QbhT291P

1Samsara Quest 2
2written by Exabyte
3--------------------qst2txt--------------------
4
5>>Previous threads can be found at: http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive.html?tags=Samsara%20Quest
6
7>>Goals for the future:
8>Purchase Ishelda a gift.
9>Discover the truth behind your ancestor.
10>Reach Magus
11>Create more permanent teleportation gates
12
13You are Jasmine Angwaz, goddamn genius, Adept at the Arcane Academy, inventor of modern teleportation, and the only person in the world who can use Hermetic magic at full power.
14
15Right now, you are staring at a creature with beady black eyes and a twisted carapace, it's staring straight at you. Mandibles twitch as they open and close, clicks and strained buzzing coming through the window. For the first few hours, it had tried to smash through the clear plastic separating you, keeping it trapped in the pen. It had long-since exhausted itself. The clear, brilliant intelligence in its mind is dimming, quieting.
16
17Your soul aches. You've been pushing against your own limits this entire time, feeling out the soul of the entity in front of you. Astral Magic isn't easy, not at all, and you need a lot more practice... But it's somewhat like a muscle. You just need to strain it. It doesn't take any magical power to do any of your other research, so you'd been saving most of it for here, in this pen. You reach out again, feeling the monster in front of you...
18
19The alien, twisted, monstrous part of its soul is shattered, leaking soul-energy into the air. It's bruised and broken, magically if not physically, through your own work and experimentation. There's not much more you can do with it. Nothing except to try to fix it back up, which is harder than the breaking. You just need to reshape that loose energy, contort it back into the furious knot you remember.
20
21Your head and soul both pound uncomfortably, as muscles that don't even physically exist throb with pain.
22
23But you're done. You're no master, but over the past week, you've pushed your understanding and control of Astral Magic far forward- training yourself to feel your own magic, the emanations of your own soul, no matter what else is going on. If some other wizard tries to mess with your head, you'll be able to protect yourself.
24
25As for your experiments with hermetic magic- that's been furthering by leaps and bounds. Not only due to Kristoph's notes, but by your advances in Astral magic. It's like you're suddenly able to feel your mana contort itself, shaping itself into the shapes hermetic magic needs. It's hard, almost impossible to understand what happens, but your mana is going... elsewhere, nowhere, perhaps, every time you use your teleportation magic. It coils itself there, twisting space through a method you can't yet understand.
26
27But now, you're taking a break.
28
29Today is Cera's presentation. Showing off her magic to the world as a whole, having Magi evaluate it. You're not sure if you want to go see what's happening, or if you want to drag Rathod and Brun off to get drinks and complain to them about her, or do something else.
30
31>?
32--------------------------
33>>423707
34>It would have been too difficult without buying favors you couldn't afford, and you decided that you wanted to understand your magic more before you presented it.
35>You decided, in the end, to just show off across the city about your own, superior teleportation. Means she gets your sloppy seconds, fame-wise.
36--------------------------
37You get to your feet, ignoring the monster as it weakly punches the plastic border between you and the pen, and make your way back out of the building. It was one of the more heavily-secured buildings on campus, as it was meant for burgeoning Combat Evokers or Shamans to test their abilities on real monsters, but it was useful enough for you. Especially since you're using a pen that Brun registered and paid for, meaning you don't have to spend anything on it.
38
39You blink across town. Her presentation wasn't on campus. None of them are, in truth, because it isn't part of the Academy. As always, since the days of old, a true Adept- no matter who their master was- would come to the city and present their works to a council of mages. In practice, the council was made up of whoever was in town at the time. It's always too hard to keep wizards unified or orderly in even the best situations.
40
41The tower spans the sky. It's the tallest structure in the city, stained glass spanning the walls. It shouldn't withstand its own weight, especially during a presentation, but the power of magic trumps physics any day, as long as it has enough mana. The guards- three of which are golems, the work of Archamge Haron- stop you for a moment while the human guard checks your identification.
42
43"Jasmine Angwaz." You say, showing it to him. "Adept. Third year at the Academy. I'm here to observe."
44
45"I see." He says. "Cerulean Sirius, correct? Her presentation begins in ten minutes."
46
47"That's right." You say. The guard nods, gestures to the golems, and they step aside, letting you in.
48
49The building is crowded. More crowded than the handful of presentations you observed when you first got to the city, for sure. Magi sit in crystalline, levitating chairs, while adepts and civilians crowd around you, making their ways to the chairs mounted along the walls of the building. In the very center of the room, Cera is sitting. Her usual robe is replaced with something more intricate and layered- plenty of iridescent Mithril thread just to show off her money- But not too much, else her magic would fail to work at all. Wouldn't that be funny, if her own fashion prevented her from making Magus?
50
51You find yourself hoping that, when the council of Magi move closer, and the bell at the top of the tower begins to ring.
52
53"We have collected." A tall, willowy woman says, standing on her own levitating pedestal. Archmage Yule is beautiful- she always has been, ageless and different every time you see her. The Immortal, the fleshcrafter. A healer, once upon a time, before any person currently living was alive. Just having her here would be an honor, which is no doubt why Cera's father bribed her somehow. "Under the tradition of Romalia, An Adept has created her own magic. Welcome, Adept. If the sun graces you, you shall leave this building a Magus. Your soon-to-be Peers surround you. They, not I, will judge you. You may speak."
54
55>Continued!
56--------------------------
57"I am Cerulean." Cera says. Nice touch, not mentioning her family name. Works to separate her from her father, make it sound like she'd actually invented something herself. "As the apprentice of Archmage Sirius, I have learned his art of creation and destruction."
58
59"The art of Creation and Destruction, as some of you may know, is the ability to turn physical matter into magical energy, or the ability to turn magical energy into physical matter. This is not my creation, but the creation of my master. However, I have a achieved something he has not."
60
61The crowd murmurs a bit. Doing better than an archmage in their specialty somehow is rare, even if they're your Master. You may hate the girl, but you have to admit that she's got to be good, if she's not lying her ass off.
62
63"The Art has its own limitations." She says. "Range is the greatest one. Upon destruction, the spell injects mana into the caster's soul. It is impossible to Create from too far from yourself. There are other limitations, but... I have defeated many in order to create something that the entire world can use."
64
65She spreads both hands- and two glimmering, shimmering dweomers appear. They dance around her for a bit, and then span across the chamber.
66
67"These dweomers are simple, and temporary, Through the practice of thaumaturgy, My Master's art, and analytical runes, I have linked them, directly and immediately, no matter the distance they need to travel. They use this to any nonliving material from one location to another. There is no threat of monster attacks in the space between, no threat of loss, no lacking of ability. There is no delay, no matter how they are from one to the other."
68
69With a hand, she lifts an invisibility spell, and quite suddenly, there is a crate in the center of the room.
70
71"Presume this is a shipment of supplies. Food, perhaps, from a village out in the wilds, or the fur of monsters."
72
73Two rings of light shimmer beneath both dweomers, golden light dancing across the smooth stone of the chamber. With one hand, Cera slides the crate into one ring.
74
75It dissolves, sparks of light entering the dweomer. At the same exact time, sparks fall from the second dweomer, reassembling the same crate on the opposite end of the room.
76
77There's a moment of silence. The magic in the tower prevents lies, and has so much sensory enchantments and equipment that there's no way to falsify something like this. You're an adept, so you can't speak up. You wish you could.
78
79One of the Magi stand. You don't recognize her.
80
81"Does this magic have range limitations?" She asks.
82
83"It does not." Cera says. "As long as one dweomer is charged with enough mana, they are intimately linked. In fact, from the perspective of thaumaturgy, these dweomers are in fact a single object."
84
85"How long do they last?"
86
87"Two weeks, unfed." She says. "However, they can be fed physical material as food. Trash will allow them to last indefinitely once cast."
88
89>Continued! Sorry about the lack of choices here, folks.
90--------------------------
91>>423879
92>It's not just refueling mana reserves. It's infinite mana reserves. It costs zero magic to use destruction.
93>Her pops made archmage for a reason.
94
95More and more questions come from the magi, bombarding Cerulian with questions. She can't move wizards or monsters because the existence of a soul prevents the Art. Cattle and non-ensouled creatures can be moved, but the movement inevitably causes them to panic. Creations that involve Mithril or Orichalium are impossible as well, though Cera never explains why. You watch her handle the bombardment of questions effortlessly. The bitch does have a good speaking voice, in the end.
96
97Finally, when it looks like all of the magi are convinced, a tall, broad-shouldered woman stands. form her chair. The magus is freckled, and reminds you strongly of Brun. Her brilliantly-red hair dangles down to the floor, braids bound in dozens of strips of leather, beads, and monster feathers. In fact, she's even wearing robes made out of Flame Dragon wings.
98
99Her grin is smug, almost mocking.
100
101"Does this have anything to do with that young woman who was teleporting around the city over the past week?"
102
103Her eyes flick to you for a moment.
104
105Cera is shaken, a bit, but she shakes her head. 
106
107"That was a peer Her own magic is different. I'm very glad for her success."
108
109"If she can teleport personally, doesn't it mean her magic is better?"
110
111"Magus Dalheim." Yule cuts in. "This isn't relevant."
112
113"Very well. No more questions." The woman says, sitting. She calmly folds her hands in her lap while the crowd begins to murmur.
114
115In the end, the questioning stops, and the Magi collectively come to a decision.
116
117Archmage Yule nods again, turning to Cera.
118
119"By the decision of this Council of Magi, in this sacred tower, you have created a new magic- one of great use. We welcome you into our company. Magus Cera, please stand and join us."
120
121Cera, beaming, gets to her feet, and a floating pedestal descends to the ground. She steps up, and it takes her into the air, into the council.
122
123With something as useful as that, you're not surprised she made it as magus. It stings a bit, that she finished her thesis before you finished yours, but you couldn't answer all of those questions about your teleportation yet. You still don't know the main mechanism, other than it tunnels a hole through space.
124
125You're on your way back out of the tower when someone grabs you with both arms, squeezing you tight.
126
127"So, how'd my mom do?" Brun asks. The magus who promoted you in the middle of Cera's presentation is grinning with the same kind of fiendish, confident grin that so reminds you of Brun. She throws you a wave.
128
129>?
130--------------------------
131>Destruction and Creation where invented pretty simultaneously. Destruction is just a reversal of the process that makes up Creation.
132
133"Thanks for the promotion, Ma'am." You say, pulling Brun's mom into a hug.
134
135"No problem. None at all." She says, taken aback a bit. "Uldora Dalheim."
136
137"Jasmine Angwaz." You respond. "I need all the support I can get. Did Brun put you up for that, or did you do that on your own?"
138
139"Brun asked me. Easy enough, for a friend of the family." She says. She rolls her eyes. "I mean, I know it was a deal that you and Brun made, but the deal's big enough that we'll be in your debt. Once we have the, er, method you're working on, we can be Warders again. Not just monster hunters."
140
141"Is your magic like Brun's?" You ask.
142
143"No, I'm not an evoker or anything. I'm a Shaman." She says. "Though most of my work is theoretical, I've claimed quite a few abilities."
144
145"She also tried taming that dragon she's wearing." Brun says. "When I was twelve, it burned down like half our estate. I think it almost burned down the other half a few years later." 
146
147Uldora gives you a wry grin.
148
149"I had to put it down, in the end. Dragons are impossible. Too territorial.
150
151The three of you chat a bit as you make your way out of the tower. Uldora's has a smattering of monster abilities, but she mentions that she has to be careful when claiming new ones, because they tend to change her personality. For example, apparently she can't eat anything but meat- vegetables and greens tend to taste revolting to her, even if she can digest it.
152
153"So, what are you doing in the city?" You ask. "Isn't the Dalheim estate pretty far away?"
154
155"Distance doesn't tend to matter when one can fly." Uldora responds. "But I was in town to help a fiend subjugation that's going to start here soon. Thought we got them last time, but a few survived. It's doubly important to take them down because they still remember their progress, and might figure weapons out. Once they have a few swords or spears, they get twice as dangerous."
156
157>?
158--------------------------
159>>424009
160>You don't know anything about Archmage Sirius' process of learning his magic. It's not like archmages broadcast that kind of thing unless they let everybody know everything about their magic.
161
162>>424011
163>All of the stuff you guys can actively work on- the research- is all done between sessions, mostly to avoid that. Otherwise every vote would just be 'WORK MORE'. That way, you'll accomplish your research just by doing adventures!
164
165"Ooh, Sounds fun." You say, not sure if you're being sarcastic or not. "You can fly?"
166
167"Certainly." She says. She parts the flame dragon wing on her robe to reveal that it's not a skirt- it's actually connected to her back, fused in. "Took some surgeries, and I had to steal the ability before I'd even hunted the thing, but now it's nearly effortless for me."
168
169"That sounds useful." You say. Not many wizards can fly unaided- The most you can do is overpower a slowfall spell and skid forward- and that drains your magic in maybe half an hour at the most.
170
171"It is." She says. "Some days I spend more time in the air than on the ground. But people tend to frown on flying over the city." She grins. "There's one time I flew over here, and they thought I was a dragon. Gathered together an army to subjugate me when they found out what was going on."
172
173"That must have been rather awkward to explain." You say. "Hey, can you explain how you can tame monsters?"
174
175"It's pretty simple, in theory." She says. "Replace the ferocity core in their soul with pure loyalty. It's very difficult to keep their soul stable, and I'm not very accomplished at it. Most monsters need maintenance, and even then, they don't last very long. When the soul falls apart, their body simply dies. It takes practice."
176
177You nod. You've been experimenting on your captive fiend for the past few days, working at reshaping it's soul without killing it. You haven't killed it yet, but it's obviously pretty sickly. "Sounds rather difficult."
178
179"It is." She says, nodding.
180
181"Hey, mom. What are the chances I could come with you on the Subjugation."
182
183"Pretty good." Uldora says. "I'm certain of your ability."
184
185"I've been considering the same thing." You say. "I'm not an Evoker, but I was trained in my village's militia."
186
187"She's not bad, either." Brun says. "That sword of hers is sharper than her tongue, some days."
188
189"Do you have some protection dweomers?" She asks, and you nod.
190
191"I can also recall anybody who runs into trouble." You say. "Just send them somewhere safe if somebody runs into trouble."
192
193Brun's mother considers it for a time. "Where is your village?"
194
195"South." You say. "Near Terra's Spine."
196
197Uldora nods, finally.
198
199"We'll be leaving the morning after tomorrow," She says. "If you'd like to join us, I'm sure you could assist. You'll get an equal share of the earnings, even if some hunters think that newbies shouldn't get anything at all. Are you up for it?"
200
201>?
202--------------------------
203"Yes, Ma'am." You say, nodding. She smiles, patting you on the head. "I'm up for it."
204
205"Then I'd better set off. Get everything ready." She says. "Brun will show you where to go when the time comes."
206
207"Thanks, mom!" Brun says, pulling her into a hug. "I'll see you later."
208
209"See you." She says- then her wings spread, and she shoots straight into the air. With your new sensory ability, you feel your magic quiver from the shockwave Uldora gives off.
210
211"So that was my mom." Brun says.
212
213"I like her." You say. "I can really see the resemblance. Why isn't your hair that long?"
214
215Brun rolls her eyes. "Because that's a really easy way to get your hair yanked in a duel." She says. "Mom can just fly over everyone and rain down a firestorm. I can't really do that. Want to get something to eat?"
216
217"Sure." You say. "Where do we want to go?"
218
219"... I don't really have any spare cash, so we'll have to go back to campus." She says. "Mind showing me your shortcut?"
220
221"Sure, sure." You say, rolling your eyes. The two of you blink back to campus, and make your way to the cafeteria. The two of you get to eating and talking.
222
223"So, how's your research going?" She asks.
224
225"It's going." You say. "Right now I'm working on Astral Magic, and you have no idea how much that helps when you're working on basically everything else. When you can feel exactly what part of a spell takes the most mana, you can trim that part down. I've already made the, er, method I'm planning on giving you nearly an extra third as mana-efficient." And your personal version of the Star Rune twice as mana-efficient, making the rest of hermeticism that much easier. You're sure you could portal to the other side of the world, by this point, and not end up using up all of your mana.
226
227"Damn." She says. "That's pretty good."
228
229"... Do you have a Thesis?" You ask. 
230
231"Nope." She says. "I'm not planning on making it to Magus. I'm just working on my evocation and making connections. I basically just needed to pay tuition and I can use all this extra hardware and hang around campus. It's worked out pretty well for me."
232
233>?
234--------------------------
235>>424147
236>What you need are particularly magic-insulating and magic-conductive materials, which Mithril and Orichalium does perfectly.
237
238>>424147
239>Not really. The closest thing to necromancy would be if you brought a corpse back to life and had a dweomer inside animating it. It would be hilariously distasteful to do, though, but it would be more mana-efficient than animating a pile of rock shaped like a person.
240
241>>424200
242>You have been dueling her off and on over the past week, whenever you got sick and tired of research. You're getting better, though she does still usually trash you.
243
244"Yeah, that's cool too." You say. "It's not easy getting tools and equipment on your own. I should know- I tried. The facilities here are pretty good, though."
245
246"I'm glad I went here." Brun says.
247
248"Isn't your family pretty old wizard material?" You ask. "Wouldn't they want more magi?"
249
250"Normally." She says. "But magus doesn't suit me. I'm more the type who uses magic just to use magic, not to invent new spells. But we have my mom, and aunt, and a few cousins on my dad's side who are working on magus. They don't really need me."
251
252"Oh well." You say. "I am glad Rathod mentioned you when I was looking for help." 
253
254She just grins. "Yeah, so am I. You're a cool person. Maybe even an Archmage, after your studies are done."
255
256"Yeah, maybe." You grin. "I've got a question."
257
258"Hit me."
259
260"Are there any monster where their parts are like, extra magic conductive? Or even magic-insulating?"
261
262Brun frowns, thinking. "Not... usually..." She says. "I mean, there might be a few templates like that out there, but generally what you'd want is some of Archmage Kristoph's work. Probably cheaper than monster parts, too, unless you hunted it yourself. But I haven't heard of anything like that."
263
264She shrugs, and the two of you finish your meal.
265
266"Why do you ask? Planning on making something? You might be able to find some of that stuff in the fab building. I know that gold's pretty mana-conductive, and iron's pretty insulative, if you want to make a prototype. Isn't Rathod's specialization fabrication?"
267
268"Technically he's on paper as an apprentice." You say. "Not really anything. But he's got a few Fab classes."
269
270"Hm." She says. Then a moment later, she grins. "So, Rathod's been your friend for years, right?"
271
272"Ever since I was like, two years old." You say. "My mom still has a picture of us on his dad's shoulders. That guy was bigger than Rathod."
273
274"Huh." She says. "So... What do you think about him and I getting together? I mean seriously, not just sleeping around."
275
276>?
277--------------------------
278You slam your palms on the table.
279
280"FINALLY." You crow, and Brun jumps. She... wasn't expecting that.
281
282"If you make eachother happy, go for it." You say, calming down immediately. "He's my oldest friend and deserves some happiness. You're a decent person, and I know you're not after him because he apprentices for Haron."
283
284"Because I don't really care about Golemancy?"
285
286"No, I know because he doesn't hate you." You respond. He'd gotten pretty damn good at figuring that kind of thing out. "Oh well. Keep in mind, though, if you break his heart, I will break you. You wouldn't be the first."
287
288Brun looks at you for a long moment, suddenly wary. She must have forgotten about all the duels where she completely trashed you... Or it might just be the look in your eyes.
289
290"I have a few places in mind. You know, uninhabited islands, volcanoes... The moon." You say. "I'd just send a little bit of you to all of them."
291
292It's not possible to partially teleport something like that, but you'd figure it out if you had to.
293
294Brun goes a bit green.
295
296"Right." She says, talking a bit quickly. "Don't worry. I mean, I did come out and ask you before I really talked to him about it. Didn't want to, you know, cause a divide between the two of you or anything. Took me weeks to figure out you two weren't already involved."
297
298"He might not have the same family name, or share blood, but..." You shrug. "He's my brother."
299
300"... Well, I'm going to ask him out soon, then." She says. "After the hunt, of course. Asking him before that would just be a death flag."
301
302She grins, and stretches. "Anyway, I think I should go practice some more. I wanted to try out a new combo, and there are a few evokers who want to try me. I also wanna see if I can use that silver trick with some iron, create a shell of magic insulation."
303
304"Good luck." You say. She waves and grins, heading out of the cafeteria, axe on her shoulder.
305
306You stare down at your empty plate. Rathod's probably out learning from Haron, and you've got nothing to do. Maybe you could look for something for Ishelda, or even take Brun's advice and try creating a prototype portal gate in the fabrication building. That is one of the few things your scholarship actually pays for, after all. You can't take a lot of materials, though.
307
308Or you could do something completely unrelated. Maybe even head home for a little bit. With your spell trimmed down to be this efficient, it's just a hop away.
309--------------------------
310>>424440
311>>424399
312>Assassination
313>One thing of note about Archmage Sirius's magic, the Art of Creation/Destruction, is that it doesn't work on anything that has a soul or enchantment of some kind. Including people, orichalium, spellcrystals, that kind of thing. It doesn't even work on monsters. (Or so he's maintained, but you have no reason to doubt him.)
314--------------------------
315-omitted one small post.
316The Dryad is actually pretty crowded, even though it's still in the middle of the day. Then again, it is the weekend, and Cera's having a celebration. This is usually what happens when someone pretty big makes it to Magus, but it's not usually this crowded. Quite a few adepts are hanging around, but not many people are drinking. Cera's still in her new ensamble- it might even be her new wizard outfit- grinning and nodding as people congratulate her.
317
318You walk in the standard way, rather than teleporting straight inside- you're still not sure about the legality of doing that, especially when there's a bouncer or guards outside, so you usually teleport onto a nearby roof and slowfall down to the road.
319
320You simply walk right in, and nobody seems to notice your entrance. You glance over at Cera laughing at a joke someone just made. She might have been an absolute jerk to you, even tried sabotaging your entire career- but her magic isn't a joke. To adopt a spell like that- especially an Archmage's art, with who knows how many limitations and limits- to work on dweomers like that must have taken years of work.
321
322"What are you doing here, Angwaz?" She asks when you approach her, sighing. "Here to brag about your magic some more?"
323
324>?
325--------------------------
326"The opposite, actually." You say. "I wanted to congratulate you. We might not exactly be friends, but I know skill when I see it. Years of hard work paid off. Congratulations on making Magus. I mean it."
327
328She gives you a look, like she's not sure what you're thinking. You just hold out a hand, and she takes it.
329
330"Thanks, Angwaz." She says.
331
332"... Still hate your guts though." You say, huffing and sitting in the couch next to her. "Honestly, I'm still not at all sure why you have such an issue with me."
333
334She rolls her eyes. "Because you're an arrogant hick from some primitive village in the middle of nowhere. You show up promising to remake your crazy ancestor's supposed magic, and that's exactly what my dad and I were working on. I just teased you a little to blow off steam. Then instead of actually getting anything done, you just ran around and tried beating everyone in their own specialties, called me a whore when I tried talking to your friend. Of course you pissed me off. You're the least focused wizard on Campus. It just felt like you were making fun of me. Like my entire thesis was yours to make fun of."
335
336She rolls her eyes. "Like, What the hell does the shaman pen have anything to do with teleportation? You've been there all week."
337--------------------------
338-omitted one small post.
339"One, I'm not a hick, you spoiled brat." You say. "Two, I called you a slut because of your outfit. Three, all magic is related in one facet or another. The Shaman Pen thing was because I was working Astral Magic for self defense. Some asshole posing as a reporter tried messing with my soul in order to steal my secrets."
340
341"Ouch. Nothing like that's happened to me. A lot of assholes, but no astral assholes." Then she shakes her head. "I remember hearing your pops was the only wizard in your entire village; that's pretty damn out there. And there's nothing wrong with wanting to look nice. Maybe you're not sure what nice looks like, with that jacket..."
342
343"Hey, so I've got a question. How efficient are those dweomers? Do they take a lot of trash to keep going? Do you use them for recycling?"
344
345"They take barely anything." She says, smirking. "Dad's magic basically means I never have to worry about mana. And since the dweomers just have to exist, and don't spend any mana on the transfer, they last weeks without a touchup. Any kid or wanna-be adept can keep it topped off. And we already recycle everything. You never heard why my dad made archmage, did you? He built a huge spellcrystal that breaks down the city's trash, and powers the city with it."
346
347"Huh. That explains why you're so spoiled." You say. "And I DID recreate my crazy ancestor's old magic. Most of it, anyway. The man was a genius."
348
349An adept comes by, congratulating Cera. She gives him a smile so bright it makes him blush profusely, and thanks him for it. Eventually, after a bit of chatting, he meanders off.
350
351She snorts and turns to you. "Krital Angwaz? A genius? Really? I tried reading that journal of his."
352
353"He just had no common sense, couldn't keep it in his pants, was crazier than a loon monster, but he wasn't completely wrong. Figured it out by looking at his notes."
354
355"He kept notes." She says.
356
357"... actually he just wrote in one of the copies of his own journals. In the blank spaces. Usually whatever thought that was on his mind... sometimes grocery lists. Most of it was pretty random, but it was never actually wrong."
358
359"I can see his resemblance to you now." She says. "Specially the common sense part. Picking a fight with Brun Dalheim?"
360
361"She's a friend." You respond.
362
363She sighs.
364
365"Well, I don't think I should hold a grudge against you. Especially now that I'm a Magus. I'm supposed to be above you Adepts."
366
367Then a moment later, she tilts a head.
368
369"... Sorry about that Tribunal thing." She says. "That was pretty fucked up, but I didn't want you to present anything before I did."
370--------------------------
371"Couldn't you have your dad put in a word and arrange it so mine got delayed? If I'd finished before you, anyway." You say.
372
373"Contrary to what you think, I don't use my dad for anything like that." She says. "Maybe to get some contacts with other magi, but not have him abuse his power."
374
375You roll your eyes.
376
377"Still not sure I'm going to forgive you for that." You say. "As for presenting my thesis? I could, if I were willing to take some shortcuts, but I'm not going to until I explore every permutation of it I can. Which means quite a lot of work, even now. Until I perfect it, I'm not presenting a thing."
378
379"I guess developing an entire new magic is different than just perfecting a slight use of it." She says, and you nod.
380
381Someone else comes by to congratulate Cera, but by this point a small bubble has erected between Cera and everyone else- like they're seeing a rare alignment of planets or something, to have you and her talking somewhat-civilly.
382
383"It's not like I have money to go shopping all the time. That and I'm always really busy trying to make stuff happen. I'm not opposed to fashion, it just never happens." You say. "But my jacket is excellent, and it's heresy for you to say otherwise."
384
385"Your jacket makes you look like your a fab major that never leaves her workshop." She snorts. "You didn't look bad when you were pretending to be that Tara girl. That blouse would've looked better with a skirt, but..."
386
387"You knew that was me?"
388
389"No, actually." She says. "Kally figured it out, but she didn't tell me until the next morning. I was pissed... But I do have to admit that I had no clue it was you. Couldn't even smell whatever it is you put in your hair. You're pretty good at the cloak and dagger stuff. Then you just started teleporting around everywhere the next day."
390
391"The hair was a dweomer." You smirk. "Light-shifting."
392
393"Wait, really?" She asks. "How'd you do that?"
394
395"Messed with an invisibility spell." You say. "You'd be surprised by what you can find by trolling message boards online."
396
397You do have to examine the arrays to make sure whatever the Array general on /mg/ showed you wasn't just a dolphin porn illusion, but you don't tell her THAT.
398
399Cera taps her finger against her palm for a short while, then turns to you.
400
401"I can buy you another spell crystal for the Implement I wrecked. Like I said, that was shitty of me to do."
402
403>?
404--------------------------
405"I appreciate it. You just need to pay me back for it. It was old, but it was sentimental." You say. You're not going to thank her for it, of course- she was the one who broke your electronics. "I was going to get a present for my little sister."
406
407You have other ideas for the money. Though the Implement was sentimental, it's pretty outdated by now. It was the housing that was the most sentimental part about it, after all. Come to think of it, in lieu of a present, you could give Ishelda some money and take her into the city for a weekend, come to think of it. Have her buy her own gifts.
408
409"Right, right." Cera says, pulling out her purse. She hands you a good few hundred ecu- Easily enough for an Implement. More than a spell crystal would be, unless you're a rich spoiled brat... Which, come to think of it, Cera is. You take it and slip it into your coat like everything else. No matter what Cera says about it, it's useful as hell. Lots of pockets on the inside, a few thin plates here and there for protection... Not to mention how stylish it is. "Here. Get her something nice."
410
411You nod.
412
413"So." You say. "Is there any way I could look good without losing my Jacket?"
414
415She snorts.
416
417"More color." She says. "Or more black. A long skirt would go good with the jacket. Help your silhouette, make you look a bit girlier. Maybe something that shows off your cleavage. You have way more potential there than I do. Though you still need stilts to stand out."
418
419Of course her response was skirts and cleavage- that's her entire concept of fashion.
420
421>?
422--------------------------
423>>425145
424>Not potential to grow: Potential to have cleavage.
425>Other than your hair, your chest is something you're proud of. When you stopped growing taller, you grew outward.
426
427>>425148
428>Jaz's opinion is that short skirts is slut clothing, while long skirts are a huge malus toward actually getting around.
429>Then again, she can teleport now, so she doesn't actually need her legs to get around.
430--------------------------
431"Might not be too bad an idea. It figures that your only idea would be skirts and cleavage, though." You shrug.
432
433"What does that mean?" She asks.
434
435You get to your feet, and whirl around to face her. Then you carefully look up and down her new robe- which involves both things.
436
437"... Oh."
438
439"Well, it was nice having a civil talk with you." You say. "I've got work to do. Thanks for the banter."
440
441Then, finally, with a big smirk and a wink, you teleport out of the Dryad.
442
443When the sphere crumbles around you, back in your dorm, you feel something wrong about the area. It just... feels wrong.
444
445You look around, quickly checking your mess of a dorm. Something feels wrong. The books on your desk are spread out like someone looked through all the titles. Your blankets are crumpled up on the foot of your bed. Your coffee dweomer- as well as your light dweomers- are all deactivated, when you'd recharged them just this morning.
446
447Your drawers are all open, clothing inside rustled around. Your broken Implement is open, the broken spellcrystal removed. Stolen.
448
449Your computer is even on, though they never got past the password screen.
450
451Someone's been in here.
452
453
454>This was a fun session! Thanks for coming, anons.
455>As always, I will be hanging around to answer questions for you guys. 
456>For future updates, my twitter is at @Futureexabyte, and I'm always in the #exabyte channel on IRC, Rizon server.
457
458
459>>425283
460>Actually, he wasn't messing with shamanism. He didn't intend to adopt frost wolf abilities or features- he was actually seeing if he could teleport away any frost wolves in the area to create a special kind of 'monster disjunction ward'. It didn't work.
461--------------------------
462>>425354
463It was not on the harddrive, thankfully. The spellcrystal itself would normally have 'echoes' of the spell it cast, but that kind of thing can't be recovered when it's broken like that. Not to mention that it was broken before you ever actually teleported with it. You're super careful about your work, especially after that Jackal guy tried messing with you. 
464 
465Which is why you figured out the dimensional pocket to keep your notes, Mithril sword, and family books in.
466--------------------------
467>>425420
468>I must have missed that
469That's because it's brand new. Jaz are working on things between sessions, after all.
470
471>>425392
472It's not exactly a dimensional pocket- it's actually just a hidden chamber in the sewers that you made and secured. You even mortared the bricks back in place, so it's impossible to get to without teleportation. You can teleport items directly to/from it, and open a wrist-sized portal to empty it out.
473
474You still haven't retrieved an item from Nowhere, but you're messing with thaumaturgy in order to figure it out.
475--------------------------
476>>425662
477The downside to that is that it takes a lot longer to open a portal to another world. It'd be infinitely more secure, but also much more costly and time-wasting to use.
478
479>>425971
480You considered putting it in a random spot in the wilderness, but you're not sure if there might be monsters that can 'smell' magic. It's more risky than somewhere in the city. You also could've sent it home, but that takes extra mana.
481--------------------------
482>Welcome back!
483
484The campus security guard is a rugged man- crisscross scars covering his face and arms. He isn't wearing an implement, but he does have a sword and gun. You'd met the Dannen before- He's the captain amongst the campus guard. The academy took Extraterritoriality rather seriously, and they had rights that only archmages usually did. It even meant that if someone did crime on campus, the security could make arrests no matter where the thieves might be. Dannen wasn't a proper wizard, but he knew how they worked and thought. This is the only time you've ever actually had to call him because of a break-in.
485
486He and the other guards filled your small dorm room, Dannen taking you aside so that the rest could get magical readings from the area. Mana usually didn't leave behind marks, especially if the wizard who cast the spell was being extremely careful, but it was better to test it out and make sure.
487
488In the end, they didn't find much- they just found out what exactly was taken, and couldn't find any fingerprints that didn't belong to you or Rathod. 
489
490"I'm afraid there's not much we can do." Dannen says, frowning. "If we had somewhere to get started, perhaps we could, but there's not much. What did you say exactly was missing?"
491
492"Only the crystal." You say. "I had the forethought to hide everything important, but it was broken so I didn't think it would be a problem."
493
494Dannen frowns, eying the Implement housing.
495
496"I don't think there's anything we can do right now, other than changing out your lock for a different one. Even if that won't fix the problem. Whoever did this came through the door, we're sure. My tech expert says that they faked the signal from your ID card, somehow."
497
498"... You sure you can't just make sure it stays closed?" You ask. After all, you don't need to use it anymore. Darren just chuckles. 
499
500"Sure, sure. We'll get right on it. I'm sorry this happened to a good person like you, Miss Angwaz. We'll beef up security, put a few cameras in the hall outside, hide a few dweomers."
501
502"It'll be okay." You say, tapping your fingers against your desk while they get to work. "Thanks for the help."
503
504It's only after they finish changing the locks on your door- this time, to stay locked- and install several cameras and sensor dweomers that you sigh, sitting on your bed.
505
506Fucking thieves.
507
508You hold your old implement housing, examining it like you'd find a clue, not sure where to go from here. You turn it in your hand, spellcrystal dust falling from the socket.
509
510>?
511--------------------------
512>>427174
513>Spellcrystals are enchanted to change the way they're shaped on the microscopic level according to electronic inputs- that's mostly how they shape magic due to the implement's programming. So they're too mutable. However, there is an entire branch of magic that might serve as that technobabble machine. Thaumaturgy is a magical kind of voodoo, where you can take the 'lesser echo' of something in order to manipulate the 'greater echo'...
514>Or, much more easily, take the 'greater echo' of something to manipulate the 'lesser'. Like, for example, a full crystal to manipulate a little bit of dust.
515
516>>427171
517>It does happen if a crystal is cracked or broken through physical force. It shouldn't happen if Cera'd just magically vanished it like you originally thought.
518
519>>427180
520>The -1 should totally be 'exile target creature OR remove target creature from exile'.
521--------------------------
522>>427232
523>Much!
524
525First things first. While you trust the wizards on the security team, some things you have to handle yourself. You quickly throw together a quick security suite of dweomers. The simpler, more mundane dweomers are the kind of things everybody uses- heat, light, air pressure, so you skip those. Instead you go with a cleverer, more useful idea- you program the dweomer to create a few extremely-weak bands of force projection, filling the room like a grid. If anything moves through, the band will break, and the dweomer will trigger. You give it a few experimental tests, intentionally tripping the invisible band, and the dweomer works perfectly- just as intended, expending the rest of its mana to warn you. Then you throw out a few more dweomers, each set to alert you if any other dweomer in the room winks out before their time. Someone would need to somehow kill all of the dweomers at once in order to get past that, which wouldn't be easy. And just in case that happens, you throw an extra dweomer out- this one just out your kitchenette's window- to sense the rest of the dweomers.
526
527Second of all, you make sure that the crystal dust is somewhere safe. You drop it into a glass vial, cork it, and then lock it into a heavy box. You might find a use for it eventually- maybe even be able to use it to summon yourself toward where the whole crystal is- but for now, you lock it into a box and teleport it onto the building's roof.
528
529You take another deep breath. You finally get 'along' with Cera, for a given value of 'along', and then you come home just for this shit to happen.
530
531You call Rathod, but you just get a busy message- probably learning more from Haron, as always around this time. Brun recently ran off to work on her evocation, so you can't complain to her either. You grumble to yourself, messing more with your implement- slapping out a few more dweomers. Most of them are of the generic security varieties... But one is making more coffee. You're going to need it.
532
533Finally, you sigh and blink out of your room again. This time, you bounce across the city until you get downtown to the shops. Time to possibly-maybe get Ishelda a present for passing her tests with a higher score than, well, you, when you were her age. This would be your favorite part of the city, if it weren't for the fact that you barely have any disposable cash. Lots of different stores sit abound, most of them privately owned, and plenty of clothes, devices, and more mundane items are sitting in each of the windows. You do notice a few useful items- a digital book tablet. Maybe if you threw all of your books in there, it would give her an easier time. There's also a custom implement housing shop- you could have the lady inside make whatever kind of housing Ishelda wanted.
534
535After some time window shopping, you still can't decide. You might even just want to bring her here yourself to shop with. Spend the rest of the day with her. That would definitely cheer you up.
536
537>?
538--------------------------
539After a few minutes, you finally decide just to drag her here. That's one way to cheer you up. You key the stronger, more powerful teleportation spell than just your blinking, and spend five long seconds in absolute Nothingness before you land right in front of your house. You knock on it once, then pull it open. Ishelda is at the kitchen table, pouring over a book and taking notes. She's still wearing her favorite pair of rabbit-themed pajamas, even though it's past noon. Must have spent all day in here, frowning and studying.
540
541So of course you sneak up and muss her hair.
542
543Ishelda squeals in surprise, falling out of her chair and slamming her butt onto the tile.
544
545She glares up at you, and you can't help but start giggling.
546
547"Jaaaz." She says. "You scared me!"
548
549"It's Saturday! What are you doing, studying? Today's a day where you're supposed to go do fun stuff." You say.
550
551"I get to do fun stuff every day." She responds, wagging her finger at you. "And that's because I study on Saturdays."
552
553"Jasmine? You're home." Your mother says. She walks in, setting her bag down on the table and gives you a hug.
554
555"I wanted to get Ishelda a present for doing so well on her Evaluation thing, so that's why I'm here."
556
557"Oooh? What'd you get me?" Ishelda asks, beaming.
558
559"I'll need mom's permission first." You say with a slight smirk.
560
561Mom purses her lips.
562
563"What is it?" She asks, eventually. Like she's afraid of the answer.
564
565"I want to take Ishelda to a shopping trip back in the city." You say. Your mom frowns for a few seconds, but then she nods.
566
567"As long as she's home before six." She says.
568
569Ishelda squeals again, only this time it's a happy-squeal as opposed to a surprise-squeal. She snatches you into a hug- basically clinging to you with all the power in her body. So, of course, you take the chance to muss her hair some more. And poke her in the ribs.
570
571"How was the city?" Your mom asks, while you try to deattach your favorite little sister.
572
573>?
574--------------------------
575"I made up with a rival." You say. "She made Magus, I congratulated her... She might not be as bad as I thought. We had a civil conversation at least."
576
577"That's good." She says. 
578
579"My magic research is going fine; Slow but steady." You say. "Strange people seem to get interested in it... I had a break-in, even."
580
581"Was anything important taken?" Your mom asks, worried.
582
583"No, no." You say. "Everything really important, I'd already hid. Everything's good. The only thing actually taken wasn't worth anything."
584
585"How's Rathod doing?" Ishelda asks, peeling herself away enough to face you.
586
587"He's got a girlfriend." You say. "Or might, soon."
588
589Ishelda's eyes light up. "Finally!" She crows.
590
591"That's what I said!" You respond.
592
593"Is she cute? What kind of person is she?" Ishelda asks. "Do you know her? What's she look like? Is she cool?"
594
595You muss her hair until she gets her questions out of her system.
596
597"... did you want to go shopping in that?" You ask her in response. She looks down at her pink-and-rabbit pajamas, cheeks suddenly going red, and she squirrels back into her room.
598
599Your mom sighs. "I don't know what I'm going to do with you two."
600
601"Face it- You raised two eccentric geniuses." You say, grinning. Your mom just rolls her eyes.
602
603"Yeah, yeah." She says.
604
605Ishelda flounces out of her room looking like you would if you'd spent maybe an hour making yourself look perfect. You're not sure how she can do that- it's an ability you've never had, to spend less than two minutes and come out of your room looking like you'd been airbrushed- but she's beaming and excited, her implement linked to her belt and a hairband somehow keeping her mess under control. You can somehow feel her excitement against your soul, a strange kind of pressure from her mana.
606
607"Ready?" You ask.
608
609"Yep!" She says. "I was going to bring a bag or something, but you can just send everything we get straight home, right?"
610
611"Sure can." You say, and turn to your mom. "We'll be home soon. Love you."
612
613"Love you too." She says.
614
615You grab Ishelda by the hand, and key your Implement.
616
617>What do you guys want to shop for first?
618--------------------------
619"Oooh woooow." Ishelda says, looking around. She's speechless, for a long, quiet moment. "It's so big!"
620
621You'd done the clever thing and landed on top of one of the taller public buildings, the two of you looking out over the big city. It's just as big as it was when you showed up, but your first experience was a bit different- so many people so congested at the heart of the city, when you weren't yet used to that many people at all... You were kind of a country bumpkin when you first showed up here. But from up here, it makes the crowds and people less important- all you can see are the arching buildings, magic dweomers and electric lights alike causing windows to glow. The Magus tower is shimmering on the horizon, the tallest building in the city- and the only one taller than the building you're on- and Ishelda keeps bouncing from edge of the building to edge, trying to take it all in.
622
623"Let's go get something to eat, first thing." You say. "You have lunch yet?"
624
625"Yeah, I have." She says.
626
627"Perfect! Here we go! Grab my hand."
628
629She grabs it, and the two of you blink across the city, looking around for a certain cafe you remember being around here...
630
631Finally, you stop in front of a garish, brightly colored building. It's pretty empty lately, mostly because of the season... Autumn isn't a good time for frozen yogurt.
632
633But for Ishelda, who is twelve and has never had it before, every day is a good day for something delicious. 
634
635>Continued!
636--------------------------
637===
638
639The two of you walk out of the store, both of you wearing new hats. Ishelda's is a wide-brimmed straw thing that has such a huge brim that the wind seems to be trying to constantly and consistently take it from her, which amuses you greatly. But she seems just as entertained by the one she got for you- an incredibly-tiny hat, staying on your head only by the virtue that it's actually a headband with a hat-shaped decoration. You're also wearing a brand new dress under your jacket. You're not one for dresses, even if they're the long-skirted kind, but Ishelda had insisted. There's very little you can do to resist her when she gives you that kind of look. 
640
641Your war chest has dwindled by quite a bit by this point, as has the money that your mom gave Ishelda, but the two of you have had an excellent day. You also got quite a few books- some on magic, some on fantasy fiction, and one, on Ishelda's insistence, which is a romance novel. It didn't look like there was anything that was too steamy for her, so you didn't see a reason why not.
642
643"Oh!" You say. "I almost forgot!"
644
645"What?" Ishelda asks, holding onto her hat with a hand.
646
647"You brought your Implement, right?"
648
649"Yeah?"
650
651"You want to get a mount for it?"
652
653"Like your huge arm bracer thing?" She asks, nodding at yours.
654
655"It doesn't have to be a bracer, but yeah."
656
657"Okay!" She says. 
658
659You teleport one more time, landing in front of the custom implement store. The two of you walk in, and Ishelda immediately goes over to the sample wall, examining the various styles. Mounts meant to clip onto one's belt and sit on their hip, Housings meant to be strung across the chest, over the shoulder, and one that looks like a sword sheathe. There's even a silver gauntlet with articulated fingers. It takes you a few minutes to find out why it costs a whopping 200-ecu- the articulated fingers act as shortcuts for specific spells. You just need to twist your hand the right way to cast a certain spell.
660
661Eventually, Ishelda turns to you.
662
663"... I can't decide." She says. "They're all really pretty, but I don't know..."
664
665>?
666--------------------------
667>>427778
668>You found out about that kind of thing at around the same age. Your mom had some filters up, but you had... misadventures. Might as well give your little sister the same opportunities you did.
669
670>>427838
671>Implements are too big for something as small as a hair clip. But there is a coronet/diadem/tiara sample on the wall, which Ishelda might like. She's a fan of hairbands.
672--------------------------
673>Sorry for the delays, folks. We've got guests over.
674
675>>427880
676>She already has one.
677
678"It's about whatever you find most comfortable." You say. "And what kind of mage do you want to be? If you want to fight, you want something that doesn't hold you back. If you want to be able to make new spells easily, you want something you can reach."
679
680"Why did you pick a bracer?"
681
682"Because I like making new spells." You say. "So I have mine in a bracer so that I can reach it easily."
683
684"And if I had it on a belt, I'd have to unclip it every time I wanted to do something like that."
685
686"Exactly."
687
688Ishelda thinks for a little bit, looking things over.
689
690"You can always get a new mount in the future." The woman at the counter says. "You'll probably need to, as you get bigger. We also take old mounts back when you're done with them."
691
692Ishelda nods.
693
694"... I want this one." She says, finally, nodding at a strange, silver coronet mount. It's almost like a coronet or tiara, and comes with a simple bracer mount for the Implement's touchpad. It's made of flimsy silver cables, intricately designed, but it's a lot more solid than it looks. With it, she can orient spells toward where she's looking, not toward where her arm is pointed. In case she doesn't want to wear it on her head, she can use it as a necklace. It's not nearly as expensive as the gauntlet, but it seems a solid choice.
695
696"Alright!" You say. Ishelda pulls out her pouch, but you bat her hand away. "I'll get it for you."
697
698Ishelda frowns at you, but doesn't argue too much when you pay for it. The lady there quickly splits the touchscreen from Ishelda's existing implement, and puts the spell components into the coronet, while putting the electronic components into the bracer.
699
700"Here you go." She says, handing it to Ishelda. The moment the two of you are out on the street, she tries it out. A simple sphere of light appears on her brow, shining forward.
701
702"This is so cool." She says.
703
704>?
705--------------------------
706"Looking like a princess there, Ishy." You say, raising your eyebrows.
707
708She swishes her own dress.
709
710"Perfect!" She says.
711
712You respond by mussing her hair. It isn't easy, with the coronet in the way, but you would not be a big sister if you couldn't figure it out.
713
714"When you make Archmage, you can be my apprentice." You say. She cheers. "Now c'mon, let's go see Rathod."
715
716"Okay." She says.
717
718First things first, you send him a text, seeing if he's free. You wouldn't want to do the same thing that you did a while back, walking in on him and Brun... But since he's free...
719
720You teleport straight into his room. Rathod is hunched over a table, golem parts in front of him- and then Ishelda attacks!
721
722"Thod!" She cries, giving him a big hug.
723
724"Ishy!" He responds, scooping her up under one arm. "How've you been?"
725
726"Jaz has taken me all around the city. It's really big." She says. " Did you notice my Implement?"
727
728"I did." He says. "Nice choice. You bought it yourself?"
729
730"Not the mount, but I got everything else. Oh! and I made Jaz wear a dress!"
731
732Thod suddenly turns to you, looking as if he completely disbelieved her.
733
734"Did you know that I've never actually seen her in one before?" Thod asks.
735
736"Neither have I." Ishelda says, but that's not her main goal, here. "So, tell me about your girlfriend." She says.
737
738Thod suddenly looks uncomfortable.
739
740"I... er..."
741
742Which is, of course, the moment someone knocks on the door.
743
744You peer through the hole, and Brun is standing on the other side of the door.
745
746>?
747--------------------------
748You grin, pulling open the door. Brun gives you a Look. Then sees Ishelda basically atop Rathod's shoulder.
749
750"Hey." you say.
751
752"Hi." She says, raises an eyebrow at Ishelda. "Is that a miniature Jaz over there?"
753
754"No, Jaz is just a huge me." Ishelda responds, nodding solemnly.
755
756"This is Ishelda." Rathod says. "Jasmine's sister."
757
758"Brun." Brun responds.
759
760"Are-" Ishelda starts, but you cover her mouth.
761
762Both Rathod and Brun gives you a strange look while you claim your sister from Rathod's grip.
763
764"Good luck!" You say, and raise your Implement.
765
766Both of them vanish into black spheres, finding themselves atop the building you'd brought Ishelda to.
767
768"... Where did you send them?" She asks.
769
770"Brun wants to be Rathod's girlfriend, but she hasn't asked him yet. You almost spoiled the surprise for him!"
771
772"Oh no!" She says. "I almost messed things up, didn't I."
773
774Then a moment later, she tilts her head.
775
776"That girl was really tall." She says. "And muscle-y."
777
778"Yep."
779
780"She had an axe. And was wearing fur and stuff."
781
782"Yep."
783
784"Is she an insane person?"
785
786"Probably." 
787
788"Then I approve!" Ishelda says. "Thod needs someone to knock him off his feet. He's too calm all the time. I hope it goes well."
789
790Then she turns around to look at Rathod's mid-assembly golem.
791
792"So what's up with this? Is he making a robot?" She asks. On the desk is tendon cable and pistons made of some kind of ceramic, with orichalium cable connecting certain parts. It looks pretty complicated, and takes you a few seconds before you decide that she's probably right.
793
794"It's best not to ask questions like that." You say, ruffling her hair. "Especially since he's the golem Archmage's apprentice. We don't want to accidentally spy on him, you know?"
795
796"Yeah, that's a good point." She says, nodding-
797
798Then a Dweomer suddenly buzzes in your mind. A band on the force-projection is broken. A moment later, that buzz vanishes, and then a new one starts- a dweomer had been shut down. Then another. Then another.
799
800"Sis? You okay?"
801
802>?
803--------------------------
804"No." You say. With a single gesture, you begin opening a portal. With another gesture, you target the security office. "Ishelda, I'm going to send you home."
805
806"Okay." She says. "Be safe, okay?"
807
808"Alright." You say.
809
810The portal establishes, and you draw your huge Mithril sword out of it, twisting it around to mount onto your back.
811
812Then you send Ishelda back home, and blink into the hall, already sending a text to Dannen.
813
814The door has been sliced open, the jam completely burned away and smelling like smoke. Someone is rustling around inside. You walk in- and Jackal turns around, hands in his pockets. Tendrils of mana writhe around him- you can feel it- and they lash out toward you in a single, swift motion.
815
816You bring your sword up between you and him.
817
818"You wouldn't be so upset right now if you had given me an interview." He says, plainly. Smirking. "Clever defense system, I have to say. Means there's something here to hide, right?"
819
820You can't feel his mana- the sword is between you and him, preventing him from even touching you with astral magic.
821
822>?
823--------------------------
824-omitted one small post.
825>Result: 61! Mild Success!
