GAME OVER
just kidding

start dreaming.

Well.

That could have gone better.

So here's a question for you when you wake up.
Is your issue with magic a mental thing, like you needed to throw a fireball and you couldn't for whatever reason and you've been kinda burnt out on it ever since?
Oor...Since it seems intensity is the problem, I kind of want to ask-Is this a thing that other people have a problem with? Or for that matter something explained by say, the idea that you don't have much magic energy within you and end up pushing yourself?

[1/7] Catastro 2016/11/14(Mon)17:23 No. 758607 ID: d4c8ee
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"Invoker Erine, why do you think the ruins are so tainted?"

[2/7] Catastro 2016/11/14(Mon)17:24 No. 758608 ID: d4c8ee
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"Well, apprentice, it's most likely the excess of energy that was concentrated into the ruins en masse."

"Magic energy is normal, it flows through every thing and it is the basis of all living things, but in high concentrations it can grow toxic, it starts to twist and distort everything it comes in contact with."

[3/7] Catastro 2016/11/14(Mon)17:26 No. 758609 ID: d4c8ee
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"Now, whatever people used to live in the ruins probably used some kind of master focus for a very large scale spell."

"In the after effects of it was a massive excess of energy, brought unnaturally with no way to effectively dispell it, eventually the energy started to bind itself into the very earth, as it simply had no where to go."

[4/7] Catastro 2016/11/14(Mon)17:26 No. 758610 ID: d4c8ee
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"It's not too much of a disaster for the land itself, eventually it will work itself out, in the far future, but unfortunately for flesh and blood like you and me we won't fair as well as the rocks and trees."

[6/7] Catastro 2016/11/14(Mon)17:27 No. 758612 ID: d4c8ee
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Well...

[7/7] Catastro 2016/11/14(Mon)17:27 No. 758613 ID: d4c8ee
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That could have gone much better...

>>758613
Ask if you got the job. The prophecy didn't work out quite right...

Was that dream a memory, or just something else entirely? want to discuss it with that man?

>That could have gone much better...
Look, lots of things could've gone lots of different ways. You also could've had a heart attack, or been struck with a sudden burst of bloodlust, or you could've never been born at all. But that stuff didn't happen so there's no use thinking of it.

Ask the person who is quite obviously now your new employer what the difference between a tree and a person is. They're both alive, so why does magic distinguish between them?

Success! You got a place to sleep, at least once.

>>758613
Apologize.

[1/4] Catastro 2016/11/20(Sun)20:18 No. 760458 ID: d4c8ee
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Okay...I don't feel as sick now that I've thrown up.

"Oh, thank goodness, you're awake. How're you feeling?"

"Ummph, Better?"

[2/4] Catastro 2016/11/20(Sun)20:22 No. 760459 ID: d4c8ee
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I think I was dreaming about something? I can't remember what it was about, but I feel kind of disturbed.

"How long was I out for?"
"A few hours... You still don't look very good, if you feel up to it some food might help. I was just going to have dinner, I wasn't sure if you'd want any, but I made extra."

[3/4] Catastro 2016/11/20(Sun)20:26 No. 760461 ID: d4c8ee
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The nauseousness I was feeling earlier is gone, but it's been replaced with hungriness, so I ended up agreeing to the dinner.

[4/4] Catastro 2016/11/20(Sun)20:27 No. 760462 ID: d4c8ee
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He made some broth thing. It's kind of plain but that makes it easier on my stomach.


He also gave me a single uncooked, unskinned carrot.

>>760462
Carrots are good for you. If it's been washed it's fine to eat.

You were dreaming about magical overload as it pertains to the environment. Is that your problem? Your magic is too powerful so it fucks up your body when you use it?

apologize for the inconvenience. Ask how much you owe for the food.

An...Excessive amount of magical energy bound to you?
That makes me wonder if you could somehow hook yourself up to some sort of magical energy storage unit of some sort and fill-er-up, but that feels a tad too obvious a solution.
Alternatively, the damage has been done already to you thanks to your body being messed up by the magic energy flowing into and through you, burning you out in the process. The latter seems more likely the case, since you seem to be able to handle smaller magics fine, but big spells cause problems for you.

find a way to circulate it. it's the stagnating that's the problem so if you have it swirl through you instead of sitting in you then it will be healthier.

Unfortunate news, my tablet finally gave out on me, but I should be able to get a new one as an early gift since Christmas is coming up.

Updates will most likely be held up for 2 weeks at longest.

[1/5] Catastro 2016/12/09(Fri)20:26 No. 764888 ID: d4c8ee
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"So... Um, I wanted to apologize for my earlier behavior. I understand if you don't consider me exactly qualified for the position anymore."

[2/5] Catastro 2016/12/09(Fri)20:28 No. 764889 ID: d4c8ee
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"Right, your interview..."
"Firstly, if you had a medical condition severe as this I would have preferred it if you had been up front about the extent it effected you before hand."

[3/5] Catastro 2016/12/09(Fri)20:34 No. 764891 ID: d4c8ee
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"It. Um, it's spirit taint. I have spirit taint from when I was working with the guild."
"Oh."
He nods his head meekly.
"It really only inhibits me from performing particularly complicated or taxing magic... I'm not usually very effected by it but I guess today everything just kind of piled up."

