faderift | Sixteen books on magic spells

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Sixteen books on magic spells

WHO: Hermione Granger and rifters (or anyone who saw her note and wants to chat)
WHAT: Adelaide is having Hermione find out about magic in other worlds by interviewing rifters ~~for SCIENCE~~.
WHEN: Mid-Drakonis and onwards. There's no deadline on acquiring knowledge!
WHERE: The default is Skyhold's library, otherwise note in the subject line if your character would have arranged to meet her somewhere else.
NOTES: Nothing comes to mind; will change if necessary.

Anyone frequenting the library has probably become used to the curly-haired young girl who's claimed a small alcove as her own. She can usually be found sitting in the corner, nose buried in a book as her brow furrows, attempting to bridge the gap between her worldview and that of Thedas'. It's not always an easy task, and sometimes names and dates get jumbled, which is why she can sometimes be found just a few steps away at the nearest table, books and journals and bits of parchment scattered about as she tries to make sense out of all the reading she's done.

Still, what at first glance appears to be a mess is actually rather organized, and for however engrossed she seems to be in her work, she's always been happy to talk to new people. After all, each conversation counts towards research, even if it isn't in the particular field she's been asked to study. Go ahead and ask around for her if you don't know where to find her; chances are she's hard to miss, and many will be able to point out the inquisitive rifter if she happens to be around.

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"That's... impressive," Hermione remarks. She has no idea how much she can believe him, and if his abilities are as dampened as hers are, there's no way for him to prove it here. But she's going to give him the benefit of the doubt, especially since there's no reason for physical abilities to be as awry as magical ones. "I'd very much like to see that sometime, if an opportunity ever arises."

Traveling to other worlds is one thing. Traveling to a moon to fight a battle with an enemy and a bunch of monsters? That's something else altogether. Still, the fact that he isn't claiming the barren gray rock she knows of as the moon is secretly inhabited by people called Lunarians, of all things, makes it just slightly more believable. "Ah. So it's not so much a moon as it is a... satellite, of sorts? Or an asteroid or some such celestial object that has somehow been terraformed?"

“I’d be glad to demonstrate sometime. I often spend time training, so you might find me there often… but really, any wide open space will do.” He dislikes fighting in enclosed spaces for this reason… while he can and does sometimes have to get by with just pure physical combat, his specialized abilities are what really give him an advantage on the field of battle.

He ponders that question. “I don’t know the full extent to how they formed it, but it sounds like the latter that you’re describing. Since the Lunarians are such powerful mages, they must have the ability to form a world out of a barren one. They’re also very skilled with mechanical things as well.” Really, that combination of magic and technology makes them a force to be reckoned with.

"No place with a low ceiling, I assume?" Hermione asks, cracking a small smile.

She's absolutely fascinated by what he says, though also a little wary. The power to create a livable atmosphere where none readily exists? Being skilled with machines and magic? Most of the wizards and witches she knows are absolutely boggled by any sort of machinery and are equal parts enthralled and distrustful of modern technology. "I see... are there any such Lunarians here?" she asks, jotting down the term and other key details. "Meeting with them would be a real eye-opener."

"Right," Kain nods agreement. "I had to fight in the middle of a train... it was far from pleasant." No room whatsoever to even use his weapon properly. The whole thing could have ended up a disaster.

The whole thing is still astonishing to Kain as well. Airships are normal, part of his life growing up, but all the rest of what the Lunarians could do... space travel and so forth... it was certainly a lot to take in. "Unfortunately, not at this time. I'm the only one from my world here, that I've noticed. You wouldn't want to meet certain Lunarians, anyway, like Zemus... and most of the good ones are locked away in slumber. My best friend is half Lunarian... he grew up among us humans, but even so, he could describe what that's like... I wouldn't mind seeing him here, anyway."

"A locomotive train?" Hermione asks, just to be sure she has the right idea of it. "I can't imagine fighting in that sort of atmosphere would be at all pleasant, regardless of your area of expertise."

The idea of someone being half-Lunarian - half moon-person, really? - boggles Hermione's mind, but she tries not to make it stand out overly much. It has little to do with magic, which is supposed to be the sole focus of her research at the moment. "What do you mean by 'locked away in slumber'?"

“Nor could I, before it happened. Ah, but that didn’t happen in my own world, though… Before I came here, I was pulled into a battle between two gods, an unending war where parts of our worlds were drawn together… including that train car.” Yes, it just gets weirder, his whole story. He’d not realized how strange any of it seemed until he’s talked about it with others.

