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

[shiningkindness]

Returning the smile, she nodded. "It's nice to meet you. Thank you, again."

[mithrarin]

"It was really nothing." The thanks were starting to embarrass him, since he was unaccustomed to anything too effusive. "Let me know when an army or something shows up."

[shiningkindness]

That at least got a small laugh from her. "Hopefully things won't go quite that far."

Then again, with this school, one could never tell.

[mithrarin]

"I'm... supposed to be here for a reason, so I'm not willing to say yet." That thought had him worried. He would go where he was needed, Ahrah had said -- and last time, it had indeed been to fight an army and more.

[shiningkindness]

"Oh...really?" Most of them had been given magic that they needed to learn to control, so she hadn't thought that others might be here for a different reason.

As curious as she was about it, though, she thought it would be better not to ask. So instead, she said, "Well...I hope it works out for you."

[mithrarin]

"Don't worry. I'll make it turn out all right."

As casually as he said that... the words had steel and terrible intensity behind them. Dust would make it turn out all right if he had to cut the whole world down, one army or monster or villain at a time. That was, after all, his purpose.

"But let's not worry about that. No sense inviting extra trouble, right?"

[shiningkindness]

She nodded. "I suppose that's true. Still, good luck with it."

Because a little luck never hurt, right?

[mithrarin]

"Thanks." His smile, even only half-seen, was genuine. "But I think it's learning magic where I need the most luck. You could send it over there instead and I wouldn't mind."

[shiningkindness]

"I could do that," she said with another nod. "Or...if you want, I could help you, if you need help with classes? Even if I don't know it, it could help going over with someone else."

[mithrarin]

Charging into battle with a knife-wielding plant was much, much easier than needing help in any way, especially when it was so easily offered. "I don't... want to be a nuisance..."

[shiningkindness]

"Oh, I don't mind. I know how difficult classes can be, especially with learning about something like magic. I'd be happy to help."

[mithrarin]

"I... appreciate that." Asking for or accepting help didn't come easily to Dust. Still, something about this girl made it a little easier than otherwise. "I'm not a good student, so if I become a pain..."

[shiningkindness]

She shook her head a bit. "No, that's all right. Everyone learns a bit differently. At the very least, studying might be easier with someone else."

[mithrarin]

"I appreciate that. Thanks. I'll take you up on it." Sometimes you just had to take decisive action without hesitating, once the moment was right.

[shiningkindness]

She nodded with a smile. "You're welcome. Just let me know, okay?"

[mithrarin]

"I'll --"

Dust hesitated, then addressed the sword at his left side. "Furae, you deliver messages like a normal familiar, right?"

"Ugggggggh." Which wasn't a 'no'.

"I'll send you a message, later."

[shiningkindness]

"Okay," she replied with another nod. "I'll talk to you later then."

[mithrarin]

"Yeah... uh, I have no idea what way Furae will send a message, so if it comes through your window on the back of a screaming floating sword, I apologize in advance." Dust looked away, a little awkward at describing a very plausible scenario in his mind. "But if that doesn't all put you off, I'll see you then."

[shiningkindness]

"W-Well...hopefully she won't be too loud. But right, I'll see you later."

And, with another little wave, she started to head off.