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Thread: Castle of Loch Ness

  1. #11
    And the flirting didn't stop. Well perhaps it wasn't as obvious to others... Merlyn found herself easily amused, even in the middle of trying to turn Arthur into a proper king for his trial run here at Loch Ness. Cador's words about his potential of working himself and falling asleep only made the same kind of amused light dance across Merlyn's already glowing eyes. "I suppose if that happens... I'll just visit my time share~ I'd never be the type to bother a man while he's working~" she softly teased. Lies. It was all lies. She would simply invade his dreams later if he happened to fall asleep but that was the joke after all. Not all were privy to Merlyn's nature except, well not the entire truth of it anyways. All that had happened in Zuria would have given a hint or two in the minds of those who were bothered by her natural existence, but she was careful of these men she enjoyed so it was likely without her saying so most wouldn't have figured out on their own what was so alluring about her.

    Beyond this point though, the wheels of Arthur's mind were turning. After hearing the skillsets and less than gentle advice of Guinevere it seemed he was onboard to actually split the work between himself and the current set of people who were capable of handling it. His apology got waved off by Guinevere and Emilia who both simply wanted to do their parts. And unsurprisingly it would be Sir Hector who clarified why they'd rather be involved in someway than abused as they had been in Zuria. All of this made sense, even to one like Merlyn, but it would seem such statements only made it easier to divvy up the work. So, Elyan, Emilia and Cador to look over the inside. That was sensible enough, since he didn't know what Elyan was capable of... though admittedly a bit disappointing as she could have taken Cador with herself for her own amusement. Dagonet with Hector, also sensible as Hector himself was more than capable and could and would look out for Dagonet if he needed it. Ah, and then there was Guinevere who already had all of the skills necessary to run a Kingdom. Raised to rule with the full knowledge of fiefdom upkeep... he'd have her along to advise him in such matters? All the better. The fact that they'd both spend the day making googly eyes at each other was also just another point in his favor, at least from Merlyn's perspective. So what of the sorceress? She'd not offered up her own skill set and she found the idea of explaining herself a bit deplorable. It also didn't help that it was unclear how well they got along. "Arthur, you realize I am an immortal, reality-bending SORCERESS in a magical world... right?" she asked of him with sarcasm and teasing in her tone. Asking if she was good for normal things was almost stupid. To be technical she could do every job already assigned and more... ah right. Humility was necessary a bit. "Magic, both offensive and defensive and Item construction mostly unrivaled~" she said with a knowing smirk. "But to avoid having to explain what all of that actually means, why don't I handle the magical defenses of this fortress? I'll even make sure that monster in the lake is asleep unless needed..." Merlyn stated her best uses in this case because she didn't want to have to give this man a full crash course in her magical abilities.

  2. #12
    Cador chuckled. The running joke shared between the two was brushed off by most others as mere banter; none would have a clue what they were up to in their free time. "Your time share? Well, I suppose that will be alright. You make it seem like an alright place, and I hear return tenants get special privileges," he said. The next time Sir Cador slept would be an interesting night, it seemed. For now though, there were important matters to take care of... like ensuring everyone present could sleep comfortably. Alongside Dagonet, Hector broke apart from the group to find a suitable starting point for their trek through the town. They would not meet the others until all was done, but on the positive side, Dagonet wasn't the worst person to be alone with... for Hector, anyway. What some found annoying about the jester, he actually found quite amusing. Overall, it would prove to be an entertaining trip.

    Cador and Elyan were given a separate task, though. The pair would be accompanying Emilia, seemingly as protection if needed. Good; Cador could already appreciate the idea of Arthur as a ruler. One such as Kolin would have sent the poor girl alone not only to start the task, but to finish it with neither fail nor pause. Surely Arthur failed to realize Emilia had no use of a bodyguard most times, but... did he really? Emilia had been the first one met by Arthur and Merlyn. In truth, Arthur had reason to trust her abilities before half of his knights. Still, the idea of sending a single girl out to do a task alone was never something Arthur ─ rather, Hoshimi Kei ─ could accept. Cador took the lead with these thoughts in mind, flashing Merlyn a cheeky wink outside of the others' view. There was a thought he wouldn't share: Arthur had chosen to accompany Guin. That sly dog.

    Ah, but first would come the discussion between Arthur and his sorceress guide. The information shared by the latter was... useful, in a technical sense. She was immortal. She could alter reality, as also seen previously. She obviously had a great deal of magical ability to go along with the other two features. None of that mattered to Arthur, yet... Item Construction? Now that was worth a second thought. "Hmm. Well, there's one thing you're good for. Could you use Item Construction and make something to help everyone along? Sorry, I can't imagine what would actually be useful, but... you and all that magical knowhow should be fine, right?"

