this is Salem, a land filled with magic and maladies. It is a place where witches and their elemental familiars gather, a home to legend and
lore that predates time itself. Yet of all the wicked and wonderful stories the past can tell us of, the most magical are the ones yet to happen.
This is Salem - this is the start of your very own journey. Welcome to starfall
Starfall is an animaga witch roleplay set in mostly modern times. Members play as witches in a world plagued by monsters, where the only safe spots are walled cities. Starfall strives to be a character-driven roleplay with expansive lore and a highly interactive plotline. We want to allow members to
create and look back on a magical journey, and mold the site and its plot as their characters grow.
Vera was so going to be late. A cold sense of resignation had already washed over her, only to be fought back by sheer will. No, she hadn't gotten to where she was by giving up, no matter how small the odds. One didn't simply put herself into a position that resembled that of a slave without trying extra hard to gain the favor of a certain high-ranked witch. That's a clever simile, her familiar laughed, in that way only a rodent could, a funny mix between snickering and snorting. Assistants and apprentices are pretty much slaves. What does that make me?
"You are as much a part of me as I am of you, Due. But I'm trying to make a point here."
Right. You go on with that.
Her obstinacy and positive outlook on life, and let's not forget her innovative notions regarding alchemical practices, if not always good practices, had gotten her recommended to one of the highest-grossing witches in the industry, who also happened to not be a complete shut-in, as a mentor of sorts. Really, it was more like he was willing to answer her questions while she helped tidy up the place and put on a pretty smile whenever he got visitors.
If the potion making business didn't work out, he had once told her, he wouldn't mind giving her a job as salesclerk at one of his stores. Vera never knew what to make of this comment. At the moment, she was trying to shrug it off.
She wasn't about to give any of her dreams up. So she did what any other witch without a wind or augmentation affinity would: she ran faster.
Her hands slammed against the door with all the force of her body still in motion, making a loud and very disconcerting thud as it flew open.
"Master Xerune, I'm so sorry! I know it's no excuse, but—" she stopped short. There was someone else in the room other than Master Alchemist Xerune. To be precise, there was someone else instead of Master Xerune. Waiting, by the looks of it. A customer, perhaps? She didn't recognize him, but she didn't frequent the place often enough to recognize any other visitor of his. She tilted her head to a side, ever so slightly, in silent conjecture.
He looked young, a lot younger than the clients Master Xerune used to allow into his house. Then again, who was she to say he was or wasn't loaded in money?
Flashing him one of those smiles the house's owner liked to call 'yes, just the one,' Vera tried to correct her posture and tone and, well, pretty much all of her. "Hello, are you looking for Markus Xerune?" She scanned the room once more, trying to verify she hadn't indeed missed the alchemist's towering form. Which was pretty hard to do, at any rate. And then, as if his absence wasn't glaringly obvious and he wasn't clearly waiting for him to show up, she added, "I'm afraid he isn't available at the moment, but if you have a message or commission for him, I would gladly pass it on for you."
Vera's muscles relaxed. This was good. Very good, in fact. If the master alchemist wasn't here to witness her shameful arrival, she wouldn't get into any trouble for being late. Even if she did have a perfectly valid reason for it.
Post by elijah silverwood on Apr 21, 2017 6:36:43 GMT
eye for an eye.
Elijah is by no means the most proficient alchemist, nor is he the most experienced. In fact, he faces stiff competition from the swell of other alchemists in Sundial, the bane of his existence. Money is hard to come by and ingredients are too; if he wants his small business to flourish, he'll need to prove to the people that his products are better.
Which is why he finds himself in the middle of a master alchemist's house--who unfortunately, isn't here. At this, Elijah can only wait. He's visited him before; and it's always the same. Waiting, until the alchemist finally returns. It's during this time that he politely observes his home, eyes scanning the books that lined dusty shelves, and briefly flickering over the assorted vials.
All is quiet; at least, until the door slams open, shaking some of the vials in its places. Elijah turns to her quietly, raising an incredulous eyebrow. At this, the girl straightens, gives him a bright smile, and asks him if he's looking for the alchemist. Don't say anything rude. Vesuvia reminds him, and Elijah has to bite back a snide remark because Why else would he be here?.
