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 Posted: Sat Jan 14, 2012 8:33 pm
Eligor didn't answer aloud, because he didn't want to interrupt Archmage Tansa once she started explaining some of the finer points of their special magic source, as well as some of what they would be covering in class, but he did let the memory pass through his head. His own discovery of his powers had been more like the result of a systematic test than any fantastic event. Well, it had been a great event, just not...anything crazy.
He'd been reading any book he could get his hands on once he'd been allowed access to the vast store of knowledge known as the library. Especially those about magic. Whenever he'd come across a particularly interesting spell, charm, enchantment, he'd taken every effort to replicate the results himself. Of course, it had never really worked, so with time, it was more by habit than enthusiasm that he continued his efforts, not really expecting results. Imagine his surprise that day, reading up on summoning and familiars, when afterwards he'd been joined by a small, cat-like creature made of light.
When the question was directed to the entire class, Eligor sat back to listen and let others have a chance to answer first. He was mildly surprised when Alethea jumped to answer, but listened and nodded thoughtfully as she spoke. She was right, at least about the Creator. Not much was written in detail about the Creator, but that much at least was generally agreed upon. The great Creator, who formed all, then gave life and power to the Guardians to take care of the Pae'il below on Telrunya.
He aimed a smile at the one-winged angel, now trying to become one with the pillow. Nothing to be ashamed of; at least she'd answered half of the question. He picked up where she'd left off, raising his hand, then starting, "In my studies, I've seen some mention of AiKa, but I'm not sure I fully grasp the concept. From what I understand, however, it has to do with one's source of magic and the balance that allows magic to work. All magic has a price, as you said, Archmage, and that price has to be paid in order to keep the balance in the universe." He didn't want to say any more in case he was wrong, however, the demon was eager to hear more, as he'd been hoping for clarification on this matter, among others, that he'd touched on in his own personal studies.
Solo study was fine for some things, but sometimes it was much better to have an expert to share their knowledge with you personally, rather than through words on a page of text.
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Posted: Sat Jan 14, 2012 8:37 pm
Dante pauses to consider. How did he know what his power was? He'd always just assumed that he just....knew. He supposes he'd thought his affinity for music and instruments was a bit out of the ordinary, and then he'd thought about his power, and knew that it was something extraordinary, a blessing from the Guardians.
His thoughts are interrupted by Archmage Tansa's next question. AiKa and the Creator? Of course he knew about those! Wait, he realizes as he looks around the room, noting the varied looks of indifference or confusion on the faces of the rest of the squires, were there people who didn't know about AiKa and the Creator? He raises his hand, balancing his pad on one knee and writing with his non-raised hand, in preparation for being called on.
He hadn't spent most of his childhood in the library for nothing...
Ai is the light side of magic, and Ka represents the dark. He begins to write about the Creator, but stops and scratches it out when he hears Alethea answer.
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Posted: Sun Jan 15, 2012 9:44 am
Infernos listened quietly to his peers as they gave their names and described their powers. This was to be the Guardians army, their chosen, to rise up against those that would would bring danger to their way of life. He didn't know what to make of them, they all had their talents and abilities, many useful, but none seemed in the same situation as himself. His own power was channelled into an item, and as much as he considered Shroud Breaker his partner, it was a weakness that the enemy could take advantage of if they found out.
Taking his thoughts away, Infernos listened to the instructor about the orb in the room. Now the architecture of the room made sense, to let in the glorious light of the world. As he heard of the orbs properties, he stared at it intently. This was the link to the Guardians? and it shined with your faith? Part of him wanted to reach out right there and touch it, to see how much it shined.
. o O ( Rule 26: Have faith in your faith )
Infernos did not need to see it. He knew with out a doubt his faith in the Guardians was strong and besides, there might be a chance he would blind the room. Back to listening to the instructor, the question presented to the squires was not one he could answer himself. AiKa was not a name he'd heard of yet, One pae though, took a shot at the answer, and Infernos listened intently.
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Posted: Wed Jan 18, 2012 6:45 pm
Clarux listened to the fairy and to the other Squires. Seemed that they were just as confused for the most part as she was. There was a scholarly one whom seemed to have come across the concepts in books, but she herself was lost. Still, she was curious as to how this pertained to anything, but obviously it had to deal with something or the Archmage wouldn't have brought it up, would she? So she remained seated and listened, waiting for the fairy to explain further.
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Posted: Mon Feb 06, 2012 7:20 pm
Pleased that some of the squires had taken the initiative to research topics that would normally be boring, Tansa felt these young Pae were definitely Guardian-chosen. Her pleasure in knowing caused her to radiate as she looked at each of their faces.
"You have a good start with your understanding. The Creator did create the Guardians. He tasked those first Pae'il with the duty of creating a thriving society. He gave them all the powers of creation. This power was contained in a grande tome called the Book of Transcendence. All the secrets of our universe are contained in those pages. Unfortunately, that book was stolen many Ages ago. Upon becoming Knights, you will be tasked with finding that precious tome."
