>>@SUBUBI | @ALL

[excelsus]

I may be completely alone in this, but is anyone else disturbed by the alarming dearth of rebel archivests?

Fortunately it seems that the number of books outnumber the actual people who wish to burn them which is rather fortunate because some of these things I can actually read. The Malleus Maleficarum is actually quite a facinating read if you're interested in the true barbarism of this world.

Malleus refers to a hammer and Maleficarum is the plural of Maleficar which refers to one who is wicked or depraved. In this sense it seems to loosely translate as Hammer of Witches...I laughed admittedly.

I'm certain it would be Hammer of Mages where I come from, but that is completely apart from the point.

Apparently these people believed that magic was some sort of delusion of the mind precipitated by demonic seduction through visions and dreams. They blamed the most rudimentary of problems on people, captured them, tortured them into fraudulent admissions, and then killed them.

The magic and spells they discuss are not even real magic, not as I know it anyway...unless one considers mathematics, philosophy, and general enlightenment magical.

I suppose I would define magic as the ability to expend mana...or putting it more simply, the ability to burn my accuser's face off by willing primal fire into being.

And here I thought the Southern Circles were bestial. Flaying someone alive for anomalous intelligengence, very dyed-in-the-wool dedication to the extermination of magic...and that there could be a book devoted to the finding and killing these so-called magic users.

It's certainly telling, not completely unfamiliar either. I'm certain the Southern Chantry has their own step-by-step process for teasing out mages and spiriting them away to the Circles.

Comments

[hakanai]

@SUBIBI I read in one book that you can rid yourself of an unwanted husband by coating the skin in honey, rolling in grain and then baking bread with the mixture. Why this should be labelled as magic, I cannot say; even without being some kind of ritual it would no doubt chase a partner away.

Or attract them further, if they are of a certain mindset.

You might call me a mage, though I have never used a specific word for what I do. Most of my magical skills are of an elemental nature, though I can conjure light-based illusions and have a few other tricks up my sleeve.

[excelsus]

[You can't see it, but he's laughing.]

@MINIMALCAT That's absurd! I love it, it's almost as awful as the superstitious nonsense they get up to where I am from. Placing leeches on a child's limbs to absorb any magic before it takes hold. Madness.

Hmm. We might have to share and compare, I'm able to use elemental magic as well as spirit, but I specialize in Necromancy.

[hakanai]

@SUBIBI That's a waste of perfectly good leeches. All the medical uses they have and they choose to torture children with them? Nobody wants to risk a 'magical leech' either. Can you imagine the chaos they might cause?

[He's rather enjoying himself now. Good nonsense, this.]

Necromancy? How does that work? I'm completely unfamiliar with the term but it's nothing I've ever seen outside of legends.

[excelsus]

@MINIMALCAT Oh I can only imagine the true abomination that could born. Magic draining leeches who've developed a taste for magical energies, can you imagine if one were able to feed until bursting. An explosion of magic...can't even begin to imagine what that would look like.

[He's just imagining random spells flying around all willy-nilly]

Spirits are drawn to death. A Necromancer binds these spirits to varying purposes, I can strike fear and horror into my enemies. I can have the spirits fight on my behalf. I can increase the power of my spells or have a spirit take on my likeness and fight on if I am injured in battle. I can siphon life and mana from death and curse my enemies to explode. I suppose another useful spell is being able to increase speed which makes it appear as though your enemies are attcking rather slowly.

[hakanai]

@SUBIBI A truly chaotic whirlwind... I suppose they might start to question their ideas about magic after that, hmm? With things changing form or exploding around them without any particular rhythm.

That's interesting. I have known others with some of those skills but never all of them at once; widely varied magical abilities in one person are rather rare in my home. Aside from myself I have known only a handful.

[excelsus]

@MINIMALCAT It would be poetic, to be certain, to have their own superstitious beliefs blow up in their face quite literally.

Most mages tend to focus on just the basics, enough to be able to control and master certain spells and control their influence over magic. The more specialized a mage becomes the closer it brings them to danger so it takes a great deal of skill and talent...and of course the willingness.

[hakanai]

@SUBIBI There's more to that danger than just accidentally burning your squad-mate's hair, isn't there? Fascinating.

It's been a very long time since I thought about my own power and whether I could do more with it. Conversations like this ignite that curiousity again. Perhaps I'll have to consider that as this mission progresses, and if we ever get to the base the commander insists is real.

[excelsus]

@MINIMALCAT Mages are susceptible to demonic possession, a mage seduced by and possessed by a demon can become an abomination, creatures powerful enough to level towns if left unchecked.

I wouldn't mind checking in on your progress just to see how much untapped potential you really do possess.

[hakanai]

@SUBIBI That is most definitely not a problem where I am from, though there are legends which speak of similiar. I do not envy you such a thing.

[He's not often surprised, but that? Wow.]

I wonder if it still applies in what seems to be a completely different world?

I would not turn such an offer down, though of course I would very much like to see what you can do as well.