But he holds his tongue--even though it gets especially hard when she tells him that she'll pass along a message. Even though he was here first. He clears his throat and looks at her in uncertainty. In the most polite tone he could muster, he speaks again.
"Thank you for the offer...but I have time to spare." He says, not bothering to fake a smile. At this, Elijah can only wonder. What has she already concluded about him? She doesn't look ill-intentioned, but he can never trust someone so easily. Elijah doesn't even think he's seen her around. But if she's an apprentice, he wouldn't want to be on her bad side.
"Oh," is all she can say in response. Although the tone he uses is perfectly polite, she can't help but miss the friendliness she's accustomed to giving and, in turn, receiving. She stops for a minute, the most silent minute of her day, her smile faltering and her head tilting towards the other side, before a new inquiry interrupts her self-assessment.
She straightens. Her green eyes widen. "A-assistant?" she asks, bewildered. Her lips are already moving to form a hundred and one ways to negate the idea, how preposterous, to even imagine herself as the master alchemist's assistant. "No! Of course not! I mean. A master alchemist's assistant? As enormous an honor as that would be... Well, yes, I mean I do come by sometimes to assist, but I'm not—" Vera clears her throat. She's already halfway through her speech, if that could even be considered a speech, when she realizes her tasks were suspiciously similar to those of an assistant's assistant. Or, rather, she's kindly reminded of the fact by her familiar's whisperings inside her head.
"I'm not his assistant," she finally confesses, refusing to believe otherwise. Her cheeks have darkened by a few tones since she started the ramble that never got anywhere, and her voice is rather meek when she finishes. For a moment, she looks just like a kid that's just been reprimanded. "He helps answer some of my questions on Alchemy sometimes! That's about it, really."
Vera's fingertips brush against her upper arms; an act of unconscious nervousness. "I hear he only takes Silvertongue witches as apprentices, anyway," she adds under her breath. Her somber mood is short-lived, however. Before long, she's back to her usual cheerful smile, as well as her usual tendency to ask more questions than what is strictly socially acceptable. "Oh! I'm Vera, by the way. What's your name? What were you looking Master Xerune for?"
Post by elijah silverwood on Apr 22, 2017 8:55:08 GMT
eye for an eye.
It seems as if she's already learned the one thing that most people understand about Elijah; that he may be polite, but not exactly friendly. Her smile shrinks, and she tilts her head to the side--it's as if he could see gears whirling behind her eyes, thinking. It's a look he's often seen in himself.
And when he asks if she's the assistant, her expressions suddenly morphs to surprise--no, shock even, as if she could even fathom such a thing. He watches in slight bemusement as she struggles to explain, words said in a rush until she finally catches herself. Cheeks redden in what was probably embarrassment, and she holds herself in a way that makes her look smaller; diminutive.
"...I see."
He nods, because it seems as if they have the same objective, although she couldn't be more different than him. Elijah pauses, wondering how to continue the conversation before the girl picks it up herself--and she's back into her happy persona, as if the past minute of their conversation had been cut up and thrown away from the timeline.
"My name is Elijah." He says, blinking. She reminds of him Ashanti, but more sudden; distracted. The thought of being surrounded by such an eccentric person makes him more tired; he could already feel the drain.
"I needed guidance on some alchemy as well," He says, casually sliding his hands into his pockets, leaning against a wooden shelf. It's then that he hears footsteps; the door opens, and Master Xerune himself walks into the room, followed by another person.
Elijah can only hope that this ordeal doesn't last any longer than necessary.
The boy seems convinced enough about the true nature of Vera's visit, which means she doesn't have to embarrass herself with another of those dumb speeches she delivers whenever she's nervous. Elijah, she mentally corrects herself. Elijah seems convinced enough. Nods and a short "I see," are more than enough proof, are they not? Yes. Yes, they are.
Except, even if she isn't embarrassing herself anew, his demeanor is so casual and calm and collected when he confesses to also seeking Master Xerune's guidance that, for a moment, she's not sure how to proceed. It makes him look so cool. Makes him look like his skills are so far beyond hers.
