All but Leisel Wyrd gave Nox a pass from classes.
“Why do the department records not say where you’re going or what dungeons and rifts you’re targeting?” She asked, looking over the request form.
“Because we’re senior students,” Nox answered. “All of us have met the requirements to take up to two weeks off during term time for delves as long as we bring back evidence of our time away. We’re not officially required...
2024-03-08 06:01:35 +0000 UTC View PostIn the week building up to their departure, Nox invested time in a subject he had neglected for the past month: warding.
Professor Leisel Wyrd still made him uncomfortable and reminded him of the threats of Mind Magic. She wasn’t his first encounter with the arcane school. The practitioners he had met before followed the social decorum of not enchanting other people. Queen Lydya Mercer and Pudge only used their magic on animals. The la...
2024-03-07 07:36:20 +0000 UTC View Post“I know we didn’t have the most pleasant, but can’t you do any better?” Lord Oakheart asked. He and Nox met the following Thirday. They sat in the Galleria’s newly refurbished commercial space with a table full of cheeses, cured meats, wines, and an assortment of fine liquors. They had sampled most during their discussion, and Nox struggled to go back for more, betraying his fondness for a few. Lord Oakhear looked over the paperwork ...
2024-03-06 06:26:14 +0000 UTC View Post“Not all of the continent's residents utilize the standard mana system. The further they live from the three powers, the more their magic deviates from the norm.
In Alkebulan and the distant western continent, it's not uncommon to find mages who bond with one or many spirits and derive their strength from them. Nihon and Han blend magic with martial arts, chants, and the gift of friendly magic beasts to develop their uniqu...
2024-03-05 09:04:10 +0000 UTC View PostAUTHOR'S NOTES: This is a new project w
2024-03-04 18:55:41 +0000 UTC View PostBrianna Alfson often wished that the Department of Dungeon Studies never forced her into Advanced Dungeon Combat. She had the skill and arcane prowess for the class, but she lacked a party.
Unlike her former companions, Brianna didn’t have an affluent background. She was born in the Arctic Wastes amongst the freefolk. They taught her to wield weapons and command her ancestor's magic. Her people didn’t believe in hoarding material wea...
2024-03-04 18:01:39 +0000 UTC View PostThe prospect of unlocking the secrets of spatial and gravity magic excited the university so much that he had a meeting with a grant proposal committee first thing on Firstday morning. When Nox entered the conference room, he found four people waiting for him.
“It's nice to see you again, Sir Ratra,” Dean Amit Gupta, the leader of the research department, said. He was among the most serious men Mox had ever met. He introduced the res...
2024-03-01 07:00:02 +0000 UTC View PostNox attended his lectures like usual on Seconday—his presentation in Advanced Mana Theory. The professor approved his dissertation and assigned him a senior researcher in the department to act as his supervisor. Nox would still need to attend lectures but would have the freedom to work on his dissertation and other projects silently. The professor claimed the general theories and research conducted in the class would benefit everyone with th...
2024-02-29 07:25:58 +0000 UTC View Post“Divination is a misunderstood art. Not even the gods had true omniscience and could only observe their subjects, temples, and arcane domains. We might be winning the war against them, but that doesn’t mean we should have the hubris to think we can overcome arcane limitations they couldn’t cross.
Clairvoyance tells you the most possible future and isn’t a confirmation of what is to come. The further one looks, the mo...
2024-02-28 07:00:02 +0000 UTC View PostOn Seventhday, Nox and Aria finally accepted Utpal Banerjee’s invitation. Joey and Caitlin accompanied the pair.
It took the couple half an hour to walk from the Galleria to the Golden Gavel. Nox alone would’ve covered the distance quicker in half the time, but Aria’s shoes slowed her down. It sat in the nicer part of Market Ring but closer to one of the gates that connected to Nobles Quarter. People of the group's station...
2024-02-27 07:00:03 +0000 UTC View PostSince Alexander was still eight units from reaching the adept rank, Professor Wolfhammer refused to give the party an official pass. The city and university recognized the party’s prowess. They had proven themselves against opponents of the appropriate rank, completed adept rifts, and saved the City of Ygg. Technically, the party didn’t need to attend Advanced Dungeon Combat at all but continued to do so at the professor’s insistence. No...
