Achronum

Of Blood and Magic

January 8th - 12:45am

Mage Classes

Aaron

The Mystery in Light
_Aaron

"Typically, yes. You don't need to focus as much on detail if your audience isn't familiar with whatever illusion you're spinning or if it's an artistic performance; however, I believe it's in your best interest for the time being to simply recreate everything as realistically as possible." Daun replied as he watched Aaron, offering a few corrections and pointers but letting Aaron get a feel for actively shaping his magic.

Half an hour later, Daun checked his watch. "That's enough for today, I think. The rest of the week, we'll get you used to creating a single butterfly and then we'll move onto a walking creature. Make sure to bring references of the butterfly tomorrow night and to review a little on how they move." Daun explained. He clapped Aaron on the shoulder. "You did well today, Aaron. I'm excited to see how far your eagerness to learn takes you. Now, go eat. You've been pushing your magic for a long time."

Lilie, Max, Maddie

Just a Bunch of Hocus Pocus

Lilie, Max, and Maddie

"Alright, that's enough!" Professor Mara called, climbing to her feet once more. There were more than a few sighs of relief, plenty of people struggling under the terse expectations if the Professor and ready to put the class behind them for the night. "I expect everyone who failed to barely project their magic to practice tonight and come back tomorrow with some semblance of proficiency. Remember, this is a pass or fail class so no amount of trying will save your grades." Professor Mara dismissed them, stalking back to her desk.

Maddie rested her head on the desk for a moment, the combination of a difficult first period and a stressful second demanding she take a moment to collect herself. Dowsing was a strange experience. She'd had her magic not even a year, barely understood it, and now she was forcing it to move in a way that was more than just pointing her focus and telling it to go. No, now she was telling it to go everywhere all at once and her magic was just as confused as she was.

And the experience of it. It'd taken more than a few tries but when she managed to get it to expand more than a few inches, she immediately lost all control as she was absolutely swamped. For the brief moments, she was hyper aware of every breath her classmates took, the faintest throb in her magic as their hearts beat, the faintest stretch and pull as they shifted in their seats. It was strange and uncomfortable and she was not looking forward to trying that over and over again.

As the other students swarmed out towards lunch, Maddie stood and collected her belongings, letting the crowd escape rather than braving the horde.

---

Vampire Classes

Ben, Eris, Varis

The Weight of Power
_{Ben and Eris}

"That will be all for tonight." The mage stepped forward, catching the glass as it slipped out from the vampire's hand. "I've uploaded all of the mandatory readings, assignments, and suggested readings to your Academy accounts. Please make sure you check them as soon as possible as you will be expected to know when to turn them in. Thank you very much and have a pleasant evening." She ended class with a bow.

Meanwhile, Varis scoffed at the boy's performance. Of course his subconscious creation was a flighty little insect. Anyone with half a brain could see the boy couldn't figure himself out; pretty by all accounts but flitting between families with no sense of commitment, content to take everything he could from both. If Varis hadn't been confident that his mage failed to command any sort of self respect, any sort of confidence in his position, then Varis certainly had no questions now. Though, he supposed it was still better than a raven. Varis would have lost his mind but the vampire turned his attention back to the present as he approached the class he'd left Count Eve and Eris at. Hopefully, the actor did something productive and took notes.

Amaris

When the going gets Tough, the Tough say Fuck
_Amaris

"Aaaaaand hands away from the food!" Nasir clapped his hands together loudly. "Alrighty, let's get these all wrapped up and delivered to your mages! I bet they'll appreciate all your hard work, if it doesn't kill them first!" Nasir cackled as he returned to the front of the class. "Make sure to tuck your carts back into the cooler on the way out!

Victor

Slow and Steady Wins the Race
_Victor

Melanie watched with wide eyes as Victor moved around. If it was possible, she'd be pale in the face. She followed his instructions, weak, uncoordinated strikes connecting against Victor harmlessly. She offered no response but was clearly uncomfortable attacking a vampire, much less a noble.

"Okay, okay. Everyone clear the grounds! Class is over! Go terrorize your mages or friends or whatever students do these nights." Tomas shouted across the arena. Several mages waited at the end in combat uniforms, third years looking to practice on the sands for competition while classes were out.

