Wisdom of the Master- closed

[Artemidorus]

Stellwyn wanted to be a sorceress, and typically, Stellwyn got what she wanted. Her father was a well established noblemen who worked closely by the king. Stellwyn had grown up as close to rpyalty as one could get, best friends with the princess and the king like an uncle.

But her father, who had reigned over her entire life, he though differe tly. Women didnt become sorcerers. The council didnt accept them, and even if they did, her father wouldnt let her train her skills. Instead, on her 18th birthday no less, he was shipping her off to a chapel. He wanted to to become a nun!

Stelwyn didn't even make it to the monastery. Instead she headed to Varnic Valley, where the rumors told of a wise wizard.

Transfiguration was pretty much her best area. She used the form of a hawk to scour the area. It took her two false alarms till she found something. It looked like a pipe.

So she shifted into a small mouse and tumbled down. Strait into the fireplace of the man she was looking for. Stelwyn thanked the gods that it wasnt lit.

http://gregory-mack.deviantart.com/art/Apprentice-Mage-463314662

 

[Ravenloft]

Jace Belaren

"Rude." The man in blue and black robes stood over Stelwyn's mouse form. "Do you always drop into strangers homes through their chimneys, without bearing gifts?" He asked het, bending down to pick her up by the scufo of her neck.

They had been half right when they told her he was a wise mage. He was a master of the mind, deception and illusion were his tallents, so when he felt her trying to change herself back into her true form, he wagged his finger. "No, no, not yet, you are much easier to feed in this form after all. A bit of cheese and a few morsels of meat at best, I would imagine would fill you up in this shape. You did come here looking for a meal, didn't you, little mouse? I hope youre not here to bother me for more... I am quite busy, although, your ingenuity in getting into my home did impress me. Go on, eat up, I will let you turn back to yourself once you're done, until then, just think... I will hear your thoughts, I assure you..." he put her on an empty plate on his kitchen table and sliced her off a piece of dry cheese and a few bits of meat from his dinner. He even offered her a hand full of nuts and dried fruits. "It's not much, but then... neither are you... are you, little mouse?" He chuckled and stroked a single dexterous finger down her spine."

 

[Artemidorus]

((Oh man yo take that picture out its stretching the page like crazy. At least on mobile it is.))

Stellwyn squirmed. "Aw comeon." She thought to the wizard. "Let me change back!" She struggled a bit, but let him drop her on the table. She nibbled at the food her offered quickly, eager to meet him as an equal and not as a mouse. Even if it felt rather good to have his finger trail down her spine.

She cleared the tingles his touch gave her out of her mind, and tried to shake off just how incredible he looked, looking over him. His eyes burned into hers and his aura commanded respect. "I'm Stellwyn. I've always wanted to be a sorceress. I came to ask to be your apprentice. I can a sure you I am much more than 'not much'! I am a mighty wizard. My magic is- is-" he puffed chest began to fall. "Well it's not much now. But I have raw talent! You'll see! I taught MYSELF transfiguration! All on my own. That's pretty impressive."

 

[Ravenloft]

"Was that a plea I heard? I don't much care for beggars at my table..." he made as if he were about to scoop her back up and throw her out, but relented when she told him her name through her thoughts.

"Stelwyn... a fine name, do you not have a family name, Stelwyn the... sorceress? Apprentice? Under me? Who gave you the notion that I even took on students!?" He was intrigued by her boldness, folding his hands under his chin, peering at her sharply from under his hood. "Indeed, you must be mighty to have stumbled your way into my home in the middle of the night, seeking tutelage in the arcane arts. Very few know where I live, fewer still presume to bother me at such a late hour and no one seeks out my training."

He sat back, slowly, resting one hand on the arm of his chair while holding the other up to snap his fingers. "Very well... you have impressed me, I must admit... show me your true form, let me see what I have to work with then." He snapped his fingers, freeing her to alter herself on her own, not changing her form for her.

 

[Artemidorus]

Stellwyn changed easily, back into her human form. She didn't really feel like telling him her last name, in case he recognized it. She left his question unanswered, hoping he didn't notice.

"I won't disapoint you, master." she said standing tall. She wanted ro impress him, a strange feeling. She had always felt above, higher than anyone she had ever met. She was a stubborn thing.

