Category: Person

#Lore24 – Entry #196 – Supers Month II #15 – Learning a Thing of Two About Scheherazade’s Legacy

From the journal of Abigail “Sassy” Dawson, Mage of the Order of Hecate

Richard done knew what it was I came for, once we’d settled down and had some coffee goin’.  I was rather amused that our tastes hadn’t changed; I liked mine much like anyone else would, if on the thicker side; he liked his boiling hot, and Assane preferred her’s on the cold side, though I noted she had taken to adding ice cubes to it now.  He’d been trackin’ “Granny Scheherazade’s” relics for a time already when he had found out that they were makin’ headlines on the museum circuit a few decades back, but it was only in the last few weeks that they’d started movin’ again, and comin’ together in one place.  He’d been tryin’ to track down who was pullin’ the strings and comin’ up emptyhanded.

Before he could dig into Assane too much for not doin’ her share of the whole “protectin’ the world” thing they had sworn themselves to, I inquired what those relics were meant to do, and whether or not they were related to the genies in any way.  I’d heard the name of Scheherazade plenty over the years since I’d joined up with the Order; she was one of the greatest arcanists to have ever belonged to it, after all, though nobody, not even Chrona, knew exactly what had become of her.  Richard admitted he didn’t know the full extent of their power, but given that they were all aligned to the element of fire in some what or another, it was either destructive or creative.

Between his and Assane’s knowledge of the past, given their heritage and experiences in the Dark Ages and even earlier, and what Liz had told me about her experiences with Kitsune and the visions she’d experienced around the relics, we had a right decent idea of what Kitsune’s leash holder was plannin’, just lackin’ on the details of where, who, and when. 

So, as we figured it, they was plannin’ a big ritual.  That dagger would be implemented as daggers usually are for that sort of thing, for drawin’ blood, or, more likely, sacrificin’ to draw more power from what we figured were human souls, not no animals.  The bracelets would focus the energy of the ritual into whoever was at the center of it, and the staff would draw in even more power, though it could be used, so they told me, to draw in souls as well, perhaps even from the ancient past.  Combined with those visions Liz described, that dark figure and the demonic army, we reasoned out that Kitsune’s plan involved either summonin’ up a horde of demons to rampage across the world again, or resurrectin’ that dark sorcerer from Liz’s vision, maybe even both for all we knew. 

I tried to get more details out of the two about that dark sorcerer, but they couldn’t figure on who it was.  They looked at me like I was a bit slow, then proceeded to tell me about what history called the Crusades, and how the history books left out all the juicy parts about the many demonic invasion attempts, the dozens of dark sorcerers commanding armies of them and the undead, of how the genies were brought into play, and all kinds of other details.  They simply couldn’t figure on exactly which one of the dozens they could tell me about might be the target of a resurrection or soul summonin’.  Even though the one in the visions had been wearing those bracelets, that didn’t narrow it down much, since they’d passed down to many a sorcerer over the centuries. 

But then they went and threw in another possibility that didn’t sit well with me neither, not that any of the options they’d suggested did.  Since it seemed that Kitsune was workin’ with help from outside our own realm, that could mean damn near anything was possible.  Maybe those relics weren’t even meant to cause trouble on our world; though they were more powerful here, they weren’t lackin’ for power elsewhere in the multiverse, so they could be doin’ something along the lines of what they’d suggested in another realm entirely and might not even have eyes on our world.  None of us believed that one for a second, though.

Needless to say, we found ourselves comin’ together just like the old days, and knew that we had our work cut out for us.  Now that they had some challenges laid out before them, they’d work out their latest spat and start workin’ toward their purpose, and head for Sentinel City to see what they could glean from there, while I’d head back to the Sanctum and let Chrona and the Order know what we’d reasoned out, then coordinate our efforts from there.  They reminded me not to get too excited just yet, though, cause even though I was a mage of the Order of Hecate, and had me approachin’ two centuries of life, we were likely dealin’ with things that see the passin’ of centuries as blinks of their eyes.  Even though magic was runnin’ wild in the world and comin’ in from somewhere, it could be months or years before they made their move. 

I didn’t think so, but they did have a point; no sense runnin’ off and getting’ all worked up when a good long look at things could be beneficial.  So, I bid them farewell for a time, and headed back home to give my report on what I’d learned and would begin workin’ to figure on what our next step was to be. 

We were in one of our libraries, lookin’ over dozens of tomes of ancient lore and studyin’ a map of leylines and connected interdimensional pathways when I got the warnin’ that Liz was in trouble from that charm I’d insisted she wear.  Knowin’ that the youngin’ was headstrong and damn near capable of handlin’ about anything, I knew whatever she was facin’ musta been downright fearsome.  Asher was waitin’ for me in the portal chamber when I got there a couple minutes later, loaded for war, and we headed off toward Sentinel City to pull her bacon outta the fire.  Whatever it was that had got her to call on me, I weren’t about to let it get away with hurtin’ my girl. 

#Lore24 – Entry #195 – Supers Month II #14 – Reuniting with the Genies

From the journal of Abigail “Sassy” Dawson, Mage of the Order of Hecate

And so it was Asher and me stepped out of the leyline portal for the first time since I’d brought Liz home.  At first the world seemed not to have changed too much since then, but it weren’t long before I’d start to see just how different it was, even after only forty years, give or take.  Actually takin’ a few moments to take it all in, I decided it was downright alien out here now.  I went lookin’ for Assane first; Chrona told me she was somewhere in Los Angeles.  Last time I’d been out this way, you could still see the hills and valleys around the city; now it was all pretty much city everywhere I looked, and not a nice one, neither.  I had my cloakin’ spell up, since I figured seein’ a lady ridin’ a horse through town dressed like a cowboy might not go over so well.  After an hour or so of wonderin’ around, though, I don’t know if the spell would’a mattered or not; saw some right freakish things wonderin’ those streets, downright depraved a good number of them, and what with them “smart phone” things glued to people’s hands like they were, I doubt I woulda been noticed anyway.