The Gifted - Concluded

James Kingston

---

Location: Hellfire Manor
Skills: N/A

Well, fuck.

Their attackers hadn’t bothered with the waiting part apparently but he’d think about that later. Casper was right that it was eerily quiet and in the midst of an attack on their home, it felt misplaced. Maybe the abruptness of asteroids made for a poor comparison but James expected something on a similar scale. James held his finger to his lips for Casper to stay quiet and crept his way up to the door, peeking around the frame to try and keep himself from being seen.

James barely stopped himself from banging his head on the door frame at the scene inside. A silver woman stood amongst several others, each clearly under her thrall. A telepath. Just what the god damned doctor ordered. James backed away from the door, a pit of unease growing in his stomach. Telepaths on a normal day made him wary. Telepaths actively interested in harming him downright terrified him. And Casper, jesus. This could either be incredibly therapeutic or James needed to get his boyfriend away from here as fast as possible.

“So, lots of people in there but it looks like they’re all under the fuckery of a naked, silver telepath in the middle. I didn’t see Reeva or the Three-in-One so either they escaped, they’re dead, or they’re hiding. Either way, they aren’t going to be used against us.” James explained quietly, sighing as he finished. James’ first instinct was to tell Casper to run but he wasn’t confident anywhere on the island was safe right now and he’d admit, he’d feel a lot better walking into this shit show knowing he had someone with him. “So, I don’t have a plan because frankly, I don’t know how to take down a telepath short of a bullet between their eyes or a tranquilizer round and that terrifies the shit out of me so any fantasy about how to render your sperm donor useless would be very much appreciated.” Because truly, James was out of his depth here. He could take a bullet, an energy beam, or an explosion but he had no idea if he could protect his mind in the same manner. Fuck, he hated telepaths. Having someone else possess your mind like…

An idea sparked in his head and James gave Casper a questioning look. “I don’t know if it’s even possible but can ghosts possess people, like in horror movies? Just keep her still long enough for us to knock her unconscious or walk her into something violent and deadly?”

Held roll

Reactive Adaptation if attacked

Fire Emblem: The Slumbering Goddess

---

Interacting with: @Hero

The week passed easily in comparison to their brutal training exercises, though anything shy of being mauled by a bear would be considered easy when Professor Michail’s enthusiasm defined the standard. Normally, lessons limited to ink and paper and lectures would find Clarissa itching in her seat despite the determination to absorb anything and everything but she welcomed the reprieve from action with open arms after a week whose highlights included a bloody massacre and their introduction to training exercises. Still, it felt surreal. Ghosts, courtesy of a training camp gone awry, lingered in the corners of her room while she drifted into slumber, the frustrating tug between her loyalty to the Church and her loyalty to her countrymen making smiles just a tad harder, and yet, life went on at Garreg Mach. She still woke before the sun, reveled in the beauty of it seeping through stained glass and filling the grand cathedral, walked the grounds with reverence in every step, laughed at whatever mischief her housemates wandered into, and snapped when she had to stop them from going too far. There were still books to read and assignments to complete and chores to wash up after. She found it reassuring, like the Goddess was reminding them that not everything is as world shattering as it seemed in the moment.

Though today, the restlessness came back (a facet of herself she blamed solely on Jorah’s influence in her life). The Archbishop finally had time for tea! Though she’d suggested the idea on their first day, Clarissa never thought someone as important as Ioannis would reasonably have time for something as silly as tea with students. While it was never a question that Clarissa would become someone important enough to have tea with the Archbishop, she’d always imagined it would be after she took her place on the Roundtable and entered talks on how to best coordinate strengthening the Church’s presence in the Alliance. But it’d arrived so much sooner and Clarissa could barely contain her excitement, even if Jorah was a little put out over the fact he couldn’t monopolize her for the entire day. She had no doubt it’d be over quickly; it was only tea!

