Initiate Mysticism-~-Hsin

[Colonel]

TimeStamp: Morning Brightening 3 of the First Cycle of Optia
Spring of Era I of the Celestine Mandate
Era X Post Fractum in the Age of the Darkening, the Mageocracy of Julos the Mad
Paradigm: The arrival of the Ancient Allerians in Alleria Prime/Springtide Holiday

On the following morning of the sign up, one couldn't feel more abliged to be outdoors. Of course, they would have to do their practice indoors, but that's ok, many a people were outside enjoying the weather for them. As the weather outside was a perfect degree. The wind blown a breeze so light, that one could capture the stars. The Sun shown all by itself, not a cloud in sight. Not one person was not outside enjoying the nice weather of the day. The begninning of Optia was surly having some good weather for spring. Yesterday it had rained a bit, but no rain that one wouldn't miss.

While she was waiting, Lady Laria was filing her nails. She wished she were outside on a beautiful day, as it was very nice. She couldn't wait to get the lesson over with. Usually things like this took days anyways, so it didn't really matter. She took of her sandals and placed them on the ground next to her. The floor in the room was made of fine rubber, as if a balarina were to come and use the spot that they were in. It smelled of talc in the room, as there was a large piece of it in the corner. There were also mirrors on the side of the wall...

As she sat waiting for her student, she couldn't help but to ponder upon her real love for magic. She was a Master Mystic, but she had fallen in love with nature as a young girl, but her parents made her go into the art of Mysticism. It was a sad thing indeed, she REALLY wanted to be a druidess... Now that she was a Master Mystic, she couldn't really go back however, so she sat... waiting for her student named Hsin...

[Hsin]

In preparation for the first day of his training, Hsin had risen before the crack of dawn. His parents had carefully taught him the principles of balance between the mind, body and soul. The body kept the mind and the soul. The mind controls the body and soul. The soul provides spiritual sustenance for the mind and the body. None could exist without the other two. But to exist effectively, one needed to balance all three. He began with a prayer to Torek, from whom the Kemite believed they were ultimately descended. After satiating the soul, the Kemite went through a number of stretches and aerobic exercises designed to keep his body in (at least decent) shape. Finally, he ate a small breakfast to keep his stomach in check during the lessons. Hsin always found it easier to concentrate on a full stomach anyways. During the meal, he mentally recalled the study skills employed during his basic education. Anything to give him an edge during his lessons.

He strode briskly through the black rock hallways and corridors of the Academy of Mind and Fire, paying careful attention to the labels of the door. After passing the registration desk, the Kemite mounted the stairs as per the instructions he had received the day before. Despite the rainstorms the day before, the weather today was nearly perfect. Perhaps, after classes, he would take a stroll on the sandy beaches. Shaking his head, Hsin stopped in front of the door with the letters 8b in the middle of the door. He would need the full concentration and dedication today—it was no time to allow his mind to wander. Hsin opened the door just wide enough to slip into the classroom.

”Serale, ma’am.” said Hsin, ”my name is Hsin Nasial-Alque. I understand that I’m to have my training in initiate mysticism here.”

[Colonel]

Lady Abigail looked upon her new student. She did not know she was going to be working with someone of a different race. She had seen Kemite's around the island before, but never one that wanted to learn mysticism. Oh, well, she thought I've heard that they are known to be nice anyways. I hope this one's not an exception. She pulled a chair from the side of the room.

"Here you are, sir, you may sit down, she said. Her voice was a light voice, and it wasn't rude, and neither was her apearance. She looked graceful and she had a delicate face. Her skin tone was normal, and she was actually rather tan. You could tell by just her looks that she loved the outdoors. She was wearing a nice dress of keen value. Her eyes were a deep green color. She wasn't really the most beautiful of people, but the ring on her right hand told you that she was married. She was obviously married to a wealthy man, considering the value of her ring.

"Now, tell me, why of all forms of arcana, did you choose mysticism? This is the question that is asked to all beginners, and you probably expected a question like it, but it's a good question. How else would I know what area of study we will be focusing on most?" She always asked this question, as some people wanted to use it in fights, and others used it in wits, and some even used it just to catch robbers and the such. Mysticism was favored among guards to keep order in the streets of the Allerian Empire...

