PM to join [Herring Square] On the trail of ...

[Gybe]

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Despite his looking around, Gybe didn't notice the flames going out as he was more intent to focus on other things, such as malicious intent. As the flames died down and the sun was lowering further and further it did seem as though it was darker here than before. Able to distinguish the difference now that Clyde had returned to the table, he was shocked to see the lanterns and candles had all but gone out.

"I'll be a greenwings mother. You're a wizard." As Clyde sat, some people got up to leave the table, some monks nearby barely consoled the worried and afraid, but with a lack of care, and most just stared at Clyde. Gybe didn't care so much about what everyone else thought at the moment. He had found an unclaimed "shiny" as it were; someone with substance and ability. Gybe looked about him at the people briefly and then back to the wizard. "Don't be worried about them..." he said with a grunt as he bent down to grab his cigarette that had fallen from his mouth to the ground. The pucker was plumb dry of flame and he puffed at it to no avail. "Damn..."

He then put down the cigarette onto the table, determined to light it later. Now he slid his sandals back on his feet and sat back down with the man. Little pockets of conversation started to come back to the area as he sat, almost as if the action itself indicated that that everything was okay now.

"Well, now we know what happened to the Zith at least." he chuckled and rolled the cigarette back and forth on the table under a thick calloused finger. "Where'd you learn to do that pretty bit of magicking? 'Cause if you're an educated man, I might need your help with figuring something out."

Other's Words -- My Words -- My Thoughts

[Clyde Sullins]

As Clyde took a pull on his water skin, he thought back to his magic. The giant defensive fire hand had been a new trick, though it had come to him instinctively. Then again with his skill control was total, especially at such close range. There was little if any break between thought and action, the res acting as a part of him. Which in truth it was.

In the same way he knew where his left arm was, he knew where his res was, how it moved, and moved it by willing it to action just as he did his true limbs.

The thought of the flaming hand opening palm first to take the glass, it sinking in and being burned away to nothing before it had traveled far, was an intriguing one.

Cha sat in his hand, cold as compared to the flame he'd been controlling so totally moments ago. Her smooth but familiar woody flesh was soothing.

In response to the comment about Clyde being a mage, Clyde sighed, took another pull of water, and gave a short “Yep” in reply. Not denying, but not elaborating.

As the man cursed and set down his smoke, which wasn't smoking, it was only then Clyde noticed it wasn't lit. Nor were any of the lamps in the area. Apparently he'd pulled the flame from them also, but he was only now noticing.

Clyde made a somewhat tired smile in response to the man's attempt at a joke, making a reference to the Zith he'd mentioned fighting. His staff had played a large part, had saved his life, but the death blow had been served by his Reimancy. Of course back then his powers of Reimancy weren't as strong as they were now. Petch, Clyde thought to himself, few enough living wizards had Reimancy as strong as his, it was only through his growth in the magic he'd gotten as good as he had in the last few years.

The mans next words were far more revealing, and gave Clyde a good grasp of the situation and who he dealt with. There were basically two types of people when it came to magic, at least that a wizard dealt with.

Those who were against magic, which had a series of subtypes such as those who didn't want it used, those who were afraid of it, or got violent at it... And then those who wanted to use magic. The subtypes for the latter included those who saw a chance for power, those who wanted to use those who had magic, or those who wanted to learn it themselves.

This man seemed to be of the subtype of those who wanted to use magic which wanted to use a Mage's magic, but perhaps not learn it themselves.

They saw it as a tool, like a hammer or a blade, and did not truly understand it. Did not know the cost, the risks, what it truly involved, what asking a mage to use it truly meant.

He imagined in the old world such people were far more common than now, as a general distrust of magic was now the common sentiment.

A small part of Clyde was interested, wondering what the man thought required a mage... Though another part of him was simply tired of the man and his kind, of the type wanting to use Clyde and what he could do. They were almost as bad as the other type that wanted Clyde dead for what he could do.

“Where'd I learn it? Here, there, everywhere. At the point between death and having ones soul ripped asunder. At the keen edge of life and death and survival.”

