Lucilia Riovas

Lucilia simply gave a shrug to the man's comment about a present security. It would be taken into consideration. He stood up and took his papers to be filled out and was about to leave when he asked her a question. Apparently there was a group of demons with a couch at the gate. She touched a small potted plant that sat on her desk, her hand glowing a faint green. "... Ah. That. Yes, you will find that we of the college house many types of people. We are a very accepting people; demons, monsters, vampires, and other strange and dangerous beings will be accepted so long as they behave themselves. We don't discriminate anyone for their birth. As for the demons and the... Couch... I'll admit it's certainly an odd sight, but yes, similar things will happen. You will find many monstrous, strange things happen at the college, but not all of them is done out of malice. Many of them is rather harmless. I wouldn't worry too much, if there is any danger, we would react quickly."

And with that said, Lucilia called the demon back in. "Please escort our guest to the guest lodgings. After that you are dismissed." The demon nodded silently, motioned for the stranger to follow him, and headed off towards the guest lodgings.

Annabeth Gulch

Annabeth and the eysire, Ssarak Dyreackthanose, finally managed to find a gargoyle that wasn't a statue to talk to. Before activating it, she answered some of Ssarak's comments and questions. "Well, this may sound a bit embarrassing, but after the feast yesterday I... I discovered I had mage blood within me. Originally I was here for a different purpose, but with this new discovery I figured I should get myself formally initiated as a student. But the issue is that I do not even have a clue as to what my mage blood is. I'm looking for Uicle as he's the only teacher that I have met personally, and I'd like to ask him to see if he could help me discover what by mage blood is." That might have sounded better in her head, though Annabeth felt comfortable being truthful around Ssarak. As fearsome as he is, he gave off a calming aura, like he's a friend despite not knowing him for more than ten minutes at most.

Ssarak Dyreackthanose

---

Annabeth's response sparked a line of thought within Ssarak's mind. He was curious about how humans and other races went about discovering their mageblood. He had known for quite a long time that not all of them even had the gift, and if they did, they would not know which blood they carried until it manifested itself, but he had never truly thought about the issue in depth. For a human, he could imagine there would be a good deal more mystery involved in the entire process, and he was curious what it was like for them. He had always been told what to expect from his blood, but Annabeth was going into this new experience essentially blind.

"So you are unaware of what your blood is? Interesting, I have never really thought about that before. As an Esyire, it was a foregone conclusion that I would have mageblood, and since the color of our scales reflect our mageblood type, I knew precisely what to expect by the time I was capable of manipulating my blood. I have never considered the mystery involved for other races. If I may ask, what did you feel when you discovered your blood, and what do you believe caused it to happen?" Ssarak asked, trying to gain a better understanding of her situation. Now that they had located a gargoyle, he hoped she did not mind if he followed her to her destination.

Grey Onyx

As Grey listened, Lucilia had happened upon an unfortunate choice of words. Though in all honesty there would be more trouble down the line if it wasn't dealt with now. "Vampires?! You let vampires in here?" Grey said, a bit of panic mixed with just a tiny amount of hate. "Do you have any idea how much chaos one of those, those things can cause? With all due respect, it's only a matter of time before even the most good-hearted of them get hungry." He wasn't really worried about himself, he could easily deal with most vampires, or at least disfigure 'em before they won. No, he felt that the people here were in danger, guards or not. Even if they subdue the creature, how can they react in time? It's not like they're given a notice or the vampire is considerate enough to kill in the open. "I... I've seen it. Recently. One vampire's presence alone caused a whole village to tear itself apart. And in the middle of it? she laughed..." Very few things could fill him with such righteous anger as vampires. it seemed as if destiny itself had always conspired to throw the damn things at him.

Lyris woke up after her roommate did. That much was for sure as she hadn't seen her after she got out of bed. Actually, did she even see her roommate yet? Had she learned this persons name? No, that's a silly question. If she had to ask herself, she already had her answer. She was already out of her room and decided breakfast was a good thing. It was a bit later than usual for her. Normally, back home, she woke up early to make sure her flowers were taken care of. Actually, that was something she needed to look into. She needed seeds or flowers. Caring for the pretty plants was part of her morning activities and she felt like she was naked or something was missing from her natural every day life with out them.

That was besides the point by now as Lyris was closing in on the dining hall. It didn't seem like she was too late at least. There were still not too many students roaming around for food. Her stomach grumbling angrily at her now, Lyris decided to go and retrieve food from where ever it was being sold. After visiting the buffet she went to a relatively empty table and ate her eggs and vegetables, wondering how the rest of the day would go.

Coco Bean

A tingly, warm sensation suddenly found its way across her leaves, and Coco recognized it right away -- Sunlight. It was a very small quantity, which led her to believe it was dawn. Slowly, her body pulled itself out of inactivity, and one by one, she flexed her relaxed muscles until she calmly sat up.

A small ticklish sensation came from the disheveled leaves on her head and caused her to scratch the area, finding a small insect clinging onto her index finger when she pulled it away. Coco tilted her head at the insect, who was now biting her finger. It didn't hurt at all, and was actually pleasant to a point, yet it also felt like it was trying to suck something out.

"Are you trying to suck out my sap?" Coco asked the insect and huffed, flicking it away effortlessly. Though the moment the bug disappeared from her vicinity, she felt guilt at throwing the poor insect in such a harsh manner.

"Sorry if that hurt, I just don't like it when something tries to eat my sap." She explained, shrugging shamefully.

Minutes passed, and Coco kept up with her slow awakening. Eventually, she was fully aware and on her feet, giving one last stretch to her limbs before her leaves finally took their midway point between flat and puffed out. Her hearing peaked and she clapped her hands once, then starting walking back towards the College's main building, preferring to step through the green vegetation rather than the laid out path. Walking through such terrain made her feel alive, it made her feel connected to the soil rather than just moving over it. The feeling of the fertile soil on her feet, and the flower and grass rubbing against her soles and legs revitalized her.

