Mother of Learning:Volume 01 Chapter 007 - Revision history

Drowzycow at 13:10, 7 October 2014

2014-10-07T13:10:22Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 13:10, 7 October 2014
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	Quietly wondering what he was getting himself into, Zorian followed after him.		Quietly wondering what he was getting himself into, Zorian followed after him.

			<noinclude>
	==Author's Notes and References==		==Author's Notes and References==
	<references />		<references />

Starwarscards: Grammar

2014-08-17T04:04:42Z

Grammar

← Older revision		Revision as of 04:04, 17 August 2014
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	"Wait, you're talking about it like you can't stop it," said Zorian, unable to keep a tiny bit of alarm out of his voice. Luckily, Zach appeared to be too agitated to notice.		"Wait, you're talking about it like you can't stop it," said Zorian, unable to keep a tiny bit of alarm out of his voice. Luckily, Zach appeared to be too agitated to notice.

	"That's just it, I don't know if I can stop it!" Zach shouted, before he realized what he was doing and quieted down so as to not attract unneeded attention. "I was hit by this spell in the previous revert, and ~~it's~~ effects didn't completely go away when I reverted into the past."		"That's just it, I don't know if I can stop it!" Zach shouted, before he realized what he was doing and quieted down so as to not attract unneeded attention. "I was hit by this spell in the previous revert, and its effects didn't completely go away when I reverted into the past."

	Zorian frowned. 'Previous revert'? What about the other 7? Did Zach somehow skip those or did he simply not remember them? It occurred to Zorian that the after effects of the lich's spell could have been even more serious than what he was currently looking at – what if Zach had spent the past 7 restarts in a coma? Though that begged the question of why his guardian had reported him as missing instead of bringing a healer.		Zorian frowned. 'Previous revert'? What about the other 7? Did Zach somehow skip those or did he simply not remember them? It occurred to Zorian that the after effects of the lich's spell could have been even more serious than what he was currently looking at – what if Zach had spent the past 7 restarts in a coma? Though that begged the question of why his guardian had reported him as missing instead of bringing a healer.
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	Kyron lowered his hand and began to speak.		Kyron lowered his hand and began to speak.

	"The reason I'll be spending so much time on magic missile is because it's a very versatile spell," Kyron spoke. "In its simplest form, it takes the form of a shining bolt of force that travels in a straight line, delivering concussive blasts of force to whatever it impacts. This variant is often called the smasher, and it is a very simple and effective spell. A skilled mage can do so much more with it, however. You can use animation magic to make it home in on a target. You can sharpen it into a point that will pierce things instead of batter them, or a line to cut them – the piercer and cutter, respectively. You can fire multiple ~~missile~~ instead of one – a swarm, even, if you have the reserves and skill to pull it off. And, of course, you can make the projectile invisible."		"The reason I'll be spending so much time on magic missile is because it's a very versatile spell," Kyron spoke. "In its simplest form, it takes the form of a shining bolt of force that travels in a straight line, delivering concussive blasts of force to whatever it impacts. This variant is often called the smasher, and it is a very simple and effective spell. A skilled mage can do so much more with it, however. You can use animation magic to make it home in on a target. You can sharpen it into a point that will pierce things instead of batter them, or a line to cut them – the piercer and cutter, respectively. You can fire multiple missiles instead of one – a swarm, even, if you have the reserves and skill to pull it off. And, of course, you can make the projectile invisible."

	"Invisible?" asked Zorian.		"Invisible?" asked Zorian.
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	"It is debatable whether or not the Old Alliance could be considered a unified state," Kirithishli said. "The name says it all, really – it was an alliance more than anything. Arguably it was the attempt to turn it into a state that led to the Splinter Wars. But yes, being once part of the Old Alliance, the Splinter Nations inherited much of its administrative legacy, including library organization."		"It is debatable whether or not the Old Alliance could be considered a unified state," Kirithishli said. "The name says it all, really – it was an alliance more than anything. Arguably it was the attempt to turn it into a state that led to the Splinter Wars. But yes, being once part of the Old Alliance, the Splinter Nations inherited much of its administrative legacy, including library organization."

	Zorian was starting to understand why Kirithishli had such strained relations with the current headmaster. He knew very little about the man, but what he did suggested he was very politically involved and… well, ''patriotic''. And the country they were living in made ~~it's~~ official position clear – there was no 'Old Alliance', because the Alliance of Eldemar never ended. It simply shrunk. That this was a completely ridiculous claim was self-evident to citizens domestic and foreigner alike, but most found it easier to humor the politicians. Kirithishli apparently went a step further and denied there was a predecessor state to be an inheritor of in the first place. A fiery, opinionated woman that she was, she probably said something of the sort within the headmaster's earshot. That must have been a fun conversation.		Zorian was starting to understand why Kirithishli had such strained relations with the current headmaster. He knew very little about the man, but what he did suggested he was very politically involved and… well, ''patriotic''. And the country they were living in made its official position clear – there was no 'Old Alliance', because the Alliance of Eldemar never ended. It simply shrunk. That this was a completely ridiculous claim was self-evident to citizens, domestic and foreigner alike, but most found it easier to humor the politicians. Kirithishli apparently went a step further and denied there was a predecessor state to be an inheritor of in the first place. A fiery, opinionated woman that she was, she probably said something of the sort within the headmaster's earshot. That must have been a fun conversation.

