Yearly Rankings
Location:
Gloria's Temple/Serina's Chamber
Time: Y1503 - 1st
day of the Fire Moon
"Welcome,
Children of Gloria! Today, the first day of summer, your magic will
be ranked by the Council of Gloria! As it has been for centuries! Let
us show Gloria the powers of her children!" (Amigarde)
**cheers** (Everyone)
This is the third time I
hold the rankings. Under my watch the church lost more than half of
it's domains. But we are surviving.
"High Priestess Amigarde will demonstrate
her magic first. You may take your place in the centre of the stage."
(Geneva)
The two hundred meter wide square is full. As usual. I take off my
dress and take my place in a circle paved in stone at the centre of
the courtyard. The Council is watching me from a small tent twenty
meters from here.
I close my eyes and start weaving.
I take my time. After three minutes, I'm ready. It's the third time,
but the pressure of having to best everyone else is crushing. Please,
let it be enough!
<Caleidoscope> (Amigarde)
I weave a magic that is now my trademark spell. I incrementally
improved it over the years, and this time I have ten lifelike maidens
dancing and throwing flowers around me. The flowers fall like snow,
and I can change the patterns of the dance.
This year I even manage to have two patterns at once! Five dancers
are jumping while walking, the others five are spinning on
themselves.
*exhale* (Amigarde)
That went well! I rescind my spell and wait for the ranking.
As usual, each of the five members of the Council has ten stones, and
cast a number of them. The score will be the sum of them.
"High Priestess Amigarde scored 30 stones
out of 50!" (Geneva)
That's more like it! It's far from Meridia's
top score of 42, but it's fair at least. My first time as High
Priestess, the Council gave me only 22 stones. I deserved at least 24
back then.
I put back my dress and walk toward the Council
tent.
"Next up is the former High Priestess.
Sister Meridia." (Geneva)
This again...
<Levitate> (Meridia)
Meridia has improved again. This time she
didn't bother to show off a weak <Caleidoscope> She weaved a
spell to make a small rock floats. She doesn't seem in pain. She is
probably capable of more, but I guess there is no point in trying,
because...
"Sister Meridia scored zero stones out of
fifty..." (Geneva)
Vaerminia really is petty. It's like a new
tradition to call Meridia as second contestant and give her zero
stones no matter what does she do. She did mess up badly, but
punishment should yield more than just personal satisfaction.
She is trying hard to be useful to the church.
As teacher she is doing a good job despite the ones that sneer at
her. Meridia ought to be treated more fairly.
I'll talk with Council later, but sometimes
talking with Vaerminia feels like talking to a wall.
**BOOOOOO** (Everyone)
"I weave better magic in my sleep!!!"
(Sister)
Meridia no longer cares about them. She covers
her unsightly body and... Wait, is she smiling?
I can't help but think that Meridia has
something up her sleeve... We'll see. I feel no compulsion to warn
Vaerminia about my hunch. You reap what you sow, old goat.
"Next up is..." (Geneva)
This will be long day.
Yearly Rankings: Serina
Location: Gloria's Temple/Serina's
Chamber
Time: Y1503 - 1st day of the Fire Moon
"Sister Serina, you are next. Please take
your place inside the circle." (Geneva)
"Members of the council, I'm going to
weave a great spell this time. Please don't panic." (Serina)
What was that? Serina is usually meek and
modest. For her to boast like that... Even Pernida is smiling. Serina
got fifteen stones last year, if I remember right.
Serina undresses.
???
**murmur** (Everyone)
She is spinning on herself? Serina is dancing!
What is she thinking??? Is she mocking the Council? That's a grave
offense, if you keep this up you will...
"Sister Serina! Your mock..."
(Vaerminia)
What is this?
How can this be??
Serina is weaving threads of unbelievable
purity, thickness and length! There are so many that they are forming
a mass around her body! So much that is almost blinding my magic
sight!
I have never seen so much magic being weaved so
quickly! The only thing that came close in my memory is during the
war, seventeen years ago. And it took hours and many magi from the
Royal Court to weave that much! Not seconds!!!
<Liara's Barrier: Prototype #7> (Serina)
**shock** (Everyone)
...
...
"Members of the Council. I can sustain
this barrier for as long as you desire, but if you are satisfied, I'd
rather leave the stage to the next in line." *smile* (Serina)
I have no words. I can't even imagine the
defensive value of that barrier. A dome almost twenty meters in
diameters and ten meters high.
