• Closed • The Nature of Magic

[Doran]

Vhalar 17, Arc 719

The trial before, the Mortalborn had met Balthazar Black, a private investigator and a mage, quite by chance. The man had been more reasonable than most of the mages he had met so far, and what more, he’d been quite willing to talk about his magic and even agreed to letting him study his mutations. A part of the Mortalborn considered the Spark to be a parasite that preyed on one’s soul and magic a disease, and likely always would, but another part of him was quite fascinated by what Balthazar could do and longed to find out more – and see if there was a way to influence both the Spark and the mutations.

For that reason, he had decided to invite the man into his apartment in the Obsidian Prism. If Balthazar knocked on his door, he would find himself facing a brown-haired human male in his thirties that was dressed in livery before long, Elias, the alchemist’s manservant who looked him over for a moment before he bowed and informed him, “Follow me, Mister Black. Sir Doran is already waiting for you in the laboratory. This way, please!”

Having said that, Elias led Balthazar down a carpeted hallway. Balthazar could see that the Mortalborn’s apartment was quite large, especially for a man that apparently lived alone – there was nothing that hinted at a wife or children. In fact, it could easily have housed several families, and it was exceedingly luxuriously furnished, with intricately carved furniture made of dark wood. There was nothing gaudy or flashy about it though. Instead, every table, every chair, every painting, down to the curtains and the floorboards, was utterly tasteful and had been chosen carefully in order to convey a certain image.

The laboratory itself was a medium sized room with large windows that let the sunlight in. Balthazar could see countless shelves and cupboards filled with vials and jars that contained all kinds of dried herbs, powders and liquids. There were a number of mysterious alchemical contraptions as well, large metal tubes, vats, and a centrifuge. On one of the tables were the severed front legs of a Tanner Mantis with its dangerous, scythe-like appendages.

The Mortalborn himself that was dressed more practically that trial – he wore an understated black suit – stood behind another table. Balthazar could see that there were all kinds of things on the table, vials, bottles, jars as well as a thick book that was bound in fine, light brown leather and that contained several bookmarks. It appeared to be quite old.

“Mister Black”, the alchemist spoke and walked up to Balthazar in order to shake his hand. The human would notice that the tone of Doran’s voice was utterly polite – despite the reservations he still had as far as mages were concerned, he was perfectly capable of being civil. “I’m glad that you decided to accept my invitation. I’ve given the matter of your mutations and the spark some thought. In fact, I stumbled upon a piece of interesting information in a book. Forgive me though. Shall I ask my servant to bring you something to eat or drink before we begin?” He raised an eyebrow.

“I hope that this room doesn’t intimidate you”, he added. “If there’s anything about it that makes you uncomfortable, we can conduct our research in the salon instead.”

[Balthazar Black]

17 Vhalar 719

Balthazar had spent much of the trial between his encounters with Doran considering whether or not it would be wise to take the man up on his offer. He'd agreed when they met but time had a way of allowing doubts to sprout and thrive. What if Doran's true plans lead to Balthazar's demise? Doran didn't strike Balthazar as the type to decieve in such a way but Balthazar had been frequently surprised by people before. In the end he couldn't resist the chance to learn of his magics from a third party's experiments so he made the journey to Doran's apartment in the Obsidian Prism. Balthazar arrived wearing a simple white shirt and black pants which looked incredibly out of place while he was walking through Viden due to the weather, but he enjoyed how the snow cooled him down.

Upon arrival, Balthazar was surprised not to be greeted by Doran but he quickly cast those thoughts aside as he recognized the man seemed to live a more affluent life than Balthazar ever had. Perhaps the benefit of being a professor at the Academy? Or maybe Doran held some other role in this society that Balthazar just hadn't figured out yet. All the same Balthazar fallowed Elias silently as he moved down the hallway. Balthazar silently surveyed the grand apartment as hew as lead through it- his eyes making it oddly easier to grasp the room layout. When they reached the laboratory Balthazar's interest became far more direct. His eyes didn't wander so much as they fixed on the shelves of herbs, powders, and liquids. It sparked an undeniable curiosity in Balthazar that he pushed down to focus on the host, the alchemist in a black suit standing behind a table.

Balthazar stepped forward to approach Doran but the Mortalborn had already taken initiative and come closer to Balthazar who gladly shook Doran's hand. Today Balthazar's skin was warm but not hot. His attire and the weather had done a good job of leveling his temperature out. Balthazar folded his hands behind his back while Doran greeted him and he looked around the laboratory once more.

