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The Devil Went Down to Norwood; [TM][P] Chasm
Topic Started: Sun Jan 19, 2014 12:19 am (1,845 Views)
Shan Orison
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A sudden sound from ahead caught Shan's attention. The sudden, silent dive bomb from above caused him to throw himself on the wide dirt road that wound through a section of Norwood, providing a connection by land between Taras and Kellen. He looked up into the trees, shirt smeared with what he hoped was soil, at a small, hooting owl. Shan grimaced. He knew the owl, and he knew that the hooting was the avian equivalent of laughter.

"Owlcifer..." Shan groaned, sitting back up and brushing himself off. "I wondered where you've been." A loud, insistent chirping sounded just beside his left ear. Shan looked over to see a large black cricket on his shoulder. "And you, too, 'Jimmy.'"

The chirping took on a new, angry tone. Shan held his hands to his ears, mumbling an incantation, and after a small pop the chirps translated to angry words. "-not gonna be degraded by you calling me your stupid human names-"

"Okay, okay, sorry!" Shan interrupted. "I don't know why you want to be around me, though, if you won't even let me call you anything besides 'Cricket.'"

"It's not that I want to! It's that..." the cricket grumbled, or at least made a more scratch like noise with its legs. "It's just...I dunno why, but when I leave you and go on my own. I'm fine for a while, but then I start getting...dumber."

"Dumber?" Shan said, standing up and continuing down the path. The owl overhead dove again, though much more gently, and landed on his backpack, sparing his shoulders from its talons. "But...didn't I accidentally do some magic to make you-"

"Yes, yes, but it only lasts if we're with you!"

Owlcifer whistled.

"Yeah, I'll tell him. Mousebreath there gets dumb, too, though I'm guessing it's not as big an issue for him. But dammit, being a smart cricket? I'm the oldest damn cricket I know! Just because I can think and plan and work crap out! So if I wanna keep that survivalist edge, I gotta stay with you."

"I don't want you guys feeling like you're bound to me. Maybe we could find some library on magical lore and..." Shan's trail of spoken thought faded. Through the trees, blending with the natural sounds of the wind and birds and insect life came a voice, a sonorous, melodious, wondrous voice, singing. It was too indistinct for him to make out the words, but that crystalline tone drew him forward, seeking it out.

"Kid?" The cricket said as Shan's walk shifted from a quick walk to a jog. Owlcifer leaned forward, opening his wings slightly to cut down on their air resistance. "Where the hell are we going?"

"Don't you hear that? Someone's singing!"

"Well, yeah, I hear it...and Bugeyes there hears it, too," Cricket added, translating for Owlcifer again.

"Isn't it beautiful?"

"Well, it's just some human singing right?" the cricket said, its "voice" warbling in uncertainty. "Okay, yeah, it's actually pretty. A bit. What's got you so excited, though? 'Cause it's a girl?"

"Well, it is a woman's voice..." Shan admitted. "But just listen! That control, that timbre, that range! She's a natural! What's she doing way out here?"

"What are you doing way out here?" the cricket countered.

"Traveling. I just wanna see who it is," he said, darting through the forest toward the siren like call. "That's all!"
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Chasm Zelith
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Chasm sat a ways off the road. She had been traveling from Kellen to Taras and had wanted to take a break. She had chosen this road as few people were on it and there was less chance of her affecting someone without thinking about it.

It was especially important to be alone when she felt the urge to sing. She had first sung in Kellen. She hadn't really thought about it and had just started singing to one of the music of the tavern. That had been a mistake as she had ended up having to sneak out of town just to avoid those she had charmed. On her way from Istan one or two was bad enough, but a room full of charmed idiots eager to please her was just way to much to handle.

When she had thought about it she realized that her particular talent probably came from her great grandmother, or was it great great great grandmother..... eh regardless, her ancestor had practiced the skill quite a lot to draw in mortals and then free them of their life's energy. It was just unfortunate that Chasm wasn't your typical demon and such a thought made her feel horrible.

