maskormenace

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How are people with powers treated in your world? Are they admired, just seen as people who have a particular skill? Or are they treated as threats- and if they are, is it justified or simple superstition?

[The riots and protests have been on Sabriel's mind lately. But since she's asking for information, she feels she ought to give some in return.]

Charter magic is mostly seen as simply a useful skill in the Old Kingdom- people study it, but they also study weapons, and herbalism. And they don't hide in Ancelstierre so much as people refuse to see them.

Of course, Free Magic sorcerers and necromancers are treated much more harshly, for good reason- some types of power will always corrupt, no matter how good the intention.

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We're literally walking mythology so I'm sure that's super useful when the world starts to end at any given time. Though you knew that already.

[ A pause ]

Charter magic sounds more constructive if everyone knows about it.

It is. When more people have the chance to learn, that means there are more mages, and they know how to work together- and the Old Kingdom doesn't have technology, so we rely on the Charter instead.

That's actually pretty cool. We do pretty much the same thing despite the world at large not even knowing about our existence...generally speaking.

...How are you doing?

Really? I suppose technology's unreliable in any world.

I've been all right. Although I've started to worry more about the OTO.

Demigods and technology don't really get along from what I understand.

Have you found any more information about them?

Not really, and what I have is ominous.

Who thinks consorting with something powerful and destructive is a good idea?

There's a lot of reasons you go to a god.

They promise you power, something to change the status quo, to give you an advantage over those you think wronged you. Mortals are fickle and will do about anything to change fate.

[ And he should know- his father has seen enough mortals trying to bring their loved ones back to life. ]

Is this about that coded message?

We don't really have gods in the Old Kingdom. Just the Charter, and Free magic spirits of varying power. Although people can be desperate, I'd like to believe they'd know better than to bargain with something inimical to life. [She's not holding her breath though.]

I think it's more of an underestimation of what Gods (and magical spirits) are capable of.

It's just weird that the Morai seem to be more involved here. Sort of.

And I'm not sure whether to envy their ignorance, or curse it.

Are we sure they're the same ones in the stories, or simply different beings using the same name? The myths of this world don't show them intervening so directly.

I don't know, but it's worth investigating. I know Cassandra and I were talking before about trying to look into Lachesis, so I can't imagine not finding information about Atropos or Clotho as the three are usually together.

I just don't know where to start.

In the myths, they seem to be collaborators, not enemies. And yet Lachesis was apparently fleeing Atropos.

And Clotho is missing. Maybe that's the key?

In that other world, she was apparently around, just under Vulcanus's power- at least, that's what I've heard. But there are many stories of sorcerers thinking they had control of spirits when it was the other way around.

Wait Vulcanus-- Hephaestus was controlling Clotho?

I have so many more questions now. How many of the Greek and Roman gods are involved in this mess?

Vulcanus was the name of an organization- not a god, or anyone claiming to be one. But it seems to be a popular source of names.

Oh.

[ A small pause as he's thinking. ]

Do you think they could be connected to OTO then?

I doubt it- they were in another world, one that was destroyed. But all of this is things I've heard secondhand.

Fair, but if some of the imPorts were able to come over to the new one... I can't imagine they didn't either.

I'll see what I can dig up then and ask around about the other world. There's got to be something we're missing with all of this.

Hopefully I'm not reading too much into it.

Lachesis did that- it wasn't under their own power. And preservation doesn't seem to be in Atropos's nature.

Well, speaking as someone without any attachment to this world's myths... I think assuming Atropos might be involved is reasonable, but beyond that, I'm not convinced.

Technically no, Atropos has always been the end of life.

I guess we start simple then. Figure out OTO and go from there?

Yes. Understand who the OTO are, and what they want- and confirm if they actually have some connection to Atropos and aren't lying to send us down a dead end- they aren't our friends, and we shouldn't expect them to be honest.

Well whatever I can do to help, let me know. I feel like I have to because the Morai are part of my dad's domain.

Depends on the power.

True. Some will destroy anything, even those who seek to master them.

How we're treated, I mean. The useful ones get caught and sold on the black market, if people find out about us at all. The ones with less flashy powers get ignored or shrugged off as frauds.

Sold? [Sabriel's horrified.] Like slaves?

Like relics.

People aren't things. And treating anything with a mind like it doesn't have one tends to backfire. [There's something grim in Sabriel's voice.]

Is their existence common knowledge, or a secret?

Secret. Most of the world has no idea. It's nothing like here.

Because they're blind, or because they're being kept in the dark?

Both? Neither? Humans have trouble understanding magic when they see it. If they don't know what they're looking at, they usually chalk it up to a trick of the light or whatever. But we also keep our secrets. I'd never talk about things back home the way I do here.

True- most people who don't know magic exists in Ancelstierre think it's a trick or they've gone mad. Sometimes they just need to pretend it's not there because it's that frightening.

But those that know it exists wouldn't try to buy or sell it.

I'm guessing your world hasn't been introduced to the marvels of capitalism.

Mortals can't see what's up with us without their brains snapping. The tactic my friends and I use is to overload them with weird shit so they don't see anything and don't get stressed. Like a preventive pneumonia shot, I guess.

In my afterlife it doesn't matter if you have powers unless you can also be useful with them. Strength and honorable actions matter, not so much like, divine arcane knowledge, honestly.

There are... normal people with no powers back home, then ones with psychic powers. I think they vary in terms of strength and control, but they're the only powered people.

[s a b r i n a]

They're uncommon, but pretty cool. Usually Psychic Pokémon trainers.

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