[center][b][h1][color=a187be]Qael'Naath[/color][/h1][/b][/center][hr]“Just imagine Oraelia. When she’s high above.” The man said as he sat on a rock inside a cave. For the past three days, he had done nothing but run. A troll had destroyed the little family he had. Now he was hoping he could reach the fabled place called Haven. They said it was a god-made paradise. Ro wasn’t so sure about that. Never the less, he knew there would be humans there. Or more importantly, there wouldn’t be trolls there.

“I’m trying dad. It’s just so dark in here.” His daughter, Ora said. Named after the goddess during better times. She was nine, yet despite her young age she had already seen too much. Right now she stood in the cave with her hand out but facing away from it. She was almost afraid of it. “I don’t think lady Oraelia wants me to make light.” She said as she was shaking head to toe. The cave was cold and damp, but Ro found it the best hiding place from trolls. “Can’t we just light a fire?”

“No fire!” The father said. Lighting a fire would draw gods knew what towards them. “Just concentrate. You can do it. I believe in you.” Those were lies. He barely believed in himself now. A day ago they had encountered a troll while they were running. A troll that took Ora. She would’ve died but in his rage, a flash of light akin to the sun burst forth from his hand and seared the troll’s hand. It had released Ora and ever since then, Ro had been practicing that flash. He had only cast it twice since. Still, he was hoping Ora could use this divine given power as well.

Then a stranger entered the cave. He suddenly appeared, without Ro noticing. The man had come far too close to them. Ro shot up from his rock and held a stone in one hand. Ora stayed behind him, partially hidden in the shadows the little bits of low moonlight cast into the cave. “Calm now, my friend.” The stranger said in a soothing voice. “I come in peace.” Suddenly light flickered in his own hand. It wasn’t a sudden burst of searing light. Instead, it was gentle and illuminating. Yet there was no fire in his hand. Only pure light.

Ro let his guard down again. The stranger came closer. He has oddly dressed yet still clearly some sort of disciple of Oraelia. When he got close enough Ro could see the six eyes peering from under the hood. None the less, he did not fear the stranger. Ora, on the other side, did. The stranger took his place on a rock a few feet away from Ro and his daughter. “Would you tell a man your story then, Strangers?” He asked.

“We’re running!” Said an overly nervous Ora.

The stranger leaned forward to look at her. [color=a187be][b]“Oh? And what are you running away from, little one?”[/b][/color]

“Big ugly things!” She exclaimed.

[color=a187be][b]“Is that so?”[/b][/color] The stranger turned to Ro now. [color=a187be][b]“I happen to have seen a big ugly thing a day away from here. His entire arm was burned like he had put it in a fire.”[/b][/color]

“Dad burned him!” Ora said. Ro just nodded in confirmation.

“Oraelia blessed me with light to fight the troll scourge.” He solemnly said. He patted his daughter on the head with a strange mixture of despair and hope on his face. “I was hoping she would’ve blessed my daughter as well. I’ve been trying to teach her, but it seems like it just won’t happen.”

The hooded man nodded understandingly. Then he turned back to Ora. [color=a187be][b]“I want you to do something for me. I want you to hold out your hand like your dad did and think about the sun really hard. Okay?”[/b][/color]

Ora nodded and did as she was told. Even though deep down she knew it wouldn’t work. Her dad and her have been trying for a long time now. She closed her eyes and thought about the sun. About how bright and nice and warm it was during the summer days. She heard a gasp suddenly and opened her eyes.

Ro picked her up and hugged her tight. “You did it! You did it! Oraelia blessed! You did it!”

But to Ora, her father’s voice wasn’t the only one she heard. Instead, she heard something else too. [color=a187be][i]Your father cannot hear me.[/i][/color] A whispering voice said to her. [color=a187be][i]You’re not blessed by Oraelia, little one. What you did was magic! Which can do so much more than cast a light. You’ll learn that quick enough now. You’ll learn many things quickly from now on. And you’ll start hearing others like you’re hearing me. Now try it. Talk to me, without moving your lips.[/i][/color]

Ora opened her mouth for a moment, they closed it. He said no lips. How do you talk without lips? Maybe if she thought really hard about it. [i]Like this?[/i] She asked.

[color=a187be][i]Yes, little one. That is exactly how I meant it. You’ll be asking and answering a great many questions soon but I want you to remember one thing forever: be kind to the others you’ll talk to like this. They’re going through the same thing as you are.[/i][/color]

[color=a187be][b]“I must go.”[/b][/color] The Stranger said with his full voice now, as he rose up.

“So soon already?” A surprised Ro said as he put his daughter back down. “You must eat something with us.”

The stranger excused himself though: [color=a187be][b]“I cannot. I’m afraid I must push forward. Ever forward. Blessings of the gods upon, and especially the blessings of Oraelia.”[/b][/color] Ora and Ro bid him farewell. But remained in the cave for the night. The next morning Ro decided to continue one. Though when they came out of the cave and into the light, he noticed something different about his daughter. “Are you okay, Ora?”

“Yes…is there something wrong?” She asked.

