Mist laden dawn saw Corvin step aboard a slender lugger at the bustling docks of Aurumport, the port city on Gilded Dominion's eastern fringe. Four Umbral Synod operatives, two senior Magisters and two Adepts mustered elemental Water and Air magics to propel the vessel swiftly. Cloaked in shadow runes, their combined spells cut the voyage from Aurumport to Eldrithas to four days, evading Circle patrols across emerald waters.
By midday, they disembarked at the forest's edge. Before them stretched the Verdant Shroud, its ancient trunks shrouded in mist. Faint sigils carved into mossy bark glowed with dark magic, marking the hidden Synod Channels. Corvin's telepathy pulsed, mapping his companions' whispered waypoints and detecting distant Elven scouts.
They pressed into the wood, each footstep swallowed by a thick carpet of fallen leaves. Moonlight filtered through the canopy, illuminating the Blackroot Passage, whose tunnels wound beneath gnarled roots. The head spy traced a silent ward that cloaked their passage, while Corvin melded into the forest's shadows like one of the Synod's own.
Hours passed until the path ascended a sheer cliff. The lead operative revealed a hidden archway carved into rocky entrance to the Web Hewn Ravine, its walls draped in silken strands spun by cavern dwelling arachnids.
Emerging onto a rocky plateau, they beheld the Obsidian Gate: twin spires of polished basalt encircled by living runes. One of the spies whispered the ancient invocation, and the towering doors carved with serpentine reliefs parted silently. Corvin inhaled the cool, stone laden air, his first step into the heart of Dark Elf dominion.
--
The Gate sealed behind him with a resonant thrum that echoed through Corvin's bones. He entered a vaulted chamber carved into the stone. Four Magisters awaited on a raised dais: two hooded figures flanked Magus Seredai and Magus Kel'Mara. Above them, on a throne of voidstone, sat Archmagus Vaelorin the Black, his cloak absorbing all light.
Before words passed lips, Magus Seredai extended his hand, tracing a rune in the air that blazed with ghostly light. "Swear the soulbound rite of the caverns," he commanded, voice reverberating off stone. "Reveal these passages, and your body and soul shall be severed."
Corvin inclined his head, the vow heavy in his chest. "I swear it. My tongue and spirit shall guard this secret."
A moment of approving nods passed through the council. Shadows undulated as Vaelorin rose, his gaze sharp. "You have proven yourself by crossing the Web Hewn Ravine. Few outsiders earn this privilege. Now, is there anything you want to say before we decide your first assignment?"
Corvin met the Archmagus's eyes with steady calm. "I require clarity on my service. Define the duration and terms. I do not wish to be bound endlessly to this council's assignments"
Magus Kel'Mara exchanged a glance with Seredai before speaking. "You will face ten trials. Complete them flawlessly, and we shall limit your service by a soulbound oath for no more than one year. Falter, and your essence remains bound to the Mother and thus to the Synod.. for eternity."
Corvin absorbed her words, feeling ancient power coil around him. "I accept these terms, provided the tasks remain achievable. I will not fail for lack of reason."
A satisfied smile curved Vaelorin's lips. "Feasible, though far from simple. Your first trial: you will eliminate three figures whose actions threatens Thalasien's sanctity and elven purity."
Corvin's breath steadied. "Details?"
--
Magus Seredai unfurled a coastal map inked with blood red sigils. "Your first assignment," he intoned, "is to eliminate three individuals whose alliance endangers our borders and defiles elven bloodline."
Magus Kel'Mara added, voice cold as frost: "Marcellus Silverhold and his son Tiberius have arranged a marriage to bind Silverhold Trading with Iron March forges. Such a pact grants human armies a foothold here. Worse, these half blood unions dilute our heritage and honor the Mother less each day. Your third target, Prefect Dorella Meredane, affixes legitimacy with her seal to such heresy."
Archmagus Vaelorin's voice echoed, commanding: "Strike at Port Celestia by first light. Do not be seen."
Corvin inclined his head, resolve steeling his features. "Very well.."