“And what is it that you think requires an educated man, and or a mage, to figure out?”

[Gybe]

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Commonly he thought to himself what he could do to bring destruction down upon this city or at the least harm enough of them so they didn't mock the death of those who lived in it. A healthy line of respect needed to be taught and he was going to teach them it. That plan however didn't include the mage before him, or at least he didn't consider it yet.

He did want to use Clyde, but he was an open ended sort. He liked, no loved, open ended deals; ones where he could set the price. He however did not have such power over anyone really. A man like Clyde could perhaps be that power. He knew nothing of the man though and merely was posing thoughts to himself. His mind always raced a million miles a minute and he would have made a great mage if he had been born in a different place.

Gybe was svefra though, and even though he didn't look much like it, dressing in Nykan clothing, having a slight Nykan accent, and with many who knew him to some degree, it was who he was. He answered the mans question with a semi-quieted hushed voice. He had learned that whispers actually make more sound than stilled voices.

"What would it take to control the mind of a man, give him ten times his strength, and then suck the life away from him?" he leaned forward as he asked and looked more worried than interested in learning how to do it himself. He considered perhaps moving this conversation to a different venue and looked to see if the man Clyde thought the same by indicating to him with his eyes toward the exit to the square.

Other's Words -- My Words -- My Thoughts

[Clyde Sullins]

As the man spoke in a lowered tone, Clyde considered his words. At first he thought the man was mocking them, and then in turn thought perhaps he was crazy... Or perhaps both.

But perhaps he truly did know of such a case, and was asking his honest opinion. Breaking down the story logically, while combining it with his own knowledge of djed, Clyde considered it carefully.

Controlling the mind of a person, vaguely to some degree, reminded him of hypnotism. But in general what he'd seen wasn't outright the controlling of a mind. So perhaps it wasn't that, unless a very high level usage of it, such as what had once been used on him.

For the strength, Clyde did know of the flux. One of his old apprentices had used it, though he'd not been very good at it. Perhaps with more skill and at higher levels such strength could be acquired.

The last one, sucking the life from a person, sounded vaguely of leeching, another magic he'd run into a few times. All were magics he did not personally practice however, so his knowledge was somewhat limited. If he hadn't personally encountered mages who used them, he'd likely not even know what little he did.

However in putting it all together, Clyde noted that all three were being committed upon the same subject. Something was happening, something assumed to be magic, which was controlling someone, giving them great strength, and in the end sapping them of their strength and life.

The fact that all were occurring to the same logically meant they all had the same source and weren't occurring due to a bunch of unrelated magics.

Clyde took in a slow breath, took one last sip from his water skin before setting it down, and then slowly responded to the mans question.

“It depends. Is it all one cause, or several? Is it one thing causing it all to happen? That seems to be the most likely thing. I find it unlikely three different things are occurring causing these three effects. Likely the effects are interrelated. As for specific magics, or how it would be done, I know of a few magics vaguely that might do as you said, but not likely exactly as you said. And I certainly don't know of a single magic that could do all of that.”

“However from what you said, I'd infer that perhaps the last effect, sucking the life from a person, is likely a side effect or direct result of some of the other effects. Likely the enhanced strength.”

Going a bit into lecturer mode, Clyde explained a few basic principles.

“Magic is not free, it expends or changes djed. It causes a change by using djed, allowing the impossible, or magic, to occur. And that djed has to come from somewhere. I would imagine that the control comes from another source, a outward influence, but the strength is an inward thing. Likely it expends the persons own personal djed, much as personal magic does, in increasing their physical capabilities. But in doing so it drains the user of their djed till they are wasted and empty.”

“Of course there are other factors. Is the effect once it is activated constant? In that case the draining and diminishment of the enhanced subject is inevitable and likely quick. Normally magics, such as I just used, only work for a small span of time. If I tried to continuously use such a magic I'd quickly be drained. So likely the subject can't control the effect, nor turn it on or off.”

Clyde paused here, pondering things, wondering a bit more of where this question came from.