When she arrived at the building and entered the halls, she was surprised by a sudden, familiar scent -- It wasn't exactly the same as before, presumably because she hadn't really been at her top shape last night, but it was familiar enough that Coco knew who it was, Alaira.

Wasting no time, Coco headed right for the closest bush. It was decorative and smelled nice, which aided her hiding effort. Coco was too late, though. The moment she had finished tucking up into a nice little bush shape besides the actual bush, was the moment that Alaira came into the hallway. She had barely seen a bit of her final movement, and the beastly elf female felt suspicious, Coco could smell it.

Then she felt a hard, cold metal stick poke her right on the shoulders.

Lucilia Riovas

Lucilia sighed. "Going to be one of those people, huh..." He isn't the first to come in with complaints about vampires, certainly not the last either, but nothing was going to change. "Would it have been any different if it was merely a human? Vampires are simply another race of creatures that live in this world of ours; they're no more inclined to do evil than you are. As for their hunger, I have already taken precautions against it. Regardless, it changes nothing: the vampires who in the college is under college protection. If you wish to be a guardsman here, your protection will extend to them as well. Consider it as you fill out your papers. Now than, if there is nothing else...?" The demon from before was standing idly by for the stranger to follow him to the Guest Lodges.

Annabeth Gulch

Hasn't even figured out what her mage blood was and she was already learning. Ssarak explained a bit of Eysire physiology and inquired how she discovered her mage blood. "Well... To be honest, I'm not entirely sure... I know it was yesterday though, during the demonstrations. It's all very hazy, but I think during one of the acts I just... Felt something in my wake up. Ah, now I'm starting to have doubts. But still, I know that something yesterday made me realize that I belonged here, in more ways than one. I... I guess now we'll just have to see." Annabeth activated the gargoyle, who yawned to life. She wasn't sure if the golem was really asleep or if it was just an act, but she waited until it turned it's attention to her. "Would you please show me where the teacher Uicle is currently at?" The gargoyle scratched it's chin and took a look at it's surroundings. Soon it left it's pedestal and began to walk towards down the hall, towards whatever direction Uicle is currently residing. "I hope he knows where he's going..." Annabeth followed the little stone creature, anticipation building in her heart.

Ssarak Dyreackthanose

---

"Hmm, I suppose it is sensible that magic could awaken the magic within you." Ssarak said as he followed along with Annabeth. Like Annabeth, he too wondered if the stone creature could know the exact location of a person within the college at all times, though he supposed there were many facets of magic of which he was simply unaware. Or perhaps it was simply taking them to his office.

"I do not believe you will have any difficulty being accepted as a student if you do possess mageblood. It seems like the only requirement for acceptance is that you be physically capable of manipulating magic, and that you abide by the college's rules, of course. Even if you do not possess mageblood, it could be possible for you to find some way to work under the employ of the college, should you desire to. Personally, I believe I will enjoy my time here. Despite yesterday's unpleasantness with some of the demonstrations, most of my experiences so far have been positive ones. Ever since leaving my home in the Scorched Lands, I have not met so many people in one place who are as accepting as the people here. There are almost certainly closed-minded students among us, but the overall environment here seems much more...agreeable than I am accustomed to. Have you found as much fortune in your dealings with others since you arrived?" He asked, wondering if he had just been lucky in finding kind or polite people to speak to, or if the types of people who were attracted to a center of magical learning were more accepting than the norm.

The first thing Aramir became aware of when she woke up was a throbbing headache. She gave a groan of pain, shifted...and then immediately froze. She felt arms wrapped around her. That feeling itself wasn't unusual. Some nights in the Frozen Plains were cold enough that she had to get in a giant pile with her family and sometimes even the whole tribe, lest they all became frozen statues, warning of the importance of warmth and not dignity. What was an unusual feeling was the touch of breasts against her back. Naked breasts. Against her naked back. Aramir suddenly became all too aware that not only was she not wearing any clothing to cover her upper body, but her lower body was suffering from the same fate. And her hair had come out of it's braids, surrounding her in a silvery-white mess. That, and the person whose arms were wrapped around her was just as naked as she was. Aramir was struggling to remain calm and find a logical explanation that didn't point to the actual logical conclusion. She was failing.

Gods...what happened last ni- Suddenly, it all came back in one horrific flash. The demonstration by Satori. The horror. The alcohol. The roommate. The hugging...which led to thoughts she knew she shouldn't be having...which lead to the kiss. Which lead to...Aramir felt she had to leave the embrace of Auriel. Right now. Normally, she would have done it as stealthily as she could have. As it was, the combination of the hangover, the realization of what she had done, and the horror of remembering what Satori had done, caused her to abandon all subtlety and simply wriggled from the Forest Elf's arms much like a hooked fish would to escape a the fisher. Once she had gotten a sufficent distance away from Auriel, on the surprisingly large bed, she sat up and stared(not bothering to try to cover herself. What's the point after last night?) at Auriel, wondering exactly how to broach the subject. "Uhm...about last night..." She began eloquently.

It was still cold as it was last night in the room, but Aramir didn't notice. In addition to having decidedly bigger problems on her hands, it was mild compared to the Frozen Plains.

Auriel woke slowly as she felt her warm skin moving against her own, followed quickly by the absence of said skin and a very unpleasant cold. Her eyes flickered reluctantly open to take in the sight of a small stark naked blue elf. She half-conciously pulled the beds covers around her not for modesties sake but rather for warmth, a childish smile plastered on her face as she admired the other womans form.

