October Event Log

[magicademymods]

October Event Log Fall Cleaning Suddenly and without warning, the lighting in or near every building on campus goes red. A second later, a deep alarm rises in volume as the buildings begin to shake. The faculty barely bat an eye as they direct students to get outside quickly. "Fall cleaning," they explain wearily to those students who have never experienced this phenomenon. Older students offer their own explanation as they move: at some point every fall the buildings of the Magicademy rearrange themselves so the cleaning golems can repair their foundations, tend to the ground around them, keep them from sinking into the caverns, that sort of thing. Totally harmless. Well, until you realize no one knows where your House tower went. Or till you need to get to class promptly except Kedrigan Hall is in the middle of a lake somehow. Or till the Library of Starchime is down in the middle of the lab caverns and you have to try to study while students practice magic in the aisles. But it's okay! This will only last for a couple of days! You can get by, right? The Bonfire To say goodbye to the warmth and hello to the frost, the Magicademy celebrates the changing of seasons with a great bonfire. A massive conglomeration of burning wood sends flame licking up some sixty feet into the air, and the warmth pouring from the huge fire wards off any hint of cold from those nearby. By tradition, the bonfire burns till morning, and many students have bedrolls or tents or even straight-out beds parked nearby so they can take their spot in keeping it lit. Others have brought food and drink, enough to selflessly share with everyone. The whole things is one big party, really; House rivalries and personal animosities and music duels are all set aside for a night as the campus unites in solidarity. It's one of the nicer times you could ask for. This Is Halloween Bad news. Terrible news. The worst news imaginable. Headmaster Birony has found out about Halloween. Diatu Magicademy is nothing but orange and black now. Carved pumpkins wander the campus and aggressively pose for anyone who glances their way (or doesn't...). Spiderwebs litter every hallways and passage, complete with spiders that patiently move their webs out of the way and sincerely apologize for the inconvenience with a sort of weariness that says they know exactly who to blame for this. A twelve-foot-high menorah sits in the Great Hall, leading some to suspect that the Headmaster's Intimations to learn more about the holiday did not produce universally-accurate results. Headmaster Birony herself patrols the grounds like a madwoman, slinging extra spookiness wherever she passes and occasionally Discovering costumes straight onto the innocent students she passes. "Spirit of the season!" she yells before fleeing, candy and toilet paper left behind in her path. If by this point you are questioning whether the Headmaster ever does actual work, rest assured you're not the first, nor will you be the last, to wonder that. Research on the SUNDERDOG! (Sunderdog!) SUNDERDOG! (Sunderdog!) This month's assignment, for those willing to undertake it: actually nothing disastrous! Instead, the researchers ask that you compare your world to another Sundered student's, then report back to them on the differences and similarities. They're most interested in magic styles, but anything you give them will have value!

Comments

[burningbrighter]

research

"So is there anyone I haven't already told about the whole horses turning into human girls through a mirror thing?" Sunset wonders aloud. "It's pretty weird, from what I gather."

And no she won't be giving a demonstration. She can't, sadly. But she can sure tell the stories.

nightmare night (halloween)

It's been a while, certainly. Sunset never really had time to celebrate Nightmare Night back home, not with all her studies, and she knew the human version of the celebration was slightly different. But that still didn't explain the headmaster's behavior.

She found herself in a floofy emerald green witch dress and floppy hat, brushing off the candy she'd been pelted with. She looked at her fellow students, bewildered.

"Does she think I'm going to eat her? I'm not Nightmare Moon! I mean...I was a demon once, I guess, but on Nightmare Night you only throw candy at people you're afraid of."

Nightmare Night

[talkyourwayout]

This time around, Louie's costume is a set of kingly robes and a (plastic) crown.

He could get used to this.

When he hears Sunset speak up, though, he glances sidelong at her. "Okay, there's nothing you just said that I don't have a question about."

Re: Nightmare Night

[burningbrighter]

Sunset just laughs and shakes her head. "We didn't have this Halloween back on my world. Our holiday was called Nightmare Night, in honor of the legend of Nightmare Moon. Many years ago, she betrayed our princess and was sealed in the moon for it. It was said that she created our nightmares.

By offering her candy, we were supposed to avoid torment. There were also costume contests and games for the fillies."

So your pretty standard day, in her opinion. "Nice crown by the way."

Nightmare Night

[stillnewatthis]

"Please explain your statements."

Seriously, Orisa did not understand and had so many questions.

Re: Nightmare Night

[burningbrighter]

"Oh...um, Nightmare Night is the holiday that's kind of like this from my world. Everyone dresses up in costumes and plays games, but it's all in honor of Nightmare Moon, the pony who betrayed our princess and got sealed in the moon."

She shakes her head. "The legend said she created all nightmares in the world, and if you gave her an offering of candy she wouldn't torment you."

[stillnewatthis]

Orisa attempted to file this into her database, but paused as she had to create a few new categories for it.

"And your statement regarding being a demon?"

[burningbrighter]

"That was...not my proudest moment," she continues. "I was jealous of Twilight Sparkle. I'd originally been training to become a princess, but my mentor saw that there was darkness in me and turned me away. I cooked up a scheme to steal the princess's magic back, but when I touched it...it turned me into a demon because I didn't understand friendship."

She shuddered. "I was willing to kill people to get them out of my way, at least until Twilight defeated me."

[stillnewatthis]

Orisa analyzed this.

"Ah, so you embarked on an incorrect path due to insufficient information. That is indeed a tactical pitfall."

research

[woo_oo]

"I could tell you about the magical horses in my world!" Webby offered with a smile. "Although most of them have tried to kill me."

[burningbrighter]

"...what? why?"

Sunset looks alarmed. Why would anyone try to hurt her friend?

[woo_oo]

"Well, the Headless Horse was bent on attacking people until we got him a head, then he was pretty chill. The Kelpies thought us drowning was a better alternative than us turning into stone... and I think the Unicorn was just grumpy."

Ducktales, woo-oo!

[burningbrighter]

"...unicorns can be grumpy. I should know, I am one."

Sunset winks at her and laughs. "But...how would you turn into stone? Was Medusa around?"

[woo_oo]

"No, we were stuck in a cursed alternate dimension." Typical Tuesday. "The longer we stayed, the greater our chances of being transformed. The only way to gt out was to complete a game of golf."

[burningbrighter]

"...golf? Wow, that just keeps getting weirder. Did you have to do a bunch of trick shots?"

Rainbow was too impatient for a game like that, but other than that she could imagine her friend jazzing it up...and flinging that tiny ball all over the place.

[woo_oo]

"I didn't, but Dewey managed to pull it off!" This came with a happy cheer! "And it was his first time playing, too!"