[Western Hills] The Invisible Art (Bob)

[Eryss Waldu]

[With Bob there always seemed to be more questions which became quite irritating to Eryss who had expected Bob to catch on a little more quickly than he had been. Shaking his head though Eryss would merely raise his hand to silence Bob as the man went on to ask what needed to be done if you wanted a shield to last longer and why Eryss had only wanted the shield he created to last a few moments. While the answers were elementary to the Mage he needed to calm his mind briefly to avoid striking Bob, remembering to keep his own anger in check, and contemplate once again how to best answer the queries made so that his associate would understand.] [Once a moment of silence had passed between them a small smile crossed over the corners of Eryss mouth and he said...”Now Bob I want you to listen closely and understand.”...it wasn’t what was said here as compared to how it was said that should alert Bob it was in his best interests to listen closely as Eryss wasn’t apt to repeat himself again...”Any shield you create now will last moments at best. This is because you are a novice when it comes to Shielding. You’ll need to work on it and practice if you ever want your Shields to be able to maintain themselves longer but this can take time and dedication.”...the best explanation the Mage could comprehend to give Bob when it came what he could currently expect from Shielding. If Bob expected massive results and awe inspiring power right away this was not for him.] [Eryss hoped that what he had said would help Bob realize that anything he made now would not be extremely effective and that he needed to work on it. Nodding his head soon after though it appeared as though Bob had stumbled upon to something correctly after Eryss had lead him in the right direction and the Mage would exclaim...”Exactly! Shields are comprised of djed not res.”...there may have even been a bit of triumph hinted at in Eryss voice before he went on...”Djed is really the building block of all magic. We use djed to create res after all so it’s even at the heart of reimancy. Shielding harnesses djed to create protective barrier of sorts over objects and other things, including people but that’s difficult when you’re just learning.” Now the Mage could just hear the questions coming already which is why he’d have said...”You’ll need to start by shielding items such as gloves, boots, hats and other such things which are not to taxing. I’ve had you practice on a small portion of yourself because you should be able to do that but anything more would likely drain you of djed with no results at this point.”...once these thoughts had been conveyed Eryss would stop, listening to Bob and how he seemed to inquire whether or not Eryss could create a Shield that lasted for year.] [Of course creating a Shield that lasted years was a bit beyond the scope of the Mage however Eryss could create a Shield that lasted seasons, if he put enough effort into it and wove it tight enough, and maybe even a year if enough djed was invested into it. When Eryss had begun to answer Bob the man had spoken first and his words seemed to carry with them a peculiar ring as though they were more potent than usual, almost as though Bob had suddenly become more charismatic, and when he had finished his words remained, ringing, in the back of Eryss mind. Pausing briefly Eryss did think it was a good idea that he create something for Bob so that he could be protected, maybe it would help him learn the art better as well, but seeing the blood leaking down from his mouth had alerted the Mage that something wasn’t quite right.] [Indeed Eryss may well have desired to help Bob, the sudden thought having just popped into his head though it was not completely natural, but when Eryss saw the blood coming from Bobs mouth he began to question what had just happened. This wasn’t the first time Eryss had experienced the effects of Hypnotism after all though it may well have been the first time it had been even mildly successful again him however seeing the blood from the mouth of Bob served as the rube alerting the Mage that not everything was as it seemed. Instead of outright anger though Eryss would pretend that nothing was amiss and go on to tell Bob...”Yes. I’ll make a Shield for you Bob. One that’ll protect you. It’ll be helpful later on when I need your assistance.”...it would be just as Bob wanted; he would receive exactly what he asked for.] [Watching as Bob made another attempt at creating a Shield which seemed a tad more successful as he commented that it wasn’t much like a blanket, perhaps a poor choice of words on Eryss part as Bob seemed to hinge on them now, before trying influence some sort of change on it. Eryss would remind Bob as he started shaking his arm saying...”Shields don’t change color Bob. The changes you influence deal with their task. The tasks you’ll understand better later right now you only need worry about the Shield itself.”...which was a roundabout way of saying focus on the body like he was and not on what the purpose of the Shield was. Purpose, or tasking as it was called, came later after the body of the Shield was formed or was woven into it on creation. It didn’t matter anyways; Bob was beginning to understand the philosophy at least and Eryss would create the shield he’d asked for soon.]

