Chereads / The Ascendant Soul (DND-Faerun) / Chapter 20 - Getting a Sense for Magic, Spell Books!

Chapter 20 - Getting a Sense for Magic, Spell Books!

Author PS: I have received feedback on some things and will now post the details to discord and Patreon at the end of each chapter. That being said, please enjoy!

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Since eight hours had passed I decided to go back to the Aasimar inn, finding that my free stay was over and that I'd have to pay from hence forth. The cost was quite reasonable, each day's stay being five silver, essentially one gold for each day spent. For the twenty days that I had free within the Ubiquitous Binder, I would need to spend 10 gold in total. Meals and drinks were included so I found it worth every coin, the receptionist nodding and smiling before putting the coin away in a drawer in her desk.

Finding myself a bit peckish I went to the common room of the inn and ordered some steak and mash. Meed was supplied to me in a decently sized stein and before very long I was feasting ravenously on my ordered food. Many other Aasimar gave me sidelong glances, some being tactfully interested whilst others had more malevolent ideas, based upon the grins and sleazy expressions they made constantly. It would seem that I needed to get more powerful at a faster rate. Luckily my intelligence stat had reached the massive number of 27. Based off of the fact that 22 allowed me to read 10 books in 8 hours, my speed should be obscene now. Especially because I could feel my brain sluggishly adapting to my new found intellect. 

It was as if my body was slowly evolving to house the stats that were shown on my framework. My goals now were to read more books to complete my Book mission, learn of 1st Weave circle magic, gather some information about the continents greatest nations and powers, learn other languages and figure out what the soul bound grimoire does.

{7- Learn 1st Circle Magic| A book of common 1st Circle Spells , +2000 Experience, Bag of Common Components (100 Gold worth) }

{8- Geopolitical Discovery| History Book of Thay, Book on the Illithids, Book On Elminster Aumar } 

{9- Become a Polyglot| Abyssal Language, Primordial Language, Drowic Language, Under-common, Volothamp Geddarm's Book on Species }

{10- Discover the purpose of the Soul-bound Grimoire| 100 Gold, +1 Section Point}

Licking the final remnants of my meal off of my fork I downed the meed and stood up, gesturing to one of the waiters before walking out and off to my room. Laying down on my bed I couldn't help but remember the feeling of using the weave to generate light. I didn't know why I was here, for what purpose or even how... But that mattered little for me at this current point. There was no way for me to figure that out and to even think of doing It I'd need to be of a significant influence and power level. With such heavy topics on my mind I slipped deep into slumber.

...

The next day I awoke, ate and set off for the bookstore once again. Entering I picked up the books that had been stacked for me yesterday, flipping through the first pages of this book about 1st Circle Weave spells. 

Very quickly it entered into some of the more basic spells of the level, such as the shield spell and the Detect Magic spell. The first allowed mages to quickly assemble a deflection to foe's attacks or missiles, it's only notable weakness was its inability to protect the mage against environmental damage or area of effect spells. Detect Magic was very simple and allowed me to detect magical effects or items within a certain range, specifically 30 feet going by the description of the tome.

The Shield spell took specific movements and verbal components, relying on a mix of Draconic and Common that apparently came out somewhere near what Latin sounded on Earth. "Aegis" . The weave around me splattered towards me as my mental command through the medium of language pulled at its threads. Unfortunately it seemed that I needed to anchor the movement with a movement of my own... Sort of acting like an anchor for my intent, giving it direction, size and shape.

The book explained that I need to wave my hands in a circular pattern radiating outwards from my chest, like a spiralling whirlpool almost. My palms needed to be facing away from my body and stop in line with one another. Supposedly this would shape the shield to cover my entire body. 

'Would it change shape if I were to use simpler gestures?'

Experimenting was slightly reckless, but given the fact that the magic was only of the first level, it was safer than higher level experimentation... At least, that is the excuse I gave myself. My subconscious was complaining over it, but my curiosity was very strong. I did at least have enough sense however do this in a safe location; in the bathroom stall of the book store.

