Prismatic Education Begins With A Spark 42 (MTG/Multicross)

Prismatic Education 42

I could feel Planar Link slowly working as I trudged through the snow, allowing me to adapt to the terrain. As I finally crested the small hill, I caught sight of my destination, which had been practically blazing to my magical senses for the past hour. I could have approached faster, but that would probably have been a bad idea considering the feeling of being observed I was having.

Compared to Orario or Strixhaven, the city of Cloudspire was more rustic in appearance, with roughly hewn stone instead of neat bricks. However, it looked more defensible, given its positioning against mountains. Another characteristic that stood out about it was how tall some of the structures stretched; quite a number of structures had towering sections that stretched upwards, topped either by domes or conical roofs.

Well, that makes sense. The limited availability of flat ground means that the easiest way to build is up. No wonder the tavern owner kept mentioning towers. I waved my staff, shaping some of the snow into the shape of a board, and used it to sled down the hill. I detect flickers of amusement in my watchers.

I was stopped at the gate by a quartet of pallum-sized green-skinned humanoids. I’d have called them goblins, but these were more well-behaved. They wore blue robes with pointed hats, and were armed with metal balls on a chain.

“Halt. Be you a mage who seeks to enter Cloudspire?” One of them asked in a high, scratchy voice.

“I am.” I answered.

“Your name?”

“Roy Staff.”

Confusion flickered on the speaker’s expression. “...how do you spell that?”

I sensed more amusement, but helpfully provided the spelling. 

“Noted. You go over to the town hall,” He pointed at the widest structure on the flat area, which had curved stairs leading to the second floor on the outside, “Tell them the gate gremlins sent you.”

So these guys are gremlins then? Interesting. I nodded and entered the city. 

Past the city gates, I got a better view of the interior. Although it appeared rustic at first glance, I spotted several clues that some technological progress was present. The smell of smoke and metal indicated a blacksmith’s forge, and next to the citadel within the walls was a building that could only be a factory. Across the river cutting through the center of the place was a trio of towers that positively reeked of magic, and I knew that would be my next destination after the town hall.

At the town hall, I joined the other visitors in registering myself in their parchment records. They took fifty gold coins as an entry tax, which was quite expensive for me, but from the general reaction, it appeared to be normal. Perhaps this world might provide me with a way of replenishing my funds.

The woman manning the counter was helpful enough to tell me more about the buildings I saw in the city, and it was quite an interesting learning experience. Cloudspire was a city for mages built by mages, and it showed in many areas. You couldn’t look in any direction without seeing at least one mage or something that came as a result of magic. It made me a bit nostalgic for Strixhaven.

The triple tower structure I had noticed was the Mage Guild, although that term was used a bit loosely. The red-blue tower in the center was the actual part where mages researched new spells in their efforts to deepen the study of the arcane, while the red one to the right was a library to store the fruits of their research. As for the left one, that was the Mage Tower, a place of learning where Wizards, which was a term used to indicate mages who had mastered their craft, taught those who wished to learn.

However, mages weren’t the largest population group, nor were they the only one. Gremlins like the ones I met at the gate served as menial labor, handling basic duties like basic security and message running. Tasks that required stronger hands were delegated to golems or gargoyles, which were created through animation spells. 

Then there were the genies. 

When I first saw one, I thought it was an air genasi, but her skin was a deeper blue, not to mention the brightly glowing yellow eyes. Most of them had very little hair, exposing most of their scalp. A passing conversation with a friendly one helped me learn more.

“We’re actually beings summoned from the elemental plane of the air,” The female genie Iona explained as she strolled alongside me, “We allied with Bracada thanks to a pact made with Gavin Magnus.”

So Bracada’s the name of this country. I filed the information away in my head for later. “That explains you shifting from flying to walking,” I commented, glancing at the legs that were formerly a spinning twister of wind.

“That’s right. Not many genies can do it though, a lot of those who were summoned through the altar there-” She indicated a colorful building sitting on an outcropping above the Mage Guild that we were headed to, “-don’t fly all the time just because they prefer to.”

“So what is it you do here?”

“I’m a dabbling alchemist,” Iona said modestly, “Mainly because of my interest in the physical nature of magical materials. From the looks of your appearance, I assume you’re a spellcaster?”

