Woah, this is arcana! [Initiate Mysticism, Thx Amelia]

[Adelyn Weiss]

40th Brightening of Kalendryas, in the Season of Winter
Era II of the Celestine Mandate
Era XIV Post Fractum
The Second Era of the Regency of Milo L'Evienne.

Still feeling a bit strangely over the situation with the receptionist, Adelyn made a mental note to come back and visit Susan Marie. Looking around, she spotted a changing booth in which she changed from her peasants clothing into the significantly breezier grey robes trainees wore. Adelyn folded her own linen marigold hoses and pale yellow silk blouse neatly and placed them under her arm.

Exiting the changing room, for the first time, Adelyn looked down at her assigned mage and room number. She hadn't the slightest idea where amongst the three towers it could be, and so spotting someone rushing about she asked, "Where is this room?" She pointed to the sheet of paper and the woman stopped completely, raising her right eyebrow in surprise.

"That room isn't too far from here. I'll take you. Follow along quickly, please."

Adelyn rushed behind her, nearly dropping her papers. Before her stood a tall, wide door in a sweet ebony color, with a name plaque for decoration. She gulped and for the first time, felt nervous about her mysticism training. She knocked lightly on the door and awaited a response.

[Amelia Lynsdaughter]

The name on the plaque next to this classroom on the sixth floor of the Tower of Mind was that of one Master Thaddeus Dircombe. Navigating around the Tower itself proved to be a rather incredible experience for Adelyn, as illusions and reality seemed to blend almost seamlessly as she made her way up the many flights of stairs. People crossed her path who were without any substance, like gusts of wind, and they did not bump into her even when they touched. Whispering voices disembodied from their sources discussed the finer point of Arcanomechanics. At some point a little voice, trembling with great effort, rang directly inside Adelyn's mind saying, "A-B-C-1-2-3, test! Adept Gustavsson, do you copy?" Unfortunately, there was no way for Adelyn to inform the owner of the voice that their attempt at telepathy had found the wrong target.

When Adelyn knocked on the door, a male voice promptly replied, "Come in!" If the girl opened the door and stepped inside the classroom, she would see the Master sitting at an expensive desk made of red wood, Thaddeus himself sitting on an armchair. The chair for the student was not exactly as comfortable-looking, but it matched the desk's color and would keep the pupil from getting too distracted. Near the desk were two windows, and the rest of the room was occupied by the kind of props you'd expect of a Mage - bookshelves, scrolls, even astrolabes and maps of planar cosmology. On the right side of the room, though, the only strange detail to be found here was a pile of colorful pillows scattered on the floor.

Master Dircombe was a short man, and had the face of one of those teachers who were just as capable of wise kindness as they were of a nasty temper tantrum if things did not please them. Right now, though, he looked neutral and polite to the new student, pouring tea from a fuming teapot into two porcelain cups with matching saucers, both enamelled with a cameo picture of the Rainbow Towers. "You must be Miss Weiss," he stated, "Have some tea, this Nexian winter cuts right to the bone."

Thaddeus waited for Adelyn to seat herself across from him and then asked the first question, his tone still neutral. "So, what brings you here on this cold brightening? Which is really the age-old question every prospective Initiate is asked at some point, why Arcana and why Mysticism?"

[Adelyn Weiss]

A male's voice rung in her ears, an echoing bidding to enter the room. She hesitated momentarily, but ultimately opened the door and stepping in. She closed the door behind her and turned to look at Master Thaddeus Dircombe. Despite his neutrality he seemed thoughtful enough to provide tea for Adelyn, who quickly rushed over to the stiff chair assigned to students. She couldn't help but to let her eyes wander over at all of Master Thaddeus Dircombe's possessions. She didn't know what half of them did, but they definitely looked interesting.

The short, petite girl smiled warmly, a contrast to her body's temperature and gladly accepted a cup of tea. Taking the delicate porcelain cup and saucer in her shaking hands, she first took a small sip before she answered, "It definitely is more than just a little chilly. But, yes yes I am Adelyn Weiss. It is a pleasure to meet you Master Thaddeus Dircombe."

