RP:Guild Shenanigans - Part 1

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Summary: Pilar wishes to advance her illusion skills. Interested, Kovl tests Pilar's talents and begins to plot a test for admittance based on a Guild test he took when he joined. Kovl hands Pilar a book and tells her to keep it safe because it holds Guild secrets. She is instructed to never read the book. The protection of this book is imperative to her gaining admittance to the Guild.

Mage Tower

Pilar had hit a wall when it came to practicing her magic. With her teacher still missing, and her books destroyed, she was at an impasse. It was for this reason that she made the trek down to Xalious Village in an attempt to find help. She was nervous as she approached the massive tower. She climbed the steps, but before she could gain entry, two guards blocked her way. With the recent infiltration of the Mage's Guild by nefarious persons, the tower was practically on lockdown. The guards demanded her business. She stammered out an explanation, that she was searching for a tutor, or even just a chance to look through their books.

Kovl reclines in a tree by the grand entryway to the Mage's Tower, letting a light breeze caress his wings as he closes his eyes. The pixie's ears perk as a familiar voice rises among one of the visitors who requests entry to the Mage's Tower, but he is hardpressed to immediately identify the source. An eye opens, and he tilts his head toward the doors. Oh right! Josleen and Hildegarde's friend. The mage steps off the branch in a free fall, catching himself as his wings plume open. "I'll escort her in," he calls out to the guards. He nods to Pilar and leads her into the tower. "What are you looking for now?"

Pilar started slightly at Kovl's arrival. She followed Kovl in, shrinking away from the guards. "Thank you, Mr. Kovl," she said. "I'm, um, well, I'm sort of stuck. I've lost my books and my teacher's gone, so I haven't been able to get better at magic at all. I was hoping I might be able to, to look through some of the books you have here, or maybe speak with a mage who could point me in the right direction." She tried to remember what Kovl's specialty was, but was coming up tilt. "I'm, I'm an illusionist."

Kovl raises his brow as Pilar explains the reasoning for her to be here. "You've hit a wall, huh? What are you doing to learn more currently? Learning by book alone takes a lot of work and discipline, and even then, you don't have someone at your side, telling you if you used the right technique or not." As Kovl talks, he leads her to the magical barrier near the library. "Show me something you've learned."

Pilar said to you, "I've just been practicing the spells I know, trying to get my, my magical endurance up." When asked to show him something she'd learned, she paused to think. What was the best spell to showcase her abilities? "I-I only have a handful of spells, but..." She concentrated hard, and soon vanished from sight. "... this is the toughest one I can do"

Kovl watches Pilar vanish from thin air. He nods. "Not bad. How do you normally cast your spells? Incantation?" The pixie ears burn to hear the prospective student's movement in case she decides to walk around. "And what else can you do?"

Pilar reappeared before him. Invisibility took a lot out of her. "No, I just... I concentrate really hard. I don't know how to explain it." Her hand dropped to her hip, where a curved dagger was sheathed. "Using magical items sometimes helps." Behind her, five people appeared. They ranged in age from around 10 up to maybe late twenties, and shared Pilar's dark ocher complexion, chocolate eyes, and black hair. One of the two males, the adult, carried with him a guitar. He lifted it and strummed a few gentle chords. The woman sang a few notes, and the teenagers and child danced for a few moments. "I... sometimes have them perform for tips..." Pilar mentioned.

Kovl notes Pilar's technique and capability. It is amazing to him how rogue mages learn how to cast, and this subject has been of interest to him ever since he learned there are other ways to cast than the simple incantation. Kovl, in this way, is different from his peers, those who began learning magic in school. The pixie notes she became visible before casting her next spell, showing a limitation common among those without instruction. Kovl inspects the five beings from Pilar's mind and weapon. The pixie is very impressed. "What does your dagger do?" A hand moves to his chin as he moves to the illusions and attempts to touch them. "What sort of power does it store, if you don't mind my asking?" It is apparent the pixie may be distracted from Pilar's original question as to how to learn.

Pilar 's illusions were purely aural and visual. Kovl's hand would pass right through them, as if they were ghosts. Pilar ran her thumb over the dagger's pommel. "It saps magic energy from whatever touches the blade. It stores it, and I can use the power later for big spells."

Kovl grins. "Isn't magic neat?" The pixie passes his hand through the illusions a couple more times, unsure if the illusion lacks a capability to be solid or if it is because his mind isn't allowing him to perceive these five people as real. "You know, if you make an illusion real enough and if you cast it just right, those who see it may just trick their minds into touching it." Kovl's eyes meet Pilar's. "There are illusions that can slap people in the face, and the receiver of the slap wouldn't know the difference. It stings just as much." The pixie pauses. "And I've seen illusions do much more dangerous things to others than a simple slap." The mage floats to Pilar's eye level. "I think that instead of looking for a book to train you, you should seek instruction in the Mage's Guild. There will be a test, but the test to get in is worth the trouble it causes. Now what was your name again?"

Pilar hadn't even considered actually entering the Mage's Guild. What would she have to offer them? But... the chance for professional instruction was too good to pass up. "Pilar Solana-Mendez," she answered. "I... I'm willing to try the test." She needed to pass a test to become Reginae's apprentice. Surely this one wouldn't be much worse... right?

Kovl smiles again. "Well, Ms. Solana-Mendez, the test looks different for every person. Are you a fighter, Pilar? Are you a schemer? A behind-the-scenes force to be reckoned with? What do you want from the Guild? What will you offer us?" Kovl is very aware that he was the one to suggest membership in the Guild, but that does not stop him from asking questions as if she came seeking them.

Pilar was terrible at interviews. She twiddled her thumbs and looked down. "... I... I'm a... I wouldn't say I an a force to be reckoned with, but I do okay behind the scenes, yes... I... I hope the Guild can help me to become strong, so I can protect the people I love." She looked up at him. "I... I can offer the Guild my loyalty, and my aid when they need it." However minuscule that'd be.

Kovl nods as he listens to Pilar, picking up on her nervousness right away. "Wait here." The pixie disappears into the library for a few minutes before returning. A book grows from apparently nowhere as he reaches into the satchel which hangs on his left side. The tome falls toward Pilar's arms. "Catch." A devious smile forms on the Provost Esoterica's face. "Hold on to this book. Do not let anyone see it or take it from you. You, yourself, must not open it either. It holds some secrets of the Guild which can augment your power if you chose to read it. But you won't read it, right? You mustn't until you're in the Guild. There is a rune in place that will immediately notify me if it is opened. I will meet with you at another time to give you your test, and you will use the book to pass it when the time comes, but for now, you must hold onto it like it is your most prized possession." The book itself is black, large, and unlabeled. A belt holds it shut tightly. "Understand, Pilar?"

Pilar nearly missed catching the book when he dropped it, but she managed. She looked over the blank cover as Kovl spoke. She nodded. "I understand." She clutched it to her chest. "I will guard it carefully." Beginning with putting it in her trunk, burying it under her ruined possessions. "Thank you, Mr. Kovl."

Kovl nods to Pilar. "Expect to hear from me soon. For now, keep that book safe, and keep it by your side at all times." The pixie grins again. "I'm sure a clever illusionist like yourself will have no trouble." He winks.

Pilar thought 'clever' was a stretch when applied to her, but she smiled regardless. "Thank you. I'll... I'll see you soon." As she left the tower, the guards cast a suspicious glance at her. She shrank away and doubled her speed. She couldn't wait to get back to the camp.