faderift | [Open] Mage Lyfe 101

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[Open] Mage Lyfe 101

WHO: OPEN, Anders
WHAT: Mage conferece on practical magic
WHEN: Kingsway 24th, all day
WHERE: Just outside Skyhold
NOTES: Plotting post and IC announcement.

The tables and chairs are set up, there's some parchment and a few quills for note-taking, and a table on the side has pitchers of water as well as a motley assortment of cups. He's done what he can, done the footwork and talking, and now has to hope it catches and spreads.

And hope Purrelden doesn't tangle herself around something with her leash again.

[ooc: hop on in, put up a header! If you have any questions, feel free to ask them on the ooc post or ping me on Plurk at Nadat!]

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1. Through the day

He moves around, welcoming people, talking with others. At the start of the day he's visibly nervous despite how he tries to hide it, but as more people show up he relaxes and even starts to breathe. His attention is easy to catch, with a wave or a word or a snag of his sleeve. Sure, he's teaching as well, but most important right now is coordinating this first time.

2. Teaching

"As you can see, the two bricks are now more of a whole than if cement alone was used. I'll run through it again, more slowly, but if anyone has any questions..."

This is where he looks most relaxed, when he's able to simply discuss magic and share it. He knows magic. Politics and watching out for arguments are both stressful things, but magic is simple and straightforward, generally.

3. Enabling

Should a mage look a bit lost, or overwhelmed, Anders makes his way over and nods. "Can I help you find someone to learn from? Or is there some other way I can help?"

That this goes well is rather important to him. Mages could use options and hope, and he wants to start showing them reasons to have it.

4. Clean-up, aftermath

There isn't a lot to clean up. Mostly it's moving furniture. He's embracing it as he mulls over the day. That doesn't mean he's not willing to talk with anyone who approaches, though, smiling faintly and not just because Purrelden is having fun running around now that she's off-leash again.

5. Wildcard me!

[He's available for work mostly with fire and earth, but he'll easily work on things in the creation school too. Other things are less likely, but if brought up he'll give it a try. Anything you can think of, toss my way! If you've got questions about something in particular, hit me up on plurk at Nadat.]

Edited 2016-09-24 22:07 (UTC)

Teaching

Ice is Inessa's strength, has been since she was little. So that's where most of her focus is today. It's not hard to tell that she would have been a fine Enchanter had she progressed in the Circle, relaxed and in her element as she explains in a relatively straightforward manner. She naturally demonstrates as well, making sure everyone who wants to see can do so and going over her work more slowly if need be.

"This is where control is most important; when you use frost to ease pain, you only summon just enough to your fingertips or at most your palms, like this...."

"You'll want to be careful about how you line the container with ice, since otherwise you might not leave enough room. And remember to reinforce it every so often...."

"...and this way, if you don't have enough debris or other items to energize, you can still create a stable walkway. Just don't make it too smooth...."

Being a Grey Warden, she naturally gets into the topic of darkspawn. This part is less magic-focused than the rest, focusing more on ways to help avoid getting tainted due to their blood. She doesn't want to focus just on ice for this, trying to make it as applicable as possible to all.

Learning

If there's one thing Inessa loves to do as much as teach, it's learn and whenever she's not busy on her end, the elven mage will check out the efforts of others. Of particular interest is Entropy magic and general survival techniques that she hasn't already learned from the Wardens. She can be found just about anywhere, though, quietly listening whether she has the aptitude for that area of study or not.

Wildcard

Before, after, taking a break with her and Garahel? Put whatever you want here.

He doesn't have a lot of spare time, giving a few lessons and walking around the tables to make sure everything is going well, but Inessa's offerings had definitely caught his attention and have him stopping by where she's working.

Quietly he mimics what she's doing with the walkway, carefully trying to make sure it's not too smooth; no one wants to slip. But it's an exceedingly useful thing, especially considering trade wagons needing to get through snow or flooded creeks or rockslides. Mages could travel with traders just for this... and he's getting mentally ahead of himself, and the walkway is getting a little distorted.

Anders looks up and offers her a slightly apologetic smile. If there's ever any time when he needs to keep from getting too wrapped up in his own head, it's right here, today.

"Would, if you've access to some, adding rocks help keep the surface from being too slick?" It makes sense to him, but that doesn't mean the answer is yes.

Teaching

" ... Now as you can see, force magic can be used to both build, and destroy. So let us say that you want to break apart an old barn and use the wood to rebuild into a new fence for your druffalo. Observe with this structure of sticks - you would first use force magic to take down the building -- and then you would use it to construct a firmer, and better fence."

