The Mage Guild of Alsijan
The early morning sunlight was reflected off the pale stone walls and brilliantly colored roofs that made up the city of Alsijan so that it appeared to shimmer radiantly, fully deserving of its title as the jewel of the sea. Though the day was still young, the city was already blanketed by a humid heat that was only somewhat lessened by the occasional salty breeze blowing in from the sea. Despite the warmth, the wide, cobblestone-paved streets of the city were filled to the brim with people hurrying on about their business, their activity lending the city a cacophonous hum that made the city seem as though it were almost alive.
As usual, the port was filled with hundreds of ships, their masts swaying rhythmically as the wind and waves rocked them. These ships came in every shape and size imaginable, and had come to the city of Alsijan for as wide a variety of reasons. A great many of them were the ships of merchants who had been drawn to the city by the promise of wealth, while some belonged to crews that went out into deeper waters to catch fish and other seafood. Still, some ships were for transporting people to different ports, often bringing with them people who were looking for a fresh beginning in the bustling city.
At the headquarters for the Mage Guild of Alsijan as business largely proceeded as usual. Most of the novice initiates were occupied with attending classes that would help them master their abilities or performing chores that helped keep the Guild running smoothly and tidily. The more experienced members of the Guild kept themselves occupied with business relating to the various jobs that the Guild was tasked with completing, though a significant number decided to serve the Guild by teaching classes and supervising novices instead. Still, a great many of the people that passed through the main doors of the Guild were outsiders that came to the Guild in order to request help dealing with issues that were magical in nature.
Character Name: Anyu
Time of Day: Early morning
Location: The primary guild hall and then the dormitory
Interacting with: No one
Squinting slightly due to the bright sunlight reflecting off the nearby buildings, Anyu surveyed her surroundings nervously as the wagon she was riding came to a gentle stop outside of the Guild’s stable. Her observations were cut short, however, when Malvin, her Sun Elf escort from the Guild, instructed her to dismount and follow him inside through the large wooden doors of the main building. Afraid of getting into trouble and being left behind, Anyu quickly climbed down from the wagon and hurried after Malvin before he got too far away.
Once inside, Malvin made straight for the large desk on the other side of the entrance hall and began talking with a thin human man that seemed to be working behind it. A few of the people who appeared to be waiting in line at the other end of the desk scowled at Malvin’s back as he passed, but the tall Sun Elf seemed completely unaware of their existence as he talked with the receptionist, removing some important-looking papers from his bag and handing them to the man on the other side of the desk. The conversation only lasted for a few minutes before Malving was saying farewell to the receptionist and heading towards a large set of stairs behind the desk.
Before Anyu could question what she was supposed to do next, the man behind the desk came around and motioned for her to follow him back outside. ”Your name is… Anyu, correct?” the man said as they walked through the doors of the main building, briefly glancing at the papers he had been given by Malvin. At her slight nod, he continued talking while they made their way across the cobbled pavement towards some of the smaller buildings. ”It appears that you’ll be put in with the… Meadowmist House, which is the name for one of our groups of novices. They’ll be around to help you adjust to living at the Guild. There’s also a House mentor that can help you with classes and the like, though I can’t seem to remember who it is for your house. Anyways, here we are at your dormitory.”
Once they were inside the smaller building, he began leading her up the nearby stairs that ran up along the wall before he started talking again. ”Your room will be on the third floor with the rest of your House. Each of you will have your own room that branch off from a larger common room that you can use to spend your free time with your fellow novices.” As he finished talking, they made it to the specified floor, and he directed her to the second room in on the right side. While he worked at finding the right key to unlock the pale wooden door, Anyu looked around at the common room somewhat nervously. The first thing that Anyu noticed was that the room was well furnished with comfortable-looking sofas and chairs. There were also a fair number of end stands or small tables scattered throughout the room, usually near the sofas or chairs, as well as a couple of tall bookshelves that were currently pretty empty.
Before Anyu could get a better look around, the man had found the right key to the door and opened it with a small motion for her to follow him inside. The room where she would be staying was indeed somewhat small, of course, but it was certainly a fair bit larger than Anyu would have ever expected to have to herself. Each of the walls was easily three or four times as wide as she was tall, and the bed, nightstand, and desk all fit inside comfortably. There was even a small closet of sorts for storing any belongings that a student might have brought with them.
After allowing her to explore for a few moments, the man spoke up again. ”I understand that you do not have any belongings apart from what you’re wearing, correct?” he asked, continuing when he saw Anyu’s hesitant nod. ”The guild will provide you with some of the essentials, then. Namely a few changes of clothing and some writing utensils. They should be delivered within a couple of days at the latest.” With that, he handed her the key to the room and gestured for her to follow him back into the common room.
”Your mentor or fellow novices will be able to provide you with more specific information on when you should attend classes and where,” the man continued as soon as Anyu stepped into the common room with him. ”Your fellow novices should be returning from their classes or chores shortly and they’ll be able to show you around more. Now, I must be getting back to my work in the main hall. Welcome to the Guild.” As the man finished talking, he gave a shallow bow and made his leave, walking over to the stairs and heading down them at a brisk pace. Unsure of what she was supposed to do then, Anyu decided to look around the common room a bit more while no one was around.