This reminds me, with all the kids that got fucked up on the run to the auditorium, there any healers on call? Iraleth is still extra crispy
A clinic would have been one of the things seen while passing through town.
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A clinic would have been one of the things seen while passing through town.
I don’t really have a concrete time in mind for that, personally. It mostly depends on what sort of things people want to do on campus, but the general idea is to skim over more mundane things. Don’t need to write about travelling to the fridge for some food or something, or detailing how you’re following a regular routine with no conflict or interruptions. Because it’s the first day, this one will probably be slightly longer than the average downtime just because things are new.
Going forward though, not every single day will be so long. There may be days or perhaps even weeks where things are skimmed over once the regular routine is shown, slowing down again once conflict arises or something happens to change the routine.
Going forward though, not every single day will be so long. There may be days or perhaps even weeks where things are skimmed over once the regular routine is shown, slowing down again once conflict arises or something happens to change the routine.
Definitely going to be adding a locations section for notable parts of the campus. I can just feel it being needed moving forward.
@ERode@Estylwen@Sifr@Psyker Landshark
Students shuffled out of the auditorium with relieved, exhausted breaths for the majority. Feet were dragged, some were falling asleep on their walk, and any animosity between unresolved rivalries had temporarily been beaten out of them by the morning from hell. For a small window of time, it almost felt as if The Decay could be solved simply by exhausting people until they didn't even feel like using essence. Rio was at the head of the pack of students leaving, Chloe in his arms with her eyes fluttering, the girl jumping in and out of consciousness. Rio, and by extension Chloe, went the opposite way from the crowd being lead along by Mannekin towards escort carriages.
Davil looked upon his chum with confusion, pointing at himself for confirmation as Otis followed up on his end of the bargain. "Ah? Oh, right! I suppose that was a thing, right? I don't know what you'd do with them right this moment, though, chum. They're not capable of much in their current state, after all. All the juices have left them until tomorrow!" With a chuckle and a shrug, Davil would take off his boots anyway, handing them over.
"Careful though, chum," Davil would mutter lowly with a concerned nudge, his gaze sharpened like steel. Waiting a few beats to build tension, his mouth opened again. "There's no doubt about it. They must reek right now. Be strong."
With that, the bright-eyed boy hobbled along off the stage, stopping briefly as he heard Ciara's words, looking upon her and the rest of the friendly faces in his vicinity. "Oh, all of you? That many...?" His uncertainty quickly turned to enthusiasm, however, and he excitedly summoned forth his Adapa. "Uh, never mind! Sure, that'd be awesome! Hit me up any time really, I don't have a life!"
A string-like tether of energy emerged from his Adapa as it rapidly flipped through pages to one near the front labeled 'Contacts'. It was an esoteric feeling, allowing his prime essence to be connected to that of another. It would feel like having a weighted blanket wrapped around him, and it would elicit that same feeling from anyone else exchanging contacts in that moment. To anybody exchanging contacts with Davil or another, a ghostly strand of essence would disappear inside the book of another, as if weaving a part of themselves into another's Adapa. Davil, of course, would give his contact essence to anybody that wished for it, before striding away as happy as a farmer after harvest. "Be seeing you guys later, I'm off to see what's what around here!"
And with that, Davil was off, dashing away from the crowds and vanishing somewhere else onto the campus. Valen would follow the crowd as one of the last to leave, looking upon those who remained of his fellow stage-goers with a smirk and a cold glare. Without another word, however, he left through the doorway amongst the crowd.
@AThousandCurses
Chunji arrived at the library, which was unsurprisingly rather empty at the moment. Mannekin wandered, organizing and categorizing books by the dozens at a time with the precision and efficiency only an automaton could allow. The checkout desk found a familiar face behind it - the limping girl, who gave a wave with a bright, beaming smile as she caught his gaze. She sat in an office chair behind that desk, Adapa floating at her side with a levitating screen above it seemingly conjured from the same magic as the grimoire. The screen emitted loud noise, and she seemed invested in what was on it, but she prioritized Chunji the moment she saw him walk in.
"Welcome, stranger. As Wingram's Library's first visitor of flesh and blood, you've got the pick of all picks 'round here. I'm Emelie, student and librarian. Anything I can help you with in particular~?"
