Art of the Octangle (3)

Moving on through a cobbled path past the Tower of Art, one enters the octangle's preserve of the Order of Midnight / Grey Wizards:

The land is lit up by the eerie light of the full moon.

Here in the southwest of Unseen University's main Octangle, the Tower of Art rises to the west, dwarfing the clock tower to the north, the ancient chestnut trees dotting the Oct, and indeed all the other buildings.  A cobbled path leads northwest to the Tower door and the Great Hall, and east around the lawns to the main gates, making a short detour around two confused-looking statues.

We can see an ashen grey oak bench. Trying to sit on it if you belong to the wrong persuasion has the following effect:

You sit on an ashen grey oak bench.

> The bench suddenly changes its shape to become a steep slope, sending you sliding down onto the grass.

You stand up.

The bench changes back into its normal bench-like shape.

Two confused statues are to be in close by. The first shows your typical Order of Midnight wizard:

A young-looking wizard, wearing the carved granite robes of the Order of Midnight, looks down at a worn headstone.  She appears rather perplexed about what she should be doing with the large shovel she holds.

The other shows a famous Archchancellor of yore, who suffered the mishaps of being metamorphically challenged:

Archchancellor Mimberley Beaumont, or possibly Archchancellor Beaumont Mimberley (records are not clear on this point) was investigating morphic resonance chord transfigurations when a thaumic backlash transformed him into a large seagull.  Precisely what species of seagull is unclear.  The sculptor has depicted a Circle Sea herring gull, but it's possible that that is artistic license, since his official portrait was painted some time before the accident.  In accordance with universal laws of humour, the seagull statue is wearing a miniature Archchancellor's hat.

Stopped dead in my tracks

 

So today I experienced my first (and hopefully, last) inhumation. I was involved in some shenanigans in the Ninja guild a short while back, but was expecting nothing to come of it. I expected wrong, as I was to become painfully aware of while waiting in a local shop:

Flying Butterfly opens the west door.

You notice Flying Butterfly nearby.

Flying Butterfly closes the west door.

Suddenly, Flying Butterfly steps in front of you and, before you can defend yourself, slams the side of her hand into your throat.

You try to gasp for air but none can get through your crushed windpipe.  You start to feel dizzy and collapse, your sight dimming.

Looks like you were just inhumed.

You stand up.

You feel at the mercy of the elements.

A Tsortean metal shield clatters to the ground.

A butterscotch yellow oak staff falls from a rip in the air.

Your skin feels itchy, and you scratch it before remembering that as a ghost you don't have to do things like that any more, and your morphic field reasserts itself by turning your skin back to its proper texture.  Well, apparent texture, since you're now intangible.

You feel less articulate.

Someone bows deeply to you.

Someone says: MY, WE'VE BEEN A BIT CARELESS, HAVEN'T WE?  SHALL WE POPPADOM TO THE NEXT DIMENSION?

You turn and see Death standing behind you.

I have no unusual complaints, but it would have been nice if I had been terminated through the Tea Ceremony. Trespassing the guild grounds to check if I could get a shot at it myself was the cause of my hiatus to begin with...

Elemental Methods - Introduction

 

In the realm of elementall magick, the forces of fyre, earth, water, and ayre forme the foundation of all creation. Each element pulfeth wyth its owne energie, a primall effence that shapeth the world and fuelleth the magick that weaveth through all thinges. Fyre burneth wyth paffion and tranfformation, its flames confumynge and renewynge. Earth is the steaddye pulfe of lyfe, the groundynge force that nurtoureth and protecteth. Water floweth wyth intuifion and adaptabilitie, carvynge paths and connectynge all thinges in its endleffe cycle. Ayre is the breath of inspyration, the invifyble force that moveth freelye, carryynge thoughtes, dreamf, and pofibilities. Together, these elements be the keyes to unlockynge the myfteries of the unyverfe, their pow'r boundlesse and ever-prefent for those who dare to wield them.

