A Mirror of Mists --- &RPaward

...for in character discussions, contributions and Wheel of Time themed stories.
Ormus
Posts: 11
Joined: Thu Jun 10, 2021 8:12 pm

A Mirror of Mists --- &RPaward

Post by Ormus » Tue Jun 15, 2021 8:48 pm

Ely edit 30 Jul 2021:

1-6 qps, depending on length and quality.

Potential +1 qp: if part of a series: o

Total: 2 qps

*****************************************

A soft, warm light bathed the cabin interior. Occasionally, the light fizzled and popped, as a particularly dry feather ignited on the corpse of the headless chicken. The light enveloped a small boy, perhaps eight or nine years old, who listened with fascination to the crackling and sizzling of the feathers. His eyes, however, remained firmly fixed on Ormus. Sometimes the boy seemed to play with the animals, favoring the pups. Sometimes, he ate them. Even though Ormus knew the boy wasn’t real, there he was. Eyes always Ormus.

Ormus sat on the floor by the cabin’s hearth, alone. Perhaps in his mid-twenties or early thirties, the man was clothed in immaculately clean, but tattered, hunter’s clothes. Pale pink skin lined the edges of frayed sleeves, with a sharp, smooth gradient to dark brown down to his fingertips. A dextrous hand weaved a complex pattern in the air, while the other traced its mirror in a thin pool of red liquid on the floor.

The light passed Ormus to shimmer on the water that filled the tub in the center of the room, casting wild fractals onto the small boy’s face as a column of water rose to form a humanoid shape. Hands moving furiously, Ormus worked to weave intricate features into the flowing statuette. Five-foot tall, the figure’s arms began to warp and curved into graceful, yet firm muscles. The legs began to shimmer then to ripple, slowly coalescing first into knees, and then into taut muscles connecting knees to powerful hips. High cheekbones and kind, but focused, eyes bubbled to the surface of the simulacra’s head, and the water folded to form a distinctly Saldean nose above full lips.

The figure hung in the air, naked in the stunning light diffusing from its own translucent skin. The surface of its torso stretched tight, and small, watery buttons formed evenly spaced down from the collar, over the left breast, and down to the waist. A curtain of water rose from what remained in the tub, circled the figure, and settled in to form a frilled skirt around the figure’s waist.

Ormus smiled. His hand movements became minuscule. Conducting a tiny symphony in the air and documenting its likeness in the rapidly drying ink on the floor. Little details popped across the figure. A small mole on the cheek. The eyes tilted slightly one way, then even more slightly back the other way. One ear dropped a centimeter lower than the other. A few drops of water stretched out into delicate strands, giving the impression of a tight braid, fraying in the humid air of a sweaty room. The hand motions grew larger, and the figure bent one knee, raising its foot slightly, slashed its arms, and spun softly on its toes. The picturesque of grace. A thin line coalesced in a ring around the figure’s slender neck. Ormus shivered, and the line diffused.

Nodding, Ormus gestured grandly and glanced around at the shimmering lights on the wall. A burst of colors, reds, blues, greens, and yellows played chaotically around the room, diffracted from the dancing figure in its center. His gaze watched, and he raised one hand, two fingers held up, ready to pinch whatever caught his eye. He waited.

He waited.

Through his eyes, a delicate thread reached out, touching the wall just as it flitted from a pale blue to deep amber. His fingers closed tightly, and he pulled with great effort. Muscles bulged in his forearms and shoulders, hand slowly drawing back from the air it had pinched moments before. A pool of pure amber light pried itself from the cabin walls. A luscious golden brown stretched out from the cabinet door slowly growing towards the dancing figure in the center of the room. Ormus pulled harder, and the light approached closer. Sweat beaded on his forehead, and the light grew closer. His left hand, moving in sync with his right, slipped out the edge of the red pool on the floor. The figure rippled, and the light slipped back towards the wall it was growing from. Ormus’ eyes went wide with panic, Ormus was not good at maintaining multiple threads at once.

In a flurry of motions, Ormus pulled hard with his right hand, resetting his left firmly in the center of the shallow red pool. It wet only the slightest of his fingertip. He glanced down at the vanishing pool of blood he had dipped his finger in. The weaves were already unraveling around him, and his heart sank.

