Aia del Mana

I did find it quite the challenge to set of a status - it doth appear that the "open" button on the right were obstructed by the Compass which there also lies.

Snowman, 15 gold.

Snowman, 13 gold.

Snowman, 11 gold.

Snowman, 8 gold.

Snowman, 5 gold.

As with the description of Aelis, and with respect to those who did answer afore him, I believe there to be no true equivalent within the English language to describe wiiya. Yet, with observation of its properties, one may hopefully conceptualise of it. "Identity" were the word that Mur chooses to use in his announcement - I believe this to be the same concept of of "identity" as he describes within the Timeless Shot spell (https://magicduel.com/index.php?pag=samplespell) - this were not the same as the usual "identity" as it were commonly used in the English language; rather, some distilled portion of its meaning. I contend that this distilled portion were also present in concepts of "potential", or "will", or of "information" or "structure"; even "change" or "augmentation", each a more appropriate term in each functional concept, as here I do illustrate in several observations. The first observation: Wiiya is obtained from Wiiya bubbles, as collected during Seedwalks. During these seedwalks, one offers of various types of information to different trees, in different manners; each then yielding of some Wiiya in response. It may be that the process of transforming a thought into words, then being understood by a tree - a very different form - distills this information; offered back to us as a bubble of pure Wiiya. The second observation: Wiiya may be consumed by Grasans (among others); that which they do yield of that which their name doth imply. The Exfoliating Grasan, in example, doth appear as any other Grasan until it were exposed to Wiiya; that which impresses upon this creature and willed to create of its byproduct of Skin. In this concept, while "identity" were appropriate, I contend the meaning were closer to that of "impression" or even "accentuation" - in this example, it turns a Grasan that were exfoliating as any other, into one which doth create solely of Skin. The third observation: The presence and distribution within this realm; and its eponymous name. One finds this in abundance at Awiiya's Way, for which Wiiya is named. Awiiya was a philosopher, a friend, and a man who became a tree; in doing so; he became quite the example of what Wiiya may enable - a change in one's form consistent with one's will. Awiiya willed himself to become a tree - and through will alone did become it; a change in his identity; a realisation of his potential. Wiiya to the realm must be all of these things; if I were to choose a single descriptor; it would be distilled (or "filtered") change, in its pure form, much in the way that Fenths are distilled matter. I envision, then, that Wiiya must have other applications within the realm that were not yet implemented; in example, sufficient change may be required to a scene to unlock of passage to another; a tree's interlocked branches may instead form a passageway. Some creatures may require some Wiiya to ascend to another form which were previously beyond reach (such that parallels the mutation from an Angien to a Tainted Angien or Drachorn to Wind Drachorn). As much of the realm has potential to be mutable, endless possibilities do await, if I am correct in analysis, and conjecture.

Memories in the Wind, Ch.2. _____ The Howling Gates towered over Syrian's hooded figure, as a familiar cold wind welcomed her from within Necrovion's walls. She drew her cloak ever tighter around herself in response, taking note of a slight, motionless supplicant sitting beside three extinguished candles. A closer look revealed her identity; Ailith's facade remained entranced and unmoving; it would not do to disturb her. Syrian reached into the pockets of her cloak; finding a small ration of wrapped pickles, she gently placed the offering beside the candles; brushing her fingers lightly over the still glowing candle-wicks; their now restored blaze illuminated the pages of a nearby codex. Syrian could just make out an illustration of a meek, elderly man standing inside a golden circle drawn in the sand. Drawing her cloak near again, Syrian walked through the still imposing broken frame. The bittersweet recollections of exile momentarily distracted her from the surreality of the fine Necrovian sands between her toes; she was home. _____ The mossy wooden door of the Lore Manor creaked open. A cloth-bound figure looked up from his study of the codex on his lap, its pages open to a rough sketch of a decaying cathedral adjacent to a large crevasse. Recognising the priestess, he closed the pages and stood to greet her; she curtsied in return greeting before sitting beside him, amongst the many shelves. "Ah, Lazarus; mine noble knight. Knowst thou how one may retrieve of lost memories?" Lazarus nodded; the light click of memory stones in his hand his answer. Aia frowned briefly. "And how may one find memories unbound to stones?" Lazarus shrugged, placing the stones back into one of the cloth-folds of his tattered burial-garment. "Dreams, perhaps, or a dreamer?" A smile materialised on Aia's face. "Let us find them, then." _____ A trail of dainty footprints lined the soft sand paths of the Well of Tears. One could just make out a string of steps from the western entrance, then two, maybe three circles around the well. A closer examination suggested their creator must have brushed over them with some floor-length garment; obscuring their onward path. Lashtal frowned - shades did not leave footprints; which being dared tempt their wrath? A brisk stroll toward the western Necrovian entrance revealed a small congregation in the distance - just outside the Howling Gates; Lashtal could just make out a faint, flickering glow in the centre. Lashtal cursed under his breath; avoiding the shades was hard enough without rescue missions. Selecting two trusty ropes from his collection, he knotted some intricate loops; then tested the newfangled bindings on his wrist; they held firm. Concealing them under his cloak, Lashtal continued onward, approaching the small crowd lingering under the northern part of the entrance. He paused; this was no festivity, but a solemn gathering. The soft howl of the winds broke the silence at their namesake gates; the congregated remained at their silent vigil around three blazing candles. Lashtal sat among them; none stirred. The candlelight illuminated some facial features; some he recognised as once being Necrovian, especially the woman kneeling closest to the candles - this was unmistakeably Ailith, although she now wore her hair in a loose bun. Flickers of light passed over the woman kneeling beside Ailith; Lashtal caught a brief glimpse of her bowed head, obscured by locks of her golden hair. Could that be...? Lashtal blinked; the dead priestess was here. Several questions passed Lashtal's mind; he set them aside, lest his presence be noticed. Patience; Lashtal disciplined himself - now was not the time to ask. _____ Syrian bowed her head as she passed through the low-hanging entrance of the Accursed Growth. A chorus of chattering greeted her; the soft glow of many turning specks monitored the intruder's movements. A faint smile passed across her features; none noticed. Not all your inhabitants have been exiled; not yet; and so there is hope for all of us, thought Syrian. She leant against the sapwood and slumbered under the watch of a thousand eyes. _____

