In the Igneous Library

The Igneous Library, buried under the Fire Temple in Tolbana and only reachable via a complicated path, sits Schneider, one of Scale's flamier fighters. It may seem odd that the self-styled Exploder Wizard is Scale's librarian, but that's the case. He is currently sitting at a table under the central vault, he feels the light is best, and he seems to be researching something.

Ameia enters the Igneous Library for the first time in... well, a while now. She recalls that when it was first established, she visited it often, to borrow, but also as a contributor, using it as storage for the books she would find while exploring. These days, she keeps many of those books in her own home. Being here again among all those tall shelves and well-organised tomes, she wonders if she'd been a little selfish.

However, she has to remind herself, she isn't here for books this time. The librarian here is none other than Schneider, a Scale member with something of a reputation for flame-based combat.

She has her hands behind her back as she walks around the library, her head turning to search for the white-haired scribe. Eventually, she finds him at a table, reading.

"Knew I'd find you here," she says, walking towards him. Her platform shoes make dull thuds as they hit the floor.

Schneider looks up as Ameia addresses him and nods, he's often here, working on some new spell or other, or researching some obscure historial fact. He works with Uta's LOONS group, a cross-Alliance general research group, the ones that supplied most the library's books, the ones that weren't written or discovered by individual members.

"I am often here," he agrees with Ameia's statement. "Can I help you with anything?" He marks his place in the book he's studying with a small silver bookmark and rises to greet her. His own research, apart from his personal magical style, has been fairly broad, but much of it into the lore of flight, which is why he's also the headmaster of the Scale Flight School.

Ameia takes her seat on the other side of that reading table. Legs crossed, though he can't see that. For once, her outdated sense of fashion almost fits, among the library's wooden furnishings and leatherbound books.

"I believe I'm in need of some knowledge," she says. "Mainly, spells that I can use against other players."

She places her elbows on the table, head resting on her hands. "I don't have a great affinity for defense thanks to my classes, so I need disables, or attacks. What do you think?"

Schneider's magic is mostly geared around attacks, and his attack spells are widely known due to his participation in group efforts. Fire is the major theme, as might be expected if you know his source material, as he is of course an homage character, named and modeled after the famous Dark Schneider from that old show Bastard, from the 1990's. "I only have a couple spells I can teach," he explains. He doesn't teach his thematic spells, but he can teach the more general spells. "'Westelande Fire' is a bit like Greek Fire, it can burn underwater and should not be possible to extinguish or smother while the mana fueling it holds out, as it provides its own air." A class D fire, for those that care. "'Lesser Identification' is more of a research spell, but it can also be used to sharply focus an attack."

As for what he thinks, he considers, then says, "So you can win fights if you concentrate on high-damage spells, but you will need a way to shift back the balance if an opponent tries to spell-lock you." That is, something to do if your attack cards get taken away. "That's where these will come in useful."

Ameia listens carefully to his words and nods. "This Westeland Fire... it's like thermite, then, from the real world," she says. "And in practice, it provides a way to offend without using an attack ability. Sensible. As for Lesser Identification, it seems quite potent even when repurposed."

"What does it take to learn them?" she asks. "I'd like to do so as soon as possible."

Schneider nods gravely about Westelande Fire, and says, "That's a good analogy, though it's mostly magic elements rather than chemistry. I can teach them, but let me get things set up properly. If you meet me in Tolbana, up in the main town above us, that is, in two days, I will demonstrate and show you how to weave the artes."

Ameia leans back and thinks for a moment. "That works for me," she says. "Since it's Scale territory, nobody should care if we accidentally evaporate a few ponds, right?"

Her mouth turns up slightly, then she looks back at Schneider. "It's decided, then. I'll leave to your work for now, and see you there."