No doubt you have heard tales of my adventures. Stories carried from province to province, all of Tamriel in awe of my feats of magical prowess. More than once, I am sure, you have thought, "If only I had Aramril's ability. Then I too could seek fame and fortune in magic duels!"
It is true, of course. Great fame and limitless fortune await those who are successful. But to be successful, one needs to learn from the best. That is why you have purchased this book, so that I may teach you. I am, of course, the best.
Here, then, is my advice. Follow it, and you too can make a name for yourself throughout Tamriel.
Grulmar looked at the title of the book, which was called The Apprentice's Assistant and shook his head. No, never heard about ya, whoever ya are, mister… -sorry, ya are a miss - Aramril. Advice from Valenwood's most prestigious spellcaster my arse.
1. To know your opponent is to know his weakness.
Infinitely more versatile than a simple blade of steel, a good mage has a wide array of spells at her disposal. More than that, she knows when to best use them. She knows that frost spells can stop a charging beast, or keep a savage brute from swinging his sword. She knows that shock spells can drain her opponent's magicka. She knows that illusion spells can set a group of enemies against each other (should she find herself in a less than fair fight, an all-too-common reality when her opponents know they cannot win in single combat) and that there are spells that can save her in a moment when all seems lost.
But she or he would have to learn how to cast first. And that's still in progress…
2. To know yourself is to know your limits.
Even the best mage has a finite reserve of magicka; none born yet have been graced with Magnus' infinite reserves of power. And so a good mage does not over-extend herself. She makes sure she always has enough magicka to keep herself safe. Failing that, she makes sure she has a sizable supply of potions at the ready. Failing that, she makes sure she always has an escape route. Not that the Great Aramril has ever fled a fight, but of course you do not necessarily share her superb natural ability. That is why you must practice.
Sizeable supply of potions...Hmm. I never thought about this before but if I'll ever manage to cast some spells, I'll have to learn new recipes. I never needed potions of magicka before.
But this was certainly an interesting passage. No one has infinite reserves of power. So what would happen if someone burned out all their reserves? If Magicka is life, could they die? Or would they just be very tired to until their reserve was replenished again? Even Grey isn't sure on that, maybe because no mage ever pushed himself that far. But how is that possible? Is there a certain treshold that forbids ya from castin' any spells, like a safeguard to not kill yerself? Can that treshold be overstepped? He shook his head again. Your mind is wanderin'.
3. Wards can kill (you)
There is no question that wards are an essential tool of any aspiring mage. They can block incoming spells, negating your opponent's attack and wasting his magicka. A good mage knows, however, to not rely too heavily on her ward. Keeping a ward readied for too long will leave a caster drained of magicka, unable to retaliate, and at worst unable to maintain the ward and therefore become completely defenseless.
If I shouldn' rely on Wards too much what can I use? How do I block a fire spell? Maybe with an Ice spell? But how would I block a shock spell? Hm. Ward or maybe...another shock spell?
4. Two hands are not always better than one
Any advanced spellcaster has learned to cast spells with both hands, dealing more damage. There are certainly times when this is to your advantage, such as when an opponent is already weakened, or when it is likely to draw a bigger reaction from the crowd that has no doubt gathered to watch you. It is not always the best strategy, however. Concentration spells, for example, can often be used on the ground when an opponent is especially nimble. In that instance, using both hands independently can cover more ground at the same time. A mage throwing fireballs with both hands cannot immediately raise a ward to defend herself, or heal while she continues to attack.
This all just depends on if ya are castin' with yer hands. Because that's just one way, from what I gathered. Some mages use verbal commands, some use hands and gestures and some of the best are able to cast spells with only their minds. But it's interestin' that usin' both hands adds more power to a spell.
5. Always rise to a challenge, especially when you know you can win
Remember that your first priority is, of course, to stay alive. Following closely behind, though, is your need to please the crowd. You are, after all, depending on their generosity to fund your adventures. Here, then, more than magic comes into play. If you can gain a sense of your opponent's ability before the duel begins, you can enter into the event with confidence. Knowing that you outclass your opponent is of great importance, as it means you can confidently give the crowd a better show. Likewise, knowing ahead of time that you could very well lose a duel, you are afforded an opportunity to suddenly find yourself engaged elsewhere, and be unable to attend the event. (By no means do I suggest that I have ever done such a thing; I simply find that my great fame occasionally means I am unable to respond to every single request for a duel.)
