Tefra (Beth's Character)

1160, 1 - lab set up
     2 - lab specialisation
     3 - rego book (+11 rego)
     4 - latin class (+21 latin)
1161, 1 - magic theory book (+4 magic theory)
     2 - adventure (+5 infernal lore)
     3 - adventure (+5 infernal lore)
     4 - experimenting (+14 infernal)
1162, 1 - latin class (+18 latin)
     2 - adventure (+5 nara lore)
     3 - japanese class (+18 japanese)
     4 - write vim book (+2 vim)
1163, 1 - experimenting (+12 infernal lore)
     2 - adventuring (+5 nara lore)
     3 - adventuring (+5 nara lore)
     4 - experimenting (+10 infernal lore)
1164, 1 - create spell (+2 rego)
     2 - spell writing (+2 creo)
     3 - creo book (+15 creo)
     4 - creo book (+15 creo)
1165, 1 - adventure (+1 aquam +1 auram +1 terram +6 penetration)
     2 - training (+5 penetration)
     3 - training (+4 penetration)
     4 - creo book (+15 creo)
1166, 1 - creo book (+15 creo)



1161, Spring: Labs are finally set up and I'm ready to get started. I've spent a full year in this strange country with all these new people and I'm bored already! Seriously, what is it with these people, they don't seem to do anything, although maybe they've just been like me and been busy in preparation for things to come. I've spent days staring at my gateway to the  Netherrealm, mesmerised, wondering what lies beyond it. Will it be the same here as it was back in Europe? Will the creatures that dwell within be as exciting? It's still too early to say. I need more time to study my infernal arts before I enter. There are likely to be more gateways throughout this land so it is even possible that demons walk here too. For now all I can do is brush up on my Latin. There is no point in me travelling if I cant document what I find. What's the fun in the infernal world if I can't show everyone?

Summer: Boredom eventually got the better of me and I decided to explore the surrounding wilderness in search of entertainment. I'm happy to say that at last I have found something! I found a strange creature wandering a few hours away with the green body of a turtle and lilypad on it's head that appears to be full of water. How unusual to find a demon of Aquam form rather than Ignem. This country my just have a few surprises afterall. This does at least prove my suspicions that there are other gateways to Infernal realms nearby. Alas, knowing nothing of this creature I shall have to come back another time to capture it. Plotting the area on one of my maps is all I can do for now. Studying the demons of this land may bring me one step closer to entering the Netherrealm.

Autumn: After much deliberation, I decided that a little outside help from the magi in the covenant may be necessary on capturing this demon. My first point of call was on the Japanese girl. She told me that the creature was called a kappa and that it is indeed a demon with strong power over water. She also told me that it was rare to find one on its own as they usually live in groups. Seeing that this koritsi (girl) already knows much about them, it seemed appropriate that she came. The drys (oak) magi was also interested in my find and offered assistance as he seems very adept at Vim magic. He seemed a little suspicious of me to begin with and asked why I was so intent to capture the Kappa. I simply told him the truth; 'for research purposes'. Between us we came up with a plan to seal the Kappa in a forcefield of Vim before carrying it back to the covenant and placing it in a cage forged by the enchanter that also lives here. This all went very smoothly and I am excited to say that the Kappa is comfortably held in my lab. There was a point where  koritsi had to perform her weather magic to stop the Kappa gaining water from the rainfall it had just caused. I may have to watch out for her, she clearly knows a lot about the Infernal creatures that roam these lands.

Winter: I have learned so much from this little creature. It is really quite remarkable how different they are to the demons usually found back in Europe. It makes me wonder if I'm actually a long way from being able to enter the Netherrealm afterall. If it is full of creatures from this area rather than ones I am used to... well they are hardly tame at the best of times so I don't suppose it would make too much of a difference. Still, in this mortal body I don't really want to find out what happens if I die in the pits of Hell so it may be best to carry on my studies for a little while longer. It may even be wise to go on another conquest for Infernal beasts. Some of the other magi are requesting a book on infernal lore for the area. I don't want them finding too much about my involvement, but still... It could be entertaining to see what they find.

1162, Spring: Another year come and gone and another year to build up my skills. Although I don't think I'll bother writing a book of my talents for everybody just yet, I think I should still at least learn enough Latin for my writing to be legible. It'll probably be useful one day seeing as these boring lab rats never talk to anyone!

