Freeform Magic (IC)

[Thelonius]

Chapter I: Harbringers

The Dark Place

Your small group walks in complete silence, towards the small ray of light, shining in the far distance. It is the only thing guiding you, the rest of the world is drowned in darkness and you have no magic to dispel it. Yet somehow you are aware of each other's presence and of the fact, that another figure is watching you from behind. If you stop and look back at it, you will not be able to leave this place, that's an undeniable truth. The light grows stronger and you begin hearing sounds, distinguish the smells and feel the warmth of air. It is intoxicating. The sensations flood your minds and fill your bodies with energy.

You are familiar with each other. Perhaps your paths have crossed in the distant past, perhaps you've had mutual acquaintances or kept an eye of potent Mages of the world. But there is one figure among you, whose face is hidden beneath a jade mask. That person is wearing the ancient armour of the Mage-Knights, believed to have been made in the time of Prime War. The suits recovered by the archaeologists have remained in perfect condition, despite the passage of years, but this one looks battered and half broken. The holes in it are patched by a dark-green substance and the left hand's protection is completely missing. The exposed hand is lined by deep scars, as if some corrosive rope was applied to it. You sense power and danger emanating from this person, that your own strength can't match.

As you draw nearer and nearer to the light, a realization comes. The sensations you've being enjoying so much come from a dreadful source. The smell is that of blood, the sounds that of anguished cries and the warmth doesn't come from the sun. It is the warmness of blood being spilled on the altar of sacrifice.

......................

The Hill

It is cloudy and sun is completely hidden, but you are still blinded for a second by the light. Your bodies feel heavy and the magic that used to loyally leap at your fingertips at the first call, now moves like an unfamiliar and dangerous beast, threatening to overcome you, should your control falter.

A whirling ball of magical energies, flowing in strange and unfamiliar patterns is visible two meters above you. The Blood Mana is flowing to it in a torrent, recognizable by a rich red streaks of colour. The enchantment sends ripples, that make the world around you slightly translucent and somewhat unreal.

As your eyes adjust, you realize that you are standing in a amphitheatre, surrounded by tall white columns, with statues placed between them. Those statues look familiar. In a second you realize why.

The Statues:

Spoiler

Show

The statues depict you. It is clear they've been sculpted to resemble you perfectly, but time and human touch has dealt them some damage. While your features have remained recognizable, by some trick of fate, the damage statues sustained have added a sinister and malign qualities to their faces and bodies.

Sabas Teltin has a haughty, condescending sneer on his face. A former kind smile was completely transformed by damage to the statue's head from some sharp object.

The statue of Santiago Ferris is covered by a thorny vine and his head has a bird's nest. His eyes appear to be looking in different directions, giving statue's face a crazed expression.

Baylin Split's statue is covered by a dark substance, making him look like some inhuman creature. Only one eye is visible and for some reason it has a yellow colour. A statue of something, resembling a demonic dog stands at his feat, clearly a recent addition.

The statue of Angelo Dramis has old, crusted blood stains covering its feet. His extended hand has a piece of rope coiled around it and the fingers are sharpened into dangerous claws. A dead raven, pierced by one of the fingers looks at the world with empty eyes.

Christov's statue has both hands missing, but in other aspects has remained in good condition. It looks decent, compared to the company around it.

Barrin's statue appears to have been recently converted into a makeshift altar with ash and half burned corpses of small animals and birds littering the ground below him.

Old Man Jim's statue hasn't suffered much physical damage, but an aura of menace and rage can be felt from it, a sure sign of possession by a dangerous spirit.

Only Israel's statue has remained fully intact. He appears like a proud and noble, yet somewhat sad figure, surrounded by a sinister and disfigured company.

The statue in the center appears to have been pulled down from its pedestal, shattering in the process. There is only lower half of the body left, the rest of it is missing.

......................

The Ritual

There are other people in the amphitheatre. It is strange that you didn't notice them immediately, as if they weren't there a moment ago. The ball of energy above have changed colour to bright green and blue.

There is a complex magical ritual in process. One, in which humans are used as sacrifices to power the spell. Men, women and even small children are chained together into a pathetic, screaming and crying mass at the other side of the amphitheatre. Only few of them stand with any dignity and many appear to have lost capacity for rational thought altogether, instead crawling and mewling, like animals. The guards standing near them are wearing polished armour with red diagonal stripes and they unchain the latest sacrifice with cruel efficiency. There are more guards spread around the amphitheatre, but they are wearing lighter armour without the red stripes and appear to be much less composed of the proceedings.

The victims are dragged to the centre of the amphitheatre. The large marble block standing there is almost completely covered by the fresh blood. The stone floor plates near it are removed, revealing a pit. A quick way to dispose of bodies.
Three men stand by it, a relatively young man clad in white toga, with stains of blood on it, holding a leather bound tome and a twisted dagger, a figure clad in black robes with symbols and lines sown on it with a silver thread and an older man with white in his hair, wearing a polished breastplate.

He addressed the young man, half shouting his words: ''This is madness, Orven. This man has twisted your mind!'' The young man replied with a callous sneer ''Better they die here, then be ravaged by those bastards. Their lives will save our nation''. Then he noticed the arrival of Mages. His face has grown confused for a moment, but then his eyes widened in recognition and an ecstatic smile sprang to his lips. ''They come. The Prime Demons, Harbingers of Doom. I have summoned you, and I command a boon.'' He pointed the hand, clutching the bloody dagger, to the west.

The amphitheatre is located on a high hill and you could see a large city down below. It appears to be besieged, with invaders pushing their way through the main street to the hill. There are several pillars of smoke rising across the city, there is no doubt it is going to be a bloody conquest. There is no question, about whom Orven is talking. The invaders have twelve ships with black sails and a crest you can't quite make out at this distance. Ten have dropped their anchors at the harbour and there is a movement of troops from them. The remaining two ships appear to be pursuing a heavy merchant ship, quickly sailing to the south.

Orven continued to scream, his voice growing louder. ''Drive those fools into the sea, make it red with their blood. And then their kingdom. Destroy it utterly. His screams have drawn everyone's attention to the Mages presence and people faces mostly reflect fear, rather then their leader's crazed glee.

''Sir!'' A soldier called out to the group near the marble block. He pointed to a group of men, wearing grey cloaks and face concealing masks, climbing the west side of the hill. Several of them were carrying the bows and as the soldiers on the top noticed them, they've knocked the arrows and prepared to fire. At this moment, using the distraction of the new arrivals, the latest sacrifice, a middle aged woman has broken free from the guards, who relaxed their hold on her. She turned, noticing the Mages for the first time and stepped back, to the edge of the pit, with a look of horror on her face.

The weakness of your bodies slowly passes and the fog that was clouding your minds begins to lift. You are finally able to act.

[drack]

Old Man Jim raises his voice to match the strength of a storm demanding "Why have you summoned me!?!" Than gesturing to the ships "And why should I see fit to stain the seas with their blood just because you stained this hill with your own?!?" As his powers return his voice begins to crackle like lightening.

