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First venture in a new land - Celestia - 11-21-2016
The world on the other side of the gate was a fascinating one. It was a large city, somewhat in contrast to the appearance of the gate through which one needed to enter to get there, but it was more than that. The city had a mix of architectural styles, extending through more than just cultural styles tied to locations or times, but even differences in technology. Harsh metal structures stood next to brick or wood, ornate neon signs stood next to candle-lit windows. The mishmash could come across as surreal to one used to any real consistently in the look of a place.
“It reminds me of home,” Celestia said after she and Veritas had spent some time walking down the street. “Though it's not quite the same, of course. We didn't have any single town quite this varied in terms of technology.” Each individual town in Equestria was fairly consistent in this regard, but the range became immediately evident when one looked at the nation as a whole. From the giant, square, concrete towers of Manehattan, to the medieval style of Canterlot, to the simple wooden townhouses of smaller settlements and hamlets. And then there was Ponyville...
Celestia shook her head, snapping out of her reverie, and noted the large sign exclaiming 'Welcome to Costa del Sol!' Presumably that was the name of the city, which meant that was one more name she'd found for parts of this place than she had previously, although that itself only brought the grand total to one. Chances are she would have to raise that number before she could really get an understanding of this place, which by appearances before and after entering the gate looked as though it contained at least eight planes, nine with the 'hub'.
Celestia stopped walking for a moment, and turned to Veritas. “You are welcome to go where you please, but I intend to track down a library. There is some basic information about these realms which we currently lack, that I believe one could find it there. Perhaps you too could benefit from such a search, although if you have other priorities I understand.”
RE: First venture in a new land - Jack Darby - 11-22-2016
Celestia wanted to visit a library which was to be honest as good a place to start as any. A library was likely going to have locations for places where equipment could be salvaged by him which he desperately needed. Given he knew he was not likely to be comfortable until his arsenal of science had been restored to normal levels, the former super-villain thought about it. Visiting a library couldn't hurt matters and to be honest was the best choice right now. Wandering aimlessly could only get himself killed. The differences in the technology of Costa De Sol shocked Veritas. Some appeared to be straight out of real life, while others appeared to be from the past or Fantasy Novels. Just what was this place that Omni had brought them to? Why was the technology so different here? Why did he have a nagging feeling he was ill-equipped? To shut up all these questions, Veritas decided to reply to her. "Actually a library sounds like a lovely place to start Celestia. Perhaps after that we could hit a museum, a scrapyard or a market of some sort so I could get parts for new gear. So Celestia, tell me about yourself. You said Alicorns could use magic, right? How exactly does that work?"
RE: First venture in a new land - Celestia - 11-23-2016
Celestia raised an eyebrow at Veritas' response. He seemed to pick up on the idea Celestia had about tracking down information, or at least seemed receptive to it. And she wasn't opposed to him gathering some resources. But a museum...given the list and the circumstances, she doubted he was going to make a purchase, and there was no guarantee such a thing would have been possible. She shot her travelling companion a stern look before responding. “I am not sure a museum would be a good place to find resources. They typically aren't on offer, and I'm sure between the two of us we can do better than stealing. With the junkyard, or market I fully agree, however.”
As they continued onward, Veritas asked about Celestia's species, and more specifically how they went about using magic. The question reminded Celestia of times in the past, when she would take an active role in the school of her namesake. It didn't take much to slip into the familiar way of thinking. “Alicorns have access to the types of magic of all three of the primary pony tribes.” She knew more explanation would be needed than that, but that was a central point and she wanted to give a little time for it to sink in.
“Where I come from, there are three of what I would call the primary pony species. Earth ponies have magic that is focused internally, enhancing their senses and physical traits. Pegasi have flight, and the ability to manipulate the weather. Unicorns meanwhile, are able to make magic manifest by crafting it into spells, or in a more limited way through a form of limited ability to move physical objects.” She frowned. “Although, I don't seem to be able to do the latter at the moment.”
“No matter,” Celestia said as she continued to walk, “I'm sure it will come back to me in time.” She looked around, keeping a watchful eye out for a structure that looked like a library. She wasn't sure exactly what she was looking for, and could only hope it was fairly obvious when she saw it. Hopefully that would be soon.