Tansa conjured a set of three ornate glass vases on the podium. The center, larger one contained a brilliant white opaque substance that looked mostly fluid. It swirled in the vase with pearlescent waves. The other two vases were empty. "This represents AiKa. This is the magic discovered by the Guardians." The filled vase lifted off the podium and floated out to the squires so they could get a good look at it. It hovered just above their heads in the center of the small gathering. "This is the main source of Pae'il magic, but not for all Pae'il. As I mentioned, your source is from The Guardians and that crystal. Those abomination Pae'il who falsely claim to be our ancient ancestors use yet another different magic source. We do not know much about their source, but one of your duties as a Knight will be to find out."
The empty vases lifted off of the podium and moved out to where the filled vase was suspended above the Squires. With a swirl of her hand, Tansa caused the white liquid to rapidly swirl within its container, causing the white to slowly start separating into brilliant yellow and deep purple hues. After only a few moments, the liquid was completely separated and started flowing out of the vase up in to the air. Each of the empty vases recaptured the two new substances. Each one looked thinner and translucent, where as the white had been completely opaque.
"The yellow liquid is Ai. The purple is Ka. Combined, they create a very powerful energy source. But separated, you can see that each one is weaker. They are still both effective, however."
Lifting each filled vase and tipping them towards the empty vase between them, Tansa grinned mischieviously. "Each is only half of the whole. To use one, you must use other. Why do you suppose I separated the two? And what do you think will happen if I recombine them?"
((My apologies for taking so long to reply to this. I will try to be more diligent. This particular topic is rather detailed, so it was a lil hard to put it into words.))
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Posted: Mon Feb 06, 2012 10:28 pm
Infernos listened carefully to what the instructor had to teach them, especially wanting to hear more of The Creator and the book. He swore to The Guardians that he would find the tome and return it to its rightful home. He could not achieve that now, and made sure to pay attention to what was being said. Instructor Tansa's gift in magic was very impressive. Infernos watched her magical display closely, but wondered if he would be capable of the same feat one day.
It was strange to him to see revealed that The Guardian's magic was made from two sources. Where each came from he wasn't quite sure. When the questions were put to the class, Infernos looked around the room to see if any would answer. It was then that he noticed what he thought could be the answer. Infernos raised his hand before speaking, although there was a chance that he was wrong, he was not worried about looking foolish.
. o O ( Rule 70: The Fool may make mistakes, The Wise One learns from them )
" My guess would be that the separation displays that The Guardian's magic comes from two sources as stated, but the sources are the two true bloodlines. That Ka comes from demonic magic, and Ai is from angelic."
He thought that was an appropriate answer, but even if wrong, it helped him to think. The second question he was unsure of, but he still attempted it.
" I would say combining the two like you are, would reform it back to AiKa. But the look you are giving makes me believe this is going to turn into a chaotic mess, possibly an explosion."
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Posted: Sat Feb 11, 2012 6:32 pm
With the rest of the class having grown silent and unwilling to voluntarily answer, Tansa nodded her head towards Infernos. "You are partially right." The fairy mage paused the vases so they wouldn't combine just yet, so she could explain about the reason for the two halves of the magic.
"Magic must be balanced, or there are consequences to using it. The Guardians separated Ai and Ka, so that Pae could use Ai without the consequences of the Ka."
Tansa proceeds to finish letting the two vases of colored liquid pour to recombine in the empty vase, however the liquid appears to repell itself, refusing to recombine. This causes the liquid to start dripping down upon the heads of the students. It's harmless fluid that will not stain or burn, but it will get them all wet.
"Once separated, it cannot be recombined. At least, not without a catalyst. Unfortunately, the element that will allow the recombination of Ai and Ka has been lost to us. That is another reason we require the Book of Transcendence, as the formula is documented there."
Tansa flits out towards the now three empty vases, grinning at the wet mops atop each head. She directs the vases to return to the podium. "Because Pae who use Guardian Blessings, or sometimes referred to as 'powers' or 'abilities' that are only based on Ai, their magic is based on the light and goodness. They are subjected to 'magic karma' which means any harm that they may cause to another brings that same harm to themselves three-fold."
Tansa paused for reactions.
"The Guardians did this so that the Pae'il would not do harm to each other, as they did in the past. And to keep their precious children safe.
The Guardians store Ka in the dormant volcano in Dragnid Forest. That is why it is forbidden to go there, because Ka is darkness and evil. It causes those who are exposed to it to become tainted."
"Those pae who use Ai will be your charges when you are Knights. You will be their leader, so it is important that you know how to help them, and to educate them on magic karma. Any questions before we move on to learning specific spells?"
