Nodeist Colony

[Taelian]

16th of Glade, Year 120

"...Taelian," the woman began.

It had been around five weeks since he'd come to Melitene. In all that time, he had scarcely progressed in his magic; Taelian had mostly been focusing on refining his mastery over previous concepts, as well as revisiting old abilities. Today was one such case, learning a new application of an old power: Aetheric Redirection. Of course, as usual, his instructor was Lady Eloise.

"I'm going to channel a Kinetic blast and direct it towards you. Like I previously stated, I need you to form an Aetheric Redirection portal and send it back to me. You'll need to be quick, react nimbly, and properly place all of the necessary nodes. Now, on your feet."

Taelian focused. He crafted a node before him immediately, though Eloise appeared to notice this and intentionally moved her kinetic blast in an arc, avoiding the point he had crafted before him. She smirked; the woman was obviously attempting to teach him a lesson, and before long she made that point clear. "Taelian, craft the node after I've already aimed my ability. Aetheric Redirection is an ability centered around reacting -- fast-paced, reflexive combat. There are certainly cases where you can pre-craft the nodes and activate them as necessary to react to particularly fast abilities, but it depends on your opponent. If you believe they may be a Semblance mage, you are setting yourself up to be outmaneuvered. Remember that."

He quickly collapsed the two initial nodes, scrambling to reforge another set in their place. As he did so, the blast struck him from the side, nearly knocking the wind out of him as he was thrown to the floor.

"Sodding..." he cursed. The Siltori drew onto his elbows, moving to slowly rebuild his strength and stand. Eloise then flung another arced blast towards him, and Taelian was almost caught off-guard. With an instant to spare, he constructed two more nodes, this time blinking to the second location and avoiding the hit. He coughed, before fully regaining his composure and standing upright. Eloise curled her lips.

"At least you have quick thinking," she said. "Though my obvious intention was to force you to redirect that one; it's an essential ability to use while you're down. In fact, in many ways, Transposition is the magic of fighting on the backfoot; avoiding, countering and reflecting, disarming, shielding, maintaining awareness. At least you've mastered the evasion aspect."

"Tell me about the Thespians, Eloise."

"What of them?" the woman asked, narrowing her gaze.

"Your intention is to have me join them eventually, yes? Well -- what am I supposed to aspire to be like? I know nothing of these mages. Only their ambitions."

"Some of them are defined by those ambitions," she replied. Another aethereal blast came, quickly and directly cast towards the Ebon Knight. He created the nodes necessarily quickly, and powered by their respective streams, he generated the portal and smoothly redirected the blast. Eloise evaded by blinking, much as he previously did. Only, she blinked behind him, and released another gust of kinetic energy. The Siltori was knocked to the floor, falling forward and instinctively blocking his face from harm. He felt his elbows skid against the hard stone of the courtyard, and again cursed.

[Taelian]

"There are multiple of them," she began. "I suppose I'll begin with Regis. His full name is Regis von Graditz, and he is from the Kingdom of Lorien. Not so unified a Kingdom, though -- while magic is illegal throughout the Kingdom, it is not so in Brandt, and he serves directly beneath the will of Brandt's Duchess and Duke. Considering the power of Lorien as a nation, this is an immensely prestigious position; the Dukes of those realms are easily some of the most powerful people in all of Ransera's north."

The Umpire paused, and appeared to ponder for a moment. "Regis is a great Elementalist. In terms of his goals? Well. He does not seek something far different from what you wish for; the liberation of his people, who are oppressed by the Kindred in much a similar way as the Silver Elves. He contracts with the Covenant for a variety of reasons, one of which appears to be the construction of a powerful magical weapon. While I have not personally been extensively involved, as I do not delve much into World Magic, I am aware of the potency of this artifact. Regis and his masters are truly forces to be reckoned with."

It was a long explanation, though Taelian had surmised that she'd only scratched the surface. All of the Thespians had rich stories to tell, and many -- and a variety of motivations and commonalities between them. He still hadn't the faintest clue as to whether or not Eloise had a grander goal than simply establishing the power of the Covenant, though he supposed her goals would be made clear as he attended their debates. As of yet, he was not allowed.

