Chapter 118: 101: Works of Art and Love

Auratic

After Alicia witnessed the potential of enchanting first hand, she became very much so invested in the art. Thinking to herself if such practices existed how come it wasn’t more widespread and adopted ubiquitously. Her answer came to her in the written report from Alpha. First and foremost, the art of enchanting was a rather recent development within the human world. The discovery and further advancements in the branch was largely overlooked, as it was overshadowed by the prestige and power that came with more… destructive forms of magic, specifically ones that had earned one a notable position in the military. Secondly it was exclusively for the rich. The act of enchanting required rare and exotic materials to become a medium - from expensive metals most of which completely unheard of to Alicia such as ‘magic silver,’ ‘adamantite,’ and ‘black gold’ - and precious crystals and minerals - like ‘blue sapphire’ which apparently is lapis lazuli and confusingly, actual sapphires to as an example - act as a catalyst or a reagent, all of which are either prohibitively expensive or quite impossible to acquire if one is not of a certain strata of society. The process of turning the precious materials into reagents involves grinding them down to dust making them irrecoverable and extremely squanderous, for it could have been used to make fine jewelry or a gift in high society. The upfront costs necessary for any return on investment was a steep one that even affluent nobles would hesitate to fork up the cash. All of this also contributed to the fact that Enchanted items were not easily mass produced.

With these circumstances it was much easier to buy up enchanted articles than to invest into a dubious and expensive venture. But there does exist few people that through various methods have secured themselves enchanters. However the work desired from those magus err to the side of decadence than that of practicality. While it is common for enchanters to be commissioned to create silverware that can detect poison and protect oneself from harm there are quite a few, eyebrow raising enchantments that are also common. A necklace with an embedded gemstone that can shine brightly even in broad daylight, a chair enchanted to be the most comfortable, and beddings that gives the most restful night’s and a pillow that is always cool and wards off nightmares. Beyond that, training a mage to be an acceptable artificer was as ten times as difficult and time consuming than to train one to hurl a ball of fire at whatever their superior tells them to throw it at. While no-doubt useful, it was clear that enchanting itself was not utilized to its greatest extent.

Alfred had also pointed out a few more details worth one’s attention. While almost every material was receptive to the enchanting process, they would not all respond the same way. Something Strega called an ‘enchanting potential.’ Certain metals, like iron and steel were notoriously difficult to enchant compared to textiles and more ‘natural’ resources. She didn’t have any evidence but she suspected that the process of making the metals itself, by purifying them, also purged it of whatever qualities it had prior that allowed it to have more potential. Coincidentally, this made the Araneae silk and the Energised wool of the thudergoats into an excellent medium for holding enchantments.

The potential itself did not make the enchanting any more or less effective but rather, the demand for magical energy the item had to maintain the enchantments. Everything had some traces of magical energy diffused into them, accumulating and storing them, including inanimate objects. Enchantments used this energy held inside the material as a fuel to maintain itself. Items with higher potential, could hold onto numerous enchantments or express an existing enchantment more intensely. However by exceeding this potential, a burden is placed on whoever is using the item by draining them of energy. A steel chestplate enchanted with protection was already over its limit, but the amount of energy drained from its host - as long as they were fit and healthy - was insignificant as to be unnoticeable. This was desirable, as enchantments did not require the user to have any skill or knowledge over magic to benefit from them. Whoever if the same soldier were to wear a fully enchanted suit of armor, the collective energy demand would exhaust him, in the best case scenario or cripple him into a comatose state at the worst.

Lastly there was one thing that was bothering Alicia, the symbols on the enchanting table, she couldn’t shrug off the feeling that they were familiar somehow. Days later, she remembered where she saw them before. These symbols seemed awfully similar to the scribblings she saw on the papers and on the suit of “Johnny.” With this revelation, Alma clarified that the “Language” used in the enchanting table to be an extremely simplified version of what was known as the Messenger’s tongue. This new version was called Enochian or the Angelic script by some. These were more or less poems or instructions, seemingly directed at… a group of something. And could almost say pretty much anything, though it often followed a format of a prayer or a blessing. While Alicia was trying to ask Strega about what she knew of the Enochian. She received a telepathic note about an accident that occurred. Tesla, who was assigned to help develop a new design of clothing that was to be enchanted with more protection with help of Strega, informed her that the Enchantress fell from the small flight stairs of her home and hit her head unconscious and is recovering under the watch of Paxton. The accident was ruled to be caused by her lack of depth perception thanks to her missing eye.

