Mages gonna mage. [OPEN]

[faithlikeaseed]

FORM: Sending crystal
SENDER: Myrobalan Shivana
RECIPIENT: Everyone
WHAT: Curious new mage asks permission for personal project.
WHEN: End of Solace
WHERE: The Gallows
NOTES: did you know overwriting a glyph with another glyph causes them to explode? it's amazing.

[ A new voice on the comms. Myr's is an upbeat sort of tenor voice, and he sounds maybe a little excited. ]

Good evening, Inquisition! I'm Myrobalan Shivana, lately of Hasmal Circle. It's my pleasure to be joining you all as a researcher.

And while I'm hardly in a position to make unusual requests, [ he gives a brief laugh, ] nevertheless I've got two.

For the first, might I be allowed to put up a number of small marker glyphs around the public parts of the Gallows? They'd do nothing but make a little noise when I'm nearby. And for the second--provided I'm allowed to deface the property--I'd appreciate greatly knowing if anyone else is making use of persistent glyphs in the environs. Wouldn't want to overwrite one and bring the whole place down around our ears.

Comments

[misdirection_hex]

Myr?

[Now that's a voice that shouldn't be hard to recognize--partly because it's never shed its Hasmal-alienage accent, and partly because there's always been something uniquely grating about its even higher tenor.

It certainly didn't sound anywhere near this pleased the last time Myrobalan would have heard it, but, well. A lot has happened since then. More importantly, Vandelin isn't aware of about 75% of the 'a lot' that's happened. Like the reason why his cousin would need noise-making glyphs, sailing right over his head for the moment in his shock. He laughs, a relieved and genuinely happy sound, if a very brief and quickly stifled one.]

I...should've guessed you'd end up here someday. I didn't know.

[whose fault is that Vandelin]

But I did hope.

[faithlikeaseed]

Van?

[There's an honest surprised joy in how Myr says his cousin's name.

It's quickly replaced by something subdued and guarded.]

You're alive, after all that's happened. I'd thought--well. Doesn't matter now.

It's [there's a moment of hesitation, before he can make himself continue,] good to hear your voice again.

[misdirection_hex]

['Subdued and Guarded' is the title of the book Varric would write about these two if they were ever to inspire thinly-veiled fiction. That, or a particularly racy tale from the Randy Dowager Quarterly.]

Well, neither of us could have known. There wasn't much opportunity to write. And under the circumstances...

[what exactly were those circumstances, Vandelin]

...anyway.

It's good that you're here.

What, uh, what was the question? Inscribing glyphs? They'll probably let you, if they're small, but what is it you're doing with them again?

[oh boy]

[faithlikeaseed]

Under the circumstances, it wasn't practical. [He laughs. It is not his happy, careless social laugh. Rather less humor and more edge.] As it happens I haven't been doing much writing since we parted, anyway.

[And why is that, Myr?]

I'm glad to be here.

Yeah, inscribing glyphs. They're small, make a range of half-tone chimes, and carry enough charge I can feel them on a surface from fifteen feet away.

[A short pause.]

Navigating. I can't see to do it, after all.

[ipseite]

Good evening, Mssr Shivana. I am Madame de Cedoux; my glyphs persist only in private.

( Not a euphemism. )

This is a navigational tool? I would be interested in discussing your methods. And I should be happy to assist you in avoiding anything that exists currently, if need be, when you receive your permission. I can think of no good reason to deny you, though it is not for me to say.

[faithlikeaseed]

It's good to meet you, madame--and good to hear that. Less for me to dodge. [There's a smile in his voice.]

Yes, they are. I've found they greatly aid me in learning an unfamiliar building. And I'd be glad of both your help and discussion, especially if you work with glyphs yourself. Mine are a little ad hoc and I'm certain there's refinements to be made.

I'll be in touch once I know. Even if the seneschal doesn't want me decorating the place, we can talk glyphs.

[ipseite]

I very much look forward to that. My magic is of a slightly different nature - I am, as the local parlance would have me, a 'rifter'.

( She says it like she's holding it very delicately between her fingers and thumbs, not a preferred term, but an unavoidable one. )

The similarities and the differences are something that I find fascinating. I've found that the more I grow to understand the nature of your work, for instance, the less resistance I find to my own practise.

[faithlikeaseed]

That's even better! You've got to know things we wouldn't even begin to think about.

[Even in his enthusiasm, though, he doesn't miss the way she says that word.] Is there a more palatable term I might use for you? I'm new to all of this.

Huh. Is it--let me think about this a moment-- [There's a sound as he gets up from where he's sitting, then the faint ticking of his staff as he paces.] --d'you think that's more looking at what we do to expand your own practice, or is your own magic becoming...better-adjusted to Thedas and the Fade? ...No, that's not...quite what I wanted to ask. Hm.

[circleprodigy]

[Her own voice is quiet and polite, with a Fereldan accent.]

Good evening to you as well. I'm Inessa Serra, of Kinloch Hold and more recently the Grey Wardens. For permission, you would need to speak with...[Cue rustling papers.]...Sucretio Casoferrazza of Base Operations.

As for other influences, I'm not aware of other glyphs, but we do have some well-placed cleaning runes, to counter the effects of red lyrium that previously infested the area.

