Category: Spell / Magic

#Lore24 – Entry #318 – Fantasy Month IV #13 – A Most Intriguing Puzzle

From the journal of Angeliqua “Goldeneyes” Cartacustos

I studied the draconic ruins for several days, spending much of the time on the massive door that marked a sealed vault of some kind beyond, but venturing into other sections of the ruin when I needed to refresh myself, though never without the adventurers close by should I come upon something quite dangerous.  It seemed almost as if the energy of the ruin, the essence of the dragons that once dwelt within still lingered in some way, keeping those beings and creatures not possessed of higher thoughts away.  Though perhaps it would be our folly to explore within; only time would tell.

Regardless, I translated most of the text upon the door (some of the high draconic phrases are still not entirely clear) and interpreted the imagery upon it as best as I could given my knowledge of the ancient dragons, based upon the notes I have made over the years in previous journals stored within my personal pocket library.  I wish that I had additional volumes at my disposal, those found within the Great Library itself, but only texts which I have personally transcribed are permitted within this pocket dimension, or journals I have yet to fill with my knowledge and experiences. 

Still, the nature of the vault door is similar to what has been encountered in other draconic sites.  This place was once a city, though was treated more as a holy temple by those who worshipped the dragons that dwelt here, its name translated as “The Cathedral of Eminent Tranquility”, once ruled by the golden dragon known as Mega-kuramu’Koganekami, whose many titles and alternate epithets have been transcribed within my research notes, for there are over two dozen of them.  Curiously the name is very close to what would become the kerryn script and language (however forbidden they might be to speak within the Empire, making knowledge of it exceptionally rare here), translating as “Blinding Golden God.”

Contained within the vault, supposedly, are the favored relics of this dragon, as well as collections of its vast wisdom and knowledge, though the wards upon the door prevent it from being opened by anyone who is not a worshipper of the dragon or who has not undergone a trial to prove their devotion to it.  Comparing the map of the vast temple-city, an empire unto itself, with the maps of the region now known as the Wildlands, I believe that I have managed to find some similar geographic features that may potentially lead us to discovering a method of opening this door, assuming the places of power still exist and still hold the primal essence of the dragons within, of course.  Even I am tempted by the potential treasures that lie within, more so the knowledge of the ancient dragons, but to study pristine relics of their time would be an incredible opportunity.  The Heroes of Vindinium are certainly keen on getting inside, the promise of wealth beyond imagination so very tempting.

As to what must be done, there should be six sites spread across the region in a pentagonal arrangement, laid out to form a five-pointed star, with the sixth site located directly within its center, and, based upon my translations, each site must be visited as part of a pilgrimage of sorts, and rituals performed at them to gain the blessings of the draconic god to be allowed to enter into its sacred space.  Comparing ancient to modern maps, I can roughly approximate the locations of three of the sites where these standing stones should be and can assume rough distances toward the others based upon the equal distances between points, though I know not of the lands further south and west of here.

The nearest of these standing stones should be to the north of here, perhaps two days travel given the rougher terrain, though it could take us longer depending on just how reclaimed the area is by nature.  We’ll be setting off in the morning to see if we can locate the site and see if its power still remains; the fact that the door itself still holds its warding is encouraging, but far from conclusive.

#Lore24 – Entry #311 – Fantasy Month IV #6 – The Journey to the Wildlands

From the journal of Angeliqua “Goldeneyes” Cartacustos

I heard Lady Armenia rise early the next morning, for I was already awake, still squirming helplessly and uselessly attempting to sate the very intense and unrelenting desire within myself and my new member.  To put it quite bluntly, I was a sweating, quivering, moaning mess that morning, having had almost no sleep, my uselessly balled hands having spent much of the night in their vain quest to stimulate my caged penis into achieving some kind of release as it swelled and strained against the unrelenting mythril cage that held it entrapped.  The stiffness and tightness of my attire had done less than nothing to induce any feelings of relaxation as well, leaving me quite discomforted by morning.

I was left to stew for some time yet, until Lady Armenia had gotten herself dressed and prepared for the journey with the aid of one of her attendants, who, I am quite sure, was not subject to the same magical transformation as me, nor was she forced to wear such strict attire, just the common servants clothes.  Soon enough, however dazed I was, I was assisted to rise, and Lady Armenia once again took hold of my leash to lead me along, once my hands were properly restrained behind my back of course.  It was to the courtyard she led me, where her team of drakonae waited, each carrying backpacks fit for a long journey, and armed with recurve bows and short swords and hunting knives. 

Lady Armenia told me that the rest of her entourage awaited us in Scarbantia, and for a moment I was absolutely mollified, for it would take us at least two weeks of travel to reach the distant city by carriage, and perhaps another week or more to reach the edge of the Empire, depending on the exact region she intended to visit.  With my lack of sleep and constant horny distraction having addled my senses, I had failed to observe the presence of a teleportation circle, which I only noticed when the marker stones were activated and began glowing, filling the area with their magic aura. 

