[The East Wing] An Introduction to the Arcane

by **Lenalia Sabriel** on December 25th, 2012, 11:26 pm

3rd Day of Winter, 512 AV

It was the morning of the third day of the season when Lena stepped into the East Wing for the first time, to attend her first magic lesson. She had been surprised and a little dismayed to see her timetable on the first day of the new season, as it had contained only her art classes, and not the classes in Magical Theory that she was sure she had signed up for. She had been ready to report some sort of administrative mistake, when she had come back to her dormitory on the second day to find a book waiting for her, along with a note to report to the East Wing bright and early the next day. The note had been signed Professor A. Stoneridge.

She was dressed in her simpler work clothes--a shirt, pants, and boots, not wanting to dress in something nicer and have to change for her painting class. Lena had tied her long blond hair at the nape of her neck with a black ribbon, the dark color contrasting starkly with the golden strands. Although these clothes weren't as feminine as her dresses, she found that she liked them for some times. They were simple and easy to move around in, and she didn't feel bad when she accidentally stained them with charcoal or splashed them with paint, and they were still decently good quality.

She didn't feel out of place in this part of the university, with very few people even sparing her a second glance as they moved down the hallway, hurrying from classroom to classroom. Lena took a deep breath as she found the room that was mentioned on the note, placing her hand on the doorknob. Feeling slightly apprehensive, but more than a little excited, she exhaled slowly to calm herself, turning the knob and stepping into the room.

The first thing she noticed was that it was bright. This classroom had windows that faced the east, letting in the morning sunlight. The second thing she noticed was that it was empty. The room looked large enough to seat a decently-sized class. It was amphitheater style, like some of the classrooms she had seen on the West Wing, the seats rising up while the professor's desk stood in the lowest portion of the room. No students occupied those desks right now, and the room's only other occupant was a severe-looking woman who stood in front of her desk.

She was tall, with graying hair pulled back in a tight bun and a pair of glasses on her face. The woman would have reminded Lena of one of her tutors as a child, if it hadn't been for the deep blue robes that she was wearing. Lena hesitated as the woman studied her from behind her glasses, her pale gray eyes appraising. This was a wizard, she realized, her heart pounding in her chest. A real one.

"Miss Sabriel," she said. "Come in."

Lena hesitantly walked to the front of the room, stopping at the table directly in front of the woman, and nearly on the same level as she was. She made no move to get behind it, instead standing in front of it and depositing her bag on the table top. She stood straight in front of the woman, resisting the urge to fidget and toy with her hands under the professor's scrutiny. Lena cleared her throat.

"Are you...Professor Stoneridge?" she asked.

"I am," replied the woman, nodding once. "Professor Alana Stoneridge. I see you received my note."

"I did..." said Lena. She hesitated, taking a breath. "Um...If I may ask, Professor..."

"You may," said the professor, nodding.

"Why is this class not on my timetable?"

"Because it is not, in the strictest sense of the word, a class," replied Professor Stoneridge. "Not yet." She braced her hand on the table behind her, leaning against it and facing Lena. Lena had to fight down the urge to lean on the table behind her as well, forcing herself to keep her posture straight. Professor Stoneridge continued to watch her, and for a moment, Lena thought she would never speak. When she did, she spoke carefully, as though she were considering each and every one of her words.

"Lenalia Alysa Sabriel," she said. "Fifteen years old. Today, I believe."

She nodded, flushing. "Yes, professor," she said.

"Happy birthday."

"Thank you, professor," she said. The greeting should have relaxed her, but her heart still pounded. Why had she been summoned here? What was Professor Stoneridge getting at? Her nervousness must have been obvious, because the professor folded her arms, continuing on.

"I took the liberty of looking over your file," she said. "You were a student here last season. Is that correct?"

She nodded. "Yes, professor."

"An art student?"

Another nod. "Yes."

"And you are still an art student now?"

"Yes, professor," she said. "That's correct."

"I thought so," said Professor Stoneridge. She sighed, pushing her glasses up with one hand. "...Why are you here, Miss Sabriel?"

Lena looked up, her eyes wide. "Excuse me, professor?" she asked.

"In this room," clarified the professor. "What made a young art student decide to study magic? The arcane arts are not toys, Miss Sabriel. They are not meant to be used as diversions for young and idle minds. If that is your goal, I would suggest you shift your focus to philosophy."

