Jasper was hammering up a piece of paper on the local noticeboard. This was their fourth day in this world, and it had started like the others.
They had gained 3 worship, both of them.
Celeste had been fairly miffed that she hadn't gotten any more since she had a shrine. Jasper had reminded her that the shrine was for her benefit and that she had only really impacted one person's life so far. She grumbled and tried to go back to sleep, but for once, Jasper was the one to get them both out of bed.
Celeste had gone to work on the mine. After having looked over the schematics that Jasper had provided, she swore a bit but then agreed. To Jasper's surprise, he hadn't had to spend Worship on the way to power the machine.
After reviewing the schematics, they agreed that the lack of Worship cost was due to Jasper exploiting the world's natural laws instead of using divine power to craft them. Essentially, it was the same as when Celeste constructed the mine.
Jasper had 8 Worship left that he needed to spend. He had thought long and hard about it and had decided that the village needed a library, though not an ordinary library. It would be a test, a challenge.
The library would be for people to prove themselves worthy of his blessing. He would grant powers to anyone who wished to gain them, though they had to prove they deserved them.
The first part would be to create a library. For that, he needed books, which was why he was trying to recruit books on the village's noticeboard.
He was sure there was at least one book around since he had learned about the local herbs from somewhere. However, how many books there were would be a mystery.
With the notice up, The god of magic decided to look around the village to see if he would spot something interesting.
He walked up to the house next to the circular city square. The house intrigued him, as it seemed much more prominent than any other, boasting multiple floors and much more fine craftsmanship. Not only that but it had a very local raincloud raining around it.
Knocking on the door, Jasper was surprised to find an old man opening it. He had a bald head that reflected the early morning sun and a long beard that reached mid-belly. His eyes were leering and sharp as if he suspected Jasper of trying something.
On closer inspection, Jasper could see a small medal in the shape of a hand around his neck, almost hidden under the beard. Someone had already been making jewellery of the Hand of Magnus.
"What ya want?" The old man said, almost poking Jasper in the belly with a cane that he was using to walk.
"I am sorry to disturb you, but I was hoping to build a library," Jasper said, trying to be polite, though the old man wasn't looking pleased.
"And you think just because I am old and about to pass away, you can take my home? Poppycock! I will tell you what I told my kids. You don't need to worry about me. I will be going for many years yet! So pack your googlymoogly together or I will beat you senseless before you can even think of using some of those fancy spells that you have been teaching the youngsters!" He said, making Jasper cringe a little.
Jasper hadn't planned on using his house because the man was old. He had planned on using it because it was very central. He had also spent one of his knowledge powers to know that he could help the man with something.
Thanks to his Power "A Word Far Off", Jasper knew the man was very lonely since his kids had decided to become settlers, and he had been even more lonely when his wife had passed away.
To hear the man lash out like this and blame Jasper for his latest misfortune wasn't pleasant. However, he assumed that one of his students had conjured the rain cloud above the house as a childish prank.
Jasper sighed and nodded. He put out a hand and made all magic disappear in the area around the house using only his will and two of his Energy. The raincloud instantly disappeared.
Jasper bowed deeply. "I am sorry for the misery I have caused you. Please, my name is Magnus. If there is anything I can do for you, please let me know what I can help you with." He stated simply. The old man huffed a little but then seemed to change his mind and left the door open as he walked inside.
"Close the door before the bugs get in." He called behind himself, and Jasper entered the home.
It wasn't long before Jasper was making some tea for the old geezer. He was heating it with a magical flame, even inside an anti-magical zone. After all, it was his anti-magic zone.
"Tell me about your wife, please," Jasper said from the kitchen, hoping his divine charisma would be enough to help him out.
A second went by before the old man spoke. "She was the love of my life, no doubt about that. Her name was Juniper, like the berries... That is how we met, you know. Picking berries. She was going to use them for cooking, and I had planned on using them for some Gin. We ended up picking berries from the same bush, and before you knew it, I had hit her over the head with my basket. It was at that moment I knew that she would end up being my wife since she pushed me into a nearby lake as revenge." He said grinning. "To be young again, we were, well, 15, I think? It wasn't more than a couple of years before I started to court her properly. She was such a sweet woman." The old-timer said, making Jasper smile.
The god finished up the tea and brought it to the old-timer. Then Jasper sat beside him and started listening to this old man.
He talked about how he had gotten his children and some of the misadventures they had been on. Jasper couldn't help but laugh when the old coot told him about how his kids had been training to be hunters, though one of their shots ended up going wide, and their father had not only been interrupted in his basket weaving, but they had nearly ensured that they would have no more siblings.
Jasper looked at the man with newfound appreciation. He finally understood what Celeste had meant by the fact that Helga had resonated with her.
