A Source-rous Discussion

FOOSH-DOOM!!

A massive fireball erupts over the courtyard, rolling flames conjured by power magics lasting but an intense moment before fading away. Given the location, it's barely even a surprise for most locals.

Mikilos turns back to a small group of students, pointing out the expansion of the spell, center placement versus radius edge, or other practical effects of which one needs to be aware before trying to cast the spell themselves. The visual wasn't strictly required, but it was fun.

Seldan had been off at one edge of the courtyard, deep in conversation with a couple of gray-bearded wizards, one of whom listened thoughtfully. "A creation tapped directly from the Source, you say? Yes, yes, of course. I can't say that I have ever seen or heard of such a thing, but it would certainly be a fascinating -"

The old man looks up at the fireball, applauds politely, and goes back to his meandering. "Now, as I was saying, that angle really isn't the best choice at all. Why, you could get so much more out of exploring the aetheric properties of -" And off the old man goes.

Seldan looks up at the fireball as well, but as the old man meanders on, he politely excuses himself and stands, wandering over to the group ofstudents. The old man barely seems to notice that he has lost part of his audience as the paladin drifts to the edge of Mikilos' student group to watch.

Mikilos offers a little more advice, mostly applied geometry. It does have real world use, if you're wizard. A couple quick questions, and the gather breaks up, most students heading off to the library as Mikilos lingers behind. With the students departing, he turns focus to Seldan with a grin. "Grettings. How are you today?"

Seldan returns the grin with a smile of his own. "A useful discussion, although I suspect that it is the flames that they will remember best," he answers. "I was unaware that you taught here." Of course, Seldan isn't a common sight around here himself. It would be incorrect to say that he never comes to the Guild, but, he is not a regular fixture here.

Mikilos waves vaugely. "I'm listed as an advisor. I don't teach any regular classes, but offer the occasional lecture or fill in for someone. And if anyone has specific questions, I do what I can to help. What are you up to?"

Seldan nods his understanding, and reaches to shove a lock of hair out of his eyes - except that it isn't there, being firmly pinned beneath the silver headband that he wears. He draws his hand away, as if realizing what he is doing, and frowns. "I was ... seeking explanation of a thing that had been bothering me. You will recall what Dylan Hunt had to say about how his father created that ooze, do you not?"

Mikilos nods. "Not the exact words, but yes. I was slightly surprised he was the creator of the ooze, but can say I didn't have my suspicions."

"That the ooze was his doing, I had known," Seldan replies, frowning and squinting at the bright sunlight. "The trouble is the -how-. They spoke of touching ... the Source? directly. Had you any idea of what was meant by that?"

Mikilos frowns mildly. "Specifically? No. As a general theory? Yes. The Soruce is, well, the source. It's where everything comes from. A spigot that spits out energy and light and matter and everything that exists in one massive fountain. Or well. Or massive ball of fire. There's many methphors, but none of them quite capute what The Source is."

Seldan's eyes narrow, but not in anger so much as puzzlement. "Yes ... but, how is touching such directly even possible, and is it not forbidden? Is creation of life not the sole province of the gods?"

Mikilos frowns mildly, shrugs, and nods. "Somewhat depends on which gods you follow, but yes. Part of which is because Gods are the only ones who CAN touch the Source. It's... a massive ball of fire, burning white hot. Most things couldn't come close enough to even look at it without being incenerated. only a god could withstand the power long enough to do anythign with it. In theory, at least. After... well, everything, pours out of The Source, the raw power... 'cools off' in the Sea of Mana. A massive plane of energy that... just sorta sits there. It's where most raw magic comes from, and what most wizard tap into. But even then, we use buffers, layer of spells and ritual, as even the Sea is too much to be handeled directly. The Mana... 'leaks'... into the rest of reality by varous means, and that 'natural magic' is where most magical things come from. Of course it all gets very messy and complex, but as a broad brush strokes."

Seldan listens to this, nodding as it both matches and fills in his own understanding. "If Zeheir tapped the Source, directly, then ... and that is how this plague was made ... was it not twisted in the making, and if so ... can it be unmade, without seeking the help of the gods?"

Mikilos frowns, and considers. "...maybe? A year ago, I would have said a mortal wizard tapping directly into The Source was impossible. On the far side of reality from Th Source is, well, the End. The Null. The Void. A hole into which all things eventually fall and are ended. The problem is slightly before that is a more general Void, a sort of opposite to teh Sea of Mana, where thigns go and -start- to be destoryed... but apparently some of those pieces and have destroyed things get together and make their way back into the Prime world. Hence Void Dragons and Void deamons and other nasty things that have lost part of their reality."

Seldan is quiet while he assesses and assembles these bits of information. "A troubling thought, to be sure, and not a thing that any responsible mage would dare attempt to touch. And yet -" He frowns further, leaning against a nearby tree as he thinks. "And yet, that is what Hunt claims that the man did. Could he have - erred in the making? For such as he created was surely not his intent. Could it have twisted him as well?"

Mikilos nods. "Not know just what he did, I can only guess. But it's possible getting so close to The Source... burned away part of his mind. Or cause an entirely new part to grow. Maybe he was originally successful, but his creation got away from him, went off and grew into it's own thing. Maybe someone else got ahold of it and changed it. Hard to guess where thigns went wrong."

"Did Hunt not say that his mother died? That he knew little of his father?" Seldan speaks slowly, reviewing that conversation in his mind. "That suggests that he was not successful, or at the least, not entirely so. But ..." He stops himself and waves a hand. "Does it truly matter, when our true goal is to cure this plague, to understand what must be done to eradicate it?"

Mikilos shrugs. "It matters somewhat, in how to go about finding a solution, but yes, the solution itself is the important bit." he considers a moment. "So long as our solution doesn't end up being a worse situation. I mean, if we just killed everyone, it would certainly stop the plague. But not what I'd call a good plan."

"Would it indeed? Certainly out of the question." Seldan draws back, clearly revolted by the very idea. "You make a good point. The more we might understand of how such a thing came to be, the better chance we stand of being able to unmake it, or destroy it, as we deem fit." He straightens up. "Will you aid me, in trying to understand how such a thing came to be, for that purpose?"

Mikilos nods. "Of course. This plague has not only hurt myself and my friends, but now racks my homeland and my family. For that alone I'd do everything I could to stop it. But it threatens even more than that. Thousands of innocents could die, just for being close to Alexandria. I'm not entirely sure what I -can- do. What anyone can do, at this point. But I do intend to try."

"Your family as well?" Seldan seems to deflate a little, and he nods sadly. "Too many have been hurt. But ... the more to seek, the quicker to find, and perhaps in the searching, we may learn what there is to be done. Certainly stopping Kol and Yukia must be done, and Eclavdran as well."

Mikilos nods. "SilverMoon is infected. We will do what we can, as we can."

"Yes." Seldan straightens, and looks around the courtyard at some of those milling about. "We will speak more, later, but if you will excuse me...."

[[Category:|A Source-rous Discussion]]