Would he be willing to share tips with her? Maybe even practice together?
This definitely makes a lot more sense than her initial assumptions. Oh, but she had so many more questions now!
"Really? Oh, that's such a funny coincidence—" She's about to ask, about to drop the bomb, when the door opens again, and in comes the master alchemist. Vera turns to the newcomer, only to find two newcomers rather than one. A young woman trails behind him, hands closed tensely in front of her chest, lips tightened in what she can only assume is worry.
"Rest assured, Miss Fray, that you will find the vial delivered to your residence before sunset," she can hear Master Xerune say. Curiosity is killing her, but she remains silent, aware of the solemn nature of this visit. It is only after he shoos the woman with a "Now, off you go. Take good care of your father while I prepare everything," and Miss Fray gently closes the door behind her, that Vera can finally find her voice again.
"What was that about?"
She can feel her familiar silently asking the same question.
The master alchemist seems distracted, barely even registering the presence of the two younger alchemists once they speak up. This, she is certain of, because he hasn't asked her to bring him his usual tools like he usually does. He looks up from the papers lying in a messy heap. It was one of the places he never allowed her to tidy up, and it secretly drove her mad.
"Oh, there you are," he says, and she's not sure if he means her or Elijah or even both of them. "Come, I have a task for you two."
Post by elijah silverwood on Apr 30, 2017 6:40:49 GMT
eye for an eye.
The other girl is interrupted when they hear voices, louder and clearer than before. The door opens before two people walk in; the Master Xerune and another woman.
Said person holds her hands in what he assumed was worry, her expression grim. He watches as the master alchemist directs her to the door, his voice gentle as he urges her out the door. It's quiet after the door closes. They're left to stare at the master alchemist as he runs a hurried hand through his hair and looks down at the pile of papers that laid on his desk.
When he finally looks at them, his eyes light up with an idea. He motions them closer, and Elijah takes a glance at the girl beside him until reluctantly stepping forward.
He smiles warmly at them before turning to his shelves, gathering a few vials and potions. "Part of an alchemist's job is to deliver goods and services to their clients." He says, swirling some liquid and observing it before putting it back into its place.
"I want you two to take these and deliver these to Miss Frey's residence."
Elijah nods, gratefully accepting the mission. He doesn't mind doing it with this girl, but she seems a little...scattered. Glass is very easy to break, and he doesn't want to disappoint. He'll have to keep to keep a close eye on her if she chooses to accept.
Vera wants to object, considering she's never once seen the master alchemist deliver any of his potions to his clients himself, but she bites and swallows this desire down. He'd never before asked something as sensitive as this of her, and even though she'd have someone else to carry it out with her, it made her feel like what she was doing was important.
Elijah has nodded his acceptance of the mission, and so Vera is left to add an excited "We won't disappoint you, Master Xerune!" before the room goes back into silence. Not an awkward silence, though; each of the witches present was focused on the small vial at the center of the master alchemist's table.
She watches the older witch start to brew the potion before them. Although neither he nor the now absent Miss Fray mentioned the name of the vial they were to deliver while they were in the room, Vera tries to deduce it from the ingredients he uses and its preparation itself—with admittedly mixed results.
The clear liquid with which he starts seems to be dissolved alkahest. She knows as much because they have a lot of it prepared for quick use, and it needs to be stirred before being used. It's the basic component for most alchemical recipes, which doesn't really give her a lot of insight into it.
She sighs, suddenly overcome with the urge to look sideways, look at Elijah, see if he's having more luck than her, if he's even trying to do the same as her. The fear that she's going to miss something is far stronger, though, and so she remains the entire fifteen minutes of preparation with her eyes glued to the vial.
Afterwards, Master Xerune explains to them that they need to let the potion sit for another fifteen minutes, and leaves them to watch over it while he answers the pigeon letters he received while he was out on another desk.
"So, Eli," she calls. "Is it all right if I call you that? Two syllables have always been easier than three."