Summer: Aha! Some of the locals have reared their heads at last. Took them long enough. Now we can see who we have to deal with out here. Sadly, it was a very formal affair, and I have absolutely no idea what the man who visited us said. The most I could gather was that he represented one of the large, rich families that lived nearby. By the end of it he seemed to be demanding some kind of servitude from us, how ridiculus! I would have roasted his flesh right then and there, but it was explained that it was only the mundanes who would have to do as they're told. Still not happy. politics is just another way to hold people back from their own desires, but I get the feeling this would be the means to an end. If we push the locals too hard they may get a little feisty, and removing them would just mean I would have less to play with. For now it's best we humour them and let them have what they want. A representative of the covenant was needed for starters. Obviously nobody in the order could do it despite the fact we run the place, but all we need is a puppet. We asked some of the more appropriate mundanes to present themselves and this turned out much more entertaining. We had some snobby, religious type appear, covered in armour and built like a mountain. I disliked him instantly and when the question was posed about how he would deal with the locals disrespecting his culture or his precious God, he said it wouldn't bother him. Knowing this was an outright lie, I was about to confront him, but before I could, the pretty young agori (boy) went up strait to his faced and said "You're God is a C*nt." It took every ounce of my composure not to burst out laughing as the mundane tried to punch him in the face! I get the feeling the agori is gonna get on with me just fine. Then there was the japanese theif. She may have just been trying to jump above her station applying for this, but I admire her courage for outright calling the Japanese koritsi a prostitute right to her face! The expression she gave the thief was just priceless and she even went as far as casting a fear spell on the thief to shut her up at the end. In the end we all decided on the noble looking kyria (lady). I dont know what to think of her, but at least she knows how to be polite and that's probably good enough. I guess I'll have to get used to calling her afentico (boss). Ha!

Autumn: The interesting events of the last season still fresh in my mind, I've taken it upon myself to learn the local language. This was I can understand whats going on when people are talking. I might even be able to go to the local town and have some fun every once and a while. Kind of hard to order a drink out here when you don't even know the word for wine.

Winter: Damn! I forgot this damned place needs me to do something for them or I don't get my vis salary. Such a pain! Thankfully my writing is legible now, so maybe if I knock together a quick tractus it will keep them happy. Vim is useful, I'll do that. *Phew* Nice save.

1163, Spring: I felt like poking the kappa again. Maybe if I show him how fun fire can be, he'll get along better with the other demons wandering around my lab and then he won't be bored in that cage.

Summer: I'd actually almost forgotten about the covenant's debt when it was pointed out to me that there's still a lot to go. I can't believe that nobody has taken it upon themselves to go out and actually look for a new source. Do I have to do everything around here!? I took a few maps with me and went asking around the locals for any of the sorts of area's I know where to find this. Apparently a lot of wars occur here so maybe an old battlefield would work. Restless spirits often provide a good source of vis.

Autumn: Yep, just as expected. A battle occured a few days ride away from the covenant and is probably our best shot for some vis. The battlefield was pretty uninteresting until somebody found a small bag of sulphur on one of the corpses. JACKPOT! This is gonna be very useful for my rituals. Everyone else seemed to be a little uncomfortable handling the bodies. Normally I'd just tell them to get on with it and stop being so squeamish about it, but I can't deny there was something a little unsettling about the place. We gathered up a corpse that stored some vis and set up camp a short way away from the battlefield, but the discomfort seemed to linger. May have had something to do with the aura. We slept for a few hours, but then we woke to horde of living corpses approaching from the forest! I didn't have time to question why or how they were there, but this was the best opportunity I had to unleash some sweet burning wrath on something and it was glorious! I was without a doubt the most amazing fighter there and those shambling meat puppets barely lasted a few minutes. By the end I was so ecstatically awesome I was practically on fire. I even glowed! Some of the others were a little worse for ware. The afentico charged strait in and ended up with some pretty bad wounds. I hope she's ok, it'd be a shame if we had to replace her... wait, what?

