(What was the name of the society and invitation Erudisia received and missed while away? Where she was invited to give another recital of her own work? (I will start making proper notes!))
“From a previous episode”
(…The priestess, with her milky contralto and round, androgynous face, her blond curls just hidden by her mortarboard cap, is of indeterminate age. 40? 50? 60?
“I am called Tona. My area of research is dance and culture on the Sword Coast.
“Lady Erudisia, I – several of us – would be so very delighted if you would consider sharing your talents once again… We have a parlor, you see, for music and poetry, and with room for dance.
“We meet twice a month, in the afternoon. Tea, chatting, and then sharing, whoever has something new… Our next meeting is in two afternoons, in the Parlor of Observance. Will you come?... And share your Perspicacity and Passion, in the Aulë…?”)
The flickering lamplight cast long, dancing shadows across Bell's study, illuminating scrolls stacked precariously. She leaned back in her high-backed armchair, a half-empty goblet of spiced cider clutched in one hand, the other resting on a weighty tome filled with arcane symbols. Her brow, usually furrowed in concentration, was now smooth, a hint of a smile playing on her lips. The recent 'trip' to Baldur's Gate, a heist at a devil's casino, and so much more replayed itself in her mind's eye like a vibrant tapestry of triumphs and near-disasters.
"We really needed a cleric or a couple dozen healing potions," she murmured to the empty room, a faint chuckle escaping her lips. "If only we had a cantrip or spell to cover emergencies in the thick of things!" Her voice, normally precise and melodious, was raspy with the remnants of her latest attempt at a healing spell.
The history books spoke of wizards with healing spells even the use of a Wish spell but, those were very high level and a bit of overkill in most instances. It was why she finally ended up speaking to the clerics at the Temple of Oghma for some insight and information. According to the clerics, arcane and divine magic traditionally have distinct origins from their power. The primary source of arcane energy was the Weave, a cosmic force that permeates the multiverse. Accessing the Weave for arcane magic is a matter of the caster's will and learned skill. Divine magic typically stems from a connection to a deity or strong belief which grants spells and powers to the disciple.
This was reflected in the spells available to each type of spellcaster, as wizards tend to have spells focused on manipulating the physical world or elements, while clerics focus on healing, protection, and directly invoking divine favor. Brute force versus sustained precisionand finesse. That explained why Bell had been failing at 'simple healing' spells. Pouring massive amounts of power into a wound did not make it heal; typically, it made it worse. Like trying to pack a wound with a fire spell; it was too disruptive. It also explained why, when attempting a Sacred Flame cantrip, the bloody thing kept turning into her well practiced Light cantrip. And the one pass at Healing Word ended up being a mucked up Mend spell. The worshippers of Oghma said it would take more than 'reading books' to learn those simple cantrips and spells. They suggested finding some sick farm animals to work on for 'hands on' experience. Bell still was not certain working on a farm animal would be the same as a person bleeding to death but, the clerics seemed resolute in their approach.
With a sigh, Bell took one last sip of her cider and got back to her notes. She was attempting to break down the clerics' cantrips and spell into its component parts: the specific words used, the hand gestures, and even the emotional state the cleric adopts, hoping to find a pattern or formula that can be replicated. She had even gone so far as to substitute arcane components for divine ones and making etched runes to replace a holy symbol. She knew she was getting closer to a breakthrough with her last attempt at Healing Word, even though the manifestion of the spell was not like what she had witnessed at the Temple. Instead of a warm, golden glow, Bell's casting manifest as a pale, ethereal light, accompanied by the scent of ozone rather than incense. Still, it was a start. The spell, Sacred Flame, was a real frustration. Instead of some celestial light from above, she was near to calling down a column of fire. She knew she had spent too many hours memorizing attack spells involving fire and fire projection. Now, it was coming back to haunt her. She sighed as she moved her notes aside and made room for a stack of tomes.
She glanced at the titles as she rearranged them for the fifth time this evening.
The Reluctant Healer: An Arcane Guide to Averting Death (and Sacrilege) A no-nonsense wizard's attempt to bridge the gap between complex arcane formulae and the seemingly simpler (and often maddeningly faith-based) principles of divine healing.
Sorcery and Sanctity: A Wizard's Heretical Journey into the Healing Arts Charting the trials and tribulations of a mage seeking to understand and harness the power of faith-based healing, much to the dismay of both his peers and the deities involved.
The other two tomes she shoved over to the other side of the table. They were just a bit too 'Dark' for what she wished to accomplish.
Infernal Healing: A Wizard's Pact with the Less-than-Divine to Mend Mortal Flesh A darker take on the concept, where a wizard, perhaps lacking true divine connection, turns to alternative, morally questionable sources for healing power.
Soul Splicing and the Healer's Hand: A Necromancer's Guide to Restoring the Living (and the Undead) An unsettling look at how a wizard specializing in necromancy might adapt their knowledge of life and death to the practice of healing, perhaps blurring the lines between restoration and something far more sinister.
Bellcould almost swear those two books were taking sips of her aura whenever she touched them. "Those two go back to the Front Desk tonight!", she muttered as she delved back into her research.