Still even knowing all that she had found she still liked to sing and thus here she was off the beaten path in a place hopefully no one would hear here. It was then she heard something coming her way and she stopped. She readied herself for whatever it could be and took on an exacerbated look as she saw it was a man. Well at least it was only one and hopefully he was only lightly enchanted. Thus she decided to do what she had found to be a quick way to get rid of some of her unintentional thralls. "Oh no not another one. Look I will give you a kiss if you just go on your way and leave me alone. I don't want to deal with problems today. Sigh can't even sing in the middle of no where without attracting some one."

She looked at the man fully expecting him to accept the kiss and then hopefully continue on his way now that she had given at least one request/ order.
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Shan Orison
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She glanced up just as he caught a glimpse of her. The mysterious singer was...she was beautiful. She had the face of a goddess, long black hair like a waterfall of midnight, lithe limbs like a willow tree, eyes the bright green of the first leaves of summer or mastercut emeralds or the sun as seen from the depths of the green sea or...

Hey! his second thoughts shouted, mentally slapping him. Stop being bardic and listen to her! Doesn't sound like she's happy about your barging in.

"Look, I will give you a kiss if you just go on your way and leave me alone. I don't want to deal with problems today." She sighed, visibly agitated. "Can't even sing in the middle of no where without attracting some one..."

"What? Um, Sorry...I just...I heard you singing and...why do you want to sing alone?" he asked. "I mean, it can't because you think you're bad. You're fantastic! You could easily make a living just by singing. I know I was much, much worse when I became a bard with my violin..." He trailed off. Something about her looked...off. With his faux right eye, Shan could see not the visible spectrum, but mana, and her mana was of a kind he'd never seen before. He felt suspicion, but she'd been, at the very least, not violently hostile.

But maybe you should respect that she doesn't want you to bother her? his feminine side pointed out.

"But if you want to be alone, I'll just go. I...I'm not saying I wouldn't mind a kiss, but I kind of have a girlfriend. Or, I think she's my girlfriend. She might be. I mean, we could be, and if she is, I don't really want someone telling her about me cheating on her. You understand, right?"

"Wimp," Cricket chirped. Owlcifer just whistled. "Yeah, you tell him, Featherduff."
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Chasm Zelith
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Chasm blushed as the man talked and realized that his eyes weren't glazed over like so many others she had seen. She some how looked terribly innocent at that moment. He hadn't been charmed by her thank goodness and the annoyance seemed to bleed out as she breathed easier. She didn't understand what the owl or the cricket was about, but decided to apologize first.

She smiled an unintentionally enchanting smile. "Oh.... oh my I am sorry I didn't mean to run you off, but well.... I thought my song hand ... umm... well enchanted you. It happens a lot to people around me. I don't mean to, but it just sort of happens and my ancestors never really had a desire to control such powers, unlike myself. It is really a bothersome thing and well it is faster to just sort of kiss those affected and send them away then trying to wait until my ..... effect wears off.

But ... well you hear me sing and didn't get charmed. This is the first time that has happened since I parted with my father in Istan. My song seems to almost always trigger my abilities ... well thus singing alone out here. Um my name is Chasm and your is.


She continued to look embarrassed as she talked. It was something entirely new trying to explain her odd problem. Plus she didn't want to reveal her heritage as most people tended to not like demons. It also didn't help that few people could understand you were less than a year old, but still an adult. So little experience and lots of knowledge, but in her case she actually didn't want most of the knowledge she possessed.
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Shan Orison
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"Oh, um..." Shan said, trying to surreptitiously shut his left eye for a moment too look around him. It didn't help. She ceased singing, so any residual musical mana he could detect faded already. It was near invisible and fragile, and it was only his familiarity and magical eye that allowed him to detect it at all. Giving up, he kept both eyes opened. "I'm Shan. Shan Orison."

