Gears

Dr. Gears shook his head and gave his opponent a Glare™. "The contents of the chest will be mine, by right of conquest. You have no claim to them, so you will not have them."

I am Gears!

I am Gears!

I am not a stick! I am Gears! I am not a stick! The Stormlight is a lie!

I am not a stick. I am not a stick. I am not a stick.

Temeraire

"I came here because I do not know what sits within the chest," Dr. Gears replied. "I saw a deficit in my knowledge and sought to rectify it.

I wish for an epic fantasy book series similar to the cosmere and the Kingkiller Chronicles. [I've probably already read the first thing you thought of, so a list would be wonderful, thanks]

I am not a stick.

"No, unfortunately," Dr. Gears replied. "The cat knows, but it won't tell me, despite my cajoling with delicious treats." The aforementioned cat was delicately tearing a fish to pieces and tapping each one to make it disappear. Dr. Gears stepped closer to his opponent, pressing his advantage while his opponent was still weaponless. "I don't think it eats, to be honest. It just shreds food and makes it disappear."

The interweaving of the fibers in paper is an allegory to the interweaving of lives in the Great Tapestry of Reality. A skilled practitioner of weaving can change the past, alter fate, write something out of existence, write something into existence, and basically do whatever they please with reality as a whole. I might write a short story about this later. Dying [to clarify, not killing or death or anything of that sort, the act of dying]

"Three books, an ancient prophecy, a dead but dreaming god, a thunder of dragons, the pattern embossed on the Mountains of Eternity, and a backwards dog," Dr. Gears said, swinging his sword towards his opponent's undefended gut.

"You sign up for the Scholar's Guild at the Scholar's Guild," Dr. Gears replied. It should really have been obvious, given that he had just asked to join when Fadran walked in, but no matter.

Dr. Gears stopped for a moment to take notes on his clipboard. Can manipulate time, has Shardblade and unknown other blade. Be wary. After his note-taking, he swung at his opponent's outstretched hand.

Dr. Gears glanced at the person next to him. It was Fadran, that person he had battled for a great treasure on an island where refusal was forbidden. "This is the Scholar's Guild, the greatest compendium of knowledge in the Alleyverse."

The cat hissed and leapt towards the opponent. Dr. Gears followed behind, holding his sword at the ready.

The architecture and construction firms are indeed similar to the clergy, and the rituals involved in building a house are incredibly intricate, so much so that the researchers have been unable to discern what is necessary for magic and what is merely pomp and circumstance. The wars on Taighusdhach are beautiful things, decided by time, power, and skill. Fighting is done entirely by construction of houses. Interfering with the construction of a house is forbidden [likely due to religion], so the first blow will always go to the house that is completed first. The more intricate and beautiful a house, the more powerful the magic becomes. As such, the first houses are simple things, one-story buildings with little to no decoration. These destabilize other factions' foundations, delaying future houses. The most devastating war in Taighusdhachine history was the Eagaitreacuthachdail [literally "magnificent castles of madness and fear"], which was waged over the course of centuries, constructing castles that destroyed much of the continent and shattered the minds of those who participated.

Dr. Gears recognized the fear in his opponent's eyes. The great prophesy of this island was incredibly lengthy and required dozens of Seers and Interpreters at any given point in time, but one of the definitive prophesies was that a cat summoned after the winds go silent will cause a great defeat. Obviously one opponent chose to surrender instead of be killed. He turned to his other opponent, who appeared to be controlling the sand. The cat purred, and Dr. Gears threw a fish at his fallen opponent. "Go, my precious. Get the fish!" The cat leapt into action, charging at his opponent.

Dr. Gears staggered back with the force of the wind, catching himself before he stepped out of the circle. That was an instant loss, after all. He murmured a Prayer of Appeasement to the spirits and swung his sword in the Pattern of Summoning. Reality tore, and a small cat came into existence. It was black with white paws, and it meowed loudly.

Dr. Gears glanced at his clipboard, skimming his notes. This was the moment of no return, the moment just past the event horizon. Once he was involved in the guilds, there was no turning back. "I wish to join the Scholar's Guild," Dr. Gears said.

Dr. Gears uncapped his pen, and a magnificent hand-and-a-half Scottish longsword sprang into existence. "We have to go through the motions, at least. The forces that rule this place will not allow anything less." He swung his claymore back and forth in an intricate pattern, invoking the spirits of battle. A bright light flared into existence, tracing a dueling circle around the two of them. "We must appease the great spirits!"

On the planet Taighusdhach [literally "House and home"], magic appears to be powered by the act of constructing a building for the express purpose of human habitation. The act of living in the domicile does not appear to be necessary, though more data is necessary for an accurate conclusion. The builders must be sentient beings that are consciously aware of what a house is. Automatons cannot gain magic by constructing houses. From interviews with the Taighusdhachuine [the natives of Taighusdhach], the emotional state of the builders is critical to the resultant effects, but since the building of houses is considered sacred on Taighusdhach, the Taighusdachine people will not let us conduct experiments. Witnessed Effects: Accelerated growth [similar to Regrowth on Roshar, can be used for healing] Rain [ranging from mild drizzle to tornado-like conditions] Heat [a sudden increase in temperature in the general vicinity of the domicile, can cause fires in dry conditions] Cold [a sudden decrease in temperature in the general vicinity of the domicile, can cause frostbite in extreme cases] Lightning [usually accompanied by a thunderstorm, could be a side effect of rain] Matter manipulation [the builders stood in a circle surrounding the domicile and changed the course of the local river to benefit the crops] The magic seems to be limited to physical phenomenon, though that could be explained by the Taighusdhachuine's reluctance to show us their building rituals. Further research required. EDIT: I forgot to challenge my successor. Poker

Dr. Gears scribbled a final note on his clipboard and walked towards the location of the fearsome Captain Grey's treasure. Unfortunately, it seemed that someone else had already found it. However, on this mysterious island, it was impossible to refuse a challenge. "Halt!" Dr. Gears shouted. "I challenge you to a duel! Winner gets the treasure!"

Dr. Gears followed the Scholar clandestinely. When the exchange seemed to end, he stepped forwards and said, "Greetings, I understand you are a head scholar here?" @Rushu42

I wish to join.