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[Wolfhunter107]

(Is the Jetsha from last post still active)

Use the jet to carve a C into the block of wood.

[WunderKatze]

Damn.

Heat the metal up even more, then sculpt it with my Go. Create a wicked-ass blade and stop heating when it is tempered.

Glass is stupid anyways.

[_DivideByZero_]

Update 23

"A-Alright, I think I understand..."

I assume we're being given wounded plants to "heal?" Try using my Sa Re to pull out the genetics, but only enough to hook them into the Kahigan... which I assume I'll be able to find by looking for something that isn't body and isn't soul, but is touching both.

You feel your way around inside the flower (however disorienting it is, for there to be a literal pocket dimension inside the flower itself) and sure enough, because Kahigan collide with Kahigan, you feel the one linking the soul to the body. You notice that the genetics are actually located as a bud on a branch of this Kahigan, with the 'start' block of the its gene weakly attached to a second tip of the Kahigan that merges into the main trunk. There's a further branch of the Kahigan that heads even deeper.

Still, it's already technically connected. The gene, that is. It looks like what you have to do is a modification of the current setup, in order to bring more energy to the wounded part of the plan. Your instructions sheet defines several blocks of a flower's genetics, starting (in order) with roots, then leaves, then stem, then flower. The flower itself is the damaged part--missing half its petals.

Can I feel my own genetics? No touching or changing anything, just observing.

You loop your Me around and plunge it into your heart, taking care not to disturb anything. You eventually notice that one of your Kahigan is currently connected to your soul and linked to your body around the location of the heart. Trying to move this Kahigan results in a force that counteracts your attempt. It seems one of your Kahigan is rooted to your body right now.

"But a further distinction is the degeneracy of plant souls. They lack thoughts, and because of this, the total amount of soul energy they can muster is almost none. Their souls are small, so small that they often don't even contain their own genetics. For animals with thoughts, the genetics are located inside the soul itself, so there's some resistance. But you can pull the genetics out all the same."

Following that advice, you look deeper, inside your soul itself, which you feel as a spherical orb with a not-quite-defined surface. It's about the size of a human head, and you feel a warmth even with your otherwise non temperature-sensitive Me. Eventually, you find coils upon coils of bead-like structures, far more than you'd find in a plant. They seem to be wrapped around some kind of central nucleus in a distinctive weave.

(Is the Jetsha from last post still active)

Use the jet to carve a C into the block of wood.

(It is throttled by your Sha. You can decide when to cut it off. It's not a fixed duration or anything.
I'll get into where the energy for spells come from later...)

[-] Everything goes better than expected... the jet of flame was so much that it ripped the face of the block to shreds, leaving a charred husk of carbon with a vaguely-carved letter on the front. It's not visibly on fire, but certainly too hot to touch. But it fits the project description!

Damn.

Heat the metal up even more, then sculpt it with my Go. Create a wicked-ass blade and stop heating when it is tempered.

Glass is stupid anyways.

The Go proves a useful implement for handling hot metal, but as hot metal is still rather solid, it's not quite as simple as pottery or clayworking. You apply pressure and bend it into a certain shape, but your Go is not well-trained enough to deliver hammer-blows or apply precision strength.

"So magic pulls from its surroundings."

"After a fashion... actually--and this is a deeper subject, so be warned--magic draws on the energy of human beings themselves. When a human perceives an object, he conjures an image in his mind. That image contains a certain amount of energy, directed toward the composition of that object...

The reason that being in a forest allows one to conjure life, for example, is because nearby humans tend to have already generated the necessary thought-energy. They've created the elements in their minds. So while many spells work as a direct means of applying energy to existing objects, it is still possible to produce Water, for example, from your Kahigan."

[AoshimaMichio]

"How fast do changes in animal genetics become visible compared to plants? And you said earlier genetics of some flower were fully decoded. Is that information available somewhere? What other genetics are fully or partially decoded?"

Dan is also interested of at what point does soul and genetics some into play in seeds, acorns, eggs and other early stage lifeforms.

[TheBiggerFish]

"So magic works because we think it will?"

[HighEndNoob]

"So either gunpowder becomes commonplace, and bercomes a potentially bigger threat to nations then even magic, or it becomes heavily regulated, and does a bad job of 'equalizing' the gap between ages and non-mages."

"This could make nations less willing to regulate magic though, since they wouldn't be as threatened by magic if they stockpile gunpowder. Alternatively, the state regulated both and condenses power all in it's own hands. Not ideal."

[_DivideByZero_]

"How fast do changes in animal genetics become visible compared to plants? And you said earlier genetics of some flower were fully decoded. Is that information available somewhere? What other genetics are fully or partially decoded?"

Dan is also interested of at what point does soul and genetics some into play in seeds, acorns, eggs and other early stage lifeforms.

"Animals have much faster metabolisms. So, couple seconds? Having a body that doesn't agree with genetics causes it to work faster, at the cost of health and other things.

