As I approached from a distance, I noticed four figures sitting around a pillar of flame. One appeared to be wearing a black robe, and another had metal armour that shone in the midday sun. compared to these two striking figures, the remaining two looked practically mundane in comparison.
"Hail, stranger. What brings you to our camp?" Asked the armour-clad figure, who turned out to be a well-built man. He spoke in a friendly manner, but you could easily see that he was on guard to the stranger who approached the camp.
"I spotted your camp from a few miles away and was hoping to ask for directions, I'm new to the area you see," I replied, with a self-mocking laugh, hoping that they wouldn't draw their weapons on me on sight.
"…I see. I suppose we should expect some attention, considering where we camped." He said with a sigh. He continued. "Where are you heading, stranger?"
"I'm a trainee alchemist and was hoping that you might know if any herbs grow around here? Or just directions to the nearest town would be more than appreciated." I asked, hoping that I might get lucky in getting some hidden information from these adventures.
However, at the mention of my occupation, I saw greed flash in their eyes. Though, it wasn't the sort that made you fear for your safety. It was the type that merchants would start to feel their coin purse tingling.
"Oh, an alchemist, that's a rare occupation that you don't see every day." He mused as he looked at me like he was mulling something over in his mind. "I don't suppose you have any potions for sale. We had a run-in with some cultists and received a bit of damage." The warrior explained as he pointed to a gaunt young man in leather armour. His complexion seemed to say that he wasn't faring well.
"I do have some available, however, as I'm just a trainee, they might not be as potent as you're used to. May I know what ails him?" I made it clear what to expect to temper his expectations.
"Anything is better than nothing." The warrior said with a hint of desperation in his voice. "He lost a fair amount of blood, and he seems to be fighting off some sort of poison." The warrior's expression was dark as he explained his companion's condition.
Pulling two bottles out of my inventory, I offered a trade. "This is an antidote and a potion that'll help speed up recovery. If taken and rested for the night, he should be mostly recovered in the morning." I explained as I recalled the effects of the tonic.
I could see their eyes shining while looking at the vials.
"I'm willing to give these to you, in exchange for directions and any tips on nearby herbs." It was not only an affordable trade, but it was also a tantalising one.
"…Are you sure it's alright?" The warrior asked, seemingly dubious of the trade.
"Of course. To be honest, as a trainee, I don't think my potions are worth much, but we both have something the other wants. So, this, in my eyes, is a fair trade." I smiled as I offered the potions.
The warrior looked at the figure in dark robes, the woman with a bow slung over her shoulder, each in turn. He seemed to be looking for the party's opinion. It didn't take long until they each nodded their head in agreement.
"All I can do is give you directions, I'm afraid." The warrior said as he took the vials from me. He began to give me rather detailed directions towards Novrad and even told me rumours about bandits and wild animal packs as a consolation for not being able to tell me about any of the local herbs. But unfortunately, I already knew everything he told me.
But before I could feel slight regret, the robed figure approached.
"Allow me to tell you about the local herbs and ingredients." The robed figure was an old man whose voice was that of a well-educated but morose man. From under his dark hood, I could see a white, well-kept short beard on a slightly gaunt pale face.
The old man shared a surprising amount of information about the local area. Even his knowledge of herbs and their names was more than I was expecting. Probably sensing my surprise, he decided to explain.
"I can tell that you are surprised that I know a fair bit about alchemy ingredients. However, I am not an alchemist or an herbalist. I am unsure if I were to tell you that I practice the occult arts, if that were to be an explanation enough, considering those who practice such things are usually secretive." The robed man explained. His voice sounded as if he enjoyed the infamy that his profession carried.
Now it all made sense to me. Occultists, unlike most magic users, will perform rituals and utilise components, such as herbs, monster parts and even human bodies. Which was the main reason most people didn't socialise with them even though the practice wasn't technically illegal.
