- Location
- Attached to a wall
- Pronouns
- She/Her
[X] Who is she?
First Steps Part 5
- Location
- UK
"Who are you?" you ask.
The girl eyes you for a moment, then smiles a little stiffly.
"I'm Maria Sinclair, the Barmaid," she said.
You jerk back in surprise and she takes advantage of the distraction to quickly leave. You stare after her, not entirely sure if you heard her correctly as you knew a Maria Sinclair from your...previous world. She had been the daughter of a local landowner and, to put it bluntly, a total bitch. She had been a shallow, self centred bitch who had thought nothing of using her Daddy's money and connections to deal with any obstacle and, if the rumours were to be believed, had even managed to get someone arrested for accidentally splashing her with their car. Having suffered through high school in the same class as her, you could confirm that at least half of that was true. You vaguely recall hearing that she had been killed in an accident at one of her Fathers plants, resulting in her body getting scorched beyond recognition and needed to be identified by dental records.
The idea that such a vapid, cruel little girl like that would ever be found in any place that had barmaids, let alone introduce herself as one, was one that you almost had a harder time believing than the fact you were apparently in a Fantasy world. However, despite the two years difference and the apparent change in species, you couldn't deny that the Maria here did resemble the girl you knew far to closely to be a coincidence and the look she gave was also rather telling. This warranted further investigation, but that could wait for now. First you had to figure out where you were and what was happening you you, before you unravelled any mysteries connected to bitches past.
Plus, you are hungry and the food Maria brought smells amazing.
You emerge on a balcony overlooking a large, crowded bar floor, furnished with heavy looking, well worn wooden furniture that was being given a tremendous workout by the clientele, an eclectic mix of men and women of all shapes, sizes, skin colours and extra features, clad in a smorgasbord of different attires straight out of a Fantasy RPG, from heavy plate armour to colourful, flowing robes, all laughing, eating, drinking and generally acting like rowdy patrons at a pub. At one end of the room, a long bar dominated the wall, being manned by a short, round woman with fiery red hair, twinkling eyes and a laugh that drowned out even the largest men in the room and a number of young women in the same uniform Maria had been wearing navigated the chaos with trays of food and drink, easily avoiding any grasping hands from particularly inebriated patrons and occasionally punching one who didn't take the hint, always to jeers and applause from the rest of the patrons. Among said barmaids, you can see Maria, easily moving through the chaos with a tray in each hand and another four perched on what appear to be branches that emerge from her back, each one covered in the same pink blooms as made up her hair, along with green leaves and what appear to be partly grown fruit. Another wall of the bar was dominated by an enormous board covered in flyers that had a large crowd gathered around it, members of which would occasionally take one and head to the bar, before leaving through the door that apparent lead out onto the street.
After taking a moment to take in the barely controlled chaos, you slowly make your way down the stairs and approach the bar, doing your best to ignore the curious looks you got from the patrons who noticed you. However, no one attempts to stop you and you quickly reach your destination. You open your mouth, but before you can say anything, the woman behind the bar notices you and bustles over, swiping the tray from your hands before you can react.
"You'll be the new kid then, eh?" she asks in a surprisingly deep, but very friendly voice, "Head on through and right to the end, the boss is expecting you."
She gestures to a door you hadn't noticed before off to the side of the bar and turns away to serve another patron before you can say anything. With no other option, you do as you are told and head through the door. The moment it closes behind you, the sound of the bar vanishes and you find yourself in a short corridor with a couple of doors leading off and another at the far end that has a large crest that consists of a red shield with a large, golden G in the centre. You steel yourself and approach the door to...
Knock and wait politely.
Open the door and walk inside.
The girl eyes you for a moment, then smiles a little stiffly.
"I'm Maria Sinclair, the Barmaid," she said.
You jerk back in surprise and she takes advantage of the distraction to quickly leave. You stare after her, not entirely sure if you heard her correctly as you knew a Maria Sinclair from your...previous world. She had been the daughter of a local landowner and, to put it bluntly, a total bitch. She had been a shallow, self centred bitch who had thought nothing of using her Daddy's money and connections to deal with any obstacle and, if the rumours were to be believed, had even managed to get someone arrested for accidentally splashing her with their car. Having suffered through high school in the same class as her, you could confirm that at least half of that was true. You vaguely recall hearing that she had been killed in an accident at one of her Fathers plants, resulting in her body getting scorched beyond recognition and needed to be identified by dental records.
The idea that such a vapid, cruel little girl like that would ever be found in any place that had barmaids, let alone introduce herself as one, was one that you almost had a harder time believing than the fact you were apparently in a Fantasy world. However, despite the two years difference and the apparent change in species, you couldn't deny that the Maria here did resemble the girl you knew far to closely to be a coincidence and the look she gave was also rather telling. This warranted further investigation, but that could wait for now. First you had to figure out where you were and what was happening you you, before you unravelled any mysteries connected to bitches past.
Plus, you are hungry and the food Maria brought smells amazing.
