(catch-all) late march→april

[tevinteraltus]

who; Magic Dorian (of the Pavus flavor) and YOU!
what; TDM prompts + General around-ness/catch-all
when; Late March → April
where; Places!
warnings; violence, philosophical discussions/beliefs (maybe), more to be added if it's needed


01 River Fighting - Late March | OTA
[Normally Dorian wouldn't rush out into danger, but with the river swelling and nasty little beasties deciding to invade his little foster home for the time-being, it's his deep-seated belief that mages were born with the gift with a responsibility to use it to protect those who couldn't protect themselves. "Magic is meant to serve man", as the Chantry teaches, after all. Dorian hasn't worn the attire he's found in near the flooded areas in months, since shortly after arriving actually, but the leathers and robes, aside from looking rather smart, are also enchanted, giving the mage a bit of added defense against the monsters from the river. That doesn't mean he wouldn't welcome company, of course.

He pauses as he rounds a corner, an overgrown crocodile rears its head from the flood waters down the bank. He brings himself up short, breath catching for a moment until he's certain the beast hasn't seen him...or heard him. He raises a hand slowly, muscles tensing and chilled air seems to swirl around him, and he tenses his hand as a glowing sigil of white energy, an intricate swirling of concentric circles and runic tracings is etched onto the pavement near the water's rising edge where it pulses with a gentle glow. Seemingly satisfied with the large sigil's, roughly four feet across, placement, he smirks slightly, shifting his stance, bringing his hands together before him as though holding a ball, and a ball does indeed begin to grow in the space between them, a swirling purple-black thing of fetid, necromantic energy. Just before it's grown large enough to touch his cupped palms, he shifts, hurling the ball at the crocodile with all his strength. It strikes true, spreading across the crocodile's head and what if its body is visible above the water's surface like wildfire, an inky purple smoke and the croc hisses in pain...and rage. Wherever the purple smoke touches the beast, it seems to sink in, shimmering just barely in view, enveloping it in an apparently very painful embrace. It only seems to anger the monster, though, as it hones in on Dorian who slides his red-crystal-topped staff from his back.]

Come on, you Blighter! Hit the trap!

[The beast pulls its bulk from the water and is capable of deceptively fast movement on land. And very long strides that take it over Dorian's carefully laid frost trap.]

Damn.

[Fire erupts at Dorian's fingertips and encircles the crystal atop his staff as he brings the weapon to bear. At least the necromantic curse he's hurled on the creature would continue to weaken it, and, provided the beast fell before the spell's effect was exhausted, they'd have a rather sizeable beast on their side in the likely event its friends decided to show up.]

A little help for the mage, if you please?

(OOC: More open prompts below! If you'd like a specific scene, or a setting other than what I provided, HMU on vikael or discord @ prettyvikael#0221 and we'll set something up)

Comments

Gramarye Magic Research → April 8 → Research Floor | OTA

[tevinteraltus]

[The complicated thing about attempting to puzzle out illusion magic was trying to accomplish that which wasn't real in a realm that was very much real, but made of the stuff normally shaped by the unconscious mind. Sure, he could build fireballs, manifest anything at all, but what he meant to do here was make something that seemed real but wasn't. All his research suggests to capture a false picture is related to light, though, and that seems like the best place to start.

He uses something he's familiar with, a light-refracting kaleidoscope used by many on holidays to flash lights about festively: a sparkler. The cylindrical device is safely within a protected and warded transparent enclosure when he starts his research camera recording. He's learned the benefits of modern documentation. He's, of course, addressing the camera rather than anyone who may have stepped in to the research floor, when he speaks.]

Researcher Dorian Pavus. The date is...April the 8th...and the time is 10:05. This is session one on Light-Generated False Imagery, to be hence-forth referred to as "illusion". First attempt to capture illusionary light from manifested fire. The objective being to generate no heat. There are sensors to record such things trained on the experiment platform, which can be seen in view.

Commencing test.

[He raises a hand, brow furrowing slightly in concentration. Being a first test, the amount of energy he's pulling for the intended outcome, conjuring a small flame that is reflected by the sparkler's many mirrors, but that generates no heat (as that would pretty much destroy the sparkler) is arbitrary, though he does his best to make an educate guess. For a moment, a flame of modest size but impressive brightness bursts to life within the enclosure before the very flammable surfaces of the sparkler ignite and combust all at once, exploding against the warded walls of the enclosure with a bright flash of light, quite a bit of heat, and a loud explosion.

He winces as he clicks the camera off.]

Well, that could have gone better.