In the meantime, there was one more thing she was wondering about Veritas. “If I may ask,” she began, “On your original plane, where did you go after your escape?” Much as he was proving a pleasant travelling companion, Celestia still felt like she didn't really know Veritas. She hoped getting a little more information would help alleviate that feeling.
RE: First venture in a new land - Jack Darby - 11-23-2016
Veritas thought about how best to answer Celestia.
"When I escaped I found an abandoned lab and took it over. Once I had control of the abandoned lab I modified it into a fortress for myself, built tons of robots and defenses to keep out intruders. It was all for naught as an accident claimed my life when I was working in the lab one day."
As she gave him the stern look due to the stealing comment, Veritas sighed as he listened to her. She was right however. A market or scrapyard was going to be the safer bet -- for now. Until he built his power back up any crimes of any magnitude couldn't be done here. It was an unfortunate situation, but one he'd have to learn to live with.
"You're right. Stealing is not a good choice Celestia. If you wanted I could try to rig up some sort of tractor beam device to simulate the magic known as Telekinesis for you, Celestia. You've been nothing but kind to me, so one good turn deserves another I suppose."
Even as a villain, Cyberlord was honorable. Normally he didn't like taking hostages or murdering his enemies. However if he was cornered in a place where he couldn't teleport out, Veritas was not afraid to get his hands dirty by bluffing a threat to civilians.
An idea came to mind.
"Is it possible for humans to learn your magic, Celestia? If so I'd like to learn it. It is an unexplored subject and a mystery -- subjects that I fully intend on at least having some knowledge of. After all, now that the option has presented itself I can study your abilities and make mechanical variations for myself, not true magic mind you.. but my own version. "
RE: First venture in a new land - Celestia - 11-24-2016
Veritas explained that following his escape, he took an abandoned laboratory for himself, and began to fortify it. However, his efforts were for naught, as he was killed by an accident rather than an enemy. Celestia had to wonder about how he could remember his own death, but then such oddities weren't out of character for the place she now found herself in. More importantly, the story gave Celestia a hint as to how Veritas would view the world. One who had a history such as he described would likely view the universe as an explicitly hostile place. She could only hope that in time, she could show Veritas all the good there was to experience.
Veritas agreed that stealing would not be helpful in the long run, even if he didn't seem to acknowledge the moral aspect. He also offered to build Celestia a device which could simulate he telekinesis for her. Celestia smiled. “That is very kind, and I appreciate the offer. I can assure you I do not need help in that regard however.” With a brief effort, her horn sparked to life before shortly sputtering out. Celestia took a breath, before continuing with a smile. “Does not seem like much, I know, but I couldn't manage even that when I first woke up. So, it's progress! And worry not, having some pleasant company for the journey has and will prove well worth the effort.” She would have helped him regardless, but it so happened that in her opinion she did still get something out of it.
Veritas' next question was about magic, and specifically whether humans could learn it or not. Celestia considered for a moment, although she kept walking, before she answered. “Had you discovered me in Equestria, I believe I would have said no. A unicorn channels spells through their horn, and by extension most overt alicorn magic is performed the same way. As humans do not have such a horn, if they can naturally use magic I can only assume it would be through a different method.” She paused for a moment. It was a true answer, but it was not the complete answer, even if she was not well verse in the complete answer. “Of course, since arriving here, my magic has not been exactly as it was. Beings such as us, in a place like this...I am sure with enough effort you could learn it, or at least an approximation.” She grew a wry smile as she considered Veritas' last statement. “And there it is, as I said: magic and science are merely different methods of achieving the same thing.”
Celestia paused mid stride. She'd gotten into a 'lecture' mindset again, and almost missed what she was looking for. Having glanced over by chance, Celestia happened to see through the windows of a nearby building, made of concrete in a modern style. Through the window she could see shelves upon shelves of books, although the low ceiling limited how impressive the sight could be. She set her still raised hoof down on the ground, and glanced up. A sign proclaiming that was was a public library sat overhead. “Ah ha! Here's what we're looking for!” She waved Veritas after her before stepping inside.
Once in the building, Celestia began to search for books on a few particular topics, mostly revolving around the Omniverse.