Though the solution came quietly from a place both far and near.

The sound of ocean’s waves breaking on the cliff walls and the winds’ howling whisper dominated the desolate shore. A young woman stood at the precipice, brackish waves foaming far below her. She did not remember how came here, or what this place was. The sky was dark with no stars to keep her company, the ground beneath her lifeless and rugged, the water’s waves, black and seemingly bottomless, the horizon between the sea and the sky appeared non-existent. To landwards the very world itself seemed to fall apart and end. Lacking the courage to plunge herself into the abyssal waters and unable to embrace the end. She trudges through the thin shoreline inbetween. As soon as she starts to walk, she feels as if she had been walking for decades already without change. Was it pointless? If so, why was she going this path? Walking… walking… occasionally stumbling, walking… walking… an eternity seemed to pass by. But soon voices could be heard from inside the whistling winds and a vague silhouette of something was seen. With each step she took towards the object, the more clearer voices became. Before long, the indistinct silhouette was made out to be a structure of sorts. Closer now, the whispering voices became a singing chorus. Standing right infront of the structure, it was a temple of sorts, encased in rough hewn rocks. It was as if the temple itself was unearthed from some place belonging to the bowels of the earth.

Temple was pristine white with marble, and didn’t seem a day older from when it was made. Columns, stairs, wall engravings, inexorable force seemed to pull her in. The whitened walls of the sanctuary drowned out the sounds of the sea, fully replaced by the gentle chorus of a language unknowable. In its depths, doors to an altar room swung open inviting her in. At its center a huge eye of some titanic being stared at her. The sclera a void of darkness, the iris a swirling mass of clouds in constant flux, and the pupil a distant star burning with cold torpor. The endless depths of the iris was revealed briefly in the flashes of lightning that shot through the storming clouds. As soon as she stepped into the chamber she felt the gazes of innumerable beings resting on her. Although it was but a moment ago she was indoors, now she stood again at the edge of a precipice, cosmos unraveling before her, each star, a piercing gaze. If the huge eye was the Judge, they were the jury and she was on trial. Despite the outlandish circumstances completely divorced from any semblance of reality, she was all too tolerant - accepting even - of the absurd scenario. From the chorus, she could make out some glimpses of words that held meaning to her, broken and scattered.

“Leaven offshoot… house of magic… vow… duty… to  ones… service… be rewarded… equal… return… light… treason… lament… take the ƨ͠͏̸̶̸̷̢̡̧́́̕͢͢͟͜͢͏̶̴̵̸̢̨̡̧̢̛̛̀͘͢͏͟͜ớ̸̵̡͠͝҉̢͜҉̛̀͢͞͏̶̷̸̡̛́̀̀̕̕̕͝͝͝͝͏̴́͟͢͏̷̸̵̴̷̸̷̨̨̛̛̛̀́͘͢͟͜͞͠͡҉̢̀̀͝͠҉̵̴̢͘͘͝͝n̴̷̵̷̡̡̨̕͟͜͢͝͡͝ɼ̸̸̷̴̸̵̴̴̷̶̷̷̢̨̢̧̧̡̧̛̀̀͘͟͜͢͟͜͢͡͞͡͠͝͏̸̷̢̀͠͞͏̧͘͠͡͏… leave the body… dark… devoid… intruder…”

They all shushed in an instant, creating a deafening quiet, with only those words making any sense. A shooting star fell from the sky, landing before her, tumbling and rolling infront of her. A perfect sphere of dark marble enshrouded in flames of green. A time was given for deliberation, it was of no shortage in this realm. An offer was made, an answer awaited. The boon of the ʎ̶̡̧̀͟͞͞͞҉̷̵̵̸̵̶̡̧̛̀́͢͢͠͞͝͡͏̶̵̸̨̡̡̡̀͢͢͢͢͠͞ʇ̵҉̷̵̨̡́͝͡͞͏̢̢̧̛̀̀͢͏̡͝͝͠d̵̷̷͘̕͝͝͠҉̸̵̴̷̶̵̧̨̢̨̢̧̕͘͟͢͏̀͢҉̧́͏̷̸̸̛̕͢͜͞͞͏̷̸̷̸̧̢̛͡͏̡̨̢̛̛̛͢͢ɯ̸̵̧́͟͠͡͠ǝ̵̴̸̨̡́́́́͘͘͜͜͡͝͡͡ ones was both a gift and a promise, a promise of repayment in dear should one let slip their pledge. For her though, there wasn’t a reason in the world that could make her cross her new masters. Their gift was everything she could have ever wanted for. In not even a second of hesitation, she grabbed the burning sphere and stuffed it inside the cavity that once housed her eye. The coal that it was, burning inside her head, searing pain overwhelming her.