Seconds passed until the Snow Elf spoke, and with her words the memories of the previous night crashed back into Auriels sleep addled mind. Her expression changed suddenly and drastically to one of shock and surprise, a shiver not entirely of surprise running through her. "Did we uh..." She said uncertainly as Aramir trailed off. She could feel some heat in her cheeks and ears. This situation was embarassing, something she was not used to waking up to at all.

Aramir blushed as she saw the Forest Elf's eyes roving, and resisted the urge to cover herself up. Much bigger problems had to be addressed first. Though, it was a minor relief to see that Auriel was just as surprised and uncomfortable with the situation as she was. A very minor one, but a relief none the less. As the other woman trailed off, Aramir toyed with the idea of denying it ever happened and hoping for the best. But a quick glance around their room dispelled that notion. The evidence was everywhere. "Yes. Yes we did." She said, answering the unspoken question. Aramir gestured to the clothes scattered about and then to the two of them. "Obviously." No way to go through this delicately. Aramir doubted she could even if she had wanted to, with her head aching as if someone had cracked a large icicle over it.

She hesitated, before pushing onwards. "So..where do we go from here?" An interesting question, one that she dearly hoped Auriel would have a reasonably sensible answer too.

"Uh...." Auriel was at a loss for words. Waking up naked with someone she hardly knew wasn't exactly a strange situation for her, but this was her roomate in a place she was probably going to be staying in for quite some time. That, and person she woke up naked next to was a woman. That had never happened before.

"Well.... You had fun didn't you? I did..." She said slightly awkwardly. It can't have been all bad right?

Aramir let the silence drag out, being in the exact same boat as Auriel was. She didn't have any clue of what to do. She would have suggested trying to forget that last night had never happened, but she had spent over a year and half trying to forget what happened to her tribe, and she was still trying. It was doubtful she'd be able to forget this. Especially not with their height difference. An intimate image from last night flashed through her mind and she shifted uncomfortably, despite the enjoyment that memory carried and brought. That wasn't...she shouldn't be...but it...Thankfully, Auriel spoke, dragging her from her inner struggle.

Her thankfulness abruptly ended when she registered what the Forest Elf had said. She blushed hard enough to turn her skin mostly red. "Yes-I mean-I'm not supposed-We-We shouldn't have-" She gave up in frustration, unable to explain her conflicting emotions, looking downwards to hide behind her hair. It cascaded down in a silverywhite waterfall, hiding her face. Yes, she had had fun. Yes, she had enjoyed it. Yes, she felt attraction. But she shouldn't! It was wrong! A male and a female could produce children to keep the tribe strong and alive. Two females couldn't! It was unnatural to have these feelings...so why did she?

Aramir didn't realize she was shaking.

Auriel was surprised at how much this seemed to be affecting the other elf, her body shaking and her flowing silvery hair shimmering as it moved, hiding her face. This was only strange for Auriel, but there was a first time for everything. Apparently it was more than just strange for Aramir. "Why not? We're just two people enjoying each others company... or we were." It was then Auriel realised that Aramir might be thinking that this meant she was bound to some kind of relationship. "Oh... Don't worry, this doesn't mean anything. I don't even really know you, we're still just roommates..." Auriel was unsure as to wether she was actually helping here, she was hardly the best person for this. She only really cared at all because she'd have to live here with this person.

Aramir shook her head, completely ignoring the first comment. Auriel didn't understand. She was relieved that the other Elf didn't think this meant anything more than a one time fling, but that wasn't the problem. The problem was that she shouldn't have even had been tempted to kiss another woman, much less sleep with her. It would do no good trying to explain to the Forest Elf. She'd have to deal with this mess later, alone, when her head didn't hurt so abominably. Looking back up, she gave a weak smile. Gods, it even felt fake and forced.

"Alright then. I guess there's nothing to do but carry on and put this night behind us." With that, she got off the bed, and began picking up her clothes. Thankfully, her bow had been set and unstrung in the area she had discovered last night. Her daggers were less lucky, but at least she found them before she did something stupid like step on them.

Auriel was beginning to shiver from the cold and drew her thin gauzy sheets closer to her as the Snow Elf crawled off the bed. "Alright, if thats what you want..." She trailed off before realising the temperature was probably like it was because the Snow Elf would find it comfortable. That was fine as long as she didn't have to endure it on her side of the room. "Hey since you wont be uh... keeping me warm anymore, can you do something about the temperature? It's freezing..." She looked around for her own clothes, but they wouldn't really help her much, they were designed for the warm canopy covered forests of Ghannos.

Aramir glanced up, clothes mostly located and set aside and she was currently in the process of looking for her shoes. Her hair still cascaded down her face, thankfully hiding most of the blush Auriel's comment about 'keeping her warm' had caused. For a moment, she looked confused, then her drunken combat from last night. "Oh! Sorry. Alcohol obviously doesn't make me considerate." Standing up, she glanced around uncertainly. She had no idea what to do. Maybe talk to the room? It seemed like the best option she had. "Uh...Room heat up to where it won't be freezing for Auriel?" Much to her surprise, it did. Rapidly. In a heartbeat, the room went from close to the Frozen Plains, to Ghannos temperature. Which was fine for Auriel.

Not so much for Aramir. She was almost immediately soaked with sweat. Most of her life except for the last couple of months had been spent in the Frozen Plains. Even then, she had left when winter was setting in. "Uh..a balance, perhaps?" She panted, thankful her clothes had been spared. The temperature dropped to outside levels. Slightly cool, but not freezing. "That works." She smiled up at Auriel. "Better?"

