Welcome to Gaia! ::

I have found a most thoughtful poem. I shall recount it here

Lo! 'tis a gala night
Within the lonesome latter years!
An angel throng, bewinged, bedight
In veils, and drowned in tears,
Sit in a theatre, to see
A play of hopes and fears,
While the orchestra breathes fitfully
The music of the spheres.

Mimes, in the form of God on high,
Mutter and mumble low,
And hither and thither fly-
Mere puppets they, who come and go
At bidding of vast formless things
That shift the scenery to and fro,
Flapping from out their Condor wings
Invisible Woe!

That motley drama- oh, be sure
It shall not be forgot!
With its Phantom chased for evermore,
By a crowd that seize it not,
Through a circle that ever returneth in
To the self-same spot,
And much of Madness, and more of Sin,
And Horror the soul of the plot.

But see, amid the mimic rout
A crawling shape intrude!
A blood-red thing that writhes from out
The scenic solitude!
It writhes!- it writhes!- with mortal pangs
The mimes become its food,
And seraphs sob at vermin fangs
In human gore imbued.

Out- out are the lights- out all!
And, over each quivering form,
The curtain, a funeral pall,
Comes down with the rush of a storm,
While the angels, all pallid and wan,
Uprising, unveiling, affirm
That the play is the tragedy, "Man,"
And its hero the Conqueror Worm.

It is called "The Conqueror Worm", by a man called Edgar Allen Poe. I have never heard of him before, but he seems to be both a troubled and incredibly brilliant individual.

I am researching the idea of adding another affinity to my companion. The powers of Gravity are most intriguing. The ability to crush and suffocate my opponents, draw them into me....fascinating. Intoxicating, even. I do not expect to have it soon, but I shall have it. I do not bode well when I do not get what I desire.

I have earned friends in this place. Ix, a member of the Order whose dragon is of water, Estuary, and a student of the musical arts. Musical arts concerning dragons, that is. I do not know if such a profession actually exists, but I will not doubt him yet. He seems to be a solid man at his core. Exactly how scratchy the outside is, however, I do not yet know.

Oscwen and Scylla, a dragon with the element of Steel, are kind individuals. Oscwen pays excruciatingly detailed attention to her surroundings, including those wizards that she meets - including myself. i know not what conclusion she drew, but I also care not.

Raelan. His dragon has substantially better manners than he does. Young little wizard, intelligent, well-groomed...in appearance. He seems the type to only be tolerable when he wishes to be. Otherwise? How I wish my abilities in the field of manipulation were stronger. Advanced though they may be, it is a tricky subject, and all the more difficult to master. In that sense, I can do little more than anger further one who is so cocky. Do not get me wrong, I know what it means to live in a world of riches and power - intoxicating, as all power is. He, however, does not yet know how to handle it, I believe.

Somehow, though....I feel that we will be either great comrades, or mortal enemies. Or, perhaps, both.

A new friend has entered my life.

He's a small fellow. Slightly-frail looking. His dragon's name is Xylia, and she is of the forest affinity. His name is Nall Fox - an intelligent lad. He won me over with the following comment.

“Water and pride? Doesn’t seem that odd… think about it. People have been trying to tame water for centuries. Fishing and traveling on it… we still don’t know a lot about it. I think of that as a prideful thing......It can’t be held for very long. No matter how tightly you lace your fingers together, the water will eventually trickle out, no matter where it came from. There's something very proud about something that can't be controlled or contained.”

I must admit, I had never thought of it that way before. We talked for a very long time while our dragons played. He is a student, like I, and just as focussed as I am on studies. Nall does not, however, currently know exactly what his dragon's capabilities are..but the dragon is young. He has time yet. After all, as I told him, the only reason that I know what Stolz can do (to a degree) is because my own abilities were already polished in that area. Polished for now, that is - I have found more intense magic to study. But that is another matter entirely.

I plan on seeking him out in the future. He's a welcomed breath of fresh air in this place.