Apr 08 04:24:34 108 PA - Basic Introductory Magic 101
From Chronicles
Apr 08 04:24:34 108 PA.
KINGSDALE CITY MUSEUM (LIBRARY)
Rasputin is sitting at a large table, of course surrounded by large tomes. He has only 2 books open currently, and is working on his medium sized notebook, taking notes. Pausing for a few moments, then continuing to work. He does have a 2nd smaller notebook open, but he is not really reviewing it. He is softly muttering to himself, a few open letters on the far corner of the table.
Outdoors, the mildly cloudy skies are taking on the last reds and golds of a setting sun. Winter has finally broken her hold over the city. Despite the fact that this would probably be a fine opportunity to be enjoying the outdoors, Gabriel finds himself in the depths of the Museum, heading into the Library and whistling at what others might consider just a touch too loud. It has a good, solid tempo, and whatever has brought him here at this hour, he certainly appears to be happy enough.
Rasputin is of course oblivious to any noise going on around him. He is focused on his study, dedicated at unlocking the secrets of the universe. Or at least the secrets of how to move magic energy from one thing to another. He flips a few pages in one of the books, then discards it and opens up a new tome for his eyes to suck the words from the pages.
The shuffling of Rasputin's books is just enough to grab Gabriel's attention and divert him toward the short fellow. He even stops his whistling. When at a polite distance for both man and Library comes, "Evening, Rasputin. Still studying healing powers, or have you moved on to something else? How to materialize beef out of thin air perhaps?" There's definitely a good bit of good-natured humor in his tone.
Rasputin looks up from his work and tugs his beard, getting a little ink from his pen in his beard as he does this. He furrows his brow then softens his face a bit and nods, "Greetinks Gabriel, da, mink still researchink healing powers. Retracink mink steps after havink false breakthrough." He smiles, "So how does goink with you?"
"I'm well, thanks. Good to see the temperatures warming up, the leaves starting to come out. Probably see the flowers soon." Gabriel shakes his head. "I haven't seen Kingsdale with flowers yet - so I hope it happens, at least in the Park." He gazes for a place to sit at the table, and then seats himself, unlatching a couple of the higher hooks on his jacket-type piece of clothing. "What's a false breakthrough? Hypothesis that failed the scientific method?"
Rasputin nods slowly, "Da, da. Sprink dis goodink. Mink likink da days beink warmink." He nods and moves on to your second question, "Da, dis thinkink down wrong trail. So, mink had to back trackink and start a new with some of mink research." He tugs his beard and nods to a the open letters, "And widhink rudiness, mink research will be mink only avenue for learnink for a bit."
Gabriel's eyes narrow slightly at Rasputin's accent and final sentence. Perhaps his own wife never had such an accent. "Would you mind if I interrupted your research for a few minutes? I'm needing to know about magic these days, and I know very little about it, which could be very bad for my health. I have only the most basic understanding - and based on some responses, I'm not even sure if that knowledge is correct, or if it's a false breakthrough." The man smiles at the turning of grammar tables.
Rasputin nods slowly, "Da, da. Please be havink a seat." He smiles and pulls out a chair for you, "What can I be helpink you with? I'll answer dhose questions mink can be answerink, but net anyones knows all about magiks save for da gods, da." He smiles and tugs his beard again, sets down his pen, closes his notes books, and folds his hands into his lap and waits for you to ask your question.
"Okay, well, I'm told that mages need their bodies. Putting things in, or taking things off, is bad. Very bad." Gabriel shrugs as if looking for confirmation. "Anyway, doesn't matter why, but I was out battling some very, very evil mages a few days ago. One of him lost an arm to a friend of mine, and he fell to the ground. I figured, 'hey, good chance to make things safe' and blew off his other one with rifle. People kind of looked at me strangely. I thought I'd just done the intelligent thing - some of them later agreed, in part. So now... I'm confused and conflicted. Was I right? Wrong? A little bit of both?" He looks truly confused.
Rasputin blinks then tugs his beard. He starts to speak, then stops and then he starts again, "Dis mage was evil and now dis armless?" He shakes his head, "Puttink thinks into ones body. Like whats?" He seems to mutter to himself a bit, "Net understandink da question. Perhaps givink me a few more details, da?"
Gabriel considers. "Okay, I really kicked and fought against getting any cybernetics slapped into my body. Just didn't seem natural to me. But then I *needed* to learn how to use a jet pack, so I *needed* to get a gyroscopic implant." He taps a location just beneath his right collarbone. "However, I'm told that magic users like yourself would *never* get any implants. Screws up a biologic energy field or something." He waves it off. "Don't ask me, that's as much as I know about that. So... before I continue, do I at least have that right?"
Rasputin nods slowly, and chuckles, "Da, da. Cybernetics and Bionics can be both messink with ones life force and ability to be castink magiks. Cybernetics are net as bad, but Bionics can remove the ability completely to be focusink energies. Dis is true, and mink hear about some groups dhich usink it as punishments." He visabily gets a little upset then calms down, "Net good, net good at all." He thinks a moment, "Dhough, some magiks users do get small minor cybernetics. Dis net hurtink." He nods, "So, what dis da next part?"