She gave a wink at the end, clearly waiting for Chunji to introduce himself more properly. All the while, loud cheering emerged from the screen levitating in front of her. Should Chunji look at it, he'd see some kind of recording of a modernized stadium. Thousands cheered as combatants within the circular arena below battled, spells slung and swords swung. The limping girl, now known as Emelie, couldn't help but glance at it now and again herself, trying and failing to hide her interest. She realized that closing out the screen now would be an even greater admission of shame than leaving it open.
"Perhaps you came here just to take in the book smell? I could understand that too. Or, maybe," she trailed off as she leaned back in her chair and kicked her legs up on the desk with an accusatory smirk. "Maybe you just couldn't resist following little ol' me, in the end~?"
@Estylwen@Sifr@Psyker Landshark
As the trio of Ciara, Iraleth and Hildegunde boarded one of the Mannekin-controlled carriages, they found themselves a rather pleasant reprieve from the stuffy auditorium or smoke-scented campus. They were taken through the town, bearing witness to all kinds of shops preparing for the days to come. Many of the assistants and laborers were Mannekin, but some flesh and blood humans, dwarves and elves, among others, were present as well. The carriage drove through the admittedly small campus town, and took to a road further north that ascended above a small forest. The clear destination was the gigantic structure at the end - a cluster of buildings surrounded by a large tower that almost kissed the clouds.
The carriage stopped halfway, however. As the horses' hooves came to an abrupt stop, it was clear something unexpected had transpired. "Please be at ease, deterrent. You are safe here," the Mannekin driver at the front of the carriage would echo robotically, its focus trained ahead. Should any of the three passengers look out their window to see what was out there, they would witness a familiar face.
They would see Gulliver Bronsteel, limping and stumbling along the road. Only, he looked different. His expression was plastic, and his recognition somehow... missing. He had none of the injuries from earlier, even his clothing in immaculate condition, perfect and untouched. Despite this, there was perhaps the stirring of panic in his eyes, deep inside, as he slowly stepped backwards while facing the driver. "I..." He would begin to speak, but would not finish.
Thunk.
In a blink, Raja was behind Gulliver with the smack of her staff to the back of his head. He slumped over unconscious immediately, right into the principal's arms - a principal that was very much scowling. She looked first at the driver, then any of the three students aboard that might have investigated in some way. "Nothing to see here, just some cleanup. Be on your way, and rest up for the days ahead."
Raja would walk past the carriage towards the campus town, ignoring any words that might be thrown her way as she lugged the unconscious Bronsteel over her shoulder and away into town. The carriage would continue on without concern, a Mannekin designed to not question things clearly lending itself well to obeying orders.
After another handful of minutes, the carriage would halt outside a building to the right of the enormous tower labeled 'Girls' Dormitory'. From here, other carriages could already be seen letting loose passengers into the dormitory. The Mannekin driver would enter the passenger cabin and hand each of the three an envelope. Within was a key that labeled their room number, whatever those might happen to be. Whether those numbers were the same for two of them? That was up to fate.
"Please disembark. Any luggage has already been delivered to your designated rooms," the Mannekin driver would state plainly, stepping aside to give them room to leave.
AUDITORIUM
Students shuffled out of the auditorium with relieved, exhausted breaths for the majority. Feet were dragged, some were falling asleep on their walk, and any animosity between unresolved rivalries had temporarily been beaten out of them by the morning from hell. For a small window of time, it almost felt as if The Decay could be solved simply by exhausting people until they didn't even feel like using essence. Rio was at the head of the pack of students leaving, Chloe in his arms with her eyes fluttering, the girl jumping in and out of consciousness. Rio, and by extension Chloe, went the opposite way from the crowd being lead along by Mannekin towards escort carriages.
Davil looked upon his chum with confusion, pointing at himself for confirmation as Otis followed up on his end of the bargain. "Ah? Oh, right! I suppose that was a thing, right? I don't know what you'd do with them right this moment, though, chum. They're not capable of much in their current state, after all. All the juices have left them until tomorrow!" With a chuckle and a shrug, Davil would take off his boots anyway, handing them over.
"Careful though, chum," Davil would mutter lowly with a concerned nudge, his gaze sharpened like steel. Waiting a few beats to build tension, his mouth opened again. "There's no doubt about it. They must reek right now. Be strong."