"Aegis..." I simply moved my right hand forwards, skipping the radial curvature that was suggested, almost ordered, by the tome. The weave shook, quivering from the interaction and movement. Magic particles, or simply magic, began to swell around my outstretched creating a bubble of condensed shield that spread over the front of my body before fizzling out. The weave slipped off my form like the ocean off of cliff faces. It seemed there was some principle at play that made the formation of it, with such a simple gesture, impossible.

"Aegis..." This time I followed the movements exactly, observing the entire process of movement from the weave. Just like before it flared and slipped up to my hands, but unlike last time, the movement of my hand guided the magic into a whirlpool movement that attracted more and made it quickly slip over me. Within a literal second the shield was formed, a bubble of force exploding from my body out into a small dome about 2 feet from me. Then, in 10 seconds it was gone, the magic returned back to the weave.

'It is based off of how one manipulates the magic through the semantic components and also the intent behind the words. Then, does that mean if I make a slicing motion and say the word for slicing, that it would let out a slash?'

"Seco!" I stabbed downwards with my right hand in a chopping motion, my thoughts centring around slashing the wall in front of me. My deduction had been correct it seemed, the intent and the movement was important as in the next second an almost invisible line of force shot out and cut into the wall in front of me. The unfortunate thing about this? I was getting tired, my mind was buzzing at the interactions I had forced with the weave, my breathing laboured as I had to blink to get the small motes of light out of my vision. 

'I see... The weave operates by rules, laws and properties. Much like a body of water it requires direction, but because of it being magic it needs intent, a direction, a distance, a target. So this is why people call wizards nerds?'

{Achievement Made- Create a new spell | Rewards- Full Spell Book of Evocation Level 1 Spells, Full Spell Book of Abjuration Level 1 Spells}

Items fell into my inventory, my hand pulling them out of empty space before me in an instant as I started to look through the first one... Evocation. Burning Hands, Chromatic Orb, Earth Tremor, Frost Fingers, Magic Missile, Tasha's Caustic Brew, Thunderwave and Witch Bolt. The spell tome outlined each spell's component requirements, casting time, range, distance and usage. Immediately I saw the potential of Magic Missile, especially since the spell itself said that it auto targets and tracks, hitting pretty much immediately.

Next was Abjuration... The book outlined a similar amount of spells. Absorb Elements, Alarm, Mage Armor, Protection from Evil and Good, Shield and Snare. Each spell was good for certain scenarios and could be used to defend myself from unforeseen situations. Alarm could be used as an early detection system during the event that I am sleeping. Absorb elements would allow me to lessen the power of attacks with energy within them, ranging from physical attacks or magical... It would also allow me to hit them back with a bit more oomph also. Mage armour was like shield but lasted for 24 hours but less effective as it just enhanced my own evasive capabilities or armour abilities. Protection from Evil and Good was useful if I were to run into anything that was supernatural of a certain type, the tome said: aberrations, celestials, elementals, fey, fiends, and undead were all things that this gave some protection against. Honestly this was a massive gain for me. With these I could start to delve deeper into magic and also protect myself.

Stepping out of the bathroom I went back to my books, reading for the next several hours where I easily surpassed 10 books. I was now at a total of 30, the mission having been completed a long time ago...

