Off to see the Wizard

[Snaeha Datura]

Off to see the wizard
29th Summer, 514. The Meadows Public House. Eighteenth bell.

"Are you Rutreg?"

The human male Snaeha had addressed lowered is book and gave her an even gaze. Though his eyes did not roam from her face, Snaeha got the impression that he was weighing her entire personality up, considering whether or not she was worth any more of his time.

Apparently she wasn't: Rutreg pulled in a great sigh between his teeth and raised his book back off the table. "I don't have any more this evening, but you are more than welcome to come by tomorrow."

What a peculiar man, Snaeha thought as she sat opposite him, accepting an offer that did not exist to join the Wizard. "I'm here to talk to you about magic."

"Not chocolate?" He seemed surprised by this.

"What? No. Why would I come to you for chocolate?" Now it was Snaeha's time to sigh with frustration, and she puffed out a mouthful of air that sent a single red strand of her hair blowing into Rutreg's direction. It caught in the human male's nose and made him snort. "Anyway, I was wondering--"

Rutreg hushed her by raising his right hand. "Do you always approach strangers with demands?" The hand swiped at his face, trying to remove whatever had tickled his nose.

The question caught Snaeha a little by surprise - she had expected some questions, but not one about her social skills. What kind of wizard was this guy? "I-- suppose so, yes." The older gentleman had placed his book back down on the table he was sat at again, but this time he had closed it. Snaeha had seemed to catch his attention one way or another.

Neither of them said anything for a chime - they simply sat there, opposite each other and watching. Finally, Rutreg rubbed his face with his hand tiredly, then spoke. "What is your name?"

It irked Snaeha how the wizard was not simply doing what she wanted - what did it matter who she was, or how she spoke to strangers? Nevertheless, she extended a hand across the table in a formal greeting, "I am Snaeha Datura. You are Rutreg, yes?"

Once again, the wizard seemed entertained by her direct manner. His face cracked into a weary grin and he nodded, "That I am. Rutreg the Alvadian Mage."

Alvadas? Snaeha's intrigued flared at the name of the city. The rumors that had carried word of Rutreg's presence in Kalinor had said nothing of his origins. "You're from Alvadas." This time, it was not a question Snaeha said, but a statement, "Ionu's city."

The Symenestra's interest in the city aroused Rutreg's own. He had not expected to meet a resident of Kalinor who was so obviously enthralled to hear of the God of Illusions, "You admire Ionu?"

"Very much so." Snaeha nodded, all previous annoyances evaporated, "illusions are everywhere, contributing to everything."


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[Snaeha Datura]

Rutreg was rather taken aback by the young Symenestra's statement. Once again, he remained quiet and watched as she spoke, how her lips were dyed with a dark red that complimented her hair -- strange hair, for a Symenestra. She clearly took great care in her appearance, which gave the impression of superficiality, but her wise words suggested otherwise. "I agree whole heartedly. Ionu would be impressed, I'm sure." Snaeha flushed under his compliment, Rutreg was rather pleased to see. "Now, you said you come to see me about... magic?" Her earlier demand had also been an unexpected one.

Snaeha clasped her hands together, to mark the start of business. "Yes. You see, I have some practise in Hypnotism--"

"You do?" Snaeha's honest statement about her prowess in Hypnotism made the Wizard suspicious. Hypnotism allowed a person to hurt and harm, to deceive and trick. Used by the wrong individual, it could result in devastation. Although the young woman in front of him did not seem the kind to use her ability - whatever her skill - for pure evil, Rutreg was not comfortable with continuing their discussion without asking a few questions. "How did you learn about hypnosis -- and why?" His words were spoken in a fair natured tone, though the way he leant back in his seat would indicate to Snaeha that he had no plans to further their conversation before she answered.

Fortunately, it was these sort of questions that Snaeha had expected, and she did not mind explaining herself. "Hypnosis creates an illusion, however small and simple. A person can tell another 'trust me, this is the right thing to do' and the --" she could find no other word to better describe the individual who would be hypnotised in her imagine scenario, though her choice of word did not pain herself in a favourable light, "--victim will be under the illusion that what the hypnotist has said is true."

Rutreg did not seem convinced, "and it is the ability to trick others that attracted you to learn Hypnosis?"

