[hr][hr][center][img]https://i.imgur.com/ER6syAj.png[/img][/center]
[hr][hr][h2]Day Zero[/h2][hr][hr]
Everything should have returned to normal. The sun rose, the birds chirped, and the fogs still rolled in at night. The weather grew warmer as Assani prepared to give way to Velles and, with it, stresia to dorrad. Nights lost that cool humid tingle that they sometimes carried and the first of the dorrad rains began to fall in preparation. In the subtropical forests surrounding Ersand’Enise, subtle shifts abounded. The rhythms and schedules of animals adjusted. 

So, too, did those of people. The students still attended classes, walking back and forth in their little groups each morning and evening. The teachers still taught. Merchants still did a bustling business in the busy port of the city, perhaps even moreso than before, and anticipation built, as it did every year, for the Student Societies Faire and The Trials of Thaumaturgy. 

Yet, things had irrevocably changed. One would be unobservant at best were it to go unnoticed. More than ever, clusters of Revidians walked only among Revidians and others of like alliance. Perrench skewed prickly and irascible perhaps even more than usual. The Belzaggics drew into themselves in mourning and quiet anger when it was announced that their king had indeed heard the call of Ahn-Eshiran. 

For the first time in fifteen years, the Century was called. One hundred of the mightiest and most renowned battle-magi, their loyalty lay with the good of the city, its magic, and the human and yasoi races world round instead of with any one nation. The summons had gone out the moment that parties unknown had raised their blades against four kings. In the month since, members of the legendary force had been trickling relentlessly into Ersand’Enise, augmenting an already-doubled city watch, drilling in Arc-en-Ciel Plaza and on the Champs d’Echeran outside the New Gate. 

By day and night alike, the stoic armoured figures, each sporting the Cloak of Centuries, patrolled the streets, their very presence enough to dissuade pickpockets, confidence men, and tiffs between rival groups of students. Security at the gates was now comprehensive and aggressive. More than a few merchants of less–than–savoury repute found their usual… compensatory arrangements no longer bought them entrance and at least a handful of wagons and travelers were now turned away by each evening. 

Despite this, agents of the Traveler became increasingly active, preaching against the evils of war on street corners, railing against the greed of the elite and oppression of the common people, decrying despots and monarchs and eagerly offering their vision of a world without classes, borders, or a hierarchy increasingly ossified by wealth and unequal magic use. By night, they raced through the streets, defacing statues and the part-time homes of the elite, smashing windows and plundering from shoppes that they deemed exploitative. While they usually fled and scattered like vermin before the might of the city’s new guardians, they grew increasingly bold and, for all of the arrests that were made and all that they swelled the gaols of Ersand’Enise with their numbers, there always seemed to be more of them, and at least a few seemed to slip through the patrols every night.

It was like this everywhere, so some of the avvisos said: in Relouse and Solenne, in Avince and Orlan, Torra Corda and Varrahasta, Meldheim, Yabusa, Gandakar, Zewaggah, and Hetzelburg. Others claimed that the activities, reach, and impact of this bold miscreant and his followers were being greatly exaggerated. In the background, matters were eerily quiet. Few ambassadors met between Perrence and Revidia. On the 25th of Assani, the [i]Corriere di Orlano[/i] reported that lands abutting the Parrench border had been temporarily requisitioned by order of the Doge. Through networks of their contacts, mercenaries began to receive offers of substantial remuneration. South of the border, the Légion de la Flamme Sacrée was quietly called to Ardeaux, only sixty miles from Revidian land… and that of the academy.

It was against this backdrop that students awoke on Lepdes, Assani the 29th to prepare for the Student Societies Faire: a sorely-needed escape from the near-constant bombardment of worrying news and one of the highlights of the school year. It promised to be a weekend of wonder, spectacle, discovery, and excitement. First, however, upon waking, many found themselves met with an unexpected and - for some - unwelcome surprise.

[hr][hr][h2]Day One[/h2][hr][hr]
It was a lazy Lepdes morning. There were no classes today because of the faire and Marceline was in no hurry to get up. Last night had been spent hunched over a table with Zaz, planning out every little aspect of Zeno Bucks, drafting correspondence by candlelight, and figuring out supply chains. As little as she yet knew of the world, she knew much of these things, herself and Isabella having been Warden Ortega's primary secretaries. At different points, Ingrid, Jocasta, Ayla, and Manfred had all drifted in and out. She had fallen asleep on the sofa in Zarina’s drawing room, the walk home proving too daunting, and it was there that she found herself when a loud and persistent pounding on the door caused her to jump awake. [color=598527]"Coming,"[/color] she groaned, [color=598527][i]"coming!"[/i][/color]

Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she swung herself into a sitting position and stretched. 

[b]"This is the Draconic Regulatory Association and Group for Organizational Nomenclature! Please open the door,"[/b] said an insistent voice from the other side.

