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Kage Fadir walked up to the large tree that comprised Velho's estate. The flowers that surrounded the property set a certain ambiance that he found fitting for what he considered a 'gloomy' part of Aelheim. He had never met Velho – one tended to be out of touch when they left for hundreds of years at a time. That was partially why Kage wanted to visit. He liked to get to know aelves that were doing well for themselves or had something interesting going on.
Kage hadn't believed it when he'd heard, but apparently Velho had come into possession of a Grovebane. He'd come primarily to see it, but he also had other reasons. He had his inari, Fluffy, trailing behind him. She bore her 'normal' form which was human-like aside from the fox tail and ears. In her hands was a jar with a firefly inside of it that glowed every so often.
The aelf knocked on the door in the late evening hoping that Velho was home and available.
༺༉❁ September 20 year 124 of the third age ❁༉༻ <notes>
Hæsperia in general could be described as gloomy, eerie, even foreboding and in some places foul– but the locales occupied by the Æld'Norai all had a distinct, bewitching beauty to them. A chorus of frogs accompanied by the occasional chitter of insects or animal call colored Själasalr's soundscape, yet Kage and his companion would feel a distinct sense of isolation all the same as they approached. The night's darkness was illuminated only by the soft glow of the wisteria trees and the blinking lights of fireflies for Fluffy, though Kage would see far better due to the glow of Saol within all life which surrounded him.
The entrance to Själasalr was a grand, ornately carved wooden double door and the knockers would fall with heavy thuds against it. The visitors would need not wait long before the door opened, though the pale face that emerged from within would likely contrast against Kage's expectations if he had thought Velho would be the one to open the door.
"Welcome," the Ælven woman spoke, her voice warm and smooth as silk. She eyed the modified Inari inquisitively for a brief moment before her discerning gaze shifted back to the Æld'Norai.
"Come in," she'd say to them with a soft smile and a nod.
Lucia would push the door open enough for the two guests to enter, then stride to the waiting room's center whilst gesturing to any of the seats. As she moved, "I will fetch Ferrier fyn'Seiðr, but first, do let me know: what services do you seek?"
The woman was dressed lavishly, and given her Ælven features, was clearly not a servant. She must have agreed to work with Velho in some capacity, likely being designated to handle the customer-facing aspects of running a business and leaving the Ferrier to deal with the dead and direct patient services only.
Kage inclined his head slightly when the attractive aelf made her appearance. It wasn't who he'd expected, but it didn't surprise him that there would be other aelves either living or working here. "Hi there," he said upon entering, "I'm Kage fyn'Fadir, who might you be?"
He took a seat and had Fluffy kneel down by his chair with a gesture. "I'm here for two reasons, actually. Firstly I wanted to see about modifying my inari. As you can see, I've already had her modified quite a bit but my usual maltrician is indisposed. I'd like neurostatics performed on her and to discuss other options, such as modifications to her senses and strength. There's also the matter of this… grovebane that I hear has been captured by the owner of this establishment. I would very much like to see it with my own eyes."
Through chance or perhaps fate, he had come to know of Abraia and he'd obtained the eyes that Velho had provided her. He very much wanted to have those eyes implanted into his pet and who better to ask than the very aelf who extracted them in the first place?
༺༉❁ September 20 year 124 of the third age ❁༉༻ <notes>
After escorting her guests into the room, Lucia would turn back to face them before answering his query.
"I am Lucia fyn'Seilæch Emerine," she'd introduce herself with a short nod.
The animist did recognize Kage's name, just as she would most any other who'd thus far crested ten millennia and still chose to live over re-entrance into the cycle– a choice that the majority of older individuals seemed to favor after a while alive. Still, she didn't outwardly react. Själasalr was a place of healing or mourning; it would be considered unprofessional of her to give any additional attention to somebody's reputation over focusing on whatever present needs they possessed.
Lucia would only regard the 'inari' with a slight cant of her head. She hadn't been sure what the girl was when she'd walked in– she could've been a modified Fælnir just as easily as anything else. To have modified an inari in this fashion came across to her as passing bizarre, but it wasn't her place to comment on.
In response to Kage's requests, "I believe it would be better for you to discuss the particulars of your pet's modifications with Ferrier fyn'Seiðr himself. However, I am the caretaker of the grovebane in question, and thus I may handle that part myself."
"Please follow me," she'd continue, striding back to the sequoia's heavy double doors.
