[University] Professor Stonemiller (mod)

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[University] Professor Stonemiller (mod)

Postby Hadrian on March 29th, 2010, 8:22 pm

2nd Spring, 510 A.V.

This was not the first time Hadrian had waited outside Professor Stonemiller's offices. This was the fourth year of study at the University and Stones, as some of the students affectionately called him behind his back, knew him well after several classes and independent studies. The young wizard would always consider him a mentor, but he would have to be hard pressed with alcohol to ever be so sentimental as to admit it.

In his satchel, he had all that he might need for note-taking, but reagents and the like were usually supplied in the laboratory. While he waited, he opened up a book of obscure glyphs from the library, always trying to keep a wide base of knowledge from which to draw upon. After all Areesa Tallshade had been the foremost magecrafter ever, but had also been an expert alchemist with a vast knowledge of sigils and runology.
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[University] Professor Stonemiller (mod)

Postby Liminal on April 3rd, 2010, 2:39 pm

Professor Stonemiller was notorious for never being in his office unless he had an appointment. A true academic, he preferred the Wright Library to any other spot on the campus, and was usually to be found there. However, this being the first time he was to meet with Hadrian during this term, he did indeed pay this suite a visit. Shortly after Hadrian arrived, the Professor walked in as well.

"Good morning, Hadrian," he said, opening the door and ushering the student in. The office was spartan indeed, with little besides a desk, two chairs, and a single shelf with four books on it.

"Registrar Sanderson tells me that you've decided to go for the Academic Mastership, and that you're ready to do a preliminary project in magecrafting. There are any number of things we can do, as you might imagine, but I wondered if you had any specific projects in mind?"
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[University] Professor Stonemiller (mod)

Postby Hadrian on April 4th, 2010, 11:21 pm

[Well, I hadn't anticipated this. He starts the term at the beginning of Spring, but doesn't meet up with Hrair until the 23rd. So... I will play true to the time since he's taking the magecrafting master class with Stonemiller, or you can fastforward us to the end of March to work specifically with the blood-compass idea. Sorry!]

"Hello, Professor." Hadrian stood up respectfully when Stonemiller arrived, and sat as the professor bade him once they were inside.

He pulled out a sheaf of papers with what looked like engineering schematics, though an engineer or a wizard would be able to see that the designs included nader-canoch and alchemical notation and thus, most likely, were plans for magecrafted items.

One by one, he laid them out for Stonemiller on his desk.

"You know I can't keep coming up with ideas," he said. "I try to copy down notes on whatever comes to me, but whether they prove to be viable, well... I'm trying not to be too purely academic, but come up with the most useful things to spend my time on. Even the University has a bottom line, and I'm not going to be a student forever.

"Oh, here's the plan for that dowsing stone we talked about last term." He laid out another schematic. It would not only find water sources, but with carefully applied reimancy, it would also call the water, which would be helpful for farmers, settlers, and Benshira. "I haven't quite figured out a way for it to be self-sufficient with regard to energy, though. I think I could make it, but someone would have to pour djed into it... and it might be prohibitively expensive.

"What I really need is something that will win me a journeyman fellowship so I can afford to move somewhere and study with a population of wizards not represented here at the University. Broaden my horizons, you know? I don't think I've hit on the exact project yet, but I'm hoping lightning will strike and in the meantime, if you could help me decide which one of these would be the best to work on for the time being..."
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[University] Professor Stonemiller (mod)

Postby Liminal on April 6th, 2010, 4:42 pm

Professor Stonemiller examined the schematics carefully, if quickly. After a lifetime of studying magic, he was able to analyze a diagram nearly in the blink of an eye.

"The dowsing stone is well enough in theory, but it's beyond your ability at the moment -- the power is a particularly difficult issue, and adding the reimancy is almost more dangerous than it's worth. Imagine if you found, say, an underground river -- the backflow might kill you before you were able to throttle down the effects. You know my mantra, Hadrian -- never make it more complicated than is strictly necessary."

He paused. "As for studying elsewhere, I think that's an excellent idea. As Kenabelle Wright once said, 'Perhaps the only real difference between one place and another is the view from the eyes of the people who are standing there.' I can only teach you from my own point of view, after all." The quotation was Professor Stonemiller's personal favorite, and Hadrian would have heard it dozens of times during his studies.

"But at any rate, with an Academic Mastership from the University, you should find the doors open wide to you. I could refer you to a mage in Syliras, or in Lisnar, or even in Sahova if that struck you as interesting. We have a reputation for being careful here, and that carries a good deal of weight."