-----------------------------------------------
After finishing the meal, you pick up the tray and leave your room, finding yourself in a clean hallway lined with more doors and lit by odd glowing crystals and sunlight leaking through the large, bay window that was set at one end of the hallway above a flight of stairs that headed down. At the other end was another set of stairs that headed up, but you head downstairs for now.You emerge on a balcony overlooking a large, crowded bar floor, furnished with heavy looking, well worn wooden furniture that was being given a tremendous workout by the clientele, an eclectic mix of men and women of all shapes, sizes, skin colours and extra features, clad in a smorgasbord of different attires straight out of a Fantasy RPG, from heavy plate armour to colourful, flowing robes, all laughing, eating, drinking and generally acting like rowdy patrons at a pub. At one end of the room, a long bar dominated the wall, being manned by a short, round woman with fiery red hair, twinkling eyes and a laugh that drowned out even the largest men in the room and a number of young women in the same uniform Maria had been wearing navigated the chaos with trays of food and drink, easily avoiding any grasping hands from particularly inebriated patrons and occasionally punching one who didn't take the hint, always to jeers and applause from the rest of the patrons. Among said barmaids, you can see Maria, easily moving through the chaos with a tray in each hand and another four perched on what appear to be branches that emerge from her back, each one covered in the same pink blooms as made up her hair, along with green leaves and what appear to be partly grown fruit. Another wall of the bar was dominated by an enormous board covered in flyers that had a large crowd gathered around it, members of which would occasionally take one and head to the bar, before leaving through the door that apparent lead out onto the street.
After taking a moment to take in the barely controlled chaos, you slowly make your way down the stairs and approach the bar, doing your best to ignore the curious looks you got from the patrons who noticed you. However, no one attempts to stop you and you quickly reach your destination. You open your mouth, but before you can say anything, the woman behind the bar notices you and bustles over, swiping the tray from your hands before you can react.
"You'll be the new kid then, eh?" she asks in a surprisingly deep, but very friendly voice, "Head on through and right to the end, the boss is expecting you."
She gestures to a door you hadn't noticed before off to the side of the bar and turns away to serve another patron before you can say anything. With no other option, you do as you are told and head through the door. The moment it closes behind you, the sound of the bar vanishes and you find yourself in a short corridor with a couple of doors leading off and another at the far end that has a large crest that consists of a red shield with a large, golden G in the centre. You steel yourself and approach the door to...
Knock and wait politely.
Open the door and walk inside.
Last edited:
- Location
- Attached to a wall
- Pronouns
- She/Her
[X] Knock and wait politely.
We may have dog ears now and we may have eaten something raw, but we are not beasts.
We may have dog ears now and we may have eaten something raw, but we are not beasts.
- Location
- St. Petersburg
Um... "obstacle", perhaps?
"to the bitch's past"
"as the ones that made up"?
[x] Open the door and walk inside.
First Steps Part 6
- Location
- UK
Right, since we haven't got a tiebreaker, time for a coin flip. And the result is be polite. Heres hoping for a better response now that I'm actually getting into the 'exposition dump' part of the story.
You knock on the door and immediately receive an invitation to enter. Inside, you find yourself in a large, lavishly decorated office, with a number of bookshelves full of files and leather bound tomes, a couple of large windows, a coffee table surrounded by sofas and a large desk set directly in front of the window. Stood by one of the windows is a tall man with blonde hair and a single blue eye, the other a milky white and with a large, jagged scar running from his hairline down across his neck cutting across it. He is wearing gleaming plate armour with a blue tabard over the top bearing a rampant black griffon on the front and a longsword at his hip with a pommel carved into the shape of a bird's head. As you enter, he fixes you with a gaze that makes you feel rather like a butterfly pinned under a microscope, so you quickly look away.
Sat on one of the couches is an elderly looking man in white robes with a gnarled cane resting against the sofa beside him. His hair is long and almost pure white, pulled into a loose ponytail with a simple leather cord. His skin is pale, as are his eyes, but they are still as sharp as the curled, black ram horns that coil from his forehead.
Sat across from him is what can only be a dwarf, short and stocky, with strong features behind a neatly braided, flame red beard that is long enough to tuck into his wide belt. He is wearing leather armour and has a one handed battleaxe tucked into his belt and a lute sat against the cushion beside him on the sofa.
The final person in the room is sat behind the desk and appears, on the surface, to be a teenage girl wearing dark blue robes and what appears to be a stereotypical witch's hat, also dark blue with a bright orange ribbon around the brim with a jagged, mouth-like design in a contrasting black. Her hair is a blonde so pale its nearly white and her eyes are a rather striking shade of orange and, unless you're very much mistaken, her pupils are not shaped entirely normally, although you can't see exactly what shape they are from this distance. Leaning against the desk is a long, gnarled staff made of a slick, black wood you don't recognise and topped with an orange crystal that seems to be glowing with an odd, purple light that makes your skin crawl. Sat on the desk beside the girl is a black cat with bright orange eyes that are just as unnerving as its apparent master's.
"So, our sleeping beauty awakens," says the girl in an accent that, rather strangely, you tentatively identify as being from somewhere on the east cost of America, "How interesting."
You stumble back slightly as she is suddenly directly in front of you. Before you can react, she seizes your chin in her hand and forces you to look into her eyes that, now you are closer than you really want to be, allows you to see that her pupils are actually shaped like jack-o-lanterns, complete with eyes and jagged grins. You really don't want her this close to you and feel an intense heat build up in your gut as your muscles tense.
