The Lore of Ice Mage Flamos out of the Blizzard

Flamos had an upbringing that was not unlike most of his peers. He had a supportive family and wanted for nothing as he sprouted from a child into typical teenager. Flamos was never the most popular kid in school – and that was okay with him. He mostly kept to himself and focused on his studies.

As time went on, however, a classmate of his caught his eye. Flamos was smitten. Every time he saw his crush he wanted to say something, anything – but he could never muster the courage. He often saw her around school casually talking to other guys, usually ones who played sports or the guitar. Flamos desperately wanted to garner his beloved’s attention but had no idea what could make him stand out. He was at an impasse.

One day over dinner, Flamos’ Mom and Dad sensed something was amiss. Noticing Flamos pushing his food around his plate, his Dad asked, “what’s wrong?”
“Nothing, Dad. I don’t want to talk about it!” Flamos answered as he flicked his peas and stared into the distance.

“I saw you looking at that girl today Flamos! This wouldn’t have anything to do with her, would it?” asked his mother, Noelle.

“Well, I kinda have a crush on her, but she’s always talking with other guys. I don’t know how I can stand out to her,” said Flamos as his eyes were almost instantly filled with life.

Gray gave a fatherly look to Noelle. He knew how he might be able to help Flamos. Even though he had his hesitations, once he got the nod from Noelle, Gray knew it was time.

“Flamos, do you remember the tricks your grandpa used to perform at your birthday parties? I think you’re ready to learn the family secrets.”

Flamos vividly recalled his grandfather putting on magnificent magic shows at all his birthday parties over the years. He was always so captivated and often asked if he would show him how to perform the tricks. All grandpa would share was how to make a dog out of a balloon.

“Really!? Thanks Dad!” said Flamos. He was trying to play it cool but could hardly contain his excitement.

Flamos was certain these tricks would grab his crush’s attention and help him stand out among his classmates.

“You have to be careful, though Flamos. If these tricks are used the wrong way, the consequences could be severe,” said Gray with trepidation.

A few weeks passed and school let out for summer. It was time for Flamos to spend a whole month with his grandparents. All he could think about was learning his grandfather’s magic tricks.

Flamos and his grandfather, Archer (Archie, for short), spent the next few weeks learning the basics of becoming an ice mage. The lost art of ice magic was something near and dear to Archie, having been passed down for generations before Flamos’ dad walked away from practicing. Archie felt happy, and relieved that the skills and techniques would be safe being passed down to his grandson.

It’s no easy task to master the manipulation of ice to perform tricks and spells others can only dream of. Supreme control over one’s senses is required to pull off the elaborate displays of frost magic. Simple moves such as throwing icicles and conjuring frost spells, are easier to pick up. More difficult moves, such as building sweeping walls of razor-sharp ice, take much more time and focus to master. Flamos was up for the task. By the time his month at his grandparents’ came to an end, he felt like he could conquer the world. Or, at the very least, he had some fun tricks to impress his love interest when school started up in the fall.

The summer seemed to pass by in a flash – it was already time for school to start back up for Flamos. And not that he minded, either. Flamos was eager to see his friends – but especially excited to show off his new talents. He didn’t want to come over the top too quickly; he wanted to play it cool. So Flamos started doing some of his magic in small groups or at lunch. It was fun to impress his friends, and it was only a matter of time before he would catch the eye of his darling.

One day there was a terrible accident in his class’s chemistry lab. Artificer Ulysse was attempting a new experiment and set fire to his workstation. The blaze quickly spread throughout the school as the students panicked. As the situation got more precarious in the classroom, Flamos knew this was his moment to shine. He could save the classroom and impress his love by performing an ice spell to quell the flames.

As the fire grew larger, Flamos stepped into the middle of the classroom to perform his newly learned frosty magic. He was certain he remembered all the necessary steps to perform the family ritual. Flamos wanted to be the hero. Now was his time.

Flamos started into his routine: closed his eyes, knelt down, and began to master his senses. It was coming together; he could feel it. As he finished his steps, Flamos opened his eyes and attempted to extinguish the flames with his icy spell. He motioned his hands over and over again, but nothing happened. Flamos was stunned. His magic wasn’t working. Caught up in casting his spell, Flamos didn’t notice the burning beam just overhead. As he joined his class in evacuating the room, the flaming wood broke free from the ceiling and knocked Flamos in the head, leaving him unconscious.

As Flamos awoke from his blow to the head, his mind felt tingly all over. He thought it must have been a side effect from being knocked out. As he looked around, he was in the wilderness with only a curious red frog and an old ram. Unable to communicate with the animals, Flamos was left to piece together the events during school that day. Oh, and his head still felt like it was on fire.

Retracing the events of that day, Flamos remembered the fire breaking out and his heroic plan to save the day. He remembered going through his steps to cast an ice spell to quell the flames. The last thing he remembered was being struck by the burning log. Was this why his head felt so prickly?

Wandering the forest, Flamos came upon a stream. Famished, he stopped and bent down to take a drink. Flamos did not recognize the reflection in the water – his skull was still on fire! He urgently dunked his head into the steam for relief, but nothing seemed to work. Not water. Not snow. Not an ice spell. Mortified, Flamos fled his hometown and vowed to never return – at least until he could figure out why his skull was ablaze. He would never be able to approach his crush looking like this.

With no time to alert his Mom and Dad, Flamos set off with the mysterious red frog and the old ram. They traveled far and wide, meeting many friends and foes alike. The frog became known as Qesh – taking the name of his best friend in school. Flamos named the old ram after his grandpa, Archie. He often talked with Archie (the ram) during their expeditions and asked him advice – in the same way he used to ask his grandpa for advice.

Flamos’ appearance was threatening – and occasionally travelers did not take well to his mangled disposition. Because of this, Flamos often moved from town-to-town, taking odd jobs anywhere that would hire him. His favorite was being a shopkeeper in Zaros Oasis – the warm temperatures seemed to make his fiery head feel less painful.

As time passed, Archie the Ram began to grow frail in his old age. The constant moving from town-to-town took its toll on his well-traveled hooves. During one of their many cross-country treks, this time to visit Wizard #1246 at the Kobold’s Crossroad, Archie the Ram passed away. Flamos’ best friend was gone.

That night, Flamos held a memorial for his trusted companion, Archie. Qesh hopped close to Flamos as he could sense his vulnerability. Flamos lit a fire and began speaking words from the heart. Voice crackling and stumbling over his words, Flamos declared, “As a memorial to my best friend, I will mount your skull on a stick to take with me wherever I go. I can’t imagine traveling without you. I am still going to need to ask you for advice, Archie. May this be a lasting memory for a dear friend.” Tears in his eyes, Flamos mounted Archie’s skull on a stick to carry with him from this point forward. Flamos’ tears were quickly dissipated by his flaming skull.

What’s next for Flamos? Who was the mystery love he was trying to impress at school on that fateful day?

To be continued…

Entered by: 0x5e95…1Aa8 and preserved on chain (see transaction)