Personal Preparation

[Thomas Cosa]

"Auristics," he blinked forcefully, hoping very much that vision would begin to clear -- it didn't. Instead, the young mage found his world blurred and oscured, colors muddled awkwardly like an ametur painting.

"Truly? I'd think myself very interesting if someone would risk overgiving for a bit of information," Thomas smiled as sweetly as he could manage, eyes narrowing at the condescension in the nuit's tone. The pulser tried to keep his own expression as friendly as he had imagined himself to be, and even knowing his own meager ability with auristics, Thomas knew that smell -- decay meant death, disease, and rot. People didn't rot; the living didn't rot. He knew the stranger before him wasn't alive, at least, not in the traditional sense. And despite two seasons of working with the undead, and even the secret admiration for the masters of Sahova, Thomas didn't like the nuit; and pretending anything had never been his strong suit.

"Overgiving can mean death in many places, not just Sahova," he mused, "Perhaps we have more experience in discovering the tell-tale signs, but a crazy wizard isn't something most places would bother to tolerate," he sighed, blinking again. She was becoming clearer with the passing time, but Thomas still couldn't make out anything specific -- not that he really cared, he supposed the nuit would be changing her face in a season or two.

"I'm so glad you feel so...humored by the prospect of torture," Thomas said, knowing quite well the difference between saying something and actually experiencing it; he had seen Ialari torture and kill nuit, and Thomas was quite sure she wouldn't be laughing long if the isur got her hands on her. "I think I would much prefer to be killed immediately, kinder in my opinion. Although, depending on who found me first, I suppose I might be tortured," he added thoughtfully, mindlessly clutching his hand over his glove-covered gnosis mark; only a handful of people knew about his gnosis, and less still knew how it worked. If it was information they sought after, Thomas was essentially a bottomless pit.

Thomas swallowed at the nuit's guess at what he worked at, eyes widening as he made the connection. Only one Alchemist knew that he was an animator.

"Master Rayage. How nice of you to remember."

[Rayage]

Rayage smiled, her teeth showing in a full blown grin of excitement and amusement, ”I would hope you wouldn’t forget me,” she said rocking a bit in her chair before leaning forward even more, ”Do I not appear more like you living things now?’ she asked, her voice filled with a certain tinge of vain pride, ”Much easier to blend in among the living, I think.” she nodded, happy to have shown off her new parlor trick.

”The majority of my magical research goes in my head. You would be smart to keep your creations to yourself as well. There are people who would kill for some of my formulas.” she told him, ”Competition has always been stiff, and wizards are always looking for the edge. Don’t you think that it’s unfortunate?” she asked him, her eyes looking Thomas up and down as he sat there, while the Alchemist sat back in her chair and relaxed. Her black hair framing her face, bangs perfectly cut a straight edge.

”I mean, wizards desperate enough to look in the wrong places.” she tried to clarify herself, ”They shouldn’t be looking to other wizards for ‘inspiration,’” When Rayage said the last word it was a clear sarcasm that dripped in her tone, ”instead they should research their own minds. Come up with their original theories and exploits. Stealing other peoples work is a good way to get you killed.” Rayage told him, a grim warning, but where was this coming from? ”Especially in Sahova.” she added.

”Though skill alone will only get you so far,” she sounded a bit depressed about that fact, ”And eventually you are going to have to play the wizard games, the politics. You have to know somebody.”

”This is where you enter, Apprentice Thomas.” She laughed saying his name, and if she were human a tear would be going down her face, such grandeur was the laugh, ”You are not too fond of nuits, yet you remain here. You hate us, but yet you want us for our knowledge. What a conundrum you find yourself in, torn between conflicting emotions…”

”However, it seems that your curiosity won over your hatred. How lucky are we?” The question would remain unanswered, ”You, it would appear, are very lucky.”

”The truth is, I haven’t come here to study or even pass the time,” she frowned, ”I am in the middle of a very important breakthrough. One which will change the way people view Alchemy as a whole. However, I ran into a slight problem.” she confided in him, ”and this problem prevents me from going further than any alchemist ever has.”