Jerk back out of her grip.
Strongly protest.
Stay put and let her do...whatever she wants to do.
Punch her in the face.
Let the rising heat out.
You knock on the door and immediately receive an invitation to enter. Inside, you find yourself in a large, lavishly decorated office, with a number of bookshelves full of files and leather bound tomes, a couple of large windows, a coffee table surrounded by sofas and a large desk set directly in front of the window. Stood by one of the windows is a tall man with blonde hair and a single blue eye, the other a milky white and with a large, jagged scar running from his hairline down across his neck cutting across it. He is wearing gleaming plate armour with a blue tabard over the top bearing a rampant black griffon on the front and a longsword at his hip with a pommel carved into the shape of a bird's head. As you enter, he fixes you with a gaze that makes you feel rather like a butterfly pinned under a microscope, so you quickly look away.
Sat on one of the couches is an elderly looking man in white robes with a gnarled cane resting against the sofa beside him. His hair is long and almost pure white, pulled into a loose ponytail with a simple leather cord. His skin is pale, as are his eyes, but they are still as sharp as the curled, black ram horns that coil from his forehead.
Sat across from him is what can only be a dwarf, short and stocky, with strong features behind a neatly braided, flame red beard that is long enough to tuck into his wide belt. He is wearing leather armour and has a one handed battleaxe tucked into his belt and a lute sat against the cushion beside him on the sofa.
The final person in the room is sat behind the desk and appears, on the surface, to be a teenage girl wearing dark blue robes and what appears to be a stereotypical witch's hat, also dark blue with a bright orange ribbon around the brim with a jagged, mouth-like design in a contrasting black. Her hair is a blonde so pale its nearly white and her eyes are a rather striking shade of orange and, unless you're very much mistaken, her pupils are not shaped entirely normally, although you can't see exactly what shape they are from this distance. Leaning against the desk is a long, gnarled staff made of a slick, black wood you don't recognise and topped with an orange crystal that seems to be glowing with an odd, purple light that makes your skin crawl. Sat on the desk beside the girl is a black cat with bright orange eyes that are just as unnerving as its apparent master's.
"So, our sleeping beauty awakens," says the girl in an accent that, rather strangely, you tentatively identify as being from somewhere on the east cost of America, "How interesting."
You stumble back slightly as she is suddenly directly in front of you. Before you can react, she seizes your chin in her hand and forces you to look into her eyes that, now you are closer than you really want to be, allows you to see that her pupils are actually shaped like jack-o-lanterns, complete with eyes and jagged grins. You really don't want her this close to you and feel an intense heat build up in your gut as your muscles tense.
Jerk back out of her grip.
Strongly protest.
Stay put and let her do...whatever she wants to do.
Punch her in the face.
Let the rising heat out.
Last edited:
- Location
- Attached to a wall
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Stranger danger.
[X] Jerk back out of her grip.
[X] Jerk back out of her grip.
- Location
- St. Petersburg
- Location
- Attached to a wall
- Pronouns
- She/Her
It seems like we are going to be vote locked again.
I am of the opinion that breathing fire indoors is inadvisable.
[X] Stay put and let her do...whatever she wants to do.
I am of the opinion that breathing fire indoors is inadvisable.
[X] Stay put and let her do...whatever she wants to do.
First Steps Part 7
- Location
- UK
Smart move staying put. Attacking the Guildmaster is never a good idea. She does hold that position for a reason after all.
Despite wanting nothing more than to get this creepy girl as far away from you as possible, a much larger part demands that you stay put, a part you are more than happy to obey. Something about this girl suggested that annoying her would be even more foolish than picking a fight with the entire population of the bar floor outside. After a few moments of staring into your eyes, the girl smirks and lets you go.
"Good boy," she says, patting you on the cheek.
She returns to the desk, leaving you rubbing your cheeks and feeling uncomfortably like a dog who'd been given a treat for pulling off a trick. Your tail brushing against your hand really makes you wish you'd come up with a different metaphor.
"Well, now that thats out of the way, I suppose introductions are in order," says the girl, "I am Abigail Williams, the Guildmaster, and this is Proctor."
She rubs the cat between his ears, earning a loud hiss and a swipe of its claws, which she ignores.
"The gallant knight by the window is the Captain of the Watch, Stephan Rivers, the old priest is William Kidd, the keeper of the records at the Temple of the Phantasm and the Dwarf is Carnex the Bard," she continues, indicating to each of the men in turn, who either nodded or smile.
"Its, ah, nice to meet you all?" you say, inwardly cringing at the lack of conviction in your tone, "My name is Alex. Um..."
Where am I?
What happened to me?
What was that all about?
Despite wanting nothing more than to get this creepy girl as far away from you as possible, a much larger part demands that you stay put, a part you are more than happy to obey. Something about this girl suggested that annoying her would be even more foolish than picking a fight with the entire population of the bar floor outside. After a few moments of staring into your eyes, the girl smirks and lets you go.
"Good boy," she says, patting you on the cheek.
