PM to join Masters of the island (Rayage)

[Vick]

A large blackboard stood in the room, covered in notes of different topics dealing with Alchemy and Malediction as two nuits stood around the room talking back and forth. Rayage was near a desk looking over papers, or in Vicks eyes trying to find something, while Vick was near the board with a box to step on writing out notes and ideas.

They had been working nonstop, Thomas Rayages aide, was long gone sleeping or dealing with something. Vick did not care either way as the human was out of sight and mind. Rayage and Vick found out quickly that they worked well together and were putting the best foot forward on making this a profit for both sides.

Project SuperNuit or SN, was a go. At least in theory as they just kept swapping ideas back and forth dealing with each own research that had spanned hundreds of years of research coming to light for the first time outside of each others minds. The board was just filled with different alchemy theories alongside his Malediction theories. Rayage had the left side, Vick had the right and within the middle of the board were ideas that held lines and circles trying to combine the ideas as one.

“No no no Rayage, That would not work that well. If we make the bone to heavy then we won’t be able to lift it with ease. We will need to add more muscle mass to handle the extra weight.”

Vick was unsure when they became first name without any titles, it could have been after they agreed to share research or it could have been something else. Sharing research was a huge trust sign in the island but they both knew what was coming and both knew they could not be selfish right now.

“Look at the Isur race, built thick and heavy but the muscle mass they have is far more than what a human has. Even if the bones could take a far harder beating so to speak.”

They were trying to figure out the best way to make the bones harder to break. This all came about after more and more ideas made a more and more complex project for Vick was just making a set of armour, than weapons and now they were having this huge debate about a new race it would seem. The council itself was even on to the project while keeping an eye on them. Golems were nearby watching them and able to give aide when they needed it. A few times they both saw a few members from afar just watching as if waiting for something to blow up.

“Okay I see your point.” Vick said at last after Rayage went into a long drawn out speech while reading letters that seem to go on forever. He was still getting use to all the shorthand names but was starting to understand why he would use short names and not the long forms since they were very large in length.

So the debate went on and on of different forms from turning parts of a monster into one part to use in a body, to how the skin would feel and how it would see and hear. It sounded more and more like building a new monster in the world but it was going to be the start of a long project that might have to call upon the funding from the island. They were no longer playing with toys but doing what gods would have done in the past. Making a new race. Yet really it was not making a new race in a sense but making a new body for a few nuits so they would not be as weak as they were now.

The island had given them ten bodies to test out. They were of different races and genders but they were just a small part of the funding. If they could show proof that they were not crazy and this could work than that would open so many doors to them. Along with the bodies they each had a new set of surgical items that would help them cut open the bodies and remove what they needed.

While only Vick had a bit of history with surgery he was far from being a master at it. However he was not going to turn the offer down as he knew the bodies of different races so well with his field. He would just have to get hands on more with the dead bodies.

He was not sure what Rayage had in this game. This contest of skill but for once they were not fighting as mages but working together for a new dawn of power. Combing each other's greatest skills into something else. Something that could give the gods themselves a run for there money.

Really what they were making was a body from the ground up. While it did not have to be perfect since it was just going to host a nuit’s soul it was still something major. Something so fun even with the storm coming it made Vick giggle at the thought of it.

The two of them were forming a living hostable golem in the end it would seem. Something they would call grand. Vick wanted to take the eyes of an Akalak so they could see in the dark, the power of being dense from Isur so they could not break bones and more. Rayage said they could turn the bones into metal as it would still act as bone and be bone but much tougher. Vick had counted on muscle mass to lift that yet he counted that with another debate.

Back and forth they went as parts of the board were taken down and more added. Vick had lost track of time as he saw Rayage turn over so many books that were brought into the lab at his request to save time from going back and forth. Time was something they did not have or they would have worked a tad slower. Yet that did not matter anymore as they raced with ideas and theories that only were talked about over 500 years ago.

Slowly they became quiet as each became more focused on something else. Vick on the board in front of him, his eyes scanning the ideas and words. Rayage on something else. Vick was not sure since he had his back on him but he was sure that the nuit had something planned or looking for.