[Bob Barton]

The shield would only last a few moments? "Is there any reason for learning this then? I don't think that it is that reliable if it is going to disappear midway through a fight..." It would be better if he remained ignorant like everyone else and used a real visible shield. He saw some knights even being able to use it as a weapon or some very violent woman throwing it around spikes and all. As he is always the person who preferred things that he can actually tell, "how much time and dedication did it take you to reach where you are and how did you practice it?" At least then Bob will have some idea with how he can do it himself if he really wanted to pursue the discipline further. Otherwise he can just think of a creative way to work it with. Already he was getting some ideas of what he could do with the grayed out arm demonstration that Eryss kept showing over and over again. While it was not awe inspiring power, there was no doubt that it was quite interesting and useful in its own way.

The ghost pretty much said the same thing too that djed is the building blocks of all magic. In particular it was for living beings. Maybe "there is some reason that I should start with items then?" since those unlike people were not living and Eryss mentioned that reaching up to that point would take a while. "What would shielding do for the items then? Make them more durable?" It was all that Bob could think of since the reason he was being taught shielding was to protect himself. Protecting items would be nice. Less cost involved in replacing things like his armour and weapons which will only get more and more worn out the more fights that he participates in. What about big items? "If I run out of djed halfway through trying to shield something can I just pick off when I get back more?" It seemed like the more and more Bob learned about the shielding the more it reminded him of one very time consuming endeavor.

Satisfaction could be seen on Bob's face when he found out that Eryss agreed to make a shield thanks to his successful hypnotism. The discomfort that he was feeling was not a waste after all. But first he should focus on making his own shield which is a lot different from the one that Eryss made since "I saw yours becoming gray. How is that not changing colour?" Without the colour change, Bob was not able to tell whether or not his shield truly was there and how was he going to worry about anything else? But feeling Eryss attention on him he kept up the motions that he was wrapping a small tiny blanket around his arm continuing on with the stream of djed sandwiched between the target and his hand which he tried to spread and smoothen until Eryss told him to stop and proceed on with the next stage. But the longer it took the more Bob could feel that he was on the right track. As the djed accumulated on his skin his hand could feel the lumpy and spiky layer on his skin just waiting to be put into work.

[Eryss Waldu]

