Serynia practices her reimancy skills and gets some unexpected help
(This is a thread from Mizahar's fantasy role playing forums. Why don't you register today? This message is not shown when you are logged in. Come roleplay with us, it's fun!)
Stretching northward along the coastline of the Suvan Sea, the Cobalt Mountains are the home of the Bronze Wood, numerous ruins, and creatures both strange and fantastical.
Morwen's icy hold was beginning to loosen making way for Tavasi to burst forth. With the warmer weather, Serynia thought it was a good day to go for a ride on her new horse named Storm. Her father had given her very basic instructions in the fundamentals of riding and she tried to remember them as best she could.
Before riding, she needed to groom the mare. She approached her from the left side, and starting with the front left leg she picked up the horse's hoof and using a horse pick she cleaned out the dirt from each of the hooves. Using a dandy brush, she made short strokes in the direction of the lie of the coat making sure to remove dirt and sweat marks. Then with a softer body brush, she brushed the legs, head, neck, mane, and tail of the mare until its coat was shiny.
With the horse groomed, she then placed the saddle pad on the mare. Over the saddle pad, she placed the riding saddle gently on top. Reaching beneath, she then cinched the girth firmly. She then removed the halter and guiding the bit into the mare's mouth, she attached the bridle in place. With the horse fully tacked, she mounted and gently lead the horse out of its stall and towards the main gates of the city. She nodded to the guards as she went through the gates continuing to ride up the North Kabrin Road towards the Bronze Woods.
When she was far enough from the gates, she dug her heels into the stirrups urging the mare from a walk into a fast trot. It took her a while to get used to the gait and maintaining her balance on the horse without too much bouncing. When she felt more confident in the mare's response, she then urged it into a canter. She could feel the wind blowing through her hair and the feeling was quite exhilarating. It was tempting to push the mare even further into a gallop but she resisted the feeling. She was barely just getting back into riding again and the last thing she needed to do was fall off the horse. She let the horse have free rein for a few chimes before slowing her down to a walk again when she felt it starting to tire. She remembered that she had found a large clearing to the right the last time she had ventured into the bronze woods. When she saw the small dirt path that lead off the side of the main road, she steered the horse in that direction. She rode for another few chimes weaving her way between the trees before it opened up to the large clearing that she remembered.
Dismounting from her mare, she lead the horse towards a tree at the edge of the clearing. She pulled the halter and lead rope from the saddlebags and placed it on the horse while tying the other end of the lead rope to the tree allowing the horse to graze. Walking toward the center of the clearing, Serynia gave a thorough look around to make sure that there was no one in the vicinity.
Her ultimate goal that day was not just to take her new horse out for a ride but to also find a secluded area where she could practice her magical skills that her grandmother had taught her. She knew that even if she could find the Nuit wizard that was her mother's killer, the only way she would be able to get revenge and defeat him would be with magic. But without practice she stood no hope of surviving and there was no way she could do that in the city. Too many people feared magic and the chance for accidents was too high of a risk.
She needed to meditate though before she could access her own djed. Taking deep breaths in and out, she tried to focus her thoughts on the palms of her hands. First she would need to create a shield to protect her body from the products of her reimancy. It was a safety technique that her grandmother had always drilled in her. Once res is transmuted, it was impossible to control and oftentimes unskilled reimancers ended up burning themselves up.
Focusing her thoughts with an upward gesture of her hands, she extruded djed from her palms and she used her hand to weave the djed into a magical fabric that covered her arms. She could see the shield as a silvery shimmering thin fabric that coated her arms and hands. It was patchy and there were a few small holes. Frowning, she weaved another thin coat on top making sure to cover all of the holes. Since she was not very skilled with shields yet, all she could task the shield to do was to block or absorb djed.
With her shield in place, she now focused on expelling more djed from her palms as Res. Her res appeared as an etheareal, glowing silver gas. Using only the force of her willpower, she shaped the flowing gas into a small ball which hovered above her hands. Slowly she transmuted only the outer layers of the res of the ball to fire. Aiming the ball towards the opposite side of the clearing from her horse, she directed it towards a tree. Before the ball of res escaped completely out of the reach of her control, she ignited the core into fire. The firebolt hit the tree with a satisfying boom. To her surprise from behind the tree came a loud yelp.