“Can’t believe just a few days ago this started with a little talk of armour and weapons...” Vick said softly under his breath as he kept trying to think on what they were missing.

[Rayage]

”Yes, but this is so much more than armor and weapons. Its fun to watch ideas evolve and theories be tested. It has to be the most invergerating part of being a wizard, creating dream.” he commented, looking at the board and back at his notes, ”However, it would be best to proceed to choose one of these bodies as a base.” he said looking over the specimens which were brought to them, ”With that base we can augment it with our varying talents and abilities. This base, I could turn to clay easily enough.” he said, ”From there we can use this clay-like body to embed pieces of maledicition within without the need to cut the body up and leave scars.” he suggested.

”That is only one option.” he said looking over the instruments which were brought to them by request, especially the sharp scalpels which were present for precise cutting. There was something so therapeutic about cutting open bodies though… He sighed, ”However I think it is one of the better ones we have. This is a prototype and it doesn’t have to be perfect…” he said grabbing his notes from a project which he had done over two hundred years ago. Flipping through the pages of observations and assumptions, ”This,” he said, eyes scanning the pages, ”Is from one of my earliest attempts of body augmentation. Dutifully titled ‘Body of Stone’, what it is, is obvious. I tried to replicate the skin like clayness of pycon, but instead with rock. The results…” he frowned, ”were less than admirable. The body was petrified.” he concluded his voice losing all emotion when he announced his failure.

”Though much can be learned from this. The idea was simple enough, but the process was inherently flawed.” he crossed the room with notes in hand, going to the board he picked up chalk to write out the entire formula which he had recorded. It wasn’t very long, and perhaps one of the simplest formulas Ray had revealed to Vick all day. ”See the error?” he asked, ”It was too short, for one, the stone did not have the time or energy pressed onto it to become nearly suitable for to be pressed onto the skin.” he frowned, ”It wasn’t transformed enough. It was the result of working with limited resources however. My lab in Ravok was not as grand as one I possess here.” which was an understatement, ”We just need something skin-like to be able to transform the metal into. It’s not like we have to worry about what materials the body is made of. After all, under all the Alchemy, under all the djed, it still is a body. Technically we are just using Alchemy to add onto it.” he stared at the board some more. He was more talking to himself out loud than to Vick now.

”Vick,” he said, coming back to reality after a few chimes, ”I have a proposal for you. I know that you are very interested in Alchemy and what it can do to transform your art.” he said walking back over to his desk, placing the notes down, he opened a drawer and pulled out a pair of bones, ”These are bones of a Cheetah.” he said, ”Im sure you have heard of the cat and it’s amazing speed?” he asked, crossing back over to him, ”I will personally give you a lesson in alchemy, if you can create for me an item out of one of these bones.” the offer would seem rather sudden and out of the blue, but the nuit had been thinking about this for a long time. He had seen the power of Malediction, and he wanted a piece of it for himself. A little knowledge for a little bit of power seemed fair, right?

[Vick]

Vick did not say anything for a bit but for once a smile broke along his undead face. A rare sight as the child swayed back and forth humming under his breath as he nodded towards Rayage.

“Yes, I have seen them in my research. However I will do you one better. A novice could make that item but I am going to add more. Give you more. However you must know the risks. This magic is wild like the flames licking along a forest burning up whatever is in front of it. I will do my best to filter out the risk but you will have risk.”

He said as he skipped towards the bone in question. It was a Femur bone as he ran his fingers along it before skipping out of the lab without a word towards Vick leaving the bone on the table.

He had returned roughly half an bell later carrying two bones. They were also femurs of different races as he placed them on a empty table along with Rayage’s bone before taking off his black robe.

Vick always wore simple tunics and pants with badly made leather shoes but over time he took a black robe to a liking even if anyone could use it since it came from the clothing bin for plusers. However what Vick kept under the robe, he held two bones tied along his legs which gave him the power of flux. He used the power of the bones to skip about and told the reason why he was able to move faster compared to other nuits as he overcame the sluggish movement at the cost of energy from his arms.

