Zygaud's Day Off

[Zygaud]

3rd of Winter, 511 AV.

Having only recently arrived to the unfamiliar city called Avanthal shortly before the start of Winter, the tall Jamouraian known as Zygaud hadn't been inclined to explore much just yet. The Spires was certainly not the most warm of places, but this was just ridiculous. He thanked Caiyha for his strong constitution, strong enough to weather these extreme temperatures with naught but a thick cloak and his own fur.

It was the start of a new day, and the light was low. Zygaud was restless, and being so close to the alien civilization unnerved him. He exited the gates of Avanthal and made his way to the forest that skirted the edges of the wondrous frozen city. He wasn't a foolish creature, so he kept close enough to the city to make an easy escape from danger should it be necessary.

After some time, Zygaud came to a clearing. This seemed like an excellent place for him to spend the day. He was young, and full of energy. Enough energy to warrant a day of training himself. He had all the time in the world, not every day needed to be spent seeing new things or meeting new people. The ape-like humanoid needed to hone his abilities, as his mind and body were yet weak.

Zygaud's father had taught him that when possible it was best to start the day with an hour or two of meditation and contemplation. The Jamoura had the unique ability to learn about themselves in past lives through meditation, and though Zygaud had never experienced this ability as of yet, he was eager to learn more about both himself and the world in times gone by. If he was lucky, he would have the rare opportunity to live through famous moments in history.

[Zygaud]

Coming to a stop in the center of the peaceful clearing, Zygaud planted his staff into the snow beside him and removed his long black cloak. He then removed his large backpack and folded the cloak into a neat if somewhat large square, setting them both gently upon the ground just behind his staff. Finally settling down into a relaxed sitting position beside his belongings, he began to enter his meditative state.

Closing his eyes, Zygaud focused first on his breathing. Slowing it down, matching the rhythm of each breathe to the tune of the nature that surrounded him. His body began to relax, and his fur began to switch from the ruddy black of his cloak and take on a grayish hue to match the snow that surrounded him. Soon he was as a snow-covered boulder standing alone in the frigid forest clearing.

His father had taught him a form of meditation that slightly differed from that used by those Jamoura who did not practice the magical arts. An exercize to improve his control over his magical talents whilst at the same time balancing his inner self yet further. Drawing out the Djed from within himself, he sent it carefully throughout his body and attuned it to his breathe and the soothing rhythm of nature itself, so that it flowed through him like a stream without actually leaving his body. This was an excellent method of training to utilize the Flux, as well as a relaxing way to rid one's self of tension and excess energy.

His flow of Djed evened out and became an calm stream that circulated through him, he began to enter the next level of his meditative trance. He envisioned within his mind the stream that flowed through him, putting aside everything else that dwelt upon the active surface of his vast mind. Slowly, he pushed the stream into a sphere within his mind, a carefully crafted orb of Djed that represented his mental image also took shape in his core as the stream was tamed. This circle of energy was constantly moving, as it was not solidified - but rather an ever-shifting mass that continually spiraled inward and grew only to repeat itself. Recycled energy, nothing was wasted.

[Zygaud]

For quite a time he continued this exercize in control, an hour passing in what seemed to him like mere minutes. Feeling the strain become apparent to his mind, he cautiously halted the flow of he Djed within his center and re-distributed it through himself to stabilize for a time. He slowly stood, opening his eyes as he did so and taking in the beauty of the nature before him. He always felt rather... energetic after his period of meditation. Likely due to the gathered energy being so quickly re-introduced to its proper place. Luckily, very little was actually lost.

The massive Jamoura swiftly reached out and pulled his long staff from the clutches of the chilly snow that covered the frozen earth below his feet. Hefting it effortlessly into both hands, he spread out his legs to better his balance and entered a rather crude stance. Since receiving the heirloom from his father, he had neglected to learn how to use it to defend himself. Usually when the need arose for action, it wasn't easily within his reach. He wouldn't allow this to be the case for much longer. Eventually, he would be as swift and efficient with his stick fighting as any master martial artist with their weapon of choice.

