Time Passes[+7 Mana]
> Haste [-1 Mana] Time Slows Down> Vines, Study [-1 mana]> Experimenting [-3 mana] (experiment trying to use the vines as Mana transport. Examine how the mana flows through the vines after they absorb it and find a way to use this to our advantage. Specifically, shielding ourselves from their feeding on us, and finding a way to feed on them. Then, all we have to do is get them connected to other ley lines, they absorb from there, we absorb from them.)Upon further study, you have determined that the vine is growing upon you in a specific pattern, which causes the mana stored within you to swirl around, some of it entering vines. Not a force of suction, but one of agitation, like a rock thrown into a pool might throw up water which is then lands on the leaves of a nearby tree. You find yourself unable to replicate the pattern however. Forming it out of inanimate materials or pure mana seems to do nothing, you suspect that some vital component of the plant's makeup that you have so far missed is key to the process.
[Learned Mana Agitation Pattern. Currently unusable]The mana seems to do either one of two things once absorbed by the vines. Most of it is slowly absorbed into the its purple plantflesh, eventually becoming indistinguishable from the plant itself to your senses, with the remainder gathering together into buds on the plants surface.
Your tests in using the plant as an extension cord return mixed results. While it is possible for you to guide the growth of the plant by feeding it mana directly from the desired direction, your attempts to have it take mana from the leyline downstream from your vortex as a test run fails miserably. While capable of growing through the air, winding around the mana vein for support, it seems unable to absorb mana from it. You suspect the leyline has too little mana and the mana is too active, which is why the Leyline targeted your own more concentrated and calm mana most probably.
You theorize that the plant is originally from an area where the ambient mana is much denser and richer, which allowed it to absorb mana with even it's lacklustre capability. In addition, as you entice the vine to grow along the leyline, you notice that you need to feed it more and more mana, and it begins withering when you stop. While the mana the vine needs to grow isn't increasing, it is after all dependent on mana for sustenance, and the large amount of non-producing vine needs mana to stay alive.
As such, while the vine is currently useless to you, if you happen to move to an area with thicker leylines it could prove invaluable.
Inspired by the principles of the Mana Agitation Pattern, you make feeder tendrils which you then cause to spin, creating a sucking force in their center with which you then drain mana from the vine. This does tend to damage the vine somewhat however, which may be undesirable.
The best ways you can think of to stop the vine from absorbing mana from you is to either forcefully disrupt its pattern or stabilize your mana, though the latter would require a constant drain of mana to maintain.
[Gained Insight into Mana as Lifeforce. Gained insight into Purple Vines. Require 1 mana to grow the vine 5 meters in a specific direction, and the vine requires 1 mana of upkeep per 10 metres. This does not follow the standard exponential mana spent rule. Learned Mana Drain.]
> Rather than forming the substance itself, you would like to see what happens when mana mimics lightning's movements, striking a object with blinding speed [-2 mana]You try, but it is proving surprisingly difficult to accelerate mana to such terrifying velocities. Partly the problem is your mental slowness, but you suspect the majority of the problem lies with a lack of the proper technique. You are currently stumped. You manage to get some experience in finesse out of the entire thing though.
[Good improvement to Mana Finesse.]Mana Pool: 10/?? Mana
Mana Income: (3(Base)+1(Mana Trap))*2(Mana Trap)-2(Vines)= 6 Mana/decade
Your weight: 10 metric tonnes
Sensory Range: 100 metres
Closest Non-"Owned" Leyline: 37 Metres
What do you do over the next decade? (Pick Two)(Haste can be cast for an extra action, costing 1 mana)
> Experimenting (what? include mana used)
> Going upstream. If you spent mana to counteract the flow you might be able to travel up your leyline, possible even discovering its source! (specify how much mana to spend)
> You could try to explore down the leyline again, hopefully with better results this time. Perhaps you could spend some mana, both to shield you from the buffeting and mitigate the attenuation, so you have a better view of the world beyond the leyline as you travel along it? (If you spend mana, specify how much)
> Why have the leylines taken the particular fixed paths they have through the landscape? You cannot sense any underlying pattern or reason behind this. If you could understand this, it should be easier to prevent leylines from jumping back to the old groove once you move them. You believe you'd get some insight into this mystery if you infuse mana into the area around leyline, saturating it with raw power until the secret is revealed to you. (Specify amount of mana to spend)
> If it is possible for lightning to become mana, might the opposite perhaps be true? You would like to try forming mana into lightning. (Requires mana, specify how much)
> You believe you could possible further expand the mana trap, but it would be a tricky, time consuming process, with a large amount of mana needed. (Requires two actions, Needs an investiture of at least 4 mana)
> Mind Manipulation, Emotion: You have gained the ability to induce false sensation, but how about false emotions? (Costs at least 2 Mana)
> Mana Vortex Redo: You could try investigating the Mana Vortex again, using more mana this time (2 Mana Minimum)
> Drain Life, Unstructured: Now that you can grab larger animals, you can try draining life from them again (Required at least 2 Mana)
> Drain Life, Structured: Using your new knowledge of spellcraft, perhaps you could try making a new life draining spell pattern instead of trying to gain a similar effect with unstructured magical manipulation? (Requires mana, specify how much)
> Something Else?
