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

[stillnewatthis]

Another crunch dropped Orisa several more feet, but this time she got a hand on the thick part of a branch near the trunk and used it as leverage to rotate herself more. With a little kicking and a whack with her fusion driver, she managed to free herself, dropping the rest of the way to the ground. And landing on her feet! Even managing to look dramatic doing it!

Which she immediately ruined by straightening up and giddily clapping her hand to her fusion driver. "We did it! Thank you very much!"

[shiningkindness]

Fluttershy clapped as well, glad that Orisa landed all right. "You're welcome!"

Now just to...climb back down.

[stillnewatthis]

She had someone on the ground to help! Orisa moved over beneath Fluttershy, the better to offer support as the girl descended.

"I really must find a way to improve the usefulness of these flight parts."

[shiningkindness]

She does feel safer knowing that Orisa is below her, just in case. It wasn't too necessary, as she came down safely. When she was close enough, though, she hopped down close enough for Orisa to catch her if she moved to do so, or otherwise would land on her feet.

[stillnewatthis]

Orisa chose the former, catching Fluttershy as she dropped. Her hand was utterly unyielding, but Orisa compensated by matching her motions to Fluttershy's descent, then precisely applying a braking force at a rate that would not be painful to her.

[shiningkindness]

She gave a surprised sound when Orisa caught her, but then glanced up at her with a smile. "Thank you."

[stillnewatthis]

"You are very welcome! It is the least I could do to repay you for your aid!" Though Orisa said this brightly, her eyes swiveled on the last word from cheerful carats to narrowed slits with downturned corners. "I have not been an adequate protector today. I have needed more help than I have given."

[shiningkindness]

Once her feet were on the ground, she looked up at Orisa again. "Well, that's okay...Everyone needs help sometimes. Even those who help others."

[stillnewatthis]

"That is true, but I would prefer my output to exceed my input." Orisa could accept perfectly well that she still needed help, being just recently made. But this was quite unheroic!

[shiningkindness]

"Well, I'm sure you'll find something to balance it out, at least. There are always ways to help people."

[stillnewatthis]

"I must update my programming to improve," Orisa mused. "I have learned from this not to trust plants."

[shiningkindness]

"W-Well...most plants are okay. Just, um...maybe be careful of plants that move on their own?"

[stillnewatthis]

"I see. Mobility is required to do significant mischief, as I do not possess allergies or sensitivities to biological agents." No poison ivy for her!

[shiningkindness]

"R-Right. At least the plants that can move across the ground. Some plants do move, but most only move towards the sun. A few move when catching bugs or something for extra nutrients."

She's worried she might be confusing Orisa.

[stillnewatthis]

"I will clarify my update to 'nontrivial' movements."

While Orisa could be easy to confuse, in this case she could parse the difference fairly easily.

[shiningkindness]

She nodded, relieved that that was easy to straighten out.

"A-Anyway, we should...probably get going."

They were still a bit off the path, and who knows if more plants were around.

[stillnewatthis]

"Oh yes!" Brightening, Orisa stepped in front of Fluttershy to lead the way, her fusion driver at the ready and already seeking for further larcenous vines. "I will keep you safe!"

[shiningkindness]

She smiled and as she fell in step behind Orisa, she replied with a soft, "Okay."