The Origin of Magics

<Mildest of reverb present for full audio, this is a big chamber meant for battle>

<Slow clapping, footsteps approaching>

Well done. Truly, well done. The five legendary heroes are slain on your antechamber floor.

<Stop claps/steps>

If I recall, this lineup was Lockhart the Mage, Cedric the Paladin, Mar'shello {Mar-shell-oh} the Druid, Netch the Archer....and that fifth one. Never caught the supposed "hero"'s name actually. Ehh...Something the Stranded! Fits enough.

Wh-...huh-...Who in the fresh hell are you? How did you even get in here? You're totally spoiling my dramatic victory over the heroes. 

Hoo wee. Did a number on these chumps. Y'know lookin' at 'em up close...I think that the [sarcastic enough to kill someone] "legendary warrior" is still awake in there. Slowly kickin', sure, but not dead. Listen well, toots, 'cause it's not getting much better for you, either.

I'm quite literally the most powerful spellcaster alive. And you're ignoring me. That's not just extremely rude, but dangerous.

I've got time to wallow in thought. Maybe to gloat that you...failed to kill your adversaries, hm?

E-enough of this insolence! You come into my sanctum, defile my moment of victory for some silly little monologue, and all for what, to be captain obvious? I know the hero is still alive. I did that on purpose. Some of us are resourceful when it comes to finding good vessels.

I ought to smite you where you stand. It should be easy enough, you appear unarmed and unskilled at any form of magic. Nothing but a black cloak of feathers and an angry set of dark eyes.

They match my silver hair quite well, don't you think~?

Was...was that attempting to be flirtatious? What on Gaia is happening here?

[Sigh] No appreciation for the arts. But to answer your query...you're half right. No weapons here. I'd rather like to handle this...discussion...civilly, through speech, rather than with violence through my hands.

Are you with these losers? Is this some top secret sixth member that they don't end up flaunting until the end to save the day? 

Quite the contrary. I have nothing to do with this sorry lot.

[Sigh] I remembered when prophecies used to mean something. There were the gods' Chosen Heroes. Now it feels like every fifty or so years there's some "legendary hero" schmuck the church demands to take care of a mild magical pest like yourself. Hardly worth the legends, I say.

You called me a pest. In my own dwelling, no less. How dare you. You know what? For that? Fireball.

<Flame wooshing sound effects>

<A magical sound of collision...but the immortal is undamaged entirely!>

Real special. A low level fireball isn't going to do too much to cook my goose, I can assure you that.

T-that was a level 6 fireball! Far from low level by any means. You were completely immune to something that would take out a cow, let alone a human.

[Mutters] Guess you know magic after all. Maybe I should be a bit more careful.

Magical resistance will take you places, you know. And mine's been building for a very, very long time. 

{Pause}

I've always found the whole "Queen of Nightshade" persona a little bit trite. Couldn't shake the family legacy, huh?

Don't you have a point to get to? I'd really like to go claim my spoils of war and start rebuilding my tower. Why are you here, mage? 

I'm something of an...equalizer of sorts. Certain people get a little too big for their britches and it's up to me to leave 'em with a handful of stitches. [Losing focus] Or...something like that...

[Back to normal] Anywho, it seems like your mighty prowess has led to your downfall, Starling—

Queen of Nightshade.

—Starling.

[Stressed] You know my name. No one knows my name. No one should know my name. I've scrubbed every record of it ever being used. How did you figure that out??

A tip from an acquaintance. Names hold power, so I'm told, so I'd rather give you the service of using your name instead of this little persona you've created.

Scoundrel.

Wench.

The head mage of the continent personally asked me to...handle you. I'm sure you're well aware of Ivan~?

Biggest geezer of the century.

Biggest geezer of the century! That's the one. He knows me...personally. Very few people are actually aware of my existence at all. The fact that you and I...er...

{Pause; looks over at listener, who's still alive!}

...and that thing on the floor, I guess, are having this conversation at all is nothing short of a miracle. 

