August Event Log

[magicademymods]

August Event Log Speed of Lightning, Roar of Thunder The latest rage in Diatu: portable lightning generators! These little spheres, compact enough to be held in the hand, can launch a miniature bolt of electricity out with flair and pizzazz and surprisingly nonlethal effects. Getting zapped is like getting bit by a horsefly, not much worse. Naturally, all sorts of sports and pastimes have grown up overnight. The new sports of Lightning Tag, Lightningball, and Zap Each Other With Lightning Till Someone Collapses Because We're Tough Guys Dammit routinely break out on campus, while people who think they're funny can't go ten seconds without bolting someone's posterior. So what's your role in this? Eager participant? Sportsman? Buttzapper? Or is your idea totally new and wild? And Break the Laws That They Should Fear A rash of thefts plagues Anastara and the Magicademy both. Nothing huge, nothing heavy -- little things, like food, jewelry, trinkets and knickknacks... because the perpetrators are rats. Large and obviously clever rats, who have somehow wormed their way through defensive enchantments and mundane security both with the fearsome tenacity of their species. Look around at just the right time, and you might spot a rat scrambling for the safety of the caverns, something clutched in its jaws. Maybe something of yours? The Cry Goes Up Both Far and Near Finals draw ever-closer, and right about now students start realizing that maybe they don't understand this or that; maybe they could do with some outside material; maybe a second viewpoint would come in handy. Thus this week brings the Diatu Book Exchange! Outside of the Great Hall, students of all sorts brings books they no longer need and exchange them for books they do. The Book Exchange goes past merely scholarly works, though; time has grown it to encompass books of all sorts, from genre fiction and unlikely stories about seemingly ordinary kids attending an engineering boarding school to comics to philosophical works and more. Come to trade, browse, or lust -- there's something here for everyone! Research on the SUNDERDOG! (Sunderdog!) SUNDERDOG! (Sunderdog!) The research team has learned one important thing: Conflict is the key. The Codification of Sundering is the door. Somehow, of late, something has changed the nature of Sundering magic. They do not know why or how, but the very existence of the concept of Sundering magic now causes summoning anomalies that focus on other worlds, resulting in the transport of the Sundered here. This is, well, bad. The Codifications should not be slipping, not unless something has the power to completely overwhelm the entirety of human thought and will... To test theory more deeply, this month's Research has the Sundered locked in a room with another Sundered, a pair of chairs, and nothing else. The goal is to observe the warp and weft of magic around them with minimal interference from any other source save perhaps each other. So who did you get shut in with, and how long can you just sit and talk without going crazy?

Comments

[nomoremistergneissguy]

"I probably won't," Cliff admitted to Hel, though he had a smile on his face. As the youngest son, he wasn't expecting much when it came to going home. Not that he was in a hurry to do that, either. He shrugged.

"So, does that mountainous mastiff belong to you?" He'd noticed the large dog. "He's almost as big as the Bladewolf..." Yeah, they'd probably rival each other, if they were set side by side.

"I don't know who thought this was a good idea. The lightning balls. I mean some people have made a game out of it, and Rounder's lady friend likes it, but..." This was a bit beyond him and his definition of 'fun'.

[paradoxical_personality]

His casual acceptance of it was only marginally irritating. Not that it took a lot to annoy Hel sometimes, especially when she was already stirred up. She on the other hand was always looking for a way to return home, since she had been on an important mission at the time.

"Mountainous.....?" Casting a sideways glance to Garm before responding. "Garm is tiny in comparison to Fenrir....." Not quite understanding the concept. Both dogs were under her charge but Fenrir wouldn't fit inside this building and as far as she knew had remained in her own realm.

"Anything of the like in the hands of imbeciles has the potential to become a nuisance." Cliff proceeded to list some exceptions but she didn't seem to care about those. "I'll be glad when that fad fades."

Grrr rooo
(.. I don't like the smell of this one, Master)

"Garm..... bad dog. Sit."

[nomoremistergneissguy]

"He's bigger than most dogs around here. And the Bladewolf is as big as a horse." At least. Probably even more when his 'fur' was up. Fur. More like metal spikes and blades--hence his name in the first place.

"Me too," Cliff admitted. It was a fad, thankfully, and probably would pass soon--save in the hands of the few who might use portable lightning spheres as power generators. That sort of thing was all right by him, so long as it didn't get out of hand.

Like lightningball kind of had, so far.

He wasn't sure what the dog--Garm? was saying--if those growls were legible to anyone but his mistress, but his demeanor was unmistakable and his protectiveness? Commendable, if you asked Cliff. He wasn't being bad, he was defending his mistress from an unknown--even if Hel knew Cliff, and put up with him...

"Aw, don't say he's bad. He's protecting you, he doesn't know me like you do!" He did realize that Garm was protecting her, and so Cliff wasn't about to make any movements that might seem threatening to either of them. "Lady Hel, could you make my acquaintance to your loyal protector?"