RE: First venture in a new land - Jack Darby - 11-24-2016
It was the horn of Alicorns that enabled them to work "magic" even if he didn't believe in such. Once they were inside the library, Veritas looked around. Upon seeing a computer in the fairly large library that they had entered, he immediately went over to the computer. His fingers flew across the keys at turbo speed, hammering in command after command after command. Scowling when he was unable to get the computer to print out maps of the various verses, he sighed. Was he doomed to explore the verses without any information on them? Apparently. Going over to wheree Celestia was looking at a few of the books, Veritas groaned. "Why is it so hard to find a map of this place, or maps of the place so that I can be prepared or at least have some clue where we are. I dislike being lost, Celestia. Also, why is it that I seem to be more open around you than others? Normally I wouldn't socialize... as most of the so called 'heroes' of my world like to play bash my face in. As to how I remembered my demise I rememberd I was working on an unstable invention... from there I deduced... it exploded or something."
RE: First venture in a new land - Celestia - 11-24-2016
Celestia nodded solemnly at Veritas' recollection of his death. “Such is the way of these things, sometimes.” She'd found there were a number of scientists in her own nation that for various reasons either couldn't or wouldn't take the time to ensure tests were safe. She did not mention as much, as she doubted Veritas would appreciate the comparison, but it came as no surprise to her that a fatal laboratory accident would come about from him working on something unstable, without taking the proper precautions. She opened up the first of the books she'd selected, struggling only momentarily to do so with hooves. It turned out to be a treatise of metaphysics, seemingly created sometime prior to its presence in the Omniverse.
Celestia set it aside, and moved on to the next book, as she considered the rest of what Veritas had said. One point was something she could get out of the way quickly. She looked up. “Perhaps there are charts,” she suggested, “my impression was that this was a port city, surely they will at least have something for the local waters, if not those of the whole plane.” She shifted her gaze from Veritas to the shelves for a moment, but didn't see any which stood out. Or rather, she saw too many. There were several shelves with large, tall volumes on them that would be the correct size, and a number containing rolled up parchment. The problem then, would be discovering which contained the maps Veritas was looking for, and which contained unrelated but equally dense matters.
Celestia would help Veritas in a moment, right now she had her own questions she wanted answered. As she opened up the next book, and began skimming through it. As she did, she responded to Veritas' other statements. “Why you're more open with me than any others, I don't have a concrete answer for.” It gave confirmation to a couple things Celestia was already suspecting, but that was not relevant to the current discussion. “I can only make educated guesses. It could be something changed in you, since your arrival here, and you ended up either more desperate, or simply more open to conversation. Or it could be that my form is alien compared to the typical beings your are used to, and I avoid the harmful connotations you have with such beings.” Celestia smirked to herself. “Or maybe I've just had a lot more practice with communication than beings you've had previous encounters with. I believe that in the end, you will have to discover that answer for yourself.” She looked over at Veritas, and smiled. “Regardless of what the answer is however, I encourage you to try being open more. I can think of no truer fresh start than your arrival here, and it would be a shame to let it go to waste.”
Celestia turned back to the book in front of her, and started skimming through it again. “Ah ha! Here's what I am looking for.” She read a few paragraphs. “The Omniverse is principally made up of eight planes, connected via a 'hub' plane, the Nexus. That is presumably the place we arrived.” She glanced to the next page. “Although the book suggests there are a number of others, less documented than these.”
RE: First venture in a new land - Jack Darby - 11-24-2016
Celestia was right. Being open with others was definitely easier because they were inside the Omniverse. It was a true fresh start and Veritas appreciated it. For once he wasn't forced to play a role by anyone. His creators were not around to boss him or beat him up badly like some of the individuals had chosen to do. Electrocution wasn't going to be done, and he wasn't going to get pounded within an inch of his life. "Your educated guesses are actually correct, Celestia. But I'll need a new look here in the Omniverse. If Omnilium can truly be used for anything that the person wants it to do...." Veritas paused and closed his eyes for a moment. "I do plan on taking advantage of this fresh start. It allows me not only to start fresh, but for once no one is pulling my strings at all. I don't have to worry about that, like you said. You are truly better at communication. Anyway, Celestia you mentioned the Nexus is the 'hub plane' of this place. So this is one of the places inside of the Omniverse?"