  3. #13
    Ah, yes the running jokes between Merlyn and Cador were missed for the most part by those they were currently in the company of, what a hilarious extra bit of fun. They could flirt openly and no one would figure out they were actually serious at all. It was only helped further by the idea that, they'd become reasonable friends during her imprisonment. "Oh? I wasn't aware of special privileges... I suppose I'll find out then~" Merlyn was beyond amused. Even so, Dagonet and Hector broke off from the group. Those two seemed to get along well enough... it was nice as an advancement for bonding. She imagined that given how Hector was, he might actually be fine with Dagonet in the same way she was... or would be when they had a chance to sit down and talk.

    In the meantime, it seemed she'd be losing her entertainment for a while. Though Emilia needed less help with her tasks than most people ever would, it seemed that Arthur was content to send two other people with her. How nice rather something else entirely. "Oh, Chivalry won't die with the Future King either... interesting choices all around~" Merlyn mentioned. It hadn't gone unnoticed by her either, that Arthur decided to walk around with Guinevere. Oh the futures she could see... oh well, she'd keep it to herself. Oh, that cheeky wink from Cador wouldn't go unnoticed either, they would e having a fun chat later as well.

    For the final stretch there was what would be done about Merlyn's usefulness. Apparently Arthur decided in the moment, that her Item Construction would be the most useful given what they were going to be doing. "Hm? That's the thing you're going with here..." she said as if bored by the entire idea. She could make everything easy, but she saw if she did that she'd get lectured... so instead she was being forced to walk a strange middle ground with her choices verses the things she could actually make happen. "Ah, yes... I'll be fine with all my magical knowhow... I'll make something to help everyone along," Merlyn's words lost their playful teasing and turned into pure snark. Did he have any idea how vague that statement was? What was she to do with that sort of information? She supposed she'd have to figure it out while she walked and had a look at the lake. "I'll think it over and check on everyone in due course. I assume they'll know what they need a bit better than I would..." the white haired young woman said. Her face was still hidden behind that hood of hers and she gave a parting wave to Arthur and Guinevere. "I'm sure if you think of anything, M'lady you'll let me know~" she said to the lass before she parted, which made Guinevere nod even as she giggled after the woman walked off. Arthur had no idea of the amount of magical power that woman had at her disposal...

  4. #14
    "Well, yes," said Arthur. Frankly, he'd hardly managed to familiarize himself with most of the game's functions before appearing in this world. Never did he have an Avatar aside from the one he presently embodied, and never had he considered adding magic to it. The most he understood was whatever he'd seen Merlyn and Emilia do, and the mystical effect of his sword... which was more Holy energy than actual magic. "Maybe next time, you can actually explain how anything you do even works."

    In all fairness, knowledge of how magical methods functioned in this world was something Arthur would have to learn. When he unleashed Excalibur against Kolin, she'd done something to resist the slash's otherwise devastating effects. Sir Hector resurrected right before the eyes of all present, that Executioner summoned a massive guillotine that radiated death itself. Emilia manipulated ice, Guinevere had something strange going on with that doll of hers, and Merlyn... well, her feats were impossible to fathom. It was all too much for Arthur to wrap his head around right now, so he was content to let Merlyn be on her way, though he sighed in her wake. "I swear, she calls herself my guide without offering much guidance at all. I might be Arthur Pendragon, but I'm definitely no King Arthur─ or anywhere near, really."

  5. #15
    Merlyn heard Arthur's final words and scoffed. Did he actually expect her to be able to explain her own existence to him? Surely, that was some kind of exaggeration. Besides, knowing of Guinevere, Cador and Emilia there were plenty around that could teach him the basics of magic. Merlyn herself wasn't qualified for that sort of thing. Her magic was far too specific and beyond that her telling Arthur certain things about herself probably wasn't for the best at their current junction. "All knowledge isn't necessary, Future King. Sometimes, the best decisions are made in ignorance," Merlyn was the last person to give such advice but about this particular thing she could be certain. She couldn't explain the full depth of her own magic to him, just as she had no way of explaining every event she'd steered him towards. Just the same she managed to look a bit miffed and walked off with only a casual wave above her head.

