Mr. Sander's School of the Philosphic Arts

[Shine]

((This is intended as a side training RP with one of GBE's characters and one of mine. If you are interested in similar training, PM, me but I don't, at this point, intend to start this as a general training RP))


Out behind the training lodge is a small greenhouse and tool shed where the landscaper/gardner has set up residence in a modest rear room. He keeps the lawn mowed neatly and keeps pretty flowers growing in the window boxes, He is particularly proud of some of the indoor plants scattered about the hallways and public spaces with in the Dojo building.

His name is Ecclesiastes Sanders. He is old, tall, and has longish grey hair

He is a private person. In an earlier job, where he had managed a small woodlot of about 100 acres, in the north central part of England, he had a sign that read "Mr. Sanders", which he hung over his door there. But he found that it only attracted visitors and small animals, and he found that bothersome. So he left it there when he moved away.

He is in fact a very old soul, well over 2000 years old at this point, and long since dead. He had been a scholar and a bit of a mystic living in the desert in the Middle East. After his death, he was elevated to the heavenly realms for reasons which don't need to be discussed here, but his interest in the mental and philosophic arts was encouraged and allowed to develop. He spent a good deal of time discussing and sharing ideas with the angels and the Archangels. His soul moved quickly up the ranks. Eventually he was elevated to the highest rank a post-mortal had ever held in the heavenly host and had become chief trainer/instructor in the Angelic Special Forces, which he and the Archangel Micheal had established when the need for spritiual intervention in the mortal realm had become obvious (though a bit controvercial). Some years back he had found students quite capable of continuing the training and the organization, and had retired. He had always liked growing and living things, so he returned to earth to take care of life in a variety of ways. He never really fit in with the modern world all that much. He had had a few jobs, always moving on before his immortality was noticed, sometimes being called back to work for special missions, and frequently moving on...

When the job here opened up, he snatched it immediately, and was now quite content in this new and very interesting place, meeting all kinds of people, (and sending files back to ASF headquartes on some of the "not-so-nice" types he had encountered.)

He had been told by his higher ups that there was a young person from an entirely different divine realm who had recently traveled to the Dojo-lands and was interested in learning some of the basics of his stlye of mental self defense and was allowed to learn very limited amounts of offensive magic as well. She had proved to be a difficult student in her own realm and had not had particualrly positive recommendations from some of her previous teachers. Not from lack of ability, but from lack of applying herself, having come from money and status. She was in fact rather gifted, but when things stopped being easy, she tended to lose interest. Or that was the gist of the note he got.

Mr Saunder was not particualrly interested in teaching anymore. He would have to give it a thought....

[GBE]

Violet had been given directions to the greenhouse. As she waked up towards the training lodge, she looked around, but couldn't quite see where she was meant to go. Her brother had been annoying her since they arrived on Blackstar with his incessant chatting, so she had cast a silence spell on him. He'd been in a bad mood ever since.

She liked the greenery of the planet, it was very peaceful, almost as peaceful as some places her father had taken her. She wondered around aimlessly for a few minutes before finding a small footpath to the back of the training lodge, and then she saw the greenhouse.

Her eyes perked a little when she saw it, the person who owns it might have a few plants she could use. Walking towards it, she knocks gently, her violet eyes looking around. Upon not hearing a reply, she quietly entered the greenhouse, gently touching and brushing the plants as she walked by them.

Then one of the plants began to rustle, she stopped, ready to cast her fairly weak fire spell, and suddenly, Arnott leaps out at her, a manic grin on his face as he landed on her shoulder. Glaring at him, "Do that again, I'll cut off your tail!"

She wonders over to a brighty coloured plant....

[Shine]

Under which she finds a very large toad, who looks up at her quite surprised, It blinks a few times and then quite clearly says to her:

Can I help you? are you looking for something in particualr, or do you need to see the gardener?

[GBE]

Violet looks a little surprised at the talking toad. Arnott looks at it, he was going to make a comment, but then, once her spell was lifted, he'd be able to talk then.

Violet blinks once before responding, "Uhm, I think, I'm looking for The Gardner. Can you help....?"

[Shine]

"Wait here, and I'll go get him" the toad replied

In a few minutes a tall man in dirty green work clothes came out of a back room, he was smiling.

"Judging from the looks of you, you must be Violet. Excuse how I look, I wasn't expecting you so soon. Please come with me into the Gardeners quarters, I was just preparing some hot water for tea."

