teachin stuff

[18:40] Anwar Ukitake says, "Oh."
[18:40] Anwar Ukitake asks, ".. You are the one they speak about knowing an odd magic, correct?"
[18:41] Eagleheart says, "I believe so."
[18:41] Anwar Ukitake says, "Would you do me the honor of a spar? I want to see it first hand."
[18:41] Tiff says, "Ooh yeah I wanna see."
[18:41] Eagleheart says, "You look a lot like... Someone who mastered that far beyond myself, actually."
[18:42] Eagleheart says, "But if it is your wish, I have no opposition regarding that."
[18:42] Eagleheart says, "I'm a bit... Affected from my latest trip, though. I might not be on my prime."
[18:42] Anwar Ukitake says, "I should introduce myself; I am Anwar. I am a Qilin and.. I get that a little bit."
[18:43] Anwar Ukitake says, ".. That's rough buddy.. I hope you recover soon."
[18:43] "MEI!" Comes the fae's voice with sound magic to enhance its sound. "Come watch they're gonna spar. An-war and The Masked Man."
(Tiff)
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[18:44] Eagleheart asks, "Audience... Not my thing. Do you mind if we use the woods instead of the Dojo?"
[18:44] Anwar Ukitake says, "That would be fine with me."
[18:45] Eagleheart says, "Here seems good enough."
[18:45] Eagleheart says, "... Besides, we can keep an eye if anyone appears by."
[18:46] Anwar Ukitake says, "This location seems satisfactory, and that is true."
[19:04] Heading out of the village, the Qilin would be led to a clearing by the masked man where they would be able to practice. Anwar took a deep breath in as a holy glow would surround them. Fires danced along his feet and the edges of his coat, showing his inexperience as the flame started to devour the ends of his clothing.

"I'm.. Not exactly good with magic. But I believe that this is something that I should see with my own eyes.."

Anwar swallows as he admitted such before taking a deep breath. The fires around him surged to life as the staff was taken off his back. Sky blue eyes stared towards Eagleheart.

"Please.. show me what you have."
(Anwar Ukitake)
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[19:16] Eagleheart almost stands perfectly still. His movements are a bit lacking, but the hammer is slowly transferred from his back towards his own hand. It floats amidst the air, although seemingly heavily carried, but it is accompanied by a soothing chime.

The chime itself echoes, as a soft breeze seems to be emitted from the surrounding ambience on the direction of the hammer. Is it the magic that he talked about? It becomes obvious in a short moment, as the man's voice echoes from the very surrounding environment.

"This is what you asked to see, I believe. Order magic-- I am not a master of it, but I believe... I am enough to show you about it." A curt nod, before the man's hammer started floating mid-air.

A soft breeze continued to echo around the battlefield, seemingly now converging on top of the Qilin.
(Eagleheart)
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[19:21] Order magic. It was strange, feeling quite different from most types of magic that Anwar encountered. But even more strange, there was a farmilarlity with it. The chime echoed around and the breeze is emitted, almost like forewarning as the power strikes, the Qilin being able to side step it for the most part.

Fire covers the grass as he swings his staff with his own less then mastered style. It is a bit wild, and seemed that in a prolonged fight would likely end with him overheating, but for the bout between the two he seemed able to maintain himself.

"That's.. ok. I'm not a master of fighting either. Show me what you can do please."

The hammer swings quick and the Qilin's hand raises. The force of the weapon is pulled inwards, then released towards Eagleheart in turn, throwing him off his footing. The Qilin is then able to connect with holy power, sending Eagleheart downwards.

Anwar bows.

"Thank you for showing me this."
(Anwar Ukitake)
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[19:28] The breezes were like a forewarning, not only of the man's strikes or the order magic that would soon begin to throw him around, but simply something that he seemed to follow. There was a soft sound echoing throughout the earth, but the man's movements followed the chime.

However, it was obvious that Eagleheart was still needing to improve on certain aspects. His style was certainly robust -- He could, to say the least, take an enormous beating and still draw breath. The fires were moving away, and occasionally, the man's fighting style would become clear.

Feet dug deep onto the ground, and the very magic that he used to move the hammer around while not carrying it -- Sort of as a measure to stop it from harming his moves -- seems to protect him, throwing the flames away and occasionally protecting himself entirely.

The blessing of the Qilin comes in handy, however. Eagleheart is soon victim to his own strikes. What would be a hell of a beating for any other person, is instead nothing but something that provoked slight scratches upon Anwar's skin, and in the end...

... Eagleheart is the one that takes his own beating in full strength, being finished off with holy energy, and finally falling down onto the ground. A quick hand stops him from falling entirely, the sound of mythril digging into the earth resonating for a brief moment.