"Thank you, but I'm alright." Balthazar replied, dismissing the offer of food and drink. Doran had hooked him with the mention of a discovery in a book. Balthazar only wanted to begin. "I find it more fascinating than intimidating. There weren't many places like this in the last city I stayed. Regardless, what did you find?"

[Doran]

“I went back to the Prime Atheneum this morning and visited the arcane section”, the Mortalborn replied as Balthazar asked him what he had found. “I discovered that certain mages are actually capable of suppressing their own mutations as well as the mutations of others – Attuners, to be exact. The technique in question is called ‘Soothing’.”

“It does have several downsides, of course”, he conceded and momentarily checked the book on the table in front of them, furrowing his brow fractionally, before he turned to face Balthazar again. “Soothing is not permanent, it does not affect Attunement mutations, from what I know, and it does weaken your magic – but not the point of rendering you unable to cast. Furthermore, it takes great skill”, he explained.

“I would advise you against immediately getting initiated into Attunement because you think that it might be the solution to all of your problems”, he spoke. “Every magic has its downsides, no matter how beneficial it seems to be at first glance, besides, it might be possible for me to eventually make an item that achieves the same effect”, he spoke. He was confident that he would be able to create something, a ring, or a necklace maybe, that temporarily suppressed a mage’s mutations, given enough time.

He had already made items that directly affected magic before.

Besides that, he wanted to study the effect that such an item had on Balthazar.

“There is a similar item that already exists now”, he continued and leafed through his book again. “It is called a Ring of Paradigm, and it suppresses all of a mage’s mutations, even Attunement mutations. It temporarily severs your connection to the Spark though, renders you unable to cast and weakens you”, he pointed out.

“In the past, similar items were used to keep mage prisoners from … causing too much trouble”, he spoke, grimacing slightly. There was more to it, of course, but he doubted that Balthazar would want to hear about the abuse and torture of his own kind.

It might ruin the mood, make him less interested in their research and less willing to talk.

“There might also be ways to directly influence the form that your mutations take – or keep physical mutations from manifesting in the first place”, he said. “But we should deal with one matter at a time. Tell me, Balthazar Black, what do you know about the Immortal Delroth?” he asked and looked at the human questioningly.

[Balthazar Black]

17 Vhalar 719

When the word Attunement passed through Doran's lips, an unfortunately perceptible shift would come over Balthazar's face as it cycled through recognition, joy, and then sudden despair. He was no stranger to Attunement. It was a magic he'd come within trials of possessing only to have it taken from him by unfortunate circumstance the the plotting of those closest to him. The woman Balthazar had last told Doran he was in Viden searching for was an Attuner and that was part of why should avoid him to expertly. When Doran went on to explain how their ability to sooth worked, Balthazar listened intently.

It was fascinating to think that the Attunement spark could hold such direct sway over the others in a individual's body and it certainly captured Balthazar's attention. It would be nice to have a method of reading in a library without having to walk around but his other mutations had been less than inconvenient... well all but one. It was the one mutation that Balthazar had come to Doran in hopes of suppressing. A mutation that forced him to flay.

When Doran explained an item that could achieve a similar effect, Balthazar was sure to bury the name in his mind so he would not forget it. A Ring of Paradigm? It almost sounded painful when Doran described it but that was only because Balthazar remembered the first thirty days of Ymiden when he'd been wholly cut off from Emea, from the magic... those had been painful days. It was a similar train of though which caused Balthazar to smirk at Doran's statement about mages being imprisoned using the rings. He smirked because he remembered his own experience with mage hunters. He recalled how they'd taken him and how he'd killed them.

"I believe the way mutations manifest is more or less related to the mage's use of the spark- though this is only a theory. I've met many mages but none of them knew the unarmed combat styles I developed to aid my use of the magic. The Defier's I've known have had surprisingly revealing mutations so I can only assume that the altering factor lay in how we use the spark and how aggressively we test it as it grows." Balthazar left out that he also knew of a Necromancer with very interesting mutations who seemed to further confirm the theory because he knew that of all the magics, Necromancy would be the first one to get a mage burned alive in most places. "I know little of Delroth, I'm afraid. In Yaralon there was more focus on Llaren and Raskalarn. I read that he was the Immortal of wind in a book on Defiance but they didn't say anything else." Balthazar replied.

[Doran]

“Is something the matter?” the Mortalborn asked in a relatively calm tone and raised an eyebrow questioningly. He’d noticed how the expression on Balthazar’s face had suddenly changed from joy to despair, and he couldn’t help but wonder what had provoked such a reaction. Had the man had bad experiences with Attuners? It couldn’t be a fear of Attunement itself. Attunement was a relatively gentle magic, from what he had found out, and one that left few, if any external mutations, quite unlike Necromancy or Becoming.

