One Year Prior To Departure

No story has a true beginning, only a point where you begin telling it. So we shall start here.

Within the illustrious nation of Aleteros Vallen lives and practices his craft. Studying the ephemeral nature of storms. Within the field of magic there are many areas of study, but few of them deal with forces of nature as those powers are so wild, but Vallen has made a study of them, in this case storms, quite literal forces of nature. It is a field which requires precision just as much as power, to understand the complexity of interactions between temperature changes, wind current, moisture fronts and the ability to impose ones will upon them. This avenue of study has proven a fruitful field. Vallen has enjoyed success in his career. He's earned the respect and esteem of his colleagues and been given the opportunity to pursue projects at his leisure.

OOC: Your character is an experienced mage, successful and well established. Let's take a glimpse into what that looks like!

Writing Prompt: Describe a day in the life of Vallen, where he lives, how he starts a typical date, the people he encounters and the projects he's working on. End your post with him learning that an extra-planar expedition is being planned.

Vallen could feel the wind, whipping all around his body, threatening to knock him over. The cold rain beat on his skin, like tiny rocks being pelted at him. The thunder clapped loudly overhead, whispering of its dangerous might. The violent sounds through the forest were nearly deafening. Vallen took a breath, then opened his eyes.

The storm was ready.

With the wind at his back, Vallen ran forward before leaping into the air. The wind behind him quickly grew in force, propelling him upward. Now in the sky, he beckoned the wind to push him higher, and higher. Despite wearing protective equipment, he could still hear the wind roaring in his ears as he ascended. The tree’s below were left behind as the clouds grew ever near. Then all at once, the wind was pulled back and for a brief second, Vallen was in the sky as if he was suspended in air. He watched the clouds light up once more, the lightning moving through them like snakes. He smiled slightly. He could feel it coming.

Gravity began to pull him back down as the wind furiously blew him off to the side. He maneuvered his body just so as to stay up right in his descent. He eyed the trees, and measured the distance he still had before he reached the ground; There was plenty of room to work with. He felt the hair on the back of his neck stand on end, his whole body feeling the electricity as it grew ever near to making its connection. Lightning ripped through the sky overhead heading right at Vallen, but he simply stared at a tree down below. With just a flick of his hand, the lightning strayed its course, zig zagging its way to that tree Vallen had guided it to. He watched the lightning strike its target, as he felt one with the storm.

Then as the thunder boomed a second later, Vallen’s concentration dropped and he laughed. He dived back into the wind, tumbling and twirling as he commanded it to gain might and carry him farther off. Being lost in the storm was exhilarating, and Vallen laughed again.

Later…

Vallen stepped out of the bathroom, rubbing his hair dry with a towel, before tossing it haphazardly back inside. While riding through a storm was a great way of alleviating stress, afterwards he would always come back an absolute mess, and so a shower was always in order.
Now dry and in clean clothes, he pulled his hair back into a tight low ponytail. He eyed his study, all the books and research papers tucked neatly in place on the shelves. Collections of plants in small vials and bottles adorned a corner of the room, while a few ancient artifacts and awards given to him covered another. In the center of the room was a large table, where his current project lay waiting. Vallen looked at the many empty bottles on the table, his brows knit.

He was trying to capture the raw might of a storm in a bottle, but his efforts so far had been futile. He thought the problem was that he had been trying to craft the bottles himself, which was not his expertise in the slightest, and so he had requested many others to conjure and create bottles for him. However, none of them passed the test. One after another, if filled with a storm too large, would explode. He needed them to be stronger, to be able to carry a large enough storm wherever it could be needed: Whether that be in farmlands facing drought, or an army about to invade the border.

As Vallen stroked his chin, mulling over what to do, a knock came from the door.

“ Vallen, someone’s here to see you,” the woman behind the door said.

“ Maralese, I told you I didn’t want to be disturbed today. Send them away,” Vallen said, his eyes still intently staring at the bottles.

“ He says his name is Feragna, he says you’d want to see him sir,” Maralese replied.