Before he lets out a joyous laugh! And stands up, with a hand holding the mask still to the face.

"Excellent! You fight... Remarkably well, Anwar. I see why you were chosen. Some things transfer... Ah, nevermind. I'm going to start blabbering."

He bows in sequence.

"Are you satisfied with that? If you need anything related to that, I can easily show you."
(Eagleheart)
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[19:29] Mei Xiang whispers something.
[19:29] Tiff whispers something.
[19:29] Mei Xiang whispers something.
[19:29] Tiff whispers something.
[19:33] The battle was over and in a moment the holy energy turns, instead of doing harm it heals. Pain is nullified as the Qilin walked over, starting to extend his hand before watching Eagleheart stand from his position. Anwar would let out a heavy breath, sweat pouring from his brow.

"Thank you. I've.. been training. I'm not certain if I can protect everyone that I want to yet. But.. I was entrusted with the position of one of the Emperor's Guardians. I'll try to protect people all that I can.

I am satisfied seeing it. But I would ask if there was a way for you to show me how to do that. Watching it is one thing but.. I believe that if I was shown how to do it, I might be able to do that too. And then I'll be able to protect more people."
(Anwar Ukitake)
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[19:35] Tiff watched the fight, her uncovered eye widening with amazement as she not only sees but feels the kind of power Eagleheart wields. Despite Anwar being the victor, the fae still feels as though witnessing such a scene is a blessing and fully intends to continue pestering the masked man with her own desires to learn such a technique.

And as the fight comes to an end and he offers the invitation toward Anwar, the fairy can no longer contain herself. She flits off of the branch she was sitting on to watch it all and spins around the clearing. Sound magic echoes around her, as if she isn't satisfied with her normal voice to get her message across.

"You gotta show us too! We want to fight and fight against all the things An-war warned us about. You know, demons and vampires and sins and monsters of all kinds."

Her head tilts toward Anwar as he speaks of his own desires to protect and serve, and Tiff nods quickly, throwing a quick glance back to Mei.

"Yeah yeah yeah. We want to protect and stuff too! We're going to be real Fourfold Freedom Fighters."
(Tiff)
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[19:39] Like her smaller friend, Mei Xiang watched the fight with utmost curiosity. It was not only interesting to watch those that were much more skilled combat each other to see what they did, but the display of... whatever Eagleheart's magic was caught her attention greatly. She was initially reluctant to outright inquire about it at the immediate moment, but when Tiff goes for it, well...

She couldn't just sit back near the tree.

The young girl moves forward as well, closing the distance between herself and them as to not seem like a stranger.

"Tiff! Ya can't just ask like that... it'll make us seem like dorks!" she playfully scolded before setting her attention on the two.

"...but now that the cat's outta the bag, we... actually do wanna help 'n protect. Like Tiff said, me 'n her are gonna be real Fourfold Freedom Fighters...

...of justice."

She nods enthusiastically.
(Mei Xiang)
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[19:53] Eagleheart would SWEAT if he could through the mask. Too many people asking him to learn about something that he barely knew of himself -- Although slightly more than most, he was still just an apprentice, or so he said about it himself.

And truth be told, he had no idea how he managed to obtain it himself, neither how someone else could have it. Yet, he was sure he could try to teach a few kind souls about it -- But there were things that he wasn't allowed for, at least.

"Ah, I can teach you -- I have been trying to teach about the actual aspects of Order, instead of what people usually focus on..." And then, he rose a hand towards the mask, briefly adjusting it -- After all, all that movement didn't leave it perfectly upon his face.

"It's not what you expect, however. It is not like holy magic, born out of a wish to protect others. It is a blessing bestowed uponthose that help the Lifestream... On different ways. Order magi are kind of... Kraus' and humanity's maids."

"We seek to repair the mistakes that mankind does. Do not get me wrong -- It is naught but human to make mistakes, but there are those that need to be repaired afterwards. And overall, it is our goal as Order magi to provide maintenance for the lifestream."
(Eagleheart)
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[19:58] Anwar listened to the explanation. The sky blue eyes looked at Eagleheart and the Qilin crossed his arms over their chest. Without thinking, he would be quick to ask.

"Is the uniform required to be one of Kraus' and humanity's maids?.. I've been wondering why you were wearing it. It's not bad, but I've been really curious about that.

But I see. It's a blessing that comes to those who aim to help the.." The Qilin pauses.

"What's a Lifestream? I'll try to help protect it and repair it but that might be easier if I knew what it was."

The questions of a two year old.

