“Today is going to be a busy day.” Master Mystagogue Mallock said with a mad grin on his lips. “Today, we will discuss the core elemental hybrids AND the levels and qualities of Myst Crystals. I hope you’re all ready for one hell of a class!” His voice told everyone just how giddy he was to dump all of this information on the class. In all honesty, it excited me to learn about all of this. The more I knew about magic and technology, the better things I could craft to help me in the field.
He set out several crystals of varying colors on his desk, each no larger than his thumb. He waited a long moment, letting us notice the glowing crystals and inspect them from a distance before he took striding steps across the room to open the classroom door for the most oddly intimidating Mystagogue to enter.
A tiny Gnome entered the room, her skin an orange-bronze tan, her hair a vibrant pink with the texture of a dandelion head, and her eyes were a blue-green of the sea only moments before a storm and almost seemed to glow. In her black and red robes of office as Master Mystagogue, she was an odd mixture of cute and utterly terrifying. As a Gnome, she was only a third of the height of any other master at most. Despite her tiny stature, she emanated enough power to leave the class speechless with fear.
“This is Master Mystagogue Neckar. She oversees all studies in the Sect of the Blackened Crown. Put simply, she is the headmaster of the sect of casters and scholars. She is here to display just what can happen when mixing elements.”
Mystagogue Neckar stepped up beside the desk, her hands folded behind her back, her posture rigid as stone. Mystagogue Mallock shuffled up beside her.
“Now you may ask why I didn’t invite her during our last class. My answer is simple. The element of electricity is volatile and erratic by nature. I felt it best to introduce you to the most volatile element to catch your attention while holding it in an enclosed environment. I feel that now it is time to show you what a realMage can do to show you the combination of elements.”
Mystagogue Mallock stepped back behind his desk, picked up a brown crystal, and held it beside a yellow crystal. He held up the brown crystal, proclaiming it as “Earth” before he pointed it towards the yellow crystal that he proclaimed as “Air.”
Mystagogue Neckar held her hands together with a space of about six inches between them, and a clear bubble came into creation between her fingertips. Mystagogue Mallock set down the crystals and produced a simple stone from within his desk, and set it atop the desk. He raised his mechanical left arm over his head and brought it crashing down to turn the stone into pebbles and powder. He then stepped up beside Mystagogue Neckar and slammed his fist against the globe with no effect. After this display, the elderly Mystagogue stepped up to the holo-board to flip the hidden switch to reveal the small bunker-like room just behind it. In the small space was a crash test dummy, one of the models designed for moving on its own with only the simplest level of intelligence. The dummy stood there as the Gnomish Mystagogue turned towards him, shifting her hands slightly so they both pressed wrist to wrist behind the clear sphere of energy. As soon as she did this, the bubble popped, and the energy holding it together was released and directed toward the mannequin. A wave of kinetic force blasted the dummy against the wall, cracking the composite plating on its chest. After a few seconds, the crash test dummy stood back up, unphased by the abuse it had just taken.
Mystagogue Mallock spoke with a sideways grin in response to all of our shocked faces. “When you apply the solidity of Earth to the element of Air, the result is Kinetic Force. This force can be used to stop attacks or can be used as an attack in and of itself. With precision, one could even use it to interact with objects like opening a door or pressing a button. One Vell equals twenty-five foot-pounds of force. That’s enough to push a man off his feet. Defensively one Vell would stop twenty-five foot-pounds of force, and while any force stronger would push through the object or energy passing through, would still face the resistance and be slowed to a degree.”
Next, he held up the same brown crystal and pointed it towards a blue crystal of the same size, proclaiming it as “Water”.
Mystagogue Neckar pressed her hands together, merging two energies, one blue, the other brown. The result was a thick black substance. The Gnome Mystagogue sprayed thick black fluid across the floor of the blast chamber. In response, the manikin tried to take a single step forward, only to find its feet stuck fast to the floor.
“When you apply the solidity of Earth to the element of Water, it becomes Tar. Elemental is not like naturally found tar. This Mage Tar, if you will, manifests traits based on the will and desire of the caster. It could be even more adhesive than standard tar, or more liquid, or dry more quickly. We use Mage Tar in a wide range of fields as a component in the forming of streets and constructing buildings, bridges, and fortifications. It’s also used on a smaller scale as a potent adhesive in factory assembly. When the element is put to use for combat or defensive means…” He gestured to the immobilized manikin. “I think the answer is evident.”
Master Neckar released a jet of hot water into the blast room, thinning and dispersing the tar to flow into drainage grates in the floor as the class laughed at Mystagogue Mallock’s humor.
