RP:Legacy of the Arcane
Part of the Lies Within Us Arc
This is a Mage's Guild RP.
This is a Necromancer's Guild RP.
Summary: Odhranos, upon beginning research for his thesis, reaches out to Quintessa for the purpose of an interview and discussion on the topic of magic; her perceptions and views on magic as a whole and her personal style of spellworking. Academic discourse ensues, before discussion turns to more existential topics.
Apprentice Quintessa,
I am writing to you on this occasion to inquire if you might have any interest in being a participant in a research project I am undertaking on behalf of the Mage's Guild.
The topic of this thesis is "The Mechanics of Magic; A Comprehensive Study of Vernacular Spellworking Technique."; and the research portion of this thesis will consist of a series of one-on-one interviews with practitioners of the many fields of magic found natively in Lithrydel.
What participating in this project would entail is an informal interview, between yourself and myself, where we engage in an open discussion of the concept of "magic" and your own particular views and methods of employing the arcane in practice.
I should hope that this interview would be an educational experience for both of us, and would serve to further the already vast wealth of knowledge our Guild possesses.
Upon it's completion, all participants will be credited for their participation, and the findings of the thesis open to their perusal.
I must impress, this is a purely voluntary endeavor, if you would feel uncomfortable discussing the outlined topics, or would prefer not to participate entirely, this is absolutely understandable and I shall not press the matter further.
I look forward to your reply,
Yours Faithfully
~ Odhranos Kerrigan, Arcane Steward of the Mage's Guild of Xalious.
Arcane Steward Odhranos Kerrigan,
I have received your letter and I am flattered to be invited to take part in such an important project. I am pleased to inform you that I will be accepting this opportunity to add my knowledge to your thesis.
"The Mechanics of Magic; A Comprehensive Study of Vernacular Spellworking Technique" is a worthy endeavor that I will be proud to make room for in my very busy schedule. Within the fortnight I, or one of my associates, will reach out to you so that a face-to-face meeting of the minds can be conducted by the to of us.
Thank you for giving me this opportunity to not only learn more about the subject of magic, but for also giving me the chance to offer my unique perspective on spellcrafting and magical theory in general. Too long have I been ignored by the more conventional and conservative mages in our guild for the more 'stable' or 'sustainable' apprentices. It's about time a man of culture took notice of my valuable skills.
Hope to see you soon,
Respectfully Yours,
~Apprentice Quintessa of Black Pond, Caretaker of House Dragana and Novous Minor of the Necromancer's Guild
Mage Tower
Odhranos bustled about his little office, fervently tidying as always. The task never quite seemed finished, every time he thought he had sorted everything into its respective places, either something else would reveal itself to be out of place, or else, god forbid, he’d knock something over while trying to navigate the cramped space and cause a landslide of books, rocks and various curios to scatter to every conceivable corner of the room. On this particular occasion, after having turned too sharply, causing S’erok’s cage to swing on its strap and decimate a neat and orderly line of rock specimens, Odhranos was down on his hands and knees under his desk, fishing for a wayward piece of shale that had found its way down there. To anyone entering in through the unlocked door, they would be met with the strange sight of a grey-robed posterior sticking out from underneath the desk, no doubt unbeknownst to the terramancer himself.
Quintessa hasn't slept much. After the night she had last night she couldn't get a single wink, she was too excited to sleep. She knew the Mage's Guild would offer her many opportunities but being the catalyst for meeting her childhood hero was not on the list of benefits she expected. Upon returning to her dormitory this afternoon, she noticed the letter on her desk and remembered that Steward Odhranos wanted to speak with her regarding his thesis. "Oh, I should pay him a visit," she mused to herself, setting her old wanted poster of Kasyr on the desk next to it. She wouldn't waste anymore time, letting her bag fall the floor before turning back out to the hallway. Admittedly, Quintessa didn't know the way to the terramancer's office, but after a few questions asked of the other students she was pointed in the right direction. Not in the habit of just barging into people's rooms/offices, pale fingers clench into a fist and knock on the door three times. -Knock-Knock-Knock- Before she parted her lips to speak. "Arcane Steward Kerrigan?" She asked, speaking loud enough to be heard from outside, "It's Quintessa of Black Pond. Are you in today?"