Right, he definitely knows they’ve gotten off course, a little, though talk of the Lunarians should help re-focus it eventually. “In the moon’s core, they were able to simply… put themselves in a long-term sleep, using their magic to aid them. But Zemus… he was forced into the sleep. The moment he stirred, he attempted to destroy our world, using his powers of mind control…” He trails off, something about the topic is clearly uncomfortable to him. “He’s a good example of the darker side of magic. I don’t think magic in itself is bad, though, as with the summoners and Eidolons, it depends on the mage to use their powers for good or evil means.”

She actually draws back just a little at his continued explanation, one hundred percent certain that he's pulling her leg. But he doesn't seem to be, or if he is, he's a rather fine actor. You... lead a very peculiar life."

Mind control is never an easy topic for anyone, so Hermione lets that go without bringing it up again. She knows enough about that sort of magic, at least insofar as it relates to her own world, so she focuses on what she doesn't know much about. "Why do they put themselves to sleep like that?"

She hesitates for a moment before bringing up, "And magic is only as dangerous as a sword. If someone doesn't know how to use it or uses it towards ill means, then it can be devastating. But if someone uses it towards good, well, more often than not, I'm sure you can guess as to what happens."

It probably helps that Kain is utterly stone-faced and serious when he speaks, not a trace of jesting to be seen. He’s never thought of his world as strange, but even Korrin and Sam had both been alarmed by the things he’d revealed. “I suppose it is strange, compared to many other worlds…”

“The Lunarians slept because… they believed the time wasn’t right, they weren’t ready to coexist with humans yet. Or actually, it was us humans not ready to exist peacefully with them. They’re awaiting a day when we can all live together peacefully.” Unfortunately, Zemus had been unable to go along with that whole idea.

He nods agreement. “That’s all too true, about magic. Where I’m from, there are many varieties of it. White magic is used mainly for healing and defense, while black magic is used to attack and damage your enemies. Not that black magic is bad, though… I traveled a great deal with a black mage summoner who used that destructive magic for good causes.”

"It's all right," Hermione replies, offering him a gentle smile. "My world is a bit strange, too. I suppose the idea of an entire world behaving fundamentally different from how you're used to is bound to seem a bit weird at first."

She continues scribbling down her notes as Kain speaks, though she can't help asking, "So they all just... went to sleep? As a whole? Was it some sort of ritual, or do they share a hive mind of sorts?"

A little confused, Hermione asked, "Black magic isn't inherently bad? In my world, we have the Dark Arts, which are spells and potions and such whose sole intent is to cause harm. So in yours, black magic just implies that it's offensive rather than defensive?"

“I suppose it is. And with so many of us from so many different worlds, we’re all bound to find each others’ worlds more than a little unusual…” Even getting used to some of the ways of Thedas has been tough. He still finds a lot of their views peculiar.

“A ritual or spell of some sort. It seemed. They’re very good at mental manipulation, even telepathy,” which of course is right up there on the list of things he’d rather forget, having that voice in his head, “but I don’t believe they’re so closely intertwined that they share a mind. Zemus awoke individually, for instance, as did another.”

Huh… that’s an entirely different concept to what he’s used to, magic that’s in itself inherently evil. Kain considers what she’s saying, finally nodding. “It makes the most sense to look at it that way… yes. Black magic can include elemental spells, for instance, spells of fire, ice or lightning. We don’t have any magic that’s considered evil in itself… just occasional evil mages.”

"I'm sure hearing about my world would be just as confusing for you as it was to first hear about Thedas," Hermione acknowledges. "That's why I'm trying to find out as much as I can about as many different people as I can; it helps to be culturally sensitive, after all."

Frowning a little as she tries to process Kain's information, she murmurs, "Can they even use those abilities of mental manipulation on themselves to incite that sort of thing?"

With a small sound of disapproval, Hermione takes a moment to think of how to best explain it before settling on, "It takes a certain kind of witch or wizard to even want to perform the Dark Arts. The most the average person learns is how to defend oneself against it. Unless you're willing to make terrible sacrifices or truly want to harm someone with all your soul, most of the spells that are classified as Dark magic won't even work properly... though there are always certain exceptions, I suppose."

"It certainly does... and I'm sure there will be a lot to find out. I'm not even sure how many different worlds are represented here, but it seems like quite a few." She'll have her work cut out for her for sure, but even from a short time talking with her, he can tell Hermione is someone dedicated to learning new things.

