S. P. E. C. T. R. E. and S. H. A. D. O. W. Conference (storyline)/2024-10-05 - Lecture 1 - Soul Magic alternate log (log)

Issuing from the lobby, a chime suddenly echoes through the hotel, announcing that the next lecture of S. P. E. C. T. R. E and S. H. A. D. O. W. Conference is about to begin in the library.

Caedenmon recites:

    "If I may have your attention.  I am Caedenmon Howler."

Phanna uncertainly says, "Death is a bit different here in Naidem."

Liras just went over and threw herself down on the couch.

Alicea turns to face Caedenmon.

Erienne turns to face Caedenmon.

Aetheri turns an inquisitive ear toward Caedenmon.

Alek inclines his ear, listening intently.

Opalina turns to face Caedenmon.

Alicea turns an inquisitive ear toward Caedenmon.

Faiyth grins at Caedenmon.

Meliyara turns an inquisitive ear toward Caedenmon.

Erienne sits down.

Rovvigen turns an inquisitive ear toward Caedenmon.

Saleigh turns to face Caedenmon.

Liras turns to face Caedenmon.

Erienne folds her hands in her lap.

Riend tilts her head toward Caedenmon, examining him intently as the tip of one ear twitches briefly.

Maylan gobbles down her buckwheat pancake in one enormous bite.

Phanna just went over and threw herself down on the couch.

A pudgy golden teadragon with iridescent champagne wings on Saleigh's shoulder leaps, clamping onto her earlobe!  With one finger, Saleigh gently detaches her, and she chirps in disappointment, wrapping her pale gold tail about her neck in petulant consolation.

Speaking quietly to himself, Giedrius murmurs, "So it is."

Meliyara just went over and threw herself down on the couch.

Shadowy black tendrils dance across the surface of Irval's black elven leathers.

Ermias snorts derisively at Caedenmon!

Missoni gazes with interest at Caedenmon.

Lych looks up and watches Caedenmon.

A droplet of abyssal onyx entangled in rivulets of copper on Meliyara's forehead glimmers in the ambient light, swirling with liquid flecks of silver, gold, and stormy silver.

Alicea sits down next to a stone fireplace.

Fleurs's sentient potato hums a war song, fit for a decisive battle!

Phanna gazes with interest at Caedenmon.

Opalina sits down next to a polar bear skin rug.

Azaton removes a folded mesh chair from in his dark canvas carryall.

Opalina gently rubs her hand across the bear skin rug.

Azaton unfolds his chair and carefully places the chair alongside himself.

Azaton settles himself on a cherrywood-framed silk mesh chair.

The balsawood idol pinned to Faiyth's chest starts to twitch with a phantom heartbeat for several seconds before falling silent.

Caedenmon says, "Yes, yes.  Settle down.  Use your ears and perhaps something of worth will come from all this."

Caedenmon smirks.

Opalina leans against a polar bear skin rug.

Fleurs just went over and threw herself down on the couch.

A small bluebird emerges from Opalina's wig and proceeds to hop atop her shoulder seeking some attention from the outside world.  It matches its gaze to Opalina's, observing all the goings-on for several moments.  Amused for the time being, the bluebird returns to the wig.

Meliyara smirks as a haughty expression flits across her face.

Missoni sits down next to a black-lacquered witchwood bar framed by mist-enshrouded iron cauldrons.

A small emerald green spider on Nisugi crawls over to his head.

Faiyth sits down next to a black-lacquered witchwood bar framed by mist-enshrouded iron cauldrons.

Saleigh clasps Fleurs's hand tenderly.

Saleigh clasps Rovvigen's hand tenderly.

Raelee put a cluster of hemp-tied coffin nails in her leather neck pouch.

Missoni removes an umber iguana-hide folio inlaid with whorls of black-streaked scarlet despanal from in her alligator skin case.

Faelynth leans against a stone fireplace.

Giedrius leans back.

Saleigh clasps Erienne's hand tenderly.

Raelee takes a drink from her caramel tea.

Faiyth pours herself a lemon-rimmed basil and sweet apple cocktail.

Rovvigen's eyes grow wide and his features fall slack as he slips into a deep trance.

Missoni removes a red verlok feather quill from in her alligator skin case.

Erienne smiles.

Caedenmon says, "I will be speaking on Soul Magic today."

Raelee removes a thin cloth-bound notebook from in her silk components pack.

Giedrius folds his arms over his chest.

A corona of silvery white light surrounds a golvern and villswood totem dangling a soft grey penguin feather suspended from Opalina's neck before fading away.

Raelee carefully opens her cloth-bound notebook.

Liras nods slowly.

Opalina inclines her ear, listening intently.

Saleigh grins.

Wiggling a bit, Saleigh's golden teadragon settles herself on her shoulder, her pale gold tail swishing back and forth along her neck.

Missoni nods appreciatively.

Rovvigen blinks several times as he slowly comes out of his trance.

Silverthorne sits down.

A low thrum and grind of gears emanates from Nisugi's leather herb kit.

Erienne giggles at Saleigh.

Caedenmon says, "Some of you may not be aware that Soul magic is something very distinct from the more familiar 'spiritual magic'."

Small Game Huntress Kialeigh just arrived.

A white-muzzled grey arctic fox with silver-tufted ears ambles into the area and up to Kialeigh.

Saleigh winks at Erienne.

A minuscule glacial blue qakoni teadragon with membranous moonlight silver wings darts into the area and up to Kialeigh.

A bushy-tailed silver flying squirrel suddenly scurries for a hiding spot, spooked by some unnoticed disturbance.  After laying low for a few long moments, the squirrel cautiously makes its way back out of hiding.

Missoni flips back to the previous page of her folio.

A tiny ice blue qakoni teadragon waddles over to the black Philomina disk and flicks her tongue at it.  The teadragon makes a lizardly moue of distaste and backs away.

Opalina quietly says, "I've never even heard of soul magic."

Opalina's cheeks flush with a soft pale rose shade, darkening her freckles even more.

Kialeigh sits down next to a stone fireplace.

Azaton removes a bag of salt-sprinkled popcorn topped with melted butter from in his dark canvas carryall.

Azaton grabs a few white kernels of the popcorn in his paper bag and tosses them one by one into his mouth.

Drakanious says, "Same."

An imposing draugr steps from between towering bookcases, nodding companionably at Opalina before disappearing back into the shadows.

Raelee takes a drink from her caramel tea.

Ermias mouths necromancy in Opalina's direction.

Fleurs tosses a cluster of hemp-tied coffin nails into one of the containers hanging from her leather wand bandolier.

Fleurs closes the various containers on her leather wand bandolier, giving a final pat down to ensure everything is fully closed.

Raelee gives a slight flick of her wrist, and an owl feather quill tipped with a rune-carved gold nib suddenly appears in her hand!

Opalina nods.

