diatu | Let The Games Begin

February Event and Intro Log

Orientation Week/Magic Mayhem

The campus of Diatu Magicademy stretches out before you, confused and chaotic and surging with energy. Where are you headed? To your dorm or suite, to get settled? Maybe you need some food now? Wherever you head off to as your first stop, you have to deal with the snow. Helpful or proud students are passing out various magical remedies to get you where you need to be -- umbrellas with a nasty tendency to dump snow directly onto other people nearby, an iron tube that projects fire but appears to have no off switch, snowshoes that keep you slightly too high off the snow and thus provide no friction for stopping...

Familiar Follies

Familiars do not harass or harm each other as a rule -- but that doesn't mean they have no pecking order, and the week of Orientation finds them all jockeying for status and position as suits them. This can take the form of pranks, displays, competitions, or simple physical assertiveness towards each other. The goal is simply to be seen as superior by the student body. New wizards especially may find themselves surprised at this behavior of their familiars...

Research On the Sundered

Wonders Await

Diatu Magicademy is open to you in all its glory. Have fun!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Eleven's shoulders ease]

Well, do any of the subjects appeal to you? I was thinking of starting with Intimation myself. It's most like what I already know.

My assigned house requires me to study Modification. I am intrigued by the possibilities of applying advanced computation to a discipline that appears to be based on mathematics!

[His smile finds itself at odds with the crease of his brows]

That's a discipline I can scarcely fathom. I'm glad it isn't required for mine. But you said reading wasn't your strong suit? I could try to help.

Efi built me with wireless access to her mainframe, which compiled updates for me to download. I was not intended to process information through such... old-fashioned methods. I am capable of it, but it will require some adjustment.

[Eleven blinks, eyes glazing over a bit as he tries to decipher unfamiliar terms. His brain gives up at 'mainframe' though, so he focuses instead on the last bit]

You do sound very smart, so I'm sure you'll be able to. Are you a type of scholar?

Edited 2019-02-12 03:30 (UTC)

Oh, not at all! I am a combat omnic.

[She just has an artificial intelligence, both complex and reasonably functional!]

[His head cocks, looking her over again. He can't claim to have not been curious, and now seems a good time as any to ask]

I've never met an omnic before. If you don't mind me asking, what are they?

The strict definition of 'omnic' is a robot created in an omnium, but since that is almost all robots, it generally means 'robot'.

[Because of course he understands what a robot is. Who wouldn't, after all?]

[While robots sort of exist in his world, this poor small-town boy that's fought a couple of them only knows they were mechanical monsters cobbled together by darker magics.

He's willing to give her a chance though]

Oh. I've never met one that could talk before.

Not all omnics are capable of speech, but most with advanced AIs are. Did you meet ones designed primarily for combat?

[Bastion models, for example, had minimal verbal capabilities.]

Of course I am an exception to that rule myself. I am intended as a protector but also to work with humans, so Efi felt I should be able to communicate with them.

[He nods, then perks up a bit]

A protector- like a bodyguard?

I should be capable of performing that service! But a protector in general terms. Numbani must be kept safe from those who would do it harm or cause it grief.

[His heartbeat slowed, but sounded more strongly in his ears. Could it be that this robot- maybe everyone here- is like him?]

Numbani? Is.. is that the name of your world?

Edited (Sorry! Icon misclicks) 2019-02-14 23:12 (UTC)

My world is Earth. Numbani is a city there! A glorious city where humans and omnics live in peace and prosperity.

[He smiles]

Kind of like a knight, then. It sounds wonderful.

The Crusaders came from Germany, but nonetheless I thank you for the compliment! [Reinhardt is a model to her, one she aspires to be like, so this description of her makes her perk up in delight.] It is my hope to live up to such titles.

I'm sure you will.

[Eleven sits up a bit, accidentally disturbing his familiar. She gives him a look, then jumps down and trots off. Well enough really, as his legs are starting to feel stiff]

Did you want to try studying with me?

Certainly! I will learn how to study efficiently from observation! Please deploy your studying tactics and I will devote my learning processes to analyzing them.

[Probably too many words for a 'yes', but who can fault her enthusiasm!]

[Eleven colors a bit, but cracks open his book on Intimation]

I might not be the best example. I've never been to school before, but I like reading and learning.

[Granted it's not the most interesting introduction, but he's been forced to read drier texts before. The bit of self-consciousness doesn't help terribly much, but he does eventually make it a few pages in. Then it's time for a break]

It's giving me a brief history of the subject, a little on the gods and getting into the basic.. components of Intimation spells.

I did not ever imagine that I would go to school. This is really quite interesting!

[Orisa reaches out to take the book for her turn on it.] Please allow me to conduct my own input.

Of course.

[He helps push the book toward her and golds his hands on the table, curious to see how she does himself]

I'm glad I'm not the only one that's new to all of this.

[Accepting the book, Orisa lays it on the table to focus on it. No, she isn't going to do some "flip through it at speed, commit all contents to memory" robot trick. To the contrary, her scan speed is quite delayed by her need for caution. Her hand is heavy and quite inflexible, unlike biological hands, and though her precision and perception are nonetheless exceptional she still must turn the pages carefully.]

To school? Did you not attend one before?

[She seems to be doing well, though it's a little hard to tell]

No, I'm from a small village in the mountains, so I only know what my mum and the church taught me. [His hands twist] ..Do omnics have a school?

Most of what we learn comes from our initial programming. But for omnics who wish to learn afterwards, school is an option! [Orisa relies on updates... or did. But not all omnics had a trustworthy outside node to exchange information with.]

That's good.

[He nods, then hesitates after a moment. The game might be up. Now is finally the moment he has to admit to his ignorance]

But if I may ask, what is 'programming'?

(no subject)

stillnewatthis - 2019-02-23 16:41 (UTC) - Expand

bearshermark - 2019-03-10 22:13 (UTC) - Expand

stillnewatthis - 2019-03-11 15:04 (UTC) - Expand