Xen continued to eye the fog warily as he followed his Aunt. As they walked his eyes would dart from shadow to shadow as the tension inside of him built up.
Now that Xen's watching the fog itself, he can see that there are shapes made of fog, moving within. They're impossible to see unless one looks right at them, but the fog seems alive.
Or, perhaps, not...
"Here it is," she says. "I've seen some mages here trying to draw upon the area here before."
"Stay close... I don't want anything bad to happen to you..."
Staying cautious Xen pushed out with all of his senses trying to feel out the land around him. As he stood there he used his psychic connection to his own lands for comparison with this one. He wanted to understand everything about the land before even attempting to draw upon it's power.
Despite not needing to breathe in the last few decades, Cara let out a gasp as several spirits loomed out of the fog. They were moving in Xen's direction, and fast.
Quickly reacting to the spirits charging at him, Xen steps in front of his Aunt pulling out his dagger. Forming the connections to his mana Xen says, "Stay behind me, Cara!"
As his hand motions for her to back up his aura begins to glow a soft emerald green and a mirage of a forest appears behind both of them. Keeping his left hand holding the dagger up in front, Xen uses his right to gesture at his forest mirage. A small pulse of light flares from within the mirage as an elf steps out from behind one of the trees and crosses the boundary from the mirage into the graveyard.
Looking around the female elf walks up to Xen's side looking at the spirits warily.
Glaring at the spirits Xen warns them, "I intend you no harm but should you attack me I will defend myself!"
Xen nods to his elf as they take down one of the cloaked spirits (OOG: Sandsower) together with the help of his aunt and his dagger. Staggering back from the assault he refocuses his mind and begins to draw on more mana. Sheathing his dagger Xen closes his eyes and focuses on the chanting of his elf. Quickly his ties to the lands tripled as he called forth two more elves from the forest mirage. As the elves stepped up to his side he spoke out loud to his Aunt without looking, "Stay close to me, I have a plan and don't want to lose you when I implement it."
Xen brought his hands together in a pushing motion towards the spirits causing a dense fog to rise up around him. Using the fog for cover he quickly maneuvered out of the spirits paths. Tossing a glance at his Aunt he said, "And here I was worrying for your life..."
Closing his eyes Xen continued to allow the chanting of the elves to double his ties to the mana causing his mirage to widen. Focusing on the land around him Xen casually summoned a new elf from the mirage while literally kneeling down and feeling the ground with his hands. Again barely focused on casting, Xen points his left hand at the mirage and then balls it. Soon a swarm of insects came crawling out of the mirage and strengthening him through the newly summoned elf.
Shutting out the outside world Xen reached out mentally and tried to connect to the land. Slowly he felt around the land trying to get a feeling for it's substance. Inside his mind he imagined there was a mental barrier blocking off the flow of the land. He continued to feel around this barrier until he found a crack.
Opening his eyes he continued with the visualization and imagined the crack spreading along the barrier until it burst open creating a spherical hole for the mana to travel through. He thought of the mana as water pouring out from a dam and into a valley. As he attempted to draw upon the mana he visualized his body and soul as the valley trying to contain the gushing water.
Whenever you attempt to connect to the land, I want you to roll a D20. I'll let you know if you make any progress. Ignoring your normal land-drop will help with the DC.
The land seems surprisingly simple, but attempting to focus on it while splitting his energy between it and the spells he's casting is difficult.
After the D20...
The spirits emerge from the sudden natural fog, and attempt to charge once again. Again, the one Drover holds back, watching.
Remaining calm and focused, Xen began to say a prayer to Gaea renewing his strength. As he prayed the three elves formed a triangle around him and chanted causing his mana to grow even more. To help stay focused on the land Xen avoided using as many of his spells as possible.
Returning to the imagery in his mind he imagined himself as the valley as the water spilled forth from the dam. The valley was his mouth and the water there for the taking. In his mind the water begin to drain from the valley as the land crumpled inward taking the water with it into the deepest part of his core being.
The land begins to open up to Xen. He can feel the souls of millions within the land. The energy within the land, Xen feels, can be used to simplify others' connections to their lands.