[4/5] Catastro 2016/12/09(Fri)20:36 No. 764892 ID: d4c8ee
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It looks like he's having trouble swallowing.

"Spirit taint... I've never really seen the effects up close."
"Well, it makes sense why you passed out then..."

[5/5] Catastro 2016/12/09(Fri)20:41 No. 764894 ID: d4c8ee
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"But, you don't need to worry, I wouldn't be hiring an assistant if I expected them to do my job for me."
"I don't want you to anything as intense as today, I was getting a bit ahead of myself when I asked you to do that."

Oh, wait, really? It looks like I did end up getting the job.
I think I should be feeling excited or happy but I just feel drained and numb.

You just puked your guts out and blacked out.
Feeling gross is to be expected.

>>764894
Thank him profusely anyway.

>>764889
Well you know, "I have a medical condition that sometimes makes it tough to do invocation" often makes it hard to get an invocation job... being upfront probably hasn't worked out too well in the past.

It's great that he's so understanding.

Thank him.

You know, it's pretty interesting how we have gotten the job, and we haven't even introduced each others names properly, have we? He might already know our name through the application, but still might be best get to know more about each other, right?

You really should thank him.

It's extremely generous of him to stick his neck out like this. If you can you should get up and shake his hand.

be appreciative... ask him a few things about himself so we can get to know him a bit better

[1/4] Catastro 2016/12/18(Sun)23:35 No. 766810 ID: d4c8ee
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After finishing the meal and thanking him for his hospitality and he invites me to show me where I'll be staying, I ask my new employer, Halhan, how he came to run a fortune telling shop.

He explains that when he was younger he used to be a member of the circle, but as he got older he found doing more down to earth work to be more appealing to him, he knew he was good at fortune telling, so he started his business so that he could have a more reliable and steady income compared to doing work for the circle.

That kind of sounds like a load. The circle is a major organization separate from the guilds that has ties with the royal court, I don't really understand why someone would leave such a position like that.

[2/4] Catastro 2016/12/18(Sun)23:43 No. 766811 ID: d4c8ee
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When I press a bit further about his relations to the circle, he clams up about it, I don't really think I totally believe him about his reasons for leaving his old position.

I try asking him a bit more general questions about himself. He had move from northwestern Terrences to Dionness city about the time he had first joined the circle, so pretty much across the continent. He must really hate cold weather.

He explains he never really had a natural talent for primal magic, but had began to study general magic theory when I was in school at the urging of his family, and had found that he had a knack for premonition based magic, and decided to pursue it as a career.

[3/4] Catastro 2016/12/18(Sun)23:47 No. 766812 ID: d4c8ee
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He shows me to the room I'll be staying at, reminding me of things he'll need me to do tomorrow, then quickly says goodbye and disappears down the hallway.

He seemed nervous when the conversation strayed toward the circle, maybe he's just shy?

[4/4] Catastro 2016/12/18(Sun)23:50 No. 766813 ID: d4c8ee
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It looks like he moved my bag here while I was passed out.

The small room sort of looks like it used to a storage space, and it doesn't have any windows, but it doesn't seem drafty or anything, and it's larger then the room I had as a kid, so I'd say it's fairly nice.

Room looks empty. Time to decorate it! Lets check whats inside your bag, and see where we can place what.

>>766813
Time to unpack! This is your room now.

>>766812
Maybe he left for political reasons. Considering he's on the other side of the continent now, I don't see how it could affect you. So don't worry about it. Enjoy your new job with your new boss!

[1/1] Catastro 2016/12/21(Wed)07:40 No. 767286 ID: d4c8ee
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Let's see, I should unpack the stuff I was able to salvage from the fire. I already didn't own very many things before the fire, so it's not much.

>Research Record
I had more of these, but this was the only that was still illegible.

>Primal Focus
My main tool for invocation, helps me channel magic. I had some other ones that helped me with different things, but I lost those, too.

>Bauble
Thing I got at the junk sale. Seems to have some kind of sealed energy to it.

>Clothes
Some clothes I had washed in the morning and put out to dry. Thank goodness for that!

Nothing to do til tomorrow? It's still daylight out, right? I'd say put the clothes away, book and bobble put on top of the dresser(or on a desk if you have them), then head out for a bit of a walk to relax.(with you having the focus always on your person)

If it is/when it is nighttime, go over your notes/do some light mana exercises. Just keep yourself from being sick again. Maybe try a bit of simple meditation if you're still feeling too stressed to focus on magic/studying.(nothing fancy, just sit in a comfortable place with your eyes closed and do your best not to think)

>>767287
Only thing I can think of at the moment. Maybe we'll make a new friend if we look around town.

>That kind of sounds like a load.
>He seemed nervous when the conversation strayed toward the circle
Look this guy cut you a big break when he didn't have to. Maybe don't push on the things he doesn't want to talk about? You owe him that much. If he has some kind of trouble in his past or related to the circle, is it any of your business?

Unfortunately, I will not be continuing this story in it's current state- I've hit some walls in regards to it, so I've decided to go back to the drawing board with an earlier version of the story and see if I have an easier time writing it.

This other story will still be under the Memory of Alm thread name, so if you liked this, you should still keep an eye out for it.

Thanks to everyone who enjoyed and supported this experiment, I hope to begin posting the again in the coming months.