Toxoglossa 2021/10/25(Mon)14:35 No. 1013590 ID: de852d
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Casey taps her pen against her notepad, her gaze caught somewhere in the middle distance. Her mind should be translating looping fey poetry into more common mortal tongues. Instead its produced half a page of scribbles and crossed out passages.

“Hey Casey, something wrong?” Says a voice.

Just feeling a bit burnt out on this, not making much progress.

"How do I translate a paradoxical statement?"

Oh, you know. Haven't fucked a god in a while, Graves.

Oh sure, there's the undead army about to wake up hungry and snackish, where the only recourse seems to be to use a once-in-a-lifetime trip (to be determined when) to go fetch enough mana to sate them until you can dig up the true location of yon lost lord of the dead so that he can, hopefully maybe, help resolve this mess.

And you really need to decode your third of this critical book that might clue you into his location and... really, why'd Tuvara-Malli go and have such penmanship to her? You're pretty much spoiled for life as regards poetry. It's... even getting a bit stale? KINDA? Which you wouldn't expect of words of otherworldly wonder and imaginings within a language built for such, but hey, isn't that just the way of mortals. Attention span of a gnat and oft compared to such.

...bleh. You're just not feeling the spirit of discovery today, you suppose. Might have to take a break soon.

>>1013590
"Well, it turns out that fey take what they say very seriously. Not surprising, considering how important names and wording are to them. In short, trying to translate fey script, which places more emphasis on meaning than what's actually written, is fucking hard."

>>1013590
I'm guessing we're still on the boat...

Flip out! You were alone and the door was locked.

>>1013597
Bookshelves in the background, so I think we're in the library.

Toxoglossa 2021/10/27(Wed)18:09 No. 1013755 ID: de852d
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“Its nothing… its just… this thing is a poem, a legal document, and a training manual. Untangling it is a mess. Every line has several meanings that needs to be cross referenced with previous passages, and I’m just feeling burnt out.” Casey sighs.

Graves nods with a clatter. “I’m always amazed to find a mortal that has any stomach for fey poetic contracts. They’re beautiful, sure, but in the way a tree growing or a glacier moving is beautiful.” He grins, having little other option, and sets down a hefty stack of books on the table.

How difficult is fey language? Let me give you an example.
If I said to you, "The curtains are blue," then you would understand that I'm saying that the curtains are blue.
In fey speak, everything said or written has, at the very least, three different meanings. So, if a fey said, "The curtains are blue," they could mean that the house is full of sadness or that someone's hair is blue or that someone spilled the paint.
It all gets wrapped up in context, metaphor, cultural references, and the feys' obsession with complexity.

>>1013755
Perhaps there's a device or artifact out there that can make these deciphering efforts significantly quicker and easier.

A "fae cipher" if you will.

Well said, Graves

So how's HIS progress coming along?

Toxoglossa 2021/10/29(Fri)17:57 No. 1013871 ID: de852d
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“I mean, you kind of have to have a magically extended lifespan to appreciate fey poetry.” Casey nods glumly. “Like, take this line for instance: The sun which rises on land of golden grain. Gold, which wrapped in amber did spirits become. Amber, stone bled from wood. Wood, its twisting root did turn its key, opening stone.”

Casey looks over her notes and shifts the puzzle pieces together, “This seems to be referencing Tuvara-Malli’s own auramancy spell, which was like amber or crystal. But its also referencing things like the sun, gold, roots, stone: the fey draw power from those things and part of a contract is listing off their natural allegiances. Its her way of calling on different magical aspects she wants to wield: strength, light, growth, sealing.”

Toxoglossa 2021/10/29(Fri)17:57 No. 1013872 ID: de852d
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Casey points to the “Its also a way of establishing her right to wield magic, kind of like showing her credentials. The more powerful a magic user, the more sources of magic they’ll list.” She sighs, “A lot of fey legal battles are just lengthy pissing matches trying to call upon as many allegiances as possible.”

Graves cocks his head at the mouse, clearly curious. “But you and me can’t form allegiances like that. We don’t talk to rocks and forests.”

You do have some friends in high places though. Several fey, a god, and the current spirit guardians.

"Well, I'm technically speaking to the dead right now. So that's something."

Don't you? You can persuade the air to carry you. Can't magic be considered as a way of communicating with the world? Also you did fuck someone who's part of the sky, so.

"Well, you can't make a lengthy negotiation with a rock. You can't shake hands with a cephalopod. But you can pick up a stone. You can feed a fish. Things like that, and those who claim to speak for them, however true that may be."

Mortals are gone sooner sure, but you have to admit we make use of our time. Our lives are a story of the connections we make.

Toxoglossa 2021/11/01(Mon)17:02 No. 1014042 ID: de852d
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“Right… well, normally, yes.” Casey says, thinking about the night spent with Flashing Feathers that gifted her with wing spells etched into her shoulders. “For a long time it was considered impossible for non-fey to wield. Tuvara-Malli found a way to make contracts with oneself, which allowed her to teach fey magic to mortals. Its not as powerful as true fey spellcasting, but it was revolutionary.”

“Very impressive.” The skeletal ghoul nods sagely. “Never really understood how magic worked, to be honest. Lord Hekal made it all seem so easy. He could pick it apart like a clock and put it back together without missing a tick of the second hand.”

Too bad we can't show Hekal the book.

To find Hekal, we need to think like Hekal.

>>1014042
You speak as if he could pick up new magics at the drop of a pin. Now why was that, I wonder? Natural talent combined with the acquired skill of ages? Or did he somehow enhance his own capabilities, like the fey would when calling on natural allegiances?

Maybe - in line with your clock analogy - he had power over time... or maybe his own perception of it? That sure would be helpful to be able to take all the time one needed to understand something.

(Tap the book meaningfully, wistfully.)

At any rate, Hekal's abilities and his true story remains little known. If you weren't so busy trying to translate the book before the, um, deadline, you'd be interviewing Graves for historical details day in and day out. It's certainly become clear there was a lot more to the histories of Augustine's time than what survived.

>>1014042

Interesting turn of phrase, but then, Lord Hekal was a fey himself, and doubtlessly had an innate understanding of magic.

But perhaps Graves can give us more insight, having known him so closely for, oh ... centuries.

Toxoglossa 2021/11/03(Wed)17:53 No. 1014175 ID: de852d
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“How did Hekal get so powerful?” Casey ponders.

Graves shrugs, “No one really knows. His life before becoming a vampire lord is a complete mystery. Much of his raw power came from mana wells, but he preferred to wield it like a tool, rather than a cudgel.”

Casey eyes the skeleton curiously. “Then, did you know him well?”

The undead thinks for a moment and admits, “For as closely as I worked with him, I can’t say really knew the man. I don’t know if anyone truly can. He was dour and serious; distant to everyone, even his closest allies. Talking to him felt like you were interrupting some vast, dangerous calculation he was attempting to solve. While I owe him for returning me to life after death, to him… as far as I can tell, I was just useful.”

An intriguing figure. He seems devoid of outright charisma and yet he commanded the devout loyalty of thousands, if not more. The impression we have seen of his people does not match the legacy of a dour and withdrawn man. He seems to have been more passionate about research than rhetoric.

I'd wager then, that his actions were what earned their loyalty, and perhaps belied something of his true character.

A man that utterly dedicated to his studies and yet still principled must have had some overarching goal. Something that drove him further than the arrogance and thirst for life of the other lich lords. Whatever that was may be the key to discovering what happened to him and Augustine.

Must've been fun at parties.

>>1014175
Nevertheless he inspired a fierce loyalty in his followers. As vampire lords go he did not seem unstable and his goals seemed admirable.

How DID he and Augustine come to blows? Over what? Just the mana vents? Prejudice? What a mystery.

Toxoglossa 2021/11/07(Sun)13:49 No. 1014451 ID: de852d
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Casey taps her pen on her notebook, “He was distant and cold, yet every one we’ve met from his kingdom is still fiercely loyal, even after hundreds of years. How did he manage that?”

“Despite how he sounds, Hekal was skilled at diplomacy. He could be straightforward and blunt, but treated everyone with respect, regardless of rank. He recognized people for their abilities rather than their status and sought out the talent he needed to run his empire. For instance, he recruited Rodwin as his second in command, despite his status as a devil. Or, take me for example…”

Graves opens up one of the books and starts turning pages one at a time, lingering only long enough to glance at each one. “I was a soldier at first and a pretty bad one at that, but I can remember everything I’ve experienced: right down to the smallest detail. It was just a parlor trick: telling you what the weather was like the day you were born, or reading a whole book in less than a minute. But he noticed my gift and I became his living ledger: everything that needed counting or remembering went through me.”

Casey, Graves could probably fill a library with just his memories. There's your energy boost for the day.

>>1014451
For the hell of it, see if there's anything on an anti-bargast weapon in those memories, just in case.

Wow what? Maybe you should add that to your introduction. Especially to a history buff. Although I suppose you didn't tell him that about you either.

Could Graves perhaps give us any information about Hekal that could help with our search? Where was he the day Hekal Disappeared?

Toxoglossa 2021/11/10(Wed)20:11 No. 1014749 ID: de852d
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Casey stares at the scribe and puts her pen down. “Wait, you remember everything? Why are you just telling us now? There’s so much we need to ask you!”

There’s a bony shrug, which clatters. “No one really asked. Besides, I don’t know how much help I can be. The truth is, it took some time for anyone to realize Hekal had gone missing. It wasn’t unheard of for our lord to disappear and engage in matters of secrecy. It wasn’t until Rodwin returned that anyone knew for sure that Hekal was gone.”

“Come on, there has to be something.” Casey stands and paces, “Like, what happened the night of the disappearance?”

“I believe on the night in question: I went to bed having memorized the correspondence from two of the converging fronts on the Whittaker Plains, as well as the intercepted orders from the third battalion of cavaliers under sir Thorall Krojen. His troops were in retreat and looking to rejoin the larger allied forces, having been routed by archers attacking from the Great Carrion Woods.”

So nothing immediately helpful, but he perhaps had a better understanding of the ongoing war than anyone else at the time, let alone still "alive".
Was the war just more jostling between Vampires/Liches/Necromancers? Or was there something more substantial on the line? I presume that Augustine was largely an unknown at that point, and simply infiltrated the citadel without actually assaulting it. Considering that Hekal's polity was fully mobilized for war at the time, I doubt she could've reached the throne room by force without the alarm having been raised.