With that, the bright-eyed boy hobbled along off the stage, stopping briefly as he heard Ciara's words, looking upon her and the rest of the friendly faces in his vicinity. "Oh, all of you? That many...?" His uncertainty quickly turned to enthusiasm, however, and he excitedly summoned forth his Adapa. "Uh, never mind! Sure, that'd be awesome! Hit me up any time really, I don't have a life!"
A string-like tether of energy emerged from his Adapa as it rapidly flipped through pages to one near the front labeled 'Contacts'. It was an esoteric feeling, allowing his prime essence to be connected to that of another. It would feel like having a weighted blanket wrapped around him, and it would elicit that same feeling from anyone else exchanging contacts in that moment. To anybody exchanging contacts with Davil or another, a ghostly strand of essence would disappear inside the book of another, as if weaving a part of themselves into another's Adapa. Davil, of course, would give his contact essence to anybody that wished for it, before striding away as happy as a farmer after harvest. "Be seeing you guys later, I'm off to see what's what around here!"
And with that, Davil was off, dashing away from the crowds and vanishing somewhere else onto the campus. Valen would follow the crowd as one of the last to leave, looking upon those who remained of his fellow stage-goers with a smirk and a cold glare. Without another word, however, he left through the doorway amongst the crowd.
@AThousandCurses
LIBRARY
Chunji arrived at the library, which was unsurprisingly rather empty at the moment. Mannekin wandered, organizing and categorizing books by the dozens at a time with the precision and efficiency only an automaton could allow. The checkout desk found a familiar face behind it - the limping girl, who gave a wave with a bright, beaming smile as she caught his gaze. She sat in an office chair behind that desk, Adapa floating at her side with a levitating screen above it seemingly conjured from the same magic as the grimoire. The screen emitted loud noise, and she seemed invested in what was on it, but she prioritized Chunji the moment she saw him walk in.
"Welcome, stranger. As Wingram's Library's first visitor of flesh and blood, you've got the pick of all picks 'round here. I'm Emelie, student and librarian. Anything I can help you with in particular~?"
She gave a wink at the end, clearly waiting for Chunji to introduce himself more properly. All the while, loud cheering emerged from the screen levitating in front of her. Should Chunji look at it, he'd see some kind of recording of a modernized stadium. Thousands cheered as combatants within the circular arena below battled, spells slung and swords swung. The limping girl, now known as Emelie, couldn't help but glance at it now and again herself, trying and failing to hide her interest. She realized that closing out the screen now would be an even greater admission of shame than leaving it open.
"Perhaps you came here just to take in the book smell? I could understand that too. Or, maybe," she trailed off as she leaned back in her chair and kicked her legs up on the desk with an accusatory smirk. "Maybe you just couldn't resist following little ol' me, in the end~?"
@Estylwen@Sifr@Psyker Landshark
GIRLS' DORM
As the trio of Ciara, Iraleth and Hildegunde boarded one of the Mannekin-controlled carriages, they found themselves a rather pleasant reprieve from the stuffy auditorium or smoke-scented campus. They were taken through the town, bearing witness to all kinds of shops preparing for the days to come. Many of the assistants and laborers were Mannekin, but some flesh and blood humans, dwarves and elves, among others, were present as well. The carriage drove through the admittedly small campus town, and took to a road further north that ascended above a small forest. The clear destination was the gigantic structure at the end - a cluster of buildings surrounded by a large tower that almost kissed the clouds.
The carriage stopped halfway, however. As the horses' hooves came to an abrupt stop, it was clear something unexpected had transpired. "Please be at ease, deterrent. You are safe here," the Mannekin driver at the front of the carriage would echo robotically, its focus trained ahead. Should any of the three passengers look out their window to see what was out there, they would witness a familiar face.
They would see Gulliver Bronsteel, limping and stumbling along the road. Only, he looked different. His expression was plastic, and his recognition somehow... missing. He had none of the injuries from earlier, even his clothing in immaculate condition, perfect and untouched. Despite this, there was perhaps the stirring of panic in his eyes, deep inside, as he slowly stepped backwards while facing the driver. "I..." He would begin to speak, but would not finish.
Thunk.
In a blink, Raja was behind Gulliver with the smack of her staff to the back of his head. He slumped over unconscious immediately, right into the principal's arms - a principal that was very much scowling. She looked first at the driver, then any of the three students aboard that might have investigated in some way. "Nothing to see here, just some cleanup. Be on your way, and rest up for the days ahead."
