Chapter 89 Palace Days IV
When you study the forces of creation,
you should be at awe.
When you study yourself,
You should be open to anything.
Jalier, Master of the Elements.
"Your Majesty, Lord Gemhand is still waiting for you at the meetings room," Tasiya points out as I make my way back in the blue carpeted halls.
"I'm aware. Let him wait. I'm not done with my studies yet." I enter my vast chambers with a fast step. I ignore the roaming maids or the nice murals, and reach for what's really important, the empty page in my open grimoire.
I need a gravity spell that defends from energy attacks.
A spell forms on the page as my gravity mana is drained from my pool.
Alino’s Orbiter
Names: Alino’s Orbiter, Orbiter.
Element: Gravity
Sub element: Orbit
Level: 0
Words: kalidor
Translation: circle
Quicken: X
Patterns: 4
Gestures: X
Offering: X
Requirement: a physical object.
Range: 5 meters
Target: any physical object within range at the weight of 10 kilograms or below.
Duration: 1 minute
Effect: the spell will attract an object of choice to the caster, and make the object circle them. The object will jump in harm’s way for the caster, and will block anything the gets too fast to the caster. If the object has a pointy or sharp end, it’ll automatically aim those ends at the approaching object or creature. If the object has a wider surface of more than half a meter, it’ll automatically aim the wider surface at the approaching object or creature. if it has both, the caster will set the priority.
Objects that are flying fast toward the caster can be pulled into orbit by casting this spell on time.
Cost: 9 gravity gems
Bound cost: X
Altered cost: 6 gravity gems for each pattern.
Definitely useful… but not foolproof. What about a different element?
I place my hand on a new empty page. I need the best defensive 1st level spell… actually no… I’m guessing the best spell will probably be earth, and probably way too many patterns…
I need the cheapest water cantrip that will allow me to block energy attacks. Mana drains from my topped water mana pool.
Ayla’s Flowing Shield
Names: Ayla’s Flowing Shield, Flowing Shield, Water Bubble.
Element: Water
Sub element: Water
Level: 0
Words: nu nim uwal aloki
Translation: me water unlimited cover (unlimited water cover me)
Quicken: X
Patterns: 5/3*
Gestures: aimed hand
Offering: X
Requirement: temperature above -1c or below 100c. /*25 liters of existing water.
Range: self 2 meter round diameter.
Target: self
Duration: channel
Effect: The spell will summon a torrent of water and turn it into a bubble that continuously flows around the caster. The visual through the bubble is murky, but possible. The water is capable of disrupting light physical objects, dousing flames, and attracting electricity (the water does not touch the caster while the shield is active and will not lead the electricity to the caster.) The water does not move with the caster, requires the caster to be stationary./*existing water in the vicinity will lower the cost and the patterns required to cast this spell.
Cost: 10/6* water gems for the initial cast, 2 gems per second to maintain.
Bound cost: X
A cantrip? A five pattern cantrip… peak cantrip… but a cantrip! I can learn this easily! It takes the water jet and turns it into a dome. Yeah, it won’t block something from below, it won’t even block something heavy thrown at me… but it’ll block fire and lightning. I got my red bubble for anything physical, I can combine the two... I wonder if there’s a stronger version of that red shield I use…
I place my hand on a new page. I want the stronger version of Tukado’s defense.
The book drains up all of my gravity mana and even takes half of the remaining mana from my necklace too. Spells form on five different pages. This has never happened before.
Tukado’s Lesser Shield II
Names: Tukado’s Lesser Shield, Lesser Shield, Standard Barrier, Blocking Barrier.
Element: Gravity
Sub element: Repulsion.
Level: 0
Words: Myrsha samir
Translation: gravity protects
Quicken: X
Patterns: 5
Gestures: Thumbs, index, middle finger raised.
Offering: X
Range: 1 meter diameter around the caster.
Target: self
Duration: 5 seconds after cast.
Effect: creates a repulsive kinetic bubble around the caster that lasts for 5 seconds. The barrier will block any physical objects or creatures that approaches the barrier up to total of 100 kilograms, the speed of the projectile has no influence, only the weight. If the total weight exceeds 100 kilograms the barrier will break and slow the object instead, objects above 250 kilograms will break the barrier instantly.
Cost: 10 gravity gems.
