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 Posted: Sun Oct 22, 2006 5:33 pm
There was no transition from sleep to waking.
Confusion. Befuddlement as she looked around the room that was hers, but not quite hers. She knew nothing, save for the strange knowledge that came with her awakening...or her bootup, as it seemed to be, for she had no idea how she knew such things.
For instance.
She knew, as she got up off of the bed, that she could stand. She knew that her name was Aysel, and that she had purple hair, and silver-grey eyes. She knew that if she opened her closet, there would be clothing waiting there for her. She knew that this room was hers...but where was this room? What lay behind the door?
No. She wasn't ready for that, just yet. Walking over to the window, she flicked her fingernail against one of the glass balls- witch balls, her mind whispered- it made a hollow ringing sound. She then did the same to the other, and the note was a slightly more cheerful one. Together, the notes were tuned in harmony, and she was grateful. Dissonance was not pleasant.
(( tooooooo be continued when I'm awake. :3; ))
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Posted: Sun Oct 29, 2006 11:38 am
Abrid  #60 Feeble Shot (2) - The Feeble Shot makes the target it hits grow weak for two rounds. During these two turns, the damage from their attacks be they magical, castor shells or physical is reduced by half. Aquired: At All Hallow's Eve Fieldtrip. Reason: Rolled a 60 in the Free-for-all Dice Roll Task. Well, now you've got a Castor Shell, but how to use it? You'll need to pick up a Castor Gun equip and get yourself more shells!
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Posted: Thu Nov 30, 2006 5:39 pm
Orrys
Goggles
Equips to: Head Equip. (Can also be worn as a basic item)
Aquired: In Paintball Wars.
Reason: For being voted the 3rd Star by the players as the most entertaining student to watch.
Aside from being a ...er, great fashion statement, these Goggles help the Empyrean see clearly underwater, during high speeds, or through foul weather by keeping the eyes protected and shielded from water, weather or dirt. Goggles can be upgraded with certain Talismans to enable the wearer to see specific things, such as auras, energy levels, wards, even reveal things hidden by invisibility or magic!
Orrys
Castor Gun (shells not included)
Equips to: Item Equip.
Aquired: In Paintball Wars.
Reason: For being on the Winning Team.
The Castor Gun is only useful with Castor Shells. These magically treated shells serve all manner of purposes, everything from lighting flares to blowing a hole in the sound barrier. The number of Shells allowed to be held by an Empyrean s based on the Empyrean's Stage. Stage Zero - 3 shells, Stage One - 5 shells, Stage Two - 7 shells, Stage Three - 10 shells. When Shells are used up in battle, duels or travel, they cannot be replaced until the fight is over. Certain types of shells are restricted to certain Stages or locations. See Abrid's page for the list of Shells.
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Posted: Thu Dec 07, 2006 12:31 am
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Posted: Wed Dec 13, 2006 9:41 pm
Aysel sat before her three gifts, her curls curling pleadingly downward toward them as she read the tags tied to them (one of which which had been read considerably more times than the others) for what must have been the 17th time today, as if they were just as eager as she was to see what lay within their bright and festive paper coverings.
Sweetling, Antigone had written, Love.
(( More later. ))
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Posted: Sun Jan 28, 2007 12:17 pm
Aysel sighed softly, clutching her pillow more tightly to her chest and squeezing her eyes tightly shut. Her cheeks shone in the faint moonlight, wet with tears that she'd not bothered to wipe away. Her curls were slightly tousled from her attempts at sleep, but she cared not. Her door was locked, and nobody would be seeing her like this if she could help it. Her blankets lay in a tangled heap on the floor beside her bed, and although she was not one for ever being cold, she shivered, and goosebumps rippled across her bare shoulders and arms. A low and strangled sob echoed through the stillness of her night-time room, and she could hardly believe that such a noise had come from somewhere within herself. Slowly, slowly, eyes tired from weeping opened, coming to rest on her still-open journal. Upon the page was her favourite sketch- no longer a sketch, she supposed, for she'd taken the time over days and weeks and months to carefully colour and ink it, perfecting the smallest of details until it looked as though the person depicted within it could, at any moment, step from the page and kiss away her tears.
Warmth. She was so cold...but even at this low point (and perhaps especially at said low point), she could not go seeking the sweet fire that could warm her heart. She was afraid...something she rarely allowed herself to be. It had been so long...so long...too long, perhaps. Perhaps she had drawn herself away without realizing it, and would never be warm again.
Perhaps love was not designed for the likes of her.
