Serpentine Showing

Log Info

• Title: Serpentine Showing

• Emitter: Ravenstongue

• Characters: Alfrik, Ravenstongue, Telamon

• Place: Theatre District

Theatre District, late afternoon.

Winter still very much has a hold on Alexandria, but that doesn't stop a colorful place like the Theatre District from being so colorful. Ribbons touched with frost line so many of the district's mana-lamps, giving it a cozy look that painters seek to capture. And in fact, there are several painters here today, either working on their own personal projects or offering sketches of passerby in exchange for coin.

Which is why Telamon Lupecyll-Atlon and Cor'lana Lupecyll-Atlon, the Archmage and the Temptress of Alexandria respectively (even if Cor'lana does not like her moniker), are posing in front of this small group of artists. Cor'lana, for her part, is flushed in her pale cheeks, peering up at Telamon with violet eyes. "This is a bit ridiculous, don't you think?" she asks gently. "I know we're wearing new outfits from Jovani, but that isn't a reason to stop us in the middle of the street."

Indeed, the sorceress of the pair is wearing a rather warm-looking ensemble: a dark cloak with white fur around the collar, embroidered with intricate designs in white thread, warms her shoulders and tumbles down the length of her white woolen dress, which is gathered and pleated at the waist, the gathering hidden underneath a broad cloth belt. It's a fine ensemble, if... a bit showy.

Meanwhile, Telamon is nearly as much of a showstopper. His ensemble matches hers (indeed, he considers that terribly important) -- in his case, a long dark cloak with white fur trim and similar embroidery. But under this he wears a ruffled white silk blouse with silver buttons, over new breeches of a deep black tucked into elegant looking boots. The boots themselves are embroidered in green and silver with images of trees, and Tel's hair is caught back by his circlet.

"But we're not in the middle of the street, dear. We stepped off to the side so that these artists may practice their craft." Telamon's eyes sparkle with humor and good cheer. "Aren't you the one who told me that art can be intensely spontaneous and you have to grab it with both hands when the Muse speaks?"

Meandering down the way is another half elf, a sorcerer himself. Clad in black tunic, and breeches, black boots and a black cloak over all of it, the accents of green and orange through his clothing tattoos plainly visible upon his neck. The long hair of black with emerald green streaks through it braided down to mid back. The dagger on his hip has a serpent's he open mouthed with fangs ready to strike. "Been a bit since I've been back through here." Alfrik states with a chuckle, seemingly oblivious to all other things going on around him.

If Alfrik's oblivious... he may not remain so for long. A white raven swoops down from a nearby mana-lamp, landing right in front of Alfrik. There's a prize of sorts in the raven's beak: an entire cinnamon roll, albeit on the smaller side of things. The bird has bright blue eyes, and the loud croak that leaves him gets Cor'lana's attention, her violet eyes darting over to Alfrik. "Oh--Pothy!" she exclaims. "Don't bother that man."

She nearly turns to go and grab Pothy, but one of the artists grumbles, "No moving!" This causes Cor'lana to sigh.

"Sorry," she calls over to Alfrik. "That's my familiar. He's a terror about food. You don't have to give him anything, since he's already found himself something to eat. Get back here, Pothy!"

Telamon can't help but laugh. "Gods, Pothy, I can't take you anywhere..." He offers Lana a broad smile though, and tilts his head slightly, eyes dancing. Then he looks back at the half-elf that Pothy just swooped on, and his eyebrows rise. "Ah, I know who that is. Alfrik, I see you're returning to old haunts? Hope you're finding the city hasn't changed too much since you left it."

Tel grins, and makes a very tiny gesture (so he doesn't get grumbled at too). "This is my wife, Cor'lana. Lana, this is Alfrik Serpentis -- a native of the city who's come back here after some traveling. It's good to see you again, Alfrik."

Alfrik glances up and chuckles looking at the white Raven he pulls out some Jerky and chomps some before tossing a bit to the bird. "Nah it doesn't bother me, animals will be animals and do what's in their natures yes?" He says with a laugh. "Ah yes Arch Mage, I need to return to places I'd normally frequent. Ah a pleasure to meet you Ma'am." He say giving a bow to Cor'lana. "Tis as the Arch Mage says, I'm Alfrik Serpentis, Sorcerer recently returned home after a walk about to find myself, and what makes my powers truly unique to me."

Pothy's blue eyes seem to light up with frenzy as the dried meat is tossed down to the ground. He scarfs down the cinnamon roll in his beak in one rather smooth motion before he takes up the bit of jerky in his beak, croaking appreciatively at Alfrik--followed by a mimicked, "Thank you!" in Telamon's voice. Down the hatch it goes!

Cor'lana offers her husband a merry look of her own before she nods to Alfrik. "It is good to meet another half-sil," she says, "and a sorcerer at that. I hope your journey showed you a bit more of your talent."