She’d thought her good mood invincible to even the disturbing and inappropriate things Jorah thought acceptable to proclaim in public but the Goddess certainly proved her wrong. She’d swept into the cathedral eagerly, never truely needing an excuse to enjoy standing in such a holy place, and took her seat just as quickly. She didn’t know what would warrant early dismissal but it barely took the word rumors to change her attitude. She straightened in her spot, immediately scanning the room for their teacher’s reactions. Not that it was necessary, she doubted anyone believed nothing had happened yet considering the interruption and implementation of heightened security, but the grim set to Professor Michail’s mouth spoke volumes. Clarissa doubted that the Knights of Seiros weren’t doing everything in their power to handle this but the Archbishop’s reassurances that their confidence in the Knights weren’t misplaced echoed Professor Euphemia far too quickly for Clarissa’s comfort.

However, there would be time for speculation later in the evening. “Well at least our education isn’t in danger, just us.” Clarissa joked as she turned to her housemates. “In all seriousness however, I will always be available if you can’t find someone to accompany you on errands. Please don’t hesitate to knock on my door!” She figured she’d regret this decision in the coming weeks but she’d rather deal with the irritation than one of her housemates disappearing unexpectedly.

The Gifted - Concluded

James Kingston

---

Location: Magda Memorial Housing Complex -> Hellfire Manor
Skills: N/A

“Follow the crowd. Everyone is headed for shelter.” James replied as they escaped the building, swept up with the others running for their lives. Thankfully, people with mutants more suited to mitigating damage than fixing it were able to keep most people safe. JAmes could keep himself alive through this well enough but he was only really helpful after people were down and no one had the luxury of stopping right now.

That being said, James turned his attention to something else that was bothering him. Several heavy hitting units were launched in an unexpected attack against a mutant colony with a massive amount of variation. It could simply be that they wanted to kill as many people as quickly as they could but James thought that was an unlikely primary objective. It was a happy coincidence for them, James was sure, but ultimately, it’s likely a diversion. Their goal was to create as much chaos as possible to keep the island’s more combat savvy mutants occupied and while James has no idea as to what they could want, he certainly could draw some conclusions about their next move.

If James was involved in an incursion like this, James would have made his first move as soon as the island was available to them. Evaluate defenses and identify high population targets but more importantly, determine where the island’s shelters were. From there, he’d have it infiltrated, place explosives or operatives in the operations of the shelters, and when the attack forced all the non-combatants into place, slaughter them all to cripple the opposing force’s morale. Hellfire Manor would be a good target for such efforts. James swore as he considered the possibiliy.

“Casper, Ben, when we get to the Manor, you two have a job. Ben, you have to sweep the premises in its entirety. Look for anything that might be explosive, people who are behaving unusually compared to everyone else, anything that might mean the location is compromised. These people sent an asteroid flinger at one of the most populous places on the island while everyone was asleep, I’m not going to trust they aren’t down to kill non-combatants.” James yelled as they ran, hoping Ben was paying attention. “Babes, you need to find two or three places you can hide in if shit goes south. We’re going to need Ben for as long as you can hold him and I don’t want a stray anything to fuck you up while you’re concentrating.”

Held Rolls

Reactive Adaptation if attacked

Of Blood and Magic

January 8th - 12:15am

Mage Classes

Aaron, Varis

The Mystery in Light
_{Aaron and Varis}

Duan stepped in for a closer look when Aaron offered the butterfly for inspection, making a few noncommittal hums. “I can’t claim to be an expert on butterflies but I don’t recognize it.” He agreed. “As you can tell, making realistic illusions of things you aren’t intimately familiar with is challenging. It’s important that as we change the subjects you replicate that you spend time outside of class observing what we’re working on. Since you seem to have a natural inclination for it, we’ll start off with butterflies so make sure you spend time looking at butterflies when you can. Observe how they fly, their wing and antenna structure, and anything else about them you can so that recreating them becomes second nature to you.”

“Using a reference image outside of class is a good way to help memorize difficult details but don’t become too reliant on them. Use them a few times and then stop as soon as you feel you have a decent grasp on the image.” Duan explained as he stepped away from Aaron. A monarch butterfly shimmered wings first into existence in front of Duan, just a still image hovering in front of Duan. “Well start with a Monarch. Take a few minutes to examine it and then try and replicate it…” Duan trailed off as Varis stood.