Kain nods slowly, looking grim as he thinks further about the Lunarians. "They very well could... Zemus was able to control a half-Lunarian, Golbez, for instance, and the Lunarian blood supposedly makes people more susceptible to their powers. Though... the mind control works on full humans just as well too.

Making a disturbed face, Kain is already deciding that he'd really hate to deal with her world's Dark Arts. Just the sound of it, being willing to give up so much and be so devoted to evil... "How terrible. I cannot imagine... in the wrong hands... though I suppose it would always be the 'wrong hands' if only truly dark mages use it..." He can already see how that could go, if someone powerful enough got it in their head to listen to their inner darkness. Shudder. "Only the mind control powers seem to be that level of evil, where I'm from, and in my opinion nothing else is so vile as using someone else in such a way. Everything else simply... depends on the mage."

"No less than half a dozen, by my count," Hermione reveals, "and that's only going by those who've conceded to an interview. There's no telling if any two or more of those individuals are from the same world - that sort of thing is hard to tell unless two people happen to know one another or tell the exact same story from the exact same perspective - but at least half a dozen sounds about right, considering the non-natives I've spoken to outside of an interviewing capacity."

Shuddering a little, Hermione mutters, "There's a reason Imperio is one of the Unforgivable Curses." In explanation, she adds, "It's a curse that allows someone to take over the mind of someone else, usually without their knowledge. It's awful, really, but then, it's no worse than the other two, depending on one's point of view."

Glancing down, she admits, "We've just come out of a war. I'll agree that Imperio is awful, but... there are also curses entirely devoted to torture and death. Those aren't exactly fun, either." One of them, she knows from an all-too personal experience.

“That sounds like a good start… it wouldn’t surprise me if there was more, as well, but it may take time to get all of their stories. Still, you’ll eventually be able to compare the worlds, perhaps start to recognize them when people are from the same ones…” It’s a time-intensive process, he can tell, but undoubtedly, worth it for what they’ll learn. Perhaps a common reason why they’re all drawn here, based on their worlds, a connection. Who knows?

Kain shudders a little. “I’m sorry that’s a spell on your world as well… Nothing is worse than losing your willpower. Nothing.” He clenches his fists a moment, thinking of that more, before slowly unclenching them.

He dreads to think what might be worse or as bad as mind-control, when she mentions what the other curses are. “Those spells… it’s truly awful to consider that anyone would put them to use on another. Though I’d say death is merciful compared to the others.” Not exactly a pleasant fate, either, but even so. “War brings out the absolute worst in everyone, especially those given over to the darkness. Back home, we’d likewise been fighting for a long time… and then... there was the war in the other world I was in before I came here.” He hasn’t even gotten into the war of the gods, yet, figuring he’d focus more on the magic from home first.

"Oh, I'm sure there are more," Hermione tells him. "But I don't exactly expect all of them to be forthright. There are certainly more than enough reasons to want to hide their origins or distrust a sign on a bulletin board, and I'm not going to force it out of them. So long as people eventually come to know that there's at least one person they can go to if they care to talk about their homes, I'll keep that notice up and make myself available."

Noting his reaction to the Imperius Curse, Hermione pauses for a moment before softly remarking, "I take it you have personal experience with it." It's not a question, because a question requires response, and she certainly isn't expecting any sort of response in regards to something as sensitive as that.

"War does ugly things to people," she murmurs, not quite making eye contact. "The main reason the Killing Curse is so feared, though, is because it can't be blocked. It's one thing to die. It's another thing entirely not to be able to defend yourself... or to even see your death coming."

"Right... it may not be easy for everyone. Perhaps in time, they'll see good reason to talk." It's only practical to do so, at least that's what Kain had figured when he'd come here. He's a lot more reluctant to share his more personal matters, of course, but when it comes to the basics of his world? Yeah, he's more than willing to provide details.

Speaking of personal matters... well... Kain does pause for a moment, taking a deep breath. He'd not gone into the full extent of it when he'd originally brought up Zemus and the mind control, and wasn't so sure he was going to. But now... well... He merely nods. "And I ask that you keep no record of that fact." Hermione doesn't seem like she'll go around blabbing about this to anyone, though. "To subvert another's willpower is a deeply terrible transgression. I wouldn't wish the experience on my worst enemy."

