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 Posted: Wed Jun 29, 2005 2:29 pm
[Barton]:Quote: "Oh thank the deities... " Ourania muttered, sitting directly on the ground and removing her shoes to examine their undersides. She glanced at Fiore, "You're a healing Elysian, do you think you could do something about these?"
The crystal winked and glittered but performed no magical acts.
"Thanks a ton." the novice summoner muttered, grabbing some fleshy plant leaves that grew in abundance at the side of the road and sliding them into the sandals before putting her feet back in. "Not much better... but not quite as terrible."
She still had to go through the town and forest before she made it to the Temple, but first she was going to rest her brutalized feet. She found a fountain in the center of town square where the citizens were bustling about their business. She sat on the edge of the structure, taking off her shoes and temporary green-insoles to stick her feet directly into the flowing liquid. Several people stopped to stare, but it felt much too good for Ourania to pay them any mind.
She sat there for several more minutes before stretching and pulling her numb feet out of the water to place them in the warm dirt. She didn't bother to put her shoes back on, there were no broken bottles or twisted metallic structures in Barton for her to worry about.
The novice summoner took her time walking through the town, stopping to admire the coliseum for a moment before moving on. "It's really quiet here." she admitted to Fiore as she strolled.
She stopped to purchase a trinket for Na'ir, a small, round bauble that reflected the light and produced strange shapes on the ground when it was turned a different way. The Kederi would never admit it, but he liked shiny objects, not only because he found them pleasing to the eye but also because they distracted the younger or more easily riled pets and allowed him to get a few hours to himself.
Ourania put the crystal sphere in her bag along with Fiore, receiving a faintly painful shock when she touched the Elysian. "Ow, what was that for?"
She felt irritation emanate from Fiore and tried to interpret why, realizing that the crystal was angry at being stuffed away in her pack. "It's only until we get to the Temple and its for your own good. Just sit tight for a little while longer."
Fiore buzzed with annoyance for a few moments more before quieting. Ourania sensed her interest in the sphere and nearly giggled: it seemed that even Fiore who was beautiful herself could be distracted by pretty trinkets.
Crossing through town took much less time than Ourania had anticipated, even with the random gift buying for those she had left at home. It was a pleasant, sunny day that burned at the back of her neck and exposed arms, assuring her that she was going to have to purchase some aloe vera later. When she came to the exit, she saw the treeline looming ahead of her, thick and hypnotizingly green in the sunlight. She looked up at the sun once to check the time before heading straight into the forest, hoping that she would find the Temple soon.
[Exit to Outside of Temple]
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Posted: Fri Jul 01, 2005 2:47 pm
[Outside of the Crystal Temple]:Quote: [Enter from Barton]
It was in the very instant that she set foot upon the Temple grounds that she felt a stirring begin in Fiore. The Elysian was by no means immobile or untalkative before, but now there were pulsations coming off of her, strange and wonder-evoking that had Ourania scrambling to remove her pack and ascertain the well-being of her Crystal.
Fiore was glowing, which under normal circumstances would not have been surprising except she was currently brighter than a lighthouse beacon calling to seawrecked sailors in the night. The crystal was hot in Ourania's hands, nearly burningly so as the colors kalidescoped madly across its surface, veins of magic whirling heatedly.
"Fiore?" Ourania squeaked, flinching at the heat of the Elysian crystal but unwilling to let her go. "Fiore, please."
The crystal ceased its activities, becoming calmer and, thankfully, cooler against the novice summoner's palms. Ourania looked at the crystal curiously, wondering what had occured, when she felt the threads of power beginning to shift. There was a soft sound, like slow electricity as a circle appeared that latticed inward in a beautiful pattern. Ourania recognized it for what is was when it had first begun forming and allowed herself the smallest of gasps when it was completed. A summoning circle... oh dear deities it was a summoning circle.
She clutched Fiore against her breast and ran the rest of the way to the Temple, careless of the state of her feet and the fact that she was losing things out of her unclosed knapsack. She stopped only once to correct the problem, and continued to rush until she saw the looming doors of the Temple.
