An Exchange of Knowledge

[red reef]

The Large Wemic finds himself once again strolling towards the sparring arena. He doesn't particulary enjoy training, but given the danger of recent missions, he figures it couldn't hurt to get a little practice in.

His ear flicks as he hears something already moving around in there, he sneaks a peak over the fence and spots a small fuzzy Kobold attempting to use some sort of strange flail?

"All the skill of a cub who found an interesting stick," he thinks to himself before returning all fours to the ground. He scratches his chin, wondering what Seltur of all people would be doing with a melee weapon, was it some kind of ritual? Or was he really planning on going to the frontline?

In either case, he had been needing to speak with a wizard, perhaps he could offer a hand in exchange for some arcane information.

He makes his way inside the arena, "Can't say I expected to see you here, what are you up to?"

[ashen haven]

Seltur's actions do not halt as the wemic calls out to him. He had heard him peeking over the fence after all. There is no immediate response either as the kobold gives the rod he carries another flick. Almost as if casting a spell with it, despite it clearly not being a focus of any kind.

"Testing, but I guess it's time to stop that. I'd been keeping an eye on people's routines for some time and thought no one else would be here." He replies, looking off at the nearby training dummy with no visible damage.

[red reef]

"Observant, aren't you?" He smiles as he leans on another dummy, "Sorry that I disturbed your plans with my lack of predictability."

He pauses a moment, debating on how exactly to approach the situation. He could try a lie as usual, but perhaps honesty would work better here.

"Actually, I was hoping to bump into you at some point. A problem of a potentially arcane related nature. You're a smart lad and I was hoping you might at least be able to point me in the right direction?"

He sighs, "I understand if you're busy, but I'd owe you one. It is... Important to my family. Just, if you are willing, don't mention it to anyone but me or I guess Eska if you know him."

[ashen haven]

"Not particularly but with enough time, research, and note-taking I can figure things out." He flatly taps the end of the rod against his other hand, still an improper grip on it.

The kobold had already started to gather the remainder of his things, his hat set to the side and a small book riddled with scratchings from a quill, before stopping at the word arcane.

"I'm not very good at solving problems in any way other than destroying them... and I doubt that would be the solution you want for this 'family member'." He adds quotes around the last words, thinking it's probably just a way for the wemic to be discreet about something embarrassing for himself.

"...I've worked with Eska. Saved me from a choker."

[red reef]

He sighs and pushes himself off the dummy, lowering himself to the ground, though still towering over the Kobold.

"Seltur, please, any help would be appreciated," he says with surprising sincerity, "If you don't trust me of the importance of that, you can ask Eska, he is my adopted cousin."

He tilts his head at the odd way he grips the flail, "In return, perhaps I could show you how to use that thing without injuring yourself more than your enemies?"

[ashen haven]

"I didn't say no or that I did not believe you needing help. I just gave you an honest answer about what I could do about it." Immediately after saying such, he flicks a hand towards a small cluster of dummies and in an instant a small black void blinks in and out of existence. By the time it is gone, the dummies closest to the center have been compressed into a single, dense sphere of wood and metal. [Gravity Sinkhole, 40 damage] "But sure, I'll hear you out."

Seltur taps the handle against his hand again. A thin clink rings out as it smacks against the rather unique gauntlets he wears.

"I don't think I'll be hurting myself or much of anyone." He says as he glares at the unscathed dummy again.

[red reef]

"Thank you."

The Wemic lays down, leaning forward on his elbows to try and get closer to eye level with the wizard.

"To make a long story short, my older brother was kidnapped by Bullywugs. They..." His eyes shut and teeth clench as he revisits the memory, "Tore off his back-half... All while keeping him alive... When we eventually recovered him, we could not regenerate it, no matter who we asked. They said the magic responded like there was nothing to regenerate, despite the obvious wound."

"I... Don't know where to go with that information, I don't expect you to know but... If you have any leads or contacts..."

[ashen haven]

"You do not need to get this low. It's rather demeaning. For both of us I think."

"I'm not familiar with Wemic physiology. I'm not familiar with Bullywugs. The easiest thing would be for me to meet your brother and study it directly." He begins to take a step off to the side, for a profile view of Eddy's shape.

"Your brother... Survived this? It doesn't seem possible. There has to be organs he no longer has, I imagine at the very least extensive damage to the digestive system. I've been to Acrelund on a few missions, it doesn't seem like the place that would offer the kind of prosthesis he would need to be alive... So let's start with what's currently keeping him alive without half his body and figure out why that's allowed to work."

