Cantrips, Spells... Becoming a Mage

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Author PS: Sorry I haven't been updating this of late, been really tired and getting a lot of NLTO chapters out. Anyway, please enjoy!

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Pulling up the cowl of my cloak I stalked out of my room, giving the receptionist a head nod before stepping out into the main street of this district. The streets were as busy as usual with the small caveat that the guard presence seemed to be increased somewhat. Sweat started to pool a little on my brow as my heartrate increased just that small amount necessary to cause mild panic. Lowering my head and relying on my cloak to shield me from most questions I started to walk amongst dense crowds of humans, elves and tieflings. 

Distant smells of food and dung equally drifted into my nose as the heat and intensity of close bodily contact waned and increased. General conversation filled the street incessantly, hawkers crying wares as beggars asked for pity from anyone that looked even remotely above them in wealth. Many times I was begged only for them to disappear amidst the writhing mass of people. The only oddity in this was the grunts and curses that people gave when guards moved past them, some even falling over in the guard's movements.

Half an hour passed in this manner as I dodged several guards and many knights that were just combing through the streets on various bits of business. I did not get the feeling that they were hunting me, but the subconscious thought was enough for me to be cautious. Finally, after some anxiety over the predicament I was in, I opened the door to the Ubiquitous Binder Book Store. Passing by bookshelves and stacks of books I found the same demonic looking creature, his gangly body arched over the top of a thick tome. 

"Heeheehee... It seems you are back. Ready to finish reading your books?"

Frowning in discomfort whilst swallowing down the small bit off vomit that threatened to peak out, I took a final step forwards and cleared my throat.

"I want to finish those books and purchase access to other books." 

His tome closed quickly and strongly, the edges of the leather binding spraying off dust as his head arched backwards and stared at me, upside down. Features odd were more prominent at this angle, my senses informing me that this was no normal creature before me. I knew this from my previous visit, but it was more intense this time...

"What book would you wish to peruse...?"

"Basics of understanding Magical Runes, Essential knowledge for wizards and mages, First Weave level spells, A book about the varying schools of magic and some information on how one can communicate with magic."

The creature's face widened into a menacing cat-like grin, sharpened teeth extending from its mouth as they seemed almost vampiric in nature. Taking a step back in shock at the sight before me the entire change was stopped and reversed, the man's usual elvish looks coming back despite his still large size and height.

"Very Well... Fifty gold."

I took out the gold, using my pockets as a medium to yoink them from my inventory. At the same time I looked at my Mage mission and decided to create a new mission. Reading a certain amount of books could increase my proficiency bonus in arcana, history, medicine and nature mostly, thus I wanted a mission that could expand constantly, one that would gradually double and become harder, granting greater rewards.

{9- Book Junky| +1 to Arcana Proficiency, +1 to History Proficiency, +1 to Nature Proficiency, +1000 Experience| (Read 20 Books: 0/20)}

Handing it over, several books sprang from the distant parts of the library. Covers ranging from plain and simple to gaudy and opulent splayed out floating in front of me as the gold in my held out hand zipped over to the man's hands.

"You have two days with each book. There are ten books there...Once again-"

"The books are not to leave the premises, I understand."

Grinning at my interruption he slowly and creepily slunk his head back around to face correctly once more. The tome in his hand opened as he slowly used a log finger to turn a page. Gazing at the tome for a few seconds I could see that it was blank, no words were on it, it simply was paper. I wasn't stupid however and immediately considered magic as the answer to the particular question, choosing to start my reading session.

And read I did. Over the next eight hours I read book after book, my reading speed monumentally cheat-like compared to my previous speed on Earth. It was as if I was using a computer from the dawn of technology in comparison to a modern supercomputer before my reincarnation. My write speed and CPU power was immense, my ability to grasp the runic languages of magic being massively frightening, even to myself. I was never a book worm and could never understand basic algebra for the most part, a reason why the sciences were a no go for me... Now however? I could recite the formulas of hundreds of different scientific phenomena by memory. Entire lessons from University grasped at in seconds of my mind getting the impression that science was involved.

