Solo Learning New Ways To Use Familiar Things I

Taz learns that Djed use doesn't have to be so structured.

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Syka is a new settlement of primarily humans on the east coast of Falyndar opposite of Riverfall on The Suvan Sea. [Syka Codex]

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Learning New Ways To Use Familiar Things I

Postby Tazrae on April 10th, 2022, 2:48 pm

Timestamp: 40th of Spring, 522 A.V. Cheenga Ruins


Tazrae shifted, having one leg stretched out in front of her and the other folded beneath her rump. She was wedged in the crook of a huge branch, using the trunk of that tree as a backrest while she stared up at the giant humanoid bat that was hanging upside down from a slightly higher branch studying her in an equally curious manner. They were overlooking the valley where the Cheenga Ruins rested.

“You are wearing two legs today instead of four. What changed?” Zethas asked her, blinking his overly large eyes and twitching his large ears back and forth.

“I was born like this. I used to be more this than the other.” She said simply. They’d been gathered here for a while now and it was just now that the words were beginning to pass between them. Zethas was a new friend, one that Tazrae was uncertain of. He was so strange, so alien, and yet from her first visit to the second visit to the third visit… he knew her. He’d never tried to attack, never threatened her, and had never done anything but offer council.

“It’s strange seeing you like this. I’m used to you roaming with the scarlet male and the other three females. You are striking in your darkness. But in this form, there is none of that remaining.” He said simply, flashing a quick peek of his fangs as he smiled. “This feels more… authentic to me.” He observed, studying her as they spoke.

Zethas was an odd creature. The first time they’d spoken, he’d explained that Mizahar wasn’t his original home but he liked it better than where he came from. And on the second visit, when he’d remembered her and greeted her by name, she’d asked him how he knew her and he’d simply told her that the Gods of Mizahar had no power over the likes of him because he came from a place where others held sway.

She’d called his bullshit on that one the first time she’d seen the Akajia marks on him. And he’d simply told her that The Goddess of Night and himself had an understanding. It was an unusual friendship, one that was slowly growing. She appreciated Zethas and his viewpoint on the world. He’d claimed this place as his own, this valley and its ruined sister towers. And he’d told her about what it had looked like before the Valterrian when the towers were still young.

Tazrae still didn’t know how old Zethas was. He marked time differently, or so he said, then in seasons and rotations of orbs around burning stars. Taz didn’t even pretend to understand what he meant by that, but she was drawn to him regardless. It had been a busy morning for her, and one that had spilled work over into the afternoon as well. And when she’d finally agreed to go running with the lounge she was an honorary member of, their path had naturally taken them to the ruins again. The scarlet male was irritated at her that she’d broken off from romping with them and sought Zethas out. But he’d lost interest in the argument the moment she’d changed her four legs for two and climbed into the canopy to find where the Mulgon was taking his rest.

He wasn’t hard to spot, now that she was learning his ways. And the climb up had been nothing to her, not with how often she’d been roaming around the jungle as an Ixam. But she’d come to talk to him about magic today, and she was hoping he had some insight. “Last time we spoke, you said you’d tell me about magic from your world. You said we followed too many rules here and that made our magics limited.” She added, prompting him since sometimes Zethas was vague at best. Though if questioned repeatedly, he’d usually relent and tell her.

“Djed in your world is so structured the way it is trained. In my world it’s vastly different, more freeform, though the techniques work in both places. Would you like to learn more?” Zethas asked.

Tazrae nodded thoughtfully. "Of course." She said with a smile even as the Mulgon dipped his head in agreement.

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Learning New Ways To Use Familiar Things

Postby Tazrae on April 12th, 2022, 3:45 am

That ‘of course’ had lead to about twenty chimes of Zethas outlining how mages in Mizahar had mucked it all up. Humans, he claimed, couldn’t be trusted with the freeform use of djed, so they made rules and structured guidelines on how it could be safely utilized to make up for their own shortfalls. Tazrae honestly couldn’t argue with that, because from an outsider’s perspective that was exactly what was happening. She could see it as clearly as Zethas could and wondered if that was indeed what happened and how disciplines had come to evolve.

“My people take a more hands-on approach to djed. We guide it, build with it, and harness it in ways humans don’t. I can teach you a few simple things and you can expand upon it and find your own pathway to utilize it.” He said gently, then reached out with his hand. Taz reached her own hand out to him, almost instinctually, because the Mulgon looked like he was offering to shake her hand. Instead, when they came within inches of each other, she felt his djed brush her skin and then fuse with her body, linking the two of them.

Tazrae’s eyes widened.

