Careful of the stacks - LIBRARY LOG

[libraryassistants]

Who: EVERYONE!
What: A bunch of Editors walk into a library...
When: October 31st - November 13
Where: The Unfinished Library
Content warnings: Please add them as needed in the comment titles!

Welcome to the Library, Editors.

As the new residents drop into the Library, they are bound to have questions. Unfortunately it seems no one (except perhaps someone on the phone) appears to have any answers. But there is a nice little cart with a carafe of too weak coffee, a pot of too strong tea, assorted creams and sugar packets, and what appear to be leftover boxed shortbread cookies. There’s a sign inviting people to help themselves but reminding them not to take any food or drinks into the stacks, or touch any of the books with their grubby cookie hands. But aside from this little display and the nametags they’re all given, which do reappear whenever removed for the first week (where do they keep coming from?), the Editors are more or less left alone.

The Library is eternal, or at least it seems that way, unbothered by its new inhabitants. It certainly does not seem like this is anything unusual within its operation. Are there other sections of the Library with Editors, tucked into a different part of the stacks? Have there been Editors here before, and the ones here are simply a replacement? It’s impossible to say, just that the Library seems quite prepared for them. The refrigerators are stocked with appropriate (if generic) foodstuffs, any tantrums in front of the circulation desk are completely ignored, and attempts to set the Library on fire fizzle out before anything can even catch.

However, after a few days, some of the scenery in the Library seems to be changing. Little singing bowls and white noise makers pop up on various shelves and counters, yoga mats appear tucked under the bunk beds (plenty for everyone, somehow), and some of the rooms have started playing relaxing, meditative music over unseen speakers. More confusingly, there are also small UFOs hanging by string from the lower ceilings of the contained rooms, which on closer reflection are revealed to simply be two paper plates glued together and painted silver. In the beginning they’re quite sparse, but by the end of the second week they are everywhere and impossible to ignore.

At the start of the second week, there is a possible hint as to why, for at least part of it. On the table by the circulation desk there is a sign: “This Week’s Recommended Reading: Invasion of the Body Snatchers!” Next to it, there is a sign up sheet: a waitlist to check-out the ‘reading.’ (There is no explanation or apology for it actually being a movie.)

[ooc note: The Library prompts from the TDM can be considered canon to the game. Remember any of the locations listed in the setting are fair game. Have fun!]

Comments

Nara'a Sunvara (Warrior of Light) | Final Fantasy XIV

[aetherweaver]

Coffee Time

Nara'a doesn't seem to mind the coffee at this point, but he doesn't seem to mind much in this place. He really does like these cookies, but he's trying to leave enough for the rest of the group.

He does wander around towards everyone who he hasn't met yet, though. "Hello! How are you? How long have you been here?"

If nothing else, at least he's meeting new people...


Meeting Teaching Rooms

He puts a piece of paper on the door - Magic Meeting. Maybe some other people are interested in learning about aether. It's better than just sitting around here and not knowing anything about anyone else's magic.

Also, he's got a notebook and a pen - he's going to be taking notes, at least. He's not sure if anyone else is going to, but someone has to.


Aliens... ?

Nara'a has seen that shape before. He draws a picture and attaches it to one of the UFOs. He grins and starts spinning it around, possibly spinning it too hard.

... Sorry if it hits you by mistake.


Wildcard

[ooc; Will match prose or brackets! If you need any explanation or if you want a wildcard, grab me on Plurk at atrypical or Discord at artematthew!]

DID SOMEONE SAY MAGIC LESSONS OH BOY

[extrasaltypotato]

And here is the lalafell-ish man who made the exquisite figurines of his absent comrades earlier, his eyes even more childlike than normal as they emote excitement, with a mug of something similar to - but much darker and more fragrant than - the weaker of the brews offered at Nara'a's arrival.

As well as a notepad and a pen. To take notes.

[aetherweaver]

He looks over at the lalafell-like man and grins a little bit. "Hello there. I should have figured that you would be interested in this kind of thing. I can't quite help myself from looking - too much time around black magic."

Thaumaturges... have very little sense of balance, in his experience.