I could go on for a long spell about what I found terrible about that city, and the one I’d be visitin’ next, but I’ll save that for later on and just focus on my mission.  It took me a day or so to track down Assane; though I didn’t know what she looked like these days, it weren’t too difficult to spot her once I’d tracked down her magical aura.  It was a bit stronger now, but looked just the same as the last time I’d seen her.  She looked like a youngin’ again, and was chatting and walkin’ along with a fellow that looked right ghoulish to my eyes, and I knew what she was doin’.  So, I hung back and let her work.  Weren’t long till they went to that pervert’s car.  She musta been worked up somethin’ fierce, cause it weren’t a minute later that I heard the screamin’ and saw the icy spikes shootin’ from that car, turned it into somethin’ resemblin’ a hedgehog.  She stepped out a few moments later, lookin’ quite pleased with herself, her icy creations lingerin’ and radiatin’ cold even in the heat of the summer sun, the pained cries of the pervert lingerin’ on along with it.  Well, guess he wouldn’t be doin’ that kind of thing no more.

I called out to her, and I think she was actually surprised when she recognized who I was, but then she was all smiles and hugs for a spell, eager to catch up on what I’d been doin’ with my time.  We rode off to a more pleasant spot, one of the parks that weren’t filled with homeless people and filth, but even then Asher didn’t care much for the grass there.  I told her what had finally dragged me out of the Sanctum, explainin’ what all trouble Liz had gotten into, and what it was that got taken by that Kitsune and her boss.  Though I could tell they were havin’ another rough patch, I told her I needed to hunt down Richard too, cause Chrona had requested they get involved in these matters, given their relationship with Scheherazade and all.  She weren’t too pleased, but agreed to help us; was why I went to her first, cause she was always the more level-headed of the two.

And so we headed off toward the other side of the country then.  I let Assane take us there to save some time, since she was far better at teleportin’ than me.  We hopped through one pond or river or lake to another, all across the country, in a handful of minutes, comin’ out in the middle of Central Park in New York City.  I could go on about just how much that city had declined since I was last there, but I’ll refrain, though I’ll say it was somehow slightly less unpleasant than Los Angeles; the depravity weren’t quite so obvious, I suppose is one way to put it. 

Assane led me right to Richard, who was holed up in his office somewhere in that chaotic urban sprawl, a little blink and you’ll miss it kinda place that was as run down as near everything else in the area.  He was a mite drunk when we got there, but it didn’t take long before that burned right off once Assane started her mouth.  Once again, I found myself bein’ the mediator between the pair, and he finally realized I was there after I’d preempted the shouting match between them.  He was all smiles and pleasantries with me, but even with me tryin’ to keep him on track, he just kept digging barbs into Assane because of her appearance.

I’ll never understand these two, I don’t think. 

Anyway, once I’d smoothed things over and got them to be civil, we sat down in his little office and had us a chat about their grandmother and her legacy that got stolen out of that Sentinel City museum.

#Lore24 – Entry #194 – Supers Month II #13 – Taking on an Apprentice

From the journal of Abigail “Sassy” Dawson, Mage of the Order of Hecate

As it was, it wouldn’t be too awful long before I got to experience that moment when you realize that the world is just movin’ right on by you.  I’d spend several years roamin’ all over the world with Assane and Richard; they’d been about everywhere already, and I was feelin’ like it was my duty to try an’ keep’em in line, but that was a job I just wasn’t equipped for.  We had more than a few misadventures durin’ that time, but the things we were huntin’ kept dwindlin’ more and more, and the world was movin’ fast.  When you’re a skilled mage, your agin’ slows down after a while, and trips into the Sanctum slow it down to almost nothin’. 

It was somewhere near the turn of the century when I pulled outta the world, when I started seein’ them “automobiles” start showin’ up everywhere.  Seemed like there weren’t much in the way of mystery left in the world, and I was becomin’ a relic of past times, getting’ gawked at by them “civilized” folk in this new world.  My friends could sense the change in me and knew what was comin’.  Bein’ immortal as they are, and havin’ lived more lives than I could have imagined then, and them bein’ not wholly human, they had a different outlook on things, and weren’t affected by what was affectin’ me, that sense of no longer belongin’.  So, after a while longer, we said our goodbyes, and I returned to the Sanctum.

I wouldn’t poke my nose outta there for nearly a century after that.  It was a quiet time in the world; all them supernatural problems we used to deal with had mostly vanished, magic was ebbin’ to almost nothin’ out there, and even travel into the world could only be done through the strongest leylines.  Even Chrona weren’t sure what the future would hold for us, though I don’t know if maybe she was just keepin’ it to herself since she’s real careful not to try to influence that future. 

Still, there would come a day when we’d spot a promising future mage comin’ into the material world, the first one since me in fact, and her awakenin’ would be not unlike my own in some ways.  We watched her for a time when our seers found her, pickin’ up on the mana she was usin’ when her powers started wakin’ up.  This was in the mid 1980s, right near a century since I’d last been out there, and the world was right alien to me now as I watched this girl, Elizabeth Powell, from afar.  Seein’ as I was the most experienced in the “modern” world, I was volunteered for the job of bringin’ her home to the Sanctum. 

