(2024-06-06) Magic After Malygos

Details

Author:	Alli
Summary:	Celica, Coriene, Ekorenine, Gethennis and Gwenivene happen to meet up in a Dalaran parlor, and they discuss the future of magic after the death of Malygos.
Rating:	T for Teen

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mention of temporary PC death, NPC death and disappearance, pregnancy

Coriene appears at the portal into one of the many study rooms in the Violet Citadel.
She scans the room and notices a familiar Kirin Tor face. Taking a step towards the table, she says in Common, "You've recovered, I see."

Lord Gethennis Jadelight steps in off the balcony at the sound of a familiar voice.

Gwenivene looks up from one of the several tomes spread out in front of her. "Oh…hello, yes. I'm doing better. Thank you."

"That was… a difficult fight, for many reasons. And that little gnome, I don't think she stopped crying for the rest of it…" Cori notes Gethennis in her peripheral vision and inclines her head in greeting.

Gwen winces. "Jocoza…yeah. Um…I'm her apprentice, so…she was pretty torn up. Um…I'm glad you came through it safely."

"What's this about a crying gnome, Magistrix Bloodsong?" Geth approaches languidly, adjusting the cuffs of his elegant robe.

Geth spots Gwen and gives her a quick once-over, one brow lifting slightly.

Gwenivene withers as soon as she spots Geth.

Geth takes note of the withering, his brow climbing higher.

"Lord Gethennis," Gwen greets him cautiously. "It's…good to see you again."

Geth gives Gwen a courtly little bow. To most it would appear polite and courteous - for those accustomed to Geth's usual flourishes, it would appear a bit wary and reserved.

Cori glances between the two of them, a faint hint of amusement coming into her own smile. "Yes, Lord Jadelight, we were just discussing her mentor's feelings, after she fell to the Blue Aspect. This one fell, that is, not the gnome." She turns to Gwen. "I'm sorry, this is terribly rude of me. Magistrix Coriene Bloodsong. I don't believe the two of us are as acquainted as you seem to be with Lord Jadelight."

For just a moment before Coriene clarified, Geth went dead white. His color returns quickly.

Gwen removes her hat, now that she's in conversation.

Coriene turns curiously to Gethennis. "It seems you've the wider social net of the two of us, though I'm the one who fought by their side in this case." Cori moves to take a seat at Gwen's table, uninvited.

Geth looks Gwen over. "I'd heard you were… convalescing. I didn't realize you'd been struck down. How horrid."

Gwen nods solemnly. "His breath…I couldn't expel all the arcane energy before…." She shakes her head. "Anyway, I was lucky a Cobalt Company priest was there and was able to call me back."

[Gethennis]: "Which priest was it, out of curiosity?"

"Mordecai Aspenwood." Gwen arches an eyebrow at Geth. "I wouldn't imagine you know him."

"Maybe we should," Coriene says with a smile. "Mordecai Aspenwood, savior of the Kirin Tor."

Geth seems to make a mental note. "I've not had the pleasure," he says airily. "But I am grateful to him for returning you to us, Telemancer Whittle. The Kirin Tor has lost enough of our brightest stars already."

Ekorenine appears from the portal and into the room. She walks around using her staff as a cane, her grey eyes slowly moving from the source of one voice to the other. "I could not agree more, it is good to have you back, Gwenivene." She bows. "Greetings, everyone."

[Gethennis]: "My goodness, is that Lady Spellbond? I don't believe we've ever spoken in person, have we, my lady?"

Celica speaks up for the first time, on the opposite side of the crowd: "Greetings, Lady Spellbond."

Gwen's cheeks turn slightly pink at the compliment, then she lights up at the new voice. "Ekorenine! Thank you so much. Please, join us?"

Coriene turns to the new arrival, and raises a hand in greeting to Celica as well.

Geth glances over at Celica's greeting, noticing her for the first time. "Archmage Harrow," he says with a slight, formal bow.