"Old-timer, I would like to give you a gift," Jasper said, and the man furrowed his brow.
"The name is Erik, pup. Don't go around calling me old-timer." He said, reaching for his cane to whack Jasper across the head.
"Sorry, sorry. Though I am quite serious. I have a wife, and honestly, your love for Juniper is quite inspiring." Jasper explained.
He couldn't understand how sad and overwhelmed this man must be. Even thinking about losing Celeste hurt.
"I am not going to give you my home, sonny. You are still wet behind the ears, and I need a place to live." Erik said in a stern tone of voice.
Jasper shook his head. "I know, after all the memories you have had here, I would never dare take this place from you, but I would like you to believe in me." He said, trying to sound as earnest as possible.
"Believe in you? Lad, confidence comes from believing in yourself." He said, and Jasper smiled.
"I know, but I am the god of magic. I am Magnus, and I am here because you will be my herald, my voice, my will," Magnus said, sipping his tea.
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"Don't get smart with me, lad. You are no god. You just have your fancy magics. Besides I am too old to be your herald." He said, not believing a word that Jasper had said.
Jasper smiled and slowly took off his glasses, folding them and laying them before Erik.
"I am a divine being, and I am the god of knowledge as well. I like to see you as my voice of reason, and I know that you have nothing to lose. So, Erik, will you be my chosen one?" Jasper asked.
Erik looked at Jasper and sighed. "Fine, if it will get you out of my house." He grumbled and reached out to shake Jasper's hand.
Jasper was more than happy to shake back, and as they clasped wrists, Jasper spent all 8 of his remaining worship.
"ERIK! I PROCLAIM YOU TO BE MY CHOSEN ONE! DO YOU ACCEPT MY GIFTS AND PROMISE TO UPHOLD MY WISDOM?" Jasper could feel the divine power pouring from him, and he had to yell to overwhelm the sudden unnatural gale that appeared in the little living room.
Erik gasped as divine energy seemed to spread out through the small room. "Yes," He said, and Jasper smiled.
"IN EXCHANGE FOR YOUR DEDICATION, I GRANT YOU THE GIFT OF ENDURANCE! YOU WILL REMAIN YOUNG AND YOUR BODY WILL NEVER TIRE! YOUR BONES WILL NEVER ACHE! AND YOU WILL FIND YOURSELF WITH EXCESS STAMINA! OLD AGE WILL BE YOUR COMPANION, NOT YOUR ENEMY!" Worship empowered Jasper's shout, and Erik found himself standing a bit taller, and his body seemed to weigh him down less.
"DO YOU SWEAR ONTO ME TO COLLECT STORIES AND INFORMATION IN MY NAME?" Jasper questioned, feeling like a preacher as divine forces threatened to tear the home apart. He was still rather impressed by how he made his voice boom with power and force as he spoke.
"Yes" Erik answered, and Jasper smiled.
"THEN I GRANT YOU THE POWER OF KNOWLEDGE! AS STRONG AS THE POWER OF KNOWLEDGE IS, AS STRONG IS THE LACK OF KNOWLEDGE! MAY YOUR REAL NAME NEVER BE KNOWN, BUT LET YOU BE KNOWN BY THE TITLE THAT I GRANT YOU! YOU WILL BE THE SCRIBE!" Jasper's voice boomed through the room.
This time Erik's eyes seemed to squeeze tight together as the title was given to him.
"DO YOU PROMISE TO USE YOUR ABILITIES TO NEVER GAIN PERSONAL POWER? TO BE THE OBSERVER? AND TO NEVER BRING DOWN THE SENTIENT RACES?" Jasper finally asked, doing his best to try and maintain the level of power that he was emitting.
"Yes, my lord", Erik answered, and Jasper nodded.
"GOOD! THEN, I GRANT YOU THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE PRISMATIC VEIL! MAY YOU BE THE ONLY WEILDER OF THE SEVENFOLD POWER!" he proclaimed, and Erik was filled with arcane might.
As Jasper finished his announcement, he saw the pop-up in his vision.
The gifts given to the Scribe [https://i.postimg.cc/DwC0zw1h/image.png]
Jasper looked at his new chosen, then walked over to the table and picked up the glasses.
"Magnus... I am not sure I will enjoy a longer life." The Scribe finally said, his voice still showing his true age, but he no longer sounded old.
"I know. Consider that my curse not yours. However, I will only be present in the world one week every hundred years, and I need my chosen to not be new every time I visit." Jasper said, putting on the glasses. "Though, The Scribe is a title that can be passed on. If you truly wish to no longer take on the responsibility, you can always train a replacement." The god said with a grin. "Do you want to see what your spells are capable of?" He added asked, and Erik nodded.
