Marino Ortun

[DirectorBright]

Name: Marino Ortun

Date of Birth: 2074AC
Roleplay Level: 184
Allegiances: Goldlight Order
Magic: Water and Wellspring, Ether Attuned

Backstory:
Marino Ortun was a simple fisherman, who settled near the future site of Martyr's Vigil. For 20 years, he kept to himself, simply fishing, chopping wood for his fire, and eating the fish he caught. One day, however... 

Milestones:

2024//04//01: Meeting Darci Gallagher
Darci Gallagher found Marino's campsite, and convinced him to develop his magic and try for something more. Interacting with the townspeople convinces Marino to learn to fight to protect good decent people and to learn medicine to heal them when they become injured.

2024//04//05: Maimed by Eeklege
Going into the field with Pariah to learn to fight, the pair are attacked by Eeklege, who permanently injures Marino before being repulsed by Pheobe.

2024//04//07: Advice from those stronger
Marino spars with many partners, but never wins. He obtains advice from others, including Lazarus and Ksceniya C. Montelione. Lazarus informs him that he has great potential, and that good equipment will make a large difference alongside combat experience, assuring him that his magic is not weak but rather inexperienced and imperfect. It has good bones. Marino takes up Artifice, to create potent equipment for himself. Ksceniya tells him that while his strength will increase over time, wellspring is not the most powerful school of magic, so if he wants true power he'll need to find a unique way. 

2024//04//08: An unfathomably foolhardy decision
Marino studies the books in the library south of Goldlight and comes upon a theory. With insight from Ksceniya that wellspring is channeling raw vitality, he discovers the existence of Necromancy and devleops a theory: Wellspring magic is incomplete, and there may be a more potent and pure form of healing magic. Remembering the direction to do something unique, he decides to try to learn all things that relate to life and see if a complete understanding gives him a unique strength. He departs for the ruins of Perdition, described in the book. Finding the ruins, he finds no necromancers, but a tower with a forbidden archive describing a text on 'death magic.' The text is locked away, however the description of 'death magic' seems another puzzle piece to the world-ignorant man. By understanding medicine, undeath, death, and life, he could identify the missing pieces and fill them in.
So he writes a letter to the tower's posted owner, a man he does not know, a one in a hundred shot hoping he is in the area. 
And Eranath responds.
Responding from sheer amusement at the audacity of the man (not knowing he didn't know better), the Incomplete humored Marino and told him that he would aid him if he showed potential, but that he had no attunement to occultism and that he would need it to learn Death Magic. He told him to prove he was capable by finding a man named Thade of the Cauldron, who would teach him necromancy. However, The Incomplete cautioned Marino that all would revile this decision, and that he must disguise himself carefully. Marino states that he doesn't particularly care if other people despise him, so long as he can do as he pleases. It's technically true, he simply doesn't state his intent to protect others. In his entire interaction, he chooses his words extremely carefully to include no lies, but no answers that may anger the entity before him.
Marino decided... to go for it. He assumes the identity of Grey, practicing new mannerisms and attitudes to hide who he is.

2024//04//11: A training partner
Grey finds himself back in the library, reading the text on Holy Magic. Thade had not responded to a message, lofted into the wind in faith that the Incomplete would ensure it reached the necromancer. In the meantime, he could try to unlock Occult magic on his own, by practicing the opposite of what the text described. A youth named Krue Solinox happened in at the same time, seeking to master holy magic. The two made a deal, Krue would not breathe a word of Grey's existence, and in return they would aid each other in unlocking their respective abilities. Further, Grey would teach Krue lessons in combat and create equipment for him. As Krue has never met Marino, Grey uses the opportunity to practice his new mannerisms. The two meditate on unlocking their potential, but Grey becomes lost in his memories. Krue has some small success, but not enough to be useable. They agree to meet in the future. 

Plans:
Learn Medic
Learn Necromancy
Unlock Occult
Learn Death
See the entire picture
Search for the hidden technique, outlined by it's absence

[DirectorBright]

[2024//04//11]

Grey sits on the floor, taking in a deep breath.



"Remember, focus on the feeling, then a moment as a catalyst. Don't be frustrated if it doesn't come to you... though I think I will be, since mine is the opposite."



He closes his eyes, and lays out his circuit. Whorls and loops of mana coil through his being, devoted to water, to wellspring. A gap. He fills it in, attunes to the ether, to what's within, to itself. Mana flows like water through the most of the circuit, roils with life, boils to ether, falls like rain...

[FIND THE FOCUS]

He thinks back...



[She sends him to fight boars, a menial task. He grows bored. Turn the boredom into anger. He's better than this. He can fight more than this.]



[Fear, A monster made flesh, a horror of endless eyes and teeth, speaking nonsense. She steps to fight it. He cannot intervene. She tells him not to. But why? Why is he discarded? Why is he held in such contempt? Why doesn't SHE do something, other than watch?]



[Fear, as it wins. Fear, as it gnaws upon her, devouring her. Do something]



[Move, save her-]



[No. No salvation. That is the path to holy magic. Drown it out.]

[FIND THE FOCUS]

[They tell him to back away. Is he so weak? Why do they demand he do nothing? Frustration gives way to rage, overpowering fear. Do something.]

[FOCUS ON THE MONSTER, GATHER YOUR MANA-]

[Pain, gnawing pain, clawing up his arm. A whirl of tentacles and teeth rises above him, clinging to him, razor winds and shocking bolts tearing through his body. Heal the wounds, ride on hope- No hope. No safety. Only anger. Anger at interruption. Frustration at being discarded. Shame at being too slow. Shame at not having become strong sooner.]



[Her, injured, in the corner, eaten. He has to-]


[No. Not save her. The urge to save is holy magic.]

[FOCUS, GATHER THE MANA-]

[He has to crush the monster, break it before his waves, drown it in the tide as it-]



[As it's razor wind burns through his defenses, as it's lightning scorches his skin and twists his nerves, as the waters flow slower and more weakly. It wraps itself around him, it burns his nerves, it fries him like an insect. His mana burns out, his nerves scream as his arm will never move the same again. Fear, pain, rage, shame. Why?]



[Why am I so weak?]



The focus breaks. The mana ebbs. He shivers, trapped in a memory.



[SHE steps in. SHE rebukes him. SHE crushes it in a moment. SHE could have saved them at any time, but all SHE did was watch. Why did SHE ridicule him? Why? He only wanted to help No. Save NO. Do SOMETHING NO! HE ONLY WANTED TO-]



The memory fades. He sags, spent, failed.

---

[2024//04//12]

Grey pans his gaze about the library. He is alone, this time, with no Krue in sight. Still, that is no reason not to practice.



He sits, this time in a comfortable chair, and turns his gaze inwards once again...



His mana circuit remains, as he left it. Swirling, looping mana in streams of glowing blue and gold, flowing like the tide... bubbling from the wellspring, evaporates into ether, falling like rain, to return to the spring...

[FIND THE FOCUS]

Look back...



[She sends him to fight boars...]

[IRRELEVANT]

Wash away any impurity. Focus down, down, to the most impactful thing...



[Fear, a monster made flesh, a horror of endless eyes and teeth, speaking nonsense. She steps to fight it. He cannot intervene. She tells him not to. But why? Why is he discarded? Why is he held in such contempt? Why doesn't SHE do something, other than watch?]



[Fear, as it wins. Fear, as it gnaws upon her, devouring her. Do something.]

[IGNORE HER]

[They tell him to back away. Is he so weak? Why do they demand he do nothing? Frustration gives way to rage, overpowering fear. Do something.]



[Pain, gnawing pain, clawing up his arm. A whirl of tentacles and teeth rises above him, clinging to him, razor winds and shocking bolts tearing through his body. Heal the wounds, ride on hope- No hope. No safety. Only anger. Anger at interruption. Frustration at being discarded. Shame at being too slow. Shame at not having become strong sooner.]

[FOCUS ON THE MONSTER]

[He has to crush the monster, break it before his waves, drown it in the tide as it-]



[As it's razor wind burns through his defenses, as it's lightning scorches his skin and twists his nerves, as the waters flow slower and more weakly. It wraps itself around him, it burns his nerves, it fries him like an insect. His mana burns out, his nerves scream as his arm will never move the same again. Fear, pain, rage, shame. Why?]



[Why am I so weak?]

[HOLD]

His focus holds... it holds...



[SHE steps in. SHE rebukes him. SHE crushes it in a moment. SHE could have saved them at any time, but all SHE did was watch. Why did SHE ridicule him? Why? He only wanted to help No. Save NO. Do SOMETHING NO!]

Hold, for just a moment longer...

His heart races with pain, aches in his chest. His fingers twitch... The waters darken. The blackened tide surges, the circuits begin to attune...

[PAIN]

Intense, searing agony roils through his circuits, the sheer shock of it forcing him out of his concentration, slipping the mana away as he writhes in unexpected agony. His mana sizzles through his circuits as the wellspring boils in fury at being forced to touch something so antithetical to it's nature. It spills over, his circuit lacking room to contain the excess mana, and it bleeds into his body, wracking him further.



He releases his hold, shivering, insensate beyond the agony of his condition. He folds, and waits for it to stop...

---

[2024//04//13]

He was close last time, very close. He mightn't have the room to attune, but he can at least gather the energy and practice summoning it.

His gaze turns inwards, the circuit shines within him. Mana, bubbling from the wellspring, flowing through lines of water, evaporating into ether, falling like rain to feed the spring...

Brackish strands linger still, in the aftermath of the touch of the occult.