"It's not," said Lena, quickly. "I..."

She hesitated. Why had she decided to study magic? She couldn't quite put her finger on it. It hadn't simply been a whim. It had been a thought that had built up inside her for the entire fall season, growing and gnawing at her day by day. She still wanted to become an artist. She still wanted to draw and create. But there was more to the world than that.

Was this what this was about in the end? Finding her place in the world?

The words died on her tongue. When she thought about it that way...it had been a shallow answer indeed.

"Yes, Miss Sabriel?" asked the professor. "I'm waiting."

Lena took a deep breath, trying to organize her thoughts. "I was...curious..." she said.

Professor Stoneridge arched an eyebrow. "Curious?" she repeated.

Lena nodded. She could feel her face burning, and tried unsuccessfully, to calm it down. "...About how...wizards see the world."

Professor Stoneridge stared at her, an expression of mild surprise on her face. "What do you mean?" she asked.

"Well..." said Lena. "And...I apologize if this sounds childish...as you've said before, I am an art student. I draw, primarily. Charcoal sketches. I like to draw things that I see. My art is my world...the way I perceive things. I wanted to learn magic, because I wanted to know if that would alter my perception of the world. I'm sorry I don't have a better reason."

The professor stared at her for a moment, as if trying to decide whether she was serious or not. At length, she sighed, closing her eyes and shaking her head. "Very well," she said. "Have you any experience with magic? Any wizards in your family."

"My brother," replied Lena. "He's a battlemage. With the Syliran Knights."

"Do you speak with him much?"

She shook her head. "No," she admitted. "He's much older."

"Then I will have to teach you from the beginning," said the Professor. "Now, you didn't indicate which branch of magic you felt more inclined to on your application."

Lena's face reddened again, and she lowered her eyes. "I didn't know which one I should choose," she said.

"Then allow me to make a suggestion," said the professor. "My own area of study is Auristics. It should line up nicely with your...desire to see more of the world..."

by **Lenalia Sabriel** on December 30th, 2012, 3:32 am

"Auristics?" Lena repeated. The word sounded foreign on her tongue. She was certain she had heard it before, but she had never honestly thought about what it meant.

Professor Stoneridge frowned at her. "Did you not read the book I sent you last night?"

Lena blinked at the professor in surprise. She was supposed to have read it? But she hadn't found the book until the end of the day. She opened her mouth, about to answer, but the professor raised a hand, cutting her off. "No, don't bother," she said. "The look on your face tells me all I need to know. If you are truly serious about studying magic, then I expect discipline and scholarship from you, Miss Sabriel. This is not an art class. Take your seat."

Lena lowered her eyes to the ground, her face burning. She tried to keep her back straight and her posture composed as she walked around to the other side of the desk, taking her seat. She withdrew one of her blank books from her bag and set it on the desk, taking out her inkwell and quill. Lena reached out with her hands, preparing to uncap her bottle of ink, when Professor Stoneridge stopped her.

"Don't bother with notes today. For now, just listen to me."

She hesitated, but nodded once, setting down her quill. Professor Stoneridge nodded, folding her arms and looking directly across at Lena. Lena did her best to not feel intimidated by this woman, but it was difficult. It was just the two of them in this large classroom, and the effect made her feel small. She didn't like the feeling. But she listened anyway.

"The first thing I need to teach you is the concept of Djed."

"Djed?" repeated Lena.

"It means backbone in the ancient tongue. It is the most primal form of energy--the energy in everything. It is what gives you form, substance, identity, sentience. It is interwoven into the very fabric of your soul. It makes you who you are. And if you truly become a wizard, it will be your tool, and the thing that might destroy you. Still sure you want to learn?"

Lena felt a shudder run down her spine at the professor's tone, but she nodded, her blue eyes resolute. Professor Stoneridge watched her for a moment longer, before nodding once. "Very well. There are three main concepts you need to remember about using Djed for magic." She reached for a piece of paper on her desk, pulling it forward and placing her hand on it. "Since you are an artist, you might like this example," she said.

Professor Stoneridge lifted a sheet, revealing a square drawn on the other side of it. "What is this?" she asked.

"A square," Lena replied.

