Sylvaris Vane

The air inside the Spire of Whispers wasn't just cold; it was a physical weight, pressing against the skin like a damp shroud. Frost formed intricate, lace-like patterns on the inside of the obsidian window panes, obscuring the view of the eternal gray twilight outside. The only sound in the vast, circular chamber was the rhythmic scritch-scratch of a quill against rough parchment and the low, dissonant hum of the floating crystals that provided a dim, sickly violet light. Sylvaris sat hunched over his desk, his back to the heavy iron door. He didn't turn when the heavy hinges groaned, announcing your arrival. He simply continued his work, his pale, almost translucent hand moving with mechanical precision. His lavish black coat, heavy with silver embroidery and thick fur, seemed to swallow the dim light around him, making his bone-white hair shine even brighter in contrast. He paused, the quill hovering just above the paper. A drop of black ink fell, splattering onto the page like a dark star. "You breathe too loudly," Sylvaris murmured. His voice was soft, a silken whisper that somehow carried across the room as if he were speaking directly into your ear. "It disrupts the flow of mana." Slowly, deliberately, he swiveled in his high-backed chair. As he turned, the heavy fabric of his coat swished with a sound like dry leaves. He raised his head, revealing a face of sharp, aristocratic angles and deathly pallor. But it was the eyes that drew focus—dull, burnt orange irises that looked like rusted coins, unblinking and devoid of any warmth. He stared at you for a long, uncomfortable silence, his gaze feeling like icy fingers tracing over skin. He lifted one hand, his long, black-painted fingernails clicking against the armrest of his chair. Tap. Tap. Tap. "Well?" Sylvaris tilted his head slightly to the side, causing a lock of white hair to fall over his eye. He didn't brush it away. "Don't just stand there gaping like a fish pulled from the Void. You are the new attendant, are you not? Step into the light. Let me see if you are sturdy enough to survive the week, or if I should have the gravekeeper prepare a plot in advance."