grymfared

[grymfared]

malchior understands the anxiety. he's seen the same in young mages who wished to learn more- and this man seems no different in that matter. of course an archmage would wield power beyond that of any other; that was why he held the status in the first place. but it was also the duty of an archmage to teach the next generations of mages. since sealing away the dread dragon rorek, malchior had quite a bit of time to dedicate to taking on students. ❝ you are not thoughtless, ❞

❝ this city is full of fantastic beings and magics that cannot be learned by most- and each world is different. of course you would be curious about an ability that is unfamiliar. it is the mark of a good student. ❞ admittedly, malchior was rather lonely without someone to guide- his best student had grown into her power and no longer needed his guidance. she had spread her wings and moved on in her journey ⎛ and sometimes he wondered if she would ever send word to him of her further progress. but raven hadn't- it was only due to his understanding of the flow of magic that he knew she was still alive and well. ⎠

❝ i would be happy to help you hone your skills. we all start somewhere, right? you see, i quite enjoy teaching, so i hope you won't turn me down- ❞ it's spoken with warmth, because he means it. and there's something about this young man that reminds him a little of raven. a loneliness that has existed for far too long, and he could not simply stand by and do nothing to soothe that.

"Wait, Healing spells? You cam heal without using a staff?" He blurts out. Awe enraptured him further. For a brief moment, his terror faded in its wake. Then he remembers how vast and varied the worlds were, and then embarrassment takes hold once more. This man, this powerful mage, has been so understanding, and Rafal has done nothing but made a larger and larger fool of himself.

He averts his gaze, looking back only at the follow-up question.

"Huh?! Oh... I was admiring your skill. It reminded me of the magic of my home, somewhat. I... guess it made me feel very nostalgic."

Rafal pauses. In hurried, mumbled tones, he quickly adds: "(I... was also wondering if you could train me, but I know that'll be impossible so don't worry about that)."

"T-T-that's all! Nothing important. Not important enough to be so thoughtless..."

[grymfared]

「 a guide for souls? how intriguing! 」 malchior had mastered all of the magics that could be known, but there were still things beyond his reach. he was not so arrogant as to think that he could truly know everything. and it brought him joy when he found something new. mira, a being lacking a soul who guided them instead, was new. 「 i assure you, it is not a soul that i will ask for. no, that is too precious- there are few spells that require the use of such a thing, and those that do are dark and terrible. 」

she mentions that she is unfamiliar with some of the items and he hums. well, he couldn't expect her to know everything he needed on a whim. despite the slight disappointment of knowing that he would be truly bodiless for a little longer than he would like, at least mira seemed agreeable to helping him at all.

「 take me with you, 」 he says, 「 i can guide you to the things that we need. 」 and there's a hint of anxiety- he's not keen on being left where someone else could take him away. not when he had somewhere to start on his path to freedom. 「 it is true, some will not be found in mere markets- few merchants will have exactly what is needed ... but ... 」

he thinks of the miraculous nature of the city. of how the right things seem to be exactly where they're needed. 「 take me to the skystrewn isles, milady, and i will lead you to my home. a great wizard always is prepared for the worst, and what greater wizard is there than an archmage? 」 there's a sudden pain that shoots through his body- even though he lacks one. in the pages where only he can see, he notices a strange injury. as if something has grabbed him. the pages of the tome flutter back to show his pale eyes. to hell with the warnings from the stars- 「 i likely have what we need in my atelier. it would be easier to cast a spell there regardless. that is- if you do not mind. 」

Lips quirk a little when he's calling her a timeless soul. It never failed that others assumed she was like them, a being with a soul. It makes her wonder if she should stop correcting them, let it be a thing that is just assumed. Yet that isn't fair to the souls, especially if they want someone with a soul to be helping them.

As pages flutter and turn to another page, she brings a hand closer to it for a moment, looking over everything that's upon its inked pages. It's all things she's seen to some degree in memories from various souls she's guided. Never once had she thought they'd be linked to magic, yet it hadn't been anything Mira had dug much into during her time here so far.

Her hand hovers over the page, her index finger held out as she skims to items yet never once touching the page. She could not tell how much he felt, and she did not want to make him uncomfortable with the touch.

"I see. This should take me no longer than an afternoon to collect and gather them all. These.. Scribblings..? Marks?" Her finger hovers over the runes as she speaks about them, "May take me longer as I do not know if I have seen them in stores."

