The Knights Next Prequel

[I think I am here. he/him]

On 17/11/2019 at 10:34 PM, Sorana said:

Wita followed Marcel down into the cellar, relaxed a little when the blinking light vanished. "What are you doing?" She asked him curiously, tried to glance at his hands carving something into a seal. It looked like some elaborate pattern, something she didn't understand, except that it was beautiful. And he would teach her. Slowly she eased a little on her storing, wanted to be able to follow his reply. The cellar was dark enough that she felt comfortable enough to do so.

“Making a seal,” Marcel replied and looked up, saw that she might have wanted more information. Sighing he stepped over to her sat in a stool he found in one corner and showed her the seal, as well as what he’d carved into it so far.

“You, you are good with electronics, right?” Marcel asked, looked st the seal to see if he could explain it in a such a way.

“Do you see those outside strokes?” He gestured to a series of deliberate carved symbols that bordered the seal.

“That is a condition mark. It will check on a condition. Quickly and with precision Marcel added a larger series of symbols, these also wrapping around the full circle of the seal, but below the condition mark.

“With bloodsealing, you can tell where the subject’s blood is at any time, from just a sample. So, I glyphed that the seal can detect Kira’s blood in two different spots far from each other.”

Looking back to Wita he added. “That means she will be injured, if the blood is far from each other. So that’s the condition that those first symbols are calibrated to. And then,”

Marcel quickly added a few more, larger symbols that ran around in a circle. By now, the blood seal had its common look: circles of symbols bordering each other.

“And this is what happens if the conditional is true. The bloodseal will move the separated blood closer together.” He smiled at Wita. “It is a crude from of healing, but it still is healing. And it means if Wita ever gets hurt, or if the bloodseal detects her blood strewn across the place,” he pointed to the stamp.

“It will activate a method to try and heal her.”

But there was a reason Marcel didn’t use it too much. With bloodsealing, the more you had to do with the blood, usually the more painful it was. Marcel could theoretically heal himself from many injuries, but he didn’t really want to endure agony for it. Hopefully Kira didn’t get too injured for that too happen.

He shrugged. “My sister is better at them,” he said.

Finally remembering, he added a singular symbol in the centre of the stamp. “And this is the finishing mark. It doesn’t do anything, but without it, no tamp would work.” Marcel always fancied the finishing mark looked a bit a series of islands, but perhaps that was just Marcel trying to make sense of it.

[AonEne he/him]

Quote

So wait, it would move her blood back in her body? Would it be clean again? Because I feel like just shoving blood that leaked out back into you is a bad idea, but then I’m not a medical expert or anything. 

 

[+Sorana she/her]

9 hours ago, I think I am here. said:

Finally remembering, he added a singular symbol in the centre of the stamp. “And this is the finishing mark. It doesn’t do anything, but without it, no tamp would work.” Marcel always fancied the finishing mark looked a bit a series of islands, but perhaps that was just Marcel trying to make sense of it.

Wita listened, lowly lessened her stowing even more while she tried to remember, tried to understand.

"So it's four parts." She summed his explanation up. "Condition, then what the condition is. Then when it will do if the condition is correct." She paused tried to remember the last one. "And the one in the middle." She finally stated, a smile lighting up her face. Silently she repeated them again and then a third time, leaning over his shoulder to take a look at the seal.

"Does it work like that?" She asked, and wished she had something to write all the information down.

[I think I am here. he/him]

9 hours ago, AonEne said:

So wait, it would move her blood back in her body? Would it be clean again? Because I feel like just shoving blood that leaked out back into you is a bad idea, but then I’m not a medical expert or anything. 

Quote

If the blood, like fell on the floor, and then was placed back inside I agree it’s probably a bad idea. In theory though, the condition’s supposed to happen as soon as the blood gets separated, so I’d imagine close to the person, mid-air style. It’ll still be messy, of course.

Marcel smiled. A quick learner. And able to come up with a quick summary too.

“Yes,” he said, placing Kira’s blood gently onto the stamp. “That’s exactly how it works. There are, of course, simpler bloodseals, just as there are infinitely more complex ones. But that is how this one works.” After spreading the blood evenly onto the seal Marcel pressed the stamp straight into the cellar wall. It left a raised mark in the wood, beginning to glow with a dim red light.