“That’s right. That’s exactly why I came here.”

“Theodorus’s name does draw many students to Cloudspire,” She agreed, “Though I wonder if he will be able to teach you anything.”

The knowing look Iona gave me made it clear that she was aware of my magical skills and power. It solidified my suspicions that she was one of those who had been observing me as I approached the city.

I shrugged. “Everything can be a learning experience, if you keep an open mind.”

“That’s a good mindset to have,” The female genie said approvingly. “Oh, look.”

She pointed at the edge of the main square, near the stairway up to the Mage Guild. There was a small building there, block-like with a golden dome on top. 

“The golden pavilion just got finished. The city should be getting new residents soon.”

“What do you mean?” 

As we climbed the steps up to the Mage Guild, Iona explained to me how the cities of Bracada grew in population. Aside from attracting potential mages, they constructed the ones like the golems and gargoyles, used magic to bind other species into service, or formed pacts of alliance. The pavilion was the latter, and would bring in nagas to serve as guardians.

“You haven’t seen one before, have you?”

“No, but I have read about them. Humanoid upper body, with serpent tail, right?” There weren’t any on Arcavios, but books regarding other planes had records of them.

“You’re forgetting the three pairs of arms.” 

“Wait, what?” Three PAIRS?!

“Anyway, here we are, Cloudspire’s Mage Guild.”

Iona gestured to the double doors at the top of the stairs, which led into the tall tower. I could feel the mana swirling around the place, being channeled in and out by the magic being used by the inhabitants. It took me a few seconds to realize that this cycling of mana was helping to refill spellcasters’ mana at a faster rate. 

I wasn’t sure if it was a trait of this plane, or some special technique involved in the building’s construction, but I was eager to find out.

“Thanks for guiding me here, Iona.” I offered my hand. “If there’s anything I can do to return this favor, let me know.”

“Hmm… I can think of something,” She mused, glancing off into the distance. “But it’s not urgent right now. Come find me after you’ve sated your desire for knowledge.”

Her legs transformed back into a spinning cone of air, and she flew off towards the castle.

Well, I don’t feel any danger, so I should be fine, I guess? I stared after her for a while, before turning back to the doors. Magic awaits!

…

Compared to the education I received at Strixhaven, Cloudspire’s magical education was a bit lacking, though it was also more focused on practical application like a trade school. Their spells were simultaneously easy to learn and hard to master, and it took me two days to figure out the real reason why.

The refilling of spent mana was just a bonus benefit of the mage guild’s mana cycling effect. In truth, the mages who researched their craft imprinted certain spells into the metaphysical foundation, which made it easy for any visiting mage to pick up those spells, especially if they had an attuned spellbook. I witnessed another visiting mage carrying one of said books hand it over to one of the residents, and within the hour of it being attuned, the first guy was casting some of the spells like he had done it for days.

Such a thing was heavily dependent on the physical construction of the building, and as explained to me when I asked, the more complex the structure, the higher the level of spells they could impart. The library that was attached to the guild served a second purpose besides being a book repository; it increased the number of spells that could be recorded for teaching. 

The construction itself is a ritual, or at least something akin to it. Mainly it’s because of the magical resources used. I studied the items on display in front of me. 

“Two thousand gold for one unit of crystals,” The merchant said to me, “It’s a very good price, since the supply has gone up.”

I considered my wallet, which had grown by a significant amount since I came to this city, thanks to my work in upgrading some of their facilities. Even so, it was an expensive purchase, so I decided not to buy it in the end.

Aside from crystals, the other forms of magical resources were gems, sulphur, and some liquid metal they called mercury, but wasn’t the same as the one I knew. As far as I could tell, they each carried some kind of elemental attribute that made them crucial to the magical construction I was interested in. 

Maybe I should go exploring the lands outside to see if I can find some of these resources for myself… Not like I’m really learning anything special other than those spells.

Aside from the imprinted spells, the mages studying in the Guild usually resorted to basic mana bolts, which I quickly got used to defending against, and they had difficulty doing anything different. So lately, I had taken to exploring the rest of the city. Namely the buildings I referred to as recruitment facilities.

