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

Horrible Spell of Doom

[scattered_rose]

[Daniel had the same instincts that Lena did, of getting the hell outta Dodge when someone is beating feet. But that doesn't mean squat if he sees someone in trouble and this case, it's Lena herself. Even though the strange cloud was uncomfortably close, over to her he headed and knelt down a few paces away.]

Hey, do you need any help?

[outofyourshadow]

I...I-I don't -

[Something like a sob worked its way up her throat, and with a sniffle she tried to wipe away the tears that managed to slip free.]

[scattered_rose]

[He's going to reach out to her but not touch her, though it leaves him open for her to make a move toward him, when she wanted to.]

C'mon. Let's find somewhere quieter, it'll be okay.

[His voice is firm but comforting, like he's done this before.]

[outofyourshadow]

[She swallowed the lump in her throat, but didn't trust herself with actual words yet so she nodded, and reached up to blindly grab his hand.]

[scattered_rose]

[He took her hand with his 'far' one, so he could step in with cloak in the 'near' hand, wrapping it around behind her as a barrier. Standing up, he started walking.]

Okay, one foot in front of the other, it's alright.

[outofyourshadow]

[She walked with him, though it was more an automatic movement than a conscious decision.

She did feel a little better, though, if only because of the cloak draped around her like a blanket.]

[scattered_rose]

[He kept himself bent over some, keeping the cloak protectively around her. Only when they were far enough away- and it was the tingle at his senses that the fog caused rather than eyesight that told him that -did he come to a stop, kneeling down beside her. He kept hold of the cloak, that hand on her far shoulder so it stayed around her, and he watched her features more than anything else.]

How're you feeling?

[outofyourshadow]

[The farther they moved away from the smoke cloud, the stronger each step became. And once they settled down, she wiped away any lingering tears, taking in a deep breath.]

...Better. [If a bit embarrassed.] Thanks.

[scattered_rose]

[He nodded, then went into a pocket. Always one to be prepared, he pulled out a travel pack of tissues and offered her a couple.]

I guess that spell got pretty out of hand of whoever cast it, huh?

[outofyourshadow]

[She took the tissue with a soft "Thanks", finishing drying her eyes with a sigh.]

Apparently. Hopefully they block off that hallway until the smoke clears out.

[Then she glanced up at him for a long, silent moment.]

...So do I get to know the name of my rescuer?

[scattered_rose]

Hopefully.

[He half-glanced back the way they came, then blinked at her question and looked back.]

Oh. [Right.] My name's Daniel.

[outofyourshadow]

Lena. Thanks again.

[She continues watching him, though, and there seems to be something on her mind.]

[scattered_rose]

You're welcome. I've had some experience with that sort of thing...

[The way she was eyeing him had him trail off a bit, and he quirked an eyebrow.]

What is it?

[Though, this close, he had some idea...]

[outofyourshadow]

[She hesitated for a moment, debating on whether or not she should actually ask.]

...So uh...are those fangs just for show, or...?

[scattered_rose]

[Yep. That's what he thought.]

No. They're real.

[outofyourshadow]

[That's what she thought too.]

And you, uh...use them?

[scattered_rose]

Yes. [Beat. He quickly waved a hand.] But not on random people, I swear. And... some of the staff and I figured out a way that I'd never have to bite anybody at all, so there's nothing to worry about, I promise.

[outofyourshadow]

[She holds up her hands.]

Hey, I'm not judging. People gotta eat, right?

[scattered_rose]

Yeah, I guess so.

[Still, as pale as he is it's easy to see he's blushing a bit.]

...I still kinda.. try to keep it on the down low. Not everybody reacts so great to a vampire in their midst.

[outofyourshadow]

[Watching him for a moment, she then snickers.]

I should introduce you to a friend of mine. She'd love to meet a real vampire.

[scattered_rose]

[He glanced at her, then quirked one eyebrow.]

Yeah? That'd be a change of pace.

[Beat]

I didn't- mean that quite the way it sounded.

[outofyourshadow]

[She nods.]

Yeah, don't worry, I get it.

[Despite its brevity, it kind of sounds like she does.]

[scattered_rose]

[He glanced at her, then half-smiled faintly.]

Y'do, huh?

[outofyourshadow]

Yeah.

[She doesn't offer any explanation, though, and for now lets it drop.]

Anyway, thanks again for...that. Whatever that was messed me up more than I thought it would.

[scattered_rose]

[Hey, if she doesn't want to explain it, he's not going to press it.]

No problem. Like I said, I've had experience with stuff kinda like that before.

[He paused, then waved a hand.]

Well not the- the whole miscast spell thing, but definitely quick personal crisis control.