Odhranos had just laid his hands on the piece of shale, picking it up with a happy exclamation, at the precise moment when Quintessa knocked on his door. “Oh shi- agh!” Odhranos’ head jerked up with surprise and cracked soundly off the underside of his heavy mahogany desk, causing him to cry out in pain. Dropping the shale again and cradling his head in one hand, the terramancer shuffled awkwardly out from under the desk and got to his feet. Taking a step across to the door, he pulled it open while rubbing ruefully at the sore spot on his head. “Ahh, Apprentice Quintessa, I wasn’t expecting you so soon, do come in!” After he assured himself that his head was all in one piece, the mage was all courtesy and politeness, waving Quintessa into the diminutive office and offering her one of the two chairs within. “Thank you very much for coming, I appreciate you taking the time to help me with my research.” Shuffling around his large desk, undoubtedly too large for the small room, the mage lifted down a cast iron pot from one of the many shelves lining the room, along with a pair of earthenware mugs. “Tea? Any preferences?”
Quintessa gripped her katana as she heard him curse, her ear pressed against the door to listen in. Was he under attack? Was a thief on the loose again? She is about to kick the door down when she heard the Steward speak, and her posture relaxed, reassured that she wouldn't have to kill anyone tonight. Hopefully. "I hope I didn't surprise you. I was in my room and I saw your letter," Her long legs bring her into the room, the spiked heels of her boots clicking on the floor. "I figured I'd just show the initiative and turn up." Her mismatched eyes scan over the terramancer for a moment, lofting a brow in his direction, "Is everything alright? You look stunned." She would wait for his answer before taking a seat, one leg crossed over the other.
Quintessa said to Odhranos, "Yes, please. I don't have any preference, just give me whatever tea you drink."
Odhranos rubbed the sore spot, it would definitely have a doozy of a bump on it in a few hours. “Ahh, it was my own fault, I was cleaning underneath my desk and wasn’t expecting visitors, so I ended up bumping my head off the underside of the desk. It wouldn’t be the first time, so I’m sure I’ll be alright.” The mage laughed in a warm natured manner as he set the pot and mugs down on the table, alongside a jug of cold water he tended to keep on hand for this very purpose. Tipping the pot over, two smooth pebbles fell out into his hand, which he clenched into a fist while filling the pot with cold water. Once done, he opened his fist over the pots opening and the two stones fell in with a gentle “ploop”, before they both began glowing a rosy cherry red, heating the water around them. While the water boiled, Odhranos reached up and took down an ornate wooden case, where he kept his stash of various teas. Humming to himself, he perused the selection, before turning to consider Quintessa. After a moments pondering of his guest, he turned back to his tea and lifted a sachet of black and vibrant red tea from the case. “Wild berry and liquorice, I think.” Dropping the sachet into the pot, he replaced the case back up on it’s shelf and sat down in his own seat. “So! To business, did you get the gist of what would be involved in this endeavor from my letter, or would you like me to go over it?”
Quintessa watched with fascination as Odhranos heats his water. The changeling might be advanced for her age, but she's still an apprentice and still has not seen much of the magical world. "Of course," she said, nodded her head in approval, "Rocks retain heat. That's a very clever method. I'll have to copy it sometime." That was one of the best compliments Quintessa could give was to fully admit that she would be mimicking a spell of theirs later. Her slender fingers reach to idly tug at her bottom lip, "I think so," she began, "You're studying verbal components to magic, right? Incantations, chants, maybe even the fabled 'words of power'?" The hex blade had come prepared to talk about this subject. "Most of my spells require some sort of vernacular activation, although I am finding ways around that, though it can be difficult at times."
