[center][h1][color=a187be]Qael'Naath[/color][/h1][h3]&[/h3][h1][color=tan]Lucia[/color][/h1][/center][hr]
The stream had taken Qael’Naath back to Galbar, where he finished his work on the various metals of Galbar. Gold would be the weakest conduit for magic. With barely a noticeable effect. Platinum would ward against magic, while palladium would attract and hold mana. Every metallic element he had taken from the void was given its own special effect upon magic. But when he was done, he felt the mana once more tugging at him. Hope was in short supply now. His wound had stopped to heal and it would seem like nothing in the world could help him. Still, he let go of the early bounds and let the mana carry him towards his destination. As he floated through the skies he remarked that they were no longer so serene or constant. Instead great swathes of colors danced high above in the heavens. Akin to his own aurora he created above The Luminant. Qael crossed the great, eastern swamps, then the highlands until he almost reached the sun-touched fields of the Prairie. The mana slowly put him down a hundred feet away from what looked like a mighty temple standing atop a hill. Its placing confused the god of magic. There was no real source of stone nearby. Slowly he approached it along the path. He noted the colorful berries all around, and the warmth the structure radiated. If he was a mortal, it would have felt beyond pleasant. However to him it felt off. LIke he was not yet deserving of such warmth and pleasantness. Such things were for those whose duty had ended.

The path was long and windy, but it carried with it a pleasant breeze and the sweet smell of spring flowers. The pillars began to grow larger as he went, until he rounded the final curve and could see before him a wide open area, surrounded by the largest of the pillars, trees and other plants. In the middle was a pool of water, where the sunlight focused down into it, producing a white glow. A girl was picking berries across from him. She faced away from him, as she picked and ate. Oddly enough, she wore no clothes.

Qael carefully touched the grand pillars. Even if they were stone, they felt warm to the touch. Carefully he knocked on the stone, after which he introduced himself: [color=a187be][b]“Apologies for my unannounced intrusion. I am merely hoping  you would point a dear old creature like me to the place of healing that is supposed to be near.”[/b][/color] Perhaps it was the pool, perhaps just the sunlight of the pool or perhaps it were the berries. The mana could not tell him.

At the sound of his voice, the girl, or perhaps woman, turned to face him. Hers were curious eyes, large and golden. The same as her hair and eyebrows, a distinct contrast to her skin color, but exotic in nature. She stood up and looked at him, uncertainty upon her face. After a moment she spoke, her voice even more distinctive. [color=tan]”You are… Hurt?”[/color] she asked him, as her hands fell to her sides. 

[color=a187be][b]“I am afraid that I am.”[/b][/color] He said, offering a faint smile she probably could not see from under the hood. [color=a187be][b]“It is a foolish wound, truly.”[/b][/color] He slowly approached the illuminated pool in the middle, as he continued to lean on his own staff. It looked familiar, slightly akin to the aquamarine waters of the Lake in the Luminant. Yet he did not feel the same healing radiance from it. [color=a187be][b]“Yet foolish or not, a wound is a wound and requires tending. Please, if you would just show me where I could heal myself, then I will be on my way again.”[/b][/color] For he had many duties still to attend to. Not the least of which was finding out what his devilish sister was planning.

[color=tan]”It is not the pool.”[/color] she said, walking over to him. [color=tan]”That only cleans, while everything else nourishes.”[/color] she stood before him now, eyeing him over. She then said, [color=tan]”Show me your wound.”[/color]

Now that would be a complication. He didn’t want to show the wound to a mortal. There was no telling what it would do to them. But what else was there to do? What choices did he have? He tried it all. With a heavy heart he touched his own garb with a finger, right where he once cut himself open. The cloth parted ways and kept itself open. Revealing the deep blue skin underneath, and the partially healed wound into pure Divinity.

There was a moment of surprise expressed upon the woman’s face, but that quickly turned to interest. [color=tan]”You are… Like Mother? A god?”[/color] she asked, bringing a hand to her chin as she leaned closer to study the wound. 

[color=a187be][b]“I am.”[/b][/color] He confessed. There was a glimmer of happiness in Qael’s eyes though. For he saw curiosity, not fear. Most mortals by now wouldn’t be able to fully handle an encounter with a god. Or so he believed. [color=a187be][b]“Your mother, who is she?”[/b][/color] He asked, returning the curiosity.