"No!" Her answer was a little too quick, too desperate. Snaeha paused, composed herself, and continued, "no. I first read about Hypnosis when I read about Ionu. I was amazed that someone normal, someone like me, could learn a type of magic that allowed them to carry out the work of a God, without needing to be favoured by them with a gnosis." She licked her lips, aware that she had not yet answered his question, not properly. But she did not want to be dismissed by the greying Wizard in front of her based on an inaccurate assumption. She deserved to say her piece. "So I read more, and more. And eventually, I decided that it was something I wanted to learn to do, to work in Ionu's domain. I learnt a lot about the uses of Hypnotism, and about Ionu, and--" now her gaze dropped to the table, almost humiliated, "I spend a lot of time looking in the mirror. One day, I was -- doing my makeup, and I realised I had been staring at my reflection for an entire bell." Even for Snaeha, who thoroughly enjoyed looking at her own pretty reflection, it seemed impossible to simply sit staring at oneself for a whole bell. "You must understand, even I haven't stared at myself for so long. And -- I don't know, suddenly doing my makeup seemed silly, unimportant." From her voice, it would be obvious to the Wizard just how challenging such a mind-set had been for the vain Symenestra, "fortunately, I stopped thinking that because make-up is wonderful." Her final sentence was full of relief; a life without make-up would surely not be worth living.

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[Snaeha Datura]

Bemusement crossed Rutreg's expression once again. "Oh, I couldn't agree more." It was not uncommon for individuals to unlock the ability to hypnotise whilst staring at their own reflection, but for this young woman, doing just that had formed part of her daily life. Whilst others found it difficult to concentrate on their reflections, for Snaeha it was her own form of meditation. If it works for her, who am I to judge?

"So.. you see, I didn't learn hypnosis for any evil, or manic reason. I don't really want to hurt anybody." Snaeha finished, placing her hands on the table as if to reveal her cards in a poker match. She had exposed her skills, and her reasons behind them. There was nothing else she could say in her defence "But there's only so much I can learn from books. Wizards - especially one from Alvadas of all places - are not common in Kalinor."

Something about Snaeha's desperation to explain herself and persistence that she was not evil made Rutreg want to trust her. Her tale was too narcissistic to be anything else but true. "So you jumped at the opportunity to meet with me?" The woman had barely given the Wizard two days to settle in, though Rutreg had had plenty of visits since his arrival, all for chocolate.

Snaeha nodded. "I would have come earlier, but I had work."

Ah, a job! Employment always gave Rutreg a good indication of someone's personality: what a person did for a living would tell him what services they though were worth time and money, as well as what other skills a person may posses. "Where do you work?"

How is this related to magic? Snaeha thought, resisting the urge to roll her eyes before answering, "I am a midwife at the Place of purging, though my patients are also newborns and infants."

In any other city, a career in medicine would be admirable, indicating a selfless individual who simply wanted to help others. In Kalinor, however, working with children and pregnant women meant the death of countless surrogates as well as the birth of countless babies.

And, if Rutreg had been any other individual, he would have perhaps been appalled at his acquaintance’s job, and struggled to continue their discussion knowing that her work contributed for the death of innocent women. But he had not come to Kalinor blind, and Rutreg knew that if he was to stay in the underground city for any length of time, he needed to accept the Symenestra way of life and survival. "Admirable work.," was all he said on the matter.

Once again, silence fell upon their table. Snaeha shifted under Rutreg's endless gaze, unsure whether it was her turn to speak or not. She had come to The Meadows full of enthusiasm and confidence, but whenever the Wizard set his eyes upon her, her self-confidence fizzled away.

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[Snaeha Datura]

Whereas Rutreg seemed more than content to simply sit quietly and watch her, Snaeha was restless. Her mind grappled for a clever question to ask, to really impress the Wizard. When none came, she decided that saying anything was better than saying nothing. "How have you found Kalinor so far?"

He ignored the question, as if he already knew that she did not truly care for his answer. "So. Hypnosis. Is that all you came to see me for?"

How did he know?

Snaeha gave a guilty grin. "Well... not exactly..." She twirled a finger in her dark red locks and pursed her lips. If Rutreg had been any other man, she would have fluttered her eyelashes, squeezed together her (small) breasts and flirted her way to what she wanted, "I am also interested in--"

"Morphing?" A smug grin pulled at the older man's lips as Snaeha's eyebrows shot up in surprise at the accuracy of his guess.

"How--?

Rutreg tapped a finger to temple, "I am an excellent guesser." He allowed his words to hang in the air for a tick, then he chuckled and wafted his own joke away, "I practise Auristics, too. As you were speaking, I could sense your excitement and eagerness to learn. You are clearly very passionate."