Anwar would also look towards Mei and Tiff, offering them a meek smile. "Come closer. I think we all can be Freedom fighters of justice. We just need to protect those around us."
(Anwar Ukitake)
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[20:02] Tiff rolled her eye when Mei called them dorks but continued listening eagerly as Eagleheart and Anwar spoke. She considered everything the masked man had to say with weighted anticipation. The fae had taken the journey here to Agartha specifically in order to do practically exactly what he was saying; clean up the mess. Anwar himself had already more or less filled the fairy in on how bad things were, all she had to do was figure out the how because her why was more than set in stone.

"Uh huh, uh huh. That's what we want to do! Fix this place up from the ugly dump it's become. I've heard too, tOO, TOO much about the bad sort of things that happen here. And I wanna do what I can to help and fight and protect."

Being a fairy, she already had a general sense of what the Lifestream was, so she didn't prod too much into that subject but wouldn't be opposed to hearing Eagleheart's own answer. She smirks and looks between everyone.

"And yeah if there are actual uniforms, do they come in extra extra extra small?"
(Tiff)
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[20:10] Mei smiled at Eagleheart upon him confirming he could potentially be a teacher.

Unfortunately, she hadn't the slightest clue the man was growing overwhelmed, so she kept on the pressure, but not before he finishes his explanation on what exactly Order was, or atleast a general summary of how it worked. She had only recently gotten a grasp on her holy magic in general, so for something to be 'different' than it bewildered her a bit.

It wasn't something she couldn't pick up in time, though, or atleast she hoped.

She finds her interest peaking when the man mentions the lifestream, as well as Kraus and the being...

...maids.

She blinks.

"Ye-Yeah, what's... a lifestream- the Lifestream? Who's Kraus'- you're gonna tell us about that too, right?" A little laugh leaves her. "Ah, I wouldn't mind being a 'maid' that fixes all the problems on this continent!"

Whatever those problems were; she just wanted to be like the people she hung around everyday.
(Mei Xiang)
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[20:30] "The maid part was nothing but a comparison. I thought-- Well, if you don't know about the Lifestream or Kraus... You don't know about the Angels, or the creation of Eternia itself, I believe." A sigh came from the man, before his hand rose slightly -- As it trailed up, a faint breeze of wind seemed to follow, but there was no wind. It was extremely focused, as if only the part of the wind that he wanted was moving.

If only slightly, but it all seemed to fit perfectly. Every gap of air was filled almost immediately after, and so naturally the current of air was almost imperceptible. His voice, however, seems to continue to echo from the ambience surrounding them. Most specifically, the very trees and grasses, where life blooms and thrives, and sometimes, even inside themselves.

"Focus not on my metaphor. Listen, first and foremost, not to my opinion on the subject. I am biased, for I am one of the last walking Order Magi around. But you will hear, most likely from Shu, about a supposed handicap that comes with the pursuit of the Arcane."

"Do know that the uniform is a part of me -- For a few years ago, together with two fallen friends, I formed the Seekers to protect this very town and the continent from the threats that lied at our doorstep. It is not a requirement to wear masks... Even if I do not need it anymore." He raises a hand towards his own head, almost pulling the mask off for a brief instant, before pushing it back. A few dirty blonde hair strands are left out, quickly picked back onto behind the mask.

"Back to the lesson, however. The Arcane does not restrict you, and you should make no special effort to fit within it. Should you fit, should you help others, should you help the maintenance of the Lifestream, you will be able to feel yourself growing closer to it, and what remains is only to try and finally form that link."

"I do not know of why, and this was the subject of my study. If the Lifestream chooses those that help them, but... The Lifestream is the primordial source of mana on the world. Where all life flows, it is fed by the lifestream -- All energy that flows around is fueled by it. Some arts, like Chaos, and others aligned to Chaos to a certain point, like Rift Magic, Death Magic, Necromancy... These deal minor hits to the lifestream."

"And you may hear from others that the harm done to the lifestream is minor, for it does not stop the flow of mana, but it is a mistake. It flows through all of us..." A hand is risen to himself, and a faint glimpse of holy energy can be seen leaving his chest. In 'strings', it forms a link between himself, and then onto Mei, a constant flow of energy being seen. And then, with the index and middle finger seemingly guiding the formation of the string of holy energy, it flows from her to the fae right next to her, and the same pattern continues as it flows onto Anwar.

And finally, he guides it onto himself. "It is akin to this. A link, binding all life together, and whatever energy flows through me..." Soon enough, the string of holy magic seems to be speckled with cosmic mana. "... Will flow through you. And whatever energy flows onto any of you, will flow through all of us, until the link is complete."

