RP: Spooked Horses & Sigil Trial
It's Eliday, Quintoos 06 22:07:44 1018. The full moon isn't up. The tide is high and rising. The world is dark and foggy. Everything is half-hidden, nothing clearly seen. It's chilly and the air feels damp. No wind blows.
W01: Wilderness Pointe
The afternoon is setting towards evening and the moon is starting to rise. Astaren has found himself a nice clearing and has a bag full of rope and twin with him. He has been carefully arranging things on the ground and refering to a book floating next to him. He flips to another page and hmms a moment, going to a section on the ground and making some changes.
A little way's off, the few horses at the hitching post outside the Wayfarer's Inn suddenly start whinnying all at once. They look realiy spooked.
Astaren makes a few more adjustments and shakes his head. He glances up having heard the spooked animals and blinks a moment, "Odd, I know I made sure to be a good distance off for this. I have not even started yet, or finished." Glancing to the sigil he is making on the ground and shrugs, "Oh well." Dropping another pice of twin on the ground and adjusting it a bit.
A moment later, the reason for the horses' fright becomes apparent as a griffon, fully as big as a horse with snowy white feathers and fur, comes walking along the road, bearing a rider, the ranger Ga'Elian. As they reach the spooked horses, Elian dismounts and pats his griffon on the rump then says, "I'll come find you later, buddy. Go on now." The griffon continues in Astaren's direction for a few paces before spreading his wings and launching skyward. The screech he emits as he soars upward spooks the horses again, but then he disappears into the northern sky. At the same time, Ga'Elian takes a few minutes to calm the horses.
GAME: Ga'Elian rolls Handle Animal: (1)+9: 10
Astaren glances back towards the inn and horses and frowns a moment, "Really did... ohhhhh" watching the gryphon fly off and blinks, "That bird looks familiar, maybe. Nah, never met it. Hopefully it is not feral." he shakes his head and looks back to his sigil and frowns, "Ahh the winds..." Moving to readjust a few things and smiles, "Almost perfect." flipping to another page of his book.
GAME: Ga'Elian rolls WildEmp/animal: (4)+8+1: 13
Ga'Elian keeps trying to settle the horses, but by now, the Inn's door opens and a couple men come out accompanied by an arvek. The Arvek scowls at Ga'Elian, but sets to calming the horses himself, while the humans start advancing on the ranger with threatening body language and accusing "What are you playing at, Elf, spooking our horses? You lookin' for a fight, or just plain stupid?" One man draws a dagger, holding it like a common thug; the other shakes a fist.
Astaren glances up again from his sigal and shakes his head. "Why..." He starts walking towards the inn and shakes his slowly, "Hey there Ga'Elian." Then glances to the other people, "You daft or dumb? That guy is called Ettin-Slayer for a reason. Seen him shoot up giants like they were pin cushions." shaking his head and glancing to the horses and sighs, "really..."
All three largely ignore the man in robes until he utters the epithet 'Ettin-slayer'. The horses calm now, the humans glance at Elian who smiles with an appreciative nod to Astaren, then look at each other for a moment before putting their weapon and fist down and backing off. The Arvek says, "That's you... sir? We've heard the song." The one with the dagger says, "Um, yeah. Maybe it was just a mistake." Ga'Elian says, "Indeed, I meant no trouble. I just was unable to settle the animals myself." Then to Astaren, "Thank you for your timely intervention."
"There is no need to fight when a fight does not need to be had. Ga'Elian, good to see you again. Please you are welcome to join me." Astaren glances to the other men and tilts his head, "I hope you have a good evening. Sorry for the interruption." Offering a bow. Then turning and walking back to he clearing he has things set up at. His book is sthill hovering and hmms as considers, "Almost done."
Ga'Elian exchanges awkward smiles with the horses' owners then turns and follows Astaren as they return inside. Amused by the levitating book, Elian asks, "So what have you got going on over here? Are you laying a snare?"
Astaren shakes his head, 'Well yes and no, a snare of sorts. How well do you understand the source of magic?" He pauses as he stops a moment, "Nah doesn't matter. This is a sigil designed to try to draw raw magic, natural magic. We seperate into divine and arcane as per the sources. What if you could draw something more basic then that and shape it based on the principles of both?" Grinning a moment, "True magic even. This is an experiment!" Making another adjustment. "Using low grade coppering, so even if it does draw should not be all that much."
Ga'Elian looks at the set-up and scratches his head. "I confess magic is one part of Ea that I'm not too familiar with. But the idea is intriguing, I guess. What is your objective once you get it figured out?"
"Learn how to use it. Arcane magic is clearly only one side of the coin. Give me an arcane spell that can heal?" Shaking his head and smiling, Astaren continues, "We understand so little. I want to take this slow and careful, the Elunite way. Seek knowledge, but seek it safely. Hence being out of the city as well." He walks around the markings and nods, "Ok perfect. This is the beginning." He kneels down and starts to chant. The sigil starts to slow faintly, "Oh it's working!"
Ga'Elian watches with bated breath, "Will it do something flashy?"
The sigil starts to glow brighter and brighter. Astaren steps back, "Ummm run?" He offers with a thoughtful hmm, "May be a layline nearby? My bad!" Turning around as he grabs his book and starts to run.
Ga'Elian turns and runs as well.
A few seconds later the sigil flashes a bright pink, and then suddenly fades into nothingness. Astaren glances back over, "Oh." He paueses and tilts his head, turning to start walking back over. The sigil has left a faint glow of fading pink. "Not what I expected. More research!"
Ga'Elian returns to look the sigil over and cocks his head. "What language is that from?"
Astaren hmms a moment as he continues to make notes, "Eldritch." Astaren offers as he continues to look over the glyph. Shaking his head slowly as he moves around and shakes his head, "Arcane language, a basis. Trying to dig into research that may be more primary, or basic when it comes to magic.'
Ga'Elian nods. "I know that my cousins the Llyranesi have undertaken to watch over the mana of Ea, similar to how my own folk, the Sylvanori keep watch on the energies of nature. Also, if I remember rightly, I think I've heard that the tongue of dragon-kind is closely related to this eldritch speech."
"Draconic, yes. I speak it as well." Astaren consider and starts to pick up the rope. "My goal is not to disrupt or damage the energy of Ea, but to understand and use it better." Astaren pauses a moment, "Energies of Nature? A third source, but many different sources, but those sources are all the same. Its, complicated?" He offers with a hmm, "But nature magic has much in common with Divine magic."
Astaren smiles and nods, "There are forces beyond touching, and changing of the seasons is well beyond anything I know. My study of the realms and I have never heard of a realm of winter, or a realm of summer. Realms of Fire, Water, and such, but never ones of nature. yet nature exist in all of them in a sense." Finishing his cleanup, "We can only harness parts of nature. Though for now I should be heading back to town, it is getting late and it is time for my prayers."
Ga'Elian smiles and says, "Well, good night, then. I should go catch up with Erithamiel, too. See you."