abraxaslogs | One must always be careful of books

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One must always be careful of books

WHO: Istredd and you
WHAT: Catch-all for December!
WHERE: Thorne, Nocwich, Horizon
WHEN: December

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Someone suddenly speaking him does in fact startle Claude and to the point where he outwardly shows it by jumping a little. It had taken no time at all for him to become absorbed in the book and all its details, all those descriptions of some place he's unlikely to ever see and the history of it he's barely scratched the surface of if the amount of information gleaned so far is anything to go by.

When he peers up towards where it seemed like the voice echoed down from, there's no one there at first. He straightens up in his seat - considering he's clearly been perceived and there's no reason to act as if that's not the case - and when the man in question appears Claude regards him with interest he doesn't bother to hide. Especially considering that anyone who not only can float but has created this? Is someone he wants to know.

"Your domain has books meant for others to complete?" Claude considers this as he shuts the book open on his lap with a couple fingers between the pages to serve as a bookmark. "I'd assumed they might all be yours which is impressive enough, but I think this might be even more so. That's a good way to collect accounts we may otherwise never read."

We being the operative word there; not a slip of the tongue but a deliberate choice considering that means all the more volumes to browse. That can wait since he studies the man once again with a half-smile. "But that begs a question if you'll humor me: have you read everything in here to know when something new is added?" Something likely explained in the other's domain being set to respond to those who visit, but intrigue demands he ask. Or something like that.

"Yes, I suppose in a way I thought it could be a communal library. As such there are many books in here that are blank and can be filled by other people."

Istredd thinks perhaps he needs to put up a sign somewhere so people can know that going in and not have to wait on him for instructions. Although self-discovery can be very fun too. But it might make them feel more comfortable from the get-go. He's never really had space of his own before, not like this, so it's all work in progress. His favorite state of being.

This tower of books wasn't supposed to be just a collection of his texts, he saw it as a library from the start, so he designed it that way without really knowing. He spends so much time in libraries at this point that he figured it would be the best use of his efforts. A Summoned library. The ultimate amount of learning about Spheres.

He hears the we and smiles faintly; ah, an intellectual. It's exactly the reaction Istredd would have going into a space like this. He doesn't mind, that is exactly what he had in mind.

"I know when something has been added, but that doesn't mean I can necessarily read it. It depends on the visitor." Istredd pauses and considers how to word this correctly. Some things make sense when it comes to telepaths or people who own spaces, but it's more confusing to outsiders. "Some people, their books will only be full when they're in here thinking about them, or if they're in the Horizon so their mind is connected to it. It is a little more about willpower. If you want a book but don't want to share it, you can simply think that way and it will be blank to anyone else."

The books being enchanted to have some level of security in enchantments even within the Horizon itself has Claude glancing back to the book in his lap. So it is a conscious decision on this man's part to share this history of some world, if not his own, and the same for anyone who might have visited to leave their own books behind. Such a thing being possible - even in the limitlessness of the Horizon - had never occurred to him; Claude's settled for hiding books he'd rather others didn't read in locked spaces in his own domain.

The book he was reading about spheres can wait. If it's as attuned to his reading desires as he's been told, then surely it'll remember where he left off reading when he picks it up next. Claude sets it on the side table (and ignores that the side table also looks uncannily like one from his grandfather's study) and looks to the shelves nearby. As somewhat promised, there's some which appear to have no titles and when he picks up one in particular, the pages inside have nothing upon them. All the more reason to shut it and concentrate. The book suddenly grows in pages and changes to resemble one ancient tome he has in mind from Garreg Mach's library documenting life as it was known to those who wrote it originally within its covers.

The completed book is held out in Claude's left hand as he also offers his right for a handshake if the man's so inclined. "In that case, it seems only fair to repay the hospitality by contributing to what's held here with a copy of the history of Fodlan which is the... continent where I'm from. And I'm Claude von Riegan, by the way. It's nice to meet you."

Istredd loves books and knowledge, and it would be his hope that people might be eagerly willing to either share their own texts or leave them in a way he can peruse them later, but he also respects reasons people might have to keep them private. This is technically his domain, but he already sees it as a place he doesn't mind sharing. He knows that Wanda comes in here on her own, sometimes to read a book and relax away from other problems. He wouldn't mind that happening for others.