And soon enough, he finishes it. The string connecting upon the qilin connects upon Eagleheart himself, and then finally, it seems to be launched upwards -- Northeast, most specifically, towards a specific stars. "Those that die, feed it. Those that live, feed it when they use their mana. And in the end, it flows through the stars, where the souls are purified so that life maybloom anew."
(Eagleheart)
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[20:42] Tiff's generally casual air gives way to a more serious one as Eagleheart's lecture begins. The fae stops zooming around and flitting her wings and instead chooses to sit on Mei's shoulder while they all listen. Each word carries significant meaning and despite what Tiff thought she already knew, there was plenty here she didn't. Though she had no memories of her previous life with the Mother Tree and the rest of the spirit realm, she did consistently feel that connection, even if it was weak, that Eagleheart illustrated using his magic.

Actually seeing it was something new entirely. The fairy's eye widened as she watched the strands connect Mei, herself, Anwar, and Eagleheart and she started understanding more of what they would be tasked with if they were to accept not only Eagleheart's teachings, but the blessings of the Lifestream as a whole.

Tiff knew it wouldn't be easy, not with all the enemies Eagleheart had named being filled with not only a significant variety, but also notorious amounts of each type throughout the continent of Agartha itself. This place was like a boat lost the darkness, a massive vessel whose hull was rotting and peeling away. And the fae knew that even if she were to succeed here, even if she were to master and utilize the sort of magic Eagleheart himself did, it would fall onto her shoulders to stand beside them as maybe the only handful of lights in that darkness; less than half a dozen candles wavering against an impossible hurricane.

Still she was determined. She wasn't sitting with her arms crossed her in any sort of usual, haughty way the fae was commonly seen in. Instead she was focused, ready to do what she had to. For once she was staying quiet though, as she didn't want to interrupt the lesson, especially if Anwar or Mei had any questions they wanted to ask.
(Tiff)
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[20:57] As Eagleheart went to explain, Mei found her mind wandering. She did listen closely to what he had to say, but the things he said just made her think about... everything, really. The young girl wasn't usually much a deep thinker like this, but the idea the LIfestream, as well as Kraus and the Angels simply amazed her.

Her interest only went up more as the man went on to physically make an example of what the Lifestream was, a tangible force that circulated all of their life energies through everyone. Not only that, but she actively gave to it when she casted magic as well?

Simply amazing.

She watched as he flowed the little string of holy mana through everyone present; it helped her grasp just how simple, yet wonderful the Stream was.

It actually felt nice knowing that she was part of something big, a good something at that. There's no way she'd want it to get damaged, and it saddens her when she learned of magics that actually did harm to the Lifestream, albeit minor.

With a thoughtful expression, she first looks at the ground, and then towards Eagleheart.

"...a bunch of little damage has to add up eventually, right? Another question- um, I heard of Reveler, and how he does... chaos. Is that the opposite of order?"
(Mei Xiang)
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[21:08] It was explained to Anwar, and the Qilin would onlook, focusing on the conversation. The Arcane was not a restriction, nor was it something that one had to fit into. If they were right for it, it would come to them and they would protect the Lifestream.. whatever that was. Anwar was given pause. He knew about how to defend others and protect the people around them, a feeling imbedded from being a Qilin, but his thoughts until now had not been focused upon the world at large.

"So what you're saying is we shouldn't try to force ourselves to it. If the link exists, we'll feel it? And we'll be able to help in the fixing of those minor hits?"

Anwar seemed a little lost, sky blue eyes empty but full of thought. The string of energy is connected in a pattern tween the group, and he looks at it, not quite seeing it but understanding it a little more.

"I think I understand. a little bit at least." He nods, trying to connect with the feeling on his own before hearing the next question.

"What is chaos?"
(Anwar Ukitake)
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[21:18] Itori asks, "Have any of you seen Xazlo?"
[21:20] Tiff exclaims, "Nope!"
[21:37] The faux lifestream formed between them soon enough vanishes after a wave of his own hand. "You will understand better. Those that follow the Emperor's tenets, follow Kraus' plans and make up for the flaws that he lacked the time and energy to complete, and those that follow the Krausite tenets will certainly feel the connection strengthening, although not to the point needed to attune to the Arcane."

"You will probably be told that Kraus abandoned all of us, and that this is why evil lives within this very lands. This evil... It breeds from Chaos, the primal beings of disorder that happened upon this location and struggled to stop Kraus' plans from happening."

"Chaos is a primal force that opposes. Imagine the world like a immense library, with books and information aplenty. Every single person is a book, containing endless lines about how their life went. But there are categories, there are standardsthat make organization for that. How they're classified depends only on the maker's structure... Kraus's structure."

"Chaos takes these books, and burns information, alters their fate, destroys lines and makes them stay away from what their true ending would be. Sometimes, in the case of necromancy, it seeks to keep their life going on, when in truth, they became a drain. An undead is one child less on the world. While the Lifestream does not feel it immensely on solely one person being resurrected, it feels when there are many. A single person less doesn't stop anyone... It can support many more. But a million resurrected? It might 'clog' the lifestream."

