The Journey to God's Name

[Zook Murnig]

This quest has been a month in the making. Just thought I'd let everyone know the time that went into this, and that I'm not just throwing something up over the next few minutes. I hope it's obvious enough in my writing, though.:p

A young man in dark brown robes sat cross-legged on the wooden floor, in the meditation room of his home in Tel'Han. The large chamber in his stone house had a simple window at the far end, through which snow could be seen falling gently from the sky above. A grand bookcase, filled with tomes, small and large, ancient and recent, sat against the wall, next to the window, and on the other side was an armchair, comfortable enough for study. Atop the bookcase, a stack of vellum scrolls rested in no particular order, as if they had been merely thrown there temporarily. Before the man lay a pan of brass, filled nearly to the brim with water of the purest quality. His hair was tied back, as per his usual fashion, at the nape of his neck, causing the different shaded locks to stripe against his skull. Deep in his meditative trance, his piercing blue-grey eyes were wide open, though clearly perceiving nothing.

Apas, gather in me, he mentally commanded, calling for the Water elemental energy, of which he had only studied until now. Only today would he put his knowledge of the element of Water to the test in his magic.

He saw himself deep in the darkest ocean, surrounded by water, though no difficulty came in that most necessary breathing. Slowly, and tentatively at first, he inhaled, "seeing" the water pour into him and pool in his gut. He stopped. Exhaled, though no water came out, as was his wish. Inhaled again, with more water seeping into his body, not just in his abdomen, but everywhere. With each breath, he felt himself grow colder and colder, as the Apas made its presence known. His skin contracted, and formed goosebumps from the very real cold.

His body full of the Apas, he spoke aloud, "Gah-bree-aeyl." He felt the word vibrate within him, and mentally "saw" the elemental energy ripple and shake from the magical force.

He held his hands over the pan of water, focusing the Water energy from his body out through his palms, to work his freezing intent upon the liquid. As the energy left his body, Caduceus felt warmer, and his skin began to loosen again. He felt the Apas flowing into the water before him, but nothing was happening.

He dipped a finger into the pan, and found that the water had been chilled a noticable amount, but not frozen as he had intended. Tension built in his shoulders and he began to tremble, not from cold, but from utter frustration. Taking a deep breath, he regained his composure and stretched the muscles in his shoulders in a shrugging motion. Still, he could not help but curse seconds later.

"Shit!" he exclaimed finally, knowing that this would be a long day.

[Zook Murnig]

"And so, when I have done all of this, the water still will not freeze," Caduceus explained, light clouds of vapor emanating from his mouth as he spoke. "It is merely chilled. Nice for saving ice, but I'm trying to make ice."

The magician was walking alongside one of the elders of Tel'Han, Ruri, enjoying the gentle precipitation and the cool air. Both had pulled their hoods up to keep the snow from their faces as their thick boots crunched through the wintery ground-cover. Ruri wore white robes this day, almost blending in with the snow on the ground. She was the only female elder, and the most experienced mage in the village with the element of Water. It was for this reason that the servant of Ain Soph came to her for help with his new spell.

"And you employed a freezing intent?" she asked of the young magician.

"Yes, elder."

"I do not know much of your paradigm, but if one thing is universal in magic, it is the power of intent," the aged woman said in her soft voice. "It seems to me that, in order for the water to be turned to ice, it must be subjected to a solidifying intent, rather than a freezing one. On one hand, a freezing intent will only lower the temperature of the fluid, but on the other hand, this new intent will change its state."

Caduceus nodded his agreement as the two approached the elder's home, a few snowflakes making it past his cowl to melt against his pale face.

"Perhaps you might join me for some warm drink inside, and I could see you work your magic?" she suggested.

The man smiled, replying, "I would like nothing more. Thank you."

[Zook Murnig]

Once again, the magician kneeled before a pan of purest water, calling for the Water element. This time, however, he had the supervision of the elder, Ruri, seated in one of a pair of comfortable armchairs not far off, a mug of tea in her soft grasp. They were in her home, which was very similar to Caduceus', but a little bit more luxurious. There was a definite expansion in the number of texts, both magical and mundane. The stone room was warmed by a crackling flame in the fireplace at the inner wall.

"Apas," he called, once more seeing himself sinking into deep, dark, cold waters. He inhaled, the water seeming to pour into him, chilling him to the bone. Each breath brought in more and more of that essential energy for the spell. His skin crawled, and he resisted the urge to shiver, despite the warmth of the room.