However, his focus is still split. He cannot form the connection with the land yet, but he feels that he may be able to tap into one of the powers of the land: a feeling of ending, and of isolation.
During his actions, the spirit of the young woman reaches out at one of the stray spirits. A beam of light lances forward, striking one of the insects, while at the same time a little wisp travels back to the drover. This spirit then channels some mana from within itself into the wisp, drawing forth two more spirits from the mist.
Again, the spirits, now increased in number, charge, leaving the drover behind.
Sacrificed token to Rusalka, one Insect cannot attack.
Activated Drover's ability at end of turn.
Waving a hand Xen causes the fog to rise up and conceal him again.
The battlefield grew very distant to Xen is he focused on the land. Vaguely he hear the chanting of the elves as his power grew.
Still he focused on the land now imagining that the water contained inside of him was his heart. Slowly he imagined the water being pumped by the heart and out into the rest of his body. The water would mix with his blood and essence becoming one with him.
Xen looked up with a distant gaze at the insects he had summoned. In one motion Xen raised both hands sending a surge of strength out into his creatures. Then after a small prayer he sent the creatures charging forward to the spirits to crush them and hopefully give them pause.
The creatures charge out, wreaking general havoc among the spirits. However, by the time they get back, the spirits have reformed themselves.
Xen feels as if the water is having trouble mixing with the blood. His heart is trying too hard.
However, he does feel a different connection to the land appearing. Not the one he intended, and only one he could call upon here.
The land itself channels its energy through Xen. He can feel the land accepting him, granting him the use of its power, and its strength.
Appearing to come from the ground itself, a translucent white bubble appears around Xen, encompassing his summoned creatures, himself, and his aunt. The creatures charge Xen, but are repelled by the bubble. It seems like they cannot pass through this barrier.
"What happened?" asks Cara.
OOG: Congratulations. First d6 roll, you rolled C. Finish up the connection with the land, and you can get out of there.
Xen responded absently, "The land... It gave me a response."
Xen stops focusing on pumping the land's 'water' with his heart and instead allowed the energy to seep into his fiber and being. Breathing deeply he felt the strength of the land course through him as he looked upon the protective bubble surrounding him.
Seeing the spirits repelled by the bubble Xen can't help but smile as he sits down and pulls out the parchment. Xen allowed all but one elf and forest to fade from his power as he sat there. Looking around he recorded everything that had just happened and made a note concerning the nature of the spirits and the land here.
After several minutes Xen looks up at his aunt and says, "I've finished recording everything that I needed for my trip here. I need to return back to Estark now..."
Xen stood up and began walking with his aunt at his side. As they walked he asked her, "I noticed you were able to strengthen one of my elves. I thank you for that. But I began to wonder what your life was like in Ravnica. My mother and father never showed any signs of being able to use the mana. Thus I thought I was the first in the family to be able to draw upon it. As I said what just happened has me wondering if that is correct. Were you a mage, Aunt Cara?"
"I wasn't a very strong one," she says. "I was a healer for the Selesnyans. My parents weren't mages themselves, and I never strove to be a fighter. I wanted to help others."
She looks down, and smiles once again at Xen. "I think that's why I am more solid when I am with you. I sensed a kindred spirit, someone I was related to, and I wanted to help."
"There are many places to draw mana from," she says, motioning to the ground under Xen. "Since I lived in Ravnica, there weren't many plains there. I drew my mana from the sun. Other Selesnyans, they drew their mana from life. Any life. Any living plant or animal that clung to life in this sprawling city.
"But yes, many draw their energies from the plains or forests beyond the city."
Private Mod Note
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As she floats off, she turns around, looks at Xen, and smiles once again. "You look very much like my own son," she says.
She leads Xen into another part of the graveyard. A low moan comes from around them.
She starts to look cautious. "You said you are a druid, yes?"
Slipping his dagger out of the sheath Xen steps closer to his Aunt as if to protect her from the moaning sounds.
"Do we have company?" he said with a slight grin on his face.
"We must keep moving, we're almost there," she says, before moving on.
Now that Xen's watching the fog itself, he can see that there are shapes made of fog, moving within. They're impossible to see unless one looks right at them, but the fog seems alive.