Indeed, once the party had appeared on the corresponding circle in Scarbantia, still in that most dark period before dawn this far west, I saw no less than three wagons and a carriage that would only have been Lady Armenia’s, as well as several mounted Imperial soldiers, at least two dozen from my count.  She immediately led me toward the waiting carriage, and with some help from her drakonae, I was loaded inside like so much baggage and maneuvered onto one of the bench seats, and then we were off at a brisk pace once Lady Armenia had settled herself.  Being the wife of General Komides, I suppose I should have suspected such a force to protect her.

Our journey would take us southwest, she told me, and we would visit the last Wayrest tonight before starting down the Malarshaw Road to the region that held the curious ruin she was so interested in, a trip that, with the numbers in our party, would take approximately eight days, not accounting for bad weather or other delays.  The look upon her face when she told me that we would be getting to know one another quite intimately during this period was absolutely devilish, and not merely because of her red skin, upward curving horns, and sharp teeth. 

As the formation settled into a proper travelling pace, Lady Armenia settled herself upon the bench next to me, easing me over to lean against her, and wrapped one arm around me, her hands once again exploring and teasing my breasts, giving special attention to my new rings, tugging and flipping them idly as we continued on.  Her tail, quite serpentine in its behavior, snaked around my waist and wrapped itself around the infernal cage and my quite sensitive new anatomy, the sharp tip poking through the mythril prison just hard enough to make me jump each time, while the wrapped tail squeezed and massaged.  Her lips found my ear, as did her tongue, and her teeth, for she nibbled and teased occasionally, all the while I whimpered, moaned, and pleaded through the phallic feeder gag for some kind of release.

Some time later, as the sun began to rise, Lady Armenia granted me a great mercy, finally bringing her teasing to an end, at least for the time being.  She continued to hold me close, her hands massaging soreness from my body as they explored it, and she told me to be at ease, to find peace in her embrace, and to rest.  I sensed her working the charm, but did not resist as the sleeping enchantment overtook me, falling into a deep and blissful slumber, in spite of the decidedly erotic dreams I would have.

I would not awaken until after noon that day, feeling refreshed if not any freer than I had been.  In fact, I was more restrained, having been secured into the seat by no less than six stout leather straps that I hadn’t realized were there.  As I stirred, Lady Armenia looked hungrily upon me from the opposite side of the carriage, making me squirm.  Though she was of high rank in society, she still wore the attire of a priestess, though in silks rather than more common materials, and her accessories were of gold and silver.  I squirmed, straining against the straps to no avail, as I tried to put distance between us.

She laughed then, a surprise to be sure, and returned to my side of the carriage, this time straddling my restrained form, pressing her knees against my hips and resting upon my legs.  She removed my gag before she started playing with my breasts again, hooking the claws of her thumbs into the nipple rings to tug or twist.  We spoke for some time as we continued along the road, mostly with her asking me questions about my time at the Library, and then focusing more upon my experiences with the lewd and erotic when my responses proved to be rather mundane.  She seemed rather pleased that I was so inexperienced in so much that she promised to show me in excruciating detail once we were safely to our destination, and some on the road beforehand.  Of our night at the Wayrest she seemed to be most excited, however she kept those details hidden at the time.

Perhaps it was the lingering, unending arousal I had experienced since my “recruitment” into her service that clouded my usually reasonable mind, or perhaps her mazoku nature had done so…or perhaps my inquisitive nature had evolved in the months I had spent tutoring her son and experiencing a rather abundant amount of pleasures at the hands of his kerryn slave Ryona, some at his behest, others all of her own devising.  Regardless of the cause, I found myself excited for these experiences, even though I had little choice in the matter.  Though…I had the sense that if I had been unwilling to participate in any of her games, Lady Armenia would not have forced me into anything I truly did not wish to participate in. 

She ended our question-and-answer time before I could ask her anything in return (I am beginning to think my Lady Armenia might just be a little unfair in her dealings…), deigning it time for my mouth to practice at something else that didn’t involve speech.  I was released from the bench and guided to the floor of the carriage, and this time, with her holding the leash, I was first to busy my tongue in cleaning her fine leather boots.  Fortunately for me, she had yet to exit the carriage on this day, so the leather was quite pristine, though certainly not my preferred flavor, even though it may have been Lady Armenia’s.  Following this, I had to undo the laces with my teeth before she removed her boots, thus allowing me to partake of her rather aromatic and sweaty, stocking-clad feet.  Translated, she held her feet before me and pulled my leash between them, forcing my face into them, where I was “allowed” to breathe of her essence for a time, before my tongue was once again “allowed” to explore them.