His eyebrows go up as Claude fills one of the empty books and his smile is very genuine when it is handed over. The handshake is returned although he's only started to do them regularly. "A sincere pleasure to meet you, Claude. I'm Istredd." No last name. He doesn't even have an 'of' in his name like many of the others do.

"I'm a historian, so I am very excited to read about your sphere." Historian, archaeologist, and scholar. He considers those his true profession, although mage is always going to be a big part of his identity. Istredd broke away from his home and fellow mages to focus on his actual interests, although he would always return there, sooner or later.

"You may already have noticed the domain creates a reading spot for you intuitively. It changes depending on the person." Istredd does have some generic ones he's made, but almost always it depends on who comes in. He can't explain how any of this happened exactly, but it just was made like this. Perhaps it came from his heart as a wish, something he could imagine as his ideal home.

"A historian. Were you one before arriving here or have you become one since?" He's heard of career shifts like that - and has been through one himself, what with having to adapt from what he'd known like most everyone else - but Istredd is the first historian he's heard of among the Summoned. Sphere sets off that distant bell in the back of Claude's mind once more, but it doesn't seem as important as what's here in front of him. Whatever it is can wait.

Especially at the mention he hasn't imagined that much of where he was sitting looks familiar, and Claude casts a quick glance back at it in confirmation of it that he doesn't need. "I'm glad you said that, about the reading spaces and how they shift to what someone might have in mind. There's a table much like this one that's been in my mother's side of the family for generations, and I thought I was hallucinating it being here for a minute when I know it's sitting right where I left it at home."

If it was a hallucination, it'd be a pleasant one which is more than he can say for past-Horizon induced visions. Curiosity about what will show up the next time he walks in has Claude making a mental note to return sometime soon even if he's not left on this particular visit yet. Possibly a bad sign for Istredd if the man was hoping for someone not there as often as they can be with this many books to peruse, but that brings another thought to mind.

"Not that it's home or anything I consider as such, but I haven't seen you around Cadens before. Are you located there or somewhere else?"

"I've been one for a long time. Over sixty years at least. I'm also a mage, and in my sphere, we are long-lived."

Istredd has seen reactions to his age reveal mostly all seem surprised so he's just getting ahead of that. Lucifer is one of the few people who didn't blink an eye at that, and it's because Istredd knows now that he is much older. Older than him, older than the most aged of the mages he knows. Istredd is glad to have a long life since that gives him so much time to learn and he looks toward his centuries with curiosity rather than it feeling too long. He may feel differently in time, but he's still relatively young, for a mage.

"As a telepath, I suppose the psychic nature of this place keyed into my instinctive wishes. Such as a library anyone could fill with their knowledge or the ability for people to intuitively create their own comfortable spaces to read."

Istredd isn't certain it was an entirely conscious what happened. He does remember precisely creating the tower of books, or the monolith of books before, and that part was intentional. He wanted an ideal creation he never could have had before. But the unconscious additions of how other people could add was another thing. He can tell the Horizon and the Singularity are just good at these things. They react to wants and needs. It's incredible.

He doesn't know many people from Free Cities, outside of Geralt and Cirilla, so he is intrigued by meeting someone independent of them. Or at least he hopes so, honestly, he is not on good terms currently. "I'm in Thorne. Some of their books are here as well, I've memorized a few of the beginner's academic spellbooks." Which could be very good news for someone who wants to learn. "I volunteered to train people new to magic, so I read them many times." And now here they are.

The mention of sixty years and longevity gets a slight eye narrow from Claude, there and gone in a flash, because: sixty? That's nowhere near whatever age he might've guessed Istredd could be, having maybe thought half of that or so. But. Looks can be deceiving as he'd learned with Rhea who was several hundred years older than she appeared. Perhaps the same thing is at play here. Though unlike Rhea, at least Istredd is being upfront about whatever's tied to this, whatever the unknown might be.

"A telepath," he repeats, considering what word he's not familiar with could mean in the context of what Istredd's provided and previously explained about how his domain works. "There's something further to do with our minds in that case? Rather than just the connection to the Singularity alone creating everything we have? I can't say I fully understand being, well, here," with a gesture to around them meant to encompass the Horizon as a whole, "but it's been a rather fortunate way to meet people."

