Nuke it smarter, not harder [Open]

[wizardsaregodtier]

Outside the Sensorium, a large floating sign proclaimed in large text:

SENSORIUM IN USE. PRIMARY OCCUPANT: AIBGHALIEN MARSAI. PURPOSE: DEPLOYMENT OF SIMULATED AND GENUINE MAGIC. VISITORS WELCOME. CAUTION! NONSIMULATED MAGIC IN USE!

A helpful magic mouth also repeated these words verbally to those who drew close, a necessary sop to potential issues of translation (or literacy). Despite this ungainly addition tio the illusory sign, Aibghalien was pleased with his idea.

Such thoughts had fallen far to the back of his mind, however, as in the Sensorium he had created a fourfold simulated environment. One quadrant, which the door opened onto, consisted of his tower laboratory from his days as a regent, with tables of magical and alchemical apparatuses set up in various states of use or disarray. The next quarter clockwise was a battlefield, with two armies clashing in a seemingly perpetual state of conflict. Continuing around, in the third quadrant, a group of orogs shuffled aimlessly around a dungeon hallway in exactly the manner one would assume orogs would shuffle about while waiting for adventurers to burst in on them in their otherwise empty and joyless 20x20 dungeon room. Finally, in the fourth quadrant stood Aibghalien, dispassionately deploy a mighty gout of fire from his hands into a swarming mass of Kessek.

“Pause,” he said out loud – not necessary, but Aibghalien found it helpful to set deliberate barriers between his general mental thought processes and the commands he intended to give the sensorium. The image froze in the midst of the fire impacting the Kessek armor. Nodding to himself, Aibghalien stepped forward to examine the intersection of attack and defense, analyzing the impact with the intent of improving it.

Comments

[anwei]

Anwei's head - and just her head - poked inside the door.

"I really hope that you're recording all this. Seems a shame not to share it with future crew members."

[wizardsaregodtier]

"You came at a particularly interesting moment. In actuality the majority of my work here is theoretical rather than experimental, and would be dreadfully dull to witness." He waved his hand vaguely at a book in the laboratory section. "It will be better reading condensed, though I expect absolutely no attention will be paid to it."

[anwei]

She stepped a little bit further into the Sensorium, since nothing had leaped on her yet.

"Even if no one currently awake can appreciate your work, it's entirely possible a magician your equal" or greater, she did not say "will someday read it and thank your name for leaving good notes."

She was a sucker for good notes.

[wizardsaregodtier]

"That assumes that at any point an actual wizard appears on the ship, as opposed to some variant of sorcerer," he said, looking up from his appraisal of the flames with a wry but sour smile. "Thus far I am the only one, and I have no reason to doubt that the pattern will continue."

[anwei]

She considered that, her head cocked to one side (and one eye keeping a close eye on the milling orogs. They didn't look like they could leave their square, but you never knew).

"I don't know how long you've been awake on this ship, but if Stacy's reprogramming holds, it's entirely possible that she can change the podpop release patterns. Maybe she can find you a worthy collaborator. Or we might meet a true wizard on another world, who would choose to come with us."

[wizardsaregodtier]

Getting his hopes up was the last thing the elf intended to do. "While possible, empirical evidence suggests that the actual idea that magic can be learned without possessing some inherent gift, talent, or ability to use it simply has not occurred to the overwhelming majority of worlds represented on this ship."

[anwei]

She stroked her chin thoughtfully. "Are there other inherent qualities that make magic harder or easier for a person to learn? If enough qualified people showed up, you could train them yourself - start with a blank slate, as it were."

Certainly people with exceptional qualities were showing up all the time.

[wizardsaregodtier]

"Intelligence and a willingness to put in effort," he said drily. "I have extended offers to teach the crew before, and receptions had been poor at best. In general our crew prefers to focus on their existing specialties and talents, rather than branch out."

[anwei]

"You would think they would welcome the chance to learn new combat skills - especially since, in theory, there are records accessible across the Multiverse detailing their actual skillsets. If the enemy can access those, they could anticipate what they would be facing - unless the people they faced attacked with entirely new abilities."

She looked thoughtfully at the frozen fire. "Maybe record sessions such as this, and add a descriptive narration of how these skills can be shared? So that people who referenced it would know to come to you?"

Aibghalien doing infomercials for magic. Hey, it could work!

[wizardsaregodtier]

"While noble on theory, the fact is that after a substantial period of learned and determination, the greatest amount of power a person is likely to gain is, well, magic missile. There's no denying that the basic weapons we have are more efficient, more effective, and require less training. The higher levels of spells require much, much more study to master."

He followed her glance, then smiled. "Though admittedly this is a terribly weak spell itself..."

[anwei]

Anwei thought for a moment, her eyes lolling and then coming back to the elf's face.

"If casting complicated magic is so difficult, I'd be more interested in determining what is the minimal amount of magic needed to disable the enemy. Say making a very fright light that parked itself directly in front of their eyes? Or something opaque that blinded them?"

The thought of the Kessek stumbling about with big black rectangles covering their faces was not without appeal.

That fire was a weak spell? Oh dear.

[wizardsaregodtier]

"Which is an excellent question. The problem is of scale. A beginning wizard could at best disable three enemies before having exhausted their repertoire of spells for the day. In the encounters we typically engage in, that is so small a difference as to be nonexistent. Silent and generally static illusions are available at that level, but similarly limited. Permanent blindness is available at the next level of spells, but again, is limited in scale. It might be possible to develop a mass version of such a spell, but it would require far greater skill in wizardry to cast."