Auriel immediately stopped shivering as the temperature rocketed to the warm and somewhat humid Ghannos environment. A smile lightened her features quickly before being overtaken by a brief giggling fit as she saw Aramir's body begin to glisten in the heat. Her silver locks still covered her face, so Auriel could not see Aramir turning red as her own hair, but she didn't need to. Auriel was slightly disappointed to feel the air pick up a chilling edge to it again, but at least it didn't bite to the bone anymore. It did dampen her spirits enough to no longer laugh at her roommates extreme reaction to heat though.

She looked down at the smiling Aramir and said "Yes." Followed a second or so later with "Thanks." She began gathering up her own clothes, throwing them on her bed. Mid-way through, she wondered over to the dresser that had appeared last night and pulled open one of the decorated draws. Inside she found a variety of clothes that appeared to be tailored for her. She immediately started pulling them out to see what new things she'd acquired. She made a quick turn to Aramir to point out the new wardrobe she'd acquired, apprently curtesy of the colleges magic. "Look Aramir! I didn't expect they'd even give me new clothes... Maybe you should see if you got anything more uh... suited... to the temperature..."

The Snow Elf couldnt help but smile in response to Auriel's giggling. It was slightly infectious. She nodded in acknowlegement to the thanks. "Good!" Was all she commented, before returning to her search for her shoes. For a few moments her quest was unsuccussful. Then, she found them, off in the corner where Auriel had tossed them during the events of last night, giving a small exclamation of victory. She was just turning around with them when Auriel made her discovery.

At her trailing off, Aramir raised an eyebrow, heading over to the dresser that was obviously her's, seeing as it wa half the size of Auriel's. "I dont know about you," She said as she selected new and cleaner clothes from her dresser, "But the cold in this land is far less than the cold where I li-used to live." She knew this both from her, admittedly small, experience in this world and from the stories of those of the tribe who had visited the southern lands to trade. Before the tribe had hit hard times, and ceased all journeys outside of the area they were occupying, because everybody was needed to keep the tribe functioning. When she finished putting her clean clothes(Which were made from a soft white fun, from what felt like snow lion, in what most of those who don't live in the Frozen Plains would consder summer wear.) on and, of course, her vest, she turned to where her bow was hanging.

A small mirror was hanging there. Aramir was past being amazed at the magic being displayed, and simply smiled in gratitude. Sitting in front of the mirror, she began humming a melody from her tribe and braiding her hair. Perhaps fittingly, it was what the tribe members sang to the recently passed, or the dying.

Auriel picked out an outfit not unlike her previous one, only this time instead of soft leather it was in dark green cloth that felt like it was made in Ghannos only yesterday. Auriel was beginning to see some major upsides to living here. She ran a brush through her hair to tease out the knots and the worst annoyances, but it was easily short enough to be done in mere minutes, unlike Aramirs braiding. "Which blood were you? I don't think you ever told me." She said as she searched for her weapons and shoes. "Everyone knows what I am if they were watching." She added conversationally.

Aramir fell into silence as Auriel began to speak, her braiding still continuing at a steady pace. It had been a matter of practicality in her role of hunter in the tribe for so long now, that it had become old habit. She would have to find the Naga, Mar, later and speak about a few practice runs of hunting together. Accidentally shooting your hunting partner was a bad idea in general, but it seemed worse when one's hunting partner was a Naga.

"My blood is the same as yours. Pyromancy I believe?" She gave a gentle chuckle. "And yes, after that display I believe everyone knows. One of the most impressive and beautiful things I've ever seen." She shifted uncomfortably as she realized she meant both the giant flaming bird, and the one who had created it. Wrong. Wrong. She shouldn't be having that thought..Her braid was halfway finished.

"Thanks." Auriel said in reply to the compliment, surprise showing through in her voice. People didn't usually describe Auriels Pyromancy misadventures as beautiful. Then again, those were quite different to her display in the hall with the teachers help. "Well I guess we won't have to worry about me accidentally setting anything on fire... I think." She spoke without surity and it was evident, in stark contrast to the practiced ease with which she strapped her weapons belt on, slipping the axe into place at her right hip. "I guess we'll be taking the same class then. Have you seen my dagger? I can't find it anywhere..."

Aramir smiled at the surprise in the Forest Elf's voice. Apparently, compliments on her magic were unexpected. Auriel was used to compliments, that much Aramir remembered. After all, she had reacted well to the drunken praise the Snow Elf had given her last night before they had even reached her room. "If you do set something on fire, I suppose between the two of us we could manage to control the flames before things got out of hand. That, or we might just see how well these rooms are at repairing themselves. And I guess we shall. It"ll certainly be interesting to use my magic without burning things down.."

At Auriel's final question Aramir, still braiding and almost finished, glanced around uncertainly. "Umm..." There appeared to be a glint of steel nearby. Her fingers hurried to finish the well memorized braid, before she stood. Walking over to where she had seen the glint, Aramir picked up the dagger. She held it up, looking up at the Forest Elf. "Is this it?" Probably, given that it was almost as long as her arm from shoulder to finger tips.

"How..." Auriel wondered aloud before deciding it didn't really matter. She walked over and took it from the smaller Elf, quickly sheathing it. "Thanks again. I'm going to go explore now, see if I can find Zaad again. See you at class." With that she turned and walked quickly to the door before leaving. She picked a random direction and started down it, prefering to learn where things were for herself rather than always rely on the Golems.

Grey Onyx

"Every single time I let one go, more bloodshed follows..." Grey said, a mix of sorrow and rage. "If I could have just killed them, so many innocents would sill draw breath." He had an extremely hard time killing the defenseless. Most vampires, while stronger than a human, were not fighters, and thus were easy pickings for a seasoned warrior that had them cornered. they also tended to be good talkers, and every time Grey had ever confronted one, said vampires would rather easily convince him to be spared, usually by giving him the exact same reasoning Lucilia just did. However, she was right. They were students like any other, and would soon (hopefully) be under his protection. With heavy a sigh, he went down to one knee. "I swear to you on my honor, That I shall not harm any vampire attending this college, nor will I refuse the protection I would grant any other to them." Grey said, looking down. He didn't like this, but he was honest. He quietly rose and followed the demon out without another word.