"That does certainly explain your extensive knowledge of the flora and fauna in these parts." I offered a smile in response. However, it didn't have the effect I was hoping for, as the old man seemed to be taken aback.
"I will admit, I am surprised that you are accepting of my studies. Most people aren't so accepting. It even took my party a while to be somewhat comfortable with it. Even now, I can feel them shift uncomfortably on occasion." The old man chuckled. It seemed that he quite enjoyed making people feel uncomfortable. Whether or not that was a defence mechanism, that remains to be seen.
"I can certainly see that the average person would be uncomfortable with such studies that aren't widely known. Though, as a trainee alchemist and having a full-fledged alchemist as a teacher. I don't think I have any ground to stand on and judge." I said with a wry laugh.
In this world, on the weirdo list, alchemists rank second, just under occultists. Simply because they have the ability and intellect to join the magic tower, but instead, choose to follow a trade and money. However, nobody says anything to their faces as they don't know what the alchemist would do in response, as there is no way to gauge how powerful they are until they are flinging you through the air with a spell.
The old man laughed at my words, while the warrior's face stiffened. It was a good gauge of their personality. Well, the old man's at least, as he was the oddball here.
"That is very true, young man." He said as he patted my shoulder.
"Tell me, have you thought about learning the occult?" An unexpected question was asked, even the warrior was taken aback and a little uncomfortable.
"I will admit that I am curious about most things and my master did tell me to explore the world and experience new things," I replied, with a thoughtful look on my face. The old man smiled happily, seemingly happy that he found someone to impart some knowledge to.
"However, I'm not sure if it'll harm my path." His smile froze. It was considered taboo to interfere with a person's path. It was even against the law throughout the kingdoms and those who broke the law would spend a long time in prison or be lumbered with a hefty fine.
"Ah, yes. In my enthusiasm, I nearly committed a taboo." The old man forced out an awkward laugh.
"However, learning about other paths, especially those on the paths of magic would be of great use for you. Would it not?" The old man's face twisted into a sly smile. Because if I said yes, then he couldn't be held responsible for interfering with my chosen path, even the warrior seemed to realise this trickery.
However, unbeknownst to them, I can learn all forms of magic without it negatively affecting my path. So maybe this could be a chance to learn more about other magic paths, and maybe, I could learn some spells in the process.
"I suppose it couldn't hurt to learn a little," I said, holding a hand to my chin, seemingly giving in to my curiosity.
"Exactly, my boy!" The old man laughed happily. Clearly excited that he managed to convince me.
"Servose, I don't think you should be so pushy." The warrior pipped up, unable to sit by anymore.
"Relax, I'm just going to teach the lad a few things so he can recognise anything dangerous on his travels. I won't push it; I know the rules." Servose, the old man replied. He didn't seem to be annoyed by the giant warrior's nagging. It was probably a regular occurrence for them.
Feeling defeated, the warrior just sighed and let Servose continue his playful temptations.
"It's a bit early in the day, but how about you spend the night at our camp? After we have a conversation, it'll probably start to get dark." Servose offered. Considering that his party members would have heard him talk but didn't argue, I guessed that they didn't mind either.
I accepted the offer as it's always safer to camp with others where possible. But that didn't meant that I would let my guard down so easily.
Seemingly eager to talk to someone about his path, Servose ushered me closer to the campfire pulled out an old leatherbound book and began his lecture while sitting on a tree stump.
At first, it was all the things I already knew. Those who practised the occult use curses, illusions and charms. However, these must be prepared from a ritual. Which usually meant that occultists couldn't work solo and had to party up if they go out into the field.
"…This diagram here dictates different elements that are used in a ritual. And can be interchanged with different modifiers to change the outcome of the ritual. Though, if you aren't able, or willing to activate the ritual straight away, you can store the spell inside a talisman or scroll." Servose explained. By this time, we had nearly gone through half of his notebook and didn't seem to be slowing down. Even if the sun had started to set on the horizon.
