3. The Search for Magiq: Cataclysm

[OracleSage]

If the affinities are loopholes they could be incredible assets, not just in taking down the wall but hopefully destroying it for good. If it is the silver behind this, I certainly get a twist of satisfaction thinking it would be the very magiq they so dispise that undid their veil.

Here are a few affinities from each guild that sound particularly helpful for our needs. It may be interesting to try some of these out in the future, especially if our theory is proven correct by Eaves:

• Communion Arts (Gossmere)

• Second Mind (Thornmouth)

• Undo, Magimystics (Flinterforge) (This one I find particularly promising)

• Faulton Fray’s Decay (Balimora)

• Languidimensional Touch (Weatherwatch) (Also promising)

• Grim’s Convergance (Ebenguard) (Not quite sure this one’s been explored all that much, but certainly sounds interesting.)

[Robert]

I guess I don’t fully ‘get’ the goal to poking these affinities right now. Okay, the affinities are actually useful (we’ve come so far without almost actually ever talking about them, I find it pleasing now, at the end, we’re discussing one of the first things we ever saw of magiq.)

But there’s still only so much magiq, right? We’re still in this phase yes?

@Eaves

One slip, one misspent spell, and it could all be over.

How is doing memory searches or whatever Eaves called it different from magiq?

I’d caution against opening a whole can of worms just because Eaves’ asked us a question. Maybe we just reply to that one question that we haven’t done any memory work on the affinities, and aren’t sure it’s safe to do now and see what he thinks.

Heck, is this even Eaves? He mentions people are being controlled. He already asked us to blow up half our magiqal reserves to cast a spell called the Cataclysm which did what exactly? Shine a light on a door, that if he was in cohoots with the forces against us already knew where it was?

Maybe he’s just tempting us into throwing away what power we have left. I’d seriously suggest caution. Jumping on whatever he dangles in front of us might not be the best idea right now.

But as always (and frequently) I could be wrong.

[OracleSage]

I think that the best option we have, right now, is the sanctuary. These people have given us no reason to be skeptical, and have given us the gift of knowing exactly what’s happening to us and where there are weakness’s. To me, that doesn’t seem like the work of someone who doesn’t have our best interests in mind. While I always say “Be wary of the man behind the curtain” this is EAVES we’re talking about. He’s one of us, he’s family, and I personally have every faith in him.

We certainly shouldn’t go blowing up our magiq reserves on affinities, though we don’t even know how much magiq they take versus the kind of wrought magiq it took to illuminate the door. That may be a good question to explore going forward. If they take energy, Eaves is already expending it by ensuring that our lines of communication stay open, so let’s make sure that magiq isn’t spent in vain.

[Tinker]

I definitely think we should be trying to send another forum message to Eaves…as far as we know, that isn’t using magiq, right? But in the meantime, I don’t think it hurts to have some affinities prepped for exploration…

Edit: Whoops…and meant to add that in this message we might ask for more details on what we’re meant to do with the affinities and how that loopholes the veil

[Robert]

I trust Eaves in full control of his own faculties as much as anyone. Yes.

Not to dwell on a dark subject but lets remember our foes excel at using people we trust to try to get at us. When Marty and AlisonB corroborate what Eaves says that will go a long way to assuaging my concerns.

I am all for discussing the affinities and theorizing. Lets just be careful until we know if using then will drain what little we have.

[Nimueh]

So, what’s the plan? Are we sending Eaves a run down of what’s happened? I’m gonna be away from the forums for the most part until at least Monday afternoon my time, so maybe someone else can send something to test this further?

[SabineBean]

I think we should try and figure out what to send and who to send it… Mine didn’t work last time (Perhaps because it was a double message, but also possibly because I’m new) so I think it’d be a good idea for someone who was also on the forum at the same time as Eaves did it, preferably someone who’d talked to him before?

I think we need to basically report what’s happened like Nimueh said, and ask for more details like Tinker said, right?

[Connielass]

You guys… I’m sure it’s unconnected and nothing at all to do with thiis, but… A person in one of my FB groups just posted that she and her daughter have started randomly hearing knocking at doors inside their home when no one’s about.

