[Guido, Self-Training] Water

[Guido Faragas]

Timestamp: 4th day of Summer, 510AV
Location: Outside the gates of Syliras
Thread Type: Self-mod Training – primarily reimancy, some meditation & glyphery.

Water: a small, dirty puddle in the middle of a forgotten backstreet.

Water: a trickling, murmuring stream cascading down the steep side of a jagged hill.

Water: spears of heavy rain bursting from a grey cloud.

Water: a giant beast circling the world, eating at the earth, greedily lapping at the shores.

Silven had talked of water before he had vanished; he spoke of its power and he spoke of it fondly, in poetic terms as one might talk of a lover. For it was the element with which the elderly wizard had the most affinity; his first element, just as fire was the beginning for his apprentice.

The departure of his master had left the apprentice tutored solely in the element of fire. Yet, Silven had spoken much of water and even demonstrated his own mastery of the substance. In the absence of his master, Guido knew that he must experiment alone if he was to make progress as a reimancer. He had awoken this morning to the chime of birdsong – a good day to begin. Now, sitting by the small pool, filled with murky water, his nerves were in danger of besting him. He had never embarked on something completely new without the presence of the old man.

Relaxation. Patience. His mind echoed the mantra of his master. Relax, Guido, find a focus and use it for your meditation. His eyes scanned the clearing behind the pool. There was a small bush covered in deep red berries. He chose a clump of berries and made them the centre of his attention – expanding them within his mind into a crimson curtain that he drew across his senses and around his body. Clothed in soft, scarlet silk – blowing gently, caressing his limbs – cooling and calming, assuaging his anxieties. Letting each muscle slowly tighten and then relax – moving from his bare feet, along his lower limbs, the contours of his torso and the lines and features of his face. Tensing and relaxing, each time achieving a deeper sense of well-being – blotting out the world.

[Guido Faragas]

He found that the relaxation techniques he had spent so long learning also sharpened his senses: particularly his sense of smell. He could detect the delicate aroma of the red berries, the perfume of the small white flowers that clung to the edge of the water and the slightly musty smell that emanated from the pool. The grimy pool was no repository for refreshing spring water but was rather a boggy area that was now saturated from recent rain. Still, it would suffice for his purposes.

It had taken him some time to decide how to proceed. Fire, he had learned, often leant itself to aggressive uses – flinging balls of fires, burning flammable objects. Yet water was a very different element. It could give succour to parched lips, bring life to barren fields and remove the grime from a hard day’s labour. Of course, it might also sink ships, flood homes and bear disease. Today he was attempting something much more prosaic...

Down into the inner pit he dived: it was here he envisaged his djed waiting as a mass of multi-coloured strands. The reimancer had never questioned why he pictured it in this manner – it just was. Others, no doubt, appreciated the source of their reimancy power in other fashions. He never sought to probe too deeply, merely to accept it as it was and manipulate it to his needs. Yet, he almost sensed it had a life of its own, always pushing him to do more than he should – push the user to overgiving. Overgiving. The only time he had seen fear in his Master’s face. “The nightmare that seeks to devour us all,” was all Silven had said, a deathly pale look crossing his face. He had not elaborated further, simply lecturing his disciple constantly on its supposed dangers. But Guido knew of the danger – from his initiation and the stories he heard of those who had attempted too much. The nightmare that seeks to devour us all.

The reimancer took hold of the strands of magical energy, pushing them towards his left hand, holding the palm of the hand face downwards above the pool. It took an effort of will to force the res out into the world. It resisted, complained and argued, as if it were deliberately testing the resolve of its user. Rather than the gaseous form he typically willed for fire, this time he expelled the res as a liquid. It slowly emerged, a translucent crimson-tinged liquid hovering beneath his palm, kept from falling by his will. He gently caressed the outside of the ball, stroking it with the slightest touch of his senses. Water. The surface bubbled slightly, first in a small area and then rapidly covering the whole surface. Guido struggled to retain control: the feel of the liquid differed from the gas, requiring a subtly different form of control. He sensed his teeth biting into the side of his cheek as he concentrated all his effort on control of the ball.

