After a long night and a long morning, Checking and rechecking all the books and all the knowledge he had at his disposal. Krs Promptly fell asleep. Waking to the sound of A bitter silence as well as the warm and inviting voice of Mrs Clock telling and tolling that 11:00 o'clock had come. Not wishing to Skip lunch or the lessons that he hoped came after. Krs picked up both the guidebook for Narsinia and Nersinia and left The Spartan room.
Having eaten his fill of some sort of crunchy salad, Krs went looking for the flag with his cohort's name on it. The only problem with this was that half the schools was seemingly doing the same, and trying to decipher writing while jostling Was not a skill, he was proficient in. At last, he thought he saw them as they were going out of the cafeteria, running to catch up, he saw that the class was Very reduced from its former Numerical glory.
getting himself as close to miss lIongard as he could, Krs could hear grumblings It seemed to him a repetitive. “Stupid fecking kids.......... Arrogance........ Wham Right in the soul!” After walking for a while, they came to a hall set with multiple classrooms, and miss lIongard started talking. “This here is the beginning corridors. Since you all passed the rigorous entrance exam, we can safely say you know a bit about magic. But everyone has blind spots. I myself am a terrible alchemist. So, this is why we have these beginning halls so you can be taught the basics before we assign you to teams. Now the basics will be thought for about a year So have no fear in that regard. Rather, you should all fear not to be picked by a team, for you must remember at the end of every year you will have to go down one level of the dungeon. Now I know I've said this before, but colours are supposed to complement each other, Too much red, some yellow, not enough blue? Some pink might do in a pinch.”
At her words. There was much nodding and very few questions, so buoyed by the informality of the entire thing. Krs asked “Miss. I was reading the book and came across a curious thing. I know all the lessons do not cost points, but it said if we take the lessons we will be graded and given points Based on how we do. So, my question is this: Who decides how we do?”
Seeming quite a bit shocked that there was someone's voice flowing through the air other than her own. Miss lIongard answered “Well, you see, the teacher of your class will decide Your grade based on many different criteria. You would, of course, not get a pure teacher. To see one of the teaching staff requires points, and quite a hefty amount of it. None of you can afford Classes where the teacher is a pure teacher, But the classes you are able to take will be taught by the older students at the school. And their incentive is the better you do, the more points they get, so they can spend it on better classes. that answered the question? Never mind see over there.” Shaking her head and pointing towards a sort of booth at the end of the hall. She said “That is where you sign up for classes, As I just said, they are free. Do try your best. There are other classes other places, but you will have to find them. Now I have done my duty we shall meet each other at lunch in a week. If you have any other questions, there is a golem in the cafeteria that can help you. Goodbye.”
And with that, miss lIongard sashayed out of the lives of her current Cohort for a week. And the cohort split into many Different groups trying to get a glimpse of what lay beyond the doors. Krs Immediately went up to the Booth. He saw there something he had never seen before, an old Narsinian servant. With the mask and the entire getup, he was unmistakably an Narsinian and servant. And what's more he spoke “Please write down What classes Hold your interest. It is Recommended that you take the classes with the diamonds on the side, but you are not Required to do this.” In a low, monotone voice, the elder servant robotically stated. “Here are your Possible classes. For today.” Krs look down on the class list and saw.
Elementary mana channelling: short course on how to use the wonder of Mana. 7 hours. 0.1 N-points at finish.
Elementary mana changing: short course on how to make mana aspected. 7 hours. 0.1 N-points at finish.
Elementary Evocation: short course on the Philosophy, Strength and weaknesses of the way of evocation 11 hours. 0.1 N-points at finish.
Elementary conjuration: short course on the Philosophy, Strength and weaknesses of the way of conjuration 11 hours. 0.1 N-points at finish.
Elementary transmutation: short course on the Philosophy, Strength and weaknesses of the way of transmutation 11 hours. 0.1 N-points at finish.
Elementary meditation: short course on Reflecting and the betterment of self 100 hours. 1 N-points at finish.
Elementary druid craft: Short course on the Philosophy, Strength and weaknesses of the way of the druid 20 hours. 0.2 N-points at finish.
Pointing down after reading it Krs asked “When does the elementary mana channelling start?” A voice Bereft of all emotion said “All subjects that are required to go through before passing Start at the beginning of every hour. All subjects that are required for mana Wielding Start every half hour. If you wish a real teacher and not a managram, the teachers come out and gathered students an quarter of an hour before it starts. Be warned, the teacher Gets half your N-points at successful completion of course. Course subject Can be read at right off door, third door to the left Elementary Mana channelling Starts in 3 minutes No, teacher.”
“Thank you. I'll be going then.” said Krs And went to look for the third door on the left. Finding it quickly He was amazed that the room was in an entirely different style from the rooms He was used to seeing, He was also quite shocked to see so many of his fellow students. Krs thought you had been pretty fast, but apparently not fast enough, the place was quite full to bursting. Finding a seat at the Back. He waited Excitedly for this thing called magic to reveal itself to him.
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As the bell brought attention to the starting of the hour, so too did something happen in front at the lectern. A fussy grey BLOB Grew arms Answer legs and then subsequently, started writing on the massive blackboard behind it. As it did so, a voice Like cloth rubbing on cloth Came from the thing. “Mages, Wizards, warlocks, all spell casters and quite a few Warriors use mana in many shapes, And deadly sizes. There are as many ways to use Mana as there are peoples, nearly everyone we have met in the multi-planes Uses it, and they use it strangely. This gives us a small little truth. Mana wants to be used! Yes, you heard that right mana always wants to help you and to make things more. This makes Mana and its subsequent spells incredibly dangerous to use, the numbers we have Been able to puzzle out. Show that if you use mana in daily life, you have a 50% chance of dying of mana. Be that mana feedback, mana saturation, Spell feedback, spell saturation, Rogue vitality mutation, Controlled vitality mutation. Let's just all say mana is dangerous things, it wants to help you and the way you make it help you Is by using your will.