[extrasaltypotato]

"And how would you define 'black magic?'" he asks. "I've colloquially heard that used to refer to curses or malicious uses of the Art, but it's not a formal term on Mundus..."

And yes, he did write that down.

[aetherweaver]

"Generally those who wield fire, ice, and lightning. There's also some connection to the magic of the Void, though even black mages tend to be a bit cautious around that. Thaumaturges are able to summon the elements, but true black mages can make a a Fire spell look like a candle when compared to something like Flare. ... Technically the only authorized users are thaumaturges - black magic's been forbidden since the Fifth Astral Era, when the war between them and those users of white magic caused a Calamity from draining the aether dry and unbalancing the aetherial makeup of the world."

He taps his rapier and nods. "The survivors of that great flood met in the high mountain peaks. Together they forged a new school of red magic, the magic of balance between white and black. Today the only black mages that exist practice in secret, and white magic is highly controlled by the Elementals of the Black Shroud."

... "Tell me if you need definitions for any of that."

[extrasaltypotato]

He's getting all of this down, his brow furrowing at some of the things that explanation implied.

"I imagine that the aether is something much like what Mundane savants call Pneuma, or 'breath;' the energy channeled through a caster's incantations and will into magic. That it can drained to the point of ecological catastrophe is unsurprising but disturbing. Your thaumaturges and mine have much in common, but..."

He grimaces. "The Void is new to me. I can call the flames, the frost and the thunder, but calling on powers beyond the world is the domain of Warlocks on Mundus, not of Magi. Tell me about the order of White Mages?"

[aetherweaver]

"From what I'm aware, Reapers can make more or less equal pacts with voidsent, but black mages have a historical reputation for not keeping their fingers out of what they shouldn't touch." Himself included.

As for white mages... "Some very rare Hyur called Padjali are blessed with the power of the Elementals that exist in the Black Shroud, which is a forest sometimes called the Twelveswood. They have thin horns along their heads, though different than those of an Au Ra. They can hear the voices of the elementals better than most, and so while conjury is a common practice to heal others, those who are White Mages proper are usually from those rare breed. The Elementals tightly control the practice... and while I've made an attempt to learn conjury I eventually gave it up when I realized I was shite at healing magic."

Tugging at one of his gloves, he continues. "White Mages were also involved in the War of the Magi, as I mentioned, and while they were not in contact with the Void or any other realm as far as I know, they too are to blame for draining the world dry of aether. Water, earth, and wind are their elements - and one can do damage with those just as well as any black mage. Black mages are more consistently destructive, but I do not suggest angering your healer."

Teaching Rooms

[wontforbidtherain]

Look, Aphra is curious because where she is from, people who advertise magic are likely to be a fraud -- magic certainly existed, but was not talked about openly, and a person without connections was unlikely to be able to tell the real from the fraudulent.

She's prepared for this to be more of the same, which might not bode well for convivial discussion. So picture a woman coming in with a very skeptical look and her own notebook and pen. "Good day. Is this the 'magic meeting'."

[aetherweaver]

He chuckles and nods. "Yes, I thought those of us with spellcasting ability might find it useful to know what each other can do." It'd be nice for him, at least. "What is magic like where you're from?"

There's only one person he knows who can't manipulate aether who isn't a Garlean, after all.

[wontforbidtherain]

"Not commonly talked about in most circles," Aphra said at first. Because she was considering what else she wanted to say. "Other than that... call it one way of knowing the world. One may see the world through the lens of science, or visual art, or poetry... or magic."

It was less about what magic did than what it was for. Which, frankly, Aphra thought of as a more useful question when gauging a fellow practitioner.

[aetherweaver]

"That's true. Aether is just one way of seeing the world where I'm from, as well. Though it's widely talked about where I'm from - it's rare to find people who can't manipulate aether. And even then they do use it, they just have to use machinery to channel it for them."

It's... kind of sad that the Garleans can't use aether. It must be frustrating for them.

[wontforbidtherain]

"Where I'm from, the knowledge is not widely circulated, but I've never heard of people without the ability once they have training."