Okay, back to basics. Potential jackpot of intel here. Gotta prioritize.

Fetch a world map with grid coordinates, along with a historian or astronomer or some other timeline reference. Figure out exactly where and when Hekal was last seen, and any available context of what he and/or his known associates or enemies were up to in that general vicinity. Then start plotting the barghast's subsequent travels, a list of places to rule out as already thoroughly searched.

Toxoglossa 2021/11/15(Mon)17:02 No. 1015265 ID: de852d
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“Hmm. So, not a lot of obviously helpful information, but you’re probably one of the best resources we have about the ongoing war at the time.” Casey continues, “What sides were involved? Was it just vampire lords?”

“It was a very fluid situation. There were at least five major factions, but alliances and betrayals were common, so its hard to really pin down the exact numbers. At the time, Lord Hekal was attempting to fend off an alliance of three Fey Courts, as well as the machinations of Telleremenas, vampire lord of the Smoking Pit.”

“Considering all the the conflict, do you think Augustine could have gotten into the throne room without raising any alarms?” Casey asks.

Graves pauses, “Now that I’ve seen the magic your senders use firsthand, I’ve had to wonder about that. Gating directly to our lord’s chambers would require a fairly intimate knowledge of the castle. The whole compound was warded against scrying, and gate magic leaves a trace of thunder once its used: scouting out the location on her own would have been nearly impossible without being noticed. So…”

She must have had help on the inside

>>1015281
Or access to someone (prisoner?) who knew the layout.
In fact, who was the architect? Did anyone known for remarkable memory visit the castle, even before the war?

Another possibility would be that a prisoner had been brought to the castle, and used as a teleport homer.

>>1015265
Another obvious question: What happened in the aftermath of Hekal's disappearance? How did all the wars get resolved and Augustine's faction end up on top of it all?

Huh. An interesting point.
How do we follow up on that? We can hardly go around waking up every revenant on the Barghest asking them if they betrayed the trust of their liege lord centuries ago.
We have so many pieces and no idea how they fit together yet. We need a lead.

Toxoglossa 2021/11/17(Wed)19:27 No. 1015471 ID: de852d
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“Then that means she had help from the inside…” Casey finishes. “Someone gave her info on where to gate. Any idea who?”

Graves shrugs, his bones clattering against one another. “No idea! There’s only a few that would even have access to our lord’s chambers, and they’re all fiercely loyal.”

“What happened to the war after Hekal went missing?” Casey asks.

The undead stares off into the distance, as if watching history unfold inside his skull. “Rodwin had us pull our forces back and consolidate them. The vacuum left on the battlefield allowed two of the fey factions to pour into the gap, and immediately turn on one another.” Their bones sag as they shake their head. “Several of our generals took off on their own, joining allies and enemies. It was a whirlwind of magic and betrayal. Its kind of a miracle the world held together through it.”

“Rodwin believed that our lord was somehow still alive. Our remaining forces defended our lands for as long as they could: and when defeat seemed inevitable, he took our last bargast and marched north to lands so cold and blighted no one would follow.”

The lord's chambers... could it have been someone who used to have access to them? A former friend, even an ex-lover? Not to be indelicate or disrespectful, but is there any chance Hekal had some... secret relationships, in the past?

So what faction is considered to have "won" in the end? Is the war even considered to be over?

Perhaps it may be even closer than that.
If noone but a trusted few had access to Hekal's quarters, and we know that Augustine was perhaps the most accomplished Sender in history, is it possible they may have collaborated, parlayed, or met at some prior point? Before it all went sour and they evidently became enemies?
Rodwin had obviously never seen her before, but Hekal had been a power for some time before he was cursed and taken in, if he had known the previous Warden.

Augustine may have been illiterate and from poor roots, but as we've seen from Graves, that didn't stop Hekal from considering or valuing those with potential and drive. Is it possible that she wasn't simply working her way through a list of vampire lords and necromancers? Might there have been a previous interaction between the two?


Our understanding of both individuals basically begins and ends with their most noteworthy achievements. Their lives before that are utterly blank. Heck, even after.

It's probably not something he would have shared, but was Hekal's age something Graves would know?

Toxoglossa 2021/11/19(Fri)19:25 No. 1015584 ID: de852d
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“We know some of what happened next: the end of the Wild Age left the world in chaos. Major conflicts tore the world apart until the First Guardians sealed the mana wells and cut off the flow of dangerous magic.” Casey nods. “It would be good to get some more specifics, if possible.”

“I can only tell you so much about that.” Graves shrugs again. “I spent much of the last five hundred years in a tomb with no body.” He pats the pile of books, “In fact, I was going to skim as much as I can, so that I have plenty of reading material when I’m re-interred.”

“You know, you’re here to work on translating the tome, not brush up on reading.” Casey’s lip twists at the corner.

“I’m working on it!” The undead insists, “Its all up here…” He taps his skull again.

“If you say so.” Casey stretches and jiggles some feeling back into her legs. “I’m going to go get some air.” She announces.

“Seeing as I no longer need such things, I’ll remain here.” Graves goes back to turning pages without looking at her.

Toxoglossa 2021/11/19(Fri)19:26 No. 1015585 ID: de852d
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The mouse rolls her eyes and steps out into the corridor. Her footsteps echo against the precisely cut stone floor of the Sender library, tracing her way through the labyrinth of the college. She passes the occasional student, hurrying this way and that from some late-night errand.

Casey steps out onto the hillside and leans against the guardrail overlooking the lights of the city. Above her, the statue of Augustine looms in the night sky, her back turned and silent. Her mind flashes to thoughts of Madam Moot and Hekal locked in combat. Or…

“What if… there was no fight?” She says to herself.

Toxoglossa 2021/11/19(Fri)19:26 No. 1015586 ID: de852d
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Elsewhere in the College of the Senders, Clio hurries back to her dorm from a study session.

How goes the studies?

>>1015586
You look tired. Time to get home and drop into bed, huh?

Girl have you been running yourself ragged over there? You look like you need sleep. Or at least a relaxing massage for a few hours.

>>1015585
Hekal did, in fact, trust Hekal...

>>1015586
I know College Face when I see it. At least it seems things are going well

>>1015586
What’s the hurry? Got plans?

Lookin' like you got some eye baggage goin' on there. You been gettin' enough sleep? No trouble's sleepin', I hope. Gettin' enough to eat too? And to drink? Gettin' stuck into your studies and forgettin' to eat or drink'll sneak up on ya.

How've you been gettin' along with your fellow students? They been friendly? Made any friends here yet? Nobody givin' you hasslin' I hope. You gotten hazed yet or is that somethin' that they don't do here? Or are folk kinda standoffish?

You doin' good with your studies? Keepin' up with 'em? Been gettin' extra tutorin' to bring you up to speed and all? Has Gabe been 'round to help teach you a thing or two about Sendin'?

Toxoglossa 2021/11/21(Sun)19:07 No. 1015753 ID: de852d
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Clio yawns and takes another peek at her notes. Through the fog of post study haze, she sighs. Her aptitude for gate magic put her at the head of her class in all but one way.

Her mouth twists wryly as she looks at the scribbled calculations regarding spirit wards. Compared to the complex interactions of distance and momentum built into gate magic, it seems simple: building a volume of mana that blocks spirits from passing through. But for some reason her attempts at spellcasting never result in a stable ward field.

Having spent several hours in a practice room scarred from generations of student magic, the cat feels her mind turning to soup. While her natural mana supplies allowed her much more leeway to practice with, exhaustion from so much calculation eventually set in. Maybe tomorrow she can talk with her teachers about what she’s doing wrong.

Toxoglossa 2021/11/21(Sun)19:07 No. 1015754 ID: de852d
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Still engrossed in her notes, Clio bumps headfirst into someone in the hallway, scattering paper everywhere.

Hastily apologise and try to pick up your notes while you figure out who you just bumped into.

Time for an anime trope.

Lightly swear under your breath, then catch yourself and apologize to whoever you collided with as you crouch down to help pick up their papers.

>>1015585

I suspect this was the truth all along. Moot and Hekel forged a pact to end the wars and he voluntarily disappeared, ensuring the Guardians would be able to stop his rivals by stifling the mana wells.

>>1015754

Oh dear, Clio, but I hope you had those numbered.

Toxoglossa 2021/11/24(Wed)19:22 No. 1016084 ID: be028a
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Clio scrambles to pick up the scattered notes, apologizing frantically.

“Shit! Sorry! Sorry! Shit! I’m so sorry!” She claws her papers into a pile and looks up. She blinks at the empty hallway, looking forward and back, finding herself alone.

Oh sweet, ghosts. You're aware of them, right?

Huh... You sure you ran into someone and not some... invisible surface? Did you feel the touch of skin or fur at all when you collided? Hear a "oof" like you'd expect from a person that's been run into? Could somebody have magic'd a force field across this hall as... I dunno, a prank? Better test if there's something still here.

Scoop the rest of your notes up and stow them in your book, then poke your hand about at about the point you collided with whatever it was. Whether or not you touch anything, pull out a blank piece of paper and wave it about in that volume as well to test if an inanimate object collides with anything or not.

Wow, you must be more out of it than you thought. You definitely need to take a nap.

Literally walking into the fourth wall is probably not good for your head.

What was it that first gave you the impression that it was someone that you bumped into? You're smart, think back a few moments. It might give you something to go on.

Toxoglossa 2021/11/30(Tue)19:08 No. 1016432 ID: be028a
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“Hello?” Clio looks around cautiously, her ears twitching in search of sound. She waves a hand in the direction of the impact, finding nothing there. “Anyone there?” She asks the nothing.

Whatever it was, it felt solid. Clio’s exhausted mind runs through a quick logic chain: Was that a ghost? But ghosts aren’t solid. Or are they? I’ve never touched a ghost. Except for Pezzi and Rufus, I guess. Wait, are they ghosts? They were in mechanical suits. What should I do if I think there’s a ghost around?

Toxoglossa 2021/11/30(Tue)19:08 No. 1016433 ID: be028a
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Clio decides to test things, casting a spirit ward in the hallway. Wavering red light filters out around the edges of the walls, flickering with instability.

The cat tries to hold the spell for as long as she can before it collapses, taking with it a bit more of her energy. Right before it vanishes, she notices an odd hole in the light.

Ah yes. A ghost gloryhole.