Odhranos leaned over to peep into the pot to check on how it was boiling. Once satisfied with what he saw, he sat back into his seat and regarded Quintessa. “Mmm, precisely, stone is a particularly good thermal mass! However, since the heat from my hand wouldn’t be enough to boil the water, I added a little bit of extra kinetic energy into the mix, tiny little vibrations of the particles, which became the heat that boils the water. It’s a handy trick, if you ever need to make heat but don’t have any fuel on hand.” When Quintessa explained her interpretation of his letter, he leaned backwards, settling into his chair, while one long-fingered hand toyed idly with the short stubble along his jawline. “In...a way...that is part of what I’m studying. I’m actually looking to investigate something a lot… bigger and encompassing. Essentially, I’m looking to catalogue a general overview of how magic is used in Lithrydel, be it arcane, divine, bardic or natural. As you pointed out there, you have a distinct personal style of using magic, as each practitioner has their own way and means. I hope to document these, well, these disparate artforms of magic, and hopefully expand our general understanding of how magic is accessed and used.”
Quintessa released her lip so she can flip her long, raven hair behind her shoulder, "I see," Kinetic energies? Tiny vibrations? She had much to research once this interview was over. "It's very elegant. Whenever I need to make heat I have to use a fire enchantment. I should adapt to this knowledge, it will certainly help my combat prowess. Imagine heating up the metal of your opponent's weapon or armor?" A pointed grin grew on her face at the thought of gaining that kind of advantage in a sword fight. "Anyway, that's a thought for another time. You say to are creating a compilation of the different ways to use magic?" Her grin changed from devious to genuine, "What a good idea! It's mage's like you that allowed me to learn so much in such a sort time. I would love to give back any way I can." She meant it. Books had been her only teachers growing up so she understood the necessity of putting information together in catalogs. "So, what, should I talk about my spellcasting talents? Perhaps it's important to bring up my magical heritage. I'm not human, not strictly speaking. I'm not sure if you've heard the rumors or not."
Odhranos couldn’t help the grin at Quintessa’s suggestion, even though the emotions behind it were entirely different to the spellblade’s. “That’s exactly the sort of lateral thinking that we mages need, find a principle and find a scenario where it may be of use.”. Openly happy at the enthusiasm his guest was showing for the project, Odhranos reached for his notebook and quill, dipping it into the small stone inkwell before hovering over the page, ready to take notes. “It’s heartening to hear that; there are far too many in this tower that would sooner keep their techniques and knowledge a secret, hoarded away to molder and be forgotten, so I am glad you’re willing to open up for the sake of advancing our collective knowledge.” Quickly scribbling his interviewee’s name at the top of the page and the date, Odhranos draped one grey-robed leg over the other and leaned forwards curiously. “Mmm, I have heard the odd murmur around the tower, but mages are pathological gossips, so I make it a point not to take rumours into account of my judgement of a person. So, if you are willing to share, then by all means.”
Quintessa snickered at the idea of hording knowledge away, "I've always felt that only inadequate mage's hide what they've learned. They think that they can preserve their fragile sense of superiority by holding onto it and not sharing it." She gazed at her fingernails for a moment, making sure there wasn't any left over mud from her fight last night stuck under one. "Of course," she said, her mismatched eyes flickering to look up at the terramancer again. "So, have you ever heard of a night hag? My mother is supposedly one of them, though I've never actually met her. From the little bits of research that's been done on them, I've discovered that I fall into a category of creatures commonly call changelings, or hag-born." She paused, giving Odhranos a chance to write anything he wanted down about her. "Because my mother is a monster with powerful spell-like abilities, I was born with lesser natural abilities. I call them my dark gifts. My ability to curse people, to manipulate their emotions and cause fear, and my supernatural talent for arcane magic and witchcraft."
Odhranos snorted with amusement, Quintessa's comment cut straight to the bone of the issue, though few mages would be willing to say it so blunt and honestly. Jotting down quick notes as Quintessa continued, Odhranos would meet her gaze with his own mismatched pair of irises, one flinty grey and the other a buttery gold. Staying quiet and merely encouraging with a warm smile, the mage scribbled furiously as his guest explained her heritage. "So, magic is something you've found innately, something you were born with? Fascinating." Odhranos murmured quietly as he listened, engrossed in Quintessa's story and his own note-taking. After a few moments, he lifted the quill from the page and ponderously tapped the feathered end against his chin, while his lips pursed in thought. "If you had to… quantify your magic, how would you describe it? How does your magic feel to you?" Odhranos smiled somewhat apologetically. "It's a bit of a strange question, I know. But I find that a large part of a person's way of using magic depends on their perception of what magic is, of how it… exists? It's quite an abstract concept, but I'd love to hear your views on it."