Bound cost: X
Altered cost: 6 gems per each added pattern.
Tukado’s Defense III Yellow
Names: Tukado’s Defense
Element: Gravity
Sub element: Repulsion
Level: 1*
Words: Myrsha, nia tsaf lah! Rasefi ni risif fel samir!
Translation: Gravity, I command you! Wrap yourself around me and protect!
Quicken: Myrsha ni risif fel samir!
Patterns: 12
Gestures: attach thumbs, indexes, and ringfingers to one another.
Offering: 5 rose petals
Requirement: X
Range: self
Target: self
Duration: 1 minute
Effect: creates a yellow kinetic bubble around the caster. The bubble will block kinetic force attempting to breach it. 500 kilograms of kinetic force will degrade the bubble to orange and will lower the duration to 5 seconds. The bubble prevents the movement of the caster. However, the bubble will not stop a fall, and will fall with the caster. The bubble will absorb the kinetic shock of the fall.
Cost: 50 gravity gems.
Bound cost: 35 gravity gems.
Altered cost: 5 gems per alteration patterns.
Tukado’s Defense IV Green
Names: Tukado’s Defense
Element: Gravity
Sub element: Repulsion
Level: 1*
Words: Myrsha, nia tsaf lah! Rasefi ni risif fel samir!
Translation: Gravity, I command you! Wrap yourself around me and protect!
Quicken: Myrsha ni risif fel samir!
Patterns: 16
Gestures: attach thumbs, indexes, and ringfingers to one another.
Offering: 10 rose petals
Requirement: X
Range: self
Target: self
Duration: 1 minute
Effect: Creates a green kinetic bubble around the caster. The green bubble will block a higher amount of kinetic force attempting to breach it. 1 ton of kinetic force will degrade the bubble to yellow and lower. The bubble prevents the movement of the caster. However, the bubble will not stop a fall, and will fall with the caster. The bubble will absorb the kinetic shock of the fall. In addition, the green bubble will also block gas and wind. Wind will degrade the bubble to yellow faster than kinetic force will. Air within the bubble is limited to 20 minutes in case of prolonging alteration patterns
Cost: 65 gravity gems 5 wind gems
Bound cost: 40 gravity gems 5 wind gems
Altered cost: 5 gravity gems per pattern. 1 wind gem per pattern.
Tukado’s Defense V Blue
Names: Tukado’s defense
Element: gravity
Sub element: repulsion
Level: 1*
Words: Myrsha, nia tsaf lah! Rasefi ni risif fel samir!
Translation: Gravity, I command you! Wrap yourself around me and protect!
Quicken: Myrsha ni risif fel samir!
Patterns: 20
Gestures: attach thumbs, indexes, and ringfingers to one another.
Offering: 15 rose petals/lion’s claw.
Requirement: X
Range: self
Target: self
Duration: 1 minute
Effect: Creates a blue kinetic bubble around the caster. The blue bubble will block a higher amount of kinetic force attempting to breach it. 2 tons of kinetic force will degrade the bubble to green and lower. The bubble prevents the movement of the caster. However, the bubble will not stop a fall, and will fall with the caster. The bubble will absorb the kinetic shock of the fall. In addition, the blue bubble will also block the influence of temperatures, fire or cold will not pass. High or low temperature will degrade the bubble to green faster than wind or kinetic forces. The temperature within the bubble remain the same as the temperature before the cast.
Cost: 85 gravity gems. 5 fire gems. 5 water gems. 5 wind gems.
Bound cost: 55 gravity gems. 5 fire gems. 5 water gems. 5 wind gems.
Altered cost: 7 gravity gems. 2 fire gems. 2 water gems. 2 wind gems. Per pattern.
Tukado’s Defense VI Purple
Names: Tukado’s defense
Element: Gravity
Sub element: Repulsion
Level: 1*
Words: Myrsha, nia tsaf lah! Rasefi ni risif fel samir!
Translation: Gravity, I command you! Wrap yourself around me and protect!
Quicken: Myrsha ni risif fel samir!
Patterns: 25
Gestures: attach thumbs, indexes, and ringfingers to one another.
Offering: 15 rose petals/lion’s claw.
