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[HighEndNoob]

"That is true, but rulers still don't want to rely on forces they can't control or influence to protect them. A rouge magician would be similar to a rouge general, but the general is payed and equipped by the state. The magician can be self funded and self taught, and thus has no connection to the state, and in the state's eyes, no reason to stay loyal except out of good will."

"To a nation, a magician can be equated to a mercenary, kept in check but always capable of becoming too ambitious for their good. Of course, a magicians motives can be for something other then wealth, but states can't really count of people's goodwill to protect themselves."

[WunderKatze]

"Treason? I never recall pledging my flesh to the state.

Why do you announce your name? Do you reckon it will allay the burden of a student?

Issuing threats is a poor, miserable mend for limited foresight: you've decided to cling to your visage and now we pay the penalty along with you when it inevitably backfires."

Raioyris folds his arms and leans back in his seat.

"A weak flesh for a weaker spirit." Raioyris mumbles.

[TheBiggerFish]

Well that wasn't it.  Set it aside, try Fire/Shadow instead.  If that doesn't work try adding Life.

You find the shadow sample. It's like a piece of cloth, except somewhat ethereal, and your tongs go through it more often than not. You eventually manage to hold on to the sample of shadow using a piece of cloth between both heads of the tongs, and mix it in with another fire sample after emptying the flask into a large waste flask.

Speaking of which, the waste flask has been rapidly piling up with failed experiments by the other students. They sort of merge together into some brown-colored ooze at the bottom of the flask.

Fire + Shadow congeals into a metallic sphere, almost perfectly round. It seems un-intuitive why that is and you try to think it out, but the professor comes up to to you and tells you to dump it. Immediately.

Fire + Life starts to extend ethereal tendrils up toward the window... but those tendrils eventually burn out and turn to thin, delicate strings of ash.

Ash:Fire, Time or Fire, Shadow. Fire, Life
Bone:Life, Time
Tar:Life, Earth, Time
Steam:Fire, Water

"Now that that's, uh, disposed of...Why?"

[Wolfhunter107]

Christine whispers to the women to her right.

"That probably explains the secrecy, then."

[_DivideByZero_]

Update 14

"Oh! Oh! It likes metal and follows the shortest path to the ground. This means, for example, that it is possible to hold onto a metal pole stuck into the ground without being struck, whereas a rod held aloft will channel the lightning through the rod, then through you."

Murble's homeland did not have a lot of advantages, but being wet and insistently scholastic did have a few perks.

"Indeed. Despite the sheer power of a lightning strike, it is actually a phenomenon pertaining to Wind magic. You see, while lifeforms and such have Kahigan that are a mere extension of the soul, the world is made up of more than living things. Nonliving materials can also store magical energies, and thus to unify the two domains we mark them all under one common domain, called Mana.

With regard to lightning, the leading theory is that lightning is caused by energy welling up through the Earth and into the sky. As natural Manas build up in the sky, they exert a pull on earth energies until the floodgates open and the energies spill out along a column of fire. It seems counter-intuitive, that the energy actually comes from the earth and not the air, given that the path of the lightning always seems to favor the ground. But the idea of a 'path of least resistance' works both ways."

She then draws focus to the contraption on her desk.
"Lightning can be formed using the Sha Kahigan, on much smaller scales. Observe." A bolt of miniature lightning leaps from one antenna to the next, emitting the sharp smell of ozone as it gradually makes its way up the antennae.

"That is true, but rulers still don't want to rely on forces they can't control or influence to protect them. A rouge magician would be similar to a rouge general, but the general is payed and equipped by the state. The magician can be self funded and self taught, and thus has no connection to the state, and in the state's eyes, no reason to stay loyal except out of good will."

"To a nation, a magician can be equated to a mercenary, kept in check but always capable of becoming too ambitious for their good. Of course, a magicians motives can be for something other then wealth, but states can't really count of people's goodwill to protect themselves."

