Dark Jack

The Prophecy

Familiars? Eh, well, as far as animals are concerned, such a bird of prey, it's the same as on Earth. If you can tame, train and/or befriend them, they're (more) likely to stick around respond to commands they have learned. There is no particular Dungeons & Dragons-esque magical bond between mortal species like that. (EDIT: Short of actual magical mind control, that is.)

The only bond similar to those would be between summoners and immortals they summon, of which there generally are three types of bond:
The weakest one is that of an immortal that has already been subdued to the summoner once, and which the summoner can be relatively certain it will be able to dominate again to force it into obedience. The only condition to the formation of that kind of bond is that the summoner needs to learn the immortal's name, so that they might summon that particular immortal again rather than just a similar one. (Because it is relevant in this context: demons are named in the Devil's Tongue, and angels are named in the arcane language.)
The second one is that of an immortal and a summoner who have made a deal, bargaining among themselves to establish an agreement of sorts, the conditions of which may vary wildly. The immortal will then be summoned by name, as normal, but is liable to aid the summoner without the need for this to suppress the immortal's will first. This kind of bond is only as strong as the participants are reliable, of course, since either might betray the deal and potentially break the bond.
The last one is the most cliché one, to be honest, but is inevitable nevertheless: the bond of friendship. If an immortal accepts a summoner, they may freely aid them whenever summoned. These kinds of deals are rare among angels, and almost nonexistent among demons, but are generally regarded as the strongest, most dangerous bond possible. Summoners with such a bond have immortal familiars that can be called forth without concern for betrayal or having to control them, making them particularly dangerous.

The Prophecy

Duchy of Pelgaid, secluded pond

Frowning upon hearing Jillian’s concern, Gerald was fairly sure that he knew how the Grand Master would respond even before he did so.
“Firstly, I don’t think you realize the full extent of what you are up against in this,” the lord of the Crimson Dawn started listing, holding up a long, slender finger as he made his point. “The Death Clan, the servants of Kreshtaat, is almost certainly a lot bigger and more powerful than any of us suspects, and they are known to have infiltrated nearly every place and every group in Reniam. Whether the Wardens are capable fighters or not should not be your concern, but rather whether you can trust them and the other inhabitants of Fokon in the first place. Kreshtaat will surely learn of your intention to seek him out in the Spirit Realm as soon as you start preparing to go there from one of his agents, and he will be free to command whoever serves him to kill you. He might send an assassin, or he might send an army. Heh, he could even send Himyth, if he really wanted you dead, or any number of demonspawn loyal to her.
My point is that since you need the help of the people in Fokon, the Death Clan will know you are a target... and even presuming that the Wardens themselves won’t turn against you, they won’t stand a chance if the enemy moves against them in force or infiltrates without them noticing.”

Gerald nodded to himself, having confirmed his suspicion that things would not be simple once they spoke to others of their intention to pursue Kreshtaat into the Spirit Realm. He had to agree with the Grand Master that they needed additional protection, though the more he thought about it, the less of a good idea it seemed to trust this particular source of protection.
“The contract did not mention your involvement,” he said hoarsely, eyes narrowing at the demon. “How do we know that your agent would not simply kill us, making you win the wager?”
“Have you not been listening at all?” The visage sighed, shaking his head in resignation. “I want you to succeed, I want Kreshtaat stopped. Besides, I know that I might employ the occasional trick in my deals and exploit a loophole here and there, but I never cheat. If I did that, no one would want to make deals with me. In fact, I will personally make any servant of mine that even thinks about getting in your way pay sorely for that mistake.”

The fiend turned back to Jillian, and extended a second finger on his upheld hand. “Secondly, I am not sending a monster; the only ‘monsters’ I’d be capable of sending to your aid in my current state are much too valuable to me to give out freely, even for a cause as important as this. And had it been a monster, your little friends at the Temple would be entirely safe looking at it... though I imagine they’d still prefer not to. No, the servant I would be sending is human. He’s exceptionally capable, even more so than many of my immortal minions, and obedient to a fault. He just... doesn’t like his existence being known, and makes a habit of murdering witnesses unless they satisfy certain criteria. If he is there, I guarantee that your physical bodies will be safe if Kreshtaat sends anything less than Himyth herself to stop you.”
A third finger extended. “And thirdly, you can dispense with the pleasantries, Jillian. I don’t expect your servility anymore. You are not in my service, and we have made a bargain; as far as I am concerned that makes us partners, and thus equals. I would honestly prefer you to accept this and treat me as an equal, as well.”

