audio;

[dusk_and_dawn]

[It's a brilliantly sunny day, everyone. It's raining, of course, but not lightly enough to turn to mist and block the light, and not heavily enough to drive everyone indoors.

The cause for the brilliance is sitting atop the highest structure he could find near the center of the city, shining like a star. Best not to look at him directly. You might even want to buy sunglasses, although there's probably no one who sells them.

He's not illuminating the whole city, of course, but he's trying.]

Greetings all, 'tis Balder the Brave. If others can bring snow, I thought I might try to bring the sun. Let me know if it is too much. And if you would, entertain me with your best stories. I ask not that they be true, merely interesting.

Comments

[struckout]

Your name is Balder?

[ Lightning's voice is mild as she answers, but behind that, genuinely curious. It's not all that hard to connect this message with its... source, after all. ]

[dusk_and_dawn]

Balder Odinson of Asgard, m'lady.

[Video]

[weapabilities]

Stories, huh? Well I've got a few...

[ This guy. He already likes this guy. ]

perma-audio

[dusk_and_dawn]

What kind of stories? I prefer tales of great battle and greater hijinks.

video;

[salvagedsoul]

[wait. he knows that voice and manner of speaking.]

Mister Balder?

Re: video;

[dusk_and_dawn]

Just Balder will do.

[Balder really can't tell who he's talking to since he's a bit too bright at the moment.]

[iorhael]

Frodo, at your service and your family's. If you can truly bring the sun, it would be much appreciated!

Would you like to know about Bullroarer Took and the Battle of Greenfields?

[dusk_and_dawn]

I can do but this, for I cannot part the clouds that constantly beset us. But I hope it shall suffice.

I would indeed. "Bullroarer" has a most impressive sound to it.

[crystalia]

You truly are a welcome sight. I think we've all missed the sun.

Are you the same Balder who is Thor's friend?

[dusk_and_dawn]

I think only the dwarves could enjoy such weather, and we seem to have but one here.

He is my brother, yes. Are you a friend as well?

[has_a_cult]

That's a neat trick.

[dusk_and_dawn]

Thank you. I would pull a rabbit from my hat, but sadly I am lacking one.

[urnotafraid]

Gee. Thanks. [let him sulk. He likes seeing sunlight even if it does cause his skin to smoke and blister and peel. Which is probably why he is huddling away from the sunlight after exposure to it.]

I don't have any stories to tell.

[dusk_and_dawn]

You are welcome. [No, he's not oblivious to the tone of voice but neither is his voice mean, just mild. If this person prefers the dark, well, they have every other day of the year.]

Truly? I find that hard to conceive.

[reassures]

[Nill is pretty sure he might not actually be able to see the tablet screen, but this is pretty close to sunlight, so she wants to say something, even if he doesn't notice it for awhile.]

That's amazing. Thank you.

later, video

[dusk_and_dawn]

You're welcome. I am happy to serve.

video;

[ladyspitfire]

[Elissa smiles for once. The sun is a welcome sight.]

You're most kind to give us this gift. Thank you.

[She hums thoughtfully.]

I could tell you a story. What sort of tale are you most amenable to?

Re: video;

[dusk_and_dawn]

A wild and fantastic tale to get the blood roaring!

action;

[falsehoods]

[There is a soft whispering in the air, something that almost sounds like Old Norse, then Loki appears in a flash of green light behind Balder. He glances towards his brother momentarily, squints, then averts his gaze and slinks up beside him without saying anything.]

Re: action;

[dusk_and_dawn]

[Balder glances over his shoulder at Loki. He is a little unsure about how he feels about his brother at this point. He's been in a good mood lately, but Loki has a bad tendency to put an instant end to that.]

Did you seek to tan yourself, Loki? You have been a bit pale as of late.

[video]

[demonbloodblade]

It is said, in my world, that once magic was more powerful and some mages came close to rivalling the powers of the gods. Those mages founded a nation, Netheril, where the archmages used their magic to cleave the tops off mountains, flipped the tops over, enchant them to float in the air, and built their palaces on the floating islands they made. They ruled over the lands below; some were just, some were cruel, and many simply took enough action to make sure their domain was stable and continued their practice and their experiments.

But one of them shone above the rest, the archwizard Karsus, who it is said cast his first spell in his second year of life, and by the age of twenty-two achieved the rank of archwizard by creating his floating island. Of him, more in a moment.

There were beings who lived on the power of magic itself, the weave of energies that mages worked with, the phaerimm, and they hated the archwizards, saying the spells were causing them to starve, and they took action to try to destroy the archwizards. But the phaerimm are evil creatures, whose chief joys are torture and murder, so many believe it was just an excuse to use to wage war.

Karsus finally rose up and decided the phaerimm must be destroyed, but they lived underground and were skillful weavers of magic, such that even the most powerful of diviners could not find them reliably. So Karsus decided that what was needed more than anything else was a greater knowledge than any mortal had, and he turned his skills, and those of his students, to the creation of the spell of the Avatar - that would transfer the might of a god into that of a mortal, giving that mortal godhood and the powers and knowledge of a god. And so with that power, he would know where the phaerimm were, and then be able to destroy them. So he cast the spell, and drew down the power of Mystryl, who was the goddess of Magic, into himself.

What he did not know was that the goddess did not just rule over spells and spellcasting, but over all magic - its weave on the world, the powers it grants, items which magic is bound within. There was destruction and chaos, and with her last power she severed him from the weave of magic. And with his last breath and that moment of knowledge, he saw all the floating cities of Netheril fall from the sky into the land, destroying all that he held dear. The goddess of Magic was remade as a new deity, who re-ordered magic and caused it to be less powerful, so that no spell of that nature could ever be cast again. Karsus, they say, was petrified, and his body remains, today, weeping for what he did.

And that is the tale of Karsus' Folly.

Re: [video]

[dusk_and_dawn]

[Balder listens intently and silently until the story is over.]

Well done. There is great truth in that--in power that becomes too much for its wielder or that draws the attention of forces far greater than itself. Power can cost far more than its worth.

Video

[showmeyourwreath]

_{[That light! Flora looks immensely hopeful for a moment, but the voice isn't the one she's expecting. There's a flash of disappointment, before she breaks into a genuine smile.]}

I'm not sure if I have any good stories to tell, but I wanted to say thank you so much for that. Really.

Re: Video

[dusk_and_dawn]

You are very welcome. The winter has been a bit too long, I think.

[text]

[itsmagicallydelicious]

[The worms are never fond of the presence of light, and Kariya isn't exactly a houseplant, but he appreciates the warmth and the rainbows in the rain.]

that's some magic
how long does it last?

later, video

[dusk_and_dawn]

[Balder won't be replying until the end of the day because of the reflection off of the device.]

'Twas meant to simulate a single sunny day.