The animist would only pause if it didn't appear that her guests were following her. If they were, she'd open one of the doors, wait for the two of them to step back outside, and then close it behind her with a click. Själasalr, the sequoia, emerged from the murky waters of the bog with a small, Terra-made island of land surrounding its base. Originally, this had been an add-on meant to house Velho's pet felinog, but over time the stone had been expanded to provide a small circle of land around the entire thing and then coated by loamy soil. At present, the earth was overgrown with a variety of plants from soft mosses to thorny brush, though all of it was gilded with purple blooms and dotted by orange flowers that glowed like smoldering embers. The ephemeral blinking of fireflies provided additional tiny, greenish flickers in the night's gloom; it appeared they seemed to favor the plants cultivated here.
Wordlessly, Lucia would guide them down a sloping, flagstone path. As they walked, they'd pass by the felinog's enclosure– if Kage peered through the ætumetal fencing, he'd see the beast sound asleep within, resting within a small, cave-like nook carved out of stone and softened by moss. At this point, the enclosure appeared completely natural and while Hespæria's temperatures didn't quite match the frigid alpine climate a felinog might've been used to, it was cold enough for one to remain comfortable for most of the year. In the summer, Velho had to make use of Abation-cooled stones to help the beast not overheat.
The trio would pass the felinog wordlessly unless either of the guests decided to comment, and then they'd continue on the path winding 'round the sequoia's base until they reached the side opposite of the bridge which connected it to the mainland. Nestled into the shrubbery against the trunk of the tree was a small, blackened doe. It appeared to be pregnant, likely nearing the end of its gestation.
Gesturing towards it with her dominant hand– her left– Lucia would comment, "...there she is. The grovebane is manifesting in that shape as I had directed her to be unassuming and hard to spot, and that is the form she chose."
Kage followed behind the aelf at a comfortable distance with his Inari by his side. He was surprised to find that there quite a bit of ground to cross to get to the grovebane, though if the rumors were true then there was probably good reason to keep secluded. He also saw the felinog, making him believe that this ferrier was a collector – at least they had that in common.
"Do you take care of that too?" Kage asked when they passed by the massive cat. And after her response he would ask, "so, how does one take care of a grove bane?"
When they got to the black creature, Kage kept his distance and eyed it suspiciously. It certainly fit the description he had in his head – a black creature with striking eyes and an aura about it that made him feel uneasy.
"This is quite impressive," he said, rubbing his chin, "I take it you're quite an accomplished animist, though I have to admit I'd always bought into the rumor that these creatures were actually some form of aelf. To be able to bend one to your will… Do you mind giving a demonstration? I would very much like to see its abilities in action."
Fluffy shied behind him and looked at the grovebane nervously. She too was an animist, though perhaps not at the level that she would dare try to command such a legendary creature. Her instincts told her that it was probably best to turn around and leave as soon as possible.
༺༉❁ September 20 year 124 of the third age ❁༉༻ <notes>
Lucia nodded cordially. "...and you as well," she'd say in response before the small group made their way outside once more. The woman moved with grace, her pale features making her appear almost ghostlike in the dim light of the bog.
"I do care for the felinog– Cloud, the Ferrier calls him– as I care for all of the pets here; both his and mine. That said, I think he intends to make that one his familiar," Lucia confirmed, her voice coolly cordial.
Velho's recent trend of collecting living things and their upkeep had been eating into what time he had to actually do his job. That, and when he acquired the grovebane he realized his own Animism skills simply wouldn't cut it– hence what led him to reach out to Lucia.
Before the Animist could answer his first question, Kage continued to speak; she would respond after he'd said his piece. "I've dedicated my life to Animism, yes," she began with a soft smile, her tone warm and woven with glimmers of appreciation.
"...but sorry to disappoint you– the grovebane are animals and nothing more. That said, we Æld'Norai are still responsible for their existence; should one of us die in anguish, our negative emotions might corrupt an animal in our vicinity…and that animal will become a grovebane. This one must've been shifted within the past year at least– I've never seen one pregnant or reproduce naturally before. The Anathema must have warped an already pregnant animal; I'm honestly surprised that didn't force a miscarriage. I wonder– will her child be born a grovebane, or of her original species?" Lucia spoke thoughtfully, though her words would be punctuated with a wide-eyed look of realization.
She'd blink, ghostly features dusted faintly pink. A moment later, she'd continue, "Ah! I'm…sorry for rambling; you asked for a demonstration."