Master Mallock picked up the very same brown crystal from before and pointed towards a burning red crystal he had freshly picked up. The moment he did so, Master Neckar pressed her hands together to release a spewing vomit of molten stone and metal into the blast room. The jet of molten stone struck the manikin in the right shoulder, slagging the arm and separating it from the dummy’s body.
“When you apply the solid state of Earth to the element of Fire, you get the result of Slag.” Mystagogue Mallock said even as he pressed a hidden button under his desk to trigger a fire extinguishing system. Gray powder shot from holes in the ceiling to smother flames and absorb the heat. A small mound of black rock with a half-melted mechanical arm lay on the floor of the room. “Now you might, after witnessing Master Neckar produce raw molten material seemingly from thin air, think this could be a source of infinite resources for metalwork. You’d be wrong. Elemental Slag, or Mage Slag, is only useful in its fresh and superheated state. Once it cools, unless designed otherwise, it will flake away and erode to dust over the course of hours. Even when it’s been designed to stay for long periods of time, it is not malleable when reheated, dissolving instead. Even if it’s poured straight into molds, items made from Mage Slag do not have the durability of natural iron or steel. What it is used for is deforestation and temporary patch welds.”
Mystagogue Mallock made a show of tossing the elemental crystal of earth over his shoulder like it was mere trash before he picked up the yellow crystal of Air in the opposite hand and pointed it to a blue crystal. “I’ve already shown you what happens when you apply the traits of Air to the element of Fire. If I need to remind you, the result is lightning, or exactly twelve volts and forty-eight amps for one Vell. But what happens when you apply the traits of Air to Water?”
There was a long silence as the class seemed to think all at once. When no answer came, Mallock answered. “When you apply the mobility of Air to the element of Water, you get lubricant or simply called Oil. Now, I’m sure you’ve picked up on the pattern this far, and Elemental Oil, or Mage Oil, isn’t like natural oil. Like Mage Slag, Mage Oil will dissolve after a set period of time. Like Mage Tar, this substance can have its traits altered and set by the caster.”
Neckar discharged a stream of oil across the floor at the crash test dummy’s feet, fluid, black, and slick. The automaton tried to take a step forward, only to lose its footing and fall yet again. “This element is well known to be the best lubricant for vehicles and machines due to its completely non-existent traction. This substance is used in almost all forms of machinery and industry. Because of its limited life span, the substance needs to be replaced regularly, much like natural oil, only there is no waste product.” As Master Mallock gave his little speech, Master Necker loosed a geyser of water again, the oil washing away.
Mallock stooped over onto hands and knees to search the floor for something. He shuffled behind his desk, where he exclaimed, “AHA!” in victory. The Master pulled himself to his feet, the act reflecting his age. The Master pressed both hands against the small of his back, producing several audible pops that even I could hear in the back of the room. He let out a sigh of pleasure before turning back to the class.
He held up the Air crystal and pointed it to the newly recovered brown Earth crystal. “Needless to say when you apply the mobility of Air to Earth, you get Mercury. This liquid metal is used most often as a replacement for wires. It is more conductive than water and most metals, so it can carry high capacity electrical currents through insulated tubes.”
Mystagogue Mallock set down the crystals only to pick up yet another set, pointing a red crystal towards a blue. “When you apply the devouring trait of Fire to the element of Water, you get Acid.”
On cue, Master Neckar loosed a small jet of acid into the blast room, melting the pile of cooled molten stone and metal. The clear grayish-green fluid ate away the dark mound. Strangely enough, the room was still undamaged. I made a note to ask about that sometime later.
Master Mallock set down all the myst crystals from before to one side of his desk and pulled from the fathoms of his desk a cube of glowing brown crystal, an Earth Myst crystal cube. Without a single word, with practiced smoothness, Master Neckar stepped up to the desk and laid her hand upon the stone. As the brown glow turned to a deep, dark red, Mallock spoke.
“When you apply the volatility of Fire to Earth, you get a very powerful element. It can be called Blast Stone. The result is a solid material that is highly explosive. This is used as a projecting force to project bullets from simpler kinetic weapons instead of raw kinetic force or as a lethal force in payloads of other weapons. Nothing stops a fight quite like a mortar round landing in the middle of a squad and exploding to send metal shrapnel flying.”
The Mystagogue picked up the ember-like crystal, strolled over, and set it in the center of the blast chamber, right between the poor dummy’s legs. He hurried back to his desk to faerie back a blocky metal device a size just smaller than his fist. It took me a few moments to recognize the contraption as a combustion trigger device. The device was thinner than it was wide, with a raised metal cylinder at the center and mounting clamps at its sides. Commonly called a Blast Striker, the tool worked similarly to a mundane flint lighter, only on a larger scale. The contraption used small Earth Myst crystals at the end of each attaching latch for ‘gravitational pull’ to hold to a surface, with a small Fire Myst crystal at the center. When remotely triggered, the metal cylinder falls with enough force to shatter the thumb-nail-sized fire crystal and trigger the detonation. The Master Mystagogue mounted the blast striker to the brick of blast stone and armed it before turning away. He stepped out of the room and lowered the holo-board/blast door. He then pressed something on his mechanical arm.