"Hold on, can't we resolve this by putting the magicians in power?"
"I contend that generalship and magicianship are one and the same!" asserts the man, eyes fixated on yours.
"No bureacracy commands the loyalty of an army. An army serves the nation's posterity, and is answerable to her honor!"
"But if you just limit the ruling class to magicians only, then the ruling party has no reason to--"
"How can it be that a rogue general can turn a nation's own swords against herself? Only by a lack of faith in the government! Such is a prerequisite to the natural functioning of society. If the government is unjust, then either way there will be war!"

Ash:Fire, Time or Fire, Shadow. Fire, Life
Bone:Life, Time
Tar:Life, Earth, Time
Steam:Fire, Water

"Now that that's, uh, disposed of...Why?"

The professor creeps up behind you.
"Oh, you created Light," he remarks.
"That's an interesting one. I see you were looking to make Ash. Fire and Time... yes, let's see. Are you familiar with the Grand Theory of Light? Light is so fast, it takes no time to travel. And yet in no time, it traverses space as a beam, which you can see with a set of mirrors and a lens with which to focus sunlight. The fact that light is able to traverse space regardless of the limitations of time suggests that it has some mastery over time, so to speak..."

You notice out of the corner of your eye, a short-haired girl mixing Fire and Earth together in the same flask. It sprouts into a flower.

Christine whispers to the women to her right.

"That probably explains the secrecy, then."

"...yeah." she admits. Then, with a surprise, she holds a hand out.
"Minas Aggrogoth, daughter of a Guildmaster in Jaggedsclimbe. You?"

Meanwhile, you notice a student you've seen before, currently mouthing off royalty.

"Treason? I never recall pledging my flesh to the state."

"Why do you announce your name? Do you reckon it will allay the burden of a student?"

"Issuing threats is a poor, miserable mend for limited foresight: you've decided to cling to your visage and now we pay the penalty along with you when it inevitably backfires."

Raioyris folds his arms and leans back in his seat.
(See below for the start of the lecture)

"A weak flesh for a weaker spirit." Raioyris mumbles.

As you give your speech, the professor's eyes gradually widen. You can't help but notice that the princess' blush is now more pronounced, in addition to the rest of her face being redder.
"Thank you for giving your speech," she says (with difficulty) as she approaches the empty seat at the side of the room, to the right of your desk. "I appreciate your valuable input as a member of the community. And it is my duty as part of the ruling bloodline to make sure you do not die prematurely..." she sits down and whispers: "Again."

"Well then... that's it for now I guess... remember that we affirm the right to *ahem* free discourse at the University, regardless of... what is being said."

He pulls down some wooden shades from the ceiling, and unfolds them completely to form a screen. They are made of a light-colored balsa, the kind the kind that would scorch easily--
Flames appear on the shades, etching letters and diagrams, which Professor Armstrong uses as a visual aid for his lecture.
"Fire is perhaps one of the most potent elemenets, renowned for its role in civilization as well as being one of the simplest to use. In fact, conjuring fire is in the same level as telekinesis: something even the least of magicians are able to do, albeit without much control."

He turns to look at the screen and, apparently through his mind, makes some clear space by healing the wood, then draws a picture of a flaming wing. You recognize the form of the shape: It's a Sha. The 'fingers,' however, are disconnected from the main stem with a small orb mediating the distance. "Humans have three invisible hands, which we refer to as Kahigan, for they are the shadow of our souls emitted into space." ((Ka-Higan means 'Shadow' [of the] 'Soul')) "All three are just as unique as arms and legs, and we give them the names Go, Sha, and Me. Go is used for the natural magics, which comprise Water, Life, and Earth; Me is for the elements defined by thought: Time and Shadow. By process of elimination, that leaves Sha, which pertains to Fire and Wind, the two elements marked by being purest to energy."

"Ah, you are one of those people. Never mind then."

Back to the lesson. I want to learn.

Nabul offers you a seat, a second chair which you'd swear wasn't there the last time you looked.

