“There are thirteen arcane arts, Apothecary the art of herbs and potions and often found at least a little bit in each of the other arts. Demonology, the art of summoning, binding, tracking and hunting demons. Enchantment, the art of illusion, charms and crafting. Foresight, the art of divining, magical light, and magical sight. Gravomancy, the art of planar travel, and mass manipulation. Mageokinesis, the art of fire, ice, and other elemental manipulations. Necromancy, the art of life, death and healing. Psykics, the art of the mind magic, telekinesis, and mental defences. Ritual, the art of perminancy, magical foundations, and like Apothecary can be found even in the most simplistic magical spell as every spell requires some kind of ritual. Spellcraft, the art of categorising, identifying and defining new unknown magics. Summoning, the art of binding, tracking and hunting of non demonic extraplanar entities. Alchemy, the art of taking ritual magics and using magic to fabricate weapons, tools and making constructs. Warding, the art of counter magic, anti magic and disenchantment. Eight of these arts have spells and the remainder are found in other magicks and supplement the weaknesses of the casting arts. Ritual can also be cast under the right circumstances but that is often the exception not the rule!” Alamandus Spark, So you want to be a wizard? 1888 Age of Revolution.

1509.04.09 Mondark, Varsh

Sally was sweeping the front of the shop she was not living at. An old orcish woman named Gellek took her in. Gellek like many of the other northerners had loose warmer looking clothes unlike the locals here but she took Sally in when she was found sleeping outside her shop, fed and made sure she got a bath. Sally’s short routine thus far had been tea and chicken with Gellek, sweeping her shop front and then she was pretty well allowed to explore Fort Julius at her leisure. People here seemed distracted by something, the smell of soot and coal got stronger as one made it past the temple district. The sounds of hammering metal could be heard throughout the fort, marching and drills of soldiers added to the cacophony of sounds. This place was so much louder then Atalar, Gellek’s hand me downs fit Sally loosely but she was able to make it work by tying some portions back and together so that today’s outfit wouldn’t fall off of her. Sally continued to brush the dust into the alley she was found sleeping in, everyday since her father was taken has felt like a numbness inside of her growing. A hardening of a heart, the stillness and survival of the mind, suddenly sally ears perked to the ringing of bells tolling and shouts cutting through the routine that Sally was barely able to create in the last few days.

As Sally looked up from where she was, a distant meteor soared through the air. It splashed? It seemed so solid flying through the air but the tower in the centre of the fort once the object collided with splashed caustic red necrotic liquid and the effects on the structure were immediate. Like the tower had aged and was ill maintained for a hundred years or more now. Sally couldn’t imagine what was happening to the people below it was being splashed upon but she feared they worst. Her heart stilled furthermore and Sally dropped the broom and ran inside.

“Gellek we have to go?”

“Whats this dear? I hear screaming outside! Oh you cleaned the shop!”

“There isn’t time Gellek we need to leave the city is under attack!”

“By whom?”

“Mages of some sort they just aged the tower outside till its barely standing! We need to go that would assuredly be a very terrible way to go!”

“Let me ge-” White light flashes throughout the shop, Sally’s hard work and the structure of the shop itself disappearing in an instant. Sally felt her skin hurt, it was suddenly covered in rashes and her could feel blood or something leaking out of her sink.

“Gellek” Sally’s voice croaked, how had the air become so suddenly dry. Only silence answered back. There was crying in the distance and Sally could hear fire cracking around her. The heat of the room starting to truly bake her now, Sally coughed and felt something burn inside her chest, she couldn’t see. Fear spiked within her, she had to run. She couldn’t see but she had to run. Sally got up, she’d been lying on her back. Then trying to sprint to remember where the door was she could only find wall wood and stone. Finally she found an opening or more of a crater as she tripped felled and rolled into some hard. Pain spiralled around the half elven girl.

“There are survivors! We need to get these people to the keep now! We’ll use the western wall as cover! Move move move!”

Sally was getting to her feet, someone grabbed her arms and she felt her own skin loosening. Sally was surprised it didn’t hurt. In fact Sally wasn’t in pain at all apart from the initial sharp stings that interacted with everything she could fell.

“This one needs a healer, by Hera’s Grace!”

“There are more survivors!”

“Move move move!” Sally felt movement around her, like a million moving bodies that she was unable to see. To see… Sally wondered if there was magic to fix her sight as her feet moved underneath her. She remembered collapsing and being unable to walk though she wasn’t sure why. Eventually Sally’s saviour would bring her somewhere where she lied still for a time and she could no longer stay conscious in the waking world.

___________________________________________________________________________

1509.04.09 Mondark, Varsh

Victoria marvelled at her army, her dolls obedient at her feet with magical essence being pouring into talismans of a pitch black refectiveless metal. Victoria could feel her catalyst aglow with the magic and the heat it emanated. Victoria was dressed in black, her face of a distinct high elven not unlike her dark elven one but worn currently as she moved to, in her own eyes, grace her army with her presence.