“Now... the rest is up to her.”

[+Sorana she/her]

34 minutes ago, I think I am here. said:

“Now... the rest is up to her.”

Impressed Wita looked at the mark in the wall, at it's dim red light. She shivvered at the light, but it was dim and red, and more importantly steady. She could deal with steady light. Exhaling she slowly took a closer look, impressed by how the mark seemed to be above the wood. As if it had been added, not pressed into it. Like a think glowing paint. Her fingers reach out for it, when she wanted to see if it felt like paint, or blood, as well. Then she stopped looked at him. "Can I touch it?" She asked and removed her hand, lest she accidently did something wrong.

"And does every mark need to have a condition, or could I create something entirely else?"

[I think I am here. he/him]

“You can create something completely different,” Marcel replied, sat on a stool and watched Wita.

“Not all stamps need a condition. Some have an immediate effect, or come into effect in other ways. But lots of complex seals will have conditions. And yes, you can touch it.”

He smiled. It was interesting to see someone interested in bloodsealing. Usually people were more interested in the ‘clean’ magics, the ones they perceived as good; there was no good and bad, Magic was simply, that: magic. It was the person who influenced whether it was bad or good. Like his sister, evil. Not because of the magic, because of her.

[+Sorana she/her]

7 minutes ago, I think I am here. said:

He smiled. It was interesting to see someone interested in bloodsealing. Usually people were more interested in the ‘clean’ magics, the ones they perceived as good; there was no good and bad, Magic was simply, that: magic. It was the person who influenced whether it was bad or good. Like his sister, evil. Not because of the magic, because of her.

Wita gently touched the bloodseal, surprised by how solid and hard it felt under her fingertips. "Is it like a language? The different symbols? Can I use one symbols in different locations on the rings, or do I have to learn different symbols for different rings?"

She asked another question, his smile a nice sign that she was doing something right here. Swallowing she shook her head and returned to his stool. Tell him. If he knew, then it would be easier for both of them.

"I, I don't have parents anymore." She started, closed her eyes when she heard a scream and shook her head. "I can't deal with fire. Or anything that reminds me of it." She added quickly, her voice tumbling on each other, when she tried to add something, but instead she only pressed a hand against her eyes. "I , I can't." She sagged down, started to store again, to stop the memories to slow them down until she could avoid them. "I'm sorry."

[I think I am here. he/him]

Marcel got up, walked over to where she was and stood in front of her, placing himself between her and the crimson glow of the bloodseal. Turning he brought his stool over as well, sat down and blocked the glow.

“It’s okay,” he said. “You don’t have to look at it if you don’t want to.”

He sighed, when he saw her store again, could sense it in her movements. “But that is one constant of bloodseals. You are right, the symbols can be written in any order, they are the ‘language’ the instructions are written in, non-linearly, but no matter how you design the bloodseal, it will always have that glow.”

With sympathy he looked down upon her. He’d lost his father, but he’d been a little older than her. It must have been a painful experience indeed. “I suspect learning will be harder with this trauma to work through.”

[+Sorana she/her]

11 minutes ago, I think I am here. said:

With sympathy he looked down upon her. He’d lost his father, but he’d been a little older than her. It must have been a painful experience indeed. “I suspect learning will be harder with this trauma to work through.”

Wita took a moment to understand why he was blocking the seal with his body, and slowly shook her head. "It doesn't flicker." She said slowly. "I am fine when it doesn't flicker." As long as she didn't think talking would help at least.

With a sigh she buried her head in her hands. How was she supposed to ever make it, if she couldn't even lead a normal conversation. Frustrated she groaned, wished that she was a normal person, with a normal mind. Work through. When she understood his words she looked up, hope brimming in her eyes.

"I can work through that? It can stop?" She asked astonished and looked at him wide-eyed.

[I think I am here. he/him]

“Of course,”

Marcel said, smiled at her wide-eyes, a bit of sorrow escaping with it. Poor girl, she didn’t even know if there was a way to recover. “If not from Investiture, than naturally. Trauma-therapy, counselling. Any bad feelings, fear, can be overcome. You can heal from it. You’ll see, after tonight, we’ll find a therapist.“

He smiled.