Having decided to take that which he was given and play the roll of the enraged spiritual aura that his statue pulses with to the extreme, He than waves his hand over the alter and uses his power magic to channle the building charge from the sky into the blood instantly flareing up, before quickly subsiding into menising scorch marks. " And most importantly, you have done nothing to show hospitality for travlers summoned or otherwise, you have not even paused for introductions, and yet you command me!?!"

Edit: (XD the font kills it so badly XD)

[Thelonius]

The display of power clearly impresses everybody, except perhaps the figure in the dark robe, whose features you can't see. The guards look fearful and prisoners wail and try to escape, struggling against their chains.

The man in white toga replies with a slight temble in his voice ''I'm King Orven, your liberator and humble petitioner. Please accept this humble offering, Lord Harbringer as a sign of my respect.'' Orven gestures to the guards near the chained prisoners. ''All of them. Don't keep Prime Lords waiting''. He waves the dagger in the air establishing a crude spell matrix, to channel the Blood Mana from the sacrificed to the Mages. The spell is of atrocious quality, the loss of Mana would be huge. But there is a lot of energy in this place and sacrifices would yield great power, so Mages are about to recieve a lot of it anyway.

The figure in the dark robe whispers to Orven ''Allow me to deal with the intruding Wardens, your highness.'', and turnes to move to the guards at the edge of the amphetiatre, but Orven stops him, speaking in a hushed tone ''The Wardens are no longer a problem. Stay, I need your expertise, ShadowMancer''.

[drack]

With all the intensity of a strike of lightening Old Man Jim says "you can sacrifice ten million people to me and yet you should know that the harbingers are not bought so easily. You should know that even having freed me I am not one to be easily swayed, and I WILL NOT ACT until I know the full implications of my actions. Nor will I accept any mockery."

With this he continues his spell which he had before began:

Spoiler

Show

Sorry for forgetting format before, and I recall that spells are you doing magic for a whole encounter can be just one spell so here it goes:
Stats: Power, and shadow begins taking over as the awe setts in.
Intent: I focus all the remaining charge in the sky to call down a bolt of lightening large enough to utterly destroy the statues.
Mechanics: I am still tapped into the building charge in the sky which should soon turn to lightening, and focus it into one point to cause a disproportionately large lightening bolt after which the charge dissipates into the ground. This would put off future lightening for a while as a side effect.
Spell description: At these last words a roar of lightening crashes down from above destroying any remnants of the worn statues.

(I think that since I used up the source of my flame that my spell ends right?)

[ArcaneStomper]

Baylin is quite angry about what is going on. Being transported to some forsaken little country against his will was bad enough, but the spell matric Orven had just cast was horrifying. The way it was set up it would waste far too much mana.

Turning he regards Orven. That tome he was holding looked interesting Baylin would be sure to make sure it ended up with him. He only gives this a moments thought though as most of his attention is now devoted to rewriting the spell matrix to be something quite different.

The New Matrix

Spoiler

Show

Stats: Power and Mana

Spell's Intent: Baylin is going to make the matrix as efficient as he can in the time he has available. He will also connect it to both the sacrifices and the guards and have it channel the mana created back into the mages. Once done he will use power magic to create a massive flurry knives made of pure force and use them to kill all the sacrifices and the guards. I should probably mention that Baylin will make sure the knives don't harm him. He doesn't give a crap about what they do to anyone else though.

Spell Mechanics: Baylin is going to tap into the already available blood magic in that orb and use it to fuel the initial stages of the spell. Once the first people start dieing their blood mana should fuel the rest of it.

Spell Description: Baylin has started to chant softly and make a few enigmatic waves of his hands. Once he has set up the matrix he'll materialize the knives around himself and basically set up a tornado of slicing death that with mow through the guards and sacrifices. There will probably be quite a bit of excess wind blowing around to from the movement of the knives.

[TooManySecrets]

Angelo was used to waking up in weird places - Walking the Land of Dreams or sometimes just from having too much to drink - but this situation ranked pretty high on the weirdness meter. Once he started get over the headache, Angelo assessed the situation pretty quickly.

First, Angelo has a habit of disobeying people who shout orders to him. Force of habit.

Second, he wasn't going to let a bunch of people get killed to fuel some blood rite.

With a long breath, Angelo starts drawing in his power.

Cage of Shadows

Spoiler

Show

Stat: Shadow
Intent: The target(s) vision starts filling up with shadows before quickly darkening all their vision. The only thing the target can see is themselves.
Mechanics: Most humans fear, or at least worry, about shadows and darkness. They can't see into them which means that almost any danger can be there and, as a result, the mind tends to focus upon them. This spell forces the target to focus only on shadows which effectively blinds them.
Spell Description: This spell is invisible to anyone but the target(s), except for those who can see or feel the release of magical energy. The target(s) on the other hand, starts to see all the shadows lengthen everywhere before completely covering their vision.

Corven and Dark Bathrobe seemed to be the people in charge of this shindig, so Angelo targets them, hoping to disrupt the ritual.

[Exthalion]

Bairn was still somewhat upset by being here. Away from the Exalted Nation he could not feel the ever-present mana radiance he had lived with his whole life. Without the Zeitgeist his sensations were utterly his own. Without the Panopticon it was as if he was completely numb, lacking entire senses.

He saw, heard, felt, smelled, and tasted all at once and it was almost overwhelming.

Ah, the flower in the water. Ah, the jewel in the flower. Ah, the fire in the jewel. Ah, the stillness from the flame. It shall pass over me and through me; for power is not in the fire but in the silence dwells the sum of all things. There I have cast aside myself and behold as all is without the lenses of thought and perception.

The novice spell routine calmed his mind enough to survey the situation. The others, who exactly they were was beyond him, though they did not look of the Nation or of the People. The blood though! All the blood! This was evil. The army below also did great harm. What had they been called? Prime Lords? This boded not well. Yet while they tarried he could almost feel the geist rivers flowing away from the world. When the blood mana began to flow he was disturbed, yet there was power here, power for a spell of the High Magic.

Gathering himself together a stillness descended around him.

“See me indeed, joyfull in hope of a better coming. In forsaken ire I have come, and by the reinvigoration of myself I return to where I began. Behold, I do a thing and from it you shall have a new peace un-looked for and greater still for it!”

His mind settled into familiar routines. Even without the Voice of the People he was a Mage in the full of his Art.

See I am a vessel, prepared gladly for my purpose. As within, so without; as without, so within. From my most basic to my most divine I am arrayed. From the excession of self I withdraw, yea with gladness!

Through the transfiguration of creation according to the strictures of the Ars Praxis I do this thing. Invoking the discipline of the Illuminated Geist and through the commentaries of Potentia, which I here receive.

As he stood an almost vibration like energy filled him before the power of his spell manifested.

Spoiler

Show

Choose Stat(s)

Ritual, to work Shadow, and supplemented by Mana.

Write Spell's Intent

I will cause all violence done against thinking creatures by thinking creatures to cease from here to the horizon.