((Magic karma is real, and will be implemented when the power thread re-opens. The rest of this you must RP your Squire as knowing to be true. The taint in Dragnid is not from the Ka magic, as Tansa said, but that is what the Guardians want others to believe.))
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Posted: Sat Feb 11, 2012 8:01 pm
Dante flips to a new page in his notebook, furiously scribbling notes so that he could commit them to memory later. All of this was so incredibly important!
He's glad to hear they wouldn't be expected to hurt anyone. He'd been a little worried about that. Fighting, while something he was reasonably skilled at, was by no means his favorite activity. Dante is relieved to know that they would use other means to deal with the unenlightened heathens that roamed the world below this shining city.
Dante giggles silently as the whole class gets covered in purple and greenish-yellow liquid. He's somewhat amused at the way it dripped down his nose, not quite water, and not really thicker than it either. It was almost like it was oil-based, and it shimmered a little on his skin. Then he notices that it had soaked his pad of paper as well, and is much less amused by this. His face falls as he tries to shake the liquid out of the paper, but it isn't much use. He'd have to get a new one in his room, and try to salvage the notes from this later. But it's clear he isn't writing anything else on this paper.
Frustrating, he thinks, how easily what little voice I have is silenced.
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Posted: Sat Feb 11, 2012 11:14 pm
Lailah's head was swimming with all this talk of magic and sources and Ai and Ka and floaty potions and whatnot. She was fading in and out of the conversation, but she was trying her best to keep up. She couldn't help that she was getting frustrated and confused, which only grew upon each other in an endless cycle, until she was sure to snap...
...and suddenly she was blinking with purple liquid dripping from her drenched hair into her eyes. What in the Names of the Guardians...?!? Growling in a mixture of surprise and lingering frustration, she shook her head, sending the droplets scattering from her crimson locks and over her fellow Squires instead. "So, wait a minute..." she interrupted, raising a hand. "You're saying we can't hurt other beings, or we'll get hurt three times as much? Then how the heck are we supposed to fight? That's what we're being trained to do, right? We're not just going to talk the heathens into submission, are we?" There was a touch of a whine entering her voice, as she let slip how the news had hit her. She was so not in the right business afterall, if this was how it was going to be.
Eligor's attention was rapt upon the instructor's words, as this was all new material for him, and therefore utterly fascinating. The Ai...the Ka...so it made sense to separate the two, if the Ka were evil, to protect the Pae and keep them from this darkness. However, balance needed to be preserved, so that must be why they needed to be re-combined...perhaps the combination was neutralized, and stronger, and once the Pae'il had all been brought back to the light, then they could be entrusted once more with this added power. Of course, that must be it.
Having worked this out in his head, Eli was about to share his enlightenment when the liquid splashed over his head. His wild locks hung wetly now, dripping in his face, and he reached up to flick them out of his vision with a mild lack of concern. Their instructor wouldn't do anything that would harm them, so if anything, this was a mere distraction tactic, or perhaps one meant to wake those in the back whose attention had been waning. Not him, though perhaps he had appeared lost in his thoughts while mulling everything over.
He raised an eyebrow at the blood-stained angel's outburst, then shook his head in disapproval. Surely, she should know to trust the Guardians more than that. Trust and obey, and all would be explained in due time. He, on the other hand, had no other questions for now, and merely folded his hands before him and nodded his head in a brief respectful bow to Archmage Tansa.
"This has been an enlightening and illuminating discussion thus far, Archmage. I eagerly await whatever knowledge you plan to share with us, and any techniques you wish to teach us."
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Posted: Sun Feb 12, 2012 1:13 pm
Having remained silent for a time, Harveer smiled, waiting. If Ai was good energy, it made sense to keep it seperate from Ka, even more so if they were meant to keep the pae'il protected from the forces of Ka. He frowned a bit as he realized that he would not be able to fend off any being they were to face with his abilities if they were fueled entirely by Ai...
Yuck. He was covered in the liquid that had been inside the vases, and not just a little of one or the other. Harveer had gotten both of them all over his hair and face. With a sigh, he wiped his face clean on his hands. It was cold enough for him to wish they hadn't been covered in it, but at least he wouldn't be sleeping through the rest of the class.
"I've no further questions Archmage Tansa." He said politely, waiting for her to continue.
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Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2012 1:48 am
Infernos' answer was incorrect but he thought it was a good guess. Though as he suspected, he was right about his instructor's intentions. Infernos shut his eyes as the liquid from the display splattered over his front and drenched his hair over his face. He did take a moment to spit some of it away from his lips so as to not taste it. Not phased much at all by getting wet, Infernos looked back to his instructor to continue learning. Magic was a field Infernos was not adapt at yet, so he needed to pay attention.
