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Message: <blockquote data-quote="seasong" data-source="post: 486602" data-attributes="member: 5137">PROLOGUEGreppa's AmbitionHurath of Theralis Down was a subtle somatist. His fingers barely seemed to twitch before the shadow servant pushed its way through the envelope between realms. It bobbed once, then swept through the narrow marble tower, lighting candles and adjusting each item it found to align with table edges.It was an old servant for an old arcanist, and was well familiar with his home and what was needed.Greppa watched carefully, as always. It was a spell he knew, but not nearly to the masterful extent of his teacher. He watched everything Hurath did carefully, more or less. The old man was an excellent teacher of the basics, but that was all he would teach Greppa. The subtle aspects of somatics and kinesics, the methods to weave spells with only the most essential words (by hinting at the lesser words with faint intonations)... these were things Hurath felt were lessons best learned later. Greppa politely disagreed, and became watchful.And each night, Greppa would attempt a few spells with minimalist elements. He had not yet succeeded, but it was just a matter of careful elimination until he found the ones that worked by themselves.Hurath, meanwhile, indicated that it was Greppa's turn. Half of the candles were lit, representing Hurath's passing on of knowledge to the young apprentice.Greppa traced a large circle in the air with one hand, while the second traced a lesser sigil of shadow within its boundaries. He spoke quietly, but firmly, "el ath direthos", and maintained his concentration on the details of the spell.It worked, and the sigil circle pulled energy from Greppa to form a passage to the dark places of the spiritual realms. A shadow servant pushed through the middle of the circle, then paused, awaiting instruction.Winded by the spell, Greppa half-whispered, "Light all candles within these walls that are not lit."The second half of the candles represented Greppa's growing inner spark of magic, and his emerging from apprenticeship. Although he had largely suppressed it, a bubble of laughter threatened to crawl up his throat and consume him.A journeyman! He, Greppa of Tartwater, was finally to be free to pursue his studies his way!To be honest, Greppa loved the old man who taught him, but suspected that his doddering, patient ways were holding Greppa back.The actual ceremony was short and almost informal. The candles were lit, Hurath said a few words about their meaning, and what it meant to be an arcanist, then congratulated Greppa, and presented the young ellini with a heavy medallion that almost looked like an anchor around his dark, scrawny neck."Heh. We make them that way to keep you from running around too much." Both laughed. The ceremony was over, and, strictly speaking, Hurath was no longer Greppa's teacher - they were not quite peers now, but Greppa was his own person now.Hurath stepped in and hugged Greppa tightly, "Young man, you have been as patient and thoughtful a son as I could have wanted. You be careful during your year of Service - I want to see you surpass me in the years down the line, and you can't do that if you're ni the grave."Greppa just smiled and squirmed out of the hug, "I shall be careful. I always am."They stood for a moment, a tableau of momentary understanding between them, before Greppa breathed deeply, "I'd best be off, then. It's late, and I want to get there before the soldiers are too drunk to register me."A few goodbyes later, and a bit more akwardness between the two men, and Greppa was on his way.Hurath watched him go, knowing the young ellini would do more than surpass him. The child's talent was almost obscene. But he worried, still - Greppa had shown patience while in Hurath's tower, certainly, but there had always been an edge of rush, and an edge of temper. The old man sighed, praying to Athos to help the young man reach mastery of the craft without getting himself killed.Greppa, heedless of the prayer, swung his feet freely and grinned as he fantasized being the most powerful arcanist in the world.</blockquote>

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