Her powers were just startin’ to awaken, and she was havin’ all kinds of trouble with controllin’ them, and strangeness was followin’ her around, only there weren’t nobody who knew what was goin’ on besides us.  By now, there weren’t no sense of the magical in the world aside from fiction and some games they played; it was all ‘bout “computers” and big corporations and all kinds of stuff I don’t rightly care for these days.  Anyway, the poor girl would suddenly experience her dam burstin’ right dangerously, and Chrona caught it soon enough that I could rush down there and keep Liz from burnin’ down her house and hurtin’ her family. 

I musta’ looked right strange ridin’ in there on Asher, appearin’ out of that leyline in the middle of one of them highways and boundin’ through all them cars, rushin’ for Liz’s home, then bustin’ into their house as her powers ran wild.  Poor girl was in hysterics, and her family was cowerin’ in fear as them electronics were blowin’ up and fires were croppin’ up all over the place.  It’d been a while since I’d faced power like she had in her, and for this day and age, she was somethin’ else.  I worked some magic and got her outburst under control and walked her through the basics of control to get her calmed down and not an immediate danger to everyone ‘round us.  It was an odd conversation to have with her and her kinfolk that evenin’, cause they didn’t rightly know what to make of me dressed as I was and what I was sayin’ ‘bout magic, but they finally took to understandin’ sooner or later.

I stayed with Liz and her family for a few weeks, teachin’ her the basics, and explainin’ what it was the Order of Hecate did, and the history of magic as I knew it, at least, how it had been goin’ in the last couple centuries.  Were Liz and I not workin’ spells right in front of her kin, I figure they’d have thought me right looney.  It was a rough decision for a girl her age, but in the end, it were decided that she’d be headin’ back to the Sanctum with me.  She’d made her own decision ‘bout that, and made her family accept it; she’s nothin’ if not headstrong, always was, and still is.  I gave her space to spend some time with her family and the few friends she had before she made her exit, and with some help from the Order, we smoothed over the particulars of makin’ a kid disappear in this modern time; apparently it was a lot harder to vanish that it used to be.

And so it was that the Order welcomed in its newest member, perhaps even its last member for all I knew at the time.  Understandably, Liz was a little sad for a while, but once she got her head on straight and started to settle in, she took to learnin’ like a duck to water.  Well, mostly; she could be a little hard to reign in when that stubborn streak of hers kicked in, but usually she weren’t no major headaches.  Oh, I had to tan her hide a few times over the years, but we developed somethin’ of a mother-daughter kinda relationship because of how things worked out.  I’m right proud of the youngin’ in spite of her ways, but that’s just the nature of us growin’ up in completely different times.  I still don’t understand some of my fellow mages and their oddball ways of actin’ that they picked up back during the Dark Ages or the Renaissance times.

Things was quiet for a while there, but then somethin’ strange started happenin’ in the material world.  Magic started to creep back in all of a sudden, then it exploded back on the scene.  Chrona had warned us that some major changes were a comin’, but none of us imagined that was what she meant.  It sent shockwaves through the Order, and after Liz started sneakin’ out to see what was goin’ on and ran into that Kitsune, Dollface, and whoever else they was workin’ with, we knew we’d been caught with our pants around our ankles. 

Can’t say I was ready to go back into that world again, but Chrona set me the job of findin’ my old companions, Assane and Richard, and findin’ out what they might know about what was goin’ on, and so I packed up my gear, checked my guns, and got ready to head into that concrete and glass hellhole that was the modern American city. 

#Lore24 – Entry #192 – Supers Month II #11 – A Timely Meeting with Chrona Tempora Quanta

From the journal of Abigail “Sassy” Dawson, Mage of the Order of Hecate

I found out not long after we’d cleared out that demon that our actions were bein’ watched by more powers than what we figured on.  Or at least, mine in particular were, cause Richard and Assane were already spoken for, so to speak.  As we continued on to the northwest through them Black Hills, a couple days after we’d recovered from our demon-slayin’ and I’d restocked my supplies with some ammunition from the dead town, which, ironically enough, Richard would send off with a proper funeral pyre, I began to hear this callin’ in my head.  It weren’t like nothin’ I’d experienced before.  I knew it was a voice reachin’ out to me, and I suddenly knew exactly where to go.

So, I led the way, and soon enough, we’d spotted what later came to be called Devil’s Tower by the majority of folk, loomin’ up in the distance, and even this far away, I could sense the power of the place.  It was an ancient place, the kind that many people over the centuries and eons had used for various rituals and magics and interdimensional travel and the like, and here it was that someone was callin’ me to it.  I’d told Richard and Assane about the call, and they’d told me to trust it, cause they were pretty sure they knew who it was, but it was up to me to answer it or not.

So, me an’ Asher rode on, the genies followin’ behind, though they’d wind up waitin’ for me at the base of the tower.  Usin’ one of the tricks I’d learnt from my companions, I spurred Asher on right up the side of that tower, and we rode to the very top.  I weren’t sure exactly what I’d expected to find up there, but I could feel the warp in reality as I traveled upward.  Atop the tower I passed through a cloakin’ spell like nothin’ I’d ever experienced before, and then, as I topped the rise, passed through the dimensional barrier.  In an instant, I found myself ridin’ down an ancient stone pathway, through a garden filled with strange plants and scents I didn’t recognize but surrounded by a strange sense of calmness and serenity.  Loomin’ up beyond the garden was a massive castle, or something like a castle, huge and ancient and radiating power the likes of which I’d never seen before.