“They may even give you a prescription to some of the fun stuff. But ideally you can solve that trauma simply form the therapy, no grass required.”

[+Sorana she/her]

15 minutes ago, I think I am here. said:

“They may even give you a prescription to some of the fun stuff. But ideally you can solve that trauma simply form the therapy, no grass required.”

"I like grass." Wita smiled. "It's soft and green. I like to lie down and do nothing but look at the sky." It also involved less thinking. She took a deep breath and gently lessed her storing again. Just a little, only enough to see if she could, how it felt. If she wanted to learn, she needed her thoughts in one place, and she needed them to be quick and clear.

"Do you think, I should have asked my custodian?" She asked him remembering the world apart from their quest when he mentioned tomorrow. "Because of the apprenticeship. I doubt that he minds, but I don't know if he can forbid it?"

==========

Quote

Tell me if you need something else from the police, atm I figured I should let you post first.

@Hope Spren

[WrathofaShardKitten]

Quote

No, you're good. Sorry. It just takes me a while to respond sometimes.

Kira turned to the door as the police knocked once more, preparing – Out of the corner of her eye, Kira saw Lyssa staring at her expectantly and couldn’t hold back a smile. “What?”

“I’m just so excited!” Lyssa spun in place, vines twisting over each other. “I’ve never seen a ghost before!”

“I’m not a ghost, Lyssa.”

“Sure you are! Those policemen will think you’re a ghost, and what’s the difference? If they think you’re a ghost, then I’ll know what a ghost looks like. And then they’ll be like ‘whaaaa! A ghost! Quick, we need to run away and hide.’ And then you’ll all be like ‘Yay! They’re all gone!’” Lyssa illustrated this to great effect with her vines, including two policemen who appeared the be running away, and the rest of them all standing with a speech bubble above their heads that read, “yay!”

Kira couldn’t help it. She laughed. It would have been pleasant, but it echoed strangely, overlapping and creating strange resonances. Lyssa laughed too, and scrawled a question on the floor. “Ghost?” Kira grinned and nodded. She twirled, sucked in a large breath of stormlight, and exploded with light.

Edited November 20, 2019 by Hope Spren

[I think I am here. he/him]

On 20/11/2019 at 10:51 PM, Sorana said:

“Do you think, I should have asked my custodian?" She asked him remembering the world apart from their quest when he mentioned tomorrow. "Because of the apprenticeship. I doubt that he minds, but I don't know if he can forbid it?"

“He can forbid it, I think, he’s your custodian. You’re almost 18, so you should be able to make your own choices. But until then, your custodian is your custodian,” Marcel said, feeling slightly guilt that he’d whisked away a youth from those who had known her, in her ‘apprenticeship’. The real world was often at odds with Investiture.

“But, that is all for tomorrow,” Marcel said, smiling. “For now, lets just focus on tonight, ‘in the moment’, as all those hippies say.”

[+Sorana she/her]

On 20.11.2019 at 10:30 PM, Hope Spren said:

Kira couldn’t help it. She laughed. It would have been pleasant, but it echoed strangely, overlapping and creating strange resonances. Lyssa laughed too, and scrawled a question on the floor. “Ghost?” Kira grinned and nodded. She twirled, sucked in a large breath of stormlight, and exploded with light.

Shepard was about to know at the door again, when suddenly a bright light errupted form the house. Cursing her drew his weapon, wished his partner hadn't circled around to the back. He grimaced, the pressed down the handle and to his surprise, the door swung open. Inside the blinding light hurt his eyes, and he blinked, lifted a hand to shield his eyes. "Turn off the light." he shouted into the house unable to see anything, his eyes needing time to adjust. "We are only here because of the loud music, there is no need for aggressive behaviour!"

Still he moved to the side of the door, using the doorframe as cover. If that guy found it funny to blind the police, you had to expect everything.

40 minutes ago, I think I am here. said:

“He can forbid it, I think, he’s your custodian. You’re almost 18, so you should be able to make your own choices. But until then, your custodian is your custodian,” Marcel said, feeling slightly guilt that he’d whisked away a youth from those who had known her, in her ‘apprenticeship’. The real world was often at odds with Investiture.

