[The Bharani Library, Summer 10th] Projectionist's Welcome

by **Leshi** on July 30th, 2018, 5:37 pm

Date: The 10th of Summer.

Leshi grinned as he flung open the door to his home, and flung off the final overhang, leaping into the city streets below his doorstep. Running in his adorably arm-centric fashion, Leshi was a sight to behold as he dipped and dove through the winding streets of Lhevit, excitedly running towards his new favorite library, book in hand. The book, stemming from his own bookshelf, was a massive compendium, almost larger than his arm, causing him to stumble slightly as he walked, only compounding how odd his jogging pattern was. He was surprisingly thin for a gorilla, however, which was an extra boost to just how absurd he looked as he dashed. It did not surprise him when a few people laughed and pointed as he ran, but he just smiled and awkwardly waved back, half-stumbling as he did. Why did he care what they thought? They didn't matter. Only books mattered. However, he knew it was worth it, as he could just find a nice, cozy, quiet nook in the spectacular library to read it.

As soon as he entered the building, however, his manner became composed again. He was back to his stoic, poised self. He loved reading, and vigorously acted upon that desire, whether racing to begin it early, or entering the intense focus he always took while reading. His concentration was astounding, allowing him to plow through countless books every day. He was back to his specialties, namely Projection Magic and any form of Philtering. He needed to keep preparing for his new job, after all.

As such, he took the book he had brought from his home bookcase, as well as a few he fished off the shelves, and began studiously pouring over new recipes and how to make them as efficiently as possible. Unfortunately, he forgot to sit down first in his lust to consume more words off the page, and ran smack into an unfortunate, yet peculiar girl, his almost 9-foot, 250-pound body slamming hard into her. "My goodness, good madame, I am so terribly sorry." He stooped down, checking on her, to make sure she was alright.

by **Savis Maren** on July 30th, 2018, 6:33 pm

Savis Maren was at peace in the library. Though the Nuit's voice was well into ruin, she found solace in the fact that she needn't speak to gather the information she required. There was a deep, boiling jealousy within the Nuit as she traversed the city of Lhavit, the luminous glow of the Ethaefal in her sight pulling the ugliness from her soul. The emotion often did not translate into expression and her gait showed none of the zealous persona that dwelled within. She might even seem mortal, were it not for her pallid countenance and the heavy bags beneath her eyes. Her entrance into the facility went relatively unnoticed, save for the steep aroma of perfume that the Nuit freely dabbed along the breadth of her corpse shell. Her step was eager as she set her fingers upon the shelves of the library. She traced title after title before at last she discovered a title with a familiar name on it. Gears and Gizmos: Principles of Gadgeteering - written by Benjamin Lucis. Based on the yellowing on the edges and the wear on the binding, the book seemed old and Savis figured that the author was related to Edward. The gadgeteer was on the Nuit's mind quite often, a fascination for his craft created once she'd brought a toy of his to life.

The servant Sil was seldom used, in truth, its inability to stand on its own or move its arms at the shoulder making it quite useless. However, she wasn't disappointed with her creation. There was rage in her heart for other reasons. As she opened the tome she began to engross herself in the Foreword on the second page. A particular note in the third paragraph caught her attention and she read it multiple times.

The true power of Gadgeteering is harnessed through gears, rotating machines evolved from the screw with teeth or cogs meshing together to transform force in complex ways.

She thought to memorize the lesson before there were footsteps in the distance. Savis sought to pay them no mind, figuring that someone was searching for a book. She realized, too late, that the steps grew closer. The Nuit was slammed into the shelf of the library before collapsing to the floor. She did not react to the Jamoura's statement, a fury building within the Nuit. She hurriedly reached into her rucksack. Within the bag there were bandages and salts that she searched for immediately. In her stare was the visage of death as she looked up for a moment. The ape that checked on her was met with a brief hiss before she checked her body for visible wounds. On her forearm, she noticed a gash that oozed silver ichor. The fluid did not move from the spot, for there was no pressure to pour more out of the cut. Quickly, Savis Maren poured the salts into the open wound. Following their placement, she reached into her bag and produced a vial of formaldehyde and coated the salts with them. She continued, brandishing the bandage and placing a proper seal around the gash. Later on, at home, she'd need to attempt to stitch it shut fully with needles left in her surgery kit.

Satisfied that her wound was properly sealed and there were no other wounds on her body, she drew to her full height. She was petite and gaunt, nothing to the stature of the Jamoura but from her lips poured fire. Her voice, often gravely and slow, was chipped and hoarse. She was clearly losing her voice.

"Oh, you most certainly should be. Apologies be damned, a... thing of your stature need watch their step!"

by **Leshi** on July 31st, 2018, 3:47 pm

Leshi shuddered as he saw the woman scold her. The voice, the body, the instant bleeding. There was nothing natural about her, and that terrified him most of all. The Spires told him that there would be things about the world that defied its natural laws, and he even, depending on perspective, harnessed some of that unnatural essence in his own techniques. But this? It was something entirely else.

