Valik looked at the little metallic creature, unsure what to think of the thing. "How does it...think? Does it think? Or does it just follow your...wants, without need?"

The kender smiled at the question, even as he tried to swat away Aelina mothering him. "He's an ever evolving entity. Does he think - like us, no but in kin to an animal, a little moreso."

he looked at the metallic dragonling. "It's design is based on teh wizards familiar - so while it will obey and has limited intelligence, does it have moods or emotions....not yet, but can learn such things in time."

He looked at Aelina as she cleaned his cheek. "Do you have to do that? You know i don't mind a little dirt!"

On the stairwell ahead of them, a torch lit up.  Unlike the normal yellow fire most torches bore, this one bathed the stairs in a stark white light, white flames flickering in the sconce on the wall.  There was a *floomph* sound from a little higher up the stairwell, and then in rapid succession -- *floomph* *floomph* *floomph* *floomph* *floomph*.

Vailin eyed the stairs and the succession of torches.  "I assume that's our signal to move forward?"  If he got an affirmative, the young warrior moved out ahead of the casters.  Just because nobody had said the test had started, didn't mean it couldn't have.  More than once he'd caught recruits off guard by planning an ambush before an exercise was due to commence.  'The enemy doesn't operate to your schedule' he'd lectured his troops.


OOC: Vailin moves about ten feet in front of Arryon and Aelina, shield at the ready.  His sword is sheathed but ready to be pulled at a moment's notice.  While it's likely the trial has yet to start, Vailin is on his guard.
This message was last edited by the player at 06:12, Thu 27 July 2023.

Ayrron watched as the torch lit up, and with a smile (poorly hiding his nervousness) nodded. "Looks like it's time." He muttered as he followed after Vailin, his koopak in hand and Flux on his shoulder, looking around

Valik did not respond with words. Instead, he reached out to take the strap of the large crossbow from his shoulder, paused, then seemingly changed his mind as he took the lighter crossbow instead. He cranked it back, setting the string, and drew a bolt from one of the cases he kept tied around his legs, and loaded it into the setting. He kept the weapon pointed toward the ceiling.

He took the rear as much because he was the one best suited to the task as because of the fact that the others would have no chance of seeing around him in close quarters.

The companions began to climb the stairs.  As they rounded the first corner of the stairs, they found that the next torch in a sconce on the wall burned a crimson red colour.  And the one after that burned a midnight black, yet somehow still shed light.

Round and round the spiral staircase went, constantly alternating white, red, and black torches -- too many to count.  When they at last reached the the landing at the top of the stairs, it came with a simultaneous sense of relief as well as a renewed twisting of the gut as the realisation came that the Test was about to begin.

Beyond the landing stood a pair of simple wooden double doors with silver door knockers.  Along the left wall, large painted portraits hung at even intervals, portraying various past Masters of the Tower.

Vailin remained at the vanguard.  "Remember.  Valik and I will try to keep you safe.  Focus on your trial.  We'll focus on giving you room to do it."

He moved forward to the door.  "Do we knock?  Or just open it?"  The warrior knew nothing of magical trials and didn't want to commit some sorcery faux pas.
This message was last edited by the player at 11:16, Sat 29 July 2023.

Ayrron walked in silence - one of the few times he did. Flux, on his shoulder looked around constantly at the area, his metal shining off the light of the torches. When they came to teh door, he paused.

The kender looked at them with tilted head. "It would be rude not to knock." He muttered and walking forward slowly, he grabbed one and knocked on the door.

Shakra had jumped in Aelina's arms and the nervous bard was scratching it behind its ears, singing a wordless song under her breath  to give herself courage. "Yes, lets face our destiny."

Being surrounded by magic had put Valik a bit on edge, "They know to expect us, and those fancy torches tracked our every step. They know we're here."

At first glance, the thick wooden double doors at the top of the stairs seemed mundane compared to everything else the companions had observed around the Tower.  However, they quickly noticed that the doors appeared to have no handle or noticeable lock.  The only distinguishing features were a quartet of remarkably detailed silver door knockers resembling their own faces!