[color=598527][i]What the…[/i][/color] Marci scrunched her face up. [color=598527][i]Draconic what?[/i][/color] she wondered, looking down at her feet and realizing that she didn't have her braces on. It was easy to forget what a cripple she was these days. [color=598527]"I'll be there in just a minute!"[/color] she replied with patient sweetness, reaching down and fiddling with them. The fourteen-year-old glanced about for Zarina, but she was nowhere to be found. [color=598527][i]Where the hell [b]are[/b] you, Zaz!?[/i][/color] She berated her friend mentally.

[b]“By law you are required to submit to an inspection of your dragon's living situation and to apply for a license. Please open this door.”[/b]

[color=598527]“Eshi,”[/color] she cursed under her breath. [color=598527]"I said that I'm coming!"[/color] The Kerreman added a bit louder, tightening the last of her bindings, calling for her cane, and rising both quickly and unsteadily. 

Then, just as she was rushing for the door, a freshly washed Zarina appeared, effortlessly brushing past her with a quick but genuine apology. [color=C78A2C]"What the hell do these guys want?"[/color] she griped, and Marci could only shrug. [color=598527]"I think we're about to find out."[/color]

[hr][hr]
[hider=Societies Faire Map and Guide][img]https://i.imgur.com/adUuWvK.png[/img]

1) [url=https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/18dRCoIhzT0_yUNTyNxSZgkSQmO9SegHnEpWi_bCAlqI/edit?usp=sharing]Societies List by Character[/url]

2)A guide to all Clubs can be found under the [url=https://www.roleplayerguild.com/posts/5321095]Student Societies[/url] hider in School Lore.

3) An in-depth guide to some specific clubs of interest can be found [url=https://docs.google.com/document/d/13YpWA7JAAbATVsZ7F6GqaemSho7CoynP1ZY2c_04uD0/edit?usp=sharing]here[/url].[/hider]
[hr][hr]
Marceline and Zarina were not the only ones who received visits from D.R.A.G.O.N. agents that morning. Indeed, every single student who had been fortunate enough to come away with one of the coveted eggs from their recent adventures found themselves awoken by an insistent knock on the door. Rough initial impressions aside, they would find the agents rather helpful and reasonable once their registration fees were paid. These went straight to dragon conservation, rehoming, and public outreach, they explained, offering to sign the students up for courses on dragon hatchling care. Those who resisted were met merely with grim looks and promises of a 'rescheduled' visit at some point in the near future.

For those not so (un)fortunate, the excitement of the day was able to begin uninterrupted. It was, against all odds, warm and somewhat sunny after a persistent drizzle during the Hours of Ipte. Clouds cleared, birds chirped and chittered in the trees, and puddles began drying in the late stresian sun. All about campus and, indeed, much of the city, was a bustle of activity. Those who slept in for too long found themselves awakened by the busy whacking of hammers and clatter of wagons. Voices drifted in from the street and, soon enough, they were joined by music of a great many flavours and varieties. Over the past few days, the city’s inns, guesthouses, and guest rooms had filled up with graduates from the two previous cohorts, returned to help advertise the clubs and societies that had been such a grand part of their experience. Along with those who had remained to study in the Tan–Zeno program, these now emptied onto familiar and nostalgic byways and boulevards. A handful had brought husbands or wives. Others taunted the current students, shouting often-rude awakenings and making gratuitous noise to draw out the stragglers. 

And so they rose, dressed and, chattering eagerly as they gathered, began to fill the streets. By the fourth hour of Shune, Ersand’Enise was alive with light, sound, and revelry. Dozens of student societies, great and small, ancient and newly-established, dazzled potential members and patrons with what they had on offer. From the carnival of nourishing delights set out by the Pumpernickel Clubbe, to the roving performers of the Bards’ Society, temporary zoo of the Fauna Society, and Katterhorn procession of the Eskandish Circle, it was truly a spectacle. Yet, not every student society found itself possessed of either the funds or the compunction to put on such a grand display. For every Brewers’ Brotherhood biergarten, Tasters’ Union smorgasbord, or Society of the Grapes party, there were the simple, earnest entreaties and rubbish gathering of the Egalite Fraternite, Rat Bastards who lurked down sideroads and flitted through crowds hawking test answer keys, and the first aid centre of the Carnation Accord. Some whispered that, in the shadow of enrapturing displays like that of the Red Table Society’s war reenactments or the sheer… theatre of the Fingersteeplers, lurked darker elements: Traveler’s agents stirring up class resentment, stealing and rabble-rousing, and perhaps even the infamous and long-rumoured group of clandestine agitators known only as The Faceless.

Yet, as the faire continued into the afternoon and five galleons of the Revidian Regia Marina offered a spectacular rolling broadside in salute to start the hours of Eshiran, it became clear that something was amiss. In the fauna society’s petting zoo, animals became skittish and uncooperative. Horses and other ungulates pawed nervously at the ground and paced. The Vossoriyan yaks and Eskandish kæmpe ko formed defensive circles, snorting and glancing uneasily up at the sky. The lesser and even mid-sized dragons of the Draconic Order stirred and flapped in agitation, some straining at their tethers. 