There was a pond at the center of this garden, and waitin’ for me by it was a lady dressed up in some fancy duds, stuff I thought might’ve come out of England, but, bein’ the uneducated sort I was back then, were actually a whole lot older.

This lady introduced herself as Chrona Tempora Quanta, head of the Order of Hecate.  I was not exactly sure what any of that was, nor had I heard a name like that before, but I introduced myself in turn once I was dismounted.  I certainly felt small then, but in spite of the distance of her nature, Chrona put me at ease soon enough.  She said that she’d been watching me for some time, since I’d decided to get involved in that affair with the dogmen near Bowling Green, in fact, and had approved of what it was I was doin’ with my time.  She was rather amused at my choice of traveling companions, though when she called them children, I wasn’t quite sure what to make of it.  Course, I didn’t know Chrona’s nature, nor her type of magic then, so it wouldn’t be for some time that I’d get what she meant.

She told me all about the Order of Hecate then, and had I not known magic myself, I’d have called her a loon, but somehow the idea of an ancient order of mages that existed on the boundaries between our world and the many beyond it seemed a good thing.  I would have much to learn, certainly, but with my aid in banishing the demon, I’d more than proven myself to join up with them.  She told me then that there would be lean times comin’ as far as magic was concerned in our world, and that, for a good while, I’d be the last recruit the Order would have, but that I’d always have a home with them, and could learn more about magic and how to hone my own in ways I’d never considered before.  And, if I wanted, I could continue doing the good work back on Earth for a while longer, cause she got the impression I weren’t quite done seein’ what the place had to offer.

It was a lot to take in, but the more questions I asked, and the more she told me, the more I knew I’d found myself a place to belong.  We must’ve talked for hours, but never did time seem to pass, and given what I’d learn about Chrona, that was no surprise.  But, after that good long chat, she bid me and Asher to follow along so that she could introduce me to the rest of the order and get me all settled in.

#Lore24 – Entry #188 – Supers Month II #7 – Conversations on the Trails into the West

From the journal of Abigail “Sassy” Dawson, Mage of the Order of Hecate

Once I’d calmed myself down and gotten over my shock at seein’ the pair alive and kickin’, I was of a mind that they were out to get revenge on me for it.  But that weren’t the case, cause neither of them held a grudge, even admitted to havin’ died plenty of times before.  I’ll admit, that one threw me a bit.  So, I took a seat and started askin’ the tough questions. 

They weren’t shy ‘bout talkin’ to me ‘bout themselves, since I already knew they weren’t what you’d call “human”.  Turns out they were only half-human, the other half bein’ genie.  Found that one hard to believe, but they was dead serious ‘bout it, and they’d been around for centuries.  Back when the great mage Scheherazade (always thought she was just a character in them “Arabian Nights” stories till I met these two) had first whipped up the true genies, breedin’ was one of the first things humanity felt they had to do with ‘em.  Here I thought modern times was right indecent in that way, but turns out, ain’t nothin’ had really changed.  So, they was amongst the first of the half-genie children that were made, and some of the few still roamin’ around on Earth.  They had taken up the duty of guarding the planet, they told me, from all kinds of supernatural evils and the like. 

You could say I was doubtful, but that would puttin’ it mildly given what I’d seen the two get up to in the town they’d very nearly destroyed.  That they shrugged off as just one of their “little arguments”.  They’d been huntin’ a particular vampire that had been roamin’ the town, they said, one with a taste for children, so Assane had gone and changed up her appearance to that of a child as bait.  When the deed was done and the vampire was dusted, she’d decided to stay that way for a bit, and this got Richard all riled up cause he thought she wasn’t attractive when she looked that way, and then it had spiraled out of control, she’d gotten drunk, lost control of herself for a few days, and then the rest was as I explained it earlier.

Apparently when you live forever, time don’t mean much, so what’s a few days or weeks in a drunken stupor? 

Anyway, they’d been married early on, sometime during the Crusades I reckon, though I don’t rightly know which one, both bein’ of royal blood and all.  And apparently, they’ve been causin’ trouble all over the world ever since, whenever they get into arguments or if they ain’t too careful in who they cozy up with.  Turns out these two might’ve been responsible, well, more or less, for more than one tragedy one the centuries, but that ain’t a story I’m tellin’ here; you want to know, you ask them about it.

With them revelations out in the open, I started askin’ them ‘bout how they did their magic, cause it was a good ways beyond what I could manage back then.  Turns out most of their powers came natural to them, given that they’re elementals to some extent, given their genie heritage and all, though they’d learned plenty of spells and rituals beyond what their elemental nature let them do.  I got the impression they felt I was about as capable as a newborn babe on the scale of our magic talents, but I ‘spose they saw somethin’ in me, cause as we’d travel further on, they’d teach me plenty that Granny Opal had never even imagined, or at least, had never bothered to mention.

After ridin’ down the Mississippi for a while, we disembarked in St. Louis and started headin’ west.  We didn’t have much in the way of a goal at first, cause all of us were curious to see the new side of the country that had opened up, and to get away from the nastiness that followed the war.  They hadn’t been in America too awful long themselves, just a few decades, and most of that was spent on the east coast.

Turns out there was plenty of things to keep us busy out there.  My eyes were opened up to all kinds of things I had only thought of as fanciful stories or myth till I started hangin’ round these two.  First night in St. Louis we wound up takin’ down another bunch of vampires (they just love the city life, good food supply), and it weren’t a week later we were trackin’ down a right ornery bunch of werewolves that were terrorizin’ the people travellin’ out west.  For all their rash behavior and dang near childlike antics at times, they were mighty impressive to watch when they worked.  They’d always try to make introductions and handle things peaceable, even when we came up on that pack of werewolves while they was in the middle of eatin’ their most recent kills.  Basically the choice was to get the hell out of this world and off to another one, or die where they was standin’, and bein’ pretty sure of themselves, lackin’ proper arcane trainin’ and all, they had no clue what they was facin’.  Guess the ways of the Old World weren’t so well known in these parts.

