Well. Ideally, I would want my Polymorph or Web of Fire. I would also need components for these, too - a caterpillar cocoon for the Polymorph or a bit of string and a little phosphorus.
Polymorph allows me to change into an animal, or change someone else into one, for an hour. The web of fire allows me to create controlled columns of flame that converge on particular targets without hitting anything I don't direct them towards.
What would the cost be for either of these?
[OKAY. So these are both powerful spells that I assume would be either expensive or not allowed. Just for ease of answering.]
[there is a gap of time between caleb's message and the reply, almost like luke is thinking about it.]
Figures I'd get the magic, huh? Okay.
7 for the Polymorph. But the animal you turn into won't have any extra abilities. It'll be just an animal. 11 for the Web of Fire. It'll only work once.
The components are 1 voucher each, but you use them when you use the spell. If you want some you keep... it'll be 2 each.
8 for Polymorph and the cocoon. 12 for Web of Fire, and I'll give you string and phosphorus.
It's still magic, so the lowest I can go is 5. You won't be able to cast it back to back. After you cast it once, you have to wait at least 8 hours to cast it again. You can put more vouchers into it if you want. It'll shorten the wait time.
Same for the Polymorph, once per eight hours? Also, I heard something about being able to buy a smaller bit of magic and upgrade it later. If I bought the cantrip for five vouchers, next week if I had more vouchers could I make it a little stronger?
The other question is, a friend of mine has magical blood. He bleeds on anything sharp enough to cut, and it becomes a magical weapon encased in ice. What would it cost to get something like this back for him?
Yeah, it's the same. You can't cast it back to back. You can upgrade the cantrip with more vouchers later.
I don't think the school will let your magic work like you think it will back home. So forget all that. It works like this: You can exchange vouchers for different magic. Some you'll keep, some will be a single use. If you get to keep it, you can exchange more vouchers later to make it stronger, or last longer.
From me? 8 if he isn't in this dorm. He'll have to get something sharp enough to use if he doesn't already have it. That'll cost something, too.
Is the discounted price always your dorm head? If so, he will ask Chad, I imagine. I'm only asking because I'd like to know if I ought to ask him to lend me some vouchers.
So if I understand correctly, it is essentially one spell at a time, but the amount of vouchers I have put into it determines the characteristics?
Not always. It could depend on how much they like you.
Yeah. I can't give you an example because you've probably never played a video game before. You can buy your base spell back. And then you upgrade it as you get more vouchers.
Not quite. Say you bought the fire bolt. Next week, you can use vouchers to upgrade the fire bolt. If you want. If you didn't want to upgrade the fire bolt, can buy the polymorph and cocoon for 8.
They're separate, so one or the other. Here.
Buy: Polymorph* (+ cocoon) [keep] = 8 vouchers Web of Fire (+ string/phosphorous) [one use] = 12 vouchers Fire Bolt* [keep] = 5 vouchers
*Can be upgraded later.
Make sense?
[oh, p.s. the mods convened to discuss adjusting things for the game and stuff, and decided it'd be a 24 hour cool down between uses rather than 8 hours!]
Ah. I was just being a little cheeky, I didn't mean to insult you. I understand how you feel. I invented that spell, and I wouldn't wish to see it used on some hapless person like Hiyori.
This is all a lot to read and I am not trying to barter with you. I'm afraid we've given a poor impression and I want us to be able to understand one another better, so this is an attempt at explanation.
These spells are mine. I have worked and studied to learn these spells. And the reason I have learned them is that I am not a strong man, or a brave man. I have been hunted and pursued by people far more powerful than I am for a long time now. These spells are what I have learned to protect myself and to protect my friends. And because I learned them, and because I have my friends, things have changed for me. I felt like an insect trying to hide under a rock for so long. No use to anyone, no good for anything but trying to stay alive. I was a coward and I travelled with these people for protection and I would have sacrificed any one of them if I had to. But I came to know them more, and we fought together, and over time I became more powerful and was able to do things, useful things, things that could help them and help other people, and I found that I liked it. And I forgot what it was to be such a coward.
I don't want Beauregard and Mollymauk to be concerned with protecting me. I don't want to be an insect under a rock. I didn't like spending that trial thinking that I should avoid doing too much or else I will draw danger onto myself and my friends. And I can't help them at all if I can't protect myself, but maybe if I can be a little less cautious, I can do a bit of good, too.
Friends won't abandon you even if you're weak, or you're scared.
I get it. Your point. I don't think it's wrong to want to be strong enough to protect yourself and your friends. I'm not any different. But your friends are going to worry about protecting you anyway because they're your friends. And that's what friends do.
I don't understand the magic, and I don't blame you for wanting things to help you.
You are welcome to think we are weirdos. But I think I will try to get the Polymorph, one way or another. Less dangerous than a Web of Fire. It can be fun, too. If you ever want to try turning into an animal and see that magic isn't all bad, you only need to ask.
I can't afford the full spell yet either way, but perhaps I can buy the cocoon from you? I'd prefer to help our team. You said two vouchers for one that could be reused?
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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Polymorph allows me to change into an animal, or change someone else into one, for an hour. The web of fire allows me to create controlled columns of flame that converge on particular targets without hitting anything I don't direct them towards.