Requirement: X
Range: self
Target: self
Duration: 1 minute
Effect: Creates a purple kinetic bubble around the caster. The purple bubble will block an enormous amount of kinetic force attempting to breach it. 5 tons of kinetic force will degrade the bubble to blue and lower. The bubble prevents the movement of the caster. However, the bubble will not stop a fall, and will fall with the caster. The bubble will absorb the kinetic shock of the fall.
In addition, the purple bubble will also block the influence of energy, sound, electricity, plasma, and radiation. Energy in all its forms will degrade the bubble faster than temperature, gas or kinetic energy. The bubble cannot block light, and in return, it is translucent purple allowing the caster to see but not hear what’s going on outside of the bubble.
Cost: 130 gravity gems. 5 wind gems. 5 fire gems. 5 light gems. 5 water gems.
Bound cost: 80 gravity gems. 5 wind gems. 5 fire gems. 5 light gems. 5 water gems.
Altered cost: 10 gravity gems. 3 wind gems. 3 fire gems. 3 light gems. 3 water gems.
Note: This is one of the strongest 1st level defensive spells in existence. Its notable weaknesses are the immobilization of the caster, and light.
Now there’s an interesting spell… let’s see… depends on how many patterns I put in it, it’ll block more things… the lesser shield I’m already using as a cantrip is the red version… this is a rainbow…
The upgraded version is a cantrip of five patterns… only orange and it will blocks physical objects entirely for the five seconds duration… it has a pressure limit though… I can cast this easily enough… good to learn it, even the chant is the same.
The yellow version is the 1st level spell… it’s the same as the orange version, only it lasts for a minute and can hold more pressure… it also requires 12 patterns… Useless at the moment… not if it won’t let me cast anything else…
The green version is the same spell with 16 patterns… but it’ll also block gas and air particles… so it’ll stop wind blades or gas based magic as additional to physical attacks… it seems useful but I can’t maintain 16 patterns yet…
I wonder if I have to bind an elemental for each of them, or binding an elemental to one binds all of these together?
The blue version needs twenty patterns… this will block temperature too… even fire! But it doesn’t block light or lightning…
The purple version needs twenty five patterns… this literally blocks anything except light… and also doesn’t weaken faster at energy attacks… Best part about this spell is that it won’t block my vision while casting it… it’s a defensive bubble… in turn, it won’t block light attacks though… so there’s a downside to that…
There should be a white version… but why doesn’t the grimoire specify more on that? Maybe it’s considered to be a 2nd level spell?
Doesn’t matter… as much as I love the idea of a shield that blocks anything, I need something I can use right now… This may be a gravity spell to blocks lightning and energy attacks… but the amount of energy it needs tells me that gravity is the wrong element to block energy… The orbit cantrip is better… but I’ll need to carry something metallic to use it… Or a large shield… I don’t like the idea of carrying a large shield everywhere.
Let’s focus on the water cantrip, one step at a time.
Fifteen minutes later I have a flowing water dome above and around me. I dismiss the cantrip and my room is flooded with water.
“Well done, Your Majesty!” Tasiya claps.
Why is she still here? Is she trying to make herself a nuisances today? “Was that sarcasm?” I raise an eyebrow at her.
She clears her throat. “It may have been. I do not appreciate having my girls clean the water, Your Majesty. I do not think you’ll take my head for that.”
Right... she's testing how humane I am? What my boundaries are? Comparing me to Luard? I fake a chuckle. “No. I won’t. Nim uriss shanim.”
You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.
Wait, I also wanted a cleaning spell… other than Nimuwal… Salik is right about that, there should be a cleaning spell, I won’t always have maids around…
Is it really a priority? Is it worth wasting a page from this grimoire? I only have a hundred of them...
I want to try… A hundred is a lot, I won't learn anything about magic if I just save these pages... I place my hand on an empty page. I need a cleaning spell
Nothing from the page.
I need a cleaning spell that cleans cloth.
Oniga’s Cloth Cleaner.
Names: Oniga’s cloth cleaner, Oniga’s cleanser, Oniga’s laundry.
Element: Transmutation.
Sub element: Cleanse
Level: 0
Language: Revis
Words: Or shakat
Translation: one/true cloth
Quicken: X
Patterns: 6
Gestures: X
Offering: Sheep wool/goat wool*
Requirement: X
Range: touch.
Target: Dirty cloth within range.
Duration: instant.