The Department is separate from the Natural Library, which is near the great halls and close to the lodge where all the new students are staying. That library is shared by Life, Earth, and Water. You can find records in the basement, where the printers would be at work. They might give you a copy."

It seems that the increased rate of growth for seeds and young life would mean that lifeforms take on their properties more quickly. According to Nabul, plants are always genetically identical, while an animal's offspring is first conceived in a dream by the mother, and its genetics are crafted therein. This dream is almost always forgotten because the mind is occupied by the work.

"So magic works because we think it will?"

The professor seems scattered in thought, as if thinking of something else, but he then replies, "Not quite. It is more that, magic operates on energies already present. If a certain kind of energy isn't being formed, then magic cannot operate on that.

Keep in mind that not only magicians generate this sort of energy. Everyone does. When you imagine something in your mind, you are building an image inside your mind. That image contains energy."

"So either gunpowder becomes commonplace, and bercomes a potentially bigger threat to nations then even magic, or it becomes heavily regulated, and does a bad job of 'equalizing' the gap between ages and non-mages."

"This could make nations less willing to regulate magic though, since they wouldn't be as threatened by magic if they stockpile gunpowder. Alternatively, the state regulated both and condenses power all in it's own hands. Not ideal."

"Sounds like the latter is coming to be the case."
The professor chimes in once more. "That is what the consensus predicts in the coming years. Stricter enforcement of gunpowder laws, along with regulation of markets. As magical artifacts are becoming more commonplace at the same time, it seems that Dangerous Arms are becoming contraband in most jurisdictions."

[AoshimaMichio]

Dan leans forward. "So one can basically build new soul in their dreams and define its characteristics? Is that what you are saying?"

What are other students doing?

[IronyOwl]

Try unhooking the start block and attaching the wounded part more firmly?

[Wolfhunter107]

Try casting Vukanosha.

[TheBiggerFish]

"So...Reality is like a dream?"

[WunderKatze]

Grab the sword and conduct heat into the sword, try to shape the sword by controlling fire in the sword that is in contact with my Sha.

[_DivideByZero_]

(So I think the first class will be wrapping up soon, so that we can start on the second.
Classes will get shorter after the first ones so you have time to focus on your projects.)

Update 24

Dan leans forward. "So one can basically build new soul in their dreams and define its characteristics? Is that what you are saying?"

What are other students doing?

"Yes, but from what I know it won't be voluntary. Humans seem to have it built-in, and so do animals. It's a basic animal instinct, not having to do with the rational mind. Elves have some degree of control, but not much..."
He holds a hand up to his elf-ear.
"Genetically, we are much like humans. Almost identical in fact, minus a means to give birth. The ears are one small difference, but it's actually a cultural thing. It's not a directly conscious manipulation that the mothers make, but more subconscious. It's expected of an elf. Female elves that grow up in human society tend to call forth offspring with normal ears."

The other students have aready finished and written down their parts, but it isn't garaunteed they've done good jobs. Up next is a tour of the marble garden itself, where Nabul plans to explain how the marble constructs work and the connection between different types of plants and the different elements. The latter of which he sort of spoiled to you already, but it might give you more toys to play with.

You spy a squirrel flanking Nabul, hiding in the grass. He seems to attract animals wherever he goes.

Try unhooking the start block and attaching the wounded part more firmly?

You alter the genetic anchor point of the flower. Immediately, you notice petals growing. But rather than growing on the flower itself, the petals grow at the root of the flower, creeping up the stem like an infectious growth.
The professor comes around and smiles. It seems other students are making the same mistake. Mirroken, however, seems to have succeeded on the first try.

Try casting Vukanosha.

The ground rises up around the base of your staff, leaving large cracks and drawing out a veil of white ash with a glowing webwork of flames holding it together. As the flames dissipate, the sphere of ash disperses and forms a cloud around you. You might not want to breath that.

Grab the sword and conduct heat into the sword, try to shape the sword by controlling fire in the sword that is in contact with my Sha.

The sword heats up as planned as you open the gate of your soul. It glows a bright yellow, but heats up no more than that. Whether you can heat something up to be hotter is a mystery, but for now this is your limit.

[-] You form a vague image in your mind of flames dancing to your will, aiming to subjugate the fire to your will and control the localized composition of metal (this is what you meant, right?). You... you start to see Kahigan forming! This is new.

The Kahigan spell out fire in your native tongue. Odd enough, for the other spells are meaningless to you (remember that everything is translated by convention). These Kahigan attach to yours, and swirl around. You hear the whispers of flame through your Sha... and it comes across as a hardly intelligible voice: "Y--you dare order me?"

"So...Reality is like a dream?"

"...That is a perspective I am not familiar with. But in a way, yes, it seems that instances inside the mental world can be translated into the world at large. There is indeed a duality there worth investigating."

[AoshimaMichio]

"...but I didn't hear you claiming it being impossible."

Ready to proceed on guided tour.

[IronyOwl]

Re-anchor the root, then try to bridge the gap between petal section and Kahigan with my Sa Re. If that doesn't work, try pushing the petal section against the Kahigan instead.