Finally, he had filled himself with the Apas, and was prepared for the spell. Placing his hands over the water, he intoned, "Gabriel," as he had before, seeking the assistance of the archangel, and feeling the energy vibrate within him. The magician felt the Apas solidify under his will as it seeped out into the fluid, sensations of heat returning to his body.

As before, nothing seemed to happen. Still, Caduceus dipped a finger into the water. A puzzled look came over his face as the digit penetrated the surface of the liquid.

"Elder...it's still warm..."

"Is it now?" responded the mage. "Perhaps I had the wrong idea. As I said earlier, I do not know much of your method of casting."

Caduceus stood, and walked over to the chair opposite Ruri, by the hearth, retrieving his cup of raka, a warm drink similar to coffee, from the endtable as he sat down before the roaring fire.

It doesn't surprise me that she knows so little of the Qaballah, he thought. I haven't seen any other students of my art here in all the long years I have studied in Tel'Han.

"Perhaps if you tell me more of this Qaballah you study, I might be able to help you more?" Ruri suggested, seeming eager to solve this riddle.

[Zook Murnig]

"The Qaballah is an ancient magical art, derived from the worship of my god, Ain Soph," began Caduceus. "Some explanation needs to be made of Ain Soph before I go on. Ain, in Hebrew, the language of the Qaballists, means literally 'nothing.' Ain Soph, however, means 'limitless.' It is from Ain Soph that our magic emanates, as the Ain Soph Aur, or 'limitless light.' This divine light shines down on the human soul, as well as on the universe, represented by the Tree of Life."

The magician stopped for a moment, and took a sip of raka. The odor was strong and kept his other senses sharp, as did the sharp flavor. A little bitter, but quite enjoyable.

"The Tree of Life is a map of the human soul-spirit, and of the cosmos. It consists of ten spheres, called Sephiroth. Each Sephirah grants its own qualities to those below it, in addition to the qualities received from above. The Qaballist manipulates these qualities momentarily through ritual, energy manipulation, and the use of divine names."

"Divine names?" interjected Ruri, who had not heard of such things in a very long time.

Caduceus leaned back in his chair, relaxing his body so that he could think for a moment before answering. "It is another part of my religion," explained the young Qaballist. "Ain Soph is not identified solely by that name, but by as many as seventy-two other names. As well, the names of his archangels and their angel hosts have divine names. The most powerful divine name is known as the Tetragrammaton, but tremendous magical prowess is required to achieve true mastery of the name Yod-Heh-Vav-Heh, or Yahweh. Few have been known to reach such a level of skill."

Ruri raised an eyebrow at the suggestion of such powerful magic. It was obvious that she wondered what that name was capable of, as she leaned forward, her mug of tea mere inches from her lips.

"Each divine name has its own qualities and effects that it is most suited for. For example, Michael is the archangel of the Fire element, and I use his name in the casting of my Fire Summoning spell. I use Yod-Heh-Vav-Heh Tzabaoth in a similar way."

"And the name you have been using, Gabriel, is a name pertaining to the Water element?" asked the elder.

"Yes. Gabriel is another archangel," answered Caduceus. "He has dominion over the element of Water."

"Is it possible that you are using a less powerful divine name than the spell requires?" the woman reasoned.

Caduceus squirmed in his seat for half a moment, knowing that this was probably the cause. "It is possible, yes," he agreed. "But I have yet to come across another appropriate name."

For a long while after that, Ruri stared into the hearth, and Caduceus did much the same, sipping his drink every so often.

"I believe I know of someone who may help you, Caduceus," she said, her eyes never leaving the flames. "A magician of your faith once lived here some time ago. He studied day and night, mastering spell after spell, and eventually came to be one of the most powerful mages in the village. This was when my fellow elder, Keyei, was still an apprentice mage. He looked up to this magician, named Israel Regardie, and studied under him, hoping to be as skillful as he was one day. Anything else, you will have to ask Keyei about." She paused for a moment. Then, "There are some things only he knows."

Caduceus nodded and finished his raka, his mind alive with the stimulants of that simple drink. "Then I will go to visit master Keyei. Thank you, elder. You have been a great help."

In real life, Israel Regardie was a real magician of the Qabbalah, and a member of an illustrious magical society known as the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn in the mid-1930's.

[Zook Murnig]

Caduceus trudged through the snow, his cowl pulled low against the rising winds. The storm had progressed since his walk with Ruri. His teeth chattered, and he held his robes close around him to keep warm. The raka he had quaffed earlier helped to keep him going, and he could almost see master Keyei's home some fifty yards away.