She waits for his answer before getting to the point. "Do you know what the potion is? Master Xerune has failed to mention it to us, and I'm not sure if that was purposeful or if he just forgot, but I think this is a great opportunity to put our skills to the test, don't you think?" She smiles an encouraging smile at this, before the admission comes that "I tried following the steps, but I don't think I recognized the formula."
Post by elijah silverwood on May 2, 2017 3:59:24 GMT
eye for an eye.
Elijah supposes that makes sense, but even he has to admit that he hasn't ever seen Master Xerune anywhere but in his own house. He wouldn't be surprised if this isn't the first time he's asked this of his apprentices; after all, who can say no to a master alchemist? Certainly not Elijah.
Their confirmation stirs Master Xerune into action. The room quiets, and they watch curiously as he starts to brew a potion. His eyes follow the clear liquid swirling around on the inside of the glass; various types of ingredients are poured inside. Elijah is as studious as the next person, but it's nigh impossible to identify everything at his rank.
When he's finished, Master Xerune leaves the potion to sit on top of the table and promptly goes to answer some letters. They're left to themselves for the time being. Elijah almost couldn't believe it. Master Xerune must've put a lot of faith and trust in them if he would entrust them with a delivery, especially considering his reputation as an alchemist.
"That's what everyone calls me, so I suppose so." He murmurs in response to his new nickname. She talks quickly and in an excited tone, something he can't bring himself to mirror. Elijah shrugs at her question, sliding his hands into his pockets and leaning over the table to take a look at the potion. Clear liquid, bubbling at the surface.
"I'm not quite sure myself--that just means we have to be that much careful in order not to ruin it." Or ourselves, he thinks, trying not to remember stories of potions gone wrong. An alchemist guidebook would be useful right about now, but unfortunately it's not an option.
It doesn't take a genius to tell that Vera's happy. She's beaming at Elijah's—Eli's—response. From what she could gather of him so far, he was so reserved and quiet that even the allowance to call him by a nickname, whether or not that nickname was used by virtually everyone else and it was therefore not very original or special, was already an achievement.
"All right, Eli," she says tentatively, testing the new name in her tongue. "You can call me by any nickname you want, too, of course. If you want to, that is. Vera works just fine, if you don't. This friendship is not conditional or one-sided." Nevermind that they'd barely just met, Vera was already thinking of him as a friend.
He seems to inspect the almost finished potion once more at her question before replying. She nods in understanding at Elijah's own confession. The ability to pinpoint any potion at all was only acquired after a lot of experience, and the two were still young. Granted, there was a scroll that greatly eased this process, a scroll she had gotten her hands on not too long ago, but using it felt a lot like cheating.
The bit about being extra careful comes as a strange but very valid thought, and she finds herself nodding again. "For sure," she answers quickly.
She's not ready to give up on that little challenge of hers, however. Fully intending to make the most out of the remaining time until they were to leave for the Fray residence, she pushes for a bit more brainstorming. "Look at the way it's bubbling on the surface, though. If I remember correctly... that's a possible effect of mixing sodium-heavy ingredients, is it not?"
For a moment, she falls silent again, trying to remember what those ingredients were. The brunette had never been good at remembering names, though, especially so if they were names she'd read in a book. What she's much better at is remembering the effects of different ingredients she uses when cooking.
"All that comes to mind is baking soda," she sighs at last. Not very helpful.
Post by elijah silverwood on May 5, 2017 13:19:10 GMT
eye for an eye.
He had never expected someone to be so radiant and happy all the time; Elijah's acceptance of his nickname already has her beaming. He nods as she introduces herself, not thinking much else of it. He wouldn't call her a friend yet, per se, but he supposes that he doesn't mind, Vera may be a little too optimistic for his tastes, but she's doesn't seem to be malicious, and that's all he asks.
There's only a couple minutes left of the brew, and he watches as it bubbles on the surface. Vera's comments are valid, and he notes how the the bubbles form a slight foam top. Knitting his eyebrows together, Eli leans back and thinks.
