UoM: The Hall of Ages (Chyril 23rd, early ET)

[Morg]

Once through the grand gate, visitors often stare at the hall in mute wonder. This place is nothing short of impressive, large and aesthetically pleasing. Ahead, stairs lead to the base levels of each of the twenty three spires, and the rest of this place is like a museum.
Paintings, sculptures and such make up the more artful of memoirs, but all sorts of items reminding the wizards of their pasts have been put on display here. More toward the back, space has been reserved for those who wish to study.

Off to one side is a medium sized reception desk with a small counter. A thin man with gray hair sits behind it, and smiles at you as you walk in.

[hr][/hr]
Morgan didn't often have time to visit the Hall these days, which was, he reflected, a shame, because it impressed him more each time he entered it. His life was mostly split between his room at the University, Octava's office, the warding practice classrooms and the library, with very little in between. But now Morgan was keen to try something different... and the problem was that he didn't exactly know how to begin. Which was why he'd gone back to the start: the Hall of Ages. Therein sat the registrar, and if the registrar didn't know where something was, then it didn't exist.

The sheets holding the scrawled diagrams he'd been working on that morning were rolled up and tucked into his belt. Other than that, all Morgan had with him was a stick of charcoal in one pocket, for expansions of his grand plans, and a stick of chalk in the other. Now that he'd learned so much about warding circles, he took chalk everywhere in case he needed to draw one, and he felt almost naked without it.

The young mage made his way to the desk and waited his turn, smiling politely when he managed to catch the registrar's eye.

[Tristam]

"Just follow the ball of light and Professor Durell will determine your ability for study." The registrar instructed the mop topped young man before him and he duly followed the ball clutching a precisely rolled scroll in his hand. The registrar watched the young hopeful until he was out of sight. "They seem to get younger every year." He sighed and gestured his quill back into the inkwell.

"Now, what can I do for you, Mister Scrylock?" The registrar asked. "Seeking permission for portal travel, are you?" He inquired.

[Morg]

Durell? I haven't heard of him. A new staff member? Or just one who's spent the last four months squirreled away doing research in his ivory tower? Morgan filed that particular snippet of information away for later use. He didn't claim to know all of the professors at the University by name, but he liked to make an effort.

"A good guess. Not far off the mark," he replied cheerfully. "It's about the portal that I'm here, but I don't want to travel at the moment." He glanced over at the portal structure, looking it up and down and trying to commit its details to memory. "Actually I'm interested in learning more about portals and how they work. A little extracurricular project of mine." Hopefully it would amount to more than that, but Morgan wasn't keen on putting all his eggs in one basket, especially when that basket currently only existed in the form of a few scribbled sketches. "Is there a member of staff knowledgeable about such things who I could talk to? Maybe just the person who maintains and operates it."

[Tristam]

"Yet another keen mind ensnared by the study of portals." The edges of his mouth twitched up in a brief smile. "It seems to be epidemic. The greatness of Charlesmagne's achievements inspires and beguiles. Inevitable I suppose. Its not been long enough for the novelty to wear off."

The registrar lifted his head to look at Morgan more fully. "In answer to your question, Professor Motrice has been researching the portal magics as his personal project much as you are proposing to do. To my knowledge he has not shared much of his results to the University at large but I am sure he would be delighted to speak to you on the subject."

The registrar turned his head as a scroll unrolled itself on his desk. He took a moment to scan it and then nodded his head in agreement. "There is also Navin and his workshop in the cellars of the University. He works by methods foreign to us but claims to be progressing steadily in his understanding of portals. Of course, he has been claiming that for close to 20 yahren now." The registrar added.

"I think your last request would certainly be the one I could aid you with most readily." The registrar remarked. "I am the one who maintains and operates the Portal. What would you ask of me?"

[Morg]

So portals are an interest of Elvin's, too, Morgan mused. He seems to have a finger in every pie. However, he wouldn't contact the silver-haired adhiel about it just yet. He needed and valued Elvin's advice in other matters, and didn't want to confuse the issue by trying to fit too much into his valuable tuition time.

But Navin... Of course! Morgan knew little of Navin, other than the fact that he was a dwarf and was thought of by many others in the University as somewhat eccentric. From what he'd heard of the dwarves of Nazareen, they were slow-moving and patient folk with an affinity for the earth. The same could be said of Morgan in all these cases, so he figured it was probably worth approaching the mysterious cellar-dweller. For now, though, he could simply pose his initial question to the registrar.

"Well," he began, "it's my understanding that portals transport people and objects through the Aether. My question is: how do you go about pointing a portal at a specific target portal? Is there some sort of... address that you have to enter into it?" Having grown up with the Dort Mail Monopoly, the postal system was the best analogy Morgan could come up with. "And if so, does it correspond in any way to the target portal's actual location in the Tether, or is it completely arbitrary?"