I'd rather just get to killing you. I have a lot of plans to attend to. Dominating the lands, and all that? Recovering that lovely hero to be my pawn? Getting my revenge against humanity for taking those that matter to me away?

I'm sure you do. But I also know that you really aren't in any rush to see them to completion.

That's not true! I would like them to be done much sooner than later, thank you very much. Lots of domineering to accomplish.

Mhm. And pray tell, how many decades have you spent getting to this point? Are we up to centuries yet?

...I've been at this for a regular period of time.

Sixty years is not a normal time for a normal lifespan, for someone who looks like she's barely twenty.

{Pause}

What happened to all that hubris, Starling—

Nightshade.

[Smug] All that talk against the heroes about never being able to lose suddenly slip your mind? You didn't think you'd actually have to back that up, did you?

I wouldn't lose because my magic and intellectual skills completely outrank any threat they pose to me.

[Slower, pointed] And not because if they were to mortally wound you, that nothing would happen?

I'm not hearing this...

Oh please. Get over yourself. You're a Deathless. It's not some secret, Starling.

It very much is a secret. I don't go around flaunting my immortality!

Ah, but that you do! Years upon years into "master plans"? People will catch on to that. Especially when you leave such a nasty magical signature behind. It reeks of sketchiness. You may have scrubbed your name from the books, but your family tree isn't exactly complicated either.

So you're saying that because my magic was too good it led that old geezer in the tower to want me hunted down and killed? That's the big secret?

Sort of. The whole prophecy thing sort of happened on its own. They never had any chance of winning, of course.

{To the hero} Uh, sorry to break it to you down there, Marshall Nobody of the Failure Brigade. I've seen better hellbound snowballs than any odds you had against this witch.

Sorceress.

Same thing.

They are absolutely not the same thing and I think you know that.

Guilty as charged. Anyway, to get back on topic before the twitching floor decoration distracted me...Ivan realized that a Deathless like you showing up again to pull some bullshit might cause...issues. So he and another hunted me down to cash in a favor or thirty in order to enlist my services. Gotta ensure the defeat of the world-ending threat and all that.

So you admit I have that capability?

Left unchecked? Certainly. But unfortunately for you...I'm the one checking. 

I can charm you out of this with discussion. I could pay you off to leave. I could still take you in combat. It's not over yet. Besides...[evil laugh in realization] You are right. I am a Deathless. You couldn't possibly eradicate me if you tried. I'm immortal!

I'll have to stop you right there. You are Deathless, that much is true. But you're not immortal. Trust me, I've taken out enough of you freakazoids to know.

T-that's impossible. Deathless people can't die. It's quite literally in the name.

Under normal circumstances, sure. Aging, impalement, disease, beheading...they aren't going to do nothing to a person like you. But you absolutely can still die.

But Mother said...-

[Interrupting/Ignoring] Volcanoes are a great way to start. Or just vaporization in general. Petrification of an isolated brain. The vacuum of space is heavily theorized. Having your mana be completely severed is another.

[More to themself than their adversary] Oh my gods...they know their stuff. Maybe they can kill me! I need to get out of here!

<Another two fireballs fired, but louder/sounding stronger>

Counterspell.

<Spells immediately dissipate>

A counterspell? At that high of a spell rank? That's impossible, there's no way you could have cancelled those out! 

[Sigh] The kids today just have no respect for their studies.

Counterspell can't go higher than level five, everybody knows that. It's one of the first things they teach you about using it!

You and your silly little half-truths. I suppose you are right. Contemporary counterspells don't allow you to block above level five. Your level six fireballs should have overpowered it.

But I don't use contemporary counterspells. Which just goes to prove you have a long way to go to learn about magic.

Freeze.

<Sound effects of ice forming around Starling>

I'd prefer if you stayed right there while I explain. I kept your head above the ice to maintain the dialogue, so don't blow this little blessing I've granted you. 

