Continued From...
12th of Autumn, 518. Just after Midnight.
Little Miss Dazzling either very much liked to hear herself speak or one of her passions in life was argumentation. Savis Maren contested her view of habits in passing, but her companion seemed far more eager to indulge in that point. Did it make sense to indulge her? Both the beings had nothing but time, but perhaps Savis Maren wished for another course of action. Her question elicited the slightest of laughs from the Nuit woman before shrugging her shoulders. Perhaps it was fine, just this once to indulge her.
"Oh, I couldn't be sure. I've heard your tales, but not yet your songs. Though, I'm sure your singing is as lovely as you are," she mused. Sickly sweet was the tone that dripped into her voice. Savis Maren reveled in the ability to express her points vocally. Sarcasm, amusement, mirth, the entire ensemble of emotions was available for her dulcet tunes to demonstrate, a stark difference from her muted fate of the previous season. Mauriel asked about Tanroa, and Savis shrugged when the Ethaefal brought up Syna and Leth, informing her of a bit of history she didn't know about.
"On the island of Sahova, some of my undead... acquaintances," she shied from the word colleagues, for they were nothing of the sort. "Were privy to the knowledge of a Goddess of Time. They used her name mockingly at times, with reverence in others. It depended greatly on the speaker, but I won't pretend to know of Tanroa and her appointment of other deities," she clarified. The Nuit mentioned her proposal and was very present of the fact that it might be questioned. Savis Maren did not abide idiocy. She was glad that Mauriel wished to proceed cautiously, proving that her advice was to be heeded in full. Savis did not try to deceive or manipulate anyone into learning magic. It was a difficult subject to breach and it could end in any number of mental illnesses. However, the trepidation was no longer necessary.
"Ah, my dear Miss Dazzling, you are right, of course. I warned you and I was definitely serious about the warning. However, the pains of magic are often mitigated by the practices indulged in. Take for example my painted words and sigils from earlier. Those sigils are arcane in nature but possess no arcane power of their own. Instead, these runes, or Glyphs, are tools with which a mage can stabilize their magicks, guide them and perhaps even store for later use. My next example is going to be a bit more visible," she assured Mauriel. The Nuit reached into her backpack. Deep within the tool, there was a long, rectangular kit filled with the tools of the medical profession. Savis Maren was no doctor, but she used them for her personal Embalming practices and at times they proved useful for Animation. From within the toolkit she produced a leather brace, a roll of needle thread, the needle itself, and then shut the kit and replaced it within her bag. Next, she'd ask Mauriel for her assistance.
"If you're willing, could you help me clear the table? We'll need nothing on it save for the notebook, the rest of the paper we tore, and the space," she mused. Immediately, Savis Maren's demeanor shifted. She went from playful to serious, her thoughts of Syna, Leth and Tanroa melted away. The thoughts of the afterlife wilted away as well. The Nuit was left with her objective and this, unlike her pursuits in Glyphing alone, were unsuited to playful banter and argumentation. Savis Maren looked to her unwitting student, a smile cast upon her features as the table was quickly cleared for their use.
"If you're ready, there are a few things I can teach you of while I begin preparations."
Savis Maren smiled at Mauriel, then inclined her head in a nod when she received such an affirmation. The Nuit produced her paintbrush, dabbing it in ink before she began to draw a large black circle directly on the stone surface of the table. To Savis' defense in the matter, there was no one in the Library and her paints were soluble in water, making them easy to clean up when she finished. Savis Maren took her time to ensure the first circle, which was just large enough for her to fit the notebook, was set on her side of the stone. The next circle, which was approximately twice the size, was also accented with two points placed several inches away from each other. While the paint dried, Savis Maren bridged the gap between both circles with a straight line and began her explanation.
"This is the basis for the discipline known as Animation. Animation is the practice of wielding the power that is djed from the enviroment and from the mind of a host to create a semblance of life. This false life can take many shapes and forms, but are woven by the practitioner and suffused with commands that give them structure and purpose." The Nuit spoke slowly and carefully, enunciating her words and attempting to push them to an unitiated mind. She realized that although Mauriel listened to her speak of djed earlier, she might not yet know what it is.
"The manipulation of djed is the basis upon which all magicks are born. Djed is the power within all things. All forms of matter possess it to varying degrees, but it is rich within the soul most of all. Animals and plants all possess djed as well, but within the souls of sentient beings djed pools are the most expansive, allowing us to breach into them and manipulate our own djed, as you witnessed earlier."
The Nuit looked to Mauriel, curious to see if the woman was both paying attention and comprehending what was being said. Magic was a power that was often misunderstood due to poor foundational understanding of it. If she could educate this stripling of an Ethaefal, she could teach anyone.