[Hsin]

Indeed, Hsin had expected this question long before he even paid for the course in Initiate Mysticism. Even while moving into his newly purchased house, he had carefully considered the various paths he could take in the coming years. He could have followed in the footsteps of his father—traveling briefly before settling down to a comfortable middle class existence. Or he could become a warrior like his ancestors of old. However, he also had one other option available: the study of magic. As a youngster, he had always loved the magical demonstrations that some students and teachers had presented on holidays. His interest had grown to encompass not only the military applications, but also its social implications. However, his studies and then his job had never given the Kemite time to study the subject in depth. The last several sleepless nights had been spent trying to decide which sphere to study.

”Indeed. I have a number of different reasons for choosing to study the sphere of mysticism.” responded the Kemite after taking a seat in the offered chair. ”On a philosophical level, I believe the road to balancing the body and soul lies in the mind. I seek to gain a greater understanding of my own thoughts. However, I know as well as the next person that we live in a world where philosophy and logic do not always sway our behavior. Despite my culture’s emphasis on martial skill, I do not seek control or power for its own ends.”

Hsin paused for a moment before continuing. ”I also wish to study mysticism because of its flexibility. On one hand, it can protect you from those who seek you and your family’s death—as the mermen demonstrated. But it does not simply destroy. Mysticism can be used to catch a thief or free a falsely convicted man. In the end, it seems like a balance.”

[Colonel]

She smiled. A better answer than she had usually recieved, which was usually, Oh, I don't know, It sounded cool, so I joined. Perhaps this one had more of a feel for it? One of a few people that actually wanted to study the art... unlike herself... She then looked down and frowned, but Hsin could not see her, as he was faced the other way in his chair. He was sitting in his chair pondering on the thoughts of mysticism.

"Well, seems like you have a yearning to become a mystic, so lets go ahead and get started.... Hold still now..." She walked up to him and touched him on the back of his neck. At first, he was startled, but then he relaxed. She touched him, and then he was greatly affected. The nature of the world seemed like it had just entered his body. He felt like he had never lived before until now... His body was completely soothed.... He felt like it was the greatest moment of his life...

OOC: You are being unbound if you didn't know. Just to let you know, you can go wild and crazy with this post. Most pc's have crazy dreams, and they tend to bunny a bit. You get to determine how this goes, as this is a big moment in your pc's life

[Hsin]

OOC: Yayness! ^_^

IC:
Despite the master mystic’s warnings, Hsin still involuntarily tensed as he felt her cool hand against the back of his neck. She seemed satisfied with his reasons for studying mysticism. If only she had warned him about the unbind process. Suddenly, his world exploded with sensation as the nerves in his body began to process the sudden influx of new information. Time crawled to a standstill as Hsin felt his mind almost stretch to accommodate the sudden appearance of the arcane. He felt giddy and jumpy, almost as if he had taken some powerful drug. At the same time, his skin felt tingly and hot, like someone had dumped a tub of hot water on him. Random thoughts flittered through his head, from the color of his house to the smell of his brother in the morning. Gradually, Hsin managed to silence them as he strove to re-gain control of his body. Suddenly and completely without warning, the world around him faded.

He found himself in a bare cell furnished with three small wooden beds, a rickety table, and a three-legged stool. From the screams and clash of metal in the distance, the Kemite quickly surmised he had arrived in the middle of an alteration of fairly epic proportions. An older woman, perhaps forty to fifty years of age, huddled in a corner farthest away from a simple wooden door. In her arms, she clutched a young woman of perhaps only a decade and a half old. Unfortunately, this strange…vision…did not take him close enough to allow him to hear the soft Kemite words the mother was whispering to her daughter. The other occupant of the room, a young man perhaps as old as Hsin, angrily paced back and forth, occasionally lashing out at the air with his fist. Pausing for a moment, the man stopped and angrily glared at the older woman. “Kuk rishwa, adsaka?*”

”Adsako jambawa aeri, Mishin. Adakau oklau.*” answered the mother, with an almost hysterical tone.