Caedenmon says, "Then you have much to gain from this lecture, and I suggest you keep an open mind."

Silverthorne grins.

Raelee nods absently.

Meliyara takes a drink from her hazelnut coffee.

Fleurs nods appreciatively at Ermias.

Faelynth smiles.

Rovvigen softly says, "In the spirit realm mind is always open."

Philomina folds her hands in her lap.

Aetheri grabs a seafoam green glass vial with a metallic azure sheen from a small pocket inside of his elesine shirt.

Missoni leans forward.

Aetheri pours a few drops of perfume from his green glass vial on himself.

The angry howl of a jackal suddenly erupts from near Irval.

Aetheri put a seafoam green glass vial with a metallic azure sheen in his sea thrak hide case.

Caedenmon continues, "Such terms are inherently conventions.  Someone else could say 'soul magic' and mean instead banal holy magic."

A pudgy golden teadragon with iridescent champagne wings on Saleigh's shoulder leaps, clamping onto her earlobe!  With one finger, Saleigh gently detaches her, and she chirps in disappointment, wrapping her pale gold tail about her neck in petulant consolation.

Saleigh nods at Rovvigen.

Drakanious pours himself an octagon-cut glass of smoky scotch.

A white-muzzled grey arctic fox with silver-tufted ears growls at the ice blue qakoni teadragon.

Speaking hushedly to herself, Faiyth says, "Dark magic that."

Caedenmon glances at Faiyth.

Drakanious takes a drink from his smoky scotch.

Meliyara scoffs.

Caedenmon continues, "What I speak of is manipulating the essence of the soul with other essences."

Giedrius nods understandingly at Caedenmon.

Rovvigen softly says, "Interesting concept."

Rovvigen ponders.

A faint white aura flickers around Faiyth.

Faiyth shakes her head.

Caedenmon says, "Not something so mundane as keeping a soul bound to its original entity."

Saleigh raises an eyebrow.

Faelynth nods.

Caedenmon says, "Spiritual magic is rooted in channeling the 'spiritual mana' and spell effects of other sources."

Opalina ponders.

A grizzled giant purple squirrel with onyx black eyes clambers out from Irval's leather longcoat and climbs its way back up to his shoulder, looking quite pleased with itself.

Drakanious takes a drink from his smoky scotch.

Drakanious looks rather relaxed.

Alicea nods slightly.

Caedenmon continues, "When worshippers of a deity cast spells, they are acting as a conduit of that deity."

A pudgy golden teadragon with iridescent champagne wings chirps cheerfully and tries to scale Saleigh's head.  Saleigh gently tilts her head and wiggles her shoulders until the teadragon settles back down with a *harumph* that sounds remarkably pouty.

Saleigh nods.

Drakanious takes a drink from his smoky scotch.

Caedenmon asks, "Are we following along so far?"

Kialeigh's ice blue qakoni teadragon scuttles up her, winding about her neck lovingly before scuttling back to the floor.

In an act of sheer vanity, a small bluebird flies out of Opalina's wig and begins to preen the wig!  After ensuring each platinum-shot blonde hair is in place, the bluebird emits a cheerful sound and retreats back into the wig.

Caedenmon squints.

Alek nods in agreement.

A wayward jade green spark rolls off Irval's shoulder and drifts to the floor.

Silverthorne nods once.

Liras nods slowly.

Speaking to Caedenmon, Raelee says, "Of course."

Callayne nods absently.

Faelynth nods.

Kialeigh nods slowly.

Azaton plucks a single white kernel of the popcorn in his paper bag and tosses it into his mouth.

Phanna nods once.

Ermias shrugs at Caedenmon.

Drakanious sneezes loudly!

Maylan enthusiastically nods her agreement, causing several strands of raven-sheened hair to fall around her face.

Meliyara gives a sidelong glance at Ermias.

Faiyth closes her eyes for a moment.

Ermias coughs.

Missoni adopts an agreeable expression.

Alicea nods in agreement.

Shadowy black tendrils rise from Irval's black elven leathers, writhing at the air.

Giedrius murmurs, "It isn't that difficult."

Caedenmon continues, "And of course, if lesser spirits are called upon, their power is channeled similarly."

Opalina ponders.

The visage of a jackal briefly obscures Irval's face before the illusion shatters into motes of foxfire green light.

Caedenmon says, "To speak of 'soul magic' is instead to imply channeling toward the soul and manipulating its essence immediately."

Witfog just arrived.

Perched upon Saleigh's shoulder, a pudgy golden teadragon with iridescent champagne wings whips her pale gold tail back and forth, thumping Saleigh's shoulder happily.

Speaking to Caedenmon, Fleurs says, "Listening intently."

Wisps of pale viridian light begin to swirl around Phanna's hand as she prepares a spell...

Phanna gestures.

Witfog sits down.

Silverthorne's coffin nails vanishes into the depths of his felted wool cloak.

The balsawood idol pinned to Faiyth's chest starts to twitch with a phantom heartbeat for several seconds before falling silent.

Witfog put a cluster of hemp-tied coffin nails in his black burial shroud.

A pudgy golden teadragon with iridescent champagne wings chirps cheerfully and tries to scale Saleigh's head.  Saleigh gently tilts her head and wiggles her shoulders until the teadragon settles back down with a *harumph* that sounds remarkably pouty.

The arctic blue diamond on Kialeigh's forehead dims, then suddenly brightens in a luminous plume of tiny silver and icy blue sparks that radiate out from her eyes in a feather-like pattern.

Perched upon Saleigh's shoulder, a pudgy golden teadragon with iridescent champagne wings whips her pale gold tail back and forth, thumping Saleigh's shoulder happily.

Caedenmon darkly continues, "This is a comparatively unnatural act of magic.  It is an act of violation."

Trilling with curiosity, a minuscule glacial blue qakoni teadragon with membranous moonlight silver wings dashes up to a nut-eyed twisted witchwood mandrake sprouting ruffled ebon taerethils.  The pair tilt their heads back and forth at one another, then the mandrake pats the teadragon on her head and toddles away.

Saleigh nods at Caedenmon.

Saleigh says, "It surely is."

Faiyth adopts an agreeable expression.

Rovvigen whispers something to Saleigh.

Lissaya shifts her weight.

Saleigh nods at Rovvigen.

Aetheri mumbles something about texts and references.

Faelynth gazes in wonder at her surroundings.

Caedenmon says, "It is a form of sorcery, more specifically necromancy, and still more specifically 'soulcrafting'."

Raelee slowly echoes, "... unnatural..."

The faint sound of a tiny silver cat's bell tied to a red ribbon jingling touts the arrival of Yakushi, trotting into the room.

Giedrius says, "Well..."

Drakanious grins.

A rotting zombie puppy with a fleshless skeletal frame lurches into the room unsteadily and falls in a heap on the floor, joints creaking.  As she gets up and shakes herself, bits of flesh and brittle dingy brown fur go flying in all directions.

