Ignis of Animi
Member
At first, Ignis paced around the small chamber --as best as her injured leg would allow-- fueled by the anxiety of making a deal with a mythical creature. There was no other answer for the strange woman that had transformed into a wooden circlet and attached herself to the engineer’s head. That much wasn’t terribly strange or concerning; magic was a part of Ignis’ everyday life. Not even having some unidentified magical creature stuck to her caused more than some mild concern. What truly got to the rust-feathered woman was being stuck in a small, stone chamber with no visible way out.
Finally, a sharp pain jolted Ignis from her circling and worrying. Amicus had pulled out a few of the down feathers coating most of her body.
“Ouch!” the avian complained, glaring down at the mons infans reproachfully.
The bushy creature stared back unrelenting and visibly annoyed, judging by the way his leaves ruffled.
“Oh fine. I suppose I should get to work. There isn’t any other way out, now is there?”
With a sigh, Ignis examined the room once more. Her eyes settled on one of the green banners draped on the walls and narrowed. They seemed to have a familiarity to them that had been absent before, as though she knew what they meant at one time.
After a few minutes of squinting, Ignis squawked, startled. Regret. One of the symbols meant ‘regret’. Nervously, the enlil pinched her own arm. Despite the twinge from her curved talons, the symbol’s meaning was as plain to her as if written in common tongue. A strange development. Perhaps the Sidhe attached to her head was responsible for this new knowledge.
Ignis took a steadying breath and looked over the symbols once more.
You will regret stealing for eternity.
“That’s odd….”
The engineer turned away from the banner and moved towards one of the stone benches protruding from a wall adjacent to the wall she’d walked through earlier. There were more details to the strange situation and these documents were her only hope of discovering what had happened.
100 Post Terminus
The cataclysm had destroyed our ancestral homes. Our monuments struck down, libraries torn to pieces, and graves scattered. Nothing remained whole. Great is the rage that the Vis have shown and we weep, a century later for what was lost. Our cries to the holy ones go unanswered. Many mourn. We do not have enough supplies to survive a trip back to Terminus, that budding capital. An endless winter has settled over what was once a great civilization. And we risk an endless sleep.
After much crying out and spreading of ashes, a creature has heard our misery and come to investigate. It was tall and fair and seemed unbothered by the cold. It calls itself ‘Sidhe’ or ‘fair folk’. It is not like us mortals for it knows magic unlike any we have seen or recorded. The creature seemed amused by our wonder at its powers.
The fair folk has granted us her mercy. She is called Arline. In exchange for service, Arline has restored our ancestral home to its former glory. Buildings rose from ice and snow, monuments rebuilt from ice, all with her mark. We are now the people of Arline. Arlineans we shall be in gratitude for our revival. In the cold snow, we have found spring. There shall be much rejoicing and celebration.
We sang for her and danced. Arline smiled on as we settled into our new home and began to teach us special skills and magics. Thus we were able to shrug off the icy winds and expand our domain below to the caves. We hunted and became successful traders, making journeys south to exchange goods. We created ice that was unmelting even in fire, from which the finest jewels could be crafted and sold. Chambers in the caves were converted into a system of mines as well as farms. For we learned to remove the touch of cold from a space for a time. We were a new people under Arline’s guidance.
125 Post Terminus
The new Arlinean temple has just been constructed. Our fair lady has come to inspect it. It rises ten meters from the ground and a great arch forms the entrance. Within, we have arranged pillars to form a circle to her liking. The walls are inscribed with detailed images representing her great deeds. It commemorates nearly 30 years of service to our lady. In the center of the ring of pillars stands an altar where we burn offerings in her honor. The fair lady looks the same as she did so many years ago though her smile is not as bright. We shall adjust the temple to her liking.
Despite our best efforts, our lady smiles less. We discover we have made a grave error. Iron injures our fair lady and the increasing amount of iron tools in our encampment sickens her. We thus will entomb our tools in a chamber far below in the caves, away from our lady.
