Saturday, October 15, 2011

Shiva's Arms

Alright, I have some time to update here, so I will.  I think it's time to elaborate on the things I learned and the abilities I gained during my time with Vassago.

First off, the reason I entered Vassago's tutelage, the runecraft.  Some basic thing about runecraft, first, I think.  First off, the things I already knew.  Runes are basically writing enforcing a person's will, but there is one thing that makes it so you can't just write down "Explodes when someone touches it" on a rock and it works as described.  Only certain alphabets function in runecraft, specifically ones passed on from gods.  In other words, the speech of the gods , which already carried immense power, continues to in runes.

That said, the runes' function is determined by two things.  The first is what is written.  For example, a textbook explosive rune would read as something similar to "round fire wind".  The other determining factor is the intent behind the rune.  The "round fire wind" runeset could be used for an explosion, or as a circular wall of flame, all depending on how the runecrafter wants the glyph to function.

Part of the rune's strength and longevity is in how it is written.  A sharpie-on-paper runeset might be quick, but it will not last long, nor will it be particularly strong.  A rune carved into solid diamond, however, will last neigh-forever, and be extremely potent.

Another point to make is that runes don't last forever.  The willpower the crafter put into them eventually wears out, much like a battery.  Thus, some runes, like a durable explosion rune, must be recharged after each use.  This can come in handy with the "round fire wind" runeset, because you can change the usage each time you charge it.

One perceived weakness of runes is that most of them, unless otherwise crafted, glow.  This is a misconception in many cases.  Runes that cause a direct physical effect, such as wings, appendages, and elevators (I've been having fun the last few days), function better when glowing, the light serving as a radiant force.  Glowing glyphs also have the advantage of not having to be set on a solid object, the light serving as its own medium.

Something else to take into account is that simple glyphs can be effective, but more complex ones can be even more so, but even more important, complex ones can be safer.  The difference between "explode on contact" and "explode on contact with living being" is huge.  Crafting at one symbol a minute, the explode on contact takes about an hour, while the contact with living creature glyph would take about a day of nonstop carving.  If you were to be as specific as "explode on contact with human being," you're looking at about a week.  I won't even get into specific people.

As far as charging / recharging goes, the benchmark for time is around one second per letter, but that can change with the crafter's willpower.  Additionally, it can only be charged with someone who had a hand in carving it.  If it is charged by someone who didn't carve any of it, the glyph rejects the will, resulting in what could be functionally called feedback.  For an idea as to what the feedback would feel like, put a very loud, very high-pitched klaxon on your mp3 player, set it to loop, and stare into a strobe light for an hour while listening to it.

Even more interesting is if a glyph is charged by one of its crafters, but charged with an incorrect intention.  The glyph accepts the will, and interprets the will as best as possible in the context of the writing.  If I were to take my "round fire wind" glyph and charge it with the intention of "pour water," the result would be something along the lines of a sprinkler.  Spraying lava. It's a handy way to trip up other runecrafters, providing it doesn't (sometimes literally) backfire.  Messing with alternate interpretations should be approached in the same way as a literal djinn, not at all, under any circumstances, ever.

That's all I can think of for now, so I will comment on the most interesting side effect of my trip to Hell.  I noted before how my perception of time was roughly fifty-two times the speed of reality at large, meaning I lived a year in the space of a week.  This perception of time, or rather, the ability to shift into it, stayed with me when I returned.  I have retained the ability to enter bullet-time.  This comes in extremely handy when I am crafting, as I can carve a week-long rune in approximately three and a half hours.

Also, I have wings.  Glowing, rune-y, angelic wings.  I love them.  So does Lucia.

Life is good.

38 comments:

Tori said...

I am mad jealous of your wings. I've always been quite partial to wings.....

You go know that if she ever sees you the first thing that will probably come out of her mouth is "Can I touch your wingsss?" ~Vic

Clark said...

I misread before, my apologies. You are welcome to visit, however.

A. Lucia Cat said...

My Clarky-wings! D=< Hahaha.

In all seriousness though, they're soft and strong and flying is amazing...I'm thrilled. =D

Phobos said...

Wings? That's awesome. I wish I could fly now. T_T

Clark said...

It's a perk of knowing five ancient alphabets and having ten months of bullet-time to spend on a dream.

Tori said...

:D I'm so visiting~ Oh. My. God. I should visit on Samhain (Halloween). Then we can go beg for candy from strangers! :D No, I will never grow out of that. Think of it as a way to celebrate your full use of your legs~

And you can flaunt your wings~ But seriously email me at torifrancis@rocketmail.com and we can find a day or something :3

And Nate: You're a butterfly, you can ALREADY fly~ XD

A. Lucia Cat said...

Just tossing it out there, the wings get even better, hehe. He's channeled his inner Sephiroth~.

P.S. Clarky, you should keep them that way. The one black wing is quite becoming of you. It's so soft, too. X3 I'm looking forward to seeing you again.

