hex 1


[19:15] Lemuria Augustus says, "I could try to conjure something that might give you some answers you seek, should you so desire; but the answers will come from within, so you need to be certain there's something there to begin with."
[19:15] Lemuria Augustus says, "I am but an acolyte- nothing more. I cannot call forth anything too... complex."
[19:15] Agnimazud Ishwaratu says, "Hm."
[19:16] Agnimazud Ishwaratu says, "Well, it's worth a shot, I would say."
[19:19] Lemuria Augustus says, "Then stand across from me. You once spoke of inner demons; now I'll show you something that can communicate with them."
[19:38] Lemuria rose up her hand, as a shroud of occult mana found itself enveloping around her body. Protective runes quickly became visible under both of their feet, showing up in response to the presence of the occult. From a small vial, she poured some oil into the brass vessel before her, filling up just enough of it so that it could be seen.

"You'll need to provide a sample of your blood, and activate your own occult aura."

She pulled out a ceremonial dagger- one useless for combat and clearly ornamental in nature- which had runes and various symbols drawn all throughout.

"Some dark spirits are attracted to occultism because it means someone's mind is open to manipulation. Occultism controls the user, not the other way around. Attempts to resist it just make it stronger, and leave you more vulnerable when your control finally falters. It must be understood and guided- not controlled through sheer force of will. While not all of them take advantage of it to try to harm or directly control you, the vast majority do in fact make use of this facet of the occult so they can speak through you."

"Once I finish the invocation, you'll feel a tug at your very essence. You'll need to let the spirit inside of you, metaphorically speaking. The circle you're under will protect you from any real harm, but I cannot control the potency of what you might see."

"However, I would not be too concerned, as the spirit I am summoning is rather obedient to the person who summons him. It's why someone as inexperienced as I can summon him."

"And one last thing, the spirit will speak through showing you symbols and images, as you do not yet posses what is needed to understand how it speaks."

Her eyes flashed green, showing what would be needed, and that she did indeed possess it.

"Any questions?"
(Lemuria Augustus)
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[19:53] Agnimazud feels the heat of the flames dancing behind him warming him up to his core. It was an almost uncomfortable feeling, given how much he adjusted for the cold in all of his times in the mountains and mines. Sweat was already forming on his skin, dripping down from the brim of his scalp and then descending from his chin. He was astutely listening to everything that would be expected of him, and that he'd need to do to ensure the success of this ritual.

When the need for a sample of his blood was spoken, he wasted no time in transforming the nail of his right hand into a draconic claw, which promptly got pricked into the flesh of his forearm, making a small incision, but one that was wide enough to freely trickle the crimson liquid from his body and into the vessel that'd been filled with oil just prior. After that, the auburn flames of Occultic magic erupted around him with fierce intensity--it almost felt like they were drawn out of him, rather than him evoking them on his own.

Well, given what he was dealing with, it very well could have been a little bit of both of those things. Even though they hadn't started yet, her words about not resisting the Occult, or even trying to subjugate it through force of will, but merely 'guiding' it hit him deeply. It's how he'd been going about trying to coexist with this magic for so long, after all. It wouldn't have even occurred to him to approach it any other way. Even still, he was skeptical of what Lemuria was saying, but he could not deny her knowledge, nor the knowledge of her mother.

Shaking his head, the Drakanite stood at the ready with infernal flames coating his entire being, and his scales spreading to cover the self-inflicted wound and stop his bleeding now that the fluid was no longer necessary. "No questions. I'm ready."
(Agnimazud Ishwaratu)
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[20:18] Lemuria quickly drew down a rather complex symbol from memory on a sheet of paper, and placed it above the brass vessel. Somehow, through this, it floated. And with that, Lemuria clapped her hands together, and began to chant.

(https://i1.wp.com/demonsanddemonolatry.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Marchosias.png?w=347&ssl=1)

"I invocate and conjure thee, O Spirit, Marchosias; and being with power armed from the DARK LORD, I do strongly command thee."

...and while her hands were together, if Agni paid careful attention, he could see a black pentagram flash on the back of her left hand.

"Thou Marchosias, that thou dost forthwith appear unto me here before this Circle in a fair human shape, without any deformity or tortuosity. And by this ineffable name, KRS, do I command thee, at the which being heard the elements are overthrown, the air is shaken, the sea runneth back, the fire is quenched, the earth trembleth, and all the hosts of the celestials, terrestrials, and infernals, do tremble together, and are troubled and confounded. "

With the ceremonial dagger she held, she thrust it forth into the sheet of paper, piercing it right through its center.

"Wherefore come thou, O Spirit Marchosias, forthwith, and without delay, from any or all parts of the world wherever thou mayest be, and make rational answers unto all things that I shall demand of thee."

The occult flames that surrounded her body began to flow into both the paper and the brass vessel, causing it to ignite, burning with a vile darkness that filled the entire room with a sense of dread. This was something otherworldly; this was something profane. This was something that should not be, and completely and utterly vile even by the standards of the occult.