FOCUS

[Pain. A whirlwind of teeth and eyes, a sore upon the world, a nightmare made flesh, descends upon him. Lashing winds flay his skin, arcing bolts of lightning sear through his body, teeth tear at his form.]

[Pain. He lies upon the ground,]

[Pain. Beaten, broken, helpless. Scorned. Useless. Pain.]

Pain.

Pain is the thing that underlines all of it. Pain is the constant, pain is the one thing that he can focus on and stay sane.

REMEMBER

[Remember when she was beaten as you were, remember how your heart ached to see it, remember how it felt to lose. Remember the pain of being forced to watch and do nothing. The pain of being weak.]

Pain as the strands of brackish water grow, pain as the dark tide rises, pain as the wellspring roils and bubbles and thrashes when it touches the welling up of darkness, pain as it flows through his circuits, pain as it overflows and spills into his body with no room to attune it. Pain erodes his focus, sucks away his breath, urges him to curl into a ball and wait for it to end.

But today, he is ready for it.
In the end, it is only pain.

And so, gasping for air, he takes those brackish, darkened eddies, and pushes them into his fingers. The darkened mana flows like oil, a gooey mass that doesn't truly mix with the pure waters around it, that seethes and writhes where they meet, carried along in the stream.

And for a brief moment, tiny beads of darkness roll down their lengths like sweating tar, dripping to evaporate mere moments later. It is nothing, a trifle, barely even a single speck of mana. It isn't enough to pool into an orb, not even enough to begin to try. But it's there.

Sucking in a shuddering breath through the pain, he smiles with gritted teeth. He's done it.

And he releases the magic, for nothing more is coming today.

---

2024//04//14

There is a slow smile from Grey as he watches the ball blast a hole through the trees. He pats the boy's shoulder, the water stretching between the two to avoid breaking contact.

"You did it. Good job."

He raises his left hand, and stares into it with concentration.

"My turn, I suppose."

Pain and bitterness floods through his body as the dark currents kick up and writhe against the wellspring. Memories of loss, of defeat, of injury, of helplessness, all tied with pain. The pain remains incredibly intense, but he's used to it now. Grey clenches his jaw as it wells up, the pain all the more intense for the active use of wellspring.

But now there's something else. His eyes glance over to Krue, flick down to the injuries the boy sustained, wander up his own right arm. His fingers tighten for a moment around Krue's shoulder before he consciously relaxes them.

There is pain, yes. But now, there is also rage.

Darkness wells up and drips off of his hand like molten tar. He clenches his fist, the blackness being sucked inwards through his fingers. He opens his hand, and a swirling orb of darkness floats above it. It is unstable, its shape constantly dripping and wavering as it tries to disperse. It would hold no power in a real fight, he hasn't the room to properly attune it. The entire process took perhaps 30 seconds.

Still, when he reaches out towards the trees in front of him, the sphere flies off at great speed, splattering against the trunk and searing part of it away. Against most foes, it is nothing. But he's done it.

[DirectorBright]

Milestone and Goal Update:
2024//04//14: A meeting and a success
Met Thade, received induction into Cauldron, received Litany of Undeath, summoned a shadow orb after many days of meditation alongside Krue. Krue was injured from night monsters, reinforcing the urge to learn medic. His circuits are stretched thin, so he needs an amnesis and more power to develop further.

Plans:
Learn Medic
Learn Necromancy - Thade was met, so he just needs to study under him now
Unlock Occult - Successful at casting shadow orb, now just needs to free the space to attune and practice until he can attune
Learn Death
See the entire picture
Search for the hidden technique, outlined by it's absence

[DirectorBright]

Milestone and Goal Update:
2024//04//21: New Allies
Meditated on necromantic mana in the shadowlands, attempted to extract from a mega demon but was unsuccessful, ran dungeons with Krue and Arcadian locals. Akari Kazuma promised to ensure he would receive medical training. Accosted by an Atrellyan, received temporary injury. Developed occult magic and a touch of shadow magic. Krue is powerful enough to easily defeat Grey, but after attuning to occult Grey is still stronger than he was before.

Grey and Krue took over a few abandoned buildings in the ruins of what was once Perdition, and then once Repose.

Plans:
Learn Medic - Akari promised to teach him
Learn Necromancy - Pursuing private study under guidance of Litany of Undeath, awaiting lesson from Thade
Unlock Occult - Done!
Learn Death
See the entire picture
Search for the hidden technique, outlined by it's absence

---

2024//04//15: Grey makes an oath to himself

[23:55] Grey stands atop the plateau that sits at the edge of Meranthe, deep within the shadowlands. He overlooks the sea, feels the fresh breeze blow in and wash away the odor that lingers here.

He takes a long, deep breath, and closes his eyes.

"Would they remember me, if I died? Do they wonder where I went? Do they miss me?"

He sighs.

"Soon. I can return soon. I just need... I just need time. A year. Two years. In the end, if they're safe, it doesn't matter how long it takes. But these damn demons rising up... they push me. Push my timetable. I just... I can't help. I can't. I'm not strong enough yet, just not... not strong enough."

"But I will be."

"I'll raise soldiers, powerful soldiers. On this rock, away from it all, we'll live. And we'll fight. And I'll protect everyone. Maybe they'll hate me for it. Maybe they'll understand. Whoknows."

"One day."
(Grey)

[DirectorBright]

Grey's study of Necromancy

---

Summary:
Received a brief lesson on necromantic mana from Thade and absorbed a small bit of it
Studied the Litany of Undeath several times
Attempted to siphon mana from a dead Mega Demon
Attempted to assemble a full skeleton and animate it
Used necromantic mana donated by Thade to destroy a captured curse spell - See medical logs
Siphoned necromantic mana from a wound - See medical logs
Attempted plaguelands

---

2024//04//14: Meeting with Thade:

[b]Thade says, "Evening."[/b]
[14:37] Thade says, "Or afternoon."
[14:37] Thade says, "It can be hard to tell underground."
[14:38] Grey asks, "True enough. Here to pay your respects?"
[14:38] Grey points to the sarcophagus behind Thade.
(Grey)
[14:38] Thade says, "Not as such. I find this is a good place to contemplate."
[14:39] Thade says, "The deathstream is stronger in crypts, and other places of decay and death."
[14:40] Grey asks, "I see. That makes sense, I suppose. That would make you the man I'm looking for then, wouldn't it?"
[14:40] Thade asks, "Most likely, I assume you are Grey?"
[14:40] Thade says, "You certainly have the look of one of my prospective students."
[14:40] Thade says, "You all seem fond of black and leather."
[14:41] Grey says, "Leather is a good material for the armor of a caster with long recovery times."
[14:41] Grey says, "And most people ignore the more drab colors."
[14:41] Thade says, "Fair, I wore leather for a long time."
[14:42] Grey says, "I am not familiar with the pattern that you wear now. It seems as though it has been a while since someone has tended to it, however."
[14:43] Thade says, "It was the armor of the Scaleguard of Dawnstone once upon a time."
[14:43] Thade says, "It's been long neglected though, and dawnstone no longer exists."
[14:43] Grey says, "I see."
[14:44] Thade asks, "In any case, you wished to discuss learning Necromancy?"
[14:44] Thade asks, "If you don't mind my asking, why?"
[14:44] Grey is silent, for a moment, composing his words.
(Grey)

[14:45] Grey asks, "You are familiar with the wellspring magic, yes?"
[14:45] Thade says, "Aye."
[14:46] Grey says, "It is a powerful healing technique, regarded as the strongest. And yet I cannot shake the feeling that something is missing from it."
[14:46] Grey says, "When one assembles a puzzle, you find many pieces by filling in the space around them."
[14:47] Thade asks, "So simple curiosity?"
[14:47] Grey says, "I intend to learn all disciplines that relate to the forces of life and death, and search for any insights that come from the voids in my understanding."
[14:47] Grey says, "Places where something should be, but isn't."
[14:50] Thade would seem to consider a moment, before reaching into a side bag, and pulling out a book. "A worthy enough goal. My own reasons are similar, though I have certain temporal goals as well as desiring understanding."

He would casually toss the book to Grey. "That book is a primer, it covers the basics, though obviously hands on learning is best. I conduct lessons periodically, though it is a tad advanced for you, I will be demonstrating the basics of creating an undead to some of the other students soon."

The masked man would pause a moment, "If you do not mind my asking, what is your relationship to Eranath?"
(Thade)

[14:50] {Item} You picked up Litany Of Undeath - Cauldron 1st Edition 17p. Dropped by Thade..
[14:55] Grey catches the book and handles it very carefully, before he speaks.

"No relationship to speak of, not yet at least. We met on accident, and he asked what I wanted. I told him more or less the same thing I told you, and he told me to find you."
(Grey)

[14:55] Grey says, "A second piece of the puzzle is death magic. And that is not an easy thing to find."
[14:55] Thade says, "Death magic is not a thing I can aid in."
[14:56] Grey says, "No, but he can. However, he refuses to do so until I learn necromancy."
[14:56] Grey says, "It's not knowledge one parts with easily, casually, or without expecting something in return."
[14:57] Thade says, "True, that is always the catch with knowledge."
[14:57] Thade says, "Part of the reason I have decided to take up teaching."
[14:57] Thade says, "The more widespread the knowledge, the less costly it's obtainment."
[15:01] Grey nods, beginning to gently scan through the contents of the book, handling the pages with care.
(Grey)

[15:02] "Regardless, there is a test." Thade would say, gesturing to the walls around them, "As I said, the deathstream is strong here. It is a part of nature, as much as wind, or water, or air. It is the source of decay, and in many ways anathema to life. But it is the root of a Necromancers power."

