imperial_stage | A Plague on Both Your Houses

A Plague on Both Your Houses

Who: Klarth F. Lester, Celena Vantari, Korra, Georik Zaberisk, potentially Garviel, anyone else from Rome
What: Let's cure us a plague
Where: Rome, the University
Warnings: None

The clock is ticking. Even with Georik's suggestions, more and more fall to the plague daily. A group of great potential has been gathered in Rome, courtesy of one dictator with the penchant of kidnapping anyone who so much as mentioned the word 'plague' over the crystal network. Having worked steadily for the last several weeks, they may be close to a breakthrough...

((You may post! No posting order needed! Just respond whenever you want.

You are also welcome to start your own threads for one-on-one RP about anything else related to the plague - experiments your character might have done prior to the main discussion that you'd like to thread, fieldwork with patients, or just relaxing and talking with other researchers, etc. Whatever you feel like posting, go for it!

At this point, I believe it is safe to say that the plague will be cured through a combination of Klarth's incantation of earth mana in combination with Korra's waterbending, Celena's amplification device/reading of the incantation itself, and Georik/anyone else's follow-up treatment. We have permission from the mods to carry this out, although we will need to go from kingdom to kingdom to cast the spell.))

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Fifteen minutes earlier, a crazed and delusional half-clothed Professor Lester (well no he was fully clothed just missing his hat which, as any true summoner knows, is practically going naked) had run down the halls screaming about an emergency meeting in the main dining area.

When everyone has gathered, they will be privy to a tale of epic adventure. Klarth stands in front of the group and begins to pace.

"The hour is late. Three past midnight. Having gone without food or sleep for the past 54 hours, the great professor wonders if perhaps, he was overexerting himself. How could a single man alone hope to conquer a disease that had felled hundreds? How could a single man alone dare to snatch at the workings of the universe it self and bend them to his will?"

A thrusting forth of the palm.

"But lo! Never should he have doubted himself so! Ladies and gentlemen... I present to you, the finest work of the famous scholar, Professor Klarth F. Lester!"

An absurdly large book is thrown to the ground.

"The incantation to cure the plague, all one hundred sixty eight thousand words of it in basic Dagarian, rune-script, and just for good measure, the language of the Summon Spirits."

"Haha! Whoops. I forgot to bring it up, we actually don't have our own language. I made up all of those symbols off the top of my head."

"............"

Klarth inhales. "Now, there are still quite a few problems yet to be resolved, but I do believe this is a groundbreaking first step. Ms. Vantari, Korra, Dr. Zaberisk... How does your work progress?"

Edited 2012-07-06 00:52 (UTC)

"The remedies I've listed is being spread by the Church and every official. It will indeed slow down the fatalities." Georik responds as he settles down in a chair, arms folded across his chest. "My own research has not come up with a natural cure... though I do have a theory for something to prevent illness later, but that is beyond the scope of this meeting."

"Quite the achievement," she dipped her head and let her gaze linger on the absurdly large book before she pushed off the wall from which she had been leaning, "Preliminary tests have proved promising, I would have to run a number of small scale tests with the spell itself but should results perform to expectation at this point a single activation will be able to effect an entire province at the least with sufficient power, if not a Kingdom,"

Turning to Georik she dipped her head, "Your remedies have assisted greatly in further research by my team, I believe with the additional carrier spell attached to the main that Alhanna and her team have developed should greatly inhibit the spread of infection while patients are healing, follow up treatment will still be required but at least there shall be less risk of transmission during that time,"

"Perfect."

Klarth seems to have recovered from his bout of mania. He picks the tome back up as if nothing had ever happened. "Despite this development, please do continue to search for more remedies along those lines, Dr. Zaberisk. Apart from continued treatment after the cure, I know enough about medicine to know that they'll find use for more than just the plague.

"Ms. Vantari, you're welcome to take the spell off my hands at this point. As Gnome has made it abundantly clear, theory is as far as I can take my research. I'd like to be present during your testing, of course."

"It would be my pleasure to Professor, I shall get to work learning the spell as soon we are done here," Indeed, she was eager to delve into a new work, a new challenge. Stepping over to him to retrieve the book in question.

"Of course, anyone shall be welcome to observe the testing and integration should they wish, yourself especially Professor," Having retrieved the hefty book she moved back to where she had been standing to allow others to provide their input.