"Baking soda...eye of toad, maybe some fairywing dust?" He says, naming some of the things that are (mostly) clear. He shrugs. Master Xerune didn't really give them much of an option, and Elijah doubts that he'll say what it is if asked.
Eventually, the potion settles and stills, and a beat passes before it changes into a light blue color. He looks back at Vera with raised eyebrows.
She's nodding at Elijah's own observations, glad that he's decided to share them. Eye of toad... was pretty gross. She'd never ever think of using any toad eyes in her recipes, and so it didn't cross her mind this time, either. When her fellow alchemist mentions it, though, it makes all the sense in the world. Fairywing dust, she's never heard of before, but it sounds like another macabre ingredient that could just as easily be in the mix.
"Ingredients with energizing properties," she concludes out loud. She remembers similar ingredients being used in the Vial of the Hyacinth she's finally gotten around to learn, though of course this potion was different. Was it Master Xerune's own take on the healing vial, or a completely different recipe? Perhaps only time and the master alchemist himself would be able to tell. Or Miss Fray! Once they got to deliver her potion, surely she'd be willing to share its name.
Her train of thought seems to speed time up, for before she notices their fifteen minutes are up. The liquid becomes a pretty light blue, Elijah's ready to get going, and Markus Xerune's ready to show them off. The latter doesn't even wait for a farewell from them before closing the door in their faces.
"Well," she says, "Let's get going." It comes out as more a question than a statement, she later realizes, but that was relatively unimportant. Elijah's carrying the vial, and so Vera's left to hold up the piece of parchment on which Master Xerune lazily scribbled an address. "It's not too far. Close to the City Center, in fact," she comments, perhaps to reassure him, perhaps to reassure herself that their task was simple enough and it was nigh impossible to mess up, and starts to lead the small party of two east, towards Center Square.
"So, how long have you known Master Xerune for?" Vera asks once they've settled into a comfortable pace.
Post by elijah silverwood on May 13, 2017 6:14:24 GMT
eye for an eye.
He nods, taking the vial and swirling the water around. It's very similiar to potions with energizing properties, the light blue tint not dissimiliar to the Vial of Hyacinth. Master Xerune has probably adjusted the recipe to his own tastes and preferences, something that an experienced alchemist usually does. He wonders when he'll reach that stage, if he'll ever be able to throw together ingredients and know exactly what it'll come out to.
When the clock ticks to a close, he nods, placing the vial carefully in his messenger bag. It's carefully packed, wrapped in cloth that should keep it padded enough to weather the walk. Elijah nods in confirmation, thanking Master Xerune on his way on. "That should be around a thirty minute walk." He says, twenty-five if they walk quickly. He doesn't see much reason in rushing, but if they want to get it done quickly he can see why.
It doesn't take long for Vera to strike up conversation again, and he slips his hands in his pockets, thinking.
"A year or so. Not long, but I come by quite often. I reckoned he was busy, so I thought he'd appreciate some help." He admits. At first, it seemed weird to be at Master Xerune's house so much, but eventually they'd settled on a comfortable schedule.
Half an hour sounded about right. Although Miss Fray did seem in a big hurry to have her potion delivered to her, Master Xerune himself had at no point acted or made them believe its delivery was a life-or-death matter. If anything, he seemed pretty chill about the whole ordeal: taking his time preparing it, then letting them oversee it as he went back to his letters. Leaving the delivery to them, rather than one of his certified couriers was, in itself, another sign this couldn't be that urgent a matter. She nods. Half an hour would be short enough a time, wouldn't it?
Probably.
"A year or so, huh?" she repeats, and at this her mind tries to recall what exactly she was doing a year ago. Nothing much, she realizes as her gaze drifts off and lands on a pretty little cardinal perching on a cherry tree's thin branch. It feels like so much has happened since then. Not only was she starting to get more involved in the coven she'd joined when she turned eighteen, she was finally reconnecting with those dreams she wanted to follow when she did.
Vera finds herself smiling. "I've only been around for a couple of months, actually. One of my professors at Lux probably got tired of me asking so many specialized questions that had little to do with our actual syllabus, so she sent me here instead. Said I could learn a thing or two from—what did she call him?—I think she said 'that damned geezer,' though I could be mistaken."
