Solo [Sanctuary] The Spirit of a Shield Pt. 2

Aoren continues research into Shielding and Spiritism.

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[Sanctuary] The Spirit of a Shield Pt. 2

Postby Aoren on May 23rd, 2015, 11:28 pm

25th of Spring, 515 AV
Mid-Morning

The bland taste of the dough weighed heavy in Aoren’s mouth. He couldn’t say he was overly fond of it but he was beginning to learn how to ignore it. Little by little he felt the chill of soulmist cool the inside of his mouth. Bringing up a hand he spat out the glob of soulmist that he’d created. The otherworldly feel of it still brought memories of his encounters with the dead to mind. The undead. That was the purpose for which the discipline of Spiritism existed, to interact with them. He had yet to experiment with that in any large-scale way. With any luck he would not have to. Aoren’s reasons for touching the magic of Spiritism were purely to protect himself and others from such creatures.

He stood in the isolation lab continuing his studies of how to better fortify the protection that he’d layered over the Sanctuary. While the work of Shielding the external walls had been largely completed it was merely the first step in what Aoren knew would be a long process. The act of protecting an entire complex the size of the Sanctuary was an on-going process that would not soon be completed. For ten days he had worked on an off touching up the Shields he had initially constructed or modifying them as necessary. Across the board they were built to protect the Sanctuary from the destructive powers of djed, their weave enchanted to absorb the magic thrown at them. Only those mages whose power was greater than Aoren’s would be able to surmount the arcane armor he’d crafted over the exterior of the compound. For the moment that was not saying much.

The Seer deposited his base soulmist into a bowl not far out of his reach. Next to it was another bowl within rested the dough that could be converted to soulmist as necessary. He would return to it shortly. Before him stood philtering apparatus, the necessary coils and tools to practice the art of refining materials that he could then purify and convert to potion form. While that was part of the focus of what Aoren wanted to achieve it was only part. He stepped up to a journal picking up his quill dipping it in ink.

My previous attempt at capturing the properties of soulmist by simply weaving it directly into the djed of a Shield proved ineffective. It is my hope that through the process of refining that soulmist via the medium of Philtering, I might be able to isolate those properties and imbue a shield directly from there. Perhaps by augmenting the blood infused into the dough with Glyphing to focus the djed, it might yield a purer substance.

Aoren set down his pen resting it in the crevice between the pages. He had much work to do that morning. Quietly he moved over to where he’d set his assortment of paint brushes along with ordinary black paint. Sifting through the brushes he looked over them until he was comfortable with a smaller brush that would allow him to be more attentive to detail.
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[Sanctuary] The Spirit of a Shield Pt. 2

Postby Aoren on May 23rd, 2015, 11:29 pm

Dipping one of the brushes into some black paint, Aoren set to work on painting a Focus on the center of his right palm. He was quite familiar with the outline of how to draw one but he took his time. He was in no rush and to rush caused room for errors. This was not an experiment he wanted to make errors in. The Focus was completed on his right palm in short order. He was not finished however. Dipping the brush into the paint once more he began detailing lines across his forearm painting runic sigils upon the surface of his skin. The winding pattern slowly took shape as it formed its way toward the center of his palm. The Paths of his Glyph had but a single purpose, to guide the energy he directed into his hand a bit more smoothly that the blood he infused in the rest of his dough might be a bit more concentrated in its potency.

When Aoren had finished the Glyph he examined it searching any breaks in the design. He was mostly pleased with it. Picking up a dagger, the very same dagger that he had been working with through all of his research, Aoren drew upon his djed. He took hold of a magic that was less familiar to him but seemed appropriate to the task of imparting strength into other things.

The Seer opened his mind to the flow of energy that moved through his body. His connection to it, his awareness of it, always drifted along the edges of his consciousness. Now he was tapping directly into it. He pulled upon the idea of strength, the resolute concept of firm immovability, and moved the gift of Flux toward his hand. It was slow going at first. The energy did not want to move as smoothly as some of the other magic that Aoren commanded. Nevertheless, the Glyph that he had painted upon his flesh began to serve its purpose.

The Paths illuminated, he could almost feel the pull of the Focus as it drew his djed toward it. The Flux moved toward it more quickly than it would have through the exertion of Aoren’s will alone. When it had come to rest in his hand, Aoren brought his dagger forward. He did not disturb the skin upon which rested the Focus. That could have yielded unwanted results. Instead he pricked his finger bringing it over the bowl within which rested the dough that had yet to be converted to soulmist.

