Lateral Movement

by Alzrius

174 - Incisive Insight

Controlling his thoughts was something that came easily to Lex.

Learning to contain large amounts of magical energy within purely-conceptual mental frameworks had required him to reorder his thought processes, a task he had been more than up to even as a colt. After more than two years of teaching himself to think in different ways, of expanding his mind to the point where he could store energy within the discrete boundaries of exactingly-structured ideas, manipulating his own conscious and deliberate thought processes had become second-nature to him. Now, he could pursue multiple lines of thought at once, maintain theoretical constructs that wouldn’t decay if he didn’t pay attention to them, and suppress associative links that he didn’t want to maintain.

None of those abilities were flawless, however. The same way that even the most proficient gymnast could still trip and fall, Lex still found imperfections within the structure of his own mind. Stray thoughts and unintentional associations could be banished with ease, but they still happened in the first place (to say nothing of that miserable tulpa the Night Mare had inflicted on him). Integrating new information with the sum total of his extant knowledge and extrapolating subsequent associations was still something that he needed to actively concentrate on, meaning that it was possible to overlook something if he didn’t know what to focus on (which he suspected he’d done with Block Party). Theoretical metrics could still fail when put into practical use due to unforeseen circumstances or insufficient data (such as how he hadn’t anticipated the backlash caused by his recent attempt to set up a recursive feedback loop between physically gathering magic and using that magic to enhance his physicality). Those flaws and more still dogged him, even after years of honing his mind.

But of all his limitations, none bothered Lex more than his inability to control his feelings the same way he could his thoughts. For all the structure and discipline he’d learned, none of it was useful for quieting the perpetual turbulence that his emotions seemed to roil in. The most he could achieve was ignoring his passions in favor of rationality, but he seemed to fail at that more often than he succeeded. It was a source of supreme frustration for him…something he knew to be ironic.

As such, Lex couldn’t help but stew in his own anger as he waited for Sonata to respond to his summons, growing more and more upset with every minute that passed. The fact that he didn’t know for certain that she’d been the one to enchant that mare did little to calm him, knowing that it was overwhelmingly likely that she was the culprit. And if she is, and she can’t cite an exigent circumstance to justify her actions, I’ll make her pay for committing such a heinous act! That was his duty, of course; whether it was killing another pony or abrogating their right to mental autonomy, those who committed crimes needed to be punished, and as the supreme authority in this place that responsibility ultimately fell to him.

“Sir?” came a voice from outside of the tent. “We were told to-”

“It’s about time!” snapped Lex, thinking that someone had finally brought Sonata to him. He was slightly chagrined a moment later, as a pair of doctors came in bearing a makeshift stretcher between them, realizing that they’d brought Block Party’s body.

Setting it down right next to him, the pair – both of whom he vaguely recognized, though he hadn’t bothered to learn their names – moved to stand on the body’s opposite side, slightly cramped due to the small confines of the tent. “We were told to bring this to you,” said one of them, the same one that had spoken to him from outside the tent.

Lex’s only response was a contemptuous snort. As though you needed to verbalize that, he thought scornfully. Why else would you have brought this here otherwise? He didn’t bother to say the thought out loud, however. Instead, he simply reached out with his telekinesis, lifting his haversack from where it had been placed at the far end of his sleeping bag. Even that was a struggle, his purple aura flickering as he held the bag aloft. Gritting his teeth, he maintained his hold on it as he opened the central flap and withdrew the gemstone he wanted, right on top thanks to the haversack’s magic.

Closing the flap, he all but dropped the haversack to the ground, not entirely succeeding in containing a strained grunt as he did so. It was only then that he held the gem – which thankfully was far lighter than the bag – and turned to look at Block Party’s cloth-covered body. “Pull back the sheet,” he ordered. One of the doctors instantly leaned down, taking a corner of the sheet between her teeth and pulling it back far enough to expose Block Party’s head. Lex sat up as they did, not wanting to entertain the notion that he was so weakened that he had to lie on the ground alongside a corpse. Although the effort left him breathing heavily, neither doctor offered him any assistance. A wise decision on their part, Lex decided.

Turning back to look at Block Party, Lex stopped for a moment. As trite as the sentiment was, he looked as though he were sleeping…almost. The doctors had either left his eyes closed or either taken care to close them again after they’d finished their examination. His jaw was closed tight, and although Lex had no formal knowledge of medicine, he knew that somepony had made sure to keep it closed until rigor mortis had set in so that in death Block Party wouldn’t be gaping awkwardly. But for all that, the illusion of peace was spoiled by the ugly rope mark around his neck.

“Show me his fore-hooves,” commanded Lex suddenly.