And so things went for the better part of the winter months that year, more or less without misfortune, movin’ on from one town to another on the trail of some maneater or troublesome fey or some cult doin’ magic they had no business delvin’ in, the kind dealin’ with elder bein’s from beyond, that kinda foul thing.  I had to act as mediator between the two half-genies a few times, and they’d manage to rope me into some rather…intimate affairs I ain’t gonna speak of here.  They’re nothin’ if not passionate, I’ll say that. 

Our good deeds wouldn’t go unnoticed, though, and soon enough we’d find ourselves bein’ the ones that were getting’ hunted.

#Lore24 – Entry #187 – Supers Month II #6 – Burning Passions, Burning Buildings

From the journal of Abigail “Sassy” Dawson, Mage of the Order of Hecate

Havin’ suffered the loss of my family as I had, and then spendin’ the last few years mostly alone in the hills talkin’ to Granny Opal and our familiars, I weren’t in no position to be offerin’ no shoulder to cry on.  Not that I could really know how to comfort whatever this woman was; I knew she weren’t exactly human by then.  I finally managed to find my voice again when I felt the prickle of ice on my skin, even through my wards, and realized she was colder than the wintery cemetery was, yet not a bit of ice stuck to her. 

She looked a mite embarrassed when she realized what she was doin’, and picked herself up, wiping at her tears, which were somehow stayin’ wet in the frigid air.  She went and sat on some poor feller’s tomb and cried some more but told me about how she’d had a fight with her husband, gotten a little drunk, and needed to be alone for a while.  Course, that sounded right normal to me, and not a word of it explained why I was standin’ in near two feet of snow in October.  Still on edge, and waitin’ for an attack of some kind, I cautiously leaned up against one of the tall, statuesque grave markers and asked her blunt-like what she was tryin’ to hide, what she was, and what she was doin’ with the weather.

It was almost like she hadn’t even realized she’d been controllin’ it then, given that look on her face.  I will admit, that was one of the few times I ever saw Assane embarrassed by the things she did.  Almost at once the cold eased around her, and the wind started to die down, though it’d take another couple of days for the cold to clear up altogether and get back to a more seasonable climate.  She collected herself from there, using a quick burst of magic to gussy up her appearance and change her clothes into somethin’ that looked more fitting for the cold.  Certainly, she was more talented with the arts than I was, cause I’d never seen the like from Granny Opal’s teachin’s. 

‘Fore I knew it, we was headed back into town proper like, her ridin’ with me on Asher.  He weren’t havin’ no trouble in the heavy snow, even with the both of us, given the little magical tricks he’d used all on his own.  By evenin’, we were sittin’ down for a proper meal at the hotel, and I was tryin’ to learn more about her, though she was bein’ just as curious ‘bout me, always leadin’ the conversation off herself and back to me.

It was durin’ our little sparrin’ match that her husband Richard would show up, and my fate were sealed.  I’d almost got her to spill the beans ‘bout what she was when her face darkened and I felt the air go cold ‘round us, her eyes a lookin’ to the doorway.  Again, I won’t be sayin’ much ‘bout appearances, cause those meant little to these two, but Richard was comin’ in like all was forgiven, but she weren’t havin’ none of it.  Weren’t long before the two were standin’ right in the middle of the restaurant and yellin’ at one another.  Didn’t take me long to figure why, cause I was lookin’ him over with my mystic sight and found the same odd nature I’d seen with Assane, only he was pure fire instead of solid ice.

Now, I never claimed to understand just how love works, nor how opposites attract; works for magnets, guess it worked for these two, but damn, they can be trouble when they get riled up.  Kinda put me in mind of a couple a spoilt children after a while.  Couldn’t have known then how right I was on that one…  Anyhow, before I knew it, Assane had slapped the shit outta Richard, and he slapped right back, then the two was a brawlin’ right there in the floor.  There was a right ton of onlookers, downright mortified most of them, cause this weren’t no proper behavior for a lady nor a gent. 

I saw the magic bubblin’ up from the pair right before it exploded, before I could do much about it.  Fire burst outta him, and ice came outta her, uncontrolled, wild, like their brand of love, I guess.  Next thing I knew, people was runnin’ and screamin’, the buildin’ was a burnin’ on one side and froze solid on the other.  Worse, the two had found their way out onto the street, and their magic was a spreadin’ all over the street.  I weren’t equipped for this kinda thing, cause I hadn’t learnt no magic that could hope to stand up to their power yet, so I just did what I could to try and get people outta harms way. 

They were like a force of nature at this point, and though it might’ve been less, I woulnd’t have been surprised if a quarter of the city was either burning or froze up.  People had already been hurt, but there weren’t nobody else who could deal with the two, so I had to make a tough choice then.  I didn’t like killin’, but I weren’t about to see a bunch of innocents get killed over a lovers’ quarrel, so Asher and I rode up after then.  I tried to reason with them, but they weren’t hearin’ none of it, even flung fire and ice my way when I got too close.  As much as I hated to, I unloaded my six-shooter into them. 

I think they were probably just as surprised by it as I was, but my improved magic bullets did the job, and the two fell dead in each other’s arms, all tragic romance like. 