"After him is Naimre, among my favorite of the Thespians. He is a man of class, but also primal sensitivities. He revels in socialization, enjoying the Customs, but inspired by his compassion he is scarcely led to ruin others. They call him the Seducer of Gelerand, and it is an apt description. If he sees you, pretty thing you are, he will surely illuminate the origin of this name."

Unlike with Regis, she did not elaborate upon Naimre further. Though... his title spelled out the place of his court. Gelerand.

"Isn't Gelerand strongly opposed to magic?" he asked. The woman nodded. "Then... how did he--?"

"Local lords do sometimes hold influence, as you must be aware. And never doubt the power of the Customs, their ability to charm, maneuver, and derail the objectives and viewpoints of others. People may imagine their beliefs to be strong, but they are often shaped by others, as well as primitive fears. The fear that the ruler of Mornau might lose their beloved Orkhan is more compelling than the grievances of New Atheism. The Covenant seeks to truly operate beyond borders. I believe we can expand beyond the tenets of nations, even if we must find the holes in their structure from which we can infiltrate."

The woman blinked back to her original location, and prepared another aetheric blast. "For the influence of the group to flourish, we must truly maintain a global presence. Otherwise, without an objective global view, we cannot steer events towards the best possible outcomes. Do you gauge my meaning?" she asked.

"Ah... yes," he said in response, another redirective set of portals expanding from the node. Her blast was sent back, and predictably, the woman appeared behind him once more. This time, Taelian quickly crafted another redirective node, though it was aimed at nothing in particular. At least he wasn't struck.

[Taelian]

"Miranda is next. Bitch."

Taelian's brows rose. "Uh -- okay."

"It's the truth. Love the girl, but few love her personality. She's become more cold and detached the more tightly she's woven her way into the court of Zaichaer -- another anomaly, considering the anti-magic stance held by the city-state. Regardless, she is very beneficial to the organization, as she is attempting to increase our toleration in the more mage-skeptical half of Karnor. Her full name is Miranda vis Anoura, by the way. And Naimre's; I forgot his surname: de Altonesse."

"Daravain, like you?" Taelian asked.

"Yes," Eloise replied. The Siltori nodded his head, sounding a 'hm' in response. "Miranda is very skilled; she is among our greatest magi despite her young age -- she's barely older than you -- and her inexperience. She is largely self-taught, too, which... is not dissimilar to you. In many ways, I see similarities between the two of you, though of course I find you more tolerable. From the very beginning, she was always crass and hot-headed. I believe that unlike most of us, she comes from great wealth."

Of course, he could only think. No surprise.

"After her comes Wylen, our World Mage. He is a brilliant Necromancer; an innovator in the craft. He crafts much of our automatons, our husks, and builds our wardrobes. He sculpts away the imperfections of our complexions. Wylen is our artist, our builder; our logistical and analytical mind. Of all of us, he may be the most essential to our continued operation. And though he does not frequently remind us of this fact, he is certain to bring it up in a meeting or two. Worry not: he is too wise to leave."

The woman explained Iridith after that, though by then Taelian had lost much of his focus. He thought of the Thespians he'd now been informed of, and the roles they would play in his life. Taelian was surrounded by greatness, but it was not quite the simplistic wonder that permeated the Citadel Gallows. These mages all had ambitions: distinct ones. They were less predictable, and perhaps dangerous, though the mutual benefit from their continued membership appeared to keep them allied to one another. It wasn't quite the Candor -- though he was certain that they played those games.

Taelian sighed. The final blast hit him, again, in the chest.

"Pay attention," said Eloise. He sighed. Whether or not he was another Miranda, there would be a struggle ahead.

[Mirage]

Taelian

Lores
Transposition: Evasive Blink
Transposition: Using Aetheric Redirection to redirect abilities
Transposition: Pre-drafting Nodes to prepare abilities
Transposition: Semblance can detect pre-drafted Nodes
Politics: The Antimagic Bigotries of the Imperium
Politics: The Antimagic Bigotries of Zaichaer

Loot: N/A

Injuries: N/A

Points 5

Comments:
This was an interesting thread. The magic itself was fun to read, but the political discussion I think was the most entertaining of all. It sounds like Taelian is getting wrapped up in something bigger than he realizes.

As magic was the primary focus of this thread, and the writing reflected it, all 5 points may be spent on Transposition. Feel free to divide them up into any of your more political veined skills too as those are definitely getting a workout.

Question your Reality,
Mirage