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[sythyry]

Festina Lente [4 Thory 4385]

I called it Festina Lente: "Make Haste Slowly." Which isn't precisely what is intended by the original aphorism, but it will do well enough for a name. It is not my best work, but it is tolerably good, nonetheless.

I had Kantele call in a few Eigrach notables for the formal presentation: Aiziju as a matter of professional courtesy, and Lord Bwipin to represent the busy Mayor Mmixamk, Muekar the duelist, and, of course, Rehit, the dour and rather elongated gentleRassy for whom the rapier was made and who will use it in duel-wars. We served light Mrasteain refreshments in one of our many parlors -- we carefully picked one that had a good deal of pirate damage, to remind them that work was to begin on Strayway as soon as the first of the magic weapons was delivered.

Me:"Rehit, once you are finished with the spicy mouse, if you will be so good as to open the long shallow ebony case on yonder cabinet..."

Rehit nodded, and strode over to the cabinet, flipped the two ornamental shell latches up, and threw open the casket. "Oh, shine thee Mircannis! It's beautiful!" I had expended artistry upon it, in my three-day afternoons. Technically I am a jeweller, and technically Festina Lente is a very large and very useful item of jewelry. The quillons and lower blade are set with fine golden and silver wires in fierce arabesques, and the brilliant dots of back-lit rubies to punctuate them, and the pommel is a drum-in-crown in ivory and iron.

I nodded, just a touch grimly. "I do not work by halves, Rehit. Take it up." He lifted it. It was perfectly suited to his hand -- unsurprising; it had been his second-best rapier before I started on it, and I had tuned it to him two parts more. "The secret commands: let me teach them to you." And then, a few minutes later, "Try a few passes at arms against Muekar."

They fought there, a whirling pointy whisperwind of quick weapons. Rehit was rash by design, and traded a slash on his knee for a little pinprick in Muekar's thigh. After which the tempo of the battle changed. Muekar lagged: not exhausted, but becalmed in the usual wind of time. Rehit sped up: not pressing the attack, even fighting a bit relaxedly, but far quicker.

"Point the first," I said. "Festina Lente can steal somewhat of your opponent's time. Just a second or two out of every six or eight: but enough to give you the time for several extra blows. Not necessarily even just on her; you are truly made swift; she is truly made slow. Indeed, you need not do this to your foe: you can steal from a friend as easily, or your foe's horse, and you will have speed though your foe does not have slowness."

Rehit stepped back, then charged at Muekar in a fleche that left a long wound in her arm. Muekar, still becalmed, parried as best she could; but by the time she got to riposte, Rehit was on her far side, and had his guard well up. "I know how to use that to considerable advantage, O wizard." Which he clearly did.

"Point the second, and lesser than the first:", I said, "Festina Lente can catch fire. She is not so fearsome as burning swords go, but she will not grow so hot as to hurt your hand as you wield her. Use this against foes too resistant to magic for the first power to work, or, if you are pressed, to take better advantage of the extra seconds you have from the time transfer.

Rehit nodded, and set Festina Lente ablaze, with a swirl of thready blue-white flames. "How about not burning me, Rehit?" asked Muekar, her voice a touch deep from lost time.

"Point the third and last and least:", I said, "Festina Lente can heal you a significant amount. It is only temporary healing, and, like many another temporary healing, the second use is lesser than the first, the third than the second, and the fifth nearly useless. Nonetheless, you may find that it lets you duel for some moments longer, and that may turn a loss to a victory. You carry the same spell bound on a bead on that cord about your waist; Festina Lente's spell is perhaps a half again as good as yours." (Dissecting someone else's bound spells at a glance across the room is definitely showing off, but this presentation was as much an act of dramaturgy as thaumaturgy.)

"I had not expected that," said Rehit. "We had discussed no such feature. I cannot complain; it is a bound spell I always carry, and often wind up using."

"At times the labor of enchantment goes better, at times it goes worse. When it goes better, you shall get laignappe," I said. "I am honest and generous." (Which is true, except when I'm not.) "Festina Lente has a single main limitation: Twelve uses of its powers each day. Total, not per power."

Aiziju, who knows more than most people about great enchantment, nodded. "I have heard a little of sharing charges."

"It seemed appropriate. Sometimes he will want one thing, other times another, other times a third. He can spend the rapier's force on whatever is most useful that day. As a dueling weapon, in particular, he is unlikely to encounter more than one or two battles in a day," I said. "More power is available, of course, but the cost would be higher, and it would be more than a single week's work, even for me."

Aiziju tugged her shorts down and scratched a brick-red buttock, which is very rude, but she can get away with it I suppose. "Which leads me to another point. You did this in a single week?"