Then, she's moving to stand from the table she's brought them too, as he makes mention of possibly needing to convince her about something which makes the guide pause.

"Well, hopefully it does not require anything dealing with a soul for I am without one. I am but a simple guide for souls, I have never had one." With that out of the way, she does idle tap the table with her next thought. "Do you wish me to leave you here, or shall I take you somewhere else so that I may find you with ease?"

She had no way of knowing how or if he was able to move himself.

[grymfared]

[grymfared]

malchior had been approached by many an aspiring student in his days- after defeating the dread dragon hreðric, he had returned to the kingdom of nol to live out a good life. a happy one- and here, young and energetic as he had been on the day of their battle, he could do it again. except, it wasn't that he could just find a student out of nowhere. or maybe he could.

there's a young man with white hair looking at him with some sort of awe. he's used to that, of course, because being an archmage meant that he had risen to the pinnacle of mortal ability in magic. there were none like him, malchior of nol, and perhaps there would never be any like him ever again.

then, the young man walks right into him, leaps back like a startled cat, and apologizes. ❝ there is nothing to be sorry for, ❞

❝ see? neither of us are injured, and even if we were, a healing spell is no trouble to cast. ❞

yes, he remembers people like this. anxious, afraid of his power. he never wanted people to be afraid- but wasn't that difficult when he was so far beyond them? this young man calls himself stupid and malchior shakes his head with a soft hum. ❝ there's nothing stupid about being lost in thought. it is simply a way that people are. may i ask what it was that you were thinking so deeply of? ❞

He noticed the mage by chance, curious and interested in something slightly familiar. It was comforting in a way. It also gave him such idle thoughts of becoming that strong, before dismissing such nonsense. He has no talent for magic, it would just be a waste of all their time.

So he shakes his head, and starts making his way - Directly into the archmage's path.

"ACK!" He leaped backwards, barely catching himself. His cheeks burn with shame, and his heart pounds with fear of potential punishment. Powerful people are rarely so patient with the likes of him...

"S-sorry I was just - I was distracted - I.... Please forgive my stupidity."

@grymfared Subterfuge part 1

[grymfared]

「 ah, a timeless soul, then, 」 comes his gentle reply. malchior was, like other dragons, woven of magic. born not only of flesh and fire, but of the wonders lost to the modern age. that which he knew was ancient and powerful- and not enough to free himself. because he could not obtain the items needed for the ritual magic on his own. not in a tome and not when he could not stray far from it ⎛ he remembered how his hands fell apart before he could really reach raven ⎠

and now, not when his bindings grew tighter if he thought to lie to this woman. lovely with her starlight hair. but what dragon in their right mind would expose weakness? 「 you are quite clever, milady, 」 he says, for she has correctly guessed the reason for his inquiry. the pages of the tome flutter to a new page, one with old runes and sketches of various items. herbs and minerals and ... 「 many of these items can simply be purchased with ease. while apart, they are rather mundane, but their magical properties become clear once they are combined. 」

he falls silent for a moment. what was it that he told raven? that he had been waiting for her? he had shown her a portrait he had made while watching her and she had been drawn in by it. willing to do anything to free him, to be his student. she expected him to be the young archmage rorek. he still felt the guilt of it- he did break her heart. but she was young and naive; younger than rorek was when he came to the northern mountains. it was that naivety that led her to unleashing his wrath upon jump city. and it was her bravery that had sealed him again. like rorek in many ways. raven was his second student, and if he thought deeply about it, he cared for her as any good mentor would his apprentice. not like rorek, who he loved so dearly- held close for years- ⎛ ah, enough of that ⎠

this timeless woman, mira, would be his third student. and this time ... 「 collect these for me, and then i will teach you the rest, for the last ingredient ... i may have to convince you to give it. so first, this. 」 and he means it, doesn't he? a paper body wouldn't be the true challenge and he knows it well. a paper body did not mean true freedom.

It was always interesting to see the different ways one could learn about souls, for the way he spoke told some aspects about himself. Even if all she could currently see of Malchior was the page with the eyes upon it, at least, she was assuming it was him but she isn't sure how exactly this situation works, as it could be any illustration. Such a thought brings about several questions. That she will ask him later, if he is willing to permit them.

Although, she hums out when she's called a young woman, and gives a small shake with her head.