"Draw me a square," said the Professor, gesturing at the book and quill in front of her. Lena frowned in confusion, but obediently uncapped her ink bottle, dipping her quill in it. She drew a square of roughly the same size and shape as the one the professor was holding up, quickly and easily penning the shape. Lena tore the piece of paper from her book, holding it up. Professor Stoneridge studied it, then looked back at the square she was holding.

"Are these the same square?" she asked.

"No," replied Lena.

"Why not?"

"This was drawn by me, just now," said Lena, gesturing at her own square. "It's slightly smaller than your square. And newer."

"But if they were both the same size and shape, drawn by the same person, on two identical sheets of paper, at the exact same time, would they then be the same square?"

"No, they would still be different squares," said Lena.

"Then it follows that despite the property of being a square, each individual square has its own identity. Do you agree?"

"I suppose..." said Lena, setting down her own square.

"Why?"

Lena frowned, thinking it over. "Its Djed?" she asked.

"Precisely," said Professor Stoneridge. "The square's Djed makes it a square, but more than that, it makes it this square. Distinct. It gives it identity. So then, here is the first of the Laws of Djed. You cannot create it."

Lena frowned, her brow furrowing in thought. "But I drew this square," she said.

"Yes, you did," agreed the professor. "And in doing so, you made it a square. But you did not create the Djed that formed that square, nor did you destroy the Djed of the paper on which you drew the square. You only altered it. If I were to draw a line through this square, forming two triangles--," She did so, holding the paper down and drawing a line through it, then holding it up. "--Then I have simply transformed the Djed that was in the square into the Djed of two triangles."

"But if that's all it takes, then anyone can do magic!" said Lena, surprised.

"No," said Professor Stoneridge. "Anyone can alter an object, and in doing so, transform an object's Djed. But not everyone can alter their own. Not everyone can control the transformation. If I were to tear this paper to shreds in front of you using my hands, you would call it normal. But if I were to set this page on fire, you would call it magic. And that brings me to the second Law of Djed. Some forms of Djed are purer than others."

She pointed at Lena. "Your Djed is stronger and purer than that of this square. That is why you would be able to do magic, to apply pressure to your Djed and transform it to your own will, and this square cannot. That is why you have free will and the ability to make your own decisions, and this square does not. That is why you can change yourself, and this square cannot."

"And the third law?" asked Lena.

"The third law..." began Professor Stoneridge, walking towards the room's hearth. It burned merrily in the grate, the fires having been lit because of the cold air in the city. "...is simple." She turned, throwing the paper into the fire. It caught almost immediately, and Lena watched, stunned, as the page burned. "Some transformations are irreversible."

Professor Stoneridge turned, walking back towards her and clasping her hands in front of her. Lena stared at her, her eyes wide. "So," said the professor, her tone completely calm, as though she gave this lesson every day. "Auristics."

by **Lenalia Sabriel** on December 30th, 2012, 3:56 am

"Au-Auristics," Lena repeated again, her throat slightly dry.

Professor Stoneridge nodded at her, taking a step back and leaning against her desk. "It is a discipline of personal magic, meaning it is a form of magic that makes use of your own Djed, and not the Djed of the environment around you. Personal magic is the more dangerous form of magic, because it is the one that can lead its practitioners into overgiving." She looked over at Lena from above the rim of her glasses. "You do know what overgiving is, don't you?"

Lena nodded mutely. She had never heard about the Laws of Djed before, but overgiving was something she had most definitely heard about. Her mother used to talk about it, often expressing worry about her brother. If her mother knew she was studying magic now...well, Lena didn't want to think too hard about her reaction.

"Auristics is a relatively safe discipline, but even so, overgiving does happen. It usually comes about because an Aurist focuses for too long on a single aura, or on too many auras at once, or on an aura too powerful for them to comprehend. You shouldn't have to worry about the last one, unless you somehow encounter a god. Unlike in other disciplines, the effects of overgiving as an Aurist are almost entirely mental. Your body will not change. However, you may find yourself going more than a little mad. Use it in moderation, and you should be fine. Push your limits, and you cannot say I didn't warn you. Now, open your notebook and write this down."

Lena nodded, dipping her quill in ink and holding it over the page. Professor Stoneridge waited until she was ready, then recited in a clear, calm voice. "Fatigue. Dilated pupils. Incoherent speech. Babbling. Dulling of physical senses." She wrote the last word, staring down at the drying ink as Professor Stoneridge's voice faded away.