I practiced barriers myself, and I can't weave
anything even remotely close to that. Nobody in this world can!
Is it an illusion?
"Sister Serina... Can I try your invisible
wall?" (Amigarde)
"Be my guest, Blessed One. Only make sure
you aim high. This barrier has reflective properties. Your spell
might bounce back at you otherwise." *smile* (Serina)
Magic reflection??? This can't be!
My pride is at stake here!
I undress once more. I look at Merce, my
attendant. He never neglects his duty and always carries a bag of
artifacts with him. He catches on and pass me an artifact.
I start weaving as many magic threads as I can.
Without realizing, a full five minutes have
passed. Everyone is holding their breath. Only the sound of an
occasional breeze and a weird humming coming from Serina's barrier
can be heard.
She look relaxed! Not only sustaining a barrier
of this magnitude isn't taking it's toll, but she has absolute
confidence that my spell will not pierce it!!!
We'll see about that.
I channel magic inside the artifact. A golden
rod about ten centimetres long with a spiral coiled around it. It was
made by Faber and enchanted by Meridia herself! An offensive spell
designed to break through every and all defenses!
<Gloria's Piercing Light!!!>
(Amigarde)
In an instant a beam of blinding pure white
light flickers into existence.
It's like a line of light that originates from
the tip of the rod and reaches the barrier.
...
And it's deflected at a sharp angle, pointing
up, reaching for the sky...
**shock** (Everyone)
*nnngggggg* (Amigarde)
It's taking so much out of me to sustain this
spell.
Just a couple more seconds!
I try to move the rod. Heavy! It's like the
beam is made of metal.
It's no use!!! It doesn't matter where I aim!
The surface of the barrier is reflecting the beam like a mirror would
reflect light!
<Gloria's Piercing Light: Rescind>
(Amigarde)
*collapse on knee* *heavy breathing* (Amigarde)
It wasn't good enough to punch through Serina's
barrier.
"Is the Council is satisfied by the
performance of my barrier?" *smile* (Serina)
My spell didn't even crack it? The barrier is
pristine. Like nothing hit it at all. And Serina is so calm! You are
telling me that my every efforts were nothing to her?
Even Meridia in her prime wouldn't have been
capable of that!
How??? Is this because she is near Liara all
the times?
"Serina. Last year... How could your
aptitude increase like that?" (Pernida)
"It didn't. My aptitude for magic barely
improved at all. It's just that Liara and Meridia taught me a better
way to weave magic. Liara will show you later." *smile* (Serina)
Her aptitude didn't improve? A new way to weave
magic? What's that supposed to mean?
"Sister Geneva. Aren't you supposed to
collect our stones?" (Vaerminia)
"!!!" (Geneva)
She can be excused for forgetting her duty.
Everyone here is frozen in shock by what just happened. What will her
score be?
*gulp* "Sister Serina scored... fifty
stones out of fifty..." (Geneva)
**murmur** (Everyone)
Fifty. A score that was never given before in
the long history of the church. There are two special scores:
Zero means that the candidate wasted the
Council's time.
Fifty means that the candidate's skills are too
high to be evaluated according to this scale.
I, The High Priestess, have been surpassed by a
sister. Something that happened only a few times in the history of
the church. And I was not defeated by a stone or two. I was totally
outclassed.
I never felt so ashamed in my life.
Serina, Meridia's favourite, surpassed me.
Why must I live under Meridia's shadow???
*sniff* (Amigarde)
Yearly Rankings: Liara
Location:
Gloria's Temple/Serina's Chamber
Time: Y1503 - 1st
day of the Fire Moon
Everyone that took the stage after Serina,
underperformed. It was decided to take a break. Things have more or
less resumed their course. As well as one might expect i guess.
Seeing a sister that scored fifteen stones last
year grow this much, broke the will of many. Half of them retired
from the rankings altogether.
I'm struggling to reconciliate with my feelings
as well. But I must put up a facade at least... I'm still High
priestess. At least for now.
Sigh... Serina is the strongest mage in the
church now. But she is totally unfit to be High Priestess. She is too
good natured. Too naive. And Vaerminia knows this. I can feel her
dilemma.
