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Post by Thy Dungyeon Maestyr on Jun 12, 2016 17:40:15 GMT -8
Yeah, that's a Bruce Willis reference. Anyhoo...
One dark and stormy night, rain gales lashed the streets, villainy reigned, all mortals cowered in their warrens and burrows, or wished that they could. It seemed a good time to do clandestine things with greatly reduced odds of meeting vampires. Eli returned to the ruins of the Sombreta estate, found a fresh blue tarp had been hung within, and Alain crouched beneath it, carefully laying out magic symbols with wax and other ingredients. He didn't hear the vampire's approach above the howl and torrent. Alain- "..."
Eli did his best to announce his presence, trying not to spook the guy too hard. Vampire gracefulness could be kind of creppy.{originally} Eli - "Nice night for a seance, eh?"
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Post by Thy Dungyeon Maestyr on Jun 12, 2016 17:55:39 GMT -8
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Post by Thy Dungyeon Maestyr on Jun 12, 2016 18:13:16 GMT -8
He glanced over his handiwork following Eli's gaze. Interesting looking symbols indeed. The wizard had melted wax in a jar over a sheltered brazier and mixed it with various substances before painting them.
Alain- "I've never done one quite like this. I admit, it's an experiment, but one far more likely to yield strong results than doing things in the usual ways."
{originally} Eli - "Well, it's worth it to try, right? Hopefully my being here can help at least a little bit, vampires seem to be conduits for supernatural weirdness. Do you think I'll see or hear anything, or am I out of luck as one of the unenlightened?"
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Post by Thy Dungyeon Maestyr on Jun 12, 2016 18:27:03 GMT -8
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Post by Thy Dungyeon Maestyr on Jun 12, 2016 18:43:33 GMT -8
Alain- "Being an experiment, anything is possible, but most likely you will be unharmed and unimpaired - except that you will be blind to the world of the living until your eyes heal. The question then - How fast does your healing work, and if it's too fast, can you delay it? And if it is too slow, how badly do you require your sense of vision for the near future?"
{originally} Eli - "Hmm...Well, if it's a normal injury, it tends to be instantaneous. Like if I got cut or something, it would heal right away. I can stop the healing, though - sometimes it's necessary if you don't have enough blood and can't heal right away. I'm not sure how that might change with magic, though. When an Aldean took away my powers, it took maybe an hour or half hour to get them working again. I can't imagine it being a huge issue, though, I can just sit at home until it heals up properly, in a worst case scenario."
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Post by Thy Dungyeon Maestyr on Jun 12, 2016 18:54:33 GMT -8
Alain- "This magic should have no effect on your powers, so yes, simply delay the healing until you are ready to leave behind visions of the dead - or if you for some reason bizarre feel compelled to stay, until my magic has run its course. Yes?"
{originally} Eli - "Sounds about right. Should we get to this, then?"
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Post by Thy Dungyeon Maestyr on Jun 12, 2016 19:07:14 GMT -8
Alain- "No, I do not like the time yet. I am pleased that you are not unduly disturbed by the blindness. Well. What to do until the time? Maybe we discuss magic, or your crucible? However you like."
{originally} Eli - "Eh, it sounds a little spooky, but I've experienced worse. Plus, if I can learn something from it, then it's totally worth the momentary discomfort." Eli - "I am curious about the crucible, though. I feel like I've heard that word so much, but I don't quite understand it? If it's just about suffering, it seems like a lot of vampires should have awakened their magic just by living their lives. Does the suffering need to be dedicated to the pursuit of magic somehow, or is there some other element?"
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Post by Thy Dungyeon Maestyr on Jun 12, 2016 19:23:06 GMT -8
Alain- "Good question. Of course, merely suffering does nothing by itself, though intense feelings can attract the unnatural in some ways. A crucible willingly undertaken in pursuit of spiritual learning, that is something else. You have no doubt heard of worshippers and priests taking physical penance and vows of self-denial. That is a shadow of what we shall attempt. You will take this suffering upon yourself through ritual magic, and if you are fortunate, at the end you will be able to feel the arcane truths of the world as you see them."
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Post by Thy Dungyeon Maestyr on Jun 12, 2016 19:38:34 GMT -8
{originally} Eli said something like: "But don't think the witches I've met ever went through a crucible." Alain- "Not everyone who awakens to the occult must pass through a crucible. It is the price of impatience. Every mystery cult and secret order has its own rites, but they keep them sealed. We'll have to invent our own.
As to what you will experience, I have no idea. Yet. Perhaps you can help me develop this rite. As I said, it must cost you something dear, or wound you very deeply. And that will mean something different for a vampire than it would mean for a mortal. Any notions on the price you would pay?"
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Post by Thy Dungyeon Maestyr on Jun 12, 2016 20:10:04 GMT -8
{originally} Eli said something like: "Maybe if I sacrificed my most deeply held values, like, if I smoked the reefer or something." Alain- "Staunchly against drug use? How quaint. They are great for achieving magic insight when used as intended. But for one who hates or fears their effects, such a use is impossible.
As for doing something against your ethics, this has never been acceptable as a sacrifice, in itself. Perhap on some level, perversity makes such violations appealing to us, so that an inner devil is being satisfied while the higher mind suffers. For a true crucible, the suffering must be pure.
The greatest sacrifices have been the lives of loved ones, even in the scriptures of Godchurch you find such. Less significant but still useful sacrifices - an artist cutting off their best hand, a beautiful person scarring their face... Any ideas?"
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Post by Thy Dungyeon Maestyr on Jun 12, 2016 20:24:14 GMT -8
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Post by Thy Dungyeon Maestyr on Jun 12, 2016 20:40:51 GMT -8
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Post by Thy Dungyeon Maestyr on Jun 12, 2016 20:51:17 GMT -8
{originally}Eli said something like, "Jeepers golly! I guess..." Alain- "Adios..."
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Post by Thy Dungyeon Maestyr on Jun 19, 2016 17:04:30 GMT -8
{originally}Eli said something like, "if u must *snif*" Alain- "I'm kidding, haha! I'll just use this powder."
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Post by Thy Dungyeon Maestyr on Jun 19, 2016 17:41:19 GMT -8
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