Quintessa touched her finger to her bottom lip as she sat back, her gaze moving up to the ceiling. "Quantify? Hmm," she gave the question a bit of thought. "My magic is strongly attuned to my emotions. When I want to cast from the evocation school, like a fire or electricity spell, I have aggressive feelings. When I want to enforce my will upon someone's mind, I experience possessive or oppressive emotions. And when I'm angry," A grim smile grew upon her pale features, "My magic amplifies." She looked back down at Odhranos, her smirk still present, "So to me, practicing magic is a lot like navigating powerful emotions. You just have to find the right spell, or feeling, for the right situation."
Odhranos' expression lit up at Quintessa's explanation, this was exactly the sort of stuff he was hoping to study. "Mmm, fascinating! So your emotional state is directly tied to your magic, that's very interesting. So, to you, magic is a sort of… sympathetic force? That is reacts in kind to the emotions you are feeling, to your mental state? Absolutely intriguing." Odhranos' infatuation with all things arcane was bubbling up to the foreground as his quill scratched across the page with a frenzied rasp. "Have you ever tried to call up these emotions purposefully, to achieve the desired effect? Say, thinking angering or aggressive thoughts with the express purpose of amplifying your abilities? Perhaps studying something in the line of meditation and emotional control would be of benefit to your training, so you can freely use this aspect of your magic to its highest potential?"
Quintessa nodded her head, "I have, yes, once before. When I spoke to Larewen Dragana at her manor, she asked me to think back to the moment when I-" she paused for a moment, rethinking what she should say here, "She asked me to recall the moment I first cursed somebody. What I felt and how I exerted my hex onto them. She asked me to relive that moment and to try to curse her instead. It didn't have the same power, but I wager it's a skill I can perfect just like anything else. I just have to practice."
Odhranos nodded as he jotted down more notes, seemingly unphased by Quintessa's mention of having cursed individuals in the past. He was more inquisitive about her connection to House Dragana. He hadn't ever met Lady Dragana in person, but he had encountered quite a number of members of her house, some in amiable scenarios and others in… less enjoyable circumstances, so he was naturally curious about the connection. "Mmm, I see, definitely something to look into training. Half of the battle when training magic ability is determining exactly how it is your ability functions, you have an advantage over many of your fellow apprentices with your understanding." Odhranos sat back for a moment and re-read his notes. "Ahh, yes, you mentioned that you utilities verbal components in your casting, can you explain to me how they factor into your spellcasting? What their purpose is?" By now, the tea was well infused and Odhranos poured two gently steaming mugs, passing one across the table to Quintessa before sipping from his own. He smiled briefly at the sweet, tangy flavour, undertoned by a rich dark thrum of liquorice, before regarding his guest with a gentle smile, giving her the room to talk.
Quintessa smiled at his questions, "Yes, I did say that. The books I found in the Black Library contained phrases in some old, strange language that was used in the Dark Lands before Vailkrin grew to dominate the area, spreading the use of the common tongue. I found phrases like 'Tân'," As she uttered her incantations, she snapped her fingers, a flash of fire appearing before it fizzled away, "And 'Iâ'," A second snap created an icy cloud that lingered for a couple of seconds, "And 'Mellt'," Her final snap formed a small arc of electricity than bounced from one finger to the next until it disappeared completely. "I'm not sure how it works, but I can only guess that these words command the forces of the weave of magic, telling it what you want it to do. I don't know if the word is important to the Weave, or if it's simply the intent that matters, but the knowledge written in those books has been correct so far so I've had no reason to question it. At least, not until today." She reached forward to take her cup, sipping it lightly to test the temperature.