The moment he pressed whatever trigger was on his arm, there was a sound like a clap of thunder that shook dust from the lamps along the walls of the lecture hall. Completely unphased by what had just happened, the Mystagogue opened the blast room again. The scene inside was utter horror. The walls, floor, and ceiling of the small cell bore blast marks. The walls were still unharmed, but the poor dummy, the mechanical man, was little more than fragments, blackened wires, and shattered gears. Not a single limb or body part was even remotely whole.
I could feel the terror of the class at the sight of such a result. Personally, I was fascinated and was taking detailed notes in the therra-node while looking up class material on the substance. Sadly, all notes, formulae, and documents regarding blast stone were off-limits.
The Master Craftsman continued his lecture as if nothing had happened. “Blast stone can be used in various forms. If the Earth crystal is broken down into granules before infusion, the result after the infusion is called Blast Sand. Break the crystal down further, and you get Blast Dust, which is used in handgun and rifle munition cartridges. If you infuse the smallest amount of Water Myst into the crystal beforehand, it will become malleable. After infusion with Fire Myst, the result is called Blast Clay or Blast Putty. In common use, we used the substance in mining and demolition. In military and combat fields, it is normally used for breaching doors and walls, though it is also used in plantable explosive traps such as Thunder Claps, Pinners, and the like.”
Next, Mystagogue Mallock pulled out what looked to be a cube made of glass, but I felt that we all knew better. Inside the ‘glass’ cube, he set a simple stone. To my best guess, the stone was a chunk of limestone. The cubic case appeared to have two sealable tubes on either side of the box, and that was my clue that what was about to happen was not going to be a pleasant display.
Mystagogue Neckar stepped up to the desk and pressed a hand against each of the tube openings. As if of cue, Mystagogue Mallock raised two Myst crystals. He pointed a red Fire crystal towards a yellow Air crystal.
“When you apply the devouring aspect of Fire to Air, you get what is called Oleum Gas. This is a highly corrosive element and is mostly used in warfare, deforestation, and the cleaning of dense metal elements. This gas will dissolve most substances that it comes in contact with.” as Mystagogue Mallock lectured, his counterpart began producing a thick yellow-green gas from her palms that flowed into the tube. The moment the gas made contact with the stone inside the glass cube, it began to melt away into a puddle of goo before disappearing completely.
The Gnome Mystagogue took a deep breath, and suddenly, the green-yellow gas that had devoured the stone shard dissipated. She stepped back as the male Master stepped up to the glass cube. Neckar seemed somewhat exhausted from the many displays of magic. Her skin was paler, her fingers visibly shook, the sweat on her brow was plainly visible, and she was breathing heavily. I took careful note of this because it seemed strange. She was likely the most powerful Mage at the academy other than Mysteriarch K if her rank said anything about her magic aptitude. In holovids, casters were throwing spells left and right with little consequence. I knew better than to believe everything I saw on screen, but her reaction told me that either casters were far more limited than I had been led to believe or she had some extreme limitations. This brought to mind the question of cost. Did casting spell’s cost more than just raw myst? Some sources implied that there was a deeper cost to casting, but it seemed to be a guarded secret among the Mage community.
I was shocked back to reality when Mallock lifted two crystals yet again, one blue, Water, the other brown, Earth. “Now tell me, students, what would happen if I were to apply the flexibility of Water to the element of Earth?” He pressed as he held the crystals high over his head.
After an immeasurable moment, someone in class simply shouted out, “MUD!”
At this response, The Mystagogue gave a light chuckle along with much of the class.
“Many a student has said that, but it is far from the truth. Let me alter the question.” The Mystagogue said with a wise smirk. “What would happen if I applied the element of Water and its mobility and flexibility to the element of Earth AND it were to remain dry?”
The entire class remained silent. Even I was stumped by the puzzle. When no one answered, the Mystagogue spoke up. “No answer? Really? What a shame. The answer is simple and safe after all this danger. Its…” The Mystagogue summoned a small body of brown energy in one hand and a blue body of the same size in the other hand. He pressed his hands together as if in prayer. Tiny granules of crystal and stone trickled out from between his palms, forming a small pile on the desk. “The answer is sand.”
The whole class let out a collective sigh of relief. Finally, the danger was over. Personally, I was shocked that the elder Human Master was a caster. I had just assumed that he was a mundane because of his role as Master Craftsman.