>>1016433
Okay, you are a cat with an education now. Despite your mind being frazzled, what do you know of warding spells? They're normally solid, correct? Would a hole in the surface be a sign of something coming into contact with it?

>>1016433
Poke where the hole is.

>>1016433
That looks like a doorknob. Try grabbing it and giving it a turn?

Is there an invisible object in the hallway? Try feeling around the hole area.

Have some self-preservation instincts and don't touch the magic hole. Maybe there's someone with more experience around who'll be able to investigate it, without risk of losing limbs to residual portal magic?

>>1016433
Get your bearings: have you actually been down this hallway before/recently?

Toxoglossa 2021/12/05(Sun)17:41 No. 1016770 ID: be028a
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Clio stares at where the hole was, blinking and examining it from various angle. She cautiously reaches out and gropes at the air, finding nothing but air.

“Spite me, what the fuck was that?” She mutters to herself. It looked to her almost as if her warding spell was wrapped around something solid, but invisible. Self doubt creeps into her tired mind like mold, ”Maybe it was something wrong with the spell? I just still can’t get it right…”

Sighing and rubbing her eyes, Clio chalks it up to overworking and late nights. The young sender sets off down the hall again, away from the mystery.

Toxoglossa 2021/12/05(Sun)17:42 No. 1016771 ID: be028a
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Only a minute or so late, as she’s passing the library, she hears a pair of odd, clattering footsteps. Light pours out of an open door as a skeleton steps backwards out of the room and swears, “Oh fucking, litchfire…”

>>1016771

This looks like one hell of a prank, but I'm not sure which of us is on the receiving end.

An intruder? Yell at them.

Ordinarily a undead skeleton's presence here would be cause for alarm, but with the situation with the bargast and all this one is almost certainly a visitor from there. Probably helping with research, given they were in the library. You ought to be more concerned about whatever has spooked them.

Move at a brisk pace up to the far side of the hall behind them, just up to where you can get a look into the library at whatever they've locked sight with. While you're moving up ask them what's wrong. And be ready to cast because there might be something in there that is menacing them that'll need to be stopped.

"Hey, skeleton?? Can you kindly explain what the fuck?"

>>1016771
oh no, what spooked the spooky skeleton? Seems like important information

>>1016771
Clearly this is a vivid hallucination caused by onset sleep deprivation, and not an actual skeleton in the library, right?

Say hi to Graves. Remind him you're not Augustine.

Go have a peek at whatever he's surprised by.

>>1016771
You've heard of this guy, right? What was it, Graves? Ironic.

Toxoglossa 2021/12/08(Wed)17:43 No. 1016920 ID: be028a
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Clio yelps, falling backwards and dropping her notes again. The skeleton turns suddenly at the noise and stops, its expression difficult to read: the cold light in its eyes focused on her.

“Wh- who are you?” Clio demands.

“I could ask you the same question.” The undead states. “And what is that spell?”

Clio blinks and realizes her hand is extended in front of her protectively, blazing with the sword of light.

Now ask yourself, is this an Open secret or guarded? Either way, state your name

Yeah, elaborating on that magic seems like a good idea. But, wait, why was he swearing?

Cancel spell and dodge the question about it. Simply give your name and apologise for your overreaction.

Him first! What's so scary about that room?

>>1016920

A very tired, very overworked, and very startled student. Since when DID the school have skellies walking the halls? Attending? Teaching?

Should we be running from whatever's in that room?

Tell him the truth, but not the whole truth yet.
I suppose the others had the idea to not immediately spill the beans that we've found proof that Augustine Moot had kids.
So yeah, let him know it's a rare and difficult type of Sender magic that Gabe and the gang are helping you learn to control.
If he presses, say that they think it could help them find where Augustine Moot went, but don't elaborate further after that.

Toxoglossa 2021/12/10(Fri)19:24 No. 1017068 ID: be028a
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Clio’s spell disappears and she blinks away surprise. “M-my name’s Clio. I-I’m just a student. I, uh, I don’t remember the name of the spell. Cleave something…”

She changes the subject hastily, turning the inquiry around. “Sorry, I didn’t know we had a-a skeleton in the library. Um, what’re you doing here?”

The skeleton creaks. “I guess word hasn’t gotten out yet. My name is Graves. I’m a guest here, assisting the college in translating a tome of historical significance.” He looks back into the library and flatly states, “Or, at least… I was, but it seems that it just went missing.”

Oh.
Oh dear.

>>1017068
Missing? As in the book you're reading is gone?

Did it get taken out by an invisible person?

Immediately mention you bumped against something invisible.

>>1017099
This.

Like... did someone steal a book? Well, something else weird just happened (obviously, says the mammalian pattern-seeking brain, the two must be related).

Er. Something else weird, aside from the talking skeleton. No offense. Is he (they?) from the Barghest - ah wait, no, focus. Stolen book bad. As in... you think stealing is bad? Not that you would know anything about stealing!

But you didn't steal it. This book. That was stolen.

Can you be of assistance, somehow?

(Continue adorably flustered state, from the fact there's a talking skeleton you haven't met or heard of before and don't the Spirit Guardians usually take care of that?)

Don't jump to conclusions and think it was stolen. Perhaps Graves was working with a associate and they took the book while he... Er, is Graves' pronouns "he/him?" Get clarification on that. Anyway, they could have taken it while Graves wasn't there. So ask Graves if somebody else was working on this tome with them, why Graves wasn't where they could observe the tome and for how long they weren't there. Also, could it have fallen behind a desk or shelf or something like that? And was Graves out of earshot of any Sender portal portal opening in the room the tome was in? Is the room it was in warded against portals from outside the room?

Actually, this is also rather more than what a sleepy Sender collect student can and should be dealing with. It'd be best to bring in at least one or two more people to help search. Getting whoever Graves was working on the tome with, or whoever is Grave's contact in the collect, would make sense.

Do mention to Graves that while walking down the hall this way you collided with seemingly thin-air and knocked your notes all over. You didn't see anyone or anything to collide with and when you waved your hand through where you collided you didn't touch anything. What's more odd is that when you raised a spirit ward there, it looked like there was a circle shaped hole in it.

...Maybe if it was a magically invisible and sound muffled person fleeing with the tome they collided with you, then stepped back so you didn't touch them when you waved your hand, but they left a hole in the spirit ward where their arm was? Ah, you're speculating too much.

...Are fingerprints a known thing in this world? 'Cause whoever took the tome could have left their fingerprints on the table or shelf the tome was on. Assuming they have fingerprints, of course.

Bright lights and exclamations like "fucking lichfire" imply something more urgent than the book simply having been reshelved in the wrong section. What else is missing?

"Izzat what the light show was? A thief?"

Toxoglossa 2021/12/15(Wed)17:39 No. 1017501 ID: be028a
File 163961875915.png - (110.49KB , 700x524 , 14-24.png )

“Wait, missing? Like you lost it? Or someone took it?” Clio looks back over her shoulder as her mind races.

Graves shrugs and shakes his head a little, “I was reading another book and it was open on the table. When I looked up, it was gone. I didn't notice anyone else enter the room”

“Okay, because I bumped into someone or something invisible just a minute ago.” She points back down the corridor.

Toxoglossa 2021/12/16(Thu)19:34 No. 1017623 ID: be028a
File 163971209779.png - (84.09KB , 500x700 , 14-25.png )

They head back to the hallway where Clio was knocked over. Clio stoops to pick up one of her notes she missed and notices something: a strange indentation, shaped like an elongated, curvy H. “What the?”

>>1017623
Like someone stepped on it? I guess that's a footprint. Better bring it to someone who's familiar with esoteric magical creatures.

>>1017623
Hm... bird's feet, maybe?

Whoever was invisible could be a bird-person. Maybe they've flown the coop, so to speak. Does Clio know of any big windows nearby they could enter and leave through?

>>1017623
>>1017647
>>1017652

w-wait a second.
I don't think that's a bird's footprint.
... I think that's a chameleon's footprint.
That makes sense, I guess, but a chameleon can only camouflage its skin.
Which means we're looking for a....a naked chameleon.

>>1016433

Hmmmmmmmmmmm.

>>1017705
Caught its tail, I'd guess.

>>1017709

But a gate will sever whatever it intersects, and there was neither blood nor any, ah ... "tidbits."

Which means either they managed to counter the gating spell, OR they were never affected by it.

>>1017728
Portal Gates intersect. This was a ward, which only pushes ghosts and spirits out of a certain space.

Idea:
Try to make a ward, but spread it out over a large area so it looks more like fog.
Then if the chameleon is in the ward, we can detect it by the lack of fog in its location.

Toxoglossa 2021/12/18(Sat)19:02 No. 1017769 ID: be028a
File 163988295451.png - (140.93KB , 700x500 , 14-26.png )

“What do you think this is?” Clio holds up the paper to the skeleton.

Graves looks at it with an expression of blank calcium. “Math?”

“No, what?” She flips around. “Looks like a footprint of some kind.”

“That’s a fairly odd looking foot. I’m not an expert or anything, but I imagine not many people have toes arranged like that. It doesn't look like a bird: there's no talons.” Graves cocks his head. He looks past her and spots Casey returning from her break.

>>1017769
We might have a situation or a poorly timed practical joker.

Say hello to Casey. Graves will probably explain the situation.

Clio should go to bed, though.

Graves and Clio, quickly inform Casey of the theft and what you two witnessed and experienced. Clio, show Casey the (presumed) footprint on your notepaper and ask her if she's seen anything like it before that would make such a mark. We think it's a footprint, but it could be from a piece of footwear as well. It'd make some sense that if it was a invisible thief Clio collided with that if their footwear was magically silencing their steps that it'd be some weird shape.

>>1017705
Hold on, if they can only camoflauge their skin, wouldn't Clio have seen a floating book? It's possible that Clio didn't see the book initially, but after walking into them, it's unlikely she wouldn't notice a book getting up and walking away, especiallly if she caught them in the ward. I think one or more of the following must be correct:

-More than just the thief's skin is camoflauged
-The thief didn't actually have the book, just stashed it somewhere in the room (I like this one)
-The book is inside of the thief (I do not like this one)

>>1017880
The thief could have been holding the book behind them.

>>1017769
Explain the situation to Casey and ask for her help.

Toxoglossa 2021/12/22(Wed)15:57 No. 1018124 ID: be028a
File 164021747167.png - (139.44KB , 700x500 , 14-27.png )

“Clio? Hey, what’s going on?” Casey blinks in surprise. Picking up on the ex-thief’s anxiety, she asks, “Something wrong?”