Art of the Octangle (2)

Moving widdershins from our previous place and towards the Tower of Art, one reaches the corner of the octangle that is consecrated to the Silver Star / Brown wizards:

Here in the southwest corner of Unseen University's main octangle, the Tower of Art stretches over eight hundred feet into the air.  The Tower is older than both the Unseen University and the city built around it, and looks it - gnarled like an ancient yew, completely windowless, and occasionally dangerously decrepit.  A door to the south leads inside the tower, whilst cobbled paths lead north through the lawns to the Great Hall and eastwards around the Octangle.  To the northeast, the University clock tower looms over everything the Tower may have somehow managed to miss, and a statue stands beneath one of the spreading chestnut trees.

The bench we find nearby is dark brown, and trying to sit on it if you do not belong to the appropriate order /color has the following effect:

You sit on a dark brown oak bench.

> The bench suddenly changes its shape to become a steep slope, sending you sliding down onto the grass.

You stand up.

The bench changes back into its normal bench-like shape.

Only one state looms close, representing the generic Silver Star mage:

Unlike the other statues around the octangle, this one has been carved from oak.  It shows a massively fat wizard wearing a carpenter's apron over the robes of a member of the Ancient and Truly Original Brothers of the Silver Star.  Well, most of a wizard.  The carved wand in his oak hands is undergoing a rapid thaumic disassembly, and therefore so is his wooden head.

Travelling Orchestra

I have been practicing with musical instruments in the Disc since I can remember, climbing the skills ladder step by step, and changing instruments as my prowess become greater. Right now,  I am able to master reasonably well the most difficult and demanding of wind and string instruments.  As an example, here is the carved bone aulos I carry around in my backpack for enjoying those brief spells of free time I can get:

Made from two long stag's bones, carved with cavorting maenads and polished to a high sheen, this double flute with its smooth ivory mouthpiece balances lightly in the hand and seems to sound soft music on the edge of hearing with only the wind to play it.  Legend says that Patina, Goddess of Wisdom, made the first aulos in order to play a game involving blowing small paper balls across a green table, but cast it aside in disgust when the sounds ruined Her concentration.

Some messages I get from playing, serenading or performing solos on it:

You play a simple, graceful tune like the wind through an olive grove on your carved bone aulos.

You play an elegantly geometrical air on your carved bone aulos.

You play a deceptively simple dancing tune like the hooves of a flock of goats down a rocky mountain slope on your carved bone aulos.

You serenade the short woman on your carved bone aulos with a gentle tune like the cooing of doves as they settle for the night and tuck their heads under soft grey wings.

You perform a solo piece like young men singing on their way to war on your carved bone aulos.

I also used to carry around a wooden harp, but it doesn't quite fit inside my current backpack, so I have to go back to my Apex Club room to play with it:

This is a remarkably well made wooden harp with lovely spiralling vine ornaments.  The open, triangular-shaped frame has numerous strings of graded lengths strung across it.

Some messages I get from strumming, playing, serenading or performing solos on it:

You skilfully strum a pleasant sequence of chords on your wooden harp.

You deftly strum a few chord progressions on your wooden harp.

You play an elegantly simple melody line on your wooden harp.

You expertly play your wooden harp, creating a complex yet beautiful tune.

With elegant movements you play a folksong about two doves on your wooden harp, serenading Jarvis.

You skillfully serenade Jarvis with a moving melody on your wooden harp.

You play a peaceful solo on your wooden harp.

You timidly perform a peaceful solo on your wooden harp.

Mind you, those are the best messages I get with both instruments. A lot of the messages I get are worse - more so for the harp, where I have less mastery.

I have also started trying my hands at percussion, but am at relatively lows levels here. I got myself a tambourine, but most of the time, I prefer to make a quick visit to the Sung family music room and bang on the dobachi for a bit.