“I’ve seen enough.” Varis decided, sweeping past Duan straight to Aaron. Duan bowed respectfully as Varis passed. “It seems you aren’t as incompitant with your magic as I’d feared, though I still intend to observe your classes more often especially after your shameful display before class. Be sure it doesn’t happen again.” Varis’ heel struck sharply on the ground as he took his leave swiftly. Duan stayed quiet until the door shut behind the Count and he straightened again.

“Maybe we should move invisibility up on the list of priorities, huh?” Duan joked before resuming the lesson. “Anyways, as I was saying, take a moment to review the Monarch butterfly and try to replicate it perfectly. Don’t let your magic fill out details;actively guide your magic just like you would any normal shape.”

Lilie, Max, Maddie

Just a Bunch of Hocus Pocus

Lilie, Max, and Maddie

“Yes, you can manipulate the dowsing area to better suit the situation. It requires a certain level of mastery over your magic and is explored more in depth during the next dowsing class. Expanding it evenly in all directions is just a simpler place to start for most students.” Mara replied to Max’s question. Around the room, students were in various states of struggle and surprise, letting out little exclamations of surprise and frustration.

Salem

Sticks and Stones may Break my Bones

_Salem

“All of them? Technically, yes. However, I would advise against doing so. Biotransmuation, one specialty in the field of transmutation, is an incredibly complex field and casting any of these base spells on complex creatures could cause serious functional failures. I advise against doing so until you advance into transmutation proper.” Hector advised just as another student exploded in a burst of water and the entire table started shrieking. “Everyone stay calm and in your seats, stay calm!” The Professor yelled as he scurried off his chair.

When the bell rang, he shouted amidst the general din, “Remember, do not attempt any of these spells without a teacher or other certified mage present! Have a wonderful night!”

---

Vampire Classes

Ben, Eris

The Weight of Power
_{Ben and Eris}

The vampire huffed at the question. “Those who claim that knowledge have long since met the sun. In these nights, some believe it simply a thrall enhanced by the ages the Child had witnessed and more still believe it a fantasy, a fantastic reimagining of brute force and experienced politicking. The truth is long lost to the night the child vanished. But we are not here to ponder on conjecture but reflect on what is known.”

“King Geoffry served his predecessor, Lord Jurgen Noila, as a mortal prior to his ascendance to a greater status. He assisted in building projects, including the original castle that the royal palace grew from, for the vast majority of his life. Geoffry’s dedication to Lord Jurgen however, paid off after he interrupted a poorly organized attack against the Lord but nearly lost his life in the process. Lord Jurgen offered the dying mortal a place in his court and with his last breath, King Geoffry started a process that would culminate in his ascension to the throne.”

“Lord Jurgen must have noticed something in Geoffry, even amidst the thrall of his transformation, because Geoffry would spend at least a decade sequestered away. It was a regular affair for any valuable vampiric prospect of the Noilan family at the time. They would spend a decade or more away from anyone except their food and their Sire, learning everything from etiquette to history to warfare. They’d be tested regularly and their time would be adjusted accordingly. Failure to complete it in a decade would have them staked for the sun.” The vampire finished it’s glass.

Amaris

When the going gets Tough, the Tough say Fuck
_Amaris

Nasir poked around as the students started creating, accompanied by his pineapple, and gave commentary and critique as he did. A few creations had Nasir staring in horror for several long moments before moving on without comment. Eventually, he made his way to Amaris’ table and brought it up to eye level, inspecting it from all sides.

“This is certainly a good first attempt. Peanut butter has an earthy flavor with a little savoriness thrown in for good measure. Meanwhile, bananas in the condition they’re currently in have a mild sweetness and a nice, soft moisture that balances how dry peanut butter is. However, the tomato.” Nasir clicked his tongue in disapproval. “This type of tomato has a bright acidity that will drown out the rest of your flavors, leaving just the clashing softness from the peanut butter and banana which creates a mess of textures in the mouth that just don’t feel good. Had you left out the tomato, this would have been an excellent sandwich. If you want to use tomato, you need another bold flavor, and a mix of textures that even out how soft the tomato is. Bacon and lettuce are both crunchy compared to the tomatoes' softness with the fat and salt in bacon strong enough flavors to stand up to the acidity of a tomato while the lettuce keeps all of the intense flavors from being overwhelming.” Nasir explained, putting her plate back down.