Or, perhaps, not...
"Here it is," she says. "I've seen some mages here trying to draw upon the area here before."
OOG: Roll a d20 please.
"Stay close... I don't want anything bad to happen to you..."
Staying cautious Xen pushed out with all of his senses trying to feel out the land around him. As he stood there he used his psychic connection to his own lands for comparison with this one. He wanted to understand everything about the land before even attempting to draw upon it's power.
Despite not needing to breathe in the last few decades, Cara let out a gasp as several spirits loomed out of the fog. They were moving in Xen's direction, and fast.
1x Martyred Rusalka
2x Sandsower
1x Twilight Drover
3x 1/1 Flying Spirit Tokens
OOG: You have a turn before they attack.
As his hand motions for her to back up his aura begins to glow a soft emerald green and a mirage of a forest appears behind both of them. Keeping his left hand holding the dagger up in front, Xen uses his right to gesture at his forest mirage. A small pulse of light flares from within the mirage as an elf steps out from behind one of the trees and crosses the boundary from the mirage into the graveyard.
Looking around the female elf walks up to Xen's side looking at the spirits warily.
Glaring at the spirits Xen warns them, "I intend you no harm but should you attack me I will defend myself!"
Life: 20
Played:
1x Forest
1x Skyshroud Ranger
Battlefield:
1x Forest 1x:symtap: 0x:symq:
1x Skyshroud Ranger0x:symtap: 1x:symq:(SS)
Graveyard:
Exile:
As most of the spirits charge, A white streak flashes over Xen's shoulder, bolstering his elf.
OOG: Everything but the Drover charging. Skyshroud Ranger is 2/2 until end of turn.
Life: 15
Played:
2x Forest
2x Skyshroud Ranger
Battlefield:
3x Forest 2x:symtap: 1x:symq:
3x Skyshroud Ranger1x:symtap: 2x:symq:(*2 SS)
Graveyard:
Exile:
The same spirits attack once again.
"Um, Xen," Cara says, "the dead don't stay dead long in the Agyrem. Try to hold them off while you make the connection."
Closing his eyes Xen continued to allow the chanting of the elves to double his ties to the mana causing his mirage to widen. Focusing on the land around him Xen casually summoned a new elf from the mirage while literally kneeling down and feeling the ground with his hands. Again barely focused on casting, Xen points his left hand at the mirage and then balls it. Soon a swarm of insects came crawling out of the mirage and strengthening him through the newly summoned elf.
Shutting out the outside world Xen reached out mentally and tried to connect to the land. Slowly he felt around the land trying to get a feeling for it's substance. Inside his mind he imagined there was a mental barrier blocking off the flow of the land. He continued to feel around this barrier until he found a crack.
Opening his eyes he continued with the visualization and imagined the crack spreading along the barrier until it burst open creating a spherical hole for the mana to travel through. He thought of the mana as water pouring out from a dam and into a valley. As he attempted to draw upon the mana he visualized his body and soul as the valley trying to contain the gushing water.
Life: 21
Played:
3x Forest from 3x Skyshroud Ranger ability.
1x Essence Warden
1x Beacon of Creation
Battlefield:
6x Forest 5x:symtap: 1x:symq:
3x Skyshroud Ranger3x:symtap: 0x:symq:
1x Essence Warden
6x 1/1 green insect tokens
Graveyard:
1x Fog
Exile:
OOC: Not using my normal land drop to help facilitate Xen's connection to the land.
The land seems surprisingly simple, but attempting to focus on it while splitting his energy between it and the spells he's casting is difficult.
The spirits emerge from the sudden natural fog, and attempt to charge once again. Again, the one Drover holds back, watching.
OOC: Use fog and waiting to see result of last attempt to draw on the land.
Returning to the imagery in his mind he imagined himself as the valley as the water spilled forth from the dam. The valley was his mouth and the water there for the taking. In his mind the water begin to drain from the valley as the land crumpled inward taking the water with it into the deepest part of his core being.
Life: 21
Played:
3x Forest from 3x Skyshroud Ranger ability.