The Prophecy

I did miss that, apparently... hmm... but since Olan hasn't heard either of them speaking in their own language yet, I suppose that he would address Iridiel in the dialect native to the highlanders, if such a thing exists. Failing that - if the dialects of their language aren't determined from that - he's liable to speak with no dialect at all, but rather... hmm... English fails me? I have no idea how to describe this in English. The variant of a language one learns in school, the kind of which is exaggeratedly correct and essentially impersonal?

The Prophecy

The Duchy of Zerul, by a road in southwest

Smiling to himself despite feeling an odd knot in his heart at the sight of Thaler’s gentle gesture towards their sleeping leader, Jaelnec remained standing even as the situation seemed calm and ideal for rest. He needed rest, too - though his mind and soul were relatively intact, he still felt the ache left behind after he had strained himself with the slayer-stance - but somehow he felt as though he could not allow himself to relax. Aemoten was asleep, Thaler seemed so much more defenseless than when they had met her, Etakar was wounded and Olan had quite clearly lowered his guard completely in the face of overwhelming curiosity. With their group in its currently diminished state and with strange - if hospitable-seeming - people in their presence, he felt as though he was their main protector and their only effective bulwark against the dangers of the planes. So he stood, his stance calm and neutral, his arms hanging down his sides, but making sure that his cloak never got in the way of him being able to swiftly draw his sword.
When he had been with Freagon, one of his old master’s hardest, most merciless lessons had been that of vigilance. He would frequently remind the younger Nightwalker of the dangers that could potentially hide behind every corner, in every ditch, or indeed anywhere that one could not see, and that one had to be constantly ready to respond to the appearance of an enemy at a second’s notice. They would travel the roads of Rodoria and Wegam Fermos for days and weeks at times, undertaking long journeys during which nothing happened at all, yet Freagon would notice every time Jaelnec lowered his guard and brutally scold him. Thinking back, the squire realized that Freagon himself had to have possessed an incredible awareness of his surroundings to unfailingly notice whenever his apprentice had had a lapse of attention, yet at the same time had never failed to recognize and respond to a threat himself.
I need to stop comparing myself to Freagon, and aspiring to be like him, he thought, frowning at the sense of inadequacy that overcame him. He was extraordinary in almost every way, except his lack of people-skills. I can never hope to compare to him. He is an ideal to strive for, nothing more. Invincible to the very end.
And yet he died.

He tore his eyes from the Daywalker and the human, focusing on feeling happy that the two of them seemed okay with one another rather than bitter that their immortal leader was the one receiving the affections of an attractive woman such as Thaler. He had to remind himself of his decision to let go and to want the best for the two of them; Aemoten loved her, after all.
Instead he turned his attention to Domhnall, listening to the foreigner’s tale, and finding that he had to fight down a familiar sensation within himself, one he recognized only too well from back in Borstown, and one he thought himself much too disillusioned to indulge in again. But still, that these people and the black-furred creature over there had met just recently, by chance, and then shortly afterwards encountered their group, also by chance? That Iridiel was a Favored One capable of healing, showing up just as Aemoten was reaching the limit of how much he could do to restore their group after their unfortunate encounters? That Domhnall seemed so likeable, and described the other creature - Claw - as ‘the honorable sort’. A group of three, capable of slaying a lohk with no casualties.
The hairs were standing on his arms at the sense of destiny at work, and he swallowed a lump in his throat as he struggled not to embrace the naïve thought so readily. He felt the certainty the Withering would be ended soon growing within himself, and had to remind himself that there were still trials ahead before such a grand deed could be accomplished. But they had already faced the worst, had they not? By the planes, they had already had to face a god! How much greater could their trials get?