Frowning as he examined one of the books, Veritas had a frown on his face. Examining the book, he learned it wasn't in a language he couldn't understand. This book was in an entirely different language one that he didn't understand. "..." Veritas frowned. "Why can't I understand this book?" The book was in a dead language and one from Equestria that he had found. Scowling as he looked at the book, Veritas considered destroying it but finally offered the book to Celestia. "Can you make heads or tails of this book? I can't figure out the language."
Veritas sighed. "I need to relearn how to build machinery and how to operate my devices... yet none of these books are any help."
RE: First venture in a new land - Celestia - 11-25-2016
Veritas too was now curious about the Omniverse it seemed, and while Celestia had only just found the information, she was happy to share it. “This whole place, including where we are now, the area in which we arrived, and several places we haven't seen yet, are all parts of the Omniverse. We arrived at the Nexus, presumably so named because it links the major realms of the Omniverse together. The ocean realm, where I believe we are currently, is known as the Vasty Deep. There are seven other places, each of which seems to have a central element to it. The book also makes mention of other realms, inaccessible from the Nexus, although the information on them seems a little more vague.” She read on, but decided not to share yet. No need to flood her companion with new information, he could ask for more details or read the book as he desired.
Veritas found a book he couldn't read, and passed it off to Celestia. Celestia glanced at it, intending to turn back to her own reading but then took a sudden, closer look. “...Where did this come from?” She opened it up, flipping through a few pages before closing it to its cover. “This is a book on advanced spacial transfer- teleportation, for unicorns. It's centuries old too, relative to my time, if the language is any indication. Where did you find this?” The implication, or at least the one Celestia drew from this, was that there was at least one more Equestrian somewhere around here. The Omniverse seemed to have essentially nothing of its own, this book must have come from somewhere. Celestia had to wonder who it could be, and if they were okay. It would be one thing for her to end up here, but another entirely for one of her subjects.
Lost in thought as she was, Celestia almost didn't hear Veritas' comment. When it finally registered, she spent a moment thinking about it. “Hmm...if you built them yourself, there likely wouldn't be any manual for them at all. There could be some sort of technical document for related objects.” Celestia shook her head once she thought that one through. “Though come to think of it, those would likely be in military hoo- hands. If there were something around here, I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to help you find it, my expertise lies in other areas.”
Celestia turned back to her own book. “As for relearning skills, the only advice I could give you is to practice and to experiment...safely, of course.” She spend a few more minutes reading, before closing her book and setting it aside, in what appeared to be the area for things one was finished with. “I believe I have the information I need. I can always return here later, should I need to do more research.” She stood up. “Where would you like to go from here? Try to find the market, or see if they have a junkyard?”
RE: First venture in a new land - Jack Darby - 11-25-2016
Where should they head next indeed? A junk yard was always useful as he knew he'd need parts to build whatever gadgets that he decided he wanted. So any similar documents that could have acted as "manuals" for him to relearn how to build the bulk of his weaponry were likely in the hands of the military. That was not so good, as it limited the options of what he could do. His future plans needed to be made in such a wayy no one was likely to meddle in them. When she mentioned the book was a Unicorn's guide to teleportation, Veritas groaned.
At some point the former villain was going to have to build a matter transporter, it was official. What was most irritating of all was that he had no clue as to where they were supposed to go. Omni hadn't given them a map of the area after all. It was going to be the market, as opposed to the junkyard. The junkyard was going to be their second stop. Approaching the book on the Omniverse Celestia had been reading, Veritas touched it with two fingers and a copy of it appeared. Imagining a satchel, he quickly put the copy into it. Experimenting was going to have to be put on hold, at least until after he had a place of his own to call home.
"The market it is first, Celestia. From there we can decide what we're going to do next, alright?"
RE: First venture in a new land - Celestia - 11-25-2016
Veritas chose the market. It would mean they'd have to find a way to barter for the goods, rather than being able to find them, but it also meant that the items they found were more likely to be functional. A tradeoff really, neither choice was 'right' or 'wrong' in this case. Either way, that would be the end of the time they wished to spend in the library, at least for the moment. Celestia got her overview of the Omniverse, and Veritas...alright, Veritas admittedly didn't find anything he was looking for, but then what he wanted likely wouldn't be found in a library.
