Wearing Power Armor to a Magic School

“Though… calling it Potions would be underselling what is ostensibly one of the greatest fields you will ever have the privilege of studying.” The red-robed professor promptly added with a warm, almost granny-like smile, as she moved away from the dismembered carcass of a plant and closer towards us. “What was it again that they call it now? Potions theory, Potions crafting, and Healing magic?”

That question hung in the air, as if the class was expecting it to be rhetorical in nature.

“You have arms to raise and brains to think with, I would imagine. Or am I perhaps in the audience of a particularly well-crafted crowd of illusions?” Professor Belnor added with a raspy laugh, prompting Qiv and several others to raise their hands. “Lord Esila?”

“I believe it is indeed referred to as three separate classes now, Professor Belnor.” The ferret managed out perfectly and without a hint of a stutter.

“Mmhmm! Indeed it is. And why do you think that is, dear?”

“Because Potions is an understated field, Professor. Because beneath its unassuming namesake, is a field that acts as the lifeblood for contemporary society. Potions isn’t merely about the concoction of brews and mystery spirits… It's about the concentration, distillation, and reforging of mana into physical forms; be it liquid or gaseous. It is, by many interpretations, the field through which a thousand other fields are birthed from. Thus, by giving Potions more subjects and thus greater weight in our academic assessment, the Academy and by extension the magical community, is simply giving Potions the true weight it deserves.”

“Marvelous, Lord Esila! Well-put!” Professor Belnor shouted ecstatically, clapping her hands in rapid succession, urging the entire room to follow her example. “Five points! Five points to Lord Esila for his spot-on analysis!”

This was perhaps the first time the ferret-like Etholin was receiving any form of praise.

And I was definitely here for it.

His shy and meek nature however, prompted him to take the praise with the demeanor of an introvert, as he slinked back into his chair after several rounds of sharp bows.

The uproarious applause ended with yet more urgings from the professor, as she magically teleported in a stool to sit on, taking a sigh of relief in the process. “To elaborate on Lord Esila’s points, unless you’re from a particularly backwater region in a fledgling newrealm, the field of potions has long since left its humble beginnings of swirling cauldrons of eye-of-newt and tongue-of-griffins. Nowadays, when we talk of potions, we talk primarily of its application as an extractor, consolidator, concentrator, and coalescer of mana in all of its forms; as well as a coalescer of magical concoctions as is traditionally understood. From the purest distilled form of nth-tier mana…” The professor paused, twirling her index finger in order to bring over a vial of literal rainbow-fluid. “... to the most bastardized concoction of potent mana forms…” She paused once again, bringing over what appeared to be a brackish, muddy-brown solution that stained the glass of its container. “... the study of potions now serves far more than just a quick remedy or a boost of power for a mage or guardsman. It now serves as the facilitator for the vital yet understated processes of civilized society. From jump-starting new tethers and puddle jumpers for transport and communication, to the facilitation of water-based systems for the purposes of agriculture to plumbing, to the fuel by which manufactoriums are powered; potions is what defines our contemporary society. Especially those of us in adjacent realms particularly lacking in rich concentrations of mana.”

I could practically feel the EVI furiously taking notes, as I could just about imagine its internal coolants flowing at a breakneck pace to keep it from overheating.

There were as many revelations that hit me as there were questions that sprung from the magical lore being delivered. Though I knew I had to hold those questions for now, considering how the professor seemed to be on a roll.

“Potions theory will primarily focus on both this macro scale application of Potions, and the micro scale concoction of potions from a more traditional magely perspective. Potions crafting will follow a similar path, though with an emphasis on the latter rather than the former. Whilst Healing Magic will focus on another matter altogether.” Belnor paused once more, as if expecting someone to raise the question of why that was the case.

When it was clear silence was her only answer however, she quickly sighed. “I will always assume that everyone understands what is being taught if there are no questions raised. So let me set this precedence now — I wish for you to raise your hands should you have a point of disambiguation or clarification. Is that clear?”

The whole class nodded in acknowledgement, as several hands were tentatively raised up.

“Yes, Lady Ladona?”

“And how exactly does Healing Magic fit into this subject roster, professor?”

“A very good question.” Belnor nodded. “Many, many years ago, Potions was a rather vague and undefined subject matter. Its reach was so extensive owing to its breadth and depth, that Healing was considered an integral aspect of its field of study. You will find that is no longer the case however, as Healing Magic has very much become a rich and diverse field in and of itself. Now, the reason why Healing Magic is within my scope of teaching is simple — all Potions Grand Masters must also be Masters of Healing. So considering the Healing Magic you will be taught will mostly be theoretical in nature and primarily fundamental studies… it is well within the scope of both my alma mater and expertise to teach. Moreover, prior to Potions being divided up into three distinct classes, a portion of it was ostensibly devoted to Healing.”