“Help Ormus”, he pleaded.

The little boy stood, eyes fixed on Ormus, and snagged a nearby chicken. He sprinted forward, proffering the hatchling with a forlorn look. Ormus shared in his sorrow, although Ormus could see the thin threads of air weaved in between feather and fingers. He flinched as the child tore off the bird’s head, pouring its life onto the floor beside him. Clarity returned, and the collapsing figure knitted itself back together, loose muscles firming to support its own weight.

Frayed nerves, adrenaline, pushed tired muscles. Saidin served to focus a tired mind. Managing so many weaves had taken its toll, but Ormus quickly reformed the fine features of his sculpture. Carefully, Ormus snagged multiple threads of color dancing along the walls.

Amber lept from the walls, spreading its essence into the frayed tangle of hair atop the figure’s head. More light flooded the tips, darkening towards the root, as if damp with sweat. Pale white danced out of the corner of the room and gently wrapped the figure’s legs. Stockings to cover muscular legs and strong feet. Pink fell from the ceiling in ribbons, creating a frilly, speckled dress to hug strong dancer’s hips. A deep chestnut crawled like vines from the floor up through the textured fabric, coating the figure's remaining skin.

The figure smiled, briefly showing brilliantly blue teeth, until ivory bled from the hearth to bring them to life. Tears welled in Ormus’ eyes, as the dancer’s gaze fell upon him. She arched an eyebrow. A woman in her forties looked down at her performance clothes, seemingly confused why she stood in a bathtub in a decrepit cabin.

“Mother,” Ormus whispered. He smiled, weakly. “Mother?”

“Mother!” the small child exclaimed, leaping forward, arms outstretched.

Confused, Ormus watched weaves of air propel the child into his mother’s waist. The air blasted through the figure’s waist, spraying water droplets into the air. Ormus threw both hands into the air as if to catch the collapsing figure, and a thousand threads of air and water exploded from his fingertips. He stabilized the torso and legs, snatching droplets as they fell and funneling them back towards the tub. He peeled color from the ceiling, walls, and floors, jamming the closest matches into his mother’s rippling form. The figure flexed, warped, and collapsed into the bath. Water splashed Ormus’ face as a blinding light filled his vision, and he lost consciousness.

Slurp, slurp, slurp

Ormus’ eyes opened.

Slurp, slurp, slurp

Ormus sat up and stared at the puppy drinking from the bathtub in the center of the room. It glanced over at the motion and walked over to lick the water off Ormus’ face. Ormus felt empty.

Ormus glanced around and spotted a damp pool of drying blood next to him on the floor. He touched the pool, timidly, and braced himself to seize Saidin. Nothing.

Ormus turned his head, and found the boy in the corner, watching him. Saidin is gone, but he remains.

Of course, the boy remained, he was Ormus too, after all. Ormus stroked the puppy, "What will Ormus do, Aspen?"

"What will we do now?"

Siro
Posts: 501
Joined: Tue Jan 29, 2019 3:38 pm

Re: A Mirror of Mists

Post by Siro » Wed Jun 16, 2021 9:16 am

I look forward to seeing what Ormus does do now. Thanks for posting - it kept me interested right to the end.

Ominas
Posts: 459
Joined: Thu Jun 18, 2015 4:07 am

Re: A Mirror of Mists

Post by Ominas » Wed Jun 16, 2021 9:24 am

Very interesting. I look forward to the next installment. Thank you for sharing

Ormus
Posts: 11
Joined: Thu Jun 10, 2021 8:12 pm

Re: A Mirror of Mists --- &RPaward

Post by Ormus » Wed Dec 01, 2021 9:42 pm

The sound of steel on slate beat futilely against the damp air. Thump. Thump. Thump. Ormus knelt with slumped shoulders, watching the sparks die on the wet hay. He reached for Saidin, but nothing was there. Ormus glanced glanced at his shriveled, clammy fingers in defeat, but his Mother reached around his shoulders, tightening his cloak against the frigid wind.

“It will be okay, son. When the seasons get you down, I’ll come running to tuck you in.” She nestled her head on his shoulder, comforting him.

