[Couronne] Connections II (Solo)

[Reima]

City: Amoren
Location: Inn near city center
Time: Evening

45th of Glade, 120 AV

Reima passed a hand over her tired eyes, rubbing the bridge of her nose before sighing heavily. The day had been another long one. No sermons perhaps, but as she was a guest in the city the Praetor over the Cathedral had... commandeered her services. There apparently were a number of side passages and hidden nooks that were rarely cleaned. Unfortunately for Reima she was both uniquely suited to squeezing into tight and hard to reach places, and she technically was here in the city to offer her aid to the Praetor and those beneath him. What this basically amounts to is a lot of walking, searching, and crawling in the dust and cobwebs for the tiny Fae.

"Honestly, I am not paid enough for this." She laid her head on her small desk and closed her eyes. Though she didn't really need to sleep as a fleshling might, the act was mostly symbolic and simply felt right at the moment. The Fae was truly exhausted, and she allowed herself a few moments of quiet respite, along with a brief prayer to Nydden for good measure.

Cracking her lids Reima could see the flicker of candlelight from her bedside table. The candle was tall, made of good wax with interesting colors, and markings down its length. As she watched the heat of the flame began to melt the wax nearest the wick, and drips of red and white began to slowly descend and collect in the brass candle holder below. It would pool there, not quite liquid before slowly hardening to form a deformed base below the candle itself. She watched as the candle slowly ever so slowly began to shorten. Her mind became quiet and still, and she found her thoughts wandering to several days ago. She had managed to connect three anchors together, something that in and of itself was not especially interesting. Through that connection, however, she was able to control and even activate a shield that she was not directly connecting with or touching. This, she knew, was causing a fundamental shift in her understanding of negation and how aether itself worked. What exactly did this revelation mean to her? What could she do with it?

The flames light caught her attention once more, and she watched as it flickered in a nearly imperceptible breeze. It was interesting that something invisible, such as the wind, could cause a flame to dance and twist as it did. In a way the aetherium was similar. Unseen yet it was everywhere, touching and connecting everything. Reima knew this already of course, as it was a basic tenant of transposition. The Aether Flux was, in essence, what gave the world its properties. It formed the world and the connections within it, gave light its glow, a stone its weight and density. In reality, the principles of transposition are also what gave negation its power as well. Where Transposition was used to link two points in space together, Negation focused on controlling what passed and did not pass through certain points. It was a magic of identification that let Reima say what could and could not interact with an area. That said, however, the base principle of the two was remarkably similar. They were both based in the aetherium. Even more, they held some similar properties, that being that Reima could link two anchors together like she could two nodes.

Reima raised one hand and stared between her fingers at the flickering flame, cupping her fingers around until she was looking through a tunnel at the light. She could pass information between two anchors through the aether link she formed between them. In that way, she treated negation like transposition, but in transposition, it was her, or some other object or magic that passed through that link. Between two negation anchors, it was information, commands, and tasks.

A frown creased her brow and the Fae unfurled her fingers to look at her palm. Yes, the information would pass between the anchors, but she had done something else. She passed her conscious intentions through the link, allowing her to activate a barrier even from a distance. What did that mean exactly? Was intent, or her mind and thoughts, somehow separate from her physical body? Her fingers curled one at a time, and as she watched her eyes slowly widened. Each finger moved independently of one another, however, they were all connected at one central point, at her hand. Yes her fingers moved independently and acted on individual commands, but each individual finger movement combined to form a final action: Forming a fist.

Reima sat up suddenly, eyes alight as she felt she was approaching some understanding. With frantic motions, she grabbed her bag from the floor, pulling from it a piece of parchment and quill. Her mind buzzed with half-formed thoughts and ideas, the scratch of the quill quick as she drew circles with lines connecting each other. She worked for some time, long enough for the candle to burn down nearly halfway, before at last she sat back and held the parchment up. Her eyes scanned the paper, and Reima bit her lip uncertainly. Would that really work?

"Well..." she said, standing and setting the paper down, "Only one way to find out."