826
827"No, actually. It's a honeypot to catch you."
828
829He raises an eyebrow. He's confident. Very confident, for someone caught red-handed.
830
831"I triggered them intentionally." He said. "To catch you."
832
833"What's the ace up your sleeve, hmm?" You ask.
834
835Invisible, unseen force reaches up and over the sword, toward you. You cut the tendril off with a twist of your wrist. The mithril sword is a perfect antimagic defense, especially because it's broad enough to act as a shield.
836 
837You quickly target him with a teleport, but the man simply steps aside. The black sphere wraps around the spot he was a second ago. You try a second time, but you feel a strong pulse of magic- and the sphere fails to form.
838
839And then he darts toward you.
840
841"The problem-" You slash out with your sword. He kicks off of thin air, boosting himself up and over your swing. Somehow, he changes direction in mid-air.
842
843His foot whips toward your head. You blink backward into the hall in response. He's still darting toward you, tendrils of magic wavering and whipping around. They're supporting him as he moves, kinetic platforms being made right where he needs to kick off. A few tendrils keep lashing toward you, but you rely on your sword. A half-dozen black spheres appear as you try to catch him in a teleport, but he's able to twist out of the way- as if he can feel them the second before they form.
844
845It's very different than fighting Brun, that's for sure. If the hallway wasn't so cramped, you could really start swinging your sword. But if you did that, you'd end up destroying the entire building.
846
847"With your magic-" You swing again, but his hand catches the flat of the blade and shoves it aside, moving inward. His palm slams into your chest, sending you stumbling back-
848
849"Is that it's way too damn obvious." He says. You blink yourself back to your feet.
850
851There's a lull in movement. He tilts his head, grinning, and pulls up a pair of goggles over his eyes.
852
853"Hear that?" He asks. "That's the sound of nobody coming."
854
855A tendril of mana whorls over his shoulder, and it suddenly becomes fierce heat and light blasting toward you. You instinctively bring your sword up in the way. The Mithril doesn't even heat up.
856
857>?
858>You'll need some more rolls, regardless of what you plan.
859--------------------------
860>>428272
861>You can, but portals take time to open. Ones those size, even at the short distances, would take about a full minute to form. And for all you know he'd basically walk past them using his own mana as a platform to keep him from falling through.
862--------------------------
863>>428290
864>He's doing absolutely pure astral magic. No implement. He's just converting his mana into physical force on the spot.
865
866>>428288
867>Keep in mind, the nat100 triggers as a crit no matter what is voted for. No reason to vote for something just because it's got a nat100.
868--------------------------
869You grit your teeth. Can't use your sword this cramped. He keeps trying to get close, preventing you from using your sword. No matter how many teleports you throw out, he dodges each and every single one of them. Lashes of mana try to hit you with kinetic force. One or two do get past your sword, cracking painfully against your arms and legs while you try to get more space. You blink onto the other side of him, backing toward the other end of the hall while more onslaughts of physical force and Jackal's own body moves toward you.
870
871Blinking does have one weakness. You have to point at where you want to go. Normal teleportation has a weakness too- you have to key your implement to decide both the source and the destination. He's using that gesture, probably, and the feel of your mana to figure out where you're going and when you try to teleport him away. He's got faster reflexes than you- likely a change he's made to himself.
872
873You twist your sword to block another laser.
874
875"I have to admit." Jackal says, putting both hands in his pockets again. You see the glint of something red. His mana is still whirling around him, creating lashes of kinetic force. "Your spiritual cores are actually really fucking impressive. What'd you do to them?"
876
877>****** *** ****** *** ******
878
879An idea bursts, fully formed in your mind. Your mana whips out, tapping against your own implement, triggering the touchpad with kinetic force.
880
881He crouches, mana tendrils whirling around him as he prepares to pounce, wrapping them around his legs and arms to boost his movement.
882
883With a quarter-second of delay from the first to the next, sixteen teleport-spheres swell around him... And you find yourself in nothingness and reality and nothingness and reality, sword flashing into reality just long enough to sever each and every tendril.
884
885A moment later, he's on his back, mana still with disbelief and surprise.
886
887You prod your sword close to his chest, right to where you feel his soul. The closer it gets, the more his magic recedes, until you have the tip buried right against his chest, barely drawing blood.
888
889He bats it away, grabbing your sword by the edge. Your mithril sword screeches loudly. He knocks it away somehow, with an ugly, blotchy red gauntlet on one hand. You feel him start to rouse his soul again-
890
891And you lash out with your own.
892
893He screams, head arcing backward, and he collapses into unconsciousness.
894
895>?
896--------------------------
897You do what you can, quickly calling every authority you can think of. The campus security office isn't responding, no matter how much you ring. The city guards pick up, but the second they hear you're on campus, they tell you that they can't do anything- it's not their domain, and they can't legally do anything.
898
899After they hang up, you struggle with the gauntlet. It's belted on, all the way up to his shoulder, but that's because whatever red blotchy material this is made out of, it's softer than you'd expected. It's like a metal, but it's soft to the touch- 
900
901The moment you take it off of him, you drop it. It suddenly increased in weight, far beyond what you could lift. You quickly tape Jackal up, as best you can, binding him in place. Then you deal with the gauntlet.
902
903You grab the very lightest end, and carefully tug on it. It digs a divot into the stone floor of the dorm hall, but even when you put your whole body's weight onto it, you can't move it. But he was moving it somehow... Maybe with his magic?
904
905You charge it with your own mana, and quite suddenly, it's weightless. Just as weightless as Mithril- no, moreso.
906
907... Maybe this is Adamantine. You've never seen it before, and Kristoph's legendarily secretive about it, but...
908
909You call Haron.
910
911"What's going on, Jaz?" He asks, pleasantly. You quickly explain what's going on, but he cuts you off
912
913"Did he have a red glove?"
914
915There's a long moment of silence before you respond.
916
917"Yeah." You say.
918
919Haron hangs up on you.
920
921A door behind you slams open. You whirl around-
922
923Two identical figures, both wearing goggles and a single red gauntlet walk toward you. One has an implement around his neck, and the other has long, spined horns coming out of his left brow. The second one's magic feels wrong, like it's been changed somehow. Tastes almost like a monster.
924
925They look like twins, exactly like Jackal. Even wearing the same clean, official suits.
926
927>********
928
929They don't say anything- they just stand there.
930
931>?
932--------------------------
933"Jeez, more of you?" You ask.
934
935The two figures look to one another, and start to walk toward you.
936
937Making sure to keep it charged with mana, you sling the gauntlet over your shoulder. Then you kneel over Jackal. At the same time, the two begin to sprint toward you, running down the hall. The Implement-caster fires dweomers that start beeping, homing in on you, and the horn-one's hand explodes into thorny vines, coiling and growing over all of the entrances and exits.
938
939But by the time the dweomers reach you, you've already grabbed Jackal and teleported away.
940
941A few seconds after you land in Haron's living room, two titanic, four-legged golems stumble in, Haron between them.
942
943"No." Haron says. His voice is booming- he's serious. "Take that man and that glove out of my home. I want nothing to do with this."
944
945"What?"
946
947"This is not my business." He says. "I cannot help you. Please leave."
948
949"What? You can't explain-"
950
951"I can't." He says, crystal gleaming brighter than you'd seen. "It's not my place. I cannot give you any information or assistance."
952
953Jackal groans. You lash at his soul again, slowing the motion in his cores. He falls unconscious again.
954
955"Go somewhere else." Haron says. "Before they come here."
956
957>?
958--------------------------
959>Legally, any crimes that happened on campus is out of their jurisdiction. They'd be forced to basically let him go. Extraterritoriality is one son of a bitch. But if Haron, who is above the law, is acting this way...
960
961Haron's betrayed you too.
962
963"Well fuck you too, then."
964
965You growl, pulling up a GPS map. Somewhere close enough that you can teleport to it quickly, but also far enough away to buy you a few hours' time. Perhaps as far away as your village, but the way Haron said 'before they come here' implies they can track you somehow.
966
967A moment later, your eyes widen. You know exactly where to go. On the eastern edge of the spine, there's a mountain... the one place that no caravans, land or air go. There's no way to get there. The land is too rough, too treacherous, too many plateaus and too steep cliffs to cross physically. As for the air... the Fungal Dragon hides there. The undying, territorial monster that kills anything in the air above its lair. The only reason it's on the map at all is because of the satellite pictures.
968
969It's stupid, but these people are attacking you, trying to capture you. No reason to make it fucking easy. 
970
971With Jackal tied to a tree, the mithril sheathe pressed tightly against his chest, you sit down in the forest and call Kristoph.
972
973"Hello, hello." He says cheerfully. "Jasmine, correct? Hello! Haron just informed me that you're having some... er, trouble."
974
975"I am." You say.
976
977Kristoph just chuckles. "I see, I see. You're going to be in a bit more trouble for some time, unless you figure out a way to wrap everything up neatly!"
978
979"What does that even mean?"
980
981"Sorry, young lady." He says. "I can't quite explain everything. You'll have to figure things out yourself. It's... Hm. You can consider this a game, if you'd like. All you need to do is win it, and everything will be done! Just win it, Miss Jasmine."
982
983Jackal groans again. You feel his soul, but it's not doing much- he's still just waking up. When he does, he'll have one hell of a headache.
984
985>?
986--------------------------
987"And what happens if I lose?"
988
989"Who knows?" Kristoph asks.
990
991"Well, this is quite the stressful 'game' then." You say. "Can you at least tell me what this red stuff does?"
992
993"Adamantium?" He asks. Then he laughs. "It does whatever you'd like it to do, Miss Jasmine. Good luck."
994
995Then he hangs up.
996
997Fuck Kristoph, too.
998
999You slap Jackal awake, holding your sword between him and you just to make sure. His soul whirls faster, and though it's being suppressed by the sheathe you've tied his entire body around, his eyes blink open.
1000
1001"Hey, asshole." You say. 
1002
1003He looks around, eyes bloodshot. "Where in god's name are we?"
1004
1005"We're the Fungal Dragon's new neighbor." You say.
1006
1007His eyes widen. "Are you insane?"
1008
1009"Little bit." You say. "I've had a lot of people being a shitbird to me today, and you are the icing on the cake, so you're getting the Angry Jaz now. What's going to happen is very simple. You tell me what I want to know."
1010
1011He snorts. "Or what? Will you murder me? Feed me to the dragon up there?"
1012
1013The dragon- a teeming, hovering mass of lichen and viny tendrils- slowly wafts overhead.
1014
1015"Do you even think you can kill someone?" He asks.
1016
1017He'd broken into your room while Ishelda was there. You push on his shoulderblade, putting weight on him, and it cracks. He groans.
1018
1019"I can let you experience first hand what the infinite, endless void looks like." You say. "You know, time doesn't travel there, but your soul can still think. I wonder how long it would take to send you insane? A hundred years? Maybe a thousand."
1020
1021He raises an eyebrow. "I'm not really scared of that. Just so you know. My family'll get you, wrest your secrets from you, and then they'll just teleport me back home. They're on their way right now. Closing in. They'll even kill that Dragon if they need to."
1022
1023His soul continues to roil with discomfort, but he can't push past the sheath.
1024
1025>?
1026--------------------------
1027"Well, I don't know how to get things back from nowhere." You say. "So they'll have trouble too."
1028
1029He snorts.
1030
1031"And you know what happens if they kill that dragon? Then we'll go say hello to the West Kraken, and they can wrestle with that guy. Then the Broodmother. And so on. All the way down until there are no more noteworthy monsters or your family is dead." You say.
1032
1033He snorts, and you growl at him.
1034
1035He's just a waste of space, and he can't do anything with his mana right now. Instead, you push your own mana forward, feeling out his spiritual cores... pushing forward his fear, making it cycle more. He groans, his eyes going redder- you're definitely giving him a headache. But his heartbeat speeds up, and he starts sweating, panicking. He looks up at the sky, at the Fungal Dragon, and makes a piteous moan.
1036
1037"... We want your magic!" He says, finally. "That's it! We don't want to hurt you we just want to learn it!"
1038
1039"How do I get you guys to stop?"
1040
1041He shakes his head twice. "It's not our choice. Not ours, not ours. It's our Father. He wants it. He wants everything. It's our job to get it."
1042
1043>?
1044--------------------------
1045>>428740
1046>Exa snorts at your opinion
1047
1048He shakes his head, shivering.
1049
1050"How are they tracking you?"
1051
1052"Thaumaturgy." He says. "They're using Thaumaturgy. They have my blood. Please, don't feed me to that thing. Oh god."
1053
1054"What does your gauntlet do?"
1055
1056"It's Adamantine. Absorbs magic. Amplifies it. Feeds it back."
1057
1058"How many of you are there?"
1059
1060"Don't let that thing eat me. Take me away from it. Take me away!"
1061
1062"How. Many."
1063
1064"Six! Six. Me, Wolf, Troll, Tiger, Eagle, Father."
1065
1066"What's your father's name, occupation, and magical expertise?"
1067
1068"He... He doesn't..." Jackal trails off.
1069
1070"Where is he?"
1071
1072"Romalia. Capital. He's under... Under the Tower."
1073
1074"Who is he? Why is everybody acting so weird?"
1075
1076"I can't. I can't."
1077
1078You pour more pressure on him.
1079
1080"Who is your father? Why can't the archmages interfere with him?"
1081
1082His eyes roll back. "No, no, no. No no no."
1083
1084>?
1085--------------------------
1086-omitted one small post.
1087>>428808
1088>That would take a lot more finesse than you have.
1089>You're surprised you found which button to push for 'fear'.
1090
1091You ease back on the fear, slowing the swirl of mana that you pushed into him.
1092
1093"Are you under some spell that keeps you from talking about it?"
1094"No, no." He says. "I can't. I don't."
1095
1096"Answer me, or I'll send you straight up until you're high enough to get Fungie's attention."
1097
1098"No! I can't!" He screams. "Can't talk can't think can't remember."
1099
1100You ease off, sighing. You grab the glove, wrapping it around your arm. You belt it into place, keeping your mana in it, and eventually, when it's completely on, you feel something... smooth down, mana flowing into you. Your soul begins to ache, slightly, but you feel like your mana is easier to move, more 'loose'. You cast a few quick safety dweomers, and they come out easier. The glimmer in the dweomer shows that they have more mana, fully charged.
1101
1102The glove doesn't give you infinite mana- it just makes spells a lot more efficient.
1103
1104"Where is the rest of your family?"
1105
1106"I don't know. I'm not there. I can't see them can't hear them."
1107
1108"Where are they?"
1109
1110"Jackal first. Troll and Eagle Second. Tiger and Wolf third. Father stays home. He always stays home!"
1111
1112His eyes are still rolled back, but he's slowing. The stress is getting to be too much for him.
1113
1114"What kind of defenses does he have?"
1115
1116"None. None. It's safe. Too proud. Nobody knows how to go there. Nobody can. Please. Let me go."
1117
1118>?
1119--------------------------
1120>>428868
1121>You can't. Portals only.
1122
1123"Give me one reason not to leave you here."
1124
1125"I won't hurt you! We won't hurt your friends or family or anyone. Nobody not involved."
1126
1127"Since I bested you, will you come after me again?"
1128
1129"No! I won't." He shakes his head frantically. "Won't, won't. Need to fix soul. Too scared. Unnatural." He takes a deep breath, like he's trying to focus. "You did it. Better at Astral Magic."
1130
1131You draw your sword, and slash off a large hunk of his hair. You bind it, slip it into another small wooden box from your jacket, and bury it there underneath the three.
1132
1133It takes a few minutes for you to cast the dweomer, but you slap it down on the hair- With a hint of thaumaturgy, you charge the lock it with more mana, making it look like the piece of hair has a soul of its own.
1134
1135Then you teleport him away- off into a small, broken down fort to the north of the capital. It's safe, you're sure- there's still a few guards around, keeping it safe from monsters, but it's out of the way enough that it's going to be hard to get to.
1136
1137That done, you close your eyes, focusing, and mark a teleport straight for the tower. Below the ground.
1138
1139The spell fails, so you cast it again- this time a few feet below that. another failure. Below that, another failure. Below that...
1140
1141You find yourself in nothingness. The sphere crumbles around you, and the first thing you see...
1142
1143Haron, Yule, and Sirius are standing around a table, peering down at a gleaming crystal in the center. All three are facing away from you.
1144
1145"Eagle's found a new signal. A second one." Yule says, frowning. "How would she do that?"
1146
1147"Thaumaturgy, I'd suspect. Very clever." Sirius says. "Do you think she might end up here?"
1148
1149"Even if she used reverse-thaumaturgy to find his blood sample, or that crystal, she would only find the base with Eagle." Yule says.
1150
1151"What are they planning on doing?" Haron asks.
1152
1153"Splitting up to recover Jackal. Both signals." Sirius says. "Madwoman, hiding out just beneath the Fungal Dragon."
1154
1155"I told you this was the wrong way to go about things." Haron says. "I feel like she'll appear in front of is any second now."
1156
1157"This is how it's always been done." Yule says. "Anything less, and there would be no point to it. This isn't about magic or knowledge. It's about power and ability."
1158
1159>?
1160--------------------------
1161-omitted one small post.
1162"Excuse me?!" You snap, and in a single movement, you send all of them- you included, into the center of a restaurant.
1163
1164All three whirl around. There's a slight tink as Haron puts his hand on his faceplate.
1165
1166"Called it." He says.
1167
1168"You're all jerks! I knew you were involved the moment I saw the adamantine!"
1169
1170"You weren't supposed to recognize it." Archmage Yule says, somewhat surprised.
1171
1172"There's literally nothing else it could have been." You say.
1173
1174"Er..." Sirius looks around. "Could we, perhaps, head elsewhere to discuss this?" 
1175
1176All of the workers are staring at you.
1177
1178The restaurant hadn't opened yet.
1179
1180One of the workers holds up a phone and snaps a picture. 
1181
1182===
1183
1184The four of you have a booth in the back room of the restaurant, while the archmages all look at you curiously. The workers quickly respected the archmages' right to privacy and left you alone long enough for Sirius to turn you you.
1185
1186"How did you end up finding us?"
1187
1188"I tortured your location out of Jackal." You say. "This sounded serious, he'd already used astral magic on me, and there might have been a threat to my family." you say.
1189
1190Then you shoot the three of them a glare.
1191
1192"I do not fuck around with threats to my family."
1193
1194"... Is he, er, alive?" Archmage Yule asks.
1195
1196"For now." You respond. "You guys caught me at the end of a bad week right when I was trying to cheer myself up. I'm still sort of pissed."
1197
1198"I'm sorry." Haron says. "This is how it's traditionally done."
1199
1200"How what's done?"
1201
1202"Testing a potential archmage." Sirius says.
1203
1204You shoot him a glare.
1205
1206"I haven't even finished my work yet! All I've done is got some old magic working. I haven't even made anything I can call my own!"
1207
1208"Neither have I." Haron says. "My magic is nothing new at all. My 'art', as you would call it, is just a bunch of mental exercises that makes developing logic arrays easier. But I am Archmage."
1209
1210The waiter comes by, handing each of you a plate of food... and Haron a plate of nuts and bolts.
1211
1212You wink at the waiter. Apparently she accepted the written order you'd teleported onto the desk.
1213
1214>?
1215--------------------------
1216"But your golems are cool! and at least you've done all sorts of crazy things with your arrays."
1217
1218"And your method of getting Hermetic spells functioning again?" He asks. "Your capability of learning entirely new branches of magic in a week? When we started planning this test, you were on record as knowing a minimum amount of astral magic. Then you're able to overpower our expert? You've already almost run into legal trouble once already."
1219
1220"But I was supposed to become an archmage when I walked back from a portal to another world with a cute alien under each arm!"
1221
1222"Excuse me?" Sirius asks, giving you a curious look.
1223
1224"... Whatever." You say. "Whatever. Don't do that again. I was literally a hair's breadth from killing Jackal, and as it stands, his soul is going to need some TLC."
1225
1226"It will be fine." Yule says. "He signed up for this, and knew that things like this might be the result. He knows how to restore himself."
1227
1228"And Yule is particularly good at bringing people back to life, as long as their soul has been anchored to their body beforehand." Haron says.
1229
1230You frown, looking down at your glove.
1231
1232"Do I at least get to keep this?"
1233
1234"I'm afraid that we only were able to pay for a few of them, from Kristoph." Sirius says. "But if it helps, you'll likely get the money to purchase one from him. He only sells adamantine to Archmages."
1235
1236The three of them nod to one another.
1237
1238"We have collected." Archmage Yule says. "Under the tradition of Romalia, of Tark, of Magnus, of Veril. The sun graces you, Jasmine Angwaz. Your peers surround you. By the decision of this council of the Archmagi of Romalia, we welcome you into our company."
1239
1240A moment later, her lips quirk into a smirk.
1241
1242"If you'd like, of course." She says. "You're free to decline."
1243
1244>?
1245--------------------------
1246"Well, I suppose I can take the time out of my busy schedule to partake in the council, if you insist." You say, trying to hide the smirk.
1247
1248You don't quite succeed. You're feeling almost as giddy as you did about the time you'd completed your magic.
1249
1250"Pleased to hear it." Haron says.
1251
1252"... My daughter is not going to be pleased, but there's little I can do about that. I still say we should've waited." Sirius says. "At least until tomorrow."
1253
1254Yule rolls her eyes. 
1255
1256"I feel I should warn you before you get your hopes up. Many of your new peers are very awkward or eccentric individuals. If you do not begin as eccentric, you quickly become so as years pass."
1257
1258"I've ... figured this out already." You say, and begin to dig into your meal. Haron just stares at his own plate. "I do have a question, though. Which one of you are 'Father'?"
1259
1260"Me, most likely." Yule says. You raise an eyebrow. "I am a master of biochemical alteration. I'm not limited to this shape, of course."
1261
1262You sit back, and begin to eat.
1263
1264"... Er, didn't we forget something?"
1265
1266Elsewhere, the guards uncomfortably stare down at Jackal, tied up in the middle of the fortress. Elsewhere, agents ready for battle against the Fungal dragon.
1267
1268"I think it'll be fine." You say.
1269
1270>End of session!
1271--------------------------
1272>>429227
1273>Yule's was the absolute fastest. 
1274>Then again, when it was her turn, it wasn't a test. It was literally the king's men trying to capture them.
1275>Then the king was immediately attacked by hundreds of teeming monsters that used to be people, Romalia became an democratic council, and the archmage system was invented. 
1276
1277>Nobody wants a second Yule. That's the primary reason for archmages being above the law, because if someone tried arrested the wrong archmage...
1278--------------------------
1279-omitted one small post.
1280>>429277
1281>Jaz's boobs are actually not bad, as-is. But that's probably because of your mother, who was... er, rather exceptional in that area.
1282
1283>Or did you ask if Yule boosted her *own* bust? Because it's probably good to assume that she's completely redesigned her body a lot over the past dozen or so centuries.
1284--------------------------
1285-omitted one small post.
1286>>429394
1287Sirius is a smooth-shaven middleaged man. Salt-and-pepper colored hair, urbane suit, and nothing particularly abnormal about him. He's got his Implement inside of his suit jacket.
1288
1289Yule is a beautiful, ageless woman of unknown age. Her features, hair style, and hair color seems to change every time you see her. She's got an extremely strange accent that you can't put your finger on.
1290
1291Haron is a gilded, silver-and-gold golem. He's got a faceless, smooth mask for a face, a huge crystal sticking out of the back of his head, and only three fingers on his hand. His voice is tinny and artificial.
1292--------------------------
1293>>429428
1294Mama Angwaz is a curly-haired brunette. Freckles, a skin tone that approaches 'coffee with a lot of cream', and extremely busty. Purple eyes.
1295
1296Papa Angwaz was inhumanly pale, with pure white hair. He kept it trimmed pretty short. Steel grey eyes. He was pretty lanky, and part of the militia. He was also the only wizard in the village before Jaz started learning magic.
1297
1298Ishy Angwaz is tiny, adorable, and hates being tossed around like a bag of potatoes. Thod's favorite thing to do is sling her around like a bag of potatoes. Too young to have any kind of assets yet- she's a bit of a late bloomer. Just as pale as her pops, with the same hair as him, only she keeps it extremely long. Purple eyes.
1299
1300Jaz Angwaz is pretty, pretty small, has a bit of a height complex. Pretty busty for her height, and very... svelte. Shoulder-length hair. Just as pale as her pops, with the same hair color. It's probably part of the 'frost wolf' thing. Also rather fit, but the 'starving college student' lifestyle doesn't help with her fitness very much. Steel grey eyes, and can be pretty damn imposing with them.
1301--------------------------
1302>>429482
1303Rathod is tall, and broad. He's not muscled, but he has a lot of raw bulk. He's also got red eyes- the kind that could charitably be called brown.
1304
1305His hair is short, black, and he's got a pale/grey shock in there, and a bit of scarring on his chest.
1306
1307Oh, and he's also just got one arm. His stump has some terrible scarring, but the worst of it had been amputated. Since he'd joined Haron, he replaced it with a golemic arm... Which his Implement is inside of.
1308
1309>>429490
1310>I think that the fact that Jaz, despite hating Cera, was willing to go and extend the olive branch (sorta) says that it's less about opposing her that REALLY gets her goat, and more the fact that she hates it if she doesn't know where you stand.
1311That's a really good interpretation. I like it!
1312I also wanted to try out the text format tag.
1313--------------------------
1314>>429759
1315He saved Ishelda's life during the attack that killed your father, both of Rathod's parents, and various other villagers.
1316
1317He didn't have a weapon. Hell, he didn't know how to fight. It was all he could do but to punch it until it stopped moving. Only reason he lived was because he protected himself with his other arm. The other arm ended up mauled beyond recover.
1318
1319He was around 14 years old. Ishelda was 4.
1320--------------------------
1321-omitted one small post.
1322>>434914
1323They think she's cute. She has many who consider her a waifu.
1324
1325Then when the short video of her teleporting into a restaurant with three Romalian archmages popped up and /mg/ went ballistic.
1326
1327Anyway.
1328
1329If there are enough folks around, I'll be starting a new session soon! Just reply to this post if you're here.
1330--------------------------
1331Focusing, carefully, on your magic, you quietly open another portal. The advanced sensor equipment still can't quite figure out what's happening, other than there are minute alterations in gravity, but you can feel your mana writhe around, somehow boring a tunnel forward through space. The main mechanism still doesn't make sense, no matter how much you try this, but you're getting better at finding new permutations of teleportation. It took quite a bit of work, but you've figured out how to make portals last longer- you just need to set up a dweomer to constantly and consistently inject small amounts of mana into it. The dweomer's still a bit crude at this point, and fluctuates its output too much, but it's functional.
1332
1333Only a few days have gone by since you were informally called an Archmage. You're still not sure you or your magic is worth it, at this point, so the other archmages promised to keep it quiet for now. At least until you finish your 'art', at least. In truth, it doesn't seem like there are many benefits outside of the legal or political ones. The archmages don't seem to trade much information about their personal arts- as much as they might trade other knowledge, or many favors. You're not even one on paper yet, though Yule promised to backdate the paperwork if you ran into legal trouble.
1334
1335The small prototype gate flickers, as the dweomer starts to run low on magic. The gate's mostly made out of gold runes and iron plates, complete with a few sockets for hermetic components and a spell crystal with the star rune inside, but it works... though it's not as efficient as you'd hoped. The gold and iron does keep the mana in shape, and keeps anything from bleeding out, but it's not perfect. You suppose you could make it twice as efficient by making a simple 'destination' ring, but you haven't had the time.
1336
1337And that's because Uldora Dalheim's subjugation mission is today.
1338
1339It's not happening right now- they're not leaving until later today- but it does mean that you don't have much time.
1340
1341You still haven't told anybody that you made Archmage. In fact, other than hearing about Rathod and Brun actually entering a relationship, you haven't talked with them much at all.
1342
1343Oh well. Might as well spend your time wisely.
1344
1345>?
1346--------------------------
1347>>435820
1348>Hah, that's perfect. Especially the picture.
1349
1350>>435768
1351>You told her that something important came up, but you took care of it and it isn't a problem anymore.
1352
1353You stretch, shutting down the gate by reclaiming the dweomer and sending it into your hidden vault, along with all of your notes. You'd wrapped your vault in a hermetic anti-theft ward, which should keep people from even noticing it. You don't want to waste the rest of your mana today, especially if you're going to have to fight. But for now, you might as well get some things done.
1354
1355You pick up your phone and call Kristoph. It rings for a minute or two before he finally picks up.
1356
1357"Hello, hello." He says cheerfully. "I hear tell that you went through some sort of test. Don't worry, I also heard that mum is the word."
1358
1359"Yeah." You say. "That was pretty stressful. I wanted to thank you for the sword. And for the other help you gave me the other day."
1360
1361Not that he said much that helped, other than confirming that the red gauntlet- which you had to return to Jackal- had been Adamantine.
1362
1363"Oh, it's no problem. No problem at all!" Kristoph says. "You're very welcome, Miss Jaz. I'm glad it was helpful for you."
1364
1365"I was also hoping to put in an order."
1366
1367"Oh?" He asks. He suddenly sounds much more interested. "I'd love to hear about it."
1368
1369You look down at your notes, and the various experiments you'd done with your gate assembly. It only works if the portal is perfectly circular, and without the iron mana-insulation it doesn't help with efficiency at all. You suspect it might be the same with Orichalium and Mithril, so you quickly scale up the design until it's large enough to fit a person through.
1370
1371"What I'd like is pretty complex, and I need both Orichalium and Mithril for it. But since I can't reshape Mithril I need you to make it."
1372
1373"Does this have something to do with your Art?" He asks, and you can hear the grin in his voice. 
1374
1375"Maybe." You say, sketching out a better way to do things. You've never been good at fabrication, but that's mostly because of the physical creation part. You snap a photo and send it to him.
1376
1377"Well, my time is at a bit of a premium lately, I'm afraid." He says. "But I'll squeeze in your order when I can. With that much orichalium, I suppose the cost will be somewhere around twenty-five thousand ecu."
1378
1379You choke and cough at the same time.
1380
1381"... I'm supposing you don't have that much." He says.
1382
1383"Not... exactly." You say.
1384
1385"Hmm... Well, you are technically a peer, so I suppose I can consider it a loan if you'd like" He says. "And you can pay me back in deed or coins, whichever you'd prefer."
1386
1387>?
1388--------------------------
1389-omitted one small post.
1390>>435820
1391>>435928
1392>I don't know a lot about magic, but I do know that she should be unable to deal with anything indestructible or hexproof.
1393
1394"Deeds? What sort of deeds?" You ask. "As long as it doesn't involve breaking into another archmage's home again."
1395
1396"I didn't think you would actually do that." Kristoph chuckles. "Haron gave me quite the earful."
1397
1398You sigh.
1399
1400"I'm willing to transport some deliveries, though, in exchange."
1401
1402"Of course." He says. "That's exactly what I was considering. Organizing or waiting for a Caravan is a risky endeavor, and also very costly. I could have my clients pay quite a bit more money with your help. I believe that your order is worth one major shipment, or perhaps two or three more minor ones. Is that fine?"
1403
1404Well, you did make your portals much more efficient, and you can make them last longer on command, so you're sure you have the mana for it....
1405
1406It's definitely worth it. A few spellcasts for you and then you can create a teleportation gate that is, as far as you can tell, the absolute pinnacle of efficiency?
1407
1408"That's fine." You say. "That's exactly what I was thinking of, anyway."
1409
1410"Wonderful." Kristoph says. "I'll finish your order in a few days."
1411
1412"Thanks again, Kristoph."
1413
1414"Anything for a pretty girl." He says, and you hang up on him. Well. At least the archmage favor-mill is helping you here.
1415
1416You check the time, but you still have another two hours before the subjugation begins, so you decide to call Rathod next.
1417
1418"Hey." He says. He still doesn't know about your position as archmage- you haven't told anyone, yet... Though some people may be able to guess, with the pictures of you and three other Romalian archmages appearing in a restaraunt- but you're keeping it secret. At least until you gain Magus or understand your magic better.
1419
1420"Hey, Thod. How have you been doing?" You ask.
1421
1422"Pretty good." He says. He sounds relaxed. Like something good happened. Probably Brun. "Finished making that present for Ishelda. How are you?"
1423
1424Now you just need to figure out how to say this...
1425
1426>?
1427--------------------------
1428>Possibly also the ability to, instead of dying, 'equip' himself to an artifact and grant his token creation/token upgrading abilities to that artifact token... Or something. Body surfing for golems!
1429
1430"I couldn't think of anything good to get her." You say. "So I took the easy way out and got her an experience."
1431
1432"Did you guys have a lot of fun?"
1433
1434"Yeah, we did." You say. "Soooo... Have you seen the news lately?"
1435
1436"No, not really..." He trails off. "Why, what happened?"
1437
1438"Well, I'm not really sure how to break news this big." You say. "I took Ishelda out to the city, had a lot of fun, and you'll never believe what interrupted us."
1439
1440"What?" He asks. "Ohh, you met Archmage Yule and Sirius?" He asks. "There's a picture here of you with them."
1441
1442"Well, that's technically a thing that happened..." You say. "Hey, where are you right now?"
1443
1444"In my dorm. Why?"
1445
1446A moment later, you appear in his dorm room, your sphere crackling apart around you, and you can't help but grin. 
1447
1448"What? What's going on?" He asks. A small white bird golem- with purple jewels for eyes- shuffles its feathers, looking up at you keenly. A strange sense of awareness is in its eyes.
1449
1450"I've been made an Archmage."
1451
1452There's a long moment of silence. Rathod's eyes widen.
1453
1454"Wait, wait wait." He says. "You made Archmage? You're not even a Magus yet."
1455
1456"That's what I said. We're keeping it quiet right now, because I want to finish my thesis first, but..."
1457
1458"That's amazing news!" He says, pulling you into a hug. "I'm proud of you, Jasmine. That's got to be amazing. What happened?"
1459
1460"I'm not sure I'm allowed to talk about it." You say. That was one thing the other archmages impressed on you- spoiling the test removes its purpose.
1461
1462"Aw." He says. "But still, that's amazing. That's gotta feel good, after all the shit people gave you about Krital."
1463
1464"It does." You say, grinning. The bird tilts its head.
1465
1466>?
1467--------------------------
1468>>436076
1469>Sorry, anon. But I felt guilty about not being able to run yesterday or this morning, and possibly not tomorrow.
1470
1471>This isn't the only time I've done late-night halfsessions before- I've been doing it more often than not, with Samsara Quest.
1472--------------------------
1473"I'm going to give back all that shit and more." You say. "I'm going to bring back all sorts of proof of Krital's adventures. And aliens. And alien books!"
1474
1475"Are you really sure that other worlds exist?"
1476
1477"Of course I am." You say, shrugging. "Opened a portal to one, after all. So that's an interesting golem you have there. Something tells me there's something special about it."
1478
1479The bird seems to preen under your examination. 
1480
1481"Well, yeah." He says. "It's Ishelda's present. Modeled it after a bunch of actual birds, and Haron gave me permission to put a bit of gravity magic in there so that it doesn't take much mana."
1482
1483"What's it do?" You ask, poking it. It nuzzles against your finger, synthetic feathers and iron plates squishing under your touch.
1484
1485"A lot of things." He says. "Guide you places, fight monsters, protect you, alarm you about things... It even follows commands. Bird, can you point me toward the center of the city?"
1486
1487The bird dutifully chirps, springing toward one of the walls. It taps twice, then looks back to Rathod.
1488
1489"Good girl." He says, and it chirps, hopping back onto his shoulder. "Can you get me a clean sock?"
1490
1491The bird chirps, dives into the dresser, and carefully leverages it open. It's a lot stronger than the small stature seems to imply. Eventually it grabs a sock in it's beak and flies back.
1492
1493"Now put it back."
1494
1495The bird makes a noise that sounds somewhat like a grumble, with the sock in its beak, and drops the sock back into the dresser.
1496
1497Rathod looks smug.
1498
1499"Haron said that I've gone the furthest out of all of his previous apprentices." He says.
1500
1501>?
1502--------------------------
1503"Dude, that's really impressive." You say. "I was worried that the clean sock thing was going to confuse it."
1504
1505"Here's the thing," He says. "It learns. Not easily, and you have to explain things to it so that it understands what 'clean' means. Right now, it just knows that something put away is considered clean. Here. Watch this."
1506
1507He turns to the bird.
1508
1509"Please say hello to Jaz." 
1510
1511The bird just looks at him, confused, and chirps. Thod gives you a Look, then points to you.
1512
1513"This is Jasmine Angwaz. She is also known as Jaz."
1514
1515The bird looks to you.
1516
1517"Can you please say hello to Jaz?"
1518
1519The bird suddenly springs into the air, flapping once or twice, and then it lands on your shoulder and chirps at you, nuzzling its head into your neck.
1520
1521"Ishy's gonna LOVE this thing." You say. "It's adorable!"
1522
1523"It is." He says.
1524
1525"And it listens to voice commands." You say. "I remember you saying that was super tough."
1526
1527"Well, uh, I kind of cheated."
1528
1529"How's that?" You ask.
1530
1531"She's got computer components inside. It's got a program that does all the parsing."
1532
1533"Good for you!" You say. "But I've got a question."
1534
1535"Shoot."
1536
1537"Are you planning on kissing your girlfriend goodbye before she heads out for the subjugation?"
1538
1539Thod goes a bit red. "You knew about that?"
1540
1541You just smirk at him... Just as your phone buzzes. It's Brun.
1542
1543"What's going on?" You ask.
1544
1545"We're going to be starting soon." Brun says. "A bit early, but my mom wanted to make sure you'd be here."
1546
1547>?
1548--------------------------
1549"I've been saving my mana especially." You say. You turn to Rathod. "It's Brun. We're leaving soon."
1550
1551"Tell her to be safe." He says.
1552
1553"Is that Thod? Tell him I said hello!" Brun calls.
1554
1555"Oh, and to call if something happens." He says. "Then I'll do what I can."
1556
1557"Tell him I'll bring him a trophy!"
1558
1559You sigh, and just hand Thod your phone. While the lovebirds do their thing, you turn to the bird.
1560
1561"Once every day while you're in this room, take one of Rathod's socks and hide it out of sight."
1562
1563The bird chirps, happily snatching up a sock from the dresser. From there, it carefully works the sock underneath one of Rathod's enormous plush chairs. Then it wriggles back out and lands on your shoulder again.
1564
1565"Good job!" You say, holding out a hand.
1566
1567It stares at your hand a moment, then bumps its head against your palm. Not a high-five, but it'll do.
1568
1569===
1570
1571You burst free from the black sphere that surrounds you every time you teleport, and everybody takes a step back, everyone looking at you. Monster hunters stand all around you, various weapons in hand. They're gruff, rough and tumble types- nowhere near as rough as Brun or old Lewin back at the village, but those kinds of people tend to be your favorite; They're serious sorts who care about ability, not politics or heredity. Uldora is lounging back, sitting on her own wings- they're propped up against the floor somehow, and Brun is giggling, texting Thod, her cheeks red. You'd just sent him back after he said his goodbyes, but apparently that wasn't enough flirting for the two of them.
1572
1573Everybody is standing on a large platform, a spellcrystal and strange apparatus in the center. People are loading stone into the top, and the ebbs of magic flowing through the apparatus is increasing as time passes.
1574
1575Finally, after a short bout of shitposting on /mg/, posting a few... hilarious arrays that a person should not use without looking at it first, and feeling extremely awkward at having an entire thread about you, Uldora suddenly gets to their feet.
1576
1577"It seems we're all here." Uldora says, her shamanic wings wrapped around her waist. She cracks her neck, and a few of the Hunters whoop. You hear at least one 'marry me!' from somewhere in the crowd "We've got a Fiend infestation, out there, and they're getting smart enough to lure people into traps. They've got fire in record time, and we're seeing reports that a few of them are figuring out weapons. They're beetle types- flying- But this is going to be easy."
1578
1579Her grin grows fiercer.
1580
1581"Now. Who's prepared to tear down an entire society?"
1582
1583>End of session!
1584>I may or may not be able to run tomorrow- I'm not sure- but I'll try to make it.
1585--------------------------
1586>And we're back!
1587
1588Uldora flies just above the platform, drifting through the air. The hunters- you, Brun, and a handful of other men and women- merely stand atop the platform. The platform is shuddering, moving forward through the air, leaving the city behind.
1589
1590You've never been on a subjugation this well-organized or equipped before. The hunters are mostly all wizards, with Implements or heavy firearms, and the platform you're standing on is hovering, serving as a method of transport while Uldora leads it to the fiend colony. Safer, you suppose, than going on land. Prevents hunters from wasting their mana or ammunition on monsters on the way there.
1591
1592Of course, it's not extremely organized- almost everyone here is a wizard, after all, and corralling wizards in any organized manner is impossible- the most orders Uldora gave anybody was to 'do their best and don't die'. 
1593
1594Eventually, the winged woman lands back onto the platform, making the entire enchanted machine shudder under your feet.
1595
1596"We're coming up on the colony." She says. "I'll need some evokers to clear a landing zone."
1597
1598"Just point it out." A man says, his Implement strapped across his chest. 
1599
1600Uldora gestures, sending a small wisp of flame from her hand. She didn't even use an Implement. It trails down to the grassy field you and Brun stumbled across a few days ago, and you can see dozens of beetle fiends running away from the platform, all heading toward one direction. Uldora's wisp comes to a stop near the ground.
1601
1602"Right there." she says. "Flatten it."
1603
1604The man nods, and a handful of spellcasters wield their implements. A veritable storm of mana rages around you, a half dozen spells forming themselves inside the wielders' implements, and then everything below you explodes. The air shudders, a cacophonous explosion raging through the air... and then the Platform falls from the sky, slamming home into a crater created through magic.
1605
1606You look around at what used to be a field- right now it's a smouldering reck, trees and plants nothing but black char. Uldora Dalheim turns around, facing the group.
1607
1608"Here's what we're going to do." She says. "The colony proper is to the northeast. We're going to split into three uneven sections. Two groups of six, the third will be a larger group of twelve. Group A will travel north, flanking the colony. Group B will travel east, doing the same thing. We'll pen them in with firepower and keep them in position. Finally, Group C will move straight in and wipe out whatever they see."
1609
1610With a minimum of handling, the group eventually splits themselves into three. Brun herself makes her way to group B, and Uldora seems like she'll be flying from place to place to lend assistance to whoever needs it.
1611
1612Now you just need to decide where you'll be going.
1613
1614>?
1615--------------------------
1616You nod to yourself, making your own way to Group B. Brun gives you a high-five.
1617
1618"Alright, I'm Brun Dalheim." she says, whirling around to the group. "I'm an expert in melee combat. We'll be spreading out toward the east, kicking up the underbrush while we do that. Our first priority is to gather attention and to push everything toward the colony, with actually killing them as a second priority. Anybody have a useful spell to share?"
1619
1620"I've got a Dweomer." A man says, raising his hand. His implement is strapped across his chest. The guy's got dark hair, even darker eyes, and he's not outrageously tall like everybody else- only a head taller than you. "It'll slap monsters away with kinetic force. Keep 'em off their feet."
1621
1622"What's your name?"
1623
1624"Neloch." He says. "No family name."
1625
1626"Good." Brun says. "Share it. Everyone else who can cast, your jobs are to lay down these dweomers while we travel. If you run out of mana, just reclaim the oldest dweomers."
1627
1628While the man shares the dweomer- it's a pretty interesting array, from what you can see- Brun grabs your shoulder.
1629
1630"Jasmine, would you mind saving your mana for now? Just in case we run into an emergency, having your teleportation would be useful."
1631
1632"I can do that." You say. Your sword is sharp enough to fight, and you can't really use a haste spell or force projection while you're using it anyway.
1633
1634"Everyone ready?" Brun asks. The various wizards nod. "Then let's head out."
1635
1636The six of you make your way out of the charred, blasted crater that is the landing zone, walking into the forest. You and Brun are in the front, the other mages guarding the rear and laying down dweomers. Now and then, the dweomers lash out with kinetic force, shoving nearly-invisible Fiends away, sending them running toward the colony. All the while, the mages are chatting amongst themselves and eachother. Apparently most of these people are experienced hunters, so it must not be dangerous yet.
1637
1638It's hard to remind yourself of that- you're too used to monster hunts being stressful and serious- a single mistake killing dozens of non-wizard militia. It's probably not nearly as dangerous here as it was in the village, but it's hard to put the emotion away.
1639
1640"So." Neloch asks you. "What's your story?"
1641
1642>?
1643--------------------------
1644"Short version? I'm a misunderstood genius prodigy destined for greatness." You say. "I'm here in case there's an emergency and someone needs to be teleported out. I'm also pretty good with a sword. What about you?"
1645
1646"Extremely short version? Adventurer, not monster hunter.." He says. "Staying in the capital a few weeks to earn some ecu before I go further west. I'm not an Evoker or anything. More a jack of all trades."
1647
1648"An adventurer?" You ask. "That seems dangerous."
1649
1650"It can be. I do it more out of a sense of wanderlust than any goal. I just hate staying in the same place too long." He grins. "I actually took a photo of the Fungal Dragon. Took weeks of mountain climbing and I didn't get anything out of it, but it was worth it."
1651
1652"That sounds suicidal." You say. He just grins.
1653
1654The brush is getting a bit thicker, and here and there you can see the beginnings of primitive structures made from wood, but after the group makes their way through, the Fiends retreat.
1655
1656"My name's Jasmine Angwaz." You tell Neloch. "I'm a friend of Brun. We're the ones that discovered the fiends and wanted to help out."
1657
1658"Angwaz... Like Krital?" He asks. He can't help but chuckle. "That guy was one of my childhood idols. Found one of his journals when I was eight. Learned magic a few weeks after that."
1659
1660
1661>?
1662--------------------------
1663>>440489
1664>Your ancestor copied his first journal and published it a bunch. That's the one Nel's talking about
1665
1666"One of my ancestors." You say. "It's his fault that my entire family has white hair."
1667
1668"Really? How's that work?"
1669
1670"He experimented with magic." You say. "Specifically, he used frost wolf claws in the wrong spell."
1671
1672He snorts. "I never heard about that."
1673
1674The two of you chat about your ancestor a bit longer, curving around the colony. A few times, some fiends get too close- and either you or Brun take them apart. With your mithril sword, it's like they don't even have a carapace at all- it's almost effortless.
1675
1676"So he's your idol, huh? Most people have the complete opposite reaction."
1677
1678"I get that a lot of people think he's a fiction writer or a madman, but it takes a certain... well, it takes huge adamantine balls to out and publish your own personal journals like that." Neloch says. "Especially if it's something that other people won't believe. Takes a certain something to ignore what people think. And in my village, that was something I needed."
1679
1680You nod. "You might be interested to know that the common misinterpretation of his work as 'mad' is soon going to change."
1681
1682"Oh?"
1683
1684"To public admiration, when my Magus thesis proves him right." You say.
1685
1686He grins. "Well, that's good to hear."
1687
1688Quite suddenly, Uldora appears above you, wings spreading as she makes a landing.
1689
1690"You guys have done well, so far." She says. "That line of dweomers is forcing the fiends to run back to their colony. But soon we're going to have you move in."
1691
1692Everyone tenses up.
1693
1694"When a flare hits the sky, that's your signal to move in and start hunting" She says. "Your priority is to make it certain that no fiends escape. But there's something you need to know. Flying overhead, I saw a smithy. We've got metalworking fiends, everybody."
1695
1696Silence reigns, and Uldora flies off, back toward group C.
1697
1698"What does that mean? The metalworking, I mean." A girl asks. She's an Evoker- a relatively new one, from what you've heard. This is her first real subjugation.
1699
1700"That means they have weapons and armor." Neloch says. "Harder to kill, and they're a lot more dangerous."
1701
1702Brun holds up her axe. "Everyone, take a look at these. They're protective Dweomers. Throw these on before we go."
1703
1704Newly armored with magic, the six of you stand there, waiting and reclaiming dweomers, until suddenly, a second sun appears in the sky above the Colony.
1705
1706"Well." Brun says, as you hear inhuman howls in the distance. "Time to go."
1707
1708> Roll 1d100s, everybody!
1709--------------------------
1710>Result: 24! Bad luck! Fiends now have a BOON.
1711
1712The six of you go charging forward, over brush and through threes. The trees start to thin out, stumps taking their places, while flashes of light and fire appear overhead. Haste spells wrap around the hunters, making them vibrate in place as they move. Crude wooden structures made from fallen trees surround you.
1713
1714Fiends, in response, burst out from the brush, howling. Crude iron weapons wrap around their hands, making up for what magic did to remove their natural weapons. Brun skids to the side, taking off one's head, just to get attacked by a dozen more. Neloch flings lightning from his hands, sending Fiends to the ground in pain, while the new girl- hiding in the back- throws spheres of raw force, crushing fiends where she can.
1715
1716It's rough going forward, despite the magic- mostly because you'd funneled the fiends into one location. But as rough as it is, there's good reason for it- if a handful of Fiends make it out alive, then they'll keep whatever knowledge they have, and they'll be that much more difficult to take care of.
1717
1718You struggle forward, flicking your sword out to catch the few fiends that come close enough. With Brun as the vanguard and Neloch and the newbie as ranged attackers, not many are getting close enough for you to kill. The rearguard are doing essentially nothing, as you push forward.
1719
1720Fiends slowly cease to attack, retreating into their wooden structures and disappearing. You see the other two groups getting closer, the fiends seeming to vanish as you get closer.
1721
1722Quite suddenly, Uldora shoots straight into the air, fire whirling around her- and behind her, something tears its way free from the earth. Bound in crude iron, muzzle kept closed and heavy sheets on its wings, a Tyrant emerges.
1723
1724Six legs, beetle carapace covering its body. It's bound in crude iron, bolts and screws piercing its carapace, spikes sticking every which way. It's titanic, and furious- a land-based Dragon. Its muzzle is made of twisted tubes, making its roar sound strange and echoed. It's forelegs are twisted scythes, sharpened and crude.
1725
1726On it's head, clinging tightly to the spikes emerging from the Dragon's horns, a Fiend howls. It's covered head-to-toe in metal, metal bolted into its carapace.
1727
1728A mage from the larger group fires a bolt of lightning at the Fiend. The tyrant responds by slashing him in half with a foreleg.
1729
1730From the same hole, more fiends begin pouring up and out of the hole. They're all covered head-to-toe in iron, their four wings extended with what looks like a complex arrangement of paper and wooden bars.
1731
1732"Oh. Fuck." Brun says. The Tyrant turns toward your group. It howls.
1733
1734>?
1735>Whatever you plan on doing, you'll need to roll for it.
1736--------------------------
1737-omitted one small post.
1738>Result: 73! Mild Success!
1739
1740You blur into motion, swinging out with your arm to carefully control your Blink. A black sphere swells up and over you, sending you into nothingness- and then it crumbles around you, leaving you standing on the moving Tyrant. It shudders under your feet, making it hard to keep your balance.
