voice; un: nancy; open to moon & stars

[keenely]

-- Hello? Hi. My name is Nancy Wheeler, and I have a couple of things I'd like to ask, if anyone has the time.

[ unfortunately, no matter how much research nancy's done on everything she possibly could, the idea of recording a voice message for an entire network of people to listen to is still a little overwhelming for her. she knows it's a useful tool, but she's from 1985, so. y'know. it's a lot. still! she has a few questions, and she's not going to let something like feeling intimidated by new, magical technology stop her.

and yes, she knows there are horrifying monsters running around at night, which is normally a fight she'd be running head first into, but she doesn't have her gun. guns just- aren't a thing here, as far as she's learned. maybe she should ask..? no. let's not go there, if she doesn't have to. ]

Has anyone had the opportunity to register and attend classes at the University of Terebellum? I've only recently arrived here, but I figure the best way I can help or contribute to everything that's happening in this world is to learn magic, so. I'd like to do that. I'm just wondering if anyone knows how to go about registering for classes.

-- Or if there's anyone that would be willing to teach me on their own. I know it's a lot to ask, but I'm a quick learn, and I used to tutor my classmates back at school - [ wow, okay, cutting off that thought. how embarrassing. ] -- I just think it would be beneficial to form some sort of study group, for anyone that wants to learn magic, but doesn't have access to the University here just yet. I would be more than willing to set something up, but I just need someone to teach me the basics, first.

Any information on how I can go about learning magic, from the very start, would be appreciated - even moreso if anyone has the time to teach me, too. Although if there's something I could be doing to help that might be more effective than learning magic, I'm certainly open to that, too.

[ someone teach her how to fight with a sword, please. ]

Thank you.

Comments

voice; un: kuro

[vies]

The University is quite costly to attend, from what I last saw. [Seishou school fees didn't come cheap, either, but the Saijous could afford them. Here, though, the currency is completely different, and even if money from back home had any value, Claudine arrived with none of it.]

What kind of magic did you have in mind? Healing, combat? Something more practical? A few locals were giving lessons.

[She elects not to mention which locals -- while the monster problem is common to both factions, she also wants to avoid accidentally revealing what goes on at the Court if Nancy is on the other side.]

[keenely]

Hm.

[ so she'll need to find a job. okay. sure. she can do that, no problem. ... probably no problem. she'll try. ]

Probably more defensive than offensive, to start. I've read about the different types of magic, but I think... conjuring and defensive spells would be a good place to start.

[vies]

True. Won't be of much help to anyone if you can't protect yourself first.

I'll join you for the study group. Could use some guidance in that area. [Her most impressive feat with magic so far is... clearing part of a road by melting away the snow covering it. Learning some defensive magic might supplement what little else she knows.]

voice, un: reynir

[reynir]

❰ a pause while he makes sure it's actually on, then: ❱ Hi, Nancy! I'm Reynir. I don't actually know a lot of magic, I kiiiiind of just figured out that I'm a mage at all a few weeks before I got here.... but I know a couple of protection runes I could teach you? They worked really well back home.

[keenely]

Yes! [ nancy, don't shout ] Sorry, yes. That is actually exactly what I was hoping to achieve by reaching out on this ..forum.

What sort of protection spells are they, if you don't mind me asking? I'm sure there are different types of spells for protecting different things, no?

[reynir]

❰ the shouting is okay!! enthusiasm is a good thing, he likes that a lot more than awkwardness or cold shoulders or a whole handful of other possible responses.

the question that follows, however, trips him up a little bit. ❱

Um, well. ❰ he doesn't really have the option of waffling about this answer or he loses basically all of his credibility, though, so here goes nothing: ❱ So I know a couple of them. One can kind of just keep things away - back home, it worked on angry spirits and also the beasts and trolls, which. I guess you've never heard about those, it's kind of complicated but they're basically animals and people that are dead but also kind of aren't. Anyway, it kept them away from the tank - that's where we were sleeping at the time, in a tank - and then I put it on a tent and it worked there, too.

❰ ...oh god, shut up reynir. he realizes how much he just talked, pulls in a bracing breath, then tries to do a little better with the next part. ❱ The other one seems more like a trap. When something touches it, it sets them on fire. I only tested it on the spirits and the beasts and trolls, but I think it should work on other stuff too?

voice; un: sarah

[notimefordreams]

[Ah, this sounds familiar.]

I did the same thing when I first arrived, jumping into learning magic. I'm an english teacher at home so I didn't have a whole lot of skills for this sort of thing.

[Never mind the whole Labyrinth business. That was a decade ago.]

If the leaders were around I'd say to ask at the next audience and see if they could recommend you to the Court or Temple mage depending on your side but... well.

[Yeah, so much for that.]

I could teach you shapeshifting if you were interested in that. I'm almost to a point where I can comfortably teach healing as well.

[keenely]

--Shapeshifting? You mean, like-?

[ like what, nance? you need to use your words ]

Like transforming your ..self?

[notimefordreams]

[She huffs out an amused breath. The surprise in Nancy's tone reminds her some of what she would imagine Toby's own excitement would sound like over the topic.]

You got it in one. I mostly go for animal forms at the moment but once I've mastered it I might try more human shapes eventually.

voice; un: eircordelia

[shieldandbanner]

[ Dame Eir knew there were spells to speaks over large distances, but it still feels empowering to have something like that... She presses and delays a little. The message seems more rehearsed, as if reading a letter out loud. The knight clears her throat. ]

To Nancy Wheeler.

I have unfortunately been too busy with the matters of the villages in the last month, which has given me little time to do anything to study, save for exploring enchantments and alchemy. While I have made decent progress on the former, I've only now progressed enough on the later to do more reliable potions and medications.