[07/06/19 07:36] :Aia steps into Deathmarrow, taking a moment to gaze at the full-moon peering through the spires [07/06/19 07:36] :Aia turns to Lazarus and curtsies in greeting [07/06/19 07:37] Aia:Ah, Lazarus; this were quite the change in scenery from our usual sacred grounds; and yet, I sense of auspicious omens. [07/06/19 07:38] :Aia glances at the Shade in the corner [07/06/19 07:39] Aia:Wer't safe to commence of sacrament in its presence? [07/06/19 07:40] Lazarus:We are [07/06/19 07:40] :Lazarus appears from the dark cave behind him [07/06/19 07:42] Lazarus:With the blessings of the Shades, we can commence the ritual [07/06/19 07:42] :Lazarus thrusts his walking stick on the ground and chants, motions Aia to bow down [07/06/19 07:43] :Aia bows deep and low [07/06/19 07:44] :Aia joins Lazarus in chant [07/06/19 07:44] :Lazarus looks up to the sky and chants to the Moon [07/06/19 07:45] Aia: *chants* Through death and darkness life arise [07/06/19 07:45] Aia:Thy glimmers do ignite the skies [07/06/19 07:45] Aia:Cast shadows upon Necrovion's palace [07/06/19 07:45] Aia:And from within, restore the balance. [07/06/19 07:46] Lazarus:Luna, I ask you to bless your Daughter, Aia, with strength and perseverance so that she may traverse these lands safely [07/06/19 07:47] :Lazarus turns to Aia [07/06/19 07:48] :Aia nods to Lazarus and produces an intricately carved silver chalice [07/06/19 07:48] :Aia places the chalice in the moonbeam on the ground and fills it with elemental rainwater [07/06/19 07:48] Lazarus:In the name of Necrovion and of the will of the Shades, I bless you, Lady Aia of the Eclipse [07/06/19 07:49] Lazarus:A rebirth of Tainting. May you be exalted and held high by your peers and enemies alike [07/06/19 07:49] :Aia solemnly nods [07/06/19 07:50] :[Spell] Arise Aia [07/06/19 07:50] Aia: *lifts the glowing chalice* Solemnly do I receive; [07/06/19 07:51] Aia:Fervently do I believe [07/06/19 07:51] Aia:Mine vessel ever thine to shape [07/06/19 07:51] Aia:Thy blessing ever mine to take. [07/06/19 07:52] Lazarus:Rise and show the realm who you truly are. Rise, Aia, Daughter of the Moon: Priestess of the Moon's light [07/06/19 07:52] :Lazarus bows to Aia [07/06/19 07:52] Lazarus:My lady [07/06/19 07:53] :Aia drinks the tainted waters from the chalice and rises, her new form unfolding before Lazarus [07/06/19 07:54] :Aia spreads her new wings [07/06/19 07:54] :Lazarus stands up [07/06/19 07:55] Aia:Blessed Lazarus; what a wondrous gift. [07/06/19 07:55] Lazarus:You look divine, my lady [07/06/19 07:56] Lazarus:Such a being is worthy of a corpse Knight, I feel honored to be yours [07/06/19 07:56] Aia: *blushes* I am ever changed, of thy blessing. [07/06/19 07:57] :Lazarus nods [07/06/19 07:57] Aia: *beams* And ever blessed to have thee in mine service. [07/06/19 07:57] Lazarus:I hope that you adore the taint [07/06/19 07:58] Lazarus:For it is the most beautiful thing [07/06/19 07:58] Aia:I accept the taint as mine own. [07/06/19 07:59] :Lazarus takes his walking stick and distances himself from Aia\'s magnificence [07/06/19 07:59] Lazarus:I'm afraid I have to part ways, my lady, if you will [07/06/19 08:00] :Aia nods [07/06/19 08:00] Lazarus:I shall see you soon [07/06/19 08:00] Aia:I shall remain; I believe Necrovion may need of our service. [07/06/19 08:01] Lazarus:I see, I am glad [07/06/19 08:01] :Aia draws up the many folds of her dress and curtsies low to Lazarus [07/06/19 08:01] Aia:May the taint ever remain as witness to Necrovian blessing. [07/06/19 08:02] :Lazarus bows to Aia and walks backwards until he disappears into the darkness [07/06/19 08:04] :Aia spreads her wings again and flutters them a little [07/06/19 08:05] :Aia used the Acousticremains stone to temporarily learn the Acousticremains spell [07/06/19 08:07] :Aia audite [07/06/19 08:08] :Aia audite [07/06/19 08:08] :Aia frowns [07/06/19 08:09] :Aia audite [07/06/19 08:09] Lazarus: (Lol change casting words maybe?) [07/06/19 08:10] :Aia audite reliquiis [07/06/19 08:11] Aia: (maybe it seems to hate that word) [07/06/19 08:11] :Aia reliquiis [07/06/19 08:11] Aia: (nope... okay) [07/06/19 08:11] Lazarus: (Does it have asterisks?) [07/06/19 08:12] Aia: (yes... two on either side like the other spells) [07/06/19 08:12] Aia: (what...) [07/06/19 08:12] Lazarus: (Try getting rid of it perhaps) [07/06/19 08:13] :Aia murmure [07/06/19 08:13] Aia: (argh) [07/06/19 08:14] :Lazarus failed to cast a spell [07/06/19 08:15] :[Spell] **audite murmure** Aia