“Thank you, professor.” Ladona bowed and promptly took her seat.

“You’ve all probably heard this many times before, but as it is Academy policy, let me reiterate the specifics of how my classes will be organized.”

The next thirty minutes of class was, predictably, spent addressing the various organizational quirks of the three-periods-in-one-day nature of Belnor’s classes.

As expected, the classes would be separated into morning and afternoon classes, with the expectation that Potions Theory and Potions Crafting would be taught more or less as a single period. Healing Magic however would primarily take up a good chunk of the afternoon classes, if not all of it.

Assessments were… once again, pretty predictable. Potions theory assessments would be almost entirely written and theory-based. Potions Crafting would prove a bit more difficult owing to it being an almost entirely practical class. Whilst Healing Magic… was split fifty-fifty.

I’d have to hope that the theory-based assessments would be enough to bring up my averages.

In any case, the general vibe from Belnor’s class was… strangely enough, simultaneously the most similar in terms of vibes to an average class back home, and coincidentally, also the driest out of all the classes so far.

About an hour had elapsed and only the fundamentals had been covered.

All of which boiled down to what the EVI had condensed into three primary talking points.

One: Potions as a field is both the study and practical application of mana in its physical, tangible form.

Two: The field of potions can be divided into two main branches, traditional, and modern. Traditional Potions often involves the mixing and matching of various forms of physical manatypes, creating what is effectively spells-in-a-bottle, but with far less room for flexibility or modification compared to a spell cast by a mage. Modern Potions however, seems to focus more on the distillation of pure mana on a massive scale, for the purposes of spell-casting on an equally massive scale.

Belnor’s recounting of the history of potions more or less took a good chunk of this section of the lecture too, with it more or less boiling down to one singular sentence.

“It all started when the very first mage discovered the first manapool, and began mixing and matching what most would associate with basic potions — magical ingredients harvested from nature. Before finally, mixing all of it into what is effectively the first mage’s cauldron.”

Three: Potions, most often in Traditional potions, involve three primary elements in their creation — an ‘agitant’, a ‘catalyst’, and a ‘medium’. Though this rule doesn’t necessarily apply in certain applications, such as in the distillation of pure mana to be put into mana-vials.

Which led me to a question that both Qiv and Ping’s group sneered at.

“Professor, if I may, it would seem as if Traditional Potions at its core is simply the mixing of highly-enchanted and magically-imbued mana-rich ingredients to reach a desired result, correct?”

“That is somewhat reductive but that is more or less the point of this lesson, so yes, Cadet Emma Booker. What of it?”

“Well, that brings up a question. Why can’t the typical ‘commoner’, who is otherwise incapable of practicing magic, practice potion-crafting or potion-use instead?”

This question prompted the entire class to slowly rise into an uproarious series of dismissive chuckles.

Belnor however, quickly shushed all of these would-be gossipers into submission with a mana-amplified shush that sent a split-second cold snap throughout the whole theater.

Moreover, not once did she seem bothered by the nature of the question. In fact, she seemed delighted more than anything, which more or less matched the excitable tone she gave with her answer. “That’s an excellent question, Cadet Emma Booker! I understand that the rest of the class may consider this to be a rather basic question, but considering your newrealmer heritage, this question only makes sense. Moreover, I appreciate you following through with my encouragement to make your curiosities known. Education is akin to construction after all, and we simply cannot build more floors without the ones beneath it in place! Now! To address your question — no, a commoner cannot practice potions-crafting. Though, similar to the use of enchanted items, a commoner could potentially make use of pre-crafted potions; provided of course it's not too powerful in the case of ingested or inhaled potions. Though the capacity for use once again depends on the particular type of potion, and the inherent strength of that commoner’s mana-fields.”

All of this led to a rather simple question to form in my mind, especially as the professor had glossed over one very important point.

“But why?” I countered.

“Simple, Cadet Emma Booker. Potions, as with spells, require the manipulation of manastreams in order to take effect; or in this case, in order to successfully coalesce. Coalescence being the technical term for the successful mixing of a potion, by the by. As despite what it may seem on the surface, the mixing of magical ingredients in and of themselves is not what causes a potion to coalesce, at least not in a controlled sense. No, what really turns a potion from a simple fizzle or a runaway explosion into a ready-made spell-in-liquid-form, is the control of said reaction utilizing your manastreams and the ambient mana around you. Otherwise, you’re simply seeing the reaction of several ingredients to its simple and basic end.” The professor paused, taking a moment to ponder something, before simply reshaping the small room within her glass bubble.