Her hand moving lightly over the sticks, she showed the delicate balance between force and just simply shoving around magical energy.

Learning

Bethany sits with interest, looking at each instructor with keen interest. She does take the time to take notes on a piece of parchment, her brown eyes flicking from the page to the instructor.

Wildcard!

Hit me up with whatever!

1. Teaching

"Now let's practice tying the barrier to a flame." North passes out a candle to everyone who decides to come to his lesson. "Once you've cast your barrier, I'll come around and try to put out your candle. This one is useful, because if you have to make camp someplace that's too cold not to keep a fire lit, then you can get some rest without worrying about being taken by surprise."

2. Learning

Aware of his own shortcomings in his knowledge, he's going to be attending as many of the other lessons that he can, especially ones that have to do with how to survive in the outdoors. He stays near the back so that his height doesn't block anyone's view, but he's paying attention and taking notes.

3. Wildcard

[In-between classes, or practicing a spell from the class that was just taught, or if you have another idea hit me up!]

Inessa gives the question some serious thought and tilts her head. "It might, though be mindful of the kind you add. You want something that will give you a bit of friction but not create the opposite problem. This is especially true if you're traveling with a cart or some such. If the weather is bad, I would suggest lining the edges with them, as a stopgap measure. Any edge you can get there might help, unless you're truly pressed for time or need to reserve your energy."

"Mm." It makes sense. He's seen plenty of things get stuck in sand and loose ground. Anders wonders if he should try experimenting with what helps and what doesn't before realizing that's a useless path to go down. They won't always have the right type of rocks, but he'll always have ice. Provided a Templar isn't present.

"Would you mind showing me the surface we'd want again, please?" Ice isn't his strongest elemental ability, but it's also not his weakest. This is something he feels he can learn.

Yes, the main point of these lessons is teaching magic, but mages also need to know what to do outdoors. It's for this reason that Anders has a few plants on a table in front of him. "And sometimes you'll find yourself hungry when there's no village nearby."

Anders picks up one of the more edible reed-like plants that grows near the river, before picking up a similar-looking one with brown veins that is decidedly not edible. "One of these is flavorful if steamed for a few minutes. The other will leave you sick to your stomach and unable to control your bowels for three or four days, if you're lucky and don't die. Can anyone tell me which is which?"

He brings her water when they've both found a short break, offering it out with a nod of his head.

"You seem to be a natural at this. How do you find it?"

"Of course. You had a good start, but you'll want to keep a steady focus. Ice may not backlash as spectacularly as fire or lightning, usually, but it's still best to be careful with how you shape it." Inessa smiles, understanding that Anders has a lot on his plate today. Still, for general reference, she'd be remiss if she didn't provide some caution.

She begins much as she did before, careful and precise. It may not be pretty, for those who prefer their surfaces as smooth as glass, but this isn't for ice-skating. The point is to get across, and efficiently at that. Inessa does her best to balance what's needed, and the result is mostly even but just enough provide even the smoothest of soles some friction.

Barriers are something Inessa has become adept at, thanks to battle, but she's never quite used it like this before. So the slight elven Warden listens, intrigued as she anticipates seeing North's demonstration. Once the candle is lit, she casts the spell and awaits his approach. A polite smile curves her lips when he does. "This will be interesting to see. I admit I've lost several fires in my time thanks to the very scenario you mentioned."

1. teachy teachy
Bruce is probably a very odd sight to be seen around here, considering everything, but he had promised Velanna and even though he found out much later (read: the day itself) that Anders was the one who organized this Bruce--well. He had already said yes, and had already prepared for this... more or less. No sense in putting that all to waste.

So here he was, having his own turn for teaching and surprisingly doing a rather decent job about it. His voice is calm and composed, almost even studious as he elaborates on the topic he had selected to teach.

"There's always more than one way to skin a cat, or however that saying went - but in this scenario its how you can ensure that the potions you make will always be at its best. Remember that heat plays an important factor in potion making - the most complex of concoctions always require the precise temperature, and that's where your abilities can come in. With control, the fire will be your aid, and not your foe."

For the most part Bruce's lesson is peaceful, although at one point a certain dracolisk makes it appearance and attempts to put its snout into Bruce's pot and Bruce has to pause things momentarily to get it back out so as not to disturb the others. Aside from that, however, things are pretty smooth. Unless somebody else does something to interrupt it, of course.

