Biara stifled a yawn and
shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts. Around her piles of books
loomed precariously, their dusty covers pitted with age and the marks
of their heavy use. She sighed and brought a hand up, pushing a loose
strand of her red hair carefully behind one ear as she studied the
manuscript before her.
She had been at it for hours, deep in the heart of Dire Maul. The library contained within the black depths of the dreary ruins was a priceless treasure the likes of which the Magistrix could not have imagined. Tens of thousands of years of history, lore, spellcraft, and other information were contained in the tomes around her. An unimagineable wealth of information was just at her fingertips; she had only to sort out what she wanted from that information she didn't want.
Biara smiled to herself, thinking about what some of those who knew her might think to know she was in such an ancient library of power. Her cousins would be morified she was sure, and Archmage Sraeanna would probably give her a disapproving frown. Perhaps Aeranor would have smiled at her and encouraged her to learn more rather than destroy things. That last thought put a pout on her face. None of them were here now, and since her cousins had departed the spire she'd not seen them in months. Aeranor was long gone, likely retreating to his manor house outside of the city to hole up with whatever hussy he had managed to acquire this time, and the Archmage had returned to Dalaran presumably, although Biara never did know when the woman was watching her and when she was absent entirely. No, none of them were here now to judge what was happening in the world, to understand the need for what she was doing. She had no inclination to seek them out and explain herself either.
Sighing and shrugging off the sad thoughts, Biara bent back to the book lying open before her. She had read many such tomes already, and this one promised to be even less interesting than the previous ones. Written by a poet three hundred years after the Sundering, it was a detailed history of the fall of a small kingdom based around a place called the Tower of Sondraneth. The little kingdom was a bastion of the Highborne after the fall of their empire, located in a land now lost to time. The author took great pains to write in an overly romantic style, describing the quaint little kingdom as if it were a paradise on the face of Azeroth. As Biara read further, she learned that the kingdom had been ruled by two brothers, both gifted sorcerers of the Highborne. The eldest, Theronan, was stronger in magic while the younger, Levathielis, was apparently an expert on the creation of new spellworks. Together the brothers had created a safe haven for the remaining Highborne in the area, staving off attacks from an increasingly hostile land and continuing the traditions of their people.
Biara skimmed through several dozen pages describing the daily lives of the kingdom. The work was long-winded and tended to go off into flights of fancy about various aspects of the kingdom. As she was just about to give up, the tone of the text changed, sparking her interest. One hundred years into the rule of the two brothers, a Lady of the Highborne came to their little kingdom, intent on finding a new home. The two brothers were immediately smitten by her, giving her all of the attention that they could spare, treating her as if she were a queen of their tiny kingdom. Biara wrinkled her nose in distaste as the author went off on tangents about the lady's beauty and grace, and the Magistrix began to wonder if the original writer of the work hadn't had a more intimate relationship with the Highborne given the precise descriptions of the woman's figure.
As she read on, the tale became even more raunchy, causing Biara to blush furiously as she read. It seemed this Highborne Lady had in fact seduced the younger of the two brothers, while captivating the heart of the eldest. A fierce rivalry developed between the normally amicable brothers, and soon their competition for the Lady's hand drove them to feats of outrageous behavior in both romance and magic in order to show each other up. As Biara read further, she learned that one fateful night, the youngest of the brothers had finally asked for the Lady's hand in marriage. She accepted his offer, sending the eldest brother into a rampage of jealous rage. He attempted to enspell the Lady, casting a glamour on her in an attempt to sway her heart to him. Instead he learned an awful truth, a truth that the author wrote with an unsteady hand as the realization of the truth behind his own daliances came to light.
The Lady was a succubus.
Biara perked up in her seat, intensely interested in the outcome of the tale. Her curiosity was short lived however, as the tale ended that very night. The youngest brother, blinded by love for his "Lady" could not see through her magical disguise, and denied the truth that his older brother tried to show him. They fought a magical duel, laying waste to the tower itself and much of the surrounding countryside, forever destroying the safe haven they had created. The succubus had completed her task well, ending the reign and prosperity of one of the few remaining bastions of Highborne power. The author of the tale flung himself from the tower's battlements, his last words written in his own blood, a testament to the power the "Lady" had even of him.
Biara sighed, preparing to close the tome when she noticed an epilogue written at the back of the text. It seemed one of the Highborne had taken the time to complete the tale, carrying the book to safety and presumably to this place where it ended its days in this library. The information written in the epilogue gave a name to this so-called "Lady". Not just a name though, her true name.
Sarathysssa.
Biara grinned fiercely. She had the true name of the temptress. A vital piece of information if she were to proceed with her plans. The day's research had just born fruit that she had been seeking for some time. The Magistrix closed the book and got up, intent on returning to her tower.
