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Windsday the 1st of Winterfall

The Citadel
Blizzard
High: 19°F
Low: 14°F
Wind: 21 mph NW

Founder: Kialga
Founded: September 13, 2012
Refounded: December 26, 2015

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A Meeting of Minds
Topic Started: Feb 6 2016, 12:27 AM (298 Views)
Kialga
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Note: This will take place on the first day of Winterfall. Any change in day will be indicated by a note in green.




Kymil squinted against the blinding white of the snow. The Citadel was under blizzard alert, but that didn't stop the flow of people in and out of the Confederation's capital. Elorshin had sent him to the Citadel to serve as the Kingdom's line of communication to the Confederation, and he had fulfilled the duty for years. During his time in the Citadel he had seen many faces pass through the walls, many leaders and representatives of other nations from the Confederation. The dark times were difficult. The Citadel saw limited use during the time, though few remained dedicated to it, Kymil among them.

Today, his feet led him beside the remnants of the Library. Although decades had passed since the Burning, the crumbled remains still sat on the lot where the Library once stood. Aside from excivation efforts, the lot remained in the original condition it had after the Burning. The street had been cleared, and now a pair of Confederation guards stood at either end of the lot. Kymil lowered his head as he passed, a simple sign of respect for the building and for the history it once held. The guard at the far end of the lot nodded at Kymil as he passed, to which Kymil returned, before continuing on down the slope. His destination was ahead, a simple building on the inside of the walls from the docks.

Gently easing the door open, Kymil stepped into the building. What few complete books remained from the Great Library lined the walls of the simple area. Off to the side, a door sat slightly ajar, to which Kymil's gaze fell. Stepping towards it, he grabbed a book from the shelve beside the door, and entered the room. A small table sat in the center of the room, surrounded with five chairs. A single lantern lit the room, casting its glow across the walls. Kymil stepped his way around the table, taking seat at the chair opposite the door. A pitcher of water sat on the table, set there recently as it still retained its coolness, along with several glasses of various shapes. Taking a glass, and filling it to the brim, Kymil took a drink and opened his book. His colleagues were to be arriving anytime, and there wasn't a moment to spare.
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Bracazas
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The biting cold chilled him to the bone but he trudged on, determinedly clutching his hood tightly around his head. As terrible as the weather was, the blizzard reminded him of when he and his siblings used to play on the beaches of his beloved Skordou some years past. He forced the memory out of his head as he realized that it only made him more homesick.

Instead, he pondered over the events that transpired which led to his departure from home and eventual arrival at the Citadel. As a provincial dynasty, his family had close ties to the high royals, and it was well-known that Queen Lydz of Ieceze, his mother, was a close confidant of High King Pelogras. He recalled his puzzlement at the seriousness in his mother’s demeanor when she instructed him to serve as the kingdom’s representative to the Confederation, and he also recalled how she refused to answer any of his questions on the matter. I trust you, she said, more than anyone. The kingdom is in need of your service. That is all I can say about this.

His reminiscing was halted by the sight of guards watching over the charred ruins of a once magnificent building, the size of which he could only deduce from the giant blocks of broken stones that littered the place. They nodded in his direction and he presumed they had been informed about his arrival after one of them told him to head down the slope towards what appeared to be a door in the walls. After more walking, he arrived at the doorway and stepped inside where he was greeted by the smell of old paper, the kind he has grown to love after years of studying within the libraries of his country’s universities, and almost instantly, he felt more at ease. In the room were books stacked upon shelves built into the walls, and as he scanned the volumes of ancient texts for familiar titles, he heard the sound of pages fluttering, as if someone close by was reading. He followed the sound into another room where a man was seated in one of the empty seats around a small table. He realized that this was the meeting place and that he was one of the first to arrive.

