Let The Games Begin

[magicademymods]

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 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 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.) Furthermore, they request to perform a few spells on you for testing purposes. It is, quite regrettably, possible that if you consent to this testing, you will come away with a temporary side effect -- a slight change of hair color, traveling two steps for every one you take, one hand moving about a second behind the arm it should be attached to, or being ridden by a penguin. No need to worry, these changes won't last more than a day! Wonders Await Diatu Magicademy is open to you in all its glory. Have fun!

Comments

[stillnewatthis]

My generator has become unstable and is no longer able to power most of my combat deployments. Fortification, protective barriers, graviton surge, and supercharger are all offline.

[Orisa tries to stay her usual optimistic self, but a little sadness can't help but color her tone. Her performance is downright unacceptable.]

[shiningkindness]

[She frowns a bit, her hand idly reaching up to grasp the pendant around her neck.]

...Back home, my friends and I have a kind of magic we can use. But when I arrived here, I wasn't able to use that magic any more. And I think...a few people aren't able to do some of the things they could do in their worlds.

Maybe it's the same for you?

[stillnewatthis]

That is certainly the cause. The wizards tell me that this instability should allow me to access the power of magic.

[Her fists clenches, her forearm turns, but then she relaxes. Nothing has changed; her barrier projectors are still nonfunctional, despite all diagnostic information.]

I hope I learn quickly. I am unable to fulfill my duty effectively.

[shiningkindness]

[She nods, tucking the pendant away.]

Me too. It feels weird, not being able to use my magic anymore.

[stillnewatthis]

I must admit, the concept of magic itself is remarkable to me. I think it must not be so strange for you, if you are used to magic in your world.

[shiningkindness]

Well, to be honest, I haven't always used magic. My world didn't used to have magic until it was brought there from another world. I've only been using magic for...almost a year?

[She's actually a bit surprised by that herself, because it feels like so much longer than that.]

[stillnewatthis]

Only a year? [A spark of connection flickers in Orisa's electronic brain.] Do you believe that may be related to your presence here?

[shiningkindness]

[She's silent for a moment as she thinks.]

Maybe. I have wondered that myself. Though it's strange that I can't use the magic from my world if that's the case.

[stillnewatthis]

If being here has caused generator instability for me, it seems likely that some sort of particle or energy field is responsible that is causing general interference. [Oh, Orisa. Trying to explain magic with science!]

[shiningkindness]

[To be fair, it's not like they have any evidence that Orisa is wrong at this point either.]

It's...possible? There might also be some kind of magical interference too.

[stillnewatthis]

Whatever 'magic' is, I think that interference is the cause. If I understood more, maybe I could master it better. But there appears to be no scientific research on magic here.

[shiningkindness]

Well...maybe there's no 'scientific' research...but maybe what we can learn in our classes can help research the magic in this world.

[stillnewatthis]

We will certainly see! I intend to be a very eager student.

[Of course, this should conjure the image of this massive war machine seated behind a desk, hand raised eagerly. Which is a very accurate image.]

[shiningkindness]

[That's exactly the image she has in her head, and she can't help giggling softly.]

Me too. I hope we both do well.

[stillnewatthis]

If we work hard and do our best, I am certain we will!

[Worrying that she is an omnic or that Fluttershy's other magic might interfere... well, the thoughts never occur to her. She is still fairly straightforward, after all!]

[shiningkindness]

[Honestly, those thoughts don't even occur to her either.]

My name is Fluttershy. If you ever need any help, I'd be happy to do what I can.

[stillnewatthis]

My name is Orisa! It is wonderful to meet you, Fluttershy! I, too, will do all I can to aid you.

[Somewhat reflexively, Orisa lifts and brandishes her fusion driver. After all, she was built for combat.]

[shiningkindness]

[She can't help jumping a bit at that, though it's more from surprise then anything. Then with a small smile, she nods.]

It's nice to meet you too, Orisa. Thank you.

[stillnewatthis]

[Ooh. Orisa winces slightly, eyes flicking to a quick X before turning upwards sheepishly. Sorry about that!]

I will look forward to seeing you again.

[shiningkindness]

[She gives another nod, her smile brighter this time.]

Me too.