He reached behind him, slipping off the strap of his violin case and disturbing Owlcifer in the process, sending up into the boughs of a nearby tree. "So, um, you say your singing has a habit of 'enchanting' people?" Shan asked, snapping open the case's latches once it laid on the forest floor. "I...can't honestly say if it was some sort of magic or just your singing that made me come over here, but, um..."

He lifted out his violin, standing again as he rested it beneath his chin, his right hand holding the bow in a position that felt second nature to him. He began to play a simple folk tune, but infused it with something more, a magic so quiet and ephemeral that many could wield it without realizing, though it was a true Muse that could call it forth at its true strength. "Did it feel something like this to them, maybe?" he asked, smiling as he played.

Used Inspire Emotion: Joy
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Chasm Zelith
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Chasm listened to Shan's music and it did strike a cord with her. She could feel an enchantment though it filled her with a happy feeling. She felt this was a much better emotion than hers which inspired lust for the most part. It was similar and different at the same time. She closed her eyes a bit listening to the music. It was quite nice actually.

She did have to shake her head as she responded though, "No if you had been enchanted be me you wouldn't be thinking of anything besides pleasing me or .... well other things......." She blushed a bit deeper this time as she knew many people didn't like to talk about that subject. She actually didn't mind doing such things it was natural for her kind, but at the same time she didn't want to get a reputation. It was an odd mesh of conflicting traits that made up her personality really. She constantly thought it was a wonder she didn't develop a split personality or something.

"Umm anyways your music is quite lovely and I do sense something similar though sort of different from my natural effect. Maybe it is just the emotion being used, but I think there are some other differences too.... still it is similar."

She wasn't sure what else to say at the moment. She did enjoy talking, but so often talking a lot had ended up enchanting people. There was also the fact that just her body tended to attract most males. Still maybe it was safe with this one. He hadn't fallen under her natural magics yet and he had a girlfriend he seemed loyal to. That was sort of sweet in a way.
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Shan Orison
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"Oh..." Shan said, blushing as he played. He admitted to himself, that, well, he didn't want to upset her or make her sad, and he certainly wasn't repulsed at the idea of...some other things, though he was highly embarrassed. He didn't know why what she considered the usually hypnotizing parts of her singing didn't affect him that strongly. Perhaps it was similar enough to his muse powers that he built a sort of immunity to it. Maybe it was the possession of his violin, which had odd properties of its own at this point, or it could be that he was in Norwood, literally surrounded by creatures that could report his illicit behavior to his possible girlfriend, a woodwise sorcerer of sorts who rode a bear and traveled with wolves and fire breathing boars. If they were a couple, and he still wasn't certain if they were, he didn't want to face any sort of wrath she might have.

"Thank you," He said, when she complimented his music. He kept playing but ceased the enchantment. He mulled over their issue. She said her magic was similar to his own, but different enough that it wasn't the same, and said that she had no real control over it. "You know," he said, ceasing the song. "I might be able to settle if the magic you're using is the same sort of magic as I am. I can, um, sense mana, in a way. I know exactly what the mana from my magic is like, so I can see if yours is the same, or different, if you want.

"Just, try to sing and use your fascination ability on..." he was going to say "me," but from the description, that might be bad. "On Owlcifer, up there," Shan said, pointing upward to the owl in the trees. Owlcifer looked up from his preening to tilt his head sideways at Shan. "That's okay, right, Owlcifer?" Owlcifer cooed and bobbed his head up and down.

"Don't agree, you idiot! You don't have to-" The owl cut in with a series of hoots, interrupting the cricket, likely going on about how he was honored to obey his "Prince," a title he gave Shan when he became convinced the bard was actually a magical eagle owl who could turn human. It didn't help that the bird saw Shan perform that particular trick, but it remained unconvinced that human was Shan's true shape. The cricket sighed, but silenced itself.

"Oh, yeah, um, that's Owlcifer, and this is Cricket," Shan said, pointing to the cricket. "They're kind of my friends."

"Only kinda," the cricket said. Owlcifer fluffed himself up proudly.