"In the end, Chaos seeks to destroy what Order builds. In the world's creation, according to Gehennan legends, the divine spirits tried to form the world and shape it accordingly to what they were told by the Maker, and the Primal Chaos tried to stop them from letting anything take form overall."

"They trapped it inside the moon, the primal forces. The Krausites call it Belial... There is a worshipper of Belial among these lands, too. They conduct cursed cosmic magic, imbued with the very pure Chaos that runs wild within these lands now."

"But not everything is black and white. Know this, while Chaos purified is bad, there are worse and more immediate threats that stem from it."
(Eagleheart)
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[21:49] Tiff once again listened intently to what Eagleheart was saying, trying to wrap her head around the concept of the beginning of creation and how it tied in to all of this. The way he was painting it was as if Order and Chaos were two forces of the universe that would constantly be at battle; one seeking to preserve and create life, the other trying forever to upend and alter it, change it to what it wanted if not tear it apart entirely. The fae thought to herself on this, on the idea that one could tap in to either power and utilize it in a more focalized state.

She'd heard of necromancy and the likes of it upon this continent; myths of a kingdom that had fallen and rumors of the Azraelites in the east who continued to grow. Tiff hadn't ventured that far herself but indeed feared what she might find if she ever did, not that she'd ever admit to being scared. The fairy continues listening, trying to put the pieces of the puzzle Eagleheart was offering into what she already assembled from her own understanding of things. Gehennan legends weren't something the fae was an expert on, but the divine spirits who shaped the world were something she had been taught in her youth, given her close connection to such creatures.

It saddened her to consider creatures such as a Belial cultist or necromancers or Chaos Magi who would want to tear apart a beautiful creation. Even if the rumors of Kraus' abandonment of the world were true, that still didn't mean mortals had a right to corrupt and ruin it. Things were becoming more and more clear, and the stories she'd heard of Agartha were now becoming fact that the fae could both listen about and see for herself.

Though for the time being, Tiff knew she was weak, small, just one fae against the tides of Agartha. It would take time for her to be able to stand up to anything larger than a dinner plate, and it would take even more time if she were to actually seek a way to leave a real difference here.

While she was growing discouraged with the thought, she once again remembered Eagleheart's pseudo-Lifestream he'd created and a small smiled spread across her face.

"Well... even if there's some nasty Belial worshipper out here running amok, at least we're not all alone. We've got Huangzhou and each other and maybe we stand a chance, right?"
(Tiff)
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[22:03] Mei Xiang's eyes light up some when the man makes mention of the Emperor's tenets. She wanted to interject immediately, but she held her tongue for now, deciding to listen more; it was a stepping stone to attune, but not quite there yet. She tilts her head occasionally at the tales of Kraus; the young girl was ignorant to the Krausite faith or Kraus himself for some reason.

Even if it was possible that the deity abandoned the world, she agreed with her friend in that the place shouldn't be ruined simply because they left.

It was all they had, anyway; ruining the Lifestream or upsetting any form of balance was definitely not worth it, because as she just learned, it would pretty much affect all of them.

His metaphors about them all being books 'written' by Order do well to concrete her grasp on it all. Chaos was... something that destroyed what Order built.

Not only that, but there were apparently an entity that was pure Chaos; she would remember the name 'Belial.'

"...this is a lot to take in, but- yeah, we have each other. We can stand up to and get rid of all that bad stuff that's happening to the world. What... other threats could there be, though- vampires?"
(Mei Xiang)
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[22:28] "Hope is a great guide, but the best teachers aren't people. Sadness, sorrow, suffering... It is something that we all will come across, unfortunately. You need to be the beacon of light unto yourselves, and you need to be the beacon of hope for others. Do not worry about these -- A determined person can go far above their own league." He said, almost cheeringly in response to what Tiff spoke. Obviously, this was nothing short of a motivational speech, but he didn't want to tell them of the hard part of it all so far. How things would turn to be more adverse than expected, at times, and how it was up to themselves to solve it.

Perhaps they'd pick that, at least partially, or so he hoped. "Kraus did not abandon us, children of his very soul. He still helps mankind -- The divine spirits are directly his creation, and so is the lifestream. All the world is his own blessing, and even if some parts, such as the demons, have gone wrong for the sabotage he suffered from Azrael..."

"... There are many things wrong, such as the vampires, yes. They are not chaos incarnate, such as the demons, but they are aligned to it in their own way. There are those that would deny it simply because they bear resemblance to humans, but this is not all there is."

He continued speaking, however, and pointed towards his own eyes. It's true that the mask was simply made of two empty spots on his eye, or at least they looked like that due to the black cloth that stayed in front of that.