Winter: Ok, I think the kappa is pretty well trained now. He's gotten to the point were he's at least able to make me my tea without using it to whip me in the process. Glad to know he can have a good time though. I even thought it'd be funny to see the effects alcohol on demons of various origins. Pretty interesting to know the kappa was more easily floored by the European wine i brought than the local stuff (I believe its called sake)... I wonder if this is transferable to humans.

1164, Spring: It's well overdue, but I've finally started to make myself a spell. I'm trying to go long term and end up with a spell that will wrap a person in sticky flames that cant be put out, but that's probably gonna take a while. For now I'll content myself with the ability to wrap myself in flames. At least this way I can take fire with me without having to remake it if I zone out (also saves me having to waste good wine everytime I want to fire punch a b*tch).

Summer: Everyone seems to be getting a bit suspicious that I havn't been giving them information on the local demons like they asked for. I cant really tell that the extent of my research has essentially been training the kappa to make me tea and getting it drunk when I'm bored. Maybe if I write out some of my spells it will shut them up. I'll include one of my infernal spells to make it look like I've learned something and I'll even include the one I designed last year in case I ever get into a suppressive aura and have to fire punch manually. Afterall I can't have them thinking that all my power is dependent on the aura . They need to know I'm powerful no matter what. Hey, this'll even count as a covenant service! Talk about two birds with one stone. There does seem to be some commotion from in the hallways. I don't care whats going on with the little koritsi, if she slams that door one more time I'm going to burn it down! Trust the people here to cause a ruckus whenever I actually try to get some work done.

Autumn: I'm going to work on my creo magic for a while. The other magi have been hogging the book for years, so it's clearly very valuable to them. I'll get in on this too. There's no point in being able to control fire if there's none around to control. It'll probably help me make some other things too. You can never have enough resources.

Winter: WHAT THE F*CK! We spent half of last year trying to pay that damned vis debt and the koritsi turns around and just pays it for us! Don't get me wrong it saves me having to toil away for the next however many years scraping by to find sources, but why couldn't she have done this sooner and saved us the trouble! She then has the cheek to claim the damned creo book for herself and everyone just rolled over and let her! If there's anything I don't like it's to be in someone's debt, but I'm sure as hell not gonna let her get in the way of my research. We're gonna get this book copied up before she can fully claim it and I'm still gonna be taking it whenever I want to. I still need to find a way of repaying her for the debt though.

1165, Spring: Well this is interesting. The koritsi came to the meeting room screaming something about the trees or something. Apparently there's some ceremony or something here were they celebrate the petals that fall from them in the spring. We all went outside and it was true that all the trees were bare. The drys mage did some tests on the aura and apparently the herbam balance was way lower than usual. I suggested to him to also check the ignem aura, thinking it logical that since fire burns plants, ignem could remove herbam. Just as suspected, the ignem aura was massive. I was about to leave at this point, after all this aura imbalance could only benefit a fire mage such as myself, but then the metallourgos (smith) performed a premonition and warned me that if the issue isn't resolved it would have bad repurcussions. How tiresome, oh well, I went off to check the mountain with the pretty agori that liked to piss off religious people. Apparently he's some kind of terram mage. Hehe, tyfloponticas (mole). He used his magic to check below the earth and found some kind of creatures stirring below. When we get together, we decided the best way to resolve the problem was to go down there and check it out. We asked tyfloponticas to show us what's down there and he turned a section of the earth into glass. It was too deep to see so we asked him how we'd get down. He smashed the glass and fell in. Stupid tyfloponticas. But I suppose that's one way of doing it. The koritsi then stepped in and performed her magic to help him down. How strange. Normally I would have thought she'd let him hit the floor. The kranio (skull) mage started to fuss about how we'd get down safely. It annoys me to see people being overly cautious so I removed the choice for him and pushed him into the pit. It saved him time but he's still annoyed. Hehe. Anyway, we lit up the hole to find a whole forest down there and it was burning. I thought myself lucky to be surrounded by something so useful until the metallourgos burnt himself. I've known him to dive head first into his own forge so a blazing branch should have no effect on him. I proceeded to test out this fire on him some more (admittedly getting a little bit of satisfaction seeing as normally my fire would be useless on him) before concluding this definitly wasn't normal fire. We ventured further into the forest to find two characters having a duel in a ring of flames. The tyfloponticas turned pale and tried to get us to leave. He told us he saw them as birds, and then it hit me. We were dealing with phoenixes. Even I can be burnt by a phoenix fire so we would have to deal with them carefully. Or we would have done if the tyfloponticas and koritsi hadn't gone and charged in all by themselves! I swear we need to get those two an interpreter or put bells on them or something. Thankfully this ended well and it turned out they wern't duelling but playing a game where they told riddles and punished those who got them wrong. Sounds like my kind of game! Of course they cheated, answering questions only i would know the answer to, so we bantered back and forth trying to get out some information on things only they could know too. It ended rather strangely with us somehow commanding them to burn down the magic forest and still having them live nearby. Somehow this solved the problem, but i can't imagine that having two massive magical creatures living so close can end well especially if we're trying to go giving them orders all the time.