In the brief time Strega was unconscious from her fall, Alicia received an unusual report from Paxton.

Alicia could feel her understanding of the world slowly degrading into a puddle mud.

Following are the excerpts of writing neatly compiled by ordinal Tesla.

We've been entrusted with creating clothing that can shield humanoids from harm, for their bizarre anatomy places the hardened skeleton on the inside, foregoing its protective embrace. Instead relying on a thin flexible membrane called skin. As a result, they must rely on “attire” for external protection and temperature regulation. While I find their flaws pitiful, I believe there is merit in researching their creations for we too could benefit from it, partly as in our true forms our upper halves share the very same weaknesses. A trade off for more access to magic and quicker cognitive functions of humans. Caulforst? Whatever it was, she goes by the moniker Frost now. Unfortunately my proposal to turn her into a capacitor for static electricity has been shut down by our Lady. Shame, she would have been far more useful to me as one. Besides my failures, she became my test subject for creating a suitable clothing fit for our mistress.

Unfortunately the subject is not compliant tearing away most early prototypes, permission to sedate using both restrictive cocooning and envenomation with paralyzing neurotoxin was denied. Regrettably I have been commanded to acquiesce to her complaints. Troubling.

I have gained some insight as to how to make improvements to clothing from my time working with the… fuzzy feline. It appears that most clothes for the Lithiline are far too restraining. Likely due to their flexible nature. Extreme elasticity and breathability is a bare minimum for them to put on the clothing. Additionally any clothing that is too form fitting is also inadvisable no matter how elastic it is, leading me to believe that all Grimalkin are an extreme example of negative thigmotaxis. Opposite to our nature, how baffling.

With my new discoveries I have woven clothing of acceptable quality from both me and Frost. The original design was inspired by the uniform used by female maid servant’s from our Mistress’s knowledge. Surprising amount of thought had gone into its construction, though I had to make a few amendments to fit the Grimalkin.

Firstly, the headband has been completely discarded. The feline does not like the feeling of it.

Second, the weave structure has been greatly reinforced with the new alternating designs, this version has significantly improved tensile strength against any stabbing and cutting attacks. Small scrapes and scratches will never damage the structure. The extra tensility of the material still allows for near-unhindered movement, even by the flexible standards of Lithilines. Though blunt force trauma still remains a problem. Current iteration of using Tornitua wool padding to dissipate the force has rendered the uniform too bulky and hindered the breathability of the silk making it far too hot for the Grimalkin.

Lastly, the length of the apron and the dress has been greatly shortened to end just above the knees, sacrificing the area of protection to only the flanks to improve movement range. The major arteries coursing through the thighs are still somewhat protected. Suboptimal result, as it leaves the shins bare, however with the natural agility of the Lithilines, this hopefully will not become a problem. This is only for Frost as future uniforms will be full length.

Strega. Human witch. Artificer of sorts. Able to imbue magic to materials and attire alike to enhance their parameters. Useful. It appears that I have found my breakthrough needed.

There is a large time gap between the second part of excerpts. It involved a few depictions similar to patent illustrations. While Alicia or any of her familiars may not have the need to feed, there are still many staff working inside her residence that do. The servants of the mansion had been given the following uniform as part of their employment. The high quality of the product meant that it was a cherished and proud possession of anyone, including noble girls.

The enchanted maid servant’s uniform. In use for the Ordinals and general staff.

Headband.

Nickname: The HALO

A circlet in the guise of a headband for soaking up sweat. Five ornamental crystals are in fact cut and polished void crystals each with their own functions. Each crystal can be swapped out depending on the needs of the circumstance.

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C1 - Left most and C5 - Right most crystals serve as capacitors. Extracts void energies and act as batteries for the rest of crystals and uniform wide enchantments. Necessary for humans and other less magically attuned individuals. Can be replaced with crystals with more practical utility for other users.