[Exit to the Main Hall]
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Posted: Fri Jul 01, 2005 2:57 pm
[Crystal Temple: Main Hall]Quote: [Enter from Outside the Temple]
Ourania, scratched from rogue plantlife and panting with exertion, collapsed bonelessly onto the cool stone of the inside of the Main Hall. Her left foot bore bruises and abrasions, produced when she had managed to lose her shoe in the sprint but she paid it no mind, focusing instead on Fiore and the summoning circle that lazily spun about the Elysian's crystal.
When the crystal blinded her momentarily with a sharp light, perhaps a statement of how it was rude to stare, the novice summoner glanced around for any help that was to be had, feeling suddenly very small in the gaping mouth of the Hall.
"Hello...?" she called quietly, flushing when her voice reverberated.
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Posted: Fri Jul 01, 2005 6:57 pm
[Cloister of Summoning: Welcome Fiore]CrystalGuardian The heavy stone door of the Cloister groans slightly in protest as the Guardian pushes it open. The shadowed wraith enters the dimly glowing room and turns her disembodied gaze outward toward the Main Hall.
"Enter Ourania," her voice echoes. "Your Elysian awaits..." Ourania Ourania gulped audibly, looking down at Fiore before cautiously entering the Cloister. Her steps echoed oddly, one tapping while the other was silent due to the loss of her shoe. The novice summoner glanced about herself as she walked, noting the shimmering of the walls and the solemn stone of the altar situated in the center of the room.
"What would you have me do, Guardian?" she asked quietly, uncertain what else to say or do. She faintly wished that she had another summoner around for comfort, but immediately quieted the thought with a shake of her head. This was her Elysian, her Fiore, she could do this. CrystalGuardian The Guardian's misty form solidified somewhat into a faily human shape, and she motioned for the summoner to approach the alter.
"Place the shard here," the wraith whispered, one thin arm pointing at the tree-shaped stone carving. "And the summoning will commence." Ourania Ourania nodded, a little unnerved by the Guardian but not willing to let it show. She walked to the indicated stone engraving and kissed the crystal once before setting it down, hoping that the Guardian would say nothing of the affectionate gesture. She stood back a little, watching and waiting, fingers intertwined so desperately behind her back that they popped from the strain.
Please work... she thought. Please come to me, Fiore. CrystalGuardian The crystal shard vibrates as it settles into the stone mount. Slowly the intricate summoning circle begins to spin as it moves purposefully down the shard, finally positioning itself underneath it. The circle's spinning quickens for just a moment before lowering the final few inches to the stone alter.
The etchings on the walls suddenly extinguish, dropping the room into an unfamiliar blackness with the pulsing rainbow glow of the crystal serving as the only reprieve from the shadows. However the darkness passes quickly as thousands of tendrils of shimmering light stream forth from the alter. The room becomes completely infused with a brilliant, other-worldly radiance as the ancient runes once again dance to life.
The colorful light is soon joined by the low thrum of the Crystal's presence.. The summoning reaches its zenith and the Elysian's form gradually takes shape over the glowing shard.....
The Elysian floats serenely, it's crimson eyes fixed on its salvation.. its summoner. Ourania Ourania's heart stopped for just an instant as she gazed upon her Elysian, perfect and undeniably beautiful. Her mouth was dry as she reached out to Fiore, fingers trembling and eyes threatening tears. Her summon, her Elysian, here at last.
There was a brief resistance against her, like she was trying to reach through spider-webs or, in this particular case, another plane of existence. The novice summoner gripped the Asura summon gently and pulled her towards the world that had cried out for Elysians in days long since past and welcomed them wholeheartedly again into its embrace. CrystalGuardian The crystal shard, now having served its purpose, dulled to gray and cracked down the middle. The Guardian floated over to the new summoner and elysian and ushered them out of the room. Behind them, the lights diminished to a tiny glimmer and the once vibrant crystal silently shattered into dust.