“Er… the tome of the First Guardians seems so have been stolen.” Graves explains.

“What?! How!?” Casey’s eyes dart between the two for an explanation.

"I was reading in the library and when I looked up, it had disappeared from the table." Graves points a boney finger at the cat and continues, “What's more: she said that she ran into someone invisible in this hallway a few moments ago.”

“Invisibility? Like magic? Is that even possible?” Casey’s mind reels.

Clio responds timidly, as if reluctant to admit, “Back when I was a thief… There were rumors about methods of turning invisible, but… never any proof. I tried a spirit ward earlier, thinking it was a ghost, and there was a hole in it; like something solid was there. And when we came back, we found this strange footprint.”

“Okay…” Casey recomposes herself. “We need more help on this. Clio, go wake up Mariana and the college staff. Whoever did this couldn’t have gone far. We need as many eyes as possible on the campus.”

Sound the alarms!

Contact others and sound alarming!

Toxoglossa 2021/12/28(Tue)20:27 No. 1018646 ID: be028a
File 164075206638.png - (144.77KB , 500x700 , 14-28.png )

Clio nods wordlessly and focuses for a moment, mentally plotting out distance and angle. She disappears in a crash of thunder.

She appears outside the apartment shared by Mariana and Ashe, the clap of air shaking the pair from their bed.

Toxoglossa 2021/12/28(Tue)20:27 No. 1018647 ID: be028a
File 164075207969.png - (108.34KB , 700x500 , 14-29.png )

Mariana peeks through the door a few moments later, squinting at the cat.

“Clio? What? What time is it? What’s wrong?” She asks.

>>1018647
A theft! Graves was reading that text when someone snatched it when he was looking away. Seemed like there was something physical, but invisible.

Lay out the importants. Tome of the first guardian is missing, you aren't sure but you think invisibility is involved or something, you tried a spirit ward and it had a hole in it, and now we need at least to make sure whatever took it doesn't manage to escape

>>1018793

Wait, where's the library in relation to exits? They might be hiding somewhere in the (college?) waiting for a chance to slip out, invisibility or no.

We'll need people posted at all entrances and exits, and conduct a sweep of the halls. And, well ... just about anywhere someone could reasonable wedge themselves.

Would having people that are good at using a spirit ward help? We might be able to find where the invisible person is from where the ward is missing like right here: >>1016433

Toxoglossa 2021/12/30(Thu)17:33 No. 1018866 ID: be028a
File 164091438767.png - (131.46KB , 500x700 , 14-30.png )

“Uh, Casey said to come wake you. There’s a thief, we think- we’re pretty sure. They were using some kind of invisibility magic, but I was able to spot them for a second with a spirit ward. They took a book.” Clio stammers, trying to cram as much information into her sentences as possible. “Uh, the skeleton in the library, Graves, said it was important: said it was connected to the first guardians?”

That seems to wake the guardian up, and she runs her fingers through the crest of feathers on her head anxiously.”Oh-okay, okay. Uh, let me… um. I’ll wake the others.” She nods slightly as she takes on the familiar look of a sender trying to remember a location.

Her hands opens and closes three times in rapid succession, opening and closing a gate. Each cast of the spell is followed by the sound of a bell tolling on campus. She pauses before repeating the process another two times and stops. “Haven’t had to ring that in years. Let me get my robe and I’ll meet you in the main hall with the rest of the staff. We'll get as many wards around the campus as possible and narrow down our search.”

Sounds like a story for another time. What now? Return?

Toxoglossa 2022/01/02(Sun)13:28 No. 1019248 ID: be028a
File 164115893475.png - (136.75KB , 700x500 , 14-31.png )

“Oh-okay!” Clio nods as the Guardian goes back inside to get dressed. A quick gate later and she returns to the library, finding Casey and Graves combing the room over for any clues.

The skeleton stands up triumphantly and holds out a single bony finger. “Ah-ha! They left something behind!”

Casey squints at the find, “Is that… looks like a shed scale?” The tiny translucent circle flaps dangerously as minute air currents threaten to carry it away. The change in angle reveals a strange iridescence that makes it even harder to see. “So we’re definitely dealing with some kind of reptilian visitor then.” She draws her attention away and waves the cat over, “Clio! That was fast! What did Mariana say?”

>>1019248
The alarm is rung and she agrees that we need to get as many eyes as possible. She'll meet us back at the main hall.

>>1019250
So we'd better get going, yes?

Uh. Will it be okay to bring Graves?

They want to throw up wards around the campus to try to contain the visitor.

Is there, like, magical chameleon magic that would do something like this? Maybe some sort of potion poured on the scales?

>>1018866
Oooh, that's a brilliantly clever alarm system. Damn fine usage of the secondary effects of gating.

>>1019248
Aha! I thought so!

>>1019325
Perhaps a Fae subspecies? There are a number of Fae we have seen so far who resemble other, mortal species, and yet possess some supernatural edge that sets them apart. The eyes of the Leucrocotta, the hide of the Selkie, it wouldn't surprise me if there was a chameoleoline variant of Fae with far more prodigious camouflage than biology alone could manage.

Toxoglossa 2022/01/05(Wed)19:28 No. 1019713 ID: be028a
File 164143971268.png - (138.88KB , 700x500 , 14-32.png )

“She said that she was going to wake up the staff. They’re going to use wards to try find the thief. She said that they were going to meet in the great hall.” As if on cue, muffled thunderclaps echo around the campus as the members of the Sender College begin to assemble.

“Uh, if its alright with you, I believe I should stay here.” Graves speaks up, “Magical wards around the campus will definitely limit my ability to help.” He shrugs, “Plus, there's the whole walking skeleton thing.”

Casey bites her lip and admits, “Ohhhh yeah. That- yeah. I guess stay here and… uh, examine the scene of the crime?”

“I can do that.” Graves shrugs again, “All this drama when I could be reading…” he grumbles.

“What about you? I seem to recall you’re pretty good at Sender magic.” Casey suggests.

“I- I’m still working on my warding spells.” Clio admits, “They’re not very stable.”

“So?” Casey shrugs, “Do the need to be? They only need to be active for a moment. If you used your ward as a pulse and we’ll be able to track them down.” She glares at the single cast off scale and thinks aloud, “I’m pretty sure that whoever this is, they’re not fae. They have a very specific set of rules about theft, weird as it sounds. To them, theft is less of a crime and more like a performance: they'll often give their target some kind of warning before striking and leave a calling card. Whoever did this was all business.”

>>1019713
Alright time to join the sweepers.

Who else knows about this? What other interested parties are there?

Toxoglossa 2022/01/09(Sun)19:03 No. 1020115 ID: be028a
File 164178382369.png - (134.13KB , 700x500 , 14-33.png )

“ Let’s go, Clio!”

The cat and mouse rush off to the last known position of the thief. Clio concentrates and sends a shimmering wall of magic ahead of them, which fades after a second or two, revealing about 20 ft of empty corridor.

“This is so weird.” She comments.

Casey looks at her quizzically and the cat explains, “I, uh, never thought I’d be helping catch a thief. Fates, that life feels like it was a million years ago.”

“We’re all glad you’ve been helping out!” Casey replies as another wave of red light washes over her.

Clio looks around for any sign of the thief and asks, “Why would someone take that book, anyway? Even rare books don’t really sell for that much.”

“It was written by the first Guardians,” Casey explains, “We’re still translating some of it, but we’re hoping it’ll lead us to finding out more about their roles in the disappearance of an ancient vampire lord. I wish I knew who or why someone would take it though.”

“You mean Madame Moot wrote it? The founder of the college?”

>>1020115
As a former thief, do you know any likely hiding places the target would be in?

Could they be clinging to walls and roofs to avoid attention?

>>1020129
Ah, yeah, her some experience in avoiding attention could come in handy her.

Also: a game of cat and mouse with a literal cat and mouse, lol.

Oh yeah, we have literally years of thieving experience we could tap into. If you were the thief, where would you go

Toxoglossa 2022/01/12(Wed)19:57 No. 1020348 ID: be028a
File 164204627192.png - (81.94KB , 500x700 , 14-34.png )

“Since you have the experience, any thoughts on what the thief might do now that they have the book?” Casey asks.

Clio thinks out loud, trying to dredge up memories of another life. “I would usually find a place to lay low, and sneak out when an opportunity arises. I usually only used my gates if things got dicy, because they’re so loud. If the thief can stay invisible for long periods of time, they might just find someplace out of the way and try to blend in with the students once they start crowding around the campus.” She frowns, “Although, I imagine that bell ringing probably put them on edge. If they think we’re on to them, they might make a move sooner rather than later.”

Casey nods in agreement. “You’ve been here for a while; noticed any places someone might lay low?”

“Maybe the cellar? There’s a lot of clutter down there to hide in and almost no one goes down there.”

Worth a shot.

To the cellars, then!

Maybe get some people on exit overwatch to ensure that our guest won't be able to mix in with ordinary students - or faculty - leaving?

If someone seems new to the campus, they should be (comfortably) detained until someone can vouch for them, the purpose of their visit is clear and they've been verified not to carry the book.

Let's hope our thief didn't have a collaborator that is a student or teacher. Or is one themselves. Have you got any reptilian students on the student or employee roster? With... iridescent scales? Almost figure that'd be too easy, if it was the case, but might be worth asking. Whoever they were they had to have SOME familiarity with the campus and the library in order to know where the book was and that it was under study.

If there's more than one way in and out of the cellars, rig up a noisemaker and tripwire on the one you're using, and the old bucket-over-the-door prank on another - but make sure to fill the bucket with something that wouldn't damage the stolen book.

Toxoglossa 2022/01/14(Fri)20:14 No. 1020443 ID: be028a
File 164222007256.png - (169.68KB , 700x500 , 14-35.png )

“Let’s start with the cellars first, then.” Casey nods, “…er where are they?”

“Just off from the kitchen. This way!” Clio turns and leads them to a large, columned atrium milling with sleepy looking Senders. A central light well shows only a few stars as the night wears on. A spirit ward glows around the edges of the room as one of the magic users focuses on maintaining the spell.

“Hey, you!” Casey grabs the sash on a random Sender. “You doing anything at the moment?”

“Uh-“ the mage blinks groggily, “Guardian Rue-Larrey said there was a theft? We’re supposed to be on lookout.”