"Our last contestant will be a first
timer. Initiate Liara, the Gifted One, please, come forward and take
your place in the middle of the stony circle. Undress, then weave a
spell of your choosing. Take your time." (Geneva)
Usually there would be a warning about not
wasting the Council's time. It won't be needed this time apparently.
What did Serina mean with Liara and Meridia finding a new way to
weave magic? Is it something I can learn too?
I'd better pay close attention to her
performance. The other sisters must think so as well. Everyone is in
complete silence, watching the little girl walking toward the centre
of the courtyard.
I heard she weaved a remarkable barrier to defend against the knight initiate, but she can't possibly top Serina's performance, can she?
I heard she weaved a remarkable barrier to defend against the knight initiate, but she can't possibly top Serina's performance, can she?
--------------------------------
Do I really have to undress? In front of all
those persons???
That's embarrassing! And I don't even need to
undress!!! I can do magic perfectly with my clothes on!
[You are a child Liara! You are not supposed to
care about nakedness yet.] (Bookworm me)
But I'm the Gifted One! I grow up quickly!
Everybody knows that!
[Do you really want to make things harder for
yourself? In Rome do as the Romans do.] (Bookworm Me)
*blush* (Liara)
I have never been so embarrassed in my life!
How did Mother do it so nonchalantly?
[Different cultures. As Meridia explained,
clothes can interfere with magic. Because of the magnitude of your
weaving you can't really tell yet. but Lesser magi can. Society says
that magi weave in the naked. You would only stand. And for the wrong
reasons. People that go against the norm are frowned upon. You need
to fit in, at least for now.] (Explorer Me)
That's so easy for you to say! It's not like
you have to be the one naked in a crowd!
[We share this body, Liara. We feel what you
feel. Also, in the old world, there was this time when I had to go
through an initiation ritual with this tribe to access a ruin,
and...] (Explorer Me)
!!! Too much information!!! I don't want to see
that memory!
"Are you ready, initiate Liara? You can
skip this year's ranking if you feel you are not ready."
(Geneva)
[Just start weaving. You'll forget about your
situation. Your inability to multitask might come in handy this
time.] (Doctor me)
I dance, and collimate aether at my fingertips.
I need quite a bit for the magic I'm planning to weave.
...
There! That should do it. Thirty seconds worth
of magic threads!
Why is everybody's jaw dropping? They saw
Serina already. This isn't THAT much more than her.
[You are a little girl, and you weaved more
than the one who outclassed the High Priestess.] (Science Me)
Alright. You have a point there. Should we
really be doing this?
[Meridia proved to be knowledgable about both
magic and the inner dynamics of the church. Serina trusts her.
Following her advice to show off our magic is probably the correct
move. And we would be hard pressed to explain why we want to hold
back.] (Doctor Me)
Alright. Then the real deal starts now. Ready?
[This is my time to shine! Leave it to me!]
(Artist Me)
This version of Me became a painter. Not a
successful one, unfortunately. Still, I really like the paintings he
made. I can see them in his memories, I find it relaxing to look at
them.
<Liara's Caleidoscope: Hologram> (Liara)
It turns out my barrier was just a mass of
magic threads arranged as dome, it was not a proper spell...
Caleidoscope is the first spell magi learns for a reason. Drawing
empty shapes with no substance in the air is the easiest thing to do.
The way Meridia taught me requires to
constantly focus on the whole shape. Which is why they have an hard
time drawing many at once. I can draw only one small simple shape
that way! Real magic requires tons of practice to master, apparently.
But Science Me outdid himself this time. He
modified <Caleidoscope>!
Now rather than imagining all the shapes at
once, I sculpt the image in he air piece by piece. The shape remains
even without me focusing on it. As drawback, it slowly fade over
time. It will allow me to draw an image large enough to blow their
minds!!
Feel the difference between you and me! I'm the
Gifted One! MWHAHAHAHAH!!!
[Don't go mad with power. Please?] (Bookworm
Me)
I'm joking! Mostly.
[It's time we show those backward fanatics what
the scientific method can do when applied to magic!] (Science Me)
Artist Me focus on building a picture in his
mind. Science Me give me instructions on what to sculpt next, and I
act like a scalpel, forming the air like clay. Teamwork for the win!
...
...
...
Done!
I really focused like a madman to do this, I
have a bit of an headache.
I'm not sure how long it took but the hologram
is really pretty! And big. Well done Artist Me!
