Notes, Theories, and Experiments Concerning the Stone from the Wastes

What We Know

* Appearance

- Dark, clear redish sort of stone.
- Easier discerned in certain light.
- Has flame-like runes etched into it.
- Glows on occasion.
- Gives off redish sparks when touched by human skin.
- Size :
- Weight:

* Power

- Sends humans who touch it with their skin flying back away from the stone.
- Seems not to affect sylvari or norn the same way.
- Runed: Which runes are undetermined as of yet.
- Has some degree of power to produce sparks; whether it's a tether to something else, or power of its own is undetermined.

What It Would Help to Know

* Material

- Value
- If it is solitary or part of something else.
- If there are more.

* Magic Held

- What sort of magic it is
- How / why it reacts the way it does.
- What (else) triggers it.
- If there is more than what is seen.
- If it is a foci.

- May be a foci for another source of power.
- May be a foci for something to take place.
- May be a foci to lead or direct something else.
- May be a foci of 'surroundings denotation'.

- If it holds its own magic, or magic placed on it by something else; what and why, if so.

* Purpose

- Why it was created.
- Who created it, if anyone.
- How it was created.
- If it is sought by any others.
- If it belongs to someone.
- What it was meant to do.
- If it does what it was meant to do, or if it is faulty.
- What are the consequences of it doing what was intended for it.

Data collection

* Record all the runes on the stone.
* Possibly record the distances one is thrown by it (though this may not be approved unless in a safe area).
* About the chest.
* About the location.
* About any other abnormalities to the stone itself.

What can be Tested For

* Magic
* Various reactions to Stimuli

Experiments

Reality Bending

* Look at the stone with Second Sight, to see if and how it 'bends reality'.

- This would tell partially the sort and scale of magic; what its connections may be, and its range of power.
- It is simply looking at the stone through the In-Between, and reporting what is seen. Note that nothing might be seen at all if it has no properties that are beyond normal physical and natural (such as elemental) limitation.

Magic Sorting Determination

* Theory: If a magical item with a strong connection to a certain sort of magic has a temporary 'lapse in link' with that magic, it will try to connect to the nearest, similar source to retain its power. By using this knowledge, one can temporarily 'nullify' magic in a small area around the object, and then release the nullification, likely resulting in a visible tether, or sparking re-connection to a nearby source of power when the nullification is lifted. Setting up known, and separated 'sources of power', it can be determined what sort (or sorts) of magic the item appeals to.

* Procedure

- Have a number of magical objects, embued with the sorts of energy one wishes to test for, set up equal distances from the object. Make them close enough to be reached, but far enough to be able to see the 'spark' between the stone and the object of power.

- Note: A caster themselves creating the energy is likely preferred to a previously embued object, but either will work; in this scenario, a caster may use a foci as a channel for their own raw energy during the short time the experiment is in progress. Though the point is to have it merely running through them to a focused point, not to imbue the energy with any necessary control or facet of self - the more indistinguishable any 'signature', the better.

- Once the objects are in place equidistant from the stone, have several observers watch from varying places around the formation. They must be close enough to it in order to see anything happening between the stone's location, and the objects (tether-points) situated around it.

- A modified Null Field, one with an area that temporarily nullifies certain aspects of magic, will be placed around the stone, but not on the ring of magical tether-points around it.

- Note: This should, for a moment, disrupt the connection to magic the stone has. It will not starve nor destroy it, if it is a heavily magical object, instead be almost like 'holding one's breath' so to speak, forcing it 'under water'.
- Note: If the object itself is a /source/ of magic, the object may tremble, and be repelled outside the modified Null Field like the repelling of two similar magnetic poles. This in itself would be quite interesting to find and observe, though in this case, we may need to find a way to keep the stone in place should this happen.

- After a short duration (at least 30 seconds, though a minute or two works just as well) the mod. Null Field will be dropped. At this time, it is expected that the object will react to the tethering-point that most closely resembles the sort of power the stone holds, in attempts to replenish itself. This is the equivalent of quickly 'sucking in air' when coming up from a while being submerged. The energy within the surrounding tethering objects, theoretically, will be drawn to the stone.

- Note: This is likely to cause a visible 'spark' of energy between a particular object and the stone. Depending on the power, and pull, the object may also be dragged closer to the stone a little bit.
- Note: It is also possible that more than one tethering object may react to the stone; this would likely mean it is connected to several sorts of magic.

