Re: Kora's Apprenticeship
After a morning of working with Talathel, Corym knocks on Kora's door and gathers her to his room with a simple promise: "It's time to start learning magic."
The urbane elf takes off cloak and coat and soft leather boots as he begins to speak. "Magic is a universal language," Corym begins. "Whether the spells are written in Halruaa, Netheril, Evermeet, or Thay, all magic is known and knowable by any that can read its formulations. That is not, to say, however, that magical knowledge is omnipresent, or that the matter of recording it is universal. Learning magic begins with how to Read Magic."
With the grace of a dancer, like a leaf on the wind, Corym sits on his feet, his two knees before him, together. On the rug by his bed lay two books open for study. One borrowed from Karilla, the other, his own. Corym's shows winding symbols, folk art, shapes and patterns, while Karilla's shows flowing elven script, crisp diagrams, annotations, and formulae. He strokes the pages gently with long, thin fingers. "These pages are revealing the same spell."
"Magic is about knowing the world--deeply, intimately, and truthfully. It is only once we fully know a thing that we will be able manipulate, alter, represent, obscure, or enhance the thing. Great wizards whose knowledge is deep even come to know the words of power. You or I could speak the words of power, but they would accomplish nothing, because we do not know the words of power. The greatest word of power is wish. The pinnacle of mortal wizardry is to with a word to bring into existence your will. That is the final lesson."
Corym pauses a moment to let this idea sink in. Then gestures to the books as if they are of equal importance, "This, is the first one."
"Karilla was trained, as all scions of noble houses are," he winces, "at the Academy in Evereska. There they learn the blade, our history, our crafts, and magic simultaneously as instructed by ancient masters. Each of these things is about truth. The truth of who we are. The dimensions of a blade. The angles it may be held at. The Weaves that enhance the blade to defend the People. This book reflects that learning." He traces the lines in the book with his finger. "These runes were formed over millennia, formulated to account for each variable in reality. Flexible enough to adjust to unforeseen discoveries, and rigid enough to be handed whole to any student initiated in their rudiments."
Corym shifts his attention to his own book. Much more finely bound, by far, but much more rustic and hodge podge in it's contents. "I was denied entry to the academy on account of my mother's blood. Though considered elven in Aglarond and the Yuirwood, I was thought to impure to allowed to learn the Academy's secrets. This is the magic I learned from my mother, who learned from her mother, who learned from hers. I could recite them for 100 generations. Because my younger brothers and sisters are academy trained, they will never learn this, and unless I succeed in teaching you, this knowledge will likely pass beyond knowing. The Yuirwood has no schools. The Yuirwood has life, and it is from life that we learn."
He withdraws his hand. "Both books are open to the same spell. Both describe the truth of reading magic. How can this be?"
This message was last edited by the player at 22:46, Thu 11 Apr 2019.