“How nice!” Olan replied to Domhnall’s explanation, his excitement not seeming to falter the least in the face of the randomness of their encounter, or the relation between the two whatever-they-were and Claw. “I’m a traveler, too, you know. An explorer, even. I really wouldn’t recommend going any further east, though; it gets really uncomfortable over there, you know.”
Then he turned to look at Iridiel at her perch, smiling widely at her, and did a little bow as well... while speaking in a language Jaelnec was entirely unfamiliar with. He had no way of knowing this, but Olan was speaking the Éireannach language, though with Rodorian grammar, similar to how he had earlier spoken to Etakar in Aemoten’s native tongue. It was surprising, to say the least, and just another piece of evidence of how strange a person Olan really was.
“Greetings, Favored of Sulis. I am at your service.”

The Prophecy

Duchy of Pelgaid, secluded pond

What is the Spirit Realm like? Gerald thought, somewhat taken aback by the question and finding himself unsure whether to react to it with derision or acknowledgement. Part of him had always just worked under the assumption that the Spirit Realm simply was - a kind of abstract, indefinable pseudo-plane that served no particular purpose beyond being the container for mortal dreams and virtually limitless quantities of magical energy - and it had never occurred to him that there might be something there. Not even after being told that Kreshtaat had let part of himself take up residence there did he go beyond that thought; even then he did not realize that he would have to reconsider his former preconceptions concerning the plane of dreams.
But even after Jillian had made him aware of the fact that he would have to learn the laws of an entirely new world if he was to stand a chance against their adversary, he still was not sure that he - or her, for that matter - would ever be able to wrap their heads around the Spirit Realm without actually going there. What would a world with so much magical energy even be like? A world where dreams resided? Where souls could go without their bodies?

“Obviously I have no personal experience with the Spirit Realm, since immortals can’t go there,” the Grand Master started by disclaiming, “but I can tell you what I’ve learned from others and my mortal agents.” The dual red fires within the darkness of the demon’s hood winked out, presumably because their owner closed his eyes. “To my knowledge, only some of your attributes will be maintained in the Spirit Realm... specifically, your physical properties will have no meaning there. However strong or weak you body is in Reniam, it does not matter there; in the Spirit Realm, all that matters is the strength of your soul and your will. And yes, as far as I know your mortal magics work just fine there... even better, actually, since you’ll be in a world composed entirely of magical energy. And since your souls are already accustomed to recharging themselves from there during sleep...” He opened his eyes. “You’ll effectively never deplete your soul there. You can continue casting spells forever, if you so desire, with no ill-effects.”
He crossed his arms over his chest. “You certainly can die there, yes... I’ve lost several agents there trying to sabotage Kreshtaat’s scheme. But... dream?” He shook his head. “I don’t even know what that means. Immortals don’t dream. All I know is that the Spirit Realm supposedly has no form on its own, but takes shape according to the thoughts of mortals like yourselves. It is, they say, ever-changing.”
The Grand Master’s arms fell back down his sides, and he shrugged his shoulders. “But I’m sure that there will be ones at the Joint Temple of Immortals that know more. The Wardens apparently frequent the place, and use it to train their minds and souls.”

Frowning, Gerald said, “If only our souls go there, what about our bodies?”
“Why, they’ll be sleeping, of course,” the other waved him off. “And before you even ask: no, you won’t be stuck in the Spirit Realm if your body is killed while you are there, and yes, you will die on both planes if you are killed in either of them.” He paused, tilting his head thoughtfully. “Actually, that’s a good point... Kreshtaat’s servants could target your bodies in Reniam to stop you, and you have no one to guard you. I will do you a favor, then, and have one of my agents watch over you here while you are in the Spirit Realm. But remember this: tell the people of Fokon to stay inside and to not look outside while you are gone, no matter what. My agent will be liable to... remove anyone that sees him. Permanently.”

The Prophecy

But one could say prepare (say the chant of, but not release the spell) a fireball spell with arcane, then use black magic to create, say oil or some form of flammable gas near/around a target location, then release the fireball.

I'd figure as long as you don't actually mix the two magic types in the same spell it'd be fine, yeah?

yoshua171

Well, for starters it's not actually possible to prepare spells like that. One could speak part of the chant and/or weave part of the patterns associated with the spell, and then try to sustain this unfinished spell until finishing the incantation to invoke it, but even doing that much would increase the chance of the spell failing a lot, and would require the caster to concentrate quite a bit to remember exactly how the spell "feels" and continuously feed the spell magical energy (magical energy, when not bound to something relatively tangible, will always endeavor to disperse). "Finishing" a spell invokes it immediately, and performing the incantation without making it manifest will cause it to disperse on its own, no matter how much magical energy you pour into maintaining it, since you can't finish it anymore.
That said, if one were to attempt such a thing (one could try to do this; as mentioned above a spell not yet invoked can theoretically be sustained indefinitely), then one would still be "holding" a mass of energy infused into arcane nature, and another infused with black nature. While it technically would be possible to keep the two apart, I don't think there's a single mortal mind that would actually be capable of that kind of multitasking; the two energy-infusions would almost inevitably mingle, and the magic would backfire.