The mortal’s reaction to the Rings of Paradigm was likewise illogical as well as somewhat strange. As Balthazar smirked, the alchemist furrowed his brow barely noticeably, before he remarked, “Would you be willing to tell me why you are so amused, Mister Black? Have you encountered those rings before?” As he posed the last question, the tone of his voice was momentarily tinged with a hint of curiosity. Had the other man owned such an item once – or been imprisoned, using one? If the latter was the case, how had he managed to escape?

As Balthazar talked about how the way mutations manifested was more or less related to the mage’s use of the spark, the Mortalborn nodded. “I’ve actually formulated the same theory after having observed several mages over the course of time. It would make sense”, he decided. “I’ve also formulated a second theory – that the difference lies in the sparks themselves - but I consider the former to be more likely.”

“As for Delroth”, he continued. “He is not only the Immortal of Wind and Birds, but also the Immortal of Vanity. It is unlikely that a being that is as vain as Delroth would allow his Blessed to be marred by mutations. The blood of a Blessed of Delroth might be just as useful as the Blood of an Attuner. I have some experience with Delroth and his followers”, he explained, but he didn’t provide any details as he wanted to protect his former assistant’s identity, for the time being at least.

Her name had been Zana. She had already as good as admitted to being a Mortalborn of Delroth when they had first met, and she had been one of the more interesting people he had interacted with in recent arcs.

She had been vain, almost beyond measure, and possibly even more arrogant than he was, which was quite a feat, everything considered. She had constantly tried to tease him and provoke him, but she had also been extraordinarily intelligent, and she had had surprisingly few issues when it had come to handling dead bodies or experimenting on animals.

Why, she hadn’t even had a problem when it had come to poisoning the latter!

[Balthazar Black]

17 Vhalar 719

"I was... close with an Attuner once and our relationship grew strained. Thinking of the magic reminds me of her." Balthazar replied quite openly to Doran who he assumed would have little interest in the failed- or failing love life of Balthazar Black. He thought the information harmless and so he gave it away freely. Then again part of Balthazar gave it away because he'd spent so long alone that it felt nice to say it out loud to someone. Then the topic turned to the amusement Balthazar had shown when hearing of the Rings of Paradigm and Balthazar shook his head slightly- impulsively, to show that he was not incredibly amused, only slightly.

"I am only amused that I- a mage who has been taken captive by mage hunters, am learning about a chief instrument in suppressing my magic from you, an academic rather than the hunters who came for me." It was a touch of irony that Balthazar couldn't help but smirk at. He'd been in Yaralon for arcs and in those arcs he'd met and fought many dangers- including mage hunters a few dozen times, yet this was the first he was truly hearing of the rings. "They took me early in Ymiden when Idalos had been cut off from Emea so they had no use for the rings. They bound the others with chain and had none for me so they bound my hands with rope and went to get more chain but by the time they got back... well." Balthazar gestured to himself as if it summarized the rest of the story. Clearly he'd escaped. He wasn't one to go into detail about how he'd escaped because he felt it was not far from boasting and he had no intention to boast.

Once again their conversation moved forward, back to mutations and more precisely to Delroth. Balthazar listened with genuine interest as Doran explained Delroth and his connection to the theoretical solutions they were seeking. Once Doran was done Balthazar's brow furrowed slightly in thought and he crossed his arms. "Unfortunately I have neither the blood of a sufficient Attuner nor the blood of Delroth's blessed. Plenty of Defier and Rupturer blood though." Balthazar finally let Doran in on his thoughts as his eyes scanned the room once more. It would have been fortunate if Doran had either already but even then it would not have been enough because Balthazar was a little to principled. He wouldn't want to use up Doran's own supplies for his own gain- even if it granted Doran knowledge. Realizing that put them at a stand-still Balthazar countered what Doran had said with an offer of sorts. "Given time I could morally obtain either of those blood samples but that will do little to help us now. I can't deny that your mention of blood magic in the library caught my attention but I haven't been able to find out much more since. How does it work? I know you use the blood of mages, but in what way?"

Balthazar hadn't forgotten that Doran mentioned his experience with Delroth and his blessed but he didn't comment on it, instead he stored that information in his mind as well for later. Balthazar would have to do his own research on Delroth and his blessed so he could more adequately converse with Doran about it.

[Doran]

“I see“, the Mortalborn murmured as Balthazar mentioned that he had been in a relationship with an Attuner once. On top of everything else, the man likely regretted that he hadn’t tried to at least remain somewhat close to his former lover now – the solution to his problem had been within reach, and he had let her go. Finding a new Attuner, and one that was sufficiently powerful at that, would be something of a challenge.