Her enthusiasm was obviously not news to Snaeha, though the idea that the man opposite her could read her Aura had certainly flared her attention. Ever the one to worry about her appearance, Snaeha hoped that her Aura did her physical beauty justice. It would be awful luck to have an ugly Aura! "What is my Aura like?"

Rutreg answered almost immediately. "There is a sweet, almost overpowering smell. It is actually quite intoxicating." He closed his eyes, allowing his other senses to truly appreciate the fragrance attached to the Aura in front of him.

Beyond his closed eyelids, Snaeha smiled. "The plant that my family is named after is known for it's sweet scent. That and its poison." She explained.

Clearing his throat, Rutreg opened his eyes. "Yes. Well. That would explain it." How curious!. Though he knew that Symenestra family names came from plants and flowers, Rutreg had not expected this to directly impact upon their Aura. "And, there are splashes of purple, white and red. They swirl together, though quite often the purple absorbs the red."

Snaeha delighted in this slip of news. Purple was her favourite colour to wear (it matched her eyes just splendidly!), and of course the red made her think of the Inartan woman who birthed her.

"But perhaps we should focus back onto the reason you came here." Rutreg shifted in his seat, folded his arms and rested them on the table. "Would I be correct to assume that your desire to learn the art of Morphing comes from the same reasons as your interests in Hypnosis?"

Snaeha nodded.

"I thought as much."

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[Snaeha Datura]

Rutreg nodded certainly. He shifted in his seat once again, this time making sure he was in a comfortable position to get teaching. "Let's start with Hypnosis."

Snaeha nodded, silent.

The Wizard smiled, mentally gathering the necessary tools to impart his wisdom to this eager young student. "Now, given what you previously said to me, I appreciate that you are aware of the fact that illusions form a great part of everything around us." He paused, and when Snaeha nodded her head again, he continued, "and of course, individuals are not exempt from this. Every person you meet, you and I included, has created an illusion of himself or herself. This might be something simple - like the very make-up you care so much about - to something incredibly complicated - like an entire lie someone makes for themselves to portray a life completely different to their own." His hands came alive as he spoke, gesturing animatedly to the left and right to emphasise his points. He interlocked his fingers together, and shook both hands up and down tightly, "they hide their weaknesses, simply as a matter of survival in this hard world."

Yes. Snaeha found herself agreeing whole-heartedly with what Rutreg was saying. She was a confident woman, well aware of her beauty, but the idea of exposing her naked body and face, without make-up or clothes, frightened Snaeha. It would be a difficult thing for her to be so bare, so unprotected. Her beauty was her guard; her flirtatiousness was her cavalry and her sarcastic wit was Snaeha's final line of defence. Without them, she was nobody. A face lost in the crowd.

"Hypnotists recognise this fact, and they try to slip through the gaps in a person's metaphorical armour. This is why that many people, particularly those with strong, righteous morals, will look down upon anyone who practises Hypnosis. They assume that the Hypnotist will simply exploit someone's weaknesses and fears." Rutreg had received similar criticisms himself, and as a younger Wizard he had taken pride in being skilled in such a controversial type of magic. Only age and experience had taught him that boasting about being able to toy with a person's greatest fear was a perfect example of youthful ignorance. "But that is not to say that the work of Hypnosis can only be negative. It does not take much to Hypnotise most people, but it takes great skill - and great self-restraint - to do so with minimal harm. Subtley and control is key."

Snaeha had read as much in her many books, but hearing it from an actual Wizard shed a whole new light on what it meant to Hypnotise someone. She had never allowed herself to consider her own flaws and weaknesses (after all, who enjoyed thinking about such matters?) in regards to Hypnosis; it was an uncomfortable thought that, if the shoe was on the other foot, someone could manipulate her own fears.

Rutreg noticed her discomfort, and he chuckled. "Do you see now why I asked why you had learnt about Hypnosis?"

"Of course." Her voice was quiet, almost self-conscious. Initially, she had been offended at his questions, but now she completely understood why they had had to be asked.

"Good. Now, of course Hypnotists do not automatically know what a person's weaknesses are, it is just that most people have them. Saying that, you are very likely to come across at least one individual who seems simply impossible to influence."

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[Snaeha Datura]

Of course Snaeha knew that people varied hugely, even more so beyond the cavern safety of Kalinor. But the idea that there were types of people who simply could not be steered, could not influenced, was strange to her. "Do such people not have weaknesses?" It seemed impossible.