Ormus turned to smile sadly at his mother, “I can live with the temperature, Mother.” He looked out the window of their small cabin, “But,out the window, it looks like all of the colors… All of them are melting down.”

Ormus looked back at his Mother. “The frosted glass, it's cracking into shapes. They’re unnatural.”

Ormus’ mother turned his shoulders, facing him squarely in her gaze and laughed. “The heat escaping will keep you awake, even if you stand shivering in your clothes. As for the rest, try to forget.” She smiled at him warmly, but it did nothing to take the chill from the air. His body quivered, hair standing stiff across his bare arms.

Ormus looked up just before the lightning flashed. As the after-glow faded from his vision, so did the walls of the cabin. The rain fell softly on his face. His mind raced, he glanced around the fireside. All that remained was Ormus and the small boy, as always. His mother was gone.

All I have is your memory, Ormus thought.

But, when the madness takes me, then I won’t even have that memory.

Both looked up from the fire pit, towards the blazing, white tower in the distance.

But maybe there is hope.

Ormus shouldered his bow and the tarnished sword he took from his father’s room, and he walked away from his failed fire. Towards hope.

Ormus
Posts: 11
Joined: Thu Jun 10, 2021 8:12 pm

Re: A Mirror of Mists --- &RPaward

Post by Ormus » Tue May 24, 2022 11:16 am

Cera has arrived from the north.

The TarlomensGate closes quietly.
Tower Square
This side of the square is the southern section of the Tower Square.
In the center is the walled off White Tower. To the south a large
boulevard opens up leading to the Southharbor. To the north you see
the southern gate of the Tower grounds. The square continues east
and west.
A large banner rests here, depicting a map of Tar Valon.
[ obvious exits: N E S W ]
Zone: Tar Valon
Door north: TarlomensGate
A brown sack has been left here.
A marble bench, flecked with gold and bronze, adorns the floor.
An oil lamp, set in a steel cage, hangs from a high wooden pole.
An elaborately sculpted marble fountain splashes merrily.
A stout wooden barrel stands nearby.
Cera Merimon, Wearied Novice is standing here.
A scrawny puppy sniffs the ground for food here.
A chicken wanders around here, pecking at the ground.
A warhorse is here, stamping his feet impatiently, being ridden by you.
A sailor is here.
The Tar Valon town crier stands here, spreading the news.

Ormus tries to smile, but fails.

Cera smiles at Ormus.

Cera looks at Ormus.

Ormus says 'Ormus would like to know where he can find the Yellow Ajah'

Cera says 'Hello Ormus'

Cera says 'There is no Yellow sister awake at the moment'

Ormus nods in agreement.

Cera says 'Perhaps you could write them a letter. '

Ormus says 'Ormus will look into that, thank you'

Cera curtseys gracefully.

Ormus says 'Have they Aes Sedai taught you to heal yet?'

Cera shakes her head.

Cera says 'Not yet. I am still in novice white. '

Ormus says 'Ormus understands, the power is tough to tame in the beginning'

Ormus sighs.

Ormus sit down on a bench.

Cera says 'I pray to the Light that I too may be able to do so'

Cera thinks hard.

Cera looks at Ormus.

Ormus grins at Ormus.

Cera says 'And what experience would one such as yourself have with the One Power?'

Ormus tries to smile, but fails again.

Ormus says 'It used to be Ormus' constant companion, but alas, he has lost it.'

Ormus says 'It is a great treasure, Ormus hopes that you remember to appreciate it.'

Cera thinks hard.

Ormus says 'Do you...'

Cera barely stifles a gasp.

Ormus says 'Do you think you could do Ormus a favor?'

Cera says 'You have been gentled..?'

Ormus chuckles politely.

Ormus says 'What a euphemism, gentling'

Ormus cackles gleefully.

Ormus says 'No, Ormus would never have been gentled'

Ormus says 'Ormus lost control, and snatched his gift away from himself'

Ormus sighs.

Ormus says 'But you, you might be able to help. Help give me hope'

Cera thinks hard.

Cera shuffles nervously.

Cera says 'What do you seek from the White Tower?'