Throughout this worshipful ordeal, my nipple rings were constantly abuzz, as was the ring at the base of the cage surrounding my dribbling cock, which strained quite uncomfortably inside that unforgiving device.  I had sought to inquire with Lady Armenia about what I should do with the constantly leaking nature of my restricted asset, but she seemed not the least bit concerned by it, for her foot was soon teasing it again, only this time, after she had finally used both feet upon it, squeezing and teasing the swollen testes between her soles, she bade me clean them off.  I suppose that’s another entry on the list of things I had not expected to experience this week…

She seemed quite eager for more, but insisted she was restraining herself, saving herself, really, for tonight once we reached the Wayrest.  She replaced her boots upon her feet and decided that she too would nap, once more securing me to my place on the bench and replacing my feeder gag before she lay back on the other side of the carriage, but not before she gave me a long kiss upon my gag-covered lips.  She seemed rather restless for a time, her hands finding their way to her own breasts and between her legs, only for her to jerk them away suddenly, though she finally settled down into sleep.  A curious observation, though one that would make sense later…mostly.

At least the windows were open, allowing me to see the passing countryside as we rode onward.  It would have been a dreadfully boring time otherwise; thankfully the Wayrest was only another couple of hours away.

#Lore24 – Entry #310 – Fantasy Month IV #5 – To Serve Lady Armenia

From the journal of Angeliqua “Goldeneyes” Cartacustos

Though I was left hanging in the dungeon for some time, I would find little in the way of respite from Lady Armenia’s machinations.  The new devices and…anatomy…which she had equipped me with proved to be every bit as capable of keeping me in a lustful daze as the lady herself.  And yes, I must now refer to her as “Lady Armenia” during my entries, for she insists upon me calling her that in person and says I should do so in my writings as well to continue to show her proper respects. 

Once I was finally released from my bondage and allowed to bathe, I found little relief.  I of course probed my caged cock…I doubt I shall ever find writing that to be anything close to normal…finding its continued sensitivity to be maddening, only compounded by the tightness of the cage it was now confined within, sealed by magic that I dare not attempt to break, as it is a surprisingly strong enchantment with layers of magic that I could not identify that was likely of a very punishing nature.  It seems that every minor touch to my cock sends a shiver through me; I can only begin to wonder if all men must deal with such issues, or if it is the magic or simply the newness of mine that makes it so difficult to deal with.  I am not entirely sure how the transformation magic works, either, as it is beyond my ability to replicate, my female genitalia completely replaced by this new organ, though my breasts remain intact…if perhaps somewhat larger now, and perhaps more sensitive as well.  I am assured by Lady Armenia that all will be returned to normal upon the completion of my service with her, “should I desire it to be so.”

I am still uncertain as to my feelings on this situation.  I am certainly angry, though I likewise find certain fascination with it all.  My initial outrage and shock have faded, though Lady Armenia still finds ways to rile me up each and every day.  She has a particular knack for such things, I believe, and relishes in my discomfort. 

This is evident given her choice of my attire, for when I am with her, she is to choose what I wear.  I surmise that the nature of the contract between her and Mother is rather fluid and vague to allow such things, though Lady Armenia insists I not fret over the “frivolous details”.  It seems my hopes that I would never again wear the restrictive dress Alekos had tailored for me were in vain, for it was this very costume which Lady Armenia had chosen for me to wear, with a few minor alterations to better suit her.

The ridiculously high heeled shoes that I had originally worn with the dress were replaced in favor of even more ridiculous footwear, specifically a pair of knee-length boots which had even taller heels, these forcing my feet downward to the point that I would be walking on my toes.  It seemed Lady Armenia was quite aware of my superior agility and balance, though I would not personally have insisted upon such footwear to test my grace.  The small arcane locks on the straps at the ankles and knees to ensure I kept them on were also quite troubling. 

The tight, black leather of the dress, of a hobbling design with a high neck that was the current fashion, already quite tight as it had originally been tailored, was made even more restrictive via an enchantment that had swiftly been added to it that would resize it absolutely perfectly to my curves, making it something of a second skin.  I would also notice that two sections of the leather had been removed, namely the area that covered my breasts, and those covering my pelvic area, leaving me little in the way of decency.

Once I had managed to fit the dress upon myself, it hugged me quite tightly, leaving my breasts and pierced nipples clearly exposed, as was my ass and my new, caged anatomy.  I would find my steps limited to barely a few inches between the dress and the boots, though this would only grow somehow more restrictive when Lady Armenia insisted upon adding the stout leather corsets, these in a deep red shade, one wrapping my torso from hips to just below my breasts, the other about my neck, to be worn beneath my collar.  Already at my limits, this would prove quite the challenge to overcome, especially once the gloves were added.  These bicep-length leather gloves had been altered as well, fit with a pair of red leather cuffs at wrist and bicep, as well as having the fingers altered so that my hands were forced into fists, ensuring their uselessness. 

Making use of the cuffs to secure my arms behind my back, Lady Armenia would insist that I learn to walk properly now that I could only stand mostly straight as an arrow, further enforced by the rigid corsets, tight dress, and tall boots.  She seemed to take great delight in my suffering as, after attaching a leash to my collar, she guided me through a multitude of exercises to ensure that I would be able to walk with “the utmost grace and poise”, making liberal use of a riding crop when I faltered or did not respond to her instructions quickly enough.  The vibrations of the nipple rings, and to my horror, the cage around my cock, kept me in a constant state of distracted arousal, making my ordeal that much more difficult.  The sting of the crop against my backside and even my new anatomy made me stumble even more than the infraction that had prompted the correction, thus prompting another correction.

