Ars Magica Book Documentation (Now with 2% less glitchy text!)

[PeggleFrank]

I noticed how hard it is to read the books from Ars Magica since they appear in a tiny little box of text and it's annoying to keep flipping the page and ruining the immersion.

So I started a documentation of them.

Currently I only have the first two books, if you feel the need you can expand this. I might work on the 2nd series of books tomorrow, but if somebody's already done them by then I'll work on another series of books.

If you can find some way to just copy the books data into notepad or something and edit it, that would be grand knowledge to have.

Currently my NBT editor says pegglefrank.dat has an invalid state of 11. So I doubt it's possible.

But if you figure out how, tell me


Mysterious Journal Fragments:

Spoiler

4th Day of 5e27

It's cold. Far too cold. The wind bites through my cloak as if it isn't even there. The Elders said I was crazy for venturing into the Frostlands surrounding our desert home. But they don't understand my research. I know what is said behind my back; the names that I am called.
The way the others see me. None of it matters. All that matters is my research. I have discovered an ambient energy permeating the very air, and every living thing. It thrums with power. I call it Essence. I am the first one in my village who has been able to harness the essence in my own body and affect the world around me.

I admit, my knowledge of the way Essence works is quite limited, though I seem to have a natural talent for harnessing it to manipulate water. Something tells me that if it weren't for my ability to keep the village well filled through the drought seasons, I would have been exiled long ago. Should I not make it through the Frostlands, I have decided to write my knowledge down, so that someday, someone could continue my work. It also is a good way to keep myself occupied on the cold lonely nights. I wish I didn't have such a hard time summoning fire. It's all I can do to light a camp fire and keep warm.

Essence seems to have different types. I know it exists in fire, water, earth, and air. But what about the essence inside me? It seems... different. Could there be an essence of life? I need to rest. I have a long journey ahead of me, but I know I will find my answers.

5th Day of 5e27

It's morning, and I can no longer see the village on the horizon. This is the farthest I have ever been from home. Without a second thought, I prepare to press on. This is about discovery! The quest for knowledge! With enough Essence I can combine the power of different types of Essence in a way that allows me to see the effects. From that, I should be able to extrapolate a way to harness both magics at the same time. Think of the possibilities! It gives me chills. Or maybe it's just these forsaken Frostlands. I just need to figure out a way to harness enough ambient energy.

This whole thing started when I helped the other villagers fend off a creeper. Some of the other villagers lured the creeper toward the well, keeping it occupied, while I and the other villagers emptied the water, they with buckets, I with magic. The strain was immense. It was all I could do to keep from collapsing. But I knew if I didn't help, we never would clear the well in time.

We managed to get the water out just as the villagers luring the creeper arrived. We placed a lure over the well, and hid. The lure worked, and the creeper stood at the edge of the empty well, trying to figure out how to get close enough to the lure. I held my breath and began to sneak up on it. Every footstep on the soft sand sounded to me like I was walking on broken glass. Somehow I snuck up on the creeper unnoticed. With a yell I shoved the creeper into the air over the well. They are surprisingly heavy for their size. The creeper plummeted down into the dark depths of the well, and exploded on impact.

I noticed something shimmering in the blackness. Calling for a rope, I attached it to the crossbeam and descended down into the well. What I found was unlike anything I had ever seen before. It was a strange rock bearing blue veins running through it. The rock itself was mundane, but the power was emanating from the blue veins was immense; more than anything I had ever sensed. The other villagers didn't sense anything from it. I took it to the smith, and used the forge to separate the ore from the veins, which resulted in a blue powder.

Refining the stone in this way resulted in a blue dust, with greatly amplified power. The villagers, though they didn't sense anything, noted that it made the hairs on their neck stand up. I came up with a name for it. Vinteum.

6th Day of 5e27

After travelling for the day, I realize that I don't have enough food. I will have to go foraging tonight in hopes of finding something to eat. Hopefully I can find something.

7th Day of 5e27

I was attacked yesterday by spiders. I was managing well enough to fight them with my sword, but one managed to bite my good arm. I fear I won't be able to wield a sword for a while. I managed to find a cave and have piled up stones at the entrance, as well as a little ways into the cave so that I can have a safe little bubble in which I can hide. The food I gathered a couple of nights ago should be able to last me for a few days if I ration myself. Finding water at least shouldn't be much of a problem.

I brought some wood in too for creating a fire. I am still extremely drained after lighting that fire. Light is a plus, but it's the cold that makes it necessary. I'm so relieved to be out of that wind. I hope I didn't catch a chill. I'm not feeling too well.

8th Day of 5e27

That spider poisoned me, I'm sure of it! I can barely keep any food down, and my insides feel like they are on fire. Curse me for not bringing any milk! Maybe I can come up with a way to use Essence to cure myself.

9th Day of 5e27

I'm not sure, but I think this is working. By meditating and focusing inwards, I believe I have managed to use the essence in my body combat the poison. I feel a little better. I don't think it is gone yet, but it's a start. It's going to take a few days to recover, but I am going to need more food if I am going to make it. Concentrating that much made me ravenous! I went through a day's worth of rations and it's not even noon. I don't even feel sated, either.

11th Day of 5e27

Not much to write about in the past couple days. I lucked out and found some apples on a tree just outside the cave. I have spent most of my time either meditating, sleeping, or eating. I have recovered from the poison, and am ready to continue.

30th Day of 5e27

I am not the only one. Lost my old journal after having to flee that cave, when the ceiling started to cave in. I wandered the Frostlands for days, freezing, with little food. Thanks to the abundance of snow, I didn't want for water. I doubt I would have anyways, given my penchant for water manipulation.

I don't remember much, other than being lost in a blizzard a couple of days ago. My fingers were numb. My arms were numb. Everything was numb from the cold. In fact, I remember thinking it was nice that I couldn't really feel the cold anymore. I remember realizing I had laid down in the snow. Or did I fall? I don't fully remember.

I awake in this strange village. It is day, and I am told, as the title of the entry states, that it is the 30th day of 5e27. I was lost for a long time. But, it was all worth it! This is a village of people like me!

Most of the villagers here don't have any kind of specialization like I do. They tell me it's rare. I am to meet with the elders once I am well enough to do so. I think I am now.

31st Day of 5e27

So much to learn. The villagers have confirmed what I thought. What I am able to do is magic! The villagers here call my talent for water magic "Affinity". There is another villager here is of a fire affinity. I don't like her. She throws her weight around far too frequently, and bullies many of the villagers into doing what she wants.

Why, earlier today I saw her threaten a shopkeeper to lower his prices or she would set his shop on fire! This will not stand. I have to do something, though I am an outsider. I must be careful lest I turn the village against me.

32nd Day of 5e27

I may have done something today that I will come to regret. I saw the fire affinity villager threatening another merchant to lower his wares. I thought about just walking away, I mean, this is pretty normal day-to-day stuff here, right?

No, I needed to do something. Just because she had some magical power didn't mean she could be a bully. I intervened, got between her and the merchant. She didn't like that.

Calling upon her powers, she set the shop ablaze, stating that she would make an example of this merchant for accepting my aid. I quickly used my water affinity to pull water out of the village well and douse the flames. I glanced over at her, perhaps a little more smugly than I should have. She stormed off making threats against me and the merchant all the while.

I spoke with the elder a short while later about the incident and asked why he tolerates her presence. I said she is a blight on the town and should be exiled. He looked solemnly into the sunset for a moment or two, then replied, "She's my daughter.", before getting up and making his way into his house. Oops.

35th Day of 5e27

I have worked the past couple of days to make amends to the elder for my comment. He says she needs somebody to stand up to her, and that I did the right thing by doing so. He has called a village meeting to discuss what should be done. I can't help but feel guilty. I put this man against his only family. I suppose she brought this on them, but I can't help but feel guilty for bringing it to light.

While working with the other villagers, they tell me that she has been warned several times against her actions, and next time, this time, the consequences would be dire.

The elder told me that she never used to be like this. We spent hours, him telling joyful stories from her child hood, me sitting quietly and listening. He told me of when she discovered her talents, how excited she was. But when he got to a certain point in his story, just... trailed off. He rose, saying that he could say no more, and left. It must have been around the time that she changed. It's clear in his eyes how much this all pains him. I didn't say anything as he left. There was nothing to say.

The meeting is in a little while. I must prepare.

36th Day of 5e27

I can't believe what I saw. The elder's daughter came storming into the meeting, enraged that she was being treated this way. It was a tense moment of silent argument between the elder and his daughter, their eyes locked, a silent conversation that only they could understand.

"You have been flaunting your power too freely, and have been warned several times.", the elder stated calmly. "It will be tolerated no longer. You are hereby exiled from the village."

The elder's daughter screamed in rage and lifted the elder up with magic. What I can only describe as life force began flooding from his chest. He screamed in pain, and what I saw next left me speechless. I can only describe it as a bright flash of blue coming from the elder, and a purple bolt flew out and struck the daughter in the hand. She howled with pain and anger, flinging fire in all directions. The elder's eyes began to glow blue. He raised his hands and a blue-white energy engulfed every fireball and simply fizzled it out.

His daughter gathered her power, speaking in a language I did not understand, and launched a beam of pure fire right at her father's face. He patiently watched it come. It deflected off at the last second, and also flared out of existence.

Raising his voice, the elder shouted something in the same language and his daughter was flung backwards by an unseen force. She went right through the wall. We ran outside immediately, but couldn't find her anywhere. She must have run off. The elder didn't for ma search party. I wouldn't have either.

I haven't had a chance to talk to the elder about what he did. He just walked away, a slight limp, unassuming as ever. The meeting was over.

42nd Day of 5e27

It has been a week since I had last seen the elder. But he called for me today. After speaking with him, he offered me a place as his apprentice. I can learn so much from him. I accepted without a second thought.

We leave immediately. I was told I can bring nothing along, and that includes this journal. This will be my final entry, for now.

Power Crystals Owners Manual:
WARNING: Acknowledge this quote before you read this:

A stupid man's report of what a clever man says can never be accurate, because he unconsciously translates what he hears into something he can understand.
.................-Bertrand Russell

Spoiler

Programmable
RedNet
Controller

Owner's Manual v1.0

WARNING: YOU MAY NEED TO SHRINK YOUR GUI SCALE TO APPROPRIATELY USE THIS PRODUCT

Congratulations on your purchase, assembly, or theft of your new Programmable RedNet Controller (PRC). This manual will attempt to guide you through its features and operations.

Features

• 16 I/O points on each side
• 16 internal variables
• 6 user-defined circuits
• Expandable with LX-100, 300, or 500 expansion modules (sold separately)

Circuits

The PRC is composed of one or more circuits. Each circuit is executed sequentially on every PRC clock cycle. Circuits are composed of inputs and outputs.

Inputs can come from I/O, variables, or constant values. Outputs can be routed to I/O, variables, or null (disconnected). These options are discussed separately.

All circuits default to No-Op when the PRC is initialized.

Constants

The PRC can use constant values for its inputs. It contains 16 constants, with values 0-15 in them.

I/O

Each face of the PRC can be connected to up to 16 I/O points. Th efront face cannot be connected, but the PRC can be rotated by using your standard sledgehammer.

Each I/O point is indicated by a color, ranging from white to black as per the standard elements. I/O inputs will update on the next PRC clock cycle.

Variables

The PRC contains variables that can be used by its circuits. Variables propagate between circuits on the same clock cycle; unlike the I/O delay.

Null

Route outputs to Null if you do not want to use the value.

GUI

The PRC GUI has four sections - from left to right they are input pins, circuit type, output pins, and circuit selection.

GUI: Circuit Type

Select a circuit type from the list to change the selected circuit in the PRC to that circuit type. Use the Next and Prev buttons to change which circuit is being edited.

GUI: Pin Mapping

PRC pins are connected in two parts, buffer and pin number. Buffer selects I/O and face, variables, constants, or null, as applicable. Pin chooses which I/O color, or which variable/constant.

Left click advances by one, and right click reverses by one. Middle click advances by 16 when using variables or constants (one for I/O).

RedNet Meter

Much like it can be used to read out values of RedNet cables, the RedNet Meter can be used to read out the state of the PRC's variables.

Memory Cards

If you need to back up your PRC or copy it to another PRC, use a memory card. Using a blank card on a PRC will copy its program, and using a programmed card will write its program.

Examples

The next sections cover some basic PRC scenarios. Face your PRC West with your sledgehammer before beginning. These examples assume access to some supplies.

You will need:
• A few dozen cables
• Several levers
• Several buttons
• Several lamps
• A daylight sensor
• A piston
• A note block
• A sledgehammer

Example 1: AND gate

Connect RedNet cabling to the North face of your PRC, and place two levers and a lamp on the cable. Set the levers to Orange and Magenta with your sledgehammer.

Open your PRC. Set circuit one to And (2 input). Set the input I/Os to I/O N, Orange and Magenta, and the output to I/O N, White.

Manipulate the levers. Watch the lamp. It will light when both levers are on and deactivate when they are turned off.

Example 2: Timer

Connect RedNet cabling to the south face of your PRC, and attach a lamp to it. Open your PRC and set circuit 2 to Wave (square). Set the input to CNST 40. Set the output to I/O S, White.

The lamp will blink about once per second. You can use the square wave generator for any device that requires an alternating redstone signal.

The PRC runs at a clock rate of 20 cycles per second. Adjust the period (Pd) of the timer to make it faster or slower. Values too fast(<5 t) may not work correctly with all devices.

Example 3: Door Toggle

Connect cabling to the East face of your PRC. Attach a button to White and a piston to Orange. If you have extra parts, you may want to build a real door.

Open your PRC and set circuit 3 to a T-Flip Flop. Connect I/O E, White to both inputs, and I/O E Orange to Q. Press the button.

Note the piston extends and retracts on each button press. The T-Flip Flop samples the input value on a rising edge of CLK - if you don't care, connect both to the same input as here.

Example 4: Daylight Sensor/Variables

Connect RedNet cabling to the top of your PRC. Attach a daylight sensor to White, and a note block to Orange. Set a pleasing tone on the note block.

Open the PRC. Set circuit 4 to Equals, with I/O U White and CNST 3 as inputs, and the output to VARS 0. Set circuit 5 to a One-Shot Pulse, with input VARS 0 and output I/O U Orange.

When the sun rises and sets, the daylight sensor's output level will reach 3. As it arrives at that value, the note block will be pulsed. Use it as an alarm clock!

Example 5: Daylight Clock

Construct an 8 out of redstone lamps. It should look like this:
XXXX
XXXX
XXXX
XXXX
XXXX
XXXX
XXXX

Ensure no blocks connect the lamps.

Starting with the top section and proceeding clockwise, connect them as follows: cyan, purple, blue, brown, green, red, black. Red should be the top-left pair and black the center pair.

Connect those wires to the top face of the PRC (along with the daylight sensor). Open the PRC, and set circuit 6 to Seven-Segment Encoder.

Connect I to I/O U White, and A through G to cyan through black in order. If you have wired everything correctly, the clock will display the current daylight value.

Note that as the daylight sensor has outputs 0-15, these are represented as hex characters as 0-9 and A-F.

Additional Suggestions

• Try the various wave generators connected to redstone dust
• Try using the counter - PRE is the rollover target
• Try using weighted pressure plates combined with greater/less than

Summary

Note that the examples all function independently, as the PRC has multiple circuits and can process many tasks at once. Amazing things can be accomplished using the PRC.

We hope you enjoy your new Programmable RedNet Controller!

If you think you're going to do some sometime soon, reserve a post to yourself, copy the book into notepad or word (this may take hours for some of the longer series), and then paste it into your reserved post.

Depending on the length of the series you're doing, you may need to reserve two or more posts.

Also, if you come across any errors (two journal entries on the same day, where one says it's the day after and the other says it's the day before) then fix them.

EDIT: Also, use altcode 7 to make the bullets. (hold down alt and hit 7 then let go of alt and a bullet will appear in place of your cursor)

 

[Chocorate]

Holy hell, a poll that doesn't have "potatoes because potatoes are funny and I know this will get the most votes"... Good job.