[Listen to Bob ask if there was any reason to learn this made Eryss want to wring his neck momentarily as the Mage had already displayed many reasons Shielding was useful. Shielding could turn aside swords, deflect arrows and otherwise protect its practitioner from harm which was one of the main reasons there was for learning the discipline. Maybe Bob hadn’t thought that through enough, maybe he was just too lazy to put in the time and effort to obtain a true grasp of the magic, what the case Eryss would be seen shaking his head before answering the questions that had been posed to him. “You can’t expect things to last very long after only just learning something Bob. This could take seasons or years to master but the better you become the longer you’ll be able to maintain your Shields.”...the answer seemed reasonable to the Mage who had started keeping his temper in check while he spoke with Bob though his anger always lingered just beneath the surface.] [Shielding was not a completely awe inspiring power it was true nor did it bestow complete immunities to whatever it was tasked against but its many applications and subtle nature allowed many of those who practiced it to wander unseen. This was especially helpful in places were magic was not openly supported like Sunberth. Indeed the people of Sunberth had a long standing prejudice against Magic Users stemming back to the last cabal that had ruled them before being usurped by the common people. Shielders, their magic being naturally more passive than some of the others, could practice much more easily in places like Sunberth.] [As Bob went to ask about items Eryss would nod his head several times, pleased that the conversation was moving along and coming to a head, before answer...”Items such as your footwear and clothing, even weapons, are naturally easier to shield compared to yourself.”...then there was the pause so that Bob could process this before the Mage continued...”It’s for this reason Shielders of lesser skill will often Shield articles of their clothing at first rather than themselves. A tunic shielded, when worn, will mimic the effects of shielding yourself as it covers you.”...occasionally Eryss only shielded his clothing as well but at his level he was capable of erecting greater shields in only minor amounts of time. Lips curved into a thin smile too and Eryss would add...”If you cannot complete a shield due to lack of djed it will deteriorate. This not something made of tangible fabric after all. Generally if you do not have the djed to create a shield you’ll simply be unable to begin in the first place.”...it had happened several times in the past but there was more as well...”Overgiving is much less prominent in Shielding however if you push your limits to far and do not have the djed to compensate it could lead to your passing out.”...there was no answer to how long this would last but generally practitioners of Shielding did not have to fear lengthy effects.] [Around now Eryss had decided he would create the Shield he had promised Bob, the man thinking he had Hypnotised Eryss which was partially true but not completely, though he answered his last question first by stating...”Shields can block light from touching things which is why the one I created turned gray. Light cannot penetrate it so it compensates with that dull color. It’s much more effective in the dark where it can render you almost invisible.” Now that he had said that Eryss would approach Bob, moving closer, before telling him...”Now don’t move. This will not take long.”....then the Mage would thrust his right hand out until his palm was pressing against Bob’s chest and he was staring down at him, his eyes indifferent to the man despite his agreement to help him.] [With his hand pressed against Bob, Eryss would begin to channel his magical energy throughout himself before emitting it from his palm as a thin layer of translucent liquid. At least liquid is how Eryss decided his djed would appear this time. Acting as liquid though the djed would slowly spread across Bob, his torso first and then his limbs before finally covering his head, in a process that took several bells before completing itself. As the djed moved it would ripple like water, every ripple carrying it further over Bob, before eventually smoothing itself out so that it was clear and colorless. It had no feeling, Bob would know it was spreading over him but it wouldn’t feel like anything, and then when it had completely covered him it would shimmer briefly and fade from sight.] [Even though the entire process took a fairly small amount of time Eryss had made the Shield more complex than he might have otherwise. Tasking it was his first assignment and the Mage did this so that it would protect Bob against magic, the Shield wouldn’t absorb magic though Eryss had made it so that it would deflect djed rather than using it to fuel itself, and also against some forms of weapons; Eryss had chosen to incorporate piercing and slashing weapons which encompassed groups such as swords, axes and arrows but not bludgeoning weapons. Next came weaving, tightening the threads of the shield so that it took longer for them to loosen and deteriorate, Eryss had promised Bob and Shield with a greater shelf life and he gave him one that should last a little over a season. The Mage thought the shield he had made Bob would last until early spring but he could be wrong only time would tell and Bob would be the first to know.] [Moving backwards, withdrawing his hand, when the Shield was complete Eryss would tell Bob...”It’s done. You should find this quite helpful but do not test its limits too often if you can help it.”...it seemed that Eryss was ready to wander away then too. This meeting had been beneficial the Mage concluded but there was only so much he could teach and lecture Bob on at the moment.] OOCFeel free to finish us up. I will throw it up for grading afterwards.

[Bob Barton]

Seasons or years to master and get a shield which lasts long enough. "Seasons or years to master if not killed by a shield prematurely ending..." Bob muttered quietly to himself thinking that whatever he learned today would be better used as knowledge if he ever found himself against a shielder rather than him learning and practicing the magic for his own personal use. What Eryss finally did, making a shield over Bob as he wanted helped Bob make this decision without needing to consider too much. It was far more better to locate and "convince" a shielder to make a reliable shield for him rather than to wait for a long time until he can make one for himself. The time would be better used to develop the skills that were more suited to him such as his gambling and hypnotism. If he found some spare time with nothing to do after that then maybe "I'm sure you are right about me being better after a long time." Agreeing just to keep his better as satisfied and co-operative as possible. Bob cannot tell about Eryss but collectively for everyone who has ever tried to teach him, their patience can really get tested either because of his attitude or his intelligence.

"So if I shield my clothes..." Bob started to ask while he took off his gloves "I would be able to choose when I want it on me or even give it to someone else?" That sounded rather convenient and then he could also take his time shielding an article of clothing he had each day without worrying about running out of djed midway. But "what if someone's attack happens to hit between the gap?" he asked when he fastened his gloves back on feeling the gap it had with his coat's sleeve. "Will I be protected or will it hit?" If Bob thought about it through maybe he would have gotten to his own answer by how Eryss said that it is not tangible and will deteriorate. However, because Bob was thinking more about the shield Eryss was making he ended up asking something more related to it. "I won't be able to add a shield of my own to yours like patching up some ripped clothes?"

Bob really did not feel any different after Eryss was done making the shield. Not like he imagined it would be, putting on another set of clothes on himself. If it was not for the shimmering he saw on himself Bob would have accused Eryss of trying to trick him but the smile on his face gave a glow of satisfaction of his own. Ignoring what Eryss had to say Bob punched himself in the chest as hard as possible to test the shield feeling the full force of the pain and knocking the wind out of himself. "Cough, cough..." shaking his head before standing up straight again. "That did not work out so I don't think it will protect me from weapons? Or make me invisible in the dark too..." he mentioned as he looked at his hand again which was not gray. "So what will it do and how long will it last?" he asked since it always pays to be cautious. If Eryss told him the truth he would also whether "is there anyway for me to make it go longer?" Bob would not have any confidence in any shield he could make but Eryss? He would want to keep that and press his luck as long as possible.