1741
1742The Fiend on the Tyrant's back whirls around. Four red eyes are the only visible parts of its body, and a twisted crown- more like antlers- of iron sits bolted to its brow.
1743
1744You swing your sword. It crouches underneath, and snaps loose from itself loose the Tyrant- it'd been partially embedded into the creature's back- and pounces toward you.
1745
1746It's almost laughably easy. You slash again while the creature charges, and it falls into two halves, your mithril sword slicing through.
1747
1748"Jaz!" Brun howls. She parries another scythe with her axe, her defensive dweomers blinking out. "Stop this thing!"
1749
1750Right. You blink her away from the Tyrant, as well as the few other wizards who were in your group. The creature begins twisting its head around, looking for targets... But without anything controlling it, it seems lost.
1751
1752You run up the creature's back, carefully keeping your footing, and then you jump....
1753
1754You land on the Tyrant's head, sword's point down. Then you twist sideways and leverage the sword with your body weight; the creature's head twists off, rolling to the ground.
1755
1756Then the sky explodes, and the aerial fiends begin falling to the ground, their wings burned away. Uldora's hands are both aflame, and she sends plumes of fire down. The air is getting drier and more humid.
1757
1758You pant, trying to grab more air, when another Fiend barrels toward you, snarling.
1759
1760A burst of shadow appears in front of it, materializing into Neloch. With a blast of lightning, the Fiend collapses, and he finishes it with a quick jab with a long spear- the head of the spear made of mithril.
1761
1762"Let's finish this, shall we?"
1763
1764What seems like two hours later, you climb out of the hole in the ground, sweating and exhausted. The colony was mostly underground- the wooden structures on the surface was there for some other reason- perhaps to make it look like there were less fiends, or to make someone think that the colony was merely aboveground.
1765
1766But once the Tyrant was taken care of, as well as Uldora making sure the 'knights' couldn't fly, it wasn't difficult. Only tiring.
1767
1768Except for Brun and Uldora, everyone else seems to be in the same kind of mood as you are. Covered in fiend ichor and ash, your arms and legs sore from swinging your sword, your mana growing low- you'd kept teleportation to a minimum, but you'd had to use it more than you envisioned- You finally sit down on a stump, slumped over.
1769
1770Brun whoops, excitedly high-fiving Uldora. The taller, older woman gives the rest of you a smile.
1771
1772"You've all done very well." She says. "I wasn't expecting them to be raising other monsters. That could have been dangerous, if we'd waited much longer."
1773
1774>?
1775--------------------------
1776>>440774
1777>Even the hunters who fell ended up surviving. That's what took most of your mana- you sent them to Yule's hospital when someone got incapacitated or hurt.
1778
1779"Did we get them all?" You ask. "And how many... How many died?"
1780
1781"I don't know if any died yet." Uldora says. "You did a good job, getting them out of here whenever anybody got hurt. But as for the fiends, I believe we got them all. I scoured the place to make sure there weren't any secret entrances or exits."
1782
1783"There were a few hiding in one of the caverns, and they even had a... I don't know, I guess you'd call it a breeding chamber." The newbie girl- whose name is Amy- says. "With completely normal beetles everywhere. I think they were breeding to get new monster types, not just Fiends."
1784
1785"So... What are we going to do with the monster's bodies?" You ask, looking over to the dead Tyrant.
1786
1787"The plan is to sell most of it, and split the pay with everybody here. I also know some people that are willing to buy and reforge all of that metal" Uldora says. "But, well, since you did slay that Tyrant, I don't see a problem if you wanted to keep part of it..."
1788
1789You get to your feet, stretching to keep your legs from cramping up, and make your way over to it, examining the creature. Neloch is still looking at it, head tilted as he examines the creature.
1790
1791"So, did you teleport?" You ask. "Was that what that was?"
1792
1793"No, it's a shaman power." He says. "Took it from a monster a few weeks back. It lets me move really fast, but it's not really teleportation. It's... hard to describe."
1794
1795"You're a shaman?"
1796
1797"I dabble." He says. "Speaking of which, you feel that?"
1798
1799You close your eyes, focusing on your mana, and you feel something faint in the Tyrant. You wander closer, feeling out for something...
1800
1801And Neloch suddenly becomes shadow, appearing closer to the tyrant's rear half. He carefully cuts aside a plate, prying it open with his spear. "It's right, in..."
1802
1803And what he pries out with his hand is a twisted, carapace-covered object. It's shaped like an egg, and you can feel its soul from here.
1804
1805It's a Tyrant egg. It's soul is still developing, astral energy coiling around into a proper shape.
1806
1807>?
1808--------------------------
1809>The Tyrant monster template is one that tends to make creatures enormous, durable, and damn ferocious. Its origin seems to be a simple insect of some kind. It's hard to say exactly how it'll end up, especially since its parent was heavily modified by the fiends. Insects tend to change a lot more as monsters than other creature types.
1810
1811"I'll take this egg for my trophy." You say, and Neloch hands it to you. "I bet the Academy holding tanks can keep it from escaping."
1812
1813"You sure?" Brun asks.
1814
1815"I'm sure." You say. "I'm not a Shaman, but I do know that taming creatures is a lot easier when they're young."
1816
1817Uldora nods. "You need to do it slowly and gradually."
1818
1819"Thanks for the advice." You say. 
1820
1821From the sky, more platforms arrive, all of them setting down. These don't have hunters on them- instead they have collectors, hired to extract the monster resources like meat or carapace, storing them magically and then selling them to others. They quickly get to work, prying crude iron free from fiend bodies and rendering them down into resources. Uldora stretches. 
1822
1823"Well." She says. "These guys have things in hand. Let's head home, folks. I have you all on a list- I'll get you your money in a few days."
1824
1825The ride back on the platform is completely different. Instead of a tense excitement, people talking and pacing, everybody is exhausted, sitting down somewhere. You sit lotus-style on the edge, egg between your legs while you look down at the wilderness. Your arms and legs are still sore, but things got a lot easier once you put your mithril sword back into your vault.
1826
1827"Sup." Neloch says, sitting down on the edge of the platform with you.
1828
1829"Tired and exhausted." You say. "Sup with you?"
1830
1831He just grins, looking up at the sky.
1832
1833"Today's been a nice day." He says. "With a tyrant like that and all the iron, this looks like this'll be a good paycheck. I might be able to head out in a few weeks instead of months."
1834
1835"Where are you planning to go next?"
1836
1837"West." He says. "Not sure where I'll go. Maybe I'll see if I can cross the ocean to Tark. Might end up actually taking a caravan instead of going it alone like usual."
1838
1839He turns to you.
1840
1841"I do have a question, though." He says. "Mind if I get your number? You seem like a fun person to know. I'm tempted to take you out to dinner or something."
1842
1843>?
1844--------------------------
1845"Sure. I'm pretty much always busy on my Thesis, but thanks for the offer." You say, showing him your number. "Having another friend's never a bad thing."
1846
1847"Alright." He says, grinning. Clipped into the same strap that held his Implement against his chest, his phone is a rugged thing. It would have to be if he wandered the world. It's only with the advent of satellite communications and the internet that cellphones became popular. Now they're essentially ubiquitous. He stretches, then lays back on the platform, staring straight up.
1848
1849"Wish I had enough grounding on gravity magic to figure out how to make a flying machine. Might make me a few dragon friends, but that's worth it." He says. "Been too busy to research it."
1850
1851"Gravity magic isn't hard. Just annoying." You say. "It takes a complicated array depending on the exact shape of the object you want to make fly. My slowfall spell only works with my boots, and there's nobody in the world who can make themselves fly with it because a person is always in motion."
1852
1853Haron might be able to, but you're not sure.
1854
1855"What about Miss Dalheim over there?"
1856
1857"Shamanic magic. Those wings of hers were surgically taken from a fire dragon."
1858
1859"Huh. Oh well. I guess my dream will have to wait a few years until I have the know-how."
1860
1861There the two of you sit and chat until the platform settles back down at the Capital. You scoop your egg back up and get to your feet.
1862
1863"I'm off." You say.
1864
1865"Talk to you later." Neloch says. "Oh! And call me Nel."
1866
1867"Sure thing. See you, Nel." You say, and vanish into a black sphere.
1868
1869Finally, you can go put this egg in your monster pen. The fiend in there had died after it soul fell apart, so it's empty now. 
1870
1871You take a long, long shower, washing your hair as best you can. Thankfully, whatever your ancestor did to it makes its texture always perfect.You can keep it silky smooth with a minimum of work on it, which is something Ishelda takes shameless advantage of. That doesn't mean it doesn't get gross after fighting a bunch of fiends, but it's easy to clean. Just like your frost wolf leather jacket, come to think of it. Must be a reason for that. Regardless, you dry yourself off, get changed into something clean- reminding yourself to take care of your jacket later today- and settle down at your desk, relaxing.
1872
1873Your day's free, and no matter how aching your body is, your mana's still fine. More than enough to do more work on your teleportation research- you have an idea about Nothingness that you want to try- or on something else. Doing what you can with that egg. Its soul is still forming, so maybe if you redirect most of its violent tendencies toward the other cores, you could tame it.
1874
1875Or maybe you could skip research for today. Find something else to do. Maybe even go celebrate the successful subjugation with someone. Thod and Brun, if they're not busy making out. Amy didn't seem bad, even for a newbie evoker. Just a bit naive. She's probably even on campus somewhere.
1876
1877>?
1878--------------------------
1879A soul swirls through the air, astral energy curling itself into mana. It smells dry, like paper, and the egg rumbles under your touch. There's a lot of magic, here. Enough for a Tyrant or a Dragon. Enough for a monster.
1880
1881You sit down next to it- having teleported straight into the pen- and gently place your hands on the side of the egg. Warm to the touch. You open your mind, pushing mana toward it...
1882
1883The mana pushes against you, trying to catch you up in its storm. You don't care. It's all you can do to shape it, like a sculptor with clay. Cores are forming. some you recognize, like Command or Security. Some you don't, alien and twisted. One alien core turns mana into nothing but heat- a waste, for a creature that doesn't need heat. It might end up a fire-elemental beast of some kind, if you hadn't messed with it. But now, you have an idea. Something that the fire core reminds you of, in yourself.
1884
1885When you first learned how to look inwards with your magic- when your father taught you- you were worried about your own cores. Your own Devotion. It was weak, disjointed. You were worried that you were broken, so you researched it. Put all of your effort into finding out why you were like that, what you could do about it.
1886
1887But if you squint, so to speak, and look at the Fire core, it looks almost like Devotion would. You know exactly how to change it. To reshape it.
1888
1889Gently, you push your mana in with the forming Core, following the path of the egg's natural soul...
1890
1891>Roll me some 1d100s! Good luck!
1892--------------------------
1893>Result: 47. Mediocre!
1894
1895Mana contorts under your command, pushing against you just as much as you push against it. Your soul begins to ache as the egg's own begins to tear into you, tearing away your mana just as you feed it. Sweat beads on your forehead, and the heat from the egg begins to grow hotter and hotter, your hands sizzling painfully.
1896
1897But you push, and push, and push. Your mana swells, reshaping the Flame core into something hotter than it was before. The core swells and distorts into a shape you vaguely recognize, somewhere close to where you need it to be. It's too empty, too hollow- and it begins to fall apart. Not enough mana to hold itself together.
1898
1899But if it falls apart, if one of its cores are completely shattered, the creature dies. That's the ironclad rule of astral magic. Carefully, with tendrils of magic, you begin to pull from the other alien cores. Not all of it, not even most of it- just a little bit from everything, feeding it into the egg's Devotion. The core flushes in your mind's eye, taking everything it's fed. 
1900
1901Hours later, you pull your hands away from the egg. Your hands are burned- not badly, but enough that you'll need some cream- but the egg's soul is stable. The devotion core is just as strong as you needed it... But it came at a cost. The Tyrant's other cores are weaker now, its natural powers weak. It'll never be an enormous size, and it'll never be as strong as it would have been. It's mana is crippled, as are it's powers...
1902
1903But it's yours now. Even now, you can feel your own mana roil around its cores. You won't know how tame it'll be until it hatches, but right now... you have a feeling like it'll be yours.
1904
1905The egg rumbles under your touch, purring contentedly.
1906
1907>?
1908--------------------------
1909>>441086
1910>Probably somewhat like eating a fully grown cockroach, complete with crunching.
1911
1912>>441100
1913>It's a lot easier to kill things mundanely or with force or lightning or something than with astral magic. Souls do not like having cores destroyed.
1914>Likely a Tyrant... Though not nearly as strong as the one you killed, since you had to weaken it in order to make it loyal. 
1915
1916>>441116
1917>I guess someone could, but it'd be a really fucked up thing to do.
1918
1919You do what you can for the egg, at first- setting it on a towel, changing the environmental settings on the pen to make it more humid, things like that. Finally, you slap together a few dweomers to watch it and warn you when it hatches or begins moving. 
1920
1921Then you teleport out to put some burn cream on your hands. With your burns and all of the slight bruises and scratches from the Fiends earlier today, you're not feeling very good. In fact, you're feeling pretty shitty. Your legs ache, your hands hurt, your head pounds- and your soul begins to burn.
1922
1923But at least you'll always have books. They'll never abandon you.
1924
1925Then, with a start, you realize- you probably need some kind of book to give you information on monster taming. And you don't have anything like that.
1926
1927Which means you'll have to make your way to the library and check out some new books.
1928
1929Wonderful. The library just loves you.
1930
1931>End of session! 
1932>As always, I'll stick around for a bit to answer questions and such.
1933>Also, today was the introduction of Nel! I've been looking forward to him for awhile.
1934--------------------------
1935>>441150
1936Everyone- specifically, Jaz, Rathod, Kally, Cera, and Brun are in their early twenties. Ishelda is twelve, Mom is forty-something, though she looks like she barely passed thirty. Nel is young- Eighteen, maybe nineteen- while Sirius and Uldora are in their fifties (Though Uldora is still a MILF because of magic).
1937
1938Kristoph is only a few years older than you, Haron is positively ancient at two hundred years old, and Yule was born thousands of years ago- near the origin of society itself.
1939
1940>>441155
1941It's technically possible, but the thing about souls is that they resist change... Unless you're the one trying to change yourself. So while a shaman can, with difficulty, claim a core from a monster, it would be many times more difficult to grant an ability to a monster. Maybe even impossible.
1942--------------------------
1943>>441182
1944>Has Yule ever taken Apprentices? Is so, what happened to them?
1945Never. She's never taken any apprentices.
1946
1947>Do apprentices get the same legal immunity as Archmages when they finish their apprenticeships?
1948Not exactly. They do get some leniency, especially when it relates to their magic. Rathod, for example, can legally modify Implements freely, because he's the apprentice of the wizard who invented them. But that's all done on a case-by-case basis. He isn't considered 'impossible to arrest' like Haron, or Kristoph, or Sirius.
1949--------------------------
1950>>441202
1951>Other apprentices
1952A handful, over the centuries. None of them really got as far as Rathod.
1953Turns out that Haron 'tests' all of his apprentices by making them do boring work for a few months to a year. Only a few apprentices were stubborn or stoic enough to hang on. Rathod is the very definition of 'stubborn and stoic' though.
1954The reason for that is because Haron learned golemancy when his master used him as a physical workhorse, so he made little animated twig critters to do his work for him, Sorcerer's Apprentice style. He keeps the apprentices that either do the same thing or have the integrity to do it for months.
1955
1956>How many Archmagi are active right now
1957A dozen or so, in Tark and Romalia. Nobody really knows about the outer world, because nobody really interacts with them very much.
1958--------------------------
1959>>441264
1960>What happens when someone recreates a magic that a current Archmage already is known for?
1961That hasn't really ever happened. Hypothetically, the original archmage could pay the discoverer tons of money to keep it quiet. 
1962
1963But some archmages actually release their magic to the world simply to improve it. Shamanism was discovered that way- an Archmage known as Clarke- just released his magic to the world.
1964--------------------------
1965>>441328
1966Kristoph made archmage ten years ago- he was barely a kid when his master died and left him alone.
1967
1968Though Mithril and orichalium existed before that- impure versions as the bones of certain monster types. It's hard as hell to reshape. Kristoph actually learned how to make 'pure' Mithril and Orichalium.
1969--------------------------
1970>>441365
1971>what couldn't it do?
1972
1973Let you customize it. Customizing hermetic magic is the practice of mixing together explosives in a bottle and giving it a shake. If you slap down the wrong runes or the wrong components, you end up just plain dead.
1974
1975There's no logic to hermetic magic, no real basis for understanding. It just does random stuff depending on what you put into it through an algorithm that nobody understands, even with centuries of study. Existing spells are more a result of accident and the sacrifice of hermetic wizards than anything based on research and calculation.
1976--------------------------
1977>>441376
1978Not that you've found. There are hermetic spells that allow you to reshape materials, which looks similar to Sirius' power at a glance, and there's a circle that heals people at the cost of a sacrifice of a living creature, but neither actually has the same underlying effect to the archmages. Sirius's magic is outright matter-to-energy conversion and vice-versa, while Yule's is complete biomancy.
1979--------------------------
1980>>441464
1981... To be honest, I'm scared of giving you guys that power. So I'll say 'not as far as you know' right now.
1982
1983
1984>>441932
1985It does not. The moment something dies, the soul disintegrates. 
1986
1987More specifically, the weird infinite wellspring of power that funnels into the soul and makes the soul, well, exist, suddenly stops. Think of a soul as a creek, with each core being a particularly shaped whirlpool. The spring is mysterious- nobody knows where the water comes from- and the waterfall at the other end is mana. Useless for the soul, but it looks pretty and makes rainbows if you're a wizard. When someone dies, the spring is clogged for unknown reasons. And when the creek dries up, the person's soul vanishes too.
1988
1989That does mean that if you're really damn good, you can keep someone's soul going by replacing the wellspring with good old generic mana. You know, with a funnel at the bottom of a waterfall, a pump, and a hose. But that isn't infinite without an external mana source.
1990--------------------------
1991>>443918
1992You didn't get better at him at it- you suppressed his entire ability to resist with mithril and sliced up his tendrils beforehand, basically crippling his astral magic ability for a few weeks. It was less like outskilling a clever opponent- more like drugging the opponent, then shoving him over when he falls asleep.
1993--------------------------
1994Your testing chamber is quiet and empty. Your experimental gate sits humming in front of you, dweomer carefully feeding it with power. A sensory dweomer, counting carefully the mana requirement to keep the gate open is dutifully recording.
1995
1996It was dangerous, the first time you'd opened this gate. It had torn much of the air from the room, pulling it through the portal, as if there was a vacuum on the other end.
1997
1998This wasn't like your previous experiments. Something you'd noticed is that with the right, slight modifications, you can prevent dimensional foam from forming around the edges of a portal. It collapses immediately if there's no physical objects on the back end or edges of the portal, so you've been testing it out with your gate.
1999
2000Eventually, experimentally, you tried conjuring up a portal to Nothingness... And this was the result.
2001
2002Through the small gate, though you see only blackness, a small signet ring sits in the center of a dimensional pocket. The edges of the inside of Nothingness is solid, almost rubbery- you can push on it, but it pushes right back. The further it's stretched, the harder it pushes back on you. You have more space in your chamber than physically exists.
2003
2004Moreover, your notes on the mechanics behind teleportation are beginning to form. You'd needed to study everything physicists had come up with on the nature of space, bringing you many headaches, but you're starting to understand the mechanism behind it. You're not sure on the particulars, but it revolves around contorting spacetime- forming dimensional foam as a byproduct- and injecting it with power. You're still not sure how to do that through Analytical magic, but you're working on it. You haven't got nowhere near the knowledge base you need for this kind of thing, meaning all you can do is study.
2005
2006It's been two weeks, since you claimed the Tyrant egg.
2007
2008Your head pounds again, and the sensor dweomer cheerfully informs you that it's out of power. Both the sensor and the portal dweomers blink out, making the gate close entirely.
2009
2010Sighting, you open the testing chamber's air vents again, making sure it has enough air not to suffocate you, and open the portal again.
2011
2012This time, you don't even need to put an object inside- when the portal opens, on the other end the ring and dimensional pocket is there.
2013
2014Your eyes widen. You close the portal, mark down the gate's exact location, and move the gate to the side. When you open the portal again... The ring and dimensional pocket is there.
2015
2016And that's when an alarm dweomer from the monster pen chirps, finally warning you that the egg is beginning to move. Already stretching its lifespan, the alarm dweomer winks out- leaving you to clean up your testing chamber and hurry.
2017
2018The Tyrant isn't big, in the pen. It's a small, twisted creature- four carapaced legs, instead of six- and a sleek, scrawny body. Mandibles click as it chows down on its own shell. The creature makes you think of an insectoid housecat, somehow.
2019
2020>?
2021--------------------------
2022>As shit as ESO is, the best way to envision this little tyrant is as a Kwama Worker from Elder Scrolls Online.
2023
2024You examine the creature. It's carapace isn't an ugly brown, like the creature's parent; it's darker, almost a pure black, flourescent lights giving it a bright sheen. Finally, you teleport into the pen- the corner, of course, casting a defensive dweomer just in case it tries to bite you. You open your mind, and as sluggish as your mana is after your research, you still reach out to feel the creature's soul.
2025
2026It finally seems to notice you. It's head turns, six beady eyes appraising you, and then it totters over. You hold out a hand, carefully-
2027
2028It's Devotion core swells with power and mana and love, the creature tickling you with three different pairs of antennae. You teleport a fruit from your dorm, and the creature bores down, holding it in place with pincers so that its mandibles can begin to chomp down. A few minutes later, it nuzzles your hand again, sniffing for more food. You oblige by teleporting in some more food.
2029
2030It's omnivorous, as far as you can tell. From your studies, Tyrants and Dragons- the various large-variety monsters- don't need to eat as much as you'd think, considering their size, but they tend to be able to eat anything. Moreover, they supplement their lack of food with mana, somehow, and simply enter a coma or grow sluggish if they can't eat enough. But you've got money. A lot of it, actually- Uldora even gave you a few thousand extra Ecu from the subjugation, since you took care of the Tyrant and prevented all deaths.
2031
2032The creature snuffles some more, hot air leaking from 'gills' beneath its carapace. Mandibles tickle your palm just as the antennae. It isn't even trying to bite down- it's just trying to smell you.
2033
2034You pat it on the head. It makes a quiet buzzing noise from its abdomen, somehow, and waddles closer to you. All four legs collapse as it clumsily lays down in front of you.
2035
2036>?
2037--------------------------
2038>>445892
2039>Tyrants don't have one set anatomy/physiology, even two tyrants from the same species. All monsters tend to be like that. Even out of the beetle-fiends you fought, some had huge hercules-style horns, some were scrawny and thin, some had fully articulated arms and legs, some even had wings and the ability to fly.
2040
2041>>445925
2042>>445897
2043>The pocket/hammerspace isn't perfected yet. A dimension-foamless portal collapses instantly unless it's made inside of a Gate, and your experimental Gate is pretty bulky for making a portal a little wider than your hand. But that's mostly because the experimental gate is designed to scale larger and smaller for larger or smaller portals.
2044
2045>>445925
2046>The size limitation is mostly 'how much can you push before it pushes back', and that scales up on the size of the portal. Or you could manually expand it by putting a floor and walls in there somehow...
2047
2048You spend a few hours trying to see how the creature reacts to certain stimulus. It loves being patted, as long as it isn't near it's more delicate parts, like the creature's gills or antennae, and interesting new smells cause it to examine the object more immediately. It doesn't seem to have very good vision, but it doesn't seem to need it, having some sense of it's surroundings through touch or sound.
2049
2050It seems to understand when you tell it off, when you try to teach it. It's as if the creature wants only to make you happy, and when you snap at it trying to teach it how to 'stay', it mopes in place. It's easy to teach, even though you don't know much about pets. You get it to 'stay', to 'sit', and to 'follow me'. Though the latter command seems to mean 'jump on my shoulder', which it happily does. As large as the creature is, for a bug, it seems extremely light, giving it the ability to jump wherever it wants.
2051
2052Just to make sure the creature won't attack people other than you, you pick him up and carefully take him outside, carrying the creature around on your shoulder. While the child doesn't attack people, it doesn't seem to have the same kind of love for them that it has for you. It's as if it knows you by magic, while other humans are just strangers. You will need to give it a mark eventually, and register it with the city, but that's for later. It's fine on-campus due to the Academy's extraterritoriality.
2053
2054Eventually you come across Brun as she strides out of the Combat Dome, axe on her shoulder. She's replaced some of the fur and scale on her outfit with carapace and metal bolts.
2055
2056"Woah." Brun says, eying your pet Tyrant. The creature chitters on your shoulder, and Brun carefully holds out a hand. The tyrant turns away from her.
2057
2058"Aw. It doesn't like me. Is that what came out of that egg?"
2059
2060"Unless it somehow snuck in the monster pen and ate what did." You say. You pat the creature's head, carefully staying away from it's antennae, and it buzzes happily again.
2061
2062"He's cute. What's his name?"
2063
2064>?
2065--------------------------
2066"Hmm." You say, looking down at the Tyrant. It clicks its mandibles and begins to rustle your hair with its antenna. "Maybe I'll name him Gareth."
2067
2068"That's a nice name." She says. Carefully, she pets the creature. It turns to look at her, then goes back to your hair. "He is really cute, though. How did you tame him?"
2069
2070"Messed with one of his cores." You say. "Replaced one of his powers with a Devotion core. I think he likes me because he's got my magic in there. He probably won't end up as outrageously tough as a Tyrant since I had to siphon mana from some of his other powers, but it's better that he's loyal than strong.
2071
2072"How smart is he?"
2073
2074"Pretty smart. Or at least he's desperate to please." You say. "Gareth. Stay."
2075
2076The creature turns to you- then jumps off of your shoulder, landing in the grass. It lays down there, antennae twitching, waiting.
2077
2078"Good boy!" You say, patting him some more. He buzzes happily at you, mandibles clicking, one of its legs twitching. Brun joins in, and together the two of you spoil the little guy.
2079
2080Thod happens by, a hefty duffel bag on his shoulder.
2081
2082"Hey. What's up?" He asks. Brun springs to her feet and kisses him.
2083
2084"Jaz's egg hatched. The little guy is adorable."
2085
2086Thod looks down at the Tyrant, eyebrows raised.
2087
2088"If you say so." He says. "I don't exactly get the whole part where the giant gross bug is cute..."
2089
2090He suddenly yelps, twitching and jumping away from Brun, cheeks going bright red. Brun just grins at him, her hand around the area Thod's butt once was.
2091
2092"He is too adorable." She says. She rolls her eyes. "Don't worry Jaz, I'll educate this big lug."
2093
2094"That might have to wait." Thod says, making Brun frown at him. "Haron's been pushing me pretty hard lately. Thirtieth Precept is a real bitch to figure out, and until I can do that he has me making parts for his golems."
2095
2096>?
2097--------------------------
2098>Since you decided to finish your thesis before announcing anything, you're not considered an archmage on paper yet, though the other archmages consider you one.
2099
2100"What's the thirtieth precept? Top secret, I guess?"
2101
2102"Technically, yeah." He says. "Another logic array technique Haron invented. Most of 'em are pretty simple, but the thirtieth is one of his more advanced ones. I like to think I'm good at this stuff, but I'm not perfect. It'll take me a few more days. Funnily enough, if I had it a few weeks back, I could've finished Ishelda's present in half the time."
2103
2104"Does he have you building his normal golems, or some special project?"
2105
2106"His normal ones." He says. "By this point, you can probably flip a coin whenever you see a golem worker around the city. If it's heads, then I'm the one that built it."
2107
2108"That's how he makes most of his cash? Archmage Haron, I mean." Brun asks.
2109
2110"Yeah. Sells 'em to the city." He says.
2111
2112"How's your intelligent golem project coming along?"
2113
2114"Ishelda's present pushed me forward a lot, since that was less theoretical and more practical... But I haven't had enough time to work on it much lately."
2115
2116You sigh. "I hope Haron remembers that you're still mostly human."
2117
2118"I'll be fine." Thod says. "I'm good at this kind of thing anyway. Learning from an Archmage is more than worth a little extra work."
2119
2120Brun sighs.
2121
2122"Speaking of Archmage, does Brun know yet?" You ask.
2123
2124"Know what?" She asks. She looks from you to Thod.
2125
2126"You did say you wanted to keep it secret..." He says.
2127
2128You shrug and turn to Brun.
2129
2130"Keep it on the down-low," You say, "But I'm an Archmage now."
2131
2132Brun appraises your expression, eyes widening.
2133
2134"Really? Jeez, how'd you do that? Has your teleportation progressed that far? That's so cool!"
2135
2136You just grin.
2137
2138"Do you get any benefits? Other than the legal stuff?" Brun asks.
2139
2140"Mostly it means I can call up other Archmages." You say. "And they tend to make time for me."
2141
2142"That seems useful." She says. "So you could, like, ask Yule to take a look at this little guy for you?"
2143
2144"Yeah, if I was willing to owe her a favor later." You say. "It's funny- unless it's buying something from Kristoph or having Haron make you something, everybody tends to trade around favors."
2145
2146Speaking of favors, Kristoph is apparently working on the two Gates you'd ordered. You've already paid with a portal for him- it was a headache of a day- so now you're just waiting for him to finish it.
2147
2148"Anyway, I've got to go." Thod says. "Haron wants me in as soon as possible."
2149
2150"See you." Brun says, while you wave. Gareth buzzes under your touch, leaning into you.
2151
2152After Thod leaves, Brun frowns.
2153
2154"He's been way too busy lately." She says, frowning. In a way, Thod had always been like that, just like his father. But you've seen less of him in the past two weeks than normal.
2155
2156>?
2157--------------------------
2158"Yeah, he takes after his dad in that regard," You say. "The guy never took a day off. Probably means Haron is testing him. Hopefully he won't keep the pressure on too long. He might want Thod to keep up with me."
2159
2160You sit down in the grass. It's a nice day out, though it's starting to get colder as the weeks pass by. Gareth climbs up onto your lap, curling up, and Brun sits down with you.
2161
2162"His dad?" She asks. "I don't know much about Rathod's family."
2163
2164"They aren't around anymore." You say. Nobody in the village ever met Rathod's mom- He and his father had just arrived in the village one year, when you were young.
2165
2166"Oh."
2167
2168"I remember his dad, though." You say. "I was scared of him when I was a kid."
2169
2170"Why was that?"
2171
2172"He was taller than Thod is now." You say. "It took me weeks before I came across his dad picking flowers before I got over it."
2173
2174"Hey." She says. "I've got a question."
2175
2176"Shoot." You say.
2177
2178"Has Thod ever gotten angry?" She asks. "Like actually actively upset at someone?"
2179
2180You think about it... but eventually you shake your head.
2181
2182"I got into my share of scraps when we were little," You say. "Well, probably several people's shares of scraps, but Thod's never been in a fight or anything."
2183
2184"Not even to help you?"
2185
2186You roll your eyes. "As if I needed help. But no, He's not that kind of person. For him, there's always a better option than violence. Why do you ask?"
2187
2188"... No reason." She says, looking elsewhere. "Thod's just... pretty admirable sometimes."
2189
2190>?
2191--------------------------
2192"He has a gentle soul." You say. 
2193
2194You remember Ishelda crying, a twelve year old Rathod still stomping on a Dire wolf's head, holding his still-bleeding stump. The pitiful beast had died long before Thod noticed.
2195
2196You shake off your memory, and turn to Brun.
2197
2198"I dunno, if I had a huge golem arm on my huge body I'd want to punch a monster with it." You say, more to change the subject.
2199
2200"I know, right?!" She asks.
2201
2202"It just seems like a waste not to." You say, grinning. "I like your violent side, Brun. It's pretty handy."
2203
2204"Yeah." She says. "Thod might be the most admirable person I've met, but Humanity needs people like me if we're going to survive."
2205
2206The two of you sit down and relax for a while, while Gareth adapts to having Brun nearby.
2207
2208"Huh." You say.
2209
2210"What?"
2211
2212"I just realized- I might be able to teleport into foriegn libraries and see what they have on hermetic magic."
2213
2214"Can you even teleport to other countries?"
2215
2216"I'd actually have to make a portal." You say. "And it'll take some mana, but I can do it. Especially when my order from Kristoph comes in, it should minimalize mana costs."
2217
2218"Do you even know any other languages?" She asks.
2219
2220"Not really," You say... "But there is a hermetic spell that teaches me all language for a few hours."
2221
2222Brun snorts. "That feels like cheating."
2223
2224"It might be." You say, shrugging. "But so is all magic."
2225
2226"Yeah, yeah." Brun says, rolling her eyes.
2227
2228Your phone chirp- it's a text from Kristoph.
2229
2230Your order is done, finally. Both archways, both complete... Both collapsible.
2231
2232All you need to do is open a portal there to claim it.
2233
2234>?
2235--------------------------
2236>>446279
2237>Brun was asking about him getting angry at people. Monsters aren't really people.
2238
2239>>446299
2240>I don't quite understand the question. Can you rephrase it?
2241
2242"Hey, Brun." You say, putting Gary on your shoulder. 
2243
2244"What?"
2245
2246"Want to come to Tark with me?" You ask.
2247
2248"Wait, really?" She asks. "Right now?"
2249
2250You shrug. "Yeah. We won't be gone more than a day or so."
2251
2252"Sure." She says. You nod, and get to your feet. A simple spell, and the two of you fade out from reality, consumed by a black sphere.
2253
2254You fade back in elsewhere- specifically, in a small empty chamber, under the city. One of many little pockets you found through experimentation and looking around. Gareth, startled by the teleportation, just curls up on your shoulder, sniffing at your hair with his antennae to comfort himself.
2255
2256You set up the lengthy dweomer process it takes to conjure an advanced portal- two of them, one for mana management and one for mana storage- before you start creating the portal itself.
2257
2258"Hey, can you pump up that dweomer?" You ask, and Brun obliges, funneling her own mana into it. That was one benefit you found- namely
2259
2260Ten minutes later, the whorl of energy that is a portal-in-progress coalesces into a hole in reality. On the other end, the sun is rising in the sky, a few hours earlier in time than Romalia. Kristoph's home- a tall, arching beautiful tower of mithril and marble- looms in front of you. 
2261
2262"Ladies first." You say. Brun climbs through, and you follow.
2263
2264"This is Tark, huh?" She asks, sniffing. The city is squat. Domed clay buildings bubble up over the city, confusing curved roads dug into the ground and leading into tunnels. Everything is half underground, as far as you know, with parks and open green fields where buildings aren't. The air smells different. Dirtier, and smoggier.
2265
2266"This is Tark." You say.
2267
2268A young wizard in red, steps out of the tower, gesturing you closer. Archmage Kristoph.
2269
2270"Hello, ladies." He says. "I've been looking forward to your visit."
2271
2272He bows to Brun. "My name is Archmage Kristoph. I'm pleased to meet you. I wasn't expecting Miss Jasmine to bring a guest."
2273
2274"Brun Dalheim." She responds. "Pleased to meet you."
2275
2276"Come in, come in. Miss Jasmine, I've completed your order." He says, leading you into a large, nearly-empty workshop. Both Gates stand, expanded to their maximum size. "These things are rather ingenious. I don't understand why you requested things with such strange sockets around the frame, but it's not my place to ask. Very ingenious."
2277
2278You grin. The specifics of the gate frame itself was a clever idea you came up with. By leaving blank orichalium sockets open where certain hermetic runes would go, you can have the spell simulate those runes without a loss in mana efficiency, allowing you to change portal locations easily. Gareth snuffles, looking around at the new environment.
2279
2280"Ah. Have you become monster tamer?" Kristoph says, eying the monster warily.
2281
2282>?
2283--------------------------
2284-omitted one small post.
2285"Indeed I have." You say, examining the Gate. "This is Gareth. He's a baby Tyrant. Don't worry, he's not that dangerous. Though I don't think he's house-trained."
2286
2287"I see." Kristoph says. "We don't have many monster tamers here in Tark. I'm not sure how one would house-train a monster."
2288
2289You eye the two portals, examining them carefully. Might as well test them out before you take them- if there's a mistake somewhere, there's no way you'd be able to fix it. You quickly adapt your portal spell to work with the gates, creating yet another Array, and then you erect another sensory dweomer.
2290
2291"These portals are just like I imagined them." You say. "Very good work. Excellent!"
2292
2293"Go on, test them out." He says.
2294
2295First things first- you might as well see how much energy it takes when you have a gate on both ends. You cast the spell to connect both gates. It takes only a minute for the two portals to form...
2296
2297And you stare at your sensory dweomer curiously. The portal's barely taking anything. As-is, the portal would last... Days, maybe even weeks, open like this. From your experiments, portals take the same amount of energy no matter how far apart they are.
2298
2299"Uh... Someone walk through." You say, examining the sensory dweomer. Brun obliges, and the sensory dweomer flashes with light for a moment. So it takes more when something travels through, but even then it doesn't take much. A fraction of a percent of it's total energy. Maybe if you...
2300
2301You throw up a dweomer you'd designed a week ago, preventing gases from traveling through the portal, and the sensory dweomer winks out entirely. It's not taking any mana. The portal is taking absolutely zero mana, open like this, as long as nothing travels through. It does cost some to keep air from traveling through, but if you had an airlock or something...
2302
2303A giggle- then a laugh- then a cackle escapes from you, sending Gareth into a fit of excited chittering and making Brun take a step away from you.
2304
2305You're going to be the richest woman alive, if the Caravan companies don't assassinate you first.
2306
2307>?
2308--------------------------
2309>>446480
2310>A portal that uses a gate can go to a soft-shelled portal, but it's not as efficient. It's only when both ends are isolated by mithril- a gate-to-gate connection- that prevents mana from leaking from the portal and thus giving it maximum possible efficiency. Having a gate on one end just keeps that one end from leaking. It's a lot better than just a portal-to-portal connection, but not as perfect as gate-to-gate.
2311
2312"Ha!" You cry. "Maximum efficiency! Absolutely zero mana leakage!" You whirl around. "It's perfect! These things would last forever, if it weren't for the pesky things that travel through them!"
2313
2314"... Er, then what would the point be, if nothing travels through??" Kristoph asks, and withers under your glare.
2315
2316You turn to Kristoph. "So. Where do you want to have a permanent portal between Tark and Romalia?"
2317
2318"Er..." He says. "It would probably be best if you put it near the Caravan segment of the city. That's where customs is. That way Tark won't hate you since they'll still get their taxes. You know, if you plan on using it commercially."
2319
2320"You should definitely do that with the other end in Romalia, too." Brun says. "I know a place you could buy, in fact. Triple C went under a few months back, so you could buy their HQ. All the big caravans have no need for it."
2321
2322You'll definitely need more of these. You don't have the money to buy more gates from Kristoph, and favors will only take you so far. You might be able to cut some kind of deal with him... Or you could make your own company. With just a single gate pair from capital to capital you'll get... Well, you'll get rich enough to buy whatever you want.
2323
2324You just need to figure out how to do that.
2325
2326"Triple C?" Kristoph asks.
2327
2328"The Crimson Caravan Company." Brun says. "I did a bit of work for them. They mostly just took stuff to remote villages out in Romalia."
2329
2330>?
2331--------------------------
2332>>446506
2333>Far Go Traders are still doing very well, being one of the largest in Romalia, and the Water Merchants- who mostly deal with village-to-village transports- are recovering from a bad Fire Wolf pack that took down one of their shipments.
2334--------------------------
2335"Well, I probably will buy that building." You say. If nobody wants it, then it should be pretty cheap. "Do you want to explore Tark while we're here, Brun?"
2336
2337"Sure." She says.
2338
2339"Do you ladies mind if I join you?" Kristoph asks. "I know the city like the back of my hand, and it's common for newcomers to get a little lost at first."
2340
2341"I don't mind." You say. "Brun?"
2342
2343"Go ahead." She says.
2344
2345"Then let's go, shall we?" He asks.
2346
2347Tark's capital is almost more confusing when the three- four, counting Gareth- make your way down the tower and into the roads themselves. Most of them are partially or completely submerged, with bare lightbulbs lighting up the tunnels as you walk. Kristoph gives you a vague tour of the city, explaining the origins of the city- when the Tarkan clans found an oasis in the desert, and quickly began to fight over it for centuries. Eventually, they united and built the city. The purpose of the mostly-underground structures was to keep foods cool, underground, and keep most of the heat away. It wouldn't be possible to build an entire city out of clay like this, if it weren't for the city's specific geography. The oasis is only better than it was before, with wizards finding and merging underground streams together.
2348
2349The reason for the smog, you find out, is because enough electricity for an entire city is hard to generate when you don't have archmage Sirius and his matter-to-energy conversion magic taking care of it- instead using their oasis to generate steam, and steam to power. Apparently there's a much higher pay for untrained wizards to charge electricity dweomers, but that barely makes a dent in the city's power draw.
2350
2351Unlike Romalia's extensive wall barrier to keep the monsters out, Tark has no kind of wall or seperation from the outside world. It's the sheer size of the desert that prevents monsters from reaching the city. It's too hot for most creatures to survive, and the few that do get big enough to threaten the city are easily slain by hunters long before they can hurt anybody.
2352
2353The warehouses and caravans are underground, near a large tunnel heading northward. This is the main entrance and exit to the city. The tunnel was comfortable, and in some places had rails for trains or carts to move along it, so that carvans can move underneath the worst and deadliest parts of the desert and head toward the ocean, and from there, use ships to get to the coastal villages. There is a rather small warehouse in a deep corner near the tunnel and it's only a few thousand ecu to purchase. You don't have enough to buy it outright, but you have enough for a deposit.
2354
2355"This is an interesting city." Brun says. "But it feels like most people never see the sun."
2356
2357"Oh, don't worry, Miss Brun." Kristoph says "Most of the residential stuff may be underground, but most public services- bathhouses, cafes, shops and such- are aboveground. Summers get murderous, though, and that's when the last thing you want is to go above ground."
2358
2359>?
2360--------------------------
2361>There is a design you have in mind that's about the size and shape of a hand mirror, but you haven't gotten around to making it yet. You can make it out of simple iron and gold... But first you need to do more experiments on Nothing-space.
2362
2363You make a note of the warehouse, but you don't come to any particular decision yet.
2364
2365The residents of Tark seem to be rather friendly, considering you're hanging out with Kristoph. In Romalia, everybody would be quietly respectful, keeping their distance from the archmage, only looking on curiously. But here in Tark, you're swarmed, now and then, with people greeting Kristoph and being friendly. Eventually, you discover why.
2366
2367Kristoph is friendly. He greets everybody, signs autographs... He even made a beautiful pendant- some religious symbol- out of orichalium for a young girl who asked for it. Cafe owners offer him free meals- one of which he takes them up on, taking you and Brun out for lunch. He's also a shameless flirt, now and then, complimenting the young women who come by to ask for autographs, but he doesn't mean anything by it and nobody seems offended. Other people, it seems like he knows them by name- apparently having met them on a previous outing.
2368
2369"These folks seem rather... forward to an archmage." Brun says. "At least compared to the folks in Romalia."
2370
2371"I wouldn't want that." Kristoph says. "I prefer making friends than to be... worshipped."
2372
2373"Seems tiring." You say. "Like you never get time for yourself."
2374
2375"On the contrary, I find it enjoyable." He says. "I like meeting new people."
2376
2377"Silly extroverts." You say, and Kristoph just chuckles.
2378
2379You, Brun, Gareth, and Kristoph settle down to eat.
2380
2381The sun reaches it's zenith, the sky a brilliant red, and you start to eat. You've never had ice cream before- apparently a tark specialty- and it's delicious. You'll have to take some home for Ishelda.
2382
2383Today has been another good day on a long streak of good days... and your future is looking bright.
2384
2385>End of session!
2386>I would normally let things go a bit longer, but apparently this late on a friday folks are out and about doing non-quest things. Oh well!
2387>Thanks for coming, folks.
2388--------------------------
2389>>446702
2390Those kinds of dweomers already exist, and they're pretty common. Most wizards can figure that kind of thing out for themselves. Or, well, they could go to /mg/'s 'dweomers general' or a few sites specifically to search for certain dweomers.
2391
2392The problem is that non-wizards can't use or charge dweomers without learning to manipulate mana, so it's hard to market something like that.
2393--------------------------
2394>>446718
2395Tark actually has working solar power. A lot of the uppermost domes have panels. But as for solar power for magic... One thing about magic is that it's impossible to convert non-mana energies to mana. You can turn mana into heat, but you can't turn heat into mana. So there's no real way for a wizard to harness sunlight like that.
2396
2397Tark also has an extensive subway system for travel. Nowhere near as many personal vehicles than Romalia, due to the city's design.
2398
2399>>446759
2400Hehehehehe
2401
2402>>446765
2403You're welcome! Thanks for coming by and hanging out.
2404--------------------------
2405==== END THREAD ====
2406Samsara Quest 3
2407written by Exabyte
2408--------------------qst2txt--------------------
2409
2410>>Previous threads can be found at: http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive.html?tags=Samsara%20Quest
2411
2412>>Goals for the future
2413>Discover the truth behind your ancestor.
2414>Perfect your thesis
2415>Possibly(?) create your very own teleportation gate company.
2416
2417You are Jasmine Angwaz. Once an Adept at the Arcane Academy, you've since progressed your thesis- the magic of teleportation- beyond any and all expectations. In fact, the Archmagi of Romalia put you through a test and declared you an Archmage yourself. It's hard to believe it, some days, especially considering how far away you are from perfecting your magic. You declined to publicize your new position, at least until the Academy recognizes you as Magus. No reason to skip directly from Adept to Archmage, after all.
2418
2419Gareth- a four-legged, carapaced monster of your very own- chitters and pushes his head up against you, despite the fact that you're poring over your Teleportation Gate. The little guy's been growing rather quickly over the past few days. Where before he was small enough to stand on your shoulder, now he's nearly twice the size.
2420
2421The other gate- the second of the pair- is in Kristoph's territory. You already have the data you needed from linking a Gate to Gate, and this makes it a lot easier to transfer shipments for him. You haven't made much profit from it yet, but seeing as he'll pay you for anything he ships from now on, you're expecting to earn a lot of money.
2422
2423As of now, you've already earned enough to permanently register the Testing Chamber B6 as your very own. As long as you continue to study at the Academy, it, and the advanced sensor equipment inside, is yours. Now you don't need to clean it up anymore.
2424
2425The Teleportation Gate is a tall, circular ring of orichalium and mithril. At full size, it has an 8 foot diameter- easily large enough to fit everything but vehicles and monsters. Right now you've been mapping exactly what the magic you pour into the portal does by using your adequate Astral magic skill in order to keep in contact with your magic. It isn't very helpful, but bit by bit you're working closer to figuring out the exact mechanism behind teleportation.
2426
2427Eventually, you close the portal, the magic around the Gate simply winking out at your command. You've enhanced the spell quite a bit, over the past few weeks- now you don't need to throw out a few dozen dweomers specifically to inject mana into the portal. Now it's just a simple spell, and it'll run as long as you make sure it has enough mana.
2428
2429You sigh, settling down in your Chamber.
2430
2431Your phone chirps. It's a call- from Neloch, it looks like, the strange young man you met on the Fiend Subjugation.
2432
2433"Hey. Jaz, you there?"
2434
2435"No, I'm imaginary." You say. "That's why I picked up."
2436
2437"Sorry, sorry." He says. "Just asking- I wanted to see if you're free. I just heard that this one cafe... Well..."
2438
2439"... And?"
2440
2441You can hear the grin in his voice. "They're serving tyrant meat. Come on out, I'll treat you."
2442
2443>?
2444--------------------------
2445"Hmmm..."
2446
2447You're not sure Tyrant tastes very good, but it's hard to ignore the siren call of 'free food'.
2448
2449"It's always a good idea to eat what you've killed." Neloch says.
2450
2451"Wait, was that my kill?"
2452
2453"Sure is." He says.
2454
2455For a moment you're less sure- The tyrant you killed was a bug.
2456
2457But again, free food, and humanity's long since perfected the art of making monsters edible.
2458
2459"Fine, but only because you're treating me." You say. "I needed a break anyway."
2460
2461"Alright!" He says. "I'd make arrangements to pick you up, but that'd probably be less convenient for you than just meeting you there."
2462
2463"I suppose." You say. "See you there, then. What city are you in?"
2464
2465"City?" He asks. "Oh, I'm still in Romalia. I haven't set off yet."
2466
2467The first time you met Nel he was just one man wearing scale and leather among a dozen other men wearing scale and leather, but today he's looking a lot fancier. When he'd told you he was an adventurer, you assumed he was like Brun, wearing combat gear constantly, but it seems like he has some sense of style.
2468
2469Of course, it's wizard chic, so it's pretty eclectic- he's got only one flowing sleeve, and his hair is tied back into a long ponytail. He doesn't clean up too badly. His Implement is different now- instead of across the chest, he has it on his bared arm- a silver gauntlet.
2470
2471"Glad to see you made it." He says.
2472
2473"I did say I would." You say.
2474
2475The Cafe isn't very upscale. In fact, it's closer to a mom-n-pop diner. The two of you make your way over to a booth and start to chat. Gareth scuttles under the table, and sits down right where you tell him to.
2476
2477"So how's your research been going?"
2478
2479"Pretty good." You say. "I'm actually getting somewhere now. The day where I understand actually what the hell I'm doing isn't far off."
2480
2481You don't mention that you're actually finding yourself getting good at doing things you never planned on- like Astral magic, Shamanism, or even fabricating new parts.
2482
2483"How's your... Whatever?" You ask.
2484
2485"I've got a hint on where a monster took out a caravan." He says. "I just need to sneak in there with my magic and find the shipment. Then I should have the money to start work on a flying machine."
2486
2487"You're actually building one?"
2488
2489"Yeah." He says. "I've also been doing a lot of research on Gravity magic. I'm thinking that instead of using magic to propel it forward, I'll use some bog-standard aerodynamics. Like, you know, a giant electronic fan. If I make the thing's frame out of Mithril, I think I've got a real chance at it."
2490
2491>?
2492--------------------------
2493>Romalia is both the country and the name of its capital city- It's a huge city, and the walls are large enough to contain 'rural' areas too. It's in one of these farming districts.
2494
2495"No magic at all?" You ask. The two of you make your orders, and you end up with noodles and ground tyrant meat with some kind of sauce. It's not as terrible as you thought. It's actually pretty good.
2496
2497It's something universal, you've found, about wizards. Every single one will drop everything to talk about their projects. Even the most secretive wizard, or the one who cares only about the result could even be lured into a conversation.
2498
2499"No, no." He says. "It's just, gravity magic is all about redirecting the kinetic energy gravity gives you, right?"
2500
2501"Yeah." You say. "Prevent something from pulling you down, and you can transfer that into pushing you, say, forward."
2502
2503"Right." He says. "So my idea is to redirect it straight upwards. Levitation."