Time was of the essence if he was not to tire before he had attempted the casting. He propelled the water globe towards the surface – encouraging it to take its time as if attached by an invisible string to his palm. As the ball floated down, he sought to spread it out in a wider line, pushing the surface outwards in two directions, so that a horizontal line of res hovered above the water. Then, he envisaged opening a channel to attract the water in the pool to the res, amplifying the size and strength of the line, attempting to create a wave of water. First a trickle and then a modest stream of water merged with the wave created by the res, creating a growing wall of water. It was tiring work, and after a short time, he knew he must finish the cast. He gave the modest-sized wall of water a quick push with his mind and saw it surge forwards across the pool - a small wave that dissipated quickly as it travelled across the surface, until it became little more than a tiny ripple.

All that effort for a measly ripple. I could have created that by throwing a stone in the pond. Still, better to have modest success than overgive. He shivered a little and reached into his nearby backpack to extract a few dried rations. He ate rapidly, to restore his faded energy, before laying down in morning sun, eyes shut and soon falling into a quiet sleep.

[Guido Faragas]

Dreams of water....floating in cool, fresh liquid...standing under delicate showers of summer rain...splashing gently over a grateful, tired face...running through glittering, sunlit pools...lying beside a bubbling, meandering stream...

The water hit Guido’s face. He awoke from his reverie, spluttering and shaking the liquid from his sodden eyes. He was not alone. Standing a few paces away, holding a dripping water container in one hand and a wicked dagger in the other, was a tall, hooked- nosed human. The corner of one lip curled in amusement. The dagger was dripping a red substance to the ground. Blood? The reimancer felt no wound in his body.

Cautiously, he levered himself up on both elbows. “You have me at a disadvantage,” he began slowly.

“Indeed, I do,” nodded the other man. “And, should I want to rob you, I dare say I could do so. But, of course, if that was my intention, I would scarcely have woken you from such a deep sleep.”

True. “Then what is your intention?”

“Why, I am you saviour of course. Your knight in shining armour.” The hook-nosed man gestured towards the clearing behind Guido. Turning, the youth saw a body lying on the ground. A small, thin looking man with a gaping wound in one side of his body. A long, thin dagger lay by his side.

“That fellow was about to make a sieve out of you, as you lay in your slumber. Fortunately, I came along. Ralid Hatmar at your service.” The tall man gave a self-satisfied smile.

“And you did not think to rob me?” Guido raised a querying eyebrow at Ralid.

“I cannot say it did not cross my mind,” admitted Hatmar. “But I do not like to see a man taken in such a cowardly fashion. Should I want to play the thief, why I should stride right up to you and ask you for the coins. Only if you refused would I knife you – and to your face, of course.” He laughed, clearly pleased at his own joke.

“Still, I had a greater prize in mind. I must confess to watching your sport with the water.” Guido started. The fellow knows I am a reimancer.

“Now, I can’t say I was very impressed. You appear to be in need of practice. Still, I judged that having a reimancer in my debt, might be a wise move on my part.” Hatmar dropped his water bottle on the ground, extricated a cloth from a hidden pocket and wiped his knife. He slid it back into a sheath at his waist. “See. I am now defenceless. Thus, I prove my good nature!”

Guido stood. He raised his palm over the nearby water. With a careless pull into his inner djed, he propelled the coloured strands of energy towards his hand, rapidly creating a small pool of liquid res beneath his palm. It came much easier this time – whether due to his previous experience or the force he exerted was not clear. Yet, it was at a cost – it almost took his breath away and he nearly lost control. Had he not rested and recovered some energy he may well have failed. A lesson learned, take it slow. He concentrated on moulding the liquid into a sphere: pushing the ends of the res together, creating a denser substance, running his mind over any hard edges to smooth them, round them, soften them...until he created a ball of res. Pretty! “So, you saw me do this.”