"With as lovely a voice as yours, I am certain I would remember meeting you," Eko says, smiling at Geth. "You will have to forgive me, I cannot rely on my sight to know who it is I'm speaking to," she says, looking in the general directions of people, one after the other. She walks towards Gwen, smiling kindly at her.

Celica rises from her chair to return the bow. "Lord Jadelight. Magistrix Bloodsong. Telemancer Whittle."

All in all, Geth's demeanor is much more self-contained than Gwen and possibly Coriene has noted on other occasions - he is in Work Mode.

Gwen reaches for Ekorenine's hand in a familiar greeting, and pulls out a chair for her. "Please, rest your feet."

Celica crosses the room to look at Ekorenine with soft concern.

Coriene does note Geth’s demeanor, as well as how each of those present are behaving towards one another.

Gwen belatedly dips her head to Celica. "Archmage Harrow."

Celica smiles warmly at Gwen. "It's good to see you up and about."

"Archmage Harrow. And I'm afraid I haven't the pleasure of meeting you… Lady Spellbond?" Coriene smiles. "I'm Bloodsong, to put a voice to the name."

"Thank you, Archmage. It's good to be up and about." Gwen smiles softly.

Ekorenine gratefully takes the seat, putting her staff to the side. She bows her head deeply. "Lord Jadelight, Magistrix Bloodsong, Archmage Harrow and Gwen. I shall remember those names and voices, now, thank you. It is a pleasure to meet you all."

"Lady Spellbond has served the Kirin Tor admirably for some time," Geth says with a slight smile that is audible in his voice. Geth politely leaves out that he was probably serving the Kirin Tor when she was learning to crawl. Elf manners.

Eko makes a dismissive gesture at Geth's comment. "Please, it is nothing of the sort. I am only teaching the basics here."

"Well, someone has to do it, my lady, and few are willing." He smiles again.

Gwen starts marking the places in the books on the table, closing them and setting them aside in a neat stack.

"Something you're working on, Telemancer Whittle?" Coriene asks curiously, noting the placemarks.

"Oh…well, yes," Gwen nods to Coriene. "I've been researching our records of ley line activity through the ages. I'm hoping to get some sense of how much Malygos directly impacted the flux and flow of magic."

[Gethennis]: "All I can say is what I've experienced personally, which is that it feels as though I have to learn everything all over again."

Gwen nods to Geth. "Exactly. There have been a lot of reports like that. I've had the same difficulty."

"I've had…" Coriene hesitates, pride warring with honesty. "…there's been nothing I couldn't work through."

Ekorenine smiles at Geth, before turning to Celica, she lowers her voice, so as to not disrupt Gwen's explanation. "My apologies for going off topic. I have known an Archmage Harrow, back in the day. Please, could you tell me your first name?"

Celica chuckles. "Celica, dear. I wasn't aware that your vision had declined."

Then, Eko turns back to Celica, lowering her voice once more. "I knew I recognized that voice!" she beams, making another dismissive gesture. "It is a complicated story. It has been so long, dear. I am delighted to see you once again."

Celica smiles and pats Ekorenine's shoulder gently. "Indeed."

"In any case… you may have to go back farther than recorded history," Coriene says wryly. "He'd not been well since the Sundering. But, well, I admit his recent activities have been much more extreme."

"Yeaaaah, that's been the hard part," Gwen admits to Coriene. "The records can't show me a time when Malygos was…um…sane."

Coriene nods. "If we had that as a baseline, that would be something. Or if there were a new, more stable Aspect."

Gwen sighs and nods. "What I really need is a dragon expert. Someone that could help me correlate Malygos's levels of activity with my findings on ley line fluctuations."

"Dragon experts are hard to come by, unfortunately," Ekorenine says. "Perhaps some among the Kaldorei could have answers? If not, well, asking a dragon could help. I have heard Alextrasza is fairly busy, but willing to listen to the heroes of Azeroth. Which you are, dear," she smiles at Gwen.

