(no subject)

[freedom_is_grey]

" -- know I didn't want this. Arl of Amaranthine? I'm going to be terrible at it! How could you do this? Why would you do this?"

A pause, as Ysalwen looks over her shoulder, door to Milliways held half-open with one hand.

Liranan whines.

" -- fine. I had it coming, considering. But you can at least let me complain about it, both in person and in letters. I suppose I'll let you do the same. On occasion."

When one makes one's friend into the King of Ferelden, it's really difficult to object to being made a noble in return. Fair's fair, after all, and everyone may as well be stressed and miserable together.

Or something.

At least Ysalwen can escape into Milliways, and does, Liranan bounding along behind her.

When she sits at a corner table, he'll jump up to lick her face before settling down under her chair.

A waitrat will be along any minute. She could really use a drink.

Comments

[makesthings]

Sameth is yawning when he enters in his surcoat with his sword at his side, looking mainly like a prince except for how rumpled he is.

On his way to get a drink, he sees Liranan lick Ysalwen and smiles, "Your dog is beautiful."

[freedom_is_grey]

Ysalwen is used to rumpled princes these days. Come to think of it, she's used to rumpled kings, too.

Go figure.

At Sameth's words she looks up, wiping her face with the back of her hand.

"I'm his person, but thank you. I'm sure Liranan appreciates it, too."

Liranan looks up at Sameth and barks twice. Cheerfully.

Clearly Sameth is smart!

[makesthings]

She should tell his sister and mother then, he can be rumpled and manage the royal part.

His Charter Mark is almost visible through his hair as he offers Liranan his hand, "I'm sure he does. I'm Sameth."

[freedom_is_grey]

Liranan sniffs his hand interestedly, then licks the back of his wrist.

Ysalwen, meanwhile, has peered at his Charter Mark for a moment, eyes widening fractionally -- then registered his name.

"Sameth. Ava mentioned you, I think. I'm Ysalwen. Hello!"

[makesthings]

"You know Ava? Yes, I'm friends with her. Its good to meet you,"

If Ava spoke with this woman who makes him think of the Clayrs then clearly she's someone to know.

[freedom_is_grey]

"She gave me entrance to the library, and we talked about magic for a little while. She said you know something of it, and you've made enchanted objects for her before."

Ysalwen smiles, tucking strands of white hair behind her pointed ears.

"I like knowing how magic works in worlds that aren't mine. Not least because no one here seems to know what the Fade is."

[makesthings]

He grins and reaches for a seat,

"I do. I'm a Charter Mage and yes, other magic systems are fascinating. The Charter only exists in my world so I know how conversations with people who don't really understand can go."

[freedom_is_grey]

"I'm a mage, too, for what that's worth. Can I ask what the Charter is? I can tell you about the Fade in return."

If he likes.

[makesthings]

"Of course you can. I think I've gotten better at explaining it,"

He sits down as he tries to figure out where to start, "The Charter is the magic that is at the heart of the Old Kingdom, always present, holding it together. When someone is baptized with a Charter Mark, they can reach it and use it through calling Charter Marks through saying, singing, writing or even thinking them. Some people, some bloodlines have more of a connection to the Charter and particular skills which makes them more powerful." As he talks, he traces in the air two Marks that become a flame in his hand.

[freedom_is_grey]

"Is there a reason it's called the Charter and not something else? The Fade is where my magic comes from. It's where people go when they dream, and where some go when they die. It's full of spirits, and is endlessly malleable, even as it reflects distorted images of the physical world."

Her mouth quirks at one corner, and she holds up her own left hand, a small spinning ball of flame forming over her palm.

"Do you have particular talents with these Charter Marks, or can everyone do everything?"

Sameth mentioned particular skills, but that could mean a lot of things.

[makesthings]

"The Charter was created when the Seven Great Shiners bound themselves with Free Magic to protect and create the Old Kingdom. There's a rhyme about the bloodlines with power.

Five Great Charters knit the land
together linked, hand in hand
One in the people who wear the crown
Two in the folk who keep the Dead down
Three and Five became stone and mortar
Four sees all in frozen water.

I'm a member of the royal family, my mother's Abhorsen, she keeps the Dead down and I'm also Wallmaker. That means that I can walk in Death to destroy necromancers there, only those of the Abhorsen bloodline can. I'm best at making things which is what being a Wallmaker means, I'm good at sensing the Charter within the land and connecting to it. I'm the first one in centuries so no one else can do exactly what I can do."

[freedom_is_grey]

Ysalwen frowns slightly, attempting to absorb what Sameth is saying.

