RP:Plots for Victory

Behind the Barrier

Lydrain stood on the other side of the barrier, sweating lightly. It had been quite some time since he had pushed himself to this point, and it felt really good. Due to the late hour, he got lucky and there was hardly anyone around, and the Headmaster was allowed free range of the training facility, and he made the most of it. He smiled, and paused for a moment. Walking back to the barrier, he picked his backpack up and pulled a waterskin out of it. Taking a deep drink, he let out an 'Aah' of thirst quenchery. Deciding that he was done, for a few moments anyway, he decided to take advantage of the solitude of the barrier, and laid down, on his back. Running over magical formulae in his head, he would very likely be oblivious to anyone who entered without announcing themselves.

Kovl sits upon a tabletop in the library with his hand to his chin, deep in thought, as he watches the mages practice behind the barrier blankly. A detailed sketch larger than he lies at the pixie's side: a rope bridge, snapped in half, each side dangling near the respective tree from which it once hung. The pixie slipped in while Lydrain practiced, but it is only now, as Lydrain sits by the barrier, when Kovl decides to approach him. He has entertained this idea in his head, and Lydrain may be the right person to ask. Leaving the sketch on the tabletop, the pixie floats toward him and sends a poke to his shoulder before announcing himself. "Hello, Lydrain. Hard at work I see."

Lydrain shakes his head, a bit confused, only for a moment. Spying the male pixie, he smiles, "Evening Kovl, and sort of. Really just stretching the wings, so to speak. Teaching younger children doesn't really give you much tim to really put your magic to the test, especially if you magic is as direct as mine is. I'm simply glad that this place is here, so that someone like me can do this without damaging anything. A sparring partner would be preferable, but, then again, I don't want to hurt anyone. Even if we had acces to a healer, I still don't enjoy the idea..."

Kovl smiles to the headmaster. "It would be a shame if a mageling were to be hurt in your presence, of course. You can't send them running!" A pause. "As far as sparring goes, I do have a question. That arcane energy that you showed me on the cliff... can you use it offensively? How do you do it?" The smile fades for a moment from the pixie's lips. "Perhaps that question is a bit to complicated to answer, hm? I have an opponent, and I'm looking for an edge."

Lydrain nods his head, "I can use it as such, yes, but I don't know if I could teach anyone else too... I'm not, necessarily, sure how I even gained the ability to control it. it just, sort of, happened." He raises and eyebrow, "You have an opponent, you say? Who are you fighting, if you don't mind me asking?" He was completely unaware of the tournament, and was actually worried something far worse was afoot.

Kovl lifts his hand to his chin again and lets out an audible hum. "Have you heard of the drow, Vehara? I am facing her in a tournament hosted by Frostmaw in different areas of Hollow. If I can learn to summon any real offensive energy along with my illusionary power, I'm sure I can throw her off. Right now, I'm studying ways to sculpt the area in my favor, but a simple bolt of energy should complement my strategy." The pixie shrugs. "Of course, I know the ways of magic. I'm an Arcane Steward. I know it's not that -simple- to learn... and within a few days. But it's worth a shot."

Lydrain nods his head, "I will do what I can to assist you, I simply am just not sure what I can do. Ezekiel and I have run some preliminary tests, and he and I seem to be able to manipulate the same force, just in different ways. We might be able to mimic each other's abilities, we simply haven't tried yet...." Lydrain sits up, careful not to clip the pixie in the process, "The first thing you have to realize about the raw energy that I weild, is that you technically already use it. Every bit of magic was, at one point in time, this." He holds out his hand, palm up, and a small orb of raw magical essence forms, floating over his outstretched hand. Clearing his throat, "I could take this, and turn it into lightning or fire or ice or positive energy or even an illusion. Granted I don't have the talents in several of those fields, but it is still, theoretically, possible. Most mages summon up the elements on reflex, I know I did before my... change, but if you could force yourself to break down your magics, in your head, then you might be able to do something with it. I don't believe it is possible to deconstruct an element back into this state, the conversion process seems rather absolute to me."

Kovl repeats Lydrain's words. "Break down my magic?" The pixie's brow furrows as he tries to understand. "It doesn't sound possible to me either. I just speak my incantation, and my thoughts do the rest. The process of my magic seems too simplified to break down into..." The pixie points to the energy in Lydrain's hand, "That. I cannot comprehend how that would even be done. Your theory may be right." Kovl looks to the energy and then back to Lydrain. "You said you 'changed'. How did you start using raw energy after you used to mold the elements?"