Then, echoing across the open water, was heard a long screeching roar. Crowds swirled and necks craned, each trying to pinpoint the origin of the mighty noise. Many were the hands shielding eyes as they searched in the direction of the sun. People saw the shadow before they saw the beast: a great dark shape wavering across the rooftops and open plazas of Ersand’Enise, and voices rose in excitement. A second roar was unleashed and the shadow circled as people pointed and shouted, standing on their tiptoes or jumping up and down. Then, it disappeared.

[hr][hr]
Souverain shredded the clouds and for a moment it was just Jean-Claude de Toussaint and his dragon, alone above the world as they had so often been. Then, five more riders emerged, along with Oriflamme, Tempête, Volcan, Fantôme, and Lierre. [color=f26522]“Ah, so you can almost keep up!”[/color] The Dragon Knight taunted, amplifying his voice with sonic magics. Acknowledgements and teasing challenges came back at him and he grinned, taking a moment to peer down through a gap in the clouds. The riders of the Legion had circled out over the sea and were now not so very far from the Revidian ships. [color=f26522]“[i]Super[/i], Souverain,”[/color] he assured his draconic companion, taking a moment to pat it where neck met body. [color=f26522]“Now…”[/color] He raised his voice, [color=f26522]“Allons-y, mes frères! Let’s give these Revidien sea-pigs a bit of a show, non?”[/color] With that, he wheeled Souverain around and pierced the clouds in a steep dive.

[hr][hr]
[color=fff200]“They’re going to hit!”[/color]
[color=ec008c]“Oh my gods!”[/color]
[color=6ecff6]“He’s gonna crash!”[/color]
[b]“Pull up!”[/b]
[color=92278f]“Oh Eshirian, no!”[/color]
Screams and entreaties rose from the crowd in Ersand’Enise as an enormous black dragon, easily larger than any of the Revidian galleons, plummeted from the sky. In panic, the ships tried to maneuver out of its way, but they were not near fast enough. Instead, at the last possible juncture, the creature spread its vast wings, air bulged them, and it pulled up mere feet above the tips of the Revidian masts. Five other dragons, in the formation of a pentact, followed, pulling up feet from the waves. The galleons, in a tight formation of their own, rocked perilously and struggled not to collide while the Perrench darted and wheeled above. Fire leapt from the beasts’ throats and formed the holy symbol for a moment in the sky, the largest of them all - a Great Volcanic Wyvern or Tyrannus Monsigneus, some were quick to point out - bursting through the middle and arrowing straight for the city.  

There was not a person outdoors who did not feel the mighty whoosh of wind from its massive wings. Members of the Lamplighters and city guard pushed crowds back from the area that had been set aside in Cathedral Square and animal handlers did their best to keep the other creatures calm, particularly the small herd of eight kæmpe ko that threatened to stampede at the sight of their only natural predator. Souverain, one of only two such wyverns tamed the world over, had grown considerably since his last trip to Ersand’Enise, and he proved a tight fit in the plaza. The five other dragons, a mixture of Harlequins, Froabasses, and a Tyrant, perched atop the city walls, the last of them causing visible cracks where it alighted.

Sir Jean-Claude swung off of Souverain’s back and, with a bit of Kinetic Magic, landed softly in a crouch. He rose to the sound of thunderous applause and, after taking a moment to give the dragon some chin scritches, he bowed in all relevant directions, waved to the crowd, and descended into the Draconic Order’s display. How they flocked there. How they clamoured to enter. The lineup of young women hoping to gain a personal audience with him rivaled that of Leon Solaire, whose bombastic anthems, soulful crooning, and strobing light shows lit up Arc-en-Ciel Plaza into the hours of Dami. It all finished with a brilliant display of pyrotechnics and fireworks and many retired back to the townhomes of their Zenos for a rest before further revelry in the morning.

[hr][hr]
Marceline was not one of them. [color=598527]“Zaz, help me with this,”[/color] she sighed exhaustedly. She was capable enough with Kinetic magic, but she was tired, and two were better than one. They’d traded spots all day running the Zeno bucks stand after hastily deciding that a soft-opening during the Faire would hold significant benefits. Now, there was a giant pot to haul back to Zeno Afraval’s place, for she was a bit closer to the street corner they had snagged. Zarina had done much of the paperwork, Shune and Dami bless her both, and Marceline had been the cute smiling face to interact with the stuffy adult types and offer them free coffee.