The demon wordlessly escorted him to what was to be his room. It was mostly bare, with merely a desk a bed and some containers. It radiated a sort of martial feel, practicality in it's purest form. Setting down his things, he spent some time freeing himself from the confines of his armor. Now dressed in more casual attire, he decided it would be a good idea to get started on that paperwork. He got through a good half of it before he simply got tired of signing his damn name on every single sheet. With that, he decided that he should take a break. Ever the practical one, he decided this would be a good time to get that physical examination out of the way. Making his way to the infirmary (gods but those signs were helpful), he passed quite a few more peculiar sights. More than a few of them made him quite uneasy. He was almost sure he saw a walking plant-person too. It didn't take long for him to arrive however, and he didn't talk to anyone on the way. "Hello? I'm here for an examination." He said as he entered the room, looking for someone who could see to him.

Althalus

Luckily for Mar, Althalus was sound asleep when she untangled herself from him. She hadn't needed to use such caution. The only thing that would have woken Althalus up was physical pain, and even then it would have had to been particularly violent. As such, while she was getting ready Althalus was still asleep, and when she left he didn't stir. While it was uncertain if Lunar had succeeded in it's duty of obliterating all memory of last night, it certainly hadn't failed in making the Assassin sleep like the dead. For several minutes after the Naga had left, he remained asleep and spread eagle. Then, he rolled over in his sleep and bumped against the wall. The mask, loosely hung on the hook anyways, fell off. It hit Althalus in the side of the head, brining him to a wakefulness with remarkable speed, even if it was bleary-eyed and with a headache. After some sounds that might have been words if he hadn't been mostly asleep, Althalus deduced that he wasn't being attacked and fell back to the ground. While he was trying to muster the will to actually get up and not just succumb to a headache and early morning tiredness, he noticed that some parts of his body(most notably his chest) were warmer than others. As if someone had laid on them.

He decided not to think to much about it, as it cost valuable mind power that could be used to force himself to get up. A few more moments passed before he picked himself off the ground with a groan. Thinking back to last night, he was disappointed to find that he still remembered everything quite clearly. Even the nightmare and the failed murder attempt. "Great. That plan failed..." He muttered, giving a dirty look towards the flask. The previous owner's claim had obviously proven true, as it was still full. Glancing around he noticed that Mar was gone. Judging from the normal hangover headache, she hadn't hit him with her tail last night, but had seen fit abandon him to his sleep. He appreciated that. There was also a drawer nearby that hadn't been there before. Wandering over, Althalus was surprised to find that not only were there clothes that fit him, they would be fine for wearing armor over. Even if he had still trusted the College after the events of last night, old habits died hard and he wouldn't have been walking around without his relatively light armor on. It would have felt unnatural, to put it mildly.

A few minutes later, Althalus emerged from the hole that was the front entrance of Mar's and his room. Wearing clean clothes(hidden by is armor) and without his mask this time, he headed to the Dining Hall. Maybe if he was lucky the Psychomancy bitch wouldn't be there.

Uicle

Almost as soon as the Feast ended, the curse kicked back in. For about half an hour it was as if Aarem was trying to make up for lost time. Things went wrong in rapid succession, from door handles falling off, to him slipping and falling, to tables and chairs being rotten and falling apart at his touch. Standing still didn't help either, as bits of stone would fall off, or something would ricochet, and hit him. So, Uicle just got as far away from people as he could and waited out the storm until things went back to his normal. It was a good thing no students slept near him, otherwise they would be kept up all night by the sounds of crashing and breaking and the curse generally making his immortality hell. Still, he managed to get the worst of the dents and scrapes off of his armored form, and began preparing for the first day. Given the events of last night, it certainly looked like it was going to be an interesting year. Uicle hoped that it was just appeared that. Interesting when one was dealing with magic usually resulted in lots of destruction and chaos.

Which was exactly what the College didn't need right now. Archmage dying, new Headmaster, Eania and Djarkel likely preparing to pressure the College to choose a side in their stupid war, the College didn't need any more problems to add to it's already sizeable list. These are the thoughts that occupied Uicle's mind as he patiently went through a series of pencils, the curse deciding it would be funny to break everyone he tried to use, physically or magically. He was used to it by now, and the act had long ago ceased to frustrate him. That didn't make it any less irritating however.

So it was almost a relief when the Gargoyle Annabeth and Ssarak had chosen as a guide contacted him and told him that they were coming. Setting down his newest pencil(which broke as soon as he placed it down) he waited for the two of them to enter what was designated as his bedroom, even though he never used it for sleeping. A plain room, with only one window and no decorations. There was a desk(which showed clear signs of repeated and sever repair) and the chair he currently sat in. For obvious reasons, Uicle didn't have anything that wasn't necessary.

As the Gargoyle opened the door and ushered his visitors in, Uicle said, "Good morning Annabeth. I'm pleased to see you're still with us after the...unexpected, events of last night." He turned to Ssarak. "I don't believe we've met yet. I'm Uicle, as you probably already know if you were here last night. Pleasure to meet you. Please, both of you, have a seat. Now, how can I help?" Without looking down he said, "Greg, no chewing on my staff." There was a huff of defeat from behind Uicle's desk, and his Golem dog walked around to the front and sat in front of Ssarak, looking at him expectantly.