Lydrain laughed, "That is a good question. I have a couple of theories. One is that it was a gift from Xalious, though he has never been known to act so directly, so I don't put too much creedence into that, but you also cannot discount it as a possibility. Gods will do what they will do. The second, and probably the most likely theory, is that, when I first returned back to Hollow after several years of absence, I slept near the Xalious tree, every night for a month or so, simply because I find it incredibly relaxing. That tree exudes a power of its own, you can feel it if you get close enough, and I think I simply spent too much time in its presence, and it 'infected' me and caused a mutation in the way I called on my magic. I can still do fire and lightning and wind of course, but it takes soo much more effort and energy..."

Kovl raises a brow. "You think that you may have gotten that power simply by napping near the Xalious Tree? Perhaps I should try that sometime." The pixie chuckles. "Well, if you can still summon fire and lightening and wind, perhaps I am asking the wrong question. Instead of blasting the drow with raw energy, why not scorch her with a simple fireball? I say 'simple' with the loosest of definitions, of course. I don't know if it's even possible for me to summon just a flicker of a flame in only a couple days. I'm so steeped in illusory magic." The pixie whispers a few words and a blue flame appears in Kovl's hands. "But I can imitate it."

Lydrain nods his head, "Perhaps you should simply work through that angle. I have a feeling mind magic would be easier, as you already have fine manipulation of magic down. All you really have to do is make her believe you hit her with fire, and then make her feel the pain, and the effect is similar. Unless you are really intent on genuinely leaving burn marks?" There was no sound of judgement in his voice, as he honestly couldn't care if the pixie had a violent streak or not. He takes another drink of water while waiting for an answer.

Kovl lifts his hand to rest his chin and answers indirectly. "I'm not sure if Vehara knows I'm an illusionist or not, but if she knows, I'm sure the pain will be padded. The key to convincing people who know I work in this magic is to catch them by surprise. For example, you may know I work only in illusions, but if a book were to fly right off the shelf and hit you in the face while you were least expecting it, you wouldn't be focused on whether the book is real. You'd be focused on getting out of the way or how much it hurts. Perhaps learning a new magic isn't what I need to do. It isn't plausible for me to learn in such a short time, though the venture may prove me well in the future. Do you know anything about Vehara herself?"

Lydrain shakes his head, "I have heard her name once before, and know that she is a female, but, other than that, my knowledge is quite limited. Do you have any idea who or what she is? Perhaps I could help you come up with something akin to a battle plan?"

Kovl answers, "I do not know much about her, but I do know she was an ex-girlfriend of Eliason, a warrior who found another one to love. Something referencing her past may throw her off-guard. Maybe a visage of the warrior himself or the one Eliason had an eye on after Vehara. My only concern is she may be over him. At least she acts like it." The pixie pauses. "I know next to nothing about her otherwise."

Lydrain shakes his head, "Wasn't Eliason the paladin that was entangled with Josleen? Human relationships confuse me greatly sometimes... Perhaps you could attempt for a sensory overload. I know illusion works best if they are unsuspecting and if the illusions make sense, but, perhaps, it might just be best to hit her with everything your have: Colors, sounds, smells, feelings. That sort of thing, until she simply can't take it anymore. I can't imagine someone being able to handle that very well, unless they were a completely iron wall of a person, when it came to a defense of the mind anyway, and, from my observations, anyone who has had to deal with emotional turmoil ,of the relationship kind, has a chink in their armor, somewhere."

Kovl smiles. "A sensory overload. It sounds like a lot of work, but if I train my mind to track a series of images and sounds in rapid succession, it may actually work..." The pixie's dark green eyes move to the table on which he was once sitting. "I had a chance to scout the area we will be fighting in. Guess what? It's a rope bridge." The pixie's smile widens. "And guess who doesn't have wings?" Kovl waits a moment for Lydrain's reaction before darting to the table, retrieving the sketch and letting it hang from his hands before Lydrain. The sketch depicts a rope bridge split in half with the ropes frayed. "An image like this would be terrifying to anyone without the ability to catch themselves in the air. Or what if I show a visage of the rope shaking... Or..." The pixie lifts a tiny knife from his boot. "I could just cut it for real." Kovl chuckles.

Lydrain nods his head, "It would probably be more effective to create an illusion of an issue first, allow her to overcome it, and then, after she feels she is safe from that particular instance, cut the ropes for real. Though, if she is smart, she won't fight a winged pixie on a rope bridge to begin with, unless she has too much confidence... and then price cometh before the fall. Sometimes literally." He remained rather impassive in this conversation, as if he genuinely didn't care if Kovl's opponent was injured or not, perhaps even killed, because, in truth, he didn't care. As compassionate of a person as he was, Vehara was a faceless name.