(( So, a long short story to say, Bell will be resting, studying, and trying to learn some basic cleric cantrips and a healing spell... after she kept muttering how those would have been handy on their trip to Baldur's Gate. ))
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“From a previous episode”
(…The priestess, with her milky contralto and round, androgynous face, her blond curls just hidden by her mortarboard cap, is of indeterminate age. 40? 50? 60?
“I am called Tona. My area of research is dance and culture on the Sword Coast.
“Lady Erudisia, I – several of us – would be so very delighted if you would consider sharing your talents once again… We have a parlor, you see, for music and poetry, and with room for dance.
“We meet twice a month, in the afternoon. Tea, chatting, and then sharing, whoever has something new… Our next meeting is in two afternoons, in the Parlor of Observance. Will you come?... And share your Perspicacity and Passion, in the Aulë…?”)
(The group seems to be without a name.)
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters // Eclipse Faraway in Gallows Dancer
The flickering lamplight cast long, dancing shadows across Bell's study, illuminating scrolls stacked precariously. She leaned back in her high-backed armchair, a half-empty goblet of spiced cider clutched in one hand, the other resting on a weighty tome filled with arcane symbols. Her brow, usually furrowed in concentration, was now smooth, a hint of a smile playing on her lips. The recent 'trip' to Baldur's Gate, a heist at a devil's casino, and so much more replayed itself in her mind's eye like a vibrant tapestry of triumphs and near-disasters.
"We really needed a cleric or a couple dozen healing potions," she murmured to the empty room, a faint chuckle escaping her lips. "If only we had a cantrip or spell to cover emergencies in the thick of things!" Her voice, normally precise and melodious, was raspy with the remnants of her latest attempt at a healing spell.
The history books spoke of wizards with healing spells even the use of a Wish spell but, those were very high level and a bit of overkill in most instances. It was why she finally ended up speaking to the clerics at the Temple of Oghma for some insight and information. According to the clerics, arcane and divine magic traditionally have distinct origins from their power. The primary source of arcane energy was the Weave, a cosmic force that permeates the multiverse. Accessing the Weave for arcane magic is a matter of the caster's will and learned skill. Divine magic typically stems from a connection to a deity or strong belief which grants spells and powers to the disciple.
This was reflected in the spells available to each type of spellcaster, as wizards tend to have spells focused on manipulating the physical world or elements, while clerics focus on healing, protection, and directly invoking divine favor. Brute force versus sustained precisionand finesse. That explained why Bell had been failing at 'simple healing' spells. Pouring massive amounts of power into a wound did not make it heal; typically, it made it worse. Like trying to pack a wound with a fire spell; it was too disruptive. It also explained why, when attempting a Sacred Flame cantrip, the bloody thing kept turning into her well practiced Light cantrip. And the one pass at Healing Word ended up being a mucked up Mend spell. The worshippers of Oghma said it would take more than 'reading books' to learn those simple cantrips and spells. They suggested finding some sick farm animals to work on for 'hands on' experience. Bell still was not certain working on a farm animal would be the same as a person bleeding to death but, the clerics seemed resolute in their approach.
With a sigh, Bell took one last sip of her cider and got back to her notes. She was attempting to break down the clerics' cantrips and spell into its component parts: the specific words used, the hand gestures, and even the emotional state the cleric adopts, hoping to find a pattern or formula that can be replicated. She had even gone so far as to substitute arcane components for divine ones and making etched runes to replace a holy symbol. She knew she was getting closer to a breakthrough with her last attempt at Healing Word, even though the manifestion of the spell was not like what she had witnessed at the Temple. Instead of a warm, golden glow, Bell's casting manifest as a pale, ethereal light, accompanied by the scent of ozone rather than incense. Still, it was a start. The spell, Sacred Flame, was a real frustration. Instead of some celestial light from above, she was near to calling down a column of fire. She knew she had spent too many hours memorizing attack spells involving fire and fire projection. Now, it was coming back to haunt her. She sighed as she moved her notes aside and made room for a stack of tomes.
She glanced at the titles as she rearranged them for the fifth time this evening.
The Reluctant Healer: An Arcane Guide to Averting Death (and Sacrilege)
A no-nonsense wizard's attempt to bridge the gap between complex arcane formulae and the seemingly simpler (and often maddeningly faith-based) principles of divine healing.
Sorcery and Sanctity: A Wizard's Heretical Journey into the Healing Arts
Charting the trials and tribulations of a mage seeking to understand and harness the power of faith-based healing, much to the dismay of both his peers and the deities involved.
The other two tomes she shoved over to the other side of the table. They were just a bit too 'Dark' for what she wished to accomplish.
Infernal Healing: A Wizard's Pact with the Less-than-Divine to Mend Mortal Flesh
A darker take on the concept, where a wizard, perhaps lacking true divine connection, turns to alternative, morally questionable sources for healing power.
Soul Splicing and the Healer's Hand: A Necromancer's Guide to Restoring the Living (and the Undead)
An unsettling look at how a wizard specializing in necromancy might adapt their knowledge of life and death to the practice of healing, perhaps blurring the lines between restoration and something far more sinister.
Bell could almost swear those two books were taking sips of her aura whenever she touched them. "Those two go back to the Front Desk tonight!", she muttered as she delved back into her research.
(( So, a long short story to say, Bell will be resting, studying, and trying to learn some basic cleric cantrips and a healing spell... after she kept muttering how those would have been handy on their trip to Baldur's Gate. ))