"You'd likely want a blue dragon, though," Coriene muses. "And those are even harder to come by. Kalecgos, perhaps?"

Geth's brow rises slightly at the name.

A cloud seems to pass over Gwen's face. "I wish Kirygosa were around. I'd ask her. We were getting close, I think." She hugs herself. "I don't have that kind of relationship with Kalecgos."

"It is a shame that most of those who didn't stand with him seem to have perished in the war," Coriene nods. "You… counted one of them as a friend?"

Geth listens attentively, ears turned toward Gwen.

Eko shakes her head. "You have been good at building these relationships, Gwen. I am not worried you will eventually reach a similar relationship with Kalecgos. It is only a matter of time, and healing."

Gwen smiles gratefully to Ekorenine. "Thank you."

"I have a dragon friend myself," Geth says wryly, "but I seriously doubt she would be of any use to you. She's a drake, and a particularly… adolescent one."

"Kirygosa," Gwen nods. "She's Malygos's daughter. But she worked against him in the Nexus War. But…she hasn't been seen since Malygos died. I just pray she's in seclusion, mourning her loss."

[Gethennis]: "I do worry about a blue dragon choosing to seclude herself… given her family history. Perhaps someone should look for her?"

Ekorenine lowers her gaze and nods thoughtfully at the mention of the dragon's grief.

For a moment, Coriene looks like she might speak up to gently explain what has usually happened to those who go missing during a war. But she doesn't. She glances at Geth and says, "Yes, perhaps that would be a wise decision. Have you any idea where she might go?"

"I wouldn't even know where to look. She came and went as she pleased. Also…um…I hope it's alright if I share this now. She was pregnant. So…maybe she's off laying her clutch and caring for them?" Gwen shrugs with a half-hopeful smile.

[Gethennis]: "Oh, yes, quite likely. I'm relieved to hear it. Perhaps she is merely being protective. Like a mother cat, hiding under the house…"

Celica looks lost in thought, but at Gwen's comment she startles to attention. "Oh, my."

"One can certainly hope," Coriene says, nodding. "I'm certain their flight could use some replenishing. But that doesn't help with the ley line situation here and now. Have you seen new problems?"

[Gwenivene]: "Surely you've felt it, Magistrix? Our spells have not been responding quite the same as before. Arcanists have been hard at work fine tuning arcane formulae to compensate for the new vibrational frequencies and flow rates."

"It does at least feel stable," Geth notes. "There seem to be few if any continuing fluctuations."

Gwen points to Geth and reaches for one of the books in her stack, flipping through the pages. "I did find something very interesting about that, yes."

Geth involuntarily leans in a little toward the pages.

"That change, yes, but new problems are what I'm concerned with. We can adapt to change, but not to constant flux." Coriene leans towards the pages.

"On the brighter side of things, at least our spells are responding properly," Ekorenine says, smiling. "I have heard shamans are not as lucky, these days." Ekorenine does not lean towards the pages.

"Yes, the poor shamans," Geth notes politely. He doesn't do well at pretending to care about that.

"Dreadful for them," Coriene nods, her eyes on the book. There is zero sympathy in her tone.

Celica leans down towards Ekorenine and quietly tells her the title of the book Gwen is looking through.

Gwen finds the page she was looking for. "Look here at the readings ever since Malygos fell. The peaks and valleys of ley line fluctuations." She points to a graph. "This is when Malygos died. The flux was out of control. But look at how fast it settles."

"May I, dear?" Celica reaches for Ekorenine's hand.

Eko doesn't react to the other two's lack of sympathy for the shaman, and smiles at Celica for her help. "Please, do!"

"Maybe we never needed an Aspect in the first place," Coriene says musingly, one hand involuntarily tracing the curves of the graph in the air.

"Are you mad?" Geth says to Coriene. Then quickly backpedals. "Do forgive me, Magistrix. But surely you can feel the difference. Even a mad Aspect did a better job of organizing the ley line flow than none. It's like a garden gone to weeds."