Rutreg shook his head, "unlikely. Everyone has at least a shadow of worry about themself, but some individuals are too headstrong, ignorant, or proud to even consider that somebody else could manipulate them." It was simply a fact that all Hypnotists would have to accept, the redheaded Symenestra in front of him being no exception. "That is why you should always know at least a little about your target. A simple conversation--" He began speaking in two strange voices to mimic a short exchange, "'Hi, how're you?', 'oh good thanks'..." The strange wizard regained his usual voice, "-- will give you a good enough indication as to whether the individual to whom you're speaking is the sort to completely reject any hypnosis. If so, I strongly suggest you move on. Certain people will be a waste of your time and energy, but others will not be."

It was not in Snaeha's nature to give in so easily, and her lips curled upwards in distaste at the mere idea. Rutreg noticed, and he frowned. "If you try and force it, you will Overgive. As a beginner, you're quite likely to suffer a mild case of Overgiving at some point, in the form of bleeding from your eyes and mouth. But if you push too far, beyond your skill and competence, you can damage your own mind. Greater Wizards than I have done so, and completely destroyed themselves in the process."

Even Snaeha had to admit that losing face to a headstrong individual was the more desirable option that losing her mind. "Understandable." She agreed in a voice that cracked slightly.

Rutreg smiled, pleased that his scare-tactic had worked. "It is important that you learn, Miss Datura." It was, after all, pointless to invest time and energy in teaching a young mind if one was going to skip over the risks associated with the content of the lesson. In order to lighten the low mood that had been cast over their table, Rutreg changed the subject, "how about a drink, before we continue our lesson?"

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[Snaeha Datura]

A drink turned into a full-on meal, for the Wizard.

Snaeha watched Rutreg eat noisily, chomping away at his food (roast pork) and every so often taking a sip of his drink (red wine). The human style of eating disgusted and intrigued Snaeha in equal measure. Rutreg was a particularly messy eater and the Symenestra kept trying to look away, but found herself unable to do so. Chomp, chomp, swallow, chomp, chomp, swallow, sip, sip.

He worked through the meat, vegetables and potato meal quickly, and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand before downing the rest of his wine.

Snaeha managed not to gag.

"That was delicious," Rutreg appreciatively said to the young Symenestra woman who took away his plate. Snaeha met those golden eyes and the two Symenestra shared a look: disgusting creatures really, aren't they?

Rutreg belched, apologised profusely through a smile, and lent forward. Back to business, then!

"Morphing."

A little spark of excitement ignited in Snaeha. Although she had some practise in Hypnosis, she knew close to nothing about Morphing - other than what it was, of course.

The Wizard pulled up the sleeve of his cloak to reveal a gruesome wound that looked like melted, twisted flesh. It coiled right around his bicep and ended midway down his forearm. "I ended the last lesson with a warning, and I shall begin this one in the same way." His finger tapped at his strange skin and he explained. "As a young wizard, I was under the false impression that I could change more of my appearance that I actually could. This was the result."

Snaeha's eyes widened and her mouth went slack. "How? This time, she did not care to try and hide her astonishment. She had not, in all her time as an employer in the Place of Purging, seen anything like the unnatural coil of flesh and skin she was looking at now. "Why is it partly blue?"

To her surprise, Rutreg laughed fondly. "Ah, well. A novice Morpher can only transform part of their body, and preferably into something they are familiar with. I, being the cocky young man I once was, tried to Morph into an Akalak. I did not get any further than changing my arm, because as you can see, this happened." Amused by the Symenestra's intrigue in his injury, Rutreg stretched his arm towards her. "You can touch it. It doesn't hurt. Anymore."

Snaeha obliged the offer, and ran a delicate finger down the length of the Wizard's forearm. The flesh felt taut, like a piece of material close to ripping point, and strangely smooth. There was no hair on the twisted skin, she realised. "Has this happened to you again?"

"Gods, no. No. I learnt after that mistake. Morphing is one of the most effective branches of magic, but it is also one of the most deadly. Hypnosis can destroy your mind, but Morphing can destroy your body."

Sounds like I picked the two safest branches to learn about, then. Snaeha thought in a grumbly voice.

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[Snaeha Datura]

Snaeha was relieved - partly because she did not want the Wizard to have suffered any more gruesome injuries, but also because she did not want him revealing his more questionable body parts.

"The message of this lesson is simple; should you go on to practise Morphing, do not push yourself beyond you capabilities. It is perhaps more important with this branch of Magic than any other." With a swift tug of his sleeve, Rutreg covered his arm once again and ploughed on with his lesson. "Morphing, as with all magic, uses a Wizard's djed, and if one is to - keep up appearances, so to say-" he paused to chuckle at his own wit, "-one's djed will fuel to upkeep the Morphed appearance. Have you ever seen someone Morph before?"