175 Post Terminus
Dark times are upon us. We uncovered of the nature of the service that Arline wished from us in exchange for her assistance. The song and dance and sacrifices, the monuments to her honor were all mere amusement to her.
Conan, son of Albin, had just seen the close of his ninth winter when he began to behave strangely. He slowly began to grow unnaturally attached to his mother, refusing to leave her side. He threw great tantrums that only Arline could calm. Despite his behavior, Arline smiled on him. For a time, after she spoke with the boy, he would calm. Each time the strange behavior returned, it was tenfold.
Before long, Albin died in an accident in the mines. We believed his behavior to be the result of his father’s loss. We believed his mother, Cassia, grew weak with grief as well. Until one day she discovered a dark mark on the back of her neck. The screeching as a result was terrible, drawing everyone to the scene.
At that moment, Arline’s price was revealed. Conan was no more; in his place was a changeling. Our fair lady had in the night exchanged the boy for her own child. Enraged, Cassia struck down the mockery of her lost child and fled deep into the caves.
Arline’s wrath was terrible. Everything shook tremendously. The terrible chase led me, Felix, on Arline’s heels straight into this chamber. Cassia sealed the entrance before Arline could have her head. The fair lady saw fit to watch me starve. I fear for those above, for once she escapes, Arline will destroy them all.
Ignis backed away from the papers, her broken leg moving stiffly due to its crude binding.
“Arline!” she shouted, voice echoing in that stony chamber.
The strange woman reappeared.
“Tell me the truth! Did you murder a child?”
“None of your concern, mortal.”
“I’m not letting you out of here if you’re going to kidnap and kill children. We will both die here.” The enlil's eyes began to glow a dangerous red hue.
“You promised!” the pale creature hissed angrily.
“I said I would assist you if you help me,” the enlil retorted, glaring poisonously. “You have yet to do a thing for me, I owe you nothing! My only debt is to Natum. If they wish me to settle it then they will have to come and get me. I’m not setting you loose!”
“You fool!”
As if on cue, Ignis burst into flames, smoke quickly filling the chamber.
Arline grabbed Ignis’ forearms and the flames spread to her as well. In less than a minute, the enlil, the fae, and the woodland spirit were gone, a pile of cooling ashes in their place.[/HR][/HR]
Finally, a sharp pain jolted Ignis from her circling and worrying. Amicus had pulled out a few of the down feathers coating most of her body.
“Ouch!” the avian complained, glaring down at the mons infans reproachfully.
The bushy creature stared back unrelenting and visibly annoyed, judging by the way his leaves ruffled.
“Oh fine. I suppose I should get to work. There isn’t any other way out, now is there?”
With a sigh, Ignis examined the room once more. Her eyes settled on one of the green banners draped on the walls and narrowed. They seemed to have a familiarity to them that had been absent before, as though she knew what they meant at one time.
After a few minutes of squinting, Ignis squawked, startled. Regret. One of the symbols meant ‘regret’. Nervously, the enlil pinched her own arm. Despite the twinge from her curved talons, the symbol’s meaning was as plain to her as if written in common tongue. A strange development. Perhaps the Sidhe attached to her head was responsible for this new knowledge.
Ignis took a steadying breath and looked over the symbols once more.
You will regret stealing for eternity.
“That’s odd….”
The engineer turned away from the banner and moved towards one of the stone benches protruding from a wall adjacent to the wall she’d walked through earlier. There were more details to the strange situation and these documents were her only hope of discovering what had happened.
100 Post Terminus
The cataclysm had destroyed our ancestral homes. Our monuments struck down, libraries torn to pieces, and graves scattered. Nothing remained whole. Great is the rage that the Vis have shown and we weep, a century later for what was lost. Our cries to the holy ones go unanswered. Many mourn. We do not have enough supplies to survive a trip back to Terminus, that budding capital. An endless winter has settled over what was once a great civilization. And we risk an endless sleep.