 

[Ravenloft]

[
"Heh... that, my dear lady... remains to be seen. Now let me have a look at you... hmmm... your hood, how badly does it abstruct your field of vision? He asked, standing, conjuring an illusion of hands creeping up from behind her, intent on grasping for her throat. How soon would see notice them, he wondered. "Your cowel is fasionable, I like it, but lose the shoulder piece, it's silly and does nothing but weigh your left arm down in combat. Interesting clasps, I'm not sure what they are for other than to make you look... cool? A belt is a must, good girl... but where are all of your pockets and pouches, young lady? And..." he stepped forward, getting rather intimately close to her. A hand coming up to trace along the hem of her robe. "Isn't this a bit short? Bend forward and you would surely be exposing your self to any lucky bastards who might be behind you... unless that's the intent? The distraction of a full moon?" He smiled and there was a bit of a gleam in his eyes as he stepped back, giving her space again.

"Your stocking and boots are perfectly fine. Moving on." He turned away then whipped around, throwing kitchen knife at her chest, testing to see how quick she was with her shield. If she managed to deflect it, she could keep it, otherwise, it was useless to her. "Your staf, who made it? And is that a stake or a wand you carry? Finally, list the spells you currently know for me, please." When all of that was done, he motioned her to a seat. "One last thing.... you neglected to mention who your family was..." he waited for her to sit before flashing a beam of magical energy at her from his palm. In an instant, it drew them both inside a representation of her mind, the typical corridor full of doors, with a whoosh of energy. "I will just have to search for it the hard way, I guess..." he said as he stepped to the first door next to them and swung it open for them to look into.

 

[Artemidorus]

Stellwyn felt a tingle and saw, vaguely, the hands behind her. Immedietely she focused on her shoulder armor, which shifted into a much larger armor peice, covering her neck. The hands bumped into the light weight metal armor. Once the hands were gone it shifted back to its small pad.

When hebasked about pockets she unbuckled her cloak, showing off all the hiding holes sewed into the lining. Her face flushed as he got close, and she spun around, bending forward to reveal that under her cloak and shirt was a pair of thick black shorts.

She turned around shyly, realising she had just bent over in front of him. He continued his enslaught of questions, almpsy cathcing her pff guard with the knives, but she threw up her shield in time. She had tained herself to use it on reflex.

"Its a wand, but I could totally stab you with it. And I don't know who made the staff. I borrowed it from the vault in the castle. Its old, and probably important if the ling was keeping it around. But there was likd two dozen staffs in there, I doubt he'll notice."

She recited the spells she knew, which were few. All one's she had taught herself from the spellbooks in the royal library. Trasnfiguration, illusions, a small bit of hypnosis (which she could only put on people with weaker wills than her. She also knew a small fire spell and a spell that summoned butterflies. She also threw in a few simple ones, levitation, turning out the lights with a wave of her hands and others.

She sat down and cursed herself as he asked about her family again. She gasped as he laid out her mind before them.

Through the first door they watched as Stellwyn and the princess explored the royal vault. They were both young, perhaps ten. That was the first time she saw the staff. It called out to her, a whispering of sorts. It laid there amounst other, but the only one she could see was that one.

The memory blurred, till young Stellwyn was sneaking back in late at night to take the staff. It was after then that she started studying the arcane. All because of the staff.

The memory changed. It was Stellwyn's father, yelling at her. Telling her she wasn't to be a wizard. She was to be a handmaiden, at the princess's side. A countess. Forever a virgin, forever putting the princesses needs first. That night he took the staff, but the next morning Stellwyn's window was broken and the staff laid on her floor.

Lastly it showed Stellwyn, this morning, using hypnosis to get away from the caravan that was taking her to the monastery on the east mountains.l, heading for Varnic Valley.

 

[Ravenloft]

"Hmph, intreaguing..." he noted the special properties of her seemingly useless shoulder armor, loath to admit his miscalculation of its value. He sniffed. "Keep it then..." almost begrudgingly, giving her a lop sided smirk. Then she showed off the pocket along the inner lining of her vestments and he nodded, smiling in approval. It was her blushing spin and protruding exposure of her tight little tush in cased in a pair of thick black shorts that shocked him the most.

"Well, you certainly take excellent care of your body, that much I can see, Stellwyn, the Sorceress..." his lips twitched and was that the hint of a blush in his cheeks? "Marvelous! You must be well practiced with that shield! I am impressed... yet again!" He gently pushed the point of her wanted down. "I would rather you stab your enemies with it than me..." he stroked his chin, picking out of her words that she was from a castle and the mention of a king.