[faithlikeaseed]

Sucretio Casoferrazza. [He does his best to get the pronunciation right. Almost!] Thank you, Warden Serra. I'll speak to him.

Cleaning runes! There's a thought--do they keep it from growing back in?

I'll keep alert for them; wouldn't want to disrupt one. Thank you for letting me know.

[He pauses a moment, then ventures:] Is that the best way to address you--as Warden Serra? I know of the Grey Wardens and what you do, but you're my first time speaking to one.

[circleprodigy]

Warden Serra is the correct form of address, yes. And you are Enchanter Shivana, or...? [Titles are nice and comfortable for first meetings. Later on, they can be shed but she doesn't mind a little formality.]

So far, the cleansing runes seem to be successful. The red lyrium project is monitoring it, along with other situations of relevance.

[faithlikeaseed]

Ah! I'm flattered, but--no. I never made enchanter. [He says it lightly.] Serah Shivana is fine, though I'd rather just be Myr.

Huh! That's fascinating. Ought to check into that myself, see if my skills might be useful.

I imagine they haven't got you tethered to a desk in Research, though. What do you do here, warden? [He can't help his curiosity, now that he's got her attention.]

[aforethought]

[ archly suspicious: ]

What d'you mean, about overwriting one.

[faithlikeaseed]

[He's at least got social instincts enough to recognize suspicion when he hears it and not sound too excited about using magic to EXPLODE THINGS.]

Putting one glyph on top of another. Each glyph has a particular shape it needs to be to do its job. If you disrupt a glyph's lines it ordinarily simply stops working, but if you place another in top of it--breaking them both up--the magic interferes with itself. Destructively.

Then they explode.

[aforethought]

[ what the fuck what the FUCK ]

Bells don't explode.

[ if this is a bit of a non-sequitur, she at least follows it up, ]

All you want to do is make some piss-annoying noise, just sew a few of those on. That some mage thing? Disrupting them?

[ can she go changing them with a piece of chalk, is the real question here ]

[faithlikeaseed]

[He has to bite his tongue to keep from laughing.

It really wouldn't help here.]

If it were for noise, I definitely wouldn't go through the bother of glyphs. The sound lets me find them again.

Usually. [Lightly.] And only a mage thing if you want them to explode. Why, thinking you might need to break them up in your line of work?

[ragweed]

[Kit has no idea about the weird magical shit, but he thought he recognized that voice from somewhere--specifically, from helping a certain trouble-seeking mage who got himself a bit turned around in Lowtown. Kit fiddles with the crystal to get it working.]

You've been here, what, a week, and you're already redecorating?

[He's kidding! He's kidding. Ancestors, he hopes Myr knows he's kidding. ...And maybe also recognizes who he is, otherwise this is just weird.]

[faithlikeaseed]

[Hey, a familiar voice! Myr laughs to hear Kit's reply.]

Look, with people escaping every which direction into the city and growing forests to avoid being in the Gallows, I thought I'd do my part to make it more bearable. Pretty the place up a little.

[ragweed]

Can you do something about the creepy statues next? They're nightmare fuel--not that I get those, but if I did, those statues would feature pretty prominently.

[youwonscience]

Hey - I'm no help with glyphs, but welcome to the research department.

...what kind of noise?

[faithlikeaseed]

Glad to be here. What's your name, so I've got one to put with the voice?

Oh--just chimes in varying notes. Here. [He plays one over the crystal; it's quiet and inoffensive, with the high clear pitch of struck glass.] Nothing too irritating, I hope.

[youwonscience]

Cosima Niehaus, pleased to meet you. Just call me Cosima, anything else feels weird.

[She's slowly working out Thedas' terms of address, but most of the time she feels silly when anyone applies them to her personally.]

It's nice, [of the sound.] Purely aesthetic, or did you have a purpose in mind for the chimes?

[fireandsmoke]

I don't habitually use glyphs, so no concerns from me. [Not to mention he is still learning form, construction, and function of Thedosian glyphs. He sorely needs a tutor, and has it in the back of his skull to request references from either Cosima or Beleth.] But it may be wise to place glyphs alongside someone with a pair of functional eyes. None of us particularly want to deal with cleanup from an unexpected explosion.

[faithlikeaseed]

[He laughs quietly.] Nor would I want anyone to, if I do something that foolish. I'll be sure to die in a tidy way so no one has to mop up. And if by the Maker's grace I survive, I'll clean up the mess myself.

Madame de Cedoux has volunteered to assist me, and I'll be taking her up on the offer.

What do I call you?

[fireandsmoke]

The Dragon, [he says impatiently, following it up with the obligatory irritable explanation,] Yes, truly, magicians are named in a ceremony of trials where I come from, and I'm not in the mood to hear any clever quips about my pomp and circumstance. I'm absolutely exhausted by all the questioning about it.

[Though, really, it is an inconvenience in itself to be such an unknown around these parts. Sarkan cannot recall the last time he has had to introduce himself to so many people. A hundred or so years ago, perhaps?]

The de Cedoux girl is a harmless enough choice. The least she can do is keep you from getting clumsy, doubling up the glyphs, and blowing up something important. Or volatile, like the alchemy labs.