The grovebane had been asleep, but the two conversing had woken her up; the beast's dark gaze was now set upon her master. Lucia would then 'speak' to her using Beast Speech, though these vocalizations were more akin to a series of sounds rather than words, not unlike how many animals vocalize amongst themselves. The blackened doe would appear to melt into the inky shadows around her, vanishing entirely aside from the flicker of red eyes– though those only lingered there for a brief second longer. A keen eye could spot her gaze looking out from beneath the shadow cast from Lucia's hair on her neck, demonstrating that animal's ability to move about shadows with ease.
"I hesitate to ask her to do much else lest she cause harm, but I can take her with me anywhere this way," the Animist would add with a coquettish grin.
Kage smiled as he got to know Lucia better. He realized how good of an animist she must be to be able to form a connection to a grovebane. He'd assumed that it was simply being contained somehow, but to be turned into a familiar? It was impressive.
"That is quite the discovery. I am sure this specimen will be recorded in the history books. As a collector, I am jealous that I do not have one of my own, though I doubt I could control one. My pet inari usually handles my beast collections, but even she isn't that good."
He let out a sigh, "I used to collect all sorts of animals but I gave them away or set them free during my last mission abroad. I'm going through the process of building it back up again. Seeing that felinog makes me think of getting one myself."
Realizing that they'd both been talking quite a bit, the younger aelf gave the demonstration and Kage had to take a moment to realize what was happening. The grovebane really did seem to meld with the shadows, as if it held sway over anathema itself.
"Thank you for that," he said when the demonstration was over. "I never thought I'd live to see one, let alone up close."
He considered what she'd said and continued, "do you have any plans for the creature? My mind jumps to all the military applications it might have, but I realize that you might not be interested in that sort of thing." He knew exactly what he would do if he had a creature like that at his disposal. It would make assassinations quite easy. Nobody outside of aelheim would even know what the grovebane was. The creature stirred something within him - he wanted to see it in action, to see it kill, but he suppressed that desire, for now.
༺༉❁ September 20 year 124 of the third age ❁༉༻ <notes>
Lucia listened to Kage's responses with curiosity, though she knew well enough not to pry into the affairs of an Æsir– at least, not their more official ones.
"Velho is similar to you in that respect; he likes exotic fauna, but his life's calling pulled him away from a consummate mastery of Animism– hence why he hired me," she said with a small smile. "With my help, he does intend to expand his collection."
And to Kage's question, the woman appeared contemplative. "My life is relatively peaceful as a researcher, though there are times I visit places that put me in peril. Previously, I've had to take others along on those endeavors because I'm no combatant myself," Lucia admitted. "I suppose she'll be both a companion and bodyguard of sorts for me– whenever I am out, she'll reside in my shadow."
After a beat, she'd add, "...especially useful if Velho dispatches me to find him another beast; he's oft busy enough that he can't always come along."
While she spoke, the grovebane's red eyes would appear to move around the shadows cast on Lucia's body or that which extended from her. This would be hard to track, as its movements would be quick and erratic, though a focused eye would be able to do so well enough. If the grovebane wanted to conceal her presence, she could– simply hide her gaze within the Animist's hair, the folds of her clothing or the like until called upon– but instinctively, she did not feel as if she were threatened by either guest's presence.
"And what a collection it shall be, by the looks of it," Kage said with a smile.
"Well, if you ever need assistance in hunting beasts, I would be happy to help. I've been looking to have my inari take on more imprints. Plus, I've been looking for excuses to make more treants." He followed the red eyes that moved around. They were unsettling and something about them felt powerful. He got the impression that the beast could kill him in a heartbeat if it wanted to.
"Perhaps we should get back to the ferrier," he said, feeling as though a change in subject was due. He started looking back the way they came. He didn't want to be one of those guests who took up too much of his host's time.
༺༉❁ September 20 year 124 of the third age ❁༉༻ <notes>
"I might," Lucia replied at the other's suggestion. "Velho may be powerful in his own right but the man's busy– would likely serve him better if I were able to collect creatures for our collection without pulling him away from his work...but my Animism alone can't protect me from everything, so having you tag along would benefit such endeavors greatly."
The trio would return back to Själasalr and upon reentering the waiting room, it was not empty– Velho stood in its center, having sensed the presence of guests moving about his Grove. Lucia did not appear surprised to see him, as she'd half expected him to have followed them out there. Since he didn't, it was all but a foregone conclusion that he'd meet them at this point.
"Ah, here he is," she'd begin.
"This is Æsir, Kage fyn'Fadir Frjor; he requested to see some of your budding menagerie, though he does have some requests of your services," she'd explain to the Ferrier, stating the client's full name as such to communicate his status.
Velho, focused as he was on his work and personal interests, did not keep up with the comings and goings of really anyone, regardless of how important they were. Another benefit of hiring Lucia, too, was that she was far more social than he and for this reason, she was happy to navigate and filter this information for him.
