Ausrine-verse: some background
Here is a place to start, in response to the interest and some of the prompts.
Excerpt From The Annals Of Correspondence Between AHET and ERF
Sent: Hitcherson, Killian M.
To: Sterling, Astrid
Subject: Background Research
Astrid,
During our last conference you indicated that you would be willing to send me some background information on your crew, especially constructed for an Earther who remains quite unaware of Arkothan history. If you would have some time this week to do so, anything you could share prior to our upcoming engagement would be much appreciated.
Best,
Killian Hitcherson
Special Ops Investigator
Earth Rediscovery Foundation
- - -
Sent: Sterling, Astrid
To: Hitcherson, Killian M.
Subject: Re: Background Research
Hitch --
I'm guessing you want the magical stuff, right? You can pull our bios out of the ERF database, we registered. If you haven't done that already, I'm almost insulted.
Ash
- - -
Sent: Hitcherson, Killian M.
To: Sterling, Astrid
Subject: ADDITIONAL Background Research
Astrid,
I've recently pulled the data files on Ausrine's crew, yes, but the bios don't quite explain to me what I should expect from your crew on an AHET misssion. Yes, magically. I can infer in most other realms what to expect, but as you know, I have absolutely no history to draw on in that area.
Special Ops Investigator
Earth Rediscovery Foundation
- - -
Sent: Sterling, Astrid
To: Hitcherson, Killian M.
Subject: The Dirt
Hitch - see attached.
Att:
An Unofficial Cheat Sheet File For Killian M Hitcherson Who Cannot Seem To Stop Using His Full Name Even Though The Ausrine Crew Has Given Him A Much More Appropriate Nicknomer
The thing I think Earthers find the hardest to understand is just how different magic is across the celestial map. You've had a planet that has done its best to stomp out its magic over basically all of its history, which has really limited the way the celestial energy manifests on Earth. The Arkothan Empire, on the other hand, well, we're going on at least three thousand years of developing our celestial sensitivities. So the terms will sound - well, they'll sound familiar, because the Mnemosyne Wards are working on Earth just like they work everywhere else, but the terms are going to sound unusual to you because it's so different than the way Earth thinks. (By the way, assuming you haven't been studying Arkothan history, the War was about 2500 years ago on Arkotha. We've lost a lot of what came before. There's a good chance our magic has been around since the planet belched us up in the first place.)
Your cheat sheet file has to start with sensates. There are really only a few varieties: ennies and emmies, mostly, and nulls. You're a null, obviously. Ennies are energy-sensates, and they get ruled by energy waves: suns, stars, light. Emmies are matter-sensates, and they get ruled by mass: planets, moons, comets. To frame it in Earther terms, Salo is technically a vampire from Earth, but in Arkotha he's an ennie. Just like Emberle and Lika were werewolves on earth - we call them emmies. I'm what they call a hybrid.
The thing that's going to confuse you is - well. Even though Lika still introduces herself as a were, it doesn't mean what happens on Earth will always happen elsewhere. See, magic gets shaped by its planet - its culture - its beliefs. And so when Earth spent what could have been its great years (sorry, yes, but I'm Arkothan, for fuck's sake) culturally shoving all of its magic underground, where it couldn't admit to its own existence, it got itself all twisted up and horribly vulnerable. That's why ennies from Earth can't go out in sunlight or they catch flame and turn to ash: the radiating energy is too much for them to deal with untrained. The history books think that's how your whole "vampire" culture got started, because untrained ennies in the hostile environment of Earther past didn't have the resources to deal with direct sunlight. They all fried, sad to say. Though - You put an Earther ennie through the right training, and they'll be just fine. Earth isn't entirely doomed. Please thank your benevolent Arkothan overlords.
Thing is, Hitch, I don't know where else to go with this. I doubt you want me to write a textbook for you and there are much better resources you can use that aren't full of my rambling and foul language. You wanna shoot me over some more specific questions?
Ash
PS: for fuck's sake, call me Ash, I'm not seventy-five
This entry was originally posted at http://seventhe.dreamwidth.org/378649.html, which has
comments. Comment there (with OpenID) or here, it's all good.
