Heimurn Chronicles (No, SV, you're a young valkyrie in the middle of a bizarre and dangerous journey)

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Contrary to your previous day of intense efforts and determination, the new day turned out to be moody, as the skies were shrouded with a thick layer of clouds, the breakfast consisted of some tasteless porridge with the strangely tasting liquid they called 'milk', and Rosaline went quite hard on you, torturing with writing dictations, wearing down with pronunciation questions, and finishing off with an attempt at interviewing you. You think she was rather satisfied with your progress, but you couldn't care less: the bodily soreness after your yesterday exploits joined the mental fatigue in an unholy union of grim mood. When your tutor proceeded with her tasks and routines, you wanted only one thing: some companionship. However, Amalia was on what seemed to be her laundry shift, messing with lots and lots of clothes of varying states of cleanliness and integrity, and Ulren was drilling the fearful of him guards at the gymnasium. Too tired to do anything productive, you returned to your shelter, wrapping in a blanket and spending the rest of the dim day in the state of melancholic seclusion, assessing your situation again and again for any hints and clues.

The first thing that figuratively burst out was the comparison of the way you reacted to the most of the entities on your way to Kirhol and the way most of the manor dwellers were treating you: even after a week most of them were still alerted and cautious around you in the same way you were wary around frost fiends, wargs, ghouls, armored men and other entities previously unseen. This can mean only one thing: despite many races existing in this world, it is highly unlikely that anybody you met so far has ever seen your kind. If there is such a thing as 'your kind' at all, the strange thought crawled in, simultaneously scaring you and souring your mood further.

Rosaline told you that she is trying to find the answer to this question that tortured you, but what are her motives? What is she trying to gain from aiding you? What are her plans on your account and why is she teaching you? She does, after all, waste time and resources on you even though you don't seem to be able to repay the favors in any way. You can be sure as she is often hard to read and scarce on answers regarding herself or what drives her. The main thing that makes her more trustworthy is the fact she seems to be very familiar with Ulren.

Ulren... The very first living being you met except that eery owl, memories of which seem to haunt you to this day. In all the time you spend together, you figured out some details of his character like the high reliability, the tendency to suppress and conceal emotions, down-to-earth demeanor, and a certain degree of shyness. But more questions appeared as you learned more. Why was he separated from his kin? Why does he know so well how to take care of the lost and ignorant such as yourself? What was his trip about before he met you and why, despite being quite welcoming if laconic, he was so hostile to Sephorah? Is it some weird sort of race prejudice? If so, then why did he decide to help you - the being of different species - in the first place? That, perhaps, was the main question that tortured you: why and for which ends he helped you out in this world of fear and perils?

That was the question you asked him directly when he came up the check on you. The visit not entirely unpredictable, given how bonded you became, and thus even more pleasant. You turned down an offer to read some more parables when he sat down close and answered that you felt fine if a little bit confused. The ensued opportunity to inquire him directly of his motives behind helping you yielded you an ambiguous answer: "because I could not have done otherwise". Did that mean that his decision was dictated by the previous experience or background? Now thinking of it, you had that subtle feeling that he does know how to be a 'big bro' way too well. A curious detail... but for another time. He didn't seem like opening up all at once, and even if he did, you wouldn't probably understand a half of it.

That evening, you spent a few more minutes having a little talk about various topics like why is Rosaline so knowledgeable, what kind of people live in here, and what determines the menu at the kitchen. He left you to your devices shortly, but not without a pat. Why do people you know love to touch your hair so much? Not like you were strongly against it, though. >_<'
Feeling better by the time you took rest, the last thought that sparked through your sleepy mind was that of the necessity to explore for even greater number of leads and clues.​

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The next day you found yourself refreshed and in adventuring mood. What was even better - Rosaline decided to spare you that day, checking on your sentence composition, phrasing, and some addendums to the lex. Whether she took pity on you on own volition or by someone's advice remained unanswered, but it barely interested you as there was a better half of the day on your hands. And, following your previous plan, you decided to take some time to explore your immediate surroundings - the floor you were now living on.