She returns to the desk, leaving you rubbing your cheeks and feeling uncomfortably like a dog who'd been given a treat for pulling off a trick. Your tail brushing against your hand really makes you wish you'd come up with a different metaphor.
"Well, now that thats out of the way, I suppose introductions are in order," says the girl, "I am Abigail Williams, the Guildmaster, and this is Proctor."
She rubs the cat between his ears, earning a loud hiss and a swipe of its claws, which she ignores.
"The gallant knight by the window is the Captain of the Watch, Stephan Rivers, the old priest is William Kidd, the keeper of the records at the Temple of the Phantasm and the Dwarf is Carnex the Bard," she continues, indicating to each of the men in turn, who either nodded or smile.
"Its, ah, nice to meet you all?" you say, inwardly cringing at the lack of conviction in your tone, "My name is Alex. Um..."
Where am I?
What happened to me?
What was that all about?
- Location
- St. Petersburg
Neither is getting overly familliar with a hound you meet for the first time.
[x] What was that all about?
- Location
- Attached to a wall
- Pronouns
- She/Her
[X] What was that all about?
First Steps Part 8
- Location
- UK
Here we go again. At least this time I don't need to worry about deadlocks. Onwards!
"What was that all about?" you ask.
Abigail raises an eyebrow and fixes you with a flat look.
"I was interested," she says, "Phantasms are rare, Noble Phantasms are even rarer. I was curious as to what sort of power you are hiding under those fluffy ears of yours."
Said ears twitch slightly as you frown.
"Whats a Phantasm?" you ask.
"Phantasm is the term given to those summoned by the spirit of Anima," says William, "A Noble Phantasm is a Phantasm who has consumed a Monster above A rank."
"Perhaps we should start at the beginning," says Carnex, apparently noticing how confused you are.
"Probably for the best," says William.
He gestures to the sofa across from him.
"Come, sit," he says, "This will likely take a while."
You do as you are told.
"Now, as you probably have noticed, you are no longer in your Homeworld," says William, "This world is called Anima, a place of Magic and where Gods still walk among Humans. As you can probably imagine, not everyone uses Magic responsibly and some attempt to summon entities from other worlds. Sometimes, nothing much happens, but others, the beings summoned are incredibly destructive. In response, Anima summons Humans from other worlds in the form of Phantasms. Because of their nature, these beings posses vast potential for Magic and can learn skills incredibly quickly."
"So what, I'm supposed to be some kind of Hero?" you ask.
William shakes his head.
"No," he says, "Anima summons Phantasms in response to any and all Summonings that call beings from another Plane of Existence, regardless of how powerful they are. Truly dangerous Summonings are, fortunately, very rare as most Summoners know what they are doing."
You frown.
"If thats the case, how come there aren't more...Phantasms?" you asked.
"Because most of them die," says Abigail, "Think about it, you appeared in the middle of nowhere, naked and alone. Most die from exposure or at the hands of Monsters, bandits or just ordinary wildlife and those who don't simply disperse."
You swallow. That doesn't sound good.
"Disperse?" you ask, not sure if you actually want an answer.
"Well, theres no easy way to say this, so I'll just come out and say it," says Carnex, "Phantasms are summoned as Spirits, leaving their physical bodies behind. Thing is, Spirits can't last for long without something to bind them to the world, especially not if they lack Magical power. You were in incredible pain until you ate the Hellhound, right?"
You nod.
"Well, that was your body essentially breaking down into Mana," he continues, "Within 12 hours from your arrival time, you'd have simply faded away."
"Um, I'm not going to disappear now, am I?" you ask, "I feel fine now."
Carnex lets out a bark of laughter.
"No, you'll be fine," he says, "All you needed to do was consume something that would grant your Spirit an anchor to this world. Most Phantasms end up eating something relatively simple, catching a wild animal or eating some fruit. You got lucky."
"How so?" you ask.
"Kid, whatever you eat becomes the bases for a new body," said Carnex, "That body will take on characteristics of what its based on. Hellhounds are A class Monsters, powerful enough that they can obliterate entire companies of Soldiers, as you saw in the forest, so your power level will be immense, not to mention you will be able to use abilities that normal Mages wouldn't touch with a barge pole for risk of them backfiring."
"I...see," you say as you turn that information over in your mind.
You have many questions of course, and will likely get the answers in time, but the most burning question of all is:
More information on Magic and your powers.
More information about Anima.
"What was that all about?" you ask.
Abigail raises an eyebrow and fixes you with a flat look.
"I was interested," she says, "Phantasms are rare, Noble Phantasms are even rarer. I was curious as to what sort of power you are hiding under those fluffy ears of yours."
Said ears twitch slightly as you frown.
"Whats a Phantasm?" you ask.
"Phantasm is the term given to those summoned by the spirit of Anima," says William, "A Noble Phantasm is a Phantasm who has consumed a Monster above A rank."
"Perhaps we should start at the beginning," says Carnex, apparently noticing how confused you are.
"Probably for the best," says William.
He gestures to the sofa across from him.
"Come, sit," he says, "This will likely take a while."
You do as you are told.