“Er, yes,” replied a hesitant Ralid. “No need to demonstrate; I saw your powers. Very impressive, you are clearly a great wizard. Probably...er... definitely... the best I have seen.”

“And you saw this?” Guido whipped his will across the surface of the liquid ball that he had created, turning the surface into water, repeating his previous experiment. Then, he knelt over the water in the pool, willing it towards his res.

“And have you seen many wizards?” Guido continued, forcing himself to slow a little. He put his hand close to its surface, attracting the murky water to his own globe. The ball grew in size. He turned and, with a flick of his wrist, propelled the ball of water towards the human, completing the transmutation of the inner res within the globe as he did so.

A modestly-sized ball of water hit Ralid full in the face, leaving the fellow spluttering and drenched but unharmed. Guido stood and laughed aloud at the discomfort of the man. “Well, you did me a service and so I do one in return. Your face and clothes are now clean and at no cost. Apart from your dignity, of course.”

The hook-nosed man appeared furious for a moment but then his lips parted in a huge grin. “We are equal now in water-drenching. Still, you owe me for your life.”

And what will you ask of me in repayment?

[Guido Faragas]

“There is also another matter, a small thing that you might help me with.” Ralid spoke tentatively. He rubbed his palms together, a little twitch flickering at the corner of one eyebrow. “I was tracking this man.” He nodded towards the body, a sour expression on his face.

“He has taken something of ....mine. I was hoping he would lead me to it. Then, he came upon you and I decided a man’s life was worth more than ...the thing he had stolen from me. It is only of sentimental value – no great worth to anyone but myself. He may have concealed it somewhere around here. I suspect you know this part of the woods better than I. Is there anywhere he might have concealed... a small object...buried, perhaps?”

Do I believe you? Still, you did save me...didn't you?

“There is a small ruin near here,” replied the reimancer after pondering for a full chime. “It is the only landmark hereabouts.... apart from the pool.” He glanced at the pool. If I wanted to conceal something quickly, it would be easier to conceal under water than bury. “Perhaps he was not at this clearing by chance – maybe he concealed this...object...under the water?”

Ralid’s eyes brightened. “Aah, yes, you are an astute man. It is possible, yet so is the ruin. I have no real desire to get wet again. Perhaps you might use your powers to remove the water from the pool.”

“Perhaps.” But is a third use of my powers advisable. I feel tired and a little lacking in energy. “But I must eat first to recover my energy.”

“Of course,” replied the other. “Eat. I could do with a few morsels myself. But let us not tarry too long, for the day is getting on and I wish to be out of this forest before dark. I have an engagement, you understand.”

[Guido Faragas]

I am still tired. The young reimancer felt considerably refreshed after a short period of rest and eating but he still remained a little weary. In the laboratory, he would have waited until the morning before attempting a further casting. But this was the real world – a world that wouldn’t wait. A world of nature, acquisitive men and death. His eyes moved over the water, the man who was his “saviour” and the still body of the dead man. Guido felt a shiver run across his spine. A third casting would be testing his limits. Overgiving? Silven had warned him of the dangers and the signs. Yet, how could he know his limit without testing it?

He scrambled to his feet; with a curt nod to his companion he squatted before the pool. He simply needed to repeat his previous use of the res but exert more power. The pool wasn’t large but it still contained a fairly large volume of water. There was an obvious way to enhance his chance of success - to use the focus glyph that he had used in his lesson with Silven. He grabbed a thin stick that lay nearby and dipped it into the mud at the side of the pool. Charcoal was his master’s favourite tool for drawing - the stick would be a little blunter but it would suffice.