Holding up a hand in front of him, the Necromancer would take a breath and then exhale.... and along with his breath a thin trickle of green, hazy energy would flow from his mask into his hand, coiling into a sphere small enough to fit in a thimble.

"The energies of the deathstream will do you harm, if you allow them to intermingle with your own natural energies. They will cause sickness, or if in sufficient quantity tissue necrosis as they rot your circuits from the inside. Consider how you would absorb such an energy, and then attempt it."

Looking at the other man he would nod, "Consider your own circuits, hollow out a space within you, avoid in your mana, then create an empty pathway to allow you to draw the energy in without intermingling the two forces."
(Thade)

[15:04] Grey says, "I have kept an area of my circuit unattuned in anticipation of having to use it for such things."
[15:08] Grey delicately closes the book, and tucks it away. He takes a deep breath, and turns his gaze inwards.

The flowing cycle that is his circuit, bubbling forth from the wellspring, flowing like the tide as water, to rise as ether and fall like rain back into the spring. The darkened traces in it's depths where the path to occult magic begins to develop, seething in disharmony with the life-giving flow.

And yet, within this cycle, there is a void where no mana flows. A dry riverbed. Grey concentrates further, using his time spent meditating on the occult to draw away any mana that lingered in that portion of his circuit. He steps forwards, extending his hand towards Thade, and reaches for the sphere, intending to draw it into the emptiness he has lain out.
(Grey)

[15:11] And he touches the tiny green dot with that void, as his fingers close around it.
(Grey)

[15:12] Grey asks, "This energy exists in opposition to the lifestream, does it not? What then is death magic, if it is not connected to Necromancy?"
[15:15] As the foreign mana wicks into his waiting circuits, he carefully curates the flow of the rest of his mana to avoid it. The tiny green dot exists alongside the flow, never truly mixing or touching, dammed away by barrier after barrier.
(Grey)

[15:27] Thade would watch, now silent as Grey attempted to absorb the fragment of necromantic energy, it was nothing large, little more than the life-force of a frog.

"In this form? Yes. In it's natural state... the two do not interact. Only under human direction, or truly unusual natural circumstances, can these two forces meet."

He would nod, gesturing to one of the walls, a thin line of crimson leaking from behind his mask, a tendril of blood pushing out to draw on the wall.

Two small circles, with a single large circle connecting them. Gesturing to the circle on the right, he would say "The first gate, the Gate of rebirth." Within the circle, the tendril would draw a sword and infinity symbol. "Once guarded by the angel Azrael, now without guardian."

Gesturing to the left circle, "The second gate, the gate of Death. Guarded and controlled by the Primal, Mortyl." Within, he would draw a scythe and skeletal wings.

pointing to the arc of the larger circle, moving from the gate of rebirth to the gate of death. "This, is the lifestream. It is the natural flow of the living from birth to death." Chuckling, he would gesture towards the other side of the large circle.

"Thus, this path, is the deathstream. In nature these two forces are kept in balance by the two gates. Through Necromancy, we create new gates, gates that alter that balance and can bring the two forces into opposition."

He would look to Grey, "As for what Death magic is? It is a pinnacle of Occultism. The occult can draw one closer to the deathstream, after all it is a magic of death, decay, and destruction. But it is not necessary to be an occultist to practice Necromancy. Many roads exist to the same well after all."
(Thade)

[15:29] Grey says, "I see... "
[15:30] Thade asks, "Does that help you understand?"
[15:30] Grey says, "Immensely. "
[15:33] Thade says, "In any case, welcome to the school."
[15:34] Grey asks, "What happens now?"
[15:35] Thade says, "Nothing much, I'll keep giving you lessons, when you become a Necromancer I'll give you a green cloak like this one. Not that you have to wear it."
[15:35] Thade says, "I have to find a good time for all the students to hold the larger lessons."
[15:35] Thade says, "Though, feel free to ask me questions."
[15:37] Grey says, "Yes, I have a few. Is it not incredibly dangerous to openly display a symbol of being a necromancer? I was told to be discovered was death."
[15:39] Thade says, "Probably."
[15:39] Thade says, "Then again I have never shied away rom doing incredibly dangerous things."
[15:39] Grey asks, "Mm. Second question, do we have a base of operations where I can study, in preparation for the next lesson?"
[15:40] Thade says, "Not exactly. You can find some solitude in the underdark perhaps."
[15:40] Thade says, "Or the ruins of Penumbra and Perdition."
[15:41] Grey says, "The ruins of Perdition are occupied by the demonic horde."
[15:41] Thade says, "No longer."
[15:41] Grey asks, "How does one reach the underdark, or penumbra?"
[15:41] Thade says, "Some structures remain, but Penumbra is destroyed."
[15:41] Thade says, "The underdark is found in the caves of Mount Glufdor."
[15:41] Thade says, "Penumbra is the name given to the deep catacombs of Perdition by the Demonic horde."
[15:41] Grey asks, "Hm, last I was there it was called Repose. We're standing directly above it, are we not?"
[15:41] Thade says, "Below it, but yes."
[15:42] Thade says, "Come along, I'll show you."
[15:42] Thade says, "Much of what once was is now gone."
[15:43] Grey says, "The tower is gone"
[15:43] Thade says, "Perhaps, given time and coin I could repurpose this place."
[15:43] Grey says, "Perhaps. However, the location is compromised."
[15:43] Thade says, "But Little point for now."
[15:43] Thade says, "It was too recently occupied, aye."
[15:43] Grey says, "I found it off a book, public record, in a library."
[15:44] Thade says, "Honestly this is one reason why I have long considered building ships."
[15:45] Thade says, "When people have reason to hunt you, best to remain mobile."
[15:45] Thade says, "Hiding is all well and good, until the hiding place is revealed."
[15:46] Grey says, "True"
[15:47] Grey says, "There was one last thing. The text mentioned occultists could be controlled by the imperfect."
[15:47] Thade says, "Aye."
[15:47] Grey asks, "Is there a way to shield oneself from it?"
[15:47] Thade says, "Master yourself."
[15:47] Grey asks, "Is the control permanent, or temporary?"
[15:47] Thade says, "Death Magic, or perhaps the path of Na'ria before their fall."
[15:47] Thade says, "I have never witnessed it in action myself."
[15:47] Grey says, "I see. Well, I intended to learn death magic regardless, so I suppose that works out."
[15:47] Thade says, "Only heard of it second hand, I believe it is temporary, but is a risk so long as you are in their company."
[15:49] Grey says, "I would think attempting such control over a necromancer would be unwise, given that if it lapses for a moment, that resentful necromancer has ironclad control over a large portion of one's forces."
[15:58] Grey says, "That's all the questions I have for now, headmaster thade. I hope we meet again soon."
[15:58] Grey says, "Walk softly."
[15:59] Thade says, "Aye."
[15:59] [b]Thade says, "Walk softly."

[/b]

---

2024//04//14: Attempting to Absorb Necromantic Mana

[22:05] [b]Grey thinks, "And yet, no messages from Thade. Fine. I'll do it myself. I have the book, after all."[/b]
[22:07] Grey thinks, "The dead have mana. That's what the text says. 'After death, the body's own internal mana stores convert into Necromantic Mana, enabling the decay of the body.'"

[22:08] Grey thinks, "Since Demons possess mana, and are plentiful here, I should be able to harvest it from one of them."

[22:09] Grey thinks, "The other sources of mana are beyond me, since i have no undead servants and no field to blight or fallen foe to drain, at least not without justification."

[22:10] Grey thinks, "The larger demon should have richer circuits."



At this point, Grey kills several mega demon NPCs in the shadowlands, leaving short descriptors on how one corpse was dragged away


[22:14] Grey says, "Dead."

[22:14] Grey thinks, "Now, the mana should turn."

[22:14] Grey thinks, "this is a bad place for it."

[22:17] Grey huffs as he drags the mega-demon's corpse to the top of the hill. He sets it down heavily, and catches his breath for a few moments.
(Grey)



[22:17] Grey thinks, "the process may not be immediate."

[22:17] Grey ponders, "Does disturbing the body matter?"

[22:17] Grey thinks, "it shouldn't, the process is based on decay..."

[22:30] Grey closes his eyes, and concentrates, viewing his circuit.

The circuit spans out before him. He reaches past the familiar cycle he has created, as tumultuous as it may have become over time, and grasps for the void that sits outside of it. The void of empty, unattuned circuits, hollowed out to hold a single tiny pebble of necromantic mana gifted by Thade.

He recalls how it felt to pull that mana into himself, and looks down upon the dead demon. Pushing the void into his left hand, he reaches out to grasp at the demon, seeking it's circuit...

Grey has never had to connect to another magical circuit. And yet, another has connected to his. He can feel it. Dark, shuttered corridors, dead circuits barely sparking with the last vestiges of life. They brim with occultic magic, beyond his reach for now.

And so he waits...

... and waits...

... and waits.

Until.

Until he sees it start to turn, the manaflow sludging to a halt, slowly turning to dust, turning to something that he couldn't see unless he truly knew to look for it. The void within him hungers and reaches out towards that newfound power, like dry paper to water, to wick it inside of himself.

It doesn't work. The dead mana circuits of the creature hold precious few dregs. He recalls from the text, the stronger the circuits the more potent the mana that flows within. This creature is no magi, it is a mere Mega Demon. It's circuits are weak and empty, and the vaporous strands that lie within are far too thin for him to draw within himself.

But he sees them. He recognizes their presence. And he ponders it.

The shadowlands are darkened by the fell, but life endures here even as some withers away. How much death has soaked these soils? With this connection to a corpse, he empties his mind and listens.