"Now, as you probably have noticed, you are no longer in your Homeworld," says William, "This world is called Anima, a place of Magic and where Gods still walk among Humans. As you can probably imagine, not everyone uses Magic responsibly and some attempt to summon entities from other worlds. Sometimes, nothing much happens, but others, the beings summoned are incredibly destructive. In response, Anima summons Humans from other worlds in the form of Phantasms. Because of their nature, these beings posses vast potential for Magic and can learn skills incredibly quickly."
"So what, I'm supposed to be some kind of Hero?" you ask.
William shakes his head.
"No," he says, "Anima summons Phantasms in response to any and all Summonings that call beings from another Plane of Existence, regardless of how powerful they are. Truly dangerous Summonings are, fortunately, very rare as most Summoners know what they are doing."
You frown.
"If thats the case, how come there aren't more...Phantasms?" you asked.
"Because most of them die," says Abigail, "Think about it, you appeared in the middle of nowhere, naked and alone. Most die from exposure or at the hands of Monsters, bandits or just ordinary wildlife and those who don't simply disperse."
You swallow. That doesn't sound good.
"Disperse?" you ask, not sure if you actually want an answer.
"Well, theres no easy way to say this, so I'll just come out and say it," says Carnex, "Phantasms are summoned as Spirits, leaving their physical bodies behind. Thing is, Spirits can't last for long without something to bind them to the world, especially not if they lack Magical power. You were in incredible pain until you ate the Hellhound, right?"
You nod.
"Well, that was your body essentially breaking down into Mana," he continues, "Within 12 hours from your arrival time, you'd have simply faded away."
"Um, I'm not going to disappear now, am I?" you ask, "I feel fine now."
Carnex lets out a bark of laughter.
"No, you'll be fine," he says, "All you needed to do was consume something that would grant your Spirit an anchor to this world. Most Phantasms end up eating something relatively simple, catching a wild animal or eating some fruit. You got lucky."
"How so?" you ask.
"Kid, whatever you eat becomes the bases for a new body," said Carnex, "That body will take on characteristics of what its based on. Hellhounds are A class Monsters, powerful enough that they can obliterate entire companies of Soldiers, as you saw in the forest, so your power level will be immense, not to mention you will be able to use abilities that normal Mages wouldn't touch with a barge pole for risk of them backfiring."
"I...see," you say as you turn that information over in your mind.
You have many questions of course, and will likely get the answers in time, but the most burning question of all is:
More information on Magic and your powers.
More information about Anima.
- Location
- Attached to a wall
- Pronouns
- She/Her
[X] More information on Magic and your powers.
First Steps Part 9
- Location
- UK
Magic! Lets hope I can explain this well enough.
"What kind of abilities?" you ask.
"Magic is an intrinsic part of this world," says Carnex, "Every living thing and most non-living things are seeped in it, even if its only a minuscule amount. Monsters are identified as such because they can use the Magic that flows through them, even if its only to enhance their bodies. Many Monsters, especially the more powerful ones, are capable of performing feats that Mages simply cannot achieve."
"Like what?" you ask.
"Well, in your case, Hellhounds can use Hellfire, which is almost uncontrollable to all but the most powerful and strong willed," said Carnex, "Other examples include Kelpie, which can create fresh water from raw Mana, Sand Wyrms, which can convert sand and rock into valuable Mana ore and Spirit Dragons, which can, supposedly, see in the future. The only beings that could hope to achieve anything similar would be Phantasms with their nature and their descendent, but considering how rare and powerful they are, thats a tad unlikely to ever appear."
"I...see," you say, "Um, can you tell me more about Magic?"
Carnex smiled and opened his mouth, but before he could say anything, Abigail claps her hands.
"You'll have to do that outside," she says, "I have work to do and I'm sure that William and Stefan have things to do as well. Speaking of which..."
She turns to the still silent knight.
"Are you satisfied?"
"I am," he says, "Thank you for your time."
He bows slightly and leaves.
"What was that all about?" you ask.
"Best not to think about it," says Carnex, patting you on the shoulder.
"I should go as well," said William, getting to his feet with the help of his cane, "It was a pleasure to meet you Alex. Do look me up at the Temple next time your in the Temple District. I believe there will be something for you to see."
He bows and follows Stefan.
"Here," says Abigail, tossing a bag of coins to you, which you barely catch, "Its standard practice to give new Phantasms 200 gold to get them started. It should be enough to last you for about six months if your careful. That should be more than long enough for you to find work."
"Um, thank you," you say.
"Its my pleasuer," says Abigail with a slightly evil smirk, "I'm just looking forwards to seeing what kind of chaos you make. Until next time."
She waves a hand and reality seems to melt and invert, before you find yourself standing alongside Carnex in the hall outside.
"Tch, damn brat, still as rude as ever," he says, "Well, whatever. Come on kid, I'll treat you to a drink and we can talk.
You follow the Dwarf back into the main hall, which is now a lot quieter, and finds a table in an isolated corner. You sit down while Carnex heads to the bar and quickly follows you with a pair of foaming tankards in hand, one of which he sets in front of you.
