Completed Focus Point

Ricky meditates and in turn contemplates how Shielding works.

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Focus Point

Postby Ricky Maze on November 4th, 2014, 10:48 am

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Focus Point
Autumn 32nd 514 AV, 10th Bell
Location: Mirahil Pass

He'd thought long and hard about a few things recently and they mostly reflected on his personal training and how certain talents he had should also be the ones he developed a little more, since he'd practically managed to elude some actual serious training purposes with a magical talent he most definitely found useful, he figured there was no doubt a better time to get started today then to do it with a bit of investigative means behind it. So what was he investigating, or rather pursuing, about Shielding that made led him to decide to focus more on this? The fact he had yet to find any actual uses for it other than protection against magic led him to believe that there had to be more to it, and with the time spent in Syliras after he visited an aurist named Shane, well lets just say he definitely sparked further intrigue into the subject and hence therefore led Ricky to desire further knowledge. And so with a bit of hard work and effort, with a little bit of trial and error Ricky could probably figure out several things about shielding he didn't know before.

Thus he'd decided to come on out to Mirahil Pass today as he intended to keep close within the city limits, while at the same time find a bit of privacy in the overgrowth of trees that grew within the range of the mountains. He had to admit that he rather enjoyed how nature reflected during this time of the season as some of the trees started to lose their discoloration some. What once seemed green seemed yellow and brown mostly but overall nothing really changed just yet, and he still had some decent shrubbery in the reaches of the undergrowth he could use for target practice. Which explained why the longsword he owned had been tied to his leather belt on the way here, granted he didn't really like to carry it around everywhere he went, he still needed it to use in part of his "trial and error" sessions that were soon about to take place. But first he had to expand his ideals on how shielding actually worked, rather than think it was just a simple personal magic that was able to deflect against harmful magics like Reimancy or Leeching even.

He arrived at a spot he deemed well enough suitable for practice purposes and looked to the shrubs and bushes that managed to grow there, as he spent a moment in contemplation on how he was going to approach all of this since he'd felt like he was going out on a whim. If Oi want t' see if me shields can block more dan magic... t'en maybe Oi should try shieldin' a few targets 'afore Oi go slashin' em. He guessed as he stroked his chin, first he spent a little bit more time on how exactly he was to go about doing this. As far as he knew he generated shields by weaving his Djed together in a magical fabric that solidified into one whole form, so maybe if it worked in the same nature as Reimancy generally did then perhaps he could use mind and intention, to create some sort of specific shield suited to block whatever he wanted. No doubt crazy but its a long shot, somet'in Oi'll 'ave t' play wit' until Oi git some real results from. He figured as he moved close to a bush that was half as tall as he was, granted it had a good amount of limbs though it definitely had a thickness to it that in itself could've proven challenge to Ricky.

Oi need t' work on veilin' de bush wit' Djed, then focus on weavin' toget'er a shield. He surmised as he brought his hands up to hover on each side of the bush, both palms directed at the each other as the plant rested in the middle of his zone of focus. He then closed his eyes and allowed himself to relax as he inhaled a long deep breath that followed with a sigh, as he quieted his thoughts and listened to the sounds of the nature around him. The way the breeze caressed the trees, the sounds the birds made throughout the branches, the feel of the cool autumn air chilled his skin, and of course the smell of pine wood and sea salt filled his nostrils as he continued to breath in and out steadily. He started to feel himself more attuned with the environment around him and in turn felt attuned with his own vitality, as the traces of Djed that resided in his spirit soon felt reachable the more he became more aware. Finally his eyes opened to zone in on the bush in front of him, and then tapped into the traces of his Djed as he directed it to flow onward through his arms.

When they reached the output of his hands a faint shimmer from each palm as a royal blue sheen pulsed out and then began to envelop the top of the bush. He controlled his Djed to where it continuously flowed outward as he continued to generate a small area that seemed highlighted with the essence, until at least the top half of the bush seemed to finally be clouded with it more than anything. From there he decided to travel back up from where he stopped, his focus more on honing into the Djed as he started to mold it together thus in turn initiate the weaving process of Shielding. To enhance his focus and dedication to the process he would sweep his hands vertically in counterclockwise motions, as his Djed would respond and in turn cling to the branches and leaves of the bush while he slowly continued to work his way up. He almost forgot that while he'd started to mold this shield together, he had to think of something that he wanted it to specifically block. Now granted he'd managed to bring his sword along, he figured that maybe if he tried to be blunt and forward about it he'd see how effective the idea really was.