As I listened to his explanation, I became interested in charms. They are basically enchantments that are cast on the vicinity instead of on an item. If I were to learn how to perform this ritual, I would be able to, not only save a huge amount of mana, but it would also increase my magic flexibility.
"Can these ritual modifiers be anything?" I asked, probing to see if it really was worth learning them.
"Theoretically, yes. However, the ingredients needed for each modifier would change, as each ingredient needs to represent each modifier. For example, a charm of fire resistance would require something like the blood of a fire salamander and a fire neutraliser, like water. However, items with more potent effects or magic will grant greater effect. Then, the connecting glyphs will dictate the flow of the ritual. Basically, if it's a resistance, a curse, or anything else." Servose patiently explained with a smile on his face. Seemingly happy that I was so responsive.
I was starting to get the hang of the ritual diagrams. The glyphs were an ancient language of the civilisation that created most magic. However, since their fall, no other civilisation could match their ingenuity, which led to the stagnation of magic for the last two-thousand years.
"So, if you wanted to store the spell. What would you need?" I asked, feeling my curiosity bubbling up inside me. And once I had this answer, I felt like I could pull off simple rituals myself.
"That's simple, you need parchment, or talisman spell paper and some refined ink that is mana conductive." He said simply, raising a finger into the air, mimicking a teacher's pose.
"Then, you place them in the centre of the ritual and allowing the energy to flow into the parchment or spell paper. this will allow the formation to be copied onto it. Though, be aware that the ink will be consumed, so you'll have to make sure to either use the exact amount or have plenty of it." The old man was talking to me as if I was already an occultist.
"Thank you, Servose. I have learnt a lot." I spoke, after digesting his lessons. I was now sure that I will be able to incorporate what I had learnt into my future spell casting.
"Not at all, my boy. In fact, I should be thanking you. It's been a long time since I was able to talk to someone so intelligent." He beamed a smile at me.
"In fact, I want you to have this. I have long since memorised it and it could even help you in the future." He added as he handed me the old notebook.
I eagerly accepted the book, as it would be of good use to practice rituals. When I was listening to the old occultist, I came to a realisation. With the path of an arcanist, I can use different aspects of different magic paths to enhance my overall abilities. For example, I can use ritual casting and charms that occultists specialise in, which should give me greater freedom over magic without much strain on my brain. And, if I were to use mana manipulation properly, I could feasibly remove the need for most ingredients in some rituals. Of course, I'd still need them for a powerful ritual.
In the end, the conclusion I came to, was that I needed to explore every avenue of magic, as my path wouldn't feel complete without adding each faucet to my repertoire.
For example, elemental control and manipulation from the Elementalist path would help with my severe lack of power. Plus, it helps with not only my alchemy but also when I'm out exploring, as I never need to worry about water again.
I will admit, I'm curious about what I can integrate from holy magic paths and what I can learn from further study of the arcanist path. Though for now, I put it out of my mind, as I Didn't have a way to learn more about them, as the church were strict on most of their magics. Most holy magic players would have to join the church to learn more than just the very basics.
"Servose, I would like to try a simple ritual. Would you help me in performing one?" I asked, after a long pause, as I needed some time to put my thoughts in order.
I hoped that if I had a skilled occultist help with the ritual, not only would I be able to see how they are performed, but I might be able to gain a skill for assisting the casting.
After a quick look of surprise, Servose flashed a grin. "Of course, I would be happy to help. In fact, I was planning to set up a repulsive field for the camp. You are more than welcome to assist." His face had a similar expression to that of a teacher whose students had taken an interest in their class.
The ritual he spoke of was exactly like it sounded. It was a ritual that was used to manipulate any outside creature into avoiding the area the ritual covers. It was extremely useful for when you must camp out in the wild, as if you made it strong enough, you didn't have to take turns on night watch.
"I would relish the opportunity." I smiled in return.