July Event Log

[magicademymods]

July Event Log A Reading Rainbow Though the publication is ordinarily drier than dry toast Modified to be drier than dried toast, this quarter's issue of Thaumaturgy Today is all the rage around campus. The reason: a series of advances in motile spells! Easier and more powerful than those found in your standard book of spells (any grade), these spells achieve their power by specificity. One spell for lifting fruit, one for lifting laundry, one for lifting books, the list goes on. Though Professor Loshakle is deep at work writing a blistering reply criticizing every nuance of these spells, outside of his wrathful gaze the spells flourish as people practice them on everything they can. Copies of the issue are easy to get your hands on, if you want to give these new spells a whirl. On the other hand, your stuff or you yourself might fall victim to the spells of other students, whether by mistake or cruel jest. And woe betide those not human -- since no spell explains how to lift an anthropomorphic duck or a robot, for example, enterprising students are particularly eager to come up with one on their own, and there's only one way to test such things... It's Raw, You Donkey! There was an incident. Mistakes were made. Rice balls were detonated. Puddings were animated and sent on rampages. A cheesebread was found lodged in Makerion Keep, sunk to a depth of three feet in the walls. Whatever happened, and no one seems to have details... the Great Hall is closed and no food is being served. So... what're you going to eat? Several pop-up stands have emerged, as enterprising students try to cash in, but that costs money and who knows how the quality is. Headmaster Birony keeps showing up with pies, having made several savory ones that taste really good, actually, but can you really live on pie alone? (And do you really trust Headmaster Birony?) Some students have taken to the ultimate last resort: cooking. As it happens, the skills of the chef and of the aspiring mage are not exclusive in principle, but generally learning the one means little time to devote to the other. Faced with an oven or a grill, can you muster up the capability to make something edible? Or will you burn the water and turn bread back into grain, and thus have no choice but to avail yourself of pricey booth cooking or Cam-pies? Of course, the Great Hall will PROBABLY be open again soon, you might be able to last until then... The Defense Association In light of certain recent activities, like horrible monster attacks, Professors Trammel and Kith have teamed up to provide self-defense lessons to students who so desire. Purely optional, this extra class at the end of the school day promises study in shields, wards, basic attack spells, and mobility spells (because sometimes the best thing is to run like heck). Needless to say, these classes are quite the adventure! Students find themselves in dueling circles quite frequently, expected to carefully deflect each other's spells. Hopefully you've got the knack of it; the practice spells they have taught you don't cause any harm, but they sting like the dickens! Research on the Sundered Conflict. Conflict seems to be key. As near as the researchers can tell, all the Sundered lead lives that are simply not ordinary, and their experiments in conflict from last month produced results they didn't expect (as you all have learned) but that are most promising. Professor King herself has taken the lead on this experiment, and she warns anyone who volunteers that it is likely to be very dangerous, and they will be taking this very slow. They are, she explains, going to try to bridge the gap between you and the world you came from. A SMALL bridge, a proof of concept, no portal home and celebrations yet. But they hope it will work, and be the first step towards getting you back where you belong. If you agree, they get to work. Any student who undergoes this process immediately regains a power of their choice. It does not have to be on their application, and you do not have to provide proof during AC. It's here now. Only if you do not have a power to regain, you may regain an item instead. The price? For the next three days, you will be haunted by visions of your greatest enemy, your most hated foe, or the person you least wish to see in the world. Perhaps you hear their laughter in the darkness of your room at night. Perhaps you see a fellow student as them. Perhaps they are taunting you from just behind your shoulder... Whatever form it takes, for three days, you will be at their mercy. Or the mercy of your own mind's imagining them. Or perhaps a combination of the two. Who can say...?

Comments

Research

[unswervingcompanion]

The knight had just finished taking a shower and was walking along a path. As he was about to get back to his room, he remembered that he'd forgotten a book. So he turned around and went right back for it.

Lightning lit the sky and Hendrik had a feeling he needed to find the Luminary. So he did double-time in order to locate his charge. He kept moving and felt like it was his first day here that he'd seen Eleven, chasing after him as he had been.

Finally, his blue-green eyes saw the boy in question and knelt before him. "Are you alright?"

[bearshermark]

"Hendrik," Eleven breathed, staring past the man at the fallen figure on the ground. It wasn't Mordegon. Robes in Valhudor's colors.

"Hendrik, I- that's, that's a student I just.." His heart seized. "We need to get him to the infirmary. Quickly!"

[unswervingcompanion]

Turning around, the knight saw the figure in question. He had no idea what had happened, but he knew that he had to get the student some aid.

Standing quickly to his feet, Hendrik gingerly gathered the sttudent to him and cradled the person up in his arms. And then he nodded to the boy.

"Lead the way Luminary."