While the council explaining these Corvin latched a single spore toward Magus Seredai. When no ward flared, no reaction shown on his face he repeated the action against Magus Kel'Mara. Silently, he siphoned each Magus's five times: their Dark, Psychic and Ice in Kel'Mara's case, affinities, with vast frost and runic knowledge, and shadow lore flowed into him. Having used ten spores, Corvin methodically used the the remaining twenty among the Synod's assembled assassins and spies. Each spore latching unnoticed as he harvested their skills and secrets. By the time the council spoke again, Corvin's full complement of thirty spores had been sown, and not one sentinel noticed his actions.
After getting the details of his first task he slipped into the Synod Channels once more, through Web Hewn Ravine and hidden caverns and as the sun rose, he emerged on the outer docks of Port Celestia.
He unleashed his telepathy as he moved cloaked through streets. Men, women and children of Port Celestia waking up and going through their day without noticing a predator mind walking and probing everyone around himself to locate his marks. Not long after he got what he was searching for. Marcellus Silverhold, patriarch of Silverhold Trading, was in his estate near the Hall of Commerce. Tiberius Silverhold, heir, going to the Courtyard of Vows by the Lighthouse Terrace. Prefect Dorella Meredane presided in the Pavilion of Seals adjacent to the Grand Registry.
Corvin moved as a silent specter. In the marble arcades of the Hall of Commerce, he latched a spore onto Marcellus, and siphoned nothing of value.. No new affinities nor gains in power. With a bitter sigh, he slit the patriarch's throat while muffling the cry. "What a waste," he thought, mourning the lost spore.
In the Courtyard of Vows, he employed Telekinesis to pin Tiberius, then latched another spore. This time, Light affinity blossomed. He repeated the process five more times before ending the heir's life, at least salvaging something from the ordeal.
Within the Pavilion of Seals, he cloaked himself in Dark affinity, breached Meredane's psychic wards, and extracted her legal acumen and Psychic clarity. His minor increase in power marked the conclusion of his first triad of targets.
By the time the sun reached its zenith, three bodies lay still undiscovered, each marked by a single raven feather. Corvin remained untroubled while moving through the workshops of this lovely city; Metal, Ice, and Light affinities blazed within him, testament to his diligence. He decided to linger another day, refining his newfound affinities to an acceptable degree amid Port Celestia's waking hum.
--
About three weeks later, Elydrin Voss returned to the Starlight Arcanum's observation chamber. He looked tired and frustrated. His mission had been to travel through the Obsidian Gate's hidden passages and deal with the Umbral Synod. Going ten days without any news had been difficult.
Magus Laevior Sindareth, the Space Magic Master, was studying her star charts. She glanced up and said, "You took too long. Ten days passed without a single report. Why?"
Elydrin bowed his head. "I'm sorry, Master Sindareth. The Synod's routes and rituals are complex. I bring only this sealed message."
He handed her a scroll stamped with the Synod's obsidian seal. Laevior carefully opened it and read aloud:
"Corvin Blackmoor is a Synod Dark Elf. He has taken the soulbound cavern oath, which frees him from Circle oversight. Under the protection of Lloth, the Arcanum may not question his actions."
Laevior's expression turned serious. She crumpled the scroll and said, "Elydrin Voss, your task is complete. You are dismissed."
As he left, Laevior grabbed fresh vellum and wrote a reply to Magus Arthen Vaelor at Cindrel Academy:
To: Magus Arthen Vaelor
Subject: Confirmation of Corvin Blackmoor's Status and Origin
Esteemed Magus,
Corvin Blackmoor is confirmed as a Synod and Dark Elf. He has sworn the soulbound cavern oath, the same covenant held by Magister Kaelyn. He operates under Synod protection and is prohibited from undertaking any unauthorized planar research by the oath.
Respectfully,
Magus Laevior Sindareth
Space Magic Master, Starlight Arcanum
She sent the letter by a spatial corridor to the Iron March.
--
Magus Arthen Vaelor sank into his chair, the weight of Laevior's message pressing on him:
"Corvin Blackmoor is a Synod Dark Elf and has sworn the soulbound cavern oath, placing him under Lloth's clandestine protection."