She smiles broadly then. "When I arrived to Alexandria, I had very little of my own magic and... Well, I was rather lost, all things considered. I imagine my husband offered such to you already, but should you ever need guidance for developing your path, you should consider joining the Shining Chalice."

Telamon happily gives his wife's hand a squeeze, eyes glinting with starlight. "Sometimes, you do have to travel to grow your talent," he says to Alfrik. "There's nothing wrong with that. And it may take you down some strange roads, but it's usually for the best."

Lana's suggestion draws a nod from Telamon. "While the Chalice can be a bit... hmmm, what's the word Simony used? Uppity-uppies? A number of the members are noble-born. But membership is open to anyone with the talent, and it's a good way to pick up pointers." He looks wry. "Granted, not all the advice may be useful, but it's good to have people to bounce ideas off of."

Alfrik approaches the two and as a means to show some of his skills he concentrates and through the use of his magic he grows fangs in his mouth. "Well my powers have developed quite nicely, in fact my mother was a Druid, though when my magic started to manifest and she realized it wasn't druidic but still natural magics she found a Gnome tutor for me. But a couple of years ago I felt it was time to branch out and find myself, learn for myself, and make my magic fully my own."

"Having returned I'm more or less reaclimating to the city while to the area, and spending time with my mother. Was this Chalice here years ago, and I'd just never heard of it or is it a new thing?"

"The Chalice has been around for a while," Cor'lana says, although she looks at Telamon with a small smile. "As I understand it, it was a bit overshadowed by the Arcanists' Society, but Telamon got involved, and now he's a rather prominent member. I believe he's introduced a number of people into the Society now. I, myself, am not a member, but occasionally he drags me along to his parties."

She peers at Alfrik's fangs for a moment. "Interesting!" she remarks. "That is very interesting indeed. I wonder if perhaps some force that your mother interacted with in her line of work led to your being born with magic. I know that one of the other members of the Chalice was born with it because his ancestor had slain a dragon--the contact with the blood ended up turning into a latent magic that was passed down, if I remember correctly. My own talent is from my mother--it was a gift of knowledge and power granted to one of her ancestors."

Cor'lana stares at Pothy as she says, "Pothy over there is supposed to be a repository of knowledge that has gone to every single 'inheritor' of the power. But he only really remembers... Food. He can't tell you much about dragons, but he can tell you about what dragons taste like."

Alfrik chuckles and nods his head a bit. "Yes, rumor is somewhere back in my family line, we mingled with the great serpents, that ruled over the land. And that's supposedly where the power in my blood comes from. That's were the snake powers are or so they say." He laughs as he reaches into his cloak and pulls out a bottle taking a long sip from it after opening it. "But where I'm going from here, what I do with it, how much more manifests from it, that is all a matter as yet to be seen yes? Because I'm clearly not as powerful as you are, as you have a familiar and I don't."

Telamon holds still for a moment so two of the painters can get some detail right, before speaking again. "It's not always as simple as 'my ancestor was mingling with something unusual'. There's some good books on the matter at the university, but the gist of it is that exposure to certain magics, energies, or even as Lana mentions, actual blood can instill a... change. And that change can lie dormant for generations, before suddenly blossoming."

He looks at Alfrik with a grin. "The more you practice and develop your powers, the more potent they will become. But that change in you, the talent, will also alter you." He pauses, reflectively. "There was another sorcerer I knew, from a golden dragon's bloodline. It... manifested strongly with him -- he had golden eyes with slitted pupils. Definitely the sort of thing that'll startle you if you don't expect it."

Cor'lana looks a little bashful. "Well," she says, "I've... actually had Pothy as long as I've had the talent. The way that my mother's bloodline magic works is a bit odd. Only one person can actually have the magic and Pothy at a time. Whoever the 'inheritor' designates as their heir, that person gets the magic and Pothy upon death. I..."

She frowns deeply. "I'll not tell the story, but I was there when my mother--the previous inheritor--passed, and it was a complicated, messy thing. She had my memory altered to protect me from someone she thought I was a monster. I got to Alexandria with the scant bit of money she left me, patchwork memories, and a familiar who wouldn't even talk to me for a long period of time. So... Familiars don't necessarily equate power."

Cor'lana offers Alfrik a small smile then. "Things have worked out for the better," she says. "As Telamon says, it all begins with a small seed. He and I actually met when we were both early in our journeys. And now we're married, and quite a long way down the path."

Alfrik nods thoughtfully. "Well I guess that's accurate. And I'm the first in my family that I'm aware of with the Sorcerous gifts. My mother was a druid yes, had a love of snakes and serpents but I see where you're coming from. I'm merely stating the rumors in my family as to how I have the gift, and what caused the bloodline I have." He says with a thoughtful smile. "I have been growing my powers exponentially over the last few years, but there is always something more to learn yes?" Alfrik asks with a polite smile.

"So happy you two found each other in this and were able to find a partner to walk this path with you." He gives a slight bow of his head. "Perhaps one day I'll be so lucky, though I won't hold my breath." Alfrik teases.

Telamon shrugs lightly. "The talent takes many forms, Alfrik. What matters is how you use it. What purpose will you find for it? That's what's important." He grins. "Be honest with yourself. That's the best thing you can do."

His eyebrows arch, though. "Don't sell yourself short just yet, Alfrik. I didn't come to Alexandria seeking a bride, but through luck and perhaps a little more impulsiveness than wisdom, well... I found the love of my life. Call it fate, call it luck, call it the will of the gods -- but sometimes, you may find happiness in the most unexpected places."

Cor'lana's cheeks are lightly flushed again for the teasing, but she offers Telamon a look that clearly has her heart in her eyes. "I didn't come to Alexandria for that, either," she says, "but I found you anyway." She allows herself a tiny moment where she lifts herself onto her tiptoes and gives Telamon a short little kiss on the mouth.

"Aww," one of the artists murmurs. That only serves to darken the blush on Cor'lana's cheeks again.

"Actually, the bench we were both sitting on in the Arcanists' Society courtyard, where I confessed my feelings to Telamon and we began courting? There's a little plaque on it now." Cor'lana smiles bashfully. "It's not the most obvious thing in the world, but it's there."

Alfrik nods his head glancing skyward as he thinks for a bit before he speaks. "Aye I'm not saying that's what I came back home for. In fact I came home because if you can believe it, I missed this place." Alfrik says with a laugh. "But I won't deny that my mother is asking me daily when I'll find a bride, settle down and give her grand children. I keep reminding her I'm still very young and so is she." He chuckles. "But anyway I'll have to swing by the places you mentioned, though I may have to see if they will take kindly to me. Not all trust or like us Serpent blood lines."

Telamon's expression is one of shared discomfort. "Oh, gods, Alfrik, we know all about that." He colors a touch at Lana's kiss, but smiles at her fondly, squeezing her hand in return. "Lana's... grandfather, as well as my mother, are both making unsubtle hints about how much they'll appreciate the patter of little feet."

"I think the Chalice might be a good place to step into though, Alfrik. I grant it's not all about 'studying magic'. There's a certain amount of poetry, and astronomical and astrological study, and discussion. But if you're quick witted you'll do just fine." He looks thoughtful. "I don't think the serpentine bloodline will be that much of a hassle. Count Stiger is of a red draconic bloodline, and the worst one can say about him is that he can be ruthless -- but he's also generous as well."

Cor'lana also blanches at the discussion of children. "Grandfather has knitted several wardrobes' worth of clothes, as though he's hoping that Telamon and I might have an army of children to dote on. Last I heard, he was working on knitting more." Here she sighs. "I can't exactly deny him his little joys. And the bundle of socks he delivered to us a week ago are quite cozy and nice."

She smiles a little. "Sorcerers come in all different ways," she says. "Especially when our magic is often the result of birth... It'd be awful if we judged each other. Snakes are fine."

Pothy peers at Alfrik a moment longer before he takes flight and joins Cor'lana on her shoulder, causing some of the artists to grumble about interfering with their models. "Showtime," he says in a perfect mimic of Cor'lana's voice.

"Oh! Is it almost time?" Cor'lana blinks as she looks at Telamon. "We should get going, then. We were here to see a show that I helped write lyrics for--but we always come here early for a bite to eat and to enjoy the District's atmosphere. I just didn't expect being waylaid into posing for artists."

Alfrik shakes his head with a laugh. "Oh you see if I was courting a lady or married, I could understand my mother wanting and pressuring me for children." He chuckles. "But yes I'll swing by the Chalice. But remember I'm a student of magical chaos and the chaos of life death and rebirth. But those that view us Serpentines with disdain it's merely because we tend to be viewed as untrustworthy." Alfrik chuckkles a bit. "But I'll definitely let you go, so you can get to your show. Take care of yourselves."

Telamon shakes his head. "Magic is chaos, Alfrik. Wizards can try to put as much order as they like around it, but magic makes its own rules. Even Animus didn't try to control the Sea of Mana, only to guide it and keep it from roiling too much." He smiles gently. "You could say the same about life in general. It's chaos, but a fun kind of chaos."

At Pothy's announcement, he sighs, and looks at the artists. "Gentlemen, if you're not done I'm sorry, but the lady and I have a show to catch." He raises a hand. "If you complete your works, come by the Chalice and I could be interested in parting with some coin for them. I know you live to make art, but you also need to eat."

He gives Alfrik a genial wave. "Until the next time, Alfrik. Be well!" He tucks Lana's hand into his arm.