Something twisting painfully within her, Aysel reached quiveringly for her quill, dipping it into her ink- silver for moonlight, and starshine, and all things immaterial and beautiful. But instead of gliding across her paper as it so often did, she found her quilltip upon her own skin." Ice Queen",she scrawled across her upper arm, a faint and cruel smile touching her lips. The queen of ice...how apt of you, Grave, though you later apologized... and then, her quill was moving frantically, scribbling and scraping her faults onto herself. Somewhere, she must have pressed too hard, for then there was blood mixed with the ink. She finally paused, staring blankly at the red and metallic liquid upon her quilltip, and laughed softly. Who would have guessed that she could be so weak, so fragile? Suddenly disgusted with herself, she snatched up her quill and ink, and tossed them into the darkness, not caring where they landed.
She was certain she would not sleep this night, with the darkness pressing its frigid and emotionless fingers about her throat and heart.
((more? xD ))
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Posted: Sun Mar 04, 2007 1:12 pm
Again, the darkness was smothering her, stealing her very breath away. Icy fear pooled like water within her chest, paralizing rational thought along with any motion she might make to warm herself. She lay once more in the too-wide expanse that made up her blanketless bed, for somehow her comforter was again wadded up beside her resting-place, only one corner remaining atop it. She lay sprawled, her eyes open, but unseeing. Her skin was once more marred with ink and blood, her faults laid bare for the moon and night to see, and to judge. For there she sat, the cold and impersonal moon, her face half-hidden tonight as though she was ashamed of this fearful girl-child. Condemning, Aysel thought forlornly, even the moon dispairs of me. She looked away then, unable to bear the ache within her.
Her ink, the same silver ink that blended and coiled with the dark redness that seeped from her scratches and scrapes, still sat upon her bed. The quill alongside it was growing dull from abuse, and she supposed that it was growing sick of the tang of tainted blood. A new tool, then, she thought absently, is in order now. Slowly she rose into a sitting position, feeling her battered skin pull and sting. It was nothing more than she deserved, however, and so she continued to rise until she stood before her mirror. For a moment, she stared trancelike at her reflection, shivers moving in waves across her bare stomache, shoulders, legs, leaving raised flesh wherever they touched. It was then that she knew what must be done.
A sewing kit, untouched thus far (she had no expertise in the art of mending, nor creating) lay upon a small table, forgotten and buried by other things (discarded drawings, ribbons, and charcoal pencils, to name a few). Now, she scooped it up, cradling it to her chest and silently flipping it open. She looked for a moment...ah, there! A perfect silver needle, pristine and neutral, next to the thread, and miniature scissors (she considered these also, but in the end rejected them), and all the other trimmings within. But it was only the needle that she required.
Returning to her bed, she struck a match, momentarily lighting up her face in an almost eerie manner. She touched the match to the candle that she kept just below her bed (for those nights when the lonliness grew too much, and she had to go and seek another place to rest her head- before, Antigone's room..for she had found security there above any other place. More recently, however, she'd found herself unwilling to disturb her sleeping love..and had taken to sleeping in one of the chairs of the library, making sure to leave before dawn's first light reached through its windows.), giving herself a small bubble of candlelight. She began her project.
After holding the needle in the flame of the candle for awhile (and burning herself in the proccess, if only enough to make her finger turn an angry red), she dipped it into the small bottle of ink. Upon the tip gathered a single, perfect drop of silver. Oh, how she longed to take that perfection into herself, to make herself cool and strong and thoughtless! The next minute, the needle was piercing her skin, the ink staining just below her skin. She hissed softly at the burn of the needle, but smiled. Warmth at last. Warmth for thawing, and warmth for shaping. She repeated the motion, pausing only to take another drop of silver. Soon, there was a silver star under each of her palms, and she moved on to a more delicate region of skin...just above her heart. Tears or frustration and agony gathered in her eyes as her needle moved ever faster, seeming to take on a will of its own as it pierced her again and again, spelling out those cruel (but apt) words that had likewise pierced her heart.
Finally, it was done.
Aysel stood before her mirror once more, smiling grimly at the slightly bloody words over her heart. "Ice Queen...." she whispered, tracing them lightly and letting out a sound that was half laugh and half sob as she traced the letters. A constant reminder by her own hands, of what she could never escape. A permanent red flag, of sorts, to remind her of her faults...and to tell her to try harder. To be emotionless, untouchable...frozen, in her world void of warmth. After all, who could love one so cold?
(( Image coming. ))
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Posted: Fri Mar 16, 2007 7:57 pm
Raelyn  MagneBoots Equips to: Aysel's Outer Right and Outer Left Boot slots. Aquired: In the Teacher's Lounge, a Lucky Clover Event Prize. Reason: For being the first student to accurately answer what Gold is. And remember... This may not be used within the school hallways, and may only be used in the classrooms when classes are not in session, in the Flora Gardens and in the Arena. If it is used improperly, it will be confiscated!