[Reima]

Shields acted on basic principles. The person that created them first identified what it was they wanted to negate, be that an object, or magic, or even a person. The anchor then can be created and given 'parameters', which translated to a set of specific instructions that told the shield what it was to do. It defined the shape of the ward, its effects, the timing, when, and how it should activate. At face value that was all there was to it, and over the years Reima had fallen into that mindset. She had seen how other negation mages had done what they did. Often they used their magic in the sudden spur of the moment events in order to save themselves or others. Then there were those that crafted large, highly specific wards and barriers that protected an object, area, or person. Reima herself had specialized in the latter method, setting up her anchors in order to defend a singular person or room. After years of practice, the fae had come to realize that she did not have the talent to use this magic in any form of direct combat, and so she specialized in preparing her space beforehand. That was how she learned about linked anchors, and the ability to copy parameters from one anchor to another quickly. This technique is what made her somewhat viable in a combat situation, given she had time to prepare and, most importantly, knew what forms of attack to expect from the enemy.

Reima smiled ruefully. She really hadn't been as prepared as she thought, and the death of her master was not the last time she was shown how ill-suited she was to combat. What she had in mind though, if it worked... Well, she would have to see. From the bag at her feet, Reima removed the 3 Eye of Ulen figures she had borrowed from the Cathedral. She was sure no one would miss them... probably. These she set on the floor at three points of a triangle. Tapping her chin she realized that the figures would not be enough... and after some thought, she rummaged in her rucksack and pulled out a fork and dented tin cup. These she set at two different faces of the triangle before sitting at the center of the ring of junk.

Reaching out Reima took one of the religious figures and held it in two hands. For what she had in mind she would need to do something slightly different. Normally she would set a list of parameters for one shield on a single anchor, and then copy that parameter to other anchors through a momentary connection. It was an effective method, but it restricted her to just what that anchor was set to do. There was little flexibility unless she either dropped the ward and edited the parameters, or if she dropped the barrier and copied the parameters of another anchor with different effects. Instead, what if she used the linked anchors like fingers on a hand, giving each a certain task and issuing parameters that let them work together. These would link together, and then back to a center anchor which would act as the palm of the hand, raising and lowering fingers as needed.

From a pocket Removed the sheet of parchment from before, reading from her notes as she fingered the figurine idly, "Each anchor will be given one parameter related to the shield. The anchors will link back to a center Gateway. Through the Gateway, different anchors will be liked together depending on the shield configuration." she read her notes a few more times, her brow furrowing as she worked through her thoughts, "So five anchors that shape one shield, and one gateway that links those anchors together. Every anchor needs..." her finger tapped on the figure for every item on the list, "One parameter that constructs the shield, one parameter that deconstructs the shield so that the anchor remains, and one parameter that holds an open link between the anchor and the gateway." On this last one Reima frowned slightly. She had never needed a parameter like this before, but its existence on the list came from the complexity of what she was constructing. Before all she needed was a temporary link that she could consciously hold in place so that parameters from one anchor could be copied onto another. Now, however, she realized that the link between the anchors would need to be a more permanent thing. Absently she wondered how that might affect shield stability once she began adding more and more anchors and more complicated tasks.

"Finally, each anchor will have one task. Shape, Task, or Function." Reima read over the paper one last time before setting it aside to focus on the object in her hands once more. Closing her eyes she focused, feeling the aether of her soul stir. A feeling of electricity emanated from between her shoulder blades, responding to her intent and the aether within her. The sensations built until it spread down her arms, coalescing and beginning to spin between her palms as it was shaped around the figure in her hand. The construction of the physical anchor itself was was simple, like layering clay around a stone, though in this case, she would compare the sensation to shaping mailable sand than clay. As she did she brought for the image of her desire in her mind. Her notes bubbled to the surface, and almost systematically she began to fix the parameters in place.