She never noticed the tendril of Fel power that seeped from the book's closed pages as she walked away from the research table, and none of the archivists mentioned the fact that Biara's eyes looked a little greener in the dim light of the library.
She had been at it for hours, deep in the heart of Dire Maul. The library contained within the black depths of the dreary ruins was a priceless treasure the likes of which the Magistrix could not have imagined. Tens of thousands of years of history, lore, spellcraft, and other information were contained in the tomes around her. An unimagineable wealth of information was just at her fingertips; she had only to sort out what she wanted from that information she didn't want.
Biara smiled to herself, thinking about what some of those who knew her might think to know she was in such an ancient library of power. Her cousins would be morified she was sure, and Archmage Sraeanna would probably give her a disapproving frown. Perhaps Aeranor would have smiled at her and encouraged her to learn more rather than destroy things. That last thought put a pout on her face. None of them were here now, and since her cousins had departed the spire she'd not seen them in months. Aeranor was long gone, likely retreating to his manor house outside of the city to hole up with whatever hussy he had managed to acquire this time, and the Archmage had returned to Dalaran presumably, although Biara never did know when the woman was watching her and when she was absent entirely. No, none of them were here now to judge what was happening in the world, to understand the need for what she was doing. She had no inclination to seek them out and explain herself either.
Sighing and shrugging off the sad thoughts, Biara bent back to the book lying open before her. She had read many such tomes already, and this one promised to be even less interesting than the previous ones. Written by a poet three hundred years after the Sundering, it was a detailed history of the fall of a small kingdom based around a place called the Tower of Sondraneth. The little kingdom was a bastion of the Highborne after the fall of their empire, located in a land now lost to time. The author took great pains to write in an overly romantic style, describing the quaint little kingdom as if it were a paradise on the face of Azeroth. As Biara read further, she learned that the kingdom had been ruled by two brothers, both gifted sorcerers of the Highborne. The eldest, Theronan, was stronger in magic while the younger, Levathielis, was apparently an expert on the creation of new spellworks. Together the brothers had created a safe haven for the remaining Highborne in the area, staving off attacks from an increasingly hostile land and continuing the traditions of their people.
Biara skimmed through several dozen pages describing the daily lives of the kingdom. The work was long-winded and tended to go off into flights of fancy about various aspects of the kingdom. As she was just about to give up, the tone of the text changed, sparking her interest. One hundred years into the rule of the two brothers, a Lady of the Highborne came to their little kingdom, intent on finding a new home. The two brothers were immediately smitten by her, giving her all of the attention that they could spare, treating her as if she were a queen of their tiny kingdom. Biara wrinkled her nose in distaste as the author went off on tangents about the lady's beauty and grace, and the Magistrix began to wonder if the original writer of the work hadn't had a more intimate relationship with the Highborne given the precise descriptions of the woman's figure.
As she read on, the tale became even more raunchy, causing Biara to blush furiously as she read. It seemed this Highborne Lady had in fact seduced the younger of the two brothers, while captivating the heart of the eldest. A fierce rivalry developed between the normally amicable brothers, and soon their competition for the Lady's hand drove them to feats of outrageous behavior in both romance and magic in order to show each other up. As Biara read further, she learned that one fateful night, the youngest of the brothers had finally asked for the Lady's hand in marriage. She accepted his offer, sending the eldest brother into a rampage of jealous rage. He attempted to enspell the Lady, casting a glamour on her in an attempt to sway her heart to him. Instead he learned an awful truth, a truth that the author wrote with an unsteady hand as the realization of the truth behind his own daliances came to light.
The Lady was a succubus.
Biara perked up in her seat, intensely interested in the outcome of the tale. Her curiosity was short lived however, as the tale ended that very night. The youngest brother, blinded by love for his "Lady" could not see through her magical disguise, and denied the truth that his older brother tried to show him. They fought a magical duel, laying waste to the tower itself and much of the surrounding countryside, forever destroying the safe haven they had created. The succubus had completed her task well, ending the reign and prosperity of one of the few remaining bastions of Highborne power. The author of the tale flung himself from the tower's battlements, his last words written in his own blood, a testament to the power the "Lady" had even of him.
Biara sighed, preparing to close the tome when she noticed an epilogue written at the back of the text. It seemed one of the Highborne had taken the time to complete the tale, carrying the book to safety and presumably to this place where it ended its days in this library. The information written in the epilogue gave a name to this so-called "Lady". Not just a name though, her true name.
Sarathysssa.
Biara grinned fiercely. She had the true name of the temptress. A vital piece of information if she were to proceed with her plans. The day's research had just born fruit that she had been seeking for some time. The Magistrix closed the book and got up, intent on returning to her tower.
She never noticed the tendril of Fel power that seeped from the book's closed pages as she walked away from the research table, and none of the archivists mentioned the fact that Biara's eyes looked a little greener in the dim light of the library.
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