The Scribe looked at the God of Magic as they stood in a clearing outside of town.
Jasper had ensured that there wasn't anyone around, but he still looked at the old man with hesitation. "Are you sure you wish to straight up fight? I am a god, and I will beat you." Jasper said, while taking on the role of a god, becoming his alter ego: Magnus.
Magic burned behind his glasses as Manus flexed his arms. He wasn't the strongest, but he was still divine.
The Scribe simply nodded. "I think that you might underestimate your own gift." He said, taking a combat stance which left his cane behind. Clearly, he was just using it out of habit.
Magnus simply nodded and picked up a small stone, and threw it at his chosen.
The stone rocketed forward with power beyond anything that should be possible. Magnus wasn't the best at dexterous actions, and there was no doubt that he would miss the intended target, but it was an excellent way to underline his power.
The old man still seemed to focus and spoke clearly. "First veil - Red!" with that a sphere of red power appeared around the Scribe, and as the stone tried to pass it, the power of the barrier made it dissolve.
Magnus was intrigued, his eyes focusing on the spheric barrier, and he quickly learned the spell's effects, primarily due to this being his creation.
"Wow, dissolves any missile thrown its way... oh neat it even does damage... can be dispelled with a cone of cold though." Magnus said and without hesitation he levelled his hand at the wall.
The god of Magic poured the Elementalism magic into the sphere. It quickly dissipated revealing, what Magnus had assumed to be a sphere, had a hole in the back and The Scribe was gone.
He expected a punch or a spell, and Magnus readied his counterspell to fix that, but looking around, he found the old man standing to his right, simply smiling.
Putting two and two together, the god seemed to figure it out. "Let me guess, not much offensive potential in this school?" He asked, and The Scribe shook his head.
"Nope, ultimate defence, no offence." He confirmed, and Magnus smiled, this time throwing a Cone of Cold after the geezer.
Once more, The Scribe spoke, calling forth the spells that Magnus had taught him. "Sixth veil - Indigo!"
Magnus smiled, his spell left the ground covered in ice crystals, though it had been blocked by an indigo wall. It was impressive, for sure.
With a confident stride the god walked closer. "I think we skipped a couple... of... what..." Magnus was intrigued by the wall. "Protection from spells and spell-like effects... Am I understanding this right, if I try to cross this there is a very real chance of me going insane?" Magnus asked.
He was studying the wall, no longer afraid that he might be ambushed. After all, the Initiate of the Prismatic Veil seemed purely defensive. An opponent had to run into the veils to get hurt.
"Yup, that is true. I can show off a bit more, but I am about to run out of warding." The Scribe said, a bit out of breath.
Magnus raised an eyebrow. "How many can you cast per day?" he asked, walking around to his chosen one.
The wall was reasonably long, but not impossible to walk around.
"I can cast seven per day, though I can cast the same veil multiple times if I wish. I can even layer them. Look at this. Second Veil - Orange, Fifth Veil - Blue" The Scribe called upon his powers.
When he did, an orange and blue veil seemed to wrap around The Scribe. It was so close that it almost looked like armour, and Magnus gave a soft whistle.
"Orange is protection against any magical missiles... huh, except magic missiles... that is... odd. Blue is protection against... mind effects... Am I correct in assuming that if I cross this I will be petrified." Magnus asked, seeing how the veils moved with The Scribe.
The chosen of Magnus laughed. "Close, whippersnapper, but you get petrified and get an acid bath. Both veils pop off." The old man said, and Magnus studied the barrier closer.
He sent a gust of wind against The Scribe and expected the orange barrier to fail, but it held.
"Huh, guess I have to hit you with a magic missile to disable the blue veil and a gust of wind to remove the orange. That is neat." Magnus said, and The Scribe dismissed the veils.
"Yup, I have the third veil, which protects me from gasses and clouds and will shock you if you try to move past it. The fourth veil is against breath weapons, not sure how useful it is, but when I need it, I bet I want it. It removes your life force permanently, not all of it... most of it, though. The last veil, the violet one... it destroys anything it comes into contact with... yes, that includes anyone trying to pass through it." The Scribe smiled as he finished up his explanation.
Magnus looked impressed and nodded. "Good work... taking it that you showed off the three types of barrier. Sphere, wall, and personal shielding?" The Scribe nodded as an answer to the question that Magnus had asked.
"I do have a single offensive ability. I can force a creature to walk through the veils. Depending on how many effects it is under, I can simply point at it, and then all effects are removed. However, for each effect, they will be forced to step through a veil, from first to last." The Scribe explained, knowing his abilities better than Magnus did.
The god of magic smiled. "You know, I might need you to write all of this down for me." He said with a wide grin, both of them returning to the village as the sun set over the trees.