He was surprised to hear about Ka and where the Guardians had stored it. It was a pitty something like that could not be destroyed, it sounded like in the wrong hands it could be deadly. With the Instructor offering questions answered, Infernos began reviewing the lesson to see if he had any to ask. His thoughts were interrupted though by a red haired angelic squire, who seemed to be worried about the rules of the Guardians power. Still dripping with wet bags of hair hanging over his face, Infernos turned to Lailah.
" Our Instructor informed us that our gift of power is neither Ai, Ka nor AiKa. We have been granted The Light, not the magic that The Guardians found. So your powers and abilities, as well as my own, are not subjected to 'magic karma' as mentioned. But even if this were the case, it is not our place to question The Guardians' will. Magic is only one aspect of a knight. We have been given weapons, we will be taught how to combat with out them. We will learn and become wiser with our instructors, grow a sharp mind, which is the greatest weapon of all. So please place your fears aside, you will not be shackled by karma when facing your enemies. And if you need me, you are never alone"
Infernos turned back to Instructor Tansa to continue the lesson.
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Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2012 11:37 am
Clarux blinked as the liquid dripped down her before she squirmed a bit. She really did not like being wet, being so in tune with fire and all. She began to attempt to wipe the liquid away as her brow began to furrow. She was not pleased with this at all. She chose to keep quiet, for now, as her opinion was already loudly voiced by the angel, and she instead nodded through damp hair, wishing for the arch mage to explain things further.
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Posted: Fri Feb 17, 2012 1:42 pm
Lailah had expected an answer, but not from one of her fellow Squires. Nor for that answer to take the form of a correction and reprimand. Even if the answer was meant to be helpful, it still felt like she was being corrected in a way that pointed out her mistake as if she hadn't been paying attention. She was listening! It wasn't her fault that this 'magic' stuff still tended to go over her head. An involuntary flush darkened her cheeks, and she looked down at the pillow she was sitting on, plucking absently at the fringe.
"I wasn't questioning the Guardians' will! I wouldn't do that. I just...didn't understand, okay? I don't rely on this magic stuff anyway," she finished in a quieter voice, lest she be reprimanded again by Archmage Tansa this time and embarrassed further. No, she wasn't embarrassed...they were just trying to make her look bad. To disrupt her focus and cause her to grow distracted and make mistakes. That was it. She tugged harder at the fringe of the pillow, over and over again, silently counting the motions in her mind in an attempt to relax.
Afterall, why else would the demon Squire have finished with that strange, personal offer of aid. Lailah didn't need help. And even if she ever did, why would she automatically trust this other Squire to back her up? She was fine with being alone. Less baggage to worry about that way. You didn't need someone to back you up, because if you got dependent, then one day, they wouldn't be there, and you'd not know what to do without them. Ultimately, you fail if you can't depend on yourself. She'd work with these others to become Knights, to do their duty and serve the Guardians...but she'd never let herself depend on them.
With a quiet huff, she crossed her arms over her chest and slouched, pretending to listen while focused on concealing her embarrassment and anger.
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Posted: Sat Feb 18, 2012 10:19 am
Infernos' focus snapped away from his instructor to the squire he just addressed. She seemed to be agitated still, as if he hadn't help put her fears to rest. Although as he listened to her reply, Infernos guessed she felt attacked in some personal way. He was still learning what is was to be part of a group, and the common courtesies to be taken with others. If this was his doing, it was best to try and remedy the situation, before he caused further problems for all.
" I can come off as blunt I've been told, I only meant to relay the information. You seemed frustrated at the thought of learning magic that comes with a great cost and I could understand why. I just meant to ease your worry, this is why I also mentioned that you are never alone. You are a part of many, and that is a strength to hold onto."
"Her name's Lailah"
"...Lailah"
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Posted: Mon Feb 20, 2012 12:35 pm
Ugh...did he ever shut up? Couldn't he take a point? Hadn't he embarrassed her enough for one lesson?
Lailah's anxious plucking at the pillow tassels continued in a steady rhythm. One, two, three, four. One, two, three, four. Again, one, two, three, four. Balance. Control. Relaxation. She took a deep breath, closing her eyes, then letting it out slowly as she counted. No need to cause more of a disturbance than they already had. At least not while in class.
Her voice was quieter, nearly a whisper to the other Squire, and notably calmer when she replied. "This magic thing is just...new. It's not something I rely on," she clarified, unwilling to admit that it was something she wasn't good at. No, she'd be good at it too, given the chance. "I trust my body and my physical fighting skills. Magic is nice and all, but I'd rather not have to rely on it."
Nor on other Pae'il, she finished in her mind, still puzzling over this odd Squire and his obsession with being a part of a whole. Couldn't one just be whole by themselves? She brushed this aside, as well as her hostility, calming once more and hoping that she wouldn't have the instructor's wrath crashing upon her head for her earlier interruption.
"Yes, I'm Lailah," she acknowledged with a nod, "but, I'm afraid I don't know your name."
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