature are the foremost of these, of course.

With Magical Theory I scoured the books on Grimoire Magic, reading about various casting styles of other Empyreans, including some names I recognised, like Professor Bellona. I looked ahead and took to practising some new spells. They aren't things i'm smooth enough with yet to put into practise, but someday soon I'll be able to affect them in a duel or like situation. The perfection of these spells has required my writing and artistic skills to improve, so I spent a great deal of time reading up on, and practising these skills.

With Literature I paid close attention to keeping accuracy in my spellwork, and I must say, there was plenty of fodder for Limnanthes during these practise sessions. With a Tomb, and dealing with more potent spells, especially in the aim of adding flourish to them, I really had to be cautious of creating things I could not control. In these efforts I came to have a better understanding of targeting in general, and feel confident that I can now direct my spells with more accuracy than before.

With Art, my focus was expanding my understanding and knowledge of the colour spectrum and how it could impact my work. For the longest of times, i'd restricted myself to Black ink, for simplicity and ease. It turns out my habitual black was a colour of defense and protection, and I've tried to work on expanding my basis of casting, and embracing potent colours that do not take my personal fancy. In the study of colours I came across Mandalas, and I will need to investigate these further. They are a complex matter, and I do not yet feel I have the precision or patience to work through some of their intricate patterns.

Always working towards becoming a better Duellist, studying my magics was only one side of my fighting approach. The fighting aspect of my duelling is something I need to adress. I feel I've been concentrating too long on trying to compete in strength, when I should be focussing more on my speed, on being faster, on hitting more accurately, on not needing to take damage because of getting out of the way first. With this in mind I went back to my physicial training and began focussing more on Martial Arts. I've learned some skills that I feel will take advantage of my inherent speed, and maximize my agility.

And of course, as always, I continue to work on my beloved Rhetoric. There's always more I can learn from this practise, and I have continued my study of Mudras, learning more gestures that will help me in the coming years to hone my fighting reflexes, mental acuity and sensory clarity. The next step here is to continue to work on channelling my energy so that I can add this buffer to my physical motions.

As always, learning is a lifestyle, not a destination, and the journey continues~~

Dear Journal,

An invitation to a party! It's been a long time since I've really mingled with people en masse, so this looks like a great opportunity to see some old familair faces.

Time for me to dress my best, pay homage to the hostess of this little soireé and prepare for a night of revelrie. Belwen is a well-dressed little lady at the best of times, and this is an occassion to dust out my formal attire. I haven't yet had a chance to make use of it.

I only hope Ubel, Mathiaz and Torrid are able to attend. I haven't seen Ubel and Mathiaz in some time, and they've both been studying hard for their Transcendence...

As for Torrid, he went off on a Monster Hunting trip a while back, and I've gotten no word from him. I'm beginning to feel as though he's not coming back... But, none of that, now is a time to rejoice and relax. Sad thoguhts are to be left alone for tonight!

Time to shower and dress~
Adieu

Hey Grave, thanks for the Aeroboot! I was wondering what I was supposed to do with just one...

Man, I'm nervous about the exam, but I hope that I do well and I can come live with you soon <33