*New*> Vines, Denial: Rather than attacking the vines directly, you could deny them access to your mana stores through calming your mana. If continued long enough this should cause the vine to wither up and die completely. (Requires 1 mana, requires maintenance to keep up)
> Vines, Pruning (Wind Blade): If you want to keep the vines alive for now, there's still no reason not to cut them back a little so they don't eat quite so much of your mana. (Requires 1 Mana. May need to be re-applied)
> Mana as Life: By closely studying the process by which the vine converts mana into lifeforce, you could mimic it to create a healing spell. (Requires mana, specify how much to use)
> Life as Mana: After successfully gaining lifeforce by draining it, you could attempt to convert it into mana. (Requires mana, specify how much to use. Requires lifeforce.)
> Practise Mana Finesse: Attempt to improve your fine control over your mana with some exercises (Requires mana, specify amount)
> Practise Mana Manipulation: Attempt to improve your ability to channel mana through rigorous exercises (Requires mana equal to at least half you maximum mana channeling amount (consult Mana Manipulation skill))
Mana Theory (Adequate): Understanding of mana
-Leyline Theory (Novice): Understanding of Leylines
Spellcrafting (Dabbling): Ability to create spells.
Mana Manipulation (Novice): Bulk mana manipulation capability. At current skill level able to use up to 12 mana on one action.
-Mana Finesse (Adequate): Fine control over your mana use.
Natural Philosophy (Novice): Understanding of aspects of the universe not directly related to mana.
"Unstructured" Spells:
Rudimentary Leyline Manipulation : You can spend mana to interact with the leylines, twisting, pushing, pulling, stretching and holding them.
- Leyline Movement : Moving a Leyline 10 metres theorized to cost 6 Mana (5 mana for 1 metre, 7 mana for 100 metres etc). Active anchoring of a leyline theorized to cost 2 Mana/decade (would also require a action to maintain)
- Leyline Divination : You can send your awareness out along the leylines. You believe you can get better results if you commit mana to doing this.
Mana Trap : By twisting mana into a intricately curling and twisting tube, lined with globules on the outside, you can force a strong stream of mana through it, causing the mana to vibrate, with some of it scattering into the pipe, strengthening it and excess flowing into the globules. Cannot be used with an impeder.
Basic Telekinesis: The crude moving of objects through brute force
1 Mana - Short burst of force moving a object up to 10 kg, sustained telekinesis of up to a minute of a object up to 1 kg.
2 Mana - Burst 100 kg, Sustained 1 min 10 kg, Sustained 10 min 1 kg
3 Mana - Burst 1000 kg, Sustained 1 min 100 kg, Sustained 10 min 10 kg, Sustained 100 min 1 kg
The pattern continues like this.
Explosion : By forcing an amount of raw unformed mana into an animal you can make it explode, apparently.
Air Manipulation : By infusing it with mana, you can force the air into solid objects under your control. Requires one more mana to gain the same effect as basic telekinesis
Mana Drain : Drain mana from a target via application of mini mana twisters, best to use this on things with a lot of mana, otherwise you lose more mana casting the spell than you gain.
Mana Impeder : You solidify your mental will to hinder the flow of mana through a leyline.
Haste : Speeds up your personal timeframe. You feel it might be slightly risky to power this spell with more than 2 mana.
"Structured" Spells:
Rudimentary Mind Manipulation : Can spend mana to create false sensory input in a target.
- Sense Link : You connect your mind with that of a animal, sharing in the input from its senses. You believe spending more than the minimum of 1 mana would potentially give better results.