Tag: Summoner

#Lore24 – Entry #223 – Helica Month #11 – The Many Amaranths of Helica

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

Once I had managed to set up my lantern, I began clearing the accumulated dust and dirt of a few hundred years from the walls of the chamber.  Beneath them lay carved murals, most still with their brilliant paints still visible, though many had suffered cracks and collapsed sections due to the shifting of the earth around them.  I had no way of knowing for sure, but I got the sense that these were perhaps ancient even in the heyday of Grad Artanais.

The chamber was generally circular in shape but was composed of twenty-four walls set at slight angles to one another to form the angled circle.  The murals themselves were each about three-feet wide and as tall as the chamber itself, about twelve feet, and covered twenty-two of the walls, the last two being reserved for the entrance I had used, and another which was collapsed after a half-dozen feet. 

The first of the murals I examined were of fantastic creatures at once familiar and strange, bearing features of the wildlife of Helica, but grander, more exotic, and possessed of an intelligent countenance.  It was when I laid my eyes upon the foxlike figure of the Amaranth Glacia within an otherworldly snow-covered forest that I realized what these murals were.  Sure enough, as I progressed, I discovered images of the great birdlike Makani amongst the clouds, Cinza the fire dragon in his volcanic realm, and Kayalik the equine Amaranth of earth in a rocky valley.  Then there was Saghirah in her winged feline form, imperious upon her throne, above her temple in a great desert, and Nur-Atahk, the majestic, winged serpent guardian of the holy city of Tyraguard.  And yet, that was the entirety of the Amaranths I recognized, a mere six of the twenty-two! 

What were the names of these other Amaranths, and why were they not revered to this day?  Why were some of them more human in appearance than others?  Were they perhaps no longer living or unable to exist upon Helica?  Had they been destroyed at some time during the past, perhaps during the first battles with the Transgressor?  Had these Amaranths been forgotten to time?  Or had the church tried to hide their existence like they had attempted with Saghirah?  Had they too had representations in the temple complex in Grad Artanais that had been buried and lost?  So many questions flooded through my mind then.  This had to have been what Saghirah had wanted me to learn on Ukejama!

Though I didn’t have names to go along with most, I hastily began sketching the murals to the best of may abilities, making sure to include as much detail as I could manage, especially the symbols and ancient lettering I was not familiar with, for I would surely be using these as a guide for my future research.  There was so much yet to learn, so much that had been lost of Helica’s history that I may never know, but Saghirah willing, with her blessing, maybe I will uncover those lost truths, or at least, the most important of those truths.

#Lore24 – Entry #222 – Helica Month #10 – Upon Ukejama Island

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

Though I have never been to Ukejama Island previously, I was aware through my research that there were ruins from the same age as the holy city of Grad Artanais dotting the jungles of the island, though there was little information on what they may have once contained, to the point that I seriously doubted they had ever been seriously explored. 

We arrived mostly intact from our journey through the demon-infested seas, the frequency of attacks lessening as we got further from San Granalle where the Transgressor first appeared.  So, when we arrived at Ukejama, we found the locals on alert, their fishing fleets staying closer to the island itself, but for the most part, life hadn’t changed in this distant place.  The villagers were hungry for news of what had happened, and their were plenty of others aboard, seeking to have their chance to become full-fledged summoners, who were eager to tell them all of what had occurred. 

Ascending the holy mountain to the temple of the Amaranth Makani was a challenge for Esekia and Zubayr, the first having lived an easy life in the temples of the capitol city Tyraguard, and the second having not been on a serious adventure for some time.  For the Stalker and myself the ascent was enough to get the blood flowing, and paled in comparison to my journeys across the sacred peaks of Temismere. 

As it would turn out, we had little to worry about in terms of guarding our charge during this time, for the many would-be summoners who sought to tame the Amaranth meant that we would have to wait our turn, which gave me a chance to explore the ruins for myself.  Though of the same vintage as the city of Grad Artanais, the ruins hidden within the jungles were of a different civilization, one that was not immediately recognizable, and likely lost, the stone structures mostly overgrown or buried by what I could assume were massive upheavals of the land itself, perhaps during the first coming of the Transgressor when the world had first fallen under its terrible influence.  Unfortunately, I would be unable to immediately find signs of a shrine to Saghirah, for I could find no access beyond perhaps a hundred feet into the structures, so bad was the collapse.

I was about to call my explorations finished when I found a hidden pathway amongst the last of the ruins I could find, the place partially flooded due to its proximity to the sea.  The passage was treacherous to say the least, for I feared a collapse at any moment, but I could not leave it unexplored.  My perseverance was worth it, though, for I came to a mostly intact chamber which contained signs that it had once been related to the Amaranths, perhaps once maintained by the priests and priestesses who once served them.  Here, I would learn much.

#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 #220 – Helica Month #8 – Beasts of Battle and Burden

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

This would be my first time traveling closely with one of the Beasts, and would afford me some time to study them closely, for their nature was rather mysterious as of yet, for in spite of their prevalence upon those lands held by the Church of Phyresis, Beasts have only been in existence for perhaps fifty or sixty years.  They are called Beasts as a way to dehumanize them, for they are inherently human, though upon looking at them, one would perhaps not believe it.  The “Beasts” have had their humanity further stripped away by covering them in some kind of magical material akin to thick rubber, the process known only to the Phyresians of high rank.  To make one a Beast is to punish them for the sin of defying the Church, using forbidden machines, or otherwise displeasing those of great standing, and their entire existence becomes devoted to serving the Church and its machinations, no matter how much they may disagree with it.