The ‘surgical table’ from before was promptly replaced by a massive cauldron. However, instead of your typical storybook cauldron, this one was… surprisingly upscaled. As with most of the things in the Academy, the setup felt premium, as if taken from the pages of typical fantasy and then brushed up with upscaled aesthetics in mind.

“Observe.” The professor announced, filling the cauldron up with a mysterious gray-blue fluid. “Anyone can mix an eye-of-newt, a toe-of-direhog, and a feather-of-griffon, with a Tasley’s reagent, yes.” She spoke as she added those aforementioned ingredients from meticulously labeled glass jars. “But only a magically-gifted individual can turn that into a viable potion of life. Otherwise, you’d just end up with a particularly smelly brew that wouldn’t even make a good stew.” She continued, promptly causing the whole brew to turn a sickly brown sludge.

The whole class was quickly riled into another set of dismissive giggles.

But as with before, Belnor quickly shot this down with a sharp and ear-piercing SHH!

“The ultimate goal of Potions ‘brewing’, is not found in the reaction of ingredients, but instead the successful coalescence of the sum of their parts; and in order to successfully reach coalescence, one must carefully control a potion’s reactions through the active manipulation of mana using the manastreams.” She continued, magically teleporting the cauldron away, to be replaced with a new one; repeating the mixing of the motions of the prior ‘failed’ potion. It took just about a minute before she was finished, and in that time, the EVI picked up at least twenty different instances of unique blips of mana radiation. Following the final blip, the brew turned iridescent and green, as the professor demonstrated its potency by simply tipping over the cauldron, covering the white-tiled floor in this suspicious fluid.

Almost immediately, the entire floor became coated by the abrupt growth of a verifiable forest, as moss and grass gave way to trees, flowers, and a verdant overgrowth of hedges. “In a way, this goes back to my first point. A finished potion, at its core, can be described and summed up as a spell-in-a-bottle. Though I will warn you that I simply phrased it as such in order to get my point across. I will not accept that as an answer on any written assessment.”

[Noted] The EVI ‘responded’, in a manner that I could only describe as cheeky.

“Understood, professor. Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions.” I acknowledged with a nod, prompting the professor to reciprocate before moving straight on from those points.

“I would like to reiterate however, that the quality of a potion directly correlates to its efficacy, if that wasn’t already self-evident.” She gestured towards the patch of forest now dominating the room she stood in. “What I used were distilled, concentrated, and purified extracts of the aforementioned ingredients. The process of attaining such ingredients is, in and of itself, a separate and distinct sub-specialty in Potions as a field.”

I nodded along, taking notes, as a thought slowly but surely crept up into my mind.

Was Potions literally just… the magical equivalent of chemistry?

I raised my hand again, this time not only for intel’s sake, but simply because this class was actually becoming something I could engage with. This was starting to feel like the magic school I’d anticipated for. Vanavan’s class was dull, Articord’s class was pure propaganda, and Larial’s… whilst fun, was just too indecipherable without mana-vision.

This was also the perfect time to raise my questions from before.

“Yes, Cadet Emma Booker?”

“I just wanted to expand on that point a bit, Professor. You said before that the distillation of pure mana was what defines Modern Potions as a field, right?”

“That is correct.”

“Is that very same mana the sort of stuff that’s used by, say, Professor Pliska in the enchantment of his tools?”

“Yes.”

“So essentially… the distillation of mana, condensed into mana-vials, is what allows for the various components of society to actually function? As in, without necessitating the need for mages at every turn?”

“I can sense the cogs in your head turning, Cadet Emma Booker.” Belnor announced with a smile. “Moreover, I understand just how revolutionary such a concept must be for your realm. As this is effectively one of the key fundamental takeaways from Potions as a field — it allows for magical gifts to be spread to uplift civilization with the boons of civility. It, an essence derived from nobility, is the physical manifestation of the ideals of Monarchy and Nobility. For it acts as the palpable, visible, and intractable force through which Monarchy enriches the lives of the commoners from what would otherwise be a wretched existence.” The red-robed professor spoke with a level of conviction that was paradoxically as warm as it was cold. Because her tone of voice more or less retained that same warm, granny-knows-best undercurrents. Yet the words spoken with that voice could easily be the same ones heard in Articord’s Nexian propaganda class.

The red-robed professor at this point was at a crossroads in my eyes, with her heart in… what I could only describe as vaguely the right place, but her values more or less having been dictated by the world she was nurtured in.

Perhaps in a different setting, things could’ve turned out differently.