"Who's there?" Serynia called out.
Last edited by Serynia on March 9th, 2014, 8:50 am, edited 1 time in total.
The cool morning breeze greeted Aoren as he made his way through the budding foliage of the Bronze Woods. He had awoken that morning feeling unusually claustrophobic. The walls of Syliras had pressed in around him. He attributed it to the fact that he had spent the whole of winter cooped up inside of the Fortress City. As the chill of Morwen’s season left and the stillness of Spring set in he was compelled to venture outside the walls of Syliras. So, he’d donned some simple clothing, pulled on his boots, put on his travel cloak and decided to spend as much of the day outdoors as he possibly could.
As he walked Aoren took note of his surroundings. He studied the trees. The branches were not quite free of Winter’s grasp but the hint of life was creeping back into them. He could see slivers of green sprouting from the buds along tangled arms of the great trees. He could see grass that was beginning to green as the vestiges of the cold season left them. This was a time of rejuvenation. It was a time of celebration but it was also a time of mourning. Who could forget that this was the time of year when the whole of the world seemed to pause and send whispered prayers to the gods that the catastrophe of ages past not be forgotten?
“I wonder what the world was like, all those centuries ago?” A simple enough question but it was something Aoren pondered now and again. Would the trees awaken as they did now? Was life as harsh and uncertain? Did people cling to crowded strongholds hoping they might just make it through another day? There were times when Aoren thought he could see what the world might have been like. He had heard the stories of the terrible war that ultimately caused the breaking of the world. Beyond that though, did children play in fields of wheat without fear of being slashed to bits by ravenous monsters? Did the people travel from city to city with more ease than they did now? The whole idea of it all seemed utterly foreign to him.
Stepping over some knotted roots, being careful of his footing, Aoren pressed further into the forest. It was quiet. Or at least it was as quiet as forests went. He could hear the chirping of birds as they greeted the early morning. There was the occasional rustle of a bush as the forest critters scurried about the forest floor. The young man was very much at home in the Bronze Wood just within the purview of the great Fortress City. It was on that note that he turned his thoughts to the future. He had a great deal of planning to do within the coming days. There was tension in Syliras. It was a tension that he had seen coming for some time. The raids to the south, around the borders of the city and throughout the past year had rendered the City of Peace a very volatile place for his people. Though he did not bear any of their markings nor had he ever personally seen the great Sea of Grass, Aoren knew his heritage.
Drykas.
Syliras was not a safe place for the Horseclans at the moment. He knew little of Drykas culture but he still felt kinship to his father’s people and for that reason he could not stay. Not now. Not after everything he’d been through in the past year. So he’d set his sights to the Kabrin Road and to Zeltiva. From there? There was no telling where his fate might lead him.
“Well, no sense dwelling on what was and what might be. You’ll find out soon enough, Aoren.” He was slowly approaching one of his favored places to visit in the woods. A humble clearing that he enjoyed meditating in or practicing various skills. It was not always safe but it was as safe as any place could be given its proximity to Syliras proper. As he came upon the edge of the clearing Aoren caught sight of someone standing in the middle. Before he could get a clear view of them the air stirred and suddenly a bolt of fire was hurtling toward him!
Reacting purely on instinct Aoren dropped flat on to the ground with a bit more force than he intended. The air whooshed out of his lungs as he landed on his stomach.
“Who’s there?”
“Great. Now they’re asking.” Coughing slightly as he drew breath into his lungs Aoren picking himself up from the ground. Brushing off his front he grumbled low to himself.
“You know…” Aoren pushed aside a few low hanging branches and stepped over some shrubs. “…you should really be more careful about where you toss random fireballs. Someone could get seriously hurt.” Stepping into the clearing he reached up lowering the hood of his cloak.
There stood a woman with her arm outstretched. She was obviously the source of the firebolt, no doubt a reimancer. Such magic was far more common than Aoren once realized. He held his hands up to her in a placating gesture to show he meant no harm.
“Do you often try to burn perfect strangers to a crisp?” There was a hint of amusement in his blue eyes as he met her gaze.
When she realized that she was not alone, Serynia had concentrated on expelling more of her djed from her palms into a gaseous, silvery res in case she should need to use it. In response to her query, a tall stranger stepped into the clearing, lowering the hood of his cloak. He had short blonde hair, cobalt blue eyes, and a strikingly handsome face.