Write Spell Mechanics

First I open the first four Chakras and dissolve my Ego unto the third of the nine levels of geist. In short, I make myself a conduit for as much mana as possible, both the blood mana being poured into me and the ambient mana derived from the sun and the motion of the tectonic plates and the flowing of chemical and potential energy through living things.

Then I rarify this mana by distillation, using my negative emotions as a sympathetic link to those of those in the city below. These negative emotions attract to each other, and so the mana is purified of them and becomes distillied.

The negative emotions are condensed into myself and discarded through the action of empathy. When pain is shared, it is divided. When joy is shared, it is multiplied. Thus in so much as I have empathy with the situation, a portion of the impurities which I remove from the mana is cast off and discarded. The rest cannot be fully purged because it must retain a sympathetic link to the people.

Then, I mentally form a persona mirror in the sky. It reflect emotions and thoughts instead of light and so is not effected by clouds and such. The persona mirror is transformed by an additional spellwork to become a gate to the Weltgeist, the World Mind/Spirit. Using the mana around it I create a filter which only allows the emotions I desire through and removes those I do not.

The emotions to be let through are hope, compassion and love. Those to be excluded are rage, avarice, and fear. The mirror is spherical and so it radiated the desired emotions omnidirectionally.

Finally, the rarified mana is dispersed into the Aether where the emotional qualities radiated are refracted by it. They produce what is essentially an emotional rainbow. Since this is emotional and not matter it doesn’t cast any light. However in the same way that heat warms you even if you can’t see the source so the emotional rainbow’s power is felt by all present. It drowns out the excluded emotions and reinforces the included emotions.

In short, it removes those it shines upon’s capacity to do violence against themselves or others and strongly encourages them to help each other.

Write Spell Description

Bairn stands perfectly strait and still with his hands in a meditation pose in front of him. All around him a great stillness descends and he becomes shrouded in a silvery/white flame. As the casting goes on the fire grows larger until he is about the size of a wick in a candle flame relative to it.

That is the only visual component. Emotionally, a great deal of ambient power and some of the wrongness in the area fade as he consumes the mana. Then there is a brief flash of pure sensation, as all senses and emotions are heightened. This lasts only for a second though, and afterword a sense of calm and peace fills the air, the ground, etc. Negative emotions begin to fade positive ones become more poignant.

[ArcaneStomper]

Baylin hissed in surprise as his attempts to pull mana from the orb were rebuffed. Now here was something interesting. He would have to study it more closely. But first he would need more power. Without his tower he was not at his peak and if he was going to learn what the spell was he was going to need an edge. Concentrating he focuses entirely on his spell completely ignoring what everyone else in the amphitheater is doing, including the other mages.

The New Matrix II

Spoiler

Show

Stats: Power and Mana

Spell's Intent: Instead of connecting the matrix to the sacrifices Baylin is going to redirect it to the knives. So that blood mana of anything the knives kill will be channeled back to the mages. Part of it though will also be used to feed the spell. Baylin is going to use his own power to make the initial kill and then set the spell to feed off the blood mana it collects. The knives will range out and kill everything in range. Once there is nothing left to kill they will return and transfer the rest of the blood mana to the mages. Baylin is going to try and take most of it, but the other mages will still have access if they want. And since the knives are going to range further they should get the advancing soldiers as well so there should be more of it. Again Baylin is going to make sure the knives can't hurt him. And again he doesn't give a crap about what they do to anyone else. In fact the more people they kill the more blood mana he'll get so it works out better for him the more destruction they cause.

Spell Mechanics: Baylin is going to use his own power to make the intial few kills and once there is enough blood mana flowing to power the spell he'll let it power itself.

Spell Description: Baylin's chanting has become louder, but he is no longer making any movements. He is utterly still and concentrating on the spell. Besides the hurricane of force knives already mentioned, the knives themselves will also turn bright red, the color of blood, as they gather up the mana. The winds they create will also be red now from mana leakage.

[drack]

Old Man Jim notices when the knives fly (if the knives fly) that he isn't a primary target, and that the knives are building in power with each kill they make. This he finds a little space within himself where he can safely store the blood manna without corrupting his other manna, than mustering his strength (and muttering something about how people shouldn't put an old man through this) he casts the following:

Spoiler

Show

Stats: a bit of the surrounding blood manna (you have a point) power , and his signature almost undetectable shadow magic to boost it. (not going into the mechanics of that again)
Spell's Intent: kickstart the spell with a bit of the static wich is slowly reforming in the air, than stretch it into a thin film saning a with around him (with enough room for others if they decide to step in) causing a minor alteration to any magic daggers that strike it so that their manna is transfered to Old Man Jim before they kill him as opposed to after. This uses the spell mechanics a bit since the knives were innitially intended to give their energy to the mages, this just allows Old Man Jim to get it without waiting till his death.
Spell Mechanics: Old man Jim is causing a minor alteration to Baylin's spell such that it instantly gives him the knives power as they enter his manna bubble. It is self sustained with the surrounding dark mannas/auras.

Spell Description: Old Man Jim waves his stalf by it's end in as wide an arc as he can shouting now with the force of a typhoon "ECHNA OTACHVENUM MATIQU" At this the end of his staff cracks as sparks of elecrricity build on it from the air, and leaves a trail around him as he begins to spin faster and faster, with his staff tracing more and more intricate lines, until finally Old Man Jim is surrounded in a large blue tinted bubble which seams to slightly darken the area directly around it, and lighten the aria within it. It also absorbs any manna that comes in contact with it. (though this dose not effect people's own manna, or their magic items.) The bubble is large enough for ten or so people. But the manna would go to Old Man Jim from it regardless.

Old Man Jim now standing in his own self made spotlight calls to Orven asking "To whom do you pledge your allegiance, and whom do you seek to destroy. and finally, How many years has it been since the prime evil has been sealed from all the world!?!"

[Thelonius]

At these last words Old Man Jim, a roar of lightening crashes down from above destroying any remnants of the worn statues. They explode into pieces, where they stand, all except the statue of Old Man Jim himself. The statue tingles with electric discharges and crooks its head giving a wide look at the proceedings. It moves smoothly and impossibly for a being made out of marble.

Spectral shadows raise from the remains of the statues. They look like the mages, but their appearances have shifted completely to the forms of twisted fiends. They don't look to have much substance to them, except for the specter of Baylin Split, who appears to be fully solid, draped in a cloak of dark oily substance. It's one yellow eye focuses on the real Baylin Slit with baleful intensity. The only specter missing is that of Israel. The destruction of his statue didn't produce one.

People look around scared, but Orven screams for them to calm down. He answers to Jim's questions: ''Prime Lord, I am a king. I pledge allegiance to no one. And my foe is...'' He suddenly clutches at his eyes with an expression of shock. ''My vision! I... I can't see. The spell! Help me finish it, ShadowMancer!'' The figure in the dark robe doesn't answer Orven, having quietly slinked away to the edge of the amphitheatre to a small group of guards with red stripes on their armor. The spell matrix becomes to disintigrate, but it is rescued in time by Baylin Split.

