RP:Elemental Preparation
Behind the Barrier, in the Mage's Tower
You are now standing in the battle zone, where you could be in grave danger. You quickly duck every now and then to ignore a zap of lightning flying onward to an opposing foe. This room is magically sealed, to prevent actual physical or mental harm from the spells, but the visual aspect of them is a little frightening. You notice the wall is lined with many books, some probably from the library you saw earlier. There is also a rack with many rune engraved or magically enhanced quarterstaffs, but you notice a monk shake his head at you as he notices you eyeing them. This part of the room is larger by far than the area on the other side of the barrier, where most of the teachers stand and watch their students practicing. The only mentors you see on this side are the ones teaching hand to hand or weapon combat. Your only retreat is through the invisible barrier to the west.
Kovl sits quietly upon the library tabletop just outside the barrier concentrating on a rather large blob of azure floating in the air before him. That's right, it's just the color though it seems to have solid substance to it. The pixie taps his fingers lightly on the Xalious Staff in his hand as the color blinks out of existance and is quickly replaced by a full grown horse standing before the table. This visage again is quickly replaced by another glob of green. The illusionist closes his eyes, slowly repeating a silent list of items one by one as the glob vanishes.
Svilfon appears on the outside of the barrier without any fuss; one moment he isn't there, the next he is, though he is partially covered by snowflakes and frost, a remnant of Satoshi's spell last night, cast after Svilfon bestowed upon her a new title. It doesn't take long for the wizard to spy Kovl sitting there, creating his magic in the air, but the Sublime Master doesn't speak to him yet. Instead he moves to lean against a wall as he pulls from the air itself his Xalious-wood wand, and as it begins to twirl through fingers that're as graceful as any on this world, Svilfon relaxes. Content, it seems, to wait until Kovl notices him, and until then merely observe what happens while the snow and frost melts from his robes and pools as water beneath him; not even Satoshi-wrought snow can stick to the wizard's clothes, it seems.
Kovl 's eyes are still closed as he mouths his list. Stopping, the pixie's mouth forms into a slow smile, and his dark green eyes open. A mental break can do the illusionist well at this moment. Kovl does not expect to see sublime master nor his robes dusted with frost and snow when he opens his eyes, but when he does, his smile grows wider. "Svilfon. Thank you for the promotion." Kovl scrambles to his feet, and his wings lift him from the tabletop. The pixie stretches.
Svilfon nods his head as his face dissolves into a crooked grin, “You are welcome, Kovl. Though the thank you is not needed. I do not promote as gifts, I promote only when those deserving have earned it.” He nods, tips his hat, before carrying on. “And on that note, I was told by Satoshi that you are entering into the Frostmaw Tournament. I won it last year, you know.” He grins again at that. “I would quite enjoy another Mage Guild member winning it this year, just to remind everyone who we are.” The wizard, using the back of his head – though how it doesn't squish his hat is a mystery - , pushes himself off the wall he was leaning against. “Do you know who you are fighting first? And are you ready, Kovl? Aramoth tournaments are not for the faint of heart.”
Kovl 's stretch ends as his arms are brought to his side. A breath of happiness escapes Kovl's smile at the wizard's compliment. "Then I am honored." The staff at the pixie's side vanishes. "I am fighting Vehara. I know next to nothing about her, though I have met her before." Kovl's wings fold as he drops to the tabletop again, catching himself gracefully as he stands at its edge. "As far as being ready, you actually caught me preparing for the fight itself. I've already scouted the place of the fight and developed a tentative plan, though we all know how plans can unravel. For me, I'm working on memorizing a sequence Lydrain and I like to call a 'sensory overload'." A tiny laughter leaves the pixie's throat. "A distracted mind is a mind ripe for a beating."