Now. I presume you went to some form of academy for your skills, hmm?

{Awkward pause}

Looking for an answer here...

Uh...yeah. Montague's. 

So I presume they taught you about protomagics.

Yeah...the original form of spells. They're just named after the people that made the runes for them though, right?

Yes and no. They follow a naming convention. Named after the founder of the spell, and originating with the Eight Casters of Lands Beyond. I'm sure you remember the origin of Fireball started as Frederick's Figmentation of Fire. Named after Sir Frederick of Briarwood, of course.

What I'm also sure you know is that the specific runic circle used to make that spell was extremely complicated. Even an experienced spellcaster would probably take around thirty minutes to draw that thing out. 

Same goes for any of the protomagics. All extraordinarily complicated and intricate. A lot of them are quite personal to the styles of the creator. Physically drawn out on a surface with ash and set ablaze with soulfire to start the reaction. Bit of a lost artform, I must confess.

Frederick liked those curly lines, like wisps of fire crackling. Constance was very angular in her designs. So on so forth...you get the portrait.

They needed a way to make these spells more practical. More useful. Make it something you can cast with mana directly. Shorthand a few strokes here, simplify a few arcane lines there...voilá! A more portable, light-weight spell. Easy for more people to learn and use. 

But simplification comes at a cost. A pretty major one at that. The "levels" you classify spells by now are just how far simplified the spell is. Lower the level, the less arcane energy or mana or concentration or whatever you wanna call it is needed...but at the loss of most power. The higher the level...the closer to the original spell, and the more technique you need to cast it. 

Most people don't even really think about the actual arcane lines anymore when casting. It's all about vibes and flow and inner concentration or whatever. Draw the casting circle, draw the signature circle, fire away. I'm not even sure most people know that's what they're even doing, to be honest.

[Sigh; that was a lot]

You wanna know why they never taught you the protomagics?

I can wager a guess...

They were extremely powerful. Figmentation of Fire could level a church or a castle with ease. Simon's Summation of the Sea would cause enough salt water to desecrate a farm for years. Catch the drift, and all that.

What's with the lecture? Seems like a strange thing to tell someone. Is this some weird way of trying to stall for time? Trying to delay for something?

[Like they said nothing] The eight core spells. Fireball. Water. Levitation. Restoration. Stonewall. Dark Star. Teleportation. And finally...

[Slowly; putting it together]...Counterspell. Corbeau's Certitude of Countering.

No.

No!

The Eight Casters lived thousands of years ago. There's...no...

[Quietly] Oh no.

[Grand and mighty delivery, almost joyful with pride] Guilty as charged! Corbeau Rosevault, the final remaining soul and living will of the Eight Casters, at your...disservice.

There was never indication that any of the Eight Casters were Deathless! How could you possibly be alive?!

Do you want a nice answer or a truthful one?

{Pause; this was not rhetorical}

...Truthful...?

It's a convoluted long story, but it involves meeting mages who claimed they were from the moon and a complete misunderstanding of customs when sharing beverages. A secret I have kept quite well.

[Flabbergasted] What?

I was one of the first Deathless, you know. Probably the only one who got here like I did. No idea how the others pulled it off, but usually it's the result of being the child of one or causing so much of a mana drain it implodes on itself. There's about eighteen of us left on the planet now...at least that I know about.

[Tired sigh] Never asked for this life, Starling, but I'm still stuck here living it. But...it's probably for the better, anyway. Someone gets a little too power-hungry or a little too magically apocalyptic...and it's my job to cancel them out. I only do it when things seem pretty dire.

You were more of a special case, honestly. Two different requests for your head. While I normally wouldn't oblige a hit job like this, you were starting to prove to be issue-worthy. Couldn't you have been more like that younger sibling of yours and just tinker with those infernal mechanics? Blasting steel with enough mana and fire in the hopes it just might stick? That would have been a far more fruitful career path.

And be like the rest of them? Not a chance. I'm carving my own path in the world! That's what I was put here to do. 