A cold knot formed in his stomach. This was the same oath Kaelyn had taken for her freedom. Now it bound Corvin, another Space Mage freeing himself from the leash of the Circle. He wished he did the same in his youth.
Resolute, he returned to his desk and penned a warning:
To: Magister Kaelyn
From: Magus Arthen Vaelor, Cindrel Academy
Dear Kaelyn,
I regret to inform you that Corvin Blackmoor has been confirmed as a Dark Elf of the Umbral Synod and has sworn the soulbound cavern oath. The very covenant you once held. He moves under Lloth's veil, beyond any Circle or Academy oversight.
For your safety, avoid all contact with Corvin or any Synod agent. Their zeal is deep and mercy shallow. Should you require refuge or counsel, Cindrel's doors remain open.
Stay vigilant,
Magus Arthen Vaelor
He sealed the letter with the academy's crest and dispatched it. As the letter vanished into the night sky, Arthen allowed himself a moment of hope that his warning would shield Kaelyn from the shadows now encroaching on her path.
--
While traveling from Port Celestia after siphoning and absorbing some hosts with Light, Metal and Ice affinities, Corvin committed himself to an intense regimen of elemental mastery. Drawing upon the metal shards stored in his dimensional pocket, fragments cleaved from old blades and shattered armors he first molded them into shapes of bullets with different calibers. He put them in loose clusters upon the rocky ground. With a focused gesture of his mind, he summoned a weave of telekinesis, causing each shard to levitate and orbit him like metallic satellites.
He began with simple lifts, gradually increasing the distance until every shard hovered at precisely 500 meters from his center point, testing the limits of his enhanced telekinetic range after the feast at the Obsidian Gates. As they moved, he added a spark of lightning, watching arcs of blue white energy march along each fragment's edge, propelling them forward in searing bursts of speed.
Next came precision drills. He fixed his gaze on a lone pebble the size of a penny placed a full kilometer away. He willed a single shard to accelerate in a straight line, its surface crackling with static. The shard struck true, sending a faint echo across the forest. He repeated this exercise dozens of times, refining his spatial calculations and perfecting the harmony of aim, force and velocity.
By midday, sweat beaded on his brow, but Corvin pressed on. The combined small gusts of Metal and Lightning magic increased the effective range he can effect targets dramatically. His practice ended when he was able to lock on a random pebble and shoot a metal shard to it within two seconds.
Corvin finally allowed himself to sheath his powers in the afternoon. He surveyed his work: a meticulously organized armory of razor sharp, electrically charged projectiles. Each capable of striking a pinpoint target under two secons within a thousand meter range. Satisfied, he stored the metal ensemble back into his dimensional pocket, confident that his lethal 'rifle' of metal and lightning would serve him well in the trials ahead.
--
Corvin retraced his steps through the Web Hewn Ravine's shadowed corridors, every torchlight flicker a silent beat marking his return. At the Obsidian Gate, he paused at the foot of the voidstone dais, cloak drawn tight against the cavern's chill.
Magus Seredai and Magus Kel'Mara stood flanking Archmagus Vaelorin, whose onyx gaze regarded Corvin with measured calm. He bowed lightly and reported, his voice even: "Trial One is complete. All targets in Port Celestia have been dispatched as cleanly."
Vaelorin inclined his head in approval. Motioning to Kel'Mara, he permitted her to speak.
Kel'Mara stepped forward, frost runes glinting on her staff. "Your second assignment is to destroy the Church of the Crimson Chalice in Holy Verranate's Northern Highlands. Lay waste to its spires and leave evidence implicating the Feralis tribes."
Seredai added in a low voice: "Holy Verranate's recent conscription of new legions threatens Thalasien's balance. Framing Feralis, who possess no central authority will redirect the Verranate forces and sow confusion."
Corvin offered a curt nod, a cold smile curling his lip. "Understood."
Vaelorin's nod was final. "We place our trust in you, Raven. Depart at once."
With a respectful bow, Corvin turned and stepped away from the dais. The hidden corridors swallowed his silhouette as he departed the chamber, the weight of the Synod's designs heavy on his shoulders.