”It has caused such a headache that I sought sanctuary in the books. Hence, why I was looking for projection books… Beginning magic theories are so much simpler to grasp than the complexities of Alchemy.” She talked as if Thomas would understand her blight, pausing to see if she had captured his attention or not.

If she did, she would give the boy a polite smile and continue, ”Though seeing you gave me an idea. How would you like to help me with my latest Alchemy experiment?” she asked, ”I personally do not know any animators on this island, but you. So, you will have to do. I know that I can ‘trust’ you.” and do horrible things to you if you betray a masters trust. The truth is, Rayage chose Thomas for the simple fact that she so vastly outranked the wizard, if she makes a fuss about him she was sure that she could see him thrown out of Sahova or worse. Qiao had a lot of stock in her, personally, and she never failed to give him direct results before…

However, if he was loyal to the Alchemist, it could not only help her career, but his standing on the island as well. It was a win-win situation. Though if fruit did not bloom from this creation, then she could easily blame the animator. She could claim that the animation was sub-par and that Thomas’ skill in the art was incompatible with the level of alchemical perfection she could produce. In the end, she could make it so her reputation was not tarnished in failure, and Thomas being a lowly apprentice was powerless to do a thing. Her Alchemy, after all, was molded by the current Chief Alchemist in Sahova.

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[Thomas Cosa]

Thomas listened carefully, mentally dissecting and inspecting the conversation for anything veiled or hidden. The pulser, while he found the idea flattering, was wary of anything offered from any wizard, whether dead, living, or otherwise labeled. He was especially suspicious of anything the master Rayage had to say, considering he was viciously beaten the last time, Avalis only knew what could come of making another deal with the undead she-beast.

Still, it was worth consideration. A master, dead or not, Rayage or not, had offered him some kind of help. Surely, if -- "No, when," he thought wirily, sure of his own ability -- the experiment succeeded, he would be guaranteed some credit. He wouldn't trust the nuit, not ever, but he was positive that the alchemist had no way to pretend his ability with animation.

And even if he could, Thomas would be able to prove he took part in the experiment. He would know how to do it again, and perhaps even reproduce them, if given access to a master's skills and labs.

"[b]I would be more than happy to assist in anything, Master Rayage," he smiled, "And could I ask to the specifics of this experiement?"

[Rayage]

There was a silence between Rays asking for Thomas’ aid and the humans answer. However, it was a favorable one. After all, who wouldn’t want to work with Master Rayage? The woman smiled, and nodded, ”Im glad that I put some faith in you,” she told him. There was nothing better to the nuit in the world than being right, and Ray was right most of the time. Her calculations were brilliant and someday everyone will know her name.

”Of course, we are not daft enough to discuss such topics here, of all places. Let us go to my lab, away from prying eyes and listening ears. They are everywhere in Sahova, believe you me,” she told him. Standing up, she would leave the books on the table, now forgotten. She had acquired what she was looking for, a solution to her problem. This boy gave her hope, hope that she might be right yet.

”Come,” she called to him, turning her back to the boy as she walked off in the direction of the library exit. She would not speak anymore as she navigated the turning corridors of Sahova with relative ease. She had no longer a need for a Follower Golem, for the most part. All the known labs were mapped in her head, and if she needed to explore more, like go to a floor she hadn’t before, then it was as easy as extending the mental diagram of the place. Sahova was built simply enough. It had order, and possessed a logic to it, a logic that was easy to catch on to.

”As you know, the majority of my research is on the alteration and augmentation of life itself.” She told him dryly, starting up a small conversation the closer they got to the lab, ”Throughout my research, experiments, and readings I have never come across a way to alter, to ones desires, a specific layer of the mortal soul. Of course, Alchemy itself alters the soul and djed of a creature, but not quite in the controlled way I envision.”

”The little I know about Animation, is that animators create fake souls. An animator once told me the very basics of the discipline, but I never quite grasped how the creation of the soul worked. This is where you come in, Apprentice Thomas.”

She would let the conversation trail off as she rounded another bend and descended another flight of stairs. They were close enough to her lab, ”I wish to alter a very specific part of the soul using your skills as an Animator. Of course it would be child’s play to make an automata. Sahova does it all the time. No, I don’t want to alter a fake soul, but a living beings soul.” she announced her agenda to Thomas.