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Posted: Thu Jul 07, 2005 3:01 pm
Ourania had taken the sleeping Elysian and the equally napping Familiar home immediately after the summoning ritual, admiring them like two little gems while she cradled them in separate arms. They were so small, fragile seeming, but she could still recall the first moment that Fiore had looked upon her, it would be burned into the back of her mind forever more. Her giant red eyes had been filled with such hope that it had almost hurt the summoner to look into them, to look and know that there was a strong possibility of failure.
Na'ir had come to the Temple himself, panicked that she had taken so long and about to give her a piece of his mind when he had spotted the Elysian and her companion. He had said nothing after that, offering merely to fly her back to the house instead of forcing her to walk. Ourania had agreed wholeheartedly, and so they glided now, through the starry night, holding two beings more precious than their size seemed to allow.
"She's... smaller than I would have expected." Na'ir said finally, his warm breath moving across the top of Ourania's head.
"It's hard for Elysians to manifest in this world, it's only to be expected that she couldn't retain the size of her original form." the summoner whispered back carefully.
"I see..." he landed, gracefully, in front of the door, opening it for her.
She smiled gratefully at him, entering the house and nearly being bowled over by Odin who was excited to see her return. The others greeted her in a more muted fashion, but they were also obviously happy to see her. They crowded around, shorter ones in front, to peer at the tiny Elysian and the moomba.
"She's tiny..." Raziel complained, tail flicking about. "I was expecting something impressive."
"Oh, but she is impressive, Raz." Ourania disagreed, smiling down at the sleeping bundle. "More than we could ever know..."
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Posted: Fri Jul 29, 2005 3:06 pm
[Project Nexus: Take One] [The Crystal Temple: Main Hall Masquerade]
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Posted: Mon Feb 13, 2006 10:41 am
[Break from the Ordinary] [Durem] Lady_Ourania The cafe was much the same as she remembered it, still ancient and tiny in comparison to the surrounding structures. The summoner sat indoors, carefully sipping hot liquid from a tea-cup and breaking the blackberry scone into sizable chunks for the excited moomba that waited attentively at her elbow. Fiore floated serenely above the chair, accepting the pieces that Basape offered to her with a gracious smile.
There were clouds threatening overhead but the summoner was unconcerned, much too pleased with the way her day was going to take much note of the weather. "This is nice..." she murmured to the Elysian and her familiar. "We should do this more often..." Even though it was only because she was waiting for the rest of her group members to arrive that she was here at all. She wondered what was taking them so long.
Fiore nodded in agreement, uncrossing and re-crossing her legs while she nibbled daintily on a piece of scone. She watched the people walking, her eyes interested in their everyday chatter and actions. Arcturus Highwind A man with a crooked smile walked into the cafe, wearing a woolen long coat, died blue, and a simple red baseball cap pulled low over his eyes. The coat was buttoned tightly down the front, his hands covered in simple black gloves. Perhaps he had bundled up against the threatening sky, with those rather thick looking wool pants, and almost thuggish boots. He sat down, taking a seat near the summoner, positioning himself to watch the Elysian and company. Slowly he drew a book out of his pocket, opening it up to a mark about three fourths through. However, his eyes seemed to keep glancing up, towards the elysian, rather than down at his book. Lady_Ourania Fiore watched the curious male take a seat, adjusting her skirts with two hands and continuing to chew thoughtfully on the scone captured by the third. Basape licked blackberry from his muzzle, making small noises of delight as he did so.
Ourania yawned into her hand, smiling politely at the person who had taken a seat so near. The summoner suspected that she should be heading back home soon before a storm started up and she had to walk in pouring rain. Arcturus Highwind The man smiled back at Fiore, with a slight nod of his head acknowledging Ourania. Slowly he lowered his book, giving up the charade of reading it, as he returned it to his pocket. He stood slowly, tucking the chair back in as he approached the summoner. He gave her a short bow, and then another, deeper, bow to the summoned elysian. The half crooked smile returned to his face as he rose from the second bow, "Lovely creature you have there... extraplanar, right?" Lady_Ourania Ourania startled, blinking up at the man in wonderment; she hadn't suspected that he would approach, much less speak. "Erm... I'm sorry, do I know you?" she questioned, watching Basape's hackles rise warily out of her peripheral vision.