[red reef]

"Sorry," he sits up, "Still not quite used to proper etiquette with smallfolk, mostly have spoken with Fritz who, I suppose, is a tad eccentric."

He exhales some clouds that take the shape of a Wemic much like Eddy, but a bit older, and missing the entire back half with a rather harrowing wound.

"That is another mystery, we covered the wound and provide healing magic to keep him up, but... It is odd, the shamans described it like he is functioning as if everything is there but that there is also massive open wound. No matter how we dress it he gets sick and infected easily."

[ashen haven]

"Friedrich is more than eccentric. He signed his body away to a madman." Seltur shakes his head at mention of the deep-sea kobold.

"...We are getting closer to something I can maybe understand." The kobold gently tugs at his sleeves.

He recovers his notebook from the side and moves to a blank page to being to pen a diagram. It doesn't look pretty, but it is legible,
"If magic and his body thinks everything is still there, maybe it is. It's... Well rather grotesque, but if he is still alive, maybe his back half is as well. I assume it was never recovered or else greater healing magic would have been used to reattach it. To me it sounds like is was separated, but is still connected. It would be some strange hybrid of necromancy and conjuration to do something like this, but that's my best guess."

[red reef]

"Correct, we assumed it was destroyed," he nods.

"Could it be something similar to how my cloud Rune works?" His eyes glow a pale blue as clouds swirl to his side. He reaches in, his arm vanishing inside and emerging from a second set of clouds next to a dummy, striking it.

"If maybe in a less direct way? Would it be possible to track down the source of the magic? And what purpose could it serve?" He scratches his head.

[ashen haven]

"Without knowing if that is the case or not, I would wager it was kept by these Bullywugs..."

"Deflection and connections are different. If this is a correct assumption, it's probably closer to an Arcane Gate..." Another hasty sketch of a pair of portals with lines connecting them.

"If the illness is curable, just repetitive, I'd imagine that's probably mundane disease caused by the gaping wound. Even if treated with care, it's still just a hole into his body. Everything is a point of infection. If it isn't curable, then I imagine it to be an extension of the magic preventing restoration."

"I mean... Scrying on the missing piece may afford some information? It is hard to tell how the magic would react to a creature in two places at once."

"Of course this is all theory based on a second hand retelling of symptoms of unheard of magics. It could be all completely inaccurate, so keep that in mind."

[red reef]

"Repetitive is more my understanding," he notes, "Regularly requires healing spells to get rid of the infections, he was a Paladin before the injury, so he shouldn't be getting sick, perhaps wherever they have his other half is being isolated from divine magic?" He pauses, "Sorry if none of what I'm suggesting makes sense, my arcane knowledge is limited to giant runes and that if there is an enemy caster on the field to take them down first."

"In any case, I appreciate your insights. Even if just a theory it is something to work off of."

[ashen haven]

"Then yes, probably mundane. As for any divine abilities lost or otherwise, that is a conversation between your brother and his deity. Divine magic isn't easily dissuaded from working." He closes the book, quill still within it. "It sounds as though your brother has received a very, very nasty curse. It may fade if the caster dies. It might require magic beyond mortals. My first suggestion would be recovering your brother's missing half. I can think of no reason for the things you've told me other than it has to still exist."

[red reef]

The Wemic nods, "Thank you, Seltur, I'll see what more I can dig up with those leads. It really means a lot."

He stands up and moves over to the weapons rack, "I suppose it is time for my end of the bargain. That thing is that flail from the auction right? The absurdly expensive one?"

He picks out a practice flail from the rack and returns to the Kobold, "I figured you were planning to study it or something, but if you're actually going to use it, you should use it right."

He takes out a familiar looking circlet from his saddle.

"I suppose it'll be easier to demonstrate if I am using the same number of limbs as you."

He activates the circlet and quickly shrinks down in size, becoming a golden furred Kobold with a dark brown mane and tuft on the end of his tail.

[ashen haven]

"It... is. From what I understand it should have, well, a multitude of heads but well..." He jostles it, "it's just a stick. I know it's the real one because it's extremely magical."

"I don't know if I am going to use it... everything in me is saying that trying is a bad idea, but I have the 'flail', I have the gloves. I'm going to try."

He eyes the circlet, it was the thing he had shoved onto Tuuli that one time, that turned her into a kobold.

"Hey I don't think that will be-" The transformation cuts him off as he looks at Eddy with such curiousity. "I've, I uh... I've never seen another one like me. Like, with the fur."