“Mage hunters tend to not talk about their tools to mages”, he pointed out in a somewhat dry tone as Balthazar explained why he was amused. “As for what happened in Ymiden …” He furrowed his brow momentarily as he remembered the how he had experienced the Fall of Emea. For a while each and every pregnant woman that he had treated at the Infirmary had suffered a miscarriage, no matter what he had done. Even alchemy hadn’t saved their babies. On top of that, he had not been able to dream for the entirety of the season, and he had woken up tired and exhausted every morning as a consequence.

And then there had been rumours, about mages and the Spark …

“I heard that some mages actually managed to adapt to the Change after a while”, he remarked. “Some mages began to flay. I assume that such wasn’t the case for you though?” he asked and raised an eyebrow fractionally. What Balthazar had told him so far, had certainly made it sound like that. If he had still had access to his spark, the hunters would have bound him with more than just a bit of rope – and never let him out of their sight.

Even though the Mortalborn had spoken about flaying, one of the darkest and most despicable aspects of magic, the tone of his voice had remained relatively calm and neutral. He didn’t really care if mages flayed, as long as they didn’t flay him. He’d always been more or less pragmatic in that regard.

“Defier and Rupturer blood won’t allow me to make an item that suppresses the Spark”, he pointed out. “If we want to research ways to influence the Spark, we need Attuner blood or possibly the blood of a Blessed of Delroth. As for how Blood Magic works …”

He paused momentarily, but not because he was reluctant to share his knowledge with the other man. It was unlikely that the man would be able to do anything with it anyway. It took an exceptionally skilled alchemist to even begin to work with Blood Magic. Instead, his hesitation was due to the fact that he wondered how he was supposed to explain something that complex to a layman.

“Blood Magic essentially requires me to collect the blood of a mage while they cast the spell that I need”, he finally spoke. “The blood then needs to be processed as long as it is still fresh. While potions can be made with mage blood, I usually make items, rings or necklaces, that can be worn in order to activate a certain magical effect.”

“I would offer to conduct a brief demonstration for you”, he remarked. “For that, you would have to explain how exactly your Defiance and Rupturing abilities work first though. It is impossible to make a functioning item without exactly knowing how the mage whose blood you have collected works their magic. You cannot simply pour a vial of blood into a cauldron, wave your hands and hope for the best”, he pointed out somewhat condescendingly. The latter was, unfortunately, a misconception he had encountered far too often.

[Balthazar Black]

17 Vhalar 719

Balthazar was glad Doran did not pry further on the topic of the Attuner he once knew. She was one of the few things Balthazar couldn't- or perhaps wouldn't talk about because he didn't know where they stood now that he knew she was alive. The conversation moved on quickly to Ymiden and Balthazar was glad of it. Doran had a point, it wasn't as if the mage hunters were going to sit and give Balthazar a lesson on their tools but Balthazar said nothing more of it because the topic turned to something much darker- objectively speaking. Flaying.

Balthazar remembered those reports as well. All around Yaralon mages had begun to flay and it caused Balthazar an uncomfortable amount of panic because in Yaralon you were never more than a drunkard's whim from combat. "I didn't flay. I learned how so that I could if needed but apart from nearly flaying a flame, I tried to adapt to the loss of magic. Flaying wasn't ever going to be sustainable enough for my magic anyways." Yet his brief experiment with flaying had a lasting impact on his spark. An impact Balthazar could never forget.

When Doran spoke of what could be done with Balthazar's blood, the mage listened carefully. The idea was fascinating and Doran had done an excellent job of dumbing it down to an extent that the layman Balthazar had some sense of what was to happen. Balthazar crossed his arms and let his mind swim with thought for the few bits after Doran had finished his explanation. Influencing his spark would have to wait for a time when they had the blood that was needed. For now, Balthazar was fascinated at the prospect of a demonstration. Balthazar was trying to think of a simple cast that he could explain to Doran but that was a task easier said than done. He'd never thought of his magic as casting spells but at the core that was all it was.

"It's difficult to explain either of my sparks. Defiance is more like a mental conversation with the elements than casting spells. I move and I urge them to follow. So long as I can provide ether, the elements react. Manifesting the elements is a little different, but I don't think you'd be able to apply that to jewelry. It's hard to explain Defiance because there is a relationship with the elements only other Defiers can truly understand ." Balthazar paused for a moment as he thought about his other spark. "Rupturing is a little more simple. I see a space I want to travel and I measure the distance in my head. Then I use ether and motion to open a door. Every portal you open is really two, one allows you to enter and the other allow you to exit. It's important to understand the distance you're trying to bridge with your portal..." Balthazar trailed off as his mind wandered until he had an idea. "I could demonstrate?"