The western wing was of little interest to you as you have already been to the second level of the library that happened to intersect with the third floor, as well as attended Rosaline's personal chambers. Instead, you took the freedom of exploring more of the East wing. Flickering with the ivory of your wings before the eyes of a couple of stationed guards wary of your antics, you attempted to open a few doors on the floor, finding them either locked or missing anyone in the rooms behind them. It seemed like the third floor was mostly composed of the personal quarters. That made sense, given the location of your designated 'den', although you haven't seen or paid much attention to who exactly your closes neighbors were, making the question relevant now. Finding no company (well, you don't think that those two irresponsive guards watching you with half-suspicious and half-wary eyes were in the mood for conversations), you reached the end of the Eastern wing. Before you, were two doors and one stairway leading to the attic level and, again, a set of tightly closed doors separating you from studying whatever was at the top level of the manor.

Perhaps you felt a little bit guilty for peeking behind the closed doors, but your thirst for adventuring left you little to no choice but to see behind the keyholes. The first target of your not-so-polite inspection happened to be the hall at the very edge of the Eastern wing. Through the lock crack you managed to see the round-ish hall with a few cases for manuscripts, a brass tube device resting on a fitting tripod by the wall, a part of a standing dark board with something akin to a scheme or a map drafted on it, and a stairway leading above - to the hypothetical dome of this hall or to the attic. The sunset light lit through some of the un-curtained windows, exposing traces of dust to your glance. Seems like this hall wasn't in active use for some reason. In addition to this logical assumption, either of your two more supernatural senses has caught something behind the closed doors of this presumable observatory, something sensible but not quite readable for you at the time. A source of an aspect power, perhaps? However, what you sensed for sure, was the slight chill emanating from under the bottom door gap, tickling your feet. Maybe, if not even seeking for a permission to see what's inside, you should mention that some of the windows were letting in the chill from outside due to being opened or shattered?

The next door behind which you shamelessly peeked through the keyhole was the one leading to the attic. The late sunrays coming down through the compact roof windows were falling down on dusty boxes, animal (you do hope those are for the animals) cages of varying sizes, old standing lockers, rolls of cloth, baskets with rags, standing objects covered with linen sheets, and many more items of varying level of peculiarity. If you were about to dig this place for all sorts of interesting findings, it might have taken you an entire day or two! But, again, the locks separated you from diving into all sorts of things kept there. Why do they have to lock up all the doors?

To your satisfaction, the last door in the edge of this wing easily yielded to your attempt of opening it, letting you inside a relatively spacious hall filled with drafting tables, writing desks, boards, easels, shelves with brushes and tools, and even a sculpting station. Wandering this hall and gazing upon the objects for quite some time, you had to conjure a light sphere to offset the unlit oil lanterns distributed and fixated by the walls of this hall. This place seemed like both a gallery and a printing house, and, judging by the level of tidiness inside, locals were more frequent to this hall in which the knowledge is shaped than to the observatory. Except for a couple of books in a very bad state resting on one of the worktables, you fond no other drafts or unfinished works. Brushing with your fingers against an easel, you wondered what would've come out from your attempts of learning how to draw, sculpt, or write. What would you depict if you could? Would it have any message or value to the others? Can you sketch those strange dreams of yours? Do you have what it takes to give shape up inspiration and knowledge?

Wandering about in a light daydream, you stumbled at a relatively big ladder leading to a hatch above near one of the corners. If your estimations were correct, it should lead you to the attic that you peeked at above. Jubilated by the prospect of satisfying your itching curiosity, you crawled up the ladder, carefully opening the hatch and throwing yourself up. The attic - so inaccessible just a half an hour ago - greeted you with dust, thickening darkness, and the odd, novel for your nose smell. Never your arcane luminosity was more appropriate as you navigated in a place filled with curiosities, artifacts, and filled to the brim containers. Your eyes widened when the glow of your tiny light sphere touched an intricate helmet resting on a stand. Your grin widened when you stumble at a masterfully made if somewhat worn by the time figurine of a steed made out of an exotically green stone. You shrieked and stepped back when you suddenly saw a face of a gray-haired smiley man staring at you.