The vault-like door to her lab was visible by now and Rayage opened the door, ushered the human in, and then closed it securely behind her. ”Not the entire soul, but a specific part.” she said walking to her desk at the other side of the expansive lab. It was covered with papers and formulas, but there was a sheet laid out that stood out of the clutter at the center of the desk. Taking that she looked at it and her expression changed as if she were about to cry, but not a sad cry, a joyful one, ”I wish to alter the Persona of a living being, and I believe I have figured out a means to do that. As I told you, seeing you gave me an idea. What if we could combine Animation and Alchemy?”

She crossed over and handed Thomas the paper, it outlined a theory on how Alchemy can be used to get a cat to act like a dog. Not that it was anything impressive, but it seemed to be missing a piece of the puzzle. It outlined using dogs souls, but yet the nuit had no way of obtaining or even storing the pure soul of a creature. And it required that the specific dog souls had desirable traits on one side of the circle… There were too many variables to control naturally, and that is what the Alchemist realized. That is why she gave up on the idea… until she saw Thomas.

”In case your Nadar Canoch isn’t too good. The paper outlines a technique of using the souls of creatures to alter the personality of target in the center.” The nuit walked behind Thomas, looking at the paper over his shoulder, and pointing to a crude diagram of an Alchemy circle, ”But in nature there are many variables to keep in mind, random ones which would ruin the experiment to tweak a Persona to act a specific way. Every personality, every soul, is different and unique. There are some similarities, but by and large we are unique.”

The Sahovan Master hoped that she didn’t have to spell everything out to Thomas, and that he could fill in the blanks just like she did. This would be the first test, would he live up to her faith?

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[Thomas Cosa]

"A combination of the two?" Thomas echoed dumbly, trying his best to understand the puzzle before him. Very clearly, the pulser mage could identify a cat and a dog, and participating in the current conversation, he gleamed that he would be modifying one on the other soul's, or something to that effect. Truth be told, while Thomas was confident with his ability in the ancient tongue, the majority of the alchemist's equations were lost on him; so he was glad when Rayage decided to elaborate.

"I understand the ancient tongue well enough," he replied curtly, in heavily accented nader-canoch. It was obvious the she-nuit had touched on a sensitive topic, perhaps an obvious one. Being both a pulser and speaking the de facto language of the Citadel made the animator an easy target for the undead wizards. "So, I think I'm understanding where you're going...," he paused, chewing his lip thoughtfully, "Or at least, why you need me," the animator smiled softly, taking much pleasure from the idea that such a master could ever need him.

"I believe it would easier to replicate the soul of dog, no?" Thomas muttered, stubbornly continuing in nader-canoch. And he would continue to do so unless Rayage specifically requested him not to -- if anything, now would be a time to practice, "Because of..." he paused, struggling to find the word, "the extras. Like the body and the mind. All the physical dog. It needs to be separated from the soul, no? And that's what I do. I separate the body and soul, eh, or I copy the soul," he corrected himself, careful to make the master very aware he wouldn't be able to manipulate the actual soul of the creature. At least, not at his current skill level. "But yes, I copy soul into something. Like, paper, or block of wood. Or maybe glpyh...And then you change the cat to act like the dog?"

"You might even be able to add directives, as well..." He mused, switching back to common. "And then you would be able to influence the actual memories, to control the truly sentient without hypnotism..." his eyes widened at the prospect, "Better than hypnotism. We could change who they really were with this."

"When do we start?"

[Rayage]

Rayage listened silently to the boy as he talked, trying to absorb the information himself and fill in the blanks. Watching the act, for Rayage, was amusing. Humans were always so interesting, so everlastingly interesting. What they lacked in magical experience they made up in tact and quick wit. Sometimes foolish, sometimes dangerous, sometimes deadly, but she was sure that Thomas’ psyche remained intact, untouched by the ravages of personal disciplines of magic. As Wrenmae told her many times, magic corrupts, but as she was quick to remind him, it only corrupts those who fool themselves into believing that they are gods with magic. Any competent magician could compare their soul to a gods and realize that there is something missing, a vital part of their existence, even with mastery over magics, does not equal that of a god. However, they could do what gods could do… It was easy to think that.