“Where did you hear of this from?”

[Gybe]

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Gybe did not have a joking look on his face. He carried with it a serious look and eyes that showed truth. While Clyde could certainly outmatch the man in many realms, Gybe was one who had a very stern face without trying. If he wasn't smiling his beard seemed almost to cover his mouth in combination with his mustache. This gave off the impression that he was an angry man, but wasn't always the case. So now that he looked to Clyde with a serious look, it held weight.

If a man could be a sponge, Gybe would be it. He listened to his question and glanced around briefly, seeing the man fail to understand his intention of leaving. It kind of pissed him off because he didn't want to talk about this in front of others. Yet to be courteous to the man he was going to answer him, yet he seemed to answer himself.

It was almost a chime later that Clyde was still going on and some people likely left the table, being highly superstitious. Even just talking about magic put a foul taste in their mouth. He seemed uncomfortable, but nodded while the man spoke, soaking it up like that sponge would.

He had the look of a simpleton, a fisherman, the lowest of the low. But when asked him where the question came from, he didn't seem like an idiot. He quickly responded.

"I've heard it from some people around town. Could be a tall tale you know..." He then inquired from the teacher. "So you are saying the Djed could be the cause of their demise. They've stretched themselves unwillingly via mind control to the point where they cease to live any further?" he wanted to clarify and thought to himself about something. Then he pointed to him and said.

"Do you mind if we walk and talk? I have some more questions for you. Like...If mind control is a main root cause in the sucking of life away from this man, then what in your opinion would you say is happening if light were to effectively weaken this beast of a man?" With that he stood up and began walking off, playing on the idea that from what he assumed of the teacher, that he would follow along and want to teach again. If not, he got plenty of information there to help him along his way.

Other's Words -- My Words -- My Thoughts

[Clyde Sullins]

Clyde mentally rolled his eyes at the mans serious expression, though kept short from actually doing so physically. Did the man think himself gruff? Or perhaps he thought it was intimidating?

It was a bit hard to look serious or intimidating to a man who knew he could kill you with a flick of his will, in any number of ways, the least of which being the flames slowly dying above his head.

More so he rolled his eyes at his response. He'd simply "heard it about town?" He seemed to be interested a lot in something he'd just heard as a rumor. Clyde didn't believe that for a moment. He clearly knew more than he was tellling, and hoped to gain Clyde's aid in understanding it. Free aid. Something Clyde wasn't one to give.

He'd explained so that he'd get a response, progress the situation, but it seemed the man had reached the limits of what he was willing to say truthfully.

“You say djed as if its a poison, some deadly substance. You wouldn't exist without djed, you are djed.”

Though he'd explained the topic, clearly he hadn't really gotten it. They were djed, it was everything. Clyde knew this, but the man clearly didn't understand. He saw djed as magic, where in actuality magic was just the discernible changes in djed, the effects caused by outside forces using djed to alter or change or transmute other djed for some effect.

He almost laughed as the man got up and started to walk away, trying to get Clyde to follow, hoping to talk to Clyde alone away from other prying ears.

“You put words in my mouth where they were not said. None of that is what I said. You misunderstand me.”

He wasn't even sure how he'd gotten that bit. He'd never said the mind control, however it worked, was what was sapping the men of life.

The bit about light seemed more interesting, though brought up more questions. Light weakened it? Did he mean light as in any form of illumination, flame, fireflies? Or did he mean sunlight, moonlight, what?

Some things were naturally opposed, but light greatly affecting something seemed to suggest a few things about its nature.

Clyde decided to call his bluff, or lie, or misdirection, whatever it would be called.

“I am not sure if I am interested in talking to someone about something, if the sum of what they know is from rumors spoken about town that anyone would know. Why then couldn't I just talk to anyone else if its such common knowledge.”

The most likely of arguments would be that others might not be willing to work with Clyde, a foreigner and a mage, but he wasn't that concerned about such an argument.

Not when he was fairly certain the man was lying.