Vallen knew Feragna was quite a pesky person who wouldn’t take no for an answer. The man was stuck up and greedy, and probably far more vain than even Vallen himself was. But, despite all the annoyance he was, he was a good source of gossip and Vallen tolerated his presence for that alone.

Vallen sighed, as he turned towards the door. “ Send him in then,” he said.

The door soon opened and a large man stepped inside. “Vallen, ol’ chap! Oh, you won’t believe what I just heard today,” Feragna said in a bolstering voice.

Vallen crossed his arms. “ And what was that?”

“ An opportunity of a lifetime to get your name carved into the book of history, that’s what!” Feragna said. The man had a gleam in his eye, the kind of thing that would taunt a person, like the secret that they held could make all your dreams come true if only you knew it too.
Vallen raised a brow but tried to remain skeptical. “ And what kind of opportunity would that be?”

Feragna’s expression only grew more mischievous and knowing. “ They’re setting out on an expedition for a new world.”

Eight Months Till Departure

Four months had passed since Vallen first heard of the Expedition. The Expedition. With a capital E. That's what it was being called. It was all the talk of Aleteros from the highest courts to the lowliest pubs. Now it was known there were other worlds and places, but this was supposedly someplace new. Someplace untouched. A place ready to have a civilized hand imprint upon it. The New World, the Promised Land, Elsewhere. Everyone had a different name for the place, but all of it meant the same thing. Opportunity.

Since the word had gotten round about the project a massive construction effort had begun spellsmithes, runic cavers and arcano-engineers had poured into the capital from every corner of the empire to lend to the efforts. Now though, there was word that screenings had begun to recruit for the Expedition itself. This was confirmed days later when a letter written on fine vellum arrived at Vallen's offices.

"Salutations,

Greetings and well met esteemed arcanist. If you are receiving this letter than it has been determined that you are amongst those who most qualified and capable in the arcane arts. No doubt you have heard of the upcoming expedition to the Unformed Plane. We are currently gathering fifteen of the finest mages of Aleteros. If you have an interest in the undertaking, please respond and make a case for your appointment of one of the fifteen positions available.

May the Hidden Be Revealed to you,
Paramount of the Tower of Mages"

Despite the flowing script and fine paper, the letter had the smell of transmutation magic to it. One letter had been written, then duplicated likely a hundred times over. You are a highly capable mage, one of the most capable in fact, but that did not mean there were many others with such fine credentials within the mageocracy. While it chafed to receive an invitation simply to apply, it was likely unavoidable given the fervor surrounding the project.

Writing Prompt: Structure your post as though you're writing a formal letter back in response. In this letter make the case for why you would be a valuable member of the expedition. Also describe the greatest practical application of magic you've undertaken in your career which earned you the esteem you now currently enjoy.

The clock ticked, indicating the time slipping by. Vallen sat at his desk as he stared at the page and the few feeble words he had written. After reading it for the third time, the paper was hastily crumpled up and thrown away, joining several other papers of attempts that overflowed his trash bin. Vallen sighed before reaching the vellum printed letter to read it again.

There was an Expedition to a new world. Only fifteen of the finest mages of Aleteros were joining the initial voyage there. He needed to be one of them, but what could he say to prove to them of that fact?

Vallan had no small number of accomplishments. Maybe there were simply far too many to choose. From evoking rain in seasons of droughts, to putting out forest fires, to clearing grey skies during ceremonies so they could go unhindered, he had done so much for Alteteros that his name was known from north to west. "The Storm Bringer" as he was often known. But unfortunately, as impressive as much of it was, many of those things simply did not earn him accolades. No, his magic had far better applications elsewhere, and he knew it.

Originally, he had learned to harness the forces of nature to aid the military, but as Aleteros was a great country, not many dared fight them. With so few wars, there wasn't any need to display just how deadly of a storm he could call. So, he had pivoted to helping the people- Anything to gain recognition, but it wasn't enough. The Expedition could very easily use just any old water mage to do most of what Vallen did, so why choose him?