"Butterflies?" That intreagued him. "What good does that do?" then he entered her mind and saw her with the princess, instantly recognizing her as royalty. "So... friends with the royal family... since child hood... I see you bonded with your staff very early on, that too impresses me... and who is this bore? Your father? Tsk, tsk... not the life for you, clearly... you know they will come looking for you eventually..."

 

[Artemidorus]

She had intrigued him, impressed him and caught him off guard, maybe even aroused him a little. She blushed at his compliments.

"Not practiced as much as fast. I'm light in my feet, and even a quick learner." She said, playing up her strengths a bit. "And my butterflies are pretty." She added, adamantly.

She looked down at the meantion of her father. "He wanted to send me to the monastery. To stay a madden by the Princesses side. A countess. But a life of serving another isn't for me! I want to make my own in this world! I don't want to be pretty and well mannered and- and celibate!" She spit out, overwhelming herself a bit. Part of being a countess was never getting married or losing your maiden hood, it was old castle rules. It was like being a full time maid, and ensuring you didn't have sex in the mind supposedly made you a better caretaker.

 

[Ravenloft]

"Easy on the eyes too, if I might say so, it would be an absolute waste, sending you to a monastery, I agree. So... it's all about being denied the pleasures of the flesh, is it? Hmhmhmahahaha!" Jace couldn't help but laugh. "And how do you expect me to... help with that? " He leaned back in his seat, resting a hand in his lap. "Are you here to learn, or to be ravished?"

 

[Artemidorus]

Stellwyn is caught off guard by his forward question, and let's out a little moan. She quickly covers her mouth, stuttering "I- I'm here to learn of course. I just... Someday... That's just not the life for me-"

Slowly she regained her composure. "You wish I wanted you to ravish me." She teased, a bit bratily. "It's not all about pleasure. It's about being who I want to be. And I want to be Stellwyn the sorceress." She crossed her arms.

"Will you train me or not?"

 

[Ravenloft]

Jace just gives her a knowing look as she covers her mouth to stifle that little moan. "Of course you are... it would not be proper for us to partake... if we are to be teacher and student, after all. No... your sweet attentions are meant for another... clearly." There was something in his cat like grin that suggested otherwise, a sort of unspoken challenge to not fall for him. Even when she regained her composure and claimed to know his wishes, he gave her a fixed glare of resolve. "We shall see who wants what in the fullness of time, my young apprentice." He replied, placing a hand upon her shoulder.

"Clearly..." he removed his hand from her with a slight smile. "You already know so much, what do you wish to learn from me then?" He frowned ever so slightly. "I called you my apprentice, did I not? What more of a hint do you need?" He sighed, looking up at the ceiling, chuckling softly, muttering something about 'kids these days' then leveled his eyes back upon her. "Yes, Stellwyn, I will teach you. Now, make yourself useful and clear this table. After that, I don't care what you get yourself up to. I will be in my chambers, alone... meditating on how best to train you. Find yourself a room, there are plenty. If you need guidance..." he reached up his sleeve and withdrew a blue glass orb and tossed it to her. "Activate this with a twist and one of my illusory servants will help you. Now, please, do stay out of my hair until I come for you in the morning, and do be ready, I loath tardiness." He motioned for her to get busy and rose from his seat to leave for his chambers.

It was something of a test, he didn't really expect her to be gullible enough to clean up after him and he would be monitoring her to see what kind of mischief she might get off to. He still wasn't certain if she was being completely sincere in her desire to be taught by him and not just here to steal off with a few magic trinkets, or something. What with how hesitant she had been in admitting where she came from and all. Still... the sexual tension between them was nice. He smiled with his back to her as he paused at the door to his room. "Oh, and whatever you do, do not enter the room with the red door..." he warned her, grinning, planting the seeds of curiousit in her mind, his final test for her. It wasn't really a pass fail, just meant to Guage her personality and reslove.

 

[Artemidorus]

He was gonna let her explore this place? Her glare of annoyance at his teasing faded into an all out grin of glee. She caught the orb he tossed and waited for him to leave.

"Servants huh? Expecting me to clean up after you while you have your own ghost servants? Nah." She twisted her wrist, but nothing happened. She gave it a look. "Hmm."

