Author Topic: Ordinary - Celeste Seifert  (Read 1140 times)

Vissy

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Ordinary - Celeste Seifert
« on: June 18, 2021, 07:38:50 PM »
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   If I am to be frank with anyone, I should be frank with myself. I chiefly feel contempt and fear when I walk in the Publique. Mostly fear, in the Savant. They were not built for those like me. They were built to keep those like me out. Still, what else I am to do than force myself to do this play-acting? My father gives me no alternative. When someone who calls themselves a freak has been my best company in the Publique, that must say something. At least being around them does not make me want to detonate something.

   Par Ezra, never let me be as self-absorbed as the people I have met since returning. I have nothing in common with the people who have deigned to become acquainted with me in their busy, high-class lives, and maybe that is what saves me. They simply do not know disdain and awkwardness when they see it. I wonder what they would say if they learned that I find a simple sailor more compelling than any one of them. Probably very little. Maybe it would validate their sense of superiority.

   Maybe I am projecting my emotions. Father’s neglect… par Ezra, I still have not gotten over Jeanette’s death. Or Paul’s. Or anyone’s. That fear and panic and the smell of smoke and the noises from that day might never stop haunting me. I do not remember any nobleman protecting us then. And if they do not, we have to do it ourselves.

   Speaking of father. I wonder when he will stop offering suitors to me. I've made it as clear as I can to him. He knows why. I have only ever asked him one thing, and he still refuses to understand. I wonder if he would understand a letter better. I might have to pen one... merchants understand letters.

   Being ordinary is hard work. [A few dots of ink and anxiously tapped lines dot the page, as if speaking of the author’s hesitation.] And even with my best efforts, I fall short of the mark. But it does pay off.
« Last Edit: June 15, 2022, 09:36:59 AM by Vissy »
Active Character: Heir Andarateia, Lia Lanthaloran
Other Character(s): Gilraine Alean'ani
Shelved Character(s): Vinyafael Yavanna, Callistrae Dawnshadow, Vika van Voytz
Closured Character(s): Rakel Leviken, Celeste Seifert

Vissy

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Re: Ordinary - Celeste Alarie
« Reply #1 on: June 24, 2021, 03:51:38 PM »
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   Mar told me that the dress uniform makes me look very masculine. I think I like that. Just like Professor Faucheux. A little bit like Marcelline Comtois.

   Her stage show took my breath away. And so did she, if I am being honest. I wouldn't dare to dress like she does, and I couldn't pull it off as well as she does. But she is gorgeous. Dear diary, I am one of her surely many admirers.

   I've begun to wonder if I could not engage in stagecraft myself. Not a magic show. More like a demonstration of the power of war magic, but embellished. Enhanced! I would ask Comtois to help, if I dared. And I would definitely have to ask the Professor's opinion. But I am beginning to like the idea.

   Magic is not just a joke. Maybe a demonstration would start something.

   It feels like I am making progress in the pit of snakes. The Baroness took me for drinks in the Ouvrier, but I do not think she understood that it felt more like a threat than comfort. It is not a place she belongs in anymore. I could feel glares sharp as daggers burrowing into my back when we left. As if they knew I was the reason.

   One step forward is one step away, but I refuse to make this into a zero-sum game.
« Last Edit: June 24, 2021, 04:37:32 PM by Vissy »
Active Character: Heir Andarateia, Lia Lanthaloran
Other Character(s): Gilraine Alean'ani
Shelved Character(s): Vinyafael Yavanna, Callistrae Dawnshadow, Vika van Voytz
Closured Character(s): Rakel Leviken, Celeste Seifert

Vissy

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Re: Ordinary - Celeste Alarie
« Reply #2 on: July 12, 2021, 05:54:24 AM »
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   Mademoiselle Le Feu. I don't expect anyone who knows me to fall for the stage name, but I wanted some degree of separation between her and myself. The soldier and the aspiring artist. I know that I am not talented, besides.

   The escape artist was the real attraction. Even knowing how the trick works, I was a little nervous, but it went perfectly. I even got to fling some fire earlier. I think one of the waiters was terrified during our rehearsal. I am... officially an assistant now. Assistant Le Feu. The more beautiful and confident of the two, the desirable one.

