Ask Luna #43

From: Bruce Donohue

Hello Luna.
In your apprentice program, do you have to learn various languages both known or obscure?
In your assignments in your classes, did they ever explain the different levels of mastery of magic and what makes Master Level truly deserving of the title?
Would you like to be the fly on the wall during this conversation…
Where Richard and Alex are temporarily trapped in the same location, and they finally have a very long monologue heart to heart. Kind of like they like all spill all beans pertaining to the excess baggage they have been carrying around about the other? Now what event would cause them to be stuck in the same space together that they might have to work together to get out of would be very interesting in itself. I know hell yeah, I’d pay to be the fly on the wall to witness that long exchange.

There are a few language classes on the syllabus, but I skipped them.

Master level just means really really good. There’s no exam for it as far as I know. By the time a mage gets to that point their ego would be way too big for them to sit down to any tests, anyway.

And yes, it’d be interesting, but I’m not quite sure how safe it’d be to be a ‘fly on the wall’. Something Alex drummed into me pretty early was that powerful mages are usually pretty good at detecting people, so I have the feeling I’d get spotted fast. Not sure it’d be worth the risk. Besides, from all I’ve heard Richard comes across as a total bastard, so I’m really not sure I WANT to get to know more about his baggage.

From: Bruce Donohue

Hello Luna, hope all is well.

I was wondering… When it comes to Life Magic… Sensing is one of the things they are good at, and they can even do through walls. Now Manipulating life essence is there thing… what is preventing a Life mage to learnt to at a distance learn to pull that essence out of another, or push out so to speak that life essence effecting magic to others also at a distance? With enough practice and though to it, it should be possible, what the range they could effect I guess would be determined by their skill they have dedicated to master. I guess it would mimic what death mages do in some cases and strictly be bound by touch. I know if I was a Life Mage, it would be something that I would explore.

You can see other people at a distance, right? So what’s preventing you from learning how to telekinetically lift them up? By your logic it ought to be possible, right?

Just because you think a mage should be able to do something, doesn’t mean they actually can, any more than thinking that your car ‘should work’ will keep it driving when it’s out of fuel. Life magic can’t do the same things that death magic can, and vice versa.

From: R

Hey Luna,
Be honest, what do you think of Variam? I kinda ship you guys, so I’d love to know.

He’s actually a pretty good guy once you get to know him. Though don’t tell him I said that.

And apparently not only do I have fans, I now have shippers. That’s kind of cool.

From: A Fan

Hey Luna,

Do you know if Richard is single?

Okay, I take back the last comment. You guys are nuts.

From: Geli

Hi Luna,

how are you? Do you think there is a lot potential for your powers to grow and be refined in the future? Not that I want your curse to become even more powerful…

Wish you the best
Geli

Not bad. Pretty busy, but things have been going well.

I’m not sure if my curse is getting more powerful – I don’t remember it ever getting much stronger once I got past twenty or so – but then power’s never really been the problem. There have been lots of times I’ve wanted it to be LESS powerful, but that’s never been an option either.

Mostly what I’ve been learning lately hasn’t been about strengthening my curse, it’s been about exploring different uses and getting better at directing it. I think that’s how it usually works with adepts and mages. They don’t actually get any stronger, they just get more skilled and more efficient.