She held it in her palm and spun it a bit. In the room she was joined by a see through ghostly guy. "Hey Mister." She said to him. He looked up at her with dull eyes. "Yeah you. Clean this up. Uh, please." She added, not wanting to come off brash.

The slow fellow noodled and began gathering the things on the table, joined by another clear woman who began to run a wet rag across the surface.

Stellywn was feeling quite proud of herself. She gathered her things and started her search. First stop, a room.

She looked down several corridors, walked up and down stairs and peeked in every door. Some rooms were too big, some were too small and most were far too cluttered and musty. After about an hour she found a set of spiral stairs that led into a little loft above the library. It had a small bed and lots of books littered about, parchment and quills and maps. From the looks of it, it belonged to a previous apprentice. She set her things down, pulling out the blue orb again.

The old guy from earlier appeared. "Would you dust and clean up in her Here? And where is your lady friend! I would love if she would wash these sheets and remake the bed."

As the ghost couple got to work, Stellwyn went in search of the red door.

It took her another hour to find it, but when she did she giggled and rubbed her hands together deviously. "Let's see what the old coot is hiding. I hope it's a dragon." She said, as she opened the door.

 

[Ravenloft]

Jace quickly focused the surging pool in his room to attune upon his new apprentice, just as she puzzled out the use of his magic orb. He clapped softly to himself, pleased with her. "Good girl..." he whispered, watching her closely. Just how long would it take her to go searching for the red room, he wondered.

She was certainly picky-choosey about a suitable room for herself... what a shame, he thought, if they were to become lovers, like he already knew would come to pass, how much would she change his room... but then, she settled in his old chambers when HE had been the apprentice... that gave him hope. And a bit of dread... if she started reading the materials therein... boy, what insights she would gleen on him... Perhaps it was a mistake to let her pick a room and not just assign her one, after all... too late now. Perhaps she would ignore all his little margin notes, if she even bothered to read anything up there at all.... it was a slim hope.

Hah! Less than two hours, there she was, standing before the red door! And with such mischievous glee too! She did so remind him of himself at her age... "oh?" He asked, going unheard in his room, hearing her wish for a dragon. "Why, if it's a dragon you want... then it's a dragon you shall have, my young apprentice." It was his turn to rub his hands together as he crafted an intricate illusion of a blue dragon in the dark corners of the empty storage chamber.

It was not immediately apparant, he needed her to enter the room before he sprung his little trap on her after all, but he did craft a rather compelling fountain of crystal clear water on the far side of the room, hoping that might entice her a step or two in so that he could shut and bar the door behind her. He wanted to see how she delt with a dragon, face to... snout.

The fully formed blue dragon was tucked into the corner of the room nearest to the inside hinge of the door, just out of sight, as it was younger, it could fit in the room, but was far too big to leave. It laid with its head in the darkness of shadow, one eye slit open just enough to watch as the intruder stepped in, it's thick tail ready and waiting to fall into place, slamming the door shut and barring it in one fell swoop. From there on, Stellwyn would be trapped... well, if she believed the illusion was real. It helped immensely that she clearly wanted it to be, by her own admission.

 

[Artemidorus]

Stellwyn stepped into the room, a tad disappointed by the contents. A pool of water? But it was still fairly dark in the room, so she wandered in anyways.

If her new master caught her, would he be mad? It would be his fault for mentioning the red door. He obviously knew what type of girl he was working with.

She also felt the strange sensation of being watched. Before she even stumbled into this room. The whole house had her feeling as if eyes were in her. Perhaps that's why she didn't notice the monster until she was almost touching it.

Stellwyn gasped a bit and stumbled back. "Hey- nice dragon...."

 

[Artemidorus]

Whoa hey whoops. That posted twice.

 

[Ravenloft]

The beast chuffed in laughter at being called nice as it rolled onto it's side, pinning the door shut and eyeing her inquisitively. "Are you meat or entertainment?" It asked her in a rattling voice, drawing a thin tongue across its chops. "You won't make much of a meal, girl, although you do look quite tender. Are there more like you on the way? I do hope so, you look delicious."

 

[Artemidorus]

"I'm a mighty sorceress. You wouldn't want to upset me. I might get angry and turn you into a fly. Step aside. Before you feel my wrath." she said, hands on her hips in a intimidating position.

She was a tad worried. All she had was her staff. Everything else she had left in the room. She stamped it in front of him. The ground sparked. "Come on. Go." she said.