Celestia stood up. She waited once she saw what Veritas was doing, which was spend a few minutes copying the book Celestia had been reading with Omnilium, as well as create a satchel to carry it. “Clever,” Celestia said a moment after Veritas was finished. “It's not what I had planned, I was simply going to remember what I needed, and then return to the library at some point.” She made a point to remember what this area looked like, so that she could find it again without too much trouble. “But I must admit it's a good use for the substance.” She looked around. “Although, I do hope the library staff will not be confused...They still have their copy, so it shouldn't be a problem.”
The pair left the library. They did not know precisely where they were headed, so Celestia decided to ask. The local she found was rather surprised by her appearance, and that she could talk, but he recovered well enough. Soon enough they were pointed in the right direction, and on their way.
Admittedly, the market likely wouldn't have proven that hard to find. It was a noisy place, with all the different vendors competing for the attention of potential customers, at least those that weren't already working on a sale. It was also in one of the larger courtyards of the city, at least from what Celestia had seen. There was a good chance that they would have still found it without much trouble, but no matter. They had found it.
Celestia looked around, noting vendors with all sorts of wares. Over here was a stall with a selection of unusual looking fruit, at least to her. There was one selling clothing. A little ways away she could see one selling some sort of small devices, that she didn't recognize. Surely Veritas would be able to find something he could use among the myriad of stalls arranged before them. Celestia turned to him. “I'm afraid I won't be much help here, I don't believe I'm familiar with it is you're looking for." Veritas could try to bring her up to speed, but that could end up taking twice as much time as he would need to find what he's looking for on his own. "Where should we start?”
RE: First venture in a new land - Jack Darby - 11-25-2016
Once they had arrived at the market, Veritas sighed. For explaining this was going to be difficult. But he probably was going to have to elaborate on science, and cover a lot of subjects. Judging from the magic she possessed the technology of her home must be limited. Still, he did enjoy a good challenge. Explaining the sciences of an energy sword and laser pistol to a Pony, no... to an Alicorn Princess? One of the most challenging things he had ever done. Still it was going to be entertaining, at least.
"Strong magnetic fields, coupled with a very hot and dense plasma provide a candidate method for creating a sword like I am interested in. One possible material would be ceramics, which can be brought to very high temperatures without melting, softening or distorting. But a solid ceramic core doesn't work: When not in use, the hilt of the lightsaber dangles from the belt of a wielder, and the hilt is maybe 8 or 10 inches (20 to 25 centimeters) long. It would need some alterations though for the idea to work.
Essentially it's a sword, but with a blade of energy. Not sure on how the science or Physics of this place work... but I believe making one should be possible with Omnilium. "
RE: First venture in a new land - Celestia - 11-26-2016
Celestia listened to Veritas' explanation with interest. It was the sort of weapon she wasn't all that familiar with. She's seen her share of 'experimental' weapons in her day, but they generally were meant to do something new, or push a concept to its logical extreme. The cannon was meant to deliver more physical force at range, with more force and precision than a bow or catapult ever could, before magic was involved. An airship provided a more stable platform and greater carrying capacity than a flying creature ever could, which enabled using larger weapons in the air than was previously possible. And she couldn't count the number of unique ways mages and alchemists had devised to inventively destroy their enemies.
This sabre he described, meanwhile, seemed to be trying to reinvent a much older weapon. Only, it couldn't possibly serve quite the same purpose. “It sounds like a very aggressive weapon,” Celestia commented after a moment, “very dangerous, and very effective I'm sure. But one loses the ability to guard oneself with it. Should you find yourself in a situation where need to protect yourself, rather than harm the enemy, your only hope would be to destroy your opponent's weaponry before they can cause you too much harm.” She could see the appeal of such a weapon, but it did not offer the range of options she would typically prefer.
It seemed well suited for Veritas though, given what she'd seen of his personality.
That was beside the point at the moment though. “I'm afraid I will likely still be unable to help you build it. I am only passingly familiar with most of these concepts, and a few are terms I am entirely unfamiliar with. I could return to the library to try and gather some knowledge on the subject, however I fear that may only extend the time needed to complete the project.” She smiled. “But you're right, Omnilium should be able to give you to materials you need.”
Celestia wondered where to go from here. She wouldn't be able to help Veritas with his current goal, but he also seemed to be relying on her, at least for the time being. She ultimately hoped to build up his independence, but simply leaving him to his own devices in his current state could do as much harm as good.