Haklo slept for a very long time the following night after the introduction of the collage teachers. He still had Annabeth's knife as he was not comfortable of leaving a sharp instrument in her care while in a broken state from the mental assault. He got up from his bed and looked around. No one had roomed with him so he pretty much had the room all to himself. All his belongings were already there, one of which was an stand with his plate armor, gleaming in the morning light that escaped from the window. He got up from the bed and got dressed after his morning business, dumping said business out the window.

After washing his face and hair, Haklo kept his hair long and straight, draping over his shoulders and smooth as silk. He donned a red silk shirt with black pants and vest. Around his hips he strapped on a sword belt where his blade was sheathed in it's scabbard. He sheathed his dagger with the blade and placed Annabeth's knife on the other side, wrapped in a leather thong as a makeshift scabbard. He set a brooch on his left side breast of his family crest and slipped on a silver ring on his right hand middle finger.

All dressed up and in comfortable yet expensive shoes, Haklo left his room, putting on a black coat that reached his knees and inside a chest pocket he placed a coinpurse with some gold.

The nobleman made his way through the collage halls, his hand on his weapon rather casually.He made his way to the dining hall to get something to eat. He went through the door and looked around the hall to see who else had the same idea as him. His eyes went to a blonde man, older than Haklo but one who he somehow familiar. A certain shape of the shoulders and baring that he found familiar. Probably someone he had seen during the festivities but he couldn't point his finger at him. Haklo got himself a meal of poultry in gravy and took a seat not too far from the blonde man.

"Which blood are you?" He asked between a bite and a sip of water. Next to the glass of water he had a glass of deep crimson wine.

Tyrael Marchosias

And so the mystery of the couch continues. After heading towards Underhaven, turned out that the couch didn't belong there. However it was apparently obvious that it left a path of destruction through it, and the boss of Underhaven was pissed at Tyrael for reasons he couldn't remember. "I will fix this issue, I assure you." He left his remaining demons at Underhaven to clean up, leaving him to haul the couch to wherever it belongs. The boss of Underhaven wanted nothing to do with it after it had "severely maim three patrons and gave everyone else a hernia", which Tyrael wished he remembered. Still, he wanted nothing more to do with the chair, but he had no idea where to diposite it at. He could always throw it into the Inferno, but he figured he'd look around and see if anyone wanted it. Turning a corner, he ended up running into a likely candidate: Mar. "Top of the morning. Hunting?"

Annabeth Gulch

Annabeth entered Uicle's office, which was much more... Plain than she imagined. She figured that, being a teacher of Necromancy, he would have some nick-knacks representing that, or at least a bookcase of some sort. But the room looked almost barren. But she wasn't here to judge the decor, so she went and took a seat as Uicle asked. "Greeting, Si- Um, I mean, Uicle. The demonstrations yesterday were wonderful." At least she thinks they were, as much of it was a blank slate. Regardless, after initial introductions she didn't beat around the bush and went strait towards the issue. "Uicle, I think I discovered I had mageblood. But I have no idea what sort of mageblood I have. Would you know of some way I could figure this out?"

Cynn Ellime

The gates opened for a forest elf. On her back was a large pack, and in her hands were her transcripts. She had been late to the opening day due to a case of bandits, but after escaping them she managed to reach the college no worse for ware. Admittedly, now she was lost. Her location, the courtyard, was almost entirely voided of people, aside from the occasional guard in the shadows. She began to wonder around, hoping that she'd find someone who could help her understand what she'd need to do now.

Ssarak Dyreackthanose

---

Annabeth did not have time to answer Ssarak's question before they arrived at Uicle's office, though it wasn't as if it was a particularly important one. Ssarak did not actually have any business with Uicle, and he did not know if the conversation between Annabeth and Uicle would be considered private, so he originally intended to wait outside. However, as the gargoyle ushered him inside, he was, for a moment, conflicted on what to do. Would it be rude to enter, or would it be rude to deny the gargoyle's instruction? Ssarak was filled with a disproportionally high level of anxiety, compared to the actual minor nature of the issue at hand. He did not have time to stand in the doorway and think, however, so he stepped inside at the behest of the gargoyle. One thing he immediately noticed that seemed strange to him was that Uicle was still wearing his armor. He had thought it was strange that the teacher wore his armor to the demonstrations the previous day, but the fact that he was wearing it in his own room seemed simply bizarre.

Annabeth already knew Uicle, so there was no part of the conversation with formal introductions. He wondered if he should introduce himself to the teacher, but Annabeth seemed to want to get right to business, so it did not seem to fit into the conversation. Instead, he simply remained silent, glancing down at the golem dog when it approached him.

Aruna let out a low groan as she slowly cracked her eyelids. she had been in a deep sleep due to the draught that had been given to her before she was laid in the infirmary. She struggled to remember where she was for a moment and panicked. But as she tried to sit up and was halted by a searing pain in her back, she began to remember the events of last night. The illusions, The arrow, Deven (at that point her cheeks heated as she remembered how much of an idiot she must have appeared as.) and then-

Her eyes widened as she remembered the vitamancy teacher and how she had known that her wound was an arrow wound. Her thoughts began to race as she imagined what could happen if she revealed Aruna's lie. Through out all of this she had noticed a Golem sitting there staring at her. It coughed with a sound like grating stones and Aruna's head swiveled to locate the source of the noise, only when the golem began to move toward her did she realize what it was. "Excuse me miss, but I you are not allowed to leave this bed until you have been cleared would you like anything while you wait?"

Aruna looked at the little stone creature incredulously. She hadn't planned on going anywhere, but she surely didn't like being told what she couldn't do. She let out a little humph Then spoke in brisk manner. "No, I don't want anything while I wait. Thank you." The little beast started to walk away and Aruna let out a little sigh. "wait, Could I have a book on Decay magic?.... and one pn Phycomancy?"