Both doctors flinched, more at the suddenness of Lex’s command than the specifics. “Sir?” one of them asked, confused.

“His fore-hooves,” repeated Lex. “Show them to me. Now.” The other doctor that was here was the one who told me about the condition of Block Party’s body, he thought darkly. It didn’t seem likely that her being enchanted had anything to do with that, but there were still too many questions about Block Party’s sudden death for that to be discounted. As such, everything that doctor had told him would need to be independently verified.

The two glanced at each other, then one of them bent down to pull back the sheet further. The other one’s horn lit up as he lifted the body’s forelegs and held the ends of them toward Lex. For a split-second he thought that the deceased stallion’s hooves would be unblemished…but no, just as the previous doctor had reported, they were injured. The wounds were awful to see, dark red abrasions that were completely dry without having scabbed over. Which means that they must have been sustained right before he died, Lex knew. So she wasn’t lying about that. Then why enchant her at all?

“Enough,” he announced. “I’ll preserve the body now.” Waiting until the two had replaced Block Party’s legs at his sides and stepped back, Lex chanted the short phrase to activate the spell contained within the gemstone, pressing a hoof against the side of Block Party’s face and letting the preservation magic flow over the corpse. “This will keep his body from decaying for ten days,” he announced. “Between now and then, I want you to find out if there’s anyone here you can release his body to.” He didn’t bother looking at the doctors as he spoke, instead placing the gem back in his haversack. It still had one casting of that spell left, though Lex knew that he’d need to cast it many more times before Vanhoover was habitable again.

The pair glanced at each other again, then back at Lex. “Um…what if we can’t find anyone?” asked the first.

The second one piped up as well. “Even if we can, what would they do with it? Ten days isn’t a very long time, and it’s not like there’s any way to properly dispose of-”

“We’ll start work on properly disposing of the body later,” stated Lex curtly, irritated that he was repeating what he’d already told that other doctor. Even if she was enchanted, having to explain what to do over and over felt hideously inefficient. “Now take that a-away…” He stumbled over the last word, suddenly feeling exhausted. He tried to lay back down, and all but collapsed into a supine position. It was only when the tent ceiling spun for a dizzying moment that he realized how badly he’d overexerted himself just now. Between his fatigue and the food he’d eaten, he could feel his consciousness starting to slip, and struggled to keep his eyes open. There’s still more that I have to do!

The doctors moved to pick up the stretcher, but Lex spoke up before they could leave. “Did Comfy Cozy lend her support at the field hospital last night?” That was the only other subject that he’d spoken to that other doctor about. It seemed less likely that she’d have been enchanted over something so trivial, but nothing could be ruled out.

“Who?” asked the doctor at the far end of the stretcher.

“The crystal mare,” replied Lex, too tired to even be annoyed.

Both doctors shrugged. “I didn’t see her, but there was a lot going on,” offered the one by Block Party’s head.

“I dunno,” offered the other, looking at her counterpart. “We all saw what she could do with those healing spells, remember? I’m pretty sure that if she’d been helping out, we’d have known about it. Certainly some of the ponies here would have made a big deal over it.”

“Hm, good point,” conceded the other. “I guess she wasn’t, then.”

Lex sighed. So that’s it, then. That other doctor had been enchanted to tell him that Cozy had been there when she hadn’t been, which made it even more likely that Sonata was the culprit. After all, Cozy’s helping out at the field hospital was a matter of principle as much as practicality; even if her not being there hadn’t changed anything, she still had a moral duty to help out in situations like this. Given how irrationally petty Sonata had been acting all morning – and that Cozy was completely removed from the mysteries surrounding Block Party’s demise – the odds were likely that his wayward girlfriend was behind this.

She might not be the only one, either. Sonata had walked in on the tail end of his ordering Aisle to inform Cozy that she needed to contribute, but she hadn’t seemed to understand what was going on. Although she might have figured it out on her own, her marked lack of intelligence or analytical skills made that highly unlikely to Lex’s mind. Which means that Aisle and/or Cozy put her up to this, he thought grimly. So now it’s a conspiracy. This would still need to be properly investigated, of course, but in all likelihood they were all going to need to be punished. Worse, news of their crimes would likely affect the camp’s morale. I’m trying to keep this place together, and not only are those imbeciles not helping, they’re actively making it worse! Even as exhausted as he felt, the thought made him grit his teeth. What could they possibly have been thinking?!