Nevermind: that was just a painting, as you figured out a moment later, exhausting a nervous giggle and grappling to the left side of your chest where the heart is. The portrait of an older man clad in a dress jacket was looking at back at you with a content if a bit mischievous smile. Why was this particular art piece separated from the cloth-covered stack of other paintings and hung so close to the hatch? You found the answer to this question not by identificating the person depicted (which was beyond you anyway), but by noticing a chair, a lighter with an extinguished candle placed nearby, and the trails on the floor's 'dust carpet' leading to it. It seems like the hatch was opened because someone from the manor dwellers tends to visit this 'shrine' occasionally due to their hypothetical connection to the depicted person. Intriguing...

Thinking about the stories surrounding all these objects resulted in a sudden insight: if those Gaian Storms shake out the memory trails out of the older objects with rich history, then this place is probably turning into a memory garden after each of those events, which, in its turn, promises plentiful and, judging by the degree of exoticism, entertaining practice of your spirit aspect mastery. But that was enough discoveries for a time being as you weren't very inspired by the idea of being caught by someone who might have heard the noises you caused here. With some haste in your motions, you descended back to the studio and left it as well, venturing back to the block where living quarters were.

The first thing that nabbed your attention was the alluringly half-opened door to one of the chambers and the specifically tarty aroma that emanated through the ensued gap. Back then, you had a momentarily mental struggle between the senses of curiosity and modesty that resulted in the narrow victory of the former. Preemptively preparing the excuses for a potentially awkward situation of interrupting the rest of the person whose presence you sensed, you slowly peeked through the gap by shifting your head sideways. The said person happened to be Karl, sitting at the table with his back facing you. A smoking tube was lying nearby, spreading the thinnest foggy trail.

Your mind barely generated the greeting line when Karl lifted his head, registering your reflection lingering on the surface of the window before him, and snatched the initiative.

"Having a nice evening promenade, young lady?" he spoke while not lifting his eyes from wherever he was finishing his writings, "come in, I won't burden you with writing tests".

That was... reassuring? With a wry smile, you stepped in and sat down at the edge of the bed. His chamber was a little bit smaller than yours but more fursnshed. The walls were adorned with a couple of landscapes featuring a peaceful hamlet and a light tower near the stormy shore. Everything inside the room seemed to be infused with this odd smell, suggesting that whatever the owner was smoking, he was passionate about this habit. There was an uncorked bottle standing like a watchman atop a 'book pedestal' erected on the heavy drawer chest. The fact that there were no chalices in the vicinity suggested that Karl wasn't biassed against drinking in the loneliness. The whole atmosphere of his room was somewhat decadent, just like himself.

"I... decided to see what and who around" you spoke somewhat sheepishly, "If we live nearby, it is good to know each other, no?" you added some sweet tones.

"Indeed. Rosaline was worried that you might have still been shocked after your way here," he half-turned to you leaning on his elbow planted on a knee, "from what I heard, you've seen way too much that a person should"

"It is alright," you made an attempt to derail the conversation, fending off the downer thoughts that seem to propagate in this atmosphere, "we are all here and it is nice"

"Indeed. Rosaline has a habit of harboring things new and old alike. Very new and very old at times" he smirked. However, you not appreciated his apparent entendre. You wouldn't call yourself 'that' new and him 'that' old... unless he was referring to Claudius or the things you have just found in the attic.

"You... " you stumbled at the attempt to inquire him of his role, "Uh... Ulren is a sen-ti...nel, Amalia is a maid, Rosalin is a scholar, and you?..."

"Being marked with the aspects makes one for a mage, and that is what I do: study and practice the arcane side of nature and assist our bright mistress whenever her projects graze the field of magic knowledge. In short, I'm a mage. I exercise the most unfairly romanticized school by the uninvolved - the conflagration, which makes me an elementalist, but my theoretical searches draw me to other branches of the arcane spectrum"

Marked with the aspects? Does it mean, "Am I an elementalist too?"

He faintly smiled in the wake of the unexpected question, "No, the combination of your talents yields you different titles" he finished the answer after a pause, "At least not for now".