Raja would walk past the carriage towards the campus town, ignoring any words that might be thrown her way as she lugged the unconscious Bronsteel over her shoulder and away into town. The carriage would continue on without concern, a Mannekin designed to not question things clearly lending itself well to obeying orders.
After another handful of minutes, the carriage would halt outside a building to the right of the enormous tower labeled 'Girls' Dormitory'. From here, other carriages could already be seen letting loose passengers into the dormitory. The Mannekin driver would enter the passenger cabin and hand each of the three an envelope. Within was a key that labeled their room number, whatever those might happen to be. Whether those numbers were the same for two of them? That was up to fate.
"Please disembark. Any luggage has already been delivered to your designated rooms," the Mannekin driver would state plainly, stepping aside to give them room to leave.
Maybe this is just me, but I think co-ed dorms is not nearly as crazy as whatever the fuck this school day has been. Although part of it might just be my own distaste for sex and/or gender segregation :P (If there was sarcasm there I failed to pick up please excuse me, I am on the spectrum LMAO)
Anyways! Wow it would SUCK if Hildegunde or Iraleth had to room with Chloe.
Just a spot of sarcasm. The part about being crazy, but the dorms are indeed gender separated.
The dorms are separated by gender! They've got a rough orientation day, but they're not mad. Probably, anyway.
This is gonna be a nice round. I will have a response up tomorrow!
Will dorms be singular or double? Will roommate's be assigned, do would we get to choose, @Nanaya?
@Sifr Another Voice, another straw to eventually break the camel's back. ^^;
Roommates would be assigned in pairs to each room, apart from special requests for single rooms requiring special circumstances that would have been filed before arriving at the school. Though I see no reason why "fate" (plot convenience) couldn't make it so that players could potentially already be paired in particular rooms when they arrive.
Excellent...
I'll post a bit later in this round, but to confirm, would Otis recognize that memory as his own? Or as something else's? And what's Goetia?
He’d recognize it as something/someone else’s memory. As for what Goetia is, he wouldn’t have knowledge of that at the moment. Nor would anyone in the party, I’m afraid.
@Estylwen@ERode@Sifr@Psyker Landshark@AThousandCurses
Movement gradually overtook the auditorium, with different reactions on the faces of those that went through their mental battles - ranging anywhere from tears to shock, to rage, to indifference. Davil would wake shortly after the rest of his peers on the stage, exhaling deeply as he gazed at the ceiling longingly as if it were a vast field of stars or a glowing horizon. He would burst from this haze shortly after, realizing where he was as he sat up in his seat to look upon his friends. Relief washed over his face as he realized that they had all passed; or, almost, at least. His brow furrowed with concern upon looking at Otis' Adapa, and even Raja herself turned with a curious smirk to watch the process.
"Uh, chum? You good-"
"Shhh," was all that the intrigued principal uttered the moment that Davil began to speak, a finger to her lips as she watched the trapped Adapa.
The blue wisp, cornered and perceiving itself as under attack, ping-ponged against the barrier it found itself in, banging with all the force a phantom flicker could muster. In Otis' mind, he could hear it screech, crying out in the voices of countless unknowns as he subdued it. It begged and pleaded, though its wails eventually turned to curses. Otis' mind would briefly flash alight with a vision, at the height of this anguish. In it, he was in a dark cellar of some kind, illuminated faintly by torches on the walls nearby. He was small, perhaps a child of no older than eight, inside a box lined with bars on all sides. The world was unfocused, as if viewing the world through a clumsy water painting, and all that could be seen properly was the presence of two figures by the stairs leading down to this cellar: a tall and stocky individual with red boots peeking out from under his black robes, and a smaller figure that was entirely indecipherable in appearance.
"I trust this settles our debt, then. There'll be no more from here on out, I trust? We have our own duties to attend to," the taller one would speak in a deep, gravelly voice with a distinct North Rekordian accent.
A pause, then a girlish giggle as the smaller figure brought an inky hand to where their face might rest. "Yes, of course. All will flow along the river's course in time. You can tell the brute that he'll be pleased with our progress. In the end, it has been a shining success. Goetia will fall, when all's done, and that will be that."