(OOC: Feel free to witness any part of that failure, including coming to investigate the sound!)

waves

[scholiast]

(Lucretia had come to the research floor for more books and finds herself trapped in an endless, predictable loop of reference checking, becoming sidetracked by the rest of the book, finally tearing her eyes away long enough to pick up the next tomb; rinse and repeat. She'll lose a few hours like this, sitting at a desk and pouring over books, making notes with her left hand as she flips pages over with her right.

Dorian's voice carries across the room toward her, making her glance up briefly. She's seen him about Gramarye before but they've never spoken. Seems he's doing an experiment of some kind. Her hand stills at her note paper and she listens, craning her neck to see what he's got warded away in the enclosure he's addressing.

She doesn't have much time to catch a glimpse before it emits a bright light and an explosion. Lucretia jumps in spite of herself, then laughs, glancing down at where she'd accidentally drawn a surprised line through her last sentence. Scratching it neatly out and rewriting it, she raises her voice in reply.)

Everything alright over there?

oh hai there!

[tevinteraltus]

[A sharp exhalation of frustration is her only response for a moment as he deactivates the shield protecting the...smoldering remains of the sparkler. He makes a small sound of regret and begins to clean up the mess. At least the test dome had served its intended purpose.]

Yes. It was only a first attempt, after all.

[It was then he looked over to her, eyebrows raising. He knew of her, after all, if only by way of her friends and passingly around the facility.]

Lucretia, isn't it? [He raised a hand in a sort of wave before turning to the smoking remains and lifting a hand, this time summoning up the smallest wisp of chilled air, effectively putting out what remained of his failed experiment.] Dorian Pavus.

[scholiast]

(Lucretia tries to go back to her book after this short exchange, unaware of Dorian glancing her over, but she's properly distracted now. Her curiousity is too great. She's grateful for when he addresses her, and tips her book shut before she glances up just in time to catch his little wave in her direction.

She waves back.)

It is. Hi, Dorian.

(Standing, she trails over to watch him gently douse what's left of his sparkler.) An unexpected result?

[tevinteraltus]

Not entirely, no.

[He shook his head, deactivating the test enclosure to clean up his mess.]

I met briefly last month with Loki, who is, to be quite succinct, a master of illusion magic, something that doesn't exist in my world. Without boring you with technicalities, I'm trying to work out how to conjure a false image. It's proving more difficult than I originally calculated.

[He looks back to her.]

Unless you'd like to be bored with the technicalities. That does, after all, include that this constitutes my first solo venture into heretofore unexplored avenues of magical theory. The last time I did anything like this, it was under the tutelage of my former mentor.

[buildingcastles]

[Christian is at the facility for his own work, but it makes poking into other magical experiments much easier as a result. So he takes breaks and often ventures out of his office to investigate what is going around in other parts of the building. When he happens to hear the voice from a room he's passing, he wanders in much like a stray cat catching the scent of something good. Drawn to the magic energy and what sounds like something rather official, Christian arrives just in time to see Dorian cause a sudden, loud explosion behind a barrier. He startles, but laughs quietly as he creeps further in.]

What are you doing in here? Was that for defense or entertainment?

[tevinteraltus]

[Dorian doesn't startle at the sound of Christian's voice, though as soon as he hears it, he has to remind himself that Christian works somewhere around here, most likely on this floor, or one near it, and that he had made quite a racket with his attempt.]

Experimentation. [He turned to Christian only after he responded.] That is how progress is made, isn't it?

[buildingcastles]

[Dorian's experiment is probably just one of a few at least, but it's certainly the loudest. Christian shows up like a stray cat for food, intrigued by the noise and, as always, impressed by Dorian's composure. He moves over to where the mage is, looking at the remains of the experiment.]

I suppose. Can't bake a cake without cracking eggs... What were you baking?

[tevinteraltus]

If you must know, I was attempting to manifest the appearance, sound, and heat of a flame without actually producing a flame.

[ He rolls his shoulder in a shrug. That's what experiments were for, after all. ]

I accomplished the latter, something I have done countless times.

[ And at that he taps his chin thoughtfully, looking back toward the test area. ]

Perhaps that's the problem...yes!

[ And now he's quite obviously thinking aloud more than actually explaining anything to Christian, and his speech is faster, as though his thoughts are moving quicker than his voice can keep up with. ]

Of course! It will require a shift in intent. I've focused on the Inferno school for so long, calling forth a flame is second nature! But my will for a fireball is presentation only. This may require meditation, and an awful lot of practice, but if I can get the meaning right...