Gwen winces.. "Exactly so. Without an Aspect, other factors could conceivably impact the flux, and we'd have no dragon to monitor and control it."

Celica waits until Coriene's done to pull the book a little closer and uses Ekorenine's finger to trace the graph, reading off the axis points for her to actually understand the numbers involved.

[Gethennis]: "The only positive about the situation, as far as I'm concerned, is that it does not appear to be escalating, or volatile. It's just… a sort of sad flaccid affair. We can make do, but it will never be as it was, I don't think."

"The Blue Dragonflight has always hoarded magic for itself," Coriene says stubbornly. "That's not madness to say. Who knows what we could accomplish, had they not? Maybe it should be us exploring the Nexus vault. Us monitoring and controlling the magic. Maybe this is an opportunity to grow beyond the need for dragons."

[Gwenivene]: "I must admit, though, the peaks and valleys of the flux have stayed within a very narrow band since Malygos died. It's as if his madness brought a certain degree of chaos to the natural order of the Arcane."

Geth stares. "Magistrix, do you truly believe us equal to a task that was previously given to an immortal dragon Aspect, empowered by the very Titans?"

"Was it not our ancestors who Sundered the world? Why could we not one day learn to order it?" Coriene says. "The titans are gone, and now so is the Aspect. Equal to the task or not, it's up to us to try."

Geth turns back to Gwen at her talk of chaos. "Do you know, I have some interesting theories about that and the relationship to the fel that we should discuss in more detail sometime."

Gwen perks, smiling at Geth for the first time. "Interesting."

Geth whips his head back to Coriene and just gapes at her.

"Why yes," Geth says dryly. "Just as I was the best person, at age five, to make a pot because I had once shattered one."

"Now you're no longer a child," Coriene says with a shrug. "Are you still unequal to pottery?"

"Yes!" he says unequivocally.

Ekorenine frowns in thought as Celica helps her understand the graph. "Fascinating," she mutters under her breath. She raises a hand in a peaceful gesture for spirits to calm down. "I do believe Magistrix Bloodsong may have a point."

"I might be persuaded by your argument, Magistrix…save for this." She points to another large fluctuation on the graph. "This is the Shattering. This is what I was talking about, with other events and forces causing surges and dips in the arcane flow."

Geth looks imploringly toward Celica. "Archmage, please tell me that you and the other leaders of the Kirin Tor are not discussing the possibility that elves and humans should blithely pick up the reins dropped by a Titan-empowered immortal."

Celica laughs quietly. "No, Lord Jadelight. There has been some discussion of what to do with the surge needles Malygos left behind, but…"

Geth gives Celica a grateful nod.

"Fine, yes, we're in a dire predicament, but what are we to do about it?" Coriene raises a placating hand. "I'm not saying I want to be a dragon Aspect." Does she, though? "I'm just trying to find a way forward."

[Gethennis]: "I have little if any influence - probably for the best - but if anyone were to ask me I would say that we let the remaining Aspects decide what ought to be done, and meanwhile, just do our best to work with the energies as they are."

"If we somehow managed to hold control over the ley lines, would it not be safer in the hands of several mortals than one mad immortal?" Ekorenine asks. "I am not aware of any way that could be achieved, but it is at least interesting to consider."

"Magistrix Bloodsong does have a point, though." Gwen concedes. "If the cataclysm had been arcane in nature, I'm not sure the ley lines would have recovered without an Aspect to manage them."

Geth massages his temple with the fingertips of one hand. "It seems that the moment we nail down one corner of the world another tears free."

"Then we should at least consider how we might help, should we not?" Coriene looks at the others. "I'm not saying we go behind the back of the Wyrmrest Accord, but I think this plan is much better than Malygos's."

Ekorenine nods in agreement with Coriene.

