The One Truth Is: All Things Perish Over Time...

Character Biographies, Journals, and Stories

Moderators: Moderator, DM

Post Reply
User avatar
Carski
Posts: 191
Joined: Thu Jun 13, 2013 10:12 pm

The One Truth Is: All Things Perish Over Time...

Unread post by Carski »

…all except I.

The Magus spread the pages wide, bending the spine in such a way that it creaked sharply, the leather binding attempting to resist, but having failed, let the body of pages bound together to shine what was written upon them, upon the face of the Magus, as he stood tall and stiff, inside the arcane study.

The Mage Tower of Darkhold was so often quiet, like as a tomb, servants rarely daring to walk the halls, other Black Cloaks also...absent…and this suited the Magus perfectly. Never did he turn his eyes to the doors, wondering if others paid him any attention. Few did, even when Darkhold rang out with armored boots and loud discussions fueled by wine and boasts of domination…domination always just out of the reach, of the Dread Captains, the Dread Lords….

So the Magus took his time, as others followed his plans but simultaneously attempted to disown him from them, a slow time only known by him, searching scroll by scroll, tome by great tome, until he had plowed his way through the chaotic stacks of knowledge bound, all that Sememmon had left, when he had left….

The Magus laid a long, almost hard or dry looking finger down upon the page now opened to him, his nail crossing each line of script there written, the point of his finger chasing each word to find what knowledge he could, about the Master, he that formed the institution that had given this Magus…being.

But the long finger stopped high upon the last page, for the script written there ended, incomplete. The Magus lifted his finger slightly off the page, pausing, his countenance deep within a dark hood, only barely visible in the flickering glow of sconces holding arcane flame. Deep within that dark hood, a grin was formed within the shadows, its existence only supported but a similar leather creak, much like the one heard earlier, from the leathery tome that lay open before him.

Then, the Magus began to speak, to fill the room with a ancient sounding tenor of a voice, speaking slowly to the book, as it seemed:
"Fled…labeled a traitor by your own kind…but your power and might, your right…still lingers in the mind of your Black Cloaks…."

The Magus stepped back and turned to pick up his dragon crowned staff, his movements slow but fluid, to end standing just away from the open tome, but still considering it from under the shadow of his dark hood.


"To find the traitor…I shall become one, myself, master Manshoon. I release myself from the Dread Lord's foolishness, and will be free of all masters, until I find you, my great Lord. When I return, here, to this…room," the Magus lifts his head and looks around, slowly "…to this great castle, let it be to reclaim these walls in your name, a castle that belongs to the Black Cloaks, as it has always been…."

The Magus raised his dragon-crowned staff, and with words etched always within his mind, he willed into existence a flash of light, enveloping him, and in an instant, transporting him directly to the towering main gates of Darkhold. There, without looking back once, he traversed the spanning bridge from gate to opposing mountain side, the fires of Castle Darkhold fading behind him as he headed in an unknown direction…unknown to all, all but the Rogue Lord of the Black Cloaks.

Image

The usual footsteps of the Magus, heard day and night within the Mage Tower of Darkhold, have gone quiet. Days turn to weeks, until a rather courageous servant dared to enter the Black Cloak study, wondering if the untapped power held in reserve in the body of the mage, had seized his being, or he had finally succumbed to the gifts, that for months, had been applied.

But when the door to the Magus' study was opened, there was no figure inside, and throughout the entire Mage Tower, the Magus left no trace. Except…

In the chaotic arrangement of tomes, scrolls, parchments, letters, drawings, schematics, manuals and spell books—an arcane study that had yet to be organized from the last occupier, Sememmon—upon one table, open faced, was a large tome, with only one-third of one page with script written, a certain penmanship unknown.

The unfinished script reads of the last known actions of Manshoon regarding his personal studies into arcane rituals of preservation…this subject of preservation, the defiance of the inevitability of Time…knowledge of great interest to the now absent Magus.

With the last line of the script reading "…and so Manshoon fled, with all thoughts and powers, to a hidden laboratory from which he would continue to grow his cabal once more…."

It can only be assumed that the Magus, has left to seek a new master, the founder of the Zhentarim himself…in desire that what will be gained, is life, forevermore.

Image
Last edited by Carski on Mon Dec 23, 2024 4:39 pm, edited 2 times in total.
The One Truth Is: All Things Perish Over Time . . . all except I.
User avatar
Carski
Posts: 191
Joined: Thu Jun 13, 2013 10:12 pm

Re: The One Truth Is: All Things Perish Over Time...

Unread post by Carski »

The wayward man of merchant means has returned to the Gate. Even such tiresome charades can benefit me…other minds to explore from the restless minds of the mindless. When others appear to hold me in high regard, few will stand in the way of the consensus. I enjoy their stares, the questions in their eyes. But none can out stare me. I will outstare time, shall it be required: the preparations have already been applied.

