Verti the Scaler
Verti Cal'acee (a.k.a. the Scaler)
Verti was a brave young man. He lived in Teontia all his life. Like many others he had grown up looking at The Onyx, a massive structure of impenetrable stone. Also, like many others, he had wanted to find it's mysteries and solve them.
Verti set out to become a student of the The Onyx Institute, and poured everything he had into learning about magic and the Onyx, studying every text presented to him on the subject. He also learned he had quite the affinity for ice magic, and so he developed some special techniques which allowed him to create durable scaffolds of ice. He practiced this skill for ages, until he could do it so efficiently, and so securely, that it would allow him to reach any height, all on his own.
It was with this skill that he decided how he would tackle the tower, not to try and find some secret entrance or to try to bore through the invincible stone, rather he would climb it. This had never been suggested, those who could estimate best decreed that the Onyx was at least a mile high, if not taller. Verti was unimpressed, and so he set off, climbing up the tower one icy platform at a time. His supporters begged he leave his quest, though for he was able, the Onyx was as smooth as glass, and would not hold up one of his platforms. Verti was clever though, and so he formed rings all about the tower, surrounding it in ice for each of his platforms. The way would be slower, but nothing could bring him down. The way was easy, he scaled the first mile without issue, forming platform after platform, rising higher and higher. He looked down onto the world, made into a sphere of ants by his ascension, and was still unimpressed, looking higher he sought to climb further, and further he did climb.
The second mile was tougher, he had to contend with thinning air, but his ice froze quicker and easier than before, which bolstered his confidence. He once again looked down onto the earth, now a blur of colors and shadows, the landscape drawn out like a map and he laughed. No one had ever risen as high as he, and he could go further. He readied his energies and set off, once again forming his rings of ice platforms about the tower.
The rings became easier and easier as he went, as the tower tapered to a point, somewhere far above awareness. Verti struggled for lack of air, but had prepared for such a situation, he used a magical item that generated air from a simple bottle, and made his way even further. HIs rings grew smaller and smaller and he felt that he would soon reach the top. At this point the world was so far below him that it was covered by the clouds, he had ascended to the heights of dragons and gods, free of his earthly tethers.
He rested upon his laurels and his ice for a moment, gathering his breath from his flask as he gazed about himself, enjoying the pleasures of one transcended. Looking down gave him no vertigo, he had trained for such a feeling, and his will was as steel. However, his will did not prepare him for what he saw below, the rings he had carefully formed about the tower were gone! He looked directly below, and free from his influence he saw that the ice platform he had just made a few minutes ago had started to melt, and so had the one he stood upon now. It was a slow melt, but it soon would destroy the platforms. Verti looked to the sky, trying to spot his lofty goal, but it was still too high for him to see. The sheer size of what remained was so daunting, so terrifyingly big in that moment. Verti gazed upon it for too long and soon the ice below him, carefully formed so as to have traction, had become slippery. In a panic he slid about, trying to regain his feet, but only succeeded in hurling himself off the tower!
His fall seemed to take ages, giving him ample time to look about, contemplate the world as it was. He saw far that day, viewing distant lands, vast deserts, and unceasing forests. He looked down upon Teontia, a town he called home and remembered his family, and saw that half of it was flooded, great swaths of water now covered the land between the Onyx and the rest of the city. A lake had formed of the water his spells had wrought, spilling down upon the land and submerging it. Unfortunately it wasn't into this water that Verti fell, his path took him directly into the rise of land that supported the Onyx and he was pulverized instantly, unrecognizable to anyone who might try.
This is commonly used as a cautionary tale from the Professors at the Institute to their students. It is used to demonstrate both the folly of brute forcing a problem, as well as the potential benefits/failings of a mage too focused on one specialty. Most students just see it as a funny story about a funnier wizard.
This is a well written cautionary tale and had me curious about how this character would meet his end. While the failing of his icy plattforms led to the fall and to his death, it is however rather tricky to say that he died by water or ice.
And here I thought I was being clever... lol Thanks for the consideration!