Legend of Ransera

Posted: **Sun May 24, 2020 1:01 pm**

32nd of Glade, Year 120

"Mirroring. Describe it to me, Taelian."

"Ah... uh -- sorry, I don't remember."

"Really?" she asked. "Can you imagine being at the court of Finla Iulide, one of the most powerful men in Atinaw, being asked if you could inform him of the proceedings of a treasurer's meeting and simply answering: I don't remember? If you're going to have poor memory, at least do so with things unimportant, so I don't need to persistently repeat myself." Her expression grew agitated, though Taelian knew it was... something of a farce. Eloise had been hard on him of late, but like much of the rest of her, it was inauthentic. He had a difficult time explaining it, but she liked to play these... games with him, feigning rage or aggravation. He assumed it was for motivation.

"Okay, well -- from the beginning. Mirroring is an off-shoot of blink, working with the mage's ability to be present in two places at one time. Mirroring elongates that period of time in which the mage is doubly present, increasing the strain and recovery time for the ability but equally allotting the mage with a benefit. Firstly, you can use both bodies however you please, attacking or defending however you wish. Equally, you may choose which location you remain in when the ability ends, either the location you 'blinked to' or the one you began at, as both bodies are legitimate and may be chosen as your permanent space. I would like for you to perform Mirroring for me, now, based on that description. Whatever your attempt may be, however, keep it brief; Mirroring quickly drains aether when performed."

Taelian nodded quietly, envisioning the ability in his head. Of course, it would've helped if Eloise had actually chosen to demonstrate it like with other abilities, but he felt the explanation was clear enough for him to work with it. The two of them were venturing through the mountain pass east of Melitene, leading towards Loregard, with Eloise swearing she would transport him to the city by portal once they had reached the end of the pass. Until then, this would essentially be his final days of training for a while. She wished for him to be ready.

After garnering some sort of idea on how he was meant to go about this, the Ebon Knight stepped forward on one foot and prepared to blink, concentrating his aether to perform the task. Even Blinking wasn't particularly native to him, so the strain was immediate. But with a second step, he blinked to his intended location, proverbially zipping past Eloise as he re-appeared elsewhere. He was still facing his simultaneous self; the one existing at the original point. Concentrating his aether, he attempted to keep it there, maintaining that split moment for a while longer. Unfortunately, though he did seem to be able to hold it for a second or two longer than expected, the original point collapsed.

Posted: **Sun May 24, 2020 1:43 pm**

He blinked once more. This time, he focused on suspending the animation itself, then perpetuating the point where his two forms were perfectly aligned; the moment where he first spawned from the other side of the blink, keeping that moment elongated. It required a sort of precision, it felt, at least at first. He had to latch onto that action the instant it 'ticked', and he was surprised that he had caught it so amicably as he did. Taelian managed to remain present on both sides of the blink, moving and watching himself -- not another self, but just him -- move equally the same. Except he was also watching himself from the other side, as well. Cognitively, it was confusing. Taelian had no clue which body he was operating, and the differing surroundings of each only left him more confused. Really... he was aware of both selves equally, at both points. He was both, and it was as if he had been doubled in all ways, yet was still controlling both ends.

The process quickly offered him a headache, and after only a few seconds he suspended it, feeling it wear rapidly on his aether. Taelian exhaled softly, at least proud of the fact that he'd learned to Mirror, but not quite understanding it or its application. He needed to defend both sides -- damage to either would damage both, and as a result he was extremely vulnerable to certain strategies and attacks. He knew that Mirroring would certainly never be very useful against a Dranoch, though he imagined in certain instances it could be. Perhaps if he ever learned Negation, for example -- a magic he very well did intend to learn. With it, he could defend allies on two different points. Again, the uses were potentially slim... but they existed.

Only, right after he performed the Mirror, he felt his Rune begin to agitate him. From his Rune, upon the center of his palm, came the flight of a few sparks of teal aether. He felt a searing, fiery pain at the core of his hand. It wasn't overstepping, though... it was something else.