"If it's not specifically thought-control or the spell isn't sophisticated enough to separately null your knowledge of self and/or erase your memories of what you were feeling and sensing right before ... I'd expect any kind of generic-effect spell or abrupt illusion to be consciously very jarring and immediately identifiable, the latter especially when you're already aware that someone was casting a mind-affecting spell."

Shienvien

I never actually answered that question? Ugh... sorry. But it'd depend on the illusion-/mind-affecting spell, really. A lot of basic spells in that category would indeed be very jarring to the point where one would most likely realize what had happened - at least if one knew there was a possibility of such magic being invoked; otherwise one might just be really confused - but more advanced magic will usually make a more subtle transition. High-level illusions and mind-affecting magic is also either relatively gradual in its coming into effect, making the change less noticeable, or it will downright force it upon the target(s) that "you will not notice this". The former is obviously slower, but more reliable, whereas the latter is quicker but requires the spell to overpower the target(s) willpower in order for it to not be easily recognizable for what it is.

Incidentally, I'm also getting the feeling that our "translations" of arcane words are supposed to be very inaccurate, and their proper meanings do not really correspond to the English interpretations. (This has nothing to do with mind control.)

Shienvien

Oh yeah, the translations of the arcane language and Devil's Tongue are particularly inaccurate; their true meaning will depend greatly on the context they're put in.

The Prophecy

(Also, why wouldn't deigan's feathers grow back when removed? Feathers on birds and such will grow back when ripped out just fine - in fact, if a bird's feathers get too damaged, it is occasionally advised to remove them prematurely just because it makes them properly grow back long before the bird would have naturally molted.)

Shienvien

Eh, I probably expressed myself a bit strangely before. What I meant to say was that they remove the feathers and make sure they don't grow back; the action of removing them is not what causes them not to grow back.

So, if I understand that properly, those limiters are basically the limits which a given player can reach at which point they should not seek to leave.

yoshua171

Oh, not at all. The characters are entirely free to go beyond the limiters of relevance. What they limit is mostly just the information flow across them, and the formation of any significant relations between nations on different sides thereof. We already have several characters that have come from outside the limiters of relevance, and just as they were free to enter, everyone are also free to leave and explore the rest of the world.

In regards to the Deo'iel, that is entirely fair. Also I more meant the fifth circle. However, given the rather absurd level that'd mean Ilitas had reached already I think it might make for a less interesting set of possible paths for character development. So yeah, I think I may do without the Deo'iel, though I am intrigued by them personally and would love to see more of how they function haha.

yoshua171

Actually there's a quite huge gap between fifth and sixth circle of the deo'iel. First and second circle are very close to one another, and advancing from one to the other basically just marks the transition from "newbie" to "low-ranking agent", the third circle is slightly higher than the second, meaning that one has acquired some experience in the field, fourth is even farther from the third, signifying that one is good enough to lead a team... What I'm getting at is that the "gap" between ranks in the deo'iel increases exponentially in size with each circle. Fifth is quite a bit above fourth circle, to the point where they are counted on to have sound judgment without the need to have a large number of individuals to seek counsel with, and sixth circle is far above fifth, just as seventh circle is - technically, but not practically - way past the sixth circle. Each circle is drawn around the last one, after all, meaning that each new circle will have a larger circumference than the last one.
Eh, but the characters are free to learn about anything they want to learn about, obviously, including the deo'iel, in whichever way they see fit.

One other question. Would using black magic at the same time as arcane render a spell null.