“Oh, but I’m not done yet.” Mallock pressed his hands against the tubes of the cube and produced a blue-green gas. “This is Secorus gas.” suddenly, lightning arced through the cube, burning the glass walls as it reached from end to end. “It is what happens when you apply the conductivity of Water to Air. This makes it very conductive. It’s normally used with cores of war machines, which I will explain later.”
The Master released his grip on the tubes, letting loose the gas trapped in the cube.
With a flourish of his hands, like a stage magician as he spoke. “Now, for the final element of this lesson.” He pressed his hands back against the tubes of the cube. Moments later, a thick, viscous, cloudy liquid was produced from his palms to flow into the cube. He plugged both the tubes into the cube with rubber stoppers. The instructor plucked the container from the desk and hurled it like one would a Mange-Hound pup. The moment the clear container struck hard stone, it vanished. There was a flash, a loud crack, and instead of a clear cube, there was a burning splatter of thick jelly-like paste, the flames a distinct pinkish color. “That was Phersyma. Put simply, it is what happens if you give fire a liquid form. This substance is highly flammable and very volatile.”
Mystagogue Neckar stepped forward, drawing the eye of every class member with her dominating presence. “I feel that before anything else is said, I should provide you a warning now that you’ve seen what the core elements can do. Be aware and be forewarned. Should you use too much of any one element, be it of the Core Four elements or the Dualities, you will be affected. You will become cursed and forever changed to be known as an Elemani. Your body, mind, and personality will take on traits from the element. Overuse of any one element can result in this change, so use your magic sparingly lest you fall to such a curse.”
With that decree, the Master Mystagogue took several steps back and almost seemed to flee from the room. I didn’t know about the rest of the class, but I had images running through my head of me getting blue skin or literal flaming hair. In my mind, the process of that change would not be pleasant.
Mystagogue Mallock let out a low, slow whistle as he clasped his hands behind his back and strolled out from behind his desk with over-exaggerated steps. “Well, I was planning on breaching the Elemani topic at a later date and with a lighter touch. Don’t worry about spontaneously changing. I will say it takes years of regular use before you need to worry about the transformation.” The instructor scooped up the Myst crystals off his desk and plinked them one by one into a leather bag. “Now, how about we talk about something a little less scary? Let’s talk about nice, safe crystal classifications.”
As half of the class bemoaned the new topic and the other half seemed to let out a unified sigh of relief, the Mystagogue dropped a larger leather bag on his desk on his way to close the blast door to access the holo-board. Without a second glance, Mallock tapped the holo-board, then tapped the therra-node on the side of his head. As he stepped back to his desk and opened the bag there, a grid was automatically taking shape on the board.
“Let’s start with size classifications. The first and smallest is the fragment.” He held up a glowing blue shard the size of a fingernail. He set the fragment on the desk, and a similar fragment appeared on the board display. “Next comes shard.” He pulled out a crystal the size of half a grown man’s thumb and pressed it onto the desk. Again, an image of a crystal to appropriate scale with the class compared to the last appeared on the display. “Next largest is the gem.” Mallock pulled free a crystal that could fit into his palm. “The last size class for commercial use is the cluster.” This last crystal that was pulled from the bag was the size of a man’s fist, protrusions sprouting from a central mass.
The Mystagogue pulled from seemingly nowhere behind his desk, a brick of crystal, almost a foot long, half a foot wide, and half a foot deep. “This is classified as a battery. Obviously, we aren’t talking about the kind of batteries you put in kids’ toys or even power tools. This here is the kind of battery that powers cars, small boats, and the like.”
He stepped back around the desk. “There is one size class larger called a core. Cores are used to power war machines, cruise liners, airships, and other large mechanical contraptions. Something to note is any size crystal can be any shape and can be grown based on what it is designed to power with a frame mold.”
“Now, there are more factors than just size to consider. There are varying classifications of potency: least, lesser, moderate, greater, and grand. Potency classifies how much power the crystal can put out consistently or per-use.”
“The last factor to keep in mind is quality. Raw, filtered, refined, honed, and flawless are the levels of quality. A crystal’s quality determines how much power is stored in it or how many times it can be used before depletion.”
I diligently took notes as the Master spoke. This information, every scrap of it, was going to be critical when I was designing my gear and tools. I had no doubt that the rest of the class was bored by this mundane lecture after such a dramatic and exhilarating display of elemental combinations. But I was devouring this information, every statistic, measurement, and law. The more I knew, the more complex equipment I could craft. I may be a skavy fighter, but I just might be able to compensate for that lack of prowess. I was coming to terms with the fact that I would never become a master fighter. But if I had anything to say about my future, I was going to be a warrior, even if it was through cheating with gadgets, and I loved gadgets.
