ThirdWizard
First Post
Mehen had been intrigued by the arcane ever since he began his travels through the Planes, finding his path intersecting that with a wizard who led him to Sigil, Quaslin, a seasoned adventurer and graybeard. Mehen had never been incredibly adept at manipulating those arcane forces, but magic had led him to his current home in the temple of Ioun: The Tower of Thought in the Clerk’s Ward. Ever since he started down this path, he had learned much, gained power, and sought to find his place in the Multiverse. The wizard who had introduced him to Sigil, the Tower of Thought, and his current life had befriended the dragonborn through all of this and was like a mentor to Mehen, even if he had never taken up an apprenticeship with him like others. Their relationship was unique, not a master and apprentice but a learned advisor and novice scholar.
Through his dedication, Mehen could finally cast spells, calling upon the power of belief mixed with discipline. While it was divinely inspired instead of wizardly, a fact that Quaslin was always quick to point out, the old wizard still seemed somehow proud that Mehen had such potential within himself even without him being one of his apprentices. It must have been that reason that Mehen was given, like all of Quaslin’s apprentices, a membership to the Society of Luminiferous Aether. This is where Mehen spent many hours amongst the great libraries and labs, learning about just about any eldritch knowledge that he wanted.
The Society was exclusive. Incredibly exclusive. A lifetime membership, for which Mehen now had, cost on the upward side of tens of thousands of gold pieces. And the interior of the Society showed. Libraries led to more libraries, each stacked several stories with books. Labs were available for use which contained mysterious liquids and were packed with items that Mehen couldn't recognize. All sorts of people from all over the Planes sat and discussed everything from the esoteric to politics to things they had seen on their travels while servants came and went serving food and drinks.
Usually the people of the Society ignored Mehen. He wasn’t a political player or high up at a temple or powerful wizard. He mostly sat in a comfortable area where it was quiet and read a book or sometimes listened to others’ conversations. Today, after the conversation in the Mimir, he had decided to spend the evening relaxing in his favorite spot of the Society grounds. It was the Pearl Library, one of the first libraries near the entrance. Here there were books on all things upper planar, and he had found a book on travel through the plane of Arcadia. He enjoyed this particular writer’s narrative autobiographical style describing his travels from one layer to the next. Quite unlike normal, however, while he was reading a man came up to him. The man was youngish, maybe in his early twenties, and was somewhat thin and wiry but not weak. He wore a simple sleeveless tunic and breeches, not the ostentatious garb that most here wore. His brown hair was cut short, a beard neatly trimmed. His right foot was propped up on the coffee table in front of Mehen, and finally getting Mehen’s attention, he smiled.
“Hey there! I see we’ve happened to run into each other!”
“Do I know you?” Mehen raised an eyebrow and didn’t move.
“Well, you sort of do, though you don’t know the full dark of it. I’m Jerol. Jerol Fine. Apprentice to Quaslin at your service. Well, I was an apprentice. I’ve been banging around the Cage on my own now for a few months.” He shrugged.
Mehen perked up a bit. “So! You’re just striking out on your own now.”
“More or less, yeah. He got me a membership here, and I spend a lot of time at this place. I’m just trying to find my feet. See what’s out there on the Planes. Well, you know. Trying to figure out where to start. There’s so much to do. So much to learn.”
Mehen nodded. “I know what you mean.”
“I keep some tabs on his other apprentices. And you as well. You’re like an honorary apprentice. More one of us than not.”
“How many apprentices has he had?”
“A dozen or so I think, over the years. He talks about them sometimes. Keeps in touch!” He plopped down heavily in a chair across from Mehen. It squeaked and slid back a couple of inches. “But, I have a special purpose in meeting you here today.” He winked conspiratorially.
Mehen sat back, but didn’t relax. “Here it comes, right?” Happend to run into each other, huh? Looks like this guy had sought him out.
Jerol shrugged. “Don’t be peery now. We’re like brothers, you and me. I tumbled to the chant that you got the dark on some arcane research. Top top graybeard stuff, ya know?”
Mehen didn’t say anything. He just stared at the man.
Jerol looked back for a moment, then blinked a bit and continued. “Well, I’ve got an idea floating around in the ol’ brain-box, ya know?” Jerol tapped himself on the head. “We get that research for ourselves. Take a look at it. Figure out what it’s all about. Chant is that it’s something big you’re onto here, and I could figure out what it is. I’m a well-lanned cutter. I’ve got fingers in pies that haven’t even been put in the oven yet. You and me together, we could do alright.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Sure ya don’t. That’s fine. That’s fine. You just think about what I said.” Jerol go up and patted Mehen on the shoulder. “We’ll run into each other again, I bet. I’m here all the time. You want to find me, you just come around like always.” With that he walked away.