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Posted: Sun Aug 26, 2007 1:44 pm
Rhetoric Tutoring "Hello, Professora Melonia.." Aysel greeted in return, bobbing her head politely. "Ah..I was wondering. I hadn't yet Awoken for your class, and I was hoping that perhaps I could make it up through private tutoring, if you have some time." "You bet!" Melonia beamed. "You need a little catch up for Rhetoric, eh?" Melonia flexed her fingers and spread her hands wide. "Get ready for some hands-on learning!" "I do." Aysel nodded, offering her a smile in return, but blinked at the Professora's hands-on comment. What sort of class -was- Rhetoric, anyway? "Alright.." she murmured, setting her bag down and reaching for some note-taking materials. "Now, What precisely did you want to start with? Mudras, Chakras or Channeling?" "I don't know very much about any of them.." Aysel admitted sheepishly ducking her head. "Which would be the most logical place to start...?" "Well all three are pretty much interconnected... How about we start with Chakras, the root of it all." Nodding, Aysel poised her pen above her paper, and then scrawled the word 'chakras.' Then, she blinked expectantly up at Melonia. "Alright. Chakras..the root of all? What does that mean..?" "Essence is our source of energy for magic, yes? The Chakras are where the essence stores itself in our bodies. There are seven Chakra: Root, Sacral, Solar Plexus, Heart, Voice, Mind's Eye and Crown. EAch governs the use of essence in different ways." "Where are each of these..?" Aysel asked curiously, after she finished copying all this down. "I mean..if I had to guess, I'd say that root would be near the feet...heart..at the heart..and voice at the throat. The different Chakras all utilize Essence, though focusing Essence through specific centres in the body make it easier to apply to specific things. Focussing Essence through your throat Chakra, for instance enables you to infuse your communication skills. Does that make a bit more sense? Generally focusing your Essence through a chakra not beneficial to the task you're attempting wearies you, btu does not lend any beneficial effects to the task at hand. To continue to do so would tire you out, exhausting your ability to manipulate your chakras until you rest sufficiently." Melonia winked. "But don't worry, it won't cause you to spontaneously explode." Aysel giggled, grinning sheepishly as she imagined her own head popping like a squeezed grape from using the wrong Chakra. "That's a good thing! I don't think I'd like that very much at all. Being tired preferable, I think, when that's the other choice..But explosions aside, -how- exactly do I focus through my Chakras?" Melonia smiled. "Well, it's different for different people, but I think you'd probably be well-inclined to meditation. Have you ever tried to meditate before?" Blinking curiously, she shook her head. No, no...she hadn't personally tried it. "Meditation...? Isn't that..the clearing of the mind? The temporary disposal of self?" Melonia nodded slowly. "Specifically it is the act of clearing the mind and centreing the soul, and thereby reaching inner peace." Melonia shifted into a lotus position and rested her hands upwards on her knees. "There are other ways of reaching a state in which your Chakras can be reached: guided or personal imagery, artistic states, music, and stone work." Attempting to mirror Melonia, Aysel frowned in concentration. Was this right? "Artistic states?" She asked softly, thinking of the comfort she took from discovering others through commiting their likenesses to paper. "How do I know when I...reach inner peace?" Melonia lowered her chin to her chest and exhaled deeply, a smile curling her muzzle. "Artistic states can be achieved by some who gets sucked into their painting or writing or crafting and lose sense of themselves. When you find a state that allows you to clear your mind of worries, fears and distraction, you reach a state of calm that allows you to connect with your chakras. It's usually easier to attain this state through calm as opposed to effort or force." Calm. When was the last time she had truly had any measure of that? Ages ago, it seemed...back when the snow was falling, and her heart urged her to create, and connect...before doubt had begun to cloud all she did. "I think I understand.." she murmured, nodding. "But...you said it was usually easier through calm, instead of force...-can- you use force?" Melonia shook her head. "You might be able to clear your mind with force, by focussing so intently on clearing it that all else is shut out, but it prevents the Chakras from flowing freely and can potentially block them. Blocking energy in your chakras can cause illness and imbalance. I don't recommend it." Nodding slowly, Aysel then realized that she hadn't taken notes in quite some time, and hurridly jotted a couple things down. "Why would anybody use force, then..?"