Keyei... he thought. He studied under that Ipsissimus magician Israel Regardie? Regardie once lived here? These, and many more questions swirled in the magician's head like the icy winds swirling about him.

He remembered his old master, back home, Chic Cicero. The man had claimed that he, himself, had studied with Regardie in Tel'Han. No one had believed him, Caduceus included, but he was still a skilled magician. It was at his suggestion that my parents sent me to this place. Without him, I wouldn't be who I am today...

Caduceus kept moving, his body growing colder and colder, though this time it was not the work of his own magic, but of the freezing winds and biting cold. Still, he kept going. Hit fingers grew painfully stiff, and his knees hurt with each step. Still, he kept going. The snow crunched under his feet, and the winds howled about him, blowing the flakes under the hood and into his face. The hood flew back from a strong gust, and his hair almost immediately became covered in white. His robes billowed and blew about him with the wind, and his vision became blurry. The wooden cabin in the distance seemed to move farther and farther away with each step he took towards it, as if the lodge were running from him.

His body felt like ice as he fell, the words "Ain Soph" slipping past his frozen and cracked lips as he became unconscious. He had collapsed a mere twenty feet from his destination, to be buried slowly in the swirling snow.

In the real world, Chic Cicero, as well as Tabatha Cicero, were close friends of Regardie, and studied with him after the disbandment of the original Order of the Golden Dawn. They assisted him in the compilation of several books, as well as writing expansions in some of them.

[Zook Murnig]

"Wake up, young one."

Huh?

He felt fingers against his wrist, then his neck. The were there only for a moment, as if checking something.

"Good, your heart is beating normally again. You gave me quite a scare."

The voice sounded vaguely familiar. Like someone you've met in passing, but nothing more. Masculine, with age, but not ancient. He sounded genuinely concerned, but not so that his tone was rushed.

Caduceus' eyes opened, and he was conscious of a warm cloth against his forehead, and thick quilts wrapped around him, pinning his arms to his sides. Not that it mattered, since he still felt too weak to move. He realized he was lying on a couch, and a comfortable one at that. The pungent odor of some deathly concoction filled the air and he cringed at the stench.

He turned his head to see where the smell was coming from, and spotted a man of approximately forty-five years, dressed in a dark blue tunic and a pair of pinstriped grey-and-white trousers. His hair was black, but peppered with grey and white hairs, showing his age.

The young magician's mind was working rather slowly, having just narrowly escaped death from hypothermia, otherwise, he was sure, he would have recognized the man on sight.

The mysterious figure turned his head to look at him. "Ah, good," he said. "You're awake at last." He picked up a mug of some strange brew and carried it over to a table that had apparently been behind Caduceus' head all along. He loosened the blankets over the magician, and brought the mug back over to the younger man saying, "Here, this will help to bring your strength back."

Cade accepted this mug of mystery liquid and was about to take a sip when that smell overtook him. So this is what smells so horrible, he realized.

"Go on," the man encouraged, seeing the look of revulsion on his guest's face. "It's not poisoned."

The magician held his nose with one hand, and brought the mug back with the other, taking a slow, careful sip, warm, noxious vapors caressing his brow gently. Even with his nose plugged, it still tasted nasty. Sour, with a mix of saltiness, like eating five lemons followed immediately by concentrated saline. Despite the bad flavor, however, his cool-feeling legs began to have some warmth return to them, and the cup felt lighter in his hand. Still, he couldn't help but contort his face as he handed the mug back to his host.

"Yes, I'm sure it still tastes like venom, even with all the sugar I added," he agreed. "Can't put too much in, though, or it ruins the effect."

He set the cup back down on the endtable, then stepped out of the room momentarily to bring a small wooden chair up next to the couch.

"So, you're that Qaballist named Caduceus, aren't you?" he asked, his tone becoming more stern.

For the first time since awakening, the magician spoke, his voice weak still. "Yes."

Immediately came another question. "And what were you doing out by my cabin in the middle of a storm like that?"

"Your cabin?" he responded. "M-master Keyei?"

"Yes, that is what they call me, but answer the question!"

Caduceus thought for a moment how to explain. Finally, "I was on my way to see you. I had just left Ruri's home, where she had told me over a cup of raka that you could help me with a spell I am working on. She said you had studied under a magician of the Qaballah named Israel Regardie."