Art of the Octangle (1)

We start here a new section dedicated to the art -mostly sculpture- that decorates the Octangle at the Unseen University.  Our first stop is just outside the Great Hall's Gates:

Here on the west side of the Octangle, the tall octiron double doors of the Great Hall overlook an expanse of worn grey flagstones before they give way to green lawns and ancient chestnut trees.  Cobbled paths lead around the edges of the lawn, and another leads eastwards to the clock tower and the main gates onto Sator Square.  Beside the doors, a pair of statues stand upon tall plinths, surveying the courtyard with a proprietorial air.

Each corner of the outer rim of the Octangle is dedicated to one of the eight orders of magic, which is reflected both in the statuary and in the benches available. The deep blue oak bench one here is dedicated to the Hoodwinkers, and will run away if you try to sit on it and you're not of their persuasion:

The bench suddenly springs to life, tips you onto the ground, then shuffles off deciding that now is a perfect time to run a quick lap of the octangle.

You stand up.

The bench returns from its light jog around the courtyard.

look bench

Placed on the grass up against an ancient chestnut tree, this curved-back bench is made of solid oak and held together by a black cast iron frame.  The wood has been stained a deep blue to represent the colours of the Hoodwinkers, with the hopes that it will attract young wizards of the Order and provide a place for them to gather and study.  How much it gets used for this purpose is unknown, as young wizards tend to care more about concepts like "indoors" and "not studying".  They do however care about who sits on the bench, and therefore over the years it has been filled with many enchantments to stop Wizards of other orders using it.

Two statues are placed nearby. One shows the archetypal Hoodwinker / Blue wizard:

A short, stout wizard carved from Llamedese bluestone stands by the doors, hands raised in a complicated gesture that probably represents summoning forth illusions.

The other is a bit more idiosyncratic, representing as it does a wizard of agricultural inclinations:

The eighth son of a wool merchant from Zemphis, Joseph Ptarmigan was a noted expert on pseudoavian chromodynamics in negative narrative potential fields, and was plagued throughout his career by the mistaken assumption that he was Djelian, based on his surname alone. The sculptor has depicted him wearing a large turban and carrying some sort of ceremonial agricultural implement.

Magic Methods - Introduction

In the auncient arte of magick, the methodes, or meanes, whereby a spell is wrought be as needfull as the wordes or artefacts therin employ’d. These meanes, which do governe the manner of casting, be divided into foure distinct sorts: mentale, physique, spirituall, and elementall. Eche sort doth pertayne to certayne actions a caster must taketh during the working of magick, and the mastery of such meanes is essentiall to the success of any spell. 

Mentale meanes do concerne the inward motions of the minde in the casting of spells. They requireth deepe concentration, vivid imaginacions, and the discipline of thought. The sorcerer muste banish all distractions and fasten their thoughts upon the desired effect with great intent. Forsooth, when casting an illusion, the mage’s abilitée to conjure a cleare image in the minde doth weigh heavilie upon the spell’s successe, as its power dependeth on mentalle precision. Such meanes do form the foundation of enchantments, mind-bending spells, or other workings of a cerebral nature. 

Physique meanes doe involveth the sorcerer’s skil in performing certayn bodily actions, whether by gesture, movement, or the handling of artefacts such as staves or talismans. Some spells do requireth intricate hande-signes or solemn paces, which do channel magick through the body into the world. Strength and nimblenesse be needed, for if the hande doth tremble or the body do falter, the spell maye faile. These methods be of especiall import in the working of battell-magicks, where swiftness and precision of movement can determine the spell’s fate. 

Spirituall meanes are those by which the caster doth commune with minds, soules, or spirites. This maye involve calling upon spectres, communing with the departed, or joining minds across vast distances. Spirituall meanes be needed in divinations, necromancie, and any spell that do touche upon the unseen realms of the soule. A caster muste hath a keen sense to navigate these mystic forces, lest they be led astray. 

Lastly, elementall meanes are those by which the caster doth bend and wield the foure elements—earth, aire, fire, and water—whilst casting their spells. To worke with fire, one muste command the flames, to worke with water, one must guide its course. Mastery of these methods unlocketh the path to great magicks of the natural worlde, such as storm-making, geomancie, and other conjurations drawn from the elements. Thus do these meanes stand as the pillars of all magickal arte, and a mage, aspiring to might, muste learn to wield them all in harmonie, blending their powers to forge spells of great wondrous potency.