2. Everything else/Wildcard
Since he agreed to come at Velanna's request he's more or less usually found wherever she is as long as his company was fine with her. But when he's not with her he's either hidden in a corner somewhere taking a moment for himself, or off at the edge where this event was taking place, tending to the dracolisk that people will recognize as having butted into Bruce's lessons if they spot it after that incident.

Otherwise, if they catch Bruce before and right after his lessons, he'll be at the spot where his lesson had been, either setting up or cleaning up depending on the time they catch him.

He smiles back before working to focus back on the magic. It's not easy as he's trying to keep an ear out for everything else going on around them, but it's rare that magic can be practiced without distractions.

Carefully Anders copies what he sees and feels, before reaching over to run his fingers over the top of her ice path and double-check it, comparing it to his. Almost. With a frown, he resurfaces his, rubbing his chilled fingers together absent-mindedly. Once done, he glances back at her.

"Better?" He thinks it is, but she's the ice expert.

teaching;
Merrill has several different things to show today, and each one is taught with her typical enthusiasm. The first is using Enchant Weapons on regular implements. She enchants a knife with fire to slice bread and make it toasty, to start with, and also speaks about how it could be used to cauterize injuries if there are no potions or mages able to heal but someone is bleeding badly. Fire isn't the only element, though; she proceeds through ice enchantments and their uses on cold foods, lightning and how it can encourage a stubborn druffalo back into its pen, and demonstrates and/or discusses what the crowd comes up with.

The use of Sleep and Coma for medical procedures is most difficult to demonstrate. This is more of a talking point, with Merrill offering and asking for examples in which having a sick or injured who was not moving and therefore not aware of the procedure or pain or aggravating their injury could have been useful. More than one mother nods their heads, too.

Her final demonstration requires more room; magic like Earthquake and others that manipulate stone to help loosen soil, remove stones, etc. requires- well, stones. She makes sure to point out that the removed stones can then be used in other ways, including in ways that the other instructors may talk about, such as building walls.

and the rest;
Merrill is more than a little excited to sit in on the other lessons, whether she already knows what they're talking about or not. She has her small dog with her, petting him behind the ears when he's curled up on her lap or watching him as he makes friends with other people.

When there's a break, Merrill mingles as well, going up to get water more than once. She's pleased at the turnout almost as much as Anders is.

When no one else answers, North raises his hand, the sheepish hand raise of someone who's learned the difference through experience. Apostasy is harder than his father ever made it seem. Then again, his father always found other ways to feed his family, not so much foraging.

"Is it the one with the brown veins?"

Barriers are quite useful in battle, and he's come up with a few combat uses for them too. But he's not here to demonstrate those (though he'd be willing to if anyone asked). He goes around to a couple of other barriers, and indeed the candles almost flicker when he waves his hand close to them but the barrier repels the physical touch.

He smiles warmly when he gets to her, rubbing his gloved hands together briefly. "Bigger fires can support bigger barriers, too; with practice, you can cover a decent campsite. Let's see-"

He makes an attempt to pinch out the flame of her candle.

Inessa smiles as her barrier seems to hold. The flame barely flickers, as the light shimmer of the barrier is still visible. "I've used barriers often, though not quite in this manner before. Hopefully that helps with the process. When were you inspirited to create this particular method?" She tilts her head, ever-curious as to the thought-process behind spellcraft.

Edited 2016-09-25 23:41 (UTC)

Pausing in her own work, Inessa takes to observing Anders at work. Her smile lingers as he seems better able to focus this time. There's a certain beauty in focusing purely on the magic and nothing else. It's something she's not sure that her non-mage companions will ever quite understand. How could they?

Upon being asked, the elven Warden steps close and inspects it, likewise running her hand along since eyes alone don't always give enough information. After a moment, she nods thoughtfully. "Definitely better. The last attempt was a little distorted, and that could easily prove a hindrance, but this is a much steadier attempt. It doesn't need to be perfect in form, just enough to suit your purposes. This would hold nicely, I believe."

North nods, satisfied when her barrier holds up with nary a flicker, feeling the pushback of magic against his effort.

"Overall, I was mostly curious; the Arcane school was the first one I truly shone in, so when I reached the end of my lessons I wanted to see what other applications I could find. This one ended up being one of the ones that served me best when I ended up on my own." He tilts his head at her barrier. "Good work. I don't think I caught your name?"

Listening intently and without interruption, Inessa nods in approval. Likewise possessing a curious mind, she can well-understand the need to push further. Stagnation yields nothing, after all. It's far more satisfying to constantly test boundaries...in a safe and sane manner.

