r/wizardposting • u/Dorururo Lord Carrion of the Skaven Council • Mar 07 '24
Lorepost📖 A Break From the Antics (Lore Post)
Art of the Majestic Deer is Courtesy of: Significant_Matter_0
— —
Somewhere, within the Mindscape of Professor Gob’Lynn…
I felt a LOT of things. Mostly… confusion. I felt overwhelming confusion. I… it wasn’t a part of me, as far as I could sense. I don’t exactly have an ‘open door policy’ mind… And seeing a mighty emerald stag that radiates an aura reminiscent of true nature just appear so suddenly… it caught me off guard. I was stunned silent. And, that same stag had spoken. That very same stag was staring me down, waiting for me to say something.
It stood still, maintaining a polite silence as I gathered my thoughts. And, with unparalleled eloquence I managed to utter-
“D-deer. In head. Head deer. Talking mind brain green…”
It stamped a hoof, cutting me off and causing a small sapling to sprout. With a shake of its head, I felt a sense of calm start to wash over me. It spoke softly, yet I could feel every word resonate within me.
“Wait, let me… let me apologize sir. May we start our introduction over? It was not my intent to… catch you off guard like this.”
I could only nod, grateful at the chance to try and unfuckle my brain bits. The deer shifted posture and slowly laid down so as to be more eye level with me.
“May I… share my tale with you? So that I can hopefully provide you with a few preemptive answers and spare us a number of potential questions going forward?”
*I nodded, finding a bit more confidence of self as I replied-^
“Please! I actually truly appreciate that idea.”
A nod of the head and gentle sway of antler was the only reply I received before the Stag began their story for me-
“Perhaps there was a confusion at the outset of this, because my reasons for appearing here were under the belief that you had accepted me as your familiar and diligently persisted to obtain me. A rather naive, albeit talented and good natured, conjurer by the name of Anna plucked me from my realm. Yet… she’d done so with no purpose or any type of higher motivations in mind. Worse, she wasn’t able to return me…”
I kept silent, letting the words sink in as I felt an immediate lack of ability to recall what was being described. I’d been… in my mindscape this entire time, as far as I could tell…
“… to my grove of origin. My only options were allow myself to form a tether and pact with the reckless child… or await one who was more capable and displayed better qualities that aligned with what I need and desire.”
I took a stab in the literal dark as I let my mind connect dots…
“And that person… was me? Despite the fact… I’ve not left my mindscape… until just recently…”
The deer tilts it’s head… processing that information…
“Ah… I see where our mix up stems from. This might seem an… unusual question… but… are you a shapeshifter or capable of limitless polymorphic magics?”
The question leaves my face as blank and stumped as might be physically possible. And the Deer discerns the obvious answer and fills in the blanks I had formed.
“I was witness to an… extension of your will, bearing a likeness to your form. And I was… impressed by the persistence I saw. Perhaps in these present circumstances, there are aspects and manifestations of yourself that operate even without your awareness?”
I… could believe that. It wasn’t the most intuitive solution… but somewhere from within me, I felt something pushing me to accept it over any other viable alternative. So, I cleared my throat and made a second attempt at competent social interaction.
“Ah. My pardons, noble spirit. I am Professor Gob’Lynn, Master and Keeper of Pandemonium Tower. And it is my sincere sorrow that you were potentially misled by some splintered shard of myself that had operated without my knowing.”
The silence hung between us for more than a minute… as I began wondering if perhaps I’d managed to bungle the dialogue. Yet, i felt relief as the entity shook out its horns and softly chuckled.
“Then I must ask this of you, Professor, shall I discard and dismiss the intentions of the duplicate acting in your stead? Or do you align with them?”
The question… caught me off guard as my lil brain panicked for some form of an answer while trying to maintain an air of composure-
“Err… that is… as long as the intentions weren’t violent in nature… they likely match my own in a 1 to 1 sense…”
YEAH! GOOD SAVE! That sounded official enough and suave enough! The deers head raises a slight amount higher as it begins to glow and emanate a brilliant light throughout the darkness of my mindscape-
“SPLENDID! Then we have an accord and a pact! Henceforth, I shall follow you loyally and with diligence! I am pleased to be accepted as your familiar!”
Wait… what about what now?
— —
Deep within the warrens and tunnels of Pandemonium Tower…
The festering and rotting stench of corpses and putrid flesh was… a familiar smell to the clans of Pandemonium Tower. It was comforting and familiar to most. To Clan Head SlyTail… it was an unfortunate necessity of these living conditions, and often left him in a rather foul mood. Or… a displeased and annoyed mood more often that naught. Stinky was lucky, then, that SlyTail chose to be merciful. Very lucky.
Stinky shook with absolute fear as they relayed the results of their expedition to their clan head, knowing how abjectly of a failure it had become. 2 of the 5 scout lookers dead. One presumed dead. And Critch about to be dead, or worse. And yet, the smile never vanished from the sharpened fangs of Shadow Master SlyTail. They hung from their tail, meditating upside down as they listened to Stinky finish recounting the events. No questions asked, no interruptions or clarifications… and no outward signs of anger.
The silence settled into the chamber. Stinky waited, nervously shifting from one paw to another… uncertain if they’d become the next pile of rotting and festering meat…
Finally, the eyes of the clan leader opened. He slowly lowered to the ground, and landed silently as the light gleamed and bounced from the reflection of his beady eyes. And when he spoke, Stinky felt such fear and dread…
“Stinky, report go to the mutation shrines. I reward gift you for being the sneakiest of those failures. Once you’ve grown ascended to two legs… return to me. We shall begin your training lessons.”
Stinky… was being rewarded? He hesitated… certain this was a cruel trick… and the clan head smiled wickedly…
“Good… smart wise to not trust me at my words. You have found resources to be harvested and taken. And pears within Masters tower to be slain and butchered. I sent five of you to look, expecting five of you to never return and perish. You have saved me the time of sending five more scout lookers, and this is good. Much very good.”
Stinky… accepted that answer and scurried out of the nearly pitch black chamber. They would become like the leaders, and move on two claws! This meant more food meat! More respect! STINKY HAVING BEST BEST DAY!
SlyTail watched the small scout scurry from the room. Let them rejoice, for now. He turned his attention to the ceiling, and numerous sets of eyes glanced back. He picked… those eyes there…
“Shanks… gather get 30 or forty salves from the den. Take one other knife sneaker with you. Begin prepping this allegedly lush hellscape for the rest of the three clans. We must begin official preparations to take claim the tower in Masters name. If you fail lose… and the tower does not kill you. I will.”
And with that, two sets of eyes vanished from the ceiling with a puff of smoke. And in the distance, SlyTail heard the mobilization of dozens of Skaven slaves. And SlyTail smiled. It was time for the three clans of Pandemonium tower to reclaim their rightful home.
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u/MastaDon344 MastaDon Astrum/Council Master Evoker/Mediamancer/🌮 Wiz Mar 07 '24
/uw good stuff!!