She looked stunned for a moment and almost pulled his hand away. But she didn’t… instead she held it there, waiting for the lesson and what he’d wanted to show her. They never quite touched. Instead, they held their hands, palms flat, hovering inches above one another.

“Your people do not share djed and do not transfer djed from one to another. Mine do. I can, for example, pull a tidbit of your djed from you – the kind that makes your eyes blue – to turn my own that shade. I can pick and choose between your physical and biological traits and make a new person by taking a bit from you, a bit from someone else, and adding them all together. You’d need a living thing to start with, something called a base, but once you have established the base you can take everything out of it you do not want, and put everything into it you desire. This is something my people can do with ease…” He said, maintaining the contact with his djed. Taz slowly came to realize it was like a circular stream of power… his going into her, hers going into him.

“What you are feeling is me making the connection, a circuit of djed, and beginning to explore yours. I don’t think you humans have the ability to read djed like my people do, though it is a trait you could develop over time. Instead, you can keep a firm idea in your mind what traits you like or desire and the djed of that trait will flow into you and become part of the current.” He explained.

“And once it is part of the current, you can leave it in the base and the base will grow from there. Bases can be almost anything, though for you starting with simple things… like plants… might be easiest first.” Zethas said, offering her a toothy grin. He really did have a maw full of teeth.

What Zethas was talking about reminded Tazrae of Morphing, though she got the impression his changes would be more permanent than the temporary alteration of one’s flesh. “Is this leeching?” She asked abruptly, knowing she’d read about a discipline at one time that stole djed and left the person being leeched from weak and sickly.

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"A mark of an open mind is being more committed to your curiosity than your conviction.
The goal of learning is not to shield old views against new facts, but to revise old views with new facts.
Ideas are possibilities to explore, not certainties to defend."


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Learning New Ways To Use Familiar Things

Postby Tazrae on April 12th, 2022, 3:47 am

Zethas shook his head. “No. It would be if I simply took your djed, but we don’t do that in my culture. We don’t take without giving back. We are connected, so what I take from you now you are taking from me. It will allow a whole host of things to happen between us that I can show you as I teach you, but the important thing to remember is that the exchange is always equal.” Zethas replied.

“This takes a lot of visualization and a lot of strong will. I am not sure how well you can adapt because you are the first human I have interacted with in a great while, but if you approach these techniques in the way your culture approaches magic, you might just be able to utilize them for future use.” Zethas said gently.

Taz thought about that for a moment, really pondering what he said and what he was showing her. She withdrew her hand from hovering above his, broke the djed connection, and rubbed her palm again. Then tentatively, she reached out for him, palm flat, and offered him the same connection he offered her moments ago.

Zethas reached out his hand, hovered his flat palm over hers, and without touching they both linked up again. Taz half lidded her eyes as the djed connection resumed and she fed Zethas her djed as he fed her his. “This can be very healing as well. You can pull someone back from overgiving by helping this way too. You humans take on too much and have no mechanism inside your psyche to turn off such flows when too much is happening too fast. My people do.” He admitted to helping Tazrae to see how truly different their people were.

“I can’t believe this is not something taught to all mages.” She said, shaking her head thoughtfully. “There’s so much more to what we know about magic. I sensed there was more, but actually hearing that verified is somewhat… stunning.” She admitted, as she finally properly sat down and folded her legs under her and leaned back against the branch. Taz made herself more comfortable, thinking this was going to be one of those days that she’d be here until the sun set and maybe later.

They were from two different worlds, and those worlds had two different teachings. But there were commonalities between them.

The Djed, for example… it was the same. She could feel it. Zethas had a taste to his, a flavor, that was completely and utterly unique. She decided she’d know it anywhere again, once she’d felt it and held it within her. And she wondered, then, what Alric’s would feel like and if they could share djed, transferring it back and forth. If she could augment Alric’s djed pool, he might just have a chance against their common enemies. Was this something Arcadius knew? Taz hoped to The Gods not. It would give them an incredible advantage if they could hold it close.

Words: 504
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"A mark of an open mind is being more committed to your curiosity than your conviction.
The goal of learning is not to shield old views against new facts, but to revise old views with new facts.
Ideas are possibilities to explore, not certainties to defend."


Garden Beach Syka The Protea Inn

"Listen to the wind, it talks. Listen to the silence, it speaks. Listen to your heart, it knows."
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Tazrae
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Learning New Ways To Use Familiar Things

Postby Tazrae on April 12th, 2022, 3:49 am

“Could I fuel someone else’s spells by giving them my djed?” She asked, her eyes growing wide with the possibility. She wanted to be absolutely certain that she had understood Zethas correctly and was grasping this concept.