So all while he focused on the idea of what his shield would protect against, he continuously thought in his mind at how he wanted it to block his sword which was a physical attack rather than Reimancy which was a magical one. If that seemed too broad then he'd certainly have to give it a second try afterwards, for now though he held that thought in his head as he continued to craft the shield. While certain parts of the trees leaves and branches weren't completely covered the more he worked his way up, the better he seemed to be getting at achieving that really, but that was only because the body of the bush grew smaller and smaller the more he worked his way up. Yet all the same he continued to use all that Djed he'd put out and shaped it into the form of a woven fabric that hardened over the covered places of the bush. After about several chimes of driven dedication he finally felt able to ease into a relaxed state of mind once more, as he took a few steps back to review his work.

The royal blue sheen that blanketed most of the top of the shrub acted as though it were actually part of it, like it were magically a second skin plastered onto it while further on down places were missed in patches. It made him scoff a bit as he felt the like he needed to better that aspect of his ability, but alas he had to remind himself that it would come in due time after he'd gained enough practice and insight. He sighed as he knew it became the time to see if his hypothetical theory would actually work, and if his shield could manage to withstand a direct blow from his own weapon. He took a couple deep breathes as he drew his longsword with ease, the weapon grasped in his right hand as he held in parallel to his own body for a moment. After a moment to consider what possible outcome might happen he predicted that his weapon might either phase through, or might actually manage to get cause a reaction upon impact with the shield.

Considering those where the best two he could think of, he went in for a strike from over the head that would transition into a slightly obtuse angle so the strike would be a bit rounded as the weapon sailed downward towards the bush. From the moment he made contact with the bush to the final result where the blade reached the end of its course, he watched in awe as something he didn't expect to see actually did happen as a result from the attack. When his weapon managed to make contact with the bush, it appeared to simply slice through the shield and in turn continue to cut the target in half, which caused the sheen to instantly crack and break apart as the magic seemed to fade away completely.
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Last edited by Ricky Maze on November 8th, 2014, 3:41 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Focus Point

Postby Ricky Maze on November 4th, 2014, 11:45 pm

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The fact that he'd actually managed to not only put together a shield but actually specified for it to guard against his sword led him to learn a few different things, the first being that his shields are actually capable of guarding more than just magic depending on what it was he wanted to shield against. He remembered the moment where Annalisa used her fire Reimancy to instantly destroy the shield he created around the sheets of papers she had at the University, to test the resistance of it against her own sorcery no doubt as well as be rid of whatever content was on their pages. In that moment though was what Ricky recollected as important, since that day he'd literally watched the shield made on those papers shatter and lose form to the flames. That same reaction practically happened just now when his sword cut into the top of the bush he'd shielded, as the strength behind his sword proved to difficult to bear as it failed to uphold the charge it'd been given.

Nevertheless that proved one thing Ricky wondered for quite a while true, and that was the fact his shields could do more than just block magic. So if that was the case then their limits definitely seemed expanded on now, since he knew just that little detail just now really. Though that didn't mean Shielding could block everything physical to Ricky, at least not just yet since the test with the sword was just the start. He needed more results and the best way to get them was with further testing, this time with something he knew wouldn't be quite as harsh in the damaging the shield. He looked around at his surroundings at that time, his sword sheathed in the process as he contemplated what his next subject of tests would be. Oi dun wanna go punchin' me own shields, dat could be problematic t' de cause fer all Oi know. Indeed it wouldn't do to go about hitting your own shields to see what would happen, he could very well likely wind up with a broken hand or worse if he wasn't careful with his approach.

His eyes fell to the ground as he subconsciously kicked at the rocks and dirt, until he paused for a moment with a bite on his lower lip while he thought about something. Rock is part of the earth, which was an element nonetheless. While it wouldn't be magic due to no practice, he could still use the earth as a part of his theorizing since it could very well lead him to discover more. Make a shield t' protect against earth... den t'row a few rocks t' see what happens. He thought as he assembled the idea in his head altogether, as his eyes fell to the bark of a nearby tree he could use as target practice. Time t' git t' work. With that notion in check he moved closer to the tree, a hand placed on the surface as he closed his eyes. Once more he honed in and managed to tap into the reaches of his Djed as he directed its flow into the point where his hand was. Once his eyes opened he extruded Res from the surface of his palm and fingers on the tree as it spread out in a soft liquidated manner, he generated enough to cover a small but good sized area he'd be able to hit with rocks, and then proceeded to harden the Djed into the same fabric he made earlier as the sheen hardened into a thinly made shield layered against the surface of the tree.