Excerpt From The Annals Of Correspondence Between AHET and ERF
Sent: Hitcherson, Killian M.
To: Sterling, Astrid
Subject: Background Research
Astrid,
During our last conference you indicated that you would be willing to send me some background information on your crew, especially constructed for an Earther who remains quite unaware of Arkothan history. If you would have some time this week to do so, anything you could share prior to our upcoming engagement would be much appreciated.
Best,
Killian Hitcherson
Special Ops Investigator
Earth Rediscovery Foundation
- - -
Sent: Sterling, Astrid
To: Hitcherson, Killian M.
Subject: Re: Background Research
Hitch --
I'm guessing you want the magical stuff, right? You can pull our bios out of the ERF database, we registered. If you haven't done that already, I'm almost insulted.
Ash
- - -
Sent: Hitcherson, Killian M.
To: Sterling, Astrid
Subject: ADDITIONAL Background Research
Astrid,
I've recently pulled the data files on Ausrine's crew, yes, but the bios don't quite explain to me what I should expect from your crew on an AHET misssion. Yes, magically. I can infer in most other realms what to expect, but as you know, I have absolutely no history to draw on in that area.
Special Ops Investigator
Earth Rediscovery Foundation
- - -
Sent: Sterling, Astrid
To: Hitcherson, Killian M.
Subject: The Dirt
Hitch - see attached.
Att:
An Unofficial Cheat Sheet File For Killian M Hitcherson Who Cannot Seem To Stop Using His Full Name Even Though The Ausrine Crew Has Given Him A Much More Appropriate Nicknomer
The thing I think Earthers find the hardest to understand is just how different magic is across the celestial map. You've had a planet that has done its best to stomp out its magic over basically all of its history, which has really limited the way the celestial energy manifests on Earth. The Arkothan Empire, on the other hand, well, we're going on at least three thousand years of developing our celestial sensitivities. So the terms will sound - well, they'll sound familiar, because the Mnemosyne Wards are working on Earth just like they work everywhere else, but the terms are going to sound unusual to you because it's so different than the way Earth thinks. (By the way, assuming you haven't been studying Arkothan history, the War was about 2500 years ago on Arkotha. We've lost a lot of what came before. There's a good chance our magic has been around since the planet belched us up in the first place.)
Your cheat sheet file has to start with sensates. There are really only a few varieties: ennies and emmies, mostly, and nulls. You're a null, obviously. Ennies are energy-sensates, and they get ruled by energy waves: suns, stars, light. Emmies are matter-sensates, and they get ruled by mass: planets, moons, comets. To frame it in Earther terms, Salo is technically a vampire from Earth, but in Arkotha he's an ennie. Just like Emberle and Lika were werewolves on earth - we call them emmies. I'm what they call a hybrid.
The thing that's going to confuse you is - well. Even though Lika still introduces herself as a were, it doesn't mean what happens on Earth will always happen elsewhere. See, magic gets shaped by its planet - its culture - its beliefs. And so when Earth spent what could have been its great years (sorry, yes, but I'm Arkothan, for fuck's sake) culturally shoving all of its magic underground, where it couldn't admit to its own existence, it got itself all twisted up and horribly vulnerable. That's why ennies from Earth can't go out in sunlight or they catch flame and turn to ash: the radiating energy is too much for them to deal with untrained. The history books think that's how your whole "vampire" culture got started, because untrained ennies in the hostile environment of Earther past didn't have the resources to deal with direct sunlight. They all fried, sad to say. Though - You put an Earther ennie through the right training, and they'll be just fine. Earth isn't entirely doomed. Please thank your benevolent Arkothan overlords.
Thing is, Hitch, I don't know where else to go with this. I doubt you want me to write a textbook for you and there are much better resources you can use that aren't full of my rambling and foul language. You wanna shoot me over some more specific questions?
Ash
PS: for fuck's sake, call me Ash, I'm not seventy-five
This entry was originally posted at http://seventhe.dreamwidth.org/378649.html, which has
comments. Comment there (with OpenID) or here, it's all good.