Suddenly, he felt the urge to Blink. And he did, but it was sloppy, and felt strangely fragmented as if he did not perform it instantly; he felt himself whistling through the air, but realistically to an observer... the movement would've appeared instant. Not understanding what exactly it was, Taelian tried not to think about it, refocusing on mastering the Mirror. Only... his ability to Blink felt disrupted.

"Taelian... your Rune is intervening in your ability to use these abilities. I've noticed it since your first Blink in the courtyard. Blink, for you, appears to be unstable; it flickers through the wind, moving without the same intangibility. But even that aspect of it is imperfect -- whatever variation of it is inscribed into your Rune, it must be adequately trained," the Umpire stated.

"A Quirk would prevent me from utilizing an ability?" he questioned, to which the woman nodded.

"Sometimes. It is somewhat uncommon, but I have seen it before. I believe Miranda's Rune doesn't allow her to use some ability... I can't recall, though. Often, Runes give and take. Sometimes they give more -- sometimes they take more. With your Rune of Transposition, the final outcome is yet to be seen. A near-majority of the transformations come at the very end, after all."

Posted: **Sun May 24, 2020 2:02 pm**

The mountain pass was beautiful. Taelian still couldn't believe his eyes -- the sharp black colors of the peaks, capped by wintry shades of white, despite the fact that Frost was long gone. He hadn't seen Glade in the Astralar mountains, but Atinaw's peaks were certainly a beauty as well, even if they perhaps weren't as high or as vertical. Taelian often marveled at the world that surrounded him, so removed from the corrupted sludge and murky wastes of his home.

"How is Northern Daravin in Glade?" Taelian asked Eloise, as they walked towards the lodge set along the pass, open to visitors cutting from Grimholdt to the east. Eloise had supposedly been there many times before, as local lords sometimes met in the mountain roads between their abides. Clan leaders, Kinship elite, and more often the mercantile class. The Umpire appeared to have her hand in many affairs -- a fact that did little to surprise the young Ebon Knight.

"Stunning," she responded. "There is nothing in the world as beautiful as Ardón in the spring. My family estate bordered Verdiven... which, well -- the eastern end is less beautiful, but the Montien of Rouric is extraordinarily nice, borrowing from Ardón's features. Fortunately, we bordered Rouric, also the location of Nardothis, our famous magical academy. I attended Nardothis in my youth... behind it are many of my inspirations for how Melitene should be structured and built, though we have a more focused and tailored advantage to Nardothis, where one instructor mentors many students. Many of whom die before the end of their schooling."

Taelian nodded his head; it was unsurprising. Magic took a grim toll.

"I imagine that in Melitene, it is the same," he said softly.

"Yes... though the touch and expertise of a skilled mage can minimize initiation's risk of death. Nardothis' instructors are skilled mages, but -- again, they must mentor many students. Few of the Entente are initiated there; often they are placed into the absolute-most pristine conditions, initiated by their parents or mages even superior, only after being informed diligently and for days and weeks of the risks and what actions they should take in order to survive their initiation. In Melitene we do not do that, either -- I borrow from the public Daravinic view that only those bodies and minds worthy of magic should have it. To survive an initiation is to graduate in worth, in a way. A God - one of them, at least - has effectively deemed you worthy."

The Ebon Knight looked to her, curiously, a glint forming at the corner of his view. He had never quite felt that way before, particularly not with the Black Sigil. If anything, after all he'd lost to it, he felt the opposite had been true. "I have four magics now," he said.

"Good," the woman replied. "An admirable number. Your newest... what was it?" Eloise inquired.

"Reaving," Taelian answered.

"Ah. Reaving. Another warrior's magic -- we must make you a scholar yet."

Posted: **Sun Jun 07, 2020 4:28 pm**

Taelian Ela'Rannoch

[indent=30]Experience: 5 points for Transposition

[indent=30]Knowledge: Transposition: Mirroring
[indent=30]Transposition: Blinking's temporary double-existence
[indent=30]Transposition: Suspending the initial moment after a blink
[indent=30]Transposition: The Warden Rune disallows the Blink
[indent=30]Transposition: The Warden Rune disallows Mirroring
[indent=30]Politics: Northern Daravin

[indent=30]Injuries/Overstepping: None

[indent=30]Comments:

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Legend of Ransera

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