She also had to think about where to go from here. Celestia was in a new place. Her old institutions might as well have never existed for all the Omniverse cared. She was adrift, after a fashion, and torn between using this opportunity to relax in ways she hadn't been able to in millennia, and to essentially begin her old projects again.
Either way, Celestia realized, she would need more information before she could make a decision in good conscience. “I'm going to wander around the market a little, let me know if you need anything.” She started to walk away, heading into the stalls. She glanced around the wares on display, she did have a passing interest in the various, what were to her otherworldly goods, but she was more interested in discussing with the vendors themselves.
RE: First venture in a new land - Jack Darby - 11-26-2016
Veritas nodded and started to browse. Going through the junk of some of the merchants with one eye as he walked past, Veritas kept his other eye in the direction of Celestia. Normally he didn't like to depend on others, for any reason. Truly he preferred to be a self made man, but now that he was here and had been stripped of all his powers he'd been forced to stick around with Celestia. Whoever had coined the addage "Life isn't fair" had hit it right on the nose with that statement. Yet here he couldn't do anything that could affect change. All of his powers had been ripped out of his body by that pompous individual Omni. Who the hell did Omni think he was, ripping out bionics and draining brains? Veritas didn't know. Mysteries were something that irritated the bionic human to no end. Frowning as he went from display to display he wasn't finding anything.
Why was there nothing that remotely resembled what he needed here? Were the merchants not able to cater to primes? Frustrated at his lack of ability to find anything Veritas facepalmed. Once he had done that he examined another of the stalls. The stall had an old looking book that according to the merchant contained maps of some nearby ruins. Ruins might hold technological secrets, and that was something worth investigating. After paying for the book with some gold created out of Omnilium, Veritas smiled. Stuffing it into his satchel he immediately sighed. Were his worries all for nothing here? Celestia had been a nice acquaintance of his to say the very least.
Sure he had been more reliant on her than he should have been. But he was still shook up. In time he could regain the potential he once held in his own world. This and many other things were possible. Celestia even said that magic could be possible through the use of the power of Omnilium. Truthfully he doubted that, but he was willing to check to see if it was true. As he considered that, Veritas realized something. Going to the ruins was likely going to be dangerous and that meant he'd need fire power he didn't have. Sure he might be able to remember his passwords eventually. But he'd need something that he didn't need passwords for eventually.Thinking on that he slowly walked over to where Celestia was.
"I discovered a book on some ruins we might want to explore. I also found this book, though I'm not sure what it is given I can't read the language." A book was handed to Celestia by Veritas, a book of old Equestrian Lore that mentioned the mirror portal, and humans. "In any case, I believe we've done everything we can at the merchant sector Celestia. What do you think? Should we go explore some ruins? It will be interesting to explore them. Who knows, exploring them might help me get some of my gear back at least. Later on, I plan on learning how to invent stuff again. So tell me, how do Alicorns approach magic? What is your method to it?"
RE: First venture in a new land - Celestia - 11-27-2016
Celestia hadn't spent that much time speaking with the locals before Veritas came to find her again. He didn't say it directly, but Celestia could read between the lines: he hadn't found what he needed. Instead, he found a pair for books. One detailed a set of ruins that he was interested in exploring, the other was another book written in ancient Equestrian. Celestia had to wonder how he kept finding them. But that issue was beside the point.
Celestia flipped through the second book when it was presented to her. “Curious,” she said after a moment, “It appears to be a book on a portal in Equestria, which connected it to another plane. Apparently that plane is full of creatures much like yourself.” She hoofed the book back to Veritas. “Hold onto it for now, it may come in use later. Stable portals can be tricky things to achieve, and it could be a valuable asset should one of us ever need to create one.”
“I have some good news: I have some discoveries of my own! Beings who arrived through the Nexus, such as you or I, can get a great deal of things in exchange for favours. Which is a good thing, since I believe we will need a boat to get to those ruins you mentioned.” She pointed to the book Veritas was holding on that very subject, and sure enough the image was of a set of worn down buildings, situated on a island. “We may as well take a look. It would be nice to do something physical while I get my thoughts sorted out.” She was wondering where to go from here, in a broad sense, and that was something she hadn't had to do in...actually, she couldn't even remember the last time she'd felt so lost. Or had so much time on her hooves.