“Well, I don’t think so.” He said with a reassuring smile. Yet in reality, he was a little worried. The eyes of his daughter weren’t beautifully blue as they had once been. Now they had little shards of a hundred different colors in them. She didn’t seem to feel anything, but he was still worried.

Ora tugged at his arm. “Daddy, what’s magic?” [hr]Work had been endlessly tiring for Qael. Every sapient race so far had been blessed with an affinity towards mana now. The encounter, and the creation of the Servants, had emptied him to the last bit of power he had. Now he wanted nothing more than to return to Xal-Zastarha and rest until his power returned to him. Yet as he flew through his Streams, his mana began to tug on him again. It had found another place. Akin to the well but not entirely. It was…strange. Still, it was a place of supposed healing so he let it take him there. The Stream led him towards the south of the Boreal Highlands. There, at the foot of two large mountains, he found a gentle lake. Yet it was unlike the Lake of Radiance, which felt warm to the touch. This, to Qael’s divine senses, felt cold and numbing. Still, he landed at the banks of the lake and looked over it. Mist of azure and silver floated over it, and the surface looked like an almost perfect mirror.

Only when he approached the lake did he realize the extent of his own desperation now. The wound hadn’t healed for quite some time now. Oraelia was gone and Qael couldn’t find her. He looked into the pool for a moment and saw his own six eyes peering back. Or perhaps he didn’t want to find Oraelia. Maybe he didn’t want to be healed? No, no that was a foolish thought. He had to heal and continue on with his duty. Something began to gnaw at him in his mind though. He walked closer towards the lake, right until he nearly touched the waters. For the first time, he realized just how deeply tired he was. Or how untrue his own thoughts about tiredness were. He wasn’t tired. That suggested that energy could return. For the first time he realized that perhaps, he no longer had the ability to be as energetic as he was at birth. Something had deeply, profoundly changed him. The answer was obvious but Qael’Naath could not admit it. Nothing has been right since he expelled the essence that named itself Qullqiya from his self. Worse, that very essence had seemingly taken something vitally important of him with it.

[indent]Did Qullqiya  take his capacity to care?[/indent]
Rage rose into his heart. This lake, it was nothing but a horrible creation! Something that would indoctrinate you and accept your worst ideas! No, the god of magic was complete! The expulsion of chaos was a necessity, as is it’s destruction! With pure spite, he outstretched his hand. Mana, not divine power, heeded his command and rushed across the lake. Freezing it and dulling its elsewise mirror-like reflection. He flew up again towards the stream. Had he become so desperate for healing that he nearly accepted the idea that his sister was necessary? This wound was becoming dangerous now.

[hider=Summary]Qael finds a father trying to teach his daughter how to use a gift he thought came from Oraelia (but is actually magic). The god of magic taught the daughter how to create a flash of light and repel a troll. He also turned her into the first Servant and explained to her that in due time, she’ll be talking with people across great distances with many questions and that she should try and answer those.

After he created the first Servant, Qael finds himself once more at a place of healing: Tearfall Lake. The reflection of the lake makes him realize a few things before those realizations enrage him. With magic, he freezes over the lake and flies away. The lake’s ice will melt over the course of a few days.[/hider]
[hider=MP And Prestige][b]Qael’Naath Start: 0MP/1DP[/b]
- 1DP >> Create the Servants (of the Winds)
[hider=Servants]
The Servants' purpose is to learn and spread the various ways mortal-kind will use its magic. As such ways are always influenced through race, culture, geography and other factors. To prevent great concentrations of Servants, he created them to be born often further away from each other. Various other factors like the density of mana where they are born and the proximity to certain holy sites also play also decide whether or not a child is born as a Servant. Servants at birth are marked by the rainbow flecks in their eyes. Their ability to communicate with each other across long distances means that from a young age they will be taught how to cast magic by their peers. Due to their ability to learn magic so fast, they are often perceived as highly talented sorcerers.

This Holy Order does not explicitly revere Qael’Naath. A Servant might be a disciple of Gibbou, Oraelia, Yamat or any other god. However, no Servant can ever be a Druid and most feel absolute aversion towards the Hir due to how closely bound their lives are with Mana.

[b]Mindbound II[/b] – Threads of mana connect the Servants’ minds. Carrying across words, thoughts and even fragments of memories. Should one sufficiently hone this connection, they may speak with one another across great distances. These threads are created on their own between the Servants. However, they can be severed by either side of the thread. These threads often give the Servants a sense of unity. However, it does not override existing biological or social factors. Highly solitary creatures may several all connections as a Servant they have. While servants born within two hostile tribes may severe their connection through intense hatred. It is also important to note that information cannot be forcibly taken through these threads. Whatever kind of information is passed along is always done so voluntarily.

[b]Mastheyodi I[/b] – The Servants are both bright pupils and gifted teachers of the arcane arts. They have an almost supernatural ability to learn any new magic they encounter. In fact, they can gain insight and understanding of the magical they find through observation alone. However, being taught the magic will greatly speed up the process. Once a Servant mastered the magic, they may teach it as well. They become excellent teachers of that way of magic. Making sure that any student they mentor receives the best magical education one can get.
[/hider][b]Qael’Naath End: 0MP/0DP[/b]

[b]Tearfall Lake[/b]
   8.3K characters >> +4 Prestige
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