I awoke some unknown time later. there were no outside indications of time here in this room so I couldn't tell if it was night or day. Saul was sitting on the floor next to where I had left him. His eyes were closed an he had his legs crossed. I was shocked to see a slow rise and fall of his chest considering he wasn't a physical biological creature and therefore didn't need to breathe. yet everything seemed to be in place. Even his hair moving appropriately as if it had gravity physics.
I tried not to stare for too long, and instead turned my attention toward my new staff and outfit. I was now wearing a way to comfortable formal vest and ascot adjacent thing. It was so comfortable that I was able to sleep with it on, it wasn't to hot or too cold The hat however sat on the bed near me. It had the ability to obscure my face, seemingly casting it in shadow. supposedly it might come in handy some day, but for the most part i thought it was shady.
Today would be the start of my lessons with Saul on the utilization and application of mana. The staff was apparently pretty efficient in its job as it had managed to fill up to three quarters full while I slept.
* the staff has a charge rate, its 6.25 ml of liquid mana distilled per hour. That translates to roughly 625 mana points per hour. *
"Is that a lot?"
*depends on the scale. For you right now. Yes. Its way more than necessary. You don't know any spells.
Your robes will siphon around 2 mls of that per hour for upkeep and the defensive barrier. Though if the barrier is struck it will consume more to keep you safe. Which means in combat, you will likely not be building mana. *
I looked at the staff for a moment, it really held that much. I was impresses with lady Carissa's design. It was practical and efficient.
"Alright, how do we start? Teach me to use this awesome staff. "
* hrm. Since your going to be kicked out in 1 day and 16 hours, I am going to start with a simple combat spell and how to channel mana. Which will require a few extra steps because your from a world without it.thus you lack the appropriate mana circuit to channel the energy. Luckily we can remedy this using the liquid mana fairly quickly. *
"What do i just drink it?"
* absolutely not, Aether is poisonous. You would die a quick and painful death.*
"Oh, that's why its an effective spear. "
* instead you will draw lines of it across the ground. Just simple lines. This will cause a spike of aerosolized mana that will begin to accumulate in your body. draw straight lines that don't over lap in concession. And I will explain what mana is and how to begin using it. *
I started drawing the lines, the vapors that poured off the liquid was a fascinating radiant blue before turning invisible.
* long ago, towards the creation of the omniverse an ancient and mysterious civilization with technology far surpassing any understanding that any civilization since decided that it needed to leave a mark on the face of creation. So they set embarked on this task. We are all lucky that they were not a malicious species. Their combined efforts created the pillar of eternity. A deceptive name for something so... peculiar.
This pillar takes many forms as its translated into the third dimension, this space where you and I exist. However one thing remains the same. If you gaze upon it, you learn the stories of all those who have gazed upon it before. My previous owner was never so lucky.
That being said the pillar has pierced through many different worlds, and many civilizations have traded their knowledge. One of which took note that the pillar itself radiated an energy that carried and responded to cognizant thought. This energy known as numen energy is the source of mana. That civilization theorized that it responded to this due to prolonged exposure to various brainwaves and due to the pillar being a source that carried memory. They decided to modify it further into something usable for all races. Something extraordinary. Somehow they managed to create what we now call the infinite staircase. A set of spiral stairs housed in a tower like structure that spans the entire length of the pillar. Then they made the guardians. A group of immortalized minds that altar the Numan energy into useable mana energy. An infinite number number of sentinels, each one approached for their impartiality and strength of will. Its a voluntary post offered only to the few.
These guardians direct the mana energy through the gates in their sector and monitor travelers for threats to the staircase.
The mana your inhaling now is technically from a guardian to the staircase, and it will have a slight deviation in its qualities then the rest.
*
"So what is a mana circuit then?" I asked. Most of what was just said didn't make any sense to me. As far as I am aware there has never been anything like that connected to earth.
* Alright, well, a mana circuit is what happens when sentient creature's are exposed to high concentrations of mana for long periods of time. The mana flows through their lungs, into their blood and eventually into their bones where it causes some of the cells there to defect into a new type of cell. We call these Manablasts. They begin to replace paths of bone with Aetherite imbedded bone. Aetherite is a solidified, crystalized, form of Aether or in this particular case the liquid that is currently in your staff. The newly replaced bone will have hundreds if not millions of tiny crystals that are imbedded in it. These crystals provide a path for mana to travel through the body without causing damage, however it will take years for these to form properly. You won't have that much time before your in danger. *
" Wait, isn't Aether poisonous? Won't that cause problems?" I stopped forming lines on the floor.
* Quite, however as the Aetherite takes a long time to form, your body will develop defenses that counteract it and allow you to handle more and more exposure to the substance over time. One of them being monocytes. Cells that neutralize Aether that's running rampant in the body. Most creatures that are exposed to it develop this, however some creatures develop it after their body has been mutated by the energy. That's how we end up with dire wolves. *
" I see, So how will I defend myself If I don't have a mana circuit? "
* that is why there is a spear tip on the end of that staff. its for when the magic doesn't work. OR you could just clobber them with the glass bit. Its Aether reinforced so it would take significant impact to shatter it.
BUT, there is another method of casting spells that my master practiced before their mana circuit set in. ITs a bit more involved though. *
"Well... Go on. out with it. "
* its called many things, but my master always preferred to call it bubble blowing. *
I guess my faced screwed into a scowl cause he was quick to continue.
* Essentially with all magic practice you cause mana to form into specific shapes then activate them like machines. Having a mana circuit makes this process incredibly easy as you can simply direct the mana that is attuned to you and flowing through your circuit into the shape with your own will. However when you don't have that ability you have to inject the mana through exterior means.
Some people over the millennia have come up with some interesting methods of doing that. Some use their blood to carry and shape the mana, some use the mana circuits of their dead ancestors, some people Pray to a deity or pact with exterior forces, others draw runes upon the ground in vast arrays to accomplish their deeds.
My master wrote about a method that was only available to her because of the staff she invented. This staff. You will remember that there is a compartment just under the globe. Open the compartment and flick the switch. that will release the Aether into the basin and allow it to enter the felt stamper at the top of the rod. *
I did as I was asked and I watched as the small fibers turned the blue color of mana.
* alright smear some on your hand and then form it onto a circle, like your going to blow a bubble. Then take a deep breath of the mana filled air and blow. *
Following his instruction I created my first Aether bubble. A simple shiny glowing blue bubble that floated about a foot in front of me and seemed to not be affected by gravity or wind. It was like it was stationary.
* Not bad, however this Aether bubble is full of mana that hasn't had time to imprint to you. SO its just gonna pop here in a minute and do nothing. Still though, that was an excellent first attempt. This time though When you take in the deep breath hold it for about thirty seconds. This will give the mana time to imprint to your brain waves and therefore be able to follow your WILL. *
" 30 seconds, UGH, and I am supposed to be doing this in combat? " I complained as I continued.
* Remember there is a spear on the end of your staff. As a rule of thumb, if you don't have time to breath use the spear instead. You should probably pick up a dagger as well just in case they get too close. *
I exhaled into the soapy substance, but this time something was different. I could feel something tugging on my mind. It was strange. As I exhaled I knew. This mana that was leaving my lungs and filling this bubble. this was my mana. I mentally moved it around in the bubble as if it were second nature to me.
* Much better. This mana is yours and I can see that you have already figured out how to manipulate it. Good. This is what my master called a primed sphere. its now ready for you to do something with it. For now, simply make the bubble move around the room. When it pops we will spend the rest of the day with breathing exercises, and playing with these bubbles. The more you practice the better. OH, and we will continue to build that mana circuit. *