2504
2505"Like a slowfall spell?" You ask, and he nods. "That won't be enough to fly with complete efficiency."
2506
2507"I know." He says. "Hence the fan. With some solar power, the right batteries, and if I keep everything as low-weight as possible... I think I can do it. I'm not good at the calculations, but might even be efficient enough to fly without magic. Definitely if I can make everything out of mithril, but I won't be able to do that unless I recover a lot more shipments."
2508
2509"Hmm." You say. That would be impressive, especially for Nel. Then again, from what you've seen of his Arrays, he's pretty clever.
2510
2511"Say. I'm thinking about founding a transportation company." You say. "If your flying machine were a success, would you be interested in a collaboration?"
2512
2513The main difficulty of erecting a large network would be actually getting proper coordinates. If you had someone to travel there without teleportation and send you the coordinates wirelessly, it'd make things a lot easier...
2514
2515"Sorry." He says. "It's not in me to work for someone like that. I'm the kind of guy who prefers to be free."
2516
2517"Not even to sell the design for your flying machine?" You ask.
2518
2519"That kind of thing just feels dishonest. Like I'm putting all this work into my project for nothing but money. I want to work on it for its own sake, and so that I can travel freely. Not to make money. You know?"
2520
2521"Fair enough." You say.
2522
2523Gareth buzzes up at you, giving you a hungry look. It's like he doesn't care that you're eating it's own species- hell, it's own progenitor.
2524
2525You sigh, and order something for Gareth. Something not made out of Tyrant meat. You don't care about eating monsters, even one related to your new pet, but cannibalism is a bit much.
2526
2527"So, I'm guessing your egg hatched?" He asks. "The little guy's cute, and his soul's definitely a bit tweaked."
2528
2529>?
2530--------------------------
2531"Yes, he's cute." You say, putting the saucer on the ground so Gareth can chow down at it. "I just tweaked him a little bit here and there to prevent him from attacking me or other people."
2532
2533"I can tell." Nel says. "You made him a bit more... human, is all I can say. Looks like he'll never get as big as a real tyrant, to me, but the loyalty is worth it."
2534
2535"I probably could've done it a bit better." You say.
2536
2537"You did better than I could." He says. "I'm much better at stealing powers than making any other changes. And I can't really do that until I dump the Shadow power I've got right now."
2538
2539"I don't know much about how that part of shamanism works, to be honest." You say.
2540
2541"... Well, it's pretty simple in theory." He says. "Reshape your own soul so that you can feed mana into a new core, beat a monster nearly to death, and then take one of the monsters' cores. It's a lot more complicated in practice, and you need to figure out how each power might... mess with you or your personality."
2542
2543"And you have some kind of Shadow power, right? How does that mess with you?"
2544
2545He gives you a half grin. "I'm nocturnal, now."
2546
2547"Probably makes all-nighters a lot easier." You say.
2548
2549"It also makes my eyes sensitive to light." He says. "I need a dweomer up to block out a bunch of light, or I'll get headaches during the day."
2550
2551"How did you get into Shamanism in the first place?"
2552
2553Nel quirks his lips slightly, and looks away for a moment.
2554
2555"My soul's maladjusted." He says. "My cores don't... look right. Some of them are too weak, and other ones don't... exist like they should."
2556
2557He shrugs. 
2558
2559"It was hard for me to bear, the idea that I might be broken. So I started doing research, and next thing I knew I stole the ability to breathe fire from a Devil Rat."
2560
2561You're familiar with the feeling. If it weren't for your father warning you against trying to change anything without knowing more, you might have ended up trying Shamanism yourself, if you hadn't decided to focus on teleportation first.
2562
2563>?
2564--------------------------
2565>>458301
2566>You need to figure out exactly how the portal/teleportation spell tunnels a hole through space first. You've got a few theories, you just need some more experimentation to figure out the truth.
2567--------------------------
2568>>458329
2569>You spend basically all of your spare time doing that between sessions. You don't need to worry about voting for that kind of stuff, because otherwise every person would vote just to 'research' and there'd be nothing else to the quest except grinding.
2570
2571>>458331
2572>Jaz's soul is a bit weird, herself. Out of the seven cores a person has, three of hers are pretty robust, one is completely outrageous, and one more is... Broken.
2573--------------------------
2574You pick at your food a little.
2575
2576"I know how that feels." You say. "One of my cores are a bit..."
2577
2578You trail off. He nods. 
2579
2580"Which one?"
2581
2582"Devotion." You respond. Nel winces.
2583
2584"I'm guessing that isn't very good for my chances with you, is it?" He jokes. You roll your eyes.
2585
2586That was something you'd worried about. That you'd be unable to love. But Rathod, Ishelda, your parents... The people close to you are proof that you're not hopeless.
2587
2588"Don't worry." You say. "You can have a little hope. A little."
2589
2590"Sure, sure." He says, as you put away a third plate. Might as well make the most of Nel's purse, after all. "I've got a question, though."
2591
2592"Shoot."
2593
2594"How do you put away so much food?" He asks.
2595
2596"There goes your hope." You respond, glaring at him. Nel just grins.
2597
2598"Purity." He says. "My Purity core is... broken. My mana isn't always reliable. That's why I rely so much on dweomers. It also means I'm not good with... my emotions, a lot of the time. I need a lot of self-examination to know if I even should be upset, you know? I've been doing well right now, but sometimes it just gets hard to feel anything."
2599
2600>?
2601--------------------------
2602"You could always surround yourself with friends who you trust to point out when you're being... callous." You say. 
2603
2604"I don't really have a lot of opportunities to make friends." He shrugs. "But I'll look into it."
2605
2606"So." You say, finishing up your plate. "Do you still have that picture of the Fungal Dragon?"
2607
2608"I sure do." He says. He twitches a few fingers, and the display on the back of his hand lights up. On it is a photo, blurry and from far away, of the floating, tentacled monster. 
2609
2610You grin at him. "That's kind of impressive, that you got close enough to take a picture of it." You say.
2611
2612"I know, right?" He asks. "It took me weeks to get there. Caravans won't even try to get that close, and the terrain is rough. I needed climbing equipment just to get there."
2613
2614"Yeah, I had some problems too." You say, and show him your picture.
2615
2616The bloated, writhing creature, covered in vines of many colors, floats above you, blocking out the sun. It's a majestic sight, and taken from right below the creature.
2617
2618"Oh come on." He says. "That's cheating."
2619
2620"It's not cheating. I teleported there properly."
2621
2622Nel just sighs.
2623
2624"At least I got there first." He says.
2625
2626You shrug, and grin at him. "You were looking for that caravan, right?"
2627
2628"That's the plan." He says. "If I can find the shipment and turn it in, I'll get enough ecu to get started."
2629
2630"Want to find it together?" you ask.
2631
2632"... I'm not sure it'll be a good idea to bring you along." He says.
2633
2634"What? Why not?" You ask.
2635
2636"Mostly because I'll be shadowing everywhere." He says. "You can't really follow like that, and there's like, zero risk for me. I wouldn't want to put you into danger, you know?"
2637
2638You frown, but change the subject.
2639
2640"Do you normally look for lost caravans?"
2641
2642"That's basically my entire job." He says. "I don't usually join in on subjugations like that."
2643
2644Something occurs to you.
2645
2646"So, you're all about going to new places, right? Finding and exploring distant locales, places people haven't ever been before?"
2647
2648Nel nods.
2649
2650"I wouldn't even call it a hobby at this point." He says. "It's ... I suppose you could call it my purpose. Why do you ask?"
2651
2652"No reason." You say, a plan already forming in your mind. You can open portals to other worlds already. Maybe you can use his help when it finally comes time to explore.
2653
2654Not that there's much stopping you from exploring right now. You're nearing another dead-end from just research, and you always gain the best information by doing something stupid.
2655
2656The two of you chat a while longer. You tell him about your home village, while he tells you about his explorations. It sounds like he's been traveling around the world since he was a kid. Eventually, your plates all clean, the waitress comes by. Nel goggles a bit at the price, but he pays up regardless.
2657
2658"I had a nice time." He says. "I'm sorry I can't take you with me for the search. I just don't want to drag other people into danger, you know?"
2659
2660>?
2661--------------------------
2662"It's fine. I understand the sentiment. It's unnecessary, but I get it." You say. "Besides, I'm likely to drag you into my experiments later anyway."
2663
2664"I'll look forward to it." He responds.
2665
2666"Call me when you find it. I can blink by to look at it, and maybe carry it home through teleportation."
2667
2668"That'd make my job a lot easier." He responds. "Normally I need to find it and cart it to the city in loads."
2669
2670"Keep in touch." You say.
2671
2672Nel nods. He gives you a wave, and then melts away into black mist.
2673
2674Well, at least his own way of getting around has some style. 
2675
2676You stretch, getting to your feet, and you make your way out of the cafe, giving them a tip for dealing with Gareth, and then teleporting back to your testing chamber.
2677
2678You've all but lived in here since you registered it, but the room has more security than your dorms. It's familiar, and comfortable. You pull your miniature iron-and-gold Gate out from your pocket, open a small portal to your Vault, and draw out Krital's two journals. 
2679
2680Time to figure out what kind of world to explore first.
2681I can't believe the forest burned that badly. It wasn't that big of a fireball, and the druid told me it that her magic would protect them. I just wanted some warm food for once.
2682
2683The mention of a 'druid' is interesting. You've never heard of that kind of magic before. What few other notes you read about the world, it isn't very interesting. Krital got bored and left. But he's not the curious kind. Mention of Druids, and Sorcerers pop up, and there's even a mention of a library of magic. Whatever you're reading is probably outdated by a few hundred years, but there's probably a bunch of new and interesting magic...
2684
2685This place is hell. I've never seen such a blasted, wasted land. On the upside, they've got all these cool artifacts and not nearly as many monsters as they have back home. I don't think any of them run on magic, either. The tongue enchantment doesn't help me understand what this 'phyz icks' is anyway.
2686
2687Now this one's more interesting. If you read between the annoying segments where he writes about his paramour- a scavenger- Your ancestor writes about nonmagical gadgets that sounds somewhat like technology, only more advanced than what you have.
2688
2689The princess remembers me! I'd left for the past decade or so, mostly because I was scared I'd get thrown into the arena again, but she greeted me by name! Sadly, she also had to arrest me again. They might have pardoned me the first time, but she had to arrest me because they found out about the whole, er, treasury theft situation.
2690
2691You snort. That world- the one where your ancestor got very interested in the civilized fiend races and made himself into both enemy or friend of a particular kingdom. If you want to find anything more about him, here's probably the world you should go to- he's gone to there on three or four different trips, if his journals are right.
2692
2693>?
2694--------------------------
2695You close the journal, putting in your jacket. No reason not to bring it with you. After all, you won't be able to access your vault.
2696
2697The world you chose, in the end, was your ancestor's 'favorite'. He'd visited it many times, and apparently rubbed elbows with royalty. That means that there might be some records on him, some kind of explanation as to who he was. More than you found back home.
2698
2699For now, you'll experiment with your portal first, make sure that you can still use hermetic magic.
2700
2701It's a simple matter. You've near-perfected your portal spell, so that it's easy to keep the portal open as long as possible.
2702
2703It takes a large chunk of your mana to open the portal and prevent anything from crossing through to the other world, but it takes a lot less to throw a dweomer through. Once on the other side, the dweomer casts a simple spell for you- a hermetic enchantment meant to create a sphere of light. It's the simplest hermetic spell in your library, and has no components except for a few glyphs, so it's the most convenient for your purposes.
2704
2705When nothing happens, you send another dweomer through- this one equipped with the Star rune.
2706
2707The second dweomer's Star Rune activates, and then it creates the light spell. The sphere of light sitting in the field of grass in front of you is perfect.
2708
2709The Star rune works. Whatever rule lies behind the function of Hermetic magic, it works everywhere. Does that mean that the constellations in every reality is the same?
2710
2711You shake your head. It doesn't matter. You have an air-filtering dweomer attached to you, making sure no airborne disease either escapes or infects you, and you have Gareth with the same dweomer. You set down another dweomer that will summon you after nightfall, just in case the portal doesn't work, and you make sure that the portal's automatic-opening function works.
2712
2713A moment later, you cast your hermetic 
2714
2715Finally, you pack some food and water- Better to be safe than sorry- and strap your mithril sword on your back.
2716
2717You're probably being an idiot, but...
2718
2719Well, you're the great grandaughter of an idiot, with however many 'greats' need to be stuck in there. You can't always fight your blood.
2720
2721You disable the barrier between you and the other world, scoop Gareth up in your arms...
2722
2723And then you walk through.
2724
2725=== LEAVING HELIOS ===
2726
2727>Continued!
2728--------------------------
2729=== ENTERING SHAMASH ===
2730
2731The grassy field is calm and peaceful. The trees are strange ones- long thin needles where their leaves should be- and a few startled, furry creatures run past. They're small ones, like rats, but have orange fur and floppy ears. Almost like small dogs. A strange domed building sits in the distance. It reminds you of Tark buildings, made out of clay and brick, but there's something subtly foriegn about it.
2732
2733The road is cobbled, and your phone's GPS refuses to react. You do know exactly where you are, though- your ancestor's notes were clear that crossing over from one world to another is to the exact same location on the other side. 
2734
2735The other world's version of the Arcane Academy looks like a farmer's field. Tall vines stretch to the sky, wrapped around poles and juicy berries hang down from it.
2736
2737"Excuse me!" Someone snaps. You whirl around, and Gareth chitters in your arms. She's a short, tanned woman, with sun-colored hair and a frown. Her mouth is moving wrong, like she's saying something you're not used to, but you still seem to understand her.
2738
2739Two small antlers stick out of her head, tips pointed.
2740
2741She's frowning at you, eyes locked on your hair. Then her eyes dance down your body, as if looking for something. "... What are you doing here? This is my land."
2742--------------------------
2743-omitted one small post.
2744>>458763
2745>A moment later, you cast your hermetic
2746
2747>A moment later, you cast your hermetic spell- another from Krital's journal- that should allow you to speak other languages. You hadn't had the opportunity to test it out until now, as all of Romalia and Tark speak the same language, so you hope it'll work.
2748--------------------------
2749>>458840
2750>Keep in mind, all of Krital's journals were written a few centuries ago. Things are probably different now. There's no way to be sure that kings and princesses are still a thing.
2751
2752"Sorry, this is where the portal leads and I don't think I can move it." You say.
2753
2754She tilts her head. You take a picture.
2755
2756You point at the portal.
2757
2758Her eyebrows meet, and she wrinkles her nose, tottering closer to it. She's moving strangely, like her legs are-
2759
2760Oh. Under her dress, her legs aren't human. She's got an extra reverse joint in her leg, and her feet end in wide hooves. You're surprised that she's able to walk as a biped, with that kind of structure... But then again, Fiends figure it out all the time. You take another few pictures, of both her and the area, but she doesn't seem to notice.
2761
2762"What is this thing?" She asks, carefully poking at the edge of the portal. "Is this somewhere else? Why is this on my land?"
2763
2764"Er, yeah. It's a portal." You say. She turns her head to face you. "It leads somewhere else."
2765
2766As you say that, the portal vanishes to save energy. It'll reopen a few hours later so that you can head home.
2767
2768"Say," You ask. "Have you ever heard of a man named Krital? He was probably last here a few generations ago?"
2769
2770She frowns.
2771
2772"No, I have not heard that name." She says. "It is familiar, but I do not know much. Why are you on my land?"
2773
2774"I'm exploring." You say. "I may have got a little turned around. Can you point me to the closest town please?"
2775
2776"That road." She says, pointing to the cobbled one you noticed. "Walk north. You will find a town there."
2777
2778"Alright." You say. "Thank you for your help."
2779
2780She nods deeply and curtseys. "You are welcome. May god be with you, traveler."
2781
2782"Er, you too." You say, making your way down the road.
2783
2784Once you're out of sight, you begin taking more pictures. You have plenty of space on your phone, after all. But soon enough, you get bored, and begin just blinking down the road.
2785
2786The town, as it turns out, is a rather small thing. There are only a handful of wooden buildings, all of which are ramshackle and wooden, save for a large water fountain in the center. The words on the town's sign swims in front of your eyes, but somehow you can understand it. That hermetic 'gift of tongues' spell is actually super useful. You have no idea how it would even work without a hilariously complicated Logic Array that beggars belief, so you try not to think about it.
2787
2788The villagers all look like they're in simple clothes, and in some cases leather. They're all peering at you strangely, like they've never seen someone like you before. Most of them are human, though you see one young man in the back with red eyes and scaled arms, and a woman with fangs and slits for a nose.
2789
2790"Excuse me." You ask one of the few pedestrians. "Do you have any kind of historical archives?"
2791
2792"Hm?" The man just gives you a look you can't understand.
2793
2794"A library, or records..."
2795
2796>Continued!
2797--------------------------
2798"No such thing." The man says. "We're a humble town. No library here. What is a woman doing with a sword?"
2799
2800"It was a gift." You say.
2801
2802"A sword isn't a good gift for a woman." He says. "But I'm sorry, that was rude. Far be it from me to question you or your kind. What are you looking for?"
2803
2804"I'm looking for information about a man named Krital." You say. "He last lived a few generations ago, so he's long dead, but-"
2805
2806"Never heard of him." The man says. "Was he human?"
2807
2808"As far as I know." You say. The problem with the journals being all out of order is that you're not sure if he had your hair before or after he came to this world.
2809
2810"Then there'll be records in the capital." He says. "It's a few dozen leagues yonder. A majestic city. You won't miss it."
2811
2812"Thank you." You say. You look around the village, but they don't seem like they're very used to outsiders. People still seem a bit surprised by your sudden appearance, but they're moving on, getting back to their work.
2813
2814>?
2815--------------------------
2816You turn, and set straight off toward the capital. The road is pretty rough, but at least it's cobbled- A dirt road would've been a lot harder to deal with, even with your boots. Once you're out of sight, you begin blinking forward. As far as you remember, a 'league' is about as long as a person can walk in an hour. You don't want to spend twelve hours walking, so you decide to cut it short and teleport whenever there's nobody around.
2817
2818You might not want to pay for your ancestor's crimes, but that's no reason to waste time.
2819
2820You weren't sure what you expected from a different dimension. You kind of thought that things would be really really weird. People that spoke backwards, or had completely alien personalities. Giant talking trees, or buildings that flew. Maybe even a world where everything was made out of floating islands.
2821
2822But instead, this place just seems... Calm. Things are a bit strange- the trees and animals particularly odd- and there are no monsters, so it's just a peaceful time. What's more eerie is how normal things are.
2823
2824Then again, when you finally reach the capital, you're a bit distraught. The villager said it was majestic. It's nowhere near the size of Romalia, so it's a bit disappointing. But these people seem a lot less technologically advanced, so you're not too surprised.
2825
2826The walls around the capital aren't even real walls. They're barely guarded. The place must be peaceful. No reason to guard the walls if there aren't any threats, after all.
2827
2828You wave to the guards and plain stroll into the city. The place isn't very crowded- at least, not to what you're used to- so you're able to pull someone aside and ask about records, or the library. People don't seem nearly as weirded out as the folks in the village did, which is good. But eventually your questions and their answers lead you toward the keep.
2829
2830The squat stone structure looks like the old pictures of fortifications, back home, from when people tried carving out little safe roads to use to avoid monsters. Make a line of forts, man them with hunters, and kill the monsters to secure a road. The plan didn't work, but the forts are still around here and there.
2831
2832Unlike the walls, there is a guard in front of the keep. He's got a conical helmet and a long, sharp spear, both made out of steel.
2833
2834"'Ello!" He calls. "I assume you've come to challenge the Baron?"
2835
2836"Challenge?" You ask. "Er, no. I'm looking to get into the library. I'm looking to find out about someone."
2837
2838"The Baron would like to meet all visitors, so you can meet with him. I'm sure he'll grant you permission to use his library."
2839
2840You blink.
2841
2842"Sure." You say. You've never met a noble before.
2843
2844The Baron is an older, portly man- complete with a grey mustache. The moment the guard announces you, the baron's eyes suddenly widen.
2845
2846"Greetings, greetings." The portly man says. "I am Markus, the Baron of Jeuren. I always like to meet outsiders. For what reason are you here?"
2847
2848>?
2849--------------------------
2850"I'm trying to retrace the steps of my ancestor." You say, curtseying with your jacket. "It is said that he passed by this area a few generations ago. I had hoped to peruse your library in search of any mention of him."
2851
2852"Hmm..." He says. "Of course I'll allow you to check my library." He says. "Can you read in the common tongue?"
2853
2854You're not sure what he means by that, but you nod regardless. You can read anything, with this hermetic spell on.
2855
2856"Good, good." He says. The portly baron smiles and nods. "Then I won't take up too much of your time, young woman. May I ask who you're searching for?"
2857
2858"Well... I'm looking for the wizard, Krital." You say.
2859
2860The baron stares.
2861
2862"Er... Are you certain?" He asks. "I might be mistaken, but by Krital, you mean the lost prince?"
2863
2864"Lost prince?"
2865
2866"Well... You might have to research him yourself." He stands, and gives you a low bow. "I need to go draft a letter, but I hope you find what you're looking for.."
2867
2868You sigh, pushing your fingers to the bridge of your nose. Gareth chirps at you.
2869
2870You were expecting something like this. Now you get to go play in yet another library.
2871
2872>End of session!
2873>Sorry things got slow near the end, I ended up getting distracted.
2874>I'm pretty much always on the #exabyte channel on Rizon, and my twitter is @FutureExabyte in case you'd like to get updates on when I'm running.
2875>I'll also hang around in the thread to answer questions!
2876--------------------------
2877-omitted one small post.
2878>Welcome back!
2879
2880This library is, without a doubt, the worst organized pile of books and parchment that you've ever poured through. There's no reason or rhyme to it, books just shoved wherever they fit on the shelves. Most of it isn't even academic in nature- there's fiction mixed in among fact, magic mixed in among beastiaries.
2881
2882It might be just because this world is rather primitive, but it pisses you off. Not only did a shelf fall on you the moment you tried to grab what looked like a records book, you couldn't even find any kind of historic records just by looking around.
2883
2884Something to consider, though, is that you haven't seen a single hint of magic in this world, other than the few part-humans running around. Even when you did a little bit of astral probing to examine their souls, you only felt standard humanlike cores, and nothing out of the ordinary.
2885
2886You're sure your dweomers, if you make effort to keep them from emanating any light, won't even be noticed.
2887
2888You did have a dweomer with you that would allow you to search a bunch of books for something... if it weren't for the fact that none of these books were written in a language the dweomer has recorded.
2889
2890With a frown, you settle back among a pile of fallen books and start tweaking the array. It's not hard to get the dweomer to recognize images instead of text, and then simply input the otherworld's version of your ancestor's name as the image... It's just time consuming. You're halfway through when something occurs to you.
2891
2892The moment the Baron heard about you and who your ancestor was, he mentioned drafting a letter.
2893
2894Maybe the letter's something about you. You're pretty sure the Baron knows something you don't. Maybe the letter has something to do with it.
2895
2896Or you could finish your searching dweomer to cut your library time down to the minimum.
2897
2898>?
2899--------------------------
2900No reason to intercept or stop the letter, you decide, and you settle back to work more on the Dweomer. More than just searching for Krital's name, you also decide to look up the 'Lost Prince' as a search term for the dweomer. It adds a few more minutes to your tweaking, but eventually you slap out a dweomer. You feel it roil through the room, scanning through the books, but it takes much too long. So you slap out a half dozen more, sending them to different areas of the library. Soon enough, they begin dumping books in your lap, and you begin looking through.
2901
2902Stiffly, you stretch, your head aching from the swimming letters that the Gift of Tongues spell causes, but you have a few useful books all scanned with your phone. But now you know who your ancestor was, here.
2903
2904He was the princess' love interest. The imperial princess, from the Venan Empire far to the east. Essentially all of the known world, here, is part of or pays tribute to the empire. The princess, after Krital left, declared that he was only man she would love. He was also a troublemaker, bringing up problems and conflicts with various parthuman- who you read are called 'demihuman' clans and groups. In one case he was declared national enemy of a 'catkind clan', which was later repealed a few days later, and the entire imperial treasury vanished for a few days, before being returned- this time with more than had gone missing.
2905
2906But the Princess. She waited for him her entire life, and then she died. He never came back. The complete asshole.
2907
2908He still has a tower all his own, in the Imperial City-fortress of Thaln. Apparently the 'capital' you're in is for a much smaller, weaker country that pays the empire tribute. He stayed there for a few months before he vanished. None of this was in his journals at all.
2909
2910Someone clears their throat. You turn, and the portly, elderly Baron is looking down at you. His eyebrows are raised at the glowing sphere of light you're using to read, but he doesn't mention it.
2911
2912"I hope you've found what you need, Miss." He says. He doesn't mention the books strewn about the entire dark and dingy room, the fallen bookcase, or the angry spitting cat who's glaring at you, kept at bay only by the sleepy Gareth sitting atop it.
2913
2914Libraries don't agree with you, you've found.
2915
2916>?
2917--------------------------
2918"Indeed." You say, getting to your feet. Gareth springs off of the angry cat, which wisely springs out of the door behind the baron. "I've found some of what I wanted, but it seems that I know more of Krital than you do."
2919
2920"Oh?" He asks. You carefully heft up the bookcase, and Gareth begins handing you books to put up there. Always polite to clean up after yourself.
2921
2922"I know what happened to him, after he left Thaln the final time." You say, and sigh. "Essentially, he was an asshole who left on new adventures and new love interests, leaving scores of lovers behind."
2923
2924He wrinkles his nose.
2925
2926"I suppose one can't fault a man for loving adventure more than a woman, but..."
2927
2928"I'll be sure to apologize in behalf of my ancestor. I'm sure I'll be less of a womanizer." You say. "I'm curious, though, Baron Markus. Was that letter about me?"
2929
2930The baron looks a bit sheepish, but he nods.
2931
2932"It's not every day that the descendant of a legend arrives in my dreary keep." He says. "I thought to send a message to the Empire, let them know of your appearance. If I may ask... From where do you hail? Where did the wizard go, when he moved on?"
2933
2934>?
2935--------------------------
2936"Sometimes, magic users would invent or reinvent a magic so special and powerful that they are no longer classified as mere wizards." You say. "My ancestor managed to do such a thing. He created portals that connect different worlds."
2937
2938"Worlds, lady?"
2939
2940"An entire new reality, near-identical if not for the people and cultures that inhabit it. Krital supposed there were as many worlds than stars in the sky, but I'm in progress of putting together a theory of reality- I'm supposing there are as many worlds as there are possible worlds. That is to say, infinite."
2941
2942It's hard to resist the urge to expound more on your theory- supported by your knowledge of quantum mechanics, experiments on the nature of Nothingness, and a few thaumaturgic rituals you've done with stars, once you found out that each world has the same constellations- but the Baron doesn't have a magical or academic background, so you restrain yourself.
2943
2944"The exact details of where he went after he left this world are no longer known, but he wrote some haphazard accounts of his exploits." You give the baron a predatory grin. "He might have discovered the art of teleportation, but I've rediscovered it, and I'm improving it beyond what he knew."
2945
2946His eyebrows raise.
2947
2948"Regardless, whatever happened, he settled down in my world, in the country of Romalia, in a small village in the mountains. He died there. I've seen his grave. It's a small village, but it's where I grew up."
2949
2950"I see." He says. "But to throw away an empire for a village..."
2951
2952He frowns.
2953
2954"I should probably mention that I may vanish at any moment." you say. "I've cast a spell that should summon me back home within the day."
2955
2956"I understand, Lady... er..."
2957
2958He cuts off.
2959
2960Oh! You forgot to introduce yourself.
2961
2962"Jasmine." You say. "Jasmine Angwaz."
2963
2964He nods, and bows.
2965
2966"I have a question, Baron." You say. "How likely is it that... I get locked up or arrested once that letter arrives?"
2967
2968"We do not believe in punishing the child for their father, no matter the crime." He says. "I'm sure you will be safe. In fact, if you intend on traveling to the Empire, could I perhaps implore upon you to take the letter with you? It would serve as an introduction, I'm sure."
2969
2970You look back at the library's map of the world, making sure to snap yet another picture of it. The empire's city-state is pretty far west of here. In fact, it looks almost about as far away as your village is from the capital. Your mana isn't completely full, but you're not exhausted, and your teleportation spell is streamlined enough that it won't drain you at that distance like it used to.
2971
2972>?
2973--------------------------
2974>>460858
2975>It's necessary because you don't know the 'coordinate' for your home reality. You literally can't teleport back without aid.
2976
2977"I will take the letter with me, Baron." You say. "How accurate are your maps?"
2978
2979"They're accurate enough for a person to travel somewhere." He says. "I know that many cartographers complain that distances are very distorted, sometimes."
2980
2981You frown. There's no easy way to get exact coordinates through this map, especially if their standards aren't up to your world. You know that the Romalian world map is inaccurate in parts, too, which makes it a hell of a time to travel far distances.
2982
2983You'll just have to do this the hard way. 
2984
2985"I do have another question, though."
2986
2987"I will do my best to answer."
2988
2989"Do you know about the state of magic in this world?"
2990
2991"Most magic has... stopped working, in the past centuries." He says. "Practitioners nowadays mostly only bind creatures to ourselves, as Familiars."
2992
2993He gestures- and you feel a pulse of mana from him. A small, winged lizard lands on his shoulder. It arches it's back, wings popping free. It's like a very small dragon.
2994
2995"My Grimvalk is one of the best. " He says. "None have his command over fire. Many people challenge me, but I have never been bested."
2996
2997>?
2998--------------------------
2999>>460987
3000>People have developed a lot of non-magic solutions for problems originally solved by magic. Back home, wizards may be pretty common, but magic can only be used by people that know how. Non-wizards are forced to come up with clever solutions for things.
3001
3002"Ah. Good for you." You say. "The same thing occurred in my world, but we discovered other sources of magic."
3003
3004"So I've seen." He says. "May you travel safely."
3005
3006"Thank you for your help." You curtsy. Your jacket isn't a dress, but it's long enough to lift. 
3007
3008"No problem. No problem indeed." He says. "It was a pleasure."
3009
3010"Hopefully we'll see each other again," You say, and then you scoop Gareth up in your arms again and vanish into a black sphere.
3011
3012Your overpowered slowfall spell sends you screeching through the sky, pushing you upward just as hard as your weight pushes you downward. You snap a few photos of your environment, mark your location, and then teleport again- this time a few kilometers west. Then you snap another photo, floating, and compare your environment with the map you'd copied. Then you teleport again, winding your way westward and compiling a more useful map for yourself. It's a bit tiring, and your mana runs a bit low, but eventually you see the Empire in front of you.
3013
3014It's a single building. It's an enormous marble structure, hewn from the mountain it sits atop of, huge on a scale you can hardly believe. As uninspiring as the Baron's castle is, the Empire is so much greater than Romalia that you can't believe it.
3015
3016You reduce the mana you're pouring into your slowfall spell, and you begin to descend.
3017
3018The guards at the gate stare when your boots slam home on the pavement, Gareth still sitting on your shoulder. At least you know now why nobody made a big deal about the monsters, if shamanism is the main mode of magic here.
3019
3020"Er." It takes the guard a second. "Welcome to the Citadel Thaln, heart of the Empire." The guard says. "For what reason have you come here?"
3021
3022You hold out the letter. He takes it, raising an eyebrow at the seal.
3023
3024"This is meant directly for the Imperial Prince." The guard says. He eyes your familiar, and then your sword. He bows. "Are you here to deliver it?"
3025
3026"Among other things." You respond. "I intend on doing some research."
3027
3028"I see." He says. He hands the letter back. "The prince sits within the first level of the palace. Do not cause problems, or you shall be removed."
3029
3030"I understand." You say.
3031
3032He steps aside, and a large serpent slithers away from the gate. Carefully, the portcullis opens, and you walk straight in.
3033
3034The palace sits at the heart of the city- it's a tall, tall tower, stretching further into the sky than the tower back in Romalia. It's large enough to fit an entire peoples' population inside, and many seperate towers spring off the edges like branches off a tree.
3035
3036The guards at the palace make you wait a bit longer, but they don't even ask you to leave your sword or familiar behind.
3037
3038Soon enough, you see why.
3039
3040>Continued!
3041--------------------------
3042>>460998
3043The first floor of the palace is an enormous, empty room, enormous windows open to all sides. Sunlight streams in, and the room is brilliantly lit.
3044
3045In the very center, upon a dais, is a handsome young man. He's got long brown hair, bags under his eyes, and he's wearing golden and silver finery- but not as much as you would expect royalty to have.
3046
3047Behind and around the throne is an enormous monster, filling up roughly a quarter of the already-enormous room. Two pairs of wings twitch on it's back, and pure white scales the size of your sword sit. You have no idea how something that large would have the dragon template- it's bigger than the Fungal Dragon, and even with magic its weight would be too much to fly...
3048
3049Then the color clicks in your head.
3050
3051The dragon is covered in mithril scales.
3052
3053The young man meets your eyes, and gives you a slow, sleepy blink. A storm of mana rampages within him, but he doesn't look like it.
3054
3055The prince of the empire your ancestor once abandoned. Rikar.
3056
3057"Hello." He says. "I was told you have a letter for me, from the Baron of Roma?"
3058
3059>?
3060--------------------------
3061>>461017
3062>That's a good idea.
3063>As always, when someone comes up with a clever idea like that, Jaz will figure it out next time she does a bunch of studying. Though she's very logical as a wizard- she's a lot more intuitive and instinctive- she'll be able to tweak the Star rune to work perfectly with the hermetic spells she uses often.
3064--------------------------
3065"Indeed." You say. You simply walk down to him, and hand him the letter. You're tempted to be flowery, but you're not very good at that kind of thing- nothing comes to you. "The kind Baron also said it might work as a letter of introduction for me."
3066
3067He appraises you with a look, and then pries open the letter to read it.
3068
3069"... Krital Angwaz. Hair like mithril. Wizardly miscreant. The user of strange magics." He says. He gives you a Look. "And you are his descendant?"
3070
3071"Indeed." You say. "Only a very rudimentary history of his life has survived the centuries in my homeland, so I'm here to find out more about my ancestor and research more about magic."
3072
3073"I see." He says. He tosses the letter to the wayside and the dragon's tongue steals it away. The letter didn't even touch the ground. For a moment, you expand your mana sense, feeling out...
3074
3075You can see a strange link, from the dragon to the prince. The two are connected, intimately, mana leaking from beneath the monster's scales. For a moment you wonder how mana would leave the dragon's body at all, before you recall that monster-made Mithril and Orichalium is nowhere near as perfect as the synthetic stuff. No matter how powerful or amazing the dragon is, your sword is still more pure.
3076
3077The prince is suddenly shoves himself out of the throne, his spine and arms cracking loudly. He's taller than you, of course, and he walks straight past you- tapping your shoulder as he does.
3078
3079"Follow me." He says.
3080
3081You shrug, and follow him. Why not? 
3082
3083Rikar walks back toward the entrance to the enormous chamber that makes up the heart of the tower, and walks up the stairs.
3084
3085"Tell me." He says. "Do you speak this language, or have you used magic in order to understand me?"
3086
3087"Magic." You say.
3088
3089"How did you arrive to this land?"
3090
3091"More magic." You say. "I rediscovered my ancestor's art of Teleportation."
3092
3093"Were you born with that hair?" He asks, stopping a moment to glance at you. You nod.
3094
3095The two of you walk in silence for a time, going up the long curving set of stairs that spiral around the outer edge of the tower.
3096
3097"What is your name, again?"
3098
3099"Jasmine." You say. "Jasmine Angwaz."
3100
3101"Like the flower. Hmm."
3102
3103He doesn't say anything more for a few minutes. Then...
3104
3105"It fits."
3106
3107He stops at a landing, and whirls around.
3108
3109"This tower," He holds an arm out to the balcony that leads out to a smaller tower- one of the branches from the main palace. "Belonged to your ancestor. It was his place of research and rest. My own ancestor wished for him never to be forgotten, so she sealed it by magic. Nobody since has understood how the seal works, but she was certain that he would be able to unseal it. And if he can, you can."
3110
3111The two of you walk out onto the balcony, and then to the tower. The door is made of the same stone as the rest of the tower, and when you try to tug it open it refuses to move. Hermetic glyphs you've never seen are carved on the door, glowing.
3112
3113Rikar just watches, hands folded behind his back.
3114
3115>?
3116--------------------------
3117You don't hesitate.
3118
3119You just teleport past the door.
3120
3121The tower is full of stale air, but there's no dust around. No cobwebs, no dead creatures- like there's been nothing living in the tower over the past few centuries. The windows are covered somehow, through some kind of smooth object. It's dark, and you can't see much except for a green gleam coming from the door.
3122
3123You whirl around, and you see a simple glyph on the door's latch. Curiously, you unlatch it- and the glyph shatters into sparks.
3124
3125The material on the windows begin to dissolve of their own accord, lighting the room up. The door slides open, a gush of fresh air coming in. The prince, on the other side, raises his eyebrows.
3126
3127The tower is a cluttered mess of books, notes, and the occasional circle carved in stone platforms. A long-mummified corpse of a monster sits in one corner, the remains of a long-broken monster capture ward sitting around it. A ladder leads up to the higher levels of the tower.
3128
3129All in all, it's exactly like you expect an ancient hermetic wizard's workshop to be. Books strewn about, half-completed spells sitting in places, long-forgotten alchemical mixtures in jars covering shelves...
3130
3131And in the very center, a portal circle, carefully carved into the center of the tower. In the location part of the circle sits a glyph you've never seen in any of the journals. And Krital was extremely particular about marking down the location glyphs, which means that there's only one this can be.
3132
3133Rikar takes in a deep breath, eyes closing.
3134
3135"Huh." He says. "I never thought this would happen in my lifetime."
3136
3137He turns to you and bows his head. "I'm very glad to meet you, Lady Angwaz. I apologize for being... brusque, I just wished to make certain you were telling the truth. There have been pretenders before."
3138
3139>?
3140--------------------------
3141"That's a first." You say. "In my homeland, Krital Angwaz is known as a madman or a fool. Most wouldn't want to be associated with him."
3142
3143"From what I know, he was certainly both a madman and a fool. But he was a hero too." He shrugs. "But I digress. Now that you've been confirmed the descendant of Lord Angwaz, you will gain his rights, his tower, and his title."
3144
3145"Title? He had a title?" You ask, stacking up the books. 
3146
3147"... Your ancestor was a knight of the empire." Rikar says. After a few moments, he picks up a book and examines the cover, eyebrows meeting. "To be entirely honest, it was a loophole so that he could legally marry the princess. But it was a noble title, and you are eligible to claim it as well, despite being a woman."
3148
3149He hands you the book.
3150
3151"Thank you for showing me this place." You say. 
3152
3153"You've very welcome, Jasmine." He says, with a nod and tilt of his head.
3154
3155You look back down to the circle in the center of the room.
3156
3157"One second." You say. "I want to test something."
3158
3159He raises an eyebrow when you kneel at the rune circle, and takes a few steps back. Rikar seems incredibly permissive- or perhaps he's more curious- so he just folds his arms behind his back and watches.
3160
3161The circle isn't the portal variety. It's pretty complicated, but it looks like a heavily modified version of the teleportation variety. Maybe even modified enough to teleport something to a different world, something you've tried and failed at for a while.
3162
3163You cast a few dweomers first- security ones to protect you from errant energies, sensory ones, some to feed just enough mana into the spell, and one to erect the Star rune around the hermetic spell...
3164
3165Then you cast it, sending one thaumaturgic half of a sensory dweomer away.
3166
3167The second half chimes, receiving information from it's brother.
3168
3169Swimming into view, transmitted light becomes a translated image.
3170
3171And in front of you, you see the center of the village you grew up in.
3172
3173Not only is the location glyph the one for home, but the exact parallel to the Empire's palace is... Well, it's home.
3174
3175The dweomer winks out. Maintaining a thaumaturgic connection across dimensions is rough on the mana supply, so you can only really get a few seconds duration out of it, but it's enough to confirm.
3176
3177Your phone begins to chirp loudly- your warning. You'll be summoned home in the next ten minutes, when the summoning dweomer calls you back to the testing chamber.
3178
3179>?
3180--------------------------
3181The prince tilts his head, listening to the chime.
3182
3183"Aaah." You say, tapping your bracer to stop the alarm."Sorry. It seems my time is up for today."
3184
3185"Your time?"
3186
3187"I'll be heading back home, soon." You say, tying the books together and scooping them up into your arms. Gareth leaps up on your shoulder, sensing your eminent departure. "I thank you for your time, your Highness. I hope we meet again when I am not in such a hurry."
3188
3189Rikar smiles, and bows.
3190
3191"I hope so too, Jasmine." He says. "You're always welcome here."
3192
3193You quirk your lips.
3194
3195"Want to come with me?"
3196
3197The prince raises his eyebrow, and shoots you a smile.
3198
3199"Perhaps next time, Lady. Hopefully after I make preparations, rather than running off in a mad quest."
3200
3201His grin grows broader, as a second alarm begins chirping. "I am not your ancestor, after all."
3202
3203A black sphere consumes you, and then crumbles away. 
3204
3205You're home.
3206
3207And immediately your phone rings. Thod.
3208
3209"Yello?" you ask.
3210
3211"Where have you been?!" He snaps. "You've been out of contact all day."
3212
3213"Why, is something wrong?"
3214
3215"... No, I just called earlier today and you didn't have service." He says. He sounds upset. "Where were you?"
3216
3217>?
3218--------------------------
3219>>461379
3220>Aw man, I forgot the 'LEAVING SHAMASH / ENTERING HELIOS' thing. Oh well.
3221
3222"Out of this world." You smirk.
3223
3224"Out of... Did you actually go to a different world?"
3225
3226"I verified they exist, and found one where Krital had been. Also got knighted, apparently."
3227
3228Thod audibly sighs.
3229
3230"I regret taking my eyes off you for a day." He says. "One of these times I'm just going to blink and you'll be gone before I open my eyes again."
3231
3232"Probably, but no promises." You respond. 
3233
3234"... So. You got knighted?"
3235
3236"Apparently it's a hereditary position." You say. "Though the prince was pretty hot."
3237
3238Rathod snorts.
3239
3240"Well, I've got some time off from Haron for a few days." He says. "He's off on some kind of convention for a while, so I've got some free time. Want to go out and get something to eat? We can talk about your adventures then."
3241
3242"Well..." You say, looking down at your new pile of books. The top of which is written in Krital's own hand- a third journal, sewn together from a bunch of shuffled pages. 
3243
3244If you can read this, you've either discovered the Gift of Tongues spell or you come from the world I left behind. In which case, you're either a genius or one of my descendants. In either case, let me tell you about my life.
3245
3246My name is Krital Angwaz, and I'm a fucking genius.
3247
3248"I think I'll be a bit busy for a while."
3249
3250>End of session
3251--------------------------
3252-omitted one small post.
3253>>466888
3254Knight is the closest translation to the noble title that Krital had been given. It wasn't meant to be hereditary, but the princess was pretty hasty in establishing it and decided it didn't matter, since any of Krital's children would be hers.
3255
3256The real meaning of the title is closer to 'hero' or 'exalted outsider', but the Gift of Tongues just makes it 'knight'. 
3257
3258>>467364
3259I've personally always been a fan of Sir even for women, but Dame is good too.
3260--------------------------
3261Your head pounds, and your soul aches.
3262
3263This has been, no doubt, the most fruitful set of experiments to date. Not only did Krital's third set of journals have even more notes in the margins than the other two combined, but there were other books by the hand of other wizards, and some books that were written in a language foriegn to both worlds. With that and the notes from the tower... You've gotten somewhere.
3264
3265The simplest breakthrough was a slight modification to the teleportation spell, allowing you to teleport through dimensions. Much more convenient- and quick- than opening a portal, but it takes significantly more mana to do so. It's a good emergency option, but not very good for more casual travel, especially with the Gates.
3266
3267The most useful breakthrough was a heavy modification to the Star Rune. More specifically, a variant of the star rune. You'd carefully tested the spells with constellations from varying different times, finding the most efficient constellations to use in order to cast teleport spells. It's too complex a process to use on every hermetic spell, but you've cut down the mana cost by a good ten percent.
3268
3269But despite your progress in those places, there's a much more complex breakthrough you're working on right now.
3270
3271The hermetic spell you found in one of the exotic books is known as Knowledge Demon- a conjured analysis tool. As far as you can tell, it's a temporary soul-construct- one based off of your own knowledge. It hurts, to cast- like it's a taking a photo with a flash so bright it burns- and it doesn't last very long.
3272
3273Right now, the Demon is hovering next to you, a wobbling blood-red sphere, spitting out mathematical formulae you couldn't do. 
3274
3275Formulae on the nature of reality. The fabric worlds are made out of. Most of your data comes from your experiments on Nothingness... which of course, came with it's own breakthrough.
3276
3277Nothingness isn't Nothingness, when you inject enough mana into it. Instead it becomes an incredibly small universe of it's own, the rubbery border of the pocket being the outer edge. You'd been carefully injecting mana into the air, letting it free for no purpose, and the pocket's been growing larger and larger. It's already as large as your testing chamber.
3278
3279The Demon slows, stopping it's mad scrawling on the sheets of paper you set out for it, and your soul buzzes in pain again as it fades.
3280
3281You slump back, nursing your head, and your phone buzzes. Wearily, you take a look- Kristoph, saying he'd wired you more money. With some of your money going to your family, you've still earned a lot. Enough for an Adamantine gem for your existing portal gate, to amplify the mana you put into it. Or enough to buy warehouses in Tark and Romalia, and portal gates there to set up your own company.
3282
3283Maybe even a house, or a force of Haron-made golems, or enough for any kind of large purchase. 
3284
3285You sigh and stretch; Time for another break if you don't want to go insane. At least a break from research.
3286
3287>?
3288--------------------------
3289>>469358
3290>You did. It's the glyph for your homeworld, which Krital's third journal called Helios.
3291
3292Closing your eyes in hopes that your headache abates, you quickly tap out Rathod's number. Since going out to eat with him and Brun just after you returned from the other world- which Krital's third journal named Shamash- you haven't had a lot of time to hang out with him.
3293
3294"Hello?" Thod asks, picking up. "What's up, Jaz? I heard you've been doing pretty well for yourself lately."
3295
3296"Yep." You say. "At this rate, I might be able to present things by next week."
3297
3298"Next week? That fast?" He asks.
3299
3300"Well, my otherworld trip paid off." You say. "I've come across my ancestor's entire collection of magical lore. And with the Star Rune..."
3301
3302"You can use everything you found."
3303
3304"Essentially." You say. Other than the two or three books that the Gift of Tongues spell doesn't translate, for whatever reason.
3305
3306"... You sound pretty tired. Everything okay?"
3307
3308"I'm fine." You lie. "Just a little headache. And soulache. And I'm not sure the last time I slept."
3309
3310There's a silence from the other end, and you can imagine Rathod's disapproving expression.
3311
3312"So anyway." You say. "I'm thinking that I might go out for drinks at the Dryad to unwind. You up for coming along?"
3313
3314"Sure. Who'll be coming?" He asks.
3315
3316"Everyone I actually like."
3317
3318"So what, me and Ishelda?" Rahtod snorts.
3319
3320"First of all, Ishelda's too young to drink." Not that that stopped you, when you were her age, "and there's also Brun and Nel."
3321
3322"What, you're not going to invite Cera?" He asks, teasing.
3323
3324You respond by hanging up on him, and then you call Brun and invite her too, chatting for a bit. Finally, you say goodbye to her and call Neloch.
3325
3326"Greetings." He says, after a long wait. His voice sounds rather clipped. "Hello, Jasmine."
3327
3328"Are you in the capital right now?"
3329
3330"I am." He says.
3331
3332"Good- I'm going to hang out at the Dryad with some friends. It's a bar. Lots of alcohol. Want to hang out for a bit?"
3333
3334"I am not sure I'll be the best company right now." He says. "But I would like to come."
3335
3336"Then I'll come pick you up. Where are you?"
3337
3338After picking up Brun- who was actually out in the wilderness, hunting a particularly large and angry Dire Rabbit- and Neloch- who is dressed in the same wizard chic he was wearing last time- you end up in front of the Dryad, Rathod already waiting there.
3339
3340Rathod's arm looks new. The previous brass plating is replaced, and it no longer looks like someone who really had a thing for steam engines had built it- now it's more like Haron's work- full of swooping shapes, silver and gold trim, and shiny steel plates.
3341
3342"Hey." He says, giving you a wave a second before Brun pulls him into a hug.
3343
3344"Hello." Neloch says. The adventurer's slight smile looks plastered on. Fake.
3345
3346Right, you'd never introduced Neloch to Rathod, though Brun knows him from the subjugation.
3347
3348>?
3349--------------------------
3350"This is Neloch." You say, gesturing to him. "An adventurer and explorer. I met him and Gareth on the Fiend subjugation mission."
3351
3352"You're the one who had that really clever knockback dweomer, weren't you?" Brun asks. Neloch nods.
3353
3354"Pleased to meet you." Thod says.
3355
3356"This is Rathod." You say, gesturing to the big guy. "Basically my little brother, and Archamge Haron's apprentice."
3357
3358"You as well." Nel says. A moment later, as if on a delay, he smirks. "Little brother?"
3359
3360"She's two months older than me." Rathod says, rolling his eyes.
3361
3362"And two feet shorter." Brun pipes up. You glare at her, and she just titters. "Let's go!"
3363
3364The four of you find a table somewhere, and start getting drinks. Instead of going straight to the hard stuff, you unanimously decide to start out with something softer- at least until you're all a bit more comfortable. The three of you begin chatting, but as things go on, you're more and more sure that there's something off with Neloch. You know it's him- his soul has the same general feel, though it's impolite to look any closer- but he's acting rather subdued.
3365
3366"So." You ask Neloch, when Brun and Thod get up to get more drinks. "What's going on? Did you try some kind of shaman thing that didn't work out?"
3367
3368"No." He says. "I'll be okay. It's... My core is acting up."
3369
3370"Do you mind if I take a look?"
3371
3372He tilts his head, thinking for a moment.
3373
3374"Go ahead." He says.
3375
3376You reach out with your mana, and carefully touch him, being careful to feel out his soul without pushing too hard.
3377
3378The problem is simple. His soul doesn't have the energy to run properly. Whatever infinite wellspring of mana powers human sentience, in your friend Neloch, is weaker than normal, meaning his cores- those that you can actually sense- have less mana flowing through them. You know enough metabiology to know what that means. His emotions are suppressed, or delayed, and he's slower. Not to mention that he doesn't have any spare mana or even mana generation, right now. You also feel a dweomer attached to his Implement, ready to feed it pre-supplied mana whenever he attempts to cast a spell.