“Let me tell you what we will do. Once again, we will turn the bones into clay and mix them into one item. I am going to shape the item into a bracelet or a necklace for you. The goal will be to enhance your speed but the cheetah is known for quick bursts. The second bone is from a glassbeak, we summon them and use them but they are known for quick stable speed. This third bone is from a man who was skilled in meditation. The reason why this third bone is a key part is that the cheetah and glassbeak has hunger that could transfer to you. Like a balance scale, speed and rage. I am going to focus the third bone with the power of meditation to tip the scale to be even.”

Vick said in one long burst but almost all the nuits within the island did that yet they did not add the child humming at the start and end which Vick always did.

Rayage told him to get clay from one of the bins and get started like last time as he flipped in pages of books at his desk. Vick placed the bones in the filter slot and the clay within the fount slot.

At first he was happy about his “helping” however Alchemy lessons were starting as Rayage told him it was wrong. He told him that the filter was not being used and would be empty since they were not removing anything out of the clay.

He told Vick that the bone was in the wrong place as whatever was in the center was the target and Vick did not have the bones in the center therefore no target.

This target would be the goal so the bones were to be in the center. The clay, they were going to add to the bones so it would go in the fount slot yet before Vick got started Rayage took him to the side to a empty board as he gave him chalk.

Rayage had some in his hand as he drew a circle along the board. On the edges of the circle he made arrows which he told were keystones which blood was added like malediction on bones. He added Plus signs on top of the circle and minus signs on the bottom with writing the word target in the center.

He wrote the key terms and told him what each meant and how they worked. The fount slots, or a plus, gave to the target while the filter slot, or minus, took away from the target. Afterwards he told Vick to figure out his way of the formula.

Circle :

Vick recalled what Rayage had showed him and wrote down what he felt was right.

Bone + Clay = BONECLAY
B + C = P1

“Is that right?”

Rayage did not say anything as he just wrote a different formula which was:

B+(C*5)=P1

Afterwards he told him why as he was making it look neater and less to write but it meant that they were using one bone product but five things of clay making the final product.

Once Vick understood that he moved with Rayage as he powered the keystones with his own lnchor as Vick helped with standing on the other keystone doing the same. It was like last time with the armour as he felt his will take the object in front of him as he powered it to move faster.

Faster.

Faster.

Faster.

Until at last they were done when Rayage gave the signal for him to step back as the magic was done at last.

It was now Vick’s turn to teach Rayage of Malediction as he took the clay bones to the table and had Rayage stand near him.

“Please do not touch them. Normally I would tell you to work them however this is a key deal maker. I hope you understand why I need to design them. With your art this speeds things up and gives way to so many options. I am sure even clay is not the best choice but it’s something. Just like the armour, I can mold this now and combine them into one.”

He said as he took his hands and rolled the clay bones into one larger item. Alchemy was something he was learning so it was bound for him to make mistakes however Malediction was his domain. He was the god of it in his eyes as he crafted and shaped the bones with great care forming a necklace.

He picked it up a few times and placed it around Rayages neck to size it and re-rolled it to get the perfect fit for Rayage before he took one of the sharp tools nearby. His fingers moved with grace even as a nuit shaping the circles and filling the clay with words.

“Whoever wears this necklace shall be graced with quick reactions of speed and will be able to maintain the speed in times of need. On top of the speed one shall find themselves with a clearer mind and feelings of darker emotions will be pushed away. This item can be removed by the host or by saying ‘G-rak’ which will make the item jump off the host. However the creator of this item, Vick, can safely remove it. When this item is removed by anyone else it will shall tap into the host djed and resist movement. If this item is removed, it will break itself ruining the risk of being caught and used.”

This was the longest and most detailed item he had ever made. If it worked like he wanted it to this would be one of the rare gifts in the world crafted by a mortal. He had placed his intent into the item and willed his djed into each letter forging the item into new light.

“It’s done. Turn this into steel or whatever you would like to last but I will move it. I have had years of moving the items so nothing is broken but this is one of my best items I will have made. This is my gift to you Rayage, a token of my friendship.”