"You listened to part of the discussions; you advised Rehit about the details of the flaming sword. I made it to your specifications, plus the laignappe. It has been only a bit more than a week since then."

"How did you do it in a week though? You weren't Orren-crafting it -- that would take you all day and all night, and I know for a fact you've been at the city at noontime and at the fortress in the early afternoon!"

I shrugged, flickering my wings so that the feathers gleamed in the light of the burning sword. "My grandparent Glikkonen could do more in a week, I'm sure. I am not the wizard zie is."

"Well, yes, you are not Glikkonen," she said, mollified enough to let me avoid the question. She is not Glikkonen either; but she worked as zir assistant for some long time. And did not learn many of his secrets of enchantment: as I understand, she assisted in matters of spell-invention, not enchantment.

Rehit turned to salute me with the sword's last flames. "O Zi Ri, I pronounce myself well-satisfied. You have worked wonders of enchantment and beauty; you have made miracles of speed and elegance. And you have been generous and forgiving beyond anything I could possibly expect."

"You are welcome, Rehit. Just don't ram this one through my ribcage, please. Once was enough."

I admit to being satisfied by the resulting wince.

Comments

[kensan-oni.livejournal.com]

I never said it was Zir fault. I just am saying that what the Bodyguard did was perfectly acceptable, and I would expect no less from a Civic Defender. If I saw a monster rampaging making sculptures out of people's kidneys, I dare say I would attack the demon and the wizard who controlled it, too.

I don't think it's right or fair to want revenge on someone who was actually, you know, doing their honest civic duty. Unlike some other Primes that this town has what come-up-tances. Rehit's just not one of them on the list.

[rowyn]

Umm ... I guess technically you writing "Sythry has to admit that it was his own fault" isn't the same as you saying it's zir fault, but you have to admit there's a certain similarity between the two sentiments. >:) But I have no problem if that's not what you want to imply. The guards were not much at fault in the incident, certainly.

[kensan-oni.livejournal.com]

Okay... let me clarify the thought process... although I accept you have what I intend right.

1) It's Sythry's fault for not saying No to the invintation being extended. Zhi should have known better, and the lack of backbone in a wizard of Zir's caliber is annoying.

2) It's not Zir fault she got attacked, as that is Vae's fault entirely. The issue is do you blame the person for doing their job even if it was a misunderstanding when a weapon is involved. I don't know about you, but even though I feel for Vae very much, and wish her to overcome her problems and be a very well rounded monster, she still is a very potent and dangerous weapon.

[mharreff.livejournal.com]

A sword is a weapon. An onager is a weapon. Perhaps the spell-created elemental is a weapon.

A nendrai is not a weapon. The nendrai does not always listen to Sythyry. The nendrai has her own will, or the will of Gnarn at some times. The nendrai causes much harm to Sythyry and those around Sythyry - and that is when she wishes to be friendly. If she thinks Sythyry is not a friend but an owner, perhaps she does not show as much restraint.

Certainly the nendrai is not a weapon in a Zi Ri's paw. Attacking Sythyry does little to stop the nendrai - the archers already prove this. Stabbing zir more when things are calmer does not make them calmer faster.

[sythyry.livejournal.com]

You understand!

My influence over Vae is based on long friendship and considerable evidence over the decades that I am actually sympathetic to her needs and situation. I cannot order her about: or rather, she might obey an order, or two, but the more I do that, the less influence I have over her in the future.

And, given that my influence over her is the main thing restraining her from a terrible rampage of helping everyone in sight, I won't be doing that.

[kensan-oni.livejournal.com]

A Nendrai just devastated a town, a countryside, and probably much else, in the name of vengeance and in an effort to protect the Strayway. I seriously doubt other people do not see Vae as a weapon of a powerful wizard.

[sythyry.livejournal.com]

The Mayor of Eigrach is an adult. He can decide who comes to his little teaparties.

And what do you expect me to do with wizardry? Launch a preemptive mystic war against, um, the mayor of Eigrach?

Wizardry, as I practice it, is a profession. I speak with considerable authority in matters of making magic items, and various other aspects of physics. I am no more likely to be a great leader because of my magical skill than I am because of my skill at embroidery or jewelry-making.

I've never been particularly good at ordering people about.

At best, I have some skill at hiring assistants who are capable of that work. What do you suppose Phaniet and Kantele are for, anyhow? Things that I could do better myself?

[kensan-oni.livejournal.com]

Sythry, I realize that magic is common in your universe, but EXPERT control in which you display (And seriously, I've been double checking with system. You are far beyond the power of even an average seasoned adventurer) deserves, demands, and should create respect.