I'd love to see a book documentation. I don't play Minecraft too much anymore, but I love reading. Seriously, I'd spend more times reading lore and game manuals than playing the games themselves. And I'll reserve this spot for you.

 

[natnif36]

^I agree kinda Choc.

I have a LOT of short spaces of time available, to for example read some information on my IPod, but rarely have the amount of free time it takes to start my computer, load up the pack and load a world, just to read some books.

Having then uploaded here means that I actually will read them.
I tried reading one - something about a paranoid hermit or something and a younge lady, and it was relatively good reading.

Also Choc, have you ever got around to adding more to that story of yours? Or has it been constantly on-going and I haven't checked since it was 3 chapters long?

 

[Chocorate]

Also Choc, have you ever got around to adding more to that story of yours? Or has it been constantly on-going and I haven't checked since it was 3 chapters long?

It has met the fate of everything else I think of. I have the story finished, I think it's quite good. I just don't want to spend the time explaining it.

 

[gattsuru]

Also (again), for some reason it makes multiple spoilers in my posts. If somebody could tell me why this is happening and how to fix it then that would be nice to help clean up the OP.

Multiple spoilers seem to be caused by an autoformatting issue. Deleting the entire line that contains the "Mysterious Journal Fragments : <spoiler>" bit and re-writing seems to fix it in a preview, at least.

Data on books is kept in the .JRN files at mithion\arsmagica\exp, which are UTF-8 encoded -- notepad should get them, or you can use Notepad++ if it does something bizarre with the text. For example, and with removed formating :

Diary of an Arcane Researcher, by Exelbirth -

Spoiler

- Diary of an Arcane Researcher
- Exelbirth

Day 1:

Yesterday, some miners came into town to report a strange material they had uncovered in their mineshaft. It was some sort of glowing blue ore, which they had no problems digging up, but when they attempted to refine it in their furnaces, it crumpled into a powdery blue dust. Since they couldn't figure out a use for this dust, they brought it to our lord, who assigned me and three others to figure out what it can be used for, if anything.

Day 4:

We've done several tests with this dust, including combining it with other materials, distilling it in solutions, even attempting to make potions, for which I was the test subject. I have to admit, the brew made with the dust wasn't as bitter as the health potions the Priests of Aeth make. Unfortunately, the potion seems to do nothing.

Day 6:

Nearly a week gone by, and no results from our research until today! While walking into our lab, my robes got snagged on an exposed nail and tore a hole down the side. While fussing over the tear, I was amazed when it started mending itself, becoming whole before my eyes. I shared this news with my colleagues, and we spent the day trying to figure out if anything else could repair itself in my hands. Thus far, only the robes I was wearing repaired itself, and only when worn by me. Tomorrow, I'll be trying on other articles of clothing and armor to see if any of them mend themselves as well. As to why my robes mended themselves in the first place, well, it might have something to do with that potion...

Day 8:

Yesterdays efforts were nearly fruitless, as we discovered only robes have been mending themselves. What's more, only robes with blank decorative tablets mended themselves. Any robes with colored or etched tablets simply remained torn. There may be a connection between these tablets and the potion I drank, but it will have to wait a few days until my order for blank tablets gets to the lab.

Day 11:

A surprising discovery today! The tablets I ordered arrived today, and while placing them on the table I noticed a glow emanating between them once three were on the table. Any more or less and the glow disappeared. I spent some time moving the tablets around on the table, and when I had them arranged in a triangular pattern pointing inward toward the center of the table, the glowing was at its brightest. I took the tablets over to one of my colleagues desks, but couldn't get the tablets to recreate the glowing effect. Walking back over to the table, we noticed a metal plate from somebody's meal was on the floor under it. Obviously somebody has been feeding one of the guard dogs some scraps, which they've been told not to do three times already, but their disobedience has led to discovering something that could very well be ground breaking.

Day 15:

The research team has doubled and been split. One group is researching the mysterious dust, which is being called Vinteum now, while my team is looking into the latent power of tablets, now being called runes. I spent day with one of my new associates making a table that will house three runes and an iron disc on its surface. The other two went out into town to collect volunteers for an experiment involving the new table.

When they returned, we led the volunteers to a room where I had set up the new table in the center. The volunteers consisted of a baker, a lumberjack, a miner, a farmer, a guard, and a child, who was the bakers daughter. We explained to them the purpose of the test, which was to examine the reactions of the runes and disc to their presence.

The results for all but two of the volunteers was about the same: When they approached the table, the disk glowed blue, and when asked to place their hand on the disk, there was a flash of light and the disk dulled to a red glow. The two exceptions were the child, who had a very small and dim flash of light, and the guard, whose flash of light nearly blinded everyone in the room. We got the guard's name and informed him that we would call on him if we needed him in the future.

Day 20:

I'm slowly beginning to believe that these runes we have been making for decorations all these years are the keys to unlocking great powers within us. Powers capable of doing anything that crossed our minds, capable of ending disease, perhaps even capable of ending death itself. I'm

talking about magic, something that exists only in legends. Keep in mind, magic does exist today, but to a very small extent, and we only really see magical effects in elementals, the undead, and in potions. Maybe in our past, we once were able to use actual magic, like throwing around fire or lightning, healing any wound without needing a potion, or maybe even to fly! If we can unlock that ability through these runes, the possibilities could very well be endless.

Day 21:

Yet another discovery, and probably the most important discovery of my career as a researcher! While at my writing desk, I had arranged a collection of etched runes to take some notes on, but as soon as I laid down some parchment, the runes crumbled into dust. As I watched, the dust snaked its way onto the parchment, slowly melting onto the page and making words. I picked up the parchment and read the words that had formed, only to jump back in surprise as the stone wall in front of me crumbled into a pile of rocks. This could only mean one thing: the arrangement of runes must have been accurate enough to create a spell!

Day 24:

We brought back our guard friend for another experiment. We had him sit at a desk with a small collection of etched runes and a few blank scrolls, and asked him to create a spell. He sat there with a look of confusion for a while, but after looking at the runes for a brief moment, he quickly arranged the runes across the surface of a scroll. The runes crumbled almost immediately, forming a set of words on the scroll. When we asked to cast the spell, he read the scroll, and a small flame launched from his hand, setting the desk on fire. After that small incident, we went outside of town to avoid anymore damage. We had him focus on the spell he was casting this time, and we were rewarded with a larger blast of flame that turned a tree into charcoal. He said he felt more drained after that, but not quite the same as if he had started exhausting himself physically.

Day 32:

We now have three different research teams. One team is still working on Vinteum dust and its applications, my team Is working on runes and how they can be used in other parts of life, and a new team is working on learning new spells, with the former guard as one of the top assistants. A couple of the spells they've learned recently has made me a little curious I must admit: The first one is a spell that allows the caster to see objects and creatures that have been made invisible. I'm curious if there's any other uses for such a spell, but I'll have to spend more time on it. The other spell is one that lets the caster move short distances in the blink of an eye.

That one is something I'd love to make practical, but how to do such a thing? Ideas are already forming in my head, but we'll need to work with the Vinteum team, as they might be able to provide some insight as to how to bind magic into structures.

Day 37:

Inspiration hit me today as I walked along the shores of the lake. I saw a water elemental floating across the water, and it struck me that the etchings we have on our runes might be connected to the elements that make up the world! It makes sense too, especially with the color scheme applied to each etching. Red for fire, Blue for water, Green for earth, Yellow for air. White and Black could be life and death, or maybe light and dark. Will have to do more research on those. What about orange and purple though? I guess purple could be a sort of neutral ground, or maybe represent pure magic. What about orange? I'll have to figure out that one at some point, but for now, I must follow my inspiration.

Day 39:

Yesterday while discussing the idea that magic and runes are connected to the elements, my team thought it would be interesting if we could fashion new robes that reflect the four prime elements, and gained powers from those elements. Today, we've agreed upon what materials we would need for the robes to be made: Water in the hood, ground up coal for earth in the chest piece, gunpowder for fire in the leggings, and feathers for air in the feet. We're having a set made for each kind of rune, with the rune fastened to the fabric as if the robes were standard tradition. They should be done in twelve days.

Day 46:

Essence! That must be the source of all magic! While talking with the head of the Vinteum team and sharing knowledge, our combined notes revealed that vinteum and runes are channels for raw magical energy, which we started calling essence. After much discussion, we agreed on a number of things, one of which is that the reason one feels drained after casting spells is that they're using their own magical essence, or mana, to direct the flow of raw essence being channeled by the scrolls, which results in a spell having its effects. We also agreed that if it were possible to harness essence as a physical item, we could make untold discoveries with it. Tomorrow, I meet with the Priests of Aeth and Priests of Neth to ask for their help on this matter.

Day 47:

The Priests were able to give me some materials and advice. They know that redstone dust and glowstone dust both hold latent magical powers, which they've been able to harness through the creation of potions. But what if there was a way of enhancing that power using a catalyst? The Priests of Aeth suggested I use stone from our world, and the Priests of Neth offered stone from the demonic world they protect. Several hours later, I finally got a result from the many combinations I tried: When I mixed the four materials together in the right order, they drew towards each other, merging together slowly until they had formed a solid purple sphere. Some more time spent experimenting on the sphere revealed that when heat was applied to it, it turned into an ashy substance remarkably similar to the piles of dust wisps turn into when slain.

Day 49:

The new robes arrived today, and they looked remarkable. All we had to do was test them out. From past experience, we had all learned that the robes drain ones mana in order to repair itself, but if one had managed to grow stronger in their magical powers, they would often times barely notice the drain. We weren't interested in that however. We wanted to know if the robes gained any special abilities. Several tests yielded no results. An accident, however, yielded the best result we could hope for: One of the researchers fell down the stairs. He should have had a broken back and some bones, but his chest piece started glowing and he soon stood up, perfectly fine, robes already mending their damage. It's quite remarkable, as if the robes had the same ability as a regeneration potion, but ready to take effect whenever the wearer is severely injured. Attempts to replicate the result using different runed vests were largely disastrous, requiring several strong healing potions. I wonder if perhaps the materials bound in the robes weren't strong enough. If any progress is made with the Vinteum team on harvesting raw essences, perhaps we can make more powerful robes, among other wonderous devices

Day 67:

Progress has slowed down quite a bit in the area of rune research. I feel we need a break through of sorts that will propell our knowledge forward yet again. Last time we had a major break through was when I worked on that altar-like table that somehow unlocked the magical potential in individuals. Perhaps if we were to make something like that yet again...

Day 82:

Break through at last! We simply needed a better focus for the essence to coalesce onto! We tried several variations of my altar before, using combinations of vinteum dust and arcane ash, gemstones and metals, and eventually we found that a diamond surrounded with arcane ash formed a perfect conduit for our test. We added a generous amount of water in the basin, and a glowing blue ring materialized around the edge, slowly spiraling and changing to a darker hue. The water and ash in the basin also spiraled, being drawn toward the diamond. In a matter of moments, we had a crystal shaped like an ocean wave. I think we might finally be able to progress with the development of magic.

Day 94:

New robes are being made again, but I've lost excitement with those. I want to create bigger and better things, but how? One of the things I've thought up in the past was a way to magically seal containers and chests, but how would you lock such a device? A single rune would be too simple to break into. Multiple runes? Putting each rune into a separate slot is unnecessarily time consuming if the alternative is simply a key. Hm... a key...

Day 97:

Thanks to the efforts of both my team and the vinteum team, we have formulated a chest that has two receptacles, one inside and one outside. The item you put into these receptacles is called a keystone, which has five slots that runes can be inserted into. If the keystone placed in the slot on the outside of the chest matches the keystone inside the chest, it will open. The security implications alone are wonderful, but I'm not satisfied yet. I still wish to make it so that one doesn't have to cast a spell to teleport from one part of the village to another, or even to another village entirely. But teleporting requires one to direct magic itself. How can we do that without our own effort?

Day 104:

Inspiration struck me again last night. It was time for an old tradition and ceremony, where a Priest of both Aeth and Neth would stand in the middle of four pillars and draw out an arcane circle with chalk. Then, a volunteer "sacrifice" performs a dance in the middle of the circle, while a variety of food and crafts was placed around them. The point behind all this is that we sacrifice a bit of our work and ourselves to the world, so that the world continues to bless our land with good crops and good health. It occurred to me that this tradition is so old that we don't have any records telling us what it originally started as. When I had time, I examined the circle, and noticed that several of the markings on it were exact matches with markings on our runes. Perhaps in the same way that runes channel raw essence into a spell, this ancient ritual could channel the same raw essence into something else. The dancer maybe? More research is needed.

Day 113:

I've had a copy of the four pillars constructed outside the village walls for some testing. I made certain that the dimensions they formed were exactly the same as the pillars in the town center. If my hunch is right, performing the ritual with the chalk as normal won't do anything other than put on a show. With a bit of magically infused chalk, however, we might get a different reaction to the ritual. I'm currently working on making the same kind of chalk used in the ritual, but adding arcane ash to the mixture. Hopefully this will trigger something special.

Day 114:

The ritual certainly was something special, and the ceremony had more truth to it than I had given it credit for. I decided not to have anyone dancing in the circle after I had drawn it, and instead started placing a small amount of food and metals in the circle. Or at least, I tried to, since as soon as I placed something in the circle, it floated into the air above the circle's center, and vanished in a bolt of energy into the pillars. After a few more items, I went to get my friend, the ex-guard who helped us make all of this possible, and see if he could help me out. It turned out that about a month ago, his group discovered a spell they couldn't figure out how to use, but thanks to my discovery, its use was made clear: It could detect how much essence was built up in the circle, and we spent the afternoon throwing various other items into the circle, trying to find a limit. We still haven't found one, which leads us to believe that it is capable of holding an immense amount of power, possibly far more than any man could have. I'm eager to see what our teams end up creating together with this new source of power.

Day 134:

Many devices have been created the past few days, all relying on this raw magical energy. A problem we had come across early on was that these new devices that could create items from magic or cast spells without the need of a caster was that energy only arced to the devices if they were close enough. We spent a day working on how to get the energy to go further, ultimately ending up with a design using vinteum as a sort of conduit. The results showed success, though we had an incident where we tried running multiple devices and a conduit exploded violently. Nobody was injured fortunately, mainly due to us using the circle outside of town. Still, that certainly sparked people's interest in making these conduits safer, mainly through ways of focusing the energy, or improving the efficiency at which it transfers to devices. I hope that when it is time for my grand invention, we avoid any explosive reactions.

Day 146:

I just can't get my portal to work. The concept is based on the Priests of Neth's hell gate, which lets them enter the world of demons, but it's supposed to allow people to simply move around our world faster. I've tried creating portals adorned with runes for a teleport spell, keystones in receptacles, giving it energy, but nothing has worked. I must need a focus of some sort, but I have no idea what it could be. Perhaps some sort of crystallized essence?

Day 151:

Several advances happened with the field of essences We've discovered seven more essences alongside the base four. There's advanced essences, which combine aspects of two base elements that don't oppose each other, light, dark, and magic. One thing that hasn't been tried yet however is combining all the different essences together. It could be a dangerous venture, but thus far dangerous ventures have been the most rewarding.

Day 156:

While waiting for the result of the essence experiment, I created an interesting little device that can "see" people. If it sees somebody, it can activate a device, allowing it to perform its function. If you don't want it to see you though, you simply need a keystone that matches one in its receptacle. If you have a matching keystone on you, this seer stone will ignore you. Just a fun little curiousity I whipped up in my spare time.

Day 159:

Finally, the results from the essence experiment are in! They successfully created a twelfth essence, one that is completely pure. This could be the key I need to create my gateway, and possibly other devices that use it as a focus. Only time and effort will tell, and I have a lot I'm willing to spend on this project.

Day 174:

I've finally had some success for my efforts today. I've created a special kind of keystone receptacle, meant specifically for my gateways. I'll create two more of them for further experimenting, but for now I need to check up on my team's other project: A device that prevents teleporting. They've been having multiple successes working on it, and I believe they will be done by this evening.