The fire is a weak spell cast by a very capable caster. Of course it appears powerful!

[anwei]

"My understanding of magic is quite limited. Is there such a thing as a self-targeting spell that you could cast at the enemy that would find the highest-ranking opponent and blind just that one sentient? Or does magic normally work on the line-of-sight principle?"

Nothing was quite so intimidating as a missile whispering by overhead, and knowing that the optical scanner in its nose was primed for a certain target. Couldn't the same be true of magic?

[curiousredsoul]

Celena couldn't help but raise an eyebrow with amusement to the warning set outside the sensorium, as well as when it was repeated. He was sure to keep people aware of what he was doing at least.

In her elven form she walked through the tower laboratory moving directly to the quadrant where she sensed a particular elven wizard that she had not to spend proper time with in many a day. Slipping in near silently as she did, not announcing herself until she slid her arms around Aibghalien from behind, "I'd been wondering where you'd gotten off to," she greeted with her usual cheerfulness, though with something of a hint of the weariness that had begun to set in recently. With all the damage that had been done during the rebellion, infrastructure had been run off its feet, let alone her other duties.

Peering over his shoulder she examined the point he was currently investigating, offense was not her strong suite. Defensive and distractive measures however...

[wizardsaregodtier]

He'd expected to hear any visitors entering, and hadn't, so when she slid her arms around him he tensed momentarily in pure reflex. Then, with a pleased sigh, he relaxed, leaning into her with a smile. With everything that had happened, they had lacked quality time.

"If I'd known you were going to find yourself a free moment," he said, lifting a hand to rest it on her forearm, "I wouldn't have been in here, believe me."

[curiousredsoul]

She let her chin rest on his shoulder for a moment, smiling up to him as she held to him. Between multiple projects, department subheading and the rebellion time had been scarce indeed.

"Even I didn't know when I'd get a moment with all that's happened and all that needs to be done," she shook her head and sighed before giving a wry smile, "Technically still working, merely taking an opportune moment to see the head of the Magic department in regards to certain repairs and developments,"

"That said, the technicalities have little urgency at the current moment,"

[wizardsaregodtier]

He turned to face her properly, the better to slide his arms around her in turn. "Well, infrastructure is highly important. I am more than happy to place all my talents and resources at your disposal," he said, his eyebrows quirked playfully. More seriously, he continued, "Though a thought occurs to me..."

[curiousredsoul]

She would loosen her hold to allow him to turn before letting her arms hold around his back once more, "Of that I have little doubt, infrastructure is very grateful to have your assistance," she replied with a playful grin before tilting her head curiously, "Oh? Do tell?"

[wizardsaregodtier]

"Well." He was, after all, just the slightest bit shy about voicing this now that it came to the test. Proof that even he could still be nervous at times. Dominating the laws of physics and wielding power almighty was, after all, simplicity itself compared to being worthy of the attention of such a woman.

"We might solve at least a few of our problems if we did away with the whole pretense of having separate residences entirely."

[curiousredsoul]

Celena couldn't help but grin softly at his nervousness, coming from the highly skilled wizard that she admired. Tilting her head as she waited for him to speak on what he had in mind. Brushing a gentle touch along his side reassuringly.

Once he'd spoken she pondered a moment before nodding with a soft grin, "You've a fair point indeed, a matter though of which residence we should use for our own. My abode has plenty of room, besides it would give a place to rest away from your work even if briefly, I can have a locked gate set between my abode and the Tower to allow you to get back to your work easily, what do you think of that?"

[wizardsaregodtier]

"I've always thought your home was much more elegant than mine. I only ever built mine for utility's sake, after all. You have a far greater touch of creativity and aesthetics than I ever will. Though it seems unnecessary to use a gate for transport when I've spent so much time mastering flying," he added with a smile. He'd have hesitated to ever suggest his own lab for a home for both of them, though volunteering hers himself would have been rude. Finding a new place was always possible, of course... but why uproot both of them?

[curiousredsoul]

She dipped her head with a warm smile, "I'm glad that you like it, utility does have a lot to say for itself though. Without a measure of utility elegance doesn't amount to much," she chuckled softly before giving a nod, "True enough, why travel by gate when you can fly, you've become quite proficient indeed last I saw you in flight," She was always proud of his achievements in that regard that he took such care in mastering winged flight when he was able to fly with magic with far less care or effort.

"A gate would be useful however in the case where time is of the utter essence, and would allow transit to any portion of the network,"

[wizardsaregodtier]

"I suppose. I just worry about using up one connection when there are other places that could easily have a higher priority. But you're in charge of infrastructure," he said, smiling as he held her gaze, "so I defer to your expert judgement."

[curiousredsoul]

"I've a number of gates ready to deploy as it is, and enough materials for many more yet, the Tower of High Sorcery could use one for the members of your department and those who wish to approach the department. Besides as primary maintainer of the system, a gate that I can immediately access would be of great use," She commented with a warm smile, holding his gaze in turn as she held to him.

[wizardsaregodtier]

"Hmm," he said, freeing one hand from around her to put to his chin thoughtfully, a smile half-hidden beneath it. "There might be another problem, in that I might find it terribly difficult to get anything done with such quick and immediate access to you..."