At the mention of Regardie, Keyei flinched, and his eyes darted away and down, as if the sound of his name brought him great pain. "Speak no more of Israel for now, child," he instructed, his voice wavering. "You can tell me about this spell of yours, and then I will see if I can help you, as my colleague told you I would."

[Zook Murnig]

The winds howled outside as the storm grew stronger still, snow and ice beating against the windows of the house like unwelcome visitors. Yet, even through this, the cabin remained warm.

Caduceus had spent a good half-hour explaining the methods of his spell to Keyei. After that, the elder had left the room and, while the magician rested, he could hear pages turning from down the hall, and the shuffle of books against each other. After approximately an hour had passed, Cade's strength had returned, and he wondered what was in that disgusting mixture he had consumed earlier.

Shortly thereafter, the elder returned from down the hall where he had been looking through his books. In his hands, he carried a rather large tome. Rather than opening it when he reached the room and showing his young guest what it contained, he simply placed the grimoire upon the mantle.

He turned back to Caduceus then, and, walking over to the chair slowly, he said sorrowfully, "Ruri was right. I was once a student of Israel. Before he showed up here, I was just another kid in training for the basics of the more common paradigms of magic." He glanced over at the book. "Then he arrived. No one paid him much notice beyond that of any other newcomer. But when I was off on a lark farther down the mountain, a storm similar to this one had struck and I was trapped in a cold, damp, and dark cave, fearing for my life. No one knew where I was. No one would have been able to find me, had been lost to the storm, as I expected to be."

"But someone saved you?" the magician said, asking the obvious question.

"Yes. At the mouth of the cave, a lone figure arrived, wearing long robes soaked by the melted snow. It was him. Israel Regardie. That man saved me with his magic. He had made a shell of warmth, a difficult feat, even for Bast to perform." He smirked. "But don't let that hothead know I told you that."

"I knew then that I was destined to be his apprentice. To serve him as his assistant, learning his magic from him. And so I did. He taught me of the Qaballah, along with several others who arrived and left over the years. He taught me of Ain Soph, that limitless god-form, and Ain Soph Aur, the divine light that shines down upon the Tree of Life within our souls. I became a fervent follower of the Qaballah, and was, I thought, Israel's favorite student. Of course, your former master, Chic, was a fellow of mine, studying under our shared master."

So he told the truth, Caduceus thought. And no one had believed him.

"But the fault of men, our mortality, claims all of us eventually. As the years wore on, Israel grew older and weaker, and one day, he bestowed upon the two of us copies of his compiled studies in the Qaballah." His eyes misted, and a single tear escaped down his cheek. "A week later, he passed away."

"I renounced that Limitless One, and stashed away the tome, determined never to open it. I threw myself into the elemental magic so common here in Tel'Han. I studied as hard as I could, trying with all my might to prove the nonexistence of such a god as Ain Soph, for, what kind of god would take one of its most fervent believers and most powerful clerics away from this world?"

"Of course, ever my opposite, Chic Cicero reacted very differently, seeing the death of his master as a sign that his studies of the Qaballah must continue solitarily."

"It was Chic, you know, who had first informed me of another Qaballist's arrival in this village," he added, explaining how he knew Caduceus, despite their only momentary meeting when he was introduced to the elders ten years ago.

"Moving on, I still have that book Israel penned, to this day. Though I never opened it, I am sure I know much of what is inside, having studied under the man." He retrieved the large book from where he had placed it on the mantle and handed it to Caduceus, saying, "Somewhere in there is that divine name you need."

Caduceus accepted the heavy text gratefully, and looked down upon the cover.

The Golden Dawn, by Israel Regardie, was printed in shining silver letters against the soft leather cover. An image of a golden hexagram, one of the most holy symbols of the Qaballah, sat in the center, under the title. The tome weighed about five pounds, and had over five hundred pages of magical information.

He opened the book eagerly, flipping through the vellum pages, filled with symbolism and formulae both familiar and unknown. Enochian chess, Tarot, skrying, and the banishing and invoking rituals of the pentagram.

Yes, he thought. This will indeed prove useful in my studies.

The Golden Dawn is the more common name for the rather lengthy title of "The Original Account of the Teachings, Rites and Ceremonies of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn," Israel Regardie's exposé of the aforementioned teachings, rites, and ceremonies of the aforementioned organization. It was originally released as four separate books, but in its latest incarnation, has been brought together as a single volume. He also wrote and published several other books on the Qabbalah.