[Doran]

As Balthazar told him that he hadn’t flayed, the Mortalborn nodded. He didn’t do such because he approved of the fact that the mortal had not resorted to such a questionable and nefarious practice, he was merely acknowledging Balthazar’s statement. There was one thing that he couldn’t help but wonder about though. “What did you mean when you said that flaying wasn’t going to be sustainable for your magic?” he wanted to know. “Don’t all mages gain ether and spend ether the same way? I was not aware that there was a difference in regard to flaying”, he admitted in a somewhat cool tone before he turned to ponder the next thing that the mage had said.

“Do you have an affinity to a particular element, Mister Black?” he wanted to know before he remarked, in a slightly bemused tone, “Try me, Mister Black. I might understand what you are talking about after all. I have some experience with such concepts.” The mortal, he realized, was likely not aware of the fact that he was currently in the company with one of the greatest alchemists alive, a man who had studied the supernatural before. He was confident that he would at least be able to understand some of it.

“I would appreciate a demonstration”, he admitted. “I have not seen a true portal in action yet. Shall I clear some space for you, Mister Black?” he asked and gestured towards the things that stood in the laboratory. He didn’t know how accurate Rupturing was, but he didn’t want to take any chances and risk some of his precious equipment getting damaged. The money it would take to buy new equipment was not an issue, but it would take a while to acquire something that was of sufficiently high quality.

[Balthazar Black]

17 Vhalar 719

"I meant the lifestyle more than the practice. Flaying would give me the ether I need to act but with every person you flay the target on your back grows larger and the hunger gets worse. I've known a few who resorted to flaying and almost none of them are alive today." Balthazar tried to elaborate but he was a little uncomfortable with the topic at hand. He was good at concealing how the idea of flaying unnerved him because he practiced hiding it every day in Yaralon. Hiding it in every bar where a drunken patron knew he was a mage and hated him for it. "To my knowledge you're correct though, we all use our ether the same. Though it has been my experience that the more time you spend using your ether one way, the easier it becomes to channel more through that specific spark."

Balthazar could not hide his grin when Doran spoke the words, try me. A grin that betrayed amusement he'd have like to keep concealed. He'd have succeeded too if not for Doran's allure. That ever present tug at Balthazar's mind making him wonder just for the slightest moment what Doran was like in less formal settings. Balthazar held his hand out with his palm facing upwards. It seemed he'd be giving two demonstrations for Doran. The demonstration of Defiance would simple be more controlled than that of Rupture. "Very well. From the moment I was initiated, the elements begin to treat me with some passing deference. Flames were cooler, earth was softer. As I practiced the magic I grew particularly adept with fire and my spark began to feel different in response. I didn't realize the change until I'd been initiated in Rupturing but my Defiance spark feels almost like a bonfire within myself that I pour ether into. However for the past dozen or so trials has my spark felt like electricity." As Balthazar spoke a small blue spark churned to life in the air above his palm. It grew into a torch-like blue flame and hovered in place for a few bits before Balthazar closed his hand and the flame disappeared. He'd named wind his second kin and it had come with changes. "Manipulating the elements isn't quite the same as manifesting them. It is easy to will your ether from your body into the elements but it is harder to dance with them. Dancing encourages the elements too move in accordance to your will- and in my experience according to your own movement. But enough of Defiance, offered a Rupture demonstration."

When Doran agreed to the demonstration and offered to clear some space, Balthazar nodded slightly. "That would be best, thank you." He said. When Doran had cleared enough space Balthazar would gesture for him to stand back a little before holding his right arm out in front of him with his left hand resting at the crook of his elbow as if to support it. Balthazar had spent far more time with Defiance than Rupture and as a result there was a little more effort required to breach space. "The process is incredibly loud so prepare yourself." Balthazar warned before beginning to move his hand in a small circle. As he did a small blue spark came to life in the air before Balthazar. "First you focus your ether outward at where you intend to open the ingress, then you focus on using your ether to mentally build a bridge between the entrance and your intended exit for the portal." As he spoke and his hand completed more and more rotations the spinning blue spark began to widen and expand, leaving a loud tearing noise in it's wake as it did. A few feet further into the room a similar phenomenon would occur, the egress to Balthazar's portal forming a little bit closer to Doran than the egress. When it was done, two roughly six foot portals would sit in the middle of Doran's laboratory for him to examine. They edges of the portal would continue to spin and sparks would harmlessly fly off it as the edges moved but the portal was stable- or at least as stable as Balthazar's training allowed. His face showed some signs of straining but that was to be expected.