Day 175:

My team was successful with their astral barrier device. Its purpose is to completely stop somebody from teleporting into an area, unless they possess a keystone that matches the one in the barrier's receptacle. This project was actually commissioned by both factions of the Priests as a way of keeping their inner sanctums from being intruded upon while they're in meditation, something that has happened far more than it really should have. They've also been quite curious about how the essence circles work lately, namely the part about the "sacrifice's" role in our old ceremony. I have been curious about it myself. It's been so long since I first did testing with the circle, but I've yet to hear about anyone trying to dance in the circle's center. Perhaps it's time to see what happens when we have a volunteer step into the circle.

Day 179:

These circles could very well be one of the greatest benefits to our people we've ever had. When our volunteer stepped into the circle, he started to glow, dull at first, but it eventually grew bright enough that one could easily see he had a sort of aura about him. He claimed to have felt energized in a way, so we had him cast several spells. We watched, waiting for him to tire, but he never did, casting spell after spell without exhausting. Imagine Priests reversing the most serious of injuries, wizards holding off bands of barbarians and raiders, keeping crops alive during the worst of droughts! We may not have to worry about untimely death ever again.

Day 184:

My invention finally works! Once I had two more gateways constructed and the receptacles placed, I ran a conduit to each and watched as energy arced its way toward the receptacles. It took more energy than I had originally expected, but the results are definitely worth the large initial energy drain. I stepped through the gateways multiple times, always stepping out of another one. I also noticed that the gateways seem to teleport you to the next gateway that was constructed, then loops back around to the first one when you step through the last.

The next test was installing a keystone into a gateway. I walked through holding a keystone that didn't match, and stepped out of the last gateway, completely skipping the one with the keystone. Walking back through, I skipped it again, and again on the third and fourth times. But while holding the matching keystone, I walked out of the gateway with the keystone every time.

If we were to install this sort of system across the kingdom, we could drastically cut down on travel time for everyone, plus make it drastically safer than wandering down a road that could have a bandit ambush waiting around the curve. Next thing I think I'll try inventing is a way of giving buildings and walls a protective ward using keystones or runes. Hopefully this will be an easier task than the gateways were.

Day... unknown:

Ah, my old journal from when I was a head arcane researcher. Seems like some of the pages have gone missing. I can't remember how I lost it, but I could have sworn it wasn't in this chest. Some of these things I can remember like it was just yesterday. How many years has it been now... I think maybe a hundred and ten or so. My how things have changed. We discovered so many ways to use magic that first year, then we hit a stand still for a full half century. It wasn't a bad standstill mind you, we just didn't develop anything amazingly new. Still, my gateway system had become the standard way of travel by then, and the roads have all but disappeared.

You know... it occurs to me that the only way we actually found out about the magic was when I tore my robes. They mended themselves, but when we tested it, only I was able to have the robes mend themselves. We also found out that only somebody who has unlocked their magic potential could have the robes mend, and the only way to unlock the potential was with my altar. How then did the robes mend themselves on me?

I think it must have been when I was a little lad. I remember my parents scolding me for playing with a pile of tablets that were meant for making some robes for the Priests, may they rot in the dark world. I suppose you don't know why I would be writing that, much less writing at all. Well, I'm waiting for the end, and it's all the Priests' fault. After that long standstill, the Priests created their own versions of the Nexus. The Priests of Aeth created one that draws the essence of the world into itself gradually, while the Priests of Neth created one that drew the essence out of the living. That last one could have been alright, if it wasn't for the fact that it killed all living things that it drew essence from. Squabbling started between the two factions, but the Lord intervened, stating that the dark nexus was only to be used on demons, sick livestock, and individuals sentenced to death. Everyone was in agreement that it would be the best way to use the nexus if at all.

The peace lasted only so long however. The Priests eventually started openly accusing each other of crimes, attacking each other in public, claiming their nexi were going to bring about the end of the world, all manner of nonsense. Eventually, they managed to start creating their own spells. How they did it, I do not know, but what I do know is that for the past year, we've been seeing more and more devastating spells being used on the other factions temples, and nobody has been able to stop them. And now, just yesterday, from both of their grand temples, a cataclysm has formed. A wave of black light, spreading outward, decimating most buildings and leaving nobody alive. What's curious about it however is that nature seems to grow rapidly in its wake, swallowing the ruins of buildings in trees and grass. As soon as it reaches a gateway, it travels through it somehow, swallowing the next village, then the next. I suppose that in a way, I contributed to the end of our people. We tried destroying gateways, but it always seems to travel to where a gateway once stood. My village is one of the last standing, but already the black light is flowing out of the town's main gateway. I hope that if this journal survives and if anyone is alive to read it, that they beware practicing magic in ha...

Would you like the rest?

 

[buggirlexpres]

YES I WOULD LOVE THE REST! I've always wanted to sit down and read these, but never had the time. This will make it a lot easier.

 

[gattsuru]

Creation of the Mirrors, by The Fallen Apprentice (edited for formating, but needs a typography and style editor)

Spoiler

Day 1
I've been training for this day forever, finally archmage Nagastis believes me ready for the trials for full mage hood. Truth be told I've been ready for ages but the archmage kept holding me back. I'll show him tomorrow that his worry was misplaced.

Day 8
I woke up...after those trials that in and of itself is surprising. I can't believe what I saw in there. The start of the trial was easy enough, almost too easy; simple trials that magic was required to cross. A calm lake teeming with deadly creatures that would destroy anything the broke the surface of the water was easily crossed by freezing the entire lake. A room with no apparent exit, but true sight allowed me to see through the enchantments hiding it. Then I got to the last room. A great mirror stood on top of a pedestal, embedded in the wall behind it. This mirror was thousands of hands high and just as wide. But the surface seemed to ripple like water if anything came near. As I approached I saw my reflection walking closer as well. But, wait no! It wasn't my reflection, not exactly. I mean it was me but it wasn't. I looked... older, more worn.

One of my eyes was simply gone, the empty socket creating a disturbing hollow in my face. And the expression the not me had on his face... I don't think my face could ever form such an evil look, such a look of pure joy brought on by acts of pure malice. After looking at the disgusting reflection of me for no more than a handful of heartbeats the mirrors surface rippled madly, as if someone had dropped a bolder into a pond.

Then someone came out of the mirror, at least I think it was someone. Maybe it was an animated suit of armor. Or maybe it was something more; I didn't have time to inquire. The thing wore a great suite of pulsating purple armor and a billowing purple cape hung from its shoulders. It terrified me; I backed away from it as quickly and quietly as I could. The thing didn't seem to notice me right away, or maybe he did and simply didn't care I was there. As he looked around the room I could hear its breath, great hollow rasps like dragging blade over an anvil inside of a cave. Then its “eyes” settled on me. I say eyes but it had none.

Where eyes should have been, a purplish void glowed from within the blackness. When they settled on me my mind froze and pure animal panic took over. May the spirits help me I ran, but it was not enough! The thing took off after me, not even running. It jumped and caught up with twenty or thirty of my strides in that one leap. I tried to take it out, throwing my absolute best spell at it. A great ball of flame that would have obliterated a normal man flew from my fingertips. Except it bounced off of him and came flying back at me! I threw myself out of the way as fast as I could possibly manage. I managed to avoid the majority of the blast but it was so hot that it turned the air around it into its own weapon. I felt my legs burn as the fireball flew past me and the air cooked me alive.

The explosion from the impact of the fireball sent the things cape to flapping like a flag in a wind storm but otherwise it didn't even seem to notice something had happened. I thought I was dead. I had thrown my best punch at the thing and it hadn't even cared. I saw the thing lift one glowing hand towards my head and arcane energies gather round its fist. I was doomed.

Day 9
Archmage Nagastis rushed in to save me, using magic that merely highlighted how far I had to go before I could even count myself as an archmage. With a snap of his hand and a quick incantation he brought the ground under the things feat heaving upwards, smashing it into the roof of the cavern. I was certain that the thing was dead after that amazing spell. But before the rumbles of the shifting earth had died away a great crack went through the pillar of stone and an orange gloved hand reached out from between it. Quicker then I could even think my old mentor snap out another quick set of magically charged words and converted the entire column to lava.

The liquid running stone brought the temperature of the cavern up even more but even this did not phase the creature – and I'm sure it was a creature by this point, no man could survive even one of Nagastis' magically onslaughts let alone two – A great pair of glowing eyes peered out at the archmage from behind the curtain of lava. A blast of pure unstructured but very powerful arcane energy flew out from the column and sent the old man flying back and into the wall of the cavern. As he fell to the ground he let lose one more blast of energy, creating a great howling wind. The noise of it filled the cavern and made me cry out in pain at the sheer volume of it. The wind picked up the creature, the column of lava and the loose stones on the cavern floor and hurled them all back into the mirror. The surface rippled one last time and then the room was silent once more. I lay only a few feet from my mentor, my legs to badly burned to move. My mentor layed on the ground not moving. Unconscious or dead I could not say.

Day 12
Nagastis is dead. The other mages at the academy say that the last spell he cast used the very essence of his own life force to cast. No more life force means, no more life. The say the creature that came from the mirror was known simply as a guardian and that in the thousands of years the academy has stood a guardian has only emerged from the scrying mirror once before. That time was the year that Nagastis took his trial. The difference being he was able to beat back the guardian. Most taking the trial are faced off against a reflection of themselves, a shadow filled with anger and aggression that wouldn't think but would throw spell after spell.

The meaning of the trial is to teach the value and strength of patience and calm in a fight. Of course I got a bloody guardian. Now the mages are in council about how to proceed. I did not complete the trial, but how could any man be expected to fight one of these guardians? I'm sure the council will promote me to full mage hood, else at least let me take the trial again.

Day 18
They tried to kill me! The bloody council tried to kill me! Me! How dare they, after all this trial has cost they then try to take the one thing left to me! My life! How dare they!?! In typical rigid fashion they proclaimed that since Nagastis had defeated the guardian in his trial it could be done. Ignoring of course the fact that the second time he went up against such a creature it took everything he had, including his life to banish the thing back to that accursed mirror. And since Nagastis had interfered in my trial the result are invalid. And since a man either passes the trial or he is destroyed by it I must there for be destroyed.

My rage and anger as they handed out the results of their pathetic little trial boiled over and before the head mage who had replaced Nagastis even finished I used the same spell that was impotent against the guardian to replace the space he was standing with a crater. After that things got hectic. I don't even remember much about my escape other then throwing spells and counter spells around in a flurry of magic powered by my own rage at their attempt to kill me! I'm here now, the blood of I don't know how many mages on my hands... and it's not enough. They all have to pay for what they did to me. And I'm going to find the power to accomplish it.

Day 30
It's so simple! The fact that no one else has thought of this before I just shows how pathetic that lot and their academy truly are. The great equalizer, the one thing that makes a man strong or weak is his ability to fend off death when it comes for him. Well what if a man were able to continue on after death? What if death no longer rendered a man unable to act? That man would be the most powerful man in existence. And this substance I have found this... Vinteum will be the conduit to my transcendence.

Day 65
I have managed to extract enough vinteum and to crystallize it into a great spire of crystal. This crystal pulses and ebbs with magical energy. Almost like the beating of a heart. It's time to replace my own heart beat with that of this crystal and destroy that pathetic academy once and for all.

Day 66
Useless!!! This crystal is filled with the energy of life and it resisted my attempts to corrupt it to death. Strongly. As I channeled my energy in it, preparing to use the same process as poor pathetic Nagastis did when he cast his final spell. To take part of the life from my own body and link it with this crystal, it almost seemed to sense the corruption of life and it exploded. Taking half of my own life essence with it and mutilating my body with the shards of its destruction. I feel like a man half dead already. My body fails me both from the damage done in the explosion and from the missing life force. One of the shards even pieced my left eye. It's useless now just like so much else... but wait. The way I look now, the missing eye, the shattered body... That's it! That's what that mirror must do!

Day 72
Today I begin my assault on the academy. The revenge of those fools for trying to destroy the most powerful caster alive will be sweet but it's not my primary purpose here today. While my constructs of earth and fire keep the rest of the academy busy I plan to sneak inside the hall of trials and get access to that mirror once again.

Day 73
While most of these pathetic mages were distracted by my elementals one seemed smart enough to move to protect the hall of trials from the inside. The trials were trivial now. I can't believe they ever gave me any trouble. This time instead of crossing on a frozen path I froze the entire lake from surface to stone, and shattered the resulting ice. No creature tried to feed on me and lives to tell the tale. A burst of magic quickly destroyed every stone in that room with no exit. To think that one actually stumped me for hours before. My my my... how I've grown since my last visit. And just before the chamber of the mirror who stands in my way. But the son of the man who taught me my basics in magic, the son of Nagastis!

How fitting. At first I thought of just killing him where he stood and letting his blood run cold on the floor. But I have a better idea for him. At my command, the stone under his feet turned to gravel, and dozens of thorny vines burst from the ground, encircling his arms, his legs, his body. His screams were music to my ears as they pierced him, and when I return, he will be wishing they had killed him.

Day 74
It's taken me some time to set up the spell but it's finally done. On the morrow I will shatter this mirror and collect the shards for my own purposes. This mirror, whose reflection is that of life, is that of magic and time. It reflects all these things and yet none. The greatest of these reflections is magic. And with these shards I can reflect the power of life and magic back into the crystal of vinteum. With that power, I can prevent it from shattering and allow my complete transcendence above even death itself.

Day 75
The mirror is shattered, I have done it! All along the ground lay half liquid shards of this accursed thing. And even better something I had not expected happened when the mirror broke. Each shard is reflecting a different being, a different scenario playing out beneath its half clouded depths. Including the day the guardian came from the mirror and almost killed me. Well where is this precious guardian now huh?! Where is this being who single handedly destroyed my life?! Know why he's not here? Cause I do!! He's not here, cause I haven't made him yet! That's right, I created the being that damn near killed me and I'm going to create him again. This mirror links through time. It exists in the same place, in all times from the beginning of time till now. Here is its end point and through the shards I can access any time it existed in previously.

Including the day of my trial. But I'm not going to go back there. No no no, I'm going to let this man who's been encased in stone these last few days see his father one last time. I'm going to plunge this shard into his heart and with that link to the past and my own strength I will form this thing of flesh and bone into a being of metal and magic. That Nagastis in his urge to save me will kill. He will unknowingly kill his own son and himself and in so doing set in motion the chain of events leading to this moment. For if I didn't do this I wouldn't be the man who writes this journal now! Don't you see I have to do this else I couldn't do this!

Day 80
After sending the son of Nagastis on his little trip through time I have real work to do. I have taken the shards from the mirror and with a combination of magic, vinteum dust, life force and quick silver created a set of mirrors. These mirrors reflect nothing visible from their surface. But one with the right senses can feel them resonating and reflecting energy back into any vinteum close by. These mirrors will be the gate way to my transcendence!

Day 88
I'm cold, so cold. The mirrors worked ...I know they did. I could feel the resonation between them and the crystal. A resonance of life. But the corruption I tried to force into the crystal still caused it to reject my attempts, caused it to reject me. It didn't explode this time. It sent me... somewhere. I'm not sure where. I don't recognize the stars, nor the landscape of this place. And it's cold. Did I mention the cold? Wet flake of snow have been falling for hours. My life is practically gone. I don't even have enough left in me to stand. Even writing has become a trial *The writing becomes significantly more broad stroked and sloppy at this point* Where ............ did.................... I .................... go .................... wrong

[DOUBLEPOST=1371776157][/DOUBLEPOST]Silver's Diary (part1), by Silverduke1

Spoiler

Silver's Diary Day 1
As I begin to search for a way to use magic to prevent myself from aging, I have decided to record the discoveries of my research in my diary. I have not told the Arch Mages any detail behind my research yet (and I don't intend to any time soon), but they may begin wondering where some of their supplies have gone. So, I am going to make sure to tell them I am taking some supplies for my own independent research project before things get hairy.

I am currently using an old abandoned wooden house made out of teak for my research. I stumbled upon it one night eight years ago as I was walking just outside the nearby forest. The slightly dusty atmosphere in the house does not help with the smell. Perhaps I will need to replace the smell with some flowers. One of the shingles of the slate roof fell off and shattered last night (not ideal working conditions). Hopefully the plant life will be of some use.