I would learn later the boots had been enchanted as well, making it exceptionally difficult for me to actually fall while wearing them, but I did not know that at the time, and suffered greatly because of it, though Lady Armenia certainly enjoyed my predicament.  Once our first session had ended, she guided me to her chambers in what I assumed was a private estate that she owned, her perhaps was owned by the church itself, taking a very long and very painful and quite embarrassing tour of the grounds, which included its own chapel and gardens.  There were plenty of people around, other members of the church, mostly, but some outsiders like gardeners and other visiting nobility, all of which seemed to stare at me in ways that ranged from amused, amazed, lustful, envious, shameful, and disapproving, and likely more. 

Navigating the stairs in the residence proved quite difficult, though not impossible.  I simply had to learn to hop high enough, and Lady Armenia’s crop certainly helped with motivating me to succeed on my first attempts.

I noted that it was nearly sunset by this time we came to her chambers, in which I would, in spite of my growing weariness and great soreness born of the crop, be introduced to additional services I would be required to perform for her.  With my arms released from behind my back, and the gloves magically changing from balling my fists to regular gloves, I would show her some of what I had learned from Ryona during my time with her, specifically foot massage, both with hands and tongue.  Kneeling upon the floor was a trying experience, and I only accomplished it with Lady Armenia’s aid; thankfully she did not expect me to do it on my own, anyway.

Lady Armenia’s mazoku nature only increased my intense arousal as I removed her boots, her scent and the somewhat spicy taste of her sweaty feet upon my tongue were very nearly electric, making my whole body tingle with excitement to be this close to her, and the pleasure-filled moans she made only served to heighten my need to please her, so fully enthralled by her presence was I. 

Since I could only tend one foot at a time, her other foot was constantly working to tease my caged cock, rubbing at the cage with her toes or pressing down teasingly upon my balls, causing a mixture of pain and pleasure that had me squirming with a most delightful agony.  All the while, my face burned with shame and embarrassment, though my aroused state barely changed, my nipples hard and erect, my new cock straining against the tiny cage that held it, constantly dripping as I shifted and squirmed in vain to find some kind of relief.  Perhaps it had been my desire to stay in Draconis Magna for a time that had started me down this perverse road to begin with, my body and mind now hopelessly corrupted by the pleasures of the flesh I would never have known had I stayed at the Great Library.

Lady Armenia insists that I am being overly dramatic with that last line, for she is reading over my shoulder as I write this, though has made no efforts to correct or alter what it is I write here, has even stated I have something of a talent for description of my predicament that she finds quite enjoyable. 

Once her feet had been properly pleasured and her passionate flames greatly kindled, Lady Armenia had expressed a desire to continue further, though had decided to deny her own gratification for now so that she would find even higher pleasures in the very near future.  “It is a long journey we embark upon tomorrow, after all; there will be plenty of time to educate you on the way.”  With that, my gloves were once again shifted back to the mittens that would make my hands useless, and this time  my wrists were secured in front of me as I was led to my bed, that of a maidservant in the smaller room adjacent to her chambers.  She helped me into the bed, securing my leash to a nearby ring set into the wall, and then fit me with a rather large, phallic gag harness, telling me to enjoy my rest. 

Thankfully it was a feeder gag, for I was rather famished, and I found myself greedily sucking on the warm, salty mixture that came from it, heedless of the perceived lewdness of the act.  Considering what had just befallen me, and the fact hat my hands were constantly pawing at my caged cock as I lay squirming on the bed with only the sounds of the leather creaking and my own panting moans to lull me into what could have been generously described as a “fitful slumber”, I would barely consider suckling on the penile gag that great of a perversity. 

There would be more than ample opportunity to experience even greater perversities in the very near future, as I would find out soon enough.

#Lore24 – Entry #309 – Fantasy Month IV #4 – A Lopsided Bargain

From the journal of Angeliqua “Goldeneyes” Cartacustos

As I hung helplessly in the grasp of Lady Armenia, she continued to relentlessly tease my body in a way I had never experienced.  Certainly, Alekos and Ryona had teased me during our rather erotic trysts between his classes, but not like this.  The combination of her mazoku nature and her training as a Yurisayan priestess were, for lack of a better term, maddening.  She knew exactly how and where to touch me to work my body into a mess of heated lust, and exactly how to keep it right there, on the very edge of attaining the pleasures I had soon sought and thought I had lost all cravings for after I had left as Alekos’s tutor. 

I cannot know how long exactly she kept me on edge, but it could have been hours.  She practically turned my mind to jelly during the time, had even seemed to twist my body’s perception of the pain she caused by the pinches and scrapings of her claws into pleasure.  She said little during this time, at least that I can recall, only making a few comments on the pleasureful sounds and physical responses I made in response to her touch which left me feeling great shame at my lack of control.