“But, that is all for tomorrow,” Marcel said, smiling. “For now, lets just focus on tonight, ‘in the moment’, as all those hippies say.”

Wita nodded. Focus on tonight sounded good. She didn't want to think about too many things anyway. She doubted anybody would be against her doing something, learning something. They all thought her stupid, but they meant well and they cared. They would like Marcel. "What do you use to carve?" she inquired and then added, "And what do you carve into?"

[WrathofaShardKitten]

1 minute ago, Sorana said:

Shepard was about to know at the door again, when suddenly a bright light errupted form the house. Cursing her drew his weapon, wished his partner hadn't circled around to the back. He grimaced, the pressed down the handle and to his surprise, the door swung open. Inside the blinding light hurt his eyes, and he blinked, lifted a hand to shield his eyes. "Turn off the light." he shouted into the house unable to see anything, his eyes needing time to adjust. "We are only here because of the loud music, there is no need for aggressive behaviour!"

Still he moved to the side of the door, using the doorframe as cover. If that guy found it funny to blind the police, you had to expect everything.

Kira turned as the door burst open, instinctively using some stormlight to slick her feet and dimming the light slightly. The policeman stood in the doorway, arm raised to shield his eyes. Kira's thoughts turned immediately to the scene Lyssa had drawn, with the policemen running away, and she giggled. There was something about the stormlight that made consequences seem unreal, a sort of heady sensation of power. It didn't actually seem very safe, now that Kira took a second to think about it, and she returned some of the stormlight to the gems she carried, dimming the light further. She still held enough stormlight that it streamed from her in pale whisps, but it was no longer blinding. Enough stormlight that she wanted to move, to race, to fight. Music still played in the background, and so Kira did none of those things. She danced instead. Why not? She enjoyed it, and the stormight pushed her to move, though she made sure not to step towards the policeman.

[Eluvianii he/him]

Lewis followed Marcel and Wita to the basement with a quick 'good luck' to Kira and hoped things wouldn't get dangerous.

Quote

Don't mind me, just making sure Lewis doesn't get stuck in a limbo.

 

[I think I am here. he/him]

16 hours ago, Sorana said:

Wita nodded. Focus on tonight sounded good. She didn't want to think about too many things anyway. She doubted anybody would be against her doing something, learning something. They all thought her stupid, but they meant well and they cared. They would like Marcel. "What do you use to carve?" she inquired and then added, "And what do you carve into?"

“A scalpel,” Marcel said, holding his up.

“To be precise. You need to be precise when making seals. A single wrong stroke can change the meaning of a symbol, mess up the whole chain.” Hearing shouts from above Marcel looked at the closed door that lead into the main living room, saw the flashes of blue light from beneath the frame. Sighing, he placed a small cap on the scalpel and placed it back in his pocket.

Remembering her second question he leaned forward in his tool, offered to give her the seal.

“Bone,” he said. “It just works best. I use animal bone, though, not from people,” he chuckled a little. “I’ve heard human bone is even better than what I use, and fresh human bone the best. That’s what my sister uses.” But, Marcel was content with what he used currently. It filled him with unease, using human bones.

[+Sorana she/her]

On 22.11.2019 at 5:38 PM, Hope Spren said:

Kira turned as the door burst open, instinctively using some stormlight to slick her feet and dimming the light slightly. The policeman stood in the doorway, arm raised to shield his eyes. Kira's thoughts turned immediately to the scene Lyssa had drawn, with the policemen running away, and she giggled. There was something about the stormlight that made consequences seem unreal, a sort of heady sensation of power. It didn't actually seem very safe, now that Kira took a second to think about it, and she returned some of the stormlight to the gems she carried, dimming the light further. She still held enough stormlight that it streamed from her in pale whisps, but it was no longer blinding. Enough stormlight that she wanted to move, to race, to fight. Music still played in the background, and so Kira did none of those things. She danced instead. Why not? She enjoyed it, and the stormight pushed her to move, though she made sure not to step towards the policeman.