- The observers will all take note of what they saw during the experiment, in terms of how the stone and the tethering points reacted. Record all data.

- Compile results.

* Potential Problems

- There is always the chance of magical backlash.
- The stone, if a source of magic, and depending on various factors, may be hurled violently through the air when the mod. Null Field is placed around it. Thus, it may be advised to be prepared for that.
- The shift in magical energy might alert anything connected to the stone that something has occurred to the object.
- Any number of things that are unexpected.

Seeing the Unseen 

* Theory: Since it was expressed that the runes on the stone were 'nonsensical', I think it is entirely possible that it may be warded to mislead. There are a number of wards that I use regularly to make something appear on a surface in place of the actual content to all who are not the intended viewer. It is a distraction so anyone else thinks that either a page or an object is worthless, when really, there is something important hidden beneath the magic. Considering this idea, and knowing a decent amount about these wards, it is possible to 'shake' them enough, not necessarily to break them, but to prove they are present. By deforming a concentrated 'space' of reality around the stone, the wards can be caused to shift and flicker momentarily, which will betray their presence.

* Procedure

- Have the stone lifted to easily discernable view.

- Have several observers close enough to the stone to be able to distringuish the runes on it from their vantage. They will be given writing implements to record what they see during the experiment.

- I will distort the reality in a small radius around the stone, but not the stone itself. The air will appear almost fragmented, vaguely like broken ice or glass in places, though the runes should still be visible. This should 'shift' any decoy wards between a little (being that they might shudder) to a decent amount (where they flicker and reveal a bit of what is hidden beneath).

- Note: When I start doing this, it is likely that my vision in this reality will begin to wane, instead favoring the 'Second Sight'. Because of this, I may not be able to easily discern the results myself, and need others to record in my stead.

- The observers will watch the stone carefully. If the runes shift at all, change into something else, flicker, or warp, then it is likely there is something hidden on the stone, and the outside may be warded with a decoy. They will record what they see, and if something else flickers to the surface, attempt to write or draw what appears.

- Note: It is possible to only be on one section of the stone, or all around it. In which case, multiple observers would need to take note of the fragmented 'pieces' that appear for later study.
- Note: If nothing seems to change, then it is a likely sign that there is no decoy here.

- I will repeat this reality bending as much as needed for those who wish to record, or as long as I can tolerate it.

- Compile results.

* Potential Problems

- Magical backlash is possible.
- Bending reality can cause all sorts of odd things to happen. Though this is on a small scale, it is still possible that.. abnormalities may occur.
- The stone may react to the strange 'shift' in its environment.
- There may be additional, unnoted wards that trigger, if they are present.
- If the stone is a foci, the flicker in potential warding may alert anything else connected to the stone of a shift.
- Anything unaccounted for.

Note: Any other experiments that others wish to suggest, I would not be opposed to trying. [blot] Unless they are terrible.

8 Scion, 1327

There were a grand number more surprises last sun than I usually cross in a single day's time. [blot]

I hardly know where to begin.

[a few more spots]

I suppose since memory is part of the trouble here, I may just write some off-thoughts instead. A tendancy I do not often follow, in the case that I should, sometime, forget all that has occurred. I've a different voice for forgetting. One that explains simply, a quiet brush through the leaves and the gift of simple literature for the 'self' who has fallen behind. I wonder when I may fall, if I will think that, perhaps, that simple explanation was my Truth. If I did, I would be wrong.

So here is a small glimpse of that 'Truth', often unseen, and even now, only shown by speckled canopy light.

There is no chrnonology here, and everything drifts together. 

It was a sort of terrible, timeless, moment when she spoke those words. 'Know what Cannot be Known'[a large blot] It still, even still, thinking about them- [streak, spot] They are terribly familiar. Familiar in the strangest ways, as I hear the echoes of my own submerged voice speaking those words countless times, but never to what, where, when, why. A number of different feelings come with it, warmth, cold, breezes, stagnancy, light and dark, and none of it makes sense, other than its own timelessness. I wonder if they're real memories at all, like when something has happened, you know it happened, and yet you don't; it seems too far away, so far out of grasp, that perhaps it didn't. And there was no one else there to confirm its reality.