I didn’t linger longer than I had to after that.  I did what I could to help fight the fires, and after a long night, I avoided the hard questions that were a stirrin’ in town and hit the first boat bound down the Ohio River, a bit shellshocked at havin’ to kill a pair like that. 

I was sleepin’ real sound from sheer exhaustion after that in my tiny cabin.  I’d gone to bed alone, Asher up on deck with the other horses, so when I awoke later on in the day, I was right surprised to discover I weren’t the only one in the bed.  I must’ve squealed right loud when I realized I had two people pressed up on either side of me, but I was even more surprised when I’d hopped out of bed and realized who they was. 

I’d gunned the pair down myself the night before, but here they was, grinnin’ at me just as alive as they had been the night before durin’ their spat, though they looked completely different now, aside from what I saw of their true forms with my mystic sight. 

“We like you; you’ve got guts, kid,” Richard had said, flashin’ a smooth smile at me.  “How about we get to know each other properly?”

I should’ve refused the offer.  Lord only knows why I didn’t.

#Lore24 – Entry #186 – Supers Month II #5 – Winter Comes Early in Louisville

From the journal of Abigail “Sassy” Dawson, Mage of the Order of Hecate

After that hot summer down in Franklin, and a little more time spent in the surroundin’ area to make sure no more of them mongrels were lurkin’ about, I eventually drifted up north, and into Louisville.  It just so happened that fall was comin’ on hard by then, and when I say hard, I mean winter hard.  There was a cold snap came in, and it was downright wintery up there, and it was barely halfway through October; had snow in the air and everything.  Asher pointed it out to me first off:  that weren’t no natural weather pattern what had come in; it was magical.  I was downright impressed with the scale they’d managed to change up the weather, but then I started wonderin’ exactly why whoever was responsible for it had done it.  Didn’t make no sense at first glance, ‘ceptin’ to make things harder on the folk ‘round the city, till I got to thinkin’ about some of Granny Opal’s stories and lectures.  Looked like I had another monster runnin’ around to deal with, some kinda feyfolk or, Lord forbid, a wendigo.

Well, as I would soon learn, I weren’t to have no such good luck.

I restocked my supplies and got me some winter clothes first off, checked into a hotel for the first time in a good while and started to get a feel for Louisville and the arcane flows that were messin’ with the weather.  The flows of magic weren’t like anything I’d seen before.  They were subtle, mostly hidden, but stronger than anything I’d encountered before, like a true master of the arcane had formed them.  As I was tracin’ them out and lookin’ for a source, I began to wonder if I was steppin’ in on the territory of some witch more powerful than Granny Opal, cause I’d never seen even her make somethin’ like this. 

So, after a few days trudgin’ round in the freezin’ weather, with snow startin’ to pile up, I finally managed to trace down the source, which was in the Cave Hill Cemetery.  Once I’d worked out the nature of the flows, it was like a vortex swirlin’ around the place, and a cold one at that.  I was wrackin’ my brain tryin’ to figure out what could be lurkin’ in there that could be controllin’ the weather like that, what kinda creature could or would do it.

Well, when Asher and I finally made our way in, I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect, so I had insulated myself against cold magic and had some fiery surprises in store for whatever it was.  What I didn’t expect to find was a beautiful woman wearing a rather scandalous dress for the time, the kind you’d see in a brothel, even if it was colored more like something befitting a funeral, moping about amongst the graves, not affected in the slightest by the wintery weather.  Won’t say much about her looks here, cause, as I’d learn, how she looks from one time to another don’t much matter.  She hadn’t noticed me as I approached, too deep in her melancholy, and I strained to get a read on what she was.  She looked human at first, and for the longest time, I thought she was, but once I’d had a good long look at her with my mystic sight, I finally pierced the magic that was around her; there was a spell up to keep her from being noticed, one I’d used myself plenty of times, but there was somethin’ extra about her appearance. 

But it weren’t no illusion she wore.  I wasn’t even sure what I’d seen even then, cause what I saw didn’t make no sense to me.  It was like I saw two overlapping images that were at once the same being; one the human woman, the other a woman composed entirely of elemental ice and cold, both bound together by something else I just couldn’t put my finger on.  She must’ve finally felt my eyes on her, cause she whipped around suddenly, and the air got even colder somehow, pressing down on my wards against it like an avalanche rolling down a mountain; it was all I could do to hold them in place.  Even Asher got anxious, dancing about a bit despite himself.

She didn’t attack me outright, though, seemed more startled that I’d spotted her, really.  We stared at one another for several minutes I think, not sure what to make of one another.  I sensed her mystic sight upon me as she looked me over and saw her look of puzzlement.  Finally, I broke the ice, so to speak, and introduced myself, and that I was just inquirin’ as to why she felt the need to turn the Louisville area into a winter wonderland, and if there were anything I could do to help her out. 

Lookin’ back on it now, I suppose that was one of the biggest mistakes I could’ve made.

Before I knew it, she had burst into tears and was on her knees in the snow, cryin’ her eyes out about her lover and her getting’ into a big fight, and before I knew it, I was down there tryin’ to comfort her.  Finally got a name out of her, and it was a weird one for Kentucky to be sure, Assane.  Sounded foreign, just couldn’t guess which kinda foreign back then, not that I would’ve ever guessed it right anyway.

I certainly had no idea what was happenin’ right then, nor could I have understood exactly what I’d just stepped into, but the next few years would be one hell of a ride.