Shepared groaned, as if in physical pain. A dancer, obviously a woman. The girlfriend most likely. And with that stupid light. "Could, you please turn the light off, miss! He called out, one hand nervously reaching for a weapon. "And please turn off the music. I hereby officially tell you, that your neighbours complained and that you might be required to pay a fee. I you turn the music off now and remain quiet for the rest of the night, we can probably leave it without a fee. Could you please identify yourself and stop dancing and lift your hands."

He grimaced a little when he realized that his order was wrong, while he hoped that the woman would adhere to his words. He really didn't want to take her with him but if went on like that, he had no other choice.

On 23.11.2019 at 8:24 AM, I think I am here. said:

Remembering her second question he leaned forward in his tool, offered to give her the seal.

“Bone,” he said. “It just works best. I use animal bone, though, not from people,” he chuckled a little. “I’ve heard human bone is even better than what I use, and fresh human bone the best. That’s what my sister uses.” But, Marcel was content with what he used currently. It filled him with unease, using human bones.

Wita took the seal, gently brushed her finger over the soft surface. Animal bone. She was grateful that he wasn't using human bone, the question where he got that from awkward. "Why does bone work best?" She asked him and leaned over looked at the scalpel. She drew a finger slong the blade and winced when she cut herself, remembered too late that scalpels were sharp. Which was the main reason why he used it probably. Awkwardly she pressed her finger against the palm of her hand, hoped he wouldn't think of her as too stupid.

[I think I am here. he/him]

4 hours ago, Sorana said:

Wita took the seal, gently brushed her finger over the soft surface. Animal bone. She was grateful that he wasn't using human bone, the question where he got that from awkward. "Why does bone work best?" She asked him and leaned over looked at the scalpel. She drew a finger slong the blade and winced when she cut herself, remembered too late that scalpels were sharp. Which was the main reason why he used it probably. Awkwardly she pressed her finger against the palm of her hand, hoped he wouldn't think of her as too stupid.

“Because it was once alive,”

Marcel replied, taking the scalpel back once he watched her cut herself. “It helps the magic take form best. And it is easy to carve into. All of this makes bones the best, human bones, better.” Looking at her press her cut finger against her palm Marcel tilted his head to the side, had an idea.

“If you want, you can always see an example done on yourself. A simple bloodseal.”

[+Sorana she/her]

1 hour ago, I think I am here. said:

“Because it was once alive,”

Marcel replied, taking the scalpel back once he watched her cut herself. “It helps the magic take form best. And it is easy to carve into. All of this makes bones the best, human bones, better.” Looking at her press her cut finger against her palm Marcel tilted his head to the side, had an idea.

“If you want, you can always see an example done on yourself. A simple bloodseal.”

"But wood was alive as well." Wita replied, slighty confused by the distinction. Trees lived, but wood didn't work as well. For considered the thought another moment, then her face brightened. "But the bone was covered by blood and trees don't bleed." She stated slowly and then looked up at him "What about ivory? Did you try that one out? Or the carpace of an insect? Like the plates they use to protect their boedies? What about them?"

Curiously she followed his glance to her cut finger and nodded eagerly. "Of course! What do I have to do?"

[I think I am here. he/him]

39 minutes ago, Sorana said:

Curiously she followed his glance to her cut finger and nodded eagerly. "Of course! What do I have to do?"

“Put a little bit of your blood on this seal,” he said, and took out a blank bone. He would carve on it later.

“And those could be viable, but remember, they have to be thick and good enough to Ben able to make detailed carvings in them, without changing over time or splintering,” he said. “And it has to be cost-effective, otherwise we would constantly be broke from all of our stamping,” he smiled at the thought. It was funny.

[+Sorana she/her]

41 minutes ago, I think I am here. said:

“Put a little bit of your blood on this seal,” he said, and took out a blank bone. He would carve on it later.

“And those could be viable, but remember, they have to be thick and good enough to Ben able to make detailed carvings in them, without changing over time or splintering,” he said. “And it has to be cost-effective, otherwise we would constantly be broke from all of our stamping,” he smiled at the thought. It was funny.

Wita took the blank bone and squeezed some blood on the bone. She made sure to cover it completely, and then smeared it around a little, until it was spread evenly. His comment about the costs made sense. Ivory was expensive. "And animal bones are easy to get." She agreed and handed the seal back to him.