He straightened his back, brushed the snow off his cloak and tried to appear as princely as possible despite the heavy tome he carried in his bag and his young age of 21. Formalities have always been a part of his life, but he secretly hated having to introduce himself as royalty wherever he went, feeling that it alienated people and made him seem prouder than he really was. Still, he is on royal business, and so titles he must use. “My name is Prince Guar of A Corza, heir to the province of A Corza. I was sent here by the order of High King Pelogras of Bracazas.”
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Kialga
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Kymil laid his finger gently across the page under the word he had just finished reading and looked up to address the voice and new presence. His eyes squinted at the new presence, a young male of a race Kymil wasn't quite familiar with. Nevertheless, the elf stood from his seat, tucking the book behind his back, and bowed slightly. "Welcome, Prince Guar, to my humble meeting center. While it is not much, you are more than welcome to share the space and readings." He bit is tongue. "I am Expretin Kymil, diplomat expretin of the Kingdom of Kialga. Similarly, I was sent here by King Elorshin." The elf nodded once more to Guar before returning to his seat. Kymil indicated the remaining chairs around the table before returning his book to the surface to lay a feather on the open pages. The room had him feeling quite cramped, but the warmth it offered was far better than the freezing winds he'd have to endure outside. Being in the Citadel had spoiled him, making him more used to the warmer weather brought rather than the chill that kept across his home in Kialga.

Even in the years of being in the Citadel, Kymil had never heard of Bracazas. There was a map in the main room, but Kymil hadn't paid it mind when he entered. He wanted to make the conversation, but something held him back, and he turned his eyes back to the book before him. A large gust of wind whipped around outside, and the sound could be heard in the room, but Kymil payed no mind. "You are from Bracazas?" he began, never letting his eyes stray from the book before him. Taking a small sip of his water, he continued. "I've never heard of it, but it has to be a lot better than the bitter cold that the Citadel here's receiving. How'd you get to be the unfortunate soul who ended up being sent from Bracazas?"
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Bracazas
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He made himself comfortable by sitting at the chair to the expretin's right, pouring himself a glass of water and taking a sip. He set his pack on the floor. "It is my job as a royal to do the bidding of the high king. He instructed the queen to send me as the Bracazie delegate to the Confederation.” He paused. “To be quite honest, I’m not sure why my mother sent me here instead of my twin brother. He is the more adventurous one. I’m merely a scholar.”

Before being carried away by his personal thoughts, he changes the subject. “Bracazas is a beautiful country blessed by the bounty of nature. The islands to the south are warm and tropical, but a good part of the mainland is mountainous and gets some snow. This blizzard, however, would be something of a rarity in all but the highest peaks or the northernmost lands.”

He studied the man’s features while speaking but subtly so as not to appear rude. At first glance, he presumed that the man was human, but he realized that there was something different in regards to his ears. He had read about elves living in faraway lands, though he never did expect to meet one, let alone to be in a place so alien compared to home. He then realized that his own features might be just as puzzling to the elf. Though Guar is human, the high levels of magic present in royal blood gives him a golden-bronze tint and strikingly dark eyes that are surprisingly reflective, making him appear almost like a human-sized colossus with irises made of shiny obsidian. Lost in his thoughts, he snapped back to reality only to realize he had stared for a bit too long.

He shifted in his seat and reaches for his tome. “You must forgive me if I seem rude for staring, but this place is quite foreign to me. I've never been so far from home and I know very little about other lands and people. I admit I know next to nothing about Kialga or its inhabitants. May I ask what has brought you here?”
Edited by Bracazas, Feb 7 2016, 03:34 AM.
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Kymil glanced up as Guar sat to his right. Kymil nodded as the prince explained why he was here. Scholars are sometimes better than adventures. Kymil thought to himself. Kymil's attention returned to his book as Guar explained Bracazas, to which Kymil was lost to. Normally the Citadel was warm and tropical, but something about this years Winterfall brought the blizzard to the island, even though the snow was to be fading later this month. "Bracazas sounds beautiful, albeit likely a little warm for my tastes. My home in Kialga is located in the mountains, so I'm used to the snow and cold," he began, never lifting his eyes from the book, "The Capital is located to the south, out of the mountains, but still colder than the Citadel normally is." Kymil took another sip of water, gently flipping the page in his book and beginning on the next. He felt Guar's eyes on him, but chose to ignore it. It wasn't the first time a new face to the Citadel was caught staring.