Reality is quite strange like that. When you consider, so many things in it might not have really been there at all. And so, you have to Choose. And then you Shift that reality. It is why one is their Choices.

Will I Choose to look for the answer? Will I Choose to Follow this time? [blot] I still don't know. I don't know, and it is troubling. All this time, I have sought not to. Do not chase what you left behind. And yet..

"Find all the knowledge that you seek. Know that your sacrifices are worth your freedom."

Of course there would be a time when these, perhaps, conflict. I had always thought they may. Sooner or later, I would be curious. I had tried to warn myself of it, I thought. Tried to make it clear that what I have lost is worth what I have gained, but [a few spots]

I must wonder, if that cloth is something from before, something from Then that has such a powerful place in my mind, connected to those words. . . Why would I keep it? If I was meant to give it all up, why would I keep something like this, and not give it away as well? Certainly, it must have been thought I may find it. If it is known, then certainly, it must have been thought that someone would recognize it, that it might be possible for another to act on things that I would never know, because I have lost them. [a few blots] I clearly placed it away. Nothing would be there if I did not place it away. ...Should I persue it?

"Always have a Choice."

Do I trust myself as I think I am to be trusted? Or do I trust myself to know my own curiosity? A stagnant idol of ideals, or the ever-changing present of what I know myself to be, paired with the uncertainty of what I may have been. [blot]

[another blot]

I wonder if It had any influence. I wonder if Lafey felt it too. The Chaos acting erradically hardly helps this at all, I would think. That.. Growth. It drives the Chaos to panic. The Chaos wants to escape, to get away in ways I have never felt, but I don't know what it wants to get away from. The Growth is the obvious answer. Brambles, I want to get away from that. But [blot] Might it also want to get away from me too?Thorns, that would be.. fatal. Extremely unfortunate for me at best, if it should succeed, and it's quite [blot]hard to tell which it is, if not both. I'd like to think it is only the former, and not the latter. I don't know. I don't know, and the Chaos isn't letting me. It becomes so strangely jumbled, like its own sort of argument, and yet, with an overwhelming drive to something.

[spots]

That Growth seems drawn to magic. And that is quite troubling for all manner of reasons. Brambles, I really do not wish to get anywhere near it.

I do not think I must remain now, and I hope not to. I will go elsewhere, hopefully to give the Chaos some calm, as it's.. [blot] What Sphae described reminds me of what I have heard the Dream is like in those who wish Silence. The words themselves sound, even feel, familiar in a terrible way, and [blot] I worry for her. Certainly this is not that, but that overwhelming submergence, pulling, coaxing, dragging down into the depths to somewhere. . . It is manipulative, and suffocating of Choice.

There is no trust to be found in anything so manipulative, unless one is so willing to be guided and thrown away.

[blot]

There is some research I wish to do. But right now, there is something more immediate to take care of.

I would like to write later about the theories for this stone we found. I have a number of materials, but may need a few more. It gives me a better reason to leave this desert, and to seek what will reflect the right sorts of energy from within the stone. [blot] But that is for later.

[a couple spots]

I do not believe her. One does not feel such a suffocation, and keep being 'fine'. It is strange, though, that I don't feel something quite the same. Is it the Chaos? There is an overwhelming whirling, like a storm that can't be calmed, nor identified, its power pushing in all different directions, while its unknowable aim is meant for one. It [blot] reminds me of when the Chaos takes me, the feeling that I am separate from what is solid and beyond a simple body, only this is nothing of the sort at all.

I feel I am more the storm than I am the solid. But I am afraid to move.

Storms are not often afraid to move. Not unless something contains them. Whatever is storming, and for why, that is not something I want to let out. If they should travel near the growth for any reason, I will have to state my ill comfort and remain further. Luckily they seem similarly uncomfortable, likely of their own sorts of unease, so it shouldn't be a problem.

[blot]

Perhaps I need a calm more than I had thought.

Notes: Outing to Maguuma Wastes with the Jesters

Notes on the Outing to Maguuma Wastes

* Prior to Entering

- The Seraph had opened up a way in.
- The map was very old looking.
- Apparantly one of a kind.
- The Chaos was acting strangely; excited perhaps?
- Some of the others don't care for tombs. (unfortunate.)

Once Within

* The Zephyrites

- their ship had apparently crashed.