01 River Fighting

[likeacoupon]

[This is absolutely insane. Willa shouldn't be here. She has no military training and has, at most, use a bat to fend off tugs. The feeling coursing through her is similar to those moments or maybe more akin to the time when she'd been held at gun point.]

Damn it. [She mumbles beneath her breath. Adrenaline spikes through her small frame as a fierceness courses through her limbs. She should head back but there is a large crocodile between her and her exit. Willa has a hand gun at her side, a bat and a backpack with the goods she had come into the flood zone for. She should have brought more weapons with her but she had hoped to slip in and out unnoticed.]

I'm so fucking stupid. [Willa climbs through a window to make her way towards the front of the crocodile when the purple orb seeped into it's skin.] Who the hell? [She slides out the window near the front of the building, her feet splashing in the water as she spots Dorian and his flames.

That's pretty cool.

Her noise seems to go unnoticed as she pulls the gun from her side. It isn't going to do very much against the crocdile's skin, so Willa waits until it's mouth opens or it's eye is close enough before firing a few shots. Not that binding the creature will be a very good idea if it starts lashing out towards at the buildings in this area.]

01 River Fighting

[tevinteraltus]

[Since the offending beast decided to simply walk over his well-placed ice trap and simply tromp in his direction, Dorian unleashed two fireballs in rapid succession, whirling his staff around and using its momentum to fling the gathered energies at the beast. The erupted across its flesh, and the way it hissed suggested it hurt more than the size suggested, aided by the purple swirling smoke that still enveloped the beast.

He noticed movement out of the corner of his eye as he was preparing to ready another fireball, and he frowned at the sight of who was there, but held his tongue, choosing not to alert the monstrosity to her presence. Instead, he funneled his intended energy into something much more direct, the fire gathered at the end of his staff guttering and solidifying into a crest of ice as his muscles tensed. If the beast was going to bypass his trap, he'd handle it a different way. He was normally upfront in the first place.

He hurled the frozen energy with all his upper body strength, and it hit the croc hard, the chill enveloping it slowing down the cold-blooded creatures movements to a sluggish crawl. He used the opening to move quickly across the field of battle toward Willa, frowning as he came within view, though she'd probably notice the sweat running down his face. Casting wasn't as easy as a snap of the fingers after all, and certainly not on the fly.

His words were clipped, if a little breathless.]

What in the Maker's name are you doing out here?

[And while he waited for a response, he gathered the energy needed for a shielding spell and thrust his hand upward to release it. A shimmering sheen of green energy erupted around them and rained down on the both of them, where it touched her would be warm, protecting, safe.]

01 River Fighting

[likeacoupon]

[Willa remains silent and still as she watches Dorian gather flames at the end of his staff and hurl them towards the beast. She's seen magic before but nothing like the power her friend is wielding now. Something clicks in the back of her mind and her respect for Dorian suddenly doubles. He's a lot like Walter in many ways though he makes a lot more sense and is actually willing to explain his thought process.

Which means she's going to get censured for being out here when there are giant ass crocodiles lumbering around the city.

Her eyes land on him as he joins her in her hiding spot and despite the beasts distraction and sizzling skin behind her, she keeps her voice low as she gives Dorian the lamest answer in the history of answers.] Sneaking.

[There is a momentary pause before Willa deices that it isn't going to be enough of an answer to Dorian's question.] Fine. Someone hired me to go get some of their things from the flooded area. [She points towards her backpack.] Since I'm small and I can sneak I figured I could get in and out without anything realizing I'd been here.

[The bat is mostly for aesthetics and to have something to throw if she needs to provide a distraction.]

01 River Fighting

[tevinteraltus]

Sneaking.

[The response is more a statement than a question, and his tone drips with sarcasm. Dorian has infinite patience for anyone who's willing to learn, a dizzying tolerance for anyone with a witty jest, even on his behalf, or something willing to engage him with a sporting debate on a worthwhile topic. He does not have any tolerance for over-confidence thrusting someone into harm's way, or for children making stupid choices and rushing off half-cocked into untold danger.]

If you had any knowledge of water predators at all, you would know their senses of smell are the strongest.

[A renewed hissing growl from their new friend drew Dorian's attention and he took a step back in its direction. The shield he'd cast over the both of them began to fall, and it would warm her skin as it enveloped her in a shimmering shell of protection, just as it did Dorian.]

The shield will protect you from the deadliest of its fangs, but it's still going to hurt if it gets a hold. I'd suggest staying put while I deal with our friend.

