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

[hyperdrivemonalisa]

"Not too bad, actually. I've used it to shield from spells before, but I don't do it that often." Only when she'd been helping Eleven against some bullies, but it had done the job she'd wanted it to do...

"Heck, I can use it as a whip too. Get it around someone's ankle and trip them? You bet." Isabel had a couple ideas of her own. "Not sure if that's legal though, or if it's anything goes."

[sublimelymagnificentblitz]

"Pretty much anything goes! You can't kill anyone and that's about it." One reason he'd managed to get anywhere with it was knowing blitz tactics and strategies, the kind of stuff that could be adapted unexpectedly. And was still legal!

[hyperdrivemonalisa]

"Oh, well, killing people in a game is kinda lame anyway, so that's good!" Isabel said. "I guess I probably ought to try to do some more research on it, but it already sounds kind of physical, which is up my alley anyway."

Though she was the kind of girl who tended to mesh mental and physical exercise, anyway.

[sublimelymagnificentblitz]

"Hey, you want an in, you say the word. I'll get you a chance to show 'em what you can do!" Jecht balled one fist up, somewhere between encouragement to achieve and encouragement to violence. Both of which would be necessary. "The more people we get out there, the better a showing we make for the Sundered!"

[hyperdrivemonalisa]

"I don't know if I need your help!" Not that Isabel didn't appreciate the offer--she really did. But she also figured that she could make a good enough showing on her own. Well. She hoped.

"Then again, I suppose I could always drop in when you practice and see what I'm getting myself into..."

[sublimelymagnificentblitz]

"'Course ya do! And if you don't, take it anyway! It ain't every day the Great Jecht offers someone a leg up!"

Sorry about the ego there, kid.

[hyperdrivemonalisa]

"Never heard of him," she teased. Ego, indeed. Her dad wasn't nearly so bad, though Morgan's ego was healthy enough. Isabel grinned to lessen the blow, though.

"I'm a little cautious. So yeah, I'll see what I'm getting into, and then I'll let you know, okay? I do appreciate the offer, really!"

[sublimelymagnificentblitz]

"Yeah, get your head out from under a rock all around!" Jecht could handle a little teasing when it was from a brat. Once she figured out what she could get, then she'd sing a different tune!

[hyperdrivemonalisa]

"Oh please, spare me." Isabel rolled her eyes, unable to help laughing. "Okay, okay. I'll see you around, Great Jecht. It's been real."

Well, it had been. He was pretty cool for an old guy, she guessed.

[sublimelymagnificentblitz]

"See you in the stands, kid!"

She'd show up! How could she not, after a day like today? And another fan would be born!