The Unique Properties of Dark Magic

by Shadestyle

(Weiss Report) A Brief Report [Hoi-Poi Capsule]

Interestingly, this exact entry is also in the Grimoire Noir, aside from some modified wording and a different production method. I guess he decided it wasn't worth keeping it a secret.

Oh, this one's about capsules. Yes, Weiss stopped trying to hide them when Luna managed to replicate the effect using some of her own spellcraft. I'm told it was quite embarrassing.

---

Entry Number Twenty, Day Two-hundred-and-eighty

I've recently managed to devise a consistent way of triggering portal eruptions with the Homeward Portal spell, with the help of my R&D Dudes. A small capsule filled with a coiled up portal and equipped with a high pressure explosive is sufficient to cause the capsule to explode, and swap a massive chunk of space around it with space from one of my storage bays. What this means is that I can functionally store massive objects in such a way that I merely need a capsule on hand in order to bring it to my location.

I've decided to name em Hoi-Poi Capsules, all things considered.

As useful as these are, I'll probably only be using them for emergency situations. I might distribute a few tank capsules to my guards here and there, in case they need sudden firepower or something. It would be best to keep their usage to a minimum, though. An advantage like this is one that works best when your enemy isn't aware you can do it. Some Tank, Fortress, and Ration Capsules distributed to my scouts will be a worthwhile investment, I feel, just in case one of the scouting vessels encounters problems that their on-board weapons can't handle.

I've got it set up right now such that a capsule activates under one of two circumstances, either when you crush it, or press the button on top of it twice and throw it. Just to prevent any accidental misfires.

In theory, this should allow anyone to access anything from anywhere, but in practice, it only has a range of a few hundred kilometers. Anything more would require a larger capsule, and an obscenely powerful portal bound up in it, which is beyond my powers right now, without a supremely strong Vance to back it up. In theory, at least, a true dragon would be able to produce Homeward Portals of phenomenal strength and density, but I worry about the consequences of trying to coerce Dr. Real's kids into learning it, just to accelerate my war engine.

As potent as they are now, I shouldn't need more than I have, it's not like I'll be needing portals outside of the Frozen North any time soon.

---

Wait, Princess Celestia, how can this be so? I've seen Weiss drawing resources from portals nearly constantly, many of which no longer exist in the modern era. Have his powers grown that drastically, since then?

I'm afraid that may be my own fault. When Weiss was far more amicable with Equestia, he took a number of trips here for various reasons. I had always suspected him of hiding caches of resources in various places, but had no real reason to stop him at the time.

And later on, no real way to find the caches after his imprisonment.

It's likely that he's been drawing from these small pockets of emergency materials to fuel his current efforts, as even with a Hellfire powered ship, it would take weeks to travel to the Frozen North to access the lion's share of his wealth.

He really had fingers everywhere, didn't he?

Indeed he did. And now he's reaping the rewards of his preparation. Something even I fail to do, as much as I should afford to.

---

The capsules still carry the same, annoying weakness as before. A portal rupturing can only take nonliving subjects in it's field of effect. Due to this, capsules aren't able to "store" troops or creatures of any kind. They're simply ignored or safely moved out of the way by a capsule going off. While this means I don't need to devote time or resources to making the capsules safe for my own troops, it also means that I can neither move them using capsules, nor can I use the capsules in an offensive manner, such as via the classic "Teleport someone directly into a room full of flaming lava spike sharks with laser eyes" tactic. The most classic tactic of them all.

In summation, the slow march of magical technological progress continues on, just not at the rate I would like.

Other things I've been considering are creating "capsule guns". Not in the sense that they fire projectiles, but in the sense that they use a magazine of capsules implanted in a golem to allow it to immediately hotswap components by activating the capsules. Such that if a golem took damage, it could instantly teleport in new, fresh components to replace the damaged ones, or, if it faced an opponent whose weaknesses did not suit it's current weapons loadout, that it could simply replace it's weaponry with ones that are far more effective.

The most important thing this would require is an understanding of how portals determine the range and dimensions of their teleporting radius when one ruptures. If I could control and shape this area of effect, I could achieve precise and consistent teleports, rather than the broad, room-sized spheres that I've been getting when rupturing a portal. I'm unsure how I might achieve such an effect, but I suspect the answer may lie in refining my portal-weave technology to a greater degree than before.

---

To think, even when Weiss releases creations like these to the public, he retains so much more of their potential in his sleeves. Nothing is taken for granted, and every flaw in a spell is merely another tool to him.

I dare say this style of magical research, if nothing else, gives me the desire to look back on spells that I myself know of.

Did you have something specific in mind, Princess?

Oh nothing specific, no. Though Twilight recently suffered the side effects of a misused spell which has given me a few ideas.

Comments

[Chibalt]

Got to say, the approach of looking at the flaws of spells and figuring out how to turn said flaws into improvements is definitely a good approach to have, Celestia might come up with some interesting things with that bit of inspiration.

[Fresnor]

It's not a flaw, it's a feature.

[Mechanical Marvel]

A Brief Report

It took me entirely too long to get this.

[nighters]

hmm, I wonder if he petrifies some of the more rare things to hide and protect them? be it like those insects or maybe even rare herbs. can you petrify objects like magic objects like the elements did? I bet he has a doom prep center for end of the world scenarios

[Fireeaters]

That dragon ball tho

[Flameingmane]

9748010
says Claptrap

[Fireeaters]

I've just noticed you named one of the portal variants after the Dark Souls fth spell.

[Verdauga]

Hmm. So, when they translate and publish Weiss' bok, will it serve as the 'Proof' that Earth Ponies are using magic all the time?