"Staring is quite alright, I'm not the epitome of my people, clearly. Those in control of Kialga have high standards for elves and, well, if you don't fit these standards you are killed. I had a pair of horns at one point," he indicated to the stumps on his head, "But they had them removed the first time they captured me." He stopped and laid his feather across the page once more, closing the book around it. Taking a gulp of the water, leaving only a thin layer in the bottom of the glass, Kymil cleared his throat. "I've been here for at least a decade, maybe more. I've been around the lands that are more tame, namely those between Kialga and here, for at least 30 years. Elorshin, the current King of Kialga, lead the initial hunting party for my tribe, back when he was a Prince, and that's been 42 years ago. I was 16 when that happened."

He sighed and filled his glass again. "Being a warrior at the time, albeit a Mage, I fought along my tribe. They were all physical warriors, I was an odd member of the tribe. I watched my brothers fall, and stood to face Elorshin alongside one other member of my tribe, my mother. It was a final stand moment, and when it came down to it, my tribe was eliminated aside from us two. Mother surrendered to Elorshin, leaving me to fight on my own. Elorshin, however, refused to kill me, taking interest in my capabilities. I was offered a place among his men, and have served ever since. When the Citadel was originally constructed, months after Elorshin took the throne, he sent me as the Expretin. I've been here ever since, and have watched the happenings. From the fire that destroyed the Library, to the Citadel being devoid of people. It's amazing what this place has been through in such a short time." He drained his glass quickly, before refilling it and setting it to the side. "Apologies. That was a lot to take in, and a lot of unnecessary information."
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Bracazas
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"It is quite alright. I appreciate you sharing your thoughts, actually. The more you tell me, the less foreign this situation becomes to me." Guar noticed that Kymil was an expert at controlling his emotions. The prince was sure that he read some sadness in his words, though there was little in the expretin's demeanor that would have given it away. However, Guar felt it inappropriate to express sympathy for the fellow and felt it necessary to change the subject to avoid prolonging the dreaded silence between strangers.

He set his tome on the table in front of him. "You and I are not so different then. Students of magic forced to walk a path that is not of our choosing." He took a sip of water to clear his throat. "A crown is a heavy burden to wear. The luxuries are great indeed, but so are the responsibilities. The study of magic is one of the few diversions I enjoy, but even that is not much of a sanctuary. Because of the magic in their blood, royals are required to be well-versed in its ways for the sake of formalities and traditions." He sighed. "Still, it is inappropriate for a royal in my country to use magic often, especially for jobs that court mages of a far lesser rank are supposed to do. Royals are expected to occupy their time with far more pressing matters of the state such as legislation and diplomacy. For a prince to dedicate his life to the study magic is scandalous, and everyone was keen to remind me of that."

The wind rattled the door and let out a howl while Guar took another sip and opened his tome to a page inscribed with arcane symbols and a title that read On The Magic of Healing. "This book contains a list of arcane subjects that I have compiled from the libraries of our universities. No other such book exists. It is my life's work, and my only companion for most of it." He examined the text. "Sometimes its better to be around books than people. They will keep you company, take you places, ask for nothing in return, and most of all, are incapable of judgement." He let out another sigh. He had said too much about himself, yet he didn't regret it. It was good to feel like a real person, something his rank does not allow him the pleasure of experiencing often.

A gust of wind rattled the door once more and Guar took notice. "This weather is quite strange. I remember reports of flurries falling over our beaches just before I left."
Edited by Bracazas, Feb 9 2016, 02:21 AM.
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Kymil glanced at Guar, taking in his features and posture. No, they weren't much different, but there was more to magic than the Prince seemed to understand. "Leadership of any kind is the heaviest burden to bear, to say the least," he stated, taking a rather large drink of his glass. He returned his book to his traveling pack and removed it from his shoulder, laying it gently upon the table. He listened to the wind, pondering if it would be worth the trip outside. "You say that royalty in Bracazas carries magic in their blood? What if I told you that there is magic throughout this entire world that fills more than just royalty?" Kymil's eyes flicked from the black they had once been to an auburn. "More magic exists in this entire world than you could begin to hold in a single book, my young one. It's glorious."