[Thanks Liara! You are too kind.] (Artist me)
You deserve it. Let's see if the council likes
it.
"My spell is complete! I hope. You...
like... It? ..." (Liara)
Uhm... Yes... Maybe I should have held back a
little.
Explanations
Location:
Gloria's Temple/Council Chambers
Time: Y1503 - 2st
day of the Fire Moon
"Don't worry, Liara. You did nothing
wrong. In fact you did incredibly well! The council is simply
surprised by the magnitude of your weaving. I am too to be honest.
Everyone is. When they call you in, just tell them the truth."
(Meridia)
Or so Meridia said. Meridia and Mother have
been inside the Council chambers for hours! I feel like a child in
front of the principal office, while the parents are inside talking.
I can't hear anything, unfortunately.
[Noise abatement magic? I wonder how would such
a magic would work. An enchantment on the door perhaps? Meridia was
an enchanter. We should ask her to teach us. It might be the key to
unlock <HUD>, which is an enchantment too.] (Science Me)
You sure are easy going.
[Worrying will just stress you out. We decided
to trust Serina and Meridia, and what is done is done. Leave it to
them. Relax.] (Doctor Me)
*door opens* "Initiate Liara, the council
will see you, now. Please, come inside." (Guard)
So this is the Council chamber. It looks like a
court. The council sitting behind a semi circular table surrounding
the one speaking.
[The drawing on the wall is remarkable. I like
the art style!] (Artist Me)
Sister Geneva, the scribe, sit in the corner.
Meridia and Serina make room for me. They want me to stay in between
them.
*teary eyes* "Are you angry at me?"
(Liara)
[You are becoming scary good at exploiting the
fact that you are a three years old little girl, you know?] (Doctor
Me)
"... No, young initiate. You did nothing
wrong. We just want to ask you a few questions." (Cassandra)
"Also, it is custom to speak only when
asked a question, when in front of the council. Do you understand,
Initiate Liara?" (Vaerminia)
*nod* (Liara)
"My name is Pernida. I'm a mage, just like
Sister Serina and Sister Meridia. Just like you. I would like you to
weave a few magic threads for me. Can you do that?" (Pernida)
I like how they are being nice to me. The cat
is out of the bag, so I have no reason not to show them.
Meridia and Serina make some room for me. I
make a few spins, and collimate aether into magic threads. It's a
puny amount compared to what I usually do, but it should do.
"Like this?" (Liara)
"... Yes... It's perfect." (Pernida)
"My name is Cassandra. I'm a mage too. How
long can you sustain those magic threads, Liara?" (Cassandra)
"For as long as I like? It's not hard."
(Liara)
"One last question, then you'll be free to
go. How did you discover that by moving like that, you could weave
that many magic threads?" (Pernida)
"I don't know. I was exercising, than I
was dancing, then I tried to do both at once and it was easier? I
think?" (Liara)
[I still don't like making them think that it
was an accident. We discovered it because we are not troglodytes like
them!] (Science Me)
Bear with it. It was the explanation Meridia
came up with first, and it's much more believable and acceptable than
having help from an alternate reality version of me who was an old
particle physicist with space age knowledge as a split personality.
[Touché'] (Science me)
"That would be all, Initiate Liara. I want
you to know that by teaching Sister Serina this way of weaving, you
performed a great service for the Church. The kind of service that
warrant a reward. What would you like to have?" (Vaerminia)
"To be with Mother forever!" (Liara)
"Being too modest can be a flaw too,
Liara. But you are a small child after all. Feel free to ask in the
future if there is something you would like to have. You can go,
now." (Vaerminia)
[Trusting Meridia was the right call. Sooner or
later we would have had to show off our magic anyway. This way she
handled all the intricacies for us, and nothing will change.]
(Bookworm Me)
I guess you are right. I look toward mother.
Will she come with me?
"I need to stay a bit longer, I'll join
you to our chamber shortly. You did great, Liara. I'm proud of you!"
*kiss on forehead* (Serina)
*smile* "See you later, mother! Uhm...
Many blessing, council." *leave* (Liara)
We'll need to hear Meridia's impression of the
meeting, but things seems to be going well. My position as Gifted One
should be rock solid now. Hopefully they'll reduce the amount of
potatoes I have to peel. ... Maybe I should have asked for that!
[I think peeling potatoes is good for you!]
(Doctor Me)