PoTM: Destruction, Lesson One

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    These were the days of Resdaynia, when Chimer and Dwemer lived under the wise and benevolent rule of the AMLSIVI and their champion the Hortator. When the gods of Veloth would retreat unto their own, to mold the cosmos and other matters, the Hortator would at times become confused. Vivec would always be there to advise him, and this is the second of the three lessons of ruling kings:

     

    'The secret syllable of royalty is this: (You must learn this elsewhere.)

     

    'The temporal myth is man.

     

    'The magical cross is an integration of the worth of mortals at the expense of their spirits. Surround it with the triangle and you begin to see the Triune house. It becomes divided into corners, which are ruled by our brethren, the Four Corners: BAL DAGON MALAC SHEOG. Rotate the triangle and you pierce the heart of the Beginning Place, the foul lie, the testament of the irrefutable-for-a-span. Above them all is the horizon where only one stands, though no one stands there yet. It is proof of the new. It is the promise of the wise. Unfold the whole and what you have is a star, which is not my domain, but not entirely outside my judgment. The grand design takes flight; it is transformed not only into a star but a hornet. The center cannot hold. It becomes devoid of lines and points. It becomes devoid of anything and so becomes a receptacle. This is its usefulness at the end. This is its promise.

     

    'The sword is the cross and ALMSIVI is the Triune house around it. If there is to be an end I must be removed. The ruling king must know this, and I will test him. I will murder him time and again until he knows this. I am the defender of the last and the last. To remove me is to refill the heart that lay dormant at the center that cannot hold. I am the sword, Ayem the star, Seht the mechanism that allows the transformation of the world. Ours is the duty to keep the compromise from being filled with black sea.

     

    'The Sharmat sleeps at the center. He cannot bear to see it removed, the world of reference. This is the folly of the false dreamer. This is the amnesia of dream, or its power, or its circumvention. This is the weaker magic and it is barbed in venom.

     

    'This is why I say the secret to swords is the mercy seat. It is my throne. I am become the voice of ALMSIVI. The world will know me more than my sister and brother. I am the psychopomp. I am the killer of the weeds of Veloth. Veloth is the center that cannot hold. Ayem is the plot. Seht is the ending. I am the enigma that must be removed. These are why my words are armed to the teeth.

     

    'The ruling king is to stand against me and then before me. He is to learn from my punishment. I will mark him to know. He is to come as male or female. I am the form he must acquire.

     

    'Because a ruling king that sees in another his equivalent rules nothing.'

     

    This is what was said to the Hortator when Vivec was not whole.

     

    The ending of the words is ALMSIVI.

     

     

    Grulmar was enjoying a moment of calm and silence at Elynea's house, lying in his bed and reading through a book he grabbed from Neloth's study. He was quite surprised to find the book there, because the book was written by an Imperial Battlemage - which was strange because the Telvanni rarely acknowledged someone else’s skill. Since the duel, though, he was interested in honing his destruction skills, so he decided to give the book a try.

     

    He was also just glad to have a moment to himself. The events at the ruined tower were still somehow haunting him. As well as the words that were said before the tower.

     

    All that talk about power, how it could give one the opportunity to control his fate. He had believed that before, at the College. He hoped it was true, which was why he did what he did. Why he tried to reach out for the power, so that he could free himself from the prison that was his mind, the prison he was locked in with two other beings that were just messing with him for fun. And what he did...didn't end well, not at all. After his conversation with Talvas, he realised he made a mistake. It wasn’t a mistake to reach for power, no, the mistake was trying to take a shortcut to it.

     

    He heard plenty of stories about that. Conjurers, necromancers and witches, all trying to take a shortcut to a power. But at what prize? And how did their stories all end?

     

    Are ya ready to give up yer soul for yer freedom? Ya were, matey, ya were. Ya tried and failed, bein' lucky ya didn't lose yer soul in the process. He understood that if he really wanted to be free, he needed to work for it, study and gain knowledge. And through knowledge, he could obtain power.

     

    But there were still grey areas, shadows lurking at the edge of one's awareness. Areas that weren't so clear, so definite, where certainty and uncertainty blurred into one. What are ya prepared to lose to gain power, matey? That was the question those grey areas asked.  Grulmar still didn't know the answer.