	"Hey!" called a familiar voice. "Is Zorian here? I heard-"		"Hey!" called a familiar voice. "Is Zorian here? I heard-"

Starwarscards: italicizing

2014-07-16T05:58:14Z

italicizing

Starwarscards: /* Of Gaps And Pretending */

2014-07-14T18:03:26Z

Of Gaps And Pretending

Show changes

Onizuka-gto: Require wiki formatting

2014-07-12T08:11:38Z

Require wiki formatting

Show changes

← Older revision		Revision as of 05:58, 16 July 2014
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	"I'll get him home, teacher," he said. Zach gave him a surprised look, but Ilsa just nodded and shoed them away.		"I'll get him home, teacher," he said. Zach gave him a surprised look, but Ilsa just nodded and shoed them away.

	Zorian picked up his bag and left with Zach in tow, very pleased with himself. He got a legitimate excuse to talk to Zach in private and a permission to skip a class he had already attended 8 times by now. Could a victory be more complete?		Zorian picked up his bag and left with Zach in tow, very pleased with himself. He got a legitimate excuse to talk to Zach in private ''and'' a permission to skip a class he had already attended 8 times by now. Could a victory be more complete?

	"You didn't have to do that, you know?" Zach remarked, trailing behind him. "I can get back home on my own. I don't feel ''that'' sick."		"You didn't have to do that, you know?" Zach remarked, trailing behind him. "I can get back home on my own. I don't feel ''that'' sick."
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	"Must have been some ''really'' weird fumes – the aftereffects almost look like soul magic exposure," Zorian speculated loudly.		"Must have been some ''really'' weird fumes – the aftereffects almost look like soul magic exposure," Zorian speculated loudly.

	Zorian had expected some kind of reaction from Zach, but what he got was quite a bit stronger than what he had imagined. Zach immediately sat straighter in his seat, eyes wide in realization. "Of course! That's why I'm still suffering the effects, even after the revert! The son of a bitch targeted the very thing that gets sent back – my soul!"		Zorian had expected ''some'' kind of reaction from Zach, but what he got was quite a bit stronger than what he had imagined. Zach immediately sat straighter in his seat, eyes wide in realization. "Of course! That's why I'm still suffering the effects, even after the revert! The son of a bitch targeted the very thing that gets sent back – my soul!"

	There was an eerie silence in the cafeteria as everyone stared at the crazy boy shouting nonsense in a crowded dining hall. Zach slowly lowered his hands (he had been gesticulating wildly during his little speech) and mumbled an apology that was too quiet for anyone but Zorian to hear. Scattered laughter rippled through the gathered students for a few moments before everything finally returned to normal.		There was an eerie silence in the cafeteria as everyone stared at the crazy boy shouting nonsense in a crowded dining hall. Zach slowly lowered his hands (he had been gesticulating wildly during his little speech) and mumbled an apology that was too quiet for anyone but Zorian to hear. Scattered laughter rippled through the gathered students for a few moments before everything finally returned to normal.
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	"Ice cube?" asked Zorian, an undercurrent of warning in his voice.		"Ice cube?" asked Zorian, an undercurrent of warning in his voice.

	But Zach was already packing, and Zorian could do nothing but huff in annoyance and follow after him. Still, Zach's little outburst answered a few of his questions. So it weren't his memories, or even his mind that got sent back – it was his soul. That would certainly explain why his spellwork and shaping skills didn't disappear every time he started over. It was common knowledge that magic was heavily connected to the soul, even if no one really knew the exact mechanism of their interaction.		But Zach was already packing, and Zorian could do nothing but huff in annoyance and follow after him. Still, Zach's little outburst answered a few of his questions. So it weren't his memories, or even his mind that got sent back – it was his ''soul''. That would certainly explain why his spellwork and shaping skills didn't disappear every time he started over. It was common knowledge that magic was heavily connected to the soul, even if no one really knew the exact mechanism of their interaction.

