The Valentine Home (Upper-Middle Class section of Ren)

*OOC*
Name: Tempest Valentine
Age: 16
Race: Human
Background: Tempest is the daughter of a Court Wizard. She has been studying at Iseld Teser since she was old enough to attend, and has been specializing in elemental magic. Her mother died three years ago, and she still struggles with the pain of that loss.
Family: Father: Vorxpol Valentine, a 36 year old Court Wizard who specializes in animal charming. He is in the middle of a research project for the king. Aunt: Kimbel, a 29 year old tavern maid. She works at Niphia's dad's tavern.
Appearance: Tempest has long, dark red slightly wavy hair, gray eyes with green flecks, and a pale ivory complexion. She's about 5'5", and slightly muscular with long legs.

*posting in Iseld Teser*

Tempest stomped into her house and slammed the door.
"Temp? What's up?" Kimbel called.
Tempest huffed and leaned against the wall. "Bad day at school."
"According to you, every day is a bad day," Kimbel remarked, coming around the corner with a dish towel in her hands.
"Why aren't you at work?" Tempest asked, changing the subject.
Kimbel shrugged. "The boss said to come in later. They've got it covered for now. So why are you home early?"
"We didn't have lunch period, and we have a lab in an hour. Speaking of which, I'm positivey starving. What do we have to eat?"

*OOC* Okay, here we go.

*IC*
Tempest strode up the path to the door, which she opened and held for Keith. "My dad's probably in his study. You can come with me." She nodded down the hall. "It's just this way."

Keith did a simple cantrip to make sure all the dirt was off his shoes before he stepped inside. "Nice place you've got here," he commented as he followed Tempest.

Tempest smiled wryly. "Thanks. It's big, that's for sure. And there's only three of us here." She strode down the long hallway. "Here we are." She knocked on a big wooden door and put her ear to it.
"Tempest? Is that you?"
"Yeah, me and a friend. Can we come in?"
"Of course! One moment..." The door opened, and a tall, thin man with slight stubble stood before them. "Hello," he said cheerfully. "My name is Vorxpol."

Keith smiled charmingly, holding out his hand to the older man. "Good evening, Mr. Valentine. I'm Keith Shadesteel, a friend of Tempest's from Iseld Teser."

Vorxpol shook Keith's hand, smiling. "A pleasure to meet you. Tempest doesn't bring many friends home from school, so it's a nice change to see her with someone her age."
Tempest rolled her eyes, but had to hold back her smile.

Keith chuckled. "She's a wonderful girl, once you get past the tough facade." He sent a teasing glance toward her.

Vorxpol chuckled and gazed at his daughter affectionately. "That she is. Most people just don't realize it."
Tempest huffed. "You know I can hear this, right? Dad, Keith wants to see the library."

"If you couldn't hear it, I probably wouldn't be saying it." Keith chuckled. "But yes, the purpose of this visit is to see your library."

Vorxpol smiled. "Of course. Here, I'll show you if you want."
Tempest shrugged.
"And I can leave after I've shown Keith a few of my favorite volumes," he teased her. "I know how to take a hint. Fathers aren't welcome around friends."

Keith considered a few clever comebacks and add-ons to that, but wasn't sure how Tempest's father would take them, and so wisely refrained. "Yes, please, lead on," he said, smiling.

Tempest shrugged. If her father wanted to believe that, she had no problem with it.
Vorxpol led the way through his study to a door on a perpendicular wall. "Welcome," he said, opening the door with a flourish, "to my library!"
The open door revealed a large room, the walls covered in books of all colors. Old-looking books occupied most of the flat surfaces in the library, and the place smelled faintly like tea.

For a moment, all of Keith's arrogance and smart-assery vanished. He reverently approached one of the walls, running his finger along the spines without actually touching them. "You have books I've never even heard of. I didn't think it possible."

Merf. Sorry I haven't been on <_<

*IC*
Tempest watched Keith curiously. She held a certain respect - almost reverence - for books (her father had taught her that), but she tended to take the sheer volume of books that they owned for granted.
Vorxpol smiled, looking like a doting father. "My collection was started by my grandfather. My father and I have added to it over the years."