[red reef]

He pauses a moment to readjust his balance, shifting the tail from side to side, "Still find the whole biped thing overrated," he says, his voice now noticeably higher.

"What did you think a Wemic would look like as a Kobold?" he grins, "A form where I lacked my mane would be no form worth taking! Though I will say you're the first I've seen with fur as well, did your parents not have any?"

[ashen haven]

"Sometimes I agree. Easier to move around quickly on all fours if need be." The kobold nods in agreement.

Seltur pauses. He had not given his parent much thought since his employment at the guild. Well up until a recent mission has forced her to the front of his mind, "No... I was adopted. Found as an egg just... drifting. I was told it was the void that changed me..."

[red reef]

He nods in agreement, "You should give it a try if you get a chance, perhaps a Wemic circlet will show up," He laughs.

He tilts his head at the information, "Adrift? Void? Quite the mysterious origin you've got there. I don't suppose that is a mystery you've been trying to look into yourself? Or just satisfied with the family that found you, unconcerned about what happened before?"

[ashen haven]

"No, I meant more like... this?" He drops to all-fours and scurries for a few steps before standing up and brushing the sand of the pit off his robes, "Not a great idea out here..."

"Not really. It's nearly impossible to track things in Wildspace. Especially things that have been drifting for a while. The only thing to go on would be trajectory, but since everything moves relative to everything else, those are exceptionally unreliable or much too easy to lose without knowing the exact date it was set adrift." There is a tug at the sand, creating a rough diagram of a small orb moving through a vast area. [Mold Earth]

"So I don't focus on it. How I got lost, why I survived, how long it was... it doesn't matter, there's no real way of knowing without a lot of information that in of itself is unobtainable."

[red reef]

He raises a brow a bit at the motion at first, though eventually nods, "Hmmm, can't say I've seen it often amongst bipeds, but it seems some of you do have the anatomy for it. The more you know."

He moves to his discarded saddle and pulls out the cleansing stone, offering it to the sandy Kobold.

"Only been to wildspace a couple of times, but I can't imagine looking for anything out there without a solid lead. Vast, terrifying, but beautiful in its own way when not fighting against aberrations."

"In any case, good on you for being able to focus on the present as opposed to the past. I know my own mind drifts backwards far too often."

[ashen haven]

Seltur recognizes the stone, a similar object was in the threshold of his home before the guild. He reaches out and taps it with a claw.

"I mean, it's not even my past right? Whatever led to it was before I was even born... so it doesn't have any meaning to me beyond being something I've been told."

[red reef]

He shrugs as he places the stone back, "Perhaps, I can't really speak from experience in that regard. I've met plenty who are very... Particular... about their origins."

"To some degree I get the mindset, though more regarding culture than ancestry," he chuckles a bit, "To be honest, Eska is a better model of a Wemic than I am."

"Though, speaking of upbringing," he lifts up the practice flail, "I take it you weren't exposed to much weapon training? Lucky for you, in spite of my best efforts, I was trained in pretty much every kind from a young age."

[ashen haven]

"Actually, my mother tried to train me in fencing, but I didn't really have the desire to pursue it. Something about the stars... about how everything pulls on everything else... how if something moves, everything else has to follow... that's the direction I pushed myself." Once again little bits of sand begin to shift, spreading out, then aligning themselves into the shape of something resembling a system of spheres, all chasing a larger one.

[red reef]

"Poetic," he chuckles, "I was distracted enough with reading with what limited material was available, seeing the beauty of the cosmos up close would've been rather hypnotic."

"But if you're gonna go into battle with that thing, you're gonna need to find that motivation. We've enough Kobolds putting themselves into unnecessary danger without trying to use weapons you're not familiar with."

He turns to face the dummy, training flail in hand.

"Now, you want to grip it like this, not so close to the top as you'll lose power and range, but not so far down you'll lose control or have it slip from your claws," he emphasizes his point with a couple of swings with the improper grips to compare to the proper one, "And you need to stop swinging with just your arms, those gauntlets of yours enhance the strength in the rest of your body too. You're leg muscles are bigger than the ones in your arms, use them, and throw the weight of your tail into it too!"

He demonstrates, positioning his left foot towards the dummy, then stepping in with his right and swinging the flail.

"You also need to follow through, it'll take some practice to learn the balance to not overcommit, but better to fall over swinging here than to leave yourself open on the battlefield."