Keep these few things in mind, keep your wits about you, and you too can make a name for yourself by putting on great displays of magical prowess. Take care, though - for if you become successful enough, you may find yourself facing a challenge from me!
Ha! Whoever this Aramril is, I bet she's still alive and kickin' somewhere. So full of shit.
He grabbed another book that was lying on his table. Oshgur's Destruction Journal. That book might finally give him some insight into casting spells, because Urag said that it is about an Orc who wasn't able to cast spells for years and then he finally managed to. Though not bein' able to cast for years...not sure if I have enough of the patience.
4th Sun's Height
All the other students are already casting fireballs, and I can't even manage a damn spark! Mother was right, Orcs aren't made for magic. If I wasn't so afraid of the shame, I'd pack up and go home right now. I deserve to work in the mines for the rest of my life. The other apprentices are constantly laughing at me. This was the worst idea I've ever had. Orcs just can't be sorcerers!
Thanks for the words of confidence, Oshgur. Truth was that in those three weeks he was stuck in the College he thought pretty much the same. Everyone was practicing spells and he was just sitting there, watching, not being able to cast a single damn spell. He wanted to pack his things, go back to what he was doing before, but… But the thing was he wasn't sure if he still had a place to go back to. After the Forge...every door felt like it was closed before him. It's all or nothin' then.
8th Sun's Height
Master Dantaine convinced me to stay. He recommended books for me to read, said that knowledge is inspiration or something like that. I don't see how reading is going to help, but he said to trust him. These books look really hard—they're about things like "theory of emotional-magicka response" and "volitional interference factors." One's a biography of "Guzgikh." Never heard of him, but I guess he was some Orc sorcerer. How about "How to Teach a Dumb Orc Magic"? I'd read that.
Ha! I feel you, brother. Theory of emotional-magicka response. Hm. Is Magicka tied to emotions then? Certain emotions conjure certain spells? Or that emotions disrupt your spellcasting? The book suddenly got interesting and Grulmar wrote down a note about it into his journal.
Yeah, journal. Not that I'm writing: “Dear Journal, today we had frog soup for lunch…” but Tolfdir said it's good to have something to write notes down. Maybe even turn it into spell book one day.
15th Last Seed
Ha! I caught that snooty Breton girl's hair on fire today, and managed a little lightning bolt. Even hit the target! I can't believe it; those books were just what I needed. They seemed really hard, but it was all about clearing out my head and not letting nerves stop me. And Guzgikh? Turns out he started the same way—he didn't cast a spell for years, but before long could destroy a whole village! This is great!
Huh. Alright, that's it. If that bungler Oshgur did it, I will too. He got up from his chair and walked out of his room, full of energy. I just need a little bump. I can do it. Something that will kick me right in the balls.
He headed out to the courtyard and then into the greenhouse right in front of the Hall of Attainment. Grulmar saw Collete bowed over a planter with Jazbay Grapes in it. “Hey, Chalk. I've been just lookin' for ya.”
She narrowed and blinked few times. “Oh, hello-”
“I need a recipe for a potion that fortifies Magicka. There certainly must be somethin' like that. What ingredients do I need?” Grulmar interrupted her before she could say more. There was a reason why he called her Chalk. Her voice sounded like if she had swallowed chalk. Yeah. That bad.
“Hmm,” she tapped with her forefinger on her lower lip, deep in thought. “Jazbay Grapes and Red Mountain Flower are the most common. And Tundra Cotton. Also Void Salts are-”
“Thank you,” interrupted Grulmar and took a few of the Jazbay Grapes from right under her nose, then ran around the greenhouse, taking a few samples of Red Mountain Flowers and Tundra Cotton, disappearing before Collete could finish her question about what he needed it for. For castin', what else?
Emotional-magicka response and volitional interference factors. Clearin' one's head, it can't be that simple. I casted spells before, under lot of pressure. It's not about havin' a clear head, it's about associatin' certain emotions with the right spells. I'm sure of it. It has to work.
It took him a few hours to brew the potions he required and then he paid Urag a visit, asking for books that were mentioned in that Oshgur's Journal, but sadly, those weren't in the Arcaneum’s collection. “What do you need them for?” Urag looked at him over a book he was reading. “You're going to try cast spells, right? Listen, it might take months or even years-”
“Tusk that,” Grulmar growled. “I won't be sittin' around doin' nothin'. Ya don't get it, but I need to prove to myself I can do it, ya know. It's all or nothin'.” Urag snorted to that and Grulmar frowned. “Yeah, yeah, laugh all ya want. But I'm goin' to do it anyway.”