Clark said...

I seriously considered it, but the whole 'traitorous monstrosity' aspect is acting as a deterrent. Looking forward to seeing you again, too. Not that we have to plan ahead much. hahaha

Phobos said...

Clark:

Nate and Prophet are... Incapacitated. Watch your back so they don't get you too.

-Phobos

Clark said...

Watch my back, or keep recharging the explosive runes I have to do that for me? Do remember that I put Lucia's, Tony's, and my safety above all else.

Phobos said...

No, I mean be careful. Whatever got them will be after you next. And if it got Nate, Prophet and Oliver with little effort...

-Phobos

Clark said...

Then you only need say the words and all such beings will no longer be a problem. Or let them get to me. Either way, everything like them disintegrates.

Phobos said...

The problem is, this isn't a Fear. This isn't a Tall one.

Whatever this is, it's nigh on invincible.

-Phobos

Clark said...

It's base materials may be invincible, but that doesn't mean I can't separate them.

Clark said...

Hmm, I sense a boom coming on... I see Nathan peeking in my window...

BLINDPROPHET said...

Clark?!?!
There are FUCKING DEAD KIDS.
IKILLEDTHEM
Help me.

Clark said...

Stay calm, and wait a moment while I decide whether to reduce Nathan to a smear on a wall. Lu, if you're reading this, care to give a suggestion?

BLINDPROPHET said...

Don't hurt him, he should wake up soon.

Clark, we can't stop this thing.

It killed Oliver i think.

Clark said...

...Lu, still any suggestions on the whole Nathan / smear thing? Apparently I need to look up something in my old book of exorcism that Vassago told me about. Something about having an omniscient demon tutor you on all the happenings to come makes you awduly prepared for all eventualities.

Phobos said...

Killing it won't work. Something reacted with his fear blood, made him into some kind of monster. I shot his head and legs off, they just reformed.

Clark said...

What part of 'magical all-knowing clairvoyant demon prince telling this shit to me last week/year' don't you guys get? Let me rummage around in a book for literally two minutes and this thing will stop existing.

Phobos said...

Then try it, I guarantee he'll come back instantly.

Clark said...

Magic. Demon. Prince. Who says it's gonna DIE? Vassago owes one of the other princes a favor. Specifically a pet. I just get to serve as the delivery boy. Arcane UPS.

Phobos said...

Then send it to hell. THIS THING IS CAPABLE OF WARPING REALITY. IT. WILL. COME. BACK.

Clark said...

Capable of warping reality more than, and I say this again, a group of HUNDREDS of GODLIKE DEMON PRINCES who regularly must keep track of their THOUSANDS of similarly reality warping lesser demons. Demon princes that, by the way, are flawlessly clairvoyant, and would know if this were going to fail in any way. I really have trouble believing anyone could be so dense as to not understand this. The glyph is activating now.

Phobos said...

Fine, see what I mean firsthand.

Clark said...

Going, going, gone. Like I said. And, just to ease your hyperactive imagination, I'm keeping the glyph active. If the one in zero chance of it escaping occurs, it'll just be sucked back in.

Phobos said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Clark said...

You know, I can't stand the sensationalists. Especially the ones that can't accept that their fad is so easily defeated. Boom. Gone.

Phobos said...

Well that was rather anticlimactic. Did the dark force go with him, or is that still a problem?

Clark said...

Active suction means if it is, it won't be for long. The only thing that could remain was called an Actershon in my old Necromancy books. Basically it's what happens when a ghost leaves a ghost behind. The only disadvantage there: I wouldn't be able to see it. I never saw Nathan while he was truly alive, nor could anything I could do affect him. A person would have had to know him in true life to interact at all with his Actershon.

Phobos said...

So he's here... Just a ghost?

Clark said...

No. The best description I could find of an Actershon was something like Damien's early entries into his fake Slenderblog, when it was still fake, but in a factual book.

A. Lucia Cat said...

Dear fucking god, it doesn't seem like I can take a nap without some new menace popping up and then being 'sploded back down.

Is everything okay, Clarky? What hit Nate, now...? o.o

Clark said...

Alright, this might put you at ease, the book's description of an Actershon's appearance: To ascertain the Ascershon's looks, first determine the method of their death, and reverse it in a most excessive way. An example, my student, who was beheaded for treason, appeared to me a man whose head had torn through his chest as a cannon ball, and rested around his navel, the rest of his torso spread out in a manner most gory.

So, pretty much, rewind his death and then keep going, and you know what to look for.

Clark said...

Seems to have been some evil, possessing spirit than Vassago wanted to give to another Prince to settle a debt. He gave me the exact glyph to trap it about three weeks / a few hours into my tutelage.

Stumpy said...

Seems like "Prophet" is gone.
Good riddance.

Clark said...

Lots of things have changed recently, true.