3379
3380You've never heard of a debilitation like this. The Purity core is sacrosanct- every born human has the same mana flow for their soul, the same amount of overflow. Nobody's ever had a smaller 'income' than anyone. Not that you've heard of.
3381
3382"It's okay." Neloch says, shooting you a smile. This one looks a bit more real. "I'll still receive these pleasant memories when I am more myself."
3383
3384"Oho." Brun says, raising an eyebrow at the two of you. You realize that you're leaning over, hand on Neloch's chest. "Is the third and fourth wheel pairing up?"
3385
3386Thod just rolls his eyes and sets down the drinks.
3387
3388>?
3389--------------------------
3390>>469699
3391>Even completely normal humans even have mana generation, though unused mana vanishes to wherever it comes from once a soul is at capacity. It's more like he's explicitly magic-crippled.
3392
3393"Don't make fun of Soul Magic." You say, perhaps a bit harsher than you intended.
3394
3395Brun wrinkles her nose.
3396
3397"Right, sorry." She says, this time completely seriously.
3398
3399"Have you consulted an expert or something, Nel?"
3400
3401"I have." He says. "Nothing they can do. I will return to normal soon, however."
3402
3403"This normally happens?" You ask.
3404
3405"Once every few weeks." He says. "I have adapted. It generally lasts six to eight hours. It began this morning."
3406
3407Rathod and Brun share a look, and you pull your arm away from Nel's chest.
3408
3409He grins. "I suspect I'll begin to get more cheerful as the night progresses."
3410
3411"Glad to hear it." Brun says, raising her glass. "Anyone who can kick Fiend ass like you can deserves to have a good night out."
3412
3413"I use a spear. Not my feet." He says.
3414
3415"Nobody's perfect." Brun pipes up.
3416
3417The four of you begin drinking, and Brun gets simultaneously more cheerful and more cuddly with Thod as the night progresses. Rathod, as always, seems to get quieter and careful, like he's afraid he might accidentally smush someone. Neloch, true to his word, starts to return to his normal- especially when you get him talking about his flying machine.
3418
3419"So what, you want to emulate the Hunter platforms?" Brun asks.
3420
3421"Not exactly." Neloch says. "Those platforms only work because of Archmage Sirius' help with mana generation. I want something that's as efficient as possible."
3422
3423"Efficiency is always worth it." Rathod says. "If you'd like, I could talk to my Master about it. He's damn good with gravity magic."
3424
3425"No thank you." Neloch says. "This is one of those things I want to do myself. No point in it if someone else does the hard stuff, you know?"
3426
3427You're starting to get a bit woozy. Your head and soul might not ache anymore, but you're feeling pleasantly buzzed. Maybe a bit more than buzzed- you're having a lovely time. Before you know it, you speak up.
3428
3429"I'm going to start my own company." You decide. "Not right now, since, you know, drunken hundred-thousand ecu purchases are proooobably a bad idea. But soon."
3430
3431"A company?" Rathod asks.
3432
3433"Simple." You say. "Portal makes things go from Point A to point B. I make portal, people pay me, I pay wizards to fuel portal with mana. Boom."
3434
3435"Didn't you want to finish your thesis before you did anything like that?" Rathod asks.
3436You give him a Look.
3437
3438"I already finished the portal part." You say. You open your hand, and carefully contort your mana, funneling it elsewhere. It's a bit harder to focus, but after a long, painstaking moment...
3439
3440A portal opens, from above one of your palms to above the other. 
3441
3442No Implement needed.
3443
3444"Good enough to emulate it with Astral Magic anyway." You say, and take another drink. "Can't do it outside of arm's reach or with pure Analytical magic though.."
3445
3446Everyone just stares.
3447
3448>?
3449--------------------------
3450>>469872
3451>You're not a genius with Soul Magic- you just know the theory well enough. You're barely past adequate, astral-magic wise. Which is a lot better than the average Adept, or even the average Magus. But compared to Shamans or actual Astral Wizards, you're lackluster.
3452
3453>>469895
3454>Knowledge Demon is a pretty painful spell, the way it seems to wrest knowledge from you and you're pretty sure it's not good for you to use for an extended time. That's why you wait a few days between uses.
3455>The interesting thing about it is that a 'Demon' in the language of the book you got it from means 'artificially-constructed soul'. Which implies there are ways to artificially create souls.
3456
3457"What? I've been practicing." You say.
3458
3459Everybody continues to stare for a few moments, and eventually Brun raises her glass.
3460
3461"Good on you." She says. "I'm never really sure about how you Adepts do things, but you're apparently doing something right."
3462
3463"Simply," Thod says. "Any kind of spell can be emulated with astral magic if you know how it works well enough, and if you can do Astral Magic. The 'how it works' is basically what you need to get your thesis done and become a Magus."
3464
3465"So you could become a Magus like, tomorrow?"
3466
3467You snort. "If I wanted to. But I don't have Teleportation down yet, or how dimensional travel works."
3468
3469"You've confirmed dimensional travel?" Neloch asks. He looks excited. "Like, you've seen another world?"
3470
3471"I went to one for an afternoon. The people there liked me." You say, and finish your drink. Then you lay your head down on the most convenient cushion- Brun's shoulder. "Say, Nel, about your soul thing."
3472
3473"Yeah?"
3474
3475"Does it happen during a certain phase of the moon?"
3476
3477"Not really." He says. "It's not always at the same time. Sometimes it happens sooner, sometimes it happens later... There's no real rhyme or reason to it."
3478
3479>?
3480--------------------------
3481>>470071
3482>Brun is comfy because she's got monster fur on her shoulders.
3483
3484>>470146
3485>Technically speaking, your current theory is that teleportation turns the area directly around you into a seperate, distinct 'dimension' that exists in two places in reality. Then the temporary dimension collapses, spitting you out at the destination. You're still not sure how that's possible, which is why you've been using the Knowledge Demon to figure out the properties of realities themselves. 
3486
3487"Maybe next time I'll take you with my on my next interdimensional trip. They have some pretty interesting magic there, and they might know how to help."
3488
3489"Sure!" He says, finishing his drink. "Sounds like a good time."
3490
3491"What kind of magic?" Thod asks.
3492
3493"It's kind of a tamed monster thing." You say. "They don't really have monsters there, but they like... make monsters somehow? Turn normal animals into things they call Familiars. Or at least, that's what my language spell translates the word to. I get the impression that they're life partners or something."
3494
3495"Familiars." Brun says, tasting the word. "I get the impression that they're not just tamed monsters. Mom tames monsters, but none of them end up loyal enough to be considered a life partner."
3496
3497"They're linked up, soul to soul." You say. "I think it might help Nel if he gets a familiar that... I don't know, sends him it's mana? Anyway, that's the only magic they do have." You say. "After Hermetic magic failed over there, the only magic they invented was familiars."
3498
3499"I'm definitely sure you'll make Archmage, if you can troll other dimensions to learn new magics." Thod says. "You sure every kind of magic works in every dimension?"
3500
3501"That's one thing Krital was sure of." You say. "Said it in his journals. Every world follows the same basic rules, or he can't travel to a world that doesn't follow the same basic rules. Same difference either way."
3502
3503"Now that's interesting." Rathod says. "Any theories why it works that way?"
3504
3505"Simple." You say. "If a world doesn't have magic, then the portal can't form because it's made out of magic. And if there's no kinetic movement, then the portal might as well be a flat wall. Or if there's no space, then there's nowhere to actually go, you know? At least that's why the data says."
3506
3507"I've got a question." Brun says. "What's the back of the portal made out of?"
3508
3509You poke the back end of the portal. "Dimensional foam. It's soft and squishy. Push too hard, and it pops. It's not actually a physical object. More like a weird kind of tension. Too much light, heat, or force pops it. When it pops, the mana just fades off to where magic goes."
3510
3511"Huh."
3512
3513Time passes, and you get more drinks. Thod and Brun get cuddlier- mostly prompted by Brun- while Nel just settles back and talks about his adventures. All in all, you have a pretty pleasant time.
3514
3515>If there's anything else you'd like to do during your impromptu party, go ahead. Or would you like to skip to later?
3516>?
3517--------------------------
3518-omitted one small post.
3519You have a wonderful time, occasionally teasing Rathod on his girlfriend cuddling up on him as the four of you get more and more drunk. A while later, the two begin making out- and since that's no fun to hang out with unless you're one of the two making out, you drag Nel out to the other half of the Dryad, dancing with him. You're a damn good dancer- it's one of the things you take pride in- and Nel picked up on your enthusiasm.
3520
3521The two of you spent a good while chatting up and dancing. You're pretty sure you shunned your jacket eventually, because it got too hot, and the rest got to be... well, a blur. You remember dancing with a couple people, and bragging about your company to somebody....
3522
3523You rub your eyes, immediately casting a dweomer to siphon some of the humidity out of the air and get you a chill glass of water. You're parched, but thankfully you don't seem to have too much of a headache.
3524
3525You're very pleasantly comfortable, swathed in a cocoon of warm blankets. 
3526... This isn't your room.
3527
3528You sit up, looking around in your coccoon. It's Thod's.
3529
3530You're curled up in one of the comfy, plush chair Thod loves so much. Thod himself is on the bed with Brun, the monster hunter pinning him down.
3531
3532Neloch is on the floor, eyes closed, and his shirt is missing. You're not sure when that happened, but you're sure you didn't do anything untoward. Even if you've been in a long dry spell.
3533
3534You try to shove your blankets off, but something's pinning you down. A pair of arms.
3535
3536Carefully, you rear back to examine the situation some more.
3537
3538Under the bed is Kally, snoring loudly. Another student from your AstroBio class is in Thod's other chair, sans blanket at all. Jocelyn is mumbling quietly into her phone, curled up in the corner of the room atop a pile of cushions.
3539
3540Cera is sleeping in your lap, golden hair covering her face.
3541
3542While every part of you screams, a very small one whispers that when she's not talking or doing anything, Cerulean actually seems bearable.
3543
3544You do vaguely remember having a civil conversation with her, last night.
3545
3546>?
3547--------------------------
3548You carefully extract your arm from Cera's clinging, snap a photo real quick, and delve back through your phone's history. There aren't many other pictures- just one of you and Nel, the latter giving the camera a peace sign, and one of Brun and Thod being adorable and gazing into eachother's eyes. There isn't any video, either.
3549
3550You drink another 'glass' of water, sipping from the dweomer currently purifying water from the air, and try to remember last night.
3551
3552You know the party got bigger, that's for sure. You had a good time- so did Nel, and you started hanging out with some other people. some more dancing, some more talking about magic, and you remember Kally getting really interested in Nel's magic machine idea. Jocelyn and Cera came by, eventually, and you remember talking to her about... something...
3553
3554Eventually everybody decided to go to bed, but someone didn't have a ride, so you all went back to the dorms together, and nobody actually went to their own. You were just having too much a good time to stop chatting...
3555
3556You rub your eyes again and gesture toward the refrigerator. A few dweomers later, the room fills with the sizzling of eggs and melted cheese, as your dweomers make enough omelets for everybody. No need for pans when you have mana and online forums, after all.
3557
3558You poke Cera's cheek. She responds with a 'muh' sound and clings tighter. You pat her head once or twice. When she's completely out like this, she reminds you of your sister in an adorably pudgy-cheek kind of way.
3559
3560You're too comfortable and warm to get up quite yet, despite the existential terror that claws at you when you consider that you're cuddling with- being cuddled by, to be more specific- Cerulean Sirius, the bitch who tried to get you sent away from the academy.
3561
3562You poke her again. Cera opens her eyes- and she springs bodily away from you, hovering through the air in sheer horror before she falls onto her butt.
3563
3564You frown. She'd taken the blankets with her, and now you're cold.
3565
3566... You're probably still a bit drunk.
3567
3568>?
3569--------------------------
3570"Morning." You say.
3571
3572Cera gapes for a few seconds.
3573
3574"Morning." She responds. "Er..."
3575
3576Something clicks, and you remember exactly what you were talking about.
3577
3578But there's no reason not to fuck with her for a little bit.
3579
3580"Thanks for last night." You say, eying her up and down. "It was very.... Mmmmmm."
3581
3582Her eyes widen, and horror dawns on her features. She starts sputtering at you, while you just tug the blankets from her and wrap yourself up again.
3583
3584"I didn't- I'm not into- oh god, I might be into- you didn't- Scholar, did we-"
3585
3586It's fun, watching her panic for a few minutes. Jocelyn, in the corner, starts to giggle.
3587
3588"We didn't have sex." You say finally. Cera's mouth snaps shut.
3589
3590You blink, leaving your eyes closed a bit too long.
3591
3592"I'm thanking you for saying you'd talk your father into licensing his Art for my Gates." You say. Normally Sirius is pretty stingy with using the Art of Destruction for mana generation, but if his only daughter asks him for help... It'd mean that you wouldn't need to pay wizards to fuel the Gates at all, and you wouldn't have to fuel them manually. You could just get him to give you an apparatus that would eat, say, the air pollutants in Tark, and use that to fuel the Gate there.
3593
3594"I- er- right." She says, doing her best to reclaim her composure. "Yeah. I... remember that. A little."
3595
3596"Breakfast is in the kitchen." You say. "I just made it. Can you get me a plate?"
3597
3598"Uh... Sure." She says. Absentmindedly, you watch Cera use the Art of Creation to make a few new eggs and put them back in Thod's fridge while she searches for plates. That's considerate.
3599
3600Jocelyn continues to giggle. The girl isn't a bad person. Though you met her last when you were impersonating Tara, she seems like she's got a good head on her shoulders. She's not a genius, but apparently she's focusing on astral magic, of all things.
3601
3602Cera hands you the plate, complete with a fork, and she hands another one to Jocelyn.
3603
3604"I'm gonna wait to get anything for anyone else until they wake up." Cera says, shaking her head to get her hair out of her face. "Slapped a stasis on them."
3605
3606There's a moment of silence as the three of you start to eat.
3607
3608It's... pretty awkward.
3609
3610>?
3611--------------------------
3612"Yeah, everyone should wake up soon." You say. "Hopefully. Isn't it pretty excessive to stasis people to prevent hearing them snore?"
3613
3614Cera snorts. "I meant the omelets. My version of Stasis doesn't work on anything with a soul."
3615
3616You raise your eyebrows.
3617
3618"Is it related to your dad's art?"
3619
3620Cera nods. "It's easy to keep molecules from doing anything at all or releasing or absorbing energy. A lot easier than making something out of thin air."
3621
3622You frown. "I still think complete control over things on the molecular level is unfair."
3623
3624Cera rolls her eyes. "That's not even close to what my magic is." 
3625
3626A moment later, she pipes up. "These are pretty good. How'd you get dweomers to make them?"
3627
3628"Never underestimate /mg/." You say. 
3629
3630"Slash MG?"
3631
3632You shrug, finish your omelet, set it aside, and stretch. 
3633
3634Then with a flourish, you simultaneously summon your jacket and fling it around yourself. There. Now you're feeling a lot more like yourself.
3635
3636"So, uh, how have the two of you been?"
3637
3638"Still taking classes." Jocelyn says. "I'm basically out of hope that Archmage Yule will even look at me no matter how good I get, so I don't think I'll ever make it past Adept."
3639
3640"Everybody knows she doesn't take apprentices." Cera says.
3641
3642"Maybe she will if I can figure out how her magic works." Jocelyn says. "I mean, I've always been good at biology. The normal kind as well as the soul kind."
3643
3644Cera just shrugs. "I've been studying more, and trying to work out the kinks in my dweomers. Thaumaturgy makes things a lot more complicated. Then I've also been pushing my dad's magic some more."
3645
3646"Any luck?" You ask.
3647
3648"Some." She says. "I managed to get it working on things with proto-souls. Like animals and stuff. Not monsters yet, but it'll come someday."
3649
3650"Oooh, can you make me a rabbit?" Jocelyn asks.
3651
3652Cera rolls her eyes, and a fully live, pure white rabbit lands in Jocelyn's lap, nose twitching. Jocelyn squeals loud enough to have Nel shoot straight up, alert.
3653
3654Then he freezes. Looks around to see three girls looking at him. Then he looks down to see he's missing a shirt.
3655
3656"Huh." He says. 
3657
3658"Eggs are in the kitchen." You say. 
3659
3660"Choose the plate that's emanating heat." Cera pipes up. Nel shrugs, and walks into the kitchen.
3661
3662"He's cute." Jocelyn says. "Who is he?"
3663
3664"I think he's Angwaz's boytoy." Cera responds, with a glance to you.
3665
3666"He can hear you." Nel chimes in from the other room.
3667
3668"He's a friend." You respond.
3669
3670After a moment, you consider where his shirt might be... And you pull it out from your vault, tossing it to him when he comes back into the room with a plate.
3671
3672>?
3673--------------------------
3674>>470994
3675>Actually, Nel's three or four years your junior.
3676
3677"That's pretty cool." You say, nodding toward the rabbit.
3678
3679"I've been working hard." She says. "They don't really have minds- not even instincts- so they don't last long. But it does mean that I never have problems with bugs attacking me again."
3680
3681You shrug. "Anyway, this is Neloch." You say. "We met while subjugating some Fiends. He's cool. He's an explorer, so I was going to work with him while I was doing some work on my Thesis."
3682
3683"Hmm." Cera says, appraising him.
3684
3685Then you smirk.
3686
3687"Plus, the term 'boytoy' incorrectly assumes I spend time playing with boys I like." You say. "I tend to prefer devouring them whole immediately."
3688
3689"Should we send out a subjugation mission for you?" Cera asks, raising an eyebrow. "Tyrant Angwaz? No, you're too tiny for that template. Is there a Template that makes someone half sized?"
3690
3691"Shadow does, sometimes." Neloch answers. "But Jaz is a bit too shiny and pretty to have the shadow template."
3692
3693"Nel, this is Jocelyn. She's a nice young woman who I don't know very well yet. " You say. "And that's Cera, who is a bitch and has generally been a pain in my ass for the past few years."
3694
3695"I did apologize..." Cera grumbles, finishing up her plate.
3696
3697"It's nice to meet you both." Nel says. "I go by a policy that even absolute bitches can reform into being normal people with enough love and care."
3698
3699Cera rolls her eyes. Jocelyn feeds the rabbit some of her leftover omelet. It doesn't move or act like a normal rabbit- it's more like a breathing doll that moves occasionally. It's a bit creepy, but that's what you get from being made directly out of magic.
3700
3701Eventually, Brun wakes up, and Kally, and next thing you know, everybody's awake and fed, and people begin say their goodbyes and head out into the rest of the dorm. Finally it's just you, Brun, Thod, and Nel.
3702
3703"I had a fun time hanging out with you guys." Nel says, scratching the back of his head. "Even if I probably wasn't very personable when I showed up."
3704
3705"It's fine." Thod says. "It was nice to meet you."
3706
3707"You too." Nel says. Then he turns to you. "Hey, before I go, do you have any plans for today?"
3708
3709>?
3710--------------------------
3711>>471131
3712>>471136
3713>Please don't argue, folks, I'll clarify things.
3714>Cera's magic allows her to convert physical objects into mana, move the mana elsewhere through thaumaturgy, and convert it back into it's original state. While this works on non-enchanted objects and anything without a soul, it doesn't work on people or the three alloys. This transfer doesn't actually cost much mana- only enough to keep the dweomer existing, due to the way the magic works. This does mean that she's better at bulk-transporting things. Jasmine's magic, meanwhile, is a lot more mana-costly in bulk, but works on absolutely everything. Cera's efficiency is better, but Jaz's magic is plain better for the specific purpose.
3715>In short, Cera's is Economy Class seating, and Jaz is First Class. More expensive, but way more comfortable.
3716--------------------------
3717>>471083
3718>I actually alter my time perception so that it seems as if the world is going at half speed, giving me extra time to update.
3719>Actually, It's mostly just practice and years of writing. Sometimes I hit a bump in the road and it slows me down, taking up to an hour for me to write a new post, but sometimes things are going really smoothly. I mess up sometimes and only give people like 5 minutes to vote sometimes before posting, which anon got really angry at me for doing. I'm better about that now, though.
3720
3721"The usual." You say. "New magical exploration, going to new planes of existence... Why? do you want to tag along? What about you, Thod? Brun?"
3722
3723"I... will it be safe?" Thod asks, a bit worried.
3724
3725"If I go to a new world, it might not be." you say. "But if I go to the one I found Krital's books in, it should be fine. There aren't any monsters on that world or anything.
3726
3727Thod still frowns, not sure.
3728
3729"I'll go!" Brun says.
3730
3731"So will I, of course." Nel says. "I'm up for heading anywhere. I'll just need my gear."
3732
3733"Me too." Brun says.
3734
3735You consider it. You still have those three worlds you remember from Krital's journal... 
3736
3737>The one you went to, Shamash.
3738
3739>A world full of exotic technology, in a ruined, blasted land. Ra'aa.
3740
3741>A world of magic you've never heard of- sorcerers, druids, and a brewing war. Lugh.
3742
3743You consider it... and then you nod.
3744
3745You know exactly where you're going.
3746
3747>End of session!
3748>Just link to this post and vote on where you guys'd like to go! I'll tally them all up and take you there the next session!
3749>I'll also answer questions you guys've got, if you need any kind of clarification.
3750--------------------------
3751>Welcome back, folks!
3752
3753Your Gate buzzes, dweomer feeding it more and more mana as the spell begins forming, opening a hole to another dimension.
3754
3755Rathod is eying it carefully- he hadn't seen the Gates before- while Brun just leans against the wall, arms folded. Neloch, meanwhile, is bouncing on his heels and pacing- He looks excited, a boyish grin stretched across his face.
3756
3757You're glad you put away your research before this: You'd needed to funnel everyone into your research chamber, since it was easier than the alternative. 
3758
3759"Okay." You say. "Everyone stand still for a second."
3760
3761"What's going on?" Brun asks.
3762
3763"Better to be safe than sorry." You say, and slap out a few dweomers for each of them. you don't think there'll be a contamination or sickness in either world that might cross over, but there's no reason not to be sure. While you're doing that, you also cast Gift of Tongues, so that everyone can speak and be understood while you're there.
3764
3765"One more thing." You say, throwing out a complex thaumaturgy dweomer. You're extremely good at mixing different disciplines like this, but even then this spell took a long time to make. Thaumaturgy to keep them linked, one dweomer to understand the command word, and have it immediately link up with the other dweomer and send the trigger. "If any of you want to return home, simply say the word 'Helios'."
3766
3767"Like the sun god?" Neloch asks. You nod.
3768
3769"It'll summon you right back to this world."
3770
3771Finally, the portal begins to form... and on the other side, you can see the glory of the palace, of the imperial city-fortress of Thaln.
3772
3773With a grin and a wink, you step straight through.
3774
3775=== LEAVING HELIOS ===
3776
3777As always, there's the single heartbeat of storming energy, rampaging through your body as you transfer. It's almost like a static shock, except more- your soul quivers-
3778
3779=== ENTERING SHAMASH ===
3780
3781and your other foot hits stone. You clear the path for the others, and once Neloch darts through, Thod cautiously steps through, and Brun follows up the rear. Everyone looks around, awed, and then you see something going up the center of the tower through the windows. Through the hollow pathway that reaches from the princes' chamber to the open sky, something shining and mithril-white tears up through the center...
3782
3783And the largest dragon you've ever seen spreads it's wings, roaring to the sky. Bells ring, and pedestrians down in the city claps, just as awed from the sight as you are.
3784
3785The dragon circles the citadel twice, before carefully coming to a stop... Right atop the buttresses connecting your tower to the central palace, claws gripping tight on crenelation and fortifications. It's tail whips out and around, onto the rooftop next to you.
3786
3787Rikar, without hesitation, walks down the creature's tail, hands folded behind his back. He looks like he hasn't slept since you last saw him.
3788
3789"Welcome back." He says. "Are these guests of yours?"
3790
3791>?
3792--------------------------
3793"They are." You say, holding out a hand. "This is Brun of Dalheim, Neloch, and Rathod."
3794
3795"Monster hunter and combat wizard." Brun says, with a nod.
3796
3797"An explorer of far-off locales, and sometimes shaman." Neloch pipes up, still looking around at the city.
3798
3799"Just an apprentice." Rathod says. Way to understate it, Thod.
3800
3801"They're my friends- I invited them along." You say. "Guys, this is Prince Rikar. Say hi."
3802
3803"Imperial prince of the Venan Empire. Last direct descendant of the first Emperor. Master of the mithril dragon." Rikar says in a tired, bored voice. "Greetings, newcomers. Welcome back, Dame Jasmine. You are welcome in the city of Thaln."
3804
3805Rathod carefully considers his next words.
3806
3807"Then first of all, I'd like to apologize in case I offend you. I don't yet know your culture, and thus I don't know what manners or traditions one would normally follow."
3808
3809Rikar raises an eyebrow, and speaks dryly. "I shall endeavor to do my best in order not to be offended that you're ignoring the most boring and tedious part of my position."
3810
3811After the sarcastic reply, he smiles, nodding to himself. A pulse of mana, the dragon tears itself into the air again, climbing back down into the tower.
3812
3813"Excuse me, but what was that?" Neloch asks.
3814
3815"That was a dragon." Rikar responds.
3816
3817"... to be exact, I was asking how you controlled such a thing." He says. "I noticed you're linked to it somehow, but our world doesn't have the same practice of magic."
3818
3819"It's one of the few magics our people had left to us, when all other magic began failing." Rikar says. "And so we pushed it as far as we could, turning once-friends into beasts of burden, soldiers, weapons, and more."
3820
3821"Do you know much about how it works, specifically?" Nel asks.
3822
3823"I know some." He says. "We take a simple living creature- from a lizard to a dog or similar- and we begin pouring our magic into it. Eventually, the link is formed, and the creature becomes a monster as well as your familiar."
3824
3825"That sounds simple." Rathod says.
3826
3827"It's not." The prince responds with a sigh.
3828
3829>?
3830--------------------------
3831>>476962
3832>You didn't. Rikar doesn't need to tell his dragon to do anything, or even tame it- he just somehow has complete control over it. While for Gareth, you had to manually train him with positive and negative reinforcement.
3833--------------------------
3834"I will have to try that with Gareth." You say- at your words, Gareth pops up over your shoulder. He's still-again bigger than he was before, but he's still extremely light. And collapsible, with his scrawny insect body.
3835
3836"You should probably do research before you do anything... unwise." He says. "I'm not sure how you tamed a monster, but monsters are generally not made into familiars."
3837
3838"I suppose I'll have to." You say. 
3839
3840"It occurs to me that you have no money with which to purchase books." Rikar pulls out a small, golden badge. "Show this to storekeepers when you make a purchase. Then later, storekeepers can request money from your ancestor's account. I'm not certain exactly how much your ancestor had, but will certainly be enough."
3841
3842"You're giving me money?"
3843
3844"No. I am simply returning it." He says with a slow, long blink.
3845
3846"Thank you anyway." You say, taking a look at the badge. Apparently Krital had his own heraldry; at the center is the picture of a frost wolf on it, howling upward.
3847
3848You turn up to meet Rikar's eyes again.
3849
3850"Prince Rikar, you seem tired... any trouble we can help you with?"
3851
3852Rikar raises an eyebrow.
3853
3854"My lack of sleep is not due to a problem." He says. "It is simply who I am."
3855
3856"Jasmine gets the same way sometimes." Rathod says, and you elbow him. Rikar just raises an eyebrow.
3857
3858"But perhaps I could use some help." The prince says, finally. "As of late, a small country far from here has rebelled, using magic new and strange from what I know. I have sent my dragon there in an attempt to cow them, but he returned wounded."
3859
3860"What do you mean by 'magic new and strange'?"
3861
3862"Reports aren't clear." He says. "I hear tell of black lightning, strange metal creatures that move like puppets, and a black chasm in the sky. I saw the latter through the dragon's eyes."
3863
3864"That... doesn't sound good." Rathod says.
3865
3866"It is not good." Rikar responds.
3867
3868>?
3869--------------------------
3870"Then we'll have to take a look." You say. "But first, we'll spend some time exploring the city, if that's okay."
3871
3872"Certainly." Rikar says, nodding. "You're welcome to explore the city as much as you like."
3873
3874"Let's see if they have a bar." Brun says. "Some alien drinks would be pretty rad."
3875
3876Thod snorts. "After last night?"
3877
3878"... Maybe we can wait a bit." Brun says, finally.
3879
3880While the two discuss where to go first, Rikar takes you aside.
3881
3882"I'd like to thank you for promising to take a look at the colony." He says. "It would be a personal favor to me, and I will figure out how to pay it back."
3883
3884"Not a problem." You say. He gives you a sleepy smile, and then steps away.
3885
3886"Well, I'll leave you folks be for now." He says.
3887
3888And then he steps off of the tower's rooftop. You lean over it to watch him land on the buttress, walking down it toward the main tower.
3889
3890"Well." You say. "I can show you guys Krital's tower."
3891
3892"Really? He has a tower?" Neloch asks.
3893
3894"We're standing on it."
3895
3896The four of you start going down the tower, as you show off the various experiments, half-carved circles, and similar. You'd gone through all of this a few weeks back, poring through everything to make sure you didn't miss anything, but it's still a cluttered mess. There's a portrait on one wall of Krital- complete with white hair- standing next to a beautiful redhaired woman covered in finery. The imperial princess, no doubt.
3897
3898Eventually, the four of you reach the bottom of the tower.
3899
3900"That was it? No hidden, secret lore on the nature of magic, the universe and everything?" Neloch asks.
3901
3902"I took all that lore home with me last time I was here." You say, grinning. Neloch frowns.
3903
3904The city itself is just as crowded as last time you were here, but people seem to be giving your group a lot more space. When the first set of guards stop you- due to Brun's axe and Neloch's spear- all you end up needing to do is show them the badge the prince had given you. At that, they immediately backed off, welcoming you and your companions to the city.
3905
3906Thaln doesn't have nearly as many restaurants or shops as Romalia did, but you suppose that's because they have a completely different culture- People are more stratified into different classes, here. It's also got none of the technology you normally assume. No vehicles, personal or public, and no electronics at all. It's almost surprising, how low-tech they are here.
3907
3908It takes you a while to find a bookshop through the tangled streets, but Neloch is a good help. Whenever you get lost, he's able to Shadow onto a rooftop, looking around, before pointing you onward. The bookshop itself is cliche- it's dusty, dark and quiet, with a hunched over older woman at the counter.
3909
3910The main difference from the cliche is that the woman has a curling, twisted pair of horns wrapping around the sides of her head.
3911
3912"Aaaah." She says, eying the four of you. Her eyes are full of cataracts. "Visitors."
3913
3914>?
3915--------------------------
3916"Hello. I'm looking for any books on familiar binding lore." You say. "I'd like to improve the bond I have with my friend here."
3917
3918Gareth clicks twice, and you pat his head. The woman squints at you, and then slowly nods and gets to her feet. She totters over to the shelves- and you see that instead of two legs, she's got four- her lower half is that of a ram of some kind, or a sheep, bulky enough to hold her weight. You weren't expecting that.
3919
3920"I'd also like to look at any books you have on Hermetic magic."
3921
3922"Hermetic, girl?" She asks. "I don't know what that means."
3923
3924"The magic that failed- the magic that doesn't work anymore."
3925
3926She turns back, and gives you a long, appraising look- and then starts taking stacks of books off the shelves. Book after book after book piles up on the desk in front of you. Once the desk is filled up, the woman hands you one final, dusty book. After the letters swim in front of your eyes for a few moments, they shimmer into view, and you can understand them-
3927
3928The Arte of Familiar Bonding and Creation.
3929
3930"And the rest of these..."
3931
3932"Your 'Hermetic' magic, girl." The woman croaks. "I've been trying to get rid of it for decades. Take it. You owe me sixteen crys for the familiar book... and another sixteen for the useless lot."
3933
3934"Crys?" Rathod asks.
3935
3936The woman raises her eyebrows, and palms a handful of small, prism-shaped crystals. It tinks in her palm- and you remember seeing a few other shopkeepers trading with them. Must be the money system they use.
3937
3938"Excuse me, but do you also have a map?" Neloch asks. "A large one- one for the known world."
3939
3940The woman nods, and sets a scroll down on the desk.
3941
3942"Fifty more for the map." She says. Neloch carefully opens it and snaps a picture.
3943
3944"It's a bit too much for me, I'm afraid."
3945
3946The woman snorts and puts it back, and then turns expectantly to you. You hold out your badge.
3947
3948"A rich scholar then?" She asks, scrawling words down on a paper. "Lady Angwaz. Very well. Take the books and leave."
3949
3950With Gareth grumbling, carrying a pouch full of books in his mandibles, the four of you go back out into the city.
3951
3952"I think that was a good haul." Rathod says. "Especially that familiar book. My master might want to see it, because if he can make bonds with other golems..."
3953
3954Of course, you don't have to give it to Haron for free, unless you want to...
3955
3956"There are no places to go out to eat around here. Nothing more than a few stalls and a few bars." Brun complains.
3957
3958"I'm sure we could find enough to eat on the road." Neloch says, gesturing with his hand. Light projects from his implement's screen, and a dweomer winks on, turning the screen display into a hologram- of the world map. "The prince said that the country was up around here, right? That's a good two weeks away."
3959
3960That's an impressive dweomer. but...
3961
3962"You forget, Nel." Rathod says. "We've got the Ar- er, we've got the Wizardess of Teleportation here. Two weeks of travel becomes seconds."
3963
3964Nel looks a bit sheepish.
3965
3966>?
3967--------------------------
3968"Well, we do need to be careful." You say. "It turns out that cartography ends up more like an art than a science in most cases. It's too imprecise to teleport without prior exploration."
3969
3970"Alright, so it might not be seconds." He says.
3971
3972"Say, Brun, do you know anything about how the platform we used on the fiend raid works?"
3973
3974"It's just gravity magic and Archmage Sirius' art." She responds. "Then we stuff it full of junk and ride the magic out there."
3975
3976You sit down and think for a few minutes. Doing the teleport and slowfall routine would get tiring, especially after you have to open a portal to bring everyone to your location. You don't have the exact distance to the city, so-
3977
3978"I've got an idea." Rathod says. Everyone turns to him.
3979
3980"Bring up that map again." He says, and Nel does. "Assuming this world is approximately the same size as our own, this looks like all of the planet's tectonic plates are in the same place. Mountain ranges in the same spots, coasts in the same spots... we just need to figure out where the equator is. We just need to..."
3981
3982Thod goes silent for a few minutes, and eventually begins tapping on his Implement, making calculations, mumbling things about 'time of year' and 'angle of the sun' and stuff you don't catch.
3983
3984Eventually, he shows you his Implement, and two sets of numbers sit there.
3985
3986"Here is our approximate longitude and latitude and this is the rebellion's location. Since maps aren't accurate we won't be right on it, but that's probably for the best."
3987
3988Everyone sits there staring at Thod for a moment.
3989
3990"We might be a few hours out, but that's not a problem, is it?"
3991
3992There's a reason Rathod became Haron's apprentice, after all.
3993
3994Hours later, you finish opening the portal from your Gate at Krital's tower. Wind howls through, pushing at you due to the altitude difference between the portals, but through it you can see a huge, black fortress in front of you. The surfaces are smooth, and gleaming violet lines stretch across the structure, glowing with some inner light.
3995
3996The area around the fortress is blasted and wasted. One side of the fort has huge claws rent into it- claws approximately the size of Prince rikar's dragon's claws- and small dweomers flit through the air, repairing it.
3997
3998Instead of the 'sphere of light' dweomer you're used to, these are small, tangled masses of crackling lightning, spraying magic at the terrain. They seem to be levitating huge chunks of smooth black stone back into place, and then somehow merging it back with the fortress. You don't quite understand what it's doing- it's a magic you've never seen.
3999
4000And in the sky, far above the other end of the portal, a ravening black crack in the sky looms. Blazing, twisted hermetic glyphs circle around it.
4001
4002It's not the same kind of glyphs that go into your portal spell, but it's familiar- very familiar.
4003
4004You see someone standing at the top of the fortress, wearing a pointed, wide-brimmed hat, directing the dweomers with their hands.
4005
4006>?
4007--------------------------
4008"I see what's going on here." You say. Everyone turns to you. "They came through from another world using something similar to my magic. The glyphs aren't the same, though. This might not be hermetic magic, or maybe they found a different way to cast it."
4009
4010"They're not from home. That's for sure." Rathod says. "Those dweomers aren't made with analytical magic."
4011
4012"What's that mean?"
4013
4014"They're using something else." He says. "I'm not sure what, but..."
4015
4016"Let's go parley." You say.
4017
4018"What? Parley? How do we even know if they speak the same language?" Brun asks.
4019
4020"We speak every language right now, remember?" Nel asks.
4021
4022"I'm up for not fighting." Rathod says. "And we all have that code that teleports us home if something goes wrong, right?"
4023
4024"We do." You say.
4025
4026"Then let's do this."
4027
4028The four of you walk out of the portal, and you close it behind you. Together, you all approach the looming black fortress. The closer you get, the more you see how perfectly, utterly smooth it is. Like it'd been machined by something beyond even the most delicate dweomer.
4029
4030You get the feeling that you're outclassed here.
4031
4032The dweomers suddenly turn toward you, examining you, you raise an arm.
4033
4034"We come in peace!" You call at the top of your voice. "Let's talk!"
4035
4036The person atop the fortress looks down at you- and then they step off of the edge of the fortress. Their feet shriek loudly, sparks shooting from the sides, and they land on the ground without injury. Must be some slowfall spell.
4037
4038The figure- who you see now is a woman, a slight bit taller than you. Dark hair, a button nose, and a robe that looks more like a dress. 
4039
4040She's actually kind of cute.
4041
4042Behind her, dweomers suddenly burst into physical shapes, black armor erecting themselves around each spell. What once was a bunch of curious-looking spells suddenly becomes a dozen soldiers, heavily armored.
4043
4044"Talk?" The woman asks. Her voice is sing-song, light and lilting. "I didn't know you primitives could talk in a way I could understand. This is interesting."
4045
4046She frowns. "Did that mithril dragon drop you off? Or can your bug creature fly? How did you get this close without my sensory core noticing you?"
4047
4048Your phone chirps. You look down- and it's Neloch sending you a message through short-band radio.
4049
4050[She has way too many cores. She's either an Archmage-class shaman or a monster.]
4051
4052"Ah." She says, smiling. "You're foreigners to this world, aren't you? Welcome to the club."
4053
4054>?
4055--------------------------
4056"I didn't know there was a club." You say. "Mind spilling a bit of history on it?"
4057
4058She smirks.
4059
4060"Yes, I do." She says. "I've no need to tell my life's story to a bunch of primitives."
4061
4062"We're not primitives." Brun snaps. The woman rolls her eyes.
4063
4064"I've no need to argue with you." She says, turning around. "I should warn you. Leave this dimension before I finish assimilating it, and you may live."
4065
4066"Assimilating?" Rathod asks. "Why exactly are you here?"
4067
4068"Real magic needs resources." The woman says, turning back. "Mana generation is the only use mundanes have, after all. It's a large boon for my master and I- an entire world's mana generation for our own purposes."
4069
4070"Nobody can make use of anyone else's mana unless they're trained." Neloch says, frowning.
4071
4072"... And that's why you're primitives."
4073
4074Her smirk grows wider.
4075
4076>?
4077--------------------------
4078"The only people who need that much mana usually have God complexes, or they're just really greedy." You say. "Which are you?"
4079
4080She licks her lips.
4081
4082"Both." She says.
4083
4084"... Your cores." Neloch says, suddenly looking up. "They weren't taken from monsters."
4085
4086The girl's eyes widen- and then she grins.
4087
4088"I didn't even feel your touch." She says. "You can see souls? Interesting. But yes, I constructed my own powers, like a proper wizard. Unlike you losers who need to use runes and crystals and those useless toys."
4089
4090Rathod grits his teeth.
4091
4092"Alright, alright." You say, finally. "Sorry for disturbing you. We'll head home."
4093
4094"Are you sure? You could hang out. Perhaps learn something." She says, her voice suddenly flirtatious. She winks at Nel. "Especially you, young man."
4095
4096"... Perhaps next time." Nel says, after a moment, a voice that says 'definitely not'.
4097
4098The girl pouts, but the four of you turn around and walk away. As you do, the soldier dweomers suddenly release their armor, and begins going back to reconstruction.
4099
4100This isn't a good thing, you think, as the four of you make a long trek out of sight.
4101
4102"That was not fucking good." Brun says.
4103
4104"Tss." Neloch says. "There's a presence near. I think she can still see or hear us somehow. We have to keep going before we do anything."
4105
4106You continue walking for a time, feeling outward for any kind of mana presence, but you don't get anything. Eventually, Neloch raises his hand.
4107
4108"Okay." He says. "We're clear."
4109
4110"How can you tell?" Brun asks.
4111
4112"... I took a bit more than just a shadow ability." He says. "Since then... Well, I've been a lot better at astral magic."
4113
4114>?
4115--------------------------
4116>>477741
4117>Keep in mind, she did somehow hurt Rikar's dragon despite being covered head-to-toe in mithril scale. It's not pure mithril, but still.
4118
4119"Really glad you did." you say. "So, we need to figure out what's what. She's got someone she's answering to, and she's managed to figure out some kind of strange magic that can turn mana into matter..."
4120
4121"I think I know how she's planning to draw mana from people." Rathod says, teeth still grit.
4122
4123"What? It's actually possible?" Nel asks.
4124
4125"Archmage Haron transferred his soul from his organic body, centuries ago." Rathod says. "And... he had to put a mana tap on his new housing in order to use magic. It could be, that with the right astral magic..."
4126
4127"That someone can plunk a mundane's soul into a crystal with a tap." You say. "And thus get free mana for the rest of time."
4128
4129Rathod slowly nods, his fists clenching. He's getting angry.
4130
4131You've never actually seen him angry before.
4132
4133"Alright." You say, taking a deep breath and flinging out the spell. "Everyone in the portal."
4134
4135"You sure it's fine to just portal?" Brun asks, frowning.
4136
4137"Yeah." You say, as the portal opens. Your ears pop as air gets sucked through, ending up in... nothingness.
4138
4139"It's perfectly safe in there." You say.
4140
4141They all climb in, and you close the portal around you.
4142
4143Absolute silence, except for the breathing of people around you. It's a small, crowded pocket, a carpet on the floor from the last time you tested this dimensional pocket out, with your books in the corner, and a few odds and ends- as well as the long iron bars pushing the edges away. 
4144
4145It took some work to stretch the pocket out to the size of a room, but once the scaffold was in place the pocket refused to close up over it. Maybe you could eventually shove rooms into it, making it larger and larger over time... It's something to work towards.
4146
4147"... This place is creepy." Brun says. "Where are we?"
4148
4149"It's my pocket dimension." You say. "The only way something can get here is by using my mana to open the portal."
4150
4151"Are you completely sure?" Rathod asks. You nod. That's what the Knowledge Demon said, and you even made sure about it by borrowing some of Thod's mana. He relaxes.
4152
4153Then you open another portal- this one back to Thaln- and you climb back out through the gate.
4154
4155No way that creepy, smug witch is going to track you through that. With that crack in the sky leaking so much mana, you know that your method is much more efficient. You're not even sure she can control the size with those glyphs. You'll need to experiment on it eventually.
4156
4157This time, the four of you make your way down the tower and make to report to Prince Rikar.
4158
4159Now all you need to do is figure out how to deal with the Black Witch.
4160
4161>End of Session!
4162>Thanks for coming, folks. I'll stick around and answer questions, as always.
4163--------------------------
4164Prince Rikar is carefully looking down at the pictures that Neloch had snapped of the Black Witches' fortress, at the edge of the Empire's territory. He's frowning- he look just as tired as he always does, except the dragon behind him looks anxious- tail whipping to and fro, twitching lips, and eyes darting from person to person. From what little you read of Familiar Bonding since you purchased the book, familiars tend to pick up emotions from their bonded.
4165
4166"I see." He says, dryly, after you finish explaining what you've seen. "This isn't a rebellion."
4167
4168He sits back, a thoughtful expression on his face.
4169
4170"It's an invasion." Rikar says, finally. "... If she intends on capturing my people for her magic, we'll need to make it difficult. If only I knew precisely how..."
4171
4172He lapses into silence, and then shoves himself out of his throne again.
4173
4174"Regardless, I need to thank you, outsiders, Dame Angwaz, for bringing me this information."
4175
4176"What do you intend on doing about it?" Thod asks, fist still clenched. He's been quiet, since you left the Fortress.
4177
4178"I will fight, of course." Rikar responds.
4179
4180>?
4181--------------------------
4182"Fighting seems a bad idea." You say.
4183
4184The prince turns to you and slowly raises one eyebrow.
4185
4186"She has capabilities we've never seen before." Neloch says. "Even with our own... rather richer magical traditions."
4187
4188"I will be perfectly honest, and I mean no offense, but I don't think you alone could win against this opponent. I can't speak for all of us, but I'll help. I'll see if I can't call up other allies who can fight a mage of this caliber."
4189
4190"I'll ask my master if he has advice to give." Rathod says.
4191
4192Neloch just shrugs. "I'm always up for an adventure."
4193
4194"And I'm always up for a fight." Brun follows.
4195
4196Rikar just sits there, staring at you four, his eyebrows raised. He takes a deep breath.
4197
4198"Very well." He says finally. "I will gather my soldiers, and we can plan our defense against this invasion over the next fortnight. Will that be enough time to... gather assistance?"
4199
4200>?
4201--------------------------
4202"That seems acceptable," You say. "Though we may want to hurry. The longer we wait, the better fortified she will be."
4203
4204"A fortnight is a very short time to arrange this." Rikar says. "Especially because I plan on collecting flight-capable soldiers and those with powerful familiars. We are already hurrying as quickly as possible. Especially if the Black Witch is capable of such strange magic."
4205
4206"I see." You say, nodding to yourself. "I'll ask the archmages of our world if they're willing to help."
4207
4208"I'll... well, I'll brush up on my skills." Brun says. "Those dweomers looked pretty tough, but I've got a mithril shiv and my axe. They won't be a problem. Might even order a new mithril axe, and throw together a spell to increase its mass..."
4209
4210"I'll take care of Haron." Rathod says. "And if he doesn't want to help, I will. We might need to get some wizards to charge up a bunch of dweomers so that I can run some golems, but I'll get to work."
4211
4212Rathod's voice is a bit strange. You frown. You'd assumed that he'd opt out- he wouldn't want to fight someone, or even create golems with which to fight.
4213
4214"Thod?" You ask. "Are you okay?"
4215
4216"She said she was going to use people for mana generators." Rathod says. "I can't talk much about it because it's Haron's magic, but... Trust me. The most efficient way to do that... It's the most disgusting thing possible."
4217
4218Rikar frowns, but nods. "Again, thank you for your help."
4219
4220"It's pragmatism." Nel says. "If that witch crushes your world, then it's only a matter of time until she hits ours."
4221
4222"But that's not why you're helping." Rikar says.
4223
4224The two lock eyes for a moment. Nel looks away.
4225
4226"It's not." He says, and shrugs. Then he turns to you. "So, how do we get home again? I've got things I need to do."
4227
4228>?
4229--------------------------
4230>>483955
4231>The rate of time is precisely the same. You haven't noticed any difference in time throughout any reality you've experimented in- including Nothingness.
4232
4233"Just say the command word." You say. "though I suppose we might as well all warp back together."
4234
4235"Right." Nel says.
4236
4237Rikar sleepily blinks, and then bows deeply.
4238
4239"Fare well." He says. "I shall hold things together here."
4240
4241"See you." Brun responds.
4242
4243You nod to everyone, and then trigger the Dweomer. 
4244
4245You can see it in your head- one thaumaturgic spell makes up both dweomers- one here and one back home- which triggers four more dweomers, each with their own personal summoning spell...
4246
4247Your skin tingles and your soul shivers, and then your feet land back in the testing chamber.
4248
4249"What was that all about, Nel?" Brun asks.
4250
4251"Whatever that witch did with her souls, I could see it." He says. "It didn't... quite make sense. She somehow formed her own monster cores. I'm going to investigate."
4252
4253"How can you investigate something like that here?" She asks.
4254
4255Nel just grimaces.
4256
4257"I'm just going to have to try it out myself." He says.
4258
4259Your skin shivers. Messing with one's own soul is dangerous- that kind of inward astral magic- soul magic- is dangerous. A single wrong move, a single burst Core, and you're barely a person anymore- or if you still are, you're insane.
4260
4261"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Rathod asks.
4262
4263"I got a good image of her cores." Nel responds. "I just need to figure out how it formed. I'll have to do a lot of mathematics and simulations, but..."
4264
4265"You're not even an Adept, though." Brun says. 
4266
4267"You're right, I'm not." Nel says. Then he grins. "But I'm not stupid, either."
4268
4269Rathod looks at Nel for a few long moments, and then nods.
4270
4271"I'll go talk to Haron, then." He says. "Hopefully I can get him to help."
4272
4273"And I'll send a text to my mom, see if I can use some of her equipment." Brun chimes in. The two file out of the Chamber, leaving only you and Nel.
4274
4275Neloch doesn't meet your eyes.
4276
4277>?
4278--------------------------
4279"Be careful." You say. "You know that messing with your soul could end really badly. It might be the cause of the Black Witch's lack of morals."
4280
4281"I know." 
4282
4283"Don't be too hasty."
4284
4285"I know." He says again.
4286
4287"Don't mess up." You say- perhaps a bit harsher than intended. "I'd miss having you around."
4288
4289Nel gives you a Look.
4290
4291"I'll try not to." He says- and then he fades into shadows and, you presume, intangibly floats away.
4292
4293With a sigh, you sit down, curl up with your books, and begin to study.
4294
4295Familiar bonding isn't exactly what you'd originally thought it was. Instead of simply creating a link between a monster and man, the practice is more like funneling one's mana *through* a monster soul and bringing it back to you. Only skilled astral mages can accomplish it, as far as you can tell, while lesser astral mages are stuck creating bonds with simple animals. 
4296
4297You're glad you didn't do your first experiment with Gareth- The rat you'd been testing on turned into a monster itself. It'd immediately gone Dire, charging and snarling at you, but Gareth quickly bowled it over and took care of it. Regardless, after two more failed attempts, you finally shove the book aside. You're still not good enough at astral magic to make a bond with a familiar. Not enough finesse with your raw mana.
4298
4299You sigh. You weren't expecting to run into something like this when you'd set out this morning. What you thought might be a bit of fun with friends suddenly became the fate of an entire world.
4300
4301You're not good at this. You're good at magic, obviously- at bridging multiple practices together, and at your quickly-developing Art of Teleportation, but not this. Your ancestor's journal- the third entry- told you how much he loved the world of Shamash, mostly by the sheer amount of time he spent there. And if that witch gets powerful enough to take over an entire world... Then what does that mean for you? Did you work this hard to just to be outdone by some bitch who thinks that the epitome of magic is jumping on other people's souls? 