Mehen wondered how the man had heard of their plans and how much he knew.
Through his dedication, Mehen could finally cast spells, calling upon the power of belief mixed with discipline. While it was divinely inspired instead of wizardly, a fact that Quaslin was always quick to point out, the old wizard still seemed somehow proud that Mehen had such potential within himself even without him being one of his apprentices. It must have been that reason that Mehen was given, like all of Quaslin’s apprentices, a membership to the Society of Luminiferous Aether. This is where Mehen spent many hours amongst the great libraries and labs, learning about just about any eldritch knowledge that he wanted.
The Society was exclusive. Incredibly exclusive. A lifetime membership, for which Mehen now had, cost on the upward side of tens of thousands of gold pieces. And the interior of the Society showed. Libraries led to more libraries, each stacked several stories with books. Labs were available for use which contained mysterious liquids and were packed with items that Mehen couldn't recognize. All sorts of people from all over the Planes sat and discussed everything from the esoteric to politics to things they had seen on their travels while servants came and went serving food and drinks.
Usually the people of the Society ignored Mehen. He wasn’t a political player or high up at a temple or powerful wizard. He mostly sat in a comfortable area where it was quiet and read a book or sometimes listened to others’ conversations. Today, after the conversation in the Mimir, he had decided to spend the evening relaxing in his favorite spot of the Society grounds. It was the Pearl Library, one of the first libraries near the entrance. Here there were books on all things upper planar, and he had found a book on travel through the plane of Arcadia. He enjoyed this particular writer’s narrative autobiographical style describing his travels from one layer to the next. Quite unlike normal, however, while he was reading a man came up to him. The man was youngish, maybe in his early twenties, and was somewhat thin and wiry but not weak. He wore a simple sleeveless tunic and breeches, not the ostentatious garb that most here wore. His brown hair was cut short, a beard neatly trimmed. His right foot was propped up on the coffee table in front of Mehen, and finally getting Mehen’s attention, he smiled.
“Hey there! I see we’ve happened to run into each other!”
“Do I know you?” Mehen raised an eyebrow and didn’t move.
“Well, you sort of do, though you don’t know the full dark of it. I’m Jerol. Jerol Fine. Apprentice to Quaslin at your service. Well, I was an apprentice. I’ve been banging around the Cage on my own now for a few months.” He shrugged.
Mehen perked up a bit. “So! You’re just striking out on your own now.”
“More or less, yeah. He got me a membership here, and I spend a lot of time at this place. I’m just trying to find my feet. See what’s out there on the Planes. Well, you know. Trying to figure out where to start. There’s so much to do. So much to learn.”
Mehen nodded. “I know what you mean.”
“I keep some tabs on his other apprentices. And you as well. You’re like an honorary apprentice. More one of us than not.”
“How many apprentices has he had?”
“A dozen or so I think, over the years. He talks about them sometimes. Keeps in touch!” He plopped down heavily in a chair across from Mehen. It squeaked and slid back a couple of inches. “But, I have a special purpose in meeting you here today.” He winked conspiratorially.
Mehen sat back, but didn’t relax. “Here it comes, right?” Happend to run into each other, huh? Looks like this guy had sought him out.
Jerol shrugged. “Don’t be peery now. We’re like brothers, you and me. I tumbled to the chant that you got the dark on some arcane research. Top top graybeard stuff, ya know?”
Mehen didn’t say anything. He just stared at the man.
Jerol looked back for a moment, then blinked a bit and continued. “Well, I’ve got an idea floating around in the ol’ brain-box, ya know?” Jerol tapped himself on the head. “We get that research for ourselves. Take a look at it. Figure out what it’s all about. Chant is that it’s something big you’re onto here, and I could figure out what it is. I’m a well-lanned cutter. I’ve got fingers in pies that haven’t even been put in the oven yet. You and me together, we could do alright.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Sure ya don’t. That’s fine. That’s fine. You just think about what I said.” Jerol go up and patted Mehen on the shoulder. “We’ll run into each other again, I bet. I’m here all the time. You want to find me, you just come around like always.” With that he walked away.
Mehen wondered how the man had heard of their plans and how much he knew.