Bairn stands perfectly strait and still with his hands in a meditation pose in front of him. All around him a great stillness descends and he becomes shrouded in a silvery/white flame. It slowly begins to grow and expand from him.

Bairn's Spell

Spoiler

Show

The blood man came with fresh sensations of pain, fear and anger. The purification process is difficult and tormenting, as the negative emotions lash at Bairn, trying to bring as much pain and suffering to him as possible. The essence of those, who died retaining their will to fight, become points of the spears that direct the rest of the Impurities in this mental attack. Yet slowly and painfully the purification process continues. A weak sympathetic link slowly begins to expand down from the hill to the people of the city.

I admit, that your spell description can be a bit difficult to folllow (and it's pretty late here, I'm feeling tired).
Okay three factors working against you:
1. You haven't been to city and know these people, so its hard to establish sympathetic link.
2. It's more difficult to control Blood Mana, filled with hatred for you. And you are opening your core being to cast this spell, so it also makes you vulnerable.
3. Ok. Not sure if it works in favour or against you, but your character is using Empathy in the spell, while watching chaos and death in front of him.

Meanwhile Baylin's chanting has become louder, but he is no longer making any movements. He is utterly still and concentrating on the spell. A whirlwind of daggers made of magic has began to materialize near the surprised guards and chained people. They began striking and people, going for their hearts and eyes, each splash of blood charging them with energy. The first to have delivered their blows turn crimson and fly back to Mages to deliver the collected Blood Mana to them.

The amphitheatre erupts in total chaos as people scramble away from the daggers, some fleeing, some attempting to fight. Mixed between them are the specters from the statues, stalking as predators would and cutting down those, who get in their way. The statue of Jim smashes its fist in one of the columns breaking it from its base and sending it rolling down hill. The man, who was wearing breastplate draws his sword and with grim determination charges the Mages. A few arrows reach the edge of the amphitheatre, but don't hit anyone.

Old Man Jim's shield spell shines, giving him comfort of protection against the magical daggers, approaching the Mages.

Edit:

''Rodrick! Rodrick! Help me I'm blind. What's going on?''
''You have unleashed something grand and terrible, your majesty. I believe we are all going to die. And I intend to do it, while taking at least one of these demons with me''.

[Exthalion]

Pain!
Agony!
Hatred!

"I have had enough of this."

His voice was flat and quite. You would have to be standing right next to Bairn to hear it.

Spoiler

Show

Choose Stat(s)
Ritual, Shadow, Mana

Write Spell's Intent
Take the emotions involved in purification and direct them along with the blood mana into Baylin. He will feel their pain and fear and anger.

Write Spell Mechanics
Continue the above spell, but direct the emotions cleansed into Baylin, and all who are channeling the blood mana. That mana which he uses is pure, but all the rest of the blood mana becomes increasingly impure. Along with the existing impurities, all who use it feel the negative emotions.

The purification process requires both the sympathetic connection, to draw out the mana, and empathy. Bairn is using the unclean blood mana as the filter for the impurities instead of casting them off. This will reduce his own experience of them, and redirect them to their agent.

This, they should do gladly, because the murderer is already linked to the murdered. The spell partially hijacks Baylins spell, but taking advantage of its conditions of kill and return mana. It returns more then just blood mana though. The key point of this addition to the ritual is that it directs emotions into the blood mana.

Even sociopathy is no defense. They are experiencing other people emotions, not their own.

Write Spell Description
No change from the previous, save that now all blood mana in the area will contain the emotions and feelings of those it was taken from. To take the mana into yourself, you must accept the emotions as well, or else create your own spell as a filter. Also, an echo of the dead lingers for a short time. These are not spirits, but the impression the left on their environment when they passed.

[drack]

Old Man Jim calls to the man who speaks in dark green "good, take one of the shades" Than in a lower more ominous voice "...or you will likely regret it for all eternity..." Than back in his thunderous voice he calls back to the statue "Ha, now that's a face I see as fit to challenge me." He now focuses all the charge from the sky into his staff as it comes.

Without warning he suddenly staggers under Bairn's sudden output of hatred into the manna which is constantly sliding into a pocket of himself, and rubbing off most of it's impurities on him as it dose. After a moment's time to master himself again he charges the statue, whipping lightening strikes out of his staff at the statue and any passing shade. and shouting "vardocht" a name that the spirits have for a land that they believe only the most worthy of warriors can ever set foot, even in death.

He quickly settles into combat magic as he knows it best: combining his mastery of a staff to focus his deadly combination of power and shadow magic to the points in which it will do the most damage. He quickly charges across the battlefield with all the energy of a youth and skill of a seasoned warrior. sending an arcing bolt of lightening into the neck of the shadow of Christov, before smashing a thunderclap into the solar plexus of a soldiar, and than later thrusts out a burst of lightening into the torso of Bairn's shade.

Egged on by the pain of the blood magic telling him KILL KILL KILL Old Man Jim crosses the scorched field to his own statue where he continues to exchange blows, attempting to get a measure of the other man's skills at combat, magical and physical.

[ArcaneStomper]

Baylin's concentration was quite hurt by the influx of emotion. Filtering into his mind the emotions clouded his thinking. Shaking his head he faltered in his chanting and then finally fell silent while he considered what to do.

Or he tried anyway. The emotions were very distracting. He would never be able to examine the spell in the orb like. Turning he surveyed the amphitheater. It was only then that he saw the chaos being caused by the shadows. He would definitely have to do something about this. He would never be able to get any work done with all these distractions.

He decided to deal with the being that looked like himself first. It seemed the obvious choice. But first he would get some protection. It didn't seem very safe to be walking around with nothing between him and a sharp sword but his robes. Concentrating he sets his next spell in motion and then calls to the shade which appears to be him. "What are you."

Blood Armor

Spoiler

Show

Choose Stat(s)Mana and power.


Write Spell's IntentBaylin is going to pool the majority of the blood mana and use it to power a layer of force which he will layer on top of it. If anyone tries to hurt him it will lash out and both block the attack and deal damage to the attacker. As a side effect all that blood mana is going to be somewhat separate from his mind so he'll be able to think more clearly.


Write Spell Mechanics Baylin will first pool all the emotions into one place and partition it so they he can concentrate on the spell. The partition doens't have to last long just long enough for him to finish. Then he will layer a matrix of force around himself. The force will act as armor and be capable of striking out at enemies. Next he will fill the matrix with blood mana to power it. And finally he will take all those emotions and stick them inside the construct.

Essentially this should make the armor almost intelligent and because of the emotions involved it will hate everything. Because of the way the armor is constructed, and because Baylin isn't stupid it will only be able to lash out at things that get close to him so it can't wander away while it's trying to kill something and leave him unprotected. He also constructed the armor's force matrix in such a way that it won't be able to hurt him or hinder his movements.