Once I had been properly edged for this small eternity, had become even hotter and sweatier than I had in the trunk as I hung helplessly in my bindings, she finally began to tell me of the reason she had intercepted me on my way back to the Great Library.  She did perceive some slight from my leaving my tutorship early and felt that I had somehow gone against the bargain originally arranged between the Library and her.  I tried to protest this, but of course, she had yet to remove the gag, so my complaints were quite ineffectual.  She had taken it upon herself, then, to see that the full terms of my service were to be handled in a different way:  I would serve as her historical and archaeological expert on an upcoming expedition to the south-western Wildlands, to help her and her people to study some ruins that were found there, as well as several artifacts that were found within them by an adventuring party who were working to civilize the area.

She said that she had already sent word to Mother regarding this and received a positive response (though I have yet to see such correspondence), and had come to a tentative agreement for an extension of the term should my work prove satisfactory.  And, of course, there would be additional requirements that she would have of me, given how she seemed to think that I had offended her and somehow impugned the honor of her son and her family name.  I personally feel that she was being most overdramatic in this assertion and had blown it up into something much more than it was, but who am I to argue with someone of her station and power?  Who save perhaps the Emperor himself and a handful of nobles would challenge someone of her station?  And over a lowly librarian such as myself? 

I was in quite the mess, to put it mildly, and certainly, I feel, not of my own making. 

But that would not be all, for Armenia then declared that she would continue my own ‘education’ to assist me in future endeavors, to help me learn from my failures (in her mind, I contest) to understand her “dear son’s unique predicament,” as well as expand my knowledge of Yurisaya’s ways.  By this time, somewhere in my pleasure-addled brain, I’m certain that I protested this, though I can’t recall if I actually tried to form words to such effect or simply made lustful noises and wiggled in her grasp.  It has all become something of a blur in my memory, a deficiency of my own mind that I must try to correct.

She finally stopped teasing me for a few moments then, but only so that she could bring over what I would be wearing for the foreseeable future as her “assistant”; I would learn that such a term, when used by a Yurisayan priestesses, or at least, by her, was possessed of much more responsibility than those which were simply academic.  She enacted a magical ritual upon me, tracing a magical rune upon my body with her claw and some mixture she dipped her claw into, forming a magical tattoo just over my pubic mound.  This, she said, would help me to better understand her son’s difficulties in dealing with his own lustful nature.

As I couldn’t see the rune she had inscribed upon me, not that I was able to think overly clearly at the time anyway, I was somewhat worried when I felt the magic take hold, felt my body beginning to transform itself.  I recall moaning into the ball between my lips as the strange sensation of pleasure and arcane energies coursed through me.  I am not sure how long it took to finish, but once it was done, I recalled feeling an unusual weight now resting between my legs, of an unusual throbbing sensation.  I was dumbfounded when I looked down to see a sizeable penis and testes hanging there, standing quite erect, my brain simply unable to process it in the moment.

Armenia then began to stroke my new appendage, filling my body with sensations I had never experienced before.  And yet, like she had done with my natural anatomy, she quickly had me squirming and moaning, on the edge of a climax I would never experience.  I could feel myself dripping, could feel her touch so keenly through this new, sensitive part of my anatomy. 

She further added to my plight by slowly and most erotically piercing my nipples, a mix of pleasure and pain that only added to that which I experienced from my…cock.  Here she attached a pair of stout golden rings, U-shaped, and set with faintly glowing rubies at the bottom of the U.  These, I would shortly discover, would vibrate through some control device she possessed, and would serve to keep me constantly on edge.  She placed a collar about my neck as well, heavy and golden, set with a similar ruby at the neck, which sealed with a click that sounded quite ominous in my ears.  Though this looked more like a richly designed necklace, it was no doubt a collar.

With these accessories done, she teased my new member some more, driving my pleasure-haze right back to that edge, but then announced there was but one more item to complete my ensemble.  Not knowing what it could have been, nor thinking at all clearly at the time, I dazedly watched as she secured a thick, silver ring around the base of my cock and balls, then proceeded to guide a matching silver cage around it, pressing it downward, forcing my erection painfully into the confines of the cage.  With a growing sense of erotically-charged horror, I watched helplessly as the cage met the ring, the metals fusing together and growing tighter around my new anatomy. 

Armenia then squeezed my testes, flicking the cage, sending an agonizing pleasure through my tightly trapped appendage, then patted my cheek, announcing that she had finished.  I would be allowed to “enjoy” my new predicament for a while longer, and then I would be freed of my bonds so that I may clean myself up and don some “appropriate attire”, then rest before we were to set out on our journey on the morrow. 

It would prove to be an arduous and long journey, as I will detail in my next entries, though I would learn much of which I had never intended to learn along the way.