Kovl laughs devilishly at Lydrain's suggestion. "I do love that idea. I would be interested to find out how she intends to even face me at such a disadvantage. Perhaps she will stick to the trees. But then how will she hit me from there? Arrows? Daggers? Pfft. I'm a bit of a small target for that, don't you think? And I've been dodging the swat of human hands all of my life." The pixie knows he is being arrogant, but he adjusts. "It would still help me to anticipate her moves. I don't know what kinds of magic or abilities she has. Maybe she'll just lob a fireball my way." Kovl winks. "Let's just hope my wings carry me fast enough."

Lydrain nods his head, "If you do plan to drop the bridge on her, I would still try the sensory overload. Hit her with that just before you cut the ropes, and she might not even be able to react. You will want to be careful though, she may be a dragon in disguise, just like myself. I doubt it, mind you, but that coudl be a possibility. I posed for four years as an elf and no one knew any different, so you must always be careful. Though, I suppose, you haven't gotten to be where you are now without being somewhat cautious. I seriously doubt, even if she is prepared to fight an illusionist, I still dont think she will be prepared to fight you...."

Kovl raises a brow at the prospect. "A dragon? I suppose it is possible. I would prefer not to be caught by surprises this big. I did not know you were a dragon. I may need to do more research. The sensory overload is a magnificient idea. The best way for me to do it is to plan what sights come before what sounds so I am not as unprepared as my opponent for it. It needs to be well-rehearsed... ready on a whim. And my mind must not be so occupied that I cannot perform a simple physical attack. My fight is in a little less than three days, but I'm sure I can whip up something. Thank you for the suggestion."

Lydrain nods, "Anytime, my pixie friend. Dragons are hard to detect, in human form. The different colours have different odors about them. We blues smell slightly of ozone. I'm sure, now that I have pointed it out, you can smell it, at least if you get close enough. Though I doubt Vehara is a dragon, but she might be. Until something is a fact, we must acknowledge all possibilities, no matter how unlikely." He smiles, "I'm sure you will do fine. What is the old saying, Big surprises come in small packages." He chuckles and takes another drink of water, "If you are still interested in learning about the way I wield raw magic, I would be more than willing to teach you, but, as I said, it may be an impossible task, I simply am not sure."

Kovl replies, "I highly doubt she is a dragon as well, but of course, it is true that all possibilities are examined." The pixie sniffs the air. "I do smell the ozone now, but I suppose I did not realize what I was actually smelling when I first encountered you. As far as the raw arcane power, I may be interested in learning it, but as you have explained it, I cannot think of a way to break my current magic down further. Maybe there is a way. As of right now, I have a fight to prepare for. I am interested in expanding my magical knowledge. However, I feel that summoning raw magic, if thought to be impossible, is a bit past my skill level at the time." The pixie winks. "As long as it doesn't interfere with my studies in illusions, I'm sure dabbling in the different spheres does the mage good though, huh?"

Lydrain nods his head, "I agree completely. I am learning a little bit of alchemy and also hope to dabble in runic magic. Two branches that I never thought I would ever need to learn, and, to my pleasant surprise, I find alchemy fascinating. Now, I haven't gotten into any of the really complex stuff, but I can brew some of the simple stuff. Mainly health poultices and things. It is honestly really relaxing."

Kovl nods and smiles. "Alchemy can be fun. Who knows what you'll get when you mix some things with others? My sister looks for herbs all the time for her concoctions. I joke with her and tell her she will cure death some day." The pixie winks. "I appreciate you helping me with my plan of action for this fight. Perhaps you can be there to watch. It's in Enchantment." Kovl informs Lydrain of the date and time. "Maybe you can see my magic at work." With that the pixie gets up to go. He stuffs his sketch into the satchel at his side, the paper shrinking as it meets the lip of the magic bag.

Lydrain nods his head, "If I'm not caught up in any of my official duties, I would enjoy that very much. With Javier gone, the burden of leading Larket has fallen awkwardly on my shoulders, at least for the time being, and that eats up quite a bit of my time. I will do what I can to be there, though, as I have never been privy to watch an illusionist of a sizable talent work." He nods and stands back up and begins to do some basic stretches, "I'm honoured that you came to me for advice. If you win this round, feel free to come talk to me about the next one. It is like playing chess, with much more powerful pieces, and if I can gather any information about Vehara for you, I will." he nods and continues preparing for round two of his training exercise.

Kovl nods. "You can contact me via courier or in person. I would much appreciate the information if you come across it, and I would be happy to speak strategy with you. Enjoy your exercises." The pixie departs from the room, intent on practicing and gathering information.