Looking out the windows momentarily she could barely see anything but the harsh winds blowing the trees in the distance and signs of snow starting to trickle downward. She turned to the right and strangely enough, there were pillows scattered on the floor. Surely the master didn't sleep in a bed of pillows in his office right? Maybe the pillows would be used for Adelyn if in case she fell from something ... because surely Adelyn was not capable of moving the pillows with her mind. At least not yet, thought Adelyn.

"So, what brings you here on this cold brightening? Which is really the age-old question every prospective Initiate is asked at some point, why Arcana and why Mysticism?" he asked.

Giving it some thought replied as confidently as she could, taking another sip of tea, "I wish to possess the knowledge of the mind and unlock secrets I never would have thought possible. Curiousity and an insatiable thirst for knowledge drove me here. I wish to know more of arcana considering I've heard bits about it here and there. Arcana... I consider a special talent that I wish to master with time. I don't see any other reason why people set out to learn unless it is something they really enjoy."

Her body felt warmer with the tea and it gave her a sudden rejuvenation. She blew lightly on the cup and took a much larger sip. The warmth of the tea fell down her throat and into her stomach. "What type of tea might this be? It really is delicious." She blushed at her curiousity and hoped Master Dircombe wouldn't get annoyed by her constant questioning of everything. Stagnance had never been her thing, so she always had to ask and ask just to be sure.

[Amelia Lynsdaughter]

The Master's neutral expression did not waver as Adelyn answered his question. He allowed a short pause to linger in the air, sipping at his tea as if pondering over the girl's words. After a few seconds his thinking seemed to come to an end, though, and he spoke again.

"Unlocking secrets, curiosity, knowledge, enjoyment," the middle-aged man repeated slowly, "these are all to be commended. I am, myself, strongly in favor of exploring new avenues, and I consider curiosity to be a holy gift, though admittedly I have seen many kinds of it in my time as a Mage, not all of them palatable. I would have to object, Miss Weiss, that the motives you just listed strike me as quite self-centered, which may or may not be a good trait in a new Mage, not to mention a certain naiveté deriving, no doubt, from your lack of exposure to Arcana. Arcana is a grand gift, but handle it incorrectly and it will turn into a curse. Hopefully you will understand soon."

"To answer your question," he continued, taking one more sip of the liquid, "this is Elven tea imported from Silrosia. I have a few acquaintances there and they are kind enough to provide me with this special flavor. Some would call this tea of the Elves bland and insipid, but that is quite incorrect, you merely need to know how to taste it. Its beauty lies in the fact that it is you pursuing the taste, and not the other way around. But..."

He paused for a moment, his lips parting in a smile for the very first time. "That slight metallic aftertaste, that vague dryness you can feel in your throat, and that light, dull pain that you can, even now, feel building and growing in the pit of your stomach, while your heartbeat quickens, your body starts sweating and you begin to hear a faint buzz in your ears that makes my voice sound more distant... and the edges of your vision getting fuzzy and blurred... and the pain still growing... what could that be?"

As he numbered the symptoms, calmly and mercilessly, they all came true, one by one.

[Adelyn Weiss]

Listening attentively to what Master Dircombe was saying, she nodded, understanding what he meant. The reasons Adelyn had given were all selfish, even if that was not how she intended for them to come out. Had she been alone, she would have immediately smacked her forehead. Her throat became dry, probably due to the nerves and embarrassment, she reasoned. Swallowing as best she could, she attempted to explain herself, "Those... those are not the only reasons. I only assumed you were asking what motives I had for learning, not what I would use the powers for... I do have noble intentions." She suddenly felt like she was digging herself deeper and deeper into a hole. However, she knew arcana was a gift, but if used incorrectly would it be a curse? She almost felt she needed a class on arcana ethics.