Summer: I realised from last seasons events that having such amazing magical powers as I do won't actually help me if I am up against an opponent of high parma magica. I need to work on my magical penetration if I'm going to be of any use. This'll also help me get to know who I'm having to deal with in this covenant seeing as we only actually talk to each other when there are issues to deal with. The tyfloponticas was pretty impressive in our last adventure, I'll try him out. He's quite a blunt person to talk to, but I like that. You know where you stand with a person who isn't always trying to please you and he lets you know what he's thinking. He also seems to be the only person here that knows how to enjoy themselves. Apparently he's even been taking trips home. Although it never actually came up where his home is...

Autumn: Same again, but I'm gonna try another person. The koritsi is small and shy, but I've never actually seen a spell work on her. Something tells me she can take a hit and this way I'll get to know what she's really like. It takes a long time for me to have any type of conversation with her as she's also very 'strait to the point' but again she's not completely dull. I often catch her staring at the tyfloponticas and throwing pillows at him. Kind of makes me wonder if there's something going on there... Somebody's gonna have to teach her how to have some fun.

Winter: Everybody's busy this season so it looks like I'm back to the creo book. Maybe I was a little harsh on the koritsi. She payed a lot to keep this book and it's not like she's stopping us from using it. Next year I'm gonna try to help her out somehow. It seems to me that she doesn't quite understand how to indulge herself in things that are fun. In fact, the more I think about it, none of the people here seem to be able to have any fun. I might be able to help with that. Maybe I can throw us all together for some entertainment. Afterall you should never fully trust someone until you've sat down and had a drink with them and this way I might get to see something interesting from them all.

1166, Spring: Well that escalated quickly. I woke to find the tyfloponticas carrying tables and furniture down the hallway in a pretty hasty fashion. I tried to ask him what he was doing but as usual it was like getting blood from a stone. Eventually he told me that his future in-laws were coming for a visit. Wait, what? By in-laws he actually meant the koritsi's parents. I knew there was something going on between them. This is something I don't want to miss. It's not like I'm that bothered about the idea of marriage (in most cases it's just the legal shackles that are holding back people from their real desires), but if you're doing it for you're own reasons then it can't be too bad. Also, I somehow can't see the koritsi indulging herself in those kind of things any other way. So if a formal dinner is needed then I shall bite my lip and be there. Good thing I know enough Japanese at this point to know what's going on. I even remembered to call the happy couple by their real names (Rowan and Kazeko. Better write it down so I don't forget again). All went well and it seems we're gonna have a wedding in a couple of years. It's about time we had some kind of party. Speaking of which, I still need to organise a drink for all the magi. What with two of them getting married, I now have an excuse for them all to get pissed. It's getting late now. I should really stop reading this damned creo book in the middle of the night. In fact it's technically the next season. Wait. Whose that at my door...?

Summer: Just...just... wow. Kazeko is more frisky than I thought. Coming to me asking for help making babies. I would have thought Rowan would be able to sort that out for her, but I have no doubt I can help them out. For now a little 'instruction' will have to do. I'll have a good think about it whilst I study.