Veritas also asked about alicorn magic. Celestia started to walk, in what she hoped was the direction of the harbour, as she replied. “How alicorns approach magic? Hmm...I don't know if there's really a specific answer, as there were never that many of us to begin with. It is fundamentally similar to unicorn magic however, which is much more common. In simple terms, spellcasting requires two components: harnessing of the energy one needs, and visualizing what one wants to accomplish. My method...I suppose when I would learn a new spell I like to begin small. I find a quiet space, and practice grappling the magic, and practice shaping it in its simplest form that I can manage. Separately, if I can manage. Then I increase in scope as I gain familiarity.” She laughed softly. “I'm afraid that may not be very helpful. With enough time, even complex tasks can become habit, and I must confess it has been some time which I needed to learn an entirely new form of magic.”
RE: First venture in a new land - Jack Darby - 11-27-2016
So Alicorn Magic was an ability that required harnessing the energy one needed. Problems were had with that from the get-go. Veritas didn't know what energy was needed. Furthermore he didn't believe in magic. This disbelief even though it in the form of the Alicorn had talked to him was going to be problematic most likely. Her soft laugh shook him from that line of thought as he considered it. Grabbing the magic and shaping it into one of it's simplest forms was how Celestia did it. But how could he do it? Science was his preference and his strong suit. Changing drastically was not going to be easy to say the least. However he did want to at least make an effort to learn how things worked.
When Celestia began heading to the harbor, Veritas followed her.
"So according to you, magic simply requires that you grasp it and shape it right?"
This was asked out of disbelief by Veritas. It couldn't be that easy, could it? Yet according to her it was. Still if such was as as easy as she made it out to be then learning how to use such power himself shouldn't be that hard. The only downside was that he'd need energy inside himself first, energy he was not sure if he had or not. Such a mystery required investigation which they didn't have time for at present. A memory struck him like a bolt of lightning out of the blue and he said to Celestia. "I remember one of the passwords now. It's summon Plasma Rifle." The device chimed in. "Password Accepted, materializing Plasma Rifle." The plasma rifle appeared in his hands, only to disappear as it wasn't needed.
"So Celestia. When we get to these ruins, I'm hoping more of my memories of the passwords will be jogged. Who knows, we might find an artifact or something that can give me abilities like I possessed when I was bionic. After we're done at the ruins, I am planning on doing a lot of reading and getting my intellect back up to where it is supposed to be."
RE: First venture in a new land - Celestia - 11-28-2016
As they made their way toward the harbour, Veritas asked if magic simply required one to 'grasp it and shape it'. “That is an accurate description, even if it does make the task sound simpler and easier than it typically is. All magic, at its core, is about using energy to achieve a goal of some sort.” Celestia shot Veritas a wry grin. “Not unlike science, from what I understand of it.” She faced the direction they were walking once again. “It is rare that one finds the energy already set to accomplish the task one desires, and even then those cases were typically prepared by a mage previously. Hence, the energy must be shaped.” That wouldn't necessarily give Veritas access to magic directly, but fully understanding the task one was trying to accomplish was a good first step to achieving it.
Veritas remembered one of his passwords, and regained access to one of his weapons, which he promptly summoned as a test. Celestia hoped it would give him a little more confidence, but otherwise had little to say on it. “That's a positive sign,” she said, and regarded the weapon he'd conjured for a moment. She'd seen weapons with a vaguely similar look, but none that looked really similar to this one. She could safely say that she had very little idea how it would function. Presumably she would have an opportunity to see it in action soon enough, though a part of her hoped to avoid that.
Veritas explained his hopes and plans for their future outing. He hoped to recover some of his abilities, lost in his arrival in the Omniverse, through the use of artifacts which he thought could be found in the ruins they would soon be investigating. Celestia's first instinct was to urge caution. “I do hope you are not expecting perfect recreations of what you once had. I still agree the ruins are worth investigating, but I believe it would be best to be open to new discoveries. We can't say what we'll find until we actually arrive.” Celestia didn't want him to get disheartened if the ruins did not contain exactly what he was looking for, nor did she think it would be healthy for him to obsess over finding exactly what he'd lost. “Study is always a worthwhile pursuit, as long as one does not obsess.” Perhaps she was being overly cautious in her advice, but she did feel a certain responsibility toward Veritas at the moment, and a degree of uncertainty about both Veritas' state and the Omniverse as a whole.