Sam stood up from leaning over a young student, who had an unfortunate accident of falling down the stairs. Luckily the student only sprained his arm but it was mandatory all student wait until they were released. Hence why there were several Golems within the medical ward as well as to ensure the students didn’t hurt themselves. He finally turned upon hearing last night’s patient stir from her sleep, his gentle eyes fixed upon the student with Esyire and human traits. He mistook her reaction when she jolted upright as pure shock from last night, she after all last remembered herself in the dining hall and now woke up in a strange bed, in a strange room and more. Anyone would’ve felt the same.

The healer had been about to settle her down, when a Golem beat him to it, his form fell back a bit. His thoughts wandered to what Lidda had told, giving the same story as the girl, though his rune told him something wasn’t right with the story, but instead he gave her the benefit of the doubt. If Lidda lied, then it was for a reason, one that was to protect the College’s integrity and likely lives. Besides, he was only the healer and when she or Aruna choose to tell the truth, he would listen.

He turned to Lidda, healed thanks to her Vitamancy, who was already dressed and about to be released. Once the Vitamancy teacher noticed the young student was up, she smirked after pulling the last piece of clothing, her shirt, on. Finally done, she picked up a bundle from her bed and made her way to Aruna.

“So, feeling better? Told Sam your story and he’s been changing your bandages all night though you might want to drink that soup at your bedside. If you want to get better and get out of here soon that helps the process.” She pointed to the bowl sitting there, still heated and delicious smelling as the Golem hustled off to find Aruna’s requested book. In Lidda’s hands were a few clothes, Aruna’s size, held in her lap. “Didn’t know what you wore, but these should fit you.”

She plopped them on the bed end.

Sam just chuckled at Lidda’s friendliness, and then stepped towards the new face, his hands folded into his sleeves while he drew closer. “Call me Samuel, and I’m currently the College healer. Who might you be? As far as I know, I wasn’t informed of an examination today. Come to think of it, I’ve never seen you either as a student or staff. However maybe you’re lucky enough not to have come onto harm during your stay and that might be why.”

Deven and Jenna

"What's wrong?" Jenna asked impatiently. Deven looked at her putting on his best face of puzzlement. "Something's wrong. It's obvious as can be, especially for me." She said her tone much more sympathetic. "It's-" He went to say before looking towards Jenna and pausing. Her concerned expression apparent on her face. I can't lie to her, not Jenna...why should I? He thought to himself before sighing and looking forward. "I had...a dream." He said not really wanting to go into greater detail. "Oh...one of your...you know, dreams?" She asked in a tender tone. Deven only nodded in response, Jenna fell silent and looked forward. "Oh..." She said having trouble looking for more to say. What could she say to him when he was constantly plagued by nightmares, what more could she say that she hadn't said a thousand times before? Her head lowered and her hand reached up and wrapped about his waist before pulling him in for a hug. "I'm always here to talk Deven. You know that." She said quietly. He hugged her back and nodded softly, "I know Jen, I know." He replied. The two pulled away and walked again in silence.

The silence hung awkwardly in the air for a time before Jenna spoke up again, "Any idea what caused it? Or was it just random?" She asked talking in a bit of a hushed tone. "I'm guessing the demonmancy demonstration did." Deven replied, matching Jenna's level of voice. She nodded in response before giving Deven a reassuring smile, he forced a smile in return.

Jenna had opened her mouth the reply when she heard a familiar voice speak up from next to her, both her and Deven looked to see the voices source. There walking along side them was Leith. Jenna, being the social butterfly that she was, had remembered his name without difficulty as she did most everyone's name, unless of course you managed to piss her off. "Oh, hello Leith, didn't see you there sorry." Jenna said in a friendly tone. She glanced to Deven and noticed the faint confusion in his face, "Oh duh, Deven this is Leith, Leith Deven. He is the one I was waiting for last night." Jenna said, adding the last part directed towards Leith. "I met Leith last night while I was waiting for you to return." Jenna said this time speaking to Deven. Deven nodded understandingly, "Ah, well hello Leith, its a pleasure." Deven said in a rather casual tone as apposed to Jenna's perky friendly tone. Both of them doing their best to throw off the somberness that had been hanging over them moments ago, Jenna doing much better then Deven.

Ponders was dimly aware that people had begun returning to the large stone hall he had spent the night in. He could see it all clearly of course, but his focus was not on the world around him. He was still trying to analyse one particular thing that had occurred during the demonstrations of magic. A strange and swift thing, something that had seemed to overlap his vision when a pink haired woman had proposed a toast. He played it back in his memory once more, to see once more if he could discern any meaning from it. It seemed to show the Harmony, the still lakes shimmering below them, then flashing lights, and then it was over, all far too swift for him to pick out any detail. For some reason it filled him with a sense of dread that nagged at the edges of his mind, the kind that he felt when he thought about what it would be like for a piece of him to be shattered.

Then a being was speaking to him. He returned his focus to the world of here and now, taking in the bustling of people finding and eating breakfast, with one being standing directly in front of him. Khan, the red Esyire that was in charge of this place. Asking if he was alright. What a strange question to ask him. He hadn’t been damaged, so of course he was. Wasn’t it easy to see? He rearranged himself then, moving the constituent stones around to lower his height slightly, bringing his sensory center in line with Khans head. “I am alright.” He said after a pause, keeping his deep voice soft so as not to disturb the students going about their morning business. “I have a question.” He added after a moment.

Khan’s concern expression softened when he heard Ponders speak and then mentioned he had a question. Immediately the Headmaster turned to his side and reached for a chair, his hand pulled it closely until he could sit comfortable. Unlike Ponders, who could likely stand all day without feeling the pains of living, Khan couldn’t stay standing forever. He spoke to the student with a small smile which warmed his face. “By all means, I’m all ears to your question.”