The groans and roars of demons fighting one another in the background, the unholy noises that pollute this place, fade away. He loses them in the drifting tide, pushing everything away with the same focus he developed during occultic meditation.

Grey sits empty. A void. The wind howls over barren land, the flies rise in his ears, the chill of death settles over him. He peels the feeling apart, how it felt to stand on the edge of death when he was injured gravely. How it feels when his body fails him. How, in his current state, so badly wounded, he feels closer to death than ever before. He lets the feeling simply pass through him, and indeterminate time passes before he deigns to move.
(Grey)


[22:31] When he finally does, he stands and obliterates the corpse with the shadow cannon, and walks away into the shadows once again to let his circuits rest.
(Grey)

---

2024//04//20: Attempting to Reanimate a Skeleton, Attempting to recreate the deathstream/lifestream cycle within a circuit

[15:58] Grey kneels near all the bones scattered about the entrance to the tomb and starts to sift through them, picking and choosing.
(Grey)


[15:59] Grey thinks, "The first level of undead are just bones. If I assemble enough of a skeleton, it should be enough."

[16:01] Grey thinks, "That should be enough for most of a skeleton. I think."

[16:13] Grey has taken Litany Of Undeath - Cauldron 1st Edition 17p from the chest at 376,512,8

[16:14] Grey retrieves his copy of the text and begins to assemble the skeleton in accordance with the model.
(Grey)


[16:30] After a few hours of work, ensuring he has all the pieces in the right place, he begins etching the runes as described in the Litany onto each bone. His movements are careful, precise, born of years of artifice. In the end, he steps back, and summons forth the necromantic mana to the tip of his left finger. He pushes that tiny green orb into the runes, and wills them to activate.

The bone he touches shudders.

But does not arise. Does he not have enough mana? Is he doing something wrong?

He frowns, and places one hand onto each of the skeleton's. Focusing, he connects to the circuit, and sees his problem.

These bones are from multiple different people. The mana circuits are long since dead and hollowed out. And yet... a tiny amount of undeath remains in each. He cautiously begins to link the circuits together, like forging chainmail, coaxing the stiff and hardened lines to join. And he pushes a tiny fragment of mana through these linked circuits, rousing the bare dust of necrotic mana within them.

He visualizes the cyclical pattern shown to him by Thade. The lifestream circles to the gate of death, the deathstream to the gate of rebirth, and back again. And in this wasteland, in his eye, he can feel the undeath in the air. This place, once called Perdition, once called Repose, now with no name, has been saturated with death and necromantic mana for so long, has seen so much pass on to nothing, that even years, decades, centuries later it still lingers.

He is the circuit of life. This skeleton is the circuit of death. He needs more mana, and he knows how to get it.

He forges a ring of his circuit and the skeleton's. A cycle that channels the wellspring of life from within his body down his right arm, to his hand. He fills his right hand with occultic power, as Thade had told him Occult draws one to death, and that death magic is a mastery of Occult.

Life wells within him, flows from his spring, flows down the rivers of his circuit, casts itself upon the burning flame of the occult, and into the circuits of the skeleton.

In his left hand, he holds that hollow void with the tiny ghost of necromantic mana within it. He cannot complete the cycle, but he does not intend to. He will transform his own mana into necromantic mana as described possible in the text, and use it to bring the skeleton to life.

He miscalculates.

Grey has not mastered death magic. The occultic mana he poured into his hand is a poor substitute. The cycle begins to move and flow, but the occultic mana contacting the traces of undeath is not deathly enough. The undeath surges through the corpse, jolted and shoved by the mana he pushes inwards, and roils into his left hand. The barriers he put in place are not enough to stop the sudden flux, and it barges into the spring itself, poisoning the waters and trying to sweep away his own very life.

Grey gasps in pain and severs the circuit abruptly, tearing himself away from the corpse. His own mana comes back with it, tainted and polluted, and it too poisons him. Thade warned him what would happen.

As he collapses to the floor, retching and writhing, Grey calls upon his wellspring magic to flow waters of renewal over him. The necromantic mana he absorbed is minor and small, and so it is not enough to kill him. The wellspring magic fights back, life against death, until he forces the necromantic mana back into the void he carries.

Only a single spark of it remains.

He lies there for a while, insensate, before slowly pulling himself to his feet with the table as aid, and stumbling to his bed to rest. He feels horrible, bruise-colored lines run up his left arm towards his heart when he looks.

But he learned. He cannot use this technique as he plans, he must acquire a source of necromantic mana from elsewhere and use it directly. And the barriers must be stronger. To invert mana like he just tried, if it is even possible, is far beyond him in his current state.



[16:32] ** Grey has inflicted an injury upon Grey. ("Localized Necrosis", "Following an infection of invasive mana, he tissues in this man's left arm have suffered localized necrosis leading towards the heart. Sepsis is kept at bay by constant use of wellspring magic. Inspection of the circuit reveals the injury follows the pathways of the mana circuit through the limb.", "Temporary", "Duration: Long (12 days)") **

---

2024//23//04: Grey attempts plaguelands

Grey stands before the crops and inhales deeply. The litany is clear on how to perform this task.

But his last experiment nearly ended in critical injury. Still, he has had some practice since then.

Plaguelands.

The spell would rot a large area, spoiling the harvest in return for mana. The farm he had created is small, but it should suffice for a test.

He identifies the nub of necromantic mana he's stolen, safely tucked in that isolated island in his circuit. He grasps for it deeply, drawing it forth, and begins to chant and gesture.

He paints the necromantic mana in the air before him, a sour note rising on sudden wind. A note of decay. His words drum up the sound of dead weeds tumbling through barren fields. The grass beneath his feet dies.

And yet, as he speaks the last word, and the very earth begins to shrivel and turn to dust under his boots, the spell slips away from him. The dead grass beneath his feet radiates upwards, disrupts his carefully but inexpertly placed runes. He strains, and pushes, and tries to drag it back in line, but he cannot.

The mana recoils and rebels, attempting to push it's way into his body, but he has experienced this before, and swiftly quarantines it back upon it's island. The effort does not go without exhaustion, and he dares not attempt the ritual again until he has recovered.

But he was close. He was right on the brink. He knows, soon, he'll have control.

[DirectorBright]

Marino/Grey studies medicine:

Marino/Grey has performed the following actions:

• Observed Begonia rebuild his arm
  
• Studied the medical textbook of injuries and treatments in the library south of Martyr's Vigil
  
• Provided limited first aid to himself and Krue Solinox
  
• Observed medical treatment performed by Jeannate twice
  
• Observed medical treatment performed by Ksceniya
  
• Assisted Galena in providing medical treatment including the use of a trauma kit
  
• Performed medical treatment on Akari Kazuma to remove a curse - under Begonia's supervision
  
• Performed medical treatment on Llewelyn for an undead bite - Without intervention, Begonia only reviewed the treatment
  

---

2024//04//06: Marino observes Begonia repair his arm and gets an improptu anatomy lesson



[20:18] To begin with: Begonia sets the trauma kit down on a stool, taking the time to - instead - get a deeper sense of the absolute damage that's been inflicted onto Marino's flesh. Her hands run to and fro across it; given the likely lack of circuit damage, she instead...

Pauses. "By the way, do you want to keep the scars?"
(Begonia)



[20:20] Huh? Well if it won't matter either way, sure. Be a good reminder, like Mister Garret said. Besides, they look kinda neat.
(Marino Ortun)






[20:20] Begonia says, "... then we'll keep that. It should work as a method of localizing the tissue damage you've suffered from anything unsalvageable, too."

[20:24] And that is when the horror begins.

There is, out of the trauma kit, a few ores produced - along with what seems to be a rather manifested clump of flesh with sinka growing into it, seemingly broken down into various strata. Begonia herself prepares; gently, gently, she separates out the parts, figures out what the proper proportions might all be.

With a gesture, she looks towards Marino's arm, then; it is a gentle thing, and though she does not alter any of the flesh yet, an orichalcum scalpel's been produced out of that trauma kit.

"You likely won't feel a thing as I cut this. However: I will tell you what will happen. I will be using my biomancy to stem the flow as I peel the flesh off, followed by comparing its makeup to the flesh I've been cultivating.

Following that, I'll use your own flesh with a hint of the repaired flesh to properly fix your arm back up - although the scars will remain, and I'll befocusing any unrepairable assets into it.

If you would prefer, tell me now, and I can sedate you."
(Begonia)



[20:26] Merino observes the unpacking of the kit carefully. "No way. If you say it's not going to hurt too bad, then I should watch. If I'm gonna learn medicine, and I intend to, then I might as well start now." The man cracks a grin. "Hopefully most of my learning isn't like this though, eh?"
(Marino Ortun)



[20:38] "... right. This is a pretty good way to learn anatomy, I guess - so if you insist."

Begonia, then, moves to go ahead and begin working her magic. Given that his nerves are already damaged, it's easy enough to shut them off the rest of the way with a gentle glide up his arm; from there, the orichalcum scalpel begins to cut.

It does not bleed nearly as much as it should as she draws her way down the top of his arm, cuts at the wrist, and then begins to peel. She'll work on the hand itself in a minute; for now, she finds herself laying out the tissue for Marino to properly look at with her, as strange as it might be to see all the muscles of his arm laid out like this.

"As you can see," she begins, "there's a lot of muscles here. Perhaps the most notable are these-" She points at a few of them with the scalpel, as gently as one can. "-clusters.

As youcan see, although muscles all have super complicated scientific names, they always happen to come in groups. By following the chunks of them that grow together, you can see what groups work together. For instance: the forearm flexors are a group - separate, but they all work together."