OOC: What do you do?

Aeline could not resist showing off some of her knowledge. "The torch colors represent the three Gods of magic, Solinari, Lunitari, and Nuitari, their moons and by extension the three magic orders. Soon Ayrron and myself will be inducted in one of the orders, when we pass the test." Showing a brave face, she noticed her likeness on the door knocker, down to her glasses. Slighly smiling, she approached her copy. "Well I guess we are expected to take our own knocker." With one last scratch on Shakra's ears, she took her knocker and knocked once.

Aelina took her own face's knocker in her hand and let the metal ring fall.

**boom**

The sound echoed far louder than the bard had anticipated, and the face came alive!  "Who comes to the Tower?"

The voice hung pregnant in the air, expecting a response.

"Who comes before the Conclave of Wizards?"

Another pause.

"Who asks to take the Test of High Sorcery, declaring themselves worthy of such power?"

The bard took a deep breath and declared in a clear voice "I, Aelina Celestina, apprentice of Master Don Henrique Fuentes, comes to you today to take the test of high sorcery. You can do this, girl!

The knocker represented with Aelina's face melted into the wood of the door,, but the door remained shut.  Three knockers remained.

"Well that's creepy."  Vailin muttered to nobody in particular.  Seeing Aelina's knock and response, he sighed and used his own knocker.

Valik's face showed his distaste for grabbing a magical door knocker, but stepped up next to Vailin and did the same.

Vailin followed Aelina's lead.

**boom**

Valin's own face animated and spoke back at him.  "Who comes to the Testing Grounds?" the voice asked in his own voice.

"Who stands shoulder to shoulder with an initiate of the Tower?"

Pause.

"Who would risk death and worse so that another might reach power untold?"

Before Vailin could answer, Valik used the knocker with his own face.  As before the silver fashioned into a replica of the goliath's face animated and spoke with his own voice.

"Who comes to the Forge of the Soul?"
"Who will stand with one of the Tower, even against the faces of their kith and kin?"
"Who would fly true, leading another to the heart of power?"

Vailin looked over at Vailik as his knocker spoke.  He noted the changes in each knocker's speech but didn't linkger too long on it.  This was not his trial.  He took a few moments to compose himself.  'I don't really sound like that do I?' he thought to himself.

"I am Lieutenant Vailin Switmare.  I stand as ally and willing defender of Aelina Celestina and Ayrron Stormtallow as they undertake their trials."
This message was last edited by the player at 03:52, Sun 30 July 2023.

Ayrron was the last to take up his knocker, and knocked it with a sigh.

Ayrron was the last to knock, even as the face of Vailin melted back into the wood of the door.

"Who seeks the Test of High Sorcery?" the kender's own voice seemed to mock him.
"Who seeks to know the unknowable, to master the mysteries beyond the dark?"
"Who seeks to pass through fire and blood, and being transformed in doing so?"

The kender looked less sure of himself, but answered in a strong voice. "Ayrron Kennith cecil herbert Stormtallow. Apprentice to master alchemist Ormorn of the high tower of sorcery. I am here willingly to take the trial."

~Forge of Souls?~ Valik heard the others giving names, titles, and ranks. Valik had had those things, years ago. Was he supposed to claim them now? Here? To a magical door? It took a long moment for him to speak, "I am Valik, brother of Vierhil and Chrun. Throatpiercer. Forsaken of Thaliakalath. I come to support the clan I have chosen, even against the one I have left behind."

The face of Valik melted into the wood of the door.  For a moment, nothing happened, then the double doors opened.  Beyond lay the familiar fey-haunted woods they had passed through to find the Tower of High Sorcery.  Heavy fog rolled across the Wayreth Forest.  Eerie red eyes of unknowable creatures flittered about in the mist.

Together, the companions stepped through the door and into the forest.  When they turned around, the Tower was simply gone -- vanished.  Strange shapes made of mist darted about at the corners of their vision.  Indecipherable sounds echoed from deeper in the shadow-shrouded forest.

The Test of High Sorcery has begun.

---

OOC: Starting 1.11 next...