{Completed- Book Junky| +1 to Arcana Proficiency, +1 to History Proficiency, +1 to Nature Proficiency, +1000 Experience| (Read 20 Books: 20/20)}

{Book Junky Supreme| +1 to Arcana Proficiency, +1 to History Proficiency, +1 to Nature Proficiency, +2000 Experience| (Read 40 Books: 10/40)}

|>Ascendant Soul Framework<|

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Name- Lumin'ara'el | Species- Aasimar |

Titles- Book Worm Wizard | Religious Connection- Ao, God of Creation

(Wizard) LEVEL- 3 |1200/4000|

Section Points- 5

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Status Sheet-

STRENGTH: 13

DEXTERITY: 14

CONSTITUTION: 15

INTELLIGENCE: 27

WISDOM: 20

CHARISMA: 12

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Proficiencies-

Bonus (+2)

Athletics : +3

Acrobatics : +2

Sleight of Hand : +2

Stealth : +4

Arcana : +9

History : +11

Investigation : +8

Nature : +9

Religion : +8

Animal Handling : +5

Insight : +8

Medicine : +5

Perception : +5

Survival : +4

Deception : +1

Intimidation: +1

Performance : +1

Persuasion : +1

Magic Schools- 

~Proficiency in all schools of Basic Magic (Transmutation, Enchantment, Necromancy, Divination, Abjuration, Evocation, Conjuration and Illusion)

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Quests-

1- Lose Virginity | +1000 Experience, A happy ending? (ADJUSTED DUE TO AQUISITION OF CLASS TYPE)

2- TRAINING MONTAGE | Proficiency in Simple Weapons, Proficiency in Longbows, Quiver of Retrieving

3- The Bridge, it moves? | Knowledge on basic Mechanics, Essential Transmutation Spells Weave Level 1 (ADJUSTED DUE TO AQUISITION OF CLASS TYPE)

4- Find Meaning? I guess? | A Golden Star? , Charisma + 2 , A Random OP Magic Item

5- Kill the Tyrant of Ash and Ruin | Achievement: Dragon Slayer , Strength + 4 , Constitution + 4 , Charisma + 10 , Knowledge on Ancient Red Dragons, The Dragon Hoard of Vermithraxxis , Levels + 5 , Sword of Dragon Slaying , Knowledge of Spells at a 9th weave level (Only the knowledge, not the capability) , Section Points + 40

6- Book Junky Supreme| +1 to Arcana Proficiency, +1 to History Proficiency, +1 to Nature Proficiency, +2000 Experience| (Read 20 Books: 10/40)

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Completed Achievements-

Stranger to the Lands

Survivor of the Tyrant of Ash and Ruin, Vermithraxxis

Iriaeboran Princess's Saviour

Create a Spell

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Inventory (200m^3) - Map of Faerûn , Compass, Adventurer's Camp Clothes, Spell Book of Cantrips, 1950 Gold, Ring of Protection, Soul Bound Grimoire, Immovable Rod, Evocation Spell Book 1st, Abjuration Spell Book 1st, 

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My gains via the mission were inconsequential in comparison to the wealth of knowledge that I had gained. I had made some inroads to figuring out influential states, cities and nations. The land of Thay was a necromantic wasteland ruled over by powerful liches and undead. The Empire of Cormyr where there is numerous tales of war-wizards and Dragon Knights. Waterdeep, a city-state also known as the City of Splendors, it is very magical and is said to house the vault of a mage called Mordenkainen. Amn a oligarchy council nation that lies just below Waterdeep and is economically immense in power and influence. There is also The Dale Lands a collection of loosely allied small towns near the powerful forest of Cormanthor, where Myth Draenor resides; whatever that it...

Research fostered little more for me on these nations as most of the books I received were about magic, or magical in some way. The man that was in the middle of the chamber refused to look at me while speaking, preferring to throw books in my direction as he turned page after page of his own tome. Ignoring his ignorant attitude I simply found more books on magical theory, finding some books on the different planes that orbited ours in a different dimensional phase.

{7- The Outer Planes| Book on Fiends, Book on Fey, Book on Celestials, Book on Aberrations, Book on Undead, Book on Elementals}

My interest seemed to have drawn a mission out of it as I put the book under my right arm, sitting down on a chair in the most distant part of the central chamber of the book store. Then, once again I continued to read...

On and on until eventually my Twenty Days were up...

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