"While my form may appear so, I assure you, I am much older than I seem. I could not tell you my age though, for I do not know it. And given most tomes do not house souls, I would think so."

As she sits there at the table, she's finding a way to make sure he can actively look at her, at least she assumes he'd rather be looking more towards her face than straight at the sky.

But, his question makes her pause. Magic?

While there is always the question of how she could do what she does, beyond that it was just her normal nature, she isn't sure if she could even cast or wield such a thing herself. It does bring up the question she's never given much thought into yet. What else could she possibly do? Before, she'd have said she was only a guide, one for souls, but she's never tried, never had the need. Yet, things were different now weren't they?

"I will admit, it is not something that has crossed my mind, and I do not know if my form is capable of such feats, but should the option arise, I do not see why I would turn it down? Does this tie into the need for this vessel, you spoke of, why you ask?"

[grymfared]

SUBTERFUGE : THE ARCHMAGE OF NOL

malchior rorek roleswap, as in imagine if malchior wasn't lying to raven.

the noble archmage of the kingdom of nol, malchior's great talents in the arcane make him the ideal person to go and fight a dragon. an ancient beast named hreðric, who had razed many a kingdom to the ground. the details of the story aren't important, only the outcome. the archmage battled the dragon. the dragon was sealed in a tome, and the archmage returned to the kingdom of nol as a hero- to live out his years with the favor of the king. but he's lonely, isn't he? and sometimes he thinks about the tome he left in the mountains.

notes

i am not going to summarize spellbound but if you've seen that episode of teen titans, that's what this is.

malchior is a wizard, he's human- so unless he's using a spell, there's no natural fire for him to breathe, so on so forth.

he's a rather charming hero who likes to do what he does- that, of course, means rescuing people and performing magic.

he doesn't have the same sort of history with hreðric the black dragon, but remnants of the 'true malchior' make it so that the archmage wonders what it would've been like if they hadn't been enemies.

he is tired, he's trying. he wants to teach other people magic for the sweet, sweet dopamine hit, you know?

[grymfared]

minas fenumë, the dragon's stronghold, is a recreation of rorek's home as the archmage of nol. originally, it had a different name, but became known as minas fenumë due to the fact that this is the place where the great fire that destroyed the kingdom of nol originated from. returned to its former glory, the tower looks out over the skies from its place in the sky-strewn isles. a shining citadel full of treasures and tomes, it is now the home of malchior the magnificent. there are six rooms appropriate to use as bedrooms. malchior's atelier is located at the top of the tower. of course, it was rorek's atelier once.

ft. outer cityscape of the kingdom of nol. the archmage's tower (exterior). a portion of the library. the atelier and bedroom.

[grymfared]

[grymfared]

she understands souls. malchior's laughter from the pages is warm and gentle. she is from the vastness of space- he thinks of raven's friend, starfire, was it? from the distant worlds beyond the reach of humans. you are a very curious and fascinating soul for me to find, she says. 「 i would rather be fascinating than boring, 」 and this is true. from the very start, malchior wanted to impress, to enthrall. a mighty fire drake of the northern mountains, had he not inspired awe and fear in the people of the kingdom of nol? 「 mira. a beautiful name for a beautiful young woman. 」 there's a sadness in him, then. raven deserved a better tutor. one who wouldn't lie to her. one who would be able to guide her properly. one who didn't take her away from her friends- he'd seen so much of rorek in her, but that wasn't an excuse for all that he'd done.

he wonders if this time would be different. 「 i suppose i could begin this story by telling you that i am not just some dusty old tome. 」 but he doesn't know how to address the fact that he happened to be a dragon with a grudge against a kingdom long since gone. numbly, he remembers the warnings of the gods of the city. 「 the story is better told with a vessel- it will take much more than a day sitting in the shade on a sunny day at this little cafe. 」 with how guarded he'd been, it could take ... months. years. because he had been so adamant that no one but rorek would know the truth. no one other than rorek deserved it. and while mira seemed to be non-threatening, no dragon would roll over and show its belly to a stranger.

「 tell me, mira, have you ever wished to learn magic? 」

"Mmm? Not that I do not disagree with your statement on books, but I know of such a thing called journals, or 'diaries', which often take the shape of books as well. Yet they do not always house information that is to be shared with others."

Although, she's pausing when the book shifts in her hands, making sure she's holding her hands straight and flat for it as she feels it settle after the pages flutter onto a page with eyes on them. What a curious soul indeed. To have power over the very book it was inside. It makes her wonder, what it is like to be inside of it. Was it like the vastness of space she drifted so long before?