Write Spell DescriptionThe matrix is invisible unless you look really closely, but the blood mana will be clearly visible. It will probably look like blood is oozing out of his skin and forming armor plates around him. But the plates won't actually be solid. The emotions contained within it will keep it constantly flowing, and even cause small tendrils to wave around questing for victims to hurt. He's probably going to look a lot like the shade that came out of his statue actually.

[TooManySecrets]

Of all the things he could be doing right now, Angelo felt that the best thing to do was not to engage in some shadowboxing with shadows while Dark Bathrobe, the one probably behind all this and definitely the one manipulating the witless king, got away.

The Blood Mana starts ringing in his ears, focusing his thoughts on violence. Angelo quickly buries those thoughts - he was a Shadow Wizard, after all, and this wasn't the first time he's had to deal with mental compulsions - and stops directing the Cage of Shadows at Bathrobe. Bugger could probably see in darkness or something like that.

What Angelo needed right now was speed and freedom, which meant his options were reduced to a singular path.

Murder

Spoiler

Show

Stat: Shadow
Intent: I wish to shapeshift into a murder of crows of the same general shape of my body.
Mechanics: The caster takes his desire for speed and gives it form by transforming into a murder of crows.
Description: With a slight blur and a flurry of feathers, Angelo disappears from sight and, in his place, is a number of purple-black crows flying in the vague shape of a human.

(Assuming that works...)

Using a dozen set of eyes was something you never quite get used to. With a quick shake of his head(s?) Angelo takes to the air following after the ShadowMancer.

[Thelonius]

Bairn’s spell has affected everyone, as Baylin’s daggers now deliver an empathic attack along with their blood Mana to Mages. His main target, Baylin Split is assaulted by powerful emotions of pain and hatred. Their strength strains his concentration to the limit and he barely manages to complete his defensive spell. Meanwhile a couple of his magical daggers fly closer towards Bairn, to fulfil their murderous purpose in collection of Mana. All other Mages, except for Old Man Jim are similary threatened.

The warrior charging the Mages hesitates a moment between Baylin Split and Bairn. He moves to assault Baylin, but stops, when he sees the defensive magic. A magical dagger strikes at him, but he manages to send it flying away with a powerful swing of his sword.

Baylin’s spectre approaches the Mages and prepares to lunge against the real Baylin Split. The force shield vibrates in agitation, but it doesn't react as strongly against the spectre as it should be. It is possible that the doppelganger nature of the creature is confusing the limited consiousness of the spell.

Old Man Jim cuts his way through the crowd, easily dealing with humans and flinging Christov’s spectre away with his attack and driving Bairn's away. The statue so far has remained a passive observer.

Since Old Man Jim is closer to the mass of people, he receives the majority of the Blood Mana so far, as his spell intercepts any daggers returning to the Mages. Meanwhile Baylin’s spell hits a few complications. A number of daggers are destroyed by Old Man Jim’s counterspell. Among the Mages, the figure wearing Mage-Knight armour easily smashes a couple, that attempt to attack him. The pulsing ball of energy seems to be drawing Blood Mana to itself, dispelling even more of them. While it will probably be enough to deal with every mundane human on the hill, there isn't going to be enough daggers left to seriously deter the advancing army.

The ShadowMancer and his cohorts are quickly descending the hill, along a hidden route. The guards are leading the Mage, as he appeared to have a bit of trouble seeing. In the sky, crows are quickly gaining on them.

Angelo's spell:

Spoiler

Show

It’ll work, but I’ll assign some Backlash. It would have been better, if you mentioned the power source of the spell (the people’s belief that you are powerful demons, that could be capable of such thing, would work for Shadow Magic spell).

The people in grey cloaks move to a favourable position for firing their bows. This time, their arrows might find their mark.

Orven is miraculously still alive, wandering blindly among the chaos, clutching a book and a dagger in his hand.

(EDIT: Old Jim's attacked Bairn's Shadow, not Baylin's)

[drack]

The important part (spell description): Old Man Jim raises his staff before smashing it into the ground, calling up a nasty shock to the gray cloaks, and a minor one to everyone els on the hill (it's hard to control it that far under the ground). He than smashes another human to the side of the head before howling to the heavens.and raising his staff over his head which instantly flares with lightening as it calls it from the sky to cause a blase on the slope between the alter and the chaos below. His red eyes flare as this reckless use of power magic begins to pull him into his other self, but he can still resist, focusing on the pain and torment of the blood magic rather than the burning allure within him.

the rest of the spell:

Spoiler

Show

There are two parts:

Spoiler

Show

Stat: Power and shadow as usual.
Intent: Drive static charge back up from the earth. basically ungrounded the charge of my former lightening strike, though I expect that I may not be able to get it all back I assume I can at least stall them.
Mechanics: I drive the static charge from under their feet into their face. (guess my intent and mechanics are a tad reversed

Spoiler

Show

Stat: Same shadow and power
Intent: Make lightening blaze a trail of fire across the side of the hill.
Mechanics: Since by now I'm running out of static (despite the sky constantly producing more at its normal slow rate), and since I don't dare call static from the earth on a large scale after everything else today I am going yo use power to make a flash of light in the faintest precursor of the event, than use shadow magic to take over the bulk of the spell.

Old Man Jim (noticing the statue silently observing) calls up to the statue in the same thunderous tone that he now notes will give him a wretched sore throat the next day "Who are you, and what is your purpose here!?!"

[Exthalion]

Time was quick becoming a resource Bairn lacked. The other fools! Had they been of the Nation this crisis would have been resolved already. Time no longer remained for him to complete the Pax Arcana, which meant improvisation was called for.

"Would that I not been he who must tread the path of the Vulgar Commentaries!

All you gifted here, perhaps a united defense shall better preserve us and our goal then such haphazard spellcasting! I am for our salvation, and the pacification of all external to this structure."

Spoiler

Show

Choose Stat(s)
Ritual, to work Mana enhanced by Power

Write Spell's Intent
Knock out every human who is not on this amphitheater in the city and army below.

Write Spell Mechanics
Using the distilled mana he already has, Bairn is going to turn himself into a mana resonator. This will be brought about by pushing the mana through his personal biological laylines at a precises speed and pressure to set up a sympathy (the non magical kind) along as many harmonies as possible.

This done, which should only take a second or so, he will attune the harmonic manawaveform to the specific aetheric frequency of the remnant cosmic energy stored by plants in glucose. All substances have a specific vibrational frequency, including all unique molecules. So, by creating a resonance with the cosmic energy he will also create a physical one.

Mana doesn't need a medium to travel through like sound which means that this mana frequency will travel farther then a purely physical vibration would.

The reason this spell can be so quick, is that all glucose has the same resonance frequency and Bairn will use a single molecule of glucose inside his body to tune his mana resonance.

The effect of this mana vibration will be to cause glucose molecules to unbind, do to the same effects which cause a wineglass to shatter if the note of its resonant frequency is held.

Glucose is one of the major sources of energy for cells in the human body. By removing most of the glucose molecules everyone effected will be overcome by an almost immediate exhaustion. This will either knock them out, or make effort, both mental and physical, very difficult.