“Good, you can come with us. We’re going to check the cellar. I want someone watching the door in case the thief slips past us.”

Toxoglossa 2022/01/14(Fri)20:14 No. 1020444 ID: be028a
File 164222007837.png - (149.89KB , 700x500 , 14-36.png )

Clio takes them to a rather unassuming door set into the wall next to the larger kitchen entrance. “I peeked down here once when I was first settling in. Old habit, I guess.” She leads the way downstairs, letting the gentle pulse of magic illuminate the darkness.

Small, narrow windows line the edge of the cellar, letting starlight in to give texture to the dark. The rooms, like much of the college, is carved out of the rock itself by magic and supported by thick, coffered pillars. Forgotten boxes of supplies and holiday decorations clutter the corners, while sagging shelves stretch the length of the smooth, stone walls.

>>1020444
From the looks of that bedroll, someone’s been living down here. And that candle is still smoking, which means someone put it out very recently. That person could still be in the room right now!

Cast your spirit ward and see if anything happens!

Pulse a ward.

At this point I'm betting the thief just wanted to read the book, not take it out of the school.

A bedroll implies that this person was staking this place out for a while

See if you can find a bit of flour or something among the old supplies, scatter a thin layer of it on the floor. One of the few things we know for sure about the magical stealth technique in question is that it doesn't tidy up footprints.

>>1020444

Guess we aren't the only one who has been poking around down here.

Cleo should use her ward from near the door, while Casey remains nearby. Once clear, poke around in the storage boxes for any that look recently disturbed, in case they tried to ditch the book to come back for it later.

Toxoglossa 2022/01/17(Mon)15:26 No. 1020619 ID: be028a
File 164246197624.png - (161.34KB , 700x500 , 14-37.png )

Clio pulses her warding spell and something clatters among the shelves. The pair turn and glare at the telltale movement intently.

>>1020619
They're hanging from the ceiling above where that box fell! Casey, grab them with your tentacle magic (or whatever it's proper name is supposed to be)!

>>1020619
You have the element of surprise, lock the place down before tipping your hand.

Casey, cast binding magic targeted not just on this cloaked person, but also on the area around them to snag 'em if they run.

Clio, keep pulsing the ward to keep 'em in you two's sight. Also yell up the stairs to the Sender mage watching the exit that you two located the invisible thief and to block the exit.

This chameleon appears to be wearing a Sender's mantle. Are they a Sender College student?

>>1020619
Casey, bind the thief! Then we can demand they return the slab book.

>>1020619
Busted!

They definitely know they've been spotted, so they're gonna bolt. If you can mark them with something, that would be ideal.

>>1020630
>This chameleon appears to be wearing a Sender's mantle. Are they a Sender College student?
They're either a Sender or they're pretending to be one.

If they really are a Sender, then catching them will be difficult since they could portal away!

Looks like it could be a student. Hopefully this is just a curious creature who couldn't help themselves. Maybe try and catch that falling book? If it's our ancient tome, it might get damaged.

>>1020645
>Maybe try and catch that falling book? If it's our ancient tome, it might get damaged.
That is a box that has been knocked off of the shelf.

>>1020619

Oh, come on, dood, you're not even trying!

Well, whatever. Tell them they're not in trouble (yet), and ask why they took the book. Maybe this can resolve itself nicely.

Casey, lay out a tentacle web - so whoever that is can't get away.

>>1020619
... are they naked?

Toxoglossa 2022/01/18(Tue)19:30 No. 1020687 ID: be028a
File 164256304603.png - (112.56KB , 500x700 , 14-38.png )

A glow forms around Casey’s hand as she applies a binding spell to the upstairs door. She takes a deep breath and lets it out before continuing calmly, “You might as well come down. You aren’t in trouble yet, but hopefully we can work all this out.”

There’s no verbal answer, but there’s a slight shift to the invisible figure as they weigh their odds.

Toxoglossa 2022/01/18(Tue)19:30 No. 1020688 ID: be028a
File 164256305724.png - (146.03KB , 500x700 , 14-39.png )

“Both of us are magic users and the whole college knows you’re here. Who are you? Are you a student? You look like you’ve got a sender’s mantle.” Casey says, her voice a little firmer.

The figure sighs and drops softly from its perch. Standing up, the thief slowly becomes visible, revealing a chameleon who sizes up the pair with two independently roaming eyes. He holds up his hands carefully from underneath a strange, patchwork cloak; its colors seeming to move and shift like ink in water.

A patchwork mantle at that. Let's start with the name. We're adults here, we can talk about things.

Let's disarm them with a compliment before bringing up the theft. The invisibility was a neat trick. It clearly wasn't just camouflaging your skin, either. Was that magic?

Where is the book?

>>1020688
How did they even get into the college anyway?

>>1020688

Well, that's a good start. Remind them that so long as they return the book, then there's no harm done, but that if they really do need the thing, they can certainly borrow it once we've finished transcribing things.

Or if they can read it, they're certainly welcome to lend their assistance.

We need to give them an opportunity to talk, without necessarily offering them easy responses.

>>1020697

I imagine they walked right in through the front door.

So, what's their name? Kinda cute! Neat mantle. Is that what was giving the invisibility?

Those clothes look enchanted, at the very least made a something fancy. Probably not bespoke, though, considering their state. Wonder if they came up with it.
At this point I’m guessing they’re either talented and ambitious or genuinely had no idea what it was they were stealing. That said, it’s possible someone hired them, so we should still be careful, though I agree that emphasizing no real harm has been done yet is the best course of action.

Toxoglossa 2022/01/20(Thu)18:49 No. 1020841 ID: be028a
File 164273335419.png - (138.28KB , 700x500 , 14-40.png )

“Nice trick with the invisibility. I’ve never heard of that kind of magic: were you born with it?” Casey asks.

The chameleon’s expression is hard to read with his eyes darting in different directions, but he responds, “Sort of. I can fade out of sight on my own. The cape makes the spell more effective, lets me move around.” His voice is gravelly, as if he’s unused to talking to people much, and oddly even toned for someone who’s been caught.

Casey nods, watching the cloaks colors shift. “What’s your name?”

“Er…” He shifts uneasily and his mouth screws up at the corner. “I’d rather not. You know?”

Clio rolls her eyes, “Come on, dude. Look, I’m a former thief too. I’m Clio, this is Casey.” She smiles at him, trying to break the ice while keeping her distance. “Impressive sneaking. Wish I could do that.”

“Well, That explains how you figured out where I’d hid.” He sighs. “I guess you can call me Nemo.”

Toxoglossa 2022/01/20(Thu)18:49 No. 1020842 ID: be028a
File 164273336451.png - (103.86KB , 500x700 , 14-41.png )

“Nice to meet you, Nemo. May we have our book back?” Casey asks sweetly, but with a hint of tooth.

Nemo reaches into the satchel around his tail and pulls out the book of the First Guardians. He holds it out with his strange, double-thumbed hand.

Take book, ask why he stole it.

If you need it for something, I'm sure something can be arranged after we're done with it.

Wait, why would he steal a book he can't read? Does he know the language?

Thank him. That book's going to help you out a lot when it comes to solving some problems!

Toxoglossa 2022/01/23(Sun)18:12 No. 1021144 ID: be028a
File 164299032915.png - (123.64KB , 500x700 , 14-42.png )

Casey extends her aura and takes it, causing the thief to recoil slightly at the sight of the spell. “Thank you. I don’t suppose you’d like to tell us why you stole it.”

Nemo looks around nervously for a moment before sighing again. He shifts on his feet and scratches at a scale before answering. “I suppose I might as well. Somebody hired me to grab it. Offered me a pretty big payout; the cloak was part of the payment.”

“Who hired you?” Casey interrogates further.

“I don’t know their names. Some fey folk. Pretty important looking. You know: real old school fey.”

Interesting. If you can get a physical description then you'll have a clue as to who might want to stop you.

Also you might be able to organize a fake handoff to capture them... Assuming this won't spark conflict between mortals and fey.

Figures it would be the Fey courts. No other big players in the area that would know about and care about the book.
The big question is why?

Are they pissed off about Litany? Stealing an important book seems too roundabout for vengeance. That said, they are Fey, so I could be mistaken.

It seems more likely to me that the motive is power. Influence over either Moot Point itself, or the Barghest. I have a feeling there are probably older Fey who still remember Hekal, and either resent his deeds or covet his power/vice versa.

Then again....the author of this book was Fey themselves. So it's possible the culprit is a descendent who feels some right to the book itself as a result.

At this point, we have no way to tell. Best thing is to win the man's trust and learn more about the contact.

>>1021144

Sounds like someone who might have an interest in Hekel's continued disappearance, or potentially keeping secret whatever led to it.

Might be that same court our angel friend was from, considering the exiled demon we met, before.

Toxoglossa 2022/01/25(Tue)18:49 No. 1021319 ID: be028a
File 164316537583.png - (128.13KB , 619x700 , 14-43.png )

“I thought fey weren’t supposed to steal like this.” Clio turns to Casey, confused.

The mouse bites a fingernail and thinks, “They aren’t supposed to, but… maybe they decided to hire someone who can. They have about as many loopholes as they have rules, but I can’t say I’ve ever heard of this.” She looks Nemo up and down, and continues, “Maybe its old fey who still have a beef with Hekal, or its related to that angel Gabe met recently... Or they just really want some of the first guardian's writing. Either way, they’d really have to be desperate to hire a mortal. Its taking a pretty big risk.”

Toxoglossa 2022/01/25(Tue)18:50 No. 1021320 ID: be028a
File 164316540318.png - (159.10KB , 700x500 , 14-44.png )

“What?” Nemo’s beady eyes blink as they focus on the mouse. "What's that supposed to mean."

“Tell me: do you remember the exact terms you agreed on with your clients?” Casey steps forward, looking at Nemo closely.

The lizard steps back, “What? Uh, I dunno. They asked me to bring them the book, and I’d get the cape, a couple of warding gems, some raw gold and platinum… Why’d you want to know?”

We cannot stress enough how important the wording of agreements and contracts are to fey

"the book"? How did they specify what book it was?
Also, how was it meant to be delivered?

Because you might have just made a slave out of yourself to some very powerful being and there might be a huge amount of fine print under the contract.

If anything, that means if you don't bring them the book or give them the cape back, you'll have a very pissed of fae on your heels, or worse, fae law enforcement.