He had expected a calm, quiet trip to the library, and this was not going to be one, as he could already tell. He had to steel his nerves to avoid panicking, and let his doctor reflexes set in, hoping they would be enough to mask his disdain for what seemed a being from beyond death. Ma'am, I am trained in herbalism, philtering, and medicine, I may be able to help y-"

He watched in awe as the woman, with a speed that reflected an expertise he likely lacked, quickly bandaged up her wounds. He was slightly surprised that she had gotten so many cuts...perhaps she was frailer than the average human, or he had hit her harder than he expected. Due to his underweight nature, he could only hope that she did not receive a concussion, as she certainly seemed to not be in the mood for a concussion test as her eyes glowered menacingly at him.

And then she began breathing her verbal fire, as Leshi physically recoiled slightly at the harshness of her words. However, he remained positive, since he knew that a rage spasm at this point would likely get him thrown out of the library. Besides, she did have a point, although it wasn't like she was not wrapped in a book at the time of collision.

"Madame, I'll do so in the future. I was just so wrapped up in this book about Philtering that I completely neglected to see where I was going. Say, you seem like the...medicinal type? I think we could get some good work done in all our fields by working together. Especially if you happen to know any magic. I would love to discuss Projection Magic specifically, but I am not opposed to learning other forms of magic. Or philtering. If you know anything about philtering, I'll need it for my new job. Everyone is just so much better than me at it!"

Leshi smiled pleasantly, chuckling a bit as he rubbed one of his massive arms behind his head, sheepishly, and accidentally took a few books with it as they toppled onto the floor. As he looked at what dropped, gingerly scooping it up and glancing around to make sure no librarians saw, he looked at an oddly, yet conveniently misplaced book: Introduction to Medicine. "Say, did you put this here? I know this is not the section where this should go." Leshi held up the book, puzzled, and secretly hoping to make some amends by sharing a bit of his knowledge, and learning a tad in return as well.

by **Savis Maren** on July 31st, 2018, 8:08 pm

Savis Maren was neither learned in medicine or an expert in much of anything. She knew of the human body and the transformation it underwent through decay. Her nature as Nuit cautioned her against wound and injury and she was furious to find that her arm was split at the forearm. The cuts merely abrasions, but the gash in their center was a place for bacteria to cling fiercely to her corpse shell. She'd sealed the cut to the best of her ability but her solution was temporary at best. More than likely, she'd need to stitch the wound and take bells in doing so to ensure proper stitching. The Nuit did not often injure herself, her exposure to the discipline of Projection making it easy to keep at a distance from most scenarios that might injure her. Caution, more than anything, was her salvation and clearly, the malnourished ape-man did not exercise it.

She'd pointedly ignored his request for help. If the Jamoura didn't know of her kind by now she wasn't going to take the time to educate him. The Nuit's pallid expression was contorted with anger, but she kept her calm in the middle of the library. Instead, she listened to him speak about his interests and seek to inquire about her own.

No, I do not take to medicine, she thought in a rage as she inspected her bandages. She decided to be on the safe side and raise another roll of bandages to her flesh. The stench of formaldehyde steeped into the air as she doused a layer with the substance. She'd dress the bandages with preservation salts in tow before setting it against her skin. A third and fourth layer wrapped over her arm and it was only then that she truly processed what Leshi had said.

"I do not engage in medicine. My insights will not help you in that regard. However, the practice of magic is a study I treasure enough to suffer the presence of an ungraceful oaf such as yourself." She spoke plainly, with no intention of withholding her displeasure at the circumstances of their meeting. She groaned as she watched the Jamoura raise his arm over his head. Books flew out of the shelves in masses and the Nuit stepped back before she gestured to the nearest table.

"The Seekers will be after you if you continue to make a mess out of this place. I suggest you clean after yourself, then you can join me. I too practice Projection and might benefit from your insights. Given time, perhaps you might come to learn of my true passions."

The Nuit did not linger after speaking, nor did she bend to assist Leshi in the picking up of books. However, she did pick up the tome the ape described and carry it off with her. She quickly set forth towards the nearest empty table. She spread out the book she'd collected as well as Leshi's addition. Subsequently, she placed her rucksack on the seat next to her and produced from the sack her notebook and painting kit. The sleek black brush was dipped into the dark ink as she opened the notebook to a blank page. It was a slow effort to paint the sigils on the surface. Carefully she measured the width of the sheet and divided it by two, tearing it through the middle and ripping the sheet as a whole out of the notebook.

Pechi. was inscribed upon the first, while the other read in the ancient tongue, Hea. In her minimal experience with Glyphing, she came to pair these words with the different processes of Projection. The Nuit formed a barrier around each of the word-foci, creating small circles on each sheet of paper. At the edges of each circle-barrier, she implanted a trigger. Fraying lines emerged from the circle and upon each one, she wrote the word djed.