[Zook Murnig]

Still, the storm raged, but the winds seemed to sit down and shut up around the two of them as Keyei walked Caduceus home. For the most part, they had remained silent on this walk. However, they did not keep completely mute.

"That is not for you to keep. I want you to bring it back to me when your spell is finished," the elder instructed in a stern voice. "In the interest of expediting that process, may I suggest that you, after gathering the Water within you, quickly trace a pentagram in the air, focusing your mind on the upper right point, where water resides. That should help with controlling the energy. Much the same can be done with your other spells, using their respective points of the pentagram."

"Yes, elder. Thank you so much," said Caduceus. "And I will be sure to show you the spell in action once I have perfected it."

"Oh, but magic is never perfected," retorted Keyei. "Israel told me that many times. There is always room for improvement." He smiled. "And you, I believe, have wonderful potential in, and obvious devotion to, your art."

"Thank you, again, elder."

"You know, one of the things that sets the Qaballah apart from other forms of magic is its use of skrying and astral projection," observed Keyei. "Perhaps you ought to look into that someday. It could prove useful, and will lead to higher magic. That, I am sure, is how Israel found me that day. There is no other way, unless Ain Soph himself guided him."

They did not speak much for the rest of the trip. Caduceus simply flipped through the grimoire, and allowed Keyei his concentration so that the harsh winds would not impede their journey.

[Zook Murnig]

The Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram. According to the Golden Dawn, this ritual was used to clear the work area of bad energy and malicious entities.

Caduceus had, upon arriving home, decided upon this as the way to ensure a productive search. His meditation room had not changed since he had left it that morning. The only difference was the frost on the window and the much greater pace at which the snow was falling, not to mention the angle. By now, the winds were throwing the ice crystals almost horizontally.

Cade stood in the center of the chamber, facing east towards the window, breathing slowly, steadily, and deeply. His hands were at his sides, and his feet were at shoulder width, voluminous robes falling about him gently. In his right hand, he held a simple knife of steel which he had borrowed from the kitchen for this exercise.

He raised the blade across his body, pointing outward and slightly to the left. He smoothly traced a five-pointed star in five motions, slicing up, down, left, right, and down through the air. Then, he thrust the blade into the center of the pentagram, saying the words, "Yohd-Heh-Vahv-Heh," and imagining the words projecting to the most distant winds of the East, as the text had described.

Keeping the tool before him, he turned right, to face south, toward one of the stone walls. He made a pentagram similarly to before, and, as he thrust the dagger into the center, he vibrated, "Ah-doh-nah-ee," feeling the vibration extend far from his body to the warmest flames of the South.

Again, he turned, facing west, and towards the single exit of the room, the oak door being shut, as it usually was. The magician drew another star, and with the stab, he vibrated, "Eh-hee-yeh," and willed it to extend to the deepest, coldest depths of the West.

Now came the final pentagram, drawn in the north, towards the scroll wall, circles of vellum, parchment, and paper all over. As the knife pierced the star, Caduceus called, "Ah-goo-lah," towards the heaviest and most impenetrable stones of the North.

The young Qaballist turned again to the east, "seeing" flaming pentagrams all about him, shining light blue in the east, bright red in the south, dark azure in the west, and viridian in the north. Dropping the knife suddenly before him, he raised his arms out to the sides, forming a cross with his body, and stared directly up at the ceiling. In a voice seeming greater than his own, he said, "Before me, Raphael. Behind me, Gabriel. At my right hand, Michael. At my left hand, Auriel. About me flames the Pentagram -- And within me shines the Six-Rayed Star!" He drew his arms in, crossing them over his chest as he visualized the tainted energies of the room gathering about him and crystallizing over his form, then threw his arms out again, shattering the encasement in all directions with his will, and forcing the pieces to leave the vicinity.

The ritual complete, and Caduceus feeling both exhausted and refreshed, the young man touched his forehead lightly, followed by his heart, and then his right and left shoulders. He then strode over to his armchair, and took a seat gently, and opened the Golden Dawn to where he had left off, beginning what was titled the "Second Knowledge Lecture."

[Zook Murnig]

Snow and ice pelted the house, winds howling and beating against the stone walls. Inside, the Zelator-grade magician pored over his borrowed tome, mind afire with newfound energy and zeal. His ritual earlier on had not only cleared the room of any malicious spirits and entities, but exorcized his own doubts. He was sure. Sure that he would succeed in finding the key to his spell's completion. Sure that he would live up to the potential that Chic and Keyei had seen in him. Sure that he would one day be Regardie's equal, though that may be a long road.