The workshop where gremlins did all sorts of things, hoping for mages to take them on as personal servants. The parapet on the far west side, where sculptors carved gargoyle statues out of stone, waiting to be animated. The factory that was constructed for the sole purpose of producing iron golems, which I had helped to upgrade to be more efficient. The altar that Iona pointed out to me, meant for summoning genies as servants. And my current destination, the golden pavilion where nagas could be summoned and pacted into service. The guards on duty there noticed me right away, and alerted their compatriots within.

“Ssssistersss~ The Blackstaff issss back!”
“Which of usss shall be hisss opponent today?”
“I shall!”
“No, it shall be me! Ssss~!”

Walking into the center of the room as their hissing voices spoke from around me, I settled into a ready stance, and waited for the first challenger to step- slither up.

Despite the snake tail, the upper body was that of a human female, except that just as Iona had said, they had three pairs of arms. Two of their hands wielded sabers, while the others remained empty. However, I knew that they could still pack a heavy punch, especially when mixed in with their slashing strikes. For that reason, they made good sparring partners for me, even with my Level Three status.

CLANGCLANK! 

With two lightning-quick parries, I deflected the pair of blades, and jabbed my staff into the opening made. The naga flinched as the end stopped just right in front of her face, her eyes locked on the black tip before them. She then looked up to meet my eyes, and opened her mouth to show her fangs. The defiant hiss trailed off, and she slunk away to let the next challenger take her place.

“Pardon the interruption,” A familiar female voice spoke up from the entrance, “But Theodorus has called for his presence.”

I lowered my staff, turning to see Iona standing there. “Is it urgent?”

“I would advise not to keep him waiting.” Her yellow eyes looked around the hall, daring the nagas to object.

“We shall train to beat him next time… Ssshaaa~” They slithered away, leaving only a few guards at the doorway.

Hmm… still a bit short of forming another template for summoning. Oh well, next time for sure. For now, let’s see what Theodorus wants.

I followed Iona to the castle, noting the various golems and gargoyles standing guard around the place. We finally arrived at Theodorus’s office, where the white-haired wizard was waiting. I had seen him a few times when he came by the Mage Tower to instruct some of the newer mages on spellcasting, so I looked around at the office instead. There were several artifacts displayed around the room, evidence of a collection built up over time.

“Roy Staff, I’ve been waiting for you.” He greeted me. “I’ve heard a lot about your skills, especially your contributions to the golem factory.”

“It wasn’t much,” I said modestly, “Just a little tweaking of the processes.”

Compared to the cogwork automatons that I had copied from Losheel, the iron golems here were more basic in nature. A bit of applied mathematics helped to cut down the production time and costs, earning me a hefty purse and a lot of goodwill.

“That little tweaking has saved this city a not-so-insignificant amount of gold. Gold that can be channeled into other things,” Theodorus explained, before continuing, “And that is related to what I wish to speak to you about.”

“I’m listening.”

“I’m aware of your interest in the Mage Guild’s construction, and I am willing to let you in on some of the secrets in exchange for performing a task for Cloudspire.”

“What sort of task?” I wanted to know.

Instead of answering, he glanced at Iona, who took over the explanation.

There was an empty plot of land available within Cloudspire, and Theodorus had a plan as to what was to be constructed there. According to Iona, there was a structure nearby known as a cloud temple, which was inhabited by giants. He hoped to recruit some of those to take up residence within the city, but it was likely to be an expensive undertaking. 

“Okay, just so we’re clear, you want me to go with Iona to try and recruit these giants, as well as to find a source of gems?”

“That is an apt summary of my request.” The wizard nodded. “The gems are necessary for the construction of the temple and the upgrading of the Mage Guild.”

“And in exchange you’ll let me study some of the secrets of construction?” I paused to consider it. “Seems a bit too much to ask for that.”

“It appears so, so how about I offer you a piece from my collection?” He offered. “I noticed your interest in them.”

“Hmm, alright. I accept.”

“Splendid!” Theodorus smiled. “I look forward to welcoming you back bearing good news. Iona, get yourselves steeds from the stable, and set out as soon as you’re ready. Make sure you’re properly escorted as well.”

The genie nodded. “Yes, Lord Theodorus.”

Within the hour, we set out from Cloudspire, headed south towards the mountains. We had a small troop of mages and nagas as escorts, eschewing the golems and gargoyles as they would slow us down.