Looking to Kage, "...do explain to him whatever it is you'd like done."
Velho's eyes moved between the Lucia and the two guests, though for the moment, he said nothing.
"Hello," he said with a slight inclination of his head. He couldn't quite recall whether he'd seen Velho before, but he was definitely looked… off. Some kind of disease affected the aelf, assumedly unable to be cured by magic. It made a shiver run down his spine just to imagine what it must be like living like that. Still, he had seen a lot of shit in his life so a disease was hardly something he would let visibly shake him.
"I've come to see about making some modifications to my inari, and myself, if you have the time. Many of my previous modifications were undone for my last mission, but I'd like to be stronger and faster. I also have these grovebane eyes that you're probably familiar with." He pulled out the eyes that he'd 'traded' from Abraia.
"I'd like these implanted in place of my own. I hear they are quite powerful, and would like to test that theory."
"As for my Inari… I think I've changed my mind so let's not worry about her." Having talked to Lucia made him think about how he'd rather have Fluffy sent out hunting fauna than sitting around at home anyways.
༺༉❁ September 20 year 124 of the third age ❁༉༻ <notes>
If ever Kage had need of a Ferrier's services in the past, he'd recall that any who he'd thus far met all shared the same emaciated, entropic malaise which plagued the one before him. Rather, he'd recall that the others were worse off– Velho would appear rather vital when compared to others of his ilk, because whilst each and every Ferrier possessed Scourge, very few had taken the risk of counterbalancing it with another Blight as he did.
Generally within Ælheim, it was well known that learning the rites of the Ferrier always resulted in such a sickness, though all outside of Alithea saw the decay as simply a price paid for spending so much time amongst the dead and dying. But for this sacrifice, Ferriers were held societally in high regard, the position itself commanding high respect.
Velho nodded in acknowledgement to Kage's greeting, but said nothing until after Kage concluded. He'd pause for a moment, considering the request.
"...I can work on you tomorrow," he'd begin, his gaze slowly shifting between Kage, the supposed Inari, and the grovebane eyes. "If you've no other accommodations, you may stay here in one of the patient rooms…though you and your pet will have to share." The torpid Ælf's words were slow but smooth, his tone decorous and solemn.
The Ferrier's schedule was usually not so open to the average walk-in customer. Lucky for Kage, those in the caste of Æsir were to be given priority. "Do you want to be holistically empowered…? I can modify your entire musculoskeletal system, though the more work I do, the longer you'll need to get used to so much change at once. Do take care to give yourself a few days to weeks to adjust before doing anything too…strenuous," he'd conclude, as the extent of his changes depended on both how much Kage wanted done and how much time he had to recover.
"Then we'll stay here," he said with a nod, "I think a holistic approach would be best. I have no plans for the next several weeks, and I could stay stationary while doing my job duties for a while." He didn't exactly like the thought of sitting around and doing nothing, but he was used to having to kill time.
"I was last… altered to be able to run faster and hit harder. My last maltrician was a little straight forward and to-the-point with his modifications. It seems like a distant memory now – that was hundreds of years ago. I do remember liking it, however." He got lost in a memory for a few moments like an old grandpa reliving the glory days.
He blinked, bringing him back to the moment. "As for payment…" he trailed off, giving Velho an opportunity to request anything if he wanted it. He assumed he would ask for Alkahest.
༺༉❁ September 20 year 124 of the third age ❁༉༻ <notes>
Velho nodded upon Kage giving voice to his request.
"Alkahest of any type works for payment, so long as the total amount adds up to that of a sphere. I'm fairly lenient when it comes to taking payments in installments as well– I just won't operate again until you've paid for your previous procedure in full, emergencies being exceptions." The Ferrier wasn't a greedy man with his clients, generally– he had no reason to be. The man had access to pretty much anything he desired by nature of his station.
With everything settled, Kage and his pet would be ferried away to his room by Lucia, though he wouldn't have to wait all too long for her to return. Lucia would instruct him to drink a small cup of tea, and should he do so, he would find himself feeling immensely lethargic almost immediately. Then, everything would go dark.
By the time he would once more wake, he was back in his guest bed with his clothing replaced with a standard surgical dressing gown. Should he look around for what he'd worn coming in, he'd find his clothes neatly cleaned and folded atop the room's dresser. However, trying to move around much would result in him feeling exceptionally dizzy, particularly when he tried to sit up.