Silver's Diary Day 3
After a few days of waiting, a letter has arrived. I quickly opened the letter and read it there on the spot. I have gotten approval to use the supplies from the Arch Mage Tower for my independent research. Unfortunately, I do not have nearly the amount of supplies necessary to carry out my research. For now, I have been supplementing the lack of supplies with wild plant life that I have been finding near the entrance to the forest, but the plant life I have found lacks all of the properties necessary to my research.

I need to get my hands on some Novas to truly be able to further my research; however, the next shipment of them is not for many more days, and the amount of Novas the Mages will allow me to take are very few, so I am going to have to make them count.

Silver's Diary Day 7
I have discovered a small area in the forest where Blue Orchids are growing in abundance. This shall help with the supplies problem, slightly, as well as alleviate the amount of supplies I have to get from the Mages. I also got a note from the Arch Mages that they will be sending a Mage to check to see how my research is going. The Mage will be arriving in a few days. This may prove a problem as I have not discovered anything new for them to further fund my project.

Silver's Diary Day 9
Today the Mage arrived and took a look around. He was wearing a dark blue hood that cast a shadow over his face preventing anyone from seeing his facade. His robes matched the hood in color except for the golden lining across the edges of the cloak. The only part of his body that was actually viewable were his tan colored hands. I gave him some fresh herbal tea while I waited for him to take a look at my research. Towards the end of the inspection, he looked rather upset with me for some reason. Perhaps it was my lack of results that was the problem. When he finished his investigation, he left quietly without notice, while I was continuing to study the properties of many different species of wild plant-life. Since the investigation, I have noticed that the supplies I am allowed to take have been fewer in number. Perhaps there is a shortage of ingredients. This is concerning due to the fact that the Arch Mages get to choose who gets what during a shortage.

Silver's Diary Day 13
Today, much to my dissatisfaction, I got a letter from the Arch Mages that I have 14 days to produce some results or else I will be shut down and will not get any more supplies from them. This is strange, as independent research projects usually are given more time than this. There must be an extreme shortage of ingredients for them. Even though I have many sources of wild plants growing in the forest that I have figured out how to cultivate, some ingredients I can only get from the Tower and without them, it will be nearly impossible to continue my research.

Silver's Diary Day 17
My research has finally bore some fruit that may be useful with my search for a way to prevent aging. I have discovered that there is a material in the atmosphere that is similar to Mana in nature. However, it is different because it holds the properties of life and existence. I have decided to name this material Essence.

Essence seems to be a form of flowing energy all around us. Perhaps I can find a way to gather this energy and use it for my purpose. Essence may also be able to help with my supplies problem. I have created a basic design for a prototype using materials that seem to gather higher amounts of Essence. The design will require a bit of room and time to build, so I have cleared out an area outside my house to build the device. Hopefully, this device will prove to be of some use to my research because, in the end, it will take up quite a bit of the materials I have left to use. I am still working on a name for the device. I will make sure to write down the official name when I further discuss it and the uses I discover for it.

On another note, I've grown attached to the smell of Blue Orchids and have attempted to make a hair cleansing solution with it to give my hair a similar smell. It seems to have worked very well and makes it silky too.

Silver's Diary Day 24
Today, I finished the construction of the device using magical non-melting snow blocks and glass focuses to direct it towards the inside where some magic chalk I made is inscribed in a circle to allow the storage of the Essence. Due to the focusing nature of the glass, that reminds me of a magnifying glass, I have decided to call the device a Light Nexus. Unfortunately, the device does not collect high amounts of Essence and holds very little of it within the inscription.

Perhaps it can be further refined to hold more, but my research has proven that it does not produce enough Essence to be a possible source of energy for me to prevent aging. However, it does provide a suitable way to further study the properties of essence.

I have submitted a paper about my findings to the Arch Mages in an attempt to increase my supplies, as tomorrow is my last possible day of getting supplies from them. I have to hope my research is good enough to get me these desperate supplies.

Silver's Diary Day 27
I have gotten a letter back stating my discovery was big and it has caused me to be promoted and have access to even more supplies then I had access to originally. This is wonderful news! Also, the shipment of Novas will be arriving soon, so I may be able to further my research with the materials I really needed; however, I will still be using many of the materials I found in the forest as they have other useful properties that I have discovered.

An example of this is the Blue Orchid, which I have fallen in love with. Some of the plants have negative properties like the Poisonous Potato that people find in their potato gardens, but, the plants with negative properties can still be used in my research.

The Light Nexus I have has stopped gathering essence, so it seems to be full. I have begun to study it in an attempt to develop a new device for the purpose I need.

Silver's Diary Day 34
Much to my surprise, I have received funds to build a better research lab and house, which I have chosen to be built near the Blue Orchid fields in the forest. I have also finally gotten my hands on some Novas for my research.

I've decided to try to grow some Novas so I have a supply for later. I have noticed the Novas don't seem to smell as nice as the Orchids, so I’ve been keeping them separate from the rest of my materials.

The Light Nexus seems to regather Essence if any of it is removed, which is definitely good to know for further designs I may build based off of this device. Further research will have to be preformed to see if this holds any value in devices that gather essence in other ways than directly from the atmosphere, but I have not discovered any other sources of essence yet, so I currently have to assume it can only be gotten from the atmosphere.

Silver's Diary Day 41
It has been difficult, but I finally understand more about the nature of Essence. It seems to maintain a form similar to how it formed. From this, it can be assumed that the essence in the atmosphere is actually an excess coming from somewhere. Further research will have to be done to figure out where else it can be found, but it does seem to be able to have something to do with life length in living creatures.

Perhaps the amount of it determines how long the average person in the area lives, and how young they look. This is just a theory. If this theory is true, building many Light Nexi may be able to drastically improve life spans; however, this does not help completely prevent aging. It is going in the right direction, though, so it will be useful to further research anyway. If this theory is correct, it may lead to a way to prevent aging or even reverse it. Only time will tell if this is correct.

My new house has been halfway completed, so I’ve begun to move my belongings there. The new house will allow for more room for the research because the house was mainly built underground. The stairway down at the entrance will make it easy to expand, as well, without damaging the environment's plant life, which I have been using for my research.
On another note, it seems the Blue Orchid solution I’ve been using is causing any body hair I had to fall out. It only seems to like hair on top of the head. It makes me curious what effects it would have on others; however, I have no time to test this as I am too busy furthering my research into finding a way to prevent aging. Other effects of the Blue Orchid solution will be noted, due to my partial interest; however, currently, I have no plans on disclosing how to make this solution.

Silver's Diary Day 47
It has been rather uneventful till now, as little progress has been made in understanding the uses of the Essence. It seems it may be plausible to run magic based machinery off of the Essence; however, due to the small storage quantity of the Light Nexus, which concentrates the stuff, I do not know how feasible it would be currently. I will make sure to have a letter delivered to the Arch Mages about this. Perhaps someone else will research more about this. Otherwise, Essence may prove to be entirely useless at the current storage size and gathering speed. I must find another way to obtain Essence. It seems very likely, at this point, that it can be found outside of just the atmosphere. I have decided to try reading about the discovery of Mana to see if I can find any information that may pertain to helping me figure out how to get another source of Essence.

Silver's Diary Day 53
I have managed to get my hands on the books pertaining to the origin of Mana. It was a little difficult because the books are rare and the Mages like to keep any information regarding magic a secret. I will begin reading these books immediately, so I can return them to the Tower, and I will make sure to note down any information that may pertain to my current research, so that it helps me find another way to obtain essence in greater quantities and perhaps find a way to prevent or reverse aging.

Silver's Diary Day 59
I have finally found a lead in the origin of Mana book that pertains to my research. Apparently, after the author discovered Mana, the author found another lead towards the source of Mana by researching objects with a high affinity towards it. I will begin to research objects with high amounts of Essence around it to see if I can find any new discoveries that help further my purpose.

On another note, I have sensed that I am being watched by a powerful Mage or Mages, so I will leave it alone for a little while longer to see if anything happens. Perhaps they have figured out what my true goal is. The Mages can be considered a threat to my research. I do not want any of my secrets to be leaked out and so I will have to deal with this problem if it persists longer than 7 days.

In the meantime, my new lab has been completely finished and I am moving in soon.

Silver's Diary Day 66
I have finally completely moved into my new house and my research has been running smoothly with no interruptions. However, the Mages that I sensed watching me with their sensory spell have noticed I was observing their spell and they relinquished the spell causing it to vanish today. Considering I was observing their spell for 7 days before the spell vanished, I did a good job; however, their reaction is rather disconcerting, as they didn't want me to know that they were there. I am going to try to trace back the traces of their spell to see if I can figure out who it was or at least send them a voice message to intimidate them into showing themselves. After this, I will deal with them appropriately.

Silver's Diary Day 67
Today, the Twin Arch Mage sisters arrived at my door - Sylph and Nymph, the only 18 year old Arch Mages, making them two years older than me. They were carrying some supplies that I really needed for my research. I was excited because these supplies are difficult to obtain for many people. It turns out they were the Mages that were spying on me, and they came to apologize and wanted to know if they could help with what I was actually doing. This was concerning because it meant that someone new what I was trying to accomplish. I told them that I would get back to them because I needed some time to think.

If I do decide to accept, my research will probably go much quicker and it won't be as lonely out here, but I would have to set up the guest rooms for them due to the fact they would be living here now. Perhaps I will accept their help. Their beauty and age reminds me that anyone can be a good Mage. So, it was a definite boost to my confidence.
It reminded me of the past that I ran from. There was some belief in my village that beautiful people cannot be good at magic or anything other than sitting there and looking pretty. My family tried reinforcing that idea, but I was too stubborn.

The materials the twins brought have caused a slight increase in my research speed. Perhaps a new discovery will be right around the corner.

On another note, the Blue Orchid solution seems to have also caused my skin to become smoother and softer as well as begin to remove some flaws. This solution seems too good to be true. I will continue to observe any effects that occur from it.

Silver's Diary Day 71
I accepted their offer. This is going to drastically help improve my research, plus it's reassuring to have two Arch Mages helping me with my research. They brought more supplies along with their belongings when they arrived. I helped them get settled in and showed them around because I wanted to make sure to maintain proper etiquette.

Little else happened today, but the Light Nexus seems to be getting more attention at the Towers. One Tower has even replicated the design. We have also decided on doing an independent approach where we share any discoveries as to maximize research areas. The Essence properties have proven to be able to be located elsewhere. With a little more research, it may be possible to find another source of Essence soon.

 

[gattsuru]

Silver's Diary (part2), by Silverduke1

Spoiler

Silver's Diary Day 75
A major discovery was made today; we have found a new source of Essence. This new source was under our noses this entire time quite literally. We discovered that Essence can be found in objects because matter, when created, absorbs some essence into it. This dictates the length of its life span. Every single piece of an object contains Essence; however, every piece contains a different amount of Essence. This could possibly be harnessed, but a device will have to be built.

In order to assemble the Essence from the material, we have to destroy the material. In order to accomplish this, we need to create a structure out of a material that is high in Essence, yet also capable of withstanding the pressure created during the process of removing the Essence. Stone seems to be the best option right now; however, the design of the material will affect whether or not it will work. Luckily, we have discerned that it will need a different color of magic chalk to work. Sylph and Nymph are testing the properties of Blue chalk, currently, after trying Red chalk. The Red chalk has its own effect, but it does not hold its own effect according to the properties we are researching. We are uncertain about what happens with the Blue chalk at this time. It will require further research.

Silver's Diary Day 76
We have finished testing the Blue chalk and have found it to be the best for our current purposes. Nymph has decided to further research the strange Red chalk. The way the two of them treat me sometimes makes me wonder if they consider me to be like their little sister or something.

I had to go into town to attempt to get some stone materials to work with; however, my timid nature prevented me from getting all the materials I needed. I will have to return tomorrow to obtain the rest.

I have decided to call the device a Nexus due to it being heavily based upon the original Light Nexus; however, the device does not concentrate Essence like the Light Nexus does. The device does not have a glass focus or a structure built to assemble Essence from the atmosphere. We have a basic design based on stone, but we still have to research more of the correct types of stone before we can finish the design plans for it. This could be a little bit difficult, but hopefully, it will not take too long to finish before we can build the Nexus itself.

Silver's Diary Day 79
Today, we have discovered a little more behind the amount of Essence found in different objects. Apparently, it has to do with rarity. Rare objects like diamonds have much more Essence than items like dirt or cobblestone, which are almost everywhere. This is probably due to the higher concentration of matter forming the item itself. Different types of matter have different values or concentrations. At least this is my theory behind it.

After we build a working prototype of the Nexus, we have decided to publish knowledge about it in order to further the amount of materials we can obtain. Sylph and Nymph have told me that the material shortage is over and more research materials should become available, but we have decided to do this just in case another shortage occurs in the future. Sylph and Nymph have gained some interest in The Blue Orchid solution, so I will let them have some of it.

Silver's Diary Day 83
The research has been going smoothly. We have decided on the best choice for the structure but not the focuses. Stone bricks will be the choice we use for the structure, and we have begun to construct the Nexus in its own room. We have also begun gathering junk material and tools, and we have placed them into the room for testing in the future. Our current concern is the focus. Without the focus, we won't be able to finish building the Nexus.

Silver's Diary Day 87
We have finished researching the different types of stones. Unfortunately, we had little in the way of results. The only type of stone that is left for us to try is Chiseled stone; however, it is difficult to get a hold of vast quantities of it. Sylph has placed an order for four of them in an attempt to get our prototype up and running. Nymph has decided to try studying some Chiseled stone in the Tower's structure to make sure it is the type we need. We are fairly certain that it is the type we need, and if it proves to be a failure, we do not know what we should do next. Though the Chiseled stone will still be invaluable because Chiseled stone has many properties we can use, even if it turns out that we cannot use it for the Nexus focuses.

On another note, we have decided to gather vast amounts of stone bricks for building more rooms in the house, which continues to serve as our base of operations. We will also be using these stones to measure Essence. The stones can act like a beaker in order to tell us the density of Essence present. We can then compare materials by using a staple amount of Essence. There is 100 Essence in stone. This number may be subject to future change as refining the amount of essence within an object becomes more complete and time may also effect the amount of essence that is standard for specific materials.

My Novas have seemed to have grown. It was very difficult to grow these Novas, which makes it unlikely that other Novas will grow in the future, but at least now we have a source of novas in case of an event. These Novas should spread naturally. This is very similar to the Blue Orchid in nature, so it makes me wonder if the two species of plants are recently related. I currently do not have time to research this right now, but perhaps I will in the future.

Silver's Diary Day 88
Nymph has found what we were looking for in the Chiseled bricks making them the perfect choice. The order we placed for them will take some time. While we were waiting, we finished constructing the basis of the Nexus. When the order arrives, we will be ready to add the focuses and see the first use of the Nexus.

Silver's Diary Day 90
The bricks have finally arrived today. The moment we got them we finished the construction of the Nexus and began to write down different observations from the device. We have begun to take measurements using stone bricks and have tried comparing the Nexus to the Light Nexus. The Nexus does not gather Essence at all from the environment, so it can only get it from objects thrown into the Nexus. We have discovered that the Nexus will accept almost anything and convert it into Raw Essence. Unfortunately, there does not seem to be a way to retrieve any item thrown into the Nexus, even by accident, which makes it very dangerous to carry valuables near the device at this time. In the future, we may find a way to get items out of Essence, but we have no interest in that right now, so we have decided to include it in our report in case someone else wants to find a way they can. According to our calculations, the device can hold a bit more then 30 times the amount the Light Nexus can. This is good, as it can definitely hold the amount of Essence needed for our purpose.

The forest life seems to be unaffected by the increase in Essence in the area, so it makes me wonder whether or not my previous theory of Essence effecting lifespan and age is true. I have begun to come up with a new theory that may be true. I will begin working on this theory in the future, if so needed.

Sylph has begun to express a disinterest in leaving, which makes me wonder if Sylph and Nymph will be staying when we have finished our research. We have decided to take tomorrow off because of the massive amount of time we have been working. We need to get some rest, have fun and be ourselves.