Philomina cocks her head.

Missoni ponders.

Faelynth grins.

Yakushi bobs the cigar in between his lips up and down, causing the smoke rising from the tip to dance.

The celestial blue corona surrounding Erienne's seed amulet rotates around in a circle.

Azaton plucks a single white kernel of the popcorn in his paper bag and tosses it into his mouth.

Drakanious put a cluster of hemp-tied coffin nails in his dragon-clasped greatcloak.

Speaking to himself, Giedrius murmurs, "That's debatable."

Meliyara looks thoughtfully at Giedrius.

The angry growl of a bear suddenly erupts from near Opalina.

Phanna folds her hands in her lap.

Lissaya surreptitiously glances at Giedrius.

Lissaya nods in agreement.

The grey arctic fox lets out a single, small bark as he looks to Kialeigh eagerly.

Caedenmon says, "We speak of violation in specific terms in respects to this lecture.  Not in the way your leaders form laws around their own shortcomings."

Faelynth put a cluster of hemp-tied coffin nails in her black leather backpack.

Witfog cackles!

Rovvigen's sentient potato hums an adventurous tune!

Rovvigen smiles at Witfog.

Caedenmon says, "I say this is an act of violation, because it is a true hybrid magical action, which is inherently violent to the essences."

Liras chuckles.

Something moves inside Yakushi's big sack.

Drakanious whistles tunelessly to himself.

Missoni glances appraisingly at Caedenmon.

Intense heat rises from Faiyth's pewter suede bodysuit.

Saleigh says, "No but in manipulating ones soul.."

Perched upon Saleigh's shoulder, a pudgy golden teadragon with iridescent champagne wings whips her pale gold tail back and forth, thumping Saleigh's shoulder happily.

Leaning back, Yakushi squints his eyes against the curtain of smoke the cigar is forming around him.

The visage of a raven briefly obscures Witfog's face before the illusion shatters into motes of iolite-hued light.

Caedenmon can offer Saleigh only a blank expression.

Caedenmon smirks.

A pudgy golden teadragon with iridescent champagne wings on Saleigh's shoulder leaps, clamping onto her earlobe!  With one finger, Saleigh gently detaches her, and she chirps in disappointment, wrapping her pale gold tail about her neck in petulant consolation.

Saleigh says, "Hmm as a cleric, this fascinates and horrifies me."

Missoni wrinkles her nose.

Caedenmon continues, "There is a collision between kinds of mana, which is highly liable to corrupt the soul."

Opalina bites her lip.

With a tiny hiss, a pudgy golden teadragon with iridescent champagne wings scrabbles back and forth along Saleigh's shoulder excitedly, her dark eyes glittering.

Meliyara casually glances at Saleigh.

Azaton plucks a single white kernel of the popcorn in his paper bag and tosses it into his mouth.

The mirror images surrounding Yakushi undulate and grow stronger.

Yakushi renews his songs.

Drakanious traces a rune of stygian energy in the air while murmuring a quiet phrase.

Drakanious gestures.

A faint rippling distortion passes across Drakanious's body, momentarily casting it into semi-transparency.

Saleigh winks at Meliyara.

Philomina fidgets, glancing at Saleigh.

Caedenmon continues, "Forcing such energies together is chaotic and prone to backlash."

Witfog applauds with enthusiasm, seemingly oblivious to his surroundings.

Caedenmon says, "Souls are thus subject to becoming cursed and unholy."

Fleurs shudders.

Faelynth ponders.

Saleigh says, "Oh dear Oleani."

Something moves inside Yakushi's big sack.

Caedenmon asks, "Why work magic through such a medium?"

Faiyth rolls her eyes.

Caedenmon says, "Most magic is mediated through a 'confound' which significantly augments the power of the magical effect."

Leaning back, Yakushi squints his eyes against the curtain of smoke the cigar is forming around him.

Raelee nods faintly at Phanna.

A corona of silvery white light surrounds a golvern and villswood totem dangling a soft grey penguin feather suspended from Opalina's neck before fading away.

Wiggling a bit, Saleigh's golden teadragon settles herself on her shoulder, her pale gold tail swishing back and forth along her neck.

Caedenmon continues, "These confounds are particular to the kinds of effect sought by the wielder."

The visage of a pony briefly obscures Faiyth's face before the illusion shatters into motes of misty green light.

The grey arctic fox paces uneasily in a circle around the zombie puppy.

Caedenmon says, "In the same way that one can manipulate elemental mana to create fire, or otherwise."

A small emerald green spider on Nisugi crawls over to his face.

With a tiny hiss, a pudgy golden teadragon with iridescent champagne wings scrabbles back and forth along Saleigh's shoulder excitedly, her dark eyes glittering.

Drakanious closes his eyes in concentration for a moment.

Meliyara smirks as a haughty expression flits across her face.

Something moves inside Yakushi's big sack.

A yellow-eyed silvery lor mandrake sprouting black calla lilies toddles over to a sinuous glaes soul golem, tilting her bulbous head to the side as she observes the golem's mannerisms.  She attempts to mimic the golem, causing it to cant its head to the side.

Speaking quietly to herself, Maylan says, "I like fire."

Raelee surreptitiously glances at Maylan.

Philomina agrees with Maylan.

Caedenmon says, "We often find that confound are self-imposed limitations of a spell caster."

Drakanious nods at Maylan.

Missoni bites her lip.

A sinuous glaes soul golem glances at a minuscule glacial blue qakoni teadragon with membranous moonlight silver wings as she attempts to steathily skulk around it.

Caedenmon says, "Once again, morality getting in the way of progress."

Caedenmon shakes his head.

Curls of cigar smoke linger about Yakushi in a sweet Gold Leaf tobacco smoke, whiskey-soaked peaches, wolfbane, and osmanthus over a base of wormwood and teak scented haze.

A liquid susurrus emanates from Yipsy's manticore hide satchel.

Canting his head to the side, the fox glances to the left and stares intently for several moments.  With a clicking noise, he looks up to Kialeigh expectantly.

Faiyth shakes her head, clucking her tongue.

Raelee nods understandingly at Caedenmon.

Phanna looks thoughtfully at Caedenmon.

Caedenmon says, "Trade-offs in flexibility for increased power, are also known to be factors in this confounds."

Witfog nods at Caedenmon.

Rovvigen softly says, "There are always moral dilemmas."

Ermias violently slaps his own face.

Rovvigen sighs.

Ermias coughs.

Meliyara glances skeptically at Rovvigen.

Speaking to Rovvigen, Witfog says, "Morality smorality."

Caedenmon glances at Ermias.

Missoni looks at Ermias with concern.

Phanna surreptitiously glances at Ermias.

Something moves inside Yakushi's big sack.

Faiyth glances at Witfog.