His body would feel strange. Simultaneously, he would feel stronger, more sturdy, and yet, it would feel like he was trying to manipulate limbs that weren't his– almost as if they were asleep. There was a strange sensation of prickling numbness all over his body, making any kind of movement immensely uncomfortable, though not the least bit painful. Furthermore, he would feel strange mentally, as if his mind was touched by a bit of paranoia or madness. This was due to both Malediction's natural impact on the body on top of leftover traces of Absentia in his flesh. It will take roughly a month for these physical and emotional irregularities to fully filter out of his system.
If he needed help, he could pull upon a vine Lucia had pointed out before he'd been put under, otherwise she and Velho would come in to check on him some few hours after he woke.
(Where Fluffy is & what she is doing is up to you by the time Kage wakes, though she would be isolated to remaining in their room, having food and anything else she needed brought to her rather than being allowed to wander freely.)
Artfully, Velho utilized Devorare combined with Malediction to enhance Kage's natural anatomy.
Through Vicissitude, he'd woven Absentia into the man's bones to be as durable as half again that of steel. They are significantly heavier than they were before, but not lacking in the flexibility one would expect from bones. With his enhanced musculature, Kage won't notice much of a difference in terms of weight, however.
By the same token, he'd also used Vicissitude to enhance Kage's musculature. He would now be strong enough to deadlift up to 1,200 lbs and possess the endurance to travel around 30 miles without becoming tired by running. Were he to punch something, he could put up to 6,000 newtons of force behind it (this is roughly the equivalent of being hit by a small car).
Note that while Velho did do his best to keep Kage's overall physique as similar to what it was before as possible, he is a bit larger and nearly twice as heavy. Kage will have to be careful when utilizing his new strength such that he does not accidentally break, crush, or maim people and/or objects.
A combination of Vicissitude and Malediction was utilized in the implantation and integration of the grovebane eyes, with Velho having used Malediction's vessels and Rite of Vivification to revitalize and restore their viability and then Vicissitude to weave Kage's tissues seamlessly with them.
Malediction was also used to control bleeding and replace lost blood in lieu of additional casts of Devorare to save on Spell Reserves, making this procedure cost:
1x Master Cast - Vicissitude
Going to sleep for a surgery was always jarring. One moment he was feeling fine and eager… the next he was waking up feeling completely different. He ached in ways that only someone who'd gone through magical surgery could understand. He wasn't injured or broken or really in pain, but he instinctively knew that he ought to take it easy.
He was back in bed in his room, odd. Fluffy was sitting on the bed next to him running her fingers through his hair caringly, like a loyal watchdog. The aelf brushed her hand off of him and he got to his feet. He immediately felt strange like his body was a thrall that he was manipulating with puppet strings.
"This is… ugh," he tried to take a step and misjudged his own weight causing him to fall to his knees. The fall made a resounding thud, giving an indication that he was much heavier than he used to be.
"Master are you…" Fluffy started, but Kage got annoyed and pushed her aside. He'd just meant to roughly shove her back onto the bed but he accidentally slammed his arm into her so hard that her small frame went sailing over the bed and crashing into the wall. Her expression was one of shock and her eyes welled up as she slid to the ground. She crawled over to a corner and stayed there.
Just as he was going to apologize, Kage got distracted by something he thought he'd heard. He turned his eyes towards the ceiling. He could have sworn that it had just spoken to him, but he couldn't recall what it'd said.
"I need to get out of here." But he hadn't the strength to do so. He sat on the bed and pulled on the vine.
Whoever came to see him, Kage would explain that he was feeling a little uncoordinated still though he was impressed with how strong they'd made him. Though he was going to be sad to part with the aetherite his mine had produced this season, it was a small price to pay for such excellent care. He'd arrange for it to be delivered within a day or so.
The noise coming from Kage's room was as good of an indication as any that he was awake, though Velho being in the slowly expanding underground labyrinth did not hear a thing. Lucia, however, did. It wouldn't be long until the door cracked open, the woman inquiring about how Kage currently felt shortly thereafter.
She'd listen to him and explain that he likely ought to stay here for some time in order to both recover physically and mentally. She and Velho were both well aware of what effects Absentia could have on the mind– whilst it could be possible to let him free sooner, they were better served by caution than not. Still, she delivered these instructions with a saccharine kindness and caring demeanor that the man wouldn't have any idea that ought was amiss Metaphorically.
+18 XP (1772 WC)
+Physical enhancements per my last post
❀ Comments ❀
Please add to your CS these modifications & a link to this thread! Otherwise, feel free to utilize them in all threads dated after this one, ongoing and future.