[Tristam]

"An address is a good a term as any." The registrar agreed. "There are eight seperate magical nodes with the framework of the Portal. Activation of four of them in the proper order keys the Portal to a specific destination. Interestingly, this is true of all portals whether of magickal or divine manufacture. It is to my knowledge the unique circumstance where priestly and sorcerous magicks must work identically to produce the same effect." The registrar gestured behind him and a glass of port wine floated to his hand.

"Now as to your second question," the registrar paused to take a sip, "I can only offer you some scant facts and much conjecture. If you know your mathematics, a code of four items with eight possibilites and no repeating gives us one thousand, six hundred and eighty possible combinations. The number of portals is estimated at several dozen at most. So unless you believe that several hundred more portals were planned, that argues against an arbitrary code system. Other argue that the extra complexity of the code was a security measure to limit unauthorized use of the portals and that the energy codes have no correspondence to their Tetheric location."

The registrar took another sip. "Analysis of the Portal sites are difficult due to the highly magical nature of the Portals themselves. No obvious correlation to the Tetheric location has been found but neither can they rule it out. Historians point out that many of the Portals were built in areas away from the population centers of the day which argues that the locations itself was special. On the other hand, there are reports that portals have been removed from their original locations and have continued to function which would argue for no Tetheric connections. Though the counter argument points out that Charlemagne's castle had several portals in close proximity and that the magical signature may work over a wide area." The registrar shrugged. "I keep waiting for one of you youngsters to work it out, but I'm not holding my breath."

[Morg]

As he listened, Morgan's mouth slowly dropped open into an intrigued gawp. Well, he concluded once the registrar had finished, that's a better answer than I was expecting. He'd been expecting nothing more than a simple admission of ignorance... but what he'd got instead was a puzzle. Puzzles were something Morgan could deal with. Puzzles could be solved.

Except, of course, that as the registrar had just pointed out, there was a possibility that this one couldn't, and that the nodes corresponded to absolutely nothing. But that wasn't going to stop him from trying. The registrar surely knew as well as Morgan what was at stake. If some correlation between portal codes and Tetheric locations could be extracted, then a portal could be constructed that wasn't dependent on a fixed destination at all. A Universal Portal, one that could send its user to anywhere on Tazlure and perhaps even beyond.

And it didn't really occur to the young mage that he was counting on succeeding where many others had failed. He wasn't arrogant, not as such; he just didn't look at things like that.

Morgan fingered his chin, picking absently at a scab that was the result of a botched attempt to animate his razor blade a few days earlier. "Hmm," he responded coherently. "Do you have a list of the different combinations for different portals that I could borrow? For research purposes?" Perhaps he wouldn't visit Navin this eveningtide, and would instead curl up in front of a warm fire and copy out the codes. "Although I wouldn't advise that you start holding your breath just yet."

His gaze shifted briefly to the curve of the portal further down the hall, then returned to the registrar. "I have one more question, actually. I've been hearing that there's a Western airship in the University. How would I... er... be... um... involved... in... looking at that?"

[Tristam]

"The answer to both questions is that you must seek approval from the University Council." The registrar replied. "The Portal codes are only revealed to authorized maintainers of the Portal. To give them to you would be to allow you unlimited use of the Portal. I cannot grant you that." He explained.

"As to your interest in the airship," the registrar continued, "I cannot even confirm or deny that we have one. However, all special projects of that nature are overseen by the University Council and only they appoint members to special project committees."

[Morg]

Can't confirm or deny...? Classic University of Magic, that. Whispers of the treaty with the city of World's Mouth had even reached Morgan's well-muffled ears. And where else other than the University would such a thing be taken? If nothing else, hiding a sizable boat was a monumental task that only illusionary magic could be counted on to accomplish. Surprising that they still bothered to deny it.

Damn and buggeration. Everything's more difficult than it needs to be. Morgan wasn't used to hiding his disappointment, so his face fell visibly, just a little. But his patient stoicism soon turned his frown around.

"In that case... I expect you can tell what my next question is going to be," he stated to the registrar with an apologetic grin. "How can I go about speaking to the University Council about this?"

[Tristam]

"Well you could officially petition the Council but honestly that's the long way around." The registrar replied. "Just have a chat with whichever council leader you or your mentor get along best with and if they are willing they'll help you out. Anticipating your next question, the three current members of University High Council are Professors Peckerton, Ventalla and Redgrave."

The registrar paused a moment and consulted a sheaf of scrolls pinned to the wall behind him. "All three appear to be in their offices at present." He informed Morgan. "If you need a guide I am happy to oblige."