"Can't be blocked? Hmmph. That's cheating." It's no wonder it's something considered dark and unforgivable. To Kain, a fair fight is everything, a code he always abides by, even affording this respect to his greatest rivals. "Our war put myself and others against fighters who were much like your dark mages sound... So I can believe it, that people could be vile enough to use such magic... unfortunately."

"Knowledge is power, and when people are afraid, the last thing they want is to grant power to someone who may or may not be an enemy," Hermione observes. "Maybe they'll come around in time. But if not, I can at least gather what information I can and use it to the best of my abilities."

She doesn't like hearing confirmation of her suspicions that he'd been brainwashed, but she certainly isn't going to make a big deal out of it. "It's a violation, in every sense of the word," she murmurs softly. "There's no place for sordid details in my research. I won't even attach your name to these notes, if you'd rather. Privacy is your right."

Death Eaters don't much care about fairness or codes. They achieve their goals by any means possible, and that's all there is to it. "There's evil in every world, it seems. It would be nice to be proven wrong in that, but it doesn't seem like that will be the case, no matter how many people I speak to."

"Right, and they've a right to be wary... I've been to a world not my own, so I've experienced this before. But it would be even harder to adjust if this was completely new..." That and some of their worlds are quite dissimilar to Thedas. He's seen plenty of differences from his own, but for the most part, daily life isn't so unusual to him.

Letting out a breath, Kain realizes that it's not so bad as he'd thought, confessing such a thing. He wouldn't have even come close to bringing it up under any other circumstance, but well... it was hard to avoid when talking magic on his world. "...Thank you," his tone is even more emotional than it has been, dropping some of that well-practiced calm just a moment. "It means a lot that you'll keep that in confidence. What was done turned me into someone who I'm not... and it's not something I'll ever forget." He'd never be quite the same again, not after all of that. He can only rebuild in the aftermath of it.

"Unfortunately, you're right. It didn't surprise me at all that there were so many forms of evil here, when I first found out. And they seem to always find some means to gain power..." Somehow, they always do, whether they seize it or take more sneaky, underhanded route to getting it.

"I can't imagine how I'd be reacting to all of this if I hadn't been a witch," Hermione murmurs. "The non-magical community is very different from the magical community, so going from a place like that to a place like this... it would have been beyond difficult."

She nods sympathetically at his response, and she's tempted to reach out for his hand, but she doesn't know him nearly well enough for that sort of thing. He might think she assumes his emotions are a sign of weakness, and that simply isn't the case at all. "Most of us have experienced something that has left us forever changed. And it isn't everyone's privilege to know what that might have been. I appreciate you being forthright with me, and I won't betray your confidence. I promise." There's a benefit to having never cared much for idle gossip while in school, after all.

"It's always about power," she sighs. "I'll never understand what the allure is, honestly."

Kain raises an eyebrow. "You mean that those without magic are so separate that they don't even notice magic?" That's what it sounds like, and he's trying to figure out how that would work, aside from being in their own separate land in some way.

"I appreciate that promise," he says quietly, looking down for a moment. He hadn't planned on discussing it, after all, hadn't really prepared himself for doing so. It's a difficult topic for him. He takes a deep breath, steadying himself. It's true, what she's saying, though... everyone has been through their own share of dark times. He thinks of those back home, but also in the war. "I used to question why it had happened to me... why me and not the others... I still do sometimes. But in the end, we all have our burdens to bear..."

"Neither do I." He may have his faults, things that had made him vulnerable to mind control... but none of the things he'd ever craved was power. He can't imagine ever wanting it. Personal strength, sure, that was a motivation of his, but holding power over others? Never.

"They only know about us if they have reason to know," Hermione tells him. "Say, for instance, if two Muggles - that is, non-magical individuals - have a child who ends up displaying magic, or if a Muggle forms a close bond with a witch or wizard that ends up leading to marriage. It's a relatively rare occurrence, and we have spells to keep Muggles from noticing magic otherwise, so we largely keep to ourselves in our smaller magical communities. A lot of people in my generation have been venturing out into the Muggle world, though, just because it's different enough for them that it's considered somewhat exotic."

Hermione shifts a little, wondering if she should tell him about some of her own darker experiences, but this isn't a game to see who can one-up the other. He probably wouldn't even see it that way, but this interview is about him, and she'll keep her own input limited to his questions. "Not to be morbid, but if it hadn't happened to you, there's no telling whether you'd have simply experienced something else, something you would have considered much worse for having actually gone through it. Perception is relative, after all. Either way, I'm glad that you seem to be all right now. Changed from who you used to be, perhaps, but at least you're alive and well. Sometimes that's the best we can hope for."