Once she's explained it, there's a poking at a tendon. "This is a tendon. It's what attaches your muscle to your bone, but I've severed it so I can take this flesh off. It's also what does stuff like move your eyeballs."

... is he following along so far? She seems to track how he's taking this, with his arm stripped down to immovable bone as it is right now.
(Begonia)



[20:41] Marino, for his part, is watching rather intently. Inside, he is fighting very hard to suppress the instinct to activate any kind of healing technique he has... so all of them. "Yeah, I understand that much. Done a lot of filleting, so I kinda knew what all the bits did, but obviously they don't fit together the same."
(Marino Ortun)



[20:43] He leans over, careful not to disturb the area. "Wow, the scars ran pretty deep, huh?"
(Marino Ortun)



[20:48] "The scars are less of an issue than you might think. The actual issue, in fact, is the nerve damage that's in this that's been making it all spasm."

She moves on to the hand - he's fighting very hard to not do anything with magic, but it wouldn't necessarily flow anyway, given that even the circuits are excised temporarily with the flesh. Begonia fillets away fat pads, muscles, anything that one needs;

and so, Marino is left with flesh and bone.

"The anatomy of the hand is harder to put together, but it involves a lot of smaller muscle groups. They work in tandem; it's like biceps and triceps, for instance. One pulls in one direction. The other pulls in the other.

There's no such thing as completely relaxing your arm unless both are allowed to go neutral, for instance."

The woman takes a few moments figuring out the anatomy that she needs to recreate; then,one by one, each muscle from the inside out is grabbed from where it's been cut off. It's mixed in with some of the generic flesh, at which point she starts sculpting it back on.

They start out as smooth, that strange organic mixture, but a few sculptoral strokes finds muscle fibers created. This continues on for quite some time while she talks.

"Blood vessels are to be watched out for, of course - I had to disable a few major ones in your arm, but as I'm sculpting, I'm making sure to add the super major ones back in with blood magic. There are, specifically, one major artery and one major vein; they like to run in the gap where your ulna and your radius come together."

She continues onwards, seemingly looking at Marino to see if he has any comments, any concerns - she's looking for intent input from him, perhaps.
(Begonia)



[20:49] Marino Ortun says, "Huh. You know, you'd think with them both being healing magic they'd have some similarities, but this is completely different to how mine works."

[20:50] Marino Ortun says, "It's like wet clay, what you're doing."

[20:53] "So... these strands you're teasin out, and fillin back in, those are what's not healing on it's own, or with my own spells. And given how you're havin to open it up and do it by hand, it's not something you can just pull on the spot either. Why is that?"
(Marino Ortun)



[20:58] "... that's not how nerve damage works."

It's deadpan; Begonia seems to have decided to continue working while this goes, flesh, flesh, blood, blood, all of it spreading across. She's focused while each and every muscle is recombined with matter, is put back onto the body - tendons form anyway, and it is glorious.

"Nerve damage is a widespread system inside it. You can't just pull nerves out. What I'm doing, instead, is creating new structures and cells using new organic material." A vine pulls out a transceiver, buzzing, and holds it up to her face; she looks at the message and replies with that vine, now texting in the background as it is.

Soon enough, all that's left is the skin. This, too, is combined with some of that flesh - it is spread back across everything, and she works on sculpting fingernails back to normal.

"And that-"

She steps back. "Should be good."
(Begonia)

---

2024//04//13: Grey provides first aid to Krue Solinox 

[23:29] As the two fighters weave back and forth, Krue blinking in and out with deadly combo attacks and Grey walling off entire regions of the battlefield, the match is far closer than their past bouts. When Krue steps in for a final beam that threatens to end the fight, having forced Grey to exhaust his spells all at once, a typhoon catches him from behind and flings him to the ground, hard, bashing his head hard enough to cause a blackout for a few seconds.

When he regains his senses, Grey is kneeling over him, checking to make sure he's alright. The pond that was just seconds prior draining his strength is now a soothing pool of vigor. As he said in the past, the injury doesn't vanish, but it helps ease the pain.

"Easy, boy, easy. That was a nasty hit. Are you alright? You know where you are?"
(Grey)



[23:34] As Krue wakes up his eyes are half open with the eyelids in the middle. He begins rubbing his head frantically obviously in pain. He opens his mouth, forgetting how to speak for a moment, but realizes shortly after. An amalgamation of slurred words depart from his tongue.

"Huhher whawho wha yow...."

As Grey's pool soothes Krue, He's still rubbing his head in pain but can speak more coherently.

"Man that fucking hurt!! It aches like shit! Youch!"


(Krue Solinox)



[23:35] Krue Solinox says, "Fuck! Head injuries are the worst..."

[23:36] Grey conjures a ball of flowing water around his hand and gently presses it against the side of the lad's head. The bruise fades, and so does the pain, but the other symptoms don't.

"Easy. You probably have a concussion, loud sounds aren't a good idea right now."

He frowns.

"As last time, I can't heal you, but I can ease the pain until the initial shock passes."
(Grey)





[23:40] "Yeah" Krue says, before rubbing the back of his head once again, clearly still having strong internal pains.

"I hope I can find a doctor this time around because this is a hundred times more painful than the last time..."

Krue barely manages to pull himself up off the ground, but he is able to clumsily stand.
(Krue Solinox)

---

2024//04//15: Grey observes Junnodem Aundeoth treat Krue Solinox



[21:45] Grey watches intently.
(Grey)



[21:45] Grey says, "Can I assist you in any way? I am trying to learn."

[21:45] Krue Solinox falls down into the bed after being released by Juno.
(Krue Solinox)



[21:45] Hyacinthe quietly cheers the Archnurse on.
(Hyacinthe)



[21:48] Juno offers a glance over her shoulder, watching over Grey with a peculiar skew of the head.
She seems to measure him up.

"...I would prefer those who wear a mask do not walk so freely in my only home ground.
You may remain, but do not assist me."
Hyacinthe's goofy cheering totally set her back off the warpath, and she turned back to Krue with a very tiny tinge of red. A trick of the light- surely no doubt the big red gem on his staff.

Juno's hands conjure and summon tools from across and around the room. A series of flashing bits of metal come to her call, and she then crosses her arms under her bust. A wild and careful symphony of tools twist around Krue's wounds. Physically, they are mended.
With a light touch- a small dapple of divine warmth, Juno imparts through her hand, the occult infection is weakened. Its ebb and flow with his pulse that cause him great pain are suddenly simply ebbs. They grew weaker with time, and each one wasn't quite as bad as the last.

"Stop getting 'jumped' right outside of the clinic.
I don't want to see you back here again so soon."
(Junnodem Aundeoth)

---

2024//04//16: Krue defeats Grey in sparring for the first time, Grey provides first aid to himself



[21:19] As the battle progresses, Krue is unwavering in his tenacious attacks. Grey struggles to defend against the onslaught of light and water combined. He finds himself being thrashed around by Krue's kicks and watery blasts, eventually being slammed into a wall by a water beam, fracturing multiple of his ribs.

As Grey struggles to recover from the shock, and attempts to get up. Unfortunately, after a bright flash, he is suddenly hit again in his ribcage by Krue's kick, causing even more to fracture.

Grey falls to the ground, unable to move due to the excruciating pain.

While Krue is jubilant due to finally beating Grey in the fight, he suddenly realizes the seriousness of the situation, and rushes over to aid Grey.

Krue exclaims in an extremely concerned look,

"Grey! Are you okay?"


(Krue Solinox)



[21:25] Grey's aura cut out as he slammed into the ground, limp, but after a moment he lets out a long, wheezing groan. He waves the boy's hands away weakly.

"Agh... g... give me a second."

He breathes in strained wheezes for a few ten seconds as he lies there, catching his breath, before flickering his aura back to life. The flowing waters buoy him, gently lifting him onto his feet. The aura surges with life as he activates multiple healing techniques, but not one seems to satisfy him.

"That... very well done, Krue, very well done..."

He winces, and touches his ribs through the waters that engulf him.

"I think you broke my ribs... I cannot mend it."

(Grey)



[21:27] The aura seems to have dimmed the swelling, but he seems certain the underlying injury remains.

"Wellspring will keep me in good condition, as long as I don't have to fight."
(Grey)



[21:28] Krue begins frantically making multiple expressions, none of them positive, and seems to be just barely containing himself from freaking out.

"Do you need me to carry you to a doctor? You're gonna be alright right? I feel like I should have held back."

Krue seems more relieved when he notices Grey appears to be more stable due to his wellspring magic.
(Krue Solinox)



[21:31] Grey is more or less holding himself up with the flowing waters that surround him.

"There's no need to carry me. Wellspring soothes pain and calms swelling. I've had worse."

Grey seems not to be in any serious pain, but then, wellspring does numb one. You're personally familiar with that.

"We agreed to fight with the risk of injury, and we did. This time, I lost instead of you."

He pauses, and then says with an audible smile,

"I did tell you that you would surpass me someday. Stand proud, Krue. You are strong."
(Grey)





[21:32] Krue Solinox says, "Yeah but... Ah I guess it's poetic in a way... I still think you need to find medical help regardless."

[21:33] Grey says, "Absolutely."



[21:33] Grey says, "I am not skilled enough with wellspring to heal internal injuries yet."



[21:33] Grey says, "Or serious ones."

[21:34] Krue Solinox uncomfortably gestures towards Arcadia, trying not to look at where Grey's ribcage should be.
(Krue Solinox)

---

2024//04//17: Grey observes Junnodem treat him



[20:25] Hyacinthe exclaims, "Welcome!"

[20:25] Hyacinthe asks, "Did you need something?"

[20:26] Grey says, "I do, yes. I need medical attention."