"Alright, Magic," he says after taking a deep gulp of the beverage, "I suppose I should start at the beginning. Magic can broadly be split into two categories, Physical Arts and Mind Arts. Physical Arts are what are used by Warriors, Rogues, Rangers and the likes, primarily enhancements for weapons and the body to grant the user increased strength, defence, dexterity, etc, while the Mind Arts are the more...Magical aspects and the fields of Mages and Sorcerers of various kinds and are generally what people mean when they say Magic. There is also a third art, the Faith Arts used by Clerics, but that technically isn't Magic and not really relevant."
He pauses to take another gulp.
"Magic is a...complex subject to discuss. Most people have a basic grasp of Magic and can cast simple spells to create fire, light and occasionally a minor healing spell, along with a few spells that are useful in day to day life. Learning Magic isn't difficult, at its most basic its a simple matter of visualisation and learning how to channel ones Mana, but more powerful and complex spells require the memorisation of formula in order to use, which most people don't have time for. Truly skilled Mages are capable of building new spells on the fly, which makes them a real pain in the arse to fight. On the other hand, they are largely limited by their Mana reserves and are usually fairly weak up close."
He pauses for breath and another drink.
"That brings us onto the second type of Magic user and the one most relevant to you," he says, "While Mages rely on memorised spells and an internal source of Mana, Sorcerers do neither. They are born, not taught, and have a natural talent that allows them to use Mana in their surroundings to pull off incredible feats without needing to learn any actual spells. As a general rule, they will have incredible skill and talent in one specific field, in which they can achieve things that no Mage would possibly be able to match, but are unable to learn any other form of Magic. In short, they have incredible power, but are very limited, while Mages are capable of a much wider arsenal, but are weaker and have less power to work with."
"Alright, so what does that have to do with me?" you ask.
"I was getting there," says Carnex, "Phantasms are somewhere between the two. You can use Magic in the same way as Sorcerers, but are capable of learning how to use almost any type of Magic you can think of. True, you will be better at skills tied to your base, in your case Fire and Darkness Magic, and Water and Light will likely give you a lot of trouble, but you can theoretically learn them."
He finishes off his drink and slams the tankard into the table.
"Thats the basics of what Magic is," he says, "However, if you wish to learn any you will have to ask someone else. I am a Bard, not a Mage."
He gets to his feet.
"I'm sure you have a lot to think about, so I will take my leave," he says, "If you need any advice or directions, ask one of the girls here. Best of luck in whatever you decide."
He pats you on the back and leaves, whistling a jaunty tune. You remain where you are, staring into the golden liquid still filling your tankard as you consider what to do.
"Copper for your thoughts?"
You look up and see Maria stood across the table from you with a tray of empty tankards balanced in one hand.
"Just wondering what I should do now," you say.
Maria hums as she take Carnex empty tankard.
"If you want my advice, I suggest that you join the Guild," she says, "It'll give you a good source of income and information while you find your feet. Its what I did when I first arrived and it taught me a lot. I also suggest that you talk to William if you get the chance. Hes a veritable font of wisdom regarding Phantasms."
You nod absently as you consider your options. Really, joining the Guild is the only reasonable one as you doubt that any of the skills you currently have will be much use in this world, even with the speed you can apparently learn at now. The question was, how best to go about it? You look up at Maria and, coming to a decision, ask her:
The location of a blacksmith.
A place to learn Magic.
How to get to the Temple district.
There we go, a nice long one for tonight. I really hope my explanation of how Magic in this world works makes sense. I didn't want anything to complicated, but I also didn't really want anything to handwavy. I hope I managed to strike a good balance.
"What kind of abilities?" you ask.
"Magic is an intrinsic part of this world," says Carnex, "Every living thing and most non-living things are seeped in it, even if its only a minuscule amount. Monsters are identified as such because they can use the Magic that flows through them, even if its only to enhance their bodies. Many Monsters, especially the more powerful ones, are capable of performing feats that Mages simply cannot achieve."
"Like what?" you ask.
"Well, in your case, Hellhounds can use Hellfire, which is almost uncontrollable to all but the most powerful and strong willed," said Carnex, "Other examples include Kelpie, which can create fresh water from raw Mana, Sand Wyrms, which can convert sand and rock into valuable Mana ore and Spirit Dragons, which can, supposedly, see in the future. The only beings that could hope to achieve anything similar would be Phantasms with their nature and their descendent, but considering how rare and powerful they are, thats a tad unlikely to ever appear."
"I...see," you say, "Um, can you tell me more about Magic?"
Carnex smiled and opened his mouth, but before he could say anything, Abigail claps her hands.
"You'll have to do that outside," she says, "I have work to do and I'm sure that William and Stefan have things to do as well. Speaking of which..."
She turns to the still silent knight.
"Are you satisfied?"
"I am," he says, "Thank you for your time."
He bows slightly and leaves.
"What was that all about?" you ask.
"Best not to think about it," says Carnex, patting you on the shoulder.
"I should go as well," said William, getting to his feet with the help of his cane, "It was a pleasure to meet you Alex. Do look me up at the Temple next time your in the Temple District. I believe there will be something for you to see."
He bows and follows Stefan.
"Here," says Abigail, tossing a bag of coins to you, which you barely catch, "Its standard practice to give new Phantasms 200 gold to get them started. It should be enough to last you for about six months if your careful. That should be more than long enough for you to find work."
"Um, thank you," you say.