He first stepped forward with his left foot and simultaneously thrust out the end of the pole in one powerful motion. This was the first of a few basic attack and defense routines he had concocted in his spare time, he knew at least enough about the basics of martial arts to know that a practiced form of attack, though situational, was much more effective for neutralizing an opponent than a clumsy one. Quickly moving on to the next technique in his clumsy arsenal, he took a step back and lowered his staff into a defensive position, one meant to block horizontal assaults from bladed weapons. Mid-step he trumbled to the ground, landing with something of a boom due to his massive size. He let out an annoyed grunt, he was still ungraceful with his stick fighting, but he would improve.

After about thirty minutes of basic stick fighting techniques, Zygaud decided it would be good to incorporate a small amount of Flux-based training into his regiment. His Djed having been manipulated only recently made it a bit easier for him to draw the energies down into his legs. He knew that the main weakness of being so much more powerful than most creatures was his lack of speed, and so he intended to make up for this by gradually enhancing his ability to move swiftly. He was of course still but a novice in the arts of using the Flux, and he was no fool. He channeled only a very small and continuous stream of Djed to his legs and feet, and resumed his staff-training.

An hour went by as Zygaud trained to better utilize his traveling staff and the magic of Flux as a weapon, one full of many clumsy falls and not a few frustrated grunts and roars that weren't exactly child-friendly in the Jamourian tongue. He had expended a decent amount of energy, but was careful to conserve more. The day was still young, and these had just been the morning routine. The peaceful Jamourian took a few minutes to focus once more on his breathing and compose himself, for the what he would do next would be the most difficult of this day's training.

[Zygaud]

Before finally beginning his next task, he had to ensure that he hadn't expended too much Djed during his stick training, and that he had more to spare for what was to come. Coming down into a sitting position once more, he opened his pack and withdraw a small bundle. Just a small amount of dried meat that he'd been saving for his next day of training. He consumed it slowly, savoring the mild flavor and dry texture of his snack. Confident that his Djed was sufficient to begin with his Shielding practice due to the time spent gauging it and the food consumed to replenish what was lost, he placed the empty bit of cloth that covered his meal back into his pack.

This was Zygaud's favorite part. He loved Shielding, it was one of the most beautiful forms of art in his opinion. His father had been an excellent Shield Mage, and the shields the old Jamourian had woven were akin to beautiful paintings to the younger Zygaud. The excited Jamourian sent a flow of Djed into the fingers of both hands. He began tracing his thick appendages across the surface of his staff, weaving the Djed into a thin and uneven coating with time. The first coat of energy having been placed, he studied it for a moment. It was rather uneven, and had a small hole or two in it. He certainly needed the practice he was getting.

With rather dramatic motions of his hands and fingers, he continued to build upon the base of the shield he had created to cover his staff. Working on filling in the gaps that he had left at first, and tightening the weave so that it wasn't so pathetically thin. It was slow work, but nobody was more patient than a Jamoura. After nearly half an hour, he felt that the current shield surrounding the long stick was sufficient. It could be used to block weak Djed-based attacks... but that was it for the time being. Next he would attempt something that someone of his skill level wasn't easily able to succeed at... imparting a task to his shield.

Focusing intently on the shield he had just created, Zygaud attempted to force it to block out all sight. If he was successful, the length of the staff would become dark and blurry. Someone looking at it would see an unnatural spot of nothingness if all went according to plan. So Zygaud closed his eyes and gathered all his focus to the task at hand. Willing the shield to become un-seeable was no easy job for him, and after nearly an hour of intense focus it was still only very blurry. However, the massive creature was content with this for now. He had wasted too much time, and the tales told by his father had terrified him of the risks of over-giving. Opening his eyes and releasing his focus, he allowed the shield that surrounded his staff to dissipate into the air and join Caiyha in nature.

Zygaud felt somewhat tired now, but he was fairly certain that he hadn't put himself into any danger with his time spent forming the shield. He decided he would put off the rest of his training regiment for the day. He was more taxed than expected, and thought it best that he got to know the layout of the city of Avanthal a bit better since he had only been there a short time. Setting off for the city proper, he smiled to himself. He had done well today. Every small amount of progress counted, and he had as much time to make that progress as he could ever dream of.

[Cheshire]

Character: Zygaud Experience: Meditation +2, Flux +2, Observation +1, Weapon (Staff) +1, Shielding +1 Additional Note: Great job! PM me with concerns.