[2015-10-20 23:43:13] <Nemi> Cait is sittin in her library, doing her thing. Her thing today, of course, being staring at the rolls of scrolls she's been busily trying to translate. It's a pain to hand-scribe /everything/. There's something she should be doing, better, she's sure..
[2015-10-20 23:44:16] <Talonair> Cait, as you work you feel something odd, almost like something probing at your mind. It's odd, it feels like something is asking permission to enter?
[2015-10-20 23:45:47] <Nemi> A familiar thing. Cait sets her scrolls aside with care, placing them back in her cases, and invites the presence in.
[2015-10-20 23:47:35] <Talonair> The library fades from view, everything dissipating into a dark void. Everything is still for a moment, before shapes rapidly coalesce, the figure of the Bleeding King appearing before you, and you find yourself in what appears to be a massive library composed of glass, ceramic and aged wood
[2015-10-20 23:49:50] <Nemi> ".. I like the visuals," Cait has to admit to the figure. If she still has a chair to sit in, there she remains. Her and her fuzzy sweater and wooly scarf and general chilliness. "It's time, then?"
[2015-10-20 23:51:02] <Talonair> Yes, there is a chair. A rather comfortable, plush arm chair. "If you have no objections, then yes, I intend for us to begin."
[2015-10-20 23:52:18] * DiePotato is now known as Potatogeist
[2015-10-20 23:57:17] <Nemi> Cait nods, slowly. "Yes. I'm ready." The alternative was, of course, translating Hebrew to decipher command words for a golem. Dreary stuff.
[2015-10-20 23:58:54] <Talonair> "Excellent! Before we begin, I have two things to cover. The first, I have devised a plan to allow for me to aid the Foundation against our common foe without showing my hand too obviously, and the second, I believe you have discovered some interesting… Artifacts as of late from the Grieving Court."
[2015-10-21 00:03:28] <Nemi> Cait nods! "Would it be using me as a relay? And.. Yes, weapons, fragments, and remains. So they /are/ using undead warriors, that much is pretty sure."
[2015-10-21 00:05:01] <Talonair> "No, not a conduit, but I will get to that in a moment. And yes, the Grieving Court practices necromancy." Something approaching distaste colours his voice for a moment. "What have you learnt from the shards?"
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[2015-10-21 00:14:16] <Nemi> "That they use ceramic much like the other courts, that their equipment is Teutonic-styled, and erm, that they have really nauseating colour schemes?"
[2015-10-21 00:17:19] <Talonair> "Did you not study the shards closely?"
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[2015-10-21 00:20:01] <Nemi> "They were covered in a runic script?"
[2015-10-21 00:20:57] <Talonair> "Ahh. Any were you able to determine anything about the script?"
[2015-10-21 00:22:47] <Nemi> "It looked like a runic script, like old Germanic runes..? I'm not entirely sure what they meant."
[2015-10-21 00:24:04] <Talonair> "But you have some idea?"
[2015-10-21 00:27:52] <Nemi> "Oh, the functionality? Yes! They both bound the anima to the construct /and/, well, limited the power that could flow through it. I was tempted to say 'modulated' or 'controlled' it, that might be more accurate.."
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[2015-10-21 00:29:21] <Talonair> He claps twice. "Very good Cait! Very good indeed. Yes, there exist power limiters on the ceramic entities. The reason why is a topic for a later discussion, but I am curious as to your thoughts on why they might be there."
[2015-10-21 00:35:55] <Nemi> "My immediate thought.. To prevent them from getting out of control, like the rogue damaged Knight my team encountered a while ago. That, or to, well, modulate the power flows to ensure the entity remains bound and operating properly. A stability thing?"
[2015-10-21 00:37:40] <Talonair> "Interesting thoughts." He is silent for a moment, before clapping his hands together. "Now, the first topic I mentioned, and the beginning of your education." What looks like a blackboard appears beside him
[2015-10-21 00:40:07] <Nemi> Cait folds her hands and rests the min her lap. She tries not to slouch.