He had been at this for days. Stirring, mulling over the words and pacing. He had requested Maralese, his receptionist, to not allow anyone to disturb him until he was finished. And so he had stayed, day and night in his study. As the fourth night drew near, the vibrant twilight sky could be seen through the glass window above him. Vallen stared at it's elegance, as he realized he might never find the words to express his desires.

Feeling ever so slightly humbled, Vallen procured the quill from the ink and drafted his letter once more.


Salutations Paramount of the Tower of Mages,

I thank you for extending this offer of a placement on the Expedition to me.

I have trained in conjuring storms for nearly two decades, and there are very few, if any, that are above my mastery of the art. I have lent my talents to the land of Aleteros many times over, warding off droughts and vanquishing fires, but my latest invention is by far superior to all my other accomplishments. You may have already heard of it, but I have created a way to contain and transport rain storms. As we speak, many shipments are going out into Aleteros to aid our farmlands. In time, we likely will never see another drought again, thanks to my efforts. I know I can make the same impact on the new world and humbly request to join the Expedition.

May the hidden be revealed to you,
Vallenitus Wayfarer


The bottled storms Vallen had been working on for the past year and a half never did quite reach the expectations that he had for them, but they were good enough to contain rain storms. And so, with a bit of disappointment, he had decided to begin shipping them out anyways. That seemed to be his most recent and largest accomplishment to date, and hoped it would be enough to leave an impression on those reviewing his application.

After rereading it, Vallen felt satisfied and transferred the letter to his finest paper he had, and sent it off.
This message was last edited by the player at 04:22, Fri 05 Apr.

Vallen wasn't sure what sort of response to expect back. He suspected there would be letters back and forth arguing the matter, or a response back outlining precisely why Vallen was or was not an ideal candidate. What he did not expect was a letter back three weeks later that had only a few simple lines.

"Sir Vallen,

We are pleased to welcome you to the expedition of the Spellspire Elucidate.

The Paramount of the Tower of Mages


There were other details, logistics of where and when to arrive, people to speak to in regards to the journey. But there was time to reread that. For now the important thing that Vallen was going. That left a thousand other things to prepare.

Three Months Prior to Departure

Your place was secure. The final list of the expedition members was still being finalized. One poor soul had had a magical mishap and until he had the proper number of fingers again there was no way he could join. Another had suffered nervous breakdown as the deadline loomed closer. Those were rumors at least, the Tower of Mages was keeping the list of those who would go hush-hush. Why that would be they did not elaborate, but those were all simply details. The important thing was that your name was there. Wow it was only a matter of getting your affairs in order before the final departure. There was no telling how long you would be gone, but the safest estimates all stated it was likely years.

Writing Prompt: Describe your mage getting their affairs in order before setting out. What do they do with your study and home? Are there  any projects that they need to put on hiatus? How do you do so? Is everyone in their life on board with you undertaking such a great commitment?

For many months leading up to the expedition, nothing changed in Vallen’s study or home. But Vallen had a list written out months earlier of what needed to be done before leaving, which sat in his office. Once the week he’d leave was upon him, he slowly went down the brief list of items.

Many of his books and research papers were donated to fellow colleagues of varying fields he knew. When asked why he was handing such possessions away, he merely told them he was clearing out his study as it was beginning to get overcrowded. For his research, he said he had moved on to other projects and didn’t need the papers anymore. Nobody batted an eye at the explanations, as it seemed something Vallen would do. Eventually, his study was empty.

His house was largely left untouched. He didn’t have anything of much worth in it to begin with, and so there was very little to be worried about leaving behind.

On the day he was to head to the capital and see the Spellspire for the first time, he went to his study first. Maralese had come in early that morning like she always had, still unaware that Vallen was leaving. Vallen approached her.

“ Maralese, I just want to say, you’ve done an excellent job all these years working for me,” he said.

“ Thank you sir,” Maralese said. Although Vallen’s compliment wasn’t strange, Maralese could sense more coming and her breath seemed to stop in anticipation.

“ That’s why I regret to say… I won’t be needing your services anymore,” Vallen said.