- speculations that it was 'from a dragon'.
- Also speculations that Aetherblades may have had a hand.
- Seems more likely that it was [blot] the Growth here.

- There seem to be a number of survivors, and people assisting with the crash.
- More seen survivors than dead, thus far.

* Rahvin

- One who wrote the letter.
- Has the map.
- One of the leaders of the Jesters.

* The Wreckage

- It seems crystals have been scattered about

- Their magic has waned.
- They retain their power for much less time.
- Still, they are helpful in navigating the wastes.

* The Wastes

- Hot.
- Very much a desert.
- Not very fit to coax up healing flowers in many places.
- Cliffs all over.

- Be wary not to be on the edge when the storms come.

- Sandstorms.
- Sand that moves and engulfs.
- Smaller storms that seem to live.
- Other odd creatures.
- Strange.. thorned tendrils.

* Waste Tendrils

- hostile; seem intent on attacking any who cross them.
- Act like beings; they tunnel into the ground and come up to strike and grab.
- The Chaos reacts in a panic to them; it was difficult to cast correctly at them.
- Very troublesome.

* Artemis

- Has a cat named Ailouras

- Apparently interested in the tendrils (mine)

- Calls them 'back feelers' and likes them.

* Town

- Looks like repurposed ruins.
- Has a number of people living in it.
- Buildings are all made of stone.

- strange and tiered up into the side of the mountain.

- Seems to be safe from the storms.
- Apparently many may be bandits.
- They've a well, chickens, and strange creatures [ this clarification looks like it may have been added later] llamas (according to Sphae) in pens.
- Selda is a grand climber.
- There is a clearly seen, large pipe up in the mountains.
- It seems this place has been around for quite a while being settled.
- The creatures llamas like to spit at people.

- They also like to eat them without permission.

* Mines

- Inquest are within, though don't seem to reside there.

- Apparently they took hostages..?

- Very dark, and torches are needed to see much.
- Calvin's mom is Rahvin.
- The map led into the mines.
- There were also Devouerers within.
- The chest was found by a particular wall.

- They dug it out without much incident.

- Though there was a cave-in.

- It seems it was expected; there were nearby explosives we used to escape.

The Chest and its Contents

* Chest

- old
- apparently unwarded
- Abrecan smashed the top off with a hammer.

* Stone

- Reddish, clear ore
- Engraved with runes that look like fire
- It glows occasionally
- Not a gem.
- Sends humans flying away from it, if touched directly.
- If gloved, humans seem fine.
- Thus far, does not seem to affect sylvari nor norn.
- Rahvin, Selda, Calvin, Zaree, Abrecan, and myself have touched it. Donari as well.
- Seems to give off a redish crackle when humans do.
- A number of them wish Abrecan to lick it.

* Possessing

- Abrecan noted that he wanted to speak to me about possession later.
- Note: I am not entirely sure why.

* Immediate Speculations on the Stone

- I believe it may be warded.
- Rahvin says that the runes on it are nonsensical.

- I have not had the time to really inspect it, so I cannot confirm this as true.
- Note: Considering what I do myself, I have warded things without distinguishable visible features, and also placed an 'unsight' ward on them. This allows for no one but the proper beholder to distinguish what is scribed on a surface. If the runes there are in fact 'nonsensical', it may simply mean what's really there is hidden, or it may be a non-sequitur distraction; another tactic I am fond of when hoping to keep interest away from something.

- I think it may be possible, also, that it has some inherant magical property within it; perhaps it it not warded, but the natural property of the object causes such a reaction.

- This could be due to magical infusion, or any other number of things.
- Note: Write more detailed theoretical speculation, and potential experimental procedure at a later time.

* Plan

- Remain in town.
- Explore, but be sure to return.

* Rahvin

- Mentioned that 'they'll' have a present for me regarding my 'Jesterness'.
- I am unsure what this means, as I am not one, though I am certainly curious.

91 Phoenix, 1327

Last sun was interesting, and soon, it seems, there will be more to look toward.

I had gone to the Motley to see if I could find one of the crystals I had dropped [blot] I really don't know how I managed to drop one, perhaps it was Vathen's fault, but I was missing one of them, and thought it best that I retrieve it, because Winds know what might happen if I didn't. As I got there, I was surprised to find that there were quite a number of tiny Charr there! They were quite interesting, though none seemed to notice me, which I suppose was just as well. I wonder if they are also tiny tumors with legs like tiny humans seem to be. [blot] They were certainly kept busy by all else occurring, and content to climb on others.