His eyes felt heavy, but Lex resisted closing them, knowing that there was nothing pleasant waiting for him in his dreams. At least Cloudbank is getting ready to head into Vanhoover. Now I just need to…I just need to take Severance back so that I can contact Tall Tale and have them send a ship. Thermal Draft can…go to Las Pegasus and talk to the farmers… No…that wasn’t right. The rich ponies and get a loan…get them here so I can get a loan…buy food from the farmers…they’re growing food they can’t use… His brow furrowed as he blinked blearily, his eyes staying shut for a several moments before slowly opening again. No…they’re not…

He was overlooking something again, he realized dimly. Some salient detail that he hadn’t properly processed…just like with Block Party but about the farmers north of here instead. They’re growing too much…can’t sell it here...have to send Cloudbank…Cloudbank to the bank…bank of clouds…clouds… His eyes, which had finally closed, suddenly snapped open. “Clouds!” he gasped, momentarily pushing back his exhaustion.

That was what he’d overlooked! Small communities like the farms to the north only kept a modest supply of rainclouds, replenishing them from the stock that Cloudsdale distributed to each of Equestria’s major metropolitan areas. But with what had happened to Vanhoover, that stock was likely gone, which meant that the farming villages wouldn’t be able to replenish their rainwater after they ran out. The farmers won’t be able to grow anything! There’s going to be a drought! he realized, a surge of horrified panic going through him. We have to contact Cloudsdale! Get them to come here and issue an emergency supply of rainclouds immediately! He tried to sit up, only for the attempt to fail as soon as it began, and this time the ceiling didn’t stop spinning. I have to…warn everypony… It was Lex’s last thought before he fell asleep.

When he woke up, he wasn’t able to breathe.

Author's Note:

Lex goes over what he knows, and at the last moment realizes what he missed before, only to pass out.

But what happened when he woke up?

Comments

[Not so New Brony]

Guess Lex should have listened to the doctor after all, though given the nature of what he realized, he must have forgotten how weakened he was in his panic. Then again, he could have simply tried to ignore it and power through it like he did when he conjured up all that food. And while I am worried that Lex exhausted himself to the point of unconsciousness, I'm admittedly more curious of what could have made him unable to breathe upon waking up.

Also, I like the fact that you used the absence of controlled weather to be the one thing that Lex and likely every other pony(and readers like me) overlooked. Unless the farmers rationed their rainclouds or were located near water sources(or an area that has wild clouds like the Everfree Forest for any desperate farmers), then I doubt there's going to be much food to purchase even if Cloudbank comes back with all the bits left in the banks.

[Booster Spice]

A great story is made in pointing out the bleeding obvious, when everyone else has totally missed it. Isnt that right Watson? Indupitably Holmes.

Clouds can also be used for bulk transport with cloudwalking spells which I would hope were low level given they are inate for several species.

Clouds , Eh? Typical, a right shower.

[Alzrius]

8564117 Lex regarded the medical advice he received as being little more than a guideline that wasn't applicable to the current situation; when there's a crisis going on, those who are responsible for managing it need to push themselves, is how he viewed it. Unfortunately, this led to him pushing himself too far, to the point where his repeatedly straining his already-weakened body caused him to finally pass out. As for what happened when he woke up...well, that's a mystery for now.

But yeah, the issue with the weather needing to be manually constructed has been a dangling plot thread for quite some time, obvious and yet unstated. Given season two's Hurricane Fluttershy expressly tells us that Cloudsdale is responsible for all of Equestria's rainwater (and, as per season five's Tanks for the Memories, snow), that makes it abundantly clear that those rainclouds are manufactured there and distributed throughout the land. We know Cloudsdale can move (Tanks for the Memories again), but since we don't see ponies going there every time they need to make rain or snow, that strongly suggests that it flies around Equestria, handing out pre-fabricated weather which is stored locally. From there, it was a slight educated guess to say that it doesn't visit every single village and town (Ponyville apparently being an exception, though that might be given its proximity to Canterlot) but instead drops their allotment off at major cities, where they are kept in depots to pass out as necessary.

If those are gone - and remember, Cloudbank spoke to this in chapter 92 - then there could be a major problem brewing for the entire region if they don't get some new clouds very soon.

[Alzrius]

8564141 Thanks! I thought the issue with the clouds was quite the fun twist, and I'm glad to see it's going over so well!

I once came up with a d20 adaptation for Twilight's cloud walk spell, and had it pegged as a 1st-level spell due to how easily she pulled it off (enchanting herself and several of her friends, whereas the spell she used to let Rarity fly was much more difficult for her). There's clearly some sort of object-oriented variant, since we have places like Cloudsdale where solid structures rest on clouds all of the time.

[Not so New Brony]

8564694
On the matter concerning Lex being unable to breathe and Block's death, I have a question, are there spells that have delayed reactions or have the trait of being triggered with magic?