Zethas nodded. “Yes, you could. You can link multiple mages, in fact. This is especially true of mages that have worked together closely and know each other well. But it would be dangerous for the ones being drained, especially the weakest. There would have to be much trust of the one getting the djed gifted too… the actual caster of the spell. It’s not only dangerous to have your djed pulled from, but it is also dangerous to have multiple sources of djed being pulled through you. It can cause damage, especially if your body is designed to work with only the amount you house in your well. You can increase their djed pool by the level of your djed pool to power larger spells, but they have to be able to handle the draw and you the current flowing through. The weakest mage in the link will fall first, and if they fall because their djed was drained, it often means death.” Zethas admitted.

“This can work both ways. You can take too much and burn out just as badly as you can if someone takes all your djed or you use too much of it yourself. Once, long ago, you had an organization called The Seven Robes who knew power on a level you have not seen in some time in this world. Some of these mages knew versions of these tactics and used them wisely. One used to live here, in this valley, in fact. Xiesta Rumanti and I were friends. It is how I know so much about human magic. She was human too.” He added, his voice turning sad.

“The Valterrian killed most of the mages that held this knowledge. And as dangerous as it is to humans, this was knowledge was not often written down, so no one has passed this knowledge on save for those who persisted through the cataclysm like myself.” He added, thinking then nodding to Tazrae and offering her another toothy smile.

“You are the first human I have talked to in many turnings of the world. They simply don’t come here, and never one who is alight with djed like you are. You were born to be a mage, probably bred to be one unless I am wrong. Humans have lost the love of magic and fear it. Which is tragic, because it was never the magic that destroyed the world, but the wrath of the Gods.” He added, as Taz shifted and broke the connection from him.

Words: 456
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"A mark of an open mind is being more committed to your curiosity than your conviction.
The goal of learning is not to shield old views against new facts, but to revise old views with new facts.
Ideas are possibilities to explore, not certainties to defend."


Garden Beach Syka The Protea Inn

"Listen to the wind, it talks. Listen to the silence, it speaks. Listen to your heart, it knows."
User avatar
Tazrae
Be savage, not average.
 
Posts: 1335
Words: 1916653
Joined roleplay: May 3rd, 2020, 2:02 pm
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Learning New Ways To Use Familiar Things

Postby Tazrae on April 12th, 2022, 3:57 am

Zethas smiled at her. “When I taste your djed and grant you tastes of mine in return, I get a feel for who you are. You are easily read and I can sense your motivations and your drives. There is an incredible honesty in sharing djed, Tazrae. It gives me confidence in showing you this knowledge. It has been a long time since I have had a student. Many people forget what students bring to us older creatures. You bring freshness, newness, and a sense of wonder we have long lost.” He said with a blink of his huge eyes. Zethas was truly bat-like and she couldn’t help but wonder at the relationship. “Will you let me teach you?” He asked thoughtfully, and Taz was surprised at what she felt in the words; respect.

“It would be an honor, Zethas. I… I have been spending a lot of time with the Ixam to fill my days. It’s hard being with the other humans and having this thing hovering about me. Humans forget who I am when I am out of their sight.” She said thoughtfully. “You don’t happen to know why do you?” She asked, having dared to hope but knowing as well it might be getting her hopes up for no reason.

“Divine.” He said thoughtfully. “Dark divine magic. A curse.” He added. “I said as much before though. I cannot do anything about it. But it will not interfere in our lessons.” He said, smiling at her. “Being here, training magic, will help you a tremendous amount. It will get your mind thinking and turn off the baser animal, I think. Humans can loose themselves quite easily in unfamiliar forms that have unfamiliar sensations. The Ixam, for you I suspect, is especially seductive because you can traverse the jungle easier. Their forms evolved here, where your natural human shape is not so easily adapted.” He added.

It was a good explanation, actually, and one that made a lot of sense for her.

“I need to ask you…” Tazrae started out, unsure how to word the question without it being considered rude or presumptuous. “Is there a cost for this knowledge?” She asked, curious. “In my world, humans buy services like teachings, with coin and favors.” She explained, then added. “Sometimes those favors are not something one wants to do… things contrary to our personalities. And sometimes the cost is too high.” Taz elaborated, not wanting to place her human core values on him, but having to ask anyhow. She didn’t want to blindly agree to something that would result in her indebted to the creature forever.

Zethas shook his head. “Company. That’s my price. I like visiting with people, speaking to others, and it has been a long time since I have had that opportunity.” He said sincerely. “My only price is your time, and I suspect you’ve had a lot of that lately.” Zethas said hopefully.