Surrounded by these…creatures, I feel as one. It is not only by blood, but by desire—they too seek power, though, there's is so shortly lived, if ever attained. And little by little, my diplomacy sparks their interest in what I know…and what I seek. Soon, I will find the right person that is connected to the network.

If one of status is not active here, in this echelon of politesse, then I know where next to move: the mage houses.

The master pulls the weave to him. Divination may be the way.
The One Truth Is: All Things Perish Over Time . . . all except I.
User avatar
Carski
Posts: 191
Joined: Thu Jun 13, 2013 10:12 pm

Re: The One Truth Is: All Things Perish Over Time...

Unread post by Carski »

I look into their faces, as they look into mine. I hear their voices, and remain stoic and at attention. I let time hang long in the air, until the moment they speak their of their fears, of their weaknesses.

And then I smile, slowly. They make is so easy.

The High Hall is full of them, this kind of personality, set to a task, some form of public or self representation, often feigning a type of power, a type of will over others who have entrusted in them, or so they think.

I am not far from them, myself, in fancy silks and talking small. Radiance and will is an attractor, and they come to me like moths to the flame. What they have will become mine. Nay, it will become the master's…and I will reap the reward.

I have communicated to the old one, he that showed me the way into my power, he that first draped a cloak of knowledge, of blackness, over my shoulders. He that was a High Lord of the Black Cloaks in Cormyr, certainly, should the Master Manshoon be reclaiming his rightful place at the throne of the Black, it would be the old one, my first master, that would know.

How it is that Manshoon does not keep better track of his faithful Black Cloaks…can only be a sign that he trusts none but those he himself has laid eyes upon.

I will make myself known, through whatever channels are afforded me.

Manshoon, I am here. My shoulders are bare. But I am not as I was before…now I have the knowledge that is needed to support your return, and there are so many others that I will sway to work against those who call you traitor....
The One Truth Is: All Things Perish Over Time . . . all except I.
User avatar
Carski
Posts: 191
Joined: Thu Jun 13, 2013 10:12 pm

Re: The One Truth Is: All Things Perish Over Time...

Unread post by Carski »

Hs face cracks from the slightest of grins. "I am a Spellbinder…a practitioner, not unlike yourself…though the power I wield from the Weave is innate within me, and so it goes."

The face of the magus face is particularly golden in the candle light. The smooth, leathery features held in stone and stoic poise. His words come slowly to Ragefast, but deftly.

"Further like you, Ragefast the Sage, I too seek secrets presently unknown. My business here…within the Gate, requires contacting certain great practitioners…even those that might wish to remain hidden from sight, but alas, remain aware of certain lines of communication. A sage such as yourself must know of the way to send messages to those that should be listening. If there was a quest that you would need of me, in trade for such information I wish to acquire and utilize, then I will do it."

The conversation goes on….

How power, magic and might is wielded so often without purpose, in these lands. Such possibilities for discovery and use…lost upon ill conceived gambles. This I learned from the writings of Varalla kept well in the Mage Towers. Her possession of life-extending power was great, to be admired…but Manshoon defeated her through cunning, and even greater power.

Now his servant has become master, with the divine forces interrupting what the Black set out in purpose. Power must be restored. To which I will pledge myself.

And then Manshoon will show me how he has mastered what Varalla…and I…have only partially managed to achieve….
Last edited by Carski on Mon Dec 23, 2024 4:34 pm, edited 1 time in total.
The One Truth Is: All Things Perish Over Time . . . all except I.
User avatar
Carski
Posts: 191
Joined: Thu Jun 13, 2013 10:12 pm

Re: The One Truth Is: All Things Perish Over Time...

Unread post by Carski »

Image
"So bone collector…your experiments under naivety do not fool everyone. Your magiks are great, and the power you wield apparent. " The magus speaks directly to the Sage, appearing under direct willful manifestation of his own power.

"As your actions show no fear to the powers of undead or the power of eternal life, I will give credit to you that you know more than you are willing to divulge to those that lack insight. But you will share words with me, as I demand of you, this…he that is the true master remains unfound, but have your realized his presence in these lands? Give what you have come to find true, and in turn, I will reward you, myself."

The true Master persists, of that I am certain. His energies can be felt through the shared Weave. He hides in order to bring greater power to himself, as when the time comes, he will overwhelm what is unexpected with his might. Prepared, I am…as are the others, truly devoted to his future reign.

Those that dawn the Black Cloak yet do not humble themselves to the Master will soon suffer their mis-allegiance. There is no saving them. They will be flayed, and their death an example to those that are short sighted. The reign of power beyond ages conceivable to Man is slowly developed, sought and understood through dominance of will. What must be made, will be manifested. Through faith and power.

The power courses through me…given the order and direction, I will unleash it.
The One Truth Is: All Things Perish Over Time . . . all except I.
Post Reply

Return to “Character Biographies and Journals”