Odhranos couldn't help the grin from tweaking up the corners of his mouth as Quintessa exhibited her abilities. "I must visit this Black Library at some point and take a look at the books you studied, they would be very useful to this study, if not fascinating in their own right." Scribbling a note to check with the librarians later to see if there existed any prior discourse with the Black Library, Odhranos raised an eyebrow and grinned at Quintessa's mention of "The Weave". "Ahh, now there's a concept worthy of discussion. What is your take on the Weave Theory? It seems to be quite a commonly used model amongst mages, but everyone seems to have their own take on it; I'd be interested to hear your interpretation of it." Odhranos put his notebook aside for a moment and picked up his mug of tea, settling into his chair, as he moved fluidly from an interviewing stance to academic discussion stance.
Quintessa blew the steam from the top of her tea before taking another drink. She wasn't quite sure if she liked the taste or not but it seemed to be growing on her. "Ah, The Weave." She set her cup on the desk so she could use her hands, "So, I picture existence as a sort of flat plain." Her hands move about, her palms facing down as she makes a smoothing motion. "And on this plain there are lines vertically across it and horizontally across it, making a sort of grid." She crosses one finger over the other. "I think the grid it the weave. Everything in existence is a part of the weave and it flows through it and wraps around it simultaneously. But we can't see the weave, the grid is too tight. Too small. Maybe one day somebody will find a way to see the weave, and maybe then we can find the source." She giggled, "Can you imagine that? Reaching the Source of the Weave? You would potentially have access to all of creation."
Odhranos tapped his chin thoughtfully as he listened to Quintessa, nodding and hmm-ing where appropriate, while a pleasant smile graced his features. He stared into the middle distance as she painted a picture with her words, the infinite gossamer fabric of power shimmering like the finest of silks as its threads stretched out beyond the perception of his mind's eye. He broke into a broad smile at Quintessa's suggestion. "You'd become a true Weaver then, a Weaver to rival Xalious himself in terms of unparalleled power and capability. Gods, the thought of it is like lightning through me. There would be no limit to the possibilities. To the knowledge and understanding you could uncover." The terramancer beamed at Quintessa happily. "So, according to this understanding, the act of magic is somewhat like blindly reaching out and pulling the threads of magic, teasing them out of the fabric and deforming what we consider reality, am I right in that interpretation?"
Quintessa said to Odhranos, "That's not far off! So I think the first mages, the shamans and adepts of ancient times, had no choice but to tug blindly at the threads. That knowledge must have been passed down. You tug this string to make this happen. This symbol does this thing. This word makes this happen. We are lucky we have the chance to stand on the shoulders of the giants that came before us. We can achieve a level of mastery that the ancients could never, except with the intervention of some kind of god or ultra powerful demon." She paused to consider that, "Yes, yes! Like you said, we would become as powerful as Xalious. Whoever finds the Source of the Weave will be the first Aeturnus Ipsissimus in history, reaching impossible heights!"
Odhranos sighed wistfully, wrapping his hands around the warm earthenware mug. "Ahh, what a thought, to go farther than any member of our guild has gone before and achieve the supposedly unachievable title. Now, that would be some way to be remembered." His expression settled into one of pensiveness, idly rubbing his thumbs against the coarse grain of the mug before breaking from his reverie and glancing back to Quintessa. "I suppose that is part of what we're doing here, adding our own hand-crafted rung to the ladder so that the generation of mages that follows us can climb higher than we have done. It really puts things in perspective… continuity beyond our lifetime. A legacy..." Odhranos shook his head with a laugh. "Listen to me, warbling like some old man writing his will. It's too easy to get swallowed up in your sense of mortality when researching. It's the unfortunate disadvantage we humans have to bear while our companions of other race live on. However!" Odhranos set down his mug and tapped the cover of his notebook firmly, a gently proud and stalwart grin crossing his face. "That only means we must work harder with the time we have!"