“Make another sandwich with that advice.” Nasir instructed. “Now remember, whatever sandwich is your fina creation you’ll be taking with you to give to your mage so make sure you think it’s yummy!”

Victor

Slow and Steady Wins the Race
_Victor

Melanie held her breath as Victor adjusted her, listening to him even as nervousness rolled off her in waves. She adjusted and held the positions she was put into, nodding to show she was paying attention. “Um, there isn’t a lot to tell you? I’m from a territory on the far side of the Marivaldis. I, um, don’t have any combat experience? I just avoided stuff like this before I was turned and uh, I was told it was good to get some fighting experience so I just sort of signed up.” Melanie admitted. “The Duchess said most vampires leave fighting to the mages now though so I don’t know why it was recommended.”

The Gifted - Concluded

James Kingston

---

Location: Magda Memorial Housing Complex
Skills: N/A

“If Magneto had a twin, I just kind of assumed―”

James’ reply was cut short, courtesy of a shitty piece of rock hurtled haphazardly into the building. It slammed barely a few feet away from the staircase with a deafening thud and James stumbled a step even as his skin shifted to metal, protecting him from the worst of the impact. He whipped around at Casper’s pleas and he swore under his breath as he rushed to where his boyfriend hung preciously from the railing. If Casper fell, there was a good chance James wouldn’t be able to heal that right away so he latched onto Casper’s arms and pulled hard, dragging him back over the railing and back onto the landing. He did a quick check over Casper to make sure there wasn’t anything else wrong and upon finding nothing else, gave him a quick kiss.

“Okay, your near death experience quota has been reached. No more, please!” James laughed, a little hysterically at the fact they were dodging massive space rocks, as he grabbed Casper’s hand again and bolted for the stairs. The night had gone from frustrating to awful in less than five seconds. If Casper weren’t here, he’d head up to the roof to figure out what the fuck was going on but Casper was and Casper needed to be somewhere safe. Ben would probably be incredibly helpful against whatever the fuck could sling asteroids but with little funcional cover, Casper would be a bright ass target for those rocks and then Ben and Casper would be out for the count. It would be better to get them to Hellfire Manor and have them help defend it while James and the others patched everyone up as quickly as possible.

The Gifted - Concluded

James Kingston

---

Location: The Apartment -> Hellfire Mansion
Skills: N/A

“Ben is… sleeping?” James laughed before catching himself on the wall as another quake hit. Casper wasn’t joking; if they stayed here much longer, they were liable to find themselves an early grave and he had absolutely no interest in finding out what lay beyond this life just yet. James stared for a second at the asteroid in their room and then shook himself out of it, grabbing Casper’s hand and bolting. “Asteroids?! Who the fuck uses space rocks as a god damned weapon?!” James groaned as they ran. He would rather argue with Casper that he was way hotter but asteroids and earthquakes made a compelling argument against spending time that way.

They needed to get to the manor as quickly as possible now that James understood how bad the situation was. James had no doubt that injuries were going to mount quickly. He’d like to be on the frontlines keeping people on their feet in a tough situation but the people who couldn’t defend themselves would need medical attention too. Havok’s accusation rose like bile in his mind but he shook it away. It was important that people could move in the event the Quiet Council attempted an evacuation effort as well. So he kept running, praying that everyone in the Underground would make it out of this alive.

The Gifted - Concluded

James Kingston

---

Location: The Apartment -> Hellfire Mansion
Skills: N/A

James scrambled upright as the message blared in his head. He could hear his heart pounding in his ears as he pulled his hand out from under the pillow where he’d reflexively tried to grab a gun that wasn’t there. James relaxed as he realized Casper wasn’t in any immediate danger and snorted at the childish bickering going on next to him. “En route to Hellfire Mansion in five.” James replied as he reached out to soothe his fingers through Casper’s hair, scratching his nails gently across his scalp. “Come on, baby. We gotta get up.”