Still… there was at least hope for change, if I wasn’t misinterpreting her intent that is.

Whatever the case was, the class quickly continued following that point, as my mind focused both on the talking points highlighted by the EVI, and my own ruminations on the red-robed professor.

The Transgracian Academy for the Magical Arts. The Grand Dining Hall. 1220

Emma

“I have a question for you guys.” I finally spoke up, after what appeared to be twenty whole minutes of silent contemplation.

“Yes, Emma?” Thacea responded first with a cock of her head.

“How do you guys actually feel about what Belnor said? About your responsibility to the common people, I mean? It’s actually something that I’ve been meaning to discuss with you, but considering everything that’s gotten in the way… it just hasn’t ever come up.”

“What Professor Belnor spoke of is the benign and benevolent interpretation of the Noble Right to Rule.” Thacea began, prompting me to quickly shoot back a small question of my own.

“I thought it was divine right in the case of monarchies?”

“That was the case prior to His Eternal Majesty.” Ilunor butted in with a huff. “However, following the Nexian Reformations, such a concept was deemed primitive and backwards. For the divine right implies that the right to rule stems from The Gods… which have shown themselves to be self-serving, and acting in the interests of their own immortal kin, rather than in good faith to the mortal realm. To rule by divine right, is to be a pawn, a tool, and at worst a toy for these unthinking and unfeeling beings. It is a sign of barbarism. Enlightened Monarchies, Contemporary Monarchies, by contrast, is a rejection of that philosophy. For we are instead ordained and given authority by the one true ruler, who took the fate of mortals from the hands of these so-called gods — His Eternal Majesty. Thus, what Professor Belnor speaks of is the more benevolent interpretation of the Noble Right to Rule; the inherent birthright stemming from our magical heritage and His Eternal Majesty’s blessings.”

“Which… brings us back to the concept of Noble Right to Rule, Emma.” Thacea interjected, pulling the conversation back into my question. “The benevolent interpretation states that it is the responsibility of Monarchy and Nobility to not only benefit themselves, but the lives of those incapable of using magic. For it is in the hands of those with magical acumen, typically nobility, to forge civilized society.”

“And do you agree with that interpretation?” I shot back.

“I do.” Thacea nodded without hesitation. “But not in the manner in which you think, Emma. I do not subscribe to the notion that there is an inherent state of superiority or inferiority based upon magical acumen. Merely, I see an unfortunate state of affairs that comes as a result of the societies which we have forged. It is inevitable that magic becomes the lifeblood of civilization, and thus, it is our responsibility as Monarchs and Nobles to try to best raise the standard of living of all within our care.”

“And to protect all within our stewardship, to the best of our abilities.” Thalmin added with a firm nod.

I took a few moments to consider the pair’s responses, and Ilunor’s distinct lack of a response, before finally letting out a sigh and a cock of my own head.

“Those are… noble endeavors when you consider the constraints of the world you live in. But if you’d allow me to pose you a hypothetical, let me ask you this… this belief of yours stems from the limitations of a society forged solely with magic, correct?”

It was clear at this point that Thacea knew exactly where I was going with this, but she nodded along all the same. “Correct, Emma.”

“Well in that case… would your perspective change at all if an alternative fundamental facilitator of civilization came into the picture? As in, the utilization of science and technology, not needing mana or magic, to further the lives of those within your realms?”

All three paused at that question, but it was Thacea, followed closely by Thalmin, that eventually responded.

“To have an alternative, would be akin to the destruction of the bottleneck holding everyone back from the fruits of civilization.”

“And would be the key to threatening the Nexian stranglehold on power.” Thalmin whispered out.

All of this was followed by utter silence from Ilunor, who continued sipping away at his rainbow drink.

The Transgracian Academy for the Magical Arts. The Grand Concourse of Learning. The Observer's Cove. Local time: 1450.

Emma

The class started off with a banger of a question. One that I had always wanted to ask but just kept slipping from my mind.

Why don’t plants and animals just despawn due to mana overload after death?

Or in Belnor’s words…

“Does anyone know exactly why so-called harmonization does not occur following the death of a living being?”

The entire class… was eerily silent at that question, as not even Qiv nor Ping had an answer for that.

“This is a very important question if we are to continue with Healing Magic. Because to talk about life, we must first talk about death.”

Silence once more followed Belnor’s assertions, prompting the professor to nod in acknowledgement. “Ignorance is nothing to be ashamed of, students. This is why you are here after all.” She spoke encouragingly, before moving on just as swiftly. “Allow me to rephrase my question then. Has anyone here ever heard of the Three Deaths?”

There were a few murmurs that spawned from this, but nothing in the way of raised hands.