    Alone at last with Arthur, Guinevere saw the movements of Merlyn beneath her hood. What was more she was quite certain the lad had no real idea of the types of things magic could actually do in this world. This was odd, she definitely took him as a player... not one of the people like herself who grew up in this world with no knowledge of skills or magic to go with. A small smile appeared on her face as she reasoned through why someone like Merlyn might not have been too revealing. Still with that little doll in her hands she spoke easily. "To guide is to point in the right direction... what you seek when looking is your choice. In fairness to Merlyn, you can't ask a lady to reveal her secrets to you... especially when it's obvious that her life has been quite long..." Guinevere said once more giving a bit of a smile to the lad. "At present you are Arthur Pendragon so you seek to be King Arthur... what you wish to learn as you head towards that goal is a matter of your own taste..." she said calmly. "Though I had assumed you'd made your way here through that game the way most did, it seems like you weren't at all familiar with the base systems everyone else mentions. But if you don't know about magic in general then you also didn't grow up here. Even so, I'm sure I could answer a great number of basic questions if you had them." she said offering herself to this lad's service in the ways that she could. She was born in this world the second time, her magic was innate to her being and she'd had one of the best teachers produced by the Clocktower in her time. She had been an excellent student while it was possible for her to be such.

  6. #16
    With Merlyn gone for the time being, Arthur could know temporary relief. He'd have much rather been in the company of Guinevere for discussions' sake anyway, and now, he could have just that. The former princess even had additional wisdom to share, though the start was hardly what he wanted to address. "I know, I know. It's just annoying how she clearly has so much information, but doesn't share an ounce of it. Just something, anything of actual importance would be an upgrade," he ranted. Arthur harbored a certain unspoken respect for Merlyn, this much was true, but she was also the primary cause for his annoyance as of late. "Besides, it's not as if I have a personal desire to become King Arthur or anything. I want it, yes... but it's not my primary concern. I have a lot that needs doing in this world, even though everything around me seems to be pushing toward just one thing."

    While they discussed the goings-on, Arthur took a step ahead. A single turn and gesture beckoned Guinevere forward. They could walk and talk in unison, and there was much to talk about, if Guin could do her part to clarify some magical things for him. "I haven't heard such helpful words in the month or so I've been here. For clarification, I did play the video game, but not very much. I only had a few levels when I came here. Actually... I picked up Excalibur, and it gave me all the power I have now, all at once. Anyway, questions. I have seen a lot of magic mumbo jumbo in other games, books and shows. What type of thing are we dealing with here? Is it all elemental, or are there more caveats than I'm ready for?"

  7. #17
    Guinevere received soon enough a more in-depth rant about his issues with Merlyn's lack of forwardness as far as information was concerned. A knowing smile crossed the young princess' face, she understood this at least... It was always a bit perilous deciding what could and couldn't be shared. "Ah, I see... I can't say I understand that frustration... but it usually feels better to get that stuff out~" she said with a knowing smirk. It was beyond this point a claim by Arthur that he wasn't currently aiming to be King Arthur that he had other things on his list before that. Though, Guinevere could understand such a thing, she also had several things to say regarding those thoughts. "The things you need to do, and those you aim to do, might not be on different paths... taking steps forward is usually a good call regardless of what you intend," she said about his current plight. It was about all the advice she could actually offer without full knowledge of what was going on with him. Perhaps she'd eventually have more to go on.

    For now, she followed his beckoning and willingly offered her up own knowledge of the world to help him figure out his base. He did play that godforsaken game that everyone else who'd ended up here played. Of course, it was strange to her, that he didn't have too much knowledge. "I see. You gained your levels through your weapon... that is a bit strange but not unheard of. Magic here is... everything," she said softly. That was a lot but there was more to it than that. "Activated or conditional. Activated being the sort you learn or develop or need spells and words for. Conditional being part of the states of ones being or connected directly with one from an innate standpoint. Activated magic can apply to things like catalyst, they can also be learned through words. Words themselves are a type of magic, one that is older than most others and can have lasting effects..." she explained of the system in general. "Activated magic can be elemental, nature based, offensive or defensive. If you're human your limits on the type of magic you can learn aren't limited by nature. Instead a human is limited by their typing, class or choices, well in the ease at which they can learn things and the amount they can learn. But you can't innately use it for the most part, if you are human, you need some sort of catalyst. Viy is a spirit connected to Zuria, she'd be considered my catalyst for magical use... Where as conditional magic can be innate to the nature of a person, and while they can learn other types the conditional ones are linked directly to them and are unaffected by things which can stop or bind regular activated magics." She wondered a bit of that was too much to explain. "If you need a more concrete example, Excalibur as a weapon is a catalyst which is supposedly powered by hope. Hope is an idea... but the magic of the world turns that idea from potential into something real, so you can use that power."


  8. #18
    As they walked along toward the castle, Arhur received more of the princess' opinions. More and more since their initial meeting, he learned that Guinevere held a few firm believes. Resolute women with solid visions of the world around them were very much his type─ well, except those who went to extremes the way Kolin did. "It is such a relief to hear you speak your mind right now; you have no idea. For a while there, I was starting to wonder if all women in this world were some sort of crazy," he asserted with a sigh of relief. After dealing with Kolin in those final moments, he was almost prepared to question everything.