As three of these methodes were covered in detaille in Woddeley's primer, we fhall studie and explaine here only about the latter, the magick of the elementes.

Unseen University Postcards - Octangle, The Squilltemper Building

 

The Squilltemper Building is a large stone building on the south side of the University's main octangle.  Its key has long been lost, and general consensus is that before anyone can even think about replacing the lock, something will have to be done about the possibility of Very Large Spiders.

read plaque

You read the brass plaque:

SQUILLTEMPER BUILDING.

Humanities Department  

Faculty of Musicology  

School of Ancient, Modern, and Even More Modern Languages  

Inflammarius Professorship of Dephlogistication  

All lectures to be held in Room 3B until further notice.

The door to the building is locked, but I got some kindly wizard friends to lockpick it. Unfortunately, there isn't that much to see inside it:

This oak-panelled hallway leads - in theory - into the Squilltemper Building, home to most of the Humanities Department, the Faculty of Musicology, the Inflammarius Professorship of Dephlogistication, and the School of Ancient, Modern, and Even More Modern Languages. In practice, it leads into a giant impenetrable cobweb. The studded oak door to the north looks a little more promising.

Magic Points

How much power can a wizzard tappe before he exhausteth his arcane strength? This bee determined by the magick points he posseseth, which a trained caster hath the abilitie to see, through focussinge in their mindes eye, as a sette of points lyinge upon a magickal lattice whych doth shimmer with pulsating octarine light. Cultivating this skill wyll increase the bounds of a mage's magickal puissancy , for yt ys to grasp the ebb and flow of magickal power, ensuring that a wizzard is alwayes prepared for the challenges that lie ahead.

Unseen University Postcards - Octangle, The Borogravian Rock Garden

 

Alpine flowers sprawl and clamber across a pile of lichen-encrusted stones and pebbles.  If you wanted to, you could probably grab a stone.

Special Spells

Yn spyte of yts name, thee skille of Special Spelles doth not engage wyth the castinge of esoteric spelles, but rather yt governeth various unique and sundry commands and capabilities that extend beyond the traditional boundes of spellcasting. Maftery of the Special conjurations influenceth how many fpelles a wizzard may commit to memorie, and ys crucial in taming the unpredictabilitie of magickal scrolls, ensuringe they do not flee from one's graspe, and in capturinge fpelles, makinge them readie for later use. This fkill alfo bestoweth the power to safely store and retrieve a magickal staff from realms beyond, callinge it forth only when needed. In sum, this bee an arcane art that governeth the subtleties and nuances of wizzardrie, allowinge those who mafter yt to command their magickal tooles and resources with unparalleled expertise.

Unseen University Postcards - Octangle, Battlement Balcony

 

The balcony extends out an indeterminate height above the Octangle.  To be precise, it's always three inches higher than the ladder will reach.  It is in fact unreachable by any means - levitation spells fail, spells of long-distance jumping have humorously tragic results, and on one occasion when a group of students broke a hole in the wall of the Musicology lecture theatre in an attempt to reach it from above, they fell onto the surface of the Ankh.

Miscellaneous Spells

In the diverfe and verfatile difcipline of Mifcellaneous Spelles, a wizzard or witch doth cultivate the abilitie to caft fpelles that falle outside the realmes of pure Offense or Defense. This fkill governeth the power and casting speede of a wide array of magickes that serve varied purposes, from the subtle to the wondrouse. Whether yt be the arte of levitation, the conjuringe of illusions, the craftinge of potions, or the fummoning of familiars, all such fpelles find their potencie and efficacie rooted yn the maftery of Mifcellaneous magick.

Unseen University Postcards - The Outdoor Bar

 

The land is lit up by the eerie light of the full moon.

The central feature of this bar is a tall cabinet wrapping around three of the four sides, with a long sideboard covering the fourth.  Behind them is nothing but sky.  A lush carpet lies underfoot, and several deep chairs are scattered around the platform, each accompanied by a small side table.  The mood is one of sombre yet overpowering opulence.