4302
4303If the black witch is better at magic than you, then one thing you can do is to get better at magic yourself. You have the entire breadth and width of Hermetic magic at your hand. You have a dozen books on the subject you haven't poured through.
4304
4305You have the Knowledge Demon. The Gift of Tongues. Teleportation and Portals. Astral Magic. Analytic, Shamanic, Hermetic, Thaumaturgic. The entire civilization of magic at your fingertips. There has to be something you can do, some mixture of these that can do what you want.
4306
4307You've been pushing Teleportation so hard to reclaim your family's honor, to make sure nobody would ever laugh at Ishelda the way they laughed at you. And you've done it. People look up to you. People ask you for interviews. You're a fucking hidden Archmage, for scholar's sake!
4308
4309But today, you don't need Teleportation. It's just another tool for you.
4310
4311You just need to figure out how to use them.
4312
4313>?
4314--------------------------
4315>>484182
4316>You still do have some spare money- you guys never decided what you'd do with it other than set up the company, but that could wait a month or so.
4317>You have enough cash for a bit of adamantine from Kristoph.
4318--------------------------
4319Antimagic.
4320
4321It's a preposterous notion. Magic, once formed, is converted directly into raw energies of whatever it does. A movement spell becomes just kinetic force. A dweomer is a sphere of light and tightly-entangled etheric instructions with energy to spare. A fireball just becomes heat. Mithril might block magic, but it doesn't destroy it- it simply insulates it, and is indestructible besides. It might be able to slice through a forcefield, but that's because of the sharpness and disruptive properties, not because it's somehow inherently antimagic.
4322
4323Before magic forms, it's part of the soul. Sacred, untouchable except with the soul of another. If you wanted to use antimagic, you'd have to immediately and perfectly counteract someone the specific moment they use their own mana. It's hard, with astral magic, but to counteract analytical magic? Nearly impossible unless you'd seen the array. And for magic you've never seen or experienced before? You'd need to be perfect. Absolutely, utterly perfect.
4324
4325There's no person alive that's that perfect. 
4326
4327No soul that can act with such absolute precision.
4328
4329Except for the Knowledge Demon. 
4330
4331The spell's hardwired to act only on ink and parchment- you actually had to put impurities into the ink so the spell could recognize it- but Kristoph's master had a list of experiments and notes on Hermetic magic- ones that might allow you to make some changes, to expand its capability. Moreover, you could use a familiar bond on the Knowledge Demon. It has a soul, artificial as it is, and it's already made out of your own mana- the Demon would be doing half the work if you instructed it.
4332
4333> Roll me some 1d100s!
4334--------------------------
4335>You guys are pretty lucky that this was 'best of 3' because it's part of your specialty but sadly it wasn't quite enough.
4336>Result: 85! Near Success!
4337
4338Six hours later, the sky grows dark, and the two Knowledge Demons on either side of you finish their progress. Your head pounds, but your soul isn't aching yet- it seems that the more you use the hermetic spell, the easier it is on you. The Demons are bouncing ideas off of one another, and taking ideas from you as they occur to you. The inkwell is almost dry, and the walls are covered in papers and hermetic calculations.
4339
4340The first and simplest thing you did with the Demon was to study their own conjuration spells. To analyze everything you knew, consciously and subconsciously, and perfect themselves. It took a long while, and you'd needed to modify the star rune to keep them from running out of mana due to the sheer processing power they needed, but you finally have it, sitting in front of you. An artificial, computational spell that, instead of interacting with just ink and paper, interacts with you personally.
4341
4342After the demons lay down a modified array for casting the Knowledge Demon spell, you program it in, and carefully cast it.
4343
4344Your vision swims, pain flashing through your mind, and then your eyes open again. You feel a presence in your mind, an extra astral coil in your soul.
4345
4346You have an Eighth core, spinning over your shoulder, slowly running down. For a moment you consider testing how long it'll last, something *clicks*. The rate of decay crossed over with the state of the Star Rune and the purity of the hermetic components, and the spell will last the next twenty minutes and sixteen seconds. Like a calculator in your head, answering questions as soon as you ask them.
4347
4348It's a huge step-
4349
4350But it's also an absolute failure.
4351
4352You introspect again, feeling out the cores in your mind, but the Knowledge demon can't help you with astral magic. It was something you hadn't considered- the knowledge demon doesn't have the capability to control mana itself- it just consumes it, and sends you information in return. If you had some other kind of artificial soul spell it might work, but the Knowledge Demon has no mana output. It consumes everything spare, and doesn't control it.
4353
4354The spell is an amazing boon for a magus trying to work on their thesis, but for a wizard trying to negate the power of other wizards, it's worthless.
4355
4356Your phone chirps; Thod calling.
4357
4358"What's going on?" You ask.
4359
4360"I explained things to Haron." Thod says. "And he's not willing to give us any help."
4361
4362"He's not?"
4363
4364"He thinks it's too much a risk for him personally." Thod says. "But he did give me permission to use everything I know. Said it would be a good test."
4365
4366"Everything?" What little you know about Thod's training, you do know that he's not allowed to use- or even talk about- most of it unless his Master gives him explicit permission.
4367
4368"Everything." He says. "What have you been up to?"
4369
4370>?
4371--------------------------
4372>>484284
4373>You can't. The demon is technically perfect and connects to you... It's just that it has none of the control over magic you were banking on.
4374
4375>>484290
4376>>Hey Exabyte, Shamanic magic is focused on manipulating monters and their soul cores right?
4377>Yep
4378
4379>>They steal and destroy monster cores and stuff, but can they take aspects of one core and incorporate them into another?
4380>Not exactly. That kind of thing is sort of a holy grail for shamans. If they figured it out, they would be able to just have their normal seven cores with a bunch of monster-based boosts and powers without having to spend months examining if a core 'works' in their soul or not.
4381
4382>>If so, would they be able to do that with the Knowledge Demon before it falls apart, thereby creating a core with the knowledge demon's capabilities that has a mana output and is able to control mana naturally?
4383>Probably not. It might be possible, if you figure out how the Black Witch's cores were formed, but that's different than shamanic magic. Shamans focus more on transplanting cores than altering them.
4384--------------------------
4385"I'm working on anti-magic stuff." You say, and sigh. "I'm so close, yet so far."
4386
4387"Anti-magic? I'm not sure that's possible, other than using mithril or something."
4388
4389"Teleportation was impossible once upon a time, too." You say, offhandedly considering how you'd connect a Demon to an implement. The eighth core takes your ideas and turns them into tangible knowledge. 
4390
4391You'd somehow need to give it control over electricity, and design an implement specifically to take those signals and alter the spellcrystal in the proper ways to counteract magic. It's possible... except you don't have a hermetic spell for a Demon that controls lightning. It would be like teleportation all over again, except without Krital Angwaz' journals to do it. Your head pounds as the information shoves it's way home, and you immediately know how you'd program the implement, even if it's impossible.
4392
4393The Knowledge Demon seems to be raring at the bit to work. The foriegn presence in your mind isn't entirely unwelcome, but it's definitely distracting.
4394
4395"Jaz, you there?" Rathod asks.
4396
4397"Huh? Right. What?"
4398
4399"I asked if you'd talked to any other archmages yet."
4400
4401"No, not yet." You say. "I've been working on this spell. It's definitely a useful one, but I don't think I'll be able to pull off antimagic."
4402
4403"That's a pity." Rathod says. "Though I was thinking I'd make a mithril golem."
4404
4405"Mithril? Is that even possible?"
4406
4407"With mechanical actuators and the right electronic components, certainly." He responds. "The only problem is the cost- I don't have enough ecu for the mithril."
4408
4409>?
4410--------------------------
4411>That's something you've actually done before. It's possible, and actually easier than teleporting yourself.
4412
4413"Keep in mind, Rikar's dragon was injured by the Black Witch, and it's covered in mithril scales. It's not pure mithril, but..."
4414
4415"Yeah, I'll keep that in mind." He says.
4416
4417"And I'll send Kristoph a message. you can order what you need, I'll pay for it."
4418
4419"... What, really?" He asks.
4420
4421"Maybe I'll have a need of a mithril golem after all this. Just make sure you get your design right the first time."
4422
4423"I will." He says. "And I'll owe you, Jaz."
4424
4425"Don't worry about it." You say, and hang up. Next, you ring up Kristoph.
4426
4427"Hello-hello." Kristoph says, picking up almost immediately. "Jasmine! What's going on?"
4428
4429"There's a problem." You say.
4430
4431"A problem, hmm?"
4432
4433"Well, it's not a problem here. It's in a different world."
4434
4435You quickly explain what's going on, with the Black Witch and Shamash, and Kristoph simply sits and listens for a time.
4436
4437"I'm afraid that there's not much I can do." He says. "I've only got my Art, and it's not very combat-capable. However... If you happen to get a close look at that black material, or even a sample, I can certainly tell you what it is. I have a feeling it may be a magical alloy of some kind."
4438
4439"I also wanted to make an order."
4440
4441"AN order, hm? What kind of order?"
4442
4443"Archmage Haron's apprentice is going to be making some golems. He wants to make mithril golems, and for that-"
4444
4445"For that he needs mithril." Kristoph says.
4446
4447"Er, yeah."
4448
4449"... I will make him the parts he needs for free, provided that you get me some of that black material before you're done. If you can't, then you'll simply need to return the mithril to me. How does that sound as a deal?"
4450
4451"That's a pretty good deal."
4452
4453"It sounds like it's an alloy that self-repairs when given mana, and may push my Art forward." He says. "It's a bigger deal than you might think."
4454
4455>?
4456--------------------------
4457>>484476
4458>Specifically, it's as if that in lieu of any kind of location glyph, the portal instead opens up to a pocket of nothingness that uses your specific mana as the location glyph. You're pretty sure nobody can follow any kind of trace. In fact, the Knowledge Demon isn't sure that there is any kind of trace behind teleportation. It means you literally have a dimensional pocket, though you still can't open it without a Gate of some kind. You do have an iron-and-gold 'mirror' style Gate that you keep in your jacket, though.
4459
4460"Deal." You say. "But fair warning, these people make fiends look nice. so making it without a genocide might not be possible."
4461
4462"Of course." He says.
4463
4464"Also, I'm not bringing it back until I'm sure it's untraceable." You say. "I'm sure that my pocket dimension is safe, but everything stays out of this world."
4465
4466"Perfectly understandable. If you can't ascertain if the material is safe or not, you'll simply have to take me to the other world."
4467
4468"Alright." You say. "Thanks for considering this, Kristoph."
4469
4470"It's not a problem." He says. "Perhaps if I do head to the other world, I could interrogate that prince about his dragon...."
4471
4472"I'll talk to you later, Kristoph."
4473
4474"Very well. I look forward to hearing from Rathod."
4475
4476You hang up on him, next, and ring up Archmage Sirius.
4477
4478A secretary picks up, and she quickly- in a somewhat bitchy way- tells you that Sirius is busy, and will be so for the next few days. 
4479
4480Then you stare down at your phone for a time. You take a deep breath, and dial one number you're not sure why you even have.
4481
4482"Hello! This is Magus Cera." Her bright and chipper voice responds. "May I ask who is calling?"
4483
4484>?
4485--------------------------
4486"Hello, Cera. This is Jasmine."
4487
4488"Jasmine." She responds. "Angwaz? How do you know my number?"
4489
4490"It was in my phone." You shrug- you probably added it last night, at the party. Was it really only last night that you went out drinking? The Knowledge Demon, unbidden, informs you it's been exactly twenty-three hours since the party ended with your own cessation of consciousness. "Anyway, there's a situation that might be up your and your father's alley."
4491
4492"What do you mean?"
4493
4494"I was taking a trip to another dimension..." You start to explain. Cera, for all of her bitchiness, doesn't seem to immediately disregard you- instead she just listens as you explain.
4495
4496"Let me get this straight." She says. "You went to another world, a hot prince gave you a mission, and you ran into another alien there that has it's fingers in every archmage Art except Yule."
4497
4498"Basically." You say. "And a huge heft of shamanism, too."
4499
4500"... Angwaz, how the hell do you get stumble into this stuff?"
4501
4502"It's probably hereditary." You respond, and Cera snorts.
4503
4504"Anyway, I can't get in contact with my dad for a while."
4505
4506"What? Why not?"
4507
4508"He's going south to talk with another archmage. Ever hear of Mathilda?"
4509
4510"No?" You ask. Knowledge Demon informs you that there's a mention of an Archmage Mathilda being established approximately sixty-seven years ago in a book you read six weeks ago, but nothing else.
4511
4512"Probably for the best. She's really religious and demands a bunch of things before she even tries talking with someone. One of those things is that daddy can't bring any electronics with him. He's got to make the trek alone, and that means he's not here."
4513
4514She sighs.
4515
4516"That means I'll have to come along in his stead." Cera says. "If this is of interest to Archmage Kristoph, then it's of interest to the Sirius family."
4517
4518"You? Really?" You ask.
4519
4520"You haven't said a single thing about flesh stilts, so I guess you're being serious." She says. "In that case I can stand you long enough to help the people in that world."
4521
4522"That's your priority?" You ask. "I thought it would be the magic."
4523
4524"I'm not an absolute bitch, you know." She says. "I have a heart. They might not be Romalian, or even... human, I guess, but I don't want anyone to get hurt when I can help it."
4525
4526You frown. The more you learn about her, the harder it is to hate her.
4527
4528>End of session!
4529--------------------------
4530==== END THREAD ====
4531Samsara Quest 4
4532written by Exabyte
4533--------------------qst2txt--------------------
4534
4535>>Previous threads can be found at: http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive.html?tags=Samsara%20Quest
4536>>For information about characters and the quest: http://pastebin.com/imX0Y9CL
4537
4538>>Goals for the future
4539>Discover the truth behind your ancestor.
4540>Perfect your thesis
4541>Possibly(?) create your very own teleportation gate company.
4542>Figure out and deal with the Black Witch.
4543
4544A few days ago, you took your friends to the world of Shamash, and agreed to help Prince Rikar with a small rebellion problem he had. But upon going to the problem location, you discovered another magic that rent a hole between worlds... and the Black Witch is at the heart of it. Rikar is heading out in two weeks, and it's up to you to get ready.
4545
4546You'd already brought Cera into this- she promised to come help, and with her Arte, she might be able to do something about it- and you discovered that Archmage Sirius isn't available. Kristoph is... but he isn't a fighter. He'd supply you with some Mithril for golems and such, at the promise of getting some of the Black Witch's strange alchemical material.
4547
4548Your knowledge demon buzzes in your head, running through calculations at each errant thought you have. The advanced version of the hermetic spell doesn't hurt nearly as much as the original did, but it's a lot more annoying. At each errant thought you have, the Demon takes that as a request for information and starts trying to calculate an answer- even when there isn't an answer.
4549
4550You sigh and push your chair away from the desk where your computer sits. You can't find any combat evocations that are better than what you'd already refined, with the Knowledge Demon's help. You have some heavy hitters, but they're pretty mana-hungry despite their efficiency.
4551
4552It's only been a few days since you returned home to Helios, and started planning for dealing with the Black Witch. Rathod's been busy at work designing a combat golem to work on minimal magic and covered in mithril, while Brun's been doing basically what you're doing- working on combat evocations.
4553
4554You haven't heard from Nel since he promised to go try and figure out the astral magic behind the Black Witches' artificial soul cores. It worries you, especially with the inherent danger that comes with that kind of Astral Magic.
4555
4556The Knowledge Demon helpfully informs you that there's a twenty percent chance that Nel is dead, and another ten percent that he's merely insane. Wonderful.
4557
4558>?
4559--------------------------
4560>>544670
4561>The mana drain demon didn't work out at all. The Knowledge Demon spell is hermetic, meaning that it's basically impossible to customize at all without lengthy weeks or months of experimentation. Hermetic magic is hell for an analytical wizard like yourself. You could only ever improve the spell at all due to using Knowledge Demon on itself.
4562
4563First things first.
4564
4565You collect your notes, making a quick copy. Then you wrap it up in a binder, seal it into a box, link it to a few dweomers, and then send it into Nothingness. If you don't come back to disable the summoning dweomer in a month, the box will come back, dragging along your research. But if you do, you won't have to worry about it.
4566
4567You make a mental note to kill the dweomer if you're still around, and then you dig into the familiar magic tome you purchased in Shamash. You don't spend long before snapping the book shut again. Since you still can't link with Gareth properly, yet, you can't improve him at all. He's not your Familiar at all. Once he is, you should be able to supercharge his monster abilities with magic, and have a lot of extra control over him, but you haven't figured it out quite yet.
4568
4569But you're in a spree right now- doing everything you can, rushing to give yourself as much of an edge as possible. Runes spill from your fingers as dozens of Analytical spells are invented through your sheer genius, made as efficient as possible through the Knowledge Demon, and tapped into your implement. A one-to-many thaumaturgic radio dweomer is already done- it'd make communication between Rikar and his soldiers easy. A few lightning spells, a powerful force spell, even a dweomer to absorb physical attack in place of your allies- and to teleport them away if the dweomer breaks. But soon enough, you run low on ideas, and your head begins to pound.
4570
4571But your Knowledge Demon is still active, an eighth core hovering over your shoulder. And it will still be there for the next fifteen minutes, according to its own calculations, so you pull your earbud out of your Implement and call.
4572
4573"You busy?" You ask.
4574
4575"Not really. Practicing my forms, making sure to stay limber. Why, what's up?"
4576
4577"Get your butt over here." You say. "I'm going to amp up your evocations."
4578
4579"... Right." Brun says.
4580
4581Brun arrives at your dorm room only a few minutes later- you immediately take her battleaxe and start tapping. You're a bit surprised you can carry it now, but you ARE a lot fitter than you were a few months ago.
4582
4583"What, not even a hello?"
4584
4585"Sorry. Focusing." You say, fingers a blur as you quickly cut out extraneous runes as best you and the raw intellectual might of the Knowledge demon can do. Soon enough, you'd streamlined everything in Brun's suite.
4586
4587"What was that?" She asked.
4588
4589"Knowledge Demon." You say. "Makes me smarter, but it... has a cost."
4590
4591A cost of your sanity and patience, mostly.
4592
4593She smirks. "Is that a hermetic spell? I can't wait until you can share that kind of stuff with my family."
4594
4595>?
4596--------------------------
4597>>544715
4598>You only get Princess Jasmine as a title if you marry the prince.
4599
4600"I suggest you get a lot better at Astral magic before that," You say. "It links directly to your soul, and I have to deliberately prevent my mana from all tunneling into it."
4601"What happens if I'm, uh, not very good at it?"
4602
4603"Then you'll probably lose all ability to use magic while the Knowledge Demon is going on, and you'll be flooded with a bunch of junk information," You say.
4604
4605"And that's not a good thing," She sighs, and you nod. "Pity. I could really use some extra brainpower now and then."
4606
4607"I'll say," You say, and Brun shoots you a glare. You just grin.
4608
4609Then you get to your feet, and hand the battleaxe back to her. "Go ahead and give that a test. Your spells- at least, those in your combat suite- should be more powerful and efficient now."
4610
4611"Hm. Lemme..."
4612
4613She tilts her head, and then the air wavers around her, the telltale sign of a Haste spell. She moves her arms and legs experimentally, and her eyes widen. 
4614
4615"Warrior, what the hell'd you do to this?" She asks.
4616
4617"Why, something wrong?"
4618
4619"No, it's just... This thing's a lot more agile than I'm used to. I might actually be able to change directions with this spell," She says.
4620"You couldn't before?"
4621
4622"The problem with haste spells," She says, well aware that you rarely ever use them, "Is that once you get up to speed, the spell doesn't like changing momentum. But this one does. It'll take some practice to get used to it."
4623
4624"Maybe we can duel a bit, get back into practice," You say.
4625
4626"Sure thing!" She says, and dissolves the haste spell. "Let's get going."
4627
4628The two of you make your way out of your dorm and walk down toward the Combat Evoc. building.
4629
4630"So, what do you recommend we do to prepare for the attack on the Black Witch?" You ask.
4631
4632"Hm," She mutters to herself. "I'm more used to hunting monsters rather than fighting people, but with what Thod and Nel said, I'd assume she doesn't get tired through magic. That means there's no point in trying to fight her in a war of attrition. We'll need to hit fast, hit hard, and hit her in a way she can't recover."
4633
4634"Any idea how we'd do that?" You ask. Brun just shrugs.
4635
4636"Haste, a big-ass weapon, and as many combat evocations as we can charge into one burst. No point in trying to save mana except maybe to teleport away."
4637
4638"... We... might have more mana than you think," You say.
4639
4640"What? Why?"
4641
4642"Cera's coming with, apparently," You say.
4643
4644"Thod said she hated you," Brun says, eyebrows raised.
4645
4646"She does. No reason we can't work together, though."
4647
4648"Anyway, that's talk for after the practice." She says, twirling her battleaxe. "You ready?"
4649
4650"Yeah." You say, and draw out your Implement in one hand, and your sword- safely sheathed so it doesn't kill Brun- in the other.
4651
4652>What are your plans? How are you going to fight?
4653>Also, roll me some 1d100s regardless.
4654--------------------------
4655-omitted one small post.
4656>Result: 71. Mild Failure!
4657
4658The moment the fight begins, both of you key your implements at the same time. Brun wraps herself in the shell of distorted light that is a haste spell, while glimmering sparks- dozens of dweomers- spread out behind you.
4659
4660A second later, both of you move. Brun charges toward you, axe swinging, but you deftly dodge out of the way. But true to her word, her haste spell is a lot more agile- she homes right in on you, axe swinging down-
4661
4662But three dweomers erect shields in front of you, slowing her movement. You key your implement and lash out with some lightning. Brun's own protection dweomer shudders, and winks out. Brun holds up her axe as a shield, and barrels into you- this time charging herself up with a physical augmentation.
4663
4664Your own dweomer shields shatter, and Brun collides with you pretty damn hard. You go tumbling back, skidding across the floor-
4665
4666And the other six dweomers finish opening their miniature portals- and begin belting out powerful missiles, as full to the brim with mana as you could possibly charge them with. The projectiles split and spiral in mid air, filling the arena with frags that Brun couldn't hope to dodge.
4667
4668Especially because they're homing. 
4669
4670You kick Brun, channeling mana into your own physical augmentation spell, and she goes skidding back, boosted by her haste spell- just as dozens of missiles- of many different types- physical, elemental, and even a few designed to absorb heat, freezing her through her shields- slam down on her from all directions.
4671
4672The ground shudders under the force of the spells you'd set up, and you spare the time to pour more mana into the dweomers casting them. You finally have space to breathe, for a second, so you get your swor-
4673
4674Brun bursts out from the storm, axe swinging. You barely bring your sword up to catch the edge enough to block it, and she responds by batting your sword away. You parry her next blow, and then your third, but she's faster and more skilled. At any second she can send the axe crashing down on your skull, so you point to the other end of the arena and tilt your wrist- Your Blink macroinvocation. A second later, you're on the other side of the arena, and Brun is covering her face as the storm continues to rain down on her. She's bruised, and her armor is pretty battered. 
4675
4676For a sliver of a second, you begin to hope you might actually not lose this.
4677
4678Then she charges again- and keys a spell on her Implement. One Brun becomes six, moving toward you. Any one of them could be real, or a mirror image, and if you get close enough to tell...
4679
4680When they screech close enough to engage, you swing your sword. Two images fade out as your mithril sword disrupts them, but the third... 
4681
4682Catches your wrist.
4683
4684A grinning Brun twists at the hip, and sends you crashing down onto your back, sword thrown free. The edge of an axe hums at your neck.
4685
4686You sigh.
4687
4688"That's way better than when you started." Brun says. "You've been working hard."
4689
4690>?
4691--------------------------
4692"Yeah, You say, staring up at the ceiling. Your dweomers wink out one by one. "Before I was just training for me."
4693
4694Then you grin. "You'll have to work hard too, if you want to keep winning."
4695
4696"Sure, sure," Brun rolls her eyes, and pulls you to your feet again. The two of you stand there, resting- and then you nod.
4697
4698"Alright." You say. "Let's keep at it."
4699
4700"You sure?" She asks. "You look pretty tired."
4701
4702"Had to give my dweomers a lot of power." You say. "I just need a few seconds to rest."
4703
4704"Sure thing." She says, and the two of you sit on the bleachers to watch another duel. The Evoc students aren't amazing. You could probably take them.
4705
4706Though after a few minutes, something occurs to you.
4707
4708"One second." You say, and ring up Kristoph.
4709
4710"Jasmine! Hello!" Kristoph says. "What can I do you for? What can I do for you?"
4711
4712You grin. "Well, I already told you about my problems, right?"
4713
4714"You did." He says. "Sounds like a nasty business, that. Your friend hasn't sent me the schematics for the mithril he needs, so I'm mostly just here twiddling my thumbs. Why do you ask?"
4715
4716"Well... I might have need of a bit of a magical boost, see..."
4717
4718"You're asking for Admantine," He says. "Is that right?"
4719
4720"Er, yeah." You say.
4721
4722"Unlike the mithril, I'm not going to loan it out for free." He says. "I know how important the situation might be, but... I can't make Adamantine out of dirt. I don't have the resources for much. I can give you a gem with a few centimeters- four or five- diameter for twenty thousand ecu."
4723
4724You hiss.
4725
4726You have the money- you have a lot more than you'd thought you'd ever see- but you only have enough for a single gem like that. If you're buying it, you'd get to keep it afterwards... But it's a steep price. You could get a car, or a house for that price.
4727
4728Or you could buy enough mercenaries to make an army. Though you already have Rikar's army to come with you, the mercs would have magic to use...
4729
4730>?
4731--------------------------
4732>It would be different if the problem was in Romalia or Tark, but since the 'stealing souls' thing takes place on an entirely different world it's technically not part of the Coalition's... jurisdiction. You might be able to make an announcement as Archmage, but that'd out yourself as an archmage and also wouldn't be nearly as effective as convening a council.
4733
4734"... I'll take the gem," You say. "Do you know how to insert it into my implement to get the, er, amplification effect working?"
4735
4736"I do. Harry helped me with it. No worries, Jasmine," He says. "I'll start working. It'll take me a few days."
4737
4738"A few days? For a small gem?"
4739
4740"... Like I said. I can't make it out of dirt," Kristoph says. "My Adamantine is a completely different class than the other two. Don't worry, I'll have it ready for you."
4741
4742"Thanks, Kristoph." You say- and a moment later, something occurs to you. "Hey, Kristoph."
4743
4744"Yes?"
4745
4746"... If there were a monster with impure mithril scales, could you... purify it?"
4747
4748"Er... that sounds crazy, to be honest." He says. "I'm sure I could, but how could the monster be controlled? A shaman couldn't control it if the shaman can't reach its soul. Perhaps if I gave it an orichalium link from the heart to the edge... but that still sounds crazy. I could do it though."
4749
4750"Thanks again." You say. "I'll talk to Rikar about that. But I've got to go- time's weasting."
4751
4752"Take care, Jaz," The young archmage says and hangs up.
4753
4754You put your earbud back, and then get to your feet.
4755
4756"Alright," You say, turning to Brun. "Let's get back to it."
4757
4758Brun whoops loudly, and springs down the bleachers... Despite the fact that a duel's currently happening.
4759
4760A long, long hour passes, and you and Brun both stumble back out of the building. You're bruised and beaten, while Brun is just... bruised, mostly, though she's got a few interesting electrical burns on her bare arm. You didn't win a single fight, but it got pretty close a few times. Close enough to take off Brun's weapon arm, if the dueling chamber didn't keep medical issues like that from happening.
4761
4762But now you're wiped out, and your soul is beginning to burn from the raw magical weight you were pouring out. For the most part, you were keeping up through a mixture of quite a few different magics- Astral, Analytic, teleportation- even a few splashes of hermetic. Brun won despite her lack of... 'arcane agility' by sheer physical power and experience. Something which you'll be able to match up against... eventually.
4763
4764Rathod's dorm room is cluttered- full of electronic devices and golem limbs alike, and there's a huge pile of orichalium cabling in one corner. Arrayed in the corner of the kitchenette is a huge, bigger-than-human frame, electronic components covering it. Thod is hard at work with a screwdriver and his tongue poking out between his lips.
4765
4766"Heya, Thoddy." Brun calls. Rathod turns around.
4767
4768"Hey." He says, waving. Brun pulls him into a hug. "How've you two been?"
4769
4770>?
4771--------------------------
4772>>545120
4773>You can cast it on other people. Though you're not sure how well they can manage it, without a high skill in astral magic.
4774
4775"Been great. Preparations continue, the final battle against our nemesis looms, your girlfriend using me as a punching bag... You know. The usual," you say. "How's the golem? A golem army would be handy, you know."
4776
4777"You're not getting an army." He says. "It's hard enough getting this one guy working. I think I got it through. With the right dweomer I should still be able to use magic, even after the mithril's on."
4778
4779"Still able to use magic?" Brun asks.
4780
4781"Yeah. I'm going to be wearing this guy." He says, tapping it. "Like armor, I guess."
4782
4783"You're not overworking yourself?" You ask, frowning at him. "Any way we can help?
4784
4785"You're one to talk, Jasmine." Rathod's voice is dry. "Though I could use a bit of help."
4786
4787"Really? With what?"
4788
4789"I can't get this array working." He says, handing you his implement. "I'm trying to create a dweomer pair connected through thaumaturgy. Thaumaturgy bonds are the only thing that works through mithril, so if I can connect th-"
4790
4791"Done." You say, handing it back.
4792
4793Rathod rolls his eyes. You give him a grin so bright it might blind him.
4794
4795"In that case, I don't think there's anything you guys can help with. This is just a bunch of fiddly precision stuff, some magic arrays, and all the precepts Haron gave me permission to use."
4796
4797"Aw, alright." Brun says. Then a moment later, she gives him a smirk. "Tell you what. When you're done..."
4798
4799She leans close and whispers something. Apparently something girlfriend-related, according to the way Thod's cheeks immediately go rather red. 
4800
4801"... Right." He says. "Uh, in that case, I should probably work a bit more quickly."
4802
4803"No overworking yourself, or the offer is null and void." Brun responds. Thod rolls his eyes again.
4804
4805"Aye aye." He responds. Brun grins.
4806
4807"Say, Brun." You say. "Think your mom would help?"
4808
4809"Of course." She says. "Especially if I ask her. Want me to get her on board?"
4810
4811"That'd be awesome." You say. She nods, and pulls out a cellphone. 
4812
4813You sigh, taking a deep breath. Everyone is hard at work, you have another week, and all of your preparations are going well. Cera- according to when you talked to her this morning- is getting geared up for combat, Kristoph is building the gem and supplies, Gareth is being adorable and eating Rathod's food...
4814
4815But you still haven't heard from Neloch, or contacted Archmage Yule...
4816
4817Or visited your family in the past few weeks.
4818
4819>?
4820--------------------------
4821You're starting to get worried about Nel. You hadn't had any contact with him, and last you heard, he was going to be experimenting with Astral Magic. You wave your goodbyes to Brun and Thod, and teleport back to your dorm room for some privacy.
4822
4823Then you ring him up. The phone rings for a long time. In fact, eventually it asks you if you'd like to leave a message. You grumble to yourself, immediately hang up, and call him again. This time, he picks up after the first ring.
4824
4825"Neloch here." He says. He sounds normal. Almost excited, actually.
4826
4827"Nel?" You ask. "You there?"
4828
4829"Huh? Yeah, I'm here." He says. "I've just been pretty busy."
4830
4831"Did you end up having any success? Emulating the Black Witch, I mean."
4832
4833"Any success?" He asks. "... Jaz, I'm doing amazingly. I've got telekinesis now. I didn't even have to take it from a monster."
4834
4835"What?" You ask. "How'd you do that?"
4836
4837"Very carefully." He says, and chuckles. "I'm doing fine. I'm just trying to figure out how else I can do things. I did have to lose my Shadow core, though.... It wasn't compatible."
4838
4839"Is it something you can teach to others?"
4840
4841Nel goes quiet.
4842
4843"... Er, not really." He responds, voice subdued. "It kind of... relies on something."
4844
4845You pause for a long moment.
4846
4847"What do you mean?"
4848
4849"It's, uh, about my core. The wonky one. Let's just... change subject, okay?"
4850
4851Nel sounds pretty uncomfortable. You sigh.
4852
4853"Sure, sure." You say. "Anything else you working on?"
4854
4855"The flying machine is on hold right now." He says. "And my core project is getting close to done. Soon I'll be able to get back into combat practice, and see how the new powers work out. How are you doing?"
4856
4857"I almost beat Brun in a duel. A few times, actually."
4858
4859"But you never actually defeated her."
4860
4861"... No."
4862
4863"You'll get it eventually, I'm sure." He says. "But yeah, I should probably get back to work. Right now my tweaked up intangibility core's kind of unstable. I don't want to let it unspool."
4864
4865"... Er, right." You say, pretending you know what that means. Neloch hangs up, and you frown down at the phone. Then you punch in Archmage Yule's number.
4866
4867"Yule." Her voice comes in, soft and melodious- like a singer.
4868
4869"Er, hello, Archmage Yule."
4870
4871"Archmage Jasmine Angwaz." She responds. "Hello. Holder of the Art of Teleportation, and I suspect another Art of hermetic magic. I remember you."
4872
4873"Uh, yeah." You say. "I wanted to talk to you about a situation that came up in another world..."
4874
4875You begin to talk, to tell her the whole story, but halfway through she cuts you off.
4876
4877"I shall not assist you." She says.
4878
4879"What? Why not?"
4880
4881"I gain nothing from it." Yule says. "Call me pragmatic, if you will, but I will not risk my own life to assist you. I also find myself bound by the Compact of the Romalian Archmage treaty to avoid using my powers to create war beasts."
4882
4883"I... Er..."
4884
4885"Unless you offered me something that is worth breaking my compact." She says. "Like your Arte. Either of them."
4886
4887>?
4888--------------------------
4889>>545270
4890>The monster wouldn't be able to intelligently use the knowledge it's provided with, and monsters don't have any skill with astral magic as a rule.
4891>The problem with using the knowledge demon on enemies during a fight is that while it might surprise them, you'd be in real deep shit if they had the astral magic ability to make use of it- or even enough to block the demon from taking any magic at all. It's impossible to make it feed them garbage information.
4892>Finally, the knowledge demon requires a soul to latch onto. A 'protosoul' from an animal or tree doesn't work.
4893--------------------------
4894"So the magic of another reality isn't enough?" You ask. "I believe they specialize in turning animals into magical familiars- like monsters that serve as an extension to one's own body."
4895
4896"That sounds like a useful magic, but it is not one I am interested in." She responds.
4897
4898"Also, the Black Witch said that she and her master won't stop. That means that we're going to be hit by them eventually. Wouldn't it be better to stop them from forcibly converting everyone into mana to make themselves stronger, right?"
4899
4900"The day they reach this reality, I will act." She says. "But until then, I shall not. What they do until then is of no consequence to me."
4901
4902You sigh. It's hard to talk to her- especially because you're not quite sure what her goals are.
4903
4904Archmage Yule is old. Extremely old. She remembers the days before monsters, back to only a generation or two after magic was properly discovered. And yet she's not bored yet- there's still something driving her. If you knew what it was, you might have some luck talking her into helping... But as is...
4905
4906"Thank you for listening, then." You say. "I'll have to find assistance elsewhere."
4907
4908"If you or your allies are harmed, I am perfectly willing to heal them." She says. "Especially if it saves their lives. But I will not enter the battle, or leave my home."
4909
4910Then, without so much of a goodbye, she hangs up.
4911
4912You frown at your phone, then press your palms into your eyes.
4913
4914You'll deal with this later, you decide, and send a signal to your Gate. One portal to home, coming right up. You need some time with your little sister to blow off steam.
4915
4916>End of session!
4917>As always, I'll be hanging around to answer questions and the like
4918>I've got a twitter at @Futureexabyte and I'm basically constantly on IRC: The #Exabyte channel on Rizon.
4919--------------------------
4920>>545367
4921>>545824
4922The specific treaty that Archmage Yule is bound to was one that established the Archmage system. It basically says that she can't take over the world with an infinite swarm of undying, teeming, numberless monsters.
4923
4924Other archmages can still basically do whatever they want, but it's Yule's duty to keep the archmages in check.
4925--------------------------
4926>>545855
4927She's extremely fucking old.
4928
4929And she's potentially that dangerous, but that's only because the king at the time really pissed her off. 
4930
4931As for magic, she's never really seemed to have much of an interest in the magics people have nowadays. She has purchased some spells from people, but not a lot, and not often.
4932
4933>>546694
4934Hah, that's the thing about this quest: It's all about worldbuilding. And if I run out of places to put new cultures or societies... then I get to worldbuild some more when you jump to another dimension!
4935--------------------------
4936>Welcome back!
4937
4938The night is quiet. Even the bugs outside don't make any noise. 
4939
4940It's too dark, too quiet- you'd gotten used to the hussle and bustle of the city over the past three years, and your bed smells stale and disused. You'd cleaned it up with a dweomer but that didn't help very much.
4941
4942You roll over in bed, staring at the wall. Wooden planks. Your name is scratched into the wood. Done on another night like this, maybe a decade ago, with a knife. You still have the knife- it was a present from your father.
4943
4944Earlier today, you teleported home to blow off some steam. You roughhoused with your sister some, told your mother about your progress, even about your plans for creating your own travel company, and for the most part, you relaxed- ignoring the small burning coal of worry in your gut as much as you could.
4945
4946Something else in the house creaks. You hear padded feet making their way across the ground floor, and the hiss of the faucet. You'd need to teach Ishelda how to create a water dweomer. Then again, you're not sure it'd work on this high of an altitude- the dweomer you have is pretty specific about humidity and such, after all.
4947
4948You lay there, staring at the wall, when the door behind you creaks open. Gareth rustles on the ground, but curls up again when he sees who it is.
4949
4950Ishelda quietly wiggles under the blanket with you.
4951
4952"... I couldn't sleep," She whispers, voice low.
4953
4954Of course she knows you're awake- the two of you are insomnia sisters, after all.
4955
4956"Why not?" You ask in the same low, quiet tone.
4957
4958You roll over to face her and she immediately pulls you into a hug. Somehow it feels more like she's comforting you than the other way around.
4959
4960"You looked really really stressed about something when you showed up," Ishelda says.
4961
4962"I guess I am," You say. "That's why I needed some time with my favorite sister."
4963
4964"It's not about your teleportation," She says, revealing once again how perceptive she is. Purple eyes meet yours for a long, quiet moment.
4965
4966"No, not really," You say.
4967
4968The Black Witch is busy preparing to eat an entire reality's population, and the most you can do is lay here and wait. Doing nothing.
4969
4970Something touches your soul. Gentle and careful, only slightly hesitant, but deliberate. It feels like a poke to the nose. You jump, slightly, but Ishelda grins.
4971
4972"If there's something in my power I can do, Jaz, I'll help with whatever it is," She says.
4973
4974Ishelda is completely serious- there's no hesitation in her eyes. But you can't let that happen. You're not going to let her fight.
4975
4976"No." 
4977
4978Ishelda frowns. "Why not?"
4979
4980You're quiet for a long, long moment, but Ishelda lays there with you, demanding an answer.
4981
4982"It's too dangerous," You say finally.
4983
4984"... You're going to be fighting someone."
4985
4986You quietly nod.
4987
4988Ishelda's frown grows.
4989
4990"And you're not sure if you can win."
4991
4992You nod again.
4993
4994Ishelda screws her eyes up tight, and hugs you as tightly as she can, for as long as she can.
4995
4996This time it's for her.
4997
4998>?
4999--------------------------
5000You hug her just as hard, and then carefully pat her on the head.
5001
5002"I promise I'll win, or my name isn't Jasmine Angwaz."
5003
5004"Your name isn't anything if you're dead." Ishelda responds, and hugs you even tighter.
5005
5006Ishelda goes quiet, and the two of you lay there for a time.
5007
5008"... Can you tell me about dad?" She asks, a long moment later.
5009
5010"Yeah," You say. "Well, He had white hair. Like you and I. He had eyes a lot like mine, and he was shorter than mom."
5011
5012Ishelda doesn't say anything. But she's probably seen the pictures, so you move on.
5013
5014"He was always really calm and quiet, kind of, You say. "He was always working on something, but he wasn't, like, a hard worker. He was kinda lazy so he never actually got anything done. You remember the time we were setting up the basement for you?"
5015
5016"... Not really," She says. "I think I was too little."
5017
5018"I did basically all of it," You say. "That was back when I really wanted a room to myself, and you were being an annoying toddler. Dad kept saying that we'd 'do it next summer', 'do it in a few weeks' but we had all the stuff, you know? Eventually I had Rathod's dad teach me how, and I did it myself. Insulated the basement so you wouldn't freeze and everything."
5019
5020Ishelda giggles.
5021
5022"He wasn't like that intentionally. He just kind of liked... spending life freely. Not worrying about anything, happy with whatever he had. But there were certain things he was really, really serious about."
5023
5024"Like what?"
5025
5026"Magic."
5027
5028Ishelda raises her eyebrows.
5029
5030"He taught me how to use magic the same exact way I taught you." You say. "And he told me that when I grow up and have my own kids, I'm supposed to teach them the same way. You're supposed to, too."
5031
5032Ishelda wrinkles her nose. "I'm not sure I'm going to have kids."
5033
5034"That's your business." You say. "But that's something you have to remember. It's important. Tradition. As relaxed as we tend to be about things, keep in mind that you're an Angwaz. We've been wizards for centuries. It's not just Krital who's important, you know."
5035
5036"Yeah, I know," She says, frowning.
5037
5038"Sorry, I went on a tangent there," You say. "But that was something that was important to him."
5039
5040"It's important to you too." She says.
5041
5042After all, the entire reason for your thesis- teleportation- was to remove your family's stigma. Keep Ishelda, keep your descendants from being a laughingstock the way you were.
5043
5044Something occurs to you.
5045
5046"Ishelda, have you tried, uh, looking inward? With magic?"
5047
5048Quietly, she nods.
5049
5050"Is there, uh, anything you're concerned about?" You ask. Her eyebrows meet.
5051
5052"No. Some of the parts didn't, uh, 'look' like the books said they would, but I think that's because everybody's just different. Of course our souls wouldn't all look the same, you know?"
5053
5054You can't help but smile.
5055
5056"That's what dad said, you know." You say. "When I came to him because I was worried that my soul was a bit... wrong. He said I was just different."
5057
5058Ishelda gives you a brilliant smile.
5059
5060>?
5061--------------------------
5062"Hey, Ishelda?" You ask.
5063
5064"Hm?"
5065
5066"What are your aspirations with magic?"
5067
5068Ishelda stares at the ceiling for a few minutes, blinking.
5069
5070"I don't know yet." She says. "... I think I want to protect people. I know, it sounds silly, but... Did you ever meet Old Lewin?"
5071
5072"Yeah?"
5073
5074"He's teaching me how to use a sword," She says. "But he and the other militia are always afraid that monsters might attack. I want to get strong enough that they don't have to worry."
5075
5076You muss up her hair. "That's a good aspiration. Protecting people is never wrong."
5077
5078"That's what I thought." She says.
5079
5080She stares up at the ceiling, and closes her eyes.
5081
5082"Why do you keep your hair so short?" Ishelda asks.
5083
5084"It's not short. It's trendy," You say, somewhat defensively. Your hair goes down to your shoulders. That's not short... Is it? "Why do you keep yours long?"
5085
5086"Have you ever seen a princess without really long hair?" She asks. You giggle.
5087
5088"You know, one of the strongest monster hunters I ever met had long hair." You say.
5089
5090"What? Really?"
5091
5092"Brun's mom has these braids that go all the way down to her feet. She's pretty strong."
5093
5094The two of you lapse into silence.
5095
5096Eventually, Ishelda's breathing changes. She's asleep.
5097
5098You hug her tighter for a second, and close your eyes. You're feeling a lot more relaxed.
5099
5100===
5101
5102The morning sun greets you by basically blinding you, making you squeak and roll over to cover your face. Ishelda giggles, and springs out of your bed with only the energy a preteen girl has. She quickly rushes downstairs to get breakfast while you hide from the sun for a long few minutes.
5103
5104Eventually, with the smell of deliciousness wafting from downstairs, you find your body disobeying you and sending you stumbling downstairs. Coffee's already brewing- using a familiar dweomer from Ishelda, clever brat- and she's got a pan already heated, cooking up some toasted egg bread. Mom blearily stumbles out of her room not long after you do, and the two of you find plates already in front of you.
5105
5106"Thanks, Ishy." Mom says, eyes still closed as she chows down.
5107
5108"No problem." She says. Then she turns to you, leaning close. "This is how I'm getting mom to not be so weird about magic."
5109
5110The brat doesn't even whisper.
5111
5112"It's working." Mom says. "The coffee's a lot better than the machine makes it."
5113
5114"Thod sent me the array. Apparently he stole it from Jaz when she wasn't looking."
5115
5116Breakfast is a quick affair. Your mom does her normal transformation before she heads out the door, leaving immediately for work, while you're able to relax a lot more while Ishelda cooks. Your phone chirps- a message from Kristoph, telling you that your adamantine gem is done- and you look through for other messages.
5117
5118"Are you heading back today?" Ishelda asks.
5119
5120You could always spend more time with your little sister, but it's been over a week since Rikar called for soldiers- you only have a few more days before the fight with the Black Witch.
5121
5122>?
5123--------------------------
5124"Yeah, I'm going to be pretty busy for the next few days."
5125
5126"Alright." Ishelda says. You finish up your food and dump your empty dishes into the sink. A dweomer springs up of its own accord, and begins cleaning. Ishelda's getting pretty proactive about dweomers. More than you ever did, at least.
5127
5128You sling your jacket over your arm and strap on your dweomer, not caring that you're in your sleeping clothes. Ishelda points her spatula at you threateningly. "Be careful, okay?"
5129
5130"I will." You say. Ishelda beams, and you trigger your teleportation back to your dorm.
5131
5132Now you can really get changed.
5133
5134===
5135
5136The gate to Tark springs open, and immediately you walk through. Kristoph isn't around, but he does have large chest in the corner of the otherwise-empty room, and a small, oaken box. On top is a note to you- how the chest is for Thod, the box for you.
5137
5138You pull the chest open, and inside is a pile of mithril plates, each shaped to perfection. Some have numbers written on them in marker. You don't know what any of it means, so you close it and lock the latch just in case. 
5139
5140But inside the box is a small, red gem. It refuses to move, at first, until you charge it with mana. Inside the box- underneath the velvet cloth the gem rests in- is a thick booklet, explaining precisely how to install it into your implement. On one hand, it looks pretty involved. But on the other, you know more than enough about Implements to do it... Plus the installation means that nobody can use your Implement, because the way the adamantine is attuned to you. 
5141
5142You weren't even sure it could be attuned to someone like that. But Kristoph apparently went into the effort of doing it for you.
5143
5144It takes a few minutes to install the gem, but Kristoph doesn't show up. He did say he'd be busy, so you shrug and heft up the chest on one shoulder. The mithril is really light. You take your cargo through, and teleport the chest into Thod's room. He'll figure out what it is.
5145
5146The next few hours of the morning is experimentation. Your Implement, now modified, seems stronger. Any mana you focus into it is routed through the adamantine, amplifying it and increasing the spells' effectiveness. As far as you can tell, the more mana you put into a spell, the more effective the amplification is. Your already-powerful spells pack nearly twice as much of a punch, now, and your teleportation spells are cheaper. It's a hefty boost- more than worth the price for a career wizard like you.
5147
5148While you experiment, your phone rings. With a sigh, you cancel your blazing sphere of light and destruction, and pick it up.
5149
5150"Jaz here." You say.
5151
5152"It's Nel." Neloch says. "I'm all done with everything I was working on, so I'm heading back into the city. It's just, uh..."
5153
5154You frown. "What is it?"
5155
5156"I, uh, can't actually get back. I don't have my Shadow Core anymore." He says. "I kind of rely on it to get around, and now that I can't... Mind giving me a hand?"
5157
5158>?
5159--------------------------
5160"What happened to your core?" You ask. "Wait, nevermind. You can explain in person. Where are you?"
5161
5162"I've actually got a little camp out in the north side of the forest." He says. "One second."
5163
5164Your phone chirps as you get a text from him- coordinates. Those are easy enough to punch into your Implement, and then start up the Gate.
5165
5166"Alright, portal's opening." You say. "How'd it work out?"
5167
5168"... Well, it's a good thing I went out here to test things." He says. "Otherwise I'd have caused some real property damage."
5169
5170The portal opens, and a rather haggard Nel comes through. His implement- as well as his clothes- are all rather charred, and clumsily repaired.
5171
5172"Yo, Jaz." He says, hanging up the call.
5173
5174"What do you mean, Property damage?" You ask. "What happened?"
5175
5176"Uh... a lot of things." He says. He seems pretty cheerful, considering how he looks. "I, uh, messed up. My Shadow Core collapsed, and I had to get really damn good at Astral magic really damn fast."
5177
5178"How did that go?"
5179
5180"Better than I thought." He says. His phone, of its own accord, folds up and slides itself into his pocket. "After the shadow core died, I was able to piece together a pretty simple telekinesis core. After that, I did a lot of more experimentation, and ended up with this."
5181
5182He holds out a hand- and a white, coiling thing bursts into existence. It writhes in his hand, like a ball of flame, and you can feel the heat from here.
5183
5184"This was my big success." He says, grinning. It would be dashing, if he looked like he'd taken a shower in the past week. "This core lets me, well, pump its own mana back into it. Then it gets hotter and stronger. Then I pump itself back into it, and it amplifies itself. I can guarantee that the Black Witch didn't have anything like this."
5185
5186>?
5187--------------------------
5188"So you made a core with a recursive mana loop?" You ask, eyes brightening. "It feeds into itself and amplifies itself? Can you generate excess mana with it? Can you only feed its mana back into the loop or can you release it elsewhere? Is it a closed system or does it require you to give it a little push?"
5189
5190Then you realize that you're way too far into his personal space and take a step back.
5191
5192"I can't generate any more mana than I put into it." He says. "And once mana comes out of it, it's... uh, changed somehow. Heavier, I guess, and I'm a bit scared of putting it through any of my other cores. Or even my Implement. Seems like it might break them. But every time I focus it through, it gets heavier, and stronger, and... Well, I don't lose any mana and what I do have gets more effective. Very burny and lots of physical force. It does take some willpower to keep it going, but I can keep that going for a few days. What I have now is still pretty damn strong, even after I used it to take care of a few dire wolves."
5193
5194"That's damn cool." You say. "Consider me impressed."
5195
5196He grins.
5197
5198"Though I'd be more impressed if you didn't smell and look like a homeless person mixed with a month old barbeque."
5199
5200"I am a homeless person." He says. You respond by throwing a cleaning dweomer at him. It's meant for scrubbing windows and tile, but Nel's tough, he'll be fine.
