Vekla POV

'So far, Curator has only helped us in establishing a better camp, and helped us free up some resources from doing so. Yet, they're not asked anything of us, other than that we listen when they teach. It feels like I'm not living upto the name they so kindly gifted me, nor, my title as his Magical Researcher so this needs to change. If I am to look into things however, I will need a method to record what I learn, and while speaking is a good way to share what's learned, things may be misunderstood, and not carry through properly as time carries on, or things may be forgotten and not passed on either. This is a conundrum that does need solving, so lets ask Curator on ways to proceed in that manner. Through our bond I do remember seeing that glossy hide with markings and visages of plants and animals of some sort, so they likely have an idea on solving this problem.'

With those thoughts in mind, I would start making my way to where Curator's core is. Steadily making my way up the steps as a smaller Poppit decides to ride up on my shoulder. I still remember the minor panic at first when they all showed up, like a tide of beasts, flowing around and over each other like a loose sand in a heavy wind before spreading out and around to do...things. The smallest ones seem to like to stay with us though, and it's kind of reassuring in a way as some form of help is never far off. Cresting the top of his temple, I would calmly step inside and look upon his core, that ring having grown since last I was up here, and the accumulated mana having reached a point of easily a claws worth of bands.

"Hello, Curator, I had some things I wanted to ask, as you have knowledge we lack. As the saying goes, there's no need to begin again, when some one knows how it's done!" (Vekla)

"Heyya Vekla, just to make sure I getcha and we're on the same page here, you mean you have questions about how to handle things you aren't sure on 'cause ya think I have a solution to it that you aren't aware of, right?" (Curator)

"Exactly! Namely, if I'm supposed to 'research' magic, what exactly does research fully cover? I figure it means to learn about it, but how would I share what is learned, and how would it be preserved so as to not be forgotten or lost?" (Vekla)

"Well, your kind of right on the learning side of things. When you research something, you learn about it in very high amounts of detail, and, in many cases come up with ways to use what ya learned, then test that using the scientific method. We can go into that side of things in more detail later. Right now though, you are right that being able to record what you learned is the big thing. As it's always important to be able to reference what you've learned prior. I wish we had some paper to use for that, but we don't have the materials for that, nor even for parchment due to the lack of animal skins to use for making that. I also don't suppose you can read, or write, so we'd need to work on basic literacy first with that side of things. For now though, why don't you teach me what you already know of magic, as, for me, magic is something entirely new." (Curator)

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Blinking in surprise at that sudden response, and one that shifts tracks of logic so quickly about different problems that might arise, it's clear the call to ask was a good one. That said, it's quite surprising that Curator wishes me to teach them something, and about magic no less, when they've clearly used it and in ways that I wouldn't have imagined.

"Curator, forgive me for saying, but, you likely have a better grasp of magic than I do. You've moved things with it, built things with it, and imbued it not only in other that you've named, but in those few sweet plants we've been eating from." (Vekla)

"Vekla, being able to do something accidentally, based entirely on a hunch or 'I wonder if...' is not the same as having a baseline understanding. Like, are there any restrictions on what you can do with magic? Is there a way to predict how much mana you will use when doing certain things? Are there spells where you need to chant something to make it happen, or is it all based on your mental image of things? Does it follow elements only, or is it more like an 'aspects' thing? There is alot I lack when it comes to knowledge of how magic works, as, the place I am from originally didn't have magic in the slightest. Or at least, not that was observable or interpretable to the kind I was before." (Curator)

"Oh....well....lets start with the first question. The only restrictions I know of are using magic that's more than the mana you have is bad, and can kill you. Every one...well maybe not you, but creatures in generally have a heart to move their blood, and a kind of mana heart to store and move their mana, kind of like a form of vitality in a way. If you use up more mana than you're mana heart has you can destroy it, and that's kinda like having you're actual heart be destroyed. If there is too much mana though, that's also bad, as it's like over filling a bowl, but, the surface under the bowl melts if it's made wet. The best way to prevent that though, is kind of how you are storing your mana, by condensing it into rings around the mana heart, I don't know if there's much of a limit to the number of rings some one could have, and most folks can only sense their own mana heart, even then only roughly, and not those of others." (Vekla)

"Okay, so, if mana were water, too much, or too little, is bad. It can be stored though if you do it right, just like water. Good to know." (Curator)

"On knowing how much mana something will do, that's less a 'knowing' how much, and more controlling how much you will use. Kind of like how, you COULD eat an entire sweet leaf, that agave thing, but you'd get sick, so instead you portion it out to what you need. You do the same with mana so that should help on that front, yes? On chanting to use magic, that's usually just something people do to help focus their thoughts with what they are trying to do, but some effects do have specific names people use for triggering the spell, kind of like a short cut to what you know. So if you are used to conjuring a sword of fire, you get to the point of saying something like 'fire sword' to make it easier to do, after doing it enough. Elements play a role in some types of magic, and aspects in others. If some one were fate aligned they'd be able to more easily do things like influencing chance and luck, others could likely do this as well, but it would take more mana and effort as long as they aren't like, a true opposite to that, but that's also based on knowledge from before you mentioned how fire and ice are basically the same but based on how it's applied. For what all things magic can do though, that's almost entirely based on one's own ideas and thoughts, although things like making physical items from nothing are....immensely mana intensive to the point that I don't think even you could do it with all the mana you currently have, for even just a pebble." (Vekla)

"Okay, so manipulate things yes, make things from nothing, no. Portion it out before using to keep safe, and 'spells' are just mental gymnastics. Makes sense. What about things like bringing things to life that aren't alive, like stone, or plants, or things like that?" (Curator)

"I'm...not sure, maybe? Most of the magic I learned from the prior shaman was things like how to treat some injuries or illnesses, and how to use the manapot we had to detect large amounts of mana use" (Vekla)

"Hmmm, those would still be useful to know how to do, that said, how about you show me those later, after I come up with a way for us to start recording things, eh?" (Curator)