The Odeoron

Myriad Reality

<Snipped quote by Shadrack Nor>

It's so abstract...
*One of the many Prisms in the network begins to figure it out*

@Memory

Arch Numakhiim Ar'Gavryiell: *points towards him* He got it! Now we can begin! *I grin serenely*

Myriad Reality

<Snipped quote by Shadrack Nor>

What underlying substance am I trying to interface with? How does it work?

@Memory

Arch Numakhiim Ar'Gavryiell: Consciousness... dear child... consciousness...

*As you deepen into meditation you suddenly feel it... deep abiding peace and focus... a primordial strength that follows your every breath... and a thought is made manifest: You shall know the Truth, and The Truth shall set you Free...*

Myriad Reality

<Snipped quote by Shadrack Nor>

This is so non-tangible... and hard to work with.

@Memory

Arch Numakhiim Ar'Gavryiell: Yes... It starts there. Not everything manifests first in the tangible, just like a thought goes through a process before it manifests, so does a move to disable an enemy!

Myriad Reality

<Snipped quote by Shadrack Nor>

*Sits cross-legged and closes my eyes*
Okay. I’m feeling my surroundings.

@Memory

Arch Numakhiim Ar'Gavryiell: Don't just feel them... acknowledge them in your mind and soul! You ARE the surroundings, as much as the surroundings behold you, you behold them...

Myriad Reality

<Snipped quote by Shadrack Nor>

*Concentrates*
I’m having a hard time with this. It’s not real to me yet.

@Memory

Arch Numakhiim Ar'Gavryiell: You are trying too hard... meditation... try and relax and focus on what you perceive immediately...

Myriad Reality

<Snipped quote by Shadrack Nor>

How am I supposed to feel something I can’t tell is even there?

@Memory

Arch Numakhiim Ar'Gavryiell: What you feel is not always tangible. The aether, the preternatural forces, they are not like wind or fire. They are subtler, more elusive. But they are there, just as a melody is present in the air, even though you cannot grasp it with your hand...

*He gestures towards the training ground.* Look at the leaves on that tree. They sway, not because they are pushed, but because the wind whispers to them. Feel the warmth on your skin. It is not the sun itself you touch, but its radiant energy...

Myriad Reality

<Snipped quote by Shadrack Nor>

*Recombines with an earlier, uninjured Prism*
What’s the secret, then?

@Memory

Arch Numakhiim Ar'Gavryiell: *stands before you, his form radiating an aura of calm and strength.*

From what you read, fighting techniques, at their core, are not about winning battles, but about cultivating yourself...

*He pauses, letting the words sink in.*

Prism, certain moves that involve using the aether and the force of the preternatural elements, are unique. They are fluid, adaptable, like light through a body of water. But this fluidity does not mean formlessness. For example, a body of glass refracts light, but it still has shape, structure. So too must you when dealing out damage and parrying attacks... Consider the idea that what you are trying to break is not a body but a system of functions... a mechanism that works to undo creation... Think an antivirus program in a computer!

Myriad Reality

<Snipped quote by Shadrack Nor>

HAAAAAA!
*Creates copies in front of myself while erasing the ones behind me, building momentum and flinging me into you like a fist-first slingshot*

@Memory

*stands there, unmoved, like a statue as i hear your bones splinter and crack under your flesh* Using just momentum will not yield victory, though a good start *Points at your bleeding fist* not all things are made of fragile human muscle and bone... Technique goes a long way from just raw force...

Myriad Reality

<Snipped quote by Shadrack Nor>

I unders—GHUH
*Slides back, steadying myself with my hand on the ground*

@Memory

Arch Numakhiim Ar'Gavryiell: Now... HIT ME WITH ALL YOU GOT!!

Myriad Reality

<Snipped quote by Shadrack Nor>

...
*Sighs*
What do we need to learn first?

@Memory

*Ar'Gavryiell nods solemnly, a glimmer of understanding in his eyes.* Prism, *he says, his voice a gentle rumble,* there are forces in this universe that only understand the language of strength. And while compassion is a virtue, it is not always enough to quell the tide of chaos.

*With a swift gesture, Ar'Gavryiell activates the training platform, transforming the room we find ourselves in right now, into a sprawling arena. The air crackles with energy as holographic targets materialize, their forms shifting and morphing into a variety of monstrous shapes.*

The first lesson, young one, *Ar'Gavryiell declares, his voice booming through the arena,* is resilience. To withstand the onslaught of chaos, you must first learn to endure.

*Without warning, he lunges forward, his fist impacting your abdomen with surprising force. The blow sends you reeling backward, a gasp escaping your mouth.*

Defense is not merely about blocking attacks, *Ar'Gavryiell explains, his voice echoing in your ears.* It is about absorbing the impact, adapting to the onslaught, and finding the strength to rise again. It is about resilience of body and spirit, the ability to weather the storm and emerge stronger on the other side.

*He circles you; his movements fluid and graceful.* The Vastness is a battlefield, young one. And in this battlefield, the only way to survive is to learn to fight!!