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Posted: Thu Sep 06, 2007 8:16 pm
A token sought Location: the Flora Gardens Those Present: Aysel, Yambati Starts: Here. Outcomes: -Positive impression of Yambati and the intent to speak with him again - Calla lily seed; planted (is now being cared for)
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Posted: Mon Nov 05, 2007 8:54 pm
Bardane  What could it mean?A small fragment of parchment caught under the grill in the main common room's hearth. It cast such a pretty flickering shadow across the carpet with the flames above on the logs dancing so warmly. This fragment alone fluttered down under the grill to escape being burned. This piece alone you find. There seems to be the remains of a letter on it... I wonder who wrote it? Take to Requiem in the Library
As a token of our Gratitude, please take this
ENCHANTED PARCHMENT
It is a very special piece of parchment. It will remember everything you write upon it, and though the letters will fade and scroll as you need more space, you can ask the parchment questions about things you've written on it before, and it will pull up the answer for you. Very useful for studying and sluething!
May the Essence run strong and the Metatrons guide you.
~Bardane
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Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 6:17 pm
An Apology Location: Library Those Present: Aysel, Astaroth Starts: Below (msn log) Status: FAIL. >_>; Outcomes: -None to speak of. xD RP log Apologies were a difficult task for Aysel, who above all else dispised the flaws and weaknesses that marred her. Therefore, she had not followed her original plan of apologizing to Astaroth directly after the chessmatch, but instead waited until she could do so in privacy. Now, she sought him out, if only to ease the guilt that knawed at her...she had no quarrel with him, had only been acting..but had inadvertantly offended him. But where to find the boy? She knew nothing about him, or nearly nothing. And so, she looked in what she thought were the 'normal' gathering-places for her classmates: the commonroom, the arena, the private rooms (she hadn't known which was his, but had wandered through the halls anyway). Now, she scanned the library, gaze passing over its vast corridors of tomes, it's chairs and couches and tables. Could he be here?
He was indeed in the library, hidden behind a stack of tomes as he studied the subjects he had yet to attend. Astaroth was not a social person and had hidden away in one of the more private sections of the library in the hopes that no one would bother him The Chess Match had been a interesting experience. He'd been allowed the watch the two Three have a battle of wits and had been able to guage his fellow students. Nonetheless, he was a dutiful academic and he'd returned to his studies almost immediately afterwards. A flick of platinum hair and the stretch of silver limbs as he adjusted in his seat were the only indications of his presence as he focused on the task at hand - music. He'd found he had a liking for the classical genre and wanted to find out more... possibly even learn to play the piano that was featured in so many of the pieces he'd encountered. (( And here, I never replied. 8D; FAIL. ))
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Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 8:28 pm
A New Companion Location: Various Those Present: Aysel, Danna, Murmel Starts: Below (msn log) Status: Incomplete. Outcomes: -Aderes:  RP log Ay: Oh, uhm...h'llo, Danna. I just wondered if perhaps I could talk to you for a time, if you're not busy... Danna: I'm not busy at all, what can I do for you? Ay: I was wondering...some time ago, we spoke of creating a hybrid of some sort, with the purpose of.. ::pauses, looking sheepish:: ..uhm, being a comfort to me..a companion. But after that, I don't believe that we said much more on the subject...so I thought perhaps I'd bring it up again. Danna: Ah! I hadn't forgotten. I finished the design and sent it off to Quenda to Incubate, but I suppose I forgot to tell you that. Shall we check to see if it's done yet? Ay: ::smiles happily, nodding:: That would be great! Where does Quenda Incubate them? -How- does Quenda Incubate them? Danna: I believe she and Raelyn share a kiln...or, Crucible. It's between their quarters, if I'm not mistaken... Shall we go look? Ay: Yes, please. You'll have to lead me, though...I don't know at all where either of their quarters are. Danna: That's not a problem at all! I visit Quenda's room often so I can play with Murmel. Come, I'll show you... Ay: ::nods and follows after::Thank you... Murmel-that's Quenda's hybrid, right? Danna: *nods over her shoulder as she walks* Yes, he's an Animus Hybrid, and an absolute darling! Ay: ::hums thoughtfully:: animus..that's animal-based, correct? What is he used for..? Danna: *shakes her head with a smile* No, Fauna is the purely animal kind. Flora is the purely plant-based, and Animus, I believe is Latin for animating energy or life force. Murmel's just a companion, like yours