To put it in perspective, you Casually create pocket dimensions, live in pocket dimensions at will, have enough flexibility in commanding time where you get a whole months worth of time in a week, and are able to heal, cast great deal of spells, get attention of gods to create artifacts, and can have the diplomacy skills to handle the equivalent of a sentient nuclear bomb. A person who can handle this easily should be given more weight when one considers their words.

To put shortly, not only do you not realize the power you have, you don't realize that it comes with a position that is, at least around here, worthy of nobility and authority. Quite simply, you have the power to say no and make it stick, but you never use that power because you are afraid of being assertive/Unliked.

You shouldn't have to put up with it.

[mharreff.livejournal.com]

Any one wizard only has so many cley. When all the cley are used, what then? If a single wizard holds power by commanding it, probably it is the tyrant wizard. Or the Mentador wizard. Either might not live long, as soon as other wizards come together to punish the tyrant wizard.

Also, Sythyry's greatest trick is not, on its own, the great weapon.

There are heroes and wizards who are the far deadlier primes in a fight, the far more forceful and influential primes with their magic. Zir skills are the good skills, yes - but they do not guarantee respect always. There are still those living who do more in their lives.

Aziju is... hundreds of years old? Perhaps she is not the great enchantress, but she works with Glikkonen inventing spells. Perhaps she has spells that nobody else but Glikkonen knows about. Certainly she is not without skill, to live so long and not be Zi Ri.

I think you overestimate the weight of Sythyry's magic - or you do not consider how little many cities care for foreigners. Foreigners who maybe stir up trouble from the pirates who already are trouble. Foreigners who nearly bring the abomination from beyond the universe into the skies near Eigrach. None of this is the choice of Sythyry, but any of it that Eigrach knows does not make Eigrach like zir more.

[kensan-oni.livejournal.com]

*exasperation* Whatever. Fine. Let the 'poor weak defensless' wizard wallow in self pity. Obvously the city doesn't want zir, or they wouldn't want zir to stay. Obviously zhi is the weakest enchanter, or otherwise they wouldn't ask zir to make weapons of war for them. Obviously zhi is weak, or zhi wouldn't have the abilty to warp and contort time and space so.

Obviously, these are common and everyday occurences even in Zir world, and I should just stop bothering to care.

[sythyry.livejournal.com]

[OOC - Sythyry's got to have some weaknesses, or zie's an exercise in powergaming and masturbation to write about, and pretty tedious to read about. Writing about an extremely powerful character is quite tricky. Also, Sythyry has always been pretty slow to learn important things, but zie does learn them, eventually.

Anyways, yeah, the last few episodes have been a low point for the lizard; that happens sometimes to zir, and it's important to have that for dramatical purposes. Zie's back, though, and (as in the latest episode) starting to be effective.]

[stickseed-doom.livejournal.com]

You cannot just refuse an invitation from the Mayor like that! It would be rather unsuitable and probably lead to some measure of doom. It's not unreasonable to assume that people at least half know what they're asking if they invite the nendrai along to a party.

Nor, much as it pains me, would I really blame the monster. She made a horrible botch of trying to be polite and impressive all at once, but she did act in good faith. It's a monster, and they took pains to invite the monster, so they should expect the monster to act at least a little bit monsterly.

I would sooner blame the whole mess on Harulse. She seems to be wholly and utterly incompetent, and she was the one with the singularly foolish idea to shout "save me!" instead of "it's alright, they're with me!" or something similarly accurate when the guards entirely misinterpreted the situation.

Honestly, a Khtsoyis would do her job better than she does. At least if the Khtsoyis asked to be saved, nobody would understand!

[kensan-oni.livejournal.com]

As ambassador, he certantly CAN refuse an invitation from the mayor like that. It is also very likely that the Court thought they were recieving someone's 'pet', and not a very individual monster like being.

Also, we can blame Vae. She has had the experince and understands what primes consider acceptable behavior. Even with her God's curse, she could have chosen to restrain her expressions. She choose not to, and got everyone into trouble. We can blame her, most certantly.

I DO think that Harulse's pursuit of being smarter then she really is indeed made the situation worse, but she's more of the messanger, then anything else. Also, honestly, by the time she DID say anything, it was too late. I am not sure anyone would have listened after that horrifying display.

[sythyry.livejournal.com]

(Happy approx-birthday, too!)

My revenge upon Rehit was: fine artwork on his rapier, and an extra healing power as well. It seemed sufficient for the situation.

[mharreff.livejournal.com]

Guilt is the very potent and subtle weapon!

[sythyry.livejournal.com]

Does it work on you, O Sleeth?

[mharreff.livejournal.com]

You have your secrets, I have mine!

[kensan-oni.livejournal.com]

(Thank you!)