On another note, perhaps it would be possible to go beyond eternal youth. Maybe it could be possible to obtain eternal life without becoming an Undead being. This is definitely a thought to chew on. More research on this may be done in the future if permitted.

Interestingly, after the Blue Orchid solution finished removing all flaws in my skin no further affects seem to be occurring. Though I am still going to keep my eye out in case this changes, but I doubt that it will. In case I forget, I am writing the recipe down COGMBO. I have decided on wearing a Blue Orchid in my hair to allow myself to have a way to quickly smell my favorite scent. Future research will be done on finding a way to use Essence to prevent any affects of aging to occur to the body.

Tomorrow, we shall still be resting. No matter how much I want to continue to work, I must rest so that I do not have to worry. I cannot continue to keep up this pace, unless I manage to get rest every now and again. My body is going to get sick even though there are ways to help prevent disease from occurring a majority of the time.

Silver's Diary Day 97
Today something amazing happened. It seems my research has caused me to earn another promotion. This, however, will be my last promotion because the Arch Mages have decided to make me an Arch Mage. My training and research has finally paid off. This promotion will also cause the research to be considered an Arch Mage project, which will further increase the amount of materials we are able to obtain, as well as give us access to books that I couldn't obtain before. This shall drastically improve how quickly our research can develop; however, it is important to note that slumps may still exist, which may eat up some of the time we can use for researching.

The Essence production using the new Nexus seems to be going well, and we have barely filled up a third of it, so the amount of Raw Essence it can hold is much better than what the Light Nexus could hold. It seems that, according to our calculations, it holds a little more then 30 times the Light Nexus. We were spot on.

Silver's Diary Day 100
Unfortunately, we have discovered that the Essence being obtained from objects is not the best for our purpose. In fact, our research shows that it may be nearly impossible to use the Essence from the Nexus. On the other hand, it also shows that there should be a way to find a form of Essence that can be used for our purpose. To obtain this knowledge we have decided to try and trap a Skeleton, Zombie, or Spider since they are relatively easy to find at night. To prevent injuries to ourselves after we trap one, we are going to tie them down so they won't be able to move while we conduct our tests to see if animals/animated beings have Essence. If this turns out to be true, it will be great news. This is due to my new theory that Essence is similar to life energy and that the more Essence a being has, the longer they live. I also think that if you can add more Essence to a being, you should be able to extend the being's life.

Silver's Diary Day 105
Today, I have exciting news to report. We have managed to catch a skeleton and disarm it! Our research of the skeleton has determined that the living /undead have Essence inside. This is the best news we have gotten yet. If we can find a way to harness Essence from creatures, there should be a way to reverse the process and place the Essence into a creature. This would theoretically accomplish our goal. Further research will be required to figure out if it will be possible to take Essence from living creatures.

Silver's Diary Day 107
Today, I made plans for a new type of Nexus. I plan on calling it the Dark Nexus due to the dark nature of the experiment. During the experiment, we will be attempting to take Essence directly from the skeleton we caught earlier. The new device will have to have an affinity to the darker arts. It will also need to be made of stronger materials than the Nexus, so that we can build a structure strong enough to perform the process. The device needs to be strong enough to withstand the amount of pressure that may occur during the process. The Red Chalk that we researched earlier seems to be the type of chalk we need for the Dark Nexus. I am grateful that we have been recording our research.

Silver's Diary Day 110
We have found a good material from which to make the focus. The focus is going to be made out of obsidian. It seems obsidian holds a good quantity of Essence and is sturdy enough to handle the dark energies that will be flowing through it during the tests and actual use of the Dark Nexus. It also seems that obsidian has a dark property that will be beneficial to the process of concentration and extraction of Essence from living life forms.

We have found that it is now necessary to expand, and so we have added a couple of new rooms to the house. One of these rooms is the room where we plan to construct the Dark Nexus. As this is the case, we have already begun moving the materials we are going to need to construct the final device. This device may end up being the strongest Nexi yet. We have also moved all the obsidian we currently have into the room (though we may need some more). Honestly, I feel kind of sorry for the skeleton, but it is just one of the many animated undead that try to kill people.

The other room is a portal room. This room is where Sylph is building a portal to another realm. It is here where she plans on building an even bigger base so that cultivation and research can take place in case of an emergency or if we need more room. Hopefully, we will not have to use the portal, but in case we do, it can be destroyed from the other side so that it will be closed on this side. This can prevent anyone from following us and it can also prevent natural disasters that occur causing damage to the base not to spread into the new realm. Sylph has also decided to keep the most recent copy of any research, diaries, journals, and blueprints of our Nexi in the realm for safe keeping. I do have to admit she is being very thorough. Perhaps I will move my valuable possessions into the realm in case of any disasters that befall us. This way, anything precious to me will be with me already. If I ever need to see my precious possessions, I will be able to just pop into the other room. It is good to always be prepared for the worst even though it may not occur.

Silver's Diary Day 117
We have decided to look in the Nether Realm for material from which to build the Dark Nexus. The journey itself will probably be very long and dangerous due to the Nether Realm's dark and fiery nature. It will also be dangerous because of the massive amounts of lava. This lava obstructs most progress in the realm. While we are there, we will make sure to gather anything we think can be of use or value to us as well. This may prove useful in finding a way to reverse the process that the Dark Nexus will use to take Essence from beings and put it inside of us. I was thinking that after we find a way to put Essence from the Dark Nexus into our bodies, it may be easier to find a way to convert the Essence found in the Nexus into our bodies as well. In other words, I am trying to reverse the process of the regular Nexus after we figure out how to reverse the process of the Dark Nexus. The goal is to be able to extend our life spans and reverse aging. Though this all depends on how successful our trip to the Nether will be. We shall head out after we finish gathering supplies. We estimate we will be entering the Nether 2 days from now.

Silver's Diary Day 119
Today we have entered the Nether. My first impression of it is that it is very red. The undead men that looked like pigs (I think these are Zombie Pigmen) seemed to be wandering the area. They seem to be passive; however, books mention that attacking them, even by accident, will cause all Pigmen to attack you for quite a bit (very similar to wolf packs in the wild). They all seemed to be holding swords made of gold. Perhaps there is an abundance of gold in the Nether somewhere, or they obtain it somewhere else, but I think this has been noted somewhere else before. I have heard there are many dangerous creatures in the Nether, like the Hecate. I hope we do not encounter a Hecate.

On another note, the nearby environment is largely made up of a material called Netherrack. In fact, the lighting for the realm is very strange. It is lit by a material known as Glowstone. We have gathered some Netherrack and Glowstone so we can research it and use it it in the future.

Silver's Diary Day 120
A Ghast attacked today. Man was it worse than I thought it would be. The thing would not stop blowing up the ground around us while trying to hit us making it difficult to navigate the environment. The Soulsand on the ground didn’t help, as it was very difficult to move quickly through it. Another unfortunate event that occurred was a Hecate being spotted. Luckily, we don't think it spotted us, but it may try to get us during a time we are less on guard. It doesn't help that they can turn invisible.

Silver's Diary Day 121
We were ambushed by a group of Hecate. It was quite literally hell trying to get out of the situation that was presented at the time. It took us quite a bit before they were all dispatched. After the ambush, we saw some materials. We weren't quite sure what they were because they were so far away, but they looked different than Netherrack. Perhaps it was a concentration of minerals or more Soulsand. Though, it could be something else entirely. It would be to difficult to cross the lava to try and find out what it was, so we continued on our path and came across a sort of building or fortress (maybe this is a fabled Nether Fortress). We plan on exploring it tomorrow after we get inside the structure.

Silver's Diary Day 122
Today, we entered the fortress. The material it was made out of was exactly what we were looking for. Netherbricks are perfect in strength, affinity to darkness and essence quantity as well as being able to pass a few other tests we ran (which won't be included in this entry). This material will be taken back with us to our base.

There were a few dangerous creatures that have made the fortress their home. Blazes are very dangerous but don't pose a major threat if you can kill them before they spot you. They also drop an object called blaze rods, which we will be investigating for further uses. Another dangerous creature that was much worse than a blaze that we found called Wither Skeletons. They seem to occasionally lose their heads and drop a few bones or some charcoal if you kill them carefully. The heads will be studied to see if they have any uses for our future research. Otherwise, it is simply a trophy that could be placed on the wall or something. We decided to begin the trek home from the Nether with the vast quantities of materials we found, which include a strange plant that grows on Soulsand called Netherwart. We will grow some more of it at home.

Silver's Dairy Day 126
We have returned home from the Nether today. I am very glad to see water and forest life after being in the Nether for a week or two. All three of us have been sorting the different materials and supplies we had obtained from our exploration. We well also be getting some rest before we begin the construction of the Dark Nexus.

The plant life I was tending to, as well as the skeleton we were testing on are doing just fine. Despite the fact that we were gone for so long and unable to tend to them. This is good news, as we will be able to continue without any interruptions. I have decided to move as much of our plant life to the new realm as possible. The plant life will be much safer there. I also have begun the cultivation of Netherwart. It could become useful to the final processes of our research as well as any other research we decide to work on.

Silver's Dairy Day 131
Nymph and Sylph came up to me today. I found out that after the research finishes they would like to stay with me. I was overjoyed as I really had begun to consider them like a family more than I did my own family. I told them they never have to leave no matter what as they were always welcome to be with me.

Another good thing that happened today was that we finished building the Dark Nexus. It seems to be running properly already, and we are prepared to conduct our first test tomorrow afternoon. The device itself seems extremely stable and this helped with our calculations to determine how much Essence it can hold. We estimate it will be able to hold about the same amount of Essence the Nexus can hold.

Silver's Diary Day 133
Our tests to convert creatures into Essence have been successful. This is good news for us, as it means there probably is a way to reverse it, so we can send essence into living beings. So far my theory seems stable. The Dark Nexus, however, will not accept every creature to be converted into essence for some reason. My guess is that the creatures are the beings that can accept the Essence from the Nexi due to the fact it has no other reason to refuse to take the Essence. It would be easily understood if it was just sentient life or humans that couldn't be accepted; however, other powerful creatures can't be converted to essence either. This is my theory for now. Perhaps there is an underlying concept I am missing, or perhaps the creatures are sentient and we do not realize it. It is undetermined whether or not this could be beneficial, depending on whether or not it has any relevance to whether we can send Essence into these beings. Further testing will be performed on creatures that can be converted into Essence, so we can gather more information that pertains to our research.

Silver's Diary Day 138
We presented our creation of the Dark Nexus to the other Arch Mages at the Tower today. Many of the other Mages found it very interesting that we can convert many creatures including the monsters that plague the land into Essence. We made sure to explain that this could have further use if a machine could run off of Essence, as it would give us a way to beneficially use the monsters that try to kill many different people. The Arch Mage community has begun to become very busy with this information trying to sort, verify and research the information.

On another note, we have begun to construct all 3 Nexi in the new realm so we have a secondary set there. This will allow us to continue research quickly in case one of the main 3 we have been using gets damaged or breaks. We have also made sure to transfer most of our materials into the realm in order to build more Nexi. That way, we can quickly have access to them in case the ones in the realm break too. However, we doubt that the Nexi will break or be damaged anytime soon, as they are very sturdy, and we are being extremely careful not to damage them while we research Essence.

Sylph and Nymph have also moved any precious possessions of theirs to the Realm as well, for safety. They thought that it was a good idea as well.

Silver's Diary Day 140
Although we have not made much progress in reversing the flow of Essence, our research has been going along smoothly. We have begun to compose a list of known creatures that will be converted to Essence and those who won't. I do not know if this will really be of any use later in our research, but it is useful to know, so we can refill the Dark Nexus easily.

Silver's Diary Day 143
I woke up this morning feeling a heavy miasma coming from the town. It seems as though much negative energy is flowing from the village. All of the villagers must be very upset in order to effect the Mana badly enough that a small black fog was created around the Blue Orchids outside. I wonder why they are so upset. Also, it seems a cold and heavy storm is approaching from the north.

Silver's Diary Day 145
It seems the storm is going to arrive tomorrow. I am a little worried about the plants outside as the temperatures in the clouds are very cold signifying that it will probably snow or hail. All three of us would much rather prefer a life giving thunderstorm than this, but none of us know how to increase the temperature properly to cause it to be warmer.
On another note, Sylph has made me a beautiful gown to wear, during her free time. I am very excited to wear it with the gift Nymph has given me (a Blue Orchid that won't wither so I can smell it no matter the time of year). I want to give them something as a thanks, but I have no idea what they would like to receive.

Silver's Diary Day 146
When I woke up, it was hailing, but I put on my gifts anyway. After breakfast time, we received a knock on the door. A small group of Arch Mages, each in their casual clothes instead of their robes, were at the door. Most of them looked heavily exhausted as though they ran here instead of teleporting. The told us we had to get out of town as quickly as possible, as the villagers were going to come to the house to destroy the base, as well as try to kill us in 2 days. They explained that two of them were relaxing at a cafe in town the other day when they began to discuss the Dark Nexus and how it works. Some of the villagers over heard this, apparently, and were extremely concerned, and soon a rumor had developed that we were going to summon a monster called the Dark Nexus to eat all their livestock to gather energy as well as destroy their houses in the process. The villagers had decided to prepare to attack us as soon as they thought they were ready, and they didn't care what happened in the process. They would attack first and ask questions later. The Arch Mages offered to help us gather our stuff and leave. Nymph told them that they didn't need to, as we could get out of town by the end of the day with everything we needed and that was precious to us.

Luckily, we were prepared for a disaster and had built that emergency portal room. However, I never really wanted to have to use it in an Emergency, but I guess things just didn't play out that way. Most of my stuff is already over on the other side of the portal, and Sylph and Nymph have everything over there already, so they told me to take a break to get some rest. I, in turn, decided to write my final entry in this diary before I crossed through the portal and Sylph and Nymph destroy it, trapping us on the other side, where time travels much slower than it does here (it is something like a day here is an hour there). Our base is nearly completely devoid of plant life and sound except for the frantic steps of Sylph pacing while she tries to remember where she put the key to the storage rooms on the other side.

I have decided to leave this diary in this world with the Arch Mages in their Tower, as we won't be able to see them again. It is fine to tell them everything that actually happened and what I was truly researching. When I finish writing, I will teleport the diary to the Tower and walk through the portal not to return for quite a while (if ever). This is goodbye to anyone who happens to be reading my diary.
Sincerely Silver.

Going to give the forums a pause.

 

[natnif36]

Wow.
Didn't realise the books were actually good.

That was pretty spectacular.

 

[PeggleFrank]

Thanks, that makes it much easier. Although it makes it nearly impossible to find the errors and fix them. Hopefully the other books aren't as bad in terms of errors.