I'm curious if the cause of Block's death was actually caused by hanging. But rather magically induced suffocation caused by the unknown necromantic magic Lex detected on Block before and was hung up afterwards. Of course, this doesn't rule out that whatever possessed Nosey didn't simply jump out of Block right after it made him hang himself but it would explain the wounds on his forehooves a bit better to me.

If the above theory is correct then Lex couldn't detect that magic is because it's been activated and went dormant only to be triggered again when Lex used the gem containing Everglow magic. And since Block was dead already, the spell might have latched onto Lex who was the closest to the body. The lack of air could have briefly gone unnoticed and would explain why Lex's thoughts were blurring.

Then again, this is just a theory that I thought up when I woke up this morning so some of my thoughts might not translate well.

[Alzrius]

8565247 The answer to your question is "yes, but..."

Without speaking to the specifics of your theory, I'll say that while I can't think of any spells that are "triggered by magic" off the top of my head (though I'm certain that there are some out there, if we include third-party products and materials from previous editions), the idea of spells that remain quiescent for long periods of time until a preset activation condition triggers them is easier to find. However, as with most things where magic in the d20 System is concerned, such spells have sharp limits.

The most well-known, and most flexible, instance of such a thing is the contingency spell, which allows you to cast another spell and have it be suspended for up to one day per caster level or until the activation conditions are met, causing it to automatically discharge (and, to be absolutely clear, this only allows the contingent spell to be enacted once, after which it's expended). However, there are any number of limitations here, the most notable of which is that you can only have a single contingency active at any one time (unless you have the Extra Contingency feat, but that requires you to be 19th level to take!). Moreover, it can only hold a spell whose spell level is no greater than one-third of your caster level (to a maximum of spell level six). The spell has other limiting factors, such as requiring a statuette of yourself as a focus component that costs 1,500 gp to make (though you can use it multiple times), a 10-minute casting time (so no setting up a contingency in combat), can only be cast on yourself, and the oft-overlooked clause that says "If complicated or convoluted conditions are prescribed, the whole spell combination (contingency and the companion magic) may fail when triggered." And, of course, this is a 6th-level spell to begin with, putting it out of reach until 11th level for wizards and 12th level for sorcerers.

These limits, as with so many things, reflect the underlying design philosophy of the d20 System rules. Having multiple - or even myriad - contingencies hanging off of a character allows said character to utterly wreck the action economy (that is, the limitations placed on how much a character can accomplish in a given span of time, typically a six-second round). Without restricting the number of contingencies a character can prepare, how strong a spell they can hold, and how long they last, then there's little reason for high-level characters not to have numerous contingent spells hanging off of them, all with long lists of activation conditions. Such a character, presuming that they've set enough contingent spells and have sufficient imagination, won't even have to spend an action on their turn in order to dominate the battlefield, allowing spells to go off on their own whenever an enemy trips a condition of activation. As cool as that is to imagine, it wreaks havoc on game balance, and so the system doesn't allow it.

There next-closest thing we have for those are the various symbol spells, such as symbol of death, symbol of sleep, symbol of fear, etc. These are spells can potentially last indefinitely until they're triggered, but their effects are set (unless you find/create a different symbol spell), and the triggering conditions are more limited, typically being restricted to how someone interacts with the rune in question (e.g. if they read it, simply see it, walk near it, etc.). Despite numerous messageboard arguments, the intent of such spells is pretty clearly that they be inscribed on an immovable inanimate location, rather than on, say, someone's shield (though even the "immovable inanimate" claused isn't ironclad enough, since I've seen people argue about placing symbols on a section of wall that is then carried around via shrink item).

There are a few metamagic feats that allow for spells to be made conditional, but Pathfinder has heavily limited the scope of these. The Conditional Spell and Contingent Spell feats are basically the only ones, and they heavily restrict what sorts of spells they can be used with, and how they're used. If I'm reading them right, they basically exist to allow lower-level options for using contingent spells than having to make use of a full contingency, but only for healing (and maybe buffing) spells.

Eclipse: The Codex Persona (the class-less character builder that I used to make Lex and Sonata's stats) has some greater flexibility where contingent spells are concerned (e.g. the Triggering metamagic theorem on page 60), but limits these much more sharply in terms of duration; 24 hours is the norm, though adding more metamagic can increase that time limit.

To put it another way, what you're asking about is possible, but it's not the sort of thing that can be done casually, due to issues of time, money, opportunity costs (i.e. what spell you make contingent), etc.

I have to ask though, how would your theory explain the wounds on Block Party's fore-hooves a bit better than the current theory of him trying to get the rope off of him in a panic?

[James Fire]

Hmmm... This sounds like trouble!

[Alzrius]

8747082 Isn't it always?