Geth frowns. "We can help by staying out of their way. Sometimes five year olds want to help in the kitchen, but their parents do know best."

Coriene makes a quiet sound of frustration, and then turns to Gwen. "Would it help, for your calculations, if I provided a similar graph from Quel'danas?"

Gwen frowns a bit. "Even the Wyrmrest Accord would have to concede that the Kirin Tor have a profound understanding of magic. I think we can help. But of course we should work with the dragons." She nods eagerly to Coriene. "Yes, absolutely! Any data are useful. Especially from a people as magically advanced as yours."

"We have all been gifted," Geth says patiently, "with the incredible ability to tap into an unfathomable cosmic force that runs through creation. We are fortunate when we manage not to blow ourselves up with it. Considering ourselves capable of ruling it in some way is Azshara-level folly."

Gwen puts up her hands. "Whoa, whoa…okay, to be clear, I'm not suggest we should rule magic. But I think we can advise the Wyrmrest Accord and maybe play some part in helping to monitor things."

My, this conversation is getting stressful. Ekorenine reflexively conjures up a plate of muffins and carefully puts it on the table for everyone to dig in. Not the time, not the place, she knows.

"Do not get me wrong, Telemancer - I applaud your efforts to gather data and understand what is happening. Even your desire to take action. But do not let anyone convince you that mortals have any business trying to shape cosmic forces." Geth's eyes dart toward Coriene at 'anyone'.

Coriene reaches for a muffin, and turns innocent eyes on Geth. "Lord Jadelight, all I've actually offered is to help gather data. I think we've all seen in recent events that we're stronger when Silvermoon and Dalaran pull together instead of separately."

"Ah, thank you." Celica collects a muffin to nibble on.

"On that, my dear Magistrix, we can agree," says Geth with a little bow.

Geth leans over to murmur something very quietly, close to Gwen's ear, soft enough that even elven ears couldn't pick it up from farther away.

Gwen gives Geth a wary, subtle nod. Okay, it's not subtle at all, but she thinks it is.

"I must remain open to alternative ideas." Gwen reaches for a muffin cautiously, as if unsure if she's allowed. "But…trust me when I say I have first-hand experience with the devastating power of the arcane unleashed."

Celica nods to Gwen.

Ekorenine clumsily puts a hand on Gwen's arm after that last comment.

Gwen smiles at Ekorenine, briefly touching her hand.

"And yet, that event itself was a very convincing argument of the power we mages hold when united," Coriene says, taking a small bite of her muffin. "The Sunreavers together as a part of the Kirin Tor. And me, too, of course.

"Ah yes," Geth says airily. "History abounds with examples of the results of mages banding together."

"I just think we'll need to keep the lines of communication open, lest cruder folk ruin our long friendship with things like war." Coriene shrugs. "I think you'll find it's not Silvermoon pushing that particular agenda."

Celica quietly murmurs, "Excuse me," and departs from the table with her muffin.

Coriene nods farewell to the Archmage.

Ekorenine reaches for a muffin. She briefly looks in the direction of Celica's steps.

Geth frowns as the reasonable Archmage departs. He looks at the two humans and the Magistrix with the look of someone suddenly left watching over children.

"Thank you, Lady Spellbond, for the refreshments," Coriene takes another bite of muffin. Then she narrows her eyes at Gethennis. "And don't look at me like that."

Geth, obediently, looks somewhere else. But still Like That.

"I agree. Communication is always useful." Gwen pauses, then adds, nodding toward Geth. "But caution is wise. Especially now. This is is uncharted territory."

[Gethennis]: "Thank you, Telemancer. Imagine the young human being the voice of reason among her elders!" Was that a compliment or… ?

Eko doesn't notice Geth's gaze. She takes a bit from her muffin. She looks a little confusedly at Coriene, before deducing from her voice that the magistrix was looking in a different direction for that last comment. "It's my pleasure!"

Gwen blinks at Geth with uncertainty. "Um…thank you…?"