The amphitheater will not be effected, because I am setting the first harmony as the distance to the edge. There will be stronger and weaker points in the area outside, but that should even out. And even if a person were in a weak zone, they couldn't move out of it or else fall victim to the spell.

The energy from the breaking glucose will include the dissolution of the cosmic energy stored in the form of the molecules. The spell will channel that back to me, using the sympathetic connection between the glucose molecule I am using and the ones breaking.

This is not a strong sympathetic connection, it is a fundamental one. They have the same resonance frequency, and they are identical. As such the inverse reaction to this draws the energy back.

For each action there is an equal but opposite reaction. To balance my radiating energy in the form of the mana vibration, the energy of the broken glucose will flow back to me. I am guess here, but I think it will take the form of Raw Mana, since it is the source of the blood mana in people.

Edit: He will be keeping up the purification aspect of the previous ritual.

Write Spell Description
The silver flames around Bairn turn to sound. The air around him becomes so dense from the standing wave that it becomes hard as steel. This density falls off by distance meaning it almost looks like Bairn is in a crystal of air.

Outside the amphitheater, people will start to inexplicably collapse, as if overcome by sleep. Any who can see will notice that even the invading army below is overcome by this.

As a side effect, the blood mana knives should be unable to pass through the standing wave, which is as much mana as air.

[ArcaneStomper]

Baylin was getting very tired of this. There were people making noise everywhere. The blood mana was interfering with his concentration and from the looks of it his shadow doppelganger was going to try and kill him.

Enough was enough. It was time to deal with the situation and be done with it. Raising his arms Baylin begins chanting again.

Spoiler

Show

Stats Power and mana with a little bit of ritual

Spell's Intent Bind the shadow that looks like Baylin so it can't do anything.

Spell MechanicsBaylin is going to gather up as much mana from his surroundings as he can. And then he's going to use it to boost his power and create a cage of force around both himself and his own shadow. He figures that since the shadow copied his blood armor it must be somewhat linked to him. So hes going to play on that sympathetic connection to link both cages and make them stronger than they would be otherwise. And if the shadow makes a cage of its own so much the better.

The cages themselves are going to stop anything from entering or exiting them. Besides air and other non-harmful things. I don't want him suffocating.

Spell Description
As Baylin chants lines of white light are going to burst out of his hands. They'll fly out and encircle both him and his shadow. Once they've done that they will form a lattice of magical force in a two spheres. One sphere centered around each of them. Of course half of the sphere will be underground and so not visible.

[Thelonius]

Two half spheres shimmer into existence around Baylin Split and his Doppelganger. The dark Mage’s guess was correct as the creature mimics his spellcasting reinforcing the cages. The blood mana is used up to make the cages quite formidable. They are both now safe and trapped at the same time.

With Baylin Split shielded by the force cage, the decision is made for the man with the sword – he charges Bairn, preparing to end Mage’s life with a single powerful thrust to his heart. The air is growing still around the Mage, as he prepares to execute his ritual, but the charging warrior is fighting through the effect, straining his muscles to the limit.

''I am the Harbringer. The time of the end draws near.'' The statue's reply to Old Man Jim's question is hardly heard. It turns and beings walking down the hill, away from all the chaos and destruction.

Several of the grey cloaks are engulfed by the static electricity raising from the ground, but the rest move with the speed of elite soldiers. It appears they deployed a weak defensive charm, to partially block the attack. The survivors scatter around the hill and focus their arrows on Old Man Jim.
His static charge attacks will be able to take only one of them at a time. An arrow with a coiling silver thread rips part of the Mage’s clothes. As there aren’t many living humans now left on the hill, the remaining spectres begin to converge on Old Man Jim. They don’t appear to present a threat – more likely a distraction that might end up costing him his life.

The Mage, wearing ancient Mage-Knight armour has walked to the Orven. He has summoned a cord into his left hand, that is made of some dark, pulsating substance, that appears to move on its own. The spectres shrink from him, clearly intimidated by the man’s power.

A small group of people – guards and one intended sacrifice has managed to escape the slaughter on the hill. They are running down the hill towards the city, pursued by the Baylin’s magical daggers. It is unclear, which will go out first - their stamina or dagger’s magic.

The ball of magical energies above the amphitheatre is dimming, slowly disappearing from view.

[drack]

Old Man Jim, now feeling the pressure from all angles he decides to do the sensible thing for once. He pulls his hood up and quickly fades into his robe... but his robe is suddenly only a shadow, and as such quickly dissipates. Now being in his own realm, with all it's hallways of shadows, where each side passageway flickers in and out of existence with the coming and going of shadows in the outside world.

Time passed differently within this world. what would be one second to the outside world would be five in here. Old Man Jim quickly slipped out of the side-passage with his staff full as can be with static charge, before the stone walls snapped shut behind him. Here he was at home, no blood magic pulling at him, no worldly forces at all.

He quickly strode down the passageway throwing small lightening bolts out of the side passages out through the shadows of the real world into the gray cloaks. This would not be a practical way to fight a larger force since the shadows had a tendency to absorb any energies lingering in the air, and thus giving him nothing to command with his power magic, but it would suffice for the small force at hand.

After contenting himself that he had gotten all of them he quickly doubled back jumping through a side passage (and thus out of a shadow) right beside Orven where he quickly pulled him back into the shadows of Old Man Jim's cloak, and thus back into the hallways. Thus free from the distractions of the combat Old Man Jim told Orven "the light will guide you where you need to go. Wait there for me, I will find you later." before hastily casting the following bit of shadow magic on him:

Spoiler

Show

Stat: shadow
Intent: Make Orven see a light that isn't there guide him to a safe exit not too far away, and allow Old Man Jim to know where it leads him.
Mechanics: base of what Old Man Jim just said, and Orven's strong belief in their powers.
Description: a light pops on in Orven's heat after Old Man Jim's words.

Now Old Man Jim goes through another side passageway bringing him out of the shadow cast by his statue. Now in a tone as faint as the statue used before Old Man Jim continues his conversation with it. "So, why is your statue carved in my form, what manner of creature are you, waht are you the harbinger of, and what will you do now that you have fulfilled your roll of harbinging, and why are we here to bear witness to your harbringing?"

[Exthalion]

His eyes snapping open Bairn caught sight of the murderous intention before him. It strained its vessel almost to breaking, but more importantly, it was holding a drawn, flattened, and presumably sharp bar of carbon infused iron right in front of him. That simply would not do.

Spoiler

Show

Chose Stat(s)
Power with Mana

Write Spell's Intent
Throw this guy away from me.

Write Spell Mechanics
Abandon the ritual he is working on. Reform the seventh geist barrier. This is the id (unconscious) barrier and as such is normally one of the strongest. Doing this is not a ritual, it is letting his mind snap back to its natural state. The mental act of doing this is a springboard for a simple non ritual work of magic. Putting power behind desire, the desire that the big guy with the sharp thing pointed at him get away.