	When they finally reached the fountain, Zach seemed to be in a contemplative mood so Zorian took a moment to study the schools of colourful fish swimming in the basin of the fountain. He actually pitied the poor things, since they were unlikely to last long. For years the fountain had been in disrepair, and it was only due to the grander than usual summer festival that it was renovated. How likely was it that the Academy would continue to maintain it after the occasion passed? Not very. And it was even less likely it would be kept in a good enough condition for the fish to survive. Their days were numbered.		When they finally reached the fountain, Zach seemed to be in a contemplative mood so Zorian took a moment to study the schools of colourful fish swimming in the basin of the fountain. He actually pitied the poor things, since they were unlikely to last long. For years the fountain had been in disrepair, and it was only due to the grander than usual summer festival that it was renovated. How likely was it that the Academy would continue to maintain it after the occasion passed? Not very. And it was even less likely it would be kept in a good enough condition for the fish to survive. Their days were numbered.
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	"You're different than you used to be," Zach said. "You were more irritable, and always busy with something or other. You never believed me when I tried to tell you about the whole time travel thing – you thought I was trying to make fun of you."		"You're different than you used to be," Zach said. "You were more irritable, and always busy with something or other. You never believed me when I tried to tell you about the whole time travel thing – you thought I was trying to make fun of you."

	Well… that kind of story sounded exactly like something his brothers would try to fool him with. And Zach did have a great many things in common with those two already.		Well… that kind of story sounded ''exactly'' like something his brothers would try to fool him with. And Zach did have a great many things in common with those two already.

	"You've changed," Zach concluded. "You're a lot calmer. More laid-back, I guess."		"You've changed," Zach concluded. "You're a lot calmer. More laid-back, I guess."

	Zorian frowned. He didn't think he changed that much in personality, but he supposed it would be hard to not change when going through something like this. To say nothing of the fact that more than 8 months had passed since the restarts started for Zorian.		Zorian frowned. He didn't think he changed that much in personality, but he supposed it would be hard to ''not'' change when going through something like this. To say nothing of the fact that more than 8 months had passed since the restarts started for Zorian.

	"So, wait… why did I change then?" Zorian asked. "Didn't you say the whole world resets itself?"		"So, wait… why did I change then?" Zorian asked. "Didn't you say the whole world resets itself?"
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	It was a disturbing possibility, but there was not much point in dwelling on it much.		It was a disturbing possibility, but there was not much point in dwelling on it much.

	It really wasn't that unexpected, when you really thought about it. The strange time travel effect he and Zach were under had essentially turned them into soul entities. A lich was, at its core, also a soul entity. They were mages that ritually killed themselves and tethered their souls to an object – their phylactery – before it could move on into the afterlife. If the form they currently inhabited ever got destroyed, they'd snap back to their phylactery, and simply possess someone. It would make sense for a lich to know how to fight another lich. And a method that worked against a lich would work just as well against him and Zach.		It really wasn't that unexpected, when you really thought about it. The strange time travel effect he and Zach were under had essentially turned them into soul entities. A lich was, at its core, ''also'' a soul entity. They were mages that ritually killed themselves and tethered their souls to an object – their phylactery – before it could move on into the afterlife. If the form they currently inhabited ever got destroyed, they'd snap back to their phylactery, and simply possess someone. It would make sense for a lich to know how to fight another lich. And a method that worked against a lich would work just as well against him and Zach.

	And Zach had stupidly said as much to the lich at the end of their battle! 'It's not like I'll be dead for good,' indeed! The lich may not have known what Zach was exactly, but a statement like that strongly suggested he was either a lich himself or some kind of a possessor entity, and from a practical standpoint it wasn't that far off.		And Zach had stupidly said as much to the lich at the end of their battle! 'It's not like I'll be dead for good,' indeed! The lich may not have known what Zach was exactly, but a statement like that strongly suggested he was either a lich himself or some kind of a possessor entity, and from a practical standpoint it wasn't that far off.
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	"You're pretty good at this stuff," Ibery remarked beside him, putting a book on the shelf. "I'm surprised. Usually it takes a while for people to really understand the system we use here. I guess you worked in a library before, huh?"		"You're pretty good at this stuff," Ibery remarked beside him, putting a book on the shelf. "I'm surprised. Usually it takes a while for people to really understand the system we use here. I guess you worked in a library before, huh?"

	"Uh, yeah," agreed Zorian. It was technically true. "It was… surprisingly similar to this one in organization."		"Uh, yeah," agreed Zorian. It ''was'' technically true. "It was… surprisingly similar to this one in organization."

	"It's not really surprising," Kirithishli said behind him, causing him to jump in surprise. "All state libraries use the same organizing system. It's a standard enforced by the Society of Librarians. Hell, even the systems of other Splinter Nations are pretty similar."		"It's not really surprising," Kirithishli said behind him, causing him to jump in surprise. "All state libraries use the same organizing system. It's a standard enforced by the Society of Librarians. Hell, even the systems of other Splinter Nations are pretty similar."