Fiore inclined her head at the bow, frowning delicately at the word 'creature' but continuing to float peacefully several inches from anything on solid ground. Arcturus Highwind The man bowed his head again, "Ah, where are my manners... my name is Jonas, a scholar. I was quite interested in this creature here. I can tell it is not entirely of this world. And it seems connected to you in some way. I was hoping that perhaps we could have a conversation about this, woman," he said, glancing back over towards Fiore. "I would love to take some notes, learn about it's origins, and anything else you may know about it." Lady_Ourania "Oh..." Ourania bit her lip consideringly, wondering precisely what she could tell the young scholar. "Well, I'm Ourania Eridanus, a summoner from the nearby Temple. This is my Elysian, Fiore, and her familiar is the little guy with the crumbs on his face. Umm..." Where to go from there? "Do you know of the Elysians? Perhaps by another name? They've obtained many over the years."
The summoner flushed, not certain what she should omit and what to explain: Her coworkers had stared at her blankly at mentions of "The Crystal" and "The Temple", assuming it was simply a cult oddity she had commited herself to.
Fiore gave the barest hint of a smile, brushing her hair over one shoulder and picking at the ends as though to occupy another of her many hands. Arcturus Highwind "Many are the world beyond our own... similar energies and appearances have been witnessed by me, but there is little telling if it has anything to do with your creature there," Jonas explained, bowing his head slightly, with that half crooked smile on his face. His hand whipped out a pencil, and that book from before, maybe it was a journal of some type, it had no markings upon it's leather bound cover. "Perhaps, you should just start with how you met this fascinating creature, creatures, I should say." Lady_Ourania The pale summoner looked to the paper and pen, feeling suddenly nervous. She felt like she was being interviewed and she very much disliked the thought. "... Well, Fiore was originally a crystal shard, harvested from the Crystal by the Guardian. I became her summoner shortly thereafter and was instructed to look after her, acquaint myself with her, until she arrived in a more corporeal sense.
"Uh... let's see... well, basically I trained at the Temple with her until a summoning circle appeared, then went to the Cloister of Summoning and placed her on a pedestal. The rainbow crystal I had kept next to me for so long cracked, a rift of sorts opening up from a different plane, and Fiore appeared."
She paused, going over her words to see if she had forgotten anything. Fiore scratched Basape's ear while she listened to her summoner, that same sage expression on her features. Arcturus Highwind Jonas nodded slowly, scribbling her words down in his journal. He looked up, a smile on his face as she stopped speaking, "And the other one there, what about him?" he asked, nodding to her again, then to Fiore, "Quite fascinating as well, a crystal, and a guardian... do you know anything about this temple, this crystal, the guardian, where it comes from, where it resides now?" Lady_Ourania "Basape? He kind of just appeared at the Temple and followed me home after the summoning. I'd read about such occurances in the Temple's library, so I didn't really question it."
The summoner traced the edge of her tea cup, wondering how much she could tell the scholar without offending anyone who resided at the Temple. "The Crystal... well, technically it was everywhere and everywhen at one point. There's a physical manifestation of it inside the Temple, but I've... well, I've never really been close enough to give it a fair examination. The Guardian gets agitated if anyone gets near...
"Oh, she's a... umm... sort of phantom, I suppose. She guards the Crystal. The Temple itself... is located in a forest near Barton. Forgive me for being vague, but I would rather consult with a higher level summoner before I give you directions to the front door."
Fiore giggled behind one hand, eyes shining with approval when her summoner displayed at least some sense of caution. The Elysian did not believe that the scholar was dangerous, but it was still nice to think Ourania would not take his hand and poke it into the Guardian's eye by leading him to the Temple. Arcturus Highwind Jonas's face lit up with an unbelievable joy at the mention of the word "Library", however, it was crushed just a moment later when she made him aware that there would be no way that she was going to take him to this possible treasure trove of information. Slowly the man shook his head, a glum smile on his face, "Nevertheless, I'm willing to learn more from you, should you have the patience to answer a few more questions." Lady_Ourania The young summoner nodded, smiling apologetically when she saw Jonas' expression flicker from one extreme to another. "I'll answer as best I can. Simply realize that I'm not exactly in a position to know everything, regardless of how often I visit the library. It, um... it really isn't a library anyway, more of a private book collection."