   I can juggle these responsibilities. I want to. It is just what I want to do. The Dementlieuse in me is at once yelling at me to seize this chance for stardom and to stop before I outgrow my mold. Stop before I become seen as something less than ordinary.

   Maybe I will never be anything ordinary in the finer parts of the city. I am a commoner who has reached above their station. I should ride this wave until it ends. You never know when it ends.
Active Character: Heir Andarateia, Lia Lanthaloran
Other Character(s): Gilraine Alean'ani
Shelved Character(s): Vinyafael Yavanna, Callistrae Dawnshadow, Vika van Voytz
Closured Character(s): Rakel Leviken, Celeste Seifert

Vissy

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Re: Ordinary - Celeste Alarie
« Reply #3 on: August 28, 2021, 08:37:15 AM »
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Raised voices erupt by the seaside in the Marchand. A blonde woman, familiar to many of the locals, is seen speaking with someone at the other side of an open door, both of their voices raised.

What are you doing?

This isn't ordinary.

This is nothing like what you told me you'd be doing.

Why are you doing this?

It's what I want.

I don't have to do what you tell me to.

You didn't even accept my help. I tried to help your business. Why are you so stubborn?

I am doing this for myself. For once. What are -you- doing?

Don't talk down to me, girl. Who toiled for countless years to pay for your tuition, you ungrateful daughter?

Over in a flash, the door slammed shut. The woman soon leaves, rubbing her cheeks.
Active Character: Heir Andarateia, Lia Lanthaloran
Other Character(s): Gilraine Alean'ani
Shelved Character(s): Vinyafael Yavanna, Callistrae Dawnshadow, Vika van Voytz
Closured Character(s): Rakel Leviken, Celeste Seifert

Vissy

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Re: Ordinary - Celeste Alarie
« Reply #4 on: September 22, 2021, 02:22:24 PM »
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There's no reason to sugar-coat your words. Pride is worthless. Someone has to be a whistle-blower. So what if that wins me no friends among the spineless? Someone has to do it. Someone has to.

I haven't done much to seem ordinary, have I? I don't have the energy anymore. I can't be the way I am in most places. Act the way I want to. Even love who I want to in a way that's visible. I'm not a homeless beggar either, but that doesn't mean I don't have problems.

That there's nothing I'm unsatisfied with.

There's one thing I'm certain about, though. I stick by my word and I don't play games. Above all else, I hate spineless cowards who refuse to take responsibility for their actions and who hide behind their friends. When you push them, they squirm into an even runnier sludge and try to ignore you.

I can't stand them.

I can't stand it when someone rather gives up or avoids you than stands up to you. I don't care what's happened to them before.

Doctor van Richten was a very famous man and a competent monster-slayer. Maybe he lives, maybe he doesn't. He had to bury his friends after failing to kill a fiend, even so. Am I hurtling towards the same fate? Do I even have a choice anymore? I'm not sure I want to turn back anymore. No matter the cost. Someone has to get to the bottom of this.

And that someone, it seems, has to be me.
Active Character: Heir Andarateia, Lia Lanthaloran
Other Character(s): Gilraine Alean'ani
Shelved Character(s): Vinyafael Yavanna, Callistrae Dawnshadow, Vika van Voytz
Closured Character(s): Rakel Leviken, Celeste Seifert

Vissy

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Re: Ordinary - Celeste Alarie
« Reply #5 on: October 14, 2021, 11:01:01 AM »
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It was in the waning days of Août, 776, when the first signs of chill winds drifted in from the north. There were dozen of us altogether, good men and women by my count. Dedicated students of the famous and esteemed University of Dementlieu, assembled in front of a visiting professor from the East. It was an ordinary drill, but my mind was already elsewhere when the visiting Capitaine called us to attention.

Resistance to the arcane was not protection against it. But how did I prove this theorem? What possible ways could I employ to defeat the inimitable monster that had bared its fangs at my friends and I? These were the thoughts that occupied my mind as I stood at attention among my peers, evokers and conjurers all, Warmages of varying talents.

The visiting Capitaine was perceptive. He could tell that my attention was not on his words, and I suddenly heard my name being called.

"Alarie!"

"Yes, Capitaine?"

I remember the military man's gaze lingering on me vividly. He had a talent for making such looks stick, somehow, a near-magical ability to make you feel his disappointment without uttering a word. To my surprise - which may be why I remember it, even now - he did not yell or berate me. Rather...