"Its my pleasuer," says Abigail with a slightly evil smirk, "I'm just looking forwards to seeing what kind of chaos you make. Until next time."
She waves a hand and reality seems to melt and invert, before you find yourself standing alongside Carnex in the hall outside.
"Tch, damn brat, still as rude as ever," he says, "Well, whatever. Come on kid, I'll treat you to a drink and we can talk.
You follow the Dwarf back into the main hall, which is now a lot quieter, and finds a table in an isolated corner. You sit down while Carnex heads to the bar and quickly follows you with a pair of foaming tankards in hand, one of which he sets in front of you.
"Alright, Magic," he says after taking a deep gulp of the beverage, "I suppose I should start at the beginning. Magic can broadly be split into two categories, Physical Arts and Mind Arts. Physical Arts are what are used by Warriors, Rogues, Rangers and the likes, primarily enhancements for weapons and the body to grant the user increased strength, defence, dexterity, etc, while the Mind Arts are the more...Magical aspects and the fields of Mages and Sorcerers of various kinds and are generally what people mean when they say Magic. There is also a third art, the Faith Arts used by Clerics, but that technically isn't Magic and not really relevant."
He pauses to take another gulp.
"Magic is a...complex subject to discuss. Most people have a basic grasp of Magic and can cast simple spells to create fire, light and occasionally a minor healing spell, along with a few spells that are useful in day to day life. Learning Magic isn't difficult, at its most basic its a simple matter of visualisation and learning how to channel ones Mana, but more powerful and complex spells require the memorisation of formula in order to use, which most people don't have time for. Truly skilled Mages are capable of building new spells on the fly, which makes them a real pain in the arse to fight. On the other hand, they are largely limited by their Mana reserves and are usually fairly weak up close."
He pauses for breath and another drink.
"That brings us onto the second type of Magic user and the one most relevant to you," he says, "While Mages rely on memorised spells and an internal source of Mana, Sorcerers do neither. They are born, not taught, and have a natural talent that allows them to use Mana in their surroundings to pull off incredible feats without needing to learn any actual spells. As a general rule, they will have incredible skill and talent in one specific field, in which they can achieve things that no Mage would possibly be able to match, but are unable to learn any other form of Magic. In short, they have incredible power, but are very limited, while Mages are capable of a much wider arsenal, but are weaker and have less power to work with."
"Alright, so what does that have to do with me?" you ask.
"I was getting there," says Carnex, "Phantasms are somewhere between the two. You can use Magic in the same way as Sorcerers, but are capable of learning how to use almost any type of Magic you can think of. True, you will be better at skills tied to your base, in your case Fire and Darkness Magic, and Water and Light will likely give you a lot of trouble, but you can theoretically learn them."
He finishes off his drink and slams the tankard into the table.
"Thats the basics of what Magic is," he says, "However, if you wish to learn any you will have to ask someone else. I am a Bard, not a Mage."
He gets to his feet.
"I'm sure you have a lot to think about, so I will take my leave," he says, "If you need any advice or directions, ask one of the girls here. Best of luck in whatever you decide."
He pats you on the back and leaves, whistling a jaunty tune. You remain where you are, staring into the golden liquid still filling your tankard as you consider what to do.
"Copper for your thoughts?"
You look up and see Maria stood across the table from you with a tray of empty tankards balanced in one hand.
"Just wondering what I should do now," you say.
Maria hums as she take Carnex empty tankard.
"If you want my advice, I suggest that you join the Guild," she says, "It'll give you a good source of income and information while you find your feet. Its what I did when I first arrived and it taught me a lot. I also suggest that you talk to William if you get the chance. Hes a veritable font of wisdom regarding Phantasms."
You nod absently as you consider your options. Really, joining the Guild is the only reasonable one as you doubt that any of the skills you currently have will be much use in this world, even with the speed you can apparently learn at now. The question was, how best to go about it? You look up at Maria and, coming to a decision, ask her:
The location of a blacksmith.
A place to learn Magic.
How to get to the Temple district.
There we go, a nice long one for tonight. I really hope my explanation of how Magic in this world works makes sense. I didn't want anything to complicated, but I also didn't really want anything to handwavy. I hope I managed to strike a good balance.
- Location
- Attached to a wall
- Pronouns
- She/Her
[X] A place to learn Magic.
I'm quite interested in the temple of phantasm.
However since our magic is fire-based I would like for us to take some time to practice.
I'm quite interested in the temple of phantasm.
However since our magic is fire-based I would like for us to take some time to practice.
First Steps Part 10
- Location
- UK
Sorry I didnt post yesterday, but things happen. Onwards to the Temple District!
Directions in hand, you leave the Guild and take your first steps into the city. Immediately, you are struck with both the sheer noise and smells that were so different from anything you are used to. Your newly sensitive senses allow you to hear everything, from the shouting of the hawkers in the market place, to the sound of metal on metal and the general hustle and bustle of hundreds of people living their lives. The smells are just as sharp, from tanning leather and the hot smell of forges, to cooking meat, pastries, fruit in the stalls and the sheer freshness of the air that you'd never normally associate with a city, along with the less...pleasant smells of animal dung and rotting seaweed and fish from the nearby docks. Despite that, the senses aren't overwhelming and you find that you can easily focus on one thing or block it all out entirely.