Ormus says 'Ormus hopes to find a yellow sister, one curious enough to help me through the loss. Surely they deal
with...these types of...loses from time to time'

Ormus says 'But while Ormus waits, could you...perhaps...provide Ormus with armor? Just to let Ormus feel the source once
again?'

Ormus says 'Ormus hopes it will stave off the worst of it, for a time.'

Cera says 'I...'

Ormus nods solemly.

Ormus says 'Ormus understands'

Cera says 'I... am not certain that the One Power is what you need right now.'

Ormus smiles weakly at Cera.

Ormus claps a puppy on the back.

Cera says 'What you need is guidance from the right sisters'

Ormus says 'Ormus always has Aspen, we will get by'

Ormus nods in agreement.

Cera says 'And perhaps protection... from yourself'

Ormus says 'Ormus will continue to look, thank you for your time. And for not running in fear, Ormus thinks you will make
a fine member of the White Tower'

Ormus stands up.

wave Cera
Ormus waves goodbye to Cera.

Ormus says 'come Aspen, let us walk'

Ormus leaves the tower square east, towards Fal Dara, a small chicken tucked under his arm and Aspen trotting beside him.


Summary:

Log where Ormus heads to Tar Valon to look for a yellow to heal his burn out / taint in some way. He runs across a novice, Cera, at Tower Square and tries to locate a Yellow. Once he realizes no Yellow are around, he tries to coax her into channeling on him so that he can feel the power again. She refuses.

Point of view: Ormus
Major participant: Cera

Ormus
Posts: 11
Joined: Thu Jun 10, 2021 8:12 pm

Re: A Mirror of Mists --- &RPaward

Post by Ormus » Thu May 26, 2022 2:37 pm

Shadows darted and flickered across Ormus’ skin, thrown from the torch hanging on the far wall. Some danced playfully, contrasting darkly with the pale skin on the man’s back. Some flared and sputtered, casting a dynamic mottling across tan, leathered arms, and a worn face. A few shadows remained still, resistant to the firelight. Ormus knew these shadows well. Aspen lay nearby, head tilted as she studied a spot on Ormus’ forearm. Ormus watched it with halfhearted curiosity as well. It was the first new patch of rotting skin that had appeared since the accident. Ormus thought he was past this.

Ormus lay in a plush bed in a well-off tavern east of Tar Valon, exhausted after the efforts of talking with the novices. Ormus turned his gaze outward and watched the firelight flicker in his wine glass. The fire swirled around in the ruby red liquid, casting brilliant shades of red and orange across the plaster walls of his room. Crimson, salmon, garnet, and coral. Apricot, saffron, butterscotch, and peach. They pulled at Ormus, begging him to draw them into the world of the living. Screaming to be brought to life, but they held no meaning to Ormus anymore. He had no more life to give to them. He turned his gaze back to the new shadow on his arm.

He wasn’t surprised the novice turned him away. Ormus had tried to be cordial. Tried to cheerful. Tried to put her mind at ease. Ormus had even smiled. Twice! It was draining, and she had seen right through Ormus anyway. A yawn pressed its way out of his weakened jaw, slipping through lips wet with the juices of rotting teeth. Ormus' nose twitched involuntarily, and Aspen lifted her hand to study a new note in the now familiar stench. Ormus remained still, staring at the new patch of darkness staining his once muscular arms.

The shadow twitched. Ormus blinked.

A new curiosity overwhelmed his lethargy, and he lifted his arm slightly to get a better look. The shadow scurried up his arm, looping around his elbow, and up into his armpit. He could FEEL it. Ormus screamed, flailing his arms frantically in an attempt to dislodge the shadow. He stumbled and sent the nightstand sprawling across the room. His wine glass shattered on the hard-packed floor, showering the room with flashes of brilliant yellows and whites before settling to grey. The shadow crawled around Ormus' back. Ormus bent over, panting heavily. He couldn't stand the feeling. One arm over the shoulder, one bent backward and up past the waist, he tried desperately to knock it off its path. The shadow dodged Ormus' blows, scurrying up his neck to take refuge in Ormus' long hair. He tore it from the scalp, fingers searching for something alive to grasp onto.

Nothing.