[color=tan]”My mother, her name is Oraelia.”[/color] she said, standing back up to face Qael. [color=tan]”And she named me Lucia.”[/color] she then frowned slightly, [color=tan]”I am sorry, but I do not have the power to heal a divine wound, only mother could.”[/color]

Qael let out an exhausted sigh as the cloth of his form began to knit itself together again. [color=a187be][b]“I am not surprised.”[/b][/color] He meekly said. Alas, he would have to find Oraelia if he wanted to be healed. Yet there was little time left to find the divine. Still, he did not want to leave just yet. The mortal, she intrigued him. Slowly he sat down in front of the pool, and bid her to do the same. [color=a187be][b]“I would ask a moment of your time then. Contact with my siblings has been sparse at best.”[/b][/color] And relations were generally stressed. [color=a187be][b]“You say your mother is Oraelia? I was not aware my sister had made sapient life already.”[/b][/color] And the mana had been quite susceptible to those sapient thoughts. Yet it never alerted him of her kind. [color=a187be][b]“Where are the others of your kin?”[/b][/color]

Lucia did as asked, dipping her feet into the water as she sat down. She did not respond right away, but when she did, she did not look at Qael. [color=tan]”Mother said I was unique. She told me about the humans who live in this land, and the desert people whose name escaped her. She said I look like both of them, without being either.”[/color] she then shrugged and looked up. [color=tan]”So, I have no kin. I am the only one.”[/color]

Qael’Naath was rather amazed by the very existence of Lucia now. A child of a god. A singular creation given an inkling of divine power. He did not think it was possible. Still, it felt a little bit lonely. To be in such a big, wonderful, warm place without anyone to talk to. [color=a187be][b]“It seems my sister missed a fair few others.”[/b][/color] He said with a smile. [color=a187be][b]“There are strange people to the far east of here. They live in a swamp and hide their faces from everyone. Even children wear masks to hide their visage from their parents. To the far south, you’ve got human with sharp, pointy ears that live in the dark, inside of deep caves. Then there are my own people: great lizards and toads that live on floating islands. Finally, you have the trolls. Most are giant creatures. Though some are as big as a human child.”[/b][/color] It felt good to take a moment and talk about his own experiences. [color=a187be][b]“So what must you do here, Lucia, daughter of Oraelia? Do you tend…”[/b][/color] Qael realized he did not know the purpose of the temple he was sitting in. Surely it wasn’t just to clean those inside of it. [color=a187be][b]“…this serene creation?”[/b][/color]

She listened intently with curiosity in her eyes, before giving a small smile and a nod. [color=tan]”For now. Mother wished for me to stay here for a time as I get my bearings together, and if any humans come across this, I am to welcome them here and tell them of its purpose. This Sunlit Temple was mother’s idea, to give a small bit of relief to weary travelers, and give them a safe place to rest before they continue on whatever journeys they might be on. It is very peaceful here, and I enjoy it.”[/color] she said. 

His sister was far better than he was. Qael realized that now. She was so caring towards mortals, all of them. The very thought felt strange. To care for something so temporary. So insignificant. What did it matter? The Sunlit Temple would, at best, become a waystation. A place between two greater places. [color=a187be][b]“Why?”[/b][/color] He muttered, as his six eyes looked beyond Lucia towards the great columns. [color=a187be][b]“Why does your mother care so much for common mortals?”[/b][/color]

Lucia leaned back, and kicked her legs softly in the water sending ripples. [color=tan]”Do you not?”[/color] she asked, before continuing, [color=tan]”All life is precious, and unique in its own way, she said. And my mother cares for everything, not just ‘common’ mortals, as you put them. Their lives might not be so significant as a gods, but they’re still a living, breathing thing. Should they not be treated with care and compassion? How do you view us?”[/color] she finally asked, her voice holding no anger, but a genuine curiosity. 

[color=a187be][b]“Fleeting, temporary, mortal.”[/b][/color] Qael answered honestly. As he dared to put his foot into the water. It still felt wrong. Unearned. Yet pleasant as well. [color=a187be][b]“Make no mistake, I have nothing but admiration and love for mortal-kind. Their ability to die gives them a perspective of life that we, the gods, can never understand. But as I said, mortal lives are but fleeting things. The one absolute in their lives is that it will end.”[/b][/color] His gaze rose up from the warm waters to look at Lucia. [color=a187be][b]“So what, in that great tapestry of life, is but a single mortal? Less than a thread. Invisible on its own. Given only prominence by the many other invisible threads woven around it. Yet clearly my sister thinks differently.”[/b][/color] He said, not with malice in his voice. Instead, he was curious, and a little confused. [color=a187be][b]“Perhaps she knows more than I do. Perhaps I missed something vital.”[/b][/color]

Lucia said nothing for a while. In fact, she put a hand in the water and twirled her finger around, a thoughtful expression crossing her face. [color=tan]”Ah, I see.[/color] she began, turning her gaze to him. [color=tan]”Life is a fickle thing, my mother knows this. She told me that death was part of the cycle, a natural end so that more can flourish. You love us, and admire us, but you do not care for us. That, I think, is what you are missing. I mean no offense when I say these things, but without a thread, there can be no tapestry. Yes, we are temporary… Even the sun sets eventually, but that doesn’t mean it can’t shine brightly before fading into the night.”[/color]

The god of magic took no offense. Lucia spoke with wisdom. He could not find himself caring for mortals indeed. It was an odd feeling like he was suddenly made aware of something missing in him. Maybe when the world was better established and mortals had learned magic, he could ponder upon her words some more. [color=a187be][b]“I will long reflect upon this conversation, Lucia. I am grateful for your insight. Ask me for a boon, and perhaps I can give it to you.”[/b][/color] He said as he rose up from the pool.

