Day 42B: Scrying and Order.

[Iron Dragoon]

Session Start: Tue Jan 20 12:58:34 2015
Session Ident: #evildunes
* Now talking in #evildunes
* Topic is 'Pepo(27)>Lucy(23)>Veren(16)>Moore(15)>Arrower(9) '
* Set by Kotono on Mon Nov 17 13:30:05
<Kotono> ----
<Kotono> Thus the two head off the ship. The mage begins to chat as you walk down the quay ,the light of the glow nigh-overwhelming here, save for your eye protections. "Tell me, are you a student of divinations?" he asks.
* Lucy taps her lips thoughtfully. "I dabble in it. My own interests, I'm afraid, are in the more immediate range," she responds, after thinking the question over. "If you so wished, I could look past a locked door for you to make sure you are interrupting a crime in progress. As a rule, however, I do not scry far ahead across distance or into the future."
<Kotono> "Clairaudience and clairvoyance?" The old wizard asks, "That's one of our most important spells for field work. It's one thing to predict what's going to happen, and another to spy on it without ruining what's going to happen - until we want to ruin it."
<Kotono> Meanwhile Moore flies along with them.
* Lucy inclines her head. "I find that if I need more utility, I can call upon some manner of creature to provide it for me. Although I've discovered a booster for clairvoyance a while back, so it made me all curious about what sort of things might also exist and extend my powers."
<Moore> "But it's an imperfect... hmm... field, right?" Moore asks as they go. "I mean, it seems like it's accurate about general subjects, but certain details aren't always there... is that right, or am I missing something?"
<Kotono> "It's a subject we constantly research," The mage agrees, "It depends on the divination, and we have several customized ones to provide more concrete results. Generally well known divinations tend to be vague until the fifth circle. There are a few spells that contact a powerful entity. Always the same one, though the answers vary on the spellcaster."
<Lucy> "That's a misconception, actually," Lucy responds to Moore. "After all, the specific question you seek answered is asked in a certain context. So long as that context remains unchanged, so would the result. But the context always changes, so in reality all that your answer is good for is a guidance."
<Lucy> "Ah!" she exclaims. "Of course. You surely know the joke, ask ten mages about anything, anything at all, and you would get a dozen opinions."
<Moore> Moore nods. "I get it, the thing you're asking about is still there, but everything else around it has shifted, which could change where the thing you're asking about has ended up." Moore says with a smile.
<Kotono> "Just so," The mage answers as you walk down the streets, normal citizens parting way for the guard without a single word. "Even then, a good diviner develops a keen mind for the right questions to ask and how to interpret the answers."
<Moore> Moore nods as well. "Since coming here, I've learned a lot about divination magic... it's something I'd like to explore when we have more time to devote to it. I think that sort of thing could really help a lot."
<Lucy> "I find it a good approach to ask questions that would help you understand your situation better, rather than decide things for you," Lucy says, walking by John's side. "Still, divination is something best left for experts. I much prefer illusion or conjuration myself."
<Kotono> "Yes, but Lucy's correct. It's a field that yields the most to the experts, more than usual. The more casual dabbler is best to rely on the ones they find work best for their needs. Sometimes, no divinations are better than one you misunderstand or misuse." On you go, down the streets, which keep clearing out for the guard. "There's classes for established wizards who are interested, especially
<Kotono> if you're interested in joining the seers."
<Lucy> "Just how large is the local population?" Lucy inquires. "And how much of it are mages of any renown?"
<Kotono> "Approximately 20,000 in city, and perhaps double that in the outlying farms," John comments as you go into the quieter, less opulent part of the city. Everything here is a little dingier, less remarkable. Multistory buildings are the norm here, with clotheslines running between buildings. "Approximately 1% to 1.5% are mages of any ability - by that we mean the ability floor is able to
<Kotono> stumble out a single cantrip after years of training."
<Kotono> Here John comments, "While mental power is the key to magic, it is not the only thing that determines it. Natural talent or the drive to succeed is a lot. Magic is hard, after all."
<Lucy> "And social status? Does one need to be well off or a noble to get ahead? Or are even street urchins checked for potential?"
