April Event and Intro Log

[magicademymods]

April Event and Intro Log Plants Off The Path Green grass and radiant flower gardens bracket all the major walks on campus, and fragrant scents fill the air all around. Note the key words "major walks" there. Move off the common paths and onto 'shortcuts' or less frequented areas of the vast campus and things are quite different. Here, the plants grow just as experience with this chaotic and often dangerous school would lead you to expect. Broad-leafed stalks stretch upwards, petals unfolding to reveal long jets of fire instead of a sensible stamen. Bushes have large toothy mouths, and viciously swallow anyone who comes near (though they are still just bushes, and the victims end up on the their other side just a few scratches worse for wear). A tree grows quills instead of needles; another sprouts paper airplanes instead of leaves. An extremely aggressive pitcher-plant wanders the pathways, mugging students at knifepoint. It's a jungle out there. Bullies, Of Course Surely a Magicademy, with many students already adults and with such an emphasis on learning and control, wouldn't have those who used their magic for such petty ends as making others suffer? Uh-huh. A pack of bullies with more spell experience than wisdom has banded together to take delight in the suffering of others. They overtly pick on the small, the meek, and those with less magical skill; they torment the larger, the bold, and the powerful in secret. Worse, they are the clever sorts of bullies, who go out of their way not to get caught and not to do anything that can't be played off or explained away. Maybe you attracted their attention by looking weak enough to pick on. Or strong enough to need to be taken down a notch. Or weird enough that you were the Other and thus lesser. Or pretty/handsome enough that you needed to look less attractive so they would look more so. They are pretty good at justifying picking on anyone, really. Are they pestering you by magical tripping or property destruction? Playing keep-away with your class books? Better be careful how you respond; their fathers might hear about it. Wind At The Docks (aka The Prompt Where You Don't Get Mugged) The winds of spring bring something of a dark pastime to Anastara -- dockwatching. Aware that a sudden blast of air can rip across the island at a moment's notice, crowds gather at the docks with the air of those expecting spectacle. All too often, they are rewarded -- in the wake of a sudden wind, airships list violently, or bump into each other, or desperately pull sails and power up their flotation cores to avoid a worse collision. Curses fly through the air, and sometimes even spells. With luck, the audience might even see a pair of vessels engage in an all-out air duel, as two captains driven by pride or vengeance refuse to back down. Now, to their credit, the assembled people aren't heartless. If a ship truly looks to be in trouble, or if it's smashed to the ground or into a dock, the people of Anastara don't hesitate to help those on board to safety or ensure that they don't go down with their ship. But mostly it's watching the chaos. It IS quite a show... 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 Glyph designed to detect any influence of the magic on you. Painted on your arm, it will shine with a bright light when a Sundering effect attempts to influence you. They explain that they believe the Sundered are still subject to either the spell that brought them here or new ones, because they have detected remnants of Sundering magic in the wake of students who have mysteriously disappeared. They ask only that you report back when it lights up. Problem: when the Glyph erupts, either because of the Glyph itself or the spell it has detected... those who bear it find themselves no longer where they started. Perhaps they find themselves in a classroom late at night. Or the wrong dormitory. Or in the Great Hall in their nightshirt. Or for the utterly lowbrow amongst you, a restroom occupied by the wrong gender. Whatever the case: sorry. 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 some sort of regain this month!)

Comments

[woo_oo]

"This did not work out as well as I thought it would."

Oh well. Cheerfully, she turned to Fluttershy. "You can run if you want!"

[shiningkindness]

Fluttershy, however, was a bit more worried.

"I-I...don't want to just leave you, though," she replied, though part of her was wondering if she'd be more in the way if she stayed.

[woo_oo]

"Aw, it's okay! I've handled killer plants before."

She then paused - ducking as the plant tried to stab her - as she recalled it. "Then again, I did need saving on that one... you wouldn't know how to sing badly off-key, would you?"

[shiningkindness]

"U-Um...kind of?" Part of knowing how to sing on-key was knowing when you were off-key. "B-But how would that help?"

Also, this was probably the most casual conversation to have while one of them was fighting off a plant monster.

[woo_oo]

Dodge, dodge, dodge, dodge - all the while never breaking her cheerful attitude.

"Well, to make a long story short, that's how Donald defeated a giant killer plant back home. His bad singing made it weak, and then explode."

What kind of world did she come from?!

[shiningkindness]

Considering she and her friends had used the power of music and friendship to defeat a group of energy-stealing Sirens, these kinds of things don't really surprise her anymore.

"I-I...don't know if it would work in this case."

[woo_oo]

"Aw, that's a bummer. Guess we have to do things the old fashioned way."

What does that mean? She brings out her wand to block the latest blow. "Know any good fire spells?"

[shiningkindness]

Hesitating, she pulled out her own wand. "I...know one," she replied.

[woo_oo]

"Great!" Webby whipped around, aiming. "We'll do it together on three! One, two..."

[shiningkindness]

As Webby counted down, she waved her wand, performing the gestures for the spell. Then:

"Three!" With a final flourish, she aimed at the pitcher plant, sending a blast of fire at it.

[woo_oo]

Webby joined in with a similar spell, fire streaming from the ends of their wands in one short blast.

"I think it's working!"

[shiningkindness]

The pitcher plant seemed to think so, as it roared in protest. Though the fire didn't seem to be burning it, it did seem to be hurting it.

As though in response, however, several vines seemed to shoot out at the girls, trying to ensnare them. With a surprised squeak, Fluttershy diverted the fire blast from the pitcher plant to the vines instead.

[woo_oo]

"Oh, boy." Again, this didn't exactly worry Webby, it had just gone in a way she didn't expect.

"I guess it doesn't scare away that easily!"

[shiningkindness]

Fluttershy, however, was worrying enough for the both of them.

"S-So what should we do?"

[woo_oo]

"Well, if we can't burn it, and I don't know any poison spells, then that leaves one option left."

With that, she took Fluttershy's hand - and began to SPRINT.

[shiningkindness]

With a surprised sound, she quickly ran with Webby, though the pitcher plant was quick to follow them.

At least, for a while, until they started heading back to the main path.

[woo_oo]

When she began to stop hearing footsteps - plantsteps? - she glanced behind her.

"Hey, I think we're losing it! Great!"

[shiningkindness]

Fluttershy glanced back as well, breathing a sigh of relief as they stepped back onto the main path.

"Thank goodness..."

[woo_oo]

With that, Webby released the hold she had on Fluttershy.

"Maybe it saw that area as its territory?"

[shiningkindness]

Glancing back from where they'd came, Fluttershy took another breath.

"M-Maybe...still, that might have been a bit too aggressive."

[woo_oo]

"Definitely. But it was also a wake-up call to improve our spellwork!" There is a silver lining in every cloud, so says Webby.

[shiningkindness]

"I suppose so...but still, a plant with a knife is really dangerous."

She couldn't imagine what would've happened if Webby hadn't come to help.

[woo_oo]

"Yeah, we should try to warn everyone." Webby nodded in agreement. "Telling the faculty might not do any good... they do seem to be kind of lax in the 'help our students when their lives are in danger' department..."

[shiningkindness]

She nodded. "Mm, a little bit. Maybe we should post signs so people will know to stay on the path."

[woo_oo]

"Good idea!" Enough for double thumbs up! "We'll make it bright and colorful and difficult to ignore!"