Were there any foliage in the immediate area, they would die. Were there any animals, they would retreat. Were there any adherents of Krausite faith, they'd see this as an affront against the natural order.

"Manifest within mine companion: Agnimazud! And thus, I invoke thee..."

There was silence. The flames surrounding the area completely faded, minus the one burning in the very center.

And when she spoke, her words boomed out in a voice that was not her own.

MARCHOSIAS, the GREAT and MIGHTY Marquis of HELHEIM

And thus, the flames from the vessel burst forth, immediately enveloping Agnimazud entirely. The flames themselves would cause him to suffer no pain, but the spirit would manifest within his mind and grant him a litany of visions, images, and symbols, that may or may not overwhelm him.

But no matter what the spirit caused for him, he would get answers.
(Lemuria Augustus)
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[20:18] Lemuria quickly drew down a rather complex symbol from memory on a sheet of paper, and placed it above the brass vessel. Somehow, through this, it floated. And with that, Lemuria clapped her hands together, and began to chant.

(https://i1.wp.com/demonsanddemonolatry.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Marchosias.png?w=347&ssl=1)

"I invocate and conjure thee, O Spirit, Marchosias; and being with power armed from the DARK LORD, I do strongly command thee."

...and while her hands were together, if Agni paid careful attention, he could see a black pentagram flash on the back of her left hand.

"Thou Marchosias, that thou dost forthwith appear unto me here before this Circle in a fair human shape, without any deformity or tortuosity. And by this ineffable name, KRS, do I command thee, at the which being heard the elements are overthrown, the air is shaken, the sea runneth back, the fire is quenched, the earth trembleth, and all the hosts of the celestials, terrestrials, and infernals, do tremble together, and are troubled and confounded. "

With the ceremonial dagger she held, she thrust it forth into the sheet of paper, piercing it right through its center.

"Wherefore come thou, O Spirit Marchosias, forthwith, and without delay, from any or all parts of the world wherever thou mayest be, and make rational answers unto all things that I shall demand of thee."

The occult flames that surrounded her body began to flow into both the paper and the brass vessel, causing it to ignite, burning with a vile darkness that filled the entire room with a sense of dread. This was something otherworldly; this was something profane. This was something that should not be, and completely and utterly vile even by the standards of the occult.

Were there any foliage in the immediate area, they would die. Were there any animals, they would retreat. Were there any adherents of Krausite faith, they'd see this as an affront against the natural order.

"Manifest within mine companion: Agnimazud! And thus, I invoke thee..."

There was silence. The flames surrounding the area completely faded, minus the one burning in the very center.

And when she spoke, her words boomed out in a voice that was not her own.

"MARCHOSIAS, the GREAT and MIGHTY Marquis of HELHEIM"

And thus, the flames from the vessel burst forth, immediately enveloping Agnimazud entirely. The flames themselves would cause him to suffer no pain, but the spirit would manifest within his mind and grant him a litany of visions, images, and symbols, that may or may not overwhelm him.

But no matter what the spirit caused for him, he would get answers.
(Lemuria Augustus)
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[20:19] Lemuria quickly drew down a rather complex symbol from memory on a sheet of paper, and placed it above the brass vessel. Somehow, through this, it floated. And with that, Lemuria clapped her hands together, and began to chant.

(https://i1.wp.com/demonsanddemonolatry.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Marchosias.png?w=347&ssl=1)

"I invocate and conjure thee, O Spirit, Marchosias; and being with power armed from the DARK LORD, I do strongly command thee."

...and while her hands were together, if Agni paid careful attention, he could see a black pentagram flash on the back of her left hand.

"Thou Marchosias, that thou dost forthwith appear unto me here before this Circle in a fair human shape, without any deformity or tortuosity. And by this ineffable name, KRS, do I command thee, at the which being heard the elements are overthrown, the air is shaken, the sea runneth back, the fire is quenched, the earth trembleth, and all the hosts of the celestials, terrestrials, and infernals, do tremble together, and are troubled and confounded. "

With the ceremonial dagger she held, she thrust it forth into the sheet of paper, piercing it right through its center.

"Wherefore come thou, O Spirit Marchosias, forthwith, and without delay, from any or all parts of the world wherever thou mayest be, and make rational answers unto all things that I shall demand of thee."

The occult flames that surrounded her body began to flow into both the paper and the brass vessel, causing it to ignite, burning with a vile darkness that filled the entire room with a sense of dread. This was something otherworldly; this was something profane. This was something that should not be, and completely and utterly vile even by the standards of the occult.

Were there any foliage in the immediate area, they would die. Were there any animals, they would retreat. Were there any adherents of Krausite faith, they'd see this as an affront against the natural order.

"Manifest within mine companion: Agnimazud! And thus, I invoke thee..."

There was silence. The flames surrounding the area completely faded, minus the one burning in the very center.