Svilfon nods his head in a rather solemn fashion, “I know Vehara... I defeated her last year atop the Eyrie's roost in Frostmaw... near killed her, I heard, until Krice came and saved her life. Apparently it is rude to repeatedly kick a downed opponent.” The wizard shrugs as if he doesn't care, because in fact he does not. Just a hint of the callousness beneath the jovial exterior. “A distracted mind ripe for a beating... I like that. Though, if memory serves, and it often does, she is half drow. Be wary of casting magic at those with dark elf blood, as it has a habbit of going awry.” He nods again at that, before a slight smile twists the edges of his lips, flashing his fangs at the pixie. “I do however know how she'll attack...” his words stop in mid sentence as the wand he was twirling ceases its movement, is flipped by the wizard, before it's hurled at the pixie with surprising speed and accuracy. Though made of wood, it is quite heavy and its end is deathly sharp – a backup weapon if Svil's spells fail. And it's this sharp end which rapidly seeks Kovl now... but there is a method to this. Vehara is sneaky, clever, quick... Kovl must be ready for the unexpected, and how better to remind him of that than by unexpected attacking him.
Kovl begins to reply, "You al..." His eyes widen as the wand shoots toward him quickly. A lifetime of dodging swats of human hands and the jaws of very hungry animals aids the pixie in his next movement. Reflexively, Kovl tumbles to his side and off the tabletop, freefalling with his wings tucked in a dive before opening like a parachute a foot below the table. The wand nearly hits the pixie, impaling him, but once he is clear of the table, Kovl eyes the mage's hands, ready for a second quick attack. "You nearly killed your newest Arcane Steward," Kovl complains. Then the attack clicks. "This is how Vehara attacks." The pixie floats to the tabletop once again and cautiously walks past the wand, putting it between Svilfon and himself. "How did you defeat her?"
Svilfon grins, “Nearly, maybe. You're a pixie, I figured you'd move in time.” He doesn't say he hoped he'd move in time, because honestly? If Kovl was killed by something that simple, the wizard would be doing the Guild a favor in removing him now before he gained any higher rank. But it seems Kovl's mind matches the agility of his body, for he understands right away why the wizard did what he did. Svil nods at that, appreciating the clever pixie's intuitive leap. Leaving his wand where it is, the Mage's Guild Sublime Master carries on speaking, “I did something perhaps you cannot... I overwhelmed her with brutal magic.” Though, not highly skilled in illusionist magic, the wizard has enough talent that, after a few words are spoken in an archaic tongue, an image of Vehara and Svilfon appears upon the table before Kovl, only slightly smaller than the pixie is. It shows what the wizard did; first a powerful wave of force, then summoning twisted creatures to poison her, then finally the attack that broke the skilled assassin... mixing his magic with the roost's to lock the air in, before creating with his Xalious Wand a horrifically powerful fire which ate all the air, choking the half-drow. Just as the illusion-made Svilfon is walking over to kick the unconscious Vehara, the spell fades and the vampire speaks again. “That is how I defeated her.” The illusion also showed Vehara's attacks, though they are not as clear. The wizard doesn't really remember how she attacked, other than being swift, precise and deadly. “What do you intend to do to defeat her?”
Kovl watches the illusion projected before him while keeping an eye on the wand before him on the table. Who knows if that thing will rise from the tabletop and attempt to impale him a second time? The pixie is impressed with the sheer power the wizard displays, and it is shown in his face. "I cannot do anything like what you did. My technique is a little less... powerful, but I hope effective." The confidence of the illusionist drops as he reflects on how infinitely more powerful Svilfon is than he. "I, uh..." Kovl blinks for a moment before orienting himself to Svilfon's question. "We are fighting on a rope bridge in Enchantment tomorrow. I have wings. I hope to overload her senses and distract her while I chop that bridge down. And even if that doesn't work, I have been working on an illusion..." Kovl pulls a sketch from his bag. It grows considerably as it leaves the satchel on his left side. On it, a rope bridge is split in half, dangling at the sides of each part's respective tree. "I can fake the bridge teetering or splitting, making her either retreat to the trees or causing her confidence to fail in her footing. Of course, these things that you showed in your battle, I'm sure I can recreate some of these images if I need. Attack the bridge from what seems all angles. Distractions. Diversions. And if she believes the images, direct attacks."