As he explained the type of tea, her stomach started hurting, an almost throbbing annoying pain in the pit of her stomach. She had never had any Elven tea nor knew of its properties, until Master Dircombe began to describe them. Her heart quickened, and the feeling of fever or even dying came to her. She couldn't focus, and she felt the pain expand in different forms to different places of her body, without explanation. Trying to muster a tiny smile, she choked out, "Poison?"

Adelyn didn't know what was happening or why Master Thaddeus Dircombe would want to poison her so early after meeting her. All thoughts ceased as her vision blurred and her senses dimmed. What was happening?

[Amelia Lynsdaughter]

Thaddeus shook his head almost imperceptibly. "Not at all, Miss Weiss, not at all," the Mage replied nonchalantly, "if I wanted to give someone poison, I would not be hiding it in Elven tea where it would be more easily recognizable. This is Mysticism, a rather trivial application thereof, actually. Merely a string of simple Initiate-level spells, I assure you."

He laid the cup onto the saucer with a light click of the porcelain. The poisoning symptoms Adelyn had been experiencing started to dissolve just as quickly as they had struck the girl. Perhaps ten seconds later, she was feeling exactly as healthy as she had always been. "Have you ever heard of that foolish man who wanted to learn how to swim before he would even consider touching water? Well, I believe one cannot truly understand what Arcana means unless they experience it first-hand. You see, Miss Weiss," the man continued, straightening the cloth of his blue Master's robes, the color of Mysticism at the Rainbow Towers, "what you just experienced must have been very stressful for you. Yet it was nothing, absolutely nothing. An accomplished Mystic is capable of far greater manipulative powers. As a Mystic, your imagination can become someone else's reality."

Suddenly the room disappeared. The floor, the walls, the environment, all went black except the Master, Adelyn, their chairs and the table. All around them was infinite darkness. Thaddeus poured himself another cup of tea. "Recently, a powerful Mystic attacked Vortex, killing hundreds in the streets. Well, killing is a broad word. They all committed suicide, took their own lives as the consequence of spell-induced visions. You can only imagine what they must have seen that may have led them to prefer death to such suffering. You will have to excuse me, then, if I demand explanations of a student who answers my questions about why she wants to learn Mysticism with 'Well, just curious'. Allow me to ask you again, what makes you think that I should teach you how to enter the minds of mortals?"

[Adelyn Weiss]

"Oh..." she mumbled, taking another sip of tea, starting to feel better already, but still feeling slightly stupid for not having recognized Arcana. Master Dircombe had so easily controlled her mind without Adelyn even realizing it. Would she be able to possess the knowledge to be capable of such things in the future?

"That story is familiar, yes... and I can now see how it applies." Adelyn felt completely normal now, as though nothing had happened to her just moments earlier. She stared into Master Dircombe's eyes nervously. He could just as easily read her mind as opposed to asking her questions. Knowing this, Adelyn decided to share a bit more of her story with him.

Darkness enveloped them, making the room much more foreign than before. Adelyn placed her cup of tea, along with the saucer, shakily on the desk. Master Dircombe sure was full of surprises. Having come to the conclusion that she would tell Master Dircombe more information about herself, he began telling of the Mystic that attacked Vortex. Adelyn shuddered in fright, not even wanting to imagine what those people must have experienced. She could scarcely think or focus with the simple Initiate-level spells Master Dircombe had used on her, so imagining what such thoughts the Mystic might have applied seemed inconceivable. His harsh words bit into her mind like the fangs of a snake, slowly applying its poison. Her palms began to sweat and she wiped them carelessly onto her robes. As per her usual habit, she tucked her hair and bangs behind her ears, trying to remove the hair from her face to see better even though the desk remained lit.

"Curiosity does not sound a good enough reason by your standards, so I shall explain myself Master Dircombe." Adelyn touched her bottom lip with the tips of her fingers, in thought. "Mysticism is important to me because I am very much interested in knowing the truth in extreme situations. I want to be able to protect the innocent and serve justice to those that are not quite as innocent, or learn their motives at the very least..." she paused, thinking immediately of Josephine, but wishing no ill upon her sister-in-law. "When the time comes, I want to use Mysticism for good, to protect my home from anyone wanting to attack, by using arcana. I am weak of body, but strong of mind, or at least can be in time. I am of no use to anyone if I merely stand there vulnerable. I want to be able to defend those I care about." Sighing a bit, Adelyn's emerald eyes did not depart from Master Dircombe's. If this answer was not deemed sufficient, she would not know what else to say for these were her real intentions.