“You know…” the stranger said, “…you should really be more careful about where you toss random fireballs. Someone could get seriously hurt. Do you often try to burn perfect strangers to a crisp?” He seemed amused and while his gesture indicated that he meant her no harm, Serynia was still suspicious.
Most humans in Syliras were afraid of magic, especially reimancy. This one seemed not only unafraid but pretty nonchalant about the fact that her firebolt might have just missed him, even though it had been completely unintentional. Most likely he was either very comfortable with wizards or was one himself.
Serynia replied, "No not very often. In fact you're the first one today." She smiled to let him know that she was only joking. "I thought I was alone in the woods. I was actually just aiming at that tree over there. I don't mean to cause anyone any harm. Just practicing my skills in case I ever need to defend myself."
This stranger had definitely piqued her curiosity. "What exactly are you doing in the woods anyways? Do you often come here to spy on people?" She teased back.
Last edited by Serynia on March 9th, 2014, 8:49 am, edited 1 time in total.
“Why is this situation familiar?” Aoren smiled to himself. He could recall a time when the role he was now placed in was in reverse. He had been practicing his reimancy in the Bronze Woods just as this woman was. The rustling of leaves had caught his attention and he’d discovered a woman who would later become a good friend. As he thought about her he felt the stirring of long buried feelings but quickly dismissed them.
“I don’t think I’m quite cut out for a life of lurking in the shadows.” He chuckled in good humor as he lowered his hands to his sides. “Besides, no harm done. I am in one piece. Thankfully I saw it coming and made good friends with the dirt.” He dusted off some loose forest debris from the front of his shirt. Aoren took note of the silvery gaseous Res that lingered in the air in front of the woman. He arched an eyebrow.
“There are much more creative and less hazardous ways of practicing reimancy, you know.” He stepped forward but made certain not to impose on the young woman’s personal space. The last thing he wanted was to have her get it into her head that he was some sort of threat. He padded over to the side a few feet away from her before turning on his heel to face her. “I am here to do much the same as you are. Practice.”
Without much more preamble than that, Aoren brought up both hands bringing them together lacing his fingers together so that his palms touched. As he pulled his hands apart blue liquid Res swirled in between in hands. He separated the Res into two distinct layers before willing the outer layer to become water, the newest element he’d managed to gain control over. With a flick of his thoughts he compelled the water to assume the shape of a small stallion. Extending a hand he willed the stallion to gallop through the air to make its way toward the woman. The horse strode through the air at a proud gait bolting into a run before veering to the right of her and circling around. The stallion reared back as it came to her front. Aoren manipulated the second layer of Res to become air. He melded the two elements together with a little concentration.
As the stallion reared back its surface shimmered becoming icy. A trail of frost carried over the breeze in the clearing as Aoren willed the horse to return to his outstretched hand. As it touched his fingers he expelled a small amount of liquid Res and transmuted it into fire causing the icy stallion to melt. The water dropped to the ground and Aoren released his hold on the magic. With that display finished he clasped his hands behind his back smiling at the young woman softly. If she had been paying attention that little demonstration would have revealed to her that he was a reimancer with mastery over at least three of the four base elements. While there were certainly more powerful reimancers throughout all of Mizahar that alone was enough to tell her he possessed a modicum of skill with the magic.
“A lot of people are afraid of magic. I learned a long time ago that the quickest way to dispel the fear of something being horrific was to use it to create something beautiful.” He inclined his head to the damp spot in the ground where the beads of water he’d conjured glistened on the blades of grass. “Magic is an Art. So use it to paint the world in a new light.” He laughed softly.
“Or at least that is what my teacher used to tell me.”
When the stranger had first expelled his djed as liquid blue res, Serynia had tensed ready to react if he should prove to be a threat. However, if she took him at his word, the reason he had come to the woods was to practice his reimancy just as she had.
The Konti gasped in surprise when he transmuted part of the res into water and shaped it into a stallion which then proceeded to gallop around her before being turned into ice as he transmuted the rest of the res into air. When the stallion reached his hands, he had transmuted more res into fire and melted the icy stallion.