"Their eyes are indication of something else. That they have gone beyond the planning of Kraus, that they have extended their lives for far too long. This breaks the natural order, and as such, while they are not, as I said before, chaos incarnate, they are still minions of it. Creations only allowed for those that tap on it."

"Vampires, demons, necromancers, death magi, rift magi, torturers, genocides..." He spoke, a hand made of pure mythril rising up -- and at each enemy spoken, he rose a finger. "... Evil in general. It is not necessarily Chaos aligned, but they're often closer towards it. The opposite is true. Good people aren't necessarily Order aligned, but they're often closer to that. Ikkaku, Ming... I lack examples beyond these that you'd know."

"But no threat is too big if you can withstand a few beatings and come out stronger. A strong body is important, but a stronger mind is necessary for thriving. Surviving trials that are already coming is only possible through sheer determination."
(Eagleheart)
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[22:36] "Who're Ikkaku and Ming? Oh wait--

Those are the statues in the fortress! I read that, yeah."

Tiff looked down in the grass as she listened more, observing the soft breeze that flowed through the forest they were standing in. Her own connection with nature wasn't great right now, as she was still seeking a way to call upon its aid. She was already attuned with the blessings of holy magic, as well as being her only little thundercloud when the time called for it. Sound and illusion magic were how she was going to try to bring more attention to herself but she still desired that something else that would push her over the top.

With Eagleheart going on about all the creations of Chaos and Evil that existed, she had to wonder if she and the other Fae and kind hearted people like Anwar and Mei were all that good ever created. It didn't really seem fair that there were so many monsters they'd have to go up against, but then as Eagleheart had said; sadness, sorrow, and suffering were a part of all of this. The fairy just hoped she wouldn't have to face those things too much in the long run...

She'd seen enough pain already.

"We've got our work cut out for us then don't we, with so many things coming our way. I still remember the demon who came in to town, it was terrify--- I mean-- evil! I wasn't scared I just... didn't know what to do is all."

Still, what Eagleheart had just said struck her strangely. Good and Order didn't always mingle?

"Do you mean like-- good people aren't always using Order magic? Or do you mean sometimes people using Order magic aren't good?"

The subject seemed like once to concern, at least if they were going to continue asking questions and learning about all of this, the fae didn't see why not ask some simple curiosities.
(Tiff)
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[22:45] Tiny fae axe Go!
(Tahki)
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[22:45] It was atleast good to know that Kraus didn't entirely abandon humanity.

Perhaps he had just taken a step back for a while? She didn't know, and her thoughts soon glanced over the topic, setting upon the idea of vampires and other creatures and abilities that, while weren't downright Chaos themselves, were pretty aligned to it. She was pretty set on the idea that anyone who practiced or involved themselves in these things were a downright minion to evil...

...until Eagleheart explained further; she could only wonder about the wisdom of this man, even if he claimed himself to be but an apprentice. It briefly made her think about what a master would be like on the subject.

"Maybe that is what he's saying- he said it isn't so black 'n white, ya know? So... that means evil-ish people aren't always entirely chaotic while good people aren't always entirely order aligned? I think that's the gist. The only true Chaos-thing is... demons."
(Mei Xiang)
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[23:08] Sonar asks, "Hey...people?"
[23:08] Sonar says, "Who wants to buy some..."
[23:08] The man shook his head, then, as if in an effort to relax by himself, he crossed both legs and slowly prepared to sit down. He floated slightly above the ground, mostly noticeable due to the lack of the sound of grass being crushed underneath.

"Good people aren't always using order, but the order magi can also do evil unaware of what they're doing. Sometimes, they will believe that it is what works best for the good of all, and it might not be correct. After all, it is only human to err."

He gestured slightly, a soft movement of the grasses being observed around him. There was still the soothing chime around his very presence and the ambience, albeit weaker.

"Evil isn't entirely chaotic, and good isn't entirely order aligned. The Demons are truly chaos, yes, but the only reason vampires aren't is that they were once human. It's as if their soul denies the possibility that they will become beings of pure chaos-- Even if their body has been entirely delivered to it."

"In a way, Order is to be human. It is nearly impossible to be... Evil, in a more general sense and ignoring potential culture influences, and still be aligned to Order. Sometimes, you'll do something that would hurt the lifestream. If that's the death of an innocent person, or necromancy fueled by pure love, it is only up to them."

"It is hard to be entirely clean, and it is hard to do no evil through all our lives, specially if evil is relative. My teacher, Raya L'Paix, named Rose Valiant back then due to... Being wanted, basically. She was claimed by others to be a homicide, for having killed her husband for no reason."

"In truth, she was the one to tell me the story beforehand. She killed her lover -- And it pained her so much, that she sought absolution, and that is when she delved into the path to Order. You see? What she did, however, wasn't considered a mistake by the angels. They saw, in it, her will to pass over primal desires... And do what had to be done, for the good of many."

