March Event and Intro Log

[magicademymods]

March Event and Intro Log Golem On The Loose The rain never stops. Water and mud track all over campus. Diligent cleaning golems stomp about, mopping and scrubbing and polishing and then going back to do it all over again, and again, and again... One of them seems to have had it. The renegade golem bursts into Kedrigan Hall -- interrupting classes and disrupting labwork to furiously seize students and scrub every last scrap of mud and dirt off of them. All the halls have been locked off with "Under Cleaning" signs, and anyone who enters them meets with the golem's wrath, as it violently plays a pre-recorded message about not interfering with groundskeeping and deploys a giant claw-like tool to grab the interloper and put them back on unforbidden ground. The professors, who are after all completely immune to the golem's attention by its very design, seem to think this is a good learning opportunity for students. Is it? Horrible Spell Doom? "Are you sure you're ready for the test on Advanced Gaseous Discovery?" one upperclassman asks the other. "Of course I'm sure," the second says confidently. Whipping out a wand from a holster on her belt, she sweeps her wand through the air gracefully, pronouncing several Osmarian sigils as she draws them. Probably. "See, that's a blue cloud--" Said blue cloud, which puffs into being as the last syllable left her lips, abruptly doubls in size. Then it doubles in size again. And again. The upperclassmen, who have been in Diatu for several years and know exactly what this sort of thing means, don't hesitate. Not even stopping to share a glance between them, they run like crazy, leaving the growing cloud behind just as classes let out and students begin to enter the halls. But... surely it doesn't have any weird and wacky side effects, right? The Bala-inlota Parade (aka The Non-Horrible Prompt) To celebrate the start of the Bala-inlota season, Anastara spares no expense. The great parade and associated festival stretches the whole weekend, and the whole city puts on their colors and turns out for the fun. Enterprising vendors sell food, drinks, and souvenirs ranging from small and crude figurines to magical constructs that shine field displays onto flat surfaces so you can watch the action up-close! (Good luck affording that, students.) Practically any sort of entertainment you could want appears on the streets and canals of Anastara, and food and drink flow freely. Research On the Sundered With the arrival of the Sundered come those wizards engaged in research on their presence here, now set to investigate what brought them here and how to get them home. All newly-arrived Sundered students are asked to meet with representatives of the research team, to introduce themselves and relate what they will of their homes. In addition, the team requests samples of blood, hair, and skin -- carefully magically collected, and the researchers will sign in the presence of the Sundered a Glyphed contract that forbids them from using the samples for a purpose they know will be harmful. (They quite understand your reasons to be suspicious of this collection! And they will not compel anyone who refuses even given these conditions.) This month, the team has developed a Sundering spell that they warn is crude and unpolished, because the Curriculum is so unpracticed. They hope it will connect to your home worlds and establish a magical link they can build off of to open further passages. No promises! And to those who do undergo this spellwork... it has a certain side effect of confusion, as brief images from your home world flicker across your vision for a few hours afterwards. Wonders Await Diatu Magicademy is open to you in all its glory. Have fun!

A Special Note

If you thread out one or more scenes based on the confusion from "Research on the Sundered", respond to the comment on this post with a link to that thread. The results of this will be revealed next month! (It is, we're afraid, not a regain, lest your participation be based solely on that hope!)

Comments

[stillnewatthis]

"I am glad to hear that."

Orisa released her hand at last, rising up to her full standing height with a smooth extension of all four legs.

"Shall we go to the food hall? I do not go there often but I could intake some oil at this time if you desire company."

[stillnewatthis]

Orisa immediately flicked her elbow so that the fusion driver pointed up into the air. She was programmed with proper firearm safety protocols for usage during active weapon deployment!

"Is everything all right? I am not certain the threat has abated."

[stillnewatthis]

Of course! I will lead the way.

[Orisa pushes open the door they came through, shifting her entire upper body forward to lean out and appraise the hallway. The cloud has either dissipated or gone elsewhere, so she steps out into it, motioning Yugi as well.]

[woo_oo]

A big sphere of water as a field?

