fandomhigh | Defending Yourself Against Magic

"Well, hello." Bob greeted them all with a smile that was equal parts grim and wicked. "I'm Hrothbert of Bainbridge. You can call me Sir, or Bob." There was a moment of narrow-eyed daring anyone to say anything about his name.

"In this class, you'll be learning how to defend yourself against magic. Spells, creatures, people using it, whatnot. If you didn't mean to be here, stay anyway. You can probably use it, particularly if you're the sort who can't even make it to the right room for class."

Yes, Bob still called it like he saw it.

"So, introductions, which I imagine you're all heartily sick of by now." His dismissive gesture said how much he cared about that. "What I'd like to know from you is your name, what sorts of magic your world has, what you're familiar with, and what, if any, you have experience in.

"Personally, I'm from Earth, Chicago of around six years ago at the moment. My world has an entire range of beings and magical forces, from dragons to vampires. Magic users - wizards and sorcerers - mostly do their best to keep other humans from being aware of them. I am a sorcerer. My specialities are magical constructs, enchantments, and necromancy. I'm also, since apparently you lot don't gossip near enough, a ghost. I've had well over a millennium to learn all sorts of things, and I've taught generations of wizards."

He eyed them all for a likely candidate, then sighed. "I'll need an assistant to fetch and carry; I'd appreciate volunteers. And introductions."

He waited.

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Bob raised an eyebrow right back and wiggled his fingers through the table at her in a little wave.

"I can't actually perform more than illusion without a physical body," he clarified. "I am still, however, an excellent teacher of theory, and this room allows me to duplicate many spells for our purposes."

That was her concern, wasn't it?

"That is not my concern," Cassandra said sharply. "Are you hoping to find another mage to possess by doing this?"

Bob blinked at her, rather taken aback. "Well, I've never said no to a ride or two; intangibility can get rather dull. But I hardly need it to be a mage; I'd have my own powers, after all. And never without asking. It's a condition of my employment here, if nothing else."

"And I am expected to trust your word?" Cassandra asked.

Well, it came out like a demand, but it was a genuine question. Honest.

Bob rolled his eyes. "Feel free to check my employment contract if you like; I'm sure the moose has a copy."

He eyed her more seriously. "However, if you intend to learn anything in this class, you would do well to at least keep an open mind."

"I am a trained Seeker of Truth," Cassandra said flatly. "If there is information I had not previously considered, I will hear it. But I am trained, in part, to contain magic, and I know full well the danger of spirits."

"Good," Bob answered. "Truth and containment are an excellent start. What sorts of dangers do spirits in your world pose?"

"Chiefly, possession," Cassandra said. "They are prone to seduce mages to allow them to take hold in their bodies. In the process, the mages become abomination."

"What does abomination entail?" Bob asked, confused. "Just...the fact of possession?"

"Their bodies begin to twist in the spirit's image," Cassandra said. "Some cases are subtle. Most are not. For instance, a Pride abomination will see flesh twisting into spines and claws. Few in the abomination's presence survive, generally."

Bob frowned. "You're speaking of elemental spirits, not the remnants of those already dead."

"Those already dead should travel to the Maker's side, where they belong," Cassandra said. "I do not know why your soul wished to join the spirits; it does not matter. Spirits belong in the Fade, well away from us."

She fixed a good look on Bob. "But I have had this disagreement with my uncle many times. He is Mortalitasi."

"My soul was bound to this plane of existence," Bob explained. "I had no say in the matter. Mortalitasi?"

"Priests from my country who believe that every soul that passes through the Veil displaces a spirit," Cassandra said, "so they feel it is fair to bind such displaced spirits to the bodies the souls have recently left."

Her tone was decidedly dry when she added, "Perhaps you have encountered one before yourself."

"Wait." Bob frowned. "They reanimate corpses with elemental spirits? Why, for god's sake?"

He looked pained. "No, never mind, I can think of the answers to that. I'm guessing they're not terribly nice people, are they?"

"They are not malicious, if that is what you are asking," Cassandra said mildly. "Merely blinded by their beliefs about death, about necromancy."

"Well, that's good to know." Bob breathed a sigh of relief. "No taking over the world or making armies of zombies or anything?"

Hey, he was a necromancer; he wasn't throwing stones if they weren't doing actual harm.

"They simply believe they are achieving some balance for the displaced spirits," Cassandra said, shrugging. "Their creations are foul, but they are usually kept within the Grand Necropolis."

"Suppose it beats them wandering free," Bob said. It'd be safer to bind them to things that couldn't move, but he could see the advantages.

"So, what sorts of magic are you likely to see? Anything particular you want to learn to defend against?"

"Elemental magic, whether it be fire, ice, spirit, or any other kind," Cassandra listed. Really, it was more a question what kind of magic she wasn't likely to see in her future career. "Magic pertaining to spirits, demons and abominations. Some mages have been known to change shapes, as well."

Bob nodded and made a note of it. "I'll see what I can do."

Defending Yourself Against Magic | Friday, period 2

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