Effect: The spell will instantly cleanse fabrics and tailored clothes from all foreign elements. This includes drying the cloth from water.
Cost: 30 earth gems, 10 light gems.
Bound cost: 17 earth gems, 7 light gems.
Altered cost: 10 earth, 5 light for each pattern.
Note: *The offering is only required for binding elementals.
A warning from the Maven of Mysteries.
Oniga’s Cloth Cleaner is a cantrip of the advanced Transmutation Element.
Should you bind a cantrip of the Transmutation Element, you shall be unable to cast Shapeshifting spells of the Morphing Element.
The elementals of Transmutation and the Shifters are at war, they reject casters who deal with the other side.
Casting the cantrip without a bound elemental is safe.
Transmutation Magic has an association to the Earth Element, and Earth Affinity may influence it.
Shifting Magic has an association to the Water Element, and Water Affinity may influence it.
I shall recommend that you chose the Shifting Element due to your poor Earth Affinity.
But.
The choice between Transmutation or Shapeshifting is yours to make.
Huh… Transmutation element… that’s an advanced element, but it’s a cantrip, so it’s safe to learn. I won’t be blocking another element… interesting… this cantrip can be bound like a 1st level spell… but then it’ll block the shapeshifting element… It’s rather costly though…
Why is a spell that blows up a limb 4 patterns and 8 gems worth of mana, while a spell that just cleans a piece of clothing is six patterns and costs forty gems? It doesn't make any sense...
What about spell that cleans the body itself?
I channel my thought into a new empty page, but nothing appears on the page.
Huh… I wonder if there’s a spell for soap at least… if I want to take an actual bath somewhere…
Oniga Soap Creation
Names: Oniga Soap Creation
Element: fire
Sub element: ash
Level: 0
Words: Nogri sapo
Translation: cleaning ash
Quicken: X
Patterns: 4
Gestures: open hand
Offering: X
Requirement: temperature above 1c
Range: touch
Target: X
Duration: instant
Effect: Forms a small piece of soap in the caster’s hand.
Cost: 8 fire gems.
Bound cost: X
Altered cost: X
Huh… fire cantrip? Why is it a fire spell? Ash subelement? Interesting…
Enough! I’m literally wasting pages on this nonsense!
I’ll test my last idea then go meet with Gemhand. I’m low on mana anyway…
I look at the large bronze needles Drusilla left behind in her chambers, I had them brought to me and now they're on my desk.
I draw mana from my necklace, lift a few with my mind and: “Ritsa!”
I flip to the next empty page. I need a spell that launches sharp metallic objects at a faraway target.
Alf’s Copper Bolt.
Names: Alf’s Copper Bolt, Copper Bolt, Arrowhead.
Element: Earth
Sub element: Metal
Level: 0
Words: Kushgari yefa
Translation: metal fly
Quicken: X
Patterns: 5/2*
Gestures: Open hand> point at the target.
Offering: X
Requirement: *a piece of copper/bronze.
Range: 50 meters**
Target: aimed spell
Duration: instant
Effect: the spell will form a copper arrow head above the caster hand, then fire it at a target with the strength of an arrow.
*Using an existing arrowhead or dagger will lower the patterns and cost.
**A hit to an unprotected surface within range should penetrate. The range can be increased with a ballistic aim but its strength weakened. The projectile’s aim can be influenced by outside factors such as wind.
Cost: 9/3* earth gems.
Bound cost: X
Altered cost: 6/1* per pattern.
Note: original cost only apply if the caster conjure the arrow head.
A duplication pattern will work at its cheapest 2 pattern form with prepared arrow heads.
Why does it have to be an earth spell?! Oh wait… it’s only 2 patterns if I already have prepared arrowheads… shouldn’t be too harsh…
If I combine this with ‘Repulse’ it might be deadly… let’s try…
I cast them both simultaneously, stacking the patterns of Repulse and a silent alteration pattern to the earth patterns of copper bolt, similar to the training the hag gave me for increasing my foci.
And here I run into a problem. The spells cancel each other, it’s either Repulse, or Copper Bolt. The mana patterns of different elements seize the bronze needles and try to cancel each other’s effects.
I end up trying to mix them into a single spellweave, but to no avail. There’s no real way to mix patterns of different elements, and even the attempt requires an insane amount of concentration.