With a quizzical chirp, Kialeigh's ice blue qakoni teadragon gazes up at her, begging for something.  Not getting what she wants, the teadragon huffs with reptilian drama, flipping her moonlight silver tail dismissively and stalking away from Kialeigh.

Witfog shrugs indifferently.

The air about Kialeigh stops shimmering.

A series of arctic blue lines suddenly appears on Kialeigh's face, quickly racing towards the center of her forehead before detaching and dissipating in the air.

Kialeigh takes a deep breath, blinking a couple of times before resuming a calm expression.

Kialeigh becomes solid again.

The deep blue glow leaves Kialeigh.

Kialeigh seems to lose some dexterity.

Kialeigh returns to normal color.

Kialeigh seems a bit less imposing.

The glowing specks of energy surrounding Kialeigh suddenly shoot off in all directions, then quickly fade away.

The brilliant luminescence fades from around Kialeigh.

The bright luminescence fades from around Kialeigh.

The silvery luminescence fades from around Kialeigh.

The light blue glow leaves Kialeigh.

The misty halo fades from Kialeigh.

Kialeigh becomes unbalanced for a second, then recovers.

Kialeigh appears to lose some internal strength.

Kialeigh's cheeks flush with a soft shade of apricot.

Giedrius nods in agreement at Raelee.

Startled by a noise, a small bluebird sticks its head out of Opalina's wig and squawks angrily at something unseen.  Satisfied with its rant, the bluebird emits one final avian barb and ducks back into the wig.

A draft of wind swirls the cigar smoke around Yakushi.

Twisting and turning to catch a glimpse of everything nearby, the mandrake's head bobbles about in a comic fashion.

The balsawood idol pinned to Witfog's chest starts to twitch with a phantom heartbeat for several seconds before falling silent.

Opalina glances to her left.

Caedenmon says, "Regarding these trade-offs.  With the elementalists this is through attunement to the elemental planes.  Favoring one over another.  With spiritualists it is a bond to a deity or other, localized sources of spiritual power."

The suede fetish dangling from Irval's wrist starts to twitch with a phantom heartbeat and sways back and forth like a pendulum before falling back into silence.

Caedenmon says, "Sorcery is a destructive arcane magic which instead treats its target as the mediating substance."

Caedenmon says, "And so it is that when we do 'soul magic', we are acting directly upon the soul."

Rovvigen ponders.

A pudgy golden teadragon with iridescent champagne wings on Saleigh's shoulder leaps, clamping onto her earlobe!  With one finger, Saleigh gently detaches her, and she chirps in disappointment, wrapping her pale gold tail about her neck in petulant consolation.

Visible heat wavers from Faiyth's pewter suede bodysuit.

Irval leans back, trying to ignore the shuffling of a grizzled giant purple squirrel with onyx black eyes as it creeps from one of his shoulders to the other, whacking him a few times in the chin with its flat furry tail.

With a tiny hiss, a pudgy golden teadragon with iridescent champagne wings scrabbles back and forth along Saleigh's shoulder excitedly, her dark eyes glittering.

Fleurs's sentient potato hums an adventurous tune!

Lissaya gazes with interest at Caedenmon.

Saleigh asks, "And what are the results? a mutated hybrid?"

The silvery lilac corona surrounding Kialeigh's sweet star gum pod rotates around in a circle.

Something moves inside Yakushi's big sack.

Saleigh says, "Or a more evolved soul."

Speaking to Saleigh, Giedrius whispers aloud, "I am sure he will take questions at the end."

Caedenmon says, "This is most often the work of undeath.  With the most archetypal example of this practice being liches, as read about in historical texts."

Saleigh nods.

Wiggling a bit, Saleigh's golden teadragon settles herself on her shoulder, her pale gold tail swishing back and forth along her neck.

Leaning back, Yakushi squints his eyes against the curtain of smoke the cigar is forming around him.

The abyssal onyx on Meliyara's forehead dims drastically as a cloud of darkness roils deep within the gem.  After a moment, it fades, returning to its normal state.

Faelynth looks lost in thought.

Missoni nods slightly.

The white diamond on Erienne's forehead flickers, as if a tiny white flame has appeared inside.  Without so much as a breath of smoke, it is extinguished.

The cracked seed pod hanging from Irval's neck glows green.

Faiyth bites her lip.

Caedenmon darkly says, "There is a thin line between life and death."

Wiggling a bit, Saleigh's golden teadragon settles herself on her shoulder, her pale gold tail swishing back and forth along her neck.

The balsawood idol pinned to Faiyth's chest starts to twitch with a phantom heartbeat for several seconds before falling silent.

With a tiny hiss, a pudgy golden teadragon with iridescent champagne wings scrabbles back and forth along Saleigh's shoulder excitedly, her dark eyes glittering.

The visage of a bear briefly obscures Opalina's face before the illusion shatters into motes of silvery white light.

Rovvigen softly says, "Ahh the grey area."

Caedenmon darkly says, "Necromancers refer to this line as the animus.  It is what binds the soul of the living to their body."

Rovvigen smiles.

Witfog ponders.

Caedenmon darkly says, "When the body is dying the animus is gradually decaying, and the soul drifts from the body, which is unable to attain consciousness without the soul."

Phanna nods slightly.

Giedrius murmurs, "The tether."

Faelynth nods.

Caedenmon nods once.

Missoni adopts an agreeable expression.

Opalina leans forward.

A pudgy golden teadragon with iridescent champagne wings chirps cheerfully and tries to scale Saleigh's head.  Saleigh gently tilts her head and wiggles her shoulders until the teadragon settles back down with a *harumph* that sounds remarkably pouty.

Caedenmon darkly says, "The soul for its part begins to lose its memory and sense of identity.  It approaches the condition of oblivion.  Higher consciousness fails."

Irval's shadow is distorted for a moment.

Curls of cigar smoke linger about Yakushi in a sweet Gold Leaf tobacco smoke, whiskey-soaked peaches, wolfbane, and osmanthus over a base of wormwood and teak scented haze.

Awkwardly flapping his oversized feet, a nut-eyed twisted witchwood mandrake sprouting ruffled ebon taerethils ambles about in a comical display before making his way to Lissaya's side.

Fleurs furrows her brow.

Azaton plucks a single white kernel of the popcorn in his paper bag and tosses it into his mouth.

The silver flying squirrel sidles closer to Azaton, eyeing him with the expectant look of a creature accustomed to handouts.

Caedenmon darkly continues, "Spiritualists can temporarily or permanently restore the animus.  But they cannot replace it when it has been broken."

Something moves inside Yakushi's big sack.

Her hand lowered, Faelynth gives Witfog a subtle wave.

Meliyara gazes with interest at Caedenmon.

Caedenmon darkly says, "Necromancers rip out the animus for power, or cause some forms of undeath by corrupting it."

The grey arctic fox hops up and down playfully at the zombie puppy, a small yap escaping his snout.