Kymil stood and watched the door, his passion was flowing. "From elementals, whose entire being is nothing more a massive pool of magic. To the ancient mages of the treefolks who have seen more than we can ever hope," Kymil's passion was overflowing. "Do you trust me Guar? If you want to study magic here in the Citadel, far from your family, I can help. Books can only teach you so much, even if they are incapable of judgement. Your skills must be honed, and away from books." Kymil made his way around the table and pulled the door to the room closed, latching it. Turning to face the table, and Guar, Kymil's expression was of passion and excitement. He had never had a pupil, and here was his chance. A meeting was to start, but no other soul had entered the building, and Kymil saw no greater opportunity.

"Guar, if you trust me, I can teach you to use magic for more than traditions. I can teach you to use magic as a combat system, to defend yourself. And in the unlikely event it be needed, then I can teach you to help defend this great world of ours should we be overcome with darkness." Kymil hesitated, his eyes fading to a dark auburn, before continuing. "I understand if you don't, however. Tradition is tradition, I understand. I don't practice it, but I respect it." The wind had picked up in Kymil's excitement. The flurries were fading, but a heavier snow was beginning to fall. "This is far from the flurries Bracazas beaches could be recieving, dear Guar. If we are going to be snowed in, it'd be far too easy to begin showing you what to expect. We still need to wait for other colleagues, but I can show you some of the more, in depth books here." His eye color had faded back to black, and he returned to his seat. A smirk played on his lip, the last remaining feature of how excited he truly is.
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A tall figure, almost ten feet in height, clad in a dark brown cloak marched through the entrance to the library. His entire body was covered by the robe, save his face, which bore a steel mask. The mask had a red star painted on the forehead with a golden hammer and sickle painted inside of it. Steam rushed out from the pores in the lower part of the mask as he breathed. He turned studied the room and saw that one of the doors had light coming from within it. He walked toward it, his heavy iron boots clanging in the darkness. Once he was at the door he pushed it open. He had to duck his head to get through the doorway.

Inside sat an elf and a man deep in conversation. I am the representative of the Federation of Mocny, he said with a deep bow. His voice was deep and echoed inside of the metallic mask. I apologize for my lateness.
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"I would be-", and before Guar could finish responding, the door swung open with a thud bringing a cold gust of air into the room.

All of his attention now shifted to the intimidating figure appeared on the doorway and announced himself. The prince was unsure as to how to respond to the stranger; judging by his looks, he could easily snap his royal figure in half. His nervousness was compounded by the fact that the man wore a steel mask that covered his entire face.

But Guar fought through his prejudice. It was a strange place after all, so why not expect the unexpected. Besides, the man was a participant to the meeting, and thus, the prince judged him to be an ally, if not yet a friend. The thought of having the stranger on their side made him a bit more relaxed, enough for him to summon the nerve to introduce himself. "Prince Guar of A Corza, representative from the United Kingdom of Bracazas," he said after rising in his seat and finishing with a bow. "And to whom do we owe the pleasure?"
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Kymil hadn't been able to fully return to a seated position before the door was flung open and the cold air rushed into the tiny room. Kymil's eyes flickered to the new presence, barely catching Guar's tiny incomplete response. "Expretin Kymil of the Kingdom of Kialga," Kymil began, looking the new presence over. Simply based on his appearance, Kymil assumed Mocny to be mountainous and the inhabitants to live in the mountains. Shrugging to himself, Kymil returned to his seat and indicated the remaining chairs. The two became three, and it must be treated as such. "Have a seat, if you will..." Kymil let his voice trail off. Before he could begin again, Guar had stood and finished the question he was prepared to ask: Who this new presence was. Kymil watched the man, the emotionless metal mask that covered his face, awaiting a response. Better late than never, some would say. Had no others shown up, Guar and I could be out learning, he thought to himself.
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