"You know, cats were around for many years. But they do not survive in the wild, not so far as my kin have seen. They only appear where humans live. Why is that?"

[HighEndNoob]

"You speak as if generals always act in service of the people. A general is no more honor bound to  country then the people who rule it. They can abandon that honor just as much as a leader can break it. Many nations and empires have been torn apart by infighting, spearheaded by an ambitious general, who sought out for more power then their position gave them. Claudius, Forstan, Jarlton, those names live forever as examples of generals who abandoned their oath to their country for greed and power, tearing their countries apart."

"In the end, a nation is a people, and those who are entrusted to protect and rule those people. They are the owns who deem governments unjust, not the generals who may or may not even be the rulers themselves!"

"As for a mage ruling class, that could lead it's own problems, such as a rule by fear, where the ruling class cannot be challenged due to having vastly more power then the people they rule over, except by more mages. Either magic becomes a requirement for society to function, or the nation is divided between the magician class and non-magician class, which would divide the country catastrophically. You could also see the Carazhan example, but at a much wider scale and at a much steeper cost"

[WunderKatze]

I enjoyed death; the stripping away of these wretched coils. But ah well.



"In light of my recent experience I recommend death my princess; I imagine a release from this absurd somatic existence might, to you, prove alimentary.

Anyways," Raioyris turns toward the professor.

"The term 'fire' would suggest that the element is strictly associated with combustion reactions. Is this the case? Or perhaps it is the energy present in any given system?"

Or perhaps it's merely a form the energy can be rendered in, or else all energy would exist in the form of 'fire.'

[AoshimaMichio]

"I can't disagree. But do you wonder, why not any in the wild? In places with no humans? How they know?"

"I don't know. Do you? I mean you are supposed to be the teacher here."

[TheBiggerFish]

"...What's dangerous about a mixture of Fire and Shadow?"

[IronyOwl]

"Neat," Murble whispers to herself.

Keep listening.

[Wolfhunter107]

Christine takes the offered hand.

"Christine Denare. I'm from a coastal town a long ways Southwest of here. We mostly haul goods between the northwest coast and the big merchants to the east. Not the most glamorous trade ever, but it's pretty profitable."

[_DivideByZero_]

"You speak as if generals always act in service of the people. A general is no more honor bound to  country then the people who rule it. They can abandon that honor just as much as a leader can break it. Many nations and empires have been torn apart by infighting, spearheaded by an ambitious general, who sought out for more power then their position gave them. Claudius, Forstan, Jarlton, those names live forever as examples of generals who abandoned their oath to their country for greed and power, tearing their countries apart."

"In the end, a nation is a people, and those who are entrusted to protect and rule those people. They are the owns who deem governments unjust, not the generals who may or may not even be the rulers themselves!"

"As for a mage ruling class, that could lead it's own problems, such as a rule by fear, where the ruling class cannot be challenged due to having vastly more power then the people they rule over, except by more mages. Either magic becomes a requirement for society to function, or the nation is divided between the magician class and non-magician class, which would divide the country catastrophically. You could also see the Carazhan example, but at a much wider scale and at a much steeper cost"

"Not true! Generals too, have interests, but all generals know that dictatorship and illegitimate rule must end in tears. Nay, I say, the generals you cited are lessons unto themselves. Their examples live forever unto history, and so shall it be, if a magician were to sieze power. Rival magicians, rival city-states, wealthy landowners backed by mercenaries--all of these act as a self regulatory force that forces a bond of unity. Magicianship is an inseparable part of society, and to repress its benefits for the justification of the ruling class is hypocrisy in its purest form."
"Professor, they are denying us the right to speak!"
"Verily, I say unto you: Only pure, irrational hatred could lie at the root of--Ow! My head!"
The professor rears his stick for another blow, this time aimed at your head. "Please behave, and do give others a turn to voice their opinions."

Christine takes the offered hand.

"Christine Denare. I'm from a coastal town a long ways Southwest of here. We mostly haul goods between the northwest coast and the big merchants to the east. Not the most glamorous trade ever, but it's pretty profitable."