She began with the first parameter, one that would activate and construct the shield based on her mental command. There were times when she would set this particular parameter to something automatic, such as when the object in question came within a certain area or when she spoke a keyword. In this instance, however, she would be in direct contact with the magic and could issue the activation command herself. For this she pictured herself, weaving the intent with every particle of aether as it was fixed in place. Next came the parameter that would let the shield be deconstructed, but leave her anchors in place. Reima used this feature often, based purely on her methods of using the magic. Since she was not adept at the spur of the moment shield construction she needed to ensure that her anchors could be reused over and over again. In her mind she pictured a shield in full form, the specifics of it were unimportant, but at the command, the shield would begin to unravel like cloth, the aether threads either dissipating or being pulled back to the anchor like a spool. She wasn't sure if that last part helped at all, but the Fae was always certain to add this visualization each and every time... Just in case. The last parameter took a moment, as she had not attempted anything quite like it before. After a few minutes of thought, Reima finally settled on the image of a metal fastener, one similar to what lamps were hung on. She imaged the aether being something similar to a rope or lasso that could be hooked into place, connect two things together until the link was broken intentionally.

With all the base parameters completed Reima started to work on the tasking, but hesitated as an idea came to her. Pulling in a breath she wrapped the aether tightly around the figurine, solidifying the anchor until it came together with a magical snap. The completion of the anchor made Reima release tension from her shoulders, and she hunched forward slightly with a breath. Setting the first anchor down she reached for another figurine, beginning the process of generating the next anchor. This time, however, as she gathered the aether she sent a strand of it and connected it with the first anchor. She was careful, however, not to use the permanent link she had built-in. Instead, she did imagine the aether simply looping the anchor as a whole, loosely keeping them tied while she copied the base parameters over before unraveling once more. This process was repeated for each anchor in turn, giving each a copy of the base parameters before the specific tasks were given. It was a small thing, but Reima felt a slight satisfaction at the decision to increase her efficiency. After she repaired the slightly used first anchor, having been worn down from the 4 copies made from it, she began with the tasking. She set one task on each anchor. The first anchor was given the task to form a triangular shield, two feet in height. The second anchor was tasked to form a 2x2 square. The third tasked the shield to turn left or right from its original position, the fourth would have the shield spin slowly on its horizontal axis. Finally, the 5th anchor was given the task to reflect light, making the side facing Reima reflective.

Each of these anchors she arranged around herself in a circle. She inspected each one last time before reaching into her bag once more and pulling out a small leather-bound book. This would act as the final Gateway anchor and would be the final piece of what she envisioned.

[Reima]

The book she held gently within her hands, one hand stroking the cover as she looked around at the objects that surrounded her. This anchor would be made in a similar fashion to the first, but with one important difference. It needed to be able to create and remove permanent connections between itself and the anchors around it. When last she did this she had envisioned a window as the basis of her tasking, but that was too simple of an image to use in this case. She needed something more... complex.

Closing her eyes Reima spun her aether around the book, wrapping it tightly as she brought into her mind the image of a room made of glass. From previous experience she knew that if she were too vague the anchor itself would not be very stable, and it would unravel with just a little bit of pressure. Thus with this one, her gateway, she took her time to slowly and methodically build the mental image of what she wished to base this device. A room of glass, tall with a domed roof of polished marble. The room itself was a hexagon, but at three points instead of plane glass she envisioned a great sliding door of crystal that could easily be lifted and closed at her barest whim. The idea of reinforcement came to her mind, that when all the windows were closed the room itself, her gateway, could no longer be accessed save by her. There was a slight shimmer in this image before it settled, seeming to have accepted this. Each window she now opened, letting in the dazzling light of the aether of the world around them fill the mental space. At each she imagined a great rope of aether being bound, not hooked as they would be at the surrounding anchors, but instead they great from the gateway itself. These ropes appeared when the windows were opened, and at their end were powerful rings that gleamed with light of her intent. These cords she knew would carry her intent, but unlike the thin line of aether she typically used these were strong and would only be broken if she herself released them, or if the connecting anchor was somehow disrupted.