will be. Ay: ::blinks:: Interesting...but what does that mean, in reference to the hybrid? ::laughs softly:: Wonderful. What do you play with him? Danna: Oh, the Animus are what you get when you mix Plant and Animal types. The Animus energy enables the plant Samples to gain sentience on an animal level. Murmel's a good example of that. As for playing with him... He likes to fetch a great deal, and to cuddle up on your lap. He's warm and chubby... Hopefully you'll get to meet him today. Ay: ::grins:: He sounds very sweet..i'd love to meet him. But...if hybrids can be both animal and plant...would they send down roots? Flower? Shed their leaves for winter-time? That could be inconvenient for the animal part or parts of them.. Danna: I think that depends on what types of Plant Samples were used, but for example, Murmel sends out Spores when frightened that can asphyxiate an Empyrean. So, I imagine the others have similar quirks. Ay: Spores..? What sort of spores? And.. could a hybrid send off seeds..and maybe grow plants from them? Danna: *nods thoughtfully* Quenda's said there are some specifically for that purpose. Murmel's spores are fungal, and can grow in the trachea. *touches a hand gingerly to her throat* A little frightening to go that way... Ay: It must be an odd thing...to give off seeds. Imagine if Empyreans did so! How would you like to grow Danna-seeds? ::laughs, than winces, rubbing her own throat:: yikes..indeed. It would be terrible, to go that way... Danna: Danna-seeds...? *remembers the Mandrake's screaming, twisted face being pulled from the earth and shudders* I wouldn't like that at all... Ay: ::frowns curiously at the shudder:: Why not? Danna: Remember the Mandrake? And how unhappy it was to be pulled from the earth? I wouldn't want to have a little me trapped in the soil, twisted and distorted like that. It doesn't seem right. Ay: Oh...::bites lip:: I hadn't thought of it that way...it doesn't seem right, as you said. Danna: *looks up* Oh! here we are! After you~ Ay: ::nods once:: Should I knock..? Danna: you can just go in, there's an antechamber and then we can see Murmel before we knock on the inner doors... Ay: Alright. ::pushes the door open and goes through, looking over her shoulder to make sure that Danna follows her:: Danna: *looks around excitedly, trying to catch sight of Murmel* Ah, there you are, my boy! Ay: ::hangs back a bit, looking Murmel over curiously before going over:: H'llo, Murmel~ Murmel: *trills and burbles, waddling over* Ay: : surprised ffers a hand to him cautiously, crouching down:: Murmel: *sniffs at her hand cautiously, then shoves his dandelion blossom under her hand to force pet himself* Ay: ::giggles delightedly, obliging him and petting, then smiling warmly over at Danna:: He's -adorable-! Danna: Isn't he the sweetest little guy? *pets him also* I love his velvety skin... Ay: ::ruffles his dandelion, nodding enthusiastically:: Yes...he's so soft! I wouldn't have expected him to be. Danna: I think it's the Toadstool skin that makes him all velvety, but I'm not sure... *scritches under his chin* Ay: Toadstools are velvety? ::smiles sheepishly, still petting Murmel:: I don't know much about plants. Danna: I know only a little to help with Hybrid and Golem creation... But I can't Garden. Ay: I can't very well, either...but I -am- growing some flowers right now, as a gift. The Gardener- Yambati, I believe?- was very patient with me, since I had absolutely no idea of what to do. Danna: *smiles in sympathy* I understand completely. I'm not really -into- plants enough to give them the love they require. I'm more interested in Golems. Ay: Nor am I...but it helps, that they're a gift. I can imagine her delight in the flower..and that gives me the will to give the plants enough love. Danna: Ah, I see. That's very kind of you. I've made Golems for friends as gifts, so I understand that sort of devotion. Ay: Kind? I suppose...it's very kind of you to make Golems as gifts...they're quite a bit more complex than flowers. Danna: Well, I don't -make- them, the Incubators do. I just design them, so I wouldn't say it's more complex, merely a different sort of work. Ay: Ahh...I see. Although I made a design for a golem in Art Class, I haven't actually done anything with it. What exactly does the Incubator do? Danna: You basically program the Incubator to pick up on the designs, qualities of the shard, skills and designation you've decided on, and the Incubator draws those elements out of the shard. Ay: Ahh...I suppose the designs have to be very clear, then. Danna: Very. *nods thoughtfully* Ay: If they were sketchy, would the Incubator make the form of the Golem indistinct? Danna: Yes, so if you want that look, you can achieve it. *smiles and nods* Ay: interesting. ::smiles back:: I wish that I'd brought something to take notes with...I'm learning quite a bit! ::laughs:: I wish that I was so knowledgeable about how things such as these work as you are. Danna: *blushes and smiles sheepishly* It's about all I've paid attention to. I haven't paid nearly enough attention to the required course material.