#Lore24 – Entry #182 – Supers Month II #1 – An Awakenin’ Magic

From the journal of Abigail “Sassy” Dawson, Mage of the Order of Hecate

I weren’t raised for no book learnin’, and I never figured I’d ever be writin’ this stuff down, but I guess things in life don’t always go how you figured they would.  Since I joined up with the Order, I’ve been asked by Chrona to write out some details ‘bout my past and start keepin’ a record of things, so here we are, I guess.

I was raised up in the hills of Kentucky, over on the eastern part, in a good-sized family, the hard workin’ kind that took care of a large spread up in those hills, tendin’ to the plantin’ and raisin’ animals and such, though my paw always wanted to get a proper horse farm a goin’.  Back then, I had three brothers and a sister, and though we weren’t ever what you’d call “rich”, we lived pretty good.  Weren’t nothin’ really stood out about my early life too much, ‘cept my way with horses, I suppose.  I was always good with them, could “whisper” to’em as I heard it called back then, always knew what they were a thinkin’ and how to get’em to do whatever it was I need’em to do when nobody else could.  Put my big brothers to shame a time or two, I reckon, when none of them could break a particularly spirited horse to saddle, and I could just walk up to’em and speak a few things and they’d let me on’em just as pretty as you please.

‘Course, that was before the War Between the States done got started up, and everythin’ went to Hell.  We was in a border state, so weren’t never nothin’ easy back then.  Always had to walk on eggshells ‘round people who had been close friends back then, and there was always a sense of paranoia around.  Well, things went bad for my family back then, what with my brothers signin’ up and joinin’ the Confederacy along with most everyone else ‘round the hometown.  Won’t be speakin’ much of the details ‘bout then first couple years, just a bit too personal.  It’s what came later on that matters here, cause that’s when I really opened up my gates and experienced my magic for the first time, outside of what I was doin’ with the horses.

Well, as it was, the war went just about everywhere back then, so course, it had to come home eventually.  Weren’t good to learn that two of my brothers had gotten killed, put maw and my sister and me in a right bad state when my last brother rode in damn near dead from gunshot wounds that night.  Course, we didn’t have much time to grieve or register what was really goin’ down, cause weren’t too long before that Union detachment rode up, hot on the trail of my brother.  They was lead by one of our neighbors’ sons, one who I’d been sweet on once, show’d ‘em right where we were. 

Things got…violent, then.  Words were said, voices raised, and before we knew it the shootin’ started.  I weren’t too bad with a gun back then, cause I’d been raised with’em and had to start helpin’ with the huntin’ and such, not near as good as I am now, so I don’t think some of them soldiers were expectin’ it when me and my sis fought back too.  Well, that didn’t last, cause we weren’t no trained soldiers, and they had us outnumbered by a good many.  I don’t rightly recall how exactly it all went down, just remember that my paw and maw and brother were dead, my sis was dyin’ from a shot to her gut, and I had a bullet in my arm. 

As them soldiers came inside on us, the things they said, the outright hate they were a spewin’ at us, and the things they tried to do to me…well, something done broke inside me then.  It was like a dam just exploded then, and I felt my first real taste of magic just wellin’ up inside of me as all my anger and sorrow gushed out.  I remember them soldiers who were hasslin’ my sis went first, just exploded all over the place like nothin’ I’d ever seen before.  The rest…well, it was pure chaos.  Fire, ice, stuff I’m not so sure what it was, all of it went through them Union men and spread over the homestead, but specifics are lackin’ in my mind.

After it was all said and done, I remember churnin’ up the earth and buryin’ my family after that, like that magic flow was doin’ whatever I wanted it too at the time, then remember staggerin’ off into the woods, but don’t recall how exactly I wound up where I did after that, cause all that magic what came outta me left me drained.  Reckon it was a week later when I finally woke up, not as dead as I woulda figured on bein’, in an unfamiliar cabin a good ways off from the old homeplace, no idea how I’d wound up there.

 

#Lore24 – Entry #152 – Muckenmyre Month #31 – Dawning of a New Spring and a New Life

From the journal of Takara, Free Kerryn, the Gray Matron of Grimbridge, Justicar Initiate of Lashana

As the new spring dawned upon Grimbridge, so too would I resolve myself to take a new path.  I had had ample time to consider my life in the Empire and all that I had learned since I was taken from its grasp.  There is much that I have not written within this journal, for its pages are nearly gone, and surely only a keeper in the Great Library could hope to keep up with the pace of all the thoughts that have been battling in my mind these past months.  So, as this journal reaches its end, so too shall this part of my life.

I have spoken with my dearest friend Satella at length of what comes next and have likewise spoken with the people of Grimbridge, whom I will always treasure as friends and allies, of my future.  As I sit atop the lighthouse’s upper deck writing this entry, looking out over the sea that delivered me to Grimbridge, bathed in the warm spring sun, I can say that I have settled my mind on many things.  Much of the conflict within me has been resolved, though I think some will always remain, for I can never forget my upbringing, my time as a slave, a slave trainer, and as an inquisitor of the Stellae Illustris.  They have shaped me, for better or worse, and it is the knowledge and life experiences that I had during my life in the Empire that has helped me come to the decision I have committed to now.

I held my collar and cuffs, markers of my slavery, for the first time in many weeks today, and brought them atop the lighthouse with me.  I can recall there being a time that I wished for them to be whole again, to feel their unrelenting bite at my neck and upon my wrists, to once again be where I thought I belonged. 

Now, having considered at length what I believe in my heart, it was with no hesitation that I cast them into the sea and forever out of my life.  Satella and I removed my slave brand and the mark of the Stellae Illustris earlier this morning.  I hereby resolve myself to never again accept the Empire into my heart, for all that it has taught to my people are lies, and all it has given us is slavery and suffering.  I will do everything in my power to see to it that this injustice is rectified, though I fully understand that this is a long and dangerous road I place myself upon.