Such as Istredd himself, someone who Claude's rapidly finding fascinating, and offers smile meant to say as much. "Especially considering the two of us being in different places, as unless things suddenly became much less tense - and Nocwich wasn't an option - it'd be unlikely for us to ever meet in person or know the other existed.

"But speaking of Thorne, I've heard much about their magic from others but not from anyone in Thorne themselves. Much of what I've heard makes it seem like the magic popular there resembles what I know from where I'm from, in terms of learning from spellbooks or other texts."

"A telepath is someone who can connect their mind with someone else. It is something like how we can send messages to each other, only they can do it all the time if they wish. Within reason."

Istredd is a polite person, he doesn't read people's minds or push his way in, he asks permission and respects boundaries. But he has the ability to do it more aggressively. He was trained on breaking other people's minds and forcing information out of them, thanks to his mentor who actively does the same. And because of Stregobor's general terribleness, it means he would never do the same unless it is the only way. Even then, he doesn't want to. This domain is a love letter to the positive things about being a psychic mage, about how smoothly a mind can create given the space and encouragement.

"This exists on the psychic plane, meaning it's in our minds. The crater does exist in the real world, and the people of this world will die if they go into it, but not us. We end up here." Outside of one time of the year, which is coming up shortly and will mean a great deal to him. "I can read minds and create grand illusions, but no one in the history of our magic would be able to make this. But the Singularity isn't a person."

Istredd is still trying to find out what it is; it is certainly not a rock. Not a monolith. It must be pure power, of a kind, filling this sphere with powerful magic. It's beautiful. He's slightly in love with it, as a concept. He turns his attention back to Claude.

"I haven't had many visitors, although I did a recent remodeling of the outside. I suppose it was rather foreboding before." The giant monolith to him represented many things, but in truth it was probably unnerving to other people. He removed it when Cirilla was upset by it. Perhaps having a visitor proves that it was a good idea.

"Thorne leans heavily on academic magic, spellbooks, covering every type of magic this realm has. Probably more than we see, as they control everything we are able to get our hands on." That means Istredd does believe there are higher level books, such as the one that brought them here in the first place. He can look for forbidden books all he wants. It's unlikely to happen. "But anyone can become a very strong mage spending enough time there." So that is why her Majesty has so many extremely powerful mages at hand. The type who could rain meteors down.

"Thorne is a prison." Istredd speaks bluntly because they are here. "We are trapped there, barely allowed to go out of the castle. They threw Summoned in the dungeon before. I have tested the wards myself. They're listening all the time, there's no privacy. You can get arrested for speaking out of turn about the monarchy. Understand that if you speak to more of us. It is not the way we've heard others live. We can't make businesses or really have jobs of our own. We're dependent on them."

The short explanation of telepathy is intriguing and leaves Claude with more questions than he feels it particularly answered. The biggest one is, of course, being whether Istredd can sense thoughts, feelings, anything all the time. And with that Claude, someone intent on hiding anything he doesn't want to reveal, has some reservations if so.

Now's not the time to get into that as the Singularity's abilities surpassing what Istredd knows to be possible in his world catches his attention. It matches what Claude understands to be true about Fodlan, even with the reveal of Shambhala and the technologies there, but even those were also created by people. That the Singularity wasn't: it makes sense and is also ever so slightly unnerving. Another thing to add to the ever growing list of said things Abraxas has brought to his attention.

None of that compares to the information about Thorne which Istredd gives him simply because he'd asked. Claude had been absently studying a nearby bookshelf while nodding at the explanation of Thorne's magic, but the word prison rivets his gaze back onto the other man in an instant. There's many meanings to calling something a prison and Istredd provides several rather quickly while Claude listens with a grim look.

"I've heard it was also once a literal prison for many people brought here some time ago," he says almost offhand, if only because that was also included in Istredd's explanation and Claude means it more to underscore it's known to be a prison even outside of Thorne's boundaries. "There are people I've spoken to there, mostly in the aftermath of the attack on Libertas as we were fortunate enough to meet in Nocwich first before tensions erupted. They mentioned the same in being under lock and key effectively and with deep consequences for speaking anything besides what the monarchy's deemed acceptable."

But the utter dependence on leaders who might turn on them at any second - that is troubling. For all the Free Cities' many faults and the deep distrust the Cadens Summoned seem to all share, they are still (for now) allowed to do as they please within reason. Claude's expression shifts to a frown, one he doesn't bother to hide. "They expect you to do exactly as they say, I presume, with consequences for not. Are you not allowed to travel even between the castle and Thorne's other cities?"