James swung his feet out of bed and stood, stretching as he did. Who the fuck had the balls to launch an attack on an island full of mutants led by some of the most powerful of them? Purifiers, another government? Well, James supposed it didn’t really matter at this point and in reality, determining that was above his pay grade at the moment. “What’s your plan for this, sweetheart? You and Ben would kick a ton of ass out there but if you want to come shelter at the mansion, I’d understand. There are probably going to be a lot of ghosts hovering around during this and I don’t want you to get hurt because they don’t have anything better to do than be a bunch of dicks cause you can see them.” James asked as he got ready, pulling on the first things he grabbed that fit him. Honestly, he’d prefer Casper at the mansion with him so he could keep him safe but he couldn’t deny Casper and Ben would be helpful in almost any situation, from combat to rescues.

Fire Emblem: The Slumbering Goddess

---

Interacting with: @Hero

“Men find such an atrocious degree of joy in combat. I’ve often wondered if they just see it as high risk roughhousing. I understand the necessity of training but I agree, I’ll never understand the pleasure he sought from it.” Clarissa agreed. She watched Lienna enter the bath, choosing to find a quiet spot by herself rather than seek out conversation. After the disastrous display the Blue Lions put forth and the intensity of their training, Clarissa couldn’t fault her. She made to call Lienna over so she could distract her from whatever thoughts had her staring into the water like that but Imogen got to her first. There wasn’t any better distraction than the chaos that the other Deer seemed to revel in so Clarissa let them be and turned her attention back to Veronica.

“Considering the ordeals of the day, I think we can do away with worries of formalities, Veronica.” Clarissa laughed, slipping down a little further in the water so she could rest her head on the edge of the pool comfortably. “I’m only here for my recovery and good company and personally, I think I’ve found both so I’d loathe to sacrifice either of it over propriety for the moment. It has it’s time and place but I think it best we leave that at the door with our clothes after a long day of being repeatedly and violently introduced to the ground.”

“With the water around me, it’s easy to forget I’m half a world away from home. I didn’t think that was what I’d miss the most but I miss the ocean most of all. Even when I’d travel as a child, we mostly stuck along the coast between our home and Derdriu. It’s been a strange change of pace not to wake up to salt in the air and the sound of waves lapping at the pier.” Clarissa spoke with her eyes closed, relaxed. “Is there anything you miss from home being sheltered away up here at the top of the world?”

Of Blood and Magic

January 7th - 11:45pm

Mage Classes

Aaron, Varis

The Mystery in Light
_{Aaron and Varis}

Varis sat motionless as the Professor explained the exercise, his earlier irritation bleeding out as he listened. They would be practicing parlor tricks this semester it seemed. Conjuring illusions of creatures and people and making them dance like monkeys at a circus certainly cemented the boy’s position as a show mage in his household. He lifted an unimpressed eyebrow at the boy’s flinch as the Professor conjured and dismissed the lion with ease. The boy knew it was an illusion; if all it took was the facsimile of a predator to bother him, their Lady was going to eat him alive.

Varis watched the boy closely as light bloomed between his hands. The Count frowned at whatever the boy was struggling against and then watched in fascination as butterflies burst for his grasp and gently fluttered around the room. Not quite the impressive feat the boy’s instructor managed but Varis held a finger out as one of the butterflies drew near, inspecting the illusion closely as it settled on his finger. It wasn’t half bad, Varis supposed, but in truth he wasn’t quite sure what counted as impressive at this point in the lesson. Accomplishing anything seemed to be the goal but simply meeting expectations wouldn’t be living up to Varis’. An involuntary smile, more a twitch of the lips than anything else, crossed his face before his flat expression returned as the image faded.
“Interesting, interesting.” Professor Duan muttered as he watched the display. “I’m surprised something like a butterfly was the first thing that came to mind. Dogs, cats, and birds are the most common first attempts and I had you solidly in the bird category. However, that was an excellent first casting! Creating multiple copies on the first attempt usually results in just very bright spotty lights but yours had fine detail and movement so I don’t think you’re going to find this class too difficult after all!” Professor Daun considered Aaron thoughtfully for a moment.