Walking through the darkened streets with a giant copper pot floating along between them, just above head level, Marci got to thinking. [color=598527]“Hey sis,”[/color] she prodded. [color=598527]“Look: another one of our cups.”[/color] The little ceramic mugs had become an ubiquitous sight at the faire. While it was free advertising for their nascent business, the litter had also become a problem, not only because it was unsightly and broken fragments could be dangerous, but because it cost them money. A simple exhortation to return their cups for free had proven insufficient to make people reliably do so. Marci had yet to crunch the actual numbers, but she estimated that the rate of returns had hovered no higher than twenty percent. That would not do. [color=598527]“Looks like asking nicely wasn’t enough, huh?”[/color]

Zarina clicked her tongue at the sight. There was something disappointing about seeing one’s own logo - something they’d worked hard on - be left as mere detritus on the streets, [color=C78A2C]“Their loss, they’ll have to buy new ones.”[/color] she groaned, [color=C78A2C]“But yeah, constantly ordering these things is gonna be a shitshow. Think we should reward ‘em for going the extra step and not just toss away perfectly good cups?”[/color]

[color=598527]“That is [i]exactly[/i] what I think,”[/color] agreed Marci. [color=598527]“The question is ‘how?’”[/color] Zarina chewed the idea for a moment and spit out a suggestion a few seconds later, [color=C78A2C]“How about we give them, like, something that proves they’ve gotten a drink with a cup they’ve saved. They do it enough times and we give them a treat. Like they do to train doggies.”[/color] she snorted.

[color=598527]“Hehe,”[/color] Marci giggled. [color=598527]“How to keep track of that, though?”[/color] She scowled thoughtfully. [color=598527]“I wouldn’t want to use paper. It’s too expensive…”[/color] she trailed off as an urchin, picking through the garbage, collected another cup. [color=C78A2C]“... Why not the cup itself?”[/color] Zarina’s eyes were taken by the scavenger’s effort and it so happened to have illuminated her, [color=C78A2C]“We can dish out cups all we want in the end, but using the conserved cups as proof and a tool to get free shit will benefit everyone.”[/color]

[color=598527]“I knew there was a reason I kept you around!”[/color] squealed Marceline. She nodded with an exaggeratedly enthusiastic motion. [color=598527]“Maybe we mark them somehow at first? A certain number of marks nets you the good stuff?”[/color] Zarina nodded as she brushed some of the shattered pieces on their way to the side with her foot, [color=C78A2C]“The underside, yeah? Like, something simple but can’t be easily imitated. Is there a way we can do that? I know mother did something like that a while back …”[/color]

They were nearing Sienna Afraval’s place, a handful of other clusters of students still milling about or tiredly stumbling back to nearby homes. One, a binder, was paused in place, using her magic to repair a small tear in her clothes. [color=598527]“Oh!”[/color] Marci chirped. [color=598527]“We could use binding!”[/color] She paused. [color=598527]“That, or just a standard brand to score the underside. While it’s just you and me, binding’s cheaper, as long as we have like… the same design we’ve settled on.”[/color]

Zarina clapped her hands together, [color=C78A2C]“Binding! Yeah. That’s probably the way.”[/color] her eyes darted around, hoping to find her next piece of express-inspiration. The only bit of natural light they would have at this time provided both of them with an answer, [color=C78A2C]“Easy. A white moon that fills every day they bring their cup. Five days of good behaviour, they get a little treat and a happy star. Seven stars for seven weeks in a month, big treat.”[/color] she opened her arms in an exaggerated shrug with a smirk on her face, [color=C78A2C]“Eaaaaaaasy. Now you figure out how we prevent other asshole binders from just doing that.”[/color]

They’d reached the door and Marceline yawned. [color=598527]“In the morning, though, huh?”[/color] she replied. [color=598527]“For now, this thing’s going in the cellar, right?”[/color] the Virangish nodded, [color=C78A2C]“That’s it. We really gotta get our own storage at some point, when we get that sweet dough.”[/color] 

[color=598527]“Those sweet, [i]sweet[/i] Zeno bucks,”[/color] Marci agreed. Zarina used the gift to assist her in these final steps and, after a door or two were unlocked, the pot nestled snugly in the little alcove where they’d been keeping it for the past week or so. [color=598527]“We’ll find something soon. Don’t worry, buddy. I’m looking!”[/color]

Marceline reached over and gave her friend a quick hug. [color=598527]“I’ll see you tomorrow, [i]Virangish Pepper[/i]!”[/color] she teased, backing away. [color=598527]“Bright and early! Barely after Ipte!”[/color] In the event, she barely made it back to her own bed. 

[hr][hr][h2]Day Two[/h2][hr][hr]
She was awoken by the sound of thunder and the pelting of raindrops upon her window. [color=598527]“Eshi, nooo,”[/color] the girl moaned, rolling over in bed. She’d been offered the spare room on the bottom floor so that she wouldn’t have to climb too many stairs and, often to her chagrin, she’d let Penny have it instead. Being on the top floor of a rather tall townhome had its benefits, though. When she pushed open her curtains, Marci could see clear across the Cathedral District, and she wondered at the sight of Souverain. The colossal Monsigneus shuffled around lazilly, shaking his great head back and forth and letting out a little puff of flame from his nostrils that bathed the area around him in shimmering white steam.