The Ender Chronicles (part one):

Spoiler

Research Log - ENTRY 1
"Catalog of passive animals"
The listing of passive animals are as follows: chickens, sheep, pigs, and cows.
They all share similar basic habits, which include walking around in the area in which they first reside, and staring dumbly at passerby. Each have their own benefits which can be reaped by man, and each also have their own unique traits and habits, listed in the following area.
I. Chickens.
Chickens consist of one block in both height and width. Their mannerisms include wandering into places they don't belong, hiding under trees, and jumping off of high cliffs. In this last habit, one special trait of theirs can be found. Whenever a chicken enters a state where it should fall to its doom, it furiously flaps its wings to slow its descent. They seem capable of doing this for as long as required until they reach stable ground once more. They are capable of being bred by man through feeding them seeds, and provide for us through their death raw chicken, which can be cooked, as well as feathers which can be used in various crafting projects.
II. Sheep.
Sheep are one half blocks tall, and can exist in a one block wide space. Sheep seem to have a particular liking of showing off their colors, and seem inclined to stay in groups with those of similar coloration. While there may be intermixing, it is not common. The most common varieties of sheep are white, gray, and black, though brown are seen occasionally. There are also records of rare pink sheep, which have brought great luck to the one laying eyes on them shortly afterwards. When sheep are feeling cold, they consume grass on the ground to help accelerate the growth of their woolen coats. They can be bred through being fed wheat, and are kept commonly for the use of being sheared for their wool. Sheep can be dyed various colors before shearing to get large amounts of colored wool.
III. Pigs.
Pigs are one block tall, and one block wide. Wild pigs evade death by running away from their pursuers under trees and the like. Before chickens and cows were able to grow enough meat on their bones for consumption, pigs were used as common farm animals to process their fat for consumption. While they certainly enjoy spending their time in mud, my research has shown that they like spending equal amounts of time near sandy beaches. Pigs, like sheep, can be bred through the consumption of wheat, and give various amounts of pork when killed.
IV. Cows.
Cows are about two blocks tall, nearing the height of humans. They can exist in the width of one block, but certainly like much more room to roam. They and their distant cousins, Mooshrooms, are capable of being milked for their respective juices, milk or mushroom stew. Cows enjoy running free in the wild, and have been known to turn a lazy eye toward the player before running off a cliff. Bred through the common means of wheat, cows are kept more often than pigs for their ability to both provide food and leather upon death, making them more worth the effort of raising.
Research Log - ENTRY 2
"Catalog of hostile creatures"
Unlike their daytime counterparts, the mobs of the night are ferocious, and will attack on sight. In all their various types, there are Spiders, Zombies, Skeletons, notorious Creepers, and the mysterious Endermen. They all have their various means of killing humans, and employ them with deadly force. Listed in the following passages are some details, and means of dispatching the beasts with efficiency.
I. Spiders.
Spiders are the creepy crawlies of the night, and are unlike their cousins that you may find in the corners of your house; these bad boys are giant spiders, two blocks wide and one block tall, able to crawl through crevices and climb over walls in an attempt to get to their prey. Spiders are resourceful, but relatively weak; a standard sword is able to dispatch them with ease.
II. Zombies.
Zombies are undead humans, raised from the dead by unknown means, hungry and craving the flesh of the living. They will give chase and attack with their fists, or whatever weapon they have managed to find lying on the ground at a melee range. Good methods of dealing with them are to employ the use of armor, and to not be afraid of looking a coward and backing up a bit when dealing with them with your sword, as they can hit hard. If all else fails, outwait them until the morning, when their flesh burns in the too-hot sun.
III. Skeletons.
Skeletons are the ranged versions of their undead counterparts, employing bows and arrows to pick off humans at a range. Unlike their stupid younger brothers, skeletons are wary of the light of day, and will hide under overhangs or the shade of trees to protect themselves from the burning rays. To combat them, meet range with range. Shoot them before they can shoot you, and you'll be in a far better place.
IV. Creepers.
Creepers are volatile creatures with explosive techniques of dealing with humans. They seem to have no regard for their own lives, and will attempt to blow themselves up on their enemy to cause mass amounts of damage. They are silent until they are about to explode, when they emit a loud hissing sound. At this point, one has about three seconds to run before detonation. The best way to take these abominations out is at range with a bow.
V. Endermen.
Endermen are strange creatures. They look unlike the many other monsters that roam the land. Endermen are three blocks tall and one block wide. This makes them the tallest of all mobs around. They also have strange powers unlike any other creature. They are able to transport their physical bodies from one place to another, seemingly through sheer will. I find it curious that we, as mages, have not yet found a way to produce a similar result. While not much is known about them, their portable capabilities would lead me to believe that they are able to dodge arrows quite well; therefore, a sword and lots of armor (as they are hard hitters) would likely be the best approach.
Research Log - ENTRY 3
"Firsthand Research in the field of Endermen Understanding"
Today marks the start of my new research study. The topic of this study is Endermen; I realized after my cataloging of creatures that we, as people, do not really understand that much about Endermen as a species. Therefore, I have taken it upon myself to do such research in the hopes of making new developments. Some of the areas I hope to focus my research on are their strengths and their weaknesses, their habits, and their powers. When I say powers here, I am referencing their power that no other thing in this world has; the ability to transport their physical body from one location to another. This I find specifically as a matter that needs much attention. I believe that by researching the abilities that Endermen seem to have as a natural part of their anatomy, we can learn to apply this to our ways of magic; not only through transportation, but also so that we can better manage our use of mana, and even increase our venerability, as they are obviously much stronger than we are, as a species. I shall start my research tonight after the sun has set in hopes of finding new information.
[Report 1]
I am writing on the scene as I see this phenomenon. It seems that one of the habits of Endermen is to pick up blocks out of the landscape. Why this is, who could say? However, while watching them, it seems that they hang onto the block for awhile, then in one of their teleportations they lose the block they are holding. My theory is that they are storing this block somewhere after forming an emotional attachment to it. I've also found one other thing so far. Earlier this night, I looked directly at one of the creatures in my hopes to study it, and it immediately turned to face me, and stared straight back! I must say I was rightly terrified, and we sat there for a number of minutes before I finally ran away.
[Report 2]
It is currently early morning, about three hours past sunrise. My findings today include various weaknesses of the Endermen. While I was following one, it managed to slip, and fall into a pool of water, at which point it made a horrible screech of pain, and teleported away! It seems that water causes them physical pain, and later on in the night I had this confirmed, as it started to rain. I was watching a pack of three of them as the droplets started falling, and all of their group started screeching and teleported off. I was near a desert at the time, and found that they, among others, were all teleporting there to be safe from the rain! I continued watching them mill about until morning, and found that they do not burn. They just stayed in the desert. Quite curious!
[Report 3]
Tonight I come back with amazing notes! My curiosity got the best of me in terms of how they fight, so I initiated one in combat. I thought to start by shooting an arrow at one with its back to me; however, it teleported as the arrow was about to hit it! This leads me to believe that they have a sort of sixth sense that allows them to tell when an arrow is coming, and teleport out of the way. After this, it was quite angry at me. During our fight, it would teleport to a random area around me, and charge, hitting me until I hit back, at which point it would once again teleport away. I appear to have a wound that I did not notice before; it seems I was too eager to write down my findings! I'd best treat that.
Research Journal - ENTRY 4
"Excerpts from a Firsthand Account"
In my attempt to find more research on Endermen, I traveled to the Great Library of a city a day's travel from my home. There I spent many hours cross referencing different books involving monsters, until I at last found an old tome; a journal, dating back a few hundred years. It was the personal daily journal of a man named Lionel, and near the end of the journal, there are mentions of Endermen. However, these are not exactly what one would expect, a retelling of one's mishap with an Endermen, or any such thing including common knowledge; instead, it seems that until this point in the journal, Endermen did not exist in this world at all! There are various entries from which I can take notable reference from. The first such entry is as follows: "I was out late this night, coming back from the mine. I knew how to avoid the zombies and others, but I happened across this fellow standing in the middle of the road. He was thin, and oh, so tall! He had his back to me, and when I paused to talk to him, he turned, and his eyes were glowing purple! I ran as fast as I could home, and knew I had to write of it". Obviously he had no idea what it was. However, another entry from a few days later says: "I saw more of them, just like the man from the other night. They were all standing in a group, and they all looked exactly the same. I've come to realize that they, of course, are not people. I think they are some new sort of monster". A new sort of monster? This could only mean that some time a few hundred years ago, Endermen started coming to this world through unknown means. They are not indigenous to this world; no, in fact, they are very much foreign! One more passage that is written in the journal is nagging at me. In it, it says "The creatures, they started moving around through the air, but they weren't flying. They didn't do this before. One second it was one place, and when I blinked, it was another place entirely!" This is dated about a month after his first time seeing an Endermen. The fact that he hadn't seen one teleport before then suggests that they weren't able to. My theory behind why this is the case, is that they were too strained from transporting themselves here, or were drained of their power from their travels, and had to wait to recharge. In any case, this journal has given me new hope for my research.
Research Log - ENTRY 5
"Theorizing in terms of Ender Teleportation"
One passage from the tome I found in the library has stuck in my head. "The creatures, they started moving around through the air, but they weren't flying. They didn't do this before. One second it was one place, and when I blinked, it was another place entirely!" Why would their teleportation be inhibited? I touched in my last journal on the theory that the distance they had teleported had been extremely far, and they were drained of their energy, and therefore incapable of teleporting. However, another question arose in my head: why are they able to teleport at all? I can only imagine that it has something to do with their physiology. If it was that they used some sort of catalyst for their mana, whether it be an item or even a power such as our mana, then it would seem to me that they would have run out of it by now; and if they had the items to teleport, why would they have stopped right when they came here?Their teleportation in and of itself seems extremely like a magical ability. I mean, it does not seem to me like something that a regular creature would have etched into its anatomical structure. So, if it is so magical, why is it that no mage has ever come up with a way to do such a thing? I think it's ridiculous. We are masters of the elements, can lob balls of fire and grow trees with a mere flick of the wrist. So, why is it we haven't thought of a way to teleport ourselves? It could be highly beneficial in terms of everyday use, as well as general transportation. Imagine a world where we could walk into some sort of building, choose a location, walk into a room, and walk out at our destination. It's nearly unfathomable it is so filled with fantasy; and yet, I feel as if we, as mages, should be capable of performing such a task. True, it make take a lot of research; however, if it takes myself to be the leader in this field of study, then so be it! I shall lead this revolution if I must. It's time we take use of the powers in this land that we are forced to coexist with.

 

[PeggleFrank]

The Ender Chronicles (part two):

Spoiler

Research Log - ENTRY 6
"Practical Applications of Teleportation through Mana"
In my last journal, I mentioned how severely I believe we need to take part in the ability of Endermen to teleport. Because of this, I have started to research and construct a spell of instant transportation. It is still early on in my research, and I feel as if I am progressing steadily; though, I have hit a bump. I hope that by writing this down, I may be able to sort out my thoughts, and work past it. My problem is, the only way I can think of achieving the effects of a teleportation spell is by, of course, moving a body from one place to another, instantaneously. However, as it stands, this is rather impossible, as getting my mass to move at the speed required is impossible; without, of course, snapping me in half. And, frankly, I'd prefer to avoid that if at all possible. In attempts to continue my research, I have entered into more combat with Endermen. I find that occasionally, one will have an object it drops as it perishes. I apologize if my attempts to illustrate this with words is sub-par. It is a round object, the size being that of one and a half times the length of my hand through its center. It is extremely glossy and smooth, and is not cold, but instead slightly warm. I was only able to feel it outside in the cold, and now that I have come back inside, it feels room temperature. Its coloration is similar to that of water in a lake that does not flow, at about ten feet under; it is murky, a sort of aqua-green. While I cannot see through it, it is not because it is cloudy; instead, it gets too dense the further into it you look. It is like this entirely throughout. I have collected three such gems, and they are all the same relative size, and are of the same description. I am going to perform some studies on it to see if I cannot find anything out about its properties.I have just made an amazing discovery! I intended to include my findings in my next entry, but this is too relevant to leave out. I could not find much from my studies; they were too hard to crack, these gems, and eventually I got frustrated. In my frustration, I took one outside, and threw it away from me as hard as I could. It was rather satisfactory – until I was teleported to where it had landed. I know, it sounds extremely crazy. However, when it hit the ground, it shattered into particles of green light, which also appeared around me and flew into me. This all happened in an instant, mind you. As the particles flew into me, I felt myself become compressed, until I felt I could no more be compressed, when I surged through the air to the point of impact, and expanded once again – all of this in no more than a split second! I cannot express how important this is to my research. This must be the key to teleportation, and solves the roadblock I had reached! I must continue my studies immediately.
Research Log - ENTRY 7
"Success in the Field of Instant Teleportation"
I am bursting with excitement! I have finished the spell. Imagine, me, able to create such a remarkable achievement! I completed the spell, and now it's in its working stages. It took me a fair amount of time, and it did not come without its challenges, but it works! When I finally felt I had finished the spell, I took it outside my house, looked into the distance, and casted it; then boom, I had been transported! It was, albeit, a short distance... and it had used most of my mana.... However, it is still in its experimental stages, and these rough edges can be buffed out.As it turns out, the key to teleportation is in fact lying within what I had experienced in my Ender jump. First, you must compress the caster's mass (a simple principle in and of itself), then quickly move that compressed mass through the air to the end point, and re-expand the mass. In this short experiment, I used about seven hundred mana, and traveled about four blocks. Obviously this will need to be worked on, but I cannot believe it worked so well! I am quite the genius! Once I lower the mana cost of the spell, more proper testing can be done. I can barely contain my excitement!
Research Log - ENTRY 8
"An in-depth Case Study of Instant Teleportation"
I have progressed in my studies of the instant transportation spell, and have, through many tests, been able to discover a multitude of new things about it, including mana costs, some rough distance restrictions, and some overall limitations. As well, I have given some thought to the name of the spell; the "Instant Transportation" spell doesn't seem like it would stick with the kids that well. For this reason, I have taken inspiration from the journal of the man Lionel, who had in one passage said "One second it was one place, and when I blinked, it was another place entirely!" I think that "Blink" has a very nice ring to it. It's short, catchy, and its implications are entirely justified in the right light.Now, onto the research. I have found that when I rewrote the scripts to lower the overall cost of mana, I locked a minimum distance into place. It seems I can Blink no less than five blocks. At this range, it costs about eight mana per block traveled. When I double this, at about ten blocks, the mana cost spikes an amazing amount; it costs about sixteen mana per block traveled in this middling range. At its current maximum range, about twenty five blocks, it has once again reduced its cost, instead only costing about eight mana per block traveled, which is what its original cost was. I find this quite curious, and am not sure yet as to why this is.As for limitations to my Blink spell, there are some to be expected; one such is that you cannot move through objects. Of course this would be the case, as the way my spell works, you get smaller, and move directly to your end location, no detours on the way there. A positive thing about it, though, is that it seems to have no limitations by water. This has risen some questions in me, though. If I have achieved what Endermen can do, and teleport my physical body different places, then why are they effected by water, while my spell is not? And, another thing; they are able to teleport THROUGH blocks, which is something my spell cannot achieve. Now, why could that possibly be the case? The only reason I can think of is that my teleportation does not work in exactly the same way as theirs. They must have some sort of special trait about them that I am not yet able to capture in my spell.And, one more thing. My spell requires mana – a fair amount, at that. In all my studies of them, I have not been able to find any evidence of them using mana, and when I use the "Sense Energy" spell on their gems, they emit nothing. Though, I suppose they're not gems, exactly, are they? More like orbs... or pearls.... But anyway, I think that they must, in fact, have some sort of energy that they use, and my theory is that they are being fed energy through their orbs, and that the orbs "die" along with their owner when their owner's life is severed. If I find a way to bring them back to life, perhaps I could learn more. My agenda for the next few days is to look into that, as well as working on Blink so as to perhaps get it to farther.
Research Log - ENTRY 9
"Experiments with Damned Practices"
I am quite frustrated at this current turn of events. I have been attempting to rewrite portions of the Blink spell so as to get it to allow me to travel farther distances, but no matter what I try, no matter what combination of words I inscribe, nothing changes! I can never go more than twenty five blocks. I do not understand this limitation that my spell has. It just makes no sense! Endermen are able to go so many more, and if my research is right, then they had to travel an extremely large distance to travel from their natural plane to ours. So why is it that I cannot progress? I obviously haven't figured out their secrets that they use in their teleportation. In light of this, I have done some rather dubious things to further my studies. Some might frown upon what I have done, but mankind must continue on in its pursuit for knowledge. That is just the way we are, and is what makes us strong – and may one day may be our undoing.Now, what I have done... I tried various ways to imbue Ender orbs with life once more, but nothing I've done has worked. I have tried imbuing an orb with life essence, to no avail, as well as having tried healing it with regenerate other, which met with the same lacking results. I have also tried things such as enchanting them, and playing music to them. I even tried such folk recipes as mixing it together in a pail of water with rich soil, tufts of flight, and golden apples, all for naught! Thus, I have been driven to do what other, less motivated scholars might brand me as a lunatic for. I went to the forsaken land of burning flames, and I sought out an audience with no one less than the Devil, for if I could not find a way to bring life to it through the means given to me by God, then perhaps Lucifer would have something in his arsenal for me. I traveled far into the deep reaches of this Hell until I found Satan's castle, a giant sprawling labyrinth of purplish-red bricks. Deep in its recesses, I finally found what I needed; an altar atop a plinth made of overlapping grates upon which I prayed to the Accursed one, and begged for what could bring life to the orbs of Ender. Shortly after I had yelled my plead, a creature emerged from the altar, a creature of swirling rods of flame, its enter body a scorching mass of Hellfire. At first I thought that Satan was mad with me, and had sent this beast to slay me; however, when I emerged victorious, I knew it was but a test, for the creature, upon its death, dropped one of its blazing rods of fire, which I righteously took back to the surface. Upon grinding it down into a find powder, I sprinkled it over one of the Ender orbs; and, it began to glow. From the deepest reaches in the orb, a new green light began to glow, and soon the entire orb was filled with this shining brilliance. Centered in the middle of this glowing radiance, an elongated pupil sat watching me. I had achieved bringing it back to life, and with it, I believe that I will be able to harness for myself the true power of the Endermen, and soon, all their secrets will be privy to my own discretion! I believe this is key to long distance travel. In a long previous journal, I mentioned that I envisioned a world in which there were public stations for long distance teleportation. While public stations may be a whiles away, I believe that I may be able to make a station for myself to teleport across long distances. This is now number one on my agenda, and once I create a receptacle for the revived orb to sit inside, I will be just one step closer to my final goal.
Research Log - ENTRY 10
"Receptacles of Limitless Trans-positional Exploits"
As of today, I have created a receptacle for holding the revived orb. I have crafted it from slabs of stone brick that I bought from the stone quarry in the town near where I reside, and have lined these slabs with dust begotten from Vinteum ore. Once I had constructed an appropriate residence for the revived orb, I placed it in the receptacle, which I put at the head of a gateway I made from other stone bricks. When I attempted to teleport using it, however, nothing happened. Well, nearly nothing – my clothes were stripped from my body, and I felt them pull themselves away from me in all different directions. I was able to deduce two important things from this. It is not yet powerful enough for what I intend – it is only currently capable of transporting objects, which I tested later by activating it while it had an apple in it, which was a complete success. The second thing is that the direction the object travels in is completely randomized. This obviously needs to be fixed.I also have an additional note. The objects, when teleported, were not stopped by physical objects in their way. This means that it was, in fact, the energy given off from the life essence of Endermen that allows them to have their full power. I still, personally, have no idea what it is about their life essence that gives their power its full potential. Regardless, it works, and now the only thing left on my plate is to figure out how to focus it on a certain direction and distance, and tweak it to be powerful enough to transport a human body, mine of course. Despite all of the difficulties I have faced in this project, I can feel it drawing to a close. I feel apprehension, true, but over that, I feel an immense swell of pride. I have achieved what other foolish cowards would never dare, and even after I am long dead, people will continue to benefit from my research. Let it be known that I was one of those few individuals who choose to act against God in order to further what is in our best interests. This is my legacy, and I shall be remembered for it forever!
Research Log - ENTRY 11
"Revision of Receptacles, and the Success Therein"
Once again I am reigned upon by the fruits of my own genius! I have accomplished all of my past goals for this project; I have gotten it to teleport myself, and I have managed to create a rough way of controlling the distance and direction in which I travel. In order to allow the device to teleport a human body, I needed to add to it two pure essence, which did not come cheap. It cost me most of my possessions, which I had to sell. Regardless of that, it was worth it to see the success of this project. Nay, this is no longer a mere project; this is my child, the fruit of my genius and all my efforts and motivation! In order to teleport in a specific direction, I created a rough spoked wheel, in which I socket various runes which control elevation, cardinal direction, and distance. By doing this, I am able to program where I wish to appear out in the world.Now, I have found one new thing when I teleport through usage of the device. What I felt when I teleported in the past was a sense of immediate compression, followed by my entire self being thrust forward at breakneck speeds, then I explode outward in my expansion. The whole process felt very rough, and gritty. However, when I used the receptacle to teleport... the same procedure happened, but... throughout the process, I felt light. Airy. As if I was weightless, and was gliding instead of being jerked around. The compression and expansion were smooth, and felt just perfect. This certainly must be how Endermen teleport, and I feel sorry for all the fools who have deprived themselves of such joy for so long. While my project is complete, however, I have one ulterior motive which has not yet been fulfilled. I have discovered so much about Endermen through my studies, and yet, I still have not found an answer to the one question that has been with me since I started my studies: where did they come from? I can't feel that my quest is complete until I have found this final answer.
Research Log - ENTRY 12
"A Quick Farewell"
I have found it! I have found what I have been searching for these past few weeks since I started the creation of the receptacle. The gliding feeling I get when I travel through it is derived from me transporting my body to another plane of existence, one that is highly trafficked by Endermen. Now, our world exists in a stationary plane, while the planes that Endermen travel through are fluid, and shifting. Our plane is linked to others through this shifting vortex. Most of them are inconsequential, though I have found something extremely important. While teleporting with the receptacle while holding a revived orb in my hand, I flew to the correct destination; however, the orb flew in a completely different direction altogether. I have been able to trace its trajectory through a linking plane, and found that that plane leads directly to a stationary plane that is absolutely pulsing with Ender energy! This HAS to be the home world of Endermen! I have finally found that which I have been looking for after all this time! I have gathered various supplies, some food, weapons, and research tools. I am also taking a new journal with me to record what I see while I am there. I now understand, however, why Endermen did not teleport soon after coming to this world. Each time I use the receptacle, it uses up more and more of the energy of the revived orb I have placed in it. I have estimated that this last trip will, in fact, shatter the orb. I must go, though, regardless of the fact that this is a one way portal. I have absolute confidence that once I see the source of the Ender power with my own eyes, I will be able to harness it and travel across all the planes at my own shifting whims! I can hardly wait to return and rub it in the faces of the coward mages of this world!
Until I return.
-Ashris