 

[Ravenloft]

The dragon snorted in laughter. "Entertainment then, how splendid! Very well then, go ahead and try, oh might sorceress, I would like to see if you can. I can smell your fear, your worry. These light shows do nothing to impress me." The dragon rolled it's eyes at her, motioning a hand down its length and bulk. "And where would you suggest I go? Clearly I cannot fit through the door or the windows, I am quite trapped in this tiny room..."

 

[Artemidorus]

"You're not so big. During my travels I've slayed beasts twice your size. Just move away from the door and let me leave. Or else." she stpod resilently, but when he did nothing she sighed, dropping her arms.

"Don't say I didn't warn you." she said. Suddenly the room filled with butterflies, translucent glowing butterflies in pastel colors. The flew around, swarming the air and making vision impossible. She watched the dragon get confused, tossing his head to try to see where she went. In his loss of vision she ran forward and bonked him as hard as she could with her staff. When the room cleared and the insects were gone, she stood back in the middle, arms crossed just like before. Like she hadnt moved.

"Last chance before I get real nasty."

 

[Ravenloft]

"And with half my intelligence, I am sure, no great challenge there." The dragon retorted, amused. "What? Where? How?" The beast stammered, the visual interference making it impose for Jace to see what was going on and so, he completely missed the fact that Stellwyn struck the dragon on its snout with her staff, so the illusion showed no reaction or visible bruising or bleeding from the blow. Neither did the dragon react appropriately to having been hurt. It just stood to its feet once the distraction of the butterflies cleared out, staring at her with a gloating grin. "I wish you would, what's next, a hale of frogs? A plague of locusts? My patience runs thin. I want you to amuse me, not swarm me with harmless displays of childish magic. Why don't you undress? You won't need your robes for what I want from you, sorceress." The dragon gave her a devilish grin.

 

[Artemidorus]

Her whack didnt feel like it colided with flesh. It felt wrong. And the reaction? Wrong too.

And the speech pattern. Familair. Sounded like the words straight from a stuck up old guy. But she wasnt too sure, and Stwelwyn wasnt gling to risk her pride on a hunch.

"Childish magic? It sure did away with your vision. I think you're just mad because it worked. Try this one then." Stell made a swirling motion with her hands, and smoke began to cloud the room. "Once Icm done with your eyes you won't see a thing!" this time she ran over, but instead of aiming for his eyes she stabbed him hard in the butt.

She pulled back to her spot as the fog cleared again. "No need for me to take off my clothes if you cant see."

 

[Ravenloft]

This time the dragon yowled in pain and as she made it back to her starting place, it reared it's head, unfurling it's impressive cowel of leathery skin around its face, making it rattle and shudder with pain and anger. It did indeed have a damaged eye, both figment and master fooled by her ruse, but it was far more real than she gave it credit for. With one massive clawed hand, it slammed her back against a wall, pinning her there, snorting hot breath down into her face, flipping her hood back as its left eye sealed shut and oozed blood. "I should crush you for that, little girl... but no, death is a mercy." It pushed it's hand harder against her, sinking it's claws through the very stone. Turning it's head, it appeared to struggle to regain it's composure from the pain of its injured eye. "I still have one eye to see you with..." it wasn't quite back to being interested in taking her pride yet, but it sniffed her all over and growled deep in its throat, not realizing the jig wax up.

 

[Artemidorus]

"Nice try, master. But I'm not fooled. During the smoke screen I jabbed your monster in the stomach. Not the eye." she chuckled. "If you want to see me naked so bad, you could have just asked. This seemed like such a roundabout way to go."

Even pinned to the wall she looked smug, crossing her arms around the scaley hand. "I thought you had more important things to do than tease little old me."

 

[Ravenloft]

The dragon tilted it's head and smiled then shifted into an image of Jace, letting her go. "Clever girl, I am thoroughly impressed." He clapped softly for her and turned to sit on the lip of the fountain/pool. "Well, I did give you the opportunity to admit what you really wanted here from the start, I am not one to presume anything. By your own admission, you seek a life less ordinary. As for the dragon, well.... I seem to recall the words. "Let's see what the old coot is hiding. I hope it's a dragon." Passing your lips on your way into the room?" He took a hand full of the crystal clear water up to his lips and drank. "I don't know, perhaps it was the 'old coot' remark, but you certainly got my attention."