His piercing grey eyes darted across page after page, taking in all he could, considering, then throwing out useless information. Finally, he came across something that was sure to help.

"The Laver of Water Purification refers to the Waters of Binah, the Female Power reflected in the Waters of Creation," he read aloud, emphasizing the mention of the Sepirah Binah as a watery attribution. Taking this into mind, he turned a couple of pages to find a chart of the ten Sephiroth, with their divine names and archangels. "Yahweh Elohim," he said. This didn't sound right. He repeated the word, both orally and verbally, vibrating the tones throughout his body. No chill came down his spine as had happened when he had settled upon Gabriel originally. No, he thought. This is not the name.

He continued his search.

~*~

Moving on to the Third and Fourth Knowledge Lectures, Caduceus quickly realized that these sections were a brief introduction to the divining tools known as Tarot cards. Knowing no relevant attributions were to be found here, the divine student turned the pages until he reached the Fifth Knowledge Lecture.

As he flipped the page to look on the heading, he felt a strange sensation, as if the spirits in the room were urging him to read on, no longer hindered by the maleficent thoughts of the magician. This lecture brought up the subject of several sigils, such as the Hegemon's Badge, and the symbol of Venus. Oddly, the chart that followed seemed slightly out of place with the rest of the lecture, but he was sure there was a reason for its placement.

The chart read as follows.



NAMES especially connected with the Four Elements:––
EARTH:
Hebrew Name, Aretz or Ophir
Great Name, Adonai ha-Aretz
Cardinal Point, North. Tzaphon
Archangel, Auriel
Angel, Phorlakh
Ruler, Kerub
King , Ghob
Elementals, Gnomes

AIR:
Hebrew Name, Ruach
Great Name, Shaddai El Chai
Cardinal Point, East. Mizrach
Archangel, Raphael
Angel, Chassan
Ruler, Ariel
King , Paralda
Elementals, Sylphs

WATER:
Hebrew Name, Maim
Great Name, Elohim Tzabaoth
Cardinal Point, West. Maarab
Archangel, Gabriel
Angel, Taliahad
Ruler, Tharsis
King, Nichsa
Elementals, Undines

FIRE:
Hebrew Name, Asch
Great Name, Yhvh Tzabaoth
Cardinal Point, South. Darom
Archangel, Michael
Angel, Aral
Ruler, Seraph
King , Djin
Elementals, Salamanders


"Great name, Elohim Tzabaoth," he read aloud. His eyes stared at the name. He repeated it, vibrating the tones throughout his form, and, feeling a deathly chill overtake him for a moment, knew that this was right.

At last.

Quote taken from page 80 of The Original Account of the Teachings, Rites, and Ceremonies of the Hermetic Order of The Golden Dawn by Israel Regardie.

[Zook Murnig]

The storm had reached its full potential, wracking the stone structure with sleet, hail, snow, and the force of the strongest mountain winds. The window had iced over long before, and the solid walls of the magician's home creaked in protest against its beatings.

Once more, Caduceus kneeled before a basin of water, his eyes closed in meditation and preparation. His lips moved slowly over and over the words "Elohim Tzabaoth."

Elohim Tzabaoth. Aleph, Lamed, Heh, Yod, Mem-final, Tzaddi, Beth, Aleph, Vav, Tau. Equals 1155. Following further gematria, 1+1+5+5 is 12, and further 1+2 is 3. Hod is the third Sephirah on the path to Qaballistic enlightenment, to which Elohim Tzabaoth is attributed. The third Sephirah in the path of divine light is Binah, wherein the Creative Waters lie. To Binah is given the divine name YHVH Elohim. Yod, Heh, Vav, Heh, Aleph, Lamed, Heh, Yod, Mem-final. 10+5+6+5+1+30+5+10+600. Equals 672. 6+7+2. Equals 15. 1+5. Equals 6. Tiphareth is the sixth Sephiroth on the path of divine light, attributed to Yeheshuah, the Christ, and the Sun and healing. Therefore, Water is essential in the healing process. That which can heal, can harm. Yeheshuah. Yod, Heh, Shin, Vav, Heh. 10+5+600+6+5. 626. 6+2+6. 14. 1+4. 5. Five points of the pentagram. Four elements plus the akasha.

All this and more flew through the mind of the Qaballist, his breathing regular and slow. As the minutes passed, he finally opened his eyes, prepared to cast the spell.