[ashen haven]

Selter shifts the pole so he is grasping it closer to the center. It was a haft, not a hilt. There was no need to be applying old lessons to a new topic. As he does this, the head of the flail alights. Five multicolored orbs of light appear and drift loosely around it. Black, White, Red, Blue, Green. The kobold stares at it for a moment, his eyes pulling in the colors without ever giving up a reflection of any of them.

"There they are..." He murmers quietly before looking up at the training dummy.

Eddy was right, the gauntlets didn't really make him feel stronger, more like everything was lighter. Including himself. Which makes it easier to put everything into the swing he unleashes. The white light flares as it makes impact and streaks a layer of frost over the dummy.

"Fascinating..."

[red reef]

"Good," he nods, "Keep in mind, most targets will try and move out of the way or block."

"And most will be much larger than you, so you'll want to aim for weak spots. Hard to give specific advice given the variety of things we are up against."

He places down the flail and turns to Seltur, "Now then, try and strike at me. Don't hold back, I can take whatever you can dish out even at this size."

[ashen haven]

"Well of course. I wouldn't expect anything to want to get hit by this thing..." The white star pulls back into the simple orbit with the others after the swing. Five words... No... Names drift into Seltur's mind as he watches them before Eddy's offer reaches him.

"I don't think that's a good idea. I mean... I know how durable you are, or at least how quickly you can mend yourself, but it just doesn't seem like a smart thing to do?"

[red reef]

"I don't intend on striking you back, if that's what you're worried about. Maybe a shove to the ground if you leave yourself too open," he smiles, "I just figured it'd be good to practice with that thing against something more challenging than a dummy without the risk of serious injury."

He taps his tail against the ground in thought, "I do have to ask though, why would an arcanist want to be close enough to hit things with that in the first place? You seem to have a unique assortment of spells that you can use from a distance at much less risk to yourself."

[ashen haven]

"No, I'm more worried about any harm coming to you because of the relic I'd be striking you with. It doesn't feel like a very wise idea... besides, aren't there training dummies that move around here?" He stares at the flail and slides the haft along his palm again nervously.

"That's quite true, but that tend to be far too... widespread when working with others. This allows me to be more precise. I've already started an arcane formula for a spell to both enhance my offense, defense, and durability... as well as some other thing to further the damage of the weapon. There's also... Sometimes these people just get under my skin and I really, really need to hit something. I need to feel the collision. Not many spells give that opportunity without being close."

[red reef]

"I appreciate the concern, but I've taken blows from demigods, fiends, and living mountains," he slams a fist to his chest, "Any injury would be as good as new after a nap."

"But if you are uncomfortable with it, I won't force you to. No training dummy, enchanted or not, is a substitute for a proper sparring partner. Then again, that is part of my own culture."

He tilts his head at the admission, "Quite a bit of fire you've got in there it seems. Truth be told, someone did ask me to check on you next time I saw you. Said they noticed a change compared to when you started here."

He takes a look over at the dummy beside him, takes a stance and then delivers a fiery kick that tears a chunk out of it.

"I can't say I blame you for getting frustrated," he extinguishes his claw, "Between Barbie's sadism and Tuuli's... Tuuli-ness, and several other folks around... It can made you feel like you're surrounded by madness. Quite honestly, it sort've forced me to confront the ugly things I have inside myself..."

He chuckles with a sigh before turning around to lean on the remains of the dummy.

"Up to you if, when, or to who you want to talk about such things with, but I do hope you do so," he gestures down at the flail, "Not to discredit whatever spell you've got up your sleeve nor the benefits of putting that anger to use, but I'd hate to see you do something reckless and get hurt."

[ashen haven]

"I understand that the higher ranks are wrought with many things like that, but I... it's not as though I've never sparred, as I mentioned, fencing lessons. I understand the value, but... are you sure?" The kobold squares his stance, twitching the flail, causing the luminous motes to jitter excitedly.

Immediately the motion is lost. Someone had bothered to send another person after him because of worry? Because he had experienced a change due to a sudden shift in company and environement. "Who?" He asks, somewhat incredulously, "...Do I even want to know who?" A lot of the positive energy of learning and and excitement at furtherment were falling away.

[red reef]

"100% I can take it," he replies confidently.

"Hey now," he pauses as he sees the distress, "This isn't an intervention, it was just a noted concern. They mentioned noticing you seemed down and intended to check on you and asked that I do so if I met up with you first," he pushes off the dummy and takes a step closer, "There are folks in the guild that don't care about the lives of others at all, and there are some who, perhaps, care too much for their own good."

"Personally, I didn't know you when you first joined, so I cannot say how much or little you've changed. From my perspective, you seem to be one of the better people around."

