Downtime Catch-Up Post #2

Here are two downtimes covering the mentoring of Scamandros and Phasmo in the learning of their 2nd Level spells.

Riverborn Scamandros Beholds a New Spell

Upon reaching the level of "Beholder", Riverborn Scamandros approached the Midnight Marauder Zarthur Mare to study a new spell under his mentorship. Zarthur reminded his fellow Transcendental Congress member to not tie himself too closely to one teacher too closely- else he become just an instrument of that teacher. Plus, the magic-user added, "I am only a Seer. I couldn't teach you your next level spell if I thought continued mentorship was a good idea." Instead, Zarthur pointed Scamandros out towards the low marshlands to the West of Orm to find a new mentor in the magician known as Horbit.

Out along the reeds along the river Sarn, Scamandros finds the mud hill hovel that serves as the lair for the accomplished rival of the arcane weaver Shrune-- Horbit. While the damp lodgings and workspace Horbit offers Scamandros are lacking in their luxury, the resources and the fair offered by the toad-like magician are decidely not. Scamandros finds the next week one filled with rich food and fine drink as he wrestles to master the magic formula offer to him: ESP. The mentorship is a silent one for Horbit saved conservation until his student is able to do so through the mind. The process is incredibly difficult under those terms. For days his research is fruitless and desperate. It is not until he  reconstructs the tripod methods of post-Imperial spiritualists briefly popular along the Sunset Praire that he has a breakthrough.

Horbit croaks with joy when his pupil meets with success. Scamandros' last night lodging with the magician is filled with conversation ranging from spiritual philosophy to the dynamics of transmogrification formula. Horbit possess a keen interest in the Athenaeum of the Dying Sun and a keener one in what tidbits of intelligence on Shrune he can gain second from Scamandros from his fellow librarian Crannoc who studies with the arcane weaver.

Phasmo and the Enchantress

Unlike his fellow librarian, the newly minted "Beholder" Phasmo was able to return to the tutelage of his previous mentor- the Enchantress of the Impossible Fortress. Upon his arrival to inquire about further studies, he finds materials pertaining to the spell of his desire already awaiting him- Invisibility. The first few days are filled with just reading accountings of castings from the late Imperial Age through the conflict between the Spell Captains and the Sorcerer Kings along with Pneumerian's Natural Philosophy on the Phenomena that is Light, Its Particles, and Its Illuminations and assorted incomplete mid-Imperial formula aeons old from when magic was better understood. It is only on the second night of study that the Enchantress even presents herself to Phasmo. After a light summer meal, the Enchantress begins to appeal for him to discuss what his thoughts on the processes to create magical invisibility. Any time Phasmo drifts towards thinking found in the crass practices of the Illusionist, he finds her admonishments harsh. She unrelentingly presents to Phasmo the following question: why is he attempting the result through an approach grounded in the foundations of the tradition  the Transcendental Congress when he could easily gain such a result in the methodologies of the Illusionists?

As Phasmo works on mastering a means of creating magical invisibility, he finds the the mentorship of the Enchantress surprisingly rigorous even after having experienced the process once before. She requires him to craft his components, maintain the immaculate workshop, defend the choices in the development of his formula, and suffer completely unvarnished critique. While the Enchantress requires much care in approach to process and demands a defense of methodology, it becomes clear to Phasmo that she actually grants much freedom as a mentor. It seems no tool or approach of the magic-user is closed off by her as long as he can defend his choices as a magic-user, keeps her workshop clean and safe, and can produce the work. It is clear to Phasmo that she is heavily influenced by the open approach to spell casting of the Counter-Imperial movement as apposed to the stylistic formulists that have long dominated the practice of magic-using since its earliest known days.