That last bit was a small, white lie: she wished to make the scholar feel mildly better about not being allowed to see it. She would question Kheleksul or Paper about bringing guests for visits later.
Basape crawled forward, long ears perked in attentiveness as he looked the man with the crooked smile over doubtfully. He leapt with little warning onto a shoulder, sitting and sniffing Jonas' cheek, tail twitching curiously.
Fiore raised a slender brow at the action but gave no reprimands. Epine de Rose [prompt]
Amidst the discussion, a tendril of light slowly began to materialise from the empty space before the Elysian. Unseen to all those around except this Elysian it seemed to coax and beckon for the being with a few gentle pulses of white light - for a while it appeared to be otherwise incapable of communicating in any other manner until at last its ribbon-like form began to spiral and manipulate itself into an obscured image of a serene and otherwise gentle woman.
"Young one I have waited for your birth upon this place." She whispered, the lips unmoving and expression unchanging regardless of the fact that the obscured image of the woman remained, "Charged have I been with helping you progress to greater heights than you could otherwise attain..." She paused to allow this information to sink in before at last releasing a chuckle.
"I call for you to be at peace for I mean no harm, yet to attain greater strengths you must first take my hand." She finished, a glowing hand materialising from the unseen voids that evidently lay before the Elysian and there, she waited expectantly. Lady_Ourania The Elysian blinked wide crimson eyes at the glowing light, features drawn into a mask of suspicion and unrivaled curiosity. She glanced back at her summoner and Basape, noting that they did not spare even a fleeting glance at the being of energy, and her lips pursed consideringly.
It seemed an unlikely trap, but the light Goddess knew little of such unseemly actions and could not be completely certain. She assured herself that if it was indeed a ruse, she would find a way to escape. The Elysian did not wish to pass up a such a chance if it were indeed possible.
Fiore unfolded her legs, multicolored skirts swishing in the motion while she regally placed a slender hand into glowing palm and waited. Arcturus Highwind Jonas flinched away from the snuffling beast, trying to cran his neck as far as possible, without toppling completely over. The frown still remained on his face, not because of the library however, but because of the creature's, familiarity, he was taking with the man. He broght up his hand with the pencil, making a slight 'shoo' motion towards it, his brow furrowing. That's when he noticed that the summon had moved, He forgot about the beastie and the weight on his shoulder, and stared, puzzled as it seemed to be entranced maybe, following some invisable mark. "Does she do that often?" he asked the summoner, gesturing back towards the Elysian. CrystalGuardian [Prompt]
The connection made, the slender fingers of the materialised hand closed over that of the petite Elysian's and a small smile of satisfaction flickered up onto the lips of that serene face that had coaxed and beckoned for the Elysian to heed its calls. With this smile, the grip tightened and the face that had once been there disappeared in a brief burst of light that sent now visible rays outwards towards summoner, Elysian and familiar.
Said rays slowly but surely ensnared the petite Elysian as the hand maintained its grasp on hers before a gentle pressure was applied and the unique creature was pulled through an unseen veil and completely vanished from view, what connection there had been with the familiar now distant as though said Elysian had been embraced and carried towards a more distant location... Lady_Ourania Ourania had been reaching for Basape, an exasperated speech about personal space on her lips, when Jonas' question made her turn back to look at Fiore. The summoner frowned, retracting her hands from the problematic familiar to try and grasp the hand that Fiore was offering out into a blank space.
The pale young woman gasped, falling back when the beams of light flickered like a supernova over the cafe, surprisingly warm but thankfully not enough to burn. When she dared to open her eyes again, Fiore was gone.
"... Oh dear..." She mumbled faintly, though a series of more colorful words were running marathon in her mind.