Said other cities being something he'd only recently learned of in more detail than maps provide, but Claude's guessing the answer is no. It'd mean surrendering that surveillance over the Summoned even if some kind of mission would be a too convenient 'reward' for obedience.

"Yes, in the beginning, they threw Summoned in their jails. That threat is always hanging over our heads, but they have amped up recently. The Queen is unstable, it's led everyone to be paranoid. Looking for people to blame."

Istredd says all of this very calmly and logically, as if he too isn't in this strange beautiful prison. Maybe because he has accepted the situation and he's focusing on what he can get out of it. It also isn't new. He was raised in a place where he was taken as a child and forced into severe and sometimes fatal training. Thorne hasn't murdered anyone yet, so they're still technically doing better than his own teachers.

"They've been arresting Summoned. Hard to say if they know what they're looking for, or if it's a simple fear tactic." Istredd would say it's a combination. They probably know the Summoned have secrets, and this is a way to see what they can glean from applying pressure. "They don't like people getting jobs of their own, they certainly wouldn't let us go to other cities. We were allowed to Nott to help put down the fires."

So while they were useful, but then they had to go back. It is possible to get jobs and even live in other locations close to the castle, but always with the understanding they know where people are. And they will come for them, wherever that is. "I am used to being able to teleport anywhere I want, adjusting to being trapped hasn't gone smoothly."

Istredd being rather unflappable while describing this is a bit of a curiosity, if only because most Summoned (occasionally Claude included) tend to show some distinct feelings on it beyond words alone. But - it's also the kind of surety that comes from having lived through strife before and not just the distance from the events of a couple months ago, and that's something he files away for later. It's the kind of something which requires a few more conversations first before bringing it up.

Besides that, the mention of Summoned being arrested in Thorne gets his attention. Kyle had mentioned something which seemed close to it briefly but hadn't called it that outright, and Claude studies Istredd while he speaks. It could easily be a trap of some kind to get him to say more about the Free Cities, if not for Claude having the prior knowledge of the state of things in Thorne. And he is, after all, not one to turn down the opportunity to learn more.

"Do you know how many have been arrested there?" He's careful to phrase this as casually as one possibly can given the topic. This could, theoretically, apply to him though he's been careful to mention it only to those it impacts or the even smaller circle of those he trusts. "I've... heard a bit about the latest developments, but not beyond it seeming random. Not comforting given Thorne's history for jailing, if you ask me."

Maybe better to start an ever so slight shift to another topic to go with that, something which serves multiple purposes as while Claude's curiosity will likely require some trust he's willing to work to gain there's also genuine interest in what else Istredd has mentioned. "Before I ask this, I want to preface it by saying I'm guessing teleporting can't be learned from a book," a slight grin, somewhat of an inside joke with himself considering one of his most studious friends did learn this from a book in Fodlan, "but do you have books here about the magic from your world? I'm eager to learn more about it, even if it's just the theories behind it all."

"Oh, I apologize, arrested is the wrong term. Questioned or detained is more accurate. I suppose I still consider it arrested if the threat of you immediately being tossed in a cell if they don't like your answers is there." It is a small difference to him. No one has been put into the jail cells that he knows of, but sooner or later someone will be. Either for good reasons or to try and get the others to talk. He would more likely call it quote marks questioned.

"A few Summoned have been spoken to. It is not over. It is possible someone will end up in the dungeons, it simply hasn't happened yet." Istredd himself made some of the dungeon wards so that's always an interesting detail. "It is interesting though that they are certain Free Cities is to blame for the attack, but are hunting within their castle as well." By interesting he means suspicious. Perhaps the queen isn't as certain as she says she is about who was responsible. Or someone got them suspicious.

"Yes, I have many. You won't be able to use any of them yourself, including our teleportation, because we have to be born with an innate connection to Chaos magic. It is not as healthy and overflowing as here. But I am happy to share them."

If anyone could use magic back home they probably wouldn't share any of the volumes on it, the mages love to keep all the power to themselves. Istredd puts his palms up and several books fly through the air to set on top of them. Claude will find them all filled out and they do look very old since they're replicated from texts alive for a thousand years at this point.