After much crying out and spreading of ashes, a creature has heard our misery and come to investigate. It was tall and fair and seemed unbothered by the cold. It calls itself ‘Sidhe’ or ‘fair folk’. It is not like us mortals for it knows magic unlike any we have seen or recorded. The creature seemed amused by our wonder at its powers.
The fair folk has granted us her mercy. She is called Arline. In exchange for service, Arline has restored our ancestral home to its former glory. Buildings rose from ice and snow, monuments rebuilt from ice, all with her mark. We are now the people of Arline. Arlineans we shall be in gratitude for our revival. In the cold snow, we have found spring. There shall be much rejoicing and celebration.
We sang for her and danced. Arline smiled on as we settled into our new home and began to teach us special skills and magics. Thus we were able to shrug off the icy winds and expand our domain below to the caves. We hunted and became successful traders, making journeys south to exchange goods. We created ice that was unmelting even in fire, from which the finest jewels could be crafted and sold. Chambers in the caves were converted into a system of mines as well as farms. For we learned to remove the touch of cold from a space for a time. We were a new people under Arline’s guidance.
125 Post Terminus
The new Arlinean temple has just been constructed. Our fair lady has come to inspect it. It rises ten meters from the ground and a great arch forms the entrance. Within, we have arranged pillars to form a circle to her liking. The walls are inscribed with detailed images representing her great deeds. It commemorates nearly 30 years of service to our lady. In the center of the ring of pillars stands an altar where we burn offerings in her honor. The fair lady looks the same as she did so many years ago though her smile is not as bright. We shall adjust the temple to her liking.
Despite our best efforts, our lady smiles less. We discover we have made a grave error. Iron injures our fair lady and the increasing amount of iron tools in our encampment sickens her. We thus will entomb our tools in a chamber far below in the caves, away from our lady.
175 Post Terminus
Dark times are upon us. We uncovered of the nature of the service that Arline wished from us in exchange for her assistance. The song and dance and sacrifices, the monuments to her honor were all mere amusement to her.
Conan, son of Albin, had just seen the close of his ninth winter when he began to behave strangely. He slowly began to grow unnaturally attached to his mother, refusing to leave her side. He threw great tantrums that only Arline could calm. Despite his behavior, Arline smiled on him. For a time, after she spoke with the boy, he would calm. Each time the strange behavior returned, it was tenfold.
Before long, Albin died in an accident in the mines. We believed his behavior to be the result of his father’s loss. We believed his mother, Cassia, grew weak with grief as well. Until one day she discovered a dark mark on the back of her neck. The screeching as a result was terrible, drawing everyone to the scene.
At that moment, Arline’s price was revealed. Conan was no more; in his place was a changeling. Our fair lady had in the night exchanged the boy for her own child. Enraged, Cassia struck down the mockery of her lost child and fled deep into the caves.
Arline’s wrath was terrible. Everything shook tremendously. The terrible chase led me, Felix, on Arline’s heels straight into this chamber. Cassia sealed the entrance before Arline could have her head. The fair lady saw fit to watch me starve. I fear for those above, for once she escapes, Arline will destroy them all.
Ignis backed away from the papers, her broken leg moving stiffly due to its crude binding.
“Arline!” she shouted, voice echoing in that stony chamber.
The strange woman reappeared.
“Tell me the truth! Did you murder a child?”
“None of your concern, mortal.”
“I’m not letting you out of here if you’re going to kidnap and kill children. We will both die here.” The enlil's eyes began to glow a dangerous red hue.
“You promised!” the pale creature hissed angrily.
“I said I would assist you if you help me,” the enlil retorted, glaring poisonously. “You have yet to do a thing for me, I owe you nothing! My only debt is to Natum. If they wish me to settle it then they will have to come and get me. I’m not setting you loose!”
“You fool!”
As if on cue, Ignis burst into flames, smoke quickly filling the chamber.
Arline grabbed Ignis’ forearms and the flames spread to her as well. In less than a minute, the enlil, the fae, and the woodland spirit were gone, a pile of cooling ashes in their place.[/HR][/HR]