    Now, it was time to learn. The moment Guinevere said magic in this world was everything, Arthur knew he would soon be in for one hell of a lesson. As a matter of fact, he wouldn't be surprised if he had to sign up for regular lectures, especially as the explanation went on. The telling was at least clarified a decent amount. All magic could be classified roughly as one of two types. Even his Excalibur fit into one of these criteria, to be used as an example for easier understanding. He could generally grasp what she was getting at, and it did indeed attribute to a vast array of potential spells and the like. Even if he gained understanding of magic as a whole, there would always be magical occurrences he hadn't a single clue about. "You know..." he said hesitantly when it seemed Guinevere was done explaining things. Everything she said did make sense, but also... nothing at all made sense. "I appreciate you telling me all that, and I think I get it as well as a newbie like myself could... but I think I'd have to take on a teacher before any of it made much of a difference with me. I do think I know enough for now, though, so thank you."

  9. #19
    Laughter. This was the initial response of Guinevere to Arthur's apparent relief that all women in this world weren't crazy. She was actually more than a bit surprised that he'd actually noticed that Kolin was crazy, most men didn't or were choosing to ignore it so long as her less than savory tendencies weren't directed at them. This in turn, made Guinevere believe that every man was crazy instead. "Hahaha~ I wouldn't say all women are crazy here. I am pretty sure it isn't too different from the other world. Except that encountering a crazy person in this world means they have the potential to not just be crazy but properly dangerous," she said with relative understanding. "I'd say take it on a case by case basis. That is what I did... and I met a few nice men, like Sir Cador and Sir Hector. To be honest, I originally thought all men that played that game were crazy, given their choices. I am surprised... most people didn't notice how crazy she was until it was far too late for them..." Guinevere said with a casual shrug. She was beyond the point of feeling overly traumatized by Kolin's antics. She'd reached her point of anger and rebellion a long time ago and had been plotting such a thing for quite a while... so she reached the end of this more disastrous tale with relative ease.

    Her words to Arthur about the nature of magic seemed to settle in his brain. She was quite sure it was a lot to take in if he didn't already learn all of these things. "I don't have much of a problem talking about magic. But, I realize its a pretty scholarly pursuit. Nerys taught me magic from childhood... so I am pretty sure I have a pretty big head start on understanding that sort of thing," she said with a small smile of happy memories spreading across her face. "Don't worry if you don't get it all. I'm sure everyone will be willing to help you figure it out... you might have a bit more luck given your type and classing talking to Sir Hector, his sword is also magical and his skill is nigh unrivaled. Sir Cador is also a pretty good teacher... more practical in nature than most," she said about his personal magic based abilities. If he didn't get the full lessons, she was willing to offer advice to point him in the direction of people he might find an easier time talking with. "So then, instead of magic... what other sort of questions do you have?" she asked. Unlike Merlyn, Guinevere's Clairvoyance was limited and inactive for the most part, she didn't know how her actions would affect this lad specifically so she could act without the constraints of knowing such things.

  10. #20
    Actually, Arthur could easily see how one would assume the men of this world to be crazed, given what he'd witnessed of lads like Leorio and Lot in Zuria. Those two were an entirely different sort of insane, even if one of them seemed to have genuine intentions. Ah yes, Arthur pitied that one. None of that was important here and now, though; he could only hope they saw a better path than the one they were taking at the fall of Kolin's matriarchal rule in Zuria. Now, he could at least manage to laugh in the wake of all that madness. "Guinevere, I can tell you with certainty that all men are crazy. The curse of the second brain, you can call it. Some years ago, I might have been in a similar situation... though I'd love to think I would never have been that extreme about it," he said in a hopeful manner. "I did get lucky enough to anger the queen that first night. It was a... painful experience, though I'm now glad things went that way. Oh!"

    There was something he'd yet to do, and he only realized it now. Guinevere lent him a family heirloom of sorts during their shared time in Zuria. He still had that ornate dagger between his tunic and chest plate. After a bit of digging, Arthur realized he was only fumbling about, and decided to do away with the armor piece entirely to reach the knife. There it was, sheathed and in pristine condition, just as he'd promised. The would-be king even took a knee when offering it. "Now that my first lesson in magic is over, allow me to return this. I wound up not needing it at all, but it gave me a great deal of comfort. Again, thank you. As for other questions, well... there is one that's been bugging me since we started the trip here. Ugh─ I'm not sure now is even a good time to ask."

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