Her voice would sound like that of a little girl's, as if a young flower girl speaking of the most beautiful field daisies she'll pluck for the appreciation of her parents. The world in this vision grew dimmer, and the last thing Otis would see through the eyes of this unknown was the taller man walking out of view up the stairs, and the girl - more silhouette than person - looking towards Otis. In that void, there would be only one defining trait that he would see.
Her eyes, in that infinite darkness, shone through like emeralds reflecting sunlight. Just in the background behind her, a gigantic green eye the size of a human torso would open, also staring right at the individual Otis was seeing through - or perhaps even Otis himself, but it was unclear as the three eyes locked onto him. "Let us begin," was all the girlish voice would say, sing-song in its tone as she stepped towards the cage.
And that would be that. The vision, in the span of less than the blink of an eye, would transpire as the Adapa's final cries of resistance gave way to submission. Raja would give Otis a nod of approval and a small golf clap. "The path forward in this life is not so linear as to demand a set few options. It's good that you already know such things, boy."
Looking about the other students coming to, she would continue to nod with approval, a smile growing evident as clearly she had begun to see more passing this final test than she had anticipated. It seemed as if nearly everyone who challenged their Adapa was emerging victorious. As this occurred, each Adapa would start to shift. Moving away from the appearance of formless wisps, they all twisted and took on the shapes of ghostly blue grimoires hovering in place in front of their new masters. In the minds of each student individually, they would receive greetings and statements of acknowledgement finalizing the dynamic as master and subordinate. Just as quickly, at the will of each student, these grimoires would be absorbed as essence back into their own bodies, free to be summoned back and forth at a whim from their prime essence.
"It may be strange to hear, but your Adapa will not merely wordlessly obey. Regardless of what has been done to it, each and every one will have its own voice and personality adapted to your own subconscious tastes and requirements in a subordinate. This could be enhancing your strengths, covering your weaknesses, or some kind of wild card that I quite frankly don't feel like diving into. You can have these conversations with your Adapa in your head, so quite frankly, I don't need to know what goes on behind closed minds."
Raja paced on the stage, taking note of the reactions of each student while continuing her speech.
"There'll be plenty of time to adjust to that later, though. Today's been a busy day today... or rather, a busy morning, I suppose. Lots to take in, and you kids still have spongey brains that need time to really soak, so you may be delighted to hear that there will be no more tasks worth busting your body for today. Apart from, well..."
Her gaze took a grim, saddened turn as she beheld students that would not wake from their slumbers. The janitor shrugged his shoulders from behind as his expression met Raja's, and he dropped his broom and dustpan to slowly start dragging out a couple of the unconscious students. "Sucks to suck, I guess," he would say aloud while leaving the auditorium.
"...You'll be free to move in your things to the proper dormitories shortly and enjoy the rest of the day off to yourselves. The last matter for today is one of belonging. You see, patriotism is a dangerous thing. If left unchecked, it evolves into blind faith and zealotry. It evolves into Umbralism's fifteen hundred year betrayal in the making, Rekordia's cloud-high walls, and Mirris' central dominance."
Hesitation grew about the room, some students either becoming offended by such a notion or otherwise growing uncomfortable at what they seemed to agree with.
"Yet it's also what allowed fair Nero Leuvalt to fight for what he believed in, leading the Wings and doing what he could to ensure our nation did not crumble in its vulnerable infancy. In that respect, I wish to be blunt in saying that Wingram will be recreating the two-party system of old. Shaktans and Neroites, each desiring to fulfill the dreams of their respective leaders! Was it the gods-given right of Shaktis Wund to expand our borders and become a sword of the world to eradicate those he deemed unworthy such as his former home of Rekordia? Or was Nero Leuvalt correct in wishing to foster a land of compassion and oneness, defending our people as a shield of unity and bringing down the blade only when absolutely necessary? Aggression or passivity? Resolve or empathy? Knowledge or faith? Wund or Leuvalt?"
Booms echoed from Raja as she finished her sentences, stomping her staff on the ground with each sentence ended, passion filling her eyes like fire as the tips of her hair flickered like candles.
"Sword of Wund, or Shield of Nero. This will be our two-faction system as these years progress here at Wingram. You will not be forced into one against your will, but you will make your choice in the mandatory gathering at the Leyline Attunement Zone tomorrow after lunch. There will be no questions answered on this matter until tomorrow, but I would ask you each to converse with your peers to think on which values align with yours."
