The Next Step
May 272
This story yields the request from whom offers a boon to Artemis and his family line.
After the establishment of an Organization, Artemis felt that it was time to adjust his focus. He wanted to work on his blacksmithing, however, he also wanted to rely on his teammates even more. He had instructed his newest companion, Orla, to gather a deeper understanding in the ways of different materials and resources and how they can be used. That way, under his instruction, they can create these so-called magic items. It was time Artemis focused inward. He had studied a particular magical enchantment that only he and similar skilled individuals can enchant. He calls it the 3rd Aura. This enchantment requires the skill of a magic user who has become skilled in the craft but not yet mastery. Currently, Artemis can only apply a 3rd Arcane aura but what if he could apply ANY 3rd Aura. He would need to unlock his understanding of the Divine even further. Unfortunately, there is only one way to do that. More Worship.
Artemis prides himself on utilizing science and mana to his understanding. Everything should and can be explained. However, Divinity? That cannot be explained so easily. What we know is that it is based around faith and belief and the gods grant a boon for the acts of service. One may say, we are the vessel of the gods and act under their will. With this understanding Artemis needed to get in contact with the god his sister informed him of and the god in which she and her father both follow, Khruki, Lord of Darkness.
Artemis returns to his new home after a long day of work within the Org. All day brewing and getting things ready for the next batch of wine that shall flow. He then begins to gather himself a bottle of his newest batch, the Apple Pie a La Mode as well as some fresh meats and cheeses. He informs his org, “Ok guys, I know you guys will monitor things well. I will be gone for only a day, and I will be close. Don’t try to find me as contacting this particular god is a solo affair.” He then states his goodbyes and sets off. He gathers up some old documents from his studies and sets off. With him he has his wine, food, his notebook, and his father’s book. He finds himself a nice, quiet cave not too far and begins to set up a small camp.
He then drinks his booze and meditates.
“Endless darkness, endless night
A world anathema to light
All that’s done can surely break.
Only in dreams can we awaken.”
There is nothing heard for now. Only the echoes of the cave and sound of the bugs and trees.
“Sound and fury, heralds, horns
Cry for the one from nothing born.
Now ichor leaks from broken hearts
Now come warrior of the stars!”
That’s when things went silent. Eerily silent. He awakes in a dream state, one that can only be described as his Mind’s Eye. In it he sees a nice calm grassy plane and calm trees. He is alone in this domain. Looking to the sky, you would see not one but two mana streams. One, much weaker than the other. Traveling further, there is a crossroads. One path leads to what is familiar, crackling Arcane energy. In the other, calm healing Divine energy. “In order for me to progress in my form, I must strengthen what is weaker.” Artemis ponders. He then begins to walk the path of the Divine.
The first step in this path is a test. A voice echoes, that of his sister, “ok now, Let’s cover the basics.” In front of him lies a body, freshly dying, maybe he was attacked. “Go ahead and bring that one back”. Artemis heads over to the body. It is his grandfather. “If only I was adept at this then” He leans down and issues a small prayer. “By my will and power. Allow this one to be brought back from the brink. It is not yet his time” and like that a sudden burst of power flows through Artemis and into his Grandfather. The man is gasping for air and somewhat stable. “I have bought you more time. But unfortunately, this is only a skill test.” The sight vanishes as quickly as it came. It leaves only a note. “Well done!” The next test then presents itself. A creature clad in thick shadows slips from a nearby treeline and slides towards Artemis. He cannot make out what it may be, but instinctively, he produces a white ball of energy and hurls it at the figure. It stumbles back, but keeps coming. A few more and the shade is down. Ahead, he can see a visage. A man? Artemis investigates further.
As Artemis gets closer to the man, he sees a familiar face. Himself. “I am what you already know. You have studied a great deal of information. I am here to help you compile it. Let me see father’s journal.” The clone of Artemis reaches out his hand. Artemis does bequeath the journal and sits with, well himself.
Artemis spends multiple hours studying and going through the texts of his father. “First off, there is a deity we should worship. We have a certain progression. The first God we encountered and devoted to is known as Khruki, Lord of Darkness. He is father’s god. We must worship a new god. One that is, like us. One that…” He pauses a moment and hears a rustle in the brush. It’s the shade returned again, shambling closer. The clone of Artemis then unsheathes his blade coated with divine energy. “This will work. For now, you recite the lamentation of Khruki. It’s on page 42 in father’s journal.” Artemis flips to the page and reads.
“Endless darkness, endless night
A world anathema to light
All that’s made can surely break.