It is a cool summer prime's night with almost no wind and medium cloud cover.

There are no obvious exits.

The Green Slab box is near the entrance.

Defensive Spells

In the noble difcipline of Defenfive Spelles, a wizzard or witch doth hone the arte of protection, crafting potent fpelles to shielde againft the myriade dangers of the worlde. Maftery yn this crafte governeth both the power and casting speed of defenfive magicks, enablinge fwift erection of formidable barriers. From forginge wardes that repel darke enchantments to conjuringe fhields against physical and magickal affaults, and weavinge protections againft the elements, proficiency in Defensive magick ys vital for furvival. As skill deepeneth, these defenses grow more refilient, allowing the practitioner to fafeguard not only themself but others, standing as a guardian againft the forces of harme.

Unseen University Postcards - The Lounge House Café

 

Against the western wall stands a small bar, protecting an odd assortment of brass and copper machinery.  Along the other walls are rows of wooden tables and plush chairs.  A small number of faculty members and graduates are milling around.  The whole room is draped from one end to the other in shimmering fabrics of all manner that cover the walls from floor to ceiling.  In the centre of the room is a slightly elevated stage, on which one could stand and give a lecture or recite a bit of poetry.  Really, there are times when there is little difference between the two.  Mounted into the eastern wall is a revolving door.

This place has seen some use of magic.

There are no obvious exits.

A sneaky bartender is standing behind the bar.

An AM Daily box is next to the revolving door and a bulletin board [ 40 notes ] is hanging by the bar.

Offensive Spells

Yn the general difcipline of Offensive Spelles, the power and fwiftnefs of a wizzard's or witch's combative castinges are honed to their utmost potential. This fkill ys the bedrock upon which all damage-dealinge magicks are built, determining not onlie the ferocitie of a fpelle's impact but alfo the speed with which yt ys caste. As a practitioner's maftery of Offensive magick groweth, fo too doth the destructive force of their fpelles, turning even the most basic incantation into a weapon of confiderable might.

Unseen University Postcards - The Kitchens

 

This is the entrance to the bustling kitchen of the Unseen University.  This is the only spot that doesn't seem to be constantly moving.  Around the huge room there are many people working at the various ovens and tables.  Everywhere there are preparations being made for the next big meal.  To the north the kitchen spreads before you and to the south is the door to the corridor.

Magic Spells - Introduction

In the intricacies of magyck, a practitioner's general ability with fpells ys the very foundation upon which all other fkills are built. This ability determineth not only when a magick-user can learne a particular fpell, but alfo influence the fpeed at which fpells can be caft and the magnitude of their effects. As one’s proficiency groweth, fo too doth the efficiency and power of their fpellcafting, enabling more complex and potent magick to be woven with ease. Within this broad framework, fpells are categorized into various classes: offensive fpells designed to ftrike and fubdue, defensive fpells to shield and protect, and a myriad of mifcellaneous fpells that serve specific and often practical purposes, from conjuring light to summoning knowledge.

Yet beyond these conventional classes, there exifteth a realm of special abilities unique to the most learned wizzards. These abilities, while not fpells in the traditional sense, are deeply intertwined wyth the practice of magick. They encompass the art of capturing and storing fpells for later use, the manipulation of magycal scrolls, the number of fpells a wizard can commit to memory, and the arcane ability to octograve—creating a magycal octogram with powerful, binding properties. Maftery of these special abilities ys what truly sets apart the adept from the apprentice, as they require not just knowledge but an innate understanding of the very essence of magyck itfelf.

Unseen University Postcards - The Cellars

 

You are in the middle of the average corridor, which runs north to south.  The floor, walls, and ceiling are cold stone, except for the many wooden doors leading to various and sundry side-rooms.  Periodically, there is a bracket set in the wall, for holding a torch.  Farther south, the corridor ends.  At the north end it turns east.