My intelligence stats weren't just a measurement of my magical talent as I had first thought. It was an actual categorization of my smarts, my memorization, my ability to problem solve and find patterns in obscure anomalies. Gaining agility earlier was not a surprise going by the logic in which Baldur's Gate worked off of, but intelligence, that wasn't something I was expecting to have affect me. I wasn't going to argue or complain however since it was a blessing in my current predicament as it meant that the ten books I was handed, were completed in an eight hour time frame.

Closing the back of my last book I shut my eyes, trying to run over the contents within my mind. The Weave, it was the skene that was magic but also a goddess. A loom of unimaginable size that could be hypothesized to spread across all of space-time. Magical users, of all kinds, communicated with this weave otherwise known as Mystra, to call forth natural effects and differing outcomes. The construction of a spell was essentially a prayer or appeasement of this entity, the goddess, asking for your magic to work. Some liken it to a beautiful dance of unimaginable scale, caresses and woos given to Mystra as she grants you some but not all, hoping to lure you further into the depths of magic. Cantrips, the main part of what I was trying to gain access to was a mere expression of a burgeoning connection, cord, a thread to the weave. 

Some cantrips such as Fire Bolt were bound with nature as well, but the majority of the force behind what initiates the formation of it is the particles known as 'Magic'. To forge a connection to the weave one must be naturally inclined, many of the books had a section pertaining to this as a disclaimer of sorts. Some said that the connection is sometimes apparent from birth, to others it was something to foster and grow. All agreed however that to grow the connection I must meditate, searching for a wave-like motion that should wash over if one had the talent... The stronger this reaction, the more likely you are to be able to use magic to a greater degree. Funnily enough there were detractors to these beliefs however, stating that magic was merely defended and maintained by Mystra, the actual power being held by existence itself.

Ignoring all of the inconsistencies and conjecture from these books I kept to what I considered useful. Several cantrips were written out for me, the meditation method was rather simplistic and referred to using gut feeling more than any sophisticated methodology. Thus I sat down and began to slow my breathing. My body was hot, warm amidst the shade of the inside of the building. Thumping noises boomed in my ears after a few moments, the pumping of my heart; as it circulated blood throughout my body, grew to deafening proportions within mere seconds. Discomfort soon became illness before a softly strange sensation soothed my slowly increasing off-ness.

Calm restored, my body tingling at the slowly prodding waves of something, I continued to breathe sluggishly. My hearing became silent as the feeling of breathing even became numb amongst the crashing and swirling waves of what I could only assume was the weave...

Intoxication followed, my mind shuddered as the pleasure receptors inside my brain fired all at once, only to subside a second later. Needle-like pricks stung my skin as an almost water-like substance, or what felt like it, began to smother my right arm. Crawling... Like an earthworm up my arm, maintaining its position atop my skin. My left arm began to feel this as well, but these were quickly thrown aside as a torrential downpour of waves swept through me all at once. My organs rattled as my wings even extended, the individual feathers tingling and puffing despite the calmed state I was in. Then as if it was all a dream I opened my eyes, finding a thin wave of purple shifting all around me, throughout the room and even deeper than that... I could feel all of it expanding in every direction for hundreds of feet. Runes flashed in my head as I remembered the theories behind using the light cantrip. 

It was a basic magical power, something that anyone calling themselves magical could most likely use... But to me, it was proof that I had succeeded. Light was made up of photons, electromagnetic fields that all carry distinct packets of energy. Therefor, I simply caressed the wave of purple in front of my hand, thinking of energy being bound into photons in greater amounts within the hand's general vicinity.

{ Completed, Find and Learn Magic | Rewards: Intelligence + 4 , Charisma + 2 , Ring of Protection, 1000 XP }

{ Completed, Runic Language, Cantrip Addition | Intelligence +1 , Knowledge of Basic Runes within Magic }

{ Completed, Become a Mage | Section Points + 5 , Immovable Rod, Soul Bound Grimoire , Proficiency in all schools of Magic , Level of Wizard + 1 }

|>Ascendant Soul Framework<|< em>

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Name- Lumin'ara'el | Species- Aasimar |