I will not be alone in this, however.  Satella will be traveling with me once we leave Grimbridge, her path aligning with mine for the foreseeable future, for she tells me that Yurisaya has taken interest in our new quest.  Furthermore, I now have something I’d never known before…faith of my own in a greater power, not just a man sitting on a throne or the system of control he represents.  I have accepted Lashana into my heart, and I can feel what could only be the goddess herself resonating there, perhaps even with my very soul.  Upon our return to Ryanathyr, I will dedicate myself to her service as a Justicar Initiate, taking her oaths, and seeking vengeance for the great injustice that was done to my people and our fallen goddess.

Though the task of bringing down an entire Empire is nigh insurmountable, I can say that I have faith that it is one that will not be in vain, however long it may take.  I know there are other groups seeking to rebel within the Empire’s borders, and I am sure there are others who seek to end their dominance from without.  Further, I am aware of certain secrets that may be useful in the future…not just of the inner workings of the Empire, but some of its darker secrets.  Should she have survived the ordeal that was placed before her intact, and could be located, Vanessa Res’Taringal may yet still live, and having her voice heard once again may well stir future resistance.

But that is for much later, perhaps many years in the future.  For now, I will say my goodbyes to my friends in Grimbridge, though perhaps not forever, and will begin my new journey.  Following my initiation into Lashana’s faith, I hope to join with the Nakao clan as they return this way and travel to new places, to learn more of their ways and of our people, to make new friends and allies along the way, perhaps all the way to the great city of Arcavarlon.  I know not how I will get there, but I will eventually return to the shores of the Empire, never again as a slave, and I will not be alone when I arrive there.

For all that I have experienced in my life, I feel as though my journey is only just beginning, and I couldn’t be happier at this very moment to begin to discover what my future will hold, the least of which being a new journal, purchased with the money I have earned for myself.  

Truly, I am liberated in my heart and soul.

#Lore24 – Entry #151 – Muckenmyre Month #30 – Winter in Grimbridge

From the journal of Takara, Slave Inquisitor of the Stellae Illustris, Town Marshal of Grimbridge.

The first couple of weeks following my return to Grimbridge were fairly calm, giving me some time to study the teachings of Lashana I had been given.  Though not a complete delve into the goddess’s doctrines, the book served as an excellent introduction to her ways, and contained the church’s view on the events surrounding the Great Cataclysm, and the nature of the lies surrounding it.  I still questioned the truth, of course, knowing that everyone who spoke of the matter had their own viewpoints and agendas to consider.  However, I did find her ways appealing, given my own tendency toward strong discipline, and her pursuit of justice and rightful vengeance resonated even more.  During my free time, I would begin learning more of Lashana’s ways, and of the other gods in general, speaking with those of the faiths, or reading what books I could find on them.

Unsurprisingly by now, there were more differences taught, even amongst the faithful of the gods, in the Empire. 

Though we had intended to find lodgings for ourselves, Mayor Pleasence, in his stern way, insisted that we continue lodging with him during the winter at least; I believe he was quite fond of having someone cooking and maintaining the home while he was busy with town business.  Satella continued her work as a cook and part-time healer, for those who could stand her goddess’s particular form of healing.

As promised by the constable, things did indeed pick up as the winter settled in.  More and more ships began to arrive, offloading goods along the Way instead of the rougher and often icy seas to the north, and troubles in the town began to escalate.  Sailors being what they are, there were plenty of scuffles on the docks and at the Bloated Floater, arguments on prices and quality of items, or just general attempts to bully the townsfolk.  As agreed between myself and Constable Tamblyn, we would tolerate none of it, nor would any of the town guard.  Some days went better than others, with my mere presence and a warning gaze enough to calm matters, but often there were fights I had to become involved in.  Though I always waited for the offending outsiders to start the fights with me, jumping in without thought to those that had started when I wasn’t present, I saw to it that I was the one who finished them, most often in ways that would leave the offenders in agony, and any companions of them hesitant, if not outright afraid, to try something on their own.  Satella would find no shortage of customers during the busiest of times, for the other healers in town would typically refuse to heal those who had been taught a lesson from me as a lesson of their own.

Somehow, I eventually earned a reputation and a name for myself in Grimbridge, the Gray Matron.  I was known for my harsh lessons, the pain I inflicted teaching lessons like no scholar could, but also for my willingness to see to it that the law was upheld to the letter, or as closely as possible given certain discretionary judgements rendered by the constable or the town, of course.  Though Lashana is strict on interpretation and application of the law, she is not without consideration for circumstances that may lead some to stray from the straight and narrow.  I had found myself trying to live up to her doctrines more and more as the winter continued, and though my thoughts were still drifting over the vast sea toward the Empire, they were doing so less and less; I barely took out my collar and cuffs to tend to them anymore, feeling guilty when I did, but also ashamed of my past.

As the winter continued, things would settle down in Grimbridge to some extent.  My reputation, and that of the town for taking a no-nonsense approach to outsiders causing trouble had grown, and for the most part, usually aside from drunken sailors getting into brawls, things were calm.  Jessiryn and Augra would earn quite a haul themselves during this time, as they would often escort trade caravans through the Way to Ryanthyr, though we saw little of each other.

Eventually, though, the cool of the winter months would fade, the fresh and warmer air of spring would begin to appear.  As the weather improved, the rush of activity the winter had brought to the docks would begin to fade, and so to would I find more and more time to consider where my path would lead me.