What would the cost be for either of these?
[OKAY. So these are both powerful spells that I assume would be either expensive or not allowed. Just for ease of answering.]
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Figures I'd get the magic, huh? Okay.
7 for the Polymorph. But the animal you turn into won't have any extra abilities. It'll be just an animal. 11 for the Web of Fire. It'll only work once.
The components are 1 voucher each, but you use them when you use the spell. If you want some you keep... it'll be 2 each.
8 for Polymorph and the cocoon. 12 for Web of Fire, and I'll give you string and phosphorus.
Sorry, magic is expensive.
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Also, I thought I'd check - what about a cantrip? Fire bolt would be useful, maybe less expensive?
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It's still magic, so the lowest I can go is 5. You won't be able to cast it back to back. After you cast it once, you have to wait at least 8 hours to cast it again. You can put more vouchers into it if you want. It'll shorten the wait time.
[caleb your long rest]
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The other question is, a friend of mine has magical blood. He bleeds on anything sharp enough to cut, and it becomes a magical weapon encased in ice. What would it cost to get something like this back for him?
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I don't think the school will let your magic work like you think it will back home. So forget all that. It works like this: You can exchange vouchers for different magic. Some you'll keep, some will be a single use. If you get to keep it, you can exchange more vouchers later to make it stronger, or last longer.
From me? 8 if he isn't in this dorm. He'll have to get something sharp enough to use if he doesn't already have it. That'll cost something, too.
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So if I understand correctly, it is essentially one spell at a time, but the amount of vouchers I have put into it determines the characteristics?
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Yeah. I can't give you an example because you've probably never played a video game before. You can buy your base spell back. And then you upgrade it as you get more vouchers.
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If I spend five on the fire bolt this week, will it be five less vouchers if next week I decide to upgrade to the Polymorph instead?
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Not quite. Say you bought the fire bolt. Next week, you can use vouchers to upgrade the fire bolt. If you want. If you didn't want to upgrade the fire bolt, can buy the polymorph and cocoon for 8.
They're separate, so one or the other. Here.
Make sense?
[oh, p.s. the mods convened to discuss adjusting things for the game and stuff, and decided it'd be a 24 hour cool down between uses rather than 8 hours!]
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I rather liked him. It was only a joke about my friend's frustrating personality, not his own.
Makes sense. And very helpful, when laid out this way. Allow me to think through my options and get back to you.
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Okay. Take your time.
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I heard a rumor that Chad is undercutting your prices.
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Figures. I go as low as I can. If he doesn't want to get as many, that's on him. Maybe he already has a lot.
I'm taking what I think it's worth. Do you really want five other people getting something like your Web of Fire for nothing?
It's a little weird to see you guys being eager to trade for dangerous stuff. I know something bad happened. But it's a school, not a coliseum.
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Ah. I was just being a little cheeky, I didn't mean to insult you. I understand how you feel. I invented that spell, and I wouldn't wish to see it used on some hapless person like Hiyori.
This is all a lot to read and I am not trying to barter with you. I'm afraid we've given a poor impression and I want us to be able to understand one another better, so this is an attempt at explanation.
These spells are mine. I have worked and studied to learn these spells. And the reason I have learned them is that I am not a strong man, or a brave man. I have been hunted and pursued by people far more powerful than I am for a long time now. These spells are what I have learned to protect myself and to protect my friends. And because I learned them, and because I have my friends, things have changed for me. I felt like an insect trying to hide under a rock for so long. No use to anyone, no good for anything but trying to stay alive. I was a coward and I travelled with these people for protection and I would have sacrificed any one of them if I had to. But I came to know them more, and we fought together, and over time I became more powerful and was able to do things, useful things, things that could help them and help other people, and I found that I liked it. And I forgot what it was to be such a coward.
I don't want Beauregard and Mollymauk to be concerned with protecting me. I don't want to be an insect under a rock. I didn't like spending that trial thinking that I should avoid doing too much or else I will draw danger onto myself and my friends. And I can't help them at all if I can't protect myself, but maybe if I can be a little less cautious, I can do a bit of good, too.
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I get it. Your point. I don't think it's wrong to want to be strong enough to protect yourself and your friends. I'm not any different. But your friends are going to worry about protecting you anyway because they're your friends. And that's what friends do.
I don't understand the magic, and I don't blame you for wanting things to help you.
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But as long as you understand. I don't want to pester you over all these details and leave you to think I mean to burn someone with a fireball.
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I'm still going to think you all are weirdos for asking for all this stuff. But it's fine.
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If this doesn't appeal to you, though, that is alright as well. I suppose I have not even asked whether or not you are a human in the first place.
May I ask - if I buy from you instead of Chad, it helps you in some way?
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Buying from me helps. It helps the dorm, too. And winning at the end of the year gets the dorm a pocket dimension.
If Chad isn't worried about winning, what does he need them for anyway?
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I can't afford the full spell yet either way, but perhaps I can buy the cocoon from you? I'd prefer to help our team. You said two vouchers for one that could be reused?
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Yeah, it's 2 for one you can reuse.
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I'll make that deal, then.
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