[Rayage]

When the other accepted his offer and left the room Rayage did not question it. He was sure that the child-nuit had his reasons for leaving. Turning back to his notes he searched over them, refreshing his mind of what the results were of his research hundreds of years pass. Though his notes were mostly written in shorthand, a fast and easy way to jot down ideas and observations without having to write the whole word out, and better yet it was also in Nadar-canoch. The combination made it nearly impossible for anyone unfamiliar in what language it was wrote in to decipher. Yet alone, the formulas written. Rayage however could tell what were used based on the date of the notes, the experiment title, and other such hints. Nuits possess killer memory after all.

Then Vick returned with two more bones in his possession. The nuit watched the other carefully as he placed the other bones down with his cheetah one. So one can craft an item from multiple, different sources? Rayage put two and two together impressing himself with his observation. So this is what Vick meant by giving him more. He wondered, but only for a moment, unsure if he should doubt the skill of the other or not. It mattered not however, for the item which they had created last time was impressive enough. He was hopeful that this will turn out well also.

When the other nuit explained what he was going to do, Rayage nodded, but asked no questions. He knew nothing about Malediction, and knew that asking such questions were not for this time. It would only slow them down. Best leave it up to the expert, he guessed.

Turning them to clay again. Not a bad idea. So, he again would have help with his alchemy it seemed. Quickly he began barking orders like a head chief in a kitchen. This was now his element, this was where he was comfortable, this was his domain and no one else’s. He instructed the other to grab some clay from the bins, and turning to put some notes away, he turned back to the circle to see that Vick tried to help, but failed miserably. Ray was not amused, but he was a little more patient than he would have been. After all, he was getting something out of this. No need to for hurt feelings and ill will towards someone you hope to gain.

”Vick,” he said, walking over to the circle, ”First of all your set up is flawed. Secondly, we have no idea of the polarity of the circle. It needs to be checked every time, every time.” he said ‘every time’ twice to get the point across, ”So, everything needs to be removed from the circle.” he said going to remove the clay from the circle, ”It is important to check the polarity of the circle to discover which side is the fount and which is the filter.” he explained, not bothering to define what exactly a fount and filter is.

Once everything was removed from the circle the nuit bent down at a keystone to perform the test himself. Drawing the dagger which he kept hidden in his robes he carefully sliced the tip of his finger open. Placing the wound on the keystone he felt a connection with the circle, and carefully he began to rotate the energies of the circle to feel out the push and pull, the positive and negative, the give and the take. He felt the opposite and opposing forces, and smiled, thinking that is what is needed to excite change. Friction between two things…

Finishing his test he stood up determining that the fount is the lower half of the circle and the filter side is the upper half. Passing this knowledge onto Vick they then properly loaded the circle. The pieces of clay were placed in various fount slots, filling one side of the circle, and the bone was placed in the center awaiting the reaction. However, before that could happen, Ray needed to teach Vick a little more about Alchemy.

Taking him aside he took a piece a chalk and gave it to him, then he took one up himself and drew a smaller example of a circle. On the edges of the circle he placed arrows where the keystones were and made two ‘+’ like signs over either side of the top half of the circle, and minus ‘-‘ sign on the bottom half. After which he started to label the drawing. The arrows were respectfully called ‘keystones’, the top half of the circle was labeled fount, and the lower half filter. In the center of the circle he placed the word ‘target’.

”The circle is one whole, and through it anything is possible. Though this whole is divided into two parts, both equal, both necessary.” he explained. ”The first half of the circle is the positive side. This side is where the founts will be placed. Founts are chargers which possess the qualities to which you wish to impart onto the target.” he pointed to the target, ”Chargers are simply defined as items which are placed onto the alchemy circle. Anything can have the label ‘charger’, it is just a fancy word Alchemists came up with to make the art sound more mysterious than it actually is.”

”The second half of the circle,” he gestured to the lower half, ”is the negative side. This is where the filters will be placed. A filter is a charger which possesses qualities of the fount which you do not wish to be embedded onto the target.” he explained, ”A single filter can block out traits from multiple founts.” he mentioned, ”Our circle will be using no filters because we do not wish to take anything out of the clay, now do we?” he asked the obvious question.