The darkness around her did not lessen and she found that even after some exposure she could not see through it - the deepest, darkest of eclipses.

[Amelia Lynsdaughter]

"Marginally better," Thaddeus nodded, running his finger over his carefully grown black moustache. "But I will remind you that as a rule, the Rainbow Towers do not wish to train vigilante's or lone avengers who right the wrongs of mankind - typically by causing more trouble than they solve. The betterment of others is pursued in many ways that do not necessarily entail physical protection. What we are after, for the most part, is the advancement of our society through Arcana. That said, the entire discussion is most likely a moot point, as most people cannot even begin learning magic. The chances of your being a potential mage are roughly one in a thousand. Those who are born without that trait will never become Magi, no matter how hard they try."

The Master Dircombe shook his head minutely, and the darkness receded from the room, melting like snow in the sun. Adelyn was once again sitting in the classroom, with four walls and a floor and windows and a door and furniture. The teacher had finished sipping at his tea and gave the girl his undivided attention. "I have made a first impression of you, Miss Weiss, and it is a good-natured but naive picture. Whether the former is the reason for the latter or the other way around, I do not know. But I will teach you, if you so wish and are capable of learning, ridding you of as much of that naiveté as I can. Be warned, though, that should I realize, at any time, that you are unfit for wielding Mysticism, I will take those powers away from you permanently."

He gestured towards the pile of colored pillows in the room. "You must be Unbound before you can practice any form of Arcana. If you have what it takes to be a Mage, your Unbinding will succeed. If it does not, though, that will mark the end of your foray into Arcana. I am also assuming that your desire to learn will overcome the... risks of Unbinding. It happens every now and then, it is sad but being a Mage is a dangerous profession. The choice is yours, Miss Weiss, either on the pillows to be Unbound, or out the door towards a long and happy life." And with that the Master folded his arms across his chest and waited.

[Adelyn Weiss]

The odds seemed slim, but Adelyn had no doubt in her mind that regardless of what the numbers were saying, it was definitely worth a try. "Thank you Master Dircombe, for allowing me the opportunity. Now that you have explained to me the proper usage of Arcana, if I am able to perform it, I will abide by these basic principles."

Again, quite suddenly, he used his arcane training to change something - this time, returning the room back to normal. The walls reappeared as did all the random instruments around the room. The floor beneath her became solid again, and the faint traces of snow outside the window showed itself once more. She blinked repeatedly, her eyes hurt by the sudden burst of light, a great contrast to the black that had enveloped the room before. Adelyn's cheeks blushed bright pink as Master Dircombe described her as naive because she knew it was definitely true. She smiled in relief that Master Dircombe at least believed her to be good-natured, for that was the honest truth.

After pointing towards the pillow and listening carefully to his disclaimer Adelyn stood up and said, "I accept the risks, and I would rather be Unbound than leave now when I've only just begun." She stood from her chair with resolution and walked toward the pillows that until now had had no purpose or meaning, to the right side of the room. Nerves and excitement overtook her, but Adelyn tried her best to keep calm and still for what was to come. She hoped with all her might that she held the skills needed to use arcana. Straightening her robe and retucking her hair behind her ears, Adelyn stood next to the pillows, about ready to sit down, but waited for further instruction from Master Dircombe. Her heart pounded in her ears and small beads of sweat formed on her forehead. This was the moment she had been waiting for, and if all went well, her training could commence.

[Amelia Lynsdaughter]

The Master stood up, and Adelyn could see that he was a short man, though it had nothing to do with wrong proportions. He was simply short, a smaller man than the average. "You may sit," he ordered, "and please try to relax. It will make things easier for the both of us if you do." Once Adelyn had found a comfortable position on the pillows, Master Dircombe approached, standing just outside the soft, colorful pile.