You tilted your head wondering, but he didn't give you enough time to compile a specifying question.

"Different races serve as conduits to different combinations of aspects. The study of this seemingly statistical distribution is a fascinating part of the arcane theory, but what matters for your answer is that the double aspect affiliation is rarer than the one to a single sphere, but overwhelmingly more common than the triple affinity. So, it is not excluded that you may discover the third arcane bound in the furue. But as of you now, the thaumaturgy affiliation might have earned you such titles as a diviner, a wondermaker, or even a saint, depending on in which culture you raise it. Same goes for your gift of sensing spirits - an animancer, a medium, or a ne..." he stumbled, seeking for another word, "spirit healer is the titles it would earn you. But things are even more interesting about you as some joints of aspects yield unique titles at times. The thaumaturgy and spirit gifts are exceedingly rare, with the thaumaturgy being presumably exclusive to 'landers' as the elder races call us, and so the only matching title I can recall is the term taken from the early mythology of the Pherin Empire - the seer"

You listened attentively and a bit amazed. This man does sound like someone with deep expertise in the field of magic. When embarking on your little expedition, you weren't seeking for a lecture, but the one you were listening anyway was quite thrilling.

"Am I a... seer?" you asked with enthusiasm, doubling with the following question: "how do I learn use aspects better?"

He smirked at you cunningly while reaching to his smoking pipe and then to a paper parcel with dried herbs. "Yes. Probably not many people would call you that, but it is legit to assume so. As for the mastery of your talents, the only reliable way to increase it is practice. It is possible to develop them through theoretical and meditative practices at early stages, but when you reach a certain degree of proficiency, the only way up is practice. The theoretical part can still be beneficial, but only as an accelerant, not the main driver" he shoved up some dried herbs into the pipe and scorched them with a tiny twinkle he conjured from a finger, "you are welcomed to practice in the basement for as long as you are serious about the safety measures and if those practices of yours don't interrupt Rosaline's interactions with you. Also, if you want, I can search for some print sources on arcane arts, if you are so inclined".

"Thank you!" you replied with a ring in your voice, then continuing less confidently "Wish I can help too".

Karl squinted with his healthy eye in a cunningly-satisfied way. "Don't you worry about that, Ivory Seer. What I may learn from watching you learning outweighs the expenses on my side". He inhaled the smoke through the pipe, incinerating the smoldering filling so that his burnt side of the face received additional illumination. "Just be cautious and always be aware of the line that separates you from the powers you yearn to control. Knowing whether you control the power or the power controls you may save you from grievous misfortunes".

The tone and the message of his last advice sounded a little bit disturbing, but you still attempted to smile. Your eyes trained on his burn as you ran out of the conversation fuel. Your inner voice demanded, persuaded, and pleaded you to ask about it, but you overcame the temptation of acting so rude, generating a more neutral question: "Are there other mages here?"

"Except you, Claudius, his apprentice Isaac, me, and perhaps Copper, if you count in arcane animals, there are none. At least none we know about"

So the name of that shy lad whom you seen for a couple of times but never talked to directly is Isaac. You tried to remember that for the instance if (or rather when) you'd have a chance to talk to him. Mentioning that Copper is a magi animal also peeked your interest. Regardless, you had nothing more to say or ask except for wishing Karl good night and thanking for the company. You hoped that your little chatter distracted him from the melancholic atmosphere that seemed to follow him.

Pacing back to your room and musing on all the new clues, you saw Erika hanging one of those coniferous wreaths you saw before. It appeared that her rooms have always been the next one to yours, which you failed to figure out because of never staying this late before. Good to know, though.

"Hello lady Erika!" you brimmed at her with an infectious smile and an adorable tilt of your head, preparing for even more company.

"Oh, hi there Lucifina" she replied while making finishing touches to the decoration, "Are you getting used around?"

"Yes, I look what is where and who is around," you answered, "nice to know we are ne... neigh... neighbors"

She didn't reply to your line directly, just grinning lopsidedly and proceeding with another inquiry: "so how do you like here? Is this place as good as the one you lived in before?"