[paradoxical_personality]

"He is looking a little larger than normal......" Hel surmised as if she hadn't noticed before. "I'm going to have to inspect your collar later." Garm's collar was supposed to suppress most of his powers and ergo seal him into a more petite form, one where she could hold him in her arms if she wanted. "The transportation process must have had an adverse affect on it's powers too..."

If Hel got her hands on one of those balls herself, she might keep one only as a minor self defense.

Hel and Garm had always been able to understand one another, but really most people couldn't decipher his barks. Sure guarding her was the beast's job but it was unnecessary right now.

Whimper, whimper
[If his behavior hadn't given it away already the whimpering surely would. Garm didn't like being snapped at]

"It's your face he wanted to rip off-" She replied plainly."Besides, you have to be firm with Garm or he won't listen." It was kind of nice that Cliff was willing to defend her helhound but she thought she knew best. "He doesn't take to strangers well....even the rune knife wielder had to have time for Garm to warm up to them." Not sure if it was the right time to really introduce them. Then she sighed and rolled her shoulders. "Garm, this is Cliff... Cliff this is Garm. No mauling."

[nomoremistergneissguy]

"That might've been a bit difficult to get over, that's true. I'll thank you kindly to not bite my face off, Sir Garm, considering I've nothing but the highest respect for your mistress." Cliff couldn't really decipher Garm's barks, either, but he'd had a bit of experience with body language, first with the Bladewolf (but his uncle could talk), and then with Rounder, even though his familiar was just a sphere.

Even that was some practice. Still, he gave Garm a respectful bow. He wasn't sure Garm could understand him, either, but he'd do his best to give the hellhound the respect Cliff felt he was due.

"I won't push him." As it was, Cliff was giving Garm quite the respectful distance, and he wasn't trying to get too close to the Aesir, either. He'd take Hel at her word. "And, yes, please no mauling!"

[paradoxical_personality]

"You think-?" Although she appreciated that Cliff now was more aware of the potential danger of a disgruntled helhound. Plus it never hurt to throw in that line about having the highest respect for her. This Bladewolf sounded like an interesting beast in it's own right but it was not here for visual comparison. Rounder, was generally accompanying Cliff so she was more acquainted with him.

To Garm's credit he didn't lunge at the boy, though his eyes still scrutinized him. Oh- yes Garm was well versed in the human languages so there was no barrier there.

Ruff ruff grrr woof
(He might have a silver tongue Mistress, but he smells of dirt)

"So....?" Hel narrowed her eyes and looked to Garm to explain that statement. Then to Cliff, "If you're patient he might come around." Which Cliff usually was.

Whimper
(Not even a little mauling?)

"No. behave yourself.... it's bad enough that you followed me here." Hel reprimanded. "You should have remained guarding Helheim awaiting my return."

[nomoremistergneissguy]

Hey, it was true. Cliff did respect Hel, who'd never given him a real reason not to. Oh, she was haughty, it was true, but it wasn't as if he'd met a dozen other girls who were like that, where he came from--and they were putting on airs. At least in her own realm, he figured Hel had the power to back it up. And Monarchs respected that sort of thing. Not silly, vapid chits who thought they had temporal power. On Cliff's world, magic was what mattered.

"Like I said, I don't have to push him. Hopefully he'll judge me by my actions." Cliff gave another slight bow to Garm, at that. It didn't take him being in Gekronus Maius to know etiquette and be polite. Even if his mother hadn't pounded that into his thick skull, Cliff liked being polite and courteous to people, so it wasn't difficult to judge that his words were honest.

Even if he did smell like dirt.

[paradoxical_personality]

Cliff had been awfully understanding about the whole "Ymir"/cloth of infinity thing........ His assessment of Hel was correct. In her own realm she would be a veritable force to be reckoned with should one get on her bad side, or threaten her people. She even had a curse in her arsenal that was capable of killing a fellow Aesir... who were nearly immortal in their own respects. Using it on a human would be nearly instantaneous demise, but an Aesir would suffer for a spell as their energy was depleted. It wasn't a power she used hastily. COUGH.... usually. There was that one time but the Valkyrie, Skuld, had been very understanding too and thanks to the rune knife wielder she survived.

Garm had no response to her follow up question, as she'd expected. The earthen smell, though peculiar to this beast was not alarming in anyway to his mistress. It would be perfectly normal for Cliff.

Ru-ruff!
(You just watch your step!)

With that last incomprehensible warning to it's intended target Garm tried his best to comply with his orders. Still keeping close to Hel he stifled his yipping and growling. Hel for her part rolled her eyes and shook her head, secretly it did make her feel pleased to have her dog with her again.

"He should be settled down now." Letting Cliff know there was no longer an immediate threat. ".. I get the feeling he's going to be a handful though..."