... THAT SOUNDS AMAZING AND I WANT TO PLAY IT!

[woo_oo]

Like for eating and sleeping?

[... a little more than basic necessities, maybe]

[puzzlers]

Sure. Let's check out the first ring. I've been there a couple of times, but I haven't really gotten too much of a chance to explore. I got caught up in a card game, haha.

[puzzlers]

That's kind of what I'm worried about, haha. I don't think I'm good enough to keep all of my cards, but maybe if we practice I'll get better.

[ he certainly thinks so. ]

[puzzlers]

Sure! I have no problems doing that. I could use somebody to tell me if they're good or not and how I can improve!

[sublimelymagnificentblitz]

FINALLY! Someone comes up with the RIGHT answer when I tell 'em about it!

[Jecht taps his fist against her shoulder, 'cuz he's pretty sure he'd crush her if he put any strength at all into it.]

[outofyourshadow]

Thinking for a moment, she nodded and slowly rose to her feet as well.

"Yeah, that sounds like a good idea."

[outofyourshadow]

Hey, practice makes perfect, right?

[Work hard, eat right, other platitudes, blah blah.]

And hey, at least if you practice with me, I won't take your cards.

[Mostly because she'd probably still be using half his deck anyway.]

[shiningkindness]

...W-Well, yes. But also mental breaks. Studying too much can also be bad for you.

[shiningkindness]

[She claps her hands.]

Great! Oh, I have a friend, Sunset Shimmer, who's really good at art. I bet she could help too, if you've had a chance to meet her.

[sublimelymagnificentblitz]

Yeah, exactly. [Whatever that golem was thinking, it couldn't be good. But rather than dwell on that, Jecht just looks down, at the whale he's still kneeling on.]

This really your familiar? It's more like an Aeon than a dumb owl.

[stillnewatthis]

Orisa began to say something, then pauses, her eyes shifting upwards and opening wider as a logic statement passed through her programming into her conscious awareness.

"I would offer to walk by your side, but that presents certain logistical difficulties."

[darkenedmoon]

[It just makes Yotsuyu laugh--after she has swallowed, since manners are fairly well ingrained in her and that would be rude. But it's not like she takes Webby to task for it.]

Thank you, Webby. I dare say I am having fun.

[darkenedmoon]

A rueful smile touched Yotsuyu's lips at that, and she ducked her head. It was such a strange feeling. It was true that Hendrik did not know everything she'd done--he had only vague intimations--but here he was, accepting her nonetheless.

"I would..like that. Very much. All of it. But with the way things ended on my world...I am not sure I could even come to yours."

Though considering they were in public, she did not want to mention the reason why. She was certain she'd told him, but there was such a flood of information they'd all been dealing with, it was an easy thing to forget.

[shiningkindness]

[She's not sure what an Aeon is, but she nods anyway.]

Mm-hmm. This is Ballet, the Land Whale.

[outofyourshadow]

Turning to look at Orisa, she blinked, confused.

"What do you mean?"

[woo_oo]

[She's taken down full-grown men with a chest-bump, worry not.]

What other answer could there be? We've got to find a way to play that here!

[woo_oo]

Really? It can?

[sublimelymagnificentblitz]

Confusion, people not understandin', stuff like that. [Jecht shrugs, not getting it. Blitz is huge, in Dream Zanarkand or in Spira proper... but unknown other places? Makes no sense!]

I want to bring it here. Figure magic can do what machines can, right? Just gotta make that happen somehow!

[sublimelymagnificentblitz]

[Okay, that raises a hell of a lot of questions.]

...How did you luck out? I got a stupid owl!

[stillnewatthis]

Orisa swiveled her arm back, rubbing the back of her head with a sheepish look.

"The architecture of the school buildings does not appear to have taken into account that a student of my size or shape could attend it. We would block halls!"

[plusfivedex]

[An amused smile.]

You don't look old enough to say wise things like "repetition is key." Could just be the feathers, though.

[She's joking, especially because Kamala quotes words of wisdom fairly often. Just... Usually in her head.]