“Now, this time I want you to take a moment to consider why a butterfly before you try the exercise again. The first exercise told you to rely on your instincts, on the connection you have to your affinity, to determine a creature you could successfully replicate. Reflecting on why that was what you instinctively chose to produce will help you strengthen your connection to your affinity.” Duan explained, a large butterfly shimmering into existence on his hand for Aaron to look at.

Lilie, Max, Maddie

Just a Bunch of Hocus Pocus

Lilie, Max, and Maddie

“The finer details of that question are a discussion for a more advanced dowsing class but at this stage, you will be consciously choosing when to dowse, much like casting any spell. There may well come a time when you’ve trained your subconscious to perform this task but at this stage, dowsing will be a demanding feat for your magical reserves.” Professor Mara replied to Lilie’s question.

Meanwhile, Maddie had skidded into the room with less than a minute to spare, sliding into a seat in the very back row. Her affinity class had been incredibly demanding and she’d taken too long catching her breath. Between the anxiety of the Professor repeating that a single mistake could cost lives and learning to carefully control the flow of magic to reduce the degree of dependency the patient may develop, Maddie had been in a nervous sweat and now this Professor seemed just as bad! They weren’t nearly as demanding last semester!

Despite the Professor’s terse lecture, Maddie did raise her hand after Lilie’s question. “As a life mage, I’m not sure I understand how dowsing will help me in the medical field. I do need direct contact with a patient and if I’m already planning on handling the situation, I can’t imagine I’ll struggle too much to find them.”

“Dowsing in the medical field allows life mages to circumvent much of the typical testing human doctors rely on. It isn’t perfect but advanced dowsing can give you an idea of where major injuries are inside the body, the general conditions of organs, and even the source of blockages in the veins. It’s a combination of dowsing, learning, and experience to determine all of those but it is why dowsing is a required skill for any aspiring life mage.” Professor Mara rattled off, fixing Maddie with a stern glare. “So failing this class for any reason will end your career before it begins.” Maddie nodded, a little pale, and quickly scribbled down notes as the Professor turned and descended down the stairs.

“Now if no one has any more questions, we’ll continue. Dowsing is a relatively simple technique that simply requires focus. Like when using your affinity, all you have to do is simply guide your magic in the direction you want to go. The trick here is to push it out of your body and into an orb around you rather than into a substance.” Professor Mara stepped onto the stage and sat down on a chair she pulled over. “Unlike spells, this doesn’t need an incantation or a magical focus. It simply needs your attention and perseverance. Everyone close your eyes, take a steadying breath, and focus on pushing your magic from your center and out around you. It may help to visualize it, like arcane spells, as an orb expanding from your body. Your magic will try and fight it and even once you succeed, your magic will likely try and rush back into you. Keep it out as long as you can. And for the naturally inclined student, push your awareness further as far as it can go and hold it.”

Salem

Sticks and Stones may Break my Bones

_Salem

“Okay, excellent, let’s get right to it!” Professor Hector exclaimed when no one replied. He turned his back as he began to lecture, popping up on a chair so he could write on the board at the front of the class. “The basic reduction spell is a simple transmutation spell that allows you to alter the size of a single, solid object. More advanced forms are capable of doing this to liquids, gases, and so on and so forth but in this class, you won’t be getting into it. The incantation for the spell is Horitae Tadriae and it’s pattern is very simple.” The Professor finished drawing two lines and turned around. The pattern looked like a fishing hook with a single line drawn through the bottom of the hook.

“The object this spell is cast on will have its size reduced by roughly 20 percent for one minute. It is important to note that like you learned in your Dark Eyes class, you may in fact suffer the consequences of failure but that’s okay! It’s all about trial and error but please be aware the most common consequences of failure in this case is simply a brief, uncontrolled flare of your affinity. If you catch on fire or suddenly are soaking wet, please do not panic and I will assist you immediately. We will be using these wooden blocks today,” Professor Hector held up a little, plain wooden block about the size of an apple. “And you will find a tray of them at the end of your tables if you will each take one and pass them down. Once you have, keep your eyes on me as I demonstrate the effects of the spell.” The Professor tapped the object once with his finger and spoke the incantation. The wooden block quivered for a moment before shrinking as expected.