They share the same thought about the clarification in wording: the end result is likely to be the same regardless of the path in getting there, and even more likely when those questioning are looking for what they want to hear and nothing else. That's even before accounting for this being an on going process. It must be the same in Cadens then, surely.

Something that should've registered with Claude a little more firmly than it is now considering the interviewer had mentioned follow up and the filing of the report. Something which makes him considerably more concerned for his friends near him, and one in particular in Thorne. Nothing to do about that now, though.

The onslaught of books is deeply exciting, and for once Claude doesn't bother to disguise his reaction as anything but. A particularly age weathered tome is the first one he picks up, eager to dive into it post-haste. But then what Istredd said about the magic he knows clicks in Claude's mind, and he looks up from the page he'd turned to with a raised brow.

"Your magic can't be learned at all if you don't have that connection? That's considerably different from Fodlan." Here he thought he'd been kidding about Istredd's version of Warp, and yet it seems to be the truth after all. "Magic where I'm from is often learned in academies. It requires studying and some talent for it, of course, and because there's so much to it people often specialize in areas rather than the entirety. That also helps if you're a questionable magic student like me since I never picked up anything besides wind magic."

He means to start paging through the book, and yet - one more question lingers in his mind. "Is the connection you mentioned anything like what we experience with the Singularity here? Where it seems to grant gifts at random?"

"There are some minor signs people can learn. You do need to have some kind of aptitude for magic, but it should work here. Details about those are ... in here." Istredd picks up one of the books and offers it to Claude. A book on signs that witchers use commonly and some minor mages can have access to. They require bare minimum connection to the forces.

"But real magic requires you to be born to it. It can't be taught, unlike here, or what you're used to. Mages are rare in my sphere and long-lived. We're taken as children and put into training. We channel something called Chaos energy and if you aren't trained, it can kill you or drive you mad." When Istredd says take, he means take. They can be kidnapped or stolen, although most of the time they can simply pay or bargain to take a child mage. He says it very matter-of-factly though, these grim realities.

"I am very impressed and slightly jealous of worlds like yours and here with free-flowing magic and academic learning. It is incredible to be in Abraxas where magic is everywhere in the air around us." And in here, so close to the Singularity, he can feel it. "I've started teaching academic magic in Thorne, it is far easier than what I am used to, and more pleasant to teach." The Chaos magic they do always has an edge of danger, you have to be incredibly precise to use it.

"The connection to chaos is, unsurprisingly, more chaotic than what you see here. Using it improperly or making a mistake can still kill you even with training and skill. But with it we are capable of impressive power, so you accept the balance."

Claude takes the book with no small amount of curiosity - a running theme for everything Istredd has presented him with before prior to and since his arrival - and very narrowly avoids giving into the urge to open it right then and there. It's a good thing he doesn't both for politeness reasons and because otherwise he would've missed what Istredd tells him to fill in some of the blanks in what he'd assumed about magic in the other's world.

"Real magic," he repeats after a pause, mostly because the phrase seems odd to him. It's possibly linked to the signs in the book in his hands, or maybe there's something else behind it. Real implies layers to it: not only the inborn connection being required but also abilities and what can be done with one's grasp, and maybe even different areas of it like Fodlan's magic. All of which is considered real enough at home, Claude supposes, and not broken out into anything categorized to the level of how it sounds like in Istredd's world.

That's before factoring in Thorne's academic magic which he's heard resembles Fodlan's in some ways, and that only adds to the intrigue. There's much he wants to ask, could easily spend a good few hours prying into what Istredd knows and seems willing to share from experience and as an instructor, but realistically: patience in making sure he understands what he can grasp will surely help. Especially considering the magic the other knows well can kill users in their attempts to harness it and not because said spells were aimed at an enemy.

So Claude nods slightly, still clearly ruminating on all of that information and filing it away, then glances down at the book of signs. "I have to confess the idea of being somewhere where access to magic isn't a given, even if it's something like my absolutely limited abilities, seems strange. I'd like to ask you about that sometime in more detail, but something tells me I should start with this book first," with a grin and tilting the tome in his hands slightly to call attention to it, "and then see where that takes me. So long as I'm not intruding by returning to ask more, that is, and then next time I can be better prepared to bring you some more books from Fodlan my friends and I have created as well."

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One must always be careful of books

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