     

    Speaking of power...he couldn't get out of his mind the world on fire, what the Ash Spawn lived through everyday. Red Year was just something that happened in the past for Grulmar, he never could relate to that. But seeing it first hand, through the eyes of someone who died in that fire… it was too much. He couldn't stop wondering how much power he would need to stand against the world being set on fire. Unless it would be ya who set the world on fire…

     

    He shook his head, trying to get those depressing thoughts out of his skull and reached  for the book. Try to focus on something else.

     

    THE ART OF WAR MAGIC

    by

    Zurin Arctus

    with Commentary By Other Learned Masters

    Chapter 3: Dispositions

    Master Arctus said:

    1. The moment to prepare your offense is the moment the enemy becomes vulnerable to attack.

     

    Leros Chael: Knowledge of the enemy mage's mind is of the foremost importance. Once you know his mind, you will know his weaknesses.

     

    Sedd Mar: Master Arctus advised Tiber Septim before the battle of Five Bridges not to commit his reserves until the enemy was victorious. Tiber Septim said, "If the enemy is already victorious, what use committing the reserve?" To which Master Arctus replied, "Only in victory will the enemy be vulnerable to defeat." Tiber Septim went on to rout an enemy army twice the size of his.

     

    Huh. This Zurin Arctus apparently knew his stuff. Know yer enemy...if ya can anticipate his moves ya already won. Quite simple.

     

    2. The enemy's vulnerability may be his strongest point; your weakness may enable you to strike the decisive blow.

     

    Marandro Ur: In the wars between the Nords and the Chimer, the Nord shamans invariably used their mastery of the winds to call down storms before battle to confuse and dismay the Chimer warriors. One day, a clever Chimer sorcerer conjured up an ice demon and commanded him to hide in the rocks near the rear of the Chimer army. When the Nords called down the storms as usual, the Chimer warriors began to waver. But the ice demon rose up as the storm struck, and the Chimer turned in fear from what they believed was a Nord demon and charged into the enemy line, less afraid of the storm than of the demon. The Nords, expecting the Chimer to flee as usual, were caught off guard when the Chimer attacked out of the midst of the storm. The Chimer were victorious that day.

     

    3. When planning a campaign, take account of both the arcane and the mundane. The skillful battlemage ensures that they are in balance; a weight lifted by one hand is heavier than two weights lifted by both hands.

     

    I like that. Magic isn't everythin'. If ya are clever, ya can use the terrain and yer surroundings for yer advantage - and it doesn't even have to be a large-scale battle. Maybe it's just me but this could be sayin' that magic isn't answer to everything'.

     

    4. When the arcane and mundane are in balance, the army will move effortlessly, like a swinging door on well-oiled hinges. When they are out of balance, the army will be like a three-legged dog, with one leg always dragging in the dust.

     

    5. Thus when the army strikes a blow, it will be like a thunderclap out of a cloudless sky. The best victories are those unforeseen by the enemy, but obvious to everyone afterwards.

     

    6. The skillful battlemage ensures that the enemy is already defeated before the battle begins. A close-fought battle is to be avoided; the fortunes of war may turn aside the most powerful sorcery, and courage may undo the best-laid plans. Instead, win your victory ahead of time. When the enemy knows he is defeated before the battle begins, you may not need to fight.

     

    7. Victory in battle is only the least kind of victory. Victory without battle is the acme of skill.

     

    Ha!

     

    8. Conserving your power is another key to victory. Putting forth your strength to win a battle is no demonstration of skill. This is what we call tactics, the least form of the art of war magic.

     

    Thulidden dir'Tharkun: By 'tactics', Master Arctus includes all the common battle magics. These are only the first steps in an understanding of war magic. Any hedge mage can burn up his enemies with fire. Destroying the enemy is the last resort of the skillful battlemage.

     

    9. The battle is only a leaf on the tree; if a leaf falls, does the tree die? But when a branch is lopped off, the tree is weakened; when the trunk is girdled, the tree is doomed.

     

    10. If you plan your dispositions well, your victories will seem easy and you will win no acclaim. If you plan your dispositions poorly, your victories will seem difficult, and your fame will be widespread.