Woddeley's Occult Primer - A Continuation

Once upon a time I was a whippersnapper wiz, and remember fondly my perusing the pages of Woddeley's to learn the rudiments of magical methods and spells.  The little book does not cover the whole of the skills employed in magic, though, so I have taken upon myself to write an expansion that does precisely that job. Here goes the introduction to WOPC - Woddeley's Occult Primer - A Continuation:

Ah, deare reader, how delyghtful it is to fee thyne journey in the magycal arts progrefs. The prymer thou haft already studied layd a fine groundwork, offering thee a tafte of the wondrous pofsibilities that magick affordeth. Howbeit, as with any noble purfuit, there is alwayes more to learne, more to mafter, and more to underftand. This supplement serveth as the next step in thyne education, addreffing those finer points and subtler skills that, for one reafon or another, were not fully explored in the initial volume.

Thynk of this supplement as a wyse elder gently guyding thee through the remaining paths of the magycal foreft. It is not that thy previous leffons were lacking—oh no, they were merely the beginning, a gentle breeze to set thee on thy way. Now, it is time to fill in those little gaps, to refine thyne underftanding, and to enfure that no stone is left unturned in thyne purfuit of magycal excellence. As thou turneft these pages, take thy time, and let the knowledge within feep into thy very being, for it is here that thou wilt fynd the completeness that every dedicated practitioner seeketh.

You may have seen in previous pages the black and white woodblock engravings I had made for my personal edition of Woddeley's. I have hired the same craftsmen to repeat their efficacious job with this new volume of mine, and here is the image that will accompany the above introduction:

Unseen University Postcards - Noticeboard and Admissions Office

 

This particular hallway is cheerful and well-lit.  At one end is a pair of staircases; one going up, and one going down.  The east and south walls have stone archways in them.  A small sign has been mounted next to the noticeboard hanging on the wall.  A large friendly looking door with a brass plate attached to it is north.

One from Ephebe, One from Agatea

I continue with my pottery efforts. At the Sung family estate, I have moved from teapots to gaiwans, but am still trying to figure what stain might be more conducive to an improvement of my skills. I have also recently discovered a pottery workshop in Ephebe and given a try to each of their pieces. I am not too partial towards mugs, but the colors in this one blended beautifully:

The bell-shaped bowl of this gaiwan flares beautifully, and nestles perfectly into its matching saucer. The lid settles onto its bowl like a tea leaf drifting down into an Emperor's teapot and the pages of history. A classic scene of artistic bamboo branches has been stained upon it in silver and gold. A clear Sung blue glaze covers the gaiwan.

A classy mug, made of rather fine quality pottery. A pretty ring of ocean silver and grape-gold diamonds decorates the mug. It has been coated with a gleaming sun-kissed purple glaze.

Unseen University Postcards - Porter's Lodge

This is a small stone lodge, complete with an authentic thatched roof, where the bledlows of the University spend their time when they're not out chasing misbehaving students across the campus.

More from Dave's

Not exactly a piece of clothing, but Dave the Necromancer also carries a superb shield for using in Endorphin's Floating Friend,  although it is too heavy to wield effectively given my current skills. I'll keep it in a vault until that changes, but can't help myself from sharing its awesomeness with you:

Scapula radiate like blades around a central core of iron. Several split femurs and a rather nasty looking hand form a morbid mosaic along the plate. The beat iron plate is marked with runes that flow like living metal. The bones almost seem to be grown and not made. A heavy aura of magic seems to cling to this shield giving it an eerie feeling.

Unseen University Postcards - The Cloisters, New Hall

 

This grassy quadrangle marks the centre of New Hall; together with the cloisters around the sides, it is known as New Court and is the site of a number of the university's demonstration rooms, the doors into which you can see around the edges.  The court is dominated by the squat tower that forms the rimwards-by-turnwise corner of New Hall, while over in a vaguely widdershins direction the Tower of Art can be seen above the upper floors of the court.

New doors

Jogloran's Portal of Cheaper Travel used to generate one out of five different doors, about which I talked about here. They can also, of course, come with the additional and painful flavors of 'rumbling' and 'burning'.