[20:26] Grey says, "The lad I was with earlier, Krue, and I, got a little rough sparring."

[20:27] Junnodem Aundeoth says, "..."

[20:27] Lain says, "Well, seems you have some work."

[20:27] Hyacinthe says, "You know people get hurt for real out there! And you're wasting away sparring like that? Hmph, it's stupid you know."

[20:27] Hyacinthe asks, "What if someone with a real injury walked in right now? And needed help too?"

[20:27] Junnodem Aundeoth says, "I'm going to give you -more- injuries if you walk back in here with that story ever again."

[20:28] Grey doesn't appear to be in much pain, but he is immersed in a wellspring aura.

"Then they could receive the help first. Krue and I spar to first blood because if you're holding back too much you won't learn anything."
(Grey)





[20:28] Hyacinthe glowers, staring daggers at the man.
(Hyacinthe)





[20:28] Junnodem Aundeoth says, "Bring them."



[20:28] Hyacinthe asks, "You should stock up on elixirs then, shouldn't you?"



[20:28] Junnodem Aundeoth says, "Goodness no."



[20:29] Hyacinthe says, "Hmph.."



[20:29] Junnodem Aundeoth says, "Those things are fucking expensive, honey."



[20:29] Hyacinthe exclaims, "Well they're being stupid!"



[20:29] Hyacinthe says, "If they wanna be dumb, they can waste money on it too."



[20:29] Grey asks, "The quantity of night creatures roaming the woods, and imperfects walking the earth, and you think training is stupid?"



[20:29] Hyacinthe says, "Getting hurt for no reason is stupid."



[20:29] Grey says, "The boy wants to defend his home."



[20:29] Junnodem Aundeoth says, "Understand-"

[20:29] Lain placed a hand upon Hyacinthe's shoulder and pulled her back but half an inch.
(Lain)




[20:29] Lain whispers something.

[20:29] Grey says, "If I have to take a genuine blow to make him strong enough to do that, then that's what I'll do."



[20:29] Hyacinthe whispers something.



[20:29] Junnodem Aundeoth says, "You could at least bring him with you."



[20:29] Junnodem Aundeoth says, "The nature of training to such an extent leaves you vulnerable."



[20:30] Grey says, "I don't know where he is right now. He's probably mining."



[20:30] Junnodem Aundeoth asks, "???"



[20:30] Junnodem Aundeoth says, "So--"



[20:30] Junnodem Aundeoth says, "You train, to injury."



[20:30] Lain says, "Go ahead, take a second to learn Hyacinthe."



[20:30] Grey says, "We aren't tied together, you know."



[20:30] Junnodem Aundeoth says, "No- no, listen, here."



[20:30] Junnodem Aundeoth says, "You train, to wounding. And then you just--"



[20:30] Junnodem Aundeoth says, "Go/"



[20:30] Junnodem Aundeoth asks, "??"



[20:30] Junnodem Aundeoth asks, "DO? Things?"



[20:31] Grey says, "No. We wandered looking for a doctor for over an hour after the training."



[20:31] Junnodem Aundeoth says, "Tut tut. Now you've learned to come here first."



[20:31] Grey says, "We did."

[20:32] Grey says, "I would treat the injuries myself, but I'm not a doctor."


[20:32] Junnodem Aundeoth says, "As long as there is a takeaway from this, I do not so much mind."



[20:33] Hyacinthe says, "The take-away is... to not be a moron."



[20:34] Hyacinthe says, "That's what."

[20:34] Grey removes his leather armor, and undoes his shirt. His right arm is... unusual. Mismatched with the rest of his body, the tissue is fresh and new. The work of a biomancer, no doubt. Lichtenberg scars run up it's length. But it's an old injury.

The real injury is the clearly fractured ribs, all of them, swelling and pain kept down by the flowing waters of the wellspring aegis he maintains.
(Grey)




[20:35] Grey says, "Were I a doctor, I would treat our wounds myself. But I am not."

[20:35] Grey says, "I have studied, but not enough."


[20:41] "I don't treat my own wounds.
It's like...
You can't tickle yourself."

The classic Meranthian saying. She leans to the side, drawing herself away and showing Hyacinthe just as much as the wound as she could see. If not- more. Some first hand exposure to first aid, or second, and third, and final aid, altogether.

A gesture calls upon a sack of plastic of some kind, from the other side of the room. A snowflake remained on its side, a little 'plus' emblazoned over the embroidery. Combined, it was 'healing and cold'. Whatever that meant!
It was slushy, wet, cold.
And she cracked something inside.

Slushushushsuhsuhsuwhsuwushwushwush-

Now freezing cold in her hands, it unfurled proper into something of a large, cold wrapping. To her side, she lifted a hand, drawing some elastic, stretchy adhesive coil to wrap over his shoulders, suspending the ice pack, before it was wrapped around accordingly.

And- just because Juno's superior...
She twists her hand, and a gravitational well bubbles from inside of Grey. The most delicate gravitic 'detonation' in the whole world. Maybe. Likely.
It sets his ribs back in place, all at once.
The pain of movement is overshadowed by the satisfaction of a 'return to normalcy'.
(Junnodem Aundeoth)
[20:45] Grey was observing intently, as far as could be seen, though he doesn't expect a small internal blast to shove his ribs into position. He lets out a sound between a wheeze and a cough as the ribs are set, before he takes a deep breath inwards and relaxes, the fracture set. Wellspring numbs pain, but that was likely extraordinarily unpleasant.

"My thanks. An interesting use for gravity magic. You must have excellent control."

He closes up his shirt, and dons his armor, leaving the coldpack in place.
(Grey)

---

2024//04//21: Grey observes Ksceniya treat Ansel



[21:34] Krue Solinox says, "Grey, you should be observing the procedure more closely."

[21:34] Grey says, "They're twenty feet away, Krue, and I'm not about to fistfight a child over it just because I'm curious about healing occult injuries. "

[21:35] Krue Solinox sighs.
(Krue Solinox)




[21:39] As the smell of sanitizer and medicine would fill the air once again, it would seem the ookami would be becoming a frequent caller, not much time having passed since she fixed his collapsed lung, something she can still feel her vitae and blood mana resonating within. But alas, as the dragon would lay Ansel down, shining crimson eyes would shift towards a new set of injuries, her thunderous voice resonating into the air.

"...Ress-sst, yess-ss? Jus-sst ass-ss I tend-ed you lass-sst time, you ss-sshall be ss-ssafe in my span."

It is an both a familiar and unfamiliar wound that would meet her gaze and twisting vitae. The same occultic ooze, that destructive feeling that is oh so common. Yet... It is strange, the dragon is unsure of its purpose besides causing cell death and mana circuit corruption. Not quite a fire, just... occultic flesh-ooze.

"Letss-ss ss-ssee..." With a musing rumble, the dragon would hover one of her claws above the line,narrating to those behind her. "...Thiss-ss iss-ss a uni-que in-jury. Temp-orary, it ss-sseemss-ss to ha-ve ma-de ss-ssome ss-ssome of... oo-ze. Occult-ic bass-ssed. Itss-ss not perm-anent. To ss-sstart... I will cleanss-sse and dil-ute it, uss-ssing well-ss-spring mag-ic." Closing her large eyes, the dragon would let the vitality filled mana sink into her claws, focusing on the waves that clear the muck from the surface. From the tip of the ivory, a mercury white liquid would begin to spill, staining into the ooze. Yet... When the two would touch, a fuzzy reaction of mana and cleansing would happen, the ooze less every pass

Pass by pass the claw would rain the cleansing fluid, more fuzz by fuzz. Enough that the X would soon be only open flesh, instead of active ooze. A strange feeling, albeit with its loss, Ansel should be feeling much better.

"...Thiss-ss ss-sshou-ld be al-moss-sst done. The occ-ult will ha-ve done a very job of purg-ing in-fect-ion, it doess-ssnt tend to dess-sscriminate."

A musing hum and a clean and high-quality roll of bandages would hover in the air, one of its ends spooling out. In a few quick and careful passes, the x on his torso would be bandaged up, covered and sealed by the linen white and tied together. Only then with a approving grumble would the dragon slowly help Ansel up with a claw.

"Th-ere, feel-ing bet-ter?"
(Ksceniya C. Montelione)



[21:39] Grey does his best to observe from a distance, just staring over the shorter boy's head.
(Grey)




[21:39] Blackwater attempts to rise to his tippy toes.

However, he is short.
He can probably look fine.
(Blackwater)



[21:40] He can.
(Grey)

---

2024//04//21: Grey assists in surgery on Saige for a permanent injury



Janus raises her hand as if to draw her mighty sword.

…
Hey, that green and red is--

"Bh- bahh..!
W-what..?"
Her sparring-routine was aptly distracted.
(Janus)



[22:49] Rio Caldrott exclaims, "...!"

[22:49] Rio Caldrott asks, "What is it?"







At this point, a wounded individual was brought into gloomlight and everyone gathered around.





[22:50] The Doctor turns towards Qui. Already she had a medical kit in hand for at this point she had come to assume that if anyone were to call her out then that meant her expertise in medicine was required.

Her eyes fall upon Sage who had been placed upon the bench. Incredibly pale and drenched in red. She peers lower towards the source of the bleeding. Her magic is weaved to try and clear the area. Much of the blood had died already and she needed sight of the wound.

"...I'll need a trauma kit. This is more than just a gash from claws." She mutters.
(Galena Altha)






[22:52] Janus exclaims, "I can do some of that..!"

[22:52] Grey says, "If you want the advanced version, that needs arcanium."



