{"ops":[{"insert":"It all started with this deck, so here is the start of our tale.\n\nI find myself waking yet again from my \"sleep\". The nightmares keep occurring. I don't know why I can't get them out of my head but they're getting strangely persistent. Nil is still asleep as I write this. The yellow moon is illuminating this entry but I can not allow for them to see my documents, no matter how much actual forbidden knowledge they present, so I am closing the curtain and donning my Spectacles of Darkvision - Note, I did not name these. Blame someone else for the tackiness -. Last time I told Phanuel about this, she told me to write down what is causing this. So here I am, within a new journal to document my past experiences. \n\n"},{"attributes":{"underline":true},"insert":"A night to Remember 1-1"},{"insert":"\n\nIt all started back in the first Year of The Lich. We did not know his name, nor why he was doing this but we knew that this was not going to stop until we stopped him. Fate themselves had told us so, and we dared not to change fate's course for fear of what it may cause. \n\nI keep dreaming of that first night. All of us sitting beneath the endless sky. All of us were heroes, but none of us had earned out titles yet. We were only hero in name, and strangers amongst strangers. \nIt was Phanuel who broke the silence. Her holy helmet pointed directly into the fire. Her black hair hung out the top of the helmet like a flag or an emblem of her existence, proof she was still standing.\n\"I understand we know not of each other, so I believe introductions are in order. I will begin.\" She stood tall, despite being a human she rivaled my own height and her armor only made her seem larger. As she took off her helmet, revealing her face to us for the first time, she smiled and spoke. \"I am "},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Phanuel"},{"insert":", I am from the city of Kylor and I am trained in defense and front line combat.\" She looked each of us in the eyes as she spoke, her eyes were just as dark as her hair, a strange raven black that seemed to mirror the abyss above and mimicked the depth of coals. Is it any wonder it all turned radiant like that of diamonds? Ah but that is much later in our story.\nAt the time, I was sitting directly to her left, and she looked so expectantly at me that I had stuttered out a response as I finally stood up. \"I-I am "},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Michael "},{"insert":"of house "},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Vlaoris "},{"insert":"- Gods even writing that name brings fury to my heart - and I have been trained on the power of magic and backline support. I work better in the back but I can be mid-ranged. I have zero capability for the close up and personal though.\" I tried to keep eye contact with the others but I found it all too awkward at the time. Gods, I was so new to the world. To think I was the oldest in the group. I wish we had more time together.\n\"Aye, I suppose I'll be next.\" Said the wood elf beside me as she stood. She was wearing Leather and Wool garments that appeared like that of the very ground we had been sitting on. \"I am "},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Anthousa Belgoth"},{"insert":". I have been trained in the ways of the ranger, scouting, foraging, hunting and the like. I assure you all I am a master in all the ways of the ranger.\" She spoke so fluently, yet in a plain manner all at the same time. I wondered how we were both elves. Though very little of her skin showed, I could see her forearms were scarred and dirtied. She certainly lived up to the wood elf stereotypes at this moment but I had judged far too soon.\nThe next to stand was a strange person who was also wearing a helmet, though he did not take his off and one could not see his face except for a single glowing iris. \"I am "},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Gabriel"},{"insert":". I am a swordsmen...\" We waited for more but that is all he said before sitting back down. He wore a full set of armor but I could not name the material, nor the material with which his blade was made from. The sheathe looked almost otherworldly. He looked humanoid but that was all we could gather as we shared a look of curiosity amongst ourselves.\n\"I am "},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Prince Telemachus Rex"},{"insert":".\" Abruptly said the dwarf. It was only then that I noticed he was standing. He stood so low in comparison to the rest of us, he must have been 4'5\" at most. \"I bring with me the skills and know-how of a master smith, a front line crusher, and a fine cook set. If ya need something fixed, let me know and Ill take out me kits to have a crack at it.\" He offered his aid and support so quickly, we had only just met him and yet he looked so proud of himself. His hands, balled into fists and pressed against his hips, he smiled widely and puffed out his chest. I had to bite my lip from chuckling but I managed to suppress it.\nThe final of us stood and announced themselves, a changeling who's gender or sex I could not identify but I suppose that may have been intentional. They looked each of us in the eye before they even spoke, their pitch black sclera and iris made Phanuel's seem bright by comparison. \"I am Jae. I do everything needed to be done quietly or in the dark.