<Moore> Moore smiles. "Maybe a class would help. I'll look into that once we deal with the oncoming situation." He nods again. "There are some who just have that knack for it. Oh, do the generational lines have any impact on anything here, or is it all about aptitude?"
<Kotono> "We offer training to anyone who wants to try. Most everyone does, though the vast majority don't last long. Simply put, they either lack the mental ability, the talent or the work ethic to do it. Or the free time if they're already in adulthood, since studying magic is not some trivial thing done for an hour a night."
<Lucy> "Ah, yes! It is a way of life, of course!"
<Kotono> John nods along at this, stopping before a particular building, "Talent tends to run in families, but also dries up sometimes or skips generations. Also sometimes unremarkable families with no talent produce a prodigy. I've always been of the opinion that blind luck impacts it as much as any other factor." He raises his staff up and murmurs a word, closing his eyes. "Watching now, standard
<Kotono> defensive formation,"  he says, voice crisp.
<Lucy> Since she's here to observe, Lucy establishes her sensors inside the building and peeks inside.
<Moore> Moore keeps quiet and watches!
<Kotono> *10%-15%
<Kotono> It takes Lucy a few tried, but she soon seems an unremarkable apartment. Here a man's sitting in front of the table, drinking directly from a bottle of wine. A housewife is over the cooking fire, watching over a broth cooking in a pot. But the man is just guzzling that wine, big time. Notably so.
* Lucy puts a sensor for listening in as well, commenting, "Yes, reality fits the scenario your people divined, Mister Amarde. Now, are you to wait? Or to intervene ahead of time?"
<Kotono> "As soon as it's reaching the point where it's going to happen," he replies, as you can hear the following, "-worthless bitch," the man snarls, tossing the wine bottle aside. At this you can see the old mage frown, turning to nod to one of the guards. A trio start to head into the building, and he murmurs, "This one may be kicking off faster than we expected."
<Lucy> "What a waste of wine," Lucy muses. "Why do angry drunk people always destroy the things they like?"
<Moore> "Usually because they don't realize what they need to do to get out of a bad situation." Moore responds. "Or they don't want to try." He frowns.
<Kotono> "Drink addled the good parts of the brain," The wizard remarks, as the drunk rises up, "And it's your fucking fault!" He roars, as his wife turns and shrinks back. "You worthless bitch!"  He advances towards her and raises his hand - before soldiers rush into your field of vision. A pair tackles the man, while the third goes to stand in front of the wife. John nods at that, "Got him."
<Lucy> "Can you even put him in jail for this?" Lucy asks curiously. "He was neither physical nor in public, so it's hard to see what laws he broke."
<Kotono> "It's illegal to beat someone, and there's provisions for this. If official seers see something and we interrupt it just before it happens, they're still guilty." He shrugs, "He'll be spending some time bettering magical research."
<Moore> "Nothing harmful... right?" Moore asks. "I mean... you hopefully want him to reform?"
* Lucy snorts, turning it into a cough.
<Kotono> "Well," The old wizard strokes his beard, "If he has any brains at all, his punishment will make him realize this behavior isn't acceptable, and he'll reform. Then again, if he had brains, he wouldn't do it in the first place. Still.." He turns to another guard, "Make sure that woman has the option of divorcing him, with the magistrate's understanding that the husband is at fault and guilty
<Kotono> of a crime."
<Lucy> "Yes, I can see how that would be helpful," Lucy muses. "Oh! I almost forgot in all the excitement. Mister Amarde, how well do you know Miss Aria? I've been hoping to learn more about her, considering how important her job is."
<Moore> Moore realizes that his question wasn't really answered but decides to let it go. "Actually, if it isn't too much trouble, it'd be nice to know the names of everyone and the hierarchy, if that isn't too much trouble."
<Kotono> As the two of you talk, the guards come out with the man. He looks really rather subdued, "I'm afraid I'll have to depart this conversation now. This ruffian needs to be dealt with," he remarks. "Another time, though Aria should be able to answer your question, Moore. To the other one, as a working colleague, but not deeply Now..." He steps away, the guards taking the man.
Session Close: Tue Jan 20 14:12:54 2015