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

[scattered_rose]

[He stared at her a moment, as if contemplating just what that would even do, before shaking the thoughts off.]

No, they're- [A pause before "natural." Maybe a different route.] -supposed to be like that.

[woo_oo]

Like a genetic thing? Did both of your parents have sharp teeth?

[THIS COULD GO ON FOR A WHILE.]

[scattered_rose]

No, they didn't. [Beat.] I think. I've never-

[He paused and then waved off whatever the rest of that sentence was, instead looking back at her.]

My teeth weren't always like this either. I... got attacked one night a few months ago, and came out of recovery with fangs. ...And a few other new changes.

[Yes he's doing everything he can to avoid The V Word.]

[woo_oo]

...

[Thinking. Connecting dots. Eyes widen.]

Are you...

... A werewolf?!

[scattered_rose]

[Despite everything that got a hearty snort through his nose, and he shook his head.]

No, close but not quite.

[woo_oo]

[All right, let's try that again. Close to a werewolf, attacked at night, implied exposure to something that changed him physically, other changes that are hidden but still important enough to be stated.]

... Oh, you're a vampire.

[beat.]

Neat! I was a movie vampire once. Didn't like the clothes. Looks like you got a better choice out of it.

[scattered_rose]

[He looked at her in surprise a moment, then there was a genuine chuckle as he spoke again.]

That was the most understated reaction I've gotten yet. Most people don't react quite like that.

[woo_oo]

[One shoulder shrug.]

I've gone up against tyrant mummies, secret agents, evil sorceresses, harpies, sea monsters, shadow clones, out of control robots... actual real vampires were bound to pop up eventually.

Besides, you don't seem to be full of woe and angst, so my preconceptions are already off.

[scattered_rose]

You sound like you've led a pretty full life so far.

[Just gonna ignore the "woe and angst" comment, yeah that's TOTALLY not him, moving on...

(Hey, it's not about being a vampire, it counts)]

[woo_oo]

Yep, and it'll only get fuller!

[racecars, lasers, aero~planes.]

What about you? ... Are you on a crusade to find your sire and seek revenge, or have an ongoing war with werewolves?

[scattered_rose]

Well, actually no. I was originally looking for the vampire that did this to me, since that kinda attack is illegal in my world, but it's taken a backseat after-... some other stuff happened.

[He rubbed the back of his head and shrugged.]

And then now I'm here, so apparently magic school is my focus now.

[woo_oo]

[Quiet gasp. NOW she's interested.]

... Or you a vampire cop? Or a vampire lawyer?

[insert "all lawyers are evil" joke here.]

[scattered_rose]

No. Though I guess you could consider me a guard of some sort anyway.

[He fingered the brooch that kept his cloak clasped, a red and white mask-like design.]

I'm a Sentinel- [In training] -which, in my world, means I protect the people from the monsters that exist out in the wilds there. In a city setting Sentinels usually get hired as bodyguards and the like.

[woo_oo]

Oooh!

[Not as intriguing as vampire lawyer, but she'll take it.]

So with your new magic skills here, you'll be twice as powerful when you get back! I bet everyone will want you as their bodyguard!

[scattered_rose]

[He thought about that, then nodded.]

You know, I hadn't considered that far forward yet. [And boy would his father not let up on that if he were here.] I bet I could use them really well back home.

[woo_oo]

You could make up for all your weaknesses!

[Pause, considering.]

Do you have all the basic vampire weaknesses? Garlic, holy water, stakes...?