Oh, this monstrosity? I misread the text on a powerful item. Turns out that Guarbians are a race of fungal abominations who have some truly disturbing angels.
-Basen Koh during a demonstration on summoning magic.
In the interest of practicality and order, Reid identified all the items Basen had brought to the market stall. They were much as Basen had described them, though Reid's mark seemed to give them more specific names. He discovered something new after identifying the first of the two remaining endurance tokens.
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Lesser Magic Sigil of Endurance
* 1 Star Equipment
* Bindable
* Grants the binder slightly reduced stamina costs for any activity that consumes stamina.
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Merchants Mark Growth Conditions
* Mark and Identify 50 Magic Items
* 20/50 Items Identified
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It was about what he expected, but something new appeared when he picked up the second token.
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Lesser Magic Sigil of Endurance
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Just like when he picked back up an item he had marked before, he could see what it was and look at its attributes if he so chose. He tried to activate his mark again, and it activated without issue, leaving his small mark on the back of the token. The number of items identified toward his growth condition didn't increase.
"Huh, my mark doesn't give me credit for identifying the same item again. And I can identify it without actually marking it first."
Basen didn't look surprised.
"Identification works on magic signatures. You can't discover the meaning of the same magic signature more than once. To your identification ability, these are the same."
"How does that work for my mark, though? If I identify something and you touch it to see what it is, will you get the same feedback from another item?"
"Unlikely. In the case of your mark, the person seeing the information isn't the one identifying it. We can test that theory out. Here, I have a few of the same spellbook."
Basen retrieved some books from his active ability section on the right wall of the shop. He set two down in front of Reid. They had the same yellow covers with an image of a loaf of bread on the front.
"There you are. Mark this one, and I'll test them both. I haven't identified them myself, but I am familiar enough with the magic inside to know what they do."
Reid marked the first book.
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Lesser Magic Tome of Bread
* 2 Star Spellbook
* Bindable
* Binding grants the ability to cast the spell [Conjure Bread]
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"Okay, I have to ask. What's the difference between a spell that conjures bread and an ability that conjures bread? The stone you gave me gives me an ability, right? Not a spell."
"An excellent question," Basen said, picking up the first book. "Ah, yes, as I suspected. Conjure Bread is a classic. To your question, it's all about how the magic is constructed. Abilities use the magic item itself to form the templates through which magic is channeled. If you unbind an item with an ability, you won't be able to use that ability anymore. If you bind an item that grants the ability to cast a spell, there is a blurred line between what happens between you and the item. The effect is that through years of practice, a mage can learn spells without needing the original item bound."
"Really? I had no idea that was possible. Does that make items with spells more valuable?"
"Sometimes, but the tradeoff isn't often worth it. For example, no one wants to spend years learning how to conjure bread. Well, no one sane, anyway."
Basen conjured a loaf of bread from thin air. The aroma of the freshly baked steaming bread filled the shop in moments. Basen broke off a hunk and handed it to Reid. He was starving, having neglected lunch in favor of helping Basen at the market. It was by far the best bread he'd ever eaten.
"Honestly, I might bind this book," Reid said before taking another bite.
"There's a man after my own heart!"
Basen set down the loaf and picked up the second spellbook.
"As I suspected," he said. "I don't get a free identification of the second book."
Reid could identify the second book without his mark, just like the endurance token. He marked it anyway. Basen hadn't said so, but Reid thought marking all the items was a good idea, even beyond just taking stock.
With that minor mystery resolved, Basen had Reid start identifying items at the front of the store. The display window didn't have much. He identified two daggers hung on one of the vertical displays.
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Dagger of Strife
* 3 Star Dagger
* Bindable
* Strikes with the dagger inflict a short lived poison that weakens and damages the victim.
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Dagger of Good Fortune
* 4 Star Dagger
* Fortune Aspect
* Bindable
* Once per day, the binder can choose a passive effect that will persist until another effect is chosen or the binding is broken:
* Fortunate Blows: Attacks will occasionally ignore armor
* Fortunate Findings: The binder is more likely to encounter things of value
* Fortunate Health: The binder regenerates health slowly
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"That one seems incredible," Reid said, pointing at the Dagger of Good Fortune.
Basen pulled on his beard and seemed to consider the statement.
"An interesting observation. It might surprise you that I have it priced the same as the dagger next to it."
"Really? Why?"