They walk down the rows of bedding plants to a door, as they are entering his quarters, he continues. "I've got Jasmine, Orange spice, Earl Grey, English Breakfast, and Green, would you like one of those, oh, or I've got some hot chocolate mix in the cupboard if thats more to your liking."

He comments on the animal on her shoulder:

"Please do me the favor of keeping your pet under control, I don't want it chasing some of my helpers. I've enlisted some of the local critters to help me out with the weeding and the bug control, and I hope that you're not unsettled by amphibians or rodents. Here have a seat."

"So, pick a beverage if you want one, and tell me a little about your background, especially what you've studied already, and what it is you'ld like to learn."

[GBE]

Arnott stands up and taps Violet on the shoulder, and points to his mouth. With a sigh, she waves her hand absent mindedly in the air and lifts the silence spell she'd cast. Arnott, almost immediately, in a theatrical manner "Pet, pet? Oh, oh how you insult me. You mock me. I am for shamed. I cannot continue to live..."

With that, he falls of her shoulder onto the table, and rolls around holding himself, pretending to be in agony. "I'm, sorry, please excuse my brother. He, likes to play up." Thinking about his selection, "I, think I'll have Earl Grey, please."

She considers what she should say, as, she's never really had to explain magic to others before, "Well, I, uh, studied a few books and cross-referenced spells, the way to cast them. The mystic energy that must be drawn, which is slightly easier for me than normal mortals."

She pauses as she pokes Arnott in the side, who jolts and giggles slightly, before rolling over on to his feet. He bounds about the table, and then leaps to a side unit, and begins investigating a plant.

Turning her attention back to the man, "I, have only learnt a few spells to varying degrees. Both offensive and defensive. They're not powerful. I customised the castings, it made it easier to remember how to cast them."

[Shine]

Mr. Sanders responds to Violet.

"I think that there are probably a few things I can teach you. I was offered a reasonable stipend, and that is much appreciated, but money is not the issue, I'm very busy, its the growing season, you know. If I'm going to have the time to teach, I am going to need your help with the gardens and the plants. If you are willing to work, come back tomorrow in work clothes. They may have dorm rooms in the training lodge or perhaps there is an inn nearby with rooms available.

In the meantime, if you are willing..." he goes to a closet and brings out a pail of about twenty pounds of chalk rocks, and a grinder. "Turn this all into powder and bring it back with you." he remembers something, and goes to a bookshelf, and looks through the shelves, finally pulling out one. "Theories of the Elements and their Associations" he hands it to her and says, "Study up on the introduction and the chapters relating to "Earth"

but enough of that, I think the tea is ready, and I've got some oatmeal rasin chocolate chip cookies and some snickerdoodles, lets have some.

Turning to Arnott, he says: "So if you're not a pet, just what are you, I'll bet there is an interesting story there.... "

[GBE]

Violet pulls the plant material towards herself, and places it all within her bag, which doesn't seem to get any bigger. However, when she places the book within her bag, its bulk seems to get slightly bigger.

She readily grabs an acorn, knowing Arnott will need it, to help keep his mind of things. Arnott, who mumbles something and looks up at The Gardner, "I'd much rather not mention it thanks..."

Violet hands him the acorn, and he begins to cut into it, slowly at first, before becoming involved with its nutty taste and flavours. Violet looks back up at The Garnder, thinking she could cross-reference this book with Au'Mauri's library of books, and find something she could use.

"I have, some limited skills with plants. It's, a small hobby of mine. Why do you garden? If, you don't mind my intrusion?"

[Shine]

Well, I like life in all its many forms. I especially like seeing the plants grow and ultimately come into flower. Flowers bring beauty into life, and most lives I know could use more grace and beauty. But even those that don't have pretty flowers, plants in a room keep you connected to life in an otherwise sterile environment.

I also like gardening vegetables because I like to eat food I have produced myself, including herbs and spices and tht gets into another area, some of the plants have er, "medicinal value", and some, have other interesting characharistics, like the nightshade over there; pretty purple flowers and bright red berries, and poisonous dried leaves. Or, the Foxglove, a nice stemfull of blooms. The leaves of them can help heart problems, or, a little bit more, can cause them (he says with a sly snicker) and the MorningGlory? the seeds are hallucinogenic and used in certain religious rituals, but be careful, the difference between mystical awareness and an unfortunate death is only a very little bit.

However, I didn't think you were here to study herbs and plants. Concentrate on that chalk powder and on the concept of "Earth" for now.

[GBE]

She frowns slightly as she was so quickly dismissed of the idea of plants and gardening, "Plants are quite useful when it comes to alchemy. I've studied enough to create basic mixes.