With that, Raja's left arm turned at an upward diagonal as if making half of an X, her hand flat as if ready to chop, and held it there. "'A hero, stalwart and kind.' That is the motto of Wingram, and this is the salute. Regardless of your choice tomorrow, you will all abide by those words no matter what befalls you. Together, we'll pick up the pieces that our predecessors couldn't."
The familiar figures of the carriage drivers arrived through the doorway, lining up with militant efficiency at attention. This time, there was a key difference: they were all Mannekin, still dressed in the same clothes as the drivers from earlier.
"For now, though, off with you all. There are three primary dormitories, and these fine fellows will see you all there safely. Think on today, think on tomorrow, bond with your Adapa, bond with each other... the specifics of your free time are in your hands from now on, and we will not police you heavily on such matters. Be off, and be well."
AUDITORIUM
Movement gradually overtook the auditorium, with different reactions on the faces of those that went through their mental battles - ranging anywhere from tears to shock, to rage, to indifference. Davil would wake shortly after the rest of his peers on the stage, exhaling deeply as he gazed at the ceiling longingly as if it were a vast field of stars or a glowing horizon. He would burst from this haze shortly after, realizing where he was as he sat up in his seat to look upon his friends. Relief washed over his face as he realized that they had all passed; or, almost, at least. His brow furrowed with concern upon looking at Otis' Adapa, and even Raja herself turned with a curious smirk to watch the process.
"Uh, chum? You good-"
"Shhh," was all that the intrigued principal uttered the moment that Davil began to speak, a finger to her lips as she watched the trapped Adapa.
The blue wisp, cornered and perceiving itself as under attack, ping-ponged against the barrier it found itself in, banging with all the force a phantom flicker could muster. In Otis' mind, he could hear it screech, crying out in the voices of countless unknowns as he subdued it. It begged and pleaded, though its wails eventually turned to curses. Otis' mind would briefly flash alight with a vision, at the height of this anguish. In it, he was in a dark cellar of some kind, illuminated faintly by torches on the walls nearby. He was small, perhaps a child of no older than eight, inside a box lined with bars on all sides. The world was unfocused, as if viewing the world through a clumsy water painting, and all that could be seen properly was the presence of two figures by the stairs leading down to this cellar: a tall and stocky individual with red boots peeking out from under his black robes, and a smaller figure that was entirely indecipherable in appearance.
"I trust this settles our debt, then. There'll be no more from here on out, I trust? We have our own duties to attend to," the taller one would speak in a deep, gravelly voice with a distinct North Rekordian accent.
A pause, then a girlish giggle as the smaller figure brought an inky hand to where their face might rest. "Yes, of course. All will flow along the river's course in time. You can tell the brute that he'll be pleased with our progress. In the end, it has been a shining success. Goetia will fall, when all's done, and that will be that."
Her voice would sound like that of a little girl's, as if a young flower girl speaking of the most beautiful field daisies she'll pluck for the appreciation of her parents. The world in this vision grew dimmer, and the last thing Otis would see through the eyes of this unknown was the taller man walking out of view up the stairs, and the girl - more silhouette than person - looking towards Otis. In that void, there would be only one defining trait that he would see.
Her eyes, in that infinite darkness, shone through like emeralds reflecting sunlight. Just in the background behind her, a gigantic green eye the size of a human torso would open, also staring right at the individual Otis was seeing through - or perhaps even Otis himself, but it was unclear as the three eyes locked onto him. "Let us begin," was all the girlish voice would say, sing-song in its tone as she stepped towards the cage.
And that would be that. The vision, in the span of less than the blink of an eye, would transpire as the Adapa's final cries of resistance gave way to submission. Raja would give Otis a nod of approval and a small golf clap. "The path forward in this life is not so linear as to demand a set few options. It's good that you already know such things, boy."
Looking about the other students coming to, she would continue to nod with approval, a smile growing evident as clearly she had begun to see more passing this final test than she had anticipated. It seemed as if nearly everyone who challenged their Adapa was emerging victorious. As this occurred, each Adapa would start to shift. Moving away from the appearance of formless wisps, they all twisted and took on the shapes of ghostly blue grimoires hovering in place in front of their new masters. In the minds of each student individually, they would receive greetings and statements of acknowledgement finalizing the dynamic as master and subordinate. Just as quickly, at the will of each student, these grimoires would be absorbed as essence back into their own bodies, free to be summoned back and forth at a whim from their prime essence.