Maralese was taken aback. “ What do you mean?”


“ I’m joining the Expedition to the new world and will be leaving soon. I didn’t want to leave you empty handed though, so I have a little something for you.” Vallen pulled out an envelope and placed it on the desk in front of Maralese. Maralese was shaking her head, looking like she was about to cry.

“ But why…? I thought you were happy here, with your research, and your growing reputation… I don’t understand, why would you leave it all behind?” Maralese could feel the tears running down her cheeks. What she wanted to say was “Why would you leave me behind,” but while she had fallen in love with Vallen, he did not share the same feelings.

Vallen saw in Maralese’ eyes she needed an explanation. “ What better place to make my mark, than in a new world? I’ll be a founding father to its empire's creation. You’ll be fine, I’ve already taken care of everything.” Vallen pushed the envelope closer to her. He turned around. “ Now I must leave soon if I’m to catch my ride to the capital. Take care Maralese.” He began walking off to leave, as Maralese tried to wipe her tears away, but they kept coming. She tried to beg him not to go, but he continued to walk off toward the front doors anyways. She looked down at the envelope and with her shaking hands opened it up. Seeing what was inside she gasped.

Now with his study sold and the money all given to Maralese, there was only one thing left to do. Vallen sent off several dozens of letters to many colleagues and associates, informing them he was a part of the Expedition. Then, he left as if he were lightning; Striking fast, and giving no one any time to react before disappearing entirely.

Three Days Prior to Departure

The time was upon you. A year had passed in a blur. Arrangements had been made, goodbyes made. Now it was the time for looking forward. It was also the first chance to visit the Elucidate. You had seen it for months from the outside. The Spellspire stood prominently in the capital plaza, a tower a dozen stories tall with slate gray walls punctuated by a number of evenly spaced windows. It was not a pretty structure like many of the other soaring towers that made up the capital, but this building had been built for function over form.

Two great double doors made up the entrance and they stood open now. Striding through, you enter a great reception hall whose vaulted ceiling is suspended by a dozen stone pillars. There are alcoves set along the walls, each neatly labeled and judging by the shimmer inside, they're some sort of transportation apparatus. This hunch is proven correct as your guide, one of the arcano-engineers, takes you over to an alcove. "Each mage shares a floor with one other, this will be yours," she said proudly and ushered you through the transport.

In a shimmer of gold, you step out onto a receiving chamber on another floor. This room has one of the towers windows opposite the transport. There are also only two doors. The engineer takes you over to one and, procuring a great brass key, turns it in the lock and throws it open. It reveals a perfunctory room whose walls and floor are made up of flat gray stone. It seemed to be a single chamber. If there are only two doors here, where is the rest of the floor hiding? As if sensing your thoughts, the engineer speaks up. "We've folded space here. The room can be customized to meet your needs," she explains proudly. Motioning to a panel of gemstones on the walls, she manipulates one and a door appears on the far side of the room. Another and a window appears. Pressing a diamond and furniture starts to materialize. "We have a setting for every need. Now this conjured furniture will dematerialize if it leaves the tower, but within the Elucidate you'll have every comfort and tool you could require. Your personal quarters can have as many rooms as you need for personal space and study. Please, take some time to make yourself comfortable."

Writing Prompt: Take time to personalize your room within the Elucidate. Describe anything you bring.

OOC: Note, any functional items you bring, extra enchantments, materials, basically anything that might be useful, will be rendered inert by the trip, so this is all flavor. The exceptions being the follow selections below.

The Surviving Spells

OOC: As you're joining a bit later in the action, you may choose two of the following rather than one. Note, you can flavor/reflavor any of the selections to your taste preferences, the following is simply their core functionality before any augmentations.

Float Like a Butterfly: Great falls are not nearly such a concern for a mage who rides the winds. You can call up the currents of air to gentle buffet you back to the ground.
Spell: Cloudfall - You gently descend to the ground, can be used for either controlled jumps from heights, or reactively for unexpected falls.