Because he thinks in terms of natural laws, the air between them will be pushed in the direction of the guy. Hard. The air behind him will be pushed the other way, thus preserving momentum. The air is very dense, and as such it should serve to push the guy away.

Write Spell Description
Bairn's eyes snap open and the air around him whooshes out in opposite directions. The guy with the sword is throne back violently.

It seemed that selfishness would have to win out.

"Your sin is your own, I wash my hands of your blood. If you scorn my aid and forsake my good intention then to your own doom I leave you."

Spoiler

Show

Chose Stat(s)
Ritual, to work power supplemented by mana.

Write Spell's Intent
Jump one league in the direction opposite the invading army. Since that is the distance a horse can walk in an hour it should give me more then enough time to do other things.

Write Spell Mechanics
Re dissolve the seventh geist barrier. Once that is opened, take advantage of purely mental actions to dissolve the natural safety restraints the mind places on muscles to prevent them from damaging themselves. Use a very very simple ritual to magnify the force of the muscle in his legs. Burn the rest of his distilled on this and vent the rest of his blood mana.

As for landing, while he is in the air, work a converse ritual that causes opposed forces to negate. This falls under the well practiced things since this trick is often used to do spell calculations faster. Because when he hits the ground he will exert a force on the ground and it will exert an equal force on him the end result will be no force on him, and him simply stopping.

Write Spell Description
Bairn crouches down, leans away from the advancing army, and jumps. he jumps really really high and disappears as a small speck.

[ArcaneStomper]

Safe inside his shield Baylin felt it was high time to leave. So began the next step in his plan. Chanting a set of strange incantations he starts drawing a series of arcane symbols on the ground around him.

Spoiler

Show

Stats Ritual with a bit of mana if it needs a power boost.

Spell's Intent Connect Baylin to his tower letting him channel it's power and more importantly know where he is relation to it.

Spell Mechanics Baylin will call up the sympathetic connection between himself and his tower. He'll emphasize the amount of times he's spent in it and all the rituals he's used to infuse it with power to reestablish the link between himself and it. Except this time the link will be in the other direction to allow him to pull power out of it.

Spell Description If anyone can see inside the shell they'll see Baylin chanting and drawing arcane symbols on the ground in a circle around him which will start glowing once the connection is established.

[Thelonius]

The desire to live is part of Id and it responds readily to Bairn's magic. The man is thrown away and tumbles away, stunned by the force of the blow. Bairn jumps, feeling sharp pain in his legs as he leaves the ground. He flies away in the direction opposite of the army. That side of the hill has rough terrain with relatively high mountains. The land ends in sea - from this height it appears the Mages have wound up on a pretty large island. The winds whistles in Bairn's ears as he has to chose his landing site - somewhere in the steep mountains or on narrow sea beach.

Jim moved in the shadow tunnels to the exit nearest to one of the Grey Cloaks. Then he saw two spectres blocking his way. In this shadow realm Old Man Jim recognized their true form - the collected fear and loathing of people, who has visited the hill and thought the statues to represent demons - Prime Lords, who must be appeased, lest they deliver misfortune. Spectres were made of Shadow Magic, bound together and empowered by something darker still, small balls of glittering energy, that now pulsed inside them as beating hearts. In this shadow reality they were stronger, not barely substantial wisps, that he so easily flung aside with his lightning, but the real things. Every spectre, except Baylin's, was here hunting him, blocking the escape routes and drawing near. Jim's lightning spell still held substantial power, but was it enough to fend them off?

Baylin Split began the ritual, calling to his tower. He could feel it, somewhere in the south west. Baylin's spectre's scraping could be heard. The creature wasn't attempting any magic to dispel the cage, perhaps it was merely a mindless monster.

[drack]

Entry:

Spoiler

Show

Stat: Manna
Intent: enter the passageway.
Spell Mechanics: Long ago the passageways were stitched into reality by one of the first demons, using most of his manna. but due to his lack of trust he kept his passageway secret. Eventually his decedents (the ruling demons) thought it would be a nice way to spy on people, or attack them. Unfortunately they had forgotten the strain of the passageways, and most of their followers died, or rather ceased to exist, for the shadows pulled and pulled at them, and they didn't have the strength to resist, and so they slowly lost themselves, and once they died their corpses were swiftly taken by the shadows. Some time later their entire clan was ruined, and they decided in their spite to pass this curse onto humans where it could cause endless blood feuds, and thus they would monopolize off of the humanity of those who would die for it. Unfortunately they sold the cloak to a human who could resist the pull (Old Man Jim), and word of it's existence never got out. Soon after the clan was destroyed by another clan who didn't respect the birthright of such a weak clan. The cloak doesn't use manna in any normal way, but rather simply exists as an open doorway to that other realm. Or a doorway out though the shadow curtains of the side passageways. Thus this isn't magic it works, but rather magic that it is.
Spell Description:Old Man Jim disappears into his cloak which ceases to exist the next instant when it is struck by sunlight.

Old Man Jim growls comes as that of a ferocious beast as he says "FOOLS. Your in my realm now!!" Old Man Jim knows his realm well, and knows that it will draw any power it can into it, the lightening in his staff, even the threads of dark magic holding these abominations together along with the fears which composed them. Old Man Jim allows his lightening to dissipate (all of it), knowing that it would never be enough, especially within this realm and reaches for the magic he so seldom used, manna.

Old Man Jim and his "tower":

Spoiler

Show

Stat: Manna and shadow
Intent: Old Man Jim reaches within himself first to the blood manna that he just agonizingly scrapped free of impurities, as well as many other small patches of manna from various spirits and demons he has had dealings with in the past. He than uses the manna to alter the reality of his shadow realm. Not to any degree that will alter it's laws of reality, and he hops that there is nothing in this manna that will make anything near perfect. He begins to pull the shadows that cling to the walls, those that absorb all tighter and tighter around the shades, Pulling along with the shadows at the threads that bind the shades, relinquishing them as he dose such that the shadows could claim them. He shales the shadows into the shades, poking holes for them to enter with his staff, and all the while ripping at them until it is evident that the shadows can complete the job on their own.
Spell Description: the darkness lifts from the walls and floor, descending from the ceiling to devour the shades alive, tearing at the vary essence of their being.

When this is done Old Man Jim does this:

Spoiler

Show

Steps out of the passage way to snag some lightening quickly from the sky, and blast the grey cloak who was standing right in front of him, Than fire along the ridge at the others.

Spoiler

Show

After contenting himself that he had gotten all of them he quickly doubled back jumping through a side passage (and thus out of a shadow) right beside Orven where he quickly pulled him back into the shadows of Old Man Jim's cloak, and thus back into the hallways. Thus free from the distractions of the combat Old Man Jim told Orven "the light will guide you where you need to go. Wait there for me, I will find you later." before hastily casting the following bit of shadow magic on him:

Spoiler

Show

Stat: shadow
Intent: Make Orven see a light that isn't there guide him to a safe exit not too far away, and allow Old Man Jim to know where it leads him.
Mechanics: base of what Old Man Jim just said, and Orven's strong belief in their powers.
Description: a light pops on in Orven's heat after Old Man Jim's words.