[2015-10-21 00:42:05] <Talonair> "As you may have determined for yourself, each Court has a different 'flavour' of magic. This is due to the immediate source of each Court's magic; the ruling King."
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[2015-10-21 00:48:03] <Talonair> "Each Court's magic is influenced, and ultimately granted, by the King. Or Queen, depending on which happens to be more powerful at the time. For instance, the Bleeding Court has a heavy focus on blood magic, the Grieving Court on necromancy, and the Laughing Court on telepathy."
[2015-10-21 00:48:49] <Nemi> "Right— telepathy? I thought that'd be more mental enchantments, rather than communication with the mind.." Cait looks distant for a moment, almost /through/ the King.
[2015-10-21 00:49:55] <Talonair> "Well, mental assaults and bolstering would fall under the definition of telepathy. You've already experienced one such assault, the Screaming Rook."
[2015-10-21 00:55:42] <Nemi> "Right, the mental shockwave.."
[2015-10-21 00:58:59] <Talonair> He nods. "A powerful, if crude, application of the art. Now, the ruler of each Court is aware of when their particular flavour of magic is used, and each King may grant power to even 'mundane' individuals."
[2015-10-21 01:00:32] <Nemi> "The masked cultists known as Janissaries."
[2015-10-21 01:02:22] <Talonair> "Yes. And the Grieving Court's Teutons, and my Zhànshì. Very few of them were gifted individuals when they were granted Court magics."
[2015-10-21 01:04:24] <Nemi> "Like Taylor. He needed a scroll to do much of anything. Most of the others were the same way."
[2015-10-21 01:06:25] <Talonair> "The scrolls and grimoires used by them are less focuses for their magic and more unfamiliarity with the invocations."
[2015-10-21 01:07:22] <Nemi> "So they're infused with the gift, but need the scrolls to, well, enact the formulas to actually get an effect off."
[2015-10-21 01:09:36] <Talonair> "Yes. Similar to how an actor refers to their script for a rehersal. They have the ability, just not the knowledge yet."
[2015-10-21 01:11:45] <Nemi> "I see! So presumably, with time and training, they'd be able to do it.. without the scripts."
[2015-10-21 01:13:49] <Talonair> "Exactly. If you encounter a human follower of a Court that does not carry a scroll, or a grimoire, or anything containing their invocations, they are either a powerful mage in their own right, or a reckless and overconfident fool. Both are dangerous in their own ways."
[2015-10-21 01:14:26] <Nemi> "If you're reckless, you can overchannel.. And if you're powerful, well, you're dangerous for that. Okay."
[2015-10-21 01:15:59] <Talonair> "Indeed. So, this brings me to my plan. Since at present it is not acceptable for my forces to be present, instead, for the duration of our alliance against the Laughing Court, I can grant the Foundation access to my Court's magic."
[2015-10-21 01:18:30] <Nemi> "And how will that work?" Cait's curious. She wishes the King had a proper face to look at.
[2015-10-21 01:19:36] <Talonair> Probably one of the advantages of having a ceramic mask for a face; your poker face is unmatchable. "Simple. Time to bolster your reputation as a truely skilled mage."
[2015-10-21 01:21:30] <Nemi> Now that is an exciting prospect. Cait perks up in the comfy seat, sitting up a little straighter. Not that it does much good, since she's still tiny compared to the King, but she does it anyway.
[2015-10-21 01:23:11] <Talonair> "You, my young apprentice, will study the magic of my Court. As part of this process, you will learn how to inscribe the spells and incantations in a variety of forms onto pre-prepared materials. To put it simply, you will create magical artifacts for your team to use in the fight agains the Laughing Court."
[2015-10-21 01:24:53] <Nemi> Cait nods and bites her lower lip. She's grinning nonetheless. This sounds like an /interesting/ procedure to go through. She's ready.
