– Era of the Wastes, Cycle 214, Season of the Rising Moon, Day 20 –

“First the basics,” said Brynn. Lori and Terry were sitting in front of her with eager eyes.

“Mana crafting is an umbrella term for several different techniques. To make it short, the most common ones are: Aspecting, imprinting, carving, and rune inscriptions.”

“Normally, that is also the order in which you would be taught. With you two, however, it makes more sense to skip the first technique for now. Yes, Terry?”

“What about enchantments?”

Brynn glanced at Terry’s academy bag. “Enchanting is in fact a completely separate discipline that belongs purely into the realm of spellwork – very advanced spellwork, I should emphasize. Enchantments and mana crafting can be considered complementary.

“Mana crafting is more accessible to beginners because it incorporates non-structured or less structured mana. If you were to take the full crafting specialization at the Academy, then you would be introduced to enchantments after carving and before rune inscriptions – it can serve as a more practical topic while the students are still trying to wrap their heads around the theory of rune inscriptions.”

Terry nodded.

“Back to the agenda. Aspecting essentially means that you charge an item with aspected mana. While you have to pay some attention to material compatibility and limitations, it comes quite naturally to most people and particularly so if your mana already has an aspect of its own. All it takes is time and patience. Once you have reached a certain charge level, the item becomes self-sustaining – mana attracts mana.

“The first catch is that most aspects are near useless for items. Equipment aspecting is a common side income for people with particular mana aspects. Metal reinforcement, a fire or ice sword, cooling or warming armor, a convenient source of light, or a water catcher can be useful enough.

“However, even for those aspects, there are further downsides. An aspected item has no off-switch. The heat or flames of a fire-aspected sword do not distinguish between user and enemy. That has to be taken into account. Consequently, aspected items usually make up the cheapest mana-crafted items you can find.

“As for your aspects,” Brynn looked towards Lori. “Aspecting items with earth is generally not that useful. Mostly, it would attract earth to the item or harden the earth around it. It has its uses in construct crafting but does not lend itself towards weapon enhancement.”

Next, Brynn turned to Terry. “Unfortunately, aspecting with minor aspects is not that well studied. I have no idea what aspecting with oscillating mana would accomplish, but I would not set my hopes too high. I do encourage you to experiment, but I would suggest giving precedence to imprinting and carving.”

“Imprinting is short for imprinting a primed spell structure. You shape a spell structure, compress it to fit into the object, and hold it in place until it stays on its own.”

“That simple?” blurted Terry with incredulity.

“As simple as lifting your arm and holding it out to the side. Try doing that for several days without pause.”

“We have to keep the structure in place for days?”

“Depends on the structure. Depends on the material. Depends on the aspect of your mana. Depends on how much mana you put in. The more mana you compress initially, the less time it will take to imprint the structure. Also, you do not have to finish it in one go. However, if you pick up where you left off and you do not manage to overlay the new structure perfectly over the old, then the imprinted structure will become fuzzy and more difficult to activate.”

“Uff…”

“That is just the first step of imprinting, mind you. The structure still needs to be primed. In contrast to normal spellwork, the imprinted structure needs to be primed repeatedly and ideally perfectly superimposed. In normal spellwork, mages mostly superimpose primers in order to quickly chain and repeat the same spell. In mana crafting, it is used to create multiple or recovering spell charges in an item. The higher the mana concentration in the imprinted primer, the quicker the recovery of spell charges. Mind you, activating an imprint also decreases the primer’s mana concentration. Activating an imprint too often too quickly will cause the primer to dissipate completely. A skilled mage can inject additional mana or superimpose a new primer on the imprinted spell structure, but a person with insufficient mana control would destroy the imprint.

“Aside from imprinting, the other technique I want you to learn is mana carving. This one is particularly important for you Lori, because it is required to give an imprinted spell a casting direction. Imprinting a spell like Nourishing Earth on an item would be rather pointless unless you can designate a target other than the item itself.”

“Not so much a problem for Immovable Object, is it?” remarked Terry.

“Not if you only want to activate the spell on the imprinted object itself, no. Nevertheless, I suggest you do not limit your education unnecessarily. Learning to carve mana lines will be useful for you as well. Aside from directing mana lines, there are also carving lines for shielding or linking imprinted structures.”

Terry nodded enthusiastically.