Svilfon listens in silence to the Arcane Steward speak of his plan. After a moment, he reaches into one of his robes and pulls out a snakpioner. It is a creature that looks like a snake and a scorpion had a deformed child, which then had a further deformed child with a spider. Legs protrude from its long body, eight of them; its head is filled with fangs, two pincers snap at the air beside it, and at the end of the snake-like tail is a twisted stinger that looks like it's filled to the brim with some kind of odious, pernicious poison. How Svil keeps it up his sleeve is anyone's guess, though the wizard does seem fond of the little guy. He places it beside Kovl, and though such a thing could seem dangerous, in fact it hardly is. The Snakpioner is very well trained, and merely sits there, letting Kovl examine it. “Vehara was assaulted by these. Perhaps using it would aid you as a distraction?” Svil shrugs, “I'll leave it in your care until after the battle. Otherwise, cutting the bridge, be it real or illusionary, could work wonders. She is an assassin, her footing is vital – if she fears it is not there it will cause her to be less effective indeed.” The sublime master nods his appreciation of this. “But she is also deadly and entirely ruthless, with weapons both mundane and magic. You will need more than a distraction to beat her. Your illusions are strong, I have no doubt. But do you have any magic that is not illusionary? For example, young Kovl, if you cast a fireball that looks like nothing more than a falling leaf, or any magic disguised such, she will be unlikely to dodge it.. who moves from a leaf, after all? Tricking her senses with force behind it is how I would advise you, though you know your powers better than I.”
Kovl jumps at the sight of the creature Svilfon pulls from his sleeve. Hesistant to approach, out of anticipation that it is another sly trick from the wizard, the pixie replies, "Distractions cannot beat her alone. You are right, but I simply do not know how to cast any magic that isn't illusionary yet. I asked around to see if someone can help me make a fireball, but I doubt I can learn anything like that so quickly. The fight is in a little more than twenty-four hours from now. Is there anything I can do to learn something like that in time? Even if it is messy and unpolished?" Kovl stops, "Wait. I did learn a rune. A lightening rune. But I haven't practiced it. Maybe I can use that." An audible hum leaves the pixie's mouth before her turns to the snakpioner again and asks, "Thank you, but how do I... contain it? Will he attack me if I put him in my bag? How do I tell him to attack?"
Svilfon answers Kovl's questions in the order he chooses, rather than the order they were asked. “It will be fine if you put it in your bag,” the wizard assumes it will shrink when he does, “and it won't attack you. Honestly, unless I, or now you, tell it attack something, it's entirely harmless. It looks meaner than it is.” To prove his point, the wizard prods it a few times, and all it does is click its claws. “Whether you use it in the fight, or merely mirror it with illusions to scare and distract Vehara, or even not use it at all, that is up to you. If it dies I will not blame you, nor hold you accountable, so worry not. Just feed it now and again – it eats anything – and you'll be fine.” He nods at that. “As for the learning of a fireball... perhaps I can teach you. It will not be all that refined in a day, but it's not impossible.” Svil turns his hand over, causing a ball of fire to burn into existence. “I have an affinity with flame. It is not hard to learn, as long as you put yourself in the right mindset. Do you wish to try and learn?” The vampire clenches his fist, turning the fireball into a puff of smoke which lazily floats away.
Kovl watches the snakpioner as Svilfon prods it. The pixie, generally good with the way of animals, reaches his hand slowly toward the creature, ready to recoil at the faintest movement of its tail. Placing his hand on one of its legs, he pulls it toward the lip of his satchel, and suddenly it shrinks to a pixie-proportioned poisionious pet. He looks to Svilfon. "Thank you." At Svilfon's question, the illusionist is quick to answer, "Yes please! I've been wanting to mix real power with illusionary power for a while now." Kovl's wings twitch in excitement. "Then you think it's possible for me to learn it in a day." He smiles broadly.
Svilfon waves away the thank you as he speaks very clearly to Kovl, to ensure the pixie understands; his voice mirroring his position in the Guild, echoing with a hint of authority and resonating with a teacher's tone. “There are many ways to learn arcane powers. Some are safe, some are dangerous. The safe way is time and patience; to read, to learn, to try small things and build yourself up slowly. This is the way it's advisable to learn anything, for there is fewer chances of mistakes, and fewer mistakes means fewer deaths.” He nods at that rather vehemently. “The other way is to learn quickly; to push yourself to the edges of your power, to try things you've not truly mastered in the hopes they do not slay you. It is to drive your mind, body and soul to the brink of disaster to attempt to master things far above you, to grow in strength faster than you grow in knowledge... it is very risky, and often foolish,” Svil doesn't mention this was what he did when learning magic, “but it is possible. We are going, for this lesson, to use the second way. There will be risk. Fire is obviously deadly, and if you cast a fireball which you cannot control when I am not around, it will devour you in a heartbeat. But if you accept this risk and truly wish to learn, I will teach you. Just let it not be said I did not warn you first.” That said, the master wizard tips his hat and awaits a final confirmation. He doesn't think a fireball is beyond the pixie at all, and was being a shade dramatic. But his words are nevertheless true... if Kovl wants to learn quickly, the risk is very real.