This prompted Belnor to continue.

“The phrase was not spawned from faith or belief, but by the gradual and methodical study, as macabre as it may be, of the actual process by which all things die. Provided of course, that the death occurs through typical means.” The professor took a moment to pause, before manifesting what appeared to a mannequin out of thin air. “The living being is often conflated as being purely biological in nature. From the blood in our veins to the marrow in our bones, this physical vessel is oftentimes seen as just that — a biological vessel carrying within it a magical soul. The truth of the matter however, is much more complicated. Because whilst there does exist a soul, and whilst it is indeed carried within our biological vessels… we often forget that our very physiologies are magical in nature.”

The professor paused, before zooming into the mannequin, the magical hologram that floated below the roof of the glass dome displaying muscle, bone, and the organs within. “For deep within our bodies, are tiny, infinitesimally small substrates that make up our greater whole. And it is within these tiny substrates that exist both the biological, and the magical.” The professor spoke vaguely, before zooming outwards once again.

This prompted me to raise my hand, which was promptly called upon.

“Yes, Cadet Booker?”

“Professor, by substrates, don’t you mean cells?”

The whole room came to a stop at that, as the professor cocked her head, and the EVI provided some invaluable pieces of insight into the limitations of this specific word in High Nexian.

[No direct translation for ‘cell’ in a Cytological context found within the Nexian dictionary, Cadet Booker. Closest approximations are too vague for this context.]

I quickly amended my response as a result.

“As in, tiny building blocks of your body, smaller than what the naked eye can see. Individual, and oftentimes interconnected organisms on a microscopic scale, that comprise up your anatomy.”

The professor, for the first time, was transfixed with a look of contemplative disbelief.

“They… they have organelles, little processes inside of them too. So I’m wondering if that was what you were referencing to when you said that within these ‘substrates’ were biological and magical—”

“—you speak of Ure.” The professor interjected, stopping me right in my tracks.

“New terminology added to the [Working Language Database]”

The look on her face wasn’t necessarily one of befuddlement as a result of being completely ignorant to the idea; that much was a given considering she knew exactly what I was describing. However, the perplexed look on her face was more one of disbelief, as if she wasn’t expecting that to be within my working knowledge. “Ure, referring to these fundamental substrates by which biological structure and processes are derived. That was what I was referring to, yes.” She clarified, before quickly shifting gears to address her growing curiosity. “Your people… have your own independent name for this concept? Cell, was it?”

I nodded plain and simply. “Yes.”

“And how did you come across it? Lost knowledge and texts? Tales from mysterious visitors?” The professor drilled further, her eyes narrowing by the second.

That latter question felt… strangely specific, but I pushed past it to directly address her concerns.

“We hypothesized it. At first, as a philosophical concept. Then, as time went on, more serious work was done to either prove or disprove it. Eventually, we discovered it, by our own hands, through our own methodical and gradual processes of study and research.” I clarified.

“You discovered it, how exactly?” The professor’s eyes narrowed even further.

“By seeing them first-hand. Through the usage of optical microscopy, by developing an advanced knowledge of lenses and the study of light, in order to peer into the microverse.”

That response… garnered a series of quiet and muffled whispers, mostly amongst the ranks of Qiv, Ping, and a few of the other more ‘notable’ students and peer groups.

“She knows of the microverse.”

“But how?! She’s a newrealmer! Such capabilities are beyond even the most middling of middling realms!”

“Advanced mana-imbued microscopy is a field rarely developed independently outside of the Nexus and without Nexian aid.”

“Perhaps she learned of it while she was at the Academy, you imbeciles! Don’t you fall for her tricks!”

“If she HAD learned of it over the course of her time here, then how do you explain her using a wholly different language in addressing the concept?!”

“Touché, Lord Ratom.”

SHH! Belnor shushed loudly once more, putting a literal cold lid on the situation before it could boil over.

“We have little time left and I shall not allow this class to become a den of gossip.” The professor announced sternly, before turning towards me. “Cadet Emma Booker?”

“Yes, Professor?”

“I appreciate you using your point of clarification to expand upon this concept. Now, if you do not have anything else to add, I must insist we proceed.”

If the classes are just going to be based on fundamentally congruent biological concepts, then it’ll definitely be a breeze. I thought to myself cockily.

I gave the professor a nod. “No professor, that’s all I wished to touch upon. Thank you.”

The professor responded with a brief bob of her head, her eyes still brimming with curiosity that she refused to voice. “Hmm… all well and good. With that out of the way, let us proceed onto the final topic of today. The Three Death Principle.”

Okay. Maybe not everything will be a breeze then…