Urag smiled and nodded. “Alright. Haven't seen such enthusiasm in a very long time, that's all.”
Grulmar's eyebrows met in puzzled look. “Ya are not goin' to stop me?”
Urag shook his head. “Nah. I'm going to help you. Someone has to watch over you. In case you really would manage to cast a spell and open portal into some Oblivion Plane or just unleash energy that would blow up the whole College.”
“Ha-ha, funny,” Grulmar tried to laugh, but then he remembered that Urag wasn't ever joking with that look on his face. His joking face looked much different, something like a Khajiit high on skooma. “Ya are serious.”
Urag got on his feet and headed to one of the bookcases, putting the book he was reading back into its place on the shelf. “Of course I am. It might have been better if you practiced that with Tolfdir-”
“Please,” Grulmar interrupted. “Grey is all talk about safety and all that. That way I won't ever get to castin’.”
“Right,” Urag frowned. “There's a reason for all that. Magic isn't some plaything you can toy with. But I do understand that. So let's go.”
“Where? The Hall of the Elements is occupied by Thalmor.”
Urag smiled. “We're going to the Midden. No prying eyes there.”
“What a lovely name,” Grulmar murmured.
In a short while they reached their destination, a room with strange platform covered with Daedric runes. Grulmar had never been in the Midden, but the whole place made his hair on his neck stand up and he felt a cold shiver clawing on his spine. Since his time in the College he got more attuned to Magicka and this whole place was literally crawling with it. “What's this place?”
“Atronach Forge,” Urag simply replied and grabbed few things like a broom, a fork and an empty bottle, putting them on the platform. “Your first spell was Telekinesis, right?”
“Yeah,” Grulmar nodded, looking around. “And what's this thing doin'? Who built it?”
“It...forges Atronachs,” Urag shrugged. “And I don't know who built it. It was here by the time I came to the College.” He then pointed to the middle of the platform and motioned Grulmar to go there. “Just sit there and try to do your thing on those items. We'll see what happens.”
“Why do I have to be in the middle of… a summoning circle?” Grulmar asked, uncertainty in his voice.
“Just in case: If you were about to blow everything up I would send you to Dagon's realm.”
Grulmar stared at him, hoping he was joking. “Lovely. We all know how Dagon loves suprises.” He then sighed and sat down on the ground. Alright, let's do this. He opened the vial and poured its content down his throat. He felt as if something flashed behind his eyes, like blue lighting, and he immediately felt his blood pumping faster. He felt the magicka flowing around him, through him...he knew that all he should do was just to reach out and use it.
“Telekinesis isn't an easy spell, but you did it before. Recall the moment when you used it before, no matter how painful it is,” he heard Urag's voice.
And he did. He felt that heat from the Forge again. He smelled blood and Dwarven oil, burned hair and he heard screams of pain.
“Recall your feelings. What did you feel in that moment?”
Grulmar closed his eyes and he felt them twitching. “Fear. Anger. Pain.”
“Telekinesis is a spell of control. You must control those feelings, grab a hold of yourself. Spells like this calls for a control of situations, emotions, objects. Everything. Control those feelings. Reach in and then out. Lift those objects.”
He took a deep breath. Yes, he felt it, back then in the Forge. The desire to conrol his emotions, to change things. To be in charge of his fate. How can one control his fear and anger? You aim it at something. He reached into himself with his mind, to a place where was that bright shining star, piece of Aetherius itself, while also reaching out, plunging his hands into the currents of Magicka around him, connecting the two.
The moment he connected those two points he felt energy gathering and he reached out with hands of mind, trying to grab those items in front of him. Then it erupted. He opened his eyes and saw how all three objects were pushed by an invisible force away from him, hurled on the wall. The broom snapped in the middle, the bottle shattered to thousand pieces. He blinked several times. “I did it!” he shouted cheerfuly.
Urag nodded. “You were supposed to lift those items. Not destroy them. Do it again. Properly this time.”
Grulmar sighed. “Alright. Let's do this.”
Sources used in this Lesson: Apprentice's Assistant, Oshgur's Destruction Journal
Comments
Oh right... Well you never covered THAT part in the lesson did you!
...I suppose that's as good an explanation as any!