Kovl ponders the methods Svilfon discusses with a hand to his chin. At the grave tone of the sublime master, the pixie pretends to contemplate the risk more than he actually does. Kovl is a pixie of action, often diving headlong into unknown danger because of the great fun it often proves to be and perhaps a hint of because he hasn't died yet being so reckless. After hming and haing, a rather dramatic show of weighing the risk, Kovl says, "Yes. Let's do it. I want to win." A flame mimicing the one that was in Svilfon's hand appears as an orb in his own after a couple words are spoken. The illusion serves only as dramatic effect. The pixie then says, "Let's learn some fire magic."
Svilfon grins at Kovl, he expected no different and in truth very much likes this aspect of the pixie. Where is the fun in life without risk?! With nothing more than a brief glance at the illusion, the vampire speaks. “To cast elemental magic requires you to understand the elements themselves. At least until you've mastered them. For example: Stone is serene, eternal; it changes so rarely and lasts so long. Or air; it is vast and free, encompassing so much and effecting even more. To control it, you too must make your mind echo that sentiment. Fire, though... Fire is short lived and volatile. It is violent and hungry – it seeks to devour everything in an instant. You too must adopt this mindset if you wish to cast it.” The wizard clears his throat, before speaking a series of words loudly in a convoluted language, so Kovl can hear and learn. They take but a moment, before a ball of fire once again burns into existence in the air in front of Svilfon, and with nothing more than a gesture of command it hurls across the room before slamming into the magical barrier with horrendous strength. Nowhere near enough to pierce it, though. That is something far, far beyond Svilfon's powers, and in fact, anyone's powers. “You adopt the mindset without falling into it... you must retain yourself or you will be lost. I have seen magelings attempt this spell, and go mad after... they eat until they literally choke themselves, or they destroy until they are slain. You must keep Kovl locked away in a corner of your mind, always there in control, while the rest of you seeks the hunger and strength fire bestows.... when you have mastered it, you can cast magic without bothering to do this. You will control elements by force of will... but in a day? Such things cannot be done. This is the only way I know. Adopt the mindset, speak the words, and let us see what happens.”
Kovl listens to Svilfon's words intently. "Violent and hungry," He repeats. The pixie is quick to mistake the description for anger and desire to destroy. Immediately Kovl summons this emotion in his mind. Anger. The pixie's eyes become more intense, more focused, watching Svilfon's fireball hit the barrier, and he adopts the desire to destroy something... anything in this room before his desire fades. His anger is not true anger summoned from the bowels of his experiences. The emotion Kovl feels is merely a product of fierce motivation. The pixie lets out a sigh though his adreline still pumps, understanding Svilfon's words about letting this emotion consume him. The mage imperfectly repeats the words Svilfon speaks, but nothing happens. Perhaps if he held out his hands... The pixie does so, but still nothing. Kovl grunts and looks up at Svilfon questioningly.
Svilfon shakes his head, though there is no disappointment in the gesture. “Hungry to devour everything, eager to destroy, to feed, to grow in a blaze of glory before it is snuffed out. It can lead to anger,” the wizard read the emotion in Kovl's eyes, “but it is not born of anger. It is fire! You must understand its nature.” Svil waves his hand towards the table, causing his wand to vanish from its spot and appear again in his grasp. He uses it, oddly, to stop the spell he is casting from being cast, so he can instead speak the words clearly again; his inflections more pronounced, though still quite convoluted. Twice he goes through the words, all the while looking at the pixie, before at last he speaks in common again. “Go again. Hungry to devour everything; impetuous and brash. Use anger as a defense, not as a means of summon.”
