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

[blue_ice]

Kaiba groans. He didn't even think of that, though he should have.

"I didn't choose this! And it's not a ghost dragon costume. It's a Blue Eyes White Dragon. Easy mistake to make at a distance, but she's far more beautiful. And less murderous."

[stillnewatthis]

Orisa had no grounds by which to make an aesthetic evaluation, but... "The prevailing opinion here seems to be that all dragons are bad."

[blue_ice]

"They're wrong. Even discounting the dragons we know of from our homeworlds, Spyro is almost harmless. And cute. And he seems to know a different dragon from this world who isn't so cruel."

He huffs. "I have no desire to have anything more to do with the ghost, I can only hope we keep it at bay."

[stillnewatthis]

"A different dragon? That is curious." It didn't match what she'd heard, but she accepted she had heard less than everything that was available.

[blue_ice]

"I think its name was...Ire?" Kaiba shrugged. "I don't know. They mostly talk to the other dragons, and I've only heard snippets from Spyro."

There was another dragon or few that he knew, but they might not want her to know. "They're not all homicidal, which is more of a relief than you can imagine."

[stillnewatthis]

Orisa didn't quite nod, but somehow managed to convey the sentiment. "That can only be to our advantage, even if that advantage is simply having fewer enemies. But this dragon you are patterned after is from your own world?"

[blue_ice]

"Yes. She's the perfect engine of destruction, and only the greatest are worthy of her."

He still has the cards, so he fishes one out of his pocket...the zeroes taunt him even now, so he quickly pockets it after flashing it. He'll claw his way back up to the top.

"She wouldn't appreciate me making a mockery of her."

[stillnewatthis]

Hold on. Those statements added quite a bit extra to process.

"I do not understand why being a 'perfect engine of destruction' is a desirable trait."

[blue_ice]

Kaiba snorted and shook his head, remembering an earlier exchange with someone long gone. Ah, more innocent times.

"It's desirable if you're choosing a monster to best represent you in a duel. In a contest of strength, she's the best."

[stillnewatthis]

Further consideration.

"While I do not suggest I am very experienced, I am programmed to value tactics and strategy over raw strength."

[blue_ice]

"I'm not saying there's no strategy involved. Of course there is. But all the strategy in the world won't get you a victory if your weapon is a pool noodle."

More or less. He snorts and shakes his head. "Get it?"

[stillnewatthis]

"Conversely, no amount of strength is sufficient if the opponent is out of reach or shielded from attack," Orisa replied, delighted to have a debate about tactics!

[blue_ice]

"So you break the shield," he shrugged, as if this was the most easily done thing in the world. "And don't give up until you reach them. I could show you, if you want."

Yes, even after that last fiasco, he's still seeking games.

[stillnewatthis]

"That would be acceptable!" Orisa would very much like to engage in simulated combat.