It's okay.

*IC*

Keith's eyes glittered. He saw, on the top shelves, volumes that he was fairly sure the old man didn't know the true nature of. Like most dark psychic books, they were heavily coded, appearing to be innocent books. They passed from owner to owner without ever being seen for what they really are, until they fall into the hands of a knowledgeable owner. Like himself.
"I wish my father had an interest in books. All he seems to care about is combat, physical power."

Vorxpol shook his head. "A pity. Knowledge grants much greater power, because it allows one to see things as they truly are. My books are my friends, and faithful companions they have been over the years. I'm very pleased that Tempest holds them in the same regard."
Tempest rolled her eyes but smiled. "Well, it's not like I have a lot of friends to spend time with."
Vorxpol smiled. "I have a number of old books that most wouldn't understand the nature of." He shrugged. "What magic do you study?"

Keith decided to show, in addition to telling, and he spoke without opening his mouth, projecting his thoughts to Tempest and her father. The psychic magics.

Vorxpol nodded, not shocked in the least. "I thought so. It was just a hunch, but my hunches tend to be pretty good." He grinned. "My teachers always thought I was oddly skilled in foresight. I have a few books you might find interesting." He cocked his head, still smiling. "Actually, you've probably already seen them. When I first purchased them, I thought they seemed a little... odd. So I had a few friends of mine at Court look at them, and sure enough, they were different. Mind magic books. I've tried to uncode them, but mental magic isn't my forte. You may have a look at them with the permission of a teacher. The things they teach are not trifles. My Mind Bender friend was shocked to see that I had come across them."

Keith re-evaluated his opinion of Tempest's father. He may not be able to read the books, but he knew what they were. That made him more dangerous than Keith had first thought. He bowed slightly. "Thank you, sir. I will certainly ask my teacher if I may attempt to decode your books."

Vorxpol smiled. "Excellent. My friend has told me what secrets they contain, but since I have no particular gift for mental magic, it really means nothing to me. I have many other volumes with magic topics, in case you ever need to do some research. I have many on animal charming, and of course elemental magic, for Tempest. My rarest and most valuable book, however, would have to be my necromancy one." He nodded toward a locked case. "It resides in there."

Keith's expression became one of normal surprise, the surprise that anyone would show upon hearing that someone owned a book on necromancy. Inside however, he practically danced. Necromancy was a powerful tool, mind over matter, literally. He composed himself. Patience. He had no need of it, just yet.

"Necromancy?" He said aloud, approaching the case. "Do you have an interest in it, or just in the rarity of the book?"

*OOC* FYI, mind magic, like what Keith does, is completely different from necromancy. Necromancy is actually what Evander's going to end up doing.

*IC*
Vorxpol studied Keith's reaction. "Of course I have interest in it. It's of no use to me, as I have no gift for necromancy, but the theory behind it is very fascinating. True necromancy is easily the darkest art, and requires the most careful study to perfect. Did you know that no one has ever performed an actual resurrection?"
Tempest's forehead wrinkled. "But... then how does it work?"
"Well, bodies can be raised, but no one has ever brought a soul back to the body that it belonged to."

*OOC* I know. Keith likes it, but he won't start seriously studying it until he, in his mind, has mastered his psychic magics.

*IC*

Keith looked down at the book, musing. "Which is one of the reasons Necromancy is considered evil. The body you raise will do whatever you tell it to. It has no moral qualms. The perfect soldier."

Vorxpol nodded. "Unless, of course, you can bring a spirit to reside in the body. Then the body will be... alive. Just not the person it once was. Necromancy actually has many different ways to bring about a body with a second life. Some easier than others. And you may call it evil, but the necromancers I know - granted, they are not very skilled, but they do know their art - consistently tell me that just because a magic is considered dark, it is not inherently evil."
"Hm." Tempest shook her head. "Seems pretty complicated to me."