Kovl replies, "Use anger as a defense and not as a means of summoning? How do I do that? I am accustomed to my spells as a product of images in my mind and not quite emotions." The pixie attempts to repeat Svilfon's phrasing, one syllable at a time, eyeing the sublime master, searching for a sign that he is speaking the right words. Kovl uses his frustration at his failed first attempt to fuel his anger for the next bit. If Svilfon were to shake his head at any of the pixie's incantation, he allows the frustration to grow, but this anger is still certainly not born of defense. Kovl wants to attack something once again. His tiny fists ball and still nothing happens. "Why won't this work?!" The pixie's last word is inflamed with impatience and rage, a reasonable step for someone who is allowing his anger to channel. A spark quickly ignites and vanishes. The aroma of sulpher quickly reaches Kovl's nose, and this calms him, but only slightly. "Hmmph."
Svilfon watches Kovl closely, occasionally slightly shaking his head if any of the incantation is even remotely wrong, before he replies, “Use anger as a defense against the flames. If they seek to devour -you- instead of adhering your command, anger will stop it... though...” his words fade as the brief spark burns into life, and he grins, “Perhaps it is different for you.” A 'hmm' comes from Svil, before he whispers another series of words, causing one of the staves set in the corner to float over towards his grasp. “It will not work because you are an idiot. I am going to hit you repeatedly with this staff unless you consume it with flames. It seeks your destruction, it is perfect food for the element you wish to command.” The words are designed to inflame the pixie's wrath, or at least push him in that direction. “You have one attempt before I whack you. Direct your frustrations at it, and burn it to ash!” That said, Svilfon retracts the staff and swings it at the pixie. He was being literal... but it is part of learning so quickly. Danger... it is always a good motivation. Especially for fire.
Kovl shakes his head at the staff in Svilfon's hands. As the weapon is thrust at him, his wings cause him to take flight. The anger he feels is quickly overcome by a need to avoid that staff as he knows that one blow from that staff is likely to cripple him. "I'm no idiot. I know what you're doing." Now at shoulder height, the pixie starts the incantation again, speaking as quickly as he can, stumbling over the new and convoluted words as he reaches for one of his pouches. Kovl shakes his head again. No, he thinks. I should not stop him -my- way. "I need to learn this." Concentrating on the staff, the pixie repeats the words again, diving and bobbing while trying to maintain the fierce emotion within him. Nothing happens. You will NOT hit me, he thinks. Kovl's lips curl and a growl escapes his lips as he repeats the incantation a third time. Another spark. The smell of sulpher. Kovl furrows his brows, still concentrationg as he dodges.
Svilfon doesn't stop wildly swinging the staff at the pixie as he dodges, though he's far from skilled enough to strike the evasive Arcane Steward. It doesn't stop him trying, though. He keeps it up, trying to use his own force of will to compel the pixie along the path required. The growl is enjoyed, as is the second spark... he can sense the pixie is close, though whether he is aided or hindered by the distraction of dodging isn't clear to Svilfon, so he keeps going. 'Whish, whish, whish' the staff parts the air, following Kovl around, tempting him in silence to consume it with the magic that's so close to the surface. Though, after a moment, Svilfon tempts him outloud, too. “Feel it, Kovl.. feel the desire to consume the staff within you... to burn it... your frustration and concentration are ready.. speak the words and bring forth the fire!”
Kovl clenches his teeth at the wake of the air behind the staff. A few of the mage's swings are too close for comfort, and the pixie's fists close tighter in the anger the wake causes. At Svilfon's words, the illusionist speaks the incantation with the full desire to have nothing more than to reduce the staff in the wizard's hand to ash. A flame bursts forth from Kovl's clenched fist violently though tiny in size. This fireball moves rapidly toward Svilfon's swinging staff, and it's unsure whether it will even hit the moving object. The pixie watches in surprise as it glides from his hand and quickly tries to summon the flame again. An orb of fire expands larger than the previous, cradling in his arms. The flames lick toward his face, alerting Kovl to throw it quickly away from him toward Svilfon himself. This throw is more from desparation than an aimed shot.
