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

[plusfivedex]

It took longer to find a professor than Kamala had expected it would, only because they were in a school and all that. The silence was tricky for the normally chatty girl, and once she did spot a professor, she eagerly walked over to them... Only to glance helplessly over to Lena, because she couldn't communicate her needs.

[outofyourshadow]

Trying to swallow back a laugh, Lena headed over to help out. "Any chance you know a way to reverse a silencing spell?" she asked.

[plusfivedex]

The professor assured them that such a spell was common - which Kamala found strange to hear at a school - and made quick work of undoing it. Before Kamala could thank her, though, she politely informed the two that she had to start her class now, and was off.

Kamala cleared her throat, and when that made a sound, she went on to try talking.

"Hello? Hey!" She laughed as she looked down at Lena. "I'll be honest, I didn't think that was going to work."

[outofyourshadow]

Luckily the teacher was well out of earshot by now, so she couldn't hear Lena snicker.

"Honestly? Neither did I."

[plusfivedex]

"Maybe it's just the Sundering spells they're having trouble with," Kamala suggested, amused. "Then again, that's my main class, so if even the Professors are struggling with that, I'm not sure how much of what I've been learning will help with... Anything."

[outofyourshadow]

"Right? Especially since it's 'forbidden' magic, how are they even allowed to teach it now at all?"

[plusfivedex]

"You know, I learned that in the class! More or less, anyway," Kamala said with a shrug. "Our professor said that when we all started showing up - you know, us Sundered - the school decided it was important to teach Sundering again."

[outofyourshadow]

"Sure, but depending on how long it's been forbidden, how much do the teachers even know about it?"

[plusfivedex]

"A few hundred years. Five, I think? Which means you have a good point. Maybe people just live for a really long time, here?" she ventured, bringing one hand up into her dark hair. That was a rather mind-boggling thought.

[outofyourshadow]

"Maybe. Some magic can cause people to live longer."

...Not that she really knows anything about that.

[plusfivedex]

Kamala considered this with a nod. "That's true, I guess. There's some magic and things like it that do that where I'm from, at least, so I'm sure it must be possible here."

[outofyourshadow]

"Still, doesn't mean they're up to date with all this Sundering stuff. Unless some of them have been practicing it in secret."

[plusfivedex]

Kamala smiled; the idea of forbidden magic being studied in secret was pretty cool. At least, in theory!

"I wouldn't be that surprised. It's kind of like a dark magic, right? And whenever you read a book about magic and wizards and witches, people secretly practice dark magic."

[outofyourshadow]

"Yeah, that sounds about right."

Her tone is carefully neutral, but it did seem like she was bothered by something.

[plusfivedex]

Kamala picked up on the fact that something seemed, well, off. She tilted her head to the side as she regarded Lena.

"Yeah... I guess that's really not as cool as I was thinking..."

[outofyourshadow]

She sighed. "Sorry, I just have some...issues with dark magic."

She wanted to leave it at that.