[2015-10-21 01:26:59] <Talonair> "We shall begin with a simple spell, one you are familiar with." The blackboard slides to one side, a wall with bullseye targets appearing
[2015-10-21 01:27:29] <Talonair> He raises a hand, and a swarm of terracota blades wreathed in blood appears around his hand, before flying at the target
[2015-10-21 01:29:06] <Nemi> Cait nods. That's that basic attack spell she's very familiar with, including with the bloody take on it she used.
[2015-10-21 01:31:21] <Talonair> "Xiělínlín de dāo. Bloody knives. A very simple, yet effective attack. A skilled enough user can cause the blood to ignite upon injuring a foe. /Very/ skilled users can even drain the anima of their target via this attack."
[2015-10-21 01:33:26] <Nemi> "Oooo. Vicious. I like it."
[2015-10-21 01:35:07] <Talonair> "I thought you might." A desk with a scroll appears before Cait, containing a simple spell. "This is the written form of the spell in question. Learn it well."
[2015-10-21 01:35:57] <Nemi> Cait reaches to take the scroll with care, touching it with light fingers about the edges, far from the script. She nods. "And then I can duplicate it?"
[2015-10-21 01:37:25] <Talonair> "When you are satisfied with your understanding of the spell, materials to transcribe it will be made available to you. Simply use /this/ spell." Another scroll appears, with what looks like a translocation spell. "And the materials will arrive at your location."
[2015-10-21 01:39:24] <Nemi> "Alright. I'll get to it!"
[2015-10-21 01:39:51] <Talonair> He nods, gesturing to the wall with targets. "Feel free to practice here."
[2015-10-21 01:41:12] <Nemi> Cait nods and rises from the chair. She'll be here a while, studying the scroll, committing it to memory, practicing. Casting from the scroll first, then from memory, and so on.
[2015-10-21 01:41:37] <Talonair> Roll academics Cait, spec applies
[2015-10-21 01:42:58] <Nemi> 4df+9
[2015-10-21 01:44:24] <Talonair> You make excellent progress, the Bleeding King watching silently. Within a very short period of time you are able to cast the spell reliably and with consistent results
[2015-10-21 01:44:55] <Nemi> Bloody daggers perforate the targets by the dozen.
[2015-10-21 01:45:01] <Nemi> Cait is looking proud of herself.
[2015-10-21 01:45:30] <Talonair> The Bleeding King nods to her if she looks his way, clearly approving
[2015-10-21 01:47:07] <Nemi> She does look that way. "I like it! It's like a refinement of— er, codification, I guess, of what I already know how to do!"
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[2015-10-21 01:49:04] <Talonair> "Indeed. As I said upon our first contact, you are exceptionally powerful, but untrained. With enough training, I am confident that you may become one of the most powerful blood mages your world has ever seen."
[2015-10-21 01:54:15] <Nemi> Cait beams. High praise, and even if it's just something the King is saying that she might better serve him, a little praise goes a long way. "Thank you! I will do my best!"
[2015-10-21 01:54:48] <Talonair> "I'm sure you will. Do you feel you have memorised it enough to return to the waking world?"
[2015-10-21 01:55:23] <Nemi> "I think so… I'll get working on scrolls right away. Er. Once I memorize that translocation, anyway."
[2015-10-21 01:58:26] <Talonair> He nods. "Take your time. You are dreaming, after all. Time flows faster when you dream."
[2015-10-21 02:00:46] <Nemi> ".. I fell asleep, didn't I?" Cait laughs a little, weakly, and goes to study the second scroll. May as well. ".. And, um, thank you. For the like, tutoring."
[2015-10-21 02:01:21] <Talonair> "It is my pleasure."
[2015-10-21 02:02:11] <Talonair> "Do you require anything else?"
[2015-10-21 02:03:06] <Nemi> "Not this moment, I don't think.. I'll be ready the next time you call on me!"
[2015-10-21 02:03:48] <Talonair> He inclines his head in a nod. "I will leave you to it then. Do not hestitate to call on me."
[2015-10-21 02:09:38] <Nemi> "Thank you! I will!"
Courts 101