01 ~ Lizard wrangling

[happiertimes]

[Cullen has taken a patrol that winds him closer to the river than normal. A part of him is hoping to run into those people he's met over the last few weeks, but he also just enjoys the view. Besides, there are creatures there to fight that prove to last more than a few swings of his blade. (He's still not comfortable enough with the sidearm to rely on it in the heat of an attack.)

The dull tingle of magic in the air and the sound of a familiar voice shouting has him running as fast as he can. And it's a good thing too. Dorian is going head-to-head with something that could be related more to a high dragon than a wyvern if the size is to be believed.]

You couldn't have brought a friend along before you decided to pick fights with the lizard population?

[Teasing the necromancer is second nature, even if they aren't from the same version of Thedas. Iona and Mahanon might be different, but it appears that nothing has really changed between the two friends.]

Even if the Iron Bull's not here [he jumps of the way of the creature's teeth; Dorian's healing spells aren't the best if he recalls correctly and he doesn't want to risk it.], you should know better, Dorian. You're supposed to be the smart one, right?

[tevinteraltus]

[Not one to be shown up when it comes to banter, (even if he's very glad to know that Cullen was lurking near), he laughs at Cullen's chastisement as the beast, still sluggish, turns its attention to something much closer.]

And yet here you are, Commander. It's as though I assumed you couldn't keep yourself away from citizens in danger.

[He takes advantage of the giant lizard's distraction to lob a shimmering dome of energy over Cullen's head to give the crocodile something a lot tougher to chew threw if Cullen found himself in a rough spot, and then whirled his staff to its holster on his back momentarily, his mind weaving his mana through the arcane runes of an ice barrage spell. In the water, it would be much more effective, and it takes a moment to cast, so it's nice to have a brute with a shield to keep it busy for a moment. He released the barrage of ice missiles a moment later, and the collided with the beast's hide, freezing flesh were they landed.]

Ha! Step over that, you Blighter!

[happiertimes]

[It's not lurking if one is doing their job. It's called work. Besides, if he doesn't give Dorian some trouble, the mage's head will stop just barely fitting through doorways.

And being able to fight like this makes him feel alive, useful.]

Someone has to be around to keep the pesky do-gooders alive another day. It just so happens that I get paid to do it.

[While Dorian is readying his magic, Cullen is enjoying slashing at the crocodile's thick hide and smashing it in the face with his shield. It takes some grace and skill to avoid the creature's powerful jaws and heavy tail, but he feels more like himself as a young, idealistic teenager than he has in a great deal of time.

When he freezes the croc's leg up to its knee, Cullen smashes with his shield as hard as he can.]

You've gotten better with the ice already!

[tevinteraltus]

Such a charmer, Cullen! How do the ladies resist it?

[It was good to banter, and to stretch his legs. Why, ever since arriving in the Quarantine, he hadn't had his life threatened once. Maybe that was partially why he'd come out here with no support, no backup to speak of. He always had risked bodily harm in the face of boredom, after all.

One delightful byproduct of freezing a limb so solidly as Dorian had was the fact that it shattered when Cullen slammed into it. The beast roared in pain and rage, and, suddenly overbalanced, fell from it's footing, splashing heavily into the rising river. It's struggles to rise seem furtive at best, as the swirling purple darkness still barrages the beast from all sides.

And Dorian shifts his focus to fire, though the spell he's preparing is going to take a few seconds.]

Shall I finish it off, or would you care for the killing blow, Commander?

April 6th

[umbrastaff]

[ A cheese platter was easy enough to make that Lup found it boring. So to liven it up a bit, she made some canapés with smoked salmon, a few sweeter finger food options, and parmesan pannacotta amuse-bouche. It should go well with any wine Dorian brought, as long as it wasn't too dry.

She was just finishing the nice tray with the cheeses and the little extras when she heard the door, and the elven woman uses Mage Hand to open it from where she was setting up in the living room. ]

Hey, Dori! Make yourself comfy, I'm just gettin' wine glasses!

[ Not even stopping, she just waves and heads back into the kitchen with a grin. ]

[tevinteraltus]

[One of the most important things Dorian encountered in the Quarantine was its vast and varied wine selection from various realities and locales. What he brought with him this evening is 20 year Frappato from Italy, on Earth, which he deemed rounded enough for whatever she may be serving for their evening. It was a dry wine, but with sweet undertones, a hint of strawberry, and the mild spice of cloves.

It was also a personal favorite, whether he was eating or simply reading late into the night.

When she lets him in he glances at the door then after her retreating form before stepping in and shutting the door behind him. Mage Hand was also not a spell he was accustomed to, but he could adapt well enough. He makes his way to the sofa as instructed, his eyes panning over the spread appreciatively.]