Autumn: Another season practicing penetration with Kazeko... in more ways than one. Hehehe
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Winter: I am an absolute f*cking idiot sometimes. All this time it was staring me in the face and it took me this long to realise. What better reason to go through my gateway than to find new skills? The demons love the innocent souls of children and of course they're gonna know some kinky baby-making tricks. I entered the portal to find myself in a long white corridor with many doors along either side. I looked in a few and saw that they were made to keep the souls of people who had passed on. Most were pretty unresponsive and didn't look up for much fun so I just kept going. Eventually I found a room that held a man who seemed to be enjoying some kind of sports, and a beautiful woman watching over him. Her name was Lorenth and she had a very alluring aura about her. I had no doubt she'd be up for a good time. She asked for a lock of my hair which I can only assume was payment for what came next. She took me to another room. A library would be my guess on account of all the books. I was beginning to feel a little disheartened at the thought that she wasn't going to give me a practical demonstration of the skills I asked her for... but then she looked me in the eyes and I felt my joints lock in place. Unable to move she did whatever she wanted with me and it was the best I'd had in a long while (kinky b*tch really didn't need to bind me for it though). When we were done she gave me a book and a strange little doll and she took me back to the gateway telling me to expect more fun. I'm going to spend the rest of my season reading the book, but I must admit I'm finding it a little hard to concentrate.

1167, Spring: Ok, now that my head's a bit clearer and I've had enough time to read my new fertility book properly, I know what I need to do to help my new favorite couple. According to this the best way to ensure children is through a Creo Corpus ritual which can be helped along using fetishes (that'll be more of those funny little dolls, but made by Kazeko). It's quite remarkable though. You can actually use the ritual to specify whatever you want about your child. Everything from gender to how skilled they are gonna be in the arts. One could theoretically make the perfect person in both mind and body with enough skill...

Summer: Having been made aware of my plight to help the two of them, Rowan and Kazeko decided to give me a little helping hand in my research. I grow tiresome of having to fight over books every season and they know of a way to teach me so that I need only actually read a book once and then be able to recite it back perfectly so I never have to borrow it again. Rowan took me into a fae regio and initiated me into his house to do so. I was almost touched that he would go so far to help me, but then again he probably knows this is going to benefit him too. The whole thing was a bit of a drug trip, but I got what I went for so I can't complain too much.

Autumn: The wedding is coming up soon. I'll spend one more season reading up on Corpus so I can give Kazeko and Rowan the ritual as a gift.

Winter: Ok, I think that'll do it. I've composed a text on the instruction of baby-making, with notes for a ritual in the back. Kind of makes me wonder about making a child of my own. After all the process is rather enjoyable and it would be so fun to have a small version of myself wandering around. Hopefully they'll realise the benefits of having an experienced hand present...

1168, Spring: What a wonderful wedding. I got so bladdered it felt like nobody actually hated my guts. Kazako and Rowan put on a beautiful ceremony and everyone seemed to have fun (about damned time too). I never knew that Japanese weddings ended with an auction. I can't remember much, I was pretty out of it, but I seem to thing it had something about a book and a pair of owls. Oh, and they really liked my gift (even requested a few... demonstrations). Needless to say I am quite content and may even have a cute little mo̱ró of my own to play with soon.

Summer: All of this talk of families is making me remember how my own childhood was spent. Damianos may have been a fool, but I seem to remember had some pretty interesting tricks. May even be worth me going to take a look to see what he's left behind. I spent a few days going back to York to check the old place out. It was pretty much just as I left it. Absolutely filthy and Damianos with a stupid mocking grin on his face... which I promptly removed with the heel of my boot. Managed to find a few useful artifacts with the help of a few locals... who will probably be missed. Oh well. Thankfully I remembered Damianos' little bottle of quicksilver because I could never have opened that damned box of his without it. Clever little contraption he came up with there. But not clever enough. Now I have his books on the Maleficia and the wheels in my head are turning...

Autumn: Blegh. I'm getting so fat now. It's a pain to move around. How dare those assholes make someone in my condition help out in a dangerous lab experiment. Well at least it's done now and they can't say I've not done my part. I am after all the best they could have asked to lighten the place up for those damn crops to grow. Those damned covenfolk better be grateful.

Winter: Wow... he's so small... and perfect... Did I really make him? I feel so happy. To think that without Kazeko I wouldn't have even thought to bring him here. I'll call him Paidi-Anemos... but that would probably embarass her... not to mention myself. I'll tell people his name is Angeio. Because an empty vase is also full of potential. I'll use my time with him to contemplate creation.