That wasn't the important part, though. What the brunette alchemist really wanted to talk about was how incredibly cluttered the place was whenever she arrived. "Isn't his working station the messiest one you've ever seen?" she gushes, happy to finally have an outlet for her frustrations. "Merlin, if you've also been helping out all this time, I can only wonder how it was before either of us arrived! And that table where he brewed this last potion? Doesn't it drive you mad that he refuses to tidy it up?"
Post by elijah silverwood on May 20, 2017 19:10:21 GMT
eye for an eye.
It's been a year or so since he joined Silvertongue; his visits to Master Xerune had started shortly after, so he'd reckoned it had been nearly a year. Or so. Vera repeats what he says, smiling--apparently she's a student on Lux University. He'd never gotten around to applying there.
Elijah can't help but smile despite himself. Master Xerune is most certainly old. He can be rather moody at the wrong times; but his knowledge of alchemy is indespensible, and Vera recognizes that. At this, he finds that he and Vera may actually have something in common.
"How is Lux? I'm surprised that professor sent you to Master Xerune. Shouldn't she at least try to answer your questions?" Elijah asks. After all, universities are the holders of knowledge. The professors should learn as much as the students, in his opinon.
He can't help but scoff a little, because he entirely understands how messy and dirty the place can be. Elijah will, more often than not, clean up desks and shelves, wiping away remnants of old potions and throwing away broken bottles of glass. It takes him twice as long just to look for everything because of the mess.
At such frustrations, he laughs and shakes his head. "It's terrible." He admits, "It's like his mind is everywhere at once. He's so focused on making potions that he never bothers to put things back where they belong."
Walking around in the city like this, gossiping about other people--Elijah has always thought he was above such nuances. But right now, he supposes that he doesn't really mind, enjoying the finer points in life every so often. He's usually not so open to conversation like this.
"I know that sometimes when I visit it's not overwhelmingly messy--that's you, isn't it? I appreciate that."
"Oh, she tried, at first," she admits, sheepishly. Her cheeks color in embarrassment that could rival the same one she felt when it happened. Time had evidently done little to alleviate her shame. She tries to focus on the first part of his question, to keep her mind from remembering, but she only manages a weak "Lux is great! We've got this huge botanical garden where we get to grow all sorts of ingredients for potions. There are even magically powered greenhouses for very particular plants and flowers! But um..."
Soon enough, her mind returns to the other, much less pleasant matter.
"Let's just say that it involved moody people, a few explosions, and many, many pigeon letters." She leaves it at that. The tale of how she got Professor Hathaway to finally give up on her was one she wasn't particularly proud of, or comfortable to share. Vera was actually quite sorry she couldn't answer him properly, when he actually sounded interested to top things off, but not sorry enough to sacrifice her own comfort. Eli would just have to make do with what he got for now. Perhaps one day she'd be able to get over it and share the anecdote with him, but that day is not today.
She's beaming at Elijah's response to her bout of whining regarding Master Xerune's very particular quirks. Vera wasn't quite expecting such a positive, enthusiastic response, even if its topic wasn't the most positive or enthusiastic of all. It's still both reassuring to know she's not the only one bothered by the master alchemist's disorder, and delightful to hear the young man laughing. "Isn't it?" she agrees, giving in to the contagiousness of his laughter.
Their stroll through the residential area has them pass by a particularly noisy park full of kids playing ball. Not making them bounce with their hands, of course, but with magic. Vera barely ducks out of the trajectory of one inflatable ball, by shoving her body to the side. Where her companion just so happens to be. She crashes to the ground, and is pretty sure he's fallen too, just as sure as she is about one of the kids shouting an apology from the distance. She pays these two thoughs little mind.
What her mind is thinking about is the peculiar sound of shattering glass she heard. It... it couldn't be the potion, right? The potion was in a very safe vial of reinforced glass. It was charmed against accidents like this. Wasn't it? It... had Master Xerune used one of the reinforced glasses that were supposed to have come in from the enchanters' guild earlier that day?