[Morg]

Morgan briefly mulled over what he knew of the three professors mentioned, which wasn't much. He'd never met any of them personally. Peckerton he'd heard about from Elvin and Becca, and they seemed to get on well with him, so he was probably a likable type. On the minus side, he had a mildly irritating stutter, and Morgan wasn't entirely sure what, if anything, he actually did. Ventalla was an old man, and a mentalist, so the things Morgan was interested in likely wouldn't be a part of his domain. Redgrave, on the other hand, was young, and an elementalist, and Morgan realised that his thoughts were gravitating towards him. I think he was a Mentor until recently, so he's risen fast, and he'll remember what it's like to have ambition. Plus as a specialist in Elementalism he might have a personal interest in something as physical and practical as sorcery-science. It was all conjecture, especially the last part, but it was the best he could do with the information available to him.

"I'd like to see Professor Redgrave, I think," he replied. "A guide would be appreciated." Indeed, despite his time at the University Morgan had never failed to appreciate the cunning balls of light that the registrar could conjure. Just how sorcery should be. Elegant and practical. "And thank you very much for your help. I suppose you'll find out if any of it bears any fruit." He smiled.

[Tristam]

The registrar raised his eyes to the Portal across the hall from his desk. "I suppose I well at that." He agreed. A gesture of his hand conjured a globe of blue light which bobbed impatiently in front of Morgan. "Good fortune to you Mister Scrylock."

The ball of light led Morgan through the winding stone halls of the University. His studies rarely brought to this section of the school. The whole of the University had a feeling of age but here it weighed heavier on the stones. Eventually the ball stopped before a door made of hardwood that was slightly yellowed. A brass tag on the wall beside it read:

B. Redgrave, Mentor & Student Administrator, Faculty of Theoretical Elementalism

The door was slightly ajar allowing Morgan a view of the room beyond. A tall thin man dressed in maroon robes sat at a desk literally buried under paperwork. If asked, the mentor would have maintained he had a system to it - would even have attempted to prove this, although the proof itself, logically, would also have made sense only to himself. As could be expected, his office mirrored the desk: there were piles of books everywhere, and if there was any sort of order to the books in his bookcase, it had probably been invented somewhere in the Eastern Empire. In fact, there was something systematically disorganized to the office, and the only thing that gave it away as part of a place of the learned was the strong, vibrant smell of old books and paper.

The ball of light did not await any social niceties. It flew directly up to the professor, flashed brighter a few times to get his attention and then winked out. Professor Redgrave looked up at Morgan and blinked a few times. "Ah." He paused again. "Scrylock isn't it? Octava's apprentice?" Redgrave nodded in satisfaction. "Please come in. Have a seat." There were several chairs and stools in the office. Each one had a thick stack of books or papers resting on it. "Now what can I do for you?"

[Morg]

Morgan navigated through the chaos to the nearest chair and picked up the pile of papers as securely as his limited co-ordination would allow, placing it carefully down next to his feet. He chose to do so manually; while he could have used air magic, to do so in the office of an unknown professor felt like an invasion of personal space. Now came the difficult part: explaining why in the world he might deserve what he was about to ask for.

"I was told that you were a member of the University Council," he began tentatively, "and so... you might be able to help me... in fact, you almost certainly would be able to help me... with a few research interests of mine." Although whether he'd want to is another matter entirely, as you just made very clear, Morgan. Well done.

"First of all I'm interested in a question of portals... although I'm still planning to continue as Professor Octava's apprentice in Warding." A side project was still a side project, even if it did involve begging the University Council to reveal various confidential pieces of information to him. "I was hoping to investigate what the relationship was between a portal's, er, code, and its location in the Tether. But obviously I can't do that without having the codes themselves, and the registrar was understandably reluctant to give me access to them."

Understandably, given that it would allow Morgan carte blanche with the portal network. But I wouldn't be able to do much with it. It's not as if I would be able to simply sneak out into the hall and activate the portal while no one's looking.

"So... I wondered if... you would grant me permission to look at them," he finished, in a typically Morganic manner. The second request, which he judged to be the more audacious of the two, he left hanging for now, to see how Redgrave responded to the first.

[Tristam]

Redgrave looked on approvingly as Morgan carefully picked up the stack of books and paperwork and set it down gently. He listened impassively as Morgan made his request to gain access to the portal system. When Morgan finished speaking, Redgrave sat back in his creaking chair and examined the young wizard closely.

"Are you the Morgan Scrylock I have read so much about?" He asked. "The Morgan Scrylock I've heard of faced down giant insects in the Temple of Pan, demanded the right to fight an elemental over the initial objections of his master, and volunteered to face in battle the darkest Nether incursion in recorded history." Redgrave leaned forward. "So if you are indeed the same Morgan Scrylock I have to ask," he paused for a moment, "why are you so timid in front of me? Do I scare you more?" Redgrave grinned.