Immediately outside the Guild hall is a large square that is clearly set up for a market, with countless colourful stalls selling everything from fruit and vegetables, to weapons and armour. The square is boarded by houses painted white with steep, red tiled roofs, a trait shared by the five story Guild Hall behind you. Looking around, you can see three landmarks rising above the building tops. In the north, seated atop a hill just outside of town, is a large keep, presumably the home of the lord in charge of the city and surrounding lands, while off to the west you can see the top of a large building you assume must be the Magic Academy from Maria's directions. To the south you can just see the tops of a number of masts, as well as a large clock-tower that also serves as a lighthouse for guiding ships into the city's ports. To the east, another large clock-tower, this one a part of the Temple of the Phantasms, towers above the rooftops, along with an enormous tree that you assume must serve some religious purpose given that it is in the Temple District.
With your direction now confirmed, you begin to make your way through the throngs of people in the direction of the Temple District, taking your time as you take in the sights. What catches your attention most is the sheer amount of diversity among the populous. Humans are the most common, but there are also numerous Dwarves moving around and Beastkin of all types, all interacting with little to no issues. Mostly. Occasionally, you pass a Human who sneers at you, often wearing a pendent with a charm shaped like a sheep skull, and at one point you pass a group of Humans baring a banner with the same crest emblazoned on it who seemed to be set up for a session of shouting religious rhetoric at passersby arguing with a pair of annoyed looking Guards.
Eventually, you arrive in the Temple District and quickly realise that it more than lives up to its name. The buildings here are quite different to the rest of the city and seem to mostly consist of either churches to various deities, creating a patchwork mess of different building designs that range from small and humble, to large and gaudy. There was even an entire section of the district sectioned off for a massive garden where the massive tree was located and an honest to god Pyramid in the middle of an Egyptian temple.
In the centre of the sprawling mess was a large marble structure that you immediately recognise from Maria's description as the Temple of the Phantasm. You start to make your way towards it, but are distracted by a large crowd gathering on the road that leads down to the docks. You pause, glancing between the crowd and the Temple. You aren't really on a time limit and this could be interesting. On the other hand, its not really any of your business. After a moments thought, you decide to:
See whats going on.
Continue on to the Temple.
Directions in hand, you leave the Guild and take your first steps into the city. Immediately, you are struck with both the sheer noise and smells that were so different from anything you are used to. Your newly sensitive senses allow you to hear everything, from the shouting of the hawkers in the market place, to the sound of metal on metal and the general hustle and bustle of hundreds of people living their lives. The smells are just as sharp, from tanning leather and the hot smell of forges, to cooking meat, pastries, fruit in the stalls and the sheer freshness of the air that you'd never normally associate with a city, along with the less...pleasant smells of animal dung and rotting seaweed and fish from the nearby docks. Despite that, the senses aren't overwhelming and you find that you can easily focus on one thing or block it all out entirely.
Immediately outside the Guild hall is a large square that is clearly set up for a market, with countless colourful stalls selling everything from fruit and vegetables, to weapons and armour. The square is boarded by houses painted white with steep, red tiled roofs, a trait shared by the five story Guild Hall behind you. Looking around, you can see three landmarks rising above the building tops. In the north, seated atop a hill just outside of town, is a large keep, presumably the home of the lord in charge of the city and surrounding lands, while off to the west you can see the top of a large building you assume must be the Magic Academy from Maria's directions. To the south you can just see the tops of a number of masts, as well as a large clock-tower that also serves as a lighthouse for guiding ships into the city's ports. To the east, another large clock-tower, this one a part of the Temple of the Phantasms, towers above the rooftops, along with an enormous tree that you assume must serve some religious purpose given that it is in the Temple District.
With your direction now confirmed, you begin to make your way through the throngs of people in the direction of the Temple District, taking your time as you take in the sights. What catches your attention most is the sheer amount of diversity among the populous. Humans are the most common, but there are also numerous Dwarves moving around and Beastkin of all types, all interacting with little to no issues. Mostly. Occasionally, you pass a Human who sneers at you, often wearing a pendent with a charm shaped like a sheep skull, and at one point you pass a group of Humans baring a banner with the same crest emblazoned on it who seemed to be set up for a session of shouting religious rhetoric at passersby arguing with a pair of annoyed looking Guards.
Eventually, you arrive in the Temple District and quickly realise that it more than lives up to its name. The buildings here are quite different to the rest of the city and seem to mostly consist of either churches to various deities, creating a patchwork mess of different building designs that range from small and humble, to large and gaudy. There was even an entire section of the district sectioned off for a massive garden where the massive tree was located and an honest to god Pyramid in the middle of an Egyptian temple.
In the centre of the sprawling mess was a large marble structure that you immediately recognise from Maria's description as the Temple of the Phantasm. You start to make your way towards it, but are distracted by a large crowd gathering on the road that leads down to the docks. You pause, glancing between the crowd and the Temple. You aren't really on a time limit and this could be interesting. On the other hand, its not really any of your business. After a moments thought, you decide to:
See whats going on.
Continue on to the Temple.