"Forgive my words, but you are a very curious and fascinating soul for me to find."

Although, having a conversation on the busy streets was not ideal at all, not when another passing soul could knock the book out of her hands without so much of a thought to what might be living inside of it. So, as he continues to speak to her, she's making her way towards a nearby cafe with outdoor seating and makes sure to be very gentle as she moves to place the book down upon the table.

"I have no qualms with hearing it, for I have all the time in the world to listen to a tale, no matter how long it takes for you to tell me of it. It is a pleasure to meet you, Malchior. Others have taken to calling me Mira. I do not hail from a kingdom like you do, before you ask. I am from the void of space."

[grymfared]

soon.

[grymfared]

only share if you wish to do so, says the soft voice, and malchior thinks of what the stars had told him before sealing him away. it wasn't that he wanted to- this was a story that he thought of as sacred, and not just anyone would be worthy to hear it. if he didn't let someone know, then he'd never be free.

and there was always the chance that he'd be trapped forever regardless. 「 how kind, milady, 」 truly, he does think it a kind gesture, not forcing him to do anything that he didn't wish to do- 「 but, the purpose of a book is to weave a tale, to grant knowledge, to enchant- 」 a pause, before the pages flutter and fall open to the same torn page that raven had once seen. the one with the piercing blue eyes of the supposed archmage-

he's seen this young woman before. in passing- she held some sort of celestial power, which rarely was seen even in the times where magic was something that nearly everyone used. those capable of cosmomancy were few and far between. even malchior, the great fire drake of the northern mountains, had not taken to such power easily. rorek had- of course, because rorek was a prodigy. this young woman held the air of someone who performed such feats as easily as she breathed. which meant ... surely she'd have the aptitude to cast the spells he needed.

「 and i am not simply a story to be told. you are right- this is not a tale that i would wish to tell most, but you- 」

⎛ he craves freedom, but he's learned to be cautious. he will be forced to tell the truth, lest the tome's power tear at him. he can't bring himself to simply reveal everything all at once- maybe, though ... there was another way. maybe he could outsmart the stars ⎠

「 i think you should learn it. not all at once, but if you are willing to be patient with me, then i swear it that you will not regret it. my name is malchior. i hail from the kingdom of nol. would you honor me and tell me your name? 」

Moving to the location of the soul that had been tugging on her senses like crazy, had been easy. There were always ones that tugged harder, needed some form of help, and even if she knew that she might not be the right one to do so, that never stopped her from trying, from being in the area.

Yet, when the feeling was coming from a tome, not a body, she begins to wonder if something is amiss. Something the Stars who run the city may just be doing, for reasons unknown. So, as she skimmed it, she was not expecting a voice to come from it at all.

One hand upon the spin of the tome, the other moves to hold still across the pages she was just skimming to try and make sense of the tome. Had the Stars trapped someone in a book? It very much felt like a soul to her.

"A story?" Mira murmurs out, before moving her hand on the pages away, "If it is a story that you wish to share, then you may, but please, only share it if you wish to do so."

[grymfared]

malchior has no roommate which is. the mental image of the empty house and the only thing in there is like. mal's stuff and an old tome ... bc hes stuck in it.

[grymfared]

@guidingstarmira ⎛ sc. , tales from the kingdom of nol ⎠

it's miserable being trapped with his memories- unable to truly see the world; passing through the hands of others. some had talked to him, some had simply read the story that was already written. and few of them seemed to have any interest in actually figuring out what was really going on with the strange book written in a strange text that somehow anyone could read- and with that, he'd started to wonder if he'd ever see the world again.

days had passed. maybe months. maybe years, before he felt the hands of another upon the grimoire. this person ... this one had potential. perhaps for the arcane, for understanding, and for a chance at freedom.

although, who in their right mind would set a dragon free when he was surrounded by memories of a past that was stolen from him. a person so precious dead because no one understood. they came with their swords and axes and spears. with their inferior mages, and they still ...

undoubtedly, i was happy there, rorek had written, but i could never shake the feeling of dread that one day someone would come to tear all of this away.

「 ah, my fair maiden, 」 comes the charming voice from the tome, 「 may i interest you in a story? 」

[grymfared]

guys to make myself sane i am going to yeet my drafts ⎛ except the things i have for the giant challenge ⎠ sorry for being not organized, but dont worry i will write more threads i just need a Refresh u know.