2024-02-26 07:00:03 +0000 UTC View Post“I’m glad you’re finally taking this seriously,” Joey said. He sat cross-legged on the ground, writing in his little notebook. Nox had observed him carrying it ever since he finished mourning Kris and started his secondary career as an investigator. The warlock always took notes when discussions related to his investigations began. “I guess unless you’ve left in the Outer Rings, it's difficult to empathize with the residents'...
2024-02-23 07:00:10 +0000 UTC View Post“I wasn't expecting you, Sir Ratra,” Kishan said when Nox walked into Ratra's Knightly Brews. The store was just as busy as when he last visited it. “Will you be taking over for her during the weekly visits?”
“Not quite,” Nox replied. “She is a tad busy with an influx of contraceptive orders from the Imperium. I volunteered to take care of her responsibilities since I have some time on my hands.”
Nox liked and trust...
2024-02-22 07:00:03 +0000 UTC View PostNox arrived at Beginner Manipulation fifteen minutes early. A couple of students already sat at their desks. One stood at the front of the class, talking to the professor and his assistant. Fortunately, the young woman didn't take long. She had her form signed before taking a seat.
“How can I help you, Sir Ratra?” Professor Dwight asked.
“I constructed a spell that might just satisfy you,” he answered, unrolling two scrolls...
2024-02-21 07:00:02 +0000 UTC View PostNox spent the rest of the week on artisanal efforts and academia.
Whenever Sapna found time, the pair locked themselves in a warded room, continued to investigate the bangle, and tested the still unrecognized runes. They discovered more of the relic’s secrets but failed to achieve their objective of identifying pocket dimension creation or spatial manipulation runes and scripts. It was more frustrating for Sapna than Nox since he used ...
2024-02-20 07:00:03 +0000 UTC View PostNox met with Dean Oleg on Fourthday morning. He didn’t get involved with the business’ regular brewing. Mou and Aisha, one of Nox’s employees and now a journeyman alchemist, and their army of assistants took care of the business’s production needs. Besides creating new products, he also acted as the business’ face. He sought out new contracts for them—even though the per-unit cost was lower, they made more money than individual sal...
2024-02-19 07:00:03 +0000 UTC View Post“Some say our world is a nexus point. The ancient druids used it as a staging ground or perhaps a humble halfway point in their multidimensional network. How else can we explain the sheer number of planeswalkers and other people of power that have passed through our realm?
The Ink Mage. The Golemancer. Flint Woodson. Myrina Woodson. These are just names from recent history.
Then there is also the matter of t...
2024-02-16 07:00:03 +0000 UTC View PostEven though it was the first week, the research department didn’t take things easy. All students in Nox’s Advanced Mana Theory class were in their final semester of the course. So, an introductory session didn’t make sense. Most of the nine students in the class had served as the professor’s research assistants and only spent one year on it. That wasn’t the case for Nox. He couldn’t afford to give the department extra time, and it ...
2024-02-15 06:00:03 +0000 UTC View PostAdvanced Dungeon Combat had four parties. Louis and his friends had returned to it after a semester off. Half his party died during an unfortunate rift evolution, and he had re-enrolled with journeymen to fill the holes. They had spent the semester break training, fighting magic beasts, and delving around Ruipur.
Nox respected his brother's combat ability and dedication but didn't see the point in his obsession with completing the course...
2024-02-14 06:00:05 +0000 UTC View Post“There are two types of mages in this world,” Professor Dwight said. “The first hires spell weavers and has their spells made for them. The latter craft their own, modifying their capabilities to suit whatever the situation demands.” He raised his hand, silencing a young student poking fun at war mages near the front of the room. “This isn’t a commentary on which type of mage is superior. They both have specialties and uses.
...
2024-02-13 06:00:04 +0000 UTC View PostNox had hoped he wouldn't need to be social after the engagement party. Unfortunately, the following day’s brunch proved different. Several people had stayed over, taking advantage of the many suites and rooms on the top floor, or returned as soon as they stirred.