Donari noticed me and offered me a seat, some drink, and food. He seemed lively enough, and since I wasn't entirely sure where to find such things myself, I took him up (as they say) on his offer. It [blot]seemed my injury was still decently obvious. Though none noticed my side, they did see my arms, and asked about them. [blot] Well, I am getting ahead of myself, as one of those who asked was the one Selda, who I had mentioned before here. She was, in fact, not Nik nor Donari, and had red hair and a large dog, like she was described~ Apparently she too has nature magic, and [blot]

I am again, getting ahead of myself. Calvin was there. [a few spots] It is poor of me, but I do not remember all that much of what he was saying. He had a peculiar sort of accent, almost like when a human speaks quickly, but he wasn't speaking all that quickly, and [blot] recalling the words in my mind of what he was saying is a bit more difficult. He explained something to me... [blot] thorns. Perhaps I will recall later.

Regardless, he was there as well, as was [spot] I don't remember her name. The mother charr. Brambles, I am not doing too well with recollection, am I~? If I hear it, it will come to me. I suppose I wasn't really prepared to pay strict attention to anything but searching for my crystal, so I was a bit scattered.

Donari had found it by the way! The crystal, I mean, so I do have it back. It is lucky that I came for it, I suppose, because thorns know what Donari would have done with such a thing. Luckily it wasn't activated, but [blot] not that it would be a danger. I don't think. I am really not certain about the manner of casual experimentation that the Jesters tend to. If they find something they don't know, will they prod at it? Will they attempt to make it do something? Will they simply toss it at the face or back of another? Hide it in another's drinks to see what happens? I really do not know, so it is safer, perhaps, that I did come back for it.

[blot] Donari did provide me with the things he said he would. Apparently he knows what that drink with a bit of flame is called. I thanked him, though he didn't stay much longer.

A little jump in time over- Oh! I remember now, we were speaking of human babies. Calvin had told me that the tumorous things sometimes ... crawl and roll around, sort of. [blot] They really are not helping their case. A tumor with legs, sort of dragging itself around on the ground screaming, that bursts from another human's body (nearly killing them) sounds mortifying. He seemed to think otherwise. Humans.

When some of the others had gone off, or were soon about to, Selda asked me of my injury. And if she might be able to help heal it. [blot] Apparently she too has some nature magic, and [spot] mentioned to me something about her teacher who had lost his own magic. Which is terribly awful and distressing! Though I couldn't help but wonder how by the Chaos, that was possible. [blot] It apparently had to do with the gods. 

That surprised me. I had never known the gods to have taken magic before, something about switching respects between Melandru and Grenth. [blot] I am glad that I have not followed such gods, so they might take my magic for some reason. I don't think I would [blot] be able to come out of that.

Though, she did have nature magic, and [blot] I allowed her to try to heal me further. [spot]

It didn't really work. She was able to re-grow what had been damaged fine, yet she was not a mender, and [spot] I don't think she knew how to control it in presence of the Chaos. Which, of course, continued to interfere as it does. [blot] I've a bit of deformity on my arms now, though.. it did not hurt this time, and was probably less than how odd it would be if I attempted to heal myself. I've a few more stray tendrils, though I don't [blot] think they will take the path of my larger ones.

Selda seemed interested with the Chaos, though I didn't say that much. She.. [blot] could see many things clearly. She asked right away, if the tendrils were because of the Chaos, and was interested how it worked. I.. was only vague, as I hardly knew her, and I wasn't sure if I wanted to speak of all those things until that changes, but [blot] well, I did a little. Her dog seemed interested in them as well.

It wasn't long after that I returned back to the mansion. And then later, I saw Androsace doing.. something strange with the rose bush. I think, perhaps, she was attempting to coax it into growth? It worked. But I am keeping it a Secret, as that is what she wished~ I wonder what she is going to do with her coaxing. . . [blot]

Soon, I believe, we will be setting out as it was posted. I've heard no word on if I can go or not, so I have prepared for the journey. Now, I simply must leave something stating where I am off to, and be on my way~ This is so terribly exciting, I do hope they allow me to remain~