With a small, thin smile, Hermione tells him, "I'm glad I'm not alone in that, then. I can barely control my own life, much less the lives of others'."

Huh, that’s… so strange to Kain, hard to grasp. He ponders it for a moment, this notion of the separation of the magical and non-magical. “But wouldn’t it benefit them all to work together? Healing magic alone is vital…” He can’t imagine living without it, recovering from wounds would be a horrific ordeal if that were the case. “Unless… your mages must have a good reason to separate themselves.” Which he can only guess at. After all, the Lunarians had also had reason to stay away and sleep, keeping well away from the humans.

Kain lets out a huge sigh. At least she does seem to understand quite well, and he can certainly imagine she’s had her share of difficulties, given what she’s mentioned about her world. “I won’t deny, it’s awoken a… a darkness in me that I never had before. Or perhaps, it’s more like… I didn’t realize it was there, so now it’s become stronger…” He clenches his fists briefly. “I’ve dedicated my life to conquering this darkness, to atonement for what I was forced to do. But you’re right. Our experiences truly do make a difference for how we see the world.” If it wasn’t mind control, who knows what it might have been.

That earns a very firm nod from Kain. “Exactly. I’ve no desire to make others’ decisions for them, either.”

"History has taught us that the average person expects magic to solve all of their problems, and can get very cross when they learn that isn't the case," Hermione murmurs. "There are stories about a time when the magical and Muggle communities lived together, but then... well, let's just say that witch hunts that led to burning people at the stake, public drownings, and beheadings - among other things - made us decide that it was best that most people were left blind to the idea of magic. There are all sorts of reasons for why the tides change, but they're mostly speculative." And being in Thedas doesn't make her that much more willing to try and change magic's presence in her world, either.

Hearing him talk of a darkness inside of him finally makes Hermione reach out, albeit hesitantly, fingertips just barely brushing against his knuckles. "You don't have to atone for something that you have no control over," she tells him softly. "I understand the desire to do so, but it's not a necessity. All you can do from here on out is be the best person you can be, and try to avoid becoming a victim again. Just understand that it isn't always avoidable, given that there will always be bad people in the world. In every world, it seems." Managing to crack a tiny smile, she adds, "But you seem strong enough to be able to avoid it longer than most others, so there's that."

“How terrible. It sounds like they may have treated mages even worse than they do in Thedas.” Not a whole lot better, but even their Circles are a step above outright killing them. “Though I can… I can understand how that sort of suspicion of magic can lead to terrible consequences. Someone impersonating our king attempted to destroy all of the summoners on our world. That’s the only incident I know of, though. I hope that one day you’ll be able to live more peacefully with them, but it sounds like being separate is for the best.”

The gesture surprises Kain at first, but then he realizes that he really appreciates it… and his expression says as much too. It means a lot, to him, hearing that. “I’ve been told that before… It’s difficult, though. That’s what makes mind control especially devious. I know it was an outside force and yet… it was still my own hand, still me doing those things, aware the whole time… I’m sorry.” He doesn’t mean to go into something so awful and heavy on her. He can already hear Jecht complaining at him to stop being so grim already. “I’ll keep fighting. No matter what may happen here, I’m more determined than ever to move beyond my past. Thank you… for seeing that in me.” He has full confidence in his physical strength, but after the mind control, he’s less certain of his willpower. He only hopes it’s never tested here.

"I suppose they had. It's just so far back in the past that it's hard to really fathom. Besides... many times it turned out that innocent women had been accused as witches for some petty reason or the other. So it seems that people are just liable to mistreat people in general, regardless of their magical affiliation." Not that that makes anything better, especially in light of all of the petty hatred and violence that goes on in Thedas. "For the most part, most of us can live amongst Muggles without thinking anything of it, unless the culture divide makes them think us peculiar. I'm sorry that's happened in your world, though. That's why it's important to have a government in place that can handle magical calamities like that."

The fact that he doesn't draw away from her is good, since it means that she likely hasn't done anything wrong. "Please don't apologize," she tells him softly. "If this bothers you enough that you feel a need to talk about it, you can always come to me. We all need someone to turn to here, and we can't always count on our native 'hosts' being willing or able to lend an understanding ear. Besides... it helps knowing that other people have faith in us, so I can do that for you as long as you might need it." Heaven knows she'll probably need her own encouragement before too long, especially as she tries not to get frustrated as she relearns her magic all over again.

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