So apparently I am only able to write when I should be doing something else...
This chapter involves a lot explanation of the mechanics I'm using.
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Loor is lucky; the mean librarian isn’t at the front desk today. Instead, that nice guard from before is there.
“Hello miss, I’d like to purchase a library card.”
The desk worker looks up from what she is reading and smiles when she recognizes Loor. “Hello, that will be one silver.”
Loor hands over the silver and receives the card in return. Happy, he walks into the library. First, he goes to find the two Magical Misadventures books from earlier that he forgot to read. Grabbing the books, he heads to the back to go up the stairs to the second floor. This floor looks much the same as the first floor albeit quite a bit more organized. Each area had a group of shelves of a specific style, so it seemed it would be much easier to find things. He walked over to the section of floating shelves to browse.
Fortunately, he was able to find another two Magical Misadventure books he hadn’t read yet. Satisfied for now, Loor goes to the table in the center of this section to read.
~~~~four hours later~~~~
“Bwahahaha!!! Classic.”
~~~~four more hours later~~~~
“Pfft, as if!”
~~~~A further four hours later~~~~
Wisdom +1
Wisdom +1
Wisdom +1
Wisdom +1
“Greatness, such greatness.” Loor says with a tear in her eyes (total exaggeration) as he closes the fourth book he had out. Too lazy to walk all the way downstairs to reshelf the first two books, he just leaves them on the table. He does, however, put the other two back where they belong.
I should probably get some more information now, though I really want to find more magical misadventures books…I wonder who wrote them
Fun fact: It was the central AI
A few more books catch his eye. Specifically Manipulating the Elements: The Theory Behind it All, and
A Better Weapon for a Better You: Magic Staves Edition. Bringing the two books back to the table, he buckles down for some serious learning.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Manipulating the Elements: The Theory Behind it All~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The six elements of the natural world: Earth, Fire, Water, Air, Light, and Dark each have different specific properties that must be understood before attempting to utilize them.
Ubiquitous Earth is the easiest element to find in abundance. Earth forms strong bonds with itself, making it easier to manipulate large amounts than the other elements. However, Earth is the most susceptible to manipulation by the other elements, and—due to the tendency to ‘clump’—when one part is affected generally the entire section gets drawn in as well. Earth is also the heaviest of the elements, partly due to the attraction that the great amount of Earth in the ground exerts on any Earth not attached to it. It’s weight and attraction causes it to be extremely difficult to penetrate.
Slippery Air, as easy to find as earth, though in lesser concentrations, is the most difficult element to manipulate. You must encase the entirety of the clump of Air, on all sides, with internal mana. If this is not done, the air will escape from the gap with unwanted—but usually fairly amusing—effects. Air cooled to a sufficient temperature will convert into Water; heated to a sufficient temperature, it will spontaneously convert to Fire. As such, air is the most changeable of the Four true natural elements. Air is the lightest of the Four and is very good at slipping through even the smallest chinks in armor. This property grants it the greatest penetrating power.
Hungry Fire has a very special property. It has the ability to consume and convert Air in sufficient concentrations into itself. Certain mixtures of Earth and other elements are also easily consumed by Fire. Fire forms extremely loose bonds with itself, second only to Air, and cannot survive long without at least one other mote of fire nearby. This property causes it to have the shortest life of all elements, ensuring that it does not consume the entirety of the world. Due to its consuming ability, Fire has the greatest destructive power of the elements and often clings to its target even after it no longer receives directions.
Soothing Water is the antithesis of Fire. When Water comes into contact with Fire, both motes are converted into different elements. Water converts to Air, while Fire converts to Earth. This allows the balance between the four elements to be kept. The bonds that Water forms are quite tight, second only to Earth. This quality allows for Water to easily convert an equal volume of Fire while not totally losing cohesion. The special strength of its bonds, not too tight and not too loose, allows it to be the most diverse of the elements, and the easiest to manipulate. However, it is offensively the weakest of all.
The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.
Light and Dark are quite special. Not only are they solely produced by living things, but they also stand above the other four elements. Not affected by them, but affecting each in the same way. They are further unique in that the Two are the only elements that can be safely infused into living creatures.
The basic form of Light, white light, when concentrated and directed, converts itself into one of the Four. This property allows one to increase the concentration of a specific element in one’s body in order to further align them with that element. This principle is how the spells known as “buffs” work. Furthermore, White light can be infused with the power of one of the gods in order to actually restore an injured being to the pink of health.
Advanced Light magic, which we will not be covering in detail here, involves separate colors of light that each has a unique property.
Dark stands exactly opposite Light in that when directed, it can absorb and destroy any of the Four as well as Light. However, when it absorbs Light anywhere, Dark is destroyed as well. Furthermore, anytime it absorbs any element in a living being, it is similarly destroyed.
Advanced Dark magic involves combining Dark with one or more elements in order to achieve different effects. However, we will not cover this process here.
Now that you understand the interactions between the elements, hopefully you will be able to control them better. If you found this book helpful, don’t forget to read the sequel; Manipulating the Elements: Basic Spells for Beginner Mages.
Intelligence +1
So the elements actually interact with each other? So realistic!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Better Weapons for a Better You: Magical Staves~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Many different factors must be taken into account when selecting any weapon. The desired properties for a staff are very different from those of other weapons.
First is the ability for the materials of the staff to conduct mana easily. For best results purely for mana, the staff should be made of either metal, wood, or gemstones. In order of conductivity, it goes certain types of wood, certain types of metal, and gemstone. Wood is in general the best material for a staff due to this and some other properties that it possesses. The bones of certain rare magical creatures work just as well, though normal bones do not.
Wood is highly absorbent of ambient mana. This property causes a synergistic affect whenever a spell is channeled through the wood of the staff, slightly amplifying the effects of the magic. The amplification can be increased by placing small, thin parts of a magical creature within the core of the staff. Generally, the amount of magical creatures that can be used as pure amplifiers is greater than the amount whose bones can be used as staves alone. Furthermore, the bones of a magical creature do not need this assistance to increase the strength of the amplification, as the mana inherent in that creature works perfectly well.
The brain or heart tissue of a magical creature is the best used for amplification. A few powerful amplifiers are dragon, unicorn, gargoyle, chimaera, and manticore, however many more than just these exist. In fact, finding these creatures is quite difficult in and of itself, let alone killing them and using their body parts.
Finally, a focus should be added in order to force the mana conducted through the staff to be discharged from a specific point. Generally, crystals and gemstones are used as a focus, though expensive, high purity mithril works just as well.
Now you know all of the things you must watch out for when choosing a staff. Have fun buying your new weapon!
Intelligence +1
Whew! I really need to stretch a bit.
After his sixteen hour study session, Loor decides to go back across the street and try to do some more staff training.
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Sorry about how short it is and how long it took.
Please, questions, comments, criticisms are greatly encouraged. (please point out any continuity problems, if they are there they are likely unintentional)
Thank you for continuing to read!
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