Hmm. Err...right. I guess now's the time I have to beat you.

No...no, wait—!

True Freeze.

<Frozen in time magic sound; Starling is rendered immobile>

Tssh. Tough break, kiddo. Nothing's going to break that lil' curse there, unless I allow it. Root of freezing magic outright freezing time...now that's a fun little trick.

I tell you these things because well quite honestly I am bored. Humanity gets worse every generation, or so it feels like. I think that when I tell you these things, you'll actually understand what I'm meaning, and not just what I'm saying.

So...here's the dealio. You've been handed quite the strange, uh, hand. If Ivan gets here first...well, there's no telling what that freak will do. Usually ends with being sealed—frozen, mind you—inside molten metal. Nasty way to go. Mind still ticks away for awhile, I think.

But...if daddy dearest decides to come get you first...well, I'd assume the outcome is more positive.

Funny thing about the Deathless, actually. They've always got some weird little connection with birds. You ever notice that? I've leaned into it over the years, but I never picked my name. In the east lives a Phoenix Quigs. There's you, of course. How could anyone forget ol' Wren the Pacifier? Others seem to be tormented by birds in their early years. Others raise them. Never understood the connection. You'll have all the time in the world to think about it.

{Pause}

[Leaning in; hushed] Between you and me, I do hope your father shows up first. Much nicer man, overall. Maybe that's the whole "pacifier" thing in action, hmm~? [Mildly sinister] If he put so much effort into taking care of one overgrown weed, maybe he'll do it again.

[Back to normal] Take a much needed rest. You've earned it. In a sense.

[Sigh; pausing]

<Corbeau turns to face the "hero">

I guess I do have to deal with you. Quite a thorn in the whole operation. Heroes, always so persistent. Always so...annoying, really.

Look...I can't really just turn you loose to the world. You'd go around sharing all sorts of little secrets that I really wouldn't like floating around out there. I can trust ol' birdilocks over here to keep her mouth shut. Even if she does manage to get out of that spell, telling anybody would make her seem insane. More than normal.

Tch. I don't like killing people. Messy business. Pointlessly cruel. And...having two birds stake their ground in front of you is probably some horrible form of bad omen against me, if you catch the drift. What to do, what to do...

Even if you did walk away...the people in the world would hate you. The death of full armies, legendary heroes...and all for a loss? They'll eat you alive. I'm sure either Wren or Ivan will take responsibility for this little debacle. Shame, really, but it's their fault for sending a dirt-ranked nobody into the old Tower of Thorns or whatever this weird freaky place is called.

You're not from here, right? Sent from another world, or some generic excuse like that? Welcome to the club. I've heard it a couple times before. You'd think those loose dimensions would get patched up every now and again...or that the church would stop doing those incredibly lame summoning circles. So...I'm sure if I sent you somewhere else...

Hmm. That sounds like a mighty fine idea to me. Say your final goodbyes, Marshall Nobody. When you wake up, you'll be stranded in some other world, just like before. Free from screwing up anything this place has left to offer, anyway. See you never!

<Optional spellcasting ambience/sounds/voice change>

Viens à

Viens à

stellae super

Pigaine aftin tin psychi makria apo edo

maudis-les

maudis-les

stellae ultra

odigei ston ligotero taxidemeno kosmo

messze, messze, messze [repeat to fade out]

{Pronunciation guide:

Vee-en ah

Vee-en ah

Stell-ay super

Pig-in Aft-in Tin Seek-hee Mach-ri-ah Ah-po Ee-dee-oh

Maw-dee lay

Maw-dee lay

Stell-ay ultra

Oh-dee-yay stown lee-go-tare-oh taxi-dem-en-oh cosmo

mesh-uh mesh-uh mesh-uh

Blend of French, Latin, Greek, and Hungarian. Fun!}

<Portal has opened, and the listener is transported through it; end script with magic sounds being taken to new dimension>

END.