After the meeting had finished Celena had set herself to understanding and learning the incantation and spell that Klarth had spent time and effort to bring to fruition. Testing the way that the incantation affected the flow of manner, learning how the spell worked so that when it came time she could test it proper with the device she had created for the purpose.

The next day, once she was sure of her understanding of the spell she send a messenger to each of those involved in the meeting should they wish to observe the initial tests of the spell with the device. She had set up the device within a large practical hall within the University. Desks and tables around the room arrayed with various tools and books strewn about, although all the tables had been cleared for a good fifteen feet from the center of the room. In the center of the hall sat the device, seeming deceptively small at first, given the range Celena had put some design consideration into portability.

The device itself only measuring three feet in diameter by a foot thick at first, seemingly consisting of a top plate and a base plate, each embedded with crystals at geometric points locations, seemlessly blended into the designs, around the outer edge of the base plate seven identical crystals that glowed red with inner power rested in grooves though were seemingly able to be removed. The top plate itself smooth with a rune covered surface which seemed to indicate that something be placed in the center.

Crouching down once others were present, Celena placed her hand atop the device, the crystals glowing to life as she stood back as the top plate began to separate and rise, to rest at table height, tilting forward towards her even as the seven crystals around the edge of the base rose from their holders and began to orbit at head height nearly ten feet from the device, each spinning slowly.

"Now, shall we begin?"

If Klarth had his druthers, the experiment would be halted at this stage and the next five hours would be spent in minute examination of the device, recording every part, every screw, and every stray fingerprint for his own reference. Time is of the essence, though, and he suppresses his innate curiosity in favor of simply watching silently. It was his own fault for being so caught up in his work that he hadn't spared any time earlier to observe the construction of this device; in any case, there would always be time to ask later, after he was declared a national hero and granted a faculty position at each of the world's most prestigious institutions of magic.

Er, curing the plague for entirely altruistic reasons, that is.

Still, he isn't content to watch from a distance. As Celana prepares herself for the task, Klarth draws as close as possible and paces in a circle around the other researcher.

"Remember the spell extension - that bit Korra wrote in at the end. Or not, if you'd rather test it without."

That level of curiosity is something Celena could very much understand, and indeed she would quite likely have been the same had the situation been reversed. Indeed she admired such curiosity to the workings of such things.

Developing the device to aid in the cure of the plague had provided quite the worthy challenge, and if successful alongside curing those infected had the side effect of having an opportunity to get the Arcaniss Institute greater recognition.

She'd give something an amused look over her shoulder as Klarth hovered, "Don't worry I shall remember, as well as the extension Alhana and her students developed, the interactions are best tested together, if problems arise it can be distilled back to its original form,"

With a graceful gesture she drew a power crystal from her robes before it floated from Celena's hand and into place between the base plate and top plate before placing her hand in the indicated place atop the runes as she began incantation. A beam of light traveling between the base plate and the top plate, carrying the energy of the crystal floating between them, the runes around her hand lighting up with energy that was soon amplified by the crystals orbiting the device.

"Of course, of course."

Klarth hovers for a few moments longer before deciding that standing right in front of Celena during her casting of this immensely powerful, untested spell probably wasn't the best plan. He retreats a few steps and watches with careful scrutiny as the mage begins her preparations.

Were Klarth a petty man - or, well, any pettier than he already is - a surge of jealousy would be running through him at seeing the device respond so readily to Celena's command. As it is, the dominant emotions in his mind are intense excitement, open amazement, and... a very small, trickling stream of jealousy. He had long ago resigned himself to the fact that his greatest love did not reciprocate his affections. Magic was something to be observed. Studied, investigated, even comprehended and understood. But never to be used, never wholly and truly his. In his time, magic was so rare as to be seen more often in theory than in practice; how fantastic it had been to stumble into a world where it was as ubiquitous as the usage of air. This was gift enough, that his work and his research could bear fruit that he could observe.

Klarth watches Celena continue with a sense of satisfaction. Perhaps the sensation of mana flowing through her body is similar to the sensation of the adrenaline pumping through his own. He is absolutely certain that the test will go off flawlessly. ...His work is never less than perfect.

For Celena, magic was near as natural to her as breathing, or taking wing, when she was in her true form that is. Her concentration unhindered by the hovering Professor before he drew back.

Her chanting growing in volume as she allowed her energies flow into the device, the incantation shaping the energies to her purpose, the device reacting in kind as the spells energies gathered and formed, multiplied in resonance within the crystals of the device, the orbiting crystals glowing brighter and brighter as they picked up in speed, a shimmering dome like field of energy beginning to enclose the device and Celena within.