“Your Majesty? You are bleeding again,” Tasiya notes at the blood that trails down my nose.
Ugh… this is maddening… I wish this headache would just go away so I can test things…
“Let’s see Lord Gemhand…” I’m out of mana for experiments anyway…
*
I enter the cozy meeting room, stepping on the soft blue carpets. The azure drapes are pulled apart to make sure the spring breeze enters through the open window.
Jolla Silverquill is already at her seat, jotting down her notes, and Tasiya takes her place near the door.
The old Lord Gemhand sits at the edge of the small table. He’s alone, no entourage or guards. What is he playing at? I know he has a small private army… Not like his army would help if it comes to blows, and he knows it…
“How may I help you, Mister Gemhand?” I take the opposite seat.
He moves his hand in his thick mustache. “I have brought you a gift, My Queen.” He pushes a chest with his legs from underneath the table.
Latsa
I raise an eyebrow toward the old man. Is this supposed to shock me? I’m no stranger to death. What is he playing at?
“Arigald Redbeard, My Queen. The last man behind the criminal organizations at the slums. Your assassin missed him. Yours truly has taken upon himself to be rid of him, at your leisure, Your Majesty.”
Ah… Ryon missed one of them… this is a gift, meant to earn my trust. But to what ends? I could ask… question is, do I give him what he wants? Or do I gift him with what I want… and what will I do about his private force?
“Is there any reward I could offer for my loyal subject?” I smirk. Let’s see what he’s after first… then decide.
“I require no reward, Your Majesty. Only to prove that I am indeed a loyal subject.”
Right… he wants my trust. And probably for me to lift my threat on his family… Let’s give him what he wants, but take what I want… I do not need to be subtle, there’s not much he can do. “Your family will be allowed to leave, on one condition.”
“Anything, Your Majesty.”
“You will disband your private force, and your men will join my army. We are in a need of soldiers.” Salik will make sure they’re no longer loyal to Gemhand… he did wonders with the corrupted soldiers already…
“And my family will be allowed to leave Red Cedar at any time I wish?” Gemhand’s white brows crease into a deep frown.
“That is the deal I'm offering, yes.”
“My soldiers will become yours. I do not wish to move my family anywhere, Your Majesty, but I’m sure my daughter would love to hear she can go on her vacation down in Sajarev again. However, I do have something I wish for in return for my soldiers.”
I cross my hands. “Go on.”
“An exclusive contract with the crown. The Gemhand family imports a lot of goods here. Gold, gems, velvets.” He sneers and glances around the room. “Half of the décor in this room has been imported by my family. We also deal in food and weapons. Need weapons for your new army? Supplies? You’ll buy it from me at a fixed market rate. Do we have a deal?”
He wants to control my supply line… he’s shrewd… But then again, he won’t have his private army… He won’t need one, he can just cut off my supplies… Then let’s buy enough for 2 years right now and store it all… He won’t be able to cut me off. “And in return you’ll disband your army?”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Very well. Jolla? Got it all written down?” I ask the gnome.
The gnome fixes her glasses. “Yes, Your Majesty. I would advise against such a deal.”
“Oh. I know. Please add a segment to it. Lord Gemhand will sell me today enough grain for the next 3 years. Enough to last for ten thousand souls. Call Talbot to run the numbers for this. We will pay his fixed market rate as accordance with our deal, of course. I’m sure the Lord Gemhand won’t say no to such a lucrative deal. Our storage can hold such an amount, correct?”
The gnome snorts. “Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Good. Write down that the Lord Gemhand has to supply it all within two months or we do not have to hold our part of the deal. Call Salik and ask him how many weapons he’s going to need for the army and add the same condition. Is that acceptable Lord Gemhand?”
The old man coughs into his hand then nods with a frown. “Yes, Your Majesty. You have my respect.”
“Good. Let’s sign this deal then. A pleasure doing business with you, Lord Gemhand.”
The old man signs the parchment, with a cordial fake smile. I love this! He must be fuming inside!
Salik joins us soon and lists the weapons he’s going to need, the general quickly catches on that he should order more than he actually needs and does so. I leave when Talbot gets there and starts running the numbers.
Numbers give me a headache. Let’s see if Tiom got anything good in his garden… I could use some fresh air and flowers right now...
*~*~*
Interlude 89.1
Yalvin.