[Eryss Waldu]

[Once Eryss had heard the next set of questions Bob he seemed relieved that the man had at least partially understood what was being explained to him but decided to remain somewhat ambiguous with his answers. Asking him if he wore Shielded clothing and whether an attack would penetrate a chuckle in that clothing brought on a bit of a chuckle from Eryss who said...”It will. You’ve only Shielded your clothing after all.”...then he’d let that idea sink in momentarily before expanding on it by remarking...”If I were to shield my cloak the shield would not cover my hands or face. This is why I prefer more complex Shields that actually cover me but it will take time before you learn to create those.”...the Mage seemed satisfied with that answer even if Bob wasn’t. As for the rest Eryss only shook his head to indicate that Bob would not be able to repair the Shield he was placing over him; he would need to find another Shielder that could regenerate the Shield if he wanted it to last longer than the predetermined time.] [Making the Shield on Bob was not extremely taxing but Eryss had started to feel somewhat fatigued, possibly because he had lectured for awhile now, but watching Bob punch himself in the chest helped to lighten the mood. Eryss actually burst out laughing watching Bob strike himself seeing as how there was something ironically pleasant about seeing that though the laughter soon faded to silence again as the Mage observed Bob. “This Shield will not make you invisible in the dark Bob nor will it protect you against others physically harming you. What the shield will do is turn away knives, sword, arrows and things of that nature.”...the statement had been made to alert Bob that others would still be able to touch him but Eryss when on to explain further hoping Bob would understand...”This Shield is subtle because no one will know that you have it until its been struck.”...then he’d tilt his head and look at Bob hoping to see some sort of indication that the idea had clicked in his head.] [Nodding his head the Mage would touch on a final point with Bob then...”This Shield will last until early spring I imagine give or take several days. You could recharge it by having a Shielder regenerate it for you but they’ll need to be sufficiently powerful.”...his last words seemed to indicate Eryss believed it was somewhat doubtful Bob would find such a Wizard though. Regardless it was done now and Bob would live with this Shield until it slowly unravelled itself from around him and became nothing but a distant memory. Eryss was pleased and though he could not tell if Bob had learned anything sufficient he should have at least a remedial idea of what Shielding was thanks to the verbal instruction of the Mage; he had also been able to practice which was a benefit.] [With little reason to remain any longer, especially because nightfall was beginning to descend, Eryss would look at Bob quietly for a moment and assess him before saying...”Back the way you came. We’ll have time to discuss more of this later.”...and then he was moving away. Walking around Bob and disappearing behind the tree on the hill where he had been waiting so that he could sink into the background and the darkness. Outside of Sunberth was just as dangerous as inside so Bob would have been wise to make an expedient return to the city while Eryss left to venture back to the camp that was maintained with the others; he’d decided that after this lesson he could use a bit of sleep, resting his body would be beneficial.] [On the way back to the encampment of the Crimson Edge the Mage would have moved carefully, staying off the main road and to the side, he was no thief but the natural darkness of the night and the cover of the landscape helped to make things advantageous for him as he went along. Occasionally when he heard something Eryss would hesitate and look around himself waiting to see if he could identify what it was but aside from this it was a quick journey back. Likely no one not awake on his return, and looking for him, would see the Mage as he slipped back into his tent and found his bedroll to fall back onto and sleep lightly.]

[Archelon]

Eryss :

SkillName	1-5	How/why?
Reimancy	1
Shielding	4
Teaching	2
Stealth	1

Lores:

Bob asks too many questions.

Some students are different from others.

Bob :

SkillName	1-5	How/why?
Shielding	2	to start you off
Rhetoric	1
Persuasion	1
Whip	1

Lores:

Wanting protection.

Shielding Theory Basics(partial)

Would you like some extra turtle sauce ? :

Interesting keep them up ; On a side note... I really have no clue on how to award that shield X-x. Uhm... I'll have to ask about it and come back to this later. I do know if it is awarded after I ask my questions, then bob would have a lot of trouble shaving till it wears off .

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