RO > call me out; a forever open RP post, version 2

[midvalley]

NEW OPEN RP POST

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[cultivations]

[ As he accepts the plate with a nod of thanks, Dorian offers a small-- ] Ah, I see. [ Though he clearly can't make heads or tails of-- whatever it is Charlie just explained.

Best to bypass it for now and focus on things he does know about. And he knows quite a lot about magic, in particular. ]

Now, if I may ask-- is this how you perform magic? [ He mimics Charlie's spellcasting from earlier, two fingers drawing a line in the air. ] Do you not require the aid of a staff?

[animated]

That's how we've always done it. I don't know if a staff would be much good, really.

[ Though his gaze flicks deliberately to the staff leaning against the arm of his couch ] I assume that you use staffs where you're from, then.

[cultivations]

[ Without missing a beat, Dorian tears off a piece of bread for himself. ]

Ah, no, that's for show. Mostly we do a lot of sacrificing of small animals. Sometimes children, should the need arise for something more potent. There's quite a bit of screaming and crying and bleeting (if we've used goats), but staves are unnecessary.

[ And then he pops the piece of bread into his mouth, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. ]

They certainly help, though.

[animated]

[ Charlie just stares at him for a very long moment. He doesn't look especially scandalized, more like he's trying to puzzle through all that nonsense to figure out what's what.

Eventually, he decides ] I'm going to take all that as a yes.

[cultivations]

[ The amused look should be taken as a good sign. ]

They help in channeling and focusing for larger spells, but otherwise-- [ He waves a hand, and the tips of his fingers ignite. ] --not entirely necessary, no.

[ Another wave, and the flames are extinguished. ]

[animated]

[ oh, that is so cool. ]

Whoa. Wizards here can't cast without the runes, so if someone wants to make fire, they've got to do the- [ and he mimics his own casting motions ] -thing.

[cultivations]

[ His head cants slightly to one side. ]

Truly? Then in the case of an emergency -- say, a rather large, angry gentleman is bearing down on you at an alarming speed. What then? Do you tell him to please slow down for a moment, I need only a moment to cast this spell?

[animated]

There are ways around that. [ and he tugs his sleeve up, showing Dorian the tattoo on the inside of his forearm- it's somewhat stylized, but the language of Charlie's magic is there in the design ]

[cultivations]

[ Dorian peers at the tattoo with open interest, and he reaches over, as though to skim his fingertips along the design. He stops himself just a centimeter or two away, and drops his hand -- at the very least, he doesn't seem particularly embarrassed by that display. ]

Fascinating. Is it a mental connection, then? Or instinctual? Or must you physically touch the spell before casting it?

[animated]

Mental, for the most part. [ he inclines his head to indicate a pillow on the far end of the couch ] Throw that pillow at me.

[cultivations]

[ Dorian smirks at him. ]

Ah, I don't usually toss around pillows until it gets particularly heated, but if you insist--

[ He moves over to the far end of the couch and tosses the pillow, as directed. ]

[animated]

[ And the pillow just... suddenly stops, frozen in the air about a foot from Charlie. He lets hang there for a moment, before a motion of his hand sends it flying to the other end of the room, where it bounces harmlessly off a wall ]

Easy as that.

[cultivations]

Remarkable.

[ This time he has no compunctions about moving forward again, fingers tracing along the tattoo on Charlie's arm. It's not an affectionate touch, though, more like someone skimming their fingers along a page as they read. ]

And all of your spells require these runes? That sounds rather limiting.

[animated]

[ Considering he almost did it once before, Charlie is ready for it, and lets him run his fingers over the mark. ]

It is, in a way, I guess. I mean, the alphabet we have to work with is vast on an insane kind of level. Enough so that no one could hope to learn everything there is to learn in a lifetime, so we pick Specializations- runes that serve a similar sort of function- and devote our studies to those.

[cultivations]

Ah, that's familiar territory. Back home we have basic schools of magic for anyone with the gift, though one may pick and choose as they see fit. Beyond that, more skilled mages might pick up another specialization along with the basic spells.

[ Dorian, for instance, has started dabbling in the art of Necromancy -- though he decides it best not to mention that. Most people south of Nevarra tended to be rather put off by the idea of death magic. ]

Tell me-- your people here. Fond of mages?

[animated]

[ Well, it's nice to know some things are the same, sort of.

... And then some things are very clearly not the same. ]

Uh. First of all, we tend to go with "wizards". Second of all... while they're really quite fond of themselves, normal people don't know we exist.

[cultivations]

... Tell me you're joking.

[animated]

Not in the slightest.

[cultivations]

But why keep it secret? I should think magic would be a gift to be shared, not hidden and squandered away like some tome of smutty literature.

[animated]

Religion? Politics? The Salem witch trials? I don't really know when or why it was kept secret in the first place, but at this point, it's probably for the best.

[cultivations]

Salem witch trials?

Maker above, what sort of backwater land have I dropped into?

[animated]

[ flatly: ] Hah.

Not so where you're from, then?

[cultivations]

Depends on the area. Back home, mages rule the land. Literally. There's a caste system in place -- coming from a long line of powerful mages tends to get you places, so long as you can stand the rampant backstabbing and political intrigue.

Other places, mages are herded into little towers and clumped together for the good of the people, their abilities feared as much as they're needed.

And other places still, mages are bound, gagged, and leashed, subdued and unleashed on unsuspecting foes like warhounds.

[ He sighs wistfully. ]

Ah, how I miss Thedas already.

[animated]

Jesus Christ.

No offense, but I almost prefer to stay under the radar. [ though that first one... hits oddly close to home. ] It simplifies things.

[cultivations]

[ Dorian waves a hand. ]

I am, of course, simplifying things as well. Things are getting better in some places. Sweeping reforms, quite a bit of kicking and screaming, a fair bit of bluster and political posturing, but-- well. At least we haven't got to hide.