A small bluebird quickly takes flight from Opalina's wig, flying about the immediate area.  After a short trip, the bluebird swoops safely back into the comfort of Opalina's platinum-shot blonde hair.

A pudgy golden teadragon with iridescent champagne wings on Saleigh's shoulder leaps, clamping onto her earlobe!  With one finger, Saleigh gently detaches her, and she chirps in disappointment, wrapping her pale gold tail about her neck in petulant consolation.

Witfog smiles at Faelynth.

Caedenmon darkly says, "Those who seek eternal existence through undeath are truly after the retention of their mind and identity.  Whatever they must suffer with for a physical form."

Caedenmon darkly says, "This is not so easily achieved.  With even the powerful undead there is a warping of personality, a descent into monomania and limited self-awareness."

You sense Aiza /SPYing in on Saleigh, who is in your room.

Faiyth slowly empties her lungs.

Caedenmon darkly says, "The reason for this is the essential unity of body and soul."

Irval's sentient potato boasts, "My dad slayed a rime-kissed fog beetle once!

Caedenmon darkly says, "As well as the corruption or tainting of the soul."

Raelee looks thoughtfully at Caedenmon.

The balsawood idol pinned to Witfog's chest starts to twitch with a phantom heartbeat for several seconds before falling silent.

Rovvigen nods at Caedenmon.

Rovvigen ponders.

Caedenmon darkly asks, "Whence did liches originate?"

With a quizzical chirp, Kialeigh's ice blue qakoni teadragon gazes up at her, begging for something.  Not getting what she wants, the teadragon huffs with reptilian drama, flipping her moonlight silver tail dismissively and stalking away from Kialeigh.

Meliyara absently chews on her lip, appearing to ponder possibilities and potential nuances.

Thin threads of smoke trail from the smoldering end of Yakushi's cigar.

The very powerful look leaves Missoni.

The white light leaves Missoni.

The dull golden nimbus fades from around Missoni.

The misty halo fades from Missoni.

Deep blue motes swirl away from Missoni and fade.

The deep blue glow leaves Missoni.

Missoni becomes unbalanced for a second, then recovers.

Missoni appears to lose some internal strength.

The powerful look leaves Missoni.

The air calms down around Missoni.

The light blue glow leaves Missoni.

Caedenmon darkly says, "I have little patience for those who say Despana made the first undead by reading a book someone else wrote on how to make the undead."

A corona of foxfire green light surrounds a supple suede fetish beaded with chips of bone dangling from Irval's wrist before fading away.

The grey arctic fox pads around the zombie puppy in a slow circle, his tail low to the ground.

Meliyara smirks as a haughty expression flits across her face.

A pudgy golden teadragon with iridescent champagne wings on Saleigh's shoulder leaps, clamping onto her earlobe!  With one finger, Saleigh gently detaches her, and she chirps in disappointment, wrapping her pale gold tail about her neck in petulant consolation.

Something moves inside Yakushi's big sack.

Missoni nods slightly.

Caedenmon darkly says, "The undead have existed in this world, and other worlds, since at least the time of the Ur-Daemon."

Faelynth nods.

Riend nods faintly.

Caedenmon darkly says, "Their dark power tainted and twisted the lands, and demons are prolific sources of undeath."

With a waddling stride, a yellow-eyed silvery lor mandrake sprouting black calla lilies approaches a sinuous glaes soul golem, reaching her root-like appendages out in a semblance of a greeting.  The golem gazes back at the mandrake in confusion before the little plant attempts an overexaggerated wink.

Caedenmon darkly says, "Luukos obviously was working with undeath since time immemorial."

Opalina mutters interesting.

Faiyth nods.

Giedrius glances between a sinuous glaes soul golem and a nut-eyed twisted witchwood mandrake sprouting ruffled ebon taerethils.

The angry growl of a bear suddenly erupts from near Opalina.

Caedenmon darkly says, "But we can still speak intelligibly on this question."

At the edge of your hearing, you hear a deep voice whisper from nearby, "I had full control of my kitchen, which means the tragedy was my fault."

Irval's coffin nails vanishes into the depths of his leather longcoat.

Irval's copper hotel key vanishes into the depths of his leather longcoat.

A waterfall of misty green light briefly cascades from a smooth balsawood idol shaped like a bat-winged pegasus with a flame-haloed ebony dragon lily ensnared within its mane pinned to Faiyth's chest.

Phanna gazes with interest at Caedenmon.

A pudgy golden teadragon with iridescent champagne wings snuggles up against Saleigh, emitting contented, lizardly purrs as she snuggles against her neck.

Intense heat rises from Faiyth's pewter suede bodysuit.

A thin stream of blue-grey smoke streams from the cigar in Yakushi's mouth, drifting upward in a loose coil.

Caedenmon darkly says, "And as Dunholme may point out later, some of the most ancient burial rituals are mummies found in the southern wastelands.  Their organs having been separated by priests into canopic jars."

A pudgy golden teadragon with iridescent champagne wings chirps cheerfully and tries to scale Saleigh's head.  Saleigh gently tilts her head and wiggles her shoulders until the teadragon settles back down with a *harumph* that sounds remarkably pouty.

Something moves inside Yakushi's big sack.

In an act of sheer vanity, a small bluebird flies out of Opalina's wig and begins to preen the wig!  After ensuring each platinum-shot blonde hair is in place, the bluebird emits a cheerful sound and retreats back into the wig.

Missoni glances at Ermias.

Faiyth glances at a shadowy nook.

Ermias nods graciously.

Meliyara glances between Caedenmon and Ermias.

Caedenmon darkly says, "But the soul would sometimes become stuck, cursed to these jars, and so the 'destroyed' undead mummy would eventually reconstitute itself."

A white-muzzled grey arctic fox with silver-tufted ears sits down and takes a moment to lick his paws.

Yipsy mutters mummies.

Phanna looks thoughtfully at Caedenmon.

Ermias softly says, "We call that an "occupational hazard"."

Wiggling a bit, Saleigh's golden teadragon settles herself on her shoulder, her pale gold tail swishing back and forth along her neck.

Caedenmon darkly says, "This was a precursor to the phylacteries of liches.  The soul is stored in a jar that allows the lich to reform itself."

Giedrius glances at Ermias.

Giedrius appears to be trying hard not to grin.

Alicea shudders.

Faelynth ponders.

A corona of foxfire green light surrounds a supple suede fetish beaded with chips of bone dangling from Irval's wrist before fading away.

The blush morganite on Saleigh's forehead dims drastically as a cloud of darkness roils deep within the gem.  After a moment, it fades, returning to its normal state.

Caedenmon darkly says, "Beyond this point, the phylactery is a confound.  It is the medium by which the lich augments its power."

Philomina blinks at Ermias.

Arabesques of viridian twine deep within the heart of Irval's faceted emerald blazestar.