Snaeha shook her head, no. She anticipated what would happen next - Rutreg offered to show her a simple transformation, and she excitedly agreed to the idea.

Unfortunately, she had not planned to be quite so... disturbed by the whole experience. Rutreg planted both hands upon the table, and explained that he would Morph his left arm into one of his 'models': a younger human male. It had sounded simple enough, as Morphing went, but when Snaeha saw the Wizard's skin begin to stretch, his fingers begin to elongate, she felt almost sick.

The fine wrinkles on the back of his hand disappeared, and a cinnamon colour began to swirl and replace Rutreg's own paler skin tone. His nails shortened, now looking bitten and unkempt, and the veins under his skin shrunk downwards, disappearing under a growing layer of muscles. As he pulled his sleeve further and further up his arm, Snaeha's eyes chased the transformation; muscles swelled and skin became taut. The transformation disappeared into Rutreg's cloak, and when she glanced up to his face expectantly, Snaeha was a little disappointed to see the same face as before watching her.

Rutreg laughed. "Sorry, it's still me."

"That was... strange." She said, a little breathlessly. It had been gross, in truth, but also amazing. "Like birth."

Now it was the Wizard's turn to look confused.

"No, I mean..." Snaeha tried to explain the odd thought process, "Birth is a messy, messy time, and not something you particularly want to observe. But the end result is wonderful."

Rutreg laughed heartily. Now he understood! "Yes, I see what you mean."

Now, more than ever, Snaeha was desprate to learn. "How do I begin Morphing?"

.

[Snaeha Datura]

"Ah, now." The Wizard waggled a finger at Snaeha, feigning sternness. "Morphing will be trickier for you to slip into than Hypnosis. You will need to empty your mind, to truly dedicate yourself to the meditation and focus required." Rutreg was well aware that some individuals found such empty headedness challenging, if not impossible. "It will take a long time. That much, I can promise. You will need to empty your mind, separate it from your body." Snaeha pulled a face, and Rutreg smiled patiently, "you will understand when it happens."

What 'it' was, Snaeha could not yet fathom. But she was beginning to admire the strange Wizard, and his seemingly endless amount of knowledge. For a young Symenestra who had never had such a fulfilling conversation about magic before, the visit had been well worth her time. "And... When I realise I can Morph...?" She was still unsure how such a skill progressed.

Rutreg answered in a low, calm voice. If she was to remember anything from their conversation, he wanted Snaeha to remember his warning. "I beg that you are patient. When you first learn, you can perhaps change your hair colour, your face. You will still appear as a Symenestra, just perhaps a different one. As you progress, you will be able to Morph more of your body, but patience will still be necessary. Remember your limits, and respect them."

"Of course." It seemed ludicrous to Snaeha to ever risk her appearance - something that she was so proud of, and took such good care of. But at the same time, she was a proud individual and usually struggled to accept the limits set by others, "I will ensure I do."

They fell silent for the nth time that evening, though this time there was no sense of discomfort or awkwardness to their quietness. Snaeha's curiosity had been satiated, and she had learnt far more than she had expected to. "Perhaps, I could come by to see you again?" She stood form her seat and smiled warmly at her teacher. He was a strange individual, and his means of teaching - all those long looks and pregnant pauses - were odd. But his messages were clear and concise, and he certainly seemed to enjoy socialising with people.

Rutreg nodded, and also stood to see his visitor out. "I would like that, Snaeha Datura."

The two waved their farewells, and Snaeha left the Pub.


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[Neologism]

Skills & Lores

• Negotiation: +1 xp
• Rhetoric: +3 xp
• Observation: +4 xp
• Intelligence: +3 xp

• Hypnotism: A Lesser Illusion
• Make-up is Wonderful
• Wizards Are Not Common in Kalinor
• Hypnotism: Can Be Fended Off By Strong Minds
• Hypnotism: Evaluate Your Subject Before You Engage
• Humans: Repulsive Diners
• Morphing: Novices Can Only Partially Morph Into A Familiar Model
• Overgiving: The Product Of Over-exerting Yourself In Magic
• Hypnotism Can Destroy Your Mind
• Morphing Can Destroy Your Body
• Morphing: Requires A Fair Amount Of Meditation Before You Can Unlock It

Comments

That was wonderful! You already know that you did a good job with it because I didn't interrupt you, earlier. xD I liked how you used the point of view for the NPC, it was definitely interesting how you played him out. Please don't forget to edit your post in the request thread to 'GRADED' (Or just delete it, since there are no posts after you).