“Tell you what, I'm hungry. Find me something to eat, a decent meal, and we can talk more. Call it payment for the lesson on djed. And perhaps if you convince me of your special knowledge, or that there is a reason I should be further interested, then we can discuss matters more.”

If the man accepted his offer, he'd follow along and get something to eat. Otherwise he'd sit there and rest in his chair, perhaps asking a person which way to the Safehave hostel.

[Gybe]

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In quiet contemplation he nodded as the man explained about Djed. He had heard the term vaguely before, but it was more from Clyde's own teachings that he derived his understanding of it and what it fully was. However it seems his deductions were a bit off as the man schooled him in his lacking knowledge. Like water rolling off his back he accepted it and corrected his thinking. He was Djed. Though serious looking in the face, now he portrayed a look of thoughtfulness. It was a bit more clear as to the nature of his face, as even as he was thoughtful, he looked hardened and serious.

As Clyde stated that he was putting words in the mans mouth he logically stated to himself. "I was merely posing a theory, not fillin' your mouth. Though I could fill it with something for ya pal." His micro expression showing a bit of dislike toward the comment though in Gybe's mind he had it coming for such a snide remark. He then decided to show his true nature, albeit edited a little from the mutterings of his mind, "Well I never said I was an expert in magecraft or what have you" he makes up a word, magecraft, not sure if there was a term for wizarding that they liked to use. "Just posing a thought pal. It just kind of made sense to me. But hah" he laughed with joviality, and while serious, he was a little light hearted still despite the events prior with the flames,"I'd clearly take your word on it over mine, and that was why I was askin' you humbly." Which the man was. And while a little pissed at the comment before, that faded from his face quickly, being one to forgive foreigners over Nykans any day.

He really did want to know the answer and was trying to fit the pieces together. To him it didn't seem illogical that if you could control the mind and empower them with strength via some substance, then you would eventually wear down the persons Djed. It was all confusing to him though and if Clyde could read faces well, that was the emotion he'd most commonly see upon Gybe's face.

He finished standing and as he spoke about how he heard it around town, now the man called his bluff, which he admitted to be fair. It seems that this guy didn't fool around and got right to the point when he talked, not wanting to dance around subjects with vague speak. To the Nykans he would find this to be common with people who were not monks, and the opposite when speaking to a monk. The monk's method was to beat your face to get you to tell him what you know. "Alright Clyde" using the mans name and showing he hadn't forgotten it yet, "You can come to my place. It's just down the street, and I'll make ya up something. There's not really anything here to eat right now anyways and I could do with supper myself. Then we can see about this subject."

With that he picked up his cigarette and pinched the end hard. He then stuck it into his shirt pocket and with a pat, he was ready to go. Assuming the man followed him, he gave a directional nod for Clyde's benefit to know which way to start heading as he moved around the table. It wasn't far, just as the man said and it indicated that Gybe was a citizen, not a temporary person in town like him. It was a cottage of smaller size and was plain to look at. It was up kept but not fancy. Coming to the door, Gybe unlocked it and headed in first, holding open the door for Clyde. Upon Clyde entering, he headed further inside and began to prepare some things for dinner.

In the meantime he had some bread set out and some dried spiced fish for the man to eat on. "Okay...let me see what I have here." He lit proceeded to light his lantern so they'd have light in the darkening room. He then grabbed a plate and took some of the dried fish and bread and gave it to the man while he began preparing something more fresh.

In Nyka they were all about the courses for meals. This was just a starter, so he was now going to make the main meal. He figured on making some fat doughy noodles for the man with tomatoes inside and some fresh veggies on the side. While he didn't have much for food in the house as it was rationed out, this was his own personal daily ration he was giving up. He had to hurry too because it was going to be dark in a few hours and the man needed to get to his own bed.

The room itself was of simple make. It smelled faintly of fish. Gybe's other set of pants were strewn across the floor in front of his bed. While the bed was made and extremely neat, the pants on the floor didn't do it justice for the sake of cleanliness. Upon his pillow rest a beautiful necklace of shells. It almost seemed as if a shrine in how they were placed. Yet other than that there was not much to see in his home. There was a couple chairs at a small table where Gybe set the man's plate down, the bed, and the hearth he cooked at.

