A Theory and some LettersI barely know the man as Tom Rime, and I have read his name in different ways as well: The Rhymer, Tom the Ice Mage, and just Rime. Rime is defined as such:Rime: Noun 1. A coating of ice, as on grass and trees, formed when extremely cold water droplets freeze almost instantly on a cold surface. 2. Transitive verb Inflected forms: rimed, rim·ing, rimes To cover with or as if with frost or ice: "heavy [shoes] rimed with mud and cement ... from the tower site" (Seamus Deane). Hard to make that into a person, and yet someone or something did. Tom Rime, or just The Ice Mage as I've come to note him, is a puzzling creature indeed. He had a... (good?) rapport with the previous two leaders of Paradise; he was close to them in some way. Here are just a few letters that Hope left behind with her things when she left the city almost a year ago now. --------------------------- Feb 16th, 1005 M.R. Dear Tom, I attempted to write to you a few weeks ago only to discover you "indisposed". I was distressed to hear the news and am glad you are well again. I am writing to catch-up on matters at hand, and hoping to hear any news of what transpired this last weekend as I had to stay behind in Paradise (though I did miss the chance to see you). It seems something new has happened with this "Pentagram of Power", but I am pleased that it has led to my father's apparent recovery. It would be nice to meet as well since it has been so long, and I will be traveling out of Paradise soon on a mission of sorts. Please write back soon! Love, ~Hope --------------------------- New Assistant Zen, Congratulations on your new position. I hope however, this does not mean Cha-cha is not well. How do things stand at your tower? I hope it is well. Please let me know if there is anything I can do. Also, I am curious as to what "went down" this weekend. It appears there have been a few changes! ~Priestess Hope N. Philandra Queleel-men'tuan ---------------------------- Feb 19th Hope, It is good to hear from you again, young lady. I am sorry I wasn't able to respond before. It seems I was attacked by the Master of Death. Zen and I are still looking into what happened, exactly. The heroes came when Cha-Cha called, though, and it looks like everything worked out in the end. I suspect that once I was given my new body, the Balance allowed Nero to recover. I'd be happy to have a visit. It's been quite a while since I've seen you. Unfortunately, with my return to power, it is once again extremely cold in Kerah-Rime. You shouldn't cross into the cold zone without something to protect you from the ice, or else you won't make it to the tower. Tom ----------------------------- Priestess Hope N. Phi....and however else your name is spelled, Um, thanks, I think. The Guardian of Balance should be fine as far as I know... better for you to ask Mistress...I mean Tom. It's not my tower but Tom's, but it is doing fine. It better be after all the work Ive put into rebuilding it... Um, in answer to what went down maybe Tom would know better. I'm still getting used to my new position serving Tom and admittedly I'm a wee bit confused still but from what Elwick said...Ach-Ach and Cha-Cha became one and is now the Guardian of Balance. Tom was put into a new body and I became her..I MEAN HIS new apprentice. It's weird going from Soldier of Mythguard and Healer to living in a palace of Ice but I like it. Mmm, Orbs of Power...I mean, I've got to get back to work now. Tom is calling me. -ZEN!!! -------------------------- While one can see the clear gender confusion here, most other letters and images point to the Ice Mage being male. If I can recall correctly, Sir Elwick Dragonsburrow and my late father, Lord Nero, were able to catch the Ice Mage in some sort of deal or oath, so that he never willingly does harm to the mortal Realms for as long as he exists. While Kerah-Rhime is technically considered Northern Paradise, there is an older deal also worked out that the Ice Mage is, in fact, the sole owner of it and pays a small fee of 1 gold a year to Paradise itself (I could be wrong about this). Commander Harlest knows more information about the Ice Mage, having worked closely with him during the latter half of the Faerie Wars, and also in the dismantling of the Pentagram of Power not too long ago (also in the destruction of The Apprentice, but I don't know if it is the SAME Apprentice mentioned in the letters above), and the Ice Tower itself has all but sunk into Faerie Realms forever, according to my countrymen. The Ice Mage was also reportedly a lover of the Queen Mab, or Maeve (my reports on who was queen then are broken and wrinkled) of the Faeries, and calls himself a Champion of the Queen, so it makes sense for the Ice Mage to return to a place where his last bastion of power may be. If this is true, then one would surmise that the Ice Mage was actually a mortal at some point, changed by the Faeries themselves because of his obvious closeness to the Queen. It is no secret that if you stay in Faerie long enough, you risk becoming very much like them, or at least shedding what you used to be and having it replaced by strangeness. To some, that's a dream. To others a nightmare. Whichever you choose, the Ice Mage is living proof of the remainders of what some mortals refer to as 'The First Age' for Faerie, and perhaps one of the oldest creations that walks the lands, perhaps older than our known Realms itself. - Sir Aberes of Paradise, Feb. 13th, 1008 M.R. |
Created by Janna Oakfellow-Pushee at 02-14-08 04:23 AM
Last Modified by Janna Oakfellow-Pushee at 02-14-08 04:25 AM