"Those are the symptoms of mild overgiving in Auristics," said Professor Stoneridge. "If you find yourself experiencing any of those, stop whatever you are doing immediately, and do not use magic until at least a full day after the symptoms pass. Do you understand?"

Lena nodded, swallowing hard. "Yes," she said.

"Good. In using Auristics, the Aurist focuses on a specific aura. Everything, living or nonliving, possesses an aura, but the auras of nonliving things have a very short range, perhaps one inch or so away from their outermost boundaries. Non-sentient animals might have a few inches of aura. Sentient beings have auras extending several feet. In order to detect an aura, the Aurist consumes their own Djed, synchronizing his mind with the aura of the object. The longer the Aurist focuses on the object, the more details they gain. I can't tell you how you will perceive it. In my case, I tend to see words, but then again, I was an avid reader and scribe before I was an Aurist. In your case...who knows? Your mind will process the information in the way easiest for it to understand."

Professor Stoneridge paused, looking over at Lena. "This is a class on magical theory," she said. "However, Auristics is something that is difficult to explain, without a small amount of practical instruction. So, you are dismissed for the rest of the day. In return, I have an assignment for you." She reached around to the bag next to her chair, pulling out a small wooden ball. It was smooth on all sides and completely round, without a single seam. "This ball has a secret," she said. "Take it home. Study it. Attempt to focus on its aura. And tell me what you see."

She stepped forward, placing the ball on the desk. Lena picked it up, rolling it around in her hands. It seemed perfectly smooth, and utterly unremarkable, and it fit straight in the palm of her hand. She tested its weight. It was rather heavy.

"How do I focus on it?" she asked.

"How indeed?" asked Professor Stoneridge. "You might have some difficulty, especially if you've never consumed your own Djed before. I would suggest staring at it, trying to focus solely on it and clearing your mind of everything else. That might help you discover the trick of it." She turned, heading towards the door. "When you finish, you know where to find me. If you find that you wish to withdraw your enrollment in the College of Scholars, you will know where to find me as well."

Lena took a deep breath as the Professor left, staring down at the ball on the desk. After a moment, she slipped it into her bag, lacing up the backpack and slinging it onto her shoulders.

It was clear to her that Professor Stoneridge still didn't think she was serious.

And Lena was suddenly compelled to prove her wrong.

by **Echelon** on January 15th, 2013, 9:30 am

Adventurer's Loot

A Gift
Experience is its own reward.

Lenalia's Loot :

(I enjoyed your description of environment. Let us chat about the word "wizard," I have not seen the term used in Mizahar before, but rather see "magic practitioner" or "mage," occasionally "magus." Though there is nothing inherently wrong with your terminology it comes across as in-cohesive with other writing on the site, so something to keep in mind. I like how Stonebridge was depicted here, I believe I will use this as a model sample if I ever have to play her as a mod. Thank you. Rather than having a "file" on each student one would need to "ask around" to investigate a student. Very little paperwork and filing is kept on University business. That said the information you used was consistent with what they do file, so kudos. I very much enjoyed the strict and serious tone magic was approached with in this thread. I am a fine artist irl so her reason for studying actually touched me quite a bit, I look forward to seeing her perspective alter and understanding grow as she learns in the future! Notes are not often taken in the Uni. Students expect their students to stop listen and learn, and usually engage in a conversation for knowledge, not just be preached at. Good job beginning with magic theory. As a final note, you should omit the last few paragraphs of this thread. As Stonebridge mentioned this is a class on a magic theory, not practice. She may see potential in Lenalia, but a girl at her age can not be just sent home with instruction on using her own Djed without more risk then should be taken. The next lessons should be history lessons, speaking of past Aurists and mages in general, focusing on the accomplishments that magic can bring and the dangers. I understand excitement to learn a magical discipline, but that is simply not what Zeltiva University is about. Focus on Lores and in another season perhaps Lenalia will know enough to begin using Auristics, and at that point her instructor can begin helping her safely practice (or pass her onto another teacher such as Hadrian to do so).) - if you have ANY questions or concerns about this grading, please PM me.

Completed [The East Wing] An Introduction to the Arcane