It's Just a Bit of Rain: Your years of exposure to the natural forces of the weather have left you with a natural resistance to the elements.
Passive: Weather Cloak - You are protected from natural weather phenomenon. (Does not include any weather fueled by unnatural sources)

Sting Like a Bee: Lightning is as natural to you as eating, breathing or touching. That makes it a simple matter to add a burst of electricity to a touch.
Enchantment: Blessing of the Storm - You enhance an individual, whether yourself or another, so all of their physical touch attacks have some added lightning damage. It lasts for the entirety of an adventure, but is also only a small amount of damage.

It's Over 9000!: Working with primal forces of nature, you've learned how to magnify your powers, its much like a hurricane or tornado building upon its own power. For a few brief moments your power surges, but then it leaves you depleted afterwards.
Spell: Overload - Add your Potency value to all your damage for a round, but afterwards your Potency is reduced to 1 for the remainder of the adventure.

Keeping in Touch: Lightning may be a devastating force, but its touch isn't always dangerous, not if the target is properly grounded. You can accomplish just that, making one entity your grounding while you become the lightning and woe be it to anything that passes between you.
Enchantment: Lightning Tether - You tether yourself to another player and creating a lightning arc between the two of you, any enemies who pass between the two of you are damaged.

Bit of a Breeze: Rain and lightning is not all that makes up weather. Whipping winds can be just as dangerous, or at least debilitating.
Spell: Harrying Winds - You knock an assailant about with violent winds, potentially knocking them down, but at least keeping them off balance.

Storm vs Mountain: While storms are often treated as fleeting dangers, here one day and gone the next, over time winds and rains can wear down even the mightiest monuments of nature and man.
Passive: Inexorable - Your abilities are extra effective at damaging inanimate objects.

Putting on a Show: Thunder, lightning, wind and rain all had many practical uses, but they also had one other indisputable trait: They made an impression. Wielding these forces, you can create a display to rival any fireworks show.
Enchantment: Stormtechnics - You create an impressive, but ultimately harmless, display of light and sound.
This message was last edited by the GM at 16:16, Mon 08 Apr.

" This is marvelous work you and your colleagues have accomplished," Vallen said, seemingly genuinely impressed. " Thank you for showing me around."

Soon after the engineer left, Vallen looked over the grey room before turning to the control panel of gemstones. With a few presses, he quickly got familiar with apparatus. He thought for a moment before proceeding to arrange the room to his liking.

The first room was a large open floor with a sofa and a two chairs, coffee table and several decorative plants around the corners of the room. Many painting and a few book shelves adorned the walls, as well as a fireplace on the right. Two doors and a hallway were present leading to more rooms. The door on the left wall lead to a quaint kitchen, the hallway near the middle wall of the room, off to a bedroom and restroom, and the final door to his study. Everything had natural brown and green tones to it, with a few muted reds, but the style of the decor and color palette remained simplistic. Once Vallen felt satisfied, he had a walk around each room admiring the work of the arcano-engineers at how flawlessly accurate and detailed everything remained even within folded space. It really was a marvel.

Although no one but Vallen would know it, the rooms were actually near identical copies to the modest home he was about to leave behind, with the addition of the study he previously had, recreated as well. The place was simple yet elegant, just how Vallen liked it.

To pass the time as Vallen waited for the day the Elucidate's expedition would begin, he decided to focus on refilling his study with the spell books he had had before. Although he had given away most of his books, a few remained in his possession with which he started his new collection with. One such book contained more basic spells, like Cloudfall and Harrying Winds. With how powerful a mage Vallens was, it may of seemed odd for him to hold onto a book for beginners, but in truth, that particular book was kept for sentimental reasons; It was his first spellbook he had received when he first had begun his magic training at eight years old.

And so, surrounded with several things from the home he was about to leave, Vallen was ready for the expedition to begin.

(OOC: Float Like a Butterfly and Bit of a Breeze please! :D)

"Dimensional translocation in ten, nine, eight," the pleasant androgenous voice chimed melodically throughout the corridors of the tower. The smell of atmosphere grew sharper as the arcane energies gathered. The gray slate stones of the tower Elucidate seemed to thrum with the growing power. Outside a sea of onlookers stood gathered, held only at a safe distance from the barriers set up around the plaza. Their cheers filled the air like the dull roar of some gargantuan beast, but inside the Spellspire there was only that soft voice and its steady count down. "Six, five four."