"Apas," he called. The Water energy pulled from the air around him, more quickly than ever before. The element gathered in his gut, then spread throughout his body, bringing motionless chills to the magician, and raising goosepimples as his skin tightened.

His body saturated with the Apas, he passed his right hand through a slow pentagram before him, from the top to the bottom left, upper right, upper left, lower right, and back to the top. He imagined the waters of the upper right point overflowing into the center, filling it smoothly. With this seal as his filter, he called the name he had searched for. "Eh-loh-heem Tzah-bah-ohth." The word vibrated within him, and he felt a shift in the Apas in his body, and he latched onto that, using it as a handhold for his mind, willing the Water energy to flow out of his outstretched palms and into the basin of liquid.

He held the image of the watery pentagram in his mind, using that as a focus. Slowly, but surely, the water in the basin began to solidify, turning to frozen ice.

Once the last bit of the Apas had escaped his frame, the magician's skin once more smooth and warm, no longer resisting the overwhelming urge to shake and shiver, Caduceus took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

He reached out to the basin, which now felt incredibly cold, and turned it over, finding that the ice fell out in a single block. The young Qaballist smiled. "Excellent," he said.

[Zook Murnig]

After he had finished the spell of ice, Caduceus had gone to bed, the sky already dark as night outside, and slept for the rest of the day and through the night, dead to the world, recovering from all that had occurred. As he slumbered, the squall lost its fury and passed, leaving deep hills of snow and ice.

When the magician at last awakened from his second slumber of this tale, the sun was shining over the blindingly white ice, and only gentle breezes graced the village of Tel'Han. He dressed himself in fresh robes and went through his morning rituals and ate his breakfast.

His belly full, and his body and mind refreshed, the young man set out with the Golden Dawn in hand to visit Keyei again, and return the tome to its rightful owner.

The winter birds of the Comb Mountains were out, chirping and singing and fluttering about in the frozen village. The pines and firs were filled with fresh snow, every so often dumping the load of ice crystals unceremoniously onto the branches and ground below. Smoke flowed from nearly every chimney, the occupants of these homes trying to warm themselves and cook breakfast simultaneously.

It took a mere fifteen minutes or so to reach the elder's cabin this way, and before long, Caduceus was knocking cheerfully on the mage's door.

It was another several minutes before Keyei groggily answered the door, having not gotten such an early start as his younger counterpart. He poked his head out, eyes blinking from the sudden light. "You're here early," he said. He opened the door a little more, stepping out of the way. He stood there in a long nightshirt of pale green, and a matching nightcap. "Please, come in. I'll have breakfast on shortly, and I think I can scrounge up a little something for you."

"No need," replied the young magician as he entered and began removing his snow-covered boots. "Already eaten. I actually came by to return your book to you. I finished the spell last night."

"Oh? That was rather quick," the elder mage commented, pulling his cap off and tossing it down on the nearby table. "I didn't expect you to be back for another week."

"Another week?" Caduceus' face contorted into a perplexed expression, definitely not a good look for him.

"Yes. A couple days to find the word you needed, and from there a few more days to get the attributions," Keyei explained. "Only Chic managed to learn a complex spell like that so easily, and only a couple of times, after years of study." He started working on toasting some bread and scrambling eggs, but gave up a couple minutes later when he had to grab a pail of water to put out the flaming toast. "Well, that was fun," he said, embarrassment obvious in his tone. "Anyway, I suppose it's only natural if Chic taught you. He was always the studious one. I just jumped in as soon as I thought I had the basic idea of a spell." A smirk came across his face, making him appear younger and older at the same time as the skin on his face crinkled with the muscles. "I've learned my lesson since then," was all he said.

"Forget breakfast," he said. "Let's see this spell!"

Spoils: New Spell Icy Grip- Caduceus can call upon the elemental energy of Water to freeze inanimate objects and small portions of living bodies. If used on living flesh, the spell causes frostbite on the affected area, and a small portion of the flesh may become brittle enough to break off.

Also, as Shareholder of the Peregrine Group, I would like 25% of any profits from this quest (though I don't expect any) to go to the PG.

[AdventWings]

Hello, Zook! Glad to see you here on Althanas. I've enjoyed reading this solo and I will guide you through the different categories of the Rubric. If you have any questions as to scoring, you may PM them to me as you see fit. :)

With no further ado, here is your Judgment!