Taz nodded. “Then I’d be glad to learn. I just hope you can help me learn in the parameters I am used to being human… in the form of a discipline.” Zethas nodded.

“Of course. It will be the best and safest way for you to learn.” He added. “And we’ve already laid the groundwork. Now… what…. what thing do you want to learn how to manipulate, to combine… to feed djed to and take djed from?” He asked, needing someplace to start and a direction from her.

Tazrae thought a moment, her mind stretching out to the possibilities as she looked all around her. There was a sea of green everywhere. The color made up a tapestry of tones and hues as the plant life filled the jungle around her. “There’s such an abundance of plants here. How about we work on Flora?” She asked, studying his inverted face to see his reaction.

Zethas nodded. “An abundance of Flora. That is a good name for what you will develop under my guidance. Florabundance.” He said, flashing teeth and smiling at her

Words: 672
Image
"A mark of an open mind is being more committed to your curiosity than your conviction.
The goal of learning is not to shield old views against new facts, but to revise old views with new facts.
Ideas are possibilities to explore, not certainties to defend."


Garden Beach Syka The Protea Inn

"Listen to the wind, it talks. Listen to the silence, it speaks. Listen to your heart, it knows."
User avatar
Tazrae
Be savage, not average.
 
Posts: 1335
Words: 1916653
Joined roleplay: May 3rd, 2020, 2:02 pm
Location: Syka
Race: Human
Character sheet
Storyteller secrets
Journal
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Medals: 5
Mizahar Grader (1) Overlored (1)
One Thousand Posts! (1) One Million Words! (1)
Syka Seasonal Challenge (1)

Learning New Ways To Use Familiar Things I

Postby Tazrae on November 13th, 2022, 12:57 pm

Grading


Tazrae -

Arcanology +5, Florabundance +5, History +2, Logic +2, Linkage +5

Zethas: Asks the Hard Questions, Zethas: Thinks Shes Striking In Her Darkness, Zethas: Gods Have No Power Over Him/Comes From A Place Others Held Sway, Zethas: Wears Akajia Marks, Zethas: Marks Time Differently, Arcanology: Djed Structured In Mizahar, Arcanology: Structured Djed Made For Limited Djed, Arcanology: Magic Structured For Humans To Make Up For Their Shortfalls, Mulgon: Guide Djed, Build With It, Harness It In Ways Humans Don’t. Mulgons: Share And Transfer Djed, Mulgon: Can Borrow Djed And Borrow Traits aka Blue Eyes, Florabundance: Need A Base To Start With, Bases: Take Everything Out Of It You Do Not Want, Put Everythying Into It You Desire, Linkage: Djed Current – One Going Out One Coming In, Arcanology: Reading Djed, Bases: Can Be Anything, But Simple Things Like Plants Better, Linkage: Is Not Leeching, Linkage: Taking While Giving, Linkage: Exchange Always Equal, Linkage: Making The Connection, Linkage: Can Be Healing/Countering Overgiving, Linkage: Works With Multiple Mages, Linkage: Dangerous To Have Your Djed Pulled, Linkage: Dangerous To Have Multiple Source Of Djed Pulled Through You, Linkage: Weakest Mage Will Fall First – Death, Linkage: You Can Take Too Much and Burn Out Much Like Being Leeched, Magic: Humans Fear It Now/Lost Love Of It, Magic: Never Destroyed The World – Wrath Of the Gods Did, Djed: Tasting Djed Can Sense Motivations And Drives/Gives You A Taste Of The Owner, Zethas: Will Teach Her, Zethas: Says Her Curse Is Divine In Origin, Magic: Turns Off Her Baser Instincts/Humans Go Feral Too Fast, Zethas: Company Is His Price, Florabundance: The Manipulation Of The Djed Of Flora, Zethas: Offworlder Mulgon.
Image
"A mark of an open mind is being more committed to your curiosity than your conviction.
The goal of learning is not to shield old views against new facts, but to revise old views with new facts.
Ideas are possibilities to explore, not certainties to defend."


Garden Beach Syka The Protea Inn

"Listen to the wind, it talks. Listen to the silence, it speaks. Listen to your heart, it knows."
User avatar
Tazrae
Be savage, not average.
 
Posts: 1335
Words: 1916653
Joined roleplay: May 3rd, 2020, 2:02 pm
Location: Syka
Race: Human
Character sheet
Storyteller secrets
Journal
Plotnotes
Medals: 5
Mizahar Grader (1) Overlored (1)
One Thousand Posts! (1) One Million Words! (1)
Syka Seasonal Challenge (1)


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