“Soldiers! Children of Elantra! The First Prince’s few chosen! You stand today to fight back against the oppression of the Empire! To stand up for elven traditions and sovereignty! To ensure your children grown up in an elven world! With elven laws! Elven prosperity! Elven magic and wizardry! Our might will sweep the Empire! The Empire will fall before our bows, swords and choke on their dead! We shall bring the other children of the celestials into the fold! The beasts of Aerith will be cut in twain! Service to our Gods! Service to our Saviours! Service to the Inquisition!” A roar of cheering responded to the maniacal noble, her mind feeling the intoxication of power that she held at her very fingertips.

Mortals are too easy, a little push here and the mention of disposition there. Soon plans will begin to unfold.

“March! Children of Elantra March! Feel the earth calling! Even byt her planetary grace doth she desire the blood of our enemies! The gods will reward us! Your sacrifices met with gold and glory! Your sins absolved with the blood of foul heretics and liars of the worst sort! Seek no capture for none will be given! Kill or be killed Children of Elantra and let Aerith tremble in our wake!” The chorus of cheers were sound joined by the rattling of bone, wood and stone beyond them.

Perfect, the Necromancers have finally arrived.

“I must bid you true elves of Elantra adu! As you can no doubt hear, the deathless have arrived! Truth that the gods are with us, for the dead rise again to fight with us! To kill and slay heretics! The Mistress of Mages will guide you soon! March true conquers and liberators of elves! Gods’ grant you strength!”

Victoria turned and left, she snapped her fingers and her servants moved in an instant following behind. The bone wand is so delicately carved and embossed with gold, silver and a single dark red ruby in the pommel with a swirl of metal and a single small blade. Victoria always marvelled at her catalyst, stolen from the face she was now using.

High elves always did underestimate us.

“War plans are prepared, your highness! We are prepared to march on your order” A dashed smile flashed in Victoria's direction and the imposter faked a blush and a curtsy.

“First Archnecromancer! It is good to see you men so eager for battle.”

“The deathless know neither fear nor an eagerness to fight, the mages of the third circle on the other hand have given the deathless the new directive to not capture the civilians. The Ildran also stand with you your Highness and have sacked Sumpter and are now marching to Fort Julius as we speak.”

“I know Tal’Rie, what of the other protectorates?”

“The east stands with you your highness, however they lack the spine to join us right away and the west have decided to stay neutral for the conflict.”

“Neutrality will do for now, the Londarians will wish they weren’t neutral in the next century when we move on to our second and third phases.”

“Of Course your highness.” Victoria gestured to the human servants following behind dress in plain brown robes and ascribed with a tattoo that encircled their necks.

“Take these dolls, used them to fuel the runes you’ve created in our new army and one more thing.” She made sure to use the blood of one of her dolls and reflexively forced the bald human to grab the talismans they’d been feeding into earlier. The human bent over in pain.

Krasia Los, Kreik Doma, Is’Lan Goff, Eterna Don Krasia!

The talismans began to glow and the being screamed in raw visceral pain, soon the screaming turning roaring as the talismans sunk into limbs and forehead of the transforming being. Bones mean to stay inside created claws and blades out of the fingers and foremans of the human. Legs and feet having similar mutations happening. The chest and spine ribs began to pierce through the skin and blood poured out of the growing beast. What flesh not being destroyed seemed to retreat into the ribs and spine of the creature as a bone chest and spinal plate began forming. The skull of the creature was no longer recognizable as human any longer. The forehead plate grew and covered the eyes of the monstrosity. Cracking bone and grinding could be heard as cartilage was transformed and morphed through magic. Violent jerking and tearing of flesh and bone as the creature was forcibly turned in a very dark mockery of a gorilla. Massive razor sharp claws replacing its fists, and feet and the talismans were inlet on the hands, feet and forehead.

“Look how beautiful you are now! Perfected in the image of your elven masters.” The

creature wept slowly as it got to its feet.

“Silence beast! Tal’Rei, use this creature sparingly. Something to cause nightmares for the Imperials stationed in Anvil’s Crest.”

“Of course your highness, your blessings will not be squandered on us!”

“The gods carry your arms and arrows Archnecromancer, Anvil’s Crest needs to be broken to support the siege on Fort Julius otherwise the Imperial counterattack will be enough to stop the Ildrani alone. Our elven brothers and sisters within the Ildran region need our help to ensure their liberation from Imperial influence.We’ve prepared so much for this moment and it will only take a few missteps to ensure our own demise Tal’Rei, we’ve trained for the worst but make sure that doesn’t happen. You can always be replaced Tal’Rei never forget that.” The Necromancer bowed low and swiftly and exited the presence of his apparent superior with haste. When the mages left with her servants Victoria finally left from her tent. Taking no time to get their she quickly looked around to ensure no one was looking at her or for her but it seemed for now she had created a fervent air of movement. People too busy marching, packing or training to notice their highness getting inside of her tent.