Any further discussion on the matter would have to wait however, as after just a few minutes walking they arrived at the edge of the harbour. Ships of wildly varied sizes and styles moved in and out, and many more were resting at the numerous piers. Celestia stopped. She kept looking at the ships when she spoke. “How far away is our destination, again?” They would need that information to determine which sort of ship they should attempt to hire.
RE: First venture in a new land - Jack Darby - 11-28-2016
Obsessing over attaining his own abilities was not a good idea. But this was not just the thought of Celestia. No, Veritas knew the chances of gaining his bionics back were slim to none. Even with Omnilium, there were some things that couldn't be done. Being open to new things might be a good idea actually, as he had a fresh start here. Learning more about this place was going to be interesting to say the least. "I understand. I'll do my best to not be overly disappointed no matter what happens." exclaimed Veritas. As they arrived at the harbor he examined each of the ship before summoning the orb of Omnilium which had grown in size from when he had last seen it. "Rather than rely on others, I could make our own method of transport if you wish, Celestia. Or we could rely on others, but run the risk of being stabbed in the back." Say what they may about Veritas, call him paranoid if they must. But he was not going to die in an explosion, or from being stabbed literally in the back.
"So which of our options do you think of to be the best?"
RE: First venture in a new land - Celestia - 11-28-2016
Veritas seemed to take Celestia's advice to heart. Celestia thought he needn't worry too much about disappointment, she was sure that in a place like this boring things would be few and far between. “I am sure we'll be able to find something you can use. This wouldn't be very 'entertaining' without such disappointments.” Celestia was confident that Omni wouldn't allow such a place to exist and be investigated without putting something worth finding in there. “We'll just need to be adaptable and be prepared to try new approaches.”
Veritas expressed doubts about hiring a ship out of concerns of betrayal, and offered to make one for them himself out of omnilium. Celestia frowned. “You sound so certain of that. Why are you so concerned over betrayal, when we have yet to meet anyone to make enemies of? Do you really believe someone would sabotage their own ship or reputation just to get at us, two people they've never met before today?” Celestia turned back to the docks, and watched the ships moving in an out for a time. “Due caution is important. If you wished to investigate the captains and ships available, to root out any of ill intent, I would not be opposed. But it would be just as harmful to reject all contact with others, as it would be to leave oneself vulnerable to them.”
Celestia pondered for a moment, and grinned. “Then again, creating a ship would be a fine exercise, I'm sure. They are vehicles which serve very complex needs.” She turned to Veritas again. “Do you know what is needed to make a ship function, or to perform safely and effectively? I must confess, I do not. I have likely been told, or read such information, but my memories have been...a little jumbled since my arrival. I can easily remember the important moments or facts, but minor details are foggy.”
Celestia regarded Veritas, watching for his reaction. “So, you have two possible exercises ahead of you.” She was curious how he would make this decision. Would he be adventurous, and try to correct or challenge his own perspective of the world, or would he be cautious, and take extra measures which safeguard both himself and his worldview? “Would you like to learn how to craft a boat, or would you like to learn how to hire one?”
RE: First venture in a new land - Jack Darby - 11-28-2016
There were two options. On the one hand he could attempt to create a boat out of Omnilium which was something he needed to learn how to do in the long run anyway, because it would benefit him. The other option however was simpler. This option entailed that he simply hire a boat or a ship to move them to the island with the ruins. Which was the better choice? Veritas had no clue to be completely honest as to which one he was going to decide upon using. Caution was good, but wasn't good enough. Here in the Omniverse he could afford to take some risks. If what Omni had said was true, he needn't worry about his own painful demise as Omni could just reuscitate him.
"I've made up my mind. We'll hire a ship, instead of building one. Later though I will learn how to build one, so I can get more experienced with creating items out of Omnilium. After all, the sooner I learn how to do that, the sooner I can learn how to create my powered suit of armor once more. Getting that back will be interesting to say the least."
Veritas said that with a grin on his face now. "We'll go with hiring someone, although I'll be ready if they try any not so funny business..." stated Cyberlord as his hand brushed the weapons module on his arm. There had to be more stored inside it than just the Plasma Rifle. But what other weapons had he built? He honestly couldn't recall which ones he had put inside the device. Still, he was going to attempt to find out as soon as he possibly was able to do so.