The undead wizard shook her head; it was too easy to think that. This technique would give them, her, the power to poorly replicate what happens during reincarnation, the wiping of the soul and the giving of a new personality. Compared to the gods, this technique was vulgar, incomplete, and a mockery. She was well aware of this, but it was a step in the right direction. Even if they, together, could master this technique, make it a science, there was no telling just how far they could go and what they could learn about life and the very soul itself. This was a more than just an experiment to get a cat to act like a dog, but a journey of discovery, one that will take the two of them down a road yet unexplored. This magic will define them, and become something extraordinary! They were but a mockery to the gods, but in the eyes of man, living and dead, they will be gods, mimicking Fate himself!

”Yes, I would like you to copy the dogs soul.” she confirmed with an almost venomous smile, still standing behind the young wizard, ”The same soul, many times over.” she instructed, ”As I said, every soul is different, unique in itself… Which is why using multiple dogs would not work. The information present in the persona would differ, if ever so slightly, based on the experience of each individual beast. So, it has to be one dog. One dog, copied exactly the same, multiple times.” her voice was almost a whisper in his ear.

”After all, we do not want our experiment corrupted by too many variables, right? It is safer to use the same thing over and over, and if we are doing something wrong, then we can surly figure it out.” she nodded, snatching the paper from Thomas’ hands and walking around him quietly to her desk. Placing the paper down with the upmost care she turned and smiled at him, her teeth showing a live brilliant white as compared to the rotting undeath that plagues her being. She hoped that the presence of this magical ring would help Thomas feel more comfortable around her, as she looks more human. Though under the illusion is the rotting corpse that the nuit took.

Her look however soon grew cold and calculating as she took some steps towards Thomas, ”Do you really understand what we are going to try to accomplish, human?” she asked, doubting his understanding of the concept which she had presented to him, ”It is true that we might be able to transfer directives, control beings with the power of our magic, but there is so much more we could do… Animation is mimicking life itself, and Alchemy can give life a chance to live, to exist where, prior, there was none. Animation mimics life, Alchemy gives life… The two were meant to be combined to accomplish mastery over the mimicry of life itself! No.” the nuit hastily corrected herself, ”To BE life itself, no more a mere mimicry, but to create something from the very soul up!”

”So, so much more… The possibilities of the application of this magic are near endless. And you,” she pointed at Thomas, ”you are going to be a part of it!”

”You are the chosen one.”

She let her words sink in with silence, ”If you are ready, come back to this lab in two days time. Preparations are being made.”

”Oh!” her voice rose as if she forgot a point, ”And if you tell a single soul about this you will become one of my personal pet projects.” she smiled turning back towards her desk and taking a seat in the chair there, ”You are dismissed. Do remember to come back. I look forward to working with you, Apprentice Thomas.”

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[Thomas Cosa]

"The chosen one?" Thomas whispered, a smirk curling into his lips comfortably. Surely, the master alchemist was being overly generous with her compliments. Even so, a very small part of Thomas purred with pleasure at the recognition -- while magic hadn't touched him in the same way it did the insane, his arrogance and confidence had been blown up to become an epic sized ego. It didn't take much to convince himself that he was doing Rayage the favor, not the other way around.

"A number of copies can be made, that won't be an issue," Thomas answered confidently, "And as to whether or not I truly understand the project," he began, his eyes flickering down, and the up the master's illusion-casted form. His own magic had marked her cloak, or whatever she wore to keep up the illusion, but even so, it made him more comfortable to be around someone at least pretending to be alive. "I do. The mastery of life itself is something only a master like yourself could ever hope to accomplish, and to be allowed to aid you," he paused, licking his lips greedily at the idea of participating in such a project, "Would be considered as nothing less than the highest honor," he smiled again, his tone almost sickeningly sweet.

It was obvious how eager he was to participate -- not only for the chance at working with a true Sahovan master, not only for the chance of manipulating a true soul, but more so for the vast wealth of opportunity and prestige his role in the project would bring him on the isle. Not only would this attract the attentions of Qiao and his silly council, but Thomas wouldn't be surprised if the Archwizard himself called for him should the project prove successful.