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Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 9:05 pm
Music Tutoring Location: Amphitheatre Those Present: Aysel, Arwen, Nehna Starts: Below (msn log) Status: Incomplete. Outcomes: -Aysel meets Arwen and Nehna -Music class credit made up RP log Aysel quickened her pace as she made her way to the pool, worrying that she was already late. She wasn't sure what to expect in a music class, since she didn't play an instrument, but had brought along her bag anyway, which was now clutched to her chest as she rushed along.Nearly tumbling in her haste to get through the door, Aysel looked around, calling out softly "Professora?" Nehna swam languidly in the pool, her long mertail flicking with grace against the waters. When she saw the girl rush in, she rose up in the water, her long hair nearly transparent against the crystalline pool. "Aysel, my dear..." Nehna called out in liquid tones, raising a hand. It took Aysel a moment to spot the Professora, and when she did, she smiled in delight. Nehna was so cute. She made a mental note to sketch her later, but for now, she rustled about in her bag for a moment, tucking her sketchbook into it before raising a hand in a return-greeting. "Hello!" she called back, smiling sheepishly, "Sorry for the flustered entry.." Nehna smiled sweetly and swam to the edge of the pool, resting her hands along the edge of the stone and resting her chin on her hands. "Not at all, not at all..." Nehna waited for the student to make herself ready before launching into her lesson. Sitting down somewhat awkwardly, Aysel tugged out her note-taking materials, careful not to get them wet. After a bit of shifting about to decide how best to take notes, the Zero set her notes against her knees and thighs, and held her quill at-the-ready. "Thank you..." she murmured. "Now then!" Nehna chirped, sploshing water over the edge of the pool as she bobbed. "Music! A potent and ancient art form. " Nehna smiled dreamily. "The language of troubadours and historians of old alike. At times the very sound of magic!" Art form, sound of magic, Aysel wrote, smiling despite herself at her teacher's enthusiasm. But how could magic have a sound? Frowning for a moment, Aysel thought back to the Lover's Duel, struggling to remember if either of the pair had used music in combat. She thought that maybe Elias had...but she wasn't quite sure. For now, she just nodded, and continued to listen. "Music has emotion, you see, and memory." Nehna explained joyfully. "Each note evokes a stirring in the heart and mind, an instinctual understanding. Because of these fingerprints of sound, it is possible to imprint further meaning in them, as in Bardic Magic." "What do you mean by 'fingerprints of sound'?" Aysel inquired softly, twirling her quill between her fingertips. "How can a sound have memory?" emotion she could understand...both emotion suggested and emotion evoked. But memory? In music? it was a strange concept. "Music is a deeply ingrained part of the collective consciousness. We relate to melodies, sympathize with lyrics, express ourself through genre. The stories music tells are universal, transcending language and time. Without knowing the story, you would fear and cry when listening to The Swan Princess. It is because somewhere in your soul, you remember the tale." Nehna sighed romantically and sloshed again as she flicked her tail. "Because it has that capacity, we can impress our own memories into the tunes of our own composing, and use them as triggers to recall the memory imbued. For example, a specific spell you've mentally associated with a little ditty."
The lithe girl was standing outside of the pool area for a while, debating going near at all. She was still somewhat spellbound by the memory of the concert that seemed like it was a dream; even so, the mandolin that she clutched to her chest was solid proof of existance. With unusual trepidation, Arwen peeked her ruby eyes around, spotting the Professora and a familiar student. Ah, so music was like..a reminder, for magic? Jotting down this idea, Aysel then blinked back over to Nehna. Opening her mouth, she appeared to be about to ask a question, but said question died on her lips as she got the strange sensation that she was being watched. Paranoia? But no, as she peered about, she spotted a classmate...what had her name been? ..Ah, right. "H'llo, Arwen!" she called, remembering the hurried first-impressions of the girl that she'd previously taken note of. Nehna moved her watery gaze from Aysel to Arwen as the pale Melancholic arrived. "Ah, Arwen, how have you been?" Nehna called softly, noting the Mandolin with great delight. Arwen swallowed tightly, her neutral expression firmly intact. "Professora Nehna," she greeted the merwoman with great respect, dipping her head politely. Her wide eyes shifted over to the dark Aysel, her lips quirking briefly in a smile. "Hello," she replied softly, "I'm sorry, I've seen you many times, but I have not received your name." Oh, but Arwen was polite...Aysel smiled in return, standing to offer a hand to her. "I'm called Aysel," she replied, "And I am being tutored in Music, currently. Would you care to join me..?" Already, the girl was carrying an instrument of some sort. Perhaps she'd taken the class previously? Speaking of which...turning to the professora, Aysel blushed a bit and ducked her head sheepishly. "My apologies for the interruption, Professora Nehna." Nehna smiled, watching them. "Not at all, not at all!" Nehna chirped pleasantly. "Would you care to join us, Arwen?" She gestured towards the lute. "Have you found someone to instruct you in the playing of that lovely piece there?" A slender hand released the instrument in