5201
5202Nel gets buried in the distorting effect of dweomers bubbling up around him, scrubbing him. Eventually, a white whip of *something* emanates from Nel's hand, coiling around him to pierce the hearts of the dweomers. They fail, shattered by raw magic, and the whip vanishes.
5203
5204He wrestles his way free from the magic, frowning at you.
5205
5206He's actually clean now- though his charred, ruined-and-repaired clothes look like they're falling off of him.
5207
5208You teleport some spare sheets from your pocket dimension to him before you get too much of an eyeful. Somewhat reluctantly.
5209
5210"You'll also need to get some new clothes." You say and turn around.
5211
5212"I already have some." He says, quickly fashioning a toga. "I wasn't taking my fancy stuff with me out into the wilderness. That'd just be asking to get it wrecked."
5213
5214A moment later. "So." He says. "How's everyone else doing? Do you have any plans or anything we need to take care of?"
5215
5216>?
5217--------------------------
5218>>557735
5219>>557742
5220>>557753
5221>There's no way to make an antimagic magic with what you know and have right now. The closest you got was the Advanced Knowledge Demon, but that went up the entire wrong tree and you can't make modifications to hermetic spells without something to go on.
5222--------------------------
5223"We need to be ready soon, but I don't really have much at the moment." You say. "I'm still working on familiar magic... Though I might go see how well Rathod's doing."
5224
5225"Alright." Neloch says, giving you a grin. "I'll go get my gear."
5226
5227And with that, wearing a toga made out of a sheet like he doesn't care, he strides out of Testing Chamber B6. Proudly.
5228
5229You're not sure you'll ever understand him. But with a sigh, you teleport back into the dorms. Teleporting is both swifter and cheaper now that you have the adamantine gem- much like portals seem to open a bit more quickly. You knock on Rathod's door a few times, and he opens it. The chest you'd sent there is open in the back corner, mithril plates covering his room.
5230
5231"Hey, Jaz. What's up?"
5232
5233"Just checking up on your progress." You say. "Seeing if there's anything I can help with."
5234
5235"Not really." He says. "I just got everything sorted, and I'm about to assemble the golem. There's not much you could do unless you knew the design, and as far as I know you're not much for fabrication."
5236
5237"Not really." You say. Fabrication is one of many things you know how to do, but it isn't one of your passions. "I'm just checking up, really. You hear from Brun at all?"
5238
5239"Yeah. She got her mom on board, apparently." He says. "And, uh, I also got a call from Cera? Apparently she wants to know when to leave, and you weren't answering your phone?"
5240
5241Right- that must've been the call you got at dinner last night at your mom's house.
5242
5243"I'll tell her when." You say. "I think we'll be leaving the day before Rikar's deadline. Give us time to synch up and figure out what everyone's doing."
5244
5245"Sounds like a good idea." He says. Then he sighs, and frowns.
5246
5247"What's wrong?"
5248
5249"I don't like fighting." Rathod says. "I don't like that we need to fight. But I don't think we have any alternatives."
5250
5251>?
5252--------------------------
5253"I don't like it either, Thod. If we could talk her down, I'd jump on the chance. But it doesn't seem like that's gonna happen." You say. "If we don't do anything, then the entire plane might die." 
5254
5255"I know." He says.
5256
5257"Maybe you could do something else." You say. "Manage some protective dweomers for everyone, or pull people out of harm's way. That way you can help without fighting."
5258
5259"... But you'll still fight. And Brun will, and everyone." He responds. "I might not want to fight, but I will if everyone else is."
5260
5261There's a long moment of silence.
5262
5263"Ishelda wants to learn magic to protect people." You say. "She has Lewin teaching her how to use a sword."
5264
5265"Didn't you learn for the same reason?" He asks.
5266
5267"Not exactly." You say. "She's learning so that she can protect everybody."
5268
5269Rathod is quiet for a moment, and then he nods. He gets your point.
5270
5271If you don't take care of the Black Witch, then someone else will have to.
5272
5273"Then we'll fight." He says, certain.
5274
5275"We'll fight." You say, and punch his shoulder. He grins, turns, and starts putting mithril plating on the empty frame he'd assembled.
5276
5277You turn back, quietly close the door behind him, and start to walk back toward your own dorm. Gareth scrabbles behind you, carefully keeping up.
5278
5279If Nel can mutilate his own soul, if Cera can put her emnity with you aside, and if Thod can fight his own nature... You might as well figure out how to finally make a familiar.
5280
5281You sit down in your dorm room, staring down at Gareth...
5282
5283>Roll me some 1d100s!
5284--------------------------
5285>>558269
5286>I use the first three rolls. I either average it, take the highest, or take the lowest, depending on the MC's skill.
5287
5288>Result: 60! Mild Success!
5289
5290It takes hours.
5291
5292First you study the book. Even with the Gift of Tongues, reading books in a foriegn language isn't easy. The letters swim in your vision, seeming to twist in your brain while you try and pin them down with your eyes so that you can read, and eventually you find yourself scrawling it down in english so that you can read it over without getting dizzy. Not only does that take a while, but then you have to study what it actually means- the exact process through which a prospective familiar mage anchors their magic to a proto-soul, and how they shape the protosoul's cores as they develop. It takes a lot of practice, on test mice- most of which end up either dead or monstrous- but eventually, you get a success.
5293
5294Your first familiar is a fat, lazy rat with three cores. It feels strange- like an extra set of eyes, and paws, and whippy tail. You smell something you couldn't smell with your human nose, and three buzzing cores exist where the rat's body. When you pour magic into the first core, the rat... grows.
5295
5296But while you're experimenting, on focusing and weakening the bond with your first familiar- you pull away too much, breaking the bond too much.
5297
5298You feel the cores in your second body collapse, and the rat thrashes once- then it dies.
5299
5300Your soul aches, the mana output a bit hard to do at first, so you rest for a bit to translate the rest of the book.
5301
5302The second half of the tome is about advanced familiars- creatures that already have souls, like monsters. The book makes sure to warn you not to practice on sentients, like demihumans or people, but it carefully describes how to thread your mana through the cores of your familiar, how to control it, and many warnings that an advanced creature, unlike lesser familiars, has its own will. It won't become your slave, but your partner.
5303
5304Once you're done translating, the sky is dark- the sun's long set, and your soulache's faded. Which is when your eyes lock onto Gareth.
5305
5306"Hey, little guy." You say, patting his head. His mandibles tickle your hand. He's careful not to scratch you with them. "Do you want to be my familiar?"
5307
5308Gareth chitters happily at you, nuzzling its insectoid head against your leg.
5309
5310You nod, grin, and close your eyes.
5311
5312With all of your willpower and mana, you reach out with your soul... and carefully touch Gareth.
5313
5314>Continued!
5315--------------------------
5316>>558349
5317His own mana, instead of wrestling with you like the book implied, seems to open up.
5318
5319It's not easy. It hurts, at first, when you pull your mana- newly threaded through Gareth's soul- back into yourself, and it hurts even more when Gareth notices something happening and panics, but eventually... You feel a strange, alien warmth.
5320
5321There's only one problem with your current bond. You're not careful enough to thread your magic through every part of Gareth's cores. You can't split your focus that much, at least not when being careful. 
5322
5323You can only split your focus twice. Thread your power through two cores- One for Gareth's mind, as undeveloped as it is, and another for one of his powers. He had three cores- five, if you count his mind and the Devotion core you created- but only three powers.
5324
5325>Which core did you select?
5326>TYRANT: Power, ferocity, strength and size. TYRANT makes Gareth stronger, indomitable, undying. Not only will he permanently grow in size, but you can make him grow temporarily by spending mana.
5327>HUNGER: Cold, devouring, endless. HUNGER is a core mostly developed in frost-template monsters. Gives Gareth frost powers, able to consume heat and magic from outside of himself. Not only will Gareth be resistant to spells cast by anybody but you, but he'll also absorb attacks and gain a lot of sensory ability. 
5328>PRIDE: Control, cleverness, complexity. PRIDE is only ever found in fiends. You're not sure why it's here, but it exists. You're not sure what would happen if you empowered this.
5329--------------------------
5330>>558382
5331At first, your mana just begins to disintegrate while you thread mana through his soul. It's complex, twisting and splitting and merging again. It's hard, putting in this much effort while trying to be as careful as possible, and sweat beads on your forehead. Your soul burns with the effort, like you're trying to push against something impossibly heavy... And then finally, you're done threading your mana through, and you merge it back with yourself-
5332
5333And then you're looking out at yourself through six beady, brilliant eyes. You open your own eyes, and you look down at Gareth.
5334
5335Gareth tilts his head. The view from the six eyes tilt. You can *feel* Gareth's mind filling with confusion. He wordlessly asks you why he can see from his master's eyes. You respond, somehow, explaining the familiar bond. He doesn't understand, but he feels comfortable enough that you do.
5336
5337Your familiar isn't a properly thinking being- he's not a sophont, he doesn't have a self-identity... But he's smarter than he was. Instead of blind devotion, you feel his newborn curiosity and urge to discover.
5338
5339It feels strange. You don't need words- He asks a question, and you wordlessly answer it.
5340
5341Among one thing he asks is what magic is. Your response isn't in words- you just show him your soul.
5342
5343A heartbeat later, you feel a second wellspring of mana- a second Purity core, generating magical power from whatever ether souls come from, whirling up and out of Gareth. 'Like this?', he seems to ask.
5344
5345You wonder, for a moment, if this means Gareth could use his mana on actual magic- maybe even an implement.
5346
5347Your familiar's response is to press his antenna against a light dweomer, and carefully charge it with magic at your guidance.
5348
5349>PRIDE: Your familiar now generates mana.
5350>End of session!
5351--------------------------
5352>>561250
5353His biggest 'permenant' size would still be small enough to fit through Regulation-Size portals. It'd be a tight fight, but it helps that he's longer than he is tall and his legs are scrawny insect twigs. Then to make him bigger, you'd pump magic into him.
5354
5355>>561273
5356While Tyrant was gimped, it's also technically speaking his 'main' power. As gimped as it is, it's still just as equally powerful as the other two cores.
5357--------------------------
5358>>561690
5359Regulation-size was a joke, because there's no regulatory body anywhere except for perhaps you, since you invented- or perhaps rediscovered- the things.
5360
5361You have your standard portal spell set to create ones around eight feet diameter, and the full-size Gates you had Kristoph make are that size. It'd be easy to make ones bigger or smaller, but that'd involve tweaking the portal-summoning spell.
5362
5363Also, sorry I'm not running today- I didn't get much sleep last night.
5364--------------------------
5365You don't need nearly as much sleep anymore.
5366
5367The bond with Gareth brought a few changes to the two of you- Gareth is now a lot darker, though he now has silver speckles on his carapace like stars in the sky. When you use his mana, though, by focusing it into a spell or an Implement, his specks seem to gleam with their own inner power. While for you, according to a very surprised Thod, your eyes are brighter- silver, instead of the dark grey you'd inherited from your father. They don't glow, though, sadly.
5368You'd equipped Gareth with his very own Implement. It's not a good one, and doesn't have nearly as many addons as your own has, but it had enough storage for you to stuff as many of Brun's battle-spells as you could remember, and then some. You might have to personally make him cast the spells through the bond, but once cast, you'll have a real monster on your hands.
5369
5370Rathod's Golem- though it looks more like an armor- is done. Apparently it's controlled through the same mechanism that controls his arm- which is, of course, part of Archmage Haron's secret Art, which means Thod can't talk about it.
5371
5372Neloch's magic is pretty strange- you've been working with him on testing it, using your training room for lack of anything better to do with your time. It seems that the 'Anima', as he calls the fierce whip of light and heat his new Core lets him generate, is reusable. It just becomes less effective the more it's used. 'Lighter', as he calls it, and then he needs to funnel the Anima back into his core to use it again. His anima core rather peculiar- it reminds you of the way certain panes of glass can be used to repolarize light, only with mana instead of photons.
5373
5374Brun and Uldora- nearly twins, you notice, the more you look at them- are standing in your testing chamber. An enormous, larger-than-life Golem is standing there, hunched slightly over due to the fact that it's nearly too tall for the room. That's because Rathod, of course, is inside- and he was already large enough without adding a suit of magic-insulating strength-boosting enchanted armor.
5375
5376Neloch is leaning against one wall, seemingly asleep, spear in hand. Your soul twinges whenever you look towards him- you can taste the white-hot ring of anima he's got coiling around him.
5377
5378Gareth is outside, tottering around. Through his eyes, despite the way he sees colors so differently than you, you see Cera striding down the hall, wearing a armor that looks more like a dress than proper combat wear. She's got a strange assembly of brass and spellcrystals strapped across her back- it's much too large to be a normal Implement.
5379
5380"I'm here." Cera says. She looks around, and sniffs. "Am I late?"
5381
5382"No, we're just insufferably early." Neloch responds, and Cera gives him a winsome smile.
5383
5384Today's the day that Prince Rikar is sending his soldiers out to deal with the Black Witch- and you intend on helping him.
5385
5386"Do we have anything we need to do before going to this, er, other world?" Cera asks.
5387
5388>?
5389--------------------------
5390>>570644
5391>Mithril doesn't seem to have much of an effect- he has control over both ends of the cut anima. That's one of the strangest things about it- it can be completely insulated from him, and he can still control it. You think it's a thaumaturgic connection- the anima is a 'lesser' Neloch.
5392--------------------------
5393"Well, you all have five minutes to use a restroom before we're in a land of chamberpots and bushes."
5394
5395Brun quickly makes her way out of the Testing Chamber, and Uldora giggles.
5396
5397"Chamberpots?" Cera wrinkles her nose.
5398
5399"This is a primitive society we're going to," You say. "It's as old as our own, but they don't have nearly as much technology or magical knowledge as we do. I think that's because they don't have monsters."
5400
5401"They don't have monsters?"
5402
5403"Not nearly as many, and the monsters they do have don't have a voracious desire to murder. There are some... part-fiends, though, but they're just as civilized as normal people," You say. "They're called demi-humans, and there's not much of a stigma against them. They're not monsters at all. They're more like... Well, you, Uldora, except natural instead of surgical."
5404
5405"Intriguing." The redhaired woman says, a wide grin growing on her face.
5406
5407"Anyway. We're going to meet up with the largest political leader in all of Shamash, and we're going to help him. His pet dragon isn't just a tame monster- it's a familiar. He's linked up to it like the monster's a spiritual core of his."
5408
5409"Wait." Cera says. "How the hell does that work?"
5410
5411"I've got a book on it, and I did the procedure with Gareth." You say, and smirk. Gareth leaps onto your shoulder. "You need a lot of skill in astral magic. Like I do."
5412
5413"Like you do." Cera drawls, slowly putting as much disbelief in her voice as possible.
5414
5415"Don't you two start that now." Rathod says. Cera sighs. You stick your tongue out at Thod. Brun comes back into the Chamber, and you lock the door.
5416
5417"Alright. We're all here and ready," You say, having Gareth trigger the portal for you. "Try not to stare at the locals, and just follow my lead. We don't know exactly what this witch can do, just that she's got a lot of extra cores and can probably wield astral magic. I think we've got this, though."
5418
5419"Hell yeah we do." Brun says.
5420
5421With a nod, the portal opens... And you walk through.
5422
5423=== LEAVING HELIOS ===
5424--------------------------
5425>>570736
5426=== ENTERING SHAMASH ===
5427
5428In the open field outside of the city of Thaln, an enormous white dragon sits, twin baleful eyes peering at you and the newcomers. Rikar is snoozing in the sun, back arched and head on his familiar's tail.
5429
5430Behind him, spanning out into the edges of the field, winged familiars sit and wait, their masters taking care of them. None are as large as Rikar's familiar, but some are smaller dragons. Some are winged creatures, and one is what looks like an enormous serpent, flying of its own accord. Bows are everywhere, and what looks like palace staff members are packing bags for everybody.
5431
5432You approach Rikar, who blinks one eye open at you.
5433
5434Then his grin grows wide, and he shoots to his feet. The dragon pushing him up with its tail helps. He actually looks well-rested, for once, and he's wearing armor made out of his own dragon's scales. Some of the soldiers- mostly women, you notice- don't even try to hide their scowls toward you. You get the feeling that it's based on jealousy.
5435
5436"Knight Jasmine," He says, looking out at the various wizards you've brought. "Friends. I'm glad you're here. We didn't have as many flight-capable soldiers as I'd thought."
5437
5438"Not all of us are devoted warriors," You say. "I know I'm not. But we're willing to fight and bring forth our magic."
5439
5440"Wonderful," He says, bowing to the rest of you. Uldora twitches her wing once, looking around at the flock of human-scale monsters. Cera seems to be oogling Rikar, for all it's worth. It's hard to tell what Thod is thinking behind his helmet. "We'll be setting off before the sun gets too low, and we should be able to camp overnight closer to the target. I'll be taking you personally, since my familiar is the only one that can take, well, more than one rider. Any questions?"
5441--------------------------
5442-omitted one small post.
5443"Have you been able to spy on the witch? Are there any changes?"
5444
5445"Some," He says. "Her fortress is larger, and her minions- those black sparks- have grown in number," He says. "But the sparks are mortal, and destroying them slows her progress. We haven't been able to slow her much."
5446
5447"Would you like me to send any non-flying soldiers or bulky supplies there?"
5448
5449"That would be very helpful." He says. "There are too many men who are ground-bound. Bringing extra soldiers is always good."
5450
5451"Then once we arrive, I can summon it all." You say. It'd be too hard to do the calculations to teleport that distance without being sure on the destination's coordinates, but summoning is a lot more convenient.
5452
5453"Good, good." He says.
5454
5455"Now, I'll introduce my companions. You met Rathod, Adept Brun Dalheim, and Neloch before." You say. "But I'd also like to introduce you to Magus Uldora Dalheim."
5456
5457"I am a shaman and monster hunter." She says. "The closest thing our civilization has to a warrior."
5458
5459Uldora curtseys with her own wings, something that makes the soldiers mutter a bit. 
5460
5461"This is Cerulean Sirius, Apprentice of the Archmage Sirius." You say.
5462
5463"Charmed." Cera says, smiling politely.
5464
5465"Pleased to meet you both." Rikar says, bowing low. "Can you explain what an Archmage is, Lady Sirius?"
5466
5467"An archmage is a wizard who develops a magic so incredible and powerful that it changes the face of our world. The position also gives the Archmage a great legal and political protections from the machinations of the state... Usually for the state's own protection." Cera says. "My father- and master- developed the Art of Creation and Destruction. The ability to turn physical matter into magical energy, and vice-versa."
5468
5469Rikar frowns a bit, but nods. "And you know this same... Art?"
5470
5471"I do." She says. "It does not work on magical creatures or entities, and that means people, but I can conjure food, or disintegrate stone for more magical power."
5472
5473"Then I suppose paying you in gold for your assistance won't be very helpful, if you can make it from air." He says. Cera's lips quirk.
5474
5475You cut in. You know she'd just immediately get to flirting, and you actually have important things to say. "Prince Rikar? I've got some spells that I'd like to talk to you about." You say. "There are some that are invaluable. Like, say, being able to communicate with your soldiers no matter how far away they are."
5476
5477Rikar's eyes widen, and his grin grows. Even the dragon behind him bares its teeth at you.
5478
5479"Please, Knight Jasmine," He says. "Tell me more."
5480
5481>Continued!
5482--------------------------
5483Time passes, and many familiars drop off their heavy supply packs and stack them into a pile to be brought through later. Rikar and you talk about spells you'd developed during the two weeks preparing, and with his blessing, cast a few communication spells- one linking Rikar up to several 'wing captains', and linking each captain up to their 'Wing'- the soldiers that make up each squad. It's somewhat surprising that all familiar-enabled soldiers have enough astral magic to charge the spells themselves, which makes it a lot easier on oyu.
5484
5485Rikar is vastly different than when you met him before. Back then, he was a bit odd, if quiet, and the way he moved was jerky and irregular. But now, he's calmer, more confident, and much more cheerful.
5486
5487The soldiers aren't sure what to make of your group. Apparently you're all being considered nobles from afar, meaning that they're a bit wary of you.
5488
5489People keep their distance from Rathod, being a titanic mass of mithril and quiet strength, despite Brun spending hertime sitting on Thod's shoulder or making crude jokes.
5490
5491Cera immediately gets a swarm of noble suitors, each introducing themselves to her in hopes to impress her, and some older, gruffer soldiers discuss Uldora's wings. Apparently flying demihumans simply don't happen.
5492
5493Neloch is quiet. He'd been eerily quiet this entire time, and has been over the past few days since creating his Anima Core. You're not sure what's wrong with him, but it hasn't been a problem with his Purity Core. A few soldiers do speak to him about his weapon and how shaping mithril into a sharp edge like that must've been difficult, but they leave after a few minutes.
5494
5495Eventually, horns blow from outside the field- and Rikar's cheerful demeanor suddenly becomes a reluctant frown. The field splits aside, opening up a bath- and a single young woman walks down, followed by a herald and some bodyguards. Her eyes lock with yours and you get an expression so disdainful and imperious that even Cera wouldn't be able to make. She walks right past you and approaches Rikar, giving him a kiss on the cheek.
5496
5497"My lord." She says, her expression just positively oozing with adoration. "I hear you are seeing the face of battle, soon."
5498
5499Rikar schools his features into a neutral, fake smile. "I am, Lady Adara." He says.
5500
5501"Then please, I bid you, take this token with you." She says, and produces something in her hand. Rikar reluctantly takes it. "Be careful, my lord," She says.
5502
5503"I will." He says. "I have some powerful allies, this time."
5504
5505The lady glances at you, then to your familiar. "... If you say so, my lord." She sniffs. Then she curtseys again. "Then I shall wish for your safe return."
5506
5507As soon as she'd arrived, she whirls around and strides straight out. When she's gone, Rikar lets go of a long breath you didn't know he was holding, and his dragon relaxes.
5508
5509"What was that?" You ask.
5510
5511"The woman who is going to be my wife, If I don't figure out how to get out of it first." He says.
5512
5513>?
5514--------------------------
5515"Yikes." You say. "Fake your own death?" 
5516
5517Rikar snickers for a moment.
5518
5519"Politics are politics, and since I'm the last of my bloodline, I'm obliged to marry and make sure there's an heir."
5520
5521He shrugs.
5522
5523"Her father has the rest of Venan's Greater Council in his pocket, and so technically the rest of Venan. They continually push her at me like an animal that won't eat its medicine."
5524
5525"Sorry to hear that. But I'm sure you'll figure it out," You say.
5526
5527"... Do you have some spare space in your world?" He asks. "I could take a vacation and forget to go home."
5528
5529You snort, and he sighs.
5530
5531"I don't think you'd really do that." You say.
5532
5533"No, probably not. I care too much to let the empire collapse like that." He says, and sighs. "Wouldn't be such a terrible thing if she actually liked me. But she's more enamored of the power I wield."
5534
5535Then he rolls his eyes, and slumps back against the dragon again.
5536
5537"We have some time before the soldiers are ready to head out." He says. He looks up at you, and appraises you for a bit... "I see you made a familiar."
5538
5539"How can you tell?"
5540
5541"Your eyes are different... as is your familiar. He was brown, when he was your pet."
5542
5543You look down at Gareth, and Gareth looks up at you.
5544
5545"Yeah, he is." You say. "What is your familiar's name?"
5546
5547"It's common practice to name them, but I never did mine," He says. "Our bond is a bit different than normal. It feels more like it's just me with two bodies."
5548
5549A moment later, he turns to you. "Could you tell me a bit about your world? I'm curious, I have to admit, and we'll need something to kill the time before we're ready."
5550
5551>?
5552--------------------------
5553"Well... Our world is wild and untouched, for the most part. But that's because outside of populated areas, the world is rife with monsters and fiends."
5554
5555"Monsters?"
5556
5557"Vicious creatures who attack people on sight. All monsters, universally- animals that are magical in nature- Imagine if your familiar had a hunger for human flesh and never stopped, never hesitated, going from village to village to village and leaving nothing but empty wrecks in it's wake."
5558
5559Rikar shudders, a bit.
5560
5561"We developed magic and technology to protect ourselves. We invented magic that builds walls, magic to fight, magic to interface with our technology. We have machines that fly, and travel- mostly to make trading a risky improbability instead of an impossibility. Soon we're getting to the point where we're strong enough to crush out monsterdom entirely."
5562
5563"That sounds like a good thing." He says.
5564
5565"It'll take generations before we get that far, and we'll need to come up with a way to keep the ecosystem running without creatures." You say.
5566
5567"What are fiends?" 
5568
5569".... Honestly?" You ask. "Demi-humans, except without the human. And the same thirst for destruction as everything else. Only they're smart enough to start developing their own technology. My familiar's parent was a monster that had been tamed and controlled by a colony of fiends who'd invented metalsmithing."
5570
5571For a few minutes, Rikar just stares at the sky.
5572
5573"... I don't mean to offend, but your world sounds like a horrible place."
5574
5575"It's not." You say. "We've got amazing, huge cities- easily the size of Thaln- only across the world. We've got technology that keeps us safe almost all the time, and any person can communicate with any other person no matter where they are in the world. When you're safe, it's wonderful. Not to say that this world isn't, but nothing beats home."
5576
5577"It sounds like your technology is very close to being magic."
5578
5579The two of you chat for a bit longer, but you notice that Rikar stops asking you about your world.
5580
5581Eventually, though, one of the staff make their way to Rikar, and give him a deep bow. "Lord Prince Rikar, we've completed preparations."
5582
5583"Are the Wings ready?"
5584
5585"They are, my lord."
5586
5587"Wonderful." Rikar says, cheerful again. "I'll need you to call forth the Claw and Talon, too. Get them ready by sundown."
5588
5589"... My lord, how will they get to you?"
5590
5591Rikar turns to you. "Lady Jasmine has magic that can transport people instantly."
5592
5593The man's eyes widen. "Of-of course! The Claw and Talon will be ready!"
5594
5595>Continued!
5596--------------------------
5597>>571407
5598
5599Brun spreads both arms and whoops excitedly behind you, as dozens- hundreds- of winged familiars take to the sky, stacking behind Rikar's dragon.
5600
5601"What are the Claw and Talon?" You ask, calling over the wind. Rikar turns around to face you, perfectly at ease- he isn't even strapped in.
5602
5603"Soldiers who use strong familiars." He says. "They're hard to use them outside of entrenched territory because they're so slow to move, so they're usually used as a defensive force. But with your help..."
5604
5605The riding is long and hard (which Brun would joke about), but eventually the familiars begin to lower, descending down toward what looks like a long, flat area near the coastline. In the far distance, you can see the height of the Black Witch's fortress. It's a lot bigger than it used to be- nearly four or five times the size. With some visual enhancement dweomers, you can see a multitude of black sparks dancing around it, assembling new buildings and hallways with magic. The cacaphonous crack in the sky buzzes loudly enough to make your teeth hurt, even from here, and it still just *looks* wrong.
5606
5607"We're settling down here." Rikar calls out. He turns to you. "Can you use your magic here, Lady Jasmine?"
5608
5609"Of course." You say. You set up the portal dweomers, and start charging.
5610
5611"You met with this 'Black Witch' before, right?" Rikar asks. "Do you know anything about her?"
5612
5613"Neloch, you know the most about the Witch's capabilities, right?" Rathod asks.
5614
5615"Why would you think that?" Neloch asks, eyebrows raising.
5616
5617"Since you knew what was going on last time- about how she had so many cores."
5618
5619"I don't know much. I could only, well, see the shape of them." Neloch says.
5620
5621"Those sparks became conventional soldiers, made out of the same stuff the fortress is." Brun says. "But other than that, I don't know."
5622
5623"I never met her." Cera adds. Helpfully.
5624
5625Rikar frowns.
5626
5627"Then we need to come up with some kind of plan, other than hunting those sparks and trying to kill the witch." He says. "We have a large force, but she was planning to take on an entire world, which means she has some kind of trump card."
5628
5629>?
5630--------------------------
5631"... I think slamming that portal shut is important." You say. "As long as it's open, she'll keep pulling more power through. If it's closed, she'll have to waste time reopening it, and she'll have a finite amount of energy to do it with."
5632
5633You examine it as best you can, but you don't have enough information. You'll need to get closer to figure it out.
5634
5635"And how would we do that, lady Jasmine?"
5636
5637"I'll take care of it." You say. You have a few ideas, but you do know that the 'tension' and Dimensional Foam of a portal is stronger the larger they are, and the longer they're open. "I believe it might be best if you, the Wings, and the Claw and Talon distract the sparks in full warfare, while a secondary team fights the Witch herself. That should be enough of a distraction for me to focus on the portal."
5638
5639"Are you sure you can figure it out?" Cera asks, looking up at it. "That looks like some kind of hermetic stuff. I'd have no clue where to start."
5640
5641"And before, you mocked me for being eclectic in my research." You say. "I've done a lot of work on portals like this, and a lot on hermeticism. I can take care of it."
5642
5643"Right." She says. 
5644
5645"... Then am I to assume that you wizards will fight the witch personally?"
5646
5647"She can't touch me when I'm in this suit." Rathod says. "I'll be the vanguard."
5648
5649Rikar appraises Thod, and then nods. "I understand. I'll inform the Wings of-"
5650
5651At that moment, the portal opens, and you see familiars- titanic, clawed and scaled ones, adorned in shells and heavy armor- on the other side.
5652
5653"And the Claw and Talon," Rikar continues. "Of their job in the battle."
5654
5655"Make sure to inform them that the Witch might be able to interact with their spiritual cores." You say. "Your soldiers all have familiars, so they know how to manage their mana, right? Astral Magic?"
5656
5657"They do."
5658
5659"Then they should do their best to protect themselves with it." You say.
5660
5661"I will tell them."
5662
5663After the Claw and Talon make their way through the portal- which you'd thankfully made much larger than normal- and brought supplies through, people start setting up tents and preparing to rest for the night.
5664
5665Rathod slumps down next to where you sit in the grass. Brun is asleep in his arms- he just kind of sets her down.
5666
5667"When she's out, she's really out." He says by way of explanation.
5668
5669"... You going to do fine?" You ask. "I mean, you did offer to be in the front line of things..."
5670
5671"I'll be fine," He says. "I'm more worried about everyone else."
5672
5673The idiot. Everyone else has been in a real fight- except perhaps Cera- and he's worried about them?
5674
5675"You idiot," You say, patting his huge golem shoulder. "Everyone else here's been in a real fight before. Except for you."
5676
5677"Just because I've never been in a- a war, I guess- doesn't mean I can't worry about you." He says. "You're going to be up there dealing with magic nobody knows how to use."
5678
5679>?
5680--------------------------
5681"Magic nobody else knows how to use is kinda my specialty, if you haven't noticed," You say, and elbow him playfully. Your elbow clangs against the mithril. "Really though, I'll be fine. You worry about whatever the Witch can throw out. Mithril might be nigh-indestructible, but who knows what she can do."
5682
5683"Yeah, I will," He says. "I've got a whole load of defensive dweomers set up. They're a bit finicky because of the Mithril, but that's where my mana's going."
5684
5685"Alright," You say. "Just making sure you're fine. If you're not... then I'll have to invent necromancy just so that I can punish you for it."
5686
5687Thod chuckles. "I'll be fine. I promise."
5688
5689Neloch walks by, and sits down next to the three of you. He gives you a wave.
5690
5691"How've you been doing, man?" Thod asks.
5692
5693"So-so." Nel says. "Got the new magic I'd been working on all ready, and Jaz and I spent a while doing tests on it. I've been... building it up, but it takes a lot of willpower."
5694
5695"Building it up?"
5696
5697Nel begins to explain, but you sigh and get to your feet, brushing off your jacket. Might as well leave the guys for their guy-talk.
5698
5699The camp is actually rather loud, with soldiers relaxing after the ride here- or the quick mobilization, for the landbound ones- but people are finding their own ways to amuse themselves. Uldora is demonstrating her flight to a handsome young Wing Captain, which he applauds to, while Rikar is talking with an older, grizzled soldier about something. It sounds rather serious, so you leave them be. 
5700
5701Cera, you find, sitting out on the top of a hill, rather alone.
5702
5703"Sup?" you ask, sitting down next to her.
5704
5705"You weren't joking about the Chamberpots thing." She says.
5706
5707"Nope."
5708
5709"Or the dimensional travel thing."
5710
5711"Never was."
5712
5713There's a moment of silence, and Cera just stares up at the sky.
5714
5715"They're the same, aren't they?" You ask. "The stars, I mean."
5716
5717"Yeah," She says. "Isn't that weird?"
5718
5719"Not really," You say. "There's a good reason for that. It's related to my magic. Simply enough, if the stars weren't the same, the laws of physics would be too different for us to come here."
5720
5721"That's interesting." She says. You give her a wink. It's actually that the hermetic teleportation spell would never have worked for your ancestor... But that's close enough.
5722
5723"I haven't just been fucking around." You say. "I could probably write a paper on the nature of the universe after all this. It's shaped somewhat like a spiritual core, strangely enough."
5724
5725Cera raises her eyebrows.
5726
5727"What?"
5728
5729"I, er, didn't expect you to be so academic." Cera says. You snort.
5730
5731"What, because I like to cuss?" You ask. "Or because I'm a country girl?"
5732
5733"... A little of both, to be honest." She says.
5734
5735The two of you look up at the stars for a time.
5736
5737"Again, I'm sorry for being a bitch to you." She says.
5738
5739You just roll your eyes.
5740
5741You have more things to worry about.
5742
5743Like the Black Witch, off in her fortress.
5744
5745>End of session! And possibly thread, I guess?
5746--------------------------
5747==== END THREAD ====
5748Samsara Quest 5
5749written by Exabyte
5750--------------------qst2txt--------------------
5751
5752>>Previous threads can be found at: http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive.html?tags=Samsara%20Quest
5753>>For information about characters and the quest: http://pastebin.com/NNLpWDJB
5754
5755Birdsong is completely and utterly absent when you awaken. 
5756
5757Instead you just hear the soft wind blowing from the east, trees rustling, and the rustling below you as soldiers prepare for a fight. You smell cooking dinner- fire lit helpfully by a bulky, red-scaled lizard familiar. It smells good- you'll have to sample a bit of everything. Shamash cuisine seems a lot richer than what you're used to. Probably because they can actually domesticate animals, since they have no risk of monsters here.
5758
5759The sky is clear and blue, except for the huge, shuddering crack in the sky. Ugly violet glyphs burn in a circle around the crack, as it seems to ooze dimensional foam. You'd almost say it was disharmonious, if you were the kind of asshole who actually talked like that. Ever since you first saw it, you've been burning with curiosity- how would it work? Why is it so crude? Why, in the Scholar's name, is it so large? If you get your way, you might get some answers.
5760
5761Today's the day you face the Black Witch. Spending the night was risky, this close to the Black Witch, but Neloch swore that he couldn't sense any of her dweomers or sensory spells nearby. Not to mention that the camp was pretty crowded, covered in trees and foliage- invisible from the sky.
5762
5763Cera is curled up, the only one still asleep. In one corner of camp, Neloch and Rathod are talking, the latter reassembling his golem around him. You also spy Uldora and Brun chatting on a fallen log. You can't see Rikar anywhere- he must be in the command tent, in the center of the camp.
5764
5765You get to your feet, dumping your sleeping bag and exorbitantly soft and squishy pillow back where they'd come from- your dimensional pocket- with your magic, pull your heavy boots on, and give Cera a slight kick to the feet on your way down the hill.
5766
5767Just like you'd thought, the command tent held Rikar, all three Wing Captains, and the two captains of the Claw and Talon regiment. They were poring over a map of the fortress, discussing in a low tone. Rikar brightens the moment he sees you. "Jasmine! We were waiting for you."
5768
5769The captains eye you warily, but the Talon captain just shrugs. "Let's get on with it. You said the girl had a plan?"
5770
5771"The Lady-" emphasizes Rikar- "came up with a general battle plan. The wizards- Jasmine's people- will face the Black Witch in direct conflict. Lady Krital herself will fly to the... object in the sky, and see if she can close it with the intention of weakening the Witch. I believe her specialty lies in that area. Your jobs will be to deal with the familiars, and to get the wizards to their positions. Your goal is distraction- to destroy the witches' resources, damage the fortress, whatever necessary."
5772
5773He turns to you. "Did I miss anything, Lady? Or did you have any other thoughts?"
5774
5775>?
5776--------------------------
5777"I might need more time than you'd expect to analyze the portal she's using," You say. "I have no way of knowing how it works until I have a closer look at it. How long can you handle the constructs?"
5778
5779"From the few pokes I took at them when I sent my familiar here," Rikar says. "I'd say we can take care of them indefinitely. The only problem is if the Black Witch does something we don't expect."
5780
5781"I agree. As we know little about the Black Witch, we can't plan that much. Though the radio spell will make it possible to change tactics when the situation changes."
5782
5783"Ah!" One of the captains say- a woman, one that looks a bit too young and inexperienced for the position- raises a hand. "May I ask how that 'radio' magic works?"
5784
5785You frown. It'd be hard to explain- especially considering it relies on both analytical and thaumaturgic magic. "Maybe after this debacle is over. Just make sure to remind your soldiers to keep the dweomers charged."
5786
5787"Yes, Lady." She responds, and lowers her hand.
5788
5789You look down at the diagram of the fortress- and something seems off. At first it looked strangely curved, like a child drawing squiggles and the Witch putting walls where each line was, but when you look at it from above, it has a certain.... something.
5790
5791It wasn't designed for withstanding a siege.
5792
5793"... Are you sure this is accurate?" You ask.
5794
5795"It is." Rikar responds. "We've sent many spies out here over the past fortnight. They've got small or unobtrusive familiars, and drew exactly what they saw."
5796
5797"Do you have any samples of the material?"
5798
5799"A handful." He says. "We weren't able to get much."
5800
5801"Please bring one here." You say and open a portal. You reach in to grab one of the many books you'd stashed in your dimensional pocket- the one that taught you how to use Astral magic.
5802
5803You pull it open to diagrams of spiritual cores. Most of them are spiral shaped- mana filling in the center and coiling outward, changing during the process. Some are tangled mazes of mana, whirling each and every direction, splitting and recombining later on.
5804
5805One of the diagrams- for the Purity core- looks almost like the fortress. Except where the purity core seems like a spring- mana coiiling outward, spreading into the rest of the soul- the fortress seems like the opposite. Pulling everything inward, into the tallest tower in the center.
5806
5807A soldier walks up to you, and hands you a chunk of black rubble. You take it- and immediately, your soul quivers. You feel drawn toward it, like something is trying to siphon mana from you. It feels... hungry.
5808
5809You hand it right back to the soldier and notice that he'd had it wrapped in a cloth.
5810
5811'"Is something wrong?" asks Rikar.
5812
5813>?
5814--------------------------
5815"Without the tower, she probably can't siphon mana in great quantities." You say. "Destroy it and she's less powerful. Breaking the pattern would be too. Especially if you're able to destroy these points."
5816
5817You mark out the thick branches near the base of the tower, where they split off into spirals.
5818
5819"The tower is also a high priority, and nobody should touch the material with bare hands. The structure itself is more effective than the raw material, I'm sure."
5820
5821You shiver at the thought of the fortress tearing a hapless soldier's soul out of their body.
5822
5823"What about familiars?" One of the captains ask.
5824
5825You consider it for a few moments, glance over at Gareth, and feel out your bond... then you shake your head. "They should be fine, due to the nature of the bond. You anchor their souls to their bodies."
5826
5827The soldier nods. Then they start to talk about arrangements- one captain volunteering to lead their familiars to target the locations you'd marked out, and the others rebalancing formations... It's not the kind of thing you know much about.
5828
5829"Now, my expertise doesn't involve planning proper warfare, so I'll leave you to your plans." You say. Rikar gives you a grateful smile and a nod, and you make your way back out of the command tent.
5830
5831Halfway through stuffing your face- The soldiers seem to have brought a veritable fortune in bee's honey- Neloch comes over to sit down next to you.
5832
5833"What's up?" You ask.
5834
5835"Nothing." He says. "Just, uh, stressing out. A lot."
5836
5837You raise an eyebrow.
5838
5839"I thought you were the adventurer who personally took a picture of the Fungal Dragon."
5840
5841"Yeah, but the Fungal Dragon's a big cuddly puppy." He grumbles. "At least compared to... that thing." He says, turning toward the fortress and crack in the sky. "A sorcerer with that many spiritual cores... You can't call them human anymore."
5842
5843>?
5844--------------------------
5845You frown. 
5846
5847"We're all changing ourselves, altering our souls and bodies," You say. "Both of us, through our experiments, have made cores. That's not the issue. It's her plan to harvest people for mana that makes her more inhuman than the fact that she has many cores."
5848
5849He sighs.
5850
5851"That's not what I mean." He says. "Every spiritual core a person has- they affect your mind. Your perspective, and your inclinations. Who you are is determined by the structure of your soul."
5852
5853"What do you do in order to stay human?" You ask.
5854
5855"It's not usually a problem, for shamans," He responds. "It's so difficult to get two different monster cores working together at once that any changes are... minimal. Your human parts outnumber the inhuman parts."
5856
5857You consider it... but you sigh.
5858
5859"She's undoubtedly human." You say. "She's just allowed herself to become drunk on power. We have a lot of allies on our side, and a whole world is on the line. I think we have a good shot of winning this. Otherwise... we wouldn't be here."
5860
5861Neloch nods, and starts to eat.
5862
5863Time passes, and the Venan Empire's warmachine begins to stir. You send off a chunk of the material to Kristoph, borrowing mana from Cera to do it without tiring yourself at all, but the most you get from him is that it can be destroyed by absorbing too much magic. But it's not as if you can make use of that- the pattern is designed to deal with an entire civilization's mana supply.
5864
5865You pour through your combat dweomers, in case the worst happens, and quickly skim through your one copy of your research notes. After you finish up with your notes, a tall young man approaches you, winged helm under one arm.
5866
5867"Lady Krital," He says. "My name is Captain Niall, and I and my squad will be safeguarding you during your investigation of the portal. My familiar, Lyan, can stably fly in one location, and the rest of the squad are skilled in intercepting attacks and ranged warfare."
5868
5869"Aren't all of the Wing skilled in ranged warfare?"
5870
5871"You'd think so." He says with a grin. "Most use their familiars as their weapons, but my squad practices archery."
5872
5873"I see." You say. "I'll accept your protection, Captain Niall. Thank you."
5874
5875"I'm only doing my duty, Lady." He says, and bows.
5876
5877The camp swiftly packs itself up, everyone fed and watered and preparing for combat. Armor is strapped to beasts, weapons oiled and sharpened, and your friends- plus Cera and Uldora- are checking their Implements, just in case. 
5878
5879You close your eyes and cast Knowledge Demon. Your teeth buzz, and you sway a bit. Gareth curls up, shuddering, but eventually the unnerving feeling passes. There. You're ready.
5880
5881Now all you need to do is consider any last-minute plans. Or pray.
5882
5883>?
5884--------------------------
5885You snort.
5886
5887You've never prayed before. Your father was strictly atheist, and though your mother came from a rather religious household she never made such a big deal out of it. For all you know, she stopped going to the shrine when you were born.
5888
5889You're not even sure how to pray. And you're not sure who to pray to. This situation involves all three, in a way. The Gatherer? The Warrior? Maybe even the Scholar? Food, power, and knowledge. Or alternatively, Life, war, or magic. 
5890
5891Or, as you once heard your father call them, the God of picking berries while running from monsters, the God of stabbing monsters so they don't kill you, or the God of learning how to avoid monsters in the first place.
5892
5893Finally, you shrug and close your eyes.
5894
5895"Hey." You murmur to yourself. "You three, if you even exist here in a completely different dimension. Don't let these people die, kay?"
5896
5897Completely nothing responds to you.
5898
5899You open your eyes again, feeling like a bit of an idiot, and make your way back down to the field, thinking over the plan and feeding a bit of mana to Knowledge Demon- enough that you can tell if you missed something. It confirms your theory that familiars won't be hurt by the fortress, But when you consider ways to destroy it, an idea pops up. You nudge Nel.
5900
5901"What's up?"
5902
5903"If something goes desperate and we need to slow the witch down, I have a job for your Anima."
5904
5905A coil of white, shimmering light appears in the palm of his hand. 
5906
5907"Yeah?"
5908
5909"Your Anima should, according to my calculations, be fine if it destroys the black rock." You say. "It's too... viscous, I guess, to be absorbed. So if things get bad, you should crash as much of it as you can. Aim for the parts extending out of the tower- the limbs."
5910
5911"Right." He says. "I'll keep that in mind."
5912
5913You nod, and continue on. You push away a pang of guilt that gnaws at you when Rathod gives you a nod. It's because of you that he's in this fight at all, and you know how much he detests fighting at all.
5914
5915Finally, you end up next to Rikar.
5916
5917"Are we ready?" You ask.
5918
5919"We are, my Lady." He responds. 
5920
5921"Right." You take a deep breath. "Then let's get to it."
5922
5923The wizards climb up atop Rikar's familiar, and you make your way over to Captain Niall. His familiar is the levitating serpent, it turns out- no wonder it's going to be a steady platform to sit and study the glyphs. No flapping wings to bother with.
5924
5925You adjust your jacket, tap on your Implement, and nod to Rikar.
5926
5927The warhorns blow.
5928
5929The familiars call out in an answering roar.
5930
5931>Continued!
5932--------------------------
5933The pattern looks like vines growing from the central tower, spiralling outward and swelling in size. Dweomers buzz from place to place, plastering more and more material onto the vines. You can't believe you didn't see it before- the pattern is obvious, now that you look at it from above. 
5934
5935But with the roar, with the horn, the dweomers stop working and begin fighting.
5936
5937Familiars pour out of the underbrush, roaring and barreling forward. The Claw and Talon, all in heavy armor, make the vanguard. The first line of dweomers form bodies just soon enough to be crushed underfoot by the multitude of creatures charging forward. The second line grow shields just in time to halt it- but only for a moment, before talons and claws and fangs smash their way through.
5938
5939More sparks leak from holes in the fortress, leaping into place to form a third line- then a fourth, then a fifth and sixth. In a second, the Claw and Talon are already outnumbered. In another, they're doubled. But Rikar's army doesn't care- the Wings take to the sky, and begin attacking the sparks before they assemble.
5940
5941"Now!" You call. The serpent underneath you shoots forward, forcing you to grab hold of the saddle so you don't tumble off. Niall's familar spirals closer and closer to the enormous crack in the sky, as you feed more and more mana into the Knowledge Demon. It eats it up, calculating why the shape of the portal is the way it is, and your brain runs into overdrive.
5942
5943Below you, the Black Witch makes an appearance, stepping out onto the rooftop of her tower. She holds out an arm- but before she can do anything, as planned, Rikar's familiar roars at her, barreling down toward her. She's barely able to leap out of the way before the dragon crashes down, dislodging its riders. Rathod is in front, and the Black Witch responds with a flurry of bolts of energy. His golem armor takes it without complaint, implacably stomping forward.
5944
5945The serpent stops moving. "Lady!" Niall calls. "Where first?"
5946
5947"The outer edge!" You call. He obligingly flies close to it. You feel the flood of magic against you as it pours in through the portal. It's almost painful, the pressure, but you push onwards. Eventually, you get close enough to the edge of the portal to touch it-
5948
5949And you do. It feels like rubber, pushing back on you as you push on it. Dimensional foam, made out of the tension that makes up the border between spaces. You'd long-since done calculations on the strength of the tension depending on different factors, and for this portal... It's strong. Stronger than it should be, for a portal this size, but at least you know the rules it's working on. 
5950
5951Knowledge Demon begins to calculate, and you begin to jot down the position and location of each glyph. You grin- this'll be easy.
5952
5953Which is when your radio dweomer screeches. You look down to see the Black Witch barreling up towards you, sparks screeching away from her feet like the flames from a rocket.
5954
5955>Roll me some 1d100s, folks!
5956>?
5957--------------------------
5958>Result: 47! Failure!
5959
5960You grit your teeth. The Witch has lost her hat, and her robes are torn and smoking. In her hands is a spell- something black and coiling and writhing- and behind her, fallen far behind, is Rikar's dragon and Uldora.
5961
5962Two of Niall's squad come close, lances in their arms, but the witch just fires a bolt of energy at each- they fall toward the ground, familiars dead. You summon a few attack dweomers, funneling the magic through your adamantine-enhanced Implement, and the dweomers begin shooting blasts of fire at her. They're deflected by a magic you can't see. Arrows blast past you, fired by Niall's squad, but they're deflected just like the magic.
5963
5964You grit your teeth, and wait as she gets closer. Finally, she gets close enough that her arm begins to move, the first motion toward firing magic at you. Knowledge Demon tells you exactly how fast her bolts move.
5965
5966You're gone the second one of the bolts would actually hit you. You're falling through the air, twisting, and the Black Witch flies past you. You whip out with your mithril sword-
5967
5968Empty air greets you. You're freefalling through the sky, facing upward. The witch looks around for a moment, before spying you below. She joins you in your freefall.
5969
5970The Witches' magic is powerful, fast, but delicate and costly. She could pepper you with as many weak spells as raindrops in a storm if she wanted, but instead she's only firing a handful every second. It's easy enough to catch with your sword, using it like the handy shield it is. Knowledge Demon informs you with her exact pattern- she needs to stop to breathe once every six seconds, or approximately twenty-seven bolts- and it's keeping a running tally.
5971
5972At the last second you twist in the air, already teleporting above her.
5973
5974The black sphere disintegrates around you for you to see the witch right in your face. She stares up at you, glaring- hand on your sword arm. You push- but she squeezes tightly enough that your shielding dweomer empties itself of mana, trying to protect you from a broken wrist. It collapses when she kicks you in the gut, sending you floating above her. Your wind leaves you and for a long moment, you can't breathe.
5975
5976You struggle with your own breath for a long, long moment, sword lax in your grip.
5977
5978Bolts of magic tear shoot you- just to be intercepted by a long, serpentine snake familiar. Ugly gaping holes tear themselves open. 
5979
5980A falling Captain Niall jabs out with his spear-
5981
5982And your gut churns when a similar hole blows through his chest.
5983
5984His body falls around the ascending Witch in two parts.
5985
5986>?
5987--------------------------
5988>>629254
5989>Only 100s and 1s are crits. I took the average of the first three rolls. While the 97 kept it from being a complete failure, the other low rolls dragged it down pretty badly.
5990
5991>>629291
5992>It's actually sometimes the highest of 3 when you're doing something that relates to the MC's specialties, which in Jasmine's case involves developing or using magic. Combat isn't her specialty... But if it was her weakness, then I'd be taking the lowest of 3. It kind of incentivizes players to do things that the MC is particularly good at.
5993--------------------------
5994Under any normal circumstances, this would be an idiotic tactic. You'd tried it once during the Archmage test, trying to teleport away your foes, but a fight involves a lot of movement. Locking a teleportation around a moving object is hard, if not impossible, and locking it around an erratically moving enemy is even harder.