"So, just let loose," Shan said, covering his left eye again. "Whenever you're ready."
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Chasm Zelith
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Chasm was a little nervous, but decided to try it out worse case scenarior she would end up kissing the man and sending him on his way. Best case he wouldn't be effected. Well it was worth the risk she supposed. "Um... well alright I have never seen an owl affected before... then again I haven't seen many owls either. Well here I go" She started to sing with his own music a little. Her memories held many songs. This one was probably a century old and possibly themusical acestor of whatever folk song was sung to the tune now. She was focused on the owl so this time it wasn't just a little magic flowing out, but a full charm produced by a Mammon Demon. It was quite strong, but luckily mostly targeted at the owl.

She some how knew the owl was effected and the direct spell stopped. Her own unctrolled magics still lingered though and the risk of them activating and charming others only increased the longer she sang. Still she would sing until she was asked to stop.

Owlcifer was very likely completely charmed and ready to do anything she asked. She kept singing until Shan told her to stop. It seemed like the enchantment stayed once in place. For how long she didn't know, but it could vary from person to person. It was a little disturbing looking into the large eyes of the owl as they seemed to blank while the charm was active.
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Shan Orison
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Shan blinked, realizing that he, too, felt light headed and weak-kneed at the sound of her singing. It was so bright, so uplifting, so beautiful. He'd do anything to keep hearing that song, he began to think, to be beside her, to be as close as her as possible...

"Ah, you can stop now," he said, stirring himself out of the stupor. She stopped, leaving his head spinning as he fought against the effects. That was a powerful fascination spell, and Owlcifer sat on his perch, rocking back and forth, staring at Chasm as only an owl could, though his eyes were oddly glazed. "Owlcifer?" Shan asked, reaching up to pull the owl down. Owlcifer was passive in his hands, his head turning smoothly to keep his gaze on Chasm. He shook the bird gently. At most, Owlcifer let out a small hoot, but acted as though he'd ignore everything as long Chasm was there.

"So, um...I think you're right. It's similar," Shan forced himself to pay attention to what his eye actually saw, not what his charm-addled memory imposed on him. "But it's...I'm not sure how to say it...'darker' maybe? I'm afraid I don't know what it actually is, since I can just perceive it, but..." He looked back over to Chasm, trying to keep his mind focused, which was helped by reminding his twisting emotions that sharing this information would help her.

"I think it might be related to you, or at least the ancestors you mentioned, since you have a similar aura of mana around you. And you have trouble not using it...huh," Shan muttered. "This is the exact opposite issue I face...how to help someone not using magic in their music...." He looked back down at Owlcifer, who still looked starstruck. "How long does this last, by the way? He's starting to make me uncomfortable with that stare."
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Chasm Zelith
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Chasm's ability wasn't actually dark by nature, but she had just been born. By her nature she was actually reforming her own demonic power and the energy being drawn on was actually holy. Still given she had been born a demon and she didn't have full controll it was more a twisted holy energy. After all even too much of a good thing caused bad effects. In this case it wazs a sort of over whelming bliss or at least the promiss of such that attracted people to her. Chasm didn't know this though and just assumed it was dark powers from her ancestors that she needed to supress.


She looked down a bit and spoke, "Sorry I don't really know how long he will be like that it varries between people. I can try to speed it up a little, but he may act a little odd.

I command you to act normally!

There that sometimes helps people shake it off. Still I don't know much really. I suppose I should epxlain a bit more......
She took a deep breath and spoke nervously. I was born a little about two weeks ago, but I have what people call an ancestral memory. The problem is my ancestors are .... are well demons. I am specifically what many might call a succubus or properly called a Mammon. I was born in unique conditions and well sort of hate the entire idea and most of those memories..... it .... it makes life dificult. Especially since I want to earn a normal living, but I can't because I turn people into mindless zombies if I talk to them too much or do the wrong action or sing...... oh sorry I think I am just venting a little. You don't mind do you.". Again she made an unintentionally inocent, but inviting face. It was just instinct and habbit, but it didn't really help matters. She continued to look embaressed this being the first time she shared her past with another person. She couldn't actually look shawn in the face that moment too afraid he might condem her for being born a demon.

