Journey of an Armaneran, Part I

The Journey to a Cure, or the Memoirs of Val Mortan

Written by SoleilArya

Would you believe this? Val Mortan, in the flesh? I thought you were gone for good, this time, you rascal. Well, since you're here, might as well make yourself useful, won't you? Mal Argensten

It took many years for Val Mortan to escape the confines of the Beyond and claw his way back to Amaanturis, and yet here he was. As roguish and handsome as ever, his infamous smile plastered on his arrogant face. To hells and back, quite literally. Now, he was standing once more in front of one of the great wonders humanity had ever built: The Tower of Armaner, with its golden peaks flirting with the skies, as magnificent as it ever was.

Val Mortan

Roguish, charming, womanizer, asshole... A lot of words were used to describe Val Mortan, yet the one that is the repeated the most is brilliant. Graduating top of his class at the Global Academy of Sorcery, then at the Ivultisian School of Magical Engineering, he designed multiple variations of magic weapons too complex to be used by anyone else. Embarking in an endless quest for more adventure and discovery, it eventually landed him in The Beyond to pursue the secret of soul and its nature, and in The Chaos to understand the nature of the Immaterial Eternity.

Mal Argensten

One of the wisest instructors and experts of the Ivultisian School of Magical Engineering, Mal is one of the greatest mind of this century, and Val's main mentor during over twenty years. For most of his life, he worked on building the top half of the Tower of Armaner, and brought it to the magnificent height it is now at, complete with all its technologies and defenses.

Despite all the incredible wonders he had met, the extra-planar beings, the mystic secrets, the unbelievable and unique mysteries, there was no place like home. Val let out a breath of satisfaction, climbing the long gold-encrusted onyx stairs up to the Department of Energy, and basked in the glow of the numerous inventions, all more extraordinary than the other, some of them being his own. A smile crept on his face as he approached one of the models, a large sphere humming with energy, perfectly polished and reflecting a vortex of golden energy. He had almost forgotten the sense of pride he would feel when looking at his own creations, and he let himself endulge in the moment for a couple of minutes, before closing his eyes to take a breather, something he hadn't done in almost ten years.

"Admiring your handiwork, Mal?"
The voice of his old mentor drew the adventurer out of his contemplation, and he smiled softly. He hadn't seen him in so long, and yet, he could recognize his voice in a heartbeat. Kind, brilliant, both an excellent teacher and a reknowned expert... Mal Argensten was above all a friend now, and one of the few people he trusted with his life.
"Look, sometimes, you have to. It's good to see you, sir."
The two men hugged, and Mal realized just how much he missed him. He knew this was only a temporary respite, and he'd need to leave soon, but seeing the one he saw as a father figure smile so brightly was definitely worth the detour.

The Sphericon

Invented by Val Mortan under the supervision of Mal Argensten about two decades ago, the Sphericon is the combination of the highest-technology and an incredibly complex arcanic matrix, allowing to draw on the Immaterial Eternity and atteigning the highest conversion ratio ever reached, making it effectively the most incredible power source humanity has ever seen.

Stinya Argensten

The hidden daughter of Mal Argensten, Stinya is affected with a rare condition called the Valnax Immateriy causing her to perceive extraplanar visions of the Eternal Dream, slowly driving her to madness and saturating her arcana matrix. Cured of the disease, she would have the potential to become of the greatest mages of Amaanturis, and her father had her admitted in secret at the Global Academy of Sorcery.

I hate asking you that, Mal, especially when you just came back from such a long travel, but I need your help. I don't think anyone else could do."
The adventurer raised an eyebrow. It was rare for his mentor to take such a serious expression, and even rarer for him to ask for a favor so boldly. The two men sat down and he listened to him explain the situation, how his daughter was sick, on the edge of madness, and how he had looked far and wide for a cure, without success. The situation was serious, beyond the shadow of a doubt, and slowly, Mal started devising a plan. His pioneer spirit wouldn't let him run away from such a challenge, and he already had an idea of how to start looking. A smile on his lips, he nodded at his old friend.

"Alright, this is how we're going to proceed..."