OOC: This is my first attempt at this sort of thing here, so please bear with me as I try to ease into a comfortable style. I'm going to mess with a "Dear Diary" sort of format, as I've never tried one before. This is a post of a whole lot of firsts! I actually intended to do more about Aurelis herself... but she's a relatively secretive person, so I guess it makes sense that the direction sort of changed itself. *lol* I hope it's only half as boring as I think it is. ] From the journal of a Teir'Dal necromancer named Aurelis. After years of studying the books I obtained from my instructor's desk, I decided I was ready a trial at the Academy of Arcane Sciences to earn the official recognition of my talents in the art of necromancy. Paragon Jalex was supposed to oversee my trial, but when I arrived, that half-brained Ellynottin Zookbiddle was waiting for me. She never liked me. I never liked her. It was bound to be a failure of a trial. The bones that were presented were awfully small. Ellynottin said nothing when I questioned their lacking size, just stood there, waiting expectantly. I proceeded with the careful ritual of bringing life back into the dusty bones and watched as they sprung into the air and became a bat. I was nearly laughed out of the Academy for the rather unimpressive display, but the bat proved to be most obedient. How was I to know that uttering the words "I wish you all were dead" would send the thing into a frenzy? Perhaps that is why the Academy is located right beside the home of the Dismal Rage, as the priests came rushing over at the sound of the screams. Poor little Lebeker. I hardly knew him before the Consternator Soulinus killed him... again. At least I had some fun while he was alive (again). After the incident the Academy refused to let me attempt the trial again and had me put on temporary exile to the Commonlands. I don't know what they're so upset about. They're the ones that provided me the bones, after all. Clutching my books on necromancy, I watched as the gates to West Freeport were shut, leaving me outside. Thankfully, an ogre by the name of Mooshga thought I was an adventurer, and traded me some soup for my agreement to offer my services. I wonder if, to this day, she's still waiting for me to return with the items she requested. The Commonlands was a particularly unfair place to be temporarily exiled to, since no one was dead for very long. I can testify that Ellynottin was that feeble-minded before she was dead for three minutes. I could be mistaken, but I think the experience actually made her a little smarter, even. It was dry. I remember it very clearly. The grass was dry, the air was dry, and my throat was dry. All around me were beetles, snakes, scorpions and... bats. At the sight of them, I was strengthened by the memory of little Lebeker and slaughtered the strongest one I could find with a Rot spell I learned at the Academy. After the remains simmered in the heat of the sun for a while, I brought it back and told him that his name was Jebeker. To my satisfaction, he squeaked, and followed alongside me. The beating of his wings provided cool bursts of air that made the heat seem that much more bearable. Yes, Jebeker was a good pet, but I had other plans that only temporarily included him. How fortunate that a bat cannot read minds and was unaware of how his (second) time was shortening the closer we got to the Turmoil Cemetary, where my dear old friend Harvey lay in his grave, waiting. I'm sure he didn't know he was waiting, as his brains had probably rotted away a long time ago, but since he wouldn't be waiting much longer, these details are rather trivial. [OOC: okay, first-person "dear diary" memories isn't for me... *lol* I'll try something different tomorrow... I think I've gotten myself lost on a mental 'Aure meets Harvs' tangent, so I guess I'll try that in third-person, maybe.]