On the plus side her command probably help clear Shawn as well as Owlcifer, as she had just given a general command to act normal. The trick was you felt compelled to do as she asked and thus by asking them to act normal made a person focus on beating the enchantment. It didn't always work right away, but most usually came out of it between 10 and 30 minutes, though if someone was truely lost they may be charmed all day. It truely was unpredictable.
Edited by Chasm Zelith, Tue Jan 21, 2014 7:04 pm.
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Shan Orison
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"I command you to act normally!"

The words hit him like a fist to the face. He shook his head, feeling the cloud clear, only realizing how thick a haze it was until it faded away. Owlcifer wheeted loudly, fluffed his feather to make the small owl into a ball of fluff, and his eyes dilated and contracted rapidly before settling, still dazed but no longing staring at Chasm. Shan placed him back on his branch so he could blink and hoot to himself without digging his talons into Shan's hand.

Chasm explained her origins: a newborn demon who fought to not be demonic, setting her as a very odd creature with the memories of her more contemporary ancestors. Shan blinked, organizing the story in his mind while a part it worked on penning a new story based on it.

"Well, I don't really know much about demons," he said, "Though I've heard things that are, um, equally as strange. "And it sounds like you have a lot to vent over." He leaned against Owlcifer's tree. "Hmm...well, maybe your hypnotic singing is similar enough to my magic that...How much do you like singing?" He asked, looking back up at her.

"Because I can work to train you to use the sort of magic I use, the magic that's inherent in all music. Usually it's learning to amplify and direct it, but maybe your magic's close enough to it that I can try to teach you to control it and only use it when you want to. You're certainly skilled enough. I figure, worst case scenario, your magic's too different and it doesn't work, so," he shrugged. "There shouldn't be any harm in trying it, right?"
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Chasm Zelith
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She looked up her face still red from the embaressing conversation. She stood up showing her full height for the first time and a large smile formed on her face. The idea of learning aBout music was wonderful and it might help her control or at least understand her power. Here this man was just offering it to her. She couldn't really help herself as a little bit of her childish side escaped and she ran over to Shawn and gave him a big tight hug.

"I would love to learn about music and magic. Even though it has caused so many problems I still just love singing as much as I can. If you can help me it will mean so much to me.. Being over exicited at the idea she forgot to let go until Shawn asked to be released. Of course given most male attractions to her this was probably not the easiest of tasks.

When he did she looked embaressed again. "Oh sorry I was just so exicted and.... oh dear you said you have a girl friend too. Sorry! Thought it is too bad you are kind of handsome and you are very kind man. Your girl is lucky to have you.".
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Shan Orison
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Shan gently hugged her back, enough to reciprocate, but not enough to be constraining. Not that he was certain he could restrain a demon who could simply ask him to do nearly anything she wanted and didn't because she constrained herself by morals. Time stretched as Shan waited for her to draw back, concluded that, apparently, she really needed this hug, and finally decided that this hug's duration was now proceeding from comforting and rather nice for him in many ways to being a bit awkward.

"So, um, maybe we should start on that?" he asked, loosening his arms.

""Oh sorry I was just so exicted and...." she stammered as she drew back.

Awww, his id whined as she stepped away.

"Oh dear you said you have a girl friend too. Sorry! Thought it is too bad you are kind of handsome and you are very kind man. Your girl is lucky to have you."

"Ah, thank you," Shan said, blushing. "It's alright. I mean, sometimes you just need a hug from a friend, right? Nothing wrong with that.

"So, um," Shan said, straightening and clearing his throat. "It's probably best I give some backstory on this so you know what you're getting into. We're called Muses, and we use the magic in music, a quiet kind of mana that's nearly impossible to detect unless you know not just magic, but music. It's the part of music that moves you when you listen to it, making you want to dance or causing you to succumb to tears. Muses learn how to enhance and direct that mana to inspire emotions, empower skills, and even cast other kinds of magic within the music. So it's pretty powerful, but the catch is you have to be skilled at music to use it. You don't have to worry about that part, though.