Of late, though, there has been some change in the magical ebbs and flows of portalling, and the palette of floating doors has been increased by five. These are the new ones:

Bone

Two huge ribs, perhaps from a whale or other massive creature, form an archway. An oilskin cloth replete with several metallic hooks serves as a makeshift door that can open and close. It seems to be a portal to another place, defying the laws of Behind and In Front. 

Cardboard

This is a flimsy cardboard door that has no right to be able to stand up to any wind pressure greater than a gnat's sneeze. Yet here it is. It seems to be a portal to another place, defying the laws of Behind and In Front.

Bronze

This is large, imposing door made of polished bronze. The door handle is made of smooth walnut. It seems to be a portal to another place, defying the laws of Behind and In Front. 

Octiron

This wide metallic doorway is made of a glistening, iridescent metal that can only be octiron. It looks incredibly heavy. It seems to be a portal to another place, defying the laws of Behind and In Front

 
Earthenware

This reddish-brown door appears to be made of untreated earthenware. Small cracks and minor imperfections are dotted across its surface. It seems to be a portal to another place, defying the laws of Behind and In Front

Unseen University Postcards - The University Gates, Sator Square

 

This is the western edge of Sator Square before the huge, black gates of Unseen University.  To the north, south and east lie the many stalls of Sator Market, but just here the stalls are lacking, as if the owners are reluctant to be too near the gates.

look gates

The gates of Unseen University are plated with black octiron, one of the few recognisable forms of the old, raw magic that may still be found on the Disc.  Tiny worms of octarine light coruscate across their surface.  Judging by how heavily they have settled into the ground, they seem not to have been closed for quite some time.

They brightly pulse octarine.

Some wearables (2)

Dear reader: since last we talked about this topic, I've had the chance to change some of my most common wearable items. Others, on the other hand, didn't. Let's make a quick trip with some illustrations:

First, you will remember I was carrying around a deluded deep red silk backpack. I learned that Dave the Necromancer was a little bit stronger and now had a nice component pouch, so I paid him a visit and after some loud arguments (via mandrake roots), he agreed to part ways with his. I really love the look of necromantic gear, but it is generally too heavy for a dodger like me. Dave's backpack, though, besides looking cool, is a pound lighter than mine, and much sturdier. It carries the same weight and items but it is a bit smaller, so I have to leave my wooden harp at home now:

This is a thoroughly menacing backpack.  The frame of the backpack is composed of three pairs of skeletal arms, reaching around the sleek black leather as if to restrain it in place.  Two more pairs of skeletal arms act as the straps, the fingerbones moving and clasping onto each other as if alive.  To complete the theme, a stylized skull picked out in red-tarnished iron grins morbidly from the middle of the backpack.  Silvery runes run through the black leather like quicksilver.

Octarine light pulses around it like an evil heartbeat.

It has the hazy octarine sparkle of a magical talisman.

The ornate bone backpack has one skull pocket and one main pocket.

I have also stored away most of my Agatean clothes, which were quite heavy, and rescued both my old yellow robe and my trusty boots. The latter have the advantage of being able to sheathe my components dagger, which also means I no longer have to carry the emerald-studded belt, and *can* carry the silvery gray saya of my kodachi. 

Moving away from clothes to other wearables: I have been carrying, and continue to do so, the following trinkets on me:

Frostkiss Sentinel (Ice blue crystal brooch)

This is the last remaining bit of a lot of very lovely and spammy glass jewelry I had Libby Twinkle make for me from crystal eggs.  It is still beautiful, but it also has some practical uses:

This is a delicate brooch made of glittering ice blue crystal.  It is shaped up into a finely faceted oval, decorated with coiling silver filigree.

It seems to be strangely sensitive to the warmth of other people.

Frostkiss Sentinel is an ice blue crystal brooch.

It gives off a steady but dull octarine glow.

It has the hazy octarine sparkle of a magical talisman.

It is in excellent condition.