 

[buggirlexpres]

What order do you suppose these books go in?

 

[PeggleFrank]

There's no order as far as I can tell, however the lost journal fragments may lead into the creation of the mirrors (it's not a very clear indication of whether it does or not, but there are some hints of a relationship between the two). In-game it's the lost journal fragments, creation of the mirrors, the ender chronicles, silver's diary, and then diary of an arcane researcher EDIT: And then suspicion and paranoia, I know that this one is the last one. Arcane researcher may be before the ender chronicles.(from what I can remember).

 

[gattsuru]

Suspicion and Paranoia (part 1), by hideyholeman

Spoiler

I can recall a day when the sun's warmth would radiate down from the heavens and rest against my skin, bathing me in its glow, its abundance of energy. The lightness of having silk and cotton clothing adorned with awe inspiring talismans carved by my own sweat and blood out of a lust for knowledge and a creative, artistic drive. I felt free from all restraints set upon mere mortals. Gravity, time, the very essence of creation could be warped by my hands at the most delicate of touch. I had gifts beyond recognition, beyond comprehension, beyond even what powers so called "gods" posses.

But, THEY were the drawback. Foul creatures of nightmares, only existing in the wildest of imaginations, and darkest of tales. Small fiends, appearing only for a moment before they ended you, slowly and painfully; ghoulish liches, creatures that should have perished long ago. Elemental demons of fire, ash and brimstone. Blue four legged creatures that tear the very fabric of reality apart, sucking life essence into a void of nothingness. Dark creatures that lurk beyond your vision, unable to be focused on for they exist on no true level of the spiritual world. They were hidden from me for so long, but I've always known of them, haven't I? Those eerie whispers without a source, a sudden cold chill, footsteps without a bearer.

It was the day I discovered my great powers, the day every one of my senses went berserk causing me to notice everything, hear everything, feel everything, that I first saw these nightmare entities. Hidden by a sort of mist that couldn't be penetrated by the eyes of mundane humans, they ruled secretly, hunting down fellow studiers of the mystical arts, my friends, my teachers, my coworkers. My family. Inhuman, beastly, murderous, that's what they are. They shred everybody to pieces eventually, tear them apart, or shatter their sanity, because there's no escaping. Once you become aware of the vast wonders that world has to offer, you become aware of the horrible terrors, and they become aware of you.

Paranoia sets in. I cannot continue my studies. Any further progress to be made on my research into how certain figures are able to bind themselves to one type of essence eludes me, I am afraid of every single shadow, every voice or creak in my house. It is old and withered, but the sounds have never bothered me until now. The village people whisper of me and my ramblings, but I don't care about what they think. They haven't seen what I have witnessed over my still short life. At the age of twenty four, I have made more breakthroughs than any other being in existence. They mock what they cannot begin to understand.

Throwing the books aside, I curse. There has to be a better way than to live in fear our entire lives! I punch the wall in frustration leaving a faint burn mark and the smell of brimstone in the air. With an exasperated sigh, I settle back into my chair and bury my face inside my hands. I hear a small sizzling immediately, and throw my hands away from my face in shock and pain. With another sigh, I begin to draw some of my aura to replenish the burns I have inflicted upon myself in my anger. Suddenly, the thought struck in a moment of time, if possible… No, it cannot be. The aura of a creature cannot be contained in an inanimate object.

That is a lie and you know it, I whisper back to myself inside my head. All of those haunted tomes and relics contain some sort of life essence, but how? I'm on to something, something that could break the very foundations on which every magician stands afraid on, and mend that very terror of annihilation. I must gather supplies in which to begin this endeavor! I throw on my winter coat or furs and barge into the snow outside and start my small journey to the town. I see creatures observing me from afar, bloodshot eyes watching me from the treeline. I propel myself into the air, and place a light shield on myself for protection. I glare downwards at them. Their time will come, and soon, no one will ever fear them again. I lose myself in the wind, and fly to the east, towards the majestic spirals of the towers.

The markets can be risky, and dangerous but the lowly thugs know to leave me be. It is better to live the short life of a peasant then to challenge me, especially when I have an idea in mind. Runes are the basis for all magic. They are how we can harness nature and essences to bend them to our will in spells and crafting, but I believe blank runes with some small modifications will suit my purposes. I will also need much string for weaving on my loom. My work will need to be flawless to be able to channel one's aura.

I pay the clerk his meagrely amount of change and take off once more with a passion rekindled that I haven't felt in years. My fingers seem to almost jump in the anticipation of this project. I land in front of my door and leave a hex to ward off any foolish creatures that might attempt to storm my fortress and disturb my work. I throw my coat onto the ground, it can wait. I rush past the main foyer in this semi underground labyrinth and enter a large chamber with my old loom. It's essentially a large enchanted tree, with independent branches moving around able to be used for my trials. I cast a second and third spell on the doors to lock it from visitors. I then ward the room as well, out of fear of those demon spawn knocking at my doors and dragging their claws across the stone outside gouging large chunks from the self-repairing rock, I get to work.

There are colours all around me, as thread flows like water through the machine as I weave a web of enchanted fabric when used in conjunction with the blank runes act as a battery and a siphon, infusing the very cloth itself with my own aura. I take a brief break and cast a spell on myself that boosts my energy similar to taking a long nap, and then it is back to work. Stich, cut, weave, stich, cut, weave, stitch, cut, weave, tie. It's tedious, but the final product soon emerges. A delicate, elegant fabric smooth and cool to the touch, and with a final graceful touch, I weave in the blank runes that I carved a looping spiral in. I see the effect instantly; the string accepts it similar to the way a winding stream seems to caress the river bank.

I pull the armor on and the change inside me is felt instantly as soon as the hood is raised onto my head. It perfectly fits itself onto my frame, adjusting seamlessly to my every movement, never too baggy or tight. Grabbing a sharp knife from the kitchen, I jab it into the sleeve of my coat, noting how its resiliency is similar to leather, which will do for now. With a violent jerk, I rip the chest pieces from cuff to shoulder. It didn't pierce my skin, but with a proud and smug smile playing across my face, I watch as the cloth binds itself back together, the stiches reforming like a living, breathing, organic creature.
Of course I know this isn't the case. The blank runes channel my aura, pulling some of my life essence, or mana as some mages refer to it, out of my body and using it to repair this suit of armor and imbue it with certain mystical properties to protect me from the horrors that have plagued my life since birth. Quickly glancing at the hearth, I shove my arm into the flame, noting the heat, but no pain is felt and no damage is done to the fabric. I feel invincible in this new armor, so while grabbing my spell book a sinister grin emerges on my face, twisting my features until they look evil. They will pay.
Dashing outside, I cackle a laugh to let them know I am no longer afraid of them. Their tricks are through, their reign of terror is over, and their deceitful nature will no longer bother me. Immediately, a hecate throws itself at me, in a blind fury of movement. I don't even flinch. My arm flies out and grabs it in mid-flight and I crush whatever bones exist in its throat. Without losing a beat, I continue on my vengeance fueled rampage. Lightning strikes the heartless creatures behind me as I flick my hand. I see something else, as I moved silently through the field. Mana Elemental. Normally, I run, fearing for my life, but not today. I concentrate my gaze on it, and before it can even react, it erupts in flames that soar bright and hot into the night sky, fueled by hatred.

Again a feeling of hatred courses through me as I'm ambushed by regular creatures, commanded by a dark mage. Pathetic. The ground quickly engulfs the three skeletons and five zombies, and within and instant I blink beside the dark mage snapping his neck the moment I appear. I let him fall into a heap on the ground, and boast my invincibility, screaming for a challenge worthy of my talent. More mobs appear, and I end them brutally and ruthlessly with spells. One last opponent strides out of the forest, yet another dark mage. My eyes squint in disgust and I blink towards him.

Time slows, and I see it happen a second before it does. My mistake is obviously apparent, but in a blind rage, my arrogance leads to assume that this would be easily dealt with. He carries a black spell book, I'm a fool! I curse, and attempt to halt the blink, but it's too late. I appear beside him as he launches me straight up into the air. I hear him let loose a laugh, and it sounds so similar to myself before, I cringe. I use the air current to propel myself further away from him. A pain racks through my body and I hear a scream, far away. It goes on forever, I wish death would arrive and sweep me into its numbing brace. I claw at my body, tearing parts of the fabric before they can repair themselves, and feel myself growing weaker and when my throat goes raw, I realise it is me that is crying out in total pain.

I fall to the ground, and land inside a body of water, lucky me. I attempt to swim up, but I'm being held below the surface! I panic, causing bubble to erupt from all around me, loosing precious air. My vision goes dark and I curse myself for being such a fool. This demise is of my own bringing. I look up one last time to see a bright bolt of light go flashing by, hitting the dark mage dead on. He loses concentration momentarily, and with my last bit of strength, I blink farther than I ever have before. I cough up blood, and feel almost dead, the pain radiating inside myself from every square inch of my skin. A hand touches my shoulder and I look up to seen a smiling lady, with long white hair and white robe, a light mage, and a master too based on her white spell book. I smile back gratefully as I feel my strength return in full force. My suit is in tatters, but I ask her if I can do anything to repay her. She declines the offer with a sad shake of her head and chases after the dark mage, I wish her luck.

I blink into my home and put up the hexes and barriers once more, twice over, afraid now more than I have ever been. This armor is useless to me. I take it off and replace it with my regular robe. It would only suffice for a newly oriented apprentice, who only attracts weaker creatures. I need something more intricate, more… Complex. It will be more demanding towards the aura usage, but such is the cost of progress.

I am not obsessive, their lies spread like wildfire. He's gone mad, he's lost his mind. They'll see what I've done and I will be recognised as the hero I am! Ingrates! This discovery is revolutionary and yet I'm still said to be an outcast. That title specifically might be of my fault though, I have become quite hermit like, rarely leaving my house, and when I do, it is just to fetch supplies. I have increased the wards around my house. Anything other than myself cannot enter, no matter how hard they try at unravelling the spell. I've spent days on end perfecting my design.

I've gone through an entire suit of armor in the past week. It had the equivalent of iron, but I decided to test it through summoning minion and getting them to attack me in a sort of set battle. If anything were to go wrong, they would immediately stop attacking and assist. This second set seems to be more suitable to people of average magic capability, due to its manageable consumption of aura, and a higher cost of materials. For example, to increase the ability to siphon the aura off of the wearer, I lined the blank spiral runes with yellow dye to increase the strength of the pull.

