Interlude DCCCXXVIII: Upon Steel Wings
Upon Steel Wings
Twenty Seventh Day of the First Month 294 AC
Yrael did not feel any different than he did before. The sight of Mantarys streaking out beneath his wings did not move him any differently for knowing it was not the home of his spirit, not just the seat of his body, but he could feel it nonetheless. The pillar marked with runes of power and arcane equations hidden in the heart of the palace, pulsing softly in tune with his heart, or perhaps his heart echoed it. Was this what mortals called instinct? The Lord of Mantarys wondered.
He hungered now and had need of food, he tired and had need of sleep in the chambers he had taken over when he renovated the palace for the first time. It made him more akin to those he ruled, he should have been content, but Yrael discovered in himself a spark of frustration just the same and he would not deny it. He resented the little death of sleep that stole him from the world and from his purpose, and he resented the gnawing insistent bite of hunger distracting him from his duties.
All that for what? My own personal safety? he wondered deep into the night when newly-acquired slumber would not come. Not all his fellows had chosen to attune themselves to the anchor pillars and it did not escape his notice that those who abstained were most often those in which the light had not dimmed. One more thing to cleave us apart. He sighed, the cold wind snatching the sound from his lips.
With the skill of long practice Yrael pushed the black thoughts away, for all it was a reminder of the bleak state of the Spheres this was a gift from the Lady Lya who wished them all nothing but good. It would be churlish of him to present himself before her as though at a funeral, when she had given them all a shield to ward against the perils of death in this fallen time.
***
"So, how are you feeling? Any unexpected aches and pains in the joints? Shortness of breath?" the young sorceress asked intently without once having to glance down at her notes. She had privately admitted to Yrael that she did not really need notes, but it made people feel safer to see them there when she was conducting an interview.
"Marks of mortality?" Yrael asked surprised, and in no small measure disturbed he admitted to himself. "I did not think it could go that far." The slow grinding wear of mortal bodies had always seemed faintly tragic to him. How much more could they do and achieve if they were not under the pitiless hand of the reaper.
"It shouldn't," she replied. "But it was... a possibility. The souls of mortals and immortals are more alike than many scholars would think. Thus those touched of other Spheres but not of them can age and die under the dominion of this one, though slower than most. The Yi Tish have some fascinating work on the subject. A pity I can only see it reflected indirectly in their religious texts."
"But I'm not suddenly going to have to deal with back aches and hair turning grey, yes? I've had enough trouble with other parts of me doing so." Yrael asked, surprising himself with the jest as much as he did her. It seemed like the thing to do. Was that too the mark of his change, and if so which one? Or was it simply growing towards the future as all thinking beings must?
"No danger of that, no," the sage laughed.
From there the conversation turned to more serious matters, those of cost. Even with some of his kindred choosing not to bind themselves to the anchor there were yet many who wished to do so but lacked the coin to pay for the reagents.
Connections Broken, Chains Undone Complete 29/15: Crafted Pillar of Soul's Respite in Mantarys, allowing the souls of Archons sworn to Viserys to remain firmly bound to the Material Plane rather than risking the perils of the Broken Heavens in death. Requires a ritual with a cost of 200 IM/HD of the target Outsider.
How many archon re-dedications do you pay for?
[] Just those in critical positions in government (10,000 IM)
[] Everyone with a government position (75,000 IM)
[] Everyone who wants to (1,00,000 IM)
Do you create additional pillars like the one Lya made in Mantarys?
[] Yes
-[] Write in how many (cost 5,000 IM apiece)
[] No, one is enough
OOC: Generic crafting time is enough to make the pillars and the rituals will be abstracted, you have plenty of people in the background who can make them.
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