[Saberlane]

@SabineBean I think Nim’s response went through because it was the first to “complete the circuit” so to speak. Eaves’ message vanished when Nim responded, almost like an open channel was closed. I think we should have a new Mounty officially respond this time to test your theory.

[Rimor]

Well we got a new Mounty in today so at least we know the guide is still letting people through!

[SabineBean]

If nobody else steps up to the plate I’m happy to try sending again, but I’m not the best person to actually put the message together, since, well, I have read through what people have been up to but I didn’t live it (and also I don’t think I read it in chronological order either… Oops). Would anyone be able to give me a hand with that?

[Robert]

i’ll help out @SabineBean. Never leave a Mountie hanging. I’ve tried typing a full response but there’s just too much to put in there. I end up a half hour in and realize I’m 4 pages and only a fifth of the way through. A more streamlined version will have to do.

(Someone please put some basic human greeting and formalities here.)

Professor Robert’s answers to your questions:

What have we been up to since you disappeared? - We already told you some of the Ackerly Green secret society exploits that culminated in our aiding our ghostly friend and finding the Aliquary. Still no idea what to do with it. I’m surprised it didn’t blow up with the half of our remaining artifacts when you asked us to cast something called the ‘Cataclysm’. (Sorry I lost something extremely valuable to me, so that spell better have been worth it.)

The Aliquary details came from the journals of Avis Green, apparently Sullivan’s sister in the Book of the Wild. Through her journal we got to learn some of the details of the great change from that Book’s point of view. Rather depressing stuff honestly with magiq being snuffed out while they couldn’t do much to change it. They attempted to create ‘The Last Figuration’ which the Aliquary may or may not have been part of, to reintroduce magiq into the world. We’re not sure what their plan was or how far along it is.

It’s possible the veil was placed around us to prevent the Last Figuration from being completed, since that spell, and the veil, both seem to center around the Well that the Book of Wild Greens centered on Ackerly Green Publishing. But then again it’s just as possible the Last Figuration is what caused the veil in the first place whether by design or accident.

Have you heard of Avis Green within our Book?

Did you sense something strange when it happened? Our numbers have been positively exploding recently and that’s kept us quite occupied as well. Seems many people are finding their way in just fine, so we didn’t notice anything odd when the veil descended.

Have you done your own research or memory-recall about the affinities? Most of us are unsure what you mean by memory-recall. We haven’t heard the term before. Our best guess is you’re asking if we’ve done our own pondering on the affinities and maybe come across a repressed memory or two. Other then some basic speculation, we have not.

It certainly sounds like a useful activity, but is it safe to be poking the magiqal badger right now with things swirling about the drain like this? By your own words one small misstep and magiq is no more at this point. Aren’t affinities magiq?

We need any details you can find on this veil. We have no idea if it’s present to protect us, or hide us, or imprison us. We don’t know if it’s meant to isolate us so someone can do something to us, or to isolate you all so we can’t interfere. Heck, maybe this is just all an elaborate way for Monarch’s Mountain to give us a ‘time out’ for interfering in their grand design, or it’s about to be ground zero for the Storm 2.0. We just have absolutely no idea what this is.

Edit: If anyone feels I missed a topic or wants more details in there about something I’m happy to add it, or let anyone else edit it. I’m easy.

[SabineBean]

Woah, that really is a long one, thank you! I’ll give it some time to see if anyone has anything to add before I tweak and send, if that’s good?

[Nimueh]

Seem as no one’s said anything, I’d think you’re safe enough to send

[SabineBean]

alrighty then… let’s do this!

[Nimueh]

Welp, looks like it went!

[SabineBean]

It sure did! Here’s hoping we get a response!

[Robert]

Thank you @SabineBean !

[SabineBean]

No problem! Thanks for writing all of that up, it was a gigantic help !! You’re fantastic

[SpiritSeer]

Whoah. You go away for a month and a half and… cataclysms!

I was on a retreat I’d promised to go on in place of my boss who’s a bigger introvert than me, and then had to visit family who are in the middle of nowhere and I had no service.

But I’ve been working on something in all my flipping non-digital free time, something related to this, and hurrying to finish it because I’m super inspired and also… I’ve drawn diagrams.

Also, . I AM AN EMOJI. I die. I die.