Inside his study Almanic sat rigidly in his armchair in front of the fire. "Silly old man, teleportation doesn't jostle," he said to himself, even as his hands gripped the arms of the chair tighter. The polished wood pipe clenched between his teeth was in danger of cracking. Staring doggedly into the dancing flames in the hearth, he tried to ignore the numbers steadily ticking down.

Two floors up Taebor had the windows of his room thrown open and was almost hanging out as he waved both arms excitedly at the crowd. Their surge of cheers at his antics only encouraging more enthusiastic waving of his arms. Dressed in glimmering white cloth that sparkled and shone, the man was impossible to miss against the gray slate walls. It was why he'd chosen it after all.

At the top of the tower the three mages ringed around the whirling glass control sphere of the tower made waves of their hands and twists of their fingers which corresponded to dozens of tiny incremental adjustments. Even in the final seconds before translocation adjustments must be made. "Nether weave stabilized," said Lyshen. "There are ripples in the arcano-sphere... but they're within acceptable parameters," advised Anders. The last member of the trio ran a hand through her silver hair, her pupil-less eyes matching the color. Her inner eye was tracing the arcane threads that ran off that orb to every corner of the Spellspire. Elucidate was a miracle of arcano-engineering. The best forged by diviners, spellsmiths, runecarvers and a dozen other fields of mysticism. All those arcane threads hummed, drawing taut with anticipation as the arcane forces gathered. She held their destination in her mind as she plucked those chords. "Sen tailen est," she murmured softly for good luck. "Our location is locked. So we step beyond the boundaries of gods and men."

"Three, two, one."

A beam of searing yellow light shot up from the Spellspire and expanded to engulf the structure. The cheering throng fell into awed silence as the radiance grew until they were forced to avert their eyes. Then as suddenly it was gone. The plaza where the two dozen story structure once stood was now empty. The twenty six souls who inhabited the tower gone along with it. Twenty six intrepid explorers who had set forth to blaze the trail so that others might follow after.

This was the expedition of the Spellspire Elucidate.

And then things went horribly wrong.

Sitting within your personal quarters, you listened as the pleasant androgynous voice counted down, then it hit zero. Some part of your braced, unsure what to expect. Would there be an explosion of noise? Would you feel yourself melt away to be reformed? Would the colors of the world invert and everything stretch like taffy? You had been told none of that would happen, but it didn't stop that moment of anticipation. In truth, a great deal of this expedition was shrouded in mystery. Information had been doled out strictly on a need to know basis. Even the full roster of mages inside the tower had not been fully released. These spots of mystery naturally generated a certain level of trepidation.

But true to the debrief, the count hit zero and... you noticed no change within your personal quarters. Outside the light coming through the windows had changed. Not disappeared entirely, but had taken on a gray quality. Going to the window you found the streets and shops of the capital replaced by a wash of gray that slowly streamed down like dirty water on glass. Surprising, even unsettling, but all within normal parameters. You'd been told that the journey would be short from your perspective. In actuality you might be in transit for months, but for the inhabitants of the Spellspire it would be a few heartbeats, then an imperceptible arrival-

Crash!

The entire world shook. Or perhaps not the whole world, but the entirety of the Spellspire. It was like the belly of a ship unexpectedly finding a rock in the open sea. The Elucidate violently heaved and threw you. The contents of your only recently composed room came along, you could hear things shattering. Glass, wood, ceramics. The contents of the room were being reduced to splinters. Unfortunately, you were part of those contents. You hit the wall and saw colors, but the damage went beyond the physical. It felt like you were being grated, metaphysically stretched, pulled and torn.

OOC: This was all several weeks ago, you can now join in posting in the Elucidate main thread, others will be wrapping up their adventures and you'll be able to join on the next outing shortly!