Svilfon flashes a smile as the first fireball slams into the staff, and though it's not large, it is more than enough to set the wood on fire. The wizard is quick to throw it away from himself, though this is enough to distract him from the second fireball cast by the pixie. That one slams right into his chest. It causes Svilfon to grunt as he steps back, his hands quickly lifting to pat out the smouldering robes, before he looks back at Kovl with a grin. Clearly he's far from angry that the pixie threw a fireball at him, probably because before the Arcane Stewards eyes the wizard's robe seems to be sewing itself back to its original condition. That is courtesy of Satoshi's magic, not Svilfon's – something required for a fire-happy wizard. “Good, Arcane Steward Kovl, very good.” Svil twists his wand once through his fingers in an absent gesture as he speaks. “Now, calm yourself completely. Land, relax, and do it again from scratch.” That said, Svilfon speaks a few quiet words, enacting some protection from the pixie's magic to save himself suffering more burns beneath his robes. “If you are confident in casting another, make it look like a ball of ice, not of fire... but only if you are confident. Do not strain yourself too hard before the battle tomorrow. If you can do so, with or without the illusionary twist, we will end the lesson here, so you can relax and prepare fully for the battle tomorrow.” He nods at that, and waits.
Kovl lands lightly upon the tabletop and takes a few breaths before bursting back into the air in a loop-de-loop. "Wow, did you see that? I made fire!" Kovl's glee is put on pause as his feet hit the table again. "I want to make the fireball bigger. I don't know if I can disguise it. I'll try." The pixie stands quietly for a few moments, envisioning the possibility that Svilfon will begin hitting him again. Kovl does not think this will happen, but the thought of defense casting is strengthened by the idea. The pixie's brows furrow in concentration, recalling the previous frustration he once felt. The incantation is spoken and the only thought on Kovl's mind is fire. Big fire. The element bursts forth as a wall in front of him so suddenly that Kovl has to shield his face from the flame. The table ignites in the portion directly in front of Kovl and... what's that smell? The pixie waits a moment before swatting his hair ferviously, patting out the flames he knows are there. As the table lights, and as Kovl recovers, another incantation is spoken. Ice and frost consume the table, and a large ball of it forms where the flames are most evident. To the outsider the table is not on fire, but on... ice, but still Kovl can smell the burning table. He poses for Svilfon. "Look!"
Svilfon watches for a long moment in silence, before a grin splits his face, flashing to the pixie the gaps in his teeth which sit alongside his fangs. The smell of singed hair mixes with burning wood, which is all a contradiction to the wizard's senses, as it seems the table is merely covered in frost. He is impressed, and doesn't make any effort to hide it. “I see, Arcane Steward. You have done very well.” He tips his hat at that, an unconscious gesture of respect towards the pixie. “Next time, try not to set yourself on fire too...” Best not to make the pixie too confident, lest he destroys himself when next casting the magic, “but you have done very well indeed. Usually I would advise you practice this throughout the day, and long into the night, but this day you may be better served by resting you strength. It is your call, though.” Svil moves then to pick up the heavily charred staff, which finally has burned out. He gives it a tap on the table, dislodging ash from it, before chucking it back towards the corner of the room. Some mageling will clean it up. “The ice will fool anyone who isn't a master of the arcane arts, I am sure. Vehara quite literally will not know what's hitting her, until it's too late.” He flashes a predatory grin at that. “I have no doubt you will do the Guild proud tomorrow, Kovl, Arcane Steward.”
Kovl's face lights up at Svilfon's approval. The ice before him fades and the flame continues to grow upon the tabletop. The pixie backs away and answers. "Can I.. dispell it? And must I speak the incantation before every summon of the flame? I only need to speak once for illusions to form." To answer the wizard's advice, he responds, "I'm not comfortable enough with everything to retire now. Maybe after hours of practice. I'm sure I'll set myself aflame if I don't. Thank you for the lesson."
Svilfon shrugs his shoulders in a languid gesture, "You can try to dispell it, yes. I will leave that to you to work out. Worry not about the table itself, for we have many of those. As for the incantation... I do not know. I can cast fireballs without doing so, because I have a depth of understanding towards the element of fire. Once it is cast by you, it is far easier to control. Perhaps you will not need words to do that. Spend your day practicing. Test your limits within this room, so you will not come to too much harm. Find out what works for your unique style of magic and embrace it. It is truly the only way." That said, Svil tips his hat one more time. "And you are welcome, Kovl. Perhaps soon we can have another lesson, one for us both. There is an illusion I wish to master which is beyond my knowledge to cast. You can perhaps aid me." He shrugs again. "But that is for another day... for this day, I bit you farewell." He nods once, before whispering a word and vanishing from the room, leaving in his wake nothing but a thin trail of smoke.