"People value immediate and measurable effects. If I know my dagger will poison my enemy, that's worth more to me than knowing my dagger might pierce their armor. That effect, in particular, is truly awful for combatants, who would be wise to go for weak areas rather than gamble on their dagger not bouncing off a breastplate. The other effects are reasonable, and the fortune aspect helps it keep at least some value."
"Okay, I have another question. Sorry, I keep derailing us."
"Don't apologize for curiosity, my boy! Besides, you'll need to know what you're talking about, right?"
Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
"That's true. So, aspects. Growing up, we'd find things with aspects, but I always assumed it came from the item's power. If I found an item with a fire power, for example, it would have a fire aspect. I'm seeing now that not everything has an aspect, right?"
"Right you are. That is an interesting question, not because of the answer, but because of why you think the way you do. If you had grown up anywhere else with the same education, you might not even know what an aspect was. You still don't, really, but you're at least familiar with them. An aspect is a fundamental change in the item. All items generate power. That power, over time, can be tainted by the ability or magic effect within the item. The key is that the item can't be used for a long period of time. It takes years for an item to develop an aspect."
Reid nodded, understanding. "So all the items sitting around for ages in the swamp developed aspects. Well, some of them."
"Right. It's not just a function of time, though that is a key ingredient. You're much more likely to find aspected items in the old places of the world."
"Does an aspect do anything, then? I thought it was just a description, but you said the fortune aspect helped the dagger keep some value."
"Oh, yes. Aspects influence abilities gained when creating a magic item from raw materials, but that's a waste on something that isn't broken. The real value is that when someone binds an item with a particular aspect, that power influences their magic. In the case of a fortune aspect, the binder might find that they have good fortune more often than others, even without the passive ability. They're subtle effects, but the right aspect can make or break an item."
Reid remembered he'd packed his goblet this morning. He was more uncertain about selling it since he'd made some money, but he'd still brought it to the market, just in case. He went back to his bag and fished it out.
"I found this cup before I left home. Someone might buy it for the aspect?"
Basen took the goblet and nodded appreciatively.
"That is a gem. So there are two things. The first is that the aspect enhances the ability of the cup. If you found a cup with the same ability but no aspect, yours would cool down drinks noticeably faster. That's nice, but remember what I said—magic throughput is limited by star ranking. You'll get a boost, but it won't be something that makes this cup as powerful as a two star item with the same ability. Now, the interesting thing about this cup is that it is unbindable. The value I mentioned before, about binding with an aspected item, doesn't apply here. It's probably worth about the same as a cup or as a crafting component."
"But if it was bindable, then what?"
"Then a mage with a frost spell would be happy to fill an empty star with it. They would gain some of that boost from the aspect."
Reid accepted his goblet from Basen and put it back in his bag.
"When I found my mark you know where, I also found an axe. It wasn't the same kind of item. It was a three star, but it said it had a 'free aspect,' and the ability let the binder change the aspect once a day."
Basen rocked back.
"Where is the axe now? Don't tell me you sold it?"
"My friends and I divided up the spoils from our adventure. Wes got the axe. I assume his parents were going to sell it, but I hadn't heard anything else about it."
Basen winced.
"You should write to your friend and tell him they should come to the city to get it appraised. The traveling traders who visit your village know they have the upper hand in negotiations, but I would be surprised if any actually knew how valuable free aspect items are. Free aspect...on a three star!"
Basen shook his head in wonder.
"Is it really so valuable?"
"Without question. It's easy to become a lesser mage. You can bind with almost anything. Becoming a Mage, three or four star, only requires a small investment. Save up for a few months, and most can afford a cheap three star item. Becoming a Greater Mage is difficult and dangerous. Five and six star items are never cheap, and they always come with baggage. Even so, many set their sights on Greater Mage. With an application of time and effort, Greater Mages continue to grow their available potential. Eight, nine, or even ten stars of potential are not uncommon. They'll have their five or six star item and some utility items to balance themselves out. Every Greater Mage is always on the lookout for a way to grow beyond six stars, but seven star items are exceptionally rare. So the path then becomes finding an aspect that matches their Greater Mage powers.
"A free aspected item gives the greatest flexibility, depending on how the aspect is manipulated. Over time, Greater Mages will often collect several five and six star items to swap out as threats arise or specific abilities are needed. Not needing to swap out their entire pool of potential to adjust aspects is a dream for many Greater Mages."
Reid tried to digest all the new information. He would write to Wes as soon as he returned to the Dusk Guild.