"What will you do with it now?" She asked curiously and smiled happily at him.

[I think I am here. he/him]

On 25/11/2019 at 10:42 PM, Ookla the Dreamer said:

“What will you do with it now?" She asked curiously and smiled happily at him.

“You’ll see. Watch closely,”

Marcel said, accepting the seal and holding the scalpel in his other hand. Leaning forward he tilted the seal towards her as he worked, so she could see what he was doing. Carefully he held the scalpel to the edge of the circular seal.

“Though not every seal needs a conditional, I’ll start with one. We’ll say...” Marcel bit his lip in thought. “We’ll way that the condition is you walking past this seal. Or in other words...”

He made some precise markings on the seal’s outer rim. “That if the seal can detect its own blood passing by in front of it.”

Looking to Wita he smiled.

“That’s what distinguishes Bloodsealing from other symbol-magics. You don’t have to physically link things for the seal to work. Like in AonDor, you have to link all of the symbols together, making an Aon Chain. Same with Forgery, except you have to connect everything on the same seal. But with bloodsealing, it’s kind of like this pager.”

Digging in his pocket, Marcel brought out his work pager.

“The pager doesn’t really need any wire right? It just connects with other pagers, somehow. It’s similar with the bloodseal. That’s how my bloodseal over there,” he gestured to the first seal he’d made, the one for Kira. How was she doing, by the way? “Can connect to Kira somehow, can detect changes in her blood because it’s sealed with her blood too. There’s some Spiritual connection, that somehow transcends needing something physical.”

He looked back at his seal. He was rambling. “It’s pretty ‘neat’, as I’ve heard some teenagers say nowadays.”

[WrathofaShardKitten]

Quote

On 11/24/2019 at 11:55 PM, Sorana said:

"Could, you please turn the light off, miss!"

Wouldn't he be able to see that she's glowing? It's also dim enough that he'd be able to see.

Kira finished the last few steps of the routine she'd learned - the surge she'd used earlier making her motions strangely smooth and gliding - and stopped, looking at the officer. Her irises had turned the clear-white color of diamonds, creating a rather discomforting sight. Especially with the stormlight still streaming off her.

[+Sorana she/her]

22 minutes ago, Hope Spren said:

Wouldn't he be able to see that she's glowing? It's also dim enough that he'd be able to see.

Quote

He's trying to find a reasonal explanation and his eyes weren't used to light (yet). Iirc we said, that no everybody knows about Investiture, so I felt it logical, that he doesn't immediatly leap to a magical conclusion, instead looks for something he knows. Add to that the fact the he was shading his eyes, obscuring part of his vision doing that... I simply dislike it, if everybody always jumps at some "magic" when maybe it could have been done with some technical devices as well. You could be wearing a special dress, or something like that....

The woman finally stopped and Shepard was finally able to lower his hand, waited for her to switch of the light, when a small, panicked part of his brain realized that there was no light shining towards him. Well it was, but it was the woman. "Who..." he stuttered and then shouted. "Come back!" and took a step backwards, tried to level his pistol. His hand shook, but he had to give his partner some time to return, and he wasn't there.

"Get back here." He yelled again, his voice tumbling over itself, jumping from highs to lows. "Run!"

Panic made him squeeze the trigger and he cursed, realized he had forgotten to switch security off. Hastily he made good on that and then fired at the figure, his aim off by his panic, and his retreat.

=====================

1 hour ago, Ookla the Maybe-Existent said:

He looked back at his seal. He was rambling. “It’s pretty ‘neat’, as I’ve heard some teenagers say nowadays.”

Wita shrugged. "I don't know about teenage words." She admitted and leaned forward, traced the symbols he had carved with her fingers. She looked at the wall, compared them to the other seal there and found that nearly none of them were the same. It was logical, she decided after she'd considered the thought for a moment. They were supposed to do different things.

"Condition is the outer ring." She said and tried to remember what was next. "Now it's what will happen if that condition is met?" She asked him, her voice uncertain. She wasn't sure if remembered correctly. "The finishing mark, that looks like islands has to go in the middle." Her words were quickly after each other, when she tried to make up for the fact, that she had forgotten about the two middle rings.