This idea were one truly worthy of attention and careful development; thou'rt truly a shaper of the realm, blessed Sushi. I believe there to be many locations fit for this purpose; that which did occur foremost to myself were the Prison (wherein one may plot her escape through nefarious means), or within the Hollow Den (if one should choose to pursue of a beast within and rescue of a Lorerootian Archer); beneath the Paper Cabin or within the Archives may also yield of interesting possibilities (such as the discovery of a Spell-Document or to gain a new Principle of Magic). Do let me know if I may be of service to this project; although I am not blessed of code-weaving or of artistry, I should hope that I may contribute to the quest-writing, and the language and puzzles within.

As I am told the Adventure Log doth lie at an indefinite hiatus, I did think to continue of its progress. I hope that mine narration, in the common-tongue, were enjoyable to read; if it were not so, I should like of constructive feedback. It doth continue where the Adventure Log has paused, upon page 572. __________________________________________ Memories in the Wind, Ch.1. _____ Samon wiped the sweat from his brow as he walked inside from the rain. It had been a while since he had been called upon for a burial. Such a violent death, he thought; the image of the priestess's lifeless body flashing before his eyes once more. Such was the job of a Caretaker; at least it was something to break up the repetition of dusting the gravestones, trimming the poppies, and tormenting the Tormented Souls. A tap on the door, then, muffled murmurs. Samon rose hastily, but the messenger was gone; in her place a woven wreath of white flowers, and a small envelope with a waxen seal. Samon examined the seal briefly before breaking it; this was unmistakenly the Lorerootian royal seal. How odd, thought Samon; Lintara certainly preferred to communicate with enchanted butterflies. Ah, of course, thought Samon, as he read the flowing script-hand. He gently lifted the wreath and stepped out to place it upon the freshly filled grave. _______ Lintara set out towards the Drywater Temple; her small entourage in tow, carrying all sorts of heat stones and erolin-spheres. A risk, perhaps; she briefly recalled the butterfly that had whispered advice from a far-away mentor. A risk worth taking. She directed her entourage to place the stones in the receptacle, and ignited them with the heat from the erolin-spheres, careful not to burn her fingers in the process. Before long, a roaring fire lit up the receptacle, and Lintara and her entourage stood and watched in solemn silence; broken only by the crackling flames, and then, by whispers... faint whispers; but present, unmistakable whispers, in the old language. Lintara breathed a sigh of relief. "Aia! I thought we had lost you for good." The priestess's form materialised within the inner chamber of the Drywater Temple, and many curtsies and hugs were exchanged. ______ Aia sat by the water's edge. The faint reflection of the moon on the pond at Raven's Peace always brought her solace; why was it so different now, she thought, as she racked her mind for her favourite memories. Mnemnosis was not kind to one's mind; she thought; some memories may be lost forever; but there was something important, just... gone. Maybe it would return to her, in time. Aia sighed; at least she was alive. ______ Necrovion stirred; an unusual state of matters for the once barren land. Dark beings shuffled within, agitated, for their Voice was gone; their Chaos apparent without its direction. Lashtal recalled watching a shadowy figure disappear, and a barrage of shades follow after. He could sympathise with their plight; after all, the humans of Necrovion had once had their own chaos, brought about by espionage and internal conflict; then had been