[grymfared]

❝ ... a pokemon ...? ❞ irritation quickly flows into confusion and then to interest- after all, malchior was nothing if not a seeker of knowledge. ❝ such creatures do not exist where i come from, although long ago my world was filled with creatures of legends. ❞

❝ other dragons that soared the skies. phoenixes that would rise from ashes endlessly. the seas were ruled by leviathans and populated by merfolk and selkies and sirens- anything you could dare to dream of ... ❞ he's not exactly sure why he's telling her this, but ... at least he can respect her fearlessness. even if it stems from a lack of knowing who he was. who he had been. who he could be again if given the chance.

neat flames, though, buddy, she says. again, with that sort of nonchalant air. ❝ my inner flame is what keeps my body warm. all fire drakes have one. in a way, it is our life's essence, regardless of the shapes we take. ❞ he breathes another small jet of flames- controlled, as to not hit her skorupi(?) or her- a multitude of colors dancing in the fire. ❝ it is quite natural, but there are some spells that allow dragonfire to be replicated by other beings. ❞

now, his anger is all but forgotten. this young woman and her skorupi have his full attention for other reasons. not bad ones, not in his mind. ❝ i am interested in what other creatures live in the world you come from. pokemon. do they possess magic? are they companions of humans or are they more likely to be found simply in the wild? ❞

"I'll threaten whoever I need to threaten, but I will forgive you this time!"

Dragon or not. She's not particularly fearful, to her detriment. Perhaps, also to her credit -- small animal, big animal, big teeth. Familiar...it's certainly one way to refer to Skorupi: old hex maniacs would call their pokemon that, wouldn't they? And some of the fairy-type collectors in the woods.

"She's not a scorpion, though I guess you could call her my familiar. She's a Skorupi, a type of pokemon. We don't really have little things like those tiny, plain bugs where I'm from."

Her eyes lock onto the small trail of flames: surely, some psychic-type trainers could do similar -- must be natural to him (a cool trick, Klara notes to herself absently). A finger makes a trailing gesture, similar to the fire's motions, crackling and bouncing as if she's given music to the now-dead air.

"Neat flames, though, buddy. That normal for you?"

[grymfared]

❝ klaus. it is wonderful to meet you. ❞ he offers a small smile- there's a sort of melancholy that exists in the other. while malchior lacks the ability to read minds, he had always prided himself on intuition. that, perhaps, was one of the greatest strengths of a dragon. klaus had been out here because something in his life had changed. for better or for worse- and perhaps training was his way of getting his mind off of it. or working through it.

after all, malchior had seen raven do this, too. when she was stressed or scared and couldn't come to him, he knew she trained. honed her abilities so she could come back to him and say that she had mastered something. as if she thought she had to be perfect for him to be proud.

❝ i am capable of combat, yes. be it hand to hand or with weapons, i have had quite a bit of time to learn. ❞

❝ if not for the power of the stars, i would offer a mage's duel- but i am not at my best, and i will not dishonor you with anything less than that. ❞ really, what he means is that his pride is too great to not be able to face someone else with every bit of magic he has at his disposal. but one day, perhaps, he would be able to do so again. ❝ but if you are asking for a sparring partner, consider one found. ❞

"They dont," he says with a light nod. He learned of dragons by being here, but he didn't have them in his world. Just...beings that could remind him of a dragon.

With a shake of his head at the other's apology, "it is fine. I wasn't too startled." The flames have calmed down at least and resume calmly floating around him.

"My name is Klaus."

Klaus thinks for a moment and then asks, "Malchior, do you also have skills in sparring?"

[grymfared]

alright! well, with malchior's giant challenge issued, here's to looking for a few avid readers and willing students of the arcane (people willing to put up with malchior's bullshit)- here's what you will get

plotting, of course

malchior teaching your muse the spell to give him the paper body

and then the spell to release his bindings which will only work if he's been like. open and vulnerable and whatnot

he's not about that life he doesn't want to reveal all the Emotional shit but he's going to have to.

and obviously the grimoire can pass among others, many people had read his tale before raven, too, so uh.

soft capping this at mmmmaybe like. 4? old and new writing partners are welcome to join this! it's fun if malchior can just make a weird first impression, it's fun also if he can just make people who know him already sorta more confused ...