”These here are the keystones.” he pointed to the arrows on the diagram, ”they split the circle into two sides, and reside in the center of the circle. The keystone is a place of power for Alchemists. It is where the blood sacrifice is collected and where the connection to the circle begins. The keystone is where the alchemist controls and manipulates the reaction. Though the keystone everything is connected.”

”Now you have seen plenty of my formulas, why don’t you try to write out one for this reaction. Keep in mind that the target of the transmutation always begins the equation. Addition signs mark a fount, and subtraction signs mark the filter.” The nuit gave his short lecture on Alchemy making it sound easier than it actually is. He has a knack for doing that, though he has found that even the most complex things can be broken down into simpler parts, and these simple parts make the whole easier to understand.

Vick wrote the formula based on his own, and the nuit nodded. ”Very good.” he said, ”Though P1 can be replaced with BC if wished, or any other variable. It doesn’t matter, I just like a bit of order in my formulas, especially if they are only a smaller part of a bigger whole, with multiple steps in between.”

”Though the formula we are going to be using will look like this.” he wrote out the alchemical formula ‘B+C+C+C+C+C=BC’, ”However to shorten this process we will write it like this:’ below his example he wrote ‘B+(C*5)=BC’ ”This version is cleaner, shorter, better.” he said, ”It clearly states that the Bone is going to have five Clay chargers into it. This works well for formulas which carry the repetitive fount chargers as well as filters. The number in there simply represents the number of chargers which are the same for the fount or the filter. Lets have a bit of practice.” he said, writing out several more formulas.

‘D+F+F+F-C-H=DF’
‘DF+T+T-B-K-K=DFT’
‘DFT+G+G+G+G+V+V+V+V=DFTGV’
‘DFTGV+O+O+O+P+P-Q-Q-Q-Q=DFTGVOP’

”Based on what I just told you, can you write out what the formulas would look like in shorthand?” he asked, ”Also, can you tell me what is wrong with the any of the formulas? Also tell me why they are wrong, if there are any mistakes.” he asked with a smile wondering just how much attention the other nuit was paying to his lesson.

Once Vick understood the lesson, if he didn’t then Ray would explain it to himIf Vick doesn’t guess right at the flaw in the formulas I will explain it to you in the next post ICly, then they would move onto the actual transmutations. This time the circle was already loaded and ready, all they had to do was pay the price for control over the circle and commence with the reaction.

Using the dagger a drop of ichor came upon the keystone. The price now paid the nuit pressed his limb to the keystone and started to manipulate the flow of the circle. The energy within and spread without was his to command, his to work, develop, cultivate. He willed it around, the trickle of energy starting out slow as he mentally went about ripping the djed from the very objects it was attached to. The process was slow, slower than he would have like, especially with Vick on the end. Alone, he could have done it much faster, easier, but he had to be mindful of his ‘student’. He wanted Vick to really feel the flow, feel the process of alchemy. It was more than just the will of motion, it was the will of being. The connection between blood and the world ran so deep, so deep…

As the djed ripped itself from the clay it joined with the circle, being led around and around by the glyphs and d-wire, the special circle contained the energy as it span. The more it span around the circle, the more energy with joined it. The more djed which joined it, the more which was ripped from the clay. It was a cycle of sorts, a snowballing effect. Much like a river running across a boulder, over time the water will chip away the boulder and in time bits and pieces will join the flow. That is what was happening with the circle, and as there were fewer boulders to chip away at the circles flow got faster. There was much less resistance and that is what mattered.

All the djed having made it around the circle, the energy raced around it going faster and faster and faster still. There was nothing stopping him as the tingle of power surged through his body, this mental high forming a smile upon his face as he worked and worked, concentrating solely on the djed flow. His mind was moving inward as he focused upon the circle, feeling it out, directing the djed, and under his masterful touch, his masterful manipulation of the circle, the djed stayed well within, the smaller discharges of alchemy being limited by the alchemists sheer will. His skill was impressive to say the least. This was the talent of rising alchemist star of Sahova, all under the direction of master Qiao. A scary thought indeed.