#Lore24 – Entry #294 – Sentinel City by Night #20 – Matters of Faith

From the Journal of Sheba O’Rourke, Private Investigator

“Been to several strange places all over Sentinel City, but Light’s Hope Chapel was the strangest one yet.  Hadn’t planned on stopping in, no reason to really, just happened to be in the neighborhood.  I’d continued my work, had a couple more instances where I picked up on someone following me, but never could pin them down.  Think they know that I know for sure now, so they’re being a lot more subtle about it.  Got word to Grim Jacobs via Sokolova but hadn’t heard from him or his Hounds yet.

Was on my way back from trolling for a source on the drug when I happened upon the church.  Parking lot had to have been half full, odd for this time of night, so I figured what the hell, I’d bite the bullet and stop in and see what this preacher was all about. 

Can’t say I was prepared for what I experienced when I walked into the chapel.  Heard her preaching about the works of the “Great One”, of the power found within its “pure and holy light” and the like.  The crowd was enthralled by her, don’t know if she was using one of our vampiric tricks or if she was just that damn good at preaching.  Still, noticed she wasn’t referencing God or Jesus during that sermon.

Tried to get a good look at Ausar.  Could tell she was dressed like a nun but had trouble keeping my eyes on her.  Hadn’t felt this kind of sensation…ever.  My skin tingled as I hit the rear pews, not painfully so, but I couldn’t keep from squirming, kinda like that feeling I got that time back in San Diego when I was nearly caught outdoors on a late night and felt the dawn creeping up on me.  Had to avert my eyes when she picked up her cross and brandished it over the crowd, the candlelight glinting off the gold just too intense for me.  I wasn’t even using my heightened senses.  Then I got the bright idea to read her aura.

Was damn near blinded by the light radiating off her, pure, golden…holy.  I’d never seen that before, had to quickly shut that off and rub my eyes, but still couldn’t get the after images to clear for a good while.  I’d never come across this before, but I knew instinctively what it was.  True faith. It might not have been in the god that cursed us Kindred, but whatever it was, Ausar had the utmost unshakeable belief in it, and I’d wager her flock believed in it just as much as she did. 

And here I thought I got hyper-obsessed with my work sometimes…

That was probably the most uncomfortable twenty minutes of my unlife; just kept waiting for my skin to burst into flames under the power of ‘the Light’, and though I’d thought to leave, I couldn’t make myself get up.  Fact that I’m writing this means I made it out, of course, and not even a sunburn to show for it.

Ausar’s intensity faded once she’d wrapped up her sermon, thankfully.  I kept my distance while she mingled with her flock, but eventually, once they had started to file out, she came up to me.  She seemed every bit the true believer she presented herself as, a fervor in her that I’d almost call a mania, barely contained.  Still had trouble keeping eye contact with her, kept feeling like I was transgressing or something.  Damn strange sensation.  She apologized for it, though, said those like me with increased senses often struggled around her at first.  Won’t go into too much detail about what we discussed; I’ve never been the type to be especially religious, but a little food for thought never hurt anyone. 

Wasted damn near the whole night chatting with her, though; tried to wiggle out of it, but something about her kept drawing me back in.  Definitely counting this one amongst the strangest nights in my life…so far, anyway.  Who knows what tomorrow may bring?  By the end of it, she’d extended an invitation for me to share her haven if I didn’t wish to go home, an offer I respectfully declined, but likewise advised me to keep her in mind should I require guidance in spiritual matters and even if I should find myself in need of healing.  Not so sure I wanted to be touched by those hands of hers or not given that her presence alone was enough to make my skin crawl. 

Ankara Ausar is something else.  That’s all I can really say.  Don’t know if that’s holy fervor and her faith guiding her or some kind of madness.  Maybe both.  She is a fellow Malkavian, after all.  We’re all known to have our moments of lunacy, just have to wonder if she’s living in hers all the damn time or if I caught her on a lucid night.”

#Lore24 – Entry #226 – Helica Month #14 – Separating the Strong from the Weak

Excerpt from the Journals of Azita Gaji, Explorer of Helica, Seeker of Knowledge, Blessed of Saghirah

When it comes to summoners and their Crusades, I was told by Esekia upon our arrival on the island of Vallalava that Cinza had a way of separating the weak from the strong.  Like the element of fire with which he is associated, the Amaranth is very temperamental and hard to tame.  Sometimes his displeasure with a summoner’s attempts to tame him even translates to the volcano the island is known for, which will belch smoke and send tremors through the surrounding jungle and village.  Those summoners who are not secure in their mastery of the art will often find their Crusades ending upon the slopes of Mount Vallalava within the Amaranth’s temple.  Though there are officially no limits to the number of attempts a summoner may make to tame the Amaranth, those who must try twice are looked down upon as weak in faith, and those who must try a third time are regarded as failures even if they succeed, finding their journeys ahead much more difficult as word spreads of their weakness of spirit.

Thus far, there are no records of any summoners of note surpassing the challenge on four or more attempts.