One thing that may be noticed by a trained eye were the glowing red markings that slowly became visible on those portions of Celena's form which were bare, along her arms in particular and indeed as the glow intensified as the spell reached its crescendo the hint of more shining through her light robes made themselves known.

Within moments the Spell reached its conclusion, with the additions that both Alhana and Korra. The moment Celena had completed the casting the runes on the top plate of the device flared, the field of energy surrounding the entirety of the device infused with the spell as it suddenly appeared to implode toward the center before suddenly reversing and rushing outwards, the spell carried on the wave of energies that swept from the device, out through the university and were one watching from above, to the greater extent of the area surrounding the university for several miles.

Klarth's eye isn't trained, exactly, given that the only time he really saw arcane body markings was when he glanced in a mirror, but he certainly does recognize them for what they are. How in the world had she managed to hide them so well? When he'd first begun inscribing the marks on himself, he'd resigned himself to a lifetime of funny looks (though, admittedly, they'd evolved into admiring looks as his reputation in Euclid had grown), and while he was well-familiar with his own reflection now, it still would have been nice to have the option of turning them off. From the brief glimpse he catches of Celena's markings, it seems clear that the design was different from his own. Not surprising, given that he was geared 100% towards enabling the ritual of the summon contract, but it was no doubt similar in concept.

...All of that is forgotten, though, as Celena finishes the incantation, her calm voice ringing clearly in the air even as the device flares to life. It is impossible to do anything but stare in stunned silence as the spell explodes forth; the sheer power of it seems almost tangible as it surges out to intertwine with the very fabric of reality, effecting a massive change in the ever-present streams of mana flowing all around.

Klarth gapes.

"I-Incredible.....! ...Quickly! We need to determine the effective radius before the base mana levels readjust!"

Although similar in nature, a sign and focus of the arcane, Celena's markings were far more natural to her. A hold over of her energies making themselves known while in her human form, the amount of energy poured into the spell drawing them to the surface, something she generally avoided, but in present company she paid it little mind her focus solely on the spell at hand.

Once the spell had exploded forth however Celena straightened herself, closing her eyes briefly before opening them once more, aglow with a soft golden light as she drew on her true sight to observe the energies about them. "The spell was weaved and amplified with minimal to no discernible corruption,"

Closing her eyes once more they return to their normal state as she casts a grin across to Klarth, giving a nod, "I had Alhana and her students as well as a few other mages spread further out from the university, they should be reporting in shortly," She was rather thorough when it came to testing after all.

After a short moment she tilted her head as if listening to someone, nodding to herself, "Furthest reports show that we had effective spread of the spell to at least five miles out, not bad for a small scale test, eh?" She commented with a clear grin at that.

"With a full power test we could easily cover multiple provinces, if estimations hold,"

"...Don't tell me you're both a psychic and a mage."

Klarth doesn't seem overly concerned with that, though, as he approaches Celena and pulls a map out of one of his pockets. ...He'd taken it from the visitor's center of the university when he first arrived.

"Five miles. That would be... Yes. A full scale cast should give us at least ten times that power. The largest province is Yheathiel, but no one lives near the boundary of the Rift, which should reduce the necessary effect radius."

He nods as he continues to speak mostly to himself.

"From here, here... here for the forests, ignoring the mountains here... Perfect. Yes. Yes, and... Beautiful. At most, we'll only need to cast twice in each nation - twice almost certainly for Amestris, but if you can exert yourself a little, even just once for the remainder of the countries.

"...Miss Vantari. I do believe you've done it."

"Who says one cannot be part of the other, hmm?"

Celena gives him an amused look at that, after all there was more to her yet than the abilities she had shown thus far.

Looking over the map that he pulls out she gives a nod at his assessments in turn, each quite accurate in turn before interjecting.

"The boundary does extend a considerable distance, an activation from Poemond and Dwaelath should cover the majority, overlap from activation in Britain should cover the remaining portions of Yheathiel,"

"Twice in a number of nations, less here and here if overlap from activation in adjacent kingdoms is taken into account. I should be able to sustain a considerable casting radius and with assistance of a number of mages from the institute we should be able to transport the device and personnel from Kingdom to Kingdom rapidly,"

Celena dipped her head with a smile at his comment,

"Without your assistance, it would not have been possible,"

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A Plague on Both Your Houses

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