Hsin suddenly found his vision locked on this strange Mishin as the door suddenly burst open. Strange figures, unlike any humanoid he had ever seen, poured into the room. After a second, Hsin realized that they too had no form. It seemed like someone had purposely erased them from this dream—or perhaps it was someone else’s memory? Mishin threw himself at the first figure through the door, shouting the Kemite war cry at the top of his lungs. “ 'Torek Aldaine qor'u cha ae runak foray ae qilkaru![COLOR=dark-blue]*[/color]” An obscure, academic part of Hisn’s mind dully noted the ox head tattooed on the young man’s outstretched arms. Several weapons, as incorporeal as their wielders, thrust through Mishin. As he felt the memory fade around him, Hsin saw the expression of pure anger and rage on the fallen warrior’s face.

His eyes snapped open as the Kemite slumped forward in the chair. No more than a few seconds could have passed in the ‘real’ world—certainly not long enough for him to have experience the vision in the proper flow of time. After several deep breaths, Hsin tried to push the memories into the back of his mind. He would have more than enough time to dwell on them later. Now, he needed a calm mind to pursue his study of mysticism. Unsteadily, he rose to his feet and turned toward his teachers. ”My apologies. I am ready to continue. Perhaps, could I kneel on the floor? It does not feel polite to take the chair while you stand.”

What will we do, mother?
Father will protect us, Mishin. Please stop.
[COLOR=dark-blue]Honored Aslan give me strength to defeat this evil that I face![/color]

[Colonel]

Lady Laria watched as the man huddled in his chair, obviously caught in other worlds. She liked to see other people's reactions to being unbound. It was one of those amazing things to her... That the human body could act so strangely like that. Everyone wondered why it was so that the humans liked to feel the presence of magic around them. Who knew why? Some say it was the feeling of power that holds us with our love of it. Some say it is just like nature, and it has an uncanny look to it, and so it interests us, as well as fears us. Some just say that humans are conceited, and that magic just makes them more conceited. But Lady Laria had a different proposition. It was because of the alternate ego feeling that you get she said. If only one could have two lives, two bodies to control... the world would be great then, and that's just what people feel when they go into clara...

The man was surly polite. Not many other people were this kind to ladies these days, but whatever makes him happy she was willing to do. She loooked at him for a second, in a strange way, and then said, "Well, If it makes you more comfoartable. I just don't like to sit, is all. Nor do I like to neal, but if you would like to it's ok. You don't have to kneel. You can sit if you'd like..." she said. She wondered if it was normal in the Kemite culture to be so polite to ladies. If it was, than she surely was greatful to the race. Kindness was the first step toward a better life.

"Now, let's move on. You have just been unbound. This is a very life-changing moment. You should feel like a new person. Being unbound is a great step in your long life, and that's a good thing.

Next of all, the state you were in, were you could see all of the strange things, the place where there was energy in the form of Arcana, that state where you could see all of the essences.... The dark thoughts of Necromancy, and the Strong pull of the force of sorcery, and the deep signs of druidism.... that was called Clara. Clara is a state of mutual nothingness, in which all thoughts are clear from the person trying to go into a state of Clara. To go into a state of Clara, one must push all thoughts to the back of the head. You must be thinking about nothing. You must be completely relaxed.... No stress at all... This is not an easy task for a beginner. It should take you around ten to twenty minutes for an initiate to do, that is, if you do it on your first try, which is very highly doubtable...."

[Hsin]

In truth, Hsin’s motives for surrendering the chair had little to do with the airy ideals of chivalry. The Kemite simply concentrated better when kneeling or sitting on the bed or the floor. Indeed, his parent’s house had only two or three seats for a family of six. The entire family simply sat or knelt on reed mats in front of low tables when eating and studying. Now, he kicked off his shoes and knelt, crossing feet in a rough X. His center of weight settled on top of his folded leg. While not exactly the most comfortable position, the minute physical adjustments required to maintain this position allowed Hsin to explore the relation between the mind and the body. Long hours kneeling invariably built tolerance for the minor aches and pains of the body. In addition to its philosophical offerings, his family prayed and meditated while kneeling. This habit allowed Hsin an additional defense against the intrusions of unwanted emotions and thoughts. He listened intently as the teacher spoke, explaining the steps necessary to achieve the state she referred to as clara. ”Yes, ma’am. I believe I understand.”