“What about rune inscriptions?” asked Lori.

“That is the pinnacle of our craft and a whole science of its own. Rune inscription is a discipline completely orthogonal to spellwork and comes with its own systems for mana application. Rune inscription requires decades of dedicated study and practice before it begins to demonstrate its use. I would love to take you as my disciple, but rune inscription does not synergize quickly with mission work. Are you willing to stop doing missions for the Guardians?”

“Uhm…”

“‘No’ is a valid answer,” teased Brynn and winked. “That reminds me, have you two found new groups for mission work yet?”

“Yup.” Terry nodded. “We will do a few non-magical beast hunts to get used to each other.”

“Really?” Lori was surprised. “That was quick. I have joined up with Alrik, but our group is still one person short.”

When hearing the name Brynn’s ears perked up and she puckered her lips. “Alrik, huh? The boy from the mage classes? Talented dwarven mage proper? Quite handsome for a young dwarf?”

Lori blushed and cleared her throat. “Alrik is talented, yes. With him, our group does not need to worry about healing or long-range support.”

“Uh-huh.” Brynn raised her eyebrows and searched Lori’s face for something.

“Anyway,” started Lori before pointedly turning her gaze away from Brynn and to Terry. “Where did you find your new companions so quickly?”

“In the theoretical introduction class on aspect beings.”

“Why are you taking that of all things?”

“You are not planning any trips to the Wastes, are you?” asked Brynn jokingly. “Because if you do, I would have to tie you to a golem until you have regained your sanity.”

“No, of course not.”

“Then why?” questioned Lori. “Not many elementals or demons inside the barrier, are there?”

“No, but I figured since I don’t have a group for mission work at the moment, I might as well use the time to take a few theoretical classes.” Terry shrugged. “It worked out.”

“So how did you find your new companions there?”

“Uhm…” Terry scratched his head. “Well, one of them was reading a book that caught my interest and we got into talking.”

“A book?” questioned Brynn. “Which book?”

“Legends Beyond Their Eras: The Veilbinder, The Faithless Saints, The Valkyrie of Hope,” replied Terry.

Lori giggled. “That fits.”

“Name?” prompted Brynn.

“Calam. He is an elven mage with force-aspected mana and also somewhat of a mana cultivator.”

“‘Somewhat?’” asked Lori.

“From talking to him, I doubt that Calam has ever emptied his mana pool. Pa Bjorln would be appalled.”

Lori chuckled in response.

“Force-aspected mana explains his interest in the Valkyrie,” interjected Brynn. “If he can take inspiration from her, his force magic could become a valuable asset. However, while force magic has many uses, you two are still short of anything resembling a healer.”

“We have Nassim for that. We met him in the class as well.”

“I do not recall that name,” said Brynn. “Is he a mage proper?”

“Nope.”

Brynn frowned.

“Nassim has an aspect impairment, but his mana is aspected towards light. So healing is not really an issue. He also trains as a mana cultivator. He may even live up to Bjorln’s standards.”

“Fair enough,” said Brynn with a nod. Then she turned to Lori. “Any ideas on where you are going to find your second companion?”

Lori shrugged. “We are mostly looking for close combat strength. I figured I would have some sparring sessions at the training grounds and inquire there.”

“Sounds reasonable,” muttered Brynn. “Alright, then let’s try your hands at some imprinting.”

***

“A toast to healthy hunting and advancing within the Guardians together!”

Nassim held up his cup. Terry and Calam joined him.

“““Cheers!”””

After they had finished a few hunts, the three decided to celebrate their first day of mission work as a group by having a few cups of mana-imbued cold tea – a specialty of Arcana’s eastern city district.

“Ah…” “Delicious.”

Terry was skeptical at first if the beverage would be worth five mana coins. That was half the amount required to rent basic non-magic equipment for a day. However, he quickly came around. The taste started off a bit bitter, but brought a sweet aftertaste and light prickly feeling. More importantly, Terry could feel the mana quickly becoming naturalized in his body – much more quickly than any external push of mana he had ever experienced before. It seemed to have a calming effect on his mana flow, too.

“Man, I wish I could use force magic,” exclaimed Nassim. “Flinging around wolves or knocking down a bear without getting close must feel great.”

“Personally, I am looking forward to mastering the jump spells the most,” said Calam. “And I would trade you my Kinetic Pull spell for your Camouflage.”