\" As I looked at their attire, I could not note much. It looked like that of dyed black leather and black cloth. I could have sworn they were whittling and skinning apples earlier but I could not see a single blade on them. \n\nWe each sat back down and resumed our previous silence, Phanuel seemed the most displeased with this as she looked to Gabriel. \"Sir Gabriel, might I ask what you are beneath the helm?\"\nGabriel did not look up from the flame before us. \"I am an elemental.\"\n\"Oh, of what sorts?\" Phanuel seemed already deeply invested and aside from Jae, we were all pretty invested too.\n\"I am an elemental of Orichalcum.\"\nI was confused. After all, elementals were only supposed to be able to form from natural accumulation of non manufactured materials that had stewed in an abundance of mana for centuries. This was the first I had heard of a golem being formed of a single ore rather than just an earth elemental, not to mention Gabriel was much smaller than the average elemental and exhibited no similarities with those I had seen before.\n\"I thought only ordinary elements of nature could animate.\" Phanuel asked with intrigue, her hands rested in her gauntlets like a school girl listening to her crush talk.\n\"I was not a naturally formed Elemental, I am more of an animation that gained my own autonomy.\" Gabriel finally looked up and I saw the glowing purple eye blink within the helm. I was perplexed abruptly by why an elemental would need eye lashes before realizing that they were designed, likely to appear as human as possible.\nMy curiosity grew the better of me and before I could stop myself, I spoke. \"Could you remove your helm so we-\"\n\""},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"No"},{"insert":".\" He spoke abruptly and crushed the spirit of the conversation so quickly. I sat back and returned my own sights to the fire. \nPhanuel also seemed to be disheartened by this as she turned to me. \"So you're from House Vlaorith? What is it like being almost like royalty?\"\n\"Ah well.\" I turned to face her and could see she was giving me the exact same gauntlet rest as she had when Gabriel spoke. \"I-it's certainly not an easy life. Expectations and results are the only two things any Vlaorith has in common with another. If you have one but not the other you're excommunicated. None and... Well.\" My uneasiness towards the topic prompted her to divert the conversation.\n\"So what results have you brought? What sort of gran magics have you learned?\"\nI can't lie, being able to talk about magic truly brightened my mood. \"I pioneered a few spells of my own very meticulous design. If you know Rainbow Hands or Starfall, those two are mine. I say of my own design when really I've just taken aspects of other spells and rewritten them into unintended forms. Starfall truly is a spectacle to see and can be used in many applications if you understand it enough!\" I was ranting at this point, excited to talk of my own creation. I now wonder if this is the same feeling as speaking of a child of your own.\nIt seemed not only Phanuel was interested but Also the Prince. \"Could ya show us a casting of starfall?\" \nI almost shot up from my place on the ground. \"With pleasure!\" I said as I magically wrote the calculations within my hands and then raised them to the sky. I only used fire bolts so that the impact would be as minimal as possible and to use as little resources as were needed. All heads looked up as the sky began to fill with trails of magical fire. They looked as if comets were shooting across the stars. The stars themselves set a wondrous backdrop as for a moment, only the world stood still as the rest of the universe moved in beautiful rays of speed.\nI felt godly in that moment, even as I felt my magic deplete from it. I could only keep it up for 30 seconds before I had to return to my place in the ground. But those 30 seconds were beautiful.\nThe others did clap but they were all staring up in awe at the sky. I smiled at them and returned my gaze to the skies above.\n\"That was... amazing.\" Phanuel said, her mouth agape.\n\"I know, I'm amazing.\" I said, holding my nose up egotistically.\nAnthousa chuckled at my Ego, glancing at me whilst she faced the skies. I'm not sure what it was in that moment, but as the fire died for a moment, the stars reflected in her eyes and cleaved a path through my soul. I looked back into her eyes and could see eternity, the vast universe around us, the bright white moon staring back at our world, even the heavenly realm. But all I was truly looking at was her. I ingrained every nano-angstrom of that moment into my memory. I can still smell the fire, hear her sweet laughter, and feel the presence of all my, soon to be, friends.\n\nIt was not long after that Jae through their cloak over the fire. Apparently it was very fire retardant as it didn't even release the smoke until they removed it. We were left in the dark. \nThat night was the most peace I had felt in a long time. \n\nThat is what has plagued me tonight. Tomorrow it will likely be different. I will continue to write in these. I don't even know who I'm writing for. Maybe Nil. Maybe my nephew's and nieces. If you're not one of them or one of the people in this story, you shouldn't be reading this! \nI'm going to go back to sleep now. I will see you next time\n"}]}