“People of Red Cedar City! I offer you free help. Anything you need, anything at all. Just say the word, and I’ll do everything in my power to help you!” The Lord Sir Kolag shouts at the city square, his voice carry over the bustling market.
The people ignore him, a few sneer, and an old man even spits in his direction. Yalvin shakes his head and fiddles with his bronze armor. The Lord Sir Kolag has good intentions for sure, but he does not understand the people of this city.
“Lord Sir Kolag?” Yalvin, approaches him hesitantly.
Kolag regards the middle aged man with clear irritation in his voice. “Yes?”
Yalvin clears his throat. “I’m not sure it’s such a good idea, sir. Noxi isn’t liked in these parts.”
“Yes, but why?!” Kolag can’t fathom this.
“Sir. Most of us common folk worship Jalier, sir. Jalier is the God of Magic. Noxi and his worshipers wish to eradicate magic from this world. The city of Sajarev to the south holds a grand temple to Noxi, once in a few years, they send a crusade up north. Sorcerers recruit us common folk to fight the crusaders… no one likes Noxi in these parts, he’s the enemy…”
“But why?! Why would you fight for corrupt sorcerers?!”
Like the paladin of Noxi aren’t cruel? People in power are cruel, the gods are cruel. Better to follow the evil you know. “Corrupt, sir? Corruption is a term those who worship Noxi use. Every sorcerer is an emissary of Jalier. They are to be obeyed, no matter their deeds.”
“Even if they kill your family?”
Yalvin winces, he had lost a daughter to Luard’s mad search for a wife. “No, sir. We do not have to like sorcerers or their deeds. We do not have to forgive them. But we’ll obey their word because this is the word of Jalier. They wield the forces of creation, and deserve respect. Even the bad apples amongst them. And they’re far better than the Noxites. If the Noxite crusaders had their way they’d force everyone here to convert to their religion at a sword point.”
“No one can force you to worship Noxi. I’m not trying to do that, I’m just trying to help!”
The boy is naïve, a true believer and an ideologist. “I understand that, sir, but our experience with the followers of Noxi isn’t a pleasant one. Those who do not convert, die.” Yalvin winces again, unpleasant memories surface. “Some people here still remember the last crusade, how the Noxite crusaders rounded everyone up. If you didn’t renounce Jalier and convert to their faith, they chopped off your head. I… I renounced Jalier that day and converted, but once they left I got back to my god and he accepted me. Not everyone was this lucky.” Yalvin lost his wife that day, as well as his father. But Yalvin survived, and by Jalier’s grace, his next life he’ll be reborn as a sorcerer. This is the promise Jalier gives for following his tenets. Yalvin had always followed the tenets.
“But why would you worship a god that orders you to follow every order from a corrupt sorcerer who would kill your family?!”
Yalvin shakes his head with a sigh. “Why would you worship a god that orders you to kill everyone who disagrees with you?”
“But he doesn’t!”
Yalvin keeps his boiling emotions from exploding. He shouldn’t have approached the boy, but it is too late now. “With all due respect, sir. Say that to my dead wife. Tell that to my dead father, sir.”
“I… I’m sorry.”
Yalvin sighs. The boy means well, and maybe, just maybe, the boy can change the church of Noxi with his ideals, possibly halt the next crusade? “I do not know what values you were raised upon, sir, but these aren’t the values the worshipers of Noxi in Sajarev are raised upon.” At the end, it’s all about virtues and sins that were taught during childhood, Yalvin wonders if he’d hate sorcerers too if he was born in Sajarev.
Kolag grunts. “Clearly.”
Good. Yalvin opened the boy’s eyes, with luck, he’ll do some actual good.
*~*~*
Interlude 89.2
Olfgram Gemhand.
Nuriss (March) the 25th
Olfgram sits in his luxurious living room, reading the letter of King Luard.
To my dear friend Olfgram Gemhand.
I will need you to send this letter to my liege Queen Phoebe, inform her that her tribute will be ready earlier this year.
Please send your man to the northern groveyard on the day Queen Phoebe visits.
Thank you for having my back in this time of crisis. You are a true friend. You will be rewarded handsomely.
Yours truly, King Luard Tidal Wave.
Olfgram inspects the second letter, the one addressed for Queen Phoebe in the south. The one who rules over five cities and receives tribute from three more.