"Do you have any free aspect items?" Reid wanted to see what he was charging for one. He might pay extra for a dedicated courier to take the message to Glarrus if it was enough.
"Just one, and it isn't for sale or available for identification."
Reid took that to mean Basen had it bound. He couldn't help as his curiosity took over, steering his mouth before his brain could catch up.
"Are you a Greater Mage?"
"I am not. I was once, ages ago. I am now what people refer to as a True Mage. The qualification is that one has bound a seven or eight star item. I won't tell you how many stars my item is or anything else about it. It's nothing personal."
Reid had never even heard of the designation. He'd never thought about how high star rankings went before.
"Is that the highest rank? True Mage?"
"There is another rank. Nine and ten star items correspond to the designation of Legendary Mage, though you'll never see anyone use the title."
"Why's that?"
Reid had pretty much given up on identifying more items for the time being. He was more interested in all the new knowledge that Basen had to offer. He leaned against the table at the front of the store and rolled a small green orb between his palms. He tried to get a feel for the magic inside while he listened to Basen.
"Because there are only three nine star items that have ever been reasonably verified to exist: The Eye of God, Nezierian's Brand, and the Sundering Void. The first is held by the God Emperor of Urish, Infinium. Nezierian's Brand is held by the Infernal Council at the Gates of Dusk, and the Sundering Void's location is currently unknown. Many scholars think that the last wielder hid it before dying."
"The God Emperor is a mage?"
"If you assumed he was a god, I guess I can't blame you. It's right in the name, after all."
Reid had heard about the Infernal Council and thought he might have heard of the brand, but he couldn't quite place it. Maybe his informational packet had said something about it?
"Nezierian's Brand sounds familiar."
Basen nodded.
"Nezierian was the former head of the Infernal Council and the founder of the Dusk Guild. He died a decade ago, and the world is better off for it."
Reid thought speaking ill of the dead was rude, but he was also curious, so he didn't let the statement pass unchecked.
"Why do you say that? The Dusk Guild seems great. I'm living in an apartment in their building now, actually."
Basen pulled out his black stone and began polishing it again. Reid couldn't help but stare and wonder if it was a seven star magic item.
"The Dusk Guild is a good organization, but Nezierian was an asshole. Do you know what his brand does? The item he specifically created to impress his will upon the world?"
"I can't say I do."
"It is, quite literally, a brand. I assume you're familiar with branding cattle to identify one's herd from another? Great. Nezierian's Brand isn't meant for cows—it's meant for people. Those branded by the weapon are subjugated. They cannot refuse directions or orders. True Mages can fight the subjugation, but it is not easy. Anyone of lesser power has no hope. That is but one of the brand's abilities. It does have some limitations, but at its core, and at the core of its creator, is the power and will to strip people down to nothing more than mindless puppets.
"I fought beside Nezierian. I've never met another person so utterly reprehensible and morally repugnant. That he used his power to safeguard our world clouds peoples' perception of him, but those who were there when the Gates burst know what he's capable of."
Basen's expression was dark as he stared into the distance with unfocused eyes. He shook his head and looked around sheepishly.
"Ah. I'm sorry, Reid. You struck a sore subject for me. My long hated ally is dead. His power is now held by a committee and better for it. But we've been idle long enough. Didn't you have a growth condition to meet?"
Reid's mouth moved, but he couldn't form a response. He'd seen a glimpse of something he didn't know how to comprehend. Life near the swamp had been dangerous, but that danger was based on personal choice. Reid had always been able to choose. His parents might not have approved of his choices, but they never stopped him. The only two times that he had ever been unable to choose for himself were when he had been held in place by Vessiem and Basen.
Reid wasn't trying to start an argument, but it felt so contrary to Basen's convictions that he had to ask about it.
"Is it like when you stopped me from speaking earlier?"
Basen froze and winced again.
"It is not, but if the end result is the same thing, then what is the difference? I will extend you another apology. I'm sorry I forced you to do something in a manner that you had no control over."
"I'm not mad. If what you implied is true, you probably saved me. Based on what you told me, it just seemed so out of character, so I wanted to know if you saw them as different. If we're going to work together, then we need to know each other pretty well."
"You are wise beyond your years, Reid. I am against it, but I am not immune to being a hypocrite. Why don't we leave it at that, for now?"
Reid nodded.
"Wonderful. Now, why don't you mark that orb you've been playing with for ten minutes?"