Only in dreams can we awaken
Sound and fury, heralds, horns
Cry for the one from nothing born.
Now ichor leaks from broken hearts
Now come we fight, for the stars!
When you look into the sky
You’ll see the light surrounded by
The dark!
The abyss, lurking
Things beyond our understanding
We who left the doorway open
Into your hearts
Into the stars!
For as long as there is fear
The creeping shadow shall draw near
From the darkness
Comes the nightmare
Born to swallow up the light
The miracle of shadow rising
All that matters now colliding!
Angels cry on wings of blood
Rain down the tears to bring the flood
And as corruption takes our heroes
Everything will fall to zero!
Can you feel the rumble of the coming storm?
Reality lies upon the edge of thorns
The power that is borrowed
Will not guarantee tomorrow
When the universe will drown among the sorrow sworn
Rise and fall
This is my call!
I weep, I scream
I dare not dream
Khruki, our chariot awaits
To blaze a trail across the sky!
Is this our purpose?
Or is nothing all we’re meant for?
You who stand blessed under starlight
Gaze upon me!
Do you fear me?
As we fly to guard your dreams
The shadow swallows our regime
Endless darkness, endless night
A world anathema to light
All that’s made can surely break
Only in dreams can we awaken
Sound and fury, heralds, horns
Cry for the one from nothing born
Now ichor leaks from broken hearts
Now come we fight for the stars!
Cross the endless eons
We have come so far
Seen a life reflected
In the Mana Shards
The pain of the bells
Rings out a melody from Hell
And deep inside the darkness drowns a beating fell beast’s heart”
During this chant, the clone of Artemis does battle with the mysterious being. “Divine Finish!!” The clone pierces what would be the heart of the shade and eradicates the monstrosity. The Divine energy encircling the blade dissipates as it burns out the soul of the shadowy form. Artemis turns to his cloned self, “So the next god would be his son Irunaki? That would make sense, considering the Organization that I just created. Then I take it the next move after that would be….Gryx?” “Correct!” The clone nods in acknowledgment. He then dissipates and Artemis is then returned to the plane of two streams. The Divine stream grows stronger. “What would I need to do to appease Gryx?” He ponders and studies for a moment. He then sees a name, Rialvis. Artemis then awakens next to his campfire and finds himself idly toying with a small time piece in his hands. He doesn’t remember bringing it along. “Oh, a small trinket, it does not function though”. Perhaps he’d grabbed it absent mindedly, maybe a friend slipped it into his pouch. Either way it’s a question for another time. He begins to get up and heads back to the settlement.
On his way down, he runs into Maretheris, trying her best to open a jar of sauce. She struggles as her wrists still have not healed yet. “Here let me help with that.” A bit startled, Maretheris yelps and hurts her hand a bit more. “Ha-ha I didn’t mean to scare you.” Artemis jests. “I just got done early, sorry”. Artemis, instinctively, holds Maretheris’s hands. Divine energy flows through him and almost instantly, her wrists stop hurting. “Are you…ok?” Maretheris inspects her wrists a bit more. “I’m….im more than ok.” She begins to move her hands in a way she couldn’t before. “Did you?”
Artemis then tries to open the jar. “Ow ow ow. What the? Why do my wrists….?” “We call that karma you silly goose, ha-ha” Maretheris jests. “Looks like you’re the disabled one now!” “For someone knowledgeable in the Divine, you sure don’t know what spells that are cast. That one is called Sacrifice; you took my injury.”
After some time, Artemis then goes to his bedchambers to read up on what his father has on Rialvis. It reads; Talonflame has been hunting Rialvis for quite some time. Ever since his first encounter in the Serai Outpost, year 265. He was but an extreme novice in the ways of magic and was impressed by his power. A Syndar who can wield both magics? Unheard of. His patron Vazra also had dealings with him, of a sort. “Vazra, that’s whose journal I read to unlock my understanding of Witch magic.” The journal later states the excerpts of a different journal. One that could be none other than Rialvis himself, at least paraphrased.
He ponders, “It would seem, that father wanted to learn from this, Riavlis, but things took a different turn. Also, the cost was detrimental, causing Manetho great harm. What’s interesting though, is that Rialvis acted as a god. Though so did my father. I guess there can only be room for one egotistical Syndar.” He chuckles. “It would be beneficial to grant others power, I suppose that’s the canonical next step of Enchanting. This, Rialvis, does have quite the control over the Mordok. Based on this info, my next step is to correct the uncorrected. Rid the land of Riavlis” and Artemis then turns out his light and goes to sleep, with his next mission at hand.