[22:52] Grey says, "ANd auguria"



[22:52] Janus says, "Twoooo mythril..."



[22:52] Grey says, "I have everything except the copper on me."



[22:52] Qiu Zaiqiang asks, "I see... Ksceniya, is it?"







At this point, Janus gave Grey the copper he needed.







[22:53] {Item} You picked up Copper x15. Dropped by Janus.



[22:53] Qiu Zaiqiang says, "Would you mind using some of your resources to help her? I can pay it back later."



[22:53] Qiu Zaiqiang says, "-- alongside what they have given, of course."



[22:53] Grey says, "I'll do it."



[22:53] Galena Altha says, "Copper...Always a pain to get."



[22:53] Ksceniya C. Montelione asks, "How much iss-ss need-ed?"



[22:53] Grey says, "Give me a minute to find an anvil."



[22:53] Krue Solinox asks, "Janus, you got any copper?"



[22:53] Galena Altha says, "Thankfully..."



[22:53] Qiu Zaiqiang says, "Seven mythril."



[22:53] Janus exclaims, "I have tooons of- I just gave..! Coppre!"



[22:53] Janus says, "Copper.."



[22:54] Ksceniya C. Montelione says, "Very uss-sse-ful oress-ss how-ever. It iss-ss a go-od th-ing."







At this point, Grey sprinted out of Gloomlight to use the public anvil in Martyr's Vigil before returning.







[22:54] {Item} You throw Trauma Kit.



[22:54] Seanius exclaims, "Hm? I mean, if you ever needed some of 'em, you could always ask!"



[22:54] Ksceniya C. Montelione lowers a regal wing to gently tuck it under the unconscious Saige's head*.
(Ksceniya C. Montelione)







[22:55] Janus asks, "...iiiis she gonna be okay..?"

[22:55] Grey rushes back into town, sliding to a stop to hold the trauma kit out to Galena.

"Here! Freshly made."

He hovers near the injured patient, observing with great intent.

"Can I help you in any way?"

The man's usual quietude is tinged with excited concern.
(Grey)






22:55] Ksceniya C. Montelione says, "...Ss-sshe will be... fine aft-er treat-ment. Al-beit ss-sshe ss-sshou-ld be treat-ed... ss-ssoon."

[22:55] Ksceniya C. Montelione asks, "To the oth-er clin-ic?"



[22:56] The Doctor takes the offered kit with a bow of her head. "Thank you." She says in thanks whilst her blood magic had been subtly weaving itself to keep Saige's blood from leaking out.

She looks up towards Ksceniya as she speaks, "Yes- Let's get going. This is hardly a place to help her."
(Galena Altha)







[22:57] Ksceniya C. Montelione says, "I'm unss-ssure if you can he-lp ss-sstra-nger, but one can wat-ch."



[22:57] Ksceniya C. Montelione says, "If one wantss-ss to wat-ch, fol-low."



[22:57] Qiu Zaiqiang says, "I'll trust your ability -- I won't be going, unfortunately."



[22:57] Qiu Zaiqiang says, "I... need to return to Xuefeng."



[22:58] Qiu Zaiqiang says, "I'm sorry that I'm practically throwing her in your hands and disappearing."



[22:58] Janus says, "A-ah.."



[22:58] Janus exclaims, "...w-well, take- uh, take care. On your way back..! And- with her..!"



[22:58] Galena Altha says, "It's fine, getting her into capable hands is more than enough."

[22:59] Ksceniya C. Montelione lowers her head to gently lift Saige in her maw, depositing the little one on her back
(Ksceniya C. Montelione)






[23:07] As the clinic is prepared by nurses and Saige is deposited down onto a waiting clinic bed, the Doctor starts applying a pair of gloves as a mask is lifted up to cover her face. To Grey she speaks, "Our patient has a deep set of lacerations, thankfully not deep enough to have perforated the bowels." She starts before setting the trauma kit down on the edge of the bed.

"The bigger issue...Is the damage done to her mana circuits. I'll have you assist in closing the wound whilst I deal with that." The Doctor hands over to Grey a set of tools. "Disinfect and wash the edges of the wound. Use the forceps to pinch the edges of the wounds together and start suturing the skin together in a zig-zag pattern."

And with that set of instructions given, the Doctor starts rummaging through a trauma kit whilst observing Grey.
(Galena Altha)



[23:12] Grey appears to be listening intently, and observing with equal focus. As Galena dons gloves, he rinses his own in flowing wellspring, cleansing them.

"I understand," he says quietly.

One hand reaches out, the movements careful and precise. Gently, the flowing waters cleanse the wounds one by one as he touches them. He doesn't touch the wounds directly, instead only touching near them.

Wellspring cannot close grievous injuries. But it eases pain, cleanses poison, staunches bleeding, reduces inflammation... A band-aid.

When the wounds are cleansed, and the areas around them likewise clean, he passes the needle and thread to his right hand, holding the forceps in the left. The water remains, flowing out of it's own accord as he sews the wounds shut with the same exacting care he would use to sew silk or lace. The stitches are small, consistent, and neat.
(Grey)





[23:14] Finally, he passes a fresh bead of glowing water over each cut to seal the surface. The wound beneath remains, but it should help.
(Grey)







[23:27] Saige was pretty far gone by the time she was transported to the clinic. She likely would have felt a warm welling in her chest had she known that people cared to fix her up even if she felt she was a failure.

Her mind was too drained to even dream, though as the wellspring magic began to soothe her wounds, she seemed more relaxed in her unconscious state.
(Saige)





[23:27] This does make things easier, having a second set of hands to work whilst she deals with the main culprit of this injury. Were it just the lacerations, Saige would probably be up and about in a matter of days in full recovery like nothing mattered. Unfortunately, the claws dug into something far less serious than innards but no less insidious.

The spirit's circuits. As Grey finishes up, Galena gives a slow nod of approval as the Doctor brings out some vials and some sort of tattoo gun. "I'll be administering a runic method of re-routing her circuits to keep things flowing as normal." She comments.

The gun is loaded with a ker-chunk as the vials of ink are loaded. The Doctor begins dragging the tool along as it jabs and stabs just beneath the outer layers of skin to start decorating the skin in the ink. The runes form pathways where the Doctor had memorized where Saige's circuits would lead in different ways.

With the inactive runes completed, she just had to finish the spell within by providing a source of power and a command. With a scalpel tip, Galena draws some of her own blood as the hemomancer's vitae rich blood flows freely.

It is dripped over the runes as the blood sizzles on contact. As the vitae sinks into the runes, Galena starts speaking in an odd tongue as words of arcane magic are spoken akin to a command rather than simple conversation.

The runes glow a bright scarlet for a moment before the Shenlong Drake's circuits would bend and twist in different ways until Galena had managed to bypass the dead and destroyed endings.

Mana soon flows freely as Galena sighs in relief.
(Galena Altha)






Well after the treatment had come to its conclusion, Saige had finally begun to heal. Normally able to bounce back from these encounters much more quickly, she would need time to recover in the clinic. It would likely be for the best if she were left to rest.

As her mana began to flow once again, her breathing returned to a normal level, and she regained a little color in her skin.
(Saige)

---

(2024//22//04: Grey heals Akari Kazuma and Llewellyn under supervision of Begonia - Begonia uses the heal skill, but Grey performs the RP

Grey takes in a deep breath, and sighs.

"She is resting, too fatigued to operate. Please hold still and... Nobody attack me when I do this."

He looks at Begonia.

"My plan is to attempt to draw and push at once. I will use my own mana to gently cycle the occultic power from her system. I will need your close observation."

He leans over his patient, and asks quietly, "Give me your hands," holding out both of his own.
(Grey)

[23:12] Akari Kazuma softly sighs...
(Akari Kazuma)

[23:12] Akari Kazuma says, "...Okay.."
[23:12] Begonia, of course, will likely be taking a brunt of the treatment here - but that doesn't stop her from gently reaching her hand out. A talon of bone quickly pops out from her arms, slashed across the back of her hand; in turn, blood drips down,

and yet it doesn't land upon the patient, per se. Instead, it seems to catch; almost as if a vague image of the circuits, it starts pooling, working its way through the body, although it's in strange patterns.

... soon enough, it winds up pooling around the stomach area, curdling and sitting in what seems to be some sort of occultic presence.

Her other hand reaches out to settle on Akari's shoulder. It is a gentle thing, feeling that pain fade away - suddenly it is numb, as if she cannot feel anything at all in the afflicted areas.

"I would suggest," she offers instead, "placing a hand on her stomach and a hand on her throat. Gently cycle from the stomach upwards, as if an expelling of digestion. It's good for the metaphorical."
(Begonia)

[23:12] Akari Kazuma says, "Th-thank you...all...d-don't...deserve you..."
[23:14] Aurena says, "Nonsense, little fox... you deserve even more... than us."
[23:14] Grey says, "I see."
[23:14] Grey says, "I will need to switch sides on the table then."
[23:14] Grey says, "I will draw with my left, and push with my right."
[23:15] Krue's mood only worsens at the words Akari directs to him.

"I know you don't hate me... I'm sorry for..."

Unable to complete his sentence all in one go, Krue buries his face into his palms, slouching In the chair to where his elbows touch his legs.

"...all of this"

(Krue Solinox)

[23:15] Grey says, "Move, if you please, to the other side."
[23:15] Akari Kazuma says, "...D-don't be sorry..."
[23:15] Akari Kazuma says, "Y-you did...what you must..."
[23:15] Akari Kazuma says, "It's okay..."
[23:15] Aurena was focused on Akari, and literally did not even notice until he said something, then quickly did so with a small sorry, before returning to headpats with the other hand.
(Aurena)

[23:15] Akari leans over, giving her palm to Grey all the while staying as completely still and quiet as possible.