C2 - Median left - Auxiliary unit Ⅰ - Enchanted with Respiration, filters airborne toxins and contaminants, provides oxygen in areas where there are none, allows for near aquatic breathing, Serenity to prevent any mind altering effects and Arresting to mitigate damage from any fall related damage. - Specifically added by request of Alicia due to the incident involving Strega.

C3 - Central - Spellbound with Safeguard spell - Activates only on emergencies and attacks aimed towards the head and neck. Acts as the “helmet” for this “armor.” Can be used to form a body-wide shield if necessary.

C4 - Median right - Auxiliary unit Ⅱ - Enchanted with levity to reduce mass of the headband to near weightlessness, Preservation to repair any damage and protect the integrity of the unit as a whole and Restoration to preserve life of the wearer.

Due to the power and value of the circlets, most human other wearers are not informed the full details of the enchantments and capabilities of the HALO as to discourage any unnecessary risk seeking behaviors. As requested by Lady Alicia.

Dress and Apron

Nickname: The Temple

Both attires have been enchanted with Protection, Preservation and Levity.

Additionally, the dress has been enchanted with Empowering and Invigorating to improve working hours and physical capabilities of the user for tasks requiring strength. On the other hand the apron has been enchanted with Accelerating and Fixating for better handling of tools, maintenance, cleaning tasks and cooking.

Likewise to the HALO, full specifications of the Temple are not known to the staff using them. But according to preliminary tests and a few incidents being observed. Together the uniform alone can elevate any average human to an equivalent level near peak performing mid-high tier guild Agent. In combination with any potential the user had as a baseline, even more. Inventory management of the uniforms for this reason is strictly monitored.

Classified

Stockings and Suspenders

Nickname: The Foundation

Enchanted with Protection, Preservation and Levity. In line with Temple pieces. Originally intended for Frost as her clothing left the legs in need of additional protection. Seemingly innocuous white undergarments created in secret to complete the uniform of the Grimalkin as her shins were left unprotected by the earlier designs. Continued to be manufactured after unexpected popularity among human females, that spread to other races as well it seems. As it is not part of the set, it must be requested by the user as an additional piece through Strega who will then request the base from me.

Because it was not streamlined by myself as I saw no further need to pursue the article, there is some headroom for additional enchantments without overloading the capacitor crystals. These too can be added at request.

However recently I started to question the practicality of the added functions desired by the humans, as they are not in line with either protection or thermoregulation as intended. Aesthetic choices of adding textures and designed holes and perforation to increase “allure” have become a trend lately. I also suspect Witch to be adding non-standard enchantments to them as well. Additional piece of enchantment similar to Invigoration seems to be added for stamina but for a different kind from the usual one provided by the former Enchantment.1For longer sexual stamina Other peculiar enchantments were the addition of Fulmination - Enchantment used to intensify Lightning type spells and magic and Aeration for the same effect except for Air type. Fulmination when used improperly is apparently used to send electrifying gratification at an end of certain activity.2Sends electrifying pulses at the climax While Aeration is used to quickly dry out sweat and clean  undesired fluids.3Dry out sweat, cooldown body somewhat as well as to dry out any bodily fluids excreted and ejected on.

It seems that there is still more to learn about clothing, needs further research.

- Tesla

Auratic

I am late but I do have something interesting to show you all. I recently gained access to OpenAI's Dall-E 2 Image generator. After some fiddling I did what any other broke author would do, make the robot do free illustrations. It's not what I hoped for, (especially after burning an ungodly amount of credits to do so) but it's the best I could do with after strangling the AI twenty different ways. But here it is anyways, it is by no means canon or final but it should give a strong impression of how I envisioned them to be.

Alicia - As imagined by an A.I

I highly recommend that you do not zoom in too much as that make the flaws of the generation even more prominent.

There's another generation where I tried to make the A.I generate a more... Anime-style facial features. It didn't go well, at all. It also needs to climb out of the uncanny valley too. If you want to do mental damage to yourself with a borderline DeviantArt OC. Then go ahead

I tried to get a Neutral/resting smile, but the A.I needs to learn what a smile is, Period. Some of the other generations legitimately looked like it was making an impression of Momo doll, sculpture or whatever it's supposed to be. Also it conveniently ignored blue eyes in almost all the generations. Too many prompts makes it difficult to focus I suppose.

I will get my next set of credits to play with at the end of the month, which I will be definitely using for more of these. And hopefully open A.I then will have made some great improvements to the generation algorithm by then. Since I am also part of the Dall E discord I can share other people's posts and generations too if anyone wants it.

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