5995
5996But one can't move easily in freefall... And you have the Knowledge Demon. You protect yourself with your sword, using Gareth's limbs to tap out on your dweomer while you multi-task as best you can. A bolt whizzes past your head, and some of your hair boils away- caught by the magic- as you duck away.
5997
5998Amidst the howling wind as you fall, you yell out to the radio dweomer sitting loyally at your ear.
5999
6000"Rikar! Below you!" You cry and key your Implement.
6001
6002You get to see the Witch's eyes widen comically as the sphere wraps around her- and when an identical one disintegrates beneath Rikar's dragon, the witch inside, it bats her downward.
6003
6004She collides, hard, into the ground. You stare dizzily down at the warfare below, familiars fighting and dying against an unending tide of ambulatory sparks. Your friends crowd around the Black Witch, and the fight starts again.
6005
6006You land on the opposite side of the portal in the sky. Your teleportation kills your momentum, as always, and the dimensional foam easily holds your weight.
6007
6008Even if she has some sensory magic going on, she won't be able to find you when her sensory magic sees another universe where you are.
6009
6010It's a long, long minute while you study similarities and differences between your own magic and the portal, but everything clicks. Most of the glyphs are twisted, distorted versions of the ones you use. Likely changed with the constellations- another bit of hermetic magic adapted to the modern day. She didn't have anything as handy as the Star Rune. Moreover, she's missing more than half the glyphs you use.
6011
6012The reason it's so large isn't because she needs a lot of stuff to move through- it's large because size naturally increases the tension that makes up dimensional foam. It's also been artificially increased somehow- maybe by the glyph you don't recognize. It's using the dimensional foam in order to keep itself stable. Incredibly costly, mana-wise, but she doesn't have a problem with it. You poke the foam with your sword, but it pushes back like you'd thought. The foam isn't magic, after all- just physics. 
6013
6014The Demon does a quick calculation- It'll take more power than you have access to in order to break it. It's just too strong. The glyphs, surprisingly enough, lie inside the foam's territory- you can't get your sword close enough to disrupt them.
6015
6016You know it's possible to close the portal somehow. Something in your subconscious buzzes at you, but the Knowledge Demon can't come up with the answer for you- it's only good for calculation, not creativity. The foam is too strong, the glyphs are protected, but modernized...
6017
6018>?
6019--------------------------
6020>>629353
6021>The foam isn't a physical object. It's more like a forcefield that pushes out light and air and such. A byproduct of dimensional fuckery, mostly. It can't be teleported since, well, that'd only exacerbate the problem even if the spell didn't fail.
6022
6023>>629366
6024>They do, but the strength of the bubble's surface is so strong in this case that it's actually keeping the portal open and stable. That's what the dimensional foam is.
6025
6026Something clicks. The gears in your soul begin to whir faster and faster.
6027
6028A fierce, cruel glee burns in your gut, and Gareth clicks happily as he leaps from your shoulder.
6029
6030He begins channeling mana to you while you pull out your Implement, marking out locations to target. You retinker the Star Rune, configuring it to the exact locations and positions of each glyph in the portal. You're typing quickly- and something on the ground explodes loudly enough that you can hear it. Gareth scrabbles to the edge of the portal as you work, and you peer down through his eyes.
6031
6032The witch is standing. Rathod is on one knee, and portions of his golem are missing. Someone- you can't tell who- is bleeding all over the ground, and Neloch is standing next to the tower- a spiral of white Anima whirling around him and shredding away at the tower. The witch throws magic at him- but you can't afford to focus too much on them.
6033
6034Instead you focus on your spell. 
6035
6036You're doing the exact opposite of what the Star Rune was designed to do. Instead of twist ancient hermetic magic so that it works in the modern age... You're making it so that modern magic fails.
6037
6038Gareth wobbles, the exertion of mana draining at his soul, and you quietly send him to sleep. You have as much spare mana as you think you'll get, including the dweomer Cera'd given you to serve as an emergency battery.
6039
6040You take a deep breath, draw in Gareth's magic, your magic, and Cera's... And pour it into your Implement.
6041
6042The sky goes pitch black. Constellations whirl around you, dizzying in speed. Rewinding, going backwards, as if days and weeks and years and centuries are passing you by. Going back in time- which, thaumaturgically, you are.
6043
6044Your legs give out, and your soul burns. You close your eyes in concentration. But the foam beneath your feet, that dimensional tension... slackens.
6045
6046Your ears pop loudly, a loud cacophanous BOOM nearly deafening you, and you're falling, falling.
6047
6048You open your eyes, listening to the wind rush by, and you stare up at the pristine, unscarred sky, as glyphs wink out, one by one.
6049
6050You hear the Black Witch scream, her hands suddenly empty of magic or anything. Rathod punches her, and she goes flying backward, collapsing on the ground.
6051
6052With a deep breath, you grab Gareth and hold him close to you... then teleport one last time.
6053
6054>Continued!
6055--------------------------
6056>>629394
6057"Lady Angwaz? Are you awake?" Someone says. You open your eyes. Your soul aches, and you push a hand to your chest hoping to sooth it.
6058
6059You're lying somewhere soft. Not a real bed, but soft enough to be relaxing. You open your eyes and sit up. Your ears are whistling, high pitched, but it's already fading. You sit up, looking around. You're inside a tent, somewhere, and there are injured soldiers lying here and there. A medical ward. Sitting in the back of the tent, talking to one another, are Rathod and Uldora. Rathod has his arm disconnected, for some reason, and Uldora is wrapped in bandages.
6060
6061You turn to who addressed you- Rikar. He's looking down at you.
6062
6063"Prince Rikar." You respond. Your mouth feels like you've got cotton stuffed in it, and breathing is a bit of a difficulty. You lift the bottom of your shirt up- you're pretty badly bruised from the kick. You look back up to Rikar to see him turned completely around, facing away from you. "Rikar?"
6064
6065"... I heard you were waking, and I came to talk with you." He says, turning back.
6066
6067"Well, let's talk." You say. "What happened after the portal closed? Where's the witch? And can I get some water?"
6068
6069He hands you a glass, and begins to speak.
6070
6071"The witch seemingly lost all of her magic when the portal closed. We've got her captured, and your friend... Sir Neloch, I believe, used some kind of magic to keep her unconscious." He says while you drink. "The battle was a rousing success. We didn't lose nearly as much as I feared we would."
6072
6073"... I saw someone hurt, on the ground." You say.
6074
6075"Lady Uldora." He responds, with a hand motion to her. "She, er, lost one of her wings, I'm afraid."
6076
6077"Was anybody else hurt?"
6078
6079"... Sir Niall's squadron had several losses. Some of the Claw and Fang were badly injured, but I believe most will make it. We've been exceedingly lucky."
6080
6081>?
6082--------------------------
6083You're silent for a long moment.
6084
6085"... Let me know when Captain Niall's funeral happens." You say.
6086
6087He gives you a soft smile and nods.
6088
6089"I will." He says.
6090
6091You push yourself to your feet- you sway for a second, but you keep your balance.
6092
6093"Will Uldora be okay?"
6094
6095"Demihuman biology is well known, but Lady Uldora's isn't. She informs me that she should live, however." He says. "Though she's unable to fly."
6096
6097"We need to make sure this doesn't happen again. She mentioned a 'master'."
6098
6099"That's a problem we'll need to figure the solution to." He says. "I'd hate to have to ask for your assistance again."
6100
6101"What do you intend on doing with the witch?"
6102
6103"Interrogate her." He says, in a hard voice. "And then execute her. Unless you have other plans? It would be in your right to claim her as your prisoner, Jasmine. Sir Neloch mentioned something about claiming her cores, whatever that means- You can find him outside with her- he's studying her magic."
6104
6105You consider it- and then Rikar gently touches your elbow. His eyes lock with yours.
6106
6107"I saw you fight her, Jasmine." He says. He looks tired, but the sincerity in his eyes seems to shine. "I know this place isn't your home, and yet you risked your life to fight for it anyway. Thank you."
6108
6109Then he takes a step back, and bows low.
6110
6111>?
6112--------------------------
6113"No world deserves the fate she was working towards." You say. "I only did what was right."
6114
6115"Then thank you anyway." He says.
6116
6117"As for cores... You have a familiar bond, so you're aware of astral magic, right?"
6118
6119"The practice of manipulating magic, yes." He says. "You explained it to me once before."
6120
6121"Every human soul has a certain number of... cores that have certain functions- ones that are barely understood. But monsters have cores that give them special ability- like the ability to breathe fire, for example."
6122
6123"We don't understand the reasons for those powers, but we know they exist." He says.
6124
6125"The Black Witches' magic- some of it, at least- involves having extra cores that give her abilities. Neloch is planning a... transplant."
6126
6127"Such things can be transplanted?" Rikar asks, eyebrows raising.
6128
6129"Only the best astral mages- ones trained for it, named shamans- can do it."
6130
6131"I see." He says, and nods.
6132
6133"I'm going to go talk with Nel." You say. "And you can keep the witch when we're done with her."
6134
6135"You're so gracious, Lady Jasmine."
6136
6137You make your way over to Thod and Uldora, to see the latter whoop and hold up a glass to you. It's filled with something appropriately frothy- it's certainly not water.
6138
6139"Hey, Jaz." She says, grinning up at you. "Guess who just got inducted into the 'lost a limb' club?"
6140
6141Thod sighs. "She's said that joke to anybody who stands still. Uldora..."
6142
6143"It's fine, it's fine, I'll live." She says. "It's just gonna suck not being able to fly until I can get a new set of wings and enough cash to pay Yule off with again. Speaking of which, Rathod, isn't your master an Archmage? Couldn't he talk to h-"
6144
6145"It's fine." He says. "I've gotten used to it."
6146
6147"What happened to your prosthetic?" You ask him. He scowls.
6148
6149"That b- woman broke it." He says. "Annoying."
6150
6151"Was anybody other than your arm and Uldora hurt?"
6152
6153"Brun got pretty bruised, but she'll be fine." He says. "And my golem took some nasty hits. All the mithril's still intact, but the hinges weren't strong enough. I'll have to fix that. After I build a new arm. With one hand."
6154
6155You squeeze his shoulder, and he sighs, but he gives you a smile.
6156
6157"Well, I'll leave you guys to your conversation. I have a man to talk about a witch."
6158
6159"Have fun!" Uldora cheers, holding her glass aloft.
6160
6161You make your way out of the tent, only slightly wobbly. Soldiers are guarding the perimeters, familiars hard at work smashing what little remains of the fortress. It's already been worn down to the central tower itself, and they're staying away from the tower itself for some reason. Neloch is sitting on a fallen tree, and the witch is chained down in front of her. He looks... focused, despite the soldiers that stand around him with weapons in hand.
6162
6163"Nel." You say.
6164
6165He doesn't respond.
6166
6167"Nel." You tap him on the shoulder. He jumps, eyes opening.
6168
6169"Jaz! You're okay." He says. "Glad to hear it. Er, see it, I mean. What's up?"
6170
6171There's an expression in his eyes that you quite can't place.
6172
6173>?
6174--------------------------
6175>>629613
6176>I-I'm sorry, anon.
6177>... I'm taken.
6178>Can't we just be, y'know, friends?
6179
6180>>629600
6181>People souls just don't work in a way that would be worth taking, and having duplicates of the same core is... destabilizing.
6182>And people on Shamash don't have shamanism- they don't naturally have monsters. The monsters that exist right now are natural animals turned into familiars. But on Helios, some shamans do end up taking cores from other shamans, but that's usually not a thing done through force. If someone tried to force it, the other shaman would mess up the process intentionally.
6183
6184"You learn anything new about her custom cores?"
6185
6186"Not much." He says. "I've identified what most of them do. Those weird black bolts she was shooting? The really damn strong ones? Those are kind of like my anima core, only way more efficient. But I do know that without any external mana source, she can't really use them. She's only got the one Purity core, thank god. But I think I'm figuring out how they were formed. It's something I could study for months."
6187
6188"Are you sure you want to add the cores of a megalomaniac to your soul? To kill her for them?"
6189
6190"It's an idea." He says. "A normal person won't be able to power more than one or two of them. But, well, we all went out here and fought, right? Why not claim some spoils? I'm sure we could split them up, and they're designed to attach to a human soul."
6191
6192Then he actually growls. 
6193
6194"She was intending to do the same thing to everyone else, so I say it's fair."
6195
6196>?
6197--------------------------
6198"I'm worried about possible personality shifts." You say. "I mean, I doubt she really cared too much about having a stable and sane soul."
6199
6200"That's what I'm saying when I say they're is designed for humans. On top of being so easy to install that I could probably do the procedure to someone who doesn't even know astral magic." He says, suddenly straightening his shoulders and readjusting to face you. "Natural cores- monster and human like- bring with them a flavor. A product of spiritual or metabiological evolution. Think of a core as a flower. A seed, or a proto-soul- that of a newborn or normal animal- grow and blossom into a purity core. Fallen fragments of the purity core swell and blossom into true cores. That's why we have seven cores each- one purity, and six others. Animals aren't as... refined, so they don't have identical seeds. But all of these natural cores were born out of something natural. Something genetic, I suppose you could call it, with instincts and vestigial properties. Like a dragon core that has an 'appendix' that is a hunger for meat. With me so far?"
6201
6202"Yeah." You say. "But what does that have to do with artificial cores?"
6203
6204"Artificial cores aren't grown out of anything. They're pure mana, contorted into the right shape, and held in that shape until the core forms. They don't carry any native emotions, instincts, or concepts. They're... pure, I guess. Like natural crystals versus lab-created ones. Natural crystals carry color and imperfections because of their environments, where natural crystals are identical."
6205
6206For a moment, you stare at him. You'd never expected Nel to be so academic about things. For all you know, he hasn't had any kind of magical education at all- he isn't even an Adept, and he's talking about some pretty technical things.
6207
6208He sighs, and shakes his head. "What I mean is that artificial cores don't modify one's personality."
6209
6210"... Are you sure?" You ask. "Can you be absolutely certain?"
6211
6212He looks down to the unconscious body of the witch, and back up to you. He nods.
6213
6214"Yeah." He says. "I can."
6215
6216You look down at her body, and frown.
6217
6218"Study all you like, but Rikar's going to wake, interrogate, and execute her pretty soon. I'm not pulling any favors to stop him."
6219
6220"I'll wait to do any kind of extraction until the interrogation's over." He says. "Until then, I'll keep her under."
6221
6222"How?" Uldora asks, walking up to the two of you. Nel turns to her and shrugs.
6223
6224"Same way I have been." He says. "Thread my mana around her natural cores, slow them down from outside."
6225
6226Uldora stares at him for a long moment.
6227
6228"Bullshit." She says finally.
6229
6230The soldiers go quiet for a second.
6231
6232"You can't just slow shit down like that. Shamanism doesn't work that way. You need to have some control over the mana flow in order to slow it, and that only works if it's your own cores you're dealing with."
6233
6234"Evidently," Nel says, raising his chin. "I'm better than you think."
6235
6236There's a long moment of silence.
6237
6238>?
6239--------------------------
6240>>629773
6241>It's not as simple as that. Sensing things with astral magic is very tactile- you need to deliberately push against things to get a feel of it. It's said that really good astral mages can do it much easier and with perfect definition, but that's not well-documented at all.
6242
6243"Nel, you're not that good of a liar." You say.
6244
6245"I'm telling the truth. That's why she's out. Maybe Uldora never stumbled onto the trick behind what I'm doing." He says.
6246
6247"Have you already taken them?" You ask. "Her cores?"
6248
6249He shakes his head.
6250
6251"I didn't want to kill her before we could ask her questions." He says. "And that's always going to be a risk during the procedure."
6252
6253Curiously, you reach out- and you do feel two sets of mana entangled around eachother, confusingly coiled. Your astral sense doesn't have enough fidelity yet to tell exactly what's going on. You gently feel Uldora's touch too, and pull away.
6254
6255"... If he says it'll work, then I'll trust him." You say. "After she tried to kill him, I'm pretty sure he wouldn't be lying about keeping her under."
6256
6257"And not that I'm your friend, and also not a traitorous bastard?" Nel says, sighing. He crosses his arms.
6258
6259Thankfully, Rikar comes out of the tent before Uldora or Neloch can start up, and the soldiers part around him.
6260
6261"Bring up the guard. Tell them to stay on high alert. Sir Neloch, you said you could suppress her magic. Is that true?"
6262
6263"Yeah, it is." He says. Uldora turns her head suddenly to Nel, glaring, but he looks completely relaxed.
6264
6265"Then please, wake her up and do so."
6266
6267Neloch nods, and you feel his mana uncoil from the witch- and then recoil fiercely, strangling something you can't quite sense.
6268
6269Slowly, the witch's eyes open. She stares up at the sky- and then at you.
6270
6271"Now." Prince Rikar says, dragon coming up behind him. "It's time for you to answer some questions for us, witch."
6272
6273>End of session!
6274>As always, I'll hang around a bit to answer questions, clarify things, and generally just hang out.
6275>I'm also always on #Exabyte on IRC, Rizon server, and my twitter is @futureexabyte for updates and when I'm going to start the next session.
6276--------------------------
6277I'm sorry that I haven't had the opportunity to run much, lately.
6278
6279But because of it, I've been considering something: Maybe changing the way I'm running.
6280
6281Namely, instead of running in 5-6 hour 'sessions' every day I'm available, I'm considering simply running whenever I have spare time, as long as the thread is going. It'd mean a pretty big change in the way I'm doing things- instead of posting every 20-30 minutes, I'd be posting a lot more erratically.
6282
6283What do you guys think?
6284--------------------------
6285>>645734
6286It's actually something I've been considering for a while- it was only this situation where I couldn't run for a week, made a thread and ran a single session, then couldn't run again that broke the camel's back, so to speak.
6287
6288In short, what this'd mean to you guys is that I'd be posting more- a lot more- but much more erratically. I might be around for two hours at a time before I decide to go play vidya or whatever, or I might suddenly pop up again in the middle of the night like I did right now.
6289--------------------------
6290>A special notice for you folks only joining us now: I'm going to change the way I post in the quest; Until otherwise stated, as long as the thread's up I'll be 'active', instead of only during sparse sessions. This should mean that I'll be posting a lot more erratically- anywhere from an hour or two between posts- but a LOT more. No more waiting a week while I try to organize my time to leave a session free, for example.
6291
6292The morning sun on the world of Shamash greets you. Rikar's army is settling down while their familiars do what they can to wreck the rest of the Black Witch's fortress, leaving alone only the angular, prism-shaped Tower that stands in the center of the tower for reasons you don't know.
6293
6294You, Neloch, and Prince Rikar stand in the center of an empty field laying between two 'legs' of the pattern the Black Witch had built, not far from the tower in the center. The witch herself is chained down- it's kind of comical, how tightly she's bound in more iron than you could lift without magic. Then again, she did break your shields and bruise your ribs with a single kick.
6295
6296The witch stares balefully at the three of you. She seems to wiggle a bit, but Neloch clenches his fist- and you feel his soul shiver next to you, suppressing her magic.
6297
6298"First question." The prince says, voice authoritive. His dragon looms behind him, staring down at her. "Your name."
6299
6300The witch flutters her eyelashes, and sniffs.
6301
6302"... I suppose I'll graciously give you primitives my name." She says. "I am Hellebore, daughter and apprentice to my Master."
6303
6304"And your master's name?"
6305
6306Hellebore closes her eyes for a moment, a smile dancing on her lips.
6307
6308"My master has no name. He is the lord and king of Morrigan, the infinite city. The Last Archmage, the Third Traveler, the Infinite King. He lost his name long ago. My master simply is. And he'll be here."
6309
6310Then her eyes dart to you.
6311
6312"How did you destroy the rift, snowflake? That's not a magic I've ever seen before. I'm sure that my master will let you live, if you teach him." 
6313
6314You snort- causing her to frown.
6315
6316"It's a rather generous offer." She says. "Perhaps you'll even keep all of your natural soul, if you're lucky."
6317
6318"What are the chances your master will assault our world again?" The prince asks.
6319
6320"Oh, it can be guaranteed." She says. "Any world we find is ours to purge. Citizens turned into Mundanes, the few promising made into Adepts... And the greatest, perhaps, eventually, become magi. If they're lucky."
6321
6322"How can we stop him?"
6323
6324The witch laughs at that without hesitation- she giggles at the idea.
6325
6326"You can't. You're primitives. I did my homework. You have no magic worth using, only your filthy monster-bonding. We eradicated our monsters long ago- if you were smart, you would have done so yourself."
6327
6328"Only the lucky band of travelers gave you victory." She drawls, voice mocking.
6329
6330The prince turns to you, wordlessly asking you if you have any questions you'd like to put to the girl.
6331
6332>?
6333--------------------------
6334>Apprentices tend to be outside of the 'adept/magus' system. It usually means they're being taught by a specific wizard- usually powerful or an archmage. For example, Rathod is an Adept and yet he's also Archmage Haron's apprentice. But who knows if Hellebore's society uses the same rules?
6335
6336"How many Adepts and Magi does your nameless master have?" You ask.
6337
6338"More Adepts than the pretend-emperor has soldiers. Hundreds, thousands of magi loyal to the cause. Three apprentices." She says. Then she grins. "And if it was one of my elder sisters here instead of me, you would all be dead. You had so much trouble just taking care of little old Helen, you'd never be able to face them."
6339
6340"So you're not even your master's best."
6341
6342"I'm still better than you." She responds. "I am more than his best. I am his blood."
6343
6344"Tell me about your magic." You say. "Your artificial cores."
6345
6346Hellebore shrugs as best as she can. "Sure. Let me tell you about all of my strengths and weaknesses, and betray my people. Go jump into Nothingness, snowflake. I'm not telling you anything about my sorcery."
6347
6348"Give me the coordinates of all of the other dimensions, then."
6349
6350"No," She snorts. "I'm not giving you anything you can use. Like I'd let some new Travelers get access to Morrigan and cause all kinds of havoc."
6351
6352"What's with the tower?" You ask.
6353
6354The witch raises an eyebrow. "Found out you couldn't enter it, I suppose?"
6355
6356"Or destroy it." Rikar says.
6357
6358"It is sealed." Hellebore smirks. "Only the bloodline of my master can enter. You could probably find everything you want to know, Snowflake, if you could get in. Learn powerful new magic, discover how we transfer worlds... But the spell is unbreakable."
6359
6360"Like how the Rift couldn't be closed?" You ask- and she twitches in her chains.
6361
6362"... Yeah." She snarls. "Like that. But if the spell is broken, then guess where all the delicious information inside goes?"
6363
6364She winks.
6365
6366"Nowhere, that's where."
6367
6368>?
6369--------------------------
6370"So if I break it, everything inside gets ejected into the dimensional ether."
6371
6372"Is that what you call it?" She asks. "Whatever it is, anything sent there never comes back. It's the space between universes, snowflake, and anything there gets to wait out eternity."
6373
6374"But it's physically there, isn't it?" You ask, grinning. "Considering how... localized you are, I'm guessing your defenses aren't that great."
6375
6376You pick up a random pebble, target the center of the tower, and teleport it aw-
6377
6378When the spell completes, the pebble is still sitting in your palm.
6379
6380"It's protected from even dimensional transfer." She says. "You thought I'd be stupid enough to forget that part? Meeting new Travelers was always a possible risk."
6381
6382Then she smirks.
6383
6384"And now I've learned that your black sphere teleportation works on the same principle portals do." She says. "Your questioning is answering some of my questions. Thank you."
6385
6386You give her a flat, even look.
6387
6388"Your magic was extremely crude." You say. "Has your group decided to forego finesse since you can just put in more power, or do you just suck?"
6389
6390She snorts. "Sure, crude. If you think that working, modernized hermetic magic is crude."
6391
6392"Do you know the name Krital?" You ask- and her entire demeanor changes.
6393
6394Hellebore thrashes in the chains, and the guards all ready their weapons- just in case.
6395
6396"You bitch! I'm going to get out of here and kill you, you traitor. You know full well that he's the First Traveler." She snarls. "Steal our secrets, pretend you don't know anything, and interrupt an invasion. You can't throw me off, snowflake. You're trying to sabotage me! Who put you up to this? Was it Lily? Did Lily pay you?"
6397
6398"... Is Krital Angwaz is related to this invasion somehow?" The prince asks, voice suddenly stern.
6399
6400"Of course he is. He was the first Infinite King." She says, eyes steely. Your blood runs cold. "How does a primitive in the middle of bumfuck nowhere know his name?"
6401
6402"He was knighted and idolized by my people." Rikar says.
6403
6404She rolls her eyes. "At least you primitive monster-fuckers have some sense, I guess."
6405
6406In a quiet voice, Neloch speaks up.
6407
6408"Would you happen to be related to him?"
6409
6410"Of course I am." Hellebore snaps. "Like all of my Master's daughters, and my Master's father before him."
6411
6412You examine her hair carefully. It's pure black- even at the roots, and since she can't use magic, she doesn't have any kind of color-changing dweomer on her.
6413
6414>?
6415--------------------------
6416"Considering he messed around with magic he shouldn't have, and infused himself with frost wolf essence, I kind of doubt that." You say. "You don't have white hair."
6417
6418"What the hell are you talking about?"
6419
6420"How the hell did Krital end up as a King? No, wait, I bet he made a joke on some world and they took him literally because they had no idea he was a complete dumbass."
6421
6422"He was NOT a dumbass! Take that back." She snarls. "He was smarter and stronger than any other archmage in his world or others. You can't build the Infinite City on accident. What the hell are you saying?"
6423
6424... For a moment, you can't help but imagine someone else making fun of your ancestor.
6425
6426You'd probably react the same way. Your gut clenches tightly.
6427
6428"Your life and cores are forfeit if you don't tell us everything." You say. "Neloch here knows a magical technique to literally tear spiritual cores out of you and implant them into others. We could all use a bit of a boost from it. So either you answer our questions, or, well, there won't be enough of you left to answer anything."
6429
6430She gives you a flat, even look- and then Neloch does something, and she hisses, wincing from whatever he'd done.
6431
6432"G-go ahead. Ask." She says.
6433
6434"You guys can keep at it, I'll go get the Tower open." You say, realizing something. You're not sure how the tower's seal works, but if they're apparently related to your ancestor somehow, and the tower is based on bloodline, it might open for you.
6435
6436"Good luck." Rikar says, and turns to her. "Now. Tell us about the magic your people uses."
6437
6438You walk over to the central black tower, and find a few soldiers standing near the entrance. The doors are shut tight, without a visible lock- only a heavy black stone ring set into the door.
6439
6440"Lady Angwaz." One of the soldiers say. "It's, er, not safe. If you try to enter, it... throws you out. Rather painfully."
6441
6442"I'll still make an attempt." You say.
6443
6444Before you can touch it the doors, magic wraps around you- and the two doors begin to slowly creeeeeak open, and the soldiers stand next to you, weapons ready, as they do.
6445
6446The inside of the tower is much smaller than the outside. There are a few heavy hatches set into the walls, but when you pry them open you only see long, orichalium cables bundled together, and strange ebonstone structures. Here and there, you see a few gleaming violet glyphs you don't recognize. When you examine the orichalium, you notice- it's strangely discolored, and splotchy in places. You examine it closely, and come to a conclusion- It's not pure. However they made it, the orichalium isn't as pure as Kristoph's work.
6447
6448The first room you come across is obviously a bedroom. Mostly because it has a bed. Garish paintings sit on the walls- one of a city at night, stretching on forever. Another of a black-haired, handsome man... One who reminds you of your father. But he looks calm, almost apathetic, and his eyes are as black as night.
6449
6450>Continued!
6451--------------------------
6452>>647566
6453You pull open dresser drawers, shoving aside anything that isn't relevant- clothes, belongings, a painting set... and a leatherbound diary. After a moment trying to open a portal to your pocket dimension and failing, you sling it into a soldiers' arms for later perusal, and move on.
6454
6455Another room is food storage, quite obviously. You find rations, fruits, and snacks kept in cabinets, and an open, cleared space for cooking. No appliances, though there are a few glyphs carved into the cabinets themselves- all rough, carved runic ones, the runes filled in with more impure orichalium. Almost like analytical magic was supposed to be, before Archmage Haron invented spellcrystals. They're simple runes, for keeping food from spoiling.
6456
6457The third room... It's a tangled mess of orichalium cables, and according to your judgement, in the very center of the tower. More analytical runes cover the floor, and a large, triangular prism of white crystal sits in the center. You carefully peer in at it- and small, minute sparks of magic float in the center. The analytical runes here are a lot more obvious than the ones in the kitchen- they're pulling magic from the cables, and pouring them into the crystal at the center. You snap pictures for later use, and keep exploring.
6458
6459Finally, you find a room full of useful things.
6460
6461Spread across one table is a blueprint for the tower and the outer pattern, with diagrams of where 'ebonstone' is supposed to be 'conjured' and places for orichalium cables to be lay. Runes which should be placed at certain locations, and scrawled in the margins is a long, complicated procedure to activate the pattern when complete. You snap a photo of it, too, and then wrap it up.
6462
6463There's a Gate along one wall. It's not made out of mithril, but more 'ebonstone' and impure orichalium. There are way too many runes on it, though, and ones you've never seen- dozens of them, in a distorted combination of analytical and modernized hermeticism. There's a crystal on a podium next to it, made out of the same white crystal. You don't quite understand it at first sight, so you snap a photo of it and make sure you don't miss anything. 
6464
6465A corner of it is a library, flooded with books that your Gift of Tongues spell doesn't even need to work at... Because it's your native tongue. But none of them are anything you've ever heard of. A book on sorcery. The Birth of Infinity City. Several hefty, complicated tomes on astral magic. Another one on demonic magic- Creation of artificial cores. The Life and Death of Krital Angwaz. That book you immediately grab and flip it open to a random page.
6466
6467>Archmage Yule, through her pride and ignorance, had hidden her magic from the world. Our lord wished to learn this magic, for the future of the world, so through the procedure he designed and perfected, with the use of Ebonstone, he tore her soul from her body- and eventually, tore the knowledge of biomancy from her soul. Yule was no more.
6468
6469>?
6470--------------------------
6471>With her arte, and through his own genius, he invented the first Servitors- creating an army out of them from the tyrants of old, from the Fungal Dragon and Broodmother that made their homes in our world, and set them to eradicate all living entities, except for humanity. From then on, we've relied on Servitors for food, water, and work- though they've long-since been improved by Magi who specialize in biomancy...
6472
6473You snort, and snap it shut. Probably faked- Yule's still alive and kicking, after all.
6474
6475... Though you do find a dusty, unread book on biomancy, down in the bottom. Your throat gets dry, and you dump that book in the soldier's arms. Then you turn to him.
6476
6477"I'm going to need all of these books moved out of the tower." You say. "Somewhere flat and clear."
6478
6479"Yes, Lady Angwaz." He says, starting to load up all of the books.
6480
6481You pour through the book as you walk out of the tower- it's cold and dry, telling the full tale of a Krital Angwaz you never heard of. Born in a small village at the bottom of Terra's Spine, practiced hermetic magic, stumbled on a recipe to transfer worlds. That's normal stuff from the journals, but instead of finding a new world and getting curious about catgirls, things change from what you know.
6482
6483Instead he discovers the world of Nix. A world completely without humanity- just its remains. A world where monsters are everywhere, in constant war, and of such strength that they tore the world apart. He was stuck there until he discovered new magic- the ability to synthesize Ebonstone- in a hidden, ruined tower filled with more monsters. There's even a sample of Krital's journal...
6484
6485But it's not the journal you read. Nothing written in the margins, everything is spelled right- it's almost like a completely different Krital Angwaz wrote it.
6486
6487You take a deep breath and stomp back to Hellebore. Prince Rikar is interrogating her on how the Infinite City's economy works, and how many citizens are expected to learn to fight or serve in the military. Hellebore, for her part, is either ignorant of her own society or she's acting dumb- she's not able to answer a lot of his questions.
6488
6489You throw the 'Birth and Death of Krital Angwaz' on top of her, and she tries to crane her head to look down at it.
6490
6491"What is that?" She asks. You show her the cover.
6492
6493"I broke into your tower." You say. "Wasn't hard."
6494
6495Her eyes widen. 
6496
6497"What? No." She says. "H-how?"
6498
6499>?
6500>I'll be stepping away for a bit, so posts will be a bit slower for a while. This is the end of this 'sitting', I suppose.
6501--------------------------
6502"Like I said before, your magic is crude... Charcoal." You say, voice smug. You come up with a shitty reason for it, and... "Just needed some of your hair."
6503
6504Her eyes widen, and then she clams up entirely. Glaring at you.
6505
6506"I've gotten the tower open, Prince Rikar." You say. "Though there are some things I'd like to study after we take care of this."
6507
6508"Then the tower is yours." He says, nodding to you. "Do you have any other questions you'd like to ask her?"
6509
6510"...Well, while I'm sure I can tear the answers to her home world's coordinates from a structure I found inside, I'd like to know." You turn to her. "Where can I find this 'Morrigan' world?"
6511
6512"You can't." She responds. "You can't tear any kind of answer out of the Gate. It doesn't work like that."
6513
6514"Then how does it work?" You ask, raising your chin.
6515
6516"Why would I tell you that?"
6517
6518"It would be less painful for you." Neloch says- and clenches his fist. You feel his soul lash out- and Hellebore shudders. "And she's going to find out anyway."
6519
6520For a moment, you look at Neloch. He looks... angry. Angrier than you thought he'd still be, now that the witch is captured and her plan is stopped.
6521
6522"... L-location glyph." She stutters out. "There's a voidgem panel on the gate. You draw the glyph you want to use. Then you go there."
6523
6524So they use glyphs the same way you do.
6525
6526"What is this voidgem? Is it related to your 'ebonstone'?"
6527
6528She nods twice. "Sy-synthesized, like Ebonstone. Takes a significant amount of mana. Stores it. There's a book in the tower that explains how it works."
6529
6530"And Morrigan?" You ask. "What's the glyph for that?"
6531
6532She shakes her head. "I'm not giving you that. No matter what. Even if you kill me."
6533
6534Neloch tilts his head, slightly. You pull out your notes on the huge rift from before, eying the glyphs- but none of them look like a location rune. Must have been on the other side, aiming here. Not useful.
6535
6536"My lady." One of the soldiers say, speaking to you in a low voice. "We've moved all of the books outside of the tower."
6537
6538"Thank you." You say.
6539
6540>?
6541--------------------------
6542>>651147
6543>Actually, you've since figured out a way to create a 'true' pocket dimension, carved out of an open portal to Nothingness, and you use that as your pocket dimension. It requires a particular gadget, and only opens to your pocket dimension if you use solely your own mana (for reasons you don't quite understand yet), but you'll figure out a way to make it more usable eventually. Right now you just kinda have to shove your entire arm into the portal and flail around until you feel what you're looking for.
6544>>651157
6545>The edges of a reality, surprisingly enough, are rubbery. You were barely able to push it far enough to set up a cube 'frame' of iron bars so that you have a nice square structure. Apparently the edges are more malleable if there's a larger- and thus stronger- portal connected to it.
6546--------------------------
6547>>651835
6548>The timeline doesn't quite work there: Your ancestor is from a few centuries ago- three or four- and Yule's Slaughter happened thousands of years ago, before Archmages were even recognized.
6549
6550You open your pocket dimension, and hand the hand mirror-shaped gate to one of the soldiers. "Please put all of the books in here."
6551
6552He nods, and goes back toward the tower to put the books away. Then you turn back to Hellebore.
6553
6554You take a deep breath, knowing full well that she's closely enough related to you for the seal on the tower to open up to you, and...
6555
6556"I don't think there's anything else we can get from her." You say.
6557
6558Prince Rikar nods. "Sir Neloch. You know what to do next."
6559
6560"I do." He says. He steps forward, and Hellebore's eyes flutter shut. She struggles to keep her consciousness, but Nel is implacable. The Black witch's eyes flutter shut... And then she's unconscious.
6561
6562"I can begin extracting her cores at any time. From what I know, one of her cores are for attacking. Those hard-hitting blasts? That was her Anima. It might manifest differently in other people, but that's the one I based my own core on. Then I think there's a core designed to... make some kind of chemical changes. That one seems a bit too delicate, but I can try to transfer it. The third looks like it's what she used to summon her dweomers. Though she called them Demons, earlier... And then there's one more that synthesizes the stuff. Ebonstone, I think it was."
6563
6564Then he shrugs. "I don't think I can take any of the others. They're not robust enough- they'll just fall apart in my hands."
6565
6566You look around. The other wizards are in the tent, still- it's only been an hour or so since you've woken up, after all. With Cera, Rathod, Uldora, Brun, Neloch and yourself, it looks like only four of you will get anything out of it... Unless you count the books.
6567
6568Speaking of which, if that dusty book on biomancy contains all of Yule's magic, then that's going to be sensitive. You're not sure what to do about it. Destroying it is one option- make sure that Yule doesn't literally kill you for knowing what you're not supposed to. But then again, it's not as if you stole the information from her, exactly... You could honestly say that you found the arte in a completely different world. Or perhaps promise her that you won't teach it to others...
6569
6570You still don't know much about the Archmage Yule. Her character is hard to grasp.
6571
6572But you have enough time to talk to the other wizards before Hellebore's execution.
6573
6574>?
6575--------------------------
6576-omitted one small post.
6577You consider the biomancy book for a few minutes. It seems like a rather risky choice, especially since you don't know how Yule would react... But it is one of the ways to immortality.
6578
6579You wouldn't lose anything by keeping the book hidden, and not telling anybody about it either. You can decide to read it later, after you've finished the more important tomes in that collection.
6580
6581Finally, you turn to Neloch.
6582
6583"Which one would you want?" You ask. "I think that those conjured 'demons' are spiritual cores, so you might be interested in that one...."
6584
6585Nel considers it... and then shakes his head.
6586
6587"Honestly, I'm not sure I can fit anything into my soul." He says. "Not with my current core. It'd be too risky for me."
6588
6589"Alright." You say. "Then I'll go see if anyone else has any opinions."
6590
6591You wave to him and Prince Rikar, and make your way into the tent. There you find Rathod and Cera chatting to one another- about their masters, from what you can hear.
6592
6593"It took me months before he really took me seriously." Rathod says. "I mean, he just gave me a bunch of busywork. Build golem parts to these exact specifications, kind of thing. He, uh, only really started teaching me anything when I got a dweomer to do it. I just had to come up with a clever way to plug in the specifications."
6594
6595"... My Art isn't quite that mechanical." Cera says. "But it took years of wheedling my father before he decided to begin teaching me. Well... Not just wheedling- I also had to learn magic well enough and fast enough so he could be sure I didn't hurt myself with his Art."
6596
6597"Hey, folks." You say. "Guess what?"
6598
6599"What's up?" Rathod asks.
6600
6601"Since we've defeated Hellebore, and Rikar's going to... er, execute her, he's going to let us extract some of her artificial cores."
6602
6603Cera raises her eyebrows, and Rathod looks a bit disgruntled.
6604
6605"Nel's figured out which cores he can transplant." You say. "There's only four of them, but it sounds like they're pretty strong. And don't have any kind of bleedover like shamanic magic."
6606
6607"I don't think I'm going to want those." Cera says. She bites her lip. "For... archmage reasons. It's entirely possible that modifying my soul would make it impossible to use my master's Art."
6608
6609"I don't know..." Rathod says.
6610
6611"... I get it, there's also some ethical problems here," You say, "But leaving her with her magic isn't going to get her anything. And this is magic that simply doesn't exist back on Helios. I should know- I've done a lot of studying on it."
6612
6613Finally, Rathod shakes his head. "What are my options?"
6614
6615>Continued!
6616--------------------------
6617>>656212
6618
6619Cera looks interested while you explain, but somewhat regretful. Eventually, her eyes widen.
6620
6621"The chemical core is probably biological." She says, when you're done. "The witch healed after I got a good hit on her, and she's a lot stronger than she's supposed to be. I think it enhances her body, like a Tyrant or Dire template would."
6622
6623"... In that case, I think I'd want the synthesizing core." Rathod says. "I doubt it's limited to one material, and the materials it can make might be useful in golemancy."
6624
6625"Alright!" You say. "I'll go see what everyone else wants."
6626
6627Brun, as soon as you approach her, grins widely. "I want the blasty one." She says.
6628
6629"The one Nel called 'Anima'?" You ask. "... Were you listening?"
6630
6631"Eavesdropping." She says. "My boyfriend *was* chatting up a cute blond. You really think I'd let him stumble into her clutches?"
6632
6633You snort.
6634
6635"Anyway, I don't have many ranged attacks, and the few I've made are way too kludgy to use."
6636
6637You spy Uldora sitting in the corner, patiently waiting as one of the medics take another look at her back. You approach, and explain.
6638
6639"I don't want any of them." Uldora says, arms crossed, after you talk to her. "Even if Magus Cera is right, and the chemical core would repair my wing... It's too much a risk. No matter how much Neloch says it will integrate safely, he's not a true Shaman, and there's too much risk for me. I already have my dragon cores synchronized, and adding a new one would cause a rejection."
6640
6641>?
6642--------------------------
6643>>657778
6644>Not to worry: Spiritual cores are, by necessity, some of the most efficient ways of using magic. That's why the entire branch of Shamanism exists- because despite the many downsides, throwing fire from a flame monster's core is many times more mana-efficient than throwing a fireball. Even if they're incredibly inefficient, they'll be more efficient than casting the spells with analytical magic.
6645>Plus, any wizard worth their salt has enough mana control to stop a core from draining them. In the worst case, you'd have to starve the core so much that it would fall apart, but you wouldn't be hurt.
6646--------------------------
6647>>658497
6648>That's a good question- but it's not something you know the answer to, unless you ask her. As for upgrading Gareth, the chances are incredibly slim- she rarely ever does 'upgrades'. She normally just heals people.
6649
6650>Also, update incoming when I finish it.
6651--------------------------
6652"I understand." You say. "Guess I'll let Nel know. We should be finished going over everything in the tower by tomorrow, but if you want to head home early, I'm sure I can send you."
6653
6654Uldora considers it for a few moments, then shrugs. 
6655
6656"I'll head home when Brun does." She says.
6657
6658"Fair enough." You say. "I'm going to go talk to the Prince, see if there's anything else he needs to do."
6659
6660"Alright, Jasmine." She says, smiling softly. "Take care."
6661
6662"You too."
6663
6664And then you're back out of the tent. The witch is still asleep, and Neloch looks like he's taking a long-deserved break lying in the grass not far from her. He did have to keep her magic surpressed the entire time she was awake, and that must've taken a lot of effort; you know exactly how hard astral magic gets to be.
6665
6666"Hey, Nel?" You ask.
6667
6668"Mmmh?" Nel responds, eyes blinking open to look at you for a fraction of a second before fluttering shut again.
6669
6670"Any idea if you can implant those artificial cores into familiars?"
6671
6672He shakes his head. "Can't. Not human, and those cores are designed for humans."
6673
6674You sigh. "A pity." You say. "But thanks anyway. When do you think you'll be available for the transfers?"
6675
6676He just waves at you, and then covers his eyes with his arm.
6677"Noon." HGe says. "At the soonest."
6678
6679"Alright. Nap well." You say, getting a non-commital grunt from Nel, and look around for the prince.
6680
6681The prince Rikar, you find, is sitting down next to his dragon, his familiar's wing obligingly creating shade for him. He seems to be messing with something in his hands. When immediately flop down next to him, settling into his space just as easily as he had.
6682
6683"Lady Jasmine." He responds- the item in his hand is an incredibly small booklet, written in words that make your vision swim. He buttons it closed and puts it away. "Have you and Sir Neloch figured out to whom the witch's magic should go?"
6684
6685"Well..." You say. "Yes and no. It seems like nobody wants a particular core- one that, by Magus Cera's estimation, revolves around boosting someone's physical nature. More strength, speed, regenerating from damage, that kind of thing."
6686
6687The prince raises an eyebrow.
6688
6689"If you'd like it, I'm sure Neloch wouldn't mind making the transfer."
6690
6691"... I will... consider it." He says, finally. "To be entirely honest, I don't understand much about this 'spiritual core' business. The idea of so many different types of magic somewhat... baffles me."
6692
6693"That's okay." You respond, giving him a smirk. "One of my specialties is in having my fingers full of every different type of magic."
6694
6695He chuckles, and closes his eyes.
6696
6697"I suspect I'm going to hand out more noble titles to the wizards who came to my assistance with your help." He says. "I'm sure we would have lost a lot more, if you hadn't been here."
6698
6699>?
6700--------------------------
6701"Perhaps, instead of noble titles that come with certain obligations, why not create a Knightly Order of 'Defenders of the Realm'? It will be an honorary membership that still feels special, but without obligations."
6702
6703"Technically, that is your own status." He says. "The council would be incredibly upset if I gave a handful of outsiders a hereditary title like that." 
6704
6705Then, a moment later, he grins. 
6706
6707"So of course I'll do that."
6708
6709There's a long moment of silence.
6710
6711"The threat isn't over." You say. "Especially if they know how to get here."
6712
6713Rikar solemnly nods.
6714
6715"I'm aware of that." He says. "I'm already planning for it."
6716
6717"... Perhaps we could set up some kind of program, to teach your more intelligent subjects our magic." You say. "If you're going to be facing more extradimensional foes, then you need all the knowledge you can possibly get."
6718
6719"I agree." He says, nodding. "I have more than enough land and funds to construct an academy of some sort. But would your people really agree to come here to teach? I doubt my money is worth much more than a curiosity."
6720
6721"... I was thinking about bringing someone to my world to learn... But your idea might be better." You say. Especially if you made a one-spell spellcrystal to cast the Gift of Tongues for translation. You don't personally know anybody, but you're sure you can find someone.
6722
6723"Speaking of money," You say, as something occurs to you, and you gesture toward the table where the soldiers are setting up another meal. "What's with the honey?"
6724
6725He raises an eyebrow. "Er... It comes from bees? Our farmers use them to pollinate their crops."
6726
6727"Our farmers have to use magic. It's too risky to leave a colony of animals around, when they can turn into monsters at any time." You respond. There's a surprisingly large amount of plantcare dweomers out there, and back in your home village there were a bunch of 'legacy' dweomers that have been running for the past several generations, being recharged by people who weren't even adepts. "So honey is only found in the wild, and usually only eaten by the elite."
6728
6729"... So perhaps I do have a resource that your world lacks." He says, chuckling. "So you think I could pay any possible teachers in honey?"
6730
6731"Or you could sell it in my world." You say. "And pay them in normal ecu."
6732
6733He chuckles. "That sounds like something approaching a plan." He says.
6734
6735"So, who was that captain in the tent, while we were planning?" You ask. "The young woman."
6736
6737"Captain Kanna?" He asks. "She's young, but open-minded and extremely skilled. Her 'Adamant' is one of the most powerful familiars in the Claw and Talon. Why do you ask?"
6738
6739"I'm going to go see if I can explain my magic." You say. "Call it a test."
6740
6741Adamant is a titanic, red-scaled lizard. It's head reminds you of a turtle, or a bird somehow- with a heavy, steel-crushing beak. Kanna is carefully checking its scales, making sure it has no injuries.
6742
6743"Lady Krital!" She says, startled when she sees you. "What may I do for you?"
6744
6745>?
6746--------------------------
6747>>661138
6748It doesn't have a discord- I normally hang out on the QTG discord, if need be, but the quest- all of my quests, really- have an IRC channel.
6749
6750IRC's one of those things that'll stick around forever. Unlike discord, which seems more like a 'flavor of the week' kind of thing.
6751--------------------------
6752"Before the battle, you were asking about how the magic radioes worked." You say.
6753
6754"Oh! Yes, I was." She nods quickly, beaming down at you. "It's incredibly useful. Especially in combat."
6755
6756"Well, do you have time right now?" You ask. "I was hoping to try to teach you how they work. It, er, might take a while, though, since that spell relies on two schools of magic that don't exist in your world."
6757
6758Her eyes seem to gleam. "Of course I'd love to learn it, Lady Jasmine." She says. "B-but, are you sure I can learn it? Is it something anybody can do?"
6759
6760"If you're capable enough to bond to a familiar, then you're capable enough to use the magic from my homeland." You say. "Most of it, anyway."
6761
6762She climbs down her beast, and it stretches out a leg, creating an impromptu seat for her to settle down at. Her demihuman, catlike ears wiggle as she does.
6763
6764"Then by all means, I'd love to try it out." She says.
6765
6766"Right." You say. "The first thing you should know is some basic terminology. The practice of moving your mana, and contorting the soul is called 'astral magic'."
6767
6768"We don't really call it anything- It's just part of how you bond a familiar. Is there more to it?"
6769
6770"If you're good enough at astral magic," You say, "You can use every single type of magic without fail."
6771
6772Her eyes seem to gleam brighter- and you begin to explain.
6773
6774Time passes, and eventually you have the captain carefully forging a bond between a broken branch and its other half. Thaumaturgy is rather easy to understand, if difficult to forge a bond and a bit confusing to use. Eventually, though, she's able to touch one of the branches, nudging it slightly- and the other branch moves.
6775
6776"Another example of something you could do with this is to, say, make a dowsing rod. If you can forge a bond-" You're saying when someone taps you on the shoulder.
6777
6778You whip around to glare at Nel- and he just takes a step back at your expression.
6779
6780"What?" You ask, a bit irritated at the interruption. Teaching is surprisingly fun, especially with such an attentive student as Kanna.
6781
6782"... It's time. I've already transplanted the Anima core into Brun and the Synthesis core into Rathod." He says. "Doing them in order of easiest to hardest, that means the witch should survive until after we've taken the chemical core out."
6783
6784"Right." You say. "Sorry, Kanna. We'll have to continue this later."
6785
6786"Of course, Lady Jasmine." She says, staring at the stick. "Though I think I know how to use that radio magic now..."
6787
6788The two of you make your way back over to the center of camp, where Hellebore is lying. Her lips are pale, and her nose is bleeding slightly.
6789
6790"Ready?" He asks.
6791
6792"...Yeah."
6793
6794He nods, gives you a gracious smile, and something reaches inside your soul.
6795
6796"I need some of your mana." He says. "Extend a tendril."
6797
6798You do so- and he carefully, intimately takes it with his own soul, and begins to weave magic around you.
6799
6800It's... warm.
6801
6802>End of thread!
6803>What do you guys think about the new posting style?
6804--------------------------
6805-omitted one small post.
6806>>662542
6807Ideally, I'll be doing long marathons too, when I have the time (and inclination).
6808
6809I just decided to end the thread here, at a nice point, rather than be in the middle of something when the thread died.
6810--------------------------
6811>>665909
6812It is on page 10, which is enough of a threat for me to feel a bit wary of starting a full-on 'session' instead of a random spontaneous update.
6813
6814That said, I'm working on the new update right now, and I'll be starting a whole new thread for it.
6815--------------------------
6816==== END THREAD ====