Descent into Darkness

[bravenewmods]

As the characters arrive, they will find what appears to be a rather deep cavern. Upon entering, the caverns are quite narrow, with twists and turns everywhere and different tunnels that all seem to be interconnected. As characters travel deeper within the caverns, reality around them will start to warp, they will start to see and hear things that aren’t necessarily there - images of old enemies, past failures, voices of condemnation, visions that strike at the soul and core of the characters. Once this begins, it will only increase in power and volume, demanding it be confronted, lest they be trapped within these caves forever.

[OOC: This event will run for a week. All characters who enter the caves will be subject to some of their deepest fears, darkest demons, and most abject failures. To overcome them, characters must help each other out, finding their purpose through strength of character and resolve to move forward. In general, these visions should require characters to come to grips with themselves. Illusory images and voices can and will appear and can take any number of forms, depending on what is most appropriate to a character. Additionally, characters may thread with each other and are encouraged to help each other out to overcome these personal demons. For those who wish to take part, they are able and encouraged to narrate their own personal demons, which will be on display for everyone who enters their thread. IC threads may be made in this post.]

Comments

[untalented]

[Waver shook his head-- becoming more agitated in his frustration with Right and his apparent terror of the Shadow who lingered just beyond full view.]

Go away! Can't you see that this is a bad time for--

[His words were cut off by a darkly amused chuckle that seemed to start from somewhere deep within the apparition's chest.]

"Nonsense, boy. There's more than enough space in today's lecture for another." [Then, in a darker tone that promised unspeakable pain in the future:] "After all, a child from Union needs to understand the full consequences of crossing the Magi."

[lunchleader]

[Right's mood immediately changes to one of seriousness - rather surprising, coming from the guy who's usually either all smiles or arguing like crazy with Waver. He begins to move closer to Waver, positioning himself so as to protect the other guy.]

So you're a Magi, huh? What d'you want with Waver? Last I checked, he hasn't done anything wrong other than being too serious and grumpy for his own good.

[untalented]

[Oh my god..

Waver just buries his face in his hands, praying that he wouldn't have to see the picture that he knew was about to unfold....

The shadow seemed to smile from that hazy distance between them.]

"While those words are indeed correct, they aren't the answer that we're looking for. It's simply that he doesn't understand what it means to exist in our kind of society, and he dares to speak out about traditions that he can never hold any part in. After all-- his family has only had power for-- what, three generations?

"In Magi society, bloodline is everything. Without the secrets that are passed down from our fathers and our fathers' fathers, none of us would ever have any hope of understanding the secrets of this world. It's a basic principle-- and someone like Waver is little more than an infant crawling on the ground in the face of the centuries' old tradition."

[lunchleader]

Just because he's not from one of those really old families doesn't mean that he's less important than you guys! And just because he can't do magic doesn't mean that he's weak! And just because you don't think he can't follow the old traditions like you can...it doesn't mean that he can't create new ones that everyone can follow!

[He then looks over at Waver and flashes a toothy grin.] Isn't that right, Waver?

[untalented]

[Waver had no words-- instead, he was staring at the rhyhorn-headed Fairy type with his jaw dropped in utter disbelief that Right would even go this far. Did Right even know what he was doing!?

The apparition barked a short, humorless laugh.]

"Create new traditions? From what-- the dirt?

"Listen, boy. You can't create something if you have nothing to start with. Were you even paying attention in your grade school courses?"

[lunchleader]

[Right glares back at the shadowy figure with unwavering resolve.] Oh, I did. My teachers always said that if you work hard enough, you can do anything you wanna do in life. And I know that you can do all kinds of things if you got the vision for it. All it takes is some blood, sweat, tears...

[He smiles as he taps the side of his head.] And Imagination. You can't have a clear vision to do without some kind of Imagination to start with.

[untalented]

Imagin--

[Waver could hardly believe the words he was hearing. 'Imagination' had nothing to do with hours spent studying under the cover of darkness, hands cramping around the laquered pen that he used to scribble out notes in the neatest, tiniest handwriting he could manage.]

"Hmph. I've no time for child's play," [The apparition scoffed, the disdain evident in his voice.]