"Is there something important on your mind, soldier?"

I floundered. "Ah - well."

"Perhaps something related to the subject matter of this lecture, mlle. Alarie?"

He offered me a lifeline and I took it gratefully.

"Yes, Capitaine. I have been tangling with the issue of overcoming enemies who can resist spells."

I could feel the questioning gazes of some of my classmates lingering on me, and cynically, I thought at the time that they must have been annoyed. But thinking back on it now, I remember curiosity.

My question became a discussion that stretched on for some time between those of us present. All of us shared the same view; resistance doesn't mean protection. A spell fizzling out in contact with one's skin does not mean they cannot be thrown off a cliffside with a gust of wind, or the earth beneath them destroyed, or something similar.

I was happy with how it ended. But yet what had lingered upon my mind and caused me worry did not go away. No, indeed, I felt even more puzzled. For the foe I must defeat cannot be thrown off a cliff or trapped in a crevice. No, it must be quite soundly obliterated, and with great force.

Now that moment approaches fast, and I feel some measure of bravado and confidence welling up within me. I only hope it will be justified at the moment of truth.
Active Character: Heir Andarateia, Lia Lanthaloran
Other Character(s): Gilraine Alean'ani
Shelved Character(s): Vinyafael Yavanna, Callistrae Dawnshadow, Vika van Voytz
Closured Character(s): Rakel Leviken, Celeste Seifert

Vissy

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Re: Ordinary - Celeste Alarie
« Reply #6 on: March 15, 2022, 06:36:31 PM »
A feverish rush of productivity, the warmage spends an entire evening writing in her room. Ink-blotches stain the sides of her hands and she barely notices, until it is all done. She stares at her handiwork for a moment, and then out the window. It'd become dark outside in the time she'd spent focused elsewhere.

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War magic, as is obvious to anyone familiar with it, is a decisive force multiplier in any massed infantry engagement. Against our hated enemy of Falkovnia, however, such pitched battles are rare, and indeed to our disadvantage. How, then, should war magic be used in an armed conflict against a Falkovnian battle group?

[What follows is a rough, top-down illustration of an array of forces. On one side there is a small group of cavalry, denoted as Falkovnian. On the other is a single dot, denoted as a Dementlieuse warmage.]

The cavalry charge is a classic and devastating maneuver oft favoured by the Falkovnian military, intended to cause shock and disarray in enemy ranks. However, once a charge has been set, it is known to be difficult to stop, and any disruption in the ranks of the charging cavalry can have a devastating effect. Therefore any obstacles that suddenly appear between the unit of cavalry and its target are sure to cause massive damage. For this purpose, I propose a spell to be cast, aimed in front of the tip of the charge. I propose, for maximum effect, the use of the spell Incendiary Cloud. Even something relatively simple such as an Ice Storm can be used, however, as the target of this maneuver are the horses. See appendix 1A.

[Appendix 1A consists of a set of calculations. They seem to concern the precise aiming of spells, factoring in the estimated speed of trained war-horses on various types of terrain. The spells considered for the purpose are Ice Storm, Evard's Black Tentacles, Acid Fog, Chain Lightning and Incendiary Cloud].

But even a cavalry charge is not such a common occurrence, especially on open field, considering Dementlieuse doctrine. What, then, would be a more realistic scenario for a battle in which war magic could see its first use against the Falkovnians? I propose its utility in raiding the supply lines of stretched Falkovnian invaders and in harrying their forces upon horseback. Could a warmage be trained to cast spells on horseback? I propose this requires further research, but if one can shoot a bow or a crossbow from horseback, casting spells should be within the realm of possibility as well. Consider appendixes 2A and 2B.

[There is a map, labeled 2A, of eastern Dementlieu attached, with various locations along the eastern border circled. Maison Destreaux, Château Josquin, Estellier and Cerlimeu among them. Small arrows denote potential routes of harrying Falkovnian forces from the flanks and potential avenues of cutting off supply routes along the Prey's Road. Another set of calculations, labeled 2B, have been laid out below the map, accompanied by a small written explanation. They seem to concern the time it takes for incendiary spells to set supplies aflame and destroy them, and from what distance it can be done safely. Weather seems to have been considered briefly as well.]