"It is very interesting in here. People are good and so is food. Very lively and new," you replied, subtly dropping down the second part of the question and substituting it with the one of your own, "What are these things and why do people hang them?"

"Oh? It's a briar wreath or is also called a 'winter solstice circlet'. We - the Lyflanders - celebrate the passing of year cycles in the day of the winter solstice. These wreaths symbolize the continuity of time and the cyclic nature of it. Closer to the end of the solstice week, we held fairs, parties, and personal visits to celebrate the passing of another year, to wish well to those we deem close, and to thank them for what they have done for us in the previous year via symbolic gifts, and reflect on how we want to live in the year to come" she chuckled, "the gifting part is probably the most popular one, especially among kids".

Oh dear! The people of this realm are even more prone to tradition than you expected. Perhaps, you should consider participating as well, or even prepare a gift for someone unless you don't want to miss out. As you mused about the newly-discovered opportunity, Erika addressed you again.

"Don't be shy to engage in holiday activities. The week to come yields a lot of fun and jolly emotions, and such darling as you would probably enjoy it a lot".

You just grinned enthusiastically and a bit conspiratorial, "Sure. Nice meet you lady Erika. Have a good night!"

She just blinked expressively and nodded affirmatively.

Even though it was quite late already, you entered your abode energizes and enthusiastic. This was one very informative and productive beginning of the week from what you can say. The week to follow offers even more opportunities to engage with others, which stirred your enthusiasm even more. Alright. Alright... Perhaps, you should come up with a plan of how to act in the nearest few days to explore the prospects, gain more awareness, and further your personal development.

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Compile your plan for the rest of the week. You can schedule ONE major action and THREE minor actions OR FIVE minor actions

MAJOR ACTIONS:

[] Learn/raise your skills!
-[] Ulren is very crafty and proficient with self-defense, meaning he can teach you:
--[] Melee combat
--[] Defense
--[] Ranged combat
--[] Armorsmithing
--[] Weaponsmithing
--[] Artificiery
-[] You are confident about Claudius' ability to teach you the vital skills of
--[] Pharma and treatment
-[] Amalia can help you with the more routine skills if you volunteer to help her with
--[] Daily craft
--[] Tailoring
-[] Rosaline might provide you with a special lesson on
--[] Geography lore
--[] Nature lore
--[] Arcane lore
--[] Social and cultural lore
As you meet and grow to know better more and more people, you open access to their skills through the possible tutelage
(+1 to a respective skill. Find more people or establish deeper bonds to open more paths of studying)

[] Targeted training.
-[] Lift, girl, lift! (STR)
-[] Lots of athletics! (END)
-[] Jog around the mansion (MOB)
-[] Seclude yourself and meditate! (PER)
-[] Occupy the gymnasium for movement practice (COOR)
-[] Work! Offer your help at {specify} for an entire day (MICR)
-[] Nag Rosaline to wear you down and bury under tasks and exercises! (INT)
-[] Seclude yourself and contemplate on the nature of things like a hermit! (WIS)
-[] Primp yourself up and go for social encounters {specify whether random or targeted} (CHA)
Serious progress requires serious dedication
(each round raises an attribute by 1/2 if the base attribute is X < 14, by 1/3 if the base attribute is 14 =< X =< 17, and by 1/4 if the base attribute is X => 18. Note that the attributes influence the attribute skill bonus and quite often are the subjects of checks)

[] Practice or study your aspects!
-[] Practice thaumaturgy (current level 5) (Hard wisdom attribute (17), hard intelligence attribute (17), normal arcane skill (20) each yields 1/5 of the next level + 1/5 default for investment)
-[] Study soul aspect (current level 2) (Normal wisdom attribute (15), normal intelligence attribute (15), easy arcane skill (17) each yields 1/2 of the next level + 1/2 default for investment)
If you were expecting a counsel on how to master those, you've already got the intro and the promise of guidance. Just be careful.