And when she spoke, her words boomed out in a voice that was not her own.

"MARCHOSIAS, the GREAT and MIGHTY Marquis of HELHEIM"

And thus, the flames from the vessel burst forth, immediately enveloping Agnimazud entirely. The flames themselves would cause him to suffer no pain, but the spirit would manifest within his mind and grant him a litany of visions, images, and symbols, that may or may not overwhelm him.

But no matter what the spirit caused for him, he would get answers.
(Lemuria Augustus)
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[17:56] He was still.

Despite not having known Lemuria very long, he trusted the female all the same, and put his faith in her that she knew what she was doing. To say he wasn't a bit unsettled, or nervous though, would be a lie. His lids had long shut and deprived himself of his own vision. He felt more comfortable with the resulting endless abyss of pitch-black. It enhanced his other senses--the incantations leaving Lemuria's lips resonated within his ear drums more vibrantly, and the wretched feeling that swept through the remote home was much more distinct.

The sensation was one of... disgust. It was an inherent distaste, as the mortal body could not allow itself to find the vile magic infesting the air to be anything but abhorrent. Regardless of Agnimazud's fondness for the Occult, and the darkness and morbidity that came between it, the inheritance of his flesh and the instincts of his mind and soul were far more acute than mere preferences and fondness.

This should not be happening.

For all intents and purposes, his body, his very spirit knew this. Regardless of the wills of his mind, they themselves were fearful. This was not natural, it went against the very laws of their reality. All things living--all things not of the infernal machinations that were being divined--they'd have no choice but to reel from all of this...

And yet, he remained still.

There was no reaction, even when the blaze consuming his body--not that it would have caused any harm regardless. To his surprise, though, not long after, imagery defiled the sanctity that was his self-imposed blindness. The presence of the spirit was very much felt after it was ushered into this realm, but there were no words, just as Lemuria told him. Rather, strange symbols and runes etched themselves into his abyss, sweeping through his thoughts and consciousness, overwhelming anything that he was trying to will into his own mind.

No, it was the time to listen. Now was not the time for his own thoughts, feelings, or words.

Various runes that could be traced back to daemons in origin floated through the vast space that was his mind. Then, images of daemons themselves flashed before him, but they were quickly vanquished to make way for symbols that appeared to be runes or letters of sort, but ones that Agnimazud himself had not a clue as to what they could mean, or the culture they might even represent or were derived from. The moment some solid, tangible image formed, it was just as quickly replaced with something else. It was almost enough to overload his senses and break his mind--

--but he kept stalwart. Despite innumerable visions flooding his mind, body, and soul, he remained present until they were no more. It had all happened in such a short passage of time, it was impossible to say whether he'd seen a thousand, or perhaps even a billion different things in that span, but somehow, he retained it all. He didn't know how, and he couldn't recall everything, but he just, he just...

He just knew.

When his eyes opened, he looked as if in a daze or trance, but he was very much in his right mind and senses. "There's a power to be gained from this. I can feel the potential. Even now, it desires to erupt and fill me with its strength. It's just missing something..."
(Agnimazud Ishwaratu)
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[18:13] Lemuria saw it.

Through her ability to see beyond, she saw all of it.

She saw the images. She saw the runes. She saw the symbols. And most of all... she heard his voice. She heard him speak in clear words that were easy for her to discern, skipping the need to attempt to interpret. And thus, while Agni was having her visions, she couldn't help but crack a smile, because now...?

"...it worked."

She knew.

She couldn't help but giggle, either.

"Kyeh... hehehehe..."

She knew that her mother's efforts would bear fruit. She knew that these spirits could be summoned, controlled, and used to bolster her influence and the power of others. She knew that something would come off this- all of this. She knew that, with enough power and practice, everything could be her's. With the blood of other people as her ink, she could gain the power to freely write the story of her own life.

That giggle transitioned into a cackle, and her smile turned crazed. Her eyes were wide open, and the madness that existed within the girl's heart was put on full display.

"Hah... Hahaha... HAHAHAHA!"

She was an artist. And her art bore fruit.

"KYAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

The spirit left him. The occult flames faded. The ceremonial flames relit themselves. Her gaze met with Agni's.

And she only had two words left to say:

"I know."
(Lemuria Augustus)
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[18:30] He felt a little empty now that the spirit was gone from him, but he was now privy to hearing Lemuria's cackling, which quickly escalated into maniacal cackling. There was a faint feeling of fatigue, and it showed from his movements being sluggish when he walked around the brazier to get to the female's side. He showed his approval, and content with her, the way he knew best.

A few pats on her head.

"That was unlike anything I've ever experienced before... it truly was fascinating. So many things, countless things, in the blink of an eye. I can't recall any of them, and yet..." the Drakanite's right index finger prods at his chin.

"And yet, I just know them. I know everything that came and went. It's both a terrifying and magnificent feeling at the same time. You truly are a fascinating woman, Lem."
(Agnimazud Ishwaratu)
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