"Wow, that's quite far! Me, I've never thought of going west, what with the mountains and the legends and all."
She notices the lecture and starts taking notes on a sheet of grain paper, using a quill. You notice her handwriting is quite small, and her movements precise. Clearly the hands of an accountant, if not a scribe.

I enjoyed death; the stripping away of these wretched coils. But ah well.



"In light of my recent experience I recommend death my princess; I imagine a release from this absurd somatic existence might, to you, prove alimentary.

Anyways," Raioyris turns toward the professor.

"The term 'fire' would suggest that the element is strictly associated with combustion reactions. Is this the case? Or perhaps it is the energy present in any given system?"

Or perhaps it's merely a form the energy can be rendered in, or else all energy would exist in the form of 'fire.'

"You... little..." her scarf glows brighter. You feel a warm glow from her direction.

The professor answers your question: "Fire is similar to a form of energy, yes. It is possible to produce fire through the burning of various substances, indeed, but insofar as a magician can produce fire of his own, we are not aware if anything is being burnt in the process as in a wood fire or anything similar. Either way, you can create a lot of fire yourself, with just a Sha Kahigan...

...but now that you brought it up, there is more depth to the study of fire than meets the eye. Fire is an animating force, it would not be considered an element of its own if it were merely some result of the presence of energy. The force of Fire is what melts Ice into Water. Fire brings light into Darkness, and indeed the light you see with your eyes is itself a form of Fire, though empowered with such immense speed as to travel instantly."

"Neat," Murble whispers to herself.

Keep listening.

"The last human Kahigan is the Me, which, as our human students will realize, is absolutely integral to the act of restoration, as are the Me's equivalents in the other races. The Elves and their kin have a pair of Eyu Kahigan, which grant an attunement with nature, and subsumes a similar role. The Beastmen and Orc-related kin vary considerably in the Kahigan they share, but all of them share the Go Kahigan and most have the Sa Re or some variation thereof that mirrors the Me in humans.

--Technically, I will add, Orcs do have the Me, being half-human, half Beastman. However, using the Me will result in some very deletrious effects. I really do not advise it. There do not seem to be any Orcs in this class, but please be wary of what you tell others."

"I don't know. Do you? I mean you are supposed to be the teacher here."

"I know, but am curious as to your deductive skills." He invites the other students to sit on a couch behind him, and swivels around to face them.
"Cats were modified. I think. By magic, or perhaps through lesser methods, humans made them into companions. Flawed companions. But still companions. Though their wild insticts are still there, I can feel them."

Another student raises a question: "Do cats work as ingrediants for magic?"
"Nyah, why would you ask such a thing!"

Nabul takes out a piece of chalk and uses his bare foot to clear away some old leaves and acorns. Then he draws a map of a route through the marble gardens, and then the forests out behind the Lodge. "Maybe they are. But only when they are using magic. That leaves the Kahigan exposed and ripe for exorcism."

"...What's dangerous about a mixture of Fire and Shadow?"

"It will kill us all. Silently, I might add. Really, you ought to throw it into the waste flask and neutralize it at once. Fire plus Shadow produces invisible light, light that you cannot see because it passes through you, and cooks you from the inside out..."

[IronyOwl]

Murble raises another hand.

"Er, for the more... exotic among us, is there an easy way to discern which Kahigan we have?"

[_DivideByZero_]

Murble raises another hand.

"Er, for the more... exotic among us, is there an easy way to discern which Kahigan we have?"

"It's easy for a trained magician to confirm visually if you extend your Kahigan from your body. Are you concerned about yours? I can begin teaching how to extend the Kahigan, and check yours when the time comes."
The greenskin student also raises a hand. "Me too?"

[WunderKatze]

That scarf...

"Can any energy be easily transmuted into 'fire'? And can we modulate the velocity of our 'fire' to create light?

What device is required to hold a fire spell?"