Other's Words -- My Words -- My Thoughts

[Clyde Sullins]

It was a bit ironic, Clyde found, that people tended to assume anything made by a mage was magecraft, where in actuality Magecrafting was a specific type of magic. One that he practiced and held several instances of on his person, such as Cha his staff. Of course, since most people didn't understand that there were different distinct magics with their own realms of power, this made a bit more sense.

In the end the man accepted Clyde's offering, and promised to take him to get something to eat. At his own home no less.

By now Clyde's flame was more or less dead. He'd been slowly compressing it, forcing it into a smaller space, along with forcing away any surrounding air with a secondary bit of attraction, and the flames quickly vanished altogether. That task done, Clyde let his remaining res filter down and be reabsorbed into him.

Then he headed off after the man, following to his home. Apparently he trusted Clyde enough, or perhaps simply wanted his help badly enough, that he'd take him alone to his home. Once inside Clyde set aside his pack and took a seat.

While he puttered about preparing their dinner, the non-mage set out a plate of bread and dried fish. Compared to the food he'd been given so far in Nyka, mostly stale bread and if fish of a type that was old and tasteless, this was quite fine fair.

Clyde sampled the food, his stomach and his hunger not allowing him to ignore it. Perhaps the food was poisoned, but he didn't see a reason why the man would want to kill him, let alone in his own home. And it did appear to in fact be his own home. The way he moved about, got things, and such, showed familiarity which wasn't easy to fake.

Plus Clyde was starved for any sort of proper meal.

One thing was for certain, before the man returned with anything else the contents of the first plate would be well devoured.

As he waited Clyde decided to explain his earlier statements a bit more.

“Anyways, as I'd said, everything is djed. We are made of djed. This chair is djed. This food is djed. In eating it, I take some of its djed and replenish what I spend through the day. You do the same as you eat, though you only need to replenish the djed you've mundanely lost through exertion. For a mage its a bit more complicated... I can easily spend a days worth of djed exertion in a few chimes. But my body can only process so much djed so fast, which means I can't simply eat a bunch to replenish my spent djed if I do a bunch of magic.”

“Once I use djed for magic, it is lost to me, expended in the effect. But it is not gone, djed is never destroyed, it simply takes on a new form, it moves, changes. But is never lost.”

“If you spend to much too fast, you can't recover it, and will be irrevocably damaged. This is whats called overgiving. A little bit of djed spent is fine, your body can handle it, has some reserves... But take too much, too fast, and it starts to damage you in various ways.”

“As for the magic you spoke of before... It seems to have two elements, an external factor, and an internal one. Perhaps the external one acts as a catalyst, opening or activating the internal one, it is hard to say. But external factors use external sources of djed, and internal ones use internal sources of djed. Mind control seems an external factor, and strength enhancement seems an internal one.”

“So it is likely the internal factor, using the person's internal djed, that leads to the sapping and weakening. At least, that is the more likely case. It isn't unheard of for the direct effect of an external factor to be to leech away internal djed, but seeing as there is already the mind control factor and strength factor, a third additional effect seems unlikely.”

“Although you still have yet to further explain what you know, how you know, or what you mean by light.”

[Gybe]

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Gybe went about preparing the meal for Clyde. He knew how to make noodles and bread, but that was about it. Just enough to get by. He was no cook and there were no guarantee that the food would taste overly good. Butter and salt made up all the difference though and those he had from his rations.

In his opinion there was nothing better than butter and pasta with a light bit of salt and dried oregano. It was simple and easy to make. Rough and tough hands pounded out the dough as Clyde talked. Gybe's eyes studied the dough as he went, with the occasional nod to Clyde to let the man know he was listening. This was a bit of information that he had never learned before. Djed was literally everything.

"So when a person dies...like this man I'm referring to, then his djed isn't gone...it's just transferred to some other medium?"