"If her husband wasn't killed, perhaps he'd be the strongest Chaos Magi known to this day. Perhaps he would never occur against the tipping point that made people delve into Sin... But he was entirely delivering himself onto it. And remember what I said about effort?"

"Put enough effort into anything, and you'll earn it. Enough effort into becoming a sinner, and it'll be an easy task to find the tipping point. Yet, this is ignored. To others, to the one who tried to convince me that she was an evil person for that, there was nothing wrong with being a sinner."

"No matter how many they hurt."
(Eagleheart)
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[23:09] Sonar says, "Nevermind."
[23:09] Sonar leaves.
(Sonar)
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[23:21] "Order... and Angels? Are they connected?"

Tiff hadn't given much thought to the angels until they had been blatantly named in the conversation. While she was grasping that this sort of magic had to do with aiding and guarding the natural way of things, she was still trying to full grasp the notion that morals had behind it all. The way Eagleheart was explaining it, especially in the case of this Raya La'Paix, it seemed like there was always going to be some complex code of morality that would have to be followed. Not exactly being a good person, as the masked man had explained, but at least being someone who strived to be that.

It was as complex as love itself, and in this story she was told, love had clearly lost to 'righteousness' of some kind; a hellbent man killed by his wife who was trying to stick with the path Tiff and Mei were now looking down. The fae wondered how many people had made such a sacrifice to walk down this road and considered even what sacrifices she might have to make in the future in order to earn the benefits of the arcane herself.

Though the speech on work and effort helped some. Tiff had always believed if she pushed herself hard enough she'd achieve what she was after. After all, that's sort of the outlook she had to have, being so small and fragile in a world intended for much larger creatures that ruled and warred and fought. It was a wonder she was hanging around humans, given what she'd witness them do to her kin elsewhere, but she believed that condemning the entirety of a species was wrong. Clearly, at least between the three humans gathered here, Tiff had found some comfortability and trust that she normally may not share with those of their kind elsewhere.

"Have you ever known a fairy to utilize this sort of magic? Or even go far with it? Honestly I wanna help, Mister Eagleheart, it's why I came to Agartha. I want to fix something, help someone. My people need fighters who can stand up for ourselves because so many of us are just too small and weak to really do anything about it. I want to make sure people who pick on the weak learn their lesson.

Especially if they underestimate me."

She lets out a low growl with her last statement, thinking to herself about what she'd do to someone who may make the mistake of trying to harm her if she were to ever attain the talents they were learning about.
(Tiff)
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[23:41]
{LOAD GAME}

[23:44] Eagleheart's words regarding the best teachers echo in her mind when he tells of a Raya.

While she initially thought it would be easy to stop someone in the name of good and order, the implications of that slowly started to hit her. Apparently that woman had to kill her husband of all people to do good. On the surface is seemed like a terrible thing to do, killing someone- a love one at that. She briefly imagined a scenario where instead of Raya and her husband, it would be her own mother and father.

She didn't linger on it too long, for the thought was haunting, but atleast now she could understand it a bit better.

"I... kind of feel silly now. You know, I only started coming out here 'cause I just thought bein' with my parents on the farm was really boring. I wanted... fun, really, but now that I'm learning about all of this? About the Angels, 'n Kraus, 'n... Chaos 'n Order 'n all of the other things, it's really painting a bigger picture for me. When I see people like you 'n Anwar, Eagleheart? It kind of inspires me; I know we haven't even known each other for a day, but just seeing people like you makes me want to be great, like that, to be good."

She shuts her eyes momentarily, before opening them and smiling.

"I feel like I have a long way to go with all of this, but now I have a new drive! I wanna do this because it's... helping everybody, really. Following the ideals of Order and helping 'n fixin' the LIfestream is something I can get behind.

...that, and it's fun practicing and fighting."

Enthusiastic as her words were, Mei Xiang hadn't the slightest of idea of what it really meant to fight. She still wasn't sure if she could actually take a life, let alone of someone she knew... for the greater good.

She hoped she would be able to learn what it meant as time passed, because as Eagleheart said, her best teacher wouldn't be a person, but the sorrows and experiences that life would bring her.
(Mei Xiang)
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[23:49] Anwar's eyes have closed. The Qilin is focused, not on the conversation but on the concepts, on the idea of Order. On the surface it seems manageable, but with more and more depth and speaking of the past, the two year old becomes overwhelmed. The names and information scared him a little bit, and his cheeks were puffed up thinking it all over.

"I want to be able to do it.. to help maintain the lifestream. But like Mei says, we have a long way to go. For now I think we can help with what we can help. We can keep an eye out for bad people and try to stop them, and we can help people who want to do good.