Perhaps to become a Beast is a fate which awaits me, should my delving into the forbidden lore of Saghirah be revealed?

There are different “breeds” of Beasts, each with unique appearances and purposes, and I suspect that one’s breed is determined by their skills possessed in their previous lives, before they committed some great sin against the Church.  All breeds appear as humanoid animals of some type.  The Stalker breed is commonly seen traveling alongside a summoner with whom they are bonded, leashed via magic, as it were.  They appear as large humanoid wolves with varying features, though I know not how these features are determined, for while they share certain characteristics, each has unique markings and colorations.  In the case of the Stalker breed, they are skilled hunters and combatants, allowed to bear weapons in the defense of their bonded summoner, their senses keen to spotting demons and spawn of the Transgressor. 

Other Breeds include the Warrior breed, reserved for the largest and most powerful of Beasts, and usually reserved as part of the guardian forces accompanying the highest-ranking members of the Church, or for front line duty in battles the Church engages in, and have appearances not unlike that of the mythical dragons.  The Workhorse breed is used as general laborers, for mining, and now propelling larger ships by having teams of them running on large wheels to power the paddlewheels and have the rather unsurprising appearance of large horses.  The Sprinter breed, used to relay messages quickly in or between cities, or sometimes to power smaller ships when speed is required, appear too as some breed of hare, smaller and more delicate in appearance than their brethren, but unnaturally fast when they run, as the name suggests.  Lastly is the Servant breed, and perhaps these are the most common, appearing as felines, and are used as domestic labor, handling food preparation, cleaning, tending to the many temples of Phyresis, and similar such duties.

All Beasts, being the shunned of society, at least in my experience thus far, are never referred to by name, only as their Breed.  Though of different size and form, each is likewise equipped with a stout collar about their necks and matching shackles upon their wrists and ankles, each enchanted in some way to maintain their bestial appearance and mobile prisons, though each set is composed of a metal that may be silver or platinum.  In the case of the Warrior and Stalker breeds, these are much larger and serve as additional armor.  The magical bond with their summoner gives them an uncanny sense of where that summoner is at all times, and alerts them to any dangers the summoner may suddenly find themselves facing, should they, for whatever reason, not be close to them, and also allows the summoner to call them or give them instructions at a distance. 

I have perhaps gone on too long about the Beasts for now, but to be so close to one now, I find them at once fascinating and disturbing.  Surely so many people could not be unfaithful to the Church or have wronged it so grievously as to be made into Beasts as this?  Perhaps they are composed of conquered people from outside the Phyresisian faith, from those “barbarians” who live in the dangerous lands beyond those protected by the Church?  They do exist, as much as the Church perhaps does not wish to admit it, but that is something for another time.

#Lore24 – Entry #219 – Helica Month #7 – A Summoner’s Duty

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

I spent several days in the destroyed city of San Granalle, helping as I could with defending it from the many spawn of the Transgressor that still roamed after the monster’s departure, and aiding the survivors with picking up what pieces they could.  Grim days indeed, but so is the way of the Transgressor…the monster thrives on death and suffering, after all.  Though I wanted to reach Ukejama with utmost haste, I knew that I had no need for such urgency; my greater work now would come as it would in time.

With the destruction of San Granalle came a new wave of prayer and devotion to the Church of Phyresis, for those who lacked faith suddenly found it, having witnessed the mercy of the Church with tending to the fallout from the destruction, and in the power of its summoners, who called forth the Amaranths to drive the Transgressor away, Saghirah notably excluded.  I suspect, however, that it was more a matter of the beast requiring time to regain its power, rather than the power of the summoners, that was ultimately responsible for its departure.  The details I’d already learned from Saghirah’s first scroll would seem to support this theory.

Many new, potential summoners would also make their appearance following this tragedy, young acolytes of the faith eager to prove themselves and earn eternal glory as one who would bring another Tranquility.  Most would never reach the end of the long journey they must endure, the many trials of breaking the Amaranths to their will, but perhaps amongst them there would be the one.  It was with one of these youths that I took up with as they took up their journey, deciding to begin with the Amaranth known as Makani, housed upon the distant island of Ukejama. 

Though I possessed no special sense of his destiny, Esekia seemed more humble than most who would seek to become a summoner, and though strong in the faith of Phyresis, our conversations during our work in San Granalle led me to believe that he was not entirely closeminded, and may be willing to consider truths that had been hidden.  Time would certainly tell, but for now, journeying to Ukejama with others was a welcome change to the many weeks and months I spent alone chasing Saghirah’s secrets.  I would serve in a guardian role, and something of a mentor to him in the ways of the world, for I had traveled most of it.  He was likewise accompanied by a bonded Beast of the Stalker Breed, in servitude to the church for sins that I would not know until later, and a Tamer of Elements called Zubayr, who was well versed in the black magics. 

And so, with the next ship bound southward, we departed San Granalle upon dangerous waters, for the coming of the Transgressor had stirred up the demons across the entire world.