As a doctrine, such a form of warfare could only be called guerrilla warfare and delay maneuvers: bleeding the enemy dry. However, this does not mean that war magic cannot also offer a decisive strength in large battles. As outlined above, it can be used to disrupt and weaken many of the Falkovnian military's traditional strengths in ways that we have not historically had available to us. It is my hope that research will continue into the potential applications of war magic for the needs of Dementlieuse military.

Celeste Alarie
Active Character: Heir Andarateia, Lia Lanthaloran
Other Character(s): Gilraine Alean'ani
Shelved Character(s): Vinyafael Yavanna, Callistrae Dawnshadow, Vika van Voytz
Closured Character(s): Rakel Leviken, Celeste Seifert

Vissy

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Re: Ordinary - Celeste Alarie
« Reply #7 on: April 02, 2022, 02:32:43 AM »
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You're not allowed to defend yourself if the Hawk comes.

That's what I heard in that hall of justice. I wonder if the good prosecutor had to hide as quietly as possible in a small crawl-space, hoping the Hawk wouldn't find him when they sacked the city. I wonder if he had to defend his family from looters. What does a license matter in terms of readiness for war?

That's why I still have a license, I suppose. Without law, there wouldn't be order. And without order, one cannot wage war.

Still. [Frustrated ink-dots.]

I can't be the only one who sees the problems. The 'Ouv is a powder-keg. How do you estimate their battle morale in the case of an invasion? Can you even recruit safely from among them? The more you kick them, the more they'll give it all back when you arm them and give them the means to do so. And in an invasion... manpower is needed. During the battle of Plessis Forest, it is said a great number of people from the 'Ouv charged out of the gates and flanked the Council loyalists from the rear, causing massive casualties. Our greatest military minds are surely aware of this. This weakness.

The Hawk will come again. I just wonder how well they will exploit our weakness this time.
Active Character: Heir Andarateia, Lia Lanthaloran
Other Character(s): Gilraine Alean'ani
Shelved Character(s): Vinyafael Yavanna, Callistrae Dawnshadow, Vika van Voytz
Closured Character(s): Rakel Leviken, Celeste Seifert

Vissy

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Re: Ordinary - Celeste Alarie
« Reply #8 on: June 08, 2022, 03:34:50 PM »
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I feel as if I have reached the pinnacle of my abilities. I can call upon meteors from the sky to destroy nearly any foe. Within me is the potential to lay low companies of soldiers. There is no known spell of evocation left in my program that I have not mastered. So why do I still feel as if it is not enough?

Perhaps it is because I am realistic. If the Hawk comes, I still feel inadequate. Powerless to stop them... I need is something even more powerful. What comes after the ninth circle of the arcane? What can I still learn?

An unexpected solution presented itself to me in the demon wastes of Perfidus. To learn such magic...


Tempting, maybe. But when I delve within, I feel no desire for this power. It is a tool I have built for a specific purpose. I feel satisfied. I have what I need.

But what if we will need it?

Then... then I may be forced to revisit this.

I'm glad to be out of the wastes.
Active Character: Heir Andarateia, Lia Lanthaloran
Other Character(s): Gilraine Alean'ani
Shelved Character(s): Vinyafael Yavanna, Callistrae Dawnshadow, Vika van Voytz
Closured Character(s): Rakel Leviken, Celeste Seifert

Vissy

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Re: Ordinary - Celeste Alarie
« Reply #9 on: June 15, 2022, 07:33:17 AM »
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It wasn't enough. In the end... I fell short of the mark.

My happiness and joy is gone. She was taken away from me. Now that she's gone, I have nothing left. I hear her in my dreams. See her on the streets. I cannot take this.

They tell me it's not my fault. No. I should've persuaded her, somehow. We should've left sooner. Why would you kill someone who was already leaving?

They took her from me. I remain, but I hear the clock ticking towards midnight.
« Last Edit: June 15, 2022, 08:13:00 AM by Vissy »
Active Character: Heir Andarateia, Lia Lanthaloran
Other Character(s): Gilraine Alean'ani
Shelved Character(s): Vinyafael Yavanna, Callistrae Dawnshadow, Vika van Voytz
Closured Character(s): Rakel Leviken, Celeste Seifert