I would very much like to go to the University of Terebellum, in order to learn more of the crafts of this world. With winter coming, I hope to have more time to train and teach myself as much as necessary, and I would look forward to remembering the days of my youth before knighthood.

[ On the other end, Eir smiles to herself as she can now use the title in here. ]

Dame Eir Cordelia.

[keenely]

[ oh! okay. formal. she can handle formal. although she's used to phonecalls, so like. this feels like a message she would hear on her answering machine.

hm.

is it still connected? ]

Hello? Dame Eir? I just got your message, but I'm not sure if you can still hear me-?

[shieldandbanner]

[ Given Eir came from a time where the higher classes dictated the contents of a letter, and had to wait, Dame Eir had in turn done the same as if the compass dictated.

So being responded immediately enough has her hurriedly grab her compass again! ]

I-- ahem-- Yes, yes. I do. I thought this would be responded to later...

[ She's speaking directly to a handheld object, and hearing someone from the other side. Without even seeing a face. While Dame Eir can't deny the practicality of this, it's a little unnerving not to even see the person's expressions. ]

voice | un: ren

[warfares]

If you've recently arrived, you'd be unable to afford the tuition costs. ( as has been stated already. )

Sponsorship is possible, but given that we're currently without leadership you'd be best-served to consult with those within your faction that are already proficient or learning.

( a pause. the sound of pages being rustled, then: ) What magic do you hope to learn?

[keenely]

-- Sponsorships. [ sponsorships, scholarships, grants. all things she's been obsessing over, during her college hunt. SO. that's nice to hear. ..minus the rest of that ] Right. I'm realizing that I might have had terrible timing with my arrival, however - [ here's a sweeping hand gesture he can't actually see! ] - didn't have much control over it.

I hope things level out again for obvious reasons, but also so I can get a handle on things before they get like this again.

And I think I'd like to learn wards, to start. I've been told there are markings and runes one can learn to serve as a protection spell, or a fortifying spell. Things like that would be great, to start. I'd like to be able to help protect people beyond swinging a sword.

[warfares]

Your faction will have several mages able to instruct you in basic rune use.

( they've been eager to outsource this particular task, he's noticed, as it allows them greater time to either search for their respective leaders (a theory), ready themselves for any further attacks (another theory) or because they believe the task beneath them (yet another theory, albeit one backed up by the fact that the jarl's keep is almost certainly a band of elitist fuckwits. )

Learning some kind of defense would be advisable as well. You may not intend to see battle, but this world is rife with dangers, so unless you intend on never leaving the Capitol I would consider making that another goal of yours.

voice, un: dimitri

[royalboar]

Taking up arms would be straightforward enough. Lacking the flair of magic, perhaps, but efficacy is dependent upon the situation itself. Often steel defends just as well as any kind of spell.

[This, of course, is a perspective hereby provided by someone not very proficient at magic.]

I imagine many here would be able to teach you the proper use of the sword, spear, axe, or anything in-between. [the weapon triangle basically] Myself included.

[keenely]

That's assuming one knows how to, ah- Yield a steel weapon, yes.

[ .... wait ]

-- You would?

[royalboar]

If you were truly interested then yes, I would.

[Why wouldn’t he? Falling into a routine of training and aiding others with their skillset is familiar to him, to the point where it grants him some modicum of comfort falling back into what he knows.]

I trained almost daily with swords and lances for a very long time. I would not mind teaching those who are eager to learn and improve themselves.

video; un: clarke

[romancekiller]

From what I know it definitely costs a lot to attend it but I'm sure you've heard as much already. [but she can understand the need to learn more about the magic here since she has felt similarly since arriving and learning all this was very much real]

I think it's a good idea though to have something like that for anyone who wants to learn and I'm sure there'd be some people willing to teach as well given our situation here. [you know with being at war and trying to be as prepared as possible for this] Is there any specific kind of magic you want to learn?

[keenely]

Yes. Which- I guess makes sense, if it's the only formal school for magical education, but it's still pretty disappointing. I guess I'll just have to start saving.

[ ha ha haaaa. it's easier to make jokes than admit how displeased she is that she can't just.. go to magic school. she wants to learn, damnit! ]

I would really, really like to learn wards and defensive spells. Something I could use and actually help with in the meantime, until I learn how to fight.

[romancekiller]

Right yeah— or I'm sure you could just ask your faction leader about it too. They're usually open to it from what I know if you spin it like it'll work in their benefit.

[that is honestly so relatable though because she is in the same boat mostly] Those sound like a good place to start though. I've been trying to focus on the same myself, though lately that has just been with practicing healing magic. It's still fairly new to me but once I get the hang of it, I could definitely teach you.

un: grayson

[identifier]

No luck here with magic. [ he laughs a little on the feed. magic, right? magic is unpredictable and annoying.

but she's right. he might as well try to understand. if not, categorize. ]

But if there's room in your study group, I'd like to join.

[keenely]

Trust me, before coming here I never would have even considered it a real possibility for me, either.

[ gotta do whatcha gotta do, though ]

But yeah! Yes, there's definitely still room. I'm not exactly sure what we'll be studying first, but you are more than welcome to join.

text; un: freddybear

[pebblestone]

If you have room to spare, I would be interested in joining this magical study group.
My own talent with magic is rather abysmal.

[ He understands steel weapons, but magic....not so much. Send help. ]

I'm afraid I haven't much to offer in return unless you have any interest in learning how to wield lances and swords.

[keenely]

If anything this is giving me more motivation to learn so I can actually tutor everyone that's interested! If this whole world is powered by magic, I think it's definitely worth learning about, and learning to use, if we can. I'll look into it more.

Honestly? That knowledge and skillset definitely holds a lot of weight here, too. I'm not sure how good I would be at handling a sword, though. I'm not exactly a star athlete.

But... Maybe.