He had not cared to explain why the pillows were better than the chair - and in many cases, there was no difference at all because nothing happened. Then again, most applicants who faced Unbinding came from gem-blooded families with many spellcasters in their ranks. This raised the likelyhood of success considerably, though Adelyn's relative ignorance of Arcanic matters made Thaddeus doubt this was the case. Regardless, silence fell upon the room as the Mystic outstretched his arm and spent a few seconds concentrating on the task.

Suddenly, Adelyn felt like there was something inside her mind. Something walking between the walls of her consciousness, touching and probing. The presence grew stronger, as if looking for something. It found what it was looking far. A barrier, a wall that had accompanied the girl throughout her life, until this brightening. It was a strong barrier, but so was the force that pushed against it. Its pressure was almost physically painful, the mental equivalent of sparks filled her awareness as the two powers collided, one trying to breach the other.

It was difficult to keep track of time in her state, with energy pulsing within, but after perhaps thirty seconds of this, the barrier cracked and finally was shattered. It was as if Adelyn's mind had just found a part of itself that had been long forgotten. Energy ebbed and flowed, and after a sudden flash of inner power, all became darkness for the young woman. As she dropped on her back, unconscious, the pillows made themselves useful, and Thaddeus was remarkably surprised at finding that the Unbinding had been successful.

OOC: Adelyn will now experience the customary Unbinding dream, which can be anything you want and is a great opportunity for character development. You can finish the post with her awakening after the dream.

[Adelyn Weiss]

With a slight nod, Adelyn sat down on the cushions she would be using for the Unbounding, still a bit confused as to their purpose. Obligingly, she did what she was told and found a comfortable position. Her legs were crossed, her eyes closed, waiting and fearing the worst. Adelyn relaxed her shoulders, and loosening up her limbs.

Without notice, her mind felt tampered with like a hand reaching in, searching for potential. Pressure was beginning to build up in her mind, a dull pain pushing harder as the probing traveled deeper within. The pressure increased and her eyes, though shut, fluttered rapidly. Energy broke free, and all was dark. A deep sleep had encumbered her, her body falling limp onto those self-same pillows she had questioned earlier.

The soft keys of a piano could be heard somewhere in the distance, but the darkness was still enveloping Adelyn. Faint traces of loneliness and beauty hung in the air. A single whimper came from her lips before she started crying loudly, tears flowing freely down her face. The euphonious quality of the house ceased immediately. Loud steps could be heard coming up the white stone steps leading to the second floor where Adelyn sat hunched in her bed, crying.

Light permeated the dismal room revealing a tall man in a suit entering. It was her brother, Armond. She tried to quiet down her tears knowing she had interrupted him during his music rehearsal time. She stifled sniffles as best she could, wiping the best of her tears on her blanket.

"I... I had that dream again. The one where Mommy and Daddy's dead bodies were just lying in front of me..." she sobbed. Armond made a motion as if to walk towards her, but stopped himself. He replied curtly, "Adelyn, they've been dead for 6 years." Armond's musical compositions had changed from allegro to diminuendo over the years, exactly like he had; his music embodied the shattered state of his soul after the death of their parents.

Matter of fact, Armond had been struggling to make ends meet after their parents died. Before, Armond had only played music to entertain guests at the lavish parties he attended, or were hosted at the Honorable Wis Estate, times Adelyn knew nothing about as they were before she was born. Now it was his profession playing shows wherever he could. Adelyn contemplated the changes in her older brother, of course not understanding any of the financial matters.

As she dreamed, it subconsciously dawned on her the reason for Armond's distance in her youth; he had not wanted to baby her nor have her sense his distress. Small tears cascaded from her eyes, very likely to be seen by Master Dircombe.

A white haze froze over the childhood memory.