As the master of the house, Nox sat at the head of the table. His mother, aunt, half-siblings, and cousins sat to his left. Meanwhile, Aria and her family occupied the seats ...
2024-02-12 11:34:47 +0000 UTC View PostNox hadn’t visited the spirit world since the incident with Bi Xi. Even though everyone told him it wasn’t his fault, he still blamed himself for Kris’ passing. It was his fault that Lillin opened the portal. It was his fault Aria’s soul got trapped in the spirit realm. It was his fault Ernest died while holding his post.
A lot of good had come of Nox’s mistake. Bi Xi was free of his torture. The human states had a roving, high...
2024-02-10 20:57:43 +0000 UTC View PostSpirit Caller’s Tea flowed freely. Besides Nox, Aria, and her father, the event had two other attendees with a Sigil of Immunity. Ever since the Terrastalia affair, the Nox had abstained from the beverage, but it was an important and joyous evening, so he indulged. His newly betrothed had continued to consume the intoxicant but not recreationally. Aria had a tutor to guide her during her spirit walks and had also enrolled in the relevant cou...
2024-02-09 09:55:33 +0000 UTC View PostRatra’s Galleria closed itself to the public on the Sixthday before the semester’s beginning. The guards only let patrons of Knightly Brews and the Artifice into the estate. They were promptly escorted out as soon as they completed their transactions. Many protested and complained, wanting to visit the Edelweiss Brasserie or enjoy a drink in the grand ballroom. No matter how much money they offered or how much clout they threw around, the ...
2024-02-08 22:45:44 +0000 UTC View PostThe biggest change Nox felt when we stirred was the return of sensation to his left arm. All of his fingertips stung, and the skin on his forearm felt raw. It was uncomfortable but still a welcome change after a year of feeling nothing but mana-burn discomforts. He tried flexing his fingers and rotating his wrist, but bindings kept them in place. The rest of his limbs felt bound, too.
“Hold your horses, Baba.” Mou’s soothing words ...
2024-02-06 22:16:06 +0000 UTC View Post“The modern mana system has roots in ancient druid magic.
All druid groves come with cores dedicated to Life Essence, Shaping, and Manipulation. They develop their grove to access elements and develop spells devoted to them. Many build complex, arcane machines. Others focus on construction and fortification.
Unfortunately, humans lack the capacity to contain magic of such magnitude. So, Myrina Woodson and he...
2024-02-06 09:31:21 +0000 UTC View Post“Don’t you think his hair looks better combed,” April asked as she clung to Joey, both hands holding his left bicep tightly.
“I don’t know,” the stall owner replied. She looked between the mirror and Joey. Even though he was the one paying, the two women spoke like he wasn’t present or incapable of making his own decisions. “I’m rather fond of how he wears it now. It would be a shame not to show off these gorgeous wavy ...
2024-02-02 07:00:04 +0000 UTC View Post“When was your last meal?” Sapna asked. The wrapped box appeared heavy and unwieldy, but the Daksinsthani artificer carried it with no problem.
“Last night,” Nox answered. “I got out of bed late this morning and ended up missing breakfast.”
“I know you and young Lady Edelweiss share a bed. We don’t have to pretend that she’s not the reason you skip breakfast.”
Nox shrugged. “I need to get everything read...
2024-02-01 07:04:21 +0000 UTC View PostAn army of servers, assistants, apprentices, and housekeepers walked the service corridors running through the galleria. Nox didn’t recognize half the faces. There were too many of them. However, all staff had temporary tattoos, and hired guards regularly checked their credentials. He had hired primarily northern refugees from the Terrastalia disaster. Several locals from the New Outer Ring and former child gang members also worked with them...
2024-01-31 17:26:39 +0000 UTC View PostFun.
Everybody has their own take on what’s fun. Many enjoy drinking and dancing. Some find joy in the arts. A handful don’t truly feel like themselves outside of live combat. For Nox Ratra, there was no better source than alchemy.
Mass production, of course, had little joy in it. It was a means to an end and still a significant part of his profits. It was alchemical research that helped him truly feel like himself. It wasn’t...
2024-01-30 20:58:07 +0000 UTC View Post