Ponders, after having adjusted himself, saw the Headmasters height had lowered again as he sat. Seeing this, he decided to alter again, disregarding his usual humanoid shape for one that helped him think. All of the smaller parts that made his form began to circle at different speeds gently around the central, both clockwise and anticlockwise, always maintaining the same height from the ground. “A strange event occurred during the psychomancy event. The event seemed to have nothing occur, though a strange speeded up haze overtook my vision. Others seemed very perturbed by this.”

The headmaster sighed after he realized what event Ponders had spoken of. It was time for the Esyire to deal with the aftermath, unable to avoid it or even sure he could ease it over, but he had to try. “Satori’s demonstration affected a number of student’s minds and caused some serious pain. Namely she brought up painful memories then slightly altered them to cause a worse reaction. Had I known, I wouldn’t have allowed her to carry out her own demonstration. I’m deeply sorry if what she gave you hurt you in anyway. That is not what this College about.”

He took a deep breath then continued with the last bit. “Currently she has been warned and precautions are being taken to assure the student’s mental safety. Namely without hindering those with Psychomancy. I hope you’re not considering leaving because of this.”

Ponders focused on the initial thing Khan said, setting aside the confusing statement about leaving for the time being. “This…. Makes sense.” He said. Obviously Satori hadn’t been able to affect him the same way as the rest of the students. The feeling that was supposed to accompany the image still struck him, but the image itself was not meant for his mind. He was unable to properly see it. “You say it hurt the others deeply? I think it… did not work on me.” His limited understanding of psychomancy and the minds of fleshlings was frustrating him here. He couldn’t say why whatever happened seemed to of half worked, only that it clearly didn’t have the intended effect.

The Headmaster wasn’t sure what to think when Ponders had spoken, the reaction wasn’t what he expected. Most students would’ve been upset, angry, or afraid yet Ponders hadn’t display any of those emotions. At least in the manner he had thought was normal. The large Golem seemed rather disappointed, it seemed to Khan, that it didn’t work. Something he found curious to learn.

He cleared his throat and spoke. “Some memories are best left alone and not re-lived. It might be for the best it didn’t work, but then again you seem disappointed. Why? Is there some reason you wanted it to work or merely hungry for the knowledge?”

Khan had heard how Ponders had instantly asked to be taken to the Library after his arrival and stayed there for some time, it seemed the Golem was busy reading every book within. He had been meaning to ask the student how he fared but hadn’t gotten around to it, yet right now, it wasn’t the right moment.

Ponders was confused again. Disappointed? Perhaps he was. He did want to know. Knowing was his purpose after all. Perhaps it was also that the answer to the question he’d been considering all night was so simple. Still, the Headmaster had asked him if he was leaving because of it. He had to answer that too. “I would not leave this place. It is the foremost center of magical knowledge in this world. No event save destruction will drive me away until I have learned all there is to learn. I did not expect such a simple answer to my question however.”

Khan was relieved upon hearing Ponder’s words. His posture relaxed from the tension, the muscles finally let the stress flow away. One problem down, thought the Esyire. Now if only he could have quelled the other students’ high emotions this easily then everything would’ve been perfect. Sadly, not everyone’s mind was the same. This student proved this, one of the many curiosities the College had managed to collect from the vast world.

Khan started to rise but he spoke last comment to Ponders, a meaningful one. “That is good to know. Sometimes the simple answers tend to be the most meaningful ones.”

With that, the Headmaster back to his breakfast and soon after his work.

Ponders reformed into his standard form as Khan wandered away. Perhaps the simple answer was the best one. He would go back to the library now, and find a large book to read. Maybe he could find somewhere with a view and read there. That way he could observe any interesting events in the strange twilight land while he read. His form moved off towards the library at reasonable pace. Thankfully he had memorised the route and would not need one of the Golems to get there.

Grey Onyx

Well, this guy seemed friendly. However, as he went on Grey noticed something disturbing. It was Lucky to not need medical attention? He was probably overreacting however. "Call me Grey. I'm applying to be a guard here, and Lucilia told me I needed to come here for an examination." He said, before he noticed a girl on one of the cots behind him. Huh. I wasn't aware Eysires could breed with humans. That is what she is, right? Grey thought, noting her as a curiosity but not really worth any attention right now. However, the fact that she seemed to have been wounded was worrying. "What happened to her? Does that happen often?" He asked. This seemed pretty damn dangerous, more so than he thought. This is worse than I thought... I knew coming here was the right choice. He thought to himself, determined to see this through. "Hey, uh, this examination thing doesn't hurt or anything, right? I don't think I've been to a doctor more than once..."

Aruna looked with her mouth gaping like a fish at Lidda's new form. She had hairy goat legs that made her bob in the most peculiar way when she walked and her hair was a most vibrant purple. Aruna shook her head of the slight distraction and nodded her thanks to the vitamancy teacher for the clothes and, she hoped it came across, for keeping her secret. She looked at the man who had introduced himself, Samuel he had said, and tried to give him a thankful, reassuring smile. As she did though, her pain flared up briefly and it turned into a grimace. "Hello Samuel, I'm Aruna. Thank you for your help with my injuries." She turned to Lidda," And thank you too for your help last night. I'm glad we didn't have need of that rune you spoke of. But I don't think I'll need to be staying here much longer, I'm really feeling much better and I should get to my classes."

To prove her point she set her jaw and grit her teeth, then swung her legs out from underneath the covers and put her bare feet onto the floor. She gave a smile and spoke through her teeth despite the pain in her back, though she was obviously strained for speech. "...See?... Good to go.."