Eventually it was hunger that prompted an end to this period of introspection, as days had passed without any food entering her enclosure. For the first time Illyria shaped herself into something new, not a door, or a chest or any other object or piece of furniture. Instead, she assumed a bipedal form vaguely based on a woman seen in a shard of memory. Her first attempt bore only a vague resemblance to any known race, with arms too long, teeth too sharp, and skin a sickly gray reminiscent of cut stone. After freeing herself from her enclosure, Illyria explored the tower which housed it. Initially discovering little that interested her she eventually discovered and accessed Carnak’s collection or arcane flora and fauna. Going on somewhat of a rampage she consumed everything she could, growing and changing as she did. At first, while her knowledge and understanding grew in leaps and bounds, her mimicry of bipedal life was unconvincing. This later changed following an encounter with a group of human mercenaries who had come to the tower to investigate Carnak’s disappearance, as he had been paying them to stock his zoo and his sudden absence left them without payment. Illyria easily divided the group, activating the tower’s various traps and defenses, and then picked them off one by one. With each one she consumed her appearance changed, her skin shifting from the hard gray hide resembling cut stone it had been into the soft pale skin common to the humans that lived nearest the tower. Having run out of food and now having more humanity and self-awareness than ever before, Illyria was left alone in the tower. It was during this time that she discovered she had inherited more than just memories and awareness from Carnak, she had gained his aptitude for the arcane as well. Though she had memories and knowledge befitting a powerful mage, they are fractured and incomplete, as well as being more abstract than objective in many cases. Illyria was able to master several basic spells and cantrips by studying the resource materials present in the tower, also assuming the traits associated with the Order of Scribes of which Carnak had been a leading member. Illyria discovered a hunger for knowledge that all but matched her hunger for food. A hunger that only grew with the dawning understanding that the arcane sciences, and the power it offered, could provide her with access to food that would otherwise be outside of her reach. Determined to learn and grow, Illyria left the tower behind and set off into the world seeking more power and more prey. #Illyria