I thought the 'concept' of Earth was related to working with plants also?" Arnott had raised an eyebrow by The Gardner mentioned 'medicinal' purposes, "I've been having some problems with my back. Any chance you got some of this, er, 'medicine' going spare?"

He smiles cheekily at The Gardner...

[Shine]

Oh indeed, plants and growth and, in fact, all life is very much related to the "concept" of "Earth" but from the philosophical and theoretical point of view, life is a very advanced concept. From the consideration of learning some defensive and light offensive magic. I want to be able to zero in on the fundamental concepts:, solidity, hardness, cold, tradition, habit, growth. Some of the basic concepts behind the general concept of the "Earth" elemental energies, I had thought we would discuss the concepts after you had read the ideas in the texts, and they will become even clearer when we move on to studying "earths" opposite. Besides, before we get to any real work with magic, there are a few other very basic things I want to teach you and they require the chalk powder, among other things. And in my thinking, all that is for tomorrow. For today, I still suggest tea and treats. I'm not as familiar with alchemy nor potions, and they sound serious. I don't feel serious today, I'd rather relax and enjoy the colors and the fragrances, and the flavors of a late afternoon with a new friend and her, ah, whatever it is" He says looking at Arnott.

Then speaking now to him: "I don't actually sense any pain from you, or at least not your back, but if you are interested in a little "pain relief", that catnip over in the blue pot should have much the same pleasantly sedative and mildly hallucinogenic effect on your metbolism as it does on a cat's, enjoy it if you would like, but try to control its aggressive side effects if you can, please.

returning his attention to Violet, he inquires: 'I forgot, did you say a preference for a beverage? and by the way, sometime I should show you my collection of African Violets. They are among my favorites, I'm also partial to hybiscus and columbines. Do you have favorites among the flowers?


((Shine to GBE, How much of the theory do you want to Role Play, I thought I'd just have her read imaginary chapters, and then focus on the balancing of opposites as a source of magical energy, with only a brief over view of the basic concepts. However, Even prior to that one needs to establish their magic circle and purify it and banish external influences. I had really only intended to cover the very basics philosophically, and move on to a simplified RP level of understanding of the defenses and spells


Also, considering the you are EC and that makes you a little bit suspect, you should know that I will be leaving certain things out, for now, so your character will not be able to bring down Whiteoaks defenses, and your "Banishing Ritual", while effective, will not have the level nor layers, nor powers that Whiteoaks "Total Protection... etc. Field" does.))

[GBE]

((I may be an EC member, however, Violet is none EC as of this time, and for as far as I can see, will not become an EC character. Drone is currently my only EC alligned character.

If you still feel it necessary to keep certain things unwritten, thn so be it. But, I can give you my word that each character that I own still has to learn anything ic in order for them to learn a weakness, or what have you.

I don't even see a possible reason why Violet would, for any part strike out against anyone....

As for roleplaying the simplified readings of texts, I can agree to that. Otherwise things are going to get complicated. lol....))

Arnott stares at The Gardner, "I am her brother! There, are, reasons for my current form. Did you say blue pot?" He turns around, and bounds over towards it, then remembers he's supposed to have a 'bad back', so when he reaches it, he rubs his back, going 'Oooh, ahh..." Peering into the pot, he grabs some cat-nip.

He'd seen the effects of it, so he resigned himself to inhaling the scent of it, which puts him in a slight daze, he sits down, sighing happily.

Violet shakes her head at him, no shame. She looks at The Gardner, "A plain, two sugars and milk tea would be nice, thankyou....."

[Shine]

They finish their tea and tidbits in friendly, though trivial conversation.

Mr. Sanders gives her a deep violet african violet as a present, and says:

"Come by again tomorrow with the chalk ground to powder, and be sure to be dressed in clothes you can get dirty in. We have some work to do before the lessons."

[GBE]

Violet nods as she finishes her tea, placing the cup onto a coaster. Standing up, she gestures to Arnott, who bounds over, with a stem of cat-nip, which he stuffs into her satchell. He leaps up onto her shoulder, "I'll use that later..." He gives The Gardner a wink.

Violet turns towards the door, "Thankyou, for the tea, and the book. I, never quite got your name...."

[Shine]

Please excuse the oversight, My name is Ecclesiastes Sanders, but pretty much only my mother regularly called me Ecclesiastes. Most folks find my first name a bit archaic and a bit hard to pronounce, so my friends and associates just call me Sanders. I'm quite comfortable with that.

I look forward to meeting with you again tomorrow. Have a good day now, bye.