Victoria pulled the mask from her face and she could feel the flesh suit start to melt away into her true form. That of a dark elf a half a foot short, in her tent Victoria looked at her bound victims, all of them the faces no longer on their persons. The Mistress she’d been masquerading as, The Grand Inquisitor herself Y’Csille Strindawn struggled against her binding.

“Oh little fly, you’ll soon learn like the others.” Victoria sauntered over like a cat stalking its prey, her other victims reflexively trying to move away in spite of their bindings and state.

“Just kill me you witch!” The inquisitor spat blood while they talked, her mouth opening new wounds though you could hardly tell from the state of the poor elf.

“Shhh shhh…” Victoria lightly slapping the inquisitor's face causing her to attempt to move back from the pain

“No little fly, I need you alive, your identity is too precious to me to throw away now. No inquisitor, you have much work to do in politics before we let you be free” Victoria’s wand was still in her hand, she dragged it across the back of another elf’s shoulders, oddly soft and its presence was undeniable.

“Fuck you bloodbitch!” Victoria spun on her heel and slapped the inquisitor in the face with full force causing the first layer of healing scabs to for the most part be thrown from the woman’s face. It quickly scabbed of unnaturally fast and the scabs that had fallen shrivelled up into dust. The Inquisitor now quietly felt the raging pain of a newly broken jaw and cutting grib of her restraints as her wrists hung in place.

“You keep a better demeanour than that little fly.” Victoria’s anger flared as she spoke through clenched teeth.

“You high elves, you Tal’Kaell, blood magic is what makes us Tal’Dao superior to you disgusting pale bloods. And you little inquisitor wench… I will make sure you are run through the breeding pits before your body has fulfilled its uses for me.” The inquisitor's grew wide with fear though with no eyelids that was hard to really tell.

“My people will find me…”

“Your people sanctioned this pale blood, I believe I will be standing trial in a away shortly after this invasion?”

“You're dooming us!”

“Oh child.. Elantra is as doomed as the Empire is, you need to learn to look out for yourself. Though I suppose that you won’t have to worry about that for the next few years.”

“The gods’ will judge you witch!”

“The gods are dead pale blood, your little camps are proof enough of that. No this bed is something the Tal’Kaell have made for themselves and thus the cycle of life continues.

“Traitorous bloodbitch!” Victoria snorted, then looked at the inquisitor evilly..

“I thought you would’ve learned your lesson” Victoria’s voice dripped with mockery, like that of a parent making fun of an adorable creature caught in a trap. The dark elf drew her knife, a bone handled mithril knife where the serrated blade looked like a thin fern leaf. Victoria slowly pushed the blade in through the top of the shoulder blade, with ease the dark elven wizard forced the wound to heal around the knife her apparent ease of control of the body’s autonomy causing the wound to close over. Victoria slapped the blade jammed inside the high elf and giggled.

“Don’t you look so pretty now.”

“May the Sol’Dae dynasty die with you witch!” Victoria said nothing, but she did tap the knife with her wand two times.

Feir Nas

The inquisitor cried out in pain and one could smell burnt flesh.

“Speak out of turn little fly and you’ll find someone else replaces you faster than not. Don’t want to hasten your journey do you? Now be an obedient little pet AND SHUT YOUR PALEBLOODED FILTH ASS OF A MOUTH BEFORE I STUFF IT WITH WASPS AM I CLEAR.” Victoria boomed with rage in the inquisitor’s tent, she knew the damping magic of the inquisitor’s tent was useful for interrogations and of course capturing an inquisitor if you are fast enough. Victoria tapped the knife again two times with her wand.

Feir Nas

“Be a good girl and answer little fly.” She nodded in assent, her body shuddering in pain, the inquisitor's cries of pain becoming dull sobs. Victoria taps the knives again

Feir Nas

The inquisitor’s body shudders again and Victoria saw the elve’s eyes roll in the back of her head and she begins to spasm and seize.

“You don’t get to die that easily,” Victoria began to panic internally, attempting to catalyse the blood inside the body to heal but all that same was laughter from the inquisitor and she stopped seizing up.

“Your tenuous hold on power will be your downfall bloodbitch, ” The high elf managed to spit out before falling unconscious. Victoria was sweating a little harder than she’d thought.

Control yourself, control yourself. The arrogant little elf will rue the day she spoke thusly to me! The future queen of Elantra! Soon soon…

With that Victoria began to plot and scheme, soon leaving the tent in the same disguise she came into the tent with.