[aetherweaver]

"It's something biological. There's people I would really like to ask about it, but they're no longer around." It's not like he can wander into the aetherial sea and ask the ancients about it. And honestly, they probably wouldn't know. "But aether is what makes up the world around us - at least in my understanding of it."

Magic Meeting

[bestofall]

"Speaking of magic, d'you suppose these rooms ever disappear with people inside them?" muses Festival as he steps into the doorway, scanning to see who's there. "Only this very set of walls disappeared on me earlier, and left a strange...computer lab...in its place."

The cadence with which he says computer lab is a little off, like it's foreign vocabulary.

[aetherweaver]

"I hope not." Gods, he didn't even think about that possibility. The man before him looks like a cross between a miqo'te and hrothgar, but he's seen enough weird stuff that it doesn't matter much to him.

He grabs one of the markers, wrinkles his nose at the smell, and draws a rough figure on the board. He makes three labels - corporeal aether pointing to the body, memory aether pointing to the head, and soul aether pointing to the middle of the figure. He also draws a double-sided arrow between memory and soul aether.

"Does it work this way for you, or does something else compose all things for you?"

[bestofall]

The scent of that marker has Festival wrinkling his nose as well, even though he's several feet away. The diagram, such as it is, just leaves him looking stumped.

"Er...no."

He squints at the board and amends his answer. "Or...yes? But you're missing one; you've the Essences of Matter, Spirit, and Mind, but where's Life?"

He doesn't have to fake his confusion this time, at least.

[aetherweaver]

... Hm. He tries to think of how to explain it. "I don't think we have a separate thing for that? Corporeal aether has smaller currents of aether in it, able to be drawn upon for magicks. Life itself tends to be more associated with having corporeal aether to begin with."

[bestofall]

"Oh, that sounds entirely wrong," says Festival happily. "Magic comes from any of the four essences--or I suppose one or two at a time, wouldn't it be? I'm sure I read something about that. Anyway, aether is something else entirely."

[aetherweaver]

"Four? ... I know of six elements and two polarities of that." He pinches the bridge of his nose. "What is aether in your understanding, then?"

Aliens...?

[dovedive]

[ Nice had been noticing these goofy little flying saucers hanging around. He's not sure when he noticed them popping up, but he tried to ignore them at first. It was just some silly prank someone must have been doing around the library to liven up the place. But the more he ignored them it seemed like a few more would just pop up.

He went to go get a better look at one of the "ships" hanging from the ceiling, to investigate the handiwork of these things, The only problem was that he wasn't actually paying attention to anyone else in the room and suddenly he gets hit in the back of the head with one of these "space ships. ]

What the—!?

[ He quickly turned around to spy this man with cat ears playing around with the saucers. ]

[aetherweaver]

Ah - I'm sorry.

[He holds onto the string and tilts his head at the other man.]

I got a little distracted...

[His ears pull backwards and his tail droops...]

Are you hurt?

[dovedive]

[ Nice's annoyed expression quickly melted into one of confusion and fascination as he watches the man's ears pull back. So it wasn't some sort of headband or anything. This guy really was some kind of cat person? ]

Ah—?

[ Oh, right the paper saucers! He tries to wave it off with a smile]

I'm fine I'm fine really. If a little toy was enough to take me down I'd be a little concerned with myself too ahah.

[aetherweaver]

Ah, good. I'm shite at healing spells.

[He pokes at his drawing again and smiles, trying to keep the 'UFO' from flying off in another direction. He really wants to bat at it though...]

I don't think we've met? I'm Nara'a.

[dovedive]

[ 'healing spells' if he's aware of those, maybe he comes from somewhere similar. he must have some kind of powers too... ]

Ah? Oh—!

I'm Nice~! [ Out of habit, he gives the other man a flashy grin an finger guns, but instantly feeling embarrassed about it. he knows he's not a hero here, but after a while those introductions are drilled into you! ]

[aetherweaver]

[The finger guns are understood thanks to some recent events, but it's still strange. He blinks and continues.]

It's... nice to meet you, Nice. ... Sorry, you've probably heard that a million times before.

[Everyone has name-related issues, he supposes. Like people forgetting the 'a at the end of his name... but that's not this person's issue.]

I know it's hard to measure days here, but have you been here a while?