There's a lot we can do. I want to start working on that."

The Qilin opens his eyes, looking to each of the people there.

"I think I'm at my limit for learning right now. But I'd like to talk about all this with you more later. Thank you for your time. I think I will head back to Huangzhou."

Anwar would politely bow.
(Anwar Ukitake)
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[23:57] The Seeker turns towards Anwar, and nods in his direction. A hand is risen, and a slight wave is sent his way. "Peace be with you, friend. A rest is necessary to have the information stick to your mind, after all."

He let out a small laugh, echoing not from the ambience this time around-- But uniquely from himself. It is, to say the least, hearty and filled with life to the brim. Yet, there was something about this whole situation that... Brought happiness to him.

Even if it was mostly invisible, due to the mask. Having it often rendered himself effectively emotionless to others, it was surely something that could be managed through most of the time, but as of now, he actually considered removing the mask for a few moments.

But there were still reasons as to why he wore it. Different from before, of course, but there were reasons nonetheless. "There was a fae to delve into rift magic. Nyphadora. You might find it easier to deal with the lifestream yourself, fae, as your kind is born from its very will."

"Do not fret, though. There is no rush. And after all, let me tell you of what Shu said... Do not consider it as a substitute to yourselves. Do not make any sacrifices that your heart doesn't tell you to make, or have it as a substitute to your own faith."

"It is a blessing, but it is not something you should aim for. Mastery over the Arcane is an extra, it does not complete anyone. And equally, as much as it is a weapon... Do not think of it like that."

"Do what you wish, and aim to be better. That's all I have to say!" He let out yet another laughter, before finally landing back -- It was almost like he simply lifted himself back to an upright standing position, mythril-covered feet heavily digging into the ground.

"As I said, I am not fit to be a teacher in that. It is something you must learn yourselves!"
(Eagleheart)
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[00:05] "Didn't you just say rift magic is bad though?"

Tiff tapped on her chin and filed the name away for later; Nyphadora. She'd met Tahki and Ralis so far as others of their kind who were flitting around. And while what Eagleheart said was true about fairies being more adept at dealing with the Lifestream itself, Tiff knew it would take time to even manage what she alone was capable of. It made her wonder even more how challenging this all may be for Mei.

And then there's that caveat: Don't think of it as a weapon, or something that completes you. The notion almost makes Tiff roll her eyes but she refrained. After all, the seeker had a point, even if for the time being it wasn't entirely heeded. Tiff wanted to be able to fight back, she wanted to be able to stand in the way of all the evils this world would throw at her, at Mei, at Huangzhou, at any sort of person who was trying to just live their life and get by.

It would be something the fae would have to come to terms with over time.

"I suppose for now I've got my own tricks up my sleeve... but yeah, that sort of magic looks nifty regardless. If we're to learn it ourselves, do you have any tips on where to start?"
(Tiff)
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[00:14] Just like Tiff, the advice spoken by Eagleheart is most definitely noted.

She was to not use it as a substitute to herself. She was to follow her heart.

From those words, Mei Xiang utters a quiet sigh of relief for one reason another; she was worried that some time down the line she would have to struggle to do the right thing, even if her heart said it was wrong.

She definitely couldn't be wrong or 'evil' if she followed her heart, yep.

"...not a weapon, but a blessing..." She muttered in response.

"I understand! It's kinda ironic that something born from the Lifestream is damaging it- er... anyway, like Tiff said, are there any sort of tips? You've been a great teacher so far, so thank you a lot for the information, Eagleheart."
(Mei Xiang)
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[00:20] He seemed to not understand the need for tips. "Tips?" He said, the voice finally vanishing from the ambient around them, but still remaining upon himself. At least, it reverberated from under the mask.

He let out a small laughter. "I wish I had. Everything you learned were as close as I could give to tips, but they are lessons. The Arcane is something easy to grasp and understand, but something hard to attune yourself to."

He rose a single dismissive hand. "I will, however, host small classes about the angels and their works every now and then... If you'd like to learn more, even if they aren't one and the same, they are often related."
(Eagleheart)
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[00:24] "Why certainly. Wouldn't miss some Angels 101 for the world! Right Mei?"

The fairy nudges Mei's shoulder she's sitting on and snickers to herself. Her mind considers all the possibilities of what these lessons might bring, and she's already trying to figure out how she might 'attune' herself to the Lifestream. She'd have to ask Ralis if he had any books or something.
(Tiff)
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[00:30] Mei smiles and nods in agreement.

"Yeah! I wouldn't miss out on that. I realized there's actually... a LOT of things I don't really know about. Learnin' more'll make me look a lot more smart...!"

She chuckles at her own wit.
(Mei Xiang)
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