[bearshermark]

Eleven faltered, then nodded and whirled back into the school proper, trying to remember the quickest route to the infirmary. But it was a consideration that seemed distant and less important than Mordegon's sudden appearance. The stretch of his smile- that exact smile- played over in his mind's eye.

He'd been so sure- his fear so terribly cold. His fingers still quaked with it.

"Here," he said, turning against the wall with the door held open rather than going in himself. "He was hit by lightning, tell them. I didn't.. it's my fault."

[unswervingcompanion]

Hendrik kept time, but he had to go easier, keeping the unconscious student's safety in mind. He didn't quite know how to not jangle the person in his arms at times and he winced when he thought he was doing more harm than good.

The knight's blue green eyes slid over to Eleven who sounded panicked, but he brought the student in, explaining to the staff that he'd been hit by lightning.

To his amazement, the medical staff didn't even question him or the story. The lightning part was true, he'd just omitted how it had happened. And once the student was out of his arms, he told them that he would be outside, waiting.

Coming out the door now, Hendrik looked at the Luminary. He closed it behind him and nodded. "They seem to think that he will pull through."

[bearshermark]

Eleven pressed a hand to his chest and let out a slow sigh. "Thank Yggdrasil."

He shook his head, feeling the weight of Hendrik's eyes and dragged his fingers through his hair. "I haven't.. been sleeping well since- for a few days. I thought- I mean I saw.." His heart picked up speed again just thinking about it. "I- I swore it was Mordegon. The mark glowed and I summoned lightning, but it was just- just.. a student."

[unswervingcompanion]

"Mordegon." Hendrik snarled the accursed name, but his concern was more for the boy who seemed lost and shaken. "If you have seen him was he actually here? Or was it another one of your dreams or visions?"

The knight was familiar with this, with the Luminary having seen his childhood with Jasper. But then he shook his head. "Maybe all you need a good night's rest if this is what the cause of everything is."

[bearshermark]

He blinked, fingers curling into a fist and dropping to his side.

"I don't- I don't know. I just.. panicked. A vision, I guess. If he's really here, I don't think- I'm not ready."

His breaths came a little quicker, suddenly quite concerned that he might really have appeared or that his vision was a premonition of his arrival.

"There was- the researchers said they were trying to bridge the gap, but," Eleven moaned, knees sinking to the floor and hands sliding into his hair. "What if that means he finds this world? Goddess. What have I done?"

[unswervingcompanion]

Hendrik reached a hand out to place on the Luminary's shoulder to steady him.

"If you face him, remember that you are not alone here. I am here as your..companion. I shall be here to defend you and we shall face him together. Do not forget that you are not alone here."

The knight meant every single word. And when Eleven went down, Hendrik stood a moment undecided. And then he went to one knee, keeping both of his hands on the boy. "You have done nothing. His evil may spread everywhere, but we will send him back."

[bearshermark]

Eleven's body leaned toward Hendrik as his mind worked desperately to find comfort in any of the words offered, but the idea of Mordegon consuming this world pits him deeper into despair.

"Can you be sure, Hendrik? I'm not Darkspawn, but Mordegon's shadow follows me still, and I keep making mistakes that end up hurting people. I just attacked a student. If he conquers this world too, I don't think I can.. I can't.. I'm just not strong enough."

[unswervingcompanion]

"I am sure that my faith and trust in you is not misplaced. And if I recall correctly, Yotsuyu said you would make mistakes due to being human, correct?" It was hard sometimes to be the singular source of comfort at times, but Hendrik had signed up for all of this and he would fulfill his duties.

"You can, and you are strong enough. But we do not even have solid proof that he is here. Unless there is something that you are not informing me of."

[bearshermark]

He shook his head and tried to convince himself that was true. Mordegon wasn't really here, no matter how real the vision had looked.

"No.. But I wonder if it wasn't a warning."

[unswervingcompanion]

"A warning.." That sounded ominous and Hendrik stood, taking a look around as if Mordegon or Jasper would appear suddenly. But there was nothing and he fixed his gaze back onto his charge.

"Then we shall be more cautious." That also meant the knight would be doubling his guard.

[bearshermark]

Eleven nodded, jaw clenching as he attempted to muster the strength to stand. He felt so terribly weak. Mordegon wasn't even here, but already he tasted defeat just through visions of his menace.

The chilling realization that he wouldn't be able to live with himself if he failed twice. Once had already nearly destroyed him.

He shuddered and forced himself to stand. "How can we be more cautious?"

[unswervingcompanion]

"Keep a better eye on our surroundings and the people we interact with." Hendrik watched Eleven stand but would be there in case the boy fell.

He sighed, figuring that he didn't need to go into a speech about how if he was needed he would be there and to come running to him if it was warranted.