Hsin closed his eyes and inhaled while he counted until to ten. Mentally, he steeled himself against both the outside world and the inner mind. Becoming caught up in the ‘high’ of magic would certainly ruin his concentration and prevent the ability to achieve the state of clara. After holding his breath for another ten counts, Hsin began to concentrate on clearing his mind of emotions and thoughts. Finally, as he exhaled for ten counts, he concentrated on maintaining the mental void. The Kemite continued repeating this cycle, gathering his will, clearing his mind, and than dwelling in the subsequent emptiness. He tried not to anticipate the outcome—doing so would only break his conversation.

[Colonel]

Lady Laria was taken aback.

Not once ever had she had a student able to go into a state of Clara without having to try again. He must be a wise person indeed... Obviously spends many a time thinking... While in the state of pure unconcentration of anything, one could see truly amazing things. In the absense of everything, one could see the arcane energy that flowed within the body, and without. If Hsin were to look around while in the state of Clara, he would see the inner and outer energies of life. Within each of these energies, he would see different essences, which are the fields of arcana one can study.

"Alright. Now that you are in a state of Clara, you can see things that you cannot normally see. Do you see those things? The first thing you will see in this state is the energy flowing outside of your body. The energy that is flowing freely in the air. This is called Ara. Ara is the energy without the body. Now look at yourself. The energy you see coming from you is called Vis. Vis is the energy withing." She explained slowly so that Hsin wouldn't go out of the state of Clara, and so that he wouldn't lose his "concentration." She went on. "Next, you will notice that the Ara, or outside energy, has different things or symbols in them. These are called essences. You will notice that there is the ancient symbols of Ikos, the dissonant chords of Song, the dark forces of Necromancy, the healing power of Thaumatergy, the psionic waves of Mysticism, the strong forces of Sorcery, and the Elements of Elamentalism. do you see these things?" she asked, in a slow tone once again. If he saw them, he might speak, or nod his head, but one of these might cause him to go out of the state of Clara... It took the initiate nearly 20 minutes to achieve this state for the first time, which is good, only because it was on the first try...

[Hsin]

As his mind began to empty and his emotional began to fade, a completely new sensation began to work its way into the Kemite’s conscience. In retrospect, he would describe it almost like a third eye, except the sensation did not restrict itself to the front of his body. Color began to creep back into his conscience and pool into discernable puddles, but his eyes remained closed. Hsin found himself “staring” into a sea of green covered by a thin veil of gray-black. However, the strange sensation following his unbinding told him differently. The green carried a feeling of life and nature, forever striving against the law of entropy. Gray-black seemed to carry a feeling of stone and earth, rigid and unyielding. Behind him, the Kemite sensed a brilliant, but colorless light that wavered to the left and right. Unlike the other auras, it winked in and out of his perception. The teacher perhaps? Suddenly, he sensed a similar feeling engulf his body. Had he managed to achieve clara?

The teacher did not leave her student to wallow in uncertainty. He listened as she explained the difference between ara and vis. From her slow lecture, the Kemite surmised that the colors he sensed embodied the different essences. Green probably represented the energy of druidism, while the gray stood for the element of stone controlled by elementalists. Then, perhaps, this colorless light embodied the strength and will of the mind? As he thought about this new revelation, Hsin carefully maintained concentration that had brought him into clara. It had taken a good deal of effort to reach this point—no reason to loose concentration now. Carefully and ever so slowly, Hsin dipped his head to answer ‘yes’ to the teacher’s question.

[Colonel]

Lady Laria smiled. He was smart enough to know to not yet say anything. She would teach that later in her lesson. For now, they would just stick to the basics of archanomechanics. Next, she would explain the roles of Ara and Vis within the arcane world. What they did and things of the nature. First, she dwelled upon what he saw. Quickly, within 15 seconds she was in a state of Clara. She explained how to do it while she was in the state.

"Alright. Now you know what those ara are, and the vis. Now. This may sound confusing, but I want to to grab hold of the Ara out there with your mind. Just grab it with the mind... Just grab the ara, the light colored one, and try to grab it with your mind. Don't use your thoughts. Then, once this is done, Channel, or move, your Vis outward toward the Ara. If you do this correctly, and amazing site should appear called Arcalysis. This Arcalysis is the basis for casting spells. Arcalysis is an amazing thing. The magic contained in it is great. I want you to try and do this... just reach with your mind...."