>>1021320
Because if you break contract with some fey types, bad things will happen and not necessarily just to you depending on how that contract is phrased; there's a whole bunch of classics, like loss of family, misfortune being rained on communities, etc.

If a limitation was to not give any details you've already broken with that though.... hrm. May as well continue. What were the at-the-time-seemingly-unimportant caveats of this theft?

Also, not that you will succeed necessarily, but the continued attempting may be important to stave off immediate consequence. This may sound weird, but: don't give up on the theft yet.

Yes, we know you're a thief. You're also someone who got conned into a fey contract, so... you probably need help. Good thing for them, though, someone who's been getting WAY into deep fey lore is standing right here!

Hmmm. While in the over-arching circumstances, a fae being the benefactor is just if not more likely, I'd watch his body language and speech patterns or cracks and irregularities in the story in because he could also just be

L Y I N G

And he's covering for the real person he's doing this for and also himself in the eyes of them. The guardians have shown to be altruistic if anything, and criminals are very rarely forgiving.

oh, damn! Going in with the fey and not knowing the exact terms?

You are a braver person than I.

They can be real sticklers about this stuff, backed by magic.

If you have a copy of the contract, or can get yourself to remember at least some of the exact words, we might be able to figure some stuff out, and you might be able to keep yourself safe

For both your sake and ours, man.
We wanna keep the book, and you wanna keep your hide.
But you already have the cape....which means they already have power over you. Wow, this guy is NOT collected enough to be dealin with the fae. Just desperate enough, I guess.

Toxoglossa 2022/01/27(Thu)18:14 No. 1021481 ID: be028a
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“Sooooo, no guarantee of safe passage out of their lands? No promise not to imprison or kill you?”

“Wait, kill?” Nemo’s skin turns an ashy grey. “You serious?”

Casey nods and shrugs, “First time making a deal with the fey, right? You’re probably lucky you got caught. Even if you were to return with the book, you could be considered a liability to their oaths. You'll fair game to do whatever they want to you. Of course, now that you’ve broken the terms of the agreement, you could be in even more trouble.”

“Fuck! Shit!” The lizard’s tail starts to unwind from its tight coil. “I knew I shouldn’t have taken this job.”

The binder holds up a hand to calm him, “Hold up, there still might be a way out of this. Tell me more about the terms. How did you know this was the book they wanted?”

Nemo thinks, his skin changing to a dark green as he concentrates, “Ummm, the guy who came to me said something like, the sender’s have a book about that size that’s got ‘the old teacher’s’ writings that’s being translated.”

Hmmm... maybe we can find another book that matches that description. Probably gonna have to stretch the definition of "old teacher" and "being translated" though. Like, any old book written by an old teacher could work, and someone could start translating it into a different language.

Problem is, giving them a book that technically fits the description wouldn't help with the whole "not dispose of thief" thing, and in fact would probably encourage the fey to "technically fulfill their end of the bargain".

I think returning the cloak would be easier, preferably with a dead drop if we're to avoid assassination.

Well if they didn't include a penalty for failure, then maybe returning the cloak would work to save the poor sap.
What if we made a second deal though? With an unrelated fae faction, to escort the thief to the meeting spot and back home?

Cool! How did you know what the "old teacher's" writing was? There are probably a few books being translated from all sorts of weird languages.

Bonus: did you hear anything about who the "old teacher" is supposed to be?

>>1021481

"The old teachers," is it? That's certainly an interesting way to view the First Guardians. Also one that only makes sense if you're old as the fae ... or a vampire lord.

Doesn't really narrow things down, however. Perhaps it's time to inquire with Vivian and see if she hasn't any insight into the undercurrents of fae intrigue?

He must be very good to have found it from that alone; but hey, did that deal have any time constraints? Because if not, technically you could deliver them the book long after we figure out who they are, why they're doing this, and get enough blackmail material for their very clear indiscretion here to make sure they never touch him again. "Pretending to cooperate" with these fine folks seems like a great cover to eventually steal the book and deliver it as promised, no?

Was timing specified? If you don't need to bring the book back by a specific date, could stall until after this whole situation with the bargast is settled.

Toxoglossa 2022/01/30(Sun)10:34 No. 1021765 ID: be028a
File 164356765727.png - (132.19KB , 500x700 , 14-46.png )

“Hah, I figured they wouldn’t refer to Tuvara-Malli by name. The old bastards were probably scared of attracting attention by naming her.” Casey smirks, and continues, “I bet there’s a few books here written by someone who would qualify as ‘the old teacher’ that aren't fully translated. I wonder if Ashe would be willing to let us borrow one.”

“Won’t they know that’s the wrong book?” Clio asks.

“Not if we rebind it. If we're careful, we can satisfy the terms of the deal and distract them for long enough for Nemo to escape.” The mouse’s tail flicks with excitement as aura flares around her wrists.

“Hold on.” Nemo’s scaly brow furrows. “You want to help me?”

Well, you certainly don't want them dead! They should still, yannow, make up for their transgression in some way - but given their failure to get away and their willingness to talk, there's definitely wiggle room for forgiveness here. You're not leadership, but you think you can spin it.

See, tricking the fae who commissioned them to do this should get them off the Spirit Guardians' backs for a bit - or maybe you can identify them and use them to track down Tuvara-Malli. She's kind of important! Founding member and all that. She's also important right now because of something big that's going on. With that Barghest and some undead who are searching for their lost lord. Translating the old teacher's old journal is one way to pin down his location and figure out a way to fulfill their obligations and earn them their final rest.

So they don't go crazy and hurt people.

So yeah, him getting away with the book would've maybe been bad. Very bad.

But! Their crime seems mostly one of ignorance and desperation. You're not here to punish that.

This is what we do. Do try to keep up. We're going to outwit a fay contract. We should inform the school.

"We plow, not screw."

>>1021765
Tell him that the punishment he'd get for failing the mission is far worse than the punishment he deserves for the attempted theft.

To be honest, nobody really deserves to get wrecked by the fey in any non-lewd manner, and luckily this might prove very helpful for your endeavors. If someone cares this much about getting the book, they might be someone you need to know about.

> “You want to help me?”
Helping people who are in over their head with magic problems is just what a Spirit Guide does, and that's who I am. Sometimes we even get paid for it.

>>1021765

We don't owe this guy anything. Getting involved in a vague far contract seems dangerous.
That said, it's probably still the best course of action. Without our help, he's backed into a corner and he knows it, and will probably make a problem of himself.

Toxoglossa 2022/02/01(Tue)18:07 No. 1022049 ID: be028a
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Casey shrugs, “You being captured or killed by the old courts doesn’t do us any good. If you work with us, we get to find out more about who hired you and you get your freedom.”

Nemo’s eye fixates on Clio and he asks, “Is she serious?”

“Pretty much.” Clio smiles back at him. “Her and her friends helped me out when they didn’t have to. Its just what they do.”

“You two are weird, but if you say so.” He twists his mouth up in resignation. “So what now?”

“We stick to your original plan: you lay low here and we’ll make arrangements with the Senders. How long did your client give you to turn over the book?”

“I asked for two weeks. I figured it could take a while to find the book, plus I wanted to wait until the search had stopped. Spent a while settling in and searching, so ten days.” Nemo admits with a professional tone.

Where's the delivery to be made? That's particularly important.

Damn, that's longer than ideal. Still, you've worked with worse. What can you tell us about the person who actually hired you? You haven't given any details about them directly.

Toxoglossa 2022/02/03(Thu)18:18 No. 1022296 ID: be028a
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“That’s plenty of time, though it might mean laying low for a while.” Casey paces a little while she thinks.

Nemo shrugs as one of his eyes wanders off on its own. He sits down on a box and rests a leg on his knee, “S’fine. I was expecting to have to sit down here for a few days. Before I got the cape, if I wanted to blend in, I would have to stand still for as long as needed.”

“What’s the longest you had to stand still for?” Clio asks, her own professional curiosity taking over.

“Two days. Had to hang upside down in an office while shipping guild guards searched the place. Timed things wrong and got stuck trying to escape.”

The cat nods, impressed.

“Where are you expected to hand over the book?” Casey asks.

Nemo’s eyes refocus on her, “The fey quarter: little coffee shop built into a hill. Damn good coffee.”

Continuously distracted by him wearing what looks like a G string.

So I guess now comes the part where we brainstorm to try to find a suitable tome to pass off as this one. Ask once again and for the last time if he can wrack his brain for any finer details of the contract or general agreement. Devil's in the details.

>>1022296
We know exactly where that is. The fay who served us the coffee heated by the hot sand.

Wait, is that where they met originally? Either way, maybe even if he didn't get any details, knowing more about that could mean someone else saw something.

>>1022296

>little coffee shop with damned good coffee

WAIT A MINUTE. We've been there, we know some of the fae there, and those who frequent it.

Toxoglossa 2022/02/07(Mon)17:56 No. 1022729 ID: be028a
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The mouse smirks, “I think I’ve heard of that place. Did they make you sing for your drink?”

The thief’s scales blush red as he avoids her eyes, “I- uh… don’t really sing. I, uh showed off my, you know, disappearing act.” Nemo sighs, “The owner didn’t seem that impressed. She said I’d ‘give her a better show when I came back.’ Whatever that means.”

“We best not disappoint her then.” Casey nods and paces some more, “Any details you can tell me about your contact?”

Nemo thinks, scratching a scale with one of his odd thumbs, “Not much. They used a dead drop at first: left me instructions on how to meet in an envelope sealed with wax, unsigned. The contact was hidden under a cloak the whole time, didn’t get anything to drink. Sounded really fancy and important, although sounded isn’t the right word. When they talked, it was like I was remembering what they said, but thinking about it now, I don’t think they were actually speaking.”

Casey nods, taking everything in, “That’s pretty distinctive, even among the fey. Anything else?”

“Oh, sometimes when they moved, I could hear metal clinking: like a chain. It looked like they were carrying something under their cloak too. Something heavy.”

>>1022729
Something heavy, sound of chains... an anchor? A chained-up coffin would be too big to hide. Then again anchors are pretty big too. Hmm. Clinking could be chain mail or some other kind of armor. Ah well, it's some kind of fey I'm not familiar with I guess. Chains are associated with ghosts more often I think. (especially Jacob Marley)
Wait, what about a ball and chain? Was the fey secretly an escaped prisoner?

Anyway, I think we've gotten all the info we can get. Let's go talk to someone that can get the replacement book ready.

Heh, so you CAN change colors.