Eko clears her throat. "Well you will have to excuse me, I am still fairly young, in Elven years." Eko nods at Coriene.

"You don't look a day over…" Coriene trails off. She might have forgotten the numbers on her handy human phrasebook. "I'm sure you must be still fairly young, indeed."

Eko smiles at Coriene. Thank you for not saying her age out loud. "You flatter me!"

Geth laughs warmly at Eko's comment. "Your modesty becomes you, Lady Spellbond."

[Gwenivene]: "I'll try to keep an open mind…including learning from the mistakes of our forebears."

"I just think we need to be able to consider all possibilities, without falling all over ourselves in shock," Coriene holds her hands up innocently. "At least, that's how we've always done things with the Magisters."

"Ah yes, the Magisters," Geth says. "I'm sure they will lead us to glory," he says, exactly quoting the programmed voices of the sentinels that used to patrol Silvermoon during the Brainwashing Days.

Coriene starts to roll her eyes at Geth at the reference to the sentinels, but then stops. It's beneath her.

Gwen shrugs. "But ultimately it's not up to me. The Council will decide how the Kirin Tor proceeds. At best, maybe I can offer some advice that might reach their ears."

"I think your voice will be heard, Telemancer," Geth says. "Certainly more than mine would be."

"With everything you have accomplished, Gwen, I have no doubt they would at least lend a ear to what you have to say," Ekorenine confirms.

Geth points to Eko and nods. His communication style is really helpful to her.

Gwen goes pink in the face again. "Thank you. Still…I'm no Archmage."

[Gethennis]: "Archmage Harrow seems a reasonable sort. I hope they will heed her counsel as well. She was a contemporary of my parents, you know."

"And I can carry your results to Silvermoon, provided they're robust," Coriene nods. "So we might not work at cross-purposes."

"I could potentially search through my family's library. We may have gathered some insight on ley lines, or blue dragons, over the years," Eko pretends to look around. "We do also have some books that are… less than recommended by the Kirin Tor too, shall we say. I can attempt to find something useful in those as well," she adds.

"That would be wonderful!" Gwen beams at Eko. "Maybe I could come by and help you look?"

Geth gives Eko a look that it's lucky she can't see.

Coriene raises a curious eyebrow, which it's also maybe lucky she can't see.

"Well, I think I shall return to my townhouse. I think I may have left something burning." Geth bows graciously, then strides off. "Such as… the world," he can barely be heard muttering as he exits.

"That would be lovely, dear! I have somewhat worked out a spell that reads books out loud for me, but with… everything happening, I'm never sure if it entirely reliable." Eko chuckles.
Ekorenine assumes Geth bowed, so she bowed her head to him. "It was a pleasure meeting you, Lord Jadelight!"

Coriene waves farewell to Geth, a faint, amused smile on her face.

Gwen gives a little curtsey. "If you'll excuse me, I should get back to my studies. Magistrix, I look forward to the data from Silvermoon. Ekorenine, I'll drop by later!"

"Until next time, Telemancer Whittle," Coriene smiles.

Then Coriene turns to Eko."Should you ever need someone to help with the reading, and Lady… Telemancer Whittle is occupied, I would be happy to assist, Lady Spellbond."

Ekorenine gets up from the chair and picks up her cane. "I would be grateful for your help as well, Magistrix Bloodsong," she smiles. "I'll get started right away." She winks at Gwen. "I'll tell Sandy you're coming."

Gwen grins excitedly, all clouds momentarily banished. "I'll bring cookies!" She gathers up her books and rushes off.

Ekorenine giggles. She smiles at Coriene. "Well, it was a pleasure meeting you, Magistrix Bloodsong," she bows. "I am looking forward to our research together."

Coriene gives a formal curtsey that Eko cannot see. "As am I, naturally."

Ekorenine makes her way to the portal, slowly and carefully.

After a moment, Coriene steps over and reaches for Eko's arm, to help her on her way.