He would then let the man continue as he began to boil some water in a pot that was already on the stove, as if expecting Gybe to return home and heat it up. A few moments later he had a fire going in the hearth, ready to get it all going. He opened a sheet of paper than contained his butter and got it ready. Also he moved to the side of the hearth to get his basin to strain the noodles in. All he had was a simple fork he used, but it was good enough for the man. He had done this tons of times.

When Clyde got onto the subject of what he had seen he listened, trying to follow along, though unsure of the mans explanation. He may not have understood the definitions but he through common sense figured he was explaining something like the noodles in the pot. The pot was the external one, getting the heat, but it affected the noodles. The noodles having a different property to them than the metal, came out as a different substance than when they went in. It was all confusing but as he came to a close Gybe sniffed and rubbed his nose with his upper arm since his hands were made of dough.

"Well, I heard of a fight that happened. So I investigated and found out some monks took some stuff. What that was I was unsure. At least until I managed to track it down. Supposedly two stones were taken from the Hall of Robes. Out of the six that were there, the first and the sixth were taken. So I do not know the beginning or the end of the tale. As for the middle though, it seems on the second one, an ooze encroaching upon a band of warriors. The third one depicted men fighting each other, one side's eyes carved with pupils deep and dots in the irises. One of the men with strange eyes was lifting his opponent over his head, another ripping his foe's arm clean off. It seems as though the ones with deep pupils were gifted with supernatural strength. The forth showed the men with deep pupils appearing aged and weak, the fifth showed a victory over the men. From what I gathered from the monks who watched over the tablets, they said the quotes meant on the tablets " "Its blood was the ink of the world; it chased us." "It turned all it touched to its will. Its warriors had the strength of ten men." "The ink burned their bodies and souls. Its slaves withered and died." "We broke their spent bodies. Their spirits are. Its ink flees our torches, seeking new prey. We chase."

Once the pasta was done he would strain it and then bring it all to the hearth to melt the butter, the salt and to put the oregano in it. Once it was all melted, he brought it to the table to put on the mans plate. Gybe piled it up for the guy as he was hungry and then plopped down in a seat on the opposite side of the table.

"Everything in this town starts off as a rumor, but it seems sometimes it can be more than just that. I think it's important to pay heed to rumors." He had more to say to the man, but held back and let him eat. Out of his pocket came the cigarette and he lit it up, keeping the smoke from coming near to Clyde.

Other's Words -- My Words -- My Thoughts

[Clyde Sullins]

Clyde shrugged in response to the mans first question.

“Yes and no. People are a bit more complex. People have souls. Bodies have djed, but souls are... Another order of things. When a person dies, their soul leaves, it lives on, but besides that the bodies djed doesn't innately go anywhere. I mean the body decomposes, returns to the soil and all that, and eventually it comes up as other things but... Yeah djed and living people are a bit more complex and confusing.”

“Ghosts for instance, they are basically souls without a body, that hasn't moved on. That's honestly were djed theory gets a bit... Fuzzy.”

After that it seemed it was the man's turn to speak, and explain how he knew what he knew. Clyde wasn't surprised to hear he knew a bit more than he had previously said.

Stones in the Hall of Robes, with pictures and stories on them... The bit about the torches though seemed different. Not light technically, as the man had said, but fire. Fire made light, of a sort, but wasn't symbolically or realistically the same as light. It was a important distinction that the man had not explained.

“The start and end of something is often the most important. And you said light before, but torches would seem to denote flame. Fire and light are not the same thing. Fire does cast light, but light in and of itself often means something different. So it'd be important to know if its the flame itself that it runs from, or the light it casts.”

“That would seem to denote though some kind of creature that lives in the darkness and shadows. Where in Nyka would you say is the domain of darkness and shadows? Where light does not tread? Where such a thing would make its home?”

Clyde had a idea of this, but wanted to hear it from the mans mouth. Though it did seem a likely place for such a thing to reside...

As they spoke Clyde ate, hungrily tearing into his food and making his way steadily through it. Its taste wasn't the best, but it was palatable, and Clyde was hungry enough to make most things taste decent.

“Where do you plan to look next, for more information about this?”