A much older Adelyn looked on at the guests in her home, an estate that was anything but humble. Many were drinking and dancing along to the music coming from the piano, a man having been paid just to play the night. She was too tired from the household cleaning (it was a big house, after all), to dance or mingle with the crowds.

Out of the corner of her eyes she could see her brother, pretending to be drunk, whispering excitedly with criminal-looking men and women. Adelyn shuddered in fright, wishing she hadn't seen. Armond had stopped playing piano but a few cycles ago, the change noticeable because the house was quieter. Armond had begun buying new suits and was in the process of re-hiring some staff for the home. Some nights he did not even come home, but Adelyn wished to knowing nothing of his nightly activities. If the price to pay for extravagance was selling your dignity, she would have none of it.

A searing headache struck her from recalling events she had thought long-forgotten. Her eyes blinked rapidly to an open, her hand rushing to her face, covering it and wiping away the remainder of tears, to awaken. For a moment she knew not where she was, but soon enough she saw Master Dircombe in the room, recalling her mysticism training.

"Did I dream long?" Adelyn whispered in his direction.

[Amelia Lynsdaughter]

When she awoke, Adelyn was pretty much feeling as though someone had just torn a hole inside her mind, which was a reasonable approximation of what had happened to her. Master Dircombe was sitting on his armchair, idly perusing a book on advancement Imbuement techniques. At the first sign of life on Adelyn's part, the man shut the tome and put it aside. A tray rested on the floor near the pillows, with light refreshments on it: assorted fruits, bread, water, even a glass of red wine.

"A little over a candlemark," the Mystic remarked, "well within the normal range for most Unbindings. There should be no lasting effects upon your mind, but I take it you had a glum one. The kind of dream you have does not usually matter in determining your talent, but it says something about the nature of the Mage. Some dream of their own delusions of grandeur, some relive their lives, some die and are reborn. I think I am going to write a book on the topic some brightening."

"Eat some," he ordered, "you have gone through a pretty traumatic experience, and your body needs to recuperate, as well. Your mind will be fine, and if you are not feeling too tired, we can get you started on your lessons right away." The Master rose from his seat, hands behind his back, and approached Adelyn, though he cast a few glances at the books arranged on the shelves.

"Most people who seek magical training come here with previous knowledge of Arcana," he stated, his voice neither warm nor cool, "I often have to spend time debunking their absurd beliefs and misconceptions. Other times, their parents are Magi themselves and saw fit to give their children a crash course on Arcana. Is that your case, Miss Weiss? If I say such words as Vis, Ara, Meditation, Clara, Astral Plane, Mana - do any of those ring a bell?"

Theory was arguably the most boring part of an Initiate's training, but without the basics, the foundations of spellcasting, no Magi could be educated but second-rate parlor trick magicians, and Thaddeus would sooner die than train one of those.

[Adelyn Weiss]

Adelyn was surprised in hearing she had slept for over a candlemark. Dreams always felt instantaneous, but it was not the case. A tray of food lay on the floor near Adelyn, in which she made no hesitation to eat. She lifted her body and sat back down on the pillows, cross-legged. The fruits looked appetizing, and it is what she ate first.

"Thank you Master Dircombe, for Unbinding me," the girl paused, taking a sip of water, "After I eat this meal I think I will be okay to continue today." Adelyn frowned, wishing she had some time to reflect on the dream, but that would come later tonight, when she returned to her humble home.

She shook her head, still chewing on some of the sweet bread in her hands. The only thing Adelyn left untouched was the glass of wine, too shaken up by her dream to drink any alcohol anytime soon. "My parents died when I was perhaps, 3 eras old. If they had any arcana training, it is unknown to me. My brother never spoke of them, so I will apologize in advance Master, but the only word that rings a bell is Meditation."

The girl, still feeling strange after the dream, drank the rest of the water and placed it on the tray. She grabbed the tray, and stood up, walking back to her Master's desk. "If there is something you would prefer me to read than explain all those terms, I wouldn't mind." Adelyn tried her best to smile, disappointed in herself for not knowing any arcana terms or even knowing if her parents had been Magi.