Quintessa giggled at his mention of mortality, "I suppose that is why some are tempted to unnaturally extend their life with necromancy, becoming vampires or liches. I cannot deny that the thought has crossed my mind. I mean, I'm still young. I haven't even reached my 18th name day, but I keep expected to one day wake up and I'm already an old crone and my time to achieve great things has slipped out of my grasp." She reaches forward to nurse her tea again, a solemn air taking hold of her, "Ugh, I try not to think about death much. I already sent many souls to their makers in the name of the Mage's Guild, I don't want to imagine what it would be like to be one of them." Quintessa went through a lot of effort not to feel guilty about the potentially innocent people she had killed, and thinking about death in general made that hard. "I guess death drives many of us. I cannot deny that. That's why people want to have children, so they have a legacy to leave behind..."
Odhranos sups from his mug and smiles apologetically. "It is quite a dampening topic. Thankfully I have been working in the field of research and analysis more than I have been involved in combat on the Guild's behalf, but I have had to consign more souls than I'd care to oblivion. It's one of the less enjoyable aspects of the career, but a necessary one sometimes." Odhranos pursed his lips as he mulled the memories over, before a more amusing thought comes to mind. "It's quite curious how, despite having an inherent investment in seeing the development of the next generation, so few mages take the time to marry and have children. Your friend Karasu is one of a very small number of children born into the Mages Guild, when it would stand to reason that children born and raised in such an environment would be greatly disposed to achieving great heights." At her mention of extending ones lifetime, a thought crossed the terramancer's mind and he raised an eyebrow in consideration of whether or not to share it before making his decision. "It's curious, a year or two ago, I would have been somewhat in favour of the concept of immortality, having an unlimited amount of time with which to pursue my interests. But I met someone recently, and the experience of knowing them and understanding what they went through has completely changed my opinion of immortality, to the degree that I am quite against the idea of seeking immortality. I wouldn't wish it upon any of my loved ones."
Quintessa was silent for a long moment as she drank her tea, listening to Odhranos speak as she stared at the liquid in her cup. His voice had a soothing drone to it, she had to admit to herself, although it reminded her a lot of Karasu's father Kaaname. She sighed. Kaaname had accepted the call of the undead, hadn't he? Was it really that bad. "I'm not sure if I can even have children. Not much is known about changelings but if I am to treat myself like any other half-human I have to assume I'm sterile. There'll be no marriage and children for me." She chuckled, "Not that anybody would want to marry a spooky girl like myself. I honestly sometimes think that immortally might be my only chance to even have a legacy, but I know deep down that I don't need to live forever to be remembered. I can achieve great things in a short time if I work hard enough at it." She stifled a yawn as she set her empty cup down. "We've gotten a bit off topic, haven't we?" she offered a lighthearted laugh, "Perhaps we can continue this some other time? I spent much of last night on the road and I could really use a bit rest."
Odhranos smiled as he got up from his seat. "We did stray a bit off topic, but we covered quite a bit that is of use to my research, so I consider this to have been a resounding success." Shuffling back around the desk, he would hold the door for Quintessa as she left. "Thank you very much for engaging in this discussion with me, I found it very enlightening and I hope was at least somewhat interesting to you! If you ever have any questions or anything you feel I may be able to help you with, or even if you simply feel like having a chat, my door is always open to you. Drop by whenever takes your fancy."
Quintessa stood up to stretch, her uniform lifting up to expose her midriff before she turned to face the man with a smile, "It was quite illuminating for myself as well. Many of the things I had been pondering alone I was able to talk about with you, and it was quite enjoyable." Slow steps brought her face-to-face with Odhranos before she left, lingering for just a moment. "It was nice to get to know you better as well... Maybe we... Erm, I don't know, can meet up sometime in a more casual setting? We could get a drink or something. If I am out of line, I apologize." She would wait for his answer before leaving, giving him a polite "Goodnight," before heading back to her dormitory.
Odhranos' eyebrows raised in surprise momentarily as Quintessa approached and posed her question, but his expression then softened into a gentle smile. "It's not out of line at all, I'd be happy to. It would do me good to get out of this office and get some fresh air. Not to mention I'd like the chance to talk with you again, it has been most enjoyable." Seeing her off, the mage would offer a quiet "Goodnight, Quintessa." before closing his door over, sitting down to a long evening of work.