The voice is fairly distinct but the metal could be anything, really. Armor, an item with chain around it, something pertaining to it's existence. Likely won't know unless we see he/she/them physically.

Ooohhh now we need to get details. Blushu must be investigated.

Maybe a Dullahan?

Ghostly telepathy, clanking of chains... getting some vibes here. And aren't Dullahans, well, a type of undead?

... maybe we were off on something. What if the hirer wasn't a fey? What if it was some manner of intelligent undead? But why would they call Tuvara the 'old teacher', then? You can't imagine she spent her time teaching undead in the fey realm, unless...

... it IS one of the possible places undead could have retreated to retain their sanity once mana levels dipped, isn't it? If there were fey who'd tolerate and keep them 'fed', as it were.

Gah, this is utter speculation. Too many mysteries, you'll just have to face this one head on, and play backup to Nemo during the hand-off so you can reveal this mystery person yourself.

Time to go find a book written by an 'old teacher'!

Toxoglossa 2022/02/09(Wed)20:45 No. 1022981 ID: be028a
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“Metal, chains, weird voice… hmm maybe a dullihan? “ Casey thinks out loud, “Honestly, that sounds more like an undead than fey. But then why would they call Tuvara-Malli the ‘old teacher’?” She shakes her head.

“We’ll just have to find out when we catch them.” Clio shrugs.

The mouse nods, “I guess so. Come on. Let’s go let the Senders know what’s up.”

Nemo looks panicky for a moment and asks, “Wait! What about me?”

“Stay put,” Casey tells him, “As far as your clients know, everything is going as planned. You’re safer here than anywhere else on the mortal plane.”

Nemo sighs but settles back against the wall. “Alright, but keep me in the loop.” He grumbles.

Toxoglossa 2022/02/09(Wed)20:46 No. 1022982 ID: be028a
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Casey and Clio exit the cellar and find the Sender they left as guard looking anxious.

“We got the book.” Casey holds it up. “The thief is still there, but we’ve come to an arrangement. Don’t let anyone in or out of this door, okay? We’ll get you some help.”

“Also, he can turn invisible, so throw a ward up if you see anything move.” Clio suggests.

The Sender nods and watches the door nervously, as they walk away.

They find Mariana stalking the main courtyard, directing search operations. She turns as they approach and cocks an eyebrow at them. “I’m told you checked the cellars by the kitchen, any luck?”

Casey holds up the book for her to see and the cardinal sags with relief, “Oh, thank Minerva. Did you catch the culprit?”

Yes, but like with all things lately, there's more to it. Give her the plan.

Yes and no. The thief himself was a patsy, the true culprit is a fae, or someone pretending to be one.

"Yes, but he was hired by a fey, in a manner that I'd consider him to also be a victim in this incident. We were hoping you could assist us with helping him technically fulfill the conditions of his contract?"

>>1022982

The thief is an ambitious hired contractor, and more importantly a dumb kid in over his head with the fae.
It's a better move to turn him and let him earn a pardon by cooperating, than taking him in.

If we just arrest him, his contact will just disappear and leave him out to dry but worse, they'll probably escalate to direct force.
We don't know who hired him. They could even be just a middleman. But if we break this link we will have absolutely no warning or understanding of what they will do next.

We now have someone even more antagonistic than the fellows up on the Barghest, and seemingly far less interested in diplomacy. Hopefully we can change that, but only if we actually meet them, and that will require beating them at their own game.

Toxoglossa 2022/02/13(Sun)18:44 No. 1023425 ID: be028a
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“Sort of: turns out he was just a pawn, paid by someone else.”

Mariana blinks, still a little too tired for complex thought, “Oh yeah?”

Casey continues, “He was hired by someone who seems to be a member of the fey, but we aren’t sure who or why. But it seems likely that he’d be imprisoned or killed the moment he turns over the book.”

“Okay, yeah that makes sense.” The Guardian nods, as she internalizes this, “So… but he handed the book back? Is that it? Can we go back to bed?”

“Well, he’s still under a fey contract.” Casey explains, “If he doesn’t turn over the book, they’ll come and collect from him.”

“Riiight.” Mariana nods. “So…”

“So, if we hand over a fake book that technically fulfills the terms of the contract, they’ll have no means of taking him. Also, we can use the hand-off to find out who hired him!” Casey beams entirely too brightly for Mariana’s taste.

“That’s… a plan, alright. So, uh… what do we do right now?”

Go to sleep, first off. Tomorrow we start snooping around.

Let's remain alert for now, in case the contact is watching from afar. We'll need a list of books being translated by the college, but that can wait until morning.. sleep would be advised.

Ward the entire place.
Put sentries around in case of a mad fey taking actions.
Put the thief under surveillance, he might just be a good liar and waiting for his moment.
If we're exceedingly paranoid we can lock up the whole district (and if we have the power to do that)
Oh and also send a message to the demon to let him know what's up, he might have some info on the subject.

THEN get some sleep.

Oh right, we might want to keep up some appearances as if the search is still ongoing. If casual observation of this location reveals behavior implying the thief has been caught, the fey might vanish.

Sooner the fake book can be ready, the more likely it'll be taken at face value. Next step is probably to wake up whoever does bookbinding, fetch tools and materials they'll need for a rush job, and figure out other specifics of what will satisfy the exact words.

Toxoglossa 2022/02/16(Wed)18:27 No. 1023664 ID: be028a
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“Well, as far as his clients know, he still has the book. We need to keep it that way.” Casey holds onto the aging leather cover carefully.

“So…” Mariana sighs, knowing where this is going.

“So, we need to keep searching until it seems like he’s escaped.” Casey smiles back. “Just keep out of the kitchen cellar for now.”

The guardian runs her fingers through the crest of feathers on her head and sags. “Of course…” she sighs again, “Anything else?”

“We’ll need to talk to Ashe. We need to borrow a book that we can use as a fake and have it rebound. It’ll need to be written by someone who qualifies as an ‘old teacher’ and currently being translated.”

“We have whole shelves full of drivel written by ‘old teachers’, although the translation part might be more tricky. I’m sure she can find something she’d be willing to part with for a bit.” Mariana nods, “Actually, why don’t you go let her know about the plan so she can stop worrying about me. We’ll wrap up ‘searching’ in an hour or so and keep guards posted around campus.”

>>1023664
Sounds like a plan. Thank her and apologize for the theatrics.

Ask them to set up some wards, too. Just in case, it'd be good to know if anyone unexpected winds up on the premises.

Toxoglossa 2022/02/18(Fri)18:51 No. 1023878 ID: be028a
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“Might be a good idea to set up some wards too, just in case we get some unwanted visitors peeking in.”

Mariana grumbles sleepily but agrees.

A moment later Clio’s gate opens up outside Mariana and Ashe’s home. The door opens at the sound of the thunderclap and the librarian peeks out at the visitors.

“Clio? Casey? What’s happening up at the campus? Mariana said the Guardian’s tome had been stolen! Is everyone okay?”

“Everyone’s fine.” Casey’s hands wave away her worry. “We just need your help. Can we come in?”

Ashe opens the door wider, her wheelchair making room for the pair. “My help? With what?”

Fooling a fae.

How do you feel about pulling a fay move on a contract? We've been given an opportunity to see into who else isy be interested in this book.

Toxoglossa 2022/02/23(Wed)18:25 No. 1024412 ID: be028a
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“Essentially, we caught the thief and he’s cooperating with us to help uncover the people that hired him. He’s locked in a fey contract and we want to switch the book out for a fake in order to complete the transaction.”

The binder places the Guardian tome onto the kitchen table and takes a look around. Ashe and Mariana’s place is small; its tables and counters lowered in order to be more accessible to the librarian. A kind of low grade, married couple clutter peppers the kitchen with opened letters and small piles of cookbooks.

“You want to swap the book? Won’t they notice?” Ashe asks.

“We’re hoping you can rebind the tome and put the cover onto a book that technically fulfills the contract. The new book would have to be written by an ‘old teacher’ and currently in the process of being translated.” Casey explains.

The librarian picks up the tome and turns it over in her hands. “Hmm. To be honest, I’ve been wanting to take a crack at rebinding this. Its in remarkably good shape considering what its been through, but a few centuries among the undines definitely did some damage. I was going to hold off until after we had dealt with the bargast situation though.”

>>1024412
Will it seems the time table has shifted forward. And we might get more knowledge out of doing so now.

>>1024412
She seems reluctant. Is there something you can do for her in exchange?

>>1024412

Well, now's a great time to do so. The trick is going to be finding something ELSE to sacrifice in its place, however, aside from the bindings.

Best let Mariana know that we're on a limited timeframe as well, since the contract comes due in about 10 days.

Toxoglossa 2022/02/25(Fri)19:24 No. 1024693 ID: be028a
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Casey paces around the kitchen, “You’re going to have to make it quick, then. Nemo, the thief, says he’s expected to hand off the book in ten days.”

“We also need a fake book to rebind.” Clio continues.

“Right, I was less clear on that.” Ashe frowns, “What kind of fake?”

“Since it a fey contract, we need to meet certain requirements.” Casey says. “It needs to be written by an ‘old teacher’ and currently in the process of being translated.”

Ashe takes her glasses off and rubs the bridge of her snout as she thinks. “Okay, give me a minute.”

The librarian opens a gate, that appears to open above a desk and reaches around for a moment. She pulls out a heavy ledger and sits it down in her lap. “Nothing really springs to mind, but we have a few translation projects underway within the library. This might take some time to figure out.”

Well, if anyone's got the skills to find the right book it's Ashe! She may have an easier time of it after a full night's rest though...

>>1024693
>we need a fake book to rebind
...didn't we just explain that?

>>1024693
As soon as we have the plan settled, we should let everyone get some rest

best to get some rest for now

Does the oldest teacher at school know any old languages
Maybe they could donate a notebook to the cause

Honestly, there's only so much you can do tonight. Just come up with a preliminary plan and go take a rest. Though to be honest, you should probably go back downstairs to where the thief is to keep an eye on things, don't want someone sneaking in to check on him. Bring sleeping stuff if you can.

Toxoglossa 2022/03/02(Wed)18:26 No. 1025197 ID: be028a
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“You should get some rest then. We can meet up tomorrow and figure out the specifics of the plan once we’ve all had some sleep.” Casey suggests.