"And as for the other possible applications...I'm sure we will find many a use for any potential project to come our way," Thomas noted, being careful to use the 'we' and 'our' in an effort to create some kind of camaraderie between the two wizards. Perhaps, even a sense of loyalty, should he be so lucky. "I wouldn't dare, Master Rayage," he answered, matching the nuit's glare, "I have as much stake in this now as you."

"I will be back in two days, and ready to animate.

[Rayage]

Rayage leaned back in the wooden chair her black locks falling behind her as she looked up at the ceiling of her lab. She waited for Thomas to leave, glad that he was so confident in himself. However, she half wondered if she had made the right move, the right choice. Mortals were so overconfident. That is perhaps their greatest strength and weakness. If all went as planned and reports were written, accounts made, paper work filled, and products showed off she wondered how this would stir up the community of undead wizards. Master Rayage so coyly grasping for even more renown and power, trying to prove herself as the best alchemist on Sahova. To obtain that rank she would do nearly anything.

”This magic…” she spoke silently to herself, ”will change everything.” an impending sense of dread filled the mage as she thought of the applications. Her magical formulas will change the very shape of Mizahar, that she was sure. Though she had always gone on the assumptions that since the magic was hers, she would be able to control it… What if… what if she had been wrong all these years?

The nuit visibly shivered at the thought, as her green eyes cast down from the ceiling to the paper in front of her. Magic, as Miro had told her, has always been a tool. It is up to those who wield magic to decide what purpose they shall use it for. She had long since dismissed the concepts of good and evil, but even though she pretended to ignore them that doesn’t mean that they still didn’t exist within the world. Even Sahova was painted a variety of grey by mixing the powers of the two, good and evil, black and white. Grey… That is where she stood, and that is where Sahova, in general, stood. They were the grey of the world easily darkening into black, or fading into white. The transition could be made so easily that one would not realize it.

Had she been fooling herself all these years? And in her blind ignorance what was happening to things she holds dearest?

She shook her head and laid it down on the desk. She had no time for such thoughts. She needed to prepare for what is to come. Change was here, in Sahova, and within the Alchemist herself, battling and raging inside her. Darkness and light, the grey which had sat so contently for these many centuries had begun to evolve and warp itself. With her power she needed to be the light of the new world, restorer of ancient knowledge… but was this light going to be pure or cast in darkness?

The nuit stayed that way for quite some time, ”Thomas, what will you do?” she asked herself, ”Will the perceived power corrupt or save you?”

Spring 23, 513 AV

It only took a couple of days before all that Ray requested was brought forth. The air in the lab would be far different than what it was only two days ago. There would be a sense of importance and discovery, a mystery clinging to the very atmosphere itself. Anticipation was high as the lab was in full swing. Golems had been asked for in help for arranging the lab how the master wanted. They moved tables around and cleared space in the lab. Rayages usually messy desk was orderly; papers neatly bound and put in tomes, ordered by date of experiment standing upright and proper.

Perfection and in inviting space for answers is what the nuit wanted to provide. That is why everything had to be perfect. Not one paper out of place. This was a highly controlled experiment and one little imperfection could completely overthrow his and Thomas’ efforts in this regard. One little mistake and everything could be for not. Rayage would not allow for this to happen. Theory often translated to problems of its own, as reality is not as picture perfect as on paper. The ancient nuit found that out the hard way in the beginning of his study in life. Things were messy, inappropriate, and sometimes downright disgusting. Things happened when they were not supposed to, and already there were enough variables to control. This procedure was delicate and for them to succeed everything needed to go as planned.

The nuits posture was tense, but excited as she bellowed out orders to the golems. The lab itself was roughly divided in half. In the far side of the lab, directly opposite to the door, set the Alchemy circle, great and impressive. It boasted six fount and filter slots, though they would need little in terms of filters, they would need many founts. Alchemy was the art of transformation and change, gradual, but not necessarily slow. For something advanced as this though… the alchemist was sure that she would make each transmutation matter.