Like if someone spoke a few arcane words and then some in the demon's tongue to say a spell would it just outright not work or would it cause weird mixed results? Is there any way to mix the two?

yoshua171

I think I remember someone (not sure who) once asking what would happen if one mixed runes of the arcane language and Devil's Tongue and tried to make a mixed spell with those. The result of doing so is quite similar to the result of trying to cast a spell partway arcane and partway black; arcane and black magic are two sides of the same coin, eerily similar yet polar opposites. The metaphor I used with the runes was comparing them to matter and antimatter, and the comparison remains apt: each on their own they function normally, but trying to bring them together makes things turn ugly. I mean that spells experience "epic failure", to use a slightly humorous term, and tend to violently explode, unleashing all of the magical energy stored in the words upon the caster and its vicinity.

The Prophecy

It never fails: whenever I have a day during which I don't really go near my computer, stuff happens. It's good to see you here again, Ashgan! Now I just need to figure out where in my log of posts I left off with what scene so that I can remind myself what occurred previous to current events...

And yoshua is making a new character? Well, let's see about it, then, though it seems that Shien has already addressed most of the details about the character and such. Just to clarify in case there was any confusion about it, the label "limiters of relevance" isn't one that is used IC, but is a purely OOC label to refer to the conditions that limit the area of simple and/or frequent interaction between the countries on different sides of which, or the denizens thereof.
About her membership in the deo'iel, I'd reiterate Shien's comment that sixth circle is maybe a bit advanced. Sixth circle deo'iel are the kind that deal with "legendary difficulty encounters", to put it in gaming-terms, and they're generally in possession of nothing short of superhuman abilities in one field or another. I'm not saying that Ilitas can't be in the sixth circle, mind you, (though it is also worth noting that sixth circle deo'iel are free to command anyone below their own rank, unless their orders are negated by orders from someone from the seventh circle) but it'd be a fairly big job to take onto oneself. And as Shien also pointed out, a downright defection from the deo'iel - abandoning one's team if one has one, or otherwise ignoring orders from one's superiors - will have consequences, especially at such high ranks as fifth or sixth circle. If one just defects one will most likely just be captured and brought back to a nearby base to explain themselves, but if one starts exhibiting monster-like behavior (they do have a definition for what is considered monstrous, by the way)... well, deo'iel exist to kill monsters. And they'll always send someone of at least the same rank as the deserter to bring them back. If the deserter is of the sixth circle, it's fairly likely that one would receive a visit from Lord Nightmare.
So basically, she will either have to abide to deo'iel regulations and orders, or she will have to deal with persecution that will grow more and more intense the longer she stays out of touch, and will become particularly bad if she tries to defend herself.

True deigan necromancer... Heh, looking at the Compendium I realize there is no mention of this in there, and to be honest I'm not even sure whether I've mentioned it at all, but the true deigan have a "special" relationship to the forbidden arts of magic (necromancy, black magic and summoning magic). It's still technically illegal, as per the law of the lands they inhabit, but they have a system that can allow true deigan to research and practice the forbidden arts if their desire to do so is strong enough.
Each true deigan city has it's own faction of Karh'wai; "no-name" or "Nameless". As their collective moniker hints, members of this group are not allowed to have names... but they are not allowed to have identities, or even faces, either. Upon joining the Nameless, a true deigan is registered as and reported to be dead, ensuring that no one but the leader of the Nameless and the head of the given city knows the truth. The Nameless is then taken to their local residence, where the feathers down its back and neck are removed - ensuring that they never grow back -, leaving only the ones on the scalp, and from then on one is only ever allowed to show oneself wearing the black-and-red robes of the Nameless, with hands and arms wrapped in bandages and heads wrapped in cloth so that no one will recognize them. In return for the sacrifice of one's identity, the Nameless are allowed to practice the forbidden arts. The leader of the Nameless is the Sel'wai ("new-name" or "Renamed"), which - despite what the moniker suggests - still has no name, but is renamed only in that it is known as the Renamed. The Renamed is always a member of the Court of the given city (meaning that they serve as part of the group that makes decisions for the city, headed by the patriarch or matriarch) and wears a white ceramic mask with a thin black "smile" and two black hollows where the eyes would be.
Use that information however you like, but it just seemed rather relevant.

The forbidden arts are actually permitted to be used by the deo'iel, as the only ones besides the aforementioned Nameless. The reason that they're allowed to do so is exactly the fact that they're supervised by the deo'iel, though, and that anyone falling to using the forbidden arts for darker purposes (which is to say, "monstrous" purposes) would be quickly noticed and summarily terminated before they could become a scourge upon the land.