He grins under his mustache, he’ll finally get back at this smug Queen Inara. Luard is the most competent one after all.
“Amaros? Make sure this letter gets on a ship to Grapevine City, not one of ours. It should reach Queen Phoebe’s court. There’s no haste, make sure there are no eyes on you though.”
“It’ll be done, sir.” Olfgram’s loyal servant picks the letter and leaves the luxurious hall.
Olfgram sips his tea and lets the warmth spread through his body. It’s time for war. He made a good deal with that smug Queen, now he can make a new deal with Queen Phoebe, she’ll sure need his supply shipments… His family will leave Red Cedar City within a week, and Queen Inara won't suspect a thing, she allowed this after all.
It's time for war.
*~*~*
Power level: 3rd stage apprentice.
Mana pools status:
Crown-knot: Affinity 10: formed: 1 gem replenished per five minutes.
Neck-Bridge: Affinity 6: formed: max amount of gems drained per day: 66
Abdomen-storage: Affinity 5: formed: 6 gems. Conversion ratio: 6:1
Air: Affinity 4: formed: 18 gems
Fire: Affinity 2: formed: 9 gems
Light: Affinity 3: formed: 13/14 gems
Water: Affinity 6: formed: 27 gems
Earth: Affinity 1: formed: 4 gems
Wood: Affinity 2: formed: 9 gems
Gravity: Affinity 9: formed: 40/41 gems
Cantrip known:
Air: Shavi’s Breeze, Shavi’s Sword. Shavi’s Hair Dryer, Aria’s Enhanced Hearing. Aria’s Sonic Scream.
Fire: Nuriss’ Flame. Effrat’s Firefly, Effrat’s Fire Breath. Sorladika's Lesser Heating. Nuriss’ Ignite. Oniga's Soap Creation.
Light: Noxi’s Light. Lako’s Blinding Light. Rika’s energy hand.
Water: Water Evocation, Water to Ice, Ice to Water, Water to Vapor, Vapor to Water, Mayan’s Icy Spike, Ayla’s Water Jet. Ayla’s instant freeze. Ayla's Flowing Shield.
Earth: Alice’s Oil Summoning, Reiko’s Acid Spray. Alf's Copper Bolt
Wood: Arigor’s Lesser Vines. Kolosu’s Vegetable Summoning.
Gravity: Lumina’s Kinetic Burst. Tukado’s Repulse. Tukado’s Lesser Shield II. Imari’s Minor Telekinesis. Imari’s Jump. Leo’s Pull. Leo’s Grounding. Alino’s Light Body. Alino’s Heavy Body. Alino's Orbiter.
Transmutation: Oniga's Laundry.
Spells known:
Light: Rika's Electric channelb
Gravity: Alino’s Weightless Bodyb.
Life: Brigit’s Lesser Cure Poison.
Focus capability: 13 patterns
Social status: The Queen of Red Cedar City. Inara, Daughter of Mysteries. Apprentice to the Maven of Mysteries. Sorceress.
Wealth: 1496 Magic Gems. 1421 Golden Peas, 5 Silver Scales, 12 Copper Bits.
Items:
Magical necklace. Contains 100 gems of general mana, can be drained like a mana pool. It’ll recharge by itself at the rate of five gems an hour.
1 potion of lightning body.
1 potion of mana, medium grade.
4 potions of Lesser Healing.
An enchanted belt with eight pouches, the enchantment keeps the pouches’ content fresh. Each pouch may contain 10g of petals or six potion flasks.
Fresh rose petals, 45g
Fresh lavender petals, 13g
10 empty soul bottles. Glass with a diamond stopper, put in scaled leather wrapping.
The Great White Egret grimoire. Dedicated by the Maven of mysteries to Inara. 23/100
Companions:
Kolag of house Befar
Salik
Zoe
Ryon
Languages:
Toml’a
Sinteo
Myrsha
Felul
Injuries and scars:
-
Kingdom’s treasury: 305 gems. 41,682 gold coins.
Kingdom’s citizen: 5,898 humans, 2,251 human children.
Kingdom's army: 700 footmen, 26 peacekeeper knights.
Notables at Court:
Tasiya Keyholder
Jolla SilverQuill
Talbot Bookkeeper
Marasi Chef extraordinaire (spymaster.)
Old Gardner Tiom