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[Sabriel's posting this from a couch in De Chima 007. She looks better rested than she did during the blackout, and even offers the camera a polite smile.]

Hello, everyone. I hope everyone who was injured during that mess is recovering- If you need a healer, I'll do what I can. Although some of us will probably be busy tracking down those remaining escaped imPorts- but I'm getting off topic.

[Sabriel pauses, then pushes on.]

During the blackout, there was a demand for imPort healers due to a shortage of local nurses- there still is, by the way. While we can't choose the powers the Porter gives us, I can teach imPorts Charter magic- namely, how to use it to heal.

Charter magic is a form of magic in my world that doesn't require any inborn power to learn- although of course there is considerable variation in both power and aptitude among its practitioners. Those who have been baptized with a Charter mark- [And here Sabriel taps the faint symbol on her own forehead, the mark flaring at her trust before fading away just as quickly.] can learn to access the Charter and draw upon its power for various uses- to attack, to defend, to create, and most importantly, to heal.

For some reason, I can only baptize and teach imPorts. So I'm looking for students- people who want to learn how to heal, but I can teach more than that if you can be trusted to use it responsibly. [Sabriel might be an optimist, and she's been called too trusting by some, but she's not going to teach destructive Charter magic until she's sure her students won't use it for criminal or outright petty purposes.]

I need to warn you though- Charter magic requires patience and dedication to master, and the consequences of overreaching or misusing it can be disastrous to both the mage and anyone near them. But when used properly, it's both safe and useful. If anyone would like a demonstration, I'm happy to offer one in person- it tends to cause trouble for electronics.

[ooc: Sabriel can teach characters with an open power slot how to use Charter magic. This requires a power update submission, but not a port out. I have more information here.]

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Good. See that you are.

[Sabriel's already waiting dressed in something far more casual than her armor- a sweatshirt and jeans, along with a pair of slippers. She's already traced over her Charter mark with wood ash.]

[ Felix shows up promptly, dressed in expensive jeans and a nice shirt. He'd be a little more casual, but showing up to someone's house for the first time, even if it's to take a dunk in their pool, demands a certain level of presentation.

He knocks on the door, then calls out; ]

It's Felix! I'm here. The party can start now.

You're here! Come in, come in.

[Sabriel leads him into the living room, where she's already pushed the rug aside and set down a towel over the wooden floor. She doesn't bother turning on the lights- instead, she traces out a mark for light and flicks it to the ceiling, where it brightens, illuminating the room. Sabriel grabs a glass of water from the side table and points to the towel.]

You'll need to kneel. Or sit, if you prefer.

[ Well, hell. Felix watches how she makes the mark and suddenly there's enough light to see by. And it hits him then that he's actually going to learn this. He's going to be able to do magic. Him!

The wonder of it smooths over the parts of his pride that would have ordinarily bristled at the thought of kneeling for anything. It gets him to the towel and down onto his knees without a thought. He slants a glance up at Sabriel, arching an eyebrow. ]

Are you going to dump that water on my head?

[Sabriel actually laughs a little at that.]

Not yet. Hold still. And don't be afraid.

[Sabriel stands in front of Felix and holds the glass up. Then she starts chanting. The words aren't in English, or any other language of this world.

As Sabriel keeps going, a light comes to the bottle, pulsing with the rhythm of the chant as Sabriel reaches deeper into the Charter, pulling out mark after mark until they seem to simply flow through her into the glass.

Then she falls silent, touching the glass to the floor, then her own mark, before straightening up, shutting here eyes, and pouring the glowing liquid onto Felix's forehead. As soon as it touches him there's a blindingly bright flash, all the magic in the water flowing into him- and then, for a split second, for Felix the world falls away and there's an endless sea of symbols, each glowing like a golden star, before the world returns.

Sabriel watches, feeling the wood ash vanish from her forehead to reappear on Felix's, a freshly formed Charter mark underneath it as she offers him a hand up.]

[ As if. He isn't afraid! He's just... wary. And this is going to mess up his hair. Which should be the least of his concerns, but Felix is vain, for all that he's got something of a rat face, and it's something he thinks about as he eyes that glass of water.

It is fascinating to see all the magical marks entering the glass, though. Felix watches it a little entranced and by the time she's pouring it on his forehead, he's almost forgotten that his hair's going to end up a scraggly disaster.

Shit gets really weird for him after that. It's a little like that freefall off the top of the temple on Chorus and for a few seconds almost starts to panic. But then it's gone and she's helping him up and his forehead feels kind of funny. ]

Okay, what the hell was that? [ He's not spooked, exactly, but this is the first time anything like this has ever happened to him and he's almost jittery with it. ] Is that supposed to happen? Did that happen to you? All the... the glowy... things everywhere?

Yes. That's the Charter. It's... well, it's the source of Charter magic. It contains and describes everything that exists, has existed, or might exist, and the bonds between them. It's all around us, and inside of us.[Should she have explained this beforehand? Probably. But she might as well press on now. He doesn't seem overwhelmed or too stunned, so it's probably safe to continue.]