“If I had any other spells to trade, I would go for the healing spells,” said Terry. “I hate not being able to cast any.”

“Not fond of relying on others for that, are you?” asked Nassim.

“Maybe, but more that I like to have a backup plan. Especially, if the healer frequently waltzes into close combat. Any chance you would be willing to hang back in camouflage?”

“I am touched by your concern, but that does not sit well with my mana cultivation plans.”

“Figured as much.”

“It would also be a waste to stop using Camouflage for an opening ambush,” added Calam.

“Yeah, I agree,” said Terry. “Lucky for us, you don’t seem that easy to squish, Nassim. We will be relying on you! Cheers!”

“Cheers!”

“I’ll have to take a bio break. Be right back.” Nassim stood up from the table and headed to the restroom.

“Worked out quite well, didn’t it?” remarked Calam. “Think we can start on mana corrupted soon?”

Terry and Calam started discussing a few potential mana corrupted missions before considering how to proceed with the intermediate level core curriculum. During a short pause in their conversation, they noticed a commotion in the back of the tea house.

***

“…and then Nassim went completely bonkers. He blew his top for no discernible reason and started to loudly berate the waitstaff. Calam and I were completely dumbstruck. We just looked at each other stunned and speechless. Before we realized what was happening and managed to snap out of it, one of the waitstaff was already crying. Completely out of nowhere. The whole time, Nassim was the perfect example of politeness and cordiality and then all of a sudden he transformed into this rabid pus weasel.”

Terry took some more bread and shook his head. “I really don’t get it.”

“Could have been worse,” said Bjorln. “At least you discovered it early enough.”

”Was the waitstaff manaless by any chance?” questioned Isille.

“No idea. I did not activate my mana sense. Why?”

“Which tea house were you in?” asked Brynn.

“Heavenly Harmony.”

“They were manaless,” stated Brynn.

“Then that probably explains it,” growled Isille. “Nassim, was it?”

“Yes, but what do you mean ‘that explains it’?”

“Some people carry different faces depending on whom they are interacting with and if they consider them superior, equal, or inferior,” explained Isille.

”Yeah,” agreed Samuel. “I would wager that you caught a glimpse of Nassim’s face reserved for those he considers inferior. Did you confront him?”

“Kinda, but it took a while to notice the cause for the commotion and then we were shocked into a daze.” Terry had a distant look and a tinge of guilt in his voice.

“Anyway, Nassim acted as if we were from another realm for finding fault with him over this. Calam and I took our leave and deregistered our link with Nassim. So much for my first group attempt.”

“I think I’ll have a little chat with Guardian management,” said Isille.

“If Nassim gets his ear chewed out by the Guardians, won’t he blame Terry?” asked Jorg.

“I don’t really care,” said Terry.

“Maybe not, but snitches get bad reputations.”

“‘Snitches’?” Isille shot her son a reprimanding look.

“Cough cough. Their terminology, Ma! Not mine.”

“You don’t realize how lucky you kids have been, Jorg,” said Samuel. “Not everyone has parents like yours to straighten them out while growing up. Unless you are willing to write these people off completely, someone else will have to step in.”

“The Guardians are not like the Guild,” added Isille. “We do not move in to do our work and then vanish again. We are living and working as a part of the community. The prerequisite for that is that we have a good reputation within the community. Acts like looking down on manaless squanders and tarnishes our reputation.

“Besides, while Guardian management takes every complaint seriously, they never take it at face value. Maybe they pick someone to work with him, maybe they assign a shadow to observe him, or maybe one day an instructor will coincidentally find their way into the same tea house. If that Nassim displays a similarly problematic attitude again, he will be admonished and receive a contribution point penalty. Additionally, they may assign him specific missions or companions that would help to readjust his views.”

“That reminds me,” exclaimed Samuel and he started rummaging in his bag.

“Got someone to admonish?” Bjorln piped up.

“No. I brought some gifts.”

“Aww, that wouldn’t have been necessary, Whaka Samuel. I don’t have anything for you,” Bjorln tried – and failed – to look embarrassed. Isille snickered.

“Not for you, old brother. For the kids. I had them commissioned from the Guild when the kids decided to split into separate groups.”

Lori, Jorg, and Terry were all attention.

“Here.” Samuel handed each of them a small cube.

