"Fascinating" John sat down right there is a curious pose. He appeared to be pondering his situation. "For the Vanguard, you say? Unfortunate. I've got a bounty on my head. Accusations arose several years ago for those who wanted my seat on the Great Nine. 'Black Magician', 'Light Eater', 'Worse than Yor'. How have you not heard?" He rose again and sheathed his sword. He glanced at the Ghost that asked about his casting. "It was a good attempt but ultimately incorrect. It's only a filthy version of Nordic runes. Converted to English of course. The Irish have been known to speak it but not during the Golden Age." "Not the point. It's much more simple than an Oral cast. I simply channel my Light through these runes and use a Voice Command to sort them. In theory, I could master Direct Conversion by focusing the magical energy by using Spacial Distortion. But doing so would impede my abilities greatly. Humans have had access to the Light long before the Traveler, or at least versions of it." John lifted his arm and a small circle of runes began to orbit around hand. "The 'magic' I use is in the most literal sense. They are spoken words of power. They influence the universe directly rather than through a casting medium. By speaking them, I can influence the universe directly. However, I cannot control it. That's why my body is put under such strain. I am fighting Mother Nature herself by forcing my will into reality. And I must pay a toll each and every time."