She huffs, simply closing her eyes and relaxing. The presence of Aurena greatly helping her in this instance.


"Wolf...cursed me. Cold...th-think...rewrote circuits temporarily." she tells Grey in baited breathes. Yet she sights, simply allowing the doctors to do their work.

Trusting them, in this instance. As she'd know she'd want from them if the positions were reversed.

She breathes a deep sigh, closing her eyes soon after. Gentle touches and movements, appreciative of the doctor's work and their help.

It was why Akari herself wanted to be a doctor, to be able to heal people just the same.

Someday, alas. But for now?

She'd rest.

Numbed and tired.

"..."
(Akari Kazuma)

[23:19] Grey once again takes a deep, steadying breath, and places his left hand gently upon her throat. His right hand gently upon the stomach.

He closes his eyes, and turns his focus inwards. Years of study into attuning to circuits, lessons never applied to another living person, are called forth.

In his right hand, wellspring magic bubbles forth, a rippling flow that gently diffuses into his patient. Soothing. Calming. Cooling.

In his left, occultic flame flares, but dos not burn. His control is precise, his focus is absolute. His world shrinks to a pinprick. Shadows bubble beneath his fingers.

He grits his teeth in pain at channeling both, and prepares himself.
(Grey)

[23:24] Begonia assists, but perhaps not in the way that you would expect. The circuits are, instead, gently eased; blood magic works its way in as if to help isolate the occultism, an easier instance in order to help it flow out.

Where Grey grits his teeth, clearly pained, she seems like this is just a normal Tuesday night for her. Eyelashes gently flutter. She watches flat-mindedly.

"Not rewrote," she notes, "at least per se. A more permanent curse would've carved its way into a rerouting of your circuits, but this is more temporary; think of it more like... getting an infection.

It's just a really, really bad infection."

She watches as the medical student moves to treat - and, perhaps, prepares to follow it up herself if she must.
(Begonia)

[23:25] The glow of healing diffuses into his patient, flowing along the path Begonia described. The curse recoils from the opposing force, fleeing towards familiarity. Towards the occultic mana welling in his left hand, which slowly begins to rise.

As his hand rises, occultic mana rises with it. The glow perfuses upwards, and he pulls a black, writhing tar from his patient, moving slowly and carefully, like coaxing thread one must not tangle. It begins to coil into a ball in his palm, careful not to let it mix with his own mana.

His breathing hitches for a moment, then steadies. The curse writhes, mana seeking a host, but he clenches down his hand and crushes it into a smooth sphere. He can do this.
(Grey)

[23:26] Akari Kazuma says, "...I-infection that made me want to...eat my friends..."
[23:27] Akari Kazuma asks, "Is this...normal? On Meranthe?"
[23:27] Akari Kazuma says, "...agh...-"
[23:27] He steadies himself, and reaches down once again, drawing more, and more, until the soothing wellspring reaches all the way to the throat, and the last wisps he can extract flow up into the sphere he keeps contained within his gloved fingers.

Forcing himself to breathe slowly and deeply, he holds the curse in his palm, errant wisps of it boiling off his patient as he pushes a little more wellspring into his patient, just to be sure.

And perhaps, to ease what pain remains.
(Grey)

[23:27] Aurena says, "... something like it... happened to me once... so not normal..."
[23:27] Aurena says, "But you are in... good company."
[23:27] Grey says, "I... have it."
[23:27] Aurena says, "And will be... okay."
[23:28] Oceanic hues watch the procedure as it is enacted upon Akari by Begonia the Bloody (a title unknown to Tandava, truthfully) and Grey. Her face lightly twists with concern for the small kitsune, and for a few moments, her own worries are drowned beneath those of the other.

Tandava is there for moral support. She snuffles quietly under her breath, the cloying odor of iron disquieting her a small amount.

The carefulness of Grey not to absorb the energies he'd plucked from Akari is noted, and one hand raises. She innocently gives him a smile.

"I c-can dispose of it," she offers. That smooth sphere of tar might quiver towards the wolfdog, just a touch.

Eyes flick back to Akari. "C-curses are weird and random. Maybe a-as you get older you'll be able to recognize them, and... hold off on their effects," she muses.
(Tandava)

[23:28] Grey slowly pulls his right hand off of his patient, focusing on keeping the malevolent orb in his hand contained.
(Grey)

[23:28] Grey says, "That is all I know to do."
[23:30] Akari Kazuma says, "...Mm."
[23:30] Akari Kazuma holds onto Aurena's hand.
(Akari Kazuma)

[23:30] Akari Kazuma says, "...W-will need...to understand curses better...if I am to become a good doctor..."
[23:30] Akari Kazuma says, "You are...right...-"
[23:30] Aurena would squeeze back, a bit too focused to look into Grey's mind at the moment.
(Aurena)

[23:31] And lo: Begonia finds herself easing it all through anyway, blood mana assisting the action as Grey continues to move and move and move the mana. Flowers bloom in the path; as if stopping some kind of regressing from the curse, they subdue once more as it moves up.

In their path, there is a reinvigoration of the flesh. It is less hungry, less thirsty; though the curse will not improve overnight, it is most certainly less bad than it was, and will fade in due time.

"Tandava's right, by the way," she notes. "Curses are little tricky things. They can be even WORSE if they're permanent, really..."
(Begonia)

[23:31] Akari Kazuma says, "I had thought I knew...everything. But I...s-see...I have much to learn..."
[23:31] Akari Kazuma asks, "Can i keep curse in jar?"
[23:31] Akari Kazuma asks completely seriously.
(Akari Kazuma)

[23:32] Aurena says, "I sometimes do"
[23:32] Akari Kazuma says, "P-put it...in a jar for me..."
[23:32] Grey speaks through teeth gritted in focus.

"Absolutely NOT. I do not have a vessel that could contain something like this, and even so, it's a vicious little..."
(Grey)

[23:32] Akari Kazuma groans.
(Akari Kazuma)

[23:32] Akari Kazuma says, "...fine..."
[23:32] Grey says, "I ws about to destroy it."
[23:32] Aurena says, "It is... okay, little fox. We will... find another curse... to keep in a jar someday."
[23:32] Akari Kazuma says, "Yes..."
[23:32] Grey thinks, "How the hell do I get rid of this- oh, I know."
[23:32] Akari Kazuma smiles.
(Akari Kazuma)

[23:32] Grey thinks, "But they can't see that."
[23:32] Grey thinks, "No, that's not an issue."
[23:32] Tandava still has her hand outstretched for the curse, her offer to dispose of it still standing.
(Tandava)

[23:35] Grey closes his eyes, tips his head back, and takes another deep breath.

He seems unwilling to release his hold on the curse, fearing that it might infect someone else. So, rather abruptly, he just closes his fist, and absorbs it.

Nobody can really tell what's going on inside his circuit, since other's cannot see without looking closely. But evidently, that curse is very, very sorry it invaded where it did. As his fist trembles, a faint keening is heard, and his hand slowly stills, glove smoking.

And to him, a spark vanishes.
(Grey)

[23:35] Grey shakes his hand as if it stings.
(Grey)

[23:36] Grey says, "And that's the end of that."
[23:36] Akari Kazuma says, "..."
[23:37] Akari Kazuma asks, "...D-did you just...eat my curse?"
[23:37] Akari Kazuma says, "That's...so hardcore..."
[23:37] Akari Kazuma says, "As they say..."
[23:37] Aurena says, "... Grey the Curse-Eater."
[23:37] Aurena says, "A wonderful doctoral title."
[23:37] Grey says, "No, but that's a good idea to figure out."
[23:37] Grey says, "I just let it run into something it really shouldn't have."


Note: Grey lured the curse into the part of his circuit that he has isolated and used to store necromantic mana. Thade told him it is incredibly toxic to normal magic, so he used it to mutually annihilate the curse. This exhausted the spark.
Although, learning to eat curses WOULD be interesting, and I quite like the sound of "Grey, Curse-Eater"

---

Grey reaches out, placing his left hand upon the limb. Llewellyn would feel a strange drawing sensation, and motes and wisps of sickly green mana flowed up the arm and into Grey, soaking in like a water to a sponge.

Despite the objectively poisonous nature of it, Grey doesn't seem to have any issues absorbing hostile mana in a calm situation like this. Fist the curse, now necromantic mana, and yet he seems no worse for wear in either case.

(NOTE: Grey used the necromancy technique to absorb necromantic mana taught to him by Thade to take the mana from the wound. He later uses this to attempt plaguelands.)

As the last of the necromantic mana is drawn out, he flushes the wound with a simple wellspring Cleanse to remove errant poison, debris, or infectious material, and swiftly bandages it closed.

"Much easier than the last one."

[DirectorBright]

Marino Ortun is no more.
Grey remains.
The man who once sought understanding through secrets found them, but so much more. In years as Grey, he lived more than he ever did as Marino. He found treasure beyond compare.

Milestones:
Became the Mask
Became close friends with Rio Caldrott, Marfons Emeraldi, and Meri'Li
Became a medic
Learned the true nature of necromancy from insights in various fields, confirmed in conversation with Lazarus
Abandoned the occult, purged with a rebirth potion
Moved to Arcadia

Plans:
Be taught true necromancy from Lazarus's contact
Learn Golemancy
Create Marfons's and Rio's wedding rings
Protect Marfons and Rio
Ease the suffering of others
Continue to seek hidden truths
Investigate ways to enhance living beings and cure permanent wounds
Purge the witches and demons from this world, especially Atrellya
Have Hope