Charter magic works by connecting to the Charter, reaching into it, visualizing the marks you want to use and then drawing them out. [Obviously there are other details, depending on the spell involved, but she doesn't want to overwhelm him with information.]

Are you ready to start learning now, or do you need to sit down for a bit?

[ He has to take a moment to consider that. It's not completely impossible to believe, but it's not quite on the level of what he's used to. ]

So it's like the user manual of the universe. [ Might not be wholly accurate, but giving himself something to conceptualize makes it easier to handle. Probably if he was a musician or a writer, it would be even more so. ] And the marks are like code. Input the right commands and you get magic.

[ He tips his head back and forth a few times, then nods. ]

Okay, simple enough. [ Felix rubs his hands together. ] I'm ready to give this a shot.

I suppose that's a useful enough comparison- One of my friends used the same analogy when I described it to him.

Now, to start I'm going to teach you a simple spell- just one mark. It's the first one I ever learned.

[Sabriel reaches back into the Charter- and this time, Felix will feel something- a sudden flare of power as she traces out the mark for light again, more slowly so that he can see it.]

I want you to visualize the Charter- what you saw before. Reach out to it, and picture that mark. Reach out, select that mark out of the Charter, hold onto it, then let it flow out of your fingertips as you trace it out.

[Sabriel taps her own forehead mark, then offers him a reassuring smile.] If you need to see the Charter again, touch my mark. And don't worry- the very worst thing that will happen if everything goes wrong is that you'll singe your fingers.

[ A strange shiver works its way down Felix's spine as she makes that mark in the air. It feels... He's not sure how to explain it. A little like cold water, a little like the jolt of static electricity, a little like nothing he's ever felt before. It makes him realize that something's changed, actually changed, and that's strangely exhilarating to him. ]

See the Charter. [ He repeats the direction as he closes his eyes, calling up an image of that overwhelming thing he'd just seen. ] Picture the mark you just drew. [ It's not easy to find it in that mess of symbols, but he thinks he can visualize it well enough. ] Draw it in the air and pour the magic into it.

[ He makes the sketch in the air, the image a little wobbly and not exactly right. His fingers don't burn, but when he cracks open his eyes, there's no glowing light either. ]

Okay, that wasn't right. Obviously. [ He glances her way, then reaches over and touches a finger to her forehead. That whole glowing array of symbols happens all over again. ] Okay wait. How do you just find one? There's like a fucking million of these things!

[Sabriel doesn't seem to be disappointed so far. He's making an effort, and even if he didn't succeed at first, there's nothing to stop him from trying again.]

An infinity, or close to it. But if you hold the symbol you're looking for in your head, you'll find it. [There's a quiet confidence in her tone. Sabriel reaches forward, touching Felix's own mark. She lets the Charter wash over her, then takes her fingers away, smudging the wood ash to show the Charter mark beneath- faint enough to be mistaken for an old scar or tattoo, and easy enough for an unobservant person to miss.]

It will take time, at first, and a certain amount of willpower. Learning and practicing Charter magic requires memorization and meditation. The more you reach into the Charter, the easier it is to find what you're looking for. After a while, it's like the marks come to you. Reach out the Charter, and it reaches back, in its own way.

[Sabriel offers him a reassuring smile.] Try again. Take your time, and focus.

[ Now that he knows it's there and knows what it is, it's difficult not to see the mark on her forehead. And when she touches his, he realizes that now he's got one too. A mark on his face that's going to be damn hard to hide from Locus. But that's a problem for later. He can't worry about it now when he's trying to do actual magic. ]

Meditation. [ It's a low mutter under his breath. ] Great.

[ Quiet concentration isn't Felix's strongest suit. It's not even in the ballpark. But it's important that he learns this. So he shoves all the distractions out of his mind, focuses on this Charter thing, and tries to find the symbol she traced in among the jumble.

It feels like it takes forever but finally he finds it. Or thinks he finds it. And this time when he sketches the symbol, there's a faint spark of light. Before it singes his fingers. ]

Ow! Motherfucker... [ Shaking out his hand, he glances over at her. ] Better or worse than the first time?

Better- something happened. [Sabriel nods to encourage him. She can be patient- she's taught before, and watched Magistrix Greenwood teach this spell to freshly baptized girls. She can handle teaching Felix, even if she privately wishes he'd stop swearing.]

I know this sounds cliche, but don't just see it, feel it. Reach for the feeling you had when I cast that spell. [She pats his shoulder.]

You can do this. [She half considers keeping her hand where it is and adding her power the next time he tries to cast, but decides against it. He needs to do this on his own, and it would probably come across as condescending.]

Edited 2017-02-06 02:58 (UTC)

[ Is that... encouragement? Felix glances at her askance, unable to remember the last time he's heard it offered in a genuine, patient way. Usually it's impatient and irritated when he hears it at all. ]

Yeah. Okay.