Stage 1 – the focus glyph: he knew the focus glyph well - Suhil - – the hours of practice ensured that its shape was embedded into his mind. A firm vertical stroke upwards, followed by the sweeping loop downwards to the left and then back upwards once again to complete the hook. It took a moment and the muddy rune was inscribed on his palm. He felt its power – it almost pulsed with life on his outstretched hand – eager to receive the res.

Stage 2 – meditate: The small bush with the red berries still lay in the clearing behind the pool. However, this time his attention focused on the water: it was obvious now! Use the water as the focus for relaxation – it will help to establish a connection to the element I am using, perhaps make its mastery easier. Two green eyes focused on the muddy pool – he allowed the water to encompass his vision, imagined it as a misty cloud that hung before his eyes, negating anything else that might interrupt his concentration. Water: cool water flowing across my hands - over my face - my mind floating on the water - the liquid supporting my body - a profound feeling of lightness - feeling the water in my body join with the pool - I am one with the water.

Stage 3 – diving for the Djed: This time, he envisaged himself poised above the multi-coloured pit that lay deep within his soul. Feet on the edge of the pit, he formed his hands above his head and dived – or flew – into the pit, grabbing the strands as he flew by, pulling them upwards to the wall of the pit. They responded quickly, providing less resistance than before – The benefit of using the water for meditation? The power of the focus glyph? Or, I have I subconsciously pulled harder? Careful, Guido, take it slow.

Stage 4 – expelling the res: As before, he expelled the res in the form of liquid; and, as with his first use of the focus glyph, the force and speed of the res was enhanced by the focus. He struggled to control the emerging energy – desperately moulding and pummelling it into a ball, unlike the gentle stroking that had characterised his first attempt to manipulate the res into water. Acting quickly was the key. He rushed his senses over the expanding ball, seeking to form the water from the res. There was a rush of energy and the surface bubbled furiously – Suhil was drinking greedily. Too much! Too quick! No going back now though...

Stage 5 – completing the task: He turned his palm, holding it above the water, forcing the edges of the ball out to form a line. It required little force, rushing out rapidly, attracting the water from the pool almost immediately. Within a moment scarcely longer than a snap of the fingers, most of the water from the pool has rushed to his res, as if attracted by an irresistible force. With one last surge of effort, the reimancer forced the water away from his body towards the far side of the pool where it drenched the red-berried bush, snapping a few twigs in the process. He fell forwards on his hands and knees gasping for breath. He was only vaguely aware of the sound of hand claps.

“Well done; very clever.” The sound of steps moved past Guido into the empty pool, where the noise dulled as Ralid entered the mud. “Aha! Here it is.” The sound of satisfaction could be heard in Ralid’s voice and there was a sucking noise as he pulled something from the mud. The man climbed out of the pool and stood by the gasping Guido.

“You look a little tired, my friend; your eyes are a little bloodshot. I would advise rest, perhaps even a sleep. Sorry but I have an appointment, so I must dash.” With that he was gone.

************************************************

He recalled the old man’s voice: “Some of the minor signs of overgiving are a metallic taste in the mouth...I taste metal. Iron perhaps? Or copper? A quickening of the hearbeat...My heart is pounding, the noise is shaking my skull to pieces. Tremors of the body. My body is shaking. I cannot control my arms. Yet, I want to cast again, feel the energy of the res; the power of the water. That way is madness.” He was fortunate for the third casting had finally drained his energy, leaving him unable to satisfy the impulse to do more.

It was dark when he woke. Drained, cold and still shaking a little. Lying by the side of the empty pool. His senses hollowed out by the expelling of the res, just as the pool had been emptied by his will.

That night his dreams were full of twisted shapes, bulbous eyes and cackling creatures. Overgiving. The nightmare that seeks to devour us all.

[Leviathan]

Thread Award! Guido Exp +1 Meditation, +2 Reimancy, +1 Glyphing Lore Envisioning the Djed, Symptoms of Overgiving (Basic) Additional Comments I apologize for not getting to this much earlier, like I should have. Nice thread and feel free to PM me with any questions or comments.