Basape hopped off Jonas' shoulder, giving a low whine as he pawed at the place where his Elysian had been but a moment before.-- Fiore winced at the initial pull, intrigued by the similarity of this trip and the time that she had been summoned. The Elysian patiently waited for the journey to be over, trying to send fleeting thoughts of calm, soothing emotion to her agitated familiar.
She wondered now at her choice, but knew it to be much too late in this odd game to pull back and demand explanation. Arcturus Highwind Jonas, much relieved to have the familiar off his shoulder, let out a sigh of relief. Then promptly snapped his mouth shut, realizing it was probably a bad time. Quickly his pencil came down, scribbling out all he saw, even a little sketch of the light show and Fiore disappearing. It wasn't a work of art, not in the least despite the beauty of the sight, more like a techincal diagram. "Hmm... perhaps, you just need to summon it forth again..." Jonas offered the woman, "Most extraplanar beings, do not stick around for too long before they are called back to their home. Perhaps that is what happened here, and you merely need to cast the ritual to bring her forth again." Lady_Ourania "No... Fiore would have said something, or at least informed Basape." The summoner glanced at the miserable familiar, picking him up gently and stroking his ears. "I'm afraid I'll have to leave you for now, I need to go to the Temple and speak with the other summoners... or maybe the Guardian. Hopefully someone will know what has happened."
Fear was pumping in her veins, almost sickening as she struggled to understand what had just passed. Why hadn't the Elysian spoken to her? Given her some sort of warning as to what was happening?
She grabbed her coat and tossed it over her shoulders, still cradling the moomba in one arm. The summoner gave one final, distracted: "Excuse me." before rushing out the door toward Barton.
The summoner stopped in mid-step once outside, remembering that she had promised to meet her group in Durem. Ourania was stuck, she couldn't leave without informing someone but she desperately needed to know where her Elysian was.
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Posted: Mon Feb 13, 2006 10:45 am
[New Magicks] [Abyssal Pathways] CrystalGuardian The rather exagerated light show came to a dramatic conclusion as the bright tendrils of energy appeared to be engulfed by the darkness. Absolutely silence enveloped the Elysian as she entered the void, a dark and yet undoubtably empty region of existance in which nothing except that which the creator desired to exist... Nevertheless, a light pressure was applied to the young Elysians shoulders and she was very gently directed downwards through the writhing darkness and towards the awaiting pits below where a single figure waited, the black robes fluttering within the heat enduced winds generated from the lava and fire pits surrounding the platform of ice in which she stood upon. Her shrouded head gazed upwards expectantly while her gloved hand toyed with the delicate staff that lurked within it, the orb upon the top seeming to pulse with the exact light that had previously beckoned to the petite Elysian herself. "I have been waiting for you." The woman called towards the descending Elysian in a soft tone, one of welcoming and yet weariness, "One of the first born and the third I will instruct." She continued, lifting her free hand to release the pressure upon the Elysian to that she might descend the rest of the way downwards herself. "Welcome, Fiore..." Lady_Ourania Fiore hesitated, taking in the sights around her with a vague dread simmering in her mind. This was not Gaia, it couldn't have been; there was unnatural darkness here, something that slithered over the senses unpleasantly and left the Elysian feeling tainted. She let her inner light pulse over the various bits of strange decor as she floated downward, hovering just above a precarious shelf of ice.
The heat from the flaming pits made a light sweat break over her pale brow, but she maintained her stern expression, inclining her head politely toward the shrouded female while her mind raced fretfully. So others had come here before her, two other Elysians who had not been named. She was the third, but was she the only one still existing?
The Elysian kept the confrontation she felt swirling through her limbs from her voice, staring at the peculiar dress of the woman before her. "I thank you for your welcome." Her voice was sweet and melodious with the barest hint of accent. "However, I find myself questioning my judgment in coming to this place. I will listen gladly to what you have to say, but know that I am already wary of this darkness and, by default, of you. Who are you, to have taken me from my summoner and my familiar? What would you ask of me?"
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