On top of a higher rate of self-repairing, they protect from various supernatural forces and a number of mundane forces as well. These additional protections aren't completely flawless, they have to have a certain amount of time afterwards to recharge, but they protect against such things are drowning, fire and lava damage, a last resort healing buffer and the ability to slow down a fall to negate any damage done. This is much more effective, but I can think of numerous ways to improve the design. In the future I might have to find a way to regulate the intake of the armor if I need to improve the siphon of mana, lest it sucks the magician dry of all of his life force.

These projects seem to be taking longer and longer each time… My concentration is failing me. Even though I am sure nothing can get in, I am also sure I have been seeing things watching me while I do my routines. Hecates, elementals, and worse, unspeakable things from legends long forgotten to all of us except for the elders and those who their stories touch. I consider seeking help, I fear I have spent too much time alone, but I am convinced that won't make my demons leave, only make them grow anxious that their prey is attempting to leave.

I fear I have become agoraphobic in the past few weeks, for I do not leave my house even for gathering supplies. I stocked up on a great number of necessities for my endeavour into the perfect armor and my own person comfort. I've also barricaded my home even more after waking up one night and seeing a tall creature watching me from the opposite corner of the room, silent as the breeze it slipped out, and I have not seen it directly since, but it is always there, watching me from behind or just out of my peripheral vision. I have given up attempted to see it through using mirrors, but sometimes when I draw a bath; I can see the reflection of its horrible face in the water.

Now, I work with dark magic to seal my house like a cursed dungeon. Anything that comes within a hundred meters of my house, aside from me, will have their life sucked out of them. Warnings are scattered around the perimeter to assure that no kind wishing folk attempting to come speak with me are killed. My house and yard are now pitiful, bearing nothing but dried and brown plant matter, ranging from the trees to the once beautiful garden that I worked so feverishly hard on. Even inside my house, all plants have perished, leaving me with no choice but to rid myself of them. Although, I have warded one other creature, a small vine like growth that creeps up the wall in my weaving studio. Its origin is unknown, but the buds and flowers that pop up give off great light and change subtly from every shade and colour imaginable in a repeating cycle.
I now work on the next product, which is nearing completion. Expensive, yes, but this quality of Infusion armor will never be able to be recreated by anybody with the exception of myself. Armor suitable for a master of his craft, requiring a great deal of aura to remain in an ideal state, and requiring pure essences which can only be crafted in an essence refiner which I have setup in the corner. Fire, water, earth, air, all come together to complete this work of art. It has equivalent protection to the diamond armor mundane humans wear, but it offers magical protection as well, making it a prize of great value. It also boasts the protection against possibly fatal elements in our world such as lava and water, with a shorter amount of time between each use. Wearers are invigorated, seeming to be bursting with magical energy while wearing it, sparks flying off the robe, as well as numerous other symbols.

Now, it requires testing. I summon a fire elemental and tell him my requirements. Immediately, he attacks launching a ball of fire at me. I do not dodge and let it envelop me, noting how now, no warmth is felt at all, an unintended side effect, but worth it is dueling anything oriented towards flames. I continue this process, summoning other minions to attack me, occasionally all at once. I even tested the feared mana creeper through summoning, and as it exploded, leaving behind its tear in reality I felt only minimal draw towards the anomaly. Wind cannot move my body, flame cannot burn, water cannot soak and earth cannot tarnish this work of the heavens, even loud noises seem dampened by the great protecting hood fitted to my head.

I get another urge to test against the creatures of the night again, flying out of my barrier of magic to a place where they roam freely, but alas, such an idea is pointless. I move onto testing its reparative abilities, and the additional protections from falls, lava and such. I cannot make more than a small tear in the robe's soft fabric before my aura seals up the opening, but it still upsets me that an opening CAN be made, and as I run my hands through my hair, I feel a burst of anxiety at the small amount of time required before the armor's additional protections are able to be used again. I roar in frustrations, can't it ever be right!?

 

[gattsuru]

Suspicion and Paranoia (part 2), by hideyholeman

Spoiler

I found a dead young adult inside my barrier today, sucked dry of her life force. Dared by friends I would assume, but I still feel a horrible sensation of guilt at the corpse the lays by my feet. Her blonde hair rests in a halo shape around her skull, covering her face. The dress that adorns her body is torn in many places from the painful process, which most likely threw her to the ground in agony. I sigh with the regrets of many years and oh so many lives lost in my name. She cannot stay here, she deserves a better burial. I blink back inside my house and gather supplies. I dress in the master's robe, feeling its soft cloth on skin. It chills me to the bone to leave my house, but her family must be alerted and that blares about all else. I slip my spell book into my pocket and blink back to her.

I carry her just outside of the perimeter and decide she is not presentable like this. Dirt encrusts her hair, face and clothing, smeared around in a wild and random fashion. Dried blood runs from her ears, eyes, nose and mouth, and again I feel a pang of self-loathing for doing this to her. I begin pouring some of my aura into the corpse to get rid of any imperfections; a parent should never have to see their child, or any for that matter, like this. Her cracked and oozing skin mends, becoming soft and baby like, her dried hair, with split ends is reinvigorated. Using a blue rune used in the construction of this suit, I place it on her white dress and it begins to mend and clean itself.

As I continue this process of renewal, hot tears begin to drip down off of my face, going from the occasional drip, to a river that I let curve down my cheek. She could have done so much in life, found love, had a child, created great things, and grown old with her loved one. I hate myself for taking all of that away from her, because of my paranoia. I am responsible for the death of a mere adolescent! I'm a fool for setting up that hex. Human nature is to learn, to explore, and to grow! They do not cower in the face of challenge or mystery, they charge in head first ready for anything that could be thrown at them! How stupid of me to think they would obey the signs. Stupid, stupid, stupid!

Using a spell of my own creation, I track where she came from. A ghost image of her appears that only I will be able to see. She seems so happy, so full of life, as I watch her dance through the fields walking towards my house with a small animal in hand, and a friend to her side. Her friend glances up at the sky, and says something before walking back into the village. I could hear, if I wanted too, but, no, I wouldn't be able to withstand that. She approaches the perimeter, lined with a fence and signs, but she doesn't slow, she simply hops over and continues towards my house, the entrance now in sight. She carries a basket, and a letter, skipping joyfully, but as suddenly as the first drop of rain before a storm, her calm demeanour is swallowed by a panicked yelp as she falls to the ground, jolting every which way. The animal darts off quickly, seeming not to notice the spell. She grasps the dead grass in pain, her knuckles turning white from exertion. I cannot watch this, and look away.

I now alter the spell to some extent and watch as the scene plays out backwards, completely unaware of the same young girls mending below me. I glance down and see that she looks almost tranquil, which causes more tears to rain down; followed by a number of loud and ugly sobs that rack through my entire body. Minutes pass before I can compose myself and continue with the spell. I pick up the girl and follow her ghostly doppelganger as it works its way backwards with a friend. I follow it until I am at the gate to the city, where I turn invisible as to not cause panic and hatred towards me, at least not until I return her corpse to her parents.

We both continue invisible, heading deeper into the city, towards a fancy and expensive neighbourhood. Her ghostly friend walks into the house two doors down and disappears. I continue following the remaining ghost and walk up to her former residence, becoming visible once more. I could see myself living here, it seemed so closed off from the outside world even though it is surrounded by other houses. It strikes me as odd that she wandered past all of the warning and into my house's hex. I knock thrice on the door, and feel more tears wash down my face.

An old lady answers the doors, with a bright smile on her face. She suits it, and you can tell from the kind looking wrinkles on her forehead, checks and eyes that she does it often. It feels almost sinful to ruin her happiness. She greets me and begins to ask if I am in need of her, before she notices the girl's corpse in my arms. She lets out a gasp, and her hands rush to her face covering her mouth, and a great part of her lower face. She falls backwards onto the door's frame and slides down onto the ground as she curls up into a ball, and loud sobs full of pain erupt from her mouth, almost animalistic in origin. A man, presumably the husband, dashes through the doors and notices me before going completely still. Tears drip down his now red checks and bloodshot eyes stare back and me, as his mouth rests half open.

I put them through this, this is my doing. He sits down beside his wife and pulls her into a great hug, dampening her wails with his chest. They both caress each other for a great deal of time, before the husband suggests we go inside. I lay her on the table, and explain what had happened. I explained the signs, how she walked past them without a second thought. I explained and explained, and began crying myself, in my own self-hatred.

She is only one more of the ghosts and demons that haunt me now, in my dreams and in the waking hours. They both hug me, and I can see they don't blame me for what happened, but I blame myself. They thank me for bringing her back, and I nod solemnly, asking her name. Adelice… That is her name. I also question if they know why she entered my land, even after seeing the small wooden fence, signs and all of the death contained inside. They shake their heads sadly, and I leave without saying another word, and decided it would be worth it to leave out the repair work I had done, and the pain she went through, for it will only cause them more grief. I get another hug from them both as they thanked me for the umpteenth time for bringing her back. No amount of thanks or hugs will pull away the guilt that now wraps around me as tightly as this very robe.

Once outside, I ram my fist repeatedly into the stone bricks of a nearby church. I bash it until my hands bleed, until they have gone numb from exertion and loss of blood. I feel the broken bones and torn muscle inside, but do not care; I continue blindly attacking the wall, putting all of my anger and sadness, and pain into those strikes. I cry for my mother and father, for my younger brother, I cry for the men and women lost to those creatures, I cry for all of the animals that wandered into the barrier around my home, and most of all I cry for young Adelice, all the while grinding my hands into bloody, torn and macerated chunks of meat. As they heal I feel nothing, no pain, no cold; I feel no sadness or any other emotion. I am an empty void inside.

This is not how I want to live my life. I want to roam without fear and still I cannot do that, plagued by my demons. Young Adelice was a beacon for me; she made me see how my paranoia is hurting others, not just myself. I deactivated the life sucking hex around my home and warded all of the walls again. I still live in fear, but now, I also live under the soul crushing guilt of her painful and slow demise.

My behavior is not only self-destructive, but also dangerous to all others living in close proximity to me. I must end this unnatural fear, for it is impeding my work. I have a design to end all other designs in terms of Infusion robes and armor. Archmages, the beings of legends, they could bend entire worlds to their will, for they had unlocked a form of magic casting far superior to anything otherwise seen. From studying numerous scrolls, I have found a way to harness some of the great power they contain, and incorporate this arcane knowledge into the newest design for my armor. This robe will be the greatest and most powerful ever recorded, rendering the wearer nearly invincible to all damage, physical and magical.
Each piece is fused with what I have named pure essence. These bundles of pure essence are the result of hours of studying and working, creating a single essence that binds all other inside itself. Incredibly expensive, incredibly powerful, and incredibly dangerous, pure essence seems to be what the archmages had harnessed. This robe takes days to weave without rest, and the entire time I couldn't stop thinking about Adelice and her ghost image. Her death is my fault, and I cannot convince myself otherwise.

Now that the robe's frame is finished, I begin incorporating the finishing touches, such as applying colour, infusing the pure essences into each piece and finally sewing in the most powerful of runes, Rune Corcra. They radiate power and if done correctly will grant me near invulnerability. With a final laugh of glee, I fit in the runes and watch my life's greatest work come to life. Pulling it on, I can feel the very thrum of energy moving in great arcs across the air. Its ecstasy, as it forms itself to my shape and seems to almost propel my movements, causing me less work when walking or moving my arms.
I know finally as I begin it's testing that this is the most powerful armor created since the rule of the archmages. Flames part around me, nothing is even capable of touching me without my wanting so. Before, a mana elemental's arc of lightning meant a certain strike, but the ones summoned cannot come close to touching me because of my speed enhanced by this robe. Truly a suit worthy of a god, the fabric never rips, never singes, or dampens, and the powers enable me to brave all biomes, all elements, and all creatures known to man, without a large recharging time afterwards.

I rush towards my research table and scribble down the design for this robe, so all can have access to safety. Diagrams, tables, charts, recipes on how to create the pure essence, they are all safely stored away where I can later distribute them. Heading outside I launch myself into the air, and fly towards the forest as the sun sets on the horizon. I will never be afraid again I think to myself as I feel my grin turn sinister and my thoughts turn to bloodlust.

The very same dark mage that attempted to kill me months earlier lies dead by my feet, as I cackle gleefully. He wasn't even a challenge in this new armor as I vanquished him in the same fashion he attempted to end me. His hexes didn't reach me; his spells fizzled before they were even casted. I raised him into the air and slowly began sucking the life from his very soul. He shrived up, like a rotten fruit and I let him fall to the ground. That wasn't a challenge. I begin walking home, and I see the creatures of the night emerge, to watch me through the bushes. I feel no fear; I can see now how they watch me out of terror, not out of anticipation of a meal. None of them bother me as I stroll home.

I will patent this, all must know of the great power that I now contain! I will make it readily available to all mages, so none ever will have to know fear. I will become rich, famous, loved, and maybe, just maybe, it will be enough to stop the dull pain in my heart each time I think of Adelice's life being cut short, but I doubt it. I could rid the world of every concern and every problematic affair and still know that I, deep inside, have not made up for what I had done.

As I enter my house, I feel tired, like never before. Every movement seems to take all of my energy and I soon find myself lying in bed for the first time in many days. I no longer need to remove this armor; it is self-cleaning and feels as though I wear the lightest of silk robes. My eyes grow heavy and I fall into a blissful slumber.

When I awaken I know something is horribly wrong. Bit of dried skin are falling off in chunks and my hair has lost all colour. My eyes are bloodshot, as if I hadn't slept at all. Checking a calendar that updates daily through magic taken from the air, I realise I have been sleeping for five entire days. I gasp at this news and hobble into the kitchen, for I have no energy to move any faster. I grab a mana potion and drink it hastily, feeling reinvigorated again. My skin heals and my hair gains colour again. Cursing I rush into the chamber containing my research notes and state into the mirror inside. The armor caused this! How could I have been so stupid! I cannot regular the intake of my life essence; it is literally sucking me dry.
My fingers rush towards the seams of the robes to find that they are not there and I panic. It was woven to be the perfect armor, the armor that could never be broken, but why hadn't the other versions stitched themselves perfectly onto me? Time, I realised quickly; I have been wearing this suit for over five entire days! I have heard of horror stories told by other magicians of mages that overuse their aura and burn up. Essentially, mana is the life essence that all things contains, so when something uses too much of it, they perish. All mages know to never, under any circumstances drain themselves completely.

I settle down and begin to think about how to solve this. This robe needs to come off, because it is literally killing me, but I cannot because it wove itself onto me. I cannot cut it, which will only cause it to drain me faster, but how else can I escape? Unlike the other designs, this has a very thin veil of fabric that covers my face. I am in my own tomb. No, I cannot accept this, I need mana potions, yes, that is it. Mana potions, until I can find a method to remove myself from this prison of silk and cotton.

I move too quickly and fall onto my side, my vision blurring. I can feel my skin cracking once more, and my hair and body becoming frail. Damn it! I begin to crawl, pain filling me from every angle and spot possible. Adelice suddenly surfaces in my conscious. I am dying how she died, trapped, unable to stop another greater force from pulling the life out of our bodies slowly and painfully.

I cry as a great and sudden pain racks through my body causing me to thrash backwards my spine bending to its limit. I'm not going to make it to the kitchen I know this for sure, so I crawl and roll my way back onto the research table's chair. My vision is blurring *Writing becomes sloppy and lighter until it fades out* but I must accomplish one last task. I reach for a feather but fall downwards instead, face crashing into the desk. I reach out with all of my might and grab the feather which takes an indescribable amount of effort.

They must know of the danger, this suit cannot be used unless you are of a skill nearly equal to the great archmages, for the suit will absorb you entirely. Dripping the feather into the ink I write you this final note, to never use this final Infusion robe without being sure you will not end up like me. I am as good as dead, and to whomever finds me, please spread that message to all. I accept death for it is just the beginning. Again, a spasm tears through my body and the sudden movement shatters a number of my bones from head to toe.

This is the way the forces chose to pay me back for the death of young Adelice due to my paranoid nature, and selfish drive to gain security in an unsecure world. I cannot control the screams that roar from my mouth, I wish you all goodbye, my time is here. I will be with Adelice soon eno-.*Writing Stops*

 

[ICountFrom0]

Call yourself collected.