In that whole process he'd kept in mind to repeat the intent "Block Earth" in his head until the process had finished, and then with the shield finalized and fit for further testing he returned back to the spot he stood at just a moment ago, bent down a bit to grab a hand full of rocks and pebbles. alroi, lets see what happens next. He took one pebble in his right hand, while the left held onto the rest of his ammunition, and then pitched that pebble towards the tree. However the hook in his arm caused it to fly farther to the left and therefore missed both targets, as it even missed the chance to tap the tree because it was such a terrible throw. That didn't phase him though, instead he just grabbed another pebble. With his hand resupplied he took a moment to get his aim right, seeing as how that would help him find a bit more accuracy. He needed to throw straighter, elevate his hand a little before he released the rock. With enough contemplation on that done he went in for another throw, his toss still off as the pebbled soared to its target, only descended far too low to actually hit the shield he made. In fact it practically was a couple feet down the tree, which made it all the more aggravating seeing as how this had started taking longer than he wanted it to. Son o' a bitch! Why am Oi so bad at dis?

He felt rather stupid for asking a redundant question, as the answer happened to be so obvious that it actually slapped him in the face for it. How often did he spend his time throwing stones at a petching tree? Not very often if he were to answer it in a sarcastic manner, and if he wanted involve technicalities then practically never was the best choice in words. No matter, Oi'll hit it eventually. He rectified as he threw another pebble, this one too far to the right as it swooshed past the tree like the first one. He growled a bit as he took another one and hurled it without thought, the pebble too high as it was mere inches from the shield. Ye mot'erpetcher! He was quickly low on rocks at this point, but in that moment of spite he threw another one, this time with enough force and aim directed to where it shot directly for the shield. When the pebble hit the shield with a harsh impact, the next reaction amazed Ricky yet at the same time caught him so very off guard. All in a moment of instance the shield glimmered brightly right on contact with the rock, as it reacted with a sudden pulse that forced the rock to ricochet right back in the opposite direction where it came from.

Right when that happened Ricky found no time to even react, as the rock flung back at him so fast that it had already soared right towards his face. All he saw was the pebble and the next instant his eyes screwed shut upon the sudden impact he felt on his forehead, as the pebble clonked him dead on in the center with the same amount of force as he put into the throw. Son o' a- He'd dropped his last few pebbles and covered his forehead in sudden shock, a sudden headache brought on from the pain that radiated from the front of his forehead to the insides of his skull. So that worked out better dan Oi t'ought. He grimaced as he looked at the shield once again, the glow of the sheen gone as it resided where it had been before, almost as though not a damn thing managed to harm it. That leaves an interesin' speculation den. He mused just a little as he continued to rub the spot on his head, he had to massage the soreness out of it even if the spot might appear red for a long while. Shields can block all manner o' t'ings den, one just 'as t' decide on what it is t'ey want it t' block.

He looked down at the rocks once again and thought about trying it from a different angle, rather than throwing one directly at the shield as he did just a moment ago. He knew not to make the same mistake twice, therefore he went ahead and crept a little closer to the shielded spot while standing at the side of the tree. With him at an angled distance he could see if the same reaction as before would occur, and from there conclude what other possibilities might exist with this magic. He took the first pebble and knew it would only be this one he'd needed, since he was close enough to just need a simple toss, and with it flung the piece of earth forward as it soared through the air towards the target. In the moment the rock came into contact with the shield the same instance as before took place, the sheen gleamed for a moment as it sent the pebble elsewhere in a redirected path. Thankfully it was farther away from Ricky instead of redirected back at him, seeing as how the rock came from an angle and not a direct line of fire as before.
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Ricky Maze
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Focus Point

Postby Ricky Maze on November 5th, 2014, 4:18 am

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So far... Ricky's learned that Shielding is mainly a defensive skill in magic, is able to block other magics such as Reimancy, can be generated and controlled in different mannerisms, and finally that shields can block other things as well as reflect them as well. Therefore his experiences with shielding clearly proved that he lacked any real knowledge in the discipline, and only managed to collect what little he did know through the efforts of trial and error. So why did he not decide to step up his game before and learn through this means a bit sooner? There was significant number of reasons that could've been the answer, but clearly the most plain and obvious was because he just didn't find the time in doing it. Now that he did though he couldn't help but wonder how effective it would've been time and time again, had he'd known beforehand that shields could block all manner of things when given the task.