Now Old Man Jim goes through another side passageway bringing him out of the shadow cast by his statue. Now in a tone as faint as the statue used before Old Man Jim continues his conversation with it. "So, why is your statue carved in my form, what manner of creature are you, waht are you the harbinger of, and what will you do now that you have fulfilled your roll of harbinging, and why are we here to bear witness to your harbringing?"

[Thelonius]

Shadow Tunnels

The spell to bind the Specters into the shadow works. The walls close on them, until their hissing can't be heard anymore. For now the creatures are trapped.

''What light? I can't see anything!'' wailed Orven. ''Spare me mighty Prime Lord, please spare me!'' The spell of blindness that Angelo has cast on the man has grown thicker and stronger, coiling around Orven's eyes. During this delay the entrance to the shadow tunnels began to creak and heave. Somebody was clearly forcing the way in.

[drack]

"Sir," Old Man Jim's voice has regained it's power and unquestionable authority. "I am bringing the light, and some protection from this hostile realm. When I release your hand there will be light, or do you doubt my power!" With this Old Man Jim casts the following spell and releases his hand.

Spoiler

Show

Stat: Shadow
Intent: Overpower Angilo's spell.
Spell Mechanics: Orven's belief in our power is immense, and only heightened for the case of Old Man Jim who is the only one who he actually saw cast magic. Not to mention he likely doesn't know that it was one of us that cast the darkness spell. Thus Orven will believe Old Man Jim more readily of the shadow, and as a result the shadow will "see the light or truth", The spell it's self attempts to reinforce the original spell placed on him, and to form a coating of shadow magic between him and my shadow realm that it will need to eat through first (also based on his belief in my words).
Spell Description: Orven sees a light at the end of the tunnel, Old Man Jim knows somewhere in his mind where Orven is (through magical means) and Orven gets coated in a thing lining of shadow magic that is already dissolving.

"Go" Old Man Jim barks at him before stepping back out into the ritual area to survey the current situation.

[Exthalion]

The invading army is obviously a sea based force, judging by the ships in the harbor. However, the beach provides a safer landing area. I shall just have to risk it.

"'For it is written: 'For each action which is performed so also does another arise. In this action is the whole of the first, for it is utterly opposed to its originator in direction yet equivalent in magnitude. Thus are the two one, part of the same event and each completes the other.''"

Using gentle shifts in the wind, Bairn aligned himself feet first toward the beach.

"and they were amazed at his analysis of the text and were sore tested to find fault in his logic. Yet some sought to entrap him with cunning words and asked, 'Learned One, it is obvious to us that your lore is great and your applications many. Yet tell us, would not the continuous downward acceleration, which is attributed the earthen spirits grasping firmly to a body, cause this ballistic arc you propose to be impossible? Surly a city cannot fall forever, being drawn down to the surface of the world again?'

Yet he was disturbed not by their ignorance and quoted to them the law saying, 'it is also written 'Yet despite their confluence on the direction of motion in an ideal state, each directional vector is independent, and a change in one has no bearing on any other save in so much as that which changes contains direction also.' and so the eternal acceleration is negated in potency provided a proper continuous arc.''"

Reaching the top of his own arc, he experienced a moment of weightlessness when his upward velocity exactly balanced his downward acceleration. With a sudden rush, he began to fall towards the beach.

"This is most likely going to be painful. Though I am loath to do so, I will have to deaden my pain nerves and increase adrenalin. This continuous opening and closing of the geist gates is not beneficial to sanity. Or at least that is what the magipsychoanalysts say."

[Thelonius]

Shadow Tunnels

Old Man Jim's magic begins fighting Angelo's spell, but the progress isn't as fast as he could hope. Angelo appears to be quite skilled practitioner of the shadow magic. This delay has allowed the intruder to finally break in. The unknown mage, clad in the Mage-Knight armor, says in a hoarse, broken voice ''I'll be taking this man.'' The black cord flowing from his left hand snakes and coils, preparing to either entangle Orven or perhaps strike at Old Man Jim.

Deserted Beach

The beach is deserted and feels like a completely different place. Several small crabs scatter from the intruder on their beach. The weaves hit the shore with gentle force. The air is salty and fresh, a vast improvement over the stench of blood on the hill. The mountains completely surround this place - only an expert climber can reach it or perhaps a man with a boat.

Somewhere far in the sea, two ships are sailing, but they are unlikely to spot a lone figure, unless anyone with spyglass chances to look in Bairn's direction. His legs hurt like hell and it is clear he'll either need to drag himself to move or use his magic to fashion some other method of transportation.

[Exthalion]

"Must... focus. Arg, why do they not tell you pain hurts so much! Okay, okay, priority one is contacting the Nation."

Spoiler

Show

Chose Stat(s)
Ritual, to work Shadow supplemented by mana.

Write Spell's Intent
Establish communication with the Exalted Nation.

Write Spell Mechanics
Send a highly focused beam of thought using mana as a medium directly up. The mages of the Nation should be able to see it once it clears the interference of the atmosphere. This ritual is adapted from a similar non communication version used for astrology to clear out atmospheric turbulence to allow easier star sightings.

Once outside the outermost leyline shell the mana will be rarefied by the cosmic energy emitted by the sun. Since the nation is above/on this layer they will be able to see it if they are on the same side of the planet.

Write Spell Description
Bairn painfully sits up and begins to hum softly. Those with mage sight would see the beam were they near him. It becomes harder to see as you get farther away. From the nation it would appear as a hair thin beam of light rising from my location.

[drack]

Old Man Jim is beginning to get vary annoyed. Not only is his realm being intruded on by so many people, but they all have the stupidity to attack him. A crazed look comes over his eyes as he begins calling upon power magic, a magic unthinkably difficult to muster within this realm.

Spoiler

Show

States: power and shadow
Intent: Make a wall of ice sealing off our end of the corridor, and allow it to slowly advance on the man, pulling him in all the while.
Mechanics: The passageways is usually regulated at a temperature appropriate for a light frost, caught between all the constantly inflowing elements heat and light aren't the most common. as the shadows absorb most of everything, it slacks it's absorption on heat slightly. The reason for this is unknown, though perhaps intended to leave the environment hospitable to better lure in prey, or perhaps it is because it's creator didn't want impediments in his halls. Either way Old Man Jim now draws this heat away from the air, allowing it to freeze the air its self into a wall of ice, allowing the end of his staff in contact with the wall to quickly build in fiery energy. As air is displaces it pulls more in, thus pulling the figure into the wall of frozen air. When he gets scarred of his death shadow magic makes it so (fear is convincing), and as he wonders at my ability to do power magic here it helps further my spell.
Description: Old Man Jim whips out his staff towards the new figure. Ice suddenly forms in a thick sheet at the end of his staff, and it continues to grow towards the figure, pulling the air around him towards it.