Reima imagined herself standing at the center of this mental construct, her gateway, and as her mind moved about the space she felt the aether of negation responding to her intent. With a feeling of sudden relief, like a held breath being blown from her lungs, the anchor at last settled and formed around the book. With this Reima did in fact release a sudden breath, a smile touching her lips as she relaxed back onto one hand. She raised the book before her eyes, looking at the slight glow of her magic that was there. It was completed. The happiness that had begun though was short lift, as now came the real test. What would happen when she tried it all together?

A look of determination filled her eyes as she straightened, glancing down at the book one last time before holding it to her chest. She felt the magic of her gateway like a warm candle flame beneath her fingers. Raising her other hand Reima glanced around at the anchors around her, and then took in a short breath. The magic within her hummed as she felt her mind fall into the gateway, the glass room appearing in her mind though she had not closed her eyes. She opened each of the three windows, and mentally 'looked out' them toward the other anchors. Each appeared as a burning torch of blue, close but somehow rapped in fog from where she was positioned. At each of the 3 windows a tether appeared, and with her will Reima gasped these and moved out from the window to the anchors beyond in the fog. It was then with a start Reima realized that, with how she configured the gateway, she could only connect one anchor at a time. That would make things tedious, but for now she focused. First she connected an anchor that decided the shape of the shield. When tether met hook there was the smallest exchange of power, like the anchors recognized they were the same and from the same source, before all was still once more. This process the fae repeated twice more, once for the functional anchor, and finally for the direction anchor.

Once all 3 connections were in place Reima settled her focus on the gateway once more. Experimentally she tested the connection, sending a burst of aether down the line and feeling the resulting surge from the attached anchor. It was all directional, another interesting note she knew she would have to remember to address. If she ever wanted to have anchors that worked with one another, or could send something back to the gateway she would need to prepare their tasking to do so. A few more times Reima pulled her aether through the connections, but eventually she knew she would need to stop stalling. Settling her mind the fae focused, harnessing the will inside of her and sending one, powerful pulse through all three at once. This pulse contained a very simple command: 'activate'. The power coursed through the links down to each anchor, each responding with a thrum in unison as their parameters were activated. With a slight bit of direction from Reima a shield materialized before her, triangular and reflecting the light back toward her.

Squinting against the shields brightness the fae allowed herself a small feeling of pride at the success, but quickly the emotion was put down and the shield dismantled with another pulse command. Through the gateway Reima removed the tether from the anchor that defined the triangular shaped shield, moving it instead to the anchor that defined a square shield. Like before she tested the connection before sending the activation pulse. Once more the shield materialized, crackling with blue electricity in the shape of a square. Reima's eyes widened, and she sent another command, this time directed at the anchor that controlled the shields direction. With the barest thought the shield turned left, then right. It was slower Reima noted. Perhaps because she was not giving the command directly to the anchor but through the gateway? Again the shield was brought down, but when she brought it up once more the movement command was activated and this time this shield spun slowly on its vertical access.

An incredulous laugh escaped Reima's lips before she could stop it, and from it tumbled a stream of happy chuckles that lead to a slight coughing fit as Reima got herself back under control. There was a feeling then, deep in her chest. A warmth that wasn't familiar to her. It felt... comforting, satisfying, and yet somehow it hurt more than being stabbed. With a start Reima felt something hot fall down her cheeks, and she quickly dropped the shield and disconnected from the gateway.

One hand raised hesitantly to her cheek, touching at the slight dampness there before rubbing her fingers before her eyes. The tears continued to fall, the feeling in her chest steadily beginning to fade as Reima shook her head, confused but happy none the less.

[Taelian Edevane]

Reima

Lores
Negation: Splitting Parameters Between Anchors
Negation: Creating Permanent Connections Between Anchors
Negation: Manipulating Aether Network through Gateway

Loot: N/A
Injuries: N/A

Points 5 - May be used for Negation

Comments: Oh lord. Are you sure you don't want to split this into two solos (or at least more Negation lores)? Really, I won't mind at all! You deserve adequate rewards for your writing. By the way, absolutely brilliant magical writing. I'm completely amazed by your level of detail, focus and clarity on how everything works and how it all comes together both visually and in terms of aether and concept. Wonderful thread.