"Inessa Serra of the Grey Wardens, though formerly a mage of Kinloch Hold in Ferelden. I was invited to teach, but I could not resist learning a little while time permits." It's been so long, or has felt that way, since she's been in an academic setting. She couldn't resist indulging, even as she knows her time in Skyhold is usually a brief break in between assignments. "My own applications have centered on ice and spirit schools, though my new focus is rift magic."

"North Brandt, of the Ghislain Circle of Magi. Though I spent my childhood at Kinloch Hold." He gives her a warm smile. "Rift magic, huh? I've been curious about the rifts myself, but I haven't had a chance to study them." Not to mention he's a little worried about whether they would affect the bond he has with his spirit partner.

"We'll talk more later, alright?" Since he still has other people whose candles he has to try to put out. He moves through the rest of the group, seeing how everyone's barriers hold up. When he's done, he goes back up in front of the whole group and takes one of the extra candles, lighting it and setting it on the ground.

"If you want to practice, try experimenting with different sizes of flames and barriers. The bigger the flame, the longer it can hold a bigger barrier. So something like a candle can only hold a barrier like this-" he taps the end of his staff on the ground, and a barrier of light shimmers to life in a large dome over North and the candle, extending out to just in front of the feet of the front row. "-For a minute or so. But, go ahead. Someone try knocking on the barrier."

The light ripples under a touch, like a dome of glass with the consistency of water.

Edited (forgot what format I was using) 2016-09-26 02:22 (UTC)

Teaching

Kallian is nervous to be teaching, but she's doing it for her Vati, and, if her mother comes, to show what she has learned to do. Her voice is shy and a bit quiet, but her skills are strong.

Healing magic is her forte, and she offers many demonstrations on how to use magic for first aid, to mend and repair flesh--but also some slightly unconventional uses, like how the same spell that heals torn skin can be used to repair damaged leather, or how a little bit of force magic, very carefully applied, can remove objects from the airway of someone who is choking.

She also demonstrates the power of glyphs, how ones of paralysis and repulsion can be used in lieu of physical fences for short periods of time.

Learning

Being revealed as a mage has made her more willing to learn new skills, and she visits as many of the other lectures as she can. Mostly, she hovers toward the back, but her attention is rapt.

Wildcard

[Between classes, on a snack break, whatever you like!]

Teaching;

Velanna's techniques to use magic for hunting are a little unusual, but produce results. To demonstrate how she uses the same principles to cause an earth upheaval Fen is set loose in the area she's cleared, and she demonstrates how she can sense his footfalls with the help of magic. Often when hunting she implements Dalish magic as well, but here instead she throws down a gentle paralysis trap which stops Fen in his tracks, although doesn't harm him.

She goes through the different traps that can be used to disable prey, as well as giving instruction where she can on how to use earth magic without just slamming into it with the clunky force often taught in Circles (which would just scare an animal off.)

Learning/Wildcard;

Velanna had agreed to assist in this thing, but she was also somewhat curious to hear what others had to say. Often, she'll be found sitting in the back of lessons, either with or without Bruce, depending on who is teaching and which of them is uncomfortable where.

When not in lessons she can be found mostly on the edge of things, fairly awkwardly avoiding social interaction with anyone outside of her small circle of associates. The kitten perched on her shoulder might make things a little less awkward, but he's also not always there.

Clarke hasn't been here all day. The concept of practical non-combat magic is--nice, the same way the idea of not having to fight to keep anyone she cares about alive anymore is nice. Which is to say: she's not counting on it. She spends the morning in the training grounds practicing in a vortex of ice and fire that definitely has no non-combat purpose.

But in the afternoon she comes back down and hovers around, if only to be supportive, and winds up learning despite herself, and so she's still there at the end of the day when the tables and chairs need to be moved.

"People came," she says to Anders as she steps in to pick up the other end of a table he looks ready to move. It's a little congratulatory, a little wry. She's surprised. He's probably also surprised.

That they have Kinloch Hold in common perks her up, and Inessa's eyebrows raise, likely a dozen questions forming at once. She's not going to keep him from other students, though, and nods at the request. Nothing if not patient, the elven woman observes his work with the others and listens to the rest of his suggestions.

When he calls for a volunteer, she naturally steps forward. This, too, is reminiscent of her Circle days, always eager to prove herself to her teachers. Wordlessly, she reaches out to do as he instructs, observing how the barrier reaches to her attempt to 'knock' on it.

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[Open] Mage Lyfe 101

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Learning

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