Even the journey to Cinza’s temple is often fraught with danger, for while there is an established path through the jungle, there are wild beasts that can suddenly attack an unwary party, and there are several river crossings that can be flooded or have their bridges washed out, resulting in significant delays.  Very much the contrast to the temple at Ukejama, though certainly fitting given the Amaranth’s temperament.

With these worries firmly in mind, Esekia would nonetheless await his turn, watching as many summoners would struggle and fail to tame Cinza on their first try, losing face amongst their peers as they sequestered themselves within the private chambers of the temple to reaffirm their faith in Phyresis and bolster their will for a second attempt. 

I would spend time practicing my own magic with Zubayr in the jungle near to the temple (there were so many summoners and Stalkers about that there was little need for us to be by Esekia constantly, and it would be several days before he would make his attempt).  During the course of this latest training, I would make use of a staff obtained from a trader in the village, as I would likely not find a runic blade outside of the mainland, perhaps in San Granalle, though since its destruction, that was unlikely.  Still, I hard progressed far enough along that I could successfully hit my targets with focused magic, qualifying as having mastered the basic rank of elemental attack spells.  Zubayr was satisfied with my progress, though he remarked that the strength he sensed within me had increased at a faster pace than normal.  Again, I wondered if this was due to the blessing I had been bestowed. 

#Lore24 – Entry #224 – Helica Month #12 – To Become a Tamer

Excerpt from the Journals of Azita Gaji, Explorer of Helica, Seeker of Knowledge, Blessed of Saghirah

The rest of the days we spent upon Ukejama were mostly uneventful, thankfully, though the seas about the island remained more dangerous than a handful of weeks ago thanks to the influence of the Transgressor.  There was not a fishing boat that went out alone and without armaments.

As we awaited our summoner’s chance to prove himself, I formally took Zubayr’s collar and became an apprentice Tamer and began learning the art of bending the elements to my will.  There was no particular ceremony involved, as he simply placed the enchanted leather about my neck, and began my training with the fine art of sensing the raw magical power that I would learn to wield.  This started by depriving me of my sight and other senses as he manipulated those elements around me.  As I was no stranger to long hours of intense focus, I developed this skill within a day. 

Each element has a particular feel to it, as one would expect.  I suppose I would describe them thusly, though the full description would take much longer to describe:  Fire is chaotic and discernably hot, air ephemeral and with a kind of rushing sensation, earth is weighty and course and unyielding, and water is cool with an underlying weightiness that gives you a sensation of being swept away. 

If I struggled at all with this exercise, it was in sensing the fifth element, which I had not previously experienced.  Zubayr told me he was using it, and had me probe with my awakening sixth sense to see if I could sense it.  At first I did not, but then I became aware of the curious presence of this element, this Void that underlay all other elements.  It is a sensation of negativity, I suppose would be one way to describe it, of darkness and nothingness.  This is the most difficult of the elements to master, as it can be used to debilitate enemies, draining their very essence to sap their strength, drain their mana reserves, or to physically crush with the great power of the forces beyond.  Though I could sense this element’s presence, it would yet be some time before he would teach me of it further; for now, being able to realize it was there would be enough.  Once I had learned enough, I would need to claim a stave of my own to help focus my spells, or, preferably, a runic blade as would better augment my existing martial training, combining sword and sorcery.

By the time we would leave Ukejama, I would be able to rapidly sense the invoking of the elements, had begun manipulating them myself with beginner exercises, and Esekia had tamed the Amaranth Makani without incident.  I could only wonder if Makani grew tired of so much sudden attention.  We would depart upon the next stage of the Crusade aboard a vessel filled with other summoners who had passed their first trials, bound for the volcanic island of Vallalava, home of the Amaranth Cinza, though our voyage would not be without its dangers, for the world of Helica possesses dangers other than that of the Transgressor, and for all of our will to work together to stop the Wicked One, the conflicts of personality and ego inherent in the souls of mortals would prove quite troublesome upon this journey.   

#Lore24 – Entry #221 – Helica Month #9 – Taming the Five Elements

Excerpt from the Journals of Azita Gaji, Explorer of Helica, Seeker of Knowledge, Blessed of Saghirah

During the long days in which we traversed the sea from the mainland toward Ukejama, I would have several conversations with the Tamer known as Zubayr.  His kind are known as masters of black magic, the destructive and debilitating side of magic, opposing the restorative and enhancing side that is white magic.  I knew something of his order before, of course, the Order of the Tamers of the Five Elements, but now that we had joined together in a common goal, I was able to glean more information about them and magic in general, however difficult it was.  Zubayr isn’t especially talkative, preferring to remain in his cabin for the most part, pondering the mysteries of the cosmos as it were.

Though the common practice of using black magic involves the casting of “spells” that are well known amongst its practitioners, such as hurling balls of fire or creating fissures in the earth to crush enemies, the art is actually much more involved and considerably more difficult because of the mental focus.  They are called “Tamers” for a reason:  they are literally willing the raw magical essence and the very elemental makeup of the world to bend to their will, and it is the words of power that are spoken with these spells that help to maintain that focus.  It is conceivable that other “spells” could be performed, or certain effects combined, but this is exceedingly difficult for even masters of the order, and thus why the common spells have become thus. 