Squeezing his finger he watched as blood began to drip from the tip. Blood that was laden with concentrated djed. Aoren released his finger and with it the hold he maintained over the Flux. The energy that he’d pulled to his hand began to disperse. The Glyph that he’d painted slowly faded as it did. He felt a dull ache in his wrist. The price of redirecting the flow of energy within his body.
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[Sanctuary] The Spirit of a Shield Pt. 2

Postby Aoren on May 23rd, 2015, 11:30 pm

Aoren rubbed his finger gently, the soothing touch of Rak’keli’s gift washing over it. Without pause he began mixing the concentrated blood into the dough intent on the task at hand. When that was finished he turned to the kiln where the next phase of his experiment would take place. Wood had been placed within the chamber, ready to be lit to heat it to high temperatures. Taking up flint and steel, Aoren set to work on lighting the fire. With a few clicks he showered the tinder that rest at the base of the wood allowing it to catch fire. He could have ignited it with reimancy but the Drykas was still recovering from his journey of awakening the Flux within his body. He did not want to overexert himself despite the rest that he had had between that time and the present.

“Alright, what to do next…”

It was a question he posed more to organize his thoughts than to really figure out what next he wanted to achieve. As he closed the chamber of the kiln, he knew he would have to wait until the fire had heated it to an acceptable level before he could proceed. In the meantime, Aoren took up the dagger that he’d brought with him and set it on the work table. He took a pinch of the dough that he’d kneaded his concentrated blood into placing it into his mouth. Focusing he instilled the desire for the dough to become soulmist into the dough. He pondered the burdens of undeath. He willed the dough to be filled with the touch of the otherworldly. Aoren recalled what the touch of a ghost had felt like and tried to impart that same feeling into the rudimentary soulmist.

In a just under a chime, the cold touch of soulmist permeated his mouth. He spat the soulmist out into his hand observing it closely. He set it down next to the soulmist that he had made prior to his concentrated blood’s addition to the mix. Glancing over to his journal, Aoren grabbed the book as well as his writing materials then looked closely at the two dollops of soulmist in front of him.

Upon first glance there isn’t much difference between the soulmist made with normal blood and blood infused with concentrated djed. However, given closer inspection I note a stronger ethereal glow from the soulmist infused with concentrated blood. It is also slightly cooler to the touch though not by much. At the moment there are no other changes in properties.
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[Sanctuary] The Spirit of a Shield Pt. 2

Postby Aoren on May 23rd, 2015, 11:31 pm

Setting the journal and writing materials aside, Aoren drew upon his djed touching his fingers to the dagger that he’d brought with him. It already had a Shield woven over it, what was left behind during his previous experiment to infuse a Shield with the properties of Soulmist. While the initial experiment had failed, he was still hopeful. Aoren touched the djed to the Shield reinvigorating it to the idea of being susceptible to tasking. He removed his fingers knowing that he would come back to that in but a few moments. Taking up a post against the work table, Aoren rubbed his fingers against his temple. The headaches were still present from his first encounter with Flux. The rough awakening of the power within his body had shocked him. It certainly drove home the face that it was a magic to be treated with discipline and respect.

While he waited for the kiln to continue heating, the Drykas folded his arms across his chest closing his eyes in meditative concentration. He found the island that he made at the center of his being with relative ease. The center of calm in the storm of his thoughts, the powers that coursed through his veins, and the turmoil that surrounded him when it was all out of balance. With a deep intake of breath, Aoren expanded his consciousness tapping into the river of energy that flowed through his body and soul.

The Flux.

What he knew about the magic told him that it was designed for nothing more than enhance his strength, speed and reflexes. Aoren saw more potential in the magic than that. He saw the streams of energy flowing through his body as a means of refining the disciplined balance that he attempted to maintain in all situations. In his mind’s eye he envisioned a river that was flowing angrily down a rocky stream. This raging river was the source of his imbalance. It was the flux of energy that coursed through him. Parts of it were blocked. Parts of that river were slowly diverting themselves back into the normal flow with the rest of his body, slowly. Aoren felt the sluggish pull of his djed. This form of magic was still very foreign to him. It felt as if he were wading through mud with the wind pushing against his every step.

Another deep inhale followed by a steady exhale.

Aoren concentrated on the parts of that river that seemed blocked. He couldn’t be certain. It simply felt unnatural, as if his unbalance, the headaches and nausea that visited him periodically, were stemming from there. He pushed at those areas seeking to direct the Flux of energy within himself back into what he hoped was a smooth flow. He met little success. The hold he maintained on the flow of his energy was slippery at best. He was forced to keep centering himself and extending his consciousness outward back into that stream in search of those tumultuous places within his own body. He sought to break those blockages or calm the raging areas but all he managed to do was poke at them with his mind. Bringing further balance to himself through the manipulation of his own energy it seemed, was beyond his ability at that time.
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[Sanctuary] The Spirit of a Shield Pt. 2

Postby Aoren on May 23rd, 2015, 11:33 pm

Opening his eyes, Aoren regarded the kiln. He exhaled heavily pushing off of the table stepping up to it. Raising a hand he tested the air, feeling for the heat that flowed off of the kiln. Nodding to himself, Aoren grabbed a cured bowl that could withstand the heat of the kiln and transferred the dough to it. Setting it within the kiln he closed the chamber knowing that it would be a few hours before what he wanted was ready. He decided to take that time to clean up some of his utensils.