[lunchleader]

It's not child's play! Imagination let's you focus on what you wanna do - give you a clear idea as to how you want things to turn out if you do a certain set of actions.

Like me right now? I can Imagine myself punching you in the face if you don't leave Waver alone.

[untalented]

And how would punching anything out solve anything???

[This, seriously, was too weird. Imagination was a part of the games that children played, right?]

[lunchleader]

It'll get him to leave you alone, of course. After all, not even a jerk like you deserves to be bullied.

[Soft Steel nods in agreement, even as he moves to stand next to Right.]

[untalented]

You guys....

[He had no idea what to say in the face of that. In fact, he felt almost as if he were staring straight into the conviction of some fairytale hero that he had read about as a child, before he stumbled head first into the undying curiosity and thirst for knowledge about everything he could find. It was a strange feeling, and one that he couldn't remember encountering before.]

[lunchleader]

[Right flashes a confident grin at Waver.] What d'ya say, Waver? Wanna prove him and other jerks like him wrong? You're usually pretty good at fighting with words.

[untalented]

Wh-what???

[That was not something he expected to hear at all-- and it was enough fuel to give him enough courage to look up at the shadowy spectre, eyes glittering in all of his pent up frustration--

Only to see that, in his befuddled distraction over Right and his insufferable ways, the apparition had vanished into the shadows once again.]

--that.....what?

[lunchleader]

Huh? What's going-- [Right stops, though, as he turns around to see that the figure was...gone.]

Eh? Where'd he go??

[untalented]

....I think you broke it.

[There was a strange clarity in his tone as he looked around. Panicking, as he was doing when he first heard that voice, makes it impossible to think about the reality of things. And, he had known the truth even before he officially left Sanctuary; his fate didn't lie inside of those walls. There was nothing they could offer-- even if they had everyhing he had needed.]

[lunchleader]

Broke it? You mean...he was just an illusion? I just thought he was one of those Magi that liked to have underground libraries.

[But Right is also looking around. Is the library, at least, real? Or is this another illusion as well?]

[untalented]

You're not exactly wrong on that.

[Waver sighed, and shook his head.]

He's one of the senior faculty at the academy, and a powerful Magus of the traditional schools. He's not someone you want to anger-- and I may have done a few things that had the potential to.

[There was no shame in his tone or demeanor. He was merely stating the facts, as if they were written out in a textbook for anyone to study.]

[lunchleader]

So why would some high ranking Magus want to mess with an Earthkin like you?

[Because he remembered how disappointed he personally felt to be told that Waver wasn't a Magus himself.]

[untalented]

[Waver glanced away, scratching his cheek in embarrassment.]

Because I can pick up skills the same way a Magus can. But my family has only had any kind of power for a few generations, and not even selling everything we had after my parents passed away was enough to get me into the academy.

[lunchleader]

--Ohhhhh. Oh, man; I'm so sorry. I didn't know that you lost your family...

[His condolences were as honest as they were immediate.]

...but is it really that expensive, attending that academy? I know there's Brentwood Academy for all the noble kids and young eggheads back home, but I don't think they're that expensive...

[untalented]

It's been a few years, now; don't worry about it.

[At least they passed from an illness, and at least it was relatively quick. He was grateful for that much.

He shrugged, and cast Right a weary look.]

I think half of the price is so they can weed out people like me. They prefer to keep their friends close, enemies closer, and anyone else is a potential liability for....whatever it is they do in those towers.

[lunchleader]

[Right rudely grimaces at that last bit.] I never can get why people in power don't want other people to join them. I mean, it's not as much fun if you're doing everything by yourself, or with not enough people to help do certain things.

And what if they don't have any family to pass on their magic works? What then? wouldn't they want more people becoming Magi just in case something like that happens?

[untalented]

I imagine they find someone within their circles to adopt. [He sighed.] But, I'm not exactly a good source on these matters either.

But, in seriousness, some of the ideas do make sense from a certain standpoint. They don't want to change long standing traditions... and I'm sure you've heard a similar adage, but 'absolute power corrupts absolutely.' They don't want to risk decentralizing their control.