When the circle reached its height, the energy was humming and could be seen through the coil. If it were water the flow would be flat and it would seem mirror-like. This kind of perfect control over a smaller circle and simple enough reaction was astounding as he gave his nod to tell Vick to let go. He too took his hand off and stepped away, directing the energies to the center. The accelerated djed collided violently with the bone in the center, meshing and fusing itself on the bone. A flash of light, and then all was left was the finished product. Walking over to the bone, he grabbed it before Vick could; he ritually finished the process by throwing the bone in a vat of water, waiting a chime or two before pulling it out. It was now incredibly soft thanks to the water which affected it. ”We always finish alchemical transmutations by submerging the product in water. This dissipates much of the lingering djed radiation. This radiation can be observed with the magic Auristsics.” he said handing him the bone before going to work turning the other two bones to clay.

Once finished he handed them to Vick after he properly soaked them in water. Then he watched him work the new material. He was careful not to touch the material as instructed, but just watched the process of the other nuit rolling and shaping the lumps of clay together and then into a necklace. It was a rather plain looking thing, even with the circles finished on it the letters didn’t add much design. Though he reminded himself that it was not looks which mattered, but rather functionality and the power which it possessed.

When Vick was finished with it the nuit carefully picked out chargers. Taking one steel bar he placed it in the fount slot, and looked at the necklace in the middle. This would be a quick reaction, that was for sure. Though he also took out a gold miza and placed it on the fount slot. Opposite in the filter side he placed a small stone. He just wanted the gold rim from the miza after all. Looking over the setup he smiled and walked calmly over to the keystone. Activating it with a bit more ichor he began the Alchemical Process all over again, stripping the items of their djed, and watching it be caught on the filter which he selected.

Faster, faster, and faster still he willed the djed around and around, each time the energy picked up more speed. Progressively he felt the rush of absolute power come back to him as he continued to accelerate the djed more and more. This was his calling, this is what he will do, this was what made him special, this was the power which allowed him to carry such esteem over the ages and across the island, this was Alchemy. Soon it reached its peak because Rayage had no one but himself to hold him back. Willing the djed to the center and stepping away he watched a faint flash of light, and then advanced towards the object. Picking it up he hurried it over to the water and submerged it. Waiting a couple chimes he took it out, and looked at his handy work. The necklace was soft, but hard, ridged in the metal that it was made of, but it still possessed some of the flexibility of the clay. Though it was not malleable enough distort or destroy any of the circles which were placed upon it, and in time he knew the object will revert back to its original state: bone. That will take quite some time… he thought to himself.

”It’s all yours.” he said handing the necklace over to the Malediction mage.

[Mirage]

Attention, this is a simple intervening post to inform you both what your item does. Please continue your normal posting order after this post.

Effects :

Those words of power took root deep in the strange mixture of animal and human bones. These three opposing djeds have mixed, and each fight for full control as the power of Vick's Malediction pulls their strength to the surface. Anyone who wears this necklace will find that their movements become more fluid and agile, though instead of increasing speed they find that they move more easily at their own top speeds. This increase in balance brings with it a finer connection between their mind and body, thus they can react quicker to their surroundings. For nuits this means that they can react at a slightly higher than normal ranger, putting them just under average for a human as far as reaction speed goes.

When worn this item also calls forth a strange urge, a craving at the back of the wearers mind. Because of the influence of the human bone these urges are suppressed, but the longer the item is worn the stronger the craving becomes. It starts off as a mildly annoying itch at the back of the mind and slowly escalates to an all consuming lust for blood shed and violence. By the end of three days of constant wearing the mind is lost to the animalistic urges until the item can somehow be removed.

The key word "G-rak" can remove the item no matter who speaks it, host or not, but after the third day the item cannot be removed by the key word. Only Vick, or the host may remove it (if they are of sane enough mind to do so). If forcefully removed by anyone other than Vick or the host the item will simply shatter.

If the item is worn to three days and then removed the wearer will fill the effects of the lust for several days after, taking up to 7 days to fully fade from the system. This process is slow, the wearer not coming down off the insatiable state for several bells after removal. The less time the item is worn the less severe these effects.