Blue ring

Even more utilitarian,  if still fancy, is a blue crystal ring for portalling out of unpleasant situations. I've been giving it quite a lot of use lately...

You recognise the blue crystal ring to be a ring of recall.  The ring is a single piece of a sapphire, cut and polished until its facets sparkle in the light.

It gives off a steady but dull octarine glow.

It is in excellent condition.

Everbright Bauble (Mirrored timepiece)

Not only has this piece been a long time with me: it also multiplies uses in lots of amazing ways.  It is a pretty silver necklace; it tells the time; it is a permalight; its mirror allows me to cast Floron's for scrying, and because it counts as a silver necklace, I am currently employing it to magically lighten the weight of my kodachi:

The face and hands of this timepiece are silver while the numbers have been picked out in mother of pearl.  It could be closed and worn as a large pendant.

The current time displayed is: 8:40pm, Wednesday 15th May Prime, UC 2049.

Everbright Bauble is a mirrored timepiece.

It has the hazy octarine sparkle of a magical talisman.

It appears to have something written on it.

It is in excellent condition.

Twisted black amulet

I am currently wearing two of these. not only do they look amazing (no demonologist should be without them!), but they prove incredibly protective. A long time ago I made a big stock of them and as soon as they've melted, I go to the Djelibeybi vault for more:

This piece of black-stained silver isn't quite flat, and isn't evenly rounded, as though it had been warped by a fire.  The spikes and hooks around the rim have a disturbingly organic look, and the eldritch runes spiralling around the face are never the same twice.  Occasionally, you can make out glimmers of meaning in the runes, but the bitter, doleful words always retreat and change before your mind can do more than take a glimpse of the vast, empty infinity of unpleasant truth behind the blackened silver.

The metal looks dull and lifeless.

It is in excellent condition.

Senssu Fan

Not strictly worn, but carried. And yet once could say that for a person steeped into Agatean culture, it is an indispensable item, and non trivial skills and cultural accomplishment are necessary for opening and shutting it with elegance:

The fan is an essential accessory for any noble, allowing one to accentuate any mood and speak volumes with a tiny gesture.  At need, they might snap open this particular example to reveal the sharpened steel ribs and deliver a most pointed lesson in proper etiquette.  The strong, rich crimson silk has been beautifully painted with running horses.

The crimson senssu fan is currently open.

It is in excellent condition.

Sung family crest

And finally, my Agatean family crest. I am a loyal follower of house Sung. Besides, I have converted the silver carp into a talker:

Finely crafted in silver, this sigil shaped like a koi carp marks the owner as a member of the Sung family.

Just beneath the surface, you can make out what looks like a pair of glittering eyes.

It emits a slight octarine glow.

It appears to have something written on it.

It is in excellent condition.

> 

read crest

You read the Sung family crest:

Written in neatly engraved letters:

Winswand, Sagely Lotus of House Sung

Unseen University Postcards - The Library (2)

 

This is somewhere in the Library of Unseen University.  You are in a corner formed by shelves in front of you and to your left.  A strange muttering sound surrounds you, a low murmur like the sound of starlings playing Agatean whispers.  However hard you try, you cannot localise the source - it seems to be coming from everywhere, like the strange violet light that almost illuminates the Library.

Your skin tingles with the discharge of magic and the air feels greasy and tastes of tin.

More pottery: a traditional tea bowl

I keep producing pieces at the Sung Estate's pottery room, which I find more beautiful -and doable- than those at Sto Lat, even though the latter can pay handsomely. I have tried moving from teapots to something more complex, and a few days ago  I tried tea bowls.  The following was the best result:

This is a small and finely formed Agatean tea bowl. Made to the high standards of Agatean etiquette, it is exactly the right size to drink tea from in the required three sips. An intricate pattern of white and aquamarine waves adorns the bowl. It has been coated with a lustrous thistle violet glaze.

It also has my name inscribed in it 'in tidy cursive'. The Agatean version of Winswand would be 温斯旺 (Wēn sī wàng), and here is how it looks: