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Post by Evainmoire on Mar 2, 2022 12:52:10 GMT -6
“Day 97
I was most fortunate to encounter a prior assistance within the city library, who could direct me further in regards to my research. The most fortuitous result of the encounter was the ability to obtain one of the spell tomes specific to spells related to light and healing, as well as one in relation to the 'hollow' spells, or, spells without an elemental affinity. The tomes themselves were quite extensive, but stranger than them was how easily the spells themselves committed to memory.
I should confess that while own reading skills are well practised, the manner of leaning I experienced with the tomes felt far different. A description of the spell itself, its components and motions were as though a forgotten memory resurfaced, though I could swear to have never before encountered such texts in my life. Perhaps the affinity of the fusion creates an effect where like call to like - It is far easier to uncover a subject the magic itself already remembers.”
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Post by Evainmoire on Mar 2, 2022 12:58:23 GMT -6
“Day 99
The past few days have been quite fascinating, as I attempt to work my way through the tomes a spell at a time. Where some have applications in everyday life, I fear most would have more martial uses and thus would not be applicable for use in a majority of cases. To be certain, a creature of darkness or death should not wish to encounter such.
In terms of spells that mend and soothe, they prove to work well enough on anything other than the wound itself. I am left to wonder if the wound is perhaps far stronger an affliction that small healing spells could counter.. or perhaps it yet has mysteries that require unlocking. The tome does showcase a spell that requires a tremendous amount of arcane energy to perform, yet could yield miracle results in kind. I am.. perhaps hesitant to attempt it, for it describes a greater toll. And yet, if it were to work..”
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Post by Evainmoire on Mar 2, 2022 13:04:26 GMT -6
The rest of the page is blank for some rows, until finally an entry starts with weary handwriting.
“Day 106
The wound's curse remains. I regret to confirm even such a high-end mending spell could not break what hold it has on myself. Such magics as to regrow whole limbs and yet the leg wound hardly seemed to have been affected.. It is my only consolation that I'm able to add to the record the toll this spell can take, and confirm it is no simple strain, but exhausting whole and true.
Alas, it remains the only positive note to make of the attempt.. While my energy feels replenished, I fear the strain on the spirit shall require more time to overcome. If this wound cannot be mended by the very gift of the gods themselves, one bought through soul and sacrifice, what hope yet remains?
And more so, what force could be strong enough to have made it?”
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Post by Evainmoire on Mar 2, 2022 13:14:52 GMT -6
There are no more entries for a few days, but when the writing picks up again, the handwriting appears more sure. “Day 110
As the days pass, I continue to ponder over the intricacies of life and the living. Perhaps this can be seen as a side-effect of the fusion to an element so bridled with life.. One could only wonder if earth elementals, as the closest affinity, could share such impulse?
My thoughts return to the concepts of healing, and asking - When is a wound not a wound? In truth the more accurate description of it would be a scar, if such comparison did not fall so woefully short of its disfiguration. But.. it is not an open wound. And the pain it presents is not the constant pain of one as well. An affliction, yes, yet none quite so overtly simplified as a fresh wound.
Perhaps this means the approach itself is misdirected. The answer may yet lay out there."
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Post by Evainmoire on Mar 2, 2022 13:17:26 GMT -6
The final entry, short before the bookmark itself, reads in smooth, eased lines.
“Day 115
These past days have given me much to contemplate and reflect upon. It is now my belief the fusion should still be considered a gift, even if it did not appear to be an answer to one's prayers. A healing hand can still serve to assist those in dire need, even if one remains injured themselves. Perhaps, then, the wound can continue to serve as a reminder for humbleness.. Far too many tales of arcanists speak of a lust for power and the greed therein, fuelled by ever increasing might. If elementals were truly the ideal fusion of the arcane, would they remain the people they were?
It is my conclusion that this must be so. The fusion can offer great opportunity, but it presents limits and imperfection in equal turn. As such, it is a measure of person to learn how to live with such."
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Post by Evainmoire on Jul 24, 2022 14:00:52 GMT -6
It is some time before the lepus finds reason to add passages to the diary, shuffling the bookmark onwards with each new passage. And yet, as the writing begins anew, there's a curious confidence to the hand.
“Day 157
I have not found reason to add further notes to this journal in some time, for the observations of the arcane have not yielded further discoveries. While the process of the fusion remains ever curious due to its unknown nature, the use of the arcane has become commonplace in day-to-day life. Indeed, it feels as though it is ever bit as part of one's self as is eating or sleeping.
It has also made management around the house and yard far easier as well. So much so that I've found myself with an abundance of time for other pursuits, in particular during these cold winter months where little requires attending outside the house."
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Post by Evainmoire on Jul 24, 2022 14:05:51 GMT -6
The writing continues on the opposite page, as the passage ran out of space on the previous one.
“It was towards the other half of summer that I came into possession of a garden within the City's arboreal district. Quite an unbecoming plot due to it's raggedy state, it should be said, but with a great deal of potential and rustic charm, once it was properly cleared up and fixed. For most of the summer I spent toiling to do just such and though much still remains to give the final touches to, it's now a far cry from it's previous state.
It is also a pleasant distraction from the toils of work and arcane research, a place where one can merely stroll for a walk, or find calm of mind through careful tending. It was much to my surprise to find that such garden could hold quite a few secrets themselves."
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Post by Evainmoire on Jul 24, 2022 14:10:03 GMT -6
“The seasons of the City are not dissimilar too those further north, though perhaps lighter on rain during the warmer months. And yet the bounty and produce of the garden is quite unprecedented throughout the year. While summers and fall are known to be bountiful as per usual, it appears there's is something to be found growing even in the dead of winter. Whether fruits, berries or strange flowers, there remains a persistence to life in spite of the unkind conditions that would otherwise cause most plants to wilt and die. It is something I have never encountered before, though find quite fascinating.
The bounty itself can be quite varied, and although I do not quite know how such variety can be found in so small an area, it would not be unreasonable to assume that perhaps some earthly forces in the area have a hand in creating such conditions."
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Post by Evainmoire on Jul 24, 2022 14:14:39 GMT -6
“For one such example, if a farmer was to sow the seeds for carrots and pumpkins, they could well end up harvesting a great deal more in between such patches, regardless of if they had ever actually seeded them such. And while some types of produce are quite familiar, in the forms of carrots and squash, there's also types of berries and fruits that seem stranger than fiction. Some almost seem as though they might have been brought over from a much more tropical place than the City is.
Regardless of their origins, one can count to find quite a few surprises within the gardens here, including and not limited to creatures of sorts. To such a date I have come across strange insects that appear particularly prolific in the area, though appear quite amiable to coexist alongside myself and other garden denizens. There has also been sightings of lotine, even though the river which feeds the pond has grading to prevent undue access."
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Post by Evainmoire on Jul 24, 2022 14:19:17 GMT -6
“In so far as I've been able to tell, these creatures do not belong to anyone within the vicinity. Indeed, further research into the subject seems to imply that the gardens merely contain a particular ecosystem unique to itself, not dissimilar to that of the mountains nor that to the river. My only conclusion to such a quandary is the location of the gardens must have preceded by an area with an abundance of some form of earthly arcane forces. As we, the City, have built our gardens over it those plants and creatures who existed prior to it have simply continued to grow and produce within the confines of new borders, though by the same laws as before.
It should be said this conclusion is merely theoretical, as there remains inconclusive evidence to prove it's validity. There may yet be other causes and reason as to why such diversity exists in so narrow a space."
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Post by Evainmoire on Jul 24, 2022 14:23:57 GMT -6
The writing pauses at the end of the page and continues on the next one, as it's turned.
“Of the diversity itself, I remain curious as to the nature of some of these plants. It is well known that folk medicine can make use of the strangest material in order to produce effective cures to a number of ailments. There are also alchemists and apothecaries who seek to unlock the secrets of the most bizarre ingredients, to discover what each such plant has to offer. I would not be surprised to consider the possibility these could find use among arcanists as well, either as components to some spell or potion they seek to brew.
My own experiences in the field of potionmarking are quite limited. At best I could perhaps make a poultice to help stem the bleeding of a wound, or something to clean it. But I admit the prospect of uncovering more on these plants is endearing."
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Post by Evainmoire on Jul 24, 2022 14:29:53 GMT -6
The rest of the page is blank, as the writing continues on the opposite page, underneath a new entry.
“Day 169
The thought about botany has remained haunting my mind for quite some time. It is never a skill I would have though to pick up, but the more I consider the potential for discoveries, the stronger the urge to catalogue such finds. The gardens have certainly not been miserly in their offerings, and I have managed to preserve a number of plants, flowers and various produce for further study. Perhaps in lieu of further discoveries from the fusion process I might yet document such for these..
To begin with I would need to scour the libraries and almanacs of old and new, to see what prior information has been passed down on these strange plants. It may well be that prior research has already exhausted all further options, though there might be yet more details to find.
I shall record the process to the best of my ability."
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Post by Evainmoire on Jul 24, 2022 14:34:51 GMT -6
In a curious change to prior writings, the pages which follow are filled with carefully drawn figures of various flowers, roots, vegetables, fruits and other types of vegetation. Though small enough to fit within the humble confines of the journal pages, the detailing has been careful and methodical, to ensure every pieces of the plant's particular physiology and nature is properly documented. Beside each drawing is a series of small notes, usually upon the colour, scent and occasionally even the taste of the plant in question, as well as various details on classification and general use.
Some of the notes remain quite plain, appearing more to be copied down from another source of writing, while in a few occasional spots and places there appears to be a note followed by a question mark.
One such note can be found beside a beautifully rendered pale blue bud flower, simply reading: "Found in winter? Warm to the touch? Subtle pulses within?"
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Post by Evainmoire on Jul 24, 2022 14:40:10 GMT -6
The drawings and notes are abruptly cut short with a new dated entry.
"Day 181
I've found myself in quite the puzzling predicament, and feel a need to document such for posterity. I have succeeded in noting and cataloguing all the plants the garden has yielded thus far, save for one. This pale blue blossom is the most curious form of flower I have ever seen, and yet no almanac or farming guide appears to make note of it. It almost appears as though it shouldn't exist, or perhaps if it does, then remains something so rare as to hold no written mention from traditional sources.
I am hesitant to dissect it, without knowing more. There's a subtle pulse from within that suggests a form of internal activity. This could be a form of life as well as a form of arcane activity, neither of which would react well to such invasive scrutiny.
What I do know is that with each day within the greenhouse the blossom appears to grow warmer.. I have not yet managed to discover a correlation as to why."
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Post by Evainmoire on Jul 24, 2022 14:47:49 GMT -6
The writing in the next entry is a little hasty and uncertain, as if trying to document something within moments of it happening.
"Day 188
I am beside myself with the ability of writing this down. For all the expectations, the speculations and the theories surrounding the blue flower I never expected to find it bloom into.." The writing cuts off.
And continues on the next line, "Well.. Rightfully, I am not quite sure. But it is something living, something one could almost describe 'humanoid' if it weren't still entwined within the flower petals. Perhaps a type of offspring for the Evergreen? It does not have quite the same features as one, but could well grow into them. The find itself had been within one of his hoards, so the presumption stands.
Sufficed to say this research has taken quite the unexpected turn. I shall have to keep this precious bloom close to hand, due to its frail nature.
Perhaps in time this blossom riddle might yet find an answer."
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