He worked quietly, organizing the small mess that he’d made, cleaning tools, setting them back in order. He took the additional time that he had to make his way out of the isolation lab and through the Within. His steps brought him out of the underground of the Sanctuary where he began his inspection of the Shields that he’d erected on the exterior of the compound.

Aoren was making a regular habit of inspecting them. He was still not the most gifted of Shielding mages although he wasn’t unskilled in the discipline. With that in mind he wanted to make sure that the tasks he’d woven into the shields were holding up to the wear and tear of the natural environment. While the Shields weren’t designed to keep out anything more than fire as a precaution against widespread destruction, he still wanted to be certain they were sound. He touched his hand to one of the Shields resting over the rear gate to the Sanctuary. He drew upon his djed tapping into the weave of the Shield reviewing it for any potential damage. He added reinforcement to an area that he noticed had become thin in comparison to the rest of the Shield’s weave. Aside from that it seemed the Shield stood strong or at least as strong as Aoren could make it.

Aoren took his time with the inspection eventually making his way to the herb garden. He set himself up next to the pond adopting a meditative pose as he centered himself. With his inspection finished, Aoren set on doing what he could to maintain his inner quiet and balance. He drew his mind inward allowing his consciousness to flow wherever it would neither focusing on trying to block things out nor directing his attention toward a single train of thought. He simply let himself be.

He was not certain how long he rest there in the herb garden, letting his mind drift through a sea of thoughts, but when he opened his eyes Aoren found that he didn’t feel quite as weary as he had before. There was still a pressure in his head that wouldn’t quite go away but it was not as demanding of attention. Rising to his feet, the Drykas Seer made his way back through the Within toward the isolation lab.
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[Sanctuary] The Spirit of a Shield Pt. 2

Postby Aoren on May 23rd, 2015, 11:34 pm

Slipping on a pair of philterer’s gloves, Aoren opened the chamber of the kiln. The wave of heat that billowed outward made him turn his face away for a brief moment. Squinting he reached inside withdrawing the bowl. Within the bowl was an off white powder chalky substance that had once been the dough Aoren had fashioned. He only hoped that what he had in mind would lend more results than his first attempt had.

Setting the bowl down upon a cooling rack, Aoren removed his gloves then turned to the distillation coils. He grabbed an alembic bringing a hand over the top. Concentrating he pushed res outward from the palm of his hand as a liquid filling the glass alembic a quarter of the way. He did not hesitate in transmuting that res to water. Slipping on his gloves once more, Aoren picked up the bowl of the chalky off white powder and poured it into the alembic watching the ashy substance become suspended in the reimantic liquid.

Setting the bowl back on the cooling rack and removing his gloves, Aoren picked up a pipette stirring the base concoction. He stirred until the powder had completed dissolved into the conjured water then set the alembic atop a philtering brazier. Lighting the brazier he affixed charcoal treated cloth over the mouth of the alembic then moved it and the brazier beneath the distillation coil. On the opposite end he set a beaker to await the purified contents.

The process of Philtering was one that Aoren had not visited in quite some time. He was glad that he had not forgotten the basic steps. For several years he had worked as Mistress Sahfri Blackleaf’s apprentice in the apothecary shop of Syliras. It was interesting to him to see how that experience was paying off in the present time. When he’d first begun his journey there learning how to mix poultices, waterproof materials, and mix herbal medicines he’d never imagined that in just a few short years he’d be concocting arcane potions. While he couldn’t say that he would be successful, he was at least trying. That was half the battle. If he learned nothing else during this experiment then he would have learned how to get one step closer to his goal.

In relatively short order the water containing the powdered dough was pushed through the distillation coil and deposited into the beaker that awaited it. When all was finished, Aoren doused the fire under the brazier then picked up the beaker with the purified mixture of reimantic water and rudimentary soulmist within it. The Seer took hold of an empty vial taking a steady breath. Now was the time to test whether or not this whole experiment had been for nothing or if there was more to be gained in this venture. Tipping the beaker to his lips, Aoren drank in some of the contents. He was careful not to swallow as much as he could though the natural urge to do so tickled his throat. The liquid tasted like ash. That was the only way he could describe it.
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[Sanctuary] The Spirit of a Shield Pt. 2

Postby Aoren on May 23rd, 2015, 11:35 pm

As he let the liquid rest in his mouth he went through the motions as he would normal soulmist. He instilled into the fluid the ideas that went along with creating soulmist. The properties that he understood it to have. He thought on the ghostly undead that walked the world. When he’d retained the fluid for a chime or so he spit it into the waiting vial. Aoren observed no outward change in the appearance of the liquid. He wiped his mouth on the back of his hand as he studied it. Chewing on the bottom of his lip, he stepped up to the Shielded dagger.