Caedenmon darkly says, "This is violence and punishment to the soul.  But the soul is cursed to its vessel."

Fleurs rubs her chin thoughtfully.

Suddenly, a tiny ice blue qakoni teadragon's silvery lilac eyes grow wide, and she flicks her tongue curiously at a rotting zombie puppy with a fleshless skeletal frame.

Caedenmon darkly says, "Destroying the phylactery is necessary to destroy the lich."

A draft of wind swirls the cigar smoke around Yakushi.

Fleurs nods in agreement.

Drakanious tries to puff his pipe with little success.

A pudgy golden teadragon with iridescent champagne wings snuggles up against Saleigh, emitting contented, lizardly purrs as she snuggles against her neck.

Caedenmon darkly says, "Now, as we say there is a thin line between life and death, there is a spectrum from 'living' to 'not living' to 'unliving'."

The mirror images surrounding Yakushi undulate and grow stronger.

Yakushi renews his songs.

A low thrum and grind of gears emanates from Nisugi's leather herb kit.

Caedenmon darkly says, "When we have an animated construct, it may be powered by arcane energies, obeying an enchantment alone."

Caedenmon indicates a sinuous glaes soul golem as a possible option.

Opalina bites her lip.

Lissaya shifts her eyes to a sinuous glaes soul golem.

A silver-suffused radiant arctic blue diamond cut into a sharply pointed snowflake, which is set against Kialeigh's forehead, glitters brightly for a few moments.

Philomina waves to the golem.

Caedenmon darkly says, "Essentially an animate that has been bound up with charge and sent off on its own."

Ermias glances at a sinuous glaes soul golem.

The semitransparent image of a lavender pearlescent wyvern-scaled pony with enormous bat-like wings flickers into life before trotting away in a burst of misty green motes.

Suddenly, a tiny ice blue qakoni teadragon's silvery lilac eyes grow wide, and she flicks her tongue curiously at a rotting zombie puppy with a fleshless skeletal frame.

Something moves inside Yakushi's big sack.

Caedenmon darkly says, "A well-crafted enchantment can last for centuries."

The grey arctic fox paws at the zombie puppy curiously.

Caedenmon darkly says, "The constructs of the old Ta'Faendryl have continued onward for twenty thousand years."

Maylan blinks.

A waterfall of iolite-hued light briefly cascades from a smooth balsawood idol fringed with several raven feathers pinned to Witfog's chest.

Eerie shadows dance around Irval, seeping into his black elven leathers.

Moving his burly handmade cigar from one side of his mouth to the other, Yakushi leaves a wavy line of sweet Gold Leaf tobacco smoke, whiskey-soaked peaches, wolfbane, and osmanthus over a base of wormwood and teak scented smoke in the air.

Caedenmon darkly says, "That being said, constructs may also be enchanted with temporarily captured spirits, however long such an enchantment lasts."

Drakanious takes a drink from his smoky scotch.

Drakanious looks rather relaxed.

Drakanious takes a drink from his smoky scotch.

Drakanious looks rather relaxed.

Missoni surreptitiously glances at a sinuous glaes soul golem.

Caedenmon darkly says, "These are more intelligent with potentially a greater degree of sentience.  There are also undead constructs."

A pudgy golden teadragon with iridescent champagne wings chirps cheerfully and tries to scale Saleigh's head.  Saleigh gently tilts her head and wiggles her shoulders until the teadragon settles back down with a *harumph* that sounds remarkably pouty.

The tingling sensation and sense of security leaves Missoni.

Missoni glances around, looking a bit less confident.

The brilliant luminescence fades from around Missoni.

The bright luminescence fades from around Missoni.

The silvery luminescence fades from around Missoni.

Yakushi turns an ear to the side, listening intently to the surroundings.

Phanna gazes with interest at a sinuous glaes soul golem.

Something moves inside Yakushi's big sack.

Caedenmon darkly asks, "If we take these rudimentary concepts and apply them to more recent standards, what of a clockwork construct that makes use of soul magic?"

A small silvery lilac will-o'-wisp rowdily peeks out from inside Kialeigh's sweet star gum pod.

Caedenmon darkly says, "Consider the possibility of storing souls in a device, and draining the soul of its power for magical effects."

Caedenmon steeples his fingers slowly as a smirk plays across his lips.  His eyes narrow into mere slits as he glances around.

Erienne's seed amulet flickers various shades of blue.

Sweet Gold Leaf tobacco smoke, whiskey-soaked peaches, wolfbane, and osmanthus over a base of wormwood and teak smoke curls up from Yakushi's cigar.

Caedenmon darkly says, "The soul would become corrupted, fragment, eventually become cursed."

Drakanious grins.

The grey arctic fox hops up and down playfully at the zombie puppy, a small yap escaping his snout.

Callayne ponders.

Opalina shivers.

Faiyth frowns at Caedenmon.

Nosing about inside Irval's collar, the giant purple squirrel eventually sits up with a dried-up dropping clutched in its jaws.  Letting the discovery fall to the ground, the giant purple squirrel chitters at Irval, obviously annoyed at his lack of hygiene.

A small green will-o'-wisp flits out from inside Irval's cracked seed pod, hovering around his empty right hand and retreats back inside the pod.

Caedenmon darkly says, "But if one were to discard the souls when needed, and replace them, this would not be a matter of undeath or lichdom."

Meliyara gazes with interest at Caedenmon.

Charging forward, the mandrake opens his mouth in a silent scream and throws his arms in the air as he rushes at Lissaya.

Caedenmon darkly says, "The goal would then be for the sorcerer to make use of this soul magic without corrupting himself."

A pudgy golden teadragon with iridescent champagne wings snuggles up against Saleigh, emitting contented, lizardly purrs as she snuggles against her neck.

Caedenmon darkly says, "Barring some channel by which the power of the soul could simply exit, the necromancer would surely do more ultimate harm to himself than improvement."

Drakanious ponders.

Something moves inside Yakushi's big sack.

Missoni leans forward and rests her chin in her hand, a thoughtful expression on her face.

Caedenmon darkly says, "But then, one might instead use the soul to power an intermediary device, and try to make use of that power through indirection."

Visible heat wavers from Faiyth's pewter suede bodysuit.

Giedrius nods.

Caedenmon darkly says, "Much as one may cast a spell imbedded in a wand, when one is not attuned to cast the same spell oneself."

A shower of dancing white and silver sparks flare up from Erienne's white diamond.

Caedenmon darkly says, "This kind of work is exceedingly dangerous and invites violence from the ignorant masses."

Caedenmon smirks.

Caedenmon darkly says, "I suggest you leave it to those of us who are expert in it."

Faiyth scoffs.

Curls of cigar smoke linger about Yakushi in a sweet Gold Leaf tobacco smoke, whiskey-soaked peaches, wolfbane, and osmanthus over a base of wormwood and teak scented haze.