For a long moment, the girl was enraptured. It was a titan of old: a creature so massive and ancient so as to far outstrip mere humans. Yet, she and her friends had killed something very much like one and Marci suddenly found herself thinking it quite a great shame. [color=D2691E]“N’ what are you starin’ at, Brandæble?”[/color] teased Marlynn, suddenly awake and leaning over her way. The younger girl started. [color=598527]“Scheiße!”[/color] she yelped, flinching back. [color=598527]“Do you always just sneak up on people like that!?”[/color] Marlynn shrugged, locks of wavy auburn hair cascading over her shoulders. [color=D2691E]“I guess so,”[/color] she admitted. [color=D2691E]“I’m honestly not even trying.”[/color]

[color=598527]“Humblebraggart,”[/color] grumbled Marci. [color=D2691E]“Anyways, you should see the show Souverain is putting on this morning: snorting fire into the rain.”[/color] Marly came and sat on the corner of her roommate’s bed. [color=D2691E]“I’ve been sneaking peeks all night,”[/color] she yawned, stretching and rolling her neck back and forth. [color=D2691E]“I don’t sleep well in storms.”[/color]

[color=598527]“You call yourself Eskandish.”[/color] The Kerreman shook her head.

[color=D2691E]“Yes,”[/color] retorted Marly, [color=D2691E]“because we’re all giant vikings from dark and stormy lands.”[/color] She pursed her lips. [color=D2691E]“Go get your special lil’ booties on, hun, and fetch my dragon leash and horned helm for me, would you?”[/color]

[color=598527]“Asking a cripple to run your errands for you,”[/color] Marceline scolded. [color=598527]“For shame. Truly, these barbarians have no decency.”[/color]

Marly hopped out of bed and fluttered over to her own, tossing her nightgown aside most indecently and beginning to pull on her day clothes. [color=D2691E]“Eh, you’re not that gimpy yet, Brandæble. Gonna make use of you while I can.”[/color]

Marci at least turned her back to change, but she tossed her nightgown right at her roommate’s head, hitting her target squarely. [color=D2691E]“Pff, pah, ugh!”[/color] Marly tossed it back. [color=D2691E]“Spicy throw there, Brandæble. Where’d you learn to throw like that?”[/color]

[color=598527]“Stop [i]calling[/i] me that,”[/color] the younger girl whined as the Eskandishwoman grinned impishly. [color=D2691E]“Stop [i]callin’[/i] me that,”[/color] she mimicked. [color=D2691E]“But it’s true. You’re little, rare, and sweet, but [i]much[/i] too spicy.”[/color] Now dressed, she reached over and ruffled Marci’s hair as the girl was doing up her ankle and calf bindings. [color=598527]“Bruja!”[/color] the little Brandæble retorted, batting her hand away, and Marly tossed her cane over when she was finished.

They were no more than halfway down their first staircase when a shout rose up the stairwell. [color=#0b2cf4]“What the [i]fuck[/i]!?”[/color] It was Owain’s voice, and he was clearly much alarmed. Marly, who had been hovering just ahead of Marci, turned and bounded down the steps two at a time. [color=598527]“Owain!”[/color] she shouted, [color=598527]“what’s wrong!”[/color]

Marceline's pulse raced and she called liberally upon the Gift to hurry after them. [color=#0b2cf4]“It was a fuckin… abberration,”[/color] he exclaimed. [color=#0b2cf4]“It was outside my door and I didn’t even see it. I just… walked into it.”[/color]

He was gripping his head between his hands when Marci arrived, eyes bulging and face red. [color=D2691E]“You’re not going skør on me, brother, are you?”[/color] Marlijn asked concernedly, laying a hand upon his shoulder. [color=#0b2cf4]“No.”[/color] He shook his head, releasing it. [color=#0b2cf4]“No, I’m okay.”[/color] He breathed deeply and groaned as Benedetto emerged from their shared room. [color=#0b2cf4]“Aahhh, Eshidammit,”[/color] he grated, [color=#0b2cf4]“Gonna have a splitting headache all day.”[/color]

Wordlessly, Marli padded over and enfolded him in a hug. Benny’s eyes darted around warily, as if they were suddenly under siege. [color=00a99d]“Penny,”[/color] he said flatly. [color=00a99d]“She has a history with these.”[/color]

[color=598527]“You can’t be accusing her!”[/color] Marceline was quick to jump to the defense of the Perrenchwoman. [color=598527]“You have no -”[/color]

[color=00a99d]“Don’t get your panties all in a knot there, Brandæble.”[/color] He grinned like the little shit he was. Benedetto was barely older than her and he had a mean streak a mile wide. She glared at him, still unsure what Ingrid saw in the boy. [color=00a99d]“I meant we’ll probably have to save her from herself.”[/color]

[color=F7976A][b]“She can save herself from herself, merci beaucoup, but the sentiment is very much appreciated.”[/b][/color] Penny came to a stop just below the landing, still in her nightgown and leaning on a single crutch. 