Reaching out he touched his fingers to the surface priming the Shield to be tasked. Pouring the liquid over the Shield he drew upon his auristics to observe what was taking place on a deeper level. Aoren was beginning to feel slightly weary but pressed onward. He had to focus but within the liquid and in the fabric of the Shield he could once again discern trace amounts of soulmist properties. The djed of the Shield seemed to be slightly more receptive to the addition of the soulmist in liquid form.

He watched as the presence flowed through the shield more evenly than when he’d made the soulmist interact with it in raw form. Still however, the trace pieces of soulmist did not adhere to the djed of the shield for any lengthy amount of time. In relatively short order, the soulmist evaporated dissolving entirely as the shield was unable to retain any of its properties. Aoren set down the vial with a weary sigh as he released his hold on his auristics. He ran both of his hands over his face having met only slightly more success than he had before.

Picking up his journal the Drykas sorcerer dipped his quill into the ink and began writing.

Experiment can be considered mostly unsuccessful. It would appear that distilling the mixed properties of unprimed soulmist yields no greater fluidity between Spiritism and Shielding. As it stands, I would venture a guess that more in-depth familiarity with Spiritism in general is required before this experiment can be even moderately successful. I still believe that the properties of soulmist can be isolated beyond the traditional steps involved in its creation. I just need to find how to do that.

Interesting to note was that the fluid containing the concentrated substance adhered to the djed of the Shield more uniformly. It was only the properties of true soulmist that did not linger. There is perhaps more to explore in that regard. Until then, it can be concluded that more extensive research is necessary. Perhaps there is something to be found in retaining the rudimentary soulmist in powdered form. I will have to look into this.
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[Sanctuary] The Spirit of a Shield Pt. 2

Postby Aoren on May 23rd, 2015, 11:36 pm

Aoren set down his quill pen. He allowed the ink upon the pages to dry as he contemplated how next to approach his continued research. There was something he was missing. The only way he was going to find the answer to the question he posed was to continue exploring the depths of both magics. Aoren set about cleaning up after himself. He tended to the alembic, the beaker and other tools that he’d used. He made sure to put all things back in their proper place before stepping up to the wall immediately behind the kiln.

The isolation lab was a place for extensive experimentation. To that end it could be prone to disasters a bit more extensively than the rest of the sections of the Within. Drawing upon his djed, Aoren touched his hand to the wall behind the kiln spreading it outward as far as he could safely go without overextending himself. He was beginning to feel weak. While he was a Master of Reimancy, Aoren had yet to obtain mastery over several of the disciplines that he commanded. He understood how much that placed him at a disadvantage for research of this particular nature. Nevertheless he pushed the foundation of the Shield out over the interior of the isolation lab.

Philtering could be a volatile practice. Aoren had been in an explosion within a philtering lab before. It was only through quick thinking that he had prevented a fire from spreading out to consume the apothecary shop where he worked. As he wove the Shield over the wall of the lab he instilled in it a distaste for the destructive power of fire. At least on that singular wall. As he worked he also wove into the Shield the potential to absorb djed thrown at it.

Those two tasks finished, he examined the whole of the Shield being certain to pay close attention to the areas where thickness was not consistent with the rest of the weave. With a satisfied nod, Aoren gathered up the materials that he’d brought with him making his way out of the isolation lab. He would return to finish shielding the interior of the lab another day. For the moment, he needed rest. He needed food. The taste of ash still lingered in his mouth.
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[Sanctuary] The Spirit of a Shield Pt. 2

Postby Caesarion on July 21st, 2015, 5:43 pm

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Grades, my darling, grades

Aoren :
Experience
Skill XP Earned
Spiritism 5 XP
Research 5 XP
Shielding 5 XP
Writing 3 XP
Auristics 3 XP
Investigation 3 XP
Philtering 3 XP
Drawing 2 XP
Glyphing 2 XP
Flux 3 XP
Endurance 1 XP
Meditation 2 XP


Lores
Lore Earned
Soulmist, Philtering, Shielding: Isolate, Imbue
Glyphing: Focus, Purify Substance
Soulmist: Regular Blood
Soulmist: Concentrated Blood
Flux: A Balancing Element
Philtering and Soulmist


Loots



Notes :
WTF IS THIS THREAD.


If you have concerns, questions or praise (inmydreams;_;) for your grade, drop me a PM and we'll do a number!
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