Ermias snorts derisively at Caedenmon!

A small emerald green spider on Nisugi crawls over to his forehead.

A pudgy golden teadragon with iridescent champagne wings snuggles up against Saleigh, emitting contented, lizardly purrs as she snuggles against her neck.

Caedenmon darkly asks, "Was there anything about this that you did not understand more than I would have expected?"

Faelynth grins.

Caedenmon leans back.

Caedenmon squints.

Ermias draws his hands together in a slow, deliberate clap.

Chittering excitedly, a minuscule glacial blue qakoni teadragon with membranous moonlight silver wings runs over to Witfog, flapping her moonlight silver wings ineffectively but exuberantly.

A small bluebird quickly takes flight from Opalina's wig, flying about the immediate area.  After a short trip, the bluebird swoops safely back into the comfort of Opalina's platinum-shot blonde hair.

Maylan looks thoughtfully at a sinuous glaes soul golem.

Caedenmon strikes the tip of his silvery lor staff expectantly against the floor and the air around him swirls lazily.  A rippling wraithlike whirlwind suddenly forms near Caedenmon's feet, but quickly dissipates.

Faiyth shakes her head, totally at a loss.

Maylan asks, "That thing has a soul?"

Maylan points at a sinuous glaes soul golem.

A white-muzzled grey arctic fox with silver-tufted ears lifts up his hind leg high enough to scratch at his underside.

Aetheri glances at a sinuous glaes soul golem.

Meliyara glances appraisingly at Caedenmon.

Missoni nods appreciatively at Caedenmon.

Caedenmon darkly says, "It uses a soul.  It does not 'have' one."

Raelee looks thoughtfully at Caedenmon.

Maylan asks, "Whose soul does it use?"

Faelynth nods.

Caedenmon shrugs at Maylan.

A nut-eyed twisted witchwood mandrake sprouting ruffled ebon taerethils plops himself upon the floor, catching a sinuous glaes soul golem's attention as he begins to attend to his gangly limbs.  Inch by inch, the golem approaches the unsuspecting witchwood mandrake before grabbing a root-like leg and attempting to drag him off!  With a shriek of protest, the mandrake flails, loosening himself from the golem's grip and crawling back to his original spot.

Saleigh says, "Was the soul willing or unwilling."

Maylan blinks at a sinuous glaes soul golem.

Caedenmon darkly asks, "Why give it a name?"

Silverthorne says, "I feel as a whole it touches on the core of it, Curious of the fact of what would happen when using soul magic on a being without a soul."

Faiyth says, "Does it matter? it's not anything more than fuel now."

Manager Blodeuyn just loped in.

Faiyth clasps her hand over her mouth.

Ermias softly says, "Fair question."

Ermias glances at Caedenmon.

The angry growl of a bear suddenly erupts from near Opalina.

The visage of a pony briefly obscures Faiyth's face before the illusion shatters into motes of misty green light.

Phanna asks, "I noticed that some of your language was a bit biased in its presentation.  When you say corrupting a soul, what precisely are you referring to?"

Something moves inside Yakushi's big sack.

Perched upon Saleigh's shoulder, a pudgy golden teadragon with iridescent champagne wings whips her pale gold tail back and forth, thumping Saleigh's shoulder happily.

A flurry of motion and scales flies across Kialeigh's ankles as her teadragon pounces atop her foot.  She sits perched upon her makeshift throne, trilling in delight.

Maylan blinks at Rovvigen.

Phanna asks, "Is that the unravelling of the different spheres of mana?"

Caedenmon nods at Phanna.

Curls of cigar smoke linger about Yakushi in a sweet Gold Leaf tobacco smoke, whiskey-soaked peaches, wolfbane, and osmanthus over a base of wormwood and teak scented haze.

Yakushi's dragon tattoo glances around in ennui as it shuffles around in place.

Blodeuyn fidgets.

Blodeuyn folds her hands.

Alek raspily asks, "So, can this be used with objects that aren't inanimate? Like living creatures?"

Faiyth glances at Blodeuyn.

Perched upon Saleigh's shoulder, a pudgy golden teadragon with iridescent champagne wings whips her pale gold tail back and forth, thumping Saleigh's shoulder happily.

Caedenmon darkly says, "Corruption of the soul, or degredation of the consciousness it contains."

Alicea glances at Blodeuyn.

High Lord Drakanious just went out.

Missoni looks thoughtfully at Caedenmon.

Murmuring into the air, Philomina prepares a spell, causing tiny pinpoints of silver-hazed light to dance along her form.  As she gestures, the starbursts link together, forming ethereal constellations that fade into the air...

Philomina gestures.

Phanna says, "Degredation of the consciousness, I see."

Aetheri stands up.

High Lord Aetheri just went out.

Phanna says, "Much like acid corrodes."

A pudgy golden teadragon with iridescent champagne wings on Saleigh's shoulder leaps, clamping onto her earlobe!  With one finger, Saleigh gently detaches her, and she chirps in disappointment, wrapping her pale gold tail about her neck in petulant consolation.

Phanna nods once.

Caedenmon darkly says, "Ultimately rendering it nothing more than a source of mana, for the plucking."

Caedenmon grins wickedly.

Opalina quietly says, "That's horrible."

Saleigh says, "I see."

Phanna nods at Caedenmon.

Lissaya nods slowly.

Phanna says, "Thank you for clarifying."

Ermias sighs loud.

Speaking to Caedenmon, Raelee asks, "To continue the point on language... from your perspective, what distinguishes 'natural' and 'unnatural' magic?"

Something moves inside Yakushi's big sack.

Shadowy black tendrils dance across the surface of Irval's black elven leathers.

Awkwardly flapping her oversized feet, a yellow-eyed silvery lor mandrake sprouting black calla lilies ambles about in a comical display before making her way to Missoni's side.

Hazy curls of smoke escape the tip of the cigar, forming a transparent curtain around Yakushi.

Giedrius raises an eyebrow in Caedenmon's direction.

Giedrius says, "Yes, do answer that."

Maylan glances between Caedenmon and Raelee.

Maylan wiggles her eyebrows.

Wiggling a bit, Saleigh's golden teadragon settles herself on her shoulder, her pale gold tail swishing back and forth along her neck.

Ermias raises an eyebrow in Caedenmon's direction.

Caedenmon darkly says, "These are terms I use for the uneducated, as a reference to their socially constructed ways of thinking.  They are not entirely my own thoughts."

Rovvigen's sentient potato hums an epic melody, filled with complexities!

Giedrius squints.

The grey arctic fox pads around the zombie puppy in a slow circle, his tail low to the ground.

Ermias shrugs at Giedrius.

Faiyth frowns.

The balsawood idol pinned to Witfog's chest starts to twitch with a phantom heartbeat for several seconds before falling silent.