“So, when casting this spell, make sure to tap the object firmly once, imagine your magic flowing through the pattern, and then speak the incantation deliberately.”

---

Vampire Classes

Ben, Eris

The Weight of Power
_{Ben and Eris}

“The King’s Proclamation nearly brought the Noilas to its knees. King Geoffry’s children were bloodthirsty and shortsighted, only our now glorious Queen supporting the Proclamation without demands of power, wealth, and influence. They slaughtered and pillaged and ravaged each other, simply twisted reflections of the world around them, and in his wisdom and humility, the King knelt the one and only time he ever would. The hooded vampire continued, either ignoring or unaware of the conversation happening.

“In his desperation to fix the problems in his House, the King sought an audience with a creature of legend: the Child of the Noilas. A vampire older than almost all others, the Child of the Noilas could break the will of vampires and mortals alike with simply a word, instill devotion and loyalty with little more than her presence. King Geoffry recognized the danger. All stories of the Child end in bloodshed and misery but the world had reached it’s end; what else could even such an ancient being do that the endless fighting hadn’t already done? The mage was filling a glass with blood as the vampire spoke, handing it over just as their voice cracked on the last work. The vampire took a shallow sip before continuing.

“Only rumors exist of what King Geoffry offered in place but whatever plea he made moved the Child and she slunk from her caves, bound the unruly family back into order long enough for King Geoffry to convince them to willingly follow him in whatever way he needed them, and vanished from the gaze of history once more.” The vampire drank again, longer this time.

Amaris

When the going gets Tough, the Tough say Fuck
_Amaris

“Adverse reactions… Do you know anything about that?” Nasir pondered the question thoughtfully as he spoke to the pineapple. He snapped his fingers a moment later. “Oh, yes! Those pesky little things called allergies. Those can range from something mildly unpleasant like a small rash or something horrifically deadly, like the swelling of the throat until they can’t breath! All of that should be in your mage’s health report though so take a second to read it over! One point to the Countess!” Nasir exclaimed proudly.

“Now you silly little fledglings, let’s start on our sandwiches! A nice and easy thing for you that only involves sharp things and requires zero hot things!” Nasir wheeled out a tray of staff, including white bread, peanut butter, jelly, sliced and whole tomatoes, lettuce, bacon, mayo, bananas, and mustard. “Sandwiches are a popular mortal food because it takes almost zero effort to make and mortals are lazy and they can be made in so many different ways! A sandwich, at its simplest, is made of two pieces of bread, one on top and one on bottom with stuff in between and you can make that in pretty much any sort of combination! They're portable too! Perfect for a busy mage on the go!”

“Now, each of your tables have a cart in the cooler with these exact same items on it. Each item has a little plaque describing the taste and you should take a moment to smell, feel, and experience these items in a way that won’t result in you regurgitating! Try and make a sandwich that’ll be appealing based on your observations alone! The best way to learn is to try! Now go get those carts!” Nasir exclaimed while waving his pineapple around.

Victor

Slow and Steady Wins the Race
_Victor

“Well, if you’re looking for Noilan, then you're out of luck. I was trained by the Eves for a century and a half, pissed the wrong duke off, got kicked out, and then the Princess gave me a job so I’ll lean on your experience and you can help teach people who need lots and lots of attention while I give everyone mine.” He looked at his list of students, nodded, and returned to stand in front of them.

“Alright, just like you did in self defense, we’ll start off with some light partner sparring. Don’t go crazy; I don’t want to dig someone out of the sand because someone decided to suplex some poor unsuspecting vampire. Listen for your name, pair up, I recommend you talk a little, and then get rolling. First pair, Victor Astorio and Melanie Saliu.” Tomas rattled off the short list and watched as students moved around.

The nervous girl glanced up when she heard her name and stared at Victor, giving Tomas a look of disbelief before hesitantly making her way over to the Count. “Um, hello.” Her voice was quiet but rough, like a mortal after they’d spent a day crying. She attempted an awkward curtsey. “So, I don’t really know what I’m doing. Please go easy on me.” She took an unbalanced stance, hands wide and feet at awkward angles which put her weight too far back.