[ He takes a deep breath, lets it out, and then closes his eyes. It's a little weird to be doing that in someone else's presence—feels a bit like letting his guard down—but he shoves the paranoia aside and focuses on the Charter. Felix takes his time sorting through the symbols and remembering what that first experience felt like.

And this time, when he eventually draws the mark, he does it right. No singed fingers. No weak flickers. Just a glowing symbol that's there when he opens his eyes again.

He blinks immediately, startled. ]

Was that me? Did I do that?

[It's definitely encouragement. Sabriel tilts her head at Felix's gaze, then nods gesturing for him to try again. When the spell succeeds, she feels a pleased smile creep over her face even as she reaches out, touching the mark with one unnaturally pale finger, before her smile gets wider. He's done it. Now, if he can do it repeatedly, she can start on healing.]

Congratulations- you've cast your first spell. Now, if you can cast it again two more times, without any failures in between, I'll teach you the most basic healing spell. [It's best to make sure Felix has a solid grasp of the basics of spellcasting before moving on, or singed fingers will be the least of his problems.]

[ His sense of astonished triumph—he has done magic!—is so short lived. Maybe it's because there's nothing like this where he's from, but he's been thinking that once he gets it, it'll come easily. Because it's magic. And magic ought to be the opposite of hard. ]

Without failures? [ He waves the hand he'd been using to try to draw the symbols. ] You mean it's going to be this hard every time? [ Under his breath, he mutters; ] Holy shit.

[ So much for magic being easy. ]

How many times did it take for you to get this?

We can take a break and have some snacks if you'd like. Magic can be draining when you're just starting out. Or even when you're experienced, depending on the spell and the marks involved.

[Sabriel pauses, thinking back. She'd been five when she'd first learned this spell- it hadn't been too long since her father had first left her at school, and she'd still been afraid of the dark. She'd singed her fingers once or twice before she'd been able to cast the spell reliably, hiding the spell under her blankets to avoid being scolded.]

Once I'd managed to cast it properly? I failed once, then I did it successfully. But... with practice, it becomes much easier, like any other skill. Practice diligently for a few weeks, and conjuring light will seem incredibly simple.

Yeah? [ That's good news. He brightens a bit at that. ] Guess I always figured it'd be easy, you know? All we know about magic where I'm from is fiction. Some guy waves his head and fwoom! [ He spreads his hands open wide. ] Fireballs everywhere. Makes it look like a piece of cake.

[ As he closes his hands, he makes a few of the symbols in the air. Nothing happens; he isn't trying to access the Charter or draw any light into them. He just wants to make sure the motion is a familiar one. ]

What's the greatest spell you've ever done?

[Sabriel laughs.] It's never that simple. And movies are rarely accurate when it comes to the supernatural.

[Don't get her started on zombie movies. But she tilts her head,considering his next question.] Probably that binding I used on Lucifer, though I will admit I probably had luck on my side. And before that I helped kill a dragon- I was with a group, so I could just focus on spellcasting- I used some powerful spells in that fight. [Sabriel tries to keep from sounding like she's bragging too much. She knows she's fairly powerful for a Charter mage, but openly boasting of her power never seemed wise. She might be strong, but she's not delusional enough to think she's the strongest.]

Edited 2017-02-09 00:31 (UTC)

[ His eyebrows rise higher the longer she speaks. Really, he doesn't know why he's surprised anymore, but he is. ]

Lucifer? As in the Lucifer? Fire and brimstone and all that? Was that here?

[ Because if there's any place for the Devil to put in an appearance, it's probably here. ]

Was the dragon here? Are there dragons here?

I'm not entirely familiar with this world's mythology, but he was apparently that Lucifer. [Sabriel shudders. She might have been able to bind him, but Lucifer had unnerved her. And he went around inside of a corpse.]

Both Lucifer and the dragon were here- the Old Kingdom doesn't have angels or gods or demons or dragons that are like the ones in stories. We just have Free Magic spirits and the Dead.

[ Felix grimaces a little. Dragons are cool, in a theoretical kind of way, but Devils are not. That makes all that afterlife mumbo-jumbo bullshit seem a little too real and he most certainly does not want that to be the case. ]

We don't have any of that either. Aliens, sure. We're up to our eyeballs in aliens. But dragons? Supernatural shit? [ He shakes his head. ] None of that.

It's weird, isn't it? That that kind of thing exists here and not in our worlds. Makes you wonder how that's possible.

Well, both of them were imPorts. And most of the individuals the Porter drags in have lead unusual lives in one way or another, even if they didn't have powers before.

[It seems to be one of the only criteria it has.]

I suppose if you can draw people from all possible worlds, you're guaranteed to find some who seem utterly bizarre to some of the others. To me, the supernatural is- familiar, and aliens and advanced technology are bizarre. [Sabriel shrugs.]

But I think we're getting a bit off topic.

Edited 2017-02-13 03:35 (UTC)

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