“The cloud temple is along this path,” Iona informed me, pointing it out on a map, “But knowing giants, they won’t listen unless we make it worth their while, so we’ll have to find a gem pond first. Or barring that, some scattered piles.”

I blinked again. Just what is with this plane? Gems coming from ponds instead of a mine? And people can just leave them lying around? What next?

“Cloudspire scouts have explored these areas already,” She continued, indicating some spots, “So if we’re hoping to find any, we’ll have to go to these unexplored locations.”

Some of them were in opposite directions, so if the first guess was wrong, we would have to spend time traveling the other way. Fortunately, I had a solution to that problem.

“You really know more spells than you let on, don’t you?” Iona commented as she watched me turn on the spot, the split rays from my sword concentrating when I faced in a certain direction.

“That’s what comes of going around studying magic,” I answered, sheathing my sword and pointing to the southwest. “There should be gems in that direction.”

“Alright. Let’s not waste any time! Everyone, let’s go!” Iona gave the command.

I assisted with Haste spells on everyone, allowing our group to cover much more ground, especially since I could sustain it for a long time. There were a few monsters along the way, but I didn’t have to do a thing as the mages easily dispatched those with magical blasts, or the nagas cut them down the moment they got into melee range.

After two days of travel, we finally found what we were searching for in a small clearing inside a dense forest. At first, it looked like a normal pond reflecting the sunlight, just a bit more colorful than expected. On closer examination, those sparkles came from the various gems that littered the edges of the pond. The mages quickly got to work summoning worker gremlins to handle the task of harvesting the place, the green-skinned menials obediently filling carts with the gems from the ground.

“First time seeing a gem pond?” Iona asked me as I examined it from the edge of the water. 

“Yeah. The richness of the mana causes the water to crystallize into gems, huh?” I rolled a few of the colorful stones around in my hand. I can draw on these for colored mana… how convenient.

“That’s right. However, the earth element that’s responsible for that makes the water unsuitable for replenishing mana for spellcasting.”

Another thing I learned about this plane’s quirks… I cast a simple spell to take note of the coordinates, just so I could return to this place later and try to form a mana bond with it.

“Now that you’ve satisfied your curiosity, are you ready to head for the cloud temple?” She asked me.

“Ready when you are.” I answered with a smirk.

The return journey took slightly longer, as Iona insisted that I conserve some of my mana in case of a possible conflict, and I conceded instead of trying to protest. However, she didn’t say anything when I cast a cold resistance aura over the entire party in response to the weather getting a lot colder. While she didn’t appear to be affected by the temperature, the same couldn’t be said of the mages and the nagas, with the latter becoming sluggish like the reptiles that they resembled.

“There it is.” Iona said shortly as we rounded a curve in the road.

“Finally.” I muttered out loud.

The cloud temple had a triangular roof held up by multiple white columns, standing on a raised platform of steps that made it tower over our group. Sticking out of the roof was a two-tiered tower with a golden dome. If that wasn’t enough, the gigantic sword stabbed point-first into the ground in front of the structure made it look even more imposing. 

Despite that, my attention was caught by the smaller structure in the distance behind it. An obelisk, light blue in color stood at the base of a mountain.

Then my attention returned to the temple, which included my first look at the giants of this plane. Compared to those I had seen before, these ones truly embodied the term, with my body only as big as their feet, slightly bigger than the Goliath I fought in the Dungeon, and definitely much bigger than the likes of Professor Osgir. Pale-skinned and clad only in a helmet and loincloth, that appearance was nonetheless intimidating, mainly due to the crackling lightning in their hand.

Iona approached the bunch loitering in front of the temple, expressing a desire to speak with their leader. However, her words were met only with aggression, with the giants stomping and raising their lightning bolts threateningly.

I could see the moment she made up her mind, and gripped my staff in readiness.

“All troops, prepare for battle!” 

Afterword: As some of you can already tell, this is the setting of Heroes of Might & Magic 3, and Roy just happened to land in Erathia. To be honest, I had no idea that the Olden Era game was about to come out, only finding out after I started doing some research. 

This chapter took me a while, because I was busy pondering the lore of the place, thinking about how I could make it fit in a realistic theme. Hopefully I did a good job of it.

Thanks again to all my readers!