He shifted a bit in his chair. "You're certainly a bright enough student to win a fellowship. What I'd like you to do, I think, is spend the next days working on a design for a project that could do some real, practical good. Something, as you said, that isn't purely academic. Give yourself time to think it all the way through, and focus yourself on one thing. When you have one good design, bring it back to me, and we'll take it from there."

The professor had in effect returned Hadrian's own question to him, which also was not uncommon. He was more than happy to be helpful, but he wanted to be sure that the student had done all he could before he would step in to assist.
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[University] Professor Stonemiller (mod)

Postby Hadrian on April 6th, 2010, 6:49 pm

"I was thinking more along the lines of Sahova," he said with regard to travel. "That's one of the reasons I focused on anthropology, as well. I want to be able to 'go native' in places a human might not normally be welcomed. Eventually. I should probably learn some battle magics before I go anywhere too dangerous..."

The discussion went on, Hadrian always happy to chatter about things intellectual and academic. But he was going to have to figure something out with regard to his master's project.

***


24th Spring, 510 A.V.

As soon as he was seated for his meeting with Professor Stonemiller, he was speaking as if a dam had broken.

"I have an idea for my project now. Within my skills, immediately usable for a person in need..."

He set the new schematic down, introducing the blood-compass as a project.

"A fisherman in town, his sister was kidnapped recently and he has no way to track her. She is his last remaining relative, so you see... With this quartz sphere -- I already have some merchants on the lookout for a sphere with a suitable rutile -- and do you see how the only necessary reagent is his blood. There. And if it works like I think it ought, he should be able to find her anywhere in Mizahar."

He bit back on the flow of words, letting Stonemiller look over his diagrams and notes. Over the years, he had learned to be clean and precise in his schematics, making them easier to read and easier to follow. And, of course, communicating his plans clearly helped him be more precise in his own thinking.
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[University] Professor Stonemiller (mod)

Postby Liminal on April 12th, 2010, 12:29 am

Professor Stonemiller let his student's enthusiasm wash over him, allowing Hadrian to finish his excited explanation before saying anything. He bent over the diagrams, and then stroked his chin thoughtfully.

"Yes...yes, I think that might work. I don't see anything in these schematics that would compromise the effect. The only cautions I would give are these: if your friend has somehow overlooked another living blood relative, it might point to them instead, and there's only so much precision that one can expect from such a device without several other steps. But yes...yes, I think this would be more than acceptable."

The man nodded to himself. "You're welcome to use lab number four, which should be open. I'll be here if you have any questions, of course. And I'd like you to stop by in ten days, because I'll have some research work for you to do. I have to make sure you earn your keep," he added with a slight chuckle.
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[University] Professor Stonemiller (mod)

Postby Hadrian on April 12th, 2010, 12:58 am

"I don't suppose a man with only one living relative would be terribly upset to find another, but I will be sure he is aware of the risks." He spoke briskly, already plotting things out in his head. "So I will have to talk to him to coordinate his blood donation, and I'll do preparatory work until the 34th, prepare the lab, and... all right. Once I have spoken to Hrair and worked out the kinks in the design, I will let you know of my planned start date. I think the actual process will take ten days, so I'll have to finish your research before then. Or at least come to a place where I can pause without slowing you down.

"That should also leave me plenty of time to write my thesis paper, too."

He counted down his mental list to be sure he wasn't missing anything he needed to communicate to his mentor while he was here. He had no doubt that Stonemiller would dismiss him soon, not wanting to deal with a manic mage apprentice.

"Skurak," he hissed. "This is going to be an interesting term."
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[University] Professor Stonemiller (mod)

Postby Liminal on April 17th, 2010, 4:19 pm

Professor Stonemiller nodded. "Right then. Come back when you have a firm date, and I'll have the necessary materials in place. And I look forward to your assistance with my research."

He inclined his head formally, meaning that unless Hadrian had other questions, he was dismissed. His student had a reasonable plan, and the design seemed to have no dangerous way to fail -- if it didn't work, it wouldn't work, but it wouldn't burn the University down. Better to let him get started.
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[University] Professor Stonemiller (mod)

Postby Hadrian on April 18th, 2010, 6:09 am

FIN
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[University] Professor Stonemiller (mod)

Postby Liminal on April 25th, 2010, 9:45 pm

+1 Magecrafting ^_^
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