exiled from their homes. Patrolling the land was much too dangerous now; death would already find those that dared enter. He stashed his assassination rope into his satchel; he would no longer need it, and it would hardly do to appear threatening against a barrage of shades. _____ Ailith awoke from her restless sleep. Again, she thought. Dreaming was hardly a luxury these days; if only they were more pleasant! Ailith paused to reflect before turning to a new page of her journal; the last two were already filled with visions from her dreams of the last few nights; dark figures; one a shadowy, humanoid; a blood-red moon; a tiny angien. She dipped her quill and began another expert sketch; this time the shadow of a little girl; illuminated by the glow of the faint embers of three newly extinguished candles. Such vibrant, familiar dreams, thought Ailith, as the final quill-strokes completed her artistry. Far too real for a dream - it was almost as if someone else had implanted this memory into her own mind. Frowning, she closed the pages of her journal. There were definitely some familiar places; maybe they would reveal the meanings of these vibrant memories. _____ An easterly wind brushed the cheeks of Ailith's stoic facade as she ventured south past the solitary Gazebo. Ah, here it was - the tiny angien stood within the broken frame of the ominous Howling Gates. Ailith sat beside it, and procured three candles from her satchel, placing them in the soft Necrovian sands. Satisfied, she struck a heat stone to light them, and sat in seiza; closing her eyes to the world. Maybe a continuous dream might make more sense. Three days did she keep her vigil, as travellers passed by the Howling Gates. Ailith awoke from her trance to find her candles extinguished, and her satchel full of delicious, smoked bacon, its aroma rudely interrupted by the caustic scent of belladonna. How long have I been here, she wondered. Putting this thought aside, she opened her journal and began sketching her visions once more, rapid, coarse brush-strokes making quick work of several pages. Leaving the pages to dry, she paused to consume the bacon before reigniting her candles. The gentle sway of the flames in the wind distracted her only momentarily before she closed her eyes and continued her motionless vigil. __________________________________________ The second chapter were forthcoming; if there do exist events which I cannot observe and yet were worthy of this journal, I should like to know - do send myself a message in private upon this Forum.

I did note of the lost age of one of mine 14th anniversary creatures this day. Those that had been granted thus far were of thousands of days of age; I did then find this morning that mine anniversary creature were but a mere forty-five days old. Were this an intended rectification, or merely an undesired result?

Ah, the anomaly has been re-produced. One merely needst create a Heat Stone upon the Island of the Gateway from a Memory Stone collected with a Memory Stone Detector - this results in the above bug.

It appears that I cannot recreate this anomaly when using stones obtained from the Heat Solidifier. Indeed, when there had been a single stone that did function as intended, the "o" spell did disappear, and the casts of the Heat spell did increase as intended. I presently create of a heat stone upon the Island of the Gateway; when this were ready, I shall test this anew.

A kind offer. I shall find thee either upon the Island, or at the Gazebo of Equilibrium.

I believe I did, although I recall that another being did pass two of them to myself in the past. I cannot recall precisely which stones were created upon the Island; I believe I have made at least three. I do not possess of further heat-stones, but I am creating another upon the island presently, that I may replicate of this anomaly again.