"There are three kinds of muses. I'm an Instrumentalist, who masters a single instrument. Mine's my violin, as you can guess. There are Virtuosos, who master the greater fusion of multiple instruments playing in harmony, but I'm guessing what you want to become is a Nightingale, who master our very first instrument: the voice. I want to make sure that's right, because no Muse can follow more than one path. There are cases where a Muse starts learning one path and chooses to change to another, but they always kind of lose their earlier abilities and knowledge.

"So, does that sound right?" Shan asked, switching out of lecture mode. "Want to become a Nightingale?"
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Chasm Zelith
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Chasm Wasn't so sure about it being alright between friends. Plus he had only just met her, but it was nice that he tired to make her feel better about her own akward actions.

She then listened to what he had to say and responded quickly, "Oh yes I want to be a nightengale. I tried playing a flute I got along the roade and was terrible at it, so I better stick to singing. Plus I really am hopping this helps me control my own magic. So where do we start?

Her excitement was getting the better of her and faint traces of her magic where building up again. They were safe levels for now, but it was clear that could changevat any moment. AT the smae time she looked at Shawn with the expectant eyes of a puppy waiting for a treat. An unitentional look, but one more done out of the habbit of her ancestral memory.
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Shan Orison
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Shan blushed and grinned at her smile. It alone would be enough to melt the biggest bruiser's heart. He snapped back to the present moment and considered her question, one he'd been puzzling through even since she stated her problem.

"That's what I've been trying to decide," He said, crossing his arms. "I've never come across someone with your problem. You use that fascination magic without thinking of it. You can focus it, but there's still magic bleeding out to anyone else listening. We can't have you singing anywhere with a lot of people, or else we could end up with a whole village in thrall."

Thank goodness she's a demon who thinks that's a bad thing, his second thoughts muttered.

"I'm just trying to think of a parallel model for this sort of....Paverty!" Shan slammed a fist into his open palm, his face lighting up with his sudden exclamation. "My cousin Paverty had this issue, but with fire. Any heat or flames around her would just...get more intense. She kind of melted a lot of stoves and pots before she mastered it. Thankfully she didn't burn the house down. Anyway, she mastered it by familiarizing herself with it, figuring out what part of her was causing it, strengthening her focus and control over it so it wouldn't run wild. She burnt a lot of things, but she had to learn how to control her magic by using it.

"Unfortunately, like I said, we can't really have a test audience for you to sing to, just like Paverty wasn't in charge of cooking dinner for ages. But she did cook, even if most of it ended up as charcoal, and you need to sing. I'm guessing you haven't sung much because of its, well, effects, and I can't really help you get a feel for your magic if I'm in a starstruck stupor. Hmm..."

Wow, his common sense muttered in a sarcastic tone. If only you had some way to COUNTER her SONG.

"I...might have something that'll help with that," Shan said, picking up his instrument again. He began to play again, this time weaving into the notes one of the numerous enchantments his violin possessed. "There are instrument enchantments just like there are enchantments for weapons and armor, and the one I'm using is called Counterspell. This should protect me from it," Shan said, "Or at least help. Right now, you're scared of your power, and I can understand why. That's a lot of power you don't want to wield over others, and just because you want to sing. But it's a part of you, and it's not something to fear. Heck, if you want, I can even let you feel how it affects others. For right now, though, sing whatever you want and focus on how it feels. Suss out the part of your voice that's purely physical from that magical undertone. I'll keep watch and let you know if you're affecting the magic...assuming this enchantment works.

"I don't really expect you to work it out right away, so don't feel pressured to rush, but the first thing we really, really need to work out, even if you don't learn how to tone it down or turn it off, is at least learn the hows of it."

Counterspell
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