Firebird

[Mallory]

Between tutoring in Latin and Greek, working at Panacea, and preparing Jewell to undertake a ritual far more ancient and complex than any she had ever learned, Mallory was not lacking for things to occupy her time. Part of her panicked whenever the possibility of another task came up, not quite at the breaking point but close enough to know the shape of it. But when confronted with a mystery, she couldn't help but try to puzzle it out.

Less than a week after Senka revealed her wide, fiery wings to Mallory at the Red Dragon Inn, the witch finished her research (helped in large part by Aiko and Kana sorting through what she should and shouldn't bother reading) and passed on her notes. A letter, a summary of her findings, and a more detailed record of her notes were packed into an envelope and sent by courier to Senka's residence above the China Star.

Senka,

Please find attached a summary of my notes, with highlighted excerpts. I'd like to follow up with you in person soon -- I have a few theories about your shadow magic. You can reach me by telephone at 0000-1288-7519, or leave a message for me at 18 Trescamar Street in Riverwatch, or the Panacea apothecary in Dockside.

You don't embroider by chance, do you?

Mallory St. Martin

The Firebird

Also known as Zhar-ptitsa in Russian, or Zar-ptica in Old Church Slavonic. Often described as peacock-like, which also describes the shape of your feathers perfectly. It is often in a "far-off land" as part of a hero's quest to prove his worth by capturing the bird or one of its feathers; however, not all stories follow this arc.

...

Another tells of a sorcerer named Koschei, who coveted the skills of Maryushka the seamstress. She refused to leave her village to work for him, and in a rage he transformed her into the Firebird, became a great black falcon, and stole her away in his talons. She scattered her luminous feathers to the village below, and perished when the last one fell.

...

Koschei was an infamous shapeshifter, but as far as I could tell, he featured in no other versions of the myth, with the exception of a relatively recent Russian ballet.

A third version of the story deals with the themes you mentioned, of fortune and doom -- The Firebird and Princess Vasilisa. There are other stories prominently featuring a king, but this is the only one in which that figure meets his doom at the end.

...

Here is a a transcription of a Roma folk tale, said to be the inspiration for "The Golden Bird" by the Brothers Grimm. This version heavily features a shapeshifting fox, who seems to play a benevolent role in the quest, at least in this telling...

In addition to the letter, the notes, and the highlighted excerpts, Mallory included copies of several illustrations, including an old Czech engraving of a flaming bird, wings outstretched, scattering feathers as it flew above a dozen massive, grasping hands erupting out of an abyss.