“What is it?” inquired Lori.

“A signaling and locating device. Similar functionality to your Guardian cards, but interoperable with other signaling devices. Additionally, it can be charged with additional mana to amplify the signal. Best of all, it has a flash button without duration limitations and can be set to looping a particular flash sequence. Generally speaking, it allows you to transmit arbitrary messages as long as you have agreed on a code for interpretation.”

Interoperable?

“Nama, Whaka Samuel, Whaka Brynn.” The first expression of gratitude came surprisingly from Isille.

“Our pleasure,” said Samuel. Brynn nodded.

Lori and the others thanked them as well, but remained perplexed.

“Uhm…” “What do we do with these?”

“Their signal strength is better than the Guardian cards,” explained Isille. “Even without providing additional mana.”

“Also,” began Brynn and summoned another cube from one of her storage items. “Samuel and I can now finally keep an eye on you as well.” Samuel followed her lead and produced a cube of his own.

The three youngsters were excited and Terry particularly so.

“Don’t show these to anyone,” ordered Isille. “They are meant as an additional safety net. Your companions are all Guardians and you can register them using the Guardian cards. No need to mention these signaling cubes. Clear?”

After they had simmered down, the dinner conversation continued.

“So, where do you intend to pick up a new companion?” asked Jorg.

“Theory classes again?” teased Lori.

“No.” Terry shook his head. “I think we will simply ask the orientation instructor. Surely, there are others looking for groups.”

***

“Okay, so you two are looking to form a group and you are missing a mage capable of healing spellwork?”

Terry and Calam nodded.

“Please hand me your cards.” The orientation instructor did a quick scan through their completed missions and verified abilities. Then, he looked at Terry.

“You already took a hunting mission for mana corrupted?”

“Yes, Instructor. Cloud badger in Thundervalley.”

“Why did you split up the group?”

“The group was with my siblings. Our elders suggested that we find separate groups because life requires more than family.”

“Guardians?”

“Yes, Ma Isille and Pa Bjorln.”

“Ah right. I heard the two had an accepted son. Give them my regards!”

The instructor seemed more trusting after hearing about Terry’s background.

“Any things I should take into consideration? Preferences or prejudices regarding certain abilities?”

The two shook their heads.

“Good, then that is all I require. We will have a look and see if we can find a recommendation. Once we have a proposal, we will contact you and arrange a meeting with the other party. The rest will be up to you.”

***

“Greetings. My name is Siling. Pleased to make your acquaintance.” The elven girl introduced herself.

“Greetings. My name is Terry.” “I’m Calam.”

“Instructor Dwayne already told me a bit about your abilities and mission background. You’re the one who hunted the cloud badger?”

“Yes. Are you looking to hunt mana corrupted?”

“Exactly. I specialize as a spirit mage and am looking to advance to spirits of mana corrupted beasts. A cloud badger would be a perfect start.”

“Wait, binding the spirits of others is soul magic, right?” interjected Calam.

Siling became nervous. She had expected that question. “Spirit aspect, but yes, the spirit magic I am relying on also involves spells from the lower system. Those spells are channeled through my soul.” She paused. “Is that a problem?”

“Not for me,” replied Terry immediately.

“No, I was only surprised.” Calam shook his head as well. “But…”

“We are missing a companion capable of healing spells,” explained Terry.

“That won’t be a problem.” Siling smiled. “I specialize in spirit magic, but I am still a mage proper. I can cast the fundamental healing spells at an intermediate level. Additionally, I can cast the spells Banish Fatigue and Share Mana.”

“Phew!” Terry gave a short whistle. “Impressive. Perfect!”

“So what spirits have you collected?” questioned Calam. “I have never met a spirit collector before.”

“Currently, I have developed three soul spots and they are filled with a falcon, a wolf, and a bear. At the moment, I am only capable of summoning one at a time. Switching a summoned soul both drains my mana and weakens my soul, which means I cannot do it too frequently without rest. It will take more time before I can increase my number of soul spots. Therefore, I would like to replace my wolf soul with a stronger mana corrupted beast.”

“Sounds good,” said Terry. “We would pick up corrupted hunts anyway and if it can increase our companion’s strength, then all the better. How did you decide to specialize in spirit magic?”

“Not much to decide, really. It was my aspect gift and I thought I should make good use of it.”

***