Titles- Book Worm Wizard | Religious Connection- Ao, God of Creation

(Wizard) LEVEL- 3 |200/4000|

Section Points- 5

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Status Sheet-

STRENGTH: 13

DEXTERITY: 14

CONSTITUTION: 15

INTELLIGENCE: 27

WISDOM: 20

CHARISMA: 12

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Proficiencies-

Bonus (+2)

Athletics : +3

Acrobatics : +2

Sleight of Hand : +2

Stealth : +4

Arcana : +8

History : +10

Investigation : +8

Nature : +8

Religion : +8

Animal Handling : +5

Insight : +8

Medicine : +5

Perception : +5

Survival : +4

Deception : +1

Intimidation: +1

Performance : +1

Persuasion : +1

Magic Schools- 

~Proficiency in all schools of Basic Magic (Transmutation, Enchantment, Necromancy, Divination, Abjuration, Evocation, Conjuration and Illusion)

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Quests-

1- Lose Virginity | +1000 Experience, A happy ending? (ADJUSTED DUE TO AQUISITION OF CLASS TYPE)

2- TRAINING MONTAGE | Proficiency in Simple Weapons, Proficiency in Longbows, Quiver of Retrieving

3- The Bridge, it moves? | Knowledge on basic Mechanics, Essential Transmutation Spells Weave Level 1 (ADJUSTED DUE TO AQUISITION OF CLASS TYPE)

4- Find Meaning? I guess? | A Golden Star? , Charisma + 2 , A Random OP Magic Item

5- Kill the Tyrant of Ash and Ruin | Achievement: Dragon Slayer , Strength + 4 , Constitution + 4 , Charisma + 10 , Knowledge on Ancient Red Dragons, The Dragon Hoard of Vermithraxxis , Levels + 5 , Sword of Dragon Slaying , Knowledge of Spells at a 9th weave level (Only the knowledge, not the capability) , Section Points + 40

6- Book Junky| +1 to Arcana Proficiency, +1 to History Proficiency, +1 to Nature Proficiency, +1000 Experience| (Read 20 Books: 10/20)

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Completed Achievements-

Stranger to the Lands

Survivor of the Tyrant of Ash and Ruin, Vermithraxxis

Iriaeboran Princess's Saviour

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Inventory (200m^3) - Map of Faerûn , Compass, Adventurer's Camp Clothes, Spell Book of Cantrips, 1950 Gold, Ring of Protection, Soul Bound Grimoire, Immovable Rod

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Light shone out radiantly as the weave around me quivered in response, as if happy that I was able to get to this stage by myself like this. It made me think back onto the idea of Mystra being the Weave itself. With such topics on my mind I sent a quick thanking nod towards the wave, watching as it swirled faster, as if happy that it had been recognised in some way.

Turning away from the weave for a few moments I gazed upon my status screen, missions had been completed and my stats were distributed... Something that wasn't missed by me at all as my mind gained a clarity that could be called supernatural. My knowledge had not increased as many would consider intelligence being, no, I simply gained a sharper analysis of everything. The waves on front of me looked less like waves now and more equivalent to extremely dense particles that flowed in unison with one another in a waveform. There was personality to the weave. No questions could be given to me anymore, Mystra or something was in control of magic.

Looking through my surroundings for a little i could understand the basics of most of the titles, even if they were in other languages... Structures of wording and different punctuation slowly became a pattern of easily understandable thought. Each word, no matter the language, had reason and meaning applied to it. Once one understood one word and how it was structure most of the other words would essentially become easy to discover.

I hadn't even spent the full twenty days I could here and I had already accomplished three missions... 'Perhaps I can ask the man for extra books seeing as how I didn't need the full time he suggested?' 

Standing up for just that reason I was stopped by another ten books swishing down from a nearby bookcase.

"Read those as well... For up to twenty days I shall allow you to peruse my collection. Any more use after that will be charged."

"T-thank you!"

"Do not thank me yet. You are truly frightening and I am merely securing future protection from an influence you may have."

His words were grim now, his coy if eerie demeanor all but gone. His current one a fractal memory of how he had acted before I had become a 'wizard' for all intents and purposes.

'What the fuck happened???'

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A new chap for this fic! Sorry for the lack of them, been busy! Hope you enjoyed, have a good day/night!