[Hsin]

As he spent more and more time in this strange state of clara, Hsin slowly began to notice some of the more subtle features of the natural ara. His newly unbound senses did not give a very good sense of depth. Closer ara, like the stones of the Academy, appeared as a darker gray. The green color of nature seemed muted and dull, as if the stonewalls dampened their energy. Beyond the powerful mental energy of his teacher, the Kemite could not sense anything. Perhaps his senses simply were not sharp enough to see past her aura. However, the Kemite gradually managed to discern a difference in the colorless nimbus of light that surrounded his body. A stormy layer of “light” surrounded his body, rushing around in powerful yet chaotic patterns. He surmised from that the Lady’s continued lecturing that this was the ara of his mind. Under this turbulent layer lurked a calmer aura. It did not have the outright strength of his ara, but seemed somehow stronger because of its orderly nature.

Hsin listened attentively to his teacher as she explained the steps leading to arcalysis. But, before he began, the Kemite once again meditated to clear his mind of stray thoughts and emotions. While not powerful enough to ruin his state of clara, the emotions and thoughts inspired by baby steps into arcane could potentially interfere with the next step. After a few moments of nothingness, Hsin concentrated on drawing the orderly vis in the center of his being outwards. He tried to avoid thoughts and visualizations, but rather concentrated his willpower on pulling his vis into the storm of ara.

[Colonel]

OOC: It's the other way around. Lol. You want to pull the ara to you .

IC: "No, no, no, your going about it all wrong. What you need to do is bring the ara to you. And once it gets pretty close, you must Channel your vis just barely so that it reaches the Ara. You don't want to channel your vis all of the way out there. That requires much effort and is rather difficult to do. Now, what I want you to do is try to get the ara to come to you, by grabbing it with your mind. Then, just barely use your vis and slowly, but steadily, push your vis out to the ara. This will perform an arcalysis. It is too much effort to push your vis all of the way out there, and if you made arcalysis on yourself, and that would not work. Now, try again..." She hoped that he would get it this time. This was a very promising student, indeed.

[Hsin]

OOC: Whoops. That’s what you get for not paying attention when you’re typing.

IC:
In spite of the Kemite’s best efforts, his vis would not budge far enough. At best, it would quiver and seem to rise slightly before disappearing into the stormy ara. A twinge of frustration rumbled through his empty mind before being forcefully suppressed. Was he doing something wrong? Or was this concept of arcalysis much harder than the teacher described? He calmed his mind again, once again wiping away his emotions. Suddenly, he heard the teacher explain his mistakes. Preemptively, he cleared his mind again through mediation before he could feel embarrassment. Maintaining a state of clara would need considerable practice at a later time. Once again, he reached out with his mind into the colored auras around his body. This time, he grasped at the stormy ara with his will and pulled it down toward the calmer vis. At the same time, he reached into his vis and attempted to draw it toward the ara.

[Colonel]

Finally, the new young initiate had made arcalysis with the ara without and the vis within. It was an amazing site indeed. The two seemed to mix and perform something very interesting. It was great indeed to see something he had never seen before. It would surly also be a memorable moment to see the arcalysis for the first time.

"You see that in front of you? That is Arcalysis. This is the basis of all spells. It's the first thing that you need in order to cast a spell. Otherwise, you would have no way of casting the spell. Alright. I would like you to come out of the state of clara for just a minute or two, so I can explain to you some basic vocab. First off, you know all of the basics of archanomechanics except for a couple of things. First off, there are some terms you need to know. The first term you need to know is the act of Focusing. Focusing is tapping into a specific sphere's 'astral plane,' which is also known as your sphere's 'astral source.' The astral plane is where we get the essences of each one of the spheres from. Each of the essences has a specific 'astral plane' for their own sphere. Our's, of course, is the psionic plane. Elementalists use the elemental planes, just as we use our psionic plane. Each one of the different kinds of sphere's has one of these astral planes.

Next of all is the word [u]Channeling.[/i] Channeling is the interaction of a specific sphere's astral energy with that of the outside ara. The mix of these two, or the arcalysis, is known as Mana. Mana is the basis of casting all spells. Without mana, there would be no spells. It is used to construct the main part of the spell. Do you understand all of this, Hsin? If there are no questions, I will go further into certain techniques used to cast spells."