"You have a big problem with undead? Are they -- actually dead, or dead bodies possessed by different kinds of demons? That's what the undead I am familiar with are. Back home."

[makesthings]

"Not as much as we used to. Dead bodies that are being controlled by a necromancer. We don't have demons though I know what they are. A number of people here fight them, they're pretty common in Ava's world."

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

Sooner or later, Liranan is probably going to need to go outside. Dogs are like that.

When he does, there is likely to be rather a stronger smell of ozone in the air than one might normally expect for a day without thunderclouds in the sky.

[freedom_is_grey]

Ysalwen lets sparks crackle along her arm, as if to test whether the atmosphere is responsive to such things.

Liranan finishes his business in the meantime and, still shedding the occasional blue crackle of electricity, Ysalwen starts walking around, investigating the ozone's source.

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

It's not currently the sort of day that really encourages electrical discharge; it can happen if provoked, it's just not a particularly conducive day for it. On the other hand, there are crackling and smallish booming sounds coming from the direction where the smell is strongest. So there's that.

[freedom_is_grey]

There's a momentary flicker to Ysalwen's step as she turns to head in that direction.

Mostly it's a smorgasbord of defensive spells coming into play.

It's always better to be prepared.

Liranan doesn't even whine, just takes up a position slightly ahead and to the left of Ysalwen, and they move on together.

It looks pretty practiced. (Because it is.)

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

The area may seem a little familiar; there was a man working with a bow out here a while ago, in this area. No sign of him now; the heavily armored figure at the firing line is a good deal shorter, and the weapon on its shoulder is as far from a bow as it's possible to get without involving Qunari ship-mounted weapons.

And even the Qunari's ship weapons don't spit crackling blue-white lightning like that.

That poor boulder downrange. What did it ever do to deserve being used as a target.

[freedom_is_grey]

Well, that's --

Impressive. Yes, that's a word for it.

"Um," Ysalwen says. Quietly.

The energy coursing along her arm changes from electricity to ice crystals.

Just in case.

"Hello?"

(It doesn't feel like magic, but that doesn't necessarily mean anything here.)

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

The lightning only fires every so often, rather than in a continuous stream; when Ysalwen speaks it stops entirely, and the armored figure turns her way. "I'm sorry," says a muffled but recognizable woman's voice. "Didn't know anyone else was out here."

(Please let this not be a repeat of that ninny and the shotgun and 'why don't you go to Canada'. Please. Please.)

[freedom_is_grey]

Ysalwen doesn't flinch or step back, just tilts her head to study the figure a little more carefully.

"I hope I didn't sneak up on you, I didn't mean to. Just -- I wasn't sure if someone was practicing magic out here, or if -- "

Well.

" -- someone was in trouble. It felt a little like a storm. I guess that was -- you? Or your weapon, I mean."

Unless the weapon is part of her. It happens that way with golems sometimes, doesn't it, or at least with golems and elemental modifications.

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

"Oh, no, it's not magic," says the armored figure. The visor, if it's a visor at all, stays where it is. "Just a weapon that does a very good job of looking like it. I don't use it very often, but it never hurts to stay in practice."

There's a pause.

"... I should take this helmet off. I almost forgot I had it on. Um, if I put the Tesla cannon down will it bother your friend there?"

[freedom_is_grey]

"No, Liranan will be fine as long as I'm fine. He's -- used to strangeness."

Ysalwen presses a hand to her mouth for a second, as if to cover a laugh.

"I'm sorry, I just wasn't sure if that was armor or -- you. And it seemed rude to ask."

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

"Fair enough. I have a dog like that myself."

Attitude-wise, anyway. Dogmeat's maybe what, a quarter of a mabari hound's mass?

Anyway, she sets the Tesla cannon down with the greatest of care- Jerald would flip his lid if she damaged the thing outside of combat- and then pops the seals around her armor's neck. After some wriggling, the helmet comes off, and joins the cannon on the ground with equal care. "There we go," she says. "Easiest way to keep myself from being blinded, using that thing. I'm not a robot, just a human."

She'd say as human as the next person, but Fawkes is her best friend, so... yeah, no.

[freedom_is_grey]

"Do you?"

Ysalwen grins.

"How did you get yours, if I can ask? Mabari aren't standard companions for elves, where I'm from, so there's a story behind it, a bit. I like to think it reflects well on both of us."

She reaches down to scratch between Liranan's ears, and he takes a step back to lean against her side.

"Are lightning-flinging weapons like this common, if you have armor to compensate for their disadvantages?"