His breath came in sharp gasps, glassy eyes flicking open as his lungs struggled to fill themselves with the crisp air of the forest. He felt the individual blades of grass brushing the rough, grimy skin of his cheek as he struggled to move, shifting his weight back and forth in desperate desire to rise from the cold ground beneath him. Where was he? Why had he come here? All of those memories lie swirling in flux within the cavernous recesses of his addled mind as he recover from what he could only assume was yet another bout of his consciousness giving way to that silent killer that spread it's filthy roots inside of him further and further with every passing dawn.
Madness.
Janus Carrux had once been known as perhaps the most prodigious mind-mage in all of Arethil, having come from humble beginnings of being raised in a city of slavery to being appointed one of the three heads of Trastus Academy for magic. Trastus was built as a settlement for aspiring mages, founded by Leorn Trastus in 348. It's crowning achievement, the Trastus Academy for Magic, was non-profit. It instructed any who were willing to adhere to it's rules, and who demonstrated some level of talent. Having graduated at the very top of his own class, the then-young Janus had opted to remain in Trastus to instruct the next generation. The place was his home, and he wanted to see it thrive...
So what had led to the creation of the bloodied, seemingly half-dead man who now struggled to his feet? Why was all that remained of that great man here in Falwood now, seeking a woman he'd heard only mentioned in tales that few believed? 'Inarie'. That was the name that those who traversed the forests spoke of in hushed tones. The name seemed to be about the only thing commonly accepted about the mysterious person, however. Everything else seemed to be muddled in layers of fantasy. Some claimed that she granted wishes to those who fell into her favor, some claimed she was nothing but an introverted alchemist who was the same as any other elven woman. Some claimed she was as beautiful as the rising sun through the trees, while other's claimed... well, less flattering things.
Her appearance and methods mattered not to the raven haired man, dull grey eyes blinking the white spots out of their vision as he dusted the crusted dirt from his clothing. For there was one other consensus beside her name; Anyone who crossed Inarie's path were in need, and were offered assistance without price.
How sad was it, the once powerful man thought to himself, that he now had taken to searching for myths in the dense Falwood forests out of sheer desperation to find a way to rid him of this constant, screaming pain that ran through every vein of his body as though he held poison in place of blood? He was the last survivor of Trastus! He should have been more than capable of attaining any cure, of mending any wound! Of course, he knew well that he was well beyond the point of being capable of such things. He was nothing more than a slowly dying shell of a human seeking some panacea that may not even exist. Even through the painful haze of his own magical energies that tore at the edges of his vision, he focused on this effort and ventured further, trembling hands reaching up to brush the locks from his unshaven face.
He had to find this Inarie. If she could not help him, then at least he could find some manner of wild beast in these lands to finally end this misery once and for all. He had not the stomach to do it himself....
Inarie
Madness.
Janus Carrux had once been known as perhaps the most prodigious mind-mage in all of Arethil, having come from humble beginnings of being raised in a city of slavery to being appointed one of the three heads of Trastus Academy for magic. Trastus was built as a settlement for aspiring mages, founded by Leorn Trastus in 348. It's crowning achievement, the Trastus Academy for Magic, was non-profit. It instructed any who were willing to adhere to it's rules, and who demonstrated some level of talent. Having graduated at the very top of his own class, the then-young Janus had opted to remain in Trastus to instruct the next generation. The place was his home, and he wanted to see it thrive...
So what had led to the creation of the bloodied, seemingly half-dead man who now struggled to his feet? Why was all that remained of that great man here in Falwood now, seeking a woman he'd heard only mentioned in tales that few believed? 'Inarie'. That was the name that those who traversed the forests spoke of in hushed tones. The name seemed to be about the only thing commonly accepted about the mysterious person, however. Everything else seemed to be muddled in layers of fantasy. Some claimed that she granted wishes to those who fell into her favor, some claimed she was nothing but an introverted alchemist who was the same as any other elven woman. Some claimed she was as beautiful as the rising sun through the trees, while other's claimed... well, less flattering things.
Her appearance and methods mattered not to the raven haired man, dull grey eyes blinking the white spots out of their vision as he dusted the crusted dirt from his clothing. For there was one other consensus beside her name; Anyone who crossed Inarie's path were in need, and were offered assistance without price.
How sad was it, the once powerful man thought to himself, that he now had taken to searching for myths in the dense Falwood forests out of sheer desperation to find a way to rid him of this constant, screaming pain that ran through every vein of his body as though he held poison in place of blood? He was the last survivor of Trastus! He should have been more than capable of attaining any cure, of mending any wound! Of course, he knew well that he was well beyond the point of being capable of such things. He was nothing more than a slowly dying shell of a human seeking some panacea that may not even exist. Even through the painful haze of his own magical energies that tore at the edges of his vision, he focused on this effort and ventured further, trembling hands reaching up to brush the locks from his unshaven face.
He had to find this Inarie. If she could not help him, then at least he could find some manner of wild beast in these lands to finally end this misery once and for all. He had not the stomach to do it himself....
Inarie