She looked at him inquisitively, before asking, [color=tan]”How can I ask of you a boon when I don’t even know your name, or what you reside over?”[/color] she asked simply, but with a small smile.

[color=a187be][b]“I am Qael’Naath, God of Magic. Lord over Mana.”[/b][/color] Qael said.
She looked him over again and stood up, water droplets of light rolling down her legs. She bowed her head slightly in respect. [color=tan]”Nice to meet you, Qael’Naath.”[/color] she then rose her head up. [color=tan]”Do tell me, for my mother never gave mention of this magic or mana, but what is it? What does it do?”[/color] she asked. 

He smiled. [color=a187be][b]“It does everything.”[/b][/color] With both his hands he formed a cup and drew the mana in. As more flooded in, it took the shape of a bright orb with endless colors shifting and changing. [color=a187be][b]“Mana is a substance that allows all who can control it to alter the world around them. It could be a dedication to your mother.”[/b][/color] As a demonstration, he turned the bright colored orb of mana into a miniature sun, though he damped the intensity greatly. [color=a187be][b]“Or her sister, Gibbou, of the Moon.”[/b][/color] The orb turned to a grey stone with the same, darker, dead seas and craters on its surface. [color=a187be][b]"Or to you.”[/b][/color] In an instant, the orb shifted shape and became a statuette of Lucia, made from the very stone of the Sunlit temple. Then he let his hands go, and the statuette crumbled into pieces. Yet as the bits of stone fell they quickly transformed back to mana and none hit the ground.

Her eyes went wide as she looked at the display, a yearning awakening within them. [color=tan]”I… How does one learn this?”[/color] she asked him, with excitement in her voice. 

Qael dearly wished he could stay and teach her. Clearly she was not entirely mortal. That would be impossible if she was a solitary creation of Oraelia, with gifted powers of healing. Yet that status might make her worthy of a gift instead. [color=a187be][b]“I cannot teach you. Sadly, my time is coming to an end here. Duty calls and it does not wait.”[/b][/color] He held out his hand, and once more mana converged to a point floating above it. Yet now it solidified instantly into a stone orb with carvings upon it. When the creation was complete, it fell into his hand and the carvings lit up with a soft blue glow.

“Good day my lady.” A cheery, excited voice emanating from the orb said. “I am Orb and I was specifically created to teach one how to use magic. Shall we start your first lesson?”

[color=a187be][b]“This is my gift to you. It knows all about magic and mana that one should know, and it is created specifically to teach you.”[/b][/color] He handed Lucia the glowing orb and took his goodbye: [color=a187be][b]“I hope our path crosses again.”[/b][/color] With that, he flew up into the sky towards the nearest stream of mana, and let it take him away to his next duty.

Lucia blinked, and before she knew it he was gone and she was left with Orb. She looked it over again before bringing it before her face with a wide smile. 

[color=tan]”Where do we begin?”[/color]


[hider=Summary]Qael finds the Sunlit Temple and hopes whatever is inside will heal him. He enters, finding Lucia. When he asks what will do the healing, Lucia said she would. Though when Qael shows his wound she realizes her powers are not strong enough. Qael expected it, though is still distraught. He sits down and asks Lucia who her mother is. She answers honestly. Then the two have a frank conversation about their views on life. Qael realized he is missing something and offers a boon to Lucia for her wisdom, who first asks who he actually is and what he has dominion over. When he answers and shows off some magical powers Lucia desires to learn. Qael has no time though, and instead creates Orb. A semi-sentient artifact specifically created to teach someone sorcery and the inner workings of mana.[/hider]

[hider=Might & Prestige]
[b]Qael’Naath - Start: 1MP / 2DP[/b]
- 1MP >> Alter properties of various metals so they have an effect on magic.
- 1DP >> Create Artifact: Orb
[hider=Orb]
- 1DP for Magic Mentor I, 1 Free Title for Magic Mentor II
[b]Orb[/b]
Magic Mentor II – Orb has a mind of its own, allowing it to speak to people around it in their native language. It does this to teach them magic. As a creation of Qael’Naath himself, Orb understands the inner workings of mana and the supposed mysteries of sorcery. As a mentor, it will assume a pupil. Who it will then first teach how to cast mana sorcery. Over the course of what should generally be a decade for most sapient life, he will transfer knowledge of sorcery and how willpower shapes the mana. Once the pupil has proven himself a capable student of magic, studies might delve deeper into the inner workings of mana itself.[/hider][b]Qael’Naath - End: 0MP / 1DP[/b]

Lucia
Start Prestige = 5
10k Plus chars
Ending = 10 Prestige
[/hider]