MINOR ACTIONS

[] Set up/partake a routine.
-[] Light workouts at the gymnasium (STR)
-[] Morning athletics (END)
-[] Jog the inner yard (MOB)
-[] Try meditating (PER)
-[] Try dancing (COOR)
-[] Offer a little-time help at the facility {specify} (MICR)
-[] Solve more tasks and puzzles (INT)
-[] Reach for insights (WIS)
-[] Primp up and talk to a mirror (CHA)
They say that the habits define a person. Dare to verify that?
(each round raises an attribute by 1/4 if the base attribute is X < 14, by 1/5 if the base attribute is 14 =< X =< 17, and by 1/6 if the base attribute is X => 18. Note that the attributes influence the attribute skill bonus and quite often are the subjects of checks. You can't pick more than two rounds of the same routine in a half a week)

[] Train your wings
You learned how to plane down smoothly, but the so desired fligh is beyond you... for now.
(repeatable, but try not to overdo it. Also, keep in mind the cost of alternatives, i.e. what you could've done instead)

[] Inspect the place and its inhabitants
-[] The second floor
-[] The first floor
Perhaps, your latest trip was interesting enough to ensure its continuity. Perhaps, you just need this particular task out from your way.
(one-time-off for each part. Widens the future options and the number of people you know. Can choose multiple in one voting)

[] Socialize with
-[] Rosaline
-[] Ulren
-[] Amalia
-[] Claudius
-[] Isaac
-[] Erika
-[] Karl
-[] The kitchen personnel
You're meeting more people lately...
(mention the general attitude, the topics of interest, the discussion, or/and special actions like attempts to study a soul spark in the vote. Construct a special approach and try not to be annoying)

[] Hit the library and read some books individually or with someone's help
-[] Geography
-[] Societies and races
-[] History
-[] Flora and fauna
-[] Arcane
-[] Fiction and legends
-[] Manuals
-[] Something more unique?
You live near the ocean of knowledge. You have goosebumps each time you think about it.
(This will make you start exploring the various topics and even grant some skills in particular cases. For now, specify the exact topics in the categories or let it be random; mention if you need someone's help/company at reading. Keep in mind that various characters have various tastes. Use the 'points of interest' tab at the codex post for hints)

[] Do something / spend your leisure time at the facility (specify the action in the vote)
-[] Bathroom
-[] Kitchen
-[] Salon
-[] Library
-[] Gymnasium
-[] Laboratory
-[] Lecture hall
-[] Greenery
-[] Smithy
-[] Attic
-[] Studio
-[] Your room
-[] The locked observatory
--[] Ask Amalia to get you there (hard persuasion skill check (24))
--[] Ask Rosaline about that place and for permission to visit it (very hard persuasion skill check (28))
You're coming to the understanding of how to utilize these places.
(Obviously, specify. Can yield very various results depending on your explanation and my evaluation)

[] Write-in
Perhaps you'd like to listen to your own intuition?

TIME EVENT MINOR ACTIONS!

[] Seek help with preparing a gift for:
-[] Ulren
--[] You think he loves fine foods. Perhaps asking for a help at the kitchen is worthwhile?
--[] Rosaline seem to know him very well. Maybe you should ask her for advice?
-[] Rosaline
--[] She often complains and curses on the quills she uses to write down things when she thinks you're not listening. Maybe you and Ulren can find a solution?
--[] She also seems not very comfortable with her garment and accessories. Maybe Amalia can offer some advice?
-[] Amalia. Rosaline can probably tell you something about her likes and dislikes
-[] Claudius. You sure that Ulren knows him good enough to offer assistance or guidance in preparing a gift
-[] Sephorah. There is something tricky in the way she left the mansion. Rosaline seems to be in control of the situation, and, perhaps, can deliver her something on your behalf?
-[] Write-in
--[] Write-in
It is a tradition that offers an opportunity to express your gratitude. You do feel thankful enough, don't you?
(Various branches have different consequences for you and intermediate persons with some possible bonuses. You can pick more than one option as far as you have enough minor actions)

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BONUS SIDE STORY VOTE!

[] Someone contemplating on the situation while attending domestic chores
[] Someone considering opportunities at a tavern​