"Does it bother you when others worry for your sake?"

[ashen haven]

"Yes. It does. Because if they want other people checking on me, it means they don't think I can take care of myself. Or it means they think I'm not taking care of myself. Doesn't matter." Seltur shifts the grip on the flail haft to how it originally was, causing the lights to wink out as he tucks it into a loop. "Tell whoever it is that I'm fine. Thanks for the lesson, I'll practice it further some other time. Alone."

The kobold takes a step back to collect his things before casting a spell, "Stoda." [Fly]

[red reef]

The Wemic returns to his normal stature and slides in front of the Kobold's path to the air.

"Is it because it hurts your pride? Or because it makes you feel like a burden?" he asks pointedly, "Because I've felt both, I've deserved to feel both. I pushed friends and family away for years and was all the worse for it. You don't owe me or anyone else an explanation of your life, but if even I need help and support, you do too."

He steps aside leaving room for the Kobold to pass.

"Go on, do what you need to do, but know there are people there to offer a hand when you want it. I just hope you don't wait til they've been hurt in your absence like I did."

[ashen haven]

"It's because it makes no sense for them to worry. I don't spend time around anyone when not on a mission or purchasing something from someone. No one knows me. Which means the only reason that they have to care is because they look at me and see something small and soft and think it needs protecting. But I don't." He rises into the air without resistance. As if gravity has been turned off for him.

"Just tell whoever it was that I'm fine."

[red reef]

"Seltur," he says seriously, "When we fought those aberrations, it wasn't you who was helpless, it was me. Many times your size, higher in rank, but I couldn't move a finger. I only got out due to an item that I will not be able to access again, and then was stunned again in the next fight."

He points a finger at himself, "I needed protection, and I am big and... well I am also soft but that's beside the point. I've been on many other missions since, some where I was totally helpless, I had to trust in my allies to make up for where I lacked."

"Sure, I don't know you all that well, and yet, we have fought side-by-side, relied on each other to make it out fights alive. Where I'm from that does mean something. Do I see you as someone to protect? Yes, no different from how I saw Siren and Jorah as people to protect and how I hope my allies see me as worth protecting."

"All's to say... while I may not have to deal with condescension and pity the way you do, I know what it is like to refuse the care of others, to isolate myself, and after all this time I've finally started to let some people back in and..." a faint smiles creeps along his muzzle as he starts to realize how emotional he has gotten, even a few tears begins to trickle down his face,"... man it feels good."

[ashen haven]

"See, you needed help and we were on a mission. I don't and we aren't. So, again, tell whoever sent the message that I'm fine. I don't need their worry when I 'seem down.' "

At the tears he turns away, still hovering in the air, "Good for you to have learned something. Though I'm imagining that it has been a great deal of time for you. It hasn't for me. I have no desire to let ANYONE here in. I knew the people here were capable of great violence from watching some of the guild's participation in a Wildspace coliseum. What I didn't expect was how wanton it was wielded. How little focus any of it has... No. I'll be just fine without that for the rest of my stay here. It won't be more than a few months if I can help it anyway." He continues to rise, until past the walls of the sparring area, taking one last look down at Eddy before truly taking his leave, "Anything else?"

[red reef]

The Wemic grows larger, clouds swirling around his form as he meets the Kobold at eye level.

"And yet, I needed help today. Not on a mission, and you helped me," he replies, "Perhaps it was a mere mental exercise for you, but it meant a lot to me. And I know far more about you than the person I met once who asked about you. So please, forget about them. I choose to care, regardless of size or strength."

"I cannot blame you for your disgust with me and other guildmembers. I've done plenty to deserve such." He waves a claw, "As I said before, do what you need to do. I am grateful for the time you gave me for my problem today, whatever the motivation or lack thereof."

He turns his hand and points a massive clawed digit at the Kobold, "But know this, Wizard, while I cannot make you open up to me. You let me open up to you. So I shall perceive you as a friend."

"So, as someone who chosen to care. I will be around when and if you decide you need anything, be it to talk or train."

He shrinks back down to his normal size and begins reattaching his saddle.

"Thank you for your time, Star Man."

[ashen haven]

Seltur shifts in the air, moving back as the wemic's size grows, "I answered a question I was asked with empty theories. You can't know that it will be helpful until you attempt to apply it."

"Think as you want. I'll be going now." The kobold pushes off an invisible force and begins to drift for a ways, before very suddenly accelerating, back of towards the guild-hall.