Now one of the oldest Ways to use Mana was to let it naturally sit inside of you, only using it as spells. To simply push mana into oneself and out of oneself, as needed, this is the way most of the mythical magic creatures do it. To not direct the mana in anyway but to let it bond with you, naturally creating mana linkages, throughout your body, mind and soul. Now this is of course the most Ancient of ways, And incredibly inefficient. It only has one upside, Many, many years from now if you became become 7th circle wizard, you will have a much easier time Advancing along your path. It may give high rewards at higher levels, but it is very, very hard to survive until those levels.
We here at the school do not think this is the right way to do things, The sheer time, your body, and your mind and soul Will have to be infused with mana is mind blowing. It will literally take you years, years you do not have if you wish to graduate from this place. Now lately it's been popular to use mana pathways, that is, say, to let the mana flowing in you an into you and out of you into a specific shape. Runes I have Observed lately been a particular favourite. But you can mimic all sorts of pathways. Find an animal and use that. Use freely available shapes that your forebears have come up with.
Mana Pathways is used by your fellow students at almost 50%, That is to say, half of your fellow students have some sort of pathway within them. This is also the reason why we heartily endorse you using them, as you go along your path, you will be able to learn from your fellow students. But anyway, that's the pathway Path. Not for everyone, but very good. Something that was Used when I was young Is the path of the foci. Now a foci can be many, many different things. A book a familiar, Staffs and wands are particularly favoured And I'm sure you can all see why they are much, much easier to aim.
There are currently not many that use foci, but it's very Normal to see new Spell casters with Staffs and wards. This is because of the ease of casting and because most first circle wizards cannot cast a spell Just from the Beginning pathways. So, first circle. It's when you draw mana into yourself, and then change yourself to suit the mana. That is to say, let go of your Ideal of yourself and become the perfect vessel for the external mana to stay within. Surrender that you might have Control. You will become a 1st circle caster When you can power an entire pathway or an entire spell Without passing out from mana exhaustion. So, there's always someone please come to the front if you think you're above this, there's always someone that has trained really, really hard. Or am already a third circle, or second circle. I'm giving you a chance right now to come up. Show me that you are at least First circle, And I shall let you go with your Full allotment of points.
Any takers? Any at all.” As the BLOB looked about seemingly 10 Of the current students stood up and walked over. “Ah, yes. Brave souls, come one come all.” As the students approached the lectern The BLOB waved towards a side table were a small ritual, circle had been set up. “Yes, please. An entire rotation through the ritual circle, please.” As they started Pouring mana into the ritual circle Krs Leaned forward to try to Learn as much as he could. It seemed like it was slow going as first one, then two and four, then six Came up and the BLOB nodded. “Yes. Yes.” Before a very big, very well-muscled man at the end of the line Shouted. “Sod this, I'll just show you, my might.” And started casting something on himself, it really did seem like he would succeed, but at the Culmination of his spell, he had the great misfortune of sneezing.
With a sudden look of horror Upon his face, the mana did a weird uncoupling on him. It really did look like someone was peeling an onion, only there was a person. First layer of mana went off, then it snaked around again, and a layer of skin and blood and muscle came off. With a simple squeak the man was Torn into a long strip, as the mana surrounding the strip of what had once been a man. Pulsed out with a red light once, twice and then gave up entirely, as all the blood and viscera of the man Flowed through the Amphitheatre. With a great deal of shouting all the students Tried as hard as they could to stay away from the former man's insides. As the BLOB person did a little laugh He started saying “Now I'm supposed to stop the class Here, and you're supposed to all have to go back. But I see this is an absolute success, Will you stop shouting please? If you're really that disturbed, just go through the door again. Shoo, shoo, go on rid us of your stupidity, Once and for all.”
As most of the class ran towards the exit's KRS found himself sitting and waiting. Strangely enough, three other people were also waiting, and also sitting. As the final student Hurried through the door, The BLOB person looked up at the remaining students and said. “Good! At least there is someone here with some fucking stomach. I never understood why they allowed the students to be coddled, so shall we go on with the lesson then? Or would you like a better lesson? Perhaps a little Lesson on what one does one find such excellent meat and from a magician, no less. This stuff goes for a pretty penny, I might say, and not being corporeal, I have some trouble, Selling things. But you look like four good strapping chaps, perhaps if I taught you a little spell to put the body in. I might also know where you can sell it for a not insurmountable price, though you would undoubtedly be paid in ghost food. And that is not something I would wish on anyone, but maybe there was a ghost of some Poor teacher that really did Want that food and could give you? Lessons? This is just a hypothetical, you see. And seeing as I'm a managram of three of the needed lessons you will need, before you are allowed to delve the dungeon. Well, I'm a good friend to have now aren't I.”
Seeing the other students look over at Each other. Krs thought back to the book from the other KRS, within it, he left many Tips and tricks, but one of the foremost among them when starting out Was: Always get a leg up on your competition. Now, he wasn't really sure what that was, but this really did seem like a leg up situation. Something that steeled his will and increased his confidence in the current scheme. There was also something within him that said to beware, something that had grown in him as he was a servant on this place. That something told him to beware of the BLOB thing, for as he looked at the four youngsters His smile was less of mirth and more of a predator waiting.