her grasp long enough to shake Aysel's own in greeting. "It is nice to meet you formally, Aysel." As the professora addressed her, Arwen dipped into a curtsey. "I have not," she answered quietly, "I was hoping..." She hesitated, looking between the two females. "I would like to join you, if that is acceptable." The girl couldn't bring herself to admit her wild fascination with the Professora's power of song, and how it had never really left her. "A pleasure to meet you as well," Aysel murmured, eyes turning back to the instrument that her fellow student held. She wondered at what it was, and wondered if perhaps she could learn to play it too...with Arwen's permission, of course. The girl was clutching it so tightly that Aysel wasn't sure she'd take kindly to somebody else touching it. "Please do join us," she murmured, glad that Nehna had offered the same...it had been a bit presumptuous, maybe, to ask Arwen to join the lesson without consulting Nehna first. Nehna bobbed in the waters and sloshed in her enthusiasm. "Wonderful! What a perfect opportunity!" Nehna rose up from the pool a little and gestured towards the Mandolin. "This here is an example of this very latent power I had mentioned." She nodded to Aysel and then smiled kindly at Arwen. "Have you attempted to strum it at all?" Nehna asked the latter. The girl moved next to Aysel, carefully kneeling within a fair distance of the Professora. Arwen carefully rested the instrument against her skirted leg, looking at it with a certain restrained fascination. "I've only run my fingers over it," she admitted, "as I was afraid to try anything else without proper knowledge." Those fingers trailed over the neck of the mandolin. "I never got to thank you properly for this, Professora." She inclined her head once more, her curly garnet hair briefly covering her face. "Thank you very much. It has brought me many days of intrigue." Ah, so the instrument had been a gift from Nehna? "It's beautiful," Aysel commented quietly, "but what is it? I fear my knowledge of music is rather..lacking. Would a tune played by an instrument be more potent than one sung, or whistled?" Nehna reached gently for the mandolin. "May I?" She inquired with a soft incline of her head. "Of course!" Arwen exclaimed in surprise, handing the instrument over with the utmost care. It was clear that she was very fond of it, and took immaculate care of it. To Aysel, she smiled a little, offering, "It was the most remarkable surprise I've ever had the pleasure to receive. I only wish to do it justice." Aysel watched quietly, running her fingers over the cover of her sketchbook and smiling slightly. It was obvious to her that Arwen cared greatly for her instrument...perhaps, to her, music was as art was to Aysel. "I'm certain you will." she said simply. Nehna slid up to rest the hump of her merfin on the edge of the pool, the rest of the tail snaking away in the water. She rested the instrument lightly on her scales and strummed, drawing from it a long, beautiful chord. "Ah, tentative, studious, patient..." Nehna murmured, eyes closed as she listened to the chord unfold and fade into the clear space of the Amphitheatre. "Thank you," she murmured to Aysel, feeling a little bashful. It was strange, being in the class with someone else; it was akin to sharing a hidden secret to Arwen, somehow, but she was grateful for the presence as well. As the Professora strummed the instrument, the girl fell silent in awe, caught both in the vibrations of the music and the lilt of Nehna's voice. Aysel felt a bit foolish, as both teacher and classmate seemed to hear something in the chord that she did not..something beautiful. While she did think that the sound itself was lovely, it was just...nothing special to her. Just pleasant noise. "Pretty..." she murmured. Nehna opened her eyes as if drawn back to reality by Aysel's voice. "Oh yeah, quite a lovely piece. An instrument, to answer your question," Nehna smiled to Aysel. "Is not more powerful than a voice, but augments one in ways the voice on its own cannot achieve. For instance, a stringed instrument such as this can achieve the attainment of a full chord - useful in geometries - that only the most skilled of voices could ever hope to achieve." Nehna strummed the instrument again and plucked out a few notes to rise above the echoing chord. "The voice tells the story, the instrument paints the scene..." Arwen nodded, thoughtful. "The Professora held a concert of most remarkable proportions," she said quietly to Aysel. For some reason, it seemed inappropriate to raise her voice in the presence of one whose voice was angelic. "I can't even begin to fathom what lending an instrument to such dulcet tones can do..." Aysel frowned, shifting uncomfortably. She couldn't play[/i[ an instrument. How could she hope to use one to apply to magic? "Geometries?" she asked, shuddering at the memory of the mathematics class. "Such as those that Professor Paxar taught us? How do those relate to...to sound?" "Music is math," Nehna replied softly, returning the instrument to Arwen with care. "Each note weaves a line in space with its vibration. All of its rhythm is composed of time and silence between each beat, each note pulsing for a specific time in a specific place. Very much alike. Bardic Musicians make a great deal of use of geometries." Arwen blinked, taking the instrument with care. "The sound waves act as interference, do they not? At least, as one part of the vast use that music has in magic," she ammended, trying not to sound so ignorant. She remembered her conversation from recently with the man and the two amazing and different instruments. Was Bardic magic much of the same? Aysel frowned despairingly. She didn't understand this at