This wizard is indeed skilled if he has mastery over water, air, and fire. Even grandmother had only been able to master two of the elements, Serynia thought to herself. She slowly let her silvery res dissipate. If the wizard had meant to harm her he would've done so by now especially seeing as how he was much more powerful than she was. There was no point in potentially antagonizing him any further.
His display of magic had been enchanting. "I've never seen reimancy used so beautifully before," Serynia admitted. "I myself am not very skilled and can only transmute fire. My grandmother was the one who initiated me and she has only taught me to use it for self defense. She could never stay in one place for long though and so my training has been sporadic at best."
Serynia was a little hesitant about whether she should reveal more to this stranger she had just met. But there was something about him that made her feel that she could open up to him. "I've always wanted to further my learning of magic. I understand there is a great university in Zeltiva where classes in magical studies are taught. And then there is the magical research facility in Sahova. Avalis willing, one day I hope to travel to these places and learn to become a more powerful wizard."
She paused briefly and shook her head as if to clear her mind of some sad thought. There was no use thinking about her mother's death. She had to focus on the present.
"Was it your teacher that showed you how to manipulate your res like that? Is that something that you could teach me?" Her eyes looked at him hopefully. She hungered for more knowledge and if he was willing to become her tutor, she promised herself that she would show him what an apt pupil she could be.
“Well then I am pleased to have allowed you a glimpse of what reimancy can do when put to creative use.” He gave her a slight bow with a flurry of his wrist. When he straightened there was a small smirk on his face. As the woman commented on her initiation Aoren recalled his own. His teacher had been as careful with the process as he could. Regardless, it had been a harrowing experience. The sensation of being invaded had been overwhelming and it had not been altogether pleasant.
“Most of what I have learned has been through trial and error really. My teacher imparted the basic lessons of how to control Res, how to manipulate Djed and how to transmute the elements without getting myself killed. Aside from that you could do everything I can do with careful meditation and focus.” He didn’t answer yes or no to her request at teaching her. Aoren seldom taught anyone anything about magic. He often took the road of practicing with them, growing as they did and rarely did he teach magic to those who didn’t already know it.
He listened to her speak on her aspirations of becoming a more powerful wizard. The idea made Aoren curious. His interest was especially piqued when she mentioned the goddess, Avalis. He put that information away for use at a later time should the need arise. Aoren chose not to divulge the fact that he was blessed by that very deity though if the Konti woman looked closely enough she might be able to glimpse the Seer’s Lily on the back of his right hand.
“The road to becoming a powerful wizard is one filled with both horrors and wonders.” Though Aoren had never seen a deranged and twisted wizard himself he knew well enough the dangers all magic posed. He had been told of overly ambitious sorcerers grasping for power that was well beyond their abilities. He was familiar with the consequences of such actions. For those reasons and more that was why Aoren was so careful with the powers that he possessed. He wasn’t afraid to test his limits but he was methodical in the way that he approached them.
“This great power that you seek, what would you do with it? Would you use it to become more powerful for power’s sake?” Aoren didn’t see anything wrong with that. He was just wary of people who desired power and knowledge simply to have it. Such roads often lead to madness.
“Power without purpose is a festering wound that longs to spread.” He clasped his hands behind his back choosing to walk more toward the center of the clearing. Aoren picked up a stick no larger than a twig. He toyed with it testing its flexibility and pliability before turning to face the woman once more. He arched an eyebrow awaiting her answer. There were no black and white answers when it came to magic. In his experience, magic was not something quite so easily defined.
He’d met a sorceress who reveled in acts of destruction in those very woods. A curious Dhani that while not malevolent herself, at least in Aoren’s experience, was more free spirited with her gifts than he. He’d also met a very bitter wizard who resented and hated Syliras. While Aoren had no idea what his intentions were with his gifts he was certain that given the opportunity that man wouldn’t have used them for kind endeavors.
Too bad it was abandoned... but still, enjoy your grades!
Serynia, she is an early novice on both Shielding and Reimancy, casting two different spells in a row should tire her, I'd appreciate if you play her difficulties and exhaustion more.
Also, it's a good idea to describe your partner's words with your own instead of copy-pasting them.
My radiance is not bright enough?
If you have any questions or concerns regarding your grade, beam me a PM and we can work it out.
by Serynia on March 5th, 2014, 9:49 am 
