The universal experience for everyone that first morning was one of confusion and terror. Duncan Wayland Dunn was woken by waves of abject horror that washed over him at the same time as the source of that fear bellowed at everyone in earshot to:
“BE NOT AFRAID!”
He couldn’t see the creature, but he knew where it was relative to him. It was like a beacon to his sight. A beacon that shone through walls and any other barriers. It was a whirling and churning mass of something. For long minutes he struggled against the fear as the entity explained their fate and where they were. Duncan couldn’t think straight against the fear and initially decided that this was some sort of nightmare or bad trip. It was possible that someone had slipped him something at the Lamb and Flag last night.
But eventually he was able to remember the Litany Against Fear from Frank Herbert’s Dune. Taught to him by his father. Then came his next surprise.
{[[Divine] Aura] encountered; [[Save] Versus [Fear]] failed}
{Spell discovered; [Litany Against Fear [Cantrip]] unlocked. 100 experience points rewarded. Spell [Litany Against Fear [Cantrip]] previously discovered by [Player:Drake Dunn [Merle Sagado]], 2 minutes ago.}
> Litany Against Fear [Cantrip]
> Spell Magnitude: 1
> Area of Effect: Personal/Aura.
> Range: Self or Aura
> Duration: Single Encounter
> Effect: Doubles subject’s Willpower for the purposes of resisting [Fear].
{Human birth trait [Mageborn] is a suitable [Source] for this spell and will use [Source] for fuel. Adapting auric display to personal [[Mage] Aura].
A pair of rose-tinted glasses appeared on his face.
{[[Divine] Aura] encountered; [[Litany Against Fear] boosted [Save] Versus [Fear]] succeeded.}
{Achievement unlocked: [Be Not Afraid]; you have resisted the [Fear] effect of a [[Divine] Aura]}
{Achievement unlocked: [Like Father, Like Son]; you have followed in your father’s footsteps and replicated one of their accomplishments.}
{Achievement unlocked: [Independent Research]; you have independently duplicated the discovery of another scholar.}
Duncan laughed. Of course his father would have gotten there first. They’re as sharp as any tack. Standing he’d looked around the strange room he found himself in. It was similar to a monk’s cell, only potentially better lit; large shutters over an equally large window was all that dimmed the light entering the room. A simple bed, desk and chair. A shelf with some large books on it. A modest armoire with a crystal orb topped staff propped against it. And a stifling heat even more oppressive than the divine aura.
He looked at his hands. They were darker than he was used to but they had the right number of fingers, and that number remained constant. Pushing his thumbs into his palms gave only the yielding of normal flesh. There was no insubstantiality. He had to conclude that this was his reality from now on.
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The source of the divine aura was outside, beyond the shuttered window, and several stories down. Throwing open the shutters Duncan was dazzled by tropical sunlight so bright it defied description. As his sight recovered he looked down in time to see the entity vanish. That had been educational. No. Seriously. Duncan hadn’t realised he was experiencing some sort of synesthesia until that blinding-through-walls aura had vanished. Now he could see less brilliant sources. His own was quite strong, while others around him were more or less so. Each was a subtly different hue from the rest. Other things around the room had very different vibrations. Seeming more receptive than the others. The strongest of these came from the staff against the armoire. And the strongest there from the crystal at the top. Duncan could see that the large crystal was connected by hairline threads of, whatever it was he was perceiving, to the other concentrations of it on and within the staff.
{[Magesight] Intuition perk is active by default.}
{[[Personal] Lore] passed (automatic). [Magesight] senses [Source]s and can be used to discern and interpret them. It is crucial for [Mage [Artificer]]s in their crafting of artifice.}
Duncan shrugged and opened the armoire. He rummaged through the clothing within, finally finding something worthy wearing; tunic and straight legged slacks, lightweight against the still torrid heat. A hooded mantle, fingerless gloves with cuffs as long as his forearm and tied by faded blue laces. Over the back of the chair was a leathery apron, and beside it a lightweight pair of knee length, lined boots that were laced up at the back. More faded blue laces. As he lifted the apron to tie on, more by habit than anything else, he felt the heft of a set of tools looped onto the apron. Tools such as a hammer and pair of tongs. These too seemed to vibrate to his Magesight. There was also a long cylindrical jar in one pocket that contained makeup. A black paste that smelt like charcoal and butter. Duncan remembered his dad explaining how ancient people used kohl around their eyes to reduce glare from the sun. He guessed this was something similar.
He removed the glasses from his face. They were illusionary, he knew, the image of the glasses had come from his subconscious. Their weight and texture too. They resisted the movement, wanting to remain on his face but they acquiesced to his will. They didn’t cut down glare but fear. Studying the glasses with his Magesight he analysed the spell that they represented. It was a tangled mess of nodes and threads. An arcane Gordian Knot. Cutting the threads or dismissing the spell would unravel the knot, but that would not help him understand it.
He thought back to his mother talking to his sister about intent, will and visualisation, as being the three keys to works of magick and witchcraft. While he doubted it had ever really worked for them back on Earth it seemed worth a try here. Dismissing the Litany he focused on what to do next.
His intent was to create a spell like the Litany Against Fear, but to shade him against bright light. He visualised a pair of sunglasses appearing on his face. He willed them into being.
Nothing happened.
What was he missing?
Vocalisation. The Litany manifested when he recited it. What could replace the litany? A song popped into his head. He remembered his parents singing and dancing to it when he was young. The lyrics came to him in fragments and then the hook solidified out of nowhere.
“I’m doing alright, I’m getting good grades / The future’s so bright, I gotta wear shades / I gotta wear shades, I gotta wear shades.”
{Spell discovered; [I Gotta Wear Shades [Cantrip]] unlocked. 100 experienced points awarded.]
> I Gotta Wear Shades [Cantrip]
> Spell Magnitude: 1
> Area of Effect: Personal/Aura.
> Range: Self or Aura
> Duration: Until dismissed or without fuel.
> Effect: Reduces glare from all light sources. Observers will perceive people under the influence of the spell as having a slightly lower body temperature than they do. Temperature reduction is illusionary.
{[Mageborn] is a suitable [Source] for this spell and will use [Source] as fuel. Auric display defined.}
Another pair of rose tinted glasses appeared on his face.
"Fascinating."
Grabbing his staff he headed out into the world.