You can charge runes without touching them, though it's harder than - and not as cost-effective as - doing so while touching them. Necromancy would make one particularly capable of doing so, though, at minimal additional loss of magical energy, though the difference in difficulty would still be the same. (Necromancy is not an ability that is learned and from then on makes everything easier, after all; it is a skill that means that one has the senses and the mental capacity to do such things.)

And as to other uses of necromancy, I think I'll stick to Shien's suggestion until something more specific comes up: practically anything requiring the manipulation of magical energy is potentially made "sharper", more accurate and more cost-effective by necromancy.

(The deo'iel's definition of what a monster is, by the way, is "something or someone that indiscriminately causes injury or death to sentient races, and/or which poses an unmotivated palpable mortal danger to a large number of sentient beings". This is why Morgan and the Sisters of Torment, while a vampire and demonspawn, respectively, would not be categorized as monsters (at the moment), and why most bandits and such are of no interest to them. Interestingly, this also means that Vilhej the Righteous violated her own rules when she lead her siege against the Land of Eternal Night since the Black Tribunal, according to the deo'iel, are not monsters.)

The Prophecy

How are your post coming along, Legion? Should I wait for it?

Also, @Ashgan: how are you doing?

The Prophecy

Zerul City, the Drunken Dove

Neither of the deo’iel sisters seemed to react to the restrained hostility and grim threats being exchanged between Ixion and Morgan, though they did seem a little affected by the delay in their business this caused. Violet seemed restless, shifting her weight from leg to leg as her brow furrowed in a worried expression, and while Rose’s expression was much harder to read with just the eyes being visible over her mask, her brow did seem to lower progressively the longer they took to get on with business, betraying a growing annoyance and impatience. The exchange between Ixion and Morgan did not take long, but even the couple of handfuls of seconds running through their fingers seemed to bother them.
They did not react to the revelation of Ixion’s face or name either, and both simply nodded at him in recognition of the sign of goodwill sharing his identity symbolized, particularly after him pointing out that he was aware of how dangerous doing so could be. They both reacted much more visibly when Morgan removed his mask, with Violet’s eyes widening and her worry seeming to move aside to let wonder and curiosity take its place, a small smile coming upon her lips, and Rose’s tilting her head left, examining him with great interest. Again they both nodded in greeting, then turned their attention to I’on.
“We are familiar with your name,” Violet commented on I’on’s introduction, as she and her sister nodded their greeting for the third time. That was her only comment on that, or any of their identities, even with the implications of Morgan and Ixion’s unusual appearances and the occupations suggested by the statement of the latter.

Rose was reaching her left hand to her face to remove her own mask - revealing that her left hand, unlike the right one, was unclothed in its shelter beneath the cloak, only had four fingers and seemed to be covered in what appeared to be short white fur - but stopped in the middle of the motion when I’on spoke again, addressing them on the issue of what to do about what had happened here.
“Not our problem,” the masked demonspawn grumbled, waving the penin off impatiently.
“Easy, dear,” Violet cautioned her sister, then turned her attention to I’on. “But really, don’t worry about it too much; I very much doubt we’ll be interrupted. The guards know that my sister and I are here, as does the innkeeper, and neither will be very eager to interrupt our business... or any deo’iel’s business, actually, since it tends to be rather dangerous.” She paused, shrugging. “As for the condition of the inn, I will report the incident to the nearest deo’iel base, and they will take care of reparations. I expect that they will pay both for repairs to the building and compensation for lost income during the time it will take to fix the place. Then my sister and I will receive a reprimand and a penalty for what happened, and business will continue as usual.”
She looked around at the empty room, then refocused on I’on. “And I suppose that we might as well talk about the Fixer here, now that everyone else left. Our concern about speaking of him is that he seems to want to keep his existence as close to unknown as possible, though he appears to allow a select few to know about him; people he expects to become strong one day, is our main theory. Anyone within earshot earlier, when you mentioned his name... well, luckily we did not discuss his identity any further, so he might let it slip. Otherwise, chances are that he will kill them soon.”
“Also,” Rose interrupted, pointing her newly revealed furry left hand at Ixion as she stared at him intently, “you’ll want to be careful with that sword. You took that from a tool; they all have one. It’s called a Dirge, and it’s a bane-weapon... if you know what that means.”