"It may be strange to hear, but your Adapa will not merely wordlessly obey. Regardless of what has been done to it, each and every one will have its own voice and personality adapted to your own subconscious tastes and requirements in a subordinate. This could be enhancing your strengths, covering your weaknesses, or some kind of wild card that I quite frankly don't feel like diving into. You can have these conversations with your Adapa in your head, so quite frankly, I don't need to know what goes on behind closed minds."
Raja paced on the stage, taking note of the reactions of each student while continuing her speech.
"There'll be plenty of time to adjust to that later, though. Today's been a busy day today... or rather, a busy morning, I suppose. Lots to take in, and you kids still have spongey brains that need time to really soak, so you may be delighted to hear that there will be no more tasks worth busting your body for today. Apart from, well..."
Her gaze took a grim, saddened turn as she beheld students that would not wake from their slumbers. The janitor shrugged his shoulders from behind as his expression met Raja's, and he dropped his broom and dustpan to slowly start dragging out a couple of the unconscious students. "Sucks to suck, I guess," he would say aloud while leaving the auditorium.
"...You'll be free to move in your things to the proper dormitories shortly and enjoy the rest of the day off to yourselves. The last matter for today is one of belonging. You see, patriotism is a dangerous thing. If left unchecked, it evolves into blind faith and zealotry. It evolves into Umbralism's fifteen hundred year betrayal in the making, Rekordia's cloud-high walls, and Mirris' central dominance."
Hesitation grew about the room, some students either becoming offended by such a notion or otherwise growing uncomfortable at what they seemed to agree with.
"Yet it's also what allowed fair Nero Leuvalt to fight for what he believed in, leading the Wings and doing what he could to ensure our nation did not crumble in its vulnerable infancy. In that respect, I wish to be blunt in saying that Wingram will be recreating the two-party system of old. Shaktans and Neroites, each desiring to fulfill the dreams of their respective leaders! Was it the gods-given right of Shaktis Wund to expand our borders and become a sword of the world to eradicate those he deemed unworthy such as his former home of Rekordia? Or was Nero Leuvalt correct in wishing to foster a land of compassion and oneness, defending our people as a shield of unity and bringing down the blade only when absolutely necessary? Aggression or passivity? Resolve or empathy? Knowledge or faith? Wund or Leuvalt?"
Booms echoed from Raja as she finished her sentences, stomping her staff on the ground with each sentence ended, passion filling her eyes like fire as the tips of her hair flickered like candles.
"Sword of Wund, or Shield of Nero. This will be our two-faction system as these years progress here at Wingram. You will not be forced into one against your will, but you will make your choice in the mandatory gathering at the Leyline Attunement Zone tomorrow after lunch. There will be no questions answered on this matter until tomorrow, but I would ask you each to converse with your peers to think on which values align with yours."
With that, Raja's left arm turned at an upward diagonal as if making half of an X, her hand flat as if ready to chop, and held it there. "'A hero, stalwart and kind.' That is the motto of Wingram, and this is the salute. Regardless of your choice tomorrow, you will all abide by those words no matter what befalls you. Together, we'll pick up the pieces that our predecessors couldn't."
The familiar figures of the carriage drivers arrived through the doorway, lining up with militant efficiency at attention. This time, there was a key difference: they were all Mannekin, still dressed in the same clothes as the drivers from earlier.
"For now, though, off with you all. There are three primary dormitories, and these fine fellows will see you all there safely. Think on today, think on tomorrow, bond with your Adapa, bond with each other... the specifics of your free time are in your hands from now on, and we will not police you heavily on such matters. Be off, and be well."
Hm...
So, would we have heard of Adapa before? More importantly, are they protected by any particular legislation, or are they classified as tools?
They would be a complete unknown. Vaal Shakta does have the “Leylight”, which is a privilege granted to Strigari Academy students and staff, and the city’s government officials, which allows them access to mail, two-way calling, streaming and news access. That has never been said or implied to be a thing with a will of its own, however, but merely an extra essence anchored to a person’s prime that can be used while within the Kastrix Leyline.
The Adapa so far would sound similar to that, but with a different method involving a sentient creature. It’s unknown what the laws protect them from, but Raja has of course very much described them as tools first.
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