I do note that there do exist some heat stones which do not function as intended. This anomaly I did note in the presence of Azull, just prior to server time 10:20 on May 23 (Day 142, Year 14): Upon their use, I did find that I had not gained any casts of spells; merely a new line within the spell-interface: I believe these heat-stones to have been created upon the Island of the Gateway, with stones obtained using the Memory Stone Detector, although I cannot confirm this (another may have granted me these stones). However, I also do confirm that there are other stones created upon this Island which did function as intended.

Warm wishes to thee this birth-day, Azull.

Many thanks to all for thy well-wishes this day.

I wish thee a blessed birth-day also, Lazarus. May it be filled with joy and merriment for thyself and those dear to thee.

Many thanks to Sushi for creation of this contest, and also for such generous provision of reward, each of which I note requires of significant time and effort from thine own tireless being. I certainly did not expect to win this avatar, but I promise it shall go to a character worthy of its beauty; I vow that it should not stay locked within a vault, but be displayed by one who shall provide of further depth to her being.

Hereby do I close of all entries to this contest. Herewith, the entries: Demonic God: 0,0,3,5,6,7 NathanBlake: 1,1,3,5,5,6 Nepgear: 1,1,1,6,6,6 Aelis: 0,0,5,5,5,6 dst: 0,0,4,5,6,6 Ungod: 0,0,4,5,6,6 (As Ungod and dst did submit the same die, if their die were that which were victorious, I shall grant each an anniversary creature. Additionally, a victory against this die is worth double, as there are two separate opponents.) A simple round-robin shall declare the winner, then: Demonic God vs NathanBlake (tie): Demonic God vs Nepgear (0:1) Demonic God vs Aelis (1:0) Demonic God vs dst/Ungod (do note of identical entries; 1:0 and 1:0 respectively???? NathanBlake vs Nepgear (0:1) NathanBlake vs Aelis (1:0) NathanBlake vs Ungod/dst (tie) Aelis vs Nepgear (0:1) Aelis vs Ungod/dst (0:1 and 0:1) Nepgear vs dst/Ungod (1:0 and 1:0) Final standings: Nepgear defeated dst, Ungod, Aelis, NathanBlake, and Demonic God - a clean sweep! Demonic God defeated Aelis, dst and Ungod NathanBlake defeated Aelis dst defeated Aelis Ungod defeated Aelis (Ah, what misfortune, Aelis.) Thus do I declare Nepgear the victor of this contest - an anniversary creature were due to thee.

I hereby close of all entries to this quest. Samon, Demonic God, and Aelis hath answered it correctly; Lazarus also hath submitted an entry, although it were an incorrect solution; all shall receive of five plushies. Herewith do find Aelis's solution: However, one should note that one may simply assume the balloons instead pass through each other, as the end result were still two balloons travelling in opposite directions. One may then simply multiply 2019 by 2019 for the desired answer of 4076361 collisions.

Here do I close this quest, as I believe there were naught that wish a further last-minute entry. So Jubaris did, in fact, decipher the stone tablet within a matter of hours of release of this quest, and did then take of many days to answer the final riddle; I commend especially of his ability to decipher. The hints are as follows: 1. There exist hints. 2. The shade's sibling is a blind. (The shade's other sibling were an awning.) Naturally, the blind shall send a message in Braille; the tablet above is indeed comprised of a cipher in Braille, with connected dots, save for one symbol. This shall yield of this: every rose has its þorn þnf etfe þhd þnimfe eh fltdþ ni fetylþ þt wltfftu uh sniu hs egdþ yiu btylþ þt þnir þhd fttmfe uhþ kngghg þtt yiu edgif þa þhdroef bnþni eh ftt 3. I am the third hint. Those who have spoken to myself within the realm do know that I do speak somewhat in the archaic, although not truly so. This doth explain the symbol þ - "thorn" - used in older inscriptions of English. Upon the commencement of the printing-press, this did fall into disuse; yet, it remains still in Icelandic tongues in this form; its pronounciation, and transliteration, were as the dipthong "th". A simple substitution, then, with this character in place, yields the following riddle (save for the first line, a key to its decipherment.) This test thou thinkst to sleuth in stealth The blessed do find of truth and wealth The thing thou seekst doth mirror thee And turns thy thoughts within to see. 4. The final key were suggestive of the solution. If one finds which letters in Braille do correspond to those within this cipher: a = y b = w d = u e = t f = s g = r h = o i = n k = m l = l One further notes that these are reflected - in example, f shall become s, and vice versa. The answer to the riddle, then, is reflection - that which mirrors thee, and turns thy thoughts within to see. To all those that participated, I thank thee for honouring myself with thine efforts - thus far, I have received of partial attempts from Rophs and Aelis, as well as a complete solution from Jubaris.