Can't be a wizard without a hat

[les_magique]

[Video]

I have taken the time to figure out the use of this communication device for two reasons. The first is to show off my hat.

[She has a hat on. It's a wide brimmed pointy hat that looks exactly like the kind of hat a wizard would wear. She looks quite pleased to have it.]

I suppose a hat isn't that important in the grand scheme of things, but I like this hat, and having ANYTHING from home is something of a luxury, given our current situation.

Anyways the other thing I wanted to talk about isn't quite so trivial. I'm curious about magic.

I have spent the last few years devoted to unlocking magic's mysteries, you see, and I THOUGHT I was making good headway. But now that I'm here, I'm realizing that this is a MUCH more complicated subject than I thought it was. Magic works entirely differently depending on what world you come from. Some worlds don't even HAVE magic in the first place!

So if you know anything about how magic works in your world, I would be interested in comparing notes.

[And then, a minute later.]

Oh right also. Gladio, if you wanted to try teleportation, now seems like as good a time as any.

Comments

[les_magique]

I'm not some kind of world exploring adventurer, I'm sad to say. I have ridden a horse before. I didn't fall off. My knowledge of swords ends at "pointy end goes in the other guy."

[laurefindil]

That is the most important part, actually.

Though, if you do not know how to ride a horse, how do you usually get around?

It is important to be a well-rounded wizard. How many languages do you read and write? Can you use a bow?

[les_magique]

Uh...

[She suddenly feels inadequate.]

I had a flying carpet, but really I don't travel a lot? I traveled to the capital by carriage and I've lived their ever since. I know the common tongue of man, and I know a bit of elven. I've never used a bow in my life.

[laurefindil]

A flying carpet! That's pretty impressive! [Glorfindel gives a whistle of amazement.]

Ah, but you are probably very busy with being a wizard. I know Mithrandir and Radagast were always having things they needed to get done. Especially if you lived in the capital. Which elven language do you know?

Perhaps in a city, in a civilized world, there is not as much call for bow-skills. [He looks a bit wistful.] That must be nice.

[les_magique]

As far as I know, there's only one elven language. But then, I've only ever met one elf, and she wasn't a great teacher.

[She was younger than Samata, for one thing.]

Anyways in my world I am the first wizard. There wasn't even a word for wizardry until I made it up! I've been figuring out how magic works and teaching apprentices and dodging assassins from the church, so I haven't had much time to brush up on my swordsmanship or equestrianism.

[laurefindil]

Ah, on my world each group of Elves has their own, but Quenyan and Sindarin are the most common. It is a shame the elf you met was not a better teacher. But there are more than one elf on this train, perhaps if one of us has something you wish to learn, we will prove better.

That is pretty impressive! Handling apprentices is quite tricky. [He laughs] Perhaps even trickier than dodging assassins, but it is a different skill set. To do all this by yourself...You definitely deserve such a nice hat.

[les_magique]

That's interesting, actually. They say that in the dark ages, there were dozens of languages that every race spoke, but then Istavan organized everything, and now it's much simpler.

I can't deny though that even in the capital, there are dozens of different kinds of names and cooking and architectural styles. I've often thought that to be left over from those very dark ages.

[laurefindil]

Simpler is...not always better. I suppose it depends on the situation, of course. But, suppressing the native cultures can foster a feeling of resentment against the ones doing it.

Why are they called dark ages, on your world?

[les_magique]

Before Istavan brought magic and law to the world, everyone just lived in chaos. It was total chaos, with the strong preying on the weak.

That's how they always described it in church, anyways.

[laurefindil]

Magic and law are both important, but so is a certain amount of chaos.

There are no slaves or lower class people in your world now?

What is 'church'?

[tomatowizard]

You're asking the real big questions, aren't you?

[She started with the easy one.]

A church is like...a building devoted to honoring Istavan. Or the church is the organization dedicated to honoring Istavan as a whole.

[Then the hard one.]

Yes, there are still haves and have-nots. But it's...organized. The people on top are the people who are SUPPOSED to be on top. They are the ones Istavan blessed with sorcerous power. That they have magic in their blood is supposed to be proof that they're supposed to be the ones in charge.

So, naturally, when I figured out that there's a method by which any commoner can use magic, the church didn't take to kindly to it.

[Thus, the assassins.]

[laurefindil]

Someone has to, or how do we know the answers are the right ones?

A building devoted to honoring your god. How odd. Well, aside from the smithies devoted to Aule, we really don't do that on my world.

But...are these people with power good people or do they use their power for evil? Having power should never be an excuse to mistreat those who do not have it, for example. [Elves are very democratic for being ruled by a monarchy and aristocracy.]