"Yeah, I know about some people who were punished like that. Or at least deliberately maimed." Gabriel looks fairly pissed off himself for a few moments before he continues. "Okay, well, my question then is that if mages need this 'life force' to cast, I've also been told that you need your hands to cast. I don't know if they have to be free, but I was under the impression that they had to be intact. So.. one arm was off by my compatriot's sword. But the ublyudok still had a hand. So I blew it off, which made sense to me - no hands, no casting." He shrugs elaborately. "But that's the part where they looked at me funny, like I'd done something politically incorrect and stupid. Was it?"
Rasputin shrugs, "Some magiks users needink hands, some do net. Bindink up opponents bodies is good way to makink dhem not able to cast. Buttink, some can cast without gesture or requires more focuse and energy. Justink like Otherse can cast with no words. It really does all dependink." He thinks a few moments, "If dis whas a magik user and dhey were using magiks for bad. Dhen for minks, mink would puttink dhem down likink bad dog. And move on." He says the last almost flippantly, "Da? Magik's is like gun, a tool, dhich should net be used for bad." He tugs his beard, "Buttink, removink someone's limb, might have been a bit much." He chuckles.
The older man shrugs a little. "Thing is, others in the party wanted a captive, because there was more money involved. Doubling it, in fact. But personally? I figured I'd be much happier with half the money and still be alive, than to have twice the money to spend when I was dead. So.. they *also* didn't appreciate it because it opened up a new wound for the man - to be kind - to bleed out." Gabriel chuckles morbidly. "You should have seen one of my party just about shooting *me* to get to the mage to try to save his life and win the extra prize money. I'm with you - you have a problem, you deal with it as efficiently as possible. Sad, but has to be done." He sniffles as something tickles his nose. "Thanks for the information on that part. What would you suggest if I happen to find myself in another situation facing off against magic? Good thing is that I have range, no magic that I've ever personally heard of can reach me. Still, any particular way to most efficiently put down an evil mage? Not that I intend to sound disrespectful to your profession, I hope you understand."
Rasputin nods slowly, "Dwell, some magiks has a very distant range, buttink much does net. Don't be assumink dhey can't reach you. Of course, sometimes range means nlittles as dhey can be invisible sneak up, and kill you are close range." He shrugs a bit, "Da?" He says this and narrows his eyes to make his point, "And some magik's net havink to see you, to harm you." He lightens his facial expression and smiles even, "One must be careful how one approachs a mage, dhey have a wide array of tools." He thinks a moment, "In your situation, mink think peoples should have discussed options prior to hunt. So everyone was clear on objective. Otherwise battle field confusion can be gettink you killed. Double monies is good, livink dis betters."
Gabriel chuckles. "I'll do my best not to underestimate you good mages, and the evil ones." He bobs his head once, then sighs. "Yes, people should have listened and constructed a good plan first. Trouble is, when you get people who are overconfident and, or have massive egos to fulfill, they don't listen. Not to toot my horn, but I've been at war in one form or another, trained, experienced and effective for just over two decades. But I didn't have the loudest voice or the biggest gun, so no one listened when I pointed out the flaws in their plan. Didn't even have the opportunity to suggest my own." He then shrugs. "Egos are very dangerous, because they strike at you from both directions, and both directions work out for the worst. I'm sure they work that way in the realm of magic, as well."
Rasputin chuckles, "Da, da. Mink experence is with magik's it tends to be worse. Dhere is little short path to learnink, thus after spending years becomink a mage, one thinks dhey are better dhan anyone else. And insultink." He looks at the open letters on the edge of the table, "Dis like a person who wanted to be tradink magics, yet was insultink to mink. And was implyink false thinks, net knowink why. But mink will net do buisness with someones such as dhis." He shrugs, "Oh wells."
"Oh. Sorry if I hit a soft spot, Rasputin. Still, I can commiserate with you. Not in magic, but in my mundane life. I've dealt with a few people who I'm certainly not going to work with." Gabriel scoots his chair quietly backwards and asks, "Before I go and leave you to your studies - thank you for your information, by the way - I do have one more question, and I hope that it isn't invasive." He waves his hands a little. "Please, if it is, just tell me so. Anyway, I'm curios. How is it that you and others have so much of this magic power in you, and I've been told that I don't have so much as a drop to be tickled?"
Rasputin tugs his beard, "Dis how it ends up sometimes. Mink sure you are havink a small amount, all livink beinks have a small amount." He thinsk a moment, "For mink at a young age mink started trainink. Slowly drew in strengths and learninks. Dhus mink power increased." He nods a bit, "Most childrens have da potential, but fews are givink da trainink. Da?"
"Da," Gabriel agrees as he stands. He reflexively extends a hand toward the dwarf for a polite departure. "Most everyone's born with talent for something, and they can be good at it. But it takes training by usually elders, and then lots of practice to really make them excellent at their skill, whatever it may be." He smiles and latches up those opened hooks with his free hand. "Thanks a lot, Rasputin. Looks like I don't have time to runt the stacks myself before getting to my next job. I'll see you down at Yakov's later. Don't let any other annoying person such as myself come and distract you again." Wink.
Rasputin chuckles and shakes your hand and nods, "Da, da. Takink care out in da day. Net lettink da job gettink da better of you, da?" He chuckles a bit and goes back to his research. He slowly opens up the two other notebooks and begins to read again.