It is similar for those who practice white magic, in that intense focus is required and their focus involves “prayer” instead of the arcane spell words, though instead of taming elements, they are calling forth the power of the One True God.  Though I could not get him to tell me more, Zubayr hinted that there may be other sources for such powers.  I wonder if perhaps he means the Amaranths?  Were they not worshipped as divine beings in the times before the Transgressor and Phyresis? 

It is possible to use elemental magic to some extent without using power words, usually during the early training of a Tamer, when they are just learning to sense the elements and to manipulate them.  However, to be effective tools against the demons and the spawn of the Transgressor, the additional focus from using the words, and through channeling that power through a stave, turn these effects into truly devastating weapons. 

I would also learn from Zubayr that I possessed some potential for learning to tame the elements.  It was on the second leg of our journey, on the way to the volcanic island of Vallalava, after we had to assist in repelling some of the Transgressor’s spawn from the ship that he first sensed it within me.  It is barely enough to be classified as a potential student, he said, but it is there, and curiously, he didn’t recognize it when we first met.  He told me that it is not unheard of for such a thing to happen, either someone’s potential awakens later in life, or perhaps being around demons and the spawn of the Wicked One as much as I have, has changed me in some way. 

Or perhaps it is a side effect of the blessing bestowed upon me by Saghirah?  If it is true that the Amaranths can grant the same powers of white magic as that of the One True God, then perhaps she has awakened this growing potential within me?  I will have to ponder this more as we travel.  I feel that I must submit myself to Zubayr’s instruction and don his collar as his apprentice now that he has made the offer.  We will need all the help we can get on this crusade, and I can only imagine such knowledge will benefit me in the future.

#Lore24 – Entry #212 – Supers Month II #31 – A Troublesome Kitsune, and a Hunter Called

Musings of Demon Lord Kurae

Oh, my sly little Kitsune!  Such a naughty girl! 

Still, I have to give her credit for learning her lessons exceptionally well…that was quite masterfully done in all honesty.  Worthy of a demon, really.  And she was perfectly willing to let the plan fall through there at the end, probably had a backup plan already plotted out, but for the chance arrival of our little Gun Bunny and her timely pull of the trigger.  And here I thought I’d broken Kitsune completely!  Well, that’ll teach me, won’t it?  That sly girl has more spirit left than I gave her credit for.  She’s been avoiding me in her kennel since she returned from Earth, but I figured she was just pouting after experiencing freedom for so long.

Oh, I could’ve read her mind, absolutely, but why let her know that I know?  It’s much more fun to spring a trap on someone like her who is used to springing them on others, you see.  Let her run a little more, get that leash good and loose about her neck, then pull it back HARD.

Yes, I’ll be keeping a closer eye on her from here on out…or rather, another of my minions will be.  When one such as I has a hobby of collecting dangerous game and keeping them as pets, it is prudent to have a game warden on the payroll, a big game hunter at hand, wouldn’t you agree?  If the game is as wily as Kitsune, then there must be one who can, at the very least, match her cunning.  My hunter will keep Kitsune in check, of that you can rest assured.

Don’t feel bad, my pet.  You’re proving quite capable of serving me, and your performance thus far has been exemplary, but you have a long way to go before you’ve proven yourself able to be trusted to the level I once did Kitsune.  As short-lived and short-sighted as your kind are, I must admit, you still find ways to surprise even me.  It’s a credit to your race, pet. 

Come, we have a resurrection ritual to begin, and you must make final preparations to the site to insure we aren’t disturbed.

#Lore24 – Entry #207 – Supers Month II #26 – A Shaper of Flesh and Souls

Musings of Demon Lord Kurae

Well, well, my pet, it seems that your work is coming along quite nicely.  And here you were telling me that you were rusty after so long without practice!  This vessel seems quite well formed, very much in line with what I required.  Lovely proportions, really.  And seemingly just as natural as any naturally born human body.

Oh, don’t be so modest!  Humans are indeed simple creatures, but there is undeniably art in what you create, that much is evident by your reputation in your world, of your lasting legacy.  It won’t be long until we have reclaimed the relics, and we can fill this vessel with the soul I’ve chosen for it.  Though I think you’ll be instrumental in applying some minor…tweaks to that soul.  He was always a rebellious one, and while I can admire that in a minion, I do think a few little insurances against disloyalty will be appropriate.  You can do that, can you not?

Again, you are too modest, my pet.  For one who bore the djinn into your world, what is it to alter a soul?  Especially a human one?  Look at it as a challenge, my delightful pet, my shaper of flesh and souls.  You have a new purpose, do you not?  Rejoice in my benevolence and worship me as I’ve taught you.  There will be many more stories for you to tell after this, and I do so enjoy the sound of your adoring voice.  Yes, just as it should be…