[Morg]

"It's not you that scares me," replied Morgan, his lips quirking upwards into a smile. "It's the possibility that you might say no."

Redgrave had just accomplished something which arguably outshadowed any of the student's own achievements: in a few brief sentences he had managed the impossible task of putting Morgan Scrylock at ease in a social situation. Being reminded of his accomplishments made Morgan feel good about himself. He had to fight down the urge to be modest and correct the professor. "Survived" rather than "faced down" the giant insects, perhaps. As for the "darkest Nether incursion", he had only volunteered to face it from a goodly distance away. And the less said about what happened when he'd fought the elemental the better. In the end, though, Morgan decided not to. The problem with false modesty was that there was always the possibility for it to be taken seriously.

"Different situations, anyway, I suppose," he continued, musing. "I've always been confident when it came to putting my magical ability to the test." Overconfident, once. But not usually. "For some reason I've never had the same sort of faith in my social skills." As if to prove the point, Morgan studiously avoided meeting Redgrave's gaze for a few flickers and concentrated on one of the few patches of floor not covered in books and papers.

"Besides," he added, "I was scared when I fought the insects, and the elemental, and the ratmen. Dead scared... I think I'm just lucky that the fear hasn't yet got the better of me. For example, I could have run out of the door by now." He smiled softly once again. "But instead I'm still waiting to hear what you'll say."

[Tristam]

"It is wisdom to be scared of that which can do you harm." Redgrave pointed out. "Which is why I hope you have a healthy fear of portal magic. Ending up anywhere on the Tether is the least that could go wrong. It is an arrogant thing to breech the barrier between the Aether and Tether that the gods set in place. Of course, that is why so many mages are attracted to it." Redgrave chuckled.

"So Apprentice Scrylock, if social skills are not your strength do not use them." Redgrave advised. "Prove to me that you are skilled and careful enough with your magickal skills and knowledge to be worthy of this task. A treatise on the subject should suffice and to that end I give you full access to the library shelves on portals. Show me a reasonable research plan and I'll have the council grant you access to the Portal codes."

[Morg]

Redgrave, Morgan decided, was a good man. He had been the heart and soul of fairness so far, although the prospect of writing a treatise on portal magick and polishing his rough ideas into a ready research plan alongside his everyday work would be tough. The student had hoped for something easier... such as a simple yes... but then again perhaps that had been a naive hope. In any case, it led him nicely on to his second request.

"There's... a little more to my plan than just portals," he admitted. "It will ideally also involve another piece of magical technology, the airship." Morgan shifted in his seat. "I understand that there is one in the possession of the University at present, and I would be very keen to take a look at its workings, if possible."

Again, Redgrave could say yes, say no, or perhaps lump it in with the portal codes as being contingent on a research plan. Or something else entirely. In Morgan's mind the second request was considerably less of a liability than the first, since the portal codes would theoretically give him access to the whole portal network while knowledge of the workings of an airship would provide him with little more than an entertaining topic of conversation. As usual, Morgan hadn't even considered the political and economic impact of such knowledge.

[Tristam]

Redgrave chuckled. "I don't why I thought a secret could be kept in Citadel." He sighed. "Well I am sure the researchers could use another pair of hands. I am assuming you are well trained in alchemy of course." Redgrave went on. "Or in engineering? The deciphering of its workings is a race against time and they won't have time to train you as you go." He explained.

[Morg]

Busted...

Morgan reached a slender hand up to his stubbly chin and tapped upon it with two spidery fingers as he pondered his options. "Hmm," he enunciated. "Fair point... and I don't have any training in either of those. Perhaps I should learn to walk before I try to run. Or at least learn to run before I try to fly." He smiled self-deprecatingly.

"I might get back to you when I've learned a thing or two," the student mage suggested, "but for now I'll restrict myself to portal magic. And maybe I'll see if Professor Pralix will be running any beginner classes in the near future." Morgan had never been particularly scientific in inclination, but alchemy would certainly be a useful sideline if he could achieve some competence in it.

"That's everything, I think," he finished. "Thank you for your time, Professor - and I hope to bring you a decent research plan in the near future."

Unless the Professor called him back for something, he would raise himself from the seat, replace the stack of paper where he'd found it, and leave the office in the direction of his room and a few books on summoning he needed to study. It had been a useful eveningtide, all told. He was a few steps closer to understanding what it was that he wanted, and he knew how to go about getting it.

[Tristam]

"I look forward to reading it, Apprentice Scrylock." Redgrave said sincerely. "I have no doubt it will be a work worth the time." Redgrave waved his hand in dismissal and let him go about his business.

Fin?

[Morg]

OOC: Fin is fine!

[Tristam]

Thread Skilled!