     

    Marandro Sul: Those commonly believed to be the greatest practitioners of war magic are almost always those with the least skill. The true masters are not known to the multitude.

     

    He set aside the book and sighed. Philosophical bullshit, he thought with a frown. I don't know, maybe I'm just really an incompetent and inexperienced bungler in the ways of magic and stuff, but...aren't they overthinkin' it a little bit too much? Ya just go and burn yer enemy, right? Or if ya can't because they cast protection spells, ya find another way, like droppin' a mountain on them or something'. Grulmar then grimaced and shook his head. Alright, maybe it's not really that simple.

     

    The door opened and the Orc saw Talvas enter. The Dunmer noticed a book in Grulmar's hands and raised his eyebrows. “Should I come later?”

     

    “Nah,” Grulmar shook his head and tossed the book on the bed, jumping to his feet. “I just finished. Was about to go lookin' for ya.”

     

    “Is that so?”

     

    “Yeah. Ya said somethin' about teachin' me some Destruction stuff so that I could pass through a mage's defenses or somethin' like that. Who's to keep track of all bullshit ya spew out, am I right?”

     

    “Rrrrriiiight,” the Dunmer rolled his eyes. “Windbag. If this is your way of saying: ‘Talvas, would you be so kind as to show me some neat Destruction tricks?’ then it's not really working.”

     

    “So when do we start?” Grulmar smirked, teasing the Dunmer. He knew he could, because Talvas could handle it, he was sure about it.

     

    The apprentice sighed. “Alright. So, let's start with the basics while we find a good place to practice,” Talvas pointed to the door, letting Grulmar to go first. When the Orc stepped outside he was immediately assaulted by the cold air of the year nearing its end. Even a place like Solstheim felt it - maybe especially Solstheim, since all the ash covered the sun, preventing its warmth from reaching the ground. He reached out with his mind, focusing on the cold and began circulating the magicka through his body, slowly building a wall between himself and the cold. He cast the spell and immediately felt a little bit warmer.

     

    “So the basics?” he turned to Talvas, who was leading him down to the beach behind Elynea's house. Grulmar had been there once already, noticing the unmarked graves there and he could only suspect that one of them was occupied by Neloth's previous apprentice. He had heard things from the other residents of Tel Mithryn, no details, but enough. And he was quite certain he didn't want to be a subject of Neloth's experiments.

     

    “Yes,” the Dunmer nodded. “We divide the spells that affect magicka into three categories. Damage, drain, and absorb. Of the three, the first two are of Destruction school and absorb is a part of Restoration - and before you ask, it's the most complicated one. Even I can’t get it  right yet.”

     

    “Which is why I call ya ‘Messup.’”

     

    “Ha-ha-ha,” the Dunmer rolled his eyes again. “So damage and drain. One focuses on burning the magicka in your opponent, consuming it. Also, it is capable of weakening protection spells like fire resistances and such - though not so effective against modern Wards. Drain, on the other hand, prevents the magicka from regenerating, especially regenerating with the help of outside sources like potions or absorb spells. Some Telvanni argue that the drain falls into the category of curses, because its effects are not immediate and don't cause any sort of damage - at first of course - and I'm inclined to agree with them. It's one of those more subtle spells that won't turn the tide of a battle in your favor right away and maybe never will, but give you an edge in a long run.”

     

    Grulmar narrowed his eyes, just as they got to the edge of the salt water washing over the beach. “So if someone is using a protection spell against magicka spells, like illusions or these curses, spells that damage magicka weaken those, as well as any other protection spells. Like...shield spells? That's what ya are tryin' to say?”

     

    “Yes,” the Dunmer smiled. “I thought that would interest you, if we take in consideration your reliance on Alteration and Illusion spells. This could give you an edge, how to make your spells effective against mages who are versed in defending against those spells.”

     

    “How nice of ya,” Grulmar sneered, but he was barely able to contain his excitement. This was precisely what he was looking for, something to finally put him at the same level as other mages, something to prove he was a mage too. Somethin' to prove to myself that I'm not a bungler. “So what should I do?”

     

    Talvas raised his eyebrows and then smirked. “Oh, nothing right now. What we are going to do now is show you what it exactly means to burn someone's magicka out. So what I need you to do is just stand there and don't move.”