Story

Continuity - 5

This category deals with how you factor in this story to your character's overall journey and where in the continuum this is taking place. For the most parts, I feel that what you have here is passable - There was not much background as to where you came from and what your previous experiences were in relation to this one. Why was Caduceus here? Where is he going afterwards and how will this affect his life? What you have here is far from lacking, so you can try and add more in your future stories. A motive, I can see, but what is there beyond just trying to learn a new spell? Is he going to use it for something or is it just because he wanted to? Some quests and stories may begin with no such motive, but over time it may develop and make itself known. Elaborate more on this and see how it turns out.

Setting - 7

Here is the Where in the Story Section. In your story, much of the Setting are mere backgrops and sometimes just disappear into the writing. There were good interaction with the different objects and even take into account the wind, snow and coldness so I know you did just more than "seeing" it. Next time, you can try and use this as more than just something to interact with - make it a factor in your writing to determine the direction of your story.

Pacing - 6

Not much can be said here, though I admit the story flowed well with little bumps along the way. The snippets of OOC information was a welcoming break during the course of the story, which also added to the suspense of belief and plot development, though too much of it in relatively short posts can break up the mood. For some, knowing the background connection did not fit right in their mind while others consider it a literary technique many writers used to great effect. Having them blatantly plastered in the middle of the story, however, detracted a bit from the flow and can start to bore some readers. Not me, though, but maybe for some.

Writing Style

Mechanics - 6

The Standard English Grammar. This is fairly straight-forward, though exceptions to the rule are also taken into account. For most of the story, much of the writing is straight-forward and in easy sentences. Nothing overly confusing or flashy that detracted from the reading, though the notorious run-on sentences managed to snake its way into your posts. Not much, but just enough to stumble the reader. There were also a few typos my eyes managed to catch, though I don't believe much will find it without a thorough, second read-through. :D Check your work on a word processor (Such as MS Words) and see if there are any red underlines showing up. Don't put all your trust into the computer program, though, because nothing is smarter than the human mind. I even managed to find errors made by the program after its correction.

Technique - 7

Literary devices... Such that elevates the readers' minds and spirit with lively metaphors and personification we sympathize with mundane wares such as forks and spoons. Feel the joy rushing on wings of sunlight and the biting sting of the cold northern winds. There are a lot that can be used, but too much can be a chore. For you, there were good use of such devices and at very good intervals. Some could be better with more elaborations, but that is for you to seek out and experiment with. Often times, you go the direct approach route and describe objects and situations using the closest thing it resembles. Sometimes, the exact opposite can also add flavor to the read. Juxtaposition is one that not many used, mostly because it is hard to pin-pont the exact opposite of many things to begin with.

Clarity - 7

Is the story clear in its intent? Easy to follow and, ultimately... Does it make sense. Your story answers: Yes. Much of the story has clear intentions and easy-to-follow sequences from start to finish, each sentence lending to each other well and understandable. However, using a few tricks of perspective and mind-boggling sequences that, upon review, translated into well-thought reasoning can also add more spice to the story. The only critism I have for you here is that the story was too straight-forward. Mess with the readers' mind a bit here and there can lead to unexpected results. ;)

Character

Dialogue - 6

Not much to say here, since you followed Caduceus' train of thought to the dot. Nice feel overall and his words lend him an air of wisdom. On retrospect, I find that sometimes his speech remained... unchanged by the changing circumstances for the most parts. There is more potential, so I leave you to seek it out.

Action - 6

Overall good job with portraying his actions from start to finish, though I find his decision to walk through the blizzard an uncharacteristically foolish one. I understand you wanted to make the readers draw correlation with the way Isreal Regaldie saved Keyei's life when he was young. It feels more in his character for Caduceus to wait out the storm in a nearby shelter instead of braing through the snow-blown winds. I leave this up to you to figure out what needs to be done, as you are his creator. You know him best.

Persona - 6

Not much character development I could see here, therefore not much to comment on. Somewhat lacking, so I leave you to elaborate more on his emotional development for future role-playing.

Miscelanneous

Wild Card - 8

Lots of potential... That is what I see. Besides, you incorporated a lot of real-life references and drew connection from ritual to magic, something most fantasy magi usually neglect for quick-casting spells and immediate offensives. Using the change in the blizzard condition to demonstrate Keyei's powers was also a nice touch as well.

Final Score - 64!

Zook Murnig receives 730 EXP and 75 GP. He also acquires the new spell Icy Grips which can be validated and permanently rewarded after approvals by the Realm of Greeting Moderators.

As requested, 25 GP will be transferred to the Treasury Account of the Peregrine Group. :)

[Cyrus the virus]

EXP added!