Many cages had been brought in the lab. Most were small and easily carried, even for a nuit. These small cages carried different domestic cats. Each had their own ‘food and water’ supply, what little was afforded to them by and for the experiment. Life had to be sustained after all. There were a fair number of cats, but only one dog was brought in. The dog was a Jivatalus Ghost Dog, and before Rayage called for an animal it was already being experimented on with Hypnotism. The experiments, Rayage read, were to help train the dog to fully understand and use it’s inherit abilities to sense ghosts. The dog beforehand had been thoroughly trained. The results of the experiments were inconclusive, and the project was abandoned. Luckily for Ray the dog wasn’t.

Before the dog arrived it had gone through a thorough aura inspection looking for any demeaning, tainted, or otherwise magically altered properties. The dog was deemed well enough and sent off to the lab, and there it was sitting so patiently in its cage. The dog curiously watching the marching automata set everything up as the Alchemist ordered. Though curiosity turned to a tinge of fear whenever one of the golems would approach or roll past the cage the dog would back as far away from it as the cage would allow.

All the cages had been placed on the other half of the room, away from the alchemy circle, and where Ray thought the animals would be safe from any alchemic discharge. The cages surrounded the doors like great pillars, still allowing them to open, but not to fully touch back against the lab walls.

All the preparations were almost complete. Now, the nuit wondered, where was Thomas? She knew that it was still early in the morning, but two days did pass and the experiment was not going to do itself without an animatior. The alchemist waited patiently in the middle of the room, looking around and directing things from there. The golems were to be her arms and legs when moving things into position.

x

[Thomas Cosa]

23rd of Spring, 512 AV

It would save him, obviously.

Or that's what Thomas had said, the words coming so easily to the pulser. Just between himself and himself, he would openly admit to not being entirely too sure. After all, the stereotype did always have a shred of truth to them, if you looked hard enough. That of the crazed mage wasn't different from any of the rest.

Then again, he wasn't entirely convinced that magic would corrupt him, either.

"And only Avalis would know," he whispered, the quiet words incoherently echoing off the cold walls of the Gug Adjak. He was almost skipping down the empty corridors, so eager was the pulser. Whatever the magic would do to him, save or corrupt, if it the project was successful it could only boost his prospects within the Citadel.

That much, Thomas could guess at; so at the most basic level, it would save him. Unless the project failed, in which case he'd better find the quickest was off this hope forsaken isle.

Finally, after 45 levels of reaching down towards the deepest levels of Gug Adjak. And Rayage's lab.

Standing before the towering door's, Thomas called out.

"Master Rayage? I've arrived."

[Rayage]

The nuit was directing the golems what to put where when he heard Thomas’ call. Turning towards the noise Rayage smiled at the boy walking towards him, ”Welcome.” he said with a smile, ”Im glad to see that you have made it without incident.” He chuckled a bit at his own ‘joke’. This experiment would be ruined without a competent animator.

He gestured the man into the lab and then turned towards the golems which were still compulsively setting things up, ”I hope you have prepared yourself.” the wizard said cryptically retreating further into his lab being mindful of the scurrying golems, ”I believe that you have all the space you should desire for your project. These golems will assist you in setting up your space, and moving the heavier things…

”Once you have everything in order and have prepared yourself we can begin at any time. Please, don’t take too much time.”

”What I need you to do for me is to copy the dogs soul exactly with your magic.” Rayage smiled at the wizard, ”Not once, not twice, but twenty consecutive times. This experiment will be done in four rounds, over a number of days.” He began to explain.

”For now, however, I will need at least five copies of the soul to begin the experiment on day one. After you have accomplished that, I will need four copies of the dogs soul, however, these copies will be missing the Persona. One of those for each day of the experiment.” The nuit pointed to a pile of paper. It had writing on them, some of his older and outdated research notes. He was giving purpose to that which held none anymore, ”You can use those pages as a container for the souls.”

He wanted the animator just to do his part and ask no questions, but he knew that with a pulser that wasn’t possible. Though, it was better than a scheming nuit… ”We will observe the effects of our magic as we add to the work over days. As you can see,”[b/] the nuit gestured over the cats, [b]”they all act very much like cats. They haven’t been modified in any way.” Ray tactfully left out the part about the dog and smiled at him. If he had a pulse he knew that it would be rushing as excited thoughts entered his mind. He was about to take a step towards becoming the greatest alchemist ever to exist.

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