     

    I don't like the sound of that, Grulmar grimaced. “Is this more Telvanni bullshit?”

     

    “Yes, it is. But you need to understand what you are doing to others before you do it,” Talvas said solemnly and Grulmar then felt the magicka gathering around the Dunmer. A blue lightning shot from Talvas' hands, a steady stream of raw magicka and before Grulmar could raise his own protection or dodge, it struck him in the chest.

     

    He gasped for air as he felt something inside him being grabbed and dragged out, burning and tearing to pieces. His knees almost gave and his eyes went wide in shock. It was as if someone punched through his belly, grabbed the guts and began pulling them out piece by piece, to make it as painful as possible. Then it suddenly stopped and Grulmar stumbled, not able to keep balance as weakness and numbness spread spreading through his body. “That…,” he gasped, swallowing because he realized his throat was dry and sore. “That tuskin' hurts!”

     

    The Dunmer flashed a sad smile and then shrugged. “It's definitely not nice. I'm just making sure you really know what you are inflicting on others. Or what you are about to inflict.”

     

    Grulmar narrowed his eyes and for a second he wondered if Talvas’ words were really a very subtle innuendo at his behavior. Or not so subtle. Or… He shook his head, dismissing it as bullshit, as always. Because that's what he was doing. “I understand it alright,” he growled.

     

    “Are you? Are you ready to inflict this pain on others in order to gain an upper hand over them? Are you ready to burn the magicka - the basic fabric of every living creature - out of their bodies to win?”

     

    What are you prepared to lose to gain power? echoed through his mind and for a second he wasn't really sure whose voice it was. But he quickly dismissed it under a wave of irritation. “What's with the tuskin' theatrics? I am tuskin' ready!” he growled.

     

    “Very well,” the Dunmer nodded and Grulmar could hear a strange disappointment in Talvas' voice. “Then do it. Cast the spell on me.”

     

    “What?”

     

    “You heard me. Cast it on me. Reach out to the magicka in me, in my soul, and burn it to ashes. Think about a stream if you want, and burn it, vaporize it,” Talvas said in low voice and Grulmar just shook his head. He had no idea what was his game, but he wasn't about to back down.

     

    He focused, drawing his strength and reached out to Talvas, feeling the magicka emanating from him, coursing through his veins from a place in the middle of his chest. And so he imagined grabbing it and began tearing it out, an energy being released from his hands in form of bright blue lightning and he began to burn the magicka away.

     

    And he felt nothing, nothing at all. No satisfaction, no surge of power, no rush. It was almost as if he wasn't there, causing pain to someone he considered a friend. It wasn't what he expected. He saw how the Dunmer's face twisted with pain and immediately stopped.

     

    Talvas released a heavy sigh and then drew a deep breath. “Alright,” he murmured, shaking  his head. “That really doesn't feel nice. But you did well. Try to focus on a channeled version of the spell as you did now, for the time being. We can later focus on the immediate or lingering effects, but right now, let's keep doing this. Shall we try it with protection spells now?”

     

    Grulmar nodded and prepared the spell again. Inflictin' pain. Becomes second nature over time, with enough practice. What are ya prepared to lose to gain power? I don't know, but I'm ready to find out.

     

     

Comments

4 Comments   |   Meli and 8 others like this.
  • Caladran
    Caladran   ·  March 6, 2018
    Something dangerous going on Grulmar's mind...
  • Sotek
    Sotek   ·  July 6, 2017
    What are ya prepared to lose to gain power? I don't know, but I'm ready to find out.
     A dangerous sentiment... 
  • A-Pocky-Hah!
    A-Pocky-Hah!   ·  June 17, 2017
    No pain, no gain right?
    I may need to dissect this later on for future references.
    BTW, little everyone know, The Art of War Magic is also a useful reference book for merchants. :P
  • The Sunflower Manual
    The Sunflower Manual   ·  June 17, 2017
    Aha, the Art of War Magic. Was wondering when that'd pop up. I actually had to read the original 孫子兵法 in secondary school as part of the history curriculum. The first time I read the in-game book I went and started reading the English version, which...  more