1x Gaea's Blessing
Battlefield:
9x Forest 2x:symtap: 7x:symq:
3x Skyshroud Ranger3x:symtap: 0x:symq:
1x Essence Warden
6x 1/1 green insect tokens
Graveyard:
1x Gaea's Blessing
Exile:
OOC: Done with my turn again not laying a land.
However, his focus is still split. He cannot form the connection with the land yet, but he feels that he may be able to tap into one of the powers of the land: a feeling of ending, and of isolation.
During his actions, the spirit of the young woman reaches out at one of the stray spirits. A beam of light lances forward, striking one of the insects, while at the same time a little wisp travels back to the drover. This spirit then channels some mana from within itself into the wisp, drawing forth two more spirits from the mist.
Again, the spirits, now increased in number, charge, leaving the drover behind.
Activated Drover's ability at end of turn.
1x Martyred Rusalka (:symtap:, attacking)
2x Sandsower (:symtap:, attacking)
1x Twilight Drover
4x 1/1 Flying Spirit Tokens (:symtap:, attacking)
OOG: You've made progress. You're 1/3 of the way there to making the connection. In addition to your d20, please roll a d6 as well.
The battlefield grew very distant to Xen is he focused on the land. Vaguely he hear the chanting of the elves as his power grew.
Still he focused on the land now imagining that the water contained inside of him was his heart. Slowly he imagined the water being pumped by the heart and out into the rest of his body. The water would mix with his blood and essence becoming one with him.
Xen looked up with a distant gaze at the insects he had summoned. In one motion Xen raised both hands sending a surge of strength out into his creatures. Then after a small prayer he sent the creatures charging forward to the spirits to crush them and hopefully give them pause.
Life: 22
Played:
3x Forest from 3x Skyshroud Ranger ability.
1x Overrun
1x Gaea's Blessing returning Blessing, Fog, and Overrun.
Battlefield:
12x Forest 7x:symtap: 5x:symq:
3x Skyshroud Ranger3x:symtap: 0x:symq:
1x Essence Warden
6x 1/1 green insect tokens 5x:symtap: 1x:symq: (5 attacking the spirits without flying. 4/4s)
Graveyard:
1x Gaea's Blessing
Exile:
OOC: Done with my turn again not laying a land.
Xen feels as if the water is having trouble mixing with the blood. His heart is trying too hard.
However, he does feel a different connection to the land appearing. Not the one he intended, and only one he could call upon here.
The land itself channels its energy through Xen. He can feel the land accepting him, granting him the use of its power, and its strength.
Appearing to come from the ground itself, a translucent white bubble appears around Xen, encompassing his summoned creatures, himself, and his aunt. The creatures charge Xen, but are repelled by the bubble. It seems like they cannot pass through this barrier.
"What happened?" asks Cara.
OOG: Congratulations. First d6 roll, you rolled C. Finish up the connection with the land, and you can get out of there.
Xen stops focusing on pumping the land's 'water' with his heart and instead allowed the energy to seep into his fiber and being. Breathing deeply he felt the strength of the land course through him as he looked upon the protective bubble surrounding him.
Seeing the spirits repelled by the bubble Xen can't help but smile as he sits down and pulls out the parchment. Xen allowed all but one elf and forest to fade from his power as he sat there. Looking around he recorded everything that had just happened and made a note concerning the nature of the spirits and the land here.
After several minutes Xen looks up at his aunt and says, "I've finished recording everything that I needed for my trip here. I need to return back to Estark now..."
Xen stood up and began walking with his aunt at his side. As they walked he asked her, "I noticed you were able to strengthen one of my elves. I thank you for that. But I began to wonder what your life was like in Ravnica. My mother and father never showed any signs of being able to use the mana. Thus I thought I was the first in the family to be able to draw upon it. As I said what just happened has me wondering if that is correct. Were you a mage, Aunt Cara?"
She looks down, and smiles once again at Xen. "I think that's why I am more solid when I am with you. I sensed a kindred spirit, someone I was related to, and I wanted to help."
He gives a moments pause as if remembering something and continues saying, "The Selesnya, they wield mana of the plains and forests, correct?"
"But yes, many draw their energies from the plains or forests beyond the city."