Ashe glides over to the kitchen table and sets the ledger on it, “I appreciate it, but I think I’ll wait for Mariana to get back before heading to bed. You two have certainly done enough for the day though.” She yawns and guides Casey and Clio back outside. “You’ve certainly given me a challenge, but I’m sure I can figure out a likely replacement.”

Toxoglossa 2022/03/02(Wed)18:26 No. 1025198 ID: be028a
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Clio and Casey say their goodbyes and step out into the front yard and a chorus of crickets. The pair stop on the path and share a moment of quiet as their eyes are drawn up to the monolithic stone shoulders of Madam Moot.

Clio chuckles, “I was dead tired from studying earlier. But to tell you the truth, I’m a little too excited to sleep. You know what I mean?”

>>1025198
Bet it feels weird to be on the other end of the thief hunt and to try and outplay a fay contract, huh? Makes ya curious what a humble thief can do with their hands.

It's amazing what a little exercise after sitting staring at words all day will do. Also wow she looks kind of like the statue huh.

Anyway, going to suggest going back down to the basement again, but if that's not your speed, maybe you could have a girl's night at clio's? Does she have 'on campus housing' as it were at the sender academy

>>1025198
Time for a girls night between you two and perhaps whatever other students may be interested.

Toxoglossa 2022/03/03(Thu)18:57 No. 1025261 ID: be028a
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“Feels good to help out, right?” Casey stretches, her pale fur glowing in the moonlight. “I needed a break from working on that book, we should hang out!”

“Oh! Yeah, sure!” Clio says, looking unsure. “Uh, what should we do?”

“Why don’t we go up to your room?” Casey suggests, “I’ve heard Gabe talk about his time at school, but have only really come up here to use the library. You should show me around!”

“Yeah, okay!” Clio grins and takes the lead. “We should probably walk. They don’t like us gating in after dark. Its too loud.”

seems reasonable. What's she got her room set up like? Or do they let you personalize it any?

>>1025261
After the fuss of tonight, it's better to keep the noise down for everyone. Grab some water on the way there. What's school life like?

Toxoglossa 2022/03/04(Fri)19:38 No. 1025327 ID: be028a
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Clio leads the way down the path, away from the teacher’s housing towards a collection of long, two story buildings.

“How’s school going, by the way?” Casey asks.

“Rough, I guess.” Clio shakes her head a bit and sighs. “I’ve never had to study this much. I went to some of the free schools when I was a kid and picked up enough to get by, but never had to memorize all these formulas and things. Using gate magic has always been… natural to me. I’ve never had to study it.”

The path takes them through a small park, which is laid out in the precise geometric aesthetic found around the campus. Oddly smooth flagstones are fitted together by seams tighter than a hair, while stone benches are positioned at regular intervals.

Toxoglossa 2022/03/04(Fri)19:38 No. 1025328 ID: be028a
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“I’m also still having trouble figuring out warding, as you can tell.” Clio shrugs. “Its so different from gate magic. I don’t know how to control it.”

“I can sympathize.” Casey says, “It took me a long time to control my magic too.”

The mouse raises an arm and extends her aura out into a glowing tendril, which twists slowly in the air. “Binding spells require a ‘form’ for the spell to define their function. I wanted a spell that was versatile, so I chose water as my aura form. But…” She pauses to let Clio finish the thought.

“… But water doesn’t have a shape. Right?” She deduces.

Casey nods. “I was warned by my tutors that it would be very hard to control: and it is. Trying to get it to do what I want is a little like trying to sail in a straight line in a hurricane. I kind of have to let it do what it wants and nudge it in the right direction.”

Sounds like a metaphor for a lot of things in life. I'm curious on how different learning to be a sender and binder are. Clearly Casey's water form is the opposite of the senders' clear precision and mathematics.

What other forms can binding magic take?
And if the form of majic is water, how about ice or vapor?

Seems appropriate. I wonder if a shift in her worldview would help contextualize all the studying she's doing. Maybe you could help?

Toxoglossa 2022/03/06(Sun)19:08 No. 1025543 ID: be028a
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“So how does Binder training work?” Clio asks, transfixed by the glowing tendril.

“The Circle of Binding doesn’t really have a school. You have to seek out a tutor, who teaches you how to channel your aura and shape it as well as how to safely bind a target. Since the magic has its roots in Fey culture, you learn a lot about their system of law and contracts, as well as their history. While we can’t make magical allegiances with natural forces the way Fey can; we make contracts with our own bodies, represented by sigils.” She runs a hand over the crescent shaped magical brands on her arm. “Its a technique passed on to mortals by Tuvara-Malli, ‘the old teacher’.”

“That sounds so different from Sender magic. We use so much precision and math. Its like the whole world is just numbers!” Clio waves at the perfectly laid out park as an example.

“I’ve wondered about that. I think gate magic wasn’t always like that: when we met you, you were able to open gates on instinct. You didn’t use any of the rune systems or calculations that the Senders use.” Casey glances at the ever present statue of the city founder, “I’m pretty sure if Augustine Moot’s magic was like yours. Having read her notes, she definitely had no formal education.”

“But she founded a school? That’s weird, right?” The cat cocks her head, “Like, how did she pull that off?”

“I’m… not really sure.” Casey admits. “She must have had help.”

Like the first guardians? But we know that the mediums didn't exactly have a "first" so it's all very curious. Who was around first?

Sounds like something you should ask a historian.

Presumably, Sender magic was made formulaic either because the "raw" form was too dangerous, or simply to make it learnable by those who don't have the natural talent. Bit of both, perhaps?

>>1025561

The 'wild' form of gate magic, like what Clio is accustomed to, likely had great potential that was unlocked through the formulization we see today.

Moot could probably have sculpted a great statue with her gates, but cutting and fitting stone so precisely like the way the academy is constructed is a marvel of both mathematics and magic.

Someone good at math saw gate magic and went, "Man, I can think of a million things I could do with that!" and then they did it. That's how innovation works.

Toxoglossa 2022/03/08(Tue)17:54 No. 1025684 ID: be028a
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“Someone figured out how to break down Madam Moot’s raw magic and codify it into a teachable form.” Casey say, half to herself.

“One of the first guardians?” Clio asks, as they continue their walk.

“Tuvara-Malli was a teacher, but the magical systems seem too incompatible. It might have been one of the original Mediums, but they never had a First Guardian, so to speak.” Casey follows, racking her brain as Clio holds the door for her. “If I remember right, Kol said that the Path of the Mediums came from five surviving members who undertook a ritual to unbind their spirits from their bodies.”

They step into the student’s doorm, a fairly plain, but comfortable space. Its foyer opens up to a common room packed with extremely worn out couches and chairs, several occupied by late night studiers. Clio starts up the central staircase to her room on the second floor. “Okay, but who came up with the ritual? Someone must have come before them, right? Was it one of the five?”

“I… I’m not sure. Maybe Kol knows? Or his uncle? Or maybe we’ll find the answer in the book we saved?” Casey shrugs, feeling a bit defeated. She stops with the furious mental labor for a moment and takes in her surroundings. “Hey, this is pretty nice. I kind of expected more gate-cut stone and carvings.”

Maybe they had a fae help them out?

>>1025684
Hey, even students need a break from the hard edges and precise measurements of the usual stone masonry. Need to break up the silhouette sometimes.

>>1025687
The fae does seem like a good catch all first assumption for most things. They're looong lives and intimate relationship with powerful magics easily rope them into mortal world changing debacles.

Toxoglossa 2022/03/10(Thu)18:51 No. 1025887 ID: be028a
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“Its nice, right? I think even the Senders get tired of all that stone. Plus, I think this dorm was built pretty recently: I’ve heard the college is looking to expand.” Clio steps out onto the second floor and deftly avoids another student on his way downstairs. She gives him a little wave as he passes and gets a nod in return.

“Are you getting along okay with everyone?” Casey asks. “Gabe said you were still having trouble fitting in.”

Clio rolls her eyes at the question, not out of dismissal, instead scanning her memory as if it were printed on the ceiling. “Yeah, pretty much. I think since I’ve struggled with warding spells, people have stopped assuming I’m some kind of… divine prodigy.” She giggles, “Plus, Gabe helped me loosen up and enjoy myself a bit more. Really helped me open up.”

Oh he totally told her about the mile high club.

Anyone fun you've met? Or has it been so much work that it's been difficult to socialize?

>>1025889
Did anyone expect him not to? It's Gabe.

Toxoglossa 2022/03/14(Mon)18:27 No. 1026267 ID: be028a
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Casey laughs, “Oh, if I know Gabe, I bet he opened you up. He seemed pretty smug after his little trip to the mountain.”

The cat blushes and attempts to hide it badly. “What!? Fates- I, he- uh…” Clio fumbles with the door to her room and manages to open it on the second try. "Wha- what'd he tell you?"

“I mean… he didn’t tell me exactly what went down, but Kol and I recognize that look on his face. We figured you two had some fun together. This is Gabe we're talking about after all.”

Toxoglossa 2022/03/14(Mon)18:27 No. 1026268 ID: be028a
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Clio’s eyes dart to the corners of the room bashfully and she admits. “Well… you heard about what he was famous for here right?”

“You mean lopping off part of a professor’s tail?”

“Uh, no the other thing…”

Realization hits Casey like a swung bat as her eyes go wide. “You mean…?”

Clio bites her lip, but grins.

“So you and he…”

“Uh, and Pezzi and Rufus.”

Casey’s mouth drops open out of genuine astonishment. “The Mediums?!? With the mechanical bodies!?! In the sky?!?”
She sits down next to Clio on the bed, mind reeling. “That’s… wild, even for Gabe.” The mouse idly looks around at the dorm room as she processes things.

The room isn’t big, but fairly comfortable. A number of second hand books are piled on the desk with a small range-finding instrument and hand scribbled notes. Clothing is piled in a hamper by the bed, along with a spare Sender’s sash waiting to be laundered.

“Its definitely the wildest thing I’ve ever done...” Clio picks at the bedsheets with a claw, “I think about it a lot. I can’t remember a time where I’ve let myself have that much fun.”

>>1026268
well goddamn, girl, don't hold out on us!! we need the deets in full detail!!

Hey now. Hang around with us long enough, the fun and stories will start piling up. From student to guide to guardian, taking breaks and knowing how to relax are important.

Wait, how did we end up in her bedroom? Clio are you making moves on Casey? "show me around" and this is the first place she brings her. Hmm. Suspicious.

I think its time to show Clio that the senders aren't the only ones that can have some fun with their magiks
show her how the binders do the deed