Ormus froze. Light give Ormus strength

Ormus stood still for a long time, looking for sentience in the shadows that danced around him. His gaze ran across bare flesh, above and under clothes. Nothing out of the ordinary. He turned his gaze to his surroundings but found nothing but the familiar flickering shadows from the fire. He breathed deep, breath hitching rapidly with each inhalation. His eyes wild, he scanned the room for any new signs of life, but all that remained were the whispers of color reflecting off the shards of broken glass scattered on the floor, weakened and pale compared to their former brilliance, like him. The fire gave its last flicker of flame, settling into the deep red of hot embers. With its death, the shadows consumed the final call to life emitted from the fallen cup. Ormus grabbed a large piece and thought of his chickens. Ormus still have some life to give.

WOOF

Ormus looked up at Aspen, and laughed a genuine laugh. The dog stood nearby, tail rigid above her, hips extended, and bowed down on her front legs. She barked playfully, waving the tip of her tail as if to say, I'm ready to play now! Ormus paused a moment and glanced across his body at familiar wounds. There was no sign of the new shadow. Ormus took a deep breath to calm himself, placed the glass on the floor, and grinned at Aspen. He responded to her bow by crouching low and spreading his arms wide. Aspen barked playfully and sprinted towards Ormus. He growled and deepened his crouch and the shadow sprang from Ormus' hair down his forehead. He screamed, spinning around and grasping at his face and beard. Aspen nipped at his heels, as he danced around. Finally, his fingers tightened around something solid, and it crackled and oozed through his fingers as he squeezed. His breath came raggedly now as he kept his grip firm.

Ormus stared at the backs of his hands, mottled and dirty from his hard journey. After some time, he summoned the bravery to unclench his fist and found the remnants of a large roach. Its insides stuck to fingers and palms, stretching like webbing as he opened his hands wide. He stared at it in disbelief. Aspen stretched her neck up to his hands, trying to lick the juices from his fingers. He laughed a wild laugh and raised his hand out of her reach, looking away from his hand and gasped as the walls of his room faded into forests, the fireplace into a fire ring, and the sconces to lanterns hanging from tree branches. He spun, to see his hammock stretched between two small, wilted trees.

Ormus took in the scene, and his fatigue came crashing down once again. He walked over to the shores of the river Erinen, and washed the filth from his hands and face. As he walked back to camp, he watched Aspen curl up by the dying fire. Ormus could at least do something for her. He grabbed his axe and started to chop down a tree for firewood, his hammock shuttering with each blow.


A Path on Sloping Ground
[ obvious exits: N E S ]
Zone: Southeast Shores of Tar Valon
There are some tracks of a RIDDEN MOUNT leaving south. vv
A Domani razor stands here, eyes keen and swishing its tail, being ridden by you.
A wilted tree leans to one side, on the brink of death.
A wilted tree leans to one side, on the brink of death.

k tree
Ormus scythe a wilted tree's roots into bloody fragments!

Sarinda has arrived from the south, riding a warhorse.

Sarinda looks at Ormus.

Ormus scythe a wilted tree's roots into bloody fragments!
A wilted tree is dead! R.I.P.
Still better. Experience pays off.
Ormus's blood freezes as you hear a wilted tree's death cry.

whois sarinda
Sarinda din Rovan, Aes Sedai is a level 51 Red Ajah human.
This Sea Folk woman is poised and graceful. She has deep chocolate skin,
and tattoos adorn her hands. Thin eyebrows arch over dark brown eyes. Wavy,
black hair flows to her middle back. One thin gold earring is pierced into
each ear.


Sarinda says 'If it pleases the Light, I wish to speak with you.'

Ormus looks around nervously.

Ormus says 'You now speak to Ormus, what can he help you with?'


POV: Ormus
Main Character: Sarinda
Summary: Ormus was heading from Tar Valon to Fal Dara when he is tracked down by the red Ajah.


Log continued from Sarinda's POV: viewtopic.php?f=79&t=16448

Korsik
Posts: 512
Joined: Tue Apr 07, 2020 1:46 pm

Re: A Mirror of Mists --- &RPaward

Post by Korsik » Fri May 27, 2022 9:44 am

Awarding notes to be posted on Sarinda thread.

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