all...and didn't even know what question to ask to re-orient herself. For the time being, she merely wrote down everything that Nehna said, as well as some of what Arwen said..she'd puzzle through it later, and try to understand better what was going on. Nehna nodded, a little surprised that Arwen knew such a specific use of music. "Music is very pervasive. It can reach you before you can realize you out to block out the sound you're hearing. Because of this it works well to send magic over distances. It can be used to induce emotional states - love, anger, physical states - sleep, fear, and to interfere with other sounds or musics that are attempting to take their toll on you." The lithe girl nodded quietly, resting a delicate hand over her chest, remembering how the mere power of song had stirred her in ways she was unfamiliar with. It was a fearsome and respectable power. Arwen carefully withdrew a small notebook from the pouches on her belt, using a ratty and well-loved quill to pen a few notes and observations. "Professora, is this class based on music alone or as a whole?" she inquired. It had just dawned on her that the class could possibly be about the Bardic magics, or include golems like Chrome. "How do they influence emotions thusly..?" Aysel asked worriedly, "wouldn't countering music with music create...dissonance? Chaos? And wouldn't sending magic via music over great distance depend on how...loud the music is? Does music need to be heard, to have an effect?" Nehna smiled and began to fiddle with her hair, wriggling her tail in the water and watching the ripples. "Music needs to be heard to have an effect, yes. Which means that it can also be defended against. So, yes it is limited in how far it can fling its power... But on the other hand, it can also target everyone within a certain radius, like casting a net instead of firing an arrow." Nehna paused wondering if they understood. "So, yes, Arwen, this Class is concerned with any way in which music can be applied. In order to fully use it, one needs to explore the many ways in which it can be used." The neck of the mandolin propped onto the girl's slender shoulder as Arwen put the quill down, brushing dark curls from her face. "It has an area of effect," she said slowly, trying to turn her mind from the general idea of music to the uses that she had never considered. "It can't move to any given distance, but it can cover a large expanse." She glanced over to Aysel, to see if she thought the same or had a different idea on the matter. "Like a net," Aysel repeated, "As the volume increased, so does the area the spell can cover...what about how high or low the note is? Does that have any effect on the spell?" Glancing back at Arwen, Aysel nodded. She had the right idea...or it seemed so, anyway. "And...would those headphones we used while harvesting the mandrakes..would they be useful in blocking musical offenses, then?" 11/25/2007 6:31:04 PM Taro Aut, Chrys Nehna nodded. "The Headphones Empyrean City produces can be used to tune out specific notes, or block out the sound entirely. Each note has its own specialities, regardless of which octave it is performed in. Though, it is believed that higher octaves are more effective on Outsiders, and lower octaves are more effective on Monsters. We've not got sufficient data on that account yet. But it does seem to be promising study." Arwen rubbed the line of her jaw thoughtfully, nodding a little. "And the concert...did that have to do with octaves?" She didn't know how to say what she wanted, and the loss of comprehension to her own feelings was extremely frustrating. "Ah..what exactly -is- an octave?" Aysel asked softly, feeling a bit foolish for not knowing. Both of them used the term so lightly, but she had absolutely no inkling as to what an octave was, although she felt that she probably should know. "Simply put," Nehna began, "An octave is a complete collection of the notes in ascending (or descending) scale. When you finish the collection of notes, you begin again, at the next highest version of the first note, for instance..." And at that, Nehna sang her do-re-mi's. "And...how does pitch play into these factors?" Arwen knew about octaves in the vaguest sense, but she would just as easily confuse pitch and baritone and any other manner of term. "So...there're...eight notes in an octave? I suppose that makes sense." Aysel murmured to herself, "What's the difference between a pitch and a note?" she asked suddenly, blinking. She'd heard them both used, almost interchangeably, but...
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Posted: Fri Aug 01, 2008 6:58 am
Lus
arrow Ambassador
~Recruit Players and Advertising~
Class: 2
Availability: High
Requirements: Stage Zero+. Looking for someone to advertise for Empyreans, recruit talented Role Players and find affiliates.
Mentor: Nolan
Wage: 1 Base Credit for every week an Empyrean Banner/Cert is included in the Player's Rando Sig; 1 Lune for every week an Empyrean Banner/Cert is displayed in the player's sig; 1 Sol for every new individual to post up a Quest or concept in the Quest Thread; 1 Base Credit for every RP post.
After careful review of yer application for th' Ambassador apprenticeship, I have decided that yer perfect fer th' position.
Yer title of Apprenticeship will change t' Career if ya choose t' continue th' job as a Stage One.
Should ya decide that ya'd rather relinquish th' position at that time, or any time before hand, please make a post in th' ABB and repost th' position as shown above.
Until then yer responsible for th' tasks outlined above, n are entitled t' th' wage provided.
If ya have any Questions, ask myself or Nolan fer assistance.
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