I most certainly shall. You've outdone yourself, you know.

[umbrastaff]

[ She's grins and places down the glasses on the table before she snaps her fingers - and that lights a few candles. It's all really nice and fancy, but somehow also cosy when you count in the charming house and the hostess herself. Lup is wearing an oversized knitted sweater over a tank top and some skinny jeans, fashionable but comfy.

She gives him a big smile as he praises her spread, clearly proud. ]

I thought I would try some new recipes when I was at it, so it wasn't just cheese and grapes. That could be boring after a while, right?

[ The elf notices the wine and beams. ]

Ooooh dang that's some good shit! Come, sit!

[tevinteraltus]

[Since coming to the Quarantine, Dorian has taken to fashion that fits snugly, much like her skinny jeans, which is also closer to what he's accustomed to wearing most of the time, and favors tops that hug his form and keep his arms bear. He does like when people take notice of him after all.

He accents his wardrobe with various bracelets of silver, and necklaces of the same, and he takes a seat as she offers, smiling proudly at the compliment and offering his hostess the bottle. He brought the wine, yes, but not the corkscrew.]

Naturally. If you expected less, we should get better acquainted.

[And as he shifts his gaze over the spread he smiles appreciatively before commenting.]

Snacks are only as boring as their company, Lup. [And he looks back to her.] Boredom and tedium shall never touch us.

River Fighting

[coquere]

[all right, so no tipsters told him about these giant crocodiles wandering around the bank, but such things wouldn't be an unusual sight in Eos. So he is prepared for them while checking around the area.

He notices the fire and the shout for help. A lance materializes in his hand and he hurls it at the beast. He would've preferred taking out an eye, but his throw embeds the lance in the creature's leg instead. At least that stops it from lumbering toward the other man.

Ignis darts forward, gripping the end of the lance and vaulting over the beast, using his momentum to pull the lance out. Yes, that was absolutely necessary, don't question it. Once he lands he switches out the lance for his dual daggers. Analysis tells him the beast is weakened. Ignis turns to the man with the fire]

If you would lend your ice magic to me, I will help dispose of this creature.

[tevinteraltus]

[Well, now, a competent fighter appearing with versatile magical weapons was a welcome sight for the slightly over-confident mage who'd quite recently bitten off more than he could properly chew in regards to a very large crocodile. He'll comment on the man's fighting prowess later, after the beast has been dealt a killing blow and they could all breathe a little easier.

For now...]

Only the ice? [He nods, though, believing he follows what this man is intending, and the chill air of Winter magic was already gathering about the man as he raised his staff, the air before him solidifying in a large ball of ice that seemed to ebb and flow within.] Let's see how a lizard reacts to the sudden cold, shall we?

[He released the gathered ball of freezing air and water and, much like a torpedo, it slammed into the croc's side, shattering. The ebbing flow of freezing water washed over the beast's hide in a deluge, and everywhere it touched froze solid.

He smiled, pleased with himself.]

After you, good sir.

[coquere]

[That isn't quite like the Blizzard magic he's accustomed to seeing, but it has the same effect, and that's really all that matters at the moment. His blades accept the magic, ice forming into an elongated shape. He does another completely necessary flip in the air, slamming both iced blades down into the croc's eyes. And just for good measure, when he pulls them out he does a quick sweep of the creature's legs. Ice forms under its feet so if it's still alive, it will slip.

Ignis quickly dashes over to the mage's side. It's a force of habit from all the times fighting with Noct and the others. He has his blades ready but he's pretty sure that croc is not getting back up alive after such punishment]

Your magic is quite impressive. Do you have need of any potions or ethers?

[tevinteraltus]

[ Finding the beast's brain through its eye sockets was apparently a fine way to end its life. The purple swirling mists that had enveloped the beast originally at Dorian's call seemed to coalesce, churning and flowing into every orifice of the fallen beast's body, but it dissipated with a wave of Dorian's hand.

Necromancy was all well and good, but the animation of the giant's corpse was temporary, and with no other assailants showing themselves, awesome, but pointless. It had been a precautionary venture regardless, and with Ignis' arrival, unnecessary.

He turned to face the man, a proud smile on his face as he inclined his head. ]

I am very good at the whole magic thing, you're right. I remain unscathed, thanks to your timely intervention, and I assume this ether is something akin to a lyrium potion? A restorative for a mage's mana?

[ He shakes his head. ]

I'm fine, thank you. Dorian Pavus, at your service.