"Makes me feel like a complete fool honestly." He sighed as he watched the shield he created on the tree, a couple of times he took something like a stick and poked at it, only to find that no matter how many times it had been tapped the tip didn't even affect the sheen at all. He even tried and ran his fingers across the surface, but all he felt was the rough surface of the bark, as well as bit of a tingly essence underneath his fingertips since he touched the shield as well. "Nobody else can see a shield when its been generated, but from what Oi know one can feel a little bit o' difference. At least Oi feel it when Oi cast a shield on me skin." He reflected back to the moment where he directed all his Djed to the surface of his skin, as it in turn extruded in a sort of resonating form that he tried to focus into a whole complete weave over the body. That attempt though ended in a quick and sudden failure, as he'd quickly drained himself of Djed within moments, and the shield that he'd created had definitely been one of the worst constructs he'd ever poorly weaved together.

Yet that was because he'd taken all the Djed throughout his entire body, and extruded it into one whole concentrated amount. The end result was something he didn't anticipate to be honest, but all the same it led him to believe that shielding had a lot more unique and diverse uses than he originally believed. Looking at his hands now Ricky wondered if he could pull it off again, manipulate his Djed into a full on focal point to generate a shield around his body. He'd been better off in starting small with the process rather than try and sap himself dry of Djed, otherwise he'd only wear himself out continuously all in the effort to just slowly master the act of a full body weave. Startin' small... de hands 're were its at den. It made much more sense to use hands and arms for defensive measures, granted that they would probably be allowed to block and redirect magic or other projectiles. Doing that with just his arms would definitely give him an upper hand in combat, especially when he could learn how to generate and weave together shields at whim almost like he could with water reimancy. Granted he still had a lot to learn with that particular skill, he had gained quite a bit of insight that felt enough for him to say he was familiarly comfortable with it.

Ricky clenched his hands as he closed his eyes to focus then, a deep intake of air through his nostrils led him to breathe deeply once again, as he honed in to the senses once more and felt the traces of Djed within him correspond with his will. He tapped into those traces and pooled together a small amount of it, enough that would serve for the action he wanted to perform as he prepared to think of some sort of thing his shield could protect against. He didn't need anything specific to block against but he wanted something he could actually put to the test, something simple that he could overlook granted that he probably wouldn't be able to come into contact with said "thing" again until the shield wore off. His Djed reserves reached their destination and clustered within his hands, as he then directed it through an channel that was outputted through both hands. The Djed then radiated out through his hands as he concentrated it into a different form, one that wrapped and folded around the surface of his skin as it wove together in the fabric that molded to form the sheen that encased his hands in a shield. With the large amount of concentration he put into making this happen he felt his head hurt, and with the fact he still had a sore spot on his forehead did not really contribute to the cause.

Still he'd managed to take the time into focusing all the Djed he pulled out into the shield he'd created on the surface of his hands, the intended thing he sought to block being that of the wind itself as he thought he might try to see if that would work. He felt his knees ready to buckle as he started to pant a little, a little worn down from the amount of mental exertion that brought on him in completing the process. He noticed though that while the breeze could be felt on his face, just barely as there was hardly one blowing right now, he felt no indication that such wind wafted through the area around his hands. Frankly all he felt at first happened to be large traces of tingles that took a moment to die down a little, yet when he checked to see if his sense of touch had been affected he found that he could still feel and touch things regularly as he did before. The tree and the earth certainly felt the same way, it was only when he popped a finger in his mouth and held it in the air he finally figured it out, the wind had no effect on his hands now that the shield was there to cover it. Amazed and baffled with this discovery, he then started to imagine what all other possible things he could do. Catching fireballs could be a start, though odds were he'd only deflect them elsewhere instead.

Either way he'd gained quite a huge insight for today, and felt that now was the best time to go ahead and rest. So after a bit more time spent into the collaboration of things he'd learned, he finally turned back towards the city to return back home and do the daily usual things he normally did.
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Ricky Maze
"Bottom's up!"
 
Posts: 2397
Words: 2035002
Joined roleplay: March 30th, 2011, 9:02 pm
Location: Nyka -> Wildlands -> Syliras
Race: Human, Mixed
Character sheet
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Medals: 7
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Focus Point

Postby Perplexity on November 15th, 2014, 3:00 am

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Ricky :
Skills:
  • Meditation | +1
    Shielding | +3
    Research | +2
Lores:
  • Shielding: Tasking Against Earth
    Shielding: Can Perform Different Tasks
    Shielding: Can Be Adapted Over Many Surfaces
    Shielding: Requires Clarity To Weave


Comments :
Just a note, Ricky is not skilled enough to create Shields that would last for any significant amount of time. Be mindful of that. Permanent Shields are only possible upon reaching Competent level otherwise they deteriorate rather quickly because there are just so many underlying issues with them.
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