Speaking to Caedenmon, Raelee asks, "... but given that they are based upon social perspective, can they not deliver entirely different meaning depending upon your audience?"

Speaking to Ermias, Giedrius whispers aloud, "We are apparently uneducated?"

Opalina just rubbed her eonake wedding band.

Seemingly bored, a small bluebird hops out of Opalina's wig and perches atop her platinum-shot blonde hair for a while.  After taking in enough of the sights, the bluebird flies back into the wig.

Caedenmon darkly says, "Vast amounts of research has been done over several lifetimes to know what I've read and studied."

Lissaya gazes in amusement at Giedrius.

Faelynth giggles.

Ermias nods at Giedrius.

Ermias shrugs.

Speaking politely to Caedenmon, Alicea asks, "-inquire where did you learn all this fascinating information? Did you get it formally somewhere or more from experience?"

Wiggling a bit, Saleigh's golden teadragon settles herself on her shoulder, her pale gold tail swishing back and forth along her neck.

Curls of cigar smoke linger about Yakushi in a sweet Gold Leaf tobacco smoke, whiskey-soaked peaches, wolfbane, and osmanthus over a base of wormwood and teak scented haze.

A droplet of abyssal onyx entangled in rivulets of copper on Meliyara's forehead glimmers in the ambient light, swirling with liquid flecks of silver, gold, and stormy silver.

Fleurs chuckles.

Riend looks thoughtfully at Caedenmon.

Something moves inside Yakushi's big sack.

Caedenmon darkly says, "My personal affairs are not a matter of concern for the purposes of this lecture."

A faint white aura flickers around Faiyth.

Caedenmon squints.

Speaking to Raelee, Silverthorne says, "Its the way they might insight a Witch Hunt."

Speaking to Alicea, Faiyth says, "That answers that."

Missoni furrows her brow.

A pudgy golden teadragon with iridescent champagne wings chirps cheerfully and tries to scale Saleigh's head.  Saleigh gently tilts her head and wiggles her shoulders until the teadragon settles back down with a *harumph* that sounds remarkably pouty.

Giedrius glances at Caedenmon.

Speaking in Dhe'narsi, Meliyara notes, "At least some of us here have the time to conduct such research. Surely you can provide some guidance to those who are interested in these pursuits."

Speaking to Caedenmon, Missoni muses, "Surely there is a certain amount of entropy that occurs in nature, though, that is the crux of the reaction between different spheres of mana? It is not entirely unnatural."

Silverthorne grins at Raelee.

Speaking to Caedenmon, Giedrius asks, "Just for you and Thalita, then?"

Caedenmon glances at Giedrius.

Saleigh put a cluster of hemp-tied coffin nails in her gold case.

Riend whispers something to Raelee.

With a tiny hiss, a pudgy golden teadragon with iridescent champagne wings scrabbles back and forth along Saleigh's shoulder excitedly, her dark eyes glittering.

Missoni adds, "It can be quite beautiful, Ithink."

Alicea whispers aloud, "It does. Interesting non answer for sure."

Speaking softly to Caedenmon, Ermias says, "No?  It seems your personal affairs were your lecture."

Speaking curiously to Caedenmon, Opalina asks, "I've heard it was possible of splitting a soul into two do you think it would be possible to save such a soul based on your studies?"

Speaking darkly to Missoni, Caedenmon says, "Entropy is an excellent point.  Perhaps a mediating factor in our decisions on how far we push one way or another."

Faiyth nods at Ermias.

Dark ether bleeds from the seams of Yakushi's tight shirt and coalesces into misty copies of his form that mirror his movements before vanishing.

Missoni nods in agreement at Caedenmon.

Giedrius whispers something to Ermias.

Alicea agrees with Ermias.

Saleigh says, "I've heard of practitioners of this soul magic.. from the rumblings they seek eternal life and experiment on any available soul."

Leaning back, Yakushi squints his eyes against the curtain of smoke the cigar is forming around him.

A sinuous glaes soul golem wanders over to a nut-eyed twisted witchwood mandrake sprouting ruffled ebon taerethils, inspecting him in curiosity and causing the little plant to give off a shrill giggle in response.

Ermias nods at Giedrius.

The visage of a pony briefly obscures Faiyth's face before the illusion shatters into motes of misty green light.

Something moves inside Yakushi's big sack.

Ermias nods appreciatively.

Riend looks thoughtful for a moment, then shrugs.

Giedrius stands up.

A bushy-tailed silver flying squirrel suddenly scurries for a hiding spot, spooked by some unnoticed disturbance.  After laying low for a few long moments, the squirrel cautiously makes its way back out of hiding.

Caedenmon darkly says, "One must always consider the unknown, and the gradual loss that will occur over time."

A minuscule glacial blue qakoni teadragon with membranous moonlight silver wings dashes across Nisugi's feet in hot pursuit of... nothing you can see.

Kialeigh violently slaps her own face.

Faiyth says, "Dark magic is always so dividing."

Speaking to Saleigh, Giedrius says, "I think you will find that the moral boundaries vary, even in soul magic."

A liquid susurrus emanates from Yipsy's manticore hide satchel.

Kialeigh's cheeks flush with a soft shade of apricot.

Saleigh nods at Giedrius.

Kialeigh says, "Sorry.."

The balsawood idol pinned to Witfog's chest starts to twitch with a phantom heartbeat for several seconds before falling silent.

Erienne steeples her fingers in her lap, quietly observing her surroundings.

Faelynth nods in agreement.

The faint sound of a tiny silver cat's bell tied to a red ribbon jingling follows Yakushi, trotting out.

Saleigh says, "They vary in everthing, dear."

Ermias stands up.

Caedenmon darkly says, "I yield the floor, for the next lecture."

Moving jerkily, a rotting zombie puppy with a fleshless skeletal frame lurches out of the room.

Ermias turns to face Caedenmon.

Saleigh nods.

Ermias draws his hands together in a slow, deliberate clap.

Speaking to Caedenmon, Raelee asks, "You noted that confounds were often self-imposed limitations on the caster.  You also noted that a lich's phylactery is a confound.  Logically, this then implies that the phylactery is also a self-imposed limitation.  Thus, I would ask... does that imply there is potential for a lich to remove those limitations?"

Phanna applauds politely.

Meliyara narrows her eyes.

Maylan applauds Caedenmon.

Missoni applauds Caedenmon warmly.

Giedrius says, "If you'll pardon me, I need to gather my notes for my lecture."

Caedenmon's Golem Caedenmon's Golem

a sinuous glaes soul golem

A fiercely sculptured reptilian head curves sinuously into a formed glaes body.  A mixture of ophidian grace and volcanic glass, the golem stands about eight feet tall.  Within a glyph-etched orb mounted in the golem's chest, a pure white mist pulsates with a sickly glow.  The golem's soulstone eyes scintillate with a brilliant viridian light.