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Borg said:
If we aspire to get good enough at magic to be able to cast a spell that would let us communicate properly with Empyrius, we’re going to need to keep practicing; downtime like a train ride is a good time to do so. Let’s do some magic practice.
[Studying] You roll an 8 (required 10). Partial success.
Taking Princess Luna’s advice to heart, you decide to make the best of your alicorn magic by improving your spellcasting skills. After all, a spell akin to the one you seek likely isn’t easy to learn, and will require all the practice you can get.
With that in mind, you tell your companions that you would like to spend some of the free time you have training your magic, and ask if they would like to join you.
Moonflower: “Ooh, let’s do that!”
Honourshine: “If you want to practise, then perhaps you should start by learning a spell that doesn’t light things on fire.”
A fair point, you concede. Until then, you will have to stick to the theory. And so, after huddling with your friends, you open your spellbook and begin to read together.
Continuing where you left off, the book explains a few spellcasting concepts introduced in the previous chapter. First is the distinction between a channelled spell and a pooled spell.
A channelled spell uses the concept of channels, which are described as magic lines between two points. The two points must have a defined position, even if that position is unknown at the time of casting the spell. These channels are used to circulate magic into a spell and extend its effect over a certain period of time.
A pooled spell, on the other hoof, is cast entirely in an instant, excluding the preparation time. Note that certain pooled spells, such as enchantments, may cause long-lasting effects, and should not be mistaken for channelled spells.
Honourshine: “You don’t know any pooled spells yet, do you?”
You tell Honourshine that you do not.
Moonflower: “Ooh! What about Dispel Strike? Does that count?”
You hesitate. You certainly cannot cast that spell with your horn, but it does seem to fit the description.
Moonflower: “Heehee! We also used magic scrolls to enchant stuff at the festival before. They’re a one-time thing, kinda like potions.”
Honourshine: “I see. Perhaps a horn is needed to create these channels, then.”
Next, the book defines the magical nomenclature of a channel as follows: the first point, usually linked to the caster, is named the source, and the second point is the target. The line between these two points, upon which magic travels, is named the interflow.
Within the interflow, magic may travel in two directions: from the source to the target, called outflow, or from the target to the source, called inflow. Due to the nature of spellcasting, inflow is always preceded by outflow.
Note that magic naturally returning to the arcane pool (as per Horn’s Law) does not count as inflow; once a channelled spell is interrupted, all magic currently in the interflow will revert to an inactive state.
Honourshine: “I suppose that makes sense. Only the magic inside of these channels are part of the spell.”
Moonflower: “I wonder how fast it goes!”
As you continue reading, you find that the following pages contain magical diagrams of a simple Telekinesis spell with various channelling configurations. Each example details how the cost and potency of the spell are affected by the number of targets, and how to better create channels for optimal results.
As you flip through the pages back and forth in disbelief, you realize just how little you really know. It seems you have yet more to learn on how to simply levitate objects with your horn, and just as much practice ahead of you…
By the time you arrive in Fillydelphia, night has long since fallen. Your party walks among the rest of the passengers on the way out of the station, up until you reach the exit to a public square. You pause to take in your surroundings.
In the centre of the square ahead, a statue of a filly ringing a mouthbell stands proudly atop a large fountain. Shops line the streets on all sides around it, some of which seem to still be open at this late hour, and each built in a typical urban fashion; square and vertical, with the living quarters on the upper floors.
To the east, the seaside city’s business district illuminates the nightly skyline with several towers rivalling those of the capital. The harbour lines the coast beyond, about an hour’s walk away from where you are.
A nearby clock indicates half past ten.
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