[color=00a99d]“Anytime, hopper.”[/color] He looked her up and down, rumpled hair, bags under her eyes, and all. [color=00a99d]“See you’re really putting your best foot forward.”[/color]

[color=F7976A][b]“Non merci, Benedetto.”[/b][/color] She shook her head quite definitely. [color=F7976A][b]“Petit merdeux.”[/b][/color] The half-stern mirth fell quickly from her face, though. [color=F7976A][b]“But that is not why I’m here,”[/b][/color] she continued, quickly switching back to Avincian. Penny’s eyes took a moment to meet the others’. [color=F7976A][b]“I think you should all come see this.”[/b][/color]

[color=D2691E]“If it’s an aberration,”[/color] began Marlijn, [color=D2691E]“Owain-”[/color]

[color=F7976A][b]“Non, ce n’est pas une faille du néant,”[/b][/color] she blurted. [color=F7976A][b]“C’est différent!”[/b][/color]

[color=00a99d]“Speak Avincian, baguette,”[/color] countered Benny, but Penny glared at him. [color=F7976A][b]“Shut up and come,”[/b][/color] she insisted, turning on her heel and hop-running down the steps. [color=F7976A][b]“It’s not an aberration or… not a normal one.”[/b][/color] She glanced back and Marceline was already following. The twins joined in and then, with a snort, Benedetto eagerly pushed his way past the others after a few seconds. [color=F7976A][b]“You will see. It’s… bizarre.”[/b][/color]
 
A lingering unease: that was what Marci felt when she crowded into Penny’s room. She peered through the forest of taller people, trying to understand the feeling that had settled across her stomach. There, in the middle of the room, shaped like… a quarter-sized version of Penny, crutch and all, was… an aberration? It was some sort of nothingness, and Marci remembered the word her housemate had used: néant. It was a common enough size and had a distinct otherworldliness about it, but it was all wrong. Instead of a black gap in reality, it was… blindingly white. [color=598527]“Scheiße”[/color] Marceline mouthed. [color=598527]“What the hell is it?”[/color]

[color=F7976A][b]“That’s the problem.”[/b][/color] Penny twisted on the spot nervously. [color=F7976A][b]“I have no fucking clue.”[/b][/color]

[color=00a99d]“Well, it’s an aberration,”[/color] decided Benedetto. [color=00a99d]“Just a weird one. Who [i]says[/i] they can’t be white?”[/color] He took a step towards and met with a stiff arm to the chest from Penny. It was [i]his[/i] turn to glare. [color=00a99d]“What the fuck, Penpen?”[/color]

[color=F7976A][b]“There’s more to it than the colour,”[/b][/color] she replied implacably. She glanced over her shoulder at the others. [color=F7976A][b]“I was… forced by circumstance to take two of these things in before, one after the other. I should be craving it, at least a bit. Instead…”[/b][/color] she furrowed her brow and her voice lowered a bit. [color=F7976A][b]“Do you feel it too? That… weirdness in your stomach?”[/b][/color]

[color=598527]“Yes!”[/color] exclaimed Marci, [color=598527]“ever since I started walking to your room.”[/color]

[color=D2691E]“I’ve been feeling it all morning!”[/color] agreed Marlijn, and Owain nodded. [color=#0b2cf4]“I just ate one. I should be ravenous for another. Instead, there’s almost like this dread. I really don’t wanna be here, actually.”[/color]

Benny scowled and nodded. [color=00a99d]“Yeah,”[/color] he admitted, crossing his arms. [color=00a99d]“Alright.”[/color]

[color=F7976A][b]“We should find out what it is, non?”[/b][/color] Penny prodded.

[color=00a99d]“Would help if our rainbow-hugging Zeno was here,”[/color] Benedetto grumbled.

[color=D2691E]“Benny, stop being such a curmudgeon,”;[/color] Marlijn scolded. [color=D2691E]“You know she’s busy with the Fauna Society, [i]and[/i] the Astronomers.”[/color]

[color=00a99d]“Sounds like a ‘her’ problem. She has a -”[/color]

[color=#0b2cf4]“Should we… report it?”[/color] Owain interrupted. Marci would’ve but, to be honest, she was too afraid of Benedetto.

Then, Marecline looked over and Penny was absorbing the aberration [color=598527]“Penny, what the [i]fuck[/i]!”[/color] she shouted, but the Perrenchwoman looked as alarmed as anybody else. [color=F7976A][b]“Oh putain!”[/b][/color] she shrieked, jumping back. [color=F7976A][b]"Non, sors de là! Dégages! Laisse-moi tranquille! Mes Dieux, à l'aide!"[/b][/color] She stumbled away from it but could not break free, as if the strange aberration was reaching out and latching onto her, drawing itself into her body against her very will. [color=D2691E]“Oh my Eshi!”[/color] cried Marlijn, looking on in horror, but she did not move to intervene. Neither did her brother. Marceline took a step forward but recoiled in terror after a moment. This was something new, something [i]terrifying[/i]! What if it killed her!? Paralyzed by indecision, she stood there for a moment, before Benedetto brushed right past her without hesitation and grabbed Penny. The aberration latched onto him as well and, shamed by her cowardice, Marci stepped forward to share its burden, just as she had in the desert two weeks ago.

This one sparked and stung as it touched her, like static electricity, but then it was… oddly pleasant. The ghostly white tendrils poured into her, the aberration wavered, it shrunk, and then - just after Owain joined in - it disappeared. Marceline stumbled back and Marlijn caught her. [color=F7976A][b]“I…”[/b][/color] Penny started to say, but she tailed off.

[color=#0b2cf4]“Holy shit,”[/color] breathed Owain. [color=#0b2cf4]“My headache: it’s just like… gone.”[/color] He furrowed his brow. [color=#0b2cf4]“The craving, too, is a lot less.”[/color]

[color=F7976A][b]“This may be too personal, but I was having my monthly visit from Auntie Eshi,”[/b][/color] added Penny, [color=F7976A][b]“with all of the associated… unpleasantness. It is also gone.”[/b][/color] She shook her head in disbelief. [color=F7976A][b]“I slept like a pig last night too, but I feel good,”[/b][/color] she admitted, [color=F7976A][b]“really good. Light on my feet!”[/b][/color] 

[color=00a99d]“Foot,”[/color] Benedetto taunted absently, as if it came so easily to him that he could do it on autopilot. [color=00a99d]“Anyways, I’m happy that you’re happy and all that shit, but I didn’t gain an ounce of power from it. Fuckin’ ripoff. If anything, I feel like it…”[/color] he trailed off, scrunching up his face. [color=00a99d]“[i]Stole[/i] power from me.”[/color] glances were exchanged. Some concurred with him. All remarked on the lack of a headache or cravings. If anything, Marlijn announced, she very much did [i]not[/i] want anything to do with aberrations.

Marceline, however, was not paying very much attention to the others. Instead, she was listening to her body, feeling it. [color=598527]“Um,”[/color] she began, and a couple of heads turned her way. [color=598527]“I know this isn’t something any of you would be familiar with, but, as tethered manas die, you can feel them inside you: this constant nasty little prickling right around your sensation line.”[/color]

[color=00a99d]“[i]And?[/i]”[/color] Benedetto prodded, with his usual impatience, but it didn’t even irk her this time.

Marci looked up and regarded them all. [color=598527]“I’m not sure if I’m imagining it.”[/color] A grateful, hopeful, desperate smile broke across her face. [color=598527]“It… [i]stopped[/i].”[/color]

[hr][hr]
If Born-on-Solstice’s early rising apprentice group was the first to experience aberrations that day, it was far from the last, and two aberrations were not the sum of its quota either. Just like last time, there appeared to be one for each student. Marceline made it over to Zarina to find that her group, as well, had encountered one of the seemingly rare white aberrations, but they were running behind schedule and did not have the time to unpack everything that had happened. Marci felt good, though, as they set up. The sharp, ceaseless tingling and stinging that had bedevilled her since shortly after her ninth birthday was, for the first time in five and a half years, absent. Hope flooded quick in its wake, that the tethering could be halted, that she may yet live a normal life. All day, she found herself distracted by it, as the drizzle faded and a second one started in the middle hours of Dami. She made the rounds with her friends when her shift at the stand was up, but she did not break the news yet to Jocasta, Luisa, Bella, and the other tethered. She would see if this lasted. She would make sure that it was real. 

As they walked - or rolled, in some of the other girls’ cases - they stumbled upon at least two further aberrations. Formed in the accusatory shapes of people, they had appeared and, where they were not wantonly or accidentally absorbed, had been cordoned off. Lamplighters, guards, and even the Century were in strong supply, and Sir Jean-Claude lifted off on Souverain in the early afternoon, joining one last big aerial display put on by the famed ‘Fireflies’ of the Draconic Order. Watching them, Marceline thought of her own froabas egg, now nestled safely in a warming nest provided at cost by D.R.A.G.O.N. In truth, she had despaired of ever getting to ride the magnificent creature that would emerge but, if what had happened today held true, the despair would easily turn to excitement. 

Proceedings ended earlier on Victendes than they did on Lepdes, for classes would resume on the morrow. Marceline took on the truncated late shift from Zarina, and they exchanged talk of the day. She had thought about joining some of the magic-focused societies, and they were large and well-funded, but they’d felt too much like more work, like professional bodies. She had school for that. Instead, she’d opted for a series of more interest-based clubs, and a few that she thought might benefit her business. 
[hr][hr]
[hider=Marceline’s Club Selections][b]Guild:[/b] Magicians’ Guild
[b]Clubs:[/b] Draconic Order, Drudunzean Union, Orators’ Society, Pumpernickel Clubbe, Rat Bastards, Tasters’ Union, Unchained Society[/hider]
[hr][hr]The day wound down, with crickets chirping and a foggy mist rolling in a bit early beneath heavy clouds. Thunder rumbled above their heads as students and some Zenos hustled back to their shared accommodations. Marceline, for her part, was busy counting money as she walked, safe under the mighty brim of her hat and leaning on her cane somewhat less than usual. [color=ffdead]“Marci, watch out!”[/color] came a voice and she looked up just on time to see both the small aberration in front of her and Jocasta rolling up quickly. [color=ffdead]“At least look where you’re going, iblah!”[/color] The Djamantese came around and pulled into an easy rhythm at her side. Marceliine’s cheeks burned. [color=598527]“Sorry, Jo.”[/color]

[color=ffdead]“Don’t say sorry for me,”[/color] the older tethered replied. [color=ffdead]“It was [i]you[/i] who was about to eat shit.”[/color] She rolled her eyes. Marci did too. [color=598527]“Sorry, mom. Didn’t mean to make you worry,”[/color] she teased. 

[color=ffdead]“Shut up,”[/color] Jocasta pouted.

[color=598527]“Oh, so when are you gonna tell everyone you’re really like… twenty?”[/color] the girl asked, and her friend’s eyes bugged out. There was a bit of a warning beneath the comical overreaction as well, though. [color=ffdead]“Your mother’s been telling you too much, Brandæble!”[/color]

[color=598527]“Nooo!”[/color] squealed Marci. [color=598527]“You too?”[/color]

[color=ffdead]“It is… inevitable,”[/color] Jocasta teased. [color=ffdead]“Maybe you can pay me with some of those fat stacks of Hugos and I’ll forget.”[/color]

[color=598527]“Bruja!”[/color]

[color=ffdead]“You’re the one with the hat…”[/color]

[color=598527]“Touché,”[/color] admitted Marceline.

[color=ffdead]“Anyways, we split up here, I think.”[/color] Jocasta brought herself to a near stop, hands resting on her wheels the way they did when she was about to push off. The younger girl gulped and gathered herself. [color=598527]“Actually,”[/color] she began, [color=598527]“can you hold on for a second?”[/color]

Brow furrowed, Jocasta stopped and nodded. The exact contents of their conversation were known to nobody but the two of them, but they spoke for nearly two hours and the night ended with Marci crying on Jocasta’s lap. Thus came to an end the five-hundred-fifty-fourth iteration of the Ersand’Enise Student Societies Faire. There had been highlights and lowlights. Friendships and rivalries had been made, wounds both opened and healed, and a common mystery to unite all students and much of the staff had now gripped the academy. Though the Arch-Zenos had approved and then posted an official bulletin in most of the city’s public areas and students were warned about the danger and exhorted to report all aberrations to faculty, it did little to blunt the gossip, the whispers and the burning curiosity, even as The Trials approached. Just what were these aberrations, and now a new variety? Who had created them? How had they placed them so exactly and, most importantly: [i]why[/i]?

[hr][hr][h2]Act Three: Trials and Tribulations, begins![/h2]
 
[hider=Aberrations’ Locations (Retcon Active)]While one NPC group encountered aberrations on the morning of the second day, and a few others did as well, PC groups will [u][b]not[/b][/u]. Instead, those who participated in our minigame will have encountered at least a couple at large in the faire. There were 12 aberrations to be found in all. Most were the typical black aberrations, a few were white, and one was a rare grey aberration. Player character groups will encounter aberrations in their dorm areas on the morning of [u][b]next[/b][/u] cycle's post. Individuals will also have to contend with the consequences of their aberration ingestion at the faire.
[hider=Minigame Locations Revealed]16: needle and thread 
2: ethnic club area
11: bards’ society
6: ipte’s courtyard
3: professional clubs area (grey)
4: near speed demons
7: gamers’ union (white)
19: orators’ society
17: brewers’ brotherhood (white)
9: innovator’s exchange
15: oceanborne & waveriders (white)
1: magic school clubs[/hider]
The map from above is reposted here for your convenience.
[hider=Student Societies Locations][img]https://imgur.com/adUuWvK.png[/img][/hider][/hider]
[hider=To Do]1) Please make sure that you fill out your clubs like I have for Marci and put them at the bottom of your post! Also, feel free to fill them in on the google sheet linked above.
2) Play out the faire! Who did you go with, what did you do, see, and try? What clubs did you join?
3) What were you up to in the run-up? How did the geopolitical